I just talked to one of the guys that Tancy works with who knows ALOT about ALOT! LOL.

Anyway, he said that Norton cannot get rid of the trojan virus... also, Norton sucks. Which I already knew from the interaction regarding this virus. So here's what he said to do to rid your system of the trojan virus (I have not done it yet, though I will A.S.A.P, so I cannot say for sure what my experience is).

First turn Norton off!

Next Google and download:
Clamwin
Avfree

Each of these programs are small and will not slow down your computer. Run them. I personally would recommend completing one, then download and run the other. I do not think order matters.

Next Google and run:
Windows live online scan
Trendmicro online scan

These are obviously online scans. Run one at a time. They will take a while since they are web based programs running, but there's no download and once they are done, they have no affect on your systems performance.

He recommends uninstalling Norton completely. Apparently there is a class action lawsuit against Norton presently because they charge people for the software and then charge them to remove viruses as well (my recent complain). I don't know to recommend this or not... if you have an IT guru that you trust, consult them first. Again, I am only passing on the information I have been given. I hope this helps.

I can say, after all those days with Norton and removing a TON of files and programs our system is sluggish as ever, even continuing to lock up. He also told me what to do to find out what I need running on start up and how to correct those issues, helping our system run faster. I will complete that task later as well. Let me know if you need those steps and I will post.

I've gotta run and get ready for my Therapeutic Thursday. Hope this helps.

Good morning all. I hope this finds you all doing well. No doubt putting the finishing touches on the week, or preparing to at the very least.

Wow, yesterday was fairly full. I woke up tired and that lasted all day, not to mention the headache I had, again, for like the fourth day in a row. I took care of a few things and then got ready to take care of my "To Do" list for the day. I headed out to get the tires rotated first (free since I bought my tires there). Then off to get the oil changed (should have been about $35). Turns out it was time for my 45K mile tune up. Great. That was going to run about $200 and take about an hour and a half. I didn't need my tires done, already taken care of, so that knocked it down to $175 and I had a coupon, but wasn't sure how much that would run. Not much I could do, maintenance is important, especially since I want to keep this car till it falls apart... and couldn't afford another car if this one should decide to die on me. It only took 45 minutes, thankfully and cost $150 with my coupon.

I left there and headed to Circuit City to get some CD's to burn some pictures on and check out what was left and what those sales prices were. Nothing worth it for me... grab my CD's and head home. I drove back roads looking for "For Sale By Owner" homes. No luck. Home James. I burn pics to the CD's and do a little work on the computer. My head hurts, worse than that my eye balls are so full of pressure it hurts to touch my face and they feel like they might just pop right out of my skull!

Tancy gets home around 4:00, its her training week, so she's in earlier this week, which is really nice. I feel terrible. I am exhausted, my head is reaching "I can't take this any more" and I finally break (5 days is a long time) and take the Rx I was given. Tancy made dinner. We had taco salad. It was delicious. We watched a bit of TV and then off to sleep. I slept like a log... but I must admit I am still tired and still have a headache (not as intense, but its still there).

This morning I've already sent a few properties to our agent that we would like to go look at this weekend. I also sent an email to the two lenders we were working with on the last property. One of which I have been trying to reach since mid January, she's flaking on me and its pissing me off.

Today I am setting aside as a therapeutic day for me. I have scheduled a pregnancy massage at 10 this morning. I am SOOOO looking forward to it. My back has been hurting me so badly, then there's the numbness in my thigh and the headaches. I am hoping to work out some of those issues today. This is my Valentine's Day present (not really, but if I think of it as treating myself guilt kicks in and I have a hard time going through with it). Tancy thinks I am silly for calling it that, but agrees its fine if it means I will go have the massage and feel better physically. I love her. She takes good care of me and always makes me put myself first when it comes to health and wellness.

When I get back home from that I intend to do some house work around here. Nothing too heavy because I intend to enjoy the benefits of the massage for as long as I can... but things like finish cleaning the kitchen, get the laundry done (I haven't done laundry in a week Daniele! Are you proud that I am trying to get on a schedule?!) and a few other odds and ends similar in task.

We have one property to look at, for certain, tomorrow evening and trying to schedule 3 others after that one. We'll see if our agent pulls through on that one or not. She's kinda scattered with her own schedule sometimes and it can be a challenge to get things fit in on a specific day.

Alright kids. Enjoy your day. I am not sure what today will be like for us. The weather last night was pretty rough, but it moved through quickly. Poor Scout was scared to death, she slept by the bed on my side instead of on her bed by the window... she doesn't like bad weather. Anyway, not sure what to expect weather wise today, I haven't taken the time to look at the weather report. I hope you all have beautiful blue skies and comfy temps. Whether your weekend starts at quitting time today or tomorrow, I hope you enjoy it tremendously.

Love to all!

Good morning all.

Yesterday was a pain in my ass. I thought I had everything worked out with the virus. I even got the print server working again (through tech assistance). I was so thrilled to be done with all that. The computer worked fine for me all evening. Tancy gets home and gets on the computer and it keeps locking up. I am devastated at the thought of being online with tech support for another 3 or more hours. I just pushed that thought right out of my head.

Mandy and Laure came over and we had dinner. I made zucchini and little pigs in a blanket (lil smokies and crescent rolls) and reheated the brisket. We had plenty and everyone seemed full and happy. Tancy waxed Lauren's eyebrows and then Lauren took me to get some frozen yogurt. When we got back they headed for home.

We then headed to bed. Both of us tired. I got a bath and tried to ease some of the aches... not much luck. We watched a little TV. Tancy put her hand on my belly to try to feel Lillie. If she'd stayed awake, I am convinced that she would have, even small flutters... Lillie must have liked her hand there because she was incredibly active... much more than her normal late evening acrobatics. When Tancy turned over to completely give in to sleep Lillie settled down herself.

So Tancy's off to work this morning. I would have loved to go back to bed. But I need to take the car in today and get the tires rotated and the oil changed. I am going to do it first thing so I can be done and back home to get things done here. I am incredibly tired this morning.

I am running another full system scan on the computer. I have no clue as to why it was locking up on Tancy yesterday. The first time she was trying to check her email, the second time she was trying to get on facebook. I have been on both and had no problems... This is so frustrating to me. I know just enough to get in trouble when it comes to problem solving on the computer. I have already deleted as many files and programs as I can (I have more pics to remove, but have to get discs) without screwing something up. I have run scan disc to free up space and defrag as well. I have run every spy ware, antivirus and firewall program we have on the computer to ensure our security. I just don't know what else to do if it keeps locking up. Any suggestions? I need my own little pocket tech until we get this problem resolved. LOL.

We are suppose to get some rain later today... I think after noon sometime, but I haven't paid close attention to the weather, so I am not sure. I don't mind a bit of rain today. We have had some truly gorgeous days recently. I have enjoyed sitting on the back deck and reading while I soak up the sun. I think that has a big impact on mood as well.

Alright kids. I am going to wrap this up for now. I would like to get a few things done before I start getting ready to leave to get the car taken care of. The tire place is about 15 minutes from the house, so I'll start there and the head "into town" to get the oil changed. I hope you all have a great day today. It's hump day!!

Love to all!

Your pregnancy: 22 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Not much new to report on the pregnancy front. I have been in a fantastic mood more than I had been. I still have my hiccups, but aside from that, the good mood is here more than the not so good mood. I have regular headaches... like every day. I am tired, nothing new or unexpected. My right thigh muscle goes numb when I stand for more than 30 minutes. My breathing is labored sometimes for no apparent reason. These are not complaints, just things I've noticed.

I am also feeling Lillie move more and more. I can't wait till Tancy can put her hand on my tummy and feel her move. My appetite is certainly healthy... I am kinda dreading weighing on Monday. I hadn't worried about it before, I wasn't eating much... but I drink ALOT of milk in a day at this point and just more food in general. Oh well, what can you do? I am not eating junk... just eating more.

I think that's about it. I go in on Monday for my OB visit. I am sure I'll have a report then.

Love to all!

1) Please never open any anonymous emails or attachments,
 by doing so malicious programs may enter into your computer and that may even crash your computer.

2) Avoid clicking on any links that you are not sure who the sender is and/or if you are not sure where the links may send take you to. This applies to all links including links sent in an e-mail, Instant Messaging (IM), Chat services, unfamiliar web pages, etc.

3) Never click or open any advertisements or popups.

4) If a pop up window opens up, always close it by clicking on the cross mark on the top right corner. Do not use other ways, such as clicking on buttons like 'Cancel' to close the popup.

5) Do not enter any of your Personal information in any Un-Authorized sites.

6) Always read the License Agreement carefully before installing any software from the internet. Usually free softwares or sharewares are associated with viruses. These softwares appear to be legitimate, but in fact they are related to viruses/spywares. Typical examples are 'Winfixer', 'WinAntivirus' etc.

7) Always perform the live updates and do the scan on a daily basis.

8) It is always important that the live updates are performed so as to obtain the latest Virus definitions and I am sure your system will be threat free in the future.

Please visit these web pages at your leisure time. Following these tips can help to avoid further infections on your computer:
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/security_response/secureemail.jsp
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/security_response/browsewebsafely.jsp
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/security_response/safeguardim.jsp
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/security_response/filesharingprotection.jsp

Good morning all. It is 9:44 now. I have been up since 4:30(ish). Just getting an opportunity to blog.

So Sunday evening Sandy came over after work. I'd had a fantastic day, cleaning house, rockin' out to the tunes on the iPod, windows open, fresh air circulating in the house and cooking. Anyway, Sandy got here and we visited and I continued to cook. I had fresh, home made salsa, guacamole, brisket in the oven and was preparing onion rings and zucchini to fry up. We sat outside of a while, on the back deck, just taking in the evening sun and warmth. It was great. Before long it was time to come in and start my onion rings and zucchini. We snacked the whole time, it was delicious. I bet I'd give Hill Top a run for their money with my onion rings! Tancy got home and we ate. I had brownies in the oven. Yummy. The brownies with an ice cold glass of milk was devine!

I sat on the couch feeling full, miserable and happy. Tancy and Sandy got the Wii out and "warmed up" with bowling. Then they moved on to tennis. I swear, it is truly entertaining to watch those two turn into big kids... and a little frightening worrying about a hip being thrown out. Haha! I think they played till about 10:00. I was working on the computer. We showed a problem with a virus that Norton couldn't remove. I got online with tech support and at 12:15 I still hadn't gotten a tech on with me. I was falling asleep, so I closed it out to start again the next day.

Monday morning we slept in. Till about 9:00 I think. It was fabulous to sleep in! By 10:30 I was online with Tech Support again. It took quite a while (and $99.99) to get someone on to help me eliminate the problem. Come to find out it was a corrupt music file. Yay! At 1:30 we were wrapping up our support chat, problem fixed. I was to run a full system scan and if any additional problems were found, contact them again immediately. The scan seemed to be working, but then locked up... unable to run fully. I just couldn't take another 3 hours with tech support, so I decided to shut it down and wait till Tuesday to get back on with them. We left out to go look at some properties and just get some fresh air. Seems we spend alot of time riding around these days. LOL. We had a great day and wrapped it up with dinner at "Sushi At The Lake" my absolute favorite local place to eat. They have THE BEST sushi we have found here. Yumm. Then we came home, changed into our jammies and climbed in bed to watch "The L Word". I can't wait till they actually kill Jenny off... this season isn't as good as I had hoped, I must admit.

So this morning I got up with Tancy. I would have LOVED to go back to sleep, but was unable to. I was out of the bed just after 4:30. Normal routine with the coffee and puppies. We had our coffee and then she was off to work. I tried to run the full system scan again, again the whole freakin' system locked up. I manually shut down the computer and upon reconnect started the whole tiring and ridiculous tech chat support process. 2 hours later (almost exactly) I am finally connected to a real person. All of the corrupt files had not been removed yesterday. So we started that process. It took one hour from the time that I connected with Sanu to remove all corrupt files and scan again to ensure complete removal of the virus. I disconnected with Sanu and Norton Tech Chat Support and ran my full system scan. It worked and detected no issues. Thank God! I think I would have lost my shit if, after all of that, my computer still was having problems... Not that I am completely convinced that is clean just yet. We shall see.

So, here's what I want to share with you about this virus. It's name is: Trojan.Brisv.A!inf
Essentially, if you download or access any multimedia files, music, videos, pics or emails from outside sources you are at risk. Ours was from a corrupt music file. It had been dormant for quite a while, I think it was summer or fall when we downloaded this particular file. It eventually starts to attack other files in your system until things start to go all crazy and lock your system up. For whatever reason, my scans didn't catch it all this time... possibly because it wasn't active... I have no idea. Anyway, once corrupt files are deleted it can even replicate itself (I presume this only happens if you leave a data file or something you don't know to check or delete... not sure). This can come from simply opening an email, visiting a web page or opening an attachment. It can also, obviously, come from video, music and picture downloads. Basically, if you have ever done any of these things you could be at risk and should run a full system scan as soon as possible. If this virus is detected, contact your antivirus software tech support immediately. It took 8 hours of tech support (or waiting for tech support) to get this issue resolved. I hope this information helps someone else to avoid this problem.

Anyway, so I don't have much going on today. Was suppose to meet a lady who was buying something I had listed on craigslist, but she "spent too much money yesterday" and is now unable to buy my item. Oh well, I had two other inquiries, so I have sent an email to the next in line. We shall see. No biggie. Other than that, I have no real plans today. I'd love to go get a pregnancy massage and if I get the cash today I probably will. If not, it will keep.

Alright kids, I hope you all have a great day today. Mom, Aunt Jan... where are your blogs? Casie, Daniele, you too.

Love to all!

Good morning all. I hope this finds you all doing very well. No doubt trying to squeeze the last little bit of life out of the weekend.

Tancy didn't get off work till 7:00 last night. She drug in exhausted. She didn't get to eat till later, she called her Mom to check in and well, that isn't usually a quick conversation. They hadn't talked in a while though, so I think they both needed it. Her being on the phone when she hit the door and for some time after changed our routine, hey baby (kiss), how was your day? Then the exchange that comes after that. I enjoy the start of those conversations so much. It's just our chance to reconnect after a long day. I swear we hadn't really had any time together when it was time for bed. This threw me off a bit. That lead to a small panic attack, which only made me feel worse... here she's had a long tough day at work and I am having an anxiety attack. What have I truly got to feel anxious about? I don't know, but it was there. I calmed down fairly quickly, but still I felt like I had robbed her of a peaceful evening and caused her to worry about me. My days are good, sometimes I have to work at occupying myself, that's just something I've got to learn on my own... but I don't want her worrying when she goes to work if I'll be ok by myself. I did my best to reassure her that I was ok, must be hormones. before long we were both exhausted and falling asleep.

I was awake every couple of hours... bladder calling! I slept well, but not nearly enough. I got up at 5:00 and went through my normal routine pups, coffee, pups, coffee. Tancy and I tried to find the weather but were unsuccessful. How can you have 9000 channels and no weather report on a Sunday morning?! Lots of infomercials, but no weather! Wasn't there a time, not long ago, when the news was on every morning?

So, Tancy got off to work and I (of course) got online. I posted on Facebook, 20 Things I am Thankful For. I needed to remind myself of everything I have to be thankful for, especially after the pity party I threw for myself last night. I really don't want to do that... I have so much to be thankful for in life. So, I put it down in words, best I could. If you are on Facebook, check it out. Post your own. 20 seems like alot, but really, you'd be surprised how much you have to be thankful for when you put it down like that. And at this moment I am very thankful for my new perspective and renewed appreciation for what I have.

Mom sent me a text and told me that "Pillow Talk" was on. I love that movie... I love Doris Day. Surprising to you? I can see how it would be... but its true. Doris Day was beautiful and talented. I love her movies and Pillow Talk tops that list. I don't see them on TV anymore, which is a shame. So, anyway, we are going to watch it together and have coffee together. That makes me smile, 12 hours apart and we can share this time together. She's awesome (one of 20 things I am thankful for)!

Ok, so I am off to watch my movie. I hope you all enjoy your day. I am looking forward to the sun coming up and making everything bright and new today. I have to go get a few things for dinner tonight sometime later, but no rush. Have a great day.

Love to all!

That title makes me smile for some reason.

Earlier today I was bored to tears. I finally shut the computer off (I swear this thing is pure evil sometimes), folded some clothes, had myself a nice warm soak in the tub. I (got dressed first) grabbed the book that I had been working on and headed out to the back deck to sit in the sun and read. The book I am speaking of is "Little Altars Everywhere" by Rebecca Wells (also the author of "Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood", which will be my next read I believe).

Turns out that was the best thing I could have done for myself this afternoon. The book which I had started a couple weeks ago (it is a slower read than I necessarily like) and have read in about 4 sittings. It is about a Louisiana family, farm family. The time line runs in fits and starts but covers from 1961 - 1991. The kids would be around the same age as my parents generation and thus their parents similar in age to my grandparents. Each chapter of the book is written by a character in the book (some characters have more than one chapter) from their perspective during the year of that particular chapter. So it can vary from child to adult to the child as an adult. Make sense?

Anyway, the family has a rocky path, alcoholism (though not blatantly called such), relationships within the family, personal struggles... all of the things you might associate with the time frame itself. I say this like I know, it was obviously before my time... but I think it is close to what I would imagine the struggles of that time might have been for people. Before it was ok to be a little different, when everyone drank, when disciplining a child was more than time out, before parents worked hard to develop real and lasting relationships with their children.

I'll just say now, before I forget, my absolute FAVORITE chapter is "Playboys' Scrapbook Chaney, 1961". Here I am today, feeling a little sorry for myself, but really quite unwilling to do anything to pull myself out of the boredom. This chapter is from the view of an old black man who spent his life working for the white man, on the plantation (post slavery, but he still had "his place"), watching the white man that he grew up with have everything and bitch and moan about how bad his life was. Seeing all the privilege and opportunity and thinking to himself if he were only white what he could do. That this man can't see that he has so much less than him, works so much harder than him, and is still happier with his life and family and what he has. Wondering why he can't see all that he has. Wondering why he can't see what he is personally taking and has taken from his "man". It was a moment of clarity today for me. I know there are people who have far less than me, who find their happiness, seek it out. Those who do not complain about what they don't have, but give thanks for what they do. It was moving.

There were parts of each character that remind me of people I know; family, friends or just people in general from Louisiana. I am of the opinion that there aren't people anywhere else in the world who are like people from Louisiana. Now I don't mean this to sound as terrible as I think it does. I am also sure that this can be said of people all over the place. Each region has its unique and loveable (or detestable) qualities that are specific to its people. I just have a fondness for Louisianians because that is where I am from. People from Louisiana mind their manners, make sure to be polite, Thank You, God Bless, Ma'am, they have a charm about them to me. Now don't get me wrong, there are many issues I have with people in Louisiana. Not that I am picking on them now, but if I can talk about what I love about them, I must also talk about what I don't like. Racism, judgement, the drinking culture under the pretense of being "social"... just to name a few. Now, I realize that none of these are specific to Louisiana... it's just the way they go about it that makes it specific to them. Mind your manners and pass the bourbon. Haha! The book talks about all of these things, not so specifically, but through the characters and their stories and life experiences.

I said in the beginning, it is a slow read. I normally like a fast paced book that I can't put down. But this book is so familiar that I had to read it. I sat down a total of 4 times, reading several chapters each time, before finishing it. Today, the end of the book made the slow read worth it. The way the book wraps itself up and makes all of the scars and nightmares somehow ok. Like an epiphany you might have after a long battle with something or someone, a great realization that puts everything into perspective. For me at least, that's how the book ends.

If you are from Louisiana or have spent any time there (developing an appreciation for the area and the people) read the book. I am moving on the the Ya-Ya's... it covers the adult perspective (the Mom and her friends) of the same time frame I believe. I can't wait. After finishing this one, I have high hopes for the Ya-Ya's!

That's my book report (smile). I hope it made sense... and maybe makes you want to read the book.

Good morning all. I hope at this very moment you are all sleeping soundly in your beds. I cannot believe I am awake at this hour on a Saturday morning. I don't know why I can't believe it... this isn't the first time or all the unusual at this point. I am simply crabby this morning.

Yesterday was a fairly full day by the time it was all said and done. I went back to bed around 6:30, I fell asleep right away and slept till about 9:30. I roused around and finally got moving. Tylor sent me a text that they had gotten a new puppy. We had a few exchanges and decided to meet for lunch. It was going to be a little while so I ran to the store quickly for some milk and coffee, I would get the rest later but only one store has Community and I got the milk there so I didn't have to worry about when I got goceries.

I met Ty and Val in Mooresville at noon. We had a good lunch, it was great to just catch up with them and spend a little time. Ty's laid off right now, suppose to only be for a week... I don't know if I believe that or not. Not that I don't believe him but that I don't believe that is what the company he works for will do. I went with them to Petco to look at some items they are going to need with a new puppy and just spend a little more time. Then we went our seperate ways.

I went on to Target to get the rest of my goceries and miscellaneous items. I took my time and got what I needed, trying not to divert from my list. I think I did good. LOL. As I was getting ready to check out my right outter thigh felt kinda funny. Like light pressure. I reached down to see if there was something stuck to my pant leg or something, but there wasn't... and I couldn't feel my own hand on my thigh. Hmm. I got in line and checked out, loaded my plunder in the truck and sent Mandy a text. No pain, no "traveling" I was pretty sure I was alright, but I wanted her professional opinion. She asked the same questions I had asked myself. No pain or numbness traveling up my belly... but should there be, I should call the doctor right away. Agreed. The longer I was sitting down, the numbness began to subside. I got home, unloaded the groceries and put them away. By the time I finished the numbness had returned. Ok, so it only happens when I am standing for a certain period of time. I sat for a while, feeling completely worn out and after being off my feet for a while the numbness went away again. Only this time I could feel a slight tightness in the upper part of my hip just where my butt and back meet. Sciatic? I made salsa, before I was finished the numbness returned. I sat for a time and it went away. When it was time to cook dinner, again, after a time, the numbness returned. So there's a definite pattern and a way to remedy it. Not that anything changes anything.

Tancy got home from work, worn out beyond words and filthy. She'd been working, real work, not just quals... her words, not mine. She was happy for the change in pace but exhausted. We ate dinner, I had made burgers and home made fries. We got caught up on the day with each other and then it was off to bed. Tancy was asleep shortly after getting in bed (before 8:00). I was awake till 9:00 and fell asleep after watching "The Ghost Whisperer". I had wonderful dreams for once. Very appreciative of that. I slept fairly hard, just not enough.

The alarm clock went off at 4:30 and I did NOT want to get up. Tancy didn't either because she hit snooze. When it went off again she got up, I grumbled to myself and eventually got up to make coffee and start my morning routine as well. We had coffee together once she finished getting ready, then she headed off to work and I started my blog. I have an intense head ache this morning, I am really tired of these headaches. I am going to try not to go back to bed... but there's nothing on TV except Ceasar and Cleopatra from 1946.... awful stuff. Cleopatra is this stupid little woman who is easily manipulated and silly for a man (Ceasar of course). It's ridiculous. I can't find anything worth watching on a Saturday morning... how can there be so many channels and nothing but crap on?!

Today I need to clean the kitchen from last nights dinner... french fries and burgers makes for lots of grease spatters. I have another load of laundry or two to do (Tancy's work clothes need to be washed seperately). I'd also like to get the bathroom cleaned. We shall see how ambitious I am today. LOL. If I don't end up back in bed before too long I myself will be surprised.

Well, I am going to wrap this up. The computer doesn't help my headache. I hope you all have a great day and enjoy your weekend.

Love to all!

Good Friday morning all. I have no doubt in my mind that you are all looking forward to the weekend. I can't blame you!

Yesterday after my last post I plucked my eye brows as best I could (lighting and getting close to a mirror made that a bit challenging) I managed to get all the stragglers so that was good enough. Then I got my shower (yes I did shave my legs!!) and got all squeeky clean for our dinner with a friend Gary at his house. I had the iPod plugged in and the volume cranked up. I was singing and dancing around the house prior to my shower even. I was tired, but in a great mood and looking forward to seeing Gary and catching up. After my shower the "primping" began. First brush my teeth then moisturize my face. Next deoderant (before my hands get too slippery to get the cap off) and then a heavy duty lotion for my dry, dry, dry skin. I had already laid my clothes out on the bed prior to my shower so they got a quick spritz with my perfume and then so did I.

I headed into the living room to let the puppies out and replay a song on the iPod. The Zac Brown Band is one of my favorites right now. You just cannot listen to "Where The Boat Leaves From" without wanting to bob your head at the very least! I sing along and since I was home alone even danced around the house. Which made me think about dancing with Lillie and that made me even happier which lead to louder singing and worse dancing! LOL.

So, back to the back and start layering on clothes. I already had my "foundation" but it was time to add real clothing. First my pants, wow, maternity pants can be a real challenge to get that belly panel just right sometimes. Then my camisole that Mom bought me, I truly do love that thing just feels good on your body. But for some reason yesterday it kept rolling up underneath my boobs, yay! Once I had most of my clothes on (still singing to Zac Brown) I blow dry my hair. This process is basically the same as any other time I blow dry my hair. Round brush all over. Since my hair is a bit thicker from being pregnant my hair is much more cooperative and allows me to blow it and go.

Then I started with what make-up I intended to wear. Now, the fact that I wore any is a big deal because I can't really remember the last time I had on make-up.... but my make-up wearing is liken to alot of peoples not wearing make-up. I don't wear foundation or blush or powder. I go light on the eye make-up and now (I haven't always) go light on the lip coverage as well. Anyway, I just about have my eye shadow done (again, remember that its minimal) and I take my brush to lighten it and fade it out.... it seems, though my memory could be wrong, that someone has used my brush for a dark grey (this brush is only used to lighten the color, not add color). Ugh! So now I look like a racoon. I have to start all over with that now. First I clean my brush out. Then I wipe my eyes completely clean and then I have to give myself a minute because my lids are a little puffy from wiping them... I already have fat little eye lids, any friction makes that worse.

Ok, so reapply the eye make-up, which based on quantity isn't a big deal... but there's a certain finess to working my eye lids (remember they are fat). See why I don't wear make-up?! Ok, that's done, looks good, leave it alone. I give them a soft, thin, minimal amount of liner on the outside of  the top lid (helps my eyes look more open) and then a bit of mascara. Brush my eyebrows just to check their shape. Eyes done! I know, sounds like alot of make-up already, but it isn't.... just the process. I have on some chap stick so I add just a tint of color to that with my lip liner, smooth that in with my finger tip and I am DONE! Yay!

I put on the shirt I am going to wear and take a picture to send to Tancy just cause I can. She always fusses that she doesn't have enough pics of me. She calls before long and is on her way home. She's just going to throw on a sweat shirt and we'll be out the door. I grab said sweat shirt and lay it out for her. She's home before long and within 5 - 10 minutes we are out the door. She tells me how pretty I look. She's exhausted but we just can't cancel again... we've all been looking forward to this for a while now and we've all had to reschedule for one reason or another.

We get to Gary's at 7:45. Yup, that's what time we got to his house (he lives about 45 minutes away from us). We meet his roommate and a friend of his. Both very nice guys. Dinner is ready, so they begin to set the table... fine china, silverware and stemware. Wow! I feel special and awkward all at the same time. I am a paperplate and dixie cup kinda girl. But, this is how Ross (Gary's roommate) does things, so we'll roll with it. We have great dinner conversation. Very interesting subject matter and incredibly entertaining. I don't think we had any trouble coming up with something to talk about, very easy and comfortable. Even after dinner we sat at the table and talked and laughed. Then we had dessert (which we were served) and it was delicious. A hot chocolate chip cookie over vanilla ice cream. Wow. I'd had way too much to eat. We sat at the table for quite a while longer, still chatting, catching up and getting to know each other. I really enjoyed it.

However, I knew that Tancy was exhausted... I was too... but she's the one who has to actually work during the day. So we start making our apologies about having to leave. They ask what time she's got to get up, they all cringe at the time she names. I think we both could stay and visit a while longer, but I keep pushing (since she keeps starting additional conversation) for us to head home. We do finally get up from the table and say our thanks, dinner was great, had a wonderful time, so nice to meet you. We hug the fellas and head out the door.

It is 10:15 when we get in the car. It will be 11:00 before we get home. I am exhausted. I am having trouble with that dry feeling in my nasal passage and back of my throat. And the least lady like thing, my tummy is full of gas... nothing is moving, but it hurts. Tancy settles back into the passenger seat and dozes. I try to keep the radio down and not sling her around too much so she can sleep some on the way home. She manages to keep her eyes closed, if not sleep, most of the way home. We both drag in the house at 11:00. I decide to put some vaseline in my nose to try to help with that dry cracked and irritated feeling... q-tips work well for this but tickle if you don't apply enough pressure. As soon as we can get changed into pajamas we are in bed. I don't think either of us were awake when our heads hit our pillows.

The alarm went off 5 minutes later... I swear. It sure felt like it anyway. She got up and started getting ready. I got up and made coffee and also made her a sandwich for lunch. I was so sleepy that the cold shivers set in... it isn't that cold in the house, I was just that tired. Got the puppies taken care of and fed. She made it into the living room and we both want to bathe in our coffee. I am exhausted. I know she has to be. I am already contemplating going back to bed and feeling guilty for the thought because she can't go back to bed. I decided to try (notice that key word there) not to go back to bed.... so I start to blog... but I gotta tell ya its getting harder just to keep my eyeballs in the front of my face! They keep wanting to roll back up in my head. My hands and feet are swollen this morning. I am going to attribute that to two things, not enough water yesterday - must correct today, and not nearly enough sleep - which I am probably about to correct in just a few minutes. My feet kinda hurt, its that kind of swelling.

All I have to do today is get some groceries... so I think I AM going to lay back down. I hope you all have a great Friday morning. I'll check back in later.

Love to all!