it's been a long december

here i am... rock you like a hurricane. so i'm back after my blogging hiatus, refreshed and ready to stay in touch a little bit better. i've kind of been in my own little world for a minute, but i've got my feet on the ground now, and the timing couldn't be more perfect. it's new year's eve after all. i typically see my birthday as the time for change, as it is my biological new year, but i agree with heather's post today. every day is a good day to bend, break, mend, and alter anything and everything in our lives. and i have a feeling that this january 1st will feel like getting out of a long, hot shower, after you've washed it all away. i remember turning over a leaf sometime at the end of the summer, but i think i only got it halfway before i gave up. and the other night i was having a difficult but necessary conversation with someone when it struck me: the leaf is for sure all the way over now. the words, "hot damn! i'm a grown-up!" actually crossed my mind. goodbye, 2007. time for an even-numbered year and an even better me.
things to remember from the twelve months past:
1. honesty really is the best policy
2. nothing in the world replaces a best friend
3. it's never too much information if someone really loves you
4. i am TOTALLY worth it
5. you will always, always reap what you sow
things to forget:
1. not a damn thing. don't forget any of it. : )
okay, i hope everyone has a safe and happy new year's eve, and i will catch you guys on the flipside, when i will be a much better blogger. holla holla. xoxo

there is a season

so i changed my template. i'm not 100% sure i love it yet... and in total melissa fashion i deleted my blog roll in changing said template, so i'm having to go back and re-enter everyone. i'm still missing four or five of you... i was just too tired last night to finish it. i'll get to it soon. : ) it's 6:03 am. does anyone want to guess how long i've been at work? SINCE 4:30. don't ask. yipes. tonight is going to be a big, fat craaaaash and buuuuuuuuurn. hope everyone had a good weekend!

nothing new

disclaimer: i know postsecret has taken the path of the real world, antm, and most other reality shows by taking a good idea and making it popular and therefore forced and pointless, but every now and again, there are postcards like this, which i adore. so there. and you know what? i'm not just starting to see it, i like to think that i see it every day. and everyone who reads this blog is a part of that. thanks guys. seriously. : )
p.s. i promise to start posting the silly little happenings in my life again soon, and knock it off with this incense-burning, colored-aura, self-reflection bs. : )

self-help express

it wouldn't be a party unless we were both holding alcoholic beverages, would it? : )

i feel g-o-o-d and a lot of it has to do with the night this picture was taken. i went to mtn. home saturday to be heather's date at my old office's annual christmas party. i went as a favor to a dear friend, but was not actually looking forward to rubbing elbows with a bunch of people i don't see anymore and don't really miss. but guess what. turns out i do miss them. and the combination of a great date, a tipsy sister, and true interest in the goings on of people that i've let myself forget made for a GREAT night and a reminder that maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder. aaaand some late-night texting never hurts, either. : )

this overwhelming feeling of nostalgia has had other effects, too. namely, all the weirdness and the discomfort at home has settled down, i think. i realize that i may not have mentioned that there was any weirdness or discomfort to begin with, but it's part of the "things i am kind of not sure i want to talk about on the internet" that i have kept to myself. i kind of disappeared for a minute and i think my roommates may have wondered if i ran away, but i'm still here and i'm pretty sure they still love me.

at this point, i'm just rambling it seems. my bottom line is this: sometimes things come along that turn your world upside down and it's GOOD. it's really good. but what's even better is when the pendulum begins to swing back the other way, and you have balance again, only now with more weight on it. : )

ain't it the truth

i've been thinking a lot the last couple of days about friendship. real, true friendship. i am the kind of person who easily meets and connects with people, as i am generally an open book and about as hard to see through as a screen door. but even with numerous acquaitances, i can tell the difference between faces i know and the real deal. what i'm not always that good at is taking the best care i can of these people. i am so lucky that my small group of close friends has only gotten bigger and more varied the older i have gotten. i have my roommates at home, who are all like family to me, and my girls at work who listen endlessly to my bullsh*t, and my friends in little rock and tulsa who are a perfect example of every cloud's silver lining, and my friends from my old office in mtn. home who are the best mother/sister/friends any girl could ask for, and various others spread out all over the country who have a room at my house anytime. and all of these people, amazing and phenomenal as they are, are still second only to megan who will always be my very bestest friend and soulmate, and my parents who are above and beyond the best people i know. what i'm getting at (not so succinctly) is that there are SO many of you that i consider close to me, as close as close gets, and i love you all SO much. i was reminded this weekend that i may not be as mindful of each of you as i should be. not in so many words, you know, but that was kind of the gist. i have many faults and am, as the postsecret suggests, a TOTAL idiot. but one of the characteristics on which i have always prided myself is being a good friend, and i may be falling by the wayside. not just recently, either. so this is my public apology to anyone who feels slighted in any way, to anyone who misses me and wishes i would call more, to anyone who reads this blog and worries when i don't update (i'm talking to you, tammy). i love you, i love you, i love you. and i'll do better by you. : )

time to update, i suppose

it's been crazy here. and by here i mean at my office, at my house, and inside my head. my apologies for not posting more; i used to be kind of a fiend, huh? maybe it has something to do with the weather... regardless, here's a list of top-of-my-head happenings:

• we're down ANOTHER co-worker for six weeks. *sigh* bring it on.
• my room is a disaster area. i really really really need to clean it. mess outside, mess inside, you know? time to clean at least one of them up. : )
• it's already december. i'm sure you all know that by now, but i cannot get my head around how fast the time is going.
• i tried TWO new things at the sushi place. i liked one very much, and i did not gag on the other. i may be a convert after all.
• monday was my dad's 60th birthday!!! and he spent it working on the farm. of course he did. : )
• i haven't bought groceries in like a month and have been living off of fried food. i guess it's never too early to start putting on that holiday weight, huh?
• i think i want a new car, and
• i know i want some new clothes. i bought a new shirt the other day and it struck me, i haven't bought a single article of clothing in like six months. i bum around in the same sh*t every day. this needs to be remedied so that i can stop looking like an orphan.

well i guess the top of my head is not that interesting because i am, as usual, boring to the point of depressing. there's more, you know. much more. but you'll have to just wait on that. : )

feel good, inc.

man, this is exactly how i feel right now. do you ever just get so excited that you don't think everything going on inside of you will fit in your body all day? yeah, i'm there. i'm SO there. : ) and i have a feeling that even if it was monday morning and i had a ton of work to do and dirty hair and a bunch of pimples that i would still feel this way. i will be glad to wear laugh lines on my face for the rest of my days if it means i can keep this smile permanently. if you're close, come give me a hug and you can share the goodness with me. have a GREAT weekend, and know that your friend melissa loves you. *sigh* HOORAY FOR THIS FEELING! xoxo

holiday hangover

it's always bittersweet this time of year, yes? yes, indeed. thanksgiving doesn't last long enough, and christmas has started already, even though it's a month away. why so soon? don't we get even a week of non-holiday normalness? no? okay, then. in that case, every year from now on, i will begin to celebrate thanksgiving on the day after halloween. look for me to put on a good ten to twenty lbs next fall.
on the homefront, my darling roommate / future boss (when he's elected president he's promised me the position of press secretary. SCORE!) turned 24. welcome to the club, good sir. he'll be getting a letter from aarp soon, yeah? we're sad here for two reasons: a) i was in mtn. home on his birthday this weekend. baby hates to miss a birthday, especially one belonging to someone as dope-ass as slade, and b) we switched glasses. neither of us can see a damn thing.
i have nothing exciting to report. nothing at all. i'll keep you posted. maybe i'll stub my toe or something and then i'll have something to bitch about. holla holla. : )

UNbelievable!

thanksgiving, king of holidays

every time my life is busy, i wish everything would calm down. and then when the happenings are coming at a glacial pace, i wish for some excitement. i am currently dealing with the latter and hoping for something anti-boring to come along soon. sidenote: i realize that thoughts like this often bring a negative return. i'm knocking on wood, so don't get it twisted. dear gods of thanksgiving, please grant me the wisdom to appreciate the tempo of my life, regardless of the speed. i hope everyone has a great thanksgiving, and i'll leave you with my favorite recipe in response to elizabeth and kat:
melissa's thanksgiving dinner (from beginning to end)
1) sit on couch
2) yell at dad in the kitchen to see if he needs any help
3) secretly hope he does not need any help
4) go to the table when you're called
5) ooh and ahh over all the delicious food (you don't even have to pretend because OF COURSE it will be delicious)
6) offer to help clean up
7) secretly hope dad tells you to relax while he cleans up
8) slip into trytophan coma
9) love your dad, love him all the way to the moon and back
THE END. happy thanksgiving. love love.

hey, remember me?

i guess i've kind of been a d-bag about blogging lately, huh? but most everything that's been going on with me in the last little bit has been of a personal nature, and i would feel uncomfortable releasing it to the internet. but no worries; it's mostly been good stuff (really good!) so there's that. : ) i will say this much: look out turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and various other thanksgiving food items. mama's comin' home to DESTROY YOU. and by "destroy you" i mean eat until my skin is too tight for my body. it's a short work-week and i'll see my daddy and my sweet sister in just a few days. hooray! thanksgiving is the best holiday, above all others (except for my birthday, naturally). le sigh. i'm pretty excited. : ) hope everyone has been doing well. sorry for my hermit-ness. i will try to do better. xox
p.s. now that the wedding and all it's festivities are over, when will i see the tulsans (and my one okc-er) again? hmmm... let's make a plan.

sleepy girl

life lesson #6822: don't eat potato soup and two rolls with butter AND honey for lunch if you want to stay awake through the rest of your work day. this video is hilarious. i will have to view it a minimum of 61 more times in order to avoid cubicle-napping. happy tuesday. : )

p.s. thanks for the finger-crossing. i think it's helping...

highest highs, lowest lows

ups and downs, that's what it's all about right? i had a fantastic friday night with someone new whose company i enjoy more and more. and i had a fantastic saturday with my roommates plus a few new faces, just relaxing at the house and laughing until it hurts which is the cure for any ailment. and i was having a fantastic sunday, until i got terrible, terrible news that's affecting someone i love. i won't go into it because i know that would only make matters worse. but may i make a request? after you read this, can you close your eyes tightly or cross your fingers or say a prayer for some unknown heartbreak? it would mean the world to me, if only me. a happier post tomorrow, i hope.

quiero vivir aqui

oh my god it was AMAZING. literally. no words can describe how beautiful it was. the city, the villa, the people... everything and everyone was incredible. i never wanted to leave, and please believe i seriously considered staying forever. come to think of it, why did i come back? *sigh*

this is the view from the room brooke and i shared. it looks like a postcard, yeah?
bridesmaids, looking very bridesmaid-y. and aren't we all so tan and cute? yes, we are.
mr. and mrs. munsell. this was the most gorgeous wedding i've ever been to. jeff and jenny looked perfect and their vows were so touching and i cried my little eyes out. you could literally feel love radiating from everyone's pores. it was mushy, mushy, mushy, and totally amazing.
this is a picture from this rockin' church we found. i felt like a better person when i walked out of there, even though i didn't speak to anyone. it's probably better that i didn't. : )

puerto vallarta was rad, the wedding was rad, the company was rad, and if i was stuck in the movie "groundhog day," any one of those days would've suited me just fine for the rest of my life. book your vacation now. thank me later.

my brain hurts

you know, from all the thinking. work is stressing me out. i mean, it'll be fine; it's just my job. but i am stressed regardless. the good news is, IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS I WILL BE ON MY WAY TO MEXICO! the bad news is job stress will be here when i get back. anyhow, i guess my friday morning bottom line is this: vacation good, job not.
so i was pulling up my flight itinerary yesterday and i saw a little link to a website with helpful information for travelers. i clicked on it, and it had most of your basic stuff for mexico (don't drink the water, pack plenty of sunscreen, blah blah blah). but one thing struck me as interesting... this site advised packing anti-diarrhea medicine. wow. now, on the one hand, i don't necessarily want to be the girl who brought meds to keep from getting the runs. on the other hand, i don't want to be the girl who thought it would be dumb to bring it and then wishes later that she had. what to do, what to do. any thoughts?
i hope everyone has a good weekend. expect plenty of pictures upon my return. xox

happy halloween!

if this doesn't scare you, i don't know what will. : ) it's dr. melissa... in teen wolf's mask. and that stuff all over my shirt? yeah, that's the bad-idea glow sticks that have STILL not washed out. guess it's time to try some shout or something. hope everyone has a great day! be safe trick-or-treating, and if you're handing out candy, don't be stingy! xoxo

thumbs DOWN monday...

...but it was a good weekend. matter of fact, it was a great weekend. friday night i was dr. mchottie at a party where i knew hardly anyone, and thank goodness because it was probably the most adult drama i've ever seen in one night, excluding thursday night television. eleise was SUPER cute as an eskimo and was SUPER sweet to allow me to borrow her outfit when i realized that the shin-dig in russellville was also a costume party. i couldn't wear the scrubs... we had some glow-sticks friday night... someone popped 'em open... i had fun drawing on myself... no time for laundry... anyhow. mike was a spartan, i was an eskimo, we both were maybe a little bit out of control.


but we seriously had a good time. so why thumbs down monday? i got to work at 6am, and came home at 8:30. i started getting all shaky and sweaty and pale and i felt like i was going to black out at about 7:15. so then i puked (GROSS) and then i ate something. and i feel no better. *sigh* so i came home and i actually just woke up. it's 1pm. i loooove days off, but not at this price. boooo. tomorrow's a new day. fingers crossed that i make it until then.

big ups, thursday

yesterday was a good day. yesterday was a VERY good day. after riding high on red sox fever all morning (my co-workers had reactions as extreme as yours to this behavior), i found out after lunch from megan, fingers on the pulse of the fast food nation, that the mcrib is back at mcdonald's. now now, i understand that most of you are snarling up your little lips and turning up your little noses. but i really love 'em. and they're back. so there's that. and, as if that wasn't enough, TATUM totally surprised me at work yesterday!!! she's back!!! she wasn't supposed to come home until today, but being the wiley little trickster she is, i should've known that she would pull a stunt like this. but since she is much smarter than me, she totally got me. and i'm glad she did. it was the greatest homecoming ever! i may have started to tear up a little bit, you know? i have missed this girl like crazy. like CRAZY. and then the red sox won again (!!!). and then i slept for like ten hours last night. and now it's a not-so-slow downhill slide into the weekend. "it's friday, i'm in love (with yesterday)."

they could go ALL THE WAY

now, as a long- long- long-time red sox fan i understand exactly how foolish it is to praise this team too early, as they can and will break my heart. HOWEVER, if you watched game one of the series last night, then you know why i had to make today's post about them. 13-1 people. oh it was a massacre. and, your personal feelings for the sox aside (my own mother roots for the yankees... i must have been adopted), let's just all come together for just a moment and looooove some boston baseball. okay moment's up, so you can quit making that face, kat.
and did you see ANTM last night? what in the hell?!? i swear i've seen a lot of stuff in my life but that. was. AWESOME. (sorry about your car man, that sucks.) (the previous set of parentheses is a shout for anyone who loves chris farley as much as i do. as a matter of fact, as i was typing "chris" just now i accidentally put a "t" on the end of it. maybe it was no accident.) anyhow, ebony totally bailed and let mediocre ambreal stay when really that girl should've been bye-bye last week, in my opinion. arg. this cycle is BOring and it's driving me crazy. i miss jaslene.
seriously? i'm making no sense right now. must be red sox fever. : ) it's 6:41am. and i came to work to work and not to blog so i'd better get back to it. game two tonight!!! woo hoo!

do good feel good

i went to sleep friday night at 1am, knowing full well i would have to get up at 5am to go to the race for the cure. 5 on the dot---my cell phone rings and the chipper voice on the other end is the recipient of my jesus-i-need-more-sleep grumpiness. yes, i had my mom call to wake me up. no, i do not typically get up that early, especially on the weekend. yes, i realize this makes me a giant baby. no, i'm not twisted about it. i soooo thought about assing out. but you know what? i'm really glad i went. it felt great to be a part of something so big. and all the people on the sidelines made me feel kind of like a celebrity. and i got back home long about the time i'm usually waking up on saturdays, which was certainly a strange feeling. plus, it's not like i don't need the exercise. : )

co-worker sara gets a shout. she's such a cutie. this is us mid-5k. blurry, but i think adorable still. yes, our company shirts were camo. wow.

these firefighters were dancing to "push it." and when i say dancing, i mean BREAKIN IT DOWN. seriously. they were awesome.
funny, i don't remember asking him to come with me....

like a fool, i took no pictures of my sweet sister or my daddy all weekend. what a TOOL. next time, next time i promise. i hope everyone had as good a weekend as i did. megs, good to see you. sisters make the gardens grow. okay, gotta hit the bricks. i think it's movie night...

ramble ramble ramble

it's friday already? seriously? unbelievable. i've been saying it for weeks now, but i will actually try to relax tonight. i'm thinking about going to see a movie... any suggestions? i can't stay up too late because tomorrow is the race for the cure 5k in little rock, and my ride wants to leave at 6:15 am so we don't have any parking issues. just in case you missed it, tomorrow is saturday. and i'll be up by 5:30. booooooo. i'm going to mtn. home after the race to stay the night with my daddy, who i haven't seen since my birthday and will likely not see again until thanksgiving. one night's not enough, but i'll take what i can get. this also means i get to see meggers. and THAT is a guaranteed good time. speaking of birthdays (we were, yes?), i am officially 24 years and one month old today, but who's counting? : ) Xs and Os. have a good weekend.

fun with flatlanders

it's weird, you know? i had my camera with me at all times last weekend and for some reason i only got like five quality pictures. and that's a real shame because, as i recall, there were plenty of kodak moments. and the only good shot i got of the soon to be former miss barrow is this one of her performing surgery on herself when the parrot bra proved too flimsy for her wiley ways. she looks super pretty though, huh?

i think this one of brooke is adorable and hilarious at the same time. she's much braver than i am when staring at the business end of an extreeeme close-up. i'm pretty sure she was saying, "these shoes SUCK."
so at the homecoming game aka breeziest day of all time, kat came to say hello. and while she was at it, the wind caught her hair just so for this AWESOME picture (oooooklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains... they ain't messin' around y'all). she looks like she's in an after-school special. but she's one of those kids. you know, the ones who DRINK at the PROM. are you crazy? you are just asking for trouble. so anyway that's about it. where am i in the slideshow, you ask? i wasn't really there, i guess. : ) so now it's the end of a very long day, i'm feeling less sick, eating a turkey sammie, watching america's next top model (OF COURSE i am), and getting ready to work another, oh, 10 1/2 hours tomorrow. wish me luck. : ) and IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, my sweet little meg pie started a blog after much pressure and duress. be sure to check her out. she is all the good things i am, only to a much higher degree. later gators.

la lista de martes

a) jenny's bachelorette was out of control. i only wish i had gotten there sooner. : ) i'll post the pics later. i know i always say that, but i really mean it today.
b) i felt like a fish out of water at the homecoming game, which is a bit strange for a social butterfly like me. there were, however, moments of glory, such as the white girls-gang signs tribute above. yes, i'm wearing a tu t-shirt. no, i did not go to school there. do somethin'.
c) someone got fired at my office monday. i will not miss her, but i will miss her being there to do her work. as it is, all of it's been split among us. i was busy before this happened.
d) i am sick sick sick. this is the first cold i've had in a loooong time and i feel like i may die. my throat hurts and my chest hurts and my head hurts and i took a three hour nap after work today. i do not have time to be sick right now. please see letter (c).
e) i just got a belated birthday card from miss jenn jenn, a left-behind and much-missed ex-coworker. thanks sugar. : )
f) dear jesus or god or mother nature or whoever, i know you're busy with kat's request to lose 5 lbs before mexico, but if you have time, i'd like to drop about 30. amen.

aaaaand scene

well i feel better after yesterday's meltdown for sure. and even though i have a TON of work to do today, all i can think about is leaving for tulsa and showering the bride-to-be in panties. that sounds a lot weirder than it's meant to. okay, i hope everyone has a good weekend, and i'll catch you on the flip flop. laterrrrrr.

gritted teeth

i have inherited some lovely attributes from my parents. i am optimistic, nurturing, forgiving, and (i think) clever. on the flip side, i've developed some of their negative traits as well (sorry, mom. you know it's true). and letting small, manageable nuisances amass into ginormous problems has trickled down from probably generations back. you would think someone who talks as much as i do would prefer productive communication to annoyed silence.
i am at the end of my rope today due to complete thoughtlessness from others and my foolish willingness to believe it is unintentional. it's mounted and mounted and mounted, and now here i am, FURIOUS and frustrated. no need for details; you never know who is spying. but suffice it to say i've had enough and the lid has blown. i can see the end of this ugly streak from where i am, so i should be back to sunshine-y me soon. until then, i will try to remain as normal as possible. after all, no one wants to hug a cactus.

master of my domain

what whaaaaaaaat i figured out how to do this picture biz. and it only took me half an hour and a roommate's help. whatever i did it. : ) ohhhhh big mike came to town this weekend and it was definitely exactly what the doctor ordered. i only wish he could've stayed longer. here is pictorial proof that i not only go where i say i do, but also that i am capable of making technology my friend.

the bottle is empty. jessica's sooooo saaaaad.

slade has no recollection of this moment. he was announcing my birthday to the entire bar. this is why we are friends. : )

mr. mike is the very bestest. especially for putting up with me when i'm in this mood.

that's about all i got today, kids. i'm worn out from this picture business. okay i'm going to bed now. maybe i'll be more exciting tomorrow. kiss kiss. night night.

party like a rockstar

we totally do. so big mike and friends are coming to town this weekend to see if it's possible to have more fun in little rock than it is in russellville. i'm betting we can work it out. although i threatened to post a hilarious and embarrassing photo of the giant red one, i found this today and thought it was way way way better. that's mike doing air splits. ask him nicely and you can see it in person.
so it's friday and it's about damn time. at this time tomorrow i will be sleeping and not working. that thought is more than likely enough to keep me going today. and since saturday night will probably see me drowning in beer, i think i shall take this evening to order a pizza, drink a glass of wine (or two or three) and watch aladdin, the incredibles, the little mermaid, or finding nemo. or all of them. who knows?
take it easy, friends. have a good weekend. and if you're in the greater little rock area tomorrow night and want to see me look short in comparison to someone, give me a call.

already better

october will be good, i am certain. and it will start today. birthday wishes are in order for my sweetest sweetheart, heather. if you don't read her blog you should because she is a wise owl for sure. i love you heather. giver of great advice, beholder of sage wisdom, drier of many tears, reason for sunny days. love love love love love and happy happy birthday. xoxox

set out the cheese, i'll bring the whine

so i finally found out why i can't load my pictures and display them here for you to see. it's because THE CARD READER ON DUSTY'S LAPTOP IS BUSTED, not because i am dumber than the average bear. ha. i win. i did not have a good day today. my darling malibu is broken A-gain and i'm almost certain it's because i dared mention that misfortune in a recent post, thus prompting the gods to rain down on me and my smugness for having moved past the jacked-up-ride trauma. anyhow, sugar's getting towed to the garage in the am. i'll let you know how it turns out. *sigh* i am working OT like it's my job lately (actually, it kind of is my job...) so i'm not in the best of moods. and today the work i usually finish by 10am took until after lunch. not all right. and from where am i blogging right now? wooooooooooork. that's right. bout to jump in again for another couple of hours. if i was as dedicated to my hotness as i am to this cubicle, i'd be bangin' fine by now for sure. i wonder if that saying, "in like a lion, out like a lamb" applies only to seasons or if single months count, too.... cause october for sure is stinking so far, and it's only day one.

who can take the sunshiiiine...

sprinkle it with dewwwww... announcement: anyone who can figure out why i have had this song stuck in my had for roughly the last 72 hours can have my golden ticket. so i haven't updated in a while and it breaks my crayons (thank you, jackie wells, brooke knight, urban dictionary, etc) when other people do that so here i am. i was waiting to post my pics from jenny's wedding shower last weekend, but i'm afraid i am too dumb to do it. i put the card in the thingy on the side of the laptop... why didn't it work? eh, i'll get it figured out. no worries. i'm going to see big mike in russellville tonight and i am VERY MUCH looking forward to a big hug and a lot of beers with one of my oldest and certainly dearest friends. mike mike mike mike mike. just saying it makes me happy. : ) idea: i'm contemplating giving up my job to wait tables when i go back to school... any thoughts? and finally--- america's next top model was awesome. i was glad to see that goofy girl go home, and my current favorite is the stripper. did you see the office last night? oh good lord. thursdays are BACK, ducklings. thanks as always for tuning in. join us next time when our topic will be "Adult ADD and It's Effects on Blogging."

best week ever

i'm in a hurry, so....

• my birthday was a HUGE success and thank you all so much for the sweet birthday wishes!!! love love love love love. : )
• my digital camera came in and it. is. AWESOME! i think i'm ready to take my blogging to the next level by adding pictures that i actually took.
• my sweetheart eleise made me a homemade birthday meal last night, including a cake with candles. and everyone sang. and i may have teared up a little in my excitement.
• I GOT A TOP MODEL BARBIE FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!! who wants to come over?
• my buddy timmy works at the cable company and last night on channel 5 my birthday was announced. and megan's. and timmy doesn't even know megan. this makes him A+ in my book.
• it's f-f-f-f-friiiiiiiiday!
• i just got off the phone with my mommy and this much i know: anyone with whom you can discuss at length your mutual love for the brave little toaster is more than just a parent.
• speaking of the brave little toaster, sweet sister is mad because i decided if she were in that movie she'd be the blanket. it's not an insult megan so LOCK IT UP. : )
• i'm going to tul-city with kat tonight. you know what the midwest is? young and restless. just ask kanye.
• time to work now.
• thanks again for showing the birthday love. it's my own personal christmas and you are all santa to me. xoxoxo

it's. my. BIRTHDAY!!!

here it is, not even 7am, and i am blogging. i haven't showered, but i have updated. : ) why? BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! the best day of the year, new year's day, the day of new beginnings. i would be posting a picture of me all 24 and whatnot, but the digital camera that my mommy got me has had some shipping delays, despite her best efforts. colleen is not pleased at all, however, i am JAZZED UP that she even loves me enough to get something so nice for me. i can wait a few days. : ) thank you thank you and a million besos, mom!
i'm sure you realize that it is not my birthday alone. of course it is megan's birthday too. and people always say, "someday you'll get sick of birthdays and sick of getting older and they won't be as big of a deal." yeah, well, i call BULLSH*T because as long as meg and i have each other, birthdays will never lose their flavor. i only wish she was here to celebrate! so, the happiest of birthdays, my darling meg mcmuffin. you are the tune i hum, the song i sing, and the freestyle i spit. i love you the most. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
one more thing and then i really need to shower... the most important thing i've learned since last year is to take care of yourself first. i'm too good at loving on and cheering on other people through ups and downs and not good enough at turning that positivity inward. but i'm trying... and so help me god, by the time i turn 25, i'll be an old pro. : )
happy birthday to meeeeeeeee!!!

the final countdown

it's the day of the eve of my birthday, and 23 has been a pretty big year. let's look back, shall we? i left mtn. home for conway to go back to school, and although i haven't made it back to college yet, that was a positive step toward growing the hell up. i experienced quite a few problems with my car, my lovely lovely malibu, but like $600 and lot of headache later, girl's in as good a shape as ever (knock on wood!). my lungs kind of quit on me, and that was a mess. i'm sure you remember that. but as recently as last week it seems as though i may come out on the other side of that basically unchanged. I QUIT SMOKING which is huge news that i think my family, friends, and body all appreciate. that may be about it as far as big happenings go... maybe not that much has happened in twelve months... : )
this is the first birthday in a long time where i actually feel a whole year older. i look a little different, too. i've learned quite a bit since last september and it feels good to be turning 24. i feel like i've earned a new age for all i've put myself through and all that's been thrust upon me. i'd go into detail, but you've probably already heard my piece more than once. : ) so now it's your turn. what's the most important thing you've learned since your last birthday? c'mon, don't be shy. it won't be all about me until tomorrow. : )

so about myspace...

so i have a myspace page. and i really just got it to keep up with a couple of friends. and now all of a sudden people are finding me. and i can't tell whether or not i like it. i mean, on the one hand, i have lost track of lots of folks over the years (i hate that i'm that girl... i never thought i would be) and it's nice to chit chat and see what they're up to and so on and so forth. on the other, much bigger hand, it's a little bit creepy that all these people now know where i am. yipes. i'm not necessarily a private person by any stretch, and if you're reading this odds are i've already told you too much about me, but the exposure a little strange i think. questions: do you have the same issue with the internet and your privacy? am i just being paranoid? am i ten years behind the curve for just now giving a damn about myspace?

ain't nothin gon break my stride

can't nobody hooooooold me down, oh no! (i am, of course, singing the diddy/mase version of this song). sooooo i went to the lung doctor yesterday and GUESS WHAT. i'ma be just fine. : ) apparently, i have been a very good girl this summer and my lung capacity is at 83% and dr. squire is certain that i am done done done done DONE with the sicky sicky!!!!! that up there is me making my wow face at what, to me, is basically the BEST NEWS EVER! old lung doctor (aka dr. poop, aka dr. i hope i never see that jerk again) "forgot" to send my biopsy results so i'll have to go back and see dr. squire next month just to be sure, but after i let them take my urine and my blood and did chest x-rays, dr. squire pretty much gave me the all clear. AY AY AY AY AY!!! although i'm not quite out of the woods (i may never be; dr. squire gave me a list of things to make red flags should they occur, i.e. persistent nausea, trouble swallowing [no jokes necessary, thank you], etc. etc.), i feel like i won the lottery or something! *sigh* pretty much everyone i know has had some sort of medical issue lately so me making this (basically) full recovery is hopefully a trend that will continue. maaaaan, i feel so good. SOOOO GOOOOOD!!! and, in case anyone's counting, it's t minus six days until mi cumpleanos. thursday, you have heard my prayers. all right, enough about me. i'm off to buy a pack of cigarettes. RELAX I'M JUST KIDDING.

goodbye ruby tuesday

yesterday was a good day. i had lunch with some friends that i never see in the middle of the day (i mean to say that they are after work and weekend friends. does that make sense?) and it was both delicious and entertaining. and last night my roommates and i had a little last supper at hog pen YUMMO before heading downtown to play trivia. or shall i say, attempt to play trivia... anyhow we had a good day and a good night, which is sometimes a rare combo and i am thankful for it.
today... not so much. tatum left for brazil this morning, and i know she'll only be gone for six weeks, but her departure date a) got here before i could get used to the idea of her not being around, and b) coincides with my date with the lung doctor. i don't want to go. enough time has passed that it's kind of easy to forget there was ever a problem in the first place so i'm a little anxious and worried. and i wanted tatum to be there but she is leaving on a jet plane. and she won't be back until like halloween. and she is my favorite roommate. and also my sweetheart. and my bestest friend. and all of this makes melissa a NOT HAPPY girl today.
i'm not gonna lie... i have already cried (it's only 9am for pete's sake). i cried like a little girl cutting the biggest onion EVER. hopefully thursday will be a little nicer to me.

welcome back

oh, hey. what's up monday? I'M NOT REALLY ALL THAT PLEASED TO SEE YOU, if you want the truth. weekend was nice. i mainly chilled at the house, which is both convenient and cheap. list list list, here comes a list of happenings and the lessons we learned:

• friday night at the saucer. UNBELIEVABLE, i know. and in case you're wondering, you can throw all the darts you have in your hands and all of them stick to the board. i mean, you can if you're rad like i am.
• if you're standing outside in the street on your cell phone and you see a suspicious vehicle, go ahead and make your way back to the house. or, you can just stand there and be yelled at by a hooligan. your choice.
• GET UP BEFORE 11 AM. good god, what are you, 17?
• people who are not from the south can make a pretty mean pecan pie. who would've guessed?
• do not try to sneak a cigarette in the driveway when your roommates have noses like hound dogs.
• everything really is nicer on a 42" plasma tv. it's especially nice if it doesn't cost you a dime. hooray for roommates with big dreams and good credit. : )
• two glasses of red wine will not only relax you, it will knock your ass out.

okay, that's basically all the wisdom i have to pass on for now. hope everyone made the most of their weekends. and i hope none of you has monday worry knots in your stomach like i do.

gimme a beat

http://www.natatliedee.com/

la la la i'm singiiiiiiing to myself cause it's beeeeeeeen a v-v-v-very good day REEEEMIX wicky wick wicka wicky good day bitches. seriously though, tuesday came through. i didn't have much to look forward to, what with having to go back to work and to the hospital, but here i am free-styling anyway. for starters, labor day weekend was rad. i feel like i touched a foot in every county and i l-o-v-e-d every second. i got up bright and early this morning and went to work at 6am (that's right, 6 people) and got basically a whole day's work done before anyone else showed up, which is probably what i'll start doing every day to avoid the dreaded sunday afternoon work-a-thon. then i went to take my breathing test at the hospital which i WAS NOT looking forward to. and you know what? my lung capacity is currently at around 80%!!!! and in may it was like 66% so there's a day-making happening right there. and when i got back to work, the sky gave way and it FINALLY rained in conway after, like, 6 months of not. a. drop. jade china for dinner, kanye on the stereo, l.a. ink's on in less than a half an hour.... what more can i ask for? so if you're happy and you know it--- you know the rest. jump in when you're ready.

new kids on the block

so check it, i added two new links: one for chandle and the other for carrie. i do not know either of these girls but they both leave comments from time to time and i dig it. and since jessica's back from alaska and the conway parks bill passed months ago, it's time for some freshening up in the link area. so out with the old. done and done. i was going to add both of their pictures here but for some reason chandle's is not working out. what in the hell. anywho, there they are so check them out. very interesting, the both of them. : )
yo yo yo it's the last day of august. which means the official birthday countdown starts tomorrow. come on down, 24. baby's ready to get old!

i'm wondering...

about what kind of impression i make on people. last night we went out to trivia night and had a blast (i actually knew some answers! mark your calendars!). and since i didn't have to drive for the first time in a long time, i got a little silly. okay, a lot silly. and i was just so pleased with the company and the food and the activities that i was at about an 11 on the lovey-dovey scale. telling tatum i love her like a billion times? check. hugging jessica and telling her how much i missed her while she was in alaska all night? check. hugs and kisses for everyone (and i mean damn near EVERYONE)? check. don't get it twisted; i am bothered by none of this. i am a people person and i'm very touch-touch-touchy with folks and i don't mind a bit when people are the same way with me (mostly.... i'm talking to you, creepy fax guy). and usually i don't give this behavior a second thought. but what if someone doesn't like it? and what if they're not telling me? uh oh. so let me know right? cause i can keep myself to myself if it's not okay. : )

harder better faster stronger

1) oh jeez i had a blast at dock night. i did not feel self-conscious in my bathing suit (but it was pitch-black... he he he), i found out i can rap even when i'm not 100% awake (or sober), and the leaf is officially turned over.
2) i'm back to kicking total ass at work. you can't handle me, cubicle. don't even try.
3) birthday is only 22 days away. and 22 is my favorite number. and birthday is my favorite day.
4) kanye west's new cd comes out on the 11th. that ain't far, folks. and I. AM. READY.
5) august aka hottest month EVER is coming to a close. and september smells like freshly-sharpened pencils, chocolate cake with buttercream icing, and temperatures less than 100 degrees.
6) i haven't got much else to say. EXCEPT....
7) let's hang out soon. i haven't seen some of you in far too long. you know, we've got a three-day weekend coming...

i'm ready i'm ready i'm ready

that, friends, is bull shoals lake. and that, friends, is where i'm going. and that, friends, is where i need to be. in regards to my last post: um, what the hell, melissa. i should know better than to drink and blog. ***sidenote: how sad is it that while drinking tuesday night, the most interesting thing i could think to do was update my blog? i mean really. i should've been out setting things on fire. okay maybe something a little less intense but still. my lame ass was blogging. PAthetic. moving on. so it's been a summer of squalor for me and it's time to get down to business. i've let negative thoughts and bad behavior set the tone for me in past months and that, friends, is no way to be. so it really is new leaf time. and i'm kicking it off tonight by dyeing my hair darker. only semi-permanent dye, of course (i am such a chickensh*t), but i'm dyeing it nonetheless. darker hair will hopefully mean i take myself more seriously. should be interesting... and tomorrow i'm going to the home of the mountains. i get to spend some much-needed quality time with heather. i get to see my sister's darling face and introduce her to something i look forward to every year: dock night, bitches. if you need me on saturday night, don't bother calling. i'll be on the lake, drinking beers, floating on a noodle, and laughing my ass for no reason besides that it feels good. i need it. it's time. it's a perfect way to end months of debauchery and i don't do yoga so dock night is my "om." i'm ready to get back to me. focus focus focus.

and this is the truth

the only reason i have the urge to write any of this is because i've been drinking. i've been drinking a lot. yes, mom, i know; i've been engaging in that particular activity in excess as of late. i'm sorry and i'll try to do better. that being said, i'm tipsy and i have this much to say: we have nothing more to do in this world than to learn to trust ourselves. follow your gut, and then listen to your head. not the other way around. believe what you see, not what you wish was true. i know instantly what is in front of me before i think for one second, yet somehow i allow myself to ignore the simple facts and i complicate everything to the point of complete chaos. it's proven too much for me to handle and so this is me turning over a new leaf. listen to yourself melissa. trust that what you see is exactly what is there and have faith in your intuition. it's been right so far.

ugh jeez maaaaan

it's friday and i am COMPLETELY unmotivated to work. so i'm blogging. there's a big surprise. sabra won sytycd and i had been drinking so i was almost moved to tears. she totally deserved it and lacey was a hack so good riddance. i must make time this weekend to sleep. jesus i need it. also must make time for drinking... although i'm afraid i've been doing more than my share of that lately. after i made that fuss about the meteor shower last week, i effing missed it. what was i doing? i have no idea. i just missed it. not smoking is getting harder and not easier. i moved passed my replacement therapy and am no longer eating five snickers bars a day (which is GREAT news for my self-esteem) and so now i'm just thinking about cigarettes more. must maintain. true confession: i had one today. i did not enjoy it. but i did want it. so there. don't worry; no slip-sliding into a haze of smoke. i've come too far to go back (plus my lungs are begging me right now not to do that again). and while on the subject of smoking, i'd like to give a big A+ to my dad for quitting this summer, too. he did it the same way i did, and i am SOOOO proud as he has smoked for like 45 years or something. congrats, daddy! i don't think he reads this. it's probably better if he doesn't.... there are some things maybe you don't want your dad to know about you.... : ) also big ups to kat for quitting too. baby's so pleased! and now i won't be able to bum the occasional marlboro light from you and that is GOOD news for me. all right i'm just rambling at this point. i hope everyone has a great weekend. travel safely if you're leaving, and call me if you're not. : ) holla back.

dear summer,

listen, i know i said i was ready for this, but now i know i'm not. i hoped and i waited for you to get here, and when you finally showed up everything was better. flip flops, sunglasses, late sunsets... we had fun, didn't we? but now i think that maybe i'm in over my head. i find myself starting to resent you. and that's not fair to either of us. lately i just feel like you're putting too much pressure me. i mean, i can't even stand outside for 5 minutes without breaking into a sweat. what's changed, and why? no, don't answer. it doesn't matter. let's just call this what it is: too much of a good thing. please don't cry; this is only temporary. and if you'll have me, i'm sure that there'll come a time when i'm begging you to come back. but for now, i think it's time you left. i'll never forget you.
love always,
melissa

planet unicorn

just when you think sunday is worthless... do yourself a favor and go watch all of them.

clap clap clap your hands

because baby girl is graduating!!! tonight they're going to call tater tot's name and she'll walk across that stage and OFFICIALLY be a college graduate. i am soooooo proud; i'm getting a little vehklempt sitting here typing this. my little girl is all grown up! congratulations, tatum! and the idiot still cheering when everyone else has sat down will be me, just fyi.
also, there's a meteor shower this weekend. iiiiiiiii love 'em. according to msn.com, sunday night after midnight is the best time to see them, and apparently this one is going to be badass. hopefully i don't get hit with a meteor while i'm laying in the backyard staring at the sky.
my horoscope this morning said that my recent turmoil at work and home would work itself out and that my energies would center this weekend. consider me centered, folks. it's friday, it's the 222nd day of the year, it's t minus 40 days until my birthday, and everything is okay.
it's a good vibe day, a day of good vibes. hope yours is the same, and have a good weekend!
p.s. look to your right.... SAME NIGHT SAME NIGHT! : )

sweet and sour jesus...

...i've been busy. i just heard stephen colbert say "sweet and sour jesus" and i thought it was funny. yikes, i hope he doesn't copywrite those kinds of thing.
ANYWHO i have been bzz bzzz bzzing like a little bee for the last little bit and there is no end in sight. i've been trying to whistle while i work but it's hard to whistle when you're crying WHEN LORD WHEN?!? WHEN'S GON BE MY TIME? name that movie (COUGHi'm talking to you meganCOUGH). what i'm getting at (not so coherently) is that i've been b-b-b-busy up at the ol' office job and i'm beginning to lose my patience. they ought to pay me double what i make just for putting up with it. i know i know, oh my god melissa's complaining. how VERY unlike her. : ) so i'll zip it and show you the only two pics i've got (for now) from new yawk:

this one is of my mommy's garden. i loooove the smell of basil. and that back porch is rockin.' (ha! that's what she said.)
have you ever read anything by richard russo? if you haven't you should check out nobody's fool (or you could watch the movie. it's amazing. paul newman. melanie griffith. of course it's amazing.) anyhow, the book is set in bath, ny and i didn't know that that was an actual place until we drove through on the way back to buffalo. my lovely and obliging mother pulled over so that i could get this picture. it probably means nothing to anyone but me. and that's just fine. : )

and IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, this guy turned the big 2-4 on saturday. i would've dedicated an entire post to him on that day, but i was too busy taking a shot for every reason that i love him. and that's a buttload of shots, mike. toooo druuuunk toooo poooost. happy belated birthday!

okay, that may be it for now. there are more pics of my vacation and dammit YOU WILL SEE THEM just as soon as i let you. until then, onward christian soldiers. left left left right left.

no fists on hips, no scowling

i just noticed that, like, my last five posts are all me whining about something. good lord. what a cry baby! count your many blessings, name them one by one:

• tomorrow is friday.
• i had spinach dip for dinner and it was YUMMO.
• my luggage is back! they found my luggage!
• lil meg will be here in less than 24 hours.
• did i tell you about the spinach dip because it was great.
• no one's home right now. mmmm quiet.
• weekend weekend weekend and just off of a vacation. what a lucky girl. : )
• everyone's blogging a lot and I LOVE IT.
• i guess that's about it.
• oh wait!
• august is almost september. COME ON BIRTHDAY.

that, friends, is a sizeable amount about which to be glad. good day. I SAID GOOD DAY.

oh boy am i pissed

damn you northwest. damn you all. here's the story (beat beat) of a lovely lady (beat beat) who is going to lose her shit over her flights home: i was supposed to come home monday night and be in little rock at about 8pm. on saturday night, i get a recorded call from northwest saying my flight was cancelled and that i had been rescheduled to leave buffalo on the 31st. i called the 800 number and advised them that that's-a no good and that it was imperative that i arrive in little rock on the 30th as originally planned. shuffle shuffle type type. the help desk person FINALLY (i swear neither of us said a word for like 10 minutes) says she can get on me on a Continental flight that will get me into little rock at like 11pm. not ideal, but fine. i called my boss and told her i would be coming in at noon on tuesday, made plans to have lunch with my dad (he was in capitol city monday night and tuesday and i was PLANNING on hanging out with him monday night when i got in but that was when i was going to be there at 8. the man hasn't seen 11pm since like 1978), and just tried to let it go. so mom and i show up at the airport on monday evening, ready to check in, and Continental doesn't have me scheduled to fly with them. the only information they have is me flying out with northwest on the 31st, on the gd rescheduled flight they tried to give me the first time. so by this point madre's face is 9 shades of red and the woman is ready to GET LOUD up in the airport (irish catholic, short fuse, the meanness can cover you like lava). we march back over to the northwest desk and basically say WTF NORTHWEST. shuffle shuffle. type type. so they get me on a flight at 9:30 yesterday morning, landing in little rock at 3pm. upside: i got to spend another night with my mom, they flew me back first-class the whole way (they bring you soda in a real glass. i kind of felt like a movie star), and i got to miss another day's work. downside: i missed a day's work, i missed my dad, and the best part is... wait for it... they lost my fucking luggage. FOR THE LOVE OF PETE. i had a great time with my mom, and i'll post the pictures to prove it soon. do not fly northwest. just don't. good gravy.

tick tock tick tock

my lovely buffalo vacation is almost over. i do not want to leave my mommy here. *sigh* i don't land in little rock tonight until like 11 so pictures will have to wait. announcement: cancel all your flights on northwest before they do. more on that later.

oh em gee

i'm maxed out to the max. i can't even think of anything to say that's worth blogging about, really. that's how bajumbled my brain is lately. i just feel like i should update because i like it so much when other people update. i'm at work, SURPRISE. and i'm here late. but i'm here alone, so it's actually kind of nice. well, i'm alone except for the janitor, but he listens to the oldies super loud and sings along so he's all right with me. too much workey, not enough sleepy. mama's bout to need a mental health day or something.

awwwwwww hell yeah. clapton's on the radio. and i still have a shitload to do. later gators.

no love for jobs

i'm training for a new position at work. and my brain hurts. so i've adopted a new saying, "no brains, no headaches." who's with me? slade would know what i'm talking about.
special thanks to toothpastefordinner.com for always knowing exactly what to say. they're my hallmark. only free. and funny. and available online. okay it's quiet time.

damn you central arkansas

nowhere north of faulkner county gets mosquitoes this badly. NOWHERE. i'm going crazy here with all the biting and the itching. and normally i am pretty good about not scratching bug bites. the urge to scratch a bite is one of like five things over which i have control. : ) but my feet are c-o-v-e-r-e-d from being outside all weekend and i must have scratched them ALL in my sleep. and by "ALL" i mean that there are literally like 20 bites on my feet right now. and. they. are. all. ITCHING. ahhhhhhhh make it stoooooop!!!!!!!! plus there must be some mutant mosquitoes at our house because even the bites i haven't scratched are enormous.
okay, back it up. this is an entire post about bug bites. that's sad. i will not be posting again until i have something more interesting to report. like maybe my discovery of a vaccine for mosquito bites.

dear diary

this and chandle's blog both broke my heart today. i mean, daaaamn. no weekend updates, kids. i don't remember a whole lot of it.

lovin me some today

reasons why i am a happy girl:
1) blogging gives me another chance to make a list. i'm starting to be kind of a list person.
2) it's f-f-f-friiiiday!
3) i got paid today with some FAT overtime what whaaat.
4) everyone's been updating like crazy! i love it!
5) big mike might be coming to town this weekend. oh please oh please oh please!
6) my sister is the proud new owner of mr. thomas o'malley, the un-alley cat.
7) i slept like a log last night. it's been a while.
8) i'm as into the urban dictionary as jackie is. i get daily emails. : )
9) my refrigerator is full of beer. like, so full the door may or may not be completely shut.
10) my number ten reason for being in a good mood is the above nine reasons. nine good things! what a lucky lady!
call me this weekend. all of you. i'll be either sober or drunk or on my way to one or the other. but no matter my alcohol intake, i'll be spreading the love. : )

am i the only one?

sushi and i are not friends. i know, i know--- it's super trendy and good for you, too, right? i can't get behind it, people. remember that time at that place in little rock? were you there? what a disaster. i like avocado rolls, but that's really just avocado and rice. that's not really that big of a deal. raw tuna? are you kidding? count me out. i'll be at jade china. they may have rats in kitchen (if you believe the rumors... i choose not to), but at least the food's cooked. our whole department is going out to lunch at fuji together today and the boss is paying, so i guess i can something off of the hibachi grill, yeah?

announcement: it feels like friday. gd why is it not friday?

how things are

a quick update in list-form:
a) okay so i cheated on the harry potter reading. i watched the first two movies (there's no extra info in the books anyway) and i'm now in the middle of the third book.
b) harry potter weekend was interrupted by a traveller (traveler?)'s game saturday night, at which i had a blast and experienced the following (LOOK OUT! SUB-LIST!):
1) we won. in the bottom of the 9th. it was awesome.
2) we were on the jumbo-tron. which is pretty impressive if you're from mtn. home. but since i am completely photo-phobic i didn't really see it. i just hid my face and heard about it when it was done.
3) i ate my weight in frito chili pie. not smart.
c) speaking of my weight, i learned that i have gained 3/4 of what i'd lost back since i had all that lung stuff, quit smoking, stopped working out, and started eating like i have worms. i do not have worms, by the way.
d) speaking of smoking (wow, i'm getting good at these segways), i think it's really going well. i've had a few here and there. but nothing i would be ashamed to tell my doctor. woooo hooo! my body loves me again! well, my lungs do anyway. : )
e) my job is a BITCH and i'm sick of it. must. graduate. from. college. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. at least then i could say i have some chance of things getting better.
f) jenny called today and she's all ecstatic about the invites. me too, jenny!
g) and finally, i just got off the phone with kathleen, my dearest darling. and you know what? talking about groceries and boys and outdated dating lingo just really made my whole day. mmmmmm baby loves you kat. : )
and so this concludes what was intended to be a short post but has instead turned into a novel. thanks for tuning in. how was your monday?