Catching up (w Friends and a blog posting)

This blog is a few weeks late…sorry.  But I want everyone in the world to know that I truly am one of the luckiest girls ever!  Well you see, not only do I have a wonderful fiancé and absolutely amazing family, one of the most well behaved dogs you’ll ever meet and truly enjoy my line of work, I have some of the best friends in the world.

These are the lovely ladies that I met in college and here we are 3 ½ years later and we still take the time to see each other a couple of times a year.  It’s never easy getting to see one another, because we live all up and down the east coast.  So when we can accomplish the miracle of miracles where our schedules line up it’s always a good time.

This year we made it to our Alma Mater, East Carolina University, for the Oct 1 football game against the Tarheels.  We all stayed in Amy and Sean’s house and it was tight to say the least.  But we made it work and had some adventures along the way.

So here a couple of the highlights:

Stacey is now fully aware that sleeping on the couch is a bad idea: Jason and I slept on the air mattress beside her and we wake up at 7 am at the latest

Going to your favorite bar from when you when in college sounds like a fantastic idea.  Until you realize you have arrived at the bar so early they aren’t even charging a cover yet, you’re the oldest people there and showing up in jeans and a comfortable yet cute top was cute 3 years ago, but now, not so much.  Dresses and heels are the norm.

The UBE is beyond crowded on game day when tailgating doesn’t start until 3 pm

When you think you are at a standstill in the trip to the tailgate field, just tailgate wherever you’re at.  Like someone’s front yard

9 people, two cornhole boards, 3 coolers, 6 chairs, a couple of cameras and bags will all fit into a Yukon.  However, a Yukon cannot be successfully maneuvered out of a blocked parking space with only 4 foot of total clearance

Some people like to share, a lot.  Sometimes sharing is not necessary.  Fart biscuits can forever remain in the possession of the original owner from here on out.

Corn hole bags will not stay in tack during rigorous play if they are not stitched properly.

Asking a UNC fan if they want to lick your feet is not nearly as funny if you haven’t stepped in the muddy waste area near the port a johns.

Wrangling 9 people to stay together for the entrance to the football game is impossible.

When you jump to the front of the line as some line-cutters like to do…you are part of the problem for the rest of us.  Not the solution.

It doesn’t matter how long we have to get ready for the tailgating to begin, we will still be late

Watching the Pirates get beat badly is a lot easier to swallow when you have friends like these:

Here are a few more totally awesome pics for your viewing pleasure:

All My Love,
Meredith

Tedious Task Tuesday

It never fails...I can not stop cleaning.  Maybe my job has backhandedly created a complete germ a phobe.  It's getting a little out of control.  Jason officially called me crazy today.  So what I did I do that warranted a "crazy" title that incorporated cleaning?  I scrubbed the baseboards of my living room, guest room, master bedroom and the small bathroom in the master bedroom.....WITH A TOOTHBRUSH!!  Yes, a toothbrush. 

I actually started this task last week and accomplished my kitchen and dining room then.  It took almost an hour for each.  Yikes!  I then moved onto my den on Wednesday and stopped with the main bathroom.  It took another hour (or three).  I was not motivated to accomplish that one either.  I waited until late in the day to finish and then decided instead of doing my living room, I should vacuum and mop everywhere. 

So I had 4 rooms in my house with clean baseboards and I could not stand the sight of the rest of the house.  I'm giving me and Jason a bye on this one.  We have both decided that this is not all of our dust and that the majority of it was placed there by previous tenants.  That's our story and we're sticking to it!!  We have lived there for a year and the scrubbin' had not been bothered with previously.  They were definitely due.  Oh, and btw: a vacuum hose just does not do the job.

So I bit the bullet today and tackled three of the remaining rooms.  I officially looked like Cinderella in her non-glorious, before Fairy Godmother days.

I had a bucket, a toothbrush, a rag and two dogs who were more curious than George. 

It was quite the sight.  Hence the crazy crown bestowed by my fiance.

I only have 2 more rooms to go before I can officially cross this tedious task off of my fall chore list.  I am still in amazement at how gross this actually was and how I could have possibly let it get this way.  Just when you think that dusting, windexing, mopping, vacuuming, laundry, dishes, trash and general tidiness are enough, you discover how wrong you really are.  I have found more crap that needs to be cleaned but I still can't find those elusive extra hours in the day to accomplish that.

Oh and Dad: where am I supposed to find ammonia and does it prevent the dust from settling into the cracks in the first place?  If not, how does using ammonia for this problem benefit me in any way?  I'll still be on my hands and knees with a toothbrush cleaning baseboards.  Expect with ammonia, I'll smell like AMMONIA!!!

How do you other ladies do it?  I don't even have kids yet and am already contemplating a maid service!!

Somebody please help me with my cleaning addiction!!!  I don't think the paint or my future husband will be able to handle it for too long. 

Maybe....

Meet Shade

Hi....I'm Shade.  I'm Meredith and Jason's 3 year old lab mix sweetheart.

Meredith got me when I was 8 weeks old.  She was really giggly and flouncy that night.  Meredith kept squeezing me and hugging me.  She kept talking about some fruity cocktails she had drank, but oh I don't know that means.  She kind of looked like me too.  A little roll around the mid-section and brunette.  I knew she was going to be mine.  She took me home that very night and laid me on my Grandmama's lap and asked "Can I keep her?"  At 2 o'clock in the morning and with my lovely brown eyes, there was no way I was going back to my dog-mom.  I was at home.

Mama raised me to be a good little girl.  I sit when I'm told and come back to her every time she calls me.  My Uncle Splash taught me all my manners.  He was cool too.  He shared his bed when I stayed/stay at my Grandmama and Papa's house. 

But he went to Doggy Heaven a couple of months back and left me with Uncle Ted.  He's the lazy blonde one that only moves when I chase him.

Me and mama live in Spencer now with Daddy and my cra-ZE brother Zeus.  Mama and Daddy take me to the park a lot.  It was especially fun last Friday when we went early and there was still dew on the grass.  I am a big fan of licking the dew off the grass.  It tickles my tongue.  And I could slip and slide when I was chasing my ball.  BALL!  Oh man, do I love my ball.  I have a blue one that squeaks and tastes like peanut butter...yum-o!!  The squeakiest one is the red one.  It's small and gets stuck a lot under the table, but man does it squeak.  I can never get that squeaker thing out of that ball.  Someday....  And then I have a bunch of green tennis balls.  They go outside with me and I love to chew on them.  I also like to leave them where Daddy won't find 'em.  I chuckle a little when he runs over them with the lawn mower and yells a dirty word.  *HeHe*

I have another toy that I love too, GORILLA!!  He rolls funny and he squeaks too.  I've had him since mama got him for me.  You'd be jealous of GORILLA! if you ever saw him. 

My other thing to play with is this funny red dot.  I always know when mama or Daddy or Grandmama or Papa or Auntie Melinda are going to let me play with it.  It clinks when they get it down.  I chase it and chase it and chase it some more.  I lick it when I can and try to stomp it.  But I can never get a hold of that darn red light.  Someday....

If I stare at the laser, maybe it'll give up and let me FINALLY eat it

When I'm not playing with my toys, mama lets me snuggle up close with her.  Daddy gets jealous.  I have my own bed and I cross my legs when I lay down.  See...Good little girl.  I get to go and watch mama and Daddy when they play their games and I love to go on rides.

Because I'm a lady

Daddy is playing softball.  I bet that's a tasty ball too

I'm waiting on Mama to start her triathalon in the pool.

Yay!  She finished and I'm the one getting all the lovin'...It's a win-win!

You should try out this going on a ride thing.  It's fun most of the time, just not when Mama and Daddy go to that Uwharrie place.  It was very bumpy.

But my all time favorite thing to do is be in the water.  Any water is fine: lake, river, pool...you name it and I want to jump in it, chase my ball in it, fetch a stick in it, dunk my head in it, wade in it, let my mama hold me in it.  I love water.

Hey, there's my red ball and I'm swimming.

It's ok to be envious of me and my water ways.

But I don't love a doggy life jacket in the water.  Mama tried that one time.  Silly woman.  I refused to give her any kissies or snuggles or swim in it. That'll teach her!

Actually, I hate wearing anything.  Mama also tried to make me dress up for Halloween when I was 1.  She put this ridiculous red t-shirt with googly eyes on it on me.  Nope! Not Happening!!  I don't do googly eyes.  So I just laid down right where I was and pouted.  Mama called it doggy-comatose.  Hey, whatever works.  She'll learn someday.  She should stick with pretty collars.  I've got too much going on to worry with silly outfits.

I hope mama will be keeping you up to date on all my happenings as she writes her posts.  She's pretty cool.  Wait until you meet my Cra-Cra brother.  Zeus is on a whole 'nother level and he gets in trouble a lot.  But he's pretty cool.  He's big and he'll growl with me when I need him to. 

Until then, enjoy the fall.  Maybe I'll catch a leaf.  I bet that means snow is soon too.  Oh snow, I love snow too!!

SNOW!!!

Mama throwin' snow on me.

Must bounce in snow

Until next time!
All my love!
Meredith