There is a Reason the Word Painting Starts with P-A-I-N

There are a few things in life of which I'm certain:

• Camping is better in the spring and the fall
• There is no substitute for homemade vanilla ice cream
• You can never have too many black Sharpies
• People with OCD tendencies should never attempt to adhere painters tape
  to walls or ceilings or really even attempt the whole painting thing at all

Let's chat about that last one, shall we?

You see, I'm not a perfectionist. But, I do have enough OCD in my blood to know that the task of lining up blue tape perfectly against the edge where wall meets trim or wainscoting is a task that should not be done by me. EVER.

In my take-charge, knock-this-out goal of painting the dining room in the new house tonight, I took delight in preparing my workspace, arranging my brushes, roller, paint can and trim tools JUST SO. And then I attempted to apply the lovely blue tape to the walls. I'm pretty sure I invented new cuss words as I tore off little pieces to "patch" up the corners and to even out my bumpy spots. Finally, I was ready to paint.

And paint I did. Or, paint I TRIED rather. I took delight in pouring the thick greyish blueish paint into my newly-purchased paint tray, attached my roller and went to town. Because I am a professional (cough, choke, hack) I expertly swathed my paint onto the walls in the classic "W" pattern known worldwide as the gold standard in painting techniques. (or, known as "I watch too much HGTV so I think I know what I'm doing when, in actuality I have NO IDEA what I'm doing")

Everything was coming along OK until it came to the trim work. Even with my handy dandy trimmer/edger paint thingy I still managed to make it look like a 2nd grade art project. How do painters do this for a LIVING? I kid you not. I can imagine no greater punishment than being sentenced to painting walls for a living. I'd lose my everlovin' mind.

So, I hereby take my hat off to professional painters everywhere. It takes more than a cute pair of overalls and a bandana in your hair (isn't that what they wear in all the cute painting ads?) to pull off a successful paint job. It is back-breaking, frustrating and detailed work for which I will be seeking professional help tomorrow to tackle Jacob's room. Yes siree. 

I'll unpack boxes, hang pictures, even move heavy pieces of furniture but this painting thing is for the birds. Besides a killer arm workout, I see no real value in taking away a perfectly good job opportunity for someone who knows what in the heck they're doing. Let's think of it as my selfless attempt to stimulate job growth in Coweta County. I'm such a good citizen.

Isn't rationalization is a beautiful thing?

We Belong. Love This.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot (in the left hip, please)

After 6 days battling a severe sinus infection, my headache is GONE. Over the past week (and feeling like I had an ax handle poking out of the right side of my head) I managed to close on a house, take my son to a concert and move boxes/unpack, but it finally got the best of me yesterday. A shot and some antibiotics and I am a new woman today. Bring on the boxes!

No More Headache!!!

A Night to Remember

As always, there has to be some element of drama when it comes to a night out with the Katiebod. Some "come back after the commercial to see how she solves the dilemma" portion without which a Katie-story would not be complete.

As D and I were passing the airport on our way to the concert last night I had a sinking feeling. I had forgotten to put my replacement debit card in my wallet and I had no cash. Only credit cards. No big deal except that parking at the ampitheatre is sparse at best and cost $20. And, because it is smack-dab in the middle of a residential area, there is no where to park and "hoof it" either.

My mind raced.

So, as we got off the interstate and approached the Lenox Mall area, I devised a plan. We scoured the area for hotels where we could catch a taxi (and pay with credit card!) and, after spotting a Marriott near the mall, put our plan into action. A few blocks away I found an open parking area for a CVS and an assorted sundry of other stores so we parked the car there. Then, with a cooler on my shoulder and a sleeping bag in Daniel's arms, we began to walk. This is when I will tell you I had NO IDEA where we were going but could not let Daniel in on that little factoid or he would have panicked a little. So across the street we go, through the underground parking garage for Target, out and around some office buildings until I saw the oasis of an illuminated Marriott logo in the distance.

I don't know if you have seen "Pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith and his son but it's one of my favorites. And, I gotta tell you, walking aimlessly with a kid carrying a sleeping bag put me in the middle of that scene where they were searching the train station for somewhere to sleep for the night. I know the tragedy of having no debit card does not rank in the same universe as homelessness but, for a moment, I felt the weight of that responsibility and tried to make it a fun "adventure" for the D-man. We counted sports cars, looked for airplanes and he seemed oblivious to my efforts of distraction.

Finally, we arrived at the hotel with 10 minutes to spare before the concert began. A valet called a cab which turned out to be a Cadillac Escalade with a suit-wearing driver and a bowl full of soft peppermints and bottled water. I got tickled at Daniel kicking back, stretching out like the CEO of some company being driven to an important meeting. He dropped us off at the front gate and in we waltzed for an evening of great music under the stars.

Rick kicked off the show and I swear my son knew EVERY word to EVERY song. My heart swelled with pride to see that he and I share a love for music and lyrics. It was fun to sing and dance with him. Rick did perform an acoustic song I had never heard called "You and Me" and I loved it:

Next up was Pat Benetar and her husband of 32 years Nick Giraldo. Oh my granny they were awesome. Their chemistry was amazing and his guitar playing was a thrill to watch. My Singing Into a Hairbrush Hits were there in all their glory:  "We Belong", "Shadows of the Night", "Love is a Battlefield" and "Hit Me with your Best Shot"... she was fantastic.

On the way home as it was nearing midnight and I let Daniel play DJ for our 45-minute drive. He played his favorite (Bruno Mars) and we drove and sang as the lights of downtown slowly faded behind us.

It was a good night to be a child of the 80's, blessed with the resources to enjoy a concert on a whim; but, most of all, it was just good to be a Mom enjoying the company of her kid.

D-man chilling at the concert

A Very Special Date Night

I surprised Daniel with tickets for the two of us to the Rick Springfield/ Pat Benetar concert at Chastain Ampitheatre tonight.  We're having a blast and Daniel knows EVERY WORD.

He's Home!

My oldest is home from a great week at camp. I missed this little stinker. 

Haunting. Beautiful song.

Bring It!

Go USA!

The (Not So) Dreaded Midnight Call

Long after I had succumbed to sleepiness, the sound of my cell phone ringing at 12:35am this morning woke me with a startle. My first thought would normally be "who died?" but with a 12-year old off at camp for the first time, images of him sitting with the camp leader in a brightly lit office with his bags packed filled my mind. Did he pull a prank and they're sending him home? Did he put itching powder in the girl's sleeping bags? (is there really such a thing as itching powder or did I watch too much Brady Bunch??? As usual, I digress.)

So I grabbed the phone and in a half-asleep voice uttered "Hello?"

"Katie Bodiford, this is your son Daniel," a familiar voice playfully exclaimed on the other end.

So relieved to hear him sounding chipper (even if it was in the middle of the night) I peppered him with questions. Was he having a good time? Had he made any new friends? Before I could go through the list I'd been mentally compiling for his return, he excitedly began giving me the rundown about his week...

"Mom! You wouldn't believe it! It's all you can eat and we get SECONDS on anything we want! Pizza! Ice cream! You name it! It's just like college! It's so cool!"

"I've been playing basketball and guess what, Mom? They asked if we would share if we had grown closer to God and I raised my hand. I do feel I've grown closer to God!" 

and then... the one that really got me:  "Oh and it's so cool! It's so much fun. It's just like something you would have planned, Mom!"

Ok, I know that I shouldn't put that one above growing closer to God. I don't honestly. BUT. What really touched me was not only did he equate me with something that was fun to him but he acknowledged what I have done for a living for so many years. He gets it. Sure I love that he sees me as the person who does his laundry and cooks and cleans the house. But to hear him put together his experience with that other part of me... well, it brought me to tears. The whole conversation did. Hearing a kid that was so afraid of succumbing to separation anxiety actually reveling in his new found freedom was heartwarming to say the least.

After a few I love you's and I miss you's, I hung up the phone and laid there in the dark with happy tears streaming down my cheeks. My son was maturing before my eyes--no longer that scared little boy but a young man finding joy in spreading his wings a bit.

And at that moment, I ached deep inside to hug him. And, surprisingly found myself thinking that Friday cannot get here soon enough.

Boy do I love that kid.

The Canvas of My Life

In the tattered notebook

Hidden away in a letterbox

Was a stamped quote

Long ago imprinted

In a rainbow of colors

Slightly faded

Yet jumping off the page

The words spoke to me

As if they had been placed there

For my eyes only

"Life is about using

the whole box of crayons"

Such a simple concept

But far deeper in meaning

Especially to me

For I am an artist

Not museum-worthy for sure

Nor will my work grace calendars or cards

I am more of an artist by heart

Than by trade

But the words on that page

Echoed the song in my heart

Life is to be lived, breathed

With color and rhythm

But most of all feeling

I've been saving my richer colors

For a rainy day perhaps

Inspired by the words on that page

I will now put them to use

Along with the special, limited edition ones, too

I will soak in every hue I can find

The metallics and flesh tones

The magentas, and periwinkles and burnt siennas

I will use them all

The canvas of my life awaits...

Anybody Have a Mop?

Yeah, see that puddle there on the floor? That's me after watching this darn video. Pure love. That is nothing but pure love.

Katie Has Some Catching Up to Do

Did you know that grabbing your sunglasses off the nightstand instead of your reading glasses does not help you find your way into the bathroom without bumping into a door jam. Just sayin. Not sure why I felt I needed to share that but for the record I'm blind as a bat. OK, I digress. It's been a crazy week with my sister visiting, trying to get paperwork done for the (hopefully sometime in this century) house closing and getting Daniel ready for camp.

Here's a few pics:

Getting ready to watch the laser light show at Stone Mountain

My niece who I am fully convinced is my biological offspring

Jacob and Alden enjoying the sights from the top of Stone Mountain

What is a vacation to the ATL without a trip to the Varsity (Alden's first time!)

Love this chicky

Showing the kids the letterbox hidden at the Varsity

Absolutely love this picture of them

So now it's just Jacob here this week but with a movie date Wednesday and the (maybe just maybe it will finally happen) house closing Thursday afternoon this week will fly by. Now to go clean up the house in case an agent needs to show it. I'm sure Daniel is heartbroken he's missing out on all the fun ;)

She's Here!

My sister and niece came to visit and will be here through Sunday. I am so excited to have them here.  We rode around singing at the top of our lungs and driving by her old house, etc. It's so good to spend time with her. 

Can't Stop Laughing

My long-awaited visit with my sis has finally happened and she's HERE!!!!  We have been sitting at the computer laughing at videos and this one literally made me cry from laughing so hard. Too funny.

The Boys of Summer are Back-- June 17, 2014

After a hiatus that included a trip to Seattle for the Momma-person and a trip to Alabama for the boys to visit their grandparents, the Boys of Summer have returned. To make up for lost time, we have spent two days swimming with a movie thrown in for good measure!

Katie, D, J and Ella after seeing How to Train Your
Dragon 2 today. Such a good movie!

Daniel showing off his mad diving skillz. :)

Jacob making waves

Momma and Daniel soaking up some vitamin D

Float wars in action. We take this seriously, folks ;)

A Few Seattle Memories-- June 2014

Finally had the opportunity to work side by side with my good friend Melissa on an event in Seattle last week. Here are a few pics from the trip (too many to post here!) :)

Mt. Hood during our approach into Seattle

View of Puget Sound from Pike Market

A fully functioning radio station in our booth

Jason from DST working the booth

A few of our Mobile Concierges for the week

Vitaliy, Sean and Justin taking a quick break

Katie and Sara

Twins Max and Sam on door duty

Katie and Mel at Pike Market on Friday afternoon

Our fish monger Sean holding the salmon I bought Keith for Father's Day

The best pears on the planet. I brought a couple home!

What can I say? It was a long week!

My FAVORITE store on the planet. Located at the Seattle airport.

Father's Day 2014

Keith and the boys didn't make it in from Alabama until Sunday evening so we had some catch up celebrating of Daddy to do. Hid some surprises around the house for him and made chicken 'n dumplins for the first time (his favorite meal). Shockingly, it tasted pretty good!

Olive oils and marinades from the market in Seattle.
Found a recipe for the dipping spices they serve at Carraba's. Yum.

Brought back a King Salmon for him from Seattle.
(Yuck-- but he loves it and it's his holiday, lol)

Pretty self-explanatory :)

Massage time for Daddy

This Makes Me Incredibly Happy

Anyone who knows my affection for the elderly will understand why I love this so much! I will watch this over and over. And over.

First Flight Turns Into Best Friendship

Back In (and out on the) Town

Made it back to the steamy south and my friends Debbie and Steve invited me (took pity on me being alone) to join them for an evening at 10 East Washington. Nice to just sit back and listen to some fantastic music. 

Homeward Bound

A very productive week in Seattle and lots of pics to post but we're headed home.  Buckled up and ready to go. Georgia here I come.

A Long Day Comes to a Close

Today was a busy, busy day and this girl is getting ready to turn it in.  But before I do, Melissa and I were jokingly trying on some berets worn by our spokespersons for the show and we got so tickled we couldn't breathe.  Probably just fatigue ;)   night all.

Sleepless in Seattle

You knew that title was inevitable, right? Well, the time change has certainly thrown me for a loop as I was wide awake at 4 o'clock this morning.

Our trip here was uneventful and we actually got a lot of work done while squeezing in a little sightseeing, too. My friend (and co-worker this week) Melissa has never visited the northwest so it's been fun to show her around.

Have quite a bit on our plate today.  More later!

Head (North)west Young Woman

Who is up writing on their blog at 11:30pm when they have an 8am flight to Seattle? Yep. This girl. My typical night-before-a-trip insomnia is kicking in and my mind is racing with any details that might have been overlooked.

Even though it's a 5 1/2 hour flight, I do love touching down in Seattle and seeing the snow-capped mountains in the distance and the familiar sight of the Space Needle imposing itself on the landscape. I'll be trying to blog each day (we'll see how I do with that) but I'm sure there will be plenty of interesting things to report during the week.

Guess I'd better try to get some shut eye.  Til tomorrow...

Playing Catch Up-- The Boys of Summer: June 5

Thursday was supposed to be a day where the boys entertained themselves while I tried to finish up some work for next week's event. The day started out promising as the boys quietly played card games in the dining room as I worked upstairs. It was almost blissful as I listened to them cajoling one another and Daniel being patient as Jacob learned new games like Go Fish and Slap Jack.

Then, the phone rang. And a realtor on the other end said "we'd like to show the house in an hour." UGGG. It would be only slightly less annoying if this were actually OUR house we were trying to sell but I'm actually keeping someone else's house clean and have to leave at a moment's notice. With two little fellas that lack a certain affinity for cleanliness, it can be quite challenging.

Card Sharks in the making...

So we straighten everything up, grab some tennis racquets and balls and head out to a local park to kill some time. I would love to say I participated in a grueling, calorie-burning round of sport but it was mostly me trying to show Jacob that if you spin around in circles and swing at the air like you're swatting a fly then your chances of getting a ball over the net aren't very promising. My exercise came mostly from running to the far corners to retrieve balls that the boys had lobbed into the adjacent courts. But, we were outside and trying something new. :)

Taking a break from the heated match!  LOL

Nearing the point of heat exhaustion, we decided to go get some water and ride around getting to know our new town a little better. We stumbled upon a new park in downtown Senoia that had a great playground where we commenced to playing hide 'n seek, tag and "see who make make the others gag first on the merry-go-round."  Yep, I'm the mother of boys alright.

All in all, I was thankful that the realtor forced us out of the house. I still got my work done later and took advantage of the play time with my kiddos. It actually turned out to be a really good day.