Jersey

As I have mentioned before - Pumpkins are kinda my thing. Today was our annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest at the office and I went on a little journey to the shore...the jersey shore! Here's how it went...

Spray painting got a little messy, next year I will invest in some...

...GLOVES!!!
More Painting...notice the intentional splotchy brown/orange - looks just like a fake tan, right?

Pickle Assembly...

Finished Pickles!

Gorilla Appendage Assembly - large pipe cleaner and construction paper.

The pieces were all coming together very well!

Finished Juice-Head Guido Gorilla! GTL!

(2 Pumpkins, paint, pipe cleaners, eyeballs, chain from a broken necklace, construction paper)

Finished Snooki!!!

(1 pumpkin, 1 lemon, fancy eyeballs, paint, black embroidery thread, more pieces from the broken necklace for the earrings, baby doll slippers, paint canister, thumb tacks)

The Final Presentation!

It was not confirmed today, but I am pretty positive I took 1st place. The only thing that made the day THAT much better was lunch...Catered by CHIPOTTEEEE (Chipotle) - my favorite!

Oh the burrito goodness! Can you see them...they are glowing with amazingness!

There! I said it...now release.

There are some things that have been making me crazy lately. I am sick of complaining about them though...and I KNOW Kirk is sick of hearing about a few of them. So, for my own sanity and for the sanity of my marriage I am going to get them all out on the blog and then let them go…no more bitching and whining about them…seriously, no more after this…hmmm, I better make it good then!

The traffic that comes with rain. Yes, I chose to live 53 miles away from work (each way) and I would not change that - but could the people of Southern California please take a lesson from the Washingtonians on how to drive in the rain? I want to make a sign and keep it in my car to hold up to people driving a fool that says "Hey you, stop driving like a jack-ass! Oh, and Jesus Loves You!" (Because I like to end my ranting road rage signs to others with something true and upbeat!)

The guy who parks in front of my house...in my spot. Yes, it IS my spot...and it is even more my spot when I come home to see that they have parked right in front of my house when there is an abundance of naked curb right in front of their house, which is right across the street from mine. Then, to make matters worse they don't use their car for days and it just sits there staring at me, flipping it's exhaust pipe at me. It's like they are trying to make me crazy! I was very close to parking my car right in front of their house to make a statement but chickened out thinking it would start a neighborhood war that would inevitably end with my house getting egged or something.

The 12 year old acne that has invaded my face since going off the pill. Due to some gnarly ovarian cysts I had back in my teen years, I was put on bc pills at age 17. I just went off of the pill in May and I was not prepared for what would happen after. Mostly because I don't remember having any issues when I started taking it, so why would I have any after stopping?Right?...WRONG! Aside from gaining weight which I was not expecting - I also get random bouts of what my friend Erin calls "spaghetti beard" - random acne mostly around the mouth/chin area.

The sheer inability to get out of bed in the morning. And NO, it is not because I am staying up into the wee hours of morning playing Angry Birds Wendy, so you don't have to bother leaving that comment. :) It only happened one night. --- I am just tired lately, and by lately I mean for the last 3 months. It doesn't matter if I sleep 4 hours or 10, I am just as tired. I used to be a morning person, waking up at any time with a fat smile on my face, singing "Rise and shine and give God your glory glory!"...but now I groan and say things like "Noooo, I am so tired and it's too cold to get up and it's too bright in here" and "O'Rielly! Stop climbing the drapes or I am going to skin you!"

The fact that 80% of my clothes are fitting way too tight. So tight that I either have to tuck my muffin top into them or suck in so hard that I think I am going to pass out. Time to mix in a salad (shout out Erin) and hit the elliptical instead of hitting the french fries and the couch...but I love the couch and man I love french fries. I know it has gotten to a bad place...and I know this because I don't enjoy shopping anymore. I don't want to try things on in horribly lit changing rooms with mirrors on both sides so I can see my stomach, thighs and butt cheeks all in one glance. Help!...I have lost my will to shop.

Weekend Walkin'

Yesterday was the Irvine ALS Walk and the whole fam showed up to participate and show our love and support to Aunt Suzi who is living with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS). Along with the family many of Aunt Suzi's friends showed up as well to complete the team!

Here are some picture from the day!

Fellas ready to walk!
Josh & Eric

Representing!

Ava & Tim!

About to start the walk - 5 K around the lake.

There were 104 teams - over 1400 people at the walk and together we all raised over $156,000 to go towards ALS research and care for those living with the disease.

Aunt Suzi on the walk, with the help of Zinny (her kick-butt motorized friend)!

Cousin Sheri and the Twinks with our beautiful aunt!

This was the 2nd walk we participated in this year for ALS and it was a really great event. We love you Aunt Suzi and were so glad you could attend the walk and have a special day out!

Take It Off???

I recently went to a Carrie Underwood concert (which I will blog about in more detail later) and I realized during that concert that I wish I could sing. I would like to sing good enough to become a star. Not for the reasons you think though. Not for the money, not for the fame, not for the free stuff or to travel the world and all the crazy that comes with that life...but because of this:

During the concert Carrie had many a costume changes - and at one point, came out in a slate colored corset with a huge hot pink puffy tool floor length skirt.

I did NOT love this look, but as soon as she came out I thought to myself - "Carrie has an amazing pair of legs on her! I bet she rips that skirt off and is wearing some sort of sassy pair of hot pants or something under there!" Well...it did not happen. She did walk off stage and came back without the skirt, but she had long tight pants on under it.

Later in the concert she came out in an amazing purple floor length gown and after an awesome song she performed at the piano Carrie came through for me like a champ! The lights dimmed for a second and when they came back on sister had ditched that long skirt and the dress turned into this sassy shorter one showing off those gams!

That's right people, I want to be a "Carrie" so I can wear some amazing frock on stage at the Hollywood Bowl and dim the lights long enough to rip that sucker off to reveal an even sassier one! Then again, I would need these legs for days to pull it off...
...not likely, but a girl can dream. For now, I will stick to pizza and start a vigorous squat routine.

Sweet Marion

With mixed emotions, I said goodbye to my lil' old biddy Marion last week. It was rough because I am not sure if she could hear me or if she recognized me, but either way I spent that last hour of visiting time with her holding her hand, telling her how nice it was to know her and that she is going to be in a place soon where there is no cancer, no sickness and complete peace. I looked through a photo book of her and her family and held it up for her to look at and told her how much all of those people love her.

After giving it a lot of thought I have decided to not get matched up with another Friend with the Friendly Visitor Program and instead have made a commitment to spend 3-4 hours a week with my own grandma, while also helping out my mom with anything she needs while I am there. My first visit with Grammy was last night and although I will admit it is work with the lifts/transfers and helping her get ready for bed - it felt good and I am excited about next week. My family is amazing and why wouldn't I love spending more time with them right?! Bring it!

Purse O' Plenty

I have been super tired lately....which has led to a lack of "maintenance" in certain areas. (Yes, thankfully I am still showering on a very regular basis). But, I really need to clean my house, do laundry, go grocery shopping, get a hair cut, wash my car, and about 100 other things. I accomplished something tonight though!

My shoulder and back have been hurting the past few days and I took notice today that my purse seemed pretty heavy...I had a massive amount of ridiculous, pointless crap in there.

I cleaned out my purse...What was in my purse???

• Band-aids (I sliced a nice chunk off of my ankle this morning while shaving...yes, I have been shaving since I was 11...shut up!)
• Neosporin
• Business Cards
• Cell Phone
• Wallet
• Empty Water Bottle (In case I have to pee?)
• Almost empty bag of Pretzel M&M's
• Sunglasses
• Pepper Spray (No, I have not used it on my lawn since last month)
• Parking Lot Map of the Home Depot Center
• Printed Emails
• Checkbook
• Galaxy Soccer Game Ticket Stubs, Parking Stubs
• Assorted Post-It's with directions to places I don't remember going
• Hollywood Bowl 'Thank You' for using Public Transportation card (weird that they kill trees to tell you thanks for helping save the planet)
• Multiple Receipts to Chipotle, In-n-Out, CPK, Costco...
• Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Floss
• Small Notebook with art inside by Isaac O'bannon Bower :)
• Rental Car Agreement
• Stool Softener Pills (no comment)
• Prenatal Vitamins (nope - not preggo yet)
• Tampons
• Powder (make-up...not cocaine)
• Chapstick
• 5 Different Lip Glosses (yes, I need all 5)
• Crochet Needle (just one)
• Pack of Gum
• Camera
• Hair Bands
• Wooden Back Massage Toy Thingy
• Car Keys
• 4 Pens
• Bobby Pins
• Pair of Socks
• Fuji Apple

I feel like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club, dumping out my purse and inviting everyone into my problems. I am proud to say that I only put about 12 things back in my purse and I expect to make a full back and shoulder recovery.

Off The Market

Last weekend my good friend Jason got married to his beautiful bride Jackie. It was an interesting to say the least event...filled with everything from the pastor making reference to knowing Jason just about as long as Jackie has been alive...to a 7 course vegetarian Chinese inspired menu...many, many tributes in song to the happy couple by wedding guests... to watching the guys give some questionable sex advice to the bride & groom on the video camera. It was awesome to be a part of getting to see good friends make a commitment to love each other for the rest of their lives though! I love weddings!!! Here are some of my favorite pics from the night.

Jackie graduated from Pepperdine and the ceremony was held at the amazing Chapel on the Pepperdine campus.

Us on the car ride to the wedding...running a little late, luckily Jason is known for NEVER being on time, so the wedding started late and we made it just in time.Walking down the aisle. Loved her vail! Oh, and Mariah did all of the flowers for the wedding - including the amazing bouquet below!A shot of the centerpieces. Wendy and I helped with these ones.They laid out chopsticks for everyone...there was some down time during the reception...what we do with down time illustrated below. I love my PYE!

Mr & Mrs McClure!

Just ONE of the many reasons I LOVE the Bowers! Might be one of my favorite reasons.

Ladies I love!

I love that we make Jason look tall in this pic.

Jason and his boys!

Ladies with the bride!

Again...my love of the Bowers!

The organic wedding Cheesecake :)

Pye & Pops - I love this pic.

Shmem (Emily) & Twin!

Kirk & David lounging at the reception.

All right - which one of my friends is getting married next? I want to go to another wedding, preferably with some sort of meat served at the reception please.