$1 Meal at Boston Market - THIS WEEK ONLY!

October 26th has been declared UNFry Day by KFC. Boston Market would like to celebrate with you on this day and every day because at Boston Market, every day is Unfried. In honor of this occasion, Boston Market has a delicious deal - a $1 Real Chicken Meal Deal. Real Chicken, Real Goodness, Really Just a Dollar.

Present the coupon below and enjoy their special offer featuring your choice of a quarter white or 3-piece dark chicken, mashed potatoes and cornbread. Hurry! This great value is available for one week only. (Monday, October 26 - November 1, 2009).

SkyMall Magazine - That's How I Spend My Time on an Airplane.

I really enjoyed my time in Ohio and found a couple of things out about myself. 1. I like talking to large groups of people if I know what I'm talking about. If you know me, you've probably seen my face turn from sunkissed tan to beet red at the drop of a hat. This doesn't just happen when I'm extremely embarrassed, it also happens when 3 or more people are looking at me at the same time waiting for an answer that I don't have, or whenever my face feels like turning colors. People will say, wow you got sunburned this weekend, what did you do? My response? Nope, if you recall, it was raining this weekend. My face just gets this way sometimes. Naturally, I was kind of nervous that my face would do its thing when I was presenting, but it didn't. I felt really comfortable in front of everyone and confident in the material that I was presenting. Best of all, I had a lot of fun! I think it's because I really enjoy helping people and making things easier to understand, and I felt like I was able to do that. I told my mom that I could get used to this traveling and presenting thing. Someone even asked if I just traveled around presenting to our offices. I informed them that this was actually my first time to do something like this. They said, "Wow! You're really good!" I was excited to hear that. 2. Being alone isn't so bad. I've always been the type of person who likes to do everything with someone else. From going on a walk to grocery shopping, I've always said life is more fun when you share it with someone else. I still think that statement is true, but have found that life can still be fun when I'm alone. I have more time to think about things, I get to sing louder in the car, and I can people watch with 100% focus.

Since I didn't have anyone to talk to on my plane ride from Cincinnati to Dallas, (the lady next to me was asleep and snoring loudly) I decided to browse through the SkyMall magazine placed in the seatback in front of me. One of the first articles I came across caught my attention. It was an article about G-Defy shoes.

Do you see anything wrong in the picture below?

Feel like your defying gravity? Is defying gravity the name of an item that you own? No. The sentence should say "feel like you're defying gravity!" One of my biggest pet peeves is when people do not know when to use to, too, two, their, there, your or you're. I thought to myself, "If these people are going to boldly use 'your' in the wrong context, surely there are some other things about this article that will amuse me." I decided to continue observing...

I would like to know who designed this logo. I'd also like to know the group of people who approved it. This logo looks like sperm. I don't know about you, but I would not sport a shoe with sperm imprinted on the side.

Here, the article talks about the technology of the "Gravity Defyer Shoes." Please notice that the "s" is capitalized.

Later on in the article, they talk about the pain relief associated with the "G-Defy shoes." Notice that the "s" is not capitalized. Make up your mind. Is "shoes" part of the name that you copyrighted or not?

Who knew there were so many benefits associated with the "G-Defy" shoes? Not me. Have you ever thought, "Gosh. I'd really like to look like a million dollars. What can I do... what can I do...?" Apparently, you just need to put on a pair of shoes with a sperm logo. Ever wondered what you could do to appear taller? The answer is G-Defy. This shoe relieves ALL pains? No way. Goodbye Aleve, Tylenol and Bayer. All I need is the G-Defy. This shoe is getting better and better by the second.

Not only are you able to fly over the moonlit skyline in your business suit with your briefcase in hand, but the G-Defy shoe has streaks of flames blazing from the sole! I can guarantee that the G-Defy shoes will not be the only thing flaming if you put these on your feet.

Great news for the overweight? I don't know, you tell me. Why in the world is this a question?

I thought it was comical that they said, "Feel the drive, the inspiration, the energy rush as soon as you slip your feet into the cockpit of the most exhilirating shoes in the world! Go from the weekend warrior to the daily champion at your gym and on the street." That's a bold and exciting statement. The G-Defy article was so great, that I had to continue to browse through the SkyMall magazine. The suspense I felt when turning the page was too great...

"Listen closely and look me in the eye. Keep misbehaving and we'll send you to this little island right here. Do you understand?"

Who wouldn't want to turn off the lights in their bathroom and have a party in the shower? With the option of having three interchanging colors for $49.99, or seven colors for $59.99, I say go big or go home. I'll go with seven colors, please.

This is a litter box for your cat. Please note that there is a special bay window that provides additional space and light. What cat in its right mind would sit in its poop to peer out a bay window at the object that could easily be seen up close and personal if the cat just stepped out of the the litter box?

I understand the santa, snowflake, snowman and dove, but a carousel? This may just be me, but if I was drawing the things that came to mind when I thought of Christmas, I would not draw a carousel.

I hate to break it to you, buddy, but this is not flattering. You do not look sexy and even though you are supporting your pondering mind with your fist, you definitely do not look sophisticated.

Makers of G-Defy, you have outdone yourselves. This article is for another shoe that puts a spring in your step while giving you more energy, but is geared towards the businessmen of the world. This part of the article says, "Wearing Gravity Defyer Shoes (capital "s") you'll look like a distinguished gentlman from the cover story of a quality men's magazine while being propelled into a more active lifestyle filled with luxury and comfort." Hmm... You'll see below this statement, two of the eight shoes they are offering to those who want to look like a "distinguished gentleman from the cover story of a quality men's magazine." No where in this article does it mention that these shoes are for women. So why in the world are you selling the flashy Single Spring Turbo shoe, below?

If I ever saw a man wearing the Single Spring Turbo, "distinguished" would be last word to come to my mind.

Agreed. Personal safety does start with taser. This item has been added to my Christmas list.

This gorilla is too great to leave in the garden. He deserves to be an indoor statue and I know exactly where I would put him if someone so graciously gifted me with him. If I had a guest bathroom, I would put him right in front of the toilet. It would be great. Guests would walk in and be amazed. Please remember this post should I move into a house and invite you to my house warming party. Thank you.

Once a cheater always a cheater. This article is for those who would like to advance their career without doing any of the work. Basically, you receive a Cliffnotes version of the book your boss asked you to read. 360 Leader? Check. Good to Great? Check. With the "personal reader," you will surpass great and go from good to freaking awesome to president of the company! The article says that the "personal reader" is similar to a personal trainer. Except for the fact that your personal trainer doesn't work out for you and you still have to do all of the work. The "personal reader" is more like the smart kid you paid $100 to write your Government mid-year essay your senior year of college.

Something is wrong with this picture. Where is the guy that brought this woman a rose and placed rose petals on the floor that led all the way to the Comfort-U Pillow that she is sleeping on? Men: Do not buy this pillow for your girlfriend or wife in hopes of having a romantic night with her. Apparently, the Comfort-U Pillow will destroy your plans and put her right to sleep.

Can't play the guitar, but still want to impress the ladies? No worries! With the E-Z Chord Kit, you can play the guitar with the push of a button! WARNING TO ALL MEN: If you have to resort to buying the E-Z Chord Kit, please spare yourself the embarrassment and find another hobby. I promise you, you will not be cool if you have the E-Z Chord Kit for your guitar.

LOST BALLS: Great Holes, Tough Shots, and Bad Lies captures the funniest, most unexpected images that golfers will love. In my opinion, this sounds like it could be the title of another book.

For those of you who feel insecure when sleeping, the DreamSack is for you! With the DreamSack, you can "sleep with confidence and comfort anywhere in the world!"

I thought it was humorous that the makers of this item would differentiate it from other blankets or Snuggies by calling it a cape. I don't know about you, but I would much rather have a cape than a boring blanket.

Finally, I can wrap a husky around my neck without having to worry about it biting me.

The ShapeUp Pads was the only item in the SkyMall magazine that appealed to me. I guarantee you that this will be item #1 on my Christmas list this year. No joke.

"Have you ever wanted to make or receive a phone call underwater?" Are you freaking kidding me? If you have the desire to talk on the phone while scuba diving, you need to seek help and get a life.

And that, my friends, is what happens when I have 2 1/2 hours by myself, on a plane, with no one to talk to and no music to listen to.

Is This What Fall Looks Like?

When I got to Columbus yesterday, it was already kind of dark so I wasn't really able to see the city at its finest. As I was driving to the local office this morning, I had a revelation. The streets and highways are lined with trees, something that you don't see in Dallas. The trees were colorful. All sorts of colors - red, yellow, orange, red-orange, yellow-orange, red-yellow. A light bulb went off in my mind. THIS IS WHERE THE COLORS OF FALL COME FROM! I mean, I knew the colors of fall were red, yellow, orange, red-orange, yellow-orange, and red-yellow, but I never really knew why. How did I not know that? Because I've lived in Texas my entire life. So you've never visited the states that actually have 4 seasons? Not during fall, no. For a second I got kind of upset that I had been deprived of the beauty that is fall for all of these years, but then I came to my senses and realized that it wasn't my parents' fault. They were raised in Texas too. I think my experience today may be like someone's experience with something like TiVo. Hear me out. You don't realize what you're missing until you experience it. I always hear people say that they wouldn't be able to live without their TiVo. Am I saying that I can't live without fall anymore? Well no, but I am saying that it may not be so bad to live somewhere other than Texas for a little while. Ultimately, I would have to come back to Texas, because of the states that I have been to, it doesn't get any better than Texas.

My presentation went really well this morning. I prayed that the Lord would calm my nerves and help me to speak intelligently. He did just that and it was awesome! I drove to Cincinnati today for the other presentation I have tomorrow morning. I asked one of the guys at work where I should eat. He said, "When you come to Cincinnati, you have to go to Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse, downtown. They have the best ribs." When I got to Cincinnati, I had actually already forgotten where he said I should eat. I was reminded when I talked to my co-worker (and friend), Angela. I asked her if she knew where I should eat and I think she might have peed in her pants a little bit when she shouted, "OMG! You have to go to Montgomery Inn! They have the best ribs!" What really enticed me was that she said had she thought about Montogmery Inn when she was booking her travel, she would have volunteered to present in Ohio. The branches in Ohio aren't even the people she supports everyday, so that would be a big deal. I didn't get too excited because most of the time I hear people talking things up, I always end up being disappointed. Was the story of my life going to re-play itself tonight? I wasn't sure, but I was willing to see. I had just gotten out of the shower, so I had wet hair and no make-up on. I wasn't really looking the part to go out to eat, so I called ahead and ordered some ribs to go. I decided to end my long day with a Bud Light from the convenient store. It was the perfect pairing to the best ribs I've ever tasted! Let's pretend like we're reading an issue of Highlights at the dentist's office. Can you find the differences in these two pictures? Good luck!

Oh, Airports...

I left the Big D today and ventured up to Columbus, OH. Don't get too excited, it's just for business. I'll be presenting to two of our offices in Ohio, reviewing our 2010 benefit changes. I'm excited for a couple of reasons. 1. In my opinion, this is a big girl deal. I don't have a travel buddy and I have to eat dinner by myself. Way out of my comfort zone, but something new and I'm all for it. 2. I think it will be fun to finally be able to put faces with names and voices.

Little did I know that I was going to have one of the best days of people watching I've experienced in a while. I got to the DFW Airport and was waiting to go through security. I noticed that there are two kinds of people who work security at the airport. Kind #1: Hate their job and start counting down the time remaining in their shift the minute they arrive to work. Kind #2: Take their job way too seriously and are on a power trip. I wish I had some videos to show you, but unfortunately I'm only able to replay them in my mind. I couldn't stop smiling as I was watching everything unfold before my eyes - it was that good. I understand that they have to say the same things over and over again all day long like, "Take all liquids out of your bag or else we will be forced to do a bag check!" (power trippers), and "I need to see your boarding pass and ID ma'am/sir" (haters), but it was just comical. P.S. Since when do you have to take lip gloss out of your purse to avoid a bag check?

I got to Columbus and settled into my hotel. It looked a lot nicer on the internet, but I guess that's how it normally goes. My co-worker, Eric, told me that I had to visit a restaurant near the Ohio State campus, called Lemongrass Fusion Bistro. I've never eaten by myself in public before. Is that weird? I would rather just get something to go and bring it back to the apartment than to sit at a restaurant looking like a loner. I decided to face my fears. Eric also informed me that it's not so bad if you sit and eat at the bar. To be honest, it really wasn't as bad as I had imagined. I ordered the Spicy Shrimp Tempura and Cucumber Roll and it was delicious! To semi-make up for not shooting video of the security drama today, I took a picture of my dinner.



Isn't it pretty? I drove back to the hotel and was trying to find a parking spot while talking to Bonnie. All of a sudden, a man appeared on top of the dumpster. Is that a homeless person? What's going on? Oh phew. Not a homeless person, just a shady looking guy jumping over the 10 foot brick wall and walking towards me. Ummm U-turn. I drove out of the parking lot and continued to talk to Bonnie. I guess this part of town gets shady after 10:00 pm. No need to worry - I'm safe and sound in my room and about to go to bed. As long as my car is still there in the morning, I'll be good to go.

Mamaw and Peepaw Come to Town!

Last weekend, my parents came in town to watch Katelyn while Kristen and Dave had a night to themselves in Dallas. Don't think that my sister and her husband are spoiled and can call Mamaw and Peepaw whenever they feel like getting away. This is not the case. They originally planned to go away to China for one week for a conference, and my parents were going to watch Katelyn for 3 days and Dave's mom was going to watch her for the other 4 days. The conference was canceled, but they still wanted to spend time with Katelyn, and Kristen and Dave were not about to turn down a night alone. I knew that the maximum fun level would not be reached if I didn't spend time with Mamaw, Peepaw and Katelyn on Saturday. For their benefit (okay, mainly for mine) I joined them for a day at the park and McDonalds. I've recently gotten back on a Chai Tea Latte kick. I made one Saturday morning to jump start my day and brought it over. Katelyn asked for a "sip pease Bitty." Hmmm... "Sure, you can have a sip, Katelyn." She loved it! "Sip pease! Sip pease!" Okay, you can have another sip when we get to the park. You need to be patient. "Have patience, have patience..." "Yes, that's right Katelyn, have patience." She was all over that drink when we got to the park. I told her the name of the drink and Peepaw put some in her own cup when we got back to the house. The next morning, Kristen and Dave were back and mom and dad were still there, so I joined them for breakfast. My dad called to remind me to bring some bananas to go with our chocolate chip pancakes. "And bring some of that thai chi latte (he can't ever get it right). Katelyn's been asking for it all morning. I went to get her out of bed this morning and the first words out of her mouth were thai chi latte!" Oh no... what have I done?

I mentioned that we went to McDonalds. Katelyn calls it "adonalds" and yells it out everytime she sees those double arches. We sat in the play area so Katelyn could do her thing. If you've been to McDonald's or anywhere with an indoor playground, you've probably seen a door in the play area that says "EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY. ALARM WILL SOUND" on it. My dad is not very patient efficient with his time. My mom, on the other hand, is not. She likes to take her time. My dad doesn't like to wait on my mom, or anyone really. He would rather be sitting in the car, staring at his watch, counting how long it takes you to meet him in the car, so he can inform you of how slow you are when you finally get there. Sometimes this mind set does not play in his favor. Case in point. We were getting ready to leave McDonalds, but had to get Katelyn's shoes on her feet, pick up her toy, and her bag, you know, all of the things that come along with a child. Dad didn't have time for this. He wanted to get to the car and away from the screaming children as fast as he could. He proceeded to walk out the first door he saw. Mistake. Big mistake. He quickly jumped back and started walking towards the main entrance/exit. This was too good to not document.