If you ever want to see two women running crazily down the street, get a bunch of people to start screaming the title! That is what happened when a friend of mine and I were walking across the street to the site and all of a sudden we heard screaming and then “Move that bus! Move that bus!” We took off, thinking we were about to miss it, only to get there to find they were just practicing and getting video footage and then we stood there for 3 hours. It was GREAT!

The house is amazing and supposedly it is the biggest house they have ever done at 6,000 sq. ft. Eleven of my apartments could fit into that house! Now that is perspective.

Here are some pictures from last night and today…

Look at that assembly line of Sears bags!

There’s Paulie!

And Ed!

Hopefully I’ll get some more pictures up here later but at the moment I am beat.

 

 

Guess what I did tonight…Yep! I went to the next house on Extreme Home Makeover. It is about 15 mins. from my apartment. It was so cool! They had people park in an old abandoned parking lot a couple of blocks away from the house and they shuttled people over to the site.

The tents were up and the lights were blazing. It had the feeling of a fair with all of the people and the noises. People were actually selling hotdogs and drinks in their front yard.

Seriously, it is like the house that never ends and the picture that does not do the house justice.

Check out all of those blue shirts. Speaking of blue shirts this city is going crazy with all of the Extreme Makeover business. There were a couple of people with the blue shirts on at Wal-Mart the other night and when I saw them, I almost squealed. Thank goodness I restrained myself, cause that would just make me look silly!

This is the VIP section where only people who had passes could go. Look at them with their chairs and their plants! Who do they think they are? It is my birthday! I should have gotten to sit in a chair, under a tent, with pretty plants surrounding me. Okay, I’m done being spoiled!

This was such a fun way to spend my birthday evening! With my friends, on an adventure! And the best part is, I think we are going to repeat it tomorrow because that is when Tye shows up with the megaphone shouting “The family comes home in 24 hours!”

UPDATED 2/23/06 10:50pm

We went again tonight and I have more pictures to post tomorrow, I’m just too tired to do that now. Here’s something to keep you guessing until tomorrow though. I saw three of the designers…can you guess which ones?

Since I moved I haven’t been able to get NBC on my television. Not a problem on most occasions seeing as how my favorite shows are on ABC, however, the next two weeks are not “most occasions”…the Olympics are on. While I do not need to have them on the entire two weeks I do like to have it on in the background and then I love to watch the figure skating and the skiing. Well, I fiddled with my rabbit ears for about 15 minutes and guess what I am watching…Lars Bystoel from Norway kicking butt on the high jump.

And while that is in the background I am in the middle of my lastest scrapbooking project. Several weeks ago my sweet friend, Jen, yet another avid scrapbooker, suggested that I go to Big Lots to check out their scrapbook section. Seeing as how there is a Big Lots almost across the street from me I decided to head over there this afternoon. You have to sift through the trash but do they ever have some good deals. I did not spend over 99 cents for any one thing. I LOVE it!

I love this hobby. It is one of the only hobbies that I have never needed anyone to tell me I’m good at. Now, I know that sounds vain and I do love the positive reinforcement that I get from people but when I look at a finished page and I start to giggle because all of the hard work and the hours, sometimes, that go into one page are worth it because it looks awesome! Now, could they be published in a scrapbook magazine? That remains to be seen. Maybe one day I’ll submit some pages, but for now, I do it for my enjoyment and memory keeping and for the friends who trust me with their memory keeping.

So while I am waiting for my metal embellishments to dry after I added some color to them, I thought I would share one of the pages that I completed this weekend with you. It is the title page of an album I am working on for a friend of mine.

 

Taking my cues from Randy, here are thirteen things I’m grateful for.

1. My Moma and Daddy, who I just got off of the phone with.

2. The plane ticket they just purchased for me, so I don’t have to drive home two weekends in a row (weekend 1, I am singing in a wedding, and weekend 2, there will be a conference at home).

3. 3 point Ooey Goey Squares.

4. New friends

5. Old friends

6. Lazy Thursday nights after a long day at work.

7. His Grace that never fails to amaze me.

8. Two little boys in Columbus, GA who will always have pieces of my heart.

9. The purpose that my life has had since I surrendered said life to the Lord.

10. Brand new health coverage! (Moma, I’m a grown up now! )

11. Candles

12. The train wreck of “Dancing with the Stars”. Why is this as entertaining as it is?

13. That I am not superstitious and can boldly say that I am grateful for the number 13.

Okay, everybody now it’s your challenge. What are you thankful for?  

Mike, Me, and Randy

Today I attended my first press conference for Florida 4 Marriage, a Florida coalition to protect marriage. The purpose was to bring awareness to the petition that is making its way across the state to get a Marriage Protection Amendment on the voter’s ballot in the state of Florida.

I attened the Tampa press conference, while in eight other cities across the state, similar press conferences were being held simultaneously.

It was exciting to be a part of such an important day.

At one point this morning as I was walking down the sidewalks of downtown Tampa, carrying my coffee, talking on my cell with a local news reporter setting up an appointment, with the sound of horns and my heels clicking on the sidewalk, making my way to a press conference, I thought to myself, “How did I get here? Four months ago I was a nanny!”

After the phone call I looked at one of my co-workers and said, “That was fun! Let’s do that again!”

I learned a lot today and it almost didn’t feel like work and in my opinion, that is the best kind of work.

 

If you are from Florida, please go to www.florida4marriage.org and sign the petition today!

 

 

Despite the fact that after this post I will have lost all two of my male readers I must admit the obvious…I am crazy about the Gilmore Girls. I knew I loved this show before but I think after this weekend I have become slightly obsessed with it.

My sweet brother gave me what has become my favorite, unexpected Christmas present…Season Five of the Gilmore Girls! Since I have only so many Christmas decorations to pack up until next year and only the one bathroom and kitchen to clean…I have managed to watch the entire season of 22, hour long episodes in this last four-day weekend of the holidays.

Now many would think that this is such a sad state of affairs to be in but I have loved every minute of it. Loved it so much in fact that I used one of my Target gift cards that I got for Christmas and bought Season Four. I know, I know…What I am displaying is borderline sickness but the show makes me laugh and the writers are comedic geniuses. They make the viewers wish that Lorelai and Rory were their friends. Their quirky “Gilmore-isms” are classic and leave you…I mean me…laughing for minutes afterward.

I have heard that some can’t stand the show but I get its humor. So for those who have a witty, quirky, and sometimes dry sense of humor and you don’t mind the sappiness of a mother/daughter duo and the magical people around them…this show is for you.

Alright gentleman…you can continue reading.