Moses, Levi, Mordecai, Isaac, Esau, Saul...

Happy Friday!

I must say, this has been a pretty easy week. I was going to recap the entire week, but I realize now that I don't remember much before Thanksgiving. I'm going to count that as a blessing, because I know it included 10 hour days and it's probably for the best that I don't remember it.

Yesterday I slept in until around 7 (Nice! I LOVE waking up naturally....alarms suck....) and hung out for a little while until I decided to head to the grocery store for my last minute Thanksgiving items (mustn't forget the wine...).
Post-grocery store (Can anyone guess which store I went to???), I made my way over to Chris'. I know we had been planning this pre-Thanksgiving-dinner lunch for quite awhile, but I really had no clue what I was in for. Who knew the man can cook? (Well, I did...he cooks some pretty good stuff quite often...)
But seriously...homemade pizza and buffalo chicken dip. Are you kidding me?!? I ate so much I was actually worried that I may not be hungry for dinner (HA! You're a fool if you think I am passing up two...count 'em...TWO different kinds of potatoes...).

Julie and I went over to Beth's at 2. I won't bore you with the details, but I made mashed tators, J made green bean casserole and hashbrown casserole and Beth man-handled the turkey. Good times had by all.

Dinner was at 5 and we were done eating by about 5:07. Okay. That's a lie...we were done eating by 5:25 though. There wasn't much talking, but there was some eye contact between Scott and myself. It may have been the two glasses of wine that made me laugh until there were tears, but he was killing me and he didn't even know it. After dinner, he asked if the music was making me laugh. Apparently, we weren't on the same page about what was "funny". No...dear, Scottie...it was your facial expressions. Your facial expressions are priceless.

After dinner, the poker chips came out. I don't remember the game lasting so long last time, but holy crap...we started a little before 6 and it didn't end until after 9, I think. Of course, we paused the game for some pie, but still...you know we eat fast...it's not like pie took an hour. I'm starting to learn something, though. I have now played poker 3 times and all three times Scott has won. I think he's cheating. I haven't figured out how yet, but I'll continue thinking about it and I'll let you know...
It is really funny when Julie and Sheesh get tired of playing. Suddenly, even if they have a horrible hand, they go all in. I guess that is a quick way to get axed. I must say, though, Sheesh really was playing "serious" last night. Until she needed a break and handed her cards off to me (which was quickly taken over by Chris...)

I didn't want to sound dumb, so I waited until this morning to email C & J and ask them what all that river talk was about. Apparently, I "bet on the river" a lot or at least I heard people tell me that a lot last night. Even though Chris is all the way down in Charlotte and I'm up in little ol' Mooresville, I could feel him rolling his eyes at me. He didn't even dignify my question with a response...thank God Julie is a good explainer!
It's funny that I have no problem proclaiming my issues with New Jersey, but I didn't want to sound dumb asking a question about a game I've played only a few times. I guess that's just my pMD-ness coming out...

Post-poker, J and I went over to Chris' where we managed to have some cheesecake that he had made. Is it sad that I could still eat at that point? (Believe me, I'm still shaking my head at myself...)

I got to bed around 11 and my alarm went off at 6:30 this morning. Stupid alarm. Alarms suck.


Oh! And I know you are all DYING to know why there are a bunch of Old Testament dudes as the title of this blog...so here you go. On Wednesday, Chris, Julie, and I were playing the "Name six men from the Bible" game via email. I can't remember WHY we started this game...but at one point, Julie named off super common names (Adam, Thomas, Noah...you get the point) and Chris told her that she had to name only Old Testament names, because they are funnier. So...there you have it...six men from the Old Testament....at least I think they are all from the Old Testament, right?!?!??

It's the little things...

The other day, Sam was telling me a story (mind you, I can't retell the story as awesome as she told it to me originally...) about a day she saw an old man spit a loogy (or however you spell that...) while holding hands with his wife. A couple hours later, she saw the same couple, but this time the wife hawked a loogie (yes, I spelled it differently this time...I REALLY don't know how to spell that...). 

That night, she got on her knees and prayed for God to fill her life with the little things that make life so great.  You know, like an elderly couple hawkin' snot...

That story made me realize...I am not nearly as thankful as I should be for the little things in life...

So...for every dumb story that has made me laugh...for every random email I get from my friends that makes me smile...for every song that makes me say "I LOVE this song" (it happens too often, I know)...for every time I catch Father of the Bride (Part 1 OR 2) on TV...for every time there isn't a line at Target...for every time there isn't traffic...for every sweet "just because" letter I get in the mail...for every dinner invitation when I've felt like I was so alone...for every awkward moment that is only funny 3 days later...for every time I don't burn the darn eggs...for every time I'm sitting between two of my very best friends on the couch...for every time I find a random Red Bull in the fridge at work when I just need some extra energy...for every time I go an entire day without any work drama...for every time Daniel has given spontaneous, not-asked-for kisses...for every time I've laughed so hard that I've peed a little...for every time I have not had to go to the store because I've actually had all of the ingredients in my possession...for every single little thing that I overlook only to focus on the bad....I AM THANKFUL.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Work It.

It is so easy to complain about  your job. I mean, you spend more time with your coworkers than you do with your actual family...and who hasn't gotten into it with a family member at least once in their lives? It's only normal that the people you work with every day will eventually get on your last nerve. 

I have to say though, I am lucky. Beyond lucky. I am fortunate to have such an amazing group of people that I get to work with every day. How can I not feel blessed when every day on TV you see people searching desperately for jobs and I get to go every day and work with people that make me laugh? Believe me...I've had worse jobs than this one and you know what? I'm thankful for those as well. At least they make me realize what I have now.  One of the things that is so great is that I know that this didn't happen by chance. I work next to Jackie for 8 hours a day and she was handpicked by someone who knows me better than any other boss I've ever had in my life, Adam's mom, Becky.

When they were opening the center in Mooresville, there were 2 candidates for Jackie's position. Becky knows me so well...this is actually what she told me after the interviews, "We're hiring Jackie. She's great and you're going to love her. The other girl just kept saying that she was an athlete and I knew that would irritate you, so you're getting Jackie."

Okay. Seriously. Think about that people. My team at work was put together by a woman that KNEW an outspoken "athlete" would bother me. How AWESOME is that?!?!  

Added bonus: Jackie graduated college with a degree in Psychology. She's like a free therapist that I get to talk to all day long! 

Wow...now that I think about it, I owe that girl a drink or two...

So when I am at work and feel like screaming, I just need to remember...I am THANKFUL for these people and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else...

Spud.

Within the first couple days of writing out what I am thankful for, both my mom and Julie asked me if I would be writing about my favorite food....the potato. Although it's a little weird that I'm doing this, I have to say...I am thankful for the starchy delight that is the potato.

I'm not sure how to write this, but I guess I'll give you a few highlights of my love affair with this delicious, delicious gift from God.

-Picture with me now...little 7-year-old Sarah, presents all around. The lights are dimmed and everyone starts singing Happy Birthday. In walks Grandma Rogers with a giant bowl of mashed potatoes. Oh, yes...when asked what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday, I requested not a cake, but mashed potatoes....with candles atop it. Happy birthday, indeed, to me!

-I had once jokingly told Emily that I would know that someone really knew me if they sent me potatoes as opposed to flowers. For my birthday this year from Emily, I got a big orange bucket...filled with wine, bath stuff, and potatoes*. Lots and lots of potatoes. That's my girl...she knows me so well...

-Two weeks ago, I opened my mailbox and found a package from my Grandma Dee. It was a book...101 Things To Do With a Potato. Does it say anything to you that my Grandma thought of me when she saw this book at a store? 

-My Great-Grandpa Shelly was an amazing man. He took care of me (and my brothers, of course) every day during the summer while my mom was at work and every day he would make me either mashed potatoes or fried potatoes for lunch. You'd think I would have gotten tired of potatoes. Nada. I can't get enough of 'em. 

-Julie was writing haikus the other day. Here's what I got:

Many ways to cook

Oh how I love to consume

Joyful potatoes

So....thanks for the potato, God! Great job on that one!

*The whole potatoes instead of flowers thing has been done. Don't give me potatoes now and think of it as an original idea. Flowers are still appreciated. Thanks for your time.

He Started It.

This being the week of Thanksgiving, I realized that I need to wrap up my whole "Sarah's THANKFUL!" thing. I'm thinking that this week will just be a week o' thankfulness. So...if you don't want to read about me being thankful, it's best you just skip this week...

I'm actually surprised that I've gone as long as I have without writing about Brian Fisicaro. I know I've written about him in earlier blogs, but I don't think I've really explained the impact he's had on me. Within the last year and a half, Brian has taken on a major role in my life. Not only is he one of my very best friend's husband, but he has become a very, very dear friend to me. Someone I can count on for anything...

Moving all of my crap? Sure! 

Dropping off medicine because I can't move? Why not?!? 

Sharing his best friends with me? Of course!

That last one still amazes me. I come from a place where people don't like you fraternizing with their friends. Their friends are just that...theirs. You don't talk to them unless you are given consent to do so. I had always thought that rule was dumb, but I seemed to be the minority in that thinking, so I just thought I was weird for thinking that the rule was weird. Well, until I became friends with Brian. The man introduced me to some of his best friends (which have become some of my best friends) and actually encourages me to hang out with them. I realize that isn't a big deal to you, dear blog reader, but for me....it's HUGE. That would have NEVER happened 2 years ago. 

There are times when you realize what you have in your friends. On my birthday this year, I wanted all of my friends to go out to dinner at 131 Main and then head downtown. I didn't know it at the time, but my birthday was the same night as Brian's best friend Thomas' birthday party. Brian showed up to my pre-dinner drinks with Thomas and Chris before they left to go downtown. That in itself was so nice, but then it got even sweeter...when most of my friends up at the lake abandoned me (with the exception of Sam and Emily), the guys invited us downtown with them to combine birthday parties. They barely knew me at the time, but the guys saved me from having a completely miserable birthday. And then Brian...being the great guy that he is...added on about 45 minutes to his trip home and dropped me off at my place back in Mooresville AND dropped off my friend Emily at her place.  If you look up "Great Guy" in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of Brian...the third brother that God meant to give me.  He's an amazing husband to Sam, an amazing father to Will and Daniel, and an amazing friend to me and I am so, so lucky to have him in my life. 

Yes, he's named after a cartoon snail...

I got Gary the week my dad died. It was a Sunday, I was over at the Spenner's house in O'Fallon, IL and Adam brought in the fuzziest little kitten. It was the first time I had smiled all week. 

Gary was originally named Angel after the drag queen character in the musical Rent. The name worked well on him since the other cat in our house was named Mimi (another character from Rent) and we originally thought that he was a girl. He was actually a girl for about 2 weeks, until he was sitting on my lap and I felt something wet on my arm. Yes...it was a little kitty hard-on. I was so freaked out that I called Adam at work...he just laughed and said, "Well, I guess she's a boy."

What did I expect him to say? 

Angel became Gary about 2 years later when I moved back to St. Louis from Charlotte and he moved in with Seth, Laura, and Logan (he couldn't live with me because my mom is allergic). He would drive them crazy by meowing all of the time (I'm still sorry about that, guys). The meowing confused Logan, though. Any time he heard it, he'd say, "Gary?!? Gary!"

The only meowing he was familiar with was Spongebob Squarepants' pet snail, Gary. For some reason, the snail meows. I don't know...I can't explain it. It's a cartoon and I didn't write it. Whatever.

When I was moving back to Charlotte, Gary was so freaked out. I let him out of his cat carrier and he pooped on me...needless to say, I was not pleased. I called Adam to find a no kill shelter, because I was about to lose my mind with this meowing, pooping cat. He told me that I would feel so bad if I just let him go and that I should stay as calm as possible and just try my best to make it to Charlotte.  So that's what I did. 

I'm not going to lie...while I lived with Adam in our church apartment, I felt a little detached from the little booger. I thought he was the one picking fights with Mimi and he drove me nuts. After I moved into my new place I learned something. HE was the calm one the whole time and Mimi was the one that must have been causing the fights. He is the most loving (and surprisingly quiet) kitty ever. 

I would sometimes "joke" (I'm not quite sure if I was kidding or not) that someone should just leave my front door open so that he could escape. I just recently realized how upset I would be if he actually was gone. Sam had come over with Jim to bring the couch (the first time) while I was at work. I knew this and as I was pulling in my parking lot, I saw a black cat that looked exactly like Gary running away. I ran in the house screaming his name. I was certain that he had gotten away. After about 30 seconds of terror, he came around the corner and rubbed up against my leg like, "What's up??"

Oh...I love my stupid cat and I'm thankful (yup, there's that word again) that he didn't run away. I'm thankful that we have our routine down now. He'll wait patiently outside my bedroom door every morning until I can feed him. He'll always be on top of the kitchen cabinet when I get home from work. And every Sunday while we're watching a movie, he'll walk from Chris' lap, over mine, over to Julie and then back to Chris' again to find his spot, which actually confirms my suspicions that I have a gay kitty on my hands (and C is a nice enough guy to not break it to the poor little guy that he's straight and not into gay little kitties...not that there's anything wrong with that...). 

I was actually watching him just now, all sweet and curled up beside me on the couch and he woke up to start licking his balls (or lack thereof)...classy, Gary, real classy....

It's Saturday Already?

Where did this week go? Last week, the week felt like it lasted forever...I realize it was only 7 days, but to me it seemed like nine weeks and five days. The first day seemed like a week and the second day seemed like five days. And the third day seemed like a week again and the fourth day seemed like eight days. And the fifth day you went to see your mother....wait...(I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that only Sam Fisicaro will understand this reference....and she may actually read it with the broken leg and whatnot. If you get it...you get a cookie.)

Let's see...a Wednesday to Friday recap...

Wednesday:

After being yelled at by a patient, which ended up being the LAST STRAW in regards to my sanity, I lost my mind for a short bit. Nothing like the embarrassment of having a pseudo-panic attack (or was it quasi-panic attack???) to make you thankful for the times when you are sane. I emailed Chris to tell him that I was dying (someone had to let everyone know what finally took me down, right?) and he responded with, "What on earth is wrong with you??"

What on earth is wrong with me? What on earth is wrong with me?!?!?! I'm DYING, my friend! Like DIE-ING...DEAD...FINITO...

Needless to say, three hours later I realized that maybe the outburst didn't solve anything. Yes, I still felt like I had a ton of bricks sitting on my chest, but at least the tears had stopped and I was laughing about it with Jackie. Ahhhhhhhhhh....good times. 

After work, I had sushi with Thomas at eeZ in Birkdale. Nothing like raw fish to perk a gal up! We ended up going to Corkscrew post-dinner to chat it up for awhile and he took me home around 10. All in all, it was  great way to end a pretty bad day. 

Thursday:

Just know that I'm adding Thursday in this "List o' Sarah's Week" because Thursday is what happens between Wednesday and Friday. The day felt like it lasted forever and just as I was getting ready to walk out the door at 5pm, a patient had an allergic reaction and I was there quite a bit longer. Bummer. Well, mainly a bummer for the poor girl who had her eyes swelling shut, but a bummer for me as well. Because who really wants to add a couple hours to the end of their day at the last minute? Not me.

Friday:

YAY! Friday! With the Fisicaros unable to come over to have the regular Friday Night Dinner, we (C, J, the Steeles, and I) decided to go to Nakato for some Japanese deliciousness. Yes, I did just have sushi on Wednesday, but you know what? I don't care. I have a pancake on a stick every morning for breakfast...what do I care if I have sushi twice in one week? 

After dinner we went back to Chris', where the crew proceeded to....wait for it...it's really good....wait for it...teach me POKER (it's funny that I'm picturing my mom gasping right now). Okay...true I was the second person out, but we weren't playing for real money, so it doesn't really matter. I also learned a major life lesson...C's personality completely changes when poker is being played. Oh, well...I guess everyone has their "thing"...

SCOTT STEELE WON. (He told me to add that in and spell his name right...which I find funny, because I don't believe I've ever spelled his name wrong...hmmm...)

As for the rest of this weekend, I've got Kelly's hockey party tonight and the regular Sunday morning breakfast with C & J. I'm sure if something halfway interesting (or not interesting at all) happens, I'll keep you updated. No worries.

What a kick in the dang kneecap!

I realize it's been a couple days, so I'm going to try and catch you up.

Friday, aka The Ham Loaf Semi-Fiasco:

Have you ever had ham loaf? My guess is that if you're not Chris, Julie, Brian, Sam, or me...you have not. Do you know why you have probably never had this Stucky-specialty?

Because it is ILLEGAL to grind ham in the state of North Carolina.

Yes. You read that right. ILLEGAL.

I had promised C that I would try my best at making one of his favorite foods (or a food that his mom made once...or a food he had heard about once...I'm not even quite sure...) for dinner on Friday.

The recipe was simple enough, very much like regular meat loaf, but instead of beef it used ground ham. So I made my way to the Teeter (WOW. I write about Harris Teeter too much...) to ask "my local butcher" to grind up some delicious ham. He looked at me, with what I would describe as shock on his face and replied, "I can give you ground pork, I can give you ground beef, I can NOT give you ground ham, because it's illegal in the state of North Carolina to grind ham."

Oh, REALLY!?!?

I went on to describe that it's a dear, dear friend's dying wish to have ham loaf TONIGHT and I had to find ground ham somewhere, ANYWHERE. Yes, I know...I am being dramatic, but I did ask him where I could go about getting ground ham because I desperately needed it. He told me that if I promised not to tell anyone, he would grind ham for me. Of course, me (always a thinker!!) believing that this could be the only time I could get ground ham in NC, I handed him 3 pounds of ham to grind so that I could freeze 2 pounds, just in case this was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted in my life.

This blog is my way of thanking that dear butcher...you know...since he told me not to tell anyone. At least I didn't tell you his name, right?

Oh...and PS...

The ham loaf wasn't so bad. So the two pounds of ground ham in my freezer will not go to waste...it shall live to loaf another day (or something like that)...

Saturday, aka Mike's Independence Party:

Recently, the great Mike Grosz (yes, he's one of those "great guys") got a promotion at the ol' B of A. No one deserved this promotion more than him. I mean, seriously, I think he worked 169 hours a week (see...this is funny because there are only 168 hours in a week, so it would be impossible for him to actually work 169 hours...) and still managed to have a smile on his face.

To celebrate this promotion, Mike threw a "Independence Day" party...and I must say...it was better than any Independence Day party I've ever been to.

I'm trying to remember the highlights...I know there were some, but it's best to just throw some pictures (THANKS FOR TAKING PICTURES, THOMAS!!!!) in here and let you add your own captions...

(Good luck with the captions...I look forward to seeing what you come up with...)


After leaving Mike's party, Chris and I met up with Julie and we headed to Ed's Tavern for a lil' UFC goodness and then made our way with Thomas, Kim, Jimmy, Josh, Beth, and uhhh...I know there was someone else, forgive me, to Tavern on the Tracks. All in all...A+ night. Thanks, Mike!!!

Sunday, aka My Most Favorite-est Day of the Week:
I'm not sure why I'm adding Sunday to this list of days. We really didn't do anything out of the ordinary, but it did remind me of why Sunday mornings are my favorite time of the week. C & J came over for breakfast (mmmm....biscuits and gravy....yummo....) and we watched Charlie Bartlett. Mid-movie, Brian, Jim, and Bob came over to take Sam's couch away (*tear*, I'll miss you, couchie couch...) and replace it with a big chair from Jim and Lulu's house (no worries...it's pretty). Good times. The evening came to a lovely end when I downed two sleeping pills and slept from 6:30pm to 6:30am. Jealous? You should be...it was W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L.

Monday, aka Don't Talk to Me:

You know those days when EVERY. SINGLE. THING. gets on your nerves?

Yeah. That was me yesterday. I actually snapped at people that I really had no business snapping at (you know...such quality people as the doctor at work). WHY can't people take care of their own crap? I don't know. WHY can people just not talk to me (other than Jackie...she always makes me laugh, so she gets a "thumbs up!" from me)? WHY can people not avoid sitting in the chairs across from my desk and refrain from telling me STUPID stories from their lives? Who knows??

I really blame myself. I have always prided myself on knowing everything (or at least faking that I know everything...as Sam says, "My world kind of falls apart when you say you don't know something."), so really, I have no right to be mad at someone for asking stupid questions. I have always allowed stupid questions in the past, why would I not allow them now?

So. If YOU were one of the people that I snapped at or annoyed with emails while trying to avoid yelling at people in "real life", I'm sorry. It wasn't you, it was me. Oh...who am I kidding? If I snapped at you...you probably deserved it. Never talk to me when I'm giving you the evil eye. It's just not smart.

Tuesday, aka Today, aka Don't Run On the Stairs, Sam:

Today started off pretty good. Then I got the phone call. Yes. I'm being dramatic, but still....

THE. PHONE. CALL.

It was drugged-up Sam. At first I thought she was kidding, then I heard medical sounds in the background and knew that she totally was not kidding.

She told me that a few hours before she had been running down the stairs with a diaper to change Daniel (see picture of adorable baby from Saturday) and fell....and broke BOTH her tibia and fibula (the lower leg bones, people). Now, I'm going to back her mother up on this one when I say that her bones are far to brittle for a 29 year old, but we'll deal with that at another time.

So, as I type this, I am sitting in Brian and Sam's king size bed with a very nauseated Sam (she doesn't handle her pain meds very well) as she tries to get up every 20 minutes or so to TRY and throw up (she doesn't have the bulimia skillz down like yours truly).

She goes to the doctor tomorrow to set up her surgery appointment, but she's thinking it's going to be Friday, which makes me wonder...is she going to make it to Friday Night Dinner???

HA! Don't you just love how I am starting to question how this whole thing is going to affect me???

(I'm only half kidding.)

But you're just a boy...

Okay. I'm going to try my best to be as dramatic and vague as possible. You know...to keep you wondering.

In my attempt to be thankful, I'd just like to take a moment to be thankful for the very few good guys in the world. I've always believed that the good guys far outnumber the jerks, but after this week, I must say...I'm thinking that I may have been confused. I'm not surprised...I've been known to get confused from time to time. 

So.....if you are one of the great guys in my life, THANK YOU. You seem to be in a minority...

(Vague enough for ya???)

Oh. Don't deny it...you wanted another one...

Is your second toe longer than your first?
I wish...I think that would mean that I'm smart. I guess I'll just have to stick to the surveys on Julie's page to find out how intelligent I am.

Do you have a favorite type of pen?
The kind you write with.

Look at your planner for March 14, what are you doing?
Nothing is penciled in yet, but I'm going to take a leap and say that I'm going to be going out for Chris' birthday. Personally, I think we need to celebrate the whole month since it's his 30th...much like we need to celebrate all of January for Julie's.

What was the last thing you highlighted?
Something. On a paper. With a highlighter.

Have you ever had a black and white cat?
As a matter of fact...Gary just happens to be black...with a tiny bit of white. He's like Barack in that way....

What is the last thing you put a stamp on?
My stamp of approval? Hmmm...generally people don't ask me for approval with anything they do, but if they did ask me...I'd put my stamp on it. So. Umm...the last thing I stamped was a letter.

Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming?
I don't, do you? We should take a road trip and go visit them.

Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time?
Stupid taxi didn't take credit card. I'd like to take a moment and thank Bank of America for having an ATM right inside the sliding glass doors of Logan International Airport. If it weren't for them, I would have had to pay the taxi driver to take me around to find an ATM. Nothing like paying money to find a place to get money...

Who is the last baby that you held?
Well...that's just mean. It wasn't Sadie...I'll tell ya that.
I suppose it was Daniel, but I'm not really sure we can consider him a baby anymore...

Do you know of any twins with rhyming names?
I don't associate with those kinds of people...

Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste?
Eww. No. Gross.

What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago?
Same car I'm driving now...I'll still be driving it 10 years from now. But hey, I don't have a car payment. Jealous??

Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gators
I don't really care about either, but I'll go with the Hurricanes since the Gators are a pretty good team and could beat teams that I actually do care about....

Last time you went to Six Flags?
I'm sure it was with my boy Ali. He used to love that place...I think we may have even had season passes. Or was that Adam? Oh...I can't remember...it doesn't really matter. It was a long time ago.

Do you have any wallpaper in your house?
Oh. No. I hope not. That's right up there with cinnamon toothpaste. Gross.

Closest thing to you that is yellow:
Uh, uh, uh...I'm so nervous....ummmm...the label on my vitamin bottle. Sorry that took so long, I had to measure which one was closer, the highlighter or the vitamin bottle. You know, because I know the results of that question actually matter.

Who is the last person you wrote a check to?
I'm sure it was someone that I owed money to.

Closest picture to you?
Emily, Chris, Julie, and me at Fenway Park. It makes me smile.

Have you ever applied for welfare?
What a random question! Seriously?!? And I'm called random!?!? No. I can honestly say that I've never applied for welfare.

How many emails do you have?
Where? Wow. These are stupid questions. I have 4 in my inbox...probably 300 separated amongst 20 different folders in my Outlook and on my home account, I think I would say I have about 100 in 5 different folders.

Last time you received flowers/flower?
I can't even remember. A while ago...

Do you think the sanctity of marriage is meant for only a man & woman?
Well, now we're getting personal. I believe it should be meant only for one dog and one lamp.

What are you listening to right now?
Muzak. I want to be listening to Newton Faulkner, but you know...gotta job to do.

Do you play air guitar?
Hells yes. I rock at it.

Do you have any Willow Tree figurines?
Are you kidding me??? They are everywhere in my house. I LIVE for them. I love their rustic-looking angel wings and lack of faces. Who wouldn't be into that?!?!?

What is your high school's rival mascot?
Rival mascot? Oh, honey, I didn't come from a big enough town to have a rival. We were lucky to play against anyone. Although, we were the Indians...so would that make our rivals be the Cowboys? Unfortunately, there weren't any "cowboys" in the area. Unless you count actual cowboys...
Okay...this is getting too deep.

Who is the last person you talked to from high school?
Does my sister-in-law count? We did go to the same high school...

Last time you used hand sanitizer?
About 47 seconds ago. I'm counting.

Would you like to learn to play the drums?
Not really. Now if you asked me if I'd like to learn to play air drums...well, then...

What is in your inbox at work?
A ham loaf recipe. Yeah...I'm awesome at getting my work done.

What is the last place you bought pizza from?
Donato's. Delicious, magical Donato's. WHY had no one told me about this place before this year? THAT'S how you know who your true friends are. They don't keep secrets like that to themselves...

What is the last thing you stapled?
Papers. Together.

Did you ever drink clear Pepsi?
I think I did the other day....I found one from 1992 in Emily's refrigerator.

Are you ticklish?
I'm not going to tell you that. It's personal.

Last time you saw fireworks?
The last time I sneezed.

Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut?
See earlier post. That was a magical night that ended in a sugar induced coma.

Who is the last person that left you a message on your cell?
I just checked it. It was Sam. She's going to the spa. Ahhh...to have such a life of leisure....

Last time you parked under a carport?
The last time I was in the trailer park. I honestly don't know of a trailer park that I could go to, but seriously...that was the last time I parked under a carport...

Do you have a black dog?
No. Do you have a white cat?

Do you have any pickles in your fridge?
I think I threw them out. They expired in 2004.

Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of?
Are you fishing for a compliment???

How is this freaking possible!??!?!

Okay.   So I'm just sitting here, watching completely awful television, trying to get my mind off some things. What better way to get your mind off stuff than to make yourself feel like a complete idiot, right? 

I headed off to J's page to see what nonsense she had. Wait. That was mean...her page isn't completely filled with nonsense. But there are such quality quizzes as "Which Political Party Are You?" (Which...btw...I apparently line right up with the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Darth Vader and Osama Bin Laden as a Totalitarian. Good to know...) and "What Does Your Height Say About You?" (Rumor has it, I'm powerful, brilliant, and a bit of a rebel. Also, I'm probably not going to be scoring an Italian guy since I'm "as tall as the average Italian man").

Included amongst that loveliness was this gem..."How Many Gaps Do You Have In Your Knowledge?"

Ahhh...that's RIGHT up my ally. I love realizing how dumb I've gotten since college (community college, at that!)...it's right up there with having a UTI and watching Tyra Banks. 

I thought to myself, "Self...you are probably going to have 6 gaps in your knowledge. All of them, except for Art. Self, you definitely know and appreciate art."

I was wrong. Apparently that's the one gap I'm blessed with. I know nothing about art.

This thing is rigged. Those jerks.

There Are 1 Gaps in Your Knowledge

Where you have gaps in your knowledge: Art Where you don't have gaps in your knowledge: Philosophy Religion Economics Literature History Science

Do You Have Gaps in Your Knowledge?

Now Ain't THAT The Truth...

I'm trying to think of the funny story of how Chris Stucky and I met. I have to be honest...it's really not a good story at all. I definitely know it was in September '07 and it involved a LSU game at the Fisicaro's house. See? Not a good story. Even the people who were there consider it kind of a boring night on the Chris-Sarah Friends Timeline (oh, yes, the timeline exists...). The story from that evening that is actually still talked about is the communications between Thomas and Sarah, but I'll get into that awkwardness at another time.

The timeline got a little fuzzy around February/March, when we went out for my birthday, followed by going out for his birthday a couple weekends after. Julie swears that the three of us became the very best of friends at the, ahem, club, but I really just think that God had always meant for us to be best friends...we just happened to realize it that night.

The great thing about best friends is knowing that they get you. Best friends don't judge you for breaking down every once in awhile and they hold you up when you can't hold yourself up. Chris is a best friend. No one else I know understands where I've come from and what I've been through like he does. C has seen me at my absolute worst and still manages to love me. He really is a pretty grape guy...

How can you not thank God for someone like that???

Oh, Bunny.

Emily Buxton.

Sometimes things in your life change very gradually where you don't realize it is happening, then you look back and see how far you've come. This is not true when it comes to the subject of Emily in my life. 

Many people know the story of how Emily and I met. If you don't, let me catch you up in a shortened version...

Sarah is getting her hoo-hoo (or is it who-who...or who-hoo??) waxed at Lauren's house (don't worry...Lauren is actually trained to do such painful things)...her client (Emily) walks in while Sarah is just getting finished up...Sarah has had a couple glasses of wine so the waxing won't hurt so bad...Sarah invites Emily in and says, "We're going to be best friends!"...Emily is completely sober and laughs. The end.

Em and I became close after that, having a regular Sunday date of church then lunch. She saw me through so much stuff....the biggest being when she was getting transferred to Boston for work. I will never forget it...

Emily, Dan (her boyfriend), and I were having dinner at Brickhouse and Emily told me that I needed to move out on my own and that I should move into her townhouse since she was not going to sell it. I did my classic, "Oh...I'll think about it" (meaning, "no") and Dan said to me, "I bet you can't leave, can you?"

Oh. It. Was. On.

He just told me that I had the inability to do something! That night, I told Adam that I was moving out. Then proceeded to go cry on Em's shoulder. She was there. She is always there. She will always be there. You don't just lose those kinds of friends in your life. 

Because of Emily, I am completely different than I was at the beginning of this year. How do you thank someone for that?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!!!!!!

Sam, oh, Sam.

It's only appropriate that I'm thankful for Sam Fisicaro on her birthday. 

Many times, you meet some of your best friends through other friends. Sam is no different.

I remember being very ill one night in 2005 when I was having dinner with Adam and his dad and Adam was so set on going to Midtown after dinner to see some random people in a horrible cover band. I protested going out (you know, because I was sick)...it produced a fight...he won....we went out.

I remember this very distinctly, Sam does not. She was wearing a jean jacket and she introduced herself to me. She swears that she's never owned a jean jacket in her life (or since the early '90s), but she can't really fight me on this one. I remember it.

I don't know why I'm telling you this part of the Sam-Sarah meet story, but I just wanted to document that she WAS WEARING A JEAN JACKET.

Although we had hung out quite a few times after originally meeting, Sam and I became what we are today on May 11, 2007 at a Gwen Stefani concert (I can't let you believe that I remember the actual date that we became friends...all of the pictures are dated on my computer, so I just found the pictures from that night and it said 5/11/07...see? I'm not creepy). There were seven of us and after the concert, 5 of them wanted to go out to clubs. There were two of us that did not want to get crunk...and you can probably guess which two.

Sam told Adam that she would take me home while he went with everyone else.  We then proceeded to sit in concert traffic for 2 hours. 

During this concert traffic, we talked about all sorts of life issues...

I can't remember how the subject was really brought up, but it peaked with Sam exclaiming, "You love Jesus, too??! I love Jesus!"

So, there you have it. Jesus brought Sam and I together. 

Callin' Baton Rouge.

This weekend we went out for Sam's birthday and I'm trying to figure out the best way to recap the evening, without losing any of the good stuff.

We started the evening at Champions, watching the LSU/Alabama game. True...they lost in overtime, but that didn't ruin anyone's mood. Well...it ruined Brian's, but he's a real fan...so we let him have his moment. I say that we started the "evening", but I should really specify and say that we started the afternoon, since we met up at 3:30. Who starts their birthday party at 3:30, you ask? Sam does. That's how she rolls. It was funny to have had a few drinks and think to yourself, "Wow...is the night almost over already?" and then you look at your watch and it's almost 6pm. I'm gonna make a GREAT old person....with a 8pm bedtime and everything...
After paying our bill at Champions, we headed down to Blackfinn at the Epicenter. After looking at the pictures from Thomas' camera, I'm realizing that we may have entertained ourselves a bit too much with said camera and may have annoyed the poo out of people with all of the camera flashes. But who cares, right!??! If taking 327 pictures in different poses entertains the birthday girl, who are you to complain??

(FYI....to my knowledge, no one actually complained, I was just making a point...)

Around 11pm (...or was it 10:15pm...or was it midnight...or was it 8:35??? Oh...who cares, it was after Blackfinn), we made our way down the Epicenter corridor to Whiskey River. Okay. My dear, sweet friend...can I just say one thing really fast (we all know it's not really going to be "one thing" and it's definitely not going to be "really fast"...get over yourselves...)???

I have never been to Jr's bar (for anyone not from Charlotte, "Jr" is what all the cool kids call Dale Earnhardt Jr.), but I must say...I thoroughly enjoyed it. True...it could have been because we were a couple in by the time we got there, but still. What do you get when you combine 13 of your closest friends and feel-good country music (such as The Devil Went Down To Georgia and Callin' Baton Rouge), every so often being interrupted by gangsta rap?? A great time....that's what you get. There was even a semi-fight that I got to witness Thomas breaking up...and Chris yelling at me to "stay out of it". Wow...I'm glad he's only concerned about my safety. Ahhh...I felt loved.

Around 1am (or was it midnight...or was it 11pm??? Oh crap...nevermind), Chris, Christina, Wendy, Thomas, and I went to Wendy's house where I proceeded to pick a piece of glass out of my foot, then stared blankly at a glass of water. I was so hyped up on Red Bull that I was trying to act as normal as possible. I think I may have come off as "crackhead".

Thomas took me home around 3am....but then was kind enough to drag my sorry butt around while I tried to find my keys to get into my house. Highlight of the evening: Sam realizing that she has my keys and actually remembering to put them on her front porch. When I talked to her the next day (or later that day, rather), we agreed that it was only an act of God that made her remember to do that. Now I'm not saying that she has a bad memory, but....well....oh, nevermind. I can't even defend her awesome memory skillz.

You're going to get so tired of my thankfulness...

Next up in my thankful lineup: Julie Everett

I'm trying to remember at what time we became friends....not just friends...2/3rds of an insane trifecta that is the V3. Two dysfunctional peas in a very warped pod. Two legs of a tripod. Wow...it's getting hard trying to think of things that come in threes. My creativity is lacking here, please forgive me.

From the day that I met Julie, I knew that she was a girl after my own twisted heart. There are quite a few people that don't "get" me, this girl does. How many people can you be completely inappropriate with and they just laugh it off? I can promise you...there are not many. How many people will tell you that something in your life is "weird", even if it may hurt to hear? Very few have come my way...

How many friends can you talk to every night (and I'm talking EVERY night) for 1-2 hours, starting at 9:07pm and still have stuff to email about the next morning? I've only found one. Julie.

There are so many things about her that are completely lovable...and for that...for her...I am thankful.

I. Am. Blessed.

Thanksgiving has always been my mom's favorite holiday and it ticks her off beyond comprehension when Christmas carols start playing on November 1st. Many times in my life I've heard her exclaim, "How hard is it to be thankful to God!?! Noooooo......we have to skip right over Thanksgiving and go right to Christmas!"

So...in my attempt to be thankful, I've decided to spend the month of November (or some part of November, when there is nothing blog-worthy to blog about) being thankful. I'm going to try not to Oprah-this-out too much and make it like a gratitude journal, but I'm sure that's what it's going to end up looking like. Sorry about that...

In the words of Ani Difranco (Do any of you have any clue who she even is?? Oh well, I'm giving credit where credit is due...):

...I don't always feel lucky, but I'm smart enough to try...

On to the thing that I am most thankful for...my family. Now don't think that any of the other things that I'm thankful for are in any particular order, they're not. Unless you just happen to be next on my list of things that I blog about, then you can go ahead and believe that you're "next best" on my list of things that I'm thankful for.

My mom- I would venture to say that she's the best mom in the world. I'm thinking that maybe I should get a mug for her that says "#1 MOM", but then she would be the owner of a mug that says "#1 MOM" and she would probably not be appreciative of that. She is quite possibly the strongest person I've ever met in my life and has no fear of trying new things (as a matter of fact, you can now hear her on the radio in STL on Saturday nights...you wanna tell me you have the balls for that???). Well, I guess she could have fear, but she hides it really well. When I emailed her to ask if she could send a family picture so that I could post it on here, her response was, "Whose family?"

Wow. I'm glad to know where I get my "quickness" from.

My older brother, Seth- Being two grades ahead of me in school, I lucked out when it came to riding the bus (or I guess not riding the bus, rather). There were two rules when it came to riding in his '88 Oldsmobile. 1) You NEVER go to your locker after the last bell rings....you have 2 minutes to get out to the car or else you WILL be left behind (believe me, it would happen) and 2) Don't ask to have any of your music played. It was Smashing Pumpkins or, well, Smashing Pumpkins.

But I never once doubted the love my brother had for me. In the 6th grade, there was an 8th grade girl who was picking on me. My brother had words with her, but he never told me that he did it...I got to hear through the grape vine like everyone else. That's love.

My little brother, Zack- I still laugh at the fact that I call him my "little brother"...he's 6'4". I was 5 when Zack was born and he was my real life baby doll. It still amazes me that my mom would let me drag him around like I did, but I loved (still do, as a matter of fact) my "little bwolow" (I couldn't say my R's for a very long time) so very, very much. He is quite possibly the quirkiest kid I've ever met in my life and has the most amazing sense of self. How many people do you know that at age 18 knew what they wanted to be when they "grew up"? And a youth pastor at that! Not many, I'm sure. He continues to amaze me every day.

My sister-in-law, Laura- I sometimes refer to her as my sister, because that's what she feels like. She's been in my life for almost 10 years and I can honestly say that I don't remember life without her around. She managed to give birth to two of the greatest loves of my life, Logan and Sadie, and for that I am eternally grateful. Especially since those two may be taking care of their senile aunt Sarah someday.

My sister-in-law, Jade- When I think of the people that belong together in life, Zack and Jade are definitely at the top of the list. Although she is new to the family (well, newer...they got married last year), I already feel as if she belongs. She brings out the best in my little brother and who could ask for more?

Logan and Sadie- There are truly no words that can accurately describe how much I love these two. 

Thankful would be an understatement...

An Ode To Kristen Lervik...

I got a comment from Thomas yesterday that basically said that his sister has been fooled into thinking that I'm "hilarious" and that I could make good "friend material". I'm not going to lie, I'm touched.

True...dear Kristen probably stumbled upon my blog because she was avoiding doing actual college work (oh, don't deny it...we've all been there). But still...I am touched.

So, this one's for you, Kristen. I hope I don't let you down (although, I probably will...it's kinda what I do...)

Alrighty...a few updates...

THE TEET:

I went to Harris Teeter again this morning for the first time since the How-are-you?/unliftable-water/bean-finding fiasco. And I have to say...they must have read my blog and realized that they needed to get their act together. Kudos, Harris Teeter!

No one bothered me. And as an added bonus, I checked out with TWO 24-packs of water this time (Hollllaaa! They were only $3.99 a piece...) and the girl (who couldn't have weighed more than a buck ten) managed to lift BOTH waters. You know what that means to me?

Well...apparently queeny-type boys are a lot weaker than little girls. Lesson learned. (No offense if you happen to be a queeny-type boy...)

EMILY:

If you have read my previous blogs, you know that my girl, Emily, has been having a bummer of a time at work. The other day, C was (kind of) joking around saying that he would be so happy if someone gave him $50, that he might shed a tear. That gave me an idea. I would send Emily flowers...because who doesn't smile when they get flowers? At least I could buy her a lil' bit of happy...maybe for a few hours. I hope.

So...she got the flowers yesterday around 2pm and sent me a picture...YAY! I managed to buy a little happiness!

She went from "Sad Emily" to "Happy Emily"! Mission accomplished! Well, my mission was accomplished for all of 12 minutes, until her admin accidentally sent out the earnings press release 2 hours before the market closed (BIG NO-NO!). I'm convinced that if that didn't happen, Em would have remained happy for maybe 36 minutes.

FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER:

I only have to work today from 1-5pm...and I have to say, I can't wait to get home from work tonight. As I am typing this, there is a roast in the crockpot and it is smelling scrumptious. I'm so excited about the 18 pounds of baby carrots that will have soaked in meat juice all day long. Something else I'm excited about?

Sam and Jim (or Papa...whatever) brought over her old couch for me yesterday, because she inherited Lulu and Papa's old couch. Now I'm going to be evil and have the guys that are coming over (wow...I'm thinking that it will just be Brian...sorry, Brian) switch the couches so that I don't have to worry about baby snot getting on Emily's couch anymore. I'm so glad that my friends know how to pick out uber comfortable couches.

In reality, Kristen, that is the way you should pick out your friends...by their ability to pick out comfortable furniture. Not by their blogs.

Silly girl. It's okay...you'll learn someday.

I guess I'm not "gettable"...

So. I've heard from my sources that my previous blog may have offended some people.

This is what I have to say about that...

In no way was I serious about anything political. I am an equal opportunity offender. Do I really think that Gary should be president? Of course I do. Am I really amazed at the Fisicaros love? Sure! Other than that...it's all pretty much stuff to stir up trouble amongst all of my friends and family. Like I said...I love drama*. I live for it.

Don't disown me just because I say stuff you don't agree with. Thanks....you're a peach, dear blog-reader.






*I hate drama...please make all of it go away.


PS. I love that the two states that are my home (North Carolina and Missouri) are still undecided on who should president. Love. It.

I vote for Gary for President.

Why shouldn't Gary be president? He's black. He's in the "in crowd". 

Whatever. 

And actually...he's loving on my computer screen since I've written that sentence. I think he wants to be president.

So...to the issue at hand. Well, first...I don't really have an issue. I just had dinner/drinks with some of my bestestes (and that isn't pronounced "bes-testes", it's more "best-est-es"). Anywho. Sam had just come in from Baton Rouge and I was full-force wanting to love up on that chick. It has been weeks since I've seen her and I was hurting for some Sam-lovin'.

Sam, Brian, Chris, and I met up and the ever-popular joint Fox and Hound for some Republican love (I just pretended like I was a full-fledged Repub for the festivities, because...well...I missed Sam and wanted any way "in"...in reality I'm so Independent that I would vote a McCain/Biden ticket in a heartbeat). At this very moment, I'm watching the returns from the actual election. NBC is giving Obama 142 million electoral votes to McCain's 2 (and that's from a very Morman Utah). I wish it was closer so I could have an excuse for being so tired tomorrow at work ("I'm sorry! I was a good citizen! I couldn't fall asleep until I knew which direction our county was going in!")

Oh. No. She. Didn't. I'm watching some random channel with McCain's (pretty much) "give up" speech on it and Sarah Palin is tearing up. Seriously? No wonder they don't want a girl to have any major political office. She'll cry at any sign of failure. Whatever. Thanks for taking women about 13 steps back, Sarah. Alaska sucks. This ain't a beauty pageant...no one is going to be impressed with your tears. Geez.

Okay. Enough about the stupid election. In the words of Grandpa Dick, "The sun will still rise tomorrow."

Thanks Grandpa. Your words inspire me every day. 

So...on with my love affair with the Fisicaros. I realize it's a little creepy that I'm talking about it, but they are SOOOO in love with each other. I throw up in my mouth a little when I think about it. Brian left F&H around 8:30 to pick up their kids from Lulu's (Brian's mom) and he let Sam stick around with Chris and I. We then went into about an hour long conversation about how much she loves her husband and all sorts of bunny/rainbow/goodness convo. I can't tell you how much I appreciate a couple that doesn't hide their love. I dropped Sam off at her house and Brian didn't answer his phone for 15 minutes to let her in....and then we found his phone in the car...and then he didn't answer the door for another 30 minutes. Still...she had nothing but the ability to proclaim her love for her husband. Wow. I hope I find that kind of love some day. Amazing. I would have given up on love after the first 3 minutes.

I suppose that makes me look weak, doesn't it? 

I guess I was lying there. I would never give up...because I believe in love. Ahhh...it feels good to be dramatic.

The point of my story is to say....

Sometimes the black person is better qualified to become president and sometimes he's voted in just because he's black.

THERE. I SAID IT. LET THE BLOOD BATH START!

(I was totally kidding. I just love controversy. To be perfectly honest, I just googled "sometimes the black person" and that is what came up. If I had more balls, I would act like that was an original thought by me.)

And this is what making lemonade out of lemons looks like...

So...I'm at work right now. I'm going to try to lie and say that I'm super happy to be here right now. I haven't been home yet from Boston (since I came to work straight from the airport) and I found out when I got here that our dear, sweet Kara (that sounds snarky, but for reals...this chick is dear AND sweet) got pink eye and couldn't come to work today. All that means to me is that I'm going to close tonight. Fine with me...unless someone is going to schedule a 7pm patient after our last patient left at 3:45! Are you kidding me with that noise?? I haven't even had a good at-home poo yet! So, I'll be here until about 8 tonight and all that means to you is that you're going to get a blog.

Emily told me that I need to use these lemons and make some lemonade, so that's what I'm going to do, darn it.

I'm trying to remember right now the stuff that I told you (and by "you", I mean "my bloggity-blog-blog world") about my weekend trip to Boston.

I woke up at 6:30am on Saturday for my flight (after a 5am bed time...I'm awesome...I know...you don't have to tell me). After a flight that included a screaming baby and a woman that was claustrophobic (I love that she asked me if I knew what that meant....she obviously wasn't aware of my pMD status), Em pulled up right as I was leaving baggage claim. Don't expect any less than perfection from my girl! She timed that out perfectly (or got perfectly lucky...I'm not sure which).

We made our way to Em's place where we proceeded to catch up on every DVR'd show that she had been missing due to her gruelling work schedule. After getting caught up on our television watching, we got ready for dinner.

Okay. Dinner.

It deserves a blog of it's own. I shall find pictures...hold on.

Thanks for holding. The only picture I could find of the most amazing corn in the world is kind of dumb, but you'll be able to see what I'm talking about...

Please ignore the big black space to the right...I can't figure out why that's there and I can't get rid of it. Remember...I'm new at this (which is actually a very good excuse for many things in life...you get away with a lot when you just smile coyly and say "Sorry...I'm new at this..."). Anywho...check out the roasted corn behind the glass of champagne. I have never tasted anything so yummy in my life. I guess that's a bit of a stretch, but I can say that I've never tasted anything so yummy in my life in Boston. Okay...that's a stretch too. Dan makes some pretty yummy stuff when I'm up in Beantown. Point: It was roasted corn on the cob with about a pound of garlicky, buttery, cheesy mess on top of it. In the top 10 things that make Emily happy, she has listed this particular corn at #4. I personally think it should be bumped up to #3, but she said something about loving her dog or something. Hmmm...

Moral of the story: If you ever are wondering what tapas place to go to in Boston, go to Toro. It's pretty much in my top 5 restaurants now.
After dinner, we went back to our old stomping grounds (it's funny that I have "old stomping grounds" now in Boston). This time, Hong Kong Bar (the place with the Scorpion Bowl!) was hoppin'. Emily, Dan and I met their admin Stacy and her friend Dan there for some Scorpion fun and karaoke. Mind you, the only person that did karaoke was a very drunk Stacy. She told the karaoke masters that her name was Kim (since Kim didn't come when she was called and Stacy said, "I'm KIM!") and rocked out to Bon Jovi. (In the picture, Stacy is the girl who isn't Emily and isn't me...)

Poor Dan (Stacy's Dan...not Emily's Dan) didn't make it in the pictures since, well, he was taking the pictures. You can pretty much see how Stacy got so toasted...she was drinking 3 times the amount of alcohol (hence the three straws).
Unfortunately, we had to leave Stacy and Dan a bit early...which really wasn't early at all...but it was before Stacy wanted to leave. They assured me that they would get me home safe so I could stay out with them while Emily and Dan went home, but I thought that was probably against my best interest since 1. They had been drinking since 3:30 and 2. Well...there isn't really a two. I just don't trust completely inebriated people so much.

I woke up on Sunday with a bit of a headache (how did that happen???) and we made our way to Brownstone. Another yummy restaurant that featured a delicious breakfast. After breakfast, Emily walked to work while Dan and I walked back to their place so I could get my computer and then I made my way over to the Pru. If you read my blog from a couple days ago, you know how that went down. I'm thoroughly impressed with Emily's ability to completely change her mask from Sarah's BFF who is uber sweet to umm...how do I put this nicely? Medusa. She becomes Medusa when she is crossed.
My favorite part of her office was up on her dry erase board. One of her co-workers comes in to assess her mood every morning. I found it so funny that I took a picture. Rumor has it, it's been on "sad face" for awhile...

Doesn't it just make you laugh? Just a little? Okay...I guess it's just me.

After work, we walked around the mall (which just happens to be on the bottom floor of her work) for awhile, then headed home for dinner. Dan made some primo salad (I will never know how he makes his dressing...) and some super yummy enchiladas. I finished off dinner with a walk to the Amsterdam Cafe with Kate (Em's dog) to pick up frozen yogurt for us. Oh! And I almost forgot! Dan taught me how to make delicious potatoes last night. Yes. For dinner I had salad, enchiladas, frozen yogurt, potatoes, and red wine. What a combo.

After gettin' all fat and happy, I passed out until my alarm went off this morning at 3am. Good stuff. Nothing like a cab coming to get you at 4am for a 5am flight so you can make it to work by 8am.

Speaking of the flight...does anyone else find it odd that in the 3 times I've been to Boston this year, I've been sat next to a priest twice? Does that mean anything?? I guess I should have asked them, huh?

It's a dragon...it's a dinosaur...it's my nephew and niece!

Logan believes with all of his heart that he was wearing a dinosaur costume. Unfortunately, the tag said "dragon". We're going to let him believe the he was a dinosaur...

Obviously, with Sadie being all of a month and a half old...she was a baby...with a pumpkin on her head.

It will now be referred to as 26 minutes in New Jersey...

Hmmm....Julie's Halloween party...where to even begin...

Halloween started off like any other day, but really, what would you expect? I went into work (a dozen mini cupcakes in hand) and had a pretty good day. Around 2:30, I got an email from Emily and I very suddenly felt the need that I should be up in Boston, because hey...I missed my girl. So, the very end of my work day was spent finding a cheap ticket up to Beantown. So, my dear friends (okay...again...mom), I am streaming live right now for the 39th floor of the Prudential Center in Boston where Emily is attempting to amaze all of her employees with her ability to "get the numbers". I'm not sure what that means per se, but I tell ya...I'm amazed. In about 5 minutes, she'll be on a conference call and I'm really excited to see what ball-busting maneuver she'll come up with next. But alas...back to Halloween.

After work, I made my way home where I quickly realized that I had a lot to do in a short period of time, especially now that I was leaving for the weekend very early the next morning. So I showered and got ready for the party. Looking back, I think that maybe I should have packed before I dressed like a pirate vixen. Which, by the way, confuses me a little. When I think about how pirates lived and whatnot, I never picture a chick in a short skirt with her boobies hanging out. But whatever...I guess it has to do with "selling costumes to wanna-be hobags" or something. 

(Just to keep you up to date on Em's conference call...she scares me...the men on the conference call have voices that keep cracking and the women sound as if they are crying. I think they are afraid that she may murder them in their sleep. I have signed into my IM so that we can talk back and forth about the people without them hearing us. Brilliant...simply brilliant...)

So I was able to get ready and pack my car by 6 o'clock and met Chris at his house (btw...thanks, Thomas, for tying the bow things around my arm....your ability to tie a knot amazes me) and we left to go down to Julie's. 

I can't tell you how pleased I was that Chris was just as hungry as I was...in all of my Halloween excitement, I had forgotten to eat lunch. That really ticks me off, because I've been so good about eating every 2-3 hours to keep my metabolism up. But...that's another story for another day (don't worry...I will probably never tell you about that story).

Anyways, I was so in love with the idea of going to Wendy's and let me tell you...it was deeee-licious. I was also pleased that Chris is such a Wendy's connoisseur. I wanted a cheeseburger and he put that into Wendy's language. I guess "cheeseburger" is really a "double stack with everything on it". Who knew??? Chris did. That's who.
We made it to Julie's at about 7:30 and proceeded to get ready for the 8pm party. I put the fountain together and prayed for what seemed like 10 minutes (it was probably more around 1 minute) that it would work. It usually takes a few seconds to get the drink sucked up to the top of the fountain. Anywho...it started working and I was pleased. 

I also spent a few minutes in the bathroom with Chris (he really likes bathrooms), trying to get his makeup on. I'm not even going to try to explain how gross he looked, because a picture is worth a thousand words in this case....

(Another Emily conference call update: Ernst & Young and American Appraisal need to make a decision about something that is huge in the world of Orthofix, but a couple of the idiots on the call are saying, "I really need to be done with this phone call by 2pm". Emily just told me, "You're about to see angry Emily". I just peed myself a little. I'm quite scared.)

The rest of the evening is somewhat of a blur, but I'll do my best to hit a few highlights:

Here's a picture of Julie and Thomas. One of my favorite places of the evening was out on Julie's patio. First, because it was cooler outside than it was inside with 20 other people. Second, because you got to hear some of the best stuff. I have such a hearing problem when there is a lot of noise around, so it was great to be able to actually hear some of the stuff going on. You know...like hearing Julie ask if any of us wanted Sheesh's wine...and her NEED to wear Thomas' Speedo cap. I'm glad I didn't miss that....

Here's Beth showing off the tray that was once 50 jello shots. I am only responsible for finishing off about 25 of those. The other 25 shots were done by other people. See?! I'm not a lush! I left some!

Oh, Sheesh...you so crazy. I'm glad that I didn't miss Sheila explaining 15 different times (and sometimes to the same drunk people) that she is not Madonna, she's a Madonna fan. I got it...I don't know why no one else could remember that...

There were many times throughout the evening that Julie would try on parts of everyone's costumes. In this picture, she is featuring Brian's Elvis glasses and Scott's pimp-tastic hat. It's really quite amazing how she got around (and by "got around", I'm strictly speaking that she got around when it came to stealing part of everyone's costumes. Nothing dirty.)

Speaking of Scott's pimp hat...here's a picture of the man himself. I can guarantee that he was the only person on earth that went as Don Juan Papa John. I appreciate a man that isn't afraid to dress as his favorite food and also show off his gangsta bling. 

Oh, Brian. How I love 

you so much. One of the many reasons I love you so much is because you love your wife (who just happens to be one of my best-ests) so very, very much. Sam wasn't able to make the party due the fact that she is in Baton Rouge for 2 and a half

 weeks and she was dearly missed. Though, the thing that was so great about Brian was that he was not going to let anyone forget the fact that he misses and loves his wife. I find that kind of love pretty darn heart-warming. Especially when it's coming from a man that's had a few glasses of wine, so you know his true feelings are really being shared...

This is Lindsay. I realize that in this picture, she looks like a bit of a hooker. I have two things to say about that. 1. The flash of the camera made her look "fleshier" than she did in real life. 2. She went as a hooker, so she was kinda going for that.

This is one of my very favorite pictures from the evening. I'm not sure what Brian is doing and Thomas is doing is best Michael Phelps impression. I find it hilarious.

Another picture that I love. I'm not sure why I took this picture...but Julie is pretty gangsta.

Here's my sad pumpkin. It looked a lot better than this when I carved it. Just imagine it being plump and lovely.

(Yet another Emily update: There are being phrases thrown around like "Angels on the head of a pin" and "He doesn't want to know how the sausage is made, he just wants to eat it."  Mind you, Emily isn't using these phrases, but I feel bad that she has to hear things like that on a daily basis. No wonder she was having a rough week...)

I don't know what Thomas was doing here. He was making a joke about something funny and I thought that I'd take a picture. I think he was writing a list of some kind. Now that I'm typing this out, I'm not even sure why I put this picture in here. It's kind of random and not so funny if I don't have the story that goes along with it. I'm just lazy enough to leave it in, though. No turning back now...

Mike, oh, Mike. I really don't think he meant to look like one of those transgender men/women from the Discovery Health channel, but that's all I could think of when he walked in the door. Being a political type fellow, Mike dressed as Sarah Palin. I wish he had asked a woman to help him with his makeup, but I definitely give him props for having the balls to "drag it out". (Ha! I made a funny!)

To entertain ourselves, Sheila and I decided to have a photo shoot of emotions. We decided that our "sad" face is not photo worthy, so those were deleted. But we did keep "inquisitive" and "taken aback". Enjoy our vast array of emotions!

I can't even look at the pictures I have of Chris without getting ill, but I had to put this one on here because Julie looks adorable. Something tells me that my sister-in-law will not be referring to C as "that handsome, unmarried man" when she sees these pictures.

Julie was so excited when she put on Scott's pizza...she said (or slurred), "Sarah! Act like your eating me! Let's take a picture!" And who am I to deny happiness to a drunk girl? I'm not in the business of killing dreams....

I love this picture. Mainly because Julie insisted on sitting on Thomas' lap. And it's really cute. And she looks really happy. Drunk happy...but happy.

It's dead Scott Speedman! 

No...seriously. It scares me that I thought it would be a good idea to take of picture of C while he was driving. I especially enjoyed the lips that look a little too pink for a straight man and the fact that he looks as if he's got two shiners. Good stuff.

All in all...I had a fantastic time. Thanks, Julie!

Oh. And there are more pictures...I was just tired of uploading them on this blog. They'll be on my Myspace page shortly...

(And a final Emily update: She's given up all hope and is now searching for a North Face jacket online. I'm just praying for her sanity.)

...and I'm adding an Editor's note to this thing...

I have tried for an hour to make the pictures and words match up right on this stupid blog. Don't judge me for the bad layout. I'm not happy about it...