Movies, Mexican, and making my way to A-town

I am going to start writing about working out more often because apparently when you do, it causes you to work late and not be able to work out that afternoon!

I actually was kind of bummed as I had gone all the way home at lunch to pick up my forgotten tennis shoes.

(A quest that caused me to be a couple minutes late arriving back at work because as I was driving through my neighborhood I remembered I had pink lemonade in the fridge. When I made it inside I only had eyes for the lemonade and left the house AGAIN without the shoes.)

(I need professional help).

(I went back AGAIN to get them and that time I actually got them so that was exciting.)

But then the late-working came, and by the time I got it all wrapped up - it was time to go meet Marsha and the Bible study girls at El Sombrero.


Because the right thing to do when you miss your workout is go eat some Mexican.

The girls had just come from going to see the movie "To Save a Life."


If you haven't heard of it, it is a Christian based movie playing in theaters, and it's about the pressures and issues teen deal with. It is really good! (I saw it this past weekend). I think it is made by the same company/people who did Facing the Giants, Fireproof, etc.

If you have teens or work with teens, I highly recommend it. It has a great message and gives a lot of topics to talk about with those crazy little people - I think it even has a Bible study that goes along with it that we are going to do.

Even Matthew, who was an honorary Bible study girl last night, loved it!




As for today, I am home packing up and getting ready to hit the road for a long weekend in one of my very favorite places.


Marlee got accepted to the University of Georgia, so she and her mama are going up there this weekend to check it out and do a little tour of the school - and they invited me to go along with them, Lord help 'em.


I am so excited because I have been trying to get to Athens for a while - main reason being to visit this girl:


We are leaving today, and I will be staying with Megan! I will hang out with M & M during the day - doing the tour, driving around Athens, going shopping, eating - while Meg works. And then I'll hook up with her at night. Perfect!

Off to pack! My tennis shoes are already in the bag.

Currently I am....

Loving that I love....

My "heat-seat" (brought to you by my friend Tara Fran)

I mentioned a while back that this winter, my car decided that heat was overrated.

Then southeast GA decided it felt left out from the rest of America and their frigid cold temps, so it decided to give us the coldest winter we've seen in a while.

I am no mathematician, but no heat + below freezing temps for an extended period = human popsicle.

(P.S. The reason I have not had it fixed is because the car guy told me it would cost $700, and while I countered this claim with a big "UM, NO" - I haven't pursued opening that can of worms on my wallet).

Anyways, things have been a little chilly, I won't lie - but my good and generous friend Tara (aka TFrizzle) surprised me a couple weeks ago with this to help thaw me out whilst in my little ice-box of a car.


Isn't that amazing? It plugs into the cigarette lighter.


Con calor? Mi LOVE calor!

The front of my card to Tara for the amazingly thoughtful gift that she has not even received yet because I keep forgetting to give it to her (spoiler alert, Tara).

I LOVE to LOVE my heat-seat!

Loving that I hate....

My little workout partner.

Here we are on week 4 of afternoon workouts. Will the miracles ever cease???

My friend Linda (aka Sassy) and I have been so good about going after work.

Now, let it be known that I do NOT enjoy exercise. I mean, yes, I love the way it makes me feel, and I like working out with my friend, but I HATE the actually 35-40 of physical exertion.

I don't love that I have to work out, and while I LOVE that I HATE it (I love that I'm actually still doing it!)

Hating that I love.....

Dove dark chocolates

Now that we've talked about exercise, the natural progression is obviously to discuss what keeps the workout room in business.

A friend of mine down the hall, around Christmas time, started having these on her desk. Which would have been fine except I walked in there one day and SAW THEM.

It was all over at that point.

Everyday I would go in and get what I termed "my medicine."

Hello, dark chocolate is VERY GOOD FOR YOU. It has all kinds of medicinal purposes, and I owe it too my body.

I knew I had a problem when my co-worker brought down two huge handfuls of these little treasures for me to have (she was going to be gone for 2 weeks and feared I'd go through withdrawls).

I HATE that I LOVE these things, but the bonds of true love cannot be broken.

Hating that I am (starting to) hate....

My ever-beloved diet coke

Ok, allow me to unpack this statement before anyone gets crazy. I am by no means giving up or feel the need to stop drinking diet coke.

It is my vice. Plain and simple, and I have never felt compelled to quit.

The problem is, when I started working, I began the habit of going by the little country store by my house and picking up one of these huge quart-sized cups.

50 cent refills - I think I have professed my love for this on numerous occasions.

But for some reason I have started hating to get one of these because once teamed with the diet coke I drink the rest of the days it feels like it is, if possible, too much diet coke.

(I blame working out - it messes with my "consume as much as I want of whatever I want" mentality I have in some instances.)

Of course, this picture is from this morning so we can see how this "stop getting the quart of DC every morning" is going thus far.

But still, I have been doing better - as much as I HATE to (even remotely) HATE consuming diet coke.


And thus concludes the extent of my love/hate relationships of the current moment. :-)

Weekend Highlights

My weekend started a little earlier than usual.

I was feeling a little under the weather this week so on Friday, I decided it was in everyone's best interest to take a sick day.

So Friday I just kind of lazed around doing a whole lot of nothing. I did start feeling better in the afternoon hours and had enough strength to hang out with Marsha a bit.

It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

We ate Japanese (sushi makes everyone feel better - well not Marsha, she thinks it's nasty cause she is a LOO-SAH), and then we ran a couple of evening errands.

One was standing in the video store for 30 minutes on the phone with three thirteen year-old boys trying to find them a movie to rent.

I don't recommend it.

How about _____________. ("We hate that movie!")

Ok. What about _______________. ("We've seen that 100 times!")

Fine, you're getting Confessions of a Shopaholic, and that's final. ("Waaaahh!")

Ha. ha. ha. (Evil laugh).

Afterwards came the high of my day - possibly my year.


I think the dip cone was the turning point in my sickness. I felt so much better after I got some of that goodness in my system.

Saturday was more laziness, although I was feeling much much better - much to my joy since I do not support not feeling good on weekends.

So I headed back over to the Hagan's to help Jake with his scrapbook. (Pictures seen here were taken by his awesome photog mama).


I was recently enlisted to help the boy on his book for school, which was due to a few reasons.

1. I love that kind of stuff!

2. It wasn't long ago when I went back to middle school so I am like, in the know.

3. A couple years ago I took a stab at scrapbooking, and I have tons of fun scrap stuff left over.

(You know since I only made about two pages).

(Enter blogging).

His class went to D.C. in early December and everyone is assigned to make a scrapbook of the trip.

Where were these fun assignments when I was in grad school, I ask you!?!?!

Jake does not share my views on this being an enjoyable project.


Come on, Jakey! Look at all this cool scrap stuff!!!


Um, bud?


When you start wrestling your friend on the floor during our working, it makes me feel like you're not committed to the good times that is happenin' in here.

Actually, to be completely honest, Jake is the one with all the scrap initiative.

I think the thing is due Thursday of this week, so I am all like "We have time!" and "It's not even Wednesday night at midnight - why are we already working on this mug?"

He is the force behind the whole shebang - I am just the assistant with the glue stick who is easily distracted.

Marlee doesn't help things when she starts playing the piano like an angel in the next room.


Even Phoebe stopped what she was doing (wrecking the house) to listen and ponder the beauty.

The scrappers.


One person in this picture is way too excited. One person was forced to sit on someone's lap and pose. And one person is taking the picture while simultaneously handing the excited person random scraps of paper to hold.

I didn't take any pictures of Sunday's activities but they were fun and plentiful.

There was church, lunch at Mellow Mushroom, a photo shoot excursion with Marsha and TFran to take pics of a local band, a Sonic reward, our dear Meghan coming over with some dresses for Marlee to try on, a trek across town in the rain to get some much-craved Barberitos for supper, me dominating Jake in yoyo-ing (he will never admit this, P.S.), hanging out hanging out hanging out, laughing laughing laughing.

Hope you had a great weekend, too!

Picture-taking tips

I would like to present some helpful hints to remember while trying to take a picture of yourself and your friend (with your other friend's fancy phone that is, by your standards, a slight bit tricky.)

1. Make sure to hold your arm far enough away to capture the faces of both subjects.


2. Make sure to remove all objects that may obstruct the line of the camera. This includes, but is not limited to, the photographer's finger.


3. Promptly give up, and have your other friend on the couch next door come over and take it for you.


4. Upon reviewing the pic, make a mental note that it is a good idea to try to surround yourself with people who do not think it HIGH-LARIOUS to implement picture-sabotaging techniques such as the very original "bunny ears."


5. Give up trying to turn that tricky little joker around on yourself, and start taking pics of things in front of you. Like little boys and um, pom poms?


6. Realize quickly that the white ball of fur is none other than your own godchild and namesake, Phoebe Jenaynay Hagan, and follow around the boy and the dog saying, "Jake! Let me get a picture of you and Phebes!" (Don't worry, no one in the surrounding den area will find this annoying.)


7. Settle for taking a picture of the boy who pretends to be asleep/will not open his eyes and the crazy white pup (who has rightfully been given the nickname of "Kujo"). It's sure to be a framer. (Also: Try not to be slightly disturbed by the freaky grin the crazed little circus dog seems to be making.)

8. Hand the camera phone back to the friend and go home.

Your work there is done.

A day in the life

Yesterday was a pretty run-of-the-mill Tuesday.

Or as we say down south, "Tues-dee".

I went to work, then walked my little self over to the workout room to walk/run on the treadmill. My partner couldn't make it so it was not quite as fun.

(Fun being a relative term in this situation, of course).

I witnessed first-hand how important it is to have a buddy - as soon as I knew she couldn't come, my mind tried to talk me out of going.

Darn you, mind! Get out of my head! Oh, wait.

Also working against me was the fact that I was having a really good hair day. It seems like such a shame to waste good hair, you know? Wow, this post is so deep.

But in the end, I made myself go and, of course, was so glad I did. After I bonded with the treadmill for a while, I decided to do some push-ups. I pretended like I was GI-Jane. Remember that movie? With Demi?

Yeah it, um, looked just like that.

Anyways, I got done about 6 and went to meet our college girls to eat at....dun dun dun duuuuuun - Subway!

(And I didn't even pick it!)

It was so fun to catch up with these little cuties.


We mainly just chatted and laughed as we took down some 6 inch subs. I love these girls so much! They are all just precious.


We missed our fearless leader, Marsha, and our other ladies who couldn't make it, but they were there in spirit. We toasted them with our chips and drinks. :-)

I came home after eating and watched AI, read my little book for a while, and went to bed.

It wasn't very riveting, but I must say, it was a very much my kind of evening!

Next up: The high school gal's Bible study tonight....

It's that (party) time again...

As previously mentioned, Big Al shares his birthday with our dear friend, Tom (of Tomas & Conster, Inc).

When we realized this fun fact so many years ago, it was very exciting as it once again gave us all 2 reasons to celebrate in one.

Throughout the years we have had parties for the both of them, and this year we were hosted by the Palfy's and had a wonderful night of dinner and laughing and all the common craziness that combining these two families brings.

Connie, woman after my deepest heart's desires, made her white bean dip. It is my fave.


So good! I took this picture from my seat at the bar, and let's just say there is a reason the carrots are more sparse in the section directly in front of me.

I do not play when it comes to the white bean dip. People can lose arms if they dare come between us. And don't think I wouldn't take that arm, dip it right in there, and go.

There was also the always beloved cheese ball and some really good mango salsa.


As Alicia and I like to say - it was LUMMY!!!

Sisters on the left and sisters on the right.


It was so good to see Tom's daughter, Amelia, and her husband, Jimmy! It had been a while and they are both so fun and funny.


Old roommies reunite once again.


Do not let this picture fool you. Despite the fact that I stand at a towering 5'3", Alicia is actually taller than me. I am standing on my very very tiptoes and Alicia is squatting.

It is good to have friends that will sacrifice their place up high in the sky for the lowly short people of this land.

(When we lived together I often wondered if I was secretly being taped for episodes of Little People Big World and just didn't know it.)

Here are Mama and Alicia with their BFF, the cake. I have never seen two people love birthday cake more than Deb and Leesh. It far surpasses my love for the bean dip if that helps put it in perspective.


The fact that this cake is the size of South Carolina brought them untold happiness.

All the guys hanging around chatting. I'm going to go out on a limb and say they were talking about football.


Connie and two of her girls. We missed Anna and Cora greatly!


Here I am with the Debster.


I know they say I look just like my daddy, but when I see pictures like this I feel there is no way to dispute whose DNA I also share. Am I right??

And here's Deb with my other donor.


I love my cute parents! Even though they are crazy in every way. (P.S. Matthew and Larsen were also greatly missed!)

Here are a few more shots of all the cute couples at the party.

Alicia and Warren...


Scott and Kathy....


Tom and Connie....


Jimmy and Warren....


(Amee's husband Jimmy and Alicia's boyfriend Warren love each other with an everlasting love. Some might say they have a little "Bromance" going on. Their favorite past times together involve living off the land, giving each other weaponry for Christmas, and cooking and eating the beaver they hunted.)

Speaking of cooking and eating, pretty soon it was time eat!


Chef Tom Palfy residing.

And downstairs was the eating area. It was just beautiful!


I walked down immediate proclaimed, "Oh my goodness, this is like a 5-star restaurant!"

"Wow," Tom replied. "Your mom just said the exact same thing."

Caaaa-rreeeeeeeppppyyyyy.

One of the best meals to date:


Beef tenderloin with blue cheese spread, baked potatoes with all the fixins, Big Al's layered salad, Kathy's green bean casserole, and bread with a garlic cheese spread.

Did I say 5-star? I meant 10-star.

Cake was for dessert, of course. Here are the birthday boys getting ready to be serenaded.

Happy Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiirthday to you,

Happy Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirthday to you,

Happy Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirthday Tom and Alan, Alan and Tom, Tom and Alllaaaaaaan,

Happy Biiiirthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

How ooooolllldddd are you.....???

Big Al = Double Nickels. Big Tom = Double Nickels + 1 Penny

Alan - "Together we are one hundred and eleven"

Bwhahaha.

One last shot of the bday boys with their daughters.


A great time was definitely had by all!

Thanks for having us Palfy's! And thanks for getting older, Al and Tom! We appreciate ya'll taking one for the team.

Until next time!