Floral Flair...

Im going to skip the part about my return home, the move, and the fact that my car broke down the DAY I got here and was misdiagnosed and in the end cost us 5k to repair. Why am I skipping this? Because Im sick of whining about it. I will whine about one or two things though and thats the reality check I got once I was officially moved.

1. I missed my friends.. A LOT. unpacking when I got here sent me into a semi nervous breakdown. I was 17 hours from home and I was feeling it. I was sent off at work with a mini razorback tailgate, Laura, my sister in Mugatu-hood, sent me with a gorgeous Hog ring and a cute key chain. I miss her everyday because just like me she is vocal, gets outdone at work and voices it, and is a wild child misfit at heart. I have liked Laura since the day I joined the Dedicated Fleet division at my former work. There are more people from my old job that will make their way into these stories but Im starting with Laura because for some reason I never thought someone that badass and tough would cry the day I left. She did. I miss her and her cigar smoking gorgeous potty mouth. Let your freak flag fly Laura.. Fly it high.
So back to my origional point, I missed my friends. Yes I had a beach, but without a Lisa, Natalie, Jennifer, Christal, Laura, and a gaggle of League sisters what did this mean for me? How does one send pictures back home and not look like a bragging beach asshole? As I said, as I unpacked I cried. I had never lived anywhere else and the fact that life was different down here became more and more obvious. As tears rolled I didnt know how to make them stop. So I laid down in my virtual lagoon of a living room and cried my eyes on out the couch. I still need a good 10-15 minuets after the Hogs take the field on national TV to dry my eyes because all I can see is a stadium full of our friends back home and I know just beyond the jumbo-tron in the grass lies the McEntire tailgate spot that was my saturday home from Aug-Nov. Chad still prepares himself for tears when the fight song plays and he is right to do so. My face crumples and I cry. It is what it is.
2. We live in a designer shoe box.  Condos here are lovely. Especially ours. We pay one bill a month that covers everything to the internet Im currently using to our gym membership here. Its super nice. Its also like MAYBE 1250 square feet. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, tiny kitchen, tiny laundry room and a shared living and dining area. Our home in NWA was by NO means palatial but I was totally spoiled with my new granite and hardwood floors.. my over 2000 sqft of open space, 4 bedrooms, walk in closet, garage, and covered back porch that over looked trees galore and open field area. So suffice it to say it came as stupid shock to me that when my husband and I try to share a sliding door closet in our bedroom.. you have to man power your way in there and hope like hell you arent stabbed by a rouge hanger or a high heel shoe of mine doesnt stab you in the skull while falling from the top of the closet. We have a shallow drawer dresser with only four drawers as well. we share that. We also still have boxes of clothes in our bedroom because there is no where else to put them. I have gone through, donated, and gone through and donated again. Bottom line, I have too much shit and cute crap that I cant part with. I worked too hard and too long to collect all my pretties and they are staying!!!   ( Chad will tell you HE worked too hard and too long to collect all my crap and he is basically right, but I dont care. Tomato- Tomahto.)

After we settled in and enrolled Blakely in school and I was put on the schedule for training at the Lobster Cage. WHOO HOO! Let the shell fish slinging and margarita serving begin. I was issued my sleeveless floral shirt and told it was to be worn with khaki sorts and mostly while tennis shoes when I reported to work my shifts. Hair must be up and secured back and no big jewlelry. OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!!! No, seriously, I was pumped!! Gone are the days of shoes that pinch, dress pants that arent entirely comfortable and button up shirts. I was gonna save TONS of money not having to shop for cute trendy work clothing and I mentally bid NY and Co, Bananna Republic, Ralph Lauren, and my random cuteness bought at Forever 21 goodbye!  I purchased a pair of Khaki shorts at Target and was ready to begin my day. I put on my shirt over my tank top and then looked in the mirror... OH WOW. This was funny. I giggled like a madman in my bathroom for a good 10 mins and then said to myself, Suck it up woman!  You live in the land of purple houses and Tommy Bahama anyway! You probably need this shirt to blend in! I put it on and bravely stepped out the door ready for my first day of work dressed like a coral reef.  Was my ego kinda shaken? Yes, Im superficial at times and felt like I had taken a step back in the world. The only thing that finally ripped the band-aide off my former life of conference calls, meetings, and beginning my day with reading reports was the name tag button that had to go on the shirt.. accesorized with a hand drawn crab. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh noooooooooooooooo,o my soul groaned. What had I done? Here goes nothing.