Yackety Schmackety

WHY must all the good shows be an hour long!?! I have so much catching up to do from last week, I can’t even enjoy new shows. Yes, I am a nerd. We watched The Class last week and it was pretty cute. But I forgot to set a Season Pass on the TiVO so didn’t get to see it last night. Rats. How I Met Your Mother is still hilarious to me, and the Office…oh, The Office. I love that show.  

Phil watched Smith and said it was good but too complicated for me (actually I said that and he agreed), and while I have heard great things about Jericho and Heroes, I have not had time to watch them! Not because I’m a super busy girl, but because I have been so sleepy!  I’ve been slacking on laundry, don’t get me started on our yard, and still haven’t watched my shows!  Waaaah!

Yes, last week was my 30th birthday.  Thank you to everyone who forgot it.  I’m serious.  We didn’t do anything, just had a "date" on Friday night.  Lots of gin was just what I needed to ring in old age.   

Best.week.ever.

Or something like that.  I love premiere week…and it usually is around the time of my birthday.  Since I’m not having one of those this year, I have nothing left to celebrate but premieres.  Tonight, How I Met Your Mother and The Class (it’s new, looks cute in previews but who knows.  We TiVO’d it to check it out).  Tomorrow, I’m not sure (Tuesdays suck until AI time rolls around).  Wednesday, a new CSI NY, Thursday….THE OFFICE!  YAY! We set the TiVO for something new every night this week.  Some will be season pass-worthy, others not.  Others will be shows that we absolutely love that get cancelled before the spring.  (REUNION, ANYONE?!?) 

Anyway, Simon and I made it back from our quick trip to Ohio.  We left Wednesday afternoon, stayed in Cave City, KY that night (in a terrible Best Western), and drove to Cincinnati the next morning.  We ate lots of good food (LaRosa’s, Skyline, Frisch’s, etc.) and got to see my nephew, who just turned one.  I’ll have pictures for that later.

We also went to see Thomas the Train (pictures are already up on Flickr).  It was pretty cute, although Simon wasn’t nearly as thrilled as I had hoped he would be.  I think he was pissed that other kids might like Thomas too.  He’s 3.  He’ll get over himself sooner or later.

We left Cincinnati Sunday afternoon and drove to Jackson TN, where we spent last night (much better hotel this time!), and I was all set for a leisurely trip back to MS today…

Until 659 am, when my boss called me (of course waking me up) to say that JCAHO was in our area to do inspections this week.  If you’re unfamiliar with JCAHO, it’s like a health inspector coming into your restaurant, but much worse.  They do "unannounced surveys" and scare the bejesus out of everybody, looking to make sure all of your i’s are dotted and t’s crossed.  So they are coming.  This week.  I talked to my boss again later in the morning and he said they would be at my store tomorrow (Tuesday).  What a lovely finish to my vacation.

Long story short, I hurried back to MS, met Phil to deliver Simon to him, and went to work.  In checking my email, I received a schedule of where the JCAHO people were going to be and when, and my store wasn’t on the list.  By some ever-so-lucky twist of fate, my store and one or two others was spared an actual visit from JCAHO.  They’ll be calling me to fax paperwork tomorrow, but for the most part, I’m thrilled with this news.  I was so sick when I thought they were coming.  So, happy finish to vacation after all!

And, I’m done.  For now.  Done with travelling, chaos, business.  For now.    I’ll get stir crazy again soon and want to do lots of driving.  But for now I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed for the next few months.

We made it back from Birmingham! Actually, we never even saw B’ham, we stayed in Helena where our friends live.  A good time was had by all.  And many beers drank.  No different than hanging out in a garage in Saint Joe!  I do have some pictures but don’t have time to get them loaded tonight…hopefully before our next roadtrip, which will be Wednesday.  This time Simon and I are venturing to Cincinnati.  Whew.  Just enough time to unpack and then pack again.  Yes, we are driving.  Just he and I.  Should be fun. 

This weekend, my friend Amy and I went shopping (with Simon) while Phil and Scott installed Phil’s new XM radio.

We got to listen to it on the way home for the first time.  Coolest.thing.ever.  I want one.   

Also, while Amy and I shopped, we went to Sephora (what a great store) and I finally splurged and bought some Bare Minerals makeup.  Also a very cool thing.   As they used to say on The Swan, "::sob:: I’m so beautiful!!!"  Okay, maybe not.  But it helps. 

I hope to be back online with more pictures soon!

Birmingham, AL that is…

We’re making a pilgrimage to the winningest town in AI history this weekend!  Okay, so that’s not why we’re going. we are going to visit our dear friends Scott and Amy.  If we’re lucky we’ll get some more mooshy pictures of Phil and Scott snuggling.  But only if we’re lucky.

We had a very low key Labor Day…spent most of it asking Simon every three seconds, "Gotta go Potty?"  Ugh.  The good news is, he’s doing a lot better!  Nothing a few 5-8$ Thomas the Train die-cast engines can’t bribe our way out of.  Oh, wait, am I not supposed to be resorting to bribery?  Rats.

Folks, I have sunk to a new low in my adult life.  Maybe it’s my impending birthday and I’m having a mid-life crisis.  Maybe I needed some mindless entertainment in between potty breaks (for the kid, not me) this weekend.  I created a Myspace page.  Don’t laugh.  I’ve actually gotten in touch with some good college friends that I’d lost touch with.  That in itself is a good thing.  If you would like to look at it and be my friend, feel free.  But for the love of God, don’t send me a comment with naked people and sparkles and glitters and flashing lights.  We are still adults.

Anyway, have a great weekend and I can’t wait to come back with pictures.  Our last get-together with these friends was photo-op gold.