Thursday, June 24, 2010

Full moon on the Gulf

Be jealous!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Money in Mississippi



In mid May my long time friend Kristi Gee came from Texas to visit with her Mississippi family and friends. Kristi and I have been since college. She started working at Chaney's Pharmacy three days before me, we worked many nights and weekends together. We would even take deliveries together when the store was slow and the pharmacist would send us. We were married 364 days apart and got to be in each other's big day. In college we all called her Gee Money, I shortened it to Money and it kinda just stuck. This is her baby girl Ceci, or as I like to call her G-Money Jr. Like the outfit? Kristi found fabric and mailed it to me so that I could make her a little something. I love it, I love them, and am so glad My mom and I got to meet up with them for dinner to catch up.

Summer Reading 2010


Okay so I had a slow start getting to my Summer Reading. Since I can't read in the car and I spent my first week of Summer mostly in the car riding over the country...and last week was spent churching, studying, and not doing anything productive---This week I began reading. I chose a book of Ms. Julie's shelf since I was at her house about to swim and didn't have a book of my own. While I enjoy Nicholas Sparks books I don't desire to read every one of them much less own them. I had been told by many people I would just cry my eyes out in this book... having seen not read Dear John and loved it and cried my eyes out....I thought why not I love a good cry. Well, I began in Monday afternoon, finished this morning about 7. I didn't shed a tear. I thought it was very predictable. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Last Week

Last week was a whirl wind of busy-ness. Ok, so we came back from out west on Saturday, June 5. On Sunday the 6th we worked with to create our Vacation Bible School room. I can say that our kids might not have gotten our best efforts we were tired and questioning why we signed up to help after just getting back in town. Each morning bright and early we (my friend Emily and myself) along with another one of our Sunday school girls, Jennifer taught all the vbs kids missions. All week from 8:30-11:15 I was at church. Each afternoon I managed to squeeze in a nap and then study just enough for my upcoming National Boards Assessment. Friday I took "THE TEST." Most likely I didn't study enough. I only studied about 10 hour total, but I prayed and I pretty much contacted anyone that I thought might be talking to God that day and had them praying as well. And funny thing about that prayer....it worked. Let me give you a run down of the day....
I woke about 5:00 a.m. -showered and got ready knowing that I would test better if I looked presentable...right?
From 5:30- 6:30 a.m.- I crammed all the last little bits of knowledge into my head.
6:30- I left to pick up my friend Leslie- you see she has a tendancy to run late all the time and since this test was important I needed ample time to get to her house and wake her up and still get to the test if necessary.
I get to her house she is outside waiting on me. As we drive to the test we quizz each other, followed by telling each other we don't even care how the test turns out....followed by telling each other we can't wait for it to be over, praying we pass.
7:15- we pull into the parking lot and pray together- get out of the car have a mini photoshoot and then proceed into the testing area.
We sign in- get palm- vein scanned, and begin testing---yes at this time I come closer to passing out than I ever have....tunnel vision, sweaty palms..
7:35 sit down to test and begin the process of putting my thoughts on the computer as fast as I can.
Before I knew it, it was over and it was scary how unstressful the test was. Les and I were probably the most extatic girls to ever finish that test....hugging, and singing the Hallelujah chorus. It was great ending to a busy week.

Meagan's Graduation



I am just now getting around to posting some pictures from Meagan's Graduation Dinner. She graduated minutes before we left headed out west so, of course it was a rushed frenzy of picture taking.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Anti Abner's



I have always loved Abner's. Mainly because I don't eat meat off a bone and so I know I can go and get exactly what I want...chicken tenders. Recently my mom and I ran in the Tupelo Abner's for a quick bite. As we walked to the counter no one was there to greet us but through the pass through window I could see two or three guys standing around talking. I made eye contact with them and still they continued their conversation. A few seconds later a young girl bops out from around the kitchen laughing an giggling...headed our way. She stops turns around and chats back and forth through the pass through window to the boys. As she talks she inflates one of the carry out bag and pops it...still never acknowledging us...


-A t this point I need to tell you that my mom rates food service. She takes it very seriously and can become offended very quickly. While I had been easy to this point I began getting a little upset.


Finally the girl looks and from across the counter (never moving toward us) she said, "Yall ready to order?" I told her we were and then---brace yourself Hospitality Management Graduates---she grabs a towel and yells through the store---"I'm going to clean tables" and she leaves us standing there, wallets in hand, mouths watering....


Mom and I turn on our heels and leave. I wasn't through with it, Mom was, but I wasn't.


So on the way home I put Oprah's No Phone Zone to shame. I googled Abner's Tupelo, got the number and called up there. The manager was off duty so I asked for her cell number. I then call her at home or wherever she was at the time. I then told her the story and told her that I knew who Abner was, I knew his ex wife Karen, and I even knew who he dated-I would not be afraid to facebook and email whomever I needed to to let them know I was not happy with my service.


At no point in time did I want someone to lose their job, but that is out of control. In this economy no business wants to see money walk out the door. Well, the next day I left on vacation and when I returned home I had a gift certificate waiting on me. But how on earth can I use it? They will know I'm the girl that complained. My mom says she won't go back...but I do love tenders so Cullen and I may go sometime...I'll let you know how the service is....

Sunday, June 13, 2010

guess what

It is summer and tomorrow marks the first day all summer that I will get to lay on my couch, blog stalk, and watch the today show the whole way through. It will fabulous and fantastic- No Vacation, no vacation bible school, no national board test to study for....just a summer day. woo hoo

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Out West


So our trip began Friday night, the same day I got out of school for the summer. We left Pontotoc around 10:00 p.m. It was after graduation, hot, and we were ready to get on the road. And Cullen, my Culley, said he would drive the first leg of the trip. I thought he had lost his mind...did he not remember our bed time was 8:30? Well, he made it to 6:00 the next morning thanks to the first red bull he ever drank along with a five hour energy and a bag of sunflower seeds. We spent all day Saturday driving through Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. We stopped to eat in Nebraska and managed to make it to Kadoka, SD by about 6 Mountain time. We stayed in a small hotel and ate at an ever smaller diner/dive. We awoke Sunday morning and headed to the Badlands, which I found breath taking. I was amazed at how big they were. From the Badlands which may have been my favorite stop we headed to Mount Rushmore...mm..I didn't love it. I am glad I have crossed that off my 'bucket list' but I wasn't really impressed with it like I thought I would be. Yeah it took Borglum from 1927 until 1940 to do it and it still isn't finished, but I think I would have loved it if I could have gotten closer to it. Also, there was a trail you could hike that I didn't know about until afterwards so that will be what I do next time like in 20 years when we bring kids back to see it...maybe or when we go with the Keenagers group at the church or something. :)
From Rushmore we headed west. We skipped Crazy Horse and Devil's Tower, which I am sad about but add that to my next trip out west and I can deal with it. We made it through Wyoming and to our Condos by 3 a.m. Monday morning. We all slept a little later than normal and woke up to take on Teton National Park and a portion of Yellowstone. That meant more time in a vehicle. As we made it into Teton National Park we stopped at Jenny Lake. It was beautiful. It wasn't a clear day so we couldn't get a great picture, but on a perfectly calm day you can see a perfect reflection of the mountain in the lake.

Next we traveled into Yellowstone. We were on a mission headed toward Old Faithful. I will say now that at no point in time does one want to break down in Yellowstone. It would take forever to get help and you can't get anywhere quickly. I spent a lot of time in the vehicle.

Finally, we made it to Old Faithful. We stopped along the way to look at the huge gorges that we were winding past in our car, and to see the snow, and to stretch our legs. Old Faithful, another one of the stops on my trip I was so excited to see. Guess what it looks the same in person as it does on t.v. minus the smell. But, I can check that off the bucket list now, too. I did enjoy seeing the Old Faithful Inn which was really neat completely covered in wood and just really undescribable.












We grilled that night in Yellowstone and then headed back to the house to crash. The next day we toured downtown Jackson which Cullen and I had done two years ago when we came to ski. I enjoyed it much more that it was warmer. That afternoon half of us decided to go back to Jenny Lake and hike the 2.5 miles to find Hidden Falls. About a quarter of a mile in I was talking and walking...until I found the great brown wall of fur which was a moose that wasn't 10 feet from me. Well, I took off running praying that I would be faster than the seniors we were chaperoning. After my heart slowed I realized that everyone else was taking pictures of the dern thing. They were scared a bit. So I calmed my nerves and snapped a picture. We waited for it to move and then kept hiking. We found the falls and then headed back. It was a quick hike and yes my outta shape self became very sore. We spent Wednesday in Yellowstone seeing Mammoth Springs, The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and getting to see the Upper and Lower Falls. It was absolutely breathtaking. We saw countless elk, buffalo, and moose. We also got to see a wolf, a black bear and a grizzly bear.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

North Entrance of Yellowstone

This is Roosevelt Tower. It is huge!

Baseball Fan
Daisypath - Personal pictureDaisypath Anniversary tickers