Boating pics

My skiddo, Bey, and Shug

Skid aka SD is eating around the clock these days

This was before the "FANTA" incident

I have my life jacket on and I am ready to go!

Relaxing

Memorial Day

My skid, and a future Republican (obviously) ;)

The 'rents retirement home

“If you want to see what your friends and family think of you, die broke, and see who comes to your funeral” Gregory Nunn

We have a broke *ss tooth fairy at our house. Bey and I are not used to having to play tooth fairy. This is the second time that we have had to force the tooth fairy to visit at Casa IPG. Anyway the first time we went all out. We had a friend of mine write SD a card and the tooth fairy even left a note for Bey. It was hysterical. A side bar my friend that wrote the note for me accidently dropped it behind her cabinets. Years from now when someone remodels their kitchen they are going to say "WHAT IN THE HECK????"

Anyway, this morning Bey and I figured we would just pay for the tooth. We emptied out our wallets and turned out our purses. We had or rather IPG had (Bey had nada) one torn in half five dollar bill, one one dollar bill that actually belonged to SD, and 50 cents in pennies (don't ask).

Because we are moving, and we have started packing all we have is mover's tape. So the tooth fairy left a 5 dollar bill magically taped together with packing tape. :) Thus the fairy tale of the broke *ss tooth fairy at the enchanted palace that IPG lives in....for 2 and 1/2 more weeks.

"In New Orleans, gluttony is a way of life." Morton J. Horwitz

Yummy Yummy Gumbo at Mother's

Ashley and I enjoy some Cajun cuisine.

My Brother in Law and I before eating.

There was a four alarm fire on Bourbon St. This is what it looked like on Sunday.

Darling Bey on our way to NOLA

Bey and his Brother on the Street Car.

Bey and I.

Sorry about the delay on the NOLA pics. :)

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving” Einstein

The home inspector should be here today. Then as soon as that is all done. Packing central at IPG's house. I am going to pack up everything that is not nailed down by the end of this weekend. Then I am going to make my family live on nothing for the next 3 weeks. It should be fantastic. :)

I got to see my parents new digs this weekend. They bought a lovely home in Cumming, GA. They are going to be re-patrioted southerners before too much longer. Gosh their home is pretty. They were supposedly downsizing. If they live only on the first level it will be a downsize. Otherwise...they only downsized by 200 square feet.

I got to take SD to the Georgia Aquarium and we ate at one of my most favorite restaurants in Atlanta. I got to take some cute pics of the fam. :)

I SOLD MY HOUSE

I AM OFFICIALLY HOMELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

“There are no available men in their thirties in New York. Giuliani had them removed along with the homeless. [Miranda]” Sex and the City

You thought you were getting pictures from my trip, and you might still get them. But I have had an offer on my house that I might accept. So I thought I would show you a picture of my prospective homes in Phoenix.


These are a few of the places that the long suffering Bey suggested I consider living. Since I have been driving him crazy by not finding other more suitable accommodations. :)

A park bench

A refrigerator box

Under an interstate underpass


At this Scottish Restaurant you might have heard of (hint: McDonald's) dumpster

IPG isn't dead

I have been building an empire.
Turning down crazy offers on my house.
Working up a storm.
Ignoring my dissertation.
Out seeing the world through travel.
But I definitely ain't dead.

Pictures and more to come tomorrow.
XOXOXO

For want of a rider the battle was lost. - Anon

Those snakes in the backyard do not stand a chance.
Hubby the MARINE ordered AK-47 and M-16 Air rifles.
Now armed with our high power laser sited BB guns.
The snakes are going down.
Good bye Nebulous Creatures!


This is mostly said in jest. But hubby did order high powered BB guns to protect the old ponderosa from anymore snake sightings. SD gets here is 5 days and she fishes in the lake.

Book review of The Package Deal: My (not-so) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom

I saw this book after reading Izzy’s blog, and was so happy that there was a kindle version. I downloaded it immediately and read it without putting it down until it was finished. In fact at one point I had to stop, plug the kindle in, and keep reading.

This book is powerfully written. As a stepmom myself I found myself identifying with the main character on more than a few occasions. From her struggle to maintain her relationship with her husband to her relocation to another part of the country this character spoke to me. The transition her life took after she got married put her in a tailspin as everything was different. I laughed at some of the predicaments that she had to put up with…”Putting up with man smell in the house.” I cried at other parts…her wedding and when her young stepson chose to go live with his mom. I felt like her sister when she described her first mother’s day. It was very similar to my first mother’s day, and I was very much conflicted by the avalanche of emotions I felt.

I have something else in common with the author I have no bio kids myself. It makes the challenge from being a carefree girl in the city to wife and mother of 2 boys in the south especially exciting and challenging.

I was even jealous that she got to live in Austin. One of my most favorite places in the world. I am an avid reader and probably read over 200 books a year. I have a criteria system that I use to rate books, and part of the criteria is whether or not I would like to go to lunch with the author. I identified so well with this story I already feel like the author is my friend. I hope that there is another book in Izzy because I want to be the first to read it.

One other thing I liked about this book is that she didn’t make it all about the bio mom and the struggles that can happen in a blended family. I think so often blended families get caught in that rat trap. This book was about her experiences as a stepmom and her relationship to her husband.

The author also realized her career calling because of her experiences as a stepmom. I think that puts such a positive spin on situations that usually only get negative attention! What an inspiration for us all!

This book is for you if you are a stepparent or you want to know what it is like to have to walk in the shoes of a stepparent. It also shows you that blended families do not have to mean fighting and court battles that everyone can get along and work out the issues that come up as close to amicably as possible.

Unfortunately for me I have no friends that are stepmoms. If I ever have a chance to make some…I intend to buy them this book. They are going to need it!

“Do not let Sunday be taken from you If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan.” Albert Schweitzer

My parent's birthdays are kind of great. My mom's birthday is always near Thanksgiving and my dad's birthday is always near Mother's day. This year it happened to be ON Mother's day. At any rate it makes for easy remembering. For my dad's birthday I got him a football signed by Alabama's head coach Nick Saban. When I called to wish him a happy birthday this morning I got to brag that I spent yesterday socializing with the Assistant Special Teams coach for Alabama yesterday. You could tell he was jealous. :)

Well it is Sunday night and I have not heard from SD. I am pretty upset. I have forbidden her dad from calling her and reminding her. I realize I am not her mom, but as an active stepmother I am pretty upset that she can't even be bothered to call. Usually her dad reminds her, but I decided this year she is 11. She is old enough to know to take some initiative on her own. Her dad took me out, and bought me presents and a nice card. I am grateful that my husband is so sensitive to my needs.

***Edited she did call at 9:30. So I whined prematurely. :)

Don't let the tiara fool ya!

I used to have that quote on one of my shirts!!!!!!

PSA Real Estate people in Phoenix if a room does not have a closet in it...it can not be called a bedroom. Please stop advertising a 4 bedroom home when it is not 4 bedrooms...it is 3 bedrooms and a den. That is all.

Ok I shouldn't be excited. But a girl is coming to look at our house for a second time tomorrow. AND a house in the neighborhood I love in Phoenix opened up. I am trying not to take that as a sign. But if my house were to sell I wouldn't be homeless in Phoenix. I have sent my aunt to spy on the house for me. :)

The house needs quite a bit of work. Cosmetic. It is a foreclosure and the people took all the appliances and the cabinets. Good thing Bey is good with his hands. If we get this house we are going to do a completely green remodel. Green as in good for the environment not Green as in color. So bamboo cabinets...terrazzo counter tops. It would be a super fun project for me and the mister.

One funny story before I gotta hit the hay. Today at Lowe's a woman stopped and admired my engagement ring. Because I was in a snarky mood when she told me she loved my ring.

Nice Old Lady (NOL): What a magnificent ring! It is so grand.
Snarky IPG L(SIPG): Why thank you. It is the Bey's Diamond.
NOL: Oh my goodness! I have never heard of that stone.
SIPG: Well it comes with a terrible curse.
NOL: OH MY! What curse?
SIPG: Mr. Bey hehehehehe
We had a good laugh. Then I bought my Calla Lilies and sledded off like the Grinch.


Oh and I managed to have a conference call today where no one was beaten and porn was not broadcast. :D

“The inappropriate cannot be beautiful” Frank Lloyd Wright

If you asked my handsome man…he would tell you that one of my best traits is how much I think things through. That is one of the reasons I chose academia a field where I honest to goodness get paid to think. But I also over think and constantly think and cannot shut my brain off.

It is that time of year again and I get to crack my favorite Evil Stepmother jokes. SD will be arriving on an airplane in approximately 2 weeks so I tell everyone I am expecting. Snicker. But this year is going to be different. Her father and I always make everything about her every summer she spends here. But we…er I and then convinced Bey that things have to change this year. We will be moving to Phoenix hopefully soon. So although it is going to be a SD centered summer. We are going to have to become real parents. No more Mr. and Ms. Nice Guy Fun Time all the time. This is our dress rehearsal of when we have her around more.

I have been pontificating and wondering if I am having to be patient about this house selling (we are day on the market 27) because being a mom requires patience? Also the teen years are coming and they definitely require patience….maybe I am supposed to be learning a life lesson here.

I have been talking to Bey about the need for getting eyeball to eyeball and having a family meeting right off the bat. First of all SD is very nosey. She thinks she can be involved in even the most top secret adult conversations, and we have humored that behavior in the past. But this summer we are going to be facing down some of life’s major stressors. Meaning we are going to have to have adult convos with out little ears.

Now enough about the life and times of being a StepDiva such as myself…on to work topics. On yet another conference call today…all of a sudden you hear what is obviously the sound of a woman HAVING AN ORGASIM. Some pervert was looking at pornography while we were on our conference call.

And with that…I am off in a puff of orange smoke!

‘‘The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.’’ Patrick Henry

I saw the snake again this morning. Ok it might have been a turtle...I was in my kitchen so I am not quite sure. I was relaying my brush with death with my father. I was also threatening to take out that snake. My dad piped in with "You know that air rifle is going to ricochet off of anything it hits in the water." I respond, "I was not going to use the air rifle. I was going to use the 12 gauge." My dad responded, "Think of the resale on your house! The neighbors will hear how bad the snakes are that IPG is in the back yard blasting at them with a shotgun. But a shotgun would do the trick." This was all said in jest. I have no intentions of blasting away at a snake in my backyard like I am involved in the Hattfield and McCoy feud. But the exchange was funny so I thought I would relay it.

I also forgot to relay the story about Sunday's open house. After going to church HH and I came home and got our home sparkling for the open house. I was still quite sick so I was only half joking when I sobbed that I wanted to call my maids to come help me scrub my giant Jacuzzi tub. I need to mention that while I am self centered enough to have my maids on speed dial I am too terrified of them to be calling in a panic on Sunday. My maids are stern ladies. They would not appreciate my bit of dramatics on a Sunday. Ok I am joking..they would have come and helped me out. I just didn't want to hear about what a weenie I am. The kind ladies that clean my house are so fantastic I would move them to Phoenix with me if I got the chance. They take care of me, and call to check on me when I am not feeling well. They clean like nobodies business, and tell fascinating stories.

Finally this morning I went outside and started hacking away at this enormous bush in front of our home. My next door neighbor ran out and begged me to stop. There is a mocking bird nest in bush. I hadn't touched the nest so the baby birdies were saved. I saw the momma happily fly back as I packed up my tools and went back inside.

“A weapon which you don't have in your hand won't kill a snake” African Proverb

This morning I was hanging out in the backyard. I sat on this stump in front of the lake. I was contemplating the tough questions...should I fish or eat lunch or go back inside and do some work. ;) Anyway, I ended up just sitting on the stump. I looked into the water and that DANG SNAKE was swimming underwater not even 2 feet away from me. It swam right up under where my feet were and poked its head up for some sun. I was so angry, because I have declared war on this snake, but I didn't have my shot gun or even a shovel. No weapon to attack my nemesis. I was actually scared to move. I was literally 12 inches away from this snake. This snake needs to watch it because he just made it on my list!

I am working more than I normally do this time of year. I just had my last synchronous class until August. It makes for a nice break to not be tied up on Monday nights from 7-9:30. I have been contemplating picking up a few classes on ground once I move to Phoenix. I sort of miss being in the classroom, and I think I would like to adjunct on ground a bit once we move.

The midget (SD) although not as midgety these days...she is growing...will be here soon. I can't wait to see her. I always look forward to summers. I need to get busy scheduling her camps and activities.