Jennifer's Blogosphere

Alex is 9 months old now...

2010-06-01T07:49:00.003-04:00

Wow...time really does go by fast. Alex is 9 months old now. He has three teeth and is cutting a couple more I think. We expect him to start walking any day now. His father walked at 7 months, I walked at 8 months, so how interesting that Alex should start to walk at 9 months? 7-8-9...interesting.

Alex has these beautiful crystal blue eyes and totally has me wrapped around his little baby finger.

My body has gone to hell in a handbasket though. 9 months now and my belly still sort of looks like I'm pregnant. I don't know if it will every go back to the way it used to be. I never had a FLAT stomach, but at least it wasn't huge. Every woman I see now with a big belly...I will look at her and grin. We both did something wonderful to get this way. ;)

Alex is 5 months old now

2010-01-11T11:10:00.002-05:00

Wow. 5 months old. People weren't joking when they told me that time flies by when they are babies. My son is 5 months old!!!!! We have started him on solids. A little rice cereal in the morning. A little oatmeal at night.

I think we have dealt with about 10 cold strains so far plus a bout of RSV. We are also dealing with Excema. You know, it's funny. Some people have children that cry and cry and can only be calmed by running the vacuum cleaner. Some people have children who won't eat and won't sleep. I have one with broken out skin and a snotty nose that runs like a fountain, but one thing is for sure. I am learning more and more about my son every day and I am fascinated by every move he makes.

When he is stuffed up or coughing all I want to do is cry because I can't make him feel better. When he had a fever of 102 with RSV I was crying right along with him.

Someone once said to me, having a child is like letting your heart run around outside your body. Yes...it's exactly like that. And I have only just begun.

P.S. I have a friend who is expecting a baby any day now. She asked ME to help her buy things at Babies R Us. ME!!! I have experience now! Just a few short months ago I was standing in an explosion of unknown baby stuff with the rest of the expectant mothers. And now...I know what ALL that stuff is! Ha Ha!!!

The Mommyhood...check it out

2009-11-16T09:26:00.003-05:00

My sister has two young children and as far as I am concerned. She hung the moon. Want to check out a tride and true extremely cool blog?
Click on the link:

http://themommyhood.wordpress.com/

Well, I thought the picture was attached...

2009-11-16T09:25:00.001-05:00

Let's try that again.

My boy is 3 months old!

2009-11-16T09:22:00.003-05:00

Wow...time really DOES fly by! I had so much advice from all of you and many others that told me to cherish every moment. I totally have. Time really does go by so fast.

Alex is three months old now. He is holding his head steady and can sit up with the assistance of a Bumbo Seat. He is trying his hardest to pull himself up into a sitting position as well.

He has also started trying to talk. He makes the coolest, sweetest little cooing noises. My heard melts everytime I hear it.

A new picture is attached. Enjoy...

I had my first BABY DREAM last night!

2009-07-29T12:27:00.001-04:00

I was wondering when this would happen. I actually dreamed about what my son will look like and was actually holding him in my dream. Made it more worth it.

Know what I did though? I laid him butt naked on the dining room table then walked off down the hall to the nursery to unwrap a CD to put in the CD player. When I came back, he had almost rolled off the table. I'm going to be such a good mom...sheesh.

Thank goodness it was just a dream.

Type-o's

2009-07-10T12:37:00.002-04:00

There are so many type-o's in my last blog post sorry.

I meant stretch marks. And I meant scratchy. ;)

Itchy Scratcy, Itchy Scratchy

2009-07-10T12:32:00.002-04:00

Ugh...my preventative methods didn't work. I have these ugly purple scrach marks along my lower abdomen. At first, they were just ugly. Now, they are itching like crazy! It's like having several misquito bites all along my lower belly. I try so hard not to scratch, but geez, it's difficult! But the scratching shows me that my baby boy is growing, so you know what? Itch away! It's worth it!

The partner...

2009-06-22T14:50:00.002-04:00

Ok. Because I've heard this from many pregnant women and have also felt this myself. Partners in pregnancy, heed my words. There are a few things you can do to ensure that she will not fly into hysterics and begin crying.

1) Hug her every single day and tell her that you love her and she looks pretty. Although pregnant women are beautiful, they don't feel beautiful. They are getting bigger and bigger and they are getting stretch marks and they are tired. They feel ugly at times.

2) When she says there is something that needs updating or fixing in the house. Just do it. Whether you agree with her or not. Just do it. You will save yourself a lot of heartache.

3) If you don't care about feeling the baby move, lie to her and put your hand on her tummy when she asks you too. It's important to her to share the babies movements with you.

4) Make an effort to learn what is going on with her body and her emotions. And also what you should expect as the partner.

Ummm...this is all I can think of for now. But trust me. Women are complex creatures anyway. And pregnancy intensifies her feelings and her dependency on you. It may frustrate you sometimes, but try to remember what she is going through. You aren't going through it. So just try to be patient and supportive. Okay? Good Luck!

31 weeks today.

2009-06-22T14:47:00.002-04:00

Okay folks...now I'm beginning to realize that there is a real baby coming. A living, breathing, pooping baby. I mean, I've known this all along, but it's REALLY hitting me now. I will have my very own baby to love. Someone like me, someone like my husband. I can't wait to meet him and see what he will be like. The reality of everything happening is scary and exciting at the same time. I have 9 weeks to go and I really hope he stays in my tummy for the full-term. I have so much to do still before he gets here!

I got the crib!

2009-06-15T06:49:00.002-04:00

I had a few offers for used cribs and mattresses, but I have to tell you, I wanted to pick these things out myself and I wanted them to be brand new. I couldn't figure out why that meant so much to me, but my Mom and sister both confirmed that with your first baby, you want everything to be perfect. So I don't feel so bad about not accepting used items or "borrowing" anything. I dont' want to have to worry about giving it back.

So I purchased a crib from Target this weekend and I love it! Check out the picture! The bedding is from Cabela's.

People are so kind...

2009-05-19T14:02:00.002-04:00

I received two gifts today for my baby from two amazing women whom I've never met in person. One is a beautiful silver necklace that says "on the way" with two cute little baby feet on it. This is from M.C. Reddick, owner of Sloopy Jewels, stamped silver and beaded creations. The necklace also has a little light blue bead for my boy.

The other gift I got is a beautiful hand-knitted blue baby blanket from Faith Booher. It is gorgeous!

I am blown away by the generosity of these women and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

Newborns in Need

2009-05-11T13:29:00.003-04:00

There is a chapter of the wonderful organization of Newborns in Need right here in East Tennessee. Newborns in Need provides items for baby at no cost to parents in need of these items. It is a great charity and they need our help! Find out more: http://www.newbornsinneed.org/lenoirtenn/

Customize your baby?

2009-03-05T13:32:00.002-05:00

Seriously? I heard this story on the Today show and I'm totally shocked. The way I see it, you can't mess with nature. If you do...expect the worst. Your babies eyes may be blue because you asked for them that way, but one of their eyes may be in the middle of their forehead.

I guess I'm just so happy to even BE pregnant that all I'm wishing for is a healthy baby. I don't care what color eyes or hair it will have. I believe God will give me the baby that I am meant to have.

I say you are messing with Kharma if you mess with nature. What do YOU think?

Men PMS too...

2009-02-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

Contrary to what most people think, it’s not only women who get PMS! Ladies, you will be happy to know that guys go through monthly peaks and valleys too! These are triggered by changes in testosterone that affect mood, energy level and even how fast their beards grow! MSN Health reports that researchers have found that men have more energy, a greater sense of well-being, lower weight and less need for sleep during the peak of their monthly cycle. On the other end though, some guys can be listless, lazy and have a tendency to make small problems into large ones. Difference is, guys don’t get cramps like women do. Of course, far be it for men to experience any pain with theirs. So ladies, next time a man asks you if you are PMS’ing? You can say, right back atcha baby. And guys, heads up if no one has told you this? Don’t EVER ask a woman if she is PMS’ing. Chances are she isn’t at the time. If she isn’t, she might not clobber you. If she is? Stand back buster.

NaturePods

2009-02-09T11:32:00.001-05:00

This is so cool! Tom and Nancy Condon have developed NaturePods! These are field/tour guides that you can download to your Ipod or Mp3 player. Their first one is of Cades Cove! Go to www.naturepods.com to download it.

Plastic Surgery...for the dead.

2009-02-03T13:59:00.003-05:00

Wow...this is disturbing. I found this article on msn.com today. A new trend in plastic surgery is emerging from an unlikely service provider. No longer content to just LOOK lifelike, people making their own funeral arrangements are adding plastic surgery to the list. For decades morticians have used chemicals and cosmetics to give those who have passed a "peaceful" facial expression. These days, clients want to look better in death than they did in life. Seriously???? That makes no sense to me at all. Why on earth would you PAY good money to have your face improved AFTER you are dead? You are just going to be buried and decompose. No one will see you ever again after you are buried. Are you going for the "wow...she looks great" thing that people like to say when they are hovering over dead people? Some people just have too much money. Take that money you would spend to improve how you look in the casket and donate it to charity. People who are living that can benefit from your generosity. Whew...this one got me going.

Here are the popular postmortem procedures:
Lip plumper, Wrinkle Remover and Breast Augmentation. And as a side note for breast augmentionation. If you opt for this postmortem procedure and plan to be cremated, most facilites will insist the implants be removed before the fire. They will explode like little bombs during the cremation process. Ewww...

Delaying the transition from Analog to Digital...what???

2009-01-26T12:15:00.000-05:00

So you know how we’ve been bombarded since the beginning of last year with messages about the switch-over from analog to digital TV next month right? Well you may also be aware that Congress is debating whether to hold off the transition until June. They estimate that more than 6.5 million households aren’t ready. Okay, seriously? 6.5 MILLION households aren’t ready? How can they not be ready? If you did not know about this transition, you have been living in a hole somewhere. This has been a topic in the news and local television for MORE than 1 year. There has been plenty of notice. I don’t think Congress should have sympathy for these folks. I’m sorry if that sounds rude, but I just don’t understand how that many people are NOT ready for this. Even when the government offered these converter boxes for FREE! We shouldn’t’ have to be penalized for other people’s procrastination. Just saying. Plus, delaying the transition will cost broadcasters money as well because they have to air both digital and analog signals for another four months. The delay could also effect public safety agencies and wireless companies who are waiting for the airwaves to be freed up by the release of the analog signals.
I just don’t even understand how it’s up for discussion. I think they need to do what they said they were going to do and switch it February 17th. Tell you what. Those that have procrastinated will snap to it really quick when they can’t watch tv. What do you think?

Why are the commercials so LOUD on televison?

2009-01-23T10:50:00.002-05:00

Okay...at first I thought it was the transition between analog and digital for television stations, but after reading an article in Reader's Digest and upon my own observation, I have realized that television commercials are loud on purpose. You'll be watching your favorite television show and then it will fade out and cut to a commercial. All of a sudden, you are stunned to attention and blown back from the television because the commercial is SO LOUD!!!!! What is UP with that? In a flailing attempt to make us watch commercials, are clients choosing to make their commercials louder? I'm a DVR girl so I fast forward through some of the commercials, but occasionally I watch tv in real time and have found that this loud commerical thing is a recurring situation. Know what I do? I hit MUTE!!!!!!! How's that for effective marketing?

Can anyone tell me WHY this is happening? I know who to call to find out, but I'd rather hear from you. Also, is it just me or do you feel the same way?

It's Inauguration Day...

2009-01-20T10:38:00.002-05:00

I was reviewing the blog posts at WBIR dot com and was overcome with a wave of sadness. Some posts were so excited about today and our future. Some were bitter and angry about today and had nothing but horrible things to say. The first thing that came to my mind is this: How nice to live in a country where we can express ourselves so freely and choose to support the President or not. In other countries, they have no choice but to support their leader. I think some folks need to remember that we are lucky we live in a free country. How lucky we are to think and feel whatever we want.

I never once stated this on the air, because I feel it is not my place to cram my opinion down your throat. But this is my Blog and I can say whatever I want.

I VOTED FOR BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am excited to have some hope for our future and our children's future. He has a huge job on his hands living up to our expectations and I wish him the very best of luck. He will be under a lot of scrutiny from the opposing team.

Most of all, I haven't seen our country so united and so excited about anything in a very long time. It's nice. There is an excitement in the air and a strong hope for the future. If Barack Obama can give people a sense of pride to work hard and be good Americans, that is one huge step in the right direction.

One more thing. I really wish people would stop basing this election on race. That's just ignorant. You are assuming that black Americans only voted for Obama because he's black. Well that would be stupid. Are you calling black Americans stupid? Perhaps you should double-check on your own racial issues first before you judge others. Black Americans and white Americans made their choice together along with Asian Americans, Latin Americans, Jewish Americans and on and on and on. The best man won the election. Fair and square. United States citizens were given the opportunity to vote. We voted.

Here's to a productive 8 years.

Correction to Island Job website

2009-01-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

Hey, it's this website: http://www.islandreefjob.com/

I had Island F-R-E-E job. It's Island R-E-E-F job. Little dyslexia. Sorry.

Best Job in the World

2009-01-16T11:47:00.000-05:00

There is a job opening in Australia you might be interested in. The tourism department in Queensland is offering someone $100,000 to lay around on an island near Australia’s Great Barrier reef for six months. Seriously. They are calling it The Best Job in the World. All you have to do is promote the island on a blog. In exchange for salary, you would get free accommodations in an oceanfront villa and airfare from your home country. You will be required to stroll the island’s white sand beaches, snorkel, swim in the pool and post photos and videos of your experience on a weekly blog. Applications are accepted until February 22nd when 11 finalists will be flown to Hamilton Island in May for the final selection process. The job would begin July 1st. Interested? Visit www.islandfreejob.com.

Jefferson Bass

2009-01-15T13:22:00.002-05:00

Hey! I am so excited! The new Jefferson Bass novel Bones of Betrayal is out in stores on Tuesday, February 3rd! Join me at Borders Books & Music on Morrell Road near West Town for their first public booksigning. It's at 7pm on Wednesday, February 4th! To learn more about the book click here: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061284748/Bones_of_Betrayal/index.aspx

The Banana Experiment - Continued

2009-01-15T13:19:00.002-05:00

So, if you read my earlier post, it said if you seperate bananas when you get them home they will last longer. I did that. SO not true. I experimented with a bunch this week. I left them together lovingly as a bunch. They are rotting at the same rate as the unbunched bananas.

I suppose there is a difference in how ripe they are when you buy them, but really, I don't want to get into a huge full-fledged experiment here. I just wanted to know.

My hypothesis is that seperating the bananas when you get them home makes no difference.

The End.

Interesting in Swapping your old DVD's?

2009-01-14T12:21:00.002-05:00

Good Housekeeping approved two DVD swapping websites. www.swapadvd.com and www.switchplanet.com.

Blonde Joke...warning...this is bad.

2009-01-14T11:54:00.001-05:00

The other day my neighbor, who is blonde, came running up to me in the driveway jumping for joy! I didn't know why she was jumping so excitedly but I thought, 'what the heck', and I starting jumping up and down along with her. She said, 'I have some really great news!'
I said, 'Great. Tell me why you're so happy.' She stopped jumping and breathing heavily from all the jumping up and down, told me that she was pregnant. I knew she'd been trying for a while so I told her, 'That's great I couldn't be happier for you!' Then she said, 'There's more'
I asked, What do you mean there's more. She said, 'Well, we are not having just one baby. We are going to have TWINS!' Amazed at how she could know so soon after getting pregnant, I asked her how she knew. She said.... "Well, that was the easy part. I went to Sam's Club and they actually had a home pregnancy kit in a TWIN-pack. Both tests came out positive!

(oh come on...I know you are laughing)

B97.5 Christmas Cookie Champion 2008! Here's the recipe

2009-01-13T13:44:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Heather Shorey of Knoxville! She developed this recipe and won our 1st Christmas Cookie Contest! For those of you that have asked for the recipe, here you go!

White Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup crisco shortening
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pistachios

Directions:

Mix ingredients and place dough on cookie sheets
Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes or until turning brown on the bottom

Loved Gran Turino!

2009-01-13T12:13:00.002-05:00

I went to see the new Clint Eastwood flick "Gran Turino" last night. It was SOOOOOOOOO great! If you are Asian or Black you may be offended by some parts, but if everyone can keep an open mind and understand the character that Clint Eastwood plays and who he is, the mindset he has makes a bit more sense.

The movie was a good Clint Eastwood. That's how I will refer to it. There were some really good one-liners, many of them absolutely hilarious!

I give Gran Turino - two thumbs up!

No one needs to listen to Ann Coulter at 7:15 in the morning!

2009-01-07T11:03:00.002-05:00

Ugh...I LOVE the Today show. It's my favorite, but Matt Lauer interviewing Ann Coulter at 7:15 in the morning was an overload. I don't begrudge Ann the right to write a book or express her opinions, but I have the right not to listen to the shrill screeching voice of a desperate controversial author...EVER! I think the Today show displayed a lack in judgement having this interview placed at 7:15 in the morning. There is so much more important news going on in the world that rated far highter than her book and her attitude. I believe interviews such as this should be placed in the 9am timeslot. Long after I've had my coffee.

Need a job? The FBI is hiring!

2009-01-07T11:01:00.000-05:00

The job market is getting kinda crazy, but there is one organization that is hiring. The FBI! That's right...the Federal Bureau of Investigations is hiring language specialists, computer experts, intelligence analysts and finance experts. They are looking to fill more than 2,000 staff and 850 special agent positions. For more click on the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28523127/

The Banana Experiment

2009-01-06T10:17:00.002-05:00

So I read a little article in Good Housekeeping Magazine about the shelf life of different foods. One in particular that caught my eye was how to preserve your bananas. Chef Matt Bolus from Charleston, SC says that when you get the bananas home from the store, break them apart. He says Bananas rot in bunches, so if one browns first, it will cause the others to turn more quickly.

So I bought a bunch of bananas on Saturday and I broke them apart and you know what? They have lasted a bit longer so far. I will try this again with next weeks bunch of bananas and see how they do.

Also, regarding tomatoes? The chef says to store tomatoes on the counter, stem side down. Avoid the fridge, they will lose flavor and texture. Never leave them in plastic. They won't last long.

John Travolta's son

2009-01-06T10:11:00.003-05:00

Hey, does it seem wierd to anyone else that this man just lost his 16 year old son and the news media is dissecting it? The autopsy shows that Jett Travolta had a seizure and the seizure killed him. The news media is pulling it apart talking about John and Kelly's religious preferences and how they disease they say Jett had wasn't relevant to his death.

My thing is...is this REALLY necessary to stick needles into this family by exploiting their grief? Does it REALLY matter what religion they follow and whether Jett had other problems?

NO! Seriously. Does this country have nothing else going on to talk about?

I was terribly sad to hear about John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son. It's awful. But I don't need to know that John cried or that the boy was cremated and that there may be some controversy involved with his death.

I wish they would leave this poor famly alone.

What do you think?

Out with the old...in with the new!

2009-01-05T10:22:00.004-05:00

Deep breath in! Now...let it out. It's a brand new year. I love the fresh start of a new year. It's like any bad stuff or negative stuff we felt in 2008 is just gone with one big swoop of the calendar. I LOVE IT! We get a fresh start. Let's take full advantage of it. I totally plan too! Best of luck to you in 2009! May you achieve everything you dream of.

Pizza Dip Recipe

2008-12-30T14:16:00.002-05:00

This is an awesome recipe for Pizza Dip! If you are having a New Year's Eve party or a Superbowl Party, this will be a crowd pleaser and it's super-easy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Herb and Garlic Soup Mix
1 container (16 ounces) Sour Cream1 cup (8 ounces) Ricotta Cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces); divided
1/4 cup (1 ounce) chopped pepperoni (optional)
1 loaf Italian or French bread, sliced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a shallow 1 quart casserole, combine soup mix, sour cream, ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.

Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with bread.

Makes 3 cups.

My New Year's Resolution...is to post more...

2008-12-29T12:32:00.001-05:00

Ok. So you can see that I haven't updated this blog since September. My blog is still a "good idea" and hasn't really taken hold just yet. However...I have developed my New Year's Resolution for 2009. To update my blog...a lot. I promise. I really do.

Happy New Year!
Jennifer

My trip to Myrtle Beach

2008-09-16T13:31:00.002-04:00

Howdy! My annual "save my sanity" beach trip was a success! I am still sane...I think.

I went to North Myrtle Beach the week of September 1st for some sun, surf, R&R and seafood. All of which I achieved. Know what's funny though? In previous years I was all about getting a tan. Last year I went for the 40 proof sunscreen. This year? Coppertone sweat-proof, water-proof, sunproof, almighty blocking 70 proof sunscreen. At 36 years old, getting a tan is not my agenda. Keeping as few wrinkles as possible is my agenda. On top of the 70 proof? I had a beach umbrella providing shade.

I read the entire book "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyers. Wow...what a great book! I'm completely hooked on this series now. Like I don't have enough books to read.

I went to Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach. Sorta cool, but more for kids. Not much there for an adrenaline junkie like myself. I love roller coasters and scary rides. They have roller coasters there, but they aren't that scary or fast. I'm not saying don't go there. It IS a neat place. But if you are going just to ride rollercoasters? Skip it. $50 is a high price for not much.

There are two restaurants I recommend. For excellent, fresh seafood? Bimini's. It's by Kroger in North Myrtle Beach. For a good, high quality steak? Thoroughbreds. Get your steak coffee-style. You'll love it. ;)

Gas Prices? Why are we even dealing with this?

2008-09-16T13:25:00.002-04:00

Maybe I'm naive, but I was completely shocked when I woke up last Friday morning and saw what was happening with our gas prices. What started out in the $3.60 range, topped out at $4.99 per gallon by the time my show ended at 3pm. I spoke with many of you on the phone and e-mail about what we could do about it. We were all left scratching our heads. Why would our local gas station owners DO this to us? Hurricane Ike hadn't even hit Texas yet and we were already raising prices. Regardless of the hurricane, we've had hurricanes every year for hundreds of years and all of a sudden they affect gas prices? I am totally perplexed by this. I'm not sure WHAT to think. On one hand, I just can't believe that every single gas station owner across East Tennessee was laughing at us behind our backs as they raised the prices on the road signs. On the other hand, would they? Do you believe it was price gouging? If you do, there is a petition that you can sign. It's http://www.petitiononline.com/knoxgas/petition.html. Will it help? I doubt it.

Something has got to bust open here with the gas prices. It wasn't a problem before Hurricane Katrina. Why now? What REALLY happened? I'm hearing so many "experts" saying so many different things it gives me a headache.

The Olympics

2008-08-13T10:26:00.003-04:00

Whew! Sorry...I haven't posted in awhile. I have trouble sometimes keeping up with all of the technology around me sometimes. I do try though.

So my post today is about the Olympics. I care more about the Olympics this time around than I ever have in the past. It's so exciting and instills such a feeling of pride to watch our American Athletes compete for the biggest trophy of their lives. And Michael Phelps? WOW! I can't even believe that medals he's won and the records he's crushing. The excitement is even better than the Bristol race! I KNOW! Can you believe I said that??????? But really...the excitement of watching Michael Phelps swim and stomp the competition gives me the same rush as "Gentleman, start your engines" at Bristol.

GO U.S.A.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My trip to Biloxi, Mississippi

2008-05-27T09:43:00.002-04:00

So I traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi with my two best friends over the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. I had never been before. I wanted to go to the beach and my friends wanted to go to a casino so we compromised and chose Biloxi. It's got casinos and I got to see the ocean! Despite being almost totally destroyed by Hurricane Katrina almost 3 years ago, Biloxi looks surprisingly...fine. Dont' get me wrong, you can see remnants of the damage and it appears that only the Casinos could afford to rebuild. There isn't much to do in Biloxi along the coast except for relax at the beach or go to a casino. Trying to find a restaurant outside of a hotel/casino was extremely difficult. In fact, we had one of those GPS thingy's. We named her "Sassy Suzie". Anyway, Suzie, led us to nothing occasionally. Meaning that we would plug in an address and Suzie would do her thing. She would say "destination on right". We would look right and ....nothing....nada...zip...flattened. Even Suzie couldn't determine where certain addresses were.

Overall, we had a really great time. We stayed at Treasure Bay Hotel & Casino. The rooms had been remodeled and were very nice with patios and flat screen tv's. We ventured down to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and also the Beau Rivage. Both of these hotels were VERY nice and construction is about to begin on Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. It looks like many of the venture capitalists are taking advantage of the lesser property prices and taking their chances that no future disaster will destroy their Vegas style locations.

Biloxi will eventually be Las Vegas...on the beach. Wow...it's like a dream for me!

If you haven't been to Biloxi, I recommend it. About 8 hours in the car was well worth the destination. I can't wait to go back.

American Idol Winner!

2008-04-02T14:30:00.001-04:00

Sooo....I absolutely loved the show with Dolly Parton last night! You gotta' love Dolly! I thought all of the contestants did a wonderful job but I must say, David Archiletta blew me away last night with Dolly's "Smoky Mountain Memories". I also liked Brooke White's "Jolene". Anyway, I think this is a great season for American Idol and I'm so happy to see so much talent!

Mark my words...David Cook will win this year. Yes, I like him, but this decision is not based on my personal likes and dislikes. It's based on trends in music. With the fame of Daughtry tugging the trends right now, David Cook falls in line to be this years winner. We'll see! ;-)

Just when you think you've heard it all...

2008-04-01T13:53:00.001-04:00

I found this in my showprep today. Can you believe this????????????????

Evil hackers planted hundreds of flashing animated images on discussion board hosted by the Epilepsy Foundation, images that could trigger epileptic seizures among the site's users. The foundation took down the discussion board for 12 hours Sunday and the assault ended. In a statement yesterday, foundation president Eric Hargis said, "This was clearly an act of vandalism with the intent to harm people. We've established deterrents in the system to prevent similar incidences."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,343808,00.html

George Michael is making a comeback!

2008-03-27T13:11:00.002-04:00

Michael has announced his first North American tour in 17 years. It kicks off June 17th in San Diego. Visit www.georgemichael.com for tour dates and locations. He will release a new retrospective record "25" on April 1st. It's a 29 song set featuring music from his solo career and his days with Wham! as well as several new songs, including duets with Paul McCartney and Mary J. Blige. A DVD of 40 of Michael's videos will also be released on April 1st. How exciting! He's gonna be at Phillips Arena in Atlanta July 31st.

A nice dinner in Las Vegas

2008-03-26T15:48:00.004-04:00

So, we decided since we were in Las Vegas and we had opted not to spend the money to see a show, we would spend the money on a really nice dinner. We chose to make a reservation at Steakhouse 46 at The Flamingo. There were 8 of us. The restaurant was beautiful and the food smelled incredible. So we sit down and peruse the menu. I picked my chin up off the table after a minute of telling myself I had decided to have a nice dinner and it was okay to pay for a $40 steak. I ordered an $11 bowl of lobster bisque to start. It was amazing. Words cannot describe it. It was worth every penny. for dinner I ordered blah-blah fancy name scallops. they were $34. Quite good. Nothing to write home about, but they were good. Allright, so all 8 of us are happy and having this wonderful experience until our sassy Drew Carey look-a-like waiter drops ONE check in the middle of the table. I instantly said "um...excuse me, but did you seperate that?". I assumed he was smart enough to realize we were all couples and would require seperate tickets. HA! How silly of me. He said "no, we don't do that". Well, let me tell you, my redneck side kicked in. I wanted to leap out of my chair and smack that boy right across his smug face. But I didn't. I am a lady. My mother would be so ashamed if I behaved in such a manner. I said "well, we all need to pay seperately". He said "just write out names and totals of what you want on each card". I said "oh, okay". He walked away, then came back and said "oh, by the way, we only accept up to five credit cards". I said "okay". So my friend/cousin Gwen began seperating everything out. What a pain right? What happened to customer service? While we were having to go through and figure out who ordered what, add totals, taxes and tip the waiter and the manager both walked by huffing and pacing like we had put them through SUCH an ordeal. I was so upset. Mostely humiliated and disappointed that they had sent our wonderful meal and our wonderful experience right down the tubes. Finally, we got it all figured out, he ran the cards and we all left in a huff. A couple people at the table were saying "oh, most restaurants don't seperate the checks". I was like "what????!!!!!" I was a waitress for four years in college and we ALWAYS asked if they would like seperate checks. We live in the south. We all work hard for a living and when friends go out to dinner, they don't typically pay for each others meals. Then I thought to myself. That stinkin' waiter added 18% gratuity to our tab. Now, tell me this. If they are such a high fallutin' snooty restaurant that won't seperate checks, how is it they feel the need to ADD gratuity? All in all...the food was wonderful, the the experience goes in the books as a huge thumbs down. No food is worth all that aggravation and being made to feel ignorant. I'll never go back there again.

On a lighter note...it was a beautiful evening in Las Vegas. After dinner, we walked to the Bellagio and watched the cool water show. ;)

2008-03-26T15:48:00.001-04:00

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-03-26T15:44:00.002-04:00

So, last week I went to las Vegas for the 3rd time. Again...I had a blast! Again....I did NOT see a show. Again...I spent too much money. They don't call it "Lost Wages" for nothing! So we flew out of Nashville on Saturday, March 15th. You know, when the tornadoes hit Atlanta? Well, it wasn't just the south that was affected. There were storms out west too. As the plane began it's descent towards las Vegas, we went thru some storms and I really thought I was going to die. This was not just turbulence. This was plane shattering, mind-altering turbulence. The plane was lurching and bouncing. Oh my goodness. I really thought I was going to die. There were two small rays of light during that horrible experience. The airline attendants laughing and telling everyone to raise their hands in the air like we were on a roller coaster. And...the baby that was screaming thru the first hour of the flight...was laughing as she was being bounced about. I swore I would never fly again after we landed. But nicer weather and common sense kept me from driving home. All is well.

Crazy drivers!!!!!!

2008-03-04T14:46:00.002-05:00

UGH!!!!!!! Yesterday as I was leaving work, I was driving down the narrow road that leads to broadway. This old fool comes blazing around the corner and didn't even slow down. He came within an inch of hitting me. This poor old guy. I was having such a bad day yesterday. If he HAD hit me?????????? I just don't know what I would have done. Nothing violent, don't get me wrong, I'm not a mean person physically, but I would have seriously hurt him with my words. I think he was drunk. People just make me so mad.

Wow...I really love this blog. It's a way to get stuff off your chest. Fire back! Come on! Get it off your chest! What's on YOUR mind???????????

Wearing seatbelts in the car

2008-03-04T14:41:00.002-05:00

Isn't it amazing how many reports you still hear about car accidents involving fatality because the driver was too stupid to put in his/her seatbelt? Honestly, isn't it the first rule of thumb for driving that you wear your seatbelt? I get so angry when I read that the driver wasn't wearing a seatbelt. This whole "that won't happen to me" concept that we all go through? Yes, I remember it well. Prevent your teens and younger drivers from making a fatal mistake. Make sure they understand how important it is to wear a seatbelt!!!!!!

The Grammy's are on Sunday night

2008-02-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

If you love music as much as I do, check out the 50th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night! Starts at 8pm, February 10th on CBS. Don't miss it! ;)

The State of the what????

2008-01-29T10:21:00.000-05:00

Last nights State of the Union address, did you watch it? Political discussions aside, it always amazes me the dog and pony show that goes on with that. All the clapping and standing ovations and blah blah blah. There’s more pomp and circumstance than there is a speech. Personally? I get distracted by all that clapping and stuff. I just wonder sometimes what bozo tells them that we actually enjoy that? I mean, who is the State of the Union address for anyway, them or us? I was under the impression it was for us and I kinda wonder why we have to watch the cameras focus on who is standing, who is clapping and who is sleeping? Personally, I tuned in to see what the president had to say. Call me crazy…..

Jefferson Bass - The Devil's Bones

2008-01-23T14:44:00.000-05:00

The new Jefferson Bass novel "The Devil's Bones" comes out in stores February 5th! B97.5 is hosting an incredible event to celebrate the release! Join us for "An Evening with Jefferson Bass" to benefit Friends of Literacy! This event includes a nice dinner, a silent auction, live entertainment and a presentation by Dr. Bill Bass, forensic anthropologist and creator of The Body Farm, and Jon Jefferson, author of the body farm novels.

Tickets are $50.00 each and be purchased on PayPal via www.b975.com or you may call 865-525-6000 to purchase over the phone.

All profits from this event will benefit Friends of Literacy. Over 10,000 people in Knox County cannot read. Friends of Literacy is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1991 to support the delivery of high quality literacy and related services to adults and families in Knox County who are inadequately educated for the challenges of daily life. Working in partnership with area adult education providers, our goal is to help provide basic education and life-skill training to help our students become better workers, parents, and citizens.

Blog about politics!

2008-01-23T14:04:00.000-05:00

Check out RedBlueAmerica.com, the social networking site created to tap America's interest in teh 2008 elections. Knoxville area voters can share in this online forum locally, or nationally.

Hula Hooping - the new way to get fit!

2008-01-23T14:03:00.001-05:00

I wouldn't call Hula Hooping "new", but many are turning to "hooping" as the latest fitness craze. Check out www.hoopnotica.com.

I hear there are local classes too!

Actor Heath Ledger dies at 28

2008-01-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

That's so sad. He was a great actor! He passed away yesterday. They've sent off for toxicology reports and as of right now the autopsy was inconclusive. He had such a bright career ahead of him in my opinion.

The Associated Press already has Britney Spears obituary written

2008-01-21T13:45:00.001-05:00

Us magazine reports the Associated Press has Britney Spears' obituary already written -- you know -- just in case. "We are not wishing it, but if Britney passed away, it's easily one of the biggest stories in a long time," AP entertainment editor Jesse Washington said. "I think one would agree that Britney seems at risk right now. Of course, we would never wish any type of misfortune on anybody and hope that we would never have to use it until 50 years from now ... but if something were to happen, we would have to be prepared."

Can you believe that? It's so sad. I just wish that child would wake up and take care of her babies. That's what I wish. You couldn't pay me enough money for a life like hers. It's so sad. I truly hope she will get the help she needs before something truly terrible happens.

27 Dresses - GREAT movie!

2008-01-21T11:46:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for a fun, uplifting gal pal movie, check out 27 Dresses! I really liked it.
Jennifer

Rain-X in the Shower?????

2008-01-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about spraying down the walls of your shower with Rain-X? Someone told me this keeps you from having to clean the shower so often. A good alternative to the expensive shower cleaners at the store. I was wondering if any of you have done this? If so, does it work and does it make the floor slippery?