So close . . . yet so far!

Do you have good luck or bad luck?  Well, sometimes I tend to think I'm luckier about some things than others.  Winning things . . . . not so much luck.

 The past few weeks KTLO radio station has been registering people for a chance to win two tickets to the 2011 Goin Coastal Concert featuring none other than Kenny Chesney!  Also, Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington, and Uncle Kracker.  Earlier this week, July 19th to be exact, I boogied up to High Country Motors to enter in the drawing to be held today, Friday July 22nd.

They narrowed down all the entries by having daily drawings.  They would draw and you had xx number of minutes to call in to be put in the grand prize drawing.  Yesterday morning they drew my name....and I didn't hear it!  Luckily someone my sister works with heard it and they told me.  So, I called the station and they put me in the grand prize drawing!  I was so excited.  A rush of enthusiasm and energy just filled me!
So today was the day.  I even dressed for the occasion and wore my 2005 concert tee from the "Somewhere in the Sun" tour.  About 11:30 they drew names to go from the top 25 names to the top 10.  After a phone call from friends and family calling to say, "Lindsay, do you know you're in a drawing for some grand prize?" or "Lindsay, they're fixing to go the top 10." My niece called me and says, "You're in a drawing. Did you know that? Who's it for?" When I told her Kenny Chesney tickets I think she could have melted! haha

So I rushed to the car to hear the top 10 drawing.  My name wasn't drawn :''(  So, I wasn't so lucky.  But hey!!!  I was a little lucky and felt great being in the top 25.  How awesome it would have been to go to one of his stadium concerts.  It would be an epic concert for any true Kenny fan.  But, it was great just being in the top 25 out of hundreds of entries.

Afterall . . . . I have seen him already six times, one of those being May 1994 (his first year on a major tour..my sister got his autograph and will not give it to me. She doesn't even like him!) and the last being April 1, 2011.   I guess we'll have to try again for next year's tour!!

Until next time . . . .

via Jasper . . . I knew where I was the whole time :)

July 14th, 2011 started out just like any other day . . . with the exception it was my sister's 30-something birthday and my dad was out of town for a meeting.  I got up, drove to work, worked, drove home just like any other day.  A bit after I arrived home my mom stopped by to see if I'd seen the dogs; which I hadn't.  She checked some cows and then we went to see where the dogs usually retreat on hot summer days; beneath the porch of mom's antiques cabin.  Well, Ben and Tucker were under the porch, BUT Jasper was no where to be found.  On top of that Tucker would barely come out from beneath the porch.  You see, it is highly unlike Jasper to be away from the other dogs during the daytime.  We had just been told earlier in the day a cougar (mountain lion) had been spotted a mile down the road.  So, needless to say my heart hit my feet when I couldn't find my pup. 

Mom knew immediately I was on the verge of tears.  I think she was a little scared too of Jasper's whereabouts.  So I head out on the four wheeler going up and down the road and mom gets in the truck to take the highway route in case he followed her out to work that morning.

I drove up and down the road for about an hour stopping here and there calling for him.  Nothing.  As I continued to drive tears streamed my face as I prayed Jasper was okay.  I know he's only a dog, but he's my buddy; my baby.  So after about an hour my mom and I meet up with neither of us having any luck.  I told her I hadn't checked my other place yet so that was my last resort.  My new place, the one I'm remodeling, is a mile down the road (across the hollar) from where I live now.

As I'm driving down the road I'm still calling and praying for Jasper and I admit crying.  I continued to call for him the closer I got to my other house and no sign.  Just as i got to the corner of my yard I see Jasper standing on the porch as if he's there waiting for me to get home from work!  I was relieved, thankful, and a big ole ball baby; tears rolled!  I said over and over, "Thank you, Jesus!"  Mom pulled in the yard behind me and I just cried as Jasper ran to me.  He was so excited to see me.  He doesn't know how excited I was to see him!  My mom laughed at me for crying, but at the same time she was relieved we found him.

So, Jasper really wasn't lost after all.  He knew where he was the entire time.  We don't know why he went there exactly other than he may have followed mom out that morning.  Mom said he was sending me a message to make me hurry up and get the remodeling done and get moved into my new place.  Jasper loves that porch and yard so he's ready to live there!  At least that's what we think he would be saying if dogs could talk :)

Until next time . . .

Day 1 . . . I'm getting my life back!

Well, today is the day.  That makes me think of a song:  this is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it!  I've started and ended many 'diet' plans over the course of my life; seldom being successful.  Today, I pray this is a turn around not only in my inability to start something and succeed, but also to start this weight loss journey and regain control of MY body and health before it's too late.

Day 1 of HMR (Heath Management Resource):  I will just point out that I don't plan on staying on the HMR plan for the extent of my weight loss journey.  I'm mainly using it to help me get started on the track to healthy eating.  Nonetheless today is the beginning of the rest of my life!  I've said it many times and many times I've failed.  BUT, with my prayer, your prayers for strength I'm letting God lead me this time.  Weird statement I know.  I let God lead me for everything except for what or how much I put in my mouth!  I'm turning my weight issue over to God.  Sounds really crazy maybe.  He isn't the one responsible for making me 'fluffy'.  Well, he's not the one who causes people to sin, but we still turn things over to Him don't we?  My weight loss journey is no different.  It's through Him that I will succeed this time.  The determination is there, but oh the willpower!

I won't tell my starting weight until I'm finished.  That's a number that only myself, God and my doctor know!  When I'm finished I will tell how much I've lost.  Let me just say I have a long road to go.  I CAN DO IT!!!!!!!  I have to keep telling myself that.  I'm going to use my blog to keep track and a record of my progress. 


Ugg, I never let anyone take a head-to-toe picture of me.  Thanks Sara for snapping my mug. . . So, here's to Day 1! 

July 5, 2011:  Day 1

Until next time . . .