MerrinDonahue.com

Londoners are in our prayers today.

Check this out.
If you’ve got about 10 minutes to spare, you can help your fellow bloggers at MIT.

Really. This has nothing to do with anything, but I was just thinking: I don’t know any female who hasn’t seen the Lifetime Movie “Coed Call Girl” starring Tori Spelling. I don’t even watch Lifetime, but I’ve seen it, like, 5 times. How can that be?

I’m sending special thoughts and prayers to a friend of mine, whose daughter is in the hospital suffering from Pertussis (commonly known as Whooping Cough). Yes, the kiddo has been immunized, but apparently there is a vicious strain going around that is, um, immune to the immunization. There is nothing in the world more heartwrenching than having to suit up in gloves, mask, and gown to visit a sick three-year-old who can’t leave her hospital room because she’s quarantined.
If you have little ones, and you live in the DFW area, be extra careful. Wash your hands often, and be on the lookout for a cough that doesn’t get better. Even if you’ve had the shot, you (and your kids) are still at risk. The best part? It can last for weeks, or even months.

Happy Birthday, baby. I love you!

Hey! It’s my birthday, too! Yeah, yeah, yeah…..I’m the big 3-0 today, which is just one decade closer to middle-aged. Kevin got me a shiny new laptop, and, yes, it’s a Mac. Then, I turned right around and got him one too, since his birfday is tomorrow. Other than that, we’ve spent a lovely couple of days with J, C, and Mini. It’s been pretty quiet around here for the last few days, which is nice, considering how hectic our lives have been lately. I’m almost caught up on my sleep, but I’m sure that will change soon enough. More on the birfday festivites later…..

Whoa. Where did the month of April go? Oh yeah. To Mexico and then to the land of the PSP (BTW: are you trying to tell me something?). Kevin got a new truck for our anniversary, and we’re off to the Bahamas in a week. I love the new store, but I’m hella busy; hence, no blogging. Soon, however, I will be relaxed and relatively stress-free, and there will be blogging-a-plenty. In the meantime, I’ll be glued to my PSP, trying to get good at Ridge Racer so I can kick Josh’s ass.

One more thing: I’m pretty sure my mom should do this.

It has been a whirlwind of a week, but I have to say, Mexico was fantastic. Kevin has the pix posted here. I am sunburned and sore, but it was sooooo worth it. Cabo was beautiful, and now I can’t wait to head to the Bahamas in a month!
I start at my new store tomorrow, and I’m pretty excited. Other than that, it’s just trying to get back into some sort of routine. It feels like we’re never home anymore. Since February, we’ve been to New Orleans, Tampa, Kentucky, Shreveport, Los Angeles, and Mexico. In less than four weeks, we leave again. Not that I’m complaining, but I sure am learning to appreciate my house a whole lot more!

I know I’ve been scarce around these parts lately, but I have kind of a lot going on in my world right now. Kevin and I are supposed to leave for Mexico on Monday, and I’ve been in Shreveport for the last couple of days.
I’ll say this, though: when you get a rather substantial raise on April Fool’s Day, it’s kinda hard to convince your husband that you’re telling the truth.

I know that God never gives you more than you can handle, but I’m just about full up. Just know that tonight I’m saying lots of prayers for my family and friends, because I need all the help I can get right now.

I realized today that I have spent $90 in the last two weeks on my nails and my eyebrows. What’s really startling is that I didn’t even bat an eyelash when I came to this startling realization. In fact, I then calculated that I will spend another $90 two weeks from now on the very same things. I’ve never been particularly vain, but I sure do like my pretty hands and feet. Still, $30 for a fill may be a little excessive, no matter how great your manicurist is. Now I just need a haircut, and I’ll be a whole new girl.
Do not mock my girliness. I am now officially at peace with it.

Well, we made it to Tampa and back again. Correction: one of us made it to Tampa and back again, and the other one is currently on a flight to LA. We flew in on Friday evening for Sonny’s (Kev’s grandad) 80th birthday bash, and we left this morning at 6:00. After a connection through Houston (WTF? I don’t fly connecting flights!), we made it back to Dallas, where Kevin promptly boarded a plane bound for California. By the time he goes to bed tonight, he will have been up for 24 hours. Poor guy. I bet he won’t be singing in the shower tomorrow like he did today, although, I must admit, he does a pretty good rendition of Private Dancer.

I seem to be quite immersed in family events this week. First, I have to send a (belated) shout-out to Sloane, who was accepted to the PhD program at Princeton. Just what we needed: another doctor in the family!
Secondly, I am compelled to wish a certain little sister a happy 10th birthday. I can’t believe she’s TEN already!
Finally, there are large goings-on from Kevin’s side of the fam, about which I will elaborate at a later date (look for updates on Sunday). Speaking of: Hey Coopers!!! Could ya keep an eye on the place for a couple of days? Thanks….
See? I told you it was family-riffic!

I’m having way too much fun with the Gizoogle Textilizer. Here’s an excerpt from my previous post, a la Snoop:

So I dizzy in fact, go shopp’n yesterday (again) fo my bling bling. Today, I went n gots mah nails done (thank God fo` fakes nails, I dizzay care W-H-to-tha-izzat anybody says) n mah brows waxed. Kevin, of course, playa noticed or particularly cared, which begs tha question . Fo’-fo’ desert eagle to your motherfuckin’ dome: Why do we, as bitchez, endure tha torture of hav’n hair ripped from tha oh-so-sensitive follicles right above our eyelids if no one (at least not tha person you care `bout mizzost) notices?

Damn, I love Snoop Dogg.

So I did, in fact, go shopping yesterday (again). Today, I went and got my nails done (thank God for fake nails, I don’t care what anybody says) and my brows waxed. Kevin, of course, neither noticed or particularly cared, which begs the question: Why do we, as girls, endure the torture of having hair ripped from the oh-so-sensitive follicles right above our eyelids if no one (at least not the person you care about most) notices?
Once again, I think it all goes back to vanity. That’s okay. At least I have pretty hands and a smooth, non-uni-brow.
On a somewhat related note, I have a brilliant idea. Since my car went into the shop today for a little check-up (nothing major, just fluid changes, new wiper blades, etc.), I got to thinking: Wouldn’t it be great if there was a spa of some sort attached to the mechanic? You could get a manicure, pedicure, and massage while your car was being worked on. You know, charge your batteries while we change your car’s. Now if only I knew a venture capitalist….