WHY?

Why are you still coming here, you 75 viewers today??

I live at ANNIEBLOGS.COM!! Come on over!

I mean, I guess you're allowed to do whatever you want. I'm not the boss of you. I'm just sayin, for real, this will be my last post here. So if you want fresh Annie, you're gonna have to get it at ANNIEBLOGS.COM! (Fresh Annie sounds creepy. And clean.)

NEW HOME!!

Looking for Annie's blog? It's moved to ANNIEBLOGS.COM

Please change this in your bookmarks and on your blogroll.

I promise I won't make you do this again. I totally appreciate the time and effort you have to go to change stuff. So sorry about that. You can punch me in the arm next time you see me.

For now, head over to ANNIEBLOGS.COM, look around, and fall in love with my bloggy self all over again.

Thanks, friends.

A final letter.

Dear Blogger,

You have been a near and dear friend for a while now. Since November of 2006 if I recall correctly. We've had some good times, we've had some bad times. But all in all, I would not trade starting this blog here, with you, for anything in the world.

But Blogger, I have to be honest. I've been wooed away. Dare I say "lured". By another. By a .com, of all things. By the promise of my own web address. It's not you. It's me. I want to be able to cross out words and leave them there for added humor. I want to be able to see on my opening page what new comments have popped up. I want a word count on my posts, Blogger. I just want a word count.

So I'm moving on. To ANNIEBLOGS.COM. It's a beautiful site. And honestly, if you really love me like you say you do, you'll be happy for me.

I wish you all the best, Blogger. And I hope you keep providing free weblogs to anyone who is interested. But for me, there are greener pastures. I'll miss you old friend.

Sincerely,
Annie
now living at ANNIEBLOGS.COM

Please pardon me.

As I move to Nashville this weekend.

Ye old blog has been neglected a bit..... or has it?

Big bloggy announcement coming Monday!!

When I live in Nashville.

Weird.

And to you I say BRAVO.

I have a love for the Bravo Network. Not all shows, mind you. Let me start by saying that I am NOT endorsing the beliefs of this channel or every show. There are a couple that I absolutely DO NOT watch and think they suck the good out of the room if they are on TV. But there are some shows. Sigh. That I love deeply. And instead of sucking good out of the room, they fill the room with beauty and light and pure enjoyment.

That may be a slight exaggeration. But you know what I mean.

Which shows, you ask? Continue on.

#1-Top Chef.
A cooking show that pits chef against chef in competitions. A reality game show foody-Survivor kind of thing. My bfry Haley and I used to watch episode after episode. We could discuss it at length. I'm not a chef, but I am a bit of a foody. I have a deep appreciation for well made food with high quality ingredients, like my friends Jake and Melissa. So, I can watch Top Chef challenges, quick fire competitions, and back stabbing baking non-stop. I was just looking on the Bravo website and they offer "Top Chef" ringtones. Hmm. Riddle me that one. Is my phone going to ring to the sound of a blender making a sun-dried tomato and olive oil emulsion?

That's right. I just dropped an "emulsion". I got that kind of skill. Thanks to Tom and Padma.

#2- Project Runway.
Fashion. Accessories. Tim Gunn. I can ask for no more from one series. My friend Jamie does a ridiculously fabulous job of recapping the show each week. The episode that I am currently watching has the contestants building an outfit out of a photo they took of New York at night. I love their attitudes, how Suede insists on talking in 3rd person, and the store they go to that has walls and walls of fabric. I have no idea how to sew, or really dress fashionably at all, but that one building makes me drool.

A judge just said "That outfit says 'I have a knife and I will cut you'. I love it." I wish I had an outfit that said that. I think my Old Navy jeans and black fleece say something more along the lines of "I have a spoon and I will eat you." Touche.

#3- Real Housewives of the OC/NYC.
Both of them. Love 'em. Listen, I'm not saying I want to BE these women cause I don't. I'm just saying that nothing says relaxation like watching really rich women play tennis on the Hamptons, go to Fashion Week events, and purchase purses that cost about the same as my Toyota Camry. And are almost as big.

#4- Shear Genius.
I'm new to this one, but I like it so far. Maybe because I am in a bad need of a cool haircut. I've only seen two episodes but I am unofficially hooked. They used about forty-two different shades of dye, forty-two different brushes, and forty-two different ways to argue about who was the best stylist. And who is the most genius. I can answer that- THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS SHOW.

And my very favorite. The creme de la creme. The one show that could receive a standing BRAVO from me. Every episode.

#5- Flipping Out.
I must take a deep breath because this show is just that good to me. Let me expound. If I can do this without standing up and cheering. First of all, they flip AMAZING houses and when he's ready to put them on the market, they are full of fine fine FINE furniture.

Jeff, the star, is completely OCD and bossy and insensitive and I adore him. He has me hook, line, and rude little sinker. He fires people for forgetting guacamole, for heaven's sake. That's a shockingly low tolerance for mistakes and I say yes sir you deserve your own show.

The whole thing is so beautifully high stress and every decision is a really big deal, or so Jeff believes. And we get to watch it all.

So if you've been wondering how my writing career has been doing, or if I have gotten all my packing done, I hope this blog answers that question for you.

Ahem.

Blog-blockage.

It's rare that I run out of things to say. I've been pondering a blog topic for about 24 minutes now and haven't come up with anything life-changing, so I'll just bring on ye old stream of consciousness, which usually ends up a wee bit weird.

I'm an hour away from eating lunch with some teacher friends, I have a short but important list of things I need to purchase from Target, and the sundry items left to pack in my room are annoying me- almost like they are humming at a pitch that pains my ears. Know what I mean?

I have managed, quite successfully, to completely load the next three days with social activities, seeing people, returning borrowed items, spending time with some kids I love, etc.

But the unfortunate thing that I can't shake is this complete exhaustion that hangs on my back. I think its the remnants of Scotland- the fact that it was constantly in my mind from October 07 until last week. I'm just still so tired. I could, with little to no complaint, remain here, in my bed in my pajamas, for upwards of the entire day. And that can't be right. But it feels oh so right.

I know I'll regret it. If I stay in bed all day. I'll regret not seeing people that I love before I move. I'll regret not checking to see if my legs work today. Come 6pm, I'll wonder how it was even possible that I could remain in one spot, give or take a flip or a flop, for 20 hours. Trust me. I wondered that on Monday.

So I'm getting up. I'm choosing life over tired. I will leave Marietta on Sunday and at some point, tired will go away. I'd rather live Marietta and let tired just disappear instead of living tired and having Marietta disappear.

Third Day's Big Day

I don't boss you too often. Mainly because I am not the boss of you.

But today. I will happily boss you twice over-

#1- Get this CD. Third Day's Revelation. It's new and rad and fun and deep and life-giving.

#2- Set your DVR or stay up late and watch Third Day on the Jay Leno Show.
**edit: They just played and KILLED. It was SO GOOD. I hope you saw it.**

[Have I ever mentioned that I secretly dream of being on Jay Leno? But not one of those people in the crowd who get on the show and look kinda silly. I want to be on the show because I'm famous. But since there is a ridiculously slim chance of that happening, I just celebrate my friends getting to play on there tonight.]

Yeah for Third Day and their families! What a great day!!

(Carlos, Melanie, and Sophie have some awesome giveaways - Third Day style. So head over there and get you some.)

I believe.

Carlos put this video on his blog yesterday and I thought, "I don't want to watch 8 minutes of a guy singing". I am a foolish child.

Because I did watch it and haven't stopped listening to the song since. Literally. I fell asleep with my computer playing the song on repeat. It has that anointing that makes you want to carry your boom box (or laptop) on your shoulder so that your ears, and your heart, don't have to be without those words repeating.

After you watch this one, go to YouTube and watch the story behind it. It is unreal.

This is one of those [rare] times when there really aren't the right words for me to say about this song. It's just beautiful.

It is so right to say to God who He is and what we believe about Him.

This CD doesn't come out until next Tuesday, August 5. Trust me, I searched high and low for it. But you can hear the song, and watch both videos, on this website.

May your heart be moved to worship unlike any other Monday.