McLovin': The Semi Annual Pest

The lovebug, Plecia nearctica, is a member of the family of march flies. It is also known as the honeymoon fly, kissingbug or double-headedbug. Two major flights occur each year, first in late spring, then again in late summer. The spring flight occurs during late April and May, the summer during late August and September. Flights extend over periods of four to five weeks. Mating takes place almost immediately after emergence of the females. Adult females live only three to four days, while males live a little longer.

Lovebug adults are attracted to light-colored surfaces, especially if they are freshly painted, but the adults can congregate almost anywhere by reacting to the effects of sunlight on automobile fumes, asphalt, and other products affected by environmental factors still not completely understood.

While lovebugs are not a favored food of most insectivores due to their acidic taste, lovebug larvae—and some adults—are food for birds such as quails, robins and felines named Kyleigh & Sydney (see below).

Spoiled Rotten

When I was three I got a pony, named Alvin, for my birthday. He wasn't a real pony but an old miniature horse. I remember riding him down the street from my grandparent's house to ours kicking him in the sides telling him to giddy up. My Dad liked to spoil me rotten so it is no surprise that I pretty much got whatever I asked for growing up.

This year I ask my husband for a Nook and I got it. Somethings never change. Happy Birthday to Me!

He Likes Cake

I have the cutest husband ever. Happy Birthday Chad!

He's Got Freckles and Red Hair

It was eight years ago today that my husband and I met. My good friend's boyfriend moved into a new apartment which came with a cute roomie. I met Tom but he was neither cute or single. There was another guy, who was single, living in the house but my friend described him like Alfalfa. I had her set up a get together so I could meet him. He was no Alfalfa. He was, and still is, very handsome, smart and super funny. I'm one lucky lady.

Going Bananas!

Every week when I go to the grocery store I get bananas. They are one of my favorite foods. They are yummy, convenient, and are full of vitamins and potassium. Problem is I don't like really ripe bananas and they ripen so fast so I end up throwing some away which is such a waste of food and money. As I was about to throw this weekss too ripe bananas away I had a thought (a rare occurrence if you ask my Dad). I'll make banana bread!

If you recall, I'm not so talented when it comes to the baking aspect of cooking but the only way to get better is through practice. No mishaps this time and my Dad and Husband honestly looked a little surprised at how great it tasted. So here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup crushed walnuts
• Solid vegetable shortening (Crisco)

Directions:

Put flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside. In separate bowl whisk the eggs and vanilla together and set aside. Lightly Crisco the inside of your loaf pan (8x8x4) and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a standing mixer, or with an electric hand held mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated then add the bananas.

With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and transfer to loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Cool bread in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the bread of out the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Fatty McFatfat

I wish someone told me what a heifer I looked like. I find it funny that not only were the pictures above taken one year apart but that I am in almost the exact same stance. Gotta change my pose a little.

So after seeing this wretched picture I joined a gym. It took me almost four months to get my fat ass in there consistently. I blame it on the Holiday Season but I was just really lazy and thought I had enough time to slim down and fit in my wedding dress by May. So midway into January I had a wake up call. I had gone down from 115lbs in August to 110lbs but then back up to 122lbs by January, my heaviest ever. I'm 4'11 so for me this is HUGE!

My scale, my gym and I became best friends. We were inseparable. After 16 weeks of hitting the gym 5 to 6 times a week I lost 17 pounds.


Of course, like all weight loss stories go, I fell off the wagon shortly after the wedding. My goal was accomplished and I got bored and lazy. At first the pounds stayed off but now they are creeping up like a cheap pair of underwear.

No one came out and said to me "Hey Fatty!" when I was fat. It wasn't until I lost all the weight that my husband said he likes me better without the saddle bags. I didn't even know I had them. I asked him if I was fat before and he said yes, but as a good husband who didn't want to die a slow and horrible death, he never told me. I asked him if I was fat now and he said no. Although I now know he'll love me big or small, or that he just doesn't want to die, I can't believe a word out of his mouth.


So now I am going to attempt to get back on the wagon and if you see a version of me that ain't so hot, please feel free to call me by my other name .... Fatty McFatfat.

Better Version of Me

August was a crazy month. I finally got my wedding photos back from the "Ricardos." Their real names are Leigh & Andy Taylor of Leigh Taylor Photography. (For the back story read A Bride Scorned and Oh Hell No!.)

I let a week go by trying to figure out what I wanted to do about this whole situation. By Friday, August 20th I knew what I wanted and instead of keeping everything in writing I called them both. At the time I really wanted to have more color wedding photos and I didn't want to deal with this or them anymore. Andy said they would work on them but they had other projects ahead of mine. I felt a little better although he sounded like a total a-hole on the phone to me while I was "sweet as pie." Kill them with kindness was my new tactic. It's hard to yell at someone when they are so nice on the phone.

Chad and I went on our last vacation of the year to Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina. It was nice to get away from work and the wedding photo drama. We slept in, ate a years worth of Southern Grits, and saw as many museums, landmarks, and tours we could get in. On our way back home we made a detour to St. Augustine for lunch. While we were sitting there waiting for our food I checked Facebook. Damn Facebook. It is the best thing ever for finding out what everyone is doing and the worst thing ever for finding out what everyone is doing.

Since my wedding in May, Leigh Taylor has shot two weddings at my wedding venue and as I sit there looking at my iPhone and the pictures on her blog I felt a fury I have never felt before. My wedding was flawless expect for my wedding photographer. She ruined my wedding day, my wedding photographs, my wedding budget, my bank account and now she was ruining my lunch.

I'm sick of people treating me like a doormat, using me for information, using me for money, using me for business, using me, using me, using me .... and underestimating me.

"I've got a plan, a demand and it just began and if you're right, you'll agree. Here's coming a better version of me. " - Fiona Apple