View from a deer stand, opening day

Even if I didn't see one dang deer, at least I saw a beautiful sunset.

Thursday Things

• Last weekend was my first wedding anniversary. C and I laughed that actually being married opened up a whole new world of cards for each other. It's nice to be able to buy for my "husband".
• Can you believe it's been a year, only a year? I say that because on one hand it's FLOWN and on the other, it feels more like five years. Maybe it's because we squeezed five years worth of stuff into one (house, marriage, baby).
• Since the first anniversary gift is traditionally paper, we both followed that theme (unintentionally). He gave me a Paula Deen cookbook and a recipe journal, both of which are funny since I'm a hand granade in the kitchen.
• Every time I go to the store I ask if he needs anything. He always replies, "A sack full of money..." So, that's exactly what he got from me. I bought $100 in scratch off lottery tickets (just doin' my part, E). Of course, we would have been better off if I would've just put $100 in a sack, but the scratching was fun too. I think we won about $35.
• He also bought me my very first gun. I'm the proud owner of a bright and shiny .243 just in time for hunting season. Now all I have to do is try and hit the broadside of a barn, er- deer.
• Make no mistake, I'm pretty stoked about it.
• Speaking of, today kicked off my week of single motherhood. I'm a hunting widow while C is off to Colorado again. When he went last year, I was heavily pregnant (November) and thoroughly enjoyed going to bed early and eating cereal for dinner every night. Oh the difference a year makes, eh?
• My son has regressed to having newborn dirty diapers. Good Lord they're awful. It's been going on for two days- lets all pray he gets over it soon. I'll take nuggets any day.
• Speaking of my darling son, he is THISCLOSE to crawling, finally. He seems to be about a month behind all the other kids his age in his class at daycare. They've all been crawling and cruising for several weeks now... I blame his giganta noggin'.
• When I have another baby, I will be diligent in doing tummy time for the very very beginning. I really think it helps strengthen all these vital muscles used in sitting, crawling and pulling up. We didn't do as much tummy time as we should have with Carter and I think we're now seeing the results... of his giganta noggin', that is.
• I've committed to taking Amber and James' engagement pictures next month. I'm really excited about it, but really anxious about finding a good location with good light in order to get some good shots. That's all I'm going to obsess publicly about that, but just know my wheels are TURNING.
• I'm hosting a baby shower sprinkle this weekend at my mom's. It's at the same time as my high school's homecoming parade, so traffic should be fun. In my hometown, they shut down the major US highway for the parade which really pisses off the truckers. No one else seems to mind though.
• I planned for it to be at my mom's so she could help with Carter while I'm scurrying around doing hostessey things but, you guessed it, she's going to the damn parade. She claims she'll be back in 20 minutes, but WE WILL SEE.
• Hosting a shower is much more difficult than I originally thought, especially since no one is helping aside from my mom making the cupcakes. Yesterday I decided to also make a diaper cake WHICH I'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.
• I agree that I'm loco. It comes with the territory.

There's nothing better..

Well, very few things are better than hearing your mortgage pre-approval person say,

"Honey, y'all can pretty much buy whatever you want. Your credit scores put y'all in the top 5% in the nation. For your ages, y'all should be very, very proud."

*big, huge sigh* That was out last hurdle... you just never know for sure until you hear it from a professional.

For lack of a better word...

For the first time in my adult life, I actually give a shit about what interest rates are. I care about the Fed meeting in hopes they're going to cut them. Unfortunately, they're not meeting and rates aren't going down. Can you tell I'm in home-buying mode? The only trouble is that I'm ready to sign my life away, but my better half is having a hard time taking the leap to being a grown up and spending the money to actually have a house of our own. I'm being patient, dammit.

It is a huge responsibility- I get it. So is the rest of my life. It's daily and you get used to it and I bet I'll only get nauseaus once a month when I have to pay the bank that ENORMOUS sum of money. If'n.

Last night, I spent the better part of an hour with the Rangers game on mute (since we LOST) buying songs off iTunes. Here's what I bought. It's ok to admit you dig my tunes. I'm also looking for more suggestions- please and thank you.

• Sail On - The Commodores
• Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind) - Eddie Rabbitt (off the album "Great Divorce Songs for Men)
• Kentucky Rain - The King
• Something in the Way She Moves - James Taylor (not the Beatles song)
• Country Road - James Taylor
• And So it Goes - Billy Joel
• She's Got a Way - Billy Joel
• Oh Girl - The Chi-Lites
• Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels) - Jim Croce
• With a Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker

Today I'm wearing a "maxi dress", which to me is pretty damn close to a mumu, but it's considered fashionable. I've gotten several compliments already, but it's probably just because they're glad I'm finally wearing something different.

For the third time this week, I've brought my lunch. Twice it's been in a cooler packed with a pb&j sandwich, carrot sticks (with ranch), apple slices and cheese cubes. It's better than fast food, which I'm very tired of. Go me!

I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, so chances are I'll only have to work half a day. Woo-woo! It's practically Friday, bitches. (And Kathy Griffin is on tonight! Speaking of, I made C watch Tori and Dean with me and I'm convinced he's hooked. I had to fill him on the backstory for everything. Next thing you know, he's going to be watching it at his house by himself. ha!)

She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her
She's got a way of pleasin'
I don't know why it is
But there doesn't have to be a reason anyway

Taking a break...

I've been drinking. It seems that's the only way to calm my nerves this week. I was reduced to tears earlier and my poor boyfriend could only say incredulously, "All you can do is start packing. Start in one room with one box. It's not that hard." Bless his heart..

It's amazing that something as simple as moving can stress me out this badly. I did secure housing today though. It's a townhouse - just two levels, no garage. One and half baths and two bedrooms for $112 less than I'm paying now. Incredible. Remind me to send out my new address.

I bought myself my first piece of hunting attire today, too. A pair of camo insulated overalls since hunting should be kinda cool this weekend. Woodrow, since you're the only one who probably cares, Clint and I sat in the box stand on my 40 acres twice last weekend. I got permission to bring my ipod because I just bought an Eddie Rabbitt Greatest Hits album that he wanted to jam to, too. Saturday evening, he killed a doe- the next to the last "doe day". It was very exciting. My first time "hunting" (even though I wasn't carrying a gun) and we killed something! We even had to track her about 20 yards into the woods after dark. I was so proud of my baby! Sunday, we went to the same stand not expecting to see a thing. Of course we had some beer and after a couple, I announced (very quietly) that I needed to pee. I quickly followed it up with "I can hold it though." He insisted that I go because we were far enough from dark that nothing was going to come out yet. Ha! There I was, squatted with my pants around my knees behind the stand when I hear, "Don't move." There was another dumb ass doe who came marching out for the corn. She came from the same damn place her sista died the night before. So much for animal insticts. C didn't want to shoot her and she let me get all the way back into the stand before she ran and took all her friends with her. Two deer in two days.. I've got pretty good odds thus far.

I'm moving on Thanksgiving day. Usually, I'd be at my mom's eating dry turkey and ham, followed up by a slice of pecan pie. This year, C and I will find an open restaurant and let someone else cook for us. Have I mentioned lately how much I love him? I am so incredibly thankful..

Which reminds me. I have some fabulous friends. I don't require a lot of up-keep, that's no secret. But sweet emails, texts and comments on my blog & Myspace mean the world. Comments that let me know you're thinking of me-- comments that couldn't come at better time, since I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown these days. I am so incredibly thankful and blessed to have each of you in my life- and you know who you are. My prayer of Thanks will be for each of you this year.

Speaking of, prayer is a wonderful thing which I need to do much more of. Finding a good church is on my to-do list. So is losing this extra weight. Hmm.. maybe I'm on to something. A church/gym? Now that's what I'm talkin' about.