The best day of the year!

Christmas? No.

My birthday? No (but eesh, that's only a week away)

The day the pool is finally warm enough to swim in? No.

So what is it?

Opening Day for the Orlando Magic!


I love my Gators. I love my Steelers. I love my Orioles. But there is something about the NBA that makes it superbly awesome. Maybe it's because MLB has it's steriod scandal, and the NFL is a thug showcase. Not that the NBA is full of angels, haha. Not even close. But I love some good basketball. And so does Tim (obviously, he lives and breathes it at every level). The Magic are the 1 team that Tim and I totally share as our above-all, bleed silver, black and blue 4ever team. He has his Noles/Red Sox/Patriots, I have my Gators/Steelers/O's, but we both have the Magic. (Though even I can admit, it is hard to match the aura of college football, especially SEC college football)

Tonight is the last ever Opening Night at the "O-Rena" (Amway Arena). Next year, after 21 seasons, we move into the crazy-awesome Amway Events Center. It will be a bittersweet year for me. I will probably cry often. Yes, I'm a doofus that cries over sports (I bawled when they retired Larry Bird's number, went into shock when Bill Cowher retired, and sobbed when they took down Three Rivers Stadium and Memorial Stadium).

The Magic played their first ever game on November 4, 1989. My 9th birthday! I got a basketball franchise for my birthday, what'd you get? Hehe.

This is also our first year as season ticket holders! We're splitting them with 3 other couples/friends, but still. All my life, I've wanted to be an Orlando Magic Season Ticket Holder. And now I am. I'm finally a grown up!

I watched the $%^*# Lakers get their rings last night. Coulda been, shoulda been us. That Kobe and his little smirky smile. I wanted to smack it off his face. Oooh, did I say that out loud? How unladylike of me.

So tonight we'll be there to watch our Eastern Conference Championship banner be raised to the rafters, and hopefully to witness the start of an amazing, record breaking season.

Go Magic!

How can it be the last week in October?

Seriously?

I need to make a better effort to post more than once a week. You should see my "dashboard" though. I start a million posts and, for a variety of reasons, never publish them.

What a week it will be! Tonight, my sister and I are going in for a looong overdue appointment with our "hair jazzer". I had blissfully forgotten just how "dishwater" blonde my hair really is. But these roots cannot be ignored anymore.

Tim is taking Miss Moonbeam into the vet for her last round of puppy shots tonight. Sigh. She is growing up too fast.

Wednesday starts the NBA season and marks the first game we'll attend as season ticket holders! Sooo exciting. There is nothing better than basketball! Go Magic!

Friday is Tim's co-worker's halloween party. I am not the biggest fan of Halloween. Those "halloween costumes" they sell in the special halloween stores they set up in vacant K-Marts? They are for sale year round at Premiere Adult Factory Outlet. Seriously. Do not ask me how I know this. Just take my word.

There is very little "middle ground" when it comes to women's halloween costumes. I was going to try to be a flapper or a 50's girl (period dress is always fun, right?) but time got away from me. I found an old costume I bought years ago and never wore. It's a "genie" costume---exactly like "I Dream of Jeannie". It's cute without being skanky. However, I'm not big on showing my tummy, so I will continue to brainstorm. Years ago, I remember a friend and her boyfriend went as "Homecoming King and Queen". Super easy and really cute. Maybe we can do that.

Beauty Blurbs

Top of the morning to y'all. It was a busy weekend, I'd like a nap right about now. But the Gators and Steelers won, so it was a good good time! And really, I must give Mother Nature "3 cheers" for the weekend weather she gave us! It'll be back up to the mid 80s in no time, but I loved that brief chill.

Today, my jumbled thoughts all seem to be of the beauty variety. Let's talk.

* Last Wednesday, I placed a long overdue order with 8ty8beauty.com. I still haven't received a shipping confirmation. That drives me batty. Apparently, I am not alone. According to the ladies on the MakeupAlley Nail Board, their customer service has slacked off since I last ordered from them. Hmm. I usually shop with Trans Design, but they still don't have the China Glaze glitter polishes in. And I neeeeed some bling for my nails (don't you?)

* I have no will power and caved on the MAC holiday stuff. I ordered the Sorceress eye shadow palette and Viva Glam lip palette. They are gorgeous. Happy early birthday to me! (I shop at Old Navy so I can afford fancy-pants makeup. We all have our priorities.)

* Speaking of MAC, I know a lot of bloggers out there loooove Lilly. (Me? In moderation. Maybe if I were taller than 5 feet and wasn't constantly getting mistaken for a student at the high school where my husband coaches, I'd be more comfortable dressed like an Easter egg. But I have purchased several Lilly-fabric headbands on ebay/etsy and love them.) Here's something I think is pretty darn adorable: MAC does Lilly!
Check out Temptalia's site for info and pictures of MAC in Lillyland!
January 7, 2010 is the release date. Seems like an unlikely pairing, doesn't it? MAC may be a little "out there" sometimes, but their quality is top notch so I'm sure the products will be fabulous. They make some awesome pinks, so this is something to look forward to even for the non-fanatic. Save those Christmas gift cards!

* And one last beauty blurb: Would my co-worker PLEASE stop trimming her nails at her desk?! The sound is making me feel ill. It's really loud, like the noise the clippers make when you're not careful to "catch" the nail and it goes flying? I am afraid what I might see if I go in her office. NOT work appropriate.

Weekend Update

Blip #1: I'm back from Duck, NC! *quack quack* I'm in love with the Outer Banks. It was a fantastic time. Absolutely wonderful. 14 of us all together for something fun for the first time since, oh, 1987. Highlights of the week included: shopping at The Cotton Gin, lunch/beer at the Weeping Radish, endless games of pool, watching my brother in law go through 2 books of matches trying to light a pipe, kahlua milkshakes, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, and playing with my adorable 2 year old cousin (my cousin's daughter). And, for what it's worth, the rest of the family thought the white polo/khakis idea was as lame as I did, so my cousin gave up on that. It was also very strange to share a beer with a cousin who, "just" 21 years earlier, you fed a bottle to. I'm old, lol. Family bonding at it's finest!


Blip #2: TEEEEBOWWW!!!!! Get better! Ohmygoodness, did my heart practically stop when he didn't get up after that hit! I hope he'll be better in 2 weeks in time for LSU, but if not, I hope he and the coaching/medical staff have the good sense to keep him out of the game. (And honestly, did they need to show every time a Gator barfed? We were trying to eat dinner, thanks ESPN)


Blip #3: TROOOOOY!!! Get better! Mr. Polamalu, my Steelers NEED you. I need you. My overall happiness depends on an effective Steel Curtain. And besides, unicorns and kittens cry when the Steelers lose to the Bengals and Bears.


Blip #4: Does anyone have any recipes for carambola/star fruit? My co-worker just brought me in a bunch from her tree. We're talking 2 dozen of these puppies.

And definitely not a "blip", but Friday marked one year since we lost mom. I'm definitely glad I decided to make the trip to NC so I'd be with Dad and Sis. It was a rough day, but it was a little easier because we had lots of great people and things around to distract us. The 3 of us took a beach walk that night (something mom loved to do when she was able) and talked a bit. Mainly, we just talked about how mom ("real" mom, before she was sick) would have loved the beachhouse and would have had umpteen comments about the Annapolis-branch of the family (if you can't tell from the portrait-drama, they're a little more uppity than we are). In some ways it seems like it's been eons since September 25, 2008. In other ways, it seems like it all just happened. I feel like I've made a lot of progress since then. I do feel generally happier than even a few months ago and I know that'd make mom happy. But sometimes I flash back to being in that hospital room, and I just can't get myself out. It's not even so much that I wish she was still here, because I know if she was she'd be miserable. I just want to talk to her. I don't even need to see her so much; it'd be enough if I could just call her. It's so strange to realize we've come to a point where I can't think, "at this time last year, mom and I were ____". It's hard to just suck up being sad sometimes, because I feel like I need to be strong and not drag my family down (they're sad enough without needing to worry about me...I know that's not how I should feel, but it is). I have very few friends who I feel truly comfortable talking to, and even then I feel like I can only dump on them so much, ya know? So that's why I blog. :) Cheap therapy!

Love ya mama (though remembering how you scoffed at/shunned the internet, I highly doubt you're reading blogs in heaven, heh)

The Knitty Gritty

Ok. Now, I know Rome wasn't built in a day. I know I will not become an expert at knitting in one afternoon.

But honestly, after an entire afternoon of practicing one stitch, I'd like to think I'd be able to do it. I don't even mean do it quickly. All I'm hoping for is to be able to do it, period.

Continental cast-on: we have much more time to spend together, it seems.

We're not conceited...

...we're just better than you.



All the other teams are just jealous. Big green eyed monsters, they are. Heck, all the other conferences are jealous: behold the splendor that is the SEC. (Although, where would I get my laughs if the Big Ten wasn't always whining about how much better they are?)

That's enough from you, Mr. Lame Kiffin! Put up, or shut up.

Me and my fightin' words... :) I've got on my blue-and-orange boxing gloves, dontcha know? I talk a mean game.

I'm off to grill some hot dogs. Have a fabulous college football Saturday!

Phamily Photo

Next week, (nearly) my entire family is going to meet up in North Carolina for an Outer Banks family reunion. We haven't all gotten together like this since our trips to Sanibel Island back in the 80's, so this is special.

However, can I tell you what is NOT special about this trip?

My cousin sent out an email this morning. She has arranged for a photographer to come and shot a family portrait of her, her husband and their little girl. She has also decided that she wants to do a huge entire-family portrait.

That's not the bad part. Family pictures are great, and the last one we had is from 1987. The bad part is that we have a dress code.

"I'd really like for everyone to pack khaki shorts or pants, and a white oxford or polo shirt".

And just like that: our cool, laid back, sarcastic, easy-going family has become that family.

I know I know I know...I'm weird. I just think the whole "matching family thing" is geeky. I find portraits like that irritating to no end. My apologies for offending the millions of Americans who love that stuff. It's just one of those things.

Also...good luck convincing our 21 year old cousin, Merry, to go along with this. Merry is either Goth or Emo, I'm not sure which (kids these days, you know...I just can't keep up with the trends). She dresses up for "ComicCon" and writes bad poetry and wears smudgy black eyeliner and frumpy, unattractive Goodwill finds. (I try to wear as much pink as possible around her, I think it makes her uncomfortable). If Merry plays along with this, it will all be worth it just to have it documented in black and white (or khaki and white, as it may be).

(I obviously get my disdain for the matchy-matchy-family-thing from my father, since he just responded to all asking if we should also pack our Bibles and beanies...you go, Dad!)



PS: If it makes it on to Awkward Family Photos I will totally post the link. Shame, what shame?

PPS: I'm not whining, really. I've just got a maaajor case of eye-roll going on, and I need to get it out of my system.