What was I thinking???

So, I decided to go back to school this semester. I am now considered a graduate student at Tennessee State University. The state pays for one class a semester, so I decided to finally take them up on that offer and go back to school.

I feel like I'm somewhat of an intelligent person. I'm not the smartest person by any means, but I also don't feel like I am an idiot. I can hold my own, generally. Well, this class is making me doubt my brains!!! I feel like I've struggled with this class. It makes me question my smartness and I'm almost thinking this class is making me dumber!

Today is my final and last night I just wanted to cry while studying it....seriously. I'm not making excuses, but it's been 5 years since I've been in college and surprisingly, a lot has changed in 5 years. Plus, there is a lot of cobwebs on my brain!!!!

So, today for my final, I have on my glasses to help me seem smarter than I might be. I very rarely wear my glasses, but when I do, it never fails, people always tell me I look smart!!! Which, makes me think that I must look like an idiot every other day of the week when I wear my contacts! Either way, at least I feel like I look smart and maybe some of the smartness from my glasses will jump into my test tonight!!! ARGH....school...what was I thinking???

Cousin's Night Out....cont....

So, to add a little something something to the last post. I was talking to Shelby a few days after going to dinner with all of our cousins. She says, you know, it must be a Vernon trait....every single one of us is ditzy....that must be where we get it from!!!

Then she goes on to remind me of what someone said about one of us. Although we cannot remember who said it and who's friend it was that said it, but one of us was friends with this person and when the person meet the other one, they were like, Wow...that explains a lot!!! So, guess it is a family trait of ditziness....but good ditziness because we are very smart, contrary to how we might act sometimes! Love my Fam!!!

Cousin's Night Out

So, we've been talking about it for a while now, but last night all the Vernon girl cousins got together for a cousin's night out. It was, in birth order (heehee) Debbie, Jan, Jessica, Shelby, Christie, and myself....as I am the BABY of ALL the Vernon grandkids....it's a role I do not take lightly!!!

We decided to go to Buca di Beppo....which is family style, but might have been a little too family style when it came to seperating out the tab. According to the waitress.....who had already said we were all Beautiful when she looked at our ID's, said the computer system is not very user friendly....but I think the waitress was not user friendly!!!

Still, we had a great time with lots of laughter. Carolyn and Vickie, for those who don't know, are the only Vernon girls and they are the 2 oldest children and then came the three boys, Earl, Kevin, and daddy. Well, Carolyn and Vickie are hilarious when they are together. They can act somewhat ditzy sometimes, but it's so funny. They are the ones huddled in a corner together rolling on the ground laughing while everyone else is just staring blankly at them. Well, Debbie and Jan are turning out to be similiar to them come to find out and I believe it because Debbie when down the whole list before spitting out the right name. Shelby and I are convinced that we are going to end up like them....I believe we are about half way there. Which is ok with me, cause I love my Aunt Carolyn and Aunt Vickie and I love my sister! I understand that sisterly bond cause Shelby and I laugh at things only we get.

A couple of years ago, a bunch of us friends got together for a game night and Shelby and I were on the same team for Charades (spelling??) and we dominated....then again, we were the only one's who actually knew what the other one was doing. It was hilarious....pee your pants hilarious!!! Sister's just got something!

I think the most funny story of the night was the one Debbie told about her mom Carolyn. They live right underneath the Natchez Trace Bridge, which is gigantic. Well, sadly, people jump off there all the time. Debbie's son Cody heard that someone jumped off of it on his scanner, so called Debbie and told her to go check out the situation. She goes down there, and the cops aren't even there, but she didn't see anything. Well, next thing she knows, a bobat comes running out of the woods and then turns around and runs back. Well, Debbie is telling Carolyn about going down there and mentions the bobcat to her mother, and continues on. Well, Carolyn's responcse.....well, who was driving the bobcat??? WHAT?? Who was the man driving the bobcat???? She thought it was an actual bobcat machine....not an animal....so hilarious!!!

So, we are hoping to do our cousin's night out on more of a regular basis. With such a big family, it's important that we do this I feel like. We figured out that there is like 18 great grandbabies, I think. And I haven't even had any yet!!! But I think it's neat and somewhat rare that we are such a big family and we are still close despite that!!! Proud Vernon!!

I think I might be getting old.....

Ok, maybe I'm not getting old, but really, I think I am!!! Next month, I will be 29 years old!!! I'll be honest, I'm kind of freaking out. I'm not sure why though, but I am. It just seems OLD! It's the last of my 20's and then I'll be entering into my 30's....which is WAY OLD....at least it always seemed like it was. 30 seriously?!?!?! When I was young, I thought by the time I was thirty I'd be a lot more settled then I am now....granted, last couple of years, I realized that I'm just fine. I've never made goals to accomplish before 30...I have always said I would think about marriage when I turn 30.....guess I need to be thinking about it huh???

But 29.....it's kind of depressing sounding. I feel like it's a pivotial age...maybe because I'm going to be thrown into my 30's. When I think of 30's, I think of responsibility. Can I really go hang out at the clubs when I'm 30?!?!?! I can barely pull all nighters now and when I do, I suffer for about a week and I'm only 28....what's 30 going to be like.

29, last of the 20's, seriously....I just turned 20 the other day, I swear.....then again my early 20's seemed ages ago....even college seemed ages ago. I spent 5 years living in Chattanooga and now I forget the names of streets and restaurants that I frequented.....and then I remind myself that it's been 5 years since I've lived there, no wonder!!! WHAT.....how could that be?!?!

29, I mean, I still get carded for R rated movies....people ask me what High School I go to! It's a compliment now. I can't even have crushes on college football players any more because they are so young.....I would be such a cougar. Some of my favorite crushes were on UT football players.....now I'm at a reasonable age to date these crushes and I would date men their age....but at the time I was like 14!!! John Hall....are you reading this?!?!?!

29, if I do talk to a guy, obviously age is going to come up and sadly the conversation generally ends with me patting them on their head and sadly telling them that I am old enough to be their mothers!!!! Even though I'm not, but might as well be!!!

29....when my mother was 29, I was 5....I was starting kindergarden...I remember my mom at 29! I see pictures of her at 29 and she looks her age.....maybe it was the 80's style.....but she looked 29.....***mom, I do not think you look old....you actually look very young for your age now, just FYI**** 29....oh my goodness....can I just hibernate?!?!

28 though, 28 has been a GREAT year....I think this is the age I would like to stay. People say that they stay 29, but forget that.....28 is the place for me. It's been a good year. Pretty much drama free, which as we know for my family the last 2 years have been somewhat of roller coasters. My sweet precious neice Anne Claire made her debut, it's been a great day. Summer days lazing on the rivers, vacations....it's been good. I've thoroughly enjoyed being 28 and I'm going to enjoy the last 49 days of being 28. Which actually seems like a long time off, but really, it's just around the corner and after that corner I'm going to be 30!!! ARGH!!!!

Maybe I can have clear concise thoughts when I'm 29 and won't be rambling anymore.......maybe

Caramel Pie

So, it's that time of year again....THANKSGIVING!!! I'm always so stoked about Thanksgiving. Always been a great holiday, but I took it for granted and when I went to Australia and spent Thanksgiving day picking Mangos, I realized how great of a holiday it was. And FYI.....Australia does not have a Thanksgiving.....as Leah asked our driver!!! Spend a year without Thanksgiving and you spend the rest of your life enjoying it!!!

I'm making my caramel pie again this year. I've made it the last 4 years, minus 2 Thanksgiving's ago. I was thinking back this morning of my first year of making it. I was working for dad and got off super early and went home and started working on my big Australia picture frame, rather frustrated that it wasn't as easy as I imagined. I went ahead and started drinking some beers because I was pre-gaming for our Thanksgiving Eve festivities. I finally got it done and started boiling the cans of milk for the pie, which takes 2 hours. I get ready, still drinking some beers and boiling the milk. Brandon , Jenna, and Ben are meeting at my house. So, Brandon gets there and is like, Hey, think you can iron my shirt for me...I mean, what do I look like??! A few minutes later, Ben arrives and is like, Hey, think you can iron my shirt for me?? WHAT??? So, here I am, drinking beer, boiling milk for a caramel pie, and ironing shirts!!!! I felt like a true Martha Stewart!!! It was great!!!

The two last Thanksgiving's have been quite interesting and out of the norm, for sure. 2 years ago, Shelby was in the hospital and somewhat unexpectedly got to come home from the hospital the day before Thanksgiving. So, Pop fried a turkey for us and mom ran to the store and got the tubs of vegetables that you just heat up!!! It was a great Thanksgiving and we had a lot to be thankful for! Last year, we were suppose to go to Grandma's for Thanksgiving then go to Scott and Glenda's since Grammy and Grandpa Keith were in town. Well, what do you know, Grammy has a stroke on Thanksgiving Eve and they all end up in the ER/hospital on Thanksgiving. Poor mom missed all of Thanksgiving and spent it in the hospital with Grammy!!! So, I'm excited for a drama free Thanksgiving this year. Write it down...keep your drama away!!!

So, tonight I will not be having any Thanksgiving Eve festivities like I use to back in the day, unless going to Grandma's counts!!! I will be home, or rather at mom and dad's since I refuse to go to my own house since there is a mouse there, making a caramel pie and a new recipe that I stole from Rachael, a pineapple casserole. YUMMY!!

So to you and yours, Happy Thanksgiving! May we give thanks to all the blessings we have in our lives and remember just how lucky we are, no matter what our situation is!

Reflections

So, I was just making plans with some friends for some up coming weekends and I made mention that Caroline's 2nd birthday party was coming up. I was like, I can't believe my sweet lil baby neice Caroline is going to be 2! Yes, 2!!! I'm getting old!

It just seems weird thinking back over the past two years and all that has gone on and to know, that I've survived it. If I could handle these past two years, I should be able to handle just about anything that is thrown my way!

I feel like these experiences have made me grow, rather other's notice it or not, I feel like I have. Granted....I don't look any older, but I know I've changed!

These events have made me step outside and realize what is important and have taught me to be thankful for all I have. I faced my worst nightmare, how could you not be changed? I have seen new life enter this world and I have seen old lives leave.

Within a years time I saw the most precious little girl come into this world and bless a whole family. I saw my sister, my one and only sister, knocking on death's door. I saw my grandfather, one of the most amazing and strong men ever, sucumb with a quickness to cancer and enter the glorious gates of heaven.

I think I experienced every emotion during that year, from happiness to anger, I felt it all, but in a way, I wonder if that was God's way of bringing me back to where I need to be in my life. It became so easy to think about me and only myself for so long and not worry about consequences or if what I was doing was wrong or right. I wonder if I did not go through these things if I would be where I am today? Not that I'm perfect now or anything, but you know, you know right???

Out of all the bad, there has to be good come out of it. I look at my sister and see a miracle and someone who is walking proof that prayers work and that the ultimate healer is up above. I've seen her be completely restored and in the end, produce another perfect baby girl. She has shown the world that you cannot live in fear and what a fantastic mother she is. I feel like our family has been drawn closer together because of everything that's happened.

I still have emotions pertaining to all that has happened, but it's selfish reason. I still miss my grandfather terribly. I know I had 27 amazing years with him, and he spent 86 years on this earth, I still miss him. I still sometimes feel a tinge of anger about what happened with my sister, but that's when I remind myself of forgiveness.

That's my sad story for the day. It's been an amazing 2 years and I'm in awe of how sweet and precious Caroline is. I love her more than I ever thought I could love one little girl and it's crazy the joy that she can bring into my life and others as well. Nothing can melt my heart the way that Caroline can when she says, Bless you Bec Bec, Love you Bec Bec, Hugs and kisses Bec Bec! Just like a new life was born 2 years ago, I feel like a new stage of my life started 2 years ago as well. Now that's deep!

Chapel Hill Drama!

So, this morning I'm driving to work, as I do 5 days a week. I'm bebopping along and I get behind a SUV with a canoe strapped to the top and my mind starts running. My first thought was that this person had a canoe on their roof because of the weather, maybe they thought they might need it since it's been raining non stop for the past 10 months....or so it feels like at least. (the canoe is on top of the white SUV in the middle, should of gotten a picture when it was directly in front of me)

Then rationally I thought, maybe they went canoeing and just still have it on their roof because they did not have time to take it off. That doesn't make any since because what idiot would of gone canoeing this weekend. It rained nearly non stop, with lightning and thunder mixed in and I know all the rivers are high and probably a little bit on the dangerous side to be floating down. (I am an expert canoer, I do know this!)

Thus, I go back to my 1st theory, they have it on their roof in case they run into water on the road. I believe this thought is correct because Angie, Jenna, and I could of used a canoe last night on our way to Chapel Hill to see Megan's new baby.

We missed the road to turn down, so we kept going and turned down Depot in Downtown Chapel Hill, WHOO-HOO!!! Well, being the small country town it is, you have 2 options, you can go under a one lane underpass, which is usually what we do, or you can go up a step drive and cross over the railroad tracks. Well, we get there and the underpass is flooded, so we could not get through that way. We top the embankment to cross over the railroad only to find a lake on the other side of the tracks, not allowing us to pass through!!! So, of course we had to take a picture of the flooding.

So, after seeing this, we decided to use Angie's GPS system Madge to find us another way to Megan's house, but Madge didn't get the memo that Depot was flooded and we could not go that way. So, we turned Madge off and just turned around and went back the way we know.

We finally made it to Megan and Daniel's house where we meet Sweet Kylie Rose Womble, who was born Tuesday, April 28. She was an absolute doll! Slept the whole time, but was so good. I held her for a long time and it got me excxited about my new neice Lil Anne Clairebear who should be making an appearance sometime soon!

Well, we leave about 8:30 and make the 10 minute drive to hit Horton Highway, but oh, wait there's a train just chillaxin on the track. (the only way out is across the train tracks) 5 minutes go by and the train is not budging, so sitting there hanging out, blocking the road. So, we decide to turn around because we figure the train is going to be there for a while, plus Angie was in the midst of having an allergic reaction to something and could not stop itching. The only way back to Horton Highway was on Depot street, which we already knew we flooded. So, we had to make a HUGE circle and go 99 to Lewisburg Pike, back to Truine (with a stop at Angie's house to get her stuff so she could stay at her moms!!) So, at about 10:45 I finally got home! We've come to the conculusion that we really do not like Chapel Hill!!!!

Dreams Do Come True

So, one of my lifelong dreams has been to go to Nebraska! Yes, Nebraska, the state. Well, after 28 years, it is becoming reality and I'm going!! YEY!!!
My agenda is as follows:
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 - Mom, dad, and me drive to St. Louis and stay at Harrah's and hopefully I can win a million dollars
Thrusday, July 2, 2009 - we drive to Fremont, Nebraska, the town where my grandmother grew up
Friday-Sunday - celebrate
Sunday, July 5, 2009 - I fly back to Nashville and mom and dad start the drive back.

I am so stoked. We are going up for my great aunt's 90th birthday. So, it's like a mini family reunion with the side that I never see, or most likely never met.

Why my obsession with Nebraska you might ask? Well, it's where my grandmother, Grandma Vernon, grew up until she was 13. It's where my dad and his family always went on vacations and there has always been tons of Nebraska stories. I can only imagine, Grandma, Papaw, and their 5 youngins' making the drive to Nebraska, it had to be intersting. One day when I write my memior, I'll include some of these stories!!!

Also, why do I like Nebraska??? It's where mine and Angie's alter ego's are from!!!! Yes, when we don't want to give people our real names, we tell them we are Franchesca and Gwendolyn from Omaha!!! It has come in handy on multiple occasions, but never has it been as believable as it was at TJ's night before his wedding party.

On the LONG drive to Farview, we said we should tell people there we are Franchesca and Gwendolyn from Omaha and we work at Primus there, which TJ works in the one in Cool Springs, and we talk to him so much on the phone that we decided to load up our motorhome and drive down for his wedding. We decided to test his luck since his soon to be wife had her friends there that we did not know.

Well, lo and behold, would you know it, there as a motorhome parked down the street from TJ's condo, so not only did we tell them we were Gwendolyn and Franchesca from Omaha, but we also had a motorhome we could point out and tell them it was what we drove down here in!!! It was hilarious, they actually believed us, and unless someone told them different, they probably still do believe it. So, yes, I'm excited to go back and see Franchesca and Gwendolyn's old stomping ground!!!

Actually, I told my girly's the other day that we do not have Nebraska names, and we should change them. All of dad's girl cousins have double names, Theola May, Jo Elfin, Cora Lee, and Micky Sue. I called dibs on Theole May, but we came up with a new one for Heather, Tana Rose! I think she'd fit right in and more people would believe she is from Omaha!

So, I'm am pumped beyonds words to go to Nebraska, one more place I can mark off of my places to go. I'll fill you all in on how great it was when I get home.....hopefully I don't talk Nebraska up to much

Looking out my front door

So, if you ever want to experience an episode of Cops, just come hang out at my house for a little bit, gurantee you will see something!!! We'll, maybe that's a little dramatic, but it is pretty close to the truth.

I've seen many of people get pulled over in front of my house for gunning it through downtown Nolensville, I've seen people doing sobriety test at 2am, I've seen people involved in hit and runs be arrested and even I, sweet innocent lil Becca, have been pulled over in front of my very own house by a Nolensville cop. **side note, I have loads of respect for cops and I really do appreciate all they do and they have helped me out, so this is not a police bashing post**

I even once pullled out of my driveway, rolled down my window and offered my assistance to the cops, on the mentioned above hit and run case. I think he might of taken me up on my offer had it not of been me and three others sitting in the car in our Halloween costumes!!! I think they managed to stutter out a no thanks while picking their jaws up off of the ground.

They came to my rescue this past October when I arrived home from New York City around midnight to find my back door wide open, no robbers, just an overly excited tourist who didn't shut her door. Yet, they've also given Christian a speeding ticket while she was sitting in the back of my driveway, actually, under the barn I do believe. Oooppsss.....my neighbors love me!

Well, today I saw a new incident, a situation that made me immediately call me sister to share the gossip since we both have the same kind of warped sense of humor. I just got home from work and was turning my music on when I heard sirens. I walked to my living room to be noisy and noticed that the cop, the cute Nolensville cop that pulled me over to be exact, had pulled over a blue van in front of my driveway. No biggie, just another speeding ticket.

A few minutes later I walk by, and my front door is open, and I see the cop backing down the wrong way on the road. Of course cars were coming to a halt, so I watched to see what was happening. I see him get out of his car and about the same time a lady and a little boy who appeared to be 3 or 4 were walking down the street toward the cop. Well, the cop proceeds to go pick up garbage from the middle of the road and meets the mother and child and hands it to the little boy. It also appeared like the cop and mother were possibly lecturing the little boy. So, the little boy and his mother come marching back down past my house to their car, him holdng what looked like a Krystals box the whole time. Poor thang!

I kind of felt bad for the kid and was surprised that they had him walking down the busy street. But, at the same time, good for the cop, people don't need to liter! It makes me so mad! Yes, this is coming from the girl who recycles EVERYTHING, but still, don't liter, there is no need for it. I'm constantly picking up garbage from my front yard. I was talking to my neighbor once about it and she said, and I quote, "I think we must be the last yard before the beer store, because everyone seems to throw out their empty beer bottles in my yard!"

So, start the kids young and teach them not to liter. You never know, the Nolensville cop might come and getcha!!!

Welcome???

Well, I've always enjoyed journaling and I sometimes feel like I'm decent at it, so I decided maybe I can join the technology world and start a blog. I've been thinking about this for a while now, so here I am. Even if I don't share it and it's just for me, it's still something to write my story.

I've done quite a few blogs on Myspace, so I might move some of them over here, in case I ever decide to do the unspeakable and delete my Myspace account***GASP**** Well, if nothing else, I think they delete some of the blogs after a while, and I don't want my talent to go wasted in computer land!!!

Another good reason to blog, to tell you that I went and saw NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK last night! My lifelong dream came true and I was whisked back to being a young, innocent, youthful 9 year old, except, I was drinking a beer and they were a little too raunchy for a 9 year old in my opinion. It was awesome, the pre-show hype with the power points gave me goosebumps, 15 years they walked away and one year ago they came back to continue the party!! I know, a little cheesy, but still goosebumppy??? (is that a word)

Speaking of words, I sometime like to invent my own words and I've recently came up with 2 new ones.
1.) Fringle-this is a combination of free and single, whenever anyone ask why I do what I do, my response is usually, because I'm young, single, and have freedom galore, so now I can just combine the single and freedom part and say because I'm a fringle!!!
2.) Manalyzer-my friends and I, and probably 98% of the female population spend the majority of our time analyzing men, therefore we are manalyzers! Makes since right? We can spend hours analyzing a 3 minute conversation with a boy. We need to get a life!!!

So, I get distracted easily, can you tell??? I once took an online quiz for adult ADHD and was told to stop what I was doing and go to the doctor to be tested, I figured I could just cut out red food coloring and it would help, and then I remebered, I really don't eat/drink much with red food coloring, so I need to find something else naturally to help me.......this test was done about 6 years ago, still haven't figured anything out yet. *one thing I do remeber from a child development class I took was that if you cut out red food coloring from a childs diet it can help with their ADD, which, red coloring is basically red sugar, therefore, cut out sugars, GENIUS!*

Well, that's enough for now, but so far this is kind of fun, maybe I'll continue. I'll let you know!!!
Becca :)