If I had my life to live over, I would perhaps have more actual troubles but I'd have fewer imaginary ones. ~Don Herold

Have you ever had one of those times in your life where nothing is going right? Yeah me neither until recently. I swear this town is cursed for me. I will get it straightened out, but come on…can’t I have one or two things just go my way. Why is that asking too much?

A house I want to buy was supposed to foreclose August 10. I just found out the guy is going to file bankruptcy probably tying of up the foreclosure process for months to years on end. He is living in the house for free. I realize this is mercenary of me, but I just don’t think that is right. From what a foreclosure expert told me he could have his bankruptcy tied up for up to 2 years. Meaning he could live there for free for nearly 3 years. What on earth is that about? And get this…even after the bank forecloses on it they might have to pay him to leave. It is call cash for keys or some other such nonsense. I guess I have to find a new house. That must not be my house. :(

My very first SMS blog! Unfortunately I only have 160 characters and I refuse to use text language. I guess we shall see how this works!

“"The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings” Lewis Carrol

OMG what have I done? I have signed on to do some really really big course redesigns in the next couple of weeks. Why did I do that since I know SD hasn’t gone back to school yet? What is wrong with me???? The work is big, and threatening to smother me. It also doesn’t help that I am running off on jaunty vacations every weekend.

And in other news…I need my eyebrows waxed BADLY. What is a wicked stepmother without perfectly executed eyebrows? I also need my bangs cut, my nails and toes done, some other maintenance type things done. But I have no clue where to go. Perhaps I should relate a quick story about why this is such a tragedy. My hair in most places is white blonde…white white…Barbie white. My eyebrows are a shade slightly lighter than that. One might describe my eyebrows as polar bear. ANYWAY, the last time I ventured into an unknown salon I had my eyebrows WAXED OFF. Yes you read it right. The girl accidently waxed off one of my eyebrows. She claimed she couldn’t SEE it. Well one can’t go around with just one eyebrow so the OTHER one had to come off as well. It was disastrous. Now I don’t know what to do. Do I go brave the wilds wondering what sort of scary wax wielding ninja might butcher my perfectly maintained arch? Or do I cower at home like a mouse?

“Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.” Jesse Owens

I was awarded a blog award by “Dad’s Second Whatever.” You can follow her blog by clicking here or on the side. I am so happy that she felt my blog worthy of an award. I am so grateful I have met all these outstanding stepmoms through their blogs. Thank you for giving my blog an award, and taking the time to read my mad ramblings.

So I have officially been in Phoenix by myself over a month now. I am lonely. I will be attending a social event with the Auburn Alumni group here in town on the 29th. I will be attending some of the events with my sorority this month as well. But it is time to start working on my new local BFF. This coming weekend I don’t have time to work on it. It is my weekend without SD so I will be spending it in San Diego with my lifelong BFF Sally. I will be relaxing on the beach and catching up about the minutiae that define our lives as women.

But when I get back home the hunt for cultivating new friendships will be on. I also need to put my big girl panties on and quit staying at my aunt’s house every night. I am basically paying a little over $1,000 bucks a month for a storage unit for a rental house I have slept in like 5 times. In my defense though it is much easier to stay over there, and she likes having me around. I am an excellent cook so my uncle enjoys my being there as well.

One thing that always stumps me is that I really have no peer group. I work from home. I am an online college professor. So I don’t get up and go to a job everyday. On occasion I am free to shop in the middle of the week or take long leisurely lunches. That makes me sort of like a stay at home mom. However I don’t have any kids at home…there are not many 32 year old women that don’t work at all, don't work from home and don’t have kids leaving me stuck with no peers. That is not meant to be a poor me kind of post more like a …hmm what is a gal to do kind of comment.

“Knowledge is always accompanied with accessories of emotion and purpose” Alfred North Whitehead

Now that I live on the “west coast…” or near the west coast anyway, I can read post secret before I go to bed on Saturday night. But it seems so sad because I don’t get to read the secrets with Bey.

I just returned from my vacation with my SD. Some notable things happened on the trip. First I discovered a passionate love for a town in northern Arizona called Jerome. It was once a mining town that became a ghost town in the 50’s. The kids LOVED ghost hunting at our hotel and took 2 ghost tours. I am a skeptic and don’t believe in ghosts, but the kids had so much fun…who am I to be a kill joy?

Another notable occurrence is SD bragged to me that she got to use the word “sought” the other day. This obviously needs a little bit of back story. I am a vocabulary nut. Scoring nearly perfect on my SAT verbal section, GMAT, and GRE, I have an infatuation with words. In fact, I can tell you the two words I missed on my SAT…in case you are curious…which I know you are…aplomb and hoi polloi. (Don’t worry I know what they mean NOW). Anyway, not only do I love words, but as I grow tired or frustrated I tend to use larger and more complex words. For example, if I am in an argument with Bey instead of saying, “You hurt my feelings”, I might say “The belittling of my banal requirements must cease and desist post haste.” Nevertheless SD hates when I use words that she doesn’t know. I typically do not define them for her, but have her look them up herself so that she can remember them. She told me that she had the opportunity to use sought, and was very proud.

I need to remind any of my gentle readers that do not know this, but I am her stepmom. So on occasion I get the crumbs. I sometimes wonder what impact if any at all do I have on this child’s life? It is always so gratifying when something like this occurs. Case in point, it is because of my constant badgering that she is such a bibliophile. Perhaps in a few more years she can score PERFECT on her SAT’s! If they ask “sought”, “aplomb”, or “hoi polloi”. She will get a perfect score NO PROBLEM!

I got some AMAZING calla lilies from the man for my anniversary. He has never gotten them for me before and they are my most favorite flower. He is so thoughtful he also sent a small floral bouquet to my aunt. I one time told him that if one woman in a house gets flowers everyone should get flowers. Isn’t he amazing? He listens, he is loving, he is warm…who could be better?

I still have pictures of the trip that I will be uploading tomorrow. I dropped SD off with her mom today, and I get her back on Tuesday. It is always so weird when she is not around after having been around for so long…like I am missing an appendage. :)

Happy Anniversary IPG, Bey and SD

We became a family 4 years ago today. Bey and I were not able to be together today on this special day. But we are planning a celebration when we are reunited.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Ghost Hunters the show took pictures and saw spirits in this mirror. I saw the picture, but I am not sure if I saw the spirits. :)

The tree SD is standing in front of was growing in the ground when the Museum club was built around it. A man was hung and burned on this tree.

Also in the Museum Club a man shot himself in front of this fireplace. His ghost is rumored to still haunt the establishment.

The haunted Hotel Monte Vista.

The lobby of the Hotel Monte Vista...perhaps there will be a new ghost....;)

Not just Deer Crossing...Elk Crossing!

A bubble gold fish in a shop in Flagstaff!

We are on a Vacation to the Grand Canyon, Route 66, Ghost Towns, the Out of Africa Park.
Tonight we are in the Hotel Monte Vista in the Bob Hope Suite (trust me it sounds WAY nicer than it is). LOL here are some pics of our trip so far.

Two Years

My precious dog Barrett died 2 years ago today. The good news is that as soon as we purchase our new home we will be getting a replacement Barrett. We are buying a dog from the same active bloodline in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.

Some party pics

Some fantastic pictures of SD's birthday party. :) She won't be in glasses for much longer. Her daddy and I decided to give her contacts for her birthday. :)


I am usually a pretty upbeat person but life has really been kicking me in the teeth lately. Sigh. Last week it was one thing after the next. FINALLY this week it appears life is turning around for me.

So I am declaring this week a happy one. :) I leave for a short vacation with SD tomorrow. We are going to the grand canyon, and four corners. We are also staying at a Ghost hotel in Jerome, Arizona. Finally we plan to go to the African Safari place just outside of Phoenix. SD is excited! :)

The following week my best friend will be in Palm Springs, CA. We are going to spend a MUCH deserved weekend on the beaches of San Diego.

I am throwing a sleep over!

Tonight is SD's birthday party. There are going to be 12 and 13 year old girls squealing at my house all night. I guess I am in for an adventure. Bey was telling me how much he missed me, and how much he wished he was here. THEN he heard about the sleepover and laughed saying...well maybe I am glad I am missing out on those particular events.

Today has been one of the worst weeks in IPG history. First I am trying to dispute the charges on my credit card with the company that moved me. They did a poor job and need to give me some sort of refund. Second I have had work related drama that has gotten under my skin. Third I have had to deal with Bey's dad. I don't mean to speak ill of my parents. I know that we are called to Honor our Father and Mother, and I believe that includes our in laws. But Bey's dad is an alcoholic. He usually causes more problems than I can think of for himself. His entire life has been spent making bad choices. Forth Bey's mom had some pretty major surgery so we have been worried about her. And so it goes. :(

I am typically a cat. I land on my feet. One of my nicknames in college was Midas because everything I touch turns to gold. But at times like these I wonder when is this foot landing going to happen?

SD is having a good summer. She has been playing with her cousin and we have been planning our activities for the rest of her time in school. She is going to do some after school programs this year so she is pretty excited about that. I will upload some summer pictures and pictures from the party later!

Confessions can be hard

I try to keep the blog real. But sometimes I have to paint on a happy face where one doesn't exist. Case in point. IPG circa right now. I miss Superman aka Bey so badly right now. I need him. Every atom in my body aches because I can not be physically close to him. I need to lay down next to him and feel his calming breathe in my ear telling me how he sees our future. I ache for his kind hands to brush the baby hairs out of my eyes and tell me how I am the most amazing thing that has ever occurred on this planet. I long for soulful laugh as our eyes meet at the grocery store when we are trying to decide whether we NEED avocados. Bey, I miss you. Three weeks separation tomorrow is TOO LONG.

Before I met Bey I had been in love before. I had been engaged before. But I had never REALLY BEEN IN LOVE. I don't think the word was defined for either one of us until we met. Our eyes met, and we both knew. This was what we had collectively been looking for our entire lives. Bey told me the other night on the phone imagine if we were being kept apart by something worse than just his job....I can not imagine. I don't want to!

Come home...I miss you. I am here waiting.

Hello out there in TVLand!

Wow it is warm here in Phoenix. My parents just recently got moved to Atlanta, and I think that the south is having the coolest summer they have ever had. LOL wow.

We broke some heat records Sunday it was 115 degrees. AMAZING. Although I have to say you don't notice how hot it is, because it is not muggy hot you get outside and don't realize how hot you are.

I have been in my rental house exactly one week, and I am ready to be out! I am ready to buy a house and get on with the move!

My darling Bey is ready to get out here to be with his PRINCESS. Awww...this separation crap is for the birds!

SD lost her first grandparent last week. Consequently she has been with her mom, I will pick her up again Friday. work is work. :)

Not getting political...just think it is funny

So I miss my husband. I want him to get out here. With me! I miss him so much. It is terribly sad.

Here is the funniest thing that I have seen this week.

I believe that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade... And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party. Ron White

My furniture and all the other arrived on Thursday....in little tiny pieces. :(
I just need to vent for a second, but I left Mississippi with a house full of nice furniture, and now I have junk because of these sorry lazy movers. Thankfully my dad has been looking out for me. He has called every senator, state representative, the Department of Transportation, the attorney general and everyone else from here to Alaska. I do believe I will get my furniture replaced!

However enough negativity...SD's birthday is Wednesday. I think I am going to pull off the best birthday present yet. Contacts, and tickets to go see High School Musical the musical at a live dinner theater performance! :)

In addition to all of that work has kicked it up a notch on me. How that manages to happen when I am not paying attention I just don't know.

I am going to start writing again at the end of the month. Wish me luck for finding the motivation. :)

“Murder is always a mistake - one should never do anything one cannot talk about after dinner” Oscar Wilde

My furniture was supposed to happily arrive in Phoenix on the 22nd. So why is it not here yet? Because Nationwide Relocation Services Sucks that is why. :) My furniture and other items should arrive at 2 PM today.

SD is back with me while her daddy is working hard in Starkville to wrap up all the loose ends. I miss him dreadfully and want him to come home. HOPEFULLY by the end of the month he will be reunited with me once again.

Work has had the usual summer slow down. That is ok by me because I have been feeling particularly lazy these last few days. I have lounged at the pool as well as relaxed with my SD. My aunt is out of town so I am watching her little dogs. They are so terribly spoiled...the dashing Bey nicknamed them the Six Inch Mafia. :)

Depending on a few unknowns my BFF and some other girls might come into town to say HELLO to Phoenix. ;)