I have a question for the writers of LOST.

Um....WHAT?!?

Is that a woolly mammoth on your forehead?

That's what a coworker asked me today. Just kidding, but that's what my eyebrows have reminded me of lately.

I am not a newcomer to eyebrow waxing, but the pleasure of a well-shaped, clean brow is something I can no longer keep silent. Some people don't care about their brows, and that's fine. Eyebrow grooming is up to the individual, and it doesn't really matter so long as one avoids the dreaded unibrow (especially girls).

Anyway, each time I get my eyebrows waxed -- which by the way is well worth the $10 or so a month I pay -- I feel like a new person. It truly changes a person's face. However, most men don't realize this fact. Jerry Seinfeld even does comedy bit in which he calls girls silly because they care about their eyebrow appearance.

Well, I beg to differ, Jerry! For this reason, I am posting before and after pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Before. Notice the lack of definition along with stray hairs.

Another before shot. Different angle.

Immediately after. Notice the cleaner lines and redefined arch.

Also note the redness -- still totally worth it!

A day later, after the redness went away.

I'm sure there are more extreme cases, but even on me it makes a difference, people!

Go ahead, indulge yourself if you haven't already. You'll be glad you did...at least after a day or so.

Finally!

Sonic finally got a value menu. I got a Jr. Deluxe Burger and a small diet Dr. Pepper for lunch. Only $2.19, and I'm full!

Other items featured on the $1 Everyday Value Menu are:

Jr. Fritos Chili Cheese Wrap

Jr. Butterfinger Sundae

Jr. Breakfast Burrito

Chicken Strip Sandwich

Jr. Oreo Sundae

Jr. M&M Sundae

Jr. Reese's Sundae

Value Fries

Value Size Tots

Sonic reminds me of summers in West Point. I went there a lot after spending the day at the pool. Ah, those were the days...

For your information

When I married Kurt, my vocabulary expanded. Kurt knows a lot of sophisticated words (which he uses to beat me at Scrabble), but the following words do not fall into that category.

Ever heard of a "dither"? How about a "tiz"? I know you've heard the word "stew," but perhaps you haven't heard this definition.

Each time I hear those words, Kurt is using them in reference to his mom...and it is always when she is upset about something. "Mom's in a dither about what outfit to wear." "Mom's in a stew over getting dinner fixed by 7:00 for the Baxters to come over." "Mom's in a tiz. She tried to order some books off of Amazon.com, but she ended up ordering triple the amount she needed."

You get the idea. I have often wondered if the words are interchangeable. They are not. Allow me to define them.

Dither: This is the calmest stage of being upset. It's a state of agitation, but also being able to keep your cool. If you are "in a dither," you're just annoyed. You'd rather not have to deal with the nuisance, but you can handle it. Think short-term annoyance.

Stew: This is mid-worry -- a step up from a dither on the "bothered" ladder. If you get "in a stew" about something, you're dealing with a perpetual or long-term annoyance. It lasts more than an hour.

Tiz: Being "in a tiz" is the worst. This is the top of the upset scale -- worry to the point of paralysis. It is possible to be "in a tiz" for days at a time. (Not to be confused with being "in a funk,"the more laid back version of being upset for a long period of time.) A tiz combines annoyance, worry, and likely other issues that are particular to your problem.

Kurt says my constant and natural state is in a stew. When I am asleep, he says I only calm down enough to be in a dither. So, it doesn't take me long to get in a tiz when I get really upset. Make sense?

What gets you in a dither, stew, or tiz?

Tupelo Sightings

Guess who got yard of the month? Not me, silly. But I'm flattered you thought so.

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. That's right; it's Burger King. Burger King got yard of the month??!! I mean, look at it...


That is a stump. Maybe we Tupelonians need to spruce up our yards. Anyway, congratulations, Burger King, on an undeserved victory.

Also, I saw this sign in a church parking lot.



It says, "Reserved Parking. One adult with 2 or more children under 7."

I'm a little confused. I'm going to need you to be more specific. Can I park here? Oh, I can't? Oh, because this only applies to, like, four people? Oh, right. Gotcha.

Real Grammarian Heroes

Yes, I plan to memorize this song.

Winter 2008 Snapshots

The following is a pictorial summary of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years...


Kurt's participation in No-Shave November. So glad that's over.



Thanksgiving 2008 and Brad's (brother-in-law) 29th birthday



Brad, my sister Leslie, and Kurt at Thanksgiving at my Aunt's house in Starkville


Kurt pretending to eat the plate full of dessert options


Leslie, Aunt Emily, and me at Thanksgiving



My friend Candise and coworker and friend Rebecca at our staff Christmas party



One of the best pics Kurt and I have gotten in a while - same party


Annual Baxter-Cooper-Middleton Christmas breakfast, which I hosted this year!



Tacky sweater youth Christmas party, which I also hosted. We're party animals! (Yes, Kurt is wearing his mom's sweater.)


Our wonderful youth group


The "Silly Santa" pants Luke won and immediately put on


Kurt and D'andre-locks



Christmas Day lunch at the Middletons - Barb and Marty



The Middletons



The Coopers



Best family picture - Christmas Eve in West Point



Christmas morning picture - Marty, Grandmom, Granddad, Leslie



The only picture I got on New Years - Me holding Mary Blake (with Dog Dog), Sarah, Emory and Graci


If it isn't obvious by this point, I live quite a charmed life. I have the dearest friends, most loving family, and I attend and serve the best church I've ever set foot in. God is good, my friends.

Breaking news!

I got a hair cut! Ok, I'm sure you're not as excited as I am, but this was a much-needed hair cut.

Until this week, I hadn't gotten a hair cut for four months. FOUR MONTHS!

This hair cut is, hands down, the BEST hair cut I've ever gotten. Why, you ask?

1. I went to Janie at Hair It Is (formerly Hair Play). Despite the corny name, Janie is awesome. She cuts my friend Sarah's hair, too.

2. She only charged me $15 (dry cut). Inconceivable!! I gave her $20, of course. I would've paid much more money, considering this is the best hair cut I've ever gotten. Have I mentioned that?

3. I was brave. I went into it wanting change. Kurt likes long hair on me, and I happen to agree with him at this point in my life. However, whatever I had going on previously was BORING. It was basically all one length, flat on my head, and got greasy fast because it was so heavy! I don't think it looked bad previously, but it was just limp and well, boring...

Ok, ok. Calm down. Here it is! Even if it doesn't look all that different in these pictures, it feels different. It feels glorious!

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