Charles Has a Licking Problem

I know Leah put this on her blog the other day but i can't stop watching it and saying "lick lick" in my head all day long! Courtesy of our friends (close, personal friends) at Toothpaste For Dinner. I think it is numero uno on youtube today.

in other news, it is lunch time of a very hectic day so i am taking a time out to blog and scarf down some left over orange peel chicken. goal #6,723 of 2007: STOP EATING OUT. Eh, well, you reach some, you miss some.

polllenation station, er, nation

ok the joke is bad but THE POLLEN IS EVERYWHERE!! it's coating my car (i think it gives it a little something extra, really). i don't have bad allergies to pollen or privit or any of those outdoor thingeys. (what is PRIVIT anyway - all i know is the girl i work with can't stop complaining about it?) BUT i am sorry for everyone who does in Arkansas & wherever (namely my husband who is quite swolled up in the eyeball area). This pic shows the cest pool of pollen at the end of my driveway after the sort of rain today! pollen insanity. i know. my life is crazy.

what does the pollen look like where you live? www.pollen.com

ah. tuesday. i haven't taken a day off in a long time. i REALLY wanted to stay in bed this morning. i think i need at least a day! all this lame talk about pollen and work.

silkey to the screeney

great weekend! relaxing happy time. brooke was here. audra and mike came over; all of us sat outside b/c the weather here is AMAZING! lots of attic fan love this weekend.

brooke & i have also decided to play around with some silk screening stuff so we made the above tshirts this weekend! it was a trial and error kind of weekend - we are learning lots and it is quite entertaining! we have a couple of other shirts in progress - will keep you updated!

p.s. i designed the new header for the blog all by myself. i'm pretty much in love with it. trying to give the old blog a fresh LOOK. you know for spring and all.

COMH Volume SEh-vahn.

yep, a hello kitty toilet seat cover! hahahahahahah. don't you love it? i do.

gift from mama linda!

have a good weekend everyone! i believe i am having houseguests in the form of brooke apkkkkkkkker and waqueline wells. possibly one. possibly both. we'll see where the weekend takes us!

before the blog - was there such a time?

thought i would share some pre-blogosphere pictures of karl and me. check that date imprint out on that first one - December 03. Yea, we're little. (or we look pretty much exactly the same. but whatever.) the second one is an engagement picture - yep, got engaged in the goldfish bathing suit. sept 04!

i was thinking about old school technology and/or lack thereof this morning and found these pictures in my old school yahoo account (use gmail, people, gmail). and i was trying to think of the # of email addys i have had in my lifetime (including jobs and personal, i guess about 15 plus) and how many i currently have (a solid 4 plus; my job forces me to have one for every association we work with but they all funnell into one inbox).

i was thinking about college - and how i didn't even have a computer in college or a cellular telephone (until senior year b/c audra and brooke almost killed me b/c people would call them looking to chat with me). i got my first phone with karl actually (ahhh - a man who can handle and support my phone obsession!) - he helped me pick that little nokia out. i think it was one of our first "dates" b/c you know in college going to best buy together constitutes a date, right? ;) we have decided to start a collection of our phones and someday we will display them all and laugh. maybe our 50 year itch party? i think so.

do i sound like an old lady? ;)

do what? BANG BANG BANG

I feel like maybe i have posted about this before on the old bloggy blog but here is a phrase i can not stand:

"DO WHAT?"

instead of "exuse me or what did you say or please repeat" or really just something that is a complete sentence or phrase that makes sense. even "huh?" and "eh?" are preferable and hurt my ears much less. and here in the great state of AR you have to draw out the question like so: "doooooo wuuuuhhhhuuuut?" if you are shocked or surprised by what the other is saying OR like so: "duwhat" *sharp t* and say it fast (all one word) if you mean business and need someone to seriously answer you right then.

i have heard it ONE TOoooo MANY TIMES this week at work (and it's only tuesday!).

i am down with saying "ya'll" occasionally (it even slips out of my mouth quite accidentaly these days!) but NEVER will i be a do-whatter! and you can't make me. but i still love all of you that say it - just a little less than i would otherwise ;) teehee.

sigh. st. patty's is over and it was fabulous.

this was for sure a weekend to feel blessed we have so many friends and have the means to go out and about and celebrate silly holidays with good food, good drinks, and good company! feeling, very appropriately this St. Patty's Day, like a very lucky little irish girl!

friday we had a very happy hour at stickyz. ms. alexis trotter was in town; we lurves her. got some hanging out with our friend mike ortega! we had some drinks and went to watch the hogs! (ummmmmm......not much to say about that one!) saturday was su & seth's lucky baby shower. weather turned out PERFECT - started a little chilly but i think we all got some sun toward the ends! there was a crazy amount of pregnant ladies there and/or ladies who had just delivered! i'm so pleased it all turned out well (more pics on Su's Bloggity!). then, since i was in conway, i went to meet ms. melissa p. haney and we got the crazy, wild idea to head to tulsa for jenny&jeff's st. patrick's day party in tulsa. so we did. and it was a blast. we celebrated the one year anniversary of reconnecting with ms. sarah jane (see 1 candle on cookie pic!) we packed it up pretty early sunday morning and headed back to arkansas! haha. i am trying to recuperate and relax and get some CATCH UP SLEEP!

shimmery doylies made of shamrocks

the countdown begins! st. patty's day 2007. tomorrow my mama in law is making us corned beef and cabbage and taters. YUMMERS. Pic circa 06 st. patty's day party! pictures like this should probably never surface but i like to laugh at myself and now you can laugh at me too. and lenore.

the workout train continues. i think this is week numero 3. haven't seen any difference yet but i am quite sore today so i know i am starting to work out harder/have more efficient workouts as my body remembers how to MOVE ITS BOOTY as i settle back in. i can't believe i have been away from the gym so long. i adore feeling workey outey. will let you know! getting my body fat % tested next week! probably not going to disclose that number at this current juncture in the workout plan.

k - must sleep. ti ti ni ni. (pronounce: tie tie nigh(silent t) nigh(T). translate: i'm tired. night night.)

Selection Sunday and St. Patty's Day

ok so, this whole tv thing is going well, right? until i realize that today is SELECTION SUNDAY and March Madness is about to begin. and those games are TELEVISED. crap. AND Arkansas (though they lost to Florida today) got a 12 seed. And a 12 seed in THE DANCE is my absolute favorite seed. I think statistically, 12-5 seeded games yield the most upsets, right? i always try and support 12 seeds! so, anyway, here is my question: does basketball watching count as TV? Hmm.. i suppose so. crap. Well, thank god for the internet and espn.com i suppose. crap.

also, the time has come to start playing bono's sunday bloody sunday obsessively in preparation for st. patrick's day! (ok maybe some happier tunes as well - you know about getting drunk at funerals and weddings and various other occasions!) get your green (no orange for you) and get ready. grandpa cronin's homemade irish creme is coming your way! my dad sent me a rockin' st. patty's day CD. i AM ready.

how much is that doggie in the window: cmh vol 6ixer

here is where our doggies rest their pretty little heads. found at tAR-jaaaay. we used to kennel arlo and rox at night in the kitchen but now they are 80 pounds big (all growed up!) and so they stay in our room by our bed. sometimes they wander around the house at night but not very often. good sleepers like their mama and papa.

here is our letter we sent with cali bear if you are interested in some gushy crap and/or the great state of ARKANSAW:

March 7, 2007
Dear Ms. Hellman’s 2^nd Grade Class,

Karl and I were so EXCITED to meet Cali Bear this past weekend!! We would like to send special hugs and kisses to Ms. Hellman’s favorite student, CARTER! Hi CARTER!!) Cali was waiting for us on our doorstep in Little Rock, Arkansas. The temperature was around 70 degrees as we welcomed our new visitor. We were even more excited because he arrived in perfect time for the 5^th Annual LITTLE ROCK MARATHON!! His host Karl ran the 26.2 miles through downtown Little Rock while Cali Bear and Kat cheered him on! It was very exciting and motivating.

Karl and Kat work in downtown Little Rock – Karl is a software support business analyst (that means he loves computers!) and Kat is an event planner for local non profit groups. They like to create websites and play on their computers for fun! They also like to exercise and play with their two labs, Arlo and Roxy. Arlo and Roxy love to swim in creeks and lakes around the city. In the fall and winter, Karl likes to take his four wheeler out to the country and hunt deer and duck in Southern Arkansas!!

My host parents took me to the Clinton Presidential Center, a library dedicated to William Jefferson Clinton, the 42^nd President of the United States. President Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas and started his political career by becoming Governor in the State of Arkansas before he was elected President. We got our picture taken in front of his library.

Some Fun FACTS about the State of Arkansas:

Little Rock is the Capitol of Arkansas. In 1722 the French explorer, Bernard de LaHarpe, sailed up the Arkansas River and upon sighting the first rock bluff since leaving the Mississippi River, called it "La Petite Roche", the Little Rock. The city's namesake, "La Petite Roche", is located at the north end of Rock Street overlooking the river and is part of the sixteen acre Breckling Riverfront Park. The Arkansas River runs directly through the city – we love to run along the river when we exercise.

It’s warm here almost year round and only snowed one time this year – and it all melted in a few hours!

Arkansas is officially known as The Natural State. We share our border with six other states. There is a lot of undeveloped land in the state of Arkansas and farm land. Arkansas’ main crop is RICE. (followed by soybeans and cotton)

We give away diamonds in Arkansas! It's finder's keepers at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The only public diamond mine in the world, Crater of Diamonds offers you a one-of-a-kind adventure - the opportunity to hunt for real diamonds and to keep any you find.

Our state drink is milk. Yum!

We hate to see Cali Bear go – but we know Cali will have great fun in his next destination – sunny Florida! We wish him the best of luck in his adventures in Florida and on the East Coast!

BYE CALI BEAR!

Much love,

Kat and Karl

uncle karl and aunt kat

we had the BEST surprise today. Carter, from our cali family, sent us this guy. He came with a note that started "I belong to the children of Mrs. Hellmann's second grade class. As part of their study of geography, they have decided to send me around the United States...."

So far our new friend has been to Seattle, Alaska, New Mexico, and San Antonio! He stops with us and then down to Florida and then up the east coast (VA, NJ, PA, ME, CT) and then heads back to Cali! What a great project! And what great timing with the perfect southern weather and the marathon news! He even came with a little disposable camera so we could take our pic with him! Quick: Send this yankee some interesting facts about Little Rock! Cali comes with a journal and the first entries were so great - we've got to make ours fabulous! So FUN! i adore!

marathon: check!

the LR Marathon is over! karl and patrick finished (their goal!). karl came in right around 5 hours. we're all proud and relaxey around here; he is resting and recovering. his post race eats (a VERY VERY important part of racing!) were at chili's of all places - we rarely go there but karl was craving the chx ranch sandwich! hey, he ran 26.2, he gets whatever we wants to replinish the approximate 6,500 (!!) calories he burned (that is what the gps said = 6500 CALORIES!)

pics above of karl and patrick running and with ashley who ran the 1/2 and with the silver crinkley victory finishey warmer thingeys.

gearing up for another fun work week. sigh.

COMH vol 5. the gps.

in preperation for the LITTLE ROCK MARATHON! (THIS SUNDAY PEOPLE!!) i thought i would share with you some training stats from karl's gps watch. he got the watch at christmas time so he has been clocking for only a couple of months.

since he has been tracking he has run this:

miles: 114.5

Time: 21hrs 17min (almost one whole day!)

calories: 26,298 (that is about 7.5 pounds in calories, right? 1 pound = 3500 calories)

He will be running this Sunday - the whole 26.2 miles. wish him luck! call me if you want to come watch the ending! (Race starts at 8; expected finish around 4-5 hours later!)