In Memory.....my own goodbye.

I have tried to write this post at least 100 times today and just couldn't find the words that would do it justice. Since I didn't get to say goodbye, this will probably be the only closure I get. At 9 a.m. this morning, I was notified by phone that a dear friend of mine had taken his own life. He was only 32 years old and leaves behind a wife and young, three year old son. I had the pleasure of knowing David for a good while and dated him for four years. Though we didn't leave each other on good terms, somehow we found a way to get past it and still remain friends. After a few days went by and I didn't get a response through emails whether he was ok or not, I feared something bad had happened. Never in a million years would I have expected to get the call that he died by his own hands. It's too late to pay my respects, he was buried yesterday.

I just sit here and wonder to myself, how bad could life actually get that he thought there was no hope? no way out....but death. How sad was he? Was he alone? Was there something I could have done or said to change his mind? Those questions don't matter now.....he leaves behind a lot of sad, heartbroken people who will never get to know why.

So, here's my goodbye David. You will be missed, but never forgotten. I'm glad I got to know you while you were here.

Goodbye Friend,

Angela

Oh you are much too kind dear Officer!!!!

So I was leaving my office at twelve for lunch. You know, the normal routine. I was headed out to my mom and dad's house to save myself from driving allllll the way across the lake to my own home for lunch. Anyway, I'm leisurely traveling down the lakefront. For those of you who are not familiar with the lakefront in Lake Village, it's pretty clear what it is. It's the scenic road with great views of the lake that runs parallel with Highway 65. Back to my point, I'm driving down the lakefront and obviously not paying attention to how fast I'm going when I see it......oh yeah....you know the feeling! White car with blue, blinking lights......I'm pretty sure that's the sickest feeling a person can have besides a bleeding ulcer or giving birth two a 20 pound baby. But I digress.

I've been caught, there's no time to slow down and pray he didn't see me. So, I pull into the driveway of some unsuspecting homeowner and await my punishment. Thank the good Lord above I was buckled in though....brownie points for me! Mr. Officer What's his Name glides up to my driver's side window all slow and leary like I was going to pull out a 9mm or something and shoot him dead. After seeing it's just little ole me, he lightens up, we shoot the bull and he asks for the usual. At this point, I've accepted that I was speeding and am wishing he'd hurry up and write the ticket so I can eat for Pete's sake!! But, the Lord heard my silent prayer and I swear a host of heavenly angels started to sing behind that abnormally tall officer when he told me, "Just slow it down ma'am and have a nice day."......insert heavenly singing here.....Yes my friends, I got pulled over by Arkansas' finest and walked away with only a nice warning. I thanked the officer for his kindness and made my way to lunch.

I'm sure it was my southern charm and thick accent that swayed him. Or it could've been that I told him I used to work for the court system and now work for an insurance company. No? Then it must have been the never-fail batting of the eyelashes that won him over!! Whatever the reason, I thanked God for small miracles and nice little blue warnings today!

Keep 'em between the ditches,

A. Pie

A short survey

I know everyone has filled out these kinds of surveys on Facebook or Myspace. So, I thought I would do one here...why not??? It's not like I'm working or something ;) sheesh....

A. Attached or single? attached
B. Best friend? my husband, Jared
C. Cake or pie? can I have both?
D. Dog or cat? dog definitely!!!
E. Essential item? cigarettes (bad, I know) or cell phone
F. Favorite color? Razorback Red
G. Gummy bears or worms? worms
H. Hometown? Lake Village, Arkansas
I. Favorite indulgence? homemade Italian red gravy or crawfish...yummy
J. January or July? July, of course...it's my birthday month!
K. Kids? I want 'em....and I need to hurry
L. Life isn’t complete without? love of family and friends
M. Marriage date? 10/20/07...almost the one year mark!!
N. Number of brothers and sisters? 2 sisters...one twin and one older
O. Oranges or apples? both
P. Phobias? for some reason, I have this fear of falling and knocking out my front teeth...weird, I know.
Q. Quote?"There is no remedy for love but to love more." Henry David Thoreau
R. Reasons to smile? Plenty!!!
S. Season of choice? spring and fall
T. Travel dreams? Italy
U. Unknown fact about me? just about everyone knows I'm a left handed twin....unknown fact: I've only been in love 3 times.
V. Vegetable? potato
W. Worst habit? Procrastinator – ditto!....me too!!!
X. X-ray or ultrasound? either....doesn't realy bother me
Y. Your favorite restaurants? Sherman's, Doe's, Jared's parent's house
Z. Zodiac sign? Cancer

Feel free to do one of your own!

Later alligator,

That Pieroni girl

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations are in order for my friends, Emerson and Grace. I found out yesterday that they are expecting their first child!!!! Woo hoooooo!!! I'm so excited for them. They will be the coolest, most awesome parents. I guess it's time for another round of baby showers down here. And all eyes are pointed on me to be the next to get knocked up!!! Ha ha....I've promised to quit smoking first, so it will be pretty obvious when we start trying.

Here is a lovely picture of the happy couple that I edited just for the occasion! Way to go Emerson, you're not shooting blanks!!!!

See ya on the flip side,

Angelita

Too cute not to share!!!

I know I ragged on the Razorbacks because of the pitiful game Saturday. But, I couldn't help but share this picture showing some Hog lovin'!! May I present to you Miss Molly Beth...future Razorback cheerleader with a smile that could melt the hardest heart. I'm sure her parents are so proud. Had I went to this game, this would have been the only highlight!! Such a cutie!!!

Love, peace and chicken grease

A-Dogg

ASU Homecoming....at least THIS Arkansas team won!!!!

Early (and I mean early) Saturday morning, we all loaded up and headed out to Jonesboro to attend the Homecoming game there and visit Jared's sister Ashley. After the long drive, we decided to do a little shopping and eat a bite for lunch. During the trip, we were catching bits and pieces of the Razorback game. But everyone knows, listening and watching the game are two different things. While we were eating lunch, we got to catch the last quarter of the game. Or as I like to refer to it, "the most miserable 15 minutes I've had the pleasure of experiencing". We lost. Period. We suck....blah, blah, blah. However, I had a lot more faith in the Red Wolves (formerly Indians).

The game was awesome, the crowd was great and the stands were packed. Just about everyone I saw had either red or black on and you could feel the energy throughout the entire stadium. Of course, I had to take pictures....shut up....it's been awhile since I've been to a college homecoming game!! What's even funnier is what happened before the game. All of us girls decided to do a little tailgating beforehand since we found a great parking place!!! (Well worth the $10 in my opinion) I was surprised they even allowed alcohol on a dry campus, but who am I to argue? A nice fella went and got us a few beers. I look around and notice everyone has cups and decide we probably need them too. "Oh no, don't worry about it, they won't say anything." WRONG!!! Out of that huge crowd, one campus police officer came right up to me, Mrs. Shari and Becky and scolded us in front of the group. He was nice about it, but still!!! Mrs. Shari thought it was funny that at her age, he even had the nerve to come over there. Anywho............on to the pictures!!!

And there you have it folks!! A nice short vacation with all the Pieroni women. We had a great time and got in some good shopping as well. For those of you who haven't been to their new mall, it is wonderful!!! Alas, I must end this and face the thing I loathe the most in the entire world.....MONDAY!!! Aggggghhhhh....hopefully, I'll make it until five.

Peace out,

Angelina

So....yeah...ummmm

Yeah, got all miserable and sick for a few days....and...GASP....actually stayed home from work one day!!!! Can you believe it??? The last time I had off was my honeymoon last October. Which reminds me, I have a one year wedding anniversary coming up next month. ONE.WHOLE.YEAR.....who woulda thunk it??

Anywho, just dropping by to let all of my (five) readers know that I haven't lost my camera. I will be taking some photos this weekend fo sho!! My mother-in-law and Becky and I will be traveling to Jonesboro this weekend to celebrate ASU's homecoming with my other sister-in-law, Ashley. And shop we shall!!!!! Expect the normal candid shots and a few of us posed together...doesn't everyone take pictures when more than two people are together?? No? Oh well, I DO!!!!!

It is now 1:08 and I have to somehow entertain myself until five o'clock wherein I will run out of the office door shouting, "Free at last, free at last, thank GOD almighty I'm free at last" and sprint like a mad woman to my car, speed across the lake and begin imbibing on a few cold, tasty beverages that are presently calling my name.

Hope everyone has a great weekend....and pray that Alabama doesn't totally annihilate Arkansas in Fayetteville this weekend.

Hallelujah it's Friday,

A to tha Pieroni

Uggghhh

I'm lagging behind on my blogging duties....please forgive me. Right now, my head is so stopped up I can't hear, snot is flowing profusely (it's rather lovely), my throat hurts and I seemed to have developed carpal tunnel syndrome because the fingers on my left hand keep going numb. Wait....I'm not having a stroke am I??? If I am, someone please send help!!! It is Monday, I am miserable, THE END.

My Life is sooooo Exciting!!!

I've tried to blog for the past day or so and just sit here with nothing to write. Is that sad or what? I have absolutely nothing that is blogworthy!! Let's see, here's how an average day for me goes: wake up, go to work, spend eight hours actually working, come home, watch t.v., eat supper, go to sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat. Yes friends, this is about as exciting as it gets for yours truly. Honestly, I'm ok with being on the boring side. I'm starting to realize it's not really boring, rather it is WITHOUT drama. It's kind of nice, actually.

I'm not sure what's going on this weekend. I do know that the Arkansas game against Texas has been postponed until September 27th, so I won't have to sit through that butt-whooping!! Who knows, maybe something exciting will come my way.....I guess we shall see.

Hasta la vista!

A Shower for Sarah and Ann Marie

Yesterday I had the honor of going to a baby shower for Sarah and the future Ann Marie Sabbatini. Sarah had a wonderful turnout of friends and family and there's no doubt this little girl will be styling and profiling. My most favorite pick of all the presents is what you see below....Miss Priss...isn't that sweet and the little flowered skull cap....precious!!!





So, yeah, house full of women and baby girl gifts.....starts to make you think!!!! I wonder who will be next in line for one of these showers..*wink wink*.

On a side note, how in the world did the Razorbacks barely scrape by at winning against the University of Louisiana at Monroe!!! Good Lord, that was a painful game to watch. If these past two games are any indication of how Arkansas will be playing this season, then we are in for the biggest A** whooping next week against Texas. It's going to be sad. Maybe I should get my sister-in-law to send me an Arkansas State shirt...they sure are doing better than U of A.

Sayonara!!!

P.S. I loathe Mondays...that is all.

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW, THE RAIN IS GONE!!!

Can I get a moment of silence so we can all stop and thank the good Lord above that it FINALLY quit raining!!! Yippee! I realize we didn't have the damage most others had, but you have to remember my front yard is literally the lake. When there is too much rain, the lake rises. That's not ever good. I did manage to snap a few pictures (go figure) during the only five minutes when the rain wasn't blowing in sideways!!

The picture below is the the drain which our yard flows into. It just so happens to be located right smack dab in the middle of the Christmas tree farm. No worries, no Christmas trees were harmed during the making of this post.


Aww....look at my hard working husband. He managed to keep the ditches flowing nicely. Good thing or our entire yard would have been a swamp!

This is the lovely view of our front yard. Mud, grass and mosquitos. God I love the south!

Of course, this is me showing how I feel about all this mess. You can't tell from the picture, but at the exact same time, the tornado sirens were going off in town signaling an impending tornado headed our way. Luckily, it dissapated before it could stir up any trouble.

Another shot of the front yard....ugghhhh

So, the skies are still a little overcast but at least there's no rain. I did notice on my way to work that the majority of docks here on the lake are either under water or have popped out of their braces. The lake has risen quite a bit but it shouldn't cause too much damage....I hope.

Here's hoping that this is the last we see of any severe weather. I don't think my hair can take too much more of this frizzy business!!

Adios!

Awww....c'mon!!!

Dear Hurricane/Tropical Storm/depression Gustav:

We get it...you're a bad ass hurricane with alot of rain to hurl down upon us. Sheesh, you've already provided us with the ever so wonderful gusts of winds that could potentially blow ALL the hair off my head. Thanks...you're a peach. Let's not forget the TWO.SOLID.DAYS of torrential downpour you have bestowed upon the entire southern half of the United States as we know it. Thanks for throwing that in. I just want to stand up and applaud the fact that you may have ruined 80% of the newly grown crops down here that most of us attribute our livelihoods to. You're just too great!! What I don't understand is why you had to go bragging to all your "storm friends" about all your accomplishments??? Huh? ANSWER ME!!! Now they are all being little copycats and headed across the entire friggin' Altantic Ocean just to see what's going on. Great, just effin great!! Why would you even be friends with little twerps named Ike and Josephine anyway???

Just wanted to let you know YOU SUCK!!!!! And your little friends too!

Go suck it,
Angela P.

Randomness....that's me!!!

Soooo...yeah...it's STILL raining!!! BLAH....well, I'm copying this from my friend, Shannon's, page and giving you six random/unique facts about me. I just know you're on the edge of your seat with anticipation. No? Whatever, you're getting them anyway.

Six reasons why I don't fall in the "normal population" category of the human race :)

1. I don't drink sweet tea or eat salad. These may not seem to weird or unique, but I live in the south and married and Italian for Pete's sake!!! It's almost sacreligious. I just never had a taste for tea, don't ask me why. I will probably overdose on Coca Colas any day now. As for the salad, well....I won't go into it, but it involves me and my sister sharing a bed, she had the stomach virus and guess what she had to eat....yep, salad with GASP...RANCH DRESSING!! OMG...I'm getting nauseated just thinking about it. Yeah, traumatic experience and I can't make myself try it just to see if I'll like it.

2. I'm a left-handed, double-jointed, fraternal twin. Enough said.

3. When I take a shower, I always have to clean everything in some ritualistic pre-determined order. If I stray from that perfect order, I'll start from the beginning and do it all over. Weird...not really....unique!

4. If you can't already tell, I'm a picky eater. I'm that person who orders everything "plain with cheese"...yes, I'm THAT person. I won't eat mustard or mayonnaise or anything it has touched. But, I have no qualms with covering the majority of everything that I put in my mouth with loads of glorious ketchup!!! ahh...ketchup....mustard's nicer and better looking cousin.

5. After going back and reading the first four, I'm starting to think I may be borderline neurotic/OCD. Nah, it's that "unique" thing, right? Anywho, I didn't realize just how neurotic I was until I got married. It may sound trivial, but I have to have all my towels tri-folded NOT bi-folded. Jared has just come to terms with this insane quirk of mine and is beginning to correctly fold the towels. I'm not joking, I'll let him fold to his heart's content. But, when he's gone, I go into the closet and yank everything out and re-fold everything!!! It just seems to fit in the closet better and it looks more organized. Same things goes with socks....oh the socks!!! Belive it or not, there is a way to fold them so you won't stretch out the elastic at the tops. This is something else I am trying to instill upon Jared. He's learning....

6. Wow...is it bad that it only took me five minutes to come up with six weird things about myself? Don't answer that. Last, but certainly not least, I mentioned earlier that I am left handed. Yes, that is unique in itself. However, writing is the only thing I do with my left hand besides eat. I hold/throw/dribble a baseball, basketball, volleyball, gun, scissors with my right hand. I chalk it up to teachers who were all right handed and didn't know how to teach me the lefty version of anything. I plan on writing a bill to Congress that allows us leftys to have the same amenities as the regular right handed folk. I can't even write captions in a photo album because of that binder thing...on the left side of course. I remember in college taking a final exam and there weren't any left-handed desks to sit at. So, guess where I had to sit? Yep...right at the front of the classroom at the big ass lab table like the handicapped, dumb cousin no one talks to. God, it was so embarrassing not to mention scary. All those eyes staring at me...uggghhh...gives me the heebie jeebies!!!

So, there you have it. My insanity in all it's random glory!! I could probably come up with 100 more, but I'm starting to think it's giving me a complex. Ciao!

Weekend Adventures

Let me tell you there is nothing better in the world than waking up to NO ELECTRICITY!!! Though, I shouldn't complain since I actually have a roof over my head. Ole Gustav is causing a lot of trouble. I couldn't believe my eyes when I passed through town the other day and ALL three of our motels were full, even the not-so-great ones! Makes one appreciate what they have. I don't know if I could just pack up the bare necessities and travel to an unfamiliar city without the guarantee I'd ever see my home again. It's sad really. Lake Village has been trying to help out. We have the high school gym open for evacuees and several of the churches are feeding those staying here. Let's just hope this hurricane blows through and doesn't cause the devastation that Katrina did three years ago.

On to the weekend!! So, I'm sure it's understood that the Razorbacks played their first game this weekend against Western Illinois. First of all, since when do we play any team out of Illinois? Second, is there no way possible with this great technology we have that it couldn't be broadcast on television? They must not realize we live in a hotbed of humidity and mosquitos down here!!! sheesh...anyway, Jared and I had a few friends over to listen to the game, eat a great meal (provided by Clint) and visit. The Hogs ended up winning and so did the mosquitos! So, most of the girls retreated to the inside of the house. Below we have what I like to call "The Italian Wives Club"....Pieronis and Sabbatini....can't mistake the Italian there. Sarah is due in late October. Isn't she just the cutest little pregnant lady?


Before the game, Becky and I were determined to take the S.S. Pieroni out just one more time before Mr. Mark decided to winterize it. Neither one of us feel terribly comfortable putting such an expensive vessel in the water by ourselves and not a guy was to be found anywhere. That's just our luck. Thank God Becky's husband came home and put it in and then drove me, Becky and Brooklynn around for awhile. Brooklynn has been begging me all summer to go out on the boat, so this was our last chance. She grinned from ear to ear the whole time. Daniel even let her drive the last little bit to the city docks. While I was trying to help her on to the dock, I did the splits with one leg on the boat and one on the dock and fell ever so gracefully into the lake. Now, that's MY luck. I had to drag myself around the dock and climb on the ramp where I then stepped on a fish fin! Twice as nice, eh? I finally stumbled back up on the boat....of course, Becky was in hysterics and I still can't find that cover-up I was wearing....

This past Sunday was Homecoming at my church. Everyone knows us Baptists have to have "an eating" after the meeting...it's just tradition. There is nothing better than a spread of all kinds of comfort food made by southern church ladies. All of my mom's sisters were there for the occaison and even my good friend, Valerie, as you can see below.

Can you see the Roark resemblance??? You can't hardly get a word in edgewise with this bunch!

I must say that this weekend was a good one. I got to hang out with a bunch of friends, eat some delicious food, see relatives I haven't seen in awhile, cruise Lake Chicot one last time and just relax. It's too bad it didn't last longer. Now, it's back to the same old 8-5 routine....blech....until next time!