Have to Admit

So I've denied this fact for the last two years... always replying when people ask me about my TV watching that I was never much of a TV watcher until I began to date, became engaged, and married my hubby. This is all true. I wasn't much of a TV watcher until Kelly McGugan came into my life. Sure, I had a show here or there that I would follow, but that was maybe one show per season. Or if I was bored out of my mind, I'd watch whatever was on at that time. Often, I just enjoyed the TV on in the background while I read a book instead. But then my hubby came into my life and all of that changed.


I guess I should just admit it now, and fully accept the fact that I AM A TV JUNKIE. Yep, like it or not, it's true. My ridiculous list of "followed" tv shows is too extensive for me to even think about denying that fact. The hubby and I both enjoy following a show together. Discussing the characters, debating the happenings of the show, the twists, the turns, we eat it up - and I enjoy it. Thanks to TeVo, we record everything and watch things when we want to. Sometimes multiple episodes of something in a row, or just one quick show and back to our daily lives, but watch we do!

Here are the shows we follow:
(I'm leaving out the ones that my hubby follows alone like 90210, cough, cough, or Smallville)

• LOST
• American Idol
• Fringe
• Life
• The Office (new one for us)
• Heroes
• Big Brother (depending the season)
• Survivor (depending the season)
• Apprentice (depending the season)
  

Here are the shows I wish I followed:
(but I just catch them when I randomly do and can)

• House
• Dexter
• Jon & Kate Plus 8
• Law & Order anything
• HGTV anything (esp like Design on a Dime)
  

We used to have a couple others, but we've dropped them as they've become annoying or repetitive. Case in point, Prison Break. We followed that for two seasons or so, and by season three (or whatever is currently underway), after the first couple episodes we were like "forget this". Never seemed to get anyway, always new obstacles once they passed one. Got annoying.

Needless to say, with the above evidence, it's impossible for me to say otherwise.
I admit it, I am a TV Junkie!

Kodi's Surgery

As planned, I took Kodi to the vet Thursday morning before I headed out of town for the rest of the week and weekend. The ACL surgery was planned for Thursday. I didn't think much of it... believing I'd waltz right into the vet and lovingly hand over my pup without a worry. However, I was quickly proved wrong about the ease of letting my baby go.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot of the Gentle Care Animal Hospital, Kodi stood up in the back seat and started to whimper. The dog has only been to this vet twice in his entire life, so suprisingly by trip three, he KNEW where he was and obviously he didn't want to be there. Nonetheless, I was a trooper and casually (with great energy, Cesar Millan style) walked Kodi into the vet with confidence. It was great until the technician came to "take" Kodi with her. She placed the rope leash around his neck and then it started...

I looked down at my baby, and his back legs began to shake dramatically! I pet him for a quick second and told him it would all be okay, but as I saw his legs continue to shake, my eyes welled up with tears. Then it happened... the tech began to try to lead him away from me and back to the door where he'd officially enter the vet and be in their possession... Kodi resisted and began to try to get back to me. His legs started pushing off away from the tech as hard as he could, pulling her a bit towards me. I lost it... my baby wanted to be with me (was what went through my mind)! The tech looked up at me and said, "m'am, sometimes they do better when you leave." So I asked if they needed anything else from me, and walked out the door.

As soon as I hit the fresh air, I seriously lost it. I boo-hoo'd and jumped into my car where I watched Kodi struggle to get away from the tech again, until he finally gave up and walked with her like the good boy he is. Man that hurt... I sat in the car for a few minutes trying to collect myself for the drive home. That hurt. I KNEW he'd be fine. I KNEW Dr. Blackburn and his staff would take great care of him! BUT, I didn't want to leave our baby. It was hard.

Later that day, I left for GA and did not return until last night. Turns out the vet (with our permission) rescheduled Kodi's surgery from Thursday to Friday. So instead of my hubby picking Kodi Bear up on Saturday while I was out of town... Kodi has been at the vet since I left him there Thursday morning. We get to pick him up today! The doctor called Kelly on Friday to let him know that Kodi had made it safely through the surgery. The ACL repair was done, but the doctor unfortunately saw quite a bit of arthritis already building up in the joint. I asked my hubby what that meant, and he said it meant that at a later date we'd have to deal with Kodi's arthritis and how it'll affect him. But for now, everything is okay.

I can't wait to see our baby. I'm worried how frail he'll look, but I know he's a trooper and will do great. One day at a time... the recovery time begins.

UPDATE: 7:45pm, Monday - Kodi is HOME! He is hanging out in the office where we have made him a "recovery room". Complete with a new bed and his own bowl of water and food (when it's time to eat of course). He's supposed to move minimally, so the smaller space is important. He looks great. His knee has a nasty looking 4 inch+ incision in it, but I know he'll recover in time. Glad to have my baby home!

Cubicle = Happy Place

Making my cubicle a happy place, one black & white, 8.5 x 11, printed picture at a time. Pictures make me smile.

The Answer to This Jacked Up City: Redemption 2009

In yesterday's blog post, after seeing that Memphis ranked #2 in Forbes magazines as the Most Miserable City, I asked the question:

When is Memphis going to turn around and try to do something about it's continual bad rankings in any negative national poll?

After thinking about that some more last night, I realized the answer. The only way something dramatic is going to change in Memphis, TN is if the Lord gets involved and flips this city upside down! If people pray for this city and call on the name of our Lord for change and revival!

And then I remembered, ahhh, a revival is coming to Memphis. A women's revival. A FREE Event with an awesome speaker coming our way: Priscilla Shirer. I cannot wait!

Below is a flyer about the event. All Memphian ladies (and men) share this will fellow ladies you know! The more gals we have at this FREE event, calling on the Father to show us a better way for the city of Memphis, the better it will be. We can bring about change in Memphis, change for the Lord and change for our future and current children in this place. The world will be watching as our God does something miraculous in a city that was ranked #2 in the Most Miserable City category. I can't wait for the event.

When: March 27-28th
Where: Memphis, TN - Cook Convention Center
Website: http://redemption2009.com/

Redemption Flier09

Publish at Scribd or explore others: bible wow

My friend, Myia shared this song with me after she read this post. What a fitting song for this. Thanks Myia.

Memphis Blues: #2 Most Miserable City

Wow, there is nothing better to excite city pride than to find your city ranked in Forbes magazine as the #2 Most Miserable City. Man that's embarrassing.

Forbes magazine calculated the top most miserable cities within the US "by looking at the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S., which meant those with a population of at least 378,000." Forbes "ranked those metros on nine factors: commute times, corruption, pro sports teams, Superfund sites, taxes (both income and sales), unemployment, violent crime and weather."

Once the calculations were in, Memphis, TN ranked #2 in the most miserable cities. The article pinpoints Memphis quickly by saying:

Memphis Blues

Sandwiched between Stockton and Chicago is Memphis, Tenn. The home of FedEx has an incredibly high rate of violent crimes, with only Detroit faring worse. The 1,218 violent crimes per 100,000 residents is more than twice the rate in the New York City metro area. The city's sales tax and rate of government employees committing crimes also fall within the 10 highest in the U.S. Pro sports has been a mess in Memphis in recent years as well. The city's lone major franchise, the Memphis Grizzlies, has lost 74% of its games during the past three years, the worst in the NBA.

It just makes you want to eww and ahhh after our city, doesn't it? Wow.

When is Memphis going to turn around and try to do something about it's continual bad rankings in any negative national poll? It seems like every time I turn around Memphis gets it's name on a negative poll.... most deaths, most car jackings, most negative things ever. I want to be passionate and supportive about the city I live in, but man it is sometimes hard!

Amazing Act by Brother In Law!

This afternoon I received an email from my hubby. The body of the email read:

This is what I found when I drove up to the house

And attached to the email were these two pictures:


My brother in law ROCKS! Kelly had mentioned to his brother, Kevin, that Kodi was having surgery on his ACL coming up, and we'd like to figure out how to make a ramp for him to get in and out of the house. See... during Kodi's rehab time after the surgery, he is unable to go up and down stairs. You can only come in and out of our house by going up and down stairs in the front, or up and down the deck in the back... so we were in trouble for this need.

We figured Kevin could help us figure out how to make a ramp or something for Kodi. And then today, when Kelly came home from his day of multi-tasking, the above is waiting for us!

What a blessing! Thank you Kevin! We thank you, and Kodi thanks you!

My boys together above.
Kodi got professionally groomed. All they could do after our damage (trying to groom him ourselves) is to shear him. He's still adorable, just needs a tan like his mom and dad!

Cup of Joe is Necessary...

Yep, I'm one of those... for a day at work morning, I must have my necessary cup of Joe or at least some hot tea to get the morning going! It seems the morning is not officially jump started until I sip that hot beverage packed with caffeine to really get my mind and my day moving.

Is that considered an addiction? You would think with this need of mine, a cup of coffee or tea would be the first thing to hit my lips every morning. Maybe brewing a pot at home each day or something... but that's really not the case. I am a "drink a glass of water first" kind of girl. Unless I have at least one glass of water in my belly in the mornings before my caffeine liquid intake, I get a tummy ache. So my glass of water is the first thing I drink each day... usually on the way to work.

So my mornings consist of one of two scenarios:

1. We make me a pot of coffee at home. My hubby or I make my mug to go with all the fixings, and a cup of water to take too. I drink the cup of water on the way to work, and usually finish right before I arrive to the office, when I start to sip on my delicious cup of joe.

2. No coffee is made at home. I make a cup of water for the ride to work, and make myself either a cup of coffee or tea once I arrive at the office.

As you can see, either way, I have a glass of water and a cup of coffee/tea for my morning intake each day. Yum... I love caffeine.