Driver's Ed

Atlanta Half Marathon...

2010-11-29T09:57:00.001-08:00

Last year, I posted this huge announcement on our Four Fat Chicks website about my decision to run a half marathon. I set the date of December 12th to participate in the Kiawah Island Half Marathon. What I didn't know at the time was, that was my older brother's graduation date... I could not miss that for the world because... well... he started working towards his Bachelor's degree in 1997. This was a HUGE accomplishment to say the least....

I decided this year that I was going to do it, and since there is a great half marathon right here in Atlanta, I figured it was the perfect time. It was the morning of Thanksgiving, and I thought what better way to start off a day of glutinous eating.... I'll run 13.1 miles, and eat to my heart's content with not one ounce of guilt.

This experience was such a time of great self reflection for me. First of all, I am not a runner. In fact, I don't even like running. I can say this now because I spent the past 3 months telling myself that I did like to run because I needed to stay in a good head space until after the race.... now its over, now I can say it... I DO NOT LIKE RUNNING! Why then would I EVER decide to participate in a half marathon?

I guess I just decided that I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone, set a goal that would be very hard for me to get through and accomplish it. When I found out that my brother's graduation date fell on the race day of the first half marathon that I planned on doing, my first reaction was relief. I was SO relieved that I didn't have to put myself through that... It was nice to say, " Well I started training and I was going to do it, but something beyond my control came up and I couldn't." After I thought about that, I was kind of disgusted. When did I become this person that runs from a challenge? I knew then that I had to prove to myself that I could do it.

I would love to say that I woke up with a fresh sense of strength and purpose, and was very disciplined and dedicated to this new task....... but I can't. I had meltdowns, breakdowns, my limbs went numb, pains in my back, my shins, my hair was a mess.... I was a mess. I know one thing for sure. It took the support of my very loving and patient friends to get me through this. I could never have done this without their great advice and words of encouragement through this entire process.

I still can't believe I finished. But I did...

I was pretty sore all weekend but I am feeling much better now...In fact... I think I wanna go for a run today.... It's so weird, now that I don't have the pressure of getting in a certain amount of mileage, I kind of just crave the moments I spent deep in my own thoughts while running. There might be hope for me yet....maybe I do like running....

Sweet Home Alabama....

2010-11-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Spent the weekend chasing after these little monsters..... loved every minute of it....

The charm of me....

2010-08-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

I decided I needed to buy travel size toiletries so that I wouldn't have to pay to check my bag on my flight to Amelia Island next week....

However, if I'm going to spend $20 on travel size toiletries... I could have just checked my bag.... I crack myself up....

Hello Lover....

2010-06-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

I found the cutest black dress last week, on clearance for $10!!!! (sorry I couldn't find a picture online) Immediately, I was on the market for leopard print pumps to wear with it. The dress was $10, the shoes are $100. I could justify this very easily had I not spent so much last weekend on a new bathing suit, jewelry and another dress.... that was NOT $10. Turth be told, I don't need to be shopping at all... but I think these are going to have to go on the birthday list... I lover lover lover them.....

And the truth shall set you free....

2010-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was going through old blog entries, and ran across this one. I wrote this post a year and a half ago while I was still living in Chicago. I thought it was very ironic that I ran accross it, because my husband is turning 30 this week, and I can't believe how much we have gone through since we started dating almost 7 years ago.

I do remember why I never published this however. It's because I get a little embarrassed about writing about my husband sometimes. I am a bit.... well... I guess you could describe me as...ummm.... ok, I am super high maintenance. So when I start writing a post about something that I think is wonderful that he did, I am instantly embarrassed by the reason in which he did it...... The obvious and honest reason is because he loves me and wants me to be happy....but the underlying reason is typically because I act like a bit of a diva....

So this story, is a perfect example. What I wrote originally is not exactly how it all went down.... the "truth" is highlighted in parenthesis:

For about a month now, (embellishment...it might have been 2 weeks) our gate in the parking area of our building has been broken. It operates on a remote, kept in the car, so that we can get in and out of the parking lot safely. Since it has been broken everyone in the building has had to drive up to the gate, get out, open the gate, drive through it, get out, close the gate, then leave. This is annoying, but it goes from annoying to " the most wretched experience ever" when there is 12 inches of snow, and its 2 degrees with a -5 degree wind chill. (it was not the most wretched experience ever....it took like 30 seconds) We have been bugging the building developer to come out and fix it, we've called the gate company to come check it out, and nothing has been done about it yet.

Ken has been so accommodating to me, being a southerner and making it through these winters. He walks the dog, he shovels the snow, clears the snow from my car windshields and warms my car before i get in it, so i wont be cold on the way to work. (this is all true..diva...diva...diva..) But, on Saturday when i was again, struggling with the gate late at night, he saw the frown on my face and decided that enough was enough. (ok, the truth is....i came in the house, threw my stuff down, and glared at him...he probably could feel the evil radiating from my body)

I woke up Sunday morning and heard him digging in his tool box. I also heard him going in and out and in and out of the door. This went on for about an hour, and I finally asked what was going on. (ummm...no...i was very irritable when I asked what was going on, because he woke me up, and I was not at ALL happy about it!) He told me everything was fine, and to go back to sleep. So I did. Another hour passes, and I wake up again to find him standing in the entrance of our bedroom, covered in snow, with the biggest smile on my face. He then states, very proudly, "I fixed the gate so my wife doesn't have to get out of the car in the cold anymore....and i think i might have frostbite."

Of course I asked him how in the world he got a remote controlled, electric gate fixed. He told me the night before he got online, printed off diagrams, bought the tools he needed from Lowe's and went out there and fixed it. " I just didn't want you to have to deal with that anymore" he said.

Totally sweet right? So of course at the end of this, I feel like crap because there he is standing there with blue, numb, almost frostbitten fingertips, from spending two hours in the snow fixing a gate for me. All while the princess under the warm down comforter was snapping at him for waking her up because he is "making too much noise" and "letting cold air in!"

Seriously...where do I get off?

I guess I can say that I am just so thankful that I have such a warm, loving, and patient man in my very flawed life..... Don't get me wrong, he has his flaws too, and I am sure all of you married ladies know the challenges that marriage brings. But I am not so much of a diva that I won't acknowledge that dealing with me is no easy task....and I figure since its his birthday, I can remind him of that.

That's what you get for wakin' up in Vegas.....

2010-04-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Gosh I'm terrible! And the verdict is! (in case anyone still cares)....Went to Vegas and had a blast. My lucky dollar did not hit (tear), but I had a ton of fun gambling. I ended up coming home $80 richer, which to me is a HUGE accomplishment. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Hands down, it was the best trip to Vegas so far. We tried to not go to the same places as last year so instead of Tryst and Body English, we went to Studio 54, Pure, Ghost Bar and Rain. Can I just say the rooftop at the Palms is AMAZING!!! It's almost worth the $20 cocktails they serve...

I mostly ate room service, but we did make it to Mesa Grill for dinner and cocktails, and it was DELISH! My blackjack skills have improved tremendously, so I really enjoyed playing this time around. It's funny how much fun gambling is when you are winning!

I am sad even to write this post because I am not sure if I'll be back for this particular Vegas trip again. My dear friend has a boyfriend now, and has already (9 months ahead of time) announced that he would be joining her next year. Of course I was invited to tag along, but it's not the same.... It was bound to happen though...the trip is always over Valentine's Day, and it was only a matter of time before the double bedded room shared with the old married lady became a romatic suite for her and the man in her life. Nevertheless, I am sure this won't be my last trip! Maybe they will break up ??:-) (just kidding!) (am I?) Ha!

Viva Las Vegas!!!!!

Shut up and put your money where your mouth is....

2010-02-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

This was me, one year ago, on my very first trip to Vegas..... needless to say, I had a good time!

Every year, my friend Callie goes to an annual Veterinarian conference in Vegas, and last year she invited me to crash in her room to enjoy the city. She had spent a summer there interning while she was in vet school, and her stories, and documented pictures led me to believe that I had been missing out on an incredible experience...... and she was right.

So here I am again, so anxious I can't even sleep, 10 hours away from heading to the airport Vegas bound, for a fun filled weekend in a city that I am completely in love with...

Last year's visit did not disappoint. It was 4 days filled with bright lights, tall drinks, delicious food, and unbelievable shows. But as much fun as I had, there was one missing element....ummm...aren't you supposed to win big in Vegas?

Sadly, that was not the case last year. I returned home far poorer than I came. I could blame this on a lot of things, first of which, my frugal-ness. I mean, you kinda have to spend money to win money right? My designated $50 of gambling money quickly left me one evening at the $5 blackjack table. Okay, let's be real....it was $150 dollars, wasted away at the slot machines, roulette tables, and my very silly roll at the craps table.....

But not this year my friends....this year will be different...I present to you... MY SECRET WEAPON!!!

Today at work, I stepped in and did a tour for a client from Denmark. Let's be honest, it was not my overwhelming attitude of helpfulness that compelled me to take on this venture as a favor. I was the only person in the office to fill in today, while everyone else was out. The clients were very gracious and kind, and even though I put my best foot forward to sell my hotel, (IN THE SNOW!!) a big part of me really wanted me to be able to rush home, anticipating the very long commute that this unexpected inclement weather had presented me with. ( I mean seriously Atlanta.... snow???) At the end of the tour, our client whips out his wallet and presents me with a very clean $1 bill.

He says to me, "Christina, I know you are going to Vegas (pronounced Wegas in his Danish accent) tomorrow, and I want to give you zis very special dollar. I have been to Wegas many times, and I always come back a "vinner". Zee first time I went, I put all my money on one number on the roulette table. That number hit on zee first roll. One my second visit, I put one dollar in the slot machine and I won $750. I want to give you zis dollar, with my signature. Put zis in the 25 cent machine in zee casino at New York New York, and YOU TOO will be a vinner this year."

I can feel it my friends. I have been feeling it all week......THIS is my year. I will come back richer than I came!

Speaking of money, I want to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful "sponsor." He is my ever loving, hard working, husband, who for the second year in a row, ships me off to Vegas, cash in hand, to enjoy Valentine's day with my friend. Ken and I have never been the couple that is completely stuck on holidays. This is mainly because he finds so many regular old days in the year to do extraordinary things for me. It doesn't have to be my birthday for him to surprise me with a gift, or a holiday for a special night out. When he knows there is something he can do to put a smile on my face, he just does it...no matter what day it is.

I snapped this picture tonight, and this perfectly describes how I find him every night.....sound asleep, laptop open, because he was up late still working to be the best provider he can be for his wife.

Win or lose....I have already hit the jackpot.....

I can't wait to update next week and let you know how it all unfolds!!

Terri's Engagment Party....

2010-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Let the festivities begin!!

Last week was the first of many celebrations for Terri and Adam's wedding. Travis and I threw them an engagement party at Beleza to celebrate. It was a HUGE success, and we had a bunch of people to come by and celebrate with us.

Their cake! Adam loves Transformers, and Terri loves shoes...thus, the perfect cake for them!

Leave it to me to bring a little bit of white trash to the celebration...these are the names I so lovingly call them, slathered on a vanilla Publix cake with cream cheese icing...yuuuummm....

The bride to be....

The very happy couple....

Congratulations Terri and Adam!! Cheers to the first of many celebrations!!

Happy Birthday Paul.....

2010-02-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

This post is about 60 days late...but you all know i am a lazy blogger... :-)

I get teased all the time about the fact that I have multiple "best friends." It's kinda true....I have accumulated a lot because I have moved around a lot in my life. I was a military brat and moved 7 times growing up, then moved away for college in Tennessee, then moved to Atlanta, then Chicago, and now back to Atlanta. I think growing up I really hated it, but as an adult, I realize it really has shaped me into the person I am today.

There is one friend that I have known the longest...my friend Paul. We met in seventh grade, working at the concession stand in school to raise money for Student Council. Every week we had the same shift during lunch, and we have been best friends ever since. He actually took me on my first date to the Puff Daddy and the Family concert....(he was the only guy my dad trusted to take me out....i think we all know why now...wink, wink).

Our friendship is very different from others I think, because we have been friends for 15 years. He has been around for every major event of my life so far. Typically, as a military brat, you don't keep friendships that long. You move, you lose touch, but never with Paul... Since I have been back in Atlanta, we get together every week, and recently realized, after 15 years of friendship, we have never gotten in one argument.....not one.

I have tons and tons of stories of laughter and fun, and I could probably do an entire separate blog full of stories...but some things should just stay between old friends....
I do however want to take the time to thank you Paul for some very specific things throughout the years....one for every year that we have been friends:

Thank you for not telling our Student Council advisor that I stole 1 pack of Now and Laters every time we were in the concession shop. Well, stealing is a harsh word...i just conveniently gave myself a 50% discount for my complimentary services. :-)

Thank you for always engaging in ridiculous songs that we made up in honors English. In fact, you should be thanking me...now that you are a part of a music production group, it was probably my influence that got your creative juices flowing.....i'm just sayin....

Thank you for letting my copy your Algebra homework....you knew I sucked at math and never held that against me...

Thank you for convincing my dad to let me go to the Puff Daddy concert with you. It was the perfect first date, and opened the door to my entire dating experience. (it all went downhill from there)

Oh and speaking of that concert, thank you for buying me pancakes at Ihop after my friend Tiffany forgot where she was supposed to pick us up, and we ended up walking aimlessly around the Alamodome for hours.

Thank you for not telling my brother that i made out with BJ at Tre's end of the school year Pajama Party....he would have killed him and then Judson wouldn't have made it to the state championship that year! AND! He wouldn't have been alive to be an extra in that Disney movie about that college basketball team....

In fact, thank you for telling my parents that I spent the night at your house instead of at Tre's house that night...even though nothing happened...they would have been PISSED!

Furthermore, thank you for protecting me when Tre became psychotic about me years later.

Thank you for spending an entire Sunday looking for my lost keys after that wild and crazy night out with the "kids." Even though, it was kinda your fault...you let big Paul make me all those drinks with Vodka and Crunk Juice....i can hardly be held responsible for losing them in his couch, and making you drive back to every place we went to the night before until finally realizing around 9pm where they were.

Thank you for bringing our middle school yearbook to my wedding....really....thanks a lot.

Thank you for always finding a nice way to tell me when i look a mess....instead of just saying..."Tina....you look a mess." wait.....you do say that...so thank you for saying it in a way that never hurts my feelings...

Thank you for always driving 30 miles to my side of town to go to dinner. I know its a pain in the butt...but so worth it once you get here right?

Thank you for never judging me....EVER....when you had every right to...

You don't have a selfish bone in your body....thank you for that...I always know what you tell me comes from a truly loving place

And finally, thank you for your friendship. I can't imagine my life without it.

Happy Birthday Paul! I LOVE YOU!

A Loaded Present.....

2009-12-28T05:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas has always been a big deal in my family. My mother has 6 brothers and sisters, and between the 7 of them, there are a total of 14 grandchildren....Most of us are all around about a 3-4 year age range. We try to always get together and stuff ourselves into my grandparents home to celebrate the holiday. Needless to say, back in the day, 14 young children calls for a LOT of presents, and a LOT of noise.

When we all grew up and became adults, we started a new tradition, which was no presents at Christmas. It is the best idea that we have ever come up with, and took a huge load off of everyone. It's not as if we don't want to buy things for each other, but we figured we are all working adults, and there is nothing that we want that we couldn't afford on our own if we didn't have 30 people (literally) to buy for in December. We of course buy gifts for the little kids and fill the tree, but for the most part, we all just buy something that we want for ourselves, make tons of food and bring our favorite bottle of wine. We have been doing this for the past 5 years and I LOVE it.

I rolled out of bed on Christmas morning....I say morning as in 11:30...(we were out at my uncle's bar the night before) and joined my family in the living room when my mother comes up to Ken and I with a beautifully wrapped gift. Of course, I feel terrible because I followed the rules, and didn't get her anything. She smiled and said, " Just open it. I wanted to get you and Ken something very special this year."

This is my mother's "special" gift.

Of course everyone in the room erupted in hysterical laughter.... I on the other hand did not think this was funny. Does anyone else think that this gift is a bit psychotic? I am not pregnant, and even if I were she is already assuming she is having a grandson? Granted, when we decided to move back to Georgia, starting a family was a big part of the consideration, but good grief, we have only been here 9 months!

I feel like the baby talk starts as soon as you say "I do." I love how everyone encourages you to have a baby.....as if they are going to help with the 3am feedings, diaper changes, childcare costs, or stretch marks.

I love children, and it did make me think about what exactly I was waiting for. Do I think I am mentally and physically ready to have a child? YES. Am I willing to give up a big part of my social life for parks and potty training? YES. In fact, my liver would thank me for it. I know that it will be hard work, but truly believe that if I do become pregnant, I will be excited, happy, and confident that Ken and I will be committed to being the best parents we can be. So why aren't we having children now? The answer is................. None of your damn business!

I have a very sweet client who has been married for over 30 years and never had children. Her and her husband are very well travelled, throw amazing parties, and spoil the crap out of their nieces and nephews. I know that Ken and I will probably not be that couple, but she did give me great advice on a tactic to get people off your back about getting pregnant.

She said whenever someone asks you when you are going to have children, drop your head, make a pitiful face and softly say, " Oh, ....we're trying...." This will make people so embarrassed for their nosiness, that they will likely not ask you the question again. When you do become pregnant, they will be even more excited and happy for you.

Sounds like a plan to me!

P.S. I am quite aware that I might have to eat my words. I am sure I will be writing a blog entry in the next couple of months with a title... "We're PREGNANT!" Isn't that always how it happens?

hello?.....is it me you're looking for?

2009-11-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

Probably not lately! I could say that I have just been so busy that I have had no time to blog, but honestly, I just haven't made time to. Life has been a series of rollercoasters both personally and professionally over the past few months, and I think having an outlet would have been nice....instead of blogging, i decided that wine would be my outlet...but the liver can only take so much my friends...

I am looking forward to sharing with the 4 people that still read my blog....(or randomly check to see if i have updated) I have a whole three months of pictures, events, and funny stories to share....

P.S. My mother went to college with Lionel Richie. She used to let him copy her notes from class when he would have to miss them to do a show...funny huh? Wish she would have let him do more than copy her notes....I could have been Paris Hilton's ex-best friend!

July....

2009-07-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Well good grief...July is OVER! How did that happen? Well maybe because I have decided that I can cram everything that pops up in my mind to do into my daily schedule. I have not had such a busy schedule (some of it work, some of it self inflicted) EVER in my life.... I read that the most successful people in life don't sleep...I believe after reading that, I have unconsciously taken away 2 hours of sleep each day, and you would be AMAZED at how much I can fit in my day now....apparently blogging is not one of them because I haven't updated in forever...

I have come to grips with the fact that my digital camera cord got lost in my move to Atlanta, so although I have been taking awesome pictures of everything that has been going on...they are trapped on my camera until I can get them off. I was looking through my pictures on my iphone and thought it told a lot of what has been going on for the past few weeks.... If you follow me on twitter, you have already seen all of these...but here is a little bit of my month of July in pictures.... told my my iphone...

Went to Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati Ohio for a week long work trip. We had a client event in a suite at the Cleveland Indians field. I love baseball games...

Also made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame... super fun...

Made it back from Ohio to see the concert I have been waiting on ALL year... BEYONCE!! It was amazing.....She is an incredible performer....I had goosebumps for the entire show...and she worked it out.. Two and a half hours of singing and dancing... no intermission...

I was so glad that I made it down to Alabama for the 4th of July with my family...It was the first time in 3 years that I was able to spend the holiday with them. We had a wonderful time, and I got to love on my sweet little baby... This is my cousins baby Josh in his batman pajamas... I must admit, I think I got bit by the baby bug a little when I left him....I love that little guy...

Here is Ken and I at the Braves game... much needed outing for us. Ken has been working 80 hour weeks since he got down to Georgia...but if you know him, this is no suprise. Hopefully things will slow down at work for him soon...Although, him working late has eliminated my temptation to not go to the gym...by the time I get back, he is just getting home and then we get to have dinner and some alone time together...

Ended out the month with a work trip to Kansas City. I was only there for 3 days but every moment that I wasn't working I spent in my hotel room sleeping...it was exhausting. I did find this cute cupcake place where I picked up treats for some clients....and...YES..i did get a cupcake for myself... Raspberry Lemonade Cupcake....ummmmm....

This is my sweet friend Kori. We have been such great friends for almost 10 years now. I have a group of friends that all get together EVERY weekend. Typically we get together for a drink on Friday night, then meet up on Sunday nights to watch True Blood, Hung and Entourage. We all went to my favorite dive bar last weekend and had a blast. We were out much later than we usually are but ended our night on Kori's rooftop overlooking the city. It totally reminded me of my old rooftop in Chicago...I guess I do miss Lake Michigan and the skyline...

Can you guess where I am in the picture above?? There is only one place in Atlanta where your plate is this empty EVERY time you eat there and they use such fine china.... You got it! Waffle House! Honestly, I have been in Atlanta for 3 months now and last weekend was the first time I went.... yes...it's good to be home...

So You Think You Can Dance - Week 1

2009-06-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have waited for an entire year for this moment...... season five of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Every year I love/dread the new season, because I can never imagine loving any other dancers as much as i loved the dancers from the season before. This has proven to be even more true this year....

I love love love love LOVED last season. I'm in love with Twitch, i adored Joshua, Katie was the BEST, Chelsea was amazing, and the winner in my heart was Will. I could have watched Will dance all day. Needless to say this season had some really big shoes to fill in my opinion. I decided that i wasn't going to compare... I was just going to enjoy this top twenty, pick out my favorites and move on. (Plus all my last season favorites are in Step it Up Three-D and I will be at the theater the day it comes out!)

I thought it would be fun to talk about my favorites each week, so i came up with a rating system....Since it is a dance show, the rating is on a scale of 1-5 pirouettes.... 5 being the highest. I took dance growing up, but am in no way an expert, so my comments are based solely off my opinion of performance....

Okay so here we go.....

Dance #1: Jeanine & Phillip

I liked their performance. Phillip is always cool to watch, I didn't really pay much attention to Jeanine. I was not as impressed as the judges, but i felt like it was a good, solid performance. I love Tabitha and Napoleon, and they did a great job as usual. I give it a solid 3 Pirouettes.....clean, challenging, but not overly impressive.

Dance #2: Asuka & Vitolio

I will go ahead and say it.....i am not an Asuka fan....sorry...she isn't curvy enough for me as a ballroom dancer...i am not excited when she dances...for this i will compare back to season four... She can't hold a candle to Chelsea. I do like Vitotolio, but the judges were right...I almost fell asleep watching them...not entertaining...but snaps to Tyce D. I think the piece would have worked with dancers with more personality. I give this one 2 pirouettes..... their arms and legs were all in the right place, but nothing exciting.

Dance #3: Karla & Johnathan

After watching this dance, I was starting to get really annoyed. I did not enjoy this at all. Johnathan looks like a little wimpy twinkletoed fairy....and he dances like one too...not masculine at all for me. Karla was okay...ballroom is definitely not her specialty. At the end of this dance I really felt like.... Blah Blah....NEXT! 1 pirouette for this one......

Dance #4: Randi and Evan

Finally!!! FINALLY!!! Awesome dance...Tyce did an amazing job with choreography, and i just love these two together. I saw the chemistry, i got the story through their dance and thought the entire piece was beautiful. Definitely 4 pirouettes for this one.....

Dance #5: Paris and Tony

Okay....i know, i know.... i think Tony is cute too...but come on...Tabitha and Napoleon gave them a super cool, hard hitting routine, and they should have TORN IT UP! I wasn't really feeling it. I agreed with Adam when he said that he doesn't want Tony to be the cute guy that just gets through every round...I don't think he was dancing as good as he should have been. I really like Paris as a dancer and at least she has the excuse that she isn't a hip hop dancer....but Tony? Gotta do better than that buddy....3 pirouettes for this one...just because Tony is still cute as hell, and the music and choreography were pretty dope...

Dance #6: Caitlin & Jason

I like that they throw Bollywood into the mix now...the only problem is that it causes a direct comparison to Joshua and Katie last year. I think this couple did a really good job. I have liked Jason since he was on the audition show, and secretly I am really hoping he makes it to the top 4. I thought that this was a really good piece...Kaitlin's handstand was SICK...I think i would have enjoyed this more if i had not seen it last season....Four pirouettes for this one...I think they absolutely did this as good as Katie and Joshua...but not better...

Dance #7: Janette & Brandon

I really liked that these two were put together. I thought they had good chemistry and they performed well together. Brandon is strong as an OX....those lifts were AMAZING...it probably could have been smoother, but i think they did a good job. Brandon is my favorite guy dancer, and although i want to give them a higher score, i must be objective....3 pirouettes for this pair...

Dance #8: Ashley & Kupono

Gotta love Wade Robson....totally weird and twisted, and i LOVED every minute of it! I think the two of them stayed in character perfectly and their dancing was beautiful. I loved watching the clip with him teaching them choreography because Wade is SUCH an amazing dancer...i think they totally did the piece justice...4 pirouettes...incredible performance

Dance #9: Melissa & Ade

BEAUTIFUL.....i love Mandy Moore's choreography all of the time, and i really think this was one of her best pieces. This to me was a perfect example of a woman, dancing like a woman and a man dancing like a man. Melissa was gorgeous and feminine, and Ade was strong and powerful. I don't even have to think about it....a perfect score of 5 pirouettes for these two....

Dance #10: Kayla & Max

I was screaming as loud as Mary Murphy when this dance was over. What an incredible way to end the show. Kayla is DEFINITELY my favorite girl dancer this year for sure. I hope she goes all the way. Max was good too, but I am anxious to see how well he will do with the other dance genres. This dance gets 5 pirouettes, and in my opinion....it was the best dance of the night!!!

Bottom Three For Me: Asuka and Vitolio, Karla and Jonathan, Paris and Tony

Going Home: Asuka & Vitolio

Favorite Choreography This Week: Mandy Moore and Wade Robson

All in all I think this is going to be a great season. I am sure I will warm to them, as I have warmed to the dancers in other years. I can't promise that I will have recaps every week, but this was fun to do. I hope all of you are enjoying it as much as I am .... I can't wait till next week!

What's Been Up...

2009-06-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I blogged, and honestly I have been living life in fast forward for the past month. I started this blog when I lived in Chicago as a way to keep my friends and family informed on what was going on in my life. Well now that I am here with 80% of my friends and family, it hasn't really felt like I needed to update as much. I can't even believe how quickly 4 weeks have flown by. I have kept myself very busy by choice. I went from doing things every now and then in Chicago, to having my phone light up every Friday with invitations to spend time with people. I haven't even been taking pictures which is the most upsetting. I did happen to get a few in here and there to share......

Terri and I at the Braves game....

Me and the Hubby at my brother's graduation.....

Celebrating Cinco De Mayo....

So that's it. No awesome vacation, no major announcements. Just good times with good friends, and a loving family. Two week countdown to my husband's birthday weekend/The Flowers come to town! Can't wait!

There's No Place Like Home.....

2009-05-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

Preface: There are a lot of people struggling and hurting out there due to the state of the economy. I hope this story comes as an inspiration to everyone, that good things are still happening, and this whole mess WILL turn around.

Exactly 2 months ago, I was sitting in Hartsfield-Jackson airport, on my way home from visiting Terri for her 80s prom party, and crying my eyes out on the phone with my husband. My friend Liz and I had just had lunch, and it was the first time I had seen her in months. She asked the same question everyone always asks me....."So how are things in Chicago?"

Instantly I teared up. It is the same story over and over again. Chicago is a nice enough city, but I don't like living there. It's cold and gloomy 9 months a year, the other 3 months when it is warm its fine. So for 3 months out of every year, I am semi-happy there. I have met some great people, but I miss everyone in Georgia, I miss my family. I am depressed every holiday that I can't come home. I go to Atlanta all the time, because any chance I get to get out of Chicago I jump on it. I gained 30 pounds because I go to work, I come home, and I am typically by myself because Ken works so many hours. I don't want to do anything when I get home except curl up on the couch and watch mindless television. The worst part about it is, I don't see an end in sight. The blessing and curse of being married to an overachiever, is that he is doing so well at his job.... 3 years and 3 promotions with his company......why do something to shake that up? I can't move, the economy is terrible right now, and we would have to sell our house and find new jobs. That is NEVER going to happen in this RECESSION!

Elizabeth said something to me that instantly changed everything. "You and Ken are talented enough to get new jobs, smart enough to get your condo sold or rented, and young enough to make a mistake that you can make up for later."

She was right. Since when did i let obstacles get in the way of something i wanted? Since when did i start believing that extraordinary things can't happen in my life? I have always been a person of GREAT faith. When did i start letting what people tell me effect my course in life?

I went home to talk to Ken about it, and at first he didn't really take me seriously. He has heard this before. He knew that I wanted to move back but wanted to wait a few more years. Ken was born and raised in Chicago, and had only left to go to college. He wanted to stay in Chicago, for the same reasons why I wanted to move back to Atlanta. I knew that he was going to say the same things that I did, think the same things that everyone thinks about making any changes right now. After about a week, he came home and very simply told me that if I wasn't happy, then he wasn't happy. He had called his boss, told him the situation, and submitted a request for a transfer to the Atlanta office.

When things happen in my life, they happen like a tidal wave. If I am suppose to make major changes in my life, it's like the sky opens and a bright light shines down showing me the way. The next series of events showed that to be true again. So much so, that even my husband was amazed.

The next day I gave a call to a recruiter and asked her if she knew of any jobs in the Atlanta area that I would be qualified for. She had the perfect job. An Atlanta hotel, looking for someone with Midwest sales experience to take over their Midwest accounts. Two days later, I was on a phone interview with the VP of sales, 2 days after that I flew into Atlanta for an interview, 4 days after that I was faxing them a signed offer letter accepting the new position.

When I let everyone know at my current job, they were sad to see me go but happy that I was leaving. They all knew how desperately I wanted to get back to Georgia. I left with warm hugs and well wishes......and was paid for 2 weeks and didn't have to work! It gave me a chance to begin packing my house, have a FAB trip with my Four Fat Chicks, and spend some time with my Chicago friends before I had to leave.

My new job was so flexible with me. They were going to allow me to work from Chicago until Ken got everything settled with his transfer. Well, that never happened, because Ken was hired, and they needed him to start a project with them immediately. So, in 7 days, I had to pack my house, find movers, get the condo cleaned and painted, get it on the market....oh wait...did I mention that I had to be in Atlanta training for 5 of those days??

It all worked out. We got everything done, moved, and it all happened in perfect timing with my aunt and uncle's townhouse in Atlanta being recently vacated by their renter. This place was in a perfect location for Ken's job and mine, the perfect amount of space for the two of us, and in a great location filled with lots of fun dining and shopping options. When I was training in Atlanta, i got the keys to our new place. When we pulled up on the day that we moved in, there was a whole team of my friends and family waiting to help us unpack and get settled. You would not believe the amount of work that we got done that afternoon.

I hope this post does not come off like I am bragging, or that I don't know what is going on right now. I am very aware of the unemployment rate, I am very aware of the state of the housing market, I am very aware that there are tough times right now. But I am aware of something else too. There is nothing that is too big for GOD. I had everyone i knew on their knees praying for Ken and I, and I know that it made all the difference. I had just met Tiffany Mendenhall and her sweet family in Chicago, and after knowing them for about an hour, I even had them praying too!
Ken and i have a new motto. WE ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THIS RECESSION. I truly feel that if everyone took on that attitude, things would get better. Whether you believe in God or not, i think we can all agree about the power of positive thinking. Your thoughts create your reality, you attitude creates your environment. If you consume yourself with thoughts of how bad things are, and live in fear of what could happen, you don't leave room for positive things to come in.

These past 2 weeks have been wonderful. I have spent time with friends, seen my entire family, watched my little brother graduate from college, and have had my whole attitude and outlook on life completely change. I am happier now, I love my husband even more, and there is a peace in my spirit that I haven't ever felt.

I am thinking about buying some ruby red slippers and putting them in my house just to remind me of exactly what can happen in your life when you have the courage and faith to change it, despite all the odds. There truly is no place like home.....

Here I am....

2009-04-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

I took a little break from blogging because, well...there has been a LOT going on. I spent the weekend in Atlanta 2 weeks ago and had a BALL! But unfortunately, I left my camera at Paul's house....so that post will have to wait for another time.

They say there are five most stressful experiences in life, and I am literally going through 3 of them. I have a long detailed post coming your way about all the changes in my life, how encouraged and inspired I am, and exactly how just being a person of great faith can change everything. Still sorting some things out, and have to get ready for my weekend with the Fat Chicks, so it will have to wait till next week!

i love the 80s......

2009-03-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

Terri throws the best parties...we all know this, but this one i think by far takes the cake. There is a running joke with Terri's friends that i don't live in Chicago, because every time she throws a party, i fly 800 miles to be there....they think that in fact, i probably live at Terri's house. When she told me that her and Adam were throwing an Ultimate 80's Prom Party i knew i had to be there... big hair and sequence?? I'M IN!!

So then comes the biggest question... what to wear? I had been searching online for a few weeks, and lost a couple of bids on E-bay. This was very frustrating for me, because i decided very early on that i HAD to have the best costume, so that i could be voted Prom Queen. This was my one shot! The week of the party, i found this atrocious dress, and knew i had to have it.

Terri went all out as usual.... there were balloons EVERYWHERE, beer pong and darts in the garage, lots of yummy 80s snack food, and an awesome playlist of music. To top it all off, there was a prom picture setup where everyone got their picture taken. The pictures were then printed and posted on a wall so that everyone could vote for Prom Queen and King. Can you guess who won Prom Queen??
The Prom King (Sean) and i both had our high school dream answered...about 10 years too late. Next year we will have to hand off our crown to someone else, but we will be sure to enjoy our reign until then! Here was some of the competition:

My Jamaican Vacation....

2009-03-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Shari got engaged last year, and had always known she would have a destination wedding. After the excitement of it all, she decided on the Riu Montego Bay, a brand new resort in Jamaica. I wasn't completely sure if my recession budget was going to be able to be able to handle the extra expense (I am working on my 6-8 months salary savings...Suze Orman called me and told me to tighten up) but my husband the workaholoic, insisted that he needed a vacation. Who am i to argue with that?

So I did all my beach shopping, and was completely excited about leaving Chicago's -20 degree weather and wind chill to relax on the beach with a mai-tai in my hand and a stack of books to read. I was jilted from this dream on Tuesday when my hubby came home from work early because he was sick. After running a fever of 103+ for 3 days, we decided that unfortunately, instead of heading to the airport, we were heading to the hospital.

He had the flu, and spent 7 days sick and shut in. I know you wives and girlfriends out there know what its like when you have to take care of your guy when he is sick. Men become the most pitiful, helpless human beings on the face of the earth. It gave me a real reality check on how life would be if i were a single mother. He woke me up in the middle of the night sick, i was waiting on him hand and foot, and cleaning up vomit. But all in all, after the first couple of days it wasn't so bad. Don't get me wrong....i certainly wanted to choke him half the time. I think it just provided an opportunity for both of us to reflect and be thankful for each other. After cleaning the house from top to bottom, doing all the laundry, taking out trash, walking the dog (in the snow!), grocery shopping, cooking 3 meals a day, and several Walgreens runs, i realized even more just how much he helps me out, and how much i appreciate it. I impressed him with my caretaker, and suzy homemaker skills, so i think i might have made a good enough impression that he might agree to giving me my dream job one day....... HOUSEWIFE!

GOTCHA!!!....

2009-02-23T21:56:00.001-08:00

I am waiting for Callie to send me the pictures from our trip to Vegas, but here is a little teaser. I found this picture in my camera and busted up laughing. It took me thirty minutes to take this picture of a man asleep at the slot machine. Every time i got my camera up and in focus, he would wake himself up....as if he knew i was trying to get a picture of him... it took about 10 tries, but i finally got it. He seriously would wake up and look dead at me while i quickly tried to hide my camera and pretend like i was doing something else..... in his defense it was about 5am, but still, why are you falling asleep in the casino at the Palm?? I love Vegas.....

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

2009-02-11T05:15:00.000-08:00

I can dig art....i wouldn't say i know much about it, but i enjoyed Art History in high school! On the first Friday of every month, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago has a "First Friday" happy hour event. My friend and co-worker Gina invited me to go with her, and since MCA was on my list of "things to do before i leave chicago" list, i thought i should definitely go. Additionally, who can really say no to food, drinks and a live DJ in a cool museum??

Here are a few of my favorites from the night....

The sculpture on the right is a seal balancing balls.

This was a display of a miniature city. I thought the layout and the lighting was super cool.

These next few pictures were just a section of an entire room filled with silhouettes. They were drawn by a southern woman, who wanted to convey images of african-american people during the time of the civil war.

I wish i had more pictures to show you, but as i was very forcefully informed, picture taking is avidly prohibited in the Museum of Contemporary Art. However, pictures are allowed in McFadden's....which is where we topped off our very sophisticated evening....

I'm Alive....

2009-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Last week i had surgery and had to take off a week at work. I think it is so sad that it takes drastic medical procedures and large amounts of anesthesia to make me take a break, stay home and not think about work for more than 2 days. My sweet mother came to take care of me, and i literally cried when Ken took her to the airport. Nobody takes care of you when you are sick like your mother. The last time i had surgery, my mother left, and Ken had to take care of me the rest of the time. The moment she was gone, he came down with a cold, and flopped down on my sofa while i made HIM tea and soup. This was before we got married so after about 6 hours of that, i politely kicked him out and made him return to his own home....

Thankfully, this time the surgery was much more minimal, so i was feeling better by Sunday. It happened to be Super Bowl Sunday, and the last thing i wanted to do was stay home and watch any more TV. Since neither one of us were too interested in the game, Ken appeased me by going to see Revolutionary Road and a trip to Trader Joe's.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I heard back from the doctor today, and everything checked out fine. I am so glad to be, for the most part, back to normal.

On a lighter note, when i returned to work today, i learned about a new movie starring my GIRL....BEYONCE! Check out the trailer below....its like Fatal Attraction but a more modern version...the soundtrack is probably going to be AMAZING!

MLK Day....

2009-01-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

It took every ounce of energy to drag myself out of bed this morning. Monday's are always tough for me, because i never go to bed anywhere near my normal time on weekends, so i always wake up feeling sleep deprived. While i was in the shower, i realized that it was MLK day. I decided that i shouldn't complain about going to work today.... i would be humbled and thankful....

This holiday has another special meaning for me. Five years ago, Ken and i went on our first date on MLK day. We went to Houston's in Nashville, TN. The day before, Ken asked me to lunch the next day since we didn't have class. I of course spent hours getting ready; the perfect pair of jeans, my new sweater, stiletto boots and my new leather jacket.....only to meet up with him and find him in stained jeans, a green t-shirt and a black fleece. Seriously? I later learned that he had gotten dressed up, but then changed because he didn't want to seem like he was "trying so hard." It was completely transparent, because what struggling college student would take a girl out to Houston's if they weren't trying to impress her? The car ride to the restaurant was pretty quiet, and i remember thinking to myself.. this is going to be the LONGEST date EVER....

We were in the restaurant, waiting to be seated, and there were kids running around everywhere. Now, i love children, but i get so annoyed when people can't contain their children in public. I looked over at Kenneth and said, "Do you think these bad a$$ kids even know why they are out of school today?" We both fell out laughing. It turned out to be the best first date ever. We talked, laughed, fed each other food, held hands and even the waitress thought we were completely cute, and that we had been together for years. Hmmm....maybe we were completely annoying and she was just being nice?

This morning i got a call from Kenneth, inviting me to lunch. This is the first time since i moved to Chicago, that both of our schedules have allowed us time to have lunch together. While we ate and talked,we both looked at each other in awe. Who knew that lunch 5 years ago would lead to this one?

I am always very reflective on this day every year and the same thing runs through my mind......Dr. King's dream is not the only dream come true i think of on this day.

New Year...New Haircut...New Attitude

2009-01-04T11:42:00.001-08:00

I have always had this thing about thinking that the longer my hair is the skinnier i look. Naturally, I wasn't very happy seeing locks of my hair fall to the floor in the salon, but i decided to view the cut as a bit of a shed for 2009. I am already shedding pounds so why not shed some some hair as well?

I spent NYE with Callie in Raleigh, and we had a great time. I was a bit overwhelmed when i first got there....i was still working on finishing up some projects for work....i was literally in the Super Target in Raleigh on a conference call with my client. Thankfully i got everything wrapped up, and ended the year on a very high note. Callie and I did some major shopping, had a lot of laughs, watched lots of movies, and had a fabulous NYE Dinner at Sullivan's equipped with sparkling wine, and...well there was supposed to be live jazz, but instead there was an Elvis impersonator.....good times either way!

It really got me to thinking about what i wanted to focus on for next year. I can honestly say that i spent 2008 in fastforward.....it was such a blur of events. It was my first year of marriage, we bought our first home and moved, i took a promotion at work, my basement flooded 3 times, and i had my first (and hopefully my last) visit to the ER via an ambulance just to name a few.

For 2009, i truly want to focus on making time for the things that are emotionally, physically and spiritually fulfilling to me. (Making the Time in 2009?? cheesy...but it works). I want to make time to work out, read books, finish projects that i never have time to start, long walks with my dog, more quality time with my husband, and strengthening my relationship with Christ.

Now i am sure you are wondering how i am going to make time for all of this. I was too at first and i figured out exactly how i am going to do it. I am going to ELIMINATE the time i spend doing things that do not fulfill me, make me better, or positively effect my life. I cringe when i think about all the time and energy i spend on doing things for people who would not do the same for me, and how i consider the feelings of everyone else before i do or say anything to hurt them, and yet so often the same amount of care is not granted to me. These things deplete me. I also realized that the whole "whoa is me" thing is completely overrated....I complain and whine to my friends, and talk about all the reasons why i felt like i was being mistreated and of course they agree with me, because they love me, support me and don't want to hurt me.... but that is just the bandage....it doesn't heal the wound....I love that they are my shoulder to cry on, but it is very easy to get confirmation from people who tend to always agree with you...it is so much harder to look at your own actions, and what you did to cause your own circumstances. This is particularly hard for me, because if you know me....you know there is ALWAYS something happening to me!

Here is what i know for sure. I am not perfect and i will always be a work in progress. I do however, have the power to influence my environment, and as long as i spend time entertaining things that don't make me feel best about myself, i will never be as fulfilled as i can be. I cannot always control what happens to me, but i can control my words, thoughts, choices and reactions. Not only can i control these things, it is my responsibility to make sure that those things are used to enhance my life, and the lives of those around me. I am committed to making the time to working on myself, and doing things that complete me, so that in turn i am a better wife, believer, steward, daughter, sister, and friend.

I can already feel it....it's going to be another great year.

Happy Holidays....

2008-12-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

Despite my best attempts this year, i was unable to get home to Georgia for Christmas. Ken and i just couldn't get our work schedules to coincide, and i didn't want to spend Christmas without him, so we decided to just have a quiet day alone together. Then our friend Marcus called, and because of the horrible weather we have been having in the midwest, he too was unable to make it home for Christmas. It was a no brainer....the three of us spent Christmas together and had a wonderful time. We had so much fun that the day after, we decided to have more friends over for dinner and keep the celebration going.

My family has recently started a tradition of not exchanging gifts for Christmas. It sounds a little weird, but our gift to each other every year is the time we spend together during the holidays. Of course we all buy things for the the children in the family, but the rest of us use the money we would have spent on gifts and splurge on things for ourselves during the holidays. It has now become one of our favorite traditions. One of my Christmas puchases this year were new porcelain servers, that ended up being delivered on Christmas Eve......perfect timing for our day after Christmas dinner! On the menu? Paula Dean's Vegetable Beef Pot Roast (a one pot wonder) over brown rice, and sweet potato casserole.

We topped off the evening with 3 hours of Rock Band on X-Box.....my second favorite thing to do with a large group of people (karaoke is #1).

I thought this Christmas was going to be a bust, and i am happy to say that i was completely wrong. It might not have been the Christmas i had planned, but i loved it exactly as it was. I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas as well!

Put a Ring on it......

2008-12-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

I love Beyonce.....always have and always will... I think my favorite thing about her is that she writes most all of her music, and her songs always have such strong ultra feminine lyrics. Her latest song "Single Ladies/ Put Ring on it" is definately on my list of top 10 favorite Beyonce songs. If you have seen the video, you know the amazing dancing she does in it. Secretly, i have been watching this video from time to time with my Comcast On Demand, and trying to learn all the dance moves. I teased Kenneth, that when i toned up, i too was going to throw on a leotard and bust it out for him......unfortunately, someone already beat me to the punch. ENJOY!

It's not nice to throw things....

2008-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

When i saw this, the first thing that popped in my head was...

"I would have been knocked the hell out."

I mean, could you imagine being in a press conference, standing there, trying to speak as eloquently as possible, then out a the blue a shoe comes flying threw the air directly at your head? President Bush has some of the best reflexes i have ever seen in my life. That shoe would have decked me right between the eyes. I felt really bad for him, he was caught completely off guard. There was no real way to know that some crazy Iraqi journalist was going to attempt something like that. I mean, what was he thinking?? I can't sneak a gun in, so i will just throw a shoe??

Then i thought, how uncivilized is that? You can't just go around throwing things at people because you are mad at them?! Okay....hypocrite!! I did the same thing on Friday!

Let me preface this story by saying that if you have ever driven in downtown Chicago during rush hour, you will appreciate this story, and not judge me too harshly.....I was driving in my car and it was snowing so everyone was driving slow in front of me. A cab driver decided he didn't want to wait, and proceeded to drive in between 2 lanes. When i saw him doing this, i was thinking that it was much too tight of a squeeze for him to get through...i was right... BECAUSE HE HIT MY CAR!! AND THEN KEPT DRIVING!!

I pulled up next to him, rolled down my window and said, " Hey!! You just hit my car!!" His response was, " No i didn't." Well lets just say that this is where the out of body experience began. The next thing i know, a few four letter words came out of my mouth, in very loud tones...he responds with some stupidness, still denying that he hit me...although his side mirror was completely bent in towards his car....MORE EVIDENCE to the fact that he DID INDEED HIT MY CAR....and the next thing i know, he starts to drive off. Of course he doesn't get very far because there was so much traffic, but i was so pissed that he was trying to drive away, after hitting me, and was denying it like it didn't happen. The next thing i know, there is a soda can flying out of my window headed for the back of his car....

I, like the Iraqi journalist....missed.

A few minutes later, after i had calmed down, i was really embarrassed by my actions. If I had not been in a fit of rage, when he drove away and stopped, that would have been my opportunity to write down his tag number, and report him. This would have been a much better punishment, then my failed attempt to break the rear window of his cab...(although that would have been pretty awesome, right??...that is until someone took my tag number down and reported me!) So, this weekend i was reminded of a lesson i learned in kindergarten that is still true today....

It's not nice to throw things....

Sidney the Spaz....

2008-12-09T20:42:00.001-08:00

My dog Sidney truly is a sweetheart....he is gentle and loving....and i can count on one hand how many times he has barked out loud in the past 3 years.... However, as great as he is...he is completely passive aggressive, and emotional.....for example...some dogs, if they know they are in trouble, will run away....my dog will sit there, hunched over, give you the saddest look you have ever seen....and then proceed to pee all over the floor..... or a more recent occurrence was this weekend, when he heard the water in the tub running, and got so scared of getting a bath that he ran under the dining table and pooped....

The way he acts, you would think he was an un-housebroken abused backyard dog from a shelter.... but please believe that this dog is most certainly housebroken, lives in the lap of luxury, and is immersed in love and tenderness nearly every second of the day.... in fact, he often gets sweeter words from my husband than i do!

Sidney's spazticness never ceases to amaze me, and this was made even more apparent a couple of weeks ago when I bought this sweet little bed for him, so he wouldn't have to sleep under our bed... Mind you....the whole sleeping under the bed habit formed when we were dog sitting, and the dog we were watching chased him under our bed...where he remained for the next 4 days until the dog left......So there i am, all excited at Target picking out something comfy for him that matches the rest of our master bedroom....but of course...when i bring it home, my dog the spaz is completely scared of it! He will sit in it for about 30 seconds....and i have to pet him the whole time....if i stop he runs away scarred.....see the proof below...

Oh well....i tried....i guess as long as he doesn't have any "emotional outbursts" under the bed at night....we can leave well enough alone....

It never gets old...

2008-12-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the fact that Office Max offers the Elf Yourself site....I could literally do this all day.... Enjoy!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Hit Me Baby...for the first time...

2008-11-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

I asked my friend Adam the other day, "Adam....is it okay if i start liking Britney Spears?"

I am not a Britney fan....and i never have been. She just rubbed me the wrong way 10 years ago...and it has stuck with me. The truth of it is, she really annoyed me...i had a real problem with the fact that she was a very popular "singer" but can't sing... Clearly the better choice for your teenage pop girl sensation was Christina Aguilera.... I also had a problem with the whole "innocent, virgin" thing...

"My name is Britney, and yes everyone, I am a sweet southern virgin....i know that i am wearing dental floss as clothing...i am completely drenched in sweat...and i am breathing hard and humping a big large pole as hard as i can in my video....this means nothing."

She kept this up for years...even after she moved in with Justin... and probably would have kept it going, but that sweet heartbroken Justin called her ass out on 20/20....

I digress...

The point is, i really started to warm to Britney.....actually around the time everyone else started not liking her any more....the K-Fed years... i mean...i thought he was hot and edgy...i got the appeal... After that was over and she went through the whole crazy, panti-less, re-hab, shave my head, cry about being hounded by the paparazzi after I called to tip them off, lose custody of my kids and then go tanning stage...i really felt bad for her. I don't have a heart of stone.....it is inappropriate to talk about people who really have problems....she was clearly out of her mind...

I think i like her now because she fell FLAT on her face...the images of her being this perfect little ray of sunshine are diminished...and she is a real person to me now....she made mistakes, she got back on her feet, she had two kids and looks FAB, and truth be told....i think i like the music that she makes now... GASP!

I found out over the weekend that she is doing a 90 minute documentary on MTV this Sunday.....and i am proud to say MY DVR WILL NOT MISS IT!!!

Adam answered my question about Britney... and i count him as a credible source, because like me he never got mesmerized by Brit, and loves Christina A. the way i do...he said..."Christina, it is perfectly fine to like her for what she does....she makes fun dance songs, she's a good dancer, and she is pretty...everyone knows that she can't sing."

And that's all the confirmation that i needed...(deep breath)

Here's a little sneak peak of the show..... I can't wait to watch!!

MTV Shows

Fall Weddings 2008....

2008-11-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

Before i got married, i think i had been to 3 weddings...tops! From what i hear...this is lucky....i hear stories of friends of mine who were at and in dozens of weddings before their big day. I feel very honored to go to weddings now. I go in like a veteran.....been there, done that....let me know if you need some help.....its all gonna be OKAY! Although I have been a bride once....i have YET to be a bridesmaid... always the bride, never a bridesmaid??

Anyway....I am proud to say that I have been blessed to see three of my dearest friends get married in 2008. Here are some highlights..........First...the Go-Ho Wedding..... I am not kidding....Marlene Go married Jordan Ho in September of this year....

Marlene and Jordan had the ultimate Chicago Wedding. Their ceremony was at a chapel in downtown Chicago.....and their reception?....in the Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier....it was absolutely beautiful....

I know that i am a big baby, and i will probably cry at every wedding that i attend...but seriously....it was so emotionally moving, you would have to be a corpse to have not shed a tear. The evening came equipped with great food, great music, moving and tear-jerking words to one another, a traditional Chinese Dragon Dance, and a solo from an Opera trained singer (the bride)that led to the ultimate happy ending....FIREWORKS..............

As if all that wasn't enough... it provided a perfect photo opp for another happy couple.....

Next up....the Williams/Sparks wedding that took place in Birmingham, AL in October. Bronjalin is one of my irreplaceable Atlanta friends. Honestly....i hit the jackpot with my job in Atlanta...i met the most wonderful people anyone could ever know. I love the fact that i was there to share Bronjalin's special day.... Bronj and i have a plethera of stories of all of our late night Atlanta excursions...but what i remember most were the more subtle moments where we would sit around talking, wondering if we would ever slow down long enough to get married....i guess we got our answer!

The very happy couple....

Stu, Myesha, E.O and Curt.....

The Sorensons....

There is nothing better to me than a southern wedding....and that's exactly what i got the day that Bronjalin and Thomas vowed their lives to one another. Any time my Atlanta crew is together, there are always two things for sure...we are going to laugh until our sides hurt....then we are going to wake up in the morning, and laugh as we talk about the evening again!

And last but certinly not least, the Dohman/Jawor Wedding. I met Megan at the first hotel i worked at in Chicago. I knew she was a sweetheart before i even met her, because she called me in my office in Atlanta, before i transferred, to welcome me to the hotel. I knew we were a lot alike when we first met....she is he only other person in the world that has more random things happen to her than me! We were both in relationships with wonderful men and were anxiously waiting for them to prospose....and of course in their own time...they did... Megan's wedding was a great time, there was great food, great music, and lots of old friends to catch up with. But more than that, it was one of those warm, loving, intimate experiences that makes you fall in love all over again.....i have never seen her look so beautiful and happy....and i can't think of anyone who deserves it more....

The beautiful bride......

Addie and I.....

The Sheraton crew....

Me and Tiff.....

All in all, it was a wonderful wedding season. Can't wait for 2009!! Who's next?

Usher....

2008-11-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

When I was thirteen, the only thing i wanted for Christmas were tickets to the Puff Daddy and the Family Concert. This was a big deal in my house. It meant that my best friend Paul and I would be downtown in San Antonio....at a concert with much older people...no adult supervision. I don't know how I convinced my parents, but i did, and i will always remember how excited Paul and i were for weeks before the concert. The list of performers consisted of: Puff Daddy, Mase, 112, Mary J. Blige and Usher. I remember Usher's performance the most because, he sang this really x-rated song, took off his shirt and poured water down his body.....and i have been a fan ever since.....

Fast forward 8 years...i have just started dating Kenneth, and we bond over the fact that we both love Usher's "Confessions"cd. Ken used to belt out all of his songs in the car. I should have known then that i really loved him...because Ken's voice is a mix between a howling dog and a drowning cat. Anyone who can sit through that is truly in love....

So when i heard that Usher was performing at House of Blues, I decided to surprise Kenneth with tickets. When i told him about it, the reaction was pretty lame.... his exact response was....

"Oh....okay.."

Really? This from the man that knows every word to every song from Usher's last album? He explains himself while standing in line to go into the concert.

"I mean Christina....i liked the "Confessions" album....but its not like i'm some big Usher fan. This concert is for girls...."

....and not twenty minutes later......who was singing to the top of their lungs? who's voice could be heard over everyone else??

Needless to say, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly....here is a little clip i recorded of him performing my favorite Usher song...no shirtless water dance...but entertaining all the same....

The times, they are a-changin....

2008-11-16T17:50:00.001-08:00

First I would like to say that i am SO SO SO SO glad that the election is over. I have been addicted to CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and conservative radio for the past 12 months, and needless to say, i was completely exhausted with it all.

I will admit that i have been very vocal about how i disagreed with the direction that our administration has been taking us for the past 8 years. I was certainly not the only one, which is why we had a record number of new voter registrations, a record number of voter turnout, and the fact that the president-elect won by a LANDSLIDE. I said that i was exhausted by how engulfed i was with all the election information, but I am very proud that i did my research. I truly looked at both candidates; the policies they support, the votes that they cast, the merit of their records, and their questionable aspects. My favorite candidates from both major political parties, had won their parties nominations. I am proud that i didn't cast my vote based on the candidate that was representing the political party that i usually vote for, the party that my friends vote for, the party that my parents vote for....i did my research....i watched the debates...i made my decision, and i voted.

We can all be proud of the history that was made on November 4th. Less than 50 years ago, this country was drunk with racism,bigotry, prejudice and injustice. When I spoke to my family on election night, i heard each of them tell me how they never thought that this day would come. I was happiest for them. Although, i have had my own hills to climb, I didn't have to integrate my school like my father, i didn't experience the Jim Crow of the south like my grandparents did living in Alabama and i didn't get hosed down or beaten in the street marching for civil rights. Hundreds of people....literally...died, so that i could grow up being able to sit, eat, learn, work and pray anywhere that i wanted to. This election is the most amazing, and refreshing reflection of just how far we have come. Barack Obama said it best when he said, "We are not the conservative states of america, or the liberal states of america...we are the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Unfortunately, as excited i was about the election, it is hard to be happy with all that is going on right now. On Friday, i watched several people who i work with get laid off because of the current state of the economy. People who had opened that hotel, and worked there for longer than I have been alive, were sent home with teary eyes, and a severance package of only 2 weeks pay.....and I could be next. Should i despair? Of course not....i have a faith that tells me, and a country that has just shown me....that all things are possible.

I found this video after i heard the song and couldn't get it out of my head. I hope that it brings you the same smile it brought me today......

The Eberhardt's Head to the Polls

2008-11-04T08:59:00.000-08:00

SCENE: 5:55 am, Chicago, IL

Ken: There’s a line! I knew we should have gotten here at 5:30, then we could have been in the front of the line.

Christina: That was never going to happen.

Christina: Did you download the ballot to take a look at all the choices?

Ken: Yup.

Christina: No you didn’t.

Ken: Yes I did. I know exactly who I am voting for.

Christina: So other than the presidential candidates, you know who you are voting for?

Ken: Yes.

Christina: Good. Who?

Ken: Well….Dan Seals….

Christina: Riiight…..Dan Seals isn’t on our ballot Ken. We aren’t in his district.

Ken: (laughing)

Christina: Who is taking pictures?

Ken: What?

Christina: That woman over there is taking pictures.

Ken: Wow…

Christina: She didn’t get my permission to take my picture!

Ken: She is just excited.

Christina: Whatever….that’s so rude.

Ken: Are those paper ballots?

Christina: What?

Ken: They are using paper ballots!

Christina: Mmm Hmmm

Ken: That’s CRAZY! I have NEVER used a paper ballot! I voted in Tennessee and it was ELECTRONIC!

Christina: Yes dear, I know. Just another reason why we should leave this ridiculous city and move south…..how long must you keep me hostage here?

Ken: (sighs)

Christina: Ken….Oh my gawd….that woman just got in her car and is driving up with that camera again. She is taking pictures out of her window….is she serious?

Ken: Oh wow….

SCENE: Ken and Christina enter elementary school, get ballots. They are side by side in voting booths. Minutes pass as they fill out their ballots.

Christina: oh no……oh no……Miss? Miss? Can I have another ballot?

Ken: What?

Christina: I messed up on my ballot…..i filled in too many lines….

Ken: (grumbling) Oh my…..what the…..can’t believe you….

Christina: Oh shut up Ken…. I am from Georgia….i don’t use paper ballots!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

I never went trick or treating as a child and as an adult I never participated in Halloween festivities. So this year, when Terri announced that she was throwing a big Halloween party/Adam's b-day party, i figured this was the year to do it up. Plus i figured i owed her a helping hand. I often throw parties at Terri's house when i am in town, and she always so graciously opens her home to me and any guests i want to invite...actually...i have come to be so comfortable with throwing these "impromtu events" at her house, sometimes i forget to invite Terri.....

So i hopped on a plane, headed to Atlanta, and experienced the best party Terri's house has seen yet. Terri spent weeks planning and getting all the supplies, and we spent all dayFriday fixing the house up with spooky decorations....hmmmm.... actually i would describe the decorations as spooky/gross. Here are some examples:

SPOOKY........

GROSS!!!

SPOOKY.....

GROSS GROSS GROSS!!!

It made for an awesome party though, filled with good food, drinks, beer pong, and fun costumes....

Sarah and Bristol Palin......

3 blind mimes.....

Terri as the crazy deranged nurse that cut up all the grossness in the house....

Dr. Driver, and Correctional Officer Jennifer

Terri, the gool...and Adam....

All in all, the party was a complete success....and rumored to be an annual event now. Can't wait till next year!!

Dear Pharrell....

2008-10-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Pharrell,

I think you should know that you are by far one of my favorite entertainers. I love your music, I love your style, and i think you are a musical genius. When we locked eyes at the Common Ground Celebrity Bowling Event, i too felt the sparks fly. The room was suddenly quiet, like was no one there but us. It was fate that put us together in 10 Pin that day, not only because we were in the same place at the same time, but that we shared a bench and bowled next to each other. I know that our conversation would have been wonderful....if all those girls had not been coming up to you every second wanting to take you away from me. I saw how upset you were every time our moments together were interrupted.

Pharrell, i hate to tell you this, but i am compelled to be honest with you. Do you remember that guy in the corner? The tall, skinny one glaring at us? Well, that was my husband Kenneth. He really is darling, and i love him dearly. Unfortunately, he beat you to the punch. You were so close. Just 13 short months ago, i could have run away with you, and we could have been together forever....touring across the country...meeting Jay-Z and Beyonce for lunch and setting the red carpet on fire.... But Pharrell, i told Ken till death do we part, and i intend on keeping my promise.

We will always have that day together though. We will always have that unforgettable moment when you wrapped your arms around me, pressed my head into the nook of your neck and leaned your temple to mine. (clearly shown in the picture below) I know that in the midst of that sweet, precious embrace you were thinking, " I want it to be this way forever..." I do adore you Pharrell, but this has to be the end.

And Pharrell....please don't call or write me....it's just too hard.

Warmest regards, Christina

Oprah....

2008-10-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

Two and a half years ago, i moved 800 miles from Atlanta, to Chicago. I was perfectly happy with my life in Atlanta, but the long distance had begun to wear on Ken and I and because i got transferred, it was sort of a no brainer to move. Now don't get me wrong, Chicago is a nice enough city, but I never fell in Love the way others have with this city. I am a southerner. I don't care how many museums, restaurants or sports teams you have....i am never going to be able to get over the fact that there are 9 months of winter here EVERY YEAR! (bless its sweet heart).

There were only two enticing elements about Chicago, that i was overly excited about. 1) Kenneth and 2) the chance to go to the Oprah show. Truth be told, i was pretty sure my chances of marrying Kenneth were much higher than the chance of me being able to go to the Oprah Show...considering it has been statistically proven that you have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting tickets! So i did what everyone does. I went online and wrote heartfelt stories on oprah.com, in hopes that they might throw me a bone and I could get some last minute seats. That didn't work. Seriously, i wrote the saddest fake letter about my impossible destitute financial situation to try to get on a Suzy Orman episode... to no avail! So i asked myself a question....What Would Oprah Do?? Oh yes! She would...duh...PUT IT ON HER VISION BOARD! So here is the answer to everyone's question... YES!! Vision Boards work!!

So i got a ticket....not one... but FOUR tickets!!! Now here comes the hard part...who do you invite? And that's where the vision board ended. So alas, I am ECSTATIC about the opportunity, but equally sad that I knew EXACTLY who i wanted to bring, but yet many of them were much to far away to come with me. And no one was more upset about that than my poor mother!

I did get a group of Oprah fanatics like me together and we had a WONDERFUL time. We had tickets to the first show, which means we had to check in at the show at 7:00am. I have never been so excited to get up at 5am in my life. I was sad that i couldn't get pictures because they do not even allow you to bring a camera or cell phone into the building.

The show was all about women's rights and had Maria Shriver, Gloria Steinem and Billy Jean King featured. It was truly empowering, and i had a reah "ah hah!" moment. Since i have been married, i have struggled with finding my footing with the balance of work and home. My husband was raised in a household (much like mine) where women worked full time, came home, cooked for the family, cleaned the house, balanced the books and raised the children. I know you ladies hear me when i say, yes we love our husbands, but did you ever know men were so helpless? I feel like i have to organize and execute nearly EVERYTHING sometimes! Yes, it is probably because i feel that my way is the best way, the most convenient way, the most logical way....(because it IS!). To be fair, Ken does help around the house A LOT.....much more than any of the men in my family, so in that regard, i am very lucky. My mother teases that he does so much around the house because "his wife" doesn't do it. So i struggle with the question of if i should feel guilty about that. Should i feel personally responsible when there are dishes dirty, laundry piling up, groceries are running low, or the baseboards need to be cleaned even though i work as hard as my husband at my job? Should i feel guilty that all i want to do when i get home, is the SAME thing he wants to do when he gets home.....sit on my rear end and watch TV? Well Gloria Steinem gave me my answer to that.... a big fat NO! She stressed that the women's movement for equality in the workplace was not to put more pressure on women to "do it all" but to put more emphasis on equality for men AND women in both the workplace AND at home.

Don't worry, i won't stop wearing a bra and shaving my arm pits. But i will not however spend a moments worry when that load of laundry takes an extra day to get folded and put away. I am woman, hear me ROAR!

P.S. Gloria Steinem is 74 and looks FABULOUS! Good grief!

My Night in the ER

2008-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have the best and worst luck of all time. I'm that person who wins a new car, then gets hit while sitting at a stop sign....that's me...full of drama. My friends Sebastian and Jon came to Chicago to visit and I of course wanted to show them around the city, and not just all the touristy spots, but the places that REAL people who live in Chicago go to.

We had a whole day of different restaurants, hopping in cabs and buses to see different parts of the city. Do you ever have that one thing that you love to do, but can't ever find anyone to do it with? Well that thing for me, was live band karaoke at this lovely southern inspired restaurant in my old neighborhood Lincoln Park called Stanley's. They have an awesome brunch on Sunday mornings, and on Sunday nights only, they have live band karaoke and the fellas were TOTALLY on board. So after dinner, we set out for a night of fun....

So make our way to the front, put our song requests on the list and then.......

A glass got knocked off the ledge, shattered, and as i attempted to move away, my foot was sliced open by a shard of glass......

The guy holding my foot is the random drunk doctor that was in Stanley's that night...and holding the flashlight...THE PARAMEDICS!

Here they are trying to get me to stand up so that they can put me in the AMBULANCE!

Why, why, why is it always ME!? Which is exactly what my husband said as i gave him that dreaded 1am phone call, " Hunny.... I am in the emergency room...can you come pick me up?" Good thing, he is a sweetheart, and knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he married me. But i was okay...my friends stayed with me the whole time...and after i received EIGHT STITCHES IN MY FOOT... i could actually laugh about the situation.

And of course the silver lining....thank goodness i got a pedicure a few days before... i couldn't wear closed toed shoes for 3 weeks!

I have officially accepted, that my crazy mishaps...are truly the charm of me. Although they seem completely inconvenient at the time... the best part about it is.....things always turn out okay....P.S. As we all participate in our civic duties on November 4th, please look into your candidate's plan for health care before casting your vote. Right now, having paramedics in an ambulance take you 6 blocks to a hospital to receive 8 stitches and a tetanus shot will cost you $3,500!!

Seriously........Rock the Vote!

FlugTag 2008

2008-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Flugtag is a marketing event from RedBull. Basically, they get people to submit drawings for a contraption that they will "fly" off of a ramp, into water. Each flying device has a theme... and before the individuals launch it, they do a silly dance to themed music. So in reality, crazy people dressed up in costumes, and jump into Lake Michigan...because NOBODY got their invention to fly..... It was a lot of fun though, very entertaining, and because my hotel was a sponsor and we had exclusive access, we got to hang out at Castaways, eating lots of great food and drinking red bull till we were so full and so hyped up on caffeine that we had to leave. Final count of everyone who came out to watch this event?...75,000 people!

We also got to meet an Olympic medalist while we were there...she let me wear it! We ended our afternoon with a walk by Lake Michigan. Summers in Chicago are definitely the BEST!

Glamorama 2008

2008-09-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Glamorama is a fashion show/concert/fundraiser for the Chicago Art Institute that takes place every year at the Chicago Theater. Our hotel has been the host hotel for this event for the past 2 years. When i heard that this year was an 80's theme and would feature performances from Cindy Lauper and MC Hammer, it was a complete no brainer! I love the 80s, i love fashion, and i love getting all dolled up so this had my name written all over it!

First off, MC Hammer looked GREAT! He still has his moves, and yes i was sreaming the words to 2 Legit, and Can't Touch This to the top of my lungs... Cindy Lauper was great as well, and totally made my night when she sang, " Girls just wanna have fun."

The best part about Glamorama, is actually the after party. They clear out the 7th floor of Macys and set up food stations and all kinds of entertainment. They had a DJ playing 80s music all night, break dancers, video games, 25 bars and 25 food stations. Adam, Holly, Camille, Duke, Juan and I had a fabulous time.

Playing a little guitar hero......

Bean Bag seating section.......

Glowing headbands......

Yummy food station.....

Big laughs with good friends....

A Tale of Two Concerts....

2008-07-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

It was brought to my attention recently, that i attend concerts all the time. I guess i didnt really realize it until last night, when i did a tally. In just the past 2 years i have seen the Dixie Chicks, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Martin Sexton, Maroon 5, Erykah Badu (twice), Kanye West, Etta James, Tony Lucca, Jay Z, India Arie, Neeyo, Justin Timberlake, Franky Beverly and Maze, the Roots, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte and Alicia Keys. I have always thought my musical likes were very versatile, especially considering that list, but it wasn't until last weekend's concerts i attended that i realized just how much. First up, my Thursday night concert:

Yes, that's right... Jimmy Buffett. The guy is a legend and the concert was great. I truly enjoyed being wasted away in Margaritaville... a place i visit often. It was unreal, over 20 thousand people showed up with their hula skirts, tropical shirts and parrot hats. Well, i can check that off of my "things to do before you die" list.

Next concert, Saturday Night:

Montel Jordan.... THIS IS HOW WE DO IT!! Before he sang his signature song, his introduction went like this. " I am going to need your energy for this next song. When i am 65 years old, and singing in Vegas, i will STILL have to sing this song. Yes, I will have to sing this song, at every concert, for the rest of my life." Sorry Montel...at least people are still listening....

Up next:
Sisters with Voices, and yes they sure do! If you watched the recent BET Awards, you would have seen the medley that Alicia Keys did with many of the old R&B girl groups of the past, which included, SWV, Xscape and TLC. SWV was fabulous in concert. Seriously, Cocoa (the lead singer) had one of the most incredible voices I have ever heard. I never noticed before, but Cocoa is definitely the "Beyonce" of the group. She was the only one that sang lead, but with a voice like that, i see why. It totally brought me back to the 90's. I wanted to run home and make a mix tape! So now i ask, what special person made you "Weak" back in the day??

Girls Trip 2008: ARUBA

2008-07-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

My mother always told me that when it comes to marriage, you should start out the way you want to hold out... meaning, don't do things in the beginning of your marriage that you don't expect to keep up for the rest of your life. The one thing that i insisted upon before i got married (that i got my hubby to agree to) was an annual girls trip; a vacation that i would take with my girlfriends every year, to relax, shop, gossip....you know, all the things that men don't like to do...

I think i got this "request" pushed through because of three major reasons: 1)Ken loves me and knows how much i miss my friends since i relocated to Chicago, 2) because i work in the hospitality industry, i can travel to great places and make them affordable, and 3) let's face it, just because you're happily married, doesn't mean you don't need a little bit of a break from each other once and a while...

So Terri and I packed up and headed to Aruba for 5 days and 4 nights of sun, fun, relaxation at the all new Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. It was also Terri's birthday, so we had plenty of cause to celebrate. We spent most of our days laying out on the beach, dipping in and out of the ocean to cool ourselves, and sipping cocktails. The water is so cool and still there, you can literally take drinks into the ocean without fear of them being knocked around because of waves. We spent our evenings dining at the very tasty restaurants on the resort, and finding all the hot spots where the tourists don't visit, to really get a feel for the people who lived on the island... which is our favorite part about traveling.

Although this trip was meant to be extremely laid back and lazy, Terri (always the adventurer) convinced me to do some snorkeling. We took a private boat with just us and the captain, and snorkeled for 3 hours. I am so glad that i went, because it was truly amazing. I liked it so much, that i am getting my own snorkeling gear... i fear i have a new obsession...
When Ken came to pick me up from the airport, he looked at me and laughed. "You look really tanned and really tired" he said. I replied, "Well i guess i did it right then." The best part about a fabulous girls weekend with a fabulous friend, is coming home to a fabulous husband that made it all possible.

Girls Trip 2009?: COSTA RICA!!!

Pause for the cause....

2008-07-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, i attended a charity event at my hotel for NBA player, Antoine Walker's 8 Foundation. 8 Foundation focuses on helping inner city children in Chicago, mainly those of single parent households. The event was sponsored by one of my clients, so of course i was in attendance. I haven't had the best experience with professional athletes, i find them to be arrogant and annoying....probably because i have never been a groupie and i just don't think that the fact that you can play a sport really well gives you the right to be an asshole....but Antoine was very kind, down to earth and pleasant. It was a great night, and a fun way to come together for a great cause...

Jonah and the.....

2008-06-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning, i got an unexpected call from my uncle. It was such a pleasant surprise, because i find that since i moved to chicago, and got married, i tend to just get wrapped up in what is going on here, and hear everything second hand. Him and his wife just had a little baby boy, their second child. Of course i wanted to know all about how he was, how things were going, but most important, how their daughter DJ was adjusting.

DJ, an old soul at 3 years old, is such a darling. She is just one of those kids that you meet, and you are blown away at how well she speaks, how smart she is, her personality and her humor. My aunt viv and I we talking the other day and she told me the funniest story about DJ.

My aunt was teaching vacation bible school at her church in Alabama. She was teaching the kindergarten class, and of course, DJ is in her class because a) that's her niece and b) she is smarter than any 5 or 6 year old around. My aunt viv was about to tell the story of Jonah and of course when she asked the class if anyone knew the story, DJ was the first to raise her hand.... and in perfect english she recited the following:

"Jonah ran away from Nineveh to the sea and got on a boat. A storm came and the men on the boat thought it was Jonah's fault, so they threw him into the sea and he was swallowed by a dolphin!"

Always the comic....smart, pretty, witty, and only 3 years old...

Best Beach Weekend Ever.....

2008-05-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Callie just graduated from Vet School and in celebration we all headed down to Rosemary Beach, Florida for a weekend filled with sun, fun and a bunch of our friends. Our friend Napoleon's family owns a beach house there, and when i first heard of this, i was expecting a small beachy house, probably a bit older, with a cute white picket fence. What i got was a sprawling 5 bedroom mansion in a privately owned community outside of Panama City Beach with imported european sand....seriously....

When we walked inside, and i really thought i was stepping into the Real World House. It boasted 3 stories, a full gourmet kitchen, marble bathrooms, hardwood floors, 2 master suites including large full sauna/steam showers, 3 outdoor seating areas, a loft/game room, flat screens everywhere, and a booming surround sound system that we blasted music from all weekend long.... oh and a huge hot tub.... Needless to say, we were impressed.

We woke up friday morning, had some breakfast, and went to the grocery store to stock up on all the food we would need for the weekend. I was the resident chef, a job that i happily took, because i wanted control of the menu and again, the kitchen was amazing. Hands down, it was the best stocked kitchen i have ever seen... and to think, this is someone's SECOND home!

The day was a bit overcast, so we spent the rest of the afternoon at the house, and awaited the arrival of Napoleon's friends who were also joining us at the beach. This could have been a disaster. There is nothing worse than going somewhere and sharing space with people you don't know, only to have them end up being a complete pain in the butt and ruining your vacation. When they arrived, it was one of those very fortunate occurrences, where the dynamic of the house just worked. Everyone got along, laughed our pants off, shared stories of our lives, and were genuinely so excited to spend time with one another.... and what else do i like to do when everyone is getting along? that's right... KARAOKE!!

I quickly googled local bars that had live karaoke (did i mention the house had WiFi too?)..... and found a bar called Coyote's. We loaded up and headed out with nothing but a good time on our mind.... It turns out Coyote's was not our resort like accommodations in Rosemary...in fact...the closer we got to the destination, the more sketchy the situation became. Once we arrived there, we saw a parking lot full of dirty pick up trucks... this should have been our first sign... once we walked in, you could literally hear the record player scratch..... everyone stopped what they were doing, and gave us the most icy stares... i literally got goosebumps...

Now, if you know me, you know that my family is from the south... not just in the south, the country... the backwoods of lower alabama.....so i am used to finding myself in situations with scary looking men and women who look like they just stumbled out of the trailer park, with overalls on over their confederate flag t-shirts, cigarettes hanging out of their toothless mouths and arms covered in tattoos...however, this was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life...It honestly felt like i was in a scene out of a movie.....as all eight of us stood by the door, i was quite sure that we were about to get chased out of the bar with people swinging pools sticks at us.....had it not been the tequila in our system,we would have just left... but i looked over at Callie, we grinned at each other and knew exactly what to do.... I walked straight to the bar, ordered everyone a beer ( $3 each of course!) and placed my song request at the DJ booth.....the moment i took the stage and started singing my signature karaoke song, "Proud Mary"... all was well.... In fact, every time each one of us sang, more and more people lightened up, and by the end of the night, everyone was cheering us on and dancing to all of our songs... in fact, a lovely lady that we met called Crazy Connie said to me as we were leaving.." Girl, thank ya'll for comin' in and breathin' some li-ife into this funeral." You're welcome Connie...

Yes, there was an actual coyote statue in the bar.....

Saturday was a day dedicated to the beach... we spent the whole day laying out and swimming in the ocean. After our fun day in the sun, it was time to go back to the house a fire up the grill for Callie's official graduation bar-b-que. We all ate and drank way too much...

Roasted corn....delicious!

On Sunday as we ate breakfast and said our goodbye's i was very sad to leave, but so greatful that i got to spend quality time with old friends, and have the opportunity to meet wonderful new people. We are like a little crew now, we all send mass e-mails to each other every week, and have sworn to make this beach trip an annual event.

Napoleon sent an e-mail after we all returned back to our respective homes that i thought truly summed up our beach weekend:

I'm glad you all were able to come together for a good cause and party with a purpose. Although the venue was remote, all participants made the effort. I greatly appreciate you all for that, and also for making Rosemary Beach a memorable experience. Hopefully you will take the weekend, as I have, a harmonious moment where old friends make new friends & the sea meet the sky. Until the next time....

Graduation...

2008-05-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

My friend Callie (the biggest animal lover i know) is graduating from Vet School tomorrow. I am so proud and happy for her, because i know how hard she has worked for so many years, to accomplish this goal in her life. I was originally supposed to journey down to Tuskegee University to be there to watch, but opted to come down next weekend for the celebratory graduation beach trip.

Time passes so quickly, because i vividly remember four years ago when she first started. She had just purchased a home in Alabama, i had just finished undergrad, and i had a month before i would move to Atlanta and start my new job. I spent 2 weeks at her house before she began classes, and they were some of the best memories we share today.

What did we do for two weeks? We watched every episode of Sex and the City from start to finish, seasons 1 through 6, talked and laughed, and made fantastic meals...(well we thought they were fantastic at the time..we had roughed it through college on ramen noodles and tuna so baked chicken was a delicacy!).

I knew what was lying ahead for me, paying off those student loans, responsibilities, 60 hour weeks and 401ks, but i embraced every moment there....because even then, i knew i might never have the opportunity again...to be completely unattached to anything, and enjoying life, without anything in particular to do.

Congratulations Dr. Callie Harris! I am sure you will be one of the best vets around!

Happy Birthday Lesli!

2008-04-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLI!

The difference of 365 days is...... this year you are going to be hugging on your husband and not mine! :-) We Love You!!

Get yourself back to Chicago sister! Miss your guts!!

4eva i love atlanta.....

2008-04-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know how much of love the city of Atlanta. When i was in college, it was the only place i wanted to live and start my career in, and luckily i got that opportunity. I will always look back on that time, and cherish it because of all the fun I had and the wonderful people that came into my life, who are still my closest friends today.

Yesterday marked two years since i have moved away and one would think that after all that has changed in the past two years, that this time in my life would seem like a lifetime ago... but i think it is because i hold that time in my life so closely to my heart, that it never seems like a distant memory...

Before I left, my friends sent me off with a bang. I had one of the most fun nights of my life; my farewell party, filled with music, dancing, big hugs and well wishes. I remember making the guest list and thinking, "how in the world do i know all these people?", but they all showed up, and we had a blast....(well we had a blast till at least about 1:30, because i don't remember much after that)

Ken and i recently purchased a condo, and although i am so excited to be a new home owner, a part of me was sad. It finally hit me that, although i so deeply want to return to the south, that might not happen for a long time now, and my life is here in Chicago indefinitely.... My aunt viv (who has moved several times , far away from her friends and family for her husband) gave me some of the best advice. She told me to fill my condo with everything that i love, cover the walls with pictures of my friends, family, and happy times in my life..... and even when it is windy, cold and snowing, i will always feel at home.....and it worked.

around the bend.....

2008-03-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

My darling friend Adam and I knew we were BFF the day we both shared a love for ex-Disney Channel kid stars, (minus Britney) i.e. Justin T, Ryan Gosling, Kerri Russel, Fergie, Christina Aguilera....one day i asked him who his favorite artist was and he told me, Tony Lucca... (what?!) Don't you rememeber Tony?
I had a total crush on him as a child when i watched the Mickey Mouse Club religiously...( i am sure he cringes when people say that)... you always hear about kid stars trying to shake off the bubble gum image... and he certainly has... less clean cut abercrombie looking now....but he was cute and talented then, and he is cute and talented now!

To my suprise and delight Adam begins to tell me all about his albums, how great of an artist he is, and gives me his collection of music to listen to for myself.... i listened to it, and LOVED it...

He plays in Chicago a few times a year, and the last time he was here, in the midst of my wedding planning, i was not able to make the show.... So when he rolled into town this time, i made sure to make myself available....I am not kidding by saying that the CDs hardly do the guy justice...lucky for me, the day he came we got about 8 inches of snow(March in Chicago!), so though there were quite a few people there, we got a seat right up front to enjoy the show. I sat there with my friends smiling to myself because i enjoyed listening to him that much....it was one of those really intimate performances, where the music and the singing is so good, that it gives you goosebumps...

I think I am fan for life...

P.S. Is it just me, or do Adam and Tony sorta look alike?

Can't get it out of my head.....

2008-03-16T20:30:00.001-07:00

This week, the hotel that i work for had a huge "unveiling" party. We just completed a 30 million dollar renovation of guestrooms, meeting space and a bar/lounge.... Samantha Ronson was the DJ at the bar that night and she played a song that i couldnt get out of my head for the rest of the night.... hands down, Leona Lewis is my new favorite singer.... not only is she beautiful, her voice is amazing....here is her new single its FAB!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF84pIhP5UM

Silly Shots...

2008-03-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, my very old, refurbished three times computer finally died. After going through a very challenging experience with Geek Squad (whom i will never use again) i managed to get my music and pictures off of my old computer and transferred to an external hard drive. I finally bit the bullet, got a new laptop, hooked up the hard drive and peeked through some pictures that i hadn't seen in forever. Don't you just love finding stupid old pictures of yourself?

(late night karaoke session in my apartment in atlanta)

(hanging out of my hotel balcony in san diego)

(gut busting laughs with friends in ny)

Priceless.....

I've Been Tagged...

2008-02-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love these things? Here you go Allison!

10 years ago:

I was in 10th grade...in San Antonio, TX getting ready to move to Georgia, in the middle of high school... needless to say, i wasn't too happy about it

Things on my to-do list today:

Getting ready for a weekend in Atlanta, so i will be pretending to work all day, then scooting out as fast as i can to go catch my flight

What would I do if I was suddenly became a Billionaire?:

I have always had this dream of leaving for a trip with nothing packed.....just going with my purse and the clothes on my back to different destinations all over the world....buying what i needed when i got there, and shipping it back home before i left to the next destination... i think i could do that for at least 3 years... and hopefully write a novel during that time...i would help out my family and friends financially, then i would collect children from all over the world like Brad and Angelina, buy a big house and raise a big family....

Three of my bad habits:

1) I am much too hard on myself... i am my own biggest critic

2) I am not always the most punctual person

3) I can always find something more fun to do than doing what i should be

Five jobs I have had:

1)Camp Counselor

2)Waitress

3)Day Care Worker

4)Front Desk Agent

5)Sales Manager

Three things people don't know about me:

1) When i was a little kid i used to love to lay in bed in the morning and dream up adventures.... as an adult i still do this

2) I have a crushed bone in my left hand that will never heal (an old cheerleading injury)

3) I like to talk on the phone and look at myself in the mirror at the same time...(random i know)

The long overdue, story of my " i do"

2008-02-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

I recently realized, that enough time has passed, that i can now tell the story of my wedding. It was the most stressful week of my life to say the least, but certainly one of the most awesome experiences. I look back on my pictures now, and though i remember all the horror of the day (because i could go on and on about all the craziness that happened), i smile to myself. I have reached a point where i can laugh at all of the mishaps of the day, and tear up about all of the wonderful moments that made that experience truly unforgettable..... all the small stuff, really doesn't matter...and i am thankful for that too... the fact that i remember all of it.....

I woke the morning of my wedding with a room full of my friends... we had all had a fun filled night at my karaoke bar-b-que rehearsal dinner, so the morning was packed with laughter and recounting stories from the night before. My friend Terri started a chorus of "Going to the Chapel" and, in perfect harmony, they all serenaded me before we set off to get our nails done. My friend Dianna, who is a hair stylist, came over to my parent's house, and everyone ate, and talked while we each had our turn with her. I had a long bath, my friend Kori packed my wedding night bag, and we were off to the chapel..... and that pretty much ends the un-chaotic part of the day....

Once I got there, i realized that though i had remembered everything else, I had forgotten my engagement ring? Oh, and my underwear too... yes i strolled in the chapel that day totally commando... didn't even realize it until i was hugging the Chaplin outside of the church....but it was a beautiful sight once i arrived.....

Not to worry, my mom brought my missing items from the house, and all was well. That is until, i was told that my cousin knocked over one of the candelabras and set a flag in the church on fire....so the wedding was delayed... don't think i did not consider that if the church burned down.. that might have been a sign that i wasn't supposed to get married.... but we took care of it pretty quickly, cleared the smell from the chapel, and the wedding started.....

The ceremony was short and sweet, just how i wanted it. My wedding musician and singer were great, everyone looked beautiful. We said " I Do", snapped some pictures and were off to the reception.

Which was a BLAST! My colors were black and white... i wanted it to look very formal and vintage, but feel very warm and comfortable... i think i accomplished this with the colors, my deep red roses, soft candle lighting, paired with my southern inspired buffet dinner..... My band was awesome, the food was great, i danced the night away and caught up with people i hadn't seen in years. I was truly amazed and honored by everyone there... i remember realizing that very night, just how many people i have around me that love me, love Ken, and support us...

My favorite things:

Although my cousin almost burned the church down, he brought a crew from his production company, and did all my wedding pictures and video... FOR FREE! And they turned out great...

My band couldn't have been any more perfect... they even did a special Beyonce' medley for me... and we runwayed... yes, in the middle of the reception

I really loved the way i looked... i had agonized over diet and exercise for months, but when it was all said and done, i was truly happy with the finished product

It was a family affair.... if i ever questioned how my family felt about me, i found out that week... my aunt's threw my rehearsal dinner, my cousin took care of photos and video, my uncle performed the wedding ceremony...everyone wanted to help out, and it made all the difference..

My friends showed up for me... i can't say enough about how great they were... they did everything exactly how i wanted it, calmed me when i was crazy, made me laugh when i wanted to cry....from my breakdown in the parking lot of a Michael's in Skokie about wedding ribbon (with Lesli)... to my kick a$$ bridal shower and bachelorette party.... hands down... i have the best friends ever....

But most important, i married Ken, who is the most wonderful person i know... i will never forget the way he looked at me, and how honored i felt standing there, holding his hands...people always ask me how i felt that day; if i was nervous, had second thoughts, sweaty palms... and i always respond the same...

I told my mother after our second date that he was the man that i was going to marry... and 3 1/2 years later, marrying him was the most natural, comfortable, and exciting thing i have ever done...

Jigga What?

2007-11-08T08:57:00.001-08:00

Last night, i had the opportunity to attend the "sold out in under a minute" jay-z american gangster concert. Needless to say, it was amazing. It was one of those things that you just HAVE to do if you are able. First of all, the house of blues chicago is the best venue to see a concert. There isn't a bad seat in the house, it is very intimate, and they sell less than 2,000 tickets, so the crowd is never too crowded or crazy. Of course, big names like jay-z always come with a large sticker price, but i couldn't put a price on seeing an artist who's music reminds me of my tender years through jr. high, high school, college... okay...his lyrics are not the most moral and ethically pleasing... but i don't think anyone can deny his lyric ability...the man doesn't ever write his lyrics down! He literally goes in a studio... makes up music and lyrics on the spot... remembers them... then makes another song....there is something quite genius about that..... As the concert progressed, his song selections vividly brought me back to so many different memories of my life... songs like:

"Big pimpin" (me and my older brother watching videos all day, summers in san antonio)

"Hard knock life" (heard for the first time while on the phone chatting with my biggest crush in high school, Brannon)

"Girls, Girls, Girls" (my all-time favorite jay-z song, heard countless times on a drive back to georgia, with micah, thanksgiving break, freshman year)

I can't do that with many artists... but he is definitely one of them....

My Cannon Bomb......

2007-06-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows i have always had a thing for guys who are comical, and a bit funny looking.....which is why my celebrity boyfriend is Nick Cannon. I am NUTS about him, i love his show on MTV, but before that, i loved his show on Nickelodeon.... I have watched Drumline a million times, and i even bought that stupid movie "the underclassman."I know what you are thinking....nick cannon is pretty hot....NOW.... please remind yourself of how goofy looking this hansome man was when he was a scrawny kid who hadn't grown into his manly physique, so i adored him even at the risk of being made fun of.....needless to say, when my co-worker mentioned that he was staying at our hotel, i immediately assigned myself to being on his welcome team to walk him up to his hotel suite....dont get any ideas.... i just wanted to see my celebrity boyfriend in person...here is how it was going to go in my head...

(greeting in the lobby, escorting him to elevators)

Me: Hello, welcome to our hotel...

Nick: Thank you...so good to meet you

Me: You as well, i am definately a fan

Nick: Really? that's great...so are you from Chicago?

(elevator doors open, we step inside)

Me:No, i am from Atlanta, and i moved here last year to be closer to my fiance'

Nick: Congratulations! When is your wedding?

(elevator doors open again, we walk down the hall to his suite)

Me: Thank you! Its in September, congratulations to you as well...you are newly engaged right?

Nick: Yes I am.... to a Victoria's Secret model....but she looks like a bullfrog compared to you...

Me: Oh... nick....stop it... you are so funny (giggling).....

Nick: So i know we are both engaged, but neither one of us are married yet....

Me: (gasp)

Nick: I am sure you would never cheat on your fiance'

Me: That's RIGHT!!

Nick: How about we just make out and engage ourselves in some heavy petting?

Me: Well......Okay.....

(door closes to hotel suite)

As wonderful as that sounds....it didnt happen.... nick's manager got the wrong time of his arrival, and i was on a lunch appointment with other clients, so i missed everything... i had to hear a story from a fellow co-worker about how great he looked, how nice he was... blah blah blah.....

I suppose the moment has passed, and our paths won't cross....

But......I am still seriously considering pulling the fire alarm.....

You're fun.... People will read it.....

2007-05-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

I came to the realization recently that my life is too randomly crazy to not document....seriously...i asked a very good friend of mine once, "Lesli... if i had a blog, would anyone read it?" Apparently i got the confirmation i needed because here i am, typing away. Although, she never set up my account after i asked her repeatedly...so maybe that was suppose to be the hint.

I have given a lot of thought to how i wanted to start this and i decided that too much has happened in my life to give a recap of it all. I am sure all of those wonderful stories will get weaved into all of this, but for right now, here are the hot topics:

I moved from Atlanta to Chicago a year ago to take a promotion and be with my boyfriend
That boyfriend is now my finace'
His family is crazy, but i love him, so i decided to marry him anyway - Sept. of this year and i am a complete Bridzilla...
I have a sweet little dog named Sidney
I have recently developed a habit of loosing cell phones ( i have had 6 in a year)
I grew up on army bases because my mom is a retired Colonel in the Army....as a result i have friends from all over the US
Two brothers... one older, one younger... my parents have been married for 28 years..we are all very close...
I used to have really huge boobs that i recently had reduced...it changed my life...

Stay tuned....there is lots to come....