not so close...

I went to see the movie Black Swan yesterday afternoon.  While I was at the theater I had a couple of problems with the people sitting next to me, so I told my friend I needed to take to the blog for some movie theater etiquette.  Listen up all the heavy breathing, texting, sitting next to a stranger movie go-ers, this one's for you.  My friend Emmy and I arrived early to the movie to get a good seat because it was the day after Christmas and we knew Black Swan was a hit.  We found a seat in the middle section next to the aisle, more than half way down to the front.  The theater was somewhat crowded but with plenty of seats available.  After we sat down, an older lady came past us and sat exactly four seats down from me....not a big deal at all.  Then she proceded to take off her scarf and lay it down on the three seats between us.  Again, I was ok with this...thinking maybe her husband was coming and she wanted to make sure to have enough room for him and perhaps her purse and a coat or two.  Well, her husband walks in and sits next to her and then two more friends sit down RIGHT next to me.  I looked around thinking there was no way that the theater filled up that much in the few minutes we had been sitting down and to my dismay there was an entire row empty directly behind us.  Not only that...there were three other seats on the other side of the first lady that sat down that were empty!  So, to give you a visual of our row it was Emmy, Me, and four stranger followed by three empty seats and an empty row behind us.  First rule of movie going etiquette, don't sit directly next to someone else unless there are no other seats in the theater.  So, not only are we sitting right on top of each other...the arm rest between us breaks.  This is no joke, at one point I was holding the arm rest in the air thinking it might make the man move.  He just looked at me and said "yep, it's broken".  The right thing to do would have been to move down one seat, they didn't budge.  So, the movie starts and so did the strangers breathing.  I just kept thinking of those hand sanitizer commercials where they show germs shooting out of peoples mouths and nose....totally disgusted.  It's cold and flu season, we don't need to be sharing germs.  So, another rule to learn: if you are sitting directly next to a stranger, keep the breathing down!  The noise and oxygen intake was unnecessary.  And to top it all off...everytime I hid my face under my coat or jumped because of a scary part in the movie...he laughed at me.  As if I wasn't upset enough with the movie, he had to act like it was ridiculous that I couldn't watch Natalie Portman scratch her skin off or cut her finger nails down to the skin.  Sorry mister, that's just not something I can stomach!  If I was sitting next to a friend and they were making fun of me, that's fine, but it's not ok for a stranger!  So, next time you're at the movie, remember to consider the people around you...and by around I don't mean the person sitting exactly next to you because there should always be an empty seat between you!  I won't get into lice on the seats because that would just be downright gross...hope ya'll had a Merry Christmas!!

xoxo

it's that time of year again...

It’s that time of year again…everyone’s favorite holiday, Christmas.  I have a confession; not sure how comfortable I feel sharing this fact about myself but let the truth be told…I don’t love “Christmas”.  Before you throw me under the bus, call me the grinch, switch to another blog or shake your head in disgust…just hear me out.   There's a group(maybe small, maybe large) of people I think have forgotten what Christmas is all about and make the season unbearable for others.  Perhaps you might know someone who could use a little reminder??  Feel free to send them over to my blog!! I’ve noticed that people are crazy right now, seriously crazy.  Fuzzes are short, emotions are running high, and every one is broke.  I work for a company that makes children’s clothing…in the past couple of days I’ve been told I’ve ruined Christmas for a family because their pj’s were sold out and I was told I’ve saved Christmas for another family because I could send their two year old a silk party dress (I’m sure the baby will be thrilled).  How in the world do I have the power to make or break someone’s Christmas with what their kid is wearing??  We have this huge build up for one day…parents shop for weeks, wrap for hours and gifts are opened and thrown to the side in minutes.  Kids cry when they don’t get what they want, parents are tired and cranky because they’ve stayed up all night to make the day special for the kids, where are all the merry people?  It’s become the hustle and bustle of going from one party to another, getting all the shopping done, having the house decorated and gifts under the tree, but are people truly appreciating it all? I could go on and on, but I won’t because I do know there are also good things about Christmas…spending time with family, being thankful for what you have and if you want to celebrate the absolute true meaning of Christmas…it’s celebrating Jesus, his birth and everything he has given us.  But, how many people do you think actually celebrate that?

do you celebrate christmas because of this??

or this??

I was talking to my friend, Mere tonight.  You all might know her from her guest blog appearance about breast cancer at 30.  Here is a woman who has so much to celebrate this Christmas.  She is a great reason we should take the time to think about what we have and how truly blessed we are. I know this year her family and friends will be thankful for the time spent with her celebrating another Christmas.  So, don’t let yourself get too wrapped up in the commercial aspect of the 25th of December.  Remember why we have this holiday and don’t worry so much about the materialistic things you/your loved ones have been asking for, reflect on your year and what truly makes a difference.  Meredith got a card from two young cancer patients this year and this is what it read with a picture of the two kids with their little bald heads on their “make a wish” trip:

It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

So, call me the grinch if you want, but I think we can learn something from this green guy.  Merry Christmas!!

xoxo

she's fallen and she won't get up...

Blog readers...have you missed me?? Wondered where I went..to be honest, I have no excuse.  My schedule has changed a bit, working more and less time to write.  I feel like I've had a lot of funny things to share, but not always sure how to share without exposing some of my secrets ;) Another VERY time consuming project has been taking care of my sweet little mama.  She broke her foot a week before Thanksgiving and you would think she was paralyzed.  It happened on a Friday night...I had gone out to dinner with my parents and a couple of glasses of champagne for Brenda and down she went...literally.  One wrong step and boom...it all happened so fast, I had no idea how she did it.  Not only was she in pain, she kept passing out.  I was literally in shock because I've never seen anyone pass out.  Unfortunately for my mom, my sympathetic, maternal side did not kick in...I just kept telling her to get up.  My Dad was mute, so I had to take charge and strategize how to get her to the car.  My Dad and I carried her together and let's just put it this way...we accidentally kept going in opposite directions.  It wasn't pretty and I would pay someone big bucks if there was a video of it!  At the hospital my future flashed in front of my eyes because the doctors just talked to me...not my parents.  FINALLY, I was the one in charge.  After staying the night in the hospital, she was allowed to leave with a boot on her right foot and crutches.  I wish that was the end of my story, but it's only the beginning.

my sweet mama

For those of you that don't know me, I can be very dramatic, the past few weeks I figured out where my overly dramatic side comes from.  My mom had a friend bring her a wheel chair, she has been rolling around in it running into every wall and door way because the crutches just aren't an option.  Coordination and upper body strength put the kibosh on that.  As soon as anyone sits down she decides she needs a glass of water or a popsicle.  When she finishes her meal she hands you her plate to immediately take it away, even if you are in the middle of finishing your meal.  She MUST have two diet cokes from McDonalds/day (the first one my Dad delivers around 6:30-7am).  She texts me at work at 4 to bring her home champagne because hers has gone flat and she sits in her bed, playing games on her i-pad and giggles on the phone.  One week of this was funny, two weeks was understandable but a month later and I'm so over it.   Now that it's icy out there, I may never see her on her two legs again!!

will she ever walk again??

Speaking of people having two legs, did you watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills tonight??  I would take my mom in a full body cast for five years over the electric cig. smoking psychic or Camille Grammer.  The psychic was about as crazy as they get.  I think in one episode of RHBH, she single handedly lost all attraction to her show Medium.  She was a nut and left me hiding under a blanket in utter embarrassment.  I'm so addicted.  As Andy Cohen would say, "my mazel of the week" is that I am NOT Camille Grammer.  There's nothing right about that lady.

I hope everyone is having a good holiday season so far.  I will work harder on getting more posts up!!

xoxo

random thoughts...

Don't have a lot to blog about, so thought I'd give you some random thoughts:

1. What would the world be like if we all skipped everywhere we went?  Don't you think we would be happier?  I would love to see all the politicians going into the capital with their papers in hand, skipping right alongside their biggest opponent.  How could they not get along??  Anyone who skips is happy, right?

2. What was life like before the Real Housewives?  I can't remember.  There's nothing better than watching those train wrecks to make you feel better about yourself.  I'm obsessed with Beverly Hills.  It couldn't get any better and Watchers in the Woods was my favorite movie when I was a kid and the star is on the show...could it get any better??

3. Why do some people text all the time, act super peppy and excited on facebook and then when you see them in real life they're a bump on a log.  Is this a new personality disorder...split cyber personalities?

4. Have you ever felt like you are at the exact place where you should be and karma can be a good think?  I do.

5. Why didn't they free Enes?  Ashley Judd would understand this if she read my blog...if you're not from Kentucky and you don't follow college basketball, this will mean nothing to you.

6. I want Edelweiss to be sung to me on my deathbed.  I'd love it if it could be Christopher Plummer, but I also hope I outlive him.

7. I'm signing up to run a half marathon in February in New Orleans.  I've never been to New Orleans and I've never run a half marathon...the longest I've ever ran is 10 miles and I hated every second of it.  Should be interesting.

8. The kayaker still hasn't been found.  Where is he?  It's like asking the question: Who shot JFK?

9. I haven't bought a tank top in at least a month.  That's a record.  In fact, I only have one on under a long sleeve t-shirt right now...that's another record.  I am normally in at least two tank tops.

10. I wish my life was a musical and every few minutes a new song would start and we'd dance around.  I spend a lot of time choreographing these moments in my head.  I'd also love a video montage of things in my life to the song Kentucky Woman.

That's all I have for you for tonight.  

xoxo

Mere's a survivor!!!

I meant to write this last week, but ran out of time and wanted to give this post some thought.  I know some people have told me that they've shown the posts we've written about Mere's breast cancer to friends who are going through the same thing, so I thought I'd write a little more about what we did and what helped Meredith from a friends perspective.  Last Thursday, November 4th, Meredith, finished her cancer treatments!! It was her last radiation...so, after 8 chemo's, one surgery and six weeks of radiation...we have a survivor!!  I am so excited, proud, happy, relieved and amazed with Mere.  She was a trooper and by summer will have the best, perkiest, well placed boobs at the pool(there has to be a silver lining for breast cancer patients).  I took a look back at our text over the past few months to see when this whole journey began.  I knew things started in April, but wasn't exactly sure what part of the month it was.  "Call me later when you have a sec" was the text I got on April 6th, the day she talked to someone about the lump in her breast.  I think I knew right away something was wrong, but wasn't sure what it would be.  At this point Mere wasn't sure either, but had a hunch it wasn't good.  After that text it was a bunch of texts about ultra sounds, biopsy's, surgeons, bone scans etc.  In fact, my very first cancer joke came on April 9th...phrased "not sure if this is appropriate to say, but knew you would get out of doing a triathlon this summer."  And that was actually a true statement, just didn't know she'd go to such extremes.  The first chemo was on April 21st because I texted her a picture of the two of us.  I had also done a lot of research online about cancer patients and given her a "survival kit" to take to chemo.  There were texts explaining all the gifts.  Ginger snaps and gatorade for nausea, mint and gum for the bad taste some patients have from chemo (she never said much about that and sucked on a popsicle when she needed it), books of crosswords and sudoku for chemo(didn't realize we would be so entertained by ourselves), and a scarf in case she got cold.  I gave her a bag to put everything in because I was worried that after chemo I might have to carry her out (let's keep in mind I had no idea what to expect and I'm a bit of a drama queen) and we needed everything in one bag so I would have both hands/arms to carry her.  Mere walked in and out of every chemo and normally to lunch when we were done and I know there were even a few birthday dinners we attended in the evenings!  If anything it was a couple days later when she wasn't feeling well and during the second half of her chemo when her bones ached.  I don't think she missed a day of work during chemo ( I could be wrong about that and if she did miss work, it was only a day or so).  Like I have said before....she is AMAZING.  I know I've mentioned she works, but is also a mother to a one year old....did she plan a huge first birthday party for Finn??? Yes, during the middle of chemo and the same weekend she attended the all day Indy 500 event.  She literally did not let any part of life pass her by and did it all.  In fact, last weekend, I went up to Indy to attend her "Bats all Folks" end of treatment Halloween party.  She made all the food, did all the decorations, ran around looking for her costume and her sons...she never stops!! I've wondered through all of this if I would handle this situation the same way she has and sadly, I don't think I could....she's too good at being an awesome breast cancer patient.  When I came back after surgery and we went shopping for a bra and boob at Nordstroms, the lady who was in charge of the mastectomy bras could not believe she was already out and about...that's how Mere works...NOTHING will stop her.

club chemo group at the halloween party
erika- farve reporter, mere-flamingo, sld- lindsay lohan

I think what helped her most was the support she got from friends and family.  We set up a web site and had dinners brought in a few times a week.  People were more than willing to help out and everyone wanted to contribute in some way.  This is a great way to get everyone to participate.  I know the cards, e-mails and texts were so nice for her to read, in fact, she said she would send a note to someone now if they had a cold!  Throughout all of this I've had people tell me that I've been a good friend to Meredith, my response is that she doesn't have an option to go through this, so her friends don't either.  I'm not being a "good" friend, I'm just being a FRIEND.   If you're a friend to someone you're there for them during the good AND bad parts and hopefully you can make the hard times a little easier...the good times are the added bonuses.  AND as I've said before...you can make these hard times fun.  It's ok to laugh about things and make jokes...there's no right or wrong way to talk about cancer.  Just be honest and true to your friendship.  I remember at the beginning of all of this I kept telling Meredith it would all be over before we knew it and here we are....her hairs growing back, she has all of her free time back and she's ready to move on.  I know she's on to great things and will be an inspiration for young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer...I'm so proud of her and am glad we're finishing up the "Cancer Chapter" in her life and are moving on to better things!! Mere's a survivor!!

she's a survivor!!

Perfecting a different kind of marathon...

So sorry to my loyal blog followers that I've been so delinquent with my posts.  I really have no excuse at all, I've just moved and started a new job.  No excuse at all....  So, I hope my title enticed you to get back to sissy unplugged, put your feet up and start reading again.  I have an important blog post about marathons.  For you runners out there, don't get excited...I haven't done any more relays, didn't attempt a half (yet) and I'll certainly never do a full marathon....the marathon I'm talking about is day drinking and I have it down to a science.  Read carefully, this is where you may learn something from me!

One of my favorite hobbies is day drinking.  It's one of those rare times you know everyone's there to party if they're committing to a day of drinking.  Two weekends ago was my favorite fall day in Kentucky.  The horse races at Keeneland followed by a tailgate and Kentucky Football game.  The weather was close to 80 degrees and sunny.  Perfect conditions for a marathon day.  This year I was smart....I made a plan for myself.  I wanted to enjoy the whole day and feel ok on Sunday.  I knew that drinking bourbon wasn't an option at Keeneland.  I've been down that road before...it's ugly and the next day is even worse.  The first move I made was to be in bed at a decent hour on Friday night and to make sure I was well hydrated.  I woke up ready for the day...the only thing I had to get was my mini bottles to sneak into the football game.  I had decided that I needed to be able to mix with diet coke, it's my fave and I didn't want anything with sprite.  Obvious choice is Bourbon....again, not if I was going to be ok the next day.  On Tuesday I did a practice run and decided on vanilla vodka...perfect mix, a vanilla diet coke!  I swear when I pulled out of my driveway to go to the store it was like The Truman Show.  Every car was pulling out of their driveways and where were we all headed at 10 am on a fall Saturday morning....Liquor Barn Express!  I could barely get a parking spot.  I was set for the game and ready for the races.

at the races...

My friends and I went out to lunch and started with a Bloody Mary and food in the stomach.  It's always important to get something down or you'll never make it.  Food and water are both essential in a marathon day.  Off to the track...the safest bet (and I believe the most cost efficient??? didn't check the stats, but my guess would def be...) beer.  I knew that they would be filling and I would be in good shape for the rest of the day.  It was a great day at the races.  I don't think I lost any money!! I ran into some friends and it was such a beautiful day.  We all had a great time.  Keeneland is so pretty in the fall!! If you ever have a chance to go, I suggest you do it!  I left the track happy and ready to hit the tailgate.  I wasn't tired at all and ready to keep partying.

at the game!

After a quick change and a bottle of water, we went to the tailgate.  Again, drinking only beer and water.  It was time to eat again and instead of "drinking my dinner", I ate.  Smart move in a marathon.  I'm sure the people sitting around me at the game were happy I went with that choice.  Then, after smuggling my mini bottles in, it was one drink per half.  After the game (actually after the 3rd quarter because the cats aren't the best) it was back to the tailgate.  I was happy with the way my behavior was after seeing a turned over table at the tailgate by a drunken couple and a couple of wipe outs by people who clearly didn't listen to their bodies and the effects of their alcohol.  My friend and I even decided to take a beer for the road and walk the couple miles home!! All in all, it was a great marathon.

perfect night to walk home...full moon, crazy things were happening!

The next day we were up by 9 and even walked a couple of miles to breakfast with a very productive Sunday.  We couldn't help but pat ourselves on our backs for being so good at day drinking.  Although, still not sure this is something we should be proud of...I may not have run 26.2 miles,  but I've perfected a different kind of marathon...

xoxo

Have I mentioned I'm an underwater, international runner...

In my 32 years of life I have never set foot in the two countries that border the United States (I've been to plenty of other countries, but never Mexico or Canada).  Last Sunday I went to Canada and I ran back to the United States.  Yes, that's right...I was Forrest Gumping my way through Canada and back home to the mother land.  It was the Detroit Marathon and I ran it...as a relay.  I was lucky enough that my best friend asked me to join her sorority sisters (they were desperate for someone, anyone, even if I was in a different sorority at a different school) in the race...A couple of months before the race I was excited to do it....knew I was in good enough shape to run 6 miles and thought I'd be so excited for the race.  Let's fast forward to the actual race...I was up all night the Thursday before the race throwing up and slept all day Friday because I was still so sick.  Katie had walking pneumonia.  We were doing the longest legs of the relay.  Sounds race ready to me!  I did 6 miles for my part of the race and although I didn't do the full 26.2, I still struggled, grimaced, laughed and cried with all the marathoners (no one needed to know I didn't run all 26.2 miles, until I realized relay was written across the back of my bib....).  On Sunday morning I boarded a bus at 6:30 am and rode over the boarder to Windsor, Canada.  It was beautiful, very clean and so welcoming.  I could hardly tell I had left the US...maybe that's because I could see Detroit just across the Detroit River.  What a sight! 

view of detroit from canada

I was the second leg of the relay.  And in perfect "Sissy" style, I had never met the girl that was running the first part of the relay to me.  I had e-mailed her the day before to see how fast she was and what she looked like.  I knew she would be wearing a long sleeve white shirt that looked just like mine.  Only 19,000 people had entered the race...should be easy enough to find her, right???!  I stayed extra alert for about an hour and finally a 6 ft tall girl in a white long sleeve shirt ran toward me with the same number bib on as me...it was my turn to run!!  So there I was, in Canada for the first time running my first "marathon"... and I totally started tearing up(possibly because I was freezing, or maybe because I knew "the tunnel" was coming up).  I felt better than I had felt in a long time running...normaly I am hating life the second I start and don't really love it until I'm done, this time I was feeding off of the energy of the people around me and the excitement in Canada...and then I hit the tunnel back to the US.  All of a sudden we are being flung into a tunnel under the Detroit River...hot, stuffy, stinky, loud and long.  The first half was down hill and then you have to climb out of the tunnel like river rats....winding and winding up.  As I was running up I started thinking that it was so interesting that the girl who was suppose to do this leg had decided not to and that no one else wanted to...I guess it helps to ask a girl who doesn't know anything about the race and would be excited to run from Canada back.  The one cool thing about my leg of the race is that I ran the only international underwater mile in any race in the world and I can call myself an international runner!! :)  

running into the tunnel

running in the tunnel

After the tunnel I had 4 more miles.  I'd love to say it was a piece of cake, but I'm so mental when I run that it never is very easy for me.  I had some more small uphill parts to my run, I found some inspiration from the signs, people cheering, and some of the sayings on people's shirts and the fact that most of the people were running 20 more miles than me!  Seeing the relay spot and Katie's smiling face was by far the best part.  I ended up running a lot faster than I had anticipated and had such a great time.  The massage, bloody mary, and after party were great and the two hour nap I took that afternoon was the icing on the cake. 

pointing to our legs of the race!

 I might not love running, but the races make it worth it.  I think I'm ready to commit to a half marathon and am searching for one this winter I could sign up for.  It helps me so much to have something to work towards, it really motivates me...I may not come in first or do really well, but I've never come in last...and I live to tell about it!! Have I mentioned I'm an underwater, international runner??
xoxo

I bleed blue...

Hi ya'll!! It's been another crazy week of moving.  I know I mentioned on here that I moved, but I've kept it under wraps where I was moving.  I had to go back up to Michigan to finish out my job and close up the cottage and then I drove down to my home town, Lexington, Kentucky!  I've been here a couple of days and am loving it (what's not to love when you feel like you're on vacation).  Since I left Indy with a blog post about the things I learned there, I thought I'd let you know a few things I love about Kentucky.  So...here it goes!!

1. I bleed blue!! I L-O-V-E the Kentucky Basketball team!!  I will be the first to admit that I cry every time they do the starting line up.  Something about the lights going down and all the excitement over these college players.  I grew up in a house that went to all of the games, sometimes traveled with the team and most dinner conversations revolved around "the cats".  In fact, the first thing my Dad made me do when I got home on Tuesday was guess who the starting line up was going to be and look at a picture of old Kentucky players on the back of The Cats Pause and name the players.  I partied in the streets when they won the national championship in 96 and 98, I rushed the floor when they won the Maui classic in the early 90's, and I even wear a black t-shirt that says UK2K(yes, a black t-shirt)...I love my cats!

Rupp Arena...best place for college bball!

2. People think that Kentucky Basketball fans are crazy.  Our basketball team has the winningest record in all of college basketball, it's not hard to cheer for a team like that.  What I think is crazy...Kentucky Football fans!! I love football games...I love to tailgate, I love when Kentucky comes back in the third quarter, I love the passion that the sold out crowd has when they think the Cats are going to beat a ranked team, and then I always see the Cats lose in the 4th quarter.  It happens every time.  But, we keep coming back for more.  Kentucky Football fans think we can compete in the SEC...we can't and that's why I love the passion and dreams of all the fans!  Last year when we lost to Tennessee in over time(for the 25th year in a row, no exaggeration) my Dad said to a friend, "hope it doesn't take 25 more to beat them".  And all I wondered was if it took 25 more years, would he be around to see it??  That's a long time...

Commonwealth Stadium...so fun, but so sad.

3.  Keeneland. L-O-V-E it!! October and April are so much fun in Keeneland.  I love going to the races, drinking bourbon and betting on my favorite horse.  It's a great place to see people and have a great time.  Everyone needs to experience Keeneland, it's the best!

4. My entire family lives in Kentucky.  I'm the only one that is gone.  My Dad had prostate cancer this spring and although he is doing really well from his surgery, I wanted to be here and I couldn't because I was working in Michigan.  My parents aren't getting any younger (they're not that old, just in their early 60's...really hope they don't read this, they would kill me!! :)) and I want to spend time with them and my sweet nephews!!

my family

5. This state likes monograms.  Indiana doesn't.  I have two monogram machines and a monogram company.  I need to be in a place that likes monograms!!

some of my monograms!

Here's a quote from my girl, Ashley Judd:

“Sure, girls from New York, they are tough. And girls from Georgia, they are sweet. But those born and bred feisty Kentucky girls, they are the ones you have to look out for. We have sugar and fire in our blood. We can ride a horse, be a débutante, throw a left hook and tell you the entire UK line up all while making sweet tea. And if we have an opinion, you get to know it. We're both the pride and the downfall of the bluegrass...”

She sums it up well, I love being a Kentucky Woman!!

xoxo

Tagged is a part of blogging...

So, as you know(or maybe you don't??), I am new to blogging.  Still don't get the ins and outs of it and am always excited when I get a new follower.  I'm learning that a big part of the blogging world is getting "tagged" and having giveaways.  I don't think I have enough followers for a giveaway, BUT I did have someone tag me!!  "Deviled Megs" is a follower and knows I'm also new to the blogging world.  The purpose of this is to answer question and then tag others.  So, here it goes...again!

1. What was the last thing you ate: a banana

2. What is one of your best childhood memories?
That's a hard one.  I loved playing with the neighborhood kids.  There was a group of 5 girls that played daily, from the time we woke up, until we went to bed!  We played everything...we made big rocks into doll houses, we filmed fake beauty pageants, made up dances, played house, school, watched a ton of movies, kickball, red light, green light etc.  You name it, we did it.  I loved how much we used our imagination.  We rarely sat inside and watched tv or played video games.  We were out making little worlds out of rocks and sticks.  I wish kids still did all of that and got to be kids.  It's so much different now and we were lucky we lived in a neighborhood with so many kids the same age and where it was so safe!

3. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you were older?
I wanted to be a talk show host.  I was convinced that Kathie Lee Gifford and I would have our own show.  I'm still working on that! :)

4. Do you paint your toenails in the winter?
YES! My toenails are always painted.  They may not look perfect in the winter, but they are painted!

5. Do you watch any reality television?  If so,what show is your favorite?
Yes, I watch a lot of reality tv.  I love the New York, Jersey, and OC Housewives and can't wait for the Beverly Hills HW's!!  I also love Rachel Zoe!  Ah-mah-zing!!

6. What were some of the "trends" when you were a kid?
We made string bracelets and wore them all the time..  That was another thing my neighborhood girls and I always did!  We also had jelly bracelets and swatch watches.  I always wore umbros and two t-shirts with my wilsons or tretorns!  Such a cute stage...

7. What is your favorite time of the year? Why?
I LOVE summer.  I love warm weather and being at the cottage.  I like being outside and in the water.  I also love being tan.  But, there's something so fun about the fall.  I almost feel like fall is the new year (maybe from going to school so many years:)).  There's always excitement in the air and people are making plans.  It was always soccer season when we were younger and I loved cool fall days with a soccer game.  So, I decided to chose two seasons!

8. Do you have any hobbies?
I play tennis and I run.  I love tennis and have played in a league the past few years. I don't love to run...yet.  I'm hoping the day that I fall in love will come...sooner, rather than later.  Next week I'm doing a relay for the Detroit Marathon and my leg is in Canada! I've never been to Canada before. I can't wait! I do love race days!

So, now I have to tag some people to do the same thing:
AEOT-Up North Preppy
JMW- A Place to Dwell
Queen Bee Swain

xoxo

It takes a village...

family picture with the cops!

Last week I moved out of my three bedroom townhouse in two days.  Literally, drove into town late on Tuesday and the movers came on Thursday at 2.  I didn't have much time to get out and everything had to be done because my renters were coming in on Friday morning.  The silver lining was a hotel room in downtown Indy waiting for me for a wedding weekend.  I knew there was going to be some fun ahead, if I could just make it though the move!  The move went as smoothly as it could...friends, movers and a cleaning lady made it happen.  I couldn't have done it without any of them.  But, the most important people of my weekend were Lauren and Olga...my hair dresser and an incredible lady from Russia that can do ANYTHING (ask her and she'll tell you the same!).  On Friday night I initially thought I would do to the hotel, have a glass of wine or two and go to bed.  After all, I had only slept a few hours each night since Tuesday and knew the lack of sleep would catch up. Well....one glass of wine turned to another, I made friends with the bar tender and the next thing you know...my friend Rymer and I are sitting on police motorcycles and taking pictures with the cops on duty in downtown Indy and we were up until 4am.

on the motorcycle...

So...back to Lauren and Olga...Saturday early afternoon (the day of the wedding) I go into Bobby Cooper's Salon to get my hair done.  I knew walking in that Lauren, who has done my hair for years, was going to die at my roots.  I don't like getting my hair done in Michigan and had let my roots grow out a few inches.  It wasn't pretty and I was a mess from the move.  I had spent the entire car ride to the salon picking half of my nail polish off my finger nails and my toe nails weren't any better.  The topper of it all...the bad spray tan I had the day before where I forgot to put the special lotion on my palms...they were orange!!  As soon as I walked in, it seemed like the music stopped, everyone dropped their scissors and combs and jaws hit the floor.  I knew I looked bad, but I didn't know it was THAT bad.  I guess it was.  So, there I sat, as five people discussed what needed to be done.  I'll be the first to admit...I have some salt in my hair at the age of 32...and by some salt, I mean a lot.  My colored hair is blonde and my roots are salt and pepper...it's not cute!!  So, after the whole place had laughed, stared, and cried at what I looked like, they all got to work.  They had to color my gray roots before they could "really" color and hi-light it all over again.  My roots were long enough to be "virgin hair".  Oooops.  So, I'm sitting there getting the first set of color off of my hair when Olga comes into the picture.  Olga has worked there for awhile and I had always been a little scared of her.  She's from Russia and I wouldn't mess with her.  Well, as I'm sitting there getting my hair washed, Olga tells me that she got the go ahead from the owner of the salon to do my finger and toe nails.  People don't get their nails done at Bobby's...that's how bad I looked.  They had all spoken in the back room about the help I needed.  So, all of a sudden, Olga, the Russian wonder, is removing the other half of my toe and nail polish and painting them in 3 minutes flat.  As I'm getting my hair blown out, Olga is telling me how she could do my make up and how good she is at making me look good.  She then goes on to tell me if they took before and after pictures of me and posted them on their web site, they would be the most successful salon in the world.  Ouch, was that comment necessary...she didn't even crack a smile.  So, six hours later...I walk out with my blonde hair done, my make up done, nails done, and dress on ready to party the night away.  And then I lived happily ever after...well...almost...until there was an incident with red wine, a white shirt, the mother of the bride and a dance floor at the wedding!!

after olga worked her magic...i'm in black and ruffles.

with the beautiful bride!

i love a good band...especially when I can sing!

xoxo

Goodbye Indy, it's been fun...

It's official ya'll...I have moved out of my condo and am now a landlord to a fraternity house! ahhhhh.  All of my things are in storage and I no longer am a resident of Indiana. With college and my years in Indy, I lived in the Hoosier state for 12 years!  That's a long time...a lot longer than I EVER thought I'd live above the Mason Dixon line!  I thought it would be fitting to touch on some of the good times in Indy and let you know everything I learned from this midwestern state!

1. I learned that every really great night ends at the Casba!! If you're ready to walk downstairs to a bar that resembles a fraternity basement, you're feeling good and ready to dance with the best juke box music EVER.  In fact, a casba shot can solve any world problems...at least for that moment!

rockin' the casba!

rachel zoe, octomom, gert, et and elliot
john and kate plus 8, female indy driver
dick in a box....nice

2. Meredith and Mike always have the best Halloween party and it's a must to attend.  The costumes get better every year and my beer pong skills get worse and worse.  The "one flip wonder"(a title I gave myself) is now the last pick on any team...an anchor that makes her team sink.  But, I do try to make up in costume...any suggestions this year??

mere, miley, football player, a baby and some brownies!

playboy bunny and miss kentuck

3. I learned from a few little girls that personal space does not exist.  Giggles, tears, snuggles, sleepovers and princesses are essential in an all female household.   I also learned I can love someone more than I knew I was capable of.

this little one(and her sisters) taught me A LOT!

saki bombs

more saki bombs!

4. There's always, always, always a good reason to do a saki bomb!

5.  I learned to love the Colts.  I never thought another teams besides the Kentucky Wildcats could find it's way into my heart.  I wore a Colts Jersey. I don't wear jerseys, that's LOVE!

wearing a jersey??? go colts!

6.  If you live in Indiana, once a year you have to be white trash and attend the Indy 500.  It's ok to drink beer out of a helmet on your head, put margarita's in your camel back, drink from a beer bong, buy test tube shots, dance on coolers, and admire all the mullets.  

7. DePauw is close by and always there to visit for a bachelorette party, reunion, or just a Marv's cravings.  We might not still be in college, but it's like riding a bike...everytime you go back, you revert back to the old ways!

yes, that's a donkey, not unusual to see in Greencastle!

posing on the DePauw entrance!

8. I bought my first house here!! I loved it and had my first sit down dinner party, a couple of christmas parties and lots of laughs! I loved my pink and white home!

i love the springs!

9. I learned that if you have a lot of stomach problems and can't figure it out...get your gallbladder checked out and then get rid of any stress you have in your life that could be affecting your happiness and sanity! (sorry, no pictures!)

10. I am leaving a lot of good friends behind that I can't wait to visit!! I've had a great time in the Circle City!  Thanks ya'll!!

Bye Bye Indy-

xoxo

It's Fall Ya'll...

I've heard that for the past couple of weeks people have had unseasonably warm temperatures and everyone is melting...that's not the case up here above the 45th parallel in Northern Michigan.  I've been freezing since labor day.  High's in the 50's and 60's and lows in 30's and 40's.  I'm cold and it's only going to get colder!! Not sure how long I'll last up here with these cool conditions.  So...fall is fully upon us and it is beautiful up here!  I wanted to share some pictures from my run today....

I don't think this view will get old until the lake freezes and I'm too cold to notice!!

this view does help when i feel like my knee cap is going to split in half and i have no feeling in my toes...but i keep running!

So, when it's raining and freezing out, what do we do??? We go to the farm to watch pig races!!  My friend Katie and her family were up for their last trip to the cottage for the season and we took the kids to the farm in the rain because the weather said it was SUPPOSE to be sunny!  The farm had great prices on pumpkins (which I didn't get one and I'm not sure why I didn't???).  And while we were there we were lucky enough to see a pig race...I didn't even know that pigs were fast until they took off, but they got side tracked and decided they wanted to stop and eat...they all eventually made it through the course and when they ran, they were running fast!

pigs are running!

Another fun thing to do on a rainy cold day is to have a blind wine taste.  We took three bottles of red wine and put them in brown paper bags.  We set them all out and we had to guess which was which.  We knew the name of the wine and the price.  Not one of us got it all right and for the most part everyone's favorite was the cheapest one...Menage Trois for $13.99/bottle was the winner!!  We were getting Katie and Sean ready for their trip to Napa...so jeal, they're going to have so much fun and MUST bring me back a bottle of vino :)!!

the blind wine tasting!

I hope you all are having a good Monday....I'm gonna leave you with the little picture from the farm:

i had to...

xoxo

What a week...

It's been a whirlwind week for me, to say the least!! Since I'm staying up in BV, I figured I needed to rent my townhouse out!  I was getting nervous that October was just around the corner and I had only a few people call about my place.  I had even contacted my realtor, who informed me he "doesn't really do rentals"...like I asked him to do my dirty laundry!  So, after a lot of prayers (and dropping the price), I have renters for October 1st!  I'm a bit nervous because....it's 3 guys!  They're self proclaimed "young professionals", but all I see is my sweet pink and white house becoming a fraternity house! Ahhhhhhh, what am I doing!

what meathead wouldn't want to live here???

So, in a matter of days...I have to pack up my house and move all my things into storage because I don't know where I'm going to be in a couple of months!  Why would I want to plan ahead!  That's how I live my life and how I always have and somehow, it just works out for me!  So, next week, I'm taking a few days off at the wine store and I'll head down to Indy to pack and the movers are coming on Thursday.  So ends a chapter in my life...and what a chapter it was.  I will say that my favorite year in Indy was the first year when I lived with my friend and we had theme parties and pretended we were still in college!  That was seven years ago and a lot has happened since then, but I'm ready to move on!! I love the feeling that I can do ANYTHING and go ANYWHERE!!

Now, to fill you in on what I'm doing in Northern Michigan with the "retirement crew"!   I had cocktails and drinks with the people who are still in BV.  If I were to average the ages of the 11 people at dinner last night, it would be 65...that's with my age in the average!  BUT, it was enjoyable! They know how to throw a fun cocktail hour and a great dinner party without the anxiety and stress people my age seem to have.  They've done it so long, it's easy for them!  We talked about books, movies, where everyone was going to stay in Florida when they go down there in a couple of months.  It seems to me that life just keeps getting better as you get older.  You're just moving north and south with the weather and cock-tailing your way through it!  Where can I sign up??  Who knows...ya'll might see me in Florida for the winter....just because i can go ANYWHERE and do ANYTHING!! Such a great feeling!  Still loving my Eat, Pray, Love year!!

xoxo