When you live paycheck to paycheck (as we do) it’s very easy to use payday as your go-to calendar.
The whole month falls into two categories: before-payday and after-payday.
And I was incredibly sad when I realized today that the next payday will happen after Matt is back at work.
Ugh. The end of summer countdown has begun.
Yes, I watched. I held out hope that maybe Jillian would pull the old switcharoo.
She didn’t.
Reid’s comment that it wasn’t “the greatest ring in the world but I was in a hurry” melted me.
I’m still heartbroken.
But.
Reid making a joke about the fantasy suite proved that he really is as funny and great and gentlemanly as I thought.
And.
I do hope Jillian and Ed are happy together.
In case you are unaware, I’m only watching tonight in the hopes that Jillian pulls a Jason and says she really wants Reid. If she doesn’t, I’m writing her off and hoping she’ll head back to Canada where her “aboots” don’t draw attention.
Can I just say how annoying Jillian’s mother’s interview technique is? I mean seriously, do you think anyone is going to be open and honest and heartfelt when you’re sitting in front of them with a list of questions? No. I kept waiting for the typical job interview question of “What would you say your biggest fault is?” Obviously, Kiptyn would have answered, “My name” and Ed would have said, “The fantasy suite situation.”
I think it’s a little crazy that she has two guys meeting her dad and one asks for his permission to marry her while the other says that he could see himself eventually falling in love with her. That’s a pretty big gap between the two.
Anyone else laughing at all of Ed’s “gotta seal the deal and close the loops” comments? Talk about pressure. There better be some serious romance or that boy will never live this down. In fact, I bet right now he’s sitting at home listening to the answering machine fill up with jokes at his expense. And I can’t help but wish someone had told him to pack more than one pair of short shorts for his week in Hawaii.
Jillian managed to squeeze one more helicopter ride and one more picnic into the last show which I consider very impressive.
The producers managed to squeeze 5 more shots of Kiptyn shirtless into the last show which is equally impressive.
Did Ed pick a heart shaped diamond ring? Please tell me it is a different cut. If it’s a heart then he’s a schmuck.
Ugh. Kiptyn wore a blue suit and brown shoes. And Jillian was basically wearing a wedding dress. Seriously- do they get no input from the people around them?
I feel sorry that Kiptyn had to experience being dumped for the first time on live tv.
REID!!! (Man this season has the biggest revolving door of all time!) He came back and I love him all the more for being brave enough to show up in the middle of two other guys proposals. He pulled up in an ugly cab with white sneakers and I think it’s nothing but greatness. She made the mistake of sending him away once. Now she should grab onto that man and never let go.
Wait- why is she even stopping to think about it? Seriously- what is wrong with her? Whatever her decision, I am and will forever be captain of Team Reid!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. She let Reid go not once but twice. I’m out. I am done and I am out. Jillian is insane. And I am done.
I hope she and Mr. Short Shorts are very happy together. I hope he never gets worried about work again and leaves her. I hope he never gets stressed again and fails to bring the romance. I hope they have a lovely life in a very cold country where Ed will never need to own a bathing suit.
Yes, I know I’m a little too bitter.
I also know that I’m out.
A very special woman has a birthday today. While we aren’t physically there to celebrate with her and the rest of the family, our hearts definitely are.
GranAnn- we love you and miss you. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and that this next year brings you nothing but joy and blessings.
If you’ve never seen the show So You Think You Can Dance, then let me introduce you.
This was a contemporary dance performed tonight by two amazing dancers. The choreographer’s vision was to show a woman diagnosed with breast cancer and the friend supporting her.
It hit a little too close to home for me but I loved every second.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
I need to play a little catch-up with the blog, so here it is:
1. We are looking to buy a house. We’ve lived in 3 houses during our marriage. They were on Post Oak, Oak Forest, and Oakland streets. I’m now wishing there were a way to narrow MLS listings to only those that have “Oak” in their names.
2. I’m loving the movies this summer and fall. Why? Because there are some great books showing up at theaters. My Sister’s Keeper, Where the Wild Things Are, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Julie & Julia are 4 of my all-time favorite books and I cannot wait to see each of them on the big screen! If you’re in the area and want to go- let me know and we’ll make a date.
3. Matt and I went to see Coldplay last night and if you haven’t seen them live, I suggest you do. It was one of the best, most high energy level concerts I’ve been to. I’m looking forward to continuing the Year of Live Music with Counting Crows next month and U2 in October.
4. My hair has been the same color for 9 months. That may be a record. I don’t know what to do but I’m feeling restless.
5. When we went to see the new Harry Potter movie, there was a gaggle of preteen girls sitting behind us. Matt said he’d never heard so much talking (before the movie) or giggling (before and during the movie) and he said he thinks Abby will be one of those girls. That makes me nervous. Very nervous.
6. I have always been a fan of Michael J. Fox. I love him. I love the characters he played. Something about him reminds me of my brother. In fact, I think my brother is a mix of Michael J. Fox and David Letterman. Strange combo? Nope- perfect combo. But I’m off track. If you haven’t read either of Fox’s autobiographies- Lucky Man and Always Looking Up- I urge you to. They cover fame, family, politics, health, and faith and they only make me like the man more.
7. I think Wild Hogs is a hilarious movie. Go ahead… judge me. But here’s the thing- I pretty much die laughing whenever people scream at each other (not words, just guttural “AHHHHH” screams) and if they happen to be injured a bunch too, well, that’s just icing on the cake! Truthfully I blame the screaming on watching Ferris Bueller 150 times in a row (remember when his sister Jeanie jumps out of the stairway and Mr. Rooney jumps out of the kitchen and they just scream at each other and then she kicks him really fast in the nose 3 times??? I laugh just thinking about that scene) and the physical comedy on The Three Stooges and Steve Martin (think Three Amigos!).
8. Anna- you said you read this blog. So- if you really do, want to make plans to meet somewhere between Texas and Illinois for a weekend getaway?
Grading is done for the moment. Now I’m ready to get back into a more normal routine.
To get things headed in the right direction, Abby and I made some chocolate chip cookies from scratch. And they are unbelievably delicious, if I do say so myself.
There have been more than a few days this summer when I felt trapped at home. Matt didn’t lock me up, but he might as well have. I couldn’t seem to get out of the house. There were too many chores to do inside and it was too hot to go any place without air conditioning.
But as of right now, I’d trade my voice Little Mermaid style to get those days back!
I’ve been in an office on a computer for at least 6 hours a day since Tuesday and when I wasn’t doing that, there was house hunting, modeling appointments, and church work to do. If nothing else, it has made me thankful that I didn’t have to work outside the house this last year.
All I want to do is stay at home, bake cookies with Abby, and read the stack of library books that are waiting on me.
I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.
Only three boys left tonight. Well, Jillian is starting the night with three. Hopefully the producers won’t send another rejected bachelor to knock at her door.
Kiptyn- Seriously- how many heights/rope courses has Jillian done during these dates? Do you really discover the love of your life by seeing how fast he can buckle a harness around his groin and jump off a ledge? Something about Kiptyn just rubs me the wrong way. After weeks of trying to pinpoint it- I think it’s his voice… it’s a little high and feminine to me. I think that’s it. Maybe. But then again, I often think Jillian sounds like she has a cold. So maybe they’re a perfect match.
Reid- So they went for a helicopter ride. It’s Jillian’s 3rd or 4th of the season, right? Well, at least she didn’t make Reid bungee jump out of it. The two of them seem to have better kissing chemistry than Jillian does with Kiptyn. And I’m not going to lie, I love that they keep going on picnics together but I do think the date planning committee for the show is slacking off. My man is struggling with putting the words out there that Jillian wants to hear, but I still think he’s the right one. I’m hoping Jillian thinks it too.
Ed- What was he wearing? Maybe he has just never worn anything other than a suit because the tank top and the green swimming shorts took me by surprise. I think it’s funny when people on these shows say lines like Ed’s, “It felt like we were the only people in the world” because there was obviously a cameraman two inches from their face and another person underwater near their feet. I’m curious whether Ed paid for his family’s trip to Hawaii on his own or not. Because that would be impressive. I can not believe they showed her coming out of the bathroom in that outfit and then giving each other a massage. Talk about an awkward moment to have some fat ugly man with a camera and Dorito breath standing in the room with you. Um, the night didn’t exactly go as they planned. Enough said.
Were those jellybeans on Chris Harrison’s tie? And man, those “last chance” videos were cheesy and blah. I felt embarrassed for the guys.
The rose ceremony- wow- Ed really pulled out his Miami Vice wardrobe this week. I’d send him home based solely on clothing. (And I’m married to a man who owns a powder blue tuxedo!)
Oh. My heart is broken. Truly broken. I’m out. No more bachelor or bachelorette for me. This is it.
I will forever be Team Reid. He deserves better.
Brothers are different from fathers. Fathers can be fun and cool, but they also have to discipline you. Big brothers are like the grandparents of an immediate family- all the fun, none of the spankings.
I have an older brother. A very cool, very wise, very creative older brother. He may have gotten me in some trouble now and then, but he also protected me when it really mattered.
So when I imagined having a family, the oldest child would be a boy. And then if a daughter came along, he would be for her what my brother was for me.
It was all very clear to me. A high-def image of my future.
Four years ago I found out I was pregnant. And months before the doctor could tell, I knew it was a girl.
I was terrified. I hadn’t planned for a girl. In fact, I hadn’t even considered it an option.
I wondered if I could adopt a young son before my pregnancy was over. My husband said I was being irrational.
We are now 3 years into raising a daughter. But it wasn’t until recently that I felt completely at peace with the fact that she doesn’t have an older brother.
And I hate to say it, but it took me this long to realize God’s plan was much, much better than my own.
I wanted Abby to have one big brother.
I wasn’t dreaming big enough. Because instead of one brother, God gave Abby an army of men to protect her.
She has three of the best uncles a girl could ask for and a whole slew of friends waiting to take her under their wings.
Abby spent time jumping in the pool with three of those great guys this weekend. God is good.
Snowberry Life 