turning japanese

Well, guys, I'm off on another Mississippi Tourism adventure - Destination: Tokyo. I'll be attending a Japanese travel conference all next week and staying in downtown Tokyo. I have to admit, the language barrier is a little intimidating, but as Kristen says, if I can do Japan by myself, I can do anywhere. I'll be back on the 17th, and I'm sure I'll have some great pictures to post. I'm going to pretend that I am Scarlett Johannson.


Maybe I'll be a Harajuku Girl for Halloween this year.

weekend happenings

Sorry for the delay since my last post. I don’t have a good excuse other than I took off 2 days last week in celebration (or should I say mourning) of the Bulldogs’ football season. It was good to have some time off, and I am a big fan of the four-day week. Ok, so in case you were itching to know what I’ve been up to, here’s a run-down of the weekend:

First, my boss and friend, Kristen now has a blog (check out her two beautiful girls). I’ve been pressuring her to do it for a long time, and I think I finally convinced her that the loonies won’t come track her down after looking at her page. So, all you crazies out there just stay away. My job depends on it.

Secondly, and I am aware that this is a touchy subject, my dear Bulldogs failed to pull out a W against LSU on Thursday. I can’t say that I am totally surprised – I’d be lying if I said I expected us to even eek out a close game. I am the last person that should be attempting to speak intelligently about football, but being a Bulldog is very much a labor of love, and you learn to pick the little nuggets of good out of a not-so-good afternoon. Through my limited knowledge and untrained eye, I thought the defense played well, and guys, it could have (and has) been A LOT worse. Tulane will be a deal-breaker. Um, no pressure.

Other than the game, we had a good time in Starkville. Kell and Matt played golf, we took the twins to the park to run around and I visited Mint, the new consignment boutique in Starkville. I brought a bunch of stuff by there and of course left with something new (well, new to me). For those of you who haven’t been, it’s worth a visit – the store looks great. You never know what you’ll come across in little places like that.

We headed back home to Jackson on Saturday, and I deposited some $ into the economy. For those of you who only get paid monthly (and not very much, at that), you know what the last few days of the month are like – empty fridges and freezers, sharing contact solution, squeezing the last few molecules of toothpaste out of the tube, washing hair with hotel shampoo, etc. It’s not a good thing. But I splurged on some new eyeshadow and practiced the smoky-eye look for an upcoming night event. Check out my “after” shot. Kell had to turn the fan on and work on the lighting to get the perfect shot, but it’s amazing what a little L’Oreal will do. And I’m worth it.

Not much other news – I’ll be in Greenwood for a meeting tomorrow and Thursday, staying at The Alluvian. I think I’m finally far enough removed from it where it doesn’t feel like I’m spending the night at work.

Here’s to a four-day week!

bueller...bueller...

We all have those movies that we just adored when we were younger. And when they appear on television these days, we stop in our tracks and immediately tune in. For Kell, these include, but are not limited to: The Ghostbusters, Karate Kid (all 3 with Daniel-San, not the Hilary Swank edition), Caddyshack and Back to the Future (the trilogy, of course). My long-time faves would probably be The Fugitive, Dumb & Dumber and the classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. That’s why this story has me so excited.

Hollywood rumor has it that there is a script floating around written by a little-known writer for a Ferris Bueller sequel. Now, I admit I was skeptical at first – some movies just shouldn’t be revisited. However, upon reading the article, I am very intrigued and hopeful. The screenwriter evidently preserves the wit and humor of the original while presenting Ferris Bueller, now a successful motivational self-help guru (complete with “Life Moves Pretty Fast” motto), as he approaches his 40th birthday and decides to take another day off. Is there a better job for an adult Ferris?

The script is being shopped about Tinseltown in hopes that John Hughes, the director of the original, will take the project on. And, of course, the story doesn’t neglect Ferris’s friends:

• Cameron, his uptight buddy, manages Ferris’s bustling career.

• Ferris' sister, Jeanie, is married to the boy she met and made out with in the police station (Charlie Sheen).

• No longer a school administrator, Rooney is still stalking Ferris for revenge.

• The economics teacher played by Ben Stein (he of the "Bueller . . . Bueller . . ." roll call) is an airline gate representative. Brilliant!

• Ferris' high school girlfriend Sloane Peterson is a Hollywood star going through a rough marriage.

I hope Ferris has a red sports care identical to that of Cameron’s dad. I would also like to request that Sarah Jessica Parker play Cameron's wife. I should be a casting director.

sick vick

I’ve held off posting about this as long as I could due to the sensitive subject matter. There are current events that happen to strike a chord with me that make me sad, and I try to be sympathetic, a la Lindsay Lohan. Then there are events that strike me on a different level, and instead of sympathy, these happenings just make me furious. No other way to say it.

Michael Vick. I don’t think I really even need to explain. This thug, with his big shot #1 draft pick NFL contract, has been given everything – untouchable talent, possessions and more money than he could ever spend. And instead of using his fame and fortune for the greater good (see Deuce McAllister), Vick decided to indulge his egotism by bankrolling dog fights with Bad Newz Kennels. Oh, I couldn’t make that name up.

Vick’s two co-defendants pleaded guilty days before he did and immediately pointed fingers at Vick, who has since admitted to the dog fighting conspiracy along with participating in the killing (read: via drowning or hanging) of the pit bulls that didn’t perform well in training sessions. But don’t worry, he didn’t gamble on the fights or collect winnings. No, because that would be incorrigible. There is something so narcissistic about training dogs to fight to kill and in turn, killing them when they don’t. Just seeing his arrogant signature on that plea agreement (a.k.a. "Ookie"? seriously?) makes my blood boil.

Seriously, this sorry excuse for a man should never be allowed near a football field ever again, not to mention should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Not only for the crime he committed, but also because he chose to waste his talent and destroy his career for ridiculous, uncivilized events. And the question remains: will Vick’s high-powered defense team, which undoubtedly is the best his dirty money can buy, get him the proverbial slap on the wrist? Or, will some judge decide to actually take a stand against money and fame and make Michael Vick trade his bling for prison stripes? We'll have to wait until November to find out.

not your average dog house

I love my dogs; I really do. We feed them, take care of them, provide outstanding health care and give them all the attention they could possibly want. Still, even this is a little over-the-top for me.

A couple in Texas recently built a 14,000-square foot home complete with two-story library and a dog house for their Cavalier King Charles spaniels. Not just any dog house, mind you. This posh puppy pad is 3 by 7 feet and features a flat-screen TV (I don’t even have one of those), individual beds and blankets, paw print wallpaper and a canvas canopy displaying the pups’ separate address. The cost of the room? Nearly $6,000.

And evidently, this is no new trend. Interior designers all over the country are incorporating designated dog areas into homes left and right. Two designers mentioned in this article use ceramic stone in-floor heated and cooled tile to keep paws comfortable with changing weather. They’ll include closets for food and gear and pegboards for leashes. They’ve even installed fiberglass basins with handheld showers and tiled walls that clean muddy paws and allow for fur shakes.

My mom always says that people like this have “more money than they have sense,” and I am inclined to agree. And I don’t know that the twins would even be happy with it. We can pack a room with as many treats as can fit, and they still just want to hang out with us and chew on Kell’s belt.

happy c-day

26 years ago on this very day,
Claire entered the world in the usual way.
As a child, she was chatty and skippy,
telling everyone who’d listen that she was the real Pippi.

She began her life in the Cajun state,
And now has an Alabama license plate.
In Starkville began her love of school and class,
With her first grade teacher, Mrs. Sassafras.
One of three kids in the Hardin fam,
she’s been known to say “It’s not your turn, is it, Sam?”
It seemed she and Hannah were always in trouble,
and with Alexis, the mischief most definitely doubled.
With a pumpkin as a weapon and causing quite a racket,
the three infuriated the teacher in the leather jacket.
She had many loves, and it was clear by her manner,
when she managed to purchase the A Time to Kill banner.
Mesmerized by Clifford and that Martin Short man,
She’s rarely seen without a worm in hand.

Also quite fond of Cow Tales and Junior Mints,
She once said “havoc!” when it didn’t make sense.
And now she’s the teacher, leading her own group of kids,
Just like years ago, as Mrs. Sassafras did.
One of my oldest and dearest friends, I miss her every day,
I’m glad I now have this blog so that I may say...


“Happy Birthday, Claire!”

i vant to give my blood

There are certain things I feel a person should do to improve the quality of life for his fellow man (or man’s best friend). I love to vote, I’m an organ donor (I’m pretty sure) and I love sending Alan at CARA his $20 check every month. Not to mention the two monsters we adopted and had spayed/neutered at the request of Bob Barker. Kell and my dad have always given blood regularly, as Kelley evidently does (see right), and after little convincing from Kell yesterday, I decided I would do the same.

We had planned to go after work, and I was really excited. I felt as though this would be one of those things that I could do to really be of worthy assistance to the 97% of people who will need blood at some point in their lives. I was a little afraid I would pass out, and Kell said he would laugh and pick me up. As I waited for my turn at the needle, I saw people eating their cookies and drinking their orange juice, and I was really feeling good. I was going to join the few, the proud – the blood donors.

When my name was called, I entered the little room where the nurse took my name, social security number, etc. while I read the list of questions asked of fellow donors. None struck me as being a big hurdle, so I waited and had my finger stuck to test my hemoglobin. It hurt. I remembered why I hated getting physicals as a child. But, taking one for the team, I persevered. Evidently, a donor must have an iron level of 12.5 to donate. Well, mine was 11.9. Bummer. The nurse asked me if I’d like to be stuck again, and I agreed. 11.4. Great. I’d been rejected by Mississippi Blood Services.

Just then, I heard Kell’s loud laugh. I couldn’t imagine that he’d enjoyed the blood test enough to be jubilant, and the nurse then told me that his iron level was too low, too. We were now 0 for 2. And, since I was so let down about getting the no-go and other things that day, Kell took me to Little Tokyo even though it's expensive and he hates it.

I have a history of low iron, but I’m not giving up. Though my fingers hurt as I am typing this, I will try again.

That story really was a lot of rising action for little climax. Sorry. I just wanted to share, and I’m not the storyteller that Heather is. Even though I am a better speller.