Have you Ever...??

So have you ever gone to a conference and gone out dancing at a party thrown by a company in your industry where there's an open bar and lots of drinking and dancing? And you are hanging with a woman/potential client who, incredibly, doesn't like dancing so when she calls for SHOTS you do some with her anyway even though you never do them because you are a lightweight? And then you start dancing and entertaining her and end up dancing with an adorable gentleman who you realize is incredibly fit, particularly for his age ? And then he tells you he owns a fitness company and so yeah he has rock hard abs? And so you decide to do a little claim substantiation on the dance floor? But then you forget to get his name and really you wouldn't have remembered it anyway? And so the next day you're at your booth and wondering if you really had that conversation on the dance floor and figuring out of 3700 people you'll never see him anyway when all the sudden he appears at your booth? Or maybe it's him because you're not really sure and now he's in a gorgeous suit and appears slightly older than you remember in your haze (which is, thankfully, older than you are) - and he smiles that "I have met you smile" from across the booth....and starts talking to your Boss Man whom he obviously has known for a really long time?? And then it turns out 1) yes it is the same guy and 2) he's pretty famous and on TV and has trained lots of other famous physically fit people but apparently because you never watch TV you are the only human being on the planet who has no idea who he is?

Yeah, me neither.

Trying this again - it posted without my list! Ooops....


Even though I am a pathetic blogger lately, Lovely Katy still thinks I'm Versatile! Not sure what that means....my writing has no rhyme or reason? Yep that's true.... I'm totally A.D.D.? absolutely. I can juggle and hulahoop simultaneously? Yes Indeed I can....



Here are the rules:

Acknowledge and thank and link back to the award - bestower

Post 7 things about you your blog-readers might not know.

Pass the award on

Post the award on your blog.

7 things you might not know....hmmmm

1. I PASSED THE FLORIDA BAR (no "finallys" from the peanut gallery

please). I still have some pesky administrative stuff to do to get admitted, but baby, I'm In.

2. I am the wimpiest sick person ever. I hate being sick and when I'm sick everyone knows it and has to feel sorry for me.

3. I sometimes fall asleep blogging - because I'm blogging when I should be sleeping NOT because blogging is boring!

4. When I was little I thought TV shows came from random video taping of everyone's lives (who knew I was on to a huge money making hit?) and so I used to have running *witty* conversations with myself when alone, just in case the cameras were taping. The thought of them taping me in the bathroom weirded me out, so I tried to be extra witty in there....To this day, I find myself talking to myself in the bathroom. It's embarrassing when I catch myself doing it at work!

5. I hate it when people touch my nose.

6. I hate being home alone in the house at night and leave lights on everywhere.

7. I don't know what color my hair "really" is. Probably something in the brown family?!

As for nominating you versatile bloggers, you are all versatile and I think the few people left reading me have otherwise been named. If not, grab the badge and go!!

Apparently, I did something Right

Friday in the mail I received perhaps one of the sweetest, most thoughtful, most important gifts of my life: a letter from my daughter.

She wrote me a poem about the things I mean to her and have done for her. She included an envelope decorated with her poem. The last line of the poem said, "Thank you for....." with instructions that if I ever doubted that I am "the best," I am to reach inside and grab a reminder.

Inside are many (a hundred? more?) little strips of paper that say things like, "For setting the microwave timer for 30 minutes." [that's how long they had to practice piano, whether they wanted to or not. They both LOVE to play now and are thankful for my dictatorship on that point.] Some points are recent memories, "For the multiple trips to Target to make sure my dorm room is just right." Others are distant memories or things I had even forgotten. There are general ones and specific ones, funny ones and thoughtful ones. I have resisted the urge to sit down and read them all at once. Instead I will attempt to savor her gift and reach in the bag when I'm feeling less than my best.

And of course I'll only reach in when it's safe to cry. Because this gift? Brings tears to my eyes.

Apparently, I did something right. And I give all the credit to God for the wonderful gift that is her. I know I don't deserve her, but I do thank Him for her (and my Son) every day of my life.

Oh and? I'm totally stealing this idea....


FYI this wasn't a random mailing - it was part of my birthday gift.

BURIED

This Blogger has officially been Buried.....under an avalanche of work commonly known as the "back to school = back to court" lifestyle of the litigator. No I do not know why litigation is cyclical. Judges are back in the courtrooms, people are ready to sue. Stranger than fiction.

So Buffett pictures are coming, school updates are coming, life updates are coming.

As soon as I unbury myself......

Someone's Going to Buffett

Lest you think I am all crafty-talented and such crap, let me assure you I AM NOT. My college roommate brought me a Law School Grad gift where she took one of those GIANT martini glasses and decked it out for Buffett. I have stolen her idea, violated her copyright privileges (heh, I know a good lawyer who can defend me) and made a few for my friends. The Captain graciously agreed to help me so that they came out looking somewhat awesome. (He freakin' SEWS people - no end to his talents!)

The one with the Shark is my Original - except we lost the Parrot a few years ago. Yes we really do drink out of these at the Parking Lot Tailgate. One drink is usually enough, or so it seems... (Yes you need a straw and I have awesome straws, too, of course).


MAJOR league burn on index finger. Hot glue guns and Rum might not be a good combination...

Jimmy Buffett here we come!!!!!

Refrigerator Papers have Been Replaced By Web Papers

Remember when we were kids - if you did something really well you got a "refrigerator paper" and it got hung up for all to see. With 5 kids in the house, that was quite the reward winning some real estate on the precious Fridge.

My parents still post Refrigerator Papers - these days it's a good medical report. No I'm not kidding.

I still have some of my kids' best work on my Refrigerator - a valentine they made me in Sunday School (yes in 2010...we were teaching Sunday School together!); a poem they wrote me for Mother's day in 2009.

This week I got two awesome phone calls/emails, 1 from Daughter, 1 from Son. Daughter had to read something by Aristotle then write something. Apparently the Teacher posts the reading on Wordpress and the kids respond, then they all read them and the teacher might comment. This week she only commented on ONE paper. Why yes you are RIGHT she left Daughter this comment: "Awesome!" And as a totally unbiased, neutral party, I will say there's a reason Daughter got that comment. Because while the rest of the kids were trying to figure out what Aristotle was saying (some wrote their papers on the fact that he is "outdated" and "Makes no sense," Daughter dissected it and made it understandable. God Bless her High School AP Teacher!!!!

Then Son called last night - seems in his class of 600 (600 in one classroom is why I sometimes fear his choice of school....) he submitted a slide for his Astronomy class. Kids can submit some interesting topic and the teacher chooses a few and puts them up. Sometimes they go up anonymously. Yesterday the teacher put two up anon and then said, "After this one by AU. H. no one else will want to go..." and proceeded to show Son's awesome slide on some topic he happened to notice in the Wall Street Journal that day. (I did not KNOW my son even ever HEARD of the WSJ, never mind reads it daily!!) Son was thrilled to have been called out by name and apparently received many texts from Classmates about his "awesome" slide. (I think it's an electronic slide b/c Son said something about including a video and something else he prepared). I am amazed on numerous levels here 1) He Chose to Do the Extra Credit when he's Not Even Failing! 2) He did the assignment with Zeal 3) He called his Mama to tell her about it 4) He enriches himself not just with Volleyball and Rugby [He made the Rugby team this week, too!!!] but with the WSJ!!!

They are far away, but they are where they should be. 2 weeks in and still bringing home Refrigerator Papers. I'm done bragging now. For today.... thanks for indulging me.

The Secret Men Keep

I've mentioned this once before, but Men are keeping a big secret from us. And I'm hear to blow their cover.

For years I stayed in the house, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, while Ex handled the "outside work," under the guise of "you stay inside where it's cool while I slave outside in the heat." Now I admit, I have a great vacuum, and love it almost as much as Suzy loves hers. (OK I can't find the hilarious post about her new vacuum - you'll just have to read all her funny stuff and find it!)

But nothing, oh no nothing, that I have for inside cleaning compares to the Power Tools Men Have.

They claim this is Work?? Are you kidding me? Saturday I bought myself a chain saw and tackled the tree that had fallen in my backyard weeks ago. Son was supposed to clean it up before he left, but didn't have time. So I researched, asked advice, bought the tools and cut the sucker down myself. It was so empowering! So awesome! FUN. Take that Power Tool and whack through a giant tree trunk like it's PAPER. Powerful. And no I didn't cut any of my own body parts off. Didn't even come close. (Not like when Ex was trying to cut down a tree, fell off the ladder with Chain Saw Running, fell 20 feet onto a split rail fence, which he split in 2 with his own girth, and then refused to go to the hospital.....)

Then there's the lawn. Fire up my new Toro Lawnmower - the one I bought myself to replace the pain in the a$$ mower Ex left me that you need to mix oil and gas. 2 cycle blah blah engine blah mix stuff blah. Nope my Toro you just dump in the gas and GO. Self propelled. Mulching (bagging is so passe). Do you have any idea how many calories you burn when you push mow 1/2 acre?? 374 calories an hour!! Calories burned vacuuming for an hour? 208. bah. Plus you get to be OUTSIDE in the SUN soaking up Vitamin D!

And my personal favorite - the Leaf Blower. Strap that sucker on to your back, fire it up, and blow the hell out of leaves, sticks, grass clippings. And voila! A clean back patio. Clean driveway. So much more satisfying than dusting where you have to pick up every knickknack and then vacuum afterwards.

Yes Ladies, don't be fooled by your Man. Tell him HE can do the housework. Grab those power tools and start having FUN!