Need a caption.

How great is this picture? It's so great that my mind can't even come up with a fitting caption. Taking suggestions.

I heart her.

She's totally on my short list of best friends. I could (and maybe literally should) write novels about all the crap I've been through with this one. We've laughed our butts off, fought like sisters, not spoken for long periods of time, practically lived together, but through it all still great friends. She came to visit me this weekend. It'd been 5 years since we had seen each other. I totally wasn't shocked that we picked right back up wherever we left off. We had a blast, drank way too much, called an obscene amount of friends from high school, paid for the drinking too much, and ate alot of seafood. It was wonderful. And I heart her.

Cleaning sucks.

I've tried for years to become one of those people who enjoys cleaning. I even have a friend who says when she's stressed she cleans - I say she needs to learn to appreciate Three Olives Cherry Vodka and Red Bull - but that's just me. For the life of me I just can't do it, I can't enjoy cleaning. I think because its one of those things that truly never is finished...although I love to scrapbook and that's also another project thats never finished...I'm disgressing. Regardless, I hate cleaning. I do it because I have to and because it's not an election year (I run political campaigns if you didn't know) and I don't have a maid service 3 times a month. Boo, I secretly wish some scandal would happen and cause a chain of special elections so I can go work full time and get my housekeeper back.

Tomorrow one of my best friends from childhood is coming to visit with her 18 month old son. I truly am so excited I probably won't be able to sleep tonight. However being that she has said small child, I'm feeling extremely obligated to really give the house a good cleaning. See, I'm considerate. Now if was just her I probably wouldn't be going through much stress, just make sure the fridge was stocked with beer and wine and a quick wipedown of the toilet (sorry Meg.), just like I do when my bestest friend ever (who does not have offspring) comes to visit (sorry Sar).

But the real issue here is this. How do the baseboards get dirty? Why do dust bunnies live under the beds? How does brownie spatter end up on the cabinets? Does this have to do with global warming? Is it the smog? Why, dear God, why? Why can't life be clean?

I've made a million resolutions to be a cleaner person, to be the kind of person that gets excited to scrub baseboards and windowsills. They've always been broken - usually by January 3rd. Maybe one day. Maybe one day when I don't have 2 dogs and a 3 year old who goes around behind me pulling out all the puzzles and board games I just put away, maybe then I'll enjoy cleaning. Of course by that time I'll probably be living in a retirement home and said 3 year old will be paying someone to wipe my windowsills and other places.

On a total side note....while I despise everything about cleaning, I highly recommend the product Simple Green. That stuff is amazing - if you don't use it - run to the store now - don't stop and collect $200 - get it, it rocks.

Crystal River High School Class of 1999 10 Year Reunion

There is always a method to my madness. Yes, this is my personal blog, but coincidentally I'm also the chair of the reunion planning committee. So here's my train of thought - in the rare instance that there are some classmates out there who have not heard about the reunion and are looking for information...if they google the title of this post, this blog may pop up. And trust me as much time as I've spent working on this thing (honestly at least 250 hours thus far - no lie) I'm willing to try whatever unusual avenue to reach the remaining 85 lost Pirates of '99. So if that's why you are reading this - the reunion is on July 17/18 in Crystal River. We have a myspace page - www.myspace.com/crhs1999 - that should give you all the infomation or you can email me directly at mlinley@bellsouth.net. So there you go folks, that's all she wrote tonight.

And by the way, the colors in the logo may be off but I swear in real life it's traditional blue and gold.

Just another day in the life...

Today was a beautiful day so Kendall and I joined our friends for some beach time. Isn't she just so darn cute?

And here's a funny story from the day. We went to Wal-Mart to pick up my contacts. The opticial guy needed my information for their system. He asked me how to spell my first name. "M-e-r-e-d-i-t-h" I replied. "That's not how you spell your name", Kendall interjected, "you spell it M-O-M." Cute and brilliant at the same time, yep that's my girl.

Fabulous

Look up fabulous in Websters Dictionary. I think that should suffice.

P-raise the Roof!

Ok, I've always been a bandwagon girl so I'm jumping on behind my good friend Tamara (www.awalkthroughthewoods.blogspot.com) who jumped on behind another blogger. In this crappy world where the economy stinks, I didn't get the job I wanted, and I was only reunited with my friends to attend another friends funeral - we often forget to give God the credit for whats good in our lives. So off the top of my head - here's some things I can Praise him for!

I have wonderful child. She's healthy and she thinks I'm her best friend.

We live in a great house in a safe neighborhood, despite techinically living in the crime capitol of Florida.

We have a wonderful church and church family.

I get to witness some of the most beautiful scenery God has created on a daily basis.

Besides my pesky allergies I'm in great health as is my immediate family members.

I have the greatest friends in the world and not matter where we live or how long we go without seeing each other, they are always here for me if I need them. (I'm uber lucky to have found such a great group who puts up with all my crap!)

I have a good job, it isn't my dream job but it pays my bills and then some - in this economy - praise be to him!

I have some really cool parents who not only love me but REALLY love each other (in an almost borderline disgusting fairy tale way).

It's girl scout cookie season - enough said!

I have a good friend who went to Iraq and came home safe and healthy.

The Seminoles are headed to the NCAA basketball tournament in #5 spot - hell yeah!

I'm NOT pregnant (not that I even could be without some major divine intervention) but I seriously praise God every day for not being with child again.

And finally - we are only about 24 hours from the official start of Spring! Hallelujah!

Jobs I wouldn't want to have

In no particular order here is a list of jobs I know that I NEVER want...now if only I could figure out what I do what to be when I grow up....

A stay at home mom of more than 2 children or a preschool/kindergarten teacher

The cop who has to deliver the news that a loved one has passed

The person from the state who has to tell the Legislature there is a 2.4 billion dollar budget deficit next year

President of the United States

A professional athlete - although I think it would be cool to be a Olympian...badmitton perhaps

A therapist - got too many issues of my own, plus I hate listening

A meteorologist - I'd like to have a job where I'm confident that I'm right at least 50% of the time

A medical transcriptionist or a dental hygenist or anything that requires me to get a degree from Sally Struthers

An apiarist - google it if you don't know

An accountant - or anything else that deals with money I can't spend all day

A cable or internet technician - I think it'd be weird to go into peoples houses when they haven't had proper time to clean and prepare a nice spread for me

Any position at a morgue - enough said

Anything that requires me to wake up before the sun....I'm just not a morning person. I thank god daily for blessing me with a child who sleeps late every day. Thank you Jesus.

Free advice for my fellow mothers...

After a wonderful day; Kendall spent most the afternoon outside playing with the neighborhood children and then we saw the shuttle lift off into the sky - it was time for a tubbie. She was one dirty girl. I was in the bathroom with her for a good portion of the time. Then briefly I stepped into the kitchen to find something to make for dinner. Kendall hollered from the bathroom "Mommy, your phone is ringing." I went it to grab my blackberry and there she sits looking ever so mischievious in the bathtub. "Where's my phone Kendall?" I asked. And then horror of all horrors, I saw it - in her hands under her bottom - in the BATHTUB. Of course my first thought was she could get shocked from the electronic device in the tub, once I realized that hadn't happened I lurched to get the phone. I'm 99% sure its a goner and will have to go to Sprint in the morning to get a replacement (thank god for insurance).

However, Kendall didn't realize that she had done anything wrong. We often let her take unusual items in the tub to play with (blocks, barbies, cups, cooking utensils, etc.). Never in her 3 plus years had I ever told her that electronics can't go in the bathtub. So here is my advice, if you have small children - make sure they know that they CANNOT take phones, cameras, laptops, video games, etc into the tubbie. Not only is it dangerous, it's an expensive pain in the rear to get them replaced/fixed.


****Editor's Note - So the morning after I come out to the kitchen where my taken apart phone was resting on the counter all night - and lo and behold - he hath performed a miracle and it works! I don't know how long it's going to last and I'm definitely getting a replacement, but thank you sweet baby Jesus!

Maybe she's isn't mine after all.....

It's been brought to my attention a multitude of times the resemblance between my daughter Kendall and my best friend Sarah. After a weekend back in Crystal River, even more people were confused. So I thought I'd post a few pictures....you all can decide.

Whatever!

So, I know I've been bad about posting....it's been a crazy month to say the least. So I'm just gonna leave you with this photo. We were at the beach on Thursday, Kendall was having a blast. Then I looked over and she appeared to be sleeping.....whatever.