Back pain. Always a bitch. Ow. Sitting is helping but I have a feeling that won't last long.

Only being able to get 10 Jalapeno poppers for a 1.00 instead of 20 or 30 for 2 or 3 dollars. Eh, the sale lasts until Wednesday though so I'm good. I can get more mangoes as well. Maybe this one isn't so irksome.

I can't listen to any song without being reminded of something. Like, "Good Intentions" makes me think of the road trip to New Orleans and bitching because we couldn't decide what the hell to listen to (Red Hot Chili Peppers or Morcheeba, neither apparently) so we put in Toad the Wet Sprocket greatest hits and drove in peace (at least until I started pointing out that Mississippi is REALLY paranoid about ice on the bridge and they have signs every mile warning "bridge may ice in cold weather" because we all KNOW it gets sooooo damn cold in Mississippi, right? Sadly, Louisiana had the same thing which is funny because it's like 75 in New Orleans right now (and a balmy 32 here) and I'm sure all the good citizens of the city are oh so worried about ice right now. The song that just came on the playlist, "Happy Phantom", is another one. The thing I remember most about that is going camping with the Ex Lesbian Roommate, Brandy, Ex Lesbian Roommate's brother, little sister and their parents and it was a GORGEOUS day (I had the CD on my discman). Then later that day, a tornado whipped through and we all had to run inside the camper and wait for it to pass but all in all, it was a pretty fun experience. Oh, and meeting Neil Gaiman and having him sign the Little Earthquakes CD. Mom would only let me listen to that song because the rest were "too weird" for her tastes.

Some woman got a damn thumb in her salad at Red Robin. Mind you, I've never ordered a salad (only the California Chicken burger) from Red Robin but still... makes you think twice before going there now.

The stupid recipe for the pork chops calls for red AND green apples and I only have red. But I think that's a moot point and I'm going to just use the red anyway.

The Soon To Be Ex Wife emails the S/O bitching that he needs to do an address change cause some of his mail is still coming to her father's old house (I guess they had to shack up with her parents at one point) and yet he forgets to mention to her that shit comes HERE in her name after I already did a change of address for both of us at the TreeCrossings residence (where we lived then once I was gone for a good week or two, she moved herself in). Besides the fact that it's insanely hypocritical to bitch, it also irks me because it raises the question of WHY they didn't get a change of address ASAP. Most people do it the minute they move, no matter what the reason is. A normal person (uh, as normal as you can get when you put yourself in their shoes... getting divorced two times in a few months isn't very normal but let's try to empathize) would want to hurry up and get the change of address and disassociate themselves from everything that has to do with their husband/wife... unless, of course, they're still hanging on and hoping for a reconciliation. I don't know, maybe I'm just reading way too much in to it and finally putting my three semesters of adult psychology to work for me. We shall see how things go during the next few weeks.

The fact that I may not have Easter off. Hopefully, I will but if they don't buy my story that we're going out of town (or don't care) then I'll have to work and either the S/O will have to go to dinner with the family without me or he won't go and we'll BOTH miss out on a wonderful meal. Since Mom had her foot surgery and Grandma's few attempts at cooking in her mobile home have always backfired, she's offered to take the family to dinner here and avoid any fires, fights or anyone storming out and leaving. Well, at least TRY to avoid any of that, with my family there is still no guarantee that it won't happen but when he first moved up here, Mom and Dad took us there (mind you, this was without Grandma, her fiancee, my brother, my aunt Nola, her boyfriend, her hoodlum 18 year old son, and possibly his hoodlum girlfriend) and everything was wonderful (especially the assloads of leftovers that came from getting the family size portions). Hopefully work will let me have it off and I'll get to go, get a free meal and watch the madness that ensues (and go back home to my own place!).

Joe Don Rooney (I still say he HAS to be from Alabama with a name like that) from Rascal Flatts got his ASS (literally, his ass, people) nominated for a CMT Flameworthy award. I'd link to the page but you have to join to view so thus, I provide an excerpt. I have a nagging feeling that it may actually WIN too.

Flame Worthy Cameo of the Year

Best cameo in a video. Awarded to the special guest(s) and accepted by the artist and the special guest(s).

The Cast of "Celebrity", Brad Paisley "Celebrity"

Marilu Henner, Brooks & Dunn "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl"

The Cast of "Chicks Dig It", Chris Cagle "Chicks Dig It"

Jake (the dog), Dierks Bentley "What Was I Thinkin'"

Joe Don's derriere, Rascal Flatts "I Melt"

Gena Lee Nolin, Billy Currington "I Got a Feelin'"

Bob Eubanks, Joe Nichols "Cool to Be a Fool"

Dolly Parton, Mindy Smith "Jolene"

There is duet with Leona Naess and Tori Amos out there. They did "Ballerina" together. I must find this damn song and burn it to CD and keep it with me forever and ever. You just don't understand, damnit.

There is still a drastic nursing shortage. Yay! Well, let me explain, nursing shortages (all around too, lack of RN's, CNA's, LPN's and physical therapy assistants... so if you're looking for a job with good stability...) equals lots of jobs and increased pay for Nina. This also means that if I'm not happy (god knows WHY but hey...) in Chicago in a few years, I can up and move. There is just as much of a nursing shortage in Nashville as there is in Chicago as there is in New Orleans as there is in Minneapolis. The S/O deals with technical call center stuff so I'm sure he can find a job pretty much anywhere as well. Of course, if I scratched the rest of school and went to culinary school, I know plenty of cities (including those listed) have plenty of restaurants and catering services (none of which would hire my inexperienced ass but hey...) so it's something to consider...

There is no more Diet Coke with Lime in the house. Gah.

I want to go to the Zoo. Badly. I think I'm going to break down and buy a pass, this way I can go whenever I feel like going and not have to worry about admission and parking. There is nothing better for an unexplained mystery illness than an afternoon spent wandering amongst the lions, tigers, and bears, eating funnel cakes, feeding the dolphins and lemonade slushies. Well, some might beg to differ but at least for me, that's the ultimate cure (at least for a few days).

I am officially addicted to Nashville Star (the first season just makes me interested, watching the second season makes me addicted). This makes TWO damn reality-type shows (the other being Newlyweds) that I am forced to admit I watch (on a regular basis). But hey, I still hate the rest of em so that has to count for something.

I cannot find my maroon peasant top. I have the skirt to match it and it was in the box that the Soon To Be Ex Wife packed up (I requested that he pack my shit but apparently she felt obliged to pack it up instead, I don't know, I wasn't there) but I can't find the shirt to save my life. I still need to totally go through the last box that I've just glanced in but it appears to be mostly towels and beauty products and what not. If it's lost forever, I'd like to find another one, I loved that shirt... the real bitch is I can't remember if I got it at Lane Bryant or Target. I think it was Lane Bryant because Target is cheap and I would've picked up more.

Wednesday night we're having dinner at Mom's house because she's making corned beef, potatoes, soda bread, steamed vegetables and some kind of dessert and I have never missed a Saint Patrick's Day dinner with my family and why the hell should I now? So yeah, free dinner on Wednesday and we're also going to dye all my scrub tops (they have to be teal). Fun, fun.

It is now free to join the fitness club at the apartments. I called Friday to see if I could join and they told me to come in Monday with a picture ID. I am there. The rent is due as well but unless the S/O gets to the bank on his lunch break, there is no way they're getting it today. I'm sure they'll be calling.

I feel like the room (and my head) are spinning and even though sitting helps, it still feels like my back is ready to break. Time to go lay down in bed.

before & after