tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11343981760945783312023-11-16T00:33:30.035-06:00Susie's On the SceneSusie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-63125035491879112912016-11-06T18:36:00.003-06:002016-11-06T18:38:45.588-06:00I Need to be Reprogrammed ~ #NaNoWriMo 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwFu1wXUPtRIqQQEb8x5q9ve2kTDlWgsSvt8voSgMNCNk0pB7RdK_DJG4XR8mKF7QGkROzWjAKg4tR1JhZ5CHyZ2l7eESa2E_bPI-TThNL37Ry-Pm1hPRnexdNWPRCBMzN5Hr_2iAdgvy/s1600/duh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwFu1wXUPtRIqQQEb8x5q9ve2kTDlWgsSvt8voSgMNCNk0pB7RdK_DJG4XR8mKF7QGkROzWjAKg4tR1JhZ5CHyZ2l7eESa2E_bPI-TThNL37Ry-Pm1hPRnexdNWPRCBMzN5Hr_2iAdgvy/s320/duh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's as if everything I have learned about writing has been deleted from my brain. I forgot all of the lessons I have learned about writing stories and blog posts and sometimes even text messages. The freaking day job and the kid have me all screwed up. My attempt to having a dating life sucks too but that's a story for another day.<br />
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I have this great master outline example from <a href="http://www.betternovelproject.com/blog/master-outline/" target="_blank">Better Novel Project</a>. It would be awesome if I could make myself sit down and come up with plot points from my story to basically fill in the blanks so I can keep the story going. But it's so hard.<br />
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Being a pantser is hard but plotting every little scene ahead of time isn't something I can do either. That's why I've been kind of plotting as I go along, sort of hybrid between pantser and plotter.<br />
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I really don't know how I would ever be a full time author with my attention span issues. I guess I would have to go to the library or rent office space somewhere to get things done. I even thought about renting a room for an hour in a seedy hotel every week or two so I can write. Seedy doesn't bother me much since most of the stuff I write about is pretty naughty.<br />
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I would be totally winning all the way around if I had the discipline to write all year round and not just during <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a>. Being one of those people that would never get anything done without a goal is my problem. Of course I could always do the <a href="https://campnanowrimo.org/sign_in" target="_blank">Camp NaNoWriMo</a> too so I would be working on a story three times a year instead of just once. Or I could just be a really smart person and set my my own goals but eh...<br />
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Good luck to all of the other NaNo-ers out there. Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-23715600497452044892015-01-31T21:27:00.001-06:002015-01-31T21:27:16.039-06:00Blogging Finale ~ 31 Day Blogging Challenge<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub_pw0jhW7TxOQd9CeTXGaUuDpqCRnHF4dHOEhpD7M-m_kmRegcmAEasO9xOgEQGW6NMh3XDyWmWU9b2I04kc1D6Kt0s213F7Gphc84Ygq55WHLIKOVgQO_43O0tp2l0Gk24FIp6bkWXz/s1600/Finale_Type.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub_pw0jhW7TxOQd9CeTXGaUuDpqCRnHF4dHOEhpD7M-m_kmRegcmAEasO9xOgEQGW6NMh3XDyWmWU9b2I04kc1D6Kt0s213F7Gphc84Ygq55WHLIKOVgQO_43O0tp2l0Gk24FIp6bkWXz/s1600/Finale_Type.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from finalemusic.com</td></tr>
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To be honest, I almost forgot about my last blog entry for the month. This is the most writing I've done in a long time. I wasn't even this consistent this past November during NaNoWriMo. It felt good being about to stick to a goal no matter what.<br />
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No matter what type of mood I was in, even when I didn't have much to say, I still made myself write. In a way, this felt like a glimpse into the professional writing life that I want. Dedication is the key. <br />
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I may take a week from writing to gather my thoughts then I'm going to dive into editing and rewriting. As I mentioned in previous posts, I still plan to blog once a week. If all I have to talk about is my word count, that's what I'll do. Consistency is another key.<br />
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Thank you to those that have read my blog posts. Even if you only read one or two, I appreciate that. Maybe I'll do another one of these challenges some time this year. Gotta get one of the 7 works in progress complete though. Yeah, I've been at this for a long time. But I'm tired of this just being a hobby, I'm ready to put in the work. Hard work is yet another key.<br />
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I'm going to take all these keys and open the door to something great. I can feel it.<br />
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Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-48193389046146549002015-01-30T20:00:00.000-06:002015-01-30T20:00:19.257-06:00Just because ~ Gift giving<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8llT9H_r9ygpXzJoyXHIHXZFTzH8bKIfIFbpnNkQLZgHs-B-YjZSFapKsFjTB8yd7rQBLQhqITcsXEvSNbDUPUjigFfKrba6UVk5NIsQNLvTYPwJBvaFCditR7KwLHPufIg6Nqo09qUph/s1600/cbed19b61f44318a3292f9e069158199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8llT9H_r9ygpXzJoyXHIHXZFTzH8bKIfIFbpnNkQLZgHs-B-YjZSFapKsFjTB8yd7rQBLQhqITcsXEvSNbDUPUjigFfKrba6UVk5NIsQNLvTYPwJBvaFCditR7KwLHPufIg6Nqo09qUph/s1600/cbed19b61f44318a3292f9e069158199.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from pinterest.com</td></tr>
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Almost a decade ago, before I had my son, I used to craft all kinds of things for my coworkers. Every month I made items with each person's name on it to hang outside of their cubicles. I did that for a couple of years until people started getting on my nerves. </div>
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Some of those projects got pretty pricey but I didn't mind because I wanted our area to be cute and I wanted to make my team happy. Unfortunately, I started having people that complained when their item didn't look exactly like someone else's. I thought that was dumb because I thought everyone wanted one of a kind items. <div>
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Similar but different.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from petalstopicots.com</td></tr>
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After a couple of crazy comments I asked if they wanted to contribute to the decorations if they wanted everything to look a certain way. Maybe three people gave me a couple of dollars that next month. After that I never got anything so I stopped doing it.</div>
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Now that I'm in another team, I've watched these folks for a year and a half and they seem to be more appreciative. I may not do projects every month but I'm going to start with Valentine's Day and see how things go. I wanted to start with birthdays but a lot of us take vacation days on our birthdays so things may get kind of crazy trying to reschedule the gift giving and whatnot.</div>
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Sometimes it sucks to go to work so I try to boost everyone's morale. I get a boost just by seeing happy faces so it's a win/win.</div>
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Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-52545444907678408742015-01-29T21:26:00.000-06:002015-01-29T21:26:31.206-06:00What Are You Doing Super Bowl Sunday?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RlAxRn79MJUD7YYH9XaJnMm6Ex94NysDlaY46U3cXZjMBg03qO7oIO_a9LTNE1VmeQZsj1nyYnQhFATaQSGUbzzWZyCLSKyUUk9vnO6Y8Sh-8rmKLu1vzQjWRa3AxlzEfB32DEkaHLBX/s1600/Super_Bowl_XLVIII_Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RlAxRn79MJUD7YYH9XaJnMm6Ex94NysDlaY46U3cXZjMBg03qO7oIO_a9LTNE1VmeQZsj1nyYnQhFATaQSGUbzzWZyCLSKyUUk9vnO6Y8Sh-8rmKLu1vzQjWRa3AxlzEfB32DEkaHLBX/s1600/Super_Bowl_XLVIII_Logo.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from pixshark.com</td></tr>
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With the Super Bowl coming up, one of my coworkers suggested that everyone in our group wear a jersey or t-shirt in support of our favorite NFL team. Of course she didn't tell us this until today before we all got off work. Many of us aren't really football fans, so we don't just have paraphernalia lying around. I have a Steelers cap only because I was aggravating my Cowboy fan cousins at a party we had a few years ago.<br />
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Since I'm silly, I asked if I could wear my son's Seahawk comforter. That's not going to happen but I was just thinking out loud. <br />
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I decided that I'm going to wear a black shirt and black jeans with my Steelers hat and black and yellow sneakers. This will only be the second time I've worn the darn thing. I told my son that I will buy us both Seahawk shirts and hats after the Super Bowl.<br />
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Remember when I latched on to the Memphis Grizzlies just because they are the home team? Well the Tennessee Titans are the home football team but they suck, so I can't get jiggy with them.<br />
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Back in the day, I used to go to Super Bowl parties just for the heck of it. Since I've had my son, no one has invited me to any. Probably because they figured out that I could care less about the game and I was only there for the snacks. I may make some food for us to snack on during the game this year. Lord, please don't let the kid get mad when I hop on my Ipad to watch The Walking Dead.<br />
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What are your plans for the Super Bowl?<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-3032279210320758192015-01-28T21:39:00.003-06:002015-01-28T21:39:39.652-06:00Tax Time: Do You Live for Your Refund?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qfdyYygSBo45aDFpu1rELjXFci3TvOvdOLI9FxY5t93-il3xf1VDaBK68etrUONuBeHeleCwcb-PAOPfAsOg2azCOJzNeuyssxAYpHDHpH9smkPeWNKpW5GHP-CXG5hMtZldGLiD2S_h/s1600/tax-refund-a.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qfdyYygSBo45aDFpu1rELjXFci3TvOvdOLI9FxY5t93-il3xf1VDaBK68etrUONuBeHeleCwcb-PAOPfAsOg2azCOJzNeuyssxAYpHDHpH9smkPeWNKpW5GHP-CXG5hMtZldGLiD2S_h/s1600/tax-refund-a.bmp" height="263" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from earhustle411.com</td></tr>
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It took me up until last year to stop being one of those people that "live" for tax refund time. Yes, I used to be one of those people that rushed to do my tax return so I could get my refund during the first run of deposits. I used to always have to catch up on bills and buy or repair a car. Some of the funds went to shopping but not much, cause I'm always balling on a budget.<br />
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I remembered something my dad had told me years ago, "I don't need the government to hold my money for me." What he meant was that he liked getting his money throughout the year and breaking even or only owing a small amount when it was time to file his tax return. It took me 20 years to do it but I went in and changed my W-4 so I would get more of my check each pay day. There's a calculator on Irs.gov that I used to keep up with what I paid in federal tax and what I will have to pay by April 15, if I didn't make changes by December 31.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from money.usnews.com</td></tr>
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This year I will have a small balance to pay but next year I plan to break even, they won't owe me and I won't owe them. Which is great to me. I've gotten to the point where I can save money on my own and I hope to continue to do so. My savings account actually has more than $50 in it for a change and it feels good.<br />
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I don't think I'll miss getting refunds because I was never one of those people that got those extra large refunds of $4,000 or more. I wasn't hounding the mail man or the teller at my bank about when my money was coming. No going on Facebook crying about how much I need my money to keep my lights from getting cut off or my car from getting repossessed.<br />
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Freedom from yelling, "I want my money and I need it now," feels so good.<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-6005166931341132842015-01-27T21:14:00.000-06:002015-01-27T21:14:42.855-06:00Questions I Often Ask Myself<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL789n7RwwdNTlSYMBBiyPqegZ_INaYKb94Vy5YjnAsxO9uYOvNuQQ-ujAk4DLBRiJRxi5c4qXceVSyz-LzBKMr-8cV8xP88Y9XSM-813sK74LuFJpP8zKIH19_oOApnX_nfYJj8iSXqXX/s1600/3D-Small-People-Questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL789n7RwwdNTlSYMBBiyPqegZ_INaYKb94Vy5YjnAsxO9uYOvNuQQ-ujAk4DLBRiJRxi5c4qXceVSyz-LzBKMr-8cV8xP88Y9XSM-813sK74LuFJpP8zKIH19_oOApnX_nfYJj8iSXqXX/s1600/3D-Small-People-Questions.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from pearlharborwebsite.com</td></tr>
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What if...<br />
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<ul>
<li>We could put ourselves in the dryer for 10 minutes and come out three sizes smaller?</li>
</ul>
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<li>We could vaccum the fat out of our bellies and inject it into our butts? </li>
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<li> We could donate part of our DDD+ breasts to people that are not happy with their B cups? </li>
</ul>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li> Healthy fruits and vegetables were just as cheap as Value Meals?</li>
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These are just four of the many questions that occur to me on a regular basis. I guess if the first three things were possible, we wouldn't need number four. Of course if I could afford to eat right everyday I wouldn't get all of these supersized body parts that I want to shrink or donate to the less fortunate.<br />
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I also wish I could wiggle my nose like Bewitched and instantly have the body that I want. Now that would be awesome. I would also transport myself places so I won't have to deal with traffic, but that's another story.<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-71619919869896662292015-01-26T20:41:00.000-06:002015-01-26T20:41:15.816-06:00Sleepiness or Procrastination? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GR4xuxIM5bsl5Vcu3N3ZE2_UNSg13XZPQ6YR8UZJWKeDA7KvaeJpYhmCbBl4wpaysR97jCLaeI7abbTS9n7-VC3WMJZuqpkqTH22JOj0KM1cc7-Ljeh1S9i9EJ0u7jQ0UNRv9y6vjTdG/s1600/RTEmagicC_sleeping_student_02.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GR4xuxIM5bsl5Vcu3N3ZE2_UNSg13XZPQ6YR8UZJWKeDA7KvaeJpYhmCbBl4wpaysR97jCLaeI7abbTS9n7-VC3WMJZuqpkqTH22JOj0KM1cc7-Ljeh1S9i9EJ0u7jQ0UNRv9y6vjTdG/s1600/RTEmagicC_sleeping_student_02.jpg.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from thenakedscientists.com</td></tr>
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Why is it that when I'm sleepy, that's when I have all kinds of things I need to get done? When I'm wide awake, I'm looking for things to do to keep from being bored to death.<br />
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I got home at 3 pm today but I didn't start thinking about what I wanted to write until 7:30 pm. Which is dumb because I'm full of broccoli and rice casserole and I just had a mini marathon of the Walking Dead. So now I'm practically catching a snooze after every couple of words. <br />
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My son is sitting across from me with headphones on, watching Fat Albert on his tablet. Well, he's not really watching it, he's just playing the theme song over and over again. I don't remember dropping this kid on his head when he was a baby but of course I could have been half sleep at the time.<br />
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At the beginning of the blogging challenge, I had every intention of planning a few posts ahead of time. I was trying to avoid days like this but it didn't work out that way. I'll blame it on the stupid Walkers, I think they're trying to kill my brain cells or something.<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-86407589909531746852015-01-25T21:29:00.000-06:002015-01-25T21:29:16.246-06:00That Pork Chop Tried to Killed Me<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryQZLZ3LcpC0AY0K_p1UAYRRbXKpxDWgm8uDh8MtHjGa3a_qg-SSgK4qu-z_AcorSYjlUotqWo14eF5SUruYZtCKTWyLMPsvo12_BXUPNLwRYsyrRjl348Q2S5TMWS62HjRkxdNsgU4RO/s1600/no_more_pork_tee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryQZLZ3LcpC0AY0K_p1UAYRRbXKpxDWgm8uDh8MtHjGa3a_qg-SSgK4qu-z_AcorSYjlUotqWo14eF5SUruYZtCKTWyLMPsvo12_BXUPNLwRYsyrRjl348Q2S5TMWS62HjRkxdNsgU4RO/s1600/no_more_pork_tee.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from cafepress.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don't think I'm going to be eating much pork from now on. After coming off of the (mostly) fruit and vegetable fast for 21 days, I eased back into eating meat. Turkey and chicken gave me no problems but when I ate that pork chop for dinner, my whole body went H.AM. You guys should have seen me sitting at the dinner table looking all crazy and feeling even crazier. I mean I was feeling like Fred Sandford telling Elizabeth he was coming to join her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVGzfbKRR91l7y6_bHFLKW5wUT5H8MDTb31Y-Dd2h3mbNC6ByYurZTW7TqMd3QFiiqZ4fbCx_P5pMTQmOA07SbTlS38t0tz8UxFrd6hhM-SvSZCHhENHe-6ZRPCXGGt36yRoiOSMQPYdJ/s1600/581a5b56f6e4a38ee15e1eeeda799503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVGzfbKRR91l7y6_bHFLKW5wUT5H8MDTb31Y-Dd2h3mbNC6ByYurZTW7TqMd3QFiiqZ4fbCx_P5pMTQmOA07SbTlS38t0tz8UxFrd6hhM-SvSZCHhENHe-6ZRPCXGGt36yRoiOSMQPYdJ/s1600/581a5b56f6e4a38ee15e1eeeda799503.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from pinterest.com</td></tr>
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My dad told me that my head was going to start spinning and sure enough it did. I tried to play it off but as soon as it started, I put that piggy down. My little sister had cooked dinner and I had to explain to her about the fast so she wouldn't think something was wrong with the food. I told her I probably wouldn't be eating any meat for the rest of the week.<br />
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Not even ten minutes after dinner, I felt like I was going to have to visit the bathroom in one capacity or another. That feeling passed after a while but the body ache got worse. Dad keeps pain medication so I was looking through all of his dresser drawers for something to take the awful feeling away. I finally found them in the den on the table by his chair. <br />
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The pills were for back and body pain. "My head and body hurts so this should work right?" My little sister and son looked at me like, "Really?"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFtyIgc2EJNAoMsLSBGeDMlbRWc8YnSPvMVTjlFZn8nSji7x9IHZtIqbBXbRSIKkZrBjSeAatvfpi2UThqsgBY6GxtRxrCE-fLysJwwJUmpQjIj39yoDIoFaqCUotT_G7_eWVoJE6K0Cn/s1600/n-STOMACH-ACHE-large570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFtyIgc2EJNAoMsLSBGeDMlbRWc8YnSPvMVTjlFZn8nSji7x9IHZtIqbBXbRSIKkZrBjSeAatvfpi2UThqsgBY6GxtRxrCE-fLysJwwJUmpQjIj39yoDIoFaqCUotT_G7_eWVoJE6K0Cn/s1600/n-STOMACH-ACHE-large570.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from huffingtonpost.com</td></tr>
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I took two of the pills and went and sat down, trying to keep my mind off of the war going on inside me. Within an hour I was pretty good but as I write this post it feels like I won't be completely right until I get this piggy out of me. Since it takes meat 12 hours to digest, I should be good by my morning bathroom business meeting.<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-57334292818440888032015-01-24T22:54:00.000-06:002015-01-24T22:54:01.269-06:00I'm Officially a Basketball Fan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1a2yAXMxVDZykBCVvwnNgpyPq9pg8BYiiadFQP7N2f2kYKkXeZi52vOE92DgJ8D-hoGto6uIszORwJ5HJlPGmaPvy-cwMLZx5CfPVnwQlXtCkYxl6nGHGlmZRSr-0ejWtcKmW93o7RHBd/s1600/10690124_10152293851367255_1512378731083822416_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1a2yAXMxVDZykBCVvwnNgpyPq9pg8BYiiadFQP7N2f2kYKkXeZi52vOE92DgJ8D-hoGto6uIszORwJ5HJlPGmaPvy-cwMLZx5CfPVnwQlXtCkYxl6nGHGlmZRSr-0ejWtcKmW93o7RHBd/s1600/10690124_10152293851367255_1512378731083822416_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Over the years, I knew just enough about basketball to know a lot of the top players, what team they played for and what the team colors and mascots were. Even with all that knowledge, I never really paid attention to the games. Tonight I went to my very first professional basketball game and I thoroughly enjoyed it.</div>
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My son always talks about football so I didn't think he would like the game that much but he surprised me. He was asking when we would be able to go back. When I told him I didn't know, he said, "We can go next month." HA!! That boy swears he's the boss of me.</div>
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We went to the game with some old friends of mine including, Reese, whom I always said should have been my husband but he ended up being one of my best friends instead. He and I had so much in common that it was like we were brother and sister or at least cousins. I guess it's a good thing that we didn't get married because I don't think I would have been able to put up with a male version of myself. </div>
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It felt good to see the home team win my first time going, that made the experience extra special. Thanks to Reese's sister, Quita, for inviting me. Lil dude and I had a great time.</div>
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Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-25558722757235765102015-01-23T19:47:00.000-06:002015-01-23T19:47:50.929-06:00Do You Do Well On Job Interviews?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Being an introvert, I've had to go through hours of prayer and preparation to get through the few interviews I've had in my working life. I always felt that it was a miracle when I received job offers. The managers told me that I did great on my interview but there was always something in the back of my mind saying, "If they picked me, how bad were the other applicants?" <br />
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That's sad but it's real.<br />
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I'm still that shy little girl in my head. The one that used to cross the street to keep from walking through a group of boys. The one that always wore baggy clothes and kept my hair in a ponytail so I could blend into the background. Don't get it twisted, when I got to know people I talked their ears off but it took months for me to get to that point.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpM3GjhAqtzNfU3Hx3cpoWbVmJsrCs5HwQaWAtUG-dZjbCSXhyYRFEYRs6AsT03lp9DsKD4rxlTerMWLeDYjlN9EATe9lZPOmuiatTwaYtREiELKvUUbEpmVzBzt1GweYAPd6GwZFb8nu/s1600/Confident-Woman-Sales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpM3GjhAqtzNfU3Hx3cpoWbVmJsrCs5HwQaWAtUG-dZjbCSXhyYRFEYRs6AsT03lp9DsKD4rxlTerMWLeDYjlN9EATe9lZPOmuiatTwaYtREiELKvUUbEpmVzBzt1GweYAPd6GwZFb8nu/s1600/Confident-Woman-Sales.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from sparkplugpeople.com</td></tr>
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Over the years I've learned to be myself, as they say, during interviews. Well, I became some form of myself, an alter-ego. The confident, charismatic version of me. As I watched the video below, I was thinking about how glad I was that I never went to these extremes during the interview process. I think a whole lot of crazy things that I will never say out loud. Of course they may end up in one of my books one day, but that's another story.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pbCENwqj0t8" width="500"></iframe><br />
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How do you do on interviews? Share your tips.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-75997888679980021492015-01-22T20:26:00.002-06:002015-01-22T20:36:04.171-06:00I've Almost Completed My Challenge ~ Then What?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w2a2G1hIia852nmGBB4_rfX1vEn5Hm1ILKTdf7MEYjqlw447v8iCWCKWhaQIzIq1dxLo0RTK87vWsmt6qwu5JQBhDrjolejwlVbuexmg1Wq-MwBiLUSyRO2gD_Vwnkyhtil6RuKFFPCW/s1600/i_love_blogging1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w2a2G1hIia852nmGBB4_rfX1vEn5Hm1ILKTdf7MEYjqlw447v8iCWCKWhaQIzIq1dxLo0RTK87vWsmt6qwu5JQBhDrjolejwlVbuexmg1Wq-MwBiLUSyRO2gD_Vwnkyhtil6RuKFFPCW/s1600/i_love_blogging1.jpg" /></a></div>
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With the end of this 31 day blogging challenge fast approaching, I've been thinking about how I am going to proceed with at least one of my works in progress. Blogging is pretty fun but writing fiction is my passion. I still plan to do a blog post at least once a week, maybe more since I'll be updating my word count in the left margin almost daily.<br />
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I'm falling behind schedule a little when it comes to what I had planned to do starting the first of January. I should be rewriting and editing the first book in my Sassy Johnson series right now. Since I hadn't planned to publish until around June, I still have time to finish it, send it to an editor, find a cover artist and make all necessary corrections to the manuscript before submitting it to Amazon/Kindle.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_KvYESHuAJsoD70HBddVxH8hc_EiOb_EJwTaz88iieSoNx0TrNi9WNqp12OfTXFMn7MwYxPNGz88laxA94gljvuU70RdnWMmgRk9TLXxqCHW5j_l4y8jaSY43BzJ3wwq_nqebT79y0kQ/s1600/images+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_KvYESHuAJsoD70HBddVxH8hc_EiOb_EJwTaz88iieSoNx0TrNi9WNqp12OfTXFMn7MwYxPNGz88laxA94gljvuU70RdnWMmgRk9TLXxqCHW5j_l4y8jaSY43BzJ3wwq_nqebT79y0kQ/s1600/images+(1).jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from johnanthonyjames.com</td></tr>
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I'll probably set word count goals like I did for NaNoWriMo to hold myself accountable. I won't beat myself up if I don't meet a word goal but I'll just try to do better the next day. I'll probably set weekly goals instead of daily goals so as long as I meet the goal for the week, I can kind of take my time each day if I need to.<br />
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Boy oh boy, I can't wait to get all of these stories out of my head so I can share them with people.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-23898002825812226062015-01-21T20:28:00.000-06:002015-01-21T20:28:34.830-06:00Are You Addicted to the Internet?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu8PoJxdsVEXUUMgsK3dBPqriFmVFcGjeZmFwE6A9aVn8cVGdeGJSOjbOuVBlmKQYfSrXorHPyq9PHuxdUMd8rIEvKtuQtRkfHVUqwDjpyWZwRTXGBycNsCmToaKf-71iqkUj6yib1NF3/s1600/84491-311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu8PoJxdsVEXUUMgsK3dBPqriFmVFcGjeZmFwE6A9aVn8cVGdeGJSOjbOuVBlmKQYfSrXorHPyq9PHuxdUMd8rIEvKtuQtRkfHVUqwDjpyWZwRTXGBycNsCmToaKf-71iqkUj6yib1NF3/s1600/84491-311.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from thedilbertstore.com</td></tr>
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Like most people, I have cable and the internet. Guess which one I use the most? Yeah, I'm addicted to the internet. If I was the only person in the house, I wouldn't even have cable cause I can watch pretty much any show that I'm interested in on Netflix. Yeah, I only watch the old seasons but if I haven't seen them before, they are all new to me. All I have to do is stay away from Twitter when they are talking about an episode that I haven't seen yet.<br />
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Anyway, next to YouTube, I think Netflix is the best thing since sliced bread. So as long as I have an internet connection, I'm happy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnP8N6vJFXkzbSuZ5ZBSSbRohoSMFsQtbcVQtFrPrMvGyIKJIcacJbFneiipf2R_gfZRainaIhY5eBmW7zu-OehC56u1ThHVZc_P1JeKZYqUAXTGl9C5fePhCqaN1HRCGZPveSCP65wal/s1600/internet-friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnP8N6vJFXkzbSuZ5ZBSSbRohoSMFsQtbcVQtFrPrMvGyIKJIcacJbFneiipf2R_gfZRainaIhY5eBmW7zu-OehC56u1ThHVZc_P1JeKZYqUAXTGl9C5fePhCqaN1HRCGZPveSCP65wal/s1600/internet-friends.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from kikiandtea.com</td></tr>
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I'm pretty sure I have more internet friends than real life friends. Does that make me weird? If it does, I don't mind because I've always been weird so I'm cool with it.<br />
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Before there was internet, I read a lot of books and put a lot of puzzles together. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to go back to those simpler times. I still read but I download my e-books or audio books to my Android or Ipad. I mean, even if I don't have internet access at home, I have it on my phone, or at the library, McDonald's even has WiFi.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T0gGi1DROhHJMMA3pHqga2s27dHWpop1AD-P-fCsSiO8RfYKHg0qXUleoRiAOYsigwXaG4fAbJ_RChWzTNCzoUZCgDWWpyvbmlsc3knXqJhvF5lV41YOIN9_YnSEdW5OWeZ2FbjFQp8f/s1600/beforetheinternet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T0gGi1DROhHJMMA3pHqga2s27dHWpop1AD-P-fCsSiO8RfYKHg0qXUleoRiAOYsigwXaG4fAbJ_RChWzTNCzoUZCgDWWpyvbmlsc3knXqJhvF5lV41YOIN9_YnSEdW5OWeZ2FbjFQp8f/s1600/beforetheinternet.jpeg" height="291" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from rockandrollmama.com</td></tr>
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What did you do before the internet? Would you be able to live without it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-64515990376413411452015-01-20T20:41:00.000-06:002015-01-20T20:41:42.033-06:00Those Eyebrows Though...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfBJzBURnxOySpve49UeNrtiX8pl-iaWUAxPT82zK4Bfu5T9d9-8yX8JVxMwLEfLIrG3DVN3MUfh6TA-a2PbKwhbZIvVmlPwCoV5OjPlr6sHtfZPXEb5fbxKKaVfO3UCS3ywoZleKcug1/s1600/after+threading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfBJzBURnxOySpve49UeNrtiX8pl-iaWUAxPT82zK4Bfu5T9d9-8yX8JVxMwLEfLIrG3DVN3MUfh6TA-a2PbKwhbZIvVmlPwCoV5OjPlr6sHtfZPXEb5fbxKKaVfO3UCS3ywoZleKcug1/s1600/after+threading.jpg" height="130" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">descent eyebrows</td></tr>
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A few years ago, I got my eyebrows threaded for my birthday. Well, it's sad to say that I have done absolutely nothing to these baby bushes since 2011 cause that crap hurts like heck man. I mean they look good when they are done but dang why does beauty have to hurt so bad?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rBGwNTvGPdJne31wQ3Qu4qnbSETfCVmF4iEbCxvMgWo5OBMLa7qCQQ0Y2rDlnEkdvH6y4_mg5FE3kXfL_JUq2-EwdI0cxOzL0r19S8pKhsA8kcbSN_n3TKAGu3JbHr8U8RrjiScxwo3u/s1600/eyebrow+at+their+worst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rBGwNTvGPdJne31wQ3Qu4qnbSETfCVmF4iEbCxvMgWo5OBMLa7qCQQ0Y2rDlnEkdvH6y4_mg5FE3kXfL_JUq2-EwdI0cxOzL0r19S8pKhsA8kcbSN_n3TKAGu3JbHr8U8RrjiScxwo3u/s1600/eyebrow+at+their+worst.jpg" height="89" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">raggedy eyebrows</td></tr>
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My eyebrows aren't really think like a dude or anything but I guess they can use some shaping up every once in a while. I don't wear make up so I can't camouflage the scruffiness so I'm just going to have to suck it up and get them done again. I'm not the drawing on type soooo...<br />
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This video made me think about some of the crazy looking sets of eyebrows I've seen over the years. Dude made me laugh and feel a little ashamed of myself at the same time. Yall know I like colorful language so if you're easily offended, you may want to skip this.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TWOfyy_Muak" width="500"></iframe><br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-51060419948794680202015-01-19T19:48:00.000-06:002015-01-19T19:48:00.583-06:00I'm Not Giving Up on My Fitness Goals<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXfSLBQ9fjNx-tW-9Tq0HSAigbpa34wAaJK-dYRmO2jtC9VRJgpOaHTI_yBkqgUE_e0xHFUjF2QKgfQ4kDl49X9gjR9rvDA-NDPwALb_d4JYMULNC3ZM8RV_DzAiETTOy59aAer_-ZwJa/s1600/brawny-vegans-592x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXfSLBQ9fjNx-tW-9Tq0HSAigbpa34wAaJK-dYRmO2jtC9VRJgpOaHTI_yBkqgUE_e0xHFUjF2QKgfQ4kDl49X9gjR9rvDA-NDPwALb_d4JYMULNC3ZM8RV_DzAiETTOy59aAer_-ZwJa/s1600/brawny-vegans-592x360.jpg" height="194" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from ecorazzi.com</td></tr>
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Almost every Google search picture or YouTube video about being a vegan that I've seen showed a small framed person that seemed to be in pretty good shape. That's why I wanted to try it. The first week I ate nothing but raw fruits and vegetables, I lost 5 pounds. The next week I re-incorporated bread and cheese for one meal a day, I gained 2 pounds. This is my third week, I'm going to try to go back to just fruits and vegetables for the next four days.<br />
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It's hard trying to be a vegan, even temporarily. I mean I could blame it on my family or my co-workers, but all I have to say is no thank you and they'll leave me alone. I'm my own worst enemy. I've been eating the same way all my life and it's hard to change even though I know it will be for my own good. Based on the tests my doctors ran, changing the way I eat has improved my health since the last time I was tested, two years ago. Cholesterol normal, blood sugar normal, blood pressure on it's way to normal.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T2ba-izRr8FEarTGOJFtIh34Awr3pHYnTEN87s2cGXZ_xnNmVTLzoGKa7uMAo3H0lfo1x-N5z6QXP95AsZNVk7WXWWCeYevk6ZMlF_TFAUZSEko9P6piancSjohxbmbWfRI9ZrduzyjA/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T2ba-izRr8FEarTGOJFtIh34Awr3pHYnTEN87s2cGXZ_xnNmVTLzoGKa7uMAo3H0lfo1x-N5z6QXP95AsZNVk7WXWWCeYevk6ZMlF_TFAUZSEko9P6piancSjohxbmbWfRI9ZrduzyjA/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from sofreshandsogreen.com</td></tr>
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Friday is supposed to be the last day of this "fast" and then I'll add eggs and dairy back in twice a week. I don't know what I'll do about meat yet. Maybe I'll try veggie burgers or something or just eat fish. I have the habit of cheating on diets. Which is dumb because no one cares if I lose weight but me, so why the heck am I cheating myself?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJ2qm2P3KbU_kIyr3HLBDwbb1GIQkddb5HrIa4VecVaieqOk3sQZ9RPeZX0lVh6wH6yVPJIjS1DMYEdJam8ZmDuL3XDsF4zpCc_-5O1PgvxDxV2CiHb9gHiosglw3XXxd1bwmGLYO0F6Z/s1600/pyramid2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJ2qm2P3KbU_kIyr3HLBDwbb1GIQkddb5HrIa4VecVaieqOk3sQZ9RPeZX0lVh6wH6yVPJIjS1DMYEdJam8ZmDuL3XDsF4zpCc_-5O1PgvxDxV2CiHb9gHiosglw3XXxd1bwmGLYO0F6Z/s1600/pyramid2.png" height="304" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from aestheteskincare.com</td></tr>
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I've also been pretty lazy. I mean I'm supposed to be working out at least 3 to 4 days a week but sometimes I go a whole week without doing anything but sitting on my wide behind. That's got to change. </div>
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One good thing that has come out of this "fast" is that I've only eaten candy once and I haven't had any sodas, alcohol, cakes, pies or ice cream. And I'm still alive. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!</div>
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I would say I need motivation but no one can really keep me motivated but me, at least for the long haul. Giving up is not an option. I'll figure out what works for me soon enough.</div>
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Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-53521581687373254722015-01-18T20:37:00.000-06:002015-01-19T07:22:40.500-06:00Teenagers are Crazy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnR8jsWUtmV74N-UQUVuwM_4JLTBtnp2hVV9WVw5GME3aJVdPOwxzi5zZagyXvzPZTaT8K3BAzf83fIVTe6UvVmh7z2iq4ces-30zPzIG9eEaAKFZa1PQbgbek1qpJKw1SBetHjHPD2C9/s1600/raising-teenagers_150b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnR8jsWUtmV74N-UQUVuwM_4JLTBtnp2hVV9WVw5GME3aJVdPOwxzi5zZagyXvzPZTaT8K3BAzf83fIVTe6UvVmh7z2iq4ces-30zPzIG9eEaAKFZa1PQbgbek1qpJKw1SBetHjHPD2C9/s1600/raising-teenagers_150b.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from liberatedthinking.com</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teenagers are strange, some more so than others. My 14 year old sister is going through some type of phase where she'd rather sleep in the den than in her room. Dad and I have been trying to figure out what's going on but it's still a mystery. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-03bbbdf6-fff2-dc2f-e111-e49f67f7ff7c" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dad helped her paint her room her favorite color. She slept in there a month or so after then back to the den. Today he told her since she didn't want her room, he was going to rent it out. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You better not rent my room out," she said taking her pillow and blanket to the den.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I was little I always had to share my room with a sibling or other relative until I turned 16 years old. I was so happy when I got my own room. I had pictures and posters all over the walls. I didn't have a TV in my room but I had a ton of books. Plus I didn't have to share my closet and dressers drawers with anyone, it was awesome. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dad said that he and his brother had to sleep on the kitchen floor when they were little. Sometimes my dad tells tall tales but there may be some truth to that if they only had one bedroom and his sister slept in the living room. I guess the only other place for he and his brother to sleep was in the kitchen.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little sister has a TV with cable and DVD player. She has a cellphone and a tablet. A lot more than I had at her age so why is she not happy? Plus, at her grandmother's, she has to share a room with her younger sister and various cousins at any given time. If I had to go through that my room at dear old dad's house would be so much more appealing.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5FZtZYzgWJj9ZHJdAvYZEO99LC-aTQolOjIeHUbfJYfXw3nKQRrLZ_X2WYZkRnJqkYZg0LaAq-lpa78oKIFpnzexBKYwAi4xwLhbg4Rlq9dsowKKBm1IgYrzA86KZt4dRmWIsWHd-eUT/s1600/sleeping-couch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5FZtZYzgWJj9ZHJdAvYZEO99LC-aTQolOjIeHUbfJYfXw3nKQRrLZ_X2WYZkRnJqkYZg0LaAq-lpa78oKIFpnzexBKYwAi4xwLhbg4Rlq9dsowKKBm1IgYrzA86KZt4dRmWIsWHd-eUT/s1600/sleeping-couch.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from tightmixblog.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's no way in the world that I would choose to sleep on the couch when I have a perfectly good bed in my room with plum colored walls. </span><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whenever someone asks her why she does strange things, her answer is, "Cause, I can." </span></div>
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Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-6068583658429819322015-01-17T19:34:00.000-06:002015-01-18T10:30:09.808-06:00Should Women Make More Money Than Men?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVsE45fT1LeBupLDbWyXH1qzcYfmYd6ZhYbBORWLliZA_JgOOyqb57R1MahFB3-sQ8s6gCf_wv89D0OXn7LqfxPN6epONSML7ZlS4GgFhXyw3kYXNGragXUGsmIxfAHedyFV5VxHVq7wx/s1600/woman-golddigger-money-cash-bills-rich.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVsE45fT1LeBupLDbWyXH1qzcYfmYd6ZhYbBORWLliZA_JgOOyqb57R1MahFB3-sQ8s6gCf_wv89D0OXn7LqfxPN6epONSML7ZlS4GgFhXyw3kYXNGragXUGsmIxfAHedyFV5VxHVq7wx/s1600/woman-golddigger-money-cash-bills-rich.png" height="182" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from savespendsplurge.com</td></tr>
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I was watching this video, laughing to myself. Women have fought for equal pay for decades but this video made me see a possible reason why things are the way they are. Most of the guys I've dated have made less than I and to be honest that was always an issue. <br />
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Either I felt like they didn't contribute enough to the household or they felt like I was not treating them with respect when I told them I could buy what I wanted with MY money.<br />
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This guy does curse a lot but if you can get past that he does have a point, in my opinion. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WZIvE2n3Cg8" width="500"></iframe><br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-11200724311320198932015-01-16T19:13:00.000-06:002015-01-16T19:13:33.169-06:00Was the Tattoo Worth it?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwbYiP41eMJHEn-jFKrHJZMyVrlVnNGoNaJOCo5hBLH4Mxmk9oiGRI-kVF9iMdJQKo-9n_XFgXoclipI3XGujCOIn6GFrUCLa3jNwhedVgp3kpjO1s5Qyzv0kx9B92OP1M9ePzCGgN238/s1600/52e13d3513f7e.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwbYiP41eMJHEn-jFKrHJZMyVrlVnNGoNaJOCo5hBLH4Mxmk9oiGRI-kVF9iMdJQKo-9n_XFgXoclipI3XGujCOIn6GFrUCLa3jNwhedVgp3kpjO1s5Qyzv0kx9B92OP1M9ePzCGgN238/s1600/52e13d3513f7e.image.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from baledger.com</td></tr>
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I was in Walgreens picking up a few items when I noticed this lady with a VERY short dress on. With temperatures in the low 30s, there was only one type of woman that came to mind. Sorry, I judge people but I'm working on that. <br />
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Anyway, when I got in line behind this hooker, I noticed her constantly wiggling and looking down at her leg. I thought she had finally figured out it was winter and was wondering why she didn't have any pants on or at least some tights. She had several tattoos on her leg but it took me a minute to realize that one of them was freshly done. <br />
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To be sure I asked, "Did you just get that?"<br />
"Yes, and it's still bleeding," Then she asked the cashier if she had any tissue. The lady was nice enough to stop scanning the merchandise of her customer to look for tissue but there wasn't any in her immediate area.<br />
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I continued to look at tattoo lady wiggling and noticed that the only thing she was about to purchase was some ointment. Poor thing. Not only was her leg on the verge of getting infected but she was probably going to develop a bad cold before the night was over with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2Vkl8wrIbseAGytbJTBAg3CKA3Y1jwU26v8-DjzrBm3BTXqDrWIF6GdgrnlYmeHYZ4iN3DSQ4hLP9zGuFImfNQ9pUhfqguWMZTSYLU7ckwq3JqKrj6wJWRqZnUJOjCOZUQ1Ny9kINmYr/s1600/colds_and_flu_fotolia_48583524_subscription_l_888755042.jpg_detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2Vkl8wrIbseAGytbJTBAg3CKA3Y1jwU26v8-DjzrBm3BTXqDrWIF6GdgrnlYmeHYZ4iN3DSQ4hLP9zGuFImfNQ9pUhfqguWMZTSYLU7ckwq3JqKrj6wJWRqZnUJOjCOZUQ1Ny9kINmYr/s1600/colds_and_flu_fotolia_48583524_subscription_l_888755042.jpg_detail.jpg" height="195" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from all4women.co.za</td></tr>
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In my opinion, tattoos are great forms of artist/creative expression. I wouldn't personally get one but to each their own. Being that she had gotten at least one tattoo before, I wondered why she didn't get the ointment before she went to get the tattoo.<br />
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It wasn't my business but hey, I'm a writer and it's my job to observe people, right?<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-20133369772281442632015-01-15T19:29:00.000-06:002015-01-16T04:56:36.255-06:00My Son Thinks He's Rich<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1O9jr6sfJkGJAEF1ggHEqDnLHAhCQ-grCq30aSdvbwDCuWA7MKB2lhGpKkppn-xuPyhvdw-W5GepDl4CDDddJrhZzKU7UTBn2MIQpRJYrIaHUC43SM-NUl3FE2YONMoSwflg1ffB-u5U/s1600/money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1O9jr6sfJkGJAEF1ggHEqDnLHAhCQ-grCq30aSdvbwDCuWA7MKB2lhGpKkppn-xuPyhvdw-W5GepDl4CDDddJrhZzKU7UTBn2MIQpRJYrIaHUC43SM-NUl3FE2YONMoSwflg1ffB-u5U/s1600/money.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from Ivenergy.com</td></tr>
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My son saw a few dollars sitting on my desk and asked what I was going to do with them. I told him I would give him the money if he could keep up with it. He promised he would and took the bills to his room to add to the other money he had saved up.<br />
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He came back a few minutes later, "Mom, I have $9.00 and 300 cents." I smiled and said that's great. It didn't dawn on me until I heard him telling Dad the good news. Apparently, I nor the teachers had made sure my seven year old understood that 300 cents was the equivalent of $3.00.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from wildwings.com</td></tr>
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I called him back to my room and broke it down to him. Then I asked him what 9 plus 3 was. "You mean I have $12? I've got more money than any kid ever had? How did I save all this money? What can I buy with all this money?" I laughed and asked him how much money did he get off my desk. He said $8.00, I guess he'll figure out later on how he got so much money in such a short time.<br />
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Wow, now I'm starting to miss the days when I thought $12 was a lot of money. How about you?<br />
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Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-11680124058228224212015-01-14T19:48:00.000-06:002015-01-14T20:02:26.024-06:00Would You Be a Stay At Home Mom or Dad?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyuEcVEcTH7STDdI3DCVpgBRa8jfCsfEvK3Y5veIyMn3k7FHambOm9z5g27kcds4zTc5PVH54m1woJ-ygfZhM40KlpMXs3vwUTqgQjfSEsspTLIUVSMmgM6urKeNgsYAcQDS2jjkFVsqz/s1600/babysitters-find-now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyuEcVEcTH7STDdI3DCVpgBRa8jfCsfEvK3Y5veIyMn3k7FHambOm9z5g27kcds4zTc5PVH54m1woJ-ygfZhM40KlpMXs3vwUTqgQjfSEsspTLIUVSMmgM6urKeNgsYAcQDS2jjkFVsqz/s1600/babysitters-find-now.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">babysittersnow.com</td></tr>
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My friend at work often talks about how she wishes her boyfriend had a better paying job so she could be a stay at home mom. I asked her what she would do all day, she said she would open a home daycare. I told her I admired her because I can barely deal with my son and baby sister, so I know I won't be able to deal with a whole bunch of children. She said she loved kids. She also said that she would make them take a lot of naps. That made me laugh out loud.<br />
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Now that isn't exactly being a stay at home mom to me. That's having a home business. If I'm wrong, set a sister straight okay? Good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nys4-0I1ixePHntelvHpYfgMFzxVshHW8ar0zGgD5x59MvN30oqqTWrA-bBNufeqiTtqa1tuh6yx7L2DLkcNQ_Ef5bwSjzWY1LoMizX9cjZI0dtOp7QZEso5cqdzWhNqdmE_AQw1bLcF/s1600/work_at_home_moms.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nys4-0I1ixePHntelvHpYfgMFzxVshHW8ar0zGgD5x59MvN30oqqTWrA-bBNufeqiTtqa1tuh6yx7L2DLkcNQ_Ef5bwSjzWY1LoMizX9cjZI0dtOp7QZEso5cqdzWhNqdmE_AQw1bLcF/s1600/work_at_home_moms.png" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">smallinternetlifestyle.com</td></tr>
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My definition of a stay at home mom is a mother that gets her children and husband ready for their day at work and school. She cleans and cooks most days and she may work in the garden or go shopping. (Of course, I know women that barely do any of these things on a daily basis but I guess this is what the job description entails.) Now if that's all I had to do, I would go stir crazy. <br />
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I've been working for 20 years and within that time, there was only two periods of time when I did not work. The first time was when I had surgery for some lady problems, the second time being when I had my son. While I was healing from my surgery, I was taking college classes. I only went to the campus once a week to take tests. After I had my son, I was at home doing resumes for people and fixing computers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkWJ2rzMu4UfVnjNXx0G1c6MagGE2jBwb-I38DeuKEuH5Twl5PAQ87kDx82BQotExA_NcmOEgROWENO9zwZ1f05nF72i5q_bwo4QKHlJfq6DdRnr4x0GlDmxV3nybsJY0vdWk_RZRGcsE/s1600/mom-in-college.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkWJ2rzMu4UfVnjNXx0G1c6MagGE2jBwb-I38DeuKEuH5Twl5PAQ87kDx82BQotExA_NcmOEgROWENO9zwZ1f05nF72i5q_bwo4QKHlJfq6DdRnr4x0GlDmxV3nybsJY0vdWk_RZRGcsE/s1600/mom-in-college.jpg" height="157" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">momcomlife.com</td></tr>
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So, I said all that to say this--I don't know how to sit around and be idle. Even when I'm on vacation (stay-cation), I'm working on a crochet order from one of my customers or attempting to improve my writing skills. <br />
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Could you be a stay at home parent? If you are what do you do everyday? Do you get bored?<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-59783110438543578962015-01-13T21:37:00.001-06:002015-01-13T21:37:36.463-06:00Step Out of Your Comfort Zone<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXW_ZIRtksWOGHnj0TmEK8jiu-ExZl6uzpgX4tFUUDJdte22NMdCirW39lZYQuBHPEiz1tWY1M5twHBBDYH0n2aZrSzrPWRmUL9uvFdZz6ebw_oLIEtqrB8fjOFknYa9SDfMpqYoniwrdl/s1600/life-begins-at-the-end-of-your-comfort-zone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXW_ZIRtksWOGHnj0TmEK8jiu-ExZl6uzpgX4tFUUDJdte22NMdCirW39lZYQuBHPEiz1tWY1M5twHBBDYH0n2aZrSzrPWRmUL9uvFdZz6ebw_oLIEtqrB8fjOFknYa9SDfMpqYoniwrdl/s1600/life-begins-at-the-end-of-your-comfort-zone.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from juliusboatwright.com</td></tr>
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I am a very colorful person. That could describe my artistic nature but it also extends to my hair color. My natural hair color, well when I was younger, was dark brown. Now there's quite a bit of grey under this light brown hair. <br />
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Now my boldness does not extend to blues, purples, greens, etc. But I do not judge those who have such adventurous natures. Black, brown, red and blond are all the colors I need to express myself. If I want to wear any other color, that's what hats are for.<br />
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Over the years people have said that African American women should stick with their natural hair colors. HA!! I wonder how many of those same people wash the gray right out of their hair? It's also been said that big women should stick to dark colors because they make them look smaller. Double HA!! The only thing that will make me look smaller is pushing away from the dinner table.<br />
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Have you ever did something that was considered out of the ordinary? Did it make you feel uncomfortable?<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-21176619371858751622015-01-12T20:18:00.000-06:002015-01-13T05:22:12.476-06:00Keep A Smile on Your Face<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXL0c7WlpfWRxZsmJ9jMao5ZWmEWDthgJIOwtyprf09yyGz1i4Xoap6X0PvJutGtLF0uxMvgvgJnBcFufpq9S1SBxv-wpTcyEBjA_Q8_RHn1qCrG53F3zfjl8zeoUKObqLNv5w_fxu2AX/s1600/IMG_2787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXL0c7WlpfWRxZsmJ9jMao5ZWmEWDthgJIOwtyprf09yyGz1i4Xoap6X0PvJutGtLF0uxMvgvgJnBcFufpq9S1SBxv-wpTcyEBjA_Q8_RHn1qCrG53F3zfjl8zeoUKObqLNv5w_fxu2AX/s1600/IMG_2787.JPG" height="255" width="320" /></a></div>
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Even though at certain points throughout my day, I feel like I could bite nails in half; for the most part I keep a smile on my face. As I mentioned in a previous post, I don't always say what I'm thinking so I have quite a bit of frustration built up. All of my creative outlets keep me from snapping, so that's a good thing. <br />
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I remember when I used to laugh all the time. People would say things that apparently was only funny to me. Not that I fell out laughing or anything, I just giggled a lot. Some folks thought I was the goofiest person ever, which was fine with me.</div>
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Now that I'm older, I don't find normal things all that funny. I do make an effort to find things to make me laugh almost daily, you know like comedians or just everyday goofy people.<br />
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Laughing is said to add years to your life. That's cool, but hopefully I'll have a lot of things to laugh at when I'm 100 years old.<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-76740502245382946542015-01-11T20:18:00.000-06:002015-01-11T20:18:17.148-06:00Who's Your Ideal Mate?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlNlPe0dSWHITwLPmAOji08O-PHU7kxoCzaypSPZtm5HyE7BwWp04V7No5Vu47wC6Er4h4HVOJ2QCtzi7uZv-Wp8slQz3XztDnLJ4rQqJWQFff6DuGTzuQLb8er7VQilzEltAWSYSjvHt/s1600/82b1bdb7a07fc1adf1591b3b12d0a1f4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlNlPe0dSWHITwLPmAOji08O-PHU7kxoCzaypSPZtm5HyE7BwWp04V7No5Vu47wC6Er4h4HVOJ2QCtzi7uZv-Wp8slQz3XztDnLJ4rQqJWQFff6DuGTzuQLb8er7VQilzEltAWSYSjvHt/s1600/82b1bdb7a07fc1adf1591b3b12d0a1f4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from pinterest.com</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">I read this </span><a href="http://www.menwomendatingfromtinzley.com/2015/01/i-was-asked-to-share-my-opinion-on-how.html?m=1" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" target="_blank">blog</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> today that basically stated that couples could improve their relationships if they had sex in the morning before they woke the kids up to get ready for school. Sounds like a great plan to me and it would probably work if I were in a relationship. Now, I'm not all that picky but I do have standards.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">I know many people want their significant other to look a certain way, but to me that's not the most important thing. I'm like this--as long as the guy smells good, doesn't have "butter" on his teeth, doesn't weeze when he talks, and can bend over enough to tie his own shoes; it's all good. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HB1UXsqETV7TSUYaqY6CUogu0R7c8KKEsSGZE28E7T_iSGEYTgm6efWa8SP77ik9YGxM2HLc2ZMQKypXh3pHfzZ7gV707CLuCNi3G9HDV-Pey2liXkBIy5mp7RkF74dibmkyAygnZObi/s1600/cant-fix-stupid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HB1UXsqETV7TSUYaqY6CUogu0R7c8KKEsSGZE28E7T_iSGEYTgm6efWa8SP77ik9YGxM2HLc2ZMQKypXh3pHfzZ7gV707CLuCNi3G9HDV-Pey2liXkBIy5mp7RkF74dibmkyAygnZObi/s1600/cant-fix-stupid.jpg" height="171" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from incrediblethings.com</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">One thing I absolutely cannot stand though is a guy that can't carry on a descent conversation. I have no patience for dum-dums. He could take a class, read a book or two, do something to gain some knowledge every once in a while. It's cool to talk about music and sports sometimes, but I need a guy that can be a little deeper than that. If he can't handle that he has to go. I can't fix stupid but I sure can get rid of him.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">What do you do to keep the spice in your marriage or courtship (Who says that anymore?) Are you choosey?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-6450662019526046502015-01-10T20:23:00.000-06:002015-01-10T20:23:59.892-06:00Are You Subtle or Straightforward?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrgXJNCmI67x_CNrFiSNA8pEEV7eWWefuK7oCDhUv9Jhc1bogN06dgXXUrTUBubr7OINlI6krArrfPs8q7Ku-w831tPXObvQ1LUprhcqvXsrg3bkROoGzqAc8TVTG4VtiR_OFUUNbpXWa/s1600/I-Am-Not-A-Doormat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrgXJNCmI67x_CNrFiSNA8pEEV7eWWefuK7oCDhUv9Jhc1bogN06dgXXUrTUBubr7OINlI6krArrfPs8q7Ku-w831tPXObvQ1LUprhcqvXsrg3bkROoGzqAc8TVTG4VtiR_OFUUNbpXWa/s1600/I-Am-Not-A-Doormat.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from geekalerts.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don't always say whatever I'm thinking but I am not a pushover. Well not anymore, I'm too old for that. How do you address people that try to take advantage of you?<br />
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-25305281483337316602015-01-09T21:15:00.000-06:002015-01-09T21:15:13.829-06:00Where Would You Like to Go?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJ5wvdxWtm0ad6GzBmIUwnebGtlnbkNMkghgAMoIEiwkVwHwHogZkKA94ynicB8eYYuTVCZ5ucqNLwp7-J2NvUv_-Dt3NRHagq17jB-E_RmxYJU1GbTWxp46zrXMiZJI5l7dmojabvp_A/s1600/1514949_10203993901268068_4345864604938685122_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJ5wvdxWtm0ad6GzBmIUwnebGtlnbkNMkghgAMoIEiwkVwHwHogZkKA94ynicB8eYYuTVCZ5ucqNLwp7-J2NvUv_-Dt3NRHagq17jB-E_RmxYJU1GbTWxp46zrXMiZJI5l7dmojabvp_A/s1600/1514949_10203993901268068_4345864604938685122_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My son wants to see 5 of the National Monuments but he's afraid to get on a plane. If he thinks I'm going to drive that old Chevy all over the United States, he's got another think coming. His suggestion was for us to buy a tour bus. I think he meant RV but I don't plan on buying either one of them.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-34ef1058-d1a4-7ad0-913b-60fa083d38bb" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's the list in order of importance to my seven year old. Only later did he ask how far away each one was. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gateway Arch - St Louis, MO</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Washington Monument - Washington, DC</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Empire State Building - New York, NY</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sears Tower - Chicago, IL</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Space Needle - Seattle, WA</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last May we did drive to Missouri to see the Gateway Arch, but that was only six hours away. We walked around inside for a while and I wanted to go up in this elevator thing that would take us to the top of the structure but old boy was scared. So we just went to the gift shop and bought keychains and a coloring book. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lgdBC-yAP4oL3BdVKIi5rOtAhUAgHB7FC2taMqhZkDOraylprjaDMhfO2i91_vZiRNbzC5GrBsvmc2TS3JLX75oFsaPy5yVg7bLsqAiEVDpq9mzHVybrG6dNOCB7nhAWq9l-MTUV_F1t/s1600/1233478_10203989309273271_7359337492696942603_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lgdBC-yAP4oL3BdVKIi5rOtAhUAgHB7FC2taMqhZkDOraylprjaDMhfO2i91_vZiRNbzC5GrBsvmc2TS3JLX75oFsaPy5yVg7bLsqAiEVDpq9mzHVybrG6dNOCB7nhAWq9l-MTUV_F1t/s1600/1233478_10203989309273271_7359337492696942603_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm pretty sure it was my idea to go to the St Louis Zoo but Don had a better time. Probably because I didn't have on the right kind of shoes for walking. That place was huge!!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We both enjoyed our hotel room immensely. It felt good being in nice spot with a view. Don enjoyed the fact that we shared a room. That was the first time that he told me I was his best friend. Awwww</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ewd-2sbxANjwOhHqMj3N0oVfVXK_UdhBBcVYtCSB2Z7SkdXJ5XowedjSZwjaubaHTNvVMwPs8HxKAm4qy8aDTPhnm_5h7CAYog8w4mETDU-hlvw6MrnEhHwlLlKoJFCF41FGSspylLRb/s1600/drury-inn-suites-forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ewd-2sbxANjwOhHqMj3N0oVfVXK_UdhBBcVYtCSB2Z7SkdXJ5XowedjSZwjaubaHTNvVMwPs8HxKAm4qy8aDTPhnm_5h7CAYog8w4mETDU-hlvw6MrnEhHwlLlKoJFCF41FGSspylLRb/s1600/drury-inn-suites-forest.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from tripadvisor.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">This summer, he wants to go to Chicago. I told him I wanted to go to Disney World but he got scared because he said he didn't want to get eaten by alligators. Oy Vey!!! I guess that means we're going to Sears Tower then. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are some of the places you would like to visit? Do you only travel in the summer or different times of the year?</span></div>
Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1134398176094578331.post-38164621857923177872015-01-08T21:04:00.000-06:002015-01-12T19:19:09.645-06:00Me Time? What's That?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqglfUVGJehFIcDSl65ZhxLBNP_SkhL2-c85jwno_YrM1WZE0yIuVeHrYSAu_cXshSem7HSkKshuYIUGYX0gOCu8FOK2gOQnj4z_EFT9YOsJUukyXdjkCfvJ0dkDwoj9dIEs6LSK-FWtiJ/s1600/me-time-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqglfUVGJehFIcDSl65ZhxLBNP_SkhL2-c85jwno_YrM1WZE0yIuVeHrYSAu_cXshSem7HSkKshuYIUGYX0gOCu8FOK2gOQnj4z_EFT9YOsJUukyXdjkCfvJ0dkDwoj9dIEs6LSK-FWtiJ/s1600/me-time-300x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from blurrent.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes I wish I had more "me" time but then I think about the days (years) that I had nothing but time to myself. I had my son when I was 31, so I spent the majority of my twenties alone. Boyfriends came and went, but even when I was in a relationship, I was alone quite a bit. The guys had friends that they hung out with or children to spend time with, all I had was little old me.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMbhpeBur1n-htS8zoU_Wi3ol7-pttTTdsHUyiMa44zUYN8m_RLvhgdOSZb4VtN01kxp9rWi4N0BGqg7CyF0EkNby7VLuw-y2rk931K9fBon4fx-XJsJI-_yi-kEQW_jFjohfZHj_YPYE/s1600/Writing-lots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMbhpeBur1n-htS8zoU_Wi3ol7-pttTTdsHUyiMa44zUYN8m_RLvhgdOSZb4VtN01kxp9rWi4N0BGqg7CyF0EkNby7VLuw-y2rk931K9fBon4fx-XJsJI-_yi-kEQW_jFjohfZHj_YPYE/s1600/Writing-lots.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from zavive.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I thought I had the worst life ever on occasion. My friends invited me to gatherings but I rarely went. If I had some sense, I could have used that alone time to write a whole bookshelf of books. The stories probably wouldn't have been all that good but I would have perfected my style over the years.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dTnN_tYPJJl5hyphenhyphenLZRjCfB4dP5puGnwftAZZQu2Ic_pOEepgNl2mPll8f6w7tzXMS5IAF1nz-qWra9_fZGp1KnABz9yZwMJDeE33xLD8Qx7hPU8kSNPZ4hLCbYcNJU8c9FdMXLXUncSBY/s1600/don.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dTnN_tYPJJl5hyphenhyphenLZRjCfB4dP5puGnwftAZZQu2Ic_pOEepgNl2mPll8f6w7tzXMS5IAF1nz-qWra9_fZGp1KnABz9yZwMJDeE33xLD8Qx7hPU8kSNPZ4hLCbYcNJU8c9FdMXLXUncSBY/s1600/don.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">As soon as my son started making complete sentences, my personal time was over. Well, until he goes to bed but sometimes I'm so sleepy that I fall asleep before he does. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I do get a chance to work on a few things but then I get sleepy after a couple of hours. </span><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The weekends, HA HA, there's barely a dull moment around this place. Plus, I have so many things that need to be done that I am not able to do after work during the week. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even when I take off work a few days here and there, I end up doing more work at home than I'm required to do at work. Oh well...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much time do you get to yourself? What are you able to do during your "me" time?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib33fushiVOHqitqkzuPHr9AJVqSimITMCPo297jYMfMamhv4J4uNyD1DZ4uSscYAGjxUexgn3S07U-_3laaib_j5YjrufKKflRLwPZqtZ4vNWOTwvYzqGRRaA0q0wwAg3-8vkRRVxn_S-/s1600/31+Day+Blogging+Challenge+January+2015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Susie McCrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672732605360996946noreply@blogger.com0