Ewwww.... I just received the link to this in an email and was so grossed out by it that I wanted to make you a little sick this morning too. (Sweet blogger, aren't I?)
Retailers don't mind selling you used panties. Isn't that a lovely thought? You can share fecal matter with a total stranger.
So now what? I guess I have to learn to make my own panties? As much as I love *sarcasm* sewing, I'm sure they will be real cute.
One thing is for certain, I will definitely be washing anything I buy before wearing it from now on!
One thing we did for hours and hours last weekend in Pigeon Forge on our girls trip, was shop! Shop till we dropped, we did! And about half of us (me not included) walked away with purses. So, when I saw that the topic for this week's Wishful Wednesday was Handbags, I thought I should play along! (This is my first Wishful Wednesday... I'm no longer a WW Virgin! LOL!)
I have to admit I have a ton of handbags... but very few are designer names. I've always been of the opinion that if I like it, I like it, so I buy it. I'm not really impressed by something just because it has a C or a LV on it. That said, one of the girls in our group purchased a patchwork Coach tote that I did really like. It looked a lot like this one, but had some teal in it too.
However, we talked one of my other friends into returning the Coach she purchased. It was just very plain and she wasn't in love with it, and for the price it cost, we thought she should love it.
But the theme of this meme was "What bag do you wish would plop on your doorstep mysteriously?!?!" And what shopping girly girl diva with adult acne wouldn't love a new purse? So, I went to Macys.com and looked through their handbag selection and will say that I did find some that I would gladly use if given. Here are my top three... feel free to send either of them to me if you have the urge!
I'm back from weekend trip #2 in as many weeks... and I'm exhausted! Sorry, I didn't have Internet access after all - well, just on hubby's iPhone and I couldn't see doing posts from it. It would have taken me all day! But, I'm back and hopefully for a full week or two this time! And, I'm home in time for Post-It Note Tuesday! Yay! It's one of my favorite memes.
I'm back!! But, keeping my suitcase packed because we'll be leaving for the Bristol NASCAR race in just a couple days. Hopefully though, we'll be somewhere with Internet access. I'm taking my laptop, though I need a new Jack Georges case for it, and should be able to post at some point.
But for now, I have so many things to write about...
I'll start with a post about my ziplining experience. It was incredible!! Such a rush! It's not nearly as scary as I imagined it to be. The guides were great! One stays behind to help hook you on and the other goes ahead to catch you at the end. For me, it was just that initial leap of faith jump that was so hard. I asked our guide (cutie patootie, Lincoln, who looked like he should be in the Outback) to give me a little push. He was happy to oblige, and off I went. After that I felt secure enough to even let go and hang upside down! (So, it was only for a split second... I still did it!)
The company we visited was called Wahoo Ziplines and is located just a few minutes from Pigeon Forge in Sevierville, TN. They have a total of 6 runs. (I guess that's what you call them.) Nestled in the mountains on a beautiful complex that also offers cabin rentals.
The first run was fairly short, just to get the feel of it. And, next one was the one we were encouraged to hang upside down on. Then there was a very low one and the guide would bounce the line as we went along to give us a few little bumps along the way. But, the fifth one was my favorite. It was the longest, and you could ride tandem with someone if you wanted to. The mountains behind us were beautiful as we rode along like birds flying through the air.
The final run was two side-by-side lines so you could race someone. I was up against my husband's aunt and my friend said she wanted to help me win... but really just enjoyed pushing me off a two-story platform I do believe!
Here are a few photos from the experience:
Me taking that first leap!
During the ride... do you see fear on my face?
The landing. Our guide never missed catching any of us!
I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... but I'm thinking I might jump. Well, with a harness attached!
Translation: I've been busy getting ready for my 'girls' trip this weekend and so I haven't had time to post. I'm off to Gatlinburg in an hour or so and while there a group of us are going to zipline! Take a look at this and tell me I ain't crazy: Wahoozip.com.
Needless to say, I won't have time to post again until Sunday night or Monday morning. But then you'll get to hear all about my zipping experience, so be sure to check back in. I'll even have pictures... hopefully I don't have wet pants in them!
Welcome to any new visitors from Friday Follow! If you follow and comment I'll be sure to return the favor!
Now, it's time for the "official" Five Question Friday! You can join the fun by visiting our host, Mama M.
1. What's your guilty pleasure? Playing on Facebook. Hubby now has an account and gets after me for spending so much time playing Farmville... not sure why. Just because the house is a mess and the bathroom walls have no paint on them...
2. What is your favorite TV series? Too many! I can't miss The Office, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, The Amazing Race, and Survivor. It used to be Gilmore Girls, and I still DVR them. But, I've seen them all 3+ times. I also love all the wedding shows on TLC and WeTV. (You got me, I'm a TV head. That, along with Farmville, and I could stay in one place for days on end!)
3. Can you speak any foreign languages? Nope. I took 2 years of German in high school and all I can do now is sing O Christmas Tree in it.
4. How many pairs of shoes do you own? According to my husband, too many. But I have really funky feet so I buy them if they fit. Probably around 30 something pairs including boots and flip-flops.
5. What's your favorite kind of M&M's...peanut, almond, straight up regular, etc.? Regular, but I'll eat any kind of chocolate!
Today the sun is finally shining! The sky is blue and it's supposed to get up near 60 degrees!! Yay! I feel so much better when the season starts to change.
But, that means vacation season is just around the corner. What plans are you making?
We've already got some in mind!
Next weekend I'm off on a weekend girls escape! I'm so excited about this! Me and 5 other girls will be sharing a condo in Gatlinburg. We'll do some shopping and hiking and wine drinking and maybe even zip-line!! I'm not committed to this idea yet, but some in the group are definitely doing it. I'll take pics of it should it happen... that is as long as I don't wet my pants!
Then, the next weekend is the NASCAR race in Bristol, TN. We're not 100% sure on this trip yet, but I bet it happens, we haven't missed one in 10+ years!
And then in May we may go to Florida with our friends who have a house there. It's in a small place called Panacea. (yeah, you've never heard of it.) But that's not carved in stone yet.
We wanted to do an all-inclusive trip to Mexico, but our other friends wouldn't wait and go in the summer and April is Hubby's busiest month of the season and we just couldn't put money down on something and then have to back out at the last minute.
And, of course there will be camping trips and weekends we go to the lake - so much fun!
What are your plans? Anything exciting? Are you going out West or checking out the Orlando vacation packages?
Whatever you're planning, aren't you glad summer is almost here? I am!!
I'm trying to devise a list of dinners to make. Seems I make something and then forget about it, or I look at my food and think, "I have nothing to make," when I reality if I thought about it I really do.
So, here's the beginning of my list. The first 13, in honor of Thursday 13!
Crock-pot Chicken (stuff a whole chicken with onions and spices, rub the outside with more spices and stick it in the crock-pot with some water and eat it with some side dishes when it falls off the bone - very yummy. Then, keep the stock and use it and whatever chicken is left over for chicken and dumplins the next night!
Spaghetti & Meatballs (or meat sauce)
Buffalo Chicken Breast Sandwiches (DS taught me this, I'll post the recipe in the future!)
Manwich and Fries (I'm not a big fan, but my guys like it)
So I had to do our taxes this week because I have to file our FAFSA application by the 15th. Not that I'll get anything, but it's suggested that I do it.
The taxes were a small nightmare... but they are done and we didn't have to pay as much as I thought we would. Two self-employed people = money owed. (Thank goodness for the job Hubs has that does take out taxes.)
What I didn't realize, until filing, is that there are some decent tax breaks given to qualifying students. (Unless your child has a scholarship, then you just be thankful for that - oh, sorry, I got distracted in my own mind!) And, I think, they can be taken even if you decide to get an online degree.
To get the most from online schooling you'll want to take a degreed program (Bachelor's, Master's, etc.) and also be sure it's accredited. Western Governors University is a great example of such a school.
Why would you want to go back to school? Well, in this economy it seems that the number of people that don't have job is more than those that do. That means you can do like me and do manual labor, or you can get a degree and do something you love. (Unless you love manual labor - there are some people that do... my son is not one of them!) For instance, a friend of mine recently got his online teaching degree and is now a librarian at his child's school!
Does it pay better than cleaning toilets? Maybe, maybe not, but think of the benefits - you're not cleaning toilets! lol!
I was debating whether or not to write about American Idol anyway, so since that's the topic of this week's The Skew, I'm gonna go for it!
I used to LOVE Idol... now I find it more like a train wreck - something I don't really want to look at, but I just can't make myself turn away from.
Even Hubs said he wasn't watching this season... next thing you know, he's sitting next to me telling me how horrible his opinion of each of them. And, he's someone they should care about the opinion of, right? A 40+ man who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket and has NO RHYTHM whatsoever!! This is pretty much what he looks like when he dances:
But honestly, I'm quite disappointed this year. There hasn't been a single performance that I wanted to rewind, that made me remember it and say, "WOW!"
Instead I'm sitting here debating on who's worse than who. Not a good sign.
And Cara... is she trying to be the new Paula? The first week she gushes all over the place and makes a spectacle of herself over Casey James and then the next she's chewing him up and spitting him out. I think her husband she realized what a fool she made of herself and went overboard to correct it. Poor Casey, he's just caught in the middle of her fighting with her husband herself.
I won't go into detail about all the mediocre talent, but I'll just tell you my favs and the ones I could see go home without crying over. (OK, I'm not going to cry over any of them. I don't even vote - I leave it to all the 15 year-olds in America to determine who has a better voice. They should know, right?)
As far as the boys go, Casey James has a decent voice and is as cute as Cara's drooling discourse (I was going to use the word diatribe here, but wasn't sure it worked) made him out to be. He'll make a good solid country music singer. (If Trace Atkins can make money at it, surly Casey can!) No great star power, but I'm sure he can make a few dollars doing something he loves.
Andrew Garcia is probably the most solid all-around - decent look, great voice.
And, I love Alex Lambert's voice, but I can't look at him. Between the look of horror on his face and the bad hair...
Tim Urban can go home now, he can't sing and shouldn't be there. And, I really don't believe God cares about American Idol, contrary to what Jermaine Sellers thinks. (I can see it now, he's making all the little 15 year-old girls gravitate to the phone and dial Jermaine's number.)
And the girls:
I really like two of them, Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus. Both are original and have great voices.
Didi and Lilly both have very unique voices and I'd like to see them stick around for a while so I can see them perform a variety of songs before I make a final decision on either of them.
And finally, I didn't think you could botch up a Miley Cyrus song, but Haeley Vaughn managed to butcher it. Her or Lacey are my picks to be voted off this week. (But then maybe I should have voted if I really wanted that to happen.?)
What are your thoughts on this year's contestants?
In November I sent a message to my friend who knows quite a bit about health and said, "I have a lump behind my ear and my hair hurts." She laughed, told me the lump was a lymph node and I probably had a cold.
The next day I had what I thought was a pimple in my hair and then the day after that I had blisters on the right side of my forehead. When they started spreading I Googled face pain and viola I realized what I had. Shingles.
The lump was indeed my lymph node, it was body trying to fight the shingles and that pimple, wasn't a pimple at all.
I went to the doctor the first thing the next morning and I was right, and fortunately had caught it early. The remedy? The same prescription they give you for the herpes simplex virus, Valtrex. And, let me tell you, I'm glad I don't have genital herpes because that prescription was not cheap! I can't imagine paying that every month.
But, what really makes me wonder is the fact that I wasn't alone in getting shingles at such a young age. (OK, I'm not YOUNG so to speak, but for what the preconceived norm is for shingles I was. Even the doctor said, "You're young to be getting shingles, are you under a lot of stress?" ... And, I thought I thrived on stress!)
My sister was just 15 when she came down with a horrible case of them, and my best friend, who didn't think she'd ever had the chicken pox (apparently she has) also had them within the past year.
So, are people getting shingles younger than they used to? Maybe. Twenty percent of people who have had chicken pox (and 90% has had it, whether they know it or not) will get shingles. And the causes are kind of obscure. Physical or emotional stress, or immune suppression caused by disease or cancer treatment, can trigger an outbreak.
Stress? Who isn't stressed?
So the best advice I can give you? Know the symptoms and get to the doctor as soon as possible if you think you have them! Waiting means the meds won't be as effective and you don't want to take that chance because shingles pain feels like exposed nerves. It's very painful and you don't want it to linger for weeks.
