Is it a southern thing or just people with no common sense?

I would never consider riding an ATV (four wheeler) if I were expecting a child. I know someone who at 6 months pregnant was riding one and I expressed my concern and told her to ask her doctor for approval. To my satisfaction, the doctor stressed over and over again absolutely not! Too my dismay, I found out at 30 weeks that she was back on the freaking thing again.

I posted on a pregnancy board and was blasted by women who are and have ridden while pregnant with their children and these women both said they lived in the south. Now I'm not saying that people in the south have no common sense or that women in the south have no common sense. I just find it highly coincidental that all these women riding these atv's are in the south.

Isn't there a reason you don't do these things when pregnant?

Food, Food and More Food!

So, I really hate that there are only two people in my house to feed and maybe if there were more I'd hate that too if they were picky eaters. Feeding one is easy make a sandwich or soup and salad or a bowl of cereal whatever floats your boat for the moment. Feeding two however is so much more difficult. It means you must buy and cook and make something that both parties will enjoy. And it means you must cook. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cooking and experimenting with new meals, but I hate doing it all alone. I also hate cleaning up too. I need to learn and impose the "I'll cook and you clean up" rule...wonder if it'll work?

When making meals for two there is usually so much left over that it eventually goes to waste; and I hate wasting food, but I don't always want to eat the same thing two days in a row and wish I was smart enough in the kitchen to have something today that I can incorporate into tomorrow's meal.. hmmm. I'll have to think about this.

One of the favorite meals in my house is Chicken Marsala w/Asparagus and creamed potatoes. .. Wonder if I should cook that tonight? Chicken is a major staple in our diets and I need to learn new ways to prepare it. Of course if I new how to pick and prepare the good fish and good steak, that would probably increase as well.

I must go grocery shopping. There are so many things I need to purchase! Guess I'll get my grocery list ready! Ciao!!

Lucky # 13

I'm lucky enough to be an Aunt for the 13th time this year!! My younger sister is expecting her first child and will find out in a few weeks the sex of the baby. It's really exciting, and disappointing at the same time. I guess I was always somewhat jealous that my older brother was able to do so many things first, and now, even my lil sis is passing me in motherhood. I really wish that she had waited 5+ more years before having her 1st child, not because I haven't had any children yet, but because she is so young. I don't know that she fully understands that her life will NEVER be the same. She will give up so much of her own life and experiences because of her little one coming. That may sound selfish, but I'm so glad that I haven't had children of my own yet. I'm glad that I have been able to travel a little and do some of the things that will be restricted once parenthood comes along.

Been a while

It's been a while since I have been here and posted a blog, so long in fact that I had to request both my username and my password. HA. I'm going to try to come here more often, even when I don't have something really great to say.

I have plenty of stress on me now, and I'm trying so hard to not allow it to consume me. So much is going on with school and jobs, and then my mother graduates in May and I need to find the perfect graduation gift for her. She has done so well in school and currently has a 4.0 GPA, I am so proud of her. I have no idea what she will be doing after school, but I'm sure it'll be something fun. I know she is going to Greece for a trip, and I know she'll have fun and bring back some amazing photographs.

I am working my way through the end of the Spring semester, and then will have 29 credits to go. I'm really glad that I will finally be a senior at the end of this semester and see an end in sight. I do plan to complete 8 more classes (5 Major courses, & 3 phys ed) by the end of this year and then will have only 9 credits to go. It's so amazing, and stressful at the same time.

I guess I need to work on only stressing about the current moment and allow the next classes to consume me only when they absolutely have too!

Write more later.

Amused at Chivalrous Behavior

Today, I was slightly amused at the chivalrous behavior of a young man when I was attempting to enter one of the local retailers. Amused?!?! Yes, I was amused. If you care to read along you'll discover the reason behind my amusement!

So, I parked almost as far away from the entrance as I possibly could, I made the breezy journey to the front doors of the store, where after waiting for traffic to pass, I crossed the short roadway and was finally there. I'm not sure about you, but sometimes it's awkward for me to enter the store at the same time as someone else, but I didn't even get to make that decision, it was made for me by a lanky, bright-eyed male between the ages of oh.. 18-20. He was dressed in a flannel checkered jacket, brown cargo pants and these enormous Timberland boots.

He made it to the entryway a 1/2 step quicker than me, however he didn't enter the building. Instead, he stepped in front of the motion sensor causing the door to slide open and motioned for me to enter first. I entered the building giggling internally, due to the way in which he caused the door to open. He didn't move his entire body in front of the motion sensor, but he did take a huge step with his right foot, almost as if he were trying to avoid getting wet by steping over a huge puddle of water.

Chivalry is not dead per se; its forms are changing. The way in which things are done is changing, therefore we must change our ways to accommodate!

Toxic Relationships

We all can recognize them, because most have had them or know someone who has. These are the relationships with people who care nothing about you and/or only cares about their interest, whatever they may be.

In the recent past, I had someone re-enter my life (after 8 years) whom had been a great friend for the first 9-10 years of my school career. During our early teens our interests had changed drastically and there were things in her life that I wanted no part of, and followed by my move out of state and attending another school we had lost further contact. Upon our re-aquaintance, many items came up, her child and soon to be step-children and impending marriage, my marriage (6 years prior), our schooling and accomplishments in life thus far and most importantly her supposed complete change of illegal activities since the birth of her child (2.5 years ago).

On the surface, things appeared to be going well for her. Her life was in order, she was almost ready to start a new career and her motherhood had made her realize the importance of life and her child was the most important thing to her. However, it was only a facade and the real person was soon to emerge.

After months of communication, and a pre-planned trip to a desired destination, she was invited along with my other friends for a four day girls weekend. This was the best and worst decision of my life. I guess it's a good time to tell a short story.

"Remember the story of the scorpion that asked a
frog to carry him across the river because he could
not swim? "How do I know you will not sting me,"
the frog asked. "If I do, we'll both drown," he replied.
So the scorpion hopped on. Half way across the
river the scorpion stung him. As they were drowning
the frog said, "You promised you wouldn't. Why did
you sting me?" The scorpion replied, "I cannot help
it, it's my nature to sting."

Learn to recognize toxic relationships and walk away
from them before they take you down with them.
A toxic relationship is like a body part with
gangrene; if you do not amputate, the infection will
spread. Unless you have the courage to cut off
what will not heal, you will end up losing much more."

---I would love to give credit where credit is due, however I cannot tell you where I found this information, as I found it in November 2006 and unfortunately forgot to take authorship info.

Her actions were despicable. She not only endangered herself, but chose to endanger those of us around her as well. She lied to me for hours before coming a fraction clean on events of the night, even though she knew I had seen enough to know what was going on. She then continued lying to me and about me by telling one person something when I wasn't around, and then telling a different story when I was! Even above her actions and lies, she refused/refuses to recognize that the decision she made was not one for which she had the power to make; she put everyone at risk in multiple ways due to her illegal habits.

Stop blaming your childhood, your parents, your dysfunctional family, your fiance, your child and everything else for your transgressions. Stand up, be an adult and accept you are what you are because you choose it. No one makes you follow the path and lifestyle you are following.

I wash my hands of you and the toxicity that follows you and your lifestyle!