Worth the extra money

There are a lot of items I will opt for the store brand item- bread, cheese, condiments, Excedrin (I found out the maker of Excedrin make most store brands).  But I have learned the hard way there are 2 things I won't go store brand route.  Trash bags and dishwasher detergent.   

Trash bags are easy to figure out- they are thinner and the ties always seem to break on me when I'm either carrying it or even tying it.  When you have to bring a trash bag 8 floors down, then a good 25 years behind the building-you don't want your bag breaking.  It took that happening once for me to learn. 

Dishwasher detergent took me longer to figure out, and yet I still fall in the trap of buying cheap.  I've used the Kroger, Publix and a Trader Joe's brand and all have left dried food on all the dishes.  I thought it was just that the JetDry was out-but when I went to refill that, it was almost completely full.  Then I decided that I would just rinse the dishes really well before they go in the dishwasher-maybe the actual dishwasher was getting old and worn.  When there was still stuff on the dishes, that's when I finally realized that it must be the soap I'm using.  I called my Mom and she confirmed that it was most certainly the cheapness of the detergent.

Are there any items that you refuse to go the cheapo route?   

The Help

While in Seattle at the beginning of the month, I picked up The Help.  I had been asking people about it, since the movie was coming out, and decided that a 5 hour flight back to Atlanta would be the best time to start.  I enjoyed the book-even laughed out loud at some points (like when Mae Mobley uses the bathroom on Hilly's front lawn).

Then last weekend the Auburn girls and I went to see the movie.  In case anyone hasn't seen it yet, I won't give anything away, but I wasn't 100% in love with it.  My biggest qualm, they didn't develop a lot of the characters and changed quite a few things.

So, if you're thinking about seeing the movie- I highly suggest you read the book first or at least at some point.  That's been the case a lot lately with books I really enjoy and then they are made into a movie (PS I Love You book is fabulous, the movie is absolutely terrible).  I really want to see Something Borrowed, but I loved those books so much I'm just a tad nervous to see all the changes they made.

Have you guys read any good books lately?  Any books you really loved and ended up hating the movie, or vice versa?

East Coast, West Coast and back again

I feel like I'm becoming quite the traveler these days.  Typically for my job I don't have to travel much.  Since starting with the company I've traveled to Lexington KY for a conference, MN for a conference, AZ for a conference, DC for a 4 hour meeting, and AL and TN for NASCAR races.  I've been with the company for 3.5 years now-so that really isn't a lot of travel.  However, since June I've been to Englishtown NJ, Bristol TN, San Francisco CA and I'm currently on a plane to Seattle WA.

Last weekend (oh yes, these are weekend travels) I was in San Fran.  I attempted to do some research on the city-but I really didn't know what my schedule would be like.  My hotel was near Fisherman's Wharf which was an interesting area- a lot of tourists.  So I guess the real highlight of the trip was walking across the Golden Gate Bridge (yes the whole 1.9 miles each way).  It was pretty windy-but it was so amazing and scary at the same time (I'll try to post pictures later when I'm not on a plane).  The city is absolutely beautiful and I already told Robert I want us to go back and play.  *Side note, if you look up information on wikipedia.com about the Golden Gate Bridge there is an entire section on suicides-apparently more people die by suicide at the GGB than any other place in the world.

This weekend Seattle is my destination.  I wasn't supposed to go, but my boss knows my brother lives out there so she asked if I wanted dibs on the trip if someone had to go.  Only bummer part, my brother has to play Army again so I'll miss out on seeing him but I do get to explore the city with my sister in law.  I am going to try to make it a point to find some of the scene locations from Sleepless in Seattle.  I know, I'm weird, but it is one of my favorite movies (and I plan to do the same thing whenever I get to go to NYC (You've Got Mail) and I really want to go to the Festival of Lights (Steel Magnolias).

Retirement

After teaching Kindergarten for 21 years, my Mom decided to retire from teaching.  It was something she was thinking about during the last school year, but every time I would ask her about it she said she would like 1 more year.  Well, I guess Demetri was enough for her this year, and in May she told her principal she wouldn't be renewing her contract (Demetri is one of her students that for the first few weeks of school every time he went #2 my mom would hear "Mrs. Doooouggghhhhertttttyy, I'm all done! I need you to come wipe!" TMI, yes. and hilarious).

Since there are 2 elementary teachers in the family, Michelle and Karen (and Jamie) all helped to go through all of my mom's crap.  Yes, I say crap.  There is a room in their current house that all of the nonteachers lovingly refer to as "the Teacher Crap Room."  It rivals a teacher store with all of the crap that is in there (and the room is at the most 12x12).  It took them 4 full days to go through everything.  And they were nice enough to give all of the nonteachers some items as well.  The highlights of my pile: Sharpie markers (b/c there was enough to go around, and then some) and every alligator book that my Mom owned (since I have a fear of alligators, they thought it was fitting).

But what better way to celebrate 21 years of teaching 5 year olds, other than go through 21 years of crap?  A surprise party in my Mom's honor.   We held it on Friday July 15th.  My Dad convinced her that she was going to the church for a Knight of Columbus gathering.  But instead she walked into this (except with people).  

We definitely surprised her and there were a number of people from her current school there to honor her.  She also got a call from her principal from Daphne as well as many sweet letters from partner teachers, parents, and friends. 

We were also able to give my Dad a surprise in the process.  My brother had to "play Army" in Atlanta on Saturday July 16th, so after landing in Atlanta at 4pm Friday he hopped in a rental car and made the 3 hour drive to Knoxville.  Even though it was only a few hours that we spent with him, it was such a great time.  It's been since May '10 that I've gotten to see him.

Marybeth and Shane had just made the trip to Knoxville (a 7 hour drive for them from the MS coast) for July 4th so they weren't able to join us.  Tina was on a plane from Philly to Seattle (they had been in Philly to see U2 in concert and visit family) and Robert was in California for his grandmother funeral. 

Oh yes, and remember how in one of my last posts I said that my Mom had lost a lot of weight? Well she's still going strong.  Doesn't she look fabulous?