A Letter to my Cat...

Mercedes. My sweet kitten.

If you've known me long enough, you've known that my cat has been a huge part of my life. She's been around longer than either of my nephews, my niece, or my husband. She's been on a TV show (look for her in the beginning and end!). She's moved with me from my college days in Athens to my first job in Duluth to my first apartment in Atlanta proper to a brief stint living with my best friends to the apartment where I lived when I first started dating, got engaged to and then married to my now husband and, finally, to the apartment where my husband and I made our first home. If you lost count, that's 6 homes in a little over 7 years. 

To say that this cat has been there for me through everything is, at best, an understatement. Hell, she was the costar of my very first blog! 

I'm not going to lie and say that Mercedes has been an easy cat; there's a reason her nickname is Mersatan. I don't think she has bad intentions, though. I just think she's misunderstood. 

That said, Evan and I have made a difficult decision (difficult for me, at least...he's been on the receiving end of some of Merce's worst temper tantrums). We have found a new home for Mercedes. 

I have known for a while that Mercedes hasn't been happy living indoors. She is pretty wild at heart and needs to be able to chase bugs and rodents and explore the outdoors. My coworker, Erika, has been amazing and supportive and has found the perfect situation for us all. Tomorrow, Mercedes will take up her new residence as a semi-outdoor cat. She will have a warm place to sleep -- in a wood-working shop, no less -- and 200 acres of farm land to explore as she pleases. 

This is not an easy choice for me. From the moment that I saw her on Craigslist and made the decision to save her life (she was going to be put down soon if they couldn't find a home. This is why we all need to support our local animal shelters...seriously, people. ADOPT), I have been in love with this little girl. 

I know we're making the right decision though. She'll be happier. She'll have more room to play and explore. She'll be a useful and loyal companion to her new owners. 

With much more back story than I intended on giving, I bring you my letter to my cat:

Mercedes,

I want you to know how much I love you. I always have. I always will. From the time I first adopted you, you captured my heart. I remember driving home with you in my lap. You were so tiny. And scared. As soon as I started to sing along to the radio, which I often do when I'm alone, you put your hands on my chest and stood up in my lap, purring and staring into my eyes. That sealed the deal for me. You always enjoyed it when I pretended to audition for American Idol in the bathroom. Thank you. 

This is the first picture I have of Merce...chasing rubber bands is still her favorite! 

Even though you were sometimes a terror, I knew that, if I ever really needed to feel better, you would do the trick. After every break-up, heartbreak or really awful day, you knew to come snuggle up next to me and purr until I fell asleep. 

She seriously knows when I'm feeling bad. :(

You are at your best when I am sick or sad. 

I could not pose her like this. 

Sure, you liked to attack my feet in the middle of the night. Sometimes you would wake me up destroying the plastic bag I left out. 

She was stuck in this bag for about an hour. 

Sometimes you would go just a little bit crazy an run all over the apartment, chasing whatever it was you thought you saw. You always snuggled yourself in the middle of or on top of my warm clean laundry. 

Warm laundry is the best! Plus you take my fur with you when you go to work! 

Boxes are your favorite. 

E says she's thinking: "If I fits, I sits." 

Not a day went by that you didn't try to drink the leftover milk from my cereal bowl or the water right out of my cup.

Can't make this up. Every day. 

But I didn't mind. 

You were my litmus test for men. You knew before I did when someone wasn't right for me. And you showed me. You attacked his leg as he went to the bathroom. You pounced on his crotch while we watched a movie. You clawed his thumb when he was just trying to pet you. But Evan was different. I told him not to pet you; that you were just not a cuddly cat with men. He sat down on the couch and you proved me wrong. Imagine my surprise when I came out of the kitchen to see you purring happily on his lap while he loved on you. You were right about him, too. He is a good one. 

She never did this with anyone but Evan...and his twin brother.
But I'm pretty sure she thought he was E. 

I know it hasn't been easy for you. We moved a lot. You had a taste of the wild and then I brought you back inside. Sometimes I was too busy to play with you. I wasn't the best about cleaning your litter. I dressed you up as a devil for Halloween and Santa for Christmas.

She was not amused.

 I brought an energetic, obnoxious, slobbery beast into your otherwise peaceful life. 

Mersatan observes the new invader of her fortress...

I'm making up for that all now. Your new home will be fun and exciting! You'll have room to run and play. You'll never be trapped inside again. You'll have the freedom to choose where you go! You'll have the great wide-open as your playground! 

Be nice to your new owners. Be courageous and fierce! Don't ever think that I don't love you. I'm doing this because I do. I know it's scary at first, but you'll see soon that this is much better. You can, once again, be the tiny lion I know you are. 

Saying goodbye is bittersweet. It is breaking my heart, but I know it's for the best. You will always be with me in my heart. You have a special place there. You were my first real baby. 

I know you'll be fine. I hope I will, too. Goodbye, sweet kitten. I love you very much. 

The loves of my life.
The one time they were all peaceful and harmonious together.

Love always, 

Mommy

Veteran's Day Done Right...

Veteran's Day means something different to everyone. I've met so many people over the years who have a personal connection to the different branches of our armed services. A couple of months ago, our good friend, Ryan, got deployed. 

This is one of MAYBE 3 pictures that Ryan isn't making a face...
So this is what we're putting up! :) 

We miss Ryan's sarcastic sense of humor, his hatred of my cat and his "drop anything for a friend" attitude. To show him this, our group of friends banded together to send Ryan a care package. 

We got a list of things Ryan and his company might want or need: 

• Toilet Paper (the nice stuff)
• Games
• Disposable Razors
• Baby Wipes
• Facial Wipes
• Soap
• Shampoo 
• Face Wash
• Reading Materials 
• Trail Mix
• Snacks
• Football

Make sure that, if you're making a military care package, you don't include any alcohol, anything flammable or any potentially offensive material!

I thought we'd have enough stuff for one neat little package...

I was wrong!

Overwhelmed by everyone's donations!

Nice toilet paper...a MUST!

In case the Army forgets to feed him...

In case he needs to take a "baby wipe" shower...

Get clean, Ryan! Erin might hug you even if you're stinky,
but the rest of us want you so fresh and so clean, clean! 

For once, though, I am so happy I was! We had so much stuff to send to Ryan that we ended up filling up 7 boxes to send to Ryan and his company! 

If anyone knows the best way to package and ship Monopoly,
please let me know! 

I have to say a special thank you to everyone who helped out:

Melissa, Joe, Sam, Michael, Jenny, Victoria, Andy, Evan, Ms Judy and Ms Lynn (two of my residents) and Mr. and Mrs. Camac! 

Thank you all so much for dropping off goods, supplies and boxes and helping us pack everything up! We'll be sending things out soon, and we're not so sure how much shipping will be, so we'd love any donations to the "We Care about Ryan" Postage Fund!

Ask me how to help us ship these packages to Ryan! :) 

I'd also like to say a huge Thank You to Ryan's amazing girlfriend, Erin, who has been keeping us updated on Ryan's well being! Erin, we are so glad Ryan has found someone like you to love him and look after him, even when he isn't here! I honestly can't imagine how hard it is for you and the rest of Ryan's family during this time! Our thoughts and prayers are with you all! 

Erin and Ryan (at our wedding, actually...they're so cute together!)

Happy Veteran's Day to all of our Service Men and Women, past and present! 

And, to make everyone who knows/loves Ryan as much as we do, here's an awesome picture I made one day at work night at home:

That's Ryan as "Grumpy" Bear. So true...

It's House Party Time!

I love parties! I love it when my friends come over to my parties...but this time was even more awesome than the others...

There's this awesome little site I love. It's called House Party. 

Why do I love it? Well, it allows me to host awesome parties so that my friends and I can try cool products or services!

This was the second House Party I've thrown. I was particularly excited about this one because it was sponsored by Shutterfly! As many of you know, E and I just got married (well, 7 months ago, I mean, I've still got some times to send those Thank You notes, right?) and we've got a TON of awesome pictures (thanks to my fantastic brother/photographer) that I've been wanting to put into a photo book! 

Evan looking at our photo book. :) It's awesome!

Well, with this House Party, I was able to make my photo book (which I haven't actually gotten yet--but only because of myself. I have to pay the shipping and handling and I am waiting for payday...don't act like you've never done it)! Not only did I get to make a photo book, but I was able to give my 15 closest friends a free photo book of their own! 

But that's not all folks...not even a little bit! Everyone who attended got a voucher for a free photo book, 10 free holiday cards and 101 free prints if they sent a promo code to 5 of their friends! That's right, my guests got MORE free stuff for sending their friends free stuff!!! I mean, really...that's just too much awesomeness!

Holiday Cards...

and photo books...

and balloons...OH MY!

So, anyway, I had all my guests load their photos up on their accounts and when they got to my place, I helped some of them organize their books! We played some "get to know you" games (2 truths and a lie...best game ever!) and a game where made up a title for the book of their lives. Andy won this game with his book, "Stop Interrupting Me." He got an "emergency" card pack with a birthday card and a thank you card. He was very happy as he never remembers to buy cards until it's too late. His girlfriend memorized them in case he tries to give them to her sometime in the future...

I'm so grateful for everyone who came! :) It was a really fun party! And thanks to House Party and Shutterfly for letting us host! Can't wait til we get to host another one!!

I had work friends, girlfriends and hubby friends who joined the party!

These fancy pants used a tablet...

Andy and Victoria looking at their book! 

Wish I could say we were watching the video, but we weren't. It was the GA game...GO DAWGS!

Look, Andy is ACTUALLY reading the catalog! 

These cupcakes were a fail. I didn't have the patience or attention span to follow the directions.
It was my fault, but they were not at all what they were supposed to be. 

Phyllis made this apple bundt cake. I had it for breakfast, it was so good. 

Evan made this buffalo dip. It was awesome. 

It's been a long time since you came around...

Or, I should say, it's been a really long time since I came along...

Things have been crazy over here at the Wing place. With what, you say? 

Well, my sister had her perfect baby girl. We're pretty stoked about that! I also got to spend some time with my adorable nephews! And we've figured out how to use this whole "google hangout" thing and that was super awesome! I love those little boys (and now that little girl!) so incredibly much!!

Three of the most precious things in my life!!

Our friends Tad and Abby got married!! 

Slightly dark, but we had a great time at their wedding!

Best cake toppers ever!!

We've been watching a lot of football! Go Dawgs and GOOOOO FALCONS!!

We had a pretty awesome Halloween. Actually...we had a few. 
Evan went to a Halloween party at our friends' house, 

then he dressed up at work 

and I dressed up with my work buddies for our monthly potluck dinner! Let's see if you can figure out what I'm gonna be...

I cut holes in a box... 

painted it yellow...

Ok. So I'm a stick of butter. But why?!

Well, obviously, it's because nothing goes better with Paula Deen
than a stick of butter and Smithfield Ham! Yeah...we rocked that Potluck Supper!

Once the sugar high wore off, we did something AWESOME!


WE WENT ON A CRUISE! Ah...so much relaxation packed into 4 days! 

I know this isn't a picture of the boat, but it's my favorite picture of the whole trip! :)

We've got a whole lot going on over the next couple weeks, too, so I'm sorry if it takes me a little while to update the blog again. It seems that I go through a "Daylight Savings Time-Warp" with my blogs, though, so it's entirely possible that I'll fall off the face of the planet until we get to spring forward in time again. Don't hate me because it's too cold outside to type! ;) Kidding, of course! 

But I really might. 

If you're one of the 3 people out there who actually read my blog, remind me to update you on stuff. Unless you're bored, in which case, buy me some craft supplies and a bottle of wine and I'm sure something will come of it! 

See y'all soon!

It's Fall, Y'all!

Ah, the leaves are changing colors and the air is getting crisp! That can only mean that it is officially time for all of my favorite things: 

• cozy sweaters
• my Ugg boots (although there is a new pair I've got my eye on...hint hint, hubs)
• football games (GO DAWGS!)
• Chai Lattes
• pumpkin flavored treats
• snuggling with my ruggedly handsome husband on the porch
• and hearty comfort foods!

What better way to recoup from an AMAZING weekend of tailgating and friends than with a nice, filling chili on a rainy monday night?!

You know you want to eat at "Cafe du Wing."
Maybe I need a better name than that...

Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of tonight's delish dish, I have to give a few shout-outs. 

Deidra is in the spirit of Fall!
She's practicing for her Halloween Costume!

Deidra, my awesome assistant manager, thank you for working 2 weekends in a row just so that I could make the trek to Athens to tailgate with my bestie and her family. Getting to initiate Evan into our college-era shenanigans was so fantastic for me! I can only hope that Salina and I get to share the joy of UGA football with you over the next couple of months. (And since someone let me create the schedule of what color we wear each day, you have no choice but to wear the treasured Red and Black every Friday that we play. You're welcome!)

Our tailgate crew!

Gen, Brett, Emily and Jesse, thank you for organizing this past weekend and letting us be a part of it. Jesse, the key to the Geology building was crucial and the fact that you were ready to go at 5:30 in the morning, waiting until you were allowed to set up the tailgate...yep. It was awesome! Emily, you kinda cracked me up all weekend. And your whoopie pies were delish! Brett, aka Dad, thanks for making sure I didn't go home with that puppy those homeless people really weren't trying to get rid of. Gen, thank you for that dance. It's on facebook, but I'll spare you the embarrassment of putting it on here too...maybe. 

Ha...I have no words for this.

Ben and Phyllis, thank you for hosting Sunday Funday! You guys are so generous and welcoming and we always have the best time over there! (Ben, thanks for always including my husband in your touchdown shots. I'm sure his headache thanks you too.)

I don't have a photo of B&P that I think they'd appreciate...
So here's a picture of their dog!
Complete with Falcons jersey!

Last, but not least, I need to say a HUGE thank you to the Georgia Bulldawgs and the Falcons for winning this weekend! It kinda would have sucked if you had lost. 

If you're still reading this, you are a real trooper for sticking through all that. I promise, you won't be sorry. If you read the whole post, there might be something in it for you! Just maybe...

So...all day, it's been pouring down rain. I mean, buckets. I felt like I was driving through a lake on the way home. It was ridiculous. I was soaked to the very core of my body and I just felt crappy when I got home. I needed something hearty and warming and meaty. 

My mom always made chili when it started getting cool outside. I didn't feel like eating regular, plain old chili though, so I scoured the pages of my Rachael Ray Book of 10 cookbook. That woman rocks. I found the Indian Summer Turkey Chili. I kinda want to rename this dish "Comfy Pants and Sweater Weather Turkey Chili," but Rachael didn't consult me before publishing her book.  

Get out your magnifying glass and maybe you can read the recipe.
Or you could just go here. 

As I'm currently on the verge of a food coma from eating so much, I'll keep it brief. You can spruce this recipe up any way you like, but here's the core of it:

Heat a pan with olive oil and brown your ground turkey in there. Add your spices. I opted for chili powder and whatever grill seasoning Evan bought a long time ago that has no onions or onion powders in it. Oh yeah, I'm allergic to onions. This makes eating with me, cooking for me and basically being my friend super fun. 

Anyway. Once that smells pretty delicious, throw some Worcestershire sauce and a hefty helping of hot sauce in there! We prefer Texas Pete...simply because my dad's name is Pete and he's pretty cool.

Yep. I put my dad's face on the Texas Pete logo.
It's poorly done, but I don't care. 

After a while, throw some minced red bell peppers in there. This is a pretty crucial ingredient, in my opinion. If you're not a freak like me, you can also add some onions in there. Enjoy them for me. 

After those have simmered for a good bit, you're gonna want to toss in about half of a bottle of beer. WHAT? Beer in chili? Yes. Just do it. So good.

After that, throw in some BBQ sauce, tomato puree (or tomato paste, if E is doing the grocery shopping because, apparently, they're the same thing...), and a cup of frozen corn. 

Simma down now. Or just simmer for about 10 minutes (or 20, if you're like me and get distracted by things on the internet. I mean, I occasionally browse the Fulton County Mugshots to see if I know anyone who got arrested this week. So far nothing, but I'm pretty sure my friends are up to no good).

Top it with whatever you like. I highly recommend Fritos, cheese and sour cream. Because I couldn't have a healthy-ish meal without some corn chips. Yum. 

So yummy...so very yummy.

If you want the actual recipe, go here. She does a better job of giving you measurements and such, but I fully support the "get the essence of the recipe and do what you want after that" school of thought. But only with cooking. Baking is different. I learned that the hard way. 

This is the face of perky. If she wasn't such a good cook, she'd annoy me.
Actually, if there was no mute button, she'd annoy me.
But I've got to be honest; she knows how to cook.

I'm going to go now. I've got my comfy pants on and my cozy quilt wrapped around me and I slowly feel myself drifting off into dreamland. Hopefully Evan will do the dishes. Otherwise, the cat will feast tonight. 

I was going to add the video of Gen dancing. She threatened my life. So here's something else instead. 

This is the grumpiest cat in the world. I would like to own him. He's too cute.

And, Evan, if you're still reading this, I'd like these boots for Christmas. In black. Size 5 (in kids, it's the same as a 7 in women's). Love you.

You can buy them here. 

Goodnight.