Thanksgiving Plans??

Well does anyone have any Thanksgiving plans? My family (daughter & hubby) and I are going to Arkansas to see my cousin Traci. Actually we will be seeing my Aunt, Uncle, Cousin David, his wife Tanda, Traci, her husband Bobby and their son Brayden. I say Traci because she is one of my best friends and I am so, so, so, so, so...did I mention so...excited to see her! We usually see each other several times a year and I try to go up on Thanksgiving but was not able to go last year and it has just worked out that we haven't seen each other since last Christmas and won't see each other this Christmas! I am sad about that!! However, I am so excited (did I mentioned that already?) to go see her now!! I don't know if anyone has been in Bentonville or Bella Vista Arkansas. I tell you what - it is beautiful up there! I absolutely love it. I need a break and so does my family so we are looking forward to it!! If anyone is traveling over the holidays I hope you have a safe trip!!

Happy Anniversary to Me!!

Me and my hubby Brian had been married 5 years today! Yeah!! I am a plain jane kinda girl and I got to pick out my engagment ring. I picked out a small diamond with channel set diamonds on the side. For our wedding band I just picked out a plain gold wedding band. WELL for our anniversary the hubby gave me a channel set diamond band to match my wedding ring! It looks exactly like my wedding ring except for my wedding ring has the big diamond sitting up on the middle of my ring. Anyway - I am very very proud of him! He knows what I want! So now I am "bling bling" in a small kind of way with my 18 small diamonds and one larger one. One of my friends told him that after 5 more years he better add some more diamonds! Ha! I will say he is good about getting this sort of thing. I am always trying to get him to get me costume jewelry but OH NO. He doesn't want to do that! Last year I got a cross necklace with a diamond in the middle and the year before that I got diamond earrings and a diamond solitare necklace. The boy can shop!

Women Conserve Energy! Use Eco-Bra!

In Japan this winter the new rage will be the "Eco-Bra". This bra has eco-safe padding that you heat up in the microwave and then you wear this contraption to keep your "boobies" warm. Yup - you got it - keeping your girlie goods warm. Not only does it keep your girlie goods warm but it has a long "tail" that you can use to wrap around your neck as a scarf. I believe I read that it will also come with a pair of shorts. Strange stuff. This is suppose to help conserve energy by making woman warming up their girlie goods and therefore they won't need to use the heat? Well what about the rest of your body. I tell you what my girlie goods are the last thing that gets cold! I think they should spend more time on - you know - anything other than keeping select "body parts" warm. Sheesh!

Here We Go Again!!!

I am back!! How has everyone been? Life has become a little less crazy and I have become a little more organized so I decided to venture back into the "blog world"! I have stopped in occasionally to everyones sites but never long enough to leave a message. So some things have changed since I have last talked to everyone:

1. Life (like I said above!) has become a little less crazy so I have more free time to blog now!

2. Traci (another author - my cousin - from the "old" Mind Diversion) and I created a website for our family to use since most of us live so far apart and don't have time to talk as often as we like. That address - Ivey Family - is on my sidebar. We don't have it up and going yet but we will introduce our family to it over the holidays and hopefully have it up and going soon!!

3. I like this site to be about my "vents", news and little funny things so we (Brooke, Jessica and I - both of them other authors from the old "Mind Diversion") also created a "mommy site" where I talk about strictly "mommy type things". If you are a mother (or even a father!) and want to stop by that link is also on my sidebar. There is not much on the blog yet but it will be soon - us mommies have alot to say!

4. Brooke of course has her own site which many of you already know about. You can check it out over on my sidebar!

5. Traci will be starting another site and I will have it up on my side bar soon!!

6. Jessica - who knows - she may or may not start another site but for now she is just on the Mommy Site with Brooke and I. She has a new arrival at home and I think he keeps her pretty busy!!

SO that is kind of what is going on! I kept a short list of my main site reads from the old Mind Diversion and I will be stopping in on everyone occasionally! I just have to put my family and job first - the of course blogging comes in third!! Hope to talk to you all soon!

What Does A Man Have To Do To Fish Around Here?

Four married guys go fishing. After an hour, the following conversation took place:

First guy: "You have no idea what I had to do to be able to come out fishing this weekend. I had to promise my wife that I will paint every room in the house next weekend.

Second guy: "That is nothing, I had to promise my wife that I will build her a new deck for the pool."

Third guy: "Man, you both have it easy! I had to promise my wife that I will remodel the kitchen for her."

They continue to fish when they realized that the fourth guy has not said a word. So they asked him."You haven't said anything about what you had to do to be able to come fishing this weekend. What's the deal?"

Fourth guy: "I just set my alarm for 5:30 am. When it went off, I shut off my alarm, gave the wife a nudge and said, "Fishing or Sex" ........ and she said, " Wear sun-block."

Yada Yada of 8/04/04

Hello All! Hope everyone is doing well. Not feeling so good today so I thought I would do a "yada yada" list of my thoughts and life in general.....

1. My daughter starts school Monday, August 9th. First grade already. Wow. I have learned that it cost a fortune to buy all the school supplies you need BUT it is alot easier to buy them already "packaged" to keep from having to search for every little thing.

2. I read in the school handbook that they enforce corporal punishment at school. I am all about spanking but all I am saying is I am not happy about the fact that they don't tell you until AFTERWARDS. Ho Hum.

3. I had "MINOR" feminine surgery Monday. I am not feeling so good and hopefully we will get to the bottom of it tomorrow.

4. More and more I love my job.

5. One of my best friends is getting ready to move back to New York. (Where she is originally from.) She is leaving August 13th and I am so sad. To be honest we have not seen alot of each other this summer because we both have been so busy but I think it is just the fact of knowing that she won't be "right down the road" anymore. It is a good 19 hours or so away that she will be from me! *sob**sob*

6. Why is it SO hard to get motivated to "clean out" things. I mean all and all my house is pretty clean but I HATE to clean out boxes and I HATE to do laundry. What is up with that? What are your "house" pet peves?

7. I watched the last two episodes (and only two episodes I have seen) of The Simple Life 2 tonight. I was intrigued to watch it after seeing Lionel Richie and Nicole Richie on Oprah Monday afternoon. Speaking of corporal punishment those two (Paris and Nicole) seem to really need it. Of course, I shouldn't judge but that is the impression that they seem to give the whole world.

8. Knowing my hubby will be gone for 9 weeks in October has somewhat hendered our relationship ONLY because stupid me keeps dwelling on the fact that he is leaving instead of enjoying the time that he is here.

Well I guess that is all in my little world for now!

Brian MIA: Letter Two

Yeah! I just got another letter from Brian! How cool is that!! I am so excited and I feel 100% (well 99%) better after reading it! He also wrote Baylee a birthday card! She is going to be estatic! He said alot of really good things that mean the world to me! I am really beginning to think that this is a good thing for us. I think it has made both of us appreciate what we have more. I will leave out the "mushy" stuff for his sake but this is all he really had to say about boot camp.....

Turns out the recruiters were right, we have a bunch of little punks that don't know how to act so we get alot of EXTRA TRAINING!! But things seem to be slowly coming togehter. Camp is really not that hard. You just do what you are told and act like an adult and everything is straight. The IT (initiative training) is the hardest part. That is what they use to motivate us. I am a squad leader so everyone comes to me or one of 4 other people with problems. It kind of sucks 'cause its like fighting a never ending battle to get these people to shut up........(add in other "stuff" here).....I've been yelled at a coule of times. Twice for cussing, once for looking at an officer while he was talking to me "you don't eyeball them", and then for responding to "carry on" you don't do that either. Just little minor stuff I should have been paying attention to.....(add in othere "stuff" here)......we start running today, no sweat though I've been taking a spinning class, we lift weights, we run, we do calistentics or however you spell it.......(add some really sweet stuff here about me and Baylee)...Well I hate to quit writing but I have to shine mine and my shipmates boots. He irons my uniforms and I shine his boots.....(finishes off with some really sweet things)

I think I will be sleeping with this under my pillow tonight.......I hope I have really sweet dreams!

BUNCO! Brian and Me!

Tonight is my bunco night. We play the second Thursday of every month. We have such a great group of girls! It is my favorite night out! (Just about only night out!) So wish me luck in winning the big bucks!

My mom is going to pick up Baylee for me and I am going to run home to see if I got mail from Brian and let the dogs out! (Who let the dogs out?!?) Brian can write letters on Sundays so I look for them anytime between Thursday and Saturday. Pathetic.....I know! I am ready to hear from him again! Especially, after today. My daughters grandmother brought some pictures to me that she took around Christmas. Two of Brian helping clean her house and two of us at Christmas. AWWWWW.......makes me so sad! I will live! Not TOO much longer now!

Going Thru 7 States To See My Baby!

I am so excited about going to Brian's graduation! (Yes, I know.....it is a month away!) The only problem is that I won't know until I am already there what flight he will be on coming back. I, also, won't know if he has to leave that day or if he can stay a couple. I do know that if they don't take the flight they have been given they have to pay for their own way back. We are doing good to be able to afford a plane ticket for me to go up! The problem is I can't hardly book a flight without knowing his information. First of all, we won't even get to be on the same flight coming home. Second of all, what if I scheduled mine to come home Sunday and he has to leave Friday? There would always be a possibility that I won't be able to move up my flight and I would be stuck in New Jersey for TWO days without my husband. (Which would be pointless!) So I decided that I am going to take the LONG 19 hour drive. I will actually get to go to states I have never been to before and I love "road" trips so this may be good for me. Then on the way home Brian and I will get 19 undisturbed hours together! Plus, he LOVES road trips and we would probably go through Washington coming home so we could both see the sites and/or just to say we have been there!

Friend OR Foe

I had a really good friend from Junior High, High School and I guess you would say "adult" life. We were so close we more often than not got called sisters. She had a boyfriend turned fiance that broke up with her over email and moved hours away over night. In the meantime she found out she was pregnant and she asked me to call him and tell him. They then decided to get back together and get married. I, of course, was the maid of honor. (Fast forward about two years.) I got two anonymous calls from a guy who was asking me to "do things" with him. The guy eventually fessed up to be her husband and somewhat made a joke out of the calls then asked me a couple of very personal questions. This made me uncomfortable and to make matters worse before he got off of the phone he said, "Don't tell her I called you. You know how she is." That made me feel even worse. A co-worker and my husband were each present during the calls. My husband was furious. (For obvious reasons!) I felt horrible and felt that I really needed to tell her and my husband wanted me to because he was so mad. The thing is she caught him lying and flirting on many occasions when he did not know she was around so this was not the first time he had done something shady. So I tried and tried to tell her but I never could. I finally wrote her a letter and that was three years ago. I tried on many, many occasions to contact her but she never responded. I did admit in a letter to her and of couse I am admitting now that maybe I should have told her in person. I don't think that would have changed things and I know she must have been going through a tough time especially since at the time she was going through her second pregnancy. I know that sometimes my words can "hurt" and I am trying my best to work on that but I still don't think it is fair that I was "punished" for something I did not do. If nothing else she could have at least written me and said, "Don't ever talk to me again!" I got nothing. It was as if she was "dead" to me and I went through a very long "grieving" period. Just last week at work I came across a letter that I had written her and figured, "Why do I even try." I then proceeded to rip up the letter and "write off" our friendship. The strange thing is this past Saturday I got a letter from her. Remember this is the first time she has contacted me in THREE years. I was not as excited as I thought I would be. I guess because like I said before I had just "written her off". I think I was mad because I was finally getting over things and all of a sudden she thinks she just pop back in my life like nothing happened. The letter was real short and sweet. She just asked how we all were and just gave me some details on her family. I thought about it all weekend and decided I would write back. I answered all of her questions and then very politely asked what changed and why did she write me. I then asked if we were ever going to have "some kind of" relationship again. In closing, I told her that if we don't talk again that I was very happy she wrote me, glad they were doing well and best wishes in life!

Mom Job Description

POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often
chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and
organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will
include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some
overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on
rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel
expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily,
until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also,
must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero
to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the
backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face
stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously
sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain
calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have
ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and
mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an
embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a
half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always
hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete
accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also
include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:

Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years,
without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that
those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:

None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually
exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:

Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon
payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will
help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them
whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that
you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement,
no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies
limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you
play your cards right.

Brian MIA: We Just Got A Letter!

Yeah! My hubby just wrote us a letter! It really doesn't say much but short and sweet if okay with me! I am just so excited to hear from him! He said the hardest part was missing us and that made me feel so good! It has been a long two weeks with everything that has been going on. As far as, boot camp this is all he really had to say:

I don't have much time to write, but everything is going pretty good. The company commanders are pretty tough, but they are fair. As long as we listen we don't get in trouble. If several people screw up we all do exercises. It's not too bad. (He fills in this part with sweet stuff to me and Baylee...then he finishes with..) Well it's about time to line up so I will write again next Sunday, that's the only time we get to write. (He then of course finishes with his sweet ending)

Baylee is so excited! She has ran all over the house saying, "We got a letter from daddy! We got a letter from daddy!" Then she ran and got all of her markers and a notebook and said I have to write him back right now so that he will write us back! I knew she would miss him, but I did not realize exactly how much of a daddy's girl she was!

Girls Night Out

UGH! Other than the stupid letter from the training center I have yet to hear from my husband! It is driving me insane! Good news is I can actually "forget about it" for once. I am going out with the girls tonight! All of our hubbies are out of town and momma needs a break! Before you start thinking anything....it is just innocent fun! I don't even drink so I am always the designated driver and I would never cheat on my husband. I honestly have never even cheated on anyone......just not my style. This is the same "girls" that my dear hubby "allows" me to go out with when he is in town! So that said, I am looking forward to a night to take my mind off of things. It has been a very stressful past couple of weeks and if this girl doesn't relax she is going to, "BLOW UP!" BBBOOOOOOMMM!

Today Is A Good Day

Today has been a good day. For the first time since my hubby has been gone I slept wonderful! I have had some "issues" with some family members and I have just prayed, thought about things and talked to some good friends. Now I have a whole new outlook today! I decided there is always going to be something that I do that people don't like, there is always going to be something that I don't do or isn't my fault that I will be blamed for and I can't please everyone. The decisions my husband and I make are our decisions and our decisions alone and we owe no one an explanation about it! If they are mad....so be it! I am not going to waste one second, that I could devote to much greater things, on a losing battle. SO I no that sounded harsh but for my sanity I needed to say it! Whew! This morning a coworker gave me the prettiest glass vase with a purple flower and a lady bug on it.....inside were Purple Iris'! BTW, purple is my favorite color! How sweet! Then my boss said that we are taking a late lunch and our office will be closed from 1:00 - 3:00! Yeah! Two-Hour paid lunch with a free meal at a good restaurant! Can't beat that! Not to mention today is pay-day! Oh yeah....the most important part...I lost 5lbs! I am sure it is just water weight but who cares! Today is a good day.....

For Those That Can Relate...and Those That Can't!

1. If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it will always be yours. If it doesn't come back, it was never yours to begin with. But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money, and doesn't appear to realize that you had set it free....... You either married it or gave birth to it.

2. Reason to smile: Every 7 minutes of every day, someone in an aerobics class pulls a hamstring.

3. They keep telling us to get in touch with our bodies. Mine isn't all that communicative but I heard from it the other day after I said, "Body, how'd you like to go to the six o'clock class in vigorous toning?" Clear as a bell my body said, "Listen fatty....do it and die."

4. My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

5. The best way to forget all your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

6. The nice part about living in a small town: When you don't know what you're doing, someone else always does.

7. Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.

8. Amazing! ! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks two sizes!

9. Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness.

10. I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day.

Water...Ugh

Why is it so hard to drink water. I mean it is just water! It is like the more I try to drink it the less I want it. It is very important to have plenty of water and it has lots of good side effects ........BUT WHY CAN'T I DRINK IT! I have tried and tried but I fail every time. It is not that I don't drink it, it is the fact that I don't drink enough. To make matters worse when I try to cut back on drinking anything but water I end up going just about all day without drinking anything....just to keep from drinking water! Crazy.....

Brian MIA: Letter From Training Center

I got my first contact from the training center today. I received a letter basically just saying he arrived safely and just told general information about boot camp. I was so excited to get the letter but I wish it were from Brian instead! I miss him so much! Hopefully, I will be getting a letter from him in the next couple of days. As promised....I will keep you updated!

What The HECK Is Wrong With Me!

I am going through MAJOR "missing my husband blues" today. Am I going to have to join some kind of HBCA? (Husband at Boot Camp Anonymous) Will this go away or will I be tortured for the next 46 days! (Yes I have counted!) The only way I can explain it ....it is like hot flashes.....one minute you are fine the next you are burning up. Well one minute I am fine and the next minute I am missing him like crazy. I promised him that I would write every night but I did not realize until now exactly how much we tell each other and how much we are involved in each others life. By the time he gets his first letter it will be like a novel! I just hope he is doing well.....I am sure he is fine but I just can't help to wonder. I have to hear these four things from my five (almost 6!) year old EVERYDAY. "Momma, when is daddy coming home?" "Momma, I miss daddy." "Momma, remember when daddy......" and "Momma, I bet daddy would like to do this." I sure hope the time flies by!

Weekend in a Wrap

Well the weekend was not as horrible as I had imagined it to be. I kept myself very busy in order to keep from missing my sweet hubby! After work Friday I went to a friends house to see her new baby nursery and then we took the kids out for ice cream. Afterwards, I went to my friend Jessica's house to help pick out paint for her living room. I then went home and crashed.....and actually slept late Saturday! I guess the week finally caught up with me! Saturday Jessica and I took our kids to the park for a picnic. Then we flew kites, ran a obstical course (that tired us adults out more than the kids) and then took the kids for ice cream. (As you can tell my daughter had a sugar rush all weekend!) It really was one of the most beautiful days this year! Saturday night I ate at a fish & chicken place with another friend and her family. (Cock of the Walk....funny name huh.) We had a wonderful time and the food was as good as usual. Baylee and I then came home and watched movies until we feel asleep and slept all night in the living room! Today we mainly sat around and watched TV. I did clean out the garage and wash a few clothes. My mom and my little brother came over and we went for a walk at this very peaceful Botanical Garden near my house. Afterwards, Baylee and I went grocery shopping and now I am getting ready to clean out the fridge and unpack the groceries. I just thought I would get a little writing in before bed. My daughter has been sleeping in my room with me since her daddy left but she is going to sleep in her own room tonight, so hopefully things will go well for both of us! This weekend was definitely bitter-sweet! Baylee has asked me at least twice a day when her daddy is coming home! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Brian MIA: I lied...

Okay I lied! That was not my last MIA post for awhile! I was checking my email right after my last post and I got this one from Brian at the USO. (If you don't know the USO is where the miliatary people go to "hang out" until their next flight or whatever.) It really touched me that he emailed me BUT made me feel so better! I will post the email even though he will hate me for it when he gets home! Oh well, I can deal with that!

To : tiffgarrett@hotmail.com
Subject : Hello From Philly

Hey baby,
I saw they had a computer with internet so I wanted to drop you and and everyone there a line. I hope no one misses me to much, and want you all to know I'll be fine. See you all on May 16. Love you all. Especially YOU and BAYLEE.

**One correction to his email - Actually I THINK they said his graduation will be May 14th and the 16th would be the day that we would fly home together.....BUT who cares at this point! I am just glad to hear from him and even more glad that he remembered my email address because he asks me AT LEAST once a week what it is!