The Daily Snack

Ocean Appreciation Day

2010-10-02T22:44:00.004-04:00

Ocean Appreciation Day. At least that's what we call it when we enjoy a day by the water. This afternoon was spent out at Clearwater Beach. Today's weather was absolutely perfect. I spent most of the afternoon reading in my beach chair while the sun's gentle rays kept me warm. Today was the first days in months that the sun has not beat down with such intensity that one must seek shelter from it. What a wonderful relief! We stayed on the beach until sunset, then went to dinner at our favorite beach restaurant, Frenchy's.

Even though there is almost always a wait to get into Frenchy's, who could really mind when the "waiting room" is sitting in the sand at the beach? Frenchy's is directly on the beach, just a few steps away from where we camped out this afternoon.

Tonight's sunset

Sunset crowd

The cat ate my blog

2010-08-31T22:12:00.005-04:00

I've been laughing to myself lately when I recall the recent conversation that I had with my friend and fellow blogger, Lindsay. She told me she gets sad when she checks my blog and there is nothing new to see or read. And just to drive the point home, she told me when she checks my blog she actually hears crickets chirping. So desperate for a blog, she said she would love to see just a photo of my cats. Well Lindsay, you are in for a treat. Not only is this a new post--it's also a video!

Enjoy a small piece of my everyday life. Dinner with the cats.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T18:11:00.005-04:00

I've been...

2010-04-05T15:43:00.034-04:00

celebrating my sister's 30th birthday ATL-style.

taking photos of Kyleigh's kitties.

enjoying time with Jilly Bean.

having palm frond bonfires. Easy Jillian! ;)

eating delicious home-cooked meals.

noticing Diego's appreciation for Florida life (or witch craft?).

visiting the manatees at the electric company. Not the nicest juxtaposition.

wondering why the neighborhood ice cream truck is a scary van.

preparing the kitties for six more visitors.

laughing at John's ever-so-constant dramatic behavior.

hanging out at the beach with my sister, Kyleigh, Leah, and John.

celebrating growing one year older.

welcoming more friends to visit!

checking out the fanciest place for dessert.

hanging out with my bestie from high school who traveled from Denver. (Please take note on how happy Diego is to be reunited with his Aunt Tiffany from his college days. He loves to do her hair.)

appreciating Dali's art

and also Mother Nature's.

close to a deadly rattlesnake on the beach. Yikes! The slithering little guy got picked up by the Parks Dept and relocated.

catching rays with Tiffany.

appreciating nature's little surprises.

shell-hunting on Honeymoon Island.

spoiled by a friend's cooking.

taking visitors to the same places. Ha. I can't help it, I love the manatees.

to my first road race, The Honda Grand Prix in St. Petersburg. It was a really fun race!

appreciating the architecture of St. Pete and the soon-to-be new location of The Dali Museum.

Adventures in Babysitting (Day IV and V)

2010-03-05T18:00:00.006-05:00

Our time with Luke has come to an end, but we so enjoyed our time together! Thursday morning I woke up bright and early with Luke and let John sleep in. Luke was so happy to see me and was so full of silliness in the morning. What a great way for both of us to start the day. He shrieked with joy and just wanted to be in my arms. And ate a banana like a little monkey. In the afternoon, we took Luke to a new playground. He was pretty excited to check it all out, but even more interested in picking up all the sweet gum balls that have fallen from the trees. And he also cannot resist walking past a good acorn. I think he definitely has an appreciation for nature!

In the evening we took a stroll around the neighborhood to allow Luke to get his wiggles out before dinner. After a nice bath, he headed to bed a happy boy. We heard him singing himself to sleep. (Yes, it was "Pink Cadillac.") How cute is that?

This morning John let me sleep in because I was exhausted. Not because Luke was up all night or wearing me out, but because all week I burned the candle at both ends by staying up late and getting up early with Luke. I assume parents make this adjustment pretty quickly! It only took a few days for it to hit me. John and I spent the evenings watching some good TV and when John would head to bed, I read my book. I was reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett and wanted knock it out, so that's what I did and it caught up with me. Luckily John returned the favor from yesterday and allowed me to catch a little more sleep this morning.

One of our proudest achievements of the week was teaching Luke how to say "up." He really likes to be held as much as possible or on our laps when we are sitting, so we helped him communicate with us instead of grunting and whimpering. We started with "Up, please" but decided to trim it down to just "up" and will add "please" later. At first we would ask, "Say 'up'." And the cutest little voice would say, "Uuuuuuuuuuup" and his voice would get really high at the end. It melted our hearts. Soon after, he would say it without being prompted or we would just ask "What do you want?" It is amazing to watch him learn and communicate with a new word. I even rewarded him when he needed to sit in his high chair because he was eating breakfast--he looked at me in such a sweet way and said, "Uuuuuuuuup?" So I thought for a second, but then realized if we were trying to teach him this and he did it completely on his own, then he should should be rewarded. Hopefully now he won't just run around the house screaming "Uuuuuuuuup!"

This morning we spent some time with him before Keenan and Monte came home. We didn't have too long with him because they came home in the morning. It is strange being in "baby mode" and taking care of a little one, then not having him around all the time. I even panicked for a quick second when I thought I heard a baby sound at home, but quickly realized Luke isn't here. I guess that was my instincts kicking in.

Now I am sitting outside, while John grills some potatoes and salmon for dinner. We are back to our normal lives now at our house, but it doesn't really feel 100% complete. We definitely got used to looking after another and not just ourselves. Luckily Keenan and Monte invited us to come by anytime this weekend because it will probably need to happen. This girl is already having some Luke withdrawals.

In a sleepy cocoon.

Brushing a one-and-a-half-year-old's teeth isn't the easiest thing to do.

I can do it all by myself, Uncle John.

Either really into this page or wanting to turn to another, preferably with "tractors."

This will do.

Adventures in Babysitting (Day III)

2010-03-04T00:28:00.004-05:00

This morning we heard Luke humming a song John taught him (Bruce Springsteen's Pink Cadillac) and saying Uncle over and over again on the baby monitor. What a cute way to wake up! He was happy to see me first thing and is such a sweet, jovial baby in the morning. John took him out for a quick walk with the dog and Luke was lucky enough to see the trash truck in action. I should mention there aren't many things more important in his world than tractors. Trucks, lawn mowers, large cars, and some random objects with wheels count as "tractors." Anyway, Luke stood there in awe and as the truck driver picked up on that, he honked his horn. It pretty much made his morning. And this afternoon we took a short walk around the neighborhood and we saw another "tractor." It was actually just a riding mower, but still required us to stop and discuss its awesomeness.

Tonight we ventured out to dinner and it was funny to watch us prepare. John asked, "Do we need to bring diapers or something?" We have never taken Luke out and about alone, always out with Keenan and Monte or babysitting Luke at home. Luke was excited about our dinner adventure and exclaimed "Yay!" after we told him we were going to have a pizza party. That's what he always says after you mention a pizza party. John and I found a nice table to sit at, pulled up a high chair, and ordered dinner. The table definitely wasn't baby proofed and we tried to get to everything before Luke did, i.e. metal plates, silverware, etc. Then he decided he wanted to stand up in his high chair, so I kept catching him trying or giving me the side-eye. Every once in a while, he let out a screech or did something crazy. It's hard to keep a toddler entertained until the food comes out! John looked at me and said, "Do you think these people think we are bad parents? Do you think all new parents feel this way?" I think we definitely felt under the microscope, but in all honestly I know we weren't. The restaurant was a family place, many kids around, and Luke fit in perfectly. I almost think Luke sensed our apprehension and thought the new environment equals new rules. The older ladies in the restaurant loved him and stopped by the table to say goodbye. Luke befriended everyone on the waitstaff. Throwing his arms up in the air and grinning ear-to-ear as they passed might have had something to do with it. He loved the pizza and definitely ate his fair share. We needed to wrap things up at the restaurant because Luke was full and getting delirious. That equals crazy slap-happiness. At the first sign of this we asked for the check and jetted out of there. I have to say it was a really fun experience for all of us! We love showing Luke off and were happy to share a fun evening with him. The pizza party took its toll and Luke was ready to crash when we got home. He walked himself to his room and drifted off to sleep so easily. We are looking forward to another fun-filled day with him tomorrow!

John and Luke enjoying the pizza party.

Chowing down.

John insisted we get a photo of Luke eating pizza "like a dude."

What a dude.

So full and ready to go home.

Making the trek to bed.

Put me to bed. I'm ready.

So sleepy.

One last pose before dreamland.

Videos from Day I

2010-03-02T21:35:00.004-05:00

Adventures in Babysitting (Day II)

2010-03-02T20:42:00.007-05:00

Today has been just as fun as yesterday and Luke is now fast asleep. This afternoon we took the dog for a little walk, Luke played cars with Uncle, I made dinner, we ate together, had bath time, and then Skyped with the gradparents. I am amazed how quickly the time has gone. Luke's at the age where he loves to play, but his day still needs to be structured. So by the time we make dinner, eat, and get him a bath and ready for bed so much time passes. We ate a little after 6 and he crashed at 7:45, so I feel like we've been going non-stop since this afternoon. I guess that's what little ones do! :) I just sat down at my computer and my sister Kyleigh IM-ed me on Facebook. She said, "I wanted to talk to Luke! I called you." I guess I am getting a taste of what moms must feel like because I haven't had a second to think to take my phone out of my purse. So now I have some missed calls to return.

Tonight we had to put Luke in time-out. That's a first for me. When I was young, we were just sent to our rooms and when I was old enough to babysit time-out wasn't really a thing yet. So tonight John and I agreed that if he threw his food one more time, he would go to time-out. So the food was thrown and Luke was disciplined. He didn't seem to mind though. He just sat there for the whole minute. John kept telling me not to look at him, but I want to make sure he isn't doing something crazy. I did catch him banging the back of his head, although lightly, on back of the door with boredom. As I walked over to release him from time-out, he leapt up and exclaimed, "Yay!", added some toddler talk, and jumped in my arms. I was glad to my sweet little guy back.

But I definitely feel like I am getting the hang of all of this and I just simply adore Luke. Even when he bites Uncle (Yes, he did tonight. And it was hard. John thought about time-out, but by the time he recovered from the bite we didn't think Luke would have put the two together if he went into time-out). Or throws food. Or chucks his spoon across the room. He is the sweetest little guy and I can't wait to spend more time with him tomorrow.

One of my favorite things to do is put him in adorable outfits. I didn't know I would enjoy this part so much, but I do. How cute is this bear shirt? Luke's thrilled about it too, ha.

Gimme that camera!

Luke's impression of a New Yorker. "What's a guy gotta do to get an orange peeled ova heea? Ah, forgetaboutit."

I was very impressed he fed himself yogurt with a spoon.

Bath time.

The cutest little guy!

And just to make this a multi-media post, here are some videos. You might cry from the cuteness. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Adventures in Babysitting (Day I)

2010-03-02T11:57:00.008-05:00

John and I have been lucky enough to spend our week babysitting Luke while his parents are having fun in the Caribbean. We've been really excited about watching Luke, but at the time time have had some insecurities about it. What if he cries for hours on end? Doesn't go to bed? Wakes up at 3 am and screams his head off? Doesn't eat? Gets sick? Keenan left wonderful instructions and day 1 didn't offer any of those troubles, so let's hope for smooth sailing from here on out!

We picked Luke up from daycare yesterday around 3pm (he still goes for part of the day to keep schedule). We found him playing outside with his friends. I said his name and he stopped in his tracks as he recognized me. He ran over to his Uncle Johnny and gave him a big squeeze. I should mentioned that there aren't too many things in this world that he loves more than his Uncle Johnny, or as Luke calls him "Uncle." We scooped him up and headed to his house. After an afternoon snack and a quick dog walk, we headed to the neighborhood playground for some serious play time. He hit up every attraction at the playground and was worn out after an hour of play.

Once we were home, he showed us he worked up a great appetite while scarfing down his dinner. I must add that we knew he was finished eating when he started throwing pieces of his bread everywhere. I know we aren't supposed to laugh, but when he does something naughty he gives this little adorable grin that is so hard to discipline! I'm sure this is one of the many battles of being a parent. I must add that earlier in the day, John showed his concern about having to change a dirty diaper by saying, "What are we going to do when he has a dirty diaper? 1-2-3, not it!" I guess since he played that card, it had to be me. Everyone knows the "1-2-3, not it!" rule, but I just haven't had it played on me for about 10 years. On his own he suggested we take turns, so I thought that was rather fair of him. We will see how squeemish he get's tonight! Ha.

We had a little more play time, then it was off to bed. He fell asleep a happy, tired little boy. This morning he couldn't have been happier to see that we were still there. What a adorable little guy! Can't wait to pick him back up in a couple of hours. (Videos to come soon!)

All smiles on the swings.

Gotta be quick on the playground and I'm not sure if the playground was made with uncles in mind!

Working his way up the slide.

Loves the spiral slide!

Lots to see and do.

Not so sure about all of this.

Luke and (an extra excited) Uncle Johnny.

Luke is the self-appointed neighborhood-waver. He waves at all bicyclists and cars as they go by.

Almost bed time.

Singing something.

Catching up with photos and pirates

2010-02-08T15:45:00.008-05:00

I love the trees in my backyard. This was the view from our barbeque yesterday.

Bocce ball, friends, bbq, and a gorgeous day.

Katie, John, and I drove over to Titusville to watch the space shuttle launch. The launch was scrubbed about 10 minutes before lift-off. Mind you, this was at 4:30am. We were definitely bummed out, but this picture was taken before they called it off. That's why we look happy.

Katie, a friend from college, moves to Tampa!

Katie's new place. Great location, cute apartment, and palm trees galore.

Bella May and the quirky ear.

John and I partaking the the Gasparilla festivities. Read about here!

A Jack Sparrow look-a-like.

One of the many boats celebrating Gasparilla in the bay--and pirate chaos.

Gasparilla was really rainy. We decided not to stay for the parade because it was wet, cold, and our umbrella kept on inverting due to the wind. Yikes!

The pirates file off the pirate ship and into charter buses. Who knew pirates travel in such an orderly and organized fashion?

My Big Backyard

2010-01-02T19:10:00.003-05:00

Kyleigh and I went on a winter expedition in our backyard. We had fun and the snow made the landscape so beautiful! Check out our exciting adventures below! (Double click to watch in high quality on YouTube)

Changes

2009-10-18T20:18:00.008-04:00

When the weather gets chilly, I am reminded so much of my mom. She loved when the leaves changed, the crisp fall air, and chilly nights. She used to take us apple picking, host pumpkin decorating parties, and always insisted on "grabbing a jacket" whether we wanted one or not. One time she mailed Kyleigh pretty fall leaves in a card because I think Kyleigh's fall in Atlanta is so short. Her intent was not to be funny, but I'm glad we have those funny memories to laugh about. I've been meaning to share the slide show we created that played at my mom's memorial service--just don't laugh too hard at the embarrassing pictures of me. Click the arrows for a full screen viewing.

http://vimeo.com/5253002/

A Thump In The Night

2009-10-14T23:28:00.004-04:00

Thump is an understatement. More like what just Tarzaned (Root word: Tarzan. John made it a verb the other night.) into our house?

At 3:00 A.M. we were suddenly awoken by the loudest sound. It sounded like someone crashed through our roof, took everything down with it, then continued to thrash about for a good two minutes. At first it sounded like someone was breaking in, but then it sounded like the clumsiest break-in ever. And then I heard claws. And animal sounds. John and I sat up in bed and debated over who should check it out. As if I was going to check it out. Pssh. John slowly walked out of the bedroom and tip-toed towards the bathroom--the source of the crashing. The kitties were well on their way to check things out too. The thrashing, hissing, and snarling sounds continued loudly, so John slammed the bathroom door shut instinctively. We stood there, puzzled for a long time. Now what do we do? Neither of us were going to open the door, but what do we do? Go back to bed? Ignore the thing demolishing our bathroom? What is it? WHAT is going on? I was sleeping 30 seconds ago and now I have legitimate thoughts of an alligator flailing around in the tub. C'mon, we've all seen those home videos when gators break into people's homes. John and I discussed the possibilities: cat, raccoon, opossum...gator, ha. Whatever it was had massive claws, a nasty snarl, and a crazy hissing, breathing sound. And it was going nuts. In our house.

What do people do when this happens? I felt crazy already. What would I say to explain this to get help? We trekked outside with flashlights in hand to inspect the exterior of the house. We saw nothing. I told John that we needed to call animal control. He said not at 3 in the morning. He tried to tell me to go back to bed, but our room shares the wall with the bathroom and I could not sleep with an animal hissing, snarling, and throwing things around when it was inches from my face. I tried to convince John that the animal was dead--we hadn't heard a sound for a good 20 minutes. John said he didn't want to disturb the animal in his last moments, so we had to keep waiting. John kept acting out the possible scenarios of what would happen if he did. The animal reaching up to him with his last breaths, fighting to stay alive. I agreed that we didn't want to see that. So I waited. Then I almost had John convinced that he needed to go into the bathroom until the crazy animal started up again full force. Lots of thrashing, hissing, snarling. John looked at me and said, "Yeah right, he's dead. Let's go to sleep. We will call someone in the morning." I finally caught a little bit of sleep, but was ready to make some calls by 7 A.M. We put a call into a "Nuisance Animal Trapping Service." Sounds interesting, right?

Two guys showed up soon after, one decked out in a camouflage shirt. We knew this would be interesting. The big guy with the camo shirt, had gray hair slicked back into a ponytail, and had no fear of the situation after we explained it to him. He kind of reminded me of the bounty hunter guy. He grabbed a stick with a loop on the end of it (we've all seen them in those animal rescue shows) and asked where the bathroom was. We pointed and he opened the door and ran inside. John and I just looked at one another. What was going to happen? We heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. So this is when I started to feel a bit crazy. We heard a wild beast in there just hours ago--now not even a peep. The man exited the bathroom and said, "No critter, no hole." What. The guys decided to go outside and take a look at the house. It involved looking in two crawlspace openings and getting on the roof. John's brother-in-law, Monte, showed up to help us. We were so adamant that something was in the bathroom and had to explain to Monte that they found nothing. Once they were on the roof, they eventually started to piece it together. I stayed behind and talked to the big, bounty hunter looking man, as he chatted about his strangest finds. A 10 ft. boa constrictor last week that was as wide as a football. Monkeys and lemurs finished off the list. The guys returned from the roof and found some wire fencing was pulled back and a wooden board moved. The animal gained entry there and then traveled in the walls. It gives me the creeps just thinking about it. We figured out that it probably dropped from the attic in the wall between the bedroom and the bathroom. We heard it crashing through the wall and then when it landed it was stuck and possibly hurt. It looked like it probably spent some time under the bathtub making tons of noise, and that was what sounded like it was in the bathtub.

After a thorough search, two traps were set up outside the house where the crawlspaces lead to the outside. We sat and waited. Late last night, we heard the trap. John and I headed out and saw a decent-sized opossum in the trap. We called the animal trapping guy and he came out this morning to pick up the critter. I started to feel really bad about trapping the animal and having to call the service on him. I had second thoughts about the whole thing after I found out they have to "dispose" of them. Why can't they just release them? John and I chatted and we knew it would be crazy to try to put the trap in our car and drop the opossum off to live a new life somewhere else. I had thoughts of that scene in Tommy Boy when the deer wakes up and attacks everyone in the car. Probably not a good idea. I couldn't bare to see the little critter this morning. I definitely didn't want him back in our house, but I couldn't think about the alternative either. Maybe I will get closure on the ordeal, but for now I won't focus on that part.

Tonight I look forward to a good night's rest without the chaos of an animal in my house or outside my bedroom window in a trap. Bella is very weary of the bathroom and whenever she hears a noise in the house, she army crawls by the bathroom. I hope we all don't feel on edge for too much longer. No more animals tarzaning into the house, please!

HGTV should be calling at any moment

2009-10-01T17:57:00.006-04:00

John and I took on a fun home project recently. I had this old, unfinished dresser from college. It was a hand-me-down from a friend who was graduating and I needed a dresser. It served it's purpose in college and then was stored at my parents' house. I knew it always had potential, but never got around to making it happen. The dresser had random writing on it, a quarter jammed into one of the handles, a screw randomly placed in the dresser that served absolutely no purpose, and other markings that made it have "character." There was no doubt it needed some love.

I did minimal research online about how to stain and finish a dresser. I only have faint memories of sanding one piece of furniture in my childhood (Ky, do you remember this? On the back deck in NJ?) and it seemed like it took 12 hours to sand. I guess it was a big project for kids. We headed to Home Depot to get our supplies and got to work on sanding the dresser. I grabbed the sandpaper, started to sand, and was completely shocked because my body was covered with goosebumps. The sanding process totally creeped me out and I did not expect that reaction at all. Total heebie-jeebies! The friction was like nails down a chalk board. I even have a hard time typing about it right now. John gave me some strange looks and continued to sand, as I continued to have a very adverse and strange reaction to the sanding process. I honestly didn't know if I could continue doing it. I definitely didn't sand as much as John did, but I was able to work up to a pace that was manageable. We stained the dresser and the following day sealed it.

Look how great it turned out! It's amazing what a little TLC can do.

The supplies

Unfinished dresser

I believe it says nice things like, "Devo", "Ratner", and "12/16/94." Then another person came along scribbled "Sucks" next to "Devo." This dresser has been around the block--all before my time.

John removing the randomly placed screw.

All sanded and ready for the stain!

Adding the stain. We went with a dark jacobean stain.

Getting every nook and cranny.

All finished! Even the cats sit and appreciate it.

Finished product.

Peony-scented drawer liners.

Summer Snippets

2009-09-19T20:56:00.003-04:00

Here is a video from earlier in the summer at Indian Rocks Beach. The water was amazing. That day we saw a HUGE fish (my mind immediately shrieked "SHARK!" and Keenan said it. It was hilarious...nothing like scaring some kids in the ocean), tons of sting rays swimming in formation, and a dolphin. What an eventful day.

Tonight we are babysitting Luke and I was reminded to upload videos from the last we babysat him recently. He is so much fun to watch and such an easy baby. I rocked him to sleep about an hour ago and he was wearing the cutest pajamas ever. I almost don't want to put him to bed because I enjoy his company so much.

Here is a video from a couple weeks ago:

Meet Weber

2009-09-16T18:55:00.004-04:00

John and I recently received a Weber grill from John's mother and we basically think its the greatest thing since sliced bread. John has been pining for his very own Weber for years now, so you can imagine how excited he was to finally have one. We made a delicious dinner including grilled salmon, grilled asparagus, and garlic mashed potatoes. We received the recipes for the salmon and asparagus from the Weber website. The "simple salmon" recipe was incredibly delicious and is my new favorite way to cook salmon at home. The grilled asparagus had the perfect grilled taste too--so simple, so easy. Now I have to master the Weber grill dessert recipes. Yikes!

So happy about his grill.

Getting his coals hot.

All fired up.

Letting the grill master do his thing.

Dinner is served!

Leaping lizards!

2009-09-13T22:43:00.006-04:00

I recently allowed Diego to venture out in the big backyard. I was a bit nervous about it because I knew it would probably like it. I don't want him to dart towards open doors or possibly even worse, howl at closed doors. He has already started to howl and I need to teach this demanding kitty that's not acceptable. Anyway, once he is out he is a very happy camper. At first the lizards completely bewildered him. He has never seen anything move like them. He wasn't quite sure what to do with them, but now he loves to chase them. One of the first times I brought him out I saw a beautiful blue butterfly with gray and brown accents on it. Unfortunately Diego locked eyes on it at the same time. It was like a slow motion movie with me screaming, "Noooooooooo!" Diego tackled the butterfly to the ground and I was sure we were going to have a dead butterfly on our hands...er paws. I made Diego lose his grip on the poor little thing and it flew it away. What a relief. He quickly moved on to the lizards and tackled one under his paws. I was quite surprised he was able to catch one! I think some of them move slower than others. He didn't know what to do with it once he caught it, so he kindly released the lizard into the wild.

Today he conned my aunt into bringing him outside.

It's fun watching him explore the big backyard. No whenever John does some yard work, he brings his little pal, Diego. If only we could teach Diego to pull weeds.

Along the same note, John has enjoyed spending more time with Bella and Diego. One his favorite things to do is hand-feed them treats. Yes, it’s a bit strange, but I enjoy watching him bond with them. I guess they all like it?!

Taste from St. Louis

2009-08-19T20:36:00.002-04:00

While living in St. Louis, John and I used to frequent the City Coffeehouse & Crêperie on weekends. It was such a treat! We absolutely loved it. We usually usually stuck to our favorites. Mine was a crêpe full of brie, slices of green apple, walnuts, and topped with sliced red grapes. Oh my goodness, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Yesterday morning I felt like having a little taste of St. Louis. I decided to tackle my favorite crêpe in my own kitchen. I often forget that my favorite dishes out, can be made by me. Who would have thought? But it's definitely easier said than done. I found a million crêpe recipes online and just picked one that looked easy. (Note: After reading the recipe feedback, I decided to mix all the liquid ingredients first, then added the flour).

Ingredients include:

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted

I chopped up some green apples in thin slices, cut the brie, and sliced the red grapes. (I decided not to use walnuts because we didn't have any.) The breakfast was a success and John was a happy crêpe taste-tester. Honestly, it wasn't as great as the crepes in St. Louis, but it is a start. I can't wait to tweak the recipe and also try some new exciting crêpe fillings! We are ready for some house guests. Who wants to visit?

Sunset and Surf

2009-08-18T16:10:00.000-04:00

Our last evening in OBX.

The Beach

2009-08-18T15:30:00.012-04:00

In late July I spent a week with the Burketts and our friends Mike, Lindsay, and Grayson in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. John and I were so excited to be reunited with Mike and Lindsay, and to meet little baby Grayson. It had been about three years since we have seen one another. Lots of phone calls and emails helped to keep us in touch, but it was so nice to spend time with them.

This year was Luke's first time to OBX and Grayson's first beach trip! They had so much to experience (when they weren't napping). It was really fun to see the beach through their eyes.

During the days we relaxed under beach umbrellas, played bocce ball, and swam in the ocean. One afternoon we found a shipwreck in the sand! The ocean was pretty rough this year. Every time I came out of the ocean, I felt like I had a concussion. The waves and currents really rip you around and I consider myself a strong swimmer. In the evenings we cooked delicious dinners and crowded around the table. It was almost like camp because we all had our assigned seats at the table. Dinners included delicious fish tacos, lasagna, stir-fry, enchiladas, quiche, and spanakopita. One evening we celebrated Lindsay's birthday! How fun to have your birthday at the beach. After dinner we usually enjoyed the sunset, strolled on the beach, and relaxed indoors. At night, we played games, chased crabs (Mike caught them bare-handed!), relaxed in the hot tub, and fell asleep happy.

Meet Maru

2009-08-13T00:23:00.003-04:00

A few months ago I met Maru, on YouTube that is. I thought he was adorable and I love to watch his videos. If you have a few minutes, take the time to appreciate Maru in all his greatness.

Another favorite

And his blog, even though I can't read a single word. I like the pictures.

http://sisinmaru.blog17.fc2.com/

Hello again!

2009-08-12T21:24:00.003-04:00

So I've been pretty busy in the last month or so--lots of changes to share with all of you! Our move to Florida went well. I was surprised (as always) about all the stuff I own while I was packing and moving. The kitties did well (big surprise!) during the move. They were even allowed to roam about in the car. They spent the night for the first time in a hotel. John, Carolyn, and I were big stressballs trying to sneak the kitties into the hotel. It was an ordeal because we all know Diego's love for howling. Luckily he listened to me when I told him he needed to be quiet! Even though all this happened forever ago, I wanted to share a few funny pictures from the move.

Bella, the hotel skeptic.

Diego chillin' with the remote

Bella checking everything out.

I was shocked how well behaved they were!

Hot mess.

I have tons of funny pictures of Diego helping me "unpack."

Can you find the kitty?

Ah, much better. Even with the couches that will not die.

Another view with Ky in the kitchen.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

2009-06-21T21:10:00.003-04:00

I love you, dad! Happy Father's Day. Thanks for always being a wonderful, loving father.

Happy birthday, Bella & Diego

2009-06-16T12:20:00.004-04:00

Bella and Diego celebrated their 6th birthday yesterday. I can't believe it's been six years since they were born on my parents' back porch. Their little stray mama came around to the house for some protection and food. Now she lives the luxurious life with my dad. :)

Diego celebrated his birthday by consuming his favorite thing on earth, chocolate. Specifically, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. He is a mad man for some chocolate. He got a few small pieces and ate them up so quickly! (The first time I learned of his Reese's addiction was in college in 2004. I found him upside down in my trash can digging for Reese's wrappers. Since then he has had many sneaky run-ins with the candy. Think small Reese's cups strewn about the house, paper wrappers eaten, etc.)

Enjoy the video of Diego devouring his Reese's. I swear he even recognizes the packaging!

Bella shows off her pearly whites.

Bella enjoying some cat grass.

Do you have any more Reese's?

A very delayed Memorial Day Weekend update

2009-06-15T19:17:00.012-04:00

So I realize this post is well overdue, but I thought I would share photos and memories. Memorial Day Weekend was full of friends, family, and lots of plans! Friday night my friends and I celebrated Jillian's 27th birthday with dinner at Rick's Boatyard and went out in Broad Ripple. We had a nice night out with friends, but John and I had to cut the evening short because we had plans to meet my family the next morning.

Saturday morning we met Courtney and Matt, who flew in from Boston, my dad, and my uncle and his girlfriend, from Florida. We watched the Indianapolis 500 Race Parade downtown on Monument Circle. Later that day we attended a high school graduation party for Eric Spencer. I used to babysit him and now he is valedictorian of his class and headed off to Swarthmore. I take some credit of enriching him during all those babysitting summer days. We later ventured to the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, located in Crawfordsville. General Lew Wallace wrote Ben-Hur and served as a General in the Civil War. Saturday evening we had dinner at A Country-A-Fair, in my opinion, the best restaurant in the Crawfordsville area. Each dish is absolutely delicious! The restaurant is located out in the country, and the menu is very simple, many of the ingredients home-grown. I had some tilapia, chose one of the eight different spice rubs for flavor, and enjoyed scrumptious sangria. Our family favorite is the baked brie, but since it was such a popular weekend they were all out. Guess we will have to go back again soon! The restaurant recently expanded by including a sand bar in the back country lot. We enjoyed some live music and headed home. The evening closed with a bonfire in our backyard--with s'mores. Talk about a perfect summer day!

Sunday was spent at the race. We had really exciting seats, right in front of Franchitti's, Briscoe's, and Castroneves' pits. All three drivers lead the pack for some during the race. Castroneves ended up winning it all, and it was exciting to see Danica take third place. Personally, I like to route on the lady drivers! It is really fun to hear so many people cheer her on. The crowd really does go crazy when she does well! That night we traveled as a family pack to dinner in downtown Indianapolis for dinner at St. Elmo Steak House, one of oldest and nicest restaurants in the Indianapolis area. On race weekend, the city becomes a lot more relaxed, so we were happy to sit down to a yummy dinner right after the race. Everything was delicious and it was really nice to enjoy the company of family. We don't see one another enough!

Now that I've taken you on a full tour of Crawfordsville and Indianapolis, I'm going to wrap this up. Enjoy the photos and videos. Click on the videos if you'd like to see them in high quality on YouTube.

Me and John at Rick's Boatyard

Chelsea, Chas, and Jillian, the birthday girl, out on the town!

Me and Chelsea!

The girls out celebrating Jillian's 27th!

The worm float was probably my favorite at the parade. It was quite random because it has nothing to do with the racing weekend, but I thought it was adorable.

Helio Castroneves, who went on to win the race the next day.

Me and John after the parade on Monument Circle

Me and dad

Courtney and me. Guess we like pictures with the fountain?!

The General Lew Wallace Library & Museum.

John perusing artifacts in the Lew Wallace Library

There is a cute story about this photograph. General Lew Wallace liked to fish with his grandson, so he built a moat around his library and filled it with fish! This picture shows them enjoying a day fishing.

Courtney checking out the library.

I really liked these faces, but I don't know who they are.

Ben-Hur artifacts

With Eric, at his high school graduation party.

The boys (Matt, brother-in-law and John) enjoying their tall boys

Enjoying the race, ear plugs and all!

The racing pagoda

Our seats in front of the pits

This video just shows how fast they drive around the track! John also offers the camera a Wheat Thin.

The guys (from left to right - Franchitti, Briscoe, Castroneves) take a pit stop. They are so quick!

Briscoe stops in the pits for some gas. Why can't we get gas this quickly in the real world?

Final lap. Roger Penske, owner of Penske Racing, in the lower right in the white shirt and black pants, waits anxiously for Castroneves to finish his winning lap without crashing.

The final lap!

Castroneves wins!

The final stats

Dinner at St. Elmo's

Weekend Photo Shoot

2009-05-19T17:32:00.009-04:00

My friends Megan and Aric asked me to take some engagement photographs for them. They needed a good head shot to put in the paper, and we were able to get those and quite a few fun shots. We decided to do some wine tasting at Oliver Winery, and it was a beautiful backdrop for our shoot. Congratulations on your exciting engagement, Megan and Aric!

What's the best way to get the groom-to-be into the photo shoot? Wine tasting!

The happy couple.

I had to get a photo with these GORGEOUS purple flowers!

A photo with one of my subjects. :)

And that's a wrap!

You do the math

2009-05-13T00:07:00.008-04:00

For some good laughs, check out the charts below. Where were these when I was studying statistics?

All of these are user-submitted. See what you can come up with and post them here.

May in Richmond

2009-05-12T15:03:00.007-04:00

May is one of my favorite times of the year. In Indiana the weather is perfect. The porch door can stay open all day, the grass is so green and everything is in bloom. I always wish it could stay like this forever.

I spent a week in Richmond with John's family. We enjoyed beautiful weather, baby Luke and wonderful home-cooked meals. Baby Luke is the cutest little guy ever and such a pleasure to be around. His smile makes your heart melt! Last time I saw him was in October, when he was not even two months old. Today marks his eighth month and he is such a different baby. He is so strong, happy and inquisitive. It is amazing to watch him learn. He has a few tricks and has mastered them quite well. With the aid of two steady fingers, he will grab hold and pull himself up. Each time he grins ear-to-ear with pride. It never gets old. He also learned to wave and clap his hands while in Richmond. He picked up this little, irresistibly funny gremlin laugh too.

Keenan, Luke and Carolyn

Luke's first Cinco de Mayo

Hanging out on the front porch

Carolyn's garden

Enjoying the day

Dinner & drinks at Gallo's

What a nice evening!

Baby's got rhythm.

Love the pointed finger.

Luke spilled water at the dinner party and was waiting for some dry clothes.

Luke with his Uncle Johnny

Playing Cranium. Brian drawing "lipstick" with his eyes closed. Hilarious!

I need one of these

2009-04-24T15:44:00.000-04:00

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

The 1-2-3's of unemployment

2009-04-15T13:02:00.011-04:00

I'm feeling an overwhelming urge to make lists right now. I've attributed it to my need to organize and plan for my life right now. It is funny that I feel this way because I don't really know what even to list to make things easier for me right now. I just want to make a list. I think it is the productive side of me trying to gain control of the situation.

My cats are obsessed with me. Well, I should say cat. Bella is just her normal, loving self, but Diego's love is stronger than ever. The past 6 months he has become very needy. I was actually getting a little annoyed a few weeks ago, but now it is kind of nice. He cuddles be non-stop, follows me around the apartment and gives unconditional support. Right now he is about 6 inches from me. He is showing restraint by not touching me at this time. The one thing that I cannot stand is his night howling. He started it back in 2006 and hasn't looked back. He loves the acoustics of the bathroom and thinks he should howl more often when he has more of and audience...like when John is visiting. I've tried every trick in the book and I cannot stop him. I took the kitties to the vet a couple weeks ago for their shots and the vet defined Diego as "very sensitive" and thought my stories were amusing.
My place is unorganized and I want to change it. I have dishes and laundry going right now and I'd like to go through much of my belongings. It seems like this would be a good time to simplify things. Maybe I can bring 3 bags of clothes to Plato's Closet and watch them give me $3.76 for it all.
Keeping things in check. I feel like I am in a state of either being overwhelmed or underwhelmed. I need to find the middle. It is easy to get caught up in thoughts about "Tent city" with our unemployment. I also get very overwhelmed when I start trying to figure out too much. It seems to almost paralyze with me frustration and I resort to watching Oprah or HGTV instead. I'm really looking forward to more comfortable talks with myself about the future. In time, and maybe with a few lists, I will get there.

Update: Diego has now thrown himself on me. There have been multiple attempts to try to actually sprawl out on the laptop. He has resorted to sitting the small piece of my lap that isn't covered by the computer, while resting his head on my wrist as a type.

Curveball

2009-04-07T21:37:00.002-04:00

I've hesitated writing a new blog for a few days, but I suppose I should share my news now that it is becoming more public knowledge. On Friday I lost my job. I, along with 30 others, were laid off. With the state of the economy right now, I can't say that I am really surprised. I think we all our fearful of this happening. I tried to regroup this weekend. Monday, I was hit with another piece of bad news. John lost his job. He, along with many others, was laid off. I still cannot believe it. It seems so surreal. Today is John's birthday. I made a nice dinner and we tried to have a low-key, enjoyable evening.

I appreciate all the support thus far and once again, life shows me how wonderful my family and friends are.

Going green with gardening

2009-03-26T11:33:00.003-04:00

This weekend I would like to plant a miniature garden. It is kind of an impulsive move on my part because I don't have a green thumb, but I would like to have one. The only way is to try, right? Apartment living doesn't allow for a large garden, but I think I will use my big pots to grow some good stuff. Now, what to grow? Any suggestions? I'm thinking I will definitely want to grow some tomatoes, but that's all I got so far. Please help and I will be sure to post some pictures!

Birthday and Hotlanta

2009-03-25T11:23:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from my birthday celebrations and my long weekend in Atlanta. So far 27 has been good to me.

Yi and Erika, my friends from work

Me and John

In Atlanta with Kyleigh

With my sisters

Kyleigh and Courtney outside "The World of Coke"

Courtney and Ky, inside the museum

This is a video of the fam tasting lots of Coca-Cola products from around the world.

Ky tried to make me taste something nasty, but I liked it!

If you ever find yourself with a "Beverly" in Italy, run in the other direction.

This has nothing to do with my birthday or Atlanta, but just a cute video I had on my camera. This is John and Ashland (John's roommate's dog). Isn't she the cutest thing ever?

Spring in my step

2009-03-20T09:56:00.007-04:00

Today marks the first day of spring! We've made it through the winter. I actually have dined al fresco 3 times in the last couple weeks. Wearing flip flops on the weekend is not too far off. Each time spring comes around I get so excited because I love 70 degree days, open windows, flip flops, pedicures, sunglasses, dining al fresco, beautiful walks, and not scraping ice off my car. I just cringed thinking about that.

As the seasons change, I also grow older. Yesterday marks my 27th birthday. Wow, it is strange seeing that in writing. I've decided I am very excited about 27--I think it will bring lots of exciting things. I also have a fondness for odd numbers and I'm happy to move on from 26. This makes my sister, Courtney, cringe because she only likes even numbers.

In just a few short hours I will be in Atlanta visiting my family. Kyleigh lives in Atlanta, Courtney is flying down from Boston and my dad and I arrive tonight. I am the first to get into the city, so Kyleigh and I will park ourselves somewhere close to the airport, grab a drink and catch up, pick up my dad from the airport, have some dinner, and then finally pick up Courtney. I'm taking Monday off and cannot wait to move into long-weekend-mode. What's better than nice weather and family? Maybe a few birthday presents thrown in there as well.

What gets you through?

2009-02-26T21:24:00.004-05:00

So I've been fighting this awful sickness and I am sick of being sick and sick of talking about being sick. But there has been a few things that have helped me through this time. All quite strange, but completely hilarious to me.

I'm not sure how many times I have watched this, but it makes me laugh every single time.

And then you can't forget about the LOL Cats, aka ICanHasCheezburger!

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

David After The Dentist

Kittens Inspired by David After the Dentist

And I just realized my post was only about kittens. This won't help my cat lady reputation. Oh well!

Party Animals

2009-02-20T15:19:00.005-05:00

I hadn’t truly realized how long it had been since I last blogged until about 5 (yes, 5 readers I was unaware of) told me I was really slacking. Ha. Well, today I am too busy to write anything, but have a fun exercise for all of you. I just completed this impromptu game with my co-workers and it is a nice, little brain buster.

Can you name all 18 animals found in animal crackers? Think the classic Barnum’s kind. Post your guesses in the comments section. I will update you all with the final answers. And no cheating! To kick this game off, I’m giving you the freebies posted above.

John's Worst Fear

2009-01-08T22:44:00.002-05:00

Some of you may have noticed that I have posted more pictures lately and that is because I got a new camera from John for Christmas. The camera he bought me last February broke for the second time for no reason which frustrated both of us. John just sent it off to get fixed and hinted that Santa would bring me a new and improved camera. Needless to say, I was very happy to get wonderful camera for Christmas! I'm having lots of fun with it. It even has a feature that makes non-smilers smile after I take the picture. It is hilarious! Check Facebook for some wonderful examples.

Anyway, back to John's worst fear. I know deep down, his worst fear is that I will take tons of pictures and videos of my cats. If loving my cats makes me a crazy cat woman, than that is what I am. But I love all animals and I have been crazy about my kitties since I was born. So here goes the first video (more to come, I'm sure) of the kitties. Bella is extra chatty with me and we can have full conversations. So this video shows Bella asking for treats while I am in the kitchen. Diego comes in half-way through and shows off every furry paw for the camera. Enjoy :)

Virtual Vacay

2009-01-04T22:08:00.003-05:00

I apologize to those who could not escape the cold weather over the holidays, so instead I offer you a virtual vacation with my family...

This is a video from Christmas Eve on the beach, featuring Matt, Courtney (the camera hog), and Kyleigh.

Enjoy the ocean sounds and watch Courtney get frustrated as her sand art gets destroyed by a wave...and immediately blames me. It was a throwback to a previous post about how I ruined Christmas.

Matt and Luis playing the Wii.

Beautiful evening in Longboat Key.

Watch the sun set over the ocean.

I'm dreaming of a white sand Christmas

2009-01-04T21:08:00.011-05:00

I've had a wonderful Christmas vacation and thoroughly enjoyed my time off. At work, we were surprised when we were told we had the week after Christmas off. Tomorrow if my first day back and I am definitely going to have to get all the Christmas cobwebs out of my brain.

For Christmas, I traveled to Florida to celebrate with my immediate and extended family. As I was driving to the airport, I called my sisters because everyone had just arrived in Florida. I knew our family Christmas had begun because Courtney answered the phone and said they were all packed in the car with presents and suitcases up to their necks. They all had to make the drive from Tampa down to Sarasota in a packed car. Courtney was very overwhelmed and in her true, full-of-drama form, exclaimed that there was stuff everywhere in the car and a huge popcorn tin on her foot. As we were getting off the phone Courtney was shouting expletives about how they needed to stop at the Starbucks she just spotted and she got louder as she realized she wasn't going to get her way...ha. Oh family Christmases. :) The whole gang made it down to Florida and we visited with my aunts, uncle, grandma, and cousins who live there. It is a one-stop shop for family. We were lucky to rent my aunt's friend's house while we were there and it was a perfect fit for us. It was our first Christmas not celebrating at home, which was a bit strange. It is hard to be at home now, especially for the holidays. It is just not the same, so it seems a bit easier to be together, but somewhere else. The weather was wonderful during our stay. We honestly could not have asked for better weather. We made it to the beach nearly every day and soaked up sunshine. This time of year, sunlight feels so good. I honestly just basked in the rays of sunshine as much as I could. The water was a bit chilly, but that didn't stop me from taking a dip in the ocean.

We had Christmas morning at our rented house and then headed over to my grandma's to celebrate with the rest of the family. It was a wonderful vacation and holiday! I'd be happy celebrating Christmas in the warmth again!

Kyleigh in our house for the week

Sisters on the beach on Christmas Eve!

Enjoying a refreshing beach beverage

Florida vegetation

Our house

Christmas morning

Matt & Courtney with their stockings

My dad with a shirt from his alma mater

Watching Rudolph over at grandma's!

Courtney, me, dad, and Kyleigh

Me, Courtney, Kyleigh, and grandma

Not sure what was going on here, but now it is my Grinch photo

Lunch at the Columbia on St. Armands Circle

Seashells on the beach

The beautiful sunset over Longboat Key

Christmas flair on St. Armands Circle. Isn't Christmas in Florida funny?

I love all the palms lit up!

Kyleigh does too!

I miss Florida :(

Hamster on a piano (eating popcorn) & other silliness

2008-12-11T21:21:00.002-05:00

For over a month now, these ridiculous songs have been stuck in my head. Now it's your turn. Enjoy!

...eating popcorn on a pianooo.

Meow!

Boogie.

I have posted my love for spaghetti cat before.

Any favorites? :)

One Word

2008-12-09T20:53:00.004-05:00

One word kept coming back to me today, jumpsuit. Today was my first day back at work and it was a little rough. My clothes were uncomfortable and rub up against my incisions and my abdomen and back hurt from sitting and trying to get comfortable all day. All I wanted was my navy blue jumpsuit. I spoke of it often and daydreamed about wearing it to work tomorrow.

The word exercise below was passed along to me today and I thought it was fun. Take a stab at it!

Type only one word answers! Copy and paste in my comment section or on your own blog.

1. Where is your cell phone? ear

2. Your significant other? Johnny

3. Your mother? Beautiful

4. Your father? Traveling

5. Your favorite thing? Love

6. Your dream last night? Eh

7. Your favorite drink? Tea

8. Your dream/goal? Flourish

9. The room you're in? Living

10. Your fear? Unfulfillment

11. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Goodquestionstillfiguringthatout. (I cheat!)

12. Where were you last night? Crawfordsville

13. What you're not? Idle

14. Muffins? Chocolate

15. One of your wish list items? Family

16. Where you grew up? Jersey

17. The last thing you did? Talked

18. What are you wearing? Comfies

19. Your TV? Mute

20. Your pet? Companions

21. Your computer? Hot

22. Your life? Full

23. Your mood? Achey

24. Missing someone? Always

25. Your car? Rainy

26. Something you're not wearing? Jumpsuit :(

27. Your favorite store? Banana

28. Your summer? Aqueous

29. Your favorite color? Green

30. When was the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Sunday

32. Four places you go over and over? Work, Indianapolis, grocery, lunch

33. Four of your favorite foods? Chocolate, pizza, fruit, cheese (I think I am part mouse!)

34. Four places you would rather be right now? Florence, Prague, New Zealand, California

35. Four people who will respond? Carolyn, Keenan, Lindsay, Kyleigh

Sans Gallbladder

2008-12-07T21:41:00.004-05:00

I'm back, reporting to the blog sans gallbladder. Thank you all for the well wishes, calls and visits.

I woke up Friday and was ready to go. I was a bit nervous, but ready to get everything over with. I didn't get up too early because I didn't want time to sit around and feel anxious. I got into my "surgery outfit" aka my navy blue velour jumpsuit from Old Navy that I have been living in since Friday. I definitely channeling J-Lo from 2001 but I have no shame. I don't know why I waited years to get me one of these jumpsuits.

John and my dad took me over to the surgical center and I got prepped for surgery. I got hooked up to every machine imaginable and just waited for the procedure to begin. I hardly remember being knocked out, but I do remember the "martini" my anesthesiologist gave me beforehand. I didn't even know when they were knocking me out, it just happened and then I woke up in my recovery room and was struggling to comprehend the words my surgeon was using as he spoke to me. After a bit, I was able to move up and around and soon after, I headed home. I headed to bed and slept for a bit. Since then I have been up and around, but spending a lot of time resting. I am sore and do not have much energy. I'm looking forward to moving around better and feeling more like myself. Today I was allowed to shower, so that was my biggest feat which totally exhausted me. Yesterday John washed my hair in the sink, so I was able to feel clean and look presentable for a few visitors who stopped by.

I have to admit I was worried about having my dad and John take care of me because I wasn't sure about their nurse qualifications, but I have to say I couldn't have been more wrong. John has been the best caretaker and I can't thank him enough. He has been so attentive to me and knows exactly what I need and when I need it. Who knew? I think he just raised the bar big time. He even created me a 3-foot long straw, so that I could drink without straining to move too much. But his invention didn't go over to well because he forgot about the laws of suction when he placed the glass higher than my head. After the system was primed, water filled my cheeks, cascaded down my face, on my pillow and all over my shirt. We had a good laugh about that, but I couldn't really get a good belly laugh going because of all my incisions. Ouch! I have been wary of the straw since.

I am going to get back to relaxing, watching tv, and not moving around much. Thanks to everyone for thinking about me. Here are a few pictures (compliments of Keenan) from Thanksgiving with the Burkett's. I know gallbladder talk and food don't mix well, so I apologize for that. But in my world, my gallbladder, food, and everything for that matter, go hand in hand right now.

Thanksgiving dinner

All the goodies

Baby Luke has his little seat at the table
All the guests at the table looking at baby Luke!

Me and John

Me and Keenan (why hasn't anyone told me my glasses are crooked?!)

Me and Johnny again

Saturday night party...thugs and groupies?

Yes, most definitely.

Operation Whitney & The Gallbladder Diaries

2008-12-02T21:12:00.003-05:00

My sister Kyleigh just called and said, "You haven't blogged in a month. Write a list of things that make you feel warm and fuzzy." Well, you aren't going to get that list right now, but you'll get a post. Is that okay Ky? :)

Anyway, I feel like I have been moving in fast forward and often think about posting a blog, but once at home I get wrapped up in other things. I feel like I have so much to catch you up on from horseback riding in the woods, renting a cabin with friends, girls' night out, Thanksgiving...and "Operation Whitney." No, I am not going to war, but I am getting operating on. I have a surgery this Friday and I am a bit freaked out by it all. I have to get my gallbladder taken out because it is causing problems. I've been keeping my friends updated with what I call, "The Gallbladder Diaries" but have neglected writing them down! So here goes the Cliff Notes version...

It all started a few months ago, with what I know now, a gallbladder attack. A gallbladder is one of the most painful and uncomfortable things I have ever experienced. It is completely debilitating and I never know how long it will last. The first one lasted for about three hours and was incredibly painful. It feels like an awful, dull pain right where my ribs meet. That night I tossed and turned and eventually the pain went away. I should have thought about going to the doctor then, but since it was just one night, I somewhat forgot about it...until the next attack. The next attack struck while I was driving. I was in instant pain and thought I might pass out or get sick. I just wanted to get home as soon as possible because I didn't want to be behind the wheel. I broke out into a sweat from the pain and was relieved when it didn't last hours like the one before. Now that I had two attacks, though far apart, I remembered they were very alike. I called to make an appointment with the doctor right away. Before I could get into a doctor, I had a third attack. The third wasn't that bad and John was a witness to it. He thought it was awful. Later when the pain subsided he said, "Wow. That one was really bad." I responded, "On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst pain, this one just was a 3."

After having a few conversations with people, including my other sister Courtney who works in medicine, I was pretty sure I had gallstones. My doctor agreed and I had to get an ultrasound. That was a weird experience because I never thought I would get one unless I was pregnant, but it was neat to see some of my organs. A few days later I found out that I have a gallstone. One gallstone. One stinkin' gallstone causing all these problems. The attacks occur when the stone gets stuck in the duct going down to to my digestive system and I get relief when it becomes dislodged. I was told surgery is the only option because my gallbladder is bad. My doctor also told me "Everyday is a gamble with my situation" and I could wind up in the ER so fast if my body tried to pass the stone. He gave me some scenario about how I could be out on a Saturday night and then BAM, attack...followed by a trip to the ER, and if I am lucky, a planned surgery...if I am not, an emergency one. Gallstones are nothing like kidney stones. I can't pass the stone or just get it removed. The fact that I have a gallstone means that I have a "bad" gallbladder. The organ isn't functioning well and allowed a stone to be created. At least the gallbladder is an organ one can live without! After coming out, it shouldn't affect me too much, but we will have to see.

I am sure you all know much more about my gallbladder (and maybe even yours) than you ever thought you would know. Be thankful for your hard-working, attack-free gallbladder! Maybe I will blog from my recovery bed? I will be relieved once this is all over.

Keeping Election Day Light

2008-11-03T23:37:00.002-05:00

Just another reason why I love Natalie Portman...

See more Natalie Portman videos at Funny or Die

Undecided

2008-10-28T11:13:00.002-04:00

UNDECIDED

By David Sedaris, featured in The New Yorker

I don’t know that it was always this way, but, for as long as I can remember, just as we move into the final weeks of the Presidential campaign the focus shifts to the undecided voters. “Who are they?” the news anchors ask. “And how might they determine the outcome of this election?”

Then you’ll see this man or woman— someone, I always think, who looks very happy to be on TV. “Well, Charlie,” they say, “I’ve gone back and forth on the issues and whatnot, but I just can’t seem to make up my mind!” Some insist that there’s very little difference between candidate A and candidate B. Others claim that they’re with A on defense and health care but are leaning toward B when it comes to the economy.

I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention?

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.

I mean, really, what’s to be confused about?

When doubting that anyone could not know whom they’re voting for, I inevitably think back to November, 1968. Hubert Humphrey was running against Richard Nixon, and when my mother couldn’t choose between them she had me do it for her. It was crazy. One minute I was eating potato chips in front of the TV, and the next I was at the fire station, waiting with people whose kids I went to school with. When it was our turn, we were led by a woman wearing a sash to one of a half-dozen booths, the curtain of which closed after we entered.

“Go ahead,” my mother said. “Flick a switch, any switch.”

I looked at the panel in front of me.

“Start on the judges or whatever and we’ll be here all day, so just pick a President and make it fast. We’ve wasted enough time already.”

“Which one do you think is best?” I asked.

“I don’t have an opinion,” she told me. “That’s why I’m letting you do it. Come on, now, vote.”

I put my finger on Hubert Humphrey and then on Richard Nixon, neither of whom meant anything to me. What I most liked about democracy, at least so far, was the booth—its quiet civility, its atmosphere of importance. “Hmm,” I said, wondering how long we could stay before someone came and kicked us out.

Ideally, my mother would have waited outside, but, as she said, there was no way an unescorted eleven-year-old would be allowed to vote, or even hang out, seeing as the lines were long and the polls were open for only one day. “Will you please hurry it up?” she hissed.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have something like this in our living room?” I asked. “Maybe we could use the same curtains we have on the windows.”

“All right, that’s it.” My mother reached for Humphrey but I beat her to it, and cast our vote for Richard Nixon, who had the same last name as a man at our church. I assumed that the two were related, and only discovered afterward that I was wrong. Richard Nixon had always been Nixon, while the man at my church had shortened his name from something funnier but considerably less poster-friendly—Nickapopapopolis, maybe.

“Oh, well,” I said.

We drove back home, and when asked by my father whom she had voted for, my mother said that it was none of his business.

“What do you mean, ‘none of my business’?” he said. “I told you to vote Republican.”

“Well, maybe I did and maybe I didn’t.”

“You’re not telling me you voted for Humphrey.” He said this as if she had marched through the streets with a pan on her head.

“No,” she said. “I’m not telling you that. I’m not telling you anything. It’s private—all right? My political opinions are none of your concern.”

“What political opinions?” he said. “I’m the one who took you down to register. You didn’t even know there was an election until I told you.”

“Well, thanks for telling me.”

She turned to open a can of mushroom soup. This would be poured over pork chops and noodles and served as our dinner, casserole style. Once we’d taken our seats at the table, my parents would stop fighting directly, and continue their argument through my sisters and me. Lisa might tell a story about her day at school and, if my father said it was interesting, my mother would laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he’d say.

“Nothing. It’s just that, well, I suppose everyone has a different standard. That’s all.”

When told by my father that I was holding my fork wrong, my mother would say that I was holding it right, or right in “certain circles.”

“We don’t know how people eat the world over,” she’d say, not to him but to the buffet or the picture window, as if the statement had nothing to do with any of us.

I wasn’t looking forward to that kind of evening, and so I told my father that I had voted. “She let me,” I said. “And I picked Nixon.”

“Well, at least someone in the family has some brains.” He patted me on the shoulder and as my mother turned away I understood that I had chosen the wrong person.

I didn’t vote again until 1976, when I was nineteen and legally registered. Because I was at college out of state, I sent my ballot through the mail. The choice that year was between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. Most of my friends were going for Carter, but, as an art major, I identified myself as a maverick. “That means an original,” I told my roommate. “Someone who lets the chips fall where they may.” Because I made my own rules and didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought of them, I decided to write in the name of Jerry Brown, who, it was rumored, liked to smoke pot. This was an issue very close to my heart—too close, obviously, as it amounted to a complete waste. Still, though, it taught me a valuable lesson: calling yourself a maverick is a sure sign that you’re not one.

I wonder if, in the end, the undecideds aren’t the biggest pessimists of all. Here they could order the airline chicken, but, then again, hmm. “Isn’t that adding an extra step?” they ask themselves. “If it’s all going to be chewed up and swallowed, why not cut to the chase, and go with the platter of shit?”

Ah, though, that’s where the broken glass comes in.

The Best of Bloomington

2008-10-05T20:22:00.008-04:00

I know I have been MIA on the blog scene and I apologize. I don't have any really good reasons as to why, but camera did break (it is off getting fixed and I brought out the old one this weekend) and I am still fighting off a sickness I got a month ago. Yuck! That sickness actually was quite debilitating for some time. All I did was go to work and crash when I got home. After a good dose of antibiotics, I am almost back to my old self.

Anyway, my sickness lifted just in time to enjoy a wonderful weekend in Bloomington. This weekend was perfect. The weather, the entertainment options, and the feeling that fall is starting to settle in made me happy. Saturday morning John and I went to the farmer's market. The farmer's market is one of my favorite places in Bloomington because it is filled with delicious fresh foods, beautiful colors, and happy people. I love knowing I am buying and supporting local growers and love to see what everyone has each time I go. There are always amazing flower stands and great entertainers dancing or making music. This weekend there was a free apple tasting tent. We must have tried at least 30 kinds of apples! I have never tried so many variations! I'm not sure if I will ever view apples the same. John and I loved tasting them and discussing which were our favorites...if I could only remember now. We felt pretty rushed through the apple line, so it was a grab-and-go tasting! Each time I go to the market, it is a unique experience and there are always some lovely, simple surprises. As you can tell, I love it.

Flowers at the market

Look at those yummy 'maters!

Some of our favorite guys taking a break from their music. The drummer uses a suitecase as a drum!

Pretty flowers

Jack-Be-Littles

Some interesting dancers. John claims he seriously would want to join, but I think I could call his bluff by handing over the club sign-up papers!

Entrance to the apple tasting booth. I love the idea of "Slow Food!"

Apple tastin'

John, with his inquisitive mind, went behind the kettle corn stand to have "equipment talk" with the kettle man

The most amazing cheese. Ever.

In the afternoon, John and I checked out a local park that I live by and I shot some photos of fall settling in.

John walking across the dam

Waterfall of fall leaves

Love and nature

Can you find John?

Saturday night, John and I had dinner at The Trojan Horse. John recently mentioned in an all- too-casual-way that he had never been there. We enjoyed tasty saganaki and he loved his first experience there. I am still amazed that he never ate there in his years at IU and since I have been back. Downtown Bloomington was hopping this weekend because of the Lotus Festival. This festival brings world music and art from all over the world to Bloomington. It is amazing. The tickets are a bit expensive, but they get you into every event. John and I decided to skip the tickets, enjoy walking around downtown, and try to catch whatever we could that was happening in the outside venues. I was really excited about one of the artists in particular, Sogbety Diomande’s West African Drum and Dance Company. They are from Cote d'Ivoire and were fascinating to watch. The beating of the drums, the dancing, the costumes, and the man who busted out the craziest moves on stilts was truly stunning.

The African dancers and the man on stilts below

The Lotus Festival logo reflected on Bloomington brick

On Sunday John and I dined outside at The Irish Lion, checked out a blown glass pumpkin patch, enjoyed some delicious wine (Camelot Mead) at Oliver Winery, and finished up the weekend watching Burn After Reading. The fall air is definitely starting to settle in and I am trying to enjoy the beautiful show the trees give each year - they always seem to turn so quickly.

John enjoying a beer at Irish Lion

Crazy Horse and Irish Lion, two of my favorite places

My kind of pumpkin patch - blown glass!

At the winery (I recently got my hair cut and I shouldn't have chosen today to not do my hair, but whatever.)

Yummers

The view from our wine drinking post

The bees love the honey in the Camelot Mead!

I couldn't find Bella earlier this afternoon. I was looking all around and finally saw her move and she was inside John's travel bag. At the time she was curled up inside so I was very surprised once I found her!

I hope this gives you a good taste of what I have been up to and what a wonderful place Bloomington is this time of year!

The best thing since sliced bread?

2008-09-12T17:48:00.002-04:00

Video for a new pitch at work....thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY_RduZpQ3c

My very simple pleasure

2008-09-09T23:07:00.003-04:00

Tonight and I made dinner and was pretty much giddy about using my corn cob holders. I have used corn cob holders my whole life and loved them. I've never known a time to eat corn at home without using them. My mom used to ask me if I needed them because others in my family would do without them, but I did need them. They made me so happy. I don't know why, but I think it goes back to not liking my fingers to be sticky, but I love how cute they look and how well they work. They simply make me happy.

Now that I don't live at home, I realized I needed some corn cob holders and I saw some at the store recently. Tonight, I cooked my corn and pushed the corn cob holders into the sides of the corn. I picked up the corn and enjoyed the delicious taste of summer, while reminiscing about summers past. Why does a little piece of plastic shaped like corn make me so happy? I am not quite sure. They have been a constant in my life and only come out once a year - summertime. Maybe it's the memories associated with these cheap pieces of plastic. It makes me feel like a kid all over again and I am flooded with wonderful memories.

Simply delicious. Simply happy.

Spaghetti Cat Makes Me Feel Better

2008-09-04T19:36:00.003-04:00

I've been in a funk lately and one of the things that brings a smile to my face this week is "Spaghetti Cat." This cat is so darn cute and the cat's rise to fame is so random and hilarious.

Watch and see.

"Spaghetti Cat, fresh off his whirlwind tour of the Internet, stops by the Soup...."

Movies that make you cry

2008-08-28T21:34:00.002-04:00

I just found a listing of movies that make you cry and I think I cried in all of them. I cried watching a DVR-ed Oprah today. Like seriously cried. But it was legitimately heartbreaking...I'm not sure if this movie list is.

I'll share the list I found and see if anyone else has cried their way through these movies.

The Lion King

Not 100% sure if I cried, but I do remember it came out in December while I was in 5th grade. I wore this hideous (then cool) two-piece running suit. Is that what we called them?

Steel Magnolias
This movie practically raised me. I watched it a million times and cried every viewing. Who knew I was such a mature 7-year old?

P.S. I Love You
Have refused to see it thus far because it looks too sad. Practically would cry when the previews aired on TV.

My Girl
Bawwwwwwl everytime.

A Walk to Remember
Actually, I am not sure if I even remember crying in this one. But I probably did.

The Notebook
Totally cried.

IU: The Fountain of Youth?

2008-08-26T22:45:00.004-04:00

First I knew I was old when I referred to them as "kids." Am I that old that I call college students kids? Yes, somehow I crossed over the bridge of no return and forever separated myself from the youthful, carefree, kids. I even caught myself calling them that earlier and quickly tried to correct myself, only to say it hours later.

There are a few things I can do to deal with this situation.

1) Accept that I have officially converted to being an adult.

2) Cover up my verbal slip and refer to everyone as kids. I could go to work and in meetings say, "How many kids are coming to this meeting?" or "I'll email the kids about this estimate."

3) Get a job at a daycare.

4) Apply to be an undergrad again.

After deep consideration, I decided choice number 2, 3, and 4 won't really do much for me. Number 1 is something I will have to work through.

As the 40,000 "kids" arrive in Bloomington, I feel them closing in on my world. Just in recent days, the traffic has increased and stores and restaurants are filled with students. I have been avoiding Target for this very reason. I was advised not to go right now because of its insanity. I will try to stay away as long as I can, but how long can one hold out on Target?

Another thing, the "kids" are almost the reason this very post was not written. I have a confession...I don't exactly "purchase" internet. Usually when I arrive home, my computer just hooks up to the internet. I don't ask questions, but I like it. But now, not so much. My apartment complex isn't really a place for undergrads, but I think returning grad students have sucked my internet connection dry and I am not happy about it.

Today I met a friend at Starbucks and I couldn't even find a parking space because there were "kids" and their little cars everywhere. I luckily found a place not too far away, but it was almost like a walk of shame to Starbucks. I passed students partying outside at Kilroys, underagers eating outside at The Noodle Company, and trendy young guys exiting Urban Outfitters with bags I am sure were filled with graphic tee's. I kept my head down and tried not to make my work heels click too loud on the sidewalk. I didn't want to attract attention to myself and make the young ones think, "Is that a grad student? Nah, she looks too old." I know I don't really look much older than probably half of the college crowd, but I know inside that I am older. It is like a scarlet letter branded to my non-collegiate work-wear.

Before I arrived at Starbucks I passed an IU college clothing store and you know what was in the window? Class of 2020 t-shirts. What. 2020? It honestly stopped me in my tracks as I stared with big eyes and my mouth open wide looking through the window. 2020? I thought, "Wait, what year is it? 2008. Right? Yeah, 2008." Wait, pause, think. "The class starting now is class of 2012. My brain is going to explode. Why are their shirts for 2020?" (Side note: these weren't little kid shirts either, which added to my confusion.) I walked away dumbfounded.

I hope to get through these next few weeks without feeling awkwardly old. Maybe I will have to hit up Target in the morning, you know none of the kids will be there in the early hours. Ha, I'll show them! At least I got that one on them, which is just another supporting point of why I feel old. I get up early.

If kitty potty training was an event in the olympics...

2008-08-19T23:20:00.003-04:00

Diego and Bella would win gold! Well, actually Bella would win gold and Diego, silver. The kitties have been doing a wonderful job with their new potty training routine and I am very happy about it. It hasn't been a complete walk in the park, but I am seeing improvement and I couldn't be happier about it. We are still on stage 1, but Diego has been accident-free for one week now! This is HUGE! I was feeling a bit discouraged when he had a few accidents and my sister offered advice like, "Maybe he doesn't want to be a CitiKitty?" This might be funny to her, but I am going to try ever trick in the book before I give up on him.

I am a bit nervous to move on to stage 2, so I might give it another day or two and then move on. I will be happy when this whole process is over. For a while there, I felt like I was duking it out with a toddler who didn't want to behave. Right now I feel proud of their progress and I hope it continues to move in a positive direction!

Here are some photos of the All-Star kitties.

Bella and Diego during their sleepy college days.

Not only is she pretty, she is soon-to-be potty trained.

Diego visiting with his "Aunt Tiffy" this summer. Diego doesn't look too excited to see his old college roomie, but he was. His excitement doesn't really come across in photos.

Juan Pablo Wants Some Crackers...

2008-08-14T21:06:00.002-04:00

Here is a quick video from the cocktail hour at Tasha and JP's wedding.

Disclaimer: I do not speak Spanish. Therefore, I hope whatever Nathan says in the end of this video is blog appropriate. Can anyone enlighten me?

Life Through My Shutter

2008-08-13T20:22:00.004-04:00

I have created a website to share all my photos with my friends and family. To gain access, you must become a member (free!). I decided to make this "member only" so I can share all my photos with friends and not creeps from around the world. :) Anyway, I encourage and invite you all to check it out because I will keep it updated with lots of fun photos of my own.

http://lifethroughmyshutter.shutterfly.com/

Felicitaciones!

2008-08-13T19:41:00.003-04:00

I have been recovering from my long weekend in Florida celebrating Tasha and Juan Pablo's (JP) wedding! I had such a wonderful time and it was hard to leave. It was so fun to bring together lots of families, cultures, and friends! JP's family traveled from Argentina and Peru and all the other guests were from all over the country. Tasha and I spoke about how unique it was going to be to have everyone important their lives in one room. It was truly an honor to be involved in their wedding day. To me, Tasha is like a sister and I am so glad she is married to a man whom we all adore. Congratulations and lots of love to you both!

The same darn bird that hangs out at the hotel is still there from May when he terrorized all of us on the patio each day! It was raining that morning and he was not happy, so he stood outside the door. (I must admit, I was a bit happy to see the little annoying guy again.)

John and I at the "Welcoming Dinner" with all the guests!

Mandy and I being sassy, post getting our make-up done (sans the nasty lip stuff - that came later).

Aren't they beautiful?

Artistic shot of the wedding party

Bride and Groom

Beautiful girls! Carolina (JP's sister) and Mandy

Kyleigh, Mandy, and me.

Tasha and JP during the ceremony. Most likely, I had tears streaming down my face in this moment.

The sand ceremony...combining sand from their homelands.

Because Misery Loves Company...

2008-08-04T20:59:00.002-04:00

I thought I would share the three songs that are constantly in my head. I think they are on a permanent loop.

Shut Up and Let Me Go by the Ting Tings

Forever by Chris Brown

Falling Slowly from the movie "Once"

There, now you have them in your head too.

The Taste of Sweet Success

2008-07-29T00:08:00.003-04:00

Diego did it! I saw him use the CitiKitty in the appropriate manner! Yay!

Here are a few pictures of him enjoying his sweet success (a.k.a. eating a couple treats that came with the kit)!

Call me crazy, but...

2008-07-27T14:56:00.003-04:00

I have dedicated this weekend to start potty training my kitties. I know, it is crazy. Completely crazy. Borderline nuts. But hear me out. I moved to smaller apartment recently and I don't have good place to put the two litter boxes I had previously used. I found a product online a while ago called CitiKitty and it helps potty train cats. It is especially for those who live in small places, want to save money by not buying litter, and be more environmentally conscious. I have been considering ordering a CitiKitty kit for a while, but once I moved into my new apartment I decided I would give it a shot.

I received my potty training kit on Friday. I hurried home after work and set it up for Bella and Diego. The directions advised that I place the cats (seperately, of course) on the mini litter box that now is placed in the toilet. Here is how it works...at first it is basically a litter box that fits inside the toilet. There are perforated rings in the box and each week (or longer, depending on progress) I remove a ring. When the training is complete, the kitties learn to use the toilet and are not dependent on litter or standing in the box. When I set it up, Bella was a bit curious and Diego was struck with complete fear. He was wiggling around and did not want to be put on the toilet. He fought it all the way. I knew he would be the problem kitty. Ugh.

Anyway, since Friday evening we have had a few developments. The CitiKitty has definitely been used, but I believe only by Bella and not by Diego. I have to remove the contraption from the toilet when I need to go to the bathroom (which I am hoping will be a small sacrifice for the intended outcome). When I have done this, Diego has come in and used it on the floor. I almost wanted to stop him, put it back on the toilet, and then encourage him to go, but it isn't that easy to stop a cat from going to the bathroom when they need to go. I hope I am not inhibiting his progress by allowing him to do this. Maybe he needs smaller baby steps?

Last night, he was running around the apartment, making TONS of noise, meowing, scratching at plastic bags and magazines and I had a sneaking suspicion that he needed to go to the bathroom. A few minutes earlier he was talking a lot and leaded to me the laundry area, where his box used to be. I opened up the door and showed him the box wasn't there anymore and he seemed a bit confused. After this, was when he started to act up. It was after 1am and I was ready to go to bed. I broke down, took his litter box off the toilet, put it on the floor and, needless to say, he couldn't have been more relieved. I felt horrible that he had been holding out for his box, but how am I supposed to get him to use the CitiKitty properly?!

Anyway, if you don't want to read about cats and their bathroom habits, then I do not suggest reading my blog in the upcoming weeks. More interesting updates to come...

Here are some pictures from Friday evening.

CitiKitty arrived!

Diego likes the box it came in more than the kit itself.

All ready to go! The white powder is litter deodorizer, but more importantly attracts a cat to its litter box. I thought I should put some in so they could locate it easier.

Last Lecture?

2008-07-25T23:47:00.002-04:00

I am very sad to hear of the passing of Randy Pausch. He was a well-respected Carnegie Mellon professor who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, and before he left his job to spend time with his family, he gave "his last lecture."

I saw his story on Oprah earlier this year and it touched me because he knew he would pass away, leaving his wife and children behind. I watched his last lecture and thought it was a very nice leave-behind for his loved ones, especially with his children so young. He was so positive, had tons of energy, and had a true zest for life. I watched, almost in a trance-like state, as Oprah interviewed him. Since I could relate to what he and his family were going through, it seemed a bit hard to see someone be so strong. I knew what pain his family was enduring and what was to come.

This morning I arrived to work and hadn't thought of Randy Pausch in quite some time and was blindsided to see he passed away today. I had to hold back the tears at work. I was so sad. I was surprised how hard it hit me. I didn't know him, wasn't extremely moved by his lecture (not to be insulting or anything, I think my head was just in a few other places), but I felt so connected because I understood his desperation to leave something behind, to make memories for the future, and share who he was for his children.

For those who haven't seen his last lecture, I would recommend you view it. From what I have seen and read, he was a loving friend, husband, and father. We all have special people like this in our lives and we might even be that person for others. I believe this isn't Randy Pausch's last lecture. His legacy will live on through his friends, family, words, memories, and determination to leave something behind. But I do think it is crucial for me to express that it isn't always the last thing that is most important, but all the little things those who have passed have left behind. And most of those things aren't perfectly tied up in a package for others to view. While he left something very thoughtful behind for all of us, I hope his family has many more special memories just for them.

Virtual Vacation: All the Great Things about Summer

2008-07-24T21:33:00.006-04:00

This is Molly, Keenan's Yorkie freaking out on the beach. She recently started this odd behavior which involves making the strangest noises possible when seeing another dog. She only does this if you are holding her and she sees another dog that entices this reaction. Some dogs get the honor, others do not. Molly is very selective. And she can be. Because she is 3 lbs and very cute.

Though the night was very dark, the guitars and lovely singers were out in full form. Here is a clip from the guitar party, featuring John and Big Rob on the guitars.

This is a clip of one of evening walks on the beach. John, Carolyn, and Mitzi (one of Carolyn's newly adopted dogs) frolic on the beach.

Molly, Mitzi, and a new friend on the beach.

The moon rising over the Atlantic.

The moon reflecting off the ocean waters - what a beautiful sight. This clip is definitely a bit shaky, but I love seeing the rushing water under the moonlight.

Another evening clip. John likes to scare me in the dark (listen for the scary laugh).

You can definitely smell the ocean in this one.

Sneak Peak: Vacation in the Outer Banks

2008-07-22T21:09:00.006-04:00

I just came back from being a beach bum for a week with John's family and friends. Here's a sneak peak of what I was up to.

The Daily Snack Retraction

2008-07-09T22:56:00.004-04:00

Like all decent publications, corrections and retractions are sometimes necessary.

I received this email from my dad after he read my last post.

"Subject: Correction to Record

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 10:47 PM

From: "frank"

To: "Whitney"

You need to state in yr blog that "My dad did come and helped me move."

Dad"

Sorry dad, I stand corrected. You decided last minute to come down and help me. It was much appreciated. Thank you! :)

But she grew up tall and she grew up right...

2008-07-07T23:18:00.006-04:00

Can you finish those lyrics? With them Indiana boys on an Indiana night!

I have been keeping myself very occupied lately. The past couple of weeks have been quite a blur. When I returned from Chicago, I had a few days to pack up my entire apartment, clean it, and move. I was a bit overwhelmed and tried to at least put in a few hours of work each night, thinking that when the movers (yes, movers) arrived on Saturday morning, that I would have everything ready and be fully prepared for the move. Friday evening arrived and I had a good enough attitude and felt like I could get everything finished up, but everywhere I looked I saw something I either needed to pack, organize, clean, read, throw out, etc. I basically went nuts and was so exhausted from the previous late nights and never really caught up from my Chicago weekend. I took a short nap and then got back up and worked. I got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep that night before the movers arrived. John was at a wedding in Ohio and my dad couldn't really help me, so I had to hire movers to move within my same apartment complex. But you know what? I totally recommend it. They weren't expensive and they were so fast. They knocked it all out in a couple of hours. I hit the shower and tried to find my wedding clothes because I had to drive to a wedding a little over an hour away from Bloomington on Saturday. I rushed around my new apartment frantically trying to find things and not look like a total crazy mess when I showed up to the wedding. About a half-hour into my trip I thought, "What shoes am I wearing? Please tell me I am not wearing my flip flops from earlier." I hesitantly looked down and "Score!" I wasn't wearing them. I was wearing coordinating shoes. I was able to take a deep breath and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Here are some pictures and videos from Leslie's wedding. Leslie was one of my best friends in college, a fellow Alpha Phi and a roommate. I haven't seen her much since she moved away to Minneapolis, so it was wonderful to be a part of her wedding day!

Kris and Leslie

Leslie and me, circa 2003 in Florence, Italy

What a beautiful bride!

Aren't these older couples the cutest thing you have ever seen? Also, the little girl in the pink dress is adorable. She definitely had some moves on the dance floor!

This little girl was so cute and had all eyes on her while she danced!

After the moving and wedding weekend, my work week was in full swing. We had flex week, meaning we work longer hours to have Thursday and Friday off. I tried to come home and be productive, but after making dinner and sitting down to relax at 8pm, it is hard to muster up any motivation. Thus, the apartment is slowly unpacking itself as I need things and feel motivated. Today I thought, "Today is the day. I am going to come home from work and do lots of good things!" Well, I did get some things done. I organized my closet, started to hang up things...but now I find myself blogging and it is nearly 10pm. I am a distracted and unmotivated fool.

Anyway, back to my busy fun times...last week I went to the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert and had a great time. It was truly an entertaining show and each song was soooo good. It was my first Tom Petty concert and didn't know I was going until last minute when a ticket was freed up. [Disclaimer: Sorry, Carolyn. The concert was awful and do not read anymore of this paragraph.] I didn't really realize how many great Tom Petty songs are out there and how many I knew. Tom Petty seemed really into the show as well, so I think that makes it more fun for the audience. After he sang about Indiana boys and Indiana nights he said, "I have been waiting for two years to sing that song here" and the crowd loved it. The show was amazing...even in spite of the large drunk man in front of me who slammed his head into my knee when he fell backwards and told me he was going to sue me in his drunken slur. I think he was trying to make a joke, but it wasn't really funny. I told John at some point during the show, "You know this big drunk guy is going to fall on me tonight." I was right, but I am okay. Anyway, I totally recommend seeing Tom Petty if he shows up in your area. You will have a guaranteed good time. Just don't sit behind the big drunk guy who swaps gum with his girlfriend as they exchange "passionate" kisses during the show.

Me, Big Drunk Guy, and John

The weekend continued to be busy and fun as my friends trickled into Bloomington for the "Summer Extravaganza" John and I planned. It involved fireworks, a double-decker boat with a slide on Lake Monroe, and camping at night. Needless to say, I needed a shower and lots of aloe by Sunday morning.

Pre-firework fun with sparklers!

It isn't 4th of July if you don't make at least one failed attempt to capture a firework on camera.

Our Partytoon!

Amy, sitting in my new pink chair

Lake Monroe

John, the hula man and captain of the boat

Aric and Megan

Flexible Rob (living up to his college name) showing us his crazy moves as he does a hand stand on the top deck of the boat into the water. I do not recommend reenacting this move.

Sarah and I on the top deck. I think this is the time I realized my back got too much sun and this wet towel felt good on my soon-to-be burn.

The tree tops above our campsite.

High school friends, Megan, me, and Chels

Megan working really hard to get that bottle open. After many failed attempts by others, she got it opened. Nice work, Megan.

Megan, I think this spells IU in a mirror. Muhahaha!

Megan with her sparkler light show!

My busy summer continues, as next week I head to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Until then, I will have another song stuck in my head. Less Indiana boys on an Indiana night and more gone to Carolina in my mind.

Shake it, Shake it, Shake it Baaaaaaaby

2008-06-25T17:27:00.003-04:00

A Chicago shout-out to all The Beatles nights in Florence, Italy.

Chicago Weekend Summarized with Photos

2008-06-23T19:59:00.011-04:00

Yeah, so since I don't really do 4am-ers (5am my time) anymore, I am recuperating from my very fun weekend in Chicago. It has been five years since my study abroad program ended in Florence, Italy and my study abroad friends and I decided to plan a reunion. It was an action-packed, fun-filled weekend! We definitely felt older because I don't know how many times I heard, "I really don't go out like this anymore." Times have changes since we were 20 and 21 in Firenze, living it up! But that still doesn't mean we don't know how to have a good time...it just takes longer to recuperate. I have to admit being at work today was pretty rough, I was totally exhausted. Anyway, after five years apart, friends flew in from Seattle, Boston, NY, and Philly all to meet up for the much needed reunion. Documented below are our evenings out, a great Italian dinner, an architecture boat tour, and Wrigleyville. I hope you enjoy the photos, possibly more to come...

I am sure Bridget said, "I don't really do this anymore" after she put the pitcher down.

Bridget and Tricia - we decided a photo needed to be taken in front of the "currency exchange" business

Group shot in front of Wrigley Field

Go Cubs!

Mike's Nintendo shirt at lunch in Wrigleyville

The ladies at lunch

Kathryn and me out to dinner

Our Italian dinner

Something funny happened?!

Kathryn and Katherine framing Lou Piniella, the manager of the Cubs!

Celebrating Kedavies birthday!

Love this cloud!

The Merchandise building - so large it has its own zip code!

I like the shiny ones

Another view of the Merchandise building

I like the reflective buildings

"Corn cob" architect, who favored round designs, designed this building

He also designed these, I think they almost look like honeycombs

The ladies and Mike

Baby Love

2008-06-16T14:42:00.008-04:00

This weekend Carolyn and I threw Keenan and Baby Farrar a baby shower! It was so fun to celebrate the baby to-be and see all the teensy-weensy clothes and baby accessories. It was wonderful to be around all the ladies, quite a few who had some sound advice for Keenan. We played a few fun games, enjoyed some delicious food, and ogled over the most extravagant baby shower cake known to man. It was delicious too!

Before party time, Keenan showed me her baby bump and it was such an beautiful thing to see. It was my first time to see a baby move and feel it kick. What an amazing experience. I know I will never forget it. We have to wait until September for Baby Farrar to be born, but I know he will be well worth the wait!

Keenan showing off the cake

The somewhat funny/possibly Asian sweet pea

Look at the gorgeous cake!

Keenan opening up presents

Some of the ladies eating lunch outside in the backyard

Keenan and friends

She totally has the pregnant glow :)

Molly tested out Baby Farrar's new stuff and she definitely put her stamp of approval on this one!

John and me at BW3s

Happy Johnny

Table for 20 please! Cue the freaked out and new wait staff....

Mother and son in matching outfits. So funny! John said, "Well, if I knew my mom and I would be wearing the same outfit today, I would not have put it on." Haha.

Photos from Horseback Riding

2008-06-16T14:37:00.003-04:00

Sorry, there aren't really any great pictures from our horseback riding adventure. It is tough to ride horses and take pictures, plus mine took a b-line for the food immediately when we returned, so I didn't get a good picture with him.

One week old horse with his mommy

John and Shawnee