Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Fingerprinted

So yesterday I was electronically fingerprinted. Interesting huh? Do you dare read more? Actually, it was for the school work that my firm does. There is a new Law called the Jessica Lundsford Act and all employees or vendors or anything that has to be on a school site at anytime must have clearance and fingerprinting and information on file with the school. Crazy huh? Good though-
I felt a little bit like a criminal - except I didnt stand in a line up or even have ink on my fingers. Not even handcuffed so it was a pretty mild experience. hee hee The technology is pretty cool though with the camera and this screen thing...

In Wedding News...

Welp! Things are finally falling into place. I spent the last week of February kicking my bridal butt into gear. I still have yet to really get on track with exercise so guess what the mission is for March? So as of right now we have the following checked OFF the big long list of to-dos before the big day:

Officiant-check
DJ- check
photographer-half a check (havent finalized but am 82 percent sure)
dress- located
cake and flowers- made contact
accomodations for wedding party- check check
accomodations for family- check check (one more check needed)
venue-check
food-check
chairs- getting a quote
invitations- selecting
guest list- partial

So you see - we are really getting things moving up in here! (up in here!) I have decided to brave the wedding world without a coordinator (yikes!) but I might consider hiring a lady I met with about "day of" services only.

ladi dadee we like to partee -(listening to some old school rap)

more later-

-L


Monday, February 19, 2007

Turbo JAM!

Yes, it has begun. Fitness lose weight Leslie is back in the building. I got up today and have made the first attempt at getting back into the routine. I think I am going to need some accountability here. I have to start eating right and say NO to hamburgers and pasta! So now I have decided that I will focus on diet, exercise, reading the bible, planning the wedding and cleaning the apartment. Whenever I am hungry I will do one of those things to keep me from slurping down a cappuccino cooler (which is my demise) or eating as much dinner as Kyle! What is wrong with me! I am out of control with food - but NO MORE!! you heard it here kids!
Fatty McButter Pants is out and Skinny McSoy Pants is in!

In other News...
Please keep the wedding and Kyle and I in your prayers today. We are making some important decisions about officiants and are pretty much waiting for God to say - "This is who I want to marry you".

As to the wedding, I have the following Q's for you bridesmaids:
Would you rather wear red or orange? These are my wedding colors and I am trying to decide in which direction to start looking.
Also, any flower ideas? I was thinking of orchids on the reception tables, and I kind of like cala lillies for me? I don't know anything about flowers - I would love some kind of tropical flower with some reds and oranges..any green thumbs out there know much about flowers?

On with the show:
My brain has been on lock down I think for the last few months. I realized today how much stuff I really need to be doing and yet I go home everyday to this messy apartment and lounge around and eat and watch TV. What I need to be doing is getting up early to exercise and get ready and look professional at work and not crazy from getting ready in 10 minutes and rushing our the door with a cup of cheerios. I need to take extra time for devotion and prayer so I am not a tangled bit of nerves all the time and so on Sundays when I am sitting in church I feel more like I am learning and growing as opposed to sitting there praying for a life change. I should be coming home, cleaning, eating a sensible meal - studying for my NCIDQ exam, flipping through Bridal and Interior mags and keeping in touch with friends. I should be saving money - not constantly blowing it on the next sale I run across at the mall I should avoid. I should be active and living my life and not coasting through on donuts and spaghetti and American idol. I have to keep telling myself that you dont become this organized active together person without the work. So- today my friends is the day I get it together!

Wow- that is a lot of goals for a Monday mid February! But, seriously guys- I am getting married in 9 months! I dont want Kyle marrying some fat slug with no ambition who is so scatterbrained and crazy. He should have some hot wife who takes care of herself and knows when to relax but also knows when she needs to put it in gear and take control of her life!

I would also love to write that book I have been talking about for years-
and what about monthly tid-bits?

Who am I?????????
Okay- thats a bit to far. But it is time to make some changes.


I think that is enough for today-
Happy Monday and all...that...jazz!!!!!!

-L


H-
I know you are going "okay okay, leslie! I get it! you love this show!" hee hee - but i was going to let you know that if you missed the last episode you can watch it online - here is the link.

http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing

Friday, February 16, 2007

Chick Fil-A

Okay, my diet (what diet?) is in major trouble! I have discovered a chick-fil-a in Lakeland. Woe is me. Two days in a row....

Well, another week is behind us and a great weekend ahead of us. This weekend is the annual Kiwanis Pancake Festival which one of the partners at the firm gives us tickets too. This weekend also brings new tires for my car (cha-ching)-BLAH!
And dinner with some friends on Sunday. Tonight I will do what I can to sway my sweetheart into going to a movie. I love the movies and we don't go too often but when we do I want to go all the time! Last weekend we saw "Because I said So" with Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore and Lorelai Gilmore (hee hee, Gilmore fans).

So, I must now comment on one of my fave shows that my friend Heath said was one of her faves the other day:
What about Brian?
So does anyone not love this show? I am soooo addicted. At first I was uninterested having already been caught up into sooo many shows and my DVR about to melt from recording sitcom after sitcom. (BY THE WAY: how great is it that sitcoms are back and reality TV is calming down.) So I love this show! For all you watchers out there I have a question- Do we like Bridgette? Sometimes I feel like we are supposed to and then other times I just...don't. Plus it bothers me that she did this 180 from her original character on the show. Also can I just say that Ivy is maybe my favorite. Okay- I just had to gab for a minute about my show-

Have a happy Friday Night, Saturday and Sunday-

(I am listening to "the electric slide", it just came on my music - boogie woogie woogie)

It's Electric!......

lata'-

-L

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Love stinks, yeah yeah....

(Name the movie for 15 bonus points!)


An anti-valentines dedication to those who either have no significant other or have one
but were sorely disappointed by their Valentine's Day. And a dedication to aspiring poets-

Crazy Holding On
by Mandy Turner


Once there was a man who had an orange shirt.
Once there was a girl who went out dancing in a skirt.
Once there was a park they found they fed the frantic ducks.
Once there was a couple, happy, who couldn't believe their luck.
Once they went out dancing, and a candled dinner date.
Once early in the morning she surrendered to her fate.
Once he said "I love you" and she had to love him too.
Once they had a future, happy when one and one made two.

Now they are both lonely, now they live alone.
Now he has a cold and empty (tidy) hollow home.
Now she has a fountain, tears where once there was a heart.
Now he has decided that they really have to part.
Now that he has nothing, he feels he is complete.
Now that she can't dance again, her heart weighs down her feet.
Now he thinks about her, all the memories locked away.
Now he tries so hard to forget the happy laughing days.
Is she thinking of him still?
Does she cry still, now and then?
Is she ever going to win back the man she loves again?
Is he glad it's over?
Can he get on with his life?
Is he really so very certain she would have made a useless wife?

Given all the laughter, fun and sunny times they had.
Given all the heartache, lies and times he made her mad.
Given all the tears now, the loneliness and pain.
Given all the risks, would she do it all again?

Can he really say that he won't want her back one day?
Can he really like his life now better in this way?
Can he forget her face, the mess, the giggles and the love?
Can he find someone else to love him more than she could love?

If she really loved him, he said she'd let him go.
If he understood her feelings then he would know that it's not so.
If he were less stubborn, if she could care much less.
If they had never spoken there wouldn't be this sorry mess.

But time has taken prisoners, their lives are now entwined.
But even if they never meet again, the past is not left behind.But can she start all over? Just forget him and move on?
But even if she can, will he be glad with what he's won?

Is that really what he wants, to never see her smiling face again?
Will it make him happy, will he live on without pain?
Will he be thinking of her, is he too proud to cry?
Will it wrench his heart in two if he sees her kiss another guy?
And can she forgive his faults, and accept him as he is.

She wants to have him back and say there's nothing to forgive.
He's told her that she's crazy, that he may never want her back.
She's told him that she loves him and though its a risk, she'll live with that.
She wants him to live with patience, to give him time to heal.
The past is not yet over and it's left a scar so real.
We don't choose who we can love, and love doesn't really die.
You can find it in your heart again, I love you, so please try.



Who knows why we feel the way we feel. No, my Valentines wasn't so bad - it just was more sour than sweet. We all have those days. Happy post-heart day kiddos-

-Sleepless in the South

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Love is in the air.....

"Love knows no limit to it's endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything." 1 Corinthians 13:8

Happy Valentines all of you mushy love-birds! And Happy Singles Day to the others who are taping their exes pictures to punching bags.

So, first a mini-valentine to my funny valentine, Kyle. I love you sooo much honey! Can't wait to see you tonight and I am still trying to figure out the clues to my gift. Anyone got an idea? It's partially green and it's the title of a song. Yeah..I have no idea either. What is green? Grass and celery.

I hope everyone has a special and romantic day with their loved one whether they are staying at home eating hamburgers and watching a chick flick, taking a hot air balloon ride at twilight, or picnicing on the beach, or the old romantic tradition of dinner and a movie. I'll give one guess as to which we are doing!

Hugs and Hearts and all that "yucky love stuff".

(10 points if you can name the movie!)

-L

Monday, February 12, 2007

Tofu for me? Tofu for you!

"Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty--beneath its covering--that you will
find that earth but cloaks your heaven"
-Fra Giovanni

I think I post this every Febuary 12th as I have been using the same quote calendar since high school. cuz, you know that was like a millenium ago...

So, yes lately my blogs have been few and far between. Life has really been crazy lately and especially this weekend cuz it was Kyle's birthday. I am still trying to convince him that a birthday needs more than one day of celebration. Thankfully he liked my gift ( I was defintely nervous) - I got him a black leather recliner (clearly I am marrying an old man). No one has ever loved a gift more or at least made me feel like he loved it. It was fun and tonight I am going to decorate the cake I made him and we are going to have a mini party just us - as we celebrated last night with friends at P.F. Changs the supreme birthday celebrating place. I seem to remember several good celebrations there in the past.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE and I can't wait til' Valentines!

So, here is what has been going on in the realm of Leslie

For the last two weeks I have been absorbed in two books. The bookclub agreed to read THE SHINING (oooohhhh!!! oooooo!) and while at the book store I happened upon a cute little Jane Austen esque' novel and immediately was absorbed in it. By the next weekend I was ravenous for the sequel which meant I was back to Barnes and Noble in search of it. Great books - an author basically took pride and prejudice and wrote novels on the supposed lives of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's 5 daughters. Really good if you like that old Englishy type of book. So finally I am onto THE SHINING (ooooohhh!!! ooooo!) although I looked longingly at the other book I bought at Barnes and Noble (which needs a nickname by the way) which is Don Quixote which I am really excited about!!!! So that is where I have been lately - with my nose in a book.
Also I have been planning Kyles birthday stuff, staring at Bridal magazines, and planning Valentines Day fun as well.

well, I better get back work-I promise I will try to get back into some kind of blogging routine and not become a walking library if I can help it.

-L

Oh yeah, you probably want the Tofu story right? So, we were sitting at the bar at PF Changs waiting for our friends to arrive when this guy sitting next to us and Kyle start chatting (this happens everywhere with Kyle- he's that guy- hee hee.) so this guy is from Montreal, yada yada yada...he gets his food and Kyle asks what it is and it is Tofu with some Sechuan sauce. Kyle makes some comment about how he has never tried it and before we know it we have plates of tofu. This nice canadian insists that we try the tofu. Who does this? Well, it was pretty funny and the Tofu really wasn't too bad. I would order it if I suddenly became anti chicken.

I have always wanted to end a blog with the words, "anti chicken"

oops!

anti chicken.


Friday, February 02, 2007

M.I.A.

So my last blog was the Tuesday before last - and suddenly here we are in February! Sorry I have been out of commission fellow bloggers - I tend to do my blogging at work in free time or at lunch and I have been insanely busy lately (a flip from the last month of doing nothing but planning the wedding from 8 to 5). It is a relief to have work - but of course it is exhausting and I just have not been online at all, even though I sit at a computer all day. But, here I am with a few moments and I thought I would blog a bit. But, soon I will have to stop blogging around and get back to work. hee hee, the word "blog" is fun.

So, not much has happened since we last spoke. Sorry for leaving the RANT up for so long (in black type too, how uncouth of me!) - its depressing just looking at it. So far the situation is over but honestly it is far from resolved. I have learned an interesting thing about myself though and I don't really think it is a good thing. I am totally Intolerant. If someone loses my respect, then its like I just wipe the slate clean and move on. I mean not if I was invested in these people but, just that they aren't sorry and show no intention of change and the only thing dicussed in length was everyone trying to make it sound better than it was. I have been accused of over reacting but the truth is that what happened is something I will not tolerate in my life. So, thats it for me. I am completely intolerant with certain situations. Of course in the future and even now I hold no ill will towards them, I am just choosing to take a different path, one that goes in a different direction than theirs. I will see them on Sundays and that will be all there is, a friendly nod and a smile.

On wedding news-
We have as I said before chose the place and day for the BIG DAY. And now I have come to
a screeching halt as far as wedding planning goes. I need a break. I think I have a bit of time to kick back and relax - I need some diversion.

A few prayer requests- ( I never thought of doing this but what a great place!)
Please keep my Mom in your prayers as she is having some health troubles and is worried.
My brother is in Canada working for a few months with his company. Eh? He is away from his little wifey and they could both use some prayers as it is hard to be apart for so long.
Dad could use prayers too as he continues to recover from his knee replacement surgery.
On the good news side -
Kyle's test results came back on a skin issue and it was benign so all is well there.
Please keep Kyle and I both in your prayers as far as our relationship with God and each other .
Also our lifegroup situation and where God wants us to be with our church.

Well, I wish everyone a good weekend and a very Happy Groundhog's Day of course!


Has anyone NOT seen The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet...and Jude Law?
If not then you should run not walk to the theater! Fun link below-

Go to this link, enter the site, and click on Make a Movie Trailer of Your Life (very fun)
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/theholiday/

Here's mine!
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/theholiday/site/playSlideShow.php?id=110785

(note: I saw this forever ago- I am just getting around to talking about it)


Lots of love from the land of tornadoes,hurricanes,shark,alligators and of course...

yours truly,

-L