Hello Blog, It's me...your author

Okay okay...I think it's been a little while since I've last checked in and I know you all are dying to know what I've been up to. Well....hold on tight folks because this will be one info heavy post that's more than likely light on the humor.

Things are nutso around here lately. I finished my last full semester of pre reqs at UCO last week. I'm pretty proud of myself, I ended with a whole row of straight A's. I had Chemistry II, Chem lab, Anatomy w/ lab, and Physiology w/ lab. It was a little much at once but I thoroughly enjoyed the content and the friends I had in classes. I realize I said "friends" and trust me....it weirds me out to say I have friends from school. I met some other people applying to OU and we all instantly hit it off (I met others I wanted to stab with my probe), I met a ton of nursing students who all say they can't wait to work for me some day (thanks?) and some people I know I will stay in contact with for a long time. Praise the lord!

As most of you know, I did receive the highly anticipated call that I was accepted to INTERVIEW for the PA Program at OU. Huge audible sigh of relief. I was told mid week, mid morning is a good time and got the time slot of 11:00am on Jan 11th. I would think that is a good omen but we'll see. I'm pretty confident in my interviewing skills for a pharma job but not so much for the PA Program. I've been doing my research and plan on doing a ton of practicing. I also plan on writing things on my hand like, "Be likeable", "Don't say you know too many times", "don't blow it" and "stop sweating freak". We find out our fate about a month later so I will probably be a basket case until mid February. Let's just hope I'm not a 250 pound basket from stress eating. On a side note...how come you never hear of people saying they are stress runners or stress stair climbers. hmm. Any who, I am pretty pumped, excited and nervous as heck.

As fate would have it, I put off all Christmas shopping and prep until I was done with finals. Well....we got the AMAZING news that the contingency has been removed on our house and we are headed to closing. We basically have 3 weeks to move out of our house and into our rent house. Great news but slightly overwhelming! I keep looking around our house wondering why the stuff is still there.....how bout because you haven't packed it in a box yet. Wow. The house we are moving in to needs a TON of work for me to feel comfortable with the kids and my eyeballs living there. My amazing hard working husband has been spending his lunch hours and evenings stripping wall paper, texturing cinder blocks, and prepping to paint an ENTIRE house. All while his sweet mom, brother and grandma have been helping out and making improvements. The house is not our ideal situation but it's probably the best we could find for the money. Of course my ridiculously selfless mother and aunts have all but begged for us to move into their houses, eat their food and use their electricity but we feel like we need our own space, places for the pups and something to call ours....well, ours that we rent from someone else. I just can't imagine asking them to sacrifice even more for the next couple of years. It's on a few acres which will be exciting but a total bitch to mow! C-Rob's grandparents have an amazing and enormous garden out there that I feel like it will be a great lesson for the kids. We still have school issues to figure out but all in all, we are so so thankful to be able to stop paying that mortgage on one income and be able to take a breath.

We are anxiously awaiting Christmas. It's always stressful for us with the kiddos going every which direction but we love having so many people that love us. It's a small price to pay! I'm super pumped to see Holland's reaction this year....it just keeps getting better!

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Merry Christmas to you and yours. May your holiday be truly blessed.

Mall Observations

So I went to the mall today by myself during the kid's naps. I just wanted to get out of the house and see what all is out there. I needed to get something at Sephora and I had a gift card to Bath & Bodyworks. Throughout the duration of my outing, I encountered several observations. They are as follows:

-if I don't feel like getting ready and making myself look presentable, I put on full workout attire. I'm talking capris, sports bra, t shirt, and sneakers. I put my hair back and wear a scunci. I want people to think, "whoa, that girls looks like crap but ONLY because she just got done running a marathon or doing Bikram yoga" when in all actuality I've been sitting at home, playing with kids while in pajamas. It works for me, don't judge.
- I was listening to Johnny Cash in the car and can't hear "Ring of Fire" without reminiscing about Holland's birth. If you have to ask, you will never understand.
- There are some men that actually think they can pull off the man purse thing....or the also observed man clutch/make up bag. News flash: they can't.
- I'm a marketing managers dream come true. If there's a promotion going on....hook, line, and sinker. I'm yours. In my defense, I had a gift card. I'm not really a Bath & Bodyworks kinda gal but how can you resist a buy 3 get 3 free sale? I went in for foaming hand soap in bulk and came out with A foaming hand soap and shower gels, lotion and body sprays that will probably end up in a garage sale or goodwill box.
- I felll back in love with Banana especially with the addition of the new MadMen collection.
- Everyone and their dog (read: 12 kids) goes to the mall on the weekends.
- The best way to avoid those freaking annoying nail/lotion kiosk people is to hold your cell phone and have an imaginary conversation.
- Your child hitting a complete stranger on the back of the neck with a sticky hand (me being that complete stranger) is apparently hilarious. No cause for discipline or scolding. Just funny.
- I squealed with glee when I saw Crewcuts is now in stores.
- When there's a line of cars waiting on your spot, people don't think it's funny when you put your bags in your trunk and then turn and head back to toward the mall and then say just kidding and laugh and wave at the car. If someone did that to me, I would crack up and give a thumbs up. Let's just say I didn't get a thumbs up. So I took a super long time to back out.

I came home exhausted. I managed to see everything I wanted, try things on and wait in gigantic lines and get home just as the kids were waking up. Next post: Observations from the post office. Get excited.

Line Anxiety

I had an epiphany this weekend. I have complete line anxiety. It took a Friday evening showing of Harry Potter for me to finally admit it.

Case Study #1: We planned on getting to the theater early. It was a 7:45 showing on a Friday night, Imax and 3D, so we knew to plan accordingly. We ate super early (5:30) which worked out well because apparently if your pathetic enough to eat at geriatric times you also receive your sushi half off. Score one for the oldies! We grabbed a quick cupcake and headed to AMC. When we arrived the anxiety kicked in. We grabbed our tickets at the little check in desk since we payed online. We had to stand there for a couple of minutes while the "manager" talked to us endlessly about the benefits of joining STUBS, the movie rewards program. Meanwhile, 100 people got in line before us. 'Preciate that. We saw are line and walked to the end. Boom.....I quickly scan the line and notice our position. In true Rain Man fashion I realize I am highly uncomfortable with our front of the line to back of the line ratio position. In my mind, all of the people ahead of me were sneering and snickering, "should've planned better dummy". Position was crucial because you can't watch IMAX 3D up front or on the side....especially after paying $20 bucks a ticket or whatever. The line quickly begins to move and I am utterly relieved when I realize there were two showings in one line. We dodged a bullet. We caught the snitch. Hey oh!! I found us two seats in the middle of a respectable row. We squeezed through the row only to find out the lady was saving those three seats. Oh, and the three seats to the right of her too. Wow. Thanks for the heads up on that one when you saw us shimmying through the row a mile back. I mumbled something about voldermort under my breath and we made our way to some pretty good seats.

Case Study #2: I had to go to the bathroom before it started so Chris asked me to get some popcorn, a drink and sweet tarts (seriously) so I went to the lobby and immediately sized up the lines and made the best choice. It's meticulous calculation because many times, two or more people are standing in line together but not both placing an order. I try to determine relational lines and pick the best. I settled in a line but began the second guessing. I spot a man about the same distance back and I monitor and measure my progress against his. It isn't until someone gets in line BEHIND me that I feel total validation. Like, yes....I picked the obvious best choice. Suck it every other line. I get all testy at how slow the workers are moving, how less talking more working needs to be done, and how people should have their selections solidified before they arrive at the counters. Needless to say, I got our snacks and made it to our seats well before previews. I just needed a Xanex when I sat down! And don't even get me started on airport security lines, wedding buffet lines and the grocery store. Oy vey!

Vacay.....oy vey!

So I have been bitten by the travel bug. However, I've simultaneously been bitten by the budget bug, the school bug, as well as the house on the market bug. It would appear that I need an exterminator. Anywho, all of my friends seem to be planning these fabulous summer vacations so I find myself spending free time looking at vacation rentals all over the world and dreaming of the day I will finally get a vacay. It's been awhile. My last vacation was a working vacation in San Diego with Chris. It was fabulous. Before that, it was a Sonoma/San Fran trip. That was pre Oscar so at least 2.5 years ago. My sister's in Vegas right now and I'm totally jels. I don't even like Vegas all that much but I would go in the blink of an eye. Ugh. I thought that since I cannot find the time, nor afford to take a dream vacation, I would list the places I would go. Some of these are bucket list places and some are places I've been before.

Bucket List:
Montenegro
Marrakesh, Morocco
Phuket, Thailand
Bombay, India (I think you say Mumbai now)
Santorini and/or Crete
Amsterdam

Not necessarily bucket list but places I'm curious about:
Savannah, GA - don't judge
Amalfi Coast
Croatia
Venice
DC
Austria
London
Boston

Revisits:
Monte Carlo or Nice or St. Tropez....I would take any
Seattle - loves
Sonoma/Napa - so relaxing
NYC - preferably during US Open
Lake Bled, Slovenia - beautiful and my best friend.....a twopher!
Paris
Destin, FL
Mexico - hopefully leaving without a missing organ, being beheaded, or held for ransom.
Rome/Florence
Sydney

That's a hefty list....I realize. Just think, if everyone who reads this blog would just donate $1, I could buy a travel guide to one of these places. That way, when I hit the jackpot, I would know exactly where to stay, eat, and shop!

Moment of Truth

Attention, attention.....the grades are in! After anxiously awaiting grades to post, I am happy to confirm that my first semester back in college is completed and officially in the books. All in all, not too bad. Finals week is no bueno and I apparently made A's by the skin of my teeth for the majority of my classes. Which sucks. Really. I like being in a position where it doesn't really matter what you make on the final because it can't hurt or help you. Granted, Gen Ed Psych was a whole other story! I got an email from my professor the weekend before the final telling me not to show up. There was no possible way for me to make a B so there was no reason wasting the energy taking the 200 question final. Ummmm.....sure. No problem! So without further adieu, I present to you my Fall 2011 Report Card:

Psychology: A++
Chemistry I: A
Chemistry I Lab: A
Biology for Majors: B (B stands for BOOOOOOOO. News flash: online doesn't stand for easy)
Physics I: A

Four A's and a B are alright with me. I anticipated a B in chemistry so I guess I can't be too upset about the B in Bio. But seriously, how can I get an A in lessons like stoichiometry, quantum mechanics, and such and get a B with lessons like What is an ecosystem, natural selection and photosynthesis? Oh well. So for now I am preparing to take my GRE in a little over a week and my summer session starts in June with Microbiology. For those that don't know, the GRE is basically a vocab and math test. But the vocab is redonkulous. I give you permission to punch me if I ever use the following words in everyday conversation; kingling, abscond, acerbity, datum or macadamize. However, after the recent discovery of the GRE app (yes, there's an app for that) I now know what those words mean. Wish me luck!

Boy....is my face red!

I just got home from taking my second to last Physics Exam of the semester at OCCC. In case you were wondering what the kids call it these days, it's O-Trip. Good to know. So I use this cute little Vera Bradley bag as my O-Trip school bag. It's the perfect size and has great pockets. I keep my cell phone in the front snap pocket. Upon entering the building tonight, I saw a few of my fellow classmates sitting on a big couch in front of the Physical Science Center. So I sat down and we started quizzing each other. I remember hearing the tone my phone makes when I get an email and that reminded me I needed to put it on vibrate....so I did. I went in and took my test. Piece a cake, in and out in about 20 minutes. I leave the class and open the pocket that ALWAYS holds my phone. Not there. I empty the contents of the bag on a table. No phone to be found. Fabulous. What's an iPhone 4 running these days?

I walk down to the safety and security office to see if a fellow, benevolent O-Trip student has turned it in. After all, I have this adorable personalized case on it. Here's how the conversation went:
Me: Did anyone turn in a phone within the last 30 minutes?
Security Guard #1: No. Do you remember where you had it last?
Me: Yeah, on the couch in front of the Physical Science Center. It's an iphone and it has my name on it.
Security Gaurd #2: Unfortunately, cases come right off and doesn't make it more likely to be turned in. (duh) If we catch the person who took it, do you want to press charges?
Me: uuuuhhhhhh.....I just want my phone back.
SG #2: We can't tell you to press charges or not but if you don't, what's keeping that scum bag from stealing someone else's phone.
Me: Oh good point. Then yes, press charges!
SG #1: You said it was about 30 minutes ago, right?
Me: Right
SG #1: You didn't leave it on the couch.
Me: What, are you sure?
SG #1: Yep. (Looking at a monitor on his desk) I see you sitting there with your friends. I see you get up. There was no phone left behind.
Me: Oh wow. That's cool you guys can see all that.
SG #2: What's the number?
Me: It's on vibrate but it's (give my number).
SG #2: If it's turned off, it definitely was stolen. My experience has been that phone stealers immediately turn the phone completely off. (Dials phone) (Vibrating begins in my bag).
Me: (Talking very loudly so SG #1 and SG #2 cannot hear vibrating in my bag....pretty sure it was up against a pin or something). Wow, have you guys seen Minority Report? That's what I feel like you guys have going on in here with all your monitors and what not. Like COGS are telling you who took people's stuff. This is so cool. Oh wow, is that like Doppler Radar. Do you think we will get severe weather tonight?
SG #1: It should miss.....
Me: Well thanks guys, here's my email if someone turns in the phone. Have a good night.

I go to the bathroom in order to search my bag.....figured I was safe from the cameras. Needless to say, I found it in a pocket I didn't even know existed. It was like an accidental pocket. Ugh. Good to know.

Hello, my name is Tracy.

Twenty six years ago, I was SNU School for Children's brightest up-and-comer. I had a far more advanced vocabulary than a four year old should have and I had motor skills out that wazoo. I tested out of preschool (in case you are wondering: all that is required to test out of preschool is walking forward and backwards on a masking tape line, reading some words, counting, etc). However, my genius mother didn't want to have any of her kids in high school at the same time. So she opted to keep me in preschool. I had so gifts, skills, and....an identity crisis.

One day, my mom started noticing my papers coming home with Tracy written on them. I had officially changed my name. I insisted on being called Tracy and wouldn't answer to LaNeale. She had to have known this day was coming. Let's be honest, a name like LaNeale is not bound to stick. The school called to inform my mom of my new found identity and they asked her what she wanted them to do. She said, "call her Tracy". There was only one problem with the scenario...."Tracy" had glasses. I concocted an elaborate scheme that would result in me wearing glasses. I would squint during school, but only when someone was looking. How did I know squinting meant that you can't see clearly? No one in my family wore glasses or contacts.....I guess I just wanted to be a trailblazer. At home, I complained of not being able to see or read my letters. So, my mom did what any responsible parent would do, she took me to the pediatrician. At my appointment, the nurse handed me a cardboard capital "E". I was instructed to turn the E to match the E on the card at the end of the hall. If the E was pointed with the three "legs" up to the sky, I would point them down. If the E's legs were pointed right, I wouldn't point mine left. The nurse told my mom that she should be concerned. Some kids see things backwards, it's called dyslexia, and she thinks I have it. My mom's response, "I think she wants glasses".

We came home and my mom, (did I mention she is a genius) took out a pen and paper. She would write letters and I would flub them up. She wrote down a lower case "b" and I said, "that's a "d". She said, "That's right LaNeale, great job"! I replied, "No it's not, it's a b"! Optically challenged faker fail. And that ended my quest for spectacles.

Today, that four-year-old wish was granted. I've always had better than 20/20 vision. I had one eye exam just to use our insurance five or six years ago and my eye's looked great. In fact, I kinda always make fun of C-Rob for being so stinkin' blind. About a month ago, I started noticing things getting blurry while I was reading my text books and doing homework. When I drive home from my night class, the lights are blurry. I started getting headaches. Oh great. So, after a routine eye exam, I was prescribed reading glasses. The doctor informed me that one eye is near-sighted but wearing my reading glasses during school work should hold off full blown glasses for awhile. He said that my eyes are just tired so the reading glasses would allow them to not not have to work as hard. Wouldn't you know it, I turn 30 and I can't see. This is fabulous. I have decided that just for today, I will only be answering to Tracy....or four eyes.

Observations from College 2.0

First off, lo siento on the lack of posts. School is hard. Going to school with kids is harder. Going to school with kids AND working is darn near impossible. On most days, I can't remember if I put on deodorant, changed Oscar's diaper, or took something out of the freezer to thaw for dinner. So, blogging has been a little low on the list! But here we are, almost half way through with my first semester back at college. Whew. It's flying by (thank you Lord) but it's also been a completely unique experience. As I walk to and fro across campus, I continue to make a mental list of new observations from my second time at college. I will delight you with them now.

1) If you are wanting to get a tattoo and be original at the same time, fancy writing on the top of your foot is completely a no go.
2) Pantyhose (please read that again....pan-tee hose) are absolutely an acceptable substitution for pants. Just wear a shirt long enough to cover your butt, but still short enough to see the built-in shorts part.
3) Just because you made all A's without trying/studying the first time in college doesn't necessarily mean you can do that again your second time.
4) Umbros are making a come back. Okay okay, maybe not umbros with their checkerboard shiny-matte squares, but EVERYONE wears running shorts. Running shorts over leggings, running shorts and uggs in 20 degree weather, etc.
5) Your professors enjoy you having intelligent conversation with them outside of class. At least I hope they do....awkward.
6) Dropping an F-Bomb in class is an impactful way of teaching. Coming from a private Christian college, you can imagine my surprise to hear cuss words during class from the professor. But at least I won't ever forget what she said.
7) Having a couple of Starbucks on your campus makes college tolerable.
8) Going to tutoring is not for idiots or people with learning disabilities.
9) Apparently due to budget short falls, students purchase their own scantrons. Each professor also finds it necessary to require a different format of scantrons. Thanks for that.
10) If you are older than most people in your class, say Chem Lab for example, everyone automatically assumes you know what to do. Just because I am a good 10 to 12 years older than you, doesn't mean I know how to light that bunson burner or where to throw out certain waste products.

I could go on and on. Instead, I will do some homework. I will leave you with a brief overview of my progress to date:
- College Algebra - the devil still. I took my first exam and it wasn't pretty. I got a 64. I don't think I ever made a C on a test so this bad boy stung. My entire grade in the class will come down to my grade on the final (just a mid-term and a final). Apparently the professor doesn't allow calculators.....odd. I'm kicking myself for not actually taking this as a real course.
- Intro to Psych - I actually have a 102 in the class. I set the curve on the last exam. This class is ridiculously easy for me and I am bitter that it's a class that doesn't really count when it comes to my science GPA for PA School.
- Intro to Chemistry - I don't know how I feel about this class. I really enjoy it and it's very interesting to me....but I don't do so hot on quizzes. I have a high B in the class now and I've been told an A is very doable so I will hold on to that and step up my game.
- Chemistry Lab - are you kidding me? I can't make an A on anything he assigns....labs or quizzes. He grades on a curve which is awesome, minus the fact that the 2010 PCN valedictorian is in my class. I love that. I will be lucky if I make a B in there.
- Biology For Majors - online class so it's hard to know how I'm doing. I made an 87 on my first exam so I'm thinking I can pull out an A. It's just really hard to know.
- Intro to Physics - This class makes my brain hurt. I have an A but there are several more exams to go. Just the words vector addition, kinematic equations, and Sir Isaac Newton make me break out into hives!

And a funny story:
Everyone has catchy ways of remembering things. My awesome Chem professor told us the way she remembered the diatomic molecules (Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Flourine, Chlorine, Iodine, Bromine) was "Have No Fear Of Ice Cold Beer". My Chem Lab professor was stopped to help me with a question and I used that mnemonic device outloud. He laughed at me and said, "You could get expelled at your old school (SNU) for that"! I didn't even remember telling him I went to SNU but I didn't care because that was awesome. I asked him how kids at christian schools are supposed to learn diatomic molecules and he said, "Brinclhof". Oh....because that makes tons of sense. Good luck with that....I'll stick with beer.

Freshman!

Today was the first day of the rest of my life.....or something like that. I started college again. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous today as I was headed to campus. I knew it was going to be a great day when I got the last available parking spot in the lot on campus. Otherwise I would've had to park in Guthrie. I double checked my schedule and gingerly headed to my 10:00, General Chemistry I with eager anticipation. The 9:00 class had not let out yet so I was able to collect myself. I checked the schedule on the door and matched up my professor. Whew....in the right place. The students shuffled out and we shuffled in. I chose a seat on the far side....not the front because I didn't want to be "that girl.". So I chose a respectable seat about two seats back from the front. I unpack my materials and get my iPad set up. The professor, who is a very chic lady for a chemist, begins to pass out info and says "welcome to Chem II". Wait, come again. I could have sworn she said Chem II. Quick.....double check the schedule. Dang it.....Chem I is at 11. I'm supposed to be in Psychology....13 miles away in the Education building. I discretely get up with my huge parka and begin the excuse me shuffle. Excuse me, excuse me, wrong class, excuse me. I wanted to die. I began to feel my face turn red as I quickly left the class before I could hear any giggles. I couldn't have taken it...much too fragile! I begin the jaunt to the Ed building, hoping I don't have one of those professors that locks the door at class time. As I'm walking, I text C-Rob....me: OMG....totally just sat in the wrong class! C-Rob: Fffrrrreshhhhman! Thanks babe. So I make it to Psych and thankfully there are a few other latecomers. I apologize as I walk in, and the professor says, " oh don't even worry about it....I could care less.". I'm going to like her. I sit down and unpack my materials, iPad, etc. I hear Thriller by Michael Jackson playing and I start looking around to see who the loser is that uses that as a ring tone. Oh what? It's. Coming. From. My. iPad. What the heck!?!? I don't even know how my iTunes is playing but I do know I have a husband who likes MJ. I swear it felt like forever for me to get to my iTunes and turn it off! Kill me now! The rest of the class went smoothly. The prof says she likes class participation so I answer when she asks, "what's the first thing that pops into your mind when I say psychology?". I answer, "Frued.". I get about 60 blank stares and she asks the class who's familiar with Sigmund Frued. Maybe 5 people raise their hand. Wow.
Lunch was interesting. I have an hour break on Mondays because my chemistry lab is at 1. It doesn't really give me enough time to get in the car, go eat, and find another spot so I decide to see what the "food court" is all about. Chickfila, Sushi, Flat Tire burger....are you kidding me? I had fond memories of hanging out in the commons at SNU but Sodexo-Marriott has nothing on this! Not the healthiest options but between that and the on campus Starbucks, I'm good to go!
My school day ended with my chemistry lab. The professor begins by introducing himself and giving us his email, office hours, etc. He says, "my phone number is nine million four hundred seventy one thousand two hundred forty two. That's 1242 if you re on campus and 947-1242 if you don't use numbers correctly. Oooooh snap. Math humor in this mamma jamma! All in all, my first day of school was okay. I'm excited about the new chapter of my life but also overwhelmed. I just need to perfect the fine art of organization. I have these two classes and lab, online Biology for Majors, physics at OCCC and the beast of Algebra Flex-Ed course. It's going to take careful planning and scheduling to make sure everything is getting done and staying on top of the syllabi (see what I did there?) and of course, maintaining my job responsibilities and making sure the Robertson household is running smoothly and properly. On a slightly more optimistic note, algebra is slightly easier. I can at least do all of my exercises, I'm going to just need to memorize a ton of info for my midterm next week. I'm actually feeling pretty good about it. Not sure I can make an A but I can definitely score decently.

Out with the old....in with the beginning.

So Happy New Year! C-Rob and I rang in 2011 in a fitting, perfect way. A fabulous dinner at Signature Grill with some of our best friends.! It's a great way to start an exciting year. 2010 was a whirl wind for me and I'm eagerly anticipating 2011. A little terrified.....but excited! I've never really been big on resolutions but I figured with all the change that this year holds, why not give it a go. Plus, if I put it in cyberspace, I might actually try to stick to it. So here goes:
1) stop smoking crack and hookin' for spare change. Wow! Look at that......done!
2) shed some lbs. Let's be honest here. I've never been a small person but I still have some weight leftover from my sweet Buster Brown, but come on, it's been over a year. Whoops. My main motivation behind this is a beach vacation that all of our friends are taking this summer. I mean, nothing puts a damper on your vacay like getting harpooned while sunbathing!
3) spend more QUALITY time with my kiddos. I spend a ton of time with my kids but it generally involves us being in the same room, the kids playing and me on the iPad or working on my computer. As I get busier with school work, time with my kids will be a little scarce. I need to remind myself that homework/work can wait until they're asleep.
4) Live on a budget. I mean really? Do I have any other choice?
5) Make more time for my husband. He's an amazing man is so patient, understanding, and loving.
6) spend more time in the Word. Possibly find a good couples devotional study.

I'm sure I could go on and on, but this list is a start and pretty doable. With that, I hope you all have an amazing, blessed, healthy, and prosperous 2011. The Robertson fam is off to Nana's for some black eyed peas.