Guilty Pleasures

There's so much hustle and bustle in everyday life, getting from here to there and making it on time (or no more than 15 minutes late in my case) that sometimes we forget to just take a breath and enjoy something. There are certain things in life that make the bad things seem not so bad even if just for a minute or two because realistically sometimes that's absolutely all you need is a minute of quiet. 

Disclaimer*** Obviously I'm not into hard drugs, or soft ones if there is such a thing (I felt like after saying hard drugs I needed to follow with soft ones to even it out), illegal activities or anything along those lines, those are definitely not the type of guilty pleasures I'm referring to. ***

It's just sometimes I think, this is a hard day, I'm stressed and dang it I deserve 12 of the walmart sugar cookies with the frosting that melts in my mouth! And guess what, not even for a minute do I feel guilty about it because for that 30 seconds nothing mattered except me and those calories. 

Of course, I have more guilty pleasures than just sugar cookies. I actually have several I can think of off hand, and I feel like if something brings you happiness then maybe it shouldn't be hidden. So, if in case you've ever sat down at breakfast or lunch, whichever, and thought "hmmm I wonder what Aubree's guilty pleasures are?", well this is the blog post for you my friend. 

 

1. Sister Wives 

This show, how I love this show. It's trash, I know it's trash and guess what, I.do.not.care. I anxiously await what the wives are up to week to week. I love knowing the inner workings of such a different approach at life. When I have 30 minutes at home with the kids content and one of these episodes recorded I'm in my own little moment of paradise, no matter what's weighing on my mind.

2. Creme brûlée 

If a restaraunt has this dessert, it's getting ordered. No matter how many calories I've consumed that day already, I'm eating this. (I'd also like to make a side note and say I really do not count calories lol). Also, even if my meal sucked royally and the creme brûlée was amazing, then nothing else mattered. 

3. Coffee with a good friend. 

Sometimes all I need in life is to call Tyler Pavlic and say, meet me at Standpipe. Even if it's just fifteen minutes of conversation and a Standpipe blended with no coffee, no whip, that's all I need. 

4. Serial Killer novels 

Of course, one of my guilty pleasures would be reading....but I have a sick fascination with a good serial killer book. The bloodier, gorier, and more sadistic the better. Tess Gerritsen is amazing at what she does, and anytime she drops a new book you can bet I'm buying it. 

5. Singing loudly in my car. 

Sometimes that's all I need is to just song very loudly in my car. Maybe I don't know all the words, and maybe that doesn't even matter! I think Lindsay Russell and I really could sign with a recording company if they could hear us in the car together. Maybe not, but it doesn't matter because it's something I can do and just relieve stress! 

So, for some a guilty pleasure is not a cookie, maybe it's a glass of wine with someone you love, or a night all by yourself where you randomly decide to get a tattoo, or it could just be a night at the lake just listening to the sound of the crickets...whatever it is, if it's something that lessens the stress of this life for a brief moment then enjoy the heck out of it, own it and don't regret it. 

My father

As I sat down this morning to write a Facebook post about my dad I realized I had so much more to say than would fit on a small status box. There are too many details on who he is and what he's done than just a simple "Happy Father's Day, dad, hope it's a great one". To do him justice I need to be able to describe his love, his selflessness, his faithfulness and all the other characteristics that make my father a dad. 

You always hear people say, "anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a dad." I agree with that statement whole heartedly, but I can't speak from experience. You see my father is my dad. He's a man that I respect more than any other man on this planet. Not because he demanded that respect but because he earned it. He earned it by being present in my life. 

In case you've never met the man I call dad, here's a little history for you. He grew up in a small town, little opportunity and dirt poor. He married my mom when they were young, she 17 and he 21. They struggled financially for many years, but he worked, he never relied on anyone or assumed anyone owed him anything. I can remember being a young girl in elementary, I had absolutely no idea that we were poor. I knew my dad worked, I knew my mom stayed home, I knew we had food every night, and I knew that I didn't do without. A big item I wanted might only come at Christmas, but that was okay and expected. It wasn't until I got into my teen years that my father had worked himself into a position with more money. It didn't come easily though, it came with many days of him drenched to the core from working out in the 100+ degree Texas weather to provide a better life for his family. I can remember evenings when he would come home soaked and so tired that he couldn't take the boots off of his own feet. That's my dad. A constant provider. 

As I just stated, my dad worked very hard for the things that we had. It might be dark when he finally stepped foot in the house, but you can bet it was work and then home (except Wednesday nights and then it was church), no clubs, no late night hanging with friends, it was home. He made sure he was home when it was time to relax in the evenings. He might not make it to dinner, but he was there before my eyes closed each and every night. Another thing thing he always made sure of is that he was at big and small events....especially when it came to sports. I don't think he ever missed a single ball game I played, a cross country meet I ran, or a track meet that I jumped in. He was at the sidelines with advice, some positive...some realistic lol. He was my biggest fan, always wearing blue and gold proudly, and never ceasing to brag on a job well done. That's my dad. Always present. 

As with most people, I've had moments of great success and then great disappointments. I've had moments of joy at the birth of both of my babies, my dad was there to share in that joy. I've had moments of great success at college graduations, and my dad was there. And then during my moments of sadness at the loss of a loved one or a life disappointment, he was there as a shoulder to cry on. Neither my dad nor I are emotionally expressive, so in moments that we show it, it's a special connection. I can remember climbing in my dad's lap, in a chair and just crying over something that went wrong. He just held me me until I stopped. We may not hug, we may not express our love daily, but when it's time to celebrate or I-mourn he's there. I know if I need something all I need to do is pick up the phone. That's my dad. A stronghold. 

I could go on and on about the father that I have. I could tell you about the moments that we flew down mountains with the snow blasting us in the face, or how at every school dance I ever had that he always asked me to dance on "wonderful tonight", or how he never raised his voice at me or a hand to me that wasn't in love. I could go on about how Godly of a man he is, and how he showed me a love for God and people. I could tell you how I've judged every man I've ever met based on the way my father treated me and taught me to expect to be treated. I could tell you all about how we can sit and have in depth conversations over conspiracies. Or how I miss the sound of him banging on the piano every Sunday morning and the smell of his French toast that he makes and layers with powdered sugar. I could say so much...but I'll say that he is by far, hands down, the best dad a girl could have ever asked for. I love you dad, and I hope you have a fantastic Father's Day.