My Girls!

I love these ladies!
Felicia visited her Georgia family, and the three of us enjoyed a long-awaited reunion.
Life is good and lifelong friends are amazing.
June 2008.

Heavy Weather

Hard to believe that only one hour before this happened I was sitting at this very table enjoying the afternoon sunshine. A crazy-quick storm blew in out of nowhere and wreaked havoc on our poor little patio, mangling our umbrella beyond repair, toppling our table and chairs, and shattering flowerpots and candle holders.

We think the table will be fine once it's bolted back together...and hopefully our water will be back 100% soon. Yes, we'd never heard of losing water before either, but this is the second time it's happened this year due to storms. Why can't it just rain anymore, without all these threats?


J started reading Heavy Weather during our vacation, and I'm next! Seems scarily fitting, huh?

Felicia's Visit

We had a blast, as you can see. :-)
Lifelong friends ROCK!
June 2008.

Let's Go Back

Missing the beach already...

Sweet Siesta Key, FL.
May 2008.

Honeymon Video

Since we just celebrated our second anniversary, I put together a video of our honeymoon photos — finally! — featuring "Doin' Everything with You," by Chuck Mangione. Happy anniversary, babe. Enjoy!

Day Five: Home, Sweet Home

Made it home safe and sound, pulling into the driveway around 3:00 pm. We shared the driving duties, traded off iPod time, and traveled under a cloudy gray sky for the entire 350 miles home. That type of icky weather made it a tiny bit easier to leave Florida behind, but already I am accosted by calls from work with scheduling questions, have unpacked us both and started a load of laundry, and J washed the car. Blah - we're back to reality. But it was a BEYOND SWEET trip and we are always thankful for safe travels. I already can't wait to get away again soon, but it's nice to be back to our own bed for now. We enjoyed lots of amazing seafood, fine adult beverages, beautiful beach memories were made, and we discovered Siesta Key together, which is now officially on my list of top beach destinations. It was truly swoon-worthy, refreshing and recharging. And now we are relaxing on our couch catching up on the American Idol season finale: home, sweet home. The End.

Update: Yaaaaaay, David Cook! We were so sure this finale was not going to go the way we hoped, but it did! :-)

Day Four: Early Morning Sunshine (of course)

I set our alarm to go off early so I could run down for one last visit with the beach, weather permitting. Of course the sun was shining brightly since it was our last day in Siesta Key, but I couldn't feel too betrayed since it also meant I could squeeze in one more hour of tan time, water time, and general frolicking on the beach time. Besides the hardcore deeply-tanned local beach joggers, I was one of the first people on the beach, snagging a beach chair and a prime spot to enjoy the panoramic view of the ocean. I finished my book, snapped a few final pictures, and collected two of the most perfect shells I've ever seen - they washed up right next to my beach chair, so really, they found me. The water was more clear today than ever before, and I waded around before returning to my chair to bask in the sun until the last minute possible. I took it all in and then returned to the room to find Starbucks waiting for me while I packed. (Thanks, hubby!)

We leisurely made our way up to Tampa and stopped in at the International Plaza Mall, which is my new favorite! Lunch at Champp's and shopping at the Apple Store for J, Forever 21 for me. Let me just say I scored majorly in the fashion department - yay! :-) We checked into a hotel for the night and took in an IMAX movie at MOSI, Roving Mars = way cool. We ventured down to Ybor City for beer and some of J's all-time favorite fabulous pizza at Demmi's Market on 7th. After returning to our hotel to doze along with the HBO movie channel and reading in the cabana by the pool, we hit Bennigan's for a late dinner to split a sandwich and dessert - no less than Death by Chocolate to serve as our vacation grand finale meal, oh yes. Then we cozied up and watched Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer...predictable, but decent. Tomorrow brings the journey home, whether we are ready or not.

Day Three: Rain and More Rain

Anniversary Day!

Our anniversary started off with a fantastic breakfast of eggs benedict at First Watch, my first visit to Whole Foods, and some shopping in downtown Sarasota - used books for J and special anniversary earrings for me - our tradition. :-) We drove through St. Armand's Circle, but it wasn't as easy to appreciate it's bevy of beauty through the torrential downpour. We circled through, pointed out all the things we would have liked to see and do, and turned back toward Sarasota. After an enjoyable and extended pitstop at Borders, we left with a sack full of books and got soaked outside once again. A light lunch at The Hub/Baja Grille with draft beer, salad, chips & queso was just what we needed as we waited the rain out, and now we are back to the room where I am ready to hit the beach despite the little rumble of thunder that just sneaked through our hotel walls.

Just like the day before, the clouds parted by late afternoon, and I spent the rest of the day soaking up the sun until it was time for it to depart. I lounged on the beach for hours, walked with J to the rocky point at the end of the shore and collected more shells until he grew jealous of my seashell obsession (indeed, it's a new favorite thing of mine!!) and retreated inside to clean up for dinner and read books. I stayed outside a bit longer, checked out the pool for a few laps, then showered up for our nightly ritual of cocktails and sunset appreciation before dinner. The clouds that had rolled in parted briefly for some final pink sun rays and then the hazy and lazy neon-glow gave way to the gorgeous full moon that accompanied our entire trip, and we made our way back to St. Armand's to dine al fresco at The Columbia, which never fails to wow. We split a famous "1905 salad" with the mythically tasty crusty cuban bread, tapas for two, and a side of Valencia rice. This "light" alternative to full entrees was far more than enough food for two people, and we made a pact then and there to share more food since it's often wasted with the gigantic portion sizes that are the unfortunate norm. We strolled the circle and stopped in at Kilwin's for a cone of banana-fudge-pie ice cream that rocked my world before heading back for one final night at our beloved little beach resort. This area of Florida intrigues me - we've run into families today from both England and Germany, and our hotel neighbors have interesting European accents that I can't quite place. And I thought our drive was a long one... :-)

Day Two: Rain, Rain Go Away/Rainy Monday

Huge storm rolled through around 4:00 am and woke us, but it's fury passed quickly and we were able to sleep in until Starbucks called and wanted us to donate to their cause. And we did. Mmm, caffeine. :-)

After a lazy morning, we decided to hit the beach and got all suited up only to discover it was drizzling outside. We decided to wait it out a little while before giving up, and parked it in the cabana with books in hand. After taking a couple of polaroids and reading exactly 1.5 pages, the small but mighty swarm of mosquitoes chased us back in to our room. We changed clothes again and decided to do some driving and sightseeing in our dry, bug-free car. There are tons of beautiful sea-mansions around here, and lots of them for sale! We scouted out a few more places to eat dinner, checked out Siesta Key Village, and headed into Sarasota for some shopping. I got the awesome pair of shoes I've been pining after for the past week at Dillard's while J browsed a cool kitchen store, and after a couple more shopping stops, I grabbed some Rain-kissed Leaves lotion and Dancing Waters body mist from Bath & Body Works (perfect beach purchases!), and we set out to find lunch. Sweet Tomatoes was our pick today, and I was in veggie heaven. Rows and rows of salad stuff, soup, pasta, and bread with nearly zero meat in sight - yay! I loved it, and took pictures to remember it by. By this time the rain had ceased, and we could see little patches of blue sky...but my heart didn't sing for long, as the drops started to fall again as soon as we turned in the direction of our hotel. Still, this weather makes for a nice afternoon siesta, and I'm starting to understand why they named this key so aptly. Maybe my sunny dreams will come true when I wake, and I can finally lay on the sand...until then, yawn.

Fast forward to about 4:30 pm:
Beautiful afternoon on the beach, breezy and sunny = perfect for tanning! I picked up a gazillion shells, each more lovely than the last. J retired to the room a bit earlier than me to browse photos and such, but I stayed out until my skin started to turn pink, then after showering up, purchasing postcards (loved ones watch your mailboxes!), and enjoying some super-delish mixed beverages, mango rum (for me) and Maker's Mark (for J) , we returned to the beach for sunset pictures and enjoyed the sights. Dinner at S.K.O.B. - that's Siesta Key Oyster Bar for you non-locals ;-) It was fabulous! Grouper bites with buffalo remolaude, a Vampiro for me (a margarita with lots of bells & whistles, including hibiscus and ginger!) and a Lobster Pot Pie, with LongBoard on draft for J and a jerk-seasoned shrimp & scallop skewer dinner that looked great. Yum-O!

Anniversary Trip Journal - Day One: We Made It!

(To catch anyone up to speed who doesn't already know, J and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary in Siesta Key, FL.)

Loooong drive for us both, due to my lack of sleep and the fact that J's drive actually started in TN, making it a 12-hour trip. Still, we enjoyed the ride, shared the driving duties, and are digging all the space in the CRV.

We stopped by ABC for some goodies before arriving at our destination, the lovely gulfside Tropical Shores around 7:30pm catching a couple of sunset rays on the way to check in. It's beautiful here! Our room is nice and clean, very cute with it's little kitchen and lighted cabana out front, complete with a giant grill, table, and decorative jungle setting. I highly recommend this place - great rates and a great place to stay. Yay! :-)

Dinner took us to Captain Curt's for Crabby Red draft beer, crab cakes, fried shrimp for J and a yummy Cheese-Snapper-in-Paradise sandwich for me. Cute atmosphere, and within walking distance. After dinner, we walked down to the beach and J laughed at me as I snatched up beautiful seashells. Tonight we greeted sleep early and eagerly, in preparation for the fun to come.

Macon Diner

If you live in or near Macon, you MUST try this place!
Macon Diner is everything a diner should be -- open 24/7, decked out in neon lighting, a jam-packed menu that offers everything from Greek cuisine to burgers and fries, to the spinning display case of tasty-looking homemade desserts up front.
We were greeted warmly by all employees, our server was ridiculously attentive, and the food was plentiful and yummy!
It's located on Tom Hill next to El Azteca - you can't miss the cheesy grand-opening decor surrounding the building, and don't let the giant inflatable gorilla deter you! :-)

This Blog is a Must

I randomly stumbled onto another blog that led me to this one, and now there is no turning back. This story will touch your heart on a much truer level than anyone at Hallmark could ever dream of.

Matt, Liz, and Madeline

Wow...I am sending all the positive energy in the world to this guy and his sweet baby girl. Amen.

Night In - aka Homemade Pizza and Beer! :-)

Yay!
Home - April 2008.

Mountaineers

Travelers on the Road to Nowhere.
Bryson City, NC.
April 2008.

A Beautiful Lie

Magnificent.

Check it out.

Open Windows

Spring is here to stay!
The weather has been warm and beautiful, and we've enjoyed letting it inside.
March 2008.

Cat Nap

Happy Easter!

March 2008.

Spring Fever

Giving the bike a bath before a weekend ride.
Too bad the pollen came in waves shortly after...but that's spring for ya.
Our yard has given us a lovely surprise and blossomed with azaleas in several shades of pink!
March 2008.

Weekend Grillers

Delicious beverages with amazing grilled veggies and special Jerry burgers!
Beautiful weather, beautiful weekend, good times with the one I love.
We have a fun life together.
I am thankful.
:-)

Yikes

Tornado hits Downtown Atlanta.

Cities are so compact - a relatively small storm can do massive amounts of damage. Hope this is not as bad as it sounds - but it sounds like it was truly damaging. :-(

Get Well Soon, Atlanta!

Spring Juice

A Refreshing Drink

Make your own flavored water. Just add a slice of tasty citrus or cucumber and a sprig of your favorite fresh herb to cold or sparkling water. Not only will the combination quench your thirst, but the pleasing aroma and beautiful appearance will also refresh your spirit.

• Here are our favorite partners.
Lemon and thyme
Lemon and rosemary
Cucumber and thyme
Orange and lime

• For more intense flavor, twist herbs and squeeze citrus before adding to glass.

YUM. Thanks, Southern Living Magazine! :-)

It's Coming!

H & M for Georgia!

Yay! This is big news. Besides Cali, virtually no locations exist outside of the northeast. I fell in love with this store years ago in NYC and have daydreamed about it since. Thanks, Atlantic Station! :-)

Conversation Pieces

Way too cool.

And all handmade! Hooray for creativity & talent.

Something New to Crave

MetroMint Flavored Water

This stuff rules! I discovered it at Garnier's, a wonderful little natural foods store in Greenville, SC right across from the BMW shop we frequent. It was love at first sip, and now I am on a quest to find it in my hometown! If I don't succeed, there is always the mail order route...but I feel the tiniest bit silly spending $15 for a sampler case of 5 bottles...but it really is that good. Try it! :-)

P.S. My neighborhood Kroger carries it, and I snagged 2 more bottles tonight - YAY!

My Celebrity Look-alikes!

Best New Product!

Viva Chumby!

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!