Kronk: Did you see that sky today? Talk about blue!
Yzma: Yes, Kronk. Riveting.

You will be quizzed later

Since we're all taking tests, I think this one is hilarious!

Let me know if you 'survive' or not!!

FYI - I'm an "Official Survivor." That's right - those hours playing Hunter paid off!!!

HA!

So I decided to take the test over when I was in a better frame of mind, and thankfully, I'm no longer a Democrat.

Stuck right between (UGH!!!) Kerry and Robert Redford. NOT the company I would choose for myself. I'd rather be hangin' with Darth Vader.

You are a Social Liberal (61% permissive) and an... Economic Moderate (41% permissive) You are best described as a: Centrist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

Surprise!

Hmmm...according to the Politics Test I took that is linked to Froggy's blog, I'm a Democrat. Who'da thunk it?

So the bridesmaid dress has been picked up and M's opinion is that it is beautiful. Sorry there will be no pictures until the wedding as it takes me and at least one other person to get me into it, and we didn't bring a camera to David's Bridal where I picked it up and tried it on.

I'm so excited - this is my first weekend in about a month where I have absolutely NOTHING to do and nowhere I'm supposed to go!!! Only 5 hours left...

Wedding Countdown

Only a month to go to the wedding; my dress is in and ready to be picked up - my first real bridesmaid dress. I still wish the circumstances were different and J and K could have the wedding they really wanted. But I'm sure we'll have a blast anyway - this will be my first 'redneck' wedding, too. :-) It's sure to be a great party. I still can't believe my brother is getting married, but I'm glad he is - at this rate my parents won't get another one until the other J is old enough to get married...

Birthday Party

Today was my future step-niece's birthday - road trip to Fredericksburg!

And in true fashion, I ended up taking better pictures of their dogs than of the people.

This is Gracie...

And this is Harley...

If you know anything about my family, you know how hard it is to get any of us to cooperate and have our picture taken...okay, maybe it's just me and J - anyhow - it's extremely rare to get pictures of us, so this one is sure to be one of my favorites...

Okay - so here's the REALLY random thing: I got to work yesterday, exhausted, dreading the long day ahead of me, and I hear the telltale "dooDOOP" that says I have mail. I go to my outlook and there is an email from my cousin, whom my dad had JUST mentioned to me last week worked for Sprint out in Kansas City. This is a cousin I don't believe I have ever met in my life - just heard stories about. It was really pretty strange - conversing to someone you're related to, but don't know at all. Even stranger that HE was the one who looked ME up in the global address book... Turns out that when my sister and her family went back a couple of weeks ago to visit my grandmother and aunt and uncle, they mentioned that I worked for a "phone company." Trust them not to even remember the name of the company I work for. My cousin deduced that since the only big phone company in Virginia was Nextel, then I must work for them.

Random, huh?

PANIC!!!

The coffee machine is NOT WORKING....I'm going to die...

And what is with this thing with me and the almost-migraine headaches? This must be at least the third time I've dealt with this in the last 2 months - kind of a constant nagging painful headache that lasts for more than 2 days...started on Monday morning on the trip home and is still with me this morning...

So here are some of the pics I took in Chicago.

This is the view from M's apartment...sort of...well, it is if you're on the floor looking up out of the window...

Then I just thought this was an interesting bit of architecture - on the Chicago river somewhere. Incidentally, whatever is in the Chicago river ends up in the Gulf of Mexico in 3 months. Bit of trivia we learned from our Captain. He was a pretty funny guy...but like M says - "EVERYONE wants to be a comedian in this town..." I have to admit she has a point...

I can just tell this is going to be one of my favorite sunset pictures of all time...even if I was incredibly sad knowing I only had 36 hours in this wonderful city and have no idea when I'll be able to go back...

The drive home took me approximately 13 hours due to 2 wrong turns (one at the beginning of the journey - got a nice view of Southside Chicago; then the other at the end of which I'm incredibly pissed at myself for almost getting lost in Virginia) and the prerequisite Labor Day traffic. But I don't regret going - I had a blast!

P.S. - Stay tuned for M's photo essay on "The Corn of the Midwest..."

And it was good...

Chicago ROCKS!

I am so incredibly tired, I will just post for now that we made it there and I made it back home safely. I took a lot of pictures, but don't have enough energy to get my camera out and upload them all to the computer just now - but I will tomorrow.

ROAD TRIP!!!

Well, here it is - Saturday morning. About to leave for Chicago in half an hour (assuming I can wake M up...at least enough to get her in the car where she can fall back asleep). If the gas shortage rumors prove to be just rumors, I will see y'all on Monday night (well, not SEE you, but you know what I mean). If not, we shall be turning around and coming back :( But I choose to be optimistic! Back in a few days!

Hmmmmmm.....

Mapquest estimates it will take 11 1/2 hours to get to Chicago.