Very Interesting News from Norway

Another Noah's Ark. Now I do not consider this "doomsday" related in any way, but actually a very cool and smart thing to do. Especially since global warming is real. That's right, people. Be nice to Earth. It's been really nice to you.

There's an Alien Watering My Plants!

Nope, just J taking care of business before we took off for an afternoon motorcycle ride a few weekends ago.
:-)

Power Outage (and a cute little spousal spat)

February 17th, 2008.
A close call with the weather, and no electricity on an empty stomach. Enjoy.

P.S. The lovebirds are once again nesting in peace...nothing like lights and homemade pizzas to ease a temper! :-)

Interesting Find...

One of my favorite online destinations is The Nest, which was introduced to me by one of the many resources I used during the fabulous flurry of wedding planning. Today, I stumbled across a featured blog that addressed something of great interest to me: How to meet & make new friends, couples and singles alike? I discovered a site called Meetup.com, and it actually is alive and well in my own city. Who knew? It looks legit, and I already found a couple of old friends on there, so I am now looking forward to meeting some new ones, too!

When Waves Collide...

Wow.

Wedding Revisited

Our wedding is on my mind lately, perhaps due to the proximity of Valentine's Day, the chill of winter and promise of spring, or the cool concept of the Trash the Dress trend I learned of months ago. At any rate, I played with my dress last weekend and look forward to planning a day with J, my personal (and favorite!) photographer, when the spring arrives and the outdoors beg to be backdrops for beautiful pictures. Can't wait! :-)

Sugar Rush

Homemade goodies. Thanks, Mom!
:-)

Austin, TX Rocks My Socks - Now it Can Rock Yours, Too! :-)

Top 10 Things to Do & See & Eat:

1. There's always history, and the capitol is tucked right there near Downtown Austin, with free parking on the weekends - how convenient is that?!

2. Toy Joy! Need I even say more? I came home with a bag full of treasures, from kazoos and a tiny plastic wind up cymbal-clapping monkey to a pinhole camera that uses 35mm film!

3. Eat, eat, eat! There are fabulous finds littered all over the city for vegans and vegetarians - how refreshing for this Georgia Peach! :-) Veggie Heaven is a top pick.

4. Eat Some More! Kerbey Lane Café was a standout - if only we could have stayed longer, and I would have had more than just one meal there! Mmmm - so fresh & tasty. Great cozy/diner atmosphere.

5. See Howie! He's right there on Guadalupe & a side street - can't miss him! Also, check out the street vendors while you're there. Jewelry & photography = bliss.

6. Visit That Popcorn Place! You'll find something to love, no matter how picky you might consider yourself to be!

7. Drink some Bubble Tea while you wait for your taxi, or anytime at all! I am so glad I finally got to experience this yummy stuff. Tapioca pearls are ugly, but they rule!

8. Eat some Oatscreme at the cool café connected to the infamous Toy Joy - pastries, tasties, and smoothies - all natural and all made from scratch!

9. Stop in Intellectual Property and buy some awesome bargain books. Great selection and uncluttered, upscale vibe inside.

10. Stop in at Diablo Rojo and see Rok for a piercing! He was way cool - too bad my job says no to noserings. :-(

Return of the Esperanza!

Hooray - the Greenpeace Esperanza is back on the seas again to protect the whale population from those who threaten it the most. Aside from adoring what they do for all the obvious reasons, they have a special spot in my heart because I used to immerse myself in their website, browse the blog, and stay glued to the webcam whenever they were in fields of icebergs to safe again in Sydney harbor not only for my own education and interest, but also as a reprieve from endless hours of studying during nursing school. A full year later, I can now reflect on those times spent at my desk in our first home together, now as an RN and from a new home with my hubby. Sweet!

Keep up with the WEBCAM here - it's cool!

Brrr

So, no snow but at least it's cold and I can wear all my fun scarves, hats, and coats! Always trying to look at the bright side :-)

Texas was grand, and not only did I spend some wonderful quality time with my best friend, but I made a couple of new friends, as well! We had a blast running about the city of San Antonio, road tripping to Austin, shopping, eating, sightseeing, sleeping in, talking, and even taking in a monster truck show - never a dull moment! :-)

Photo above taken in Downtown SA, just after the show - Monster Jam 2008 (ha)
L-R: Felicia, Franchesca, Me, & Emily
Good times!
More pics & reviews to come soon - really!

PLEASE Snow, Snow, SNOW!

So, we already got teased once this week, and I'm pulling for some real snow in my neighborhood today! The weather alert looks like this:

Heavy Snow Warning

/O.NEW.KFFC.HS.W.0001.080119T1200Z- 080120T0200Z/ MADISON-CLARKE-OCONEE- OGLETHORPE-WILKES-ROCKDALE-WALTON- NEWTON- MORGAN-GREENE-TALIAFERRO- SPALDING-HENRY-BUTTS-JASPER-PUTNAM- HANCOCK-WARREN-TROUP-MERIWETHER-PIKE- UPSON-LAMAR-MONROE-JONES- BALDWIN- HARRIS-TALBOT-CRAWFORD-BIBB-MUSCOGEE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATHENS... CONYERS...COVINGTON... GRIFFIN... MILLEDGEVILLE...MACON...COLUMBUS 406 AM EST SAT JAN 19 2008

...HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR AREAS NORTH OF A COLUMBUS TO MACON TO SPARTA LINE...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A HEAVY SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING.

RAIN SPREADING NORTHWARD ACROSS GEORGIA EARLY THIS MORNING IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE OVER TO SNOW THROUGH THE LATE MORNING HOURS. THE SNOW MAY INITIALLY BE MIXED WITH RAIN...BUT WILL TRANSITION TO PREDOMINANTLY SNOW BY EARLY AFTERNOON OVER MUCH OF THE WARNING AREA. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE HOVERING NEAR FREEZING MUCH OF THE DAY SATURDAY...AND A DIFFERENCE OF A FEW DEGREES WARMER OR COOLER WILL GREATLY IMPACT POTENTIAL FOR THE SNOW TO ACCUMULATE. WHILE CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY STILL EXISTS WITH RESPECT TO LOCATION AND AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL...THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS THE WARNING AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT THE GREATEST LIKELIHOOD OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE NORTH OF A COLUMBUS TO MACON TO SPARTA LINE.

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

So that's a pretty cool maybe. :-) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that when I wake this afternoon, I will see some white! Nevermind that I have to go to work tonight regardless of the weather - yes, hospitals NEVER close. But I will play on the top of the parking decks if I have to - anything for snow, said the little girl from the hot, hot south who's only seen it in person about 5 times in her life. Wheeee! :-)

Off to Texas

August 2004


This was taken during my last visit, and who knows - maybe we'll take a reunion shot to see how we've changed - glad our friendship is strong as ever! :-)

Beautiful Day

Callaway Gardens -- Pine Mountain, GA
December 2007

VDUB Central Rocks...Again!

Anybody remember my first post about this place, long ago? Well, it was a positive one and my return visit has been another pleasant encounter. Saturday was my one day off for the entire week, and after loading presents into my trunk, running back into the house for my forgotten sunglasses, and hopping into the car to take off to WR for a belated gift exchange and coffee date with Kelly, I was immediately stopped in my tracks with a car that refused to budge out of "Park". It cranked fine but - Nope, no reverse, no drive, no neutral, and no Starbucks with a friend for me. The battery light was even glowing in angry red...yay, always a good sign, right? So I dragged my poor, sick hubby outside to try the jumper cables, still nothing worked. After calling my dad who was going to be away from his phone for another couple of hours and J searched the web a bit for possible explanations or quick fixes, he had the great idea to go ahead and call VDUB to set up an appointment, since we'd need to have one whether we had to tow the car there or not - and luckily for me, he said bring it right in, told me how to get the car out of park, and was able to squeeze in an oil change, as well. The faulty brake light switch has been replaced, and free of charge due to a recent VW-wide recall. Sweet! Thanks, VDUB :-)

And for my own future reference, and maybe to help some other soul out too:
When stuck forever in Park:
Turn ignition on until lights appear on dash, then turn key back to left until lights go out.
Put vehicle in Drive or Reverse, whatever direction is needed.
With the left hand turn key all way to start position, and barely sneak shift toward Neutral with right hand - before locking into neutral, engine will crank, then bring back to drive and be off on your way....to the mechanic.

Christmas Getaway

Fantasy in Lights, Callaway Gardens
December 22-23, 2007

Merry Christmas to all...

May your holidays be beautiful and bright.
May your plates overflow with yummy indulgences.
Stay warm, be merry, and enjoy every moment of this celebratory time!
Love, A & J

Adventures of Tintin

Can you believe it? They're making this into a movie - YAY! And old classic cartoon favorite of mine, for sure. Sweet!

Christmastime Has Come

Our Beautiful Tree
Fa La La La La La La La La La La La La.....

Mission: Holiday Fun!

is well underway. With a mere 13 days to go until Christmas Day, we are officially cramming in as many enjoyable things as possible without spinning into a frenzy with no time left for admiring the Christmas tree, or cozying up on the couch together even though it's nearly 80 degrees outside this week. Yes, we're setting warm temperature records left & right. And we're finding time to do those relaxing things in addition to all the fabulous madness. We've found the perfect real tree, celebrated two birthdays, decorated the entire house, hosted a lovely dinner party, planned a gift exchange with family this weekend along with tickets to the 99X Mistletoe Jam...and so much more to come! Yay. :-)

Taking a bit of time to kick back with a magazine tonight as I prepare for my return to work tomorrow night - these end-of-year ones are always interesting, chock full of tips for a new year, guideposts to reflect back on the closing year, and plenty of ads for new things to pine after and add to your wishlist. Good reads! A passage I like the sound of:

"When you're sizing up your life, try to focus on gratitude" (Redbook)

The end. For tonight. :-)



Redbook

I'm 23!

Yay - Happy (late) birthday to me! It was a fabulous one, and we stretched it out into a birthday weekend. I got a sweet Polaroid camera from hubby, and lots of other fabulous gifts from family. It was a blast - and wow, another whole year. I'm getting old. :-)

Happy Happy Birthday to My A!

Happy birthday to my wonderful wife!

It's been quite a year full of change: soon after we celebrated our first wedding anniversary, we bought a new house. You started a job that makes more money than an Assistant Professor, and you're excelling at it. Talk about growing up a lot in one year. I'm very proud of you, babe. I'm sure this next year will offer more changes and challenges, but we'll face them together and continue to grow.

Happy birthday, and I love you! "L" for LOVE!

Night In

There's no shame in staying on the couch for a block of hours wearing sweatpants and eating take-out chinese food with the one you love.

In fact, it's quite lovely.

Currently watching Planet Earth, and loving every second of it. Very wow.

Thanksgiving Came Early!

Due to my work schedule, my family celebrated Thanksgiving on Monday night and it was perfect! The feast was fabulous, the company was great, and the leftovers crowding our refrigerator are delicious little reminders of another beautiful holiday!

Fall is off to a lovely start, and now that I've had my turkey & stuffing, I am ready to dive into Christmas! Today I bought yards of garland for our staircase, and my daydreams are in full bloom. Speaking of holiday decor...

Pier 1 has some fabulous little tips & holiday ideas to make the season a bit easier on all, especially those who love it the most. Like me! I keep thinking my enthusiasm will rub off on Sweet J one day, and it still might. But for now, I have enough for us both. And then some! :-) Oh, and Oprah came! It was an exciting thing, to say the least. I'm jealous - wish I could have been in that audience, just like every other woman in America.

Last but not least, my parents have decided to do something new this year and as a joint birthday gift for me & my brothers, since we all have birthdays coming up in the next 3 weeks, we've booked a weekend trip to Callaway Gardens, complete with a package deal for the breathtaking Fantasy in Lights - it's been years since I've seen the display, and this will be a first for J. Can't think of a better way to spend the weekend before Christmas with the ones I love the most. xo

Cold Weather is Here...

and I am happy to stay warm inside! I bought a new book today (yay!) and I can't wait to get busy reading it. I saw it on Oprah a few weeks ago, and the storyline appealed to me immensely. I am happy to finally own it...now I just need to find the time to get lost in it.

Speaking of Oprah, she is scheduled to grace my town tomorrow. Imagine that - the tickets are far beyond sold out, and then some but I might keep my eyes open for a caravan of important looking people. Can't wait to see the show when it airs - who knows what she'll have up her sleeve?

Holidays are here and I am a happy girl.

Flutter, a pretty little test video.

Toe to Toe

One of many images from our lovely long weekend trip to the mountains.
November 2007.

Interesting Autumn

The Luckiest

Ben Folds wrote the most romantic song I have ever heard. I am the luckiest. Thinking of you, babe, when you're working. Wish you were here.

Amazing & Scary...

and not quite too late for Halloween. Awesome find for my meteorology tastes.

Oldest known photograph of a tornado.

I Think I Want One...

But which Animal is for me? :-)

New Member Status

Today I joined the awesome gym associated with my hospital, and I can't wait to get started. It's been too long since I've been going steady with a regular and structured workout program, and while I so love to hit the streets of our neighborhood with my iPod & New Balances, the weather will eventually chill & I am looking forward to the variety of a lap pool, indoor track, massive weight/cardio room, racquetball courts, sauna, and daily mix of aerobic classes. Yeah, I'm psyched.

Where There's a Will, There's a Way...

Too Cool. Now that's what I call inspiration. :-)

Newest Additions

Meet our newest indoor plants.
English Daisies and Aloe.
Sweet.
The weather is so lovely, it's impossible to stay indoors.
So we're bringing some nature inside.
Happy fall to all!

Breathtaking

The moon is so beautiful.

Thanks to Reddit for the link.

Awwwww

Love you, babe!

Nephews

Baby B in the spotlight, with big brother E busily playing in the background. J and I are hoping to make the trek to visit these two sometime soon. It hasn't been too long since we last saw the family, but kids grow so fast that even a few weeks make a difference!

Photo by: EthanRahe c/o Flickr

Furniture Frenzy

...or the beginning of one, at least. A beautiful new mission-style bedroom suite is scheduled to be delivered to our door anytime after 7AM tomorrow and we absolutely cannot wait to see the transformation! J and I have had our eye on this set for about 4 months now, and are in perfect harmony about our choice, having never wavered from this particular design. Completing the bedroom was top priority by a longshot, but a new sofa, lamps, area rugs, and more are to come...all in due time, but of course the sooner the better! :-)

In other creative home improvement news, I found this Lowe's offshoot to be particularly helpful and inspiring. The catalog showed up in our mailbox, and I decided to check into the website as well. Enjoy.

OK Go - A Million Ways

Yay! Love this follow-up to the infamous treadmill masterpiece. :-) Thanks to IMF for bringing OK GO back into my atmosphere after a temporary misfiling.

Happy 4 Years to Us!
Today marks four years from the day we met, and our first date followed soon after. Lots of wonderful things have happened to us since that date, including engagement and marriage, graduation and a new career beginning for me, several academic honors and achievements for J, new houses to makes home, and innumerable happy memories all along the way.
I love you, sweet J!

I See Fruit Salad in Our Future

Boo.

My favorite magazine, which I very recently re-subscribed to, has been canned. I am now the new and not impressed owner of a 9-month subscription to Glamour magazine. I'll give it a chance, but I won't be happy about it - bring Jane back!

Destin, FL - July 2007
Photo by A

I've Been Thinking...

..that I should write more often to stir my creative juices. I do have some. :-)

..that I have an amazing hubby who is just the blend of teddy bear and brick wall that I need and love.

..that I can't remember how I ever survived without satellite radio. I am an XM addict. (Thanks, sweet J!)

..that I really miss my friends from college, and really need to make a better effort to stay in touch.

..that we are finally making this fabulous house look like a fabulous home.

..that my job rules. But it's tough, especially lately being so busy and independent with an overload of 6 rowdy patients with multiple pain pumps, glucommanders, heparin drips, insulin drips, multiple units of blood needed, and then some. But that's shop talk. :-)

..that we should go to more cocktail parties because I felt darn smashing in my little black dress with my hand holding the arm of my hot hubby in his blue power tie/new dress shirt combo at the faculty cocktail buffet last night.

..that I want to take trips, vacations, and journeys every single month, which probably isn't very practical but a fun goal nonetheless.

..that staying up all night feels entirely normal these days.

..that I want to hit the pool at least once a week until the end of the summer heat. Success for the past 2 weeks!

..that I can't wait for our new TV to arrive, and I really am going to want that new sofa to sit on while watching that shiny new LCD.

..that I want to continue staying in touch with my in-laws because we have a good thing going, and appreciating family is important on both sides.

..that my little brothers are growing up really fast.

..that I've almost been married a year and a half! Wowzers.

..that I just might join the awesome gym affiliated with my hospital, because it would probably give me more incentive to work out than solely running/walking around the neighborhood does, especially with the hot days and mosquito nights.

..that I seriously love the cute comfort of Crocs. I now own 3 pairs and J has some, too!

..that I still miss my grandfather, Leland, terribly and probably will never stop thinking of how much we could have talked about then and right now.

..that Lean Cuisine frozen meals really aren't that bad when you're in a hurry or don't feel like making much effort for a solo/semi-healthy meal! :-)

..that I should blog more. But this was a good start.

Overdue

Though not by much...still, I owe our little website an update of our fabulous anniversary adventure.

Coming soon...but not too soon as I will be working the next three nights.

There is always next week, said the half-full half of the marriage (Randy's lunchtime proclamation). Even more news, J got a sweet new car! Covered on Flickr - go look! :-)

(Belated) First Anniversary

Officially on the road for a belated but fabulous First Anniversary adventure! Our trip starts in Highlands, NC and will then sweep us away to Asheville, NC for a few romantic, relaxing, and fun-filled days in the city.

As of May 20, 2007, we've tucked one year of wedded bliss under our belts, with a lifetime of love to come!
xo

Jerry's Photo Skills Rule!

Indeed, I am quite biased. But not blind -- see for yourself! :-)
July 21, 2007.
~Baby Bryce's Baptism~

Happy 4th of July!

Yes, I do keep forgetting tomorrow is a national holiday, since the hospital never closes, sleeps, or goes on holiday. I will be spending the day in bed and the evening at work, taking care of all the fireworks gone wrong victims. Am I complaining? No, not really. I enjoy trauma. Perhaps I will at least wear patriotic scrubs. :-)

P.S. No fireworks in these parts, please. South Georgia has just killed off the wildfire that raged for weeks and added a new tab to history, and I am certain the Earth longs for no more scars.

Poor Fatty

My cat is upset.

Fatty is not taking to the move very well, and he's making us suffer. During the day, he's fine — or I guess he's fine, since he picks a spot and hides all day long. It's the early morning hours that he gets lonely, or vindictive, or something. He comes up to the bedroom door and starts wining. And wining. He'll pause for a minute or two to lull me into a false sense of calm, letting me almost drift back to sleep before he hits me — WAHHHH! — with another round, an aggressive and persistent enemy pounding at the gates. I just lay there feeling my blood pressure rise.

Even if I get up, that doesn't help. I can be downstairs with him, and he'll still walk around wining. Mwwwarrrr! . . . Whhhharrrr! . . . Hrrrwwwwaaarr! I'm not sure what to do for him, and Autumn's losing patience. Shoot, I'm losing patience.

I wish I knew what to do for him. I thought that after two weeks, he would start behaving normally again. I think that part of the problem is the nearly constant stream of strangers we've had flowing through since we moved in. Still, even though the flood has ebbed a bit, we have someone ring the doorbell almost daily. Fatty's eyes widen, his head pops up, he scrunches down, and he slinks into his hiding spot. Then we don't see him the rest of the day, but we know he's there, sometime around 4 am.

I'm not sure what's made my 17-pound cat such a wimp. Anna is an Achilles to Fatty's Elpenor. She's already Queen of the house, taking long naps on the couch and basking in the extra space. She can probably sleep now 'cause Fatty's not around to bug her all the time. Poor poor Fatty.

I hope he gets over it soon. I need some sleep.

Another London Summer Bomb Scare?

Since I am a full time nightshift girl now, I happened to be up watching TV around 4am and I flipped by the international news channel innocently enough, only to slow to a screeching halt there and stay glued for a half an hour or more. According to news sources, a very large and crude car bomb was found near the popular Picadilly Circus area around 2am London time, and since has fortunately been defused by police. Still, this news brought a creepy sort of flashback from my own study abroad summer there that was clouded and temporarily halted by the horrific bombings of July 7th, 2005.

Flickr eyewitness photos can be seen here and here. BBC has excellent coverage, and I will be keeping up with this one, as I hope this recent threat has passed completely.

Hooray!!!

I received my results from NCLEX at exactly 11:30 this morning, and was overjoyed to get the good news I'd been hoping for - I passed and I am an official RN now! Yay! :-) In fact, I was given 77 questions before the exam cut off, which according to the pass/fail rules means that I measured significantly above the passing standard. Even more awesome. I am beyond relieved and so full of the happiness! Big thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged me, especially my sweet hubby.

This has been an exceptionally good day: not only did I become an official RN, but we also closed on our house and in the closing process scored a sweet check to put toward our new TV & sofa fund. Yay! As of Monday, let the moving begin!

Eeek!

I went ahead and did it - I finally received my Authorization to Test (ATT), and I scheduled myself to take the NCLEX on June 13th. I am so nervous!!! But, I'm excited about getting it over with, and also glad to finally have target date to hopefully motivate me to get busy with the self review and studying between now and then. Oh, my...

In other news, I am planning to post something of a "year in review" series to reflect on our first year of marriage. Look for that soon, assuming anyone is around to actually read this. (Insert unsure/hopeful smile here).

First Anniversary!

Happy one year anniversary to my baby! It has been a fabulous adventure, and we're just getting started. :-) Thanks so much for everything you do, everything you are, and everything else.

I Love You.

More on Flickr.

The Return of the Mojito

Mmm. This summer drink has been a long time coming, but it is finally back in my orbit. And, deliciously so! This batch is even more special than the last since the mint leaves are home grown - planted by my hands, nurtured by J's diligent watering, and fed by the sunlight of our front porch.

The recipe:

2 parts rum
1.5 parts lime juice
10 mint leaves
1.5 teaspoons fine sugar
soda water

Put mint leaves and sugar in the bottom of a highball glass. Using your muddler, muddle that stuff until it's a paste. Add a bit of soda to clean your muddler and loosen up the mint paste. Add lime, rum, and ice. Top off with soda water and stir to combine. Yum.
Thanks to J for the photo and the yummy drink that I am enjoying as I type. All this and more on a beautiful one-year anniversary weekend. :-)

Sweet Humpback Whales

In a developing story that tugs at the strings of my heart and my GreenPeace roots, I am full of hope that the stranded mother and baby whale will safely migrate out of the polluted fresh water shipping channel to make a smooth return to their natural salt-water habitat. And soon!

Please read more here and here.

Cool find today, thanks to Energy Times magazine, which is a super cool subscription I've been getting for about a year now, courtesy of the yummy Smoothie King in Destin, FL.

Oh, to be on the beach right now...
swoon.

Yay! As part of the Class of 2007, I graduated from Macon State's College of Nursing on May 11th, 2007. The weekend was one wonderful blur of fun and good news, from my pinning ceremony to finding out we got the beautiful big white house that holds the kitchen of our dreams!
Life is good.

Red Eye Rant

Well, unfortunately this cruddy hole in the wall doesn't have its own website, so I cannot directly point my finger at it as I expose all it's shortcomings. Last night, J and I ended up there as a close to our evening(s) out, and it was a mistake from the start.

We were greeted at the top of the stairs by a couple of scruffy looking, middle-aged bouncers who were checking IDs at the door, which is an unusual site around here as most of the age determination is done by eyeball, as far as I know. Still, against our best judgment we proceeded down the stairs and quickly learned why the guard dogs were at the door as we descended into a sea of lame kiddos who probably should never have made it through had the dudes been doing their jobs. After D was turned away (a first) which threw the bachelor party we bumped in to way off track, we found it a difficult task alone in getting up to the bar, and nearly impossible still to place a drink order due to all the sidestepping, lanky 20-something males with low self-esteem and cigarette breath looking to get lucky in a pond of sad options. After obtaining our dinky beers in plastic cups (niiice), we returned to the patio just in time to see the people who were waiting on us ascending the stairs to depart. As we attempted to follow them, disgusting guard dog #2 put his paws on the top of my cup (yes, where my lips go) and tried to toss it in the trash can, rather than bothering to tell me that we could not take drinks with us, treating me as if I was one of the sloshing losers that littered the patio downstairs, which I was obviously not even close to being one of. However, J and I proceeded to drink our beers together while making conversation about how glad we were to be long past the stage in life where this dumpster with a bar would even approach any type of fun, and remarking on how fortunate we were to have found each other and be happily ever after.

So, the sticky wakeup call may have had a positive ring to it in considering those shared words and hand-in-hand departure from the dumpster with a bar, but that was the one bright spot of the entirely negative experience at The Red Eye Tavern. If you still choose to support this establishment (um, I guess you could call it one) then remember you've been warned, and don't venture too close anytime approaching midnight unless you are underage with low to no standards. The end.

We Got the House!!! :-)

Week # 1 Post Nursing School

Wow. I am so enjoying my time off between the end of classes and my upcoming graduation on Friday, May 11th. I feel like I've already accomplished so much, and still managed to sleep in and relax more than not.

Over the weekend I enjoyed a lovely shopping day with mom that we planned ages ago when I was still burdened with exams, clinicals, and case study papers. I found the PERFECT dress for graduation night, and a sweet little black dress for any black dress occasion. I also tried on my hat & tassel just for fun. :-)

Tomorrow I will begin trading my stock of winter clothes for my summer clothes, and transitioning a slice of my wardrobe to my parents' house in preparation for our up & coming move. Pretty much the first sign of packing around here, but I want to disturb the look of the house as little as possible until after the graduation party we're hosting. Lots to be done, but still plenty of time and energy on board!

Dinosaur Comics Rule

You know you wanna click it.

Especially this old one. :-)

YAY!

Two finals down and one to go!

Graduation is so close I can smell it. :-)

Underground!

I find quite a few cool things by browsing Blogger's featured "best of" blogs. This latest find is a grand exception in that it is not only cool, but one of my absolute favorite spins on a favorite mode of transportation in the world. If you haven't already figured it out, that's the Tube. Swoon.
Check this out!

For J

Now why do you think good ol' Norman Mailer's photo is next to an article about American Idol's odd but infamous star, Sanjaya? Interesting little combination to say the least. (Enlarge image for best results) Thanks for the humor, Google News. :-)

Busy day: Took my last regular exam, and went out with a bang. Yay! Celebrated with friends and classmates Sarah & Mary Lou by picking up our caps & gowns, purchasing our Nightingale Lamps for our pinning ceremony, enjoying a lovely lunch at Ruby Tuesday, and some browsing for graduation dresses. So much fun. But the exams didn't stop there - I completed the medication test to begin my orientation as an RN at MCCG, aced it, and contacted my new floor's director to let her know I was ready to transfer as soon as they'll have me. Shouldn't be long now at all...only two exams, a quiz, and Boards separate me from becoming a registered nurse. Though these last days are stressful ones, my friend Martha said it best: THINK RN! And that's what I'm doing. But not tonight - I am wiped out, and ready to spend some time with TiVo before I fall asleep. 'Night!

The Countdown is On

Believe it or Not:
Our One Year Anniversary
is only one month away!

(Photo by J.G.)

Photo by Phillip.
Taken during Cocktail Hour at our place.

Yay - Spring is Here Again!

Today was gorgeous, and we were thankful for the lovely 70-something evening we had, which contributed a wonderfully successful hosting of the weekly Cocktail Hour! Many thanks to all who came. We had a blast and were happy to see that everyone else did, too. Now, if this perfect weather would just stick around for good...

Oh, and just a couple of weeks now until graduation! YIPEE.

I Think the House Hunt Never Ends

So, yeah. The house hunting process is a bad, bad game sometimes. Disappointment/Heartbreak # 1: Check.

Found the most perfect condo ever.ever.ever and it's gone. Some jerk(s) bought it hours ago. After it sat on the market for nearly two years, no less. Amazing. And so, so wrong. I feel like kicking down our for sale sign now...I am no longer sure if I want to go and where if I do.

VDUB Central Rocks!

As the proud owner of a little red Beetle, I am interested in all things Volkswagen. So, when my beloved bug began having the "hiccups" over the past couple of months, I knew I had to take care of it so that my darling hubby would not keep pestering me to get rid of it. I agree with him that a car as young as mine(it's only a 2003 model with just over 60,000 miles on it) should not have as many problems as it keeps popping up with, but I also know that my car is special in a sentimental way, it's adorable and worthy of my adoration, it's a shiny happy shade of red, and it's paid for in full. So, I did some research and found a local place that specializes in VWs and VWs only. Turns out this place is something of a family practice, with the father's expertise spanning 40+ years. The son runs the local shop, and is quite the car whiz himself. Hopefully we have fixed the problem, and he did it in a very professional, honest, and cost-effective way. I am quite pleased, and always happy to support a local rather than a corporation such as the only other local option, Butler Volkswagen. I wish I knew more VW drivers than I do, so I could send more business to VW Central - I am certainly telling all the ones I do know! I was very happy to find this knowledgeable guy & his company, and today was a good day, even if it required me to shell out $110 of my hard-earned little nurse extern cash. I hope it made my baby Beetle happy. For a long, long time. Amen.

For Sale, Baby!

Well, we've finally gone and done it.

Yes, friends, 849 Laurel Avenue is officially up for sale. Autumn and I decided to try selling it buy owner. A realtor (why is my spell checker telling me that realtor is supposed to be spelled with a capital "R"? Bah!) who is trying to sell a house we like on Beverly Place, came over last week, ostensibly to chat with us about our options. Well, those options were about how we could buy her house, not about how could sell ours. In fact, were half-way through a cursory tour before I realized she really had no interest in even seeing our house.

Maybe I'm just being a cynic? Perhaps. However, she seemed to have as much interest in helping us sell our house as George Bush has in helping Katrina victims from New Orleans. Weird.

Yet, it seems to me that is she wanted us to sign a contract for Beverly contingent upon us selling Laurel, she would offer a bit of help. She changed her tune yesterday: she offered to come over to talk with us about how to make our house ready to show. Maybe she realized her mistake.

Anyhow: if you know of anyone who is in the market, send 'em our way.

tags technorati : house for sale macon georgia real estate

Test-Driving BMWs for Cancer Research

What combination could be better? For the second year, we attended the BMW Ultimate Drive for a Cure, to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by trying out the beautiful machines of our choice. This year we drove a snazzy little 5-series & a sweet 7-series, which was like a mansion on wheels. Wow...I think I have a retirement goal already, and I haven't quite graduated from college yet. :-) We really enjoy this event, and looked forward to it since the last. Fortunately, this year we received invitations and were able to pre-register, which made the process even more enjoyable and smooth. There were a few other sponsors involved as well, with The Republic of Tea's offerings sounding especially yummy.

Farewell, Spring Break

Tomorrow brings the return to class at 8am sharp, and I don't wanna go back. I've become very fond of having free time. Beautiful, beautiful freedom. But, this is my last stretch of school, and May (graduation!) will materialize before I know it.

Springtime

March has been a lovely month. A fun one, too, with the freedom of Spring Break for us both. Much has been accomplished over the week+ we had off, from spring cleaning to sleeping in, relaxation & TV marathons to finally meeting our baby nephew during a lovely visit this morning, and even doing some planting. I believe I am what is called a container gardener, and I am loving it. In the past two evenings I've gone through a huge bag & a half of potting soil, 9 or 10 pristine clay pots, and a quarter of a box of plant food. It's been delightful, and I now have a front porch full of herbs, flowers, and baby trees. Oak, pine, and crabapple. Rosemary, basil, spearmint, and lavender. Flowering cabbage & kale. Combined with the perfect weather, heaven is here at home.

Yay, Amazon!

For every Dr. Seuss book purchased between now and May 1, 2007, Random House Children's Books will donate one book to First Book, an international nonprofit organization that provides an ongoing supply of new books to children participating in community-based mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs. Visit the Dr. Seuss Shop for more details on how you can support literacy with Dr. Seuss!

Browse the Dr. Seuss shop on Amazon.com.

Our Street

Photo by Jerry
March 7, 2007

Three Degrees of Cool

One link led to another, all thanks to the Blogger homepage's featured blogs section.

First came the cute sketches, then the groovy artist himself, who is featured on this nifty podcast.

The end.

Back on the Field

This evening brought my first softball practice of the season, and my first time playing in waaaay too long. More than two years since my last game, and the return was sweet. Sweet J is my biggest fan already. :-)

I made (instant) cheesecake pudding for dessert tonight, and it smells so divine.

Ok, It's Official

I am addicted to HGTV. Currently watching National Open House, dreaming of future homes we might inhabit.

Oh, and I am feeling serious Spring Fever when it comes to swimsuit shopping and days by the pool. The Swim Shop by Newport News rocks hard. I already have an order on the way!

My goal this week? To post an entry every day. Monday...check!

Red Light Weekend

Oh, recovery. J and I (but mostly J) have been slowed to a crawl by a nasty attack of the allergies, complete with scratchy throats, stuffy heads, runny noses, and sinus pressure.

We've strategically placed boxes of tissues throughout the house, overdosed on OJ & cranberry juice, and gotten lots of sleep. The home remedies seem to be helping, as did some sweet comfort food from Carrabba's, but we were unable to make our little trip north this weekend, to visit our new nephew and check out the Aquarium. That's a sad, sad thing - we were really looking forward to both! Even though this week is our glorious Spring Break, it's full of events, from work stuff to my first softball practice for my hospital's new team - yipee! Hopefully, the weather will stay beautiful, and maybe even get a bit warmer so we can spend more of the sunny days outside, as spring begins to set in...which brings a local favorite, the Cherry Blossom Festival, aka TONS of awesome photo opportunities, especially for sweet J.

Now...back to our lazy TV marathon of HGTV & FoodNetwork, which has made for a lovely evening on the couch, with bonus leftovers from Carrabba's. Bliss with my baby.

Welcome to the world, Baby Connor.
You're famous already!
Born February 28th, 2007
9 lbs, 20 1/2 inches
Sweet, sweet boy - we made pizza for the happy parents & kept them company through a tornado warning spent in the stuffy hallway by force. Good memories.

Planned Parenthood Newsletter Excerpt

When will the Georgia Legislature stop harassing women and start focusing on PREVENTION? Prevention measures are the best way to prevent unintended pregnancies, not unnecessary intrusions into the doctor-patient relationship. The Georgia General Assembly should focus on policies that help women prevent unintended pregnancies long before a woman enters an abortion clinic. These senseless proposals are not helping Georgia women access the education and services they need.

Please let the members of the House Judiciary (Non-Civil) Committee who voted in favor of this bill know that doctors, not politicians, should decide what information and care to offer their patients. Politicians who are sincere about reducing the need for abortion should focus on prevention, not intrusive legislation.

You CAN help defeat this bill by taking the following 3 steps:

1. Thank the Representatives that stood up for the women of Georgia!

2. Spank the Representatives that voted for this intrusive legislation!

3. Call the author of this bill, State House Representative James Mills, with this message:

I am outraged at HB 147! Please consider other ways of reducing unintended pregnancy through preventive health care, not through intrusive legislation. Doctors, not politicians, should decide what information and care to offer their patients. I urge you to OPPOSE HB 147 and legislation like it!

State House Representative James Mills (R-25): 404-656-5099

Received: March 1st, 2007

Our Newest Nephew

Baby Bryce
Born: February 15, 2007

Lucky!

I am so jealous - I want a snow day!

Even an inch would thrill me...and then I could make a snow angel, too!

Sweet J. took me out for a lovely candlelit dinner on Valentine's Day. Sweet J. treated me to a yummy Maker's manhattan, awesome food, and homemade ice cream cones for dessert. Many thanks to my sweet, sweet husband. I enjoyed the "romantical" evening out!
:-)

WOW

This is amazing. I am so glad I came across their awesome Flickr page. I look forward to the day when I can contribute to charity, because this is one I am passionate about.

Peace to the whales, and to the crew on the Esperanza.

January has passed in a blur, and 2007 is officially rocking and rolling. It was a fun month, and a busy one. It presented the most beautiful double rainbow I have seen in my life. It kick-started my last semester of nursing school, and gave me my first dose of working the 7pm-7am shift. I hope February is just as lovely, and then some.

I Topped Rachael Ray!

Well, perhaps not in quality, but in timing I did! :-) Today I made a fantastic little spur-of-the-moment, creative, & yummy lunch in less than 20 minutes! That's right - this was no 30 minute meal! My recipe you might ask? Don't get too excited, because it is super simple, but I will share:

-1 cup penne pasta, or whatever you desire
-1 small can of 98% fat-free broccoli cheese condensed soup (next time I'm trying cream of mushroom, or maybe even cream of celery)
-Handful of frozen green peas
-Seasonings of your choice (I used garlic salt, freshly ground black pepper, & red pepper flakes)

Cook pasta as directed, reduce heat to low and drain, leaving only enough of the starchy water to cover the bottom of the pan, add the can of soup and seasonings. After about two minutes, turn off heat, add peas, and cover for 5 minutes, stir to mix and Enjoy! :-)
(Total time: 18 minutes)

This has truly been a wonderful weekend. Hope yours was too!

Back to School

Indeed, my beautiful Christmas break has come to a close, and taken all the holiday fun and food with it, but my memories are wonderful ones. I am excited about this semester because it is my last, and so many interesting things will come into my orbit during these next five months. Already, I am intrigued by my Trends & Issues in Healthcare class, and overjoyed at the prospect of furthering my knowledge of neurology nursing, which is what I hope to specialize in someday soon, or maybe even a bit later.

I think 2007 will be groovy.