September Secret Pal x2 Whoo-hoo!

I have the greatest Secret Pals ever! For the past two days, my front porch has been filled with the delights of presents. Every month, I look forward to sending and receiving Secret Pal gifts. People weren't lying when they said it makes the time go by more quickly.

We are in love with all of our booty, and greatly appreciate both wonderful Pals for thinking of Ruby and C. You two are the best!

If You're Happy and You Know it, Clap Your...

I have to say my Mountain Girls weekend was one of the best I have ever had. I can't say much because what's said in the Mountain House stays in the Mountain House.
Top Ten Highlights include:
1. A formation of the "Tiara Girls" club. Memberships are being accepted, but the criteria for entry is fierce.
2. Shannon 1 is the CEO of the LSKs.
3. Shannon 2 and I share a deep love of reading and chatted at length about books - something I don't get to do very often.
4. If we get bad service, we don't tip.
5. Must get a pug NOW.
6. Interpretive dance is so worth watching, especially after several 16 ounce mojitos.

7. Mountain driving takes on a new meaning when you have 4 women in the car singing along to Madonna's Crazy for You.
8. Luke! You are our waiter...
9. Yes, grown ups get pimples, and even though we were together less than 72 hours, I am sure our cycles are synchronized. It was just that much bonding.
10. I have made girlfriends for life - same time next year? Count me in.
The Shannons
Susan and Me


Room of Snark
The Princesses of the Tiara Girls
Yes, I really do wear shoes like these!

Okay is it me?

Or is Joey Lawrence trying to cash in on the Chris Daughtry sultry bald man look?
Ewwwww! He looks incredibly creepy. Dead eyes, man. Serial Killer Dead.

Leave The Light On

As much as I travel for my job, you would think I wouldn't want to spend my weekend traveling. Well, most weekends you would be correct. Not so this time; I am getting ready to head down to over and down the mountains to visit my bloggy posse - Susan, Shannon 1, and Shannon 2. I am so excited I am ready to slap myself.
When I return pictures galore, bloggy news, and all about the fun, fun, fun we're gonna have!

Bunny Love

If you haven't figured it out by now, I am a TV hussy. I love evening TV and watch as much of it as I can. I have ghetto TiVo (DVR) and spend lots of time watching silly things that only I enjoy. Nevertheless, I think everyone would enjoy the 30 Second Bunny Flicks by Angry Alien that are showcased on Starz. My favorites include "Brokeback Mountain" and "Pulp Fiction." Check them out.

Relieved

See that image ladies and gents? That, my pals, means that I finally have a chair for my doctoral committee. If you are unfamiliar with the process, basically it means that I finally have a mentor that will help me navigate the dissertation process and finish the last leg of my program.
To me, asking someone to chair my committee was a little like proposing - stressful, anxiety-inducing, and immensly relieving when she said yes. All is well in the land of Deb.

Ho-Hum

Disclaimer: I am incredibly predictable and oftentimes have very little to discuss. Therefore, I have adopted the need to cut and paste memes from other people's blogs. Furthermore, I am inherently lazy and will not forward things like these to anyone; thus guaranteeing that I will most likely never be tagged by another blogger in the future. So, here we go...

1. FIRST NAME? Debra
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No, my parents truly believed that I was going to be a boy and had full intentions of naming me Dwight (thank God I was female) and had not chosen a girl's name. My mother says when she looked at me she said "Debbie her name is Debbie." They chose Debra because they felt Debbie was a better nickname.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Yesterday.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes I do. I have very nice print and cursive handwriting, especially for a leftie.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Pastrami
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so. Sometimes I am a bad friend, so my expectations for my being my friend would be low.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Just the blog and sometimes it's a chore; see disclaimer
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes and they are disgusting harbors of infection and other gross things I am choosing not to discuss
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Get real. No. Gravity is good.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I am not really a cereal person. Occasionally I will eat Smart Start. I do like the Fruit Cheerios, they're pretty tasty once in a while.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No. There are few times I wear shoes that have laces. I have to dress for work so I wear sandals, pumps, or dressier casual shoes most of the time. On the weekends in the winter I'll wear sneakers, but I don't untie them.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, no. To use the words of my coworker Tami, "I have the upper body strength of a kitten." Emotionally, yes.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? I like Strawberry, Strawberry from Baskin Robbins. I also like Ben & Jerry's Pistachio, Pistachio. What's up with the double titles? I really love popsicles.
14. SHOE Size? Depends on the shoe. I go from 8 1/2 to 10.
15. RED OR PINK? Definitely Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My legs. I also worry constantly.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My friend Alicia. We are both very busy living our lives right now, but that doesn't mean I don't think about/worry about her.
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Gray gauchos, bare toes.
19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The hum of the laptop fan.
20. WHERE IS THE ONE PLACE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE RIGHT NOW? Although, I'm pretty comfortable right here, I wish we were in China.
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Royal Purple. It is dark and rich and represents lushness.
22. FAVORITE SMELL? Sesame oil, the back of B's neck, and Wrigley's spearmint gum.
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? B. I called him to come out to the car and carry in groceries.
24. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their teeth and clothing.
25. FAVORITE DRINK? Coffee
26. FAVORITE SPORT? Not a fan. If I were forced to watch any it would be men's swimming or women's gymnastics.
27. WHATS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? Purple, green, and red
28. HAT SIZE? I don't know.
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Very infrequently. I have an astigmatism and very abnormal vision in both eyes. Contacts mess with my depth perception.
30. FAVORITE FOOD? A big fat cheeseburger. My mom's Cajun chicken pasta. BLTs, and creamed tomatoes with buttermilk pan bread.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.
32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White Hanes
33. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter, I love to walk in the snow.
34. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs. Kisses are reserved for the one who is worthy.
35. FAVORITE DESSERT? Cake
36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? None. It's hard to believe, but I am not reading anything. I am hitting the library today before C's football game. I just finished listening to "The Cover of Night" by Linda Howard. Don't waste your time.
37. WHAT'S ON THE MOUSE PAD? My finger.
38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? "Chicago" and parts of ''The Big Lebowski."
39. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SOUNDS? Mail coming through my mail slot; B & C laughing and making up silly songs.
40. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Florida.
41. WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIAL TALENTS? I am a pretty good singer. I can also cook well.
42. AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Charleston, West Virginia.
43. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I actually swiped it from Krista and Connie.
44. WHAT DAY IS IT? Sunday

All About the Idols

Thirteen Things about The American Idol Concert 1. Ace Young is so much hotter in person than he ever was on television. Oh man, he's beautiful. I needed a fan. I am a fan. 2. Don't ever assume that you'll be able to see things on the large screens most concerts provide. For some reason the most visible screen hosted pictures of flames, the moon and other nonsensical items. I would much rather have seen close ups of Ace's abs and lovely Crest smile. 3. There are people out there who love to sing, but can't. If you are one of them, do the person in front of you the courtesy of not screaming every lyric to every song. Sing softly so that people won't hear that you have absolutely no ability to hit one note in tune. 4. Katherine McPhee is just stunning. She looks like a young, thin Linda Rondstadt. She sings almost as well. 5. Taylor Hicks is awfully cute, but when standing next to Ace, he doesn't have a chance. 6. I was as giddy as C and my niece Lauryn when Elliot Yamin came on stage. He's a phenomenal performer. I heart Elliot. 7. Little girls can only handle so much excitement before they become emotional and cranky. We hit our excitement quota about 9:20. It was all downhill from there. 8. Kelly Pickler is just a shame on the face of womanhood. All I'm sayin.' 9. I loved the fact that there were people of all ages in the audience. We were surrounded by moms, dads, children, and grandparents. It was a family-style love fest. 10. Taking two pre-teens to a concert is a superior act of kindness and patience. I should be commended for both. 11. Seeing the looks of awe, excitement, and extreme pleasure on the faces of C and Lauryn was worth every dime spent. 12. Chris Daughtry is going to be a mega rock star. I have not heard that type of squealing and screaming since Duran Duran in 1983. 13. Did I mention that Ace Young is smoking hot? Oh, yeah...he is! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. (leave your link in comments, I'll add you here!)

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Warming Up for Tomorrow's Concert

C had a brief brush with fame this evening. While out dining with her mom and brother, she noticed this cute boy down the way. Well, being any red-blooded pre-teen she immediately was in his business. Autographs, pictures, and giggling excited phone calls ensued.

I guess she's ready for the concert tomorrow, huh?

Welcome Back

New Season of Nip/Tuck. Hello Lovah.

The Dictator in my Head

I am still being a state traveler, so blogging may be sporadic. Actually, that's just an excuse for being lazy and somewhat discouraged with the whole referral process. 9 Freaking Days. All I'm saying. Grrrrr.

I try to fill my time with work, school (which is going well, thanks), prepping a proposal to hopefully present at this conference, getting excited for my trip to meet Shannon 1, Shannon 2 and to see Susan again, reading other people's blogs, thinking about gifts for my Secret Pals, and making lists of the things I need to do before my surgery in November. But it's still there. A constant whisper in my ear

... 9 days, new restrictions, 9 days, years of waiting, 9 days, rejection, 9 days, what if? 9 days...

It's in my head when I travel, when I shop, when I am driving and listening to this (which is terrible) and this (which is great). It's my mantra. Over and over, the broken record of a little Chinese devil that unfortunately looks like this guy, who's not even Chinese!

I am taking suggestions for anything else that can fill my time and get this guy off my back. Any takers?