Friday, December 19, 2008
This Just In
Ok, I know I'm a total slacker and I have a ton more of my trip to blog, but I just needed to get this info out to you and I PROMISE that I'll blog the rest of the trip soon and I'll post pictures of the house. Anyway, some very exciting news for everyone: The second (but not lesser, and actually the older of the two) Garrity Twins has joined the ranks of the bloggers. Check out Beth's page here and see the other side of the twin mentality. Enjoy!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Petra and Jerash. What? You come up with a good title for it.
So, after quite an epic day to finish our tour of Egypt, our group woke to the gorgeous landscape of Jordan. First on our list was a morning at Petra. This ancient city was cut out of the mountains by a long-run-dry river. The water cut through the rock and left behind an amazing trek down into the city. We rode horses part of the way down the gorge and took the last part of the trip on foot. This gorge was the famous film site where Indiana Jones was chased by the giant ball in one of his adventurous movies. Petra, however, was originally used as an area for trade by voyagers from across the land. The
most well known image of Petra was a building that was used as a treasury. Again, I was struck by the awesome beauty of the rocks and the ingenuity of the builders who carved immense structures out of rocks. This area is still being excavated and new treasures are being found every day. The thing that struck me the most about this area was how close we were allowed to get to everything. Literally, we were climbing on rocks and up staircases, looking into the past. Had we been anywhere in America, there would have be
en guards and roped off areas hustling tourists through. This really allowed us to get a better scope of the grandeur of Petra and enjoy it all the more. After an hour (which was not nearly enough time) of exploring (and a little bit of shopping), we were scurried out and returned to horseback for our trip back up the gorge. I will say, though, that Mom, Lori and I had a great time goofing off and taking fun pictures of the animals. Our next bus ride took us to Amman, with a stop for lunch at a little hole in the wall place for our first authentic meal of the trip. I relished my hummus wrap and loved finally getting a true taste of the area. We also stopped in Madoba to visit St. George's Greek Orthodox Church. This tiny chapel holds an amazing mosaic tile floor that depicts a map of the holy lands and was created centuries ago. At one point someone was a bit careless and built a column in the m
iddle of the map, so part of it is lost, however, it is a gorgeous piece of history. Monday, November 17th found us in Jerash; a city of Roman ruins. I can't explain the immense nature of the columns, the city streets and the buildings that have been found, nor can I fill in much of the history. Unfortunately, this particular day was my first of several with stomach issues. No fun, highly uncomfortable, and
very distracting. I'm sure our guide had plenty to say, but I was a bit busy looking around for the Roman version of a toilet. One of the things that really struck me in Jerash (besides my need for modern conveniences) was how much they are still finding. There were rows and rows of massive column heads just sitting about and waiting to once again top their rightful columns. Just seeing how many columns have been put up and how many there are still to go showed the
enormity of what this city once was. I truly loved Jerash (and Petra as well) and would go back again instantly to see what developments have been made. Our day continued on Mount Nebo, which is the supposed burial site of Moses. I would say more, but there wasn't a lot there except for an inscribed stone and a wonderful view of Jordan. Yep, that was about it; we were up and down in about 10 minutes. The day ended when we crossed into Israel. Lori and I ran, exhausted, to our room and stayed there for the rest of the night in the hopes of feeling better for the upcoming day.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
On Top of Mt. Sinai
First off, let me apologize for not blogging yesterday. The internet was funky here for some reason, so that is why I'm behind. I'll do my best to get these out more quickly.
Anyway...
After two and exhausting days in Cairo, we traveled by bus (again) to an area called St. Katherine's. We had a short nap after dinner and got up at 1 in the morning to head to Mt. Sinai. Everything was pitch black and exceedingly cold. We were warned beforehand that it was going to be that way, but I can still feel the chill of the night. After bargaining with guides for camels, we were each placed on one of the massive animals, to take us up the first 3 miles of our 4 mile hike. Mine, of course, had a total attitude problem, took off without the guide and spent the entirety of the hike trying to play "chicken" with the other camels and people on the trail. Figures. Jacki and I were close together going up, and we enjoyed the darkened (or almost blackened) scenery and the immense nature of what we were doing. Soon enough, though, it was time to go up on foot. Our group was reinstated and up we went. Straight up a craggy mass of stairs leading to the top of the mountain. I thought several times of Frodo and Sam going up the treacherous stairs leading into Mordor, but kept that to myself. Our group barely made it to the top with enough time to find a spot to sit. Dawn was just breaking on the horizon and everyone was very quiet and still watching this amazing sight. There were throngs of people from all over the world and it
was so interesting to see how we all reacted the same way. A lot of people starting singing, as there really weren't words to describe what we were seeing. As the songs progressed, others joined in, singing familiar tunes in different languages. Quite an experience. Soon enough, though, the sun was up in its full glory and it was time for us to head back down the mountain. Two things I neglected to mention were that 1. We had a guide and a guard keeping watch over our entire excursion. Neither of them were to my liking and 2. The camel jockeys had very specific ways of communicating with their wards, mostly by clicking at them, much the same way "that guy" at the bar clicks when he holds his hands like pistols and winks with an exaggerated smirk. Yeah, you get the picture. Anyway, our guide tried to keep the group together coming back down the m
ountain, but not only was there a mass exodus leaving the mountain at the same time, but we all finally saw the "stairs" we had climbed up in the pitch black. They were 100 times more scary going down, mostly unstable and not really stairs at all, but just rocks that have been worn into a path. All this to say, it was tough keeping the group together. Well, the guide and I had butted heads from the first (you know because I'm a white female infadel, and he's a pigheaded male camel herder), and I mostly tried to keep my distance from him. He eventually found me trying to sneak ahead of the group and wanted to hold me up until others had caught up (I wasn't about to explain to him that my bladder had reached full capacity after the 4.5 hour ordeal and that I was worried about the 4 mile hike ahead of me before there was an available bathroom). He responded to my "disobedience" by clicking at me like I was a camel and trying to herd me back in
to the group. Yeah, that was when my very thin rope tied to sanity completely snapped and I fumed the rest of the way down the mountain. Luckily, I wasn't alone in my grumblings. Lori and Mom were both suffering from similar bladder issues, so we took our own pace going down the mountain. We were all amazed at how the camels made it up in the dark as we slipped and tripped our way down the 4 mile trail. And of course, being the graceful entity that I am, I totally bit it and fell straight on my behind about halfway down. Yeah, that felt good after being up all night, muscles aching from exertion I'm not accustomed to, and being herded like a pack animal. I was in the best mood ever. The bruise became my first official souvenir from the trip and I was the only person to have one just like it (not that I was the only one who fell, but I was the only one who made mince meat out of my rear end). Side note: Pictures of the bruise cost extra. We were late (according to our guide) getting back from the adventure, so we had about 5 minutes to pack our things and get back on the bus. So much for breakfast. We were headed for the Red Sea and Jordan. Once we got to the water's edge, we had about an hour wait until it was time to go through customs and board the gorgeous ferry that would take us across the water. We were all entranced by the Red Sea, as it was the deepest blue we had ever seen. So concentrated and pure at the same time. We glided over the water while the sun s
et behind the mountains. Amazing to start the day on top of the mountains and finish it watching the sun drop behind them. As the sun set, the wind and water became much cooler, but we weren't too bad off as the boat captain played fun music and we really enjoyed our trip across the water. We docked in a little city called Acaba (Aladdin, anyone?), that was absolutely beautiful; set against the water with the clean white of the buildings (emphasis on clean) and the amazing (and horribly expensive) yachts docked everywhere. Most of us were sorely tempted to stay just where we were and not move a foot out of this amazing town. Alas, we were destined for another bus ride into the area outside Petra. As Acaba was my first experience in Jordan, I think I'll have to go back to get the full effect of it. I was too tired and grouchy to really appreciate just how spoiled someone could be in that little town. Next up: Petra and Jerash.
Anyway...
After two and exhausting days in Cairo, we traveled by bus (again) to an area called St. Katherine's. We had a short nap after dinner and got up at 1 in the morning to head to Mt. Sinai. Everything was pitch black and exceedingly cold. We were warned beforehand that it was going to be that way, but I can still feel the chill of the night. After bargaining with guides for camels, we were each placed on one of the massive animals, to take us up the first 3 miles of our 4 mile hike. Mine, of course, had a total attitude problem, took off without the guide and spent the entirety of the hike trying to play "chicken" with the other camels and people on the trail. Figures. Jacki and I were close together going up, and we enjoyed the darkened (or almost blackened) scenery and the immense nature of what we were doing. Soon enough, though, it was time to go up on foot. Our group was reinstated and up we went. Straight up a craggy mass of stairs leading to the top of the mountain. I thought several times of Frodo and Sam going up the treacherous stairs leading into Mordor, but kept that to myself. Our group barely made it to the top with enough time to find a spot to sit. Dawn was just breaking on the horizon and everyone was very quiet and still watching this amazing sight. There were throngs of people from all over the world and it
was so interesting to see how we all reacted the same way. A lot of people starting singing, as there really weren't words to describe what we were seeing. As the songs progressed, others joined in, singing familiar tunes in different languages. Quite an experience. Soon enough, though, the sun was up in its full glory and it was time for us to head back down the mountain. Two things I neglected to mention were that 1. We had a guide and a guard keeping watch over our entire excursion. Neither of them were to my liking and 2. The camel jockeys had very specific ways of communicating with their wards, mostly by clicking at them, much the same way "that guy" at the bar clicks when he holds his hands like pistols and winks with an exaggerated smirk. Yeah, you get the picture. Anyway, our guide tried to keep the group together coming back down the m
ountain, but not only was there a mass exodus leaving the mountain at the same time, but we all finally saw the "stairs" we had climbed up in the pitch black. They were 100 times more scary going down, mostly unstable and not really stairs at all, but just rocks that have been worn into a path. All this to say, it was tough keeping the group together. Well, the guide and I had butted heads from the first (you know because I'm a white female infadel, and he's a pigheaded male camel herder), and I mostly tried to keep my distance from him. He eventually found me trying to sneak ahead of the group and wanted to hold me up until others had caught up (I wasn't about to explain to him that my bladder had reached full capacity after the 4.5 hour ordeal and that I was worried about the 4 mile hike ahead of me before there was an available bathroom). He responded to my "disobedience" by clicking at me like I was a camel and trying to herd me back in
to the group. Yeah, that was when my very thin rope tied to sanity completely snapped and I fumed the rest of the way down the mountain. Luckily, I wasn't alone in my grumblings. Lori and Mom were both suffering from similar bladder issues, so we took our own pace going down the mountain. We were all amazed at how the camels made it up in the dark as we slipped and tripped our way down the 4 mile trail. And of course, being the graceful entity that I am, I totally bit it and fell straight on my behind about halfway down. Yeah, that felt good after being up all night, muscles aching from exertion I'm not accustomed to, and being herded like a pack animal. I was in the best mood ever. The bruise became my first official souvenir from the trip and I was the only person to have one just like it (not that I was the only one who fell, but I was the only one who made mince meat out of my rear end). Side note: Pictures of the bruise cost extra. We were late (according to our guide) getting back from the adventure, so we had about 5 minutes to pack our things and get back on the bus. So much for breakfast. We were headed for the Red Sea and Jordan. Once we got to the water's edge, we had about an hour wait until it was time to go through customs and board the gorgeous ferry that would take us across the water. We were all entranced by the Red Sea, as it was the deepest blue we had ever seen. So concentrated and pure at the same time. We glided over the water while the sun s
et behind the mountains. Amazing to start the day on top of the mountains and finish it watching the sun drop behind them. As the sun set, the wind and water became much cooler, but we weren't too bad off as the boat captain played fun music and we really enjoyed our trip across the water. We docked in a little city called Acaba (Aladdin, anyone?), that was absolutely beautiful; set against the water with the clean white of the buildings (emphasis on clean) and the amazing (and horribly expensive) yachts docked everywhere. Most of us were sorely tempted to stay just where we were and not move a foot out of this amazing town. Alas, we were destined for another bus ride into the area outside Petra. As Acaba was my first experience in Jordan, I think I'll have to go back to get the full effect of it. I was too tired and grouchy to really appreciate just how spoiled someone could be in that little town. Next up: Petra and Jerash.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Walk Like An Egyptian
After a late flight and arrival at our hotel, and a very early morning, our group was sent of to the Citadel in Cairo. Through my sleep deprived haze, I wasn't able to discern too much about what went on at the citadel, other than it housed the mosque and tomb of Mohammed Ali (yes, the boxer. Right). The fun thing about the citadel was that it was swarmed with kids on field trips and th
ese children were ecstatic that we were there. They waved and yelled, just grinning from ear to ear if we even looked at them, and tried desperately to practice their English as we were hustled through the crowds. They were just so excited and it really was catching. Our guide commented that we looked exotic to them and they just wanted to get closer to us. Apparently she was right, because once we got up to the top of the citadel, a family ran over to me and begged to have their picture taken with me. I misunderstood and thought they wanted me to take a picture of them, not with them, but they quickly took the camera from me and shoved it at someone else, all placing themselves around me with huge smiles on their faces. Who knows, maybe it was "Hug a White Girl" day or something. Strange. The mosque and tomb, again, were just spectacular, and I think I was able to get better pictures of this one. After the citadel, we headed into the heart of Cairo to the Egyptian Museum. The big focus there, naturally, are all the artifacts that were found in the tomb of King Tut. Amazingly enough (so I learned), King Tut was not a highly revered king, ruled for a very short amount of time and had very little impact on the history of the country. The reason his artifacts are so central, though, is because most of the other tombs that have been found, were raided centuries ago and very little is known about the other rulers. So, for a "nothing king" as our guide put it, the people constructed literally hundreds and thousands of necessities that he would need for the after life: chariots, thrones, pots, an early version of air conditioning (very interesting, but hard to explain), three sarcophagi, built into three massive tombs, and even went as far as to bury servants and women with him. Man, can you imagine what they would do for someone they actually liked? I can't even explain the immense amount of items they had with him. Absolute craziness. The rest of our first day in Cairo was spent shopping and enjoying the town. We went to a store that specialized in papyrus and as I was browsing, one of the salesmen actually asked me if I had cats at home. Surprised, I replied that I did (he was obviously trying to butter me up for a sale). "I could tell," he said with a smirk, "you have beautiful cat eyes." Right. That makes me want to buy something. Hey, at least it was a line I'd never heard before. I also had a waiter at dinner profess his undying love for me (repeatedly) and then declare that he was going to kill himself because I was married. He was certainly teasing, but goodness, give it a rest folks! Our second day in Cairo consisted of the pyramids and sphinx. I can't begin to explain the grandure of the pyramids. I nev
er realized just how huge they are. Did you know that if you lined u
p all the stones from just the Great Pyramid in a row that they would reach 3/4 of the way around the equator? Yeah, I had no clue either. Also, there is no mortar or bonding agent of any kind holding the pyramids together, only their vast weight. Incredible. The sphinx, although much smaller, was cut out of one solid stone and measures 20 meters high. (Side note: The sphinx was used as target practice by Napoleon's men and that's why it doesn't have a nose) Again, just amazing what these people were able to accomplish without any modern tools (a good argument for aliens, I think). The only gripe I would have about anything in Cairo would be the peddlers. They try to sell you anything and everything
and want entirely too much money for their wares. They also have no concept of personal space (or deodorant for that matter) and will literally bombard you as you are walking around. Goodness, they will even charge you if you ask them to take a picture of you with your own camera. By the end of the day, I was pretty fed up with the "attention" and actually scared one would-be vendor with a very loud and abrasive "NO!" I guess he got the point. The end of our day was spent at an essence store where they make and sell oils for all ailments and maladies. We got a very long lecture about the curing abilities of oils and how we should buy them all (shocking), and also got a quick lesson on how their hand-blown glass bottles were made. Everything was absolutely gorgeous, but after a day of having things shoved in your face, I wasn't really in the mood. I think I just needed an actual night of sleep. Tomorrow and epic day of Mt. Sinai and the Red Sea.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Turkey Before Thanksgiving
Well, first and foremost, I'm giving up on the "Ari says" bit. I think we all know why. No need to dwell on it, so we'll just get down to business.
Now, you all should know that I recently spent two weeks overseas on an amazing tour of the Holy Lands. I'm going to attempt to give details and recollections, but as it seems that I've left my brain somewhere in Israel, you'll have to bear with me. Our group flew out of New York's JFK airport on Tuesday, November 11th, in the evening and made our first stop in Istanbul, Turkey sometime on Wednesday. We started with 15 people in the group, including Mimi and Papaw (my fantastic grandparents), my Mom and Bill, and Bill's daughter and son-in-law (Jacki and Nick), as well as my Aunt Lori (who happens to be the source of all things bad that I do). There were a few other very nice people with us, including Lori's and my wonderful roommate Pat, who you'll hear more about later. Back to Turkey. We arrived bleary eyed and were hustled off the plane, through customs and the airport, only to be pushed onto our first of many buses. We briefly saw a glimpse of the Walls of Constantinople, and as we were flying past this huge monument
of history I realized that our 12 hour stint in Istanbul was going to be entirely too short. We passed the sea of Marmara (which happens to encompass the Princess Islands, just so you know) and arrived at the Palace of Sultans. As you can imagine by the name, this place was amazing. The grounds look like an elaborate college campus and I swore up and down that I wanted to get my next degree there. One of the things that really struck me at the Palace was the different architecture that you could see everywhere
re. It was obvious that this particular spot had been added to throughout the ages and was just steeped in history (not that I know any of it to tell you). We ate a brief lunch that I barely remember and then it was back to the bus to head to the Blue Mosque (or the Mosque of Ahmet as it is actually called). Words cannot describe the absolute beauty of this plac
e. Not only is it immense in size, but the decoration and ornamentation were just astounding. Alas, my pictures of the inside of the mosque are less than stellar and I'll have to get pics from someone else in the group before I can post that one. After the mosque, we had a brief stint in the Grand Bizarre and Lori and I had our first taste of the craziness that is the tourist traps overseas. There were shops everywhere, selling anything you can think of and each of the shop tenders had a lovely compliment for you, just to entice you into their store. Craziness. I can't even explain the immensity of the bizarre, except that to relate that when I thought Mom was lost inside and alone, I firmly and literally dove back in to save her. Yeah, I'm a big hero. After the bizarre, our guide took us to a rug store. I know, it sounds boring, but it was very informative, and a bit tempting. The rugs were absolutely gorgeous and hard to resist. I almost picked one and then realized that it was a bit early in the trip to buy my "big thing" so I held off, but with much difficulty. After what was a very full 12 hours, we were shipped back to the airport to await our flight to Cairo. Amazingly enough, it was just a fluke that we got to visit Istanbul at all, and only because our layover was so long. We all grabbed some dinner, wandered around the airport and then settled in for our short flight into Egypt. I have to say that I certainly want to go back to Turkey, especially Istanbul, and get a better feel for everything that we missed. 12 hours was not nearly long enough to explore this gorgeous country. Tomorrow, Cairo. Stay tuned.
Now, you all should know that I recently spent two weeks overseas on an amazing tour of the Holy Lands. I'm going to attempt to give details and recollections, but as it seems that I've left my brain somewhere in Israel, you'll have to bear with me. Our group flew out of New York's JFK airport on Tuesday, November 11th, in the evening and made our first stop in Istanbul, Turkey sometime on Wednesday. We started with 15 people in the group, including Mimi and Papaw (my fantastic grandparents), my Mom and Bill, and Bill's daughter and son-in-law (Jacki and Nick), as well as my Aunt Lori (who happens to be the source of all things bad that I do). There were a few other very nice people with us, including Lori's and my wonderful roommate Pat, who you'll hear more about later. Back to Turkey. We arrived bleary eyed and were hustled off the plane, through customs and the airport, only to be pushed onto our first of many buses. We briefly saw a glimpse of the Walls of Constantinople, and as we were flying past this huge monument
of history I realized that our 12 hour stint in Istanbul was going to be entirely too short. We passed the sea of Marmara (which happens to encompass the Princess Islands, just so you know) and arrived at the Palace of Sultans. As you can imagine by the name, this place was amazing. The grounds look like an elaborate college campus and I swore up and down that I wanted to get my next degree there. One of the things that really struck me at the Palace was the different architecture that you could see everywhere
re. It was obvious that this particular spot had been added to throughout the ages and was just steeped in history (not that I know any of it to tell you). We ate a brief lunch that I barely remember and then it was back to the bus to head to the Blue Mosque (or the Mosque of Ahmet as it is actually called). Words cannot describe the absolute beauty of this plac
e. Not only is it immense in size, but the decoration and ornamentation were just astounding. Alas, my pictures of the inside of the mosque are less than stellar and I'll have to get pics from someone else in the group before I can post that one. After the mosque, we had a brief stint in the Grand Bizarre and Lori and I had our first taste of the craziness that is the tourist traps overseas. There were shops everywhere, selling anything you can think of and each of the shop tenders had a lovely compliment for you, just to entice you into their store. Craziness. I can't even explain the immensity of the bizarre, except that to relate that when I thought Mom was lost inside and alone, I firmly and literally dove back in to save her. Yeah, I'm a big hero. After the bizarre, our guide took us to a rug store. I know, it sounds boring, but it was very informative, and a bit tempting. The rugs were absolutely gorgeous and hard to resist. I almost picked one and then realized that it was a bit early in the trip to buy my "big thing" so I held off, but with much difficulty. After what was a very full 12 hours, we were shipped back to the airport to await our flight to Cairo. Amazingly enough, it was just a fluke that we got to visit Istanbul at all, and only because our layover was so long. We all grabbed some dinner, wandered around the airport and then settled in for our short flight into Egypt. I have to say that I certainly want to go back to Turkey, especially Istanbul, and get a better feel for everything that we missed. 12 hours was not nearly long enough to explore this gorgeous country. Tomorrow, Cairo. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
I'm Baaaaaaack
Ari says:
Hey all. The weary and wary wanderer has returned. I am absolutely exhausted after a couple days of tortuous travel. We left Turkey very early Sunday morning (would have been Saturday evening here in the states), but our flight was delayed and we missed our connecting flights in New York. I didn't get home until yesterday afternoon, so I am a bit worn out. I promise to post tons of stories and pictures very soon, but I am taking a day of rest (and laundry). Hope you're all doing well and I'll be back on soon.
Hey all. The weary and wary wanderer has returned. I am absolutely exhausted after a couple days of tortuous travel. We left Turkey very early Sunday morning (would have been Saturday evening here in the states), but our flight was delayed and we missed our connecting flights in New York. I didn't get home until yesterday afternoon, so I am a bit worn out. I promise to post tons of stories and pictures very soon, but I am taking a day of rest (and laundry). Hope you're all doing well and I'll be back on soon.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
La-La
Ari says:
I have a very small window of time here, so I'll be brief. I haven't forgotten about you all, but have had a tough time getting to a computer that I can monopolize for more than 3 minutes at a time. The trip has been amazing. I've been in 5 countries and on 4 continents in the past 2 weeks. We are finishing up the trip in Israel and it has been incredible so far. I miss each and every one of you and can't wait to talk to you all and catch up with what all is going on in your lives. Love you tons! And for now, here's a pic (if I can make it work). Talk to you all soon!
PS- "La la" is how you say "no, no" in Arabic. Learned that in Egypt.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Off I Go...
Ari says:
It's almost time!!! My first overseas trip is about to begin. I leave tomorrow morning (at the BC-o-D) for New York to meet up with Mom and Bill. Tuesday afternoon we'll be boarding a flight for Turkey and that's where it all begins. For the next 2 weeks I will be gallivanting all over the Middle East and I am way excited about the entire excursion. We will only be in Turkey for a short time, and the rest of our trip will be centered in Egypt and Israel. All this to say, I won't be blogging for a while. Now, I do promise that upon my return, there will be pictures of the new house as well as a well documented entry on my entire trip. I wish you all well these next couple weeks and will give you a homework assignment while I'm gone: Start your Christmas shopping! I say this only because I haven't had a chance to do that yet and it's making me very nervous. At least if someone has started it will give me a good push when I get back to get my butt into gear. So for now I say, TTFN and I'll talk to you all when I get back.
PS-I promise to post updates if I find an internet café.
It's almost time!!! My first overseas trip is about to begin. I leave tomorrow morning (at the BC-o-D) for New York to meet up with Mom and Bill. Tuesday afternoon we'll be boarding a flight for Turkey and that's where it all begins. For the next 2 weeks I will be gallivanting all over the Middle East and I am way excited about the entire excursion. We will only be in Turkey for a short time, and the rest of our trip will be centered in Egypt and Israel. All this to say, I won't be blogging for a while. Now, I do promise that upon my return, there will be pictures of the new house as well as a well documented entry on my entire trip. I wish you all well these next couple weeks and will give you a homework assignment while I'm gone: Start your Christmas shopping! I say this only because I haven't had a chance to do that yet and it's making me very nervous. At least if someone has started it will give me a good push when I get back to get my butt into gear. So for now I say, TTFN and I'll talk to you all when I get back.
PS-I promise to post updates if I find an internet café.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Nick-nacks and Paddy-whacks
Ari says:
Just a brief note to let you all know that we are in our new house! It is all very exciting, but we have a ton of stuff left to do. Mostly finding places for all the little pictures, candles and basically junk that I have sitting around everywhere. The house is just darling and coming along nicely. Soon and very soon ("we are going to see the King") we will be primed and ready for visitors, so dust off those suitcases and get ready for a trip to the Big Easy. We are in an amazing neighborhood. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming; they've all been trying to feed us and help out with anything we need, so it's nice to know we're in an actual community. On a completely different note, the little kitten that we had been taking care of (the one that ran off while we were in Texas) came back around on Tuesday night, which just happened to be the first night that Nashville was supposed to get below freezing. Well, the little miss was crying outside the door and I just didn't have the heart to leave her out there. So, I brought her in, stuck her in the bathroom and have now moved her with us to New Orleans. All that to say, we have a new kitten and her name is PJ (short for Princess Junior). She is absolutely precious and I will post more pictures of her soon. She is going in next week for a de-claw and spay, and then she'll be ready to join our little family, instead of being cooped up in a bedroom all the time. Let's see, what else am I forgetting? There's so much going on and so much to do, I'm sure I'm leaving something out. I will certainly get pics of the house up soon so you can all see where we are and I'll give a full report of the move and the house. As for now, just wanted you to all know that we're here and ready for guests.
Just a brief note to let you all know that we are in our new house! It is all very exciting, but we have a ton of stuff left to do. Mostly finding places for all the little pictures, candles and basically junk that I have sitting around everywhere. The house is just darling and coming along nicely. Soon and very soon ("we are going to see the King") we will be primed and ready for visitors, so dust off those suitcases and get ready for a trip to the Big Easy. We are in an amazing neighborhood. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming; they've all been trying to feed us and help out with anything we need, so it's nice to know we're in an actual community. On a completely different note, the little kitten that we had been taking care of (the one that ran off while we were in Texas) came back around on Tuesday night, which just happened to be the first night that Nashville was supposed to get below freezing. Well, the little miss was crying outside the door and I just didn't have the heart to leave her out there. So, I brought her in, stuck her in the bathroom and have now moved her with us to New Orleans. All that to say, we have a new kitten and her name is PJ (short for Princess Junior). She is absolutely precious and I will post more pictures of her soon. She is going in next week for a de-claw and spay, and then she'll be ready to join our little family, instead of being cooped up in a bedroom all the time. Let's see, what else am I forgetting? There's so much going on and so much to do, I'm sure I'm leaving something out. I will certainly get pics of the house up soon so you can all see where we are and I'll give a full report of the move and the house. As for now, just wanted you to all know that we're here and ready for guests.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
And I'm Out
Ari says:
This is it folks. My penultimate night in Nash-Vegas. Tomorrow will be my last day of visiting with friends, packing and getting ready for the big move. The movers (yes, we hired someone) are coming early Thursday morning and by that evening, I will be with Bart in The Big Easy. I've been in Nashville for over 5 years now, making this one of the longest stints I've ever lived in one place. I'm really excited about the move and very ready to be with Bart. He, of course, is already down there, having had to check in for his orders yesterday. He is paving the way and will actually get into our house tomorrow at some point. I'm sure he'll just be wiling away the time until Sherlock and I get down there. Right. Anyway, as I said, I've lived here for quite a while, but I'm having trouble coming up with legitimate reasons that I'm going to miss this place. So, in case you were wondering, here is my list of the top 5 things I will miss about Nashville:
5. Music at any time, day or night, whether you want it or not.
4. The ease of being in a location that everything you need is within 2 miles of where you live.
3. (Mostly) Friendly people and smiling faces. You gotta love the south. (Not that New Orleans isn't the south, but it's a bit different)
2. Being so close to Lexington. It has been great being able to get up there any time I want to see my fam, and Beth and Katie.
1. Friends. I have met some wonderful people, not the least of whom is Angela and I will miss her terribly, although I know that we're both "only a phone call away." Love you girl!
On the opposite end of this sappiness, here are the top 5 things that I am thrilled to be getting away from:
5. Music at any time, day or night, whether you want it or not.
4. Horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible drivers (they're really bad, folks).
3. Metrosexuals. There is something wrong when a man is prettier than me, even if we aren't together.
2. UT fans. Nutters.
1. Not being with Bart.
So, there you have it folks. The best and the worst of Nashville. This has been an amazing time in my life and I know that God put me here for many reasons (mainly to meet Angela and Bart, have some great time with Bradley, and to find out more about myself), but I also know that He has a plan and this move is just the next step. I'll be out of touch for a few days, but promise to post after the move, and hopefully will have some pictures of our new place to show you. Until then, much love to you all. Wish us luck!!
This is it folks. My penultimate night in Nash-Vegas. Tomorrow will be my last day of visiting with friends, packing and getting ready for the big move. The movers (yes, we hired someone) are coming early Thursday morning and by that evening, I will be with Bart in The Big Easy. I've been in Nashville for over 5 years now, making this one of the longest stints I've ever lived in one place. I'm really excited about the move and very ready to be with Bart. He, of course, is already down there, having had to check in for his orders yesterday. He is paving the way and will actually get into our house tomorrow at some point. I'm sure he'll just be wiling away the time until Sherlock and I get down there. Right. Anyway, as I said, I've lived here for quite a while, but I'm having trouble coming up with legitimate reasons that I'm going to miss this place. So, in case you were wondering, here is my list of the top 5 things I will miss about Nashville:
5. Music at any time, day or night, whether you want it or not.
4. The ease of being in a location that everything you need is within 2 miles of where you live.
3. (Mostly) Friendly people and smiling faces. You gotta love the south. (Not that New Orleans isn't the south, but it's a bit different)
2. Being so close to Lexington. It has been great being able to get up there any time I want to see my fam, and Beth and Katie.
1. Friends. I have met some wonderful people, not the least of whom is Angela and I will miss her terribly, although I know that we're both "only a phone call away." Love you girl!
On the opposite end of this sappiness, here are the top 5 things that I am thrilled to be getting away from:
5. Music at any time, day or night, whether you want it or not.
4. Horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible drivers (they're really bad, folks).
3. Metrosexuals. There is something wrong when a man is prettier than me, even if we aren't together.
2. UT fans. Nutters.
1. Not being with Bart.
So, there you have it folks. The best and the worst of Nashville. This has been an amazing time in my life and I know that God put me here for many reasons (mainly to meet Angela and Bart, have some great time with Bradley, and to find out more about myself), but I also know that He has a plan and this move is just the next step. I'll be out of touch for a few days, but promise to post after the move, and hopefully will have some pictures of our new place to show you. Until then, much love to you all. Wish us luck!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Where to Begin?
Ari says:
Hello all! Yes, I am still alive and well. I know you're probably all wishing me ill will and all that, and I'm sure I deserve every bit of it. To be honest, so much has happened in the past couple weeks, that I don't really know where to start (hence the title). I guess I'll just dive right in. Bart and I are doing really well. When last I blogged, I told you we were heading to his parent's house in PA. We had a great trip up and a really nice visit with them. They are such wonderful people. We also enjoyed watching Penn State romp on Wisconsin. That was just good stuff. And, OMG, the colors of the trees up there were absolutely amazing. I thought several times of trying to catch the views with the camera on my phone, but knew that there was no way that justice could be done. I have to admit, that I haven't seen an aut
umnal change like that in a very long time, and it was a magnificent site to behold. Ok, enough sap. Anyway, we got home Sunday night and discovered a visitor in our midst. A stray, calico kitten was hanging around our apartment and decided that our porch was the place to be. She was way too skinny, covered in fleas, had a horrible cough and drainage from her eyes. In essence, she was totally pathetic, but entirely too cute to pass by. She purred her way into our hearts and the next day found us taking her to the vet to get checked out. During the week we talked a lot, fed and kept up with her, and finally decided to make her our own. We set ourselves up to take her back to the vet for the necessary procedures following our trip to Ft. Worth, and then to bring her home as the newest addition to our family. Thursday rolled around way too quickly and we were "on the road again" to Texas. Bart's great friend, Kristian (K-Dub), got married on Saturday, so we headed down early so as not to miss any of the festivities. We had a great surprise and were able to meet up with Mom and Bill in downtown Ft. Worth for a late dinner Thursday night. They were both in Dallas for business (separate trips, oddly enough) and so we took the opportunity to sneak in a visit. The rest of our time in TX was spent doing all the wedding stuff, but really spending some wonderful time with Dave (Contract) and his fantastic girlfriend Leigh Ann. They were marvelous hosts and we all had a great time together. The wedding was Saturday, and everything was just beautiful. Well done and a huge congratulations to Kristian and Kristine (I think they planned the name thing, don't you?)! The reception was a blast and I was lucky enough to meet some of Bart's buddies from way back, and put some faces with names. What a great group of friends my husband has! All too soon, though, we were back in the car and on our way home. Our thoughts quickly turned to our "Little Girl" as I had dubbed her (or "Princess" as Bart called her), and we set to picking out a name for her. We came up with a few ideas and were really excited to get home and bring her into our familial fold. Sadly, though, we have not seen hide nor hair of her since we've returned. I've kept food out in the hopes that she might wander back, but my real hope is that a good family is taking care of her and that she gets the love she needs. Our focus is fully on the move at this point. We spent yesterday getting rid of clutter, junk, and things we just needed to say goodbye to, and loaded it all in the truck, bound for Goodwill. We've got some more packing in our future and a lot of lugging things around, but I have a feeling we'll get it all taken care of. So, make sure to think of us and pity us a little bit as you work off your Halloween Hangover. We'll be shoving things into a truck. And last but certainly not least, to end this epistle on a really amazing note, a huge congratulations and welcome to the new babies in the world!! Tom and Sallie Namey are now the proud parents of their second child, Tommy. Mike (Porkchop) and Myra Davenport have welcomed their first child, little Miss Ireland. And my dear friends Mark and Jennie Ross now have their beautiful Katie Joy. Congratulations to everyone!!
Hello all! Yes, I am still alive and well. I know you're probably all wishing me ill will and all that, and I'm sure I deserve every bit of it. To be honest, so much has happened in the past couple weeks, that I don't really know where to start (hence the title). I guess I'll just dive right in. Bart and I are doing really well. When last I blogged, I told you we were heading to his parent's house in PA. We had a great trip up and a really nice visit with them. They are such wonderful people. We also enjoyed watching Penn State romp on Wisconsin. That was just good stuff. And, OMG, the colors of the trees up there were absolutely amazing. I thought several times of trying to catch the views with the camera on my phone, but knew that there was no way that justice could be done. I have to admit, that I haven't seen an aut
umnal change like that in a very long time, and it was a magnificent site to behold. Ok, enough sap. Anyway, we got home Sunday night and discovered a visitor in our midst. A stray, calico kitten was hanging around our apartment and decided that our porch was the place to be. She was way too skinny, covered in fleas, had a horrible cough and drainage from her eyes. In essence, she was totally pathetic, but entirely too cute to pass by. She purred her way into our hearts and the next day found us taking her to the vet to get checked out. During the week we talked a lot, fed and kept up with her, and finally decided to make her our own. We set ourselves up to take her back to the vet for the necessary procedures following our trip to Ft. Worth, and then to bring her home as the newest addition to our family. Thursday rolled around way too quickly and we were "on the road again" to Texas. Bart's great friend, Kristian (K-Dub), got married on Saturday, so we headed down early so as not to miss any of the festivities. We had a great surprise and were able to meet up with Mom and Bill in downtown Ft. Worth for a late dinner Thursday night. They were both in Dallas for business (separate trips, oddly enough) and so we took the opportunity to sneak in a visit. The rest of our time in TX was spent doing all the wedding stuff, but really spending some wonderful time with Dave (Contract) and his fantastic girlfriend Leigh Ann. They were marvelous hosts and we all had a great time together. The wedding was Saturday, and everything was just beautiful. Well done and a huge congratulations to Kristian and Kristine (I think they planned the name thing, don't you?)! The reception was a blast and I was lucky enough to meet some of Bart's buddies from way back, and put some faces with names. What a great group of friends my husband has! All too soon, though, we were back in the car and on our way home. Our thoughts quickly turned to our "Little Girl" as I had dubbed her (or "Princess" as Bart called her), and we set to picking out a name for her. We came up with a few ideas and were really excited to get home and bring her into our familial fold. Sadly, though, we have not seen hide nor hair of her since we've returned. I've kept food out in the hopes that she might wander back, but my real hope is that a good family is taking care of her and that she gets the love she needs. Our focus is fully on the move at this point. We spent yesterday getting rid of clutter, junk, and things we just needed to say goodbye to, and loaded it all in the truck, bound for Goodwill. We've got some more packing in our future and a lot of lugging things around, but I have a feeling we'll get it all taken care of. So, make sure to think of us and pity us a little bit as you work off your Halloween Hangover. We'll be shoving things into a truck. And last but certainly not least, to end this epistle on a really amazing note, a huge congratulations and welcome to the new babies in the world!! Tom and Sallie Namey are now the proud parents of their second child, Tommy. Mike (Porkchop) and Myra Davenport have welcomed their first child, little Miss Ireland. And my dear friends Mark and Jennie Ross now have their beautiful Katie Joy. Congratulations to everyone!!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Bad Blogger
Ari says:
I know, I know. I've been a very bad blogger. I have only one excuse: Bart's home!!! In my defense, though, there really hasn't been too much to report, so I really was just saving you from some boring reads. Bart got home a week ago and we have really enjoyed having our time together. We've been running errands, eating out at places that Bart missed, hiking, but more than anything we've just been getting used to having each other around again. Tomorrow we are heading up to PA to see Bart's parents. We are actually going to be trading Bart's truck for their Lexus, so we'll see how that works out. Our hopes are for better gas mileage. Wish us luck. Next week will be a mad dash of packing and getting rid of junk and then we'll be getting back on the road. We're going to Ft. Worth, TX for a wedding of some friends, and hopefully a great visit with folks we haven't seen in a while. All in all, we've got plenty to keep us busy. We are officially moving the last weekend of this month and are just praying for a smooth transition into the new place. I'm very aware of all the things that can go wrong, but will try to be prepared for any eventuality. Ok, see?? I told you this was all very boring stuff. Anyway, hope you are all well. I'll get a good post up soon. Probably some mishap on our trip this weekend.
I know, I know. I've been a very bad blogger. I have only one excuse: Bart's home!!! In my defense, though, there really hasn't been too much to report, so I really was just saving you from some boring reads. Bart got home a week ago and we have really enjoyed having our time together. We've been running errands, eating out at places that Bart missed, hiking, but more than anything we've just been getting used to having each other around again. Tomorrow we are heading up to PA to see Bart's parents. We are actually going to be trading Bart's truck for their Lexus, so we'll see how that works out. Our hopes are for better gas mileage. Wish us luck. Next week will be a mad dash of packing and getting rid of junk and then we'll be getting back on the road. We're going to Ft. Worth, TX for a wedding of some friends, and hopefully a great visit with folks we haven't seen in a while. All in all, we've got plenty to keep us busy. We are officially moving the last weekend of this month and are just praying for a smooth transition into the new place. I'm very aware of all the things that can go wrong, but will try to be prepared for any eventuality. Ok, see?? I told you this was all very boring stuff. Anyway, hope you are all well. I'll get a good post up soon. Probably some mishap on our trip this weekend.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
A Poorly Titled Bachelorette Party
Ari says:
I am reveling in this moment; not in a "Lafayette Revelers" kind of way (you have to be a true Lexentonian to know that term), but in an exhilarating kind of way. I'm sure I sound daft, but let me assure you that I am mostly sane. Right now, Bart is resting his tired eyes in Oklahoma City, a mere 10 hours away from our homestead. By this time tomorrow night he will have been home for a couple hours. This is only remarkable because he hasn't been home in 7 months, was gone for over 5 months last year, and in our scant 1+ year of marriage we have only, physically, lived together for about 2 and 1/2 months due to his orders and military obligations. Please understand that I do not harbor any ill will towards this circumstance, but am extremely excited that we are about to start a new chapter in our married life. We are embarking on an entire month of living together and a move to a new city. In light of my previous statements, allow me to say that it is about damn time that we get a chance to be husband and wife. We have so much looming on our horizon: new orders, a move to NOLA, new friends, children (not yet, so don't get any ideas), and so many other things (probably many of which as yet undiscovered). Above all, we get a chance to be a couple and this is what is most important to me. I couldn't be more thrilled to have him home. All this being said, I have become quite accustomed to having this apartment to myself (well, myself and Sherlock). In the time since Bart has been gone (both during and post-work days) I have found a routine and a place for myself and my distractions. In honor of this particularly grand night (seeing as I cannot sleep for excitement), I am allowing myself one last evening of relative "singledom": No boys allowed (except Sherlock, of course, who is happily playing with an ice-cube in the bathtub at the moment), greasy food accepted, and an imbibement or two at the ready. This is a night to say a fond farewell to a year of lessons and trials, and certainly one of personal growth. It certainly has been an adventure, but nothing compared to what is in store for us. Please wish us luck.
I am reveling in this moment; not in a "Lafayette Revelers" kind of way (you have to be a true Lexentonian to know that term), but in an exhilarating kind of way. I'm sure I sound daft, but let me assure you that I am mostly sane. Right now, Bart is resting his tired eyes in Oklahoma City, a mere 10 hours away from our homestead. By this time tomorrow night he will have been home for a couple hours. This is only remarkable because he hasn't been home in 7 months, was gone for over 5 months last year, and in our scant 1+ year of marriage we have only, physically, lived together for about 2 and 1/2 months due to his orders and military obligations. Please understand that I do not harbor any ill will towards this circumstance, but am extremely excited that we are about to start a new chapter in our married life. We are embarking on an entire month of living together and a move to a new city. In light of my previous statements, allow me to say that it is about damn time that we get a chance to be husband and wife. We have so much looming on our horizon: new orders, a move to NOLA, new friends, children (not yet, so don't get any ideas), and so many other things (probably many of which as yet undiscovered). Above all, we get a chance to be a couple and this is what is most important to me. I couldn't be more thrilled to have him home. All this being said, I have become quite accustomed to having this apartment to myself (well, myself and Sherlock). In the time since Bart has been gone (both during and post-work days) I have found a routine and a place for myself and my distractions. In honor of this particularly grand night (seeing as I cannot sleep for excitement), I am allowing myself one last evening of relative "singledom": No boys allowed (except Sherlock, of course, who is happily playing with an ice-cube in the bathtub at the moment), greasy food accepted, and an imbibement or two at the ready. This is a night to say a fond farewell to a year of lessons and trials, and certainly one of personal growth. It certainly has been an adventure, but nothing compared to what is in store for us. Please wish us luck.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
News Brief
Ari says:
Wow, who would have thought that life could be such a whirlwind when you're not working? This past week has been one of trials, emotions, errands and preparation. I'm not even sure where to start. On the good side of things, Bart is on his way home even as I type this. He left this morning and should be home early this week. It will certainly be a long drive for him, so I ask for your prayers for safety during his trip. We are both really excited that he's coming home (actually, all three of us are, as I've told Sherlock repeatedly that Daddy is coming soon), but know that we have a lot of packing and preparation for the move ahead of us. We signed our lease this week and will take possession of the house we're renting on November first. We certainly have our work cut out for us. In other news, Beth and Stephen came into town late last night and the three of us, along with Angela had an amazing time hanging out, catching up and just blowing off some steam. We stayed up entirely too late, but it was totally worth it. Thanks for visiting guys! I guess beyond all this, I don't have much to report. As I mentioned, this week has been very emotional. I find myself very contemplative and reflective at the moment. I have a couple very dear friends who are in highly difficult situations right now and I am unsure how to help them. It is hard for me, being a "fixer," to be helpless and standby as someone I love is in pain. All I can do is offer my love and support and let them know that I will always be there for them. However, there is a bright spot in all of this. I know that God can work miracles in any situation, and I know that He has a plan. Whether or not it is what we want, He will do what is right and best in all things. This is an amazing comfort to me to know that everything and all of us are in His hands. Or as Katie would say, "This too shall pass." On a really great note, yesterday was an amazing day of college football. Penn State and Kentucky both won their games and a few more undefeated teams fell to their opponents. How fun that football has started back up and that fall has arrived! I've noticed a few trees starting to change and know that this is going to be a gorgeous season in many different ways. It is certainly a time for change, not only in the weather, but in life as well. Although some of these changes may seem formidable, it is so very exciting to experience what is going on in our lives and all around us.
Wow, who would have thought that life could be such a whirlwind when you're not working? This past week has been one of trials, emotions, errands and preparation. I'm not even sure where to start. On the good side of things, Bart is on his way home even as I type this. He left this morning and should be home early this week. It will certainly be a long drive for him, so I ask for your prayers for safety during his trip. We are both really excited that he's coming home (actually, all three of us are, as I've told Sherlock repeatedly that Daddy is coming soon), but know that we have a lot of packing and preparation for the move ahead of us. We signed our lease this week and will take possession of the house we're renting on November first. We certainly have our work cut out for us. In other news, Beth and Stephen came into town late last night and the three of us, along with Angela had an amazing time hanging out, catching up and just blowing off some steam. We stayed up entirely too late, but it was totally worth it. Thanks for visiting guys! I guess beyond all this, I don't have much to report. As I mentioned, this week has been very emotional. I find myself very contemplative and reflective at the moment. I have a couple very dear friends who are in highly difficult situations right now and I am unsure how to help them. It is hard for me, being a "fixer," to be helpless and standby as someone I love is in pain. All I can do is offer my love and support and let them know that I will always be there for them. However, there is a bright spot in all of this. I know that God can work miracles in any situation, and I know that He has a plan. Whether or not it is what we want, He will do what is right and best in all things. This is an amazing comfort to me to know that everything and all of us are in His hands. Or as Katie would say, "This too shall pass." On a really great note, yesterday was an amazing day of college football. Penn State and Kentucky both won their games and a few more undefeated teams fell to their opponents. How fun that football has started back up and that fall has arrived! I've noticed a few trees starting to change and know that this is going to be a gorgeous season in many different ways. It is certainly a time for change, not only in the weather, but in life as well. Although some of these changes may seem formidable, it is so very exciting to experience what is going on in our lives and all around us.
Monday, September 22, 2008
It's Time For a Change
Ari says:
Hear ye! Hear ye! Come one and come all!! Experience one of the world's forgotten treasures! That's right, Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm talking about that most forgotten of pastimes. The ever extraordinary, the ultimately elusive, the amazingly escaping: personal time.
When was the last time you took a moment for yourself? In my last couple weeks of unemployment and pseudo-solitude, I have found that there was one person that I had readily forgotten. In all my phone calls, birthday cards and emails, I had been left behind. And do you know what I've found? In fear of sounding a bit conceited, I'm a fairly cool person to hang out with. I have allowed myself (and sometimes forced) not to pick up a phone or send an email. I truly have taken the time to remember who I am. In spite of all my faults (and trust me, there are plenty), I have realized that I am fairly witty, humorous, and enjoyable to be around. In fact, I'm not all that bad. I say this only because in recent conversations, I have noticed that my friends and family are not taking the same note of themselves. Now (bragging moment ensuing), I pride myself on those with whom I associate. I have some of the most amazing people in my life, which you already know. They are my lifeblood, my center, and I owe everything to them. Why, then, would they not take care of themselves? This is my question to each and every one of you. When you know you are truly and deeply loved, why wouldn't you take the opportunity to improve upon "you" simply for yourself? You know that there are those who love and support you. Why, on God's Green Earth, wouldn't you take a moment now and then (once a day or week) for yourself? To remember what is important to you, or the things which make you most happy? I only say this because I, in fact, was gone for a long time. I allowed myself to be swept up in something that wasn't nearly as important as I thought it was. Now I am able to see that I am not nearly as effective a wife, daughter or friend as I am than when I truly appreciate and love myself. True to form, though, my loving friends and family were there for me and allowed me to do what I needed to do. Yes, I have a bit of time on my hands, however, I am realizing that time is a precious commodity and must not be wasted on the frivolous. We must remind ourselves what we are working towards and whether or not it furthers our personal agenda (which isn't a bad thing). Do we spend enough time with those that matter or are we focused on getting an extra hour in at work? Do we get in 10 minutes extra at the gym or can we spend a few minutes on the phone with a loved one? What are your priorities? Do you want to change them? I challenge each and every one of you to take a moment for yourself. To find something that makes you happy, for however short an amount of time, if only to enjoy yourself and to find you in the process.
Hear ye! Hear ye! Come one and come all!! Experience one of the world's forgotten treasures! That's right, Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm talking about that most forgotten of pastimes. The ever extraordinary, the ultimately elusive, the amazingly escaping: personal time.
When was the last time you took a moment for yourself? In my last couple weeks of unemployment and pseudo-solitude, I have found that there was one person that I had readily forgotten. In all my phone calls, birthday cards and emails, I had been left behind. And do you know what I've found? In fear of sounding a bit conceited, I'm a fairly cool person to hang out with. I have allowed myself (and sometimes forced) not to pick up a phone or send an email. I truly have taken the time to remember who I am. In spite of all my faults (and trust me, there are plenty), I have realized that I am fairly witty, humorous, and enjoyable to be around. In fact, I'm not all that bad. I say this only because in recent conversations, I have noticed that my friends and family are not taking the same note of themselves. Now (bragging moment ensuing), I pride myself on those with whom I associate. I have some of the most amazing people in my life, which you already know. They are my lifeblood, my center, and I owe everything to them. Why, then, would they not take care of themselves? This is my question to each and every one of you. When you know you are truly and deeply loved, why wouldn't you take the opportunity to improve upon "you" simply for yourself? You know that there are those who love and support you. Why, on God's Green Earth, wouldn't you take a moment now and then (once a day or week) for yourself? To remember what is important to you, or the things which make you most happy? I only say this because I, in fact, was gone for a long time. I allowed myself to be swept up in something that wasn't nearly as important as I thought it was. Now I am able to see that I am not nearly as effective a wife, daughter or friend as I am than when I truly appreciate and love myself. True to form, though, my loving friends and family were there for me and allowed me to do what I needed to do. Yes, I have a bit of time on my hands, however, I am realizing that time is a precious commodity and must not be wasted on the frivolous. We must remind ourselves what we are working towards and whether or not it furthers our personal agenda (which isn't a bad thing). Do we spend enough time with those that matter or are we focused on getting an extra hour in at work? Do we get in 10 minutes extra at the gym or can we spend a few minutes on the phone with a loved one? What are your priorities? Do you want to change them? I challenge each and every one of you to take a moment for yourself. To find something that makes you happy, for however short an amount of time, if only to enjoy yourself and to find you in the process.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Everything and Nothing
Ari says:
Side Note: I just lost half the blog I was trying to post, but will try again. Here goes!
I feel like so much has happened in the last week, but really don't have too much to tell. How very sad is that? So much time has passed and so many things occurred, but whether any of it is of interest, I guess, will be up to you. Anyway, here goes: Mom came in Tuesday afternoon and we immediately got into our "catch up" mode. It was so great to see her, but we could both instantly tell that out time together would be too short. We had a great couple days together filled with lots of talking, some work for Mom, a bit of wine for both of us, and an all around wonderful time. We did take a little detour Wednesday night and went downtown to babysit for the Namey Family (we didn't watch all three of them, just Kate). Tom and Sallie were in town for a movie premiere and I was eager to see them and spend some time with Kate. She was an absolute joy and Mom and I had a great time looking out the window with her, exploring the hotel, and witnessing the marvel of Kate eating. It was awesome! We were also able to catch up with the elder Nameys and see how precious Sallie is with little Tommy still in her belly. Tom and Sal, it was great seeing you. Keep us up to date on all the baby news! Thursday and Friday seemed to fly by with Mom and all too soon we were heading to the airport. I hated to see her go, but know that we'll get a trip in soon. She'll just have to come see our place in NOLA. Right? Right. After dropping Mom off, I got on the road to Lexington for another farewell of sorts. I realized as I was driving that this was the last time I would be able to jaunt up for a weekend. Soon enough the drive will be well over 10 hours and not so easily managed. Anyway, I got in Friday evening and Katie and I spent a great night outside talking and enjoying the weather. Saturday I met up with Beth for a fun lunch and some mall exploration. I can't believe how much my beloved Fayette Mall has changed. The silly thing seems massive and way too cosmo for Lexington. Oh, the times...they are a-changin'. Beth and I had a great time, and then we were off to get ready for the UK game. Beth, Stephen and Kevin came to pick up Katie, Neil and myself later in the evening. We headed to a place called Friends & Co. (formerly Trumps) and proceeded to have a great night of darts, football and people watching. Where can I get some of those cutoff shorts?! We did all have a minor heart attack at the end of the game when MTSU almost scored a touchdown on the last play, but the football gods smiled on the Wildcats for once and we were able to eek out a victory. The clan was all pretty tired after the game, so we headed to our respective homes and that was it for the evening. Sunday dawned not-so-bring and very windy, so Katie and I settled in for a day of crap tv and Chinese food, which turned out to be the perfect combo for a dreary Sunday. Soon enough, though, I was packing up my bag and saying goodbye to head over to my Dad's house for a final visit with everyone over there. Seanna and Kyleigh were both very excited that Sissy was there, and great commotion ensued. Both were eager to display all their talents at once and show every new toy and accrual since my last visit. I must admit that I'm not used to that much activity, but they are both so sweet and precious that you can't help but love them for it. We had a fun night just talking and catching up, but it was soon bedtime. Monday I got up and piddled around the house before heading to see Seanna at school. I had promised to come in and have lunch with her, so off I went. It was very strange driving near my old high school and seeing all the "kids" walking around. I will say, though, that I was a little nervous going back to school and wasn't sure what to expect. Seanna was so excited that I was there, and quickly introduced me to her friends and hustled me through the lunch line. We dined on "Pizadas" (which seem to be very small Hot Pockets) and mashed potatoes. Could have been worse. Seanna showed me around her classes a little bit, but soon had to return to class, so I headed out to run a couple errands. A couple of them were thwarted, but no harm done and I went back to the house with time to spare. I wanted to rest up a bit, so I turned on the tube and took it easy until everyone returned from work and school respectively. The rest of the evening was spent with dinner, homework, video games and a ballet display or two. Once it was "bedtime" I took my leave and got on the road back to Nashvegas. It was an easy drive and I was home a bit earlier than expected. Again, though, I am a bit sad that this era is coming to an end. I'll just have to be more diligent in my plans and travels. And that, my dear friends, brings us up to the present. On a completely different note, today is Sally's (or "Sally-in-St.-Louis" as I call her) birthday and I want to wish her a wonderful day. She is an amazing mother and a wonderful friend, and no one could ever ask for anyone more loyal to be in their life. Happy Birthday, Sal!! I guess that's all folks. I hope I haven't bored you too much with this epistle. News to come soon on the move, as soon as I have it, that is. Take care!!
Side Note: I just lost half the blog I was trying to post, but will try again. Here goes!
I feel like so much has happened in the last week, but really don't have too much to tell. How very sad is that? So much time has passed and so many things occurred, but whether any of it is of interest, I guess, will be up to you. Anyway, here goes: Mom came in Tuesday afternoon and we immediately got into our "catch up" mode. It was so great to see her, but we could both instantly tell that out time together would be too short. We had a great couple days together filled with lots of talking, some work for Mom, a bit of wine for both of us, and an all around wonderful time. We did take a little detour Wednesday night and went downtown to babysit for the Namey Family (we didn't watch all three of them, just Kate). Tom and Sallie were in town for a movie premiere and I was eager to see them and spend some time with Kate. She was an absolute joy and Mom and I had a great time looking out the window with her, exploring the hotel, and witnessing the marvel of Kate eating. It was awesome! We were also able to catch up with the elder Nameys and see how precious Sallie is with little Tommy still in her belly. Tom and Sal, it was great seeing you. Keep us up to date on all the baby news! Thursday and Friday seemed to fly by with Mom and all too soon we were heading to the airport. I hated to see her go, but know that we'll get a trip in soon. She'll just have to come see our place in NOLA. Right? Right. After dropping Mom off, I got on the road to Lexington for another farewell of sorts. I realized as I was driving that this was the last time I would be able to jaunt up for a weekend. Soon enough the drive will be well over 10 hours and not so easily managed. Anyway, I got in Friday evening and Katie and I spent a great night outside talking and enjoying the weather. Saturday I met up with Beth for a fun lunch and some mall exploration. I can't believe how much my beloved Fayette Mall has changed. The silly thing seems massive and way too cosmo for Lexington. Oh, the times...they are a-changin'. Beth and I had a great time, and then we were off to get ready for the UK game. Beth, Stephen and Kevin came to pick up Katie, Neil and myself later in the evening. We headed to a place called Friends & Co. (formerly Trumps) and proceeded to have a great night of darts, football and people watching. Where can I get some of those cutoff shorts?! We did all have a minor heart attack at the end of the game when MTSU almost scored a touchdown on the last play, but the football gods smiled on the Wildcats for once and we were able to eek out a victory. The clan was all pretty tired after the game, so we headed to our respective homes and that was it for the evening. Sunday dawned not-so-bring and very windy, so Katie and I settled in for a day of crap tv and Chinese food, which turned out to be the perfect combo for a dreary Sunday. Soon enough, though, I was packing up my bag and saying goodbye to head over to my Dad's house for a final visit with everyone over there. Seanna and Kyleigh were both very excited that Sissy was there, and great commotion ensued. Both were eager to display all their talents at once and show every new toy and accrual since my last visit. I must admit that I'm not used to that much activity, but they are both so sweet and precious that you can't help but love them for it. We had a fun night just talking and catching up, but it was soon bedtime. Monday I got up and piddled around the house before heading to see Seanna at school. I had promised to come in and have lunch with her, so off I went. It was very strange driving near my old high school and seeing all the "kids" walking around. I will say, though, that I was a little nervous going back to school and wasn't sure what to expect. Seanna was so excited that I was there, and quickly introduced me to her friends and hustled me through the lunch line. We dined on "Pizadas" (which seem to be very small Hot Pockets) and mashed potatoes. Could have been worse. Seanna showed me around her classes a little bit, but soon had to return to class, so I headed out to run a couple errands. A couple of them were thwarted, but no harm done and I went back to the house with time to spare. I wanted to rest up a bit, so I turned on the tube and took it easy until everyone returned from work and school respectively. The rest of the evening was spent with dinner, homework, video games and a ballet display or two. Once it was "bedtime" I took my leave and got on the road back to Nashvegas. It was an easy drive and I was home a bit earlier than expected. Again, though, I am a bit sad that this era is coming to an end. I'll just have to be more diligent in my plans and travels. And that, my dear friends, brings us up to the present. On a completely different note, today is Sally's (or "Sally-in-St.-Louis" as I call her) birthday and I want to wish her a wonderful day. She is an amazing mother and a wonderful friend, and no one could ever ask for anyone more loyal to be in their life. Happy Birthday, Sal!! I guess that's all folks. I hope I haven't bored you too much with this epistle. News to come soon on the move, as soon as I have it, that is. Take care!!
Monday, September 8, 2008
An Early Thanksgiving
Ari says:
There are times when I sit back and am overcome with emotions. The emotions tend to vary, and I sit and ponder how extreme and powerful they are. For example, I truly love Bart with everything that is in me, but every once in a while something (a thought, a memory, etc) will pop into my head and mentally head-slap me with just how strongly I feel for him. I usually end up crying for a minute and then calling him to tell him just how much I love him. I had a similar experience last night. I was watching a movie and all of the sudden a massive wave of gratitude came over me. I realized just how blessed I really am. Not only do I have a wonderful husband, who I love and adore, but I have a family who would bend over backwards for me if I needed it (especially my Mom, who I've told you about), two precious little sisters, amazing friends who I would not be able to survive without, a roof over my head and the ability to live a life that I love. How could I ever ask for more or be upset with my current situation? I actually paused my movie and thought long and hard about these things and how I am so very apt to take all these things for granted. It also made me want to thank each of those individuals in my life. You all know who you are and you know how I feel about you. Please know how special each of you are to me. Anyway, the reason I wanted to share this was because it is an amazing feeling. I wanted to pass this on to you in the hopes that it could spread and give you the same joy and appreciation that it has given me. So, what are you thankful for?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Voluntarily Unemployeed
Ari says:
Here I am looking for words. Searching for an anecdote with which to entertain you. However, with less and less on my mind right now, I find myself more lonely than ever. That's right Dear Reader, I am now one of the unemployed (it was completely by choice, so no worries there). I will say though, that with fewer things to focus on at work (or nothing, for that matter), I find my thoughts becoming more and more mundane. I worry about my next bank run or grocery visit. Honestly, I've been planning which day I should wash my sheets since I have a possible visitor coming to town (not that I haven't washed them recently, but one doesn't want to wash one's sheets too early or too late). Really?! Really?!!!?!!!? These are my worries? I thought I had a little more substance than that (not that cleaning and/or house keeping isn't substantial, please don't read that). It is just very odd for me to go from a lifetime of school and then move on to the day-to-day grind only to find myself in the midst of nothing. I have several days of packing ahead of me, but thanks to the weather, my attempts may be delayed. I don't know where this post is going, but be warned that, if you are a frequent reader, you may be in store for a few more random and rambling blogs. Forgive my "mundanity". I will find something interesting very soon. Promise.
Promise Fulfilled: The University of Kentucky Wildcats soundly defeated the University of Louisville Cardinals in their annual competition for the Governor's Cup (football). We won 27-2, with an amazing turnout from the defense (who scored 21 of our points), but with a bit lacking from our offense. No worries guys, it's the first game of the season with plenty of room for improvement. I'm hoping for a highly entertaining season.
Here I am looking for words. Searching for an anecdote with which to entertain you. However, with less and less on my mind right now, I find myself more lonely than ever. That's right Dear Reader, I am now one of the unemployed (it was completely by choice, so no worries there). I will say though, that with fewer things to focus on at work (or nothing, for that matter), I find my thoughts becoming more and more mundane. I worry about my next bank run or grocery visit. Honestly, I've been planning which day I should wash my sheets since I have a possible visitor coming to town (not that I haven't washed them recently, but one doesn't want to wash one's sheets too early or too late). Really?! Really?!!!?!!!? These are my worries? I thought I had a little more substance than that (not that cleaning and/or house keeping isn't substantial, please don't read that). It is just very odd for me to go from a lifetime of school and then move on to the day-to-day grind only to find myself in the midst of nothing. I have several days of packing ahead of me, but thanks to the weather, my attempts may be delayed. I don't know where this post is going, but be warned that, if you are a frequent reader, you may be in store for a few more random and rambling blogs. Forgive my "mundanity". I will find something interesting very soon. Promise.
Promise Fulfilled: The University of Kentucky Wildcats soundly defeated the University of Louisville Cardinals in their annual competition for the Governor's Cup (football). We won 27-2, with an amazing turnout from the defense (who scored 21 of our points), but with a bit lacking from our offense. No worries guys, it's the first game of the season with plenty of room for improvement. I'm hoping for a highly entertaining season.
Friday, August 29, 2008
An Ode to LifeWay
Ari says:
Oh dear LifeWay, how I will miss thee. In my few remaining hours within your hallowed halls, I ponder the time we have spent together. I reminisce over the toils and trials, the pittance and the pain. Ah, sweet LifeWay, I pray that my time here has not been in vain. Alas, I fear that I am nothing more than an unremarkable peasant to you; easily forgotten and certainly never recognized for what we could have had together. You are a cruel mistress LifeWay and my heart bleeds with the sorrow of a jilted lover.
Hahaha! I couldn't keep going with that crap, sorry I made you suffer through it. As you may have guessed, today is my last day here at the Baptist Vatican. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm sad and I try desperately to conceal the large grin on my face. No, to be blatantly honest, I'm not sad to be leaving. I am thrilled to be taking a new step in my life. One towards my husband, one towards our life together and generally moving forward to something new. I have a lot coming up in the next couple weeks, but now I have the time and opportunity to do those things. I can search for a new job, get the apartment packed up, secure everything to help with the move and get us ready for New Orleans (that is if there is a NOLA to go to in a few weeks). I will admit that there are a few people here that I will miss seeing, but I know that the true friendships that I've made here are already solid and distance will not disrupt them. So, I say farewell to LifeWay and this era of my life. I'm not saying goodbye to Nashville just yet, but will be ready to do so when the time comes. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
It's the Final Countdown
Ari says:
Go ahead and sing the song; I'll wait.
Welcome back! Yes, my dear and wonderful friends, as of today I only have 4 days left here at the illustrious LifeWay. The time is drawing nigh when I will no longer awaken at the butt crack of dawn to trek downtown and snake my way through the bowels of the Baptist Vatican. I am very close to being a free woman. Alas, since I am trapped for a couple more days, I will attempt to alleviate my pain by wasting as much time as possible (well, not really. I've got a ton of junk to do, but I thought I'd give you a recap of the weekend). Bart and I met up Friday evening in the city of our future home, New Orleans. I picked him up from the airport and we drove across the river ("The Mighty Mississip" as Bart calls it) into an area called Algiers Point. This is the little town we both really like and have focused our search for housing here. It is a small community with a close-knit feel; very "homey" (not "Homey don't play that") and cozy. We checked into the Bed & Breakfast where we were staying and then drove around the area for a while, driving up and down the streets and getting a layout of where all we would be on Saturday. Finally, we decided we were starving and took the ferry (yes, a real live ferry) across the river into the city. We walked around the French Quarter and found one of Bart's favorite places called "The Gumbo Shop." Awesome food! We had a great dinner, walked around the city a bit more and called it a night. Unfortunately, the ferry took a bit longer than we anticipated, so it took us a bit to get back to "the Point." We just need to figure out what the schedule of the thing is so we don't waste so much time waiting for it. Oh, I lied. We did check out two of the local pubs. The "Crown and Anchor" is a tiny place that is just awesome and they have a cat that belongs to the bar. So, what does a newly married couple do when they haven't seen each other for 2 months? Naturally, we sat in the bar and played with the cat. The other pub, "Old Point" (I think) had a really great local band playing. We did quite a bit of people watching and just enjoying the interaction between the "natives" (I'll let Bart tell you his discovery). Saturday was a gorgeous day, if not warm, and we spent time with our realtor scoping out places. We have found 3 that we are very happy with and are just now trying to make a final decision. I told Bart that I would be fine with whichever one he chose, as I really would love any of the 3 places (that, and I hate making big decisions like that). There are 2 houses and a condo that we really like. The first house (the "gas lantern" house as we call it) has a beautifully open floor plan, a great kitchen and a neat balcony off the master bedroom upstairs. The condo is three stories, tons of space, great amenities, and has an amazing view of the city. The second house is in the heart of the point and has a ton of character, tall (14') ceilings, and a really nice backyard with a deck (rather rare down there) (Side note: Ang- This is the one she told us about that we couldn't see when we went down there). The rent is all very close on these places, so you can see that we have a tough choice ahead of us, but we're very happy with what we've found, so I'm sure we'll make the right decision. After a much-needed nap and shower for both of us, Bart and I went out for an awesome dinner of seafood (I have a feeling this is going to happen a lot) and walked around the area for a bit. It was a gorgeous night and we just enjoyed the time together. Sunday brought on the first bit of Hurricane Fay. Bart and I enjoyed a simple breakfast at Toute de Suite (a precious corner café, that is a local hangout) and then explored the area a bit more. We found a gorgeous cathedral, but couldn't figure out if it was Catholic or not. I guess we'll find out sooner or later. After a bit more exploration, the time came to head to the airport. Bart's flight was slightly delayed, but I didn't complain against the extra time with him. After a soggy goodbye (on my part), Bart headed through security and I got on the road. It was a long drive home in the rain, but I made it back safe and sound. Irritatingly, Bart made it back across the country before I arrived home. How wrong is that?! Anyway, it was a great weekend and was full of promise and possibilities for us. I was going to post pictures of the places we were looking at, but I'll wait until we've made our choice. Hope you all had a great weekend!
Go ahead and sing the song; I'll wait.
Welcome back! Yes, my dear and wonderful friends, as of today I only have 4 days left here at the illustrious LifeWay. The time is drawing nigh when I will no longer awaken at the butt crack of dawn to trek downtown and snake my way through the bowels of the Baptist Vatican. I am very close to being a free woman. Alas, since I am trapped for a couple more days, I will attempt to alleviate my pain by wasting as much time as possible (well, not really. I've got a ton of junk to do, but I thought I'd give you a recap of the weekend). Bart and I met up Friday evening in the city of our future home, New Orleans. I picked him up from the airport and we drove across the river ("The Mighty Mississip" as Bart calls it) into an area called Algiers Point. This is the little town we both really like and have focused our search for housing here. It is a small community with a close-knit feel; very "homey" (not "Homey don't play that") and cozy. We checked into the Bed & Breakfast where we were staying and then drove around the area for a while, driving up and down the streets and getting a layout of where all we would be on Saturday. Finally, we decided we were starving and took the ferry (yes, a real live ferry) across the river into the city. We walked around the French Quarter and found one of Bart's favorite places called "The Gumbo Shop." Awesome food! We had a great dinner, walked around the city a bit more and called it a night. Unfortunately, the ferry took a bit longer than we anticipated, so it took us a bit to get back to "the Point." We just need to figure out what the schedule of the thing is so we don't waste so much time waiting for it. Oh, I lied. We did check out two of the local pubs. The "Crown and Anchor" is a tiny place that is just awesome and they have a cat that belongs to the bar. So, what does a newly married couple do when they haven't seen each other for 2 months? Naturally, we sat in the bar and played with the cat. The other pub, "Old Point" (I think) had a really great local band playing. We did quite a bit of people watching and just enjoying the interaction between the "natives" (I'll let Bart tell you his discovery). Saturday was a gorgeous day, if not warm, and we spent time with our realtor scoping out places. We have found 3 that we are very happy with and are just now trying to make a final decision. I told Bart that I would be fine with whichever one he chose, as I really would love any of the 3 places (that, and I hate making big decisions like that). There are 2 houses and a condo that we really like. The first house (the "gas lantern" house as we call it) has a beautifully open floor plan, a great kitchen and a neat balcony off the master bedroom upstairs. The condo is three stories, tons of space, great amenities, and has an amazing view of the city. The second house is in the heart of the point and has a ton of character, tall (14') ceilings, and a really nice backyard with a deck (rather rare down there) (Side note: Ang- This is the one she told us about that we couldn't see when we went down there). The rent is all very close on these places, so you can see that we have a tough choice ahead of us, but we're very happy with what we've found, so I'm sure we'll make the right decision. After a much-needed nap and shower for both of us, Bart and I went out for an awesome dinner of seafood (I have a feeling this is going to happen a lot) and walked around the area for a bit. It was a gorgeous night and we just enjoyed the time together. Sunday brought on the first bit of Hurricane Fay. Bart and I enjoyed a simple breakfast at Toute de Suite (a precious corner café, that is a local hangout) and then explored the area a bit more. We found a gorgeous cathedral, but couldn't figure out if it was Catholic or not. I guess we'll find out sooner or later. After a bit more exploration, the time came to head to the airport. Bart's flight was slightly delayed, but I didn't complain against the extra time with him. After a soggy goodbye (on my part), Bart headed through security and I got on the road. It was a long drive home in the rain, but I made it back safe and sound. Irritatingly, Bart made it back across the country before I arrived home. How wrong is that?! Anyway, it was a great weekend and was full of promise and possibilities for us. I was going to post pictures of the places we were looking at, but I'll wait until we've made our choice. Hope you all had a great weekend!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
More Friday Happiness
Ari says:
Hey all! Sorry I'm out today, but instead of leaving you completely alone and abandoned as you try desperately to waste this Friday away, I have chosen to give you this little bit of joy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I'm sure it will become a place to visit daily just like my other favorites. Have a great weekend!
Hey all! Sorry I'm out today, but instead of leaving you completely alone and abandoned as you try desperately to waste this Friday away, I have chosen to give you this little bit of joy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I'm sure it will become a place to visit daily just like my other favorites. Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Let the Stoning Begin
Ari says:
Not the drugged out stoning, I mean the biblical hurling of large stones toward the person who has committed a crime most foul. I have been found guilty of not blogging. In my defense, though, last week was not the week for a blog. You can thank me later. But for now, I have resigned myself to my rocky fate. Commence your launching.
Ok, now that that's all over, I can get to what's important. There has been a lot of resting going on for me in preparation for what is coming. I've been collecting boxes here at work and have been eyeballing things at home that will eventually be thrown or given away. There is a bunch of junk that I just don't want to move down to New Orleans. Work has become a madhouse. I think my boss and coworkers have realized that I have 8 days left and they are wigging out just a little bit. I have tons to do, but have been knocking everything out bit by bit and am confident that I'll be ready to walk out the door for good next Friday. Although, I say that, but I'm sure I'll have a myriad of phone calls for a few weeks asking where something is or if something was taken care of. On the home front, Sherlock seems to be recovering from his flea infestation. He's scratching less and less, and I'm finding fewer of the little buggars on him, not to mention that I haven't seen one on the couch or in the carpet in a couple weeks. Lord be praised!! I think my devastating attack on those bloodsuckers has actually paid off.
Wow, I guess I'm boring right now. Bart and I had this talk last night on the phone. I think we've gotten to the point that we're tired of just talking on the phone and are storing up all our stories and conversations for whenever we're together. We are actually meeting up in NO this weekend to look at a couple more places. I really hope that we can make a decision and sign some papers. I will feel a massive load off when that is taken care of. It will also provide me with a timeline for my packing and moving activities over the next month or so. With all that's been going on, I guess I've forgotten how to be entertaining. Don't worry, fair reader, I'm sure something ridiculous will happen to me very soon and I'll provide a tale of woe of some sort or another with which I will consume 2 minutes of your work day. On that note, I'll leave you with a picture of happiness. It has no bearing on anything and I don't even know the animal, but it was just a little too cute to pass up.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Bethie Wins!!
Ari says:
My "Dear Abby"-esq post from yesterday elicited a couple of great responses, however, I must give credit where it is due. On a day that would take more than the jaws of life to get a smile out of me, Beth got me to totally LOL. Check out the post and subsequent comments for a great laugh. Thanks, Beth. I needed that.
My "Dear Abby"-esq post from yesterday elicited a couple of great responses, however, I must give credit where it is due. On a day that would take more than the jaws of life to get a smile out of me, Beth got me to totally LOL. Check out the post and subsequent comments for a great laugh. Thanks, Beth. I needed that.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Catalyst-mic
Ari says:
During our now-traditional phone conversation last evening, Katie and I eventually got onto the topic of emotional roller-coasters. Not to be a complete gossip, but we were discussing our husbands and how (like most of the male species) they have their extreme ups and downs which are in direct relation to certain factors in their respective lives. For example, Bart will decide that he wants to lose weight and will drastically alter his lifestyle for a period of time until he reaches his goal and then will find something else to occupy his time (like a new board game, computer game, cooking show, etc). His mood is proportional to where he is in this transformation. Usually at the beginning he's mad at himself for getting to the point that he has to do this, then the mood gets better as he does something about the issue, which then progresses to elation as the job is completed. You get the picture (sorry I used you as my example subject, honey, but you really are an intriguing study and I'm sure Katie wouldn't like it if I discussed how much Neil likes to...never mind. I'm sorry and I love you!!). The flip side of this conversation was how different Katie and I are from the men in our lives. I described my moods as being volatile situationally (hormones, bad day, etc) but in the grand scheme rather stationary. My overall mood (again, not the crazy girl stuff) and outlook on life will remain rather stagnant until some sort of catalyst throws me in another direction. I try to be an optimistic person, but my mood has been so "blah" for so long that even I'm getting bored with myself. One of the contributing factors of my blah-ness is my job. I am very ready to be out of here and I'm sure that not having to attend the Baptist Vatican every day will completely change my outlook. The major issue of my blah-ocity is that Bart isn't around. I usually envision him winging through the skies, looking dapper in his flight suit, while he silently dreads going home to his humdrum wife. (Now, I know that's not true, but you know how the mind works sometimes.) I am hoping and praying that with our upcoming move, my vision will evolve to include me in his oh-so-exciting life. Now, all that being said, there are also smaller and less cataclysmic catalysts in the day to day. For instance, I was minding my business last night when Katie called. My first question to her was "Are we drinking?" Her response was "We're drinking." So I quickly poured myself a drink to settle in for our talk. That may seem very minor, but it has greatly affected my outlook on the day. To be honest, I really don't have a point to any of this. I guess I'm just waiting for the next big thing in my life and that is coming right around the corner. Plus, Katie and I decided that we should blog about catalysts, so I did. Have a great Friday everyone!
During our now-traditional phone conversation last evening, Katie and I eventually got onto the topic of emotional roller-coasters. Not to be a complete gossip, but we were discussing our husbands and how (like most of the male species) they have their extreme ups and downs which are in direct relation to certain factors in their respective lives. For example, Bart will decide that he wants to lose weight and will drastically alter his lifestyle for a period of time until he reaches his goal and then will find something else to occupy his time (like a new board game, computer game, cooking show, etc). His mood is proportional to where he is in this transformation. Usually at the beginning he's mad at himself for getting to the point that he has to do this, then the mood gets better as he does something about the issue, which then progresses to elation as the job is completed. You get the picture (sorry I used you as my example subject, honey, but you really are an intriguing study and I'm sure Katie wouldn't like it if I discussed how much Neil likes to...never mind. I'm sorry and I love you!!). The flip side of this conversation was how different Katie and I are from the men in our lives. I described my moods as being volatile situationally (hormones, bad day, etc) but in the grand scheme rather stationary. My overall mood (again, not the crazy girl stuff) and outlook on life will remain rather stagnant until some sort of catalyst throws me in another direction. I try to be an optimistic person, but my mood has been so "blah" for so long that even I'm getting bored with myself. One of the contributing factors of my blah-ness is my job. I am very ready to be out of here and I'm sure that not having to attend the Baptist Vatican every day will completely change my outlook. The major issue of my blah-ocity is that Bart isn't around. I usually envision him winging through the skies, looking dapper in his flight suit, while he silently dreads going home to his humdrum wife. (Now, I know that's not true, but you know how the mind works sometimes.) I am hoping and praying that with our upcoming move, my vision will evolve to include me in his oh-so-exciting life. Now, all that being said, there are also smaller and less cataclysmic catalysts in the day to day. For instance, I was minding my business last night when Katie called. My first question to her was "Are we drinking?" Her response was "We're drinking." So I quickly poured myself a drink to settle in for our talk. That may seem very minor, but it has greatly affected my outlook on the day. To be honest, I really don't have a point to any of this. I guess I'm just waiting for the next big thing in my life and that is coming right around the corner. Plus, Katie and I decided that we should blog about catalysts, so I did. Have a great Friday everyone!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
And How Was Your Weekend?
Ari says:
Mine was great! Friday was a crazy day at work, but my husband was sweet enough to send me 2 dozen roses, so that made the day infinitely better. My boss treated me to lunch and then I practically ran out the door to head home. Angela came over for a bit, thus shortening the time that I had to wait until the book release at Barnes and Noble. She finally left me to fend time off for myself and I settled for watching some tv and preparing for the long night ahead of me. I met up with Laura and George at B&N right at midnight and we patiently waited in line for our books whilst teenagers garbed in cloaks and prom dresses (apparently prom dress screams "vampire") thronged the checkout counter for their books. Soon enough I was home with my books and I settled in for a long night of reading. Saturday nooned (it's like "dawned" only later) and I drug myself out of bed to do some more reading and get ready for my day with Angela. She was treating me to a pedicure and a viewing of The Dark Knight. Why all the special treatment? Well, Saturday was my 27th birthday. We endured the foot scraping and then hustled over for the movie. Let me tell you that this one actually lives up to the hype. I will be completely honest and tell you that I thought all the Oscar talk for Heath Ledger was a bit ridiculous and was really only being done because he died. Well, I was very wrong. The movie was amazing... or ask I kept repeating: epic. Go see it. I beg you, and please go see it in the theater. This is one that needs and deserves to be seen properly. After shaking ourselves from shock from the movie, Angela and I went over to McAllister's for dinner. We both enjoyed our sandwiches and decided it was time to chill. We hung out at my place for a bit, but I was totally boring and Angela soon headed home to let out her puppy. I, of course, immediately delved back into my book. Sunday I finished up with "Breaking Dawn" and then decided to take it easy. I had originally planned to clean up the apartment in preparation for Sally and Julia coming in, but I had hurt my wrist at work on Friday (if there were a good story behind it I would tell you, but there isn't) and by Sunday it was actually really bothering me. As of today I have full mobility back, but it is still sore and I can't put much pressure on it. Weird. So, I spent Sunday watching Smallville episodes and just relaxing. I must give a huge thank you to Angela for an awesome birthday, to my lovely husband for my gorgeous roses, and to all my fantastic friends and family for the cards and well wishes. Of course my Mom went a bit over the top with the shoes, but I didn't really mind at all. Anyway, it was a wonderful weekend that went entirely too quickly; but then again, don't they all?
Mine was great! Friday was a crazy day at work, but my husband was sweet enough to send me 2 dozen roses, so that made the day infinitely better. My boss treated me to lunch and then I practically ran out the door to head home. Angela came over for a bit, thus shortening the time that I had to wait until the book release at Barnes and Noble. She finally left me to fend time off for myself and I settled for watching some tv and preparing for the long night ahead of me. I met up with Laura and George at B&N right at midnight and we patiently waited in line for our books whilst teenagers garbed in cloaks and prom dresses (apparently prom dress screams "vampire") thronged the checkout counter for their books. Soon enough I was home with my books and I settled in for a long night of reading. Saturday nooned (it's like "dawned" only later) and I drug myself out of bed to do some more reading and get ready for my day with Angela. She was treating me to a pedicure and a viewing of The Dark Knight. Why all the special treatment? Well, Saturday was my 27th birthday. We endured the foot scraping and then hustled over for the movie. Let me tell you that this one actually lives up to the hype. I will be completely honest and tell you that I thought all the Oscar talk for Heath Ledger was a bit ridiculous and was really only being done because he died. Well, I was very wrong. The movie was amazing... or ask I kept repeating: epic. Go see it. I beg you, and please go see it in the theater. This is one that needs and deserves to be seen properly. After shaking ourselves from shock from the movie, Angela and I went over to McAllister's for dinner. We both enjoyed our sandwiches and decided it was time to chill. We hung out at my place for a bit, but I was totally boring and Angela soon headed home to let out her puppy. I, of course, immediately delved back into my book. Sunday I finished up with "Breaking Dawn" and then decided to take it easy. I had originally planned to clean up the apartment in preparation for Sally and Julia coming in, but I had hurt my wrist at work on Friday (if there were a good story behind it I would tell you, but there isn't) and by Sunday it was actually really bothering me. As of today I have full mobility back, but it is still sore and I can't put much pressure on it. Weird. So, I spent Sunday watching Smallville episodes and just relaxing. I must give a huge thank you to Angela for an awesome birthday, to my lovely husband for my gorgeous roses, and to all my fantastic friends and family for the cards and well wishes. Of course my Mom went a bit over the top with the shoes, but I didn't really mind at all. Anyway, it was a wonderful weekend that went entirely too quickly; but then again, don't they all?
Monday, August 4, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
These Books Suck
Ari says:
I've been caught. Usually, I revel in the fact that I do not follow the masses. I tend to be fairly independent, keeping to my beliefs, likes and dislikes, regardless of what a celebrity or spokesperson, or even a good friend says. However, I now have to admit that I am one of the throngs who have been swept away on a veritable magic carpet of escapism. I honestly haven't been this captivated by any book since the Harry Potter series. And now, here I sit w
ith just under 36 hours left until the release of "Breaking Dawn" by Stephanie Meyer. This is the fourth and final installment of the Twilight Saga and I couldn't be any more excited. I started the series on a strong recommendation from Conley and from the generous loaning of the books by Mama Bradley and Laura. Once I started, I was hooked. Yes, these are Young Adult books (Harry Potter?). Yes, they are all about vampires and other farcical entities (Anne Rice?). Yes, I am completely, totally and shamefully in love with this series (sticking out tongue at scoffers). The good thing is that I know I'm not alone in my fanaticism. There are many who would stand by me when I say that this is one of the best series of books to come out in a very long while. So, why am I outing myself on my own blog? Well, when I find something that I like, I want to share it with those I love. If you are any sort of reader at all and enjoy some good escapism, it would behoove you to try this series out. They are fast, easy reads with a great story line. I will say that some of the characters tend to chafe the reader, but instead of this being a bad thing, I think it only shows how enthralled the reader is that they are so affected. My only other caution would be that if you aren't thrilled by romance, steer clear; these won't be your cup of tea. Barring those items, though, these books are just great and I know that this weekend I'll be parked with my book, digging to discover just what is going on in Forks, WA.
ith just under 36 hours left until the release of "Breaking Dawn" by Stephanie Meyer. This is the fourth and final installment of the Twilight Saga and I couldn't be any more excited. I started the series on a strong recommendation from Conley and from the generous loaning of the books by Mama Bradley and Laura. Once I started, I was hooked. Yes, these are Young Adult books (Harry Potter?). Yes, they are all about vampires and other farcical entities (Anne Rice?). Yes, I am completely, totally and shamefully in love with this series (sticking out tongue at scoffers). The good thing is that I know I'm not alone in my fanaticism. There are many who would stand by me when I say that this is one of the best series of books to come out in a very long while. So, why am I outing myself on my own blog? Well, when I find something that I like, I want to share it with those I love. If you are any sort of reader at all and enjoy some good escapism, it would behoove you to try this series out. They are fast, easy reads with a great story line. I will say that some of the characters tend to chafe the reader, but instead of this being a bad thing, I think it only shows how enthralled the reader is that they are so affected. My only other caution would be that if you aren't thrilled by romance, steer clear; these won't be your cup of tea. Barring those items, though, these books are just great and I know that this weekend I'll be parked with my book, digging to discover just what is going on in Forks, WA. Tuesday, July 29, 2008
NOLA Bound
Ari says:
Well, I'm sure the proverbial cat is out of the bag, but for those of you who don't know, I can now reveal that Bart and I are moving to New Orleans in the near future (NOLA= New Orleans, Louisiana; for those of you not "in the know"). This has been a crazy few months with several things up in the air, but Bart ended up getting orders to fly with 4th MAW (Marine Air Wing) for one year and the possibility of those orders being extended to two years. Right now we are just very excited to get to live together. In our one year of marriage we've lived together for about 2 1/2 months total, with visits about every month. So, what all does this mean? Well, Bart will stay out in San Diego until the end of September when his TAD orders are up (Temporary Active Duty). I will stay here in Nashville and work through the end of August (only 24 days left, not that I'm counting down or anything). September will be spent traveling to Lexington and Denver, getting visits in, and then I'll spend the rest of the time here in Nash-Vegas getting rid of junk, finding boxes and getting packed up for the move, on top of continuing my job search. Be proud of me that I've already started collecting boxes and applying for jobs. There are good and band points about this move. Again, the best part is that we'll finally be together. A couple other pluses are that we will be 3 hours from Bradley and only 5 hours from Conley. Bring on the Diva Conventions!! Of course, the hard part will be going further away from Lexington; my once 3 hour drive will now be over 10, and probably not doable all that often. And I have made some wonderful friends here, especially Angela, who I will miss terribly (but know that she will come and visit often because she just loves me that much, right?). However, as with any change, I am starting to feel the rush. Plans are starting to fall into place and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. This brings me to this past weekend. Angela was my absolute savior this weekend and agreed to trek down to NO with me on a hunting expedition. We got on the road after work on Friday and made it to the Southern Sin City without too much trouble, barring one traffic jam and the "manalog" clock. The "manalog" clock was actually an analog clock that was in the dash of the rental car we had. As Angela was wondering why they put that particular model in if everything else was digital, I began to say that in some luxury cars I had seen they put in an analog clock to be posh. Well, I tried to say "manual" to describe the clock, but immediately knew that it was the wrong word and tried to correct that by saying "analog" at the same time, and thus the birth of the manalog clock. See, I'm human, I make mistakes (not many, though). Anyway, we made it to NO and settled into our hotel room. Saturday dawned hot and muggy and we were out early to start our search. Angela was a genius with the maps and got us through the crazy streets to start the search for living accommodations. We looked at places in the French Quarter and Algiers Point (cute little town across the river) and quickly decided that "The Point" was the place to be. We focused our search there and probably looked at 10 different possibilities through the day. As the thermostat topped 100, we sweltered our way in and out of the car, up and down new streets, but eventually found a couple spots that Bart and I could happily call home. We finally headed back to our hotel to cool off and get ready for dinner. After a brief search of the immediate vicinity of the hotel, we decided on a wonderful little place called Café Orleans and had an amazing dinner full of all kinds of seafood (we split a seafood appetizer and entree) and a couple glasses of much-deserved wine. We then sloshed through the torrential downpour to get back to the hotel and parked ourselves at the bar for a bit before retiring to bed. We were both exhausted, and sleep was not far off. Sunday was the long drive back, but we made it without any trouble and were both home at a decent time. Again, I can't say enough thanks to Angela for all her help this weekend. It would not have been possible without her. As for me, I think I've got a few great ideas for Bart and me, and at least we now know where to focus our search. All in all, the weekend was a success and I feel much better having the wheels starting to get into motion for this new chapter in our lives.
Well, I'm sure the proverbial cat is out of the bag, but for those of you who don't know, I can now reveal that Bart and I are moving to New Orleans in the near future (NOLA= New Orleans, Louisiana; for those of you not "in the know"). This has been a crazy few months with several things up in the air, but Bart ended up getting orders to fly with 4th MAW (Marine Air Wing) for one year and the possibility of those orders being extended to two years. Right now we are just very excited to get to live together. In our one year of marriage we've lived together for about 2 1/2 months total, with visits about every month. So, what all does this mean? Well, Bart will stay out in San Diego until the end of September when his TAD orders are up (Temporary Active Duty). I will stay here in Nashville and work through the end of August (only 24 days left, not that I'm counting down or anything). September will be spent traveling to Lexington and Denver, getting visits in, and then I'll spend the rest of the time here in Nash-Vegas getting rid of junk, finding boxes and getting packed up for the move, on top of continuing my job search. Be proud of me that I've already started collecting boxes and applying for jobs. There are good and band points about this move. Again, the best part is that we'll finally be together. A couple other pluses are that we will be 3 hours from Bradley and only 5 hours from Conley. Bring on the Diva Conventions!! Of course, the hard part will be going further away from Lexington; my once 3 hour drive will now be over 10, and probably not doable all that often. And I have made some wonderful friends here, especially Angela, who I will miss terribly (but know that she will come and visit often because she just loves me that much, right?). However, as with any change, I am starting to feel the rush. Plans are starting to fall into place and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. This brings me to this past weekend. Angela was my absolute savior this weekend and agreed to trek down to NO with me on a hunting expedition. We got on the road after work on Friday and made it to the Southern Sin City without too much trouble, barring one traffic jam and the "manalog" clock. The "manalog" clock was actually an analog clock that was in the dash of the rental car we had. As Angela was wondering why they put that particular model in if everything else was digital, I began to say that in some luxury cars I had seen they put in an analog clock to be posh. Well, I tried to say "manual" to describe the clock, but immediately knew that it was the wrong word and tried to correct that by saying "analog" at the same time, and thus the birth of the manalog clock. See, I'm human, I make mistakes (not many, though). Anyway, we made it to NO and settled into our hotel room. Saturday dawned hot and muggy and we were out early to start our search. Angela was a genius with the maps and got us through the crazy streets to start the search for living accommodations. We looked at places in the French Quarter and Algiers Point (cute little town across the river) and quickly decided that "The Point" was the place to be. We focused our search there and probably looked at 10 different possibilities through the day. As the thermostat topped 100, we sweltered our way in and out of the car, up and down new streets, but eventually found a couple spots that Bart and I could happily call home. We finally headed back to our hotel to cool off and get ready for dinner. After a brief search of the immediate vicinity of the hotel, we decided on a wonderful little place called Café Orleans and had an amazing dinner full of all kinds of seafood (we split a seafood appetizer and entree) and a couple glasses of much-deserved wine. We then sloshed through the torrential downpour to get back to the hotel and parked ourselves at the bar for a bit before retiring to bed. We were both exhausted, and sleep was not far off. Sunday was the long drive back, but we made it without any trouble and were both home at a decent time. Again, I can't say enough thanks to Angela for all her help this weekend. It would not have been possible without her. As for me, I think I've got a few great ideas for Bart and me, and at least we now know where to focus our search. All in all, the weekend was a success and I feel much better having the wheels starting to get into motion for this new chapter in our lives.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Nervous Nelly
Ari says:
Ok, don't tell Bart, but I'm a bit nervous. Angela and I are heading to New Orleans this weekend for a rather important adventure (I promise I'll tell you next week what all this secrecy has been about). I've rented a car, confirmed the hotel, got my maps (several of them), my contact and appointment information, and my rarely-used camera. I'm not forgetting anything and am as ready as I'll ever be, but there is always the chance that I am going to mess something up. I don't know if you've noticed from other posts or not, but I'm a bit accident prone and Murphy's Law has never quite applied to anyone so forcefully. Bart has assured me that I'll be fine and that there is very little likelihood of me ruining something so completely that he won't talk to me again, so that's reassuring, but there are still a few butterflies. Many details to come next week, so wish me luck and stay tuned!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Ants Go Marching 1 By 1
Ari says:
TGINM! For those of you not all that excited about word games, that translates to "Thank God It's Not Monday." I figured Bradley would enjoy it, although, after SOGWEAW, I don't think I can compare. Anyway, enough of that. Usually this is the part that I would recap my weekend, however it was exceedingly boring, so I'll save you the mental death and give you a few highlights. I got completely immersed in the Twilight series of books and spent an immense amount of time reading this weekend. It was so miserably hot outside that you just couldn't bring yourself to do anything. I also packed Sherlock up on Sunday and headed to Angela's house. I needed to spray down the carpet and furniture again with flea spray, so that's what we did. The rest of my weekend was spent vacuuming and doing laundry. See? I told you it was boring. On the other hand, last night held a small adventure. Bart and I have a medium size pile of wood out on our porch. It is really well seasoned, but we won't be needing it this winter, so I had decided to get rid of it. Since it was scathingly hot yesterday, I waited until the sun went down before I tackled this project. I moved the truck closer to the apartment and then started moving the logs down. This was an easy enough task, although it was still very warm. Well, I got about 3/4 of the way done with my little project and discovered that I was invading someone's home. Actually, many someones to be exact. After picking up one long in particular, I was greeted by thousands (most likely millions, but I didn't bother to count) of carpenter ants. My immediate, and rather girly, reaction was to drop the wood I was holding and jump back a step. These guys were not happy with me. My second reaction was to get a little ticked off that my project was being impeded. I have to admit, though, that I did feel a twinge of self-loathing. These ants were minding their own business, making a home for themselves and I came along all Godzilla-esq (because that's how I smurf) and destroy it all. Now, let me add to that by saying that if they had been inside my apartment it would have been a very different story and I would have doused the little suckers with anything lethal I could find. After getting Bart's opinion and trying to figure out the best way to handle this mess, I started kicking the logs off the porch and into the grass. I then rolled them all down the hill to get the ants off. By the time I got them to the truck, they were virtually ant-free. I guess my plan worked. Anyway, I finally got it all loaded up, was able to sweep my "guests" and the debris off the porch and didn't have any other problems. I told Bart that I was anticipating some sort of ant uprising, where they would march on the apartment with miniature pitchforks and torches, but nothing of the sort happened. I think I'm safe, for now.
TGINM! For those of you not all that excited about word games, that translates to "Thank God It's Not Monday." I figured Bradley would enjoy it, although, after SOGWEAW, I don't think I can compare. Anyway, enough of that. Usually this is the part that I would recap my weekend, however it was exceedingly boring, so I'll save you the mental death and give you a few highlights. I got completely immersed in the Twilight series of books and spent an immense amount of time reading this weekend. It was so miserably hot outside that you just couldn't bring yourself to do anything. I also packed Sherlock up on Sunday and headed to Angela's house. I needed to spray down the carpet and furniture again with flea spray, so that's what we did. The rest of my weekend was spent vacuuming and doing laundry. See? I told you it was boring. On the other hand, last night held a small adventure. Bart and I have a medium size pile of wood out on our porch. It is really well seasoned, but we won't be needing it this winter, so I had decided to get rid of it. Since it was scathingly hot yesterday, I waited until the sun went down before I tackled this project. I moved the truck closer to the apartment and then started moving the logs down. This was an easy enough task, although it was still very warm. Well, I got about 3/4 of the way done with my little project and discovered that I was invading someone's home. Actually, many someones to be exact. After picking up one long in particular, I was greeted by thousands (most likely millions, but I didn't bother to count) of carpenter ants. My immediate, and rather girly, reaction was to drop the wood I was holding and jump back a step. These guys were not happy with me. My second reaction was to get a little ticked off that my project was being impeded. I have to admit, though, that I did feel a twinge of self-loathing. These ants were minding their own business, making a home for themselves and I came along all Godzilla-esq (because that's how I smurf) and destroy it all. Now, let me add to that by saying that if they had been inside my apartment it would have been a very different story and I would have doused the little suckers with anything lethal I could find. After getting Bart's opinion and trying to figure out the best way to handle this mess, I started kicking the logs off the porch and into the grass. I then rolled them all down the hill to get the ants off. By the time I got them to the truck, they were virtually ant-free. I guess my plan worked. Anyway, I finally got it all loaded up, was able to sweep my "guests" and the debris off the porch and didn't have any other problems. I told Bart that I was anticipating some sort of ant uprising, where they would march on the apartment with miniature pitchforks and torches, but nothing of the sort happened. I think I'm safe, for now.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Friday Happiness
Ari says:
Ok, I know this is a bit of a cop-out, but I just couldn't help myself. Enjoy!
See, this just makes Friday that much better.
Ok, I know this is a bit of a cop-out, but I just couldn't help myself. Enjoy!
See, this just makes Friday that much better.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Randomness Abounds
Ari says:
Today has just been a strange day so far. Now, granted, I'm only about halfway through it, but it has just been weird. First off, Sherlock decided to play "Bite Mommy" at 3 am. Not my favorite at all, and when he discovered that I wasn't going to join in, he went on and started a rousing game of "Howl at the Pictures on the Wall." Again, this wasn't my game of choice, so I decided to remove the cat from the room for the rest of the night. I vaguely remembered on my way into work that today is my brother-in-law, Jim's, birthday today. Happy Birthday Jim... he's a great guy, like all of the Bartolomeas, is very intelligent, confident, talented at the iPod game and has gone to lengths to make me feel so welcome in the family. Anyway, I got to work and was quickly reminded by my boss that we had a Meet & Greet with the band DecembeRadio. Now, I'm sure most of you aren't familiar with this group, but they are releasing their second album and I have several stores that will be doing signings with the group in the next few months (thus making my presence at this event rather necessary). I walked into the room as they started their set and about fell off my chair when I realized that one of the guitarist was the absolute doppelganger for my brother-in-law. Now this guy has longer hair and is a bit more "Nashville" than Jim, but there he was. "Jim" is on the fa
r left in this picture. I was able to talk to Brian (his real name) after the set and he was a great guy. I told him about his resemblance and possible long-lost relative and his only concern was whether or not Jim was a good guy. I reassured him that he was in good company (I had to be nice since it's Jim's birthday). Anyway, after all that, I came back down to my office and was treated to a series of rather unpleasant experiences. Suffice it to say, I'm just thrilled that this all will soon be but a distant memory. Don't get me wrong, I will certainly miss Matt's antics and Angie's wonderful friendship (and lunch demands), but there are several things that I will not be sad to leave. All in all, I'm hoping the rest of this day can turn itself around for the better. If not, I could possibly see inebriation in my future.
r left in this picture. I was able to talk to Brian (his real name) after the set and he was a great guy. I told him about his resemblance and possible long-lost relative and his only concern was whether or not Jim was a good guy. I reassured him that he was in good company (I had to be nice since it's Jim's birthday). Anyway, after all that, I came back down to my office and was treated to a series of rather unpleasant experiences. Suffice it to say, I'm just thrilled that this all will soon be but a distant memory. Don't get me wrong, I will certainly miss Matt's antics and Angie's wonderful friendship (and lunch demands), but there are several things that I will not be sad to leave. All in all, I'm hoping the rest of this day can turn itself around for the better. If not, I could possibly see inebriation in my future.
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