de-lurking and undoing some of my buckle-of-the-bible-belt upbringing.

so, first off, it's national de-lurking week. which means that You, yeah, YOU should comment. quit the lurking already, k? the bloggage needs some love. and thanks to my regular commenters for being--well--regular commenters. :)

secondly.
a preface: potentially unnecessary, but probably better safe than sorry. For the record, I am very much a Christian. A Methodist, in fact, and a liberal one at that. And now that we have this established...if this offends you (anonymous from kat's blog, perhaps?) or you don't like it, that's cool too. But know that I'm not saying this to piss you off. I'm saying it because I, personally, find it ridiculous. However, should you agree with this, then that's cool, and rest assured that I'm not going to think that you, as a person, are ridiculous just for agreeing. However, I make no promises about politely mocking your way of thinking. :)

or maybe that was much ado about nothing.

So, Saturday night I went to a party at my friend Paul's house. There was rum punch and munchies and a bonfire--good stuff. And something got us to talking about values, and sex before marriage. I think it started out with someone talking about a couple who were living together, and who had sex, and who were getting married, and three months before getting married the wife-to-be decided they should wait to have sex again until the wedding night. right. a little odd, imho, but still, fine, whatever.

Of course, this made me think of being a buckle-of-the-bible-belter, and just have to tell a story about my formative years. I explained that I've had to undo a lot of the conservative, close-minded concepts drilled into me as a youth.

It is okay to drink beer/wine/liquor.
It is okay to not want babies (though I do some day, I'm just sayin').
It is okay to think that maybe Buddhists and Jews aren't going to hell (if there is a hell), even though they don't believe in Jesus.
It is okay to have friends who aren't Christians.
Just because someone thinks abortion/gay marriage/female preachers (in some denominations) are okay doesn't mean they're a bad person.
and it is (sometimes) okay to have sex before marriage.

now, before anyone gets their Savior-Loving panties in a bunch, let me tell you that in my head there are A LOT of things to take into consideration for that last one, and I still think it's a good thing to teach for like eleventy billion reasons. but I'm straying waaaay far away from my point here. getting back on track...

So I told a story about my experiences at Camp Egan's Dayspring East Senior High Camp. Now, I LOVED Dayspring. Incredible spiritual experience. Life-changing discussions. And although there were a few others that rubbed me the wrong way, one of them took the cake. And that's what I told people about on Saturday, a concept I had to undo, though I must admit I found it bothersome from the start.

One day at camp we were given the option of signing up for a women's-only and a men's-only session about relationships. It seemed like the thing to do was to go to it, so I did. And wow. Just wow. Some of it had to do with specifics--was it okay to hug/hold hands/kiss/neck/make out/grope? Did you need to leave room for the Holy Spirit while dancing? (we, as Methodists, could dance, dontchaknow?) And what exactly, praytell, did you need to wait to do until you were married?

This class was lead by a married woman, with a few other female leaders there for direction and assistance, and then men's class was taught by her husband.

Finally, the woman got around to talking about sex. She explained that it was for a man and wife, and was a beautiful thing. This is all fine. Fine, fine. She said that God gave us the gift of sex and made it pleasurable, and that we were meant to enjoy it. And that we should be thankful for it, and thank God for the joy it brings us. Perhaps stretching it a teensy weensy bit, but still okay.

But then she went on, and said that after you are married, on your wedding night, when you plan to be together, you should place an empty chair by your bed, and Invite. Jesus. To. Be. With. You. Like, in the room, with you. Like while you're having sex, WITH you.

what???????
wait, what??????

yes, that's right, conservative-bording-on-crazy but also-very-nice lady just told me that I should put an extra chair in my bedroom expressly for the purpose of asking Jesus to sit in it and watch and share in the specialness. She even said that this should be a regular thing? Wait, huh?!?

I mean, I know that "His eye is on the sparrow," and "I know He watches me," but what?!? I invite Jesus into my home, and into my heart and into my life, and I love Him and I believe in Him and I know that God created the universe, and I have Faith, and I DO. But this? This?!? It just seems crazy to me. Like, seriously mentally lacking in correctness. Yikes.

I do believe that this one moment is likely what began the process of me becoming A LOT more liberal and open-minded. And I, for one, am terribly terribly thankful for it. I judge less, and I accept more, and that's gotta be a good thing. But I don't think I will ever forget the instant itself, as I tried desperately to not be a codfish, exposing my shock at the concept of asking Jesus to watch and share as I got busy with it.

perhaps there's another perspective on this, and I'd be glad to hear it if you've got it. but right now? [picture me moving my pointer in a circle near my ear--making the international sign for crazy]

thing is, sometimes I still can't let go of this concept. there's a part of me that feels almost programmed with conservatism, like it's wired in my circuits and there's still a residual. it's mostly gone, but sometimes it still creeps in, and I'll have a reaction, and then have to un-think it 'cause I know I don't think like that any more. but I can't help it! 'cause as we've known for quite some time, you can take the girl out of oklahoma, but you can't take the oklahoma out of the girl.

jackie started a trend...

and now I have a new layout. :)

ps-is the font be easier to read since it's white?

so, backtracking a little...

so, I realize that I never posted these pictures. The day after they were taken was when I found out my granddaddy was having heart surgery. but now that things are going swimmingly for him, I'll share. that and 'cause Tom's going to be reading now, I think. [waves to Tom]

so, I met Tom, Paul and Michelle for dinner at the Mellow Mushroom. we had some beers and were served by a very crabby waitress. Here's Tom and Paul.

and then Michelle and Paul.

and then Tom and I went to Hi-5. I told him that if my mom called I was answering, 'cause I knew that there was some health stuff going on with my granddaddy. And we proceeded to drink a lot of beers. Prolly a few more than we should have. But that's okay. :)

So, Tom kept wanting me to say something to the bartender, but I refused. Finally, when our checks came, I was willing to write it--on the end of the tab I wrote, "my granddad is ten times the man you'll ever be."

The bartender came, got the tab and we waited for him to open and read it. And he did. And he turned and looked at us, and then laughed. And then came to talk to us. Turns out that wasn't even the funniest thing someone had written to him--apparently there's some guy who's a regular at a wine bar who always draws dirty pictures on his tab! Yikes.

Anyhow, here's Tom with his beer, and then with his own personal version of the message.



perhaps this was funnier if you were there. maybe y'all should try it and let me know how it goes. :)

did you know...

that there are little black squishy things underneath each of the keys on laptop keyboards?

that the keys won't work without them?

and

that cats like to eat 'em?

because I just learned that. Thank goodness I don't ever use that damn windows key--I totally bogarted the black squishy thing from there. Now, you might recall a long long time ago when Gobi stole and nearly demolished one of my keys--but that was on my work computer, so it was a lot less annoying. So tomorrow I get to call the dear people at Dell, and ask 'em for a black squishy thing, and hope they don't laugh.

Also, I think it's terribly cruel that right outside my office there's this completely clear view of the sunset, and I'm without a camera. I actually went to ask someone else if they had theirs so I could borrow it, that's how good this one was. But alas, no sunset picture for Carrie. I guess it will make me appreciate it more.

I enrolled in a class. I have to be *accepted,* but this is it. Here's to hoping it doesn't kick my ass. I hear I'll be okay though.

more when I am not pissy about my makeshift space bar. le sigh.

I got a chip on my shoulder and a halo on my head, I’m an angel with an attitude and my favorite color’s red.

~the ditty bops.

I am (still) completely in the mood to quote songs. Maybe I’ll stop saying who the lyrics are by and see if y’all can figure it out without google or goodsearch, and dole out prizes. OR maybe not. That could get complicated.

anyhoo.

So last night I had a very sad and pathetic dream. I was seeing all these beautiful pictures just waiting to be taken—very similar to those commercials where there’s a frame and they pull it away and reveal the image? Yeah, that. All of these skies and clouds and trees and all, and these incredible shadows, and me, without my camera. So in my dream I tried to take a mental picture, and go home and paint it, only to find that my paintings turned out terribly. Apparently my mind couldn’t remember enough detail. And then I woke up--nine minutes before my alarm was set to go off.

crappy crappy dream.

Also, I’m feeling a little torn.

On one hand, National KayDee gave me money to take classes this school year, and I feel obligated to use the money, since I got it over other people who applied.

On the other hand, I did rather crappily in my class last semester, and I feel that taking online classes is doing me a disservice—I’m not doing well, and it’s stressing me out, and its lowering my GPA.

and I don’t exactly know what to do. Which is pretty frustrating.

On a happier note, I’ve got some potentially positive news on the roommate front. Nothing definitive yet, but she came to see the room last week and liked it. So [cross your fingers for me please] I think she wants to move in, and now we’re to the paperwork stage. I would love love love to get this all figured out ASAP.

And now it’s time to return to my regularly scheduled programming. Of plating, plating, plating.

dee tee ar

so. there comes a point in any relationship where you've gotta figure stuff out. and it's called a dtr. and sometimes, if you're lucky, they go better than expected. especially when you weren't really ready for one and might not be saying what the other person wants you to. in my case, I'm not sure what he wanted me to say. I think he just wanted me to be honest, which is the best possible way that situation could go. And I was honest, and he was okay with what I had to say.

and this makes carrie happy.

also, making carrie happy?
chicken tortilla soup.
amish friendship bread.
my kittens.
talking to renee, betsy, susan and jessica today (in chronological order).
emails from jackie.
the pun of the day.
the fact that goodsearch now lets you look for images.
and that I no longer look like this. yikes.

mmmm. bedtime. I went to bed waaaaaaay too late last night. and I'm totally okay with that. :)

i'm fixin' to go to walmart...to get shotgun shells and a duck stamp.

-jessica (soon-to-be-buchanan) hargrove.

and.
my.
day.
is.
made.

:)

i can't escape it!

so, kat's blog sent us to the beauty and the geek website, and OF COURSE there's a quiz.

"you've got what it takes, that special combination of nerdyness and dorkishness that makes one a geek. Although a lifetime of jocks might make you think otherwise, it's time to take pride in your geekdom. Without geeks like you, there wouldn't even be a web, let alone a website for Beauty and the Geek."

ummm...
so when I saw the preview for this show, I was wondering if I'd get to be a beauty or a geek. I guess now I know. all I need to do is hone some of my geekier skills, like c++ and thermodynamics and p-chem, and let the games begin?!? yikes.

and what's up with me taking two am-I-a-nerd quizzes in the same week, huh? I mean, not like I didn't already know the answer. And you already knew too...

and I just found these funny funny tshirts. there are some nerdy, some political and some that I couldn't possibly wear in public even though I find them hilarious! but this one made me giggle.


as corrie pointed out, I should probably explain that my only dislike of texas comes from the old old dispute over the red river. and as an oklahoma, it's texaS that I don't like, not texaNs. ;)

clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-woo!

~the shins.

oh, I miss the snow. I hear it's snowing in lake tahoe, and this gilmore girls episode is all about snow, and yeah. there's no snow here in north carolina. I mean, the high saturday is 71. In January!!!

also, I think I may have pickled my liver. I did the math about how many evenings I have/haven't had alcohol and, uh, I'm soooo not giving you that percentage. But I will tell you it's higher than my nerdity test results. and thus, I've been on an alcohol sabbatical. good stuff.

and I should not be allowed to give away my electronics. because I BROKE MY CAMERA. on new years eve. it dropped a whole two feet, and it hit perfectly, and by perfectly I mean in the exact spot such that my zoom is either (think grover here) neeeeeaaaaaaarrrrr or faaaaaarrrrr. which BLOWS. I'm hoping it's under warranty despite the actual dropping. (or more precisely I hope that they don't know it was dropped!)

and what lesson have I learned?

you'd think it would be "don't drop your camera." but no, no it's not that.

it is as follows:
I'm not allowed to sell/give away electronic equipment. loaning is fine. but giving away? or selling? permanently getting rid of? I should have learned my lesson. Yikes. I just gave my mom my old camera. And now? I'm going to be without a camera for at least fifteen days. which stinks.

I told my granny, and she was all, "well, then you won't have a camera. what will you do if it's not fixed?" I said, "I can't be without a camera. I mean, I could live without a lot of things in life, but a CAMERA?!?! no way!" I can handle not buying brand name cereal, or alcohol, or heels or whatever, but I CAN'T handle not having a camera.

also?
three cheers to jackie. and that's all I have to say.

the nerdity test.

okay, there's SERIOUSLY a test for how nerdy you are. based on the purity test, I might add.

check it.

and maybe, if you're lucky, I'll tell you my score.

you pass through places and places pass through you but you carry 'em with you on the souls of your travellin' shoes

-the be good tanyas

and I think that's how it is with me and tulsa. I pass through it, and it passes through me. Is it weird to think that there's Oklahoma *in* me? Like it's a part of who I am in a very very literal sense. and man, oh man, I miss it. and I kinda don't want to type out all about my trip because it makes me a little sad to think how it's all over.

I was going to give y'all a wonderful play-by-play, but instead, I think I'll just share with you the fun pictures. Because that's what I'll remember the most anyway.

the cup game at zio's. if you don't know what that is, check this out. our rhythm is ever-so-slightly different, but that's the basic idea. our server even played this with us! and the manager took the pictures!

and here renee, jess and I are adorable as ever. :) someone actually said, upon seeing this picture, "whoa. you'd be an intimidating group to approach at a bar--you're all so cute!"


and here's a bunch of peeps from the night at the brook. very fun. you should have been there!!!

*slideshow coming soon!*

christmas eve was pretty dang cool too. here's anna and my shoes--it's funny how different they were!

and here's the coolest of the cool--brooke and jackie. the one below has shannon in it too. I had SO MUCH fun, brooke's house is super freaking cute and jackie, well, jackie rocks my socks off. and makes me giggle. it was really heart warming/humbling/wonderful to see my photography on the walls of an artist as fantastic as brooke, too. very good, very good indeed.

my family also took a lot of really silly pictures. I'm not even going to explain most of them. actually, I'm going to add a slideshow here instead. because I can. except it's not working, so I'll try tomorrow.

*again, slideshow in progress*

on christmas day I took a lot of cool (in my opinion) tulsa pics--check 'em on my photography for sale blog. and then we took some at dinner.

my fave meal.

sterling and me at the *cool* quicktrip. please 'scuse my nose and my lip. I got into a fight with the trunk part of the hatchback and then sterling somehow cut my lip (with a fingernail?) when we were playing with harvo's nintendo wii. I looked like I got into a fight. the nose injury is STILL there.

sterling and me preparing for our shared room as old people. these are our old people in rocking chairs faces :)

here's mr monkey, which TOTALLY made my granddaddy light up. I saw him in the nursing home three times, and it was so so so good to see him. I miss him so much, and I'm glad I could cheer him up.


and on tuesday morning, a few hours before my flight, I got to see randi and her little girl stellabelle elaine and meet her hubby. all the stella pix are on sterling's camera, and he's not a good sharer, soooo....those will have to wait.

and I got to have mazzios, get java daves to bring home, get TWO rocking TU shirts, see all sorts of tulsa things and people and take in the oklahoma sky. I love it, people, I love it.

afresh.

I love it that it rained on new years day, because it cleaned off the surface, washing away the troubles of days of yore.

and I love it that I saw a rainbow. (oh, how I love rainbows! love, love, love!)



and I love it that I had black eyed peas, cornbread and collards TWICE, which I'm hoping will guarantee me a doubly good new year. :D

some resolutions:
1. learn how to play the guitar
2. keep my space cleaner (I'm already doing this better!)
3. blog often--or rather continue to do so. I'm hoping for six of every seven days.
4. sell my photography in real life (like, at a show, not just off my website)
5. get my tattoo redone (part of it has faded)
6. be true to my heart
7. travel more

so, some new years pics...

susan and me in hats

singing karaoke

it's awesome when a HUGE group of girls can sing girls just wanna have fun

susan and I finished off this bottle of gin in a mere two hours. oopsie.

gin and tonic and heels, oh my!

i had soooooo much trouble lighting this cigar. it was quite windy. i usually prefer matches for lighting cigars, but I used EIGHT before I gave up. did I mention I'm stubborn sometimes?
me and the hostess with the mostess. she was my midnight kiss. ;)

cigar fun with colleen and renee. I brought lots of 'em on purpose. I'm still sharing my te amos from SJG. A box o' cigars lasts a long time.

a cigar toast. to being single! but my goodness there was a lot of man hating going on at this party--yeesh! I could only join in a little--some of y'all are really nice!

this seemed like a good idea at the time. as did forming our own band. hmm.

and this is one of my faves. I TOTALLY didn't want to hang with Betsy. And she totally didn't want to hang with me, either. ha!

right, anyhoo, that's the new years update. Tulsa update coming soon! hope y'all had a fantab new one! I went to FOUR new years thing (an eve-eve party with kevin on saturday, the usual shindig on sunday, to olivia's for a post nye and my first helping of b-e-p, c and c, and then to mary alise's for dinner with her and michael. I stayed up until four am for three nights in a row. and I'm a tired girl, lemme tell you! yikes).

okiedoke dot com

hey, check this out! it's MY NAME! for my photos of tulsa, some of which were suggested to me by brooke and jackie and shannon.

happy new year to carrie, eh?

gonna have to email this mike guy and tell him thanks for putting my name on there! how super cool!!!

boy magnet.

my friend susan and I think we should write a show. or something. because all those weird things that happen in relationships on TV shows that you think *there's NO WAY that could happen in real life!*...well, they're happening to us. what the eff? and yikes.

if you want the skinny, I'll give it to you, but I'm not posting it on here 'cause I dunno who reads this, really. but trust me, this isn't something that normally happens. of course, this is coming from the same girl who guys just randomly decide to kiss. this has happened to me more than once. what gives?

but sigh.

in just an hour or so my potential roomie is supposed to drop by to see the apt. I hope she likes it. I'd sure like to have Otto not here...I'm sure you understand.

mmmmm back to cleaning. OK update soon I swear!

soon, soon.

I'll start the tulsa update. I've got so many pictures to share!

but first, check this out.



Create your own friendquiz here


I made a silly quiz. Everybody else is doing it. So take it and then make your own!

Oh and for you ladies out there. If you need/want fancy shampoo and conditioner that's supercheap, go to Trade Secret. They have these box sets of Matrix and Biolage products that are half off--meaning you get a regular sized bottle of each for $9 and change. This is almost as cheap as buying suave! :D

i am the luckiest.

because I have all of these wonderful, WONDERFUL people in my life. thank you for being a part of it, each and every single one of you. *hugs and kisses*

also, I am not being very productive today, and I haven't begun to regale you with my tulsa tales. all in good time, my dear, all in good time.

for now, feast your eyes on these beauties from tulsa--or at least I think they're beauties. I think this one is my favorite. and special thanks goes to brooke, jackie and shannon for suggesting that I take pics of bells!


love love love. and time for some sushi.

merry christmas!

so, a short short preview of the trip thus far: our twelve days of christmas lyrics this year.


twelve turkish towels
eleven random gifts from aunt gayla
ten bowls of chili
a new female kitten
an infinity sign sideways
final fantasy seven
six pieces of chicken
five hoegaarden beers
a noogie from adam
a salt shaker on mountain dew
two turtle doves
and a beer in a tree.

I'm just saying. Expect a plethora of pictures. PLETHORA.

and so far, kudos to: sterling, ocd, sydney c, my wittle, tom, jessica, renee, cody, mike, ellen, chrissy, tim oneal, chris, christal, am (or em?), jackie, brooke and shannon for making my tulsa trip more fun!

yet to come: tales of hair, dresses, a yarn about yarn, theories about people who wait in line for bars at 145am, playing the cup game in a restaurant, a tale about girls who talk in bathrooms, lunches, my granddaddy, high heels, funny pictures, a very cute house owned by b&p, fun with jackie, shannon and brooke, how I should maybe be a patent lawyer/national geographic photographer, the disadvantages of having this and this (there are hand motions involved), beautiful art, funny family things (like my popsicle sticks I got as a late birthday present), how kids say the darnedest things et al.

just. you. wait.

happy holla-days and all, everyone! hope you and yours have a great time celebrating--I'm sure yule all enjoy it! :D

zero. aka dude.

I soooooooooo wish my flight were, oh, not at 735am. I mean, um, I'm super glad to be going to Tulsa, but seriously? Uh, yeah. Not so early. ugh.

It prolly wouldn't be so miserable if Mary Alise and I hadn't decided to have two and change bottles of wine this evening. Maybe my superpower really is drinking.

Also? theres not a *zero* thing for the twelve days of christmas countdown. i'm just sayin'.

this time tomorrow, which is 1130ish, pm, Tulsa time, I do hope I'm drinking with the coolest people in the city--meaning you better be there! my cell number is first 919, then the number of degrees in a circle (if you don't know google "how many degrees in a circle"), then 7+7=? then nine then zero. I, like Jackie, am e-stalker paranoid, just a tad. So, um, call, should you not have gotten the evite d'jour.

loves, my lovelies. and, um hooray!

i don't look back much as a rule.

-the shins.

Today is a Shins day. Every time I listen to their music I am happier. I heart the Shins. They're good stuff. Go watch Garden State and then listen to Chutes too Narrow. It's good for your soul, I swear. And New Slang? That song will change your life.

so.

I was just thinking about the last Christmas I spent in Tulsa-in 2005. I had a really good time, and I was there for a week, and I saw my friends and I met a guy who turned out to fall for me waaaay too hard, waaaay too fast, and I hung with my family and took pictures and saw lots of used-to-be-cool-in-high-school people. It was good. GOOD.

but this time is gonna be different.

and I'll tell you why.
Because if I'm seeing you or calling you or hanging out with you or drinking with you this weekend I WANT to see you. I LIKE you. And I'm (hopefully) going to see a lot of damn cool people--Sterling, Jessica, Cody, Renee, Mike, Sydney C and her Tom, my OCD, Randi, Brooke, Jackie, Melissa, Chris, the other Chris, Tim, Ellen, Andrea, Brian, Chrissy, my Wittle, maybe my Grandlittle and who knows who else I might be leaving off here but the point is--I'm going to have an AWESOME time. I've got it all planned out. And I'm pumped.

things I really hope to do (in no particular order):
~haircut
~eat zio's, mazzios and if I can swing it big al's
~have me some blue bell ice-to-the-cream
~go out on brookside with my friendy-friend-friends
~see my fam
~try on bridesmaids dresses
~see my granddaddy
~go to hob lob.
~see christmas lights, perhaps rhema?
~take lots of tulsa pictures, such as the driller and ones on TU's campus and one of that cool three-faced clock thing that was donated by a/the chi omega(s)
~take pictures of the impala
~get my oklahoma sky fix
~have someone sing "here's to sister Carrie" so then I can drink mf-er, drink mf-er, drink mf-er, drink!
~sing the twelve days of christmas with my fam
~play the piano.
~party like a rockstar.

etc.

aaah! so excited! yikes, must think about packing...

I don't look back much as a rule
And all this way before murder was cool
But your memory is here and I'd like it to stay
Warm light on a winter day.

~pink bullets, by the shins

one.

one ring to rule them all.
one day left until I go to tulsa way-the-hell early in the morning.
one for the little bitty uh, uh, uh, uh baby! who was born, born, born in bethlehem!

one finger for a thumbs up, and for giving the bird, and to indicate that you're dainty while drinking a beverage. and to point. except then there's four fingers pointing back at you. :D

my turtleneck was worn and I'm wearing another today. and should you be rocking out with us tomorrow night (email me if you don't know the deets) there's a reasonable chance you'll see me in a turtleneck. I'm lovin' me some turtlenecks.

last night, for dinner I had polenta, leeks and fennel. (and no he isn't a vegetarian. I wanted to say no he isn't a veggie but I figured someone would say, what is he? broccoli? a carrot? hey, in the book zero there's this proof that says that winston churchill is a carrot, isn't that funny?--okay, so I'm the only one reading this that knows things like that but ANYWAY....) three things that were wholly new to me. and know what? I liked 'em! a little weird, but certainly yummy. pretty much anything is yummy if there's garlic on it. well, except pie. which we also ate--my great grandmother's recipe, the one that Jackie made for her work!

today I've already done two REALLY dumb and clumsy things. I should not have come to work. I came home TOO LATE!

1. Just a little while ago I tried to tighten the tie strap we're using on our nitrogen line because above ~15 psi it starts to hiss/leak. It's our quick-fix method until our shop guy can find something better. Anyhoo, the strap broke, and the due to the force with which I was pulling I hit myself in the face with the pliers I was using. I now have a nice little red spot on one side of my mouth/cheek that I'm hoping will go away soon. I don't think it was hard enough to bruise. I hope.
2. Also, shortly before the pliers incident, I managed to open a door into my foot. It was like stubbing my toe without moving, and with a pointy edge. very pleasant, very pleasant indeed. It makes me think of when I was on crutches my freshman year because I got a little too fresh with the door to Laura Craft's suite. Bad news bears.

alright. go time on finishing plating and permeating, then going home to do laundry and pack, then having girl time with Mary Alise and then--THEN---YAY TULSA! Hope I get to see everyone!

and a partridge in a pear tree.