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.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
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
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