Bustin' Makes Me Feel Good

I have had this horrible old TV forever that used to belong to my parents. I hate it. It's in a console. I've mentioned numerous times to my parents that if & when they buy a new TV, I want the one they're currently using. Well, I finally got the call. They bought themselves a new TV on Sat night & brought me their old TV on Sunday. Goodbye console!

The TV is huge, as is the entertainment center that goes with it. In fact, it turned out to be too big for our living room. John's dad was in town, so he took us to Target & bought us a smaller TV stand.

We also went to Best Buy. While John & his dad were dorking it up in Electronics, I meandered over to the laptop section & noticed the laptop bag my mom gave me with my new laptop is a $60 bag. First of all, I kind of hated the bag anyway. Second of all, it still had the tags on it. So we go home, get the bag & return it to Best Buy for a $60 store credit. I bought a smaller $20 laptop bag, the new Kings of Leon CD, Halloween on DVD & John bought Ghostbusters I & II. (I also bought Sex & The City: The Movie @ Target).

We watched Ghostbusters last night. It's astounding how dated that movie is now. I looked it up on Wikipedia, it came out in 1984. The furniture in Sigourney Weaver's apartment is hilarious. It's almost worth watching the movie just to see her apartment & her outfits. I highly recommend renting it if you haven't seen it in awhile. Do it for Slimer.

Weekend Plans

Last night we went to Las Maracas to celebrate Carolyn's 30th birthday. It was an interesting night. We all got accosted by a shirtless man on a cell phone walking into the restaurant, then this redneck couple in the booth behind us got in a fight & the man threw a bowl of salsa at her while yelling "I'm not listening to your shit tonight!". We finished off the night by making a mask out of a flour tortilla & annoying everyone around us by taking 1,000 photos. Enjoy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16828091@N04/sets/72157607531442970/

Today Carolyn & I are going to M'boro for Ashley & Josh's baby shower. Then tonight I'm going to my friend Jessica's impromptu bachelorette party. John's dad is coming thru town tonight & staying with us. I don't think he's getting in until 2am, so I don't even know if I'll see him. Apparently he's just taking a nap at our house, then heading on home to Maryland. Tomorrow John & I have a lot of house stuff to do & I need to do some homework for my class on Tues night.

Happy Saturday!

For Your Stationary Needs

My wedding invitations went out this week. Depending on where your last name falls in the alphabet, you may have already received yours. My boss told me he got his today & he's a "J".

So my BFF, Carolyn, designed everything: our Save-the-Date, the wedding invitation & the RSVP card. She's awesome. She just started a blog/website to showcase some of the stuff she's done over the years. She does everything, not just wedding stuff. She can do business cards, note cards, mailing labels, etc. Check her out:

http://www.squirrelpearl.blogspot.com/

You can also see her on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=80081

New Music Wednesday

There are currently 4 CDs that I want. It's rare that I even want 1 new CD, let alone 4. Since iTunes, I've gotten lazy about buying CDs. I just buy the song(s) I want & go about my day. Today may be a new day. Today, Grimey's may get my business (which is fair because I totally stole the descriptions below from their weekly email blast).

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night CD (RCA)
On their fourth album, Kings Of Leon vow to rock harder and deeply explore their Southern rock roots and, um, their love of U2? Initial copies come with a bonus "Sex On Fire" 7", containing the non-LP track "Beneath The Surface." CD now, vinyl delayed to November.

TV On The Radio - Dear Science CD/Deluxe Edition CD/LP+MP3 (DGC/Interscope)
The latest from TVOTR is already earning extremely glowing four- and five-star reviews in the major music press as well as a 9.2 Best New Music rating from Pitchfork. Certain to be one of the albums of the year. The Deluxe Edition contains the bonus tracks "Make Love All Night Long," "Heroic Dose," "Dancing Choose (Prefuse 73 Remix)," and "Crying (Telepathe Remix)." The gatefold vinyl contains an MP3 download. For a limited time, all formats come with a bonus lithograph designed by vocalist Tunde Adebimpe.


Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue CD (Reprise)
Femme fatale Jenny Lewis has never sounded so passionate and her songs never so hard-hitting and acerbic as on her aptly titled solo release, Acid Tongue. The album follows 2006's Rabbit Fur Coat and a series of acclaimed albums with indie rock faves Rilo Kiley. Featuring collaborations with She & Him and guest appearances by Elvis Costello and Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, Acid Tongue proves to be wicked good. CD now, vinyl+CD soon (we hope).

Blitzen Trapper - Furr CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
More goodness from this Portland, OR sextet. Expanding the sonic horizons of their Of Montreal-meets-Grateful Dead backwoods stomp of their acclaimed "Wild Mountain Nation", Blitzen Trapper go deeper into the "late 60's/early-70's sundown vibe of artists like Neil Young, Bob Dylan and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band." --Allmusic Guide

I've Been Tagged

I've been tagged by Emotional Mullet:

1. Where were you 10 years ago?
-- In 1998 I was at MTSU going to frat parties & drinking illegally at O'Charley's.

2. What’s on your to-do list today?
-- Call Carolyn & tell her HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
-- Take Lauren & Karen to see my new house.
-- Read Chapter 3 & do homework for class tonight.

3. What if you were a Billionaire?
-- John & I would be debt free.
-- I would fund my nieces' college education.
-- I would pay off my parents house.
-- I would buy an apartment in NYC & a vacation house somewhere near a beach.

4. Name 5 places that you have lived?
-- Okarche, OK
-- Nashville, TN
-- Murfreesboro, TN
-- Queens, NY
-- Brooklyn, NY

5. What are 3 bad habits that you have?
-- Talking trash
-- Over-eating
-- Over-spending

6. What kind of snack do you like?
-- Yogurt, Fiber One bars, apples, grapes, cheese & crackers, almonds & popcorn.

7. Who will you tag next?
-- I'm a Cookoo
-- ChrissiTinaBallerina
-- Panda Parables
-- A Side of Rice

This Mule is on Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHhhcKxflMY

Kings of Leon. I get it now. Thank you, SNL.

Insomnia

I'm in the midst of a raging bout of insomnia. I can't remember if it started last week or this week. I definitely haven't slept any this week. Last night I went to bed at 11:00 & woke up at 2:00 wide awake. Around 2:30 realized I was not going back to sleep, so I read for about an hour & thankfully fell back asleep. Woke back up around 5:30 & have been up ever since. Welcome to my hell.

I've had insomnia for as long as I can remember. I remember back when I was young, like 5th/6th grade, & not sleeping. Of course back then I thought it was fun to wake up in the middle of the night & watch TV until everyone else woke up. You don't know at that age that something is wrong with you. It got really bad in college. I remember my freshman year, there was like a 2 or 3 day period where I didn't sleep at all. Luckily that's the only time that's happened. I typically fall asleep fine, but wake up after a couple of hours & can't go back to sleep.

It usually hits maybe once a year, typically in January/February when work starts getting crazy. I assume this recent bout is wedding related. I can't pinpoint what's stressing me out in regards to the wedding, but it's definitely stressing me out. When I wake up in the middle of the night, my mind is racing with wedding stuff. I used to be able to fall back asleep by concentrating on my breathing or counting to 10, etc., but none of that is working right now. It SUCKS.

In other news, John's grandfather died & he left with his dad last night to go to the funeral in Albuquerque. He'll be back on Wed night. It'll be weird being alone in the house for that long.

I have a bridal shower today at my aunt's house in Brentwood. I'm actually really excited. My Aunt Ginger, my friend Lauren & my mom's friend, Mary Faye are hosting it for me. It's my last shower & it's definitely going to be the biggest. This is probably part of the reason I didn't sleep last night. I kept thinking about what to wear, do I have time to do my nails, how early should I get there, should I eat lunch, etc....

Well, I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday -you know, when you wake up in 3 hours.

Taxidermy Ted, the Flying Dead Squirrel

My friend Jessica, aka The Orange Bicycle, made me the cutest housewarming gift. Actually, it's not for me, it's for Taxidermy Ted. It's a little cape. I love it! I can't wait to get it & put it on him. Between the bolo tie & this new cape, he's going to be the best dressed dead squirrel in town.

Cheesy Chili-Mac

I made this last night & it was really good. It's a Weight Watchers recipe. It's 5 points a serving, so pretty low fat. Of course, I added sour cream & cheddar cheese, but whatever.

Cheesy Chili-Mac

POINTS Value: 5

Servings: 8

Preparation Time: 20 min

Cooking Time: 25 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 spray cooking spray
2/3 pound raw extra lean ground beef
2 medium onion(s), chopped
29 oz canned stewed tomatoes, Mexican-style (undrained)
2 1/2 cup canned tomato juice
4 oz canned green chili peppers, diced, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 cup uncooked macaroni, elbow
31 oz canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray.

Cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until meat is browned, about 10 minutes; drain off fat.
Stir in undrained stewed tomatoes including juice, tomato juice, chili peppers and chili powder; bring mixture to a boil.
Stir in macaroni and beans; return to boiling.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes.

Spoon chili into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

Yields about 1 cup of chili and 1 tablespoon of cheese per serving.

Mufasa Spotted in West Nashville

Our new house is off Charlotte Pike, West Nashville's version of Gallatin Road. Driving home from work today I saw a guy walking down Charlotte with a life-sized stuffed lion over his shoulders. And I mean stuffed animal, not stuffed as in taxidermy. The lion's head was up on the guy's shoulder & the tale was wrapped all around his body. And he was a tough guy - wife beater, studded belt, cowboy boots, etc. Maybe he pawned it to buy meth & had to go back to get it because his baby momma got mad about little Ray Ray crying for his stuffed lion all day. Regardless, it was one of the weirdest things I've seen since moving over here.

There's this church (Westwood Baptist) by my house that has the best church sign slogans in town. They change it pretty frequently. This week is says:

The bible.
Believe it.
Behave it.

Classic. The best one they've had since I've moved over here said, "Forbidden fruits cause many jams." Ahh, so true....

So I essentially didn't work today because IT needed 6 hours to install "software updates" on my computer. They came in unannounced at 9:30 this morning & said they needed me to leave for 2-3 hours so they could perform said updates. I asked if they could come back at lunch. So they told me to leave around 11:00 & by 2:00 they should be done. I came home, ate lunch, watched a little TV then went back to work. I meandered back into my office around 2:30 & they had just started!!! Since my work day ends at 4:30 & they needed at least 2 hours, I just left. I went over to Carolyn's & worked on my wedding invitations. I welcome any day that I don't have to work, but today was a little ridiculous.

Allright, I'm off to do homework for class tomorrow night.

NBN '08

Last night Lake Fever Productions hosted the Next Big Nashville event @ Exit/In. Some of Lake Fever's clients played:

Coral Castles
The Privates
The Howlies
Ghostfinger
How I Became the Bomb

I believe a good time was had by all. Enjoy the pics (and HIBTB's new outfits):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16828091@N04/sets/72157607289885899/

Voter Registration

For anyone who wants to vote in the upcoming Presidential election, here's how to register to vote in Davidson County. You'll need to fill out a form if you've gotten married & changed your name or if you've moved. It's really easy, you just print out the .PDF form on the website, fill it out & then mail it in to the Davidson County Election Commission. You have until Mon., Oct. 6th to get the form in if you want to vote in the Nov. election. Early voting starts Nov. 4th.

For more information, & to get the voter registration form, go here:

http://www.nashville.gov/Vote/

I'm a firm believer that you forfeit your right to complain if you don't take the time to vote, so VOTE!

Honeymoon? Check.

We booked our honeymoon last night. So excited! We're going to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for 7 days & 6 nights. Whoo-hoo! November is Mexico's low season, so we were able to get an incredible deal on the hotel. We leave the Sunday after our wedding & return the following Saturday. I've never been on a "proper" vacation. I can't wait!

A New Niece

My sister is pregnant with her second child. She's due January 25th. She just found out this morning that she's having a girl. Abigail, my 3 year old niece, apparently waved at her new baby sister on the sonogram monitor & then didn't understand later why she could no longer see the baby when she pulled up my sister's shirt. Later, when asked what she wants to name her new baby sister, Abigail looked at them like they were stupid & replied, "Baby".

So far my brother-in-law has vetoed all of my name suggestions. I'm really pushing for Madeleine Kate. I've got 4 months to wear him down....

Ready for Fall

I'm so ready for fall & so over summer. I'm tired of tank tops & I'm tired of bronzer. I want to be pale & covered up in jewel-toned longer sleeved tops. I awoke on Saturday with this feeling & it hasn't gone away. On Saturday, all I wanted to do was wear long sleeves & make a crockpot of chili. I remedied this by buying some new fall clothes. I didn't get anything exciting, but I got some good basics. Carolyn & I went to Anthropologie & I wanted everything in there, but alas, I am not a millionaire. I took my non-millionaire ass to Old Navy & Gap Outlet & did pretty nicely. I'm pleased with my purchases. And yes, I am wearing a short-sleeved purple turtleneck today & yes I am aware that it is 90 degrees outside. I'm of the mindset that if you wear it; it will come. It being Fall.

Sayonara Bikini Boot Camp

This morning was my last Bikini Boot Camp class. It was kind of sad. I've gotten used to my weekly 6am torture sessions. Not to mention, I've become quite strong. I did a one-arm push-up last week. Granted, I could only do 2, but I did it. And I can hold both regular & side plank positions indefinitely. I couldn't even do plank when I first started. Oooh, maybe now my "plank elbows" will return to their nice, supple non-reptilian condition.

I didn't lose a lot of weight. I think I only lost about 4 lbs, but I can tell a difference in my body. I'm definitely smaller, just not necessarily lighter. It's so weird how that works. I might go back on Weight Watchers until the wedding & try to shed some more weight. I'd like to lose 10 more lbs. We'll see....

So on The Today Show this morning, they did a segment on men who cheat & how it might be because of their genes... They played "OPP" during the intro to the segment. I about choked on my breakfast. "OPP" on The Today Show? Seriously?