We made good time to and from the beach in our Ford Explorer packed with luggage, beach toys, four grownups and one kid. We met my brother, his wife and little boy there as well as my sister-in-law's cousin, husband and little girl. Gulf Shores was lovely, and I wish we lived near the beach. Heck, I'd love to live at the beach. Maybe when we retire ...

The first night was my mom and dad's 40th anniversary (they were married in 1969, or what I call the Summer of Love), and we celebrated by eating a ton 'o seafood at King Neptune's, a little hole in the wall on Hwy. 59 in Gulf Shores. Yummy popcorn shrimp, flounder and chicken tenders.
After buying groceries at Wal-Mart (we do breakfast and lunch in the condo, dinner out), we gave Momma & Daddy their gift: a photo book with pictures of them, us and the grandkids through the years. I also made a slideshow set to Vince Gill's Look at Us. They both cried and were thrilled by the gift. Sometimes the simple things are the best.

Days were spent at the beach with the waves and sand and sun. It was awesome. My brother put a small inflatable pool underneath a gazebo tent for Lincoln to play in since he wasn't too fond of the splashing ocean. I thought it was a terrific idea; he got to play in the water while staying in the shade.

Riley on the other hand couldn't get enough of the ocean. Ryan bought her a body board and she rode the surf. Ryan and my brother enjoyed the board, too. I even tried it a couple of times.
Other food highlights included The Hangout on the beach ... terrific food, fun atmosphere, great music, cool gift shop, and it would be an awesome place to spend the day on the beach then head in for some food.

Ryan raved about the parmesan oysters at Ribs & Reds, and Michael & I had the fried captain's platter, which included shrimp, fish, oysters and a stuffed crab and hushpuppies and fries and coleslaw. Momma & Daddy had shrimp and catfish, Robin had a shrimp salad and the kids had chicken of course. :-)
Another night we kept it simple with hot dogs with my bro at their condo. We stayed on the beach all day that day and came in just in time to shower and eat. Very chill day.

This trip was truly one of the best vacations ever: family, food and fun. What more could you ask for?

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I remember pretending to be on Charlie's Angels when I was little, running around the house with my hand held in the shape of a gun searching for bad guys. I don't remember which character I was, probably Jaclyn Smith's Kelly because I'm a brunette. My cousin Stephanie was probably Jill since that is her middle name, and maybe our cousin Nichelle was Sabrina because she is a brunette, too. Or maybe I was Sabrina and Nichelle was Kelly ... she is prettier than me anyway. ;-)

Today, Farrah Fawcett, who played Jill and was loved by millions of girls for a her fabulous feathered hair and by millions of boys because of her sexy swimsuit poster, died from cancer. And she was brave through it all.

A lot of people didn't take Farrah seriously as an actor until "The Burning Bed," but she went on to do something more important than be on a movie screen. She shared her struggles with the disease in the hope that someone would be inspired to fight harder, to get tested or to take better care of themselves.

Goodbye, Farrah. You'll always be part of my childhood.

************************

The world also lost another pop culture icon today: Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. For me it was the boy and the music.

His songs were part of growing up, too, so his death is bittersweet. Most of us are mourning the loss of a bit of our childhood rather than what he became.

Songs like I Want You Back and Beat It and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' are classics. You can't deny what he did for music – it's just terrible how his life changed. I think fame messed him up. I think about his children and wonder how they will cope and who will help them.

I remember when my brother got the Thriller album; we were so pumped. We played that record, and I do mean record, over and over and over. And my brother could bust a move. We all learned to do the moonwalk on my parents' hardwood floors, in our socks. Then we progressed to wearing shoes. Some of us even tried it on roller skates with varying degrees of success.

And what cheerleading squad in the '80s didn't have a routine to Beat It? Even though I wasn't a cheerleader, I knew the moves and thought I was something with my tape recorder out in the backyard, jamming to MJ.

So even though the grownup Michael Jackson wasn't someone I liked very much, the boy and his music will always be a little bit special.

Thanks for the music.

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My friend Ashokie is on her way to see one of our favorite bands, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, in West Palm Beach, Fla. JTNL are playing with Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd this summer, and she won tickets and backstage passes to the show. Squee! She's also heading to Atlanta to see them. And our friends Phil, Aspy, Jillster, Faith and Greenie have been or will be part of the fun.

I will live vicariously through her posts and pictures. Right, Ash?

If it weren't for a trip to the beach with the fam, I might be heading to the ATL to see them, too. But, dude, it's the beach. With my family. Can't miss that.

Someday things will work out and I'll be with my friends, jamming up front, watching the sweat drip off JT's brow, and singing along to Gypsy Woman.

If you haven't checked out JTNL, you've gotta do it now. They've signed with Atlantic Records and are working on a new album. But check out the first album ... go to iTunes or Amazon.com and download Hott Trottin' today. JTNL's rock, blues and soul will move you.

Rock on, my friend, rock on!

For your sore eyes:
(I believe the top pic was taken by Ash, the bottom by Boots.)

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Simple reminders
Originally uploaded by Tiff1723

New bracelets

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I'm scheduled to have my tubes tied and a uterine, or endometrial, ablation next month.

The ablation, which I'd never heard of before my doctor explained last month, uses hot water to burn off the endometrial lining of the uterus, lessening and many times eliminating your period.

My period has gotten really heavy (for me anyway ... Super Plus leaks after a couple of hours) the first 2-3 days, terrible ab pain (not like cramps but like I've done a million situps) and my doc told me the longer the abnormal bleeding goes on, the more it can damage uterine cells. Uterine cancer was mentioned, but he didn't say I was at risk.

I was originally going to get an IUD because we want some form of birth control. Pills give me migraines; condoms are a pain to deal with. And since I'm having heavy periods now and we don't want to have any more babies, he suggested the tubal and the ablation to take care of both issues. It's that or the IUD, and in five years, he says I'll have to do something else anyway.

My mom and aunts both suggested hysterectomies! But that's all they had back when they had all their "female trouble" as they called it. My doc said he wouldn't suggest it because of the invasiveness and the other options are easier.

We don't want any more kids now ... our job situation sucks, we don't feel like we have enough time with Riley now, she's older now so we can do more fun stuff, and we don't want to start all over.

But I cried on the way home because even though I knew in my head we weren't having any more kids, my heart still had a hard time accepting it.

It's just the finality of it hit me.

But I think I'm over it now. She won't be alone when Ryan and I are gone (which was my biggest concern with having an only child) – she'll have my brother's kids and all of my cousin's kids and all of her friends.

I'm really not good with life-changing decisions, am I? :-)

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My friend invited me to go with her, her daughter and daughter's friend to see Elton John and Billy Joel in Nashville last month. It was a graduation gift for Whitney, and it was a blast.


The two singers couldn't be more different, but both are fantastic entertainers. If you get a chance to see them, take it!

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Riley went to her first real indoor concert a couple of weeks ago (not counting The Wiggles): Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban. It was a great show but probably not the ideal situation for a 7-year-old, even though she loves Keith. She made it through Dierks' set and then melted down. She perked up long enough to see Keith do her favorite song: Once in a Lifetime, but after that she took off her processors and went to sleep.

To us grownups, it was an incredibly fun show. And we're happy we got a chance to see them here in Huntsville. My favorite songs:

From Dierks: What Was I Thinkin'
Free and Easy
Come a Little Closer
I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes

From Keith: Sweet Thing
Kiss a Girl
You'll Think of Me
You Look Good in My Shirt
I Told You So

Waiting for the stars to take the stage.

Dierks lookin' hot in his jeans and plaid shirt. Niiiice.

Riley rockin' out with DB.
Dierks rocks the guitar.

Keith shows off the reason for his popularity: his guitar skills, of course!
All right, another reason Keith is so popular: He's easy on the eyes.

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No Surprise by Daughtry

Second Chance by Shinedown

She's Country by Jason Aldean

Kiss A Girl by Keith Urban

Never Think by Rob Pattinson

Don't Let Me Stop You by Kelly Clarkson

So So Long by Dierks Bentley

Summertime by New Kids on the Block

Supermassive Black Hole by Muse

Summer Nights by Van Halen

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I had an episode of "Who am I? Why am I here? What happened to me?", complete with tears Tuesday night. I was telling Ryan how I felt like a different person depending on different situations and how I can't seem to put it all together in to one me. He was a little concerned; I think I thought I was talking multiple personalities or something, which I was not.

I feel like there's the Writer Me, the Rocker Me, the (Wannabe) Runner Me, the Mom, the Copy Editor, but I don't feel like they're all working together. At work, I definitely don't feel like I can be the real me. I can't seem to inject my voice into the articles I've been working on lately, and I can't seem to get a workout routine to click.

Ryan listened to me whine and snivel and told me how much talent and passion I have for writing and that I'm good at it. He told me all I need to do is make my health a priority, too, and I'd get back on track. He was great. And he made me laugh, which is one of the reasons I love him.

I don't know ... maybe I'm supposed to be different people at different times. Maybe it's a coping mechanism. Anyone else feel this way?

Anyway, to get out of my "why did I let myself go?" blues, I remembered this song and the lyrics: Real Live Woman by Trisha Yearwood. I have no "standard" to live up to except my own.

I don't buy the lines in magazines
That tell me what I've gotta be
Don't base my life on a movie screen
Don't fit the mold society
Has planned

I don't need to be 19 years old
Or starve myself for some weight I'm told
Will turn men's heads, been down that road
And I thank God I finally know
Just who I am

I ain't a movie star
May never see the view from where they are
And this old town may be as far as I'm goin'
But what he'll hold tonight in his hands
He swears is so much better than
Anything this old world
Can show him

Cause I'm a real live woman
In love with this man I see lyin' here next to me
Lost in the way that he's holdin'
This real live woman
In the arms of a man where I'll fall asleep knowin' there's
Nothin' on earth he loves more than
This real live woman

I work 9-5 and I can't relate
To millionaires who somehow fate
Has smiled upon and fortune made their
Common lives a better place to be

And I no longer justify
Reasons for the way that I behave
I offer no apologies
For the things that I believe and say
And I like it that way

Cause I'm a real live woman
In love with this man I see lyin' here next to me
Lost in the way that he's holdin'
This real live woman
In the arms of a man where I'll fall asleep knowin' there's
Nothin' on earth he loves more than
This real live woman

Whine is done.

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My new best friend:

However, this morning it felt more like the enemy. I am appalled at how out of shape I am. I did only 5 miles last week. Ugh. But like Ryan said, "That's five more miles than you did last week." So I'm going with the positive attitude.

I've been watching Twilight and The Tudors while walking, and I made a kick-ass playlist last night that I used this morning. I just need to get up earlier so I can get everything done that I want to do before work starts. I've got two stories due soon for Birmingham Parent and meetings at my regular job.

We had some really cool folks over for dinner and to watch a fight Saturday night, but I'll have to blog about it later. New friends FTW!

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All the schools in our county are closed the rest of the week because of two probable cases of swine flu in an elementary school in a neighboring city. And to think Riley got all her homework done early this week.

Riley's reaction to the crisis?

"Yeah, I can sleep late!"

My reaction?

"Yeah, I can sleep late! But crap, I hope we don't get sick! Shoot, we need food! Should I stockpile water and canned goods? How am I going to do my two interviews with Noggin being so loud? Wash your hands!"

The community rec department canceled all games and practices the rest of the week, too. Actually, Saturdays games haven't been called off yet, but they probably will be.

Also, we spent most of the afternoon in the town where the swine flu was detected ... Riley had two cavities filled then we had lunch, went to the bookstore then got ice cream.

But I'm not panicking. I hope this thing goes away soon. I want to have a good summer!

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Football is for Girls pointed out an error in my last post when I said that my friend and I weren't vegetarians like the Cullens.

"Actually, you are vegetarians exactly like the Cullens. Haha."

And she is right! I couldn't help but giggle when I read her comment. Something in common with Edward. Imagine that ...

By the way, I read the first three books in the series in a week. I'm about three-quarters of the way through Breaking Dawn with plans to read Midnight Sun once I'm finished. Then I must give my eyes a break! Probably by watching the movie again. :-)

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My friend Devilish Southern Belle brought over her copy, um, copies of Twilight this morning, and after grabbing a couple of bacon, egg and cheese biscuits (we're not vegetarians like the Cullens) we settled in to watch Edward and the rest of the vampire gang.

Yeah. It lives up to the hype ... Edward is more than I expected. However, I do wish the lighting wasn't so dark. I would like to see his face and his eyes more clearly. And I totally dig the sparkly skin. If I saw a dude sparkling like that, I'd probably ask what kind of makeup he was wearing. The effect was nice.

Bella wasn't nearly as annoying in the movie as she is in the book. Really. No one can be that clumsy; it's such a predictable setup to draw blood.

The plot seemed to jump from one event to the next too fast; it wasn't cohesive enough and didn't give the characters time to grow, but that's the movies for you. Only 2 hours or so to cram in the story.

I'm going to watch it again and pause on sparkly Edward. Bella was right about that: He is beautiful in that scene.

I finished New Moon and just started Eclipse last night. New Moon was a bit over the top but interesting. I did miss Edward. So far, Eclipse is keeping me reading ... I hope it answers some "creation" questions. But don't tell me ... I HATE spoilers!

And I'm sure when New Moon hits theaters I'll be there this time.

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I resisted all the hype and hoopla ... until Sunday when I picked up Twilight. I finished today (Tuesday) sitting in the parking lot of Books-a-Million, and immediately after, I walked inside and bought New Moon. Yes, watching the movie is on my list of things to do. I think I need to watch it alone, though, to take in the glory that is Robert Pattinson. Thanks to the trailers that I watched just a few minutes ago, I'm sure he'll live up to my expectations.
Although the writing isn't the greatest, it's the story that drew me in and kept me turning pages until 3:30 this morning, when I realized I had a knot in my stomach and that the wind was rattling the bedroom windows. I knew I better stop reading or I'd scare myself silly. I need to read the next book during the day or at least make sure Ryan is still awake.

Even at 37, I could relate to the love story ... I remembered feeling that way about a boy back in high school. Giddy and nervous when I was around him. Disappointed if he wasn't at school. Even though we never got together, the tension was there and I remember it well. But as far as I know, he wasn't a vampire. ;-)

The story is every high school girl's fantasy: the boy who loves you more than life itself.

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I'm 177 pages from finishing the 8-book series The Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes. I've loved every book, but not every minute. Some of it really pissed me off, but living in America wasn't/isn't always a bed of roses. Bad things happen to good people and prejudice and ignorance will always be with us.

The series is better than any American history class I ever had in school because it makes actual events come to life by weaving in fictional characters you care about. It takes you from the bloodshed in Boston in the American Revolution to the settling of the West to the growth of the railroads to the greed of the business community and government (sound familiar?). John Jakes makes every bit fascinating.

Next up is Twilight. Several friends told me I must read it, so I'm going to see what all the fuss is about. I hope it's not too creepy because I have been known to dream about books I'm reading and dreaming about vampires probably wouldn't be very restful.

By the way, if you're wondering, the pity party has ended. The wallowing is over. The past has passed and the future is bright. Now go read a book!

Fun with PhotoBooth

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