So, hi. It’s been far too long since I actually wrote here. I write A LOT of really funny posts in my head while I’m showering or running or driving around town, but by the time I get around to actually writing anything, the moment has passed.

Back in January, Emily at DesignHer Momma did a 48 questions meme. I emailed it to myself to remember to do it. Then in February, Marie from Life in a Tiny Town did a different meme, that I also emailed to myself. I admit, I do really love answering these things. In fact, I LOVE taking surveys, like  those shoppers surveys that come in the mail yearly. Every year, I carefully fill out the survey and then I put it in the shredder. That’s sort of weird, I guess, huh?

Onto more ME!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No. But interestingly, my middle name is Leah, but it’s actually pronounced “Lee.” I don’t know why either, MOM?

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Last night I cried watching Spirit of the Marathon. I LOVE that documentary, it’s so incredibly inspiring and relatable as a runner. It’s on Netflix or Amazon Prime, by the way, and I HIGHLY recommend it.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Not anymore. I used to have lovely handwriting, but since I rarely actually write anymore, my handwriting is terrible.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I guess ham, but really it’s not my favorite thing to eat.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yes and they are amazing sometimes.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I think so? I hope so. I want to be the type of person that people want to be friends with.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Uh? What do you think?

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes and they are fabulous.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER. So, that’s a no.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Bare Naked granola.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes. I don’t want to wear my shoes out too soon!

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Yes, particularly since becoming a runner.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
My favorite ice cream is vanilla when it’s served on top of warm pie or cobbler.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
How they relate to me and interact with me. Then I think about whether there’s a chance of friendship in there.

15. RED OR PINK?
Both.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I wish I was more outgoing and better at making conversation with strangers. I can be such a dud sometimes.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Family that lives far away.

18. WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?
Technique? Hmm. Well, I could use some help in the dog training area. My technique of hoping that Mae will one day wake up and be super obedient just isn’t working.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
I’m barefoot.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
I ate at Zoe’s Kitchen and had a chicken salad sandwich and roasted vegetables. Thanks Sarah for the lunch date!

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Fresh Air with Terri Gross.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Stoooopid question.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Clean laundry!!!!

24. HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS TO YOU?
Meh. The thing is, they are important to me, but I don’t care to share them with you because I know I won’t change your mind. Also because politics are so polarizing and I wouldn’t want to lose a friendship over them.

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?
Beach house! But we did go to the mountains to celebrate my birthday last weekend and stayed in a lovely cabin and it was terrific. Well, mostly terrific. I’ll have to tell you all sometime about the 1 a.m. trip to the ER with Ella that was a false alarm.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Baseball!

27. HAIR COLOR?
Very dark brown, especially since I just got my hairs did yesterday.

28. EYE COLOR?
Blue.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yes. And thanks to Mae, my glasses have teeth marks on the lenses so I have to wear my contacts every day.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Steak. Chips and Salsa. Nachos.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings. I used to love scary movies, but now I hate being scared!

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Argo. Very impressive, Mr. Affleck.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Cream-colored. From the Lauren Conrad collection at Kohl’s.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer!!! WHERE IS YOUR SISTER, SPRING, DAMMIT??

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Meh. Can’t I just have extra dinner? Oooh! Does wine count? Then wine is my favorite dessert.

36. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
Cardio, running specifically.

37. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
Both. I love TV in the evenings and the computer during the day.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote and 7 by Jen Hatmaker. Both are excellent!

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Seriously?

40. FAVORITE SOUND?
Silence.

41. FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC?
Looking at the music on my iPod makes me think I must like pop and Christian and hardcore rap.

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
The Bahamas.

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can belch like a man.

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Wichita, KS

45. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Near Knoxville

46. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?
Kind of a buttery cream inside and outside is gray.

47. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
Silver

48. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 48 QUESTIONS?
YES I DO!

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Meme #2!! I know that nobody is reading this far down! That’s okay. I understand!

Do you have any strange phobias? Not really. I mean, there’s a lot of things that I prefer to never have to do, but nothing that is debilitating. I hate ferris wheels. I worry about food safety and won’t eat something that’s been sitting out for even one second too long. I don’t like being lightly touched.

Do you sleep with or without clothes on? I hate sleeping naked. Haaaaate. It feels so weird to just let it all hang out.

If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Running.

Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? I’ve always liked Fleetwood Mac. And I really like Mumford and Sons. I don’t know, do I have to have a favorite?

Do you believe in karma?  I want to believe in karma because some people really deserve to get what’s coming to them (good and bad), but I don’t know that karma is a real thing.

Who is your celebrity crush? Justin Timberlake for being hilarious. His music is alright, though that’s not my main reason for hearting him so much. Also I love Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch), the character from Friday Night Lights. Jimmy Fallon.

What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? Sound I hate, I really don’t like anything high pitched or squeaky. (Probably why I don’t like hearing myself on a recording.) Love, silence. Or the sound of ocean waves at the beach.

Choose: East Coast or West Coast? MIDWEST, BAY-BY.

What was the last book you read? What I’m Talking About When I Talk About Running. It’s was pretty good, especially if you happen to be a writer and a runner.

Do you like the smell of gasoline? Is this, like, a thing? People like the smell?

Do you have any nicknames? Jenny. Jen. JD.

What was the last movie you saw? Argo (sorry, some of the questions are repeats.)

What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? I don’t know that this is an injury, per se, but my kidney stone at 37 weeks pregnant was absolutely the worst thing EVER.

What’s the last thing you purchased? A bunch of crap at Target. Seriously, I shouldn’t even walk in that damn store.

Can you touch your nose with your tongue? No and I’m okay with that.

Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Mae’s leash and crayons and a pot holder.

What’s your favorite animal? Dogs for house pets. Elephants for zoo animals. Dolphins for ocean animals.

What were you doing last night at 12 AM? Sleeping! But I hadn’t been asleep long since I stayed up late watching Spirit of the Marathon and DVR’d episodes of Justin Timberlake on Jimmy Fallon from last week. History of Rap 4! FTW!!

What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? I love songs that remind me of things or people. Of course, since I’m being put on the spot, I can’t think of a single example. Lame.

What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? To marry Tate.

What’s the last song you listened to? Something Beautiful by NeedToBreathe

What is your current desktop picture? Carson and Ella. This one actually:

You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? Invisibility! Or the ability to time travel. Invisibility because there are so many times I wish I could just be a fly on the wall and eavesdropping. I’m nosey like that. And time travel because, duh. It would be awesome to just experience a tiny slice of life in 1953. Or 1841.

You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? I’d re-experience that moment when you give birth and get to hold your brand new baby for the first time.

You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? We’re going to Hawaii! I’ve always wanted to go there and hope that someday it will work out that I’ll actually get to go instead of winning fake trips on my blog.

Braden wants to know 8 things about me, Ella. 

My really pretty Mommy talks way more about my brother, Carson, which is so completely unfair.  So here’s about 20 posts worth of super exciting tidbits about me.

Ella! 

1.  I’m in lurve (see how I know how to use the bloggy lingo!) with my thumb. 

2.  Just within the past few days, I’ve finally learned how to sit up and roll around the room.  My lovely Mommy thinks it’s great and is feeling a great sense of relief now that I’m coming out of my blobdem.

3.  I could watch my brother Carson all day long.  He’s so funny and entertaining.  I hardly cry when he snatches my thumb out of my mouth or drops Thomas on my head or pokes my eye.

4.  My favorite foods are booby milk, peas, green beans, squash, mixed vegetables, carrots, pears, applesauce, prunes, bananas, apricots, sweet potatoes, rice cereal, and oatmeal.  I don’t like avocado.

5.  I have the cutest hat in the whole, entire world…see…

My talented and charming Mommy wishes she had one, too.

6.  Lately I’ve been sleeping all night.  Naps are overrated in my opinion since I might miss something fun that my awesome and hilarious Mommy and Carson are doing. 

7.  Whoever invented the game “Patty Cake” should be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor or an Oscar or something.  I’d play that all day if my gorgeous Mommy would let me.

8.   I’m supposed to tag 8 people, but my smart and sassy Mommy says, “no,”  unless you’d like to play along, that is. Instead of tagging, I’ll give you one more picture of me looking cute.

I’m taking a hiatus from doing memes for awhile, but for one last hurrah, I’m doing this 5 things meme.

Auburn Gal Always tagged me for this one and since she’s one of my blogging bff’s, I wanted to end with hers…

5 things I want to do before I die:
1. Go to Hawaii and stay in a private bungalow, complete with butler, right on the beach
2. See my children’s’ children
3. Have thin thighs, either by exercise and diet or surgical removal of the lard firmly attached to my ass
4. Take a cooking class, preferably a private lesson with Alton Brown
5. Learn how to take a decent photograph

5 things I can do:
1. Belch like a man, you’re impressed, I’m sure. (You should be.)
2. Pick up things off the floor with my toes. Very handy when you have an infant who always seems to be nursing.
3. Poop in front of an entourage. Again, you’re impressed. Yadda yadda yadda.
4. French braid my own hair. Too bad it’s not 1982. It’s a worthless skill in 2007.
5. Sing the lyrics to most songs. Not well, though, the sound of my voice can be equated to the sound of a very ill peacock.

5 things I cannot do:
1. Run a 5K, but just you wait.
2. Use a brush to blow dry the hair in the back of my head.
3. Make a stollen the way my MIL can.
4. Watch movies where something bad happens to animals.
5. Eat raw onions. I also feel that nobody should eat raw onions. Not only are they disgusting, they make you stink. I’m calling my congressman about this very issue.

5 things that make a man attractive to me:
1. Sense of humor
2. Attention to the little details
3. Ability to fix things
4. Devotion to children
5. A large penis (Come on ladies, I’m NOT the only one.)

5 celebrities that I crush on:
1. David Beckham
2. Josh Duhamel
3. Alton Brown
4. Patrick Dempsey
5. George Clooney

This now concludes (for the time being) my relationship with the meme.

R.I.P.

Michele at I Got Two, Babe must be crazy.

She thinks I’m going to age! Ha!

I’ll be 29 forevah!

Oh wait, you all know that I’m 32. Shit.

So here’s a meme about me as an Old Woman.

When I am an Old Woman I hope to:

Travel. Travel to places with white sand beaches, crystal blue waters, and pina coladas. Travel to Ireland. Travel to Australia. Travel to Canada.

Have season ticket box seats to St. Louis Cardinals games.

Live close to my children and grandchildren.

Be healthy and fit. And beautiful (even with wrinkles and flab). And a breast lift.

Finally have read the classics instead of just having skimmed the Cliff Notes.

Volunteer my time to worthy causes for women and children.

Have a housekeeper and personal chef.

When I am an old woman I will not:

Be on a low-carb diet.

Offer assvice to those younger than me if they haven’t asked for it.

Own an RV. Or a Buick.

Guilt my children.

Become Old Lady Playgroupie to the neighbor kids.

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Jean at Working Momma 24/7 has me figured out.

I love to eat. I especially love to eat out.

She tagged me for a restaurant meme.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to name of person that tagged you.
2. Include state and country you live in.
3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.

Lower Alabama, US of A

I can’t do just local, as in Alabama local. I’d be remiss in not mentioning some of my favorite local haunts in my former residences.

Watch out, I’m a rule breaker!

1. Mexican Villa, Springfield, MO. You haven’t lived until you’ve had the Burrito Enchilada Style. Sure, those around you will be cursing you for the odors you’ll emit, but I swear it’s so worth it.

2. Trailhead Brewery, St. Charles, MO. I wish I could eat their chicken nachos everyday. So delicious, with multi-colored chips (which all taste the same, but they seem better than uni-color chips), beans, smoked chicken, cheese, black olives, and jalapenos. Oh and the beer! How could I not mention the beer first! I’m sorry, beer, you know I love you.

3. Calhoun’s. Knoxville, TN. Great ribs, spectacular Spinach Maria, and beer. A great place to go before University of TN football games.

4. Krekel’s, Decatur, IL. This place is a dive! Greasy burgers, fries, and milkshakes! No wonder I gained so much weight when we first moved to Decatur!

5. Big Ed’s Pizza, Oak Ridge, TN. The best pizza in the entire world. ENTIRE WORLD. I’m not even kidding.

The dilemma is now on who to tag. I know several of you are suffering from over-tagging, others of you covet the tag. I don’t know who does and doesn’t wish to be tagged so…

Here’s who I tag:

1. You
2. You
3. You
4. You
5. You (you didn’t think I’d forget you now did you!?!)