Weenies in the Sunshine

This week I met a friend for lunch at South City Kitchen. On the walk over, I passed the Federal Reserve and noticed how pretty the grass and flowers were. When Ben got home from his trip yesterday, I told him I wanted to take the weenies over there this morning and take some pictures of them. It was so pretty! These are some of the pictures Ben took. 

Something must have smelled something good. 

Do we have weenies or rabbits?!

The 3-Day

Hillary, Kala, and Robbyn are doing the breast cancer 3-day with me in October in honor of mom. We have formed a team but we need a team name. I am hoping everyone can help us pick a name by participating in the poll I set up on the right side of the page. 

A little history behind the bird theme. While mom was in the hospital, one of the plants that was sent to her had a fake pink bird in it which was named Pearl, I believe by my cousin Stacey. It was kind of a joke while mom was there. We laughed about it during mom's good moments. She told Ben she was going to give it to him for his birthday. One of her nurses, our favorite nurse she had, really liked the plant with the bird, so mom wanted her to have it. After mom died, we gave the nurse the plant, along with Pearl. Because of Pearl and the humor it brought while mom was in the hospital, I wanted the team name to be reflective of birds somehow. 

Anyway, please vote for your favorite! I have a personal favorite, but I will withhold my opinion for now. Also, I will be posting information soon about how you can help our team by donating. 

What I'm Reading

I have decided to add a new topic to the blog. Since I am almost done with school, I can actually read again for fun! Yay! This is where I will post about the books I am reading. In this case, I actually just finished this book, but I figured I would start with this one. 

I just finished Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It was SO GOOD! It is the story of Hosea in the Bible, but set in the 1800s during the gold rush in California. The author tells the story so well. I highly recommend it! 

(Thanks for letting me borrow it Rachel!)

American Idol Top 7 (Round 2)

Disco is the theme tonight. I don't love disco, so we will see how it goes. Two go home tomorrow, so everyone should be at their best this evening. 

Lil Rounds - I'm Every Woman

Lil, Lil, Lil...Either you or your stylist is having some trouble with your clothing selections. This jumpsuit thing does nothing for butt; in fact, it makes it look quite large. Also, another hair change, which I am not a fan of. I still don't love her. It was karaoke-ish to me. I really can't believe that she is still here. I know she is frustrated because the judges never really like what she does, but again, I don't think she knows how to be an original, or an "artist." I'm not sure how she can even defend herself at this point. Anyway, I REALLY hope she goes home tomorrow. 

Kris Allen - She Works Hard For The Money

Nice explanation of the song choice. (?) I love the percussionists on stage, as well as the guitar. He really changed up this song, and I love it! I think his ability to alter the song to his style shows his musical skill and talent. I think I might even download this on i-Tunes! 

Side note - It looks like we are back to all four judges commenting on the performances. 

Danny Gokey - September

I like this song. He sang it well. It was a good, average performance to me. It was not bad by any means, but it was not especially memorable either. I do enjoy his dancing, however.  It appears that Kara and I agree. I think Simon said it perfectly, there was no "star power" there, nothing that made him special. 

Allison Iraheta - Hot Stuff

That's a heck of an outfit. I don't believe I care for it. She can definitely sing and perform well. I didn't love this arrangement of this song, personally. Apparently Randy and I agree. Oh, and Kara! 

Adam Lambert - If I Can't Have You

I'm interested to see how he has "tweaked" this one, as he said. He is an amazingly talented singer/artist. I like how he has chosen a good mixture of songs over the course of the season. (Umm, is Paula fake crying?) That was fabulous. I don't want to like him, but he is just so darn good. (Paula just used the word "visceral." I'm surprised that this word is in her vocabulary.)

Matt Giraud - Stayin Alive

He better be awesome tonight if he wants to stay for next week. Hmm....I like this. It fits his JT style well. I really like him, but I'm not sure this was enough to save him. It was not spectacular. 

Anoop Desai - Dim The Lights? (I missed the title of the song.)

Oooo....I didn't like that at all. The arrangement was definitely bad. He also missed a couple of notes, including one at the end. I also must say that I like his clothing, but not the shoes. He has scruffiness on his face tonight, which he has not had before. I want him to do well, but that was not great. Did Ryan just make a comment about his eyebrows? Hmm...maybe he read my blog. 

My favorite was Kris, with Adam close behind. 

Bottom 3:

Matt

Anoop

Lil 

It is once again time for sandals, so let's cover the rules

I came across this oh so fabulous and necessary pledge and decided that it might be a good idea to cover the rules. I'm hoping that none of my faithful blog readers (all 3 of you) would even consider committing shoe sins such as these. Feel free to casually refer those who break the spring shoe pledge to this post, you know, so they can see pictures of the weenies. (Ha!)

The 2009 Spring Shoe Pledge

Every year, we must remind ourselves of the rules. Proper sandal wearing is like riding a bike...one never forgets...however; we must need a brush-up course to keep us current...

As a member of the SHOE DIVA CLUB, I pledge to follow the rules when I wear sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I PROMISE to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. The sides and tops of my feet will not protrude out between the strap. This type of protrusion has been and always will be referred to as "bread-a-rising." Keep bread only in the oven.

I WILL go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe. I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow. I promise not to tape my toenail onto my toe if it should fall off either.

I WILL NOT wear Crocs! Yes, I believe they are unbelievably comfortable, but I will only wear them if I am under 22 years old. Besides, we all know that Crocs and escalators do not mesh well together.

I WILL NOT wear suntan pantyhose with open toe or sandals even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother or sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there. Super glue is not an option, either.

If a strap breaks, I WON'T duct-tape, staple, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it. A shoe cobbler can be on speed dial.

I WILL NOT wear toe rings. Hello, the eighties are calling and they want their toe rings back. And for the good of mankind, I will make a sizeable donation to my charity of choice for every toe ring I currently wear.

PROMISE to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear...nothing is worse than dirty white sandals. WHITE is in, just not dirty white. Replace those with miles with new ones.

So Cute

Last Christmas, my MIL got Cleo a new tshirt. Unfortunately, Cleo's weener chest is a bit large for the shirt. Eleanor's, however, is not. Here is Eleanor in the super cute shirt!

American Idol Top 7

Quentin Tarantino is there tonight. I think he has been on the show before or something, saying he was a big fan of the show. Does he have some expertise in music? I know he's a brilliant director and all, but I'm not sure that equals brilliant music advisor. But, what do I know? I like Ryan's polka dot tie tonight. Paula, I'm sorry, but I don't believe I would describe you as hot. Only two judges per performance now? That sounds great since it means we don't have to hear Paula every single time. Ok, taking it to the movies!

Allison Iraheta - I Don't Want to Miss A Thing

I don't like the beginning. At all. This is one of those songs that I got really tired of hearing, but I liked it when it came out. I didn't like this at all. It sounded like she was singing it in the wrong key or something. I know the judges liked it, but I did not. I also want to say that she sings with a lot of tension, which is not good for her vocal folds. 

Anoop Desai - Everything I do

Quentin, I'm concerned that your are giving him the wrong advice. However, I particularly enjoy this song. Even though I am 23, I listen to B98 a good bit, and I have been known to turn this one up in the car. (I might even sing along, but I don't think I can admit to that.) He sounds good tonight. He hit all of the notes! Even the big, important one. I might have to add him to the ones I would buy a cd from. Maybe. (Also, is he wearing a vest? Or a jacket? Hmm...perplexing...)

Adam Lambert - Born to Be Wild

I'm excited to see this. Wow, I like the beginning. I do not enjoy his eye makeup. He is such a good performer/entertainer! This was cool. The best so far tonight! That last note was ridiculous!! Paula, you are so full of crap. Ben is convinced that she plans out her comments in advance. I'm not so sure. 

Matt Giraud - Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman

Also excited to see this one. I like this performance. It suits his style well. He seems so much like Justin Timberlake. It didn't wow me, but it was nice. 

Danny Gokey - Endless Love

This song is slightly cheesy to me, but I'm not sure why. Hmm....not feeling this. He seems to be having some trouble hitting the quiet notes at the beginning. Eh. He did pull it together somewhat towards the end. 

Kris Allen - Falling Slowly

Oooooo......I like this a lot! He is so darn good. That was a very nice, controlled performance, so Randy, I'm going to have to disagree with you and agree with Kara on this one. This is my favorite performance tonight. And since Lil is next and the last one tonight, I think this will remain my favorite of the night. 

Lil Rounds - The Rose

Ok, so maybe she will do better with a little gospel? Long hair this week. I'm not a fan of the constant obvious hair changes. This is sounding a little better than her other performances. Pitch wise, she missed it. A lot. I really believe it is her time to go home. We shall see. 

Ok, so I loved Kris tonight. Adam's performance was cool, but not my favorite. Lil should go home. 

I am SO glad that they decided to save Matt. I think he deserves to be saved. However, I am irritated that Lil is STILL THERE? What the heck? I think she is no good at this point. I also dislike her attitude!! Anyway, as glad as I am that they saved Matt, he better be the best he has ever been next week or he and Lil both are headed home.

Easter Sunday/Ben's Birthday

Sunday was kind of a crazy day, since it was Ben's birthday and Easter all on the same day. We got up and went to church with some friends. Then we sat in a parking lot for, oh I don't know, half a day. Once we finally arrived home, we quickly changed, grabbed the weenies, and headed out to Covington to Grandma and Grandpa Hudgins' house. Due to the extreme Easter traffic, we were of course late to Easter lunch. We finally got there and enjoyed a nice lunch. Afterwards, our niece MK participated in her first egg hunt, which was lots of fun. 

For Ben's birthday, I made him a caramel cake. He ended up having to help me make the icing because it is quite difficult to make and required two people. Here is a picture of Ben's cake, and Ben with his cake. Notice the slice already cut in the cake. We almost forgot to use my super cool candles that had a flame the same color as the candle. 

We also got a few pictures before we left. 

This is me, Ben, and baby MK. 

Ben and me. 

Ben with his sister KK. 

Green Bean Lady

Publix is our grocery store of choice. Several months ago we had an encounter with the check-out lady, and ever since, we have referred to her as green bean lady. I think this may be one of those stories where we think it is funny because we were there, but it is not funny to anyone else, but I will tell it anyway. 

We were at Publix in the check-out line and the check-out lady was bagging our groceries because there was no bagger. Just to set the scene, the check-out lady is an older black lady and her name is Fannie. She moves in slow motion and is super sweet. She would scan a few items, bag those few items, and then scan more items. There were several bags already filled sitting on the end of the check-out counter. Towards the end, she scanned our can of green beans and put them in a bag. Then she took them out of the bag and moved them to another bag. Then she scanned a few more items and bagged them. After finishing that, she moved the green beans to another bag. She ended up moving the green beans a couple more times and was visibly frustrated that she could not find the best spot for them. All the while, Ben and I are just standing there watching her. Finally, she found a home for them, but not until after sitting them on the counter and giving a heavy sigh out of frustration. As Ben and I grabbed our bags and began walking out, Ben said "Poor thing, she just couldn't find figure out where to put those green beans!" This caused me to start laughing hysterically because it was so funny. 

Anyway, Fannie, aka green bean lady, still works at Publix. This past week we were in her line and Ben got a picture of her.  

  

Ready for the Rain

Cleo and Eleanor now have their own rain jackets. They have had them for a couple of weeks now, but taking pictures of both of them while in their rain jackets has proven to be slightly challenging. These are the best pictures we have been able to get of them. Enjoy!

American Idol, Top 8

Tonight's theme is "Songs from the year you were born." Sounds interesting! I think it sounds like a good theme. Haha - Simon's baby picture! Paula, you are not funny. Don't hate on Ryan. 

Danny Gokey - 1980 - "Stand By Me"

I'm impressed so far; the beginning is nice. Paula, please sit down. I agree with Randy, he can sing, but the arrangement was not great. This reminds me a bit of Michael Bolton or something like that, but Michael was big in the 80s right? So maybe that's a good thing. 

Kris Allen - 1985 (My birth year!) - "All She Wants to do is Dance"

I don't know this song. The girls standing around him look like they don't know it either. I agree with Kara, however, I'm glad he picked something more upbeat. Overall, not great, but I still think he is the only contestant that I would buy his cd. 

Lil Rounds- 1984 - "What's Love Got to do With It?"

So her name really is Lil. Huh. I'm excited to hear this because I like this song and I think she could sing it well. It looks like she again picked the wrong song. (Is she wearing a leather vest with braiding? Also, again, her booty is sticking out too much in that skirt.) I think she can sing really well, but I am beginning to think that maybe she doesn't know HOW to change a song to make it her own. Maybe she lacks the musical skill/knowledge to put her stamp on an original song. 

Anoop Desai - 1986 - "True Colors"

I love his parents! They are super cute. Anoop is cute, too, but I wish someone would help him get control of those overgrown eyebrows. I'm liking this so far. I think he may have missed a couple of notes in the beginning. I am distracted during his performance because I am wondering where he got that fabulous green cardigan. I really like this performance, and I am glad that the judges liked it as well. 

Scott  - 1985 - "The Search is Over"

Wow, if that is his house, his family must have some cash. He is not at the piano!! I'm proud of him for changing it up this week." This song makes me feel like it should be in some dramatic corny movie. Scott is a good singer, but I am just bored with him for some reason. I think he should go home some; he just is not as strong as the other contestants. 

(Did anyone else see Paula's teeth while she is giving him comments? She smiles really big and there is pink lipstick on at least 4 of her front teeth.)

Allison Iraheta - 1992 - "I Can't Make You Love Me"

Her mom has a rip-off Burberry scarf. I am not a fan of rip-off items. Anyway, I LOVE this song. In fact, I downloaded it on iTunes recently. Her outfit does not complement the song at all. She sang that well, however. I agree with Simon, her personality is a little strange. Anyway, she did a good job on that song. 

Matt Giraud - 1985 - "Part Time Lovers"

I am liking this, and his hat. Wow! That was really good. Definitely my favorite so far tonight!

Adam Lambert - 1982 - Hmmm...my DVR just cut off. Well, I don't know what he sang, but I'm sure it was probably good. 

This was not an overly exciting night on American Idol. Anyway, my bottom three predictions are:

Scott

Lil

Kris/ Danny?

Country Tooth

Eleanor has some jacked up teeth. This week we noticed that she has one tooth that seems to be between her two front teeth. This tooth sticks out and sometimes her lip catches on it, so we call it her country tooth. The first picture doesn't show it well, but I think it is funny. The second picture shows it better, but you can't really tell that it sticks out. It is really hard to get a picture of it, so these are the best we have gotten so far. 

Um, I can see your boobies. Could you put them in a bra so I can finish my dinner?

I know it is not very nice to talk about other people, but sometimes, well, it's just the way it goes. ("If you can't say something nice, don't say it all." Isn't that what Thumper said in Bambi?) Plus, when you present yourself in the way these two people did, you're kind of asking for it. Anyway, I came across two strangely dressed folks today and I could not resist taking a picture and sharing. 

The first two pictures are of a man, yes I said man, I saw at school today. My friend Kim and I were walking to the parking deck and she pointed this person out, asking whether I thought it was a man or woman. At the corner, I walked up next to the person to inspect and found it to be a man. Please notice the lightly colored, skin-tight jeans tucked into his big black boots. Oh, and he has a purse. And sideburns. (Not shown in these pictures.)

This one is the weirdest of the two and she inspired the title of this post. Ben and I went to dinner at Tin Drum tonight and half-way through eating I saw this woman. I first noticed her sitting her newspaper down on the table and then going back to the drink machine. Yes, she is wearing a white t-shirt and, no, she is unfortunately NOT wearing a bra. I know y'all are glad I didn't get a picture from the front, cause let me tell you, it was nasty. It reminded me of an unfortunate incident involving a particular family member and a middle school boyfriend. (Some of y'all know what I am talking about!) Middle-aged lady + no bra + white t-shirt = nastiness. Also, please notice her sweatpants with elastic around the ankles (I am pretty sure these were mens sweatpants), the white socks with the crocs (this is not terribly shocking as I have seen this sort of thing before), and, oh yes, the FANNY PACK!!! She had a dang fanny pack. I felt like I was at Disney World in the early 90s.