Friday's Letters 08.30.13

Wow, it's been a while since I've pumped out one of these entries.

Dear Kelly and Troy:

  I hope y'all had a wonderful time on your trip to the Bahamas! Happy first anniversary!!!

Dear Kelly:

   Boy, you've had an eventful week--first wedding anniversary and 30th birthday. Happy birthday, old lady!!

Dear Jenkins Tire and Auto of Montgomery:

   Shame on you! You told me you were trying to bring integrity back to the auto industry. What a joke! I brought my car in for some break pads and rotors and you quoted me $3,000 for repairs to all these phantom issues. Well, the joke is on you because I was able to fix all of the "issues" with my car for $67.50. Good luck staying in business.

Nope, Nope, and Nope.

Dear Anthony:

   I am so proud of you for doing so well on your first two tests in med school! I get a headache just thinking about all the hours you've put into your studies. You're doing great, and I'm so very proud of you! :)

Dear Moving:

   You're no fun! Please be a dear and "move" along. Haha, see what I did there?

Dear Labor Day weekend:

   You're jam-packed, but you're going to be good! Besides the part of you earmarked for moving.

Dear Paleo Lifestyle:

    We'll pick back up next week. It's next to impossible to make you an actual lifestyle while I'm moving. I've been eating out twice a day for over a week, and there's only so many salads a girl can eat.

Dear Skunk:

    This is the week we're going to part ways. I've been dreading this for some now, but you're going to have a lovely home with the Manns. Don't pay attention to Kely's gruff voice--she doesn't mean anything by it. Troy is going to trash talk you constantly, but he'll secretly love you. And Jett--well, you're going to hate him. Don't worry, I'll be stopping by for visits often, and if it gets to be too tough, just remember this is only a temporary living situation.

Gonna miss cuddling with this sweet baby

He decided to lay on some of my sweaters as I was trying to pack them up.

Cat lady, maybe? I don't even care.

I Have a Bone to Pick with Pinterest

   This will be my last week living in Notasulga. Well, fingers crossed. Packing has been a bit of an issue, in that I hate it. One never realizes how much junk one accrues until it's time to pack it all up. And, that reminds me, I have a bone to pick with Pinterest. They have you saving all of this trash for these projects that never happen. Yes, I used the term "trash" correctly because that's exactly where all of those salvaged cereal boxes would have gone had I not saved them because Pinterest told me to do so. And maybe I'm the only person who pins a cute little craftsy project, starts collecting supplies, and then forgets about it because life either got too busy to be a DIYer or I pinned another project that stole my attention. I don't know, but I do know that packing would go a lot faster if I didn't have all this Pinterest-inspired junk hidden all over my house.

    I mean, it's because of Pinterest that my cute little guest bedroom was turned into my crafting room. Okay, well, I should have said my [would have been] cute little guest bedroom. I had these great plans to give it a bed-and-breakfast theme. I even went as far as to paint it a warm color, acquired a beautiful cream and blue quilt, and purchased quaint little decorations. Unfortunately, the only theme that room has going on is "junky". Maybe I could put a spin on it and say the decor is "condemned bed-and-breakfast". I've got that look down pat. Seriously, I have yards and yards of burlap (is that even cool anymore?), more felt sheets than you can shake a [hot glue] stick at, and +/- 50 jars of homemade jellies.

   So a big  BRAVO to all of you successful Pintrest-ers out there! I don't know how you have the time or storage space to accomplish your pins, but I admire you. Truly, I do.
 

Day 26: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.

     Many of you have probably read, or at least come across, My Husband is not My Soulmate by DC blogger, Hannah. If you haven't then here's your chance.

     I love this blog entry because it's raw and real. She caught a lot of flack--and a lot of praise--for her "unromantic" view of her husband and marriage. I say shame on those haters and thank her for being so honest and open.

Last weekend

   I got to visit Anthony this past weekend in Dothan. The stretch between visits lasted two weeks, and it was the longest span of time we've been apart. Two weeks was tough but doable. It seemed to fly by and drag along at the same time. Between being out of town for work and spending all of my spare time packing while in town, the two weeks went by rather quickly. However, while time was passing it seemed to lull due to missing him. Frequent phone calls and Skype dates got us through. :)

   He had his first test on Friday and did well. I joined him in Dothan on Friday night, and we went to dinner and met up with his classmates later in the night. He took me to a fun little spot in downtown Dothan that boasted $2 martinis and a fun reggae band.

   We loaded up and headed to the beach on Saturday. The weather was a bit iffy on the ride down, but thankfully, it cleared up once we made our way to the sand. He studied for his next text while I read two chapters of my book before falling asleep. It was nice. We had a great dinner at Billy's Oyster Bar before heading back to Dothan for a movie night on the couch. Side Note: If you haven't seen Identity Thief, remedy that stat. Haha-larious!

   I had to head back on Sunday for more packing (Gag!) and Anthony had to study for his upcoming test on Monday. (He did well on that one, too!)

   To say it was a perfect weekend would be an understatement! I'm already looking forward to being with him in Tallassee this weekend! :) :)

**I ordered a camera which should be arriving sometime in the next two weeks. I promise all future entries (once I get the darn thing) will include more pictures. Until then, enjoy the lovely links.**
 

Day 25: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)

I have been told, on several occasions, that I smile a lot. And I have to agree. Generally, this statement is issued as a compliment, and I love to hear it. I have so many reasons to smile so I thought I'd share a few with y'all.

I smile so often because:

• I'm happy. Duh!  :)
• My parents paid a lot of money to ensure I had a smile worth showing off. I feel it's only my duty to show my gratitude by smiling as often as possible.
• There aren't enough smiley people in this world. I'm just trying to do my part and pick up their slack. After all, smiles are contagious.
• Smiles have the ability to brighten someone's day. Such a simple gesture can go such a long distance.
• I'm nervous.
• Smiling and laughter are universal languages--even little bitty babies smile and laugh. Smiling is a great way to communicate with others without ever having to say a word. Well, sometimes. Some people just want to talk your ear off, with or without a smile.

Day 24: A letter to your readers

Dear Readers,

  I realize I'm nowhere near interesting, and I'd just like to thank you for being okay with that and reading this humble little blog anyway. 

Sincerely,

Jamie

Day 23: A favorite photo of yourself and why

I like this photo because I took it

on my way to a work event in Montgomery.

That might not sound special, but it most definitely was!

You see, I had not yet started my new job and 

was extended an invitation to join the dinner anyway.

I was sooooooo nervous!

This photo represents the start of something new.

It represents taking chances.

It's a reminder to step out of my comfort zone

and put myself "out there".

Most likely, it probably represents

none of that to you,

 but at least it demonstrates 

the ever-present glam factor of red lipstick.

Day 22: Your top 3 worst traits

I'm not going to lie to y'all, this post is going to be pretty easy. I can be pretty hard on myself, and I instantly knew my top three undesirable traits as soon as I read today's blog challenge topic.

Worst Trait #1: I am quite scatter-brained. I believe the clinical term is ADHD, but we'll just leave it at scatter-brained. There's about 1.8 gazillion things going on in my head at any given time. Consequently, it's hard for me to have a singular focus, which I find to be completely annoying. I often times catch my thoughts trailing off in conversation, but by the time I've realized this the conversation has been going on for a while and I have no idea what's going on. These are the times I just smile and nod--which can get you into trouble sometimes.

Worst Trait #2: My memory is horrible. I have a sneaking suspicion this directly correlates with Worst Trait #1, but who who knows. I've always struggled with remembering things and also find this to be incredibly annoying, as well. I have unfaithfully kept journals throughout my life as a means of helping to jog my memory in the future. Quite honestly, that's the entire motivation behind this blog. It's somewhat of a public journal, and I thought I might update it more regularly if I know there are other people reading it. As you might have noticed from my sporadic updates, I'm not so sure if that logic was logical.

Worst Trait #3: I am crazy-messy. Like, it's on a whole new level, and I am entirely comfortable with living in a pig sty. I throw my clothes on the floor, leave dishes in the sink, and often times put my trash down wherever I'm sitting rather than making a trip to the trash can. My car is always cluttered and always in need of a deep cleaning. I had hoped this would get better with age, but I'm pretty sure I was wrong about that too.

Makeover

  You may have noticed the ol' blog spot is looking a bit more spiffy. I felt like it was time for a change. Hope you love it!

Day 21: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)

   Hold on, let me climb up to my soap box and pick up my mircrophone. I hope it's hooked up to a PA system because I want everyone to hear me loud and clear.

   Okay, here goes nothing. I would like to bring up the topic of self-portraits, commonly known as selfies. My first topic of choice is the name, itself. Why did we all of a sudden start calling them selfies? Is it to make the act of snapping our picture (every chance we get) cuter? To make it more endearing? Or to justify our narcisism? Why don't we just take that cute little bow off of it and call it what it is? Ron Burgundy had it right when he shamelessly said, "Hey everyone, come see how good I look!"

   I don't take issue with snapping a picture of yourself every once in a while. We all have those days when we look in the mirror and say, "Hmmm, I'm looking extra spectacular today" (or something like that). After all, that's why we call them good hair days, and that's why we ladies just love to purchase make up. Or, at least, this lady sure does!

   I'm talking about those chronic selfies-takers. You know the ones. They're invading your Instagram with pictures of themselves, seemingly unknowing that they just posted the same picture with a slightly different facial expression about 45 seconds ago. 

   People, no one appreciates these! Well, okay, maybe some creeper who's crushing on you and stalking you via your latest and greatest social media network. So, to help you out with what can only be labelled an addiction, I've created a checklist to ensure you don't become one of those people that gets unfollowed, unfriended, or just plain dropped.

   You might be a chronic selfie-taker if:

• at least half of your posted photos include no other person but yourself
• you have posted a picture of yourself more than once in the same day
• If I'm being honest, we should change thist to "in the same week". Once per week is more than sufficient at showing people how good you look.
• your last three posted pictures have the exact same background
• Do you think people don't notice that you're wearing the exact same outfit and you're standing in the exact same spot? There's nothing wrong with taking multiple pictures of yourself in an effort to get the right one, but you should pick that right one and make it your ONLY one.
• you have to use a mirror so you can see your entire outfit
• Don't get me wrong--I'm sure everyone loves your outfit. But consider this: If you're a chronic selfie-taker, you should probably invest in a phone with a flip-camera. It'd be an investment that you'd obviously use everyday.
• the background of your picture includes toilet stalls
• If you can't wait until you have exited the bathroom, you most likely have a selfie problem. The grossness of that public restroom negates your cuteness.
• the number of "likes" you got from your last couple of selfies is decreasing
• Just like you, there are going to be people who think you're cute. In which case they're going to like your photo. This might fuel your drive to take a couple more, but please refrain. As I mentioned earlier, people get tired of looking at you over and over. A great indicator that you've posted one selfie too many is when your likes start to decrease. Take a hint, sweetie, and take a break.

   If you can relate to 3 out of these 5 checkpoints, you might want to think about taking a few shots of scenery, your pet, or some random object just to mix it up a bit. It's just a suggestion.

Blog Everyday Challenge

  So....I'm not doing so hot on the every day part. My bad. I'll do better, I promise. Starting today.

Paleo Day One

     I've challenged myself to a minimum of thirty days in the Paleo lifestyle. I'd like make it a lifestyle change, but I don't want to make that commitment without a trial basis. Thirty days seemed like a good number. Long enough to see if it's for me; short enough to make it through if it's not.
     Before I get blasted with hate mail telling me I don't need to lose weight, I should go ahead and let y'all know weight loss is not a goal in this adventure. I'm curious to see what health benefits come from omitting dairy, grains, and sugar from my diet.
     I looked into Paleo about a year ago and decided it wasn't doable for me. I have an unwavering love for carbs. Since then, I've talked to several people that have adopted the diet into their daily lives and some who, like me, are simply trying it out. I have yet to find anyone who says they didn't like it. (If you tried it and didn't care for it, please leave a comment as to why you feel this way. I'd love to know!) Everyone I've spoken with says they feel so much better and can feel a definite change. The only con I've heard is that it can be inconvenient, is costly, and takes a lot of organization and preparation--this could be a real problem for me.
     After doing some independent research, I found some great recipes for breads and desserts. Granted, I'm sure they're not going to be what I'm used to but at least I can trick myself into thinking I'm not depriving myself of guilty pleasures.
     Today was a bit of a wake-up call for me. Did I mention this takes a lot of preparation?? Perhaps deciding I was going to commit to it at 8:00 at night wasn't the best way to start, but I figured starting on a Monday would be ideal. I'm all for diving in, but I might should have started when there was a decent amount of time to look up recipes, make a grocery list, do my shopping, and prepare some meals for the following day. Oh no, that'd be too easy! One of my mantras I find myself repeating constantly is, "Life would be easy if I didn't make it so hard on myself", and this decision goes right along with it.
     So I got dressed and loaded myself into the car around 8:30 on Sunday evening to make the 20 minute drive to the grocery store for some eggs, chicken, fruits, and veggies. After getting home around 9:45, I fired up the oven, baked a couple chicken breasts, and cut up some fruits and veggies in preparation for tomorrow's lunch. By the time the chicken was done, it was about 11:00 and I was in need of some serious z's. The plan was to wake up (without snoozing for 20 minutes), cook a couple eggs for breakfast, roast the veggies, and stick it in a lunchbox for work.
     Long story short, I snoozed for the full 20 minutes because I was so tired from staying up so late and didn't have time to make breakfast. I completely forgot about the veggies until I cracked open the Tupperware at lunch time and faced that disappointment. But all was well because I had plenty of fruit--pineapples, peaches, blackberries, and blueberries. And let's not forget the dehydrated chicken breast. I may or may not have overcooked that bad boy, and of course I didn't prepare a Paleo-approved dipping sauce to help choke it down. Oh, and I was also informed, all too late, that fruit is Paleo-approved but only 1-3 daily servings. Did you hear all the fruit I named earlier?? Perfect.
     No matter. I refused to let my lack of preparation, dehydrated chicken jerky, and fruit-overload get to me. I headed back to the grocery store after work and picked up some more Paleo-approved groceries and made myself a fine dinner. Turns out that chicken isn't so dry with my yummy homemade honey mustard, and the roasted veggies were fantastic!
     So here I sit satisfied with a full belly and tomorrow's lunch packed and ready to go. I think this just might work out! Overall, I'd say today was a success!

Paleo Groceries So Far:
Chicken Breasts
Steak
Salmon
Brocolli
Cauliflower
Garlic
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Almond Flour
+ Olive Oil                                
Breaking the Bank

   
   

Day 20: Things you've learned that school won't teach you

Day 20: Things you've learned that school won't teach you

• Treat everyone with respect, and don't burn bridges. You truly can't get anywhere in life without the help of other people. No man is an island. 
• Your teacher lied; you really will have a calculator with you wherever you go. Don't stress if you suck at borrowing; your calculator doesn't.
• Laughter is the best temporary medicine. If you're looking for a long-term fix, time will take care of it.
• Human interaction is on its way to extinction. Fight it.
• Sometimes you just have to learn from experience, but it saves a lot of time if you just listen to your parents.
• Never settle.
• Prayer changes everything.

Day 19: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives

Day 19: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archive.

• I included this entry and this one because they speak to me every time I read them. I hope they do the same for you!

• I go back and reference this entry prior to every visit to Nashville. 

• This, this, and this made it to the list because everyone likes to hear the ridiculousness that spews out of the mouths of children.

• This entry is special to me because it announces a recent life change.

• I had to include this because of my obsession with Pure Barre.

• Last but definitely not least, I included this post because I love this hymn so much.

And so it begins!

     Anthony officially moved to Dothan last weekend to begin his last leg of academia before becoming a DO. This was the quickest moving/unpacking I've ever been a part of! I can only hope mine will be the same in a couple of weeks.

     He's spent the past week in Orientation, getting acquainted with his new school and making new friends. Classes officially begin on Monday! How exciting! 

     His will be the first graduating class at ACOM. As we were walking around campus and looking at the brand new school, housing, and landscape, I couldn't help but wonder what it would look like in twenty years. It made me think of Auburn and how much it's changed in just the few years since I was a student there. Wonder if the freshman (or whatever you call first year med students) will think about what their school looked like in its beginning and how the brand new students felt.

In front of his new school

First Night in the New Apartment

Visiting the Botanical Gardens

This little lady had crazy long toes. It was almost disturbing.

Pretty koi

He emailed me a copy of this beaut today. So handsome!

Can you tell I'm proud of him and excited for him?! It's so admirable to want something so badly that you're willing to commit that amount of time and effort to get there. There's no way I could go to school for that long! It's one of the many reasons I admire this little boy. 

Day 18: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

  I prefer lighthearted to real (esp. for my personal blog), but I'm also one to follow directions to the letter. What I'm struggling with:

   Sap Alert: I feel it only fair to say that this next paragraph is super sappy, and I apologize in advance.

  If I'm being completely honest, I'm struggling with missing my dear Anthony. He moved to Dothan last weekend and officially starts medical school on Monday. I realize it's been less than a week, but we've been virtually inseparable for the past three months. And I kinda liked it. :)

  Fortunately I've been out of town all week on business which kept me busy and distracted, and I just learned he will be coming home for the weekend!