Some Random to Start Your Week

Happy Monday everyone....

I have a super busy week at work this week, so I will be MIA later on. I have to work off-property in Memphis all week so I will be wearin' out the road!

This is going to be a super-random post because (I haven't been working out. Like, at all) I don't have much to talk about on this Monday morning!

As I was uploading pictures, this one accidentally made it in:
It has nothing to do with this post but I couldn't resist just keeping it in there. Reba and her Knoxville boyfriend, Tressle.

Last Friday on Kelly's Show Us Your Life was Families: The Family You Were Born Into. Since I love my family, and it's a little one, I thought I'd give my good 'ole 'rents a shout-out.

This is my dad, Winston. He still lives in Knoxville. We have always been good buds and like to do things together like watch football, go out to eat, talk about jobs/the future/money/God/etc. We have some really good conversations!

In fact just this weekend we had a long talk about my job and I always appreciate his advice and his 'cheerleading.'

I love my dad and I miss having him around! He can be described as a golfer, a banker, a husband, organized, social, funny, a good story-teller, and smart.

Love ya Dad!

As some of you might remember, my dad got married in April to a lovely woman named Louise and they live together in Knoxville.

My mom...aka Mommy...aka Helen Frazier....aka Crazy Woman lives in Knoxville as well. She is a great friend to me and always fun to hang out with whether it be a night at home on the couch with wine, or a full day of shopping and eating. She's like a perfect pair of black pants...you can take her anywhere!

My mom lives in Knoxville with her two precious dogs Pepper and Bella. We are slowing trying to talk her into moving to Tunica someday, but I think we need to guarantee of grandchildren to seal the deal!

Helen can be decribed as beautiful, creative, lover of the arts, supportive, kind-hearted, spiritual, funny, fashionable (even though she doesn't think so but she totally is), and beautiful. Oh, and did I mention beautiful?

You also might remember that Helen was showcased on ANOTHER Show Us Your Life Post....SINGLES! Okay so I have a funny-slash-annoying-slash-sad story to tell yall.

I have professed many times on this blog, my love for The Pioneer Woman (<---was the link really necessary? What blogger worth her weight doesn't know PW?!!?). I don’t want to sound like a creepy stalker when I talk about Ree Drummond. And you guys have heard me jokingly say that I want to ‘be her’ when I grow up.

I want to be clear that I think it’s unhealthy to idolize another human being. To envy another woman’s life and husband and children. I want you to know that when I say I want to ‘be her’ I’m simply saying that I know we would be besties if we met in real life.

Over the past year as I’ve read her blog, and cooked her recipes, I simply feel a connection to her. Like we’re kindred spirits or something.

She likes to take pictures. Like me.

She likes to cook. And eat. Both like me.

She has a blog. Like me.

She hates laundry. Like me.

She chose country life over the bright lights and conveniences of the city, all in the name of love. Like me.

She took a huge leap of faith by leaving all that was ever comfortable and familiar to her to move to the middle of no where, where she knew no one except the family she recently married in to. Like me.

She fell madly, ridiculously, googly-eyed in love with a man…a real man …who was (and still is) up-front, steadfast, and unapologetic in his affections for her. Like me.

She has red hair. Like Reba.

So I feel like, even though she is a celebrity, she has a little of every woman in her. She is self-deprecating at times, but knows her value as a mother, wife, and now, career woman. And can’t we all relate to that on some level?

So imagine my delight when I learned that she was going to be in Memphis for a book signing a couple of weeks ago. I got my 'line ticket' for the signing, finished reading her new book, and marked the date on my calendar.

The timing worked out well because the annual Gin Show was taking place that same weekend in Memphis, and this is an event we always attend. By Gin Show, I mean the COTTON Gin Show. A trade show full of farming equipment, farmers, and....well...all things that have to do with Cotton farming.

One of Tom's best friends is also a work associate of his, and they offered to take us to dinner on Friday night. I politely asked if we could make it late because I already had plans to meet my idol. So they made dinner reservations at our favorite restaurant in Memphis for 8:30 Friday evening. I crossed my fingers that two and a half hours would be enough time to drool over The Pioneer Woman.

So I arrived at the book store at 6pm sharp with my line ticket in hand. I was in the 'letter J' group. Obviously, they went in alphabetical order and as they called your letter you could go get in line.

Unfortunately, around 7:30, after lurking around and snapping a few photos from afar, they had only just gotten to letter D. So I made the executive decision to call it a night.

I know, I know, I know....it's crazy to just bail when I was so close to meeting her! But an hour and a half had passed, and only four letters had gotten called. I knew it would be another two hours or more before they got to my letter...letter J.

I wanted to see our good friends (they live out of town so it's not like we hang out every weekend), and I knew they were waiting on little 'ole me to enjoy a nice steak dinner at a swanky restaurant.

I was glad I made the decision I did, because we had an amazing time catching up with good friends and eating amazing food. It was good night.

And never fear, I did get a couple pictures of the Lady in Red herself!
She seemed really nice and smiley and joking with her fans.
More importantly, THIS hunk of a man was there:

All you P-Dub fans recognize this? I couldn't resist.

I hope this makes your Monday sting a little less!

Ha!