Crocodile vs Lawn Mower

This is Elvis.

Elvis doesn't like lawn mowers.

Or maybe he just wants to start a collection.

Either way, he just took the zookeepers' mower.

Elvis - 1

Zookeepers - 0

Letter to Myself

 

 Dear Ashton,

This is one of those times you'll remember for the rest of your life. You're engaged, ready to spend the rest of your life with the man you love. You're excited, and you have every right to be.

Unfortunately, not everyone will be as excited and happy as you are, but hey, that's life, right? There will always be someone in your life who can't be satisfied with simply being happy for you, but don't let the negativity of others get to you.

Remember that you deserve to be happy, and the people that truly matter in your life will be happy for your happiness.

Don't try to please everyone, especially when it comes to your wedding. It's your day and should be a reflection of you and your groom. You will be a beautiful bride, and those who love you will think you are beautiful no matter what you're wearing.

There will always be nay-sayers, debbie downers and drama queens. You can't avoid them, but you can kill them with positivity, happiness and kindness.

Don't let someone talk down to you or intimidate you. Stand up for yourself and don't back down from what you believe to be right. Remember, you can't please everyone. And you shouldn't have to.

Your wedding day will be beautiful and perfect, and if you keep telling yourself all of these things the stress that often comes with planning the beginning of your future life will be minimal.

Keep your head held high and your loved ones close to you.

And don't forget you are a strong, independent woman who doesn't need the approval of those around you to be happy.

Love,

Me

Wedding Planning, The Beginning

 Guys, this is really happening. I'm really getting married.

It's exciting and overwhelming and great and terrifying all at the same time.

I've got to find an etiquette book so I don't do anything wrong. Although, I'm really considering throwing the rule book along with all of its superstitions out of the window and doing this thing the way we want to. Etiquette be damned.

If I want a giraffe print garter, why can't I have a giraffe print garter? It's not like it will be visible for anyone to know it doesn't really match the other colors. And besides, isn't this wedding supposed to be a reflection of us as a couple? What better way to express myself than to have giraffe stuff randomly tucked in there? I mean, it's perfect!

So we've been picking out our colors and taking tours of venues ... all while stressing over the money we'll be spending that we don't have to spend.

We've considered just going to the courthouse, but let's be honest.

I want to wear the dress.

And the giraffe garter.

And possibly giraffe print shoes.

After all, my fairy tale wedding isn't exactly that of a princess.

Confessions of a Worry Wart

I have a confession to make.

I'm a worrier.

I can't help it. When I become bothered by something, whether it's a situation at work or with a friend or family member, it just eats away at me until it's resolved.

Granted, it usually takes a while for a situation to build into one that turns me into a worry wart. Usually it happens after I find myself getting the short end of the stick over and over again and make a decision to put my foot down.

It's one of the biggest things I don't like about myself - my inability to keep myself from dwelling on whatever the situation happens to be. I think about it and think about it and think about it. It ends up affecting my sleep because I can't relax my mind enough to get a good night's rest.

Even after I've taken some action to start the resolution process, I can't stop thinking about it or talking about it (much to the fiance's chagrin, I'm sure) until that action has culminated in some sort of solution.

When a solution is finally reached that satisfies me, it's like the skies open up and the sun starts shining again.

Minimum Wage Blues

You probably wouldn't mind working minimum wage if the price was right, right?

Well, in that respect, the city of San Francisco is about to make history.

Starting January 1, 2012, the city will up its minimum wage to $10.24 an hour. That's more than two dollars more than California's minimum wage and nearly $3 more than the federal wage.

Here in Alabama, minimum wage only adheres to the federal standard of $7.25 an hour.

What I want to know is what bonehead on Capitol Hill decided that was a good starting rate? Do they really think a person can survive on that? I barely survive on what I make, which is a little more than San Fran's soon-to-be minimum, and I'm not spending my money frivolously.

Last night we said that it was exciting news for that city, but when you really think about it, it's not all that exciting. Higher minimum wage means higher standards of living, so making $10.24 is about the same as making $7.25 when you consider how much everything costs.

But hopefully the higher minimum wage in that city will mean lower unemployment. Maybe it will make working at McDonald's a more attractive option than simply relying on Welfare and food stamps. Maybe if people feel like they aren't being underpaid at those types of jobs they'll actually take them.

My Vacation, In Blog Form

The boyfriend and I decided to take some vacation time this past week.

He took a whole week - which for him is only using 2 days - and I took a four day weekend. We packed our bags and headed to Atlanta.

Our first stop: Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

 

 

The dinosaurs were by far the coolest things in there, but there were a lot of other really cool exhibits.

During the holiday season, there are dozens of Christmas trees decorated in the style of a different country. Sadly, I fell down on my photography duty and didn't take a single picture of them.

Then there was the Darwin exhibit, which took you on a step-by-step journey through his life's works.

 

After the museum, we checked into the hotel.

Our view was incredible. 41st floor.

After a nap, we decided to walk down to Centennial Park where the 1996 Olympics were held.

Everything was decorated for Christmas, so our stroll was really romantic.

 There was even an ice skating rink set up, but we didn't take a turn.

Chris had other things on his mind...

We sat down on a bench and were just looking at the lights. I was watching the water-sidewalk-fountain randomly shooting up...

Then he got down on one knee...

 I almost started crying...

But I said yes.

Then the water/light/music show started.



Once that was over, we walked back to the hotel...

But not before Chris took a picture with Andrew Young.

Then we had a really nice dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Sear. Biggest piece of salmon I've ever had.

The next day we went to the Coke Museum.

 We were bubble-ized.

 The vault where the secret formula is supposed to be kept.

 A holographic map of the countries where Coca Cola is.

 Did you know Coke was the first soft drink in space?

 Santa Claus looks the way he does today because of Coca Cola.

Letters people have written telling their Coca Cola stories.

The tasting room. About 30 unsupervised kids. It was madness.

Monster.com and Payscale.com have collaborated to create a list of the top five low-paying, high-stress jobs.

Mine made the list.

Maybe I should consider a career change?

But I have a feeling I fit into the little explanation they provided:

Still, many news reporters might not want to change to a lower-stress career because the work wouldn’t feel as important.

It's amazing how one person can be such a sour spot in your day or even your week.

Especially when that person jumps to multiple conclusions without even looking for evidence to support their claim that you're disappointing when it comes to your job performance.

I'm so frustrated.