Guilt.

Guilty as charged.  No excuses.  I’ve been M.I.A. from my blog.

So what HAVE I been up to?  Lots.

Mr. Handsome and I made it to Kentucky for Christmas and then hightailed it down to NC to move EVERYTHING out of our house so our renters could move in.   The house never looked so big than when it was empty.  Three stories of emptiness.

I was able to sell a kitchen table and chairs and a dining room suite from another state on Craiglist, which was the ultimate in success, thanks to a great friend who helped me orchestrate it all.

And the best part is, we were able to stay in Viewpoint in Atlanta.  We moved to a much better unit on the 11th floor with direct access to the amenities level, which we love.  I CAN’T WAIT until spring so we can start grilling!!

UK games have been fun for us this year.  We went to the UK v. Auburn game and I was literally star struck.  Hubby and I snuck down towards to floor to watch them warm up.  Any UK fan who has been in Rupp before knows how amazing it is to get really close to the floor (because it RARELY happens at home).

I won’t elaborate too much, but Hubby and I drove to the South Carolina game on a week night, watched our newly ranked #1 team fall with the painful sound of a stupid techno song and a rooster in the background, cried secretly inside, and drove home in the middle of the night before, oh!, getting a speeding ticket.  Then I cried publicly on the OUTSIDE.  Ouch.

After getting settled into our new digs, Mr. Handsome and I met the family in Salt Lake City for some skiing, pro-style.  I’ve been told by my significant other than east coast skiing doesn’t count (although if he ever reads this blog, he will say “I didn’t say that!!” ha ha).

I had a blast!  Almost broke bones, but didn’t, almost tore my ACL, but didn’t, almost fell off a cliff and tumbled to the bottom of the 11,000 ft mountain, but…..didn’t!  So it was a success!  Besides dropping my glove off the ski lift on the first day and having to retrieve it in waist high and thigh high snow, I did alright!!  Looking forward to the trip next year!

So what’s next?  Hubby and I booked a trip to Spain the first of March and I’m REALLY looking forward to it.  Mr. Handsome has been learning Spanish (thanks to Rosetta Stone) even though I have no idea what he is saying, as long as he does then I guess we’re ok.  I’ve finally updated my passport.  I’ve been married 2 years and 3 months and finally got a new passport!  Geez.

We have no plans, just plane tickets.  It will be so much fun!  Any suggestions on what we should do/see?

Toodles until next time!

Aimee

2009 was oh, so fine!

Isn’t it funny when you evaluate the past year and sometimes it can feel like is has been a really loooong year, and sometimes it can feel like it went by in a flash?  This year was most definitely both.  A) because we were busy, it went by fast.  B) because we did so many fun things, it seemed like it was loooong.  Mr. Handsome and I discussed it and though we might have slightly different orders, these are our top memories from the last year.

Top 10 Memories from 2009:

10. Watching the Door / Signing of John Calipari as UK’s Head Coach

This summer was wild for UK basketball.  Landing Coach Cal was huge.  Mr. Handsome and I were very engaged fans, literally refreshing Kentucky Sports Radio every 5 minutes to look for an update.  I watched the door of the Memphis Athletic Dept. for 2 days and even saw John and his entourage pull out of his house for the airplane to KY.  I even saw a blue cat paw on the back of his car.    After the excitement ensued, it continued as the recruits started falling UK’s way.  Will never forget where I was when Mr. Handsome called me to let me know that John Wall had committed…to UK.  GO CATS!

9. Jersey Boys @ The Fox Theater

Mark and I decided to attend this show and we really enjoyed ourselves!  This was my first Broadway (or off Broadway-I don’t really know what you call it) show ever.

8. O.A.R. Concert

Though not as big of a fan as the G-man, there is nothing quite like being in the front 1-2 rows at a concert.  Really enjoyed this one, especially at $25/ticket.  “Crazy Game of Poker” brought back good memories from college for me.

7. Work Trips (Aimee)

Thanks to my job, this year I was able to visit New York City, San Diego and Las Vegas for the first time ever.  NYC was the best because I got to be a real tourist by taking a bus tour and eating at some wonderful places and stayed at the Marriott Marquis.  Also was able to see ground zero.  I don’t have a picture, that didn’t quite feel right to me, but I have the image etched in my mind.

6.  Viewpoint Pool

Think co-ed dorm…and add a large pool on the 11th floor with a skyline view of Atlanta.  Mix in some friends, bloody marys (or rip tide, or a classic beer) floaties and grilling food and you’ve got a great time, every weekend all summer long. We literally would stay in the pool until dusk and sometimes after.  Throw in a rap artist photo shoot, speedos (or throw Bradley in the pool) and you’ve got an interesting afternoon/evening of entertainment.  Thank goodness we live in HOTlanta and the summer’s are loooooooooooooong.

5. Front Page News

A late night staple, especially in the warmer months.  Nothing better than a no-cover hangout that is walking distance from home with a live band EVERY night that always provides amazing entertainment, included song from Coldplay, Kings of Leon requests, and even Vanilla Ice.  There were some weekends where we would drift here twice.  But never without a group of friends, even 12 people at times.  And, cab drivers, don’t be surprised when you charge us $20 for 2 blocks and we get out without paying.  Rude.

4. John Legend Concerts (The Fox Theater and Chastain Park)

John Legend was my go-to when I was in college, especially when Mr. Handsome and I started dating.  So it brings back great memories.  Recently, Mr. Handsome has grown to love it, too.  It was WOW.  The Fox Theater gave us the intimate, fun feel and Chastain Park was like a picnic where we brought some of our own food.  Make fun, if you like, but we scored amazing seats on the cheap on craiglist.  Well worth the trouble.

3. UK vs. UGA game in Athens, GA

There was never any doubt that when Mr. Handsome and I moved to Atlanta that we would try to go to this game.  The question was whether or not we could afford to go.  Last minute, we scored affordable tickets from friends and had an amazing day!  Spent the early afternoon watching the UK basketball game with a bunch of UK fans and learning exactly why UGA is such a big party college…and loved it.   Athens is awesome and the game was, well, if you watched it: AMAZING.  A ticket stub we’ll hang on to.

2. Lil’ Wayne/T. Pain Concert

Because this concert lasted past midnight on New Years Eve 2008, it counts for 2009, too.  Best free concert I’ve ever been to (until #1, of course. Don’t skip ahead!!)  Mr. Handsome and I both have this secret liking for rap music (my feelings aren’t so secret) and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.  T. Pain actually performed very well and I grew to be a Lil’ Wayne fan.  Wow.  “Pop Champagne” was a great after midnight memory and I really liked Lil’ Wayne’s “Swagger Like Us” live.

1. Elton John and Billy Joel Concert

This was one of those, “once-in-a-lifetime” events in our lives.  I realize that some people may never have the opportunity to see a music great like we did this night.  I don’t think we’ll have another memory like this one again.  Thanks to 2 good friends we were able to get free back stage passes and front row tickets to this big concert (and guess what? it wasn’t even in Atlanta! It was in our other home in Charlotte).  We were able to hang out with Elton in his dressing room back stage, chat with him about performing, traveling and even Princess Diana, and take a very cherished photo with him.  This night couldn’t have more memories.  I’ll never have seats as good as these again.  Front row, center stage, I could swear that on multiple occasions, Elton was looking right at me.  Wow.  And, if interested, I’m sure Elton would have hired Mr. Handsome on the spot to be his bodyguard.  He practically offered him the job!

To me, this year was all about us learning to be “memory-makers.”  Whether it’s having visitors, deciding last minute to buy tickets off the street for a concert, or just enjoying the city, we learned this year to just say YES and make some memories.

Honorable Mention: Trip to St. Simon’s Island, Anniversary trip to Savannah, GA, and, who could forget? Big Blue Madness.

Already on the calendar for 1st quarter 2010: 3 UK basketball games (UGA, South Carolina, and Auburn…maybe Florida, Vandy, and Tennessee)

No, thank you, Wisteria Lane.

Sometimes in life the things that are the most difficult and painful are the best things for us.  Mr. Handsome and I went to our house this weekend to pack.  Yes, already packing up our first home.  The first house we ever bought together that, although we’ve owned it for 2 years January 1st, we’ve only lived in it for 10 months.  This big, beautiful house that we imagined raising a family inside.  No, Mr. Handsome and I packed all our things this weekend so another family can perhaps enjoy the dreams we had for that home (and, no, we did not sell the house…I wish).  For the first time, I was really sad about it.  Being there reminded me of so many things: that distinct, fresh paint smell that it has; the beautiful way the morning sun makes the leaves on the trees outside catch fire in reds and oranges (all year long, it seems); the comfort of my chair and a half that begs me to take a nap in the afternoon sun…all things I love about our first house.

I’ve tried to figure it out a million times.  Is it a “nesting” instinct that calls you to buy your dream house and everything in it after you get married?  Just sit around, waiting for the next stage in your life (ie. babies)?  I will admit to you that Mr. Handsome and I often looked at each other after being homeowners for a couple of months and agree that we were far to young to be living like this.  We started to hate suburbia and everything with it.  It was quiet.  It was boring.  It was BIG and empty.  There was nothing to do close by.  Everyone had kids.  We had no friends that we really connected with like our friends from Kentucky.  We are still soo young… Just because we were married, was this what we were supposed to do now?  Was moving out-of-state a bad idea?  Was buying a house a bad idea?

Hindsight is 20/20, isn’t it?

In some ways, I was right.  Suburbia was too much for us right now.  We just got married, we were both 23 and 24 years old and needed nothing to do with a Wisteria-lane like neighborhood and big ‘ol house.  We decided long ago that we didn’t want to have kids until several years after we were married (we wanted to enjoy our 20’s as much as possible-travel and be adventurous), but heck…in that atmosphere, I have a feeling it would have come sooner than later.  Probably because we would start feeling guilty about having empty bedrooms or something.  You can only imagine how suburbia changed us.

Literally overnight, Mr. Handsome and I were packing (the first time) to move to Atlanta last fall.  We stayed in hotels for a few days until I secured a job.  For weeks Mr. Handsome was gone Monday thru Friday while he worked in Atlanta and I was completely alone in suburbia.  Alone.  My cell phone didn’t even work from our house.  We put our house up for sale and on a prayer, we moved into a small condo in Midtown Atlanta. Right in the middle of the heart of Atlanta.

Then, our lives changed.  For the first time, we felt like we were right where we’re supposed to be.  We were right about one thing and that was buying our house.  It was a mistake but, like I said, hindsight is 20/20.  We were wrong, however, about moving outside of Kentucky.  I am thankful everyday that we took that risk and made that move.  Although we took a detour in Cornelius, NC, we are so happy in Atlanta and feet like we can finally enjoy our young married life.  Mark and I had more fun in 2009 than any other year of our lives, EVER.

So, you can imagine, that heading back to our first home was like visiting a time capsule.  It was like visiting the “old us.”  The man that worked on the yard all weekend.  The girl who asked for a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens and a Martha Stewart’s Housekeeping book for Valentines day.  I love my lawn worker husband, but I know that he’ll also be there 5-10 years from now, when I’m actually ready to have a lawn.  And I’ll keep my Martha Stewart book, right beside my Bible and my Emily Post Book of Etiquette.  But I’m packing away my duster and won’t ever make homemade laundry detergent again.

If anything, we learned a few valuable lessons.

1.) Live in the moment.  Don’t. Rush. LIFE.

2.) Be spontaneous.  You learn more about yourself when you take (calculated) risks.

3.) Say yes to opportunities.  All you have is today, make it great…say YES!!

4.) Having the right life partner is everything.  The peaks and dips have been great, but having someone to roll with the punches in life is amazing.

5.) Suburbia will be waiting for us when we’re ready…

My remix on a long distance love affair.

UK v. UNC game

In response to a recent article on KSR (see it here: KentuckySportsRadio.com), I was inspired to share my experiences as a fanatic female UK fan that lives exactly 383 miles from Rupp Arena.  Let me just say, it’s not easy.  No, I never doubt my fandom and my love for Blue and White, but it’s just different.  You don’t see UK bumper stickers on every car or UK flags outside houses or UK gifts and apparel at the stores.  However that doesn’t stop me from wearing UK fan gear everywhere I go; I schedule work appointments, evenings with friends and all other activities around the UK basketball schedule and never once have I regretted it.  UK trumps game night with friends, martinis with the girls and any primetime tv show (even Grey’s Anatomy and Brothers and Sisters).

As a woman, it’s also not easy to hold such a strong passion for a sport (especially here in the “football” world).  Everyone assumes that female fans are just fans becaues the team has cute colors or because their boyfriend/husband is a fan.  As a woman, you have to be serious about your fandom and expect sarcastic questions or comments.  When my female co-workers rallied to get me to pitch in for the NCAA tournament last year “Just for fun!” they say.  I was like, “No way I’m doing it”.  ”But I thought you were a basketball fan?”  With a tearful but slightly angry look on my face I express my discontent for UK not making it to the NCAA for the first time since I was born and that it was a sensitive subject, so please give me my space and try not to mention the NCAA tournament around me.  Grrr. In Kentucky, people understand the passion.  Not so much in Atlanta.

When John Calipari was the leader in the race for our new coach, no one understood why I “watched the door” all day long at work.  Hey, just because I’m at my job doesn’t mean I’m going to miss history, people!  And hopefully you know what I mean about “watching the door.” Being so far from Lexington when all this was happening was like feeling like I was surrounded by people who speak a foreign language.  At least you have WLEX to cut into your regular scheduled programming for breaking news on Alan Cutler chasing Gillespie or John Wall’s fear of needles.  As the Calipari drama unfolded, I stopped, looked around and wanted someone to hug or high five or celebrate with.  Unfortunately, everyone just thought I was crazy and went on with their day.

I quickly learned that small talk with non-UK friends, for the most part, does not include the topic of UK basketball.  Or at least they don’t think so.  Sometimes I have to bite my tounge and remind myself that they don’t really care about UK basketball at all or how many dunks John Wall had last night.  Sometimes this truth hurts.  I’m now used to it.  I try to explain my passion, but they don’t understand.  Especially if they are a Geogria or Auburn fan.  Heck, they would spend 4 years on campus and have no idea where the basketball team plays.  But who can blame them?  With teams like that… *tisk, tisk*

Away games are amazing!  Mr. Handsome and I went to the UK vs. UGA game last year and were initially shocked by how sub-par the grounds were and the lack of fans (there was more blue and white there than red).  Then we recognized this as an amazing opportunity.  Where else can you buy a ticket for $10-15 and sit up close, center court, lower level and watch UK basketball play?  You can guarantee that we’ll be there this year.  Already bought tickets.  And we’re also going to the South Carolina game and Auburn game, still waiting to buy tickets to the Vandy game and considering the week night Florida game.  Are we coming to Lexington?  Hopefully.  And trust me, nothing is better than Rupp.  But I can drive to Gainesville and see UK vs. Florida play for a reasonable price or I can drive to UK (same distance, practically) and the only way I’m getting tickets is if I borrow against my 401K to pay for it.  There can be perks to this long distance UK love affair…

There are frustrations, of course.  I’ve learned to not watch UK games at sports bars (unless it’s Stout – the official UK Alumni basketball watching pub).  If there are a lot of games that day, you’ll end up getting pushed to the 19th century tv in the corner of the room that has no sound.  I’d rather watch it at home.  And, believe it or not, people outside Kentucky who aren’t Kentucky fans think they know something you don’t (especially if you’re a girl b/c men are SOO much smarter in regards to sports) and  love to taunt UK fans.  This is always hilarious.  And in the end when we win,  I just smile at them and hum to “Ice Cream Paint Job.”  They don’t understand, but that’s ok.

Nothing, however, is better and makes you feel more at home than being surrounded by Big Blue Fans.  And nothing makes me feel happier than when we drive in to Lexington and see the sea of Blue that is UK fandom.  Home Sweet Home.

Thank you, big brother.

SSGT David G Smith

My big brother was always my protector.  When I wanted to run away as a little kid, he didn’t let me leave by myself and insisted that he go with me.  When I was picked on at school, he didn’t hesitate to stand up for me.  As an adult when faced with tough calls or decisions he always guides me honestly, even when it’s not something I want to hear, because he wants to help protect me from regret.  He protected me from pain, fear, regret, and embarrassment but, most of all, he protected my freedom and for that I will always be grateful.

Typical daily life might seem agitating to us, like a burden.  Maybe we had a bad day.  Maybe no one noticed something we did today or gave us the “pat on the back” we wanted.  Maybe we didn’t get to go to that concert/restaurant/party or we missed our favorite show because we got stuck in traffic.  But at least for one day, we should all try to reflect on our daily struggles compared to the struggles of the soldiers who are all our Big Brothers/Sisters. 

Everyone “supports” the soldiers.  But do you really understand the sacrifice? 

Imagine this: no family (not your kids/husband/mom/pet) to come home to everyday; no more “Kate Spade” or “Coach” or “Brooks Brothers,” (no one cares what you wear when you’re at war or how big your wardrobe is or how much you own); go ahead and give up your phone/facebook/email/twitter/blog, because you’re not the only one who wants to talk to a loved one and there’s limited phone/internet access; birthday? you’re surrounded by your friends at war, yes, but go ahead and give up that ice cream cake and dinner/drinks out with friends and say good-bye to spending it with your family; and let’s not even talk about the holidays…everyone wants to go home for R&R during the holidays- your chair will sit empty during Thanksgiving & Christmas; and that’s just from being away from home, not the war itself.

Uncle Craig, Navy Commander

Luckily I was present, here.  But I do know this hurt, because nothing could replace our empty chair at our holidays.  Or running to the phone every time it rings because it might be him calling.  Or hesitating to take family pictures because you know that no matter what, that picture won’t be complete without him in it, and on…

I don’t want you to feel sad, but I hope that you see the real sacrifice that soldiers make to protect us & how it hits home.  It’s not just about being shipped away to another country, it’s about personal sacrifice they make so that you can safely spend time with your family.

We should all be grateful for our “Big Brothers/Sisters.”  Tell them you’re proud of them.  Even if you don’t know who they are at all, they are your Big Brothers/Sisters and your support helps get them through. 

My big brother is my hero.  I admire him more than anyone.  And I feel blessed that he’s back home, the chair is now filled and the family photos complete again.  But I thank God that he came home.  Some…did not. 

Thank you, Veterans, who made that sacrifice for ME.  It does not go unnoticed in my heart.

The Ying/Yang Year…

I call this year the “Ying/Yang” year because although Mr. Handsome and I have had an extremely wonderful, exciting and action filled year, we’ve also continued to be homeowners in another state and pretending like it doesn’t exist doesn’t really work.  So in light of our Anniversary and the crazy year, I’ve listed some of my favorite memories of the year…

A man’s dream…the Masters.

Hard to sleep with that view.

Met a genius. Front row. Will never forget that night…

Starting the year off right...lil' wayne/t pain concert...FREE

Great friends...and on a boat.

OAR...right in front

BIG. BLUE. MADNESS. A dream come true.

We lived by this pool all summer, from dawn to dusk…

Our first party hosted...Derby style! A success!We have the best friends ever at Viewpoint!John Legend concert...2 times. He's amazing.

My hubby is the BEST.

Mr. Handsome and I celebrate our 2 year Anniversary today.  Well, we’re actually planning to celebrate this weekend in Savannah, but it’s our anniversary nonetheless!

I’m so glad this wonderful man decided to choose me to marry.  :-)

 

What a wonderful surprise! 2 dozen roses for 2 years! He's the best.

Us at Big Blue Madness!

Happy Anniversary, Mr. Handsome!

 

 

I have enough time to say…

That I don’t have enough time to blog.  I’m sorry folks, busy…busy…busy!!

I’ll get you caught up maybe this weekend!

I love these…

So here are the rules: you can only use ONE word to answer the questions. Then you must pass this along to your favorite bloggers. Alert them that you have given them this award and have fun!

1. Where is your cell phone? Hiding
2. Your hair? Wet
3. Your mother? Thoughtful
4. Your father? Friendly
5. Your favorite food? Spicy
6. Your dream last night? Wild
7. Your favorite drink? Water
8. Your dream/goal? Travel

9. Favorite TV Show? SVU
10. Your hobby? Cooking

11. Your fear? Time
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Today

13. Where were you last night? FPN
14. Something that you aren’t? Perfect
15. Muffins? Any

16. Wish list item? Europe

17. Where did you grow up? Bardstown
18. Last thing you did? Wii
19. What are you wearing? T-shirt
20. Your TV? Wii
21. Your pets? Adorable
22. Friends? Amazing
23. Your life? Wow
24. Your mood? Content
25. Missing someone? Chitwood

26. Vehicle? Drives
27. Something you’re not wearing? Pants
28. Your favorite store? TJMaxx

29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? Now
31. Last time you cried? Forgot
32. Your best friend? Handsome
33. One place that I go to over and over? Chipotle

34. One person who emails me regularly? Mom
35. Favorite place to eat? Home

 

If you haven’t already, fellow bloggers, pass it on and do it yourself!

Quick thought…

Saw on TV last night that with the new technology in cars, auto accidents will go down tremendously.  This technology warns you when you get close to another car, swerve out of the lane or if someone is in your blind spot.

Here’s the only thing I want to know:

Will it make my insurance go down?

They sure didn’t mention anything about that.

I’m Off!

So a couple of things…

This week Mark and I were just hanging out watch TV and you wouldn’t believe it…

A HELICOPTER!!

Yes, a helicopter.  And it wasn’t just off in the distance, it was acutally BELOW our balcony.  Mark could have thrown a baseball and hit it, that’s how close it was.  It was a cop helicopter and it was flying slowly between our building and the condo building a block away.  Wow, not too often you see something like that!

And tomorrow I’m leaving on a jet plane to NY!  Believe it or not, I’ve never been to NY before.  But I’m really excited because we’re staying in Times Square.  I’m sure it will be a blast, even though I will be working a lot.  I’m going for the National Staionery Show.  I’m excited!  Wonder what trouble Mark and Annie will get into this week while I’m gone? TROUBLE, these two!

 

Little ‘ol me in the big NYC!

Staying in Times Square was AWESOME!

Grand Central Station

NBC offices, where Mark's new fav show, 30 Rock, is shot.

Preston Bailey...wow!

Ground Zero view from above

Wow…what a week!  So I’ve been away in New York for the National Stationery Show and it was a BLAST! 

I’ve got some pictures below, but we did a lot of great things while we were there!

A couple of special memories:

1. We were invited to a private event at 7 World Trade Center and it was wild for me to walk around where one of the fallen buildings once was.  I couldn’t believe how big it was and I couldn’t even imagine walking those streets when everything happened because of how close everything is there.

The event was on the 40th floor of the buliding we were in so I was able to see if from a birds eye view as well.  After all these years, it’s still just a big hole.  What a sight to see.

2. There wasn’t a huge crowd at the event, maybe 50 or 60 at the most (I can’t count crowds well).  But I was able to meet one of the greatest event planners (mainly weddings) Preston Bailey.  The next day, I was able to meet Colin Cowie, another one of the greatest event planners internationally.  He shoots at our office alot for the show, but most of the time I’m out of town and hadn’t had the chance to meet.  Both of them were very impressive and I was excited!

3. The food was awesome…I had fantastic family style pasta at Carmines, enjoyed cheesecake at Juniors, went to a great celebrity hangout restaurant with the best homemade pasta I’ve ever had (can’t remember the name right now, but we were 24 hours late for Amy Pohler and Keifer Sutherland.  Maybe next time… and a nice dinner in a chic restaurant in SOHO.  And who could not get a bagel while in NYC?  It was super yummy.

Overall, there was a lot I didn’t get to see but we sure did a lot while we were there!  I can’t wait to go back.  I definitely love New York City.  Glad to be back home a get some rest this weekend…my time in NYC went by so fast and I felt like I didn’t sleep at all!

This weekend Mark and I are going to the beach with a couple of friends…I’m really excited for some R&R time and to spend some time with Mark as well. 

Before I go…did you hear?  The news?  I case you didn’t know, Calipari has put together a legendary crew for next year.  I know, I know…they haven’t won 1 game yet, but when you put together talent like that you’re gonna get something beautiful.  Welcome to UK, John Wall.  -

Blame me.

Wow, so sorry it’s been quite a while since I’ve updated this here blog.

I can only blame myself.  Mark and I have been so occupied lately!  It’s been fantastic, but unfortunately we’ve been having too much fun to fill you in on the details!

AND I feel guilty about not posting pics with my posts, but I’m just not on top of it to be that coordinated.

So memorial day weekend Mark and I took a weekend trip to St. Simons island (just south of Savannah).  It was so much fun to hang out in a not-too-touristy, beachy, low-key place to soak up some sun and re-charge my batteries. *sigh*  Just blogging about it makes me want to throw on my swimsuit and grab a lounge chair!

This past weekend Mark and I went to see the “Broadway on Tour” at the Fox Theatre for the “Jersey Boys” showing.  It was my first broadway play and, really, the first musical I’ve been to.  I LOVED IT!  It was so much fun!  Mark and I really enjoyed ourselves. 

We spent the rest of the weekend with friends in Virginia Highlands and then Sunday was totally a pool day/grill out day with Viewpoint friends.

See?  We’ve been way too busy. *whoa*

But on a side note, it dawned on me that I no longer have to bore myself to tears on the treadmill and that I have a lap pool right downstairs that I can use to work out.  I’m so excited!  I’m going to buy goggles today and Mark and I are going to start tonight!  I’ll tell you, I did a few laps yesterday and I am SOO SORE!!  Wow.  That pool kicked my butt.

I’ll keep you updated.

P.S.-Congrats to friend and sorority sister, Molly Brown, for getting married this weekend!  Congrats!

I HAVE to get caught up…

St. Simons Island

So I already told you about St. Simons island right?  And I think I told you about Jersey Boys last weekend.  I’ve posted some pics below…Mark and I have been very busy lately and when we’re not playing, we’re working so I have little time to blog.

The highlight of the week for us is always the weekend and this weekend was in prime form.  Friday I came home and literally couldn’t get to my floor before I was beckoned by friends at the pool.  We spend the entire night listening to music and talking.  On Saturday we were at the pool by 11a.m with dozens of hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, potato salad, brisquit (sp?), chips, dips, fruit, etc… it was going to be a long fun day!  I totally should have taken a picture of the spread.  As you can tell from the pic below, we were at the pool until dusk.  We had a great time with our fantastic Viewpoint friends and meeting new people.  Then we were able to meet up with a great friend we hadn’t seen in a while and his new fiance.  Great weekend so far!

Today Mark and I took it easy.  After cleaning up our little condo, we drove to the Virginia Highlands Summerfest.  It was pretty fun, and I love artsy things and music, but it was extremely hot and we couldn’t

Friends at Viewpoint

take the heat.  However the trip was a huge success for Mark who discovered cheesecake on a stick.  Yes, I said that right…no typos here.  It was literally a slice of cheesecake, dipped in chocolate and covered in peanuts.  Made the wh0le trip a success in Mark’s eyes.  He was in love.

Now I’m off to chill out a bit with the hubster.  Maybe sometime this week I’ll actually have time to blog REAL

Buddies.

So much fun...

blog posts instead of these crazy little mindless summaries.  Happy Sunday!  Hope you have a great week!

Your Honour Butts

So I went to court today.  Not what you’re thinking…just a speeding ticket, trying to negotiate with the law to take care of our low insurance payments and keep them that way.  So I was speeding.  Who doesn’t speed on 85S in Atlanta?  I mean, if you don’t go at least 70, the drivers will plow you off the road!  This is my justification with myself.  I’m buying it, but let me tell you this….I will NEVER get another speeding ticket!  No way, not me.

After I finally find the clerk office or courthouse or whatever it was, I realize that there is a crowd of people, convicted of something, loitering outside the entrance.  What’s going on? I thought.  It’s only 90-something degrees outside and I had to stand in the direct sun light, sweating to the point where I was disgusted with myself, standing beside some of Atlanta’s finest. 

After waiting for an hour in the sun (I literally got a suntan) we were finally ushered in.  Being my first time in a courthouse, I had no idea how the process worked and everything I did reminded me of the first day of college, scrambling around to keep up and keep it all together. 

Four years in a university didn’t help me understand half of what that clerk was saying.  I tried really hard, but it was beyond me.  I end up getting in the wrong line and waiting for 30 minutes only to be turned away and sat back down.

Finally, Your Honour Butts (yes, I am not kidding you…that was her name) arrived and we all had to stand.  I kinda expected it to be like Law & Order, one of my favorite shows I’m actually watching now, but nope.  The outdated, nasty, stained carpet and the wall clock that was stuck on 7:34 when it was really 2:30 kinda took away the luster of the atmosphere that I had created in my mind.  Shoot, why did I forget my work phone so I could play Solitaire??  Ugh.  Then they ordered us to turn off our phones.  Usually I don’t pay attention when people tell me to do that but the big, bad cop with the gun on his belt told me to obey this time. 

Apparently it’s a known fact that you have to pay on your court date…cash or certified check.  What?  I never have a dollar bill, much less the big fine I had to pay today!  So I turn on my cell phone…please don’t make a noise!  It didn’t. 

I’m frantically texting Mark: I need cash!  He calls me.  Really?  Mark, I’m in the courtroom!!  I sneak out to make a call…I need cash!  Shoot!  It’s then that a lady tells me that I can get a money order and drop it off by 7 am the next day.  Okay, I can do that.

After waiting for a while, a foreign man walks up to the podium.  I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a little nervous about walking up to the podium.  Is Your Honour Butts going to ridicule me?  Ask me why I’m here?  Ask me if this experience taught me a lesson?  Request that I write “I will never get a speeding ticket again” on the board 100 times?  What do I SAY??

Back to the foreign man.  Apparently the country he came from doesn’t respect women.  Poor guy was upset about his $25 fine for equipment failure and kept interrupting the judge Butts.  The big, bad cop with the gun on his belt had to step in and tell him to not talk over the judge.  Didn’t this guy know?  That cop has a gun!  What was he thinking?

Finally, she calls my name.  Terrified.  I’m fidgeting with my purse.  Pleading guilty didn’t feel as bad as it looks on TV, but it still made me feel like I had really misbehaved.  No ridicule, no questions.  YES!  “Ms. Griffith…are you prepared to pay your fine today?” Judge Butts said like I was making her late for her granddaughters kindergarten graduation.  “Well, I don’t have any cash if that is what you mean…” why can’t I think of the right things to say? “Well, Ms. Griffith, you need to go to probation and wait for instructions from there.”  Probation?  What?  REALLY?  I step in… “Well I should be able to get a money order and turn it in by tomorrow am…is that okay?”  She looks at me like I’m a headache.  I am NOT going to probation!  It has been enough of an adventure for one day. They really need to have a special flyer for non-frequent criminals.  Wait, I’m not a criminal.  Just being in that place made me feel just plain awful.  All I did was speed! 

Finally, after a several hour ordeal, a run to CVS for a money order that I had no idea really how to fill out, I drop it off in the box.  Finally, it is done.

I’m going to start to practice now.  If I ever get pulled over again, I’m totally not going to hesitate to pull out the sob story and tears on demand.  I am NEVER getting a speeding ticket AGAIN!

Things that I aspire to do…

To follow in the footsteps on friend Mrs. Webb, I was inspired to create a list of things I REALLY want to do but haven’t…yet.  I just CAN’T get these things done!  Maybe it’s beacause they’re not pressing and aren’t required of me.  Maybe it’s because all I can think about right now is work.  Mark and I are very focused on our jobs right now.  So this is a unique challenge… But either way, these are goals of mine that (someday) I wish to do.

1. Create a photobook of each year of our lives together, kinda like a “year book” but in a glossy, bound book.  I’ve finished 2008, but I haven’t ordered it yet.   I guess I’m just waiting for the “right” day to do it.  Check out mypublisher.com for an idea of what I’m talking about!
2. Make our wedding book.  Yup, this is something that I still haven’t done yet.  I have this vision of a beautiful leather bound book, but I havne’t even started to creat it yet.  Eventually, yes…eventually.
3. Read all the books I’ve bought and haven’t read yet.  I buy them with all intention of reading them, but…you know.
4. Update my ipod.  I finally bought an ipod (used, mind you) and I don’t love about 75% of the music that came on it, but I honestly don’t know how to do it.  Help!
5. Get a GA drivers license.  Maybe it’s because I dread those awful photos, or maybe because I’ve had 3 drivers licenses in the past 1.5 years (Aimee Smith: KY; Aimee Griffith: KY, Aimee Griffith: NC and soon-to-be #4: Aimee Griffith: GA)  UGH.  Moving is NOT as fun as it looks!
6. Europe.  Mark and I fantasize about going on a romantic venture through Europe, and we will, but not today.  Eventually, just not yet!
7. I want to paint….  I’ve always desired to light that fire in my again and start painting.  Ideally, I would like to take classes to get me going.  When could I ever find the time?
8. Speaking of lessons, I REALLY want to take cooking classes.  REALLY bad.  Or at least lead myself through my Martha Steward book without going insane.
9. Take a road trip.  Yup.  Mark and I really want to take a road trip.  We’ll get to it, eventually.
10. Use a video camera.  We got one for our birthday a couple of years ago but it stopped working.  I really wish we used one more often because I love capturing everyday memories.  I’m a memory keeper…can’t you tell?
11. Go on a picnic.
12. Make a HOME.  Mark and I have moved around soo much lately.  I really can’t wait to be able to hang up pictures, put a big “Griffith” doorknocker outside, put down some roots and have a place to call home.  *sigh*  Someday…

I think Rach was right about one thing.  No matter how much we try, we can’t be perfect women.  We all want to be, but sometimes we have to be a little glad that we’re not perfect.  I think that no matter what, no matter how many responsibilities, demands, kids, jobs, etc… we’ll can always excel and get better, but we’ll never be perfect.  *sigh* thank goodness!  Being perfect sounds exhausting!!

Summer Time!

What I LOVE about Summer:

• When I get a tan and don’t have to wear as much makeup, if any
• Grilling with friends…lately it has become a tradition every weekend
• Spending an entire day at the pool, weekends in a row, and still loving every bit of it
• Falling into a psuedo-sleep at the pool.  You know, when you can hear everyone talking so you think you’re not sleeping but you open your eyes and everyone welcomes you back to the world b/c you’ve been snoozing for a long period of time
• Less clothes.  Yup, less clothes.  Less laundry, less closet space taken up, and no jackets or sweater to lugg around
• Festivals and events!  They’re everywhere in the summer!
• Outdoor events/concerts where you can take in the sun set and not feel confined within 4 walls
• Long sunlight…I LOVE it when the sun it out ALL DAY!!!
• Perching a chair on the ocean edge and feelng the waves rush in around my feet.  Total relaxation
• Summer nights
• Thunderstorms…I love the sound of rolling thunder

What I HATE about Summer:

• When my leather car seats burn the bottom of my legs
• When wearing makeup becomes pointless because it drips off after 15 minutes outside
• Not being able to exercise outdoors because you’ll have a stroke
• Having to put on sunblock everyday because everytime I go outside I can literally feel my skin burning
• Getting in the car, facing the wall of heat, and all your AC pumps out is HOT HOT air
• Having to shave my legs everyday (or every other day )
• Chlorine frying my hair
• When I get sunburnt and (yikes!) my skin peels

Some of our friends…

Amanda...she is amazing!

Bradley...he is hilarious!

My favorite friend, the hubby

Craig & Mark, our favorite ALT UK fan!

He's my favorite...

Jamie...the funny, energetic, light-sleeing sweater lady!! (she is going to kill me...)

Cheesy...who doesn't love cheesy?

Oh, and how could I forget Elton? Of course!

All I have time for lately are pics…

Visit from Harper

Mark & Harper. Mark...not so sure about Harper...

Good to visit with Megan!!

GREAT friends! New Irish Pub in town

This is right before our photo shoot...

kinda looks like we have milk mustaches, eh?

LOVE my ATL friends!! 4th of July, at the pool...ALL DAY!

Yes, that would be john legend, about 10 ft. from me... OMG

Mark's fav song...

aw, love him soo much!

India Arie, she was good.

Welcome, Jackson!

The Happy Family!

I’m so excited to introduce Jackson Graham Kincer!  Suz and I have been friends all through college and I was honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding last year to Randall.  She is such a wonderful person and will be a FANTASTIC mom!

He was a healthy baby, 8lbs 3oz and over 20 inches long!  I think we have a basketball player on our hands, Suz.

Can’t wait to see this cutie this weekend as Mark and I travel to Lexington to attend a wedding and catch up with friends and family.

Do you ever wonder if there are perfect stories out there?  I think this family is one of those “perfect” families.  :-)

XOXO

*sigh*

What a weekend!  We must have thought to ourselves, how can we cram in as much as possible into one weekend?  Mark and I took a half day to get to KY at a reasonable hour.  We met my father in law for dinner (yum!) and then spent time with Mamaw.  Mark rises at 5:30 am (I don’t know what he was thinking) and goes golfing with his dad while I sleep in (yes!) and meet my bestest, Lauren, for lunch at my favorite good ‘ol place to eat, Ramseys.  Buffalo Chicken Salad – ’nuff said!

The Lauren and I go to Central Baptist to see one of our friends, Suzanne, and her new baby boy, Jackson (see post below).  He was so adorable.  I was honestly scared to hold him b/c I’ve not been around little babies much but by the end of the visit I felt pretty comfortable.  It was really neat for me to hold him and see how absolutely content he was being in this world.  He had the cutest little fingers, toes, and the cutest nose I’ve ever seen.  Precious.

Don’t get the wrong idea.  He was absolutely adorable and I enjoyed loving on little Jackson but I have absolutely no intentions of being a mom any time soon.  See post below post about Jackson to get a glimpse into why.  Not ready for a life change just yet.

After reminising with friends and loving on the newest Kincer addition, Mark and I got ready in a jiffy and were off to pick up some friends for a wedding. Mark, mind you, was adament on getting to the wedding a half an hour early.  But there’s nothing like getting together with ‘ol fraternity brothers to kill some time.  When we get on the road, Mark, who has lived in Lexington his entire life minus the 2 past years, starts completely going the wrong way.  Thank goodness I spoke up and we did a u-turn.  We still were WAY late.  Most embarrassing moment was walking in the chapel right before the bridesmaids go down the aisle and in front of the entire bridal party.  Yikes.

At the wedding, we got to catch up with some of Mark’s best friends from college and you should have seen Mark on the dance floor.  Soo fun!

Then on Sunday we head to Bardstown to meet up with my family for my brother, Gabe’s, 28th birthday.  It was soo much fun!  Uncle Stevie and Aunt Julie fixed up some great food and hosted us at their place.  Whoever made the bloody mary’s did an excellent job.  Yum.  And we just sat around and talked, played cornhole, the kid went swimming in the pool, it was a great time.

But I am BEAT.  *sigh*

I’m pretty excited though because my brothers and Gabe’s girlfriend Carla are coming to visit this weekend!  I can’t wait!  Now I just have to rest…

Visiting with some of my favorite people!

Mark and I were excited to have my brothers Gabe and Alex and Gabe’s girlfriend, Carla, in town to visit this past weekend.  We had a great time, lots of good memories!  I love having my brothers in town to visit, I can’t get enough of spending time with them and love them soo much!

Grrrrrr…….

So there are a couple of things that are really irking me most recently…

1. Summer is almost over.  And I’M NOT READY YET!  I just looked at my calendar and feel like the summer is basically over.  We have what seems like every weekend book until the end of September, or at least it feels like it.  And that leads me to my next point…
2. 2009 is almost over.  Before we know it, we’ll be coming home for weddings, then the holidays, then POOF! 2010.  Wow.  You know why that REALLY irks me?
3. We haven’t sold our house yet!!  Sore subject…moving on…
4. The longer you’re married makes birthdays more challenging.  Let’s face it, it’s hard to keep a “birthday secret” with joint checking accounts.  Especially when your husband is one of those men who checks it everyday.  Which brings me to my next point…
5. It’s soo hard to come up with original and really thoughtful birthday surprises!  Two Reasons:
   1. After you’ve been together a while, you don’t want to re-use an idea you’ve already done with them and you start to run out of ideas that friends offer and you haven’t done already.  I LOVE making Mark’s holidays and birthdays sentimental and super thoughtful but the longer we’re together the more challenging that becomes!  Know what I mean, ladies?
   2. We have the same birthday.  Luckily I’m not one of those to “relish” in my birthday and I totally love sharing the spotlight (even if it only shines on us in Atlanta) with Mark but who chooses the restaurant that we go to?  What do we do that day?  It’s funny because Mark and I like to relax on our birthday and not do much of anything but someone has to make decisions on birthday day!  I’ve been thinking about it for weeks…offer ideas, if you have them.
   3. The man has everything!  I don’t want to buy him practical things…that’s not as much fun.  But I don’t know what to get the guy sometimes!!  *sigh* I like to knock his socks off, but sometimes it’s hard to be that creative…
6. Speaking of birthdays… on to my next point.  I thought of something SUPER creative, unique and VERY sentimental for Mark’s birthday but I don’t know if it will arrive or not.  Not just in time for his birthday…EVER.  I can’t tell you anything else or I’d have to kill you but I REALLY hope it is delivered!  If it is, I won’t have to give him anything else and he won’t care what we do or where we go for our birthday.  :-)  I would be the BEST WIFE EVER.  Which is what I strive to do…always.

Hmm…

So I was thinking tonight about typical silly, pointless things, streaming off a comment I heard on the radio about races and how someday we might just have 1 race instead of so many.  We’ll just have 1, blended human.  Hmm… so it go me thinking….

• I noticed that for the most part, future generations will probably be HUGE (tall, that is).  If you look at it, almost all the people I know are taller than their parents.  Wonder what makes us keep growing?  Hm.
• I realized that I only need 1 hand to count all the natural blondes I know.  I mean, is blonde hair going to be extinct (naturally, at least) in the future?  I would venture to say that we’re pretty close to this evolutionary change.  I guess it’s all those “recessive” genes, whereas brown hair is a “dominant gene.” I don’t know what got me thinking about this, but I guess I realized that there really aren’t hardly any natural blondes out there anymore.  Hm.  **Apparently according to Wiki Answers, only 2% of the world’s popuation is natural blonde.
• Are we going to keep growing wisdom teeth in future generations? I mean, we keep taking them out.  Do you think they’ll magically disappear one day?
• Will dating involve no human contact at some point?  I mean, do you ever think about how kinda “anti-social” or “anti-contact” our communication has become?  With texts, im’s, chats, twittering, facebooking, and technology as a whole (who knows what the future will bring)?  People are already dating and getting married strictly off dating websites.  Wonder what the future will hold?  Hm.
• At what point will we start running out of places to bury people when they die?  I mean, we only have so much land…. I wonder.  Hm.
• Speaking of genetics, will colored eyes disappear completely, too?  I love Mark’s crazy green eyes but I have a feeling that our kids have a better chance of having my poopy eyes rather than his yellow/green ones.  Hm.

So, clearly I’m really bored, but I couldn’t help it…I had to divulge all my crazy thoughts somewhere…So do you think we’ll have one, similar looking human race one day?  hm.

blog therapy.

My To-Do List…

1. Print my 2008 “Year” book.  Geez!  It’s almost 2010, I need to get with it.
2. Get my car registered.
3. Get my drivers license in GA so I CAN get my drivers license renewed.
4. Get my passport updated with my name.  I’ve only been married 1.5 years.
5. Sell our house.  This is a big one.
6. Blog more. Working on that one.
7. Call an old friend.
8. Give Annie a bath.  Another reason why I love having my dog versus offspring.  Annie can go weeks without a bath, but we’re getting pretty close to awful and she’s getting a smell….ewww…
9. Think of a cute surprise for Mark’s birthday, which happens to be my birthday too.  Which is why it sometimes doesn’t feel like my birthday b/c I’m so focused on HIS birthday!!
10. Pick up a couple of good books for upcoming vaca.  Already planning to read “The Time Travellers Wife.” What else should I read?
11. Put away my winter clothes.  I know, I’m a little behind.  Heck, might as well keep them out!
12. Sell our house.  Big enough to list twice.
13. Make a dentist appt.  I know, I know.  Confession: I’ve been putting it off b/c I know I probably have a cavity and don’t want them drilling all in it.  ;-)
14. Go to counseling for my Chipotle addiction.
15. Shave my legs.  Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this one tonight!
    

    Sometimes you just feel like THIS.

10 Reasons Why I’m THRILLED it’s the Weekend!

1. I’m so tired, I can’t wait to rest, rest, REST!
2. Pool party/”what we do every weekend” @ Viewpoint with friends, celebrating upcoming birthdays!
   1. Zeek-August 4th
   2. Melissa-August 4th
   3. Mark-August 5th
   4. Me!-August 5th
3. Brunch with friends Saturday to kick off the weekend!
4. See #3 for a great excuse to have a bloody mary!
5. 30% off FF coupon I have for Banana Republic that is even valid at the outlets!
6. No rain on Saturday…suntan!
7. Thunderstorms on Sunday…I love thunderstorms!
8. A chance to cook a real meal for the first time in what seems like forever.
9. Not having to work sounds REAL good right now…
10. I’m excited about spending the weekend with my hubby!  He is the BEST.

Have a great weekend, ya’ll!

Tribute to the BIG guy!

Today is Mark’s birthday and since he’s the person I love more than anyone in the world, I wanted to share with you some of the reasons why Mark is such a great man:

1. He’s Honest.  Mark never lies, unless he lying about eating ice cream for breakfast, which he has done of the occasion.  Unfortunately for him, he forgets to remove the evidence from the corners of his mouth. 
2. He’s Ethical.  Mark is so honest.  He has always been my guidepost because he always knows the right thing to do.  When trying to deliberate on whether to eat Chipotle for the second time in one day, he usually can advise me to make the right decision.
3. He wears his heart on his sleeve.  Mark doesn’t treat people different based on his mood or motivations.  He is always respectful and kind to everyone he meets and 99.9% of the time, it’s all with a big smile on his face.  (the other .01% of the time, he’s probably just hungry).  And when he’s had a drink, he’s a big teddy bear who bonds with his buds or professes his love to me.  This is always an adorable site.
4. He’s Loyal.  Mark loves his friends and family.  And his ESPN.  Whether it’s UK basketball or poker or motorcycle racing, he’s watching it.  Or The Office re-runs. 
5. He’s Ambitious.  I’m so proud of what he has accomplished and all the things he wants to accomplish.  Mark never ceases to amaze me.  I am so proud of him everyday.  Especially the fact that today is the first time we’ve had ice cream in our freezer in weeks!  You gotta be proud of that!
6. He’s Magnetic. Mark draws people to him everywhere he goes.  He laughs, smiles, tells stories and goes with the flow.  He can take a joke and a little teasing, too.  Most recent example was last night when one of our friends told Mark his shirt looked like a big ‘ol highlighter.  Mark claims it was a salmon color, I side with the highlighter on this one tho. :-)
7. He’s a Charmer.  Mark, I think, has the perfect amount of “romance.”  He doesn’t do special, sentimental things for me everyday to the point where I get used to it and come to expect it, but he throws me curve balls every so often that
   

   rafting trip...mark embracing his new look

   sweep me off my feet.  Perfect example was Valentines Day.  We were very busy with company coming into town for the weekend and so Mark (and our male guest counterpart) forgot to buy a card for their ladies.  Me (and my female counterpart) were very surprised when our

   

   and the charmer...

    

   boys brought us cards and a plastic rose from CVS.  It was adorable!

So, these are just a few reasons why I think my husband is the best…so lucky to have him as my

Mr. Handsome and wouldn’t want to share my birthday with anyone else!

Mighty Monday…

So apparently there is the cool thing my fellow blogger Suzanne got from my other fellow blogger Abby called “Mighty Monday.”

This is my first shot at it, so here’s my confessions:

I mighthave ate Chipotle 2 times yesterday…and then opting to “why not?” and eat it again today.  I might be addicted.  No, I think I am.

I mightbe eating 2 hotdogsright now, with no buns, because Mr. Handsome is out of town and I never eat normal meals when he isn’t here. 

I might have stocked up on sugar free red bulls when they went on sale this weekend.  I mighthave even thought today of walking over to the CVS to see if they were still on sale to grab more.

I might have been really excited today when I saw that Red Bull was coming to my neighborhood August 29th for a soap box race.  I might be there….

I might have gotten excited when a group of popular rappers announced a concert coming up next month.  Even though Mark isn’t thrilled about the idea, I might find someone to go with me because I secretly really want to go.

I might have made a reservation for my own birthday dinner today.  But then again, I might have done this because it’s Mark’s birthday, too.

I might totally enjoy, adore and smile every time I look at all my friend’s blogs about their babies.  I might check their blogs every day or so and love hearing all their stories.  But I might not be ready for my own…yet.

I might be reaching the age where I start to feel sorry for myself for the age that I am and each birthday might remind me that time is of the essence and I need to get out there and have as much fun as possible.  I might need to pull out my list of things to do before I’m 30 and start making plans.

Happy Birthday to us. ;-)

Thanks Holly!!!

Dinner @ the Ritz

Mark and I had an excellent birthday this year, maybe the best!  We grabbed dinner at the Atlanta Grill which is a restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton in Downtown Atlanta.  I had met a girl who worked there the day before and told her that we were going to be eating there the next day for our birthday and how excited we were about it.  To my surprise, she had set up something special for us.

Mark and I arrived and the hostess said she was expecting us.  She took us to a private table with a curtain that separated us from the restaurant.  The table had rose petals on it shaped like a heart.  It was soo sweet and romantic I felt like we were celebrating an anniversary!!

Dinner was fabulous and to our surprise, they also brought us a cake as well.  Mmmmm!

Arriving at home, we met a few of our close friends for drinks and I was so surprised that they had bought us a cake and everything!  I literally had tears in my eyes as they sang us happy birthday.  Being so far from home, I wasn’t sure if Mark and I would even have a cake because, well, it’s both of our birthdays and who really wants to buy a cake for themselves?

Time to shed some lovin’ on our favorite friends… Mark and I have made the BEST friends at Viewpoint.  Moving to Atlanta was never difficult and we immediately felt at home because of these special people.  During the week, on the weekends, we love to hang out with these peeps.  They are so awesome!

So, happy birthday to us.  It was an AMAZING day!  I even got taken to lunch at Chipotle by a co-worker!!  The only thing that was missing was the birthday present that I got for Mark that was never shipped.  Some of you know what I mean, some don’t.  But maybe it will come in before Christmas, who knows?

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!  I’m officially a quarter of a century old and Mark is officially going on 30.

Love,

Big & Lil Nasty

Do you ever think about the power of choice?

I was evaluating my life yesterday, thinking about where I am versus where  I was a few years ago, even  back to my childhood days.  Maybe it was seeing the pictures of bid day during sorority rush week, somehow distantly making it into my friends loop so I still had drifting facebook access to pictures from that special day each year that means more now that I ever realized then, that made me think.  Then I realized that bid day for me, was 7 years ago.  SEVEN.  Wow.

Do you ever think about the decisions you make in life?  I wonder where would I be if…

• I hadn’t decided to go to UK?
• I didn’t participate in a sorority?
• I still lived in Lexington?
• I didn’t buy a house in Cornelius?
• We had bought a downtown condo instead?
• Mark didn’t get transferred to Atlanta?

These are all decisions that are definitely not small, and we all are forced to make decisions of this magnitude at points in our life.  The choices we make can be great decisions, or challenging consequences, but either way I think that all these decisions shape us into the person we were meant to be TODAY.

So to analyze, what would be different, hypothetically, if I hadn’t joined a sorority, specifically ADPi, at UK?

• NO MARK: I likely wouldn’t have met Mark.  For various reasons, but I wouldn’t have met the friends I was out with that night and I wouldn’t have been attending that particular function at all to begin with.
• NO LAUREN & SUZANNE: 2 of my bridesmaids would have never existed in my wedding photos.  Two people I care for very much!
• I also wouldn’t have made excellent connections to soo many women over the years through such a great organization.

What would be different, hypothetically, if Mark and I hadn’t moved to Atlanta?

• We wouldn’t have met our wonderful new friends in Atlanta who mean a lot to us and the ones who have already moved away.
• We wouldn’t have had the ability to experience city life and all the great advantages it offers.
• At Charlotte, we were questioning our decision to move away from home and if we hadn’t moved to Atlanta, we might have never experienced the joys of living in a big city.
• We most likely wouldn’t be experiencing the level of happiness we share right now.  We’ve never been happier and love the new life we’ve established in Atlanta.

Every day we make or choose not to make certain decisions in our life that affect everything about us and pave our future.  Even though our life is by no means perfect as we struggle to lift ourselves from the burden of our house in Cornelius, we are acknowledging and learning from that decision and realize that it is a big decision that led us to where we are today.  Had we not bought the house and moved to Cornelius, we probably wouldn’t have ended up in Atlanta and wouldn’t have discovered this refreshing new enthusiasm for life that makes us so happy.  So, I guess in essence, even “bad” decisions still led us to happiness.

You certainly can’t change the past.  But I don’t know that you necessarily should.  Good or bad, we learn from our decisions and that choice becomes another wrinkle in our life.

What are some decisions (big or small) that you’ve made that have impacted your life in BIG ways?

Beach bums & concert goers!

Mark and I have been very busy lately, hence my absence from blogging world.

A great vaca tradition!

We were excited to spend a week in Myrtle Beach with the fam.  Vacation was much need for Mark and I both!  I was excited to finish 2 books: The Time Travellers Wife & My Sister’s Keeper.  The former was a great read (highly recommended!), the latter…well, it was a bit long and sad for me to get to the last 10 pages with tears in my eyes.  Just my 2 cents!

Family vaca is never quite right without a good game of Boccee ball (see pic).  Mark and I are usually the champs, but we didn’t have our A-game this trip.  We’ll get ‘em next time!

Annie actually loved the beach.  Mark and I took her for a couple of beach strolls and she

Perfect beach evening!

GREAT night with friends!

couldn’t stop smelling every single shell we walked by.  She’s so cute!

This past weekend we were excited to snag tickets on craigslist for the O.A.R. concert.  We were super excited to go, this was one of my favorite songs in college: Crazy Game of Poker

We managed to squeeze our way up to the front & center and LOVED every minute of it! I think with this being my 6th concert this year, I’m slowing becoming addicted to the bump! bump! of live music!  I think the only concert Mark and I have ever been to our entire time we dated was a free Amos Lee concert at UK.  I’m developing a fond love of live music.  We’re also making some fantastic friends in Atlanta as well, making the ATL feel a lot more like home to me.

Oh, and did I mention?  I got Mark the best birthday present ever!  He’ll have to tell you about it, but here’s a hint: a signature by the most popular italian in Lexington!

That’s all new with me on the homefront!

Don't know who the red-head guy is on the left...

Lost, am I? ;-)

Mark and I basically do everything together.  We kinda knew this right after we started dating and we would end up spending the entire day or weekend together…not really something you find yourself doing with a guy you just started dating in college.

I always thought it would wear off, that it was that sweet “honeymoon” stage you go through where you love being around that person all the time and then eventually they start to drive you crazy and you find yourself saying, “I just HAVE to have a girls night…or a day all alone!  Grr!” (ok, maybe your didn’t “grr”)

Mark travels sometimes for work so I’ve grown accustom to the one night away here and there.  It’s good by me.  I get to read a couple of chapters of a book without the distraction of Sports Center (ladies, you know what I mean…), maybe take a long hot bath, maybe indulge in some celebrity gossip show or HGTV.  I make the best of it.

But even now, after almost 2 years of wedded bliss (yup…it’s almost been 2 years!), Mark and I usually still do everything together.  The grocery, walking Annie (well, sometimes…), running errans, going shopping, working out… The weekends are the best because we get to have a lot of fun and enjoy time off.  We rarely spend much time apart on the weekends.

However, I have found myself in a weird place most recently.  Several months ago, without thought, Mark booked 2 guy weekends in a row and neither one of us realized it until a couple of weeks ago (Mark doesn’t keep a calendar, you know this…).  Last weekend he had a great time on a golf trip with a bunch of guys he met in Atlanta.  I was really excited about this because being that we’re still not “official” residents of GA (or at least I’m not considering myself one as long as I have a darn house with my name on the mortgage in another state) I really wanted Mark to get to know lots of guys here so he would have a great base of friends.

I thought it was great for him to get out, hang out with some guys and golf all weekend.  I was planning my weekend accordingly…pool time, gym time, reading time and of course getting caught up on my Law & Order re-runs.

But come Saturday at 11:00a.m., I started to go into some serious withdraw mode.  It didn’t even feel like the weekend!  I found myself accomplishing little to nothing important, I even got enthralled in the Ted Kennedy funeral and watched the entire thing (all 3 some hours of it).  This would NOT have happened with Mark around.  Neither would he and I watch the Michael Jackson movie I watched later that night, either.

However, I motivated myself to stick to a good schedule.  I spent time with some friends and had a great weekend, all in all.

But I couldn’t have been happier than when Mark made it home.  It was like I was a 5 year old and my playground buddy just got back from a 2 week long summer camp or something.

MY luck would have it that Mark is also going to be out of town this weekend…ALL weekend.  I’m super excited for him because it’s his friend, Cheese’s (long story) bachelor party on the lake and he’ll get to reunite with a lot of his college buddies that he hasn’t seen in a while.  I know he’s going to have a blast and that really makes me happy.

But what should I plan to do this weekend? Hm.  I’m open for ideas, but I’m thinking pool all day Saturday with my friends (maybe a bloody mary or two), then girls night dancing, and I HAVE to get a pedicure in there somewhere, right?  *wink wink*

It might sound silly and trust me, I’m not a “lost soul” without my husband around, but is it normal to feel like you’re a little incomplete when your best mate isn’t around?  Well, I’ll admit it.  I do.  Shoot me.  At least I’ll get to use his sweet temperpedic pillow all weekend.

Mighty Me…

So it’s not Monday, but it sure as heck feels like it!  So in the spirit of today, here’s a good dose of Mighty Monday’s for ya!

I might have realized today that I have over 40 friend requests on facebook pending.  I might feel guilty about it, but I might also be pretty lazy about trying to figure out who all these people are before I accept them all.

I might have treated myself to a good spa day this past weekend while Mr. Handsome was out all weekend at a bachelor party.  I might have loved every minute of it.  I might also be super excited already about this bachelor’s wedding coming up New Years Eve.  It’s going to be a blast!

I might have read an entire book this weekend in 2 days.  I might not be able to remember every reading a book that fast in my life.  I might have enjoyed my weekend with the girls, reading by the pool and dancing at night.  I might have to do it again before (I officially declare) that summer’s over.

I might be too lazy to go to the gym and instead popped in a yoga dvd to suffice.  I might also realize that this is nothing close to a decent workout, but I might be super excited about it nonetheless.  I also might have to admit that I don’t like going to the gym anyway because I always have to shower afterwards and I might be too lazy to dry my hair again.  And the fact that I don’t sweat during yoga might be a good sign that it’s a waste of time.  Maybe.

I might have to admit that while I am proud that UK won this weekend, I might have not watched one minute of the game (shhh…don’t tell).  I might feel guilty about it.  But then, maybe not.  It was a perfect summer day and I might have been more excited about soaking up the last of summer’s sun instead.  But you can guarantee that I’ll be watching from here on out!!

I might not be ready for fall just yet, but I might be really excited about starting chili season!!

What IS real?

I have to apologize…my blog is far from adorable and Mr. Handsome and I are rare to take pictures (it seems!) so I rarely have a new one to show.  And blog posts?  Well, after a loooong day at work my mind is just fried.  Fried.  So I have very little to talk about (or share on this blog publicly) nowadays.  But here’s a little glimpse into my reality that I rarely share:

Life is good.  Except for that damn house we can’t manage to sell.  I hate to curse, but it’s hard to hide my frustration and, wow, I really feel better now having said that.  That’s how I feel.  Like that house is the biggest burden we’ve ever had.

Having lived in Atlanta, in this small condo, longer than we’ve lived in our own home….really breaks my heart.  I’m ready to feel free of the chains of that piece of land and wood has locked around my heart and settle my feet freely into Atlanta dirt.  Isn’t that crazy?  How when you buy a house it become more than a house to you, it becomes an emotion and you try to make it become a part of you?  Almost like adoption into your family?  But now, over 10 months later, that house feels like my enemy.  The memories may be good ones while we were in it, but I think by now the sorrows have outgrown the bliss it brought to us.

I’m over it.  Completely and absolutely DONE with it.  As a matter of fact, time would go by and Mr. Handsome and I would completely ignore the subject altogether because of the immediate emotions it would bring up, like taking an onion, cutting it in half and putting it smack on your eyes.  Or cutting your finger, forgetting, and putting your hand in a jar of jalapeños.  Or like waking up in the middle of the night and stubbing your toe soo hard that you literally begin to quietly sob.  I pray that no one has to deal with this type of frustration and feeling this complete lack of control.

Sorry folks, but let’s be real and this is my reality.  I’m ready to put it behind me.  I’m SSSSOOOOOO ready.  Mark and I have prayed and prayed and maybe it’s going to take more than just us to make it happen.  Say a prayer for us?  Maybe if we all put in a little request with the Big Guy he’ll have mercy on this wild and overgrown mess.

I know it will all work out, but……. *sigh*

G’nite  for now!

Cooking up for fall!

Another weekend and I’m the head of the household (at least for this weekend)!  Mr. Handsome

Me and my Get Married pal in front of Caesars Palace! Location of 2 awesome movies, The Hangover and Oceans 11!

is on a golfing trip with his Pops in NC and I’ve got the place to myself til next Tuesday evening.  Unfortunately, this isn’t something I enjoy.  I hate it when he’s away!  With him leaving right after I got back from Vegas, it’s been even more of a struggle and sometimes I find myself not exactly knowing what to do with myself!

Some people clean when they have nothing else to do, or shop, or do something fun outside.  But me?  Nope.  Little ‘ol me loves to COOK.  If you could have seen my grocery cart today you would have thought I was throwing a party for 8.    Nope, that 6+ lbs. of ground beef is just for me and my hubby.  Nope, we’re not throwing a party.  Nope, we won’t freeze it.  Yes, it will probably be ALL GONE by Saturday.  This is how we roll.

Unfortunately, my job doesn’t allow me enough time to conquer the world and whip up fantastic meals before Late Night with Conan O’Brien.  Mark and I both work late and hard and if there’s nothing prepared when it’s time to eat, we usually end up munching on unhealthy and equally not as tasty things (or going out to eat).  So I’ve started to develop a habit of cooking great meals on Sunday that can be eaten throughout the week as dinners and lunches for us both.  Hence, the 6+ lbs of ground beef.

Messy Kitchen, Yummy Food!

Where did all that beef go, you ask? I know you want to know…

1. 1+ lb-Beef Lombardi, recipe courtesy my great aunt Joan
2. 4 lbs-Spaghetti Sauce, recipe courtesy my mother-in-law, snipped from a great restaurant.  Don’t worry, we don’t eat it all at once.  It will get frozen in plastic bags for future meals.  Perfect for the busy working couple!
3. 1+ lb-Chili. It’s fall, people, and there’s nothing I love more than a big ‘ol pot of chili!  I make this recipe up every time I fix it.  Besides, I had to find something to do with all the peppers I bought at the farmers market yesterday.

Besides cooking, which I love, what I love even more is when I cook Mr. Handsome a great meal and he grabs seconds and has that look of bliss on his face.  Always makes it worth it!

What’s your favorite fall food??

You know what gets me excited???

This.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6FqJ41eNVM

If you have tickets, I’m buying so let me know!

I might have super powers, b/c I think I baked a little piece of heaven this week…

Creamy, yummy, and super RICH. (this is my cheesecake!)

I was out of town 4 days, then Mr. Handsome was out of town 4 days after me, and I wanted to do something special for him when he got home.  And if you’re wondering what the “Congrats Mark!” on the cake is for, well, he’s had some great success lately, I’ll leave it at that! ) Since he’s a huge fan of sweets, I knew it was going to be a dessert.  Thought about baking a cookie cake…but somehow it just didn’t feel “good enough” or worthy of a special occasion. 

I have a friend that baked a Reece’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake and Mr. Handsome commented repeatedly that he would love that, so I knew I had found the right treat.  Googled a great recipe, spent all night baking, and then took it up a knotch with a Ganache topping (wow).  It came out perfectly!!  Seriously tasted like a little piece of heaven.  Mmmmm….   Any hubby with a sweet tooth (or anyone for that matter!) would love this treat!

Every time I find an excellent recipe, I love to share!  Enjoy!!

Reese’s PB Cup Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe with Oreo Cookie Crust (Recipe found HERE)

• 14 whole Oreo cookies or similar chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed fine, or
  

  My shopping trip!

• 36 chocolate cookies after you’ve licked out the cream middles!
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• Remove the bottom of a 9- inch springform pan, then line the bottom plate with aluminum foil. Reassemble the pan. Pull the excess foil up and around the pan to prevent any batter from leaking into the oven. Spray sides and bottom with vegetable spray.
• Mix Oreo Cookie Crust ingredients together and pat on the bottom only of the prepared pan.

Chocolate Cheesecake Filling

• 2 pounds (four – 8 ounce packages) Philly Brand cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 can (14 ounces) Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup semi sweet gourmet chocolate chips, melted (see above)
• 8 large Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped in
  

  This is my finished product!!

  good size pieces

• Optional Chocolate Ganache Icing

How to Make a Reese’s PB Cheesecake

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (This cheesecake needs a lower oven temperature than most cheesecake recipes.)
• Place a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven and close the door.
• In a mixing bowl on medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth ~ about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down sides half way through. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat again, scraping a few times. The mixture should be smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time beating after each addition until creamy. Add vanilla and blend. With the mixer on low, add melted chocolate in a steady stream and beat only enough so there are no lumps and the filling is nice and fluffy. Scrape as needed.
• Gently fold in all but 1/2 cup of chopped peanut butter cups.
• Pour batter into prepared pan on top of the Oreo cookie crust. Sprinkle the remaining peanut butter cups over the top of the cheesecake, and bake at 300 degrees for 60-70 minutes. The center of the cheesecake will still be a little wiggly when it comes out of the oven. The cheesecake will set up as it cools and chills. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing the sides of the pan.

Chocolate Ganache Topping (recipe found HERE)

(On a side note, I halfed this recipe and used Dove Dark Chocolate…perfect!)

Gourmet Chocolate: Now is not the time to scimp on inferior chocolate. This Chocolate Ganache recipe has only two ingredients, so buy the best chocolate you can afford. Gourmet chocolate such as Callebaut Chocolate, Ghirardelli chocolate or Lindt chocolate are excellent choices for making decadent Chocolate Ganache icing. My brand new Trader Joes in Warwick, RI has a really great price on their own label of semisweet chocolate. If chocolate chips are not available, make sure to chop the chocolate bar extra fine before adding it to the hot heavy cream.

Chocolate Ganache Icing

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups mini dark chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

• In a medium sized pan, heat cream almost to a scald. Remove from burner.
• Add chocolate all at once, and whisk to blend smooth and melt.
• Cool enough to spoon or drizzle directly onto eclairs, brownies or cheesecake.
• Chill ganache 1 hour or more to spread or pipe from a pastry bag for decorating cakes.
• Makes three cups dark Chocolate Ganache – enough to decorate a cake, and have some left over for ice cream!

Has the wii become mii?

Haha!

The hubby and I bought a Wii this weekend….finally!  Personally, I’ve wanted one for a while, but Mr. Handsome and I have never been much of the “gaming” type so it took a while to convince us.

Remember when we were kids?  The games we played were Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt!  I can still hear the sounds that duck would make when you missed!! haha

Making the plunge into “gaming world” Mr. Handsome of course buys the 2010 Tiger Woods golf game.  He is obsessed…loves it!  He says that it’s actually really hard and he golfs a bit, 2 golf trips in the past 2 months.  Since hubby got the Wii Golf game, I convinced him to let me get Wii Fit Plus, which just came out this past Sunday.

One word…obsessed!

We played it all day Sunday, Monday with my friends and tonight as well.  I love it!  I am surprisingly amazed that I’m SOOO SORE!  I’ve always been an athlete: gymnastics, cheerleading, soccer, track, cross country, etc…. but this actually made me very sore.  I love it!  Nothing like having fun and working out and not even realizing how hard you’re working!

Oh, and even Annie got in on the action.  Yes, Annie.  She get’s weighed everyday, too, to see how healthy she is!

Some highlights that I LOVE about the new Wii Fit Plus:

• Yoga-I LOVE the yoga positions they have.  And you can even create your own routine custom for you!
• The GAMES-they are soo fun!  Whether it’s Super Hula Hoop or the Obstacle course, it’s always a challenge and I LOVE things that are difficult.  It’s no fun for me when it’s easy.  And there are soo many games.  We played it for hours and still didn’t play them all.
• The balance board is super accurate and very sensitive.   I love yoga and I’ve done it for years, but the Wii Fit Plus actually measures your balance shifts and tells you if you’re actually doing it right.
• One of the main reasons why we bought the Wii was because it’s something really fun to do indoors when it gets cold.  We’ve already had all of our friends over to play with us and it’s always a fun game that we can all play together.
• Annie gets in on the action.  Yup, Annie has a Mii and she is weighed everyday.  I think she might actually like it!
• It makes me sweat.  Did I mention that yet?  I mean SWEAT.  LOVE it!  Because for me, going to the gym is SOOOO boring.

Anyway, that’s all for now.  Gotta get in my work out and practice my tennis shot.

Have a lovely evening!

I’ve come to realize…

I love things like this…

1. I’ve come to realize that my laugh…makes me snort sometimes.

2. I’ve come to realize that my job(s)… is fun for now, but I don’t want to do it forever

3. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving… I love to sing and dance

4. I’ve come to realize that I need… to dance in the present, not wait for tomorrow.

5. I’ve come to realize that I have lost… the comfort and protection of childhood. What? I’m 25? What? I own a house I can’t sell? Ah, those were good days, weren’t they?

6. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when… people are late.  PERIOD.

7. I’ve come to realize the mornings… could be longer….I need more time to sleep.

8. I’ve come to realize that money… isn’t happiness, but is security.

9. I’ve come to realize that certain people… will never change and don’t care to change, and that’s ok.

10. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always…have regrets if I always focus on the past.

11. I’ve come to realize that my sibling(s)… are 3 of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.  Amazing men I am so proud of.

12. I’ve come to realize that my mom…. is a champion.

13. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone…is my crutch that I rely on significantly

14. I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning…I still want to sleep in and skip work just as much as I did in college.  It never gets easier!

15. I’ve come to realize that before I go to sleep…. I hum the same song in my head to “rock” myself to sleep: Colorblind by Counting Crows. Have done this for at least 6 years, every night.

16. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking… about how all my fall/winter clothes are outdated and old and I’m not a size 4 anymore.  Shoot.

17. I’ve come to realize that my dad… was right about a lot of things when I was younger, I’m starting to realize this more now.

18. I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook… I miss college.

19. I’ve come to realize that today… is going to be a long drive home.

20. I’ve come to realize that tonight… is the night that all my favorite TV shows are on: The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, 30 Rock…oh my! Thank goodness for DVR.

21. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow… is KEENELAND!  But a rainy & cold version.

22. I’ve come to realize that I really want to… travel to Europe with Mr. Handsome.

24. I’ve come to realize that life… is a wonderful gift.  Don’t say no if you really want to say yes!  Live the life you want today, tomorrow is not guaranteed.

25. I’ve come to realize that this weekend… will not be enough time…

26. I’ve realized the best music to listen to when I am upset… is Christian music.

27. I’ve come to realize that my friends… are amazing!

28. I’ve come to realize that this year… has been an amazing year!

29. I’ve come to realize that my family… is great!

30. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should… work out more often.

31. I’ve come to realize that I love… the city life.

32. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand… everything, and I never will.  It is what it is!

33. I’ve come to realize my past… is a golden memory and has laid the foundation for excitement today.  My dad used to say, “if you have so and so much fun now, what will you have to look forward to tomorrow?” My answer: something. more. fun.

34. I’ve come to realize that fall… smells really good! And reminds me of my wedding.  And reminds me that Christmas is right around the corner and I LOVE Christmas!

35. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified…. of nothing.

We had soo much fun!

Great night.