25 Things

I've seen other blogger friends do this and I enjoyed reading random/entertaining/bizarre things about them that I definitely didn't know beforehand. So I've compiled my own list. If you're bored and feel like reading some useless information about me, enjoy!

25 things you may not know about me...

1. I love snail mail. I prefer written notes and letters over the e-stuff any day. I have a box in my room filled with anything from notes passed in middle and high school to birthday cards and encouraging notes from friends. I get it from my dad, the writer in the family. Many of the notes in this box come from him.

2. I have a slight obsession with school supplies. The word 'slight' probably doesn't do it justice. Nothing makes me happier than freshly sharpened pencils, fresh markers, the perfect writing pen, and a sturdy pencil pouch. Target could hire me just to stand guard on the school supply aisle to attend to children in search of the perfect notebook. Glad I decided on the teaching field, I will always have a valid excuse for these purchases.

3. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue.

4. There are 3 foods I could eat all day everyday if it met the criteria for a balanced diet. The first, Kraft macaroni and cheese. No, not homemade. Leave the gourmet and give me the blue box. Second, peanut butter. It is my downfall. JIF Extra Crunchy, or the fresh ground from Whole Foods. Pretty sure I could never marry someone with a peanut allergy. Which leads me to my third, peanut M&Ms. If you wanna get real crazy, mix them with goldfish. Best. Combo. EVER. Portion and control are two words that become nonexistent the minute any of these foods are within reach.

5. I worked at Subway one summer. Yes, I had an apron that read "Sandwich Artist". It was an interesting experience to say the least. The smell bothers me to this day.

6. I chomp on ice like its my job. I don't like using straws because I can't get to the ice. I have never understood people who order drinks "hold the ice". Do they know what they are missing out on? I'm that annoying person...that asks for extra ice. My dream kitchen could be the size of a small closet with minimal counter or cabinet space; as long as there is a good ice maker, I am happy.

7. This sort of goes with #6. I am addicted to Sonic (and Sonic ice). I probably haven't eaten there in 5 years, but if I kept all of the cups from the drinks I get there, I could probably build a house of styrofoam. My mom and I share this fetish. Between the hours of 2 and 4 everyday, you could probably catch one of us at America's drive-in. Happy Hour, half price drinks, duh.

8. My first babydoll's name was "Bzzzzzz". Yes you are reading that correctly, like the sound a bee makes. I wanted to be original?

9. I have overactive tear ducts. After consistent watery eyes and a visit to the eye doctor, that was the diagnosis. When it is windy and cold, I sometimes look like a sad sob story, but don't be alarmed. Its just the tear ducts acting up.

10. I've broken and bruised my tailbone. It is one of the most painful things I've ever experienced and wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. I had to sit on a pillow at school for 4 weeks. It was in 5th grade. As if that stage of life wasn't awkward enough, let me carry around a pillow everywhere I go.

11. I have a terrible habit of picking my fingernails. It really is awful. I have exhausted every solution and nothing has ever worked. It drives my parents crazy.

12. I have never been to the tanning bed. I will never go to the tanning bed.

13. I am terrified of roller-coasters. Nothing about them is exhilarating or fun in my opinion. That free fall feeling has never been something I've had a desire to experience just for fun.

14. I love surprises. I have been known to plan my own. Ironic, I know. When I was in first grade, on April Fools' Day I wanted my dad to surprise me and play a prank on me. I begged him to do something funny and surprise me with a prank. When he wasn't cooperating, I took a box of toothpicks from the cabinet, emptied them into my lunchbox, and during lunch pulled them out and started laughing hysterically. I looked around and announced to the lunch table "My dad is SO funny! He totally surprised me with this prank and poured a whole box of toothpicks in my lunchbox!!!" Gosh...things I did for attention.

15. I love Christmas with all my heart, but Christmas music should only be played after Thanksgiving, not a second before. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and shouldn't be rushed by Christmas. Same goes for decorations.

16. I am a grammar nazi. My friends know this. Your and You're should never be confused, nor should their, they're, and there. Never end a sentence with a preposition. "Where are you at?" literally makes my skin crawl. Spelling, punctuation, and pronunciation...use it correctly. (I have my father to thank for this quirk).

17. I am 22 years old and have been braces free for 7 years and I still wear my retainer to bed every night. I am paranoid about my teeth. I broke my retainer last semester and drove 5 hours home and skipped a day of my internship just to get a replacement.

18. I was homeschooled for a few months when I was in 3rd grade. When we were in the middle of our move from Little Rock to Nashville, it was easier for my mom to homeschool us until we could start school in October. It wasn't a long period of time, but it was just enough for me. I hated every second. I love school and wanted organization and a schedule. My mother had other plans. She tried, she really did, but there is a reason she is an accountant (and a great one at that) and not a teacher. To this day I am not good at rounding numbers and I know it is because my mom and I never saw eye to eye on the concept.

19. I have song A.D.D. It is near impossible for me to listen to a song in its entirety.

20. I have had a recurring dream since I was little that I am running on a path on a steep cliff that drops off into a fast flowing river. Captain Hook is chasing me. He has yet to catch me. I still have this dream.

21. In high school my dad and I had a morning ritual. He came in every morning 30 minutes before my alarm would go off and ask me if I wanted 30 more minutes to sleep. Of course the answer was always yes. My alarm went off 30 minutes later, giving me a 5 minute warning, followed by the final alarm 5 minutes later. At the final alarm my dad would come in, sit on my bed and say "Good morning sweetie!"...My brothers never received this treatment. Oh the advantages of being the only girl.

22. I will always confuse the meaning of a zip code and an area code. I also still have to use a trick my dad taught me in 2nd grade to remember the difference between a nickel and a dime. I have to stop and think about both of these scenarios before acting on either.

23. When I was little I had imaginary parents. Most children have imaginary friends...I decided to take it a step further. I would literally excuse myself from the dinner table and announce that I needed to go eat with my "other" parents.

24. I love nothing more than belting out a good song while in the car by myself. When I pull up to a stop light or a stop sign I hold my phone to my ear and continue to sing. This gives people around me the the impression I am simply talking on the phone, not singing alone in my car.

25. One of my dreams is to visit all of the Spanish speaking countries before I die. There are 14. So far I have only been to three: Peru, Mexico, and Honduras.

Oh to be a freshman again...

A couple of weeks ago I said goodbye to my little (bigger than me) brother as he headed off to the loveliest village on the plains to begin his freshman year of college. My older brother and I have instilled in him the excitement, along with the jealousy, we have for him has he begins this journey. What I wouldn't give to be in his shoes. Freshmen year really was my favorite year of college. Everything is new and fresh and exhilarating. They don't call it Freshman year for nothing. You're getting a taste of living on your own, while still living off of your parents. Have you really thought about that...? Let's be honest, it doesn't get much better.

My sweet parents have been dreading this day for a while now, taking their last one to college, officially earning the title "empty nesters". I like to subtly remind them that I am back home, still living under their roof, still sleeping right across the hall from them....and still unemployed. That last one doesn't really help my case. Of course they are glad to have me here, but their last one has fled the coop and they are going through a phase in which they feel they must "redefine" themselves (their words, not mine). I can hardly say David's name without them getting emotional. I have also learned the hard way, that it is not yet appropriate to make jokes about him being gone. The day they got back from moving him in, I tried to lighten the mood with "One good thing about Dave being gone is that the bathroom stays a lot cleaner!" I immediately regretted my words. My mom quickly rebutted "I'd rather have a dirty bathroom and David here than a clean one with him gone!" I learned my lesson. Too soon for jokes.

He really is doing great though and is loving Auburn so far. Thanks to the newest Facebook addition, video chat, I got to see his smiling face a few days ago. He is still making time for his sister, and for that I am thankful. I'm so proud of him and know he is going to love it down there.

The day my parents returned from moving him in, I sat in the kitchen with them and soaked up their somber moods. I tried to be understanding, but knew their wasn't much comfort I could give them. I had pretty much worn out the "Hey, at least I'm still here!" line. My mom told me that after having moved all three of us into college, not one of us turned back after they said goodbye to us. I tried to explain the emotions I had when I said goodbye to them. Of course I was sad, but the feeling I had of excitement and freedom cannot even be described. I remember walking back up the stairs to my new dorm room, my new roommate, my new home, after saying goodbye to my parents; and being absolutely thrilled about starting a new chapter. I barely knew a soul, I had no idea what to expect, I had one friend-my roommate, but I was on my own, and felt like I was starting with a blank slate. The thought of meeting new people and living in a new place excited me! I explained it to my mom as "playing house". I grew up with a very girly imagination. I played house and school on a daily basis. I used to pretend the upstairs was my apartment. So when I had my own dorm room, I felt as if I was playing house, for real!

I know David of course wouldn't describe his new adventure as I would. Playing house was never really his thing, unless I made him play with me. But I do hope that this beginning is just as thrilling for him as it was for me. No year compared to freshmen year for me, and I hope he will soak up every second.

After 4 years, you could say I accumulated quite a bit of "stuff" that now sits in the basement. This contributed to one of my dad's greatest goals for moving David to college; that he would be a minimalist. I think they did pretty well. Here are some pics of David's new room/move-in day, and mine from 4 years ago. My how boys and girls differ.

All of David's friends the night before he left for Auburn

The newest Empty Nesters moving their last one to college. 

Dave's new humble abode. Such a boy-minimal decoration

My sweet friends the morning I left for Auburn- August 2007

Move In Day!! August 2007

Lindsey and I on our first night in our new room

Wranglers, Buckaroos, and other ambiguous bathroom signs

I went to dinner with my 2 newest roommates Friday night...my mom and my dad. I could be the poster child for "moving back in with parents post college". My mom jokingly called me a "boomerang" one night to some friends that were over for dinner. "She leaves and then she just comes right back!" were her words exactly. She thought her joke was hilarious. I refuse to let her live it down. Her response is always the same "you know i didn't mean it like that sweetie!" Ah yes, they are thrilled to have me back. I dine with them regularly, find myself sitting in the den with them chatting on week (and weekend) nights, making occasional grocery trips with them, and attending park concerts. One night we were at the grocery store, after eating dinner out just the three of us, and my dad looks at me and says "You know you've hit a new low when the highlight of your night is going to the grocery store with your parents". Thanks Dad. Love you roomie.

Back to my original start of the story--dinner Friday night. We went to a new restaurant that just opened in this area called Tazikis. They have locations in Birmingham and it has always been one of my favorite places to eat when I'm there, so I was thrilled when I found out we were getting one. I highly recommend it if you like Greek/Mediterranean food! Anyways...before we left I went to use the restroom. The first door I come across says "GODS" with a very vague picture of some Greek figure in the clouds. I decided I needed to see what the next door said, not sure if the "GODS" door was for me. The next door read "GODDESSES". Thinking this must be my door, I see a similar picture to that of the "GODS"--a very indistinct Greek figure in clouds. Now I know I should have obviously known I was considered to be a Goddess, but why the need for themed gender signs? When I have to use the restroom, the last thing I want to have to do is stand in front of two doors and analyze words and pictures to determine which door I am to enter. There are some things in life that are just better off simple.

Gods and Goddesses...you're probably thinking "that isn't all that bad, anyone would know that". Let me just say this, when you come to two doors, and when you have to go to the bathroom, expecting to see clearly marked "MEN" and "WOMEN" signs, with no expectation of having to think about what gender you might be, the pressure amounts. The consequences of choosing the wrong door would not be fun...for you, or for the God or Goddess already inside. I am convinced they have hidden cameras above some of these confusing door signs and at the end of the day, staff gathers to view and laugh at very confused people.

Some restaurants even use different languages. I won't get political here, but this is America. If restaurants choose to label their doors with foreign words, they should at least use very distinguishable universal gender pictures that give an obvious sign to the (already stressed out and confused, English speaking) customer.

There really isn't a solution to this occasional dilemma for the public bathroom user, just a word to the wise; Use good "gender judgement" when determining your respective bathroom verdict. Some doors don't even provide words, only pictures. So be prepared to use your best artistic abilities to decide which picture best depicts you. You never know when you might have to decide if you are: a lad or a lass, a prince or a princess, a chica or a chico, and my personal favorite--a wrangler or a buckaroo. If I came to two doors labeled with those last two "genders" I would walk out, find my nearest gas station and give a huge sigh of relief at the sight of two familiar words: MEN and WOMEN.

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of just what I am talking about.

We aren't even a living thing...we must decide which shoe we are.

Lions....really?

Beetles must be men because they aren't as pretty as butterflies...naturally.

I've always wanted to decide which accessory I'd be!

Sooooo obvious....

I'd love to know how many people have gotten this one wrong...

No "hens" just "chicks"...hmmm

I mean really...

Because women always wear hair bows and all men wear bowties, this should surely be obvious.

The way it should be. Simplicity at its finest.

Take a dip...yummm!

Coming from a family that loves both football and food, we are always looking for new and delicious recipes that are great for tailgating. This recipe comes from my favorite Food Network celeb, Paula Deen. And believe it or not, there is not a stick of butter in this recipe! I made it for a tailgate for my older brother and his friends last year and they loved it. I changed it up a little bit and added a few things. This is an easy dip that is great with chips as an appetizer and also delicious served over grilled chicken as a meal. It is also good even just eaten by the spoonful! I love it because two of my favorite ingredients are in it--black beans and avocados! There is nothing I love more than chips and salsa!

Here is Paula's recipe, and at the bottom how I change it up...

Black Bean Salsa

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (17-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
2 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1/8-1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespooon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Cover and chill overnight. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more lime juice as necessary.

*I like to add different kinds of beans. I will add a can of garbanzo beans or kidney beans, or both. You just have to add a little more lime juice and red wine vinegar depending on how much you add to the basic ingredients. Also, to prevent the avocado from browning, chill the dip without the avocado and add it right before you serve it. That way it stays fresh and won't brown. Enjoy!

A Dream (isn't always) a Wish Your Heart Makes...

There is a song in the Disney classic, Cinderella, called "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes". The first lines of the song go like so:

A dream is a wish your heart makes,

When you're fast asleep.

Well to put it simply, I beg to differ.

I have been known to be an "unusual sleeper" by my family and friends ever since I was little. I have always had a personal goal of going to sleep in one position and waking up the same way with no sign of movement. I have placed my pillows certain ways and tucked my comforter underneath me to test this. When I wake up, if everything has remained still, I have done it. I have yet to achieve this goal. As a matter of fact, when I went to college I finally stopped using a top sheet and just used my comforter. It has been a battle I've been trying to win with my mom for years, but she has always insisted when making beds a top sheet is necessary. For me it is more of a hassle. There is nothing fun about having to retrieve it from the heap that it is in at the end of my bed on the floor every morning and tuck it back in. It is cyclical. And annoying.

I also slept with my parents quite a bit when I was younger. I can remember laying in bed trying to come up with excuses as to why I needed to get in bed with my mom and dad. I guess you could say I've never been good at making up excuses. Every night was the same story; "Mom, Dad, I had a nightmare about sharks can I sleep with you?" Original, huh? After sleepless nights (for them), giving occasional bruises to both of them from my active sleep, and of course the final straw; giving my mom a bloody nose from a violent (innocent, mind you--I was asleep) punch in the face; it was time to do something.

My mom took me to a "sleep doctor" (not sure of the medical terminology) where they ran some tests and monitored my sleeping behavior. I don't exactly remember what was decided, but they prescribed me to some pills that I was to take every night before I went to bed. Finally, things calmed down a little bit and we had no more casualties.

I stopped taking the medicine and as I got older I was still a mover in my sleep, but not nearly as violent.  Talking in my sleep was the new thing. And it came at the age when sleepovers were the thing. From giving step-by-step lessons on how to play baseball, to performing a Backstreet Boys concert from a sleeping bag, my sleep talk was always the topic of conversation the following morning. I thought I had outgrown this as well, but in college when 4 of us slept in the same room, 2 of us (both sleep talkers) would actually have conversations in the middle of the night. The 2 non sleep talkers thoroughly enjoyed these nonsense exchanges.

Fast-forward to high school. My senior year I took Psychology, one of my favorite classes ever taken. I was excited when I found out we would do an entire unit on sleep. Maybe I could make sense of some of my behavior. We were required to keep "dream logs". I have also been known to have very strange dreams, and I can almost always remember them down to every last detail. She told us to keep the log beside our bed with a pen. If we put it there every night, we would be more likely to remember the details of the dream because subconsciously we would remember we needed to write it down. (Do this if you want to remember your dreams, it really does work). We were to write down everything we remembered when we woke up. We did this for one week. We spent class time using books and other resources to analyze our dreams and try to find hidden meanings. My pages were filled. After turning in our logs and after our teacher reviewed them, upon returning them she stopped at my desk and told me that I had some of the most odd dreams she had ever read in her teaching career.

This is what brings me to the Disney song. A dream is not always a wish your heart makes, Cinderella. My dreams aren't always about happiness, love, pretty things, and people I care about. More often than not, they are weird, random, have people in them that I am mere acquaintances with, and just all over the place. My heart didn't wish for those things, nor do I want these strange dreams/occurences to come true.

Here is the type of dream I am known for. I am known for it because it doesn't just affect me, it affects the person who plays the role in the dream. I will have a dream in which a certain scenario takes place and one of my family members or close friends will do something that irritates me, hurts my feelings, or makes me angry. These dreams never end with closure. I always wake up right when the irritated, hurt, or angry emotion hits me. You know that feeling when you wake up and you sort of feel like you're in limbo or in two places? You don't know what is a dream and what is reality. You're not sure if you actually kissed Brad Pitt, or if you dreamed it. This means when I wake from the slumber after this non-closure kind of dream, there is a poor, innocent, person; someone that is dear to me, that I will feel hostility towards until I realize that it was a dream. Sadly, the person involved is always a close someone: family or good friend.

Example. (You're about to understand how ridiculous my dreams are) I had a dream that in order for my friends and I to go on a roadtrip to an away football game, we had to have a variety of different vaccines. Needles. Shots. A.K.A. my worst nightmare (pun intended). After finding out from Auburn's football coach that the vaccines were optional, I was ecstatic. My mother still insisted I get them. None of my friends had to, but I would be getting 35 shots. Excessive much? She dragged me to the doctor's office, with me screaming and flailing my whole body behind her (that part isn't entirely dreamed up, that situation actually happened once). We got in and all I could see was the needles. I was furious she was making me do this. How dare her. Then I woke up. I woke up angry with her and it actually took a while for me to remember why I was mad at her, and unrightfully so. She is a saint for putting up with my sleep antics. I guess she learned to accept it after the surprising fist in face mid-sleep years ago.

Sadly, it doesn't stop with my mom. I actually went an entire day once ignoring one of my good friends, because I was under the impression she had told me she wouldn't hang out with me if I wore purple nailpolish. Some friend.

Ok so for real, my purpose for writing this...Family, friends, loved ones; take note. I am known to have very bizarre, nonsense dreams. If I think about you regularly or spend time with you often, you may very well be involved. Sometimes it may be happy thoughts, other times not so much. Just remember, it was only a dream. Oh, and if you think I'm acting unusually bitter or angry towards you, maybe ask me what I dreamt the night before. You could have been the innocent, involuntary source of my emotions.

And don't listen to Cinderella, those are not the wishes my heart is making, I promise. I mean let's be serious, she wore glass slippers. That isn't even practical.

They went to the chapel...and they got married!

After 22 years of being the only McKinney sister (in the middle of two boys), I was honored to welcome another on June 18th when Krista married my older brother, Daniel.

I’d like to first brag on myself for a second and say that 4 years ago, when I was a freshman at Auburn, I predicted the future and foresaw the ceremony that took place a couple of weeks ago. It is actually written and signed on a piece of paper somewhere...let me explain. My senior year in high school, on my 18th birthday I was in Auburn for a football game. Daniel and some of his buddies were having a bonfire that night at their house. I was immediately greeted with a hug and a birthday cake by a girl I didn't recognize. This mystery girl introduced herself as Krista, one of Daniel's good friends. Gifts and a very impressive introduction...I was onto her. My suspicions rose once I got to Auburn. My freshman year I got accepted to a freshmen program joined with the SGA called Tiger Tuesdays. None other than the mystery birthday cake girl, Krista, was the director of the group. At the time she and Daniel were not dating, but i had a slight inkling that something was in the mix. The year went on and she and Daniel were hanging out more, I went to lunch/dinner with her often (again, earning my love I'm sure) and sure enough, by Thanksgiving, they were dating. 

At our final meeting in April, Krista had our freshmen group fill out a “Life Goals” form, which of course caused everyone except for the over achievers to roll their eyes. One of the blanks read “In 10 years I______”. Just to be funny I filled in the blank and the sentence read “In 10 years I will be at Daniel and Krista’s wedding and I will call Krista my sister in law.” I may have been a little off with the years, but my prediction has been proven correct. She doesn't have to earn my approval anymore, she's in.

All of the wedding festivities were wonderful and it was such fun celebrating Daniel and Krista. I believe they are two of the most humble and selfless people I know and having the opportunity to show them the love and respect they deserve, and shower them with encouragement and blessings was so special. It was only fitting of course to get the party started on Thursday with a wedding weekend kickoff at the Nashville Sounds Game. Friday was full of bridal and groom activities with golf and luncheons respectively. Friday night was rehearsal, which was the first time it actually sunk in that this was happening. Being in the church and practicing walking down the aisle was the slap of reality. Rehearsal was followed by a lovely dinner which consisted of delicious food, a slideshow, and memories and toasts for Krista and Daniel. It was a true testament to both of them to hear words from their friends and family, and even moreso when they spoke on behalf of themselves thanking everyone for being there and being a part of their special day. As I mentioned before, they are always thinking of others and wouldn't have it end on any other note, but one that was thanking others for sharing this with them.

I told my parents I didn't want to go to bed that night, because I knew when I woke up on the day of the wedding, all of the day's festivities would begin instantly, just as they would end. However, our goal for the weekend was to enjoy every minute. And as my dad had said, there would be no "joy robbing". I'm happy to report I believe we came out with all of our joy that we began with, and then some. The ceremony was perfect. They are the most well suited couple and it was so obvious when you saw their beaming smiles and the look in their eyes. I am very thankful for the way they positioned the bridesmaids on stage. I had a prime time spot. Not only did I get to see Krista gracefully walk down the aisle with her sweet dad, but I also got to see the look on my brother's face when the doors opened and when he saw his bride. I'll never forget that moment. 

After a beautiful ceremony, they were pronounced man and wife, and it was time to celebrate! All of the wedding party piled onto a shuttle and we headed to the reception. Of course there was the traditional announcement of the wedding party, the first dance, father-daughter, mother-groom, the cake, the throwing of the bouquet and garter, and all that jazz. But the send-off really was the best part. Daniel and Krista had requested Auburn shakers to be used as they drove away. I'm not sure what my expectations were for this, but they were far exceeded. For any Auburn fan, you would have truly felt like you were in Jordan Hare (okay...maybe an exaggeration, but you get the idea). The send off was a party in and of itself. One of the groomsmen took the role of the mic man, and led us in Bodda Getta, Two Bits, the Fight Song, and any other Auburn cheer you can thing of. And with the grand exit of the bride and groom, a big "WAAAAAAR EAGLE, HEY!" that Daniel, so appropriately ended before he got in the car and was off with his new wife. 

The photographer was UH-MAZING, and actually just posted some pictures (Part One) and can be seen on her website. Katie Painter Photography: Daniel+Krista Pt. One and below are a few of mine from the weekend. Enjoy, these precious newlyweds are sure to bring a smile to your face!

WAR EAGLE!