Family vacation

Ok... writer's block, I am done with you! I have decided to stop procrastination (what I do best) and get serious about my blog again. I may not write about important things, I'm not changing the world or solving world hunger but it does wonderful things for me! Indescribable!

Almost my entire family went on this trip with the exception of my granny and papaw (unforeseen circumstances prevented them from going.)

My mother, step-father, brother, sister-in-law, her daughter, my nephew, aunt, uncle and their two kids went to Destin, FL and shared a 3 bedroom condo. It was great.

Here are a few pictures I took while there:

(there will be a later blog about the food I enjoyed :) )

Me by myself - a recurrent theme throughout the trip... funny story coming soon (read on)

My mother and step-father. Aren't they adorable?

Aunt (Tiffany), Uncle (Andy), Alivia, and Jackson

Brother (Blake), Sister-in-law (Leigha), Ella, and Hudson

Me and Alivia. My "protege" (Thanks for the term Leigha! I think I spelled it right.)

Me and the little charmer we so loving call "the boss!"

I am serious when I say that I could not ask for a better step-father!

So, the above picture is me and "my love." As we are all sitting in the condo, minding our own business, doing our own thing Jackson says:

"Beffy, you are the only one here without love."

Thank you, Jackson! He had worked his little brain to understand that My Mom had Ken, Blake had Leigha, and Tiff had Andy... Leaving "Beffy" with, well... No one! So I have all these great family pictures to show of everyone there, and then I have mine, including me and... well... myself!

Oh, the things that come out of the mouth of babes! More about my trip coming very soon.

Mission Impossible

First off, the MOST important tool for a nurse to have is not tape, scissors, or even a great pair of hemostats, no matter what you may have heard! Without question it is... (drum roll, please)... a large quantity of GREAT pens! This is why I have a favorite and happen to be very protective of them. I am serious when I say that people will literally steal your pens on purpose.

These little gems just happen to be my very favorite!

Now... In my hospital each floor stocks it's employees with pens. My unit gets stuck with these crappy things:

As you can see.. these are not the click top kind, making it easy to poke and write on yourself as you are trying to put them in your pocket!

There are certain floors however that supply their employees with the pens that I can only drool over. I had a supply of these tallying approximately 3! Yes, 3 whole pens! Eventually my stash dwindled down to 1...

Then I had a thought. I knew of 2 floors that stocked said pens. So I sent my friend Ryan/Will (whichever your prefer) a text. The text said (with a picture included):

"Your mission if you choose to accept: locate and acquire 3-4 of these pens." I went on to tip him off as to which floors happend to have these pens in stock.

Fast forward to the next night on my way into work.....

My mother calls me as I am getting into my car. My great grandfather has had a heart attack and I need to come home. I go into work and discuss this with the people that I need to, am waiting to get the answer if I can leave or if I have to stay (yes in my occupation they can pretty much make you stay) when I open my locker...

I have 3 pens (the good ones) taped together with a note attached:

"Enjoy, this wasn't easy. This message will self destruct in 5 seconds."

Ok... sad face is on before I open my locker, and yes I am sad.. but I also can't have a glimpse of any other emotion if I have any hope of taking off. Open my locker and all traces of sad face are gone replaced by happy/laughing face. I physically could not stop laughing.

Let it be said that NONE of my other friends would have understood when I said "your mission if you choose to accept " let alone actually play along with it ("...this message will self destruct...")!

But... the moral of the story is that only some of the greatest friends can make you laugh at inappropriate times and make you feel better even without trying or knowing what is going on! So find some great ones and surround yourself in that type of person!

So... Ryan thank you for being a great friend, and I am waiting on my payment for watching kitty! haha... j/k!

Also... the best part of this story is hearing him recap how these pens came into his possession. I am going to give you the link to his blog and I am giving him exactly 1 week to blog his account or I will be forced to do it for him, and it just isn't nearly as funny coming from me!

http://takemyadvice-ryan.blogspot.com/

I've been gone too long...

First let's take a moment to mourn the death of a pop icon... Michael Jackson, regardless of his recent bad publicity, was without a doubt the most iconic pop star of all time. It is sad, however that my generation will never know him when he was in his prime making songs that will forever be a milestone in music, instead we know him in all his baby hanging off the balcony, alleged pedophilia drama.

I would recommend listening to my favorite song right now in his memory, but there were truthfully so many I couldn't choose just one (although I am sick of them all now because that is all that has been played in a 2 day period!).

I know I have been away for far too long, and I do have blogs to write, I will be pumping them out one at a time as I get the time. I promise. Here's a little preview:

1. The most important tool for a nurse to have, and how valuable a friendship can be. (Yes there is a tie in to that story, I'm not just making it a 2-in-1.

2. My family beach trip :)

3. Beach and my fashion disaster

4. LONG LOST friends

5. HELLO... Adam Scott

6. Young love

These may not sound entertaining, but I do promise that by the time they are written and you actually get to read them, they should at least bring a slight smile to your face! I hope at least!

I'm so ready for...

The beach!

I got a new beach hat! I am so excited to wear it. I have attempted to leave the house in it a couple of times since the purchase, but so far I haven't been able to do it. It did actually make it to the car once though... where I promptly removed it and stuck it in the backseat and quickly replaced with sunglasses!

Also... if you look closely you can see the infamous wishbone necklace! :) I do just absolutely love this necklace. I even wear it to work... haha... funny story:

Last night at work I was starting an iv on a patient and I was leaned over scoping out my venous options and he said "I like your necklace." And in hearing this, I quickly made a mental note to wear an undershirt when I go to work! Jerrell confirmed my suspicions by telling me that anytime a guy compliments your necklace what he is really saying is: "I'm looking at your boobs!"

(This is Jerrell.... He watches out for me!)

I get this look from him a lot... Haha!

BINGO

Shoe guy has a name! And it's.... Aaron!

And yes, that is a picture of the receipt I earned by allowing him to help me...

True story:

I am going to the beach with the fam next week. I was in desperate need for a new bathing suit so Tiff and I decided to go shopping. My mom and grandmother wanted to go also so we made it a girls trip.

We began the day by eating lunch at Parkside grill, chatting and having a good time. I don't usually talk to my mom about guys and/or relationships. Not that I can't but she just gets too worked up and into it for her own good. Apparently I "only talk to guys long enough to stop liking them." Correct me if I am wrong but I thought that is what you did. Get to know someone, see if you are compatible, and if not stop wasting their time.

Well I guess I was feeling particularly open and in a sharing mood, so I enthralled my mother and grandmother in the belk shoe guy saga. I thought... "no harm done." Tiff and I already decided that he probably wasn't working that day anyways.

Now, my grandmother isn't much of a shopper these days. She likes to look around in Belk and sits in the shoes until we are finished. This has been a long standing tradition, pre-dating shoe guy and his story.

We arrive.

I go directly into the swim suit section to do what no woman in her right mind enjoys doing: trying on bathing suits. As I turn around Tiffany makes a miraculous Houdini appearance with a Cheshire cat sized grin on her face. Ding ding ding... I know what that means... He's working.

I find a bathing suit... Black... big surprise. I am super satisfied with my cover-up that I bought that honestly is ridiculously overpriced, but oh-so-adorable.

I would also like to say that I am now a proud owner of a Belk card... used purely to build credit etc... yada, yada, yada....

As the lady is setting up my account she tells me that throughout the ENTIRE day I will be able to save 15% on ANY and all ITEMS in the store. NO EXCLUSIONS! (Trust me that this is a vital part of the story and I am not simply rambling)

After charging my swim suit (yeah... I said it!) Tiff and I made a mad dash for the MAC counter. I purchased us both a tube of lipstick (Happy Birthday Tiff... I know, I'm a big spender!) and got my 15% off!

Then it was time to meet up with my mom and grandmother...

I spot Granny in the shoes, with Aaron (I suppose I can call him by his name now) less than 10 feet away. No way am I going over there now. So I start on the opposite side of the department looking for a pair of black sandals. (Truthfully, I am in dire need of some black sandals, and if anyone sees a cute pair PLEASE tell me!)

I finally make it over to granny and Tiff gushes that it was in fact him standing in front of granny right before. So my granny says (and I SWEAR...) "That was him? He has really big feet! I just kept staring at his feet!"

Oh god... (now don't tell me you haven't heard the saying about the size of a man's foot...) Tiff looked at me and said (as if I am not red enough in the face) "That could be really good, Bethany!"

Naturally, Tiff and I bust out laughing like fools. Apparently my grandmother has also head this fable and starts laughing too. About that time my mother comes up. All the while I am truthfully looking at a pair of shoes.

After relentless prompting, I decide to try them on. Who should walk by??? Aaron.

Aaron: "Can I help you?"
Me: "Umm.. yeah, can I try this on in a 9? (this is humiliating, given that a size 9 shoe is pretty large relative to my stature.)

Aaron: "Sure. Is anyone helping you?" (So I have no idea why he would say this unless he thinks I just asked him to be asking him... I mean I would have gladly avoided conversation to save myself from looking like a fool and asked someone else if he didn't approach me)

Me: "No..."

He disappears.

With my "entourage" of family sitting 3 feet behind me, I hear wispers, laughter, and giggles. So I turn around, only to be told to turn back around and pretend they aren't there... Right... That is just so easy to do...

He returns with the shoes, hands me the box and says

Aaron: "We only had an 8 1/2.

Great, now I am trying on a pair of shoes that I HATE anyways (they are hideous, I thought they were cute at first but once they are on... Eww...) in a half a size too small, and I am just going to have to buy them so he doesn't think that I was just tring to get him to talk to me!

I know... I have a very warped way of thinking.

So, I know I am buying these regardless, but as I am looking at them in the mirror, he walks up

Aaron: "Is everything ok?"

Uh-oh... here it is... Jackson moment #2. I said yes in that strange voice I have no control over and my face flooded with blood immediately.

I stall a few more minutes before I go to make my purchase. I walk towards the register and who else comes to help, but Aaron.

Aaron: "Are you ready?" (Ready for what? :) just kidding!)

Me: "Yeah"

He rings me up and in my head a million things are going on. I will give you a list:

1. I can't use my temporary Belk card because I don't want him to know that I just signed up for a credit card today.
2. Don't say anything stupid, clearly articulate your words.
3. I really want to use my Belk card so I can get 15% off
4. Don't blush.
5. Screw it, I'm taking these shoes back to another Belk store anyways.
6. Don't look embarrassed.
7. As I open my wallet, I realize where my driver's license should be is a picture of my ADORABLE step-niece, Ella.
8. OH SHIT... If he sees Ella, he'll think I have a kid.
9. Wow... I really like him in a coral shirt.
10. Look for a name tag.
11. No name tag... dang.
12. It's almost over, then you can get embarrassed.

So, finally it is almost over. He puts the shoes in a bag, grabs the receipt sticks it in the side of the bag and walks around the counter. He looks at the bag making sure I can see the receipt and points directly to it and says "I put your receipt in the bag."

As he does this I grow a small pair of you know what and look directly up trying to look more than just a glance into his eyes. As I do... HE HAS A JACKSON MOMENT!

As he is trying to say "have a nice day," it comes out in a HUGE jumble. It kind of sounds like "Havkjij kdie ay"

In a state of shock and confusion I so brilliantly show the range of my vocabulary and comeback with... "Huh?"

He looked at the ground laughing slightly and said "Sorry, have a nice day."

Then I was off...

Any thoughts??? What should I do now...? Something or nothing?

(My full price receipt on a pair of ugly shoes I could have gotten 15% off.)


(The infamous shoes)

Dancing queen

Meet Alivia! I haven't gotten to introduced you to her yet. She is 10 going on 25! She has always been so grown up. When she was a baby she used to crawl in the bed and watch soap opras with her mom!

This weekend was her much anticipated spring dance recital. She had a modern routine, a jazz routine and a hip-hop routine! I have to say that she is definitely something when it comes to hip-hop. She did great! :)

I'm so proud of her. She really fits in the spotlight!

But check out the BEAUTIFUL B&W's her mom and I took before the recital.

Watching her dance made me wonder why my mom never put me in dance when I was little. I am uncoordinated and have 2 left feet... sigh...

I definitely think that dance is good for little girls. It puts them out there in front of an audience and what can only improve their confidence. I watched as her best friend, Kinley, (who I always thought of as shy) dance on stage in front of tons of people smiling and dancing like no one was watching!

And since I wasn't in dance I will blame my inability to talk to shoe guy on that! :)

"See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen..."