Update

So I am pretty disappointed about this, but mainly because I waited in line for so long! But weather is weather...I read some comments about how angry people are, but I don't really see why. If you are a supporter, how does rain change the party's platform? Oh well- I am still excited just to participate in history no matter the outcome in November. Since I have the day off I am still going to Charlotte tomorrow I check out the festivities and maybe catch the taping of a certain political show there. Also there may be a rescheduled speech for credential holders so I will cross my fingers.

Lines...

Yesterday I went to a non- descript office to pick up some tickets. I knew there would be a line of some sort, but since I worked in the morning I couldn't get there until 11:45. When I walked up this is what I saw...

So I thought no problem, maybe two hours. But two hours later it still looked like this...

 So I called in a Tacobell delivery run from friends so I didn't starve. Then I called the people I was supposed to meet at 5:30 in Atlanta- not going to make that! So I kept waiting thinking maybe another hour. At this point I had pulled out the umbrella trying not I get a sunburn, read half of my not so interesting book, and chatted with the nice people around me. After 3 1/2 hours, I knew I couldn't give up at that point- so SIX hours later...

And I made it to the party a fashionable four hours late!

Ultimate and life

So the red team just won the summer league championship. I suppose I should be more excited, but I was ready for the season to be over. I only missed one game, but two of the other four girls missed a bunch. You would think that would count for something. Oh and I never missed one of the five catches that were thrown to me all season and hardly ever let the girl I was guarding get a point. But wait I am a girl. And over 20. So go me, I didn't really enjoy my team. I didn't learn a lot about strategy and the right plays and definitely not about teamwork. But I did like playing frisbee and it was good exercise. Maybe I will have a better team next year. I did learn it was at least worth trying something out of my comfort zone even if I didn't make new friends like I was hoping.

On another note, since I have been MIA from blog world... The banana peppers are about ready to eat, I gave away five tomatoes, there are four jalepenos about ready to pick, and a tiny zucchini starting to grow!

Also, I bought a new car! I got a Honda Civic to drive for the next 220,000 miles like the camry. It is nice to upgrade, but there was a little tearing up saying good-bye to the memories the camry carried with it! And next time I visit home, I will be very careful when pulling in the driveway (hint to Mom).

My renters' contract expires in less than two months and the market has not rebounding at all - if anything it has gotten worse. So they put in a offer contingent on my bank agreeing to a sort sale. But then they pulled it back. So I am still filing for a short sale and going to try to find a buyer at a lower price. Not feeling so optimistic on anything at this point. Just a rock to keep carrying for awhile. I was hoping something magical would work out, because I am seriously considering grad school for fall 2013. But I guess I will cross my fingers and keep my head up and keep going.

So in the meanwhile, my friend Sumer graduated this weekend - now all three of us here have psych degrees - and no jobs related to them at all... I went home and got to see my god kids and some friends and Dad while momsie was at grandma camp. Oh and I went to see Jenn and sight see in DC in June - pics on FB. Spent some time at the pool as usual and tried some new restaurants here. That's about the summer in a nutshell. I will try to post more! Hope everyone is doing well all around the country - and those traveling!

Across the bridge

Last hurrah before heading home...

Hello NYC!

Day one: Central Park, FAO Schwartz, Little Italy for dinner, and first amazing food truck for a late night snack!

Hello Again

I think I am still in denial that the new year has already started. After a whirlwind fall full of visits, trips, holiday prep and celebration, shopping, and the requisite holiday cold/sickness, I am still recuperating on the couch. I am off of work today though so I guess it is time to stop hibernating and rejoin the rest of the world in making my new year’s resolutions. As evidenced in last year’s new years post, I am horrible in not only making resolutions, but in keeping them as well. But I suppose everyone has the same problem based on the fact that we all keep making the same ones every year. So I am hoping to make a list of reasonable goals for this year and put them in writing so my faithful five readers can keep me on track (hint, hint). 2012 is actually looking to be a fun year: ski day planned this month, trip to New York in February, long weekend in Atlanta in March (and hopefully Vegas as well), a new apartment in April, and some time this summer a California tour. So I think that is a good start to the year! So here is my list...

1. Blog more. I am going to write one full length blog a month. Plus a picture post once a week. Text/FB/email reminders are welcome.
2. Be active. I have been going to the gym off and on for the past year, but not with any regularity, so my goal this year is to no excuses, go two days a week every week. I hope to go more and often do, but then there will be sometimes be a two week period when I don’t go at all. So this way, I have two days planned every week so I can’t fall off the wagon.
3. Cook more. I really do like to cook, but I just get sick of leftovers so I often just eat out. I am hoping to start eating at home more often. My friends and I tried to start a once a week rotating dinner night, but with the holidays, we didn’t get into a routine. I think I am going to try to jump start that idea again. It is always more fun to cook for others!
4. Do something. Okay that is vague, but I am hoping to find at least regular activity that I have been missing lately. I miss singing, but as an adult there aren't a lot of opportunities other than church choirs for that. But there is an adult chorus in Columbia. Or maybe a charity that needs a volunteer on one Saturday a month, or possibly an ultimate frisbee team in the spring. My idea is to find something that I enjoy where I can meet other people. I have decided to stay here for at least another year, so I want to take advantage of the benefits of my job (flexibility, days off, set hours, minimal stress, etc.)
5. Try new things. Snowboarding will be first this year. I’ll let you know how that goes in my next post. Any ideas are welcome. Whether it is a new food, a new look, a book I wouldn’t normally read, or an activity. Time to explore my thirties...
6. Organize my past. I have slowly brought all of my pictures and journals and random memories here from mom’s house, but there is no sort of organization. Plus I have five years of digital photos on my computer that have never been printed. So I want to consolidate to a manageable amount of meaningful, documented, date ordered files/books. This may take longer than one year...
7. Learn. I keep tossing around this idea of going back to school, but then the pro/con list always leans heavier on the con list due to finances and responsibilities. I really do miss studying and learning new things and discussing with other people that are interested in the same ideas, but graduate school just seems a little out of reach. So I was thinking about on online course or continuing ed class at the school here. I’ll see what I find and keep you all posted.

I think that sums up the basic goals for this year. I think the basic theme is to stop letting time pass by and start living life. I know that is a pretty common and trite statement, but this is where I am at right now, so... here’s to 2012!

And because cute animal pictures make anyone smile...

Skirts n Dirt

MudRun

I apologize for the wait to see these pictures (although if you have FB, these will be a repeat). Thank you to all of you who donated to our team. We raised over $1000 for LLS. I think all four of us were very nervous on the day of the event, but once we made it through the first obstacle, all of the nerves were quickly forgotten. The very first obstacle was a set of logs over about two feet of mud. We were instructed to crawl under the logs and as I watched the team in front of us, I realized that thinking about the mud would only make things worse. The logs were at the same level of the mud, so there was no option but to fully immerse my head in the mud. Did I mention I hate mud?? That was probably my second to least favorite obstacle. My least favorite was the very last one which I think was only added for optimum dirt coverage at the finish line. After walking through a stream and crawling over logs, we were actually relatively clean until we came across this trench - full of thick, black mud - that smelled horrible. Tar pit would be a good description. My teammate started to slow down towards the end of the trench, because it was so thick, and I had to tell her not to stop. I thought I was going to be sick! But other than that, the rest of the mud throughout the course was more liquid-like and not black either. The only two our team was unable to complete was the Tarzan-like rope swing (which was pretty much impossible in my opinion anyways- 6 or 7 ropes across a mud pit that required you to swing from one to the next without falling - which requires an enormous amount of upper body strength without even taking into account that you are already covered in slippery mud) and the arm walk (which apparently not many females completed - using your arms to travel the length of two parallel bars without touching the ground. Sounded easy enough, until I tried it). The rest of the obstacles were a mix of mud, more logs, ropes, and walls, plus running up and down several mounds of slick mud (did I mention it was raining while we were on the course). The total distance was over 5 miles and we finished in 1 hr 40 minutes which seemed to be the average time for non-serious competitors. The results are all posted on the website along with links to pictures through the course. Luckily our TNT trainer was able to take some action shots along the course, plus some before and after pictures as well. And yes, Team Skirts N Dirt is signed up for the fall MudRun!

Team Jorts happily posed for a picture with the TNT group.

Nice and clean...

Ready, set, go

This mud - not so bad.

Tar mud - blech!

I got the easiest job!

At the finish!

These didn't make it home!

Thanks to our coach Cliff!

Beach Day

Happy Sunday!

Merry Christmas from DC!

Jenn & I went to a basketball game Wednesday. We had to make up our own rules, since we aren’t the biggest basketball fanatics. Although, the guy behind us seemed to know the players on a first name basis and knew when the ref made a bad call!
Then I ventured out shopping, while Jenn worked for a few hours. I wandered through the Christmas market and a few stores. We met back up for some good wood-grilled pizza.Yesterday we ran errands with Jordan and finished picking up the four kinds of cheese necessary for Christmas dinner.

And of course there were cats…

I hope everyone has a wonderful day, no matter where you are!

Keeping up with the Dogsburgers

Since I have arrived at the Dogsburgers, I suppose I have to blog as often as Jenn to keep up. So…

Before I left, I had a mini-celebration with m&d before I left. We had good food down the street from my house, then opened a few presents, and played a new game! Well mom and I played and dad watched sports on my tv with more than 5 channels.

Mom made a present for me: see below. With sleeves and a foot pocket! Moxie decided she liked it too.So the next morning when I woke up it was 35 degrees in my house. Seems the igniter on my heater had gone out. So while I waited for the repairman, I stayed cozy and warm in my new blanket!

Today, I left for the winter wonderland. My flight was overbooked, so I tried to get a free ticket by volunteering for the next flight, but I was too late. I guess everyone else wanted free tickets too!

So now I am toasty and warm inside with cat number one (Titan).Outside … Not so warm!

More to follow!

Costume Party Part One

Cars in Costume: Happy Motoring

Pirate #1

Pirate #2

A ghostly gasser!


Aliens have landed!

Hula Girl

The mini hearse

Santa

A Great Idea

Punk Girl

Staying Dry

So I had today off – and it was a good thing as the monsoon-like rains continued. Several roads and schools were closed today due to flooding and it seems like the rain will continue all week. I didn't manage to stay completely dry, since Moxie has to go out. She isn't a big fan of the rain though, so we only stayed outside for a minute. What better time to update the blog, than the absolutlely lazy day I had today. I managed to do one load of laundry and the dishes, but other than that, Moxie and I relaxed on the couch.

This past weekend I went to the wedding of my best friend’s little sister. Seems like just the other day she was only twelve and trying to get us in trouble! Luckily the rain stopped at 5pm just before the wedding and held off all night. The bride was beautiful... and the flower girl (little S) adorable.
The event was held at an inn in North Georgia and even with the rain, the views were definitely very scenic. The drive back in the pouring rain, however, not so scenic!

Now tomorrow – back to work!

Spooky Karaoke

Wednesday nights after work, you can usually find us at karaoke at the local Mexican restaurant. We have become regulars who know most of the other patrons and all of the employees. So when karaoke was moved to Friday for a costume contest, where else would the kids too big for trick-or-treating go?? Just a sampling of the costumes…

Indiana & his personal chef

My favorite for creativity - A Mac & a PC

A Black Widow

The Wizard of Oz meets the classy South

And the winner...

No one could figure out who this couple was all night. They even did a performance, and still no one could figure it out. Then the masks came off - and turns out, they have been coming to that restaurant for 10 years!

Then the fire goddess (the title of the costume I borrowed at the last minute from someone at work -- not my first choice, but the only choice) sang a little Pat Benetar and Bangles. Maybe an 80's costume would have been more appropriate!