Still missed

This past weekend we celebrated Gmommys 85th birthday! We had a big party for her and everyone had a great time. One thing got to some of us and that was Gdaddys brother E.J. He looks so much like Gdaddy. My dad said he wanted to go up to him and say, "I know you're not Bud but just pretend like you are and give me a hug". Of course we still miss Gdaddy even after all this time but some times it just kind of hits you. How much you wish he were here for this moment. Wish he could hold you in his lap and tell you a funny story. Give you advice or tell you a Bible story. You want to walk in the den and see him asleep in his chair in his jumpsuit with a toothpick in his mouth. hahaha. He passed away the day after Gmommys birthday in 1999. So her birthday is always a great day but then the next we remember how we wish he were there to celebrate with us. Some day we will see him again.

A Love That Will Last - Renee Olstead

I want a love that will last

Renee olstead - When i fall in love (ft. chris botti)

25th Birthday!

Well I was at the lake all weekend with my girls so that was AWESOME! We had a blast! As always. Anyways Saturday night I stepped in an ant bed and got bit a bunch. Then I broke out in hives! Yes it was fabulous. I took some ibeprofen and 3 benadryl. Well the itching stopped and I passed out. Sunday when I woke up the hives were gone, I didn't itch any more however my right foot was swollen pretty bad. It didn't really hurt much though. Just sore when I walked on it. Which I walked around all day cleaning up the lake house. And then I drove an hour home. And remember you drive with your right foot. Yea that was fabulous also. So I took some more ibeprofen and benadryl Sunday night and come Monday morning (my birthday) my foot was throbbing and was still the same size. I went on to work cause I just sit there behind a table all day. Well the wonderful ladies that I work with got me a cake and sang happy birthday to me. The cake was soo good. I love the ladies at the election office. Their wonderful! My foot was still bothering me though and my mom was scared that maybe something else had bitten me as well as the ants so I called my allergy doctor and told them what happened. Well they called me back and said that I had a serious allergy to fire ants. So they called me in prednisone and . . . . an EPIPIN! Yes I now have 2 epipins in case I ever have an allergic reaction to something that stings me. ( I just pray that if for some horrible reason I do have to use it some day that there will be someone around that will jam it into my leg cause I don't think that I'll ever have the guts to do that ) Well after work I went to the pharmacy and picked up my meds and dropped by Brookes house. I had to take her something and when I got there she gave me some cup cakes and a birthday card. It was great! Shes one of my best friends I love her. Then I went home jumped in the shower really quick cause my foot was hurting, I had pizza and cookie cake with my parents and then I spent pretty much the rest of the night in my bed. lol So yea that was my 25th Birthday ! hahaha. . . It was actually pretty good considering things.

girls weekend 2012

This past weekend was our girls annual summer trip! We went to the lake and had a great time! Stephanie W. fell in a hole and sprained her knee. I stepped in an ant bed helping her out and got bit a whole bunch and then had an allergic reaction to the bites. It was great lol. My right foot is still swollen so the doctor gave me some prednisone. Anyways we all had a blast, swimming, tubing, joking around and catching up. It was a great weekend!

Well last weekend I had lunch with Betsy. She was just passing through town for a couple of hours. And Saturday I went swimming with Sarah, Chris, Ben and JD. We had so much fun and it felt so good being in a pool on such a hot day! Chris was cracking us up with his umbrella rigged up in the pool ladder in the shallow end. And he got Ben to bring him a bucket to sit on also. LOL. We also had a blast watching the guys do cannon balls, dives and attempting to flip off the diving board. Poor Ben was too young when they had a pool that he missed out on learning how to dive and some other fun jumps so we taught him some stuff lol. It was a great day and just what I needed.







Sunday I bought a new power cord for my laptop cause the one I had shorted out. Well this one lasted 15mins! So I was kinda freaking out that it might be my laptop instead. So Monday I took my laptop to the computer guys to see if it was my laptop or just a defective cord. Luckily my laptop is ok. My battery is dead and has to be kept out or else it might kill everything. And the power cord I had bought at walmart on Sunday was apparently defective. So I got a new cord from the computer people and took the crap one back. It was a big relief that I don't have to buy a new laptop.

I also hit a squirrel on Monday heading to work. It's the first time I've ever hit something and I made the mistake of looking back. Well it was terrible!!! The squirrel was in the road flailing about! I FELT HORRIBLE!!! Everyone was like "Casey you never look back!" Yes, thank you I know that now! That's really something they should teach in drivers ed or put it on the driving test. Seriously! I've been hunting several time before and I never felt bad but man I sure felt bad hitting that squirrel! I guess it's because when I went hunting they always fell over dead right then, it was immediate, whereas the squirrel was suffering. When I told my parents my mom was like awwwwww and my dad laughed. He did try to comfort me by saying that I probably didn't kill the squirrel. I just bumped it and he was confused and then ran off. This offered very little comfort cause I know what the thud sounded like when I hit it. It was traumatic. lol.

Accepting Responsibility

This is a picture my friend Brooke was able to take when we were at the mall on Monday. This man is sitting in the window of Areopostale, just sitting there. There was no one in the store. He wasn't waiting for anyone he had just picked the coldest store in the mall to sit in!


Taxes on Soda
This is an interesting article that isn't blaming soda per-say but asking for a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks that the proceeds would go to encouraging a healthier lifestyle, such as adding more bike lanes, and after school sports.

Blaming Vitamin D
"Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health released a study showing American youth are facing potentially severe health consequences from a lack of vitamin D, which is also known as the "sunshine vitamin." (http://www.naturalnews.com/025834_Vitamin_D_teens_health.html) " So what I'm taking from that is youth need to get off their lazy butts and get out in the sunshine! Drink some more orange juice! And talking about lack of vitamin D is to blame for Diabetes? People get diabetes from either it being hereditary or from being fat! If it doesn't run in your family then just eat healthy and you won't have a problem with diabetes. They also said, "also revealed an association between low vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease as well as type 2 diabetes. " Duh cause you need to get off your lazy butt and do something! "If vitamin D is the key to preventing and/or treating childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes the benefits could be enormous. " What?!?! SERIOUSLY?! NO the key is to feed your kids healthy food, get your kids up and doing things don't let them sit on the couch all day watching tv or playing video games. GET ACTIVE!

Schools to blame
They start off by talking about obesity rates in children ages 6-12. They say, " it is becoming increasingly difficult for students to make healthy food choices". Why are they giving children choices? When I was a child if someone had asked me what I wanted to eat it would be pizza every time! Their children they aren't going to make healthy choices! I will admit that schools could do better but if you don't like what a school is feeding your child make their lunch. It isn't the schools fault that children are getting fat. You don't have to let your children eat that.

Schools trying

Who should really step in and fix the problem

Pediatrician suggests taking children away
I love this article. I think that taking children away is of course extreme and there are more problems in foster care and defax they don't need more on their plate. But I think maybe he was just making a point that it's 100% the parents fault that their children are obese and it's the parents that should be blamed. He doesn't like that parents are taking the easy way out for their children by giving children surgery for their obesity. THEIR CHILDREN!!! The only surgery they might need is to have their tonsils out.

I also didn't approve of the author of this articles solutions. The author was still just blaming junk food and fast food companies and the media for pushing such food. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY IT! You have a choice to buy this crap or not.

Obese Police
A Pakistan police commander ordered that officers either lose weight or lose their jobs. He said that it isn't right that one officer has to take the responsibility of six. That being overweight they can't do their job. If they aren't able to run after criminals then they will be taken out of the field. I think this is a wonderful idea. There are so many police officers here in Albany and I'm sure all over the United States who are simply ineffective as police. They can't do their job because their obese. I have seen some who I can't believe they even fit in their cars! I am dead serious. It is that ridiculous. They should be taken out of the field and put at a desk and if their aren't any available positions for that then their fired. If you can't do your job then you shouldn't have it!

Strange ties

It's strange how people have some weird connection to each other. A mothers intuition, twins, family members, even close friends.

That moment when you have the sudden urge to call or text someone and it turns out their having a bad day or dealing with something and needed a friend.

Those creepy stories you hear about twins feeling things that the other feels, sensing when the other is in trouble or sad.

A mothers intuition when she can feel that something is going on with her child.

When my g-daddy was in the hospital many years ago, just one of his many trips to hospitals, and everyone knew that things weren't looking well. His memory was slipping and he couldn't keep memories/time straight. The doctors told everyone that he would be ok again like always and that it was ok if we go home. We were heading back to Albany, from Smyrna where they live, and we were probably half way there when my mom just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She didn't want to leave yet so we turned around and headed back up to Smyrna. G-daddy passed away that very next morning.

This little old lady that my dad was an attorney for and pretty much guardian over was in terrible health, physically and mentally. She had been in several different nursing homes because frankly she was not a pleasant lady and with her deteriorating mental state things just got worse. She was in and out of the hospital several times because of different health problems all stemming from old age though, like falling and breaking her hip. She was in her 90's! Well one night my dad suddenly woke up around 4am and just knew that something was wrong with her. Thinking that no one would answer a phone at that time and thinking that she was probably fine just got hurt or something again he waited till he got up around 8am to call. The nurse told him that she had passed away during the night.

things that annoy me

the only acceptable places to wear your pajamas is to bed or to the emergency room

if you have an appointment, no matter what it is, do not answer or cell phone. put it on silent and you can call them back. i guaranty that it is not a life or death phone call.

don't make an appointment that may interfere with other plans. don't make other plans that may interfere with an appointment.

just because you stepped outside doesn't mean that i cant hear every word you're saying.

don't get mad at someone else because you cant get an appointment tomorrow. its your own fault. you shouldn't wait till the last min.

what you think is an emergency, isn't. you can wait.

Memorial Day Weekend

Well my weekend was uneventful. I hung out with Brooke some, hung out with Brad some, made a new friend Robert (which I guess is a big deal cause I do not make friends easily, I don't like most people), got drunk txts one night, and I watched some movies. Nothing interesting to tell. However my parents had an interesting time taking my gmommy and mawmaw to Gatlinburg, Tn.

They left Thursday night headed up to gmommys. By the way mom left the oven on Thursday and I didn't know until Friday night. Luckily the oven turns off by itself apparently and it does still work. Anyways then Friday morning they left and picked up mawmaw and headed on up to Gatlinburg. Here's what you have to know about gmommy and mawmaw. Gmommy is perfectly capable of walking around and things like that but she has almost no short term memory, mawmaw can't walk around but has an excellent memory. So my parents were in for a crazy trip. Every restaurant they went to mom had to go with gmommy to the restroom because gmommy would forget where she is and get lost. One time they went into a store and gmommy stayed outside sitting on a bench. When they came back out she was gone! She had wondered off in search of some shade. They found her about a block down sitting on a bench that was in the shade. One day she was wanting to walk downtown but they knew mawmaw couldn't do that. So mawmaw stayed there and crocheted while mom and dad went walking with gmommy. They made it down the hill and maybe half way downtown before gmommy got tired. She wanted to sit and rest then go back to the condo. Well dad just went and got the car cause they knew it was going to be several hours before she was ready to walk again and there was no way she would make it up the hill to the condo. Not to mention that gmommy walks so slow turtles pass her. So needless to say my parents has a great time this weekend with their moms. lol.

an addiction

It's a chemical emotion why should we think that's it's any more than that? Why should we bother to try? Why get addicted to somethings that's only going to hurt you like any other addiction would?

Risky Romance

"In one small study, researchers looked at magnetic resonance images of the brains of 10 women and seven men who claimed to be deeply in love. The length of their relationships ranged from one month to less than two years. Participants were shown photographs of their beloved, and photos of a similar-looking person.

The brains of the smitten participants reacted to photos of their sweethearts, producing emotional responses in the same parts of the brain normally involved with motivation and reward.

"Intense passionate love uses the same system in the brain that gets activated when a person is addicted to drugs," said study co-author Arthur Aron, a psychologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook."

In Love Puts Workouts on Fast Track

"Brain scans of people in love show increased blood flow to regions of the brain associated with motivation. These same areas have been found to be activated in people, including athletes, who are intensely focused on pursuing a goal, Campbell said. But only one study had examined whether being in love affected athletic achievement.

The researchers questioned nearly 400 athletes (265 female, 133 male) using online surveys, and also interviewed 25 Olympic athletes in person.

The researchers provided the athletes with a definition of love, lest there be any confusion, and asked whether they had ever been in love, and if so, whether they thought their performance was better or worse because of it.

Fifty-five percent of athletes said they thought being in love enhanced their performance. Men were more likely than women to say being in love helped them in their sport."

Romantic Love is an Addiction

"Those who pine over a lost love might have a biological reason for their prolonged yearning. New brain research suggests getting over romantic rejection might be akin to kicking an addiction.

The study is one of the first to examine the brains of the recently broken-hearted who have trouble letting go of their relationship.

The researchers found that, for heartbroken men and women, looking at photographs of former partners activated regions in the brain associated with rewards, addiction cravings, control of emotions, feelings of attachment and physical pain and distress.

The results provide insight into why it might be hard for some people to get over a break up, and why, in some cases, people are driven to commit extreme behaviors, such as stalking and homicide, after losing love."

ALSO

• Brain regions known as the nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal/prefrontal cortex were also activated. These regions are known to be associated with intense cocaine addiction and cigarette addiction.
• There was also increased activity in the brain's insular cortex and the anterior cingulated, regions associated with physical pain and distress.

Well the 17th annual Social Security Run was last weekend and it was great! I had so much fun. My cousin Zack and I were in his 1915 Model T. We survived "Gun Country", death mountain, and freezing temperatures at night. hahaha. We went to the Wild Animal Safari which was probably the highlight of the weekend for me! I had a blast feeding the animals, mainly the giraffes. Saturday we went to several small old towns where most people went antique shopping. Zack and I just wondered around checking out the old buildings and trying to find ice cream. lol. I have no idea how much ice cream I ate that weekend. Saturday night is when the banquet was and it was alright. We laughed some, mostly at his dad dressed up as a matador. Over all it was a great weekend! I had so much fun.








Also more pictures from the weekend can be seen on my photography blog or on my photography facebook page.

Facebook page

Photography blog

Wild Animal Safari

Last weekend during the antique car club weekend we went to the Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, Ga. I HAD SO MUCH FUN! It was awesome.

the giraffe tried to steal this ladys cup.

me feeding the giraffe, by the way they slobber a lot

ostriches are very mean!

me feeding the camel

this is Eddie

I SEE YOU IN THERE!

I recommend everyone going here. It was great!