Another Random Quiz

1. First name? Mare
2. Were you named after anyone? Yeppers! But you didn't ask WHO!
3. Do you wish on stars? No, I pray...but stars sure are purdy
4. When did you last cry? When I found out that Grandma L's house was okay
5. Do you like your handwriting? My handwriting is beautiful...another reason that I am not qualified to be a doctor
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? waffles
7. When is your birthday? Sometime this year
8. What is your most embarrassing CD? AGAIN I WILL REPEAT...I have a CD that has New Kids On The Block on it...(and from previous posts, I have been ordered to write that my best friend K MADE that CD for me!)
9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? I would be my girlfriend...or boyfriend...or, uh...whatever
10. Do you have journal? You are reading it
11. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
13. Would you bungee jump? If it dipped me into a pool of Alfredo sauce and there were a bunch of hot men waiting for me with towels to dry me off, yeah I would in a heartbeat...so, bungee companies, get to work on that
14. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? I wear flip flops, so yes, I meticulousy untie my shoes every time I take them off...refer to question number 11
15. Do you think that you are strong? Physically, sure...I can bench press a cow...Emotionally, depends on the minute of the day
16. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? ice cream
17. Shoe Size? Large (flip flops, remember?)
18. Red or pink? This is a vague question...am I supposed to pick my fav color out of the two?? Well, then, I'd have to say Pink! Gooooooooo Breast Cancer Awareness YAY!
19. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? My whole self is absolutely fabulous
20. Who do you miss most? Depends on where I am and what I'm doing and who I'm thinking of, but at this exact moment in time I'd have to say George Bush Sr.
21. Do you want everyone you send this to send it back? I copied this from an email, so uh, no
22. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? No pants...I promise I'm not being kinky (I'm wearing a nightgown) and uh, HELLO!!!!!!!! FLIP FLOPS!
23. What are you listening to right now? The cap on my Vault 20 oz drink opening and the greenish golden liquid joy fizzing as I take a lucious sip of yummy energy goodness (send me stuff)
24. Last thing you ate? a booger.......HA! I just cracked myself up on that one...really, a MEGA peanut M&M
25. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Brown because it rarely gets used, but it's important to completing a lot of pictures
26. What is the weather like right now? Post-hurricane-ish humid and hot
27. Last person you talked to on the phone? Mi madre
28. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? That they are the opposite sex...except that time I ran into a transexual, WOW was that embarrassing...refer to question 11 again
29. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Again. Copied this from an email which I received from more than one person, but they are all fabulous..I wouldn't associate with anyone who wasn't
30. Favorite Drink? uh...let's pay attention and take notes, kids.....VAULT...send me stuff
31. Favorite sport? Watching TV
32. Hair Color? It changes with my mood...oh wait, don't people say that about eye color, well, welcome to my world!
33. Eye Color? White, Blue and Black
34. Do you wear contacts? I can't think of a witty response to this, so I'll just say NO
35. Favorite Food? MEGA peanut M&Ms...send me stuff
36. Last Movie You Watched? Young Adam...uhh, let me take this opportunity to tell all the Ewan McGregor fans out there that if you want to see his package...watch this movie
37. Favorite Day of the Year? Everyday that I wake up still breathing...of course, if I wasn't breathing I probly wouldn't wake up...and if I didn't wake up I probly wouldn't be breathing so, uh...whatever
38. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Scary Movies WITH Happy Endings
39. Summer Or winter? The colder the better until my bone issue...now it needs to be hot with ZERO humidity, but where are ya gonna find THAT?!?
40. Hugs OR Kisses? Butterfly Kisses and Bear Hugs
41. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? Betty Crocker Single Dessert Chocolate Chip Cookie...send me stuff
42. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? No one...
43. Who Is Least Likely To Respond? Uh....no one
44. Where would your ideal house be located? Antartica so my neighbors would be penguins
45. What Books Are You Reading? I'm glad this question said BOOKSSSSS because I usually read more than one. Right now, I am reading Live Your Best Life Now, by Joel Osteen, Be Anxious For Nothing, by Joyce Meyer, and the GOOD BOOK, by God
46. What's On Your Mouse Pad? Pooh bear and Tigger!
47. What did you watch on TV last-night? Hurricane footage...ugh
48. Favorite Smells? G, Tigger's fur, NOT Whitney's breath, Bounce sheets
49. Favorite Sound? children's belly laughs
50. Rolling Stones or Beatles? uhhhhhhhhh....Maroon 5
51. What's the farthest you've been from home? Home is where the heart is
52. What's something you want to do before you die? Live
53. Favorite Movie? Heck, now it's Young Adam! HA...just kidding...probly have to be Life of David Gale
54. Favorite TV show? The Closer

**Anyway, this has been another random production of quizzes by MareBear!!! Peace out home chili fries!!

: )

Biloxi and Gas

My dad and Grandma L made it safely to Biloxi...although we have no idea how they'll get anywhere else that they need to go since there's no gas anywhere near them. GL's house is actually in GREAT SHAPE!!!! The roof vents blew off, the fence blew down and there's other minor damage, but overall, it's FINE!!!!!!!!!!!! It's such a miracle, and in a way, I feel guilty about being so happy since so many people not only lost everything they owned, but some also lost their lives. But I am still overwhelmed with happiness that my grandma's house is okay. Dad says that the pictures on CNN don't even come NEAR to doing justice to what it really looks like down there. He said that it looks just like bombs were dropped everywhere. There is a police officer planted at the end of the street and Dad and B are sleeping with guns in their laps cause you never know who is going to take advantage of this whole situation. UGH...makes me SICK to think there are people out there like that.

Sharkhead's was my favorite store for souveniors in Biloxi. It was almost right across HWY 90 from GL's house...here is a before and after...the before is really close up to the shark head that was outside of it...you can see in the after picture that the shark head is no longer visible. Sorry that the after picture is so far away, but I can try to get better ones soon!

(you can tell it's Sharkhead's from the pink on the building...the shark head seems to be GONE but you can't tell much from this aerial picture)

Gas...today, here..far away from the wreckage, gas prices went up to almost $3 a gallon. In Atlanta, there was one picture of a gas sign that said $5.86!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But more than likely, that was price gouging, but they did say that gas prices might get near $4 or so before this is all over. Just like that movie "Oil Storm" on the Weather Channel. This is EXACTLY what happened in that movie. And people kept saying, "Gosh, we sure are glad THAT'S never gonna happen." Hmmmmmm. Uh huh. People are lining up for MILES at gas stations just to get a few gallons of gas because of fear that there will be a major gas shortage. I was able to fill up my tank and G was able to fill up his. And I took K to fill up hers too. But I just plan to make sure I don't drive anywhere TOO far that isn't necessary.

K and I went to the old job today and saw everyone. It was a blast. Well, as much of a blast as half an hour in an office can be...which at T can be a MAJOR blast if you know how to work it. Hopefully all of us will be able to go out sometime in the next few weeks and have a blowout. That'd be fun. K and W got their phones cut off today which SUX! I can't stand not being able to call her!!! UGH. Hopefully they will be able to get it turned back on soon. K starts her new KICK BUTT job tomorrow afternoon. Now maybe I can go and get me a tatt. WOO HOO!

I am making G fix the yard tomorrow...it's a jungle out there.

I hope that while I'm here I can get a lot of the house in order and cleaned.

I miss Mom and Dad and the puppies a lot.

I feel almost just like how I felt after 9-11.

My right hip is starting to hurt pretty noticeably even when I'm not walking, but I'm afraid to make a big deal out of it at the moment since some people have lost EVERYTHING...who cares about my little hip issue?

I am SO SO SO glad that GL has a place to live. But even if she didn't, she would ALWAYS have a place with us.

The bottoms of my feet are peeling.

I love how I look in mascara, but can't STAND the ordeal of taking it off at night.

I need to send out my SSD stuff...just keep putting it off cause I forget about it, but now that I've written it in here, maybe I'll get my butt in gear.

I wish I had a steady income...which leads back to me doing the SSD stuff.

My little sis likes someone who doesn't feel the same way about her, but he CARES about her, which is sometimes even worse. I know how she feels.

Every time something like Katrina or 9-11 happens, I'm kind of glad in a teeny tiny way that I don't have kids.

I believe that Grandpa D saved Travia.

I wish that I was physically able to go down and help clean up. Even more than I wish that I could contribute financially.

Love you all!!!

Peace out and God Bless Home Chili Fries!!!

~*MareBear*~

Katrina

Well well....I'm sure everyone has seen the horrible devastation that Katrina left behind in New Orleans, Biloxi/Gulfport, Mobile, and the other small towns surrounding them. My Grandma L lives in Biloxi and thankfully she and J were safely in Georgia during the hurricane. For a long time, we all assumed the worst. That her house that she shared with Grandpa D was gone. Miraculously, her house survived. It's a little bumped and bruised, but on first inspection everything looks wonderful considering that the city around her basically is in shambles. Most of the casinos are destroyed or damaged badly. Hwy 90 is impassable at some spots and broken to bits in other parts. There is no water. No food. No electricity. Many people lost their lives and I'm sure they will find many more people who have died. The casinos that brought so much revenue to Biloxi are destroyed. I say all this because those of us who were higher up from the coast that lost power for several hours, or even those of us who won't have power for a week or more need to remember this. We need to be thankful and grateful that we have our lives. We need to be thankful that we have a secure roof over our heads. And those whose houses have been damaged by trees....at least you still have a house to BE damaged. These people have lost EVERYTHING. Some even their very lives. So, be thankful that you have what you have. Be thankful that you can still see or talk to your loved ones. BE THANKFUL.

Being Yourself

When people say, "Just be yourself." What does that mean exactly?? Because isn't it IMPOSSIBLE to be anyone BUT yourself? I mean, sure, you can be overly polite and mind your manners, or you can act like a fool or a total jerk, but isn't that still YOU??!? You can ACT like anyone, but it's still YOU that's acting, right?? I mean, say you go on an interview or a first date...people say "Just be yourself, and everything will be fine." Well, sure it will. Or it won't. Because most of us put our "best face on" when we go to these things. But that's still us. Sure, maybe we don't act like that all the time...we don't burp or fart in the person's face like we might do in our own homes and in front of "loved ones." But we are STILL OURSELVES! That politeness came from us, and we are able to turn it on whenever we want so, that's who we are! RIGHT?!? OR........do we ALL have multiple personalities, but just don't give them names and talk to them?? Say you go out and you are talking to someone and they make a comment and you just fly off the handle! You go ape and start spewing at the mouth about what an idiot this other person is and how you are right and yada yada yada...the next day (usually after you've sobered up) you say, "Oh dear, I really just wasn't myself." SHUT UP! Yes you WERE! Don't make the excuse of not being yourself when you act a fool! OK, maybe you can say, "I NEVER act that way, I don't know what got into me!" Sure...go ahead and say that, but to say you weren't yourself is an idiotic statement in itself. We are anything and everything that makes up our personalities, or how we act. That's us...period. So here I am, ranting and raving about something that just popped in my head...that is SO like me to do that!

Jack Handey

The simple, but utterly hilarious stuff of Jack Handey...I really hope I'm not the only one who literally falls on the ground laughing at this ridiculously simple comedy! ENJOY!

"It's probably not a good idea to be chewing on a toothpick if you're talking to the president, because what if he tells a funny joke and you laugh so hard you spit the toothpick out and it hits him in the face or something."

"Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful, beautiful flamingo, flying across in front of a beautiful sunset? And he's carrying a beautiful rose in his beak, and also he's carrying a very beautiful painting with his feet. And also, you're drunk."

"The tiger can't change his spots. No, wait, he did! Good for him!"

"Whenever I see an old lady slip and fall on a wet sidewalk, my first instinct is to laugh. But then I think, what if I was an ant, and she fell on me. Then it wouldn't seem quite so funny."

"To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kinda scary. I've wondered where this started, and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus and a clown killed my dad."

"The wise man can pick up a grain of sand and envision a whole universe. But the stupid man will just lie down on some seaweed and roll around until he's completely draped in it. Then he'll stand up and go, 'Hey, I'm Vine Man.'"

"It's easy to sit there and say you'd like to have more money. And I guess that's what I like about it. It's easy. Just sitting there, rocking back and forth, wanting that money."

"I wish I had a dollar for every time I spent a dollar, because then, yahoo!, I'd have all my money back."

"I think a good novel would be where a bunch of men on a ship are looking for a whale. They look and look, but you know what? They never find him. And you know why they never find him? It doesn't say. The book leaves it up to you, the reader, to decide. Then, at the very end, there's a page you can lick and it tastes like Kool-Aid."

"If you ever crawl inside an old hollow log and go to sleep, and while you're in there some guys come and seal up both ends and then put it on a truck and take it to another city, boy, I don't know what to tell you."

"Many people never stop to realize that a tree is a living thing, not that different from a tall, leafy dog that has roots and is very quiet."

"If you're in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at some guys, throw one of those little baby-type pumpkins. Maybe it'll make everyone think of how crazy war is, and while they're thinking, you can throw a real grenade."

~~Sorry I put so many of them, but they are TOO funny! I know I'm a total nerd! Rock on SNL!

Funny Quotes!!

These are pretty good!! ~MareBear~

"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." - Winston Churchill

"Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?" - Edgar Bergen

"Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected." - Red Buttons

"He who laughs last didn't get it." - Helen Giangregorio

"Money won't buy happiness, but it will pay the salaries of a large research staff to study the problem." - Bill Vaughan

"Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died." - Erma Louise Bombeck

"What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet." - Woody Allen

Great Quotes!

Feel free to steal these...I didn't say them! : )

"Gravitation can not be held responsible for people falling in love." - Albert Einstein

"It is better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for what you are not." - Andre Gide

"I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love." - Mother Teresa

"Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God-the rest will be given." - Mother Teresa

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." - Theodore M Hesburgh

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller

"Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace." - Albert Schweitzer

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about." - Henry Ford

"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." - Benjamin Disraeli

"The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do." - John Holt

"You become a champion by fighting one more round. When things are tough, you fight one more round." - James Corbett

What If??

What if BB King had a purple mohawk and wore a shirt that says, "Skater Punx Rule the World" but still played the Blues wonderfully? Would it be like rubbing your head and patting your stomach at the same time? Sometimes you can do it, but MAN does it feel wrong!

What if salmonella actually contained something that cured cancer and we are just missing out?

What if every single person in America lost all their teeth and there were no such things as dentures? Would the obesity epidemic come to a screeching halt? Or would the consumption of mash potatoes and ice cream sky rocket and make obesity even MORE wide spread?

What if healthcare in the US was really free but there were no hypochondriacs? Would that finally be something that could work?

What if they made marijuana legal? Would that lessen crime and up morale? Or would it just cause workplace vending machines to contain nothing but Doritos and bonuses at work would be coupons for free Taco Bell?

What if the US decided not to police the whole world? Would things go terribly wrong and would there be wars EVERYWHERE? Or would other countries work things out for themselves and no one would hate us?

What if your doctor had UNDENIABLE proof that you only had a week to live? Would you spend that week in denial, crying and saying how it wasn't fair and searching for answers? Or would you get on the phone, call everyone you knew to come to your house, and party like CRAZY, and make sure each person knew exactly how you felt? Would you be mad at God? Or use this opportunity to make it right with Him? THINK ABOUT IT!

I'm sure I will come up with more random What If's later.

Peace out!

~Mare Bear~

How Come?

How come we get these crazy or not so crazy dreams in our heads as children and teens and think that there's nothing to stop us to get to that point? And then how come some of us get exactly what we imagined and some of us get just the opposite? Is it God telling us something? Do others just have more willpower and stick-to-it-iveness than other people? Can we turn things around after things have gone horribly wrong and still achieve what we want? I suppose these are questions to ponder and things to pray about if you are a spiritual person. And where do those dreams come from anyway? Are they a product of our environment? Something that our parents put in our heads as kids? Something THEY really wanted but never got?? I guess the answer to that question is all of the above...just some people get their dreams from different sources. My dream when I was a kid was to be a pediatrician. Back then, I was gung-ho! I bought medical books and read encyclopedias...even had a meeting with MY pediatrician and took notes on what he did all day. And I wasn't even a TEENAGER yet! Now though...I don't think I could do that. I am not sure my stomach could handle some of the things that these nurses and doctors (bless their souls) DO! Did I let that dream go because as a child I didn't realize what it would take? Did I let it go because I didn't think I could achieve it? Or was it just my course in life that led me away from it? My childhood best friend, MA, she wanted to be an elementary school teacher. She wanted to go to Auburn. She had her life down to the letter...as I thought I had mine...Today, MA is getting her Master's degree from Auburn in childhood education! Me...I'm sitting here with a disability after MANY unsuccessful jobs and no professional schooling. Not that I'm throwing a pity party...I'm not. It's just that every year that goes by I think, ya know...it's not too late for me to get a degree. But here I am, 24 years old and NADA. I do admit that I've been lazy, or depressed, or just haven't WANTED it bad enough to go after it. I have no idea...all I know is that I have from tomorrow until the end of my life to make it right. If I said that I regretted my whole life, I'd be lying. Yes, I made some major mistakes and I could've done a heck of a lot of things better. But WOW...I've had a great life and I hope that I have a lot of time left to make my life even better. I've loved and lost and found love again to be the best that I could've imagined. I've broken my mother's heart, but by the grace of God, we are the closest that a mother and daughter could be. I spent so many years depressed and on medication...and now I am happy without medication in the midst of some really bad times. I still have many hopes and dreams. Some of them realistic, some of them, maybe not so much. But I do know one thing. I am blessed to have a great family. I am blessed to have a man in my life who is my best friend, lover and partner. I am blessed to have AVN...yep, I am. Because maybe I wouldn't have come to the conclusion of how blessed I really am if I hadn't gone through all the turmoil of this disease. So, maybe I've answered my own question. How come we have these dreams when we are kids of what we want our life to be?? I think it's because of hope. If we had nothing to dream of, we wouldn't have any hope. We'd have no ambition. We'd have nothing to look forward to. We'd have nothing to stir our souls and our hearts and to tell us, even if it's a whisper, that "we are blessed!"

The Long Birmingham Stay

Well, as it turns out, what was supposed to be a week and a half trip has now turned into an almost 3 week stay. G has 3 days off in a row next weekend and we decided that instead of him coming to Jackson and #1 spending all the money in gas and #2 spending precious time that he COULD be spending with me, driving, and #3 the stress of dealing with leaving his mom (which SO much goes into) we decided to just stay in town and spend the time just the two of us. We'll probly hit V-land if it doesn't rain...and maybe go see some movies and out to eat and stuff.

Yesterday we went to Pearl River Resort...we took his mom for her birthday...it was the first road trip she had been on since before the stroke FIVE years ago!! I was so glad that she decided to go...she was pretty uncomfortable in the car on the way down there, but we moved her around and she did ok. And then after several hours of being in the wheelchair at the casino, she was feeling a little sore and tired so we headed home. She told me this morning that she feels like she got hit by a truck...but hopefully G and her can walk some more and she can feel better the next time we go. Mom met us there and I was SO glad...G's mom really liked her and I think was relieved to have someone near her age to talk to. Mom was brilliant as usual...she knows just what to say to anyone. Who couldn't love her?!?! As for the gambling aspect. G and his mom came out about even and mom did too. I lost almost $70! UGH! I didn't even realize I had spent that much!!! I wanted to throw up! But oh well. I had fun, so that's all that matters.

We had "doggie spa day" the other day...we gave all the dogs baths and flea stuff and put on some hot spot medicine...but MAN they are STILL itching! Mom said it's just a really bad allergy season for animals. So, I may have to buy some allergy pills for them. WOW this post is extremely boring!!!

Well, I guess I am just trying to keep up with this blog and make sure I write in it somewhat often.

Little Tidbits:

Al the rat is about to die. He hasn't eaten in over a week and his breathing is labored. I think it's because he was so lonely after Whiskers died. As soon as Frita dies, we will NOT be getting anymore rats for a VERY long time!

I am so glad that me and G's mom are getting so much closer.

I really need to quit smoking, but I love it too much, and I'm afraid I will gain my 50 pounds back.

Susie is the coolest friend EVER...who ever said that there was a problem with an age difference between friends!!!

I miss Annie and Whitney and Tigger...oh yeah, and Mom and Dad! HA! LY MI!

Vault drinks are the bomb diggity...send me stuff.

I need to clean more and want to paint and redo the whole house.

They poured the foundation for our house in J the other day! FINALLY!!! YIPPEE!

My mom is the best person that I've ever known.

I love G with all my heart and soul and can't imagine my life without him.

Nermies is the best kitty cat that anyone could ever own. And no, he's not the one that's 20 years old!

I want a boob lift and a tummy tuck once I've lost the rest of my weight.

My hip hurts.

I am hoping that my little sister doesn't make the same mistakes I did. I hope she doesn't start drinking.

I wish that I had a fabulous career and could make my own way in life.

I have a feeling that I can't have kids and it breaks my heart.

The Closer is the best TV show ever.

Even after you've been with someone for years and years, your sex life can still be wonderful.

You CAN fall in love with the same person over and over again.

Daydreaming never hurt anyone.

Or maybe it has.

Alrighty. That's it for now! I'm kind of in a writing mood, so I might be on here again sooner rather than later!!! Love you all so very very much!!

Peace out home chili fries!!


~Mare Bear

Weirdness

Is it weird that I have a cat that is 20 years old? I mean, really. She is TWENTY...I got her when I was FIVE. She's totally deaf but still runs around like a crazy kitty. I can't remember a time when I didn't have her in my life. When or IF she ever does die...I won't know what to do with myself. This is the kitty twilight zone...welcome to my world.

Gnats SUCK!

You know those no seeums or whatever the heck they call those things?!?!? I HATE THEM! They are EVERYWHERE here in the summertime. Anyway. I got back to Jackson today. Uneventful trip yippee. Listened to a B O R I N G book on CD, but I will probably finish it anyway, since I never leave a book unfinished.

Bill Mahr SUCKS as a human being. I know I shouldn't say things like that about people, but REALLY...he called Jesus an "imaginary friend!" I mean, is that REALLY necessary? And what ticked me off even more was that #1 HBO would air a horrible stand up show like that, and #2 that the thousands of people there were cheering this idiot ON! What is UP with that?!?! I saw this program last WEEK and it's still bothering me enough to write in down in my second paragraph.

A at G's work is SERIOUSLY screwed up...she is a freaking manager and she eats stuff off people's plates before she takes it out to the table...she eats stuff off the salad bar with her BARE HANDS in front of customers....she takes shots of alcohol, on the clock, in her uniform, in front of staff and customers...she serves MINORS alcohol...I don't even know where to START with that one. W is very nonconfrontational and won't do a dang thing about it...poor G...he needs to get into macrame or something!

K had a great first day of highschool. According to her, and I quote, "The school was great, the teachers were great and there are TONS of hot guys there." Were there hot guys in highschool when I was 14, ten years ago? Ugh...did I say that out loud? I was totally boy crazy at her age. And she seems to be taking after her big sister, Lord HELP HER! :) She's seriously the coolest kid ever. I ENJOY talking to her unlike a lot of teenagers who bore me out of my mind with petty stuff. But she's great. But I may be a bit partial!

Cuz A is doing pretty well. I miss our old days, but I'm glad that she's married with a great stepson now. She has a terrific hubby and she's a great mom. Which is great since she didn't and DOESN'T have the best of mom's herself. But she's perservered. And I know she'll keep doing so. She's is, has been, and always will be one of my best friends. We just "click" like that. I think it's cause we share middle names.

It's weird being in this house without the dogs. I'm used to them barking when Dad comes home, so earlier he scared the crapola out of me. Crazy Indian.

I love the smell of the new Downy Simple Pleasures vanilla and jasmine...YUM. Send me some free stuff.

I wish I could bend down to paint my own toenails, cause Mom comes after me with that pointy wooden thing beforehand and it looks like Freddy Kruger has gotten a hold of my toes.

I wish I could be an artist and make money at it.

I wish that I could keep my room clean and organized and not just "intend" to keep it that way.

Sometimes I wonder, What might have been.

Sometimes I buy books just because they are cheap at a thrift store and I like the look of the cover. I don't even read what it's about before I buy it. Mostly, I end up liking them.

I wish I could be a photographer and make money at it.

I hate cross stitching and knitting and anything having to do with a stick and thread...makes me nervous, although my mom is terrific at it and has tried to teach me...unfortunately, neither of us are patient so her teaching me something that frustrates me just is NOT a good plan.

I still have a CD with New Kids on the Block songs on it...hangin tough.

I wish that this woman upstairs from us would stop doing kickboxing in every room of her house.

I can't wait until the new Casting Crowns CD comes out. I like that Mom has learned most of the words to all the songs, and now enthusiastically talks to other people about them.

I love that my mom is so into her faith now.

I miss M and Grandpa D.

Peace out home chili fries!

~MareBear

The First of Hopefully Many

In Biloxi now...hanging with grandma L and Mom. Went to the casino last night and amazingly won $120 on the 5 cent slot machines! WHAT is that about?!?! Anywho...Next door neighbor who, might I add, is freakin 60 something years old, went out to a bar, got smashed, DROVE home and fell out of his car and smashed his face on the concrete and PASSED OUT! It was unbelievable...kind of sad actually. Of course, when G called me we were right in the midst of dealing with that drama, but I REALLY wanted to tell him that I won the money...so...I told him, "Hey...gotta call you back. We've got some major drama going on here...Neighbor passed out drunk in the driveway. But I have GOOD NEWS!" Without skipping a beat my witty hunny says, "You saved a bunch of money on your car insurance by switching to Geico?!" I about fell out. And this has been the laugh that has been circulating through my family since last night. Leave it to G to bring humor where you think there is none.

I'm pretty freakin excited about going out with my little sis on Friday. It's so funny that we've never been really close and thanks to the miracle of Yahoo Messenger we are talking every day. I feel so old being around her and talking to her. It's been 10 years since I've been 14 and I'd forgotten what it was like. She starts highschool TOMORROW. FREAKIN HIGHSCHOOL! That means that I'm REALLY REALLY old. HA! But anyway, when I go back to town Friday the first thing on my agenda is to take her out on the town, which I've never done. We have NEVER really even spent time alone together. She spent the night at my apartment about 4 years ago or something, but we didn't go out or anything, so now we ARE! Which means I will be driving 3 hours back to Jackson tomorrow morning (Thursday) and then turning right around and driving almost 4 hours back to Birmingham Friday morning. Ugh...and THEN I have to get ready and drive out to Pinson to get her, then drive an hour back to Bessemer to eat dinner, then drive to Hoover to watch a movie, then drive her back home to Pinson, THEN drive myself BACK to Hoover. But it will totally be worth it. And I'm pretty used to the drive now, though I'm sure my ailing hip does NOT thank me! Anywho...me and K are going to eat at G's resturaunt and then we are probably going to go see the Fantastic Four! WOO HOO! LOL. Fun fun.

Grandma L and my mom are talking about Grandpa D outside and telling the story over and over again about how he died. UGH. I miss him a lot and I'm tired of hearing about his death. But oh well. I know it's good for them to keep talking about it. I'm just going to walk away when they start to.

Mom and I were also talking about the incident between UJ and M&D. I didn't realize that M had such a loyalty to D. Talking about it made me sad because I always had this view of M that she was the sweetest lady on the planet. And I still believe that she was the sweetest lady on the planet. It just kind of stung to hear a person that you've put up on this huge pedestal get knocked down a couple notches. But anyway.

Well, I guess that's about it for now, cause I'm just staring so hard at the computer screen that my eyes go in and out of focus, know what I mean? SO...I will write more laters. Peace out home chili fries!

~~MareBear