Not quite as planned..

I was on my way to Kentucky.

I made it more than two hours. An eight hour drive to Kentucky turned into a six hour circular drive back home.

It started like this.

11am: Scheduled to get off work

11:25  Finally got off work after making sure my class was all set for the substitute.

12:30 Finally got on the road to Kentucky after getting done packing.  

As I was on the road, I called my dad.

I was about to fall asleep, so he was wonderful to keep me awake. We chatted.

I randomly asked him if he would check out the weather.  

He did.

He told me to turn around.

With a winter weather advisory and snow/ice storms happening most of the weekend, he told me he wouldn't advise the trip on my own.  

So, after I had already completed the trip through Atlanta, GA and arrived on 75 North, I got off on the first exit I could find.  I was still on the phone with my dad.
He asked me if I would put a place in my GPS. It was in Marietta, GA. 

He is looking at cars for my mom.

He has lots of time since he retired. He even thought about driving down himself.

Once I put it in my GPS I realized that I was only 4 minutes from the car place.

So I agreed.

I looked at Saab convertibles.

But the one he wanted was gone.

I could not figure out why I was randomly looking at cars when I should've been on my way to Kentucky.

As I turn around, I find this huge chicken in the middle of Georgia.

Wow. Pretty  Huge. I'm talking HUGE.  Like two water towers put together.

So, I got myself turned around. By this time, it's around 2:30 or later.

I decide that if I'm going to make a four hour + round trip, I might as well hit Anthropologie at the fancy, famous Lenox mall.

I put it in my mapquest and go back and forth on whether my dogs can handle that time in the car.

I decide they must.

I have only been to Anthro one time. And I loved it.

So I had been eyeing these beautiful measuring bowl/cups online. I have put them in my shopping cart several times online. And I have chickened out. "Are they really worth $32"...I kept thinking?

Then I walked in. (I had to journey across the whole mall.  I walked in on one end and asked the nice guy at Urban Outfitters and he told me it was the absolute farthest thing away.)

When I walked in, I felt like I had arrived home.  

Really.

The place is just THAT cool.

It made me very jealous that my blog friend Rachel works there.  What a fun job. 

But, as you might have guessed, I caved and got the bowls.  They are too cool!

I get back in the car, very relieved that the dogs did not eat the dog treats or the snacks in the car.  Hooray.  Small Victory. 

So I get back onto the road, and it's around 4.  I wait in downtown ATL traffic, barely moving at all, until 5:30pm.

Since I didn't plan on being in ATL during that time, I just wasn't thinking.  

It STUNK.

I finally arrived home around 7:30.  I stopped at Sam's (really quick)

It was one of those times where I walked around the store thinking I didn't need a cart. Then when I walked up to the 1 hr. photo to check out, my hands were overflowing to the point of falling over.  Some nice guy saw me struggling and grabbed my dog food from me. I was thankful.

The lady at the counter thought he was my husband and we had a total akward moment.

I eventually got home (after stopping again at Walmart) at 9.  

I talked to a friend until my phone died. 
I fell asleep on the couch and woke up there this morning at 7:30.

Could be the best part of the story.

I was declared missing by my husband, mom, dad, mother in law and father in law. They all knew I was on the road by myself. Because my phone was dead and no one could get in touch with me, they all panicked.  It didn't help that this morning I went to work out (8:30-10:45am), then went to Starbucks to read until about 11:45. THEN, I charged my phone and called hubby. I had 10 messages.

I seriously think I might have been on a missing persons list if I would have waited another hour to call.
It's nice to know someone would notice.

I'm home now. Baking these.

and these  

and maybe these too.

Watching Toddlers and Tiaras.  (CRAZY!)

Pretty obsessed with THIS PLACE!!!

Goodnight. :)  Hoping to make it to my bed tonight.

The best cookies EVER? Quite possibly...

This pumpkin shows very well how I feel about chocolate chip cookies. The pumpkin feels my joy :)

I found out that a million people on the web make claims to have "THE BEST" chocolate chip cookies. So, naturally, I had to figure out the winner. Obviously, when I hear this claim..that someone has the "best cookies ever", I look upon them cynically. Very cynically. Cookies are not something to joke about. To lie about. To mess with. I take them seriously. Well, as seriously as you can take several sticks of butter, lots of sugar and some eggs and flour. I have tried them all, and I can tell the difference between full fat and a cookie made with substitutions. I can see a good 'undercooked center, but crisp on the outside" coookie a mile away. I don't settle for a so-so cookie. So, I am always on the lookout for the ultimate YUMMY cookie recipe. i have tried oatmeal chcolate chip. I have tried several of Hungry Girl's recipes...(She is AMAZING)...but nothing could satisfy. It's like the urge to have these awesome cookie just could not be satisfied by anything else. Aren't I supposed to feel that sort of unabashed love for my savior alone? Imagine, meeting the Lord and saying...well, "I loved you, and I loved cookies". Seriously, not that great to joke about ...since it is pretty true :)

I digress. This cutie blogger claims to have THE BEST chocolate chip cookies. I think, "Okay, I've heard this before". Then I read her post and realized she is pretty awesome and admits all this up front. Does it get any better? it does. I made the cookies. And she didn't lie!! They are the best! Not just good. or great. But THE BEST. Read her post, then get yourself out to make these. They ROCK.

This is not a joke. Go into your kitchen now and make them. SO GOOD.

Then, write about it on your chalkboard..in your kitchen. I like to write menus there. Or fun quotes. Inspired notes to my spouse. Sometimes Brandon gets inspired...as you see in these lyrics he wrote. This is mine..

You don't have one? It truly is SUPER easy. My hubby framed mine in with molding, but Martha Stewart painted a whole wall. .Sometimes it's fun to just do a cabinet. Make one! Check out these fun inspirations at design sponge. If you've never been there...there are ALWAYS fun inspirations there!! Then there is Martha...you just can't ever leave Martha out.

I better go to bed. Long, fun day ahead tomorrow!

Ciao!