Down a Kidney... Weekend Review

This past weekend, I was suppose to be on a vacation in Las Vegas. Beezy and I were going to head down to Vegas on Thursday evening and stay through Sunday. All of that changed on Wednesday with a phone call.

Beezy's family is very close knit. When it's a holiday or a get together there's usually anywhere from 15-25 family members in attendance. They are always there for each other whether it be a kids soccer game, a graduation, vacation or cookout. I mean just look at this Hawaii picture... there is 23 people in this photo alone and not everybody went!

 

So when Beezy got the call on Wednesday that his cousin was having surgery we cancelled our trip. We had found out about two weeks before that his cousin found out he had a tumor the size of a baseball inside one of his kidneys. They decided that he should have the surgery sooner rather than later (it was scheduled for another week away) to remove the tumor and see if anything else was going on. So on Friday we headed to the hospital to sit in the waiting room and wait. When we got there around 11:00 a.m. there was already 10 family members sitting in the lobby waiting. They had just taken his cousin back to start the pre-operation things. We waited and waited. I think at one point in the day there was 23 people there. It wasn't until almost 6 o'clock that he was out of surgery. He was down a kidney but they got it out and he's going to be ok.

 

I thought it was so great how all of his family came. They didn't only just come to the hospital, everyone brought snacks and drinks. They entertained each other and kept each other company. The next day we all got together and visited him in the hospital and ate dinner together. They let him know that he wasn't laying there alone. I guess this is what a big family does. I'm not use to that. It's been my mom and I for a long time.

 

So the weekend didn't go as planned but that's ok. It's something that we wouldn't miss.

 

Apart from spending a large chunk of our weekend at the hospital, Beezy took me to dinner at a place called Lucille's.

It was the best meal we've ate out in a long time. I want to go back. I got the tri-tip sandwich and it was very good. The fries and their macaroni and cheese were spectacular. I mean really look at it...

Amazing! Go there is you have one near you. I think their only in three states right now.

 

We also bought Tesco his Halloween costume and I can't wait to share it with you once it gets closer! 



Saturday Smiles

Every Saturday, I'm going to try and post five things that made me smile during the week. Often I find myself getting caught up in the small stuff but this year I'm making an effort to be conscious of it. This year is about being happy and finding happiness even in the small things! Want to join me? Go ahead and post your Saturday Smiles!

1. Getting real mail.

2. Baton twirling.

3. DVR- Pretty excited about recording fall TV premieres.

4. Date nights.

5. Decorating for the holidays.

What's making you smile?

Theater Thursday... But Not

Today is normally Theater Thursday.

But not this week! Fall television has officially begun and I've tried out a few new shows. In the first week of fall television, I've watched three new shows. They are Madam Secreatry, The Mysteries of Laura and Scorpion. If you didn't catch any of these three, I'm going to tell you my thoughts on them so maybe that'll help you decide what to spend your time on.

First up, Madam Secretary.

Set in Washington D.C. Tea Leoni stars as Secretary of State. Teaching at a college in Virginia she is recruited by the President (her former boss when she worked for the CIA) to come back to D.C. to work for him. Unable to say no, she moves her family back to D.C. and takes her place as the Secretary of State. She's new in the position, new to the politics of the White House and feeling a little out of her element.

I thought the first episode is worthy of another watch. It was good but since I am an avid fan of the West Wing series it felt a lot like that. I have a feeling the show is going to be a little political at times as was the West Wing. The writing isn't as great as Aaron Sorkins but it was definitely worthy of another watch. Tea Leoni does a great job in the role.

The second show I watched was, The Mysteries of Laura.

Debra Messing stars as a newly single mother of twin boys in Pre-K. Not only is she learning how to wrangler to young boys by herself she's a full time detective in New York. She also has to deal with her soon to be ex-husband in the workplace because he's a Captain in the department. She solves murders during the day and reads bedtime stories at night. This is a mystery series so I don't want to give too much away from the episode.

I love Debra Messing. I think she's a great actress and who didn't love her old show Will & Grace? I thought the first episode was cute and I definitely didn't guess who the killer was during the story. However, the show was really corny and odd at times. I'm going to watch episode two but I don't know if this will make it a full season. So Debra here's hoping for you! Tune in. Give it a shot. You might like it. It might also get better with each episode.

And the third show that I watched was Scorpion.

Scorpion brings together a group of four geniuses and the mother of a young genius in training. They all work together in Los Angeles. When the government comes to Walter (the head of this group of geniuses), they tell him they have an emergency situation that only they can solve. If they can't figure out how to solve the crisis in 2 hours tons of lives will be lost. The group comes together to try to solve the problem. Walter has a past with the government agent but he puts his history aside to help the country. This misfit group of geniuses will have to rely on each other's skills to get the job done.

Honestly, the previews looked dumb to me. I tried out the episode and I sat there the entire time thinking well this could never happen. This is dumb. I highly doubt I will ever watch another episode again. I read a few reviews online and I'm not the only one who feels that way. This makes me think that it's not going to be on very long. I give it maybe 3 episodes before CBS pulls the plug but depending on how much money they've invested it might go half a season to 6 episodes. In my opinion don't waste your time!

Good news... I CAN NOT WAIT FOR SCANDAL TO RETURN!

Wordless Wednesday

 

September Ipsy Bag

Yay! It finally came! The September Ipsy bag has finally arrived. Ipsy combines two of my favorite things, getting real mail and new make up. Incase you haven't heard by now, Ipsy is a monthly subscription filled with anywhere from 4-6 products tucked into a cute bag that can be reused. The products range everywhere from lip gloss to skin care to eye shadows. Usually one product is a full size item while the others allow you to try them out to see if their good for you. I've been getting Ipsy for about a year now and I love every months bag.

So what was in my bag this month?

1. Alterna Haircare- Caviar CC Cream 10 in 1 Complete Correction.

The third month of Ipsy I got a really great hair care product so when I saw this in my bag I got excited! I haven't tried it out yet but it smells great. 

2. Pacifica- Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil- Brown Shade.

This is probably the 4th different eye pencil Ipsy has sent me. It's been a different brand each time and I'd have to say this is my least favorite. First of all I don't use brown. I have green eyes and blonde hair. I use black and only black. When I saw that it was brown I was completely confused. Who packed this one?

 



3. Be A Bombshell- Smooth Criminal Powder.

This is the product I was most excited about! I am really excited to try it. I've never had a finishing powder and I had been wanting to get one and try it out. It's also really silky smooth. I think the brand is pretty good too!

 

4. Cailyn- Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss- Basic Instinct Shade.

Honestly, I was disappointed. I have told Ipsy every time they send me a lip product that I do not use them. I have really sensitive lips that will get a cold sore on them if I use a lip product. I was really hoping not to get another.

 

5. LeeAnni Eco- 3 in 1 Revolution Light.

I love a good face lotion and this one is very eco friendly. It doesn't have a strong smell so I can't wait to try this one out!

For $10.00 a month you can get your own bag catered to your specifications. So what are you waiting for? Go join!

Weekend Update!

My weekend was great! I got to relax and have a little fun! My previous weekend was packed so it was nice to get to kick back and not have a lot of commitments. I started my weekend off by arriving home to fresh flowers courtesy of Beezy.

Who doesn't love a nice bouquet of flowers?! They smell great which is always the best part. We spent Friday night relaxing and watching a movie. We also caught up on my favorite reality show...

I know some people either really love or hate her and I love her! I think she's brutally honest and doesn't care what others think. She's got an NFL husband, a brand new multimillion dollar house and brand new twin babies. That's 6 kids in total so her world is crazy! I've even got Beezy into watching the show. I think the fact that Kroy is an NFL player helps because he loves football and this year's season of Hard Knocks focused on the Atlanta Falcons which is Kroy's team.

On Saturday, I went outside and spent some time in the backyard reliving my glory days. My mom recently sent me my case of twirling gear so everything from college was in there. I had my batons, ribbons, flags and knives. So I spent about a half hour twirling these bad boys...

What did I learn? My arms are completely out of shape. I have no flexibility anymore and I'll need to keep practicing again if I want to ever be decent again. I have plans of doing a little exhibition show HAHA.

After my twirling escapade we went to a dinner downtown being hosted by one of Beezy's cousins. It was for adults only in their family and it was nice. We all sat around and had a good dinner. It was also a moment to spend together since his family got some really upsetting news last week about a family member. I forgot my camera or there would be photo evidence of the great food and company.

Sunday I sat around all day and caught up on more tv shows I'd been missing and of course watching my favorite movie...

Romancing the Stone! Hope you all have a great Monday!

KO'd

 

Mayweather vs. Maidana Part 2.

This is the fight we'd all been waiting on. The moment it was announced that Mayweather had granted a part two with Chino Maidana, I jumped with excitement. I've followed Mayweather's every move on instagram. I googled where Oxnard, California is actually located in the state. It's home to Chino's coach and practice area. I waited for the Showtime All Access episodes and with each one airing the anticipation grew. I even started following Mayweather's ex Miss Jackson and his new girlfriend Bad Medina. Who doesn't love a good love triangle back story?!

The history between these two is known. The gloves incident from the first fight. The head butt. The fights that have broken out on the press tour. Chino's coach getting into it with Mayweather. We know it all. You know my favorite memory from the first fight? The moment Floyd "Money" Mayweather thought he finally lost a fight as they were announcing it was going to score cards. Then the fact that Mayweather won.

So when the 70.00 dollars was paid to view it on pay per view and the pizzas were hot. We sat there hoping to see another great match up and maybe the fight that would put change Mayweather's undefeated zero to a one loss.

This fight was completely different from the first match up. It was obvious in round one. Chino was throwing far less punches and Floyd was running around the ring to not be caught on the ropes. Chino seemed in a haze when he was throwing punches. Many weren't landing. Floyd seemed depressed. He spent the majority of the fight running around the ring trying to avoid punches. He would spend half of each round either running around avoiding the fight. The other half he would let Chino hit him once then hold him so the ref could break them up and start fresh. Then the infamous incident happened...

Floyd was holding Chino's head down after a punching trio. The next thing the audience knows, Floyd is holding his glove out saying that Chino bit him. He claimed that Chino bit down through the mouth guard and glove to get to his hand. The ref said he didn't see it. The crowd didn't see it and neither did anyone in the television audience. Chino said after the fight that he did not bite him. Mayweather says still that he did. He said his hand became numb afterwards and could hardly use his hand after that.

So how did this fight end... with Floyd winning yet again. It was probably the most boring ending to a fight ever. The entire last round Floyd ran around the ring avoiding a punch. He claims to THE BEST EVER.... well to me the best ever doesn't need to run around the ring. He stands there and punches toe to toe with his opponent.

SUCK IT FLOYD.

PS: I think he's depressed.

Saturday Smiles

Every Saturday, I'm going to try and post five things that made me smile during the week. Often I find myself getting caught up in the small stuff but this year I'm making an effort to be conscious of it. This year is about being happy and finding happiness even in the small things! Want to join me? Go ahead and post your Saturday Smiles!

 

1. Romancing the Stone.

2. Vacation is getting closer.

3. Ordering Christmas gifts.

4. Beezy and his welcome home hugs.

5. Tesco who waits by the door for me.

What's making you smile?

Let the Christmas Wish Lists Begin

Is September too early to make a Christmas wish list? I don't think so. We are only 96 days until Santa fills those stockings! You can't be too prepared for Christmas. I am a firm believer in that statement. There will always be something the week of Christmas you are rushing out to get. To make things easier for my family and friends I'll just supply some of my wish list items now. Look at how thoughtful that is! In my family we make lists of things we'd like to get under the tree. However, don't get me wrong. I'm more than happy to just see my mom for Christmas. That could be my only present and I'd be more than happy. With that being said...

Here is a few items I'd like to see under the Christmas tree or in my stocking...

1. Season 7 of Dynasty. $38.89 Amazon.

I love this show. I've watched all the episodes at least twice and I am loving watching them a third time. They also had some good fashion back in the day.

2. The Mini Bailey Button Uggs. $135.00 Ugg Australia. in Red or Grey.

I have two pairs of Uggs and I love them. I wear them all the time in the winter. You can never have too many Uggs.

 

3. Urban Decay: Naked Skin Body Beauty Balm. $32.00 Sephora.

I love this stuff. I've used it for about a year now and a tube lasts about 5 months. I've been out for awhile and just haven't taken the plunge and spent the money again. This stuff works miracles. I use it as a foundation and it glides over my skin and stays on for all day coverage. It also really evens out my skin tone.

 

4. The two new Stuart Woods books. $39.70 Amazon.

I love Stuart Woods. He is by far my favorite author. I've said it before and I'll say it again. His books never disappoint. I've loved every single one. I hope he keeps writing till the day he dies (let's face it... he's getting old). He has two new books out that I don't have yet and I want them! I started reading his books when I was a teenager and they build upon each other. Stone Barrington always finds himself in sticky situations and finds a way out.

 

5. A New Elvis Shirt! $24.99 Medium.

 

I have shirt #6 already. I would love number 1, 2 or 7. If you've read this blog for a while or know me then you know I love Elvis!

So that's just a few things on my Christmas Wish list... what's on yours?

Theater Thursday

It's Thursday and that can only mean one thing... it's Theater Thursday! This week's featured movie is, Closer and Closer.

Closer and Closer stars Kim Delaney as Kate, a best selling novelist. Kate was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheel chair after being attacked by a serial killer. The man who attacked her said he was inspired from the violence in her first book. After taking a lot of time off after the attack, she's starting to get her physical and mental strength back. She was even able to concentrate enough to write a second book... a sequel to her first book. Unlike when she wrote her first book, she's prepared for the crazies out in the world. She's living completely secluded and only has a few friends who stop by. She's got a computer to connect with the outside world and a house that completely locks down.

As soon as Kate's second book hits the shelf she finds herself living in her own sequel. All over again, she has a serial killer hunting his way across the United States to get to her. Kate starts working with the FBI to help predict where he might strike next. She hopes to save not only herself but other women who are being stalked out. She also feels guilty because she believes it's all due to her book. She doesn't feel like she can trust anyone and feels more isolated than even before. She'll have to trust the people around her and she'll have to see if their all worthy of the trust.

This movie was a made for television back in 1996 and it took me years to find the name of it because I had seen it as a kid. It was still really good when I finally saw it again after years!

Wordless Wednesday

Working the New 9 to 5

I started my new job almost a month ago and since then I feel like the days just fly by. Does anyone else feel like most of their work days just fly by? I get up each morning by 6:45 a.m. and I'm out the door by 7:30 a.m. I spend an hour in bumper to bumper traffic. Usually it's the stop and go kind which I find to be the most annoying. That gets me to 8:30 my start time. I get inside the building. I fill up my reusable water container and the day just starts to speed away. Some mornings, I take a break and get one of the best butter croissants ever...

Before I know it, it's lunch time and I'm out in capitol park eating a bologna sandwich. I usually spend my lunch time talking to Beezy and enjoying being outside. I take full advantage of the nearby park. I sit on my bench and just enjoy it. In the winter months who knows what I'll do. I have gone outside for lunch everyday except one so far.

Once lunch ends, the afternoon flies. I spend time sending e-mails, going to meetings, answering calls, ordering things I'm responsible for etc. I usually look down at the computer clock and it's 4:45 p.m. so I make a mad dash of scrambling to finish up everything that I'm working on well enough to know what I'm doing the next day. I turn off my lights, log off my computer and fill up my water jug for the long car ride home. I've learned that if I'm not in the car by 5:05 p.m. then traffic will be far worse than if I and when I can get out exactly at 5:00p.m. So I spend another hour in the car to finally get back home.

Lately, Tesco has been sitting right by the door waiting on me. I get my big hug from Beezy and we eat dinner. I can finally relax, put on some comfortable clothes and just enjoy the evening. The evenings usually go by fast because bed time creeps up on us before we realize it. Then I do it all over again the next day. Trust me... the evenings could go a little slower but I'm grateful the work day goes quick. Is anyone else's days like this? I feel like I'm working a new 9 to 5.

Saturday Smiles

Every Saturday, I'm going to try and post five things that made me smile during the week. Often I find myself getting caught up in the small stuff but this year I'm making an effort to be conscious of it. This year is about being happy and finding happiness even in the small things! Want to join me? Go ahead and post your Saturday Smiles!

1. Our new television.

2. Reading a new book.

3. Countdown to vacation.

4. Holiday planning.

5. Always Beezy.

What's making you smile?

Five On Friday

1. I have a new guilty pleasure. It's called Leann and Eddie...

Um, how did I not know this show had started airing till recently> I've been trying to catch up on past episodes and the show is actually really good. I've always been interested in their story since they made the movie that caused the cheating heard round the world. I think I'll keep watching for now. They seem really good for each other and happy. Leann also doesn't seem as unstable and crazy as the tabloids make her out to be.

2. These shoes...

I saw them on Pinterest a few nights ago and can't stop thinking about them. They are ridiculously expensive and super hard to find because it turns out their from a few years ago. BUT I want them! I think they would go great for an upcoming event. Someone buy me these 1,000 dollar shoes.

3. Speaking of Pinterest, I've been on a pinning roll. I've been pinning everything from fudge to wedding flowers. Not only have I been pinning, I've actually been making things that I see on there. I've used two recipes this past week that I found on there. One being the stuffed peppers that I talked about earlier in the week and the second some breakfast egg cups. I mixed some eggs, cheese and sausage for some easy morning breakfast.

4. I finally caved and bought a reusable water container. My work has a water jug and for the low price of 3.00 a month I can drink as much as I want from it. Beezy and I figured that it would be cheaper to start doing that than buying bottled water. So we got a pretty container for me and a brita one for him. I have to admit, I've drank A LOT more water now that I have the container than when we were buying bottles. Maybe it's the fact that it's a straw? I don't know. Either way I've got a cute container on my desk. I went with an Aladdin Mason Jar container. 

My jar is solid purple instead of pink. It's also double sided so the water stays cool without causing condensation on the outside. Each filled jar is 20 oz. of water when a bottle of water for me was usually 16 oz.

5. Am I the only one who feels behind on their Christmas shopping? I usually start shopping in June and I don't have one single thing yet for people. I need to get on it. Like now. Dear Amazon? Why did you have to change your minimum price for free shipping? That wasn't nice. Stop trying to make me join prime for free shipping in two days.

We Will Never Forget

Weekend Review

Beezy and I took the plunge. Last week we took advantage of the Labor Day sales and bought a giant television. He had been pouring over the Sunday ads for months, comparing tv against tv, commenting about how he'd like a new one and even made it number one on his Christmas wish list. When the Labor Day ads came out, I knew it was time to give in and give up a large portion of the living room to an over 40 inch screen. Monday off we went to the store. What did Beezy want? He originally wanted a 60 inch television. We left the store with this one...

He read so many reviews that we went with the Samsung 55 inch Smart TV. Once we bought it, we were so nervous. The boxes on TV's are huge and we were so nervous that it wasn't going to fit in his car. We had to put the backseats down and it barely made it. We got it home and it was the fastest I've ever seen someone set up an electronic. I'm glad he likes it. We made a compromise that this is the last tv we are buying for a few years.

In other news, I tried making something new! Beezy always makes dinner and I'm usually the one to do breakfast. I decided to mix things up and make dinner one night during the week. This was the first time I had ever made stuffed peppers and I think they turned out pretty good.

I used red and green peppers because honestly I didn't know which one Beezy would like better. I stuffed them with hamburger meat, cheese and rice. I also topped them off with a lot of cheese. The peppers could have been a little softer but overall he really liked them. I'm going to try to make them again but a little different so I'm hoping that works out.

I also started reading a new book...

It was recommended to me by one of my best friends who's a librarian. I'm about ten pages in because I haven't had a lot of time to read but it's good! Why haven't I had a lot of time to read? Well Sunday started the NFL season and we have Sunday ticket so of course guess what I had to watch...

And that's a weekend folks.