What part of "I'm sleeping in" did you not understand?

I know, I know...I'm late again. I really did have every intention of posting this weekend's Top 9 List yesterday morning. However, the computer had other ideas and decided to not want to connect to the Internet. Pretty bad when your plans get foiled by inanimate objects. Such is my life.

Anywho, after a long day at the daily grind, I have for you a very special holiday weekend edition of the Top 9 List. This week I decided to not be so warm and fuzzy and chose to do a list of my not-so-favorite things. I decided this when I was woken up the other morning at 5 by a loud crash. After sitting straight up in bed and nearly knocking out the boyfriend with my swinging arms, I realize that one of the shelves in his floor-to-ceiling bookcase has decided to fall. A great way to wake up. But it did spark some inspiration so read on and enjoy my list of other annoying ways to wake up.

Top 9 Least Favorite (Non-Life Threatening) Ways to Be Woken Up





Even if you're not a parent, the sound of a child screaming or crying in the middle of the night is annoying at best. If you are a parent, it's enough to have you bolting out of bed and racing into your child's room before you're even fully awake.



So rewind to Wednesday morning, around 5 a.m. I'm sleeping peacefully when suddenly there's a loud crash and I'm sitting up and swinging before I've even opened my eyes. Once I calm down my racing heart and realize that the noise was only the shelf falling from the bookcase, I quickly move from panic/fear to annoyance, especially when I see that the shelf has taken with it about half of the Cd's that had been stacked on said shelf. And to top it all off, just as the boyfriend and I lay back down and close our eyes the shelf shifts just a bit more and takes the rest of the Cd's with it. Yay! Now I can go back to sleep thinking about the pile of at least 100 discs at the end of the bed that need to be picked up in the morning. Grrr...



I have an ex (who, for legal reasons, shall remain nameless) who had the lovely habit of shifting his feet in his sleep. He would literally move them back and forth all night. As you might imagine, that took some getting used to... And, as you might also imagine, there was the occasional instance where one of us would be too close to the other and those shifting feet would deliver a kick or two to my shins. That's a fantastic way to wake up...



True story. I have actually been woken up by being stung by a bee. OUCH! I don't know what I did to piss the little bugger (ha, ha, ha) off, but it stung my shoulder and then floated off to die somewhere while I woke up yelling and trying to figure out what had just happened. I then rudely woke up my step-mother by running into her room screaming like a banshee. I like to share the love, in case you hadn't noticed.



So yeah, waking up to the alarm clock is never fun. But waking up to an incorrect alarm that's blaring at midnight is TERRIBLE! Your brain has been trained to associate that horrible noise with the start of your day. So imagine the mental anguish of trying to make yourself go back to sleep because your body knows it's the middle of the night but your brain is trying to tell you it's time to get up. It's like trying to sign to a blind person...it just doesn't work out very well.



There is a reason our cell phones have Silent Mode and it isn't just because it's rude (and very annoying) to have a meeting interrupted with the newest Top 40 hit blaring from some one's pocket. I am certain Silent Mode was the fabulous forethought of some unknown genius who had probably received a few unwanted calls to his land line in his time. I'm here to tell you, this genius created Silent Mode because of drunk dialers...and now, more often than not, drunk texters. Ever been woken up by the intro for "Crazy Train"? Yeah...that'll take the ten best years off your life right there.



As many a mother will tell you, waking up to the certain knowledge that you are going to throw up is undoubtedly one of the joys of pregnancy. Waking up and racing to the bathroom at 4 a.m. every morning for the entire first trimester is simply preparing the new mother for the nights of racing to her screaming child's room. See folks? There really is a purpose for everything in life.



I wonder if any one's ever done a study on how many Saturday mornings have been ruined by a loud knocking on the door or the incessant doorbell? And I know you all know who I'm referring to...the smiling young man in the black suit asking for just one minute of your time. Does anyone know why it's so obviously best to "spread The Word" at such ungodly hours?

And last, but definitely not least:



Who hasn't been woken up by neighbors or roommates or, God forbid, parents having loud, obnoxious sex? Whether it's a woman screaming her way through what is clearly a faked orgasm or simply the sound of their headboard hitting the wall or the box spring squeaking, it all adds up to a very poor night's sleep for you. My best suggestion for you? Grab your significant other and try to drown them out ;) Unless, of course, it's your parents...in that case, you should probably move out, promptly...like yesterday.

And there it is folks...your Memorial Day Weekend Top 9 List. I hope you all have a safe and fun weekend. I'm officially signing off for the holiday. I'm taking advantage of the boyfriend having Monday off and we're gonna have some down time together :) So until Tuesday...Ciao!

Welcome to my world...

There's a very real reason why I shouldn't wake up and immediately turn on the television. I am NOT very pleasant first thing in the morning. Unless, of course, I'm woken up with kisses, then I'm a sweet angel....but that wasn't the case this morning. And we all know what happens when I'm cranky and there's stupidity on television.

"Kids today have it made. Cuz if they don't like what's on television, they've got 40, 50 channels to choose from! Remember how many channels we got when we were kids? 3. And if the President was on, your night was shot. 'The President's on. The President's on! He's on every channel! We're gonna miss Flipper!!'"

For those of you who don't know, the above is a quote from a Jeff Foxworthy stand-up. And yes, for the record, I am a total redneck sometimes. One of these days I'll regale you all with tales of how my father has actually made our family into a Jeff Foxworthy punchline. Anywho...I wake up kinda late, (it's a lazy day today, don't judge me) roll over and turn on the T.V. Only to mumble the above quote, much to the dismay of the boyfriend. I'm pretty sure he's learned by now that if I'm mumbling at the T.V. it isn't going to be a good day.

But seriously folks. Since we only have the very basic cable, it was a scene straight outta Jeff's childhood this morning when I clicked the power button on that remote. The President was on 4 of the 7 main channels that I watch. Two others had info-mercials and Discovery had Cash Cab (Thank God!) which saved me from actually throwing the remote at the T.V. which, of course, would have probably caused the first real fight in said relationship. Pretty sure the boyfriend's not gonna be happy if I plant the remote in the middle of his T.V. screen.

So crisis averted, I settle in to watch Cash Cab (which is like Jeopardy for my generation) and instantly start mumbling about the contestants on the show. Personally, New York City cab-goers are some very interesting people. I wonder how many of them actually watch when their episodes are aired. I wouldn't, if I were them. Some pretty embarrassing behavior there. Very similar to the chick from Wheel of Fortune the other night. (Yeah, I like game shows, SHUT UP!)

"I don't even know what a Fairbanks Alaska is! Tee-hee-hee!"

Gag me! Isn't there some kind of testing and/or screening process to even be eligible to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune? How did she pass?? Was it because in the mock-game she successfully bought a vowel after each winning spin? Because if anyone watches that show, they know...there is NO-ONE anymore that can solve a puzzle without buying all of the vowels first. The key-word there being "buying". Um...isn't the goal of the game to have the highest total bank? And doesn't buying vowels take from that total? So why would we want to do this? Because America is breeding idiots in droves.

And there you have it...I'm on a rampage with the T.V. again. Will someone please save me from the stupid people? They're going to take over the world, I just know it.

I fell from Cloud 9 to piles of laundry...next time I'm taking the elevator!

Happy Monday everyone!



Ha ha ha. Isn't that a little oxymoronic? I can't think of anything that's good about a Monday. But what a weekend! It would appear that the boyfriend and I have issues with slightly over-booking ourselves and cramming all of our social activities into the span of a few days. It makes for some crazy days, but I had a great weekend :)



Friday was a late night at the daily grind for me. By the time I got home and tucked myself into bed I was SPENT. Friday also happened to be the boyfriend's best friend's birthday so the boyfriend went over to celebrate. I'm actually kinda sad that I was at the daily grind...sounds like their night was WAY more interesting...if not exactly the kind of fun they had in mind. Something about dog bites, burnt coconut and smoke alarms. Unfortunately, by the time the boyfriend crawled into bed, I was too far beyond passed out to listen to the night's festivities.



Saturday was back to the daily grind for a bit and then grocery shopping for Sunday's birthday dinner for the fellow groupie. Two stores and two hours later finds me making dessert at about 11 at night. Clearly I have some time management issues. Anywho, as it was obviously past my bedtime, I failed to remember to take pictures of what was one of my finer accomplishments. I'm calling it the Cloud 9 Trifle. And folks, it tasted just as damn good as it looked!



Sunday morning comes and up we get to run to the boyfriend's aunt's house (not the one I've met already, the other one...so yeah, more introductions...eek!) to relocate a desk that is somewhat of a family heirloom-type piece. The morning got off to a...*AHEM* late start *AHEM* Oops!



It was, however, a nice visit with the boyfriend's aunt. Interesting little side note, she has the exact same birthday as my dad, same year and everything. I'm sure there's some kind of deeper meaning or message in that, but I just haven't had the energy to examine it. So back to the house, unload the desk (which happens to be real mahogany so it's HEAVY) and now it's nap time...sorta.



A brief break and over to the fellow groupie's house we go. Dinner tonight is a new recipe that I'm trying out. And no, I wasn't stupid enough to warn them that I was using them as guinea pigs :p Cajun shrimp over linguine with mushrooms and red bell peppers served with french bread. Personally, there's some things I'd like to change about the recipe, but everyone assured me that it was yummy and they all seemed pleased so YAY!



The boyfriend and I learned how to play 10,000 (a dice game, for those outta the loop) and we had a blast!! The dessert was well received and the evening was a success, if I do say so myself.

We called it a somewhat early night and curled up with some jazz and a snuggle. Over all, a fantastical weekend. I could have used more down time, but technically that's what today is for, right? Yeah...not so much. I'm working on research for future blogs amidst rotating loads of laundry and cleaning little messes of junk that seem to pile up when I'm not looking.



So Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all have a great week. And remember, this coming weekend is a holiday weekend so plan accordingly :)

Abnormally large plastic cases and pseudo-wood...ah...sweet memories!

Welcome back folks! It's Friday which means it's time once again for the Weekend Top 9 list!


I'm hoping that after the heavy topic from yesterday I haven't scared all of my readers away. Especially since today's list is a little blast from the past and will hopefully bring a few smiles to your faces :)

One of the best memories I have from my childhood is our collection of Disney movies. Pretty sad, isn't it, that some of my best memories involve being parked in front of the TV? Anywho...back to the days of VHS tapes and the abnormally large plastic cases that Disney felt were necessary for their animated films. If I close my eyes and think back, I can picture the pseudo-wood movie cabinet with the glass door that held all of our VHS tapes, with the Disney movies holding their spot of prominence and taking up most of the top two shelves.

I think the thing my parents liked best about the Disney movies were that they were the only thing all 3 of us girls would sit down and do together and quietly. (Unless you count loudly singing along with EVERY song.) The only battle they had to break up was which one of us girls got to pick the movie. Since I was the oldest, I usually tried to take over negotiations without involving the parental units. However, more often than not, they intervened and it would default to whomever was putting up the biggest fit. Once the movie was playing, though, we all three would sit criss-cross-applesauce as close to the TV as we could get and watch completely enraptured.

So out of the goodness of my heart (which is just overflowing with goodness if you haven't noticed..hahaha) I give you the Top 9 list of favorite Disney characters from their animated films. Enjoy!


My Top 9 Favorite Disney Animated Movie Characters! (in no particular order either)


Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty



When I was a young, awkward little brunette with frizzy hair singing in the school choir; the lovely blond Princess Aurora with the gorgeous voice was the embodiment of everything I wanted to be. Even her name was beautiful. I would watch Sleeping Beauty transfixed, mouthing the words to each song, dancing around the living room with my imaginary Prince Charming. And I always rooted for the dress to be blue ;)

Genie from Aladdin



It would appear that even from a young age I had a taste for comedy. Robin Williams is one of my all time favorite comedians and I love what he brought to this character. It doesn't hurt that he breaks into song about every two seconds either. Favorite line: "Riding your very own...CAMEL! (soto voice) Watch out, they spit."

Oliver from Oliver and Company



Quite possibly the cutest kitten ever! (Well, besides me :p) Oliver's plight in this movie always hit just a little close to home for me. He's the outsider, just looking to fit in and make friends. He also happens to be one of those poor, unfortunate creatures that things just seem to happen to...which, in case you didn't know, is the story of my life.

Timothy Q. Mouse from Dumbo



Mr. Mouse had a voice, whereas Dumbo did not, which is really why I chose Mr. Mouse instead. Ultimately it has to come down to who I can sing along with. Can't sing along with a mute elephant, it just isn't pretty. Anywho, I really like Timothy's inspirational speech in which he cheers Dumbo up and teaches him not to listen to the negative comments of others. Great message for kids! Also, it spoke to my insecure child-self in a way the parents and teachers couldn't. The lesson to learn here? If your kid has self-esteem issues, they won't listen to you but they will listen to a cartoon mouse.

Bernard from The Rescuers, as well as the sequel The Rescuers Down Under



The truth comes out...as much as I HATE rats and mice...I kinda love the cartoon versions. Bernard is the epitome of the underdog and yet he always seems to come out ahead in the end. He's a scaredy cat with the manners of the best gentleman. His manners often override his cautious nature though and hilarity ensues. Yeah, I'm a sucker for the nice guy...always have been. Sue me.

Sebastian from The Little Mermaid



It really was a strong toss-up between Sebastian or Flounder. The fish who's scared of his own shadow cracks me up, but Sebastian is the choir master of all sea-life. How can you beat that? Besides, the scene with the french chef is probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Ever.

Baloo from The Jungle Book



"It's just the bear necessities, the simple bear necessities. Forget about your worry and your strife. Yeah, Man!" Baloo is the laid back, carefree kind of person I always wished I could be. How nice to be able to just lay around in the sun, go swimming in the river and have all the fresh fruit you can eat. That's the life right there...unless, of course, there's a pissed off Siberian tiger after your new best friend. Then you might have some problems...

Timon from The Lion King



As a rule, I'm not generally fond of meerkats. They're too close to mice and rats and ferrets for me. But the animated version that is Timon is freakin' adorable! He's witty and funny and sarcastic. (Just like me!) Oh, and did I mention he sings? :) It seems sad, however, to give him a spot on the list without including his faithful sidekick, Pumbaa. Hmmm...maybe we'll have to do a list of infamous duos!

Olivia Flaversham from The Great Mouse Detective



I know, I know...another cartoon mouse. I just can't help myself though, she's absolutely adorable! She's the sweet little girl that you just can't say no to. She's also got a killer little accent and I about melt every time she says "Toby, To-beeee!" It's freakin' cute!


There ya have it folks...this weekend's Top 9 list. Sadly, there is no gig this weekend so I won't be doing the groupie thing. However, I do have a birthday dinner for a friend on Sunday and a few other things planned so it's not exactly like I'll be sitting around bored. I'll see you all on Monday morning with a weekend re-cap. Have a safe and fantastical weekend!

I won't turn the other cheek...

I figure it's about time for me to hop back up onto my little soap box. If you don't like it, you should probably quit reading right about....NOW.

I'd like to start by saying that I am the first person to stand up for our freedoms, including the freedom from religious persecution. All I ask is that every American who enjoys these liberties take a moment to recognize that there are people who die every day for us to be able to live in freedom.

That being said, there is a VERY fine line between exercising your freedom and being a radical or extremist.

For those of you who haven't heard, Muslim group Cordoba Initiative has received approval to build a mosque and cultural center a mere two blocks from Ground Zero in a building that used to house a Burlington Coat Factory store before the building was damaged by the fuselage of one of the hijacked planes that destroyed the Twin Towers.

I know I'm not the only person outraged by this, there has been a storm of uproar in the blogging community and over social networking sites. Survivors, relatives and friends of the victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks are crying out all over the United States against what, to them, amounts to a slap in the face of their loss and the sacrifices made that tragic day.

I can go so far as to say that I understand the Muslim community's right to build a mosque and/or a cultural center. Their intentional targeting of said site is the equivalent of pouring salt in a very large and still bleeding wound. Daisy Khan's sugar coated explanations to the press are just a prime example of how complacent Americans have become that the Muslim community expects us to stand back and accept these answers at face value.

ARE.YOU.FUCKING.KIDDING.ME??

Excuse my french kids, but I just can't be nice about this. I want to throw up my arms and scream at the injustice. I want to cry out and ask how my government can allow such an atrocity. And then logic rights itself and I realize that we, as a country, have allowed this all to come to play. What did we think was going to happen? We've been swallowing the bullshit propaganda of Islam since before 9-11. Why should we expect them to actually be truthful with us? They don't even have to try anymore, a smile and half-assed Good Samaritan response is all that's needed to make America nod and look the other direction. Here, let me just roll out that red carpet for you.

There are people who will say that opposing this mosque is discriminating against Muslims and how dare I? I say damn right. Like hell I'm not going to discriminate against a religion that perpetuates jihad, the very thing these "extremists" used as their battle cry as they hijacked our planes that we taught them to fly and used them as the largest suicide bombs in recorded history. The same ideal that Osama Bin Laden and his flunkies stand behind each time they behead an innocent man and send us the video of their heinous deeds.

I think it's time to stop being Mr. Nice Guy. Stop being the country that sets aside logic and safety to meet our greedy needs. Stop rolling over each time someone takes a shot at us and stop holding up our suspiciously white flag of acceptance and politically correct anti-discrimination. Americans of all race and religion need to stand up and show that we will not be kicked while we're down, we will not be held hostage by our accepting nature. And to those who claim discrimination...if you don't like it, go back to the country you fled from. Go back and live under the rule of the terrorists who are attacking the country that offered you shelter and a new start. We live in the land of the free and I refuse to be held hostage by hypocrites who demand acceptance for a religion that condemns the American way of life.

In parting, I ask you this:

The World Trade Centers were fist attacked in 1993. We arrested, tried and convicted the individual offenders but turned a blind eye to the culture that perpetuated their actions. In 2001 other attackers were successful where the first attempt failed. Both towers were destroyed and nearly 3000 lives lost. If we allow this mosque to be built, especially on a site that holds such importance for both Muslims and Americans, what do we think will happen on September 11, 2011 when they commence building? Are we really going to be naive enough to claim there won't be even one "rogue" extremist with something strapped to his back?

And if we, as a country, really are that ignorant of the ulterior motives in affect here then I should probably consider relocating. Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me...what happens the third time?

Now that's what I call pillow talk!

I've got just one thing to say to you all:

If you don't have the kind of friends that you can have random semi-serious conversations with, you need new friends.


During one of said random semi-serious conversations and some half-assed research for a future Top 9 list, my someone special and I stumbled across this:



Please tell me that is pretty much the funniest parody EVER! Okay, maybe not the funniest, but it's pretty great and we both cracked up watching it. Which, of course, spawned another random semi-serious conversation. I realize I may be making myself out to be older than I claim. I've always been told I'm an old soul, so *shrug* I'm okay with it, really.

Anywho...rewind to late last night. I have successfully wrangled the boyfriend into helping me with my so-called research for future lists. By research I, of course, mean writing out lists and asking for his opinions. Yeah, I know, real analysis going on right there. {insert me rolling my eyes}

Right. So I've wrangled him into helping me with the lists and we're discussing our favorite comedians. And he brings up Stan Freberg. I know, I know, you're all thinking exactly what I was thinking..."Who?"

Turns out, I've lived a very sheltered life when it comes to comedy. (Other things too, but that's a whole other blog.) Stan Freberg was a pioneer in the frontier that is comedy. After doing some real research, I've found that A) I've missed out on A LOT! and B) Mr. Freberg was, and is, a genius. So I invite you all to look him up and take a listen. And while you're listening and laughing, ask yourselves this:

Without Stan Freburg to forge the way for satire and parody, would we have Weird Al or Saturday Night Live? Richard Pryor or Robin Williams? Just a thought...

Who wants to be traditional anyway? That's so last week...

Ok...so I know what you're all thinking...she starts a new tradition, and breaks it the very next week, HOW RUDE!!

I could stand around and give you tons of excuses, but I won't. I'll simply say, life intervened. However, I did have a post planned and I shall not deprive you of the goodness that is one of my lists. Please read on and enjoy!


My Top 9...Things That Give Me the Heebie Jeebies


Snakes, Lizards and any other slimy, reptilian-like creatures



I don't care if they're non-poisonous or if they help keep bugs away or if they're not actually slimy. I. DON'T. LIKE. THEM. I never have and I don't see a sudden change in my disposition so I'm pretty sure I never will. End of story.

Muffin-Tops and Camel Toes (AKA people who wear clothes that obviously don't fit them)



Seriously. Does no one look in a mirror before they leave their house anymore? I don't want to see your chub hanging over your pants. I don't want to see people in pants that are so tight I can see nearly as much as your OB-GYN. I'm a curvy girl. I have a little bit of extra on the love handles, so trust me, I'm not judging the fluffy people. I just know what I can, and can't, wear. If your clothing is creating additional folds of skin, you should probably change. Just a tip.

Bugs (not Mr. Bunny, I happen to like him very much)



I realize that I'm totally blowing my cover here and making myself out to really be a chick. But I just can't tolerate insects. Any of them. At all. Ever. Okay, that's a lie, ladybugs are cute...as long as they don't crawl on me. EW.

Taxidermy



I so could not make it as a hunting enthusiast. I don't like guns and I hate stuffed dead animals. They're so creepy-looking! Those beady glass eyes just staring at you, begging for justice. And it's even worse when they're posed in attack mode. You walk around a corner and all of a sudden there's a cougar in mid-pounce. {insert girly scream here}

Rats/Mice (there really isn't a difference between the two in my book)



I don't think I should really have to explain this one. They are gross. Moving on.

Dirty Feet



Now I know you already know about my aversion to feet. However, I have an even bigger aversion to dirty feet. Or more accurately, my dirty feet. I can't stand having dirt on my feet, walking across a floor and stepping on crumbs or God knows what and feeling stuff stick to my feet. I will seriously sweep a stranger's floor, it bugs me so badly. Oddly enough, I love to walk barefoot on the beach. I'm weird, but it's okay, I've accepted it and moved on. You should too.

Ferrets



AKA Snakes with fur. I don't care that they supposedly have legs and feet and what-not. Have you ever watched them? They are snakes with fur. And they STINK!! I'm just sayin...

Deja Vu



The thing about deja vu is that for someone like myself who believes that our thoughts and dreams all have power and a deeper meaning, deja vu isn't really just an odd moment of confusion. Deja vu, for me, is like that chill you get sometimes that runs down your spine and makes you shiver. It always leaves me feeling like I'm forgetting something important. And I don't like that. It's like someone is playing mind-games with me...

Hairless Cats



I know, I know, how can I dislike one of my own? But they're just so...creepy. Like Chihuahuas. You know what they're supposed to be...but they just don't look right. Think about it. You'll see my point.

And there you have it folks, the latest installment of the Top 9 lists. I hope everyone had a great weekend. And if you didn't catch Saturday Night Live, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers debuted their new single "I Should Have Known It." Check it out!

What do you wanna be when you grow up?

"Mr. Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky."

If you could be anyone else, anyone besides who you are, who would you be?

Would you choose to be yourself but live a different life? Say, be "you" but be ridiculously rich? Or would you choose a whole new personality?

I think I could go both ways on this. Does that make me bi-curious?? Hmmm...I should probably look into that... Anywho- I know I wouldn't mind the whole being ridiculously rich thing. I've certainly got a laundry list of things I would love to do if I had unlimited funds. But sometimes I think I'd rather just be someone else. Be someone a little cooler, a little more outgoing, be someone who's more classically beautiful.

It's not that I'm not happy with myself, I am, for the most part. But don't we all have something we'd like to change? Or am I alone? Sometimes I really wonder.

Maybe it's just that I haven't reached my full potential yet. I know there's definitely things about me that I love and would never change. So maybe it's just that I need to evolve a bit. Realistically, I'm only 27, I've got plenty of time to keep changing, right?

Note to self...invest in search for the Fountain of Youth.

Ugh.

Is it really Monday already?

I know I promised you all a weekend re-cap for yesterday, but I forgot that I had dinner plans yesterday. So, yeah, I'm a little late. My bad.

Let's see...

Friday night was good. I discovered that I fail at the groupie thing. Since I've pretty much become a staple at the shows, the guys in the band have kind of come to rely on the fact that I'll be there to take pictures to later post on their Facebook page. I was there Friday night, camera in hand, ready to go. Silly me, the battery in the camera is...DEAD. And it's one of those plug-in, rechargeable types. So I couldn't exactly run over to the store and pick up replacements. FAIL.

However, it was a great show, the place was packed and I had a blast! (as always)

Fast forward to Saturday night. I've remembered the camera, the battery is charged and I'm ready to go. A little nervous though, since the boyfriend's aunt is coming to the show so I'll be doing the introductions thing. I spent half of Saturday debating what to wear so that I was presentable to meet family members but also not out of place at a bar. Yeah, the sweater set stayed in the closet.

Never fear though, there haven't been any complaints so apparently the intro went well. I did forget to eat before I started drinking, however, so I was just a tad more tipsy than I should have been. Over-all, another great night.

Now yesterday morning was interesting. I woke up feeling like maybe the drinks and dancing were a bad idea. Truth be told, it's really ALWAYS a bad idea when I dance. I've got two left feet and no rhythm. I don't know about you, but that pretty much spells trouble for me. Anywho, it was Sunday, and Mother's Day to boot which means that I didn't have to do anything, right? Can everyone say "Lazy Day"?

WRONG! As I previously mentioned, I had made dinner plans with my fellow groupie. The band's other guitarist (and co-worker of the boyfriend) has a fantastical (it's a word, I don't care what you say) girlfriend and we've kinda bonded through all of the yelling over the band to hear each other. It's something precious.

Anywho...the part about dinner that I maybe forgot to mention was that I was cooking. So up I get yesterday and start the meat simmering for carnitas and make sure everything else is all together, including the homemade salsa. Oh wait...I didn't tell you about the salsa? REWIND!

Saturday morning I went to the store to get a few final things for Sunday's dinner. I decide that I'll make homemade salsa for them (even though I can't eat it) and bring all the fixin's home to do just that. So...anyone seen Hitch lately? Yeah, got some tomato and jalapeno juice in my eye...and was well on my way to looking just like him. Thank the stars for anti-histamines!



All in all, dinner went great :) The carnitas were a hit and we had a blast playing cards and joking around. They truly are a great couple and the boyfriend and I had a lot of fun with them. You can be sure this will be a regular occurrence for us. Which reminds me...I should probably look into some kind of energy giving miracle-type-thing so that I can be less lethargic. I just might be getting too old for this.

So there's the weekend's re-cap. I hope all the moms out there had a great Mother's Day. A special nod to my cousin who just became a mommy for the fist time a little over a week ago. Also a nod to the boyfriend's best friend's wife who was due on Saturday with her first little bundle of joy...and is still waiting.

And to my own little handsome man, thank you for making Mama the person she is today. Everything I do, I do it for you Jojo! Mama loves you!

Here's a napkin...there's a little bit of drool on your chin...

So I've decided that I'm starting a new tradition. Because my weekends are now consumed by my groupie-ness I'm finding that I'm slacking slightly on my writing. So to make up for that I've created...

"Top Lists For Your Weekends"

Every Friday I will post a new "Top 9" list for your enjoyment over the weekend. Hopefully this should keep all of my anxious readers (ha, ha, ha...my ego needs a reality check lol) content until I return on Sunday nights with delightful recaps of my weekend.

To start off this new tradition with a resounding bang, here's your "Top 9" list for this weekend:

My Hall Pass (or more accurately, my 9 hall passes)


For those of you out of the loop, a "Hall Pass" refers to a list of people you would have sex with if the opportunity presented itself, a sort of "freebie" if you're in a relationship. The understood guidelines are that they are somebody famous or at least have a certain degree of "un-reach-ability" and that they should still be living. So yeah, that means Elvis is off the list.



And now for MY LIST: (in no particular order, I would so fall all over any one of these men)

Colin Farrell



How could you not love this man? He's got those smoky bedroom eyes and just screams "bad-boy". Plus, a lil bit of an accent never hurts either ;)

Chester Bennington



For those of you who don't know, Chester is the lead singer for Linkin Park and has a voice that sends shivers down my spine. The good kind of shivers too, not those I'm-freezing-my-ass-off shivers. Plus the tattoos are sexy!!

Johnny Depp



Most of you already know that I have a deep fascination with Mr. Depp. I realize that he's in a pretty committed relationship, but in my dreams, he leaves the smokin' hot French model and shows up begging for me. Don't. Judge. Me. It could totally happen.

Tom Cruise



All psycho, jumping-up-and-down-on-couches stuff aside, I've loved Tom since I was a young pre-teen drooling over him in a flight suit in Top Gun. And I don't care what anyone says, those flight suits do great things for a man's ass.

Felix Jones



Number 28 for my number 1 team. This man can hurdle dog-piles of burly men, land on his feet and run for days...and make it all look easy. It also doesn't hurt that he's HOT!

Tyler Connolly



The front man for Theory of a Deadman has it all. Bedroom eyes, tattoos, a killer voice and he plays guitar. I wonder if he cleans house too?

Adam Sandler



Everyone who knows me (and most of my readers, as well) know how much I love a sense of humor. Adam has that in spades. I've loved him since his early days on Saturday Night Live. Besides, look at that smile :) it's a winner for sure.

Tory Belleci



Tory (from Mythbusters for all of you non-fans out there) reminds me of my guy friends. A goofy sense of humor, a strange desire to blow stuff up and he acts like a 8-year-old kid stuck in a man's body. Plus, he's totally got the killer smile going for him.

Shemar Moore



AKA Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds AKA my newest addiction. Seriously, I get so caught up in most episodes that if someone walks into the room and catches me off guard, I scream like I've just been shot. When they have episodes that put Morgan in danger, I wail at the TV that they can't kill him because I like him too much. I know, I know...I need help. But seriously, LOOK at him...he's drool-worthy :)


Well there you have it folks...my list of "freebies". I'd love to hear your comments, ladies, on my choices, and if any of you guys out there wanna share your lists, feel free! I'm definitely curious!! And now I'm off, it takes a lot of work to make myself ready to party like a rock star. Enjoy your weekend, everyone! Party safe and smart and I'll check in with you all on Sunday :)