nothing short of thankful

Today is a hard day for a lot of people on our area. It’s been exactly one year since  this monster hit Tuscaloosa and eventually traveled through Birmingham. In total, 239 people were killed by storm-related injuries in the state of Alabama during the outbreak. 

Picture from immediately after the storm.

I’ve written about my thoughts and experiences before. You just can’t prepare yourself for something like this, even when you almost a week’s warning that the weather will be rough. You never think it will be your state, your hometown, your friends huddled in homes, your city that gets ripped apart. You’re shocked when it happens, and that shock never really goes away - it just gradually becomes a new normal. 

You don’t know how you’ll respond to a disaster like this, and you don’t know how your community will respond. I’m so proud to say that Tuscaloosa has truly puled together and is rebuilding to be stronger than ever. The overwhelming relief efforts immediately following the storm blew me away. Fraternity brothers of Blake’s that I was used to watching chug beers were heading out every day in the heat with chainsaws, just begging people to tell them where they were needed to clear trees and debris. Neighbors helped neighbors in ways that moved you to tears, and these stories weren’t anything different than what was happening on every block that was affected. 

This is an aerial shot of the path the next day last year. Most of that path was made up of homes like the ones above that looked like a bomb had gone off in them. 

Here’s the path one year later. It’s a reminder of both how far we’ve come and how much we still have to do to heal Tuscaloosa.

Please just keep everyone that was affected by the storms in your thoughts today. 

Blake and I are leaving a lot of our furniture behind to hopefully be replaced soon at the new place. (Let’s not get crazy - most replacements will come from the IKEA.) Until then, I’ve made some MS Paint renderings of what we have as far as furniture in the master bedroom: 

(Yup. Just a bed. No headboard. Mattress on floor style. Can’t wait to paint those yellow walls.)

And the second bedroom:

Straight up empty. 

So how about next week everyone brings over a ton of pillows and bean bags and we turn the second bedroom into lounge town before Blake makes it the man cave?

No, YOU’RE dying over that Zac Efron picture floating around and nearly sobbing while watching Dear John on one of your last nights spent alone in the house. Oh, and now you’re eating ice cream from the pint.

I feel like the most stereotypical girl ever and I love it.

Because mine are looking pretty rough and we all know I spend too much on nail polish to be able to afford real manicures. Anyone have a favorite cream or trick for raggedy looking claws?

Ever since we started discussing a move to Atlanta a few months ago, I told myself I’d wait and buy the BR leather market tote I’d been wanting for myself with my first paycheck from a new job. I check in on it about once a week just to say hello and make sure it’s still there. Here it is, in all it’s glory.

Today I clicked on over to see if the current 30% promo code would work on it. And this is what I was greeted with.

That will NOT fly, BR. You better have your “difficulties” straightened out in roughly 3 weeks. 

Real first world problems over here. 

Things on my brain this week as we wrap up:

• How many Diet Cokes are too many Diet Cokes in one day? Is it okay to eat an entire Dove white chocolate bunny for lunch? And then have leftover pizza? And then plan on having pizza for dinner? How much pizza is too much pizza? 
• I’ve found myself saying I “need” things like hot pink shorts, hot pink cardigans and a 12th pair of wedges lately. Maybe Blake is right and I need (actually need) to take a look at the difference between need and want. 
• I wonder if Denny’s breeder thinks it is weird that I emailed them today to see how to get his AKC papers after we’ve had him for two years. I don’t know why I suddenly need these - like I’m going to start showing him or something. I googled the following this morning: dog dandruff, coconut oil for dog skin, make dog stop licking paws, pink dog paws, what does a dog ear infection look like? - so safe to say he’s in good shape.
• I can’t tell if someone looking at my blog for the first time would think I’m a) shopping obsessed b) boring c) a douche d) all of the above. I’m feeling a little self conscious after my sister and friend told me Tuesday that they hate the way I blog. They said it’s fake, which I think is an eternal struggle for any navel-gazing soul who puts their thoughts out on the world wide web. Whatever, we were all supposed to go see Titanic and instead they had us watch Dance Moms and play Apples to Apples with high people. So who’s lame now? This baby bulldog is judging you.

• I know I’ve hinted around at it, but didn’t want to come right out and say anything until I had it in writing. But I got a job in Atlanta! And it’s in social media! And I don’t have to wear stuffy business clothes! And it will let me afford all the pizza and Diet Coke in the land! And I start in 17 days! I’m clearly jazzed about it. 
• We move in 14 days. I’ve packed nothing. 

I thought other job seekers and recent grads would really enjoy this GIF sent to me by Blake earlier:

You guys cry every time you watch Guiliana and Bill this season, right? It’s not just the wine each week?

Suggestions for calming yourself the f down?