hope everyone had a good holiday! mine was fairly uneventful... just the usual family drama... but i survived...
going to NC for new years... this will be the last time i see chris before he leaves for england... i'm not looking forward to that... i hope i can be happy and excited for him, but right now, i'm not... *sigh*... maybe i can go there and visit in february, and hopefully he'll be back here for a cousin's wedding in may... so maybe it won't be too bad...
work is super boring... and we don't plan to have another project for at least a month... ugh...
and walking has been going slow... i'm a slacker, and a wuss... and i'm not walking outside till it warms up some... i still have my inside walking video, but even that gets boring... maybe i'll try to find a new one today (since there's nothing else to do here at work)... but the fundraising is going well... i'm almost 3/4 of the way there!!! go me!
anyway, have a happy new year!
Friday, December 30, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
AWBC Fundraising
YAY!!! I'm past my halfway point!!!
My poker tournament this weekend isn't going to have as big of a turnout as I had hoped, but lots of ppl from work are still donating, so that's nice... and i'm excited about the tournament anyway... chris is going to wear a dealer's vest that makes him "want to have jazz hands!!!" i'll be sure to post a pic so you all can tease him... hehe...
My poker tournament this weekend isn't going to have as big of a turnout as I had hoped, but lots of ppl from work are still donating, so that's nice... and i'm excited about the tournament anyway... chris is going to wear a dealer's vest that makes him "want to have jazz hands!!!" i'll be sure to post a pic so you all can tease him... hehe...
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
So, about my vacation…
It’s easiest just to give a day by day rundown of the events, some important, but most not… just part of my adventure…
Thursday 12/1 – Chris picked me up at the airport in Orlando and we headed out to Port Canaveral. Driving up to the ship, it was so HUGE! I’d never seen a ship that big before (I don’t think), and I was a bit jittery/nervous about it. After checking in and getting to our cabin, we decided a nap was in order – it had been a super long day for both of us, and it was only 2pm. A little while later, we woke up and decided to explore the ship before it set sail, and at 4:30 we were on our way to the Bahamas!!! We had the late seating for dinner, so that gave us time to get cleaned up a bit, after all, it was a nice dinner. I thought I was in some fancy restaurant- the food was terrific and the wait staff was super nice. After dinner, we went to a Vegas-style show by the Fantasy Dancers, and at midnight we went to an adult comedy show. And finally it was time for bed.
Friday 12/2 – By the time we woke up, we were already docked in Nassau, Bahamas… the sun was shining and it was nice and warm. Chris and I decided to set out on our own and explore the city, instead of booking a shore excursion through the cruiseline. We walked around for a couple of hours, checking out the shops along the waterfront. And then we walked to the beach. It was a small beach, not too crowded, and it made us both want to go swimming. So we had to head back to the ship to get our swimsuits on. After disembarking the ship for a second time, we decided that we would take a taxi to another beach, and if we didn’t like it, we could walk to the one we found. Well, we should have known the taxi was going to be trouble when they made us run to catch it, and then crammed both Chris and I in the front seat with the driver. The driver took off with a jolt and shouted “We on Bahama time now!” We were weaving in and out of traffic, honking the horn, and slamming on the breaks with no warning. And then, we rammed into the back of another taxi! Neither driver immediately got out. A couple of blocks later, at a stop sign, our driver got out to take a peak, but as far as I know, the other driver never checked his damages. By the time the taxi got to his first stop, Chris and I had had enough. Even though we weren’t at the beach we wanted to be at, we decided it was time to get out. Lucky for us, we were at the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island. We didn’t go in and look around (though, now we wish we had), and eventually we found a beautiful beach. It was a bit too crowded for me, so we headed back to the main island, this time in a much more reliable, and friendly taxi. And the beach, when we finally got there, was so nice and relaxing. That evening was the Formal Dinner on the ship. So Chris and I dressed our best and, again, had a wonderful dinner. We even had formal portraits done. They turned out amazing (but super expensive, so we only bought one pose). Later on in the evening, we attended the nightly show and then decided to check out the clubs. I think I may have done a little too much clubbing, but it was my vacation, so I lived it up. I even played poker and won $3 (hey, that’s better than losing, right?)!
Saturday 12/3 – That morning, I woke up early and headed to the spa for my pedicure – wanting to be shot for scheduling anything at 8am, I must have been crazy. We had departed Nassau just as I was waking up, so walking back to the room, all I could see was water all around. I don’t really have much to say about the rest of the day because I was sick, in bed, for most of it. I tried to attend meals with Chris, just so he wouldn’t have to eat alone, but even doing that was more than I could handle, so back to bed I went. I know he was disappointed that I wasn’t getting out and doing things with him, but that gave him some quality casino time without me feeling jealous that he was ditching me for Craps.
Sunday 12/4 – We woke up right as the ship was docking in Port Canaveral. Our cruise was over. It was nice while it lasted, but now it was on to more fun… DISNEY WORLD!!! When we got to the hotel, our room wasn’t ready, so they held our bags for us so we could go on to the parks. That day, we decided to visit Epcot, thinking it wouldn’t take as long to explore as the other parks. Boy were we wrong – we were there till 7pm!!! Riding the rides and visiting the countries. My favorite rides were Mission Space (where they simulate a shuttle launch) and Soarin’ (where you’re in a glider soaring over the California countryside – and as you soar over certain things, you can smell them: orange groves smelled like oranges, forests smelled like pine, the ocean smelled like the ocean). And Chris got to drink an English beer in a Pub in the UK – he was excited.
Monday 12/5 – Magic Kingdom (*choir sings angelically*)!!! It was crowded… lots of kids. But still lots of fun. Again we rode the rides and saw the sights. Stitch’s Great Escape was another ride that incorporated scents into your adventure. Several rides malfunctioned while we were either waiting in line to get on them, or while we were actually on them… kinda poopy. We didn’t get to do Space Mountain because of that. But, overall, it was a good day. Any day that this princess gets to see a beautiful castle is a good day.
Tuesday 12/6 – It was a little overcast that day, so the crowds weren’t nearly as bad at MGM Studios. There aren’t many rides there. But, the two main ones, Chris and I rode them twice – The Tower of Terror and Aerospace’s Rockin’ RollerCoaster. We also got to see a stunt show – like how movies create chase scenes and do car stunts. It was pretty interesting – I’ll never watch an action movie the same way again. That night, we went to Downtown Disney and strolled through the shops. Then we hopped over to Giordano’s Pizzeria. Chris and I looooove that place. We first discovered it in Chicago, and recently found out there were two locations outside of the Chi-town area, both of which were near Disney World.
Wednesday 12/7 through Sunday 12/11 – It was time for our vacation to end. So we packed up and headed home – well, to Chris’s home, where I chilled for a few more days, basking in the glow of a wonderful vacation. And Chris took me to a Brazilian Steakhouse. Where dudes with meat on sticks come right to your table and cut you off a slab of whatever they’ve got. I normally don’t eat beef, but this night, it was soooo good, so I over indulged. Needless to say, my tummy was none to happy about it. For the rest of the evening, I was complaining (and Chris politely put up with it) that I had the Beef Death. Yep, that’s right, it’s a term I deemed appropriate for eating too much beef and feeling like you’re gonna explode – Beef Death. Luckily, I survived the Beef Death and was able to make it back to DC unscathed.
And that, my friends, was my vacation. Pictures will be posted/sent later, and some of you will get to see them in person (from either Chris or myself) – just ask.
Thursday 12/1 – Chris picked me up at the airport in Orlando and we headed out to Port Canaveral. Driving up to the ship, it was so HUGE! I’d never seen a ship that big before (I don’t think), and I was a bit jittery/nervous about it. After checking in and getting to our cabin, we decided a nap was in order – it had been a super long day for both of us, and it was only 2pm. A little while later, we woke up and decided to explore the ship before it set sail, and at 4:30 we were on our way to the Bahamas!!! We had the late seating for dinner, so that gave us time to get cleaned up a bit, after all, it was a nice dinner. I thought I was in some fancy restaurant- the food was terrific and the wait staff was super nice. After dinner, we went to a Vegas-style show by the Fantasy Dancers, and at midnight we went to an adult comedy show. And finally it was time for bed.
Friday 12/2 – By the time we woke up, we were already docked in Nassau, Bahamas… the sun was shining and it was nice and warm. Chris and I decided to set out on our own and explore the city, instead of booking a shore excursion through the cruiseline. We walked around for a couple of hours, checking out the shops along the waterfront. And then we walked to the beach. It was a small beach, not too crowded, and it made us both want to go swimming. So we had to head back to the ship to get our swimsuits on. After disembarking the ship for a second time, we decided that we would take a taxi to another beach, and if we didn’t like it, we could walk to the one we found. Well, we should have known the taxi was going to be trouble when they made us run to catch it, and then crammed both Chris and I in the front seat with the driver. The driver took off with a jolt and shouted “We on Bahama time now!” We were weaving in and out of traffic, honking the horn, and slamming on the breaks with no warning. And then, we rammed into the back of another taxi! Neither driver immediately got out. A couple of blocks later, at a stop sign, our driver got out to take a peak, but as far as I know, the other driver never checked his damages. By the time the taxi got to his first stop, Chris and I had had enough. Even though we weren’t at the beach we wanted to be at, we decided it was time to get out. Lucky for us, we were at the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island. We didn’t go in and look around (though, now we wish we had), and eventually we found a beautiful beach. It was a bit too crowded for me, so we headed back to the main island, this time in a much more reliable, and friendly taxi. And the beach, when we finally got there, was so nice and relaxing. That evening was the Formal Dinner on the ship. So Chris and I dressed our best and, again, had a wonderful dinner. We even had formal portraits done. They turned out amazing (but super expensive, so we only bought one pose). Later on in the evening, we attended the nightly show and then decided to check out the clubs. I think I may have done a little too much clubbing, but it was my vacation, so I lived it up. I even played poker and won $3 (hey, that’s better than losing, right?)!
Saturday 12/3 – That morning, I woke up early and headed to the spa for my pedicure – wanting to be shot for scheduling anything at 8am, I must have been crazy. We had departed Nassau just as I was waking up, so walking back to the room, all I could see was water all around. I don’t really have much to say about the rest of the day because I was sick, in bed, for most of it. I tried to attend meals with Chris, just so he wouldn’t have to eat alone, but even doing that was more than I could handle, so back to bed I went. I know he was disappointed that I wasn’t getting out and doing things with him, but that gave him some quality casino time without me feeling jealous that he was ditching me for Craps.
Sunday 12/4 – We woke up right as the ship was docking in Port Canaveral. Our cruise was over. It was nice while it lasted, but now it was on to more fun… DISNEY WORLD!!! When we got to the hotel, our room wasn’t ready, so they held our bags for us so we could go on to the parks. That day, we decided to visit Epcot, thinking it wouldn’t take as long to explore as the other parks. Boy were we wrong – we were there till 7pm!!! Riding the rides and visiting the countries. My favorite rides were Mission Space (where they simulate a shuttle launch) and Soarin’ (where you’re in a glider soaring over the California countryside – and as you soar over certain things, you can smell them: orange groves smelled like oranges, forests smelled like pine, the ocean smelled like the ocean). And Chris got to drink an English beer in a Pub in the UK – he was excited.
Monday 12/5 – Magic Kingdom (*choir sings angelically*)!!! It was crowded… lots of kids. But still lots of fun. Again we rode the rides and saw the sights. Stitch’s Great Escape was another ride that incorporated scents into your adventure. Several rides malfunctioned while we were either waiting in line to get on them, or while we were actually on them… kinda poopy. We didn’t get to do Space Mountain because of that. But, overall, it was a good day. Any day that this princess gets to see a beautiful castle is a good day.
Tuesday 12/6 – It was a little overcast that day, so the crowds weren’t nearly as bad at MGM Studios. There aren’t many rides there. But, the two main ones, Chris and I rode them twice – The Tower of Terror and Aerospace’s Rockin’ RollerCoaster. We also got to see a stunt show – like how movies create chase scenes and do car stunts. It was pretty interesting – I’ll never watch an action movie the same way again. That night, we went to Downtown Disney and strolled through the shops. Then we hopped over to Giordano’s Pizzeria. Chris and I looooove that place. We first discovered it in Chicago, and recently found out there were two locations outside of the Chi-town area, both of which were near Disney World.
Wednesday 12/7 through Sunday 12/11 – It was time for our vacation to end. So we packed up and headed home – well, to Chris’s home, where I chilled for a few more days, basking in the glow of a wonderful vacation. And Chris took me to a Brazilian Steakhouse. Where dudes with meat on sticks come right to your table and cut you off a slab of whatever they’ve got. I normally don’t eat beef, but this night, it was soooo good, so I over indulged. Needless to say, my tummy was none to happy about it. For the rest of the evening, I was complaining (and Chris politely put up with it) that I had the Beef Death. Yep, that’s right, it’s a term I deemed appropriate for eating too much beef and feeling like you’re gonna explode – Beef Death. Luckily, I survived the Beef Death and was able to make it back to DC unscathed.
And that, my friends, was my vacation. Pictures will be posted/sent later, and some of you will get to see them in person (from either Chris or myself) – just ask.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
some rants and some raves...
rave: Chris's bronco is fixed and he is on the road again... somewhere in Utah, and should arrive at his dad's sometime today...
rant: every day since halloween (right after the time change) it has taken me at least an hour and a half to drive the 20 miles home... every day! and some days it's taken me 2 hours!! WTF??? i mean seriously... there haven't been any accidents, just rubber necking... i can't take much more of a commute like that... i either need a new job, or a new house...
rave: coworkers that make me not want to leave my job... and the type of work we do makes me not want to leave... so that means i'll likely get a new house before i'd get a new job...
rant: i know my dad and i haven't spoken in nearly a year, but i thought he'd come around and at least send me an email or a card wishing me a happy birthday... but he didn't... kinda feel let down... when am i going to stop letting this man hurt me like that?
rave: i did get a b'day card and gift from my friend Mel (Handy)!!! i haven't talked to her in about a year either... but we did exchage a few cards/notes early in the year, but nothing for a couple of months... so it was really nice to hear from her...
rant: the radio stations here play the same 6 songs all day long... no kidding... i the mornings coming in to work, if it's a slow moving traffic morning, the song i hear at 6:15 when i leave my house is the same song i hear at 7:15 when i arrive at work... it's a talk show in the morning anyway... they only play 4 songs an hour... and two of them are the same stupid song... and they have the same playlists everyday for a week... geez... play something new... or heck, something old... just anything different...
rave: the sound of rain outside my window... so nice and relaxing after it's taken me 2 hours to drive home and i've heard the same 6 songs at least twice on the drive...
rant: read an article in an engineering journal (i'm a tool, i know) this morning... a jury in NYC has finally determined the blame for the 1993 WTC bombings... they find the NY/NJ port authorities 68% responsible, and the terrorists 32% responsible... again WTF??? what is this country coming to??? no wonder other countries hate us, and think of us as a joke...
and finally, big rave: Hershey's Cherry Flavored Kisses!!! so yummy... you should try them!!!
rant: every day since halloween (right after the time change) it has taken me at least an hour and a half to drive the 20 miles home... every day! and some days it's taken me 2 hours!! WTF??? i mean seriously... there haven't been any accidents, just rubber necking... i can't take much more of a commute like that... i either need a new job, or a new house...
rave: coworkers that make me not want to leave my job... and the type of work we do makes me not want to leave... so that means i'll likely get a new house before i'd get a new job...
rant: i know my dad and i haven't spoken in nearly a year, but i thought he'd come around and at least send me an email or a card wishing me a happy birthday... but he didn't... kinda feel let down... when am i going to stop letting this man hurt me like that?
rave: i did get a b'day card and gift from my friend Mel (Handy)!!! i haven't talked to her in about a year either... but we did exchage a few cards/notes early in the year, but nothing for a couple of months... so it was really nice to hear from her...
rant: the radio stations here play the same 6 songs all day long... no kidding... i the mornings coming in to work, if it's a slow moving traffic morning, the song i hear at 6:15 when i leave my house is the same song i hear at 7:15 when i arrive at work... it's a talk show in the morning anyway... they only play 4 songs an hour... and two of them are the same stupid song... and they have the same playlists everyday for a week... geez... play something new... or heck, something old... just anything different...
rave: the sound of rain outside my window... so nice and relaxing after it's taken me 2 hours to drive home and i've heard the same 6 songs at least twice on the drive...
rant: read an article in an engineering journal (i'm a tool, i know) this morning... a jury in NYC has finally determined the blame for the 1993 WTC bombings... they find the NY/NJ port authorities 68% responsible, and the terrorists 32% responsible... again WTF??? what is this country coming to??? no wonder other countries hate us, and think of us as a joke...
and finally, big rave: Hershey's Cherry Flavored Kisses!!! so yummy... you should try them!!!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Hero Watch 2005
so, chris had been making good time since he left... the drive was going to take 3 full days, and today, he was into his 3rd day... when... his bronco breaks down... in the middle of nowhere arizona... and they had to tow him back to new mexico to the closest town... because it's a saturday, no one in the auto shop was working, so it will be monday before they can look at it... my poor hero... i wish i were there to entertain him and keep him company... he said the hotel didn't even have a pad of paper and a pen!!! and there were no brochures in the lobby on things to do or anything... he's really in the middle of nowhere...
and now, he doesn't get to visit his cali friends and family... earlier in the week, i was worried that he was going to shaft them... but now that seems so frivolous... i certainly can't hold him responsible for things beyond his control... and i feel super bad for being so upset with him... but things are back to good between us now...
i'm really looking forward to our vacation coming up!!! a cruise, and then disney, and then new york!!! wow... i want to start packing now... but chris set a new rule for me: the number of days that is 20% of the length of the trip is how far in advance of the trip i can pack... so a trip that will last 10 days, i'm allowed to start packing only 2 days before i leave... i think i can do that... i'll try anyway...
okay, it's late, and it's bedtime for me... mmmm bedtime...
and now, he doesn't get to visit his cali friends and family... earlier in the week, i was worried that he was going to shaft them... but now that seems so frivolous... i certainly can't hold him responsible for things beyond his control... and i feel super bad for being so upset with him... but things are back to good between us now...
i'm really looking forward to our vacation coming up!!! a cruise, and then disney, and then new york!!! wow... i want to start packing now... but chris set a new rule for me: the number of days that is 20% of the length of the trip is how far in advance of the trip i can pack... so a trip that will last 10 days, i'm allowed to start packing only 2 days before i leave... i think i can do that... i'll try anyway...
okay, it's late, and it's bedtime for me... mmmm bedtime...
Thursday, November 17, 2005
an update on the situation...
okay, so last night's post might have been somewhat of an over reaction... i know chris isn't cheating on me... i was just having flashbacks of my childhood... but i still don't like the fact that he's neglecting important ppl and events to hang out with these hasher friends... i just have a bad vibe about them that i can't shake...
chris didn't drive through the night... he slept... and still isn't out of the state of NC... so he's officially a day behind... he's going to have to cut out seeing someone on this trip... and if he cuts his family, it's on... he's never seen wrath like he will experience then... and that's just from me...
the rest of the trip, he's on his own... i tried to help him work out a schedule so he could see everyone he wanted to, but that seems to have gone down the drain now... as long as he spends time with his family, and is back to NC by the 29th, he can do what ever the hell he wants...
chris didn't drive through the night... he slept... and still isn't out of the state of NC... so he's officially a day behind... he's going to have to cut out seeing someone on this trip... and if he cuts his family, it's on... he's never seen wrath like he will experience then... and that's just from me...
the rest of the trip, he's on his own... i tried to help him work out a schedule so he could see everyone he wanted to, but that seems to have gone down the drain now... as long as he spends time with his family, and is back to NC by the 29th, he can do what ever the hell he wants...
hey, i was asleep you know...
i hate getting calls after i've been asleep for hours... 'cause now i can't get back to sleep... partly because i've been awakened, and partly because i'm a little bit pissed off...
so, chris left on his cross country trip today to head out west to see his family... he was already getting a late start by not leaving till 4:30pm (because he'd been out super late the night before with his hasher friends)... he had three days of driving planned to get there, and still wouldn't get to spend a full day with his SoCal fam... so, 5:00 i call him, he says a couple of words to me and hangs up... i'm thinking he was going to call me back...after about 10 minutes still no call from him so i leave a voice mail for him... over an hour later he calls and asks "did you just call?" i'm thinkin, "i just called an HOUR ago, thanks for getting back to me so soon..." sheesh... he was somewhere between goldsboro and raleigh... which after an hour and a half of driving, he should be a bit farther, but he had to stop somewhere...
so, he gets into traffic and says he'll call me back... 10pm, i call him before i head to bed... leave a msg not to call me after 10:30 that i'll be asleep... thinking that he's probably in the mountain area of NC by then he probably wouldn't be getting good cell reception, so i didn't mind that he wasn't calling me back... i'd just catch up with him sometime tomorrow...
1 fucking AM he calls me... he's just then leaving the raleigh area!!! what the hell?!?! i've been asleep for over 2 hours, and he tells me he stopped to hang out with some friends... talks to me for less than a minute then hangs up... well 15 minutes go by, and clearly i'm not getting back to sleep... so i call him up... i remind him that he was already behind on his driving schedule by leaving g'boro late... and now he's super behind and is sacrificing family time for those friends... i guess he didn't really like that i had said something about it because he hung up with out saying "good bye" or "good night" or "i love you" or anything (he does this when i say something he doesn't like - and he knows it pisses me off)... so i call him back... and say "hey, why did you just hang up like that?" and he claims he said all that stuff... whatever... so i know that may sound petty of me to expect more from him, but we're 25 freakin' years old, and i don't put up with that...
and while i'm ranting (because it's after 1am and i'm wake and not happy), i'll say that i'm not so sure i like these hasher friends... they seem to be a bad influence on him... he's hanging out with them when he shouldn't be (like tonight... and during the week, often a couple of times a week, when he was in training - driving an hour for drinking and partying on a week night isn't the best idea when you're supposed to be in flight training, in my opinion)... and check out the picture of wonder woman... notice the cigs in his arm band? now i know they didn't start him on that, but he knows i truly detest smoking... he only does it when he's drinking, but that's still too often to be a healthy flyer... but i'm only the girlfriend, what does it matter what i think???
i don't want to be one of those girlfriends who monitors everything their guy does, and who he hangs out with... but chris has let me down several times because of these friends... not calling when he says, not getting things done like he was going to... he's never offered to introduce me to them... and doesn't call them by name... just says "some friends of mine"... i got along with his hasher friends in p'cola... they were a good group of ppl... and while they were mostly girls, they knew about me, and kept him out of trouble... his new hasher friends could be all women, again, and for all i know, they know nothing about me... or maybe they don't even know he has a girlfriend... he never answers his phone when i call and he's with them... i just wish i knew something about them... maybe i'd feel better about him hanging out there... i know it's a bit of jealousy, but if he's hanging out with women, at their houses, and he's not telling me, then i feel like he's keeping it from me... and he shouldn't feel like he needs to hide anything...
i know chris loves me... and i'm pretty sure he'd never cheat on me... but this is the type of behavior my dad had when he was cheating on mom... so many times he would be out "hanging out and drinking with friends" all the while we never knew anything about the "friends"... mom could call his cell, and he would never answer her when he was with "them"... he'd miss important events, and let us down, and then would get testy when confronted with his behavior... and i see so much of my mom in me... just taking and taking and taking this behavior, and not saying anything for fear of upsetting dad... trying to be so pleasing, and doing anything for him... doing a lot more than she should have under the circumstances (do you know my mom ironed and starched the bed sheets because that's how dad liked them? talk about going above and beyond for a man)... she didn't always stand up for herself when she should have...
grrrr... this letting it all out has not helped me to be ready for sleep... i feel guilty for just spilling it all out like that... but i couldn't keep it in any longer... blah...
i love chris... i just think he forgets that there are other ppl who depend on him for things... who expect more of him than he gives... i think he forgets that he has an amazing girlfriend of 4+ years that would do anything for him (and has) and doesn't ask for much in return... along with his gal, he has family that has supported him through a lot too... and they deserve a lot more than they're getting from him...
just know that while i've just delivered this long rant, that i do love him very much... and i'm willing to stick by him through all of this... i just needed to be insecure, and jealous, and express my feelings for a bit... and when i finally get to sleep, i can wake up in the AM feeling new again, and loving him just as much as ever...
so, chris left on his cross country trip today to head out west to see his family... he was already getting a late start by not leaving till 4:30pm (because he'd been out super late the night before with his hasher friends)... he had three days of driving planned to get there, and still wouldn't get to spend a full day with his SoCal fam... so, 5:00 i call him, he says a couple of words to me and hangs up... i'm thinking he was going to call me back...after about 10 minutes still no call from him so i leave a voice mail for him... over an hour later he calls and asks "did you just call?" i'm thinkin, "i just called an HOUR ago, thanks for getting back to me so soon..." sheesh... he was somewhere between goldsboro and raleigh... which after an hour and a half of driving, he should be a bit farther, but he had to stop somewhere...
so, he gets into traffic and says he'll call me back... 10pm, i call him before i head to bed... leave a msg not to call me after 10:30 that i'll be asleep... thinking that he's probably in the mountain area of NC by then he probably wouldn't be getting good cell reception, so i didn't mind that he wasn't calling me back... i'd just catch up with him sometime tomorrow...
1 fucking AM he calls me... he's just then leaving the raleigh area!!! what the hell?!?! i've been asleep for over 2 hours, and he tells me he stopped to hang out with some friends... talks to me for less than a minute then hangs up... well 15 minutes go by, and clearly i'm not getting back to sleep... so i call him up... i remind him that he was already behind on his driving schedule by leaving g'boro late... and now he's super behind and is sacrificing family time for those friends... i guess he didn't really like that i had said something about it because he hung up with out saying "good bye" or "good night" or "i love you" or anything (he does this when i say something he doesn't like - and he knows it pisses me off)... so i call him back... and say "hey, why did you just hang up like that?" and he claims he said all that stuff... whatever... so i know that may sound petty of me to expect more from him, but we're 25 freakin' years old, and i don't put up with that...
and while i'm ranting (because it's after 1am and i'm wake and not happy), i'll say that i'm not so sure i like these hasher friends... they seem to be a bad influence on him... he's hanging out with them when he shouldn't be (like tonight... and during the week, often a couple of times a week, when he was in training - driving an hour for drinking and partying on a week night isn't the best idea when you're supposed to be in flight training, in my opinion)... and check out the picture of wonder woman... notice the cigs in his arm band? now i know they didn't start him on that, but he knows i truly detest smoking... he only does it when he's drinking, but that's still too often to be a healthy flyer... but i'm only the girlfriend, what does it matter what i think???
i don't want to be one of those girlfriends who monitors everything their guy does, and who he hangs out with... but chris has let me down several times because of these friends... not calling when he says, not getting things done like he was going to... he's never offered to introduce me to them... and doesn't call them by name... just says "some friends of mine"... i got along with his hasher friends in p'cola... they were a good group of ppl... and while they were mostly girls, they knew about me, and kept him out of trouble... his new hasher friends could be all women, again, and for all i know, they know nothing about me... or maybe they don't even know he has a girlfriend... he never answers his phone when i call and he's with them... i just wish i knew something about them... maybe i'd feel better about him hanging out there... i know it's a bit of jealousy, but if he's hanging out with women, at their houses, and he's not telling me, then i feel like he's keeping it from me... and he shouldn't feel like he needs to hide anything...
i know chris loves me... and i'm pretty sure he'd never cheat on me... but this is the type of behavior my dad had when he was cheating on mom... so many times he would be out "hanging out and drinking with friends" all the while we never knew anything about the "friends"... mom could call his cell, and he would never answer her when he was with "them"... he'd miss important events, and let us down, and then would get testy when confronted with his behavior... and i see so much of my mom in me... just taking and taking and taking this behavior, and not saying anything for fear of upsetting dad... trying to be so pleasing, and doing anything for him... doing a lot more than she should have under the circumstances (do you know my mom ironed and starched the bed sheets because that's how dad liked them? talk about going above and beyond for a man)... she didn't always stand up for herself when she should have...
grrrr... this letting it all out has not helped me to be ready for sleep... i feel guilty for just spilling it all out like that... but i couldn't keep it in any longer... blah...
i love chris... i just think he forgets that there are other ppl who depend on him for things... who expect more of him than he gives... i think he forgets that he has an amazing girlfriend of 4+ years that would do anything for him (and has) and doesn't ask for much in return... along with his gal, he has family that has supported him through a lot too... and they deserve a lot more than they're getting from him...
just know that while i've just delivered this long rant, that i do love him very much... and i'm willing to stick by him through all of this... i just needed to be insecure, and jealous, and express my feelings for a bit... and when i finally get to sleep, i can wake up in the AM feeling new again, and loving him just as much as ever...
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
25... wow...
happy birthday to me!!!
it's been a pretty good day... kinda slow... not much happening...
this past weekend was awesome!!! had a great time in NC... didn't want to leave... can't wait to see chris again... and am looking forward to seeing jerri again too...
on the drive back i got two great phone calls... one from the radio station telling me i'd won the trip to NYC!!! (more details later) and the other from my friend audra from indiana... she's in town for a convention and wanted to have dinner... it was nice to get to see her... yay dinner with friends you haven't seen in a while!!!
okay, back to my relaxing this evening... everyone have a good one!!!
it's been a pretty good day... kinda slow... not much happening...
this past weekend was awesome!!! had a great time in NC... didn't want to leave... can't wait to see chris again... and am looking forward to seeing jerri again too...
on the drive back i got two great phone calls... one from the radio station telling me i'd won the trip to NYC!!! (more details later) and the other from my friend audra from indiana... she's in town for a convention and wanted to have dinner... it was nice to get to see her... yay dinner with friends you haven't seen in a while!!!
okay, back to my relaxing this evening... everyone have a good one!!!
Friday, November 04, 2005
random stuff
so, i finally got my computer back at work... they weren't able to save any of my files... i feel so lost... i didn't realize how much stuff i'd lost until i started needing some of the info/files in the later part of the week... lesson to all: back up often!
i'm doing better about missing casey... i'm still sad that i hadn't seen him in a couple of months... but there's not much i can do about that now...
monday night, autumn (a coworker and friend) had her car vandalized... jerks busted out all of her windows (lots of them - an SUV) and then threw raw eggs inside... jerks... there's just some bad ppl out there... they should have their arms ripped off then beat with the bloody stubs...
ruth (my housemate) was laid off from her job this week, too... all this bad stuff happening at once... she's assured me that this won't cause any change in my living situation... so that's good, i guess... i'm really not sure what she does (i think she was a personal assistant) so i don't know how easily it will be for her to find another job...
and my hairdryer quit on wed morning... not a big deal you say... well, for me it is... i can't just let my hair dry naturally because it has a bit of curl to it... not enough to be considered curly hair (that's pretty when dried naturally), but just enough of a wave to where it looks like i just crawled out of bed... thank goodness lots of ppl were out of the office... and i hid at my desk most of the day... got a new hairdryer that night, and all is well in the land of the princess...
and at work i've been intertaining myself with the funnest website ever... www.homestarrunner.com... if you haven't visited it before, you should... it makes me laugh till i cry... especially "lil' brudder" LOL...
and finally, check out wonder woman... i'm glad he makes an ugly woman... i'd be scared if he didn't...
i'm doing better about missing casey... i'm still sad that i hadn't seen him in a couple of months... but there's not much i can do about that now...
monday night, autumn (a coworker and friend) had her car vandalized... jerks busted out all of her windows (lots of them - an SUV) and then threw raw eggs inside... jerks... there's just some bad ppl out there... they should have their arms ripped off then beat with the bloody stubs...
ruth (my housemate) was laid off from her job this week, too... all this bad stuff happening at once... she's assured me that this won't cause any change in my living situation... so that's good, i guess... i'm really not sure what she does (i think she was a personal assistant) so i don't know how easily it will be for her to find another job...
and my hairdryer quit on wed morning... not a big deal you say... well, for me it is... i can't just let my hair dry naturally because it has a bit of curl to it... not enough to be considered curly hair (that's pretty when dried naturally), but just enough of a wave to where it looks like i just crawled out of bed... thank goodness lots of ppl were out of the office... and i hid at my desk most of the day... got a new hairdryer that night, and all is well in the land of the princess...
and at work i've been intertaining myself with the funnest website ever... www.homestarrunner.com... if you haven't visited it before, you should... it makes me laugh till i cry... especially "lil' brudder" LOL...
and finally, check out wonder woman... i'm glad he makes an ugly woman... i'd be scared if he didn't...
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
The Mighty Casey has Struck Out...
On October 31, 2005, Casey Kasem Duncan went to that big carrot patch in the sky. He was at his home in Goldsboro, NC at the time. He is survived by his pet parents, April and Chris, along with several pet grandparents and pet aunts and uncles.
Casey was born in early 1999 in Southwest Virginia. A short time later he was given to CT Farm & Country to be sold to some little one as an Easter pet. The day before Easter, he was the only bunny left. Not wanting him to be all alone for the holiday, April adopted him and took him home.
For the major part of his life, le lived in a homemade hutch in Meadowview, VA. You could tell he was a spoiled bunny – his hutch was complete with shingles and canvass side flaps that could be rolled down and snapped into place when it would get too windy. Casey also enjoyed his trips to the Little League ball park where he thought he was a dog because he was walked on a leash.
In his later years, Casey loved to travel. He took up residence with Chris at the Pi Kappa Alpha house in Terre Haute, IN between the summers of 2002 and 2003. When he would visit the local Delta Delta Delta house, he loved all the attention he would get from the girls.
After his time in Indiana, he returned to Southwest Virginia for a while to live with his pet grandma, Dotsy. But his bunny soul was restless – he wanted to see more of the country. In March of 2005, Casey made the move to North Carolina, as he missed the company of Chris. Casey also traveled to the Washington, DC area several times before his passing.
Casey will always be remembered for his cute little sideways kick/hop, the super soft fir just behind his ears, the best bunny smell ever, and for showing the neighborhood bully cat who’s boss (think Monty Python killer rabbit).
Due to the locations/distances of the relatives, the family has chosen not to have a memorial service. However, for those who loved him, a moment of silence will be observed to honor his memory beginning at 11:00 am EST on Wednesday, November 2, 2005. Condolences may be sent to the homes of his pet parents, or left here in the form of a blog note.
Casey was born in early 1999 in Southwest Virginia. A short time later he was given to CT Farm & Country to be sold to some little one as an Easter pet. The day before Easter, he was the only bunny left. Not wanting him to be all alone for the holiday, April adopted him and took him home.
For the major part of his life, le lived in a homemade hutch in Meadowview, VA. You could tell he was a spoiled bunny – his hutch was complete with shingles and canvass side flaps that could be rolled down and snapped into place when it would get too windy. Casey also enjoyed his trips to the Little League ball park where he thought he was a dog because he was walked on a leash.
In his later years, Casey loved to travel. He took up residence with Chris at the Pi Kappa Alpha house in Terre Haute, IN between the summers of 2002 and 2003. When he would visit the local Delta Delta Delta house, he loved all the attention he would get from the girls.
After his time in Indiana, he returned to Southwest Virginia for a while to live with his pet grandma, Dotsy. But his bunny soul was restless – he wanted to see more of the country. In March of 2005, Casey made the move to North Carolina, as he missed the company of Chris. Casey also traveled to the Washington, DC area several times before his passing.
Casey will always be remembered for his cute little sideways kick/hop, the super soft fir just behind his ears, the best bunny smell ever, and for showing the neighborhood bully cat who’s boss (think Monty Python killer rabbit).
Due to the locations/distances of the relatives, the family has chosen not to have a memorial service. However, for those who loved him, a moment of silence will be observed to honor his memory beginning at 11:00 am EST on Wednesday, November 2, 2005. Condolences may be sent to the homes of his pet parents, or left here in the form of a blog note.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
please excuse the quarter-life crisis...
you engaged and married ppl suck! okay, just kidding... but seriously, i'm jealous... you couples are so happy and lovey dovey, you get to see each other every day, and hold each other every night... and what do i have? that's right - a boyfriend who loves me very much, but is moving to another hemisphere for a few years! i'm jealous of ppl in relationships that are actually progressing... everytime chris and i think we're coming up on a point in our lives where we can start planning for a real future, something happens that pushes things backwards... and while chris and i have come a long way as individuals since we graduated, i feel like our relationship is still at the same place: just waiting to see where it's gonna go and how we're gonna make it work... it's the same questions and worries, but this time it feels more intense... when we graduated, we'd only been together a little over a year and a half. I was pretty willing to be patient to find out where this life adventure was gonna lead me. But now, after a little more than 4 years, my patience isn't what it used to be... like tom cochran sings, "Life is a highway..." but my car keeps stalling... and believe me, if that car was my saturn she would have been in the shop so fast it would have made your head spin. But the car on my road trip of life isn't a real car - it's a relationship. And there's not really a relationship shop where you can go to have someone take a look at it and fix it right up and get you back on the road again. Nope, this is a matter you have to take into your own hands. Now, say there's two ppl in the car, car stalls, one person gets out and pushes while the other one steers. Is that how you're supposed to take matters into your own hands? I think no. Here's how I think that works: both ppl stay in the car, they hold hands and start to talk... through the talking, the road begins to change. It becomes more smooth and even. then it happens - the car starts to move on it's own! there's less friction so the car is able to move more freely. And as long as the passengers keep communicating about their wants and needs, there will be smooth sailing. And you can get back on that road trip of life. There are lots of other driving/car metaphors i could use (i.e. ticketed for driving too slow, wreckless driving, rest areas...) but i'll refrain, i've used too many already...
anyway, i guess what i'm trying to say is, I can either continue letting my car stall, or i can start talking. And for those of you who've only read this post, you probably think you know what my choice will be. But those who really know me know that my decision won't be that easy. I may appear to be a strong person - but i am weak when it comes to talking, especially about the important things. But when something is important enough, there's no stopping me. I am princess - hear me roar!!! hehe - okay, getting carried away...
alright - enough of that... lets talk about something else... in a few weeks i'll be turning a quarter of a century old (thus the post title - but i guess since the average life expectancy is around 75, it should be a one-third life crisis)... and maybe that's why i'm reevaluating where i am, and where i want to be... but a quarter of a century!!! wow...
this week at work, i broke my computer... i've been without for 3 days... it was tough... hopefully, it will be back on monday when i go in... i don't know how much longer i can entertain myself without a computer...
chris's graduation is in a few weeks... he told me last week that i need a nice dress... after figuring out what type of nice dress i need, i found one that i thought would be perfect... and after i tried it on, it is perfect... wowza! that's what i've got to say... hehe... and i'm usually super modest, but this dress is amazing... i can't wait to wear it!!!
this weekend, i'm going to get a make over! i love those... they're always fun... and a sister from b'more is going to go with me... it's going to be exciting... can't wait till saturday!!!
halloween is coming up too... i'm not dressing up... but chris is... his costume looks amazing (he made it himself)... i'm not going to give away what he's going to be, but be sure to check back next week and maybe he'll have given me a picture to put up...
AWBC stuff is going well... my next fundraiser isn't for a few weeks... so i'm taking some time to just relax... still walking, though... got to really get my butt in gear pretty soon... only 184 days left!
anyway, i guess what i'm trying to say is, I can either continue letting my car stall, or i can start talking. And for those of you who've only read this post, you probably think you know what my choice will be. But those who really know me know that my decision won't be that easy. I may appear to be a strong person - but i am weak when it comes to talking, especially about the important things. But when something is important enough, there's no stopping me. I am princess - hear me roar!!! hehe - okay, getting carried away...
alright - enough of that... lets talk about something else... in a few weeks i'll be turning a quarter of a century old (thus the post title - but i guess since the average life expectancy is around 75, it should be a one-third life crisis)... and maybe that's why i'm reevaluating where i am, and where i want to be... but a quarter of a century!!! wow...
this week at work, i broke my computer... i've been without for 3 days... it was tough... hopefully, it will be back on monday when i go in... i don't know how much longer i can entertain myself without a computer...
chris's graduation is in a few weeks... he told me last week that i need a nice dress... after figuring out what type of nice dress i need, i found one that i thought would be perfect... and after i tried it on, it is perfect... wowza! that's what i've got to say... hehe... and i'm usually super modest, but this dress is amazing... i can't wait to wear it!!!
this weekend, i'm going to get a make over! i love those... they're always fun... and a sister from b'more is going to go with me... it's going to be exciting... can't wait till saturday!!!
halloween is coming up too... i'm not dressing up... but chris is... his costume looks amazing (he made it himself)... i'm not going to give away what he's going to be, but be sure to check back next week and maybe he'll have given me a picture to put up...
AWBC stuff is going well... my next fundraiser isn't for a few weeks... so i'm taking some time to just relax... still walking, though... got to really get my butt in gear pretty soon... only 184 days left!
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
silly quizzy results
The Sonnet
Deliberate Gentle Love Dreamer (DGLDf)
Romantic, hopeful, and composed. You are the Sonnet. Get it? Composed?
Sonnets want Love and have high ideals about it. They're conscientious people, caring & careful. You yourself have deep convictions, and you devote a lot of thought to romance and what it should be. This will frighten away most potential mates, but that's okay, because you're very choosy with your affections anyway. You'd absolutely refuse to date someone dumber than you, for instance.
Lovers who share your idealized perspective, or who are at least willing to totally throw themselves into a relationship, will be very, very happy with you. And you with them. You're already selfless and compassionate, and with the right partner, there's no doubt you can be sensual, even adventurously so.You probably have lots of female friends, and they have a special soft spot for you. Babies do, too, at the tippy-top of their baby skulls.
ALWAYS AVOID: The 5-Night Stand, The False Messiah, The Hornivore, The Last Man on Earth
CONSIDER: The Loverboy
Link: The 32-Type Dating Test by OkCupid - Free Online Dating.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
feeling super spoiled
i just had two great weekends in a row with christopher... he was way nice and came up to visit me both times... the first weekend, we had dinner with one of my coworkers/friend and her husband at buca di beppo (the same chain where the Ho-Jasko rehersal dinner was held)... mmm we like that place... and we also went to the air and space museum and the international spy museum... and otherwise just chilled... we did go to a bar and have a couple of odd encounters... one guy just started talking to us had just gotten out of jail and was celebrating... and another guy that started talking to us was telling us about feeding his cat tuna and how it would fart, and then somehow he got on the topic of shaving his butt... ugh... very strange indeed...
this past weekend we went to see wallace and gromit... it was really good... and then we went out for the evening... i had lots of fun playing pool, even though i totally suck... but i did win a few times... and sunday we went to a craft festival... i conned chris into going with the promise of an elephant ear... and what do you know, they didn't have any... oh well, hopefully he wasn't too disappointed... monday i had to go back to work, and this was the first time i had to leave chris in the morning to go to work (usually it's him leaving for work)... i was a little sad about having to leave, but all the thoughts of some great weekends made it easier...
oh, and last week, i won a radio contest... not a tattoo, this time... but i won season 2 of Sex and the City on DVD, a book about the show, and some martini glasses... and i was entered to win the grand prize (a shopping trip to NYC - plane tix, hotel, and spending $$$) but i didn't win that...
work has been work... pretty slow till last week, and then busy for a few days, and now slow again...
my AWBC fundraiser this time is not going as well as the first (but still going well)... maybe it was just too soon to do another one... hopefully things will pick up for the next one... check out my site (the link is on the side)...
this past weekend we went to see wallace and gromit... it was really good... and then we went out for the evening... i had lots of fun playing pool, even though i totally suck... but i did win a few times... and sunday we went to a craft festival... i conned chris into going with the promise of an elephant ear... and what do you know, they didn't have any... oh well, hopefully he wasn't too disappointed... monday i had to go back to work, and this was the first time i had to leave chris in the morning to go to work (usually it's him leaving for work)... i was a little sad about having to leave, but all the thoughts of some great weekends made it easier...
oh, and last week, i won a radio contest... not a tattoo, this time... but i won season 2 of Sex and the City on DVD, a book about the show, and some martini glasses... and i was entered to win the grand prize (a shopping trip to NYC - plane tix, hotel, and spending $$$) but i didn't win that...
work has been work... pretty slow till last week, and then busy for a few days, and now slow again...
my AWBC fundraiser this time is not going as well as the first (but still going well)... maybe it was just too soon to do another one... hopefully things will pick up for the next one... check out my site (the link is on the side)...
Monday, September 26, 2005
My Family is Nutz - Irrational Sister
so, my sister has only been engaged for a month and already there's tons of drama... i want to be supportive, but it's hard considering i don't agree with her... here's the story (it's gonna be long one, so grab some popcorn and get ready for some entertainment):
just over a month ago... josh (my sister's fiance) finally decided that he wanted to go to engineering school next fall... well, since there are none within commuting distance from meadowview, that means a move out of town for him... my sister, being worried that he would go off to school and forget her (since she would have one more year in college in SWVA), started pushing for an engagement... after all, they have been together nearly 4 years, and she was tired of feeling like josh had the attitude "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" seriously, they've been together for a long time, spend almost every waking moment together (when not in classes), it was like they were married, i sort of see her point... it was time to shit or get off the pot... she was happy with the thought of getting engaged... that held her over, and reassured her that he was committed to her... and she was happy with leaving it at that for now...
well, the closest eng. college is about an hour and a half from meadowview, but josh doesn't want to go there... there are a bajillion students and he'd just be a number... kind of intimidating and unappealing for someone who comes from a town with less than 500 people (his high school had about 200 people, if that many)... so he starts looking into colleges that are a little farther away (but still within a day's drive)... my sister, upon hearing this, flips out... she gets really worried that he's gonna be so far away from her... so she moves up the wedding date (from aug 2007) to aug 2006... now, at this time, they would both still be full time students (read: unable to work full time jobs to support themselves)... mom brought up the fact that they're not going to be able to afford living together and going to school, and mel informs mom that she intends to live at home her last year of college (after she's married, mind you) and will move to where josh is when she graduates... sounds like a logical solution in her mind, but she's not getting the whole point of being married thing... no one gets married just to voluntarily live apart for their first year...
for those of you who don't know my sister, she can be irrational... and when she doesn't want to hear something, she will scream at the top of her lungs and leave the room... so any conversation about how she might want to rethink her plan was not happening... so, after a week of mom trying to reason with her, mel gets the bright idea that if she can't go to school, and afford to be married, then she just won't go to school... and drops out... after 3 years towards an education degree, she decides she doesn't want to do that anymore... and what's worse (if it can get worse) is that she dropped out a day after the add/drop period... so now she has a semester of classes to pay for that she won't be attending... in addition to paying for a wedding, and figuring out how to manage affording a married life in just under a year...
so a week goes by and mel obviously gets bored with her part time job, and being at home during the day... so she decides she wants to go to beauty school... now, i love my sister to death... but this girl has no cosmetology talent... okay, so she knows how to apply make-up, but knows nothing about how to pick colors that accent a persons attributes, and she's never cut hair in her life!!! so mom brings up some points about the only beauty school in the area offering ONLY DAY CLASSES (which means she couldn't work her part time job that only has day hours - the office is closed at night) and costs nearly $2K per semester... so not only will she have the above mentioned expenses, but now beauty school... and even if you graduate beauty school, it takes a really long time before you really start to make money at it... but she's still determined this is what she wants to do...
i called mel the other day to ask her if she had a wedding planning book... one with everything listed for a budget, everything to consider when getting married... sort of an all encompassing "this is what your life for the next year will be like, are you sure you're ready for this?" type of book... and of course, she didn't have one... so i got it for her as an engagement gift... then she asks when i'm coming home because i need to try on my bridesmaid dress... oy... my sister and i aren't close... never have been... so i'm not sure why i'm a bridesmaid... i know she has friends... so i'm trying to think of a nice way of asking her if including me was her idea, or mom's idea... it's not that i don't want to be there for her, i'm just not sure i'm the best choice...
"and what does josh have to say about all of this?" you ask... well, he's tried talking about the timeline with mel, and she does her screaming and leaving thing... and threatens to break up with him... mel is the only person that josh has ever loved... she's the only person that even looked twice at him... and he doesn't want to lose her... and i know mel truly loves him too and doesn't want to lose him either... i really think they are "the ones" for each other, but i think they need to rethink the plan... life is happening so fast for each of them, and in SWVA there are lots of pressures to get married after a certain time of dating (i experience them first hand everytime i visit home), that's just how things are... and the fear of being apart, and how they're both going to change is pushing this too...
i wish i had some good sisterly advice for them... the rational part of me knows that if they waited a year, then they would both be in a better situation to start a life together... but the emotional part of me knows how hard it is to be separated, and that no amount of reason can make you stop feeling like you just want to be together... i just want them to be happy... yeah...
okay, on the next episode of "my family is nutz" you'll find out about the too-smart-for-his-own-good brother... stay tuned!
just over a month ago... josh (my sister's fiance) finally decided that he wanted to go to engineering school next fall... well, since there are none within commuting distance from meadowview, that means a move out of town for him... my sister, being worried that he would go off to school and forget her (since she would have one more year in college in SWVA), started pushing for an engagement... after all, they have been together nearly 4 years, and she was tired of feeling like josh had the attitude "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" seriously, they've been together for a long time, spend almost every waking moment together (when not in classes), it was like they were married, i sort of see her point... it was time to shit or get off the pot... she was happy with the thought of getting engaged... that held her over, and reassured her that he was committed to her... and she was happy with leaving it at that for now...
well, the closest eng. college is about an hour and a half from meadowview, but josh doesn't want to go there... there are a bajillion students and he'd just be a number... kind of intimidating and unappealing for someone who comes from a town with less than 500 people (his high school had about 200 people, if that many)... so he starts looking into colleges that are a little farther away (but still within a day's drive)... my sister, upon hearing this, flips out... she gets really worried that he's gonna be so far away from her... so she moves up the wedding date (from aug 2007) to aug 2006... now, at this time, they would both still be full time students (read: unable to work full time jobs to support themselves)... mom brought up the fact that they're not going to be able to afford living together and going to school, and mel informs mom that she intends to live at home her last year of college (after she's married, mind you) and will move to where josh is when she graduates... sounds like a logical solution in her mind, but she's not getting the whole point of being married thing... no one gets married just to voluntarily live apart for their first year...
for those of you who don't know my sister, she can be irrational... and when she doesn't want to hear something, she will scream at the top of her lungs and leave the room... so any conversation about how she might want to rethink her plan was not happening... so, after a week of mom trying to reason with her, mel gets the bright idea that if she can't go to school, and afford to be married, then she just won't go to school... and drops out... after 3 years towards an education degree, she decides she doesn't want to do that anymore... and what's worse (if it can get worse) is that she dropped out a day after the add/drop period... so now she has a semester of classes to pay for that she won't be attending... in addition to paying for a wedding, and figuring out how to manage affording a married life in just under a year...
so a week goes by and mel obviously gets bored with her part time job, and being at home during the day... so she decides she wants to go to beauty school... now, i love my sister to death... but this girl has no cosmetology talent... okay, so she knows how to apply make-up, but knows nothing about how to pick colors that accent a persons attributes, and she's never cut hair in her life!!! so mom brings up some points about the only beauty school in the area offering ONLY DAY CLASSES (which means she couldn't work her part time job that only has day hours - the office is closed at night) and costs nearly $2K per semester... so not only will she have the above mentioned expenses, but now beauty school... and even if you graduate beauty school, it takes a really long time before you really start to make money at it... but she's still determined this is what she wants to do...
i called mel the other day to ask her if she had a wedding planning book... one with everything listed for a budget, everything to consider when getting married... sort of an all encompassing "this is what your life for the next year will be like, are you sure you're ready for this?" type of book... and of course, she didn't have one... so i got it for her as an engagement gift... then she asks when i'm coming home because i need to try on my bridesmaid dress... oy... my sister and i aren't close... never have been... so i'm not sure why i'm a bridesmaid... i know she has friends... so i'm trying to think of a nice way of asking her if including me was her idea, or mom's idea... it's not that i don't want to be there for her, i'm just not sure i'm the best choice...
"and what does josh have to say about all of this?" you ask... well, he's tried talking about the timeline with mel, and she does her screaming and leaving thing... and threatens to break up with him... mel is the only person that josh has ever loved... she's the only person that even looked twice at him... and he doesn't want to lose her... and i know mel truly loves him too and doesn't want to lose him either... i really think they are "the ones" for each other, but i think they need to rethink the plan... life is happening so fast for each of them, and in SWVA there are lots of pressures to get married after a certain time of dating (i experience them first hand everytime i visit home), that's just how things are... and the fear of being apart, and how they're both going to change is pushing this too...
i wish i had some good sisterly advice for them... the rational part of me knows that if they waited a year, then they would both be in a better situation to start a life together... but the emotional part of me knows how hard it is to be separated, and that no amount of reason can make you stop feeling like you just want to be together... i just want them to be happy... yeah...
okay, on the next episode of "my family is nutz" you'll find out about the too-smart-for-his-own-good brother... stay tuned!
Monday, September 19, 2005
yay for being productive!!!
last week, i was on travel for work... spent a few days in the Kingsland, GA/Jacksonville, FL area... one day, we had some extra time after our site survey, so we decided to visit St. Augustine, FL... we toured an old fort, and even visited the Fountain of Youth (according to Ponce de Leon)... it was pretty neat... definately beat sitting in a hotel room for an afternoon...
thursday was not productive at all... work has been super boring lately, as we have no projects in the office right now... hopefully, things will pick up again soon (they usually do)...
friday, thankfully, was my day off!!! so i ran errands... i went to the post office and applied for my passport... that was exciting... well, the process really wasn't exciting, but knowing that i'll be able to visit many countries with my passport was what made it exciting!!! i'm kinda worried about the timing though... it's supposed to take 6 weeks to be mailed to me... so i'll have it in plenty of time for going to visit chris in england, but i'm not sure i'll have it in time to use it for our cruise to the bahamas in december... i know, you don't need a passport for the cruise, but if you don't have one, you have to have your birth certificate... and my birth certificate was mailed off with my passport papers (to be returned to me in 6 weeks)... hopefully there's no delay in receiving everything... maybe i should see about getting a certified copy of the birth cert. just in case...
after the passport stuff, i took my car in for her 15000 mile service... can you believe 15000 miles already?!?! i drive too much... i'm sure once chris isn't within driving distance anymore, my mileage will be cut down by quite a bit... and i probably won't drive to indiana again, either...
ooo... and last week, i received some new cookbooks - "Cooking for Two (or just you)" and "Healthy Cooking for Singles"... both books had some great things i'd like to try, so friday, i went wild at the grocery store... it was fun, and hopefully, i'll have as much fun making the dishes...
saturday, i did a lot of scrapbooking (trying to get caught up again)... and cleaned out my closest and dressers... i was able to get rid of half of my clothes, though most were old t-shirts from rose that i mainly just sleep in... the wearable clothes are being donated to charity, and i tossed the t-shirts and ratty stuff... i'm also donating most of my stuffed animals and toys... it felt good to just clear out a lot of my clutter... and knowing that someone else will get some use out of most of it is good too...
sunday, i was a slacker for most of the morning, napping on and off till after noon... so i decided i needed to do something to tire myself out later in the afternoon... so, i did my walking video... haven't done it in about 2 months (i know, i'm a slacker)... but i made it through all 3 miles, and felt great!!! then after that, ruth and i went for a walk around the lake behind our house... it was a good brisk walk, and added another mile and a half to my total for the day... i didn't have much trouble going to sleep last night, hehe... and i can't wait till i can do my video tonight!!!
thursday was not productive at all... work has been super boring lately, as we have no projects in the office right now... hopefully, things will pick up again soon (they usually do)...
friday, thankfully, was my day off!!! so i ran errands... i went to the post office and applied for my passport... that was exciting... well, the process really wasn't exciting, but knowing that i'll be able to visit many countries with my passport was what made it exciting!!! i'm kinda worried about the timing though... it's supposed to take 6 weeks to be mailed to me... so i'll have it in plenty of time for going to visit chris in england, but i'm not sure i'll have it in time to use it for our cruise to the bahamas in december... i know, you don't need a passport for the cruise, but if you don't have one, you have to have your birth certificate... and my birth certificate was mailed off with my passport papers (to be returned to me in 6 weeks)... hopefully there's no delay in receiving everything... maybe i should see about getting a certified copy of the birth cert. just in case...
after the passport stuff, i took my car in for her 15000 mile service... can you believe 15000 miles already?!?! i drive too much... i'm sure once chris isn't within driving distance anymore, my mileage will be cut down by quite a bit... and i probably won't drive to indiana again, either...
ooo... and last week, i received some new cookbooks - "Cooking for Two (or just you)" and "Healthy Cooking for Singles"... both books had some great things i'd like to try, so friday, i went wild at the grocery store... it was fun, and hopefully, i'll have as much fun making the dishes...
saturday, i did a lot of scrapbooking (trying to get caught up again)... and cleaned out my closest and dressers... i was able to get rid of half of my clothes, though most were old t-shirts from rose that i mainly just sleep in... the wearable clothes are being donated to charity, and i tossed the t-shirts and ratty stuff... i'm also donating most of my stuffed animals and toys... it felt good to just clear out a lot of my clutter... and knowing that someone else will get some use out of most of it is good too...
sunday, i was a slacker for most of the morning, napping on and off till after noon... so i decided i needed to do something to tire myself out later in the afternoon... so, i did my walking video... haven't done it in about 2 months (i know, i'm a slacker)... but i made it through all 3 miles, and felt great!!! then after that, ruth and i went for a walk around the lake behind our house... it was a good brisk walk, and added another mile and a half to my total for the day... i didn't have much trouble going to sleep last night, hehe... and i can't wait till i can do my video tonight!!!
Saturday, September 17, 2005
romance...
... lately i've been feelin' like i need some romance... i miss dating... like real dating... i miss all the sweet things guys do to try to woo you... i miss flowers, and candle lit dinners... i miss slow dancing on a whim, no matter where we are... don't get me wrong, i'm treated like a princess... chris and i do lots of fun things, but all the romantic ideas come from me... *sigh* yeah, so something romantic, planned just for me would be nice...
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Pictures... as promised
Okay, here are some pics from the weekend... some of the Little Italy Festival, from the rehearsal dinner, and from the wedding/reception... i have lots more, and can email them to those who want to see...
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
my holiday weekend...
went to Indy this weekend for my former roomie's wedding (the one i made the bridesmaid skirts for)... it was a good time... travel time was much less than i had expected - 8.5 hours as opposed to 10 like last year... so i was able to pick chris up from the airport, since we got into town at the same time...
friday afternoon, we napped - both had long days... and that evening we hit the town... had dinner at a japanese restaurant (not the kind where they cook at your table and crack jokes, though)... and then hit up some bars... that was fun... and the 2am "dinner" at steak-n-shake was quite yummy... in fact, that night i proclaimed they have "the best chicken tenders i've ever had!!!" and i stick by my statement... SnS is the best post-drinking food there is... mmmm...
saturday, we slept in - no surprise there... and then we walked back to the downtown area (we were only a few blocks away)... on the way, we saw a parade... well, sort of... we saw some people walking around in the street carrying signs, throwing candy, and some riding in beds of trucks... and they were really spaced far apart... one group would be out of sight before the next group came into view... it was kind of sad... after the "parade" we had lunch at quizno's... mmmm toasty... and then did some shopping at circle center mall... after that was the rehearsal and dinner... the rehearsal was very unorganized to begin with... we were all just like "what's going on here??? someone give us direction..." but by the time we ran through it a second time, things were coming together smoothly... and then it was dinner at Buca di Beppo... lots of food... and i mean LOTS of food... but it was waaay yummy... i ate too much, and got super tired, so i fell asleep when we got back to the hotel... chris told me he was going out to get a few things... and before i knew it, he was back with a surprise for me... a 2-CD set of Alison Krauss & Union Station!!! I'd listened to her "New Favorite" CD so much that I wore it out... so that was really sweet of chris... he's a good hero... (*side note to my hero* - Happy "Anniversary," babe!!! Thanks for a really great 4 years!)
sunday, we went to terre haute and met chris's mom before going to the little italy festival in Clinton, IN... we had kept his being in town a secret so she was surprised to see him... a good surprise... the festival wasn't what i expected... not really as much italian stuff as i had imagined... but i did get to see a pizza eating contest, some italian cooking, and an italian costume contest... after that, chris and i decided to drive around the rose campus (he hadn't been back since we graduated) and then went out to his fraternity house to look around... it was a good day, but i was way tired by the end...
monday was the wedding... it was really beautiful... everything worked like it was supposed to... and the reception was nice too... very relaxed... they had it catered by Fazoli's, Jimmy John's, KFC, and some chinese place... and the cake wasn't the traditional wedding cake... they had 3 sheet cakes - one decorated for her b'day, one for his b'day, and one for the wedding... a very neat idea... i also got to see a few ppl from rose i hadn't seen in a while... so it was good catching up with them... chris had to leave that afternoon... leaving him at the airport was hard... it always is, though... and then i went to spend the night at chris's cousin's...
tuesday morning, i had brunch with my DDD big sis before heading out of town... i hadn't seen her since i graduated, so it was a good time... we talk every month or so, so there really wasn't a lot of catching up to do... but it was still good to see her... and then i made my long trek home...
and that was my weekend... hopefully tomorrow i'll have some pictures up of the weekend festivities...
friday afternoon, we napped - both had long days... and that evening we hit the town... had dinner at a japanese restaurant (not the kind where they cook at your table and crack jokes, though)... and then hit up some bars... that was fun... and the 2am "dinner" at steak-n-shake was quite yummy... in fact, that night i proclaimed they have "the best chicken tenders i've ever had!!!" and i stick by my statement... SnS is the best post-drinking food there is... mmmm...
saturday, we slept in - no surprise there... and then we walked back to the downtown area (we were only a few blocks away)... on the way, we saw a parade... well, sort of... we saw some people walking around in the street carrying signs, throwing candy, and some riding in beds of trucks... and they were really spaced far apart... one group would be out of sight before the next group came into view... it was kind of sad... after the "parade" we had lunch at quizno's... mmmm toasty... and then did some shopping at circle center mall... after that was the rehearsal and dinner... the rehearsal was very unorganized to begin with... we were all just like "what's going on here??? someone give us direction..." but by the time we ran through it a second time, things were coming together smoothly... and then it was dinner at Buca di Beppo... lots of food... and i mean LOTS of food... but it was waaay yummy... i ate too much, and got super tired, so i fell asleep when we got back to the hotel... chris told me he was going out to get a few things... and before i knew it, he was back with a surprise for me... a 2-CD set of Alison Krauss & Union Station!!! I'd listened to her "New Favorite" CD so much that I wore it out... so that was really sweet of chris... he's a good hero... (*side note to my hero* - Happy "Anniversary," babe!!! Thanks for a really great 4 years!)
sunday, we went to terre haute and met chris's mom before going to the little italy festival in Clinton, IN... we had kept his being in town a secret so she was surprised to see him... a good surprise... the festival wasn't what i expected... not really as much italian stuff as i had imagined... but i did get to see a pizza eating contest, some italian cooking, and an italian costume contest... after that, chris and i decided to drive around the rose campus (he hadn't been back since we graduated) and then went out to his fraternity house to look around... it was a good day, but i was way tired by the end...
monday was the wedding... it was really beautiful... everything worked like it was supposed to... and the reception was nice too... very relaxed... they had it catered by Fazoli's, Jimmy John's, KFC, and some chinese place... and the cake wasn't the traditional wedding cake... they had 3 sheet cakes - one decorated for her b'day, one for his b'day, and one for the wedding... a very neat idea... i also got to see a few ppl from rose i hadn't seen in a while... so it was good catching up with them... chris had to leave that afternoon... leaving him at the airport was hard... it always is, though... and then i went to spend the night at chris's cousin's...
tuesday morning, i had brunch with my DDD big sis before heading out of town... i hadn't seen her since i graduated, so it was a good time... we talk every month or so, so there really wasn't a lot of catching up to do... but it was still good to see her... and then i made my long trek home...
and that was my weekend... hopefully tomorrow i'll have some pictures up of the weekend festivities...
Monday, August 29, 2005
BUTT COOKIES!!!
so, my trip home a couple of weekends ago was a nice one... it was fairly relaxing and uneventful, which was much needed... i really didn't get to spend much time with my siblings... they all have busy lives now... it's odd... but i did spend a lot of time with my mom... and she's doing really good... i think she's finally becoming happy and less stressed about things... so that makes me happy...
last week, work was pretty busy... we've been working on some projects that were thrown at us on short notice... but i did my part, and kicked ass... and today is kind of a slow day... just waiting on things to get back to me for review... so i've had a lot of time this morning to dork around... which is nice for a monday morning...
and this past weekend, i made cookies... lots and lots of cookies... for my AWBC kick-off fundraiser... it was fun... and i raised quite a bit of money... so i'm happy with the way it turned out... the cookies; however, were not so good... not that they taste bad... but they didn't keep the ribbon shape when baked... so they look like a butt with two porky legs sticking out... LOL... butt cookies... oh well, i get a kick out of it, even if no one else does...
so there's what 30 dozen "butt" cookies looks like... if i never see another sugar cookie again it will be too soon... hehe...
this coming weekend, i'm going to indiana for a friend's wedding (the one i made the skirts for)... i'm pretty excited about it... i'll get to see lots of school friends, and chris's family... so i think it will be a good trip... i'll let ya know how it goes...
last week, work was pretty busy... we've been working on some projects that were thrown at us on short notice... but i did my part, and kicked ass... and today is kind of a slow day... just waiting on things to get back to me for review... so i've had a lot of time this morning to dork around... which is nice for a monday morning...
and this past weekend, i made cookies... lots and lots of cookies... for my AWBC kick-off fundraiser... it was fun... and i raised quite a bit of money... so i'm happy with the way it turned out... the cookies; however, were not so good... not that they taste bad... but they didn't keep the ribbon shape when baked... so they look like a butt with two porky legs sticking out... LOL... butt cookies... oh well, i get a kick out of it, even if no one else does...so there's what 30 dozen "butt" cookies looks like... if i never see another sugar cookie again it will be too soon... hehe...
this coming weekend, i'm going to indiana for a friend's wedding (the one i made the skirts for)... i'm pretty excited about it... i'll get to see lots of school friends, and chris's family... so i think it will be a good trip... i'll let ya know how it goes...
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
my life is an amusement park...
okay... so after having two weeks to let the news settle in, i'm feeling, well, actually about the same... sometimes i'm super excited about it, and all gung ho about wanting to find a job there and be able to move as soon as possible... and other times, the reality hits that it's gonna be super hard to find a job there unless i'm already living there, and how i'm barely able to save enough money as it is for small vacations and there's little chance i'm gonna be able to save enough to move there and support myself while job searching... and then, i'll think about all the cool stuff there is to do in england, and get excited again... so as you can see, it's been a roller coaster of emotions for me...
i just wish there was one clear choice... only one perfect path... i should be so lucky... heck, it would be easier if what i really wanted deep down in my heart was what is best for chris and i... not that i don't want what is best for us, i do... but what i want deep down is a somewhat selfish dream... and there's no place for selfishness if we're going to make this work for us...
anyway, on to something else...
my first fundraiser for my Avon Walk is going GREAT!!! after the first week, i had raised enough $$ that i have to make 33 dozen cookies!!! that's awesome!!! the cookie making is going to go on Saturday, August 27th... and anyone who is in the area is welcome to stop by and keep me company... i promise i won't make you help (unless you want to)... and i'm sure it will be quite funny with flour and dough and icing all over the place... and Thanks to everyone who has donated!!! you guys are great! And for those of you who haven't visited my AWBC website lately, i got my spiffy shoes last week!!! and they are waaay comfy...i may even order another pair... just in case these get worn out during training... hehe...
work has been work... and things are getting better with ruth... and i'm going to visit my family this weekend... so i think that just about covers everything...
i just wish there was one clear choice... only one perfect path... i should be so lucky... heck, it would be easier if what i really wanted deep down in my heart was what is best for chris and i... not that i don't want what is best for us, i do... but what i want deep down is a somewhat selfish dream... and there's no place for selfishness if we're going to make this work for us...
anyway, on to something else...
my first fundraiser for my Avon Walk is going GREAT!!! after the first week, i had raised enough $$ that i have to make 33 dozen cookies!!! that's awesome!!! the cookie making is going to go on Saturday, August 27th... and anyone who is in the area is welcome to stop by and keep me company... i promise i won't make you help (unless you want to)... and i'm sure it will be quite funny with flour and dough and icing all over the place... and Thanks to everyone who has donated!!! you guys are great! And for those of you who haven't visited my AWBC website lately, i got my spiffy shoes last week!!! and they are waaay comfy...i may even order another pair... just in case these get worn out during training... hehe...
work has been work... and things are getting better with ruth... and i'm going to visit my family this weekend... so i think that just about covers everything...
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
news
okay, so now that Chris has told most everyone he intends to, i figure i can safely put his/our news up here so everyone else can know... last week, he got is next assignment... so, it looks like he'll be reporting 15 Jan to Lakenheath AFB in merry old England!!! quite a shock to us all, yes... but exciting!!! and now that i'm over the surprise of it all, i'm beginning to look forward to visiting him there, and the possibilities of maybe living there myself someday...
there's still so much for us to talk about, and lots of options to consider... so we have a rough plan, but nothing set yet, and things could easily change... right now we're in the information gathering stage, and once we have lots of info, we'll start looking more closely at devising a plan...
chris's mom was here visiting this past week (and we made a weekend trip to NC to see chris and his place)... it was a good time... we went one day to see an IMAX movie at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum... it was called Fighter Pilot (i think) and it was about an F-15 pilot, and the training mission called Red Flag... the movie was super neat... and i got to see a lot about the job of a flyer... and to top off the weekend, chris showed us a real F-15, up close and personal... that was way awesome too!!!
there was lots more to the weekend, but i'm pretty busy here at work, and don't have the time right now to put it all down... so maybe i'll get to it in a few days, or maybe jerri will put it in her blog (gives her a reason to post again... she's "Been in Indiana for 4 days" for quite some time now)...
back to work... yippee!! (lol)
there's still so much for us to talk about, and lots of options to consider... so we have a rough plan, but nothing set yet, and things could easily change... right now we're in the information gathering stage, and once we have lots of info, we'll start looking more closely at devising a plan...
chris's mom was here visiting this past week (and we made a weekend trip to NC to see chris and his place)... it was a good time... we went one day to see an IMAX movie at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum... it was called Fighter Pilot (i think) and it was about an F-15 pilot, and the training mission called Red Flag... the movie was super neat... and i got to see a lot about the job of a flyer... and to top off the weekend, chris showed us a real F-15, up close and personal... that was way awesome too!!!
there was lots more to the weekend, but i'm pretty busy here at work, and don't have the time right now to put it all down... so maybe i'll get to it in a few days, or maybe jerri will put it in her blog (gives her a reason to post again... she's "Been in Indiana for 4 days" for quite some time now)...
back to work... yippee!! (lol)
Monday, July 25, 2005
lately...
okay, so i'm kinda tired of the states posts... i'll get back to them eventually, just not today...
i've been kinda busy with a craft/project i've been working on lately... i volunteered to make the dresses for my former roomie's wedding... i'm crazy, i know... but i just couldn't imagine myself wearing an off-the-rack, walmart skirt (with a pattern on it, no less) in a wedding... and while i have nothing against walmart clothes, i feel a wedding party should not wear them... i also knew i could make skirts less expensive than we could order real bridesmaids outfits, and i could guarantee on time delivery... so, that's what i've been spending my time doing lately... and while the skirts aren't perfect, i think i've done well... hopefully, i'll finish them up this week, and get them shipped out to the others on saturday... go me!!!
i also spent a few days last week in seattle for a meeting... the weather was so nice there... no humidity, and just the right temp... not even any rain... i hated having to come back to the horrible DC heat and a stuffy office...
my good friend james moved back to SWVA yesterday... he had been here for a year... we had fun, but it was time for him to do what was best for his career, which meant moving away... i'm cool with it... not as crushed as i thought... but today is only the first day of him not being around... it will really hit me when i want Cheesecake Factory and he's not here to go with me... but hey, i guess this could be a good thing... everytime we got together, we were eating... so now i can save some $$$ from not eating out so much, and maybe lose some poundage by eating home cooked meals instead...
chris's mom is coming to visit next week... i'm waaaay excited... we're going to do some touristy DC stuff and then head to NC for the weekend... i can hardly wait!!!
and i think i'm ready to be back in an apartment by myself... my roommate (and her animals) are on my last nerve... i don't like waking up to cat vomit suprise in the floor, or being scolded because i put something that smelled good to the dog in the trash can and he went in after it... and if i have to pull all of the stuff out of my closet one more time so she can get to her stuff in the very back, i'm going to scream... there is an entire extra room upstairs, why can't she store her stuff in there??? i have limited storage space as it is, and even now there is stuff just sitting in boxes on my floor because i don't have anywhere else to put it... i think she and i will be having a chat soon...
ooo... and to end on an up-beat... i ordered a pair of shoes for the walk (and training)... i even got to choose the colors and they're personalized... i can't wait for them to get here!!! and in two weeks i'm going to start my first fundraiser... so be sure to check my AWBC site for info...
okay, back to work...
i've been kinda busy with a craft/project i've been working on lately... i volunteered to make the dresses for my former roomie's wedding... i'm crazy, i know... but i just couldn't imagine myself wearing an off-the-rack, walmart skirt (with a pattern on it, no less) in a wedding... and while i have nothing against walmart clothes, i feel a wedding party should not wear them... i also knew i could make skirts less expensive than we could order real bridesmaids outfits, and i could guarantee on time delivery... so, that's what i've been spending my time doing lately... and while the skirts aren't perfect, i think i've done well... hopefully, i'll finish them up this week, and get them shipped out to the others on saturday... go me!!!
i also spent a few days last week in seattle for a meeting... the weather was so nice there... no humidity, and just the right temp... not even any rain... i hated having to come back to the horrible DC heat and a stuffy office...
my good friend james moved back to SWVA yesterday... he had been here for a year... we had fun, but it was time for him to do what was best for his career, which meant moving away... i'm cool with it... not as crushed as i thought... but today is only the first day of him not being around... it will really hit me when i want Cheesecake Factory and he's not here to go with me... but hey, i guess this could be a good thing... everytime we got together, we were eating... so now i can save some $$$ from not eating out so much, and maybe lose some poundage by eating home cooked meals instead...
chris's mom is coming to visit next week... i'm waaaay excited... we're going to do some touristy DC stuff and then head to NC for the weekend... i can hardly wait!!!
and i think i'm ready to be back in an apartment by myself... my roommate (and her animals) are on my last nerve... i don't like waking up to cat vomit suprise in the floor, or being scolded because i put something that smelled good to the dog in the trash can and he went in after it... and if i have to pull all of the stuff out of my closet one more time so she can get to her stuff in the very back, i'm going to scream... there is an entire extra room upstairs, why can't she store her stuff in there??? i have limited storage space as it is, and even now there is stuff just sitting in boxes on my floor because i don't have anywhere else to put it... i think she and i will be having a chat soon...
ooo... and to end on an up-beat... i ordered a pair of shoes for the walk (and training)... i even got to choose the colors and they're personalized... i can't wait for them to get here!!! and in two weeks i'm going to start my first fundraiser... so be sure to check my AWBC site for info...
okay, back to work...
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
a very long rant about my day...
okay, so yesterday wasn't the best day ever for me... just when i thought my day was beginning to look up, i got a swift kick in the rear...
so, yesterday morning i had to go to court over my license plates being stolen (over a year ago)... this is the third time i've had to go because the guy charged is MIA (when he was caught with the stolen tags he was ticketed and let go... and hasn't been seen since)... luckily my job pays for time spent at court for things such as those... so anyway, i get to the courthouse, and as usual, there is no parking... so i have to park along the street... parallel park at a meter... a meter that only takes quarters (i'd grabbed a handful of change before leaving the house in anticipation for having to park at a meter... unfortunately only 3 quarters in the bunch)... so i park and put in my quarters for an hour and a half time... i worried a little bit, and tried to find a business along the street open at 8:15 am, but no luck... so i decided to chance it on having enough time...
now, i don't know why they tell you to be at court at a certain time when they aren't even going to begin the check-in procedure till 30 min after the time you're requested to be there... so, it's now 45 minutes after i parked (only 45 min left on the meter) and the check-in is going super slow... about 15 min into the line, the state's attorney calls out about 40 names and sends those ppl down to the community service office with her assistant... when the names were called, the ppl stepping out of line were obviously younger than me... which left me wondering, "how can so many young ppl be here this morning? maybe they're having traffic court as well this morning..." so, i get checked in and seated (in the most uncomfortable benches) and wait patiently for court to begin... an hour and 15 min after i arrived, the show was finally underway...
the state's attorney started calling the names of the ppl she sent to the community service office... one by one they would step up and the judge would berate them for underage drinking and throw the book at them... and for each person he would tell the same story about how many teens are killed each year due to underage drinking (and driving) and ask them what they thought of themselves and what their parent's thought of them... some of them seemed really sorry (probably sorry they got caught, not sorry they did it - isn't that the way it usually goes??), and others were totally oblivious to the fact that this was a serious charge... one girl (ditsy blonde) was providing lots of entertainment for us... the judge asked her to explain what happened the night she was cited... the convo is as follows:
ditsy: oh, well, you see... we were at this party... and i had a couple of beers...
judge: how many is a couple?
ditsy: maybe one or two
judge: would you say you were drunk?
ditsy: no, i wasn't drunk
judge: missy, it says here your BAC was .15, that's almost twice the legal limit
*gasp from the court galley*
ditsy: *giggles* well, it doesn't sound good if i say i was drunk...
judge: so, again, how much did you drink?
ditsy: *confused look*
judge: it takes 2 beers to have a BAC of .03, how many does that mean you had?
ditsy: *motions as if to count on fingers*
judge: that means you had 10 beers... TEN BEERS!!! and if didn't think you were drunk, you have a serious alcohol problem, and i'm recommending an alcohol treatment program for you...
ditsy: in my defense, i had one of the lowest levels at the party!
*laughter from the galley*
we were all in shock that this girl had no clue... the conversation between the two continued and provided more entertainment for the rest of us... it was great fun to watch... i had forgotten just how silly teenagers could be...
so, finally, my case is called up... now remember, i'm not the one bringing the case against the dude, i'm just a witness for the state prosecution... so the state's attorney says "it doesn't look like mr. giatan (using his real name, since he's been a pain in my ass) is going to show up again today... we want to compensate you for your loss... unfortunately we can only provide compensation for the amount of the stolen item... so if you'll wait here, an officer will bring you your money and you will no longer be needed in this case... the state will take care of mr. giatan and this case..." as she said that, an officer came over and handed me a twenty dollar bill and told me i was free to go... it was the oddest thing... but i was just happy to finally be out of there, and to be done with the whole mess, i didn't question it...
walking back to my car, i braced myself for a parking ticket... i only had 1.5 hours on the meter, and i had been parked there for just over 3 hours... i was so excited when i approached the car and there was nothing on the windshield... i decided to take a look at the meter to see exactly what an expired one looked like (mostly to see if it would be super visible to police just driving by)... i was curious, shoot me... anyway, after looking at the meter, i walked behind my car, and for some reason looked down... and there it was... my heart sank... someone had hit my baby... her beautiful berry red exterior now had a huge scuff of white paint across the bumper... i looked around to see if anyone might have witnessed it, but there was no one... i wanted to cry... after a long day in the courtroom, to come out to this... it was devistating...
i took some time to get to work, just because i knew going in hopping mad like i was wasn't going to be good for anyone... after i had calmed down, i called my insurance company... i started a claim for a hit and run, and was reminded that for such things i had a $250 deductable... thinking to myself, i decided that the damage to the car (since it didn't appear to be scratched or dented) probably wasn't enough to total $250... so, i called my mom (genious that she is) and she suggested that i try buffing the white paint off with some car wax... and that's what i tried when i got home... and it worked!!! there's only a small scuff left, and unless you're right on the bumper you can't see it... yay for mom!!!
and when i was home, all i wanted to do was talk to christopher... we haven't really had a good chat lately (he's been so busy/tired) and i just wanted to connect with him... well, yesterday there was a malfunction in his jet, and he wasn't feeling so great when he got home... so i didn't really even have him to vent to... *sigh*... maybe he'll be better today...
one good thing that came of my day is my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer personal webpage... you should check it out... it will track my fundraising progress, and i'll update regularly telling you how the walking is going...
if you have read this far, i'm amazed... you must find my life interesting (or at least entertaining)... lol
so, yesterday morning i had to go to court over my license plates being stolen (over a year ago)... this is the third time i've had to go because the guy charged is MIA (when he was caught with the stolen tags he was ticketed and let go... and hasn't been seen since)... luckily my job pays for time spent at court for things such as those... so anyway, i get to the courthouse, and as usual, there is no parking... so i have to park along the street... parallel park at a meter... a meter that only takes quarters (i'd grabbed a handful of change before leaving the house in anticipation for having to park at a meter... unfortunately only 3 quarters in the bunch)... so i park and put in my quarters for an hour and a half time... i worried a little bit, and tried to find a business along the street open at 8:15 am, but no luck... so i decided to chance it on having enough time...
now, i don't know why they tell you to be at court at a certain time when they aren't even going to begin the check-in procedure till 30 min after the time you're requested to be there... so, it's now 45 minutes after i parked (only 45 min left on the meter) and the check-in is going super slow... about 15 min into the line, the state's attorney calls out about 40 names and sends those ppl down to the community service office with her assistant... when the names were called, the ppl stepping out of line were obviously younger than me... which left me wondering, "how can so many young ppl be here this morning? maybe they're having traffic court as well this morning..." so, i get checked in and seated (in the most uncomfortable benches) and wait patiently for court to begin... an hour and 15 min after i arrived, the show was finally underway...
the state's attorney started calling the names of the ppl she sent to the community service office... one by one they would step up and the judge would berate them for underage drinking and throw the book at them... and for each person he would tell the same story about how many teens are killed each year due to underage drinking (and driving) and ask them what they thought of themselves and what their parent's thought of them... some of them seemed really sorry (probably sorry they got caught, not sorry they did it - isn't that the way it usually goes??), and others were totally oblivious to the fact that this was a serious charge... one girl (ditsy blonde) was providing lots of entertainment for us... the judge asked her to explain what happened the night she was cited... the convo is as follows:
ditsy: oh, well, you see... we were at this party... and i had a couple of beers...
judge: how many is a couple?
ditsy: maybe one or two
judge: would you say you were drunk?
ditsy: no, i wasn't drunk
judge: missy, it says here your BAC was .15, that's almost twice the legal limit
*gasp from the court galley*
ditsy: *giggles* well, it doesn't sound good if i say i was drunk...
judge: so, again, how much did you drink?
ditsy: *confused look*
judge: it takes 2 beers to have a BAC of .03, how many does that mean you had?
ditsy: *motions as if to count on fingers*
judge: that means you had 10 beers... TEN BEERS!!! and if didn't think you were drunk, you have a serious alcohol problem, and i'm recommending an alcohol treatment program for you...
ditsy: in my defense, i had one of the lowest levels at the party!
*laughter from the galley*
we were all in shock that this girl had no clue... the conversation between the two continued and provided more entertainment for the rest of us... it was great fun to watch... i had forgotten just how silly teenagers could be...
so, finally, my case is called up... now remember, i'm not the one bringing the case against the dude, i'm just a witness for the state prosecution... so the state's attorney says "it doesn't look like mr. giatan (using his real name, since he's been a pain in my ass) is going to show up again today... we want to compensate you for your loss... unfortunately we can only provide compensation for the amount of the stolen item... so if you'll wait here, an officer will bring you your money and you will no longer be needed in this case... the state will take care of mr. giatan and this case..." as she said that, an officer came over and handed me a twenty dollar bill and told me i was free to go... it was the oddest thing... but i was just happy to finally be out of there, and to be done with the whole mess, i didn't question it...
walking back to my car, i braced myself for a parking ticket... i only had 1.5 hours on the meter, and i had been parked there for just over 3 hours... i was so excited when i approached the car and there was nothing on the windshield... i decided to take a look at the meter to see exactly what an expired one looked like (mostly to see if it would be super visible to police just driving by)... i was curious, shoot me... anyway, after looking at the meter, i walked behind my car, and for some reason looked down... and there it was... my heart sank... someone had hit my baby... her beautiful berry red exterior now had a huge scuff of white paint across the bumper... i looked around to see if anyone might have witnessed it, but there was no one... i wanted to cry... after a long day in the courtroom, to come out to this... it was devistating...
i took some time to get to work, just because i knew going in hopping mad like i was wasn't going to be good for anyone... after i had calmed down, i called my insurance company... i started a claim for a hit and run, and was reminded that for such things i had a $250 deductable... thinking to myself, i decided that the damage to the car (since it didn't appear to be scratched or dented) probably wasn't enough to total $250... so, i called my mom (genious that she is) and she suggested that i try buffing the white paint off with some car wax... and that's what i tried when i got home... and it worked!!! there's only a small scuff left, and unless you're right on the bumper you can't see it... yay for mom!!!
and when i was home, all i wanted to do was talk to christopher... we haven't really had a good chat lately (he's been so busy/tired) and i just wanted to connect with him... well, yesterday there was a malfunction in his jet, and he wasn't feeling so great when he got home... so i didn't really even have him to vent to... *sigh*... maybe he'll be better today...
one good thing that came of my day is my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer personal webpage... you should check it out... it will track my fundraising progress, and i'll update regularly telling you how the walking is going...
if you have read this far, i'm amazed... you must find my life interesting (or at least entertaining)... lol
Monday, July 11, 2005
California
i've only been to cali once... unfortunately, things happened and i had to cancel my last trip... maybe i'll get out there again soon... but the one time i was there, it was pretty cool... it was also the very first time i'd flown in a commercial airplane...
it was the first real long trip chris and i had taken together after a year of dating... he wanted me to see where he was from and maybe even meet some of his friends... we did so much it's hard to know where to start...
i guess we'll start with my love of the beach... i'd never seen the west coast so chris decided to take me to the beach one day... the wind was really blowing and it was kinda chilly, but it was nice and sunny and the sand was super hot... chris had warned me that the water would not be a good swimming temp... but i was determined to at least put my feet in the water... so, i trotted down to the shoreline and waited for a wave to roll in over my feet... HOLY COW WAS THAT WATER COLD!!! it was like ice... when chris said "not swimming temp." i was thinking "well i don't swim in anything colder than bath water, so it could still be fairly warm" and there were other ppl in the ocean, some without wet suits even... and since the sand was super hot, how cold could the water be, anyway??? well, chris got a good laugh out of it, and still does...
we spent one day of the trip in san francisco... that was pretty awesome... a lot of walking, but awesome anyway... we walked around the piers, ghirardelli square where the chocolate smelled so nice, along the bay, through a park area, and even visited the Exploratorium... and what is a trip to San Fran without riding a street car??? exactly... so, the return trip to the ferry was by exactly that...
after we returned to the car, we were on a new quest... a quest for beer... and not just any beer, THE beer... and ya know what, with a map to the brewery printed right on the bottle, it's pretty easy to find...
we also visited the jelly belly factory, bodega bay, the Charles Schulz museum, and hiked among the mighty redwoods at Armstrong woods...
like i said, an awesome trip and i can't wait to go back!!!
it was the first real long trip chris and i had taken together after a year of dating... he wanted me to see where he was from and maybe even meet some of his friends... we did so much it's hard to know where to start...
i guess we'll start with my love of the beach... i'd never seen the west coast so chris decided to take me to the beach one day... the wind was really blowing and it was kinda chilly, but it was nice and sunny and the sand was super hot... chris had warned me that the water would not be a good swimming temp... but i was determined to at least put my feet in the water... so, i trotted down to the shoreline and waited for a wave to roll in over my feet... HOLY COW WAS THAT WATER COLD!!! it was like ice... when chris said "not swimming temp." i was thinking "well i don't swim in anything colder than bath water, so it could still be fairly warm" and there were other ppl in the ocean, some without wet suits even... and since the sand was super hot, how cold could the water be, anyway??? well, chris got a good laugh out of it, and still does...
we spent one day of the trip in san francisco... that was pretty awesome... a lot of walking, but awesome anyway... we walked around the piers, ghirardelli square where the chocolate smelled so nice, along the bay, through a park area, and even visited the Exploratorium... and what is a trip to San Fran without riding a street car??? exactly... so, the return trip to the ferry was by exactly that...
after we returned to the car, we were on a new quest... a quest for beer... and not just any beer, THE beer... and ya know what, with a map to the brewery printed right on the bottle, it's pretty easy to find...
we also visited the jelly belly factory, bodega bay, the Charles Schulz museum, and hiked among the mighty redwoods at Armstrong woods...
like i said, an awesome trip and i can't wait to go back!!!
Monday, June 27, 2005
Hawaii
okay, not THE hawaii, although i am planning on going sometime this winter... but the hawaii i'm going to tell you about was a special cottage hawaii in the midwest...
picture it, terre haute, 2003 (too sophia petrillo?)... hehe... lilo and stitch was my favorite movie, and i was learning the hawaiian songs on the soundtrack... leading up to valentines day that year i pestered the heck outta chris about going to hawaii... a couple of days before v'day, i received an "airline ticket" (on Dupin Air) to hawaii... the handmade ticket was in the shape of a real airline ticket, but some of the areas were filled in with goofy stuff...
when he came to pick me up, he had modified his AF uniform to look like a pilot's uniform... all the girls at my sorority house were impressed... and of course, i was beaming... so off we went to hawaii...
when we arrived at the cottage (Hawaii for the night) there were tiki torches lit outside lighting the walkway... and chris ran inside and told me to wait in the car... a few moments later, he emerged dressed in a hawaiian shirt, shorts, and carrying leis... i got the traditional hawaiian welcome at the "airport" and was escorted inside...
once inside, i was surrounded by plastic palm trees, a huge paper sun, and a tropical bird hanging in the corner... in the kitchen, there are strings of tiki lights (like christmas lights) adorning the counter... chris brought me a fruity frozen drink in a tiki man cup too... our dinner was a hawaiian dish with chicken, pineapple, and bananas...
it was so sweet all the things he had done for me... and so i wouldn't forget the evening, he had mixed a CD with the lilo and stich songs, and other songs about hawaii, or paradise and being in the sun...
the evening was fantastic... i only hope my trip to the real hawaii is as good my trip to the cottage hawaii... *swoon*
picture it, terre haute, 2003 (too sophia petrillo?)... hehe... lilo and stitch was my favorite movie, and i was learning the hawaiian songs on the soundtrack... leading up to valentines day that year i pestered the heck outta chris about going to hawaii... a couple of days before v'day, i received an "airline ticket" (on Dupin Air) to hawaii... the handmade ticket was in the shape of a real airline ticket, but some of the areas were filled in with goofy stuff...
when he came to pick me up, he had modified his AF uniform to look like a pilot's uniform... all the girls at my sorority house were impressed... and of course, i was beaming... so off we went to hawaii...
when we arrived at the cottage (Hawaii for the night) there were tiki torches lit outside lighting the walkway... and chris ran inside and told me to wait in the car... a few moments later, he emerged dressed in a hawaiian shirt, shorts, and carrying leis... i got the traditional hawaiian welcome at the "airport" and was escorted inside...
once inside, i was surrounded by plastic palm trees, a huge paper sun, and a tropical bird hanging in the corner... in the kitchen, there are strings of tiki lights (like christmas lights) adorning the counter... chris brought me a fruity frozen drink in a tiki man cup too... our dinner was a hawaiian dish with chicken, pineapple, and bananas...
it was so sweet all the things he had done for me... and so i wouldn't forget the evening, he had mixed a CD with the lilo and stich songs, and other songs about hawaii, or paradise and being in the sun...
the evening was fantastic... i only hope my trip to the real hawaii is as good my trip to the cottage hawaii... *swoon*
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Colorado, Deleware, New Jersey, Kentucky
Colorado is the only other state (besides texas) that i haven't been outside of an airport... Denver was my stop on my way to seattle for my first business trip... it was very boring... and i was super tired... and after having to stop there, i decided i would always fly direct on business trips from then on... but the view from the plane flying in was fantastic... so beautiful...
Deleware is another boring state... i've traveled through it twice on my way to New York (both times by bus)... the first time, i was in 6th grade... and several of us on the bus had drank a whole case of Jolt cola between SWVA and deleware... not only were we bouncing off the walls of the bus, but we had to use the little girls room as well... i remember around baltimore it really hit (and we weren't about to use the yucky facilities on the bus) and it seemed to take forever to get our bus driver to stop... but eventually he gave in... and we were relieved...
New Jersey, again, is a state that i've only driven through on my way to NYC... my second trip to NYC was on a chorus trip in high school... we had left SWVA late in the afternoon, so we'd get to NYC early in the AM (in time to sing outside of the Today Show window)... so we stopped at a new jersey rest stop to freshen up... and warm up our voices... let me tell you, those poor ppl at the rest stop (at 4am, mind you) looked really scared when 100 teens piled from buses and started singing "Rocky Top"... LOL...
Kentucky... the only state in this post that i've actually spent a night in... and not by choice either... my last year at rose, i was driving back to indiana from SWVA when my car decides it doesn't want to run anymore... i'm 4.5 hours from home, and 4.5 hours from rose... with out a car...in nowhere kentucky (winchester, actually)... in the middle of winter... i call my dad, and he says he's not able to come till morning... so i call chris to see if he's up for a "road trip" not telling him exactly what the road trip would entail... after he agrees, i tell him where i am and ask him to come get me... knowing it will be at least 4 and a half hours till he gets there, and it being 6pm already, i ask the tow truck guy to take me to a place that will be open late... so off to walmart I go... ya know, it's super hard to spend 4 hours in walmart when you really have no money and you don't really need anything... but i managed... it was so late when chris got there, we decided to stay the night at a nearby hotel and finish the drive to indiana in the morning... and now all the time i get to hear about how chris was a hero and come rescued me when i was stuck in "Winchestertonfieldville" (from the movie Mr. Deeds, i think)...
Deleware is another boring state... i've traveled through it twice on my way to New York (both times by bus)... the first time, i was in 6th grade... and several of us on the bus had drank a whole case of Jolt cola between SWVA and deleware... not only were we bouncing off the walls of the bus, but we had to use the little girls room as well... i remember around baltimore it really hit (and we weren't about to use the yucky facilities on the bus) and it seemed to take forever to get our bus driver to stop... but eventually he gave in... and we were relieved...
New Jersey, again, is a state that i've only driven through on my way to NYC... my second trip to NYC was on a chorus trip in high school... we had left SWVA late in the afternoon, so we'd get to NYC early in the AM (in time to sing outside of the Today Show window)... so we stopped at a new jersey rest stop to freshen up... and warm up our voices... let me tell you, those poor ppl at the rest stop (at 4am, mind you) looked really scared when 100 teens piled from buses and started singing "Rocky Top"... LOL...
Kentucky... the only state in this post that i've actually spent a night in... and not by choice either... my last year at rose, i was driving back to indiana from SWVA when my car decides it doesn't want to run anymore... i'm 4.5 hours from home, and 4.5 hours from rose... with out a car...in nowhere kentucky (winchester, actually)... in the middle of winter... i call my dad, and he says he's not able to come till morning... so i call chris to see if he's up for a "road trip" not telling him exactly what the road trip would entail... after he agrees, i tell him where i am and ask him to come get me... knowing it will be at least 4 and a half hours till he gets there, and it being 6pm already, i ask the tow truck guy to take me to a place that will be open late... so off to walmart I go... ya know, it's super hard to spend 4 hours in walmart when you really have no money and you don't really need anything... but i managed... it was so late when chris got there, we decided to stay the night at a nearby hotel and finish the drive to indiana in the morning... and now all the time i get to hear about how chris was a hero and come rescued me when i was stuck in "Winchestertonfieldville" (from the movie Mr. Deeds, i think)...
Monday, June 20, 2005
Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia
I haven't spent much time in Penn... just a few hours driving through on my way from MD to IN... from what i could see it was pretty boring... however, i wasn't near any cities, just farm land... in college, one of my sorority sisters was from a farming town in Penn... she was in the pageant biz and held the title of Dairy Princess... no kidding... she had to promote milk and other dairy products... lol... i don't know why i think that's funny... i guess you just have to know the girl...
my time in Texas was about the same as in Penn... except i was only in the airport in TX... chris says a state doesn't count unless you actually touch the ground in that state... well, i say the walk from the airplane to the airport counts because we were actually walking on the tarmac... the Dallas-Fort Worth airport was also the first stop after my very first commercial flight ever... and it was waaay cool to hear ppl talking in the airport... i *heart* texas accents... hehe...
i used to visit bluefield, WV with my grandparents (my dad's parents) a lot... that's where their optometrist's office was located... so every 6 months i'd make the trip with them, and get spoilled all the way... there was always good food, and shopping... and i was the favorite grandchild, so you can imagine how much i was treated like a princess, even back then... hehe... i've also driven through a portion of the tip top of WV on my way to IN... so, even in my travels in WV, i've never ventured much past the edges (so i really wouldn't know if there is any truth to the jokes and tales of west va)...
my time in Texas was about the same as in Penn... except i was only in the airport in TX... chris says a state doesn't count unless you actually touch the ground in that state... well, i say the walk from the airplane to the airport counts because we were actually walking on the tarmac... the Dallas-Fort Worth airport was also the first stop after my very first commercial flight ever... and it was waaay cool to hear ppl talking in the airport... i *heart* texas accents... hehe...
i used to visit bluefield, WV with my grandparents (my dad's parents) a lot... that's where their optometrist's office was located... so every 6 months i'd make the trip with them, and get spoilled all the way... there was always good food, and shopping... and i was the favorite grandchild, so you can imagine how much i was treated like a princess, even back then... hehe... i've also driven through a portion of the tip top of WV on my way to IN... so, even in my travels in WV, i've never ventured much past the edges (so i really wouldn't know if there is any truth to the jokes and tales of west va)...
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Minnesota
back in 2002, just after school was out for the summer, chris and i had some free time before my big sis's wedding in wisconsin... with only a week, there really wasn't enough time for me to move all the way back to VA, and then get back to IN in time to drive to wisconsin... so we decided to go on a road trip... both of us enjoyed camping, and being outdoors, so we devised a plan to visit the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota (near canada)...
sounded like a cool idea at the time... so we got some maps and did some internet searching and found a camp site... and while i still say i like camping, the idea of camping is more appealing to me than the actual deed... i like running water, and private restroom facilities... but i decided a few days in the woods wouldn't kill me...
the first day/night was pretty cool... we got our site setup... took a little walk around the grounds... and fixed my fav. camping dinner (hobo dinners)... the campground was much different than i was used to... back in VA the sites are full of trees and lush greenery... this place had lots of dirt... and the trees looked dead... but we were still having fun anyway... during the first night, it got really cold (despite the fact that it was super hot during the day)... little did we know that each night was gonna be that way...
the next couple of days kinda blended together... i remember we hiked around one day... we had a map of the area, but it looked nothing like where we were hiking... and we kept saying "okay, over this next crest is a stream..." or something like that... and the stream never showed... and the bugs there were horrible... billions of them... all wanting to bite me... ugh...
we also went canoeing one day... hehe... the morning started out fairly nice... and lunch on the shore of the lake on a big rock was warm and fun... the short hike we made away from the shore was interesting too... too bad there were ants... and then on our way back to camp, it started raining... and not just a little rain... a huge storm... so, chris and i are trying to canoe back to a safe place, when i realize all of our stuff is getting wet (incl. cameras and such) and i need to cover them up... well, i guess i was taking forever doing that... and i hear chris paddling away in the back like there's something after us... and after a few minutes, i look up, and we're in the same spot we were in before i stopped paddling... it was way funny at the time...
eventually we made it back to camp... we were soaked, but i think that actually helped us since we were pretty stinky (no showers)... sometime during the night, it started raining again... it was cold, and we were wet... so we decided it was time to pack up and head out... i was never so happy to see a Super 8 Motel in my life...
one day i might go back to minnesota... but not for camping... at least not without an RV with utilities hook-ups... hehe... now that's the way a princess likes to camp...
sounded like a cool idea at the time... so we got some maps and did some internet searching and found a camp site... and while i still say i like camping, the idea of camping is more appealing to me than the actual deed... i like running water, and private restroom facilities... but i decided a few days in the woods wouldn't kill me...
the first day/night was pretty cool... we got our site setup... took a little walk around the grounds... and fixed my fav. camping dinner (hobo dinners)... the campground was much different than i was used to... back in VA the sites are full of trees and lush greenery... this place had lots of dirt... and the trees looked dead... but we were still having fun anyway... during the first night, it got really cold (despite the fact that it was super hot during the day)... little did we know that each night was gonna be that way...
the next couple of days kinda blended together... i remember we hiked around one day... we had a map of the area, but it looked nothing like where we were hiking... and we kept saying "okay, over this next crest is a stream..." or something like that... and the stream never showed... and the bugs there were horrible... billions of them... all wanting to bite me... ugh...
we also went canoeing one day... hehe... the morning started out fairly nice... and lunch on the shore of the lake on a big rock was warm and fun... the short hike we made away from the shore was interesting too... too bad there were ants... and then on our way back to camp, it started raining... and not just a little rain... a huge storm... so, chris and i are trying to canoe back to a safe place, when i realize all of our stuff is getting wet (incl. cameras and such) and i need to cover them up... well, i guess i was taking forever doing that... and i hear chris paddling away in the back like there's something after us... and after a few minutes, i look up, and we're in the same spot we were in before i stopped paddling... it was way funny at the time...
eventually we made it back to camp... we were soaked, but i think that actually helped us since we were pretty stinky (no showers)... sometime during the night, it started raining again... it was cold, and we were wet... so we decided it was time to pack up and head out... i was never so happy to see a Super 8 Motel in my life...
one day i might go back to minnesota... but not for camping... at least not without an RV with utilities hook-ups... hehe... now that's the way a princess likes to camp...
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
small break from the states
okay, so i'm taking a little break from the state tales to rave about this past weekend...
RAVE RAVE RAVE!!!
the weekend with christopher was one of the best we've had in a while... not saying that we haven't had good weekends, but they've been busy, or i'd been cranky, or just in some way not exactly perfect... well, this weekend was awesome... we weren't on a tight schedule (which most of the time it's my fault we even have a schedule), and didn't have a billion things to do... it was just nice and relaxing... and i truly felt like a princess...
there were several times during the weekend when i was just swooning (yeah, southern gals swoon)... and as i was getting ready to leave, i was completely blown away: it was super hot outside, and chris knows i don't like the heat and was on the verge of becoming cranky... so he took my keys and started my car and got the AC going... now, i know that doesn't sound like much to anyone else... but it was one of those "little things" that i'm always talking about needing... and i tell you, if i weren't already so much in love with him, i would have fallen right then and there... no kidding...
*swoon*... here i go again... hehe... just thinking about how happy i was this weekend makes me happy now, too... i'm never going to get any work done today... but it's nice to be distracted by being dreamy as opposed to being distracted by stress and worry... so bring on the dreaminess... bring on the swooning... i have the bestest hero ever!!!
RAVE RAVE RAVE!!!
the weekend with christopher was one of the best we've had in a while... not saying that we haven't had good weekends, but they've been busy, or i'd been cranky, or just in some way not exactly perfect... well, this weekend was awesome... we weren't on a tight schedule (which most of the time it's my fault we even have a schedule), and didn't have a billion things to do... it was just nice and relaxing... and i truly felt like a princess...
there were several times during the weekend when i was just swooning (yeah, southern gals swoon)... and as i was getting ready to leave, i was completely blown away: it was super hot outside, and chris knows i don't like the heat and was on the verge of becoming cranky... so he took my keys and started my car and got the AC going... now, i know that doesn't sound like much to anyone else... but it was one of those "little things" that i'm always talking about needing... and i tell you, if i weren't already so much in love with him, i would have fallen right then and there... no kidding...
*swoon*... here i go again... hehe... just thinking about how happy i was this weekend makes me happy now, too... i'm never going to get any work done today... but it's nice to be distracted by being dreamy as opposed to being distracted by stress and worry... so bring on the dreaminess... bring on the swooning... i have the bestest hero ever!!!
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Georgia
several summers, my family vacationed in Atlanta... mostly because one of my dad's clients lived there and he was able to write off our vacation as company expenses... hehe... we got to do all sorts of things on the company dollar... we went to Brave's baseball games, dined at the country club, and even did a little shopping... one year, there were bugs in our hotel room (this was a waaaay nice/pricey hotel, so it wasn't like we were in the ghetto)... so my parents complained and asked to be moved... expecting a room of somewhat similar size and amenities... but no... we got this huge lavish suite on the top floor... complete with our own personal concierge... now that was a vacation... hehe...
i've been back to atlanta several times since being there with my family... one of my best friends attended Emory University, so there were several trips to see her... the first time was just as she was healing from her car accident... our other two friends had told mel and i to plan the trip, and they'd go along with it... well, that is the last thing you tell two evil, creative people with too much time on their hands... hehe... the things i am about to tell you will seem childish now, but to college freshmen, it was a hoot... mel and i made itineraries (fake of course) with all sorts of stuff on them... things like Ballet at the Fox Theater, Dinner at the Country Club... things they would need to bring dressy clothes for... of course, it was all fake so they had their bags stuffed full of stuff they wouldn't need... one of the other friend's favorite colors was yellow... most every thing she wore was yellow... so we told her yellow was a gang color and she might get shot for wearing it... she went out and bought nearly all new clothes for the trip (even dress clothes, as mentioned before)... we also told them that it would be Elvis night at the baseball game (since both liked elvis)... so they made posters and t-shirts, and one even made sideburns to wear hoping she'd get on TV... LOL... i'm nearly in tears now thinking how excited they were about elvis night, and how silly they looked in their getups... oh my... the best part of the trip took lots of planning... for weeks leading up to the trip, mel had reminded me not to be late (at that time, punctuality wasn't my strong point) and said (in front of the other two) that if i weren't at the meeting place at 8:30 am on the dot, she was going to leave me... well, the day of the trip comes, and the other two and mel meet at the designated meeting spot to leave for the trip... they're all waiting for me, and when 8:30 rolls around, mel pulls out of the parking lot... the other two were really freaking out... both in tears because she was leaving me... telling her to go back, i would be there soon... even offering to drive to my house to see if i'm there... oh how i wish i could have been there to see it... well, first on our itinerary was breakfast in the next town south... and beforehand, mel and i had planned i'd be there waiting... so, there i was... when they walked in, the two others looked like they'd had a rough time (mostly because they'd upset)... but were sure glad to see me... mel and i were so entertained by our evilness on that trip... no wonder those other two aren't friends with us anymore... hmmm...
it was on that trip that i was first introduced to my favorite restaurant EVER... Dante's Down the Hatch... it's a fondue place with a pirate motif... waaaay cool... and every trip to atlanta since then, i have made a point of eating there because i looooove it so much...
lets see, what else?? oh yeah... during my fall break trip with Jackie to visit mel, we went to see a live (along with the movie) showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show... it was fun and entertaining... not all of my friends thought so... but i sure had a blast... wish i could find a place to see it again... yeah...
and finally, my trip to savannah... i've already chronicled that trip in my post titled "what a way to celebrate 3 years" or something to that nature... that was an awesome trip too... i definately want to do it again some time... *sigh* it makes me dreamy... hehe...
okay, so i know i said i'd tell of minnesota as well, but GA ran longer than i'd expected, so i'll do it next time...
i've been back to atlanta several times since being there with my family... one of my best friends attended Emory University, so there were several trips to see her... the first time was just as she was healing from her car accident... our other two friends had told mel and i to plan the trip, and they'd go along with it... well, that is the last thing you tell two evil, creative people with too much time on their hands... hehe... the things i am about to tell you will seem childish now, but to college freshmen, it was a hoot... mel and i made itineraries (fake of course) with all sorts of stuff on them... things like Ballet at the Fox Theater, Dinner at the Country Club... things they would need to bring dressy clothes for... of course, it was all fake so they had their bags stuffed full of stuff they wouldn't need... one of the other friend's favorite colors was yellow... most every thing she wore was yellow... so we told her yellow was a gang color and she might get shot for wearing it... she went out and bought nearly all new clothes for the trip (even dress clothes, as mentioned before)... we also told them that it would be Elvis night at the baseball game (since both liked elvis)... so they made posters and t-shirts, and one even made sideburns to wear hoping she'd get on TV... LOL... i'm nearly in tears now thinking how excited they were about elvis night, and how silly they looked in their getups... oh my... the best part of the trip took lots of planning... for weeks leading up to the trip, mel had reminded me not to be late (at that time, punctuality wasn't my strong point) and said (in front of the other two) that if i weren't at the meeting place at 8:30 am on the dot, she was going to leave me... well, the day of the trip comes, and the other two and mel meet at the designated meeting spot to leave for the trip... they're all waiting for me, and when 8:30 rolls around, mel pulls out of the parking lot... the other two were really freaking out... both in tears because she was leaving me... telling her to go back, i would be there soon... even offering to drive to my house to see if i'm there... oh how i wish i could have been there to see it... well, first on our itinerary was breakfast in the next town south... and beforehand, mel and i had planned i'd be there waiting... so, there i was... when they walked in, the two others looked like they'd had a rough time (mostly because they'd upset)... but were sure glad to see me... mel and i were so entertained by our evilness on that trip... no wonder those other two aren't friends with us anymore... hmmm...
it was on that trip that i was first introduced to my favorite restaurant EVER... Dante's Down the Hatch... it's a fondue place with a pirate motif... waaaay cool... and every trip to atlanta since then, i have made a point of eating there because i looooove it so much...
lets see, what else?? oh yeah... during my fall break trip with Jackie to visit mel, we went to see a live (along with the movie) showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show... it was fun and entertaining... not all of my friends thought so... but i sure had a blast... wish i could find a place to see it again... yeah...
and finally, my trip to savannah... i've already chronicled that trip in my post titled "what a way to celebrate 3 years" or something to that nature... that was an awesome trip too... i definately want to do it again some time... *sigh* it makes me dreamy... hehe...
okay, so i know i said i'd tell of minnesota as well, but GA ran longer than i'd expected, so i'll do it next time...
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Washington
okay, so my college roomie was from washington... what she calls the Tri Cities... but as anyone from SWVA or NETN knows, the real Tri Cities are in TN... so no matter what she tells you, she's an imposter... anyway, on to my stories...
i don't really have much to say about washington... i've only been there twice, both times on business trips... i guess the first time i was there was my very first business trip ever... so that is a milestone... we spent most of that trip on base, so i didn't really get to see seattle... just the skyline from the ferry... and there was a casino next to the hotel... that was an odd place... very small, smoky... not all that much fun, really...
my second trip out, i actually got to spend sometime in seattle... it was cool seeing the open market (Pike's market, i think)... and brian and i walked around for what seemed like forever before we found a place to eat... it was an interesting place, but i probably wouldn't go back... i also got to see the pier where Real World was filmed... i don't know what it's used for now... it didn't look like anything special to me... and the most major thing about my second trip out to washington was that i found a beer i like... no kidding... me, liking a beer... most of the time i'll just order a beer so that i'm not left out of being "one of the guys" on business trips... but this time i actually liked it... imagine that...
so, that's the extent of my adventures in washington... tune in next time when i'll tell of my travels in georgia and minnesota...
i don't really have much to say about washington... i've only been there twice, both times on business trips... i guess the first time i was there was my very first business trip ever... so that is a milestone... we spent most of that trip on base, so i didn't really get to see seattle... just the skyline from the ferry... and there was a casino next to the hotel... that was an odd place... very small, smoky... not all that much fun, really...
my second trip out, i actually got to spend sometime in seattle... it was cool seeing the open market (Pike's market, i think)... and brian and i walked around for what seemed like forever before we found a place to eat... it was an interesting place, but i probably wouldn't go back... i also got to see the pier where Real World was filmed... i don't know what it's used for now... it didn't look like anything special to me... and the most major thing about my second trip out to washington was that i found a beer i like... no kidding... me, liking a beer... most of the time i'll just order a beer so that i'm not left out of being "one of the guys" on business trips... but this time i actually liked it... imagine that...
so, that's the extent of my adventures in washington... tune in next time when i'll tell of my travels in georgia and minnesota...
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Tennessee
Okay, before i get into my tennessee adventures, i'll quickly tell you about my weekend... friday morning i got up around 3:30 am and started my trip home... completely missed the traffic jams, so i guess the weekend started out good... after a relaxing day, things started to go downhill... chris was later getting to my house than planned and we missed the movie we had wanted to see...*sigh* even my brother had given up on chris making it there in time (we were supposed to take him too) so he left to go to dad's... even though he got there 10 min before the movie started (still wanting to go) there was no way that i would have made it through the late showing since i got up at an ungodly hour that morning... saturday was lots of fun... when we got to the rafting place it was raining a bit, and we were worried that it would be yucky all day... but it cleared up and was a good day (more info below)... sunday was nice, as well... eric's graduation was held outside, so there was plenty of room for everyone and it wasn't hot and stuffy... later that night my family played poker... my sister was the big winner... she's never played poker before (watches it on TV some)... and she kicked our butts... it was a good time... and the drive back yesterday wasn't bad either... so all in all it was a good weekend...
now, on to TENNESSEE...
the state where i was born... although, i don't have any memories of that, i thought it an important event that happened for me in TN... so it was worth mentioning... my family lived there till i was four or so... and during that time, we lived next to this little old woman who loved to spoil me... i can remember running to her back door and yelling out "shelton! shelton! you home? got any mints?" Mrs. Shelton always kept After-Dinner Mints around and she would share them with me when i would wander over... my family kept in touch with her after we moved to VA... years later she moved to FL to be with her family... and we didn't really hear from her after that...
much like Myrtle Beach, Gatlinburg was another place where my family would vacation often... Dollywood is the closest amusement park to where my family lives, so we would make at least one trip there each summer... we went there on Girl Scout trips, and my dad's company picnics, and just for a day with the family... New Years 2003 was a great time in Gatlinburg... myself and 6 friends rented a cabin for a few nights to ring in the new year... we had fun playing board games, horsing around in the hot tub, walking along "the strip" in gatlinburg, and ice skating... on the drive down, there was one store in the shopping area of pigeon forge called Sexy Stuf... yes, that's one "f"... and of course, james, mel and I couldn't help but stop just to check it out... with a name like that, who could resist??? it was quite interesting to say the least... mmhmmm...
TN was also where i would spend a week or so of my summer as a kid... at Girl Scout Camp... Camp Sky-Wa-Mo was my home for the week... i always had so much fun there... crafting and swimming, and hiking... so when i had the opportunity to go back and be a councellor a few years ago, i had to take it... and once again, Camp "Skywalker Mojo" (as chris would call it) was my home for the summer, and it was an awesome adventure... sure, some of the girls could have been satan, but overall it was a nice summer... and while i had fun, i probably wouldn't do it again... i like having a telephone and computer, showering everyday, sleeping indoors, and being able to kill bugs too much to give it up again... but it was something i'm glad i did...
at the end of that summer, one of the other councellors (a sorority sis) and i went white water rafting at this place out of TN... what a rush!!! it was exciting, and the nature was beautiful... i couldn't wait to do it again... but i never really had the time to go again after that... until this weekend... i took my brother for his graduation, and chris came along too... it was a pretty good time... our guide was a little disturbing... and i was pitched out of the boat a couple of times... the first time i landed on a rock... and now i have a huge bruise on my back... my legs are a little scraped up too... but no major injuries to report... at one time, chris was the only one left in the boat... that was pretty funny... but while it was fun, it also was a really long day... and by the end i was ready to go home... i would like to go again sometime, but i need time to recover from this trip... maybe in a few years i'd be ready again... yeah...
now, on to TENNESSEE...
the state where i was born... although, i don't have any memories of that, i thought it an important event that happened for me in TN... so it was worth mentioning... my family lived there till i was four or so... and during that time, we lived next to this little old woman who loved to spoil me... i can remember running to her back door and yelling out "shelton! shelton! you home? got any mints?" Mrs. Shelton always kept After-Dinner Mints around and she would share them with me when i would wander over... my family kept in touch with her after we moved to VA... years later she moved to FL to be with her family... and we didn't really hear from her after that...
much like Myrtle Beach, Gatlinburg was another place where my family would vacation often... Dollywood is the closest amusement park to where my family lives, so we would make at least one trip there each summer... we went there on Girl Scout trips, and my dad's company picnics, and just for a day with the family... New Years 2003 was a great time in Gatlinburg... myself and 6 friends rented a cabin for a few nights to ring in the new year... we had fun playing board games, horsing around in the hot tub, walking along "the strip" in gatlinburg, and ice skating... on the drive down, there was one store in the shopping area of pigeon forge called Sexy Stuf... yes, that's one "f"... and of course, james, mel and I couldn't help but stop just to check it out... with a name like that, who could resist??? it was quite interesting to say the least... mmhmmm...
TN was also where i would spend a week or so of my summer as a kid... at Girl Scout Camp... Camp Sky-Wa-Mo was my home for the week... i always had so much fun there... crafting and swimming, and hiking... so when i had the opportunity to go back and be a councellor a few years ago, i had to take it... and once again, Camp "Skywalker Mojo" (as chris would call it) was my home for the summer, and it was an awesome adventure... sure, some of the girls could have been satan, but overall it was a nice summer... and while i had fun, i probably wouldn't do it again... i like having a telephone and computer, showering everyday, sleeping indoors, and being able to kill bugs too much to give it up again... but it was something i'm glad i did...
at the end of that summer, one of the other councellors (a sorority sis) and i went white water rafting at this place out of TN... what a rush!!! it was exciting, and the nature was beautiful... i couldn't wait to do it again... but i never really had the time to go again after that... until this weekend... i took my brother for his graduation, and chris came along too... it was a pretty good time... our guide was a little disturbing... and i was pitched out of the boat a couple of times... the first time i landed on a rock... and now i have a huge bruise on my back... my legs are a little scraped up too... but no major injuries to report... at one time, chris was the only one left in the boat... that was pretty funny... but while it was fun, it also was a really long day... and by the end i was ready to go home... i would like to go again sometime, but i need time to recover from this trip... maybe in a few years i'd be ready again... yeah...
Thursday, May 26, 2005
South Carolina
when i was young (and even into my teen years) my family would vacation at the beach during the summer... usually we stayed at Myrtle Beach, SC because it was cheap and family friendly... sometimes my grandparents (mom's side) would even come with us... they loooooved the beach, and they loved to see us kids having fun... i remember one time, i had spent all the money mom and dad had given me for the day at an arcade... when they wouldn't give me more money to waste on games and such, i was pretty upset (yeah, i was spoiled)... my poppaw took me aside and pulled a $10 out of his wallet and told me to go have fun... now, for a young kid $10 is a lot, especially when mom and dad had only given me $3 to spend in the arcade (hey, three bucks went a long way back then)... so naturally, i was super excited that i had so much money... but then i remember how i used to go to the bank with mommaw and poppaw to cash their social security checks, and how mommaw would "allow" poppaw to have only so much of his, which wasn't really all that much... and it made me think that the $10 he had given me might have been nearly all he had (how was i to know that mommaw let him have more for going on vacation??) and i got really upset about him giving me so much money, and i tried to give it back... then he got mad thinking mom had told me i had to give it back, and went to take it up with her... she of course had no idea what he was talking about, but after that she knew i'd gotten more money and wouldn't let him give the money back to me... it was a big confusing mess for a kid, but it was the first time i really remember being conscious about money...
sometime later, after my family had gotten so big that we had to take two cars on vacation (including grandparents), i decided to ride down with mommaw and poppaw... now, them being older, they had to stop a whole lot... and everytime they stopped, i got some new toy or junk food (which dad didn't allow us to have when he would stop)... boy did i get spoiled on that vacation...
one year, we went without dad (he "had to work")... there was enough room in our van for mommaw and poppaw to ride with us and not take a separate car... and of course, there was lots of stopping along the way... lots of spoiling us grandkids... everything that dad wouldn't allow us to do, we got to do that year... we jumped on the bed, splashed each other in the pool, spent all day on the beach (and didn't have to leave to go to a museum, or do something educational)... it was a good time... that was the year mom got us lost on the way back... somehow, we got turned the wrong way in columbia and ended up in Georgia before we realized something was wrong... lol... we got a kick out of it... dad didn't find it amusing when we got home (hours later than what we had planned)... and at that time there weren't cell phones to call with changes of plans... i couldn't understand why he was so irate about us being late... years later, mom told me it was because he could have had a few more hours with his girlfriend if he knew we weren't gonna be home till later... *sigh* i miss being a naive kid...
always on our trips to the beach, my family would stop at this little novelty place just as we crossed into SC (from NC)... we would find the cheapest, tackiest things there... and when you're a kid, you love anything out of the ordinary, so this place was right up our alley... we bought games, and toys, and beach items, noise makers to annoy the adults... oh the fun we had... after my family stopped vacationing at the beach, i often wondered if that place was just in my imagination (since none of my friends had ever heard of it), or (if it was real) what had become of it... wouldn't you know, this past spring when i was helping chris move from FL to NC, we happened upon that place again... South of the Border... it has grown into a sprawling mexican ghetto... okay, so not really the ghetto, but it was definately tacky... and just like when i was a kid, i bought the cheapest, tackiest items i could find... hehe...
hopefully in about a month or so, i'll have some more memories of South Carolina to add to my bank... Chris and I are going there for the 4th of July holiday... and we're going on a Casino Cruise (that is if he's remembered to call and make our reservations... ahem)... i can't wait!!! and i'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes...
sometime later, after my family had gotten so big that we had to take two cars on vacation (including grandparents), i decided to ride down with mommaw and poppaw... now, them being older, they had to stop a whole lot... and everytime they stopped, i got some new toy or junk food (which dad didn't allow us to have when he would stop)... boy did i get spoiled on that vacation...
one year, we went without dad (he "had to work")... there was enough room in our van for mommaw and poppaw to ride with us and not take a separate car... and of course, there was lots of stopping along the way... lots of spoiling us grandkids... everything that dad wouldn't allow us to do, we got to do that year... we jumped on the bed, splashed each other in the pool, spent all day on the beach (and didn't have to leave to go to a museum, or do something educational)... it was a good time... that was the year mom got us lost on the way back... somehow, we got turned the wrong way in columbia and ended up in Georgia before we realized something was wrong... lol... we got a kick out of it... dad didn't find it amusing when we got home (hours later than what we had planned)... and at that time there weren't cell phones to call with changes of plans... i couldn't understand why he was so irate about us being late... years later, mom told me it was because he could have had a few more hours with his girlfriend if he knew we weren't gonna be home till later... *sigh* i miss being a naive kid...
always on our trips to the beach, my family would stop at this little novelty place just as we crossed into SC (from NC)... we would find the cheapest, tackiest things there... and when you're a kid, you love anything out of the ordinary, so this place was right up our alley... we bought games, and toys, and beach items, noise makers to annoy the adults... oh the fun we had... after my family stopped vacationing at the beach, i often wondered if that place was just in my imagination (since none of my friends had ever heard of it), or (if it was real) what had become of it... wouldn't you know, this past spring when i was helping chris move from FL to NC, we happened upon that place again... South of the Border... it has grown into a sprawling mexican ghetto... okay, so not really the ghetto, but it was definately tacky... and just like when i was a kid, i bought the cheapest, tackiest items i could find... hehe...
hopefully in about a month or so, i'll have some more memories of South Carolina to add to my bank... Chris and I are going there for the 4th of July holiday... and we're going on a Casino Cruise (that is if he's remembered to call and make our reservations... ahem)... i can't wait!!! and i'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes...
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Indiana
where do i even begin on this one... so many adventures packed into 3 short years... lets see... my first year in indiana was the typical freshman year of college... too many frat parties, not enough studying... that sort of thing... that year, for cinco de mayo i got another tattoo... Jose... everyone (well, all my friends, anyway) knew that i was excited about the cinco de mayo celebration, and had been planning it with some of the gals on my floor for a long time... so May 5th rolls around, and i get this odd present in my mailbox... it was pieces of scrap metal (from the machine shop) stuck together and a note that said "happy cinco de mayo! hope you enjoy this catch di banditos game! from poco hoto and the tiajuana mexican toy works" no one ever owned up to sending it to me... so i still have no clue who it was really from... that year was also when i first saw French Lick... what a beautiful place... Chris took me there for a Pike Banquet... when we passed by the West Baden Springs Hotel, i totally fell in love (with the hotel)... and even now i think it is one of the most majestic places i have seen... *swoon*
my second year in indiana was quite adventurous as well... that's when chris and I started dating... i won't get into the mushy stuff, but we had a lot of fun... a few highlights: we went to a comedy club (my first time going), danced on the roof of the Hulman Student Union, and i met his family (and boy was it a lot of family)... that year, my roomie and i gave chris crap about building us a ladder so we could easily get onto our deck... i had nearly given up (7 or 8 months is a long time to wait for a ladder) when he came through... too bad there was only a month or so left in the school year to use it... that was okay, we'd had months of entertainment giving him a hard time about it...
my last year at rose was one of my favorites... living in a house with 20 other girls may not sound like your idea of fun, but i had a blast... late nights watching sue johanson, CSI night, craft time, and chug-a-jug runs were just a few of the weekly occurances... not so regular (and for good reason) was the trip to the Clinton Bowling Alley... on that excursion, i learned that a bowling alley isn't always just for bowling, that old men love the attention of sorority girls, and i should not be allowed near a microphone after i've been drinking... oh but what fun i had... i miss that... chris and i had fun that year too... for my birthday, he took me to a B&B in bloomington... he kept it a surprise from me, and surprised i was... that's where he gave me a lavalier (his fraternity letters)... and even now that i'm out of school i still wear them... to most ppl they don't mean anything, all they see are some greek letters on a chain... but i know what they mean to me...
so there... that's only a fraction of my adventures in indiana... and yet somehow, i have a feeling there will be more adventures there to come...
my second year in indiana was quite adventurous as well... that's when chris and I started dating... i won't get into the mushy stuff, but we had a lot of fun... a few highlights: we went to a comedy club (my first time going), danced on the roof of the Hulman Student Union, and i met his family (and boy was it a lot of family)... that year, my roomie and i gave chris crap about building us a ladder so we could easily get onto our deck... i had nearly given up (7 or 8 months is a long time to wait for a ladder) when he came through... too bad there was only a month or so left in the school year to use it... that was okay, we'd had months of entertainment giving him a hard time about it...
my last year at rose was one of my favorites... living in a house with 20 other girls may not sound like your idea of fun, but i had a blast... late nights watching sue johanson, CSI night, craft time, and chug-a-jug runs were just a few of the weekly occurances... not so regular (and for good reason) was the trip to the Clinton Bowling Alley... on that excursion, i learned that a bowling alley isn't always just for bowling, that old men love the attention of sorority girls, and i should not be allowed near a microphone after i've been drinking... oh but what fun i had... i miss that... chris and i had fun that year too... for my birthday, he took me to a B&B in bloomington... he kept it a surprise from me, and surprised i was... that's where he gave me a lavalier (his fraternity letters)... and even now that i'm out of school i still wear them... to most ppl they don't mean anything, all they see are some greek letters on a chain... but i know what they mean to me...
so there... that's only a fraction of my adventures in indiana... and yet somehow, i have a feeling there will be more adventures there to come...
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