I have a doctor’s appointment every week from now until the end of the year. And two some weeks! Agghh!! I am so thankful that my company works with me on all my appointments. That’s a HUGE help. No, there’s nothing wrong with me. Well, not physically anyway. 😉 I am going to therapy once a week to get over my fear of flying. I don’t know if I’ve shared that information on here, but there it is. “Hi, my name is Sherri and I go to a therapist.” I love it. She specializes in phobias, but I’m free to talk about whatever. And let me tell you, after some of the days at work I have (the issues, not the company or co-workers), I love to let off some steam. But yes, she’s teaching me how to better deal with my insane fear of flying. I’ve decided though that I’m going to need a little help for trip to AZ in October. Did ya hear that? Ari-freakin-zona. That’s like across the country! So, in addition to my usual therapy appt next week, I get to go visit my primary doctor to get some bloodwork and get some uppers. I jest. I’m actually getting some downers. I hope they help. I really didn’t want to turn to pills (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but the trip is right around the corner and that crash in KY set me back about 7 sessions. Has anyone else had experience with this or any phobia that you got meds for? I tried Xanax once for a flight and nada. I’m going to try something different this time…not sure what. Just something to get me through the flight there and back. Any thoughts or advice on these meds would be greatly appreciated.

I’m watching/listening to Celebrity Duets. Have you guys seen this? It’s like American Idol for old people. I am no singer, so I can’t really say much….but I’m going to anyway. What the ??!? Some of these “celebrities” can’t carry a tune in a bucket. I give them tons of kudos for having the guts to do it – much like karaoke singers in bars – but still. It’s national television. I’m also amazed at some of the singers that perform with them. Belinda Carlisle was on tonight and she looks EXACTLY THE SAME! Unbelievable. Wynona…still beautiful, albeit bigger than I remember. Yes, I can say that b/c I’m a big girl, too. 🙂 There’s no shame in it….although I am on that diet, remember? How’s that going you ask? Uh, don’t. Let’s just say I haven’t GAINED any weight. Does that count? I think so. All of the girls in it are pretty much in the same boat, although we are trying. And then we have a really crappy. trying day at work and order Chinese. Way to go, us! Back to Celebrity Duets….have you seen Lucy Lawless on there? She’s blonde and almost unrecognizable. Wow. I haven’t decided if I like it better…I tend to lean towards darker hair on anyone (celebrities included), but that’s just me. Like on Reese, Drew, Scarlett, Sarah Jessica….I tend to like their dark styles more. I’m rambling. Someone STOP me!

Monday was a fun shopping day. Hit the Galleria for some sales. Good stuff! Oh! And had the best steak of my life. (and I am not a steak person. At all. I eat it about once a year and that’s only if I’m at a place known for steaks. You wanna know why? Because I always get gristle. It never fails. Never. So, I stay away from steak.) Ashley and I went to Michael’s Steak & Seafood on Galleria Circle for lunch and it was amazing. I had the prime rib…it was good. Nothing spectacular. But Ashley’s Delmonico was the BOMB! If you like steak and are in the Bham/Galleria area, check it out. Order the Delmonico. You won’t be disappointed (I hope). And they give you a cinnamon roll with the bread. Forget desert..that thing was amazing! The odd part of the meal came when the server gave us her business card at the end of her meal and told us to ask for her if we came back. It was very nice, but strange. On her card it says “Professional Server.” I’m sure it’s for private parties and such, but it’s got Michael’s logo on it and everything.

Tuesday night we saw the Goo Goo Dolls and the Counting Crows at Oak Mountain. The Goo Goo Dolls were awesome! They played all their hits and a few off the latest album. I really enjoyed them. Johnny Reznick is just HOT. There was a strange part of the concert when a guitarist took over vocals for a few unknown songs and he sounded like a pre-pubescent Froggy off The Little Rascals. But we recovered. We couldn’t figure out if Johnny was sick or something because he didn’t hit any of the high notes either. The Counting Crows were awful. That really bothered me, because I had never seen them and was really looking forward to my first Crows experience. The lead singer (Adam?) was obviously wasted, high or something. He came out cussing and being extremely pessemistic. It was an all ages show so I felt bad for the parents with kids in the audience. It was “F this” and “F that.” And how he was so depressed. Then they launched into song after song that I had never heard of. After about 12 unknown songs and getting 1/2 beer spilled on me from above, I was ready to go. Ashley was about to fall asleep so it was all good. We headed out and found a foosball (sp?) table where we stopped to play a few games. We finally heard “Long December” so the night wasn’t a complete waste. And just for the record, Samantic..you WILL be going to a concert. And yes, I will drag you kicking and screaming. Be afraid.

I am just being totally negative about stuff tonight, aren’t I? I have no idea why. I don’t mean to…I’m just telling it like I see it. Who knows. I’m not in a bad mood nor am I pissy tonight. I’m actually in a great mood. I created this nifty little photo album at the Kodak Gallery store (www.kodakgallery.com) last week and it came in Tuesday. I must say that it’s awesome. If you have never done this, I highly recommend it. You pick out your album – the cover, color, font, pictures and get to write captions, a dedication, everything. They print it, bind it, etc. and ship it to you. It’s a great keepsake and isn’t that expensive.

Now….(wait for it)….the song of the day. It’s an old, but a goodie. One that EVERYONE knows. Sing it anyway. Go on…you know you want to:

Here’s the story of a lovely lady,
Who was bringing up three very lovely girls.
All of them had hair of gold, like their mother,
The youngest one in curls.

It’s the story of a man named Brady,
Who was busy with three boys of his own.
They were four men living all together,
Yet they were all alone.

Til the one day when the lady met this fellow,
And they knew that it was much more than a hunch,
That’s this group would somehow form a family,
That’s the way they became the Brady Bunch.

Ooooh, that’s a great word. Manifesto. No one uses that great word anymore. I wonder why. I did hear “attain” the other day and thought, “Why don’t people use that word in everyday talk anymore?” Manifesto would have to be another one. So, for those of you who don’t know what a manifesto is, it is “a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.” Thank you to Merriam-Webster online for that one (www.m-w.com). I go there religiously…not because I don’t know how to spell, but because it’s a great site to get educated..they have these great ‘words of the day’ and it’s always fun to learn something new. And that’s what we’re all about here at Lucky to Know You. Teaching, learning WITH you. I digress….

My Labor Day Manifesto: I shall not be sad that Labor Day marks the end of summer, per se. I shall not be sad that today is my grandmother’s birthday and she passed away a few months ago. And I shall not be sad that we lost Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter today. No, I’m not being sarcastic on that one (hard to believe, right?). Steve brought me tons of entertainment and education as a younger person and I will miss him. He was barbed in the heart by a stingray this morning while swimming too close to one. Ouch. Poor Steve. And the kids. You know…it’s always sadder (is that a word? Sometimes I question myself) when children are involved. This holds true for many things….death, divorce, date night. 😉 But yes, he has 2 little ones and that’s very sad. Thank you for the fun afternoons, Croc Hunter. Crikey!

So yes, not that I’m dwelling (I’m trying hard to be upbeat), but today may be a bit of a downer for me. The upside? I’m going to hit some of the Labor Day sales today and maybe come off a dollar or two and get some great bargains. Still…..I miss you, grandma. And I love you.

My weekend has been R&R thus far. Nothing but it, actually. Friday night was good times with Kelly coming over for dinner and to pick out wedding music (for her, not me!). She’s getting married next month and we dredged through 3000 songs on my iPod to see what we could come up with for the reception. I had a blast. Thanks, KK! Saturday, I think I spent most of the day lying on my pull-out bed in the living room. Sleep felt good. That night, Ashley and I went over to my boss’ house to watch the AU game. I don’t have ESPN2 and ze’ boss was kind enough to let me mooch while she was at the TN game. Go Tigers and Vols! Most of yesterday was spent again on the pull-out couch, vegging. I did go to Hooters for lunch with Sonya, Tracy and Ashley. That was a grand lunch. And then headed back home to crawl upon the bed again. Ash and I watched Forest Gump last night. Man, that was a great movie. I haven’t seen it since it first came out. I forgot how much I enjoyed it. And like I said, today I’m hitting the outlet malls in Bessemer (Watermark or something). I’m pretty excited to see what all is there. And Belk is also having a sale on suits ($299 down to $99) for anyone who’s interested. That’s my Labor Day. Hopefully, it will keep my mind off grandma. I’ll just boo hoo all day if I don’t do something.

Since we’re in need of a lift, here’s a happy song that I used to love when I was little.

La la la la la la
Sing a happy song
La la la la la la
Smurf the whole day long.

Next time you’re feeling blue
Just let a smile begin.
Happy things will come to you
{Smurfette: So smurf yourself a grin!}
{Gargamel: Oooo I hate smurfs! I’ll get you, I’ll get all of you if its the last thing I ever do! He he he he haaa!}

La la la la la la
Now you know the tune,
Youll be smurfing soon!

“She-ra, She-ra!

SPOKEN:
I am Adora.
He-man’s twin sister and defender of the Crystal Castle.
This is Spirit, my beloved steed. Fabulous secrets were revealed to me the day I held aloft my sword and said: “For the Honor of Greyskull!”

She-ra, She-ra . . . She-ra . . . She-ra, She-ra . . . I am She-ra!

SPOKEN:
Only a few others share this secret. Among them are Light Hope, Madame Razz, and Kowl. Together, we and my friends of the Great Rebellion strive to free Esteria from the evil forces of Horde!

She-ra, She-ra!”

And you can watch it here:

http://www.retrojunk.com/details_theme/54

Thanks to Retrojunk for that! Man, that brings back memories….

Enjoy, Sam! 🙂

So you wouldn’t think that it would take me 4 days to recuperate from our annual beach trip. Ah, but it has. Lol. Well, it has taken me that long to catch up on my lost sleep. Not positive I’m all caught up, but much better than I was Monday or Tuesday. I felt like I got hit by a Mack truck…pretty sure I looked like it, too.

Before I go any further, a huge thank you to Tomma for planning it and making it so much fun! I had the best time I think I’ve ever had at the beach (and I’ve been on a lot of beach trips). I know I vegged out a lot compared to the other girls, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t having a good time. I just needed to relax and rejuvenate on this trip, as opposed to my usual party self. So, thank you Tomma. It was amazing!

We Birmingham gals arrived Thursday night after hitting the local Publix for some sustenance. Some of the other gals were already at A.J.’s and my riding companions hit The Back Porch for dinner. I stayed back with Anna and caught up with her over a yummy turkey sandwich. Friday was spent on the beach. It was so nice – very windy and lots of fun waves. It sprinkled one time, but that was it. And we saw a beautiful rainbow while we there. We actually saw a few. Friday was recuperating for some (the all night A.J.’ers the night before) and just lazing for the rest of us – although I did get a workout fighting to keep my balance when the waves hit. A couple girls lost their sunglasses. That evening, we ordered pizza from Merlins (another great idea, Tomma!) and then headed to Howl at the Moon – my favorite beach nightspot. We 16 chicks had a grand time at Howl at the Moon. We were able to get Tomma, Connie and Jas on stage at different times and the pianists/band did a great job embarrassing the stew out of them. Except for Connie. She loved showing off her non-existent camel toe when they sang her “The Camel Toe” song. Jas was a stripper and Tomma has the cutest ‘baby face’ you’ve ever seen. Some of the girls walked over the The Swamp after HATM. The rest of us crashed back at the condos. Let me say one thing about the condos – AWESOME! They were two adjoining condos that slept 8 people each with a door between them that we could open when we felt like wandering in the other girls’ room. Saturday I chilled out in the condo all day while the rest of the group headed down to the beach. I am very fair skinned and even though I bought SPF 70 (yup, 70) while I was down there, I didn’t want to take any chances. I went to the beach back in May and got like 2nd degree burns (with sunscreen!). So, Liz and I piddled around the condo all day and had a blast catching up with each other. We headed down to the pool in the late afternoon and then got ready for another night out. We all ate at Harbor Docks that night. I wasn’t impressed with anything but the appetizer, but you live and learn, right? Maybe I just got the wrong thing. Some of the girls went back to A.J.s after that to hear the band from Thursday night again. The rest of us headed back to the condo to relax. I watched ‘Dazed and Confused’ with Sally and had a great time getting to know her better. Good times. Sunday we at iHop before heading back home. It was a great trip and I can’t wait for next year.

I don’t have any big plans for the Labor Day weekend. I’m resting and relaxing yet again because I will be going going going for the next 2 months. So, this weekend will be cleaning, watching movies and reading. What is everyone else doing for Labor Day weekend? I wore my white shoes today because I knew it would be the last time. Sniff, sniff. I jest. I HATE these things.

I’m terribly behind on the song of the day, but we’ll pick back up today. Enjoy!

“Here we are, face to face
a couple of Silver Spoons.
Hopin to find, we’re two of a kind
making a go, making it grow.

Together, we’re going to find our way.
Together, taking the time each day.

To learn all about those things you just can’t buy.
Two Silver spoons together.
You and I together
(We’re going to find our way)
You and I together
(We’re going to find our way)
You and I together.”

You can listen to it here:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/silverspoonscd.wav
Thank you to Tim’s TV Showcase for that link!

I used to love that show….

Sam – welcome!!! Thanks for the add on MySpace.

Ashley and I went to see the Broadway show ‘Mamma Mia’ – the traveling troupe – Tuesday night. They performed in Huntsville at the Von Braun Concert Hall. This was my first time seeing ‘Mamma Mia’ and my first time to Huntsville. I nearly crashed when I saw the Space Center….up until now it was just a mythical camp that we, as children, wanted to go to more than anything in the world.

I’m sure I was on the outskirts of Huntsville or something. Actually, we might have been downtown, but it was quite small so I don’t think so. I do know that it was kind of “ghetto-y.” Yes, I just made up another word. I tend to do that, along with Ashley. I would have to check my book (yes, I keep a book of all these new words…”my” dictionary, if you will), but I know we’ve made up ‘caxi’ – cab and tax, ‘scollege’ – school and college, and now ghetto-y. And you can’t challenge me, because this isn’t Scrabble.

Back to the show. It was amazing. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend going. Even if you have seen it, go again. It’ll definitely make you dance around in your seat. I’m not giving you details other than it contains all ABBA songs (if you didn’t know). For you disco-goers out there, that’s reason enough to grab some tickets. But, in our show, the acting was amazing, as well. The singing, the orchestra, everything. I thought the venue was a little old and the acoustics weren’t as good as they could have been, but that’s not the performers’ faults. I do believe we saw it opening night too, and it went off without a hitch. If it comes back to Montgomery I’m taking everyone I know…including my dad who loves ABBA!

In other breaking news, Pluto is no longer a planet. What is the world coming to when they start reneging on planets??

In even more breaking news, I’m leaving for the beach today. WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!! That’s all I can say about that until I get back. But, once again…WOO FREAKIN’ HOO!!!!

That being said, I won’t be back online until Monday or so. I’ll have an update and pictures when I get back. I’ll have a drink for ya’ll!

(PS – I don’t time to proof this. If it has typos, I’m sorry!)