Hello Mr. Officer...

I took the chance to get out of town this weekend to go hang out with my best friend from college, Courtney. Friday, I took a half day of work and began the dreadful five hour drive. I have only been to Birmingham to see her one other time since I have lived here. When I live back home, I was off every Friday and the THREE hour drive was easy...I could do it in my sleep...I did it so much that I could tell you, in order, the exits and pretty much to the minute on when I would pull into my driveway...speaking of which, I never have posted a pic of my cute old house I lived in at home...

This is the only one I can find right now, but it was an old shotgun style house, beautiful hardwood floors, freezing in the winter and hot in the summer! I loved every minute of living here! Still kinda miss it too! Anyway, moving along...

I finally made it up there around five-ish. I had a little time to kill and I found out that my aunt and uncle were actually in Orange Beach so they weren't there for me to go visit with while I waited on Court to get off work. However, the mall was more than happy to keep me company! I walked around for a little while and she finally made it home and we went to go meet her friend from work for supper. It was nice to meet her friend and it was REALLY nice that her friend let me try on her 4 carat, emerald cut, slightly included diamond ring! OH MY MY!!! It looked quite nice on my finger too! I could handle that!!

Us, being the rebel rousers that we are...haha...fell asleep watching tv by 10pm...wild children, I know! Saturday, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed by 7am. I am not one for sleeping late unless I have been up late, which obviously was not the case! I had showered and got ready to go get some coffee, since she doesn't even own a coffee pot, but before I left I stuck my head in her room to wake her up...sometimes I think that if I am awake, everyone else should be too!! Not all the time, but Saturday I did! Court quickly pointed out to me that it was stupid for me to be ready so early since nothing opens till 10am. Hmm, I neglected to realize this! Actually, it never crossed my mind! I had a nice cup of hot, black, strong coffee on my mind and how great it was going to taste across my lips and down to the pit of my stomach...not what time the stores opened! People often ask me if I like my men like I like my coffee...and of course I answer them, yes! I like my men hot and all over my lap when I am driving...haha!!

I begrudgingly sat down in the living room and settled for a diet coke and waited...and waited...for Court to get ready. Then, we hit the ground running! We went up to Leeds (stopped and got my coffee) to the outlet mall and enjoyed the most beautiful day ever imaginable! Something that I enjoy more that stimulating the economy is people watching. Man, there are some real freak shows out there...on an up side, if you own stock in GAP, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, Pandora bracelets or Bumble and Bumble hair products, you may see a spike this coming up week...I'd stay tuned if I were you!

After we left the outlets, we went to a few more malls and stores. We also had to go to Sams Club to get a few pillows...her roommate actually took her pillows when she left!! That's a little odd, or so I thought. We ended the night with a great Italian restaurant called Costa's in Trussville. We were starving because we ate a little breakfast and that was all...no time for lunch when you shop like we do!! We went non-stop from about 9:30 to 6:00. I ordered some chicken pesto...three bites later I was done...some things should never be mixed together.

After supper we went shopping a little more...Kohls and TJ Max. We were going to go to the Ironhorse Cafe and watch US Band, we use to see in college, but again, we fell asleep watching tv! And not just any tv show, it was Say Yes to the Dress! I love that show! I make my dad watch it when I am at home...needless to say, he can't stand it and keeps saying "wouldn't you and whoever you marry rather just have the money I'd spend on a wedding to put down on a house or land?" Of course, I say no...who knows what he would say...whoever he may be...guess that's a decision we'll make when it comes time for all that!

After our tradition of brunch at the Cheesecake Factory, I stared the trek home. I wasn't even to the interstate yet when my Uncle Mike calls me. He's usually the only one who calls to check on me when I'm traveling, after we chatted I was kinda in a hurry to get home. I absolutely hate driving, love to travel, hate to actually drive. As I get closer to my destination, I tend to really speed up...especially today.

Now, you may think or might have a slight inclination as to what would be the not so perfect ending to a great weekend...any takers??? That's right boys and girls, I got pulled over. Let me brief you on how the conversation went down, but first let me set the scene: four lane hwy, grass median with crepe myrtles, I am approaching a curve and as I am coming out of the curve... me: "Oh shit, he's gonna pull me over" slowing down...get over in the right lane...cop pulls out and follows me for a bit...then those dreadful lights come on...Ofc "License and proof of insurance, please." I hand it to him, hand shaking...Ofc: "why are you shaking Miss? Cops make you nervous?" Me: "uh, kinda" Ofc: "You know you were doing 72 in a 55?" Me: "Really? I thought it was 65 through here." I really did...obviously I wasn't paying attention.... Ofc: "would you like for me to check my radar for accuracy?" Me: "No, I know I was speeding, just didn't know it was that bad." He goes back to his car, I know the routine all too well...this now make my 12th time being pulled over and 3rd or 4th ticket...Ofc: "If I can just get you to sign in the highlighted area..." he went on to explain the cost (I need to take everything I bought back!) and court date and other information...Me: "I take back what I said earlier, cops don't make me nervous, I work with yall a lot." Ofc: "Really? What do you do?" I told him and then he said "you should have told me that earlier." with a smile on his face. DANG IT!! Way to go, Stace...you idiot! By now it was comical, as most of my nervous situations turn out to be, I told him that was a great hiding spot, he told me he wasn't hiding, it's just hard to see anybody sitting there when you are rounding out the curve as fast as I was...we both laughed and joked and then we finally bid our farewells. Over all, nice man doing his job and I was speeding, in the wrong, and deserved a ticket. I call Court and her response was "well, you were about due for one anyway" yeah, I was... I never try to get out of tickets, I have actually asked for a warning instead of a ticket and got it, but that's about it. My mother gets on to me every time for not speaking up. At home it was easy to use my last name to get out of things...when your family name is on a court house and a school, it does work in your favor...not so much here!! I'll never forget my great-grandmother got pulled over and they told her what judge she'd be going in front of...I assure you a ticket has never been torn up as quickly as hers was when she responded with "You mean I have to appear in front of my son?"

Anyway, I am finally home where I belong, ready for a new week...maybe it will be a calm one!!

Weekend Wrap Up...Family Fun

This weekend was great! I was able to spend time with my family! I am starting to get spoiled with the amount of times I have seen them since the beginning of the year! Last year it would be months before I would see my parents...I think I've seen them four times already this year!

My dad had to come this way to get some more irrigation pipe for a new system he's putting in at home. Also, there was a farm auction on Saturday around Dothan that he and my uncle wanted to go to so I went along with them to spend some time with them. However, before we could get going on Saturday we had to get the tire on the trailer fixed. Dad had a slight blow out on the interstate on Friday night....

This is how we started the day....at the tire shop...

This is why we had to be at the tire shop...


DO you see anything wrong with this sign???
I'm not sure which bothers me the most. The fact that they paid for a grammatically wrong sign or the fact that the person who's profession is making signs didn't catch the mistake either. Oh well...like my uncle said, maybe they didn't have enough room to use the correct "Due."

We finally got to the pipe place and what seemed like an eternity later, we left. I get bored easily, but I always remind myself that it's not about what you're doing, its about who you're with.

After the pipe was loaded, we went on to the sale...all I know is there were lots of people and equipment there! I even found something I wanted!!!

A 1986 fire engine. That's all I wanted and asked for, but my daddy actually told me "no!" He's been doing that a lot lately...I don't particularly care for this change...

And finally we made it back to my aunt and uncles...

I ended up spending the night and whenever I stay, my uncle and I have a biscuit making lesson while making breakfast. I can cook a lot of things. I think I'm a pretty good cook, but for the life of me I CANNOT make a homemade biscuit! I don't know what it is, but mine always turn out awful. I can make homemade bread and corn bread, but a biscuit is absolutely out of the question!! So, for the millionth time I watched my uncle again this morning...he doesn't use measurements and it's only three ingredients...you'd think I could get it! Wrong!!

After breakfast my cousin Brad, his wife Nicole and their son, Barrett, came over. Nicole brought water guns...and the kid in everyone, especially my dad, came out...

Barrett and dad starting the "gun fight"




"Uncle Brett, can you spray my hands?"

"Wait just a minute..."

"Let's get 'em Paw Paw!"

"Aunt Bootsie, I won't shoot you, I promise!"

This was pretty funny, he had mom looking up in the tree and while she was looking up, he shot her in the chin area. He's a pretty funny kid! If you are wondering where "Bootsie" came from, my brother started all that mess....and where he got it from, well, Lord only knows!!

It really was a fun weekend! Since I ended up staying the night and I didn't have any of my make-up and hair products with me, I was more than happy to be the photographer. There isn't too many times you will catch me without my make up on and my hair done...I save that visual havoc for my family and VERY close friends.

Love, Love, Love...

Love, like most four letter words, can be very powerful when used in a sentence. From the words "I love you" to "I don't love you anymore" can change our worlds in the blink of an eye. The right kind of love is unchanging, never wavering, strong, steadfast and true. It's also patient and kind. It does not envy nor boast. It always proctects, trusts, hopes and perserves...and above all, love never fails.

Love should not require a designated day for anyone to tell anybody that they love them. Being those adjectives listed above should greatly outweigh any greeting cards, flowers and candy that can be purchased on any given day. Don't get me wrong, I love getting cards and flowers, well mainly tulips or callilillies, I just like to be surprised with them (and I did get a surprise this V-day). The fact that anyone can love anybody so strongly to produce those actions is nothing more than a God thing. God loved us so unconditionally that he gave his ONLY son to die for us and never asked for anything more than for us to be faithful, loyal and loving toward him. God didn't give anyone flowers or cards or candy on any designated day. He gives us eternal life and an aboundance of love on a daily basis. That is love. Putting your trust and hope in someone you believe in is scary but the outcome can be amazing if you let it and if you let God be God. So many times in life we try to take things into our own hands and that usually ends up in failure. We have to learn to put our trust and hope in God before we put them into someone we love here on Earth. God provides us with many feelings but a lustful heart will never be one...he wants our love to be pure and true for each other, just like ours should be for Him.

This Valentines day I spent the evening with someone I very much, my cousin Ashley. We had beef filets with a congac onion sauce, my special spicy-cheesy potatoes (Ash's favorite), salad and wine. Here are a few photos...

Garlic stuffed olives...I love olives. These are a favorite of mine and Ashley's so I picked them up as a hors d'oeuvres. However, please be warned that no one will want to talk to you, much less give you any sugar, after you eat one...that's right, it only takes one to get your breath kickin'!

Nothing made me happier than using my china! I paid out the ying-yang for this pattern and I love it! Out of all my china patterns that I have, it still remains my favorite! I have some black wine glasses, but they are still packed away because I have no where to put all my china.

This was our supper...I had to wing the filet recipe because I forgot to write down the ingredient that I needed from the grocery store. I left a few things out, but it still turned out pretty tasty!

...and my most beautiful tulips! Thanks so much for them!!

Monday...You Were A True Monday!

Last week I went to Athens for a conference and while I enjoy getting away from the chains of my desk, I cannot stand coming back after being gone because I am constantly trying to get back ahead. My in-box on my door, along with my desk, were overflowing with projects to review...not to mention the 60+ emails I had in my email inbox from Wednesday. I was able to answer a few of them while I was away since my employer deemed it necessary to give me a laptop to use as well. I don't like it when they cut off all excuses not to do work!!

The conference was great! I am now a board member for the state's association of Zoning Administrators! It's a huge and great honor within my profession! Unfortunately, the only perks that come with it is....you guessed it! More meetings! The post conference meeting is on April 1...I thought they were joking since that is April Fool's Day! It kinda bums me out because there is nothing I love more than pulling jokes on my co-workers! Last year I did an excellent job! I made about 20 copies of a paper clip and then reloaded the copies into the paper tray. Every time (well, the next 20 copies) that they made had a huge paperclip in the background. I finally had to confess when they went to disassemble the copier since they thought there was a paperclip jammed inside somewhere! I also was able to get the lady who sat at the front desk. Our computers lock out after five minutes so I had to move fast! She got up to walk to another building and while she was gone I "print screened" her desktop and turned it into a 100 page power point. When she clicked on her icons nothing happened...not until that 100th click when the slide show ended! So, since I won't be there, April Fools may come early...or late...you just never know with me!

Anyway, back to the conference...as a board member I will also no longer be able to play Bingo on our banquet night. I complain about it but its only because I know winning is not something I can control. It's not a game where you are responsible for scoring your points. Like in basketball, you get the ball you shoot and you score points. The ball is in your hands and you have complete control. Bingo, you are completely at the mercy of the guy calling the numbers that you need. Well, finally in round 10, things started looking up for me. I finally Bingo-ed...along with TWO other people! So to see who wins the main prize when there is a tie, we had to draw from a deck of cards. I drew a lonely two (how ironic) and my consolation prize was a $25 gift card to Wal-Mart...ok, I'll take that. A few rounds later, I yell Bingo again! Yet again, I tie with a guy named Mike. Geeze, can't a girl win by herself?!?! So, we go back to the deck of cards. I pull a King and I don't remember what Mike drew because it didn't matter. The chances of him pulling an Ace was slim to none...that's right boys and girls...I won a new Dirt Devil Vacuum! Moving on along, we get to the grand prize...a new digital camera. This time we had to fill in all our blocks. Then it happened. I BINGO-ED AGAIN...and I bingo-ed with Mike, AGAIN!! What the?? So once again I pranced up to the deck of cards, carefully chose my card, pulled it out, turned it over and...it was an ACE!! Beat that buddy!! I new he couldn't so I gladly accepted the new camera. Which is awesome, by the way!!!

We finally left on Friday morning and headed to Atlanta for another meeting. We were about 30 minutes out of Athens and we were listening to the ATL weather report. It was raining and I thought to myself, I better get my rain jacket out. That's also when I realized that I left it, along with my pea-coat, hanging in the closet at the hotel. Back to the hotel we go and I get my jackets. Duane, you have all the patience in the world, cause if the roles were reversed, I would have been very aggravated. It's not like me to leave or lose things...lot on my mind, I guess.

When we FINALLY got back home, I opened my door to three of my most favorite people in the world. Heath, Brad and Ashley were all at my house! However, to kill time while waiting on me, Brad rearranged things in my house which really bothers me. It doesn't drive me crazy, I'll fix it as I go, but I do like for my things to stay in the spot I put them in. He moved pictures around, Heath actually hid a picture from me that belongs on my table by my bed, but I think what Brad got the biggest kick out of was that I noticed my soap was in the wrong spot in the shower when I was putting my face wash back in. But, none of this bothers me as much as my cabinet doors and drawers being open...which of course he opened all of them. We all get a kick out of my OCD, but now that I think of it, I haven't checked the items inside my cabinet...all the labels should be facing forward! We love to have a good time when we are together! Our latest shenanigan is that the four of us have created our own sign language just to bug my mom and aunt. We really do know what the other is saying due to some key moves, but to the outsider it looks like we are the third base coach giving signals to the base runners.

Saturday, I went to my aunt and uncles to see them, as well as my parents! It was great to see them and I miss you guys SO much!! Dad and Uncle Mike cooked us some ribs down at Uncle Mike's man camp at the creek. I don't know what they like the most...being away from the women or smoking their cigars that they take with them! All in all, it was a great weekend!

Today was totally a typical Monday! I should have stayed late at work, but I didn't. I just didn't feel like it! It will be there tomorrow! I did manage to sneak in time to go to yoga...and just as I predicted, one of the guys next to me feel asleep. They all tried to blame it on me, but I am not a person who snores and there was some definite snoring going on!! The last five minutes we relax and close our eyes...I am not a sleeper, never have been, so I just lay there and relax as much as I can. I usually think about all I could be, and should be, doing during these five minutes but sometimes I do relax. My brain never stops and that is one flaw about myself I wish I could change! I am always thinking about something!

Here are a few random pics I took with my new camera...

My parents and my aunt watching my uncle work

The creek behind my aunt and uncles that we have spent many summers swimming in!

Ashley's part of rearranging my house...I don't care for birds and really don't want them on my night stand!

Bentley being Bentley...and my white leg, which reminds me it is time to start tanning come March!!

Tuesday are Better than Mondays

So glad it's Tuesday! I leave tomorrow morning for a conference and won't be back till Friday night. As an added bonus, my whole family will be here when I get back! I'm so ready to see my parents and Heath!

Even though I worked from about 7:30-6:45 today, it still beats yesterday when I left early. Yup, yesterday I left a whopping 30 minutes early...a 3pm meeting completely ruined my day, but it's hard to tell your boss that you are going to skip the meeting because it interferes with your set workout routine with the FD at 2:15 on M-W-F. when you are the project manager for the project the meeting is about! There was no way I could get changed and drive and still make it worth going to the gym and back without missing the start of the meeting! However, it did make me feel good that when I was finally leaving my meeting at 4pm two of the firemen drove by and yelled that they missed me in class. I told them I would have much rather worked out with them then sit in a meeting for an hour!

After I left work on Monday, I went to go get my little hell raiser. I had dropped Bentley off at the vet to get groomed that morning. Let me preface this by saying, I have never been so embarrassed in my life...and it takes a lot to embarrass me. And I don't mean blushy embarrass...full throttle embarrassment. The room was packed full of people and I finally made my way to the desk where the lady asked if she could help me. I told her I was here to pick up Bentley and that he was getting groomed. She found my file...then those dreaded, unexpected words came out of her mouth..."Miss Ward, we need to talk to you about Bentley's behavior today." My heart sank and my cheeks began to burn with red embarrassment cause everybody and their brother was hearing this! I felt like I was in a parent teacher conference and I had the bad kid (which, will probably happen since I was a little mouthy when I was younger). She preceded to tell me how he constantly tried to bite the person grooming him. I was expecting her to say he was no longer welcome there, but she actually said to bring him more often so he will get use to them...which makes sense.

Doesn't he look...well, he kinda looks sad here, but he looks 100% better since he got his hair did!

Guess he isn't always this sweet! Even though I can't stand for him to lick my face...gross.

Sunday afternoon, I swung by to see my co-worker and his family. When you hear me talk about my "precious girls" this is who I am talking about! Until I have my own savages (if that ever happens) I am more than happy to fill that void with them! I absolutely adore them! I still think Cameron's first word was "Sta-cey" but her momma keeps saying it was "kit-ty." ...whatever makes you sleep at night, but it was "Sta-cey!!"