A few weeks ago my husband and I joined a walking challenge sponsored by our local hospital that pits us against some of the most fabulous speed walkers you have ever met. You know who I’m talking about. Stylish sweat suits, visors, jewelry, a freshly made face…yes, those ladies. One group we’re competing against (closely; we’re in the same organization) is averaging over 20,000 steps per day and they are militant. A couple of them tried to draft me into their group, but I knew better. If I had joined they would have already drawn and quartered me by now because I’m doing good to meet our team’s goal of 10,000 steps per day.

It’s a great challenge. One that, literally, anyone can participate in (they even offer wheelchair pedometers for those who need them) and it’s served to motivate me and Kevin. Both of us think that by the time it’s done we will have developed a healthy habit of walking around the neighborhood. And just a 30-minute walk each day has shown to reduce risks of a number of health issues. You can never start too early.

There was only one thing that stood between me and the challenge when we first started. I had dealt with it in the past and had never really been able to overcome this obstacle.

What daunting thing stood in front of me? Well…finding the right pedometer.

If your experience has been anything like mine, finding one was no easy task. I have tried out a number of them and I know what my dilemma is. I refuse to pay over $20 for one. I know, I know. How can I expect to get a quality piece of plastic, pendulumy craftsmanship if I’m not going to shell out the dough? Well, as a college student I chose to spend my money on other things, like antique books on eBay (the purchase of which garnered a letter from the FBI inviting me to join the witness protection program…wait, I need to tell you that story, don’t I?), Rusty’s Frozen Custard, and kitchen gadgets from IKEA with names that I am incapable of doing the tongue gymnastics that are required for pronunciation.

This time I headed to our local Academy to peruse what they had to offer. Again, my goal is middle-of-the-road, not over $20, and quality. I made it out of the store with this:

It is the Sportline 340, Step and Distance pedometer. At $17.99 it comes in just under my spending limit. After setting my stride length (exactly 24 inches for those that may be curious; I’m a short-legged little thing) I was off and racking up the steps.

This is the best pedometer I have ever owned. I check it for accuracy a few times per day and so far it hasn’t failed. The battery is still alive (I’ve heard of different pedometers needing to be changed regularly) and the best thing of all? It’s durable. I have dropped this thing countless times. It’s what I do. If you are making a product that I am going to hold in my hands it needs to be able to withstand being dropped on concrete. Seriously, it happens a few times every day. The front cover has popped off a couple of times when I dropped it, but I pop it right back on and go on my merry way.

Thank you, Sportline, for making a pedometer that meets all my needs, doesn’t count a walk across the room as 100 steps, and seems to be strong enough to endure whatever I throw at it. Next time I may even upgrade to the 955 Women’s Pedometer Watch. You heard me right, I might actually spend over $20. I’m sold.

I don’t know Sportline. Sportline doesn’t know me. But I love this pedometer and want the world to know!

I’m starting a new series that I think might be beneficial to my readers. I know there are a number of you out there who are getting married soon or plan to at some point in the future. There are so many things that I picked up while planning a wedding and I wish I had known them before. It would have saved me a lot of heartache.

Determine who you want to have the ultimate control/decision-making ability during the entire process.

This may be the most important thing you do while planning your wedding. It was a lesson I learned early on and fast, and one that never really got ironed out in the whole process of planning.

There are usually 2 to 3 options here (maybe more depending on your family dynamic; divorced parents can play a big role here as I have seen in the weddings of friends): you, your parents, or a wedding planner. There are situations where those involved can be on equal footing, but that takes impeccable communication skills. The chances of that being the case are very slim and there needs to be someone who knows that they can act in the interests of the bride and groom, without having to consult them on every tiny decision (unless you have decided that every thing does need to be approved by you, the bride).

Without this decision being made and letting all parties involved know who can act and who has the power to write the checks, you need to be prepared for a lot of phone tag, back-and-forth, “are you sure you’re okay with this?” dealings that take up more time in the end than if you intrust these decisions to someone you know has your best interests at heart.

My advice if you are the picky type like myself and are planning a large wedding (I have no idea what the scale is. We sent out 450ish invitations, 2 blanket church invites at different churches, and ended up with around 350 or so in the church) is to be prepared before. Know what you want, have photos ready, and be prepared to hire someone to do the dirty work. Unless you have an extensive group of devoted friends and family who are willing to give up a month’s worth of weekends to help you make this thing happen, you are going to have to turn it over to someone else. This will spare you a lot of unnecessary stress.

For a smaller wedding (100 or less) I think you could manage it yourself. (Looking back, I wish I could have done that, though I would never want to exclude someone who wanted to attend our weddng from doing so.) And again, if you are very particular this may be the way to go. If your engagement is long enough and the guest list short enough you can do this. It will be less expensive, but there will be work.

There will be more! I learned a lot while planning our wedding. If you have any particular questions you’d like answered, feel free to leave them in the comments or email me at liz @ misswisabus.com

♥ the give of a weed underneath a hoe
♥ squishing grub worms
♥ a light breeze
♥ roast beef
♥ lemonade weather
♥ Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation
♥ 10,000 steps a day
♥ blisters & callouses (they mean you’ve done some real work)
♥ late evening sun
♥ a cloudless sky
♥ “would i lie to you” – charles & eddie

It was heartbreaking to hear on Sunday what My Favorite Author From My High School Years (Nicholas Sparks) had to say about My Current Favorite Author (Cormac McCarthy). McCarthy has left his mark on American literature and it’s doubtful we’ll be forgetting about him anytime soon. Combine that with the fact that he has made this impression in such a short amount of time and it serves to make me even more flabbergasted as to why Sparks would just go off about McCarthy’s writing, while placing himself above such names as Shakespeare, Austen, and Hemingway in the same breath.

What is this guy thinking?!

Then it dawned on me.

He knows.

Nick knows.

Go back to the first line of this post. See that? Yeah. Umm…I guess I have some explaining to do.

Nick. We had a good run, dude. The first book of yours that I read was Message in a Bottle, which I picked up on a whim off a shelf at Wal-mart. You had me from the get-go. You were there for me when I was 15 and lonely and the only person in the world I could relate to was Jamie Sullivan (A Walk to Remember) and her plain Jane, Bible-toting ways. Honestly, as melodramatic as it may sound, that little novel helped make me see that it was okay to just be who I was and not care so much about not fitting the mold that I saw so many girls trying to slip into. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me. Because the novel was so open-ended and I had opted for the more positive of the two outcomes, Jamie’s death in the film slayed me. But I didn’t blame you for that. As a writer you let your babies go out into the world and live. And when you sell them to the highest bidder your babies end up tattooed and with mangled faces from the prison fights they got into. I don’t think that metaphor worked, but whatever.

When I read The Notebook something kinda clicked though. Your stories were starting to sound…familiar. Not in the way that makes a story relatable and not in the way that someone is taking what they know of your life and writing some trash piece of work in a creative writing course; just plain repetitive. And so I finished The Notebook and got started on a list of books that I felt like I needed to read before I went to college. Between me and my mom, I was still building a collection of your works, though to this day I have not read another one since The Notebook during (I believe) my sophomore year of high school. Still, I chose to go meet you because I thought that some day I would return and you would welcome me into the loving arms of one of your books.

Then along came Cormac. We met when I was in college and unlike many of the relationships I formed during those years, this one stuck. His voice was gravely and masculine. His words vivid and colorful. His pen a veritable brush against the canvas, making the dust and deep sunsets I’d grown up surrounded by seem so much more beautiful.

Since reading your words the other day I have wondered what it could be that led you to say such critical things about a fellow writer and in public. While this post was intended as a bit of a satire (I know very well that your little public breakdown and verbal vomit about how you are greater than the greats is not fueled by the fact that you are no longer my favorite author), however, I am as serious as can be in questioning — where has your southern sense of decorum gone? I’m not a proponent of using harsh words against someone or their work at any time, but couldn’t you have had the decency to keep your opinion to yourself? Simply saying, “I’m not a fan” would have been sufficient in letting the interviewer know that they weren’t going to get much out of that line of questioning. Instead you took the bait and ran without, making us all privy to your innermost thoughts on Mr. McCarthy and his novel.

I am guessing the truth behind the feelings we see expressed in the interview lies in jealousy. It is understandable that you would be covetous of the talent of a writer, whose own works when set to film produce Academy Award winning pictures. But, sir…please. Remember the things your parents taught you. Use a little grace.

No one likes a whiner.

No one likes a bad sport.

No one likes a narcissist.

And you, sir, have placed yourself squarely in each of those camps.

P.S., There’s very little chance I’ll be reading any of your novels or seeing any films based on your work again. And really, we know that’s what cuts the deepest.

You guys know I can get crazy with the water consumption.

I just finished jogging and I still need to get a few more steps in today. We (Kevin and me) are in a competition at our work place against other teams around the community to see who can log the most steps over a 6 week period. So far, we’re doing really good. But it’s 10:46 and I’m tired and I don’t know if those additional steps are happening.

• Why I’ll never think of Nicholas Sparks the same way again. It’s bad, guys. Real bad.
• Amy has made a pretty serious confession about tomatoes. I’m right there with her.
• Pasta Machine Giveaway at The Happy Housewife!
• A good argument for having boys. Not that any of us have a choice in the matter.
• Double Wide Mom’s touching tribute to Dixie Carter. What girl/woman raised in the South didn’t look up to this lady?
• Tasty Kitchen has some yummy sounding leftover recipes they are highlighting this week. I hope I can find something that my husband might enjoy (he’s not a leftover eater).
• 9 Great Ways to be Exceptionally Boring – I feel like I am fulfilling most of those requirements. Okay, folks. I need some more detailed advice on how to be interesting.
• How Much Does Adoption Cost? – Looks at just about every different kind of adoption.
• Sadly, there was a point in my life where I might have purchased a Barry Manilow body pillow.

Edited to add:

• BooMama! I want to learn the dance, too! I skipped out on the Hanson fangirlishness the first time around (by choice; I was exactly the right age), but ever since college I have LOVED them. They are sure enough talented musicians.

Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’

HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

30th Anniversary Stairway to Heaven
Elmore City, OK
April 17, 2010

If you’re going to be in Oklahoma this weekend you’re still looking for something to do, the City of Elmore City has you covered all day long! Smack dab in between Oklahoma City and Dallas, just off of I-35 you can get a taste of small town flavor and take part in the festivities.

This Saturday, Elmore City is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first prom held at Elmore City High School (now Elmore City – Pernell) back in 1980. You may know it as the historic prom that inspired the film Footloose.

Some highlights going on throughout the day:

• 10:00 a.m. — S. Main Street — 30th Anniversary Stairway to Heaven Event Kick Off
• 10:15-45 a.m. — Community Center — Dance Contests (Twist, Electric Slide)
• 11:00 a.m. — S. Main Street — Lawn Mower Races
• 11:30 a.m. — ECP Track Field — Lawn Mower Races
• 1:00 p.m. — Community Center — Oklahoma City International Folk Dancers
• 3:00 p.m. — Downtown Elmore City — 30th Anniversary Parade
• 4:30 p.m. — Community Center — ECP Alumni Meet & Greet
• 5:30 p.m. — Downtown Elmore City — Promenade
• 7:00 p.m. — S. Main Street — 30th Anniversary Street Dance

Complete Schedule
Directions + Map Pinpointing Storm Shelters (this is Oklahoma)

Hope to see you there! For more information, contact City Hall at (580) 788-2345

The City of Elmore City has no idea I’m doing this. I wasn’t asked. I’m just a little ol’ alumna that’s pretty stinking excited!

That’s awful. I know. I’m sorry, really, but when I get on this subject I get really giddy and all pre-teeny and stuff. Notice I didn’t say “tween.” I think those critters are a different breed than what me and my adolescent cohorts were. All you have to do is look at the clothing we were wearing in the mid-90s and what the kids are wearing these days. There was a marked difference between what we were buying and what your average middle-aged prostitute donned on any given evening. Not so much anymore.

When the ads first started coming on for GLEE and the internet began buzzing I knew that it was the kind of show I’d like to watch. I’ve participated in a little show choir in my day. Shoot, I’d like to be in one now.

There was something about the commercial that seemed familiar and at first, I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I remembered.

Schuester.

It was him. I stared at the TV. Could it really be?

Suddenly, all the memories came rushing back and I was 14 again. Sitting in the middle of Mr. B’s health class, doing nothing but listening to our Discmans and whatever new boy band CDs we were passing around that week. Or if you were the girls who sat over in the back corner, Marilyn Manson. I’m just saying.

Around that time there was a show that me and most of my friends were watching — Lou Pearlman’s Making the Band. In case you don’t remember, Lou Pearlman is the shady producer who treated both the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC not so nice. As in, he took their money. But no matter. Every night that this show was on I was right in front of the TV, waiting to see the latest drama that would unfold with a house full of guys who want to be in a boy band living under the same roof. The premise seems hilarious now, but back then? Someone come and fan me, please.

Long story short, the show produced the band O-Town and without them the world would be bereft, left to go on without this gem:

Heh. Heh-heh-heh. Heeee. (I’m sorry.)

There was more drama and one of the guys that was originally supposed to be in O-Town split off and there was another boy band formed — LMNT.

(Should I mention that by this time I was 16 and should have STOPPED being into this stuff?)

Around about this time, we got the internet at my house. Woooooo-doggies! So I was keeping track of all this stuff on Yahoo groups with other 12-16-year-old girls. LMNT had its first three members (3 guys who didn’t make the cut for O-Town), but they were looking for a fourth.

It is impossible to find any visual evidence of Matthew Morrison being a part of this band, but I promise you, he was. I was familiar with him from his time spent onstage in the Broadway production of Footloose (there’ll be more on that tomorrow!) and this development was terrific for me. Apparently not so much for him, since he’s quoted as follows:

It was the worst year of my life. You know when you’re a performer and you’re out there on stage and you’re embarrassed that you’re doing something wrong. It was pretty bad.

Sheesh, dude.

So there was that, but his time in the band was short. And for years I did not see him. Until the 2005 Tony Awards.

And now…he’s on the TV again. Seeing the first commercial for GLEE was a little bit like things had come full circle for 14-year-old me. That is why it’s a good thing I never had a vocal teacher who looked like him. My voice teacher? Well…

BOOM.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

My grandmother once admitted to me, many years ago, that when she was a child living in a small town in Oklahoma in the 40s and 50s she believed that when you went to the big city, life was like this:

(this one allowed embedding when I first wrote this; now it doesn’t. click through to watch.)

And essentially, I grew up hoping that at some point in my life there would be a moment when everyone harmonized and danced through the halls. I’m sorta still waiting on that, but GLEE gives me hope.

Only here’s the deal. I’m thankful that I never had a voice teacher that looked like this (tune in tomorrow to find out just exactly why), or we might have had this situation on our hands:

Let’s face it. I was just a little confidence short of pulling a Josie Gellar (think — the part when she gets up in front of the class and reads a poem she wrote to her crush…ugh) during most of high school.