Hide yo wife! Hide yo kids! Here comes the zombies!!

Over the last two years or so I have seem to have become obsessed with zombies. I’m not really sure why either. I mean, WHY would someone in her right mind like something that wants to eat another human being?? But for whatever reason zombie stories appeal to me. Maybe it’s because I wonder how I would survive a zombie apocalypse. I wonder if I would have the survival skills necessary to live in a world where nothing is the way I once knew it. Would I stay where I am and just try to survive here? Would I try to find others and band together? I don’t know. I do know that on March 3, 2012 I will get to become a zombie in the Run for Your Life race!

But in case of a real zombie apocalypse here are some rules that I think are pretty good to follow to help you survive:

Cardio

Double Tap

Beware of Bathrooms

Wear seatbelts

Travel light

Don’t be a hero (this rule can be broken)

Limber up

When it doubt, know your way out

Check the back seat

Enjoy the little things

(Yes I ripped this off from the movie Zombieland)

Commercials

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved television commercials. My mom said I would be in another room playing and when commercials come on tv I would come running into the room to watch the commercials and when they were over I would go back to playing. I like commercials that are clever or humorous. Some commercials I find just play stupid or gross (the Luvs diaper one that is both). So here are some of my favorite commercials:

(click on to see the commercials)

Elderly Couple

Cement

Halls Drill Sgt.

Christmas Coffee

Little Sister

Dirty Mouth

Just a sampling of some of my favorite commercials. I'm a nerd, I know! lol

Why?

Why seems to be the question that I am always asking. Apparently I have been like that my entire life. My mother said they never could get me to do anything when I was little unless they gave me an answer to “why?” And even now I ask why. I ask why bad things happen to good people. I ask why good things happen to bad people. But the one that I am constantly asking myself is, “Why am I still single?”

I’ve watched some episodes of that show on VH1 and I’ve read articles online about why people are still single. And nothing seems to fit me. I don’t know if it’s because I refuse to acknowledge any of the reasons that show or numerous articles say why people are still single. Or maybe I really don’t fit those descriptions of still single folks. I don’t know why.

I don’t know why I’m still single and pushing 40. I don’t know why I haven’t met” Mr. Right”. I don’t know why others who haven’t waited nearly as long as me have met their “Mr. Right.” I don’t know why some women seem to have no trouble at all finding someone. I don’t know why some get a second (or third, fourth, fifth) chance at love and I haven’t had one.

I do know that I have to trust God’s timing, if that is His plan for me. Having faith in His timing is just as important as having faith in His plan. And maybe, just maybe, He’ll one day answer all my “whys” with the right man for me and He’ll say, “He’s why.”

Walk By Faith

Wow, it's been quite a while since I've posted! It's hard to believe that it's almost the middle of April and school will soon be out. This ending of the school year is bittersweet. This will be my last end of the school year. After much praying and soul searching, I feel that God is calling me to leave education and head into another field: disaster relief.

I know for some of you reading this, this will come as a shock and will seemingly be out of the blue. However, this is something that I have been praying about for over a year. The idea of going into the disaster relief field has been with me for well over 5 or 6 years. The idea was planted a long time ago and just hasn't gone away. Once I made the decision to resign I had such an overwhelming sense of peace and had the best night's sleep I have had in a very long time.

I know that this is the right path for me. I am very excited to embark on another adventure (and this is an adventure!) but I'm also scared at the same time. I don't know what the future holds. I give the illustration of I see the light at the end of the tunnel but there is fog after that light and I can only see so far. It is the unknown that  I find scary. I do know that God has gone on this path ahead of me and I will have to lean on Him to go along this path. This video that I'm posting is where I am right now- stepping out in faith.

"It'll Happen When You Stop Looking" and Other Lies

I can't tell you how many times someone has told me it happens when you stop looking. Somehow I just don't believe that. If you aren't looking for Mr/Miss Right then why in the world would you go out on a date with someone? I know some will say, "How about to just have something to do or to have fun?" I can do that with my friends. If I say yes to a guy to go on a date then I say yes with the intent of seeing if there is any potential of something developing. After all, isn't that the entire purpose of dating? I do, however, believe it happens when you least expect it. That is something entirely different. A guy you might not expect asks you out. You still are "looking" but it happens in a way you didn't expect.

Another one people tell singles is "there's someone for everyone." Yet again another fallacy. According to the 2000 census there were 86 single men for every 100 single women. Yes, there are more single women than men. I teach even and odd numbers and if my calculations are correct then there are going to be 14 women left out if these 86 men pick a wife from these 100 women. Yes I know there are reasons why some of that 100 don't want to be married but the same is true for those 86 men. And just to make it clear, there are more single women than single men. So there isn't statistically enough available men for every woman.

"You're next." Many a single has had that said to them at weddings, engagement parties, and showers. I wonder how many times this prediction has come true? I don't even bother to try to catch the bouquet at weddings anymore. I just stand out there so the bride can have some people in her pictures. Thankfully the last wedding I went to avoided this tradition. I think the next time I have that spoken to me I'm going to say "You're next" to the same person at the next funeral we both go to. ;)

This last one is one that I hear probably more often than the first one: "God has someone for you." How do you know that is the plan God has for me?  I sure am glad others have more faith than I do about that. I know marriage and motherhood might not be in God's plan for me. And certainly it hasn't been His plan for my life thus far. I know most of society is set up for couples and families. That is the path that God has for most people. However, not everyone is chosen to walk that path. Some are chosen by God to receive the gift of singleness. Is this better than being married? No but neither is marriage. Both are gifts from God and all of His gifts are good.

So what advice do I have for those who would like to be supportive of their single friends in their trials of finding Mr./Miss Right? Be supportive of when he/she is feeling frustrated. Listen to what he/she has to say with out giving any advice or judgement. Sometimes we just want someone to just listen to us. It's hard enough living in a coupled up world with out our friends appearing to pass judgement on us. Don't offer to set him/her on a blind date when he/she has just had a big pity party. Do offer to set him/her up when he/she is in a good mood. Most of us will go on blind dates but trying to do a set up when we are having a tough time isn't a great way to try to see if he/she is "the one". Encourage your single friends to enjoy life. Some singles feel like they can't live the abundant life unless they are coupled up. (This is one thing that I haven't fallen prey to.)Don't always do activities with your coupled up friends. And for the love of all that's decent, please do not EVER say to a single person, "Boy I sure am glad I don't have be in the dating world." We know how hard it is with out you reminding us. We are reminded daily of that fact. And whatever you do, please, please please don't tell him/her any of these lies that we get told quite often. They don't help to begin with and they just aren't true!

Flashbacks

I'm sitting here (when I should be going to bed) watching College Flash Classics. This particular one is Ol' Miss vs. my beloved Bulldogs from 1996. Now if you know anything about Georgia football history, you will remember that wasn't a great year for the Dawgs. I know the outcome of this game from over 14 years ago, but as I'm watching this game, I react to the plays just as if this was a live game! What kind of person does that? Oh wait, I do!

This is not the first time I've done this watching this program.It doesn't matter if I remember if we won or lost that particular game they are showing, I still react as if it is a live game. I know the outcome, but yet I act like I don't know what's going to happen. I don't remember all the plays that happened to lead to that final outcome.

I think my walk with God is like that. I know what the outcome, ultimately, will be for this world. I know that His Son will return. I know that He will defeat the enemy of my soul. However, my faith clearly shows that I don't know the outcome. I question God about why "bad things happen to good people." I question why good things happen to those that probably don't deserve it. I don't talk to others about my Savior like I should. I know the outcome of the final game, but I don't know how all the final plays will come about. Knowing the outcome should free me up trust that God knows what He is doing. "The LORD works out everything for his own ends- even the wicked for a day of disaster." Proverbs 16:4

No matter what happens, He is still in control. It doesn't matter what I think, God can use whatever happens to bring others to Him. I need to start putting my faith in the outcome when it seems like the "plays" aren't going the way I want them to. I know that all of His "plays" are meant to bring about the final outcome.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

What did I sign up for???

About two years ago I decided to take up "running". I have enjoyed this very much. I started just running a few days a week. Eventually I was running 5 days a week. Now what I mean is I would run/walk. I started doing 5ks and I really enjoyed them. Then I read an article about doing a mud run. For those of you who know me know that I like doing things that are, well, unusual. I had a blast doing this run! Granted I had to go to Knoxville, TN (ug, WAY too much nacho cheese orange!) but I still had a good time.

 

 

Just a few pics from the mud run.  After I signed up, but before I ran this race, I somehow got it in my head that I wanted to do a half marathon. Yes, that's right, I decided to do a race that is 13.1 miles! I signed up for the Chickamagua Battlefield Half Marathon. To this day, I still can't believe that I did it. It took me almost 4 hours to do it because I ended up hurting my foot (shoes were worn out!) and had to walk a bit over half of it. And when I finished I was so emotional! Not because I was hurting (which I was), not because I was exhausted (which I was worn slap out!) but the sense of accomplishment! That is a very long distance to attempt when you are still a novice runner.

 

 Showing off my finisher's medal!

So now I haven't been  running as much as of late. I have been unusually busy this past year plus a few injuries to sideline. But the desire is still there, I just have to get motivated again. And such motivation came in the mail about 2 weeks ago.

I received a brochure from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society about their Team In Training(TNT) program.TNT is a program that will work with training people to participate in an endurance event (half and full marathon, triathlon, century bike ride, etc. while you raise money to go to the Society) I looked through it and found it peaked me interest. I signed up to attend an informational meeting to get more information about this program. After I sat through the meeting, I made the decision to attempt to do this. I know physically what I am getting myself into but the fundraising basically scares me to death! I've never attempted to raise this amount of money before. So this is going to be an interesting adventure for me! 

Please click the link I've added to my blog and donate any amount you can. I know times are tough right now, but this is a great cause. Many of you have known someone affected by cancer. Thank you very much!

Top Five

A guy I went out with a few years ago asked me once who were my top five men. It took me a bit to come up with a list but I did. The list has changed just a bit from them but as of January 11, 2011 here are my top five men:

#5 Daniel Craig

I mean, hello! James Bond?? And of course he has the accent to go with it! And the shower scene in Lara Croft Tomb Raider is a very nice scene!

#4 Ryan Hurst

Oh Bertier, the All-American in Remember the Titans! Yes, I like the jocks, which is a role Ryan Hurst typically plays. He also has quite a few tattoos which I like too! I hated the show Wanted was canceled that he played in. He worked for the ATF which means he used guns, another thing I find sexy!

#3 Jeffery Donnavan

Oh yes, Michael Weston! Looks and brains! Oh yeah, did I mention guns too? He is also an amazing actor who can play a very convincing bad guy too (Hitch, Changeling). Did I mention he uses lots of guns in Burn Notice?

#2 Jason Statham

'Sigh' he plays in many movies with, yes, guns. Plus he has that Brit accent! I never had watched a movie of his until I saw The Expendables. It was an ok movie. Not much of a plot but it was my a good introduction to Mr. Statham. And yes, he used lots of guns! (I don't know why but there is something very sexy about a man with a gun!!)

And for my Number One.......................................................................................................................

#1 Dwayne Johnson

I mean, do I need to say anything at all about this man? He is the most beautiful man in the world! And oh, those tattoos!  Oh, and his smile! I love that smile!! 

So there you have it, my top five. I hope this has given you a few seconds entertainment!

Remembering

I have been watching and reading about what has been going on in Arizona since Saturday. My heart is breaking for the families that lost loved ones. My heart goes out to the families of those that were injured and I pray that Rep. Gifford will make a full recovery.

A lot has been said about this whole situation. Much of it political. Both sides seem to have come out swinging trying to blame each other for this happening. From everything that I've read about the shooter, this wasn't about a political party. This is someone who has some serious psychological issues and has focused his attention on Rep. Gifford. Politics has nothing to do with what he did to harm so many people and their families. All of this brings back so many memories from almost 25 years ago.

August 20, 1986. That was a day that would change the world not as I know it but also for everyone. On that day a new term would be born. The term "going postal" came into being. Many of you have used that term and have no clue what it really means. On that August day in the post office of Edmond, Oklahoma a disgruntled employee walked in, locked the doors and started shooting. He killed 14 people, wounded six, and then finally turned the gun on himself. One of those that was killed was my daddy's first cousin.

I know how it feels to have tragedy strike and to have it plastered all over the media. It is difficult to try to process all the emotions you go through when every time you turn around you have it thrown into your face. You don't need a constant reminder. I know that I have followed this through the media but I so wish they would give it a bit of a rest. And I hope, hope, hope when those six are laid to rest the media stays away. Every family deserves to lay their loved ones to rest with out a media circus surrounding them.

As a side note, please remember where the term "going postal" came from. It's not a funny term about someone getting angry. It came from a real, although rare event, that took the life of one of my family.

Standing on a Wall

Those of you who know me know I love a man in uniform. Well a more accurate statement would be I have an obsession with men in uniform! I have always liked the uniform so this isn't a recent obsession. As a teenager I remember being excited see the Riverside Military guys at the mall (yes, this is before I knew why so many of them were there!). There is just something about a man in uniform! But tonight's post isn't so much about my obsession as my respect for those who wear a uniform. 

I have always been relatively patriotic. I'm not sure exactly where it comes from. My family isn't exactly a military family. I had some great-uncles who served in WWII, but that was because they were drafted. I had one uncle who served in the Air Force back in the 60s. He did it so he could travel and see the world. The kicker? He never left the US! So where does this sense of patriotism and pro-military come from? I sometimes wonder if it is due to me having been a child during the Bicentennial celebration. I remember learning God Bless America, America the Beautiful, Yankee Doodle Dandy and other songs that celebrated the USA. Maybe this is where it started. I don't really know.

What I do know is I have a tremendous about of respect for the men and women who serve in our armed forces. I can't imagine what it must be like to leave everything you know to go and serve our nation. I can't imagine what it's like to say, "Yes, I will defend this Nation and it's citizens even unto my last breath." 

Now, I'm not trying to romanticize those that serve. I know every man and woman that serves has different reasons for joining. I know that some have other reasons than just being patriotic. But whatever the reason a man or woman chooses to serve, I am eternally thankful that he or she chose to serve. I am so thankful that he or she protects our nation from those that would wish to see us wiped off the face of the earth.

A line from the movie A Few Good Men sums up my feelings for our military.

"Why do you like them so much?"

"Because they stand upon a wall and say, "Nothing's going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch."

Daddy Rabbit

My Daddy. Try as I might, there are few words to describe him. Unpredictable is one that usually comes to mind. You never know what he is going to say or do! One time I had come home from somewhere and Daddy is stitting at the kitchen table eating. He turns to me and starts yelling at me. I'm trying to figure out what it is that I had done recently but I couldn't think of anything. Then Daddy suddenly stops and with out cracking a smile he says, "I'm just kidding." And goes back to eating!

Another time we had gone to visit my grandmother in Young Harris (this is where Daddy grew up). While we were up there Mawmaw gave my mother a pair of coolots (yes this was way back in the 80's!). After we get back hone, my mother had placed those fashion monstronsities in her bedroom. I sat down in the living room and was reading. The next thing I know here comes Daddy wearing those things along with a pair of black socks, no shirt. Needless to say our family had a good laugh that afternoon.

Daddy is also a very entertaining story teller. Most of the time it's not the story that he is telling is so great but the way Daddy tells it. He will often get to laughing when telling a story and I will get to laughing at him instead of the story. One story that he tells makes me laugh just thinking about it because I remember him laughing the first time he told it to me. The story is one of his customers was coming home from the airport and he somehow got of on the wrong exit. It was dark and there weren't many other lights other than the car's head lights. Suddenly the guy hits something and there are flames and sparks flying all over the place! He couldn't figure out what it was and he stopped to make sure nothing was wrong with his car. Turns out these two guys were crossing the street with a grill they had stolen, a lit grill!

Now that story may not be as funny to most of you reading this as it is to me. I just remember how much Daddy was laughing the first time he told it to me. He was laughing so hard he could hardly tell the story! This is one of my favorite memories of Daddy.

Daddy is getting close to 70 and I don't know how many years I'll have him around (hopefully many, many more!!). I recently bought a Flip camera to start recording his stories. I want to still be able to hear them after he's gone and to hopefully share them with my own children one day. I also want to be able to share Daddy's wisdom with others. He and I haven't always gotten along (still don't sometimes for that matter) but one thing about him is he is very wise. I still go to him for advice. I am so grateful to have a Daddy! :)

Daddy at Cloudland Canyon October 2006

Daddy looking at some old pictures at a family get together, August 2008

My parents and me after my graduation from UGA, August 2009

Daddy outside The Grill

Just to give you a visual of what Daddy wore, lol

Teenaged Dream

Tonight I went shopping at Goodwill for a prom dress. Yes, a prom dress. I teach the college Sunday School class at church. Our "get together" in February is going to be a Thrift Store Prom. Organizing this event has brought back memories of high school.

As with most things in my life, I didn't do things in high school the typical way. I always went to dances with a group of friends, I didn't go on my first date until the summer before my Senior year, and I only went to prom my Junior year.

I loved going to school dances. I'm not exactly a great dancer but I just had a good time dancing. The main reason I had a good time, I think, is because I wasn't stuck having to dance with just one person. I could dance with whoever I decided to dance with. Prom was a different story!

After spring break that year, the prom talk really started to pick up. My friends were starting to go dress shoping and discusssing their dinner and after prom plans. And being that I was not dating anyone I didn't think I would go at all. I felt left out. However, I didn't let anyone know how I felt.

People suggested different guys I should go with but none of them, welll, I don't like to they didn't appeal to me, but it just didn't feel right. So as the day of prom gets closer, I really think I'm not going to go. Then for whatever reason this one guy gets suggested to me. He had only started at our school that year and I had a couple of classes with him. I didn't know him at all but I guess since it was the week before prom and I really wanted to go, I asked him to go. His answer- yes.

Looking back on it over the distance of 20+ years I wonder why he said yes to me. He didn't know me from Adam's housecat. I guess maybe being a new kid at school he didn't think he'd go to prom and being that he was a fairly shy guy he wasn't going to ask anyone.

So how did the night turn out? Well he picked me up in his mom's car (thankfully since he drove a jacked up truck!) and we drove to Atlanta for dinner. Sounds nice right? Well our prom was at the Botanical Gardens in Athens! We drove a long way that night. Dinner was nice but I don't even remember what I ate and even though I asked him, he paid for dinner.

We arrive at the Botanical Gardens and we get the obligatory pictures made and then we go find my friends. I don't think, now that I have started to really think about it, I even asked him did he have any friends there he'd like to see. We just hung out with my friends. And we only danced slow songs. Yes, just the slow songs. After we left  we wet to Shoney's for breakfast and I was home by 1 a.m. The one night I DIDN'T have a curfew and I get home relavtively early.

So, did I regret going? No. I think it's something you should go to even if you don't have a date. Do I wish I had gone solo? Well yes and no. I think I needed to experience a dance with a date. However I wished I would have danced more. So I'm looking forward to our Thrift Store Prom! No date and I can dance all I want. :)

Here is what I looked like in high school. If I find my prom pictures I'll try to scan them in. Oh the big hair!

Silence

I hadn't planned on posting again tonight but I started thinking about what we talked about tonight in youth. We talked about being still and being quiet. This is something that I find difficult to do. Not so much the being still part but the being quiet. More specifically my mind being quiet. When I'm driving, or walking, or even lying in bed my mind is constantly running. I've often compared it to a hamster in a wheel. It's always running, running, running. But that hamster is never getting anywhere.

One of the few times my mind is quiet is when I'm running. The first time it happened it freaked me out. But as I continued to do this, I found I looked forward to that silence. (This should be my motivation to start running again.)

So why are we so afraid of silence? I know I hate silence. When I'm working alone in my classroom I like to have a movie on. I'm not watching it but I like to have the noise. I also play a lot of music in my classroom when I have students. Even at home I have either music or the tv or movie on. And  I have to admit even when I'm trying to study the Word, I like to have some type of background noise. Why do I not want the silence?

I know that for me I think I'm afraid of what the Lord might have to say to me if I ever slowed down enough to listen to him. What if He tells me that I have to move to Siberia (I wouldn't like it there because of the cold, cold, cold winters!) Or what f He tells me that the dreams that I have is not His best for me and that I'm going to have to put them aside?

How often do we really "be still and know that He is God?" (Ps. 46:10). Yes we have our quiet times but are they truly quiet? I can sit still long enough to read a daily devotion and a few verses of scripture, but it's not quiet. My mind and emotions are not quiet and still. When I'm reading I'll start thinking of what I have to do next or tomorrow. I struggle to be still, especially my mind.

I heard once that God gave us one mouth and two ears. He wants us to listen twice as much as we talk. I am going to strive to listen twice as often to Him as I have been in the past.

Quotes

If you've ever spent any amount of time around me you have probably heard me at least once quote a line from a movie. Even tonight at church I said a quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. For whatever reason I can remember lines from movies. So since I'm tired and didn't feel up to being very creative or witty with a post for today, I thought I'd post some of my favorite lines from movies. Please leave in the comments some of your favorite lines!

"Inconceiveable!" "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means" ~Princess Bride

"Are you threatening me with pee?" ~The Run Down

"Where all the white women at?" ~Blazing Saddles

"Louie, what's wrong man?" "I just gave yo momma a piggy back ride and she's twice as big as I am." ~Remember the Titans

"What, behind the rabbit?" "It IS the rabbit!" ~Monty Python and the Holy Grail

"She turned me into a newt.... I got better." ~Monty Python and the Holy Grail

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner." ~Dirty Dancing

"Yeah you." ~Sixtenn Candles

"And Leon is getting larrrrger.~ Airplane!

"Come see a old fat man sometime." ~Original True Grit

"I'll have to take your word for it." ~El Dorado

(spoken with a Swedish accent)"And dey hung him" ~El Dorado

"Croatan oil?! I'll be a sucked egg mule!" ~El Dorado

Gosh, so many more quotes but I think I'll call it a night. Again, please feel free to leave you own favorite quotes! (Or not :) )

The very beginning

I thought this would be an approrpiate title for my very first post. It's the beginning of a new year. 2011, if it's anything like the past several years, will be the beginning of more adventures of the Mandylicious life.

For those of you wondering I thought I'd tell about the very beginning of Mandylicious. I have had quite a few nicknames in my life. Spook, Miss Kitty, Manny, Miss Boo, Taz, Crackhead, and Miss Nannie are some that I have been given over the years. However, the one that seems to have stuck is Mandylicious. I am always amused at the looks on people's faces whenever they over hear me being called. Mandylicious. I'm sure some have thought, "Why in the world is that old lady being called Mandylicious.??" I myself find this nickname amusing. So just how did I earn this moniker?

Picture it, Toccoa, GA, the Georgia Baptist Conference Center,  June 2007. Imagine a young(ish) lady sitting in a bare yellow office early (for her anyway!) one Tuesday morning. First full day of camp. She is hearing the sleepy chatter of students heading towards their various places for the days activities. Three of her favorite girls pop their heads into the Impact office to tell her good morning. Suddenly, one of them says, "Mandy, we have to tell you something!" These young ladies count to three and the say (very loudly for 8 in the morning!) "Hey Mandylicious!"

So that's the exciting story of how I became Mandylicious. Not a very exciting story and it certainly did not foreshadow exactly how exciting and amusing (for quite a few of you anyway) my life will become. :)