friday nights.

in many ways i have grown up. not that i am excited about it, but it was necessary. i have friends that unfortunately never did and their lives are fairly sad because of that. i have certainly had more than my share of wild times and late nights & still have one on occasion, but i had to slow all that down to prepare for the future. i won't go into detail about my adventures in the younger days because there are some things a parent never needs to know about their child... but let's just say there was definitely someone from above watching out for me or i would not have survived. at least not in the good health that i now appreciate.

i go to work monday thru friday, 8 to 5. well honestly i don't get there till about 8:20... but that is a whole other blog. our bills are always paid, mostly on time. my credit has never been tarnished. we take care of the nice things that we have been blessed with. our family and friends are cherished and we try to be helpful when possible. so do i not deserve to unclench a little on friday nights?? that question is purely rhetorical because i will continue to do it with or without anyone's permission.

we have friends over, drink a bit, and yes... i still smoke. i only want a cigarette when alcohol is in my hand. that has got to be better than smoking all the time.

some people exercise, do crafty things, or play sports to relax. i simply prefer to catch a buzz with good company. consider it my hobby. so there.

here i am on an outstanding friday a few years back... you can't beat a night out with the girls.

home.

growing up across the road from my great grandmother's house, it never occurred to me that it could one day be mine. not that i would have even wanted it back then, because i certainly would not be living in this town when i grew up...much less so close to the parents. don't get me wrong, i had lovely childhood memories from there and could definitely see that it had potential, but i still never considered it until the opportunity came along. gratefully i grew out of the teenage resentment stage and it has turned out to be the best decision i have ever made.

the house is over 100 years old and been in the family at least 80 of those. for a solid year & a half we worked on this place. i say "we" very loosely, because while i did do a lot a clean up, painting, choosing, and decorating... the hard work was done by my dad, mom, mitch, uncle tom, and many other wonderful people. when we started, the wiring and plumbing were not even legal, there was no insulation or central heat & air, and apparently it had at one time been an all you can eat buffet for termites. the house had to be gutted, jacked up, leveled out (as level as you can get a building on field rocks), and reframed. then it was time for windows, doors, sheet rock, hardwood floors, tile, ceilings, paint, trim work... anyone who has ever done this knows that this list goes on forever. the remodel began to turn very stressful for all involved and thankfully the house knew when we could take no more.

it was all so worth it though. to have a home that is unlike any other... from it's location on my family road, to it's unique interior that has a ridiculous amount of charm. i could not ask for better views, both inside and out. and really i don't plan to ever be done with my improvements.

so you can have your fancy apartments and your cookie-cutter houses in those developments where you have to clear it with the neighbors before your dog takes a dump in the backyard. that is not the life for me...

the coldness.

winter is by far my least favorite of the seasons. there are a lot of fabulous events that happen during these months but they would be much more enjoyable if the weather was warmer. on halloween us girls could wear our sexy little costumes without ruining them by putting on a huge coat. we could eat all we wanted on thanksgiving then enjoy a lovely stroll down the road to burn off some of those calories. christmas morning the kids could test out their shiny new bicycles and trampolines without being hindered by layers of coats and hats. on new years, people could spark their fireworks without having to consume so much liquor in order to stay warm. (ok, so maybe we would still drink the liquor.) our significant others may be more romantically creative on valentine's day. even st. patty's day might be better... we could possibly swim in a green pool instead of just toasting with our green beer.

i seriously see now why so many old people move to florida. there are only 2 times a day that my feet are warm in the winter... during my shower in the morning and about a hour after i get into bed at night. it's like the coldness somehow seeps into my bones and makes me feel about 20 years older. and my nose has been sniffly since about october, so i would like to give a big thanks to the genius that put lotion in those puffs.

how do people survive further north of south carolina? the husband and i officially decided last night that if we ever get rich, we will definitely have a winter home somewhere in the caribbean... one that is dog friendly of course. we may only get snow a couple times of year in this area and sure, it's pretty, but if it doesn't keep me home from work then i would rather it not even happen.