ok

I know I've been away for a while, although, it's not like people really read my blog religiously, so I think I'm ok. But, know that I have a good reason for neglecting my loyal, and obviously misguided readers.

For the last few weeks I have been held up like a hermit in our office studying for my next ARE exam - which I took today. I feel much better about this one than the last one, so I'll just have to wait my three weeks until my results come.

Also, our internet was, unknowingly and unprovoked, turned off by our internet provider. It wasn't as if they just accidentally hit a button at their office, no, they sent someone out to our house on Friday and they manually disconnected our internet, for no apparent reason. When the technician came out today to fix it, he didn't know why anyone had done that either.

And...two weeks ago I went up to Concord, NC (just outside of Charlotte) to my mom's house to visit and also see the progress of her house renovation. I went up there in May when the house was first purchased. She brought me up there to redesign her kitchen. They gutted the whole kitchen and I helped her select the cabinets, countertops, flooring, etc., came home to draw up the plans for the contractor, and now I was there to see the fruits of my labor! It was pretty exciting. I've included some before and after pictures below. The only thing left to do in the kitchen is the tile for the backsplash. Once that is installed, the stainless steel hood can be installed.


The door that is in the third picture has been patched and the counter was run all the way to the adjacent wall, as well as the soffit (you will see in the pictures below). Also, the blank wall now has lower cabinets, as well as a new opening/pass-thru into the dining room.


Hopefully you can see the improvement! ha!

So, we have been busy in our neck of the woods, but, don't fret, we have a nice, relaxing vacation in our horizon. This Sunday Morgan and I are driving to Florida and hopping on this...

for a 7 night cruise hitting the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten (Eastern Caribbean). It's a belated 5 year wedding anniversary gift to the two of us (although Morgan says it's just for me, but when I have to pay for half I say it's for the both of us :o))

Well, I'm sure this has been quite the thrilling post all of you have come to expect from me. I'm sure I'll be back with glorious photos of our trip in a couple of weeks!

I'm addicted

As a surprise Morgan bought me the new iPod touch, just for being me! (I'm sure he has some other sneaky reason, but I also was desperately in need of an upgrade). I can't explain how awesome this is. It's like the new iPhone, but smaller and thinner, and without the phone capabilities. You can add photos, watch movies, listen to music - of course, browse the internet wirelessly, and much more! Now I'm starting to sound like an infomercial.

Everyone, do yourselves a favor and go to www.apple.com and buy one! Now!

this is exactly how i felt...

"It was as if ninjas attacked me in a group, flashbanged me, disoriented me with mind altering drugs and then said here is some scratch paper and your calculator. The clock is ticking."

This quote is taken directly from the ARE forum where architect candidates like myself go to swap test and study information about the tests (I know, it's dorky, but no one would pass any of them without it). Anyway, this sums up the way I felt leaving my test. I'm looking to take my second one in two weeks!

Southern Wedding

This weekend my friend Jenny and I drove up to Charleston for a friend's wedding. The ceremony was at the Citadel Chapel (the groom went to college at the Citadel) and the reception was at the Charleston Yacht Club. This wedding had so many highlights, although most were in the intimate details. To start with Charleston is a beautiful, old city and the historic charm already lends itself to being a wonderful setting for a wedding.

I think the part I liked most was the fact that our friend, Amanda (the bride), had her dress made from her mom's wedding dress. It was so special, unique and beautiful. Kenny and Amanda are such a great couple (they are the ones I went to Costa Rica with a year ago). I wish them all the best! (It's starting out nice...they're in Jamaica for their honeymoon!).

Don't you just hate it...

when you get some great news and then right afterwards get really bad news? Like the fact that I got my much anticipated "pass" letter for my first ARE test...that's right, folks, I passed (I guess I owe Jayna a phone call to tell her she was right). But, before I could do a happy dance I opened the next piece of mail which was a notice from the South Carolina tax people saying that I made a mistake on my taxes and I owe a LOT of money - due in 30 days. just peachy...yea for me, I passed my test...

No word...

I'm still waiting on the results of my test. It's been two and a half weeks now. It's supposed to take between two and four weeks, although I've heard of it taking six to eight. That's really not fair. I'll keep you updated when I hear something! Meanwhile I'm studying for the next one, but not too excitedly.

I don't think you heard me...

I asked for HELP...capitalized "help", not just a regular "help", and I'm not going to lie to you, I feel let down. As I previously posted, on Monday I took my first ARE exam and I really have a bad feeling about it. Out of 105 questions, I feel CONFIDENT on only 40...um, that's not going to make me pass the test. Some questions were so ridiculous that I actually laughed out loud and basically picked the answer that looked the prettiest.

So I say again, I don't think my call for HELP was answered and if I fail, I'm blaming all my friends who read my previous post, not my lack of education or performance.

I hope you all feel good about yourselves...

I'm confused...is Vessela at my bedside when I die?

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"So, you're a cannibal."

What Will Your Famous Last Words Be?

Note: Vessela is one of my co-workers that proudly stated one day, "If I were a cannibal, I'd eat babies". Because they are more tender of course!

My travels

Now, I understand that it's a map of the different countries I have visited, but the states are listed separately. Don't look at me, I didn't create the software. It just makes it look more impressive and like I've actually been to places, even when all of the states combined still equal one country.

What's up with Nevada? I supposed I've steered clear of it for some reason...maybe the legal prostitution...

HELP

I need everyone to send me good thoughts. I have just scheduled my first of nine ARE (Architectural Registration Examination) sections. It's for August 20th at 9 a.m. and I think I might have a mental breakdown. I think it's mainly in part because by scheduling the first exam means that I'm on my way to becoming an actual, official Architect and that's just scary. I mean, it's my goal, but somehow now that it's here and I'm on the brink of tasting it, it's really daunting. I don't feel quite ready to have reached my goal. Well, at least I can be comforted by the fact that there are nine sections and I have two years to finish all nine parts.

HELP!

Bliss

I just hopped off the plane from Boston exhausted and starving, but I don't feel any of that because I just spent a glorious four days in Little Compton, RI (where the sun comes up at 5am! - which partly explains why I'm so tired) at our family cottage within a .25 mile walking distance to the beach. Every time I go there I am reminded that there are places on this Earth that are actually pure, quiet, and relaxing. There is a constant smell of lilies, cedar shakes, and salt water and it never changes.

The town has just over 3,000 residents and they just recently put up a cell phone tower...in the church steeple (not that it helps - no reception, but I loved it!). The scenery is idyllic and you can sit on the porch looking down the small paved road for hours, doing nothing at all, and loving it.

What made this trip more special for me than previous ones was that my mom, brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew were there. My mom lives in North Carolina and we see each other every few months, but my brother and his family live in Boise so I haven't seen him since my graduation over two years ago.

It's hard being so far apart so when we get to spend time together it's so great, but saying goodbye is very hard.

I spent most of my time playing wiffle ball, badminton, croquet, candyland, monopoly junior, sorry, flying kites, and going to the beach...all with my niece and nephew. We did spend one day in Boston with everyone which was great, but the time I spent with them at the cottage was unforgettable.

I have been around our friends children and have babysat many, but never have I been around children who look at me with their bright eyes and you can see the unconditional love, and that love is for me, just because I'm their Aunt. We don't see each other often and it's hard for them to know me, but for some reason that doesn't matter to them. They love me...and I love them, with all my heart. I never knew that such a powerful feeling existed, I can only imagine how you feel when you become a parent. I only got a small taste, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to love parenthood.

It is hard to be back in South Carolina knowing that they are again in Idaho and it might be two more years until I see them next, but I'm hoping that won't be the case. They are much too precious.

I thank my mom for bringing us all together, in a place where she has made so many memories, and I thank her for allowing me to make a very special memory of my own.

America the Fat

Today's rant has been brought to you by Cheeburger Cheeburger (explanation after said rant):

There are many reasons why I would rather live in a different country than the good 'ol US of A, and I find myself more and more rolling my eyes and saying "only in America". Our government is atrocious, our health care system is very sad indeed, we have poverty beyond belief (most of us though don't see the worst of it), gun toting maniacs run around shouting how the second amendment gives them "the right" to be *^%holes, I mean, to bear arms, materialism has taken over to where I want to vomit whenever I see another bitchy and spoiled teenager ruling their parents (I mean, seriously, children have zero respect for their parents these days and the parents share the blame with today's society), and it still amazes me that Americans still don't "get it" when it comes to obesity and what you eat directly impacts your life. I'm sorry, I know that it's almost the 4th of July, and I should be a proud individual, but I have to tell you, I'm not feeling the love. I'm not so proud to be an American. I know all countries have their fare share of problems, and that I'm lucky to have so many freedoms and live in a democratic society...but where has the society led us?

(If you are upset by my comments above I apologize, that's how I feel. you should hear me around Christmas...you would think that I want to strangle Santa himself - down with commercialism!).

The explanation:

Last weekend Morgan and I went to a restaurant for lunch called Cheeburger Cheeburger (which has very yummy burgers which are not good for you, but not bad in moderation). But, this establishment has a contest that if an adult finishes a 1 pound burger, their waitress will stop EVERYONE from eating and makes an announcement that this person has achieved a great accomplishment and we should all be very proud that they stuffed their faces...then everyone applauds and they get their picture taken with a over sized stuffed burger. I get so irritated when this happens because we should not be applauding people for stuffing as much food in their faces as possible. Food is for nourishment, not a game.

Well, the worst came last weekend when I discovered that they also have the same game for children. They have to finish a 1/2 pound burger and their picture is put up on the "wall of fame". We were sitting next to a table with a husband, wife, and three children. The oldest was a boy of about 11 years. The waitress kept coming over and giving him words of encouragement like "you can do it", and, "if you eat slower and take more time you'll be able to eat more". The boy is full! Let him be! Then I heard his dad say that he'll give him as much time as he needs in order to finish his burger. At the end, the boy said that he had to throw up and he left the table and walked outside to get air. When he came back in and said he couldn't finish the burger, everyone was disheartened. Then, his dad pulled out a five dollar bill, gave it to him and said, "this is for trying so hard".

So what have we learned here? We learned that not only was the waitress trying to help the boy along to eat more, but his dad was actually bribing him to "make him proud" by eating more. I was so disgusted.

Morgan tried to play devil's advocate and said that maybe the family didn't have a lot of money so the dad wanted him to finish all of his food. I quickly pointed out that if they were so hard for cash, I'm sure the dad wouldn't have dished out five bucks as a "good try" reward.

Only in America...

At last our castle is showcased!

So, seven months after we move in I finally have interior photos of our house. I haven't completed decorated it to my liking yet, but I thought I better get these photos out before we move. Enjoy!Living room, looking at the front doorLiving roomHallKitchenDining roomGuest bathOfficeMaster bedroom, looking into bathroomMaster bedroom, I installed the ceiling fan!Master bath

Treasure hunt

Last Tuesday evening, as I was taking the trash out, I had a miserable experience. As I removed my left hand from the trash can I noticed that my hand was wet (it had been raining) so I shook my hand and off came my wedding rings! They went flying right into the grass! You can imagine how I went through many stages of emotions. First I was stunned, then I was in disbelief, then I turned to panic, fear, you get the drift.

So, I went back in the house and found our flashlight and went back outside to hunt. This is where I remind you that it had been raining so the grass was wet, and everywhere I directed the flashlight each piece was illumintated and reflected the water, therefore it was impossible to see my rings. Luckily I had seen the general vicinity of where they landed so I directed my efforts to one spot and was lucky enough to find the ring with the diamonds. I was not so lucky with the other one.

After an hour of searching Tuesday night in the dark I turned my efforts back to the jungle the next morning, but I did no prevail. I searched again that night and Wednesday morning and decided that I was going to get a metal detector! I thought "that will do it, I'm golden!" only to do research to find out that it's next to impossible to detect platinum since it's not magnetic. Great. So I searched again Wednesday night and...nothing.

So, Thursday after work I took to turning into a crazy person. I took a snack (you know, because I can't work on an empty stomach) and a pair of scissors out to the spot in the grass and started cutting. I was 40 minutes in and I had cut a 4'diameter circle, and had blisters to prove it! I saw a patch of dirt and went to investigate. I dug into the grass and pealed back a piece of sod. Under the sod, standing vertically was my 5mm thin wedding band! I can't even imagine how it got in there. I blame it on the lawn knomes.

So after two days and a seemingly nervous breakdown (if you had been walking by a house and saw a girl eating a snack, cutting her lawn with scissors, wouldn't you be a little suspicious?) all is well again. So, I think I've learned my lesson. Sorry, hon, you'll have to take the trash out from now on!

5 years is longer than you think...

...Or so it seems at times. Morgan and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on the 17th. We've been together for over 8 years so it didn't seem like such a big deal until I sat down and really started to think about it. I realized that, yeah, it is a big deal, it's a milestone.

To me, it seems as though every anniversary before 5 years still felt new. 5 years to me signifies that we've accomplished something and our marriage is an enduring relationship - like we must be doing something right (amazing since we were both so young!).

5 years ago we were 21 and 24, I had only completed two years of my undergraduate degree, and Morgan was still a graphic designer (or glorified type setter - ha! sorry baby). Now, I have a Masters of Architecture degree, a great firm I've been working with for a year and a half, and Morgan is now an Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist and the Production Manager of The Island Packet newspaper! We have both come so far in our professional lives and I don't think we would have been able to come this far without the support from each other in our personal lives.

So, how, you ask, are did we celebrate our grand milestone? well, we went out to dinner and exchanged cards...

Oh, yeah, and Morgan gave me a voucher for a cruise to the Bahamas! We're planning on continuing our celebration of our lives together in the Caribbean this fall!

Morgan and I ventured to Richmond Hill, GA this afternoon for the grand opening and ribbon cutting for a new neighborhood that my firm helped develop. I worked on the pool/clubhouse and outer buildings. It isn't finished yet, but it's about 70% completed. This is one of the first projects that I've worked on that is being built so it's pretty exciting to see. I can work on the drawings all day long, but it's when I get to see it built that I really feel proud of the work that I do.

Blah...

Everytime I sit down and try to write a blog post I feel that I have nothing important enough to say and my life is pretty dull. Last week Morgan and I were in Lowe's and he said something hilarious and I got really excited because I finally had some material to add to my blog. Unfortunately when we got home we both forgot what it was. Typical...

So, I'm just going to ramble...

This weekend was "baby bonanza" weekend for me. I had a baby shower to go to on Saturday and Sunday. I've had a friend or co-worker give birth January, February, March, April, one due in May, one due in June, two due in July, another in September and one more in October. Holy crap!

Last weekend Morgan's mom was here and I put together the long awaited t.v. stand and rearranged the living room. I also hung some shelves above the t.v. I really like the living room configuration now. I guess I'll have to take some pictures now and post them. Ah-ha! Another blog post idea! I have yet to post any pictures of the inside of our house.

I turned 26 a couple of weeks ago. Not a very momentous occasion, but I had many calls from well-wishers. Thanks for that.

I'm looking for an independant/single dental insurance plan...if anyone has any advice or companies they would like to recommend it would help. My company doesn't offer dental and I can't get on Morgan's until January. I really need to get my wisdom teeth out, but that's over a thousand dollars.

Morgan's eating ice cream right now...I think I'll join him. Thanks for joining me!

Christmas for Easter

This past weekend I drove up to Asheville, NC to visit my mom for a long weekend. It was a chance to relax and go antiquing. It was an added bonus that my grandfather (my mom's father) and his wife and daughter were down from Pennsylvania as well. We had a nice time visiting, dying Easter eggs and the best part...it snowed! I haven't seen snow for a while. I mean, I saw it in Colorado in September, but that was just when we were driving through the mountains. I didn't get to climb out of the car and experience it. So, this was a very nice treat. Christmas came early(or late for that matter) for me this year.

The World According to Mister Rogers: First installment in a series

I bought Morgan the book "The World According to Mister Rogers" for his birthday more as a joke because he loved Mister Rogers growing up and I could never stand the guy. Morgan would say "How can you hate Mister Rogers? He's Mister Rogers!". Now, I must say that I don't think I've ever said that I hated him, but he did irritate me. This book that I bought has quotes from Mister Rogers' show and his philosophies on life. So, in Morgan's honor, this is the first blog installment of a series I like to call "Mister Rogers' tokens of wisdom".

Page77:

"Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love. Like all of life's important coping skills, the ability to forgive and the capacity to let go of resentments most likely take root very early in our lives."

Now, I hope we all learned something here today...

This one takes the cake...

Today when I came home from work I checked the mail like I do every day. However, today I had a special surprise. Just one letter, that's all that was in the mailbox. But, as you will soon discover, it was the most important letter I have ever, or will ever receieve, and I don't even have to open it to know. No, I don't have x-ray vision...it's pretty much written all over the outside.

On the front:

"God's Holy Spirit instructed us to loan you this to start turning things around for you. So, here it is. Use it and be blessed."

On the back:

"Dear God,

With our Bibles opened to St. Matthew 18:19, we humbly and sincerely pray on bended knees for You to anoint this letter with Your precious and holy power to meet the most pressing needs that someone is facing as they open this church letter of prayer.

Heavenly Father, we pray that this one who needs this divine help will write their needs on page two of this letter and will place this blessed, biblical, Acts 19:11,12, Handkerchief and this sealed Bible prophecy under their side of their bed as they sleep tonight.

Let Thy power from heaven descend upon this home tonight and tomorrow night, after this one has mailed their most pressing needs back to this 56-year-old church ministry. We pray that they will break open this sealed prophecy after sunset tomorrow. Amen"

And that was just on the outside of the letter, imagine what's in store for me inside!

Now ask me why I don't have "faith" in religion...stupid scam artists.

side note: I know all religions, most religions, don't practice in this manner, but can you see how they can get a bad name? It's a disgrace to everyone I know who has complete and total faith.

Huh

So, on my way home fron work today I stopped into a sub shop to get some dinner. I placed my order and proceded to wait in line while the woman made the sandwich. I was the only customer in there so she decided to strike up a conversation. This is how it unfolded:

Woman behind counter: I really like your skirt

Me: Thanks, yeah, it's really comfortable (side note: I bought it in a upscale boutique in Atlanta when I was there with a friend a couple years ago - very cute)

WBC: Yeah, when I buy that kind of stuff my husband says that I look like a hillbilly, but I say, as long as it's comfortable then I like it. Whatever, he makes money and his money is mine to spend, right? That's what he works for, for me to spend it!

Me: (blink, blink)

So, I now pose this question: Did the woman behind the counter in the sandwich shop who thinks that her husband is just there to give her money call me a hillbilly?

She said she liked the skirt, but that her husband calls her a hillbilly when she wears things like it. So, is she a hillbilly and she says that I'm like her?

I can't decide whether I was insulted or complimented by her.

Any takers?

Guide to Living with an Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist

Patience – for how most of their communication consists of words such as OPI, RAM, USB, FTP, IP address, and even a “Heisenberg compensator” for good measure

Patience – for how most of their dialogue between each other consists of Star Wars, Star Trek, and various science fiction movies and television shows

Patience – for when they decide that yielding a lightsaber at work and fighting amongst each other is a grand idea

Patience – for when they collect computers like women collect shoes

Patience – for all of the times they make you watch clips of Superman in HD just because it's cool

Patience – for their clothing choices

Patience – for their insistence on having all the newest tech toys

...and most importantly:

Pride – for when they have to leave you at night, against their will, to go into work and not return until 2 am to fix other people's mistakes, knowing that their efforts will go unnoticed and unappreciated by those who caused them...

I love my job...

It just so happened that a couple of days ago one of my co-workers got ahold of my blog address and decided to e-mail it to my whole office. So, just in case any of them (my bosses) decide to read my blog, I love my job...(insert nervous laugh here).

(This is where I thank my lucky stars I've never blogged anything bad about my job or anyone I work with).

So, fellow DWAans (I'll have to work on that one) enjoy my blog, and don't hold too much of it against me, oh, and you also might want to watch your back unless you want me telling all of your secrets to all of my faithful readers (a.k.a. my best friend from high school - yes Marvin, I do have friends - and my husband).

Quite the juxtaposition

As I'm sitting in front of my television at 9:58pm watching the end of "Tease" (a hairstyling reality show - I know!) I can't help but to laugh at how my life from day to night is like a bad manic depressive schizophrenic personality.

Trade by day: Architect - using my many brain cells to relate to clients, perform complex structural and design feats, dressing to impress, coordinating with engineers, and finding time to nourish relationships with my co-workers

Trade by night: Sloth and Glutton - wasting my many brain cells watching rediculous hairstyling reality shows while laying on the couch (to be fair it's not all the time and it's never any of the mainstream and popular reality shows (or maybe that's worse, at least I'm not a sheep!) - although it happens more often when Morgan isn't home). Tonight Morgan is at work saving the day, like most days.

So, what does this say about me. Do I care about who wins the "Silver Scissors"? No. But, I do enjoy not thinking for a while. By watching these senseless shows I am able to relax, de-stress, and not use my intellect (ha!) for a small bit...and boy does that feel good. So, Morgan can give me those "I can't believe you are watching this crap" look, and I feel confident in returning the "Don't judge me" look right back.

Lady Liberty

To all those nay-sayers, negative nancys and doubting "professional analysts" out there, all I can say is WE DID IT! I, of course, didn't have a doubt, but no one I talked to at or outside of work believed me. Mostly I heard, "Yeah, Boise State is a good team, but they're not going to win". Ha!

So, last night at 8:30 I anxiously sat down in front of the television with a knot the size of the state of Idaho in my stomach. I had to keep reminding myself to relax and breathe. We jumped out to a great start and I started feeling more confident. There were ups and downs throughout the game, interceptions returned for touchdowns, fumbles recovered...all were great highs...until it happened to us.

With a minute to go and the score tied (how did they manage to lose their lead ?! Ugh!!!) Jared through the interception to, what I felt, lose the game. I just kept having flashbacks of last year's bowl game in Boise against Boston College where we lost it with a Jared interception. I couldn't watch...well, almost.

The next couple of plays were performed better than anyone could have scripted. Morgan saw me go from cowering in the corner of the couch with a blanket over my head saying "Be ready with the remote to turn off the t.v. because I don't want to see Oklahoma celebrating" to jumping, screaming, and cheering at the top of my lungs and passing out on the couch from disbelief when they scored on the hook-and-ladder play. I think we have some new scratches on our wood floors from when I jumped up and scared the crap out of my cats and they went scurrying as fast as possible.

Taking it into overtime was amazing and I was on another high, then back down to a low as Oklahoma scored a touchdown right away. It wasn't looking very optimistic for our team until they ran the touchdown play on 4th and 2 when a wide receiver through the touchdown pass. Then the two-point conversion!!! How about that Lady Liberty?!

All I can say is that I needed to take another shower before I went to bed I was covered with anxiety lined perspiration and a complete feeling of disbelief, but I wouldn't have scripted in any differently. As someone at work said today, "That will be a movie some day", a story of a team battling against the odds, defeating the mighty Sooners, and, of course, getting the girl in the end (Running back Ian Johnson proposed to his girlfriend on the sidelines after the game - he's also the one who scored the winning two-point conversion). All I can say is...

GO ORANGE, GO BLUE, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT BSU!!!

It's Alive!

I've done a lot of things in my life, but up to today I had never tried my hand at being an electrician. 2 1/2 hours and a phone call to my dad later, my first ceiling fan (with light kit) was installed...and it works!

On a side note, I don't know if this is just a "dad" thing, or maybe it's just because my dad is an engineer and has done a lot around the house, but when I called him all I said was, "Dad, I'm installing a ceilng fan and it says to connect the wires, but I don't know how, what tool do you use?". He didn't even skip a beat, he went right into a five minute installation tutorial..."There's a white wire and a black wire...this connects to this...there should be plastic, cone-like caps to connect the wires..." it was as if he had everything memorized, he basically named everything that came with the ceiling fan kit. Maybe he's just "wired" that way. Regardless, he was a huge help and I wouldn't have been able to do it without him! Thanks, Dad!

Law-breaker

This is a post for Jayna, who has called me "Susie-do-right" about my driving for years. I follow the rules of the road pretty much to the letter and I have, on more than one occasion, pointed out to Jayna (and Morgan) that the maneuver they just performed was illegal. And, up until now I have never been pulled over.

So tonight I'm driving home after picking up my car from getting new wiring and spark plugs, and I'm talking to my dad, wishing him a happy birthday when all of a sudden I say, "Uh, Dad, I think I'm getting pulled over...I'm going to have to call you back". I did indeed get pulled over. But, sorry Jayna, it wasn't from anything I did wrong. My tag light was out, probably something that was caused by my new wiring job (or lack thereof). Anyway, I drove away with a warning citation, which honestly I thought was a little harsh. I mean, the work citation just puts a bad taste in your mouth, implying that I did something wrong.

So, now I'm running from the law until I can get my tag light fixed so they can read my license plate. Oh, and as I was sitting there my mom called me and I had to say, "I can't talk right now, I just got pulled over by the police". He. She told me to tell them that my mother was on the phone and that they should let me go and they should just go away. Yeah, I'm sure that would work.

Well, that's my story! Sorry it's not as exciting as getting thrown in jail, Jayna, but maybe I'll get there someday! You can always hold out hope! He.

New house pictures...

Are located on Morgan's blog. I didn't want to be redundant so go take a gander!
Morgan's blog
p.s. there is also a funny picture of me driving our Uhaul truck if you scroll down a couple of posts.

More Cluck for your Buck

I had to take a trip to Petsmart today and decided to make a detour on my way home to pick up a cookies 'n cream milkshake from Chick-Fil-A for my honey. The following is the conversation that took place in the drive-thru...and can I just say...why does this always happen to me???

attendant (man/boy): Welcome to Chick-Fil-A, I'll be right with you

me: okay

15 seconds later...

attendant: cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cccllluuuccckkk! cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck , cluck - this goes on for a good 20 seconds with a grand finale of..."meow!"

10 seconds later...

attendant: Thanks for holding, what can I get for you today?

me: can I just get one cookies 'n cream milkshake?

attendant: No.

me: PLEASE?!

attendant: That will be $2.99, please drive up to the window

What the crap!?! I think this one even beats the time I was in the drive-thru of a Taco Bell in Boise and the attendant said, in his best pirate's voice, "Arrh, Welcome to Long John Silver's, What can I get fer yer?"

Oy!!!

High Class

Looks like we chose the wrong time to buy! We should have waited until now, we would have received a bonus!

This picture was taken at the entrance to Okatie Park (our new housing subdivision on the way to Beaufort). We were out there today doing a progress walk-through of the house. They keep pushing back the closing date (it was supposed to be today) but hopefully it will be next Tuesday or Wednesday. Cross your fingers!

Ever been to Branson, Missouri?

My sisters and I have been singing together since we were 5 years old. We made the rounds in the beauty pageant circuit in the Ozarks which is why we have so much success in Branson. Of course, we didn't make it really big until I (Amber) got that thing removed from my nose and my sister Taffy got her teeth fixed. Misty, the tallest of the three of us was our mamma's favorite, which is why she gets to be the lead singer, and wears the coveted gold dress...

You can catch our performance, The Shastas, across from the Golden Corral, next to the BP. We're on right after the pig wrestling.

It's So Ex-siding!

Today Morgan and I went out to Okatie Park to check the progress of our house. In just two and a half weeks after being delivered to the site it has it's siding on and it's looking like a real house! It shouldn't be too much longer before we have a closing date. We'll keep you posted.

No house...House!

Yesterday I decided to drive by our house site to see if the foundation had been started. It not only had been started but it is finished. While I was on site, there were two men still working on it and they told me that our house was to be delivered the very next day. So, Morgan and I went out there again after work tonight and there was our house! It had been delivered, lifted by crane and put on top of our foundation, and is now ready to start being finished.

At this stage they will put the interior doors and trim in, put in the finished flooring, put on the siding, shutters, and front porch (I'm sure I'm missing some details but you get the idea). It finally looks as though we're getting a house! The two pictures above are from yesterday and today.

All I need are my cats

If someone could send my cats to me I would be content in staying in Denver and moving in to any number of adorable houses, eating at quaint restaurants and bistros, walking through the historic downtown, going to sporting events, and visiting all of the other great hot spots. Besides going to the Broncos game yesterday and the Rockies game today we hit some of those hot spots today.

We started out at the Denver Botanical Gardens which were beautiful...Morgan was a trooper (it's not really his cup of tea). Afterwards we went to the Denver Zoo which, besides the Bronco game, was my favorite part of this trip thus far (including the gardens, Aquarium - we went there Saturday night when we got here, and the walking tour of downtown where I saw the new Denver Art Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind - designer of the Freedom Tower in New York).

We are off to Steamboat Springs tomorrow - my old stomping ground! I was born there but haven't been back since I left at 5 years of age. I'm so excited to see it, although for some reason I feel really anxious and I don't know why.

Jock itch...on my foot

About a week ago the bottom of my foot started to itch, and itch, and itch. So, having had athlete's foot before, I deteremined that this was what was going on with my foot. So, I asked Morgan to "use his best judgement" in getting me whatever athlete's foot medicine would be best. I said "get whatever you would get for yourself". I knew that I was taking my life into my hands, because if you know Morgan, than you know that he thinks outside of the box on a lot of issues...hence, he came home with jock itch medicine. I'm assuming that it treats athlete's foot too since it's an anitfungal, but man, I hope I'm not wrong.

What I really need to know is whether it is contagious and if it spreads. I've had to itch it before and although I wash my hands right afterwards, I worry about it spreading to my fingers, or worse, my face. Try explaining why I have "jock itch" on my face to my bosses. "No, seriously, it's not what it sounds like!"

Baby update

Well, just to follow up on my last post...my friend's birthday (Brenda) was today. She shares her birthday with her mom and as of today she also shares it with her nephew. Her brother and his wife had their second baby boy today on her birthday. That leaves about 4 women to go...

Baby boom!

Have you ever noticed that once you know one person who is pregnant other pregnant women seem to come out of the woodwork? Maybe it's because you are more aware of the bulging bellies, but in my case it has nothing to do with how much I pay attention. One of my best friends from high school, Kelsey, is now about 3 months pregnant and out of my office of 23 people (about half which are women) there are three women who are pregnant right now. One 7 months, one 3 1/2 months, and the other 3 months. And, there is another woman who is trying. Is there something in the Dawson Wissmach water? Is there some sort of parasite in the water cooler? If so I better start bringing my own bottled water.

The Early Bird...

is supposed to get the worm...right? Well, in my case, I hope to get a workout. I joined the gym about a year and a half ago, and while I go regularly (of course it started out a lot more regular than it is now) I find it hard to get there, especially after a long day at work. Recently this hasn't been a problem because Morgan and I have been playing a lot of tennis so I get a good workout without dragging myself to the gym (which is pretty boring), but now that it's raining every afternoon like the tropics, we can't play as much. So, I've been forced to find another way.

Therefore, this past Wednesday and today, I have dragged my butt out of bed at 5:15 a.m. to go to the gym before work so I can have the evenings free to hang out with Morgan, other friends, or just relax. This way I can get my workout out of the way and I have more energy for the rest of the day...well, theoretically that's what is supposed to happen. But, anyone who REALLY knows me knows that I'm not one who enjoys getting up early (just ask my parents). I'm usually cranky and mean spirited (more than usual :o)

I have found two major themes that have developed out of this early gym experience. One, I actually enjoy myself and I'm not so cranky because I'm venting my frustrations out on the weight machines and elliptical machine, and two, that I enjoy my evenings, but I get so tired around 6 p.m. and I just...feel...like...sleeeppii..zzzzzzzzzz

My First Contribution to the Built Environment

I finally have proof that I'm productive at work! The field of architecture is a patient one. It takes months, sometimes years, to see the fruits of your labor. So, after two months, starting with the concept, moving to concept sketches, to structural steel shop drawings, to mock ups...this is my first structure produced as a professional. No, it's not a building, but I believe it's even something more important and special. It's public art! It's sculpture! And it was tons of fun to do.

The inception of this project started with a day care that moved into the building we designed (behind the sculpture in the picture). I had the task of designing the signage that is going to be attached to the building, but I quickly ran into a design problem. The day care has a logo attached to their name which is very dear to them (a family member created it for them). However, the logo is very colorful, and if it was put onto the building, it would have thrown off the whole color scheme and overall design of the building. There is another tenant in the building so it was our task to design something that wouldn't clash.

After pulling from some images from my travels I approached my boss with the idea of taking their logo that they are so fond of, and giving it it's rightful importance, as a sculpture. By pulling the logo off of the building, we can still keep the colors and since it is not attached to the building, it would not distract people or detract from our design of the overall building. The idea went through many schemes but finally we decided on this. It is made of tube steel, metal rods soldered to the frame, and four panels of sheet metal, painted the colors of their logo.

I, myself, am very proud and excited about the results. The clients were thrilled that we put so much thought into their wants and needs and created them something special and unique. It was even more special since it was donated/paid for by the contractor. All in a days work!

What the...?

Conversation recorded between Morgan and his friend, Stacy while waiting for the "Superman Returns" movie to start...

Allison: Who is the girl who plays Lois Lane?

Stacy: She was the girl in "Blue Crush", (something else I can't remember he said), and she's dating Orlando Bloom.

Morgan: No, she's not dating him anymore, they broke up.

What? Since when do men, espcially Morgan, know about these things? It's like they were two teenage girls gossiping.

Ok...so maybe it was funnier at the moment, but it's pretty damn funny to me still.

Something to bring back the anorexic days of old...

About two months ago I received a letter saying that my doctor was moving to Greenville, SC and that I would need to find a new doctor. They sent a records release form to fill out with my new doctor's information so my records could be transferred. I have not yet found a doctor so I decided to have them released to me and I would go pick them up...I probably shouldn't have done that.

I'm not sure how people normally are about personal records when they relate to themselves, but I've always been intruiged and love reading about what others write about me, even if it's just my medical history. I always learn something new. Heh. So, I had the records released to me and I started to read through them.

The information was pretty standard: height - 5'4 1/2", blood pressure - normal, weight...well, last year (2005) it was 122 (not bad) and they marked underneath of that they I was "well-developed" and "well-nourished"...everything was normal (although they didn't mark the box that said "no deformations". hmmm...

Anyway, the whole point to this story is that the year before (2004) I (according to my chart) weighed 136 (14 pounds more than the next year). That's not so great, but it's also not so bad (still in the range of normal body weight for my height and frame). But, underneath the regular stats they marked "well-developed", "well-nourished", "well-groomed", and, are you ready for this? "OBESE"!!!

I'm not going to bother explaining to you what happened next after I read this claim of me being OBESE. Just imagine any woman you know getting this type of information and think how it would affect them...picture it? yeah, that's how I was. As soon as I read obese (I was reading it to Morgan), he said "Oh great, here we go"...and away I went...claiming that I would never eat again, yadda, yadda, yadda. Luckily I don't weight that anymore (I'm still at least 12 pounds under that) because that would have been even more traumatic. Still, it almost sent me into the horrible spiral back to my teenage years when I was anorexic...not some place I ever want to be again.

So, my question is? Did my weight really warrant and "OBESE" label or was someone just feeling mean? That label can really do some damage to one's phychie. Please tell me that the nurse was the devil!!!

Literary Issues

About a year ago I joined a book club (I know, I'm a nerd), but I joined it in hopes that being part of a group would motivate me to read more. It seems that more and more I fill my day with junk (besides work, of course). My evenings are filled with going to the gym or playing tennis, eating, watching t.v., and relaxing. While those things are very nice, they don't necessarily stimulate my mind.

Every month we are supposed to read a book, sometimes it's the same book as everyone else, but most of the time it's a "free read" and we discuss what we've read with the group. This is, unfortunately, the only way I'll get myself to read, it's really pathetic. I read only when I'm being held accountable. And, those of you who know me best know that I can't miss a deadline or not finish a project. I thrive on making lists and then crossing off my finished tasks. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something...I like being productive.

All I have to say is..."isn't it sad?" I mean, isn't it sad that I read only when it's required? Even if it's only myself who is holding me accountable. The truth is, once I get into a book I enjoy reading and I fly through it. All of the trivial things like television no longer have a space in my night. But, it's the procrastination that gets me. I don't end up starting to read my book until about one week before our book club and it's always a race to get it finished. Just once I would like to pick up a book and read for enjoyment, not because it's required.

Pura Vida!

About 13 days ago I embarked on a new adventure and what an adventure it turned out to be! I drove up to Charlotte the evening of the 24th of May and checked into the Red Roof Inn. I was starving at that point (after passing exit after exit looking for an Arby's that never came). So I paid for a pizza that came 1 ½ hours late and cost me $18 because the delivery guy didn't have change. Some great start to my vacation.

It got better. The next morning I made to the airport on time and had no problems checking in. The problem came when my flight started boarding and my two friends weren't anywhere to be seen. By the time I was on the plane they called and said that they missed the baggage cutoff by 5 minutes and had to wait until the next day to leave. Ugh. They were my ride from the airport in Costa Rica to their hotel. Fortunately Ana (my friend I stayed with in Costa Rica) had a taxi driver waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. So, our plans were changed a little bit but everyone ended up getting there.

Friday, the day Amanda and Kenny arrived, we drove up to the Arenal Volcano and stayed at the Volcano Lodge. The fact that we got there was a miracle. The road system in Costa Rica is not by any means safe. The people turn a two lane road into four (there aren't lines dividing lanes). Between the cars are people walking around and selling things to cars passing by. Needless to say, there are a great many of them who are killed.

The road up to the volcano is very windy and hilly (since we were climbing a mountain into the cloud forest) and we regularly ran into herds of cattle in the middle of the road. The worst came when we arrived at a bridge that was “cerrado” (closed). There were giant boulders and rubble we had to drive around and then we had to cross a part of the bridge that had huge holes in it covered with wooden planks. Now, there was about a 500 foot drop if this bridge gave out, and it was about 200 feet long...not my idea of a good time. There was another hole (even bigger than the first one) at the other end where they had placed a small metal bridging element over it so we had to hit it at the exact place to cross. We were all shaking at the end of it.

After that we had a nice time at the volcano although it was so cloudy that we never actually saw it. The next day we traveled to Tamarindo Beach (on the Pacific) where the roads were even worse. They changed from paved to dirt with huge potholes, back to being paved. This went on and on, I almost got sick in the car from all the bumping. The beach was absolutely beautiful. We spent two days there and relaxed and ate great food (except for the flies all around our food).

On Monday we made the trip back to San Jose and got settled in to city life. I stayed at Ana's house with her and her parents in Escazu (area of San Jose) and Amanda and Kenny stayed in a hotel. Ana had to go back to work on Tuesday so Amanda, Kenny, and I took part in a canopy tour in San Lorenzo. We had heavy harnesses on with safety lines and we were hooked up to cables and we flew through the tree tops of the jungle. It was great.

Wednesday we spent in the city walking around town and shopping at the open markets. We got more of a taste of their culture. Thursday was the highlight of the trip. Amanda, Kenny, and I (Ana was sick and couldn't go) went white water rafting down the Pacuare River on the Eastern side of the country. It was a class 4 rapid and we rafted 22 miles. It took us 4 hours in the water but it was amazing! The Scenery was incredible. We were in the rain forest and while we were rafting, it started to rain on us. It was perfect. We all got soaked.

Friday was a lazy day since we had to leave on Saturday. I had such a great time but I was ready to go home by the end. I was ready to speak English and have myself understood and I was ready to get back to my hubby! I missed him so much!

Spring Fling

Friday was the first of many (I hope) Dawson + Wissmach Spring Flings I attend. One of my bosses, Neil Dawson, has a house on Whitemarsh Island with a dock and boat. Every summer the company has Spring Flings where we work half a day on Friday and then go out to his dock where he supplies lunch and we go out on the boat to water ski, tube, wake board, and swim. There are also jet skis to drive (Pearce actually got pulled over by the “water police” and given a warning ticket for not obeying the rules). I was a little leery of donning a bathing suit in front of my coworkers but everyone was doing it so I gave into peer pressure. I hope that people didn't judge me too much.

I spent half the time out on the boat and went tubing with Luci. We had a blast! One of the best moments was when Luci's husband, Kevin, snuck up behind Marvin (my project manager) while he was sitting on the floating dock and pulled him backwards into the water. I caught it with my camera at the perfect moment. That one's going down in history!

All in all everyone had a great time, and it's nice to know that I work for a company that knows how to work really hard and play just as much...and that they appreciate their employees.

4 years long...or short, depending on who you ask

Last Wednesday (the 17th) marked four years of marriage for Morgan and me. It's always a special day, looking back on where we started and how far we've come together. It hasn't always been easy, and those of you who know us best can attest to that, especially this past year. But, today as I write this I've never felt so completely at peace or as strong with where I am in my life and who I'm with. This year has made us stronger independently and as a couple and I can't wait to see what is in store for us in the future.

Attack of the tree-chewing fiends!

Monday mornings are bad enough as it is...but this morning I was welcomed by thousands of dead termites laying under my desk. Yes, I know what you're saying...at least they were dead! Ah, yes, but it also would have been better if I had noticed them when I first sat down. Because our floors are dark wood and the termites are small and dark, I sat with my feet in dead bugs for a good thirty minutes before I got up and looked down to discover the disgust. At least I had shoes on...but they were just sling back sandals.

Neil, one of the partners at the firm said, "Oh, yeah, when I was here yesterday I looked over and saw the swarm of termites come flying out from behind your baseboard and then fall dead. I also sprayed them. Sorry, I forgot to clean them up but at least now they're not all goey and wet, they'll be easier to sweep up!" Hello!!!

So, I thought I could handle this. After all, they are dead. So I went to collect the broom and dust pan. I swept up a few that were beside my desk but when I got to the mass grave of dead bodies (literally by the thousands) I lost it. I almost threw up at my desk, wouldn't that have been a combination! It would have looked like I puked up bugs...ugh, I can't even think about it. So, I made my boss clean up my desk! Later in the day I found some more and made another of my co-workers clean it up. Luckily they were both fine with it. I still shudder when I think about it. The rest of the day I kept feeling like things were crawling all over me, and that there were bugs stuck in my throat.

I can only imagine what would have happened if they had decided to wait 12 more hours to hatch and I would have really had a treat on my hands!!! Gross!!!

Trial update

It's been a while since I've posted anything about my mom's dealings with the law, so I thought I'd get people up to speed.

Today was supposed to be my mom's criminal trial. She had witnesses lined up out the door on her defense and was almost looking forward to the trial...knowing full well that she would win. She wanted to see “Evil Betty” squirm like a slug that's been freshly coated with salt. (If you don't know what I mean then you never had a childhood).

A couple of months ago my mom had her preliminary trial where the defense and prosecution get together to ask the accuser questions. “Evil Betty” was deemed the most horrible witness my mom's lawyer had ever met. She had no substance behind any of her claims and kept asking my mom to answer questions that weren't directed to her.

So, the trial was supposed to be today, but on Friday the prosecutor's office called my mom's lawyer and told him that the charges were being dropped due to insufficient evidence. Well, duh! Their office is where they look over every case that is about to go to trial and decides whether it's worth sending to the court room. His job was pretty easy this time since there is no evidence against my mom. The good news is since the prosecutor dropped the charges, my mom can still sue if she chose to (she couldn't if “Evil Betty” dropped them). She's at least entitled to pain and suffering (spending the night in jail when she clearly is innocent), lost wages, and defamation of character. That should be worth something! The bad news is that my mom won't be able to see “Evil Betty” turn her skin inside out like that slug I mentioned before. I'm sure she's happy to settle for this.

I still say that once all of this is finished we expose her in the paper. Her last assistant just quit, but was so paranoid that she would get slapped with charges, she called the police to have herself padded down in front of “Evil Betty” so that she could see she wasn't taking anything that didn't belong to her! Can you believe that? This woman must be stopped!!!

It's Wheel Watching Time!

Every once in a while I feel the need to expand my life experiences. You know, the kind of experiences that you'll remember and cherish the rest of your life. For me some of those experiences have included my travels to places such as Scotland, Hawaii, France, and the Caribbean (soon to add Costa Rica). My years as a dancer and the many performances around the United States, para-sailing off the coast of Maryland on my honeymoon, graduating High School and College, my wedding day, and many more. Well, today I got to add another one of those experiences to my list of once in a lifetime activities...I tried out for Wheel of Fortune!

Well, it's more truthful to say that I stood in line with our friends Brian and Deborah, filled out an application, and waited with the scariest, craziest bunch of faithful Wheel Watchers I've ever seen for our names to be called/drawn at random for our chance to play a mini version of the game in front of the crowd and win fabulous prizes such as t-shirts and hats! I didn't actually want to be on Wheel of Fortune, I just wanted to be a bystander to the chaos.

So, we were crammed into a gymnasium where the air conditioning obviously didn't work while they blared country music to the highest degree of annoyance. We were looking at each other like the Wheel of Fortune people were so stupid, stereotyping Southerners like that. We thought that it was bad form, until we looked around and noticed that everyone else there was dancing in place and singing the songs word for word. I guess we were the stupid ones.

After waiting for about an hour inside, which felt more like 3 hours, they stopped the country music and blared the theme song. The whole crowd roared with excitement and anticipation. Would this be the big break they were waiting for? Suddenly the “Pat on the road” (Marty) and “Vanna on the road” (Heidi) ran on stage and the horrors began. They drew 5 names at a time and with each name they called I was thanking my lucky stars I wasn't one of them.

There were two women standing behind us who were so pissed off. Apparently they were getting all of the puzzles way before any of the contestants on stage and they needed to be the ones on stage! Why weren't their names called?! It wasn't fair!!! Boo-frickin'-hoo people!!! I can't describe all of the types of people that were there because that would take all night...but I think it's safe to say that we were the most normal.

The host was a cross between crazy Tom Cruise, Ryan Seacrest and speed...not necessarily in that order. He was so high strung and ballistic that we were afraid to make him angry. We're all convinced that he would slit our throats if we took a wrong step, or answered a question incorrectly. With all of his jumping and energy he also managed to sweat through his entire shirt. The “Vanna” of the show also scared me with her quirkiness and energy. She was so skinny that we have decided that she hates her job and herself, and the only way she can control her life is to control her eating. I'm sure she hates her body, too. We're also convinced that Marty and Heidi hate each other. They are so happy and friendly to each other on stage, they probably want to rip out each other's eyes in the travel bus.

So, even though our names weren't called, and we didn't win fabulous cash and prizes, we are better people for having this life-changing experience to cherish and take with us always.

Birthday boat ride

I want to thank all of you who wished me a happy birthday on the completion of my 1st quarter century of life. I have now left early twenties and am now officially in my mid twenties. Holy crap...I can't believe I can say that, but I can honestly say that I'm happy with where I am in my life. I wouldn't want to be 21 again and still have three more years of college, or 18 and have no idea where my life was going. I especially wouldn't want to be in high school. I wouldn't mind being 4 again and playing all day, but not if it comes with having to go all through school again.

So, on my 25th birthday Morgan took me out to lunch with his mom and afterwards morgan was nice enough to accompany me to Savannah and we went out on Luci and Kevin's boat with them. (I work with Luci at Dawson + Wissmach). The weather was perfect...sunny and not too hot, and the company was fun and the day was relaxing. We topped it off with a trip to the ice cream parlor! Can't get any better than that!

Morgan gave me an awesome digital camera...which we used to take this picture. It's a digital elf and the color is "vivacious violet". If you don't know what it looks like you should definitely check it out.

Thanks again, love you all!

Breaking the Segregated Bread

This past weekend Morgan, his mom, Pat, and I went to Atlanta to celebrate Morgan's 28th birthday. I wanted to take him somewhere to have fun and get out of the backwards South (I know Atlanta is in the South, but it's a metropolis so it's much more mainstream). We all had a great time going to Six Flags and the new Georgia Aquarium (awesome). We had a fabulous dinner atop the Westin hotel on their 71st floor in their revolving Sun Dial Restaurant where we ingested exquisite food while taking in the breathtaking 360 view of the city. Each time we looked out the window there was a different view. (There was some question at one point as to whether we were moving, or the walls around us...I think we decided that we were in fact stationary, while the whole city rotated around us! Ha!)

We ran into some unpleasant situations such as the TRAFFIC that amassed out of nowhere and the fact that I went the wrong way on one of the 50 Peachtree Streets and we missed seeing the High Museum extension by Renzo Piano because by the time we got there it was closed. At least we got some good exterior photos. And, of course, there was later that night when I almost ran out of gas. For as many cars there are in Atlanta it amazes me that there only seems to be two or three gas stations! Luckily Pat leaned out the window and asked where one was. It was about two miles away and each time we stopped at a light we seemed to be next to the same person. He got tired of us asking “are we there yet?” and “how much farther?”. By the time we got there he yelled out his window at us “CHEVRON!” and pointed wildly. Thank you, sir, whoever you were.

But, the big conundrum, if you will, happened Friday night. We checked into our hotel, got lost on Peachtree, missed the museum, almost ran out of gas, and ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. (Full day, huh?) This last item is what I am going to speak of.

I expect (unfortunately) and know that some parts/people of the South still wish that there was segregation, and think that whites and blacks are not equal. These people are the most unintelligent, backward, and cruel people...something you don't really expect to see in a futuristic metropolis such as Atlanta, even more odd, at the Cheesecake Factory in a very unassuming fashion.

We were seated at a very nice table and our drink orders were taken. Next came the bread. It was a WHITE French loaf, very tasty. Nothing out of the ordinary. Our food orders were placed and casual conversation ensued. As we were sitting there, we started noticing a very startling trend...the color of the bread compared to the color of the patrons. We had a couple sitting next to us who were African American, and an African American couple sitting in a booth behind Morgan. On their tables sat a basket full of BROWN pumpernickel bread. In the next booth was a group of four white patrons, with loafs of WHITE French bread, and the same at the table next to us with a Caucasian family of four. One couple was finished and left and they were replaced by another African American couple, and out came the BROWN pumpernickel bread! At this point we are laughing, absolutely beside ourselves with the sheer craziness. For sure, this can not be happening. This has to be a strong coincidence! But, no! As we were leaving the restaurant Morgan and I took a trip around the floor and covertly snooped around at the tables and everyone had segregated bread! It was like it was color coded!

What is really disturbing about this was that the servers didn't ask us what kind of bread we wanted, they just plopped it down on the table. So, what are they saying? What if we wanted pumpernickel bread? Would we be rejected? Would we be breaking the rules of the corporation of the Cheesecake Factory? I say bring on the pumpernickel! Next think you know we won't be able to have chocolate cake!

The Twilight Zone

My mom recently gave me these pictures as part of an early birthday gift. She had been going through some photos and happened across her high school senior class picture from 1970 and my high school senior class picture from 1998. Is it just me or is anyone else weirded out by how identical we look?

All I want to do is post!!!

I've been trying for the last 30 minutes to post on my freakin' blog (which I never do) and I can't seem to do it. The scanner that we have no longer has the cd it came with so it won't work on my new laptop. So, I turned on the iMac and it doesn't work on that either. So, I turned on our older PC thinking that it has to have the driver installed on it...but no. Now I'm back on the laptop and tried to download the driver but I got an error! All I want to do is scan some pictures so I can blog!!! I guess I'll go try again.

No Pity Allowed

Warning: Very depressing blog ahead. Turn back now...or just know that you've been warned.

Every so often I go through one of these spells in my life where I feel as though I'm completely alone and isolated. I think it started when I was in my teenage years and went through a two month bout of clinical depression and the feelings of cynicism and doubt and self hatred (some say I had been congealed) have just carried over (not so strong anymore, thankfully).

This week's episode is about friends, or lack thereof. I know I have friends, very close friends, I just feel as though they have all but disappeared. I know they're out there, but I feel I no longer have a place in their lives. I feel like I have been demoted to “acquaintance”, or “old friend”. This may have to do with the fact that ALL of my friends live in a different city than I do, most are actually across the country or in a different country. I used to be so close to all of them, but I have been relegated to someone who receives an occasional e-mail (especially from those who live overseas).

So, this begs the question...what's wrong with me? Do I not know how to make meaningful relationships last? I have had a string of very close friends who just disappear from my life. Is that my fault or has everyone else's life just moved on without me? I feel more than disposable. I have always had a small, close group of friends, I'm not one to have a lot of acquaintances. I've never needed quantity, having as many people as possible around me, just quality. I put a lot of myself into my relationships and have a tendency to trust and have the possibility of being taken advantage of (that, thankfully, has never happened to my knowledge).

So, all I can do is look inward and try to be the best friend to people as I can be. I guess when it comes down to it I really just miss my friends terribly. Why can't I make meaningful friends who live in my town? That would be helpful. I guess the fact that I tend to choose my friends carefully makes it difficult. Sometimes I wish I weren't so picky, that I was outgoing. But, I have to work with what I have. It also has to do with the fact that when I meet someone new, I always think that they don't like me (it's those damn insecurities). Maybe I'm too shy and don't take enough chances....

Or, I could just be utterly boring. :o)

All I know is that no matter what, I'll always have my best friend in my husband.

The Neverending Story...

Morla is the newest addition to our expanding family...named after the tortoise in the Neverending Story...if you need to ask why then you clearly aren't looking at her picture. Ok, for those who still don't get it, she's a tortoiseshell cat (her markings). Glad I could clear that up for you. Anyway, I brought her home from work on Monday (I adopted it from a co-worker who found it wandering the streets of Savannah). I called Morgan about 4 times just to make sure he was ok with me bringing home another cat. He was pretty open to the idea so I was excited. What I didn't expect was Morgan completely falling in love with her and usurping all of Morla's time. "Let's go play with the kitty", "Can't we let the kitty out now?". Geez, this boy is obsessed! He even came home at lunch to play with her. We haven't introduced our other two cats to her yet - we're taking it slow and letting them get used to her smell, but I'm sure some fur will still fly. Anyway, welcome home Morla!

I'm growing green!

All through college and my architectural studies I tended to field questions from my friends and family about the profession, mainly what I wanted to do in the profession - what direction I wanted to take once I had graduated. For the longest time I was uncertain how to answer this question because frankly, I didn't know. As my studies took me further into the great expanse of possibilities that architecture offers, I noticed that my attention was shifting in the “green” direction, otherwise known as sustainable design. I won't bore you with the technicalities, but in short, sustainable design is a way of designing a building and the site around the building in a way that promotes energy efficiency, recycling of materials (or the use of recyled materials), water efficient landscaping, and other techniques used to harness natural energy such as solar panels and alternative heating and cooling techniques. It's just a more environmentally friendly way to build, and in turn creates a better, and healthier, environment for people to live and work in.

I started a new job about three months ago at a firm that uses these principles in designing many of their buildings, and they encourage everyone in the firm to take that direction as well...that was one of the main reasons I wanted to work there. So, yesterday I took my first step in the green direction. After three weeks of studying, I took the LEED professional accreditation exam...and passed! LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is a program created by the USGBC. It is based on a credit/point system, and is used to certify buildings that meet enough standards to be considered “green”. After passing their accreditation exam, I am now a LEED accredited professional and can help streamline the process of making buildings more sustainable and healthy...and boy am I exhausted. That test was one of the hardest I've ever had to take, I can only imagine what the Architectural Licensing Exams are going to be like. At least I still have two more years to go before I have to worry about that.

Different Worlds...

As you may have read on Morgan's blog, we went to the European Spa yesterday to have a couple's massage as part of our Valentine's Day celebration. We decided to celebrate it yesterday instead of Tuesday since we had the whole day to spend with each other. He is correct in saying that I explained the ground rules of a massage, but he didn't really follow them exactly. Normally when I get a massage, I change into my robe and slippers and enjoy sitting in the "meditation room", maybe drink a cup of tea, and relax before it's my turn. Morgan did go into the locker room to change, and came out in his little robe and slippers...and his boxers (just in case? I'm not sure). Instead of relaxing, he decides to pick up the first book that is readily available...the World Atlas. He decides to read the WORLD ATLAS. Did you know that the United States has a 1% growth rate compared to Brazil's 2.5%? I do.

So, we are lead into the massage room and once the women leave we strip down and get under the sheets of our separate tables (sorry, no funny business). Once they start the massage I enjoy the warm aromatherapy oils being rubbed into my skin and having my muscles relaxed and de-stressed while Morgan is squirming as his masseuse touches the bottom of his feet and he tries to kick her to "send her a signal". After the massages are over I feel rejuvenated and fresh...he feels like an oiled down piece of man meat...

I lead him back to his locker room where he takes twice and long as I do to get ready to go and as we are leaving the spa he turns to me and in all seriousness says "Let's agree to never speak of what just happened". And thus concludes our day at the spa. To those of you who are still wondering about the boxers...I made him take them off.

I guess I should be happy that he doesn't like being rubbed down with oil by a complete stranger...maybe next time (yeah, right) I'll request a male for him...wouldn't that be a better story!

Happy Valentine's Day

Mac and Ady wish you a Happy Valentine's Day (and their neurotic mother, too)!

I've still got it! Do you?

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

True Allegiance

I find myself in the middle of a sticky situation...at least it is for me. For Morgan, it's cut and dry. The Broncos beat the Patriots this weekend in what was a great game (it was even more sweet because no one was picking them to win). I have, being born in Colorado, been a Bronco fan for life (not like Morgan who waited until he was seven to get a clue...sorry honey). But, growing up I was heavily influenced by my father who's team is the Steelers(he was born and raised in Pennsylvania). Growing up in a household of two men (my dad and my brother) I learned to love football and enjoy Sundays at home, and the Steelers were our team, but I always had a soft spot for the Broncos. I also learned a lot about the game. So, you can now see my dilema. The Steelers have beaten the Colts (yeah!) and are now poised to go into Denver for the AFC Championship game.

What do I do? Do I take allegiance with my dad, the one who nurtured and cared for me and put band-aids on my boo-boos? Or do I go back to my roots and take allegiance with Morgan, my loving husband and the one who will be taking care of me in my old age? If I go against the Broncos I run the risk of being slowly poisoned in my Sunday pancakes...so really it is a matter of life and death.

Please help,

Baffled in Bluffton...

Boise surprise

I had no plans to travel this Christmas, I was actually looking forward to spending a quiet holiday at home and taking the week I had off to go to the gym and get an oil change...I know, sounds very glamorous. Fortunately, I was saved from my car and body maintenance by Morgan. For Christmas he gave me a plane ticket to Boise to visit my family. He was going to give me the itinerary on Christmas eve but my grandmother sent us a Christmas card we received a week before and it said for me to have a "good trip West". I was very confused and then I turned to look at Morgan and he was for a loss of words. His surprise had been spoiled but it was still a great gift. Don't worry, Grandma, he's not mad at you.

We both had our mothers over for Christmas morning and then at one in the afternoon I boarded a plane and arrived in Boise at 8:15 pm (after a long layover in Atlanta). I spent my first day visiting with my brother, Ben, and his wife, Andrea, and their kids Kate (6 years old) and Wyeth (3 years old). Ben and I went downtown for dinner where Andrea works and I was amazed at how much downtown has really grown.

I spent Tuesday with my dad and step-mom shopping and eating...two best things! We had dinner at a new restaurant downtown called Leku Ona, which means "good place". It is located on the Basque Block (where I did my thesis) and it's the first Basque fine dining restaurant. They just completed the renovation and opened early in December. I remember when I was doing my thesis last year that the executive director of the Basque Museum and Cultural Center gave me the plans for the new restaurant and couldn't wait for it to be under way. The food was delicious (we stayed away from the cow tongue - a delicacy!).

On Wednesday my dad and I, along with my dad's nephew (by marriage a couple times over) went to the Boise State U vs. Boston College MPC Computers Bowl Game and the Bronco Stadium. It wasn't looking too good for a while but we came back and was in a good position to win but they just couldn't come back as far as they needed to. It was a really good game regardless...especially when it started to hail! After the game we had a lot of family over for dinner.

Thursday I spent the day relaxing with the family and then went to Ben's house to have dinner with his group and my mom who had also flown out for a week and is going to be there for Wyeth's third birthday which is tomorrow. Friday I spent with my best friend, Jayna, and her two kids Grace (2 1/2) and Caroline (3 months). Kelsey, our very close friend from high school was also in town and joined us to hang out and watch a movie. It was great to see both of them, it's too bad we had such a short time to visit.

Well, that just about wraps up my vacation...none of which would have happened without the very generous gift from my husband.