The answers...continued.

These questions didn't really fit into any one category, so I will answer half of them today and half on Monday. I won't be posting over the weekend because I am heading out of town to visit a friend for the weekend.
Here we go.

Lis asked: What do you never leave the house without?
That would be my purse, which contains my wallet, car keys, cell phone, and camera, among other things. Definitely the basics I would need! We went over to some friends' house the other night, and I forgot my purse at our house, and I felt naked!!

Lis also asked: What are your favorite beauty products and why?
First off, dark circle concealer and undereye brightener. I have hereditary dark circles that I cannot get rid of, so I must hide them. Those two products are a must have every morning. Even if I were to not wear any other makeup, I would have to wear the concealer. No matter how much sleep I get, it's the same old, same old.

Next, I love Dove soap for bathing. Loofahs gross me out so I have migrated away from shower gels, and you can't really beat Dove soap. Love it!

My favorite lotion of the moment is Gold Bond's Ultra Healing lotion with aloe. This has kept my dry winter skin hydrated. It's very thick, but it has been a lifesaver for my scaly legs and cracked hands!

As for makeup, I'm not really loyal to any one brand. Currently I use the Maybelline minerals line. The coverage is good, but not too heavy. However, I am loyal user of C.O. Bigelow's Mentha Lip tint gloss and Burt's Bees lip shimmer. I don't use lipstick so I put the Burt's Bees on first and the gloss over it, and I'm good to go. The best part is the gloss is minty.

Mrs. Potts asked: How did you end up in Columbia?
I came here for college at the University of South Carolina and never left. I've been here 10 years now. I chose Carolina because I grew up a die-hard Gamecock fan, and it's not but an hour from home and I am very family-oriented.

Mrs. Potts also asked: Would you ever move anywhere else?
Yes, and we would love to! However, not too far away, just out to the country. Definitely south of Columbia, but close enough to commute to our jobs. WEG and I are both Lowcountry born and bred, so we'd like to get closer to that area. We are pretty much at the limit of distance from the coast for him. He loves to fish and would be on the water every weekend if we were closer- that's just how he grew up in his hometown near Edisto Island. We're both kind of over living in the city and in Columbia, in general. But, I don't foresee us moving out of South Carolina or even to the upstate of SC unless something drastic happens.

KLL asked If you got another puppy, what would you name it?
This is a tough one! WEG's family has a tradition of naming their dogs after either the place they live or the place where they got the dog. That's how Abe got his name. We live on Lincoln Street. And, if we got another, it would probably be another lab or hunting dog, so it would have to be one syllable in order to make it easier to call it after hunting. So, long story short, I don't really have an answer!! It would definitely be a one syllable name that has ties to where we are at the time or where the dog is born.

KLL also asked: Are you on Twitter? If no, why not?
No, I am not. First of all, I don't have a Blackberry or any other high tech phone, therefore, I couldn't update Twitter with any regularity. So if something I wanted to tweet about happened while I was driving down the road, I'd have to wait to get to a computer to update. And by then, I might forget or just get lazy. Also, I have never really thought that anybody cared to be updated about my life every hour or so, so I vowed I would never do the Twitter thing. Facebook and Blogger is enough to keep me occupied!

That's all for today!! I hope everyone has a great weekend and is able to get out and do something fun. Check ya later**!

**Anybody know what movie that is from?

Crazy little thing called love

KLL from Magnolia and Fox asked me a few questions about WEG and me, so I thought I'd dedicate this post to answering those questions. If you have anything else you'd like to know, feel free to ask me!

First off, How did you and WEG meet?

Well, the first time we met he does not even remember. Clearly, I did not make much of an impression, huh? That first time was briefly at a tailgate of a football game. He was tailgating with my roommate and her boyfriend, and I stopped by to say hello on my way to another tailgate. He was with someone else at the time, and has no recollection of this. However, I have one stellar memory and remember it clearly. I was re-introduced when I joined a bowling league with the same roommate and friend. He was in the league and we became friends. One night, in a drunken haze I'm sure, he told my roommate that she and I could move in with him for cheap rent, so we did....it was too good of a deal to pass up, even though I didn't really know him all that well. It worked out well, and the rest is history.

Which brings me to the next question, Do you and WEG live together?

Yes, we do. We started out as roommates and for 6 months that's how it went. Nothing more than that. And then after 6 months, things began to change and we developed feelings for each other. Those feelings progressed, and in May we will have been together 3 years, living together 3 and a half. It's not the most conventional way a relationship works, but it has worked for us and really been an easy cohabitation overall.

Finally, You and WEG cheer for different teams. When not in conflict, do you cheer on each other's teams?

For the most part, no, we do not. Our alma maters are bitter rivals. I grew up with garnet running through my veins (and so did WEG, but he went astray in his college decision). All my life I have disliked all things orange. I have 3 degrees from the Univ. of South Carolina and I work there, so my allegiance runs deep. I, in good conscience, just cannot pull for Clemson. I will sacrifice if I go to a football game with WEG at Clemson. As long as they aren't playing SC, I will wear orange, but I will not cheer for Clemson. I have to draw the line, but I try to be a good sport about at least not sticking out like a sore thumb in orange country. WEG, on the other hand, will not wear garnet- no way, no when, no how. His only exception in pulling for us is that he will pull for our basketball team because he really likes Devan Downey, our point guard. We are TRULY a house divided- there is really no gray area! The picture below is from the Carolina-Clemson game this past November. I am happy to report that my team was victorious, which rarely happens :-)

And, there you have it, my friends. A little bit about WEG.

The way to my heart is through my stomach...

No seriously. I LOVE to eat. I like stuff that's good for you, like vegetables and fruit...love them, in fact. But I also like things that are not so good for me...like cheeseburgers and french fries. I'll try *almost* anything once. I'm not quite as adventurous as Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern, but if it's not something that sounds totally gross, I'll give it a shot.

Several of you asked me questions that centered around eating, so today I'll entertain you with those answers. Here goes.

Gwennie asked: What 6 people, living or dead, would you like to have at a dinner? What would you serve?
Well, I'm a very family oriented person, and although it would be neat to have some famous people at dinner, I'd really not know how to react. So, I'd like to keep it simple and just have some family members, living and dead. First off, I'd like to have my grandparents that are no longer living. I miss them like crazy all the time, and 2 of them I haven't seen since they passed away when I was younger. My grandma, grandpa, and poppy meant the world to me, and I'd like the chance to have them for dinner now that I am older and could fully appreciate their stories and their wisdom. Rounding out my guest list would be my Granny, Mama, and Daddy so that they, too, could have dinner with their loved ones. What a wonderful dinner it would be to have everyone that has been such a formative part of my life at my dinner table. And what I served to family wouldn't matter, so I'd probably go with something very good, but easy to make for a large group. So I'm thinking stuffed shells, a big salad, and garlic bread. One of my favorite meals and something I'm sure they'd all enjoy.

KLL asked: What is your favorite dessert?
That's a tough one! I haven't met much dessert I didn't like! However, I'm pretty smitten with white chocolate raspberry cheesecake...mmmm! Coming in as runners-up were strawberry shortcake made with mom's homemade pound cake, key lime pie with an Oreo crust that my mom makes, apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and Peach Yums. See, it's hard to narrow down!

Lis asked me: What is your favorite Starbucks drink?
I don't drink a whole lot of Starbucks. Maybe twice over Christmas and about twice the rest of the year, but I am a creature of habit when it comes to Starbucks. At Christmas I always get the peppermint white chocolate mocha with nonfat milk and no whipped cream, and during other times I get the white chocolate mocha with nonfat milk and no whipped cream. Not very adventurous, I know, but once I find something I like, I generally stick with it so I don't run the risk of getting something I don't like (especially for a $4/drink price tag!!)

Amelia asked me: Coke or Cheerwine?
On a normal, day to day basis, I'd probably choose coke (although I try not to drink but about one or two cokes a week). However, I LOVE Cheerwine. I just never think to buy it, and most fast food places don't carry it, which is generally where I am drinking soft drinks. But, when we were in Hickory, NC over Christmas, the Bojangles had it in the fountain, and I was SUPER EXCITED! So, can my answer be both? ;-)

Amelia also asked me: Where did you end up eating in New Orleans?
We didn't want to spend too much money since it was on the University's dollar, so we ate dinner at Ralph and Kacoo's (sp?). I thought it was good, but not nearly as good as Brennan's, where I have eaten with my parents on a past trip. We did partake in a hurricane at Pat O'Brien's and beignets at Cafe DuMonde, though (on our dollar, not the university's!). And, since it was during Mardi Gras, we brought a king cake home with us!

Mrs. Potts asked me: What is your favorite place to eat in South Carolina?
Wow, I have to narrow it down? I don't have one particular favorite place, so I'll have to give you a run-down depending on what type of food I am in the mood for.

For a nice meal out, hands down, my favorite restaurant is Mr. Friendly's in Columbia. I have mentioned this place several times on my blog. Their food is to die for. I have never eaten anything there that I did not just love. It's "New Southern" cuisine, and they put things together you would never think of, but in the most delicious of ways. If you are ever in Columbia, you have to look this place up and go there. They don't take reservations, and the place is small, but it's worth it!

For a burger, Rockaway's Athletic Club, also in Columbia, is my favorite. The service is lacking, but the food more than makes up for it. They have the best burgers in Columbia, especially if you get the pimento cheeseburger. Oh my gosh, it's good!

For seafood, The Wreck in Mt. Pleasant on Shem Creek is the best. It's not fancy, and if you drove up without being recommended to go there, you'd probably leave. But, they don't even have freezers at the restaurant, so you are guaranteed that the food will be fresh. They're right by a shrimp dock, so the food comes right from the water to their kitchen to your table.

For bbq, I have two places depending on the type of sauce you like. For mustard based, Sweatman's between Holly Hill and Eutawville is the place to go. Forget Maurice's...you can have that! I only like Sweatman's mustard based. For "orange" sauce as I like to call it, which is a mixture of ketchup, mustard, brown sugar (I think) and some other good stuff, head on down to Orangeburg to Antley's or Duke's by the Pepsi Cola plant. Best bbq I've ever put in my mouth, but people definitely have their preferences of bbq!

My favorite deli in SC is a toss-up between DiPrato's and The Gourmet Shop. DiPrato's has the best pimento cheese, while the Gourmet Shop wins with their chicken salad. I love both of them.

I'm sure I'm leaving out some of my other favorite restaurants, but where eating is concerned, I could go on for days, so I'll just leave you with a quick and easy recipe that will be a hit at your next party, guaranteed! (And if you have any more questions, send them my way!)

Caramel Cream Cheese Apple Dip

16 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 jar Smucker's caramel sundae topping
1 bag of Heath bits (in the baking aisle)

Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a dish (best to do this in a long and flat dish so the layer is relatively thin). Top with caramel and then Heath bits. Use as a dip for apples.

See how easy? We served this at a party last weekend and I have NEVER had so many people ask me for the recipe. It was gone the quickest of all the other appetizers.

Sweet Friends

The Coastal Belle gave me the Sweet Friends Award. So sweet of her after my post yesterday where I was a bit discouraged with the whole blogging bit.

The rules of the award are to list 10 things that brighten your day and try to do one of those things today. Make sure to link back to the person who tagged you!

1. Planning a successful party. I put this first only because this past weekend we planned a party and it was a great success and everyone had fun!

2. Laughing with WEG...or rather, WEG making me laugh pretty much all the time, even when I am trying to pout.

3. Watching Abe run up and down the beach like a mad man and then go splashing into the water.

4. Warm, sunny days...come on, Spring!

5. A good baseball game at Carolina Stadium, preferably one where we are beating Clemson ;-) I love me some Gamecock baseball, that's for sure.

6. A weekend in Elloree just hanging out with my parents... because it always means pure relaxation and lots of good home-cooked meals.

7. The beach- preferably Edisto because it is so laid-back and out of touch with the rat-race.

8. Enjoying nights with friends. Cooking dinner, going out to eat, whatever!

9. A good hair and makeup day...call me vain, I don't care. It's been hard to have good makeup days with all this dry, winter weather, though!

10. Cute little kids that say the funniest things.

And now I am supposed to pass this along to 10 bloggers that brighten my day. If you have already gotten this award, I apologize- I've seen it around quite a bit.

1. Gwennie at Northern Girl with a Southern Soul

2. Vonda at Sole Matters

3. Jane at Moonflowers, Mojitos, and Me

4. Amelia at Sweet Dreams Preppy

5. KLL at Magnolia and Fox

6. GCE at The Engineer in Heels & Pearls

7. Angela at Pickles on Pizza

8. Lis at Lis Loves

9. Jenny at Practically Perfect

10. Pink, Green, and Southern

Thanks, girls for making me feel better after my little pity party yesterday!!

Are you there, readers? It's me, Emily.

Well, my ask anything post went over like a lead balloon. Not one.single.question (except what the key was- it's a necklace, by the way). Clearly I am pretty boring or maybe I don't have many readers anymore, which is probably a direct correlation with the fact that my posts have been quite dull lately. Is anybody out there reading?

Sometimes I feel like I just don't have anything that any of you care to hear about- I'm not planning a wedding or pregnant or good at decorating ideas. I don't have a craft to share or expert knowledge on any one topic. No cute pictures of children. Yep, I've figured it out. I'm just pretty boring. Boo hoo, I know.

Thank goodness the rest of you have good material to read ;-)

Ask me anything...

Man, I am slack! I can't believe I've only posted one time this week. I have no excuses either, just don't really have any good material to blog about.

So, in light of that, I would like to open the floor up to questions as some of my fellow bloggers have done recently. Ask me anything you would like.

And, I found my camera cord, so I'll leave you with a few pictures from our snow, as well as my Valentine's gift from WEG :-)

Weekend Wrap-up

What a wonderful weekend it was! On Friday morning, I awoke in New Orleans, went to the fitness center in the hotel, and returned to my room to a blinking answering machine and a message from my boss telling me that as soon as everyone could make it to the airport, we needed to depart for Columbia. Apparently I had missed the memo that Columbia was expecting 3-5 inches of snow. Of course, my initial response was "I'll believe it when I see it!" But, we departed New Orleans at 11:00 cst, and made it to Columbia in an hour an a half, thanks to a terrific tailwind and a ground speed of up to 462 mph. Record time, I tell ya!

And, sure enough, after just a few hours back in Columbia, the snow started to come down. WE immediately took Abe to the park and he loved it! By midnight, we had 7 inches, and the final count in some areas of Columbia was 8.6 inches. WOW! That's more snow than I have seen in Columbia ever. So, we rustled up a sled- the top of one of the large green trashcans- and off we went to the hill beside our house. Good thing there wasn't much traffic, because I have to mention that the hill was also a street! But, oh my gosh was it fun! We sledded for several hours, made snow angels (well, not the guys), and finished up the night with hot chocolate at our friends' house. Such a great night.

On Saturday we walked down to the park near our house and there were quite a few people sledding. WEG and I drove around for a few hours looking for the perfect sledding hill, but never found it (the road we sledded down on Friday night was no longer covered in snow because of the warming temperatures). So, we got lunch instead, took a nap, and got ready for the evening. We went to dinner with 6 of our friends at this great new restaurant in Columbia called The Thirsty Fellow. The food was delicious and reasonable, so if you're in Columbia- check it out on Gadsden Street right by Blossom. You won't be disappointed! It was nice catching up with everyone, and we had a great time.

On Sunday I went to church, and then WEG and I went out to the boat show. You know, to dream about all the boats we wish we had! Then we had dinner at some friends....steak, lobster tails, oysters, asparagus, bananas foster....all DELICIOUS! What a great Valentine's meal and, once again, a great time with friends!

And, did I mention my Valentine's gift from WEG? The key necklace with my monogram that I wanted! He totally surprised me with it, though- I had no idea he had even paid attention when I was saying I wanted it.

I would deem this weekend a complete success!

**Sorry for the lack of pictures in this post- I usually carry my camera cord in my handbag, but clearly I took it out for some unknown reason!

Blah, blah, blah.

I don't really have a cohesive post for today, just some tidbits that are bouncing around in my head.

• I have eaten HORRIBLY this week and it is only Wednesday. Last night we had Outback for my dad's birthday. Yesterday and today for lunch I ate at an on-campus restaurant that is run by our students. The food is delicious, but loaded with calories. My week will get no better, either with an upcoming trip and the weekend.
• I finished the couch to 5k, and I am up to running the distance for a 5k (3.1 miles). Now I just need to incorporate a hill into my running like the one on the course for the 5k I am running in March. However, despite the fact that I can run the whole distance, Monday was an awful day for me and I just could not go all the way through. I want to run today, but with 40 mph gusts of wind, I don't foresee it happening.
• And speaking of that wind, what is up with the weather? It's rainy, it's cold, it's windy. Can we please just get a nice day around here? Preferably 60 degrees or above with sunshine, no wind. Thankyouverymuch. (And you Northerners, I feel for you- at least we don't have all that snow you are dealing with!!)
• Tomorrow and Friday I will be in New Orleans for work. It is a flying trip (literally and figuratively), so I won't be there much over 24 hours. However, in that time, I plan to eat a delicious supper on Thursday night and have beignets on Friday morning from Cafe DuMonde. Now you see why I said my eating habits this week are not going to improve!
• For me, Valentine's Day is an overrated "holiday," if you can even call it that. It's a Hallmark holiday, and yes, I got WEG two cards (a funny and a serious) so I contributed to their ploy. However, we are not the type to go over the top. We will have a nice dinner at home sometime over the weekend and exchange cards. Other than that, I have gotten him some Lindor truffles. I don't believe that there should be just one designated day to tell someone you love them- you should do it every day.

And that's all I have to say today :-)

Matters of the Heart

On Saturday I went to a Ladies Retreat with my mom at her church (the church I grew up in). The guest speaker was a woman who grew up in little ol' Elloree just like me. Let me tell you, she was WONDERFUL. I don't know how anybody could have possibly walked away from the retreat that day without feeling like they were touched in some way by the words she spoke.

Susan's topic was "Matters of the Heart" and she spoke to us about the parable of the four soils (or the sower's seeds). In the parable, God describes 4 types of soil and Susan likened them to people. The first type of soil is the soil along a pathway. When seeds are thrown on the path, they get trampled and are unable to take root. This is like the person who hears God's word but does not believe it. The words just go in one ear and out the other.

The second type of soil is that among the rocks. Seeds are unable to take root because of the rocks. This type of soil is like the person who hears God's word and believes it, but then does nothing about it.

The third type of soil is that among the thorns. Seeds take root and grow, but are then choked out by the thorns. This is like the person who hears the word, believes it, tries to live by it, but has thorns/sin that choke out the goodness or harden the heart.

And the fourth type of soil is the good, fertile soil where seeds take root and multiply with plants 100 times the number of seeds that were sown. This soil is like people who hear the word, believe it, and live the life that is pleasing to God without letting sin sway them.

Susan told us that, often, women are in the third soil. We hear the word and we believe it, but there are sins that get in the way of us being the Christians that God wants us to be. These sins are things we may not have even considered as sin before. Things like worry, busyness, and materialism. For me, the fact that she mentioned worry as a sin really hit home. I am a worrier. I worry that I won't be able to get everything done that I should, that things will go wrong. I worry about things beyond my control. But, as Susan said, when we worry, we are telling the Lord that we do not trust Him to make things right. We do not think he has the control, and we think that our worry will supersede what He can do. Wow. Have y'all ever considered that? Have you thought of worry as a sin? I never really did, but now that I had it pointed out to me, it's as clear as day.

One other sin she mentioned was busyness. How many things are you trying to juggle? While keeping all those balls in the air (family, friends, work, social activities, etc. etc. etc.), are you able to give enough time to God? Or is your heart hardened to Him because of all you have to do? This was another one that really spoke to me. Sometimes I feel like I can't fit one more thing into my day. On those days, reading my Bible may slide, or perhaps I don't talk to the Lord through prayer like I should. That's when busyness becomes a sin- a very real sin, but a sin that so often plagues women.

As far as materialism, we have all struggled with this at some point or another, I would imagine. When we see something that someone else has and we are jealous or covet it, we let materialism get the best of us. Things become more important than God. It's like the old saying, "He who has the most stuff wins." But, really, when it's all said and done you can't take the stuff with you when the Lord calls you. It doesn't matter to Him when you're standing at Heaven's gate that you drove a fancy car, or wore the finest labels. And I'm not saying that doing those things is a sin. But allowing ourselves to get so caught up in those things to the point of losing sight of God is where the sin comes in.

How many of us are guilty of these things? I know I am, and as much as I want to be living in the fourth soil, I know I often am living in the third soil. I allow the sins like worry and busyness and materialism to seep into me. And I know I need to do a better job. When these things seep in...when the worry comes, the busyness, the materialism, the impatience, the one upmanship, Susan said we should ask God to replace those things with a fruit of the spirit. Ask him to grant you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control.

I'm working on doing these things so that I can live my life in the fourth soil. Will you?

Buyer Beware

Have any of you ever used the Blinc brand of cosmetic products? If so, I hope you did not have the same experience as I had had with them. Upon the suggestion of a friend, I ordered their mascara because it is supposed to be good for sensitive eyes, and so far, the only mascara I have ever found to not irritate my eyes has been Clinique. So, I figured I'd give Blinc a shot. It sounded pretty cool- the mascara goes on and forms tubes around your lashes, making it waterproof and smudgeproof. The claim was that no pieces would fall into your eyes while wearing it, therefore no irritation. And, all of that was true, I'll admit. Although, it didn't make my lashes as full as I would have liked, it was definitely waterproof and smudgeproof. So far, so good until I went to remove it last night.

According to their website, you should use warm water and gentle pressure and the tubes will fall right off, leaving no trace of the mascara. Um, yeah, okay. The tubes came off, BUT SO DID MY EYELASHES! After I finished removing the mascara, half of my eyelashes were gone. Not even kidding, they looked virtually nonexistent.

So, I emailed Blinc to tell them of my dissatisfaction. I mean, I paid $25 for a tube of mascara, and after one use, I will never use it again. And this morning, I get this response:

Hello Emily,

I am so sorry to hear that! I can understand how frustrating that must be and I can assure you that our product was never intended to do anything more than prevent eyelash loss. Since our formula does form tubes that are easily removed with water and pressure, when the right combination is used, it is much gentler on your eyelashes than a typical mascara would be. Especially when using make-up remover where you are constantly rubbing your eyes to remove an oil based eyeliner, with our mascara the more water you use the easier it is to remove our product with slight pressure.

If anything, I would suggest perhaps using more water when removing the mascara. Another great suggestion we have heard from customers would be to remove the mascara in the shower, simply allow the spray from the shower head rinse over your eyes and usually the amount of water and pressure being applied removes most of the tubes, if not all of the product.

I am sorry again and I understand how disappointing that can be, I hope you have better luck with our products in the future!

Have a great day!

Um, REALLY!? That's it? That's all I get? The insinuation that I did not properly remove the mascara and wish for me to have better luck with their products in the future?! Not gonna happen because I will NEVER use Blinc products again, and I'll tell anybody who will listen what happened and the response I got. Oh sure, the email was quite upbeat, but the spin that was put on it clearly made it seem like my fault when I did EVERYTHING just as they said to. No offer to refund me my money, no offer to make things right, nothing. It took all I had not to send a scathing response, blasting that customer service rep for all she was worth because, man, I was certainly mad enough to!

So, ladies, beware of the Blinc mascara. I am not the only one who has experienced eyelash loss- I googled it after what happened and, come to find out, other people have had this issue. Silly me for not reading some reviews before purchasing. I've learned my lesson.

Milestones

I am clearly not a milestones-oriented girl. Does that make any sense at all? If I read that sentence I wouldn't get it either. So, here's what I mean. I read all of your blogs, and many of you will do a post to commemorate your first date with your significant other. Others of you know the exact date of your first kiss. The date you became exclusive. The date of your first "I love you."

I read these and I am amazed because I don't know any of this. Sure, I know when WEG's and my first kiss was because it was the Saturday before Memorial Day three years ago. But a date? I'd have to pull out the calendar and look. I know where we went when we first went on a date, but when that happened...who knows?! And our first I love you...no clue whatsoever.

And the thing is, my mind is usually a steel trap. I remember everything! I can remember the tiniest of details. My friends call me when they are trying to remember something and it's driving them crazy because they know I'll remember. But, clearly, I do not put much stock in the actual date that something happened. It makes me feel a little weird. Like I am a bad girlfriend for not knowing the dates of all of our milestones. But then I realize, WEG certainly doesn't know them either....I'd bank on that.

Maybe we're just not that type of couple- couples come in all shapes and sizes, right? At least it's not a source of contention because one of us knows and the other doesn't. It doesn't hurt my feelings that he doesn't know because I don't know myself, and vice versa. I still love him just the same, and I cherish those special milestones, even if I don't know an actual date. That's all that matters, right?

Please tell me that some of you are like this, too, and I am not the only one!!

**Disclaimer: I in no way, shape, or form am a Clemson fan, despite the fact that I have taken a picture with Mr. Clemson Santa, himself. We are a house divided- just wanted to clear that up.

Ah, Phil, how you disappoint me

This morning, I woke up thinking Puxsutawney Phil might be kind to us this year and NOT see his shadow. But, alas, it seems like he ALWAYS sees his shadow. And, according to Wikipedia, I'm right. Since 1999, good ol' PP has only predicted an early spring two times. Those years were 1999 and 2007. Every other year it's been six more weeks of winter. On this rainy, cold day in South Carolina, I was hoping for a bit of good news from the dear old groundhog.

I'm ready to be wearing spring clothes...bright colors, more skirts, short sleeves...you get the picture. And like one of our morning radio show hosts said, I'm ready to be out at the ballpark on a warm, sunny day eating peanuts and watching the Gamecocks play.

Quite frankly, I've had enough of cold feet (well, cold everything), turtlenecks, heavy coats, and dry winter skin (mine is a nightmare!). But, six more weeks of winter is what we can look forward to, so let's all hope those six weeks go fast! I especially hope this for those of you who live in the snow covered North.

So, boo to you, Puxsutawney Phil. You may be my most unfavorite rodent ever.

**ETA: General Beauregard Lee, who resides in Stone Mountain, GA is apparently the Southeast's weather prognosticator. He is officially my favorite rodent ever because he has predicted an early Spring. Yes, I know that good ol' Phil is supposed to be the official one, but Mr. Lee is my choice today!