Music City, Y'all

I will be visiting my beautiful baby sister in Nashville this weekend, and I leave today! I am so excited to see her and this is my first time visiting her in Nashville. She has been there almost a year so I am hoping she has a good plan for us! I would like to check out the Grand Ole' Opry and other music venues, along with getting some grub and visiting some architecture, I think I am in for a grand ole' time! ;)

See ya soon sis!

Legless Lizard - Posing Like a Snake!

My husband and I were mowing our new lot last weekend for the first time. It was a land-mine field filled with fire ant hills and snakes! Or so we thought.

I was pushing my mower through a particularly thick patch of clover when this came slithering out...

Yes, I screamed. Like a girl even.

Steven stopped his mower and came across the lot to see me pointing to about an 18" long "snake" and he went to go get a shovel to kill it pick it up and throw it back in the marsh.

Our neighbor lady came down from her house and walked over to us to take a look and she picked it up! She said "Oh, this is a legless lizard or 'glass' lizard. I see him all the time. Oh no, the end of his tail got cut off." and started walking away with the lizard to set him free.

Found out later she is an arborist. And I am guessing an avid animal lover. Being an animal lover myself I am so glad I didn't chop off more of that lizard than the tip of its tail! In case you are wondering I think I could have talked Steven into letting that poor baby go back into the marsh, even if it was a snake.

The fire ants, however, did get the best of my right foot. And I got the best of their hill with some leftover gasoline. What? I can be a little vindictive. ;)

Side note:
This neighbor lady is on one side and the neighbor lady on the other does triathalons. I think I am going to have to step up my game to live in an area with these bad a$$ bit*&^es! :)

Moscow Mule

I was first introduced to a Moscow Mule at Tristan restaurant in Charleston, SC about 7 years ago. It was SO good, but I thought it was just a thing that they made only, because it was on their menu of other specialty cocktails. The base of the cocktail, and any good mixed drink in my opinion, is vodka served with other flavors.

Recently, I was re-introduced to the Mosow Mule again at a new restaurant in town called The Rarebit and they served it in a copper mug! After this, I had to look up the drink and found that it is a staple all over Russia.

Recipe:
2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. simple syrup
4 oz. ginger beer
1/2 lime - juiced
Find more recipes here.


All served over ice in a copper mug. Now that I've had it in the copper mug, I can't help but want a few of my own! They are kind of expensive, so imagine my surprise when I see them on a website I love on clearance!

But then my sadness when I see this:

Sold out. For now. I will own you some day, copper mugs!

Women, Please Don't Give Up On Yourselves to Get Married...

My friend on facebook posted an article from eHarmony about how a "career woman" should act on a first date, and the undertone is pretty appalling. You can read the full article here, but basically it says to:

1. Leave work at work. 
1. Fine, I get that, it is always a good idea for both women and men to do.
2. Talking about work will come off as "masculine and assertive" is where you've lost me.
2. Let him pick up the tab. 
1. OK, I understand, chivalry and all that - especially since it is a first date. I would still go for the "wallet grab" though, ladies. I wouldn't want him to think that you can't take care of yourself.
3. Wear a dress, some heels, and perfume, and leave the power suit at home.
1. WTF?!?
2. This is a direct quote:
1. "Having an attitude of “Well, he shouldn’t be paying attention to my chest; he should be listening to how I closed that deal yesterday!” also won’t help career women get to a second date, so remember that you are in fact a woman and use it to your advantage."

That last one is really screwing with me... I interpret that as it is more important for you to wear something attractive on a first date than by telling him about the big deal you just made at work, because that is masculine and assertive.

But what if you have trouble feigning enthusiastic interest in superficial bullshit for husband-snagging purposes? 

"Career women" or so this article states, would NEVER take this advice so I don't know to whom they think this article is written. This is advice to a woman who wants a more traditional female role in her marriage. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but some women now prefer a more equal say in the household, can feel accomplished in a good day's work, and have more interests in life than "pleasing her man."
  
I am married and I acted myself 100% of the time during our dating years and still to this day I have been steadfast with who I am and what I want out of life. I prefer an equal say in our marriage and I have a career that I am proud of and it is a big part of my life - why wouldn't I share it on a first date?

I dated a man before I met my husband in which I felt I had to change who I was around him, and that, to me, is the main issue here. It was exhausting pretending I didn't have an opinion of what we did or where we ate, to get dressed to the nines and in full makeup just to have a movie night in, to not overshadow his mediocre career because I am an architect. I swore to myself: Never Again.

Bottom line is, be who you are. If you like talking about sports, you bring in a nice living, and you want to play flag football on your weekends, do it! There are plenty of men who will not only date a girl like you, but will appreciate your independence and conversation and companionship so much, that they may even be willing to marry you too. ;)

I Dance like Elaine from Seinfeld...

I have been going to Zumba for going on three years now. I love it.

But I recently switched gyms and this particular workout area has WAY more mirrors than I was used to. All four walls have floor to ceiling mirrored panels instead of just the front and... I noticed that I dance to Pittbull with my THUMBS out. What?

Yes, I give the thumbs up while doing my Latin beat dance moves. I am sort of mortified at myself, but also happy that I have an outlet to dance even though I am so bad at it. Without vodka that is. I am an awesome dancer in the club [read: yeah right...].




This just made me even more fully aware that ALL of Seinfeld's jokes are about real life!

I also played touch football for the first time today. I am kind of obsessed! and also sure that I will be sore come tomorrow.

Do the Rich Rebate?

As I am sitting here filling out my rebate form for the $45 dollars I will get back from buying my contacts, I start to wonder why in the heck they don't just give you the money off when you order them? Why do I still have to fill out and send in a stupid form?

I think I know why... because it is a pain. Lazy people and rich people probably don't bother with the rebate shenanigans, especially since it takes 6-8 weeks to get your check back and costs you a stamp, not to mention your time. Can you imagine Donald Trump downloading and filling out a rebate form? I would also venture to guess that 75% of rebate users are women, maybe even more.

So, thus, the companies don't automatically give you the money because...

"41% of people forget to send in their rebates." - techdirt.com

This is not surprising, but I am not included in that percentage. I will not buy something ONLY because it has a rebate, but I will likely be persuaded to buy that particular brand, try a new brand, or even buy more to meet the rebate's requirements.

I don't have a ton of money to burn and I try to look at it as a little surprise for down the road. Most likely I will have forgotten that I have sent in said rebate and then one unsuspecting day, bam, a check is in the mail. I like free money!

Free French Bulldog to Good Home

A p r i l   F o o l s !

I could never give this little girl up... she even hunts for Easter eggs! haha