From Tornado Alley...to Hurricane Hell...

gubernatorial \GOO-ber-nuh-TOR-ee-uhl\, adjective:Of or pertaining to a governor.

So, thehe gubernatorial race is not a bunch of goobers racing towards the finish line, as I had assumed.

So far, I'm figuring out that Sunny, Fl...isn't always so sunny. In fact, over the past 3 months, I've stepped in more rain puddles than I have in my entire life. I thought I was leaving the bad weather behind when I left Oklahoma. But apparently, I moved to Florida just in time for hurricane season. Lucky. Me.

It looks like Gustav is bringing more rain and winds into town. He definitely put a damper on weekend plans with Sunu...and hurricane Hannah looks like she'll be whipping through town to put a damper on weekend plans with Sheryl. Gotta love it.

Now that you've been updated with weather conditions...let's move on. For those of you who have asked, BF and Baby BF are both doing well. I would post pictures, but the munchkin refuses to open her eyes when I visit. Who can blame her? I'd sleep all day too if given a choice!!! However, check out Madison's blog for her latest adorable pictures...

Shout out of the day goes to............

Miss Sheryl Jenkins James Jacob. Sheryl to me is like the itch you can't scratch...the fly that's too fast to swat...the annoying little sister I never asked for but somehow inherited. Now, that seems a bit harsh...I know. But that's just the dynamics of our relationship. The harsher I am, the more she likes me!

People who don't know us....hear us conversating and are apalled by how brash we are to each other. People who do know us just laugh.

Happy Birthday, Shrekky....If I was still in town...I'd make you some of your favorite brownies....(although I'm sure you'd call me a few hours later to tell me they gave you gas.) Enjoy your day....I'll see you in Sunny, Fl soon!

Saturday!

supernumerary \soo-puhr-NOO-muh-rair-ee; -NYOO-\, adjective:1. Exceeding the stated, standard, or prescribed number.2. Exceeding what is necessary or desired; superfluous.

My supernumerary safari expedition was the highlight of my trip to Magic Kingdom!

I finally found my camera adaptor, so I was able to upload a few pictures that were in my camera's internal memory. I will now post them for your viewing pleasure....

Aaron's 14th birthday back in June...and the lopsided pink cake with the funky candles that I baked him.

The phenomenal ribs his dad made for the occasion. Is your mouth watering?? Mine is... Missy with her cousin Moussey...parting from each other was such sweet sorrow

Andrew and Moussey...

3 of my mom's 4 grandkids layin' down watchin' TV at Amachi's house. Matt and I went to Animal Kingdom on Saturday...It was probably the most fun day I've had since I've moved to Orlando! We had a wild time...get it? ha! Animal...wild... ;)

He might not have shown it, but he was excited to be there.

The famous tree...

If you ever go to Magic Kingdom, I suggest you go on the safari ride...you'll have a wild time...haa...(that joke never gets too old for me). There are lots of animals to see and you can see them pretty close. Here are a few I saw...

Mr. Crocodile

Mr. Giraffe....

Mr. Elephant...
Mr. Lion...who looked pretty harmless...almost as innocent as Moussey when she's napping on my kitchen floor.
Mr. Ape. He seemed a lil' depressed...

I got this nifty leather id bracelent from Animal Kingdom. I saw it at a shop, and it took me back...way back to when I was 4 years old. My dad had taken us on a family visit to Wisonsin Dells. I can barely remember it, but I do remember him buying all 3 of us leather ID bands...and I do remember wearing it for years to come...until finally the snap broke. So, I thought I'd buy another...in memory of the first one.

Last but not least...no set of Disney pictures would be complete with out the mouse...
Maddicake update....Maddi and Momma are doing good. They got to go home today! I get to see Maddi in her new habitat tomorrow...Pictures soon to follow!

She's here...she's here...she's here!!!

After a long night of waiting at the hospital...Madison decided to show up at 7:30 this morning. She has all 10 fingers and all 10 edible lil' toes...and she's absolutely precious! I'll let you see for yourself!!....

Isn't she a doll? I think she's a smiler like her Momma...because she was smiling so much while we all held her! I'm sure she will be gracing my blog...and her daddy's...and her own...with a lotttttt more pictures in the days to come! ;)

Bringin' it back...

The other night I looked back through my old blogs in search of inspiration. I can't seem to get it together to post faithfully these days, so I went back in time to see what it was that I used to write about all the time. I discovered a few features in my blog that I really enjoyed and want to bring back.

One...the word of the day! I decided it was a fun way to learn new words...that being said....

provenance \PROV-uh-nuhn(t)s\, noun:Origin; source.

Sentence: The provenance of the strange odor was the furry, brown labrador retriever who was remitting gas while she was sleeping. ;)

Another feature of my old blogs that I enjoyed were character profiles. This was something my friend Matty suggested I bring back to the blog as well. I told him that I felt like it would be too hard at this time since I don't know anyone!!! But, then he suggested that I profile my friends back home. So, I thought I'd do a little re-vamp to the character profile and make it "Sue's Shout Out"...to "holla" at the people I miss or have been thinking about a lot lately. So, here it goes....my very first shout out....

goes to.....T'Dub...also known as, DT (Detective Terry), Terrence Trent Darby, Mrs. Roper, Spider Pig....or just Terry. She always had a way of making my work day entertaining...whether it was her magazine clippings or her strange illnesses or her commentary on the rest of our associates or even just her evening updates on what she had for dinner the night before. I know she is feeling blue right now because her bestest friend moved out of town. First she had to deal with the heart ache of losing me...and now another friend!?!?!? Life can be cruel. =/ T'Dub, I miss you, pretty girl!!

Life with out a Television...a Sad, Sad Life.

I will never forget that day...the day I said goodbye to my TV. I was standing on my old driveway in Oklahoma City, watching the movers telling Matt that we would be charged for every square inch we used on the truck. I saw the wheels spinning in Matt's head as he tried to decide what we wouldn't be taking. Helplessly I stood there...praying that my favorite possessions would make the cut and join me in sunny, Florida. Matt made his way toward me...and by the look on his face, I knew I was about to hear some bad news.

"We can't take the TV. There's no room."

My heart dropped to my toes. Immediately I ran to the CRV, and tried to reaarange the jam packed truck to fit my 26 inch TV. But, there was nothing I could do to make enough space for it. I had to decide...Either the TV would be in the back seat or Moussey would. It was a hard decision...but the living being got first preference. I never thought I'd last 3 months with out a TV...I thought would buy one as soon as I moved in...but instead, my money went to things like soaring electric bills and $4 gallons of milk.

Thankfully, I have a sister and a BF who have DVR and are kind enough to record shows they think I'd want to watch...and MTV.com helps me stay tuned to the Hills, America's Best Dance Crew, and Real World. But, major things have been going on in the world that I never knew about. For instance...THE OLYMPICS?!? Really?? I was wondering why Google.com had strange little characters holding flags of different nations on Friday, August 8th. I happened to hear someone say he was going to China and was going to catch the end of the Olympics...and that's when I knew! Nor did I know that Bernie Mac died! WTF?? Tragedy! And the Last Lecturer died too??? How sad!!! And...John Edwards really did have an affair?!? Geez...So much going on!

The good news is...I should be getting my TV soon...and I'll be back in business. Matt's not too happy about it...but hey, he can use his time "wisely" and ignore me as I waste my time crackin up at my favorite shows once again! I can't wait!

In other news...the kid has not yet arrived. Matt's finally off next Saturday and we're planning on taking a little expedition to Tampa. Something tells me, that that will probably be when she decides that she's ready to come out and see the world!! Sigh....

I usually have a quiet period when I meet new people. It takes about a month for someone new to break through my "tough exterior." A month passed...and then two...and I still had no friends at work. I must admit that I used some pretty low tactics to try to make friends at a certain point. Yes, I baked them brownies...but still...no dice. I began to rationalize it by saying it's too busy of an environment to be chatty and have friends. A few people around the office passed comments about how quiet I am...and in my head I thought..."man, if they only knew!!"

I'm coming upon 3 months at the new job. And today...I finally had a moment when I felt like I too was part of the gang. A few people were sitting around talking since it was an unusually calm day, and I happened to walk into their conversation. Next thing I knew, they started asking me questions and we bonded. Ok, so maybe it was "bonding"...but it was pretty close. It even lead to me going on break with one of my team members. I was insanely excited.

Maybe in 3 more months...I'll actually have someone to go to LUNCH with!

I'm ashamed to admit I have no pictures to post from this weekend's assignment...because I haven't had any inspiring subjects as of late. But, as usual, my cohort, Matty took some fantastic shots, so take a look at his!

This past week has been a retrospective one. My nephew had made a cd of 80's song, and listening to it somehow flung me into the past. I found myself digging through boxes to find old pictures and reading some of my old writing. It was kind of nice reflecting back on a time when worries were minimal, friends were plentiful, and money wasn't spent on rent/utilities/and a $4 gallon of milk.

I remember dreaming a lot of the future back then....and I have discovered that a lot of those dreams have been lost in the shuffle...stuffed in a box labled "some day." I didn't think that I would become a person like that "when I grew up." I thought I'd be someone that pursued my dreams at all costs and didn't let life get in the way.

In a way, the little flashback to the past was exactly what I needed to inspire me to not get stuck in a rut...but to figure out a way to still do and pursue the things I love. Hopefully it will be a lesson that I will remind myself of on a daily basis...

In other..fantastic...news...Madison Sarah Mathew will be gracing us with her presence ANY day now. (from the looks of her momma's belly...sooner than later!!)

Undeniably Malu

So for those of you who are reading this blog post and have no idea what "malu" means...let me explain. My family is from the southern tip of India...a beautiful, lush state called Kerala. The people who dwell in Kerala are called Malayalees...or "Malus" for short.

I hate lumping people into categories...or making blanket statements about people within a certain culture. So, I'm going to try to say this very carefully...as to not offend anyone... That being said...A few weeks ago, my mom and I were walking through my neighborhood. I saw a women walking up her driveway with a newspaper under her arm. She had frizzy black hair, which she tied up in a bun...and a pair of gold earings and a thick gold necklace which I could spot from several feet away. Instantly, I turned to my mom and told her that Malus lived in my neighborhood! She asked me why I was so certain that the woman was a Malayalee...and I explained that the hair and jewlery were two major give aways. As we got closer to her house....I noticed that their garage was filled with Japanese cars....a Honda and a Toyota...."See! I told my mom...there's another sign!" She looked at me as if I was crazy. But then, I saw something that solidified my suspicions....an unruly rosebush in the front yard. Upon seeing that, even my mom agreed that they definitely had to be Malayalees.

I hadn't seen the Malayalees again for a few weeks. A part of me wanted to see and befriend them....hoping the lady might invite us over for some home cooking! Then, last week as I was driving home, I saw the man of the house checking the mail. He had on blue slacks, a black belt, and a wife beater. If I had any doubts they weren't Malayalee, all doubts were now washed away!

Today, I was walking Moussey in the morning. As I was walking up the sidewalk, the Malayalee man and lady were walking down the sidewalk. I thought "this is my chance to befriend them!" They'll ask me where I'm from in Malayalam...and I'll respond with my usual village idiot response!!...They'll chuckle at my feeble attempt...and we'll all become friends! (As you can see I'm desperate to make some friends around here!) So, as they approached...I began smiling...And when they were close enough to hear me...I said "Hello!"

They didn't smile or respond to my pleasentries...they just maintained a stoic expression and walked right on past me. I was bummed...and kept walking. Maybe they didn't know I was Indian. Afterall, they hadn't seen my driveway with 2 Hondas parked in it...and my hair had been de-frizzed before my walk...and I never walk with my bling on...it just ain't safe these days!!

On my way home from our walk...we passed the couple's home again. This time, they were both standing on their driveway....almost as if they were waiting for us to walk by. The man stood there with both hands on his hips and the woman stood beside him curiously. As I walked by...they just stared, not a word was uttered...Just a silent stare.

"Undeniably Malu," I muttered to Moussey...as we turned down my street and walked home.

My "Why So Blue?" picture of the day!

Pick-chas...

Matty and I have decided to keep working on our photography interest. We thought we'd make each week a particular theme and take pictures accordingly. This week's theme is "why so blue?" I'm not quite sure what this means, or how I'm going to take pictures to go with the theme...but it should be fun trying to figure it out. This weekend, we had another photography expedition. This shot was my absolute favorite! It wasn't posed at all. I just happened to see my BF...the good sport that she is...sitting on a bench, 9 months pregnant...trying to find a little reprieve from the Florida sun. Isn't she cute? Maddison will be here in just 3 short weeks!Ever the competitor...Matty is always looking for a way to get a better shot than me. Infact, I usually have to go through this schpeel while we're driving.

M: "Susan, you have to admit...I'm a better photographer than you."

S: (in order to shut him up) "Yes, you absolutely are...Your shots and your camera is much better than mine."

Although I tell him that each time...I take a shot like the one below...and post it...knowing full well that it totally blows his shots away. ;)

This was just an interesting shot to me...it was the ceiling of a pagoda that was in downtown Orlando...in the Lake Eola area. One things for sure...These photography expeditions are exposing me to lots of Orlando!
Sometimes you can find something interesting in something simple...like a piece of wood!

Irony...

So, I've been noticing a few ironic things in my day to day life....1. I've moved to sunny, florida....yet, it rains every day!! It's usually bright and sunny throughout the day...you know, while I'm at work and unable to enjoy it! But as soon as 6 pm hits, the rain pours. (Just in time for me to sail home through traffic). 2. Florida has a very large population of Hispanics....yet the one thing I have not eaten so far is Mexican food...not even good Mexcian fast food! (Oh, Taco Bueno, how I miss thee) I'm sure there are quite a bit of authentic Spanish restaurants, but I can't stomach that. It has a little something to do with my missions trip to Mexico in 04, in which I encountered some really bad chicken mole...(pronounced molay)..wait. is it spelled molay? oh, who knows...anyway, what I'm in search of is some good ol' tex mex. sigh. the search continues. 3. Matt and I both work for a vacation club, but we can't afford to take a vacation! ha! I guess our move will be considered our vacation this year. Maybe in 09 we'll have some potential traveling possibilities. One can hope. Speaking of hope, I hope my friend Matty keeps up with his latest attempt with blogging! Check him out and welcome him back!

The Farmer's Market with Friends....

Matty got a new fancy, schmancy camera a few weeks ago and had been itching to get out there and practice before Maddison's born. So, I suggested we go somewhere on Saturday to take pictures. I've been wanting to work on my camera skills too! So, Matty and BF took me to Winter Park, Florida, where they have a Farmer's Market every Saturday. Matty and I had lots of subjects to take pictures of!

A thorn among the roses...Ha! I kid. His pictures turned out a lot better than mine...I say it's his camera...he says it's his talent.BF was such a good sport. She walked around in the heat just so we could pretend to be photographers for the day!

This is Yeager. He was looking for a tree to rest under for shade...but found the next best thing!

Dog days of summer in Sunny, Florida...

I wish had bought these cherries instead of just taking their picture!

The Great Depression...

I walked into the grocery store the other day and was horrified to see that the gallon of milk I needed was nearly five bucks. I left...with out it. Is it just me...or are the sky rocketing prices of gas, food,...and everything else for that matter... making the rest of you greatly depressed? Right about now, the one thing I'm grateful for is my car purchase last year. Thank God for imparting a bit of wisdom on me....that I would select a fuel efficient car instead of a guzzler. Seriously...if I didn't have my Fit, I would have a fit every time I pumped gas! (No pun intended)

I don't know how people are surviving these days. Everything's going up...other than salaries, of course. It never ceases to amaze me that people do still survive...and they do still shop till they drop. For instance, a few months ago, SueTee took me and CCL to a Coach outlet. I looked around the store and saw women swarming with coaches in all shapes and sizes and random colors in their hands. I stood in line with a patent leather, wristlet that Sue found for me at a steal of a deal for only $30. The lady in front of me had a bright green and white purse (which I thought was not a very practical buy considering it wouldn't match much) that was big enough to carry my dog, a coach scarf, a coach umbrella, and a coach key chain. At that moment I thought to myself...am I the only person affected by this recession?!?

However, I know I'm not because I hear people complain about it every day...at work, at the gas station, at the produce department of grocery stores. I guess what goes up must come down...and right now, we're just on a downward slope. We've just gotta hold on for dear life, and hope "up" comes around soooooooooooon!

Pictures Galore...

I just finished watching a very disturbing episode of the Bachelorette. You know, the episode where she doesn't pick the person I wanted her to!!!!!! I don't know why in the world I waste my time watching this show and getting all emotionally invested in their decisions. This is the last time...I swear!!!

Anyhoo...afterwards I decided it was high time to post a few pictures that I've taken over the past few weeks.

July 4th...Matt and I went to watch fireworks with my sister and fam. We sat outside Universal Studios. It took a while for them to start crackin' but when they did...it was pretty spectacular. Here's a few of my favorite shot...excuse the telephone wire. =/

The grand finale....
A random picture of the most beautiful little girl I know....
A picture from my mom and bro's visit. My mom floatin' around in the pool. Yes, in her pants. I tried to give her shorts, but she refused. =/

My brother floatin around in the pool. I could sit and watch this guy in the pool for hours. It might not look so comical right now. But at the time...it was crackin me up that he was in a floaty...yet acting like a seasoned olympic swimmer.

The Floridians with my mom...

I saw this picture on Facebook the other day...and I just had to share it! Baby Neela is getting cuter by the day...and I hate that I'm not there to kiss her squishy little cheeks. (Jess, I miss you guys!)

Now it's time to do a baby update...the cousins got together this weekend and CCL sent me a few pics of all the babies! They're all so precious and getting too big too fast!

Maddy...cute as ever!

Sweetness...Maddy and Lola (Lauren)
Ethan...ever the little model and JP (Joshua)...reminds me of how Mikey used to look up to Bobby! Ha!!! I love JP's face in this one!

All the lil girls...Lola, Princess Leah, and Maddy

All the lil' munchkins. Looks like I definitely missed out!

Speaking of cute babies! Check out the newest cutie on the blog scene!

BUSY!!!!

The other day, Matt asked me if I'm done with my blog. I looked at him blankly. So, he asked again..."Are you done? Is it over? You aren't writing anymore?" That was a sad thought to me...after all these years!!...I quickly said no!

Life's been really busy lately. I have no time to write at work. Often, I start working in the morning and then by the time I look at the clock, it's 3 pm....and I haven't had lunch! I've never been so busy at a job before, but I enjoy it. It's nice to not watch the time drift by slowly. My mom has been visiting for two weeks, so everyday after work, I'd run her around...out and about...since she was cooped up at the house all day long. So, no time to blog after work either.

But now, she's back in Oklahoma, so I'll have a little bit more free time in the evenings. I have lots of pictures to post of birthdays, baptisms, maternal unit's visit...etc....so stay tuned!!

Getting ready for baby Madison...

The gang here in Florida is totally anticipating the arrival of baby Madison in just 9 short weeks. I can hardly wait to have another "Maddycakes" to adore! I know that between the 7 of us, we'll be fighting over who gets to hold her and put her to sleep...but we'll let Dains/Matty do all the diaper changing!;)

We've been spending some of our weekends getting her room ready for her....Her momma sent me some pictures of it...and it's absolutely too cute not to share....so here ya go!

Maddy's Daddy spending his 30th birthday painting his baby girl's room...

A messy me...painting letters for her name to hang on the nursery wall...

The finished product of our work last Saturday...

These curtains are proof that Maddy's loved so much...even before she's gotten here. Her mom, Dad, Sue Aunty, Beena Aunty, Sheppy Uncle, and Aaron chachen all helped to make this for her...(Uncle Matt missed out...he had work!)
I'm almost sad that the nursery project is over! Now there's nothing left to do but wait for the baby!!!!!!!!