Whatever Wednesday....RACE FOR THE CURE!!!

I'll keep this short and sweet......

I am racing for the cure. 

I hate cancer.  Cancer SUCKS. 

Too many people have to fight this battle, some win, some, unfortunately do not. 

SUPPORT THE CAUSE! 

Only 17 days left until RACE DAY! 

Please visit my PERSONAL PAGE to see why I am racing or to make a donation.  Five dollars, ten dollars, anything is appreciated and totally for a wonderful cause! 

Update: Ru-uu-nn-inggg (In Forest Gump voice)

Last week I entered the beloved world of running again. 

Genevieve (aka G-Dawg, aka Pink Lightning) and I are hoofin' it and running our way to a 5K in September. 

The first week of 5K training was good!  Gen and I got up at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday, like good little girls, and went to run with the group.  The group meeting time is "supposed" to be at 6:45am on Saturday, but uh, we didn't hit the trail til at least 7:15am.  Maybe the pacer people's clocks are broken...... 

We are taking tips from Forest......just look at him, stellar form and great speed.

Run on Forest, Run on.   

The only bad thing, right now, about training during the week, is it's at 5:30pm.  Okie world still feels like it is  in the center of the sun, and it's H.A.W.T!  I thought the forecast was supposed to be BELOW 100 this week, but clearly I was wrong.  Last night's run was roasty toasty to say the least!   

Water is definitely a must while we are running to deal with the heat.  We always carry it with us.  But I'm assuming, if it doesn't cool down SOON, we will just take another tip from Forest and just STOP.  Don't worry, we will not be growing a beard and we will condition our hair.   

It's so fun getting to catch up with Gen while we run.  I've also enjoyed meeting new people too....at Saturday's group run, I met Joe and Jennifer.  He is our pace man and we are going to work on turning Joe into a "Boo Bee"....we'll see how it goes, hehe.  Jennifer is another breast cancer survivor!  She's awesome!  Gen said she is on the tail end of her radiation, and she comes and runs while pushing her daughter in a jogging stroller.  Amazing, just amazing.     



This is kinda how we are when we run.....side by side, can't really look at each other...and talk...and run, or we'd fall and break our faces.  As much as Bubba LOVES shrimp, I hope he would advise against eating shrimp while running.  Ewwww, that thought gives me a tummy ache.   

It's A Wonderful Life

Before I started working on "the big dawg", I had a few canvases that I had started.  I don't usually start a new one without finishing one I'm working on, but sometimes it just happens.  My little brain just gets to wandering and I have to start on my next thought before it goes away, hehe.

I saw a typography print similar to this on Pinterest and fell in love.

My favorite movie on the planet is Steel Magnolias but right behind that is It's A Wonderful Life.  I HAVE to watch it every Christmas, several times.  I heart ZuZu.....and Jimmy Stewart.....and Donna Reed.....and when they're dancing and fall into the pool.......and Clarence.....one of the greatest movies ever!

So, I decided to start a wall with my fave sayings in the White House.

Here's the finished product! 

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings"

Whatever Wednesday.....Breast Cancer & Running!

Running......is such a bittersweet friend of mine.  I like to run, I promise, just not FARRRR, LONGGG distances. 

As I posted here, I got back into the running groove.  But then it turned into 400 degree days outside and the running sort of took a backseat.  I've done some treadmill work but not a whole lot.  Yes, I could have gotten up at the butt crack of dawn and ran in the heat, but it was still in the 90's in the early morning and sometimes 95-100 degrees at 10pm.  Therefore, running outdoors was not gonna happen......unless I wanted to have a heat stroke.....no, thank you.  Workouts were still on regular schedule, I just managed to cut out the dreadmill.....I'd much rather pound the pavement outside.    

Go Forest!!! 

Enter Genevieve.

A little background for you.....Genevieve, aka Gelly Bean (as I like to call her), is a friend who I played basketball with in college. 

She sent an email to me and others, requesting we join her team for the upcoming Race for the Cure.  Their team is called the "Boo Bees", how cute is that?!?!  Anyway, this team was formed in 2008 as general support for Race for the Cure.  Then last year, Genevieve was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Gen is younger than me!  She is only 35.   I could not believe it when I found out. 

Cancer.does.not.discriminate.  Cancer.is.EVIL.

In the past year, she's been through it.  She has had big time chemo and major surgeries.  I have kept in contact with her mostly via email.  She has always sounded very upbeat and positive in her emails.  Not once has she sounded down, depressed, sad, mad or anything.  Sure, she has had those feelings, but her positive outlook is amazing.  To me, she is beyond courageous and brave.  She has handled/taken this on with a warrior spirit.       

Genevieve has been back to work for several months now and is doing great.  And I'm SO happy to report that she is cancer free!  Can I get a WOOT WOOT?!?! 

Back to running..........when I responded to Gen's email about Race for the Cure, she told me she had started training with our local Runner's World for the 5K.  They run on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and best of all, it's free!  That was on Monday, so that night, I went and started running with G-Dawg (Genevieve).  I just made that up.  She reads my blog, I'm sure she will love that term of endearment. ;)

She and I are both TALL and are both of the opinion that 5K-ish distance running is best.  So, as she's getting back into running shape, I'm getting back into running shape.....and we are both going to rule the world at the Race for the Cure.

I'm pretty sure we will look something like this :

We're going to be SO fast!  You will only see a blur of pink fly by......and you will ask yourself, was that A-Dub and G-Dawg?!?!  Man, they're so fast and awesome!  Ever heard of "Pink Lightning"?.....kinda like Grease Lightning, only better!  That will be us, just call us PINK LIGHTNING!!!!!! LOL!  I'll stop with my own self encouragement now.

If you are interested in donating to The Boo Bees for Race for the Cure, please email me at whitehouseblog32@gmail.com and I will send you the information!

(via)

Remember......Pink Lightning!!!!!!!

Whatever Wednesday.....Arm Party!

I learned a new term last week.  For those of you on Twitter, #armparty.  It's a party on your arm.....have fun with it!!!

I stumbled upon a new blog and she was talking about the arm party.  She has a great blog, her name is Crystal Cattle.  Her feature every Thursday is called "Turquoise Thursday".  Last Thursday, she posted about a bracelet giveaway.  Yesterday, she announced the winner.  Guess who the winner is?!?!  MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!  I'm so excited, I never win anything.....I won the #armparty giveaway on Turquoise Thursday!  I'll def post a pic of my lovely bracelet when I get it from Crystal!

Back to the #armparty.......this was my arm party last Friday night for the PBR.  Turquoise rocks!

Here is today's arm party..... a  little boring but definitely shiny. :)

After reading a bit about it, the term "arm party", I believe, was coined by The Man Repeller.  

You should google #armparty.....you get all kinds of good results......jewelry makes my heart happy. 

Pretty Shiny Sparkly
Lemons & Loafers
Cliche` Magazine

Stack up the jewels....and have fun with your very own arm party!  :) 

Saying Goodbye

Today my heart is heavy. 

Today I feel sadness. 

Yesterday, Nanny Childers was laid to rest.  She is the grandmother of my best friend (Missy) since third grade.

I grew up in a small community, graduated with 48 people, the kind of place where everybody knows everybody AND their business.  But, when times get tough, everyone will have your back.  The community comes together in times of heartache and need. 

The Childers/Wyse family has supported me for a very long time.  Like I said, we've been a part of each other's lives since I was in third grade.  Best I can calculate (I don't have kids, so I have no idea), you're about eight or nine years old in third grade, therefore they've been a part of my life for about 30 years.

Nanny and Papa (Papa passed away a year ago :( ), were pillars of the community.  They went to every one of my basketball games, told me how good I played after each game, always greeted me, no matter where, with a hug and a kiss.  Papa was always ready with a piece of candy too.  They were both amazing people.  Loved me like I was one of their own, loved and cared for my parents like they were their own.

I don't like funerals.  But, I do feel it is necessary for closure and paying respect.  I know it is a part of the life cycle, but it sucks.  I've said good bye to all of my grandparents at a very young age and in my adult years. 

I hurt today, for Missy's family.  Her family is MY family.  We all know Nanny is with Papa again and smiling and having a wonderful time.  But her earthly family misses her dearly.

Momma went with me to the funeral.  Afterward, she told me she didn't want to get old.  Believe me, I don't want her to get old either.....or Honey....or anyone for that matter.  It's too hard to even think about. 

We all should enjoy, cherish, and love our earthly family and friends.  And when the time does come for a family member to be with our Father in Heaven, I will rejoice in the fact that I will be with them again, some day.

Wishing you all much love and many blessings :)

Workin' on my Fitness

I feel like I have been such a blog slacker!  I'm so sorry to all my faithful followers......I will do better! 

Workout Update!  I haven't posted about workout in AWHILE.....at least since my RANT.

Since my rant, I have started small group training, twice a week.  Some friends of mine own a Fitness Together facility.  It's mainly for one on one training, but they recently started group training.  I'm only doing it for one month because I still have not found my sugar daddy to purchase my personal training for the rest of my life.  Insert sad face here, ha!

Anyway, the first week of group training worked out well for me.  The first workout was myself and two other peeps, fine, it's "small group".  The second and third workouts, no one else showed up, so I got the one on one experience!  It was hard core, and Derek (the trainer) tried to kill me, but I got an a-m-a-z-i-n-g workout.

Do you get this excited to workout? haha

(via)

Since doing training twice a week, I am still trying to mix in a body pump, piyo and a spin class.  Can you say sore to the core??  It's not really that bad, personal training can be pretty dang intense.  I am proud to say I can do all of it and not die in the process.  Mind you, I am physically tired sometimes, but I just push through it at the next workout.

On a different note, since "quitting the sauce", I have managed to lose a few pounds.  See, I knew it!!!  It was the dang Diet Pepsi holding me back!   The bloat-y feeling is gone and I don't feel as ravenously hungry as when I drank all that carbonation.  It's so weird, how I feel somewhat better without it.  All that extra sodium really makes a difference.....even though it is "diet" pop. 

The first few days were fine, although I did yawn my head off!  Like you have partied all night, every night, for a week, yawning.  I did drink unsweetened tea, which has caffeine, but I guess it's just not the same as a Diet Pepsi.  After about the third day of just tea, I think I sort of adjusted and all the yawning business stopped.


Until next time, peace out!

Spending the Day at Sissy's House

This post is brought to you by my parent's pup, Charleston. 

Hi everybody! 

I'm Charleston!  

 I'm big, white and curly haired all over.  You might notice, I'm a rather handsome fella....

My Sissy so graciously asked me to tell you a short story today on her blog. 

She's the greatest Sissy in the world!  ever!  :)

My parents had to go out of town for the day.  I couldn't hang out in the truck because of the heat, so I got to go to Sissy's! 

Really, Sissy is ~SO~ cool, in case you didn't know. 

Anyway, Mom & Dad dropped me off in the morning, and I needed some relief (if ya know what I mean) around lunch time.  Sissy came home on her lunch break to take me for a short walk and to take care of business. 

I'm not much of a morning/breakfast kind of guy, so I waited until lunch to partake of my first meal of the day.  Again, being the cool Sissy that she is, she fed me lunch. 

Mom & Dad left some supplies for my lunch.  In my bowl, on the counter, there was dry/hard food, a baggie of chicken jerky, and another baggie with my bone and snack n' slices, aka treats!!

I do have very specific instructions for my food.  I'm a bit of a picky eater.  Things must be done just right or I'm not having it......here are my instructions for lunch:

I'm such a good boy, I ate almost half of my food for her!  Like I said, I'm a picky, perhaps finicky, eater.  

When Sissy got home from work, we went for a short walk down the street.  

Then Mom and Dad came to pick me up and I was SOOOOOOOO excited to see them! 

I love my Sissy but it was so good to see my parents after being without them ALL day! 

Many thanks to my sweet bubby, Charleston for today's story/post!

Until next time, peace out!

Whatever Wednesday....Bachelor Pad

Ok kids, did anyone watch the premiere Monday night of Bachelor Pad 2?

Talk about some trash TV!  Yes, I watched it!  I am a Bachelor and Bachelorette junkie. 

Talk about a pool full of skinny, wanna be hot, hormone crazed psychos!!!!!

(all pictures via)

Here is my take on the first night of action......in pictures. 

Did you watch it?  Did you like it? 

Did you want to strangle Kasey?  and/or Vienna too?

Until next time, peace out!

The Big Dawg......

.......is finished!!!!

My friend Carol Ann's boyfriend, had a humongous wood "table top" that some friends made for him.  I believe he had it for awhile and had done nothing with it.  His plan, I think is to make a table out of it and put a glass top on it. 

I call it the big dawg because it's bigger than anything I've ever painted before.  I didn't measure it exactly, but it was taller than my top load washing machine when I leaned it up against it......so after measuring the washer, I believe it was about 40 inches in diameter.  It was about 2-3 inches thick and it is HEAVY.   

Here are some progression pictures of the big dawg!  :)

With primer......

Orange and silver added.....

Black and white added to the middle.....

Ta-da!  The finished product! 

These pictures don't do it justice, it turned out so great.  It looks so cool in person, I think, just because it's so BIG! 


On to the next assignments!  Matching canvases for twins!  I'll post the final product when they are done!

If you would like to order custom canvases, please give me a shout!  Christmas is right around the corner and they make great gifts!  Message me at whitehouseblog32@gmail.com.

Until next time, peace out!

Whatever Wednesday.....Weather & Bye Bye Diet Pepsi

Happy Hump Day Peeps!

Not a whole lot is new and exciting with me.....Sorry, but I will continue to gripe that it is so unbelievably hot here.  Today is a potentially record setting day for a high temperature.  It could be the HOTTEST day EVER in Tulsa today.  EVER.....really?  It's ok, no heat records need to be broken TODAY. 

This was the temp outside at 10PM last night....

Anyway......I have griped/posted before about my good, hard workouts, good diet, and not losing any weight.  This week I decided to do something BIG.  Big for me anyway.  I have given up drinking my beloved Diet Pepsi, insert *tear* here.  This is huge because I don't drink coffee, that IS my coffee.  I have drunk it every morning of my life since I can remember! 

Now, I have not given up caffeine, just Diet Pepsi.  If I gave up caffeine, I might need to be admitted to the hospital for some detox or something, hehe.  Instead, I am drinking unsweet iced tea in the mornings.

Just to be clear, I don't drink a ton of caffeine in a day.  It's just a get me going in the morning type of thing.  On average, I drink at least a gallon of water a day, and no, I am not exaggerating in the least.  It is because of the antihistamine's and other medications I take for my asthma/allergies that cause my excessive thirst.

Honestly, right now, I don't miss it.  Maybe it's because it's something different, or because it's so hot outside, and the tea is light and refreshing.  I'm sure I will have one occasionally, but for now, I am testing the waters to see if I feel different without it and if I lose weight easier.  And, I am proud to say I have already lost two pounds this week!  Yay!

The pro's of quitting the sauce are, I'm saving the earth and money.  I recycle, but my daily, morning consumption and recycling of these plastic bottles will save space in the recycle bins from the weekly White House drop off.  AND, I don't have to pay a buck or more for a two liter of pop.  I don't know how many pitchers of tea I can get out of a box of tea bags yet....this is still a new ball game to me.

So, that is my accomplishment for the week!

On a serious note, please pray for rain and relief from these severe temperatures.  I am so blessed to have an indoor job and a home with air conditioning.  I cannot imagine having to work outdoors right now.  Plants, trees, and shrubs are all dying.  There are dead leaves all over the ground, it looks like fall already.  Water is starting to be rationed, there is simply not enough to meet the demand right now.  The ground is cracking, farmers/ranchers are having to try and sell their livestock because they are unable to water them.  Yesterday, there were several grass fires that ruined 100's of acres of land and homes.  I pray for rain, relief and comfort for those who are being hit hardest by all of this heat.

Until next time, peace out!    

Stuff and the Best Snack Ever!

Wassssuuppppp Peeps!!! 

This is all over the place......

Last week, on Pinterest, I repinned something that I thought was HILARIOUS.  Namaste is such a calm, friendly greeting.  This just made me laugh out loud!

I am officially a tweeter. 

I joined Twitter a long time ago, but just recently really started using it.  It's just another way to follow/stalk the celebrities, reality stars, pro athletes, and all the people you will never ever meet.  But I like it!!!!!  Follow me @adubya32. 

It is super duper, hotter than the hubs of hell, hot here.  This is not new information or breaking news....but it seriously has gone up into the 110's.  R-I-D-I-C.  This is how our day looks.....

Right now, it is 112 degrees.  The forecast high for tomorrow is 114.  

 It's miserable and dangerous.....thank you JESUS, I have an indoor job. 

Truly, thankful for that. 

My sweet lil buddy Ashley, introduced me to a new sweet treat/snack.  She is in college and doesn't have to worry about every single calorie that hits her lips, landing on her hips, so I believe she can partake of this snack all she wants. 

I have had Nutella before, but only on a graham cracker.  She told me about Nutella and pretzels......

O-M-G!  It's my new dessert, treat of choice, reward of the Gods, love of my life.  Just try it, you're welcome. 

Until next time, peace out!