Part II of Brad's Bday

On March 7th, I threw a surprise bday party for Bradley. BEFORE he knew about it, he had said he wanted to go to the races on March 14th for his bday. I also invited all the usual suspects to the races, but only a handful could come, and that was totally understandable seeing as they had ROCKED Brad's face off the weekend before!

Here are some pictures from the races on March 14th...

Brad and I before the races started

Always need a vertical picture just in case!!!

Mi madre and myself...she lives in Hot Springs so she came for the festivities

Close up picture of my main man and myself!!!

Britt and I...enjoying the day and eachother's company

Sneaky picture in the casino...SHHHH...these arent allowed

The whole group before leaving the track...and going to eat the most amazing food EVER (I dont remember the name or I would shamelessly plug it right here)!!!

The whole day was so much fun...Good food, drinks, and friends...not a whole lot of winning, but some....besides, WE ARE WINNERS AT LIFE!!!!

A post about nothing

Hello all...

Todays post will be about nothing, or randoms, or whatevers but I dont have one set topic.

This weekend (Friday night) is PFG...(Pat Green for those of you who dont speak the "code"). I will be attending the concert with the "usuals" Cara Beth, Alicia, Jessica and Andrea...we were going to induct Britt and Jessie, but they had things "come up"...i think they are actually scared...JUST KIDDING...back to PFG...

This will not be our first rodeo seeing Pat...he is an old friend of ours (we wish)...we have seen him in Memphis, Little Rock, Texas, Louisiana, etc etc....some have traveled many miles to see him and he is worth every minute! I even took off half a day from work so i could be in LR in enough time to get ready and join mis amigas for whatever pre-gaming fun will be occuring...instead of arriving in LR at around 7 and then having to rush around to clean up, brush my teeth, redo my makeup and hair and meet them in a hurry!!!

I CANT WAIT!!!

Bradley is leaving for a bachelor party on Friday morning so I wont see him at all the whole weekend...I will be watching Patton though...oh LORD! He is a handful! He is so sweet though. Last weekend he busted my lip by trying to jump on the couch to snuggle and his little wet puppy dog nose ran right into my bottom lip...it was awkward and so sweet at the same time!

Back to the weekend...Brad will be gone with the boys up in northern Arkansas (I think) with a bunch of guys from his unit doing a fishing tournament for Sausage's (his real name is Nathan) bachelor party...lots of fishing, peeing standing up, and drinking beer...they can have at it!!!

He will be back with me in Memphis on Monday though!!! I will miss him, but I am glad he is gonna go and have fun!

Saturday I have NOTHING planned, I may head back to Memphis, I may stick around in LR, not really sure yet...

I still need to file my taxes...whoops!

Bling Bling

Spring is here!!! I have planted some flowers (that I am anxiously awaiting thier blooming), the weather is warmer, and I am making BIG mental plans to take off work every other monday so i can spend two consecutive days on the lake when the lake becomes swimmable...

Bradley and I had a big weekend. He came in on Friday night (he even got off work early) and we went to eat at Bosco's...we both got the Palermo pizza (each got thier own...Bradley does NOT share entree food) and split spinach and artichoke dip...YUMMY!!!!

Saturday morning we woke up, lounged around, watched some basketball, got dressed and headed to the mall for the sole purpose of looking at rings...YES, ENGAGEMENT RINGS!!!

I am not the marriage type, so this really freaked me out, but it was super fun to go into all of those stores and look at all the different rings, finally try on the ones I have been eyeing online, and see all the sparklies on my finger....but after awhile, they all started to look alike....and Bradley and I were both exhausted; physically and mentally.

Bradley and I have differing views of what an engagement ring is....lol, but I guess its ultimately up to him, and whatever he chooses, will be the most perfect ring on the face of the earth...so when it comes down to it, I really am not that picky.

I like more of the antique style (the sparklier the better) but he is a more traditional kind of guy with the solitaire princess cut. We are working on a compromise, but like I said, whatever he chooses will be perfect. He completely surprised me with my Valentine's day necklace and he did wonderful selecting that!

I guess some couples dont go ring shopping and some do. "To each his own" is how i feel about it. Bradley is the one who initiated going to look at rings therefore I dont feel bad or shallow for going to look. He is the one with the ultimate decision, but he wanted to get a better idea of what I wanted since I will be wearing it....and that shows me right there that he knows me inside and out...which is what I want in a husband (among other things).

(The rings in this blog are NOT the rings that we looked at...I repeat, NOT the rings we looked at...although the one directly above would not hurt my feelings...lol)

All in All...it was a fabulous day that ended with us making home made pizza (one of our favorite meals to make together) and renting a movie. We are both overwhelmed with diamonds, cuts, clarity, color, styles, etc...but I am also glad that I dont have to choose! I had a panic attack, yes, during which I was telling him I dont need a ring, I know I love him, and I dont need a big diamond to prove that...he is insisting on a ring though. This was the first time we have looked and my head is swimming...it will all work out in the end...and there are bigger problems in the world (and in my life) than this....like filing my taxes (add that to the list of "to dos")

Sunday is one of my favorite days with Bradley, especially the Sundays when we get to do NOTHING. Usually, when I am home for the weekend, we have to drive back to Memphis, but since we spent the weekend in Memphis, we did NOTHING but go to Bass Pro Shop, where we spent 2+ hours looking at bait and rods and whatever else...I looked in the cooking section and ended up with some amazing black bean and corn salsa and some grilling sauce for steaks, burgers, fish, etc....

My bracket is doing well. I am beating Bradley in our facebook pool and I am tied with him on ESPN...whoop whoop...

Gotta start working in a minute. Still have not heard from any of my job applications....oh well, continue to pray!

-Whitney

Bracket update....big plans this weekend

I am updating you all on the status of my brackets for the NCAA tournament...

Yesterday was the first day of games....my place of work has blocked realtime media streaming, so I cant WATCH the games online, but I can sit and watch the webpage with the scores refresh and update every 30 seconds...lol

Here is how well I am doing after the first day....there were a total of 16 games yesterday....

Facebook bracket.....14/16 correct

ESPN bracket....13/16

CBSSports.com....13/16

I have two other brackets on facebook, but I didnt check them this morning because I woke up at 7 am...which is the time I am usually LEAVING for work...miraculously, i only got here 10 minutes late...whew!!!

Off to another full day of patients and slacking off to watch the scores update.

Brad and I have big plans for this weekend (on Saturday)....if things go well, i will update later...

Tonight, he is coming to Memphis after work and we are going to eat at Bosco's....we usually like to go eat places that we dont have in Little Rock or North Little Rock, but i ate there a few weeks ago with Heather and Jennifer and it was DELICIOUS (of course), so now I am craving the Palermo pizza again....

Brad has never eaten there before, so it is like a new place to him!!! I cant wait to see my love bug and to go and eat!!!

Update you later on my brackets and my experience on Saturday!!!

-W

Ive got the MADNESS

Selection sunday was yesterday!

I love love LOVE March Madness....

If you lived with me my senior year in college (or slept on my couch)...you will know that I am GLUED to the tv, missed classes (which I cant do that now), and would get red-faced ANGRY when Bobby Knight comes on TV....I love it, every bit about it...the thrill of the games, the upsets, the EVERYTHING...

I am currently filling out my bracket...and I wish I was at home, wearing the snuggie, watching Sportscenter and doing endless research on ESPN.com and NCAA.com for tips and statistics...

I have to go to work now...but I am sure I will keep an update of my bracket success!!!

And they are off....

For those of you that know me...i love the horse races...I go as much as humanly possible between the months of January and April...and I DO NOT miss the derby.

I was afraid that with living in Memphis my horse racing days would be over...on the contrary, I think I have made it more this season that any other...lol

This coming weekend is no exception...Bradley, Kyle (Brad's roomate) and I will be loading up the car and heading down to beautiful Hot Springs, AR for some pony racing, beer (wine for me please) drinking and fun times with friends. I think the Verdell's, Horne's, and some others will be joining us down there later in the day!

In theme with the topic of my blog...I will include some horse racing terms, just for your educational benefit!!!

Basics: Each of these is a $2 dollar bet for each placement you bet on.
Win: You pick the winning horse
Place: You pick the horse that comes in first or second
Show: You pick the horse that comes in first, second or third.
If you bet a horse to win, place or show (aka "Across the Board") it will be a $6 minimum bet.

Exotic Wagers: Also $2 minimum
Daily Double: You pick the winner of two consecutive races.
Exacta: You pick the first two horses to cross the finish line in exact order in a single race. Exacta Box: You pick the first two horses to cross the finish line in either order in a single race. Trifecta: You pick the first three horses to cross the finish line in exact order in a single race.
Trifecta Box: You pick the first three horses to cross the finish line in any order in a single race.

Now...my knowledge of racing (or lack there of...lol) does not depict my type of betting...I am a basic kind of girl...

"#3 to win, place, show"....and usually I have picked the horse by his or her name...lol...

In the past...some of the "name" picks that have won me $$$ have been names like "Conner" (The Buie's dog)....and "Miss Maci" (The Verdell's dog)....Brad and I also bet on ANY military named horse "Seargent so and so" "Private whatever" etc....

Well, that is all I have on horse racing information...lol

Bradley's Big Bday Weekend (Recap)

March 7th is a VERY important day to me...it is my dad's birthday and my boyfriends birthday...My dad spent the weekend in Hot Springs (which is rare for him to be home during March Madness) so I decided to do something special for Brad's bday.

Here is the recap of Bradley's Bday weekend...

On Friday night, Bradley had to work (and then he had drill all day Saturday and Sunday)...I knew he would be getting off work LATE Friday, so when I went by the apartment to pick up Patton, I also decorated to surprise him....
He was really surprised when he got home! I feel bad b/c since we don't live together, he is going to have to clean up all decorations by himself....


That was not the only surprise I had planned for the weekend. I had told Bradley that I would make reservations somewhere we hadnt eaten and I would take care of all the plans....I asked everyone to be at Creegans in NLR between 6 and 6:30....Brad and I would arrive between 6:45 and 7....We arrived around 7:05 (ish)
Below is a picture that Cara Beth took of us when we first walked in....

Brad was so excited and surprised....he has never celebrated a bday quite like this!!!

Earlier that day, I had dropped some balloons off at the Buie home so they would be at the party when Brad and I arrived (and then when I was leaving, I got in a minor wreck in the parking lot). Here are the balloons and the birthday "beer" cake for Brad!

Here is a close up picture of his cake....Yes, the whole thing was cake, even the beer mug...and it was delicious....a close friend of Brad and I's, Mrs Verdell, makes these cakes....

Brad was so excited and surprised. Earlier in the week, Brad had picked up the list of names that said "Creegans" on the top and I caught him reading it. It all happened so fast that I didnt know how long he had been sitting there and it all happened so fast that he SWEARS he had no idea what was even written on that paper....whew!!!
I had alot of fun planning and getting ready for the party (even though I did stress out a tiny bit)...I love Bradley and making him feel special is something I love doing! I am lucky to have found a man like him and I do my best to show him that as much as possible.


Cara Beth and I have been friends for years and in the past year she has introduced me to another friend of her's...Brittany Horne and her husband Clint....Brittany, Clint, Cara Beth, and Brent have really made Brad and I feel very welcome and Brad has become friends with Brent and Clint OUTSIDE of the girls hanging out....I had asked the Buies and the Hornes to be at Creegans AT 6 to help direct everyone in the right direction and make sure the room was secured for us! (Britt and CB with Brad)


Everyone was SO GREAT about getting there on time and calming me down throughout the day...this is how serious I was about the group being there AT 6...lol



I am a big believer in my friends being friends with my boyfriend and I am so lucky to have a group of friends who welcomed my boyfriend with open arms and even attended his surprise bday party...(Jessie is not pictured below b/c she is a selfless woman who was babysitting for free for a friend who needed an angel)
Below is a picture of myself with Stephanie (one of my greatest friends and Brad's best friends wife) and Jourdan and some of Jourdan's friends....it was great to see all the people who came out to celebrate Bradley's life!
Some of Brad's "unit" buddies showed up for the surprise...as well as his best friend Jordan and some of our couple friends. Brad was so shocked to see all of the faces of people from the different groups that make up his life....his best friends, his work friends, our couple friends, my friends, etc....he had a great time bringing them all together for fun!
We were both shocked (and very appreciative) that Bradley received a birthday card and gift...which was from the Buie's. Since becoming friends with the Hornes and Buie's...Bradley has become more interested in cigars....so Brent got him a cutter/puncher thingie...look at the happiness in his face!
Brad was kissing it because he was so excited....lol....i didnt know until right then, but he didnt have one and you need one of those to smoke a cigar!!!
Toward the end of the night, things were winding down and people were heading home...and I got to head home with the most amazing man I know (next to my daddy)....I love you Bradley and I am glad you had such a wonderful birthday!!!

How do I do that again?

67 days until May 16th (graduation)

179 days until I am in Florida with some of my friends and the most amazing man I know (and my friends amazing men!)

Not that I cant count...but I am somewhat overwhelmed with having to countdown every few days to graduation/florida....

The other day, Jessie told me that I could ADD a countdown clock to my site so it would countdown for me....I pride myself on being computer literate, but I feel that this countdown clock has gotten the better of me...i cant figure out how in the world to do it...

Any pointers?

I threw a SURPRISE bday party for Bradley on Saturday...dont have much time to recap it right now (and it must be complete with pictures, which are on my laptop at home)...so i will do that later...

Job application update: After I spent a week working on applications, forgetting to eat dinner, and stressing myself out....i finally got my applications in the mail for Shreveport, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, LA....as well as Hampton, VA....and I got an added bonus; a VERY stiff neck and limited range of motion...

My main choice is Little Rock, AR....but God seems to have other plans for my life at this moment.

My boss here in Memphis, TN let me know that she was going to put in for another Audiologist opening at this VA (which hopefully I would get that job)...but it could take MONTHS for approval to go through and then the hiring process begins....and I am finished with my externship at the end of June....we are working with 3 months here people!!!

That is all the updating I can do this morning...stay tuned as my life unfolds before your very eyes...lol

Memphrica in May

72 days until graduation

184 days until I am in FLORIDA!!!

Since I am in a concert going mood...i thought I would blog about the Memphis in May line up for 2009. The list was released TODAY...and it is as follows....

Friday, May 1 - Gates Open @ 5pm

The All-American Rejects
Steve Miller Band
Ben Harper & Relentless7
Tommy Castro
Katy Perry
The Cult
G. Love & Special Sauce
Jack's Mannequin
Rise Against
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Matt Nathanson
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Lurrie Bell

Saturday, May 2 - Gates Open @ 1pm

Al Green
Korn
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
John Lee Hooker, Jr.
Shinedown
Elvis Costello
The Roots
Curtis Salgado
Saving Abel
Los Lobos
Michael Burks
The Bar-Kays
Thriving Ivory
Susan Tedeschi
Julian Marley
Cedric Burnside & Lightin' Malcolm
Chancho En Piedra (from Chile)
Muck Sticky
Green Rive Ordinance
Hubert Sumlin
Shane Dwight
Jump Back Jake

Sunday, May 3 - Gates Open at 1pm

James Taylor
311
Fall Out Boy
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Hinder
Bonnie Raitt
Snoop Dogg
Guitar Shorty
Theory of a Deadman
Jerry Lee Lewis
Three 6 Mafia
Sherman Robertson
Chancho En Piedra (from Chile)
Amos Lee
Prosevere
Damon Fowler
Dead Confederate
Reba Russell Band

Now...I have NEVER been to Memphis in May...but since I live here now, I think its part of the deal...so I am FOR SURE going this year.

I would love for my friends to come and stay with me and we can all go together!!!

I do have a "list" of people who get dibbs....and I need to check with them before I go inviting other people...lol...you can hate me if you want, but thats how its going down!

Rocking my world...

73 days until graduation

185 days until Florida....and I cant wait!!!

I am kinda falling behind on updating my blog...I will promise to do better.

I am also not doing well on my LENT decision....I have definitely eaten Gluten and I have been so busy with job applications that I havent been able to make my house green....seriously, I go to work all day, come home, work out, shower, and then sit down to work on job applications...

I mail them in on March 7th (which is Bradley and my Dad's bdays)....then I can BREATHE and enjoy the weekend until I have to start again on my research! I HAVE to finish it, since I graduate in 73 days!

I found out yesterday that one of my FAVORITE artists is coming to Little Rock...and my best friends and I are going!!! So, that influenced me to write about some concerts I would LOVE to go to...

Pat Green...okay, he is the artist that is coming in March, so I will be seeing him in the near future, but he is still noteworthy....very rarely do my friends and I miss a local concert. I few months ago, at the last minute, i realized Pat was coming to Memphis, but it was so last minute that no one was able to come...I think deep down inside Pat was sad his girls couldnt be there, but he seemed to understand when i told him....lol

Britney Spears...I love her! I want to be her (minus the whole going crazy, shaving your head, abandoning your children thing)...she is awesome, and she has really bounced back both emotionally and physically.... Remember the MTV awards when she sang??? I am not a hott body, but i am not getting up and performing in front of millions!!! Now she looks GREAT!

This picture is "crazy britney"

and now she is back to her old self...amazing Britney with fun to dance to songs and a rocking bod

Ive seen Britney once or twice before and she didnt disappoint me then...and I dont think she would disappoint now...I WANT TO GO!!!

Saliva...I know I dont seem like the typical person to want to rock out to Saliva...but I love them. I started to love them in college and just never stopped. One year, when Switchfoot was playing at OBU and Saliva was playing at Henderson...it wasnt even a question for me as to which concert I was going to. I may have been the only person NOT in all black....I may have been the only person to wear a pink collared shirt....but I was up in the mix, jumping around and singing all of thier songs and trying to find a way to sneak back stage and meet them!!! Ive seen them twice before and I loved every minute of it.

They are from Memphis, TN...and I live here...it HAS to be fate....I recently missed a concert of theirs here due to a friend's bday party...but my friends come first, so I will just have to make effort to see them on another date.

That is all I have for right now...as I think of more, i will post more...

I love Sunday nights...

76 days until graduation

188 days until Florida

Bradley and I are home in Memphis....we are about to go and pick up our 10 rolls of sushi that we ordered from Sekesui in Midtown Memphis (we always try something new) and my order of fried rice from Pei Wei (I dont want to be hungry)....

Then we will head home to snuggle on the couch and watch Rock of Love and Tool Academy on VH1 while drinking wine (Brad drinks beer). I used to watch Desperate Housewives on ABC on Sundays....now that it is at the same time as Rock of Love....we compromise and watch Rock and I watch Desperate online later....

Gotta go pick up our orders...