Week of May 17th...You're getting the PINK SLIP!

Dear Week of May 17th,

I regret to inform you (not really) that you are to be dismissed as of 3:00 PM this afternoon. (Thornton's going home early!) I am very disappointed in the way you turned out and I am letting you go and hope that you do not return next week to work.

From Sunday morning to find out not so good news from Athens, to the pile of work that consumed my desk the ENTIRE work week, you are no longer welcome. We can't forget how you brought the slamming of my thumb in my desk drawer on Wednesday which completely sent my moodiness/funk this week to an all time high. (Chase REALLY doesn't like you now!)

No Week of May 17th, I'm not going to miss you. In fact, once I leave my office, I hope that you will pack your things and leave. In fact, the Weekend of May 23rd is being welcomed with open arms and taking over your position effective immediately. The weekend has much more to offer than you brought to the table. She brings good food, good friends, beer and the lake. I will bask in the sun (should it decide to join the fun) and forget all about you.

Week of May 17th, you're getting the pink slip!!!
Salut, Adieu, Auf Wiedersehen, αντίο, adiós, sayonara, GOOD BYE!!!!

Cordially,
Alice

PS. You did bring good things on Thursday, as I enjoyed my lunch with Rachel and Ali!

Dramatic Death of an Armadillo

A few weeks ago, I was having an interesting conversation on the way home from the beach with a few friends...armadillos. Before this Kentucky girl moved down to Alabama, I was only accustomed to the opossum laying on the side of the road, dead from someone plowing over them with their big, tricked-out, redneck truck. Well, Alabama has those too, but they also have ARMADILLOS...and big tricked out trucks. (I moved from redneck to a greater redneck region.)

I have a weird love-hate, fascination with armadillos. Because I am still getting use to them lying dead on the side of the road, they always seem to catch my eye. These disgusting vermin truly gross me out to no end. I'm not sure if it's because they are lying dead on the side of the road, or that it's their scaly, banded body. Either way, they make me dry heave.

I was driving home up Interstate 65 to visit my family this weekend in Kentucky, and to pass time, Winston and I counted dead armadillos on the side of the road. (Forget the license plate game!) It was then that I discovered my first analyzation of an armadillo. They are pure drama queens. Yes, a drama queen. (See example at in at the top of this blog.)

I mean really, why is it that all of them lie on their backs, feet up in the air and head slumped over to the side like a child pretending in a game of "Dead Man, Dead Man?" Perhaps it's something they learn in school...theatre class. Give em' a fainting couch and they'd be set. Nonetheless, they're completely going overboard!

So next time you're in the deep South, watch out for those armadillo corpses. They're bound to have you slightly fascinated or dry heaving in your family puke pail.

I want a pair of waders....

Yes, it's true....for some reason I have decided that I need a pair of wading boots. No, I don't fly fish or hunt, but I figure I spend enough time out at the lake or the riv-uh that I need a pair. I saw a pair in the back of Chase's car yesterday and they were unfortunately too big. Maybe I can get Hunter to find me a cool green pair or something when he's out on the road.

The weekend was great....we had a blast with Chase's family. Chase and I went down on Thursday evening to get things ready by getting an early start on cooking and installing a new airconditioner. On Friday, Eddie, Barbie, Bree the chocolated lab and Hunter and his crew came down. We ate and headed up to our friends, the Barron's house for their elaborate fireworks show. The could seriously compete with "Fireworks on Red Mountain" in Birmingham. If you only knew the pyro-technics behind the show... We ended up assembling our new patio gazebo on Saturday. Maybe that's where I should start by telling you about my series of accidents throughout the weekend. Might I add that none of these involved alcohol believe it or not.

Saturday morning: Fell backwards out of a chair off the deck and on a hill. Resulted in great roars of laughter from my husband, his mom and me. I had a nice bruise to go with the storytelling. It's huge, I'm telling ya. Later that evening, I was helping install the canopy over the gazebo and bent down to tie something and knocked a knot on my forehead. Later on I burned my hand on the bread pan. To top it off....my clumsy little dog fell into the water and bless his little heart, couldn't figure out how to resurface.

Despite the accidents, we were all able (and by all, I meant me, Chase, Hunter, Valerie, Madison, Bree and Winston (the dogs) to participate in the Brushy Creek Community, 12th annual, Forth of July Boat Parade. We weren't able to get things decorated like we would have wanted, but leave it to two interior designers to come up with a few things. We had the time of our lives!

On a side note from the weekend's activities, today is Winston's one year adoption anniversary. It's hard to believe that we have had the little guy a whole year! Yeay Winston! We celebrated last night over ice cream, Winston included!

Winston and Chase in the new gazebo!

Cute Madison with her impromptu "Lady Liberty" crown.

Playing on the boat.....as you can see, Winston is not too far away!