Sunday Inspiration Station

" No mean woman can cook well, for it calls for a generous spirit and a large heart." -Anonymous

Relinquishing the Crown

I would like to thank those who made my year(ok...day) as Miss America(er...Featured Blogger)one of the most momentous occasions of my life. It is with pride that I look back and recount my glorious adventure. The blog love has enriched my life allowing me to feel more confident in my abilites and my sense of style (demonstrated by the popularity of my blog layout). This experience has restored my faith in humanity and their love of country, kitty cats, Maksum and cake. It is with trepidation that I relinquish my reign as SITS Featured Blogger and pass the crown to today's fortunate contestant.

Teeheehee!

I had an amazing day as featured blogger with over 300 comments from my awesome SITStas. Thank y'all so much! It may take from now till Christmas (with my two jobs and 4 kids), but I will visit each of your blogs in return and thank you personally for stopping by. Come back often. I am planning a giveaway soon for all you sweet love muffins. I am not quite sure what it will be, but let's just say Pier One Employee Discount - that ought to amount to something nice, right?

Tickled Pink

Good morning, Y'all!!! I am just way to thrilled to be the SITS featured blogger today. Now come on in, make yourself comfy and let's get to know one another. I am fairly new to blogging, only 5 months young. My hubby is an active duty Navy Chief referred to as "Chief" here and our little boy "Little Chief" is 7. I have three older sons that are up and out of the house. My oldest son, Caleb, is also active duty Navy and will be heading off for a second tour in Iraq on October 15th - so prayers are needed.

This must be my lucky week because I am the SITS queen for a day and I got a job yesterday!! I have been looking for a paralegal position since we relocated. So now I went from no jobs to two jobs. I recently started part time at Pier One for holiday help. Sounds like I'm going to be busier than a bee on a honey biscuit.

I am so happy to have you here and I promise to respond to each and every one of you even if it takes a while, cuz my Mama raised me right! Y'all come back now and visit, don't be strangers.

Wordless Wednesday: Some of my Recent Handiwork

Mourning Maksim

Just because Misty May Treanor had to go and blow her Achilles tendon, we all have to suffer the loss of Maksim for the rest of the season. I thought you were an Olympian, MMT? Can't you handle a little ballroom boo boo? Life is so unfair.


Maks, I'll miss you, my little Russian stud muffin!

Paperback Swap

To all my fellow bookies out there, if you don't know about Paperback Swap (PBS), you need to. I have recieved so many books from them and saved a ton of money by doing so. I LOVE books and the ones I really like, I keep forever and ever, amen. But sometimes if the book is a dud, or I get multiple copies, I will post them for swap on PBS. The way it works is you basically recieve books for the price of postage. The site is amazing and keeps track of everything for you. It is very simple to get started too. Sometimes I pick up titles at yard sales and thrift stores that I know will be swappable and trade those as well. If you get a book that is not to your standards, you don't have to accept it and you can put restrictions on the books you are willing to recieve (such as smoke-free environment). I have swapped hundreds of books and have never (knock wood) recieved a bad one. You can also set up buddy lists, swap "boxes of books" (sort of like grab style) and buy credits if you run low. It keeps track of books you've read and books in your TBR (to be read) pile. You are not restricted to paperback books only - there are hardbacks and audio books as well. They have also recently started CD and DVD swap, but I haven't gone that far yet. Oh, and the best part of all, it is FREE! Um-hum, you heard me - won't cost you a dime. Check 'em out!!

TMI about UTI

Ouch! That's all I can say. I am feeling a little under the weather. It started yesterday when I had to go pee every 2 minutes then quickly escalted to a fire down below when I did go pee. I swear I thought I was going to have to leave a fire hydrant in the bathroom. Then began the nightmare of trying to see a doctor. Since we have recently PCS'd (military lingo for moved our @sses again) we have to register to see a new provider. So I called to take care of that and the Tricare lady kindly told me that the registration involved downloading a form, faxing it and waiting 10 days. OK - so I have a UTI and I need help pronto - like now! So the lady, who barely spoke English and I'm willing to wager was sitting at a computer terminal somewhere in India, suggested I go to an urgent care facility and of course not to forget to call Tricare within 48 hours so not to be charged for said visit to the doc-in-the-box. Maybe the pounding of my kidneys was making me delirious, but wasn't I indeed talking to Tricare at this moment? Thus began the Google search for the nearest urgent care facility because, remember, I am new to the area. Then I hobbled to the car, gingerly took my place behind the wheel and was greeted by the gas light. Oooops, I did forget to gas up, didn't I. I am sure the folks at the gas station thought I was strange pumping gas while laying my head on the trunk. What I really wanted to do was grab my crotch and jump around like a three year old doing the pee pee dance, but I restrained the urge to do so. An hour later I was calling Chief from a parking lot, crying because I had been to not one, not two, but three urgent care facilities who refused to accept Tricare!!! Listen, it takes a lot to make me cry - so Chief knew I must have been near death. I was carrying on and it sounded something like this......"Is this the thanks we get for serving our country and moving all over creation? I can't even see a friggin' doctor?" I don't get sick often, so when I do I admit that I can be a little cranky. Of course, my calm, cool and collected, hubby took control, made some phone calls and found out that I needed to go to the nearest emergency room because most urgent cares are phasing out of Tricare (Thanks a lot, Tricare Lady in the sky!) By then I was too exhausted to go and sit at an emergency room for an indefinite amount of time. I was suddenly plagued with visions of myself writhing in pain on the floor, being overlooked and then going on a mad rampage, on the hunt for antibiotics, taking hostages as I went. In the end I came home, called a family member who is a nurse and proceeded to BEG for antibiotics, I did not have to resort to taking any hostages, but that option is never off the table.

Oh and today is the first day of work at Pier One (my holiday job) they are going to think they hired a real winner when I am running to the bathroom every few minutes - I'll try real hard NOT to do any pee pee dancing.