Sunday, August 31, 2008

Romega...the rub.

Rome, GA is a small town. Most everyone who's anyone knows everyone who's anyone. You know you have arrived when, in quick succession, you stop at the bank and see 7 people you know...who all say that they heard x, y & z about your personal or professional life, then you go to the sandwich shop and the guy says "Hey, JJ - you want a gyro today? It's not on the menu, but I got it if you want it." (OK, maybe that just shows that I eat too many gyros...) and then, while waiting for my food, sandwich man says "I heard something about you yesterday..." and THEN you go to the local high school football game and the same general thing happens over and over. Turns out that it was mostly good stuff that these folks heard...at least, if there was bad stuff, they didn't clue me in on it. But it's still a little unnerving when everyone knows random details of your life. Of course, I have nothing to hide, but people talk - especially in Rome, GA.

Getting excited about all the fall things coming up - the last 1st Friday concert this coming weekend, the 1st Annual Beer Festival in Rome (to benefit Rome Area Council for the Arts...) on 9/20, the chili cookoff & Chiaha in October...the Ellijay Apple Festival in mid-October...HALLOWEEN!!! I need a good Halloween party to go to, should anyone be feeling generous and want to pass out invites ;)

Happy Labor Day!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Ah...Friday...

AND it's a holiday weekend, too!!! YAY! Someone needs to kick my tail into finishing this motion to suppress and get out to the jail this afternoon, but I just spent a good 30 minutes at this site:
www.fanblogs.com/sec/
I'm a freak, I know. The thing is, I think NOT having TV for the last several months has made me excited about getting it. I know I'm not THE BIGGEST football fan out there. I don't keep up with statistics or spreads or which players have run the ball the most yards (though that's interesting to know...) - but I just LOVE the feeling of football Saturdays - like TOMORROW!!!

I can't decide what to do this weekend. I would like to go visit my Momma & Daddy (of course) but the game is on in the afternoon/evening...*sigh* So, the plan now is (I just talked to my Momma) to get up in the AM and go visit Grandmomma & Pop and not have a plan from there...maybe we'll take our suitcases and spend the night.

Alas. So, I had a fabulous book club meeting last night, though we never really got around to discussing Jem, Scout, Atticus Finch & Boo Radley. My favorite character changes every time I read the book. Originally, of course, Scout was my favorite - being the girl bucking tradition and wearing overalls and speaking her mind. Then, I LOVED Atticus when I read it in college. He was a good dad. Told his kids the truth, but protected them to the end. I read it again one summer in law school and was fascinated by Boo Radley - even though we don't see him in person throughout most of the book - because he was the stuff of legends and he had a different personality to each character in the book. Now...this time...I noticed what a big character Dill is - and Miss Maudie next door. LOVE THEM.

Anyway - that's the story for now. Happy Friday...Only one more week until I have cable!!!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Notes to self -

1. If you buy a Coke from the vending machine, don't open it immediately. It WILL fizz everywhere (you'd think that being 30-something would mean that I'd learned that lesson already. Nope.)

2. Your computer will NOT allow you to visit Facebook, MySpace, or any chat/forum enabled website. Never will this change. You will be blocked, logged & reported (oooohhhh, shakin' in my boots) every time you attempt to visit such a site, so you might as well stop trying.

3. You need gas. Do NOT tempt fate and fail to stop on the way home.

4. Yeah, you know how you thought your hair looked flirtatiously messy in a good way this morning? It doesn't. Now it just looks like you don't own a comb.

5. Stop calling and texting people that don't call you back. Remember it is their loss and their prerogative not to answer you. Let it go. I know it bugs you, because I *am* you - but it's really probably not worth the pain of worrying over. Then again, maybe it is. I am confusing myself.

The Seasons Change

Last year, Cole was in a class of 3 year olds at the Berry Child Development Center. That class is in "Sunshine Cottage" - now, Carsie is 3 and is in Sunshine Cottage and Cole has moved up to the 4-year old "Faith Cottage"...lovely names.

Anyway, so in late-August/Early September last year, the theme of the week at Sunshine Cottage was the seasons...Mrs. Mull asked the whole class "Does anyone know what season we are beginning now?" Of COURSE my super-sonic-smart boy raises his hand and shouts out:
"Mrs. Mull...Mrs. Mull...I know what season it is!!! IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON."

She tells me this story later, and while I understood the humor...my boy was correct...bring on falling leaves and sweaty undergrads in tight pants while I drink cold beer and eat taco dip and chili ;) Fall is my very very very favorite time of year. This whole week has been breezy and delightfully NOT HOT - i.e. the temp has stayed below 90... - and I'm even wearing a light cotton cardigan today. Love love love it. TODAY is the official start of college football season. LOVE IT.

Now...I just have to find SOMEONE with tickets to a game - ANY game - SEC preferably - (UGA, Auburn, etc.) - but I'm up for anything involving 100 yards of turf, tailgating, a couple goal posts, lots of tackling, fumbling, turnovers, cheerleaders, and a marching band.
I'm a cheap date. I'll drive. I'll even buy you beer.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Message to the Masses

BREAKING NEWS!!!

I just broke down and ordered cable internet, phone & tv...It's being installed on September 6. This means that not only will I have a reliable phone at home at which you may speak to me on without having a dropped call...but --- GASP!!! --- I will have internet at home...meaning I will be able to get onto MySpace, Facebook, and my sweet JuneBug Mommas playspace ;)

ETA: I forgot to mention that what finally made me break down and do this is not that I'm missing Project Runway Season 5 - it's that college football season starts NOW and I just can't handle not having it at home. I mean, I can't take my babies to a sports bar every time there's a game on, right?

OK. Be excited. Be very very excited.

Uh, do the Humpty Hump...

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Carsie started at Berry Child Development Center today (which is where Cole attends) and BONUS! - she's in Sunshine Cottage - Cole's class from last year. I really like having two kids a year apart. How lucky am I to have a boy AND a girl and they're super close and polar opposites at the same time.

I missed them on my beachy girly weekend. Last night I met them and Claire (aka Mema) at Taco Bell in Gadsden...Cole & Carson got NEW SHOES...AGAIN! WOOHOO!!! Cole's are skechers (cool!) and Carsie's are knee high biker boots (tee hee)...

On the way back to Rome GA - they're in the back seat discussing the finer points of the movies/kid shows they watched on DVD over the long weekend. Berenstain Bears, Arthur, Transformers, etc. So then Cole has a bright idea - "Hey Carse - let's play 'Transformers', ok?" - Carson wholeheartedly agrees and Cole asks her which one she wants to be - she wants to be "Bumblebee" and Cole accepts and decides he will be "Optimus Prime" - then considers for a moment and says - "Hey, Mom - which transformer will you be...?" Well, I remember the name of only one Transformer - andd it was Optimus Prime, which obviously was already taken...so I say "I don't know bud, who do YOU think I should be? Carsie's Bumblebee and you are Optimus Prime, who should I be?"

Cole's response? "Blockhead. You will be really good at being Blockhead, Ma."

<<<***SIGH***>>> Ah, well - the sacrifices of Mom - I guess I'll be the best Blockhead I can be. ;)

Oh, and it bugged me all night that I forgot one of the MAJOR highlights of our karaoke night in my haste to post the last entry.

- Sooz singing "WANTED: Dead or Alive" and riding an inflatable man-part around the bar which was generously loaned, without solicitation, from the crazy bachelorettes. ;)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A Shout Out to my Girls

"My knees are on FIRE, Y'ALL!!!" - ha ha ha ha

One of many many many funnies from my girls' weekend at the beach. Other highlights:
- the revealing of my "dirty little secret" (which the rest of you blog-readers are not lucky enough to know - but no, I'm not a male dancer... ;) )
- realizing that yes, in fact, my car's "range indicator" which tells me how far I can go on what gas I have DOES have an indication that comes after ZERO - it's a dash-dash-dash. And, in fact, I can go another 1+ miles even then (sorry, K-Sue, that was freaky)...
- the noise of "biblical" proportions when we found out that in fact, there are multiple "Butler Avenues" in Chatham County...we weren't on the right one.
- Soozie's insane ability to pop every joint in her body at early hours of the morning.
- drinking bloody marys...mmmm...
- River Street - the man who let his napkin fall from the balcony, apologized, said it was an accident and then told me (by the way) his number was on it...ha ha
- the street performer whose repetoire became less and less funny as the night wore on.
- Sylvia the Tarot Card reader. Fabulocity, I tell you!!! (Karen, I have good names for your soon-to-be-twins, been thinking on it...)
- J.J. + Martinis = fabulous karaoke night
- J.J. + "Marcus" (big black boy singing Merle Haggard) = concerned girlfriends
- Melissa & her knees...aw, baby, I'm sorry it was hurting so bad, and I apologize for Marcus's need to "massage" - unfortunately massaging sunburn isn't very helpful...
- Penelope
- Jello shots - frozen, not frozen...spit or swallow ;)
- What? We had a bottle of DiSaronno? AND IT'S GONE?!?!?
- some Smirnoff Ices have twist-off tops. Some do not...don't hurt yourself.
- Melissa - "We can either play again & switch up the teams OR...we can switch up teams and play again?!?!?" (Obviously two very different and good ideas...)
- NOTE TO SELF: Ingleside Village Pizza is closed on Mondays.

OK - I realize that for some of you none of that makes sense, but for the 3 other ladies that went on my trip with me...I love you. This is exactly what my soul needed. THANK YOU and I can't WAIT until next time.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Tybee here I come!!!

I'm headed to the beach today!!! WOO HOO!!! I have no idea if I packed properly or not and have already remembered like 5 things I meant to pack but didn't...

Oh well. I can't wait to get on the road. It's 10:00 am now, waiting for a call shortly after lunch so I can take the chickadees to Alabama and then head SOUTH for the weekend. Of course, it'll probably rain on us girls all weekend (thank you, Tropical Storm Fay) but I really don't care. I am just looking forward to eating and drinking and chillin' w/ my homies.

By the way, if you are reading this and I called you last night (and the night before) and left you a message...please call me back - or email me - or text me - or heck, send smoke signals. I need to talk to you.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

~~~News Flash~~~

Hey y'all. As of right now, if I get 2 more views, I will break the 4-digit hit threshold (see my counter over in the sidebar!!!)

Oh - and I need to publicly make the following announcements in response to some emails/messages I've gotten from you (anonymous) faithful readers:

1. YES - at some point I WILL in fact put SOMETHING for sale in my Etsy store...it's just that this full-time trial lawyer/full-time single mommy gig is kind of time consuming and doesn't leave much personal creative time...

2. I STILL don't have cable at my house. We live too far in the boonies (so I'm told) for DSL. Thus, I have no internet at home...which leaves me to the devices available to me at work - meaning, my government issued computer which blocks, logs, and reports about 60% of the internet content I try to view, even if completely innocent. Thus, I am UNABLE to check my MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn pages...nor can I access any message-board or forum-enabled site...and I also can't get into photobucket (which also chaps my hide). SO, if you have been messaging me on MySpace, Facebook, excoboard, LinkedIn or anything of the sort...I'm not there (though believe you me, I wish I were ;) ) One day soon, the world will turn right side up again and I may indulge in cable TV and Internet again (oh, Project Runway, how I miss THEE!!!)

Thank you. PSA is now over. Have a good one.

So shoot me...

I'm busy. We all know this, right? I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T KEPT UP and been absent a couple weeks...eek...it's been a couple weeks already? Ack! I'm SO sorry! In my defense, I had 42 cases on the trial calendar over the last two weeks, and I currently have ONE - as in "1" left...out of 42. Pretty good, eh? I've tried 3 cases and had one Motion to Suppress (which was granted in my clients' favor, I might add - woo hoo!) - so I'm doing pretty well thus far.

I am currently in possession of this office's "Can of Whup-Ass" for my hard work over the last week (yes, in fact there IS an actual physical soup can with a label that says "Canned Whup-Ass" presented to me for kicking tail!!!) but I'm on the black list of bloggers for not keeping up. So, I hope my apology is accepted! In fact, to make it up, I will even post some cutie pictures. Check the sidebar...

So, I had a strangely satisfying weekend doing absolutely nothing. Really. I went to see a great band - The Groundhogs - on Friday at 400 Block - very entertaining bluegrassy stuff, can't wait 'til they come back soon. I may even get to sing my favorite ever John Prine song with them (Angel from Montgomery)...I did clean my house on Saturday for a showing...and then I went to Old Havana (local cigar shop/bar) at 1pm. I never left except for a brief hiatus to Schroeder's for some grub around 4...and then I went BACK to the shop and met Brett Butler (the actress, not the baseball player - brettbutler.com) She was SO fabulously entertaining...good times. Yeah, so I was gone (and mostly at the cigar store) from 1pm until almost 1am. SO not like me, but I was well entertained the majority of the time, and what else did I have to do, right? It was a welcome distraction.

I'm going to the beach this weekend with girlfriends - despite this whole Hurricane/Tropical Storm Fay thing. I'm ok with hanging out drinking Bloody Marys and Margaritas and playing poker inside at the beach and indulging in some seafood and martinis at suppertime. Fabulous, I tell you.

OK - I'm off to post some pictures.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Happy Birthday to ME!

I'm shameless, I'm wishing myself a happy birthday. I have a hot date in Atlanta(with girls... ha ha) and hopefully will have drinks bought for me tonight when I get back to Rome.

Friday, August 1, 2008

My baby girl is THREE!!!

I might faint. When did this happen that I actually have two preschoolers?!?!? Carson has been wearing panties (as opposed to pull-ups) for 3 weeks now. Wow. And today is her BIRTHDAY!!! We stopped at Wal-Mart this morning (for the second day in a row!) and got little cupcakes to celebrate with her class at school, and I caved and let both munchkins get bavarian-creme-filled, chocolate icing & sprinkle-covered donuts. And then, as if I hadn't already lost it allowing my children to basically go into sugar shock at 7:30am, I allowed them to *GASP* eat them in my CAR!

Fun times, right here in River City, I tell ya.

We went to Cole's "orientation"/meet-the-teacher gig at Berry Child Development Center last night. He was there (in Sunshine Cottage) last year - and this year he's in Faith Cottage (the 4 year old cottage) with Mrs. Bray & Mrs. Forsyth. AND, a lot of his old friends that he hasn't seen since December were there - mainly Parker Kelly (there were two Parkers in Sunshine Cottage, so the Parkers both went by their full names) and Ella Grace (his "girlfriend" that he married on the playground...tee hee...too cute.)

Carson has now decided that she IS a big girl, after all, and would like to go to Berry with her brother. So, hopefully someone will be unable to attend and she'll get into Sunshine with the sweethearts Mrs. Mull & Mrs. Simpkins.

It's FRIDAY...woo hoo. We're having dinner to celebrate Carsie's birthday - she picked Los Palmas (local mexican joint) and lots of folks are coming (if you're local, meet us there at 6:30! No gift required...)

I found some sushi buddies - my crazy aunt Carol, and Soozalicious ;) - so I'm going for sushi tomorrow for MY birthday. Things are good. Now I just have to finish preparing for my felony trials next week. Fun times.