Thanksgiving recap...

Since I haven't posted since then...I will now!

Tuesday night:
Drove straight from Springfield to STL metro area, where I met Cheryl and Krissa at St. Clair Square for shopping, dinner, etc. We had a great time, as usual-didn't really buy a lot, but got to catch up with my girls-fun as always! We ended the evening by heading to Southpaw's, a relatively new sports bar in O'Fallon. Fun times were had by all, and the cute bartender recommended and made me the BEST drink ever-cran & vanilla vodka-it tastes like cheesecake-it's SOOOOO good! I finally collapsed into my bed late that evening.

Wednesday:
Woke up late, only to find Lori still asleep (my parents were at work, and Jami had school)-ah, Thanksgiving break. Krissa came over and we wandered downtown Centralia (the Village Greenery) looking at Vera Bradley stuff. After Krissa left, I hung out at the high school for a bit w/ my father, then we headed home. My parents, Jami, and me then went over to STL for more Christmas shopping. We ate at Smokey Bones, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite bbq places in the area. After a long evening of shopping, we headed back to C-town, where Lori, Mitch, and Bundy were hanging out at our house-I was happy to see Bundy, whom I haven't seen in ages! I fell asleep around 1:30 a.m.

Thursday:
Thanksgiving Day at my aunt's house in Woodlawn (a tiny town between Centralia and Mt. Vernon). Saw the entire family sans a few members, got to catch up with Alisha (who I had not seen since the summer), not a bad time. Not much to report, just a lot of food and a LOT of conversation. Got home around 8 p.m., and promptly fell asleep.

Friday:
Got up early to go to Tennessee with the family-after a looooong car ride w/ my family nearly driving me crazy (mainly my two sisters), we arrived in Millington. After dinner with my grandparents, we engaged in a family poker tournament, which was quite entertaining. After about 3 hours we all called it a night.

Saturday:
My parents and sisters headed out to the mall, but seeing as I spend half my life at Famous Barr nowadays, I chose to stay home with my grandparents and bake with my grandmother. We prepared dinner for the whole family-turkey, fresh seafood, salad, scalloped potatoes, cranberry-orange sauce, sourdough rolls, various beverages, pecan pie, homemade fudge, and much more that I'm probably forgetting. YUM! I was so stuffed, I hadn't eaten that much in ages-probably since last Thanksgiving. My uncle Rob and aunt Holly and cousins Brian and Chris were there for the evening, which was great. After dinner the poker started up again, but we all went to bed earlier than the evening before thanks to the large amounts of food consumed.

Sunday:
Headed home with the family to Centralia, only to pack up my stuff so I could head back to Springfield. I had to make a stop on the way to drop Lori off in Champaign, and before we got to Chambana we stopped in Charleston so I could visit Dan-fun times as usual! After a long day of traveling, (almost 9 hours on the road!) I got back to Springfield at about 12:30 a.m.

So that was Thanksgiving break for me!

Currently surviving Thanksgiving with family. Off to Tennessee tomorrow...

Happy Turkey Day, everyone! More details about the week later.

WOW, so much stuff has gone on since my last real post...I suppose I'll take this opportunity to update before I leave town for Turkey day festivities...

It's pathetic. I just realized-thanks to online quizzes, the election, and other business going on in my life, it's been almost a MONTH since I've written a REAL post. Sheesh!

Ok...first and foremost...classes are winding down, and this will be the first Turkey break in history where I won't JUST be obsessing over finals-I might actually be able to enjoy myself. I've got 2 papers left...that shouldn't be TOO miserable.

Socially things are busy, as usual-I've been spending an unnatural amount of time at Bootleggers. I don't mind the bar, and although I used to hate it, it's starting to grow on me.

So, speaking of drinking...Last Monday, I headed out for a seemingly innocent evening at the library. I had a lot of research to do, and it's a nice quiet place where I can get a lot of work done, unlike my apartment, which offers way too many distractions.

Before I arrived at the library, I visited my old apt. to pick up some stuff left from Brandis' party a few weeks ago. Jess was there, and after catching up with her and Brandis for a few minutes we decided that it had been a stressful day and it would be nice to sit on the front stoop and have a drink. Unfortunately, this turned into many drinks (on a Monday night, no less), and we continued in the behavior patterns that had occured all summer: completely random drinking & conversation on a completely random night of the week. Anyway, as the evening wore on, we proceeded to discuss the current object of my affection, and my inability to muster the courage to talk to him regularly. Jess proceeded to bring up a mutal guy friend of hers, who apparently is a very nice guy but has had bad luck with girls-and that's how I ended up getting set up.

So...I'll spare everyone the details, but after being set up with this guy (who, btw is very nice), I came to the conclusion that although he is a very good guy, he's just not my type. I am not going to go into details because this is a public blog, (if you're interested call me or something and I'll tell you the whole story) but this quote should sum things up quite nicely:
"Some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies."

So...in other words, I'm still single. And I still like ______________. It just goes to show that although it would be nice to have someone I was dating regularly, I don't have to have that to feel fulfilled. And if this last week has done anything, it has given me more confidence to pursue ____________. Because I deserve a chance as much as anyone!

So anyway, on Friday night, I headed home to Centralia for about 16 hours to attend Jami's play-she was Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street-she did an amazing job! While home, I managed to run into a number of people I knew from high school, both friends, parents of friends, and former teachers. I don't keep in touch with a ton of people from high school, so this was nice. One person I DID run into was my friend Darren, who was a great friend through grade school and junior high. We were friends in high school, but didn't hang out as much-I was in band, he was in sports, and if you're from a small town like I am, you hang with your given cliques-although I was one of the few people who actually transcended borders of these cliques and was friends with more people than my fellow band rats. I digress. Anyway, we both remarked on our lack of a 5 year reunion, and talked about how interesting things should be in 5 more years. It's amazing how much has changed. Me and Darren both went to KC, from there I went on to graduate from U of I and head to grad school, he stayed in Centralia after attending KC and now has a 1-year old. Amazing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that things finally feel like they're gelling. It took going home to realize it, but that's ok. I've accomplished more than 95% of the people in my graduating class-not that it's a contest, but it kind of feels good to have that validation, especially considering that I am known for not always having tons of confidence in my choices. I realize it's kind of sad that I use going home as a means of validating my life right now, but it just helped to put things in perspective, I guess. It shows me that I AM going somewhere, and shows that being homecoming queen or valedictorian in high school does NOT guarantee future success or happiness (something I've found a lot of lately)-something I had a bit of a hard time dealing with in high school. It's not to say I didn't have a happy high school experience, I did-but I always felt like you had to fall under a certain stereotype to be successful, and that couldn't be further from the truth. It's just the small town mentality that gets passed down to you-I'm grateful for U of I helping to snap me out of it-I just wish I could share that with people at CHS who might be feeling the same way right now, but will never get the same experiences I've been so fortunate to have.

Anyway, I guess the moral of this jumbled rant is just to say that I feel like things are clicking. Sure, I'd love to make a little more money, and sure, I'd like to lose a little weight. I'd like to be dating a guy that I'm truly interested in. But it's ok to have things to look forward to. I think I'm doing pretty well as things are.

I was once watching a CMT interview with Kenny Rogers, and he said that his life (in his 60's) was finally going just the way he had wished for it to-he had everything he'd ever wanted and more. He said that there are three things essential to having a fulfilled life, and I've never really forgotten what he said because I agree: he said, the key to happiness is, "Have someonse to love, something to do, and something to look forward to." Coming from someone whose had as crazy a life as he has had, that means a lot.

Remembering this has made me less resentful of stuff I don't have-because honestly, what would the fun be in life if you had everything you ever wanted, all at one time? I don't think it's ok to EVER have EVERTHING you want, because then you have nothing to look forward to and you stop trying. That's when you know you've lived a long, full life. And seeing as I haven't lived my life out yet (not by a long shot), I want to keep having something to look forward to...whatever it may be.

It's just like the song by John Michael Montgomery:
"Life's a dance, you learn as you go, sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow. Don't worry 'bout what you don't know, life's a dance, you learn as you go."

I'm happy right now. I'm in a good place-and it feels great. :o)

That's all for now...I hope everyone has a HappyTurkey break, and I'll post again soon.

You're Joey Potter! You're a huge smartass, and you
want everyone on the world to know it-
regardless of how you try and act like you're
covering it up! You are very smart, and you're
headed somewhere. Although usually introverted,
you're not afraid to let loose sometimes- a
good way to deal with the stress in your life.
But you do need to stop being so uptight all
the time! You're my favorite character! Rock
on!


Which "Dawson's Creek" Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

BOO! I'm not uptight! Not really-right? Ok, maybe a little.

Which "Saved By The Bell" Character Are You?

hehe these are fun

Seriously-this shouldn't surprise anyone. If you know me, you know I'm not nearly as conservative as I let on. Don't laugh-if you think I am, you obviously don't know me very well. That being said, I still didn't want John Kerry for my president. In my mind, ANYONE, Howard Dean excluded, would have been a better candidate. Howard Dean may be crazy, but at least he had real convictions, which is more than I can say for JK.

You Are a "Don't Tread On Me" Libertarian

You distrust the government, are fiercely independent, and don't belong in either party. Religion and politics should never mix, in your opinion... and you feel opressed by both. You don't want the government to cramp your self made style. Or anyone else's for that matter. You're proud to say that you're pro-choice on absolutely everything!

What political persuasion are you?

So I got this in an e-mail from Cheryl, and since I love these so much, I'm posting it in my blog!

1. What time do you get up? As late as humanly possible. However, when I'm working, usually 6:45 a.m.
2. If you could eat lunch with one person, who would it be? My grandfather Cox...I was only 7 when he died, I don't remember him terribly well and I would love the opportunity to have known him better.
3. Gold or silver? White gold
4. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? hmmm...I think it was Fahrenheit 9/11 or the Notebook...it's been awhile!
5. What is/are your favorite TV shows? I love: Sex and the City (reruns now), South Park, Hannity and Colmes (I think Shawn Hannity is so sexy-seriously!), and CNN Crossfire (esp. when Al Sharpton is on...lol)
6. What do you usually have for breakfast? Special K cereal and/or just a cup of coffee or Diet Dr. Pepper-I love breakfast, but rarely have time to eat it.
7. Who would you hate to be stuck in a room with? I get along with just about everybody I meet...so I'd have to say it would probably be any one of about 10 different kids I went to high school with...not only are they hicks, but they're about as close-minded as people get!
8. What is your middle name? Lynnette
9. Beach, City or Country? A nice mix of the city and the country...I hope to have homes in both places one day :o)
10. Favorite ice cream? Strawberry or Edy's Tiramisu
11. Butter, plain, kettlekorn or salted popcorn? Kettlekorn, but only if it's made in a real kettle. The microwave stuff just won't do.
12. Which would you prefer to buy: Makeup or bath products? Makeup, most definitely. Lancome foundation, Clinique skin care, color from Origins, and fragrance from Estee Lauder!
13. Price not considered, what kind of car would you drive? I'm really not a huge car person. I'm more into clothes. Frankly, I love the car I'm driving now-a 2001 Chevy Impala...so probably just a fully-loaded version of what I drive now! Maybe in red...
14. Favorite sandwich? Buffalo chicken or roast beef w/ lettuce, tomato, sprouts & mayo-yum!
15. What characteristic in people do you despise? Phony people. I HATE people who are superficial or fake. Also, people who are hypocritical or judgemental-as I am neither.
16. Favorite flower? White orchids
17. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Europe...all over Europe. That is the one place I would really like to go, but I've never been there!
18. Favorite brand of clothing? I love Limited and Club Monocco
19. Where would you retire to? Somewhere in the south
20. Favorite day of the week? Fridays...stupid question!
21. What did you do for your last birthday? I laid in bed, sick as a dog, while my parents visited me...I had a bad case of the flu, unfortunately. I plan on making up for it this year.
22. Where were you born? Harrisburg, Illinois-WAY down in SO-IL
23. What's your Favorite sport to watch? STL Cardinals and Illini football and basketball
24. What fabric detergent do you use? Some mountain breeze stuff from Wal-Mart...can't remember the name!
25. Coke or Pepsi? Coke, most definitely. If I'm cutting calories, Diet Dr. Pepper.
26. Which would you rather buy: Shoes, or handbags? Oh sheesh-I'm a woman! How could you expect me to choose? I have lots of both. Ok, fine. I'll admit-I have a serious purse fetish! I have about 20. My favorites are vintage purses-esp. the ones that used to belong my great-grandmother-she had STYLE!
27.Are you a morning person or a night owl? Most definitely a night owl, but my mornings are getting better. I'm not as big a bitch as I used to be!
28. What is your shoe size? 10...and my feet are wide, which makes it worse.
29. Do you have any pets? My kitty back at home...I miss him :o(
30. When is your birthday? Decemeber 20th! The year isn't important.

Dan, me, and Joe...fun times as usual :o) 

Me and Joe 

V, Diller, and me, at Murphy's...just like old times! Good times, for sure. :o) 

Nat and me before everyone got wild and crazy...lol.  

Nat, Dan, and Joe-goofing off as usual. In case you're wondering, it was a costume party and Dan and Joe were dressed as characters from Napolean Dynamite.  

Lori and me, pre-party. (In case you didn't know, Lori is my sister) 

Jill, Lori, Angela and me at Murphy's 

Me and Angela-Chambana Homecoming Weekend!  

GEORGE W. BUSH
Re-elected as the 43rd President of the United States.

John Kerry conceded the election about 2 hours ago to President Bush...I got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night, (I passed out shortly before 4 a.m.) but I am so wide awake and as happy as a clam! I'm not gloating...I've specifically not talked to any of my liberal friends, bc I know they are hurting right now. I know how it feels, after the elections in Illinois 2 years ago. It's not like Illinois is a happy state for Republicans. All I can say is that I truly (in my heart) believe that America has made the right decision. I don't agree with Bush on every issue, but I truly believe that America is safer; we're going to catch Osama. Iraq will keep improving, and jobs and the economy are growing by the minute. Now is not the time to gloat, now is the time for Americans that are in doubt to allow George W. Bush to prove himself to them as he has to the rest of us. He's got four more years, and I truly believe he will bring America together as he has in the past.

Meanwhile...I have to go to work, then to class (to face the heat from my liberal classmates...shouldn't THAT be fun). More later. for sure.

VIVE LA BUSH!!! 4 More Years!!!

They just called Ohio for Bush!!! What I've been waiting for all night...

Bush: 266...just four more!!!
Kerry: 211

Let's pray for no 269-269 tie...still holding on for the last few votes!

Current tally of the electoral college:
Bush: 165
Kerry: 112

My mood: Cautiously optimistic. But it's still got a long way to go...

Well, I voted. I hope the rest of you can say the same. It's 7:24 p.m.-and it's already been an insanely long night, sure to get longer...Illinois has been called for Kerry (no surprise there) already. Currently drinking lots of wine and watching returns...getting nervous...just because I can.

As you prepare to cast your vote in the election today, try to think back. Think back to just over three years ago, when America was hit on our own soil in the worst terrorist attack our country has ever seen. Remember how unsafe we felt. Remember how scared we were. Scared, yet grateful. Grateful for the man who stepped up to the challenge of fighting terrorism at home, and all over the world. That man was George W. Bush. Yes, we are at war. Yes, we have seen hard times. But things are getting better on a daily basis. And if we cannot be safe in our own country, little else matters. Remember this as you head to the polls tomorrow. Do you want an anti-war president who values OTHER countries opinions and ideals above our own, or do you want a strong, willful leader who won't take threats against us lying down? If you want this strong, willful leader, you need not worry-we already have him. He's our PRESIDENT. Vote for the safety and strength of America. VOTE to RE-ELECT PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH!!!