Last night I made the mistake of reading this article, which features the following photo. And then I gasped, closed my laptop, went to bed, and prayed not to have bad dreams. Joaquin Phoenix, get well

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In other nightmarish news, the porn industry wants a bailout (okay, so that one is sort of a joke), TV thinks they deserve one, too, and some Pro-Hamas demonstrators said something really, really inappropriate.

AKA, the belated Sunday Morning Coffee: Okie Blogger Edition!

Because I can’t have real Gatorade (full of sugar), but Crystal Light has come up with a fine impersonation of the product. Check out any of their drink mixes or drinks sold in stores under the label “hydration.” Tasty stuff. And I’m going with a sports drink 1) because my low-carb way of eating is back in full swing (I was bad off and on throughout the holidays) and 2) it’s the national championship and come on, we need to be thinking football and something about sports drinks makes me think football. I really prefer blue Powerade though. Used to drink that stuff all the time in the dorms at OU. Corn syrup addiction.

Now, on to the good stuff! Like I told you last week, the time for the Okie Blog Awards is at hand. If you haven’t put in your nominations (ahem, like me…it takes a while!), well, you’re in luck because I am going to provide you with a good look at some of the top notch blogs that exist here where the wind comes sweeping down the plain (to witness this in action, I suggest driving north out of Duncan, up 81 into Chickasha and on north sometime in the month of March).

We need music for this. Okay…hmm, I’d put together a mix for this, but my list isn’t that long, so let me go find something for you…alright, here we go. Okie connections (see my about page) in an Office related fanvid.

And honorable mention, because someone needs to appreciate what this song was before it was defiled, and I don’t think it’s going to make the cut for the reception. Kevin does have veto power.

• First off, let me just say that I love Piper. She recently re-posted an entry from early last year and I think it is a great showcase of her writing.
• Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer went to Africa last year. Those are some of the most heartbreaking, convicting blog posts I think you’ll find anywhere. I just adore her.
• Since I can’t really vote for Kick the Anthill (I write there on occasion) I am going to tell you that you need to. For the three other bloggers because they are all AMAZING (most overused word by today’s college students, ever. other than maybe “ever”). Nume recently discussed the “Palestinian ‘peace’ movement” and provided some video and links. This reaches Oklahoma, folks.
• Then there’s the Redneck Diva who is funny and isn’t ashamed to stuff a possum and use it in a Christmas display. You show me another Christmas lights display featuring roadkill. Second place? She’s a winner in my book.
• EatAroundOKC.com, written by…I have no idea, but I love their reviews of area restaurants. They gave me some much needed info recently on a place that Kevin and I have been meaning to try.
• Friar’s Fires. Like he says, from time to time, he has an opinion. And if it’s not downright hilarious, it’s entertaining at the very least. Highly recommended.
• I like Dustbury, don’t know much about him, but the little bird song on the page is sort of endearing.
• And why can’t there be a category simply called “Pretty” where we award Sam every year? Someone tell me why we can’t live in a world like that.
• Melessa and I see eye-to-eye on Twilight (in my criticism thus far) and that’s enough for me.

Happy voting!

Today marks five months until Kevin and I are married. Time is really slipping by now and it’s hard to believe that we’re well past the halfway point. I thought it would be fun (for some of you) to hear all the things that we’ve been working on recently and what is DONE.

• The save-the-dates are finished and should be going out sometime this week. Kevin, bless his sweet little heart, finished cutting them out sometime around 4am today, as can be seen on the time stamp of his twitter announcing his accomplishment to the world. And folks, it was no small feat. Those things were a pain to cut out and, poor guy, he knows what a perfectionist (aka, woman suffering from OCD) that I am and didn’t want to make any mistakes. Thank you, dear!
• I’ve contacted all the women that I would like to have serve as hostesses for the wedding and I am just waiting for a few of them to respond.
• Bridesmaids dresses are picked out and so far (as I know) one of the ladies has been fitted for hers. I love the dress and really wish I was getting to wear it, too. Though I am quite content with my own
• I had my first dress fitting! It’s fantastic. Saturday was the first time I got to see the dress with the crinoline underneath and it makes it look even better. It’s kinda poofy.
• I’m in the middle of ordering fabric samples for my veil. The one I’m getting is a drop veil, but I have yet to decide the length. Considering how detailed the entire dress is, I worry that a veil that is too long would take something away (even though I would REALLY like one that was the same length as the dress; that would no doubt get really annoying at the reception and I’m not taking the veil off).
• It’s time to get my tan on. Haters, be gone, because 1) I have naturally dark skin that tans in a minute, 2) there is NO history of skin cancer in my family, 3) nothing against yellow skin, but it sure doesn’t look good on me, and 4) my ancestors walked this land for centuries before it was stolen from them and they were half-naked in the blazing heat. I’m not concerned.

Heather and I will be going to a bridal fair in OKC on January 17 and maybe this year I’ll win something? It’s only the third time I’ve gone. Advice to other brides who may be attending: DO NOT put your address on ANYTHING at the Celebrity China booth. They really like to call you around 8-9pm. Especially nice for older ladies like myself who sometimes treat themselves to an early bedtime.

There’s a lot done and a lot left to be done. I’m trying not to stress out over the state of the economy and how that means some changes, as well as attempting to focus on the things that I have control over (realizing that doesn’t mean everything) and accept that there are going to be little things that don’t turn out exactly the way that I envision them, and move forward. This isn’t about what cake topper we choose, the way the flowers look, whether or not an arrangement ends up where it needs to be, or how many pieces of dangling crystal we hang from a fake willow tree on that day. It’s not even about that day. It is terribly cliche (an offense worthy of flaying, I think), but it’s a beginning. I need to remind myself that, while it’s very special, it’s just a day, a marker, a symbol—of something so much bigger. We’ve all been told that a wedding means a happy ending, but I find it really comforting (while absolutely overwhelming) to know it’s not that at all.

I did something to my back while bathing my dog. She’s 15 lbs. What will I do with children?

Since I didn’t have time to write the lengthy post I was planning for this morning, I’ll leave you with the following search terms that have recently led a number of individuals to this little blog. All I have to say is…that’s not available here. And that I really hope this isn’t trending and something we need to be watching out for.

edward spanking bella

(Monday Morning Coffee: Okie Blogger Edition will be posted sometime tomorrow!)