Status

The talent show was amazing!! So many talented co-workers performed and things finished up with a face-melting set by "Thunderkitty"- our in-house rock band.

I am really exhausted and would rather be in bed.

I just guzzled "superfood" and goldfish. Breakfast of champions?

Today is Joanna's baby shower!!

Is it bed time yet?

Talent!

Tonight is the Emma Talent Show and I'm SO excited!!

I work with some of the most amazing people who have double lives as face melting musicians on the side. It will be both enlightening and fascinating to watch it all go down on stage. I can't wait.

If only I had a marketable skill (besides loud laughter, clumsiness, smiling and networking) to show off to my peeps. Ah well... its probably for the best. I gotta see these folks every day.

Now is no time to try improv.

:)

PS. My diddy is somewhere between Chicago and Hong Kong as we speak! Say a little prayer for his flight and all the delights of sitting still for 12 something hours.

A direct quote....

heard (out of no where) in the design wing today:

"There's a book full of only pictures of wet cats and I want it".



I love my life.

(For your viewing and giggling pleasure... I give you a classic: 'Kittens Inspired by Kittens')

WHERE does the Alphabet go?

Here we are- an alphabet and most of a month behind us, friends.

I think we've learned some valuable truths. The first of which is that I have the *best* of intentions regarding the incorporation of video (AV if you will), but little follow through with this blog. I'm just not good at editing, which, it turns out, was going to be necessary. I am an innovation failure.

I'm sitting in our office which doubles as a sauna today. The air had broken but is on the mend now, thanks to the lovely repairmen who have come to save the day. I'm glad I don't make a living from repairing things. I would likely (a) become a raging ego maniac- drunk on the intrigue of my own abilities or (b) go nuts and break things I have to replace. My money is on B. Everyone wins if I answer emails for a living, really.

Back to what we've learned over the last few weeks:
I like eating. I prefer it to drinking "lemonade" mixtures.
I *am* however, up for challenges, so there's that.
I've been reminded that life is short and precious.
I've been amazed by the love of friends and family- for no particular reason. I think that's the best kind.
I'm endlessly impressed with my sis and her hubs.

There's more but I would go on all day and I need to apply myself. Thank goodness I have Nickel Creek singing sweetly in my ears. :)

Did I mention I learned to skateboard yesterday?? ........ hehe.

Z is for Zest!

No, I'm not referring to the zest of a lemon (which I am done with until the next cleanse.)

I'm referring to the general zest for life that is oozing out of me today!

Was it the picnic at Centennial Park? Yes, in part. Was it that i learned how to skateboard today?? YES, in part. Was it that I have spent the weekend surrounded by friends celebrating accomplishments (half marathon.. them- not me), birthdays (brad, bieder and k sinq), a wedding (Mark and Lisa Sursavage), and an engagement (Will and Kelly!!)? YES, IN PART. Toss in some quality time with some precious little girls, the return of solid foods and warm sunny days and you get- ZEST, ZEAL...ZIP! :)

This weekend was a gift.

That is all.

Y is it...

...so hard to remember to blog on the weekends??

Mark and Lisa got married this evening! It was splendid. The service was in this tiny courtyard downtown and the reception was right next door at a place called Cellar One. A great time was had by all! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Sursavage- you crazy kids!

Its very late and I'm pouring my tired feet in bed. Had to dance it up, folks. After all, a dancer's work is never done.

Tomorrow there will be a real post.

G'night!

X... is for Xylophone

Some of you (Nichole) will remember the days of Summerville High School Marching Band. (insert trumpets and killer drum cadence!)

Thats right... no attempt at hiding it! :)

My best friend through high school, Libbie, (and her hilarious parents and sister) referred to me as "band nerd" more than my real name. That because THIS girl (and her twin... sorry to sell you out, Kris) rocked the xylophone on the sidelines for four years. And I do mean rocked.

The excitement extends to the marimba, keys, vibraphone AND xylophone, people. We "proudly" donned the green wool uniform every weekend in support of our fighting Greenwave. Listen, the xylophone (or "glockenspiel" if you want to get technical) won't play itself!

We know we brought the backbone of the rhythm and magic, if you will. Duh.

Bottom line, it takes a little something special to blaze through "the awkward years" having added a whole new realm of invited ridicule. We, the fearless Kirker girls, were up to the challenge.

TWO sets of mallets in hand!


*the owner and operator of "Orderly Conduct" has opted not to reveal potentially incriminating photos during said high school experience. Private viewings can be scheduled through Chelsea Lesniewski.

** I can just hear my previous Laudy roomies making the xylophone noise right now... "digga digga digga digga".

W is for Wee!

Wee! I'm feeling good! The headaches have stopped. The cravings are not even specific- I just miss food.

I'm also delighted because I just had the pleasure of sitting across a table from Joanna and Michelle. ALWAYS a good time. I love those ladies. :)

I've officially decided to stop the cleanse/starvation after 5 days. I feel like I've still benefited from the cleansing, etc. Sure, some call this "stopping before the benefits show" but I call it, "staying alive".

Here's to a full evening of birthday celebrating, missing the "This American Life" movie at Green Hills and neighborhood group on the East side!

Tootles

V is for Veteran

You all need to know about my exceptional grandfather. SO exceptional, in fact, that we call him Big Daddy! I grew up thinking everyone had a Big Daddy, by the way. Made sense to me- he was bigger than my daddy... seemed pretty concrete.

So, Big Daddy is just an amazing man! He's married to the lovely Judy who is also exceptionally wonderful and thoughtful! Together, they are quite a team of amazingness. Never have two little girls been loved more by two grandparents. I have always known they love me and are proud- that's a gift, to be sure!

You need a little background on this amazing man. Besides being a total stunner in uniform, he was also a fighter pilot for the air force! Crazy! He rocked some Germans (sorry, German friends... its History, ok?) in World War II and was even part of the Mighty Eighth Air Force! He's a hero for the way he served the Country, raised my (freaking fabulous) mom and just generally keeps-on-keepin'-on! He is passionate about golf, people. He doesn't get to play much because he has had lots of health issues this year. Y'all- he's a trooper!

He's a pilot, a family man, a scholar, an athlete, a comedian, a brilliant story teller, a manly man, a whiz at the grill, a gardener, a husband, father and the best grandfather a girl could ask for! I'm just welling up with pride that get to be his granddaughter!

I just wish you could all come with me to Haines City, FL just to experience the wonder that is my sweet Big Daddy- that and his OUT OF THIS WORLD fresh orange juice. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. :)

ROAD TRIP!

U is for Unbelievable

It is unbelievable how repulsive this "lemonade" tastes when allllll I want is a piece of food. The funny thing is that I am not craving anything in particular. Nothing sounds good. I just miss chewing or something. I guess that explains the pack of Orbit I blazed thru yesterday and, thus, the headache I had ALL night. I also want to break myself of the over-the-counter pain killer addiction I have, but I HAD to crack, people. I wasn't sleeping. I needed just a couple Ibuprofen. Today will be a better day- no gum. No...anything, kinda.

Day two is, allegedly "nothing" compared to day three. THAT is the day you realize, "I'm intentionally not eating anything and, on top of that, I'm flushing what IS going in to my body OUT with salt water. I'm smart".

Here is what I'm hoping are the benefits to this cleanse (in case, like me, you are wondering):
1. The expulsion of toxins and what not
2. Any sort of improvement in my right eye- I'll take anything I can get.
3. Lose a few pounds wouldn't hurt!
4. Clarity and abounding energy I've heard so much about.

Is it Tuesday? Oh gosh...

By the by, I'm going to do something of a montage for the video diary. Its just not cute, people.

T is for Ten Days o' Cleansing

So, I'm doing it. I'm doing the "Masters Cleanse". It is thought of as a premiere (ha!) flush for the system. Maybe its the organizer in me, but I love a good deep clean and the idea of having all systems go is very attractive. Don't worry, mom, I'll be keeping activity to a minimum and water to a maximum. You'll, of course, be taking this journey with me. Like it or not, peeps!

It is ten days of (among *other* things) cleansing by way of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, grade b maple syrup (who knew they made that?) and water. I've only just begun, but it is... effective.

Video diary to follow. Don't worry- only of my thoughts. :)


So far, the only thought running through my mind is, "what have I gotten myself in to?"

The fact remains...I just plain love a challenge!

S is for Sunday Snooze

...and that's exactly what I'm doing!

zzzzzzz.


Tomorrow starts a new week and the beginning of the Master's Cleanse (with Daniel and Jamie at work). We'll see how that goes. We've decided its a body reboot. :)

Guess I'll just go enjoy some solid food tonight.

peace!

R is for Rock..

...of Love???? (does anyone else think fake hair is attached to the bandana brett wears?)

HOW is this a television show?

horror of horrors.

In unrelated news: Saturday, April 18th is the birthday of CONAN O'BRIEN!! (swoon) Speaking of birthdays, I've just gotten home from Molly's 27th birthday! Another quality evening at 3 Crow!

Its been a good day and I'm sleepy.

G'Night!

Q... is for Qu-ome on, are you qu-idding?

I got nothin' for Q.

Except that I like Q-tips, Quickbooks (not really), Quiet (what? I do... this girl's gotta recharge the hyperactivity some how) and Quarters (they buy me jukebox jams, candy, parking and cokes out of the work fridge.)

ITS FRIDAY! Today has been a whirlwind full of snarky clients, tacos, reggae and doing the work of three people.

I can't wait to enjoy some down time before heading out to see the Dirty Guvnahs throw down at their CD release party at the Rutledge tonight! All you Nashvillians- it is your civic duty to come support these fab dudes. It is always a blast!

P is for Pandora

Its been a really hard and sad week as friends have been grieving really devastating losses. I've just returned from Hunter's mom's funeral (which was a really beautiful tribute to a wonderful woman) and I find myself needing a distraction from all this reality. Wander with me into the mindless, will you?

Greek folklore has it that Pandora was the first woman and was fashioned by the other gods by each of them contributing their best gifts. Still, she opened a box of "all the evils of mankind" (perhaps out of curiosity) which is referred to as "Pandoras Box". So it leaves me wondering...

UH....Why did they name the lovely station after "her"? Am I missing the hidden evils of internet radio?

I am AN ADDICT of the delights Pandora.com has to offer! I try to stump it by typing in something like Britney Spears and STILL it knows what I really meant was Ashlee Simpson. Oh, pandora.
Then there's the day I need a little Amos Lee and it knows I could also benefit from some Bonnie Raitt. Don't *even* get me started on the Kenny Loggins days. Phil Collins? Yes, please.

Basically, if I were going to write a thank you note (in the form of a haiku, as I am known to do), it would go something like this:

sweet tunes in my ears
entertains my co-workers
job security

Salutations, friends.

O... is for one day

One day, there will be no more heart break, pain and loss.

Today I am mourning for Ruthie and her family in the tragic loss of her sweet father. I'm also mourning for Hunter who lost his mother suddenly.

It hurts too much and feels so unfair.

N is for Nosh

The most tasty development on the 2nd (soon to be 3rd) floor at work, is the birth of the "Design Lunch Bunch!" We take turns making lunch each day and it has been surprising! The food is amazing (and largely vegetarian to accommodate the veg and vegan among us). Better yet, we are all saving a large deal of money!

Today is my day to provide the lunch. Since April has meant a tour of all four seasons, it stands to reason that today would be a high in the 50's. Why not? That means one thing- comfort food! I whipped up a couple quiches and some baked french toast casserole (care of Paula Deen, of course). It is going to be deelish!

It makes me think of how my sis and I (at 6 years old) thought grown ups ate casseroles exclusively. We called it "playing ma'am". We were obviously gifted.

Bon Appetito!

M is for Monday Morning Mayhem

Woke up late.
Didn't eat breakfast.
Looks like rain.

BUT....

Sun creeping out... it may stick..?
Doing a bit of cycling with Paul after work.
Yummy lunch.

so, maybe it balances out?

L... is for Lord's Day!

Today is every Christian's most significant holiday because today is the day that Jesus conquered death on our behalf!

Happy Easter, everyone (or Resurrection Day...as Pops always says)!

K is for "Kinda LOVE it!"

J...is for Jewelry

This blog post will satisfy my "J" duty for the day, but friends... Its Good Friday. I'll be posting a bit later on my thoughts of such an important day.

First, you need to all adore my friend Beth. She's amazing. She fashions the most lovely jewelry. I'm not much of a jewelry connoisseur. I attribute this to my mother who is far too thrilled with a pretty shell. She quite literally does not care for fine jewelry. I would not say I don't care for jewelry, I just tend toward big costume pieces and funky feathery things. UNTIL Beth or Freshie as her friends call her. :)

Freshie makes lovely and dainty pieces- hammered with love right here in Nashville! Check out her awesomeness HERE. Also, she lets me don her baubles on her site, so you'll see a familiar face. :) She's an artist, y'all. In addish, tomorrow night I'm looking forward to celebrating her (and her hubby's) new home!

Next- today is the day. I'm getting a tiny nose piercing today. For any of you who know my twinny, yes... we will be closer to identical afterwards. I have long wanted a teeeeeeeny leetle speck of cute on my nose and today is the day. My mother's only request... "please don't look like a bull". Right.

So there. Pictures to follow.

I... is for Idol

So, last year, I was SO involved. I'm talking... invested, folks. I wouldn't miss a blessed evening that hosted American Idol. I read blogs about it, downloaded soft rock hits David Archuletta belted out and contributed to casual conversations with strangers. I was a FAN. All of a sudden... I've dropped off. I find myself not caring this year. Do I only have love for A.I. on off years? Maybe it is that I don't have time for two TV obsessions...? (Oh, who am I kidding? I watch more than.. well, too much TV. There... pressure's off).

That is... until last night!

Leave it to Coco to bring me back to the good ole days! Sometimes it takes splitting a bag of "hint of lime" Tostitos with a lion's share of Fat Tire to remind a person of the finer things. We watched. We laughed. We (ok, just Coco) teared up.

But- y'all.... for real? A blind guy?

That just brings it to a whole new level. What happened to the days when I could openly mock a ridiculous lack of dance ability, a thirsty 'fro or an off-key note? All bets are off when we're dealing with the disabled. I feel guilty just thinking of how hard I laughed. I take it back, OK?

So it comes to the end and they kick him off. Then (the whole new "thing" this year... the rescue or whatev) they dangle the carrot of rescue before his visionless eyes and then... snatch it right back! Sure, he didn't deserve to stay... but didn't it feel a little wrong? Just a little? Lord love him, Scott is a trooper. We'll see him again, no doubt. Rocking a sub-par record deal.

Bottom line- I'm in. I was late to show up to the party, but I'm in. Once again, I have Coco to thank. If she lures me in to Twitter, I'm really a goner. (why does that spelling look wrong?)

G is for Gracious.... I didn't blog. H is for HOCKEY!

I guess this means I don't get perfect attendance. Oh well! I'm already doing better than I thought I would. :)

Hockey!
Last evening a few of us hit up the Preds game! Our very own Nashville hockey team. Fear the fangs, people. I didn't even know that hockey has three periods, so there was a lot of education happening in that arena. I think my favorite part is all the tradition and chants. Arguably, the funniest was when this dude came over the loud speaker and said, "One more minute in the period" and EVERYONE yells, "Thanks, Paul". I giggled all three times! All I wanted to do was screech out the pyscho themed "reee reee reee reee" with my fang fingers! It was a fun evening for sure. Sadly, our boys (look, I'm already so close with them) couldn't quite pull off the win against Chicago. Nevertheless, good times were had.

AND... I got a dog and a beer. Standard arena fare.

Sidenote: I'm still on something of a Phil Collins streak. I can't get enough.

Happy Hump Day, homies! (How's THAT for Hs??)

F is for Freaky weather!

Ok, seriously?

Did I leave 70 degree beach weather to return to snow??

Say it ain't so!

E is for Exhausted!

...and I am!

night night.

D is for Domination, Duff and Dillon

Hi Readers!

A few moments behind the deadline, but whats an hour among friends?

Domination-
Today was the big race. Ran some/walked most, got some time at the beach, and generally enjoyed a quick weekend. I always wish there were more time. I didn't get to see Angela or (my newest friend thru Micah) Penguino. Alas... it will have to happen next time. We did our thing in the Holy City and tomorrow (Sunday), we head home. Loved it!

Duff-
A highlight to this trip was getting some hang time with Duff and Kristi! I love them. Since this post is brought to you by the letter "D", we'll concentrate on Duff. He's the guy that always has a story. No, he's always doing something story-worthy. He's the "flying squirrel", for pete's sake. I feel sure that his attendance at the rooftop bar this evening is why we experienced some notable events. Here's to you Duff! Its so fun to have old friends that are so fun to catch up with.

Dillon-
What. a. guy.
Dillon is Chelsea's younger brother. Don't be fooled by his 17 year old status. He's a baller. He kept me in stitches this weekend. He's about to venture to Clemson University and will, no doubt, become student body president... or the tiger. There's no limit, folks. His quips are the reason one sits near him. In order to not miss a thing. We technically dated on Facebook last year. Never you mind his age. Details. In all seriousness, Dillon is a wonderful guy and a stellar host to us this weekend. I hope you meet him.

Oh, Charleston, I'm sad to leave you and your intrigues. Til next time.

C is for Charleston!!

I know you wondered if I would make it. I DID! Sure, its way later than the normal morning post, but I'm on the road, so.... this is the best we can do, folks.

Charleston is MAGNIF! The air just smells better. Well, unless you're down wind of the Westvaco paper mill or the pluff mud that makes you wish you had no smelling abilities. Otherwise, it is wonderful. (Sidenote: the Kiawah Indians named Charleston the "Land of the Healing Breezes" way back when. I think they're right.) Seriously though... there is nothing like the old home town!

We got here (Nathan, Neal, Chelsea and I) just in time to check in for the Cooper River Bridge Run. In years past, the registration/packet pick-up was so uneventful. No line, minimal waiting, etc. This year.... different story. There was a line wrapping around the Gaillard Auditorium. People everywhere! 40,000 participants are expected to participate in this year's event. While I was in line, they capped it off. There were no less than 5,000 peeps milling around while we were navigating to find our participant bags. Nathan started to develop agorophobia so we had to leave. :)

After some driving around giving tours (from my old Carriage Tour Guide days), we grabbed some uh-mazing pizza and hit up a random party. Standard.

Off to get some sleep before the big ole race. Tomorrow will be some quality time at the beach as well as excessive photo taking, no doubt. A special twist of events has led to me getting to also spend time with my sis. Life is good!

Tomorrow = race, beach, kicking it downtown. There will, naturally, be a post tomorrow involving something amazing starting with the letter D. Be there or be square.

B is for Babies, Bliss and Boys

I think I'm going to like this "blog every day" thing. I've chosen to ignore the throngs of new readers and continue to pretend no one reads this leetle blog. Ignorance is bliss, indeed.

Babies-
I am in a really fun stage of life. One filled with friends' babies!! Y'all.... the CUTEST babies are in my world. James (pronounced "Yah Maze") is almost a year old! I can't even talk about it. Peyton turned TWO last week! Haynes is getting older too quickly and Williams is already almost a month old. Where does time go? These babies make me happy! Not to mention Pete, Kate, Etta and Lucie. I'm trying to think of what age baby showers become more common than wedding showers. I think, for me, it was 27. I would say 26, but you may remember that is the year of 17 weddings. These baby children are precious! There's something magical about watching a bambino start life and learn everything. It is also the first time in life where I am getting to really know kiddos. Sure, I may have retired from babysitting (for the most part) but I say- bring on the visits with the babies! :)

Bliss-
I have had a few dozen "moments" in my life. Moments where I am doing EXACTLY what i want to be doing- EXACTLY when I want to be doing it. A bunch of those have happened in Charleston, so I'm excited to be back there for a weekend. Last night was one of those moments. Chancey, Nathan and I made dinner and sat on the porch. So simple- so lovely. We *may* or may not have gone to Bobbie's Dairy Dip for a tasty treat. While we were there, I saw the Downeys! Some amazing neighbors from up the road. They are too cute and it made the neighborhood feel small. I just plain love having a community and just living life together. What fun!

Boys-
No... this won't be as exciting as the title lead you to believe. Its because (in addish to "Friday Night Lights") a FAVE show is back on!! TBS' little treat "My Boys!" As I watch, I imagine how we'd be friends in real life. They say things I would say. They have mustache growing contests like my friends would do. They mock each other like we would. It gets me thinking about what a show of my life would look like. What would the name be? Would it mirror my imaginary book title, "Talking to Myself"?

Another day begins. This one will include a long road trip. The next installment will be from the glorious lowcountry. Buh bye!

A... is for April Fools and Anticipation!

Good morning, friends!

Today is the big day of the month long blog challenge! Each day I shall post a tidbit of life in my world...and we begin. I'm a little nervous, to tell you the truth- all of this disclosure!

April Fools:
My most successful execution of an April Fools joke took place in spring of 2001! I still giggle when I think about it! I was headed back to SC from a spring break trip to see family in Florida. As I drove the 8 hours on I-95, I had time to plot. :) I decided my unsuspecting twin would be the perfect target. A fact she still loathes. Before heading west to Columbia, I detoured the 30 miles east to see mom and dad in Charleston on that pretty Sunday afternoon. After we caught up a bit, I presented my plan - ever so calculated. I would need both mom and dad to participate. We were going to convince Kristin that mom was pregnant... at 50. (Sorry, mom. the story needs it, okay?) Mom and dad have a history of "the speaker phone call". You know, the call where you hear every other word and one or more people are yelling? That one. So, on Sundays, we catch up via speaker phone. I knew this would be the perfect vehicle for convincing Kris. I also knew I would need to make a very strategic call shortly before in order for her to believe it. I call and piqued her interest by telling her mom and dad were about to call and blow her mind- then hung up before she could say anything. Moments later, mom and dad call and shoot the breeze. Then, they break the news.... perfectly! Kristin didn't breathe. We wait the painful 10 seconds then yell, "APRIL FOOLS". Kristin whispered some expletive and slammed the phone down. My favorite part of this story is how hard Kris has tried to get me back over the years. She has promised me that, one day, I'll be chasing kids, covered in food and miserably tired... not knowing what day it is. THEN she will get me back. :)

Anticipation:
There is just something about Spring! I find myself waking up a little too gingerly; with excitement for excitement sake. I tend to be a tad on the hyper side any way, so this will not come as a shock to most of you. Is it the tiny buds on trees? The flowers making their way out of the ground? The bunny, that we dubbed Pedro, that (I tell myself) returns every spring to bid us hello? Is it the arrival of "the news" at my house later (aka Us Weekly)? I couldn't tell you. It is some sort of magic that occurs at this time, exclusively, each year.

Before big events, I have trouble sleeping. I find myself waking up on the hour. No seriously- 1:08, 2:08, 3:08 etc. Its almost entertaining. THAT is how I feel about a lot of things in my life right now. Hopeful expectation!

I am headed to Charleston this weekend with some friends from Nashville. We're headed down for the Cooper River Bridge Run. I neglected to actually train, so I'm walking it! It will be wonderful to be at the beach, my stomping grounds and in the dirty south. I also sent off my taxes and am going to get a REFUND! It may be small, but y'all- this is a miracle.

I've just barely met my "post before 11am daily" goal! Let's hear it for discipline! Time for coffee.