It's OK...

It's OK...

...that I've had to bite my tongue so much this past week over news stories flooding my social media timelines. I've wanted to throw things. I've even become stabby in some cases.

And these aren't even stories related to politics. Everyone and their mother thinks they are an expert regarding the gorilla incident at the Cincinnati Zoo. School districts want to do away with valedictorians and members of the National Honor Society being recognized at graduations because it will hurt the feelings of students who didn't do as well. You know what, I'm done. I'm ready to check out. Find me my own planet, I don't want to live on this one anymore. Okay, I wasn't going to go all RAGE-y about it, but it's my blog, I can do what I want. Bear with me...

First of all, the incident at the zoo was sad and unfortunate. I love animals, I love zoos. I don't think zoos are bad places. I think it's a great place to learn about animals you otherwise never would see in person. Most zoos take great care of their animals and love and respect them and would never want to harm them in any way. But at the end of the day, a decision was made and in my book, a human life > an animal life (regardless who was at fault- I'm not even touching that part of the story). 

And the whole not wanting to recognize those students who received National Honors makes me really mad. I'm not ready to live in a world full of this generation that has been raised with the "everyone deserves a trophy" mentality. You know what, life isn't always fair. You don't always get what you want or what the person next to you has-SUCK. IT. UP. I wasn't valedictorian. I wasn't even in the top half of my graduating class (I was in the half that made the top half possible). And you know what, I've done just fine in my life. I've had many professional and personal successes. I'm happy. I have friends and a family that love me (or at least that tolerate me. Lol). I don't feel like I am less of a person because I wasn't recognized as a top scholar in high school. I'm so tired of people thinking they are entitled to something every time they get their feelings hurt. 

...that I just went all postal on here. Sorry about that. Rant over. I will now continue on with my usual silly and fun It's OK post. Lol.

...that I have this unhealthy addiction to teen angst TV shows. Thanks to my friend Cara, I watched season one of this TV show called Scream (loosely based on the movie series by the same name. VERY loosely based). It was only 13 episodes long, so thanks to Netflix, I watched it in about 3 days (okay, only a day and a half, I didn't want to be judged).

Yeah, that is what I said...

Each episode was super ridiculous, but of course, I kept watching (because it's an addiction, I just can't quit). And evidently there is a season two about to start on MTV. Hey- remember when MTV played music videos? Do they even do that anymore?

Cara and I are convinced we could do a TV show of us making snarky comments while we watch all these teen angst shows. It would be greatness. Maybe not as great as Mystery Science Theater 3000, but close. Oh, I also got sucked back into Pretty Little Liars on Netflix. I just started season 6. It's not quality television, by any means. Sometimes you just want to watch something where you don't have to think too much about anything. This is the perfect show for that.

I feel this way during a lot of the episodes

...that I'm over all of this rain. I KNOW we are going to go through some kind of drought later this summer and will be begging for rain, so I'm trying not to complain (too much), but seriously, it's depressing having rain every day. And we won't even go into all the flooding around the state. It's awful. You need a boat just to commute to work (or more importantly, to Whataburger).

...that my summer calendar is almost completely booked. I'm excited about my vacations I'm planning out though, and I'm super-excited that my great-nephew C is going to come spend a weekend with me this month. I'm taking him to his first Rangers game and then we will spend a day at the Dallas Zoo (because that boy loves animals). :)

My sweet boy!

What's OK with you today?

XOXO!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Please link up below! :)

I'm loving...

This shirt. I need this shirt. When I was a sports editor for a newspaper (many, MANY years ago), my nickname was Wonderwoman. I was also born in 1978. :)

I'm loving...

That my friend Jeremy published his book last week. I've read it and will review it on my blog soon, I PROMISE! But I seriously recommend it. Check it out here!

I'm loving...

That I got to see my friends Katie and Donny last week. They live in North Carolina and I hadn't seen them in over a year. We met up at a Rangers game and had a great time. It was so good to see them and other members of my Rangers family! Yes, I tend to run into people I know when I'm at the Ballpark. One of my Twitter friends happened to be sitting in the row behind me (it was great to finally meet her!)

I'm loving...

My new blender. A friend gave it to me as an EARLY birthday gift and I made my first smoothie last night. A-MAZ-ING. I look forward to trying out other recipes in it.

I'm loving...

That I got to dog-sit for my friend Chance last weekend. I always love time with Dobby, he's so sweet (except when he poops and pees on my living room carpet- but I think he did that out of spite because he got mad I wouldn't share my food). 

Aunt Rachel's handsome boy!

Enjoying a car ride!

He loves watching Rangers baseball

Don't let this cuteness fool you. This is the look he gave me after I scolded him for pooping in the living room

I'm loving...

The show Parks and Recreation. Okay, I'm not really LOVING it, but I'm LIKING it a lot. I never watched it when it was on the air, but thanks to my Netflix addiction, it has made its way into my queue. It's quite funny. And I'm possibly in love with the Chris Pratt and Adam Scott characters. They are both adorkable. Yes, I meant to spell that word that way.

I'm loving...

When I get to go out to dinner with a good friend. Last week my friend Angie and I met for pizza at this local place called Pizzarella. We both ordered our own pizza (since we wanted different toppings). I honestly ordered it thinking I would take half of it home, but the waiter Kevin challenged me that I couldn't eat the whole pizza. Challenged accepted. And won. Don't tell me I can't do something. :)

Why yes, we did take a picture with our waiter. He's awesome. Angie and I are possibly meeting there again this week for dinner. Kevin is going to think we are stalking him

I'm loving...

That my folks came to visit me last weekend. Well, my mother was really in town to see the Bill Gaither Vocal Band Homecoming concert and just needed a place to stay. Lol. Bill Gaither is a gospel singer (for those who have never heard of him). He and his wife Gloria have been performing for many, MANY years. My mom owns most of their DVDs. And there is now a 24-hour Gaither channel on Dish that she watches ALL THE TIME. It was a two-day concert. My dad went with her on Friday night and I went with her on Saturday afternoon (while my dad stayed home with Dobby). While I'm not the biggest Gaither fan out there, it was cool to see my mom enjoying it. And she was able to meet Gloria Gaither during intermission. I have never seen my mom that excited. It was a fun weekend with them. They went to my church on Sunday and loved meeting everyone in my Sunday School class. :)

Our view during the concert

I call my mom a Bill Gaither groupie. Lol

Gloria Gaither with her biggest fan

My dad had fun with Dobby over the weekend. He wants a dog but my mom keeps saying no

I'm loving...

This Rangers throw that my Secret Sister at church made me. It was my final gift for the month of April- I LOVE IT!! All of the gifts she gave me were great.

What are YOU loving today?

XOXO!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving...

That people have asked if I'm going to start doing the "What I'm Loving Wednesday" link-up again. I got lazy about doing the link up late last year. If people are interested in linking up each week, I might start up again! :)

I'm loving...

Hard Eight BBQ. My friend B and I ate dinner there a few weeks ago. I'm getting hungry just looking at these pictures.

Why yes, I did eat EVERYTHING on my plate. Yes, that's a lot of cheese. I like a lot of cheese on my baked potato. :)

I'm loving...

My Sunday School class. We had a class picnic a few weeks ago at The Heritage Farmstead Museum. I am blessed to be a part of their group (and that they put up with me)! We had so much fun and got a private tour of this place!

I'm loving...

That I can cross Ohio off my "States to Visit" list. I had a business trip in Cincinnati a few weeks ago, taking me to Ohio for the first time. I didn't get to see a Reds game (my company really needs to schedule my trips during baseball season), so I'll have to go back to cross that ballpark off my list! 

The team I worked with in Cincinnati- they rocked!

This was from the 2015 All Star Game (so I saw something baseball related). Lol

They have a thing about flying pigs in Cincinnati...

I'm loving...

That I got to see some of my family last weekend for my momma's birthday and for Easter (this is only a small portion of my family). We missed everyone who couldn't make it!

Yes, I still get an Easter basket. Don't hate. Lol

I'm loving...

That my little great-nephew E is just as silly as his aunt. He loves SnapChat and always likes trying out the features. He also loves making Aunt Rachel take pictures BEFORE she has any makeup on (that kid!)

I'm loving...

When I meet new people. On my flight back from Cincinnati I sat next to the nicest gentleman. We talked the whole flight and are now Twitter friends. We had a great talk about books, our faith, and life in general. It made me forget I was on a plane (y'all know I don't fly well). God blessed me with a new friend!

I'm loving...

THAT MY TEXAS RANGERS OPENING DAY IS ON MONDAY! Sorry for shouting, I'm just that excited!! 

I'm loving...

Quantum Leap. I know, that's so 1989. I watched the show all the time when I was younger and last week I started watching some episodes on Netflix (although I found out that Hulu has ALL of them, unlike Netflix, which skips around in the seasons). Man, Scott Bakula was quite the looker back then (not that he ISN'T a looker now). He and Dean Stockwell were PERFECT together as Sam and Al. I really wish they had made a TV movie after it ended. 

I'm loving...
That I had dinner last week with two of my friends also named Rachel. We decided to officially become The Rachel Counsel! :)

I'm loving...
That I can finally add to my 101 in 1001 list (I'm so behind on it). I ate lunch at a place called Liberty Burger on Monday. I had never been there before so I can add one more to item #50: "Try out 10 restaurants that I've never been to before". This is number 9!

XOXO!!

Thursday 13: 13 Things that I'm OK About...

Thirteen Things That I'm OK About...

It's OK...

1. ...that after reading the book Pretty Little Liars last week, I am now on season two of the TV show on Netflix (yes, I am well aware that I have a binge watching problem). I found out after I started watching it that there are seven seasons of this silly show (and it's still on). SEVEN?! I can't stop watching now, I'm too invested. Good grief I need to find a life. Lol

2. ...to send silly snaps on Snapchat. I don't use it on a regular basis, but feel free to follow me if you want. My handle is Averyfan 

3. ...that this is what I say to myself every morning when I look in the mirror

4. ....that I've had Chick Fil-A twice this week (STOP JUDGING ME!)

5. ...that I haven't worked on my novella/novel in almost two weeks. I do need to make time this weekend to write though

6. ...that this happened on my way home from the airport on Sunday

7. ...that I got a little giddy when my favorite Canadian actor liked a tweet of mine

8. ... that it has been one of THOSE days at work. That sound you hear is my head hitting my desk

9. ... that I'm feeling anti-social lately. I'm going to a Sunday School picnic on Saturday, but besides that, I would be perfectly okay staying home all weekend

10. ... that I love upsets during March Madness

11. ... that I have to remind myself of this from time to time

12. ... that I've had lengthy discussions with friends about brothers Rob and Chad Lowe and if they look alike or not. Some people spend hours talking about politics and how to solve the problems of the world- my friends and I discuss the Lowe brothers. Lol

 

There are times when I think they look similar (especially with their facial expressions) and then there are times when I don't think they look alike at all

13. ... that this has been my dinner more than once lately

What's OK with you today?

For more Thursday 13 posts, check out this link up! :)