I went blonde(ish) and now I think I want pink hair.

I've been talking about switching my hair up for quite some time now. Sure, I've chopped it off quite a bit, but now that I'm letting it grow out again I wanted something different.

I'm letting it grow out, because D and I made the agreement that I can't cut my hair (only trims and it isn't allowed past my midback.... my stipulation) and he can't cut his mustache. And let's be honest, momma needs her a good mustache for.... activities. So, here I am letting my hair grow out.

I went last Friday and had blonde put into my hair. I haven't have blonde in my hair since I was around thirteen/fourteen, but I wanted to see if I liked it better now that I'm older and feel less like I need dark hair to match my soul.

I like the blonde, I do.... but, now that I have it I can't help but want to keep going to the extreme and now I think I want.... pink hair. Not insane neon pink hair, but soft pink hair. It may sound strange, but I seriously want to feel like I have cotton candy on my head. 

Hear me out, who doesn't want to feel like a sweet little treat that people are fond of? Come on, even if you don't like sweets, the chances of you having some kind of nostalgic memory of candy floss is highly likely. And even of you don't, you have to admit, it feels nostalgic even just thinking about it.

I just want something.... different, I guess. I'm trying to figure out what works for me and be myself. After the last few years, you could say that I've not really let myself go, but I don't do the things that I used to like to do, because they seemed low on my priority list. But, now, I've been thinking and I think that in order for me to feel normal again, I need to try and do the things that used to be fun to me.

And a big part of that was experimenting with my look. I want to find something that suits me and my personality and just makes me feel more.... me. Call me insane, but with some of the changes that I've made so far, it seems to be bringing me more out of myself and becoming me again.

D has been a big part of helping me throughout all of this craziness and I don't know what I would do without him. And he agrees, if I feel like I need to do something, or I simply want to do something that may help me be happier, then he is all for it. 

So, here I sit, contemplating pink hair.... you know what? F*ck it. I'm making an appointment.

I see some interesting things living in the city.

As most people know (and if you don't, all you have to do is listen to my damn twang), I grew up in the middle of nowhere. I've never liked living in the city and have always found more comfort being in seclusion or "the country." 

Honestly, if I lived in a city bigger than the one I currently live in, I'd probably pull my hair out.... and let's just say, D does not like the thought of me being bald if there's a way around it. Ugh, dudes. I digress.... the point I'm trying to make is, while I would prefer to live in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothingness, I do have to admit that when you live in the city, you see some.... interesting things.

Don't get me wrong, you see plenty of interesting things in the country too, but I feel like I'm just accustomed to those things so they're not necessarily strange to me. Shit I see around here though? Oh, boy.

Yeah, I've watched too much Criminal Minds in my day.

I used to think that my paranoia was on a whole other level. I've been like this my entire life and while I've always been a pretty straight-laced person, the fact that I've had my "wild" moments is forever prevalent in the back of my mind.

Sure, I may not be a criminal in any sense of the word, but I'm also not completely innocent and have done things that while I may not regret (even though we all have regrets) I have done things that have been incredibly stupid.

So, maybe my paranoia comes from a place of deeper meaning. Honestly, I'm not sure. I just know that I have always been on edge and that my delusions of the world around me have always made me extremely aware of the fact that anything can go terribly wrong at any moment.

Maybe that's not a way to live life, but it's the life that I've been living and there's no way to get around it. It also probably doesn't help that I can't stop watching murder/mystery shows and police dramas that constantly have me on the edge of my seat and sanity. 

Eh, you win some, you lose some.

The point I'm trying to make is, even when I'm in my own house or car, I feel the overwhelming urge to still be unsettled. Sure, I'm more comfortable in my own home or car than I am someone else's, but to say that I can let my nerves and hyperawareness placate would be a bold faced lie. I've never been one to not be anxious and I'm constantly in a battle within my own mind to just calm myself and make my anxiety simmer down.

Unfortunately, that is not the mindset that I find myself dealing with on a daily basis, hence the constant checking of my backseat before I get into my car and the questioning stance I have on what lays behind my shower curtain in the bathroom.

If somebody else had my voice.... I would hate them.

Have y'all ever listened to your own voice on recording? Like, legit, never heard your own voice and then you hear it on a video from someone's phone or something and it completely blows your mind? No? Just me? Alrighty then....

I've always had problems with my ears/hearing. I'm not sure what the problem stems from (#growinguppoorwedidntgotothedocoften), but the fact that it has always been a factor in my life is forever real. Sure, it's been a problem in the past and it still is from time to time, but I accepted long ago that I'll probably have to have hearing aids or some form of help earlier in my life than alot of people.

And I'm ok with that. I accepted it long ago. Not to mention, between my inability to hear and my penchant for zoning out of most conversations and not even recognizing others, let's just say life can and will be peaceful.

But, with all random things, I found myself in complete bafflement when I heard my own voice on D's phone. To me, my voice sounds fairly deep and I don't have an accent at all. Like, NOT ONE BIT. However, that is apparently not the case. You see, when we were in Florida, we spent a few days at D's dad's house and we shot off fireworks and ammo. And let me tell you, D was so excited to see me shooting rifles that he immediately started filming.

Don't get me wrong, I've shot plenty of guns in my day, after all I used to hunt growing up living in Tennessee, but I haven't shot anything other than a handgun (at a range) for many years. So, D had never seen it. (But now that he has, I'm convinced that the whole "guns and ammo" centerfolds are necessary, because the dude loved it).

What I didn't expect though, was to hear my own voice talking to his dad in the video and me being completely flabbergasted at the fact that I sound.... like a straight up high pitched hick. 

I mean, I've always known I was a hillbilly. Once you grow up that way and it's engrained into your bones and soul, there's no going back. But, I didn't realize how thick my accent still is. As in, it's not going anywhere. My voice is much higher pitched than I could tell.... almost like I'm secretly calling dogs to me like a special whistle (maybe I am, you don't know my life!) and my accent is STRONG and THICK.

I know that sounded dirty, but try to refrain yourself. 

No one could believe that I didn't know I actually sounded like that, and when I told some of the guys at work that I didn't realize I had an accent they all slowly turned to look at me dead in the face with a "are you f*cking serious?" look on their faces. It was quite comical to say the least.

The look on my face the first time I heard my own voice had to have been priceless and when I cringed and shut my face behind my hands in embarrassment and asked D if I truly sounded like that, he just laughed and insisted that yes I did in fact sound like that ALL THE TIME. He claims that it's cute and it's one of his very favorite things about me (and that all of his family also adores the holler coming out with my words), but I'm still debating on whether or not he truly does love it and thinks it's adorable, or he's trying to placate me and not be my costar on an episode of Snapped.

The jury is still out on that one.

Either way, it's my voice and while it might not be all that appealing and it is in fact a tad bit embarrassing, I have lived with it my entire life and I'm always immensely proud to have been raised in the middle of nowhere surrounded by good people and no matter where I go, a little piece of my roots is forever with me every time I open my mouth to say a few words.

My baby is two decades old, but he will forever be my little boy.

HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY to the pup that’s been my main dude for over half my life!! I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without him for all of these years.

Everything good, bad, joyous, heartbreaking, hilarious, and depressing thing that’s ever happened in my life since I was fifteen years old, this little guy has been by my side throughout it all. Needless to say, he’s been through some shit.

And no matter how annoying I am or how much I love on him against his will, he just takes it all in stride. Sure, he may want his dad 24/7 these days, but when he doesn’t feel good or he’s in the mood to be loved on, he immediately comes to his momma.

If there was anyway to keep him forever, you can damn well bet that I would do it. He’s my rock, my love, and my first baby all wrapped up into one dynamite little package.

He’s adored by all and I could’ve never asked for a better sidekick for all these years. I love you, Tayder!!

Our first vacation together as a married couple. (3/18-3/28).

D and I have decided that we're going to try to go down to Florida at least once a year to see his side of the family. I mean, they're my family too now.... oh, who am I kidding? They've always been my family. I know how much he misses them, as they're a tight and loving family, and I figured it's the least I could do seeing as he moved 1,000 miles away from them just to be with me since I had a good job and a mortgage when we decided to get back together.

And dude, am I ever f*cking happy that he made that decision. But still, it does make me feel guilty at times, because he's so far away from them all. So.... we take a vacation down once a year (usually in March) to pay them all a visit. 

(Although, D does tell me that some year they're going to have to come and visit us, because we're going on a damn honeymoon at some point- lol).

We left out on Thursday after work at 6:30 in the evening (even though we said we weren't going to do that again this year like we did last year) and oh boy. Was our trip.... exhausting.

What was supposed to be a thirteen to fourteen hour trip turned into a twenty-two hour trip. Why? Because traffic. I'm talking infuriating, stand still, we're gonna be here for the rest of our lives traffic. We were at a standstill for over two and a half hours in Kentucky alone. And don't even get me started on Georgia. Luckily, we have the van this time around, so we were able to pull over at rest stops and get a little nap in here and there.

And while there were some mishaps along with the trip (ie: D, me, his mom, and stepdad all got a stomach virus.... and I had an allergic reaction to something and broke out in hives literally from my forehead to the bottom of my ass), it was alot of fun and so great to see everybody. I even got to meet D's aunt and uncle that I had never met before, and the people that he worked with for years at his old store. Also, Mitchall took us out to Three Lakes and it was BEAUTIFUL.

We all had a blast with the old school Polaroid camera that D got me for my birthday and proceeded to just spend time together. Although, our ducks bonded so much with my MIL's ducks that we ended up letting them stay there, because I felt like a selfish asshole taking them away from their friends and such a nice life. I still love them, but they're far happier now.

We spent about four or five days with D's mom (and I never had to use that bathing suit, because it was like fifty something degrees at her house until the day we left) and then we spent about three with his dad (where it was ass scalding hot). And let me tell you, we proceeded to get quite the buzz and shoot off fireworks and guns like they were going out of style. (Don't worry his dad lives in the middle of nowhere and nobody was hurt or offended). 

I even got to shoot off a 223 and Creedmoor. But, my very favorite has to be D's 22 that he actually gifted to me after he saw what a good shot I was with it. (I told him I used to hunt, but I don't think he really believed me until he saw it first hand). Seriously, it was his very first gun and he gifted it to little ole me. Hillbilly? Yes. Regrets? Nah.

The only reason that I shot off the Creedmoor in the first place was because D is super scared and absolutely refused to go to theme parks or ride roller coasters and he was so sure that I was "so terrified" of the gun that I'd never shoot it, that he bet me that if I shot it that he would take me to any theme park of my choosing anytime I wanted and ride any and every ride that I wanted. He even agreed that he would go ziplining (I haven't talked him into skydiving.... yet).

What D didn't know was that I was not scared of it, but only intimidated by it. Afterall, it is very intimidating. The joke however is on him, because as soon as he said that, his daddy taught me how to handle it and I shot it.... twice.

And now, not only am I researching theme parks, but he also owes me a horror movie marathon. #MarriageGoals

Our trip back was much smoother than our trip there, but it still took a ridiculous amount of time and we were stuck at a rest stop in Tennessee for over four hours due to a harsh storm. Luckily, like I said, we have that mattress in the back of our van and it's like my body knows it's real home will always be Tennessee, because as soon as we stopped, my bitch ass passed out.

Our pups were more than happy to be back home and I'm pretty sure they missed our bed and thermostat more than D or I ever could. To say the five of us are still exhausted would be an understatement. D had yesterday off from work, but I came back and now we're both dragging ass through this week trying to make it until we can sleep in come weekend time. 

We would do it all over again though, because the time we got to spend with the family and memories we got to make were more than worth it. And we can't wait to see everyone again, hopefully soon (D's mom and stepdad are getting their first round of Covid shots this week and as soon as she's cleared to fly, my MIL is already making plans for a visit), and make even more memories.

I'm not sure what it is, but D and I have been in such a happy mood ever since we left for vacation and even now that we're back. It's like we're in our own little bubble and love each other even more. Call me crazy, but I'd take a million more long ass roadtrips for us to be this content all the damn time. 

With that being said, there will be many more roadtrips in our future and we can't wait to spend it together with our furchildren and see family and friends again.

I now own a bathing suit after like, twelve years. And, oh boy.

With our upcoming vacation only a couple of weeks away, D and I have been slowly collecting the things that we'll "need" for vacation. On this list, was apparently a bathing suit.... for me. D already owns one, a side effect of growing up and living almost your entire life in Florida I'm assuming.

But me? I haven't owned/been in a bathing suit since I was around nineteen years old. Why? I don't really have a reason, except that was the last time I was around a lake or swimming pool. Now though, D's mom and dad have put in a pool at their house and since we'll be staying with them the majority of our trip, D insisted that we needed to be prepared to jump in.

Now, me being the person that I am, I didn't want to make a big deal out of this and I definitely didn't want to go to a store and try on suits (even though I'm pretty sure you can't do that any way, because of Covid?), so I just ordered my shit off of Amazon. And let me tell you what.... thirty-one year old Katie does NOT look as appealing in a bathing suit as nineteen year old Katie did.

Do I care that much? No. Hell, my body is my body and it kind of just does its own thing, BUT I would be lying if I said that I wasn't still self conscious. Even back in the day when everything was toned and placed where it was supposed to be, I was never comfortable. It's not a body image thing I don't think, it's more of a I don't like showing much skin thing. Never have, probably never will if I'm being 100% honest.

I even asked D if it was supposed to look like it does (revealing) and he informed me that it's not revealing at all (it covers more than what most suits do), but that I'm just uncomfortable. He then tried to make me feel better by saying that we'll only be around our family and while that is comforting to most people, I am not one of them. What are the odds I can swim in my suit bottoms and a tanktop? Anybody? 

Whatevs.... in any event, our vacation is just around the corner and while neither of us are looking forward to the actual drive (even though it'll be much more comfortable in our van this year as opposed to a little car like last year), we are excited to see his family and just hang out. Now, if you'll excuse me.... I need to go get drunk so that I will feel more comfortable in a bathing suit. I mean, drinking is totally a healthy coping mechanism, right? RIGHT?!!?!

I got drunk and bought ducks. Because that's who I am as a person.

This weekend, I may or may not have had ALL of the drinks and D and I went to Rural King. And what do they have at Rural King? Ducks.... and chickens and rabbits, but most importantly, DUCKS. Sign that says to stay out of the pen or not, once those little furry creatures got into my line of sight, there was no stopping me.

Meet Murphy and Octavia. The two newest members of the Glisson household. Also, the two tiniest.

Back when we were first together in high school, D and I had adopted Tayder and we had two pet ducks.... Mr. Quackers and Shaggy. I've always had a mad love for dogs and ducks, and while I'm not sure where this love (ie: obsession) came from, the fact that I have all the love is a given.

Sure, we probably shouldn't have gotten another two pets.... then again, that's who we are. And yeah, five pets is a little much, BUT we're also surrounded by love and affection 24/7, so we're both good with it. Of course, this also makes it more difficult to travel to Florida this month, but we'll figure it out. We always do.

So yeah, we're officially those people that can't quit loving and collecting all of the furchildren. 

Our pups are adjusting to it pretty well too. 

Sparkles just stares at them and watches their every move, fascinated that they even exist in the first place. Xur isn't too crazy about them, because he's a jealous little sucker and wants all of the attention. And Tayder? Well, Tayder is Tayder and as long as he gets to do his own thing and doesn't get bothered very often, he's good with it all.

Wish us luck, folks. Because we're probably gonna need it.

My BIL brought a damned ole tear to my eye.

Yeah, I'm still talking about our wedding.... and I'm not even a little bit sorry about it. I'll probably be recounting that day FFFFOOOORRRREEEEVVVVEEEERRRRR!!!!

❤️ My baby loves. ❤️ They're the cutest little ones in the world. ❤️

My husband and I have a weird and sarcastic relationship.... and that's just the way we like it.

 **me and D talking in our kitchen last night**

D: Sweetheart, can you believe we’re both 31 now?

Me: It’s all good. You age like wine and whisky.... you just get better with age.

D: Oh yeah? Then what do you age like, my love?

Me: Bread. I age like f*cking bread.

Happy Valentine's Day, my love. ❤️

After spending a fun-filled, but exhausting day celebrating my birthday yesterday (which by the way, how do you make everything for me better and better by the day? Are you a wizard?!!) going bowling and out to eat.... not to mention the Famous Tomato and root beer floats?!, it was nice to just spend our day relaxing and starting a new show.

I mean, watching Dexter was definitely the way to go, right? We needed a new show to get into and binge together and what says Valentine's Day better than a show about a serial killer that kills other serial killers and such? And people say romance is dead. Not us though, we have that comforting kind of love.

I love you more than you'll ever know. And I have since we were fifteen years old. Who would have ever thought that I would get to find my soulmate over half my life ago and that even with the ups and downs of life, that we would get to be married and be living our lives together? It's insane and my very favorite thing all at once.

There are so many things that I want to say to you, but if you ever need a reminder about how I feel or how much I love you (because we both know that I'm not good with the whole feelings thing or expressing emotions), just remember that I laid it all out there in my vows not even four months ago and my love for you has only increased. 

Although, in true Valentine's fashion, I did decide to answer a few questions about us from social media. Why? Because that's how I roll and no matter what, you still love my ass for it.

Here's Our Story (and yes, I wrote this directly to D):

How'd you meet? That damn Astor was at least good for something. I literally walked onto the bus, saw you, and was like "I WANT THAT ONE!!" And eventually, you decided you wanted me to.

First date: I don't even remember if we had a first date. I think we just decided that we wanted to be together and went from there. There was no "courting" or anything like that, we just met, loved each other, met the families, started doing stuff together, and you moved in with us. Yes, at fifteen.

How long have y'all been together: Depends.... which time? First, over two years, and now over two years. But, we like to say we were together the whole time just also not together and on a break? A forced break. So, yeah.

Married: Hell yes. You literally put a ring on my finger as soon as I let you. Lol.

Age difference: What? Like, three weeks? You know you love the fact that I'm a younger woman!

Who was interested first: That's a great question, because apparently we were both interested at the same time, but both too chicken shit to say it, so we had to go through the great Skankanie debacle. 

Who is taller: Of course you are, you ape! I barely come up to your chest.... but I wouldn't have it any other way. You're my tree and I'm your spider monkey, therefore I can't wait to climb you!

Who said I love you first: Definitely you. Because there was absolutely no way I was about to put my feelings out there and be crushed like a teeny little bug!

Most impatient: Me. 100%. There's not even a debate on this one, because patience may be a virtue, but it is definitely not one of my strong suits. 

Loudest: That depends.... have we been drinking? I mean, of course we have, BUT I'm loud, because I'm partially deaf and can't hear myself or anyone around me and you're loud once you've had some beers and get on the phone.

Most stubborn: Once again, me. 100%. You're stubborn sometimes, but let's be honest, it's mostly me. I'm as hardheaded and stubborn as they come. #IAmMyMommasDaughter

Fall asleep first: YOU. Here I am, tossing and turning, willing to make a sacrifice to the sleep Gods, and you can literally fall asleep standing next to a semi-sturdy wall. I mean, you just knock the f*ck out whenever. ALWAYS.

Cooks better: Ah, the great debate in our household. I think it depends. You're obviously better with the meats, but I'm a better baker, and I think we're equal with the random stuff (spaghetti, etc.). Clearly, you make better chicken wings, tacos and ribs and I make better shepard's pie, soup and taco salad. So... we both win!

Better morning person: Neither! I'm easier to get up and out of bed, but neither of us are pleasant come morning time. I blame your penchant for sleep and my derision to sunlight.

Better driver: Ok.... you'll definitely disagree, but I think deep down in the pits of our stomachs, we both know I'm the better driver. At the very least, I'm the safer driver.

Most competitive: You. Neither of us are super competitive, but you have your moments. I mean, HAVE YOU SEEN YOU PLAY COD?!!

Funniest: Me. Duh! I'm hilarious and a bag of f*cking fun with sarcasm oozing from my pores and we both know it! 

Where do you eat out most as a couple: We don't really go "out" all that often. We do (and by "we" I mean "me") DoorDash alot though. But, I prefer when you cook... even though I ALWAYS get stuck with the dishes.

Who is more social: You. Definitely you. 100%. No debate here. I prefer to stay home with you and our dogs hunkered down in my bitch cave surrounded by alcohol and treats. You are a social butterfly. I don't know how we make it work, but we do.

Who is the neat freak: Neither of us are "neat freaks" but we both have certain things that we are extremely picky over and have "OCD" related to it.

Where was your first kiss: It had to be Erica's house, right? That gal was #TeamKevon long before couples names were even a thing. It was a long ass time ago, how are we supposed to remember?

Do you get flowers often: You actually bring my flowers more often than anybody ever has in my life. And I love that. Never change it! Seriously, like, don't change it, I love it!

How long did it take to get serious: I'm pretty sure we were serious before we even realized what serious was. So, a long ass time. I think we literally met and were serious.

Plans date night: We don't plan anything, we are very much a go with the flow kind of couple. And our flow usually involves pizza and Netflix.

Who is the first to admit when they're wrong: Definitely you. This is where that stubborn of mine comes into play, because I would rather chop off my pinky than to admit I'm wrong. But you just own up to your shit when you're wrong. And it's one of my favorite things about you.

Who wears the pants in the relationship: ME! And I only say this, because I have a video on my phone that is basically you admitting this!

Who has more tattoos: Oh, come on! I have tattoos.... but YOU will always have more tattoos! You're the tattoo king in our household!

Hogs the remote: Me. I'm a pain in the ass this way and I admit it. I like control! Remote control, that is!

Spends the most money: Ha! Ha! Hahahahahahaahaaaa!!!! Are we talking bills or other things? Because you are definitely the money spender between the two of us! And we both know it. (But I love you anyways!)

Did you go to the same school: For a bit. Junior and half of Senior year. Not the whole time though. What can I say? You're a Florida boy and I'm a boondock princess.

Where is the furthest you two have ever traveled: I know, I know, YOU DROVE A THOUSAND MILES!! But, I'd say Florida to Indy/Indy to Florida is our furthest together as well.

Who drives when you're together: Mostly you, because you hate my amazing and completely practical little car that I adore. Why I let you drive? I'll never know, because your driving mostly terrifies me.

With all that being said, just know that I love your punkass and I wouldn't trade you for anything in the entire world!! You're the other half of me. The heart to my head and I wouldn't have it any other way.