Life is Good

Atlanta

2008-11-26T20:21:00.010-06:00

A couple weeks ago Spencer, Will, Amy and I went to Atlanta to see the Broncos Falcons game. We were able to do this because Dad and Paige kindly bought this amazing package at a silent auction. The package included an Infinity for us to drive for the weekend - and all the way to ATL! (looong) - three nights and two rooms at the Ritz-Carlton and tickets to the game at the Georgia Dome. We had a really good time, and Amy and I discovered the most amazing coffee ever: the coffee at the Ritz-Carlton.

Below is all of us inside the Aquarium.

The boys in the stadium in their Falcons gear.

Picture of the field - Broncos have the ball which means Cutler is in.

All of us after the game.

The final score - on the flat screens in the bathrooms. Go Broncos!

The boys at the top of the Westin hotel at the Sun Dial - the revolving restaurant.

2008-11-04T22:26:00.003-06:00

Congratulations America. President Barack Obama.

Anne Pressly

2008-10-26T05:43:00.004-05:00

Anne Pressly died in Little Rock tonight from her injuries from last Monday's brutal, vicious, and fatal attack. My prayers are with her and her family.

Arkansas Elections and Early Voting

2008-10-23T09:05:00.007-05:00

It's election time again, and now more than ever, it's important for everyone to get involved. First, please note that Early Voting in Arkansas has begun. Details below:

• Early voting begins at 8am on Monday, October 20th and ends at 5pm on Monday November 3rd.
• The hours for early voting are 10am - 6pm Monday through Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.
• The location varies by county. Most counties offer early voting at the county clerk's office and some off-site locations. Check out your local paper for details.

If you have any questions concerning early voting, please contact the Arkansas Secretary of State Election Department by email (electionsemail@sosmail.state.ar.us) or by phone (501-682-1010).

Also, besides the obvious offices we're voting on, there are five other issues on the ballot you might not be familiar with. The Fayetteville Flyer has a great page that breaks down these issues into terms that we can all understand and that will hopefully help you make your decisions. Note, even though this information is found on the Fayetteville Flyer's site, these are statewide issues and not specific to NWA.

Happy voting to all.

Chile Pepper 10k

2008-10-18T13:04:00.006-05:00

This morning Michele, her sister Mandy, and I ran the Chile Pepper 10k. The race was held at University Farms in Fayetteville at 7:45 in the morning. As I'm training for my half marathon in December, Michele and Mandy are training for theirs in November. It was Michele and my's first competitive race. And it was so much fun! I want to do one every weekend. We all finished, running the entire time. Michele ran it in 56 minutes and 11 seconds, averaging 9:03 minutes/mile and I finished (a little behind her) at 59 minutes and 37 seconds, averaging 9:36 minutes/mile.

For more information on the event visit the Chile Pepper Festival's Website.

26.

2008-10-18T12:14:00.010-05:00

Last weekend was my birthday and I turned 26. Yay. And thanks to my great family and friends, I celebrated for an entire week. The weekend before, Cole and I went to LR (and Hot Springs) and I was able to celebrate with my entire family - and eat my weight in good food and birthday cake. The weekend of my birthday, I celebrated with my friends in Fayetteville.

Below is Kim, Katie and me at z330 in Fayetteville.

Then, on my actual birthday Cole and I took a day trip to Branson to shop and eat. But, not before Cole surprised me with a red leather bag for my laptop, a rain guard/sunroof visor for my car - which he installed himself, and brand new floor mats. This is very exciting to me because when I got my car, the floor mats were the only thing I didn't like - they were pretty stained. And in Branson we found a Macaroni Grill on The Landing, which was a good end to my birthday.

Shameful.

2008-10-16T10:32:00.003-05:00

I don't care who you're voting for, but all who vote should be informed. And these people, sadly, are not. It will hurt your heart to see that some people really think this way and are this uninformed, unintelligent and simply living in a different time. Wake up America. See beyond.

Happy Birthday CJRW!

2008-10-16T09:16:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, October 15th, was CJRW's 47th birthday. So, of course we took advantage and celebrated with a very wonderful cake from our favorite - Rick's Bakery. For me, CJRW has been a wonderful place to work and more importantly, learn.

Founded in 1961, Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods ad agency is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, with offices in Dallas and Northwest Arkansas. The agency also owns Jones Productions,one of the region’s leading film and video commercial production facilities. The agency has more than 100 employees and an estimated $84 million in capitalized billings.

The Young and the Breathless

2008-10-13T22:38:00.006-05:00

Thanks to my wonderful best friend Sarah P, I will be joining her and a couple other girls to compete in (rather, participate in) the Memphis Half Marathon on December 6th. Our team name is "The Young and the Breathless." I voted for "Are We There Yet?" since I'm pretty sure that's what I'll be screaming the entire way. I've really gotten into running these past couple of years, but as of recently, I'm officially "training." And it's hard work.

A half marathon is 13.1 miles total - my goal is to run the entire time. I want to set a time goal for myself as well, but I'm still thinking about what that might be (I hate to set myself up for failure). So far, I've run up to six miles at once - I've only done it twice but it's a start. I'm very proud of myself for my six miles, but at the same time I realize I have seven more to add to that.

I'll keep you updated on our progress and I cannot wait to post pictures of the race and let you know how we all did. And if anyone would like to come and cheer us on and then play in Memphis that Saturday night, please do - we want support, and I want a driving partner to Memphis!

Money Problems Hitting Home

2008-10-13T15:25:00.004-05:00

As we are all aware, the economy has hit quite a slump and we are all fortunate enough to feel the effects. Just kidding.

As many of you probably know, Heba (my step-sister) is studying abroad in France until December. So, I am living at our house by myself. And in my efforts to save a little bit of money each month I've managed to cut my cable bill in half. First, I switched to a slower Internet speed as I only use the Internet to surf - so I figure I can afford to "slow down" a bit. Second, I did something I've never lived with before - I walked away from my expanded channels. So now, I only have channels up to 22. No E! or MTV. I feel it's a little spoiled and superficial to feel I need those channels. Plus I don't watch them enough to warrant the extra almost $30 a month. And I can watch them at Cole's house when I want. :-) I promise to let you know if I cave and add them back.

So, this gets me wandering - what are you guys doing to save money? Everyone seems to be saving money in such creative ways these days and I need more ideas!

U of A Tradition: The Senior Walk

2008-09-29T20:30:00.004-05:00

As many in Arkansas know, when you graduate from the U of A your name gets added to the Senior Walk. Mine has probably been up for about a year now? But I had yet to go and find it. This weekend Sarah P and I made our way to campus to find each of our names for one last pat on the back on our completed college education. Thank you Kalen and Matt for being such lovely photographers.

Below are Sarah and I hovered over my name: Jennifer B G James. I'm not sure if my four names would have all made it.

Below is Sarah happily posing in front of her name.

Bikes, Blues and BBQ Weekend

2008-09-28T20:38:00.009-05:00

Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fest was in Fayetteville this weekend, and true to form it was a weekend of fun. Every time I walked out my front door - day or night - I could hear the constant hum of motorcycles everywhere! Also a bonus this weekend was Sarah's visit from (West) Memphis.

Kim, Sarah, Katie and I hanging out at Jose's Friday night.

Sarah and I having fun at Busters.

Maybe this isn't our best picture ever, but I had to post a picture of our oh-so-fun brunch at our favorite - Common Grounds.

McCain wins Friday night's debate!

2008-09-26T14:14:00.005-05:00

Wait! The debate hasn't even taken place yet. But interestingly enough, a congratulatory banner and quote from McCain's manager appeared online Friday afternoon.

Congratulations Mom!

2008-09-17T21:38:00.004-05:00

Congratulations Mom on becoming an American citizen today! Today at the Clinton Library my mother was naturalized! Since she moved here in January of 1973 she has been a legal alien. She never wanted to give up her Brasilian citizenship. But now, dual citizenship is offered and she can have both. So, after much hard work and some traveling to Memphis, my Mom is now a citizen of the United States - and is also able to maintain her citizenship in Brasil.

Congrats Mom!

You tell me why it's important - because it most certainly is!

2008-09-16T21:08:00.027-05:00

I've been thinking about this for over a week now. And my thought is that I would never want to use this blog as a place for a "rant." I want it to be an outlet of thought - whether you agree or not. If not, stop reading my blog. XOXO.

I was very disturbed to hear last week that someone thought that voting for McCain would be best for them because he would lower their taxes - that's it, he'd just lower their taxes. And his stance on everything else involved in the election doesn't matter because it doesn't directly affect them. Reasons being:

a. The war is over there, and not in our own backyard.
b. They are not a gay couple trying to get married.
c. And the abortion thing doesn't apply to them.

I have to say: they're wrong. I don't care who you're voting for. You're not thinking if you think this war doesn't have anything to do with us or affect us in every way - for many reasons.

Don't think because the war is being fought across the pond, that it's obsolete to us. And don't think that if we didn't fight it over there, that the war would be here. WRONG. We're fighting and being attacked because we bombed a country and a group that didn't attack us. Iraq, Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda did not attack us on 9/11 - Osama bin Laden did. And he is still out there, and our president is doing nothing to find him. Don't forget that - and don't forget we're fighting the wrong war. That is why we are now being attacked - over there.

This war costs the country and its citizens:
Per Month - $10.3 billion
Per Week - $2.4 billion
Per Day - $343 million
Per Hour - $14 million
Per Minute - $238,425
Per Second - $3,973

Don't you tell me for a second this doesn't affect you. Every time you fill up on gas, or pay taxes at the grocery store or see more taxes come out of your paycheck - don't tell me it has nothing to do with this war and that the war has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with you. And for eight years we've had a president who has made this war, his war. We have the power to change that in November. One nonpartisan analysis finds that with Obama's tax proposal - which doesn't call to raise your taxes - the rich would pay more, and the poor and middle-class (you) would pay less. Under John McCain's plan, the rich would pay much less than they do now, the poor and middle-class would pay a bit less, and the federal deficit would grow even more.

So, yes the war affects you. Greatly. And I support our troops, but I do not support this war, and I have not since March of 2003 when we first invaded Iraq. And according to Sarah Palin, we're about to enter Russia, Iran and God help us on all the other "possibilities" she sees.

As for social issues such as gay rights and abortion: just because you might not be a gay American looking for equal rights or a person interested in seeking an abortion for the many reasons women may do so (because Palin is against them even in the cases or rape and incest), doesn't mean that these issues or how they're dealt with don't affect you. Please, don't ever think that for one minute! The Republican party will preach about how they want less government involvement but two of their main goals is to overturn Roe v. Wade and to pass a constitutional amendment against gay marriage - bringing the government right on into your living room and bedroom. When you allow these things to happen - or elect those who will oversee it - you're giving government, federal and state, the power to make personal decisions for you. And you're fooling yourself if you think it will stop there. So, what do we have to do, sit back until our government turns into China and restricts the amount of children we can have? Then will you be interested in who our president is and the authority they will give themselves over our lives? It will never just stop with abortion and gay rights. There will always be a "next" topic, which could very much involve your lives directly.

There is no truth to the "shaking up Washington" that McCain and Palin are shouting from the rooftops. There is nothing they can do to shake things up in a land that is identical to what they preach now.

Here's what we don't want: We don't want your bridge to nowhere Sarah Palin, and we never did. We don't want your extremist religious beliefs pulling books off our library shelves or telling us what we can do with our bodies or whom we can marry. We don't want you "lowering" our taxes while in the meantime steadily increasing our already outrageous deficit. We don't want more unnecessary wars started while you float around the country calling it God's plan you hypocrite! We don't care for your drilling in Alaska while you tell us we need to be more self-reliant on energy! Way to drill the little oil we have, if any, while destroying the wildlife refuge and increasing the country's dependence on oil. Set yourself up with an alternative energy plan and then go back and tell People.com you're an "adapter." Stop saying global warming isn't caused by human activity and don't ever undermine women again. How dare the McCain/Palin camp think that women could be so easily fooled into voting for them just because they placed a skirt next to John McCain.

Try again.

Make it tonight! Tomato and Cheese Baked Chicken.

2008-09-16T20:28:00.009-05:00

Since I work for an ad agency that represents Tyson Foods, Inc., many, many food shots and recipes come across my desk and computer multiple times throughout the week, if not each day. As I was thumbing through potential recipes and food shots today I stumbled upon one called Tomato and Cheese Baked Chicken on Tyson's Web site. And I made it tonight, which of course I loved, but more importantly it got rave reviews from Cole as well - sometimes we don't always see eye to eye on what makes a good dinner! But, we both loved this one and I know it gets hard thinking of things to make for dinner each night and I love getting new recipes, so I want to share this with you.

You can click on the link above or you can follow my recipe below. Note, the recipe calls for Split Chicken Breasts, but I used Boneless Skinless Breasts as it's lower in calorie and carried by most grocery stores.

4 Tyson(R) Trimmed & Ready(R) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 container garlic herb spreadable cheese, 6.5 oz., softened
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed; drained
2 tablespoons green onion, sliced
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated (optional, I intended to use afterward but didn't)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with nonstick aluminum foil. Wash hands. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste; place in prepared baking pan. Wash hands. (I sprinkled with garlic salt and pepper and then browned each breast on the stove along with garlic for a couple minutes per side.)

2. Pat tomatoes dry with paper towels; chop as desired. Place softened cheese in small bowl. Stir in tomatoes, green onion and Parmesan cheese. Spread cheese mixture evenly over chicken. Wash hands.

3. Bake chicken 35 to 45 minutes or until done (internal temp 180°F).

SO GOOD!

Oklahoma's Test Scores Better Go Up

2008-09-14T17:34:00.004-05:00

In hopes of finding something fun and different to do on a Saturday afternoon, we ventured on over to West Siloam Springs, OK to the casino. Kim, Joe, Liz, Chad, Cole and I arrived around 5 that afternoon and stayed for an eventful four hours.

In little ole Oklahoma you must "ante up" each time you bet - each time you must pay $.50 - and it goes to the Oklahoma schools. Well, I did my part and contributed quite enough, as did everyone else. I won't call anyone out on what losers half the group was, but I will say Chad and Kim were definitely the big winners of the weekend!

It was a fun day - now the next couple of days will be realizing that my money is gone, gone, gone.

Watch out for hiding gas prices.

2008-09-09T22:12:00.002-05:00

If you're like me, you pay for most things with your debit card. I rarely carry cash - I find I spend it quicker if I have it. Well, we just noticed today at the Shell gas station on Gregg Street in Fayetteville (AKA the White Oak Station) that the price per gallon is $0.09 less if you pay for your gas in cash! With debit/credit cards, the price per gallon was $3.57; however, when paying in cash, it was only $3.49! The prices were actually displayed on the gas station marquee. I never really pay attention because I usually get gas at Walmart.

So next time you get gas check and see if there is a lower price if paying in cash - it's probably worth a trip to the ATM. It's almost the same price difference between Unleaded and Premium! I've never noticed this before, but I'm sure it exists in other places as well!

Hogs-a-palooza

2008-09-08T21:45:00.007-05:00

The first Little Rock Razorback game was this weekend and it was kicked off in true Hog style. Again, Dad had his tailgating spot, and again we all showed up to join in the fun. The game would have been a "good game" if it had been against an SEC rival and not Louisiana Monroe (huh?), but it was just a little ridiculous that it came down to literally the last minute as we scored and won by one point! I didn't go to the game, but Kim and I held down the forts just fine and had just as much fun. Plus, we got a new cooler out of it!

Will and me at our spot. It's always SO GREAT to see the boys. They're constantly growing and changing, but they're always sweet.

Mom and Morie came out and had a ball - even Mom! :-)

It's my version of My Two Dads. Dad is manning the grill of course, and Morie is keeping him company.

Spencer and me - and his big red hat he purchased for $6. Spencer saw Jermain Taylor again tailgating. Last year, he actually hung out with him for a little bit. Will and I have decided he's a JT magnet.

Kim and I watching over the place while everyone went to the game.

It's all in the family.

2008-09-01T12:02:00.015-05:00

Just when we thought the major issue of this year's Presidential election would be centered around the war in Iraq and gas prices, a nasty storm has been brewing over the nominees themselves. The circus might just prove to be about their own family lives more so than the shots they will no doubt take at their opponents. Obviously we don't know for sure, but it appears that a few of our candidates might have a little explaining to do.

Family Issue #1
I woke up this morning to what I thought was Christmas when I was told that Bristol Palin, the seventeen-year-old high school senior of Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, was pregnant. Then, I realized that I don't want to sit here and comment to you on the mistakes of a seventeen-year-old - as many of us have made mistakes. But, I also don't want to be persuaded into the line of thought that this should stay a private matter. Once you've thrown your own self and your family into the spotlight of the world, the Palin's must understand that this will be an issue and a topic. On paper, the right and responsible thing is being done. She's marrying her boyfriend, Levi (age and last name unknown), and keeping the baby. The question I will ask is this her decision to marry and is this couple even ready for marriage?

Also, we're told that McCain's camp knew of the pregnancy before he chose Palin for his VP - very good, since he had only met the woman once before. Apparently, this news is breaking in response to Internet rumors that Palin's fifth child Trig, who was born in April with Down's Syndrome, is actually Bristol's. I guess we'll have to ride this out and see. But, as rumors go - that's probably all this is. It's an interesting rumor since apparently Sarah Palin announced her pregnancy in early March (two months before she was due) - shocking most around her as she didn't appear to show any signs of being pregnant. However, this is probably due to the baby's Down's Syndrome. Also, Bristol went noticeably absent in school for several months due to what her family called prolonged mono. Maybe it was.

Bristol Paline and her youngest brother, Trig.

Family Issue #2
Ever heard of Kathleen Hensley Portalski? Not from Cindy McCain, you haven't. As Cindy calls herself an "only child" Kathleen tells of her feelings as a "non person" by Cindy's comment. The two women, Kathleen is around 11 years older, do share the same father, Jim Hensley, but did not grow up in the same household. Kathleen claims she only saw the man who she called Dad on Christmases and birthdays - presumably Cindy was around. Upon Jim's death, Cindy inherited the family estate and business, the beer distributor, Hensley and Co., and Kathleen says she only received $10,000. Cindy has yet to comment on the half sister whom, according to Kathleen, she's "airbrushed out of her life."

Kathleen Hensley Portalski

Family Issue #3
The Republicans are not the only ones who have some explaining to do. Although some people believe this man is lying - why because he lives in a shack in Kenya? - George Hussein Onyango Obama, who lives on the outskirts of Nairobi in Kenya, tells Italian Vogue he is Obama's half brother. Like Cindy McCain and her half sister, these two men share the same father, and he is apparently the youngest of Obama's five half siblings. Although they've only met once, Obama mentions him in his autobiography as a "beautiful boy with a rounded head." My question is: how is Obama talking about his "brothers and sisters" here in the U.S. during his speeches, but he appears to have no contact with his brother who lives in such poverty and crime-stricken conditions? I would like that question to be asked and answered.

George Hussein Onyango Obama

Like you, I do not know the complete history or story to these three issues mentioned above. But, they do seem like areas of concern. And as these three people could potentially be running our country and making decisions for the world, I believe they have an obligation to answer them.

The perfect brownie: found. Only if you like mint.

2008-08-31T21:15:00.008-05:00

I have the most incredible brownie recipe for you - if you love mint, you will love this brownie.

Purchase your usual brownie mix and all the necessities you need for them. And a bag of Andes mints - whole or crushed. Either works.

You simply make brownies as you normally would. Once they're done, I usually let them cool for a little under 10 minutes so that they're still pretty warm. Then spread almost the entire bag (or the entire bag, depends on how much you want) of Andes mints on top so that they create a top layer. Then place in the refrigerator until the mint layer has cooled and hardened. This usually takes about 30 - 45 minutes.

And if you want to lighten the brownie a bit you can buy Duncan Hines brownie mix - they're the best anyway. You can substitute the water, oil and eggs with 2 tbsp of water, 1/3 cup of applesauce (in place of the oil) and one egg - or 1/4 cup of egg whites/egg substitute (the equivalent of one egg). This reduced fat version is on the back of the Duncan Hines box.

Less calories and I PROMISE you, you cannot tell the difference and they're fabulous. Then dump a load of chocolate mints on top! :-)

Yummy eating!

UPDATE: This recipe needs a more credible source than myself - thank you Jane Dennis for your yummy brownie recipe.

Comments

2008-08-31T20:26:00.001-05:00

I've been told people cannot leave a comment unless they have an account. I didn't realize it was on that setting. I've changed it now to where anyone can post a comment.

Peace.

Razorbacks! All kinds of Razorbacks!

2008-08-31T19:50:00.009-05:00

The very first game day weekend brought a lot of fun tailgating, good friends, a disappointing game (sorry if you disagree) and a sighting of JERMAIN TAYLOR!

Friday night consisted of pre-partying with Katie, Elise, Liz and crew that lasted until the wee hours - I haven't had that much fun on a Friday in a while! Then came game day - and tailgating started at about 2 in the afternoon. Even though Katie thought we were getting out way too late! :-) Tailgating was fun and all over the place - and by the time the game started at 6, I'm pretty sure we all had our hair stuck to our skin and our make-up sweating down our faces. Wow it was hot. Seats for the game were good - thanks Michele - but the Hogs, not so much. We won yes, but we should have obliterated the Western Illinois Leathernecks and that was not so much the case.

Sunday consisted of hanging with the pups and seeing Mama Mia with Kim and Liz. It was good - DON'T take your male significant other. And we were the youngest people in the theater.

Going back to Jermain. Saturday night his pimped out, black Rolls-Royce just pulled up right behind Stir and Busters and parked on the curb. When I realized Jermaine was getting out of it, I flipped. I'm not a boxing fan - but I am a Jermain Taylor fan, and I have never missed him fight. I think he's fantastic and gorgeous and fantastic again! And he was so sweet. I asked if I could take a picture with him, he just smiled and yes "sure." I also of course decided to profess my love. Then he went into Stir, but not before I got a picture.

Kim and I post game and post tailgate at Busters Saturday night.

Kim, Elise and her two sisters, Erica and Jessica, and me.

Oh, it's on! Introducing Ms. Alaska!

2008-08-29T15:35:00.019-05:00

Oh, it's laughable! Wow - forget about her oh-so-boring, irrelevant speech that had zero substance and sounded more like a high-schooler pleading with her fellow classmates to "please vote for me", but the woman isn't even qualified! The former mayor of a town of only 9,000 and Alaskan beauty queen - who participated in beauty pageants to earn money for college - probably spent more time prepping for her stint on the catwalk longer than she's served as the governor of Alaska. Telling Vogue magazine "They made us line up in bathing suits and turn our backs so the male judges could look at our butts. I couldn't believe it."

After running on a platform of "heavy reform" this governor has decided to (potentially) abandon her state - and promises - only 20 months after election. This only shows that John McCain's doubts about his presidential run have now turned into sheer desperation.

This is too good to be true.

So, I bet a majority of us can safely say that McCain has chosen this "surprise pick" in order to pick-up a few Hillary voters. Good to know that the McCain camp and the Bush administration can no longer shout "inexperience" in Obama's direction.

Besides the fact that she's a woman - and this is thought to bring many new faces to the McCain side - her supporters argue that she is "arguably the only candidate who has the necessary expertise to address the single most pressing issue in this election: gas prices. As Governor of Alaska, Chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (America’s largest interstate organization), and a former Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Sarah Palin can run rings around almost anyone when it comes to oil."

Well, puh-lease. This is like asking for a third helping of all the slop President Bush has served us for the past eight years. But, even with her looming inexperience, she is the quintessential Republican. McCain hopes she will claim the female vote; she's pro-gun, pro-life, and pro-family - whatever that means.

Go Obama!

Fantasy Football!

2008-08-24T21:43:00.009-05:00

As many of you probably know Cole is oh-so-into football. Subsequently, I've had football introduced into my life and I never thought I'd ever be this knowledgeable about it. Ever. And this year I've entered my first fantasy football league - and today was the day to draft. Today was also draft day for Cole and Kyle's league - so it was a big football day for us. Below is my team. Pretty nice, huh?

Quarterbacks
Donovan McNabb
Eli Manning

Running Backs
Marion Barber
Clinton Portis
Selvin Young
Ricky Williams

Wide Receivers
T.J. Houshmandzadeh
Plaxico Burruss
Laveranues Coles
Kevin Curtis

Update: I've traded Kevin Curtis for Jabar Gaffney due to injury and that he might not play until October.

Tight Ends
Dallas Clark
Alge Crumpler

Defensive Teams
Jacksonville Jaguars
New York Giants

Kicker
Mike Nugent

I am exhausted!

2008-08-24T19:23:00.013-05:00

This weekend was jam-packed, and I mean jam-packed! But it was jam-packed with lots of fun! Kate, Kyle and their dog Abby came in town from St. Louis to visit and stayed with me. And the fun began Friday night around 10 and didn't stop until Sunday afternoon - and then I crashed and took a 2 1/2 hour nap. Much needed.

So, what all did we do? Well, if you're friends with Cole and me, you've heard us talk about Fast Lane. The Lokomotion/Chuck E Cheese for adults/Dave & Busters all rolled into one in Northwest Arkansas. That was Friday night. We played games, played laser tag, ate fried pickles and bowled all night long. And I have to throw in - I bowled a 181! I wish I had taken a picture! Then we all went back to my house and had a big sleep over. So much fun!

Kate and I discovering Dance Dance Revolution - who knew it was so fun?

Kate enjoying her 150 tickets from the Deal or No Deal game. This proved to be a very popular game among us.

Bo and Bailey hamming it up in the bowling alley - AKA Cosmo's Corner.

Cole working his magic. This is also a good picture of the bowling alley - there are big screens behind the lanes constantly playing music videos.

Saturday night was wedding time. Marlena Sweeney, a friend from college and a great fellow debater, married Michael Bond - coincidentally enough he's my boss Michele's brother. The wedding was at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Springdale. Cole and I made it through the hour-long full Catholic mass complete with communion. The reception was at the Towne Center on the square. I saw a lot of old debate friends and my former debate coaches Leah and Keith Peterson.
Leah, Emily Story and I at the reception.

And Sunday was all about Fantasy Football drafting - next post.

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

2008-08-18T15:21:00.023-05:00

This is not what the Westboro Baptist Church wants you to believe. This hate-filled group is well known (not for anything that positively impacts the world or themselves or their congregation) for picketing certain events, specifically funerals of fallen soldiers and well-known politicians or family members of politicians.

First of all, it makes me sick to enter their site http:www.godhatesfags.com. - please know I had to google this, I do not visit this site. But it also makes you want to laugh out loud that they use the words "God" and "hate" together so much on their Web site and in their everyday language. They do not preach love or tolerance or forgiveness - you may remember this is what the Bible talks about. Ironically enough, they preach the Bible by preaching hate. Below is what I would consider their pathetic "about them" section found on the homepage of their Web site:

"Since 1955, Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) has taken forth the precious from the vile, and is therefore as the mouth of God (Jer. 15:19). In 1991, WBC took her ministry to the streets, conducting over 34,000 peaceful demonstrations (to date) opposing the fag lifestyle of soul-damning, nation-destroying filth."

Seems to me they cannot come up with anything better to bitch about besides the fact that there are people who live their lives openly gay and there are people who support it. I bet a few are just pissed off that they're gay themselves and are unable to admit it or act on it. Think about it, I bet some of them are gay. But that's not the point. Before I start a rant that is just as ridiculous as theirs I want to try and give you insight as to why they do the things they do. BUT I BARELY CAN! They're preaching is really just judging others and disrespecting millions of families.

I'm not going to preach - not my style - and you're not asking for it. But, it's so humorous (not really, but what else am I supposed to say?) that they cannot make a case for themselves except for "we live disgusting lives and God hates us for it." So, in turn they find it appropriate to picket Bill Gwatney's funeral and say that God sent the shooter because of his sins. And one of his sins is that he's friends with the Clinton's. Well, sign me up then. I just find it so inappropriate, weird, disgusting and bothersome.

If you feel like getting sick to your stomach you can visit their schedule of terror here. It lists Little Rock as one of it's stops before they scoot on to terrorize Isaac Haye's family. No that's not a joke. Check it out for yourself: http://www.godhatesfags.com/schedule.html.

Do something good for the environment AND the water supply today

2008-08-18T11:49:00.010-05:00

Fluorescent light bulbs and batteries contain toxic chemicals that are dangerous if they get into groundwater, air or soil and are absorbed even in small quantities. These products contain substances such as mercury, lead and PCBs and cannot be thrown out in your kitchen trash can - or your bedroom trash can. A single broken fluorescent light bulb (whose hazardous culprit is mercury) can contaminate as much as 7,000 gallons of water!

Light bulbs and batteries need to be recycled or treated as hazardous waste! So, the solution is below. If your city is not listed, you can google your city name and "solid waste" and I'm sure this information will appear. Also a great resource for finding a location near you is http://www.Earth911.org., which enables you to search by item and zip code for a recycling center.

For Fayetteville:
Bring them to us! We recycle ink jets and batteries at the Solid Waste and Recycling Facility for no charge. We are located at 1560 Happy Hollow Road in southeast Fayetteville and are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. Please take regular batteries to the Washington County Household Hazardous Waste trailer on Brink Drive. Their phone number is (479) 444-1725.

Also, many places such as Radio Shack, Office Depot and Best Buy will recycle these hazardous items.

NEW CAR!

2008-08-09T16:56:00.004-05:00

Finally! After our scary wreck, the Vibe had to go! About three weeks ago Cole and I drove to Kansas City and picked up my new Nissan Altima! I did A LOT of research to find the car I wanted. It had to have everything on my list - and this one does plus more! It's an 06 with 23k miles, fully loaded, leather, sunroof, spoiler, ground effects, they tinted my windows, the coolest navigation system with screen that is not any extra a month, satellite connection and 6 disc Bose stereo system!

It's so wonderful and nice - I cannot wait to show it to my family next weekend!

Summer Treats

2008-08-09T16:26:00.004-05:00

I've had the biggest sweet tooth lately! The last two Fridays at work we've had cupcakes from Rick's Bakery here in Fayetteville - they have the best ever. The icing is piled so high and the cupcakes are always moist and yummy.

And below is a picture of a cake I purchased from Cold Stone. Last Sunday I was craving it and decided that instead of waiting in the huge line I would purchase a small cake. Then I decided to be an airhead and think the "time" labeled on the cake (when it was made) - 9:33 - was how much it was. I assumed I'd spend that much anyway and I'd bypass the line - genius move, right? Not really, the cake was $25 but I was too embarrassed to put it back! You should have seen Cole's confused face when I was walking back to the car - I had gone in for ice cream for me and a milkshake for him! As you can see we have polished it off quite nicely.

What a disappointment...

2008-08-09T15:58:00.005-05:00

I almost feel silly for being so disappointed in Edwards - obviously, we're not close friends. And although I never thought he should be our next president I felt he was an important figure in bringing the Democratic party back into the White House. I also felt he was a wholesome and moral Southerner who tugged at our heartstrings when he and his wife Elizabeth publicly discussed her terminal battle with cancer.

It's such a shame. And I think there's more to the story, and I'm really interested to know the outcome of the paternity test.

"And the days went by like paper in the wind. Everything changed, then changed again. It's hard to find a friend. It's hard to find a friend."

2008-08-09T15:12:00.003-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been a little different for me. This year I've had three good friends move away from me for good. Not to mention, I'm still not over Sarah P moving back to Memphis! I'm happy for them because they're moving on to big and better things but I miss them so much! It has been a little lonely and I'm adjusting...I guess.

First Kate, who just finished getting her masters in Hospital Administration at UAMS, and Kyle moved to St. Louis at the beginning of the summer. Kate is starting her fellowship at the Barnes Jewish Hospital. This summer my family went to St. Louis while my grandmother was in town and I got to see Kate. I can't wait to go again.

And Elise! Elise who just got engaged and we have to help plan her wedding from SO far away! Elise and Ricky just moved - like last week - to New Orleans. This is good in that we have a free place to stay when we want to go to NOLA! Elise and Ricky moved so that Ricky can begin his four years in dental school. Then hopefully they will move back!

And a couple weeks before Elise and Ricky moved Nick and Amanda moved to Enterprise, AL (nice!) so that Nick could attend Flight School.

But, on a brighter note, Katie and Ehren moved back from Dallas to finish their last year in law school. They also got engaged - and job offers to Baker Botts Law Firm in Dallas! Alas, they will be moving at the end of next summer - after their lovely destination wedding, of course.

I miss my friends!

More of St. Croix

2008-07-27T00:40:00.010-05:00

Like I said there are so many pictures of St. Croix I've added more below.

Spencer and I on the ferry in the bay in Christianstead going to K Island. A very small island (more of a big sandbar that fits a hotel and restaurant) in the bay. This is right after the boys got done with their deep sea fishing trip.

Will and I at the restaurant on the K.

The entire family minus Spencer (sad!) at the Cruzan Rum factory. We had a fun time learning how the rum is made. And a lot of fun sampling all the rum after the tour.

Below is the view of Cane Bay from the deck of our house. The little yellow boat you see is Dad and the boys diving "The Wall at Cane Bay." They call it The Wall because not far off the shore the ocean floor drops 13,000 feet - probably right where their boat is now where the water gets darker.

Here are Spencer and Will in first class on the way back home. Dad and Paige somehow got upgraded and gave their seats to the boys. They were cute when I walked by and took their picture. They were amazed they could have whatever they wanted for free - Will had two cups of coffee and three Cokes!

STX U.S.V.I.

2008-07-27T00:16:00.008-05:00

There are so many pictures from St. Croix - 413 to be exact - so I will try to post the "most interesting ones." The entire (immediate) James family went at the beginning of July - me, Cole, Dad, Paige, Spencer, Will, Nanny and Sherry. We rented a house pretty much on the beach - it was actually up the hill (a 2 minute walk to the beach) which let us have a wonderful view of Cane Bay, which is located on the north shore of St. Croix. I never slept in past 9 and there was so much to do every day all day. Dad, of course, stayed the busiest of all of us while the rest of us enjoyed having full days and relaxing days. It was certainly a great time - thanks so much Dad and Paige!!

This is a picture of Dad and Nanny at the Off the Wall restaurant and bar that is on the beach down the hill from our house.

Dad and all the boys went deap sea fishing the second day we were there. This is them coming back from their eight hour trip into the bay at Christianstead. It's so beautiful there!

This is our family picture at the Rainbow Cafe - this restaurant/bar was located on the beach in Frederickstead. If we look like we're glistening a little - it's because it was hot. But hey, it's not so bad when you're on the beach in the Caribbean right? Right.

Spencer, Will and me at a stop during our jet ski tour around the island.

Cole and me during our jet ski tour. I love this picture - not because it's the most glamorous - but LOOK AT THAT WATER! The color of the water has nothing to do with the camera. That is how it looked. It was beyond amazing and I'd love to go back. Cole started calling it "his island" and still talks about moving there!

Tim McGraw is Sexy!

2008-06-25T16:42:00.006-05:00

Look at him personally throw a concert-goer out when he apparently got overly aggressive with a woman in the audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiAAIqFOrZE

Drip, Drip - Do something good for the water supply today

2008-06-23T10:55:00.002-05:00

There are currently 400 million people worldwide facing severe water shortages, according to the United Nations. By 2050, that number will be 4 billion. In California for example, Governor Schwarzenegger has declared the first statewide drought in 17 years.

An enormous amount of water is lost through minor drips around the house - some that you might not even know about if your water bill isn't sky-rocketed like mine was earlier this year. A leaky faucet can lose up to 20 gallons of water a day, while a leaky toilet can flush an extra 200 gallons every day.

To test for an unknown leak, put five to ten drops of food coloring in the tank of your toilet. If ten minutes later there's coloring in the bowl (not your tank), you've got a leak that needs fixin'.

Also, if you water your grass or plants, water them in the morning or evening. Don't water them in the middle of the day as this is when the rays from the sun are harsh and will evaporate the water your plants need to survive.

Emergency Among Us

2008-06-21T19:58:00.006-05:00

The near-and-dear to our hearts Buffalo Wild Wings in Fayetteville was located on this - list - and was served with a Business Closure Notification on 6/18/08. SAD! And stupid! Pay your freaking taxes. Rumor has it that BWW has been pocketing the 2% revenue from the new Fayetteville Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Tax.

Since they were served, they've been removed from the list. We shall see what happens...

UPDATE: BWW is still open for business at the moment.

Pathetic Souls

2008-06-17T20:43:00.007-05:00

The below pin was being sold this past weekend by at the State Republican Convention in Texas. It was being distributed at a booth hosted by the Republicanmarket.

One comment to the link below says it all. "The fact that the GOP convention tolerated this says it all. It's pathetic that these idiots can even claim the "patriotic" label."

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/06/stick-a-pin-in-it.html

Do something good for the environment today

2008-06-15T23:00:00.004-05:00

Wash your clothes in cold water - NOT HOT. Even warm water is better than hot. 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is used to heat the water. So, use cold water.

Also, hang up as many clothes as you can to dry and try to only do loads of laundry when you have full loads.

Aaron and Keyna's Wedding Weekend!

2008-06-15T21:53:00.004-05:00

This weekend we all traveled down to Ft. Smith for Aaron and Keyna's wedding. There was a pretty big gang of us and we all stayed at the Holiday Inn and hung out at some Ft. Smith "hot spots" (ha!). We had a really good weekend - it's always fun to have lots of friends together having a good time.

Below is a picture of part of the group with the bride and groom. About seven more are MIA from this picture.

Here is a picture of Kate, Elise and me right before the ceremony.

What's this about?

2008-06-10T23:00:00.034-05:00

John McCain and his first wife's rocky story. Is this drama that the media is creating or was McCain a cheating womanizer?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html

Discuss.

The Busiest Weekend Ever!

2008-06-10T22:29:00.008-05:00

This weekend was one of the busiest but it was a lot of fun. Friday Mikey and I drove down to Little Rock and Spencer, Will and I went to eat at the Rumba Room downtown in the River Market. Below is a picture of Will and me - Spencer didn't want his picture taken. But that's okay, I haven't posted a picture of Will yet since he's always out of town! :-)

Saturday morning Mom, Morie, Joseph and I went to the airport and picked up my grandmother from Brasil - Vovo. That's Portuguese for grandmother. Below is a picture of Vovo and Morie with our Czech beer we were tasting. Both Mom and Morie and Dad and Paige are getting exchange students from the Czech Republic this fall. How exciting! Just what I need - more teenage boys in the house when I go home. Just kidding!

After I spent time with my family in Little Rock, I drove back to Fayetteville Saturday evening for Elise's birthday celebration - and ENGAGEMENT! Ricky proposed to her that afternoon and we double celebrated that night. Congratulations you two! Below is a picture of the two of us at Lulu's for her birthday dinner. It was very good - I loved the patio! One of the best in Fayetteville for sure. Patios are very important.

Then, Sunday morning Kate Jones and I drove back to Little Rock. After I spent more time with my grandmother, I drove down to Hot Springs to meet Cole and his family for his niece Bella's first birthday party! She was so cute and had a great time. Below is a picture of Bella and Cole. She's really loving her Uncle Cole and he adores her. They were really cute. The party was a lot of fun and the cake was so yummy - it was Dora-themed. After we rested, Cole and I drove back to Fayetteville that night. A lot of driving but I had a lot of fun this past weekend.

Keith and Carrie at Razorback Stadium!

2008-06-07T13:32:00.005-05:00

Thursday night Amanda and I went to Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood's concert at Razorback Stadium. It was a free show for the Wal-mart Shareholders Event. It was so much fun! I love Carrie so much, but I have to say Keith was a huge surprise hit. And so cute! He came out into the audience a lot and even traded his guitar for one fan's hat! Lots o' fun!

The Chicken Dance

2008-06-02T21:57:00.006-05:00

I'm sure by now you've heard that McDonald's has come out with the new Southern Style Chicken Biscuit and Sandwich to compete with Chik-fil-A's chicken biscuit and sandwich. Well, maybe you haven't. Well, I have - maybe because on the day McDonald's launched these two new products they gave them away for free with a purchase of a large drink and it seemed like every male in my office went. See below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/05/12/daily33.html

But, the question is: How do McDonald's two new items measure up to Chik-fil-A's famous (and wonderfully mouth-watering) chicken? I've heard many say they're not sure if they could tell a difference between the two if they didn't know any better. Well, I'm not so sure.

I've yet to try to the Chicken Sandwich (and I bet that won't happen until after our trip to St. Croix) but the Chicken Biscuit didn't measure up. Cole didn't care for the biscuit; I thought the chicken was gross. It was a grayish color! Chik-fil-A definitely won that battle.

What do you think?

Can't decide? Maybe the nutritional information will help:
McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Biscuit:
Calories: 410
Fat: 20
Fiber: 2
Weight Watcher Points: 9

McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Sandwich:
Calories: 400
Fat: 17
Fiber: 1
Weight Watcher Points: 9

Chik-fil-A Chicken Biscuit:
Calories: 420
Fat: 19
Fiber: 2
Weight Watcher Points: 9

Chik-fil-A (Breaded) Chicken Sandwich:
Calories: 410
Fat: 16
Fiber: 2
Weight Watcher Points: 10

Do something good for the environment today

2008-06-01T20:47:00.002-05:00

Unplug!

Unplugging certain electronics and small appliances around your house can definitely help to cut down on the amount of energy used. I know some things like refrigerators and washing machines cannot be unplugged but other little things can be.

When not in use unplug phone chargers, laptop chargers, small appliances like coffee makers, toasters, some or all lamps, etc. Keeping these plugged in while not in use only wastes energy. They're small electronics that are easy to plug in and UNPLUG.

Try to make this part of your leaving-the-house regimen!

Sex and the City! Opening weekend!

2008-06-01T20:34:00.004-05:00

The Sex and the City movie opened this weekend to an impressive $56 million! I believe this is the most ever for an R rated movie!

I won't say anything about the movie because I know some have not seen it yet but it's wonderful. Please see it. I saw it both Friday and Saturday night and cannot wait to see it gain!

Cheers!

Wow

2008-05-30T00:21:00.008-05:00

I really do mean this with all the respect in the world. But, is this person not embarrassed by now?

Finding small amusements :-)

2008-05-28T22:10:00.010-05:00

Tonight was just a regular night during the week. But, after a looo-oooong day at work I guess I came home and found everything that I love and things that make me laugh.

This past weekend we went to Branson and Cole purchased this ceramic frog that he's put next to the sink in his bathroom - next to his palm tree toothbrush holder ;-). He got this toothbrush holder a few weeks ago and I mentioned how it was "interesting"... He asked me if we lived together if this holder would be in our bathroom or the guest bathroom - tough decision. Would I want our guests to see it or would I rather look at it every morning? :-)

Tonight I made us yummy blackened chicken with kabobs of tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and sweet potatoes (random) with rice. I had to take a picture. This is one of my favorites - I think because it's easy and it's yuumy.

Cole finishing off the black eyed-peas. Probably thankful I didn't make lima beans AGAIN!

Below is a picture of the pups chillin' in the 300. They feel like pimps in this car. Did I mention we have Dad and Paige's 300 for a little while because Cole and I had a (pretty bad) accident in my car. Please everyone take the time to buckle your seat belt and make sure everyone else in your car buckle theirs. And if they refuse, forget about their lives (obviously, I'm NOT serious) think about how hard it would be to go through life knowing you were responsible for someone else's life ending.

American Gladiators!

2008-05-27T21:44:00.004-05:00

"I don't really like to talk about it; I like to be about it. So let's go."

No, I didn't watch it when the original show was on but yes, now I do. But it's Cole's fault! Who saw Crush on American Gladiators Monday night? Wow. Still undefeated.

Do something good for the world today

2008-05-26T19:22:00.004-05:00

Visit http://www.freerice.com/ and not only expand your vocabulary but for every question you get correct Free Rice donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.

The rice you donate is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and makes a huge difference to the person who receives it. WFP is the world’s largest food assistance agency, working with over 3,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. According to the United Nations, about 25,000 people die each day from hunger or hunger-related causes, most of them children. To a mother or father watching a loved child die in their arms from hunger, the rice you donate is more precious than anything in the world.

Please visit the WFP website to learn more at http://www.wfp.org/.

Here for the Beer!

2008-05-26T18:46:00.006-05:00

Dad and his team - Here for the Beer - participated in the Memphis in May BBQ contest for the fourth time year and WON 3rd PLACE - again! Cole, Joe, Kim and I all went to Memphis to cheer on his team and also met Sarah P there. For those of you who don't know Sarah P, she was my roommate throughout college and is from West Memphis and her dad competes in BBQ Fest as well.

We had such a good time! We got there on Friday and hung out all evening and Saturday as well. Dad and his team submitted their ribs entry early Saturday afternoon. After that you wait for the judges's golf cart to come by - they only stop at the top three tents. As the golf cart was approaching our tent Dad refused to look and finally I started yelling at him "Dad, it's you. It's really you!" After the judges leave we had about 20 minutes to get our tent ready for the judges return to sample the ribs. We ended up winning 3rd place overall and tying for 2nd in the blind tasting. This is the second year Dad's team has won - in 2005 they won 3rd place overall and 1st in the blind tasting.

Below is a picture of Dad, Paige and I with our BBQ Fest neighbor at the Friday night party.

Cole, Kim, Joe, Sarah and I at Silky's on Beale Street Friday night.

Dad and I on Saturday waiting for the golf cart to come by!

Dad and his teammates in front of their "Here for the Beer" banner.

Uncle Mike flew into LR on Friday night and on Saturday he drove Nanny and her friend Patsy to Memphis to see Dad's team. Below is a picture of them leaving the tent on their chariot - or a golf cart.

The Original Blogging Family!

2008-05-20T22:45:00.006-05:00

I haven't seen my cousins in a couple months - but we made up for lost time. I baby-sat all three BY MYSELF and we had a good time. But, as I was running around the house and eyeing the kitchen (that's where the food is!) I realized why some moms do loose hella-weight when they have kids! They a) do run all around the house after them AND b) there is no time for you to eat! You have to take care of them first! But still we had a lot of fun!

Below is a picture of the three of them on our walk - note Kate's leotard. Too cute! Abby and I counted caterpillars the whole time and Alex was an angel.

"At commencement you wear your square-shaped mortarboards. My hope is that from time to time you will let your minds be bold, and wear sombreros."

2008-05-20T08:48:00.011-05:00

Congratulations to Cole! He graduated from the University of Arkansas on May 10th, 2008. (I'm a little late posting the blog because I had to get pictures from his family.) His degree is a Bachelor of Art in Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising and Public Relations. He's very interested in Public Relations and is pursuing a job in the Ad Agency world. But, if you catch wind that the Lakers (or Kobe or Bret Favre or Jay Cutler) are needing a PR person - let him know! :-)

It was such a fun weekend - and it was also Mother's Day weekend so we had almost our entire families up here. Cole's family came - complete with him Mom, Diddy, Dad, Grandpa, Nan, Trey, Jen, Bella and Uncle Gary. And, my mom made a visit as well. We had a very good time hosting them and having them here in Fayetteville with us.

Below is a picture of Cole and his Mom and Diddy.

Jen and Cole outside of Bud Walton.

Cole with Trey and Bella - who was on her best behavior!

Cole with his Nan and Uncle Gary.

Cole with Mom and me.

"Knockers Up!"

2008-05-04T21:43:00.009-05:00

This is what my Nanny told me when I told her to smile for the picture! But we had a good time! I went to Little Rock this weekend and of course, we went to Nanny's house on Sunday and she cooked us the best lunch. We had lots of fun. And while we were there Dad, Spencer and Braxton (our cousin who lives in Oil Trough) picked up the BBQ Fest platform (he stores it at Nanny's) since BBQ Fest is in two weeks. See, Nanny is wearing her "HERE FOR THE BEER" shirt.

Below is a picture of Spencer and me at Nanny's. Will couldn't be her this weekend (SAD!) because he was at kayak school at the Mulberry River. He was learning to do "rolls" I think. I'm not sure, I'll have to ask him about it.

And Friday night Dad, Paige and I went to Grumpy's and had a good ole time. Below are a few funny pictures of us.

That time of year again - Wedding Time!

2008-04-27T20:28:00.005-05:00

Yay! It's wedding time again. Saturday night we went to Stacey and Jarrod's wedding. The ceremony was held in Prairie Grove and the reception was in the Garden Room at the Ozark Smokehouse on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. It was a really nice evening and we had lots of fun, especially since Cole and I were actually out together. This doesn't happen all that often as he works a lot on the weekend and when he doesn't we like to have date nights. Lots of his friends were in town for the weekend and we met Kim and Joe out later, so of course we had a blast!

Above is a picture of Cole and me outside of the Garden Room during the reception.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

2008-04-24T22:20:00.002-05:00

April 10th was the opening of the 2008 inaugural season of professional baseball here in NWA! Say hello to the Naturals! CJRW does a little advertising for them and we purchased season tickets. I was lucky enough to get to go on opening night. That same day we also got to go to the Naturals luncheon before the game. Lots of yummy food (well, ballpark food) and lots of cute ball players! We look forward to many fun times eating hot dogs and drinking some brew at Arvest Field!

And on a totally unrelated note, below are a few pictures of my boys lounging around with me - that's what we do best.

Forget Showers, April Brings Friends Together!

2008-04-24T22:01:00.002-05:00

April has been a social month! I know I'm a little late on posting this (and I don't have great pictures) but we've had a couple birthday celebrations this month as well as an engagement. This, in turn, has resulted in a couple nights out with friends. Happy Birthday to Amanda and Ricky and congratulations to Erin and Manny!

Below are a couple of pictures from our fun nights out this month - and the summer has just begun!

Disney World and Universal!

2008-04-07T21:38:00.006-05:00

My Christmas present from Cole was a trip to Orlando to Universal and parts of Disney World! I'm always telling him I want to go somewhere, and constantly trying to plan a trip so that is exactly what he got me. It was so much fun! He got us tickets to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure and told me to pick a third park. I chose MGM Studios (Hollywood Studios now), but of course we also made our way to Epcot and the Magic Kingdom - although we arrived at Magic Kingdom too late to do anything. Hey, does the monorail count? :-)

On the plane there I told Cole I was more afraid of roller coasters than I had previously let on. But once we got there, we were both hooked! They didn't go upside down enough or go fast enough for us! We're already checking out Busch Garden's site because they're all about roller coasters and they're pretty crazy - maybe next year!

Below is a picture of me by the Pickle Tree in "Germany" at Epcot. Cole and I flipped out (and bought a pickle) when we saw this tree. Every year Christmas night we look for the hidden pickle in the Christmas tree at Cole's parents' house and every year we lose (Jen, his sister wins - always)! Hopefully, our new pickle will bring us better luck. The other picture below is us at Disney's Pleasure Island our first night there. This is where the phantom ESPN Zone was. I say phantom as we search all over Orlando for this place (ok, not really) and never found it. We were unaware it was right under our noses at Pleasure Island. Maybe if we had known this we wouldn't have had to eat at NBA City (see picture below of Cole and his Kobe handprint).

Welcome!

2008-04-07T21:17:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone and welcome to Tonic and Jenn. I tried to go for the interesting play on words there, I hope it worked out well - I never claimed to be a writer. I'm new at the whole blog thing but it looks interesting and I enjoy reading them, so I'm delving into my own. Thanks for stopping in and I'll be talking to you very soon!