"Z"- Zodiac

Hey ya'll, i'm sure at least 1000 people probably picked Zodiac but hey, i'm running on fumes today. I almost groaned out loud when I decided to blog about Zodiac because it is pretty cliché but i don't have a lot of Z words in my vocabulary. In fact, last year i wrote about Zinfandel because i love wine so i couldn't repeat that at least back to back.
My zodiac sign is Taurus. Taurus the Bull.
Time period: April 19, 2016 – May 20, 2016 ( My birthday is the 17th so i am almost a Gemini)
It is the second astrological sign in the zodiac,  it follows Aries.
The traits: ( found on the internet)
Strengths: Reliable, patient, practical, devoted, responsible, stable
Weaknesses: Stubborn, possessive, uncompromising
Taurus likes: Gardening, cooking, music, romance, high quality clothes, working with hands
Taurus dislikes: Sudden changes, complications, insecurity of any kind, synthetic fabrics
I cracked up when i read the dislike of synthetic fabrics. It reminded me of a funny story of when i was a kid. I took dance and it was picture day. My mom bought me a new pair of tights just for the picture. She took them right our of the package at the dance studio and i cried because they were super itchy.  I threw a fit and my mom got so mad but then she said "FINE! Where your old tights that have a hole in them". So i did wear them, and i did have a hole in my tights on my leg in my pictures.  Oh well!! My tights were so soft and comfy.
Big surprise -a like is Music!!







Here is an awesome song by a great band I've seen in concert once and they're about to release a new album soon. yay! 
Hats off to the Bull- Chevelle
This is live version off youtube. I couldn't find the original video through blogger youtube. weird!

 

I did it!!! You did it!!! We did it!!!!  I was in such a slump and didn't have the want, the energy, the words, the content to post. I didn't want to NOT blog and i missed it. I just couldn't it.  I was frozen in grief and couldn't move forward.  I thought i lost my mind to sign up for the this blogging challenge but it was just what i needed to jumpstart me. It was crazy and hard some days, but i did it.
There were days i was able to visit much more than the standard 5 new blogs.  Then there were days i couldn't even reply back to my commenters.   I did meet some new bloggers and that's always fun. I didn't gain any new followers but one.  Hey i was happy for that.
Thank you for my friends who have commented and visited and encouraged me.  I couldn't have done this without you!!
Now if you don't mind, i am going to bed. Its after 10 pm and i have worked my booty off this weekend at my junk show. It went well by the way.  That's a post coming up.

YAZ

Hey yall! I am pushing it tonight to get this post in.  I had my junk show tonight from 6 to 9 and I didn't get home until 10pm.  Then my stupid laptop was dead from being unplugged.  I am exhausted but I cant mess up now when its only 2 more posts left to complete the A to Z challenge.
So for my letter Y , I am posting YAZ. They were one of my favorite bands in the 80's. It was a duo of male and female Vince Clark and Alison Moyet.  Vince was also in the band Depeche Mode which I also loved!  Then after Yaz, he was in group Erasure.  They were in the late 80;s early 90's.  I think YAZ was short for YAZOO because the album said Yazoo but the dj's always said Yaz.   Kinda strange
Their most famous and well known album was Upstairs at Eric's. I seriously love every song on the album.  I went through 2 cassettes between high school and college and I have the CD still now.

Don't Go

 

 

In my room

 

Only You.

 

My show tomorrow is tomorrow from 10 to 3 so maybe I can get my post in earlier. Have a great weekend and Only ONE more post!! Woohoo. Blogging on Saturdays sucked.  Sorry but its true.

W- Waylon and Willie

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson!!  I grew up listening to their music literally since a toddler.  Everyone in my family loved them and back in the 70's was when "Outlaw" music was created.  I remember buying my own albums of Willie and Waylon with my allowance money.  I saw Willie numerous times in concert starting in high school.  I had a very close friend who's boyfriend (Kyle) was CRAZY about Willie. We saw him anytime and everytime he was near DFW. In fact one time, Willie was a guest performer for some NBA basketball awards ceremony in Ft Worth and somehow Kyle found out about it. We got tickets just to see him and then left. It wasn't a full on concert but it was at least an hour's worth.  I've seen him many times since high school and he NEVER disappoints!!  I am so so happy I got to see him last year with Merle Haggard. It was so awesome.
I got to see Waylon right after I graduated high school at Billy Bob's.  I really just took it for granted that I would see more of him. Waylon was married to singer Jessi Colter and they toured together . It was so sweet to see them perform together.  So many interesting stories about Waylon. Did you know that Waylon was supposed to be on that plane with Buddy Holly the night it crashed? He gave up his seat to the Big Bopper who also perished that night.  If any of you were a fan of Dukes of Hazzard, you might know that it was Waylon who was the narrator on the show.  Honestly, we watched it because we loved Waylon but then my little brother got hooked on the show so we had to watch it.
It was a sad sad day for the family when Waylon passed on February 13, 2002.  He was only 64 and died from complications of diabetes.  I have to admit, I cried.  Sidenote as I type this: My sweet precious Nanny has diabetes and is currently in the hospital from a wound on her leg that wont heal. Her leg got very red and swollen and the Dr admitted her immediately.  Pray for her please if you're the praying kind.
Willie and Waylon both were a part of the Highwaymen group that released 3 albums.  Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson were the other Highwaymen.  Such a great group formed there!

I have to share a meme I posted today on my social media:
I will seriously cry and may have to go home if i'm at work if something happened to Willie.


This album has many fond memories for me.  We played the album constantly and I had my own copy.


Highwaymen...

 

Mama's Don't let your babies grow up to be Cowboys- FarmAID Live in Austin

Luckenbach, Texas- (Basics of Love)

Good Hearted woman- Waylon and Wille

So how funny is it that W day also fell on Wednesday!! Have a great day yall.

Rock and Roll Baby!!

I LOVE music!! We haven't had TV for weeks and I don't miss it one bit. We hooked up the stereo and I get into my unpacking groove.

I love all kinds of music. I enjoy the old school country music- Waylon, Willie, Johnny, Merle, Conway, etc.  I also listen quite a bit to contemporary Christian music. Especially since Todd is the drummer for our church worship band. 

If I had to choose though, I would have to say that Rock n Roll has my heart.  

Todd and I both love to see live music and we go to many concerts. It's so great to be there and hear a band live and rock out with other fellow fans.  I love all the generations of rock, from the 60's on up to today.  

Do you listen to rock? I know many of you do.  Do you have a favorite band? 

Its only Rock n Roll- Rolling Stones

Shook me all night long- ACDC

Little Suzi- Tesla

I love Rock n ROll- Joan Jett

Have a great day yall!!

Queen

Truly one of the best bands ever from the 70's.  Freddie Mercury was in my opinion Brilliant!! His voice and theatrics were so entertaining. Their lyrics are so great and thanks to the movie based off Saturday Night Live skit  "Waynes World", their lip-sync to Bohemian Rhapsody , brought them back to popularity to a new generation in the 90's. 
I grew up listening to Queen. Both my parents were big fans so I would hear their music quite a bit.  My mom had every album. I remember her being so excited when their albums came out, we would go buy it right away and listen to it front and back.
It was so sad when Freddy Mercury passed away. He was so talented.
Are you a fan? Whats your favorite Queen song?

Here is Under Pressure with David Bowie

 

Fat Bottomed girls

 

The Show must go on

                                             Somebody to Love

If you go to any sporting event it will be highly probable that you will hear their classic hit " Another one bites the dust".   That's the one song that I do get a little tired of but its still a great song.  Here is that one:

Have a great day yall!

Paradise

I'm currently in unpacking Hell! My home gives me great anxiety and I hate staring at boxes . We can only do a little bit at a time and I'm clearly running out of a patience.   It's sad when going to work everyday actually gives me peace of mind.  I imagine myself away from all the moving and unpacking and I'm on a far away beach resort that resembles Paradise.  Laying by the ocean, listening to waves crash into the shore, a fruity drink with an umbrella in it and not a worry in the world except wondering what amazing seafood dish will be for dinner. Will it be lobster , shrimp or crab legs?  Heck, it's paradise so I am skinny and I can have the pleasure of it all!!

What about you? Where is your paradise? Do you have an active imagination like i do? Haha! 

Have a great day y'all!! 

"O"- Organ donor?

Are you an organ donor? Did you know you can make sure by going online? It's on your drivers license so log into your DMV and simply check the organ donor box.  

I'm very passionate about Organ Donation!!! Why? My sweet Daddy was diagnosed with a rare lung disease almost 6 years ago. It progressed rapidly and I watched Daddy decline and end up confines to a wheelchair and an oxygen machine.  It was the most amazing phone call I'll ever remember when Dad got the call to get to hospital for his lung transplant.  He received a double lung transplant.  Weeks later, he walked me down the aisle at my wedding with no oxygen and no wheelchair.  We got almost 3 more years of a full vibrant life. I wouldn't trade these last 3 years for all the money in the world . Seeing Daddy have those extra years were priceless and all because a selfless amazing person was a donor.  When Daddy passed a few months ago, He of course was also a donor. He donated what he could and the hospital also was going to use what they needed for science and medicine.  I like to think that the surgeons, professors and doctors will discover a cure from daddy's organ donation.  

Please consider being an organ donor. 

Thanks y'all!  - happy Monday 

"M" - Moving

I thought it would be a great idea to do the A to Z challenge at the exact time I was about to move.  I must have packed my common sense along with the rest of my crap.  I had no other choice but to use Moving as my subject since I've mentioned it in almost every post.  

Today marks one week since moving day officially and when we closed on our house.   It's been a challenge. I can't say that our move has gone smoothly. 

 Our first night in house, Todd makes a trip to Home Depot at 9:45 ( they close at 10) and we have to replace the thermostat. It was 85 degrees inside our house and too hot to sleep!  

Our keypad quit working for good on our garage but fortunately we have our garage door openers now. 

My dog Jax had never once been around water, takes a dive in our swimming pool because he saw Lila on the other side of pool. We think he thought it was blue concrete or something since he's never seen a pool. He instinctively started to paddle thank goodness. I took my shoes and glassss off about to jump in. 

Lila has discovered rabbits. She has killed 3 of them. She brought a bloody dead one into our room that has carpet. 

I had to then find carpet cleaner for the blood. I now have huge stains worse than the blood from the oxy clean. 

All we have left at old house is to get my trailer and hook it up to my truck and bring to new house. We've gone to house every night picking up small stuff we didn't want the movers to bother with. 

I hurt my right hand pretty good. My thumb and pointer finger are swollen. If I hold anything in that hand, my wrist collapses. Todd and I have cuts and bruises all over from bumping into boxes, moving furniture around, you name it. 

My house is too small! I have no room for anything and it's hard to unpack when you don't have a place to put things.  I know it will get better eventually but I'm so overwhelmed and I hate it! 

Our cable/ internet guy was supposed to be here this past Tuesday. No one showed up or called. Then they were supposed to show up yesterday, nope. After being transferred to 4 people and having to repeat everything 4 times, the earliest they can come is the 22nd. That's 10 days later than the first original date of Tuesday 12! I don't care not having TV the last 10 days and 10 days more, what I do have to have is Internet.  Especially now that work is so strict using the web for anything not work related.  

Moving sucks!! I hate it .  I pray for strength and patience to get my house in order very soon so that I don't hate my house. 

I'm grateful to have a newer home to live in. I'm grateful to have a roof over my head.  I don't want to sound like a selfish brat.  One day, I want to share pictures of the house with y'all but if you were to see them now, you would call the tv show Hoarders and report me.  Better yet, they do always put the home together at end of show. Hmmm, maybe they would come unpack and organize for me. 

Last night after work we went to old house to pick up trailer, my truck has hitch on it that is locked. Didn't have the key.  Looked for hours when I get home and finally found it. Wasted trip!! 

I know this what i sound like!! Lol 

Hope y'all have a great weekend. I think y'all know what I'll be doing. 

"I" Introduction

Good morning y'all!  I also took today off from work so that I can could have another day to unpack.  I have broke down dozens of boxes but I look around and it seems as if I made zero impact  at all.  Trouble with downsizing, is that you have too much stuff with no time to decide what stays and goes.  Lots of anxiety going on!! 

Anywho, I need to get my quick post out so I can get back to unpacking and I thought I would introduce myself. 

My name is Holli and I recently got married 3 years ago in August.  My hubs name is Todd and we've been together for 5 years. The funny thing is that the whole cliche of marrying my best friend really did happen. We were best best friends for 17 years when we decided to give a go.  I wish I could tag my posts about us but I'm blogging from my phone app. 

I live in suburb of Dallas , Texas.  I was born in Dallas in May of 1968. 

I have 2 step kids - a boy and a girl and I have 2 furry kids - a boy and a girl. Jax and Lila live with us and the human kids live with their mother. 

We just bought a house this past Friday and it's been crazy.  

I work full time for a distribution company  as a corporate trainer. This year in September will be 21 years there.  We are in process of being in huge merger that was announced last year but it takes time to combine 2 companies with different systems and processes.  

I ride a Harley. Was raised on motorcycles my whole life and Todd rides too. Lately, I've been riding on the back with him but I'm thinking of buying a new bike ( trike).  We've gone to Sturgis the last 2 years and I went another time 12 years ago ( before Todd). 

My most amazing sweet Daddy just recently passed away in January and I'm still shaken to my very core.  

About 5 months ago, something snapped inside of me and I have depression and anxiety like never ever before. I feel broken and I can't handle stressful things like I used to.  I've cried everyday during this move and I hate myself afterwards.  Who am I? I used to be a rock and fiercely independent . 

I am addicted to Starbucks but of course cutting back to twice a week since moving is so expensive! 

I use explanation marks too much.

I am a quarter Choctaw Indian. My grandfather was full blooded.  

I still have both my grandmas and they are both 89.  

My little sweet mom suffers from terrible chronic disease Lupus .  I will blog about that on my letter L. 

I have a brother Jeremy that lives in Oklahoma with his wife and my 2 nieces.  

I have a stepbrother Draeger and stepsister Rachelle who both live in Northern California with their girlfriend and husband and my other 2 nieces. 

I love music more than anything outside of family and friends. We go to a lot of concerts and my music preferences are all over genres. Country and rock and Christian are the ones I listen to daily though. 

My imagination is very creative.  My mom said it's from loving to read since a very early age.  My dreams are crazy technicolor dreams and I really should write them down sometime. 

I love the Lord! I am strong in my faith and I post inspirational quotes quite a bit here. However, I have close friends that are of different nationalities and religions and I respect that. I don't like being forced anything in my face and would not do that to you either. 

Mexican food is my favorite. I could seriously eat tacos everyday.  

I am procrastinating going back to unpacking so I better run.  Have a great Monday y'all!!! 

My brother Jeremy and me

Daddy, me, Todd, and Mom

My aunt Brenda on dads side, my Incredible stepmom Deb and me. 

"H" is for Home

Ok so it's not midnight here in Dallas yet. In fact I have one hour to go if I really want to push it.  I bet you thought " yep, Holli is so busy moving and unpacking, no way will she continue the daily blogging challenge"! I must have paused 5 times at least , saying to myself that I really needed to post today. However, the unpacking was much more important .  I'm happy to say that we are almost 100% moved into our new to us house. 

We still left quite a bit at the previous house so we'll be heading over there tomorrow to get more stuff.  

Every bone in my body hurts. Mostly my back though. I've struggled with back pain for years and I had been doing to good lately. I can't stand straight from all the bending over unpacking and lifting.  

Have a great rest of your weekend. I'm going to bed! 

Signing papers on our house at title company. 

That's us with our realtor.  She was great! 

Jax and Lila found a perfect window to bark at everyone who walked by ( which was many because our front yard is a park). 

Moving and barking is Hard work!! 

"G" - Grief

Whew! Y'all I'm so exhausted and back is killing me. We got lots done today but tomorrow is GO day!! Closing is at 9:30am, the movers are showing up at 7:30am and somehow we've got to be at 3 places at once . I can't worry about it now.  As they say: It is what it is! 

Today my posts are on Grief.  

Hope you're Friday is more fun than mine because moving Sucks! 

Have a great weekend y'all!  I have to remember to post on Saturday.  Yikes! 

"D" is for Daddy

OK so the first word that comes to mind with letter “D” is Daddy so i Dedicate this post to him.   I recently just lost my precious dearest Daddy in January (12) and I am still struggling with Depression every single day.  There are moments that I literally just do the hard ugly cry and sob within minutes and no warning.  (Thankfully most of those moments are when I’m on way home or already at home from office). 

My dad had a double lung transplant almost 3 years ago  (July to be exact) and I truly expected to have another 20 years with him at least.  Daddy was 66 years old and lived life to the fullest. 

I miss him so so much. I’m buying my first house and its not too far from his.  He isn’t here to see that.  I need his advice and I have so many more questions that I needed to talk to him about.

If you still have your Daddy- call him, hug him so tight, give him kisses and tell him how much you love him.  

That's Dad in his Burt Reynolds/Tom Selleck days . 

He walked me down the aisle 5 weeks after his transplant.  

I used to love watching and listening to him play his guitar. This was one of my favorites he would play.  Seven Spanish Angels with Ray Charles and Willie Nelson.