The Fresh Market

The Fresh Market

Finally, Macon is home to a great specialty foods store! We are officially in love with this place, and have already frequented it on several occasions. They offer many of our hard to find favorites like gnocchi, imported specialty beer brews, fresh spices, organic produce, pure peanut butter, a bakery that makes me drool, shelf after shelf of wine selections, and a deli counter that is to die for with its jalapeño pimento cheese, impressive array of pasta salads, and homemade hummus to name just a few. In addition to the pick-your-own six pack of beers, which is my favorite offering, there are also isles and isles of scoop-your-own varieties of trail mix, candy, nuts, dried fruits, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and more.

Happy Birthday to Felicia!

Drink Up
and
Rock Out!

My Beautiful Best Friend, Felly, is 23 Today- I LOVE YOU, CHICKY! :-)

5 Years Together: Now & Then

Now
Celebrating our past and future - September 12, 2008.

and

Then
Our second date, taken at Stone Mountain - September 27, 2003.

5 Years!

Today J and I are celebrating 5 happy years of being together. On this date in 2003, we met and begin our relationship, which has blossomed through dating, engagement, marriage, graduation, buying a new home together, and much, much more. The fact that we continue to grow and blossom together is by far the best accomplishment of all.

Pictures and an update on how we plan to celebrate to follow.

XOXO to my Sweet J!
:-)

Update:

After a long bike ride together, we undid all that good and had a delightfully unhealthy dinner at Fondue: A Dining Experience. We had the works - a five course meal complete with drinks (martini for me, beer for J), an appetizer course of Old World Cheddar fondue, caesar salads, a main course full of yummy tidbits for dipping into a red-wine broth including lobster tail, mahi-mahi, vegetables, shrimp (and more!), and finally for dessert, a tray full of goodies ranging from brownie bites and cheesecake to fresh fruit and oreo-encrusted marshmallows to complement a dark chocolate fondue spiked with Grand Marinier. Indeed, we were stuffed to the rafters...but it was something new and different, and a lot of fun to dip and drizzle our way through a special meal.

Labor Day Weekend, Family Style!

First, a long weekend away for a great mountain visit with J's Dad & Sharon, who treat us like royalty and are always fun to be with! After returning home, it was off to my parents' for a cookout and pool party with my cute little cousins. I don't think the holiday weekend could have been better :-)

Also, I can't forget what happened on this day in 2001. I still remember exactly what I was wearing, the high school history class I was sitting in when we first saw the news coverage before all the TVs were cut off, and how my mom hugged my brothers and me extra tightly when we got home from school that day. Everyone aged in some way on that day...I remember.

Yeah, We're a Bicycling Couple Now! :-)

So, J has found a fabulous new way to stay in shape, and now I am completely into it too! Of course, the journey has already been horribly rocky after he was hit by a car less than two weeks after purchasing our fancy bikes, but he recovered well and has been brave enough to get back on the bike, back on the road, and back to his commitment to health and fitness. We have a sweet set of Treks - Lance rides a Trek, too!

We had a great time cycling the trails in Townsend, Tennessee during a wonderful family visit with J's dad & Sharon. That was my first feat - 10 miles. A few days after that, I successfully completed and actually enjoyed a 20.9 mile group ride with the cool dudes from The Bike Store. I even kept up with the boys! :-) Since then, J and I have been out together for a challenging yet fun 15 mile ride in a less trafficy section of town. Now, hubby has been doing these crazy 33+ mile rides, but he's a machine! I just hoping to keep improving - cycling is so much more fun than running, and it's nice to be outside while the weather is nice, rather than indoors at the gym.

So, if you happen to be driving around our town and see a bike, or several bikes, please be cautious and feel free to wave hello! :-)

Can You Name the #1 Song on the Day You Were Born?

Well, now you can! Thanks to my good friend Mary Lou for passing this on :-)

My song is "Out of Touch" by Hall & Oates. Never heard of it before now, and I must say it is painfully 80s, but I am proof that good things did come out of the decade. ;-)

This is a fun thing to do - check it out!

So, what's your song?

Kumbaya

To begin on a lighter note, we are nearing my season again :-) I got an email today from Pier One advertising it's self-proclaimed Awesome Autumn deals. Sweet! While I am melancholy about bidding farewell to summer, fall is a fun time.

Now...the real issue on my mind. I am truly sick of election coverage...it's so sad that it causes such deep divides between people who don't vote the same way, even people who are related. For instance, it's especially sad that my own brother-in-law can only respond to things he finds negative, and somehow overlook all the positives that a person, a mind, or even a blog has to offer. It's sad that people will avoid each other for months on end just because they can't agree to disagree. It's sad that each side wants to shout unity, but apparently there is nothing further from unity than an election. Everyone gets their own opinion, and everyone is allowed to display those outlooks, but they have to do it in a caring manner...why try to hurt another person, or take everything as a personal attack?

Granted, I am relatively new at this thing - in fact, this is only my second election being eligible to vote. Was it always this way? I shudder to think...it's sad that we keep falling into this trap, this little hamster wheel of thinking someone is lesser if they do not agree with our point of view. The angriest of those viewpoint holders seem to be the ones who think they aren't doing the name calling...or the damage. Once again, it's sad. Why can't we all just get along?

P.S. Currently watching the RNC so I can get an idea of "both sides". Not getting into it, but I will say this from an entirely pro-environment point of view: Clean coal? Seriously? Hello, oxymoron!

Bouncing from One Big Storm to Another...

I read long ago that all predictions pointed toward an active hurricane season, and they just might have nailed it this year...

The latest update on Hurricane Central boldly states:
"All interests across central and southern Louisiana should prepare for deteriorating conditions during much of Monday. All measures to protect life should have already been taken by this point."

Scary. I sincerely hope Louisiana is able to fare better this time around. This only reinforces the fact that I need to get over to experience New Orleans sooner than later!

Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression Fay

Thanks to The Weather Channel for this cool find:

Timeline of Fay

Fay was a truly remarkable storm, and is not quite done for the rest of the States, though I think we are finally in the clear. Days of rain, wind, thunderstorms, then a rampage of tornado threats - thankfully, none of which effectively materialized. (!)

And, poor Florida! Look how it was picked on - I've never seen a storm stay so focused on one state...amazing.

College Hill Corridor

Sounds like some really cool things are coming our way, and we couldn't be happier!

Not only are there bicycle & pedestrian friendly initiatives to this project, but the yummy promise of a Jittery Joe's that just can't get here fast enough.

Go Macon! :-)

Living on the Edge of a Tropical Storm

T.S. Fay has been quite an interesting storm, and it is far from over.
We've been fortunate and safe so far with just a few rain showers and some wind, but there is surely more to come tonight. Yes tonight, when we are supposed to get all dressed up and go to MSC's "Welcome Back" cocktail buffet party. I think it rained on us last year, too. But in all seriousness, best of luck and safety to those south of us. It's been a long week for them, and not over yet. Two of my close friends, E & J, recently moved to Orlando, and barely had two weeks to settle in to their new apartment before this storm was on top of them. I think they have now been officially initiated, Florida style. You guys are in our thoughts!

In other news, this Bigfoot hoax is just getting sillier and sillier. Of course they were Georgia boys, too. Way to go guys - I think the grossest tidbit of news came out today. The costume was actually stuffed with roadkill. Somebody had to put it in there, right..? Ew.

Happy Birthday to J!

YAY! :-)

No A/C in August?!

Today's Forecast:
Today: Mostly sunny. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. Heat index near 110F. High 99F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Yeah, you saw it with your own eyes: 99+ degrees outside and we have no A/C upstairs! Yesterday afternoon our air suddenly decided to start blowing out hot air instead of cool air, and the entire second floor quickly became a sauna. We called our A/C people right away, and have an appointment today., but the technician just cannot get here fast enough, please please please hurry!!!

Oh, and the best part of this story? We finally splurged on that Tempur-Pedic mattress we'd been pining after for months, and it was delivered yesterday at noon, only moments before the A/C quit and prevented anyone from enjoying it last night. How sad is it to sleep on the couch knowing there is an amazing, soft and heavenly, brand-new Tempur-Pedic waiting upstairs? Life is so unfair sometimes!

Wish us Luck :-)

Blogging from my sweet iPhone. How cool is that? Autumn sez hi.

Too Much Togetherness

How could this be possible, you might ask? :-)

Now, don't get me wrong - I love my hubby and I love to share nearly everything with him. But he is being much too generous lately, and has passed his germy bugs right on to me. Not only have I never had a cold in the summer, but my symptoms have now officially outlasted his. It's just enough to be annoying, and it seems we have had exactly the same thing, whatever it is.

It all starts out with a little tickle in the throat, followed by a full-blown sore throat, then sniffles complete with a simultaneously stuffy and runny nose. Lovely, huh?

Ick. Blah.

On a happier tone - today was a good day. J's iPhone arrived in all its glory, and it is just as amazing as we expected. Worth the wait to get the best one, for sure. I went shopping with my mom, my aunt successfully completed her first chemo treatment, my grandmother won a quarter playing bingo (too cute!), and we celebrated Sarah's birthday in style at the yummy Bonefish Grill. See - I can't complain forever when I am this fortunate :-)

New Addiction

Now I am fully covered - XM for home & car, and now Pandora radio for my computer!

Thanks for the intel, J. Like I needed something else to vie for my freetime ;-)

We Got New Bikes Today!

In a flash of Jerry-inspired hype, we purchased two awesome Trek bicycles from
The Bike Store and the guys rocked - they built our bikes in record time, included deals on helmets, water bottles, future services, info on group rides, the works - even a sweet little bell to make my bike complete! :-)

We found this resource so far, and look forward to getting used to our bikes and then getting involved in some of the local cycling adventures. I am always afraid for the street bikers safety (I am an ortho trauma nurse, after all) but now I think I might want to be one of them. How'd that happen? :-)

Busy week - we had overnight company and hosted a fabulous Cocktail Hour on Thursday with lots of great food, beverages, friends, and laughs.
Good times!

Two Points for Fruit!

Hehe - check it out:

Watermelon may work like Viagra.

Today's top news story, for sure. :-)

Funny Stuff

This is awesome! :-)

Award for Parked Car

Totally how I parallel park...even in my tiny car! Luckily, I have J's AWESOME directorial skills to rely on when this type of parking is absolutely necessary...well sometimes. ;-)

(Found on Reddit via Google Reader)