I Don't Know Why

People expect such great material to come from me. Stacee tagged me to do the whole 'Fourth Picture Tag' thing, because she said she just needed to see what randomness I could come up with.

She also tagged Maegan, and I'm willing to bet that she goes and takes a few new pictures of Claire, puts them in a folder and then gets to choose from one of those. Just a feeling...

The rules are as follows:

1. Choose the 4th folder where you store pictures on your folder.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same thing.
5. No Cheating! (Cropping, editing, etc.)

Much like Stacee, this is hard for me to do, because I have pictures stored ALL.OVER.THE.PLACE. In My Documents, then in My Pictures which has a few pictures, but then a sub-folder called My Pictures, which also has a few but then has a sub-folder called Lane's Pictures, has a few pictures and also has a sub-folder for each event. Yes, I told you so. Looking for pictures on my computer is pretty much as much fun as an Easter Egg Hunt...you just never know where you're going to find a little sliver of awesomeness.

So I guess what would make sense, is to offer a variety of 4th photos. WARNING: This is going to be LOOONNNNNGGGGG. However, I guess with this many fourths, there has to be at least one interesting shot....

1. This is me on August 25, 2007 (says the folder name)at some bar in downtown Dallas. I stood up from the bench and felt something hard stuck to butt. I reached under my dress, only to find Robyn's license attached by sweat adhesive to my right cheek. How the hell it got there, no one knows???

2. This is a high-powered, electric screwdriver that was used to build the pole-dancing platform/stage at Abby's bachelorette party.

3. Oh dear lord, I was hoping this wasn't going to happen. But I'll keep it honest. Yes, the 4th picture in the folder for Mark & Amanda's wedding is someone's boobs.

4. According to the folder, this was a picture taken on April 27, 2007. Molly and I were at the Irish Rover in Frisco with Danette, Mandi, Sally, and my dad.

5. Kissing my beloved Bev goodbye for the very last time.

6. Marty playing in the mud. Or stuck in the mud. Yeah, probably stuck in the mud.

7. Easter weekend, 2007. The first snowflakes on the ranch.

8. Marty so enthusiastically showing of the frame he got for his office. Curious about the decor??? This is hunting cabin decor... It's fancy!

9. Sleepy baby Mark. Eeerrr, I mean sleepy baby Claire.

10. Claire sporting her favorite onsie. Clearly, it's her favorite! Geaux Tigers!!!

11. Mark, Maeagan and Claire's family portraits. Claire was 3 months old.

12. Maegan and her mom, Krista, in the delivery room just a'waitin on the Claire Bear. {Sorry, Maegan.}

13. Claire's newborn pictures at 2 weeks ago. Such tiny little hands!

14. Kacy and my adventure to the dog park a few years ago.

15. Molly and I on our float trip for Labor Day in 2006.

16. August 2007, I'm dancing with Kacy's Pop at his birthday party at the VFW in Frankston, Texas.

17. This is my A.Door.A.Bull. Kacy on her way to get her race packet for the 2007 White Rock Half-Marathon.

18. This is Jimmy, Brandon, Keith and Chris at a Halloween Bash. Jimmy & Brandon won the Funniest Costume Award...thanks to me!!!

19. Robyn's digging for gold in Trey's pants. Wait...that's not a costume....
And Marty is playing with a rubber penis. Wait...that's not a costume either...

20. Happy Hour at Shuck & Jive. I decided to bust out the balloons and air pump out of my purse to make some crazy balloon pets.

21. Another Happy Hour. Pappadeaux. Crawfish.

22. Happy Hour. Again. Love & War. Scott & Abby.

23. This is an amazing gift Kacy got me. She saw it at Brookshire's in Tyler.

24. Kacy and Tammi's makeover by the infamous Cheryl. Two Rows.

25. All of our purse hangers. This was Robyn's HH gift to us one day at Uncle Julio's.

26. The lady gays and me in Austin for GHayden's birthday.

27. Allison painting my red wall with a pink primer.

28. Me at Janee's Bachelorette Party. Pete's Piano Bar.

29. Jessica at her Bachelorette Party.

30. The dudes at Jessica & Matt's wedding.

31. Molly and I stopping to grab some breakfast at 5:00 in the morning before I got on my early flight back to Dallas. Do not judge me - you don't even know what kind of state I was in here...

32. Awww, the sweet new family!

33. Matt Wertz = HOTTTTTTT!

34. Kacy & Jen at the Glass Cactus, one Thursday in the summer of 2007. We went to see Cory Morrow play. BTW - I hate him now!!

35. Molly and I are in a really cold, underground wine cave/cellar thingy in France.

36. Robyn racking the balls. This is the night LSU won the 2008 National Championship!!!

37. This picture came out of a folder titled 'Random Stuff for Kacy.' We have a real special friendship. I was driving down the highway when I saw this extreme gamer on the road.

38. My unsuccessful, inconspicuous attempt at getting a photo of Dave, the valet dude, for Jen & Kacy. I really needed to capture the essense of his gold nugget rings, black high tops, cigarette in hand and his boombox. One day, girls, one day...

39. Riding the Dart Rail downtown, all by my lonesome.

40. This is a special little house in Sachse that has been turned into a temple of sorts. This is their yard art.

41. Hah this is a joke. This is the morning I flew out to Hilton Head for Scott & Abby's wedding. This same day, Team Chelada was running a race and I had to miss it. :( I took this picture to show them that I actually did get some exercise in while I was gone. I walked 1000 feet.

42. The boys, their friend Mitch and I cheering on Bobby Boobner at a Stars' playoff game in 2006.

43. Our token black guy on our "Where Da Gold At?" float.

44. Random Stars game.

45. Kristy, Robyn & Me at Taste of Addison in 2007.

So there you have it. The fourth folder where I keep pictures, is then broken down into 45 different files. These are the fourth pictures from each of those files.

So I'm supposed to tag someone now, but I think I've done enough pictures myself of the entire blogging world. But feel free to do it yourself... :)

Surprise!

A couple weeks before Christmas, Chris sent out an email, requesting that we mark off Friday, January 16th on our calendars as the day of Danette's surprise party for her 34th birthday.

Lots of planning and a plethora of email exchanges made it such a success, as there were 16 guests, plus C&D, in attendance for a pre-game gathering at The Ginergman for frothy brews and tasty snacks. The plan was for Chris to bring Danette to the bar at 7:30 to meet me and a new beau out on a date. Of course, she's totally nosey and would definitely bite at the chance to get to come on a double date with me and some fella she'd never met before, only there was a little surprise waiting for her.

Me! Sans date. Gotcha!!!

But lots of her friends, too!

Oh, and cake. We pink-fluffy heart cake!

After filling up our bellies, we headed to The Loft to see a phenomenal show put on by an amazing 80's cover band, The Spazmatics. I definitely recommend going to see them if you get the chance. What fun!

I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time. A really good time. A really really really good time. I'll just let pictures tell the rest...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Rolling Stones

Unfortunately, I was unable to have my regular Monday night dinner and girls' night at my house for the newest episode of The Bachelor, because my dad was having an episode himself.

During his business trip to Maine last week, he came down with what he thought was a terrible case of food poisoning. After five days of feeling pretty dang crappy, {no pun intended,} Scott decided to take him to the ER yesterday afternoon. Turns out, he has a nasty nasty bacterial infection, which the cause is still yet to be known. On top of all that, since he couldn't keep anything in his system, he became severely dehydrated, lost all his color {like we really have that much to begin with} and even was losing his marbles. The dude was out of it. Of course it took 10 hours in the emergency room to discover the infection, the dehydration and.... *Ding*Ding*Ding*... kidney stones. In both kidneys!

Apparently, you can have kidney stones and never know it if you are able to pass them comfortably. When you get dehydrated, the stones can significantly increase in size, and aren't able to move through your body easily, so that is where the pain comes from. Poor guy, he has been in a whole lot of pain, and the ER nurses weren't exactly moving quickly to get him situated. Even worse, the stones are too far in transition to do anything about it, so he just has to wait and let nature take it's course. OUCH!!!

Luckily he wasn't admitted, and is now all drugged up at home working on his own version of The Rolling Stones. Let's just hope he's over the entire ordeal, infection and stones, very very soon!

On the other hand, I was able to make it home with enough time to start watching my recording of The Bachelor. Thank GOD for DVR!!! My two initial favorites are still in the running, and I'm loving the silly drama that unfolds each week. Oh and I am so amused with Natalie's depth.

Jason: I'd like to get to know you more So, I know you like jewelry, shoes, clothes and shopping, but what else do you like?

Natalie: Well, I really like bears.

Jason: What kind of bears? Koala? Panda?

Natalie: All kinds. When I was little, I had a stuffed bear and I actually made the newspaper because I left it at a store and I was so upset. My entire family was depressed because I was so upset.

...{Crickets}...

Are you kidding me with that??? Bears, folks. Bears! What a character.

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays!!!

Happy 34th Birthday, Danette!!!



Post about her birthday celebration Friday night to follow.

Fifty-Five

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Joke

So a couple walks into a bar...



The End!

{Thanks to Kacy for her photography at our HH last night!}

I've been going through old pictures, and I came across this one this morning. Funny, how I must have felt in this picture is EXACTLY how I feel today. I recognized this expression immediately, because I'm pretty sure I saw it in the mirror this morning. I'm so over this week.

Let's compare:

1.My hair looks retarded!
2.I'm operating in Mode PMS!
3.I'm bloated, which makes my clothes are cutting off my air supply appear to be tight and unflattering.
4.And like that day, I will look back 6 years later at today and think "What the hell was I thinking with that outfit?!?!"
5.I still can't hide my expressions well. My face says it all.

6. And while on that day, I wore a corsage that was oversized and too heavy to stay in it's intended upright position, today I face the same dilemma. With my boobs.

Is it Friday yet?

*PS - That is not my date, that is my brother (who was apprently raised in Ethiopia.) However, it would probably be like me to choose someone who would show up to prom in a backwards hat, sunglasses and an untucked polo. I mean, I did go to the eighth grade social with a purple dude who forgot to get me a corsage, so I wore a garden flower pinned to my dress.

But in case you're wondering...this is my prom date. Here's lookin at you Jimmy, with your rosy cheeks, baby face and heinous shag.

This Time I'm Serious!!!

So, I know this is now my third tribute to Casey's moving away, but this is the last one. I swear. First we had the last girl's sleepover, then the last big party at their house for all the friends, and now it's the last happy hour and dinner, because she leaves TOMORROW! :(

If you missed the first two going away events, here they are:

AMF

Altoids

Now for a few laughs, lets go back in time for some frivolous memories. These pictures start at being 2 years ago, all the way back to high school. Of course I wouldn't want to post any recent pictures, those are NOT as fun! Ohhhh yeaaaahhhh!!!

*******
I really try to come prepared when I know I'm going to see Casey out. I like to come with a purse stocked full of Altoids.

*******

This was us at a Mav's game. We had really good Platinum seats, but I promised Casey that we could get really big beers for super cheap on the third level. Off we go to buy ourselves and our dates a very large beer, only to find out that we can't get back on the elevator and bring them down to our level.

What were we supposed to do?? Call the guys to come meet us for their drink? Hell no. We sat up there in empty seats, finished off the beers ourselves and then stumbled our way back down.

The ironic thing about this picture is that Casey's shirt says 'Phoenix sucks!' Wow Casey, I hope you enjoy your move. To PHOENIX!!!

*******
Casey popped Allison's and my proverbial tranny cherries. She invited us to attend my first ever drag show in The Rose Room at S4. I'm going to go ahead and bet that we were on stage dancing to Footloose in this picture.

*******
I really wish I could remember what song we were singing karaoke to on my parent's back porch.

*******
Here we were hosting a beer-a-thon. With only four girls. In support of our local Mavs.

*******
We met up to watch Texas win the Rose Bowl. I remember this was on the night before going back to teach the spring semester, and that next day I was soooooooo hungover! Yeah, that sucked!

*******
Not only is she such a great friend, she's a great girlfriend/wife. This was a night out as a surprise for Brent's birthday several years ago.

*******
Ohhhh, how many-a-night and many-a-shot took place on this patio at Kelly's Eastside.
*******
I bet if Casey knew she was about to get arrested for an MIP, she wouldn't have held up that beer and posed for a picture! I also bet if she didn't have 20 drunk people yelling at the cops for her, she wouldn't have gone to jail.

*******
Oh no. A New Year's Eve party at The Compound. That's just a place that holds a very special place in our hearts.

*******
We used to have parties at my house. A LOT. My neighbors loved us!!!


WARNING: THIS IS ABOUT TO GET REALLY FUN!


******
This is in 11th grade at our drill team banquet. It is all thanks to Casey for making my date be with Jimmy, a kid I had never met. She wanted Jimmy to go so he could keep company with her date, Trey (who is now Robyn's fiance.)Little did she know that the next day would begin a four and a half year relationship between Jimmy and I. {Hey asshole, if you're reading this...remember how you tried to tell me you had a golf tournament that day and couldn't go....}

*******
Yes, we absolutely did show up to a party in our finest black pants and matching zebra print shirts. And YES! That is also a matching zebra purse strap I have. So fancy!
*******
Now, this is a real special picture. This was the night before Homecoming 2000, and we all went bowling in our matching homecoming shirts. My date was Justin, who was super country, so my nickname on my shirt was Cowboy's Cutie. Casey went to homecoming with Steven, so her shirt said Stevie's Sweetie. Awwww, how cute! *GAG*

*******
What about these SEXY homecoming dresses?

*******
Oh wow, there is sooooo much to say about this picture, where do I begin? All I know is that Casey and I were sporting matching faux snakeskin cowboy hats to the Clint Black concert. We also had 99.5 The Wolf paw stickers on our butts the whole time and we thought we were totally hot!!! We were so cool! {Still to this day, I have no clue who the dudes in the overalls are.}


*******
And finally...the best of the best. Who would have ever predicted that night I first threw Altoids at Casey, that we would each end up having a framed 5x7 of this in our high-school rooms.

Casey, please don't kill me. This is hysterical!!!

We'll miss you lady!!!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

WWYAD?

What Would Your Arms Do?

Does anyone ever try to reposition themselves over and over and over again while trying to fall asleep, but they just can't get comfortable? What do you do with your arms?

Do you hug a pillow?

Do you cross them
Do you sleep with them above you head, under the pillow?
Do you rest your head on them?
Do you lay them right at your side?
Do you cover your face with them?
Do you tuck them between your knees?

What the hell are you supposed to do with arms when you sleep?

Sometimes I wish I could just detach these limbs from my body while I during the night, and then put them back on in the morning. They just get in the way.

However, I don't know how I'd take them off and put them on with only one or no arms, but I still would like to do it.

I know I should be thankful to have arms, and I am, but sometimes they are just such a nuisance.

**PS - Once again, my two girls, Megan & Jillian on The Bachelor got another rose last night. I look forward to seeing them next week. *Shannon, Erica, Melissa, Nikki - I really dislike y'all. A Lot!*

Number Eleven

Last week, Kacy sent me an email titled Top 21. She's seen it before; I've seen it before; we've all seen it before, but sometimes it's a nice reminder to see it again. I scanned down the list, seeing if anything really grabbed my attention this time for any particular reason, and of course, there was one thing that made me think.

1) Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2) Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
3) Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
4) When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
5) When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
6) Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
7) Believe in love at first sight.
8) Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
9) Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
10) In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
11) Don't judge people by their relatives.
12) Talk slowly but think quickly.
13) When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
14) Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
15) Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.
16) When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
17) Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
18) Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
19) When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
20) Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
21) Spend some time alone.

So I begin thinking of all the times I've probably judged someone by their relatives. Then, I started thinking Oh.My.God! {Cholesterol}, people probably judge ME by MY relatives. Oh shit!

Now, we all have that one crazy aunt or uncle. It's just how life works. Uncle Jack {RIP} was by far the title holder on my dad's side of the family, and most of my friends have heard at least 500 stories about Uncle Jack.

Realizing that one day my siblings and I will be old enough to be considered that 'crazy aunt on my dad's side' or something of the like, had me thinking of who could possibly be deemed the nuttiest of them all. This could really go any way.

Molly may just turn out to be that weird, liberal, feminist, outspoken lawyer. Or she could be completely normal. Who knows?

Mark could be the irrational, impulsive, asshole. Or he could be completely normal. Who knows?

Scott could continue to make up retarded songs and after a career as a circus clown, be admitted to a loony-bin. Or he could be completely normal. Who knows?

I could be ... NO, it WON'T be me!!!

That Special Man In My Life

There is no man more important to me than my daddy. May sound weird, but I want to marry someone exactly like him (well, they don't have to look like him, because yikes - that'd be real strange,) but I want someone with his personality, his humor, his smarts.

While most people think "Wow, how lucky is Mike to have Leslie!?!" which I believe to be true as well, I also think "Wow, how lucky is mom to have dad!?!"

Today marks a very special day for him and our family. Today he turns 58, and for the first time in countless years, not only will he be home on his birthday, but he will have all his kids at home with him. He usually travels All.The.Time, and if he has been home for any of the last several years, he was lucky to have even just two of his kids in the same place for his birthday. I sure hope this marks a memorable celebration for him.

I tried my hand at cake decorating again, but all I can say is Do.Not.Judge.Me!!! I wasn't as patient as I was before when decorating the camo cake, and I didn't have the energy to squeeze tiny stars all over the cake, so I took a shortcut. It began pretty smoothly, but for some reason, my icing started to get runny and I quickly became pissy. So, I tried to fill in some white stripes on the side, but that wasn't working so I had to fix it (which you can still see a tiny blemish, but whatever - I'm over it.) We all know what a phenomenal artist I am, so the free-handed Fleur-de-lis??? A little rough! Also, DUH LANE! I forgot to leave room on the actual cake carrier to write a message, so it's disgustingly sloppy, but again - I. AM. OVER. IT!!!

Whatever the case, I think he'll appreciate his cake. I mean, I'm not trying to be a professional here, and it's far better than the typical box cake with funfetti icing, left in the baking dish with 6 forks sticking out of it.

Happy Happy Birthday to the man I love. Make it a good one! :)

PS - Elvis, Happy Birthday to you, too!

Pass the Cheese, Please

I am usually so far from your typical girl, in the fact that I don't really get into reality shows, don't follow celebrity gossip, could give two shits about what brand of shoes you're wearing, etc...

But, for some reason, I do love the phenomenon that is The Bachelor. I realize that it is totally staged, unbelievable fake and dramatic, but I still do enjoy watching such catty women. BUUUUUTTTT, OMG Cholesterol - how hot is Jason!?!?! I'm just sayin' I wouldn't mind making babies with that fine specimen. That's all.

It is no secret {well maybe it is to some of you} that I despise Dallas. Or, better yet, I despise what is perceived as 'Dallas.' I am appalled with the two girls chosen to represent D-Town, and really hope my 'hometown hottie' is given a Texas-sized boot. STAT!

And, Praise Jesus! Hallelujah! Amen! that THIS is already gone!!!
I'm not quite sure if I have a favorite so far, but I actually do like the girl, Megan, that most the others 'voted off.' I'm so glad she actually ended up staying.

Oh, and I like the hot dog girl, Jillian.

AMF

In the words of my father:

AMF Casey & Brent!

or

Adios MuthaFukkas!!!

Saturday night, we bid our final farewell to Casey and Brent before they make the big move to Phoenix. We gathered at their house for one last tap of the kegerator, one last visit to Oak Cliff {The Real OC}, and most importantly, one last late night of sitting on that patio listening to gun shots.

Oh, how we will miss those days...
Oh, how we will miss you guys...

{Yikes!!! Maybe we should have taken this picture at the beginning of the night. Just a thought...}

I'm sad...

*Side story* - Since the girls had already had their special night with Casey before she moved, the dudes felt they needed to do something special for Brent too. As it was getting late, some of the fellas began exploring opportunities advertised on Craig's List. Within no time at all, Sapphire {ItS UnReAl}, the 300 pound black stripper, was returning their call on what address she needed to visit and what time... FABULOUS!!!

Guess What Time It Is...

It's Carnival Time!!!

Now, after listening to that, you can not possibly tell me that doesn't get you in a jolly mood.

Well, the beginning of the year marks not only new starts, but also the beginning of Carnival Season, leading up to the one and the only Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

I'm so pumped, I just arranged my trip so that I will be visiting for Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras ANNNNNDDDDD the same weekend that Hayden & Ben will be there too. Oh man - I can't even wait for this!!!

Hopefully I won't get into as much trouble as I did last year. Does anyone remember me getting on my flight at 6:00 am on Monday morning, exactly like this? Or does anyone remember my Irish friend (also pictured?) Of course, I had to dress up the blog to match my festive spirit. Don't worry, I've also decorated my house for the season as well. Pics to come, of course!!!

Now Introducing

Madelyn Claire Robbins

January 2, 2009 ~ 7:42 PM

7 lbs 12 oz ~ 20 inches

Wow, what a surreal moment I had the pleasure of experiencing today. I have been friends with Jessica since we were 3 years old, when we met at preschool, and now nearly 22 years later, I got to see her precious baby girl. I've had plenty friends have babies, but they all have a few years on me, so to see my first friend my age become a mother - it was such a special moment. It's really weird to think about, but I'm super happy for her. Now, I can't wait to watch this little one grow up over the next 22 years...and more!!!

Congratulations Jessica and Matt on your amazing little angel!!

Happy New Year!!!

As I promised, I dedicated some time to figuring out how to best improve my life in 2009. There are many little resolutions that can be summed up into one big title: EMBRACING MYSELF.

My differences.

My similarities.

My achievements.

My failures.

My experiences.

My future.

EMBRACING MY LIFE!!!

I may get a little too deep into my 'closet of skeletons' here, but I'm am a guilty party when it comes to compromising myself for others, just to be able to fit in. I've always stood out from the crowd, but I haven't really stood up for myself all that much.

While I appreciate that I have vast differences from many of my life-long friends, I've always secretly wanted to be more like them so I would have a place that fit. So I could be inside that house, instead of looking in through the window.

As I get older, as does anyone, I learn that things change, people change and move on, but then again, so does life. Lately, I've done some thinking, soul-searching if you will, and this year I am not just going to passively say that it's okay I'm different, but then desire something else.

I'm going to live it.

Not just to be 'okay' with it, but love it.

Appreciate it.

Value what I have done so far.
Look forward to what I have yet to experience.

I'm still the same person, just maybe a little more outspoken about it. Not as willing to hide my honest thoughts and feelings. Not afraid to be myself anymore. This is my biggest resolution for the new year. I think it can be a resolution that fits everyone, so I encourage you to try.