I'm back..

... but still no pictures :( I'm picking up a new drive tomorrow. I give up - mine is lost forever. (But where on EARTH could it have gone???)

I feel like a housewife from the 50's tonight.

I'm wearing a pretty sundress, dinner for tomorrow night is marinating in the fridge, and those dishes are done, and I'm getting ready to start on tonight's dinner while I wait for Mark to get home. Oh, and Frank Sinatra is playing in my living room.

A short recap of the last two weeks, sans pictures:

Destin was fun. I got sunburned. We stayed on the beach the large majority of the time, and it was beautiful. I read the entire second Harry Potter book in one day. (That was when I got so sunburned.) Good catching up times with Kristine, too - we talked and talked and talked. (Not much else to do on a 5+ hour car drive...)

I came back on Thursday, spent time with Mark on Friday, had an excellent Easter weekend at work, and then headed out for Nashville on Monday.

My week in Nashville was full, and wonderful. Monday night, we cooked, using Elissa's new Wine Lover's Cookbook (which I subsequently bought as well). Dave came over for dinner, and the three of us and Tab, Lissa's roommate, ate with us. Tuesday was the cookout. Wednesday we went to a disappointing knock-off Bodies exhibit, and then cooked again. Thursday we ate lunch with Mel, and went to Trivia that night. And I left at about 6 AM on Friday morning.

Worked this weekend. It was good.

And tomorrow, we're reinstating the weekly dinners that we used to do with Andy and Suzie. We're using the cookbook I mentioned above, because we're all interested in trying and (hopefully) liking new wines, so it should be fun. We're starting with the Indian chicken with nectarine chutney that we ate at Lissa's house on Monday night, paired with a Gewurztraminer (which I hadn't even ever heard of before...). It was delicious. I hope mine turns out as good...

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to do a brief picture recap, and tell you about our backyard and its progress!

Hope everybody has a great Monday night :)

I'm such an awful blogger!!

I have been the WORST blogger this past week. So sorry!

I've lost my SD card/USB adapter thingy, so no pictures yet - if I can't find it when I get home from Nashville, I'm just going to suck it up and buy a new one.

I'm in Nashville now, and it is so much fun! I love Elissa, and her friends are wonderful, and last night was amazing :) We made dinner, and ate with her roommate and a friend, and then we played board games. Dinner was Indian Chicken with Nectarine Chutney, which came out of a wine lover's cookbook. It was paired with a gewurtzminer wine (which I'd never even HEARD of), and I swear, it was the best wine/food combo I've ever had. I'm still learning to like wine. I don't like a lot of wines. But this, oh my lord, this was AMAZING. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Good food and good friends make me happy :)

Today we're brunching, and then going for a walk/hike in an awesome park, and then going to a cookout tonight. Yay for friends! (I wish I could plant Nashville right next to Birmingham so I could see everybody all at once...)

Kristine and I are back from the beach. I'll post pictures later...

But man, am I sunburned. My left hand is so bad that it's swollen up like a huge bump lump thing, and my knees are killing me ...

redheads and the beach do not go together :(

Guess what??

I'm going to Florida!!

Today!!

With Kristine!!

We were walking in the gardens yesterday, and she mentioned that she reallyreallyreally wanted to go to the beach. Well, I really really want to go the beach too. And so I said... Let's go! And from there it was a lot of What? and Really? and Are you serious? and OMG OKAY!!

So we came home and started planning. And we found this great little condo for SO CHEAP - hopefully the lady has called us back, because there was an issue with the cleaning ladies or something? So if we don't get that one - I guess we'll just head down and find a hotel once we get there. Won't be as cheap, which is sad, but oh well...

So we're going!! Yay yay yay!

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Looking forward to playing in the sand this afternoon!

Good morning, blog world!

And Happy Monday to all of you!

After an excellent work-weekend (love it when those happen! Two good days in a row - who would have thought??), this week is shaping up to be a good one too! Good things happen in the spring, I'm telling you.

My friend Kristine is coming to visit me today!

Us, at my rehearsal dinner


We met on the first day of college, in the dorms - she was my next-door neighbor on my freshman hall. We became very close very fast, and she was my best friend all the way through college. We've sort of grown apart in the last several years - not intentionally, but just through life in general. She's a 3rd year law student (yay her!) in Georgia, and I'm ... well, I'm here, with Mark. She was a main part of our "friend group" in college though, and Mark was always really close to her too. I'm so excited to see her! It's been such a long time since we've actually gotten to hang out and be in the same place for more than like an hour. It should be a fun week :)

I'm possibly working extra on Friday, then my normal weekend, then off to Nashville to visit Elissa's crew! So excited about that too...

I have the best people in my life, honestly. The older I get, the more I realize how powerful and valuable love and friendship are. I am so thankful for my friends and family. I am blessed beyond measure.

Oh, and HP update: just a couple chapters left in the Sorcerer's Stone, and then onto the Chamber of Secrets!

Delving into the Magical World of Harry Potter...

... for like, the 4th time. (Or so.)

Yep, you read right. I may or may not be bordering on obsession.

I've read the entire series through at least 3 times. I can't tell you how many times I've read each individual book. At this point I honestly don't really remember. I just know that I love it. Oh, how I love it. The first book was released in the US in 1998. I read it in 1999, when I was a freshman in high school. And I've grown up with Harry and Ron and Hermoine et. al. ever since. It is a deep, deep passionate love affair. At 25, I embrace my love affair with Harry Potter. I am not embarrassed. I am proud. I want to read the books again.

And so, if you're wondering where I am for the next several weeks...



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...I'll be hanging out with them.

Fill-in-the-Blank Friday!

Once again, from the lovely lauren at the little things we do!


1. The best piece of advice I was ever given was when my college minister told mr to tell Mark that I liked him, or get over him, because I was making myself miserable. I sort of owe my marriage to her, in a way... Thanks Fish!

2. If I had a million dollars to give to one charity I would give it to The Lyme Disease Association. Lyme Disease nearly killed my best friend, and it is a highly controvesial and inflammatory issue in the US right now. It also happens to be the fastest-growing infectious disease in the country. It is not so easily cured as you might think. It is scary. It can be life-threatening, it can be permanently debilitating. What's scariest is that the powers that be do not recognize any of these things as fact... *steps off soapbox*.

3. If I got to choose my "last meal" it would be pan-seared ahi tuna on a bed of salad greens with wasabi-vinegarette dressing, and freshly made creme brulee for dessert .

4. My hair is red! I like it. It's different. But it doesn't always like to behave....

5. If at first you don't succeed you are not a failure. Take a minute, breathe, and try it again .

6. I have always been very passionate and excitable. I'm loud. i giggle and squeal and make noises and funny faces. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. And I've only started to be okay with that in recent years.

7. Oh....and by the way.... I think that friends are a gift from God. As is laughter. And possibly ice cream... and I am thankful for all of them, and having people in my life who love me :)