"The One Where...7 girls + lake wknd = FUN"

This past weekend, me and my dear friend Jill road-tripped with 5 other girlfriends down to the Lake of the Ozarks for a much-needed girls weekend. Hey, if the hubby can have a boys weekend then I am entitled to mine :) We left on Friday morning and returned Sunday late afternoon tan and exhausted from a super fun weekend!

The condo we rented turned out to be a really nice place with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (which were greatly appreciated with 7 women trying to get ready), a nice kitchen, living room and an awesome patio that overlooked the pools and lake.

Our first day there consisted of lounging poolside, enjoying ice cold alcoholic beverages and endulging in the many snacks that everyone brought. We met some of the "locals" there and had a great time visiting & hanging out with them. On Saturday, we headed to an awesome outlet mall where we shopped the morning away. I spent way too much money but ended up getting some great deals, several cute outfits for Vegas and a new Fossil watch - my "guilt" didn't seem to last long! We all had lunch at Panera and headed back to the condo for some more pool-time! After a long afternoon pool-side and a few too many drinks, we made our way back so we could all get ready for a night out on the town. Since we didn't want to drink & drive, we called a cab to take us a whole 3 miles to our destination which ended up costing us $25 one-way. I guess that is the price you pay for arriving safely!?! We went to a local favorite called "Backwater Jacks" which ended up being alot of fun. It was located on the lake and was all open to the outside. There was a live band playing 80's & 90's music which was alot of fun. We had their famous "Pain in the Ass" drink which was a combination of a pina colada & a rum runner and was very yummy! We were quite disappointed when the band ended at 11pm and later found out the bar closed at midnight! We were so bummed seeing how we were just getting started for the night :( So, we called for a cab and another $25 later, we ended up safely back at the condo.

We decided to continue our party down at the docks checking out all the huge boats and mingling with the "locals" whom we had gotten to know over the weekend. We didn't get in until well after 2am and were up early Sunday morning to pack, clean up the condo and get breakfast before we left for Kansas City.

We were sad to see our weekend come to an end so soon but I think we were all secretly ready to get back to reality and to our own beds! It was a weekend filled with good friends, good times, tons of laughter and memories for a lifetime and we have 100+ pics to show for it :) We had so much fun that we are already planning for the lake weekend for 2009!

"The One Where...We Plan A Vacation"

It is official...we just booked an "end-of-summer" vacation and are headed to Vegas in September. Our neighbors and a good friend of ours will also be there at the same time so fun is sure to be had by all. We are actually flying in a few days before they all arive so we can go do some sight-seeing. Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyon are all on the list. If anyone has any good tips to pass along or definite "must sees" please feel free to comment! We have never been to Vegas so all "tips" are helpful!

"The One Where...It's Been Awhile"

Wow - 2 weeks! That's how long it's been since I have last made a blog entry! Deep down I knew this would be tough to keep up every week! Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do?!?

Let's see, where did I last leave off? Ahh yes, the weekend my relatives were in town! July 4th was pretty much an uneventful holiday. We spent the evening of the 5th with our neighbors in the cul-de-sac grilling out, having a few adult beverages and letting off a few fireworks. I can't express to you all enough what wonderful neighbors we have. We are always getting together to spend endless nights sitting out in the cul-de-sac talking about anything & everything! It will be a very sad day when any one of us move out of the 'hood!

The following work week went by fast. Managed to save a few people at work and continue to stomp out heart disease.

On Thursday, Shane left town for a "boys weekend" and headed to Pryor, OK for a 4 day rockfest called "Rocklahoma 2008"! Rocklahoma is the world's largest Rock Festival featuring bands from the eighties. People come from all fifty states to this event and every continent in the world with Antarctica being the only exception. Bring on the 80's big hair, leather pants and mullets! Here is a picture of the "Rockstar" himself from the weekend:

Since the hubby was out of town, I decided to host the monthly Girls Game Night which is always fun! For those of you that don't know what game night is all about let me fill you in. Over a year ago, I was walking the bulldogs around the neighborhood and met Melissa who was walking her chocolate lab named Dakota. She invited me to a Game Night where several girls from the subdivision get together every 2nd Friday of the month. Whoever is hosting for the evening provides the beverages and game to be played and everyone brings an appetizer to share. It is a great way to meet people in your neighborhood and make some new friends as well. So far the list is up to 15 girls and always growing. I have been participating for a year and 1/2 now and this past Friday was my 3rd time being the "hostess with the mostest" :)

On Saturday morning I took Neo to Petsmart to be groomed. While there, I bought Millie a new Cuz dinosaur, Bubba a new Kong toy and Neo treats. I get home, give everyone their new stuff and go about cleaning the house. About 10 minutes later, I see Bubba with Millies' toy in his mouth with the tail half chewed off and the squeaker no longer squeaks! Another $8 down the drain! Regardless of the incident, Millie still LOVES her new toy - despite the missing tail! I swear they are like children - can't take your eyes off of them for even a minute!

Well, there you go! That should put everyone up to date thus far. I will try my best and post another blog this weekend....don't hold your breath though :) Until then...

"The One With...The City Girl"

So this week my aunt, uncle and cousin from South Dakota are in town for the National Jr. Shorthorn Competition at the American Royale! Who knew there was such a thing? I definitely didn't! My cousin is showing several cows (as I like to call them) in this event and I was politely corrected by my uncle that they are not cows but rather heifers and/or steers. Ooops - silly me!

So I had a 1/2 day at work today and thought I would drive myself down to the Amer. Royale area and watch my cousin and visit with my aunt & uncle for a few hours. Now when I left the house this morning, I obviously didn't think about putting on my "cow-watching" apparel. After what I witnessed this afternoon, I should have definitely re-thought my decision when I got dressed this morning. I put on cute little white shorts, with a matching tank top and my black Rainbow flip-flops thinking this would be good to wear incase it was a hot/muggy day out. So I left work and headed downtown - DEEP downtown - into what I like to call the West Bottoms from Hell! I had to take a detour into unknown territory which made me really nervous. Then I had to drive across a huge bridge that I swear was going to collapse at any minute. Next I took a scenic tour all around the AR area looking for my relatives. I finally parked the vehicle 20 minutes later amongst 100's of big dually trucks and made my way into the cattle barn....mind you, I have cute little flip flops on...OH and carrying my big Coach bag :) My uncle meets me outside and leads me through the cow barn where my aunt is. My eyes got real big as I was not prepared for what lay ahead of me! I had to walk through cow-urine-soaked mulch and dodge the cow poo piles and puddles from washing the cows in my now not-so-cute Rainbow flip-flops! My aunt is seated on the top of the metal bleachers which are somewhat covered in dirt/cow manure/unknown residue and I sit my butt down with yes, my white shorts on. I had nowhere to put my purse and feared if I laid it down on the bleacher it would have fell off and landed in a pile of poo so I just held it in my lap. Once I sat down and got settled in, I looked around and noticed the majority of the people there were in jeans, cowboy boots/hats, big flashy belts (which I liked with all the bling on them), t-shirts, etc. and then there was me in my white shorts, flip-flops and Coach bag! How I looked must have screamed "Johnson County Diva" to them all! (You must live around here to get that joke :)

After my cousin finished showing her steer we walked back through the cattle barn, dodging cattle left and right in the aisles like they were people and walked to their camper so we could visit awhile which was really nice since I hadn't seen them since X-mas! After being there a couple of hours I decided to make my way home...through rush hour traffic...on I-35 at 4:30pm...the evening before the holiday weekend! Can you say CRAZY?!? And to think, we are going back on Saturday? You can bet I will be dressing "down" for the occasion :) One thing is for sure - you can take me out of the city...but you can never take the city OUT of me! And to think I grew up on a farm!?!

"The One With...2 Bathing "Bullies"

After seeing the video, I know what you are thinking - "that girl needs to have her some kids!" I mean seriously, who buys a kiddie pool just for their dogs?!? I guess I do! Call me crazy, but these are our "kids" - they are just the furry kind and I think they love that little pool more than kids do :) This summer we actually had to "upgrade" the little 4' pool to the much bigger 6' pool since the addition of Millie. You can imagine my conversation with the lady at the Wal-Mart during checkout. She started to make "small talk" & asked me how old my kids were (as if buying a kiddie pool is used specifically for kids?!) I told her 3 & 2 years old. She then asked me their names & I said Bubba & Millie. She gave me an odd look - as if those were weird names for kids!? I then said "yah, they are pretty hairy so the pool keeps them cool on a hot day!" She stopped scanning my items & gave me another weird look. At this point, I had had enough fun with her so I told her I had 2 Bulldogs who love to lay in the pool & I was buying it for them. She laughed & started to tell me this lengthy story about her crazy brothers' girlfriends' mother who had an even crazier uncle who had a grandfather who once owned a Bulldog....I should have just kept my mouth shut! Note to self: never make small-talk with the Wal-Mart cashiers! After about 10 minutes of listening to this ladies story, I finally escaped the conversation and headed home with the new pool. I filled it up, let the dogs out and they couldn't jump in it fast enough. After about 10 minutes, a few pictures and $20 spent filling the pool with water they bullies were done. They jumped out, did a couple of shakes & wiggles and that was it. Their fun (and mine) was over....until next weekend when the pool adventures continue :)

"The One Where...The Countdown Begins"

Woo hoo! Just incase you were wondering, Christmas is exactly 6 months away! Those that know me, know about my obsession with the Christmas holiday! It is my absolute favorite time of year & when I get into that holiday spirit, you better watch out (...you better not cry...lol - I just suddenly broke out in a X-mas song - see, I'm a freak!) My holiday spirit begins the 2nd week of November when the local radio station (Star 102.1) starts playing X-mas music, the Hobby Lobby starts putting out all the X-mas trees & decorations & after I have attended the annual Holiday Mart. The spirit doesn't end until New Years Day & then I about go into a state of depression after I have taken down the tree & the many decorations around the house. I'll have you know that I'm not the only one who is obsessed with Christmas - my girlriends HK & Deanna (pic below) share my love for the holiday season also - this is probably one of the reasons why we are such great friends :) So start "socking" money away for all those X-mas presents you'll be buying in a few months. We are half way there....

The Mid-America Heart Institute Elves - HT, Deanna & HK

"The One Where...I Share My Favorites"

This week, my friend Nickie made a post on her blog about a few of her favorite new buys and asked her friends to share their own list of favorite things. What a fabulous idea! If we all shared ideas like this we might get some good input on what actually works & what doesn't & therefore we don't waste time or money!

So after giving it much thought, I decided to share a few of HT's "favorite buys":

Cleaning: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - This little 4" x 3" white foamy square is truly "magical" & one of the BEST buys I have ever come across! For those of you who have drooling dogs, you can relate: we have white doors & trim all throughout our house. Add 2 bulldogs into the picture. When drool dries you get a glue-like substance that adheres to the trim, doors & wherever else it lands. Gross, I know! I usually keep "drool towels" in every room of my house - I should be ready for when I have children! When it comes to cleaning, even a chisel can't remove this dried-on glob of glue. BUT, with one quick swipe of the Magic Eraser, all is clean once again. Truly amazing & the best $3.00 I have ever spent!Flip Flops: Rainbows - Thanks to my girls in South Carolina for this awesome "find"! I didn't know what all the fuss was about until I bought my own pair! Unlike most flip-flops, Rainbows have a built-in arch support & mold to your individual foot shape. This is a huge benefit for someone like me who is flat-footed. It takes a litte bit to break them in but the end result is well worth it!

Lip-stuff: Covergirl Outlast - Anyone who knows HT knows that I am rarely seen without my "lips" done up with some color & some gloss. I use this wonderful little tube of color made by Covergirl & it literally stays on ALL day. You apply it in the morning, use the moisturizer stick to keep lips glossy & you can eat, drink & talk all day with this stuff on! It does NOT come off! It is fabulous!Carpet Cleaner: Hoover V2 Widepath - I highly recommend this steamvac to anyone who is looking for a good quality, easy to use carpet cleaner. It is a bit pricey but well worth every penny. We have sugar-cookie colored carpet along with 3 dogs & a husband that refuses to take off his shoes, so you can imagine how dirty the carpet can get over time. You will be amazed at how dirty the water is after using it & appalled that your carpets were that dirty before you used it!Gadgets: Houdini Wine Bottle Opener - If you are a wine drinker like myself, then you will LOVE this "must have" gadget. The Houdini Corkscrew works like magic! Clamp it around the top of a bottle of wine, push down, pull up & the cork is out of the bottle! Push down, pull up again & the cork is off the corkscrew! It takes less than 5 seconds & will open any-size wine bottle. It also comes with it's own foil cutter & replaceable metal corkscrew.So there you have it! A few of HT's favorites! Please feel free to forward on in an email or your own blog about a few of your own "favorites"! I would love to hear about them! Have a great rest of the week!

"The One Where...Friends Matter"

To the world you are one person, but to one person you are the world!

This has to be by far one of my favorite quotes. If you read it and ponder the meaning of it, you can appreciate just how powerful of a quote it truly is. This past week has been a challenging one and I have been reminded how truly special all of my girlfriends are. As I think about them all, I realize that each one of them serve a purpose in my life and I am so very blessed by all their friendships.

This past week, one of my very best friends lost her husband in a motocycle accident. He was 31 years old, has two little girls and they would have celebrated their 1st wedding anniversary 3 days after he passed away. It has been a very difficult and emotional week. As I attended the memorial service on Wednesday, I was overwhelmed by all the people that had attended to offer their love and support to my dear friend. As I looked around the room, I realized that this was the power of friendship...this is why it is so important to have friends in your life. There are some that you may not hear from often, but it is nice knowing they will be there for you no matter what the circumstances may be. Friendship is a treasure. Without it, life is empty. Just stop for a second and think about your life without friends in it...

To all my girls who are reading this, I want to personally thank you for your friendship and for all you have brought to my life. You each serve a purpose and have helped make me the person I am today. I am so very lucky and I thank you for that!

"The One Where...My Blogging Begins"

Whoever thought I would become a blogger? Surely not me! MySpace...yes. Facebook...yes. But blogging? Thanks to Nickie for just one more "addiction" of mine that she is responsible for :) I am going to try and add to this weekly so check back often for updates and happenings in HT's life. If you are a fan of Friends (the TV show), you may notice these weekly posts will be titled like the episodes of Friends were titled; “The One With…” or “The One Where…” so I hope I can be creative enough to keep it up the whole time.

First off, you may wonder why I refer to myself as HT!?! Here's the story...
At work I am known as HT - along with my many other nicknames such as princess, Queen, etc. (not sure why :) Co-workers, friends and even the physicians call me HT and have called me this for over 2 years now. I was the only Heather at work since I started there back in 1999. A couple of years ago we hired a girl named Heather K. I can't lie, I was a bit bothered that we had another "Heather" in the lab - I kind of liked being the only one. It took just a few days of people saying our name and us both responding that the initials came into the picture. She is now known as HK and I am known as HT. Not only does she have an awesome name, but she has also become a very special friend in and out of the workplace.

Next, the reason I decided to start "blogging"...
I love to read about the happenings of other peoples lives...especially those who are close to me. I have many friends and family that I don't get to see very often and their own personal websites allow me the chance to peak into their lives and catch up with what has been happening with them. I hope by creating this website and sharing it with you all that you will enjoy the same experience as I have and will look forward to my updates as I do to yours whether it be via website, an email or the phone. So please, bookmark this site and if you would be so kind, check back weekly... just so I'm not writing it to myself :)