Ash sent me this...

I don't even know what to say about this.

TOOL show

Last night, Jamey & I drove to Atlanta to see TOOL! Neither of us have ever seen them live, so I was super pumped about their show.
Unfortunately, I had less than two hours of sleep from the night before, because I had been up all night studying for an exam. I had a RedBull yesterday morning, so I was wired and couldn't nap when I got home. I knew I'd pay for it later.
We left around 4 and didn't make it to Gwinnett Arena until around 6:15. Luckily, traffic wasn't too terrible.
Alli texted me and told me she was gonna be there...so she tackled hugged me as soon as I walked through the gates. I was soooo excited that I got to see her, even if only for a minute. Forgetful me didn't bring a camera, but Jamey took a couple of pics on his cell phone. They
didn't turn out too great. I posted pictures below that I found online, so you can see the stage setup.
Tool's shows are as much about the artwork as the music. There were huge screens with album art, art from the videos, etc. They even had laser light shows during most of the songs.
Unfortunately for my tired and aching body, everybody stood the whole time. Even still, I had an amazing time and am glad I got to experience one of their shows at least once in my life.

The drummer's ridiculous set.
The picture above is pretty darn close to the view from our seats.

Maynard, the lead singer, is also the lead singer for A Perfect Circle. Jamey and I went to see APC in concert in November of 2003 (our first real date). I guess all of Maynard's music has a special place in my heart. haha. So, the only concerts we've ever been to together are A Perfect Circle and, now, Tool.

P.S. - A big THANKS to my hubby for being such a trooper and driving to and from ATL on a Monday night; especially since he had to be at work at 7:30 this morning!

'Lola's New Haircut'

I logged into my old YouTube account and found this video of Lola that I had forgotten all about.
This is the first time she had gotten completely shaved, instead of her usual schnauzer cut. She was extra hyper when I picked her up, so I decided to video her and send it to Jamey at work so he could see how crazy she was.

Some Sites to Cure Your Boredom

Teresa sent me this little game. A couple of the Northwestern states threw me, but I got 90%. See how well you do!
Here's another way to pass your time. I can't remember who sent this one..maybe my friend, Cardwell.
Another game I was introduced to a long time ago, Picross, can become addicting ....FAST!
I've played all the puzzles on his site.
My friend, Natasia, introduced me to Dead Whale. The name may not be appealing, but they have some fun little games on there. I suggest Bubble Shooter.

Sometimes we all need a little mindless entertainment to get us through the day!

Born to Shop

Anybody ever been to a JCPenney outlet store? I've heard you can get crazy deals there. There's one in Atlanta. They even have a JCPenney furniture outlet, too!
I am dying to go to The Container Store, too.

I am always up for a stop at Ikea.

Of course, a trip to Atlanta wouldn't be complete without stopping to see my dear Alli.
I'd also like to go to Ru San's for dinner, again. I think that sounds like a pretty well-rounded trip.
If planned on the right weekend, there's always Scott Antique Market.
Who's up for a shopping trip to ATL???

{Monday Getaway}

Yesterday after I got out of class, I guess I was feeling a little homesick and decided to call my Mom. She was busy, but said I could steal my little brother away from his job and spend the afternoon at the lake. I wasn't turning that one down! I've been aching to get to the lake all summer, and I didn't want to take my chances on losing the opportunity. So, I sped drove straight home, packed a bag, threw on my swimsuit and headed towards Alex City!
I'm sure Jamey was a little jealous, but I'll have a grown-up job one day....
I drove the whole way home with my windows down, music up & sunglasses on!
I picked up my brother and headed to the cabin. I love the drive down there. It's almost like a segue into a whole other world...like it sweeps you away from reality. In a way, I guess it does.

Almost there.....

We're here!!!...

I don't think I could ever get tired of this view....

The cabin even comes equipped with a people greeter...

AND a security system!

This is as far as my picture-taking went. As soon as we put it in park, we sprayed on the sunscreen and ran for the dock. The water was a little chilly, but not enough to make us think twice before jumping right in.
We swam, worked on our tan and laughed ....a lot. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Ryan....we definitely don't do it often enough.
After a while, the water got a little colder and we got a little hungrier, so we packed up and headed back to town. We were a little sad to go, but no worries.....we'll be back!

I did snap one last picture of a 'little' cottage across the lake.

We were in luck when we got to Grams....there were two slices of peanut butter pie left :)

A little bit of this and that...

One summer when I was around 11 or so, my aunts (Dad's two sisters)took me to the Alabama Theatre's Summer Film Series to see Hitchcock's Rear Window, which became one of my all time favorite movies.
Today I was reminiscing and decided to see if they have any movies playing this summer. I was in luck!
Their summer series is in full swing again this year!! The cherry on top would be that they are showing Rear Window again.
They are also showing Funny Lady. Again, this became one of my favorite movies thanks to my wonderful Aunt Teresa. I guess she passed over the affinity for everything old.....classic movies, old recipes & Pyrex (Husbands, too!--haha)
Hopefully, Jamey and I can manage a trip up to Birmingham before the series ends.
View from the balcony

Lobby


I've gotten my brother hooked on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a 1950's crime/drama TV series. If you've never seen it, you can watch all the episodes on Hulu for FREE.

It's been a busy week so far..and tomorrow isn't looking any different. I have another Tax exam on Thursday, so tomorrow will be spent hitting the books extra hard.
I've let my laundry duty slip through the cracks this past week, so hopefully I'll have matching clothes for tomorrow. Ha!

I did find time on Sunday to try a Sour Cream Loaf recipe from my new Taste of Home mag.
The recipe says it makes two mini loaves, but I just used one standard sized loaf pan. Try and Enjoy!

Future Phone Decisions....

I'm taking a break from studying for my first Tax test (gasp!) to talk about my future phone decision.
It's almost time for a new cell phone. My track ball only scrolls right, and sometimes the screen just decides to go dim. I have to turn it off and on several times in a row and then...MAGIC!...it decides to work again. I'm really missing having an alarm on my phone, too. I love having the full keyboard on my sidekick, but it is lacking some features I didn't realize I'd miss so much.
For my next phone purchase, I'm considering the Samsung Behold in Espresso.

It's a fancy new touch screen (Fun!), but I'd be without my beloved qwerty keyboard. I've had my date with Blackberry, but it didn't go so well. I couldn't figure out the interface.
The other phones I've been considering require a data plan. I don't do data plans. I don't need the internet on my phone. I only really text about 5 people, so it wouldn't be worth it to me. I love having the full keyboard, but I think I could adjust to life again without it.
I still have some time to weigh my options. Unfortunately, nobody can beat the awesome plan I've had with T-mobile for the past 6 years; otherwise, I'd be switching to AT&T and have my iPhone in the mail tomorrow.

Pretty & Polished

I got my nails done Monday. It's the first time in a while. I was feeling frisky, so I went for a bright red-orange.


I think next time I'm going for either:

Done Out in Deco
OR

Feelin' Hot-Hot-Hot!

What do you think?....

Upcoming fun!

On a random note: Can this be my backyard? PLEASE?!

In reality:
I guess I'm beginning to adjust to 8:00 classes. I've definitely had to force myself to go to bed earlier. Last night was an exception, though.
Ben is in town!...so we decided to head to trivia at Locos. Natasia and Ash were also in tow. Jamey and I haven't been to trivia in a couple of years (almost), but nothing has changed. People still piss me off by cheating with their cell phones. It's totally bogus, but at least it's something fun to do on a Tuesday night. I will only go to trivia in the summer. Fall semester trivia is overcrowded and almost infuriating. Yes, I know, I'm too competitive.
How can people really enjoy themselves by cheating? Haven't they ever heard of healthy competition?

Anyways, they have $5 pitchers of Yuengling (really good!) and $3 chips and salsa. Last night was all Michael Jackson themed, complete with a Thriller dance-off. It went waaaay over time, so we didn't get home until after midnight. I was pooped! I (accidentally) slept til 7, so I was rushed to get to class by 8.
I guess all of that sounds somewhat irresponsible. No studying, drinking beer, late night trivia and oversleeping. Hey, you're only young once, right?

Jamey and I have Friday off, so "the kids" (niece & 2 nephews) are coming. The boys usually stay stuck in front of the TV playing video games.

I have no idea what we're doing yet, I'll have to come up with some entertainment. Any suggestions??
Saturday, we're heading to Sylacauga for swimming and grilling! I just hope I don't get sunburned. I haven't really been in the sun a lot this year, which is evident by my pasty white legs.
Saturday evening, we're headed to Deatsville to stay with Jim and Teresa, or as I say, "Jim-n-T".

I'm excited to have lots of things planned, but I'm sure I'll be drained! Hopefully, I can find some time to finish reading my book:


An early Happy 4th to everyone! Be safe!