In That Place

I'm at the point now where pretty much everything is funny. Even things that really shouldn't be. Tripping over my own big feet for the third time? Funny. Harmony almost crushing Alisha under the gate when we left? Funny. (Hey, they both agreed with me on this). Going out to take the trash and making up nonsense songs with Leslie ("I'm so excited...The trash is almost done....And we just can't hide it"....etc.)? Funny. Spending three plus hours taking a calculus exam and coming out of there making no sense? Oh, the hilarity never ends. And I have three more exams to go. I'm not even halfway done. I shudder to think how very little sense I will be making by Tuesday.

I always get like this at exams, all loopy and punch drunk. And then I sleep for three days straight afterwards. It seems to be magnified this time, though, for whatever reason. Maybe it's cause I'm having to move out on my own simultaneously, or maybe it's all the other stuff that's going on in my life. Probably that. It's amazing, though, just when I think I can't take one...more....thing..., God gives me just enough strength to go on. I know there is no way I could be doing all this on my own. When it comes down to it, I guess I treat life as just one big joke, something that you have to laugh at or you're never gonna get through it. And I'm thankful that I do have the ability to laugh at it. But I will be glad when I start making sense again...

Interesting Things I Found

In addition to studying and working, I am also cleaning out my dorm room to move to an apartment next week. This has proven to yield some interesting discoveries....
*Two pairs of sunglasses. After I went out and bought a third since I couldn't find either one.
*Boxes and warranties to electronics I'd forgotten I even had.
*8 boxes of Christmas tree cakes.
*Old paycheck stubs- but fortunately (or unfortunately?) none I hadn't already cashed.
*3 boxes to SpongeBob "campus trial paks"- for him and for her- that I haven't managed to throw away yet.
*Do I really need all my old statistics papers?
*A Yeti.
*Posters that I have put up in the oddest places.
*Unused roach motels.
*The remote I bought to replace the one that didn't work, but subsequently dropped and now it doesn't work either.
*Hey, when did Blogger put in a link button and I've been doing them by hand all this time?
*20 million batteries that are probably dead, but I'm not sure so I won't throw them away.
*Somewhere along the line I got really carried away with making mix CD's.
*Surprisingly enough, nothing alive. So far.

Those Don't Wanna Study Blues

I can't find my candy!
Dah dah dah dah dah
And I got exams
Dah dah dah dah dah
but I don't wanna study
dad dah dah dah dah
cause I hate to study!
Ooh wooh WOOOH
I got those
don't wanna study blues!

I really hate calculus
dah dah dah dah dah
And biology too
dah dah dah dah dah
My Spanish is evil
dah dah dah dah dah
and my candy's still gone!
Ooh wooh WOOOH
I got those
don't wanna study blues!

My face is all broken out!
Dah dah dah dah dah
and I have no fingernails left
dah dah dah dah dah
casue I'm so stressed out
dah dah dah dah dah
from these stupid hexams.!
Ooh wooh WOOH
I got those
don't wanna study blues!

I have less than a week
dah dah dah dah dah
but I still can't think
dah dah dah dah dah
I just wanna work
dah dah dah dah dah
at that ol' Think Sink!
Ooh wooh WOOOH
I got those
don't wanna study blues!

"Blue Skies"

Blue Skies
Originally uploaded by Mistress Tootie Belle.

I wanted to share this song by Point of Grace. Sometimes it helps me to remember....

On days of gray
When doubt clouds my view
It's so hard to see past my fears
My strength seems to fade
And it's all I can do
To hold on, 'til the light reappears
Still, I believe though some rain's bound to fall
That You're here next to me
And You're over it all

Lord, the sky's still blue
For my hope is in You
You're my joy
You're the dream that's still alive
Like the wind at my back
And the sun on my face
You are life
You're grace
You are blue skies
You're my blue skies

When nights are long
Seems the dark has no end
Still we walk on in light of the truth
For waiting beyond
Where the morning begins
Is the dawn, and Your mercy anew
Oh, to believe we're alive in Your love
There is so much to see
If we keep looking up

Lord, the sky's still blue
For my hope is in You
You're my joy
You're the dream that's still alive
Like the wind at my back
And the sun on my face
You are life
You're grace
You are blue skies
You're my blue skies

You fill the heavens with hope and a higher love
A picture, a promise for life

Lord, the sky's still blue
For my hope is in You
You're my joy
You're the dream that's still alive
Like the wind at my back
And the sun on my face
You are life
You're grace

Lord, the sky's still blue
For my hope is in You
You're my joy
You're the dream that's still alive
Like the wind at my back
And the sun on my face
You are life
You're grace
You are blue skies
You're my blue skies
You are blue skies...

He Is Sooo Beautiful

I love you Austin!
Originally uploaded by Mistress Tootie Belle.

I never want to make a drive like that again. I am in the world's biggest "Duh..." mode right now. But oh, it was worth it. It was so worth it. Because he is so beautiful and I cannot believe how much I love him.

I never knew it was possible to fall in love with someone you just met. And I have never seen my sister look like that. At one point when I was there yesterday, she was just looking at him and I could tell she just loved him so much. Austin, born at 10:49 A.M., April 24, 2005. I am 20 years and 10 days older than him. And even though Zach doesn't like me calling him this, he is my Jammy (for his initials). As soon as I heard it was a boy, that's what I knew he was to me. Although they are going to call him Austin, he's already been christened "Little Burrito Man," because he loves to be swaddled (and Melissa stinks at it. But she'll get it).

I think I took over 60 pictures of him yesterday. I miss him already. He is so calm and he falls asleep when he eats, which is often! I don't know how long this goofy mood will last, but I love it. And I love my Jammy. So much I can't say.

It's Funny

...how life can flip you in an instant. Yesterday, I was missing my Kevin, and I was feeling lousy physically (but I'll be all right; thanks for all your concern!) And yet today, I am as excited as I have ever been. Because...

I have a new baby nephew. And I am deliriously happy. I have not stopped laughing to myself since I found out (Of course this also meant I was halfway down the interstate to home before I realized I was going the wrong way....) He is 8 pounds, 8 ounces, and 20 and a half inches long, and I cannot wait until I go down to Georgia tomorrow to see him. God has just blessed my family and I with this new life, with his chubby cheeks and long skinny feet. I'll put up pictures when I get back Tuesday. But for now I say to you, my Austin, that your Auntie Nettie loves you sooo much already!

Commiseration

First, some housekeeping. This site is now officially called "Mistress Tootie Belle," so change your links accordingly if you so desire. I got a digital camera for my birthday, so I've put a bunch of pictures up at No, Seriously....if there's something you are dying to see, let me know. I also found some older pics so I put up an obligatory disgustingly cute baby pic (actually I think I'm about four) and a nice one of Kevin.

I suppose I could say the past 24 hours have been...interesting. I wanted to go back to the park yesterday, but there was some stupid thunderstorm. So I ended up sitting in my room like I always do, playing on the Internet.But anyway, I had to be at work early this morning, so I tried to go to bed early (for me). I should have known better. Have I mentioned that I hate spring? I ended up sitting awake for at least two hours- I can't sleep when I can't breathe. I hate that! I think it must have been after three, but I don't even know.

I woke up and took my meds and hoped the day would be good. When I was almost to the interstate I went, "Hey. Where's my contact?" Somehow- I don't know how- I ended up with just one. I had to drive to work like that; thankfully I didn't get pulled over. But hey, such is my life and I had a spare one at home. Today at BBW a representative from one of our third-party brands was coming to train us. I swear, as soon as I walked in the back door Jen was all like, "Are you ok?" and I said, "I was up. Until 3. Last night. Trying to breathe." (OK, so this stuff makes me a just wee bit cranky....) And immediately everyone was like, "Oh, are you OK???" "Yeah, just my STUPID asthma." And Jen was like, "Do you have a breathing machine? Did you use it?" "Yeah, I did it last night. " Kathleen- "You sure you're ok?" "Yeah, I put myself on steroids [note: corticosteroids, not the anabolic kind people abuse] and I should be OK. I just hate doing that casue I eat EVERYTHING in sight. One time I was on them I ate an entire box of Rice Krispie Treats in three days." Adele: "Oh no, honey, that's normal!"

Anyway, we went up front to listen to the presentation. I sat next to Kiernan, and she's like, "Are you okay? Did you eat breakfast?" "Yeah I had, uhhh, cherry cheesecake." She just looks at me. "It's good! It's got cheese in it! And fruit!" "Right, cheese...." Lauren sat on the other side of me and patted my back every time I started coughing. And Kathleen, who had to keep getting up to get stuff for the rep and I don't think she felt that great either, and I were just shooting looks back and forth, like, "Are you okay?" and "Yeah, this just sucks." I say all this not to elicit sympathy, merely to make the point, once again, that I have the greatest job in the world.

The Next Big Thing

All right, so here's another meme (whatever that is) along the lines of the interview game. I had to pick 5 or more of the following occupations. I then have to pass it on to 3 people, as Jeff tagged me. So here we are.

If I could be a scientist...If I could be a farmer...If I could be a musician...If I could be a doctor...If I could be a painter...If I could be a gardener...If I could be a missionary...If I could be a chef...If I could be an architect...If I could be a linguist...If I could be a psychologist...If I could be a librarian...If I could be an athlete...If I could be a lawyer...If I could be an inn-keeper...If I could be a professor...If I could be a writer...If I could be a llama-rider...If I could be a bonnie pirate...If I could be an astronaut...If I could be a world famous blogger...If I could be a justice on any one court in the world...If I could be married to any current famous political figure...

And my answers: 1. If I could be a musician...Hey, all those piano/flute/guitar/voice lessons might finally pay off!
2. If I could be a doctor...my life's dream would be fulfilled.
3. If I could be a psychologist...That's a pretty good dream, too.
4. If I could be a professor...I'd be evil to all my poor little students and get put on probation for failing too many people. OK, so I wouldn't, cause it sucks to be one of those students.
5. If I could be a world famous blogger...I wouldn't want to be, cause then I couldn't give all my readers "personal attention". I like doing that.

And I tag- Becca, Marc, and Paula. Now you post the answers on your blog and pass it on. After you answer, you can add a few of your own. But if that's not cool with one of y'all, let me know and I'll pick someone else. Share the love!

Nettie Went Playing in the Park

The Water in the Sun
Originally uploaded by Mistress Tootie Belle.

I am filthy. I was dangling my feet in the water and when I walked back to my car my shoes were all squishy. I thought about leaving them on and seeing how long it would take my feet to get moldy, but I got cold feet. I was climbing all over the rocks and walking through the water and taking pictures. I am covered in microscopic bits of sunscreen and dirt and scuzzy water. It was awesome. Perhaps I should explain why.

I was talking with my friend Meka last night and she said that maybe I needed to find a safe place, a place where I could go and just be. I think this park is mine. When I was little and we'd go on field trips to see all the exciting sights South Carolina has to offer, they would always bring us there to eat lunch and run around and be stupid. I can't remember the last time I went there, just because. It was so peaceful there (well, except for the couples and their PDAs). I wandered around and took pictures for a while with my new toy, and then I went climbing on the rocks in the artificial stream. You aren't supposed to do that but we always did anyway. Then I just sat by the water and listened to Point of Grace, and I think communed with God. Maybe I should slow down and get back to nature more often. It was a good sort of thing.

All Hail

A Pope Resting in St.Peter's Basilica
Originally uploaded by Mistress Tootie Belle.

Announcing Pope Benedict XVI, formerly known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. The elections didn't elevate someone from the developing world, from Africa or Latin America (where a sizable portion of the world's Catholics are). However, they did break with tradition again and elected a non-Italian. Ratzinger is the first German pope since the 11th century.

As for doctrine, no surprises there either. Ratzinger was a hard-liner under John Paul II and undoubtedly will remain so as Pope. This means no drastic changes on issues many in the Church are concerned about- ordination of women, lightening the rules for priesthood, and so on. Ratzinger has just turned 78- John Paul II was 58 when elected- so it remains to be seen how much of a lasting impact he will have...

Thirty Women, One Weekend, and a Massive Purple Floorset

A floorset is when we put new stuff on the tables and rearrange them and some of the walls. We'll have them once or twice a month, whenever the big boss says.

In an effort to speed up the proceedings, Kathleen had us start on Saturday night. Crystal, Stephanie, and I were to remove the body splashes from a particular table. As Crystal attempts to take off the splashes, the Plexiglas tilts, dumping them at our feet. Crystal: "Did I do that?" as we dissolve into laughter. "I sounded just like Urkel, didn't I?" I go, "Yep, you did." Five minutes later, Stephanie does the same thing, only much more spectacularly. Juniper Breeze flies behind the registers and ten feet in the other direction. Naturally, I can't stop laughing. Kathleen: "Y'all are killing me here!" Me: "What y'all? I didn't do it!" "You guys need to stop scaring the customers!"

Abercrombie and Fitch is two stores down from us, but if it's quiet, you can still hear their music booming in the back. It drives me nuts. I'm muttering, "Stupid Abercrombie and Fitch, I'm going to just go in there and kill all of them." "What are you yelling about back there?" "You don't even want to know, Kathleen." "I heard something about killing!"

Fast forward a day. We are trickling in just before close, all hyper in our street clothes for the floorset. Kathleen is trying to maintain order. "Y'all need to be quiet, there are still customers
in here!" But we (okay, I) continue. "Stop scaring the customers!"

Alisha and I are talking about nothing, as usual, when she mentions that she has to move in to her new house soon. I say that I have to find someplace, and she asks, "You need somewhere to live?" "Yeah." "Well, I need someone to sublease my apartment for the summer." And just like that, my MAJOR problem, and Alisha's, gets solved in one fell swoop. Thank you Lord, you do indeed work in mysterious ways!

I am in the front, absently singing to the same...after-hours CD...that we've had...since Christmas...but hey, the music is in me. Harmony interrupts. "Nettie...shut it!" "I can't." "Do it anyway! "Haven't we had this conversation before?"

"Do I need to do anything else, Kathleen?" "Nope, I think that's it." "Sweet!" "Yeah, that is sweet!" Indeed. Man, do I love this job!

Your Inner European is Italian!

Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is.

Who's" Your Inner European?

Let's Hope This Never Happens

I am really dense sometimes. I was sitting here watching The Nanny and wondering, "Gee, Lifetime usually shows the episodes in order, why are they showing the episode where Fran gets audited today?" It wasn't until halfway through the Golden Girls episode where Dorothy gets audited that I realized, "Hey, maybe Lifetime's going with a tax day theme." Duh. At least I wasn't surprised when Blanche got audited. I hope that never happens to me.....

"Miss B., what are these deductions for gifts sent to someone named Bubba?"
"I can explain that..."
"And I've never heard of this disability- blogging addiction, what's a blog anyway?"
"Oh, they are really cool, you want to see mine?"
"No. Let's just get on with the audit."
"Yes sir, I am happy for you to audit me." (ask me where that quote REALLY came from sometime).
"Now, I see you work at Bath and Body Works?"
"Yes sir."
"Uh-huh. Yet you apparently have allergies, how can you stand to work there? And isn't it true you ended up in the E.R.? While you were at work?"
"Well, yes, Mr. Auditer, sir..."
"SILENCE! Did I say you could speak?"
"Well, no sir, but as you will notice in line 10.C., I also suffer from an inability to shut up."
"Well, that I believe."
"Thank you sir."
"SILENCE!"
"Now, what's this deduction about?"
"Miss B., I asked you a question."
"ANSWER the question!"
"But you told me to shut up."
"Well, now I'm telling you to talk!"
"Yes sir. You see this deduction is for..."
"Shut it!"
"Yes sir."
"You know what? You annoy me. You're going down."
"But, why?"
"Because I can."
"Nooooo! Somebody rescue me. Somebody. Anybody?"
Collective laughter.
"Don't leave me here like this! Guys? Help me! Guys?"
Silence.

April 14th is the Best!

She doesn't like Peach Fanta
But that's OK, raspberry will do.
She likes a guy named Bubba
and hey, I like him too.
She has a wonderful guy
and four wonderful kids,
and when she wants to blog,
of them she gets rids.
And they don't like to wear
days-of-the-week underwear.
She keeps trying to quit,
but keeps getting drawn back in.
Hopefully now she knows
this is where she'll fit.
She introduced me to all
the kooky people I've found
and now I know when I'm down
she'll always be around.
She's twice my age,
makes MORE than twice my wage,
but when I get old and gray,
I'll always remember the last
of my teenage months
spent in her repast.

OK, the rhyme scheme was totally screwed up on that, but it was from the heart! Happy mutual birthday my dearest Darlene!

Go Nettie, Go Nettie, It's your birthday, It's your birthday! Ya!

Satisfying J. and S.

When Stacey interviewed Jeff, she asked him what five things he would want to know about me but be afraid to ask. Since Stacey figured out what the C stood for, I thought I would oblige and answer the questions. As for Jeff, well, maybe it will make him happy. Here I go again.

A. What is under Harvey's drivers seat? Ummm...runs out to Harvey and looks...A pink purse. Wal-Mart bags. Receipt from the allergist's. Christmas pictures with my sisters. A little Happy Meal mascot dude that I think is Gaston. Napkins. Loose change. Girl Scout cookies. A half-full Dr. Pepper bottle. A picture of Mariska Hargitay from last month when I got my hair cut. At least 15 pay-at-the-pump slips. Receipts from Taco Bell. And copies of my work schedules from the last month or so. I tend to just shove all the paper under there.

B. Do you have any socks that have the individual toes in them? You know, like a glove? You mean toe socks? I have a Rudolph pair that a friend gave me. They are red and green and have little Rudolph heads on the big toes.

C. If you ever visit Louisville, and we meet for dinner out somewhere, would you be willing to stand up in the restaurant and sing a duet with me? That depends. Will Ken Montero or Condi be there? If not, maybe we could do Lord Have Mercy together. I love that song.

D. Have you ever picked a bug out of your cereal and continued eating, finishing the entire bowl? Nope. I stopped after the first couple of bites.

E. Why did you lie to the police? A restraining order, I mean, come on...I told you I was just wanting a close up picture of Earl and Hootie. Is that so bad? I can't afford to go back to the Big House...Bubba's still there... Huh? What? I'm sorry, I didn't sleep last night. Some bird was singing all night and there was some ruckus with the campus police. I'll have to get back to you on that.

I hope you two enjoyed that. And now, a question. In honor of my birthday (yeah, I'm shamelessly self-promoting), I have decided a little change is in order. I started calling this site Random Thoughts on Life. I'm bored with that. The subtitle of Nell's Harvey is fine, but I want something different for the main. So far I have come up with "Mistress Tootie Belle Rules the World," "I Still Act Like a Teenager," and "Harvey's Alive. So Be Nice to Him." I'm sure y'all's brains have better ideas, not being fried by 3 HOURS of organic chemistry. I'll keep it open for a few days, so let me know what y'all think, k?

The C of the CLC's

Hey. Hey you. Do you miss that feeling you had in high school, that feeling of belonging to a group, where you could lord it over all the un-cool kids? Or maybe you weren't part of a group, you just wandered through your four years, searching. Perhaps you were like me, the class clown who was friends with everyone and no one. Well, even if you were none of those things, do I have the clan for you. I present, by invitation only....the Clique of the Chocolate Lucky Charms.

Yes, friends, The Clique of the Chocolate Lucky Charms. And it's so easy to join! All you have to do, is commit yourself to the happy-go-lucky charms, of the Chocolate Lucky Charms. Start with breakfast. Let yourself be drawn into the chocolate and milk, chocolate and marshmallows, chocolate.....Jeff is in. Paula has joined the fun. Even Darlene is wavering. So, what's stopping the rest of y'all? C'mon, you know you wanna be cool. Just one bowl. You can stop anytime you want to. Be one with the chocolate. Let the marshmallows draw you into their artificial goodness. It's so good, why aren't you Chocolate Lucky Charming? Be one of us. Be one of us. Be one of us....

Eau de Sunscreen

I spent most of the winter scented of various BBW products: honey, wild indigo, winter candy apple, et cetera. Well, no more folks. I can slather on as much stuff as I want to at night, but during the day I am doomed to smell like... sunscreen.

You see, unlike some, I don't tan. At least not much. I have accepted that I am going to go through life looking like Casper. I have learned to live with this and don't even try. I take comfort in the fact that I, (unlike my sisters who go and bake in the tanning bed, which is why I look so freaking pale here) am not going to get skin cancer. This benefit is negated, however, by the fact that even walking around campus all day makes me look like this.

My daily routine now must consist of: 1. stumbling out of bed to turn off the alarm. 2. Hitting my head on the loft as I go back to bed. 3. Doing this 3 or 4 times. 4. Shoveling in some Chocolate Lucky Charms and getting dressed. Or not. 5. Putting on sunscreen. 6. Putting my contacts in (must remember to do this after the sunscreen). 7. Shuffling off to another day of searing Southern sun. Alas, I am doomed to 8 months of negating all BBW has to offer with a big glob of sunscreen.

Fun Things to Do at 2 A.M.

*Practice my stalking skills.
*Not sleep.
*Brag about my youthful energy that enables me to go without sleep.
*Delight in the fact that I don't have class until 11:15, so who cares when I sleep?
*Watch The Conquerors.
*Put off my calc homework in favor of 5 minutes before class.
*Ponder questions like, "If someone walked continuously in wet boots, how long would it take for their feet to get moldy?"
*And, "Do I look like my sisters?"
*Try to take over the world.
*Eat some Cream of Wheat.
*Fall face forward into said Cream of Wheat.
* Reassure Jeff.
*Forget that.
G'night.

I Love Peach Fanta, Too

Thanks to Becca for brightening up my dull Saturday with her interview!

1. Did you have any other cars that you've named other than Harvey? My first car, which first belonged to my older sister Janna, was called the Taurinator. It was a green Taurus (duh). Not terribly creative, but the name was attached to the car before I got it and it stuck. The Taurinator leaked on the passenger side when it rained and had a nasty habit of overheating and got into several accidents which will not be detailed here, but it was my first car. I was quite traumatized when it overheated for good two years ago. But that was when I got my Harvey!

2. Do you own any stripedy knee socks that I wish I had? They aren't knee socks, but I do have pink-yellow-blue-green-purple-striped socks. How's that?

3. Pixar or DreamWorks? Ooh, that's tough. DreamWorks boasts of Shrek, Shrek 2, The Terminal, The Ring, Artificial Intelligence: A.I., Chicken Run, Forces of Nature, and The Prince of Egypt, among others of course. Pixar has A Bug's Life, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo. All of which are movies I love (the ones I don't I didn't bother linking), but if we judge by which company is more prolific, DreamWorks is the clear winner. If we judge by quality, though, I think they're pretty equal. I think DreamWorks generally has the better music, i.e. the Shreks and Prince of Egypt. Pixar's animation is better, though- Finding Nemo was just so lush and gorgeous.

4. Kellogg's or Post? I'm going to have to abandon both of these in favor of General Mills. After all, they are the corporation that makes my beloved Chocolate Lucky Charms. What other choice is there?

5. Got any siblings? Yep, I have two older sisters. Janna is 22 and a fifth-year at the same college as me. And Melissa is 29; she lives in Georgia and is going to have my first niece or nephew in a few weeks. I also have a brother-in-law, Zach.

It's Sad

I looked in my cart at Wal-Mart today and realized it had nothing healthy in it whatsoever. What's sadder is I decided to count my Scooby-Doo popsicles "made with real milk" and went on to the line. I ate two already and they were good. I didn't get to eat either of my two boxes of candy that the checkout lady forgot to include until after I'd already swiped my card. I may be a sweet freak, but I was not about to use my bank card to buy 2 bucks worth of candy cause "it already went through and if you want them you'll have to buy them separately." Urgh. And she told me to "have a nice day". I'm sorry, but it's not a nice day when you don't let me have my candy.

I think Earl (the winning name for my mocking-whatever) might be really stupid. We had this horrendous thunderstorm earlier this evening. But I could still hear him out there, still singing his little heart out, trying to drown out the thunder, I suppose. Perhaps I should make this clear: I am not a country girl, I much prefer my TV and computer to the "sounds of nature," and it's probably a good thing Earl and I will be parting company in a few weeks. OK, be honest: That whole thing sounded just slightly ridiculous, didn't it? That's what happens when I don't get my candy!

Nettie's Home for Confused Birds

As if one annoying bird that sings at the wrong time of the day wasn't enough, now I have another. As I understand it, most birds chirp during the day and owls hoot at night. That's how it works, right? Well, not my birds. One's singing happily away at 4 A.M. He's been around a while, I think he's an insomniac. That's OK, we all have our nights, maybe I could get used to him.

But no, one bird isn't enough. As I sit here blogging, I can hear an owl hooting. Maybe he's hunting, or...Wait, owls are NOCTURNAL. I don't understand why all the birds are picking on me. This is, of course, why I will never move to the country. The cheerful songs of the birds in the morning would drive me even more insane. That being said....

I'm pretty sure the new bird is an owl, and Amigo thinks the other one is a mockingbird. So my question to you is, what should I call them? I suppose this is somewhat like Jeff's contests- whoever's names I like will get...something. Keep it clean, one name for the owl, one for the mocking-whatever. Have at it, peeps.

And It Keeps On Rollin' On

It's funny how several interviews have included a question or two about Harvey. You're famous, boy. This one is courtesy of Blair.

1. What made you decide to blog? A: I was hoping someone would ask this. The long answer: I was lying in bed on a summer night and thought, "Wouldn't it be cool to have my own website? But wait, I don't have a clue how to design one, and I don't have any money either. Wait, aren't there things called blogs? Maybe one of those wouldn't be too hard to set up. I'll have to look into it tomorrow." The short answer? I was bored.

2. . Where do you want to study medicine and what happened that made you chose pediatrics? A: Before high school, I was just a typical kid who wanted to be a lot of different things. Then I started thinking, what about medicine? And the more I thought about it, the more it felt like that was what I was meant to do. I believe the human body is a wondrous creation of God, and everything about it fascinates me. And all the medical stuff I've been through has just strengthened my resolve to help others get through it, too. Also, I love kids. I always wanted a younger sibling but that never happened. I think it would be a lot of fun to work with them. The two most common reactions I get when I say I want to do pediatrics are, "I wouldn't want to see sick kids"- but I want to make them better- and "I couldn't stand to deal with all those screaming kids"- I was a screaming kid. Believe me, I can hold my own there. As to where- probably one of the two state schools here. I'd love to go to Duke though.

3. Do you keep Harvey's insides clean or is it worthy for an archeological dig? why, in either case? A: I'm afraid Harvey would be the latter. This is partly because I am a natural slob and tend to have receipts, change, Chapstick, parking tickets, half-finished Dr. Peppers, and the like, floating around me wherever I go. But also, I keep a lot of stuff in his trunk in case I need it- clothes, food, water, Coke, sunscreen, towels, books, umbrellas, shoes to beat the ice off the windshield with, jumper cables, and Wal-Mart bags. So if we ever got stranded somewhere I could live for a good week. At least that's my rationale.

4. What color M&M do you prefer and why? Green. I once read somewhere that you can wish on them, like stars. Hey, it can't hurt.

5. If you could repeat any age that you have been so far, which would it be? Probably age four. It sounds like a cliche, but everything was simpler back then. War meant watching the soldiers on TV and singing Lee Greenwood at the top of my lungs. And a hurricane meant I could stay home from kindergarden and play with flashlights. It was before everything got so complicated. Wow, I'm getting sappy.

Crash into Me

My interview with Johnny Crash:

1. Has Harvey ever flirted with another car? If so, who and what were the conditions? A: Not that I know of, but of course I don't know what he's doing in the mall parking lot when I leave him there for hours at a stretch. After all, I don't want him to be lonely.

2. You can bring one person back to life for a day to go shopping with them. Who is it and where will you go? A: I'd have to say my great-grandmother. I know now she was on a fixed income, but she always delighted in sending us the regular check. She was very small, about 5 feet even, but she had impeccable taste. I'd want to go shopping for clothes with her, and she could help me pick out something better than PJ's, and delight in how much I've changed in almost ten years. And we'd have to stop by Bath and Body Works so I could show my friends how cool she is/was.

3. You can transport Harvey and yourself to any location on the planet for a vacation. You have one week to enjoy the scenery and you have 1,000 dollars spending money. Where do you go?
A: Ooh, tough question. Since this is fantasy, I'd have to say Israel. It's not terribly safe right now- maybe not ever- but it would be so cool to see the Holy Land. I want to see the history of the place, where Judaism and Christianity meet, where a people fought so hard to get their own land, and where, of course, the greatest miracles of all time happened.I hope someday I can really go there.

4. What is the most amusing bumper sticker you have ever seen and why? A: Actually, I saw one yesterday that really touched me. It was for a Down's Syndrome Coalitition and it said, "My grandkid has more chromosomes than yours." But the most amusing ones I've seen recently are the ones for John Kerry. Those are really funny.

5.Upon organizing your closet you can't help but notice a real E.T. in there hiding out. Your first words? What would your next move be? A: Well, I'd probably scream first (there's a reason why my friends don't let me watch horror movies) But then I'd go, "Well, you obviously like my closet, why don't you finish cleaning it out? And if you keep my room clean I won't report you to the feds, how's that for a deal?"

Of Hair and TV

I was going to be serious for once and do some social commentary. But I changed my mind. Maybe later. But for now, more random thoughts.

When I decide I like a TV show, I get into it full force. I discovered Law & Order: SVU over spring break and now I'm hooked. On USA, they just started rerunning the first season. I love how they use the same pictures all the way through the series for the male characters. But naturally they have to change Mariska Hargitay's throughout cause her hair changes. At the beginning she had it pretty long, enough for a ponytail, and then somewhere she transferred to a pixie cut. The look I like best is the one she's had for the sixth season, the same length as mine (that's what I was going for). In the opener she has the ends flipped up; I'm still trying to get mine to look like that. In the new episode last week, it had gotten a bit longer, though. And now that I have completely bored most of you talking about Mariska Hargitay's hair...

They also have the occasional good guest star. Tonight it was Patricia Campbell, lately of Strong Medicine; perhaps better known for Home Improvement. I generally prefer the real-life forensics or medical shows on Court TV or TLC to the fictionalized verisons on network TV. I can't stand to watch ER becasue I end up yelling at the TV all the stuff they mess up. But SVU usually gets it right, plus it has a story line to go with the crime stuff that I love. Good times, good times (and I better not have messed up the html here cause I spent way too much time on it...)

It Was So Windy...

...the rednecks didn't have to tip the cows. They just watched them fall over.
...my hair looked really punk cause I couldn't blow-dry it.
...but then I could have just stood outside for a while instead.
...even the cops didn't want to stand outside, so there was no one to prevent wrecks at the temporarily stoplight-less intersections.
...listen to "God's Will," by Martina McBride. It's really good.
...laundry in limbo- the electricity went out right in the middle of a load.
...even worse, before that the cable had gone out.
...I had to learn about the French and try to talk like them. OK, so that's not the wind's fault.
...I thought I was going to get sucked off to Oz.
...I was forced to listen to commercials as the Christian radio station was also out.
...the trees whipping around were so loud I couldn't hear the voices.
...but then I also couldn't hear my 2-liter bottle of Coke fizzing as it spilled on the carpet.
...poor Harvey was getting buffeted around. He didn't like that.
...I didn't like it much either.

From One Southern Belle to Another

And now here are the answers to Paula's questions.

1. What is the worst memory of our country? Hmm. I have an obvious candidate for this, but it also shows the good side of America. September 11th was undoubtedly the worst tragedy I can remember, but I also think it showed a side to America rarely seen- their ability to come together for something greater than themselves, the outpouring of support, the courage of those both young and old. Still, the image of those planes hitting the towers seen over and over, the crying, the praying, the worrying...I'll have to go with that. That day, I believe, was my generation's defining moment. May we never forget.

2. Which do you prefer, sunrises or sunsets? Why? Sunsets. For the simple reason that I am never up early enough to see a sunrise.

3. Who has had the most influence in your life? Can I say a group of people? The high school I went to was absolutely wonderful. It was small, evangelical, and very conservative. Going from public school to a Christian school was something of a shock, but I grew to love it. There were so many people of God there, and not just teachers, but students. I learned how to evangelize, and the science of creationism, and that there are some truly amazing people in this world. And for that, I will always thank Ben Lippen (it means "Mountain of Trust").

4. Have you ever met a famous person? Definitely. Joe Wilson and Gresham Barrett, S.C. Representatives to the U.S. Congress. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint, my U.S. senators. Also Alex Sanders and Inez Tenenbaum (a.k.a. Taxenbaum), who ran against Graham and DeMint respectively. The South Carolina governor, Mark Sanford, also his wife Jenny Sanford. S.C. Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer. I met Al Gore when I was 7 years old, at Nancy Thurmond's funeral. And, just to break up the political trend, Amy Grant came to town and signed autographs last year, but I had a lab I couldn't miss. I was really mad.

5. What's something you do well? I like to think I can write well; some people even agree with this. I was going through my files the other day, and realized I had written over 130 poems in just a few months. Not that most of them are that good. I'm also really good at organizing the BBW stockroom :)

Thanks for your thoughtful questions, Paula; let's keep the circle going!

Don't Forget!

Daylight Savings Time starts tomorrow night. At 2 A.M. to be precise. Make sure to set your clocks forward an hour- "spring forward, fall back." Of course if you are in Indiana, Arizona, or in certain other parts of the world, this doesn't apply.

Daylight Savings Time is another thing I've spent way too much time researching on the Internet. It was started to give farmers more daylight, but now it's just nice for those of us who have to work late. Most stuff like your computers, cell phones, maybe your TV if you have a smart one will reset automatically. But the rest of the stuff you have to remember. I never do. They pushed back our work meeting an hour to accommodate this, but I'll still get it screwed up. And I can never remember how to reset Harvey's clock. But after a week of going around wondering what time it is I'm sure I will adjust...

More Q & A

Darlene, she of the wicked sense of humor, asked me:

1. Besides a wallet, what is in your purse right now? Well, some ordinary stuff, some not so much. A CD player.Two AA batteries that I don't know if they're dead or not. Several mix CDs that I have been told "make no sense". A Marble Slab card. Two ancient York Peppermint Patties that I probably shouldn't eat. Cell phone. House and car keys. Reese's flavored lip gloss. Two half-finished poems. A prescription I haven't filled yet. SpongeBob pen. Life-saving medication. Sunglasses. Spearmint gum. And pink eyeshadow.

2. Has a childhood sweetheart ever broken your heart? I don't know if I'd call him a childhood sweetheart, but yeah. His name was Josh and we were both thirteen. He broke up with me because he couldn't deal with me being just friends with another guy. And then he wanted me back. Fat chance on that, Josh.

3. When you talk to yourself, what do you mostly say? A typical conversation goes something like this: "Oh nice,why don't you walk into the wall Nettie? I know I saw a Sheer Freesia Wallflower in the understock, now where is it? Harvey, where are you Harvey? Dude, it's seriously HOT in here! I really shouldn't wear my platforms to work cause I keep tripping on my own big feet. You know, Nettie, if you start singing along to the Dixie Chicks you have going on your headphones people are going to look at you funny. Ooh, I need to remember to get turkey at Wal-Mart. I forgot to go to my adviser's today. Why don't I just trip over everything?" Along those lines, anyway- aren't you glad you asked?

4. The man of your dreams shows up at your door with a UPS package meant for a neighboring senior, you have only one line to reel him in, what would it be? I work at Bath and Body Works, and my house is much more fragrant than that old lady's- wanna smell?

5. If you could write a proverb for teenagers with acne, what would it be? When you no more teenager, you no more have acne. Which effectively means that in two weeks mine will be gone. Scratch that. Modern medicine good for you!

That was quite entertaining, and, I hope, informative. If anyone else wants to be interviewed, let me know so you can join the fun!