by popular demand

finally, a picture of us together. full holiday recap to follow.

i said yes

I think this about sums it up. Details to follow.

i couldn't resist

Happy Hoffidays!

really, you think?

You are a Social Liberal (70% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (25% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

repent for the end is near

i would just like to remind everyone that just a week ago it was nearly 80 degrees. and then, today, there is this silliness.
AND they say tonight, its going to get worse.
yes, the picture is crooked. i had a hard time navigating the steering wheel and the camera while wearing gloves.

eye candy

isnt he cute?
sorry we still have no pictures of us together. we promise to do better at christmas. i went to florida to visit him the weekend before thanksgiving. unfortunately, i spent 70% of the weekend puking my brains out. we didnt get to do any of the fun things we had planned, but i finally saw the movie cars. he took very good care of me, and even bought me a purse to replace the one on which i puked. aww.

thanks to everyone for filling out my johari window. if you haven't yet, see the post below.

you wanted a new post

ok, yes, i've been a slacker. dont i get any time off for thanksgiving? i mean, really. you might notice that even though i didnt make a new post, i did create a flickr account (seen to right). you can view some pictures from the price family thanksgiving up in the mountains at my mom's place. we had a good time.

for those who dont know yet, i'm taking a year off of my master's program because i got accepted to the southeastern public health leadership institute. its a really awesome program funded by the cdc (thats centers for disease control and prevention) and hosted by chapel hill. the first session is all next week (dec. 11-14), so i might be scarce. now i just have to convince my student loan company that this rigorous program is worth them allowing me to keep my loans in deferment for the year, well, and frankly i dont have the $400 a month right now, thanks for playing.

i know its not my most compelling post, but it is interactive! here's a fun way to burn a minute or two. fill out my johari window. you can be anonymous if you want. go ahead, tell me what you really think.

im off to the asheville for a conference today and monday at the grove park inn. peace out.

thats just the way it is

yesterday on the long drive back from raleigh, i stopped to fill up the gas tank. attached to the b.p. station was this little jewel. it completely encapsulates american culture. for those who can't make a decision and for those who just want it all. i give you. KEN-TACO-HUT. thats right. its kfc, taco bell and pizza hut all in one place. AND a gas station.

duh

it seems that i've sacrificed all my creative juices to online quizzes these days.

What type of person do you attract? Your Result: You attract geeks! Your stunning intellect and love of sci-fi and video games allures the geeks like nothing else. Maybe it is the sparkle in your eye that makes them want to text you, who knows. Geeks make good partners, but tend to be arguementative. If you are a TRUE geek magnet, you will know if that was spelled correctly, and actually care. If it is a bad-boy/bad-girl you are seeking, you are barking up the wrong tree, unless they are just 'bad' behind a PS2 console.
You attract Yuppies!
You attract models!
You attract artsy people!
You attract rednecks!
You attract unstable people!
What type of person do you attract? Quizzes for MySpace

UPDATE: 11/7/06 12.22pm
It seems that Amanda was having a hard time seeing the link. Try here.

And to answer your questions. No, I didnt notice the misspelling either, but I never claimed that to be a strong point, and yes, Erik is a self-admitted geek. And I, a self-admitted geek lover (even before Erik). I'm not particularly into video games, but have a secret love for all things Star Trek.

still crazy after all these years

some things are always funny.

the chins are ALWAYS funny.
special thanks to kristin friend and jenny friend for a fabulous weekend!

creepy isn't it

i love those silly online survey/games just as much as anyone. but sometimes they sort of freak me out a little. anyone who knows me will be able to pick out exactly what i'm talking about. take a look.

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Golden Maximus Your Superpower is Mind Reading Your Weakness is Confrontation Your Weapon is A Fairy Wand Your Mode of Transportation is A Clown Car

What's your Superhero Name?

just a few flakes

between the boy, football season and programming time at stonewall (hanging out with my beloved juvenile deliquents) things have been pretty busy. a short brush with bronchitis had me down for a few days, but now i'm back to juggling life. here are a few pictures i snapped with my camera phone over the past few days.

the 25 most exciting seconds in college football and the largest jumbo-tron in a college stadium. god its nice to be a tiger fan!

erik and i are learning to compromise.

sometimes i forget this is here. my co-worker carol snapped this shot one day after i realized i didnt have a single picture of it.

one last point. here is a fun blog i found recently. its great for people like me who like short bursts of wit throughout the day. enjoy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PROJECT OPTIMISM!

yay! its been one year (and 10 days) since my very first post here on p.o. and i just noticed, this is my 100th post! amazing isn't it? this here little website (that sounds better if you read it with a slightly southern accent) has chronicled the past year in my life. and its been a real doozie for sure. a year ago, i didnt have a camera phone, i hated my job, i had major separation anxiety from miriam, i was depressed and single. i created project optimism initially to spread some optimistic energy around to some friends and hoped that what i knew in my head, would eventually trickle downstream into my heart. fake it till you make it, i always say. you never know when things will change. just like the weather. monday night it was 32 degrees and raining at home, today, sunny skies and 81 degrees. (this type of climatic change reeks havoc on my sinuses) just goes to show if there is anything that isn't going your way just right this minute, give it a little time. things will change. the inverse lesson is also just as important. if you're loving life right this minute, cherish it. make memories and be thankful, never taking for granted what you have. for it too, can change in an instant. it is this constant roller coaster that gets us out of bed every morning. that gives us hope for the future and appreciation for the now.

quote for the day: "i'm not in denial, i'm just selective about the reality i choose to accept"

better late than never

ok, in my newfound slackness, here are some pictures from a short, but fabulous road trip to florida. dad and his buds went down early for their testosterone fest deep sea fishing trip. luke and i stayed with my life partner miriam (who, although was pulling for the wrong team, looked smokin' hott at the game). we drank a lot of beer. clemson won the football game. i think that about sums it up.

back my semi-popular demand

i know, i know. i've read all (both) of your comments and emails. my adoring fans (all two of you). kristina and miriam, i know that both of you deserve more. and i hate that i have let you down. please accept my humblest apologies. so what's been going on the past errr... month or so?

yes, as if you didnt know, there is a man in my life. and no, its not murray, my dad or luke. you know, the usual suspects. for years i've fluctuated between bitter, yet empowered, independent woman and weeping, depressed, lonely spinster. especially after my life partner moved away to pursue her dream of law school (like i could let my selfish love for her stand in her way), i struggled with the depths of loneliness unlike anything i've ever known. i went off in angry tirades at many happily married friends who said obnoxious things like "it will happen when you least expect it". even still makes my skin crawl.

well, things are a little different now. about 2 months ago erik called me for luke's new phone number. you see, i've known erik for years, a childhood friend of luke, our paths crossed every few years or so. about 2 years ago luke and i went to miami for a football game and i developed a full out crush on the boy. while we got a long well just hanging out, he was otherwise completely disinterested. oh well. since august 11, things have snowballed beyond either of our belief. 7 hours a night on the phone of endless laughter arguing over who is the biggest geek, which star trek series is supreme and how to deal with people who take themselves too seriously led us both to believe that perhaps we've met our match. i had a long time ago given up on anything "magic" or even romantic. conceding that someone who wanted the same things in life and was willing merely to put up with me would have to be enough. i figured no one would ever find me beautiful, or laugh at my nacho cheese joke, much less, both. i was even sort of looking forward to my "i'm-30-and-still-single-so-fuck-you birthday party". i'm not calling off the birthday party just yet, but i'm going to hang on to the deposit for the band and tent rental for now. just until we see where things are heading. and i promise, i'm not moving to west palm beach. no way, my hair can't handle the humidity here, can you imagine the fro i'd have in florida?

speaking of birthdays. the cutest/craziest puppy in the whole world turned 4 last sunday and luke turns 28 today. my, my, my, they grow up so fast.

true humanity wears orange

thank you miss coles for pointing out my slackness, (i'll write more about that later) and for your post featuring this touching article. GO TIGERS!

lay me down in a field of flame and heather

last night i went to the counting crows concert with luke and his girlfriend cassie. it was amazing. the counting crows are one of those bands that i could listen to 24/7. from upbeat-happy to sexy-spiritual. it reminded me of my earlier years when a good praise chorus from the christian rock band, third day, could send me spiraling into a fit of singing, waving and crying. it might be the words that speak to my heart, it might be the loud, overwhelming music or the energy from the masses of people, with the counting crows, it was all 3. it was definitely a concert for the true fan. they steered away from their more popular radio played hits and played songs that only people who listened to the whole cd would know. luke and i sang every word and motioned to each other during funny lines that reminded us of each other like "we spent all day getting sober", something luke and i have had shared many times.

it was a little creepy that my ex, stephen was there. i haven't seen him in over 3 years. i never saw him, but he saw me, he said. he knew what i was wearing and where i was sitting, so he informed me via text messages. after a few polite declines to meet him at the beer stand, i just ignored him, not having the will to just tell him to fuck off as miriam suggested.

i just found out i have a 3 day weekend. hallefreakinglujah.

a very fun weekend in the atl

besides the 4 hour ride with pops on the way down, during which i was forced to listen to rush limbald and various other forms of talk radio where old men yell at each other about minorities and football, i had a fabulous weekend in atl.
saturday morning we went for a fun filled trip to ikea. my ikea virginity. i bought a small assortment of kitchen accessories and several decorative pieces. it was a good time.
then we ate lunch at the varsity.

everyone had a good time.

dominic even got his own icecream cone.

d and i played yegos and bob the builder (notice the absence of a picture of me wearing fun yellow hard hat)

then we ate my birthday cake, 4 layers of chocolate cake, soaked in amaretto, layered with dark chocolate and stawberries soaked in chambord. and then more chocolate. it was yummy.

the end.

everybody needs a hobby

and because i have the maturity of an 8 year old boy.

i find this wildy entertaining.

just for kicks

Emily: married, with kid
Erica: married, pregnant
Kim: married, pregnant
Steven (cousin): married
Bekah: serious relationship, talking about marriage
Nate: married
Rio: married
Jenny: married
Amelia: married
Kristin: married
Celeste: married, 2 kiddos
Matt (ex): married, 2 kiddos
Jon (ex): married, kids?
Seth (ex): married
Stephen (ex): married twice
Amanda: married
Megan (co-worker): married, kid
Victoria (co-worker): engaged
Erin (co-worker): engaged
Becky (former jr. world saver): serious relationship
Kimi (former jr. world saver): engaged
Lauren Hill (former jr. world saver): married
Andrei (cousin): married to McCamy
Luke: serious relationship
Miriam: fabulously single
Me: ha!

conclusion... you're smart, you figure it out.

UPDATE: DISCLAIMER... dear friends, I do not define you (nor myself) by relationship status. i was merely making an observation/classification, for research purposes only. i love you all. (oh and yes, Kristina is also single, but if I included her and Carol, it throws off the punch line)

happy birthday miriam!

today, we honor the birthday of my very dearest friend. through thick and thin, times of wealth and poverty, sickness and sanity. i can't believe that its been 8 years since we met, even though we weren't really friends at first. miriam lived above me in our humble dorm at g.dubb. it wasn't until the following year that we really became friends. back then, a six pack of beer could get us both shitty all weekend. the gym was ours to conquer every morning at 6:00 and rio and nate rounded out or inseparable foursome.

our junior year of college we bonded over psychosis. sometimes ours, incessant spying on the hot football players that lived downstairs. sometimes the illness belonged others like a narcissistic roommate or a hotheaded ex-boyfriend of mine. miriam was even attacked by a crazy goose, and suffered the loss of her favorite flip-flops.

just before our senior year of college we both turned 21. we learned a valuable lesson. a fifth of vodka didn't cost $20. she forgave me for barging in on what was almost a kiss from the man of her dreams. the year our closets were full of sequined halter tops and tight black pants, was the same year her feminist tirades really began to emerge.

i've hardly ever cried so hard as the day after we graduated and drove away from the place that brought us together, wondering if we'd make good on the promises to visit and call often. it was only a few months until my begging convinced miriam to come live in charlotte with us (luke, luke, and i). four people in that apartment was way too many, but boy, rent was cheap and living was good. that year, the girl who had been home-schooled nearly her entire life, took a job teaching public high school. we laughed and cried and she gave indignant speeches solving all the worlds problems while we stayed up until after 2 am making christmas candy bags for her 140 students.

the next 2 years miriam and i lived together, just the two of us. the true test of friendship. neither one of us having the ovaries to be particularly confrontational, we solved our problems the way all strong women do, we sent a few emails and pretended it never happened. and granted, mims isn't the cleanest person i've ever known, but i've seen her spare a bugs life and set it outside to freedom, carry a lost box turtle from the middle of the road down to the creek and even rescue flies from drowning in the swimming pool. she bravely took on a roach after i locked them in the bathroom together. she solves all of the worlds problems like republicanism, war, poverty, hunger and men over a cup of fat free, sugar free hot chocolate. i love that she makes cd playlists with showtunes, metallica and tupac. i'm afraid i'm often a disappointment to her when she's looking for a good argument. while we don't always agree, i've never known anyone with more conviction for what she does believe. she's too humble to admit it, but she's touched hundreds, probably thousands of lives. her brilliant mind should be advising the world's top leaders, but she's dedicated years as a public servant, teaching public high school and spent two summers volunteering her time to provide free legal help to society's downtrodden.

i consider her special brand of philosophy--compassionate feminism with cleavage. i have no doubt that one day she'll ban meat from the white house while wearing a low cut pink t-shirt and flip-flops. and i'll still be so proud to call her my friend.

happy 22nd birthday pookie.

(pictures to follow, blogger isnt cooperating right now)

destin, by camera phone

exhausted. suburned. broke. but i finally got all of the sand out of my bathing suit.

here are a few pictures, from my camera phone, i havent downloaded the digital camera yet. more to follow.

leave a message at the beep

this afternoon miriam and i are off to florida. a quick stop in tally to help mims pack, and then we plan on spending a whole lot of time doing nothing in destin, fl.
thats a picture, a real life picture. not digitally or color-enhanced. the sand is pure white quartz and the water is clear. its nickname, the emerald coast is well earned. dont be jealous. do send love.

riddle me this

its no secret that i'm not cool. my lack of knowledge of pop-culture, my love of npr and my complete disregard for fashion often lend me to being an outsider. maybe i'm just too overrun with logic to care. i wont spend $80 on a purse, period. now, every red (and blue) blooded american female seems to own a fancy vera bradley something. since these handmade-looking, quilted bags and purses hit the scene, i have been baffled as to their appeal. as any good church going southern girl can tell you, they look just like those hand-quilted bible covers your grandmother made and gave you for your 8th birthday. personally, i think that vera bradley must have grown up a good southern baptist. she got a good deal on all the left over quilted-bible-cover-making material, made a few purses, sent them to a few hollywood socialites (who obviously did not grow up good southern church goers), and voila! instant fashion trend. everytime i see someone carrying one, i want to ask them if they keep their precious moments bible in there. you tell me.
vera bradley

bible covers

birthday update

am i old enough to retire yet? this working stuff is the pits!

thursday night i went out with mims and a few friends from work to see simplified play at hickory tavern (i know! up past 9pm on a week night! who knew?!?!) clee (simplified's lead singer) bought me a shot after the first set and asked what luke and i were doing friday night. (friday being both mine and clee's birthday. woo hoo!) i told him pops was taking us (plus miriam and jenny) out for dinner and after that we didnt have plans. he insisted we hang out with the boys at the press box. ironically, this dive was around when my grandparents were dating. how cute. friday night we listened to a two man band, named "three", (dont ask), had a few drinks and enjoyed an evening outside with friends.

another year wiser

my dad called: "just checking to see how you're doing. you're on the downhill slide towards 50 now"

me yesterday (age, 25)

me today (age, 26)

too much time on our hands

it doesnt happen often, but sometimes clinic is a little slow. recently, it was one of those days. becky is leaving and moving to hong kong. the poor girl is going crazy because her husband has been there for 3 months. anyway, this is what happens when a communicable disease nurse, an hiv case manager and myself have access to plastic penises and too much time on our hands.

i'm going to miss becky. notice my cleverness in staying behind the camera [phone].

I MET MO ROCCA!

this is quite possibly the most hideous picture of me ever taken, but you get the point. miriam says i have "ovaries of steel". i think even she was quite embarrassed. i had no problem begging the head usher to get us better seats, asking the sound manager to give a note to mo, or shouting out infront of almost 3,000 people that i made AND was wearing a t-shirt that says "MO, you ROCCA my world!" to which paula poundstone replied, "how could i confuse this place with charleston, you guys are sooo much classier"
thanks to wfae, npr and of course "wait wait dont tell me" for making this happen.

yes, i'm a geek.

UPDATE: 07/21/06 8:50am
ok, now that i've had a little sleep and the geeked out adrenaline has worn off a little, i thought i might be able to put together a few more thoughts. so yes, miriam and i went to a live recording of npr's radio news quiz show, wait wait don't tell me. we hadnt even got out of the parking deck when wfae staff (local npr affiliate) noticed and complimented our homemade t-shirts. we stuck out in the sea of maturely dressed, public radio listeners. our tickets were for the 3rd row in the top balcony, not exactly primo. i guess years of working with needy people has taught me that you might as well ask for what you want, the worst thing that can happen is you end up with what you have. its only up from here! (an example of how this works: i begged my way onto oversold flights for nate's wedding). after i charmed the head usher into giving us the unsold "hold" seats on the floor, we made our way up to the stage where our FABULOUS t-shirts got the attention of one very kind sound engineer. feeling not at all shy, i asked if there was anyway we could get on stage for a picture with mo, and he looked around and offered me a notebad on which i quickly scribbled a note to mo. he promised to pass him the note before the show. the show went on, we laughed at all of the politically incorrect humor, cheered as the cast made fun of and complimented the south, and miriam even let out a token "OW! OW!". after the show, they had an open mic for audience members to ask questions. i jumped up and down waving my arms, begging for carl kasell's attention. miriam slumped in her seat with embarrassment. my inner-dork would not rest! alas, i made ourselves known to the crowd. the erupted with applause and laughter as i read our shirts aloud to the crowd of 3,000. and i got my wish, we met mo rocca, carl kasell and paula poundstone!

as we walked out of blumenthal on the greatest adrenaline buzz ever, the very kind sound engineer came up to us and asked if we got to meet mo. he said he had given him the note before the show, and mo was very cool about it and definitely flattered. mo said "if anyone asks me what charlotte was like, i can honestly say, they have a lot of love". and we do, we really do.

"if we were gay, we would tell you"

contrary to popular (e.g. weird neighbor guy and t-nat) belief, miriam and i are not gay. and today she sent me this article about another fabulous female duo that had to answer the same question. so what if two very attractive, single, educated, and not to mention wildly entertaining women decide to spend their every waking minute eating blueberries and sushi and watching brokeback mountain, together? if we were gay we would be prancing around telling everyone. i would probably even give in and wear a pink shirt that announced so.

*thanks to oprah for the quote in the title

moe money? no problem!

i can hardly believe my good fortune lately. i have several times referenced my favorite burrito joint. just a short year ago, there was only one in the q.c. now, there is one just blocks from my not-so-new place of employment, and two, that's right DOS within 3 miles of mi casa. (ok granted that's not as overdone as the 5 chick-fil-a's in the same radius, but still).

life is good.

next thursday night, i have a date with mo rocca. dont.be.jealous. well, actually i have a date with tlmc and t-nat (aka boycott boy). i'll have to sit in between them so they don't argue all night. we're going to see a live recording of "wait! wait! don't tell me!". i know, we're the coolest kids in town. tlmc and i are considering making "i heart mo" signs and t-shirts, we want to get on stage. well actually tlmc wanted to throw her panties on stage. she's crazy.

shameless plug.

thats right, t-nat has a book out! i'm very excited for him. i was totally an insider on this project from the beginning. (i was even consulted for the cover artwork and author bio picture. tee didnt like my idea for either). i'm not smart enough to provide a true literary critique. i have the same opinion i do for books, movies, poems, and music. i like what i like. i'm just not deep enough to say anything else. but its super. i definitely recommend it. the way i see it, you have two choices, you can either order your own copy or wait till i send you one for christmas. (but you know how slow christmas is). so don't wait, order yours today!

and it wasn't even snowing

my trip to michigan, plagued with cancelled, delayed and missed flights, midnight to 4am drives through the middle of nowhere left me completely exhausted and yet re-energized with optimism. i spent hours in a sobbing heap in airports from the q.c. to detroit rock city (and all points in between). should you ever find yourself in desperate need of a favor from a airline staff, i find that tears and sweet southern charm will get you bumped up in the stand-by line much faster than fits of anger (just ask the other passengers who weren't as charming as i).

i made it to tussin michigan, the site of the wedding at 4am, just 4 short hours before the wedding. nate and erin had found out just days before their wedding that their photographer wasn't going to be able to come, and i was inspired by their calm and optimistic attitude. they said "we're going to get married, spend time with the people we love, photographer or not". this is why these kids are going to make it.

as the groom's official "attendant of honor" i sobbed nearly the entire ceremony. except when the early morning heat and humidity (in michigan, who knew!?!) kept nate from getting his wedding band on, and i burst right out in hardy laughter through tears. the priest turned and said "its ok, we know you're tired".

that afternoon, we changed into shorts and bathing suits and spent the afternoon and evening and the rest of the weekend for that matter, boating, canoeing and playing on lake michigan. after about my fourth beer sunday night, i hugged nate and we shared a short and heartfelt conversation about how much we cared for each other. my heart spent several of its college years pining after him, but settled for a deep and meaningful friendship. his strong hug and gentle tone acknowledged that we had done a lot of growing up together and how thankful we were each for the other, as friends. i told him how happy i am for him and erin, and know that they are perfect for each other. and i meant it. it was a little like closure and a little like a new start. nate is one of those friends that i know i may go years without seeing, especially when he and erin start the peace corps next year, but i know, when we do see each other again, it will be like nothing has changed.

in the meantime, i am ecstatic to have mims home. its just like old times. staying up too late talking about boys, vowing to lose 20 pounds by our end of summer beach trip, solving the world's problems sitting on the longest.couch.ever. and shh... i even sorta missed her messes.

oh so somehow, i got handed the job of photographer. stop.laughing. ok, so maybe michigan isn't so bad after all.

upswing

i didnt technically finish the oreos, but i'm sure mims will finish them. because she's a good person and trying to save me from myself. and she will be here in just a few hours! i'm so excited, i can't stand it.

i'm leaving tomorrow morning for michigan for nate and erin's wedding. i know. another wedding. go figure. i'm very excited about this one. even if it is at 8am. those silly hippies. supposedly there is no cell phone signal or internet access up in the wilderness where the wedding is, so until then faithful readers.

post.wedding.depression.

3 weeks ago, yesterday, next saturday. then i think im set until september. so many weddings. yesterday was luke's little brother's wedding. aaron and sunny are very cute. the wedding was short, personal and very informal. there was a lot of laughing and the crowd erupted into loud cheers as the newlyweds left the ceremony. it was great to see old high school friends and luke's family. it was however, a little awkward to babysit his girlfriend. usually i can count on luke to be my unattached date, we can quietly snark over free booze and sometimes he'd even let me drag him out on the dance floor. instead, i danced with luke's dad and the 4 year old ring bearer (he was a red-head, he didnt stand a chance).

so i was the oldest single gal out there to catch the bouquet. its like my loneliness was closing in on me from all angles. i graciously said my good-byes after the bride and groom left, slouched in the passat so no one would see me crying on the way home. its not even that i want to married, but with so many of my friends married, its hard sometimes. i'm just lonely living alone doesnt help either. if one more person tells me "it will happen when you least expect it" i think i might scream. i know this little project of mine is called optimism, but sometimes i cant help but look in the mirror and wonder what is wrong. i'm not a size 2, i dont put out on a first date and yeah, i have opinions about stuff. does that mean i'm unheartable?

thank god tlmc will be here soon.

but its the humidity that gets ya

dash of the vw. charlotte, nc. circa~06.22.06 2:32pm

the hook brings you back

yesterday started out kind of rough. clinic was swamped. i pre-test counseled nearly a dozen people before lunch. several particularly sad cases, recovering heroine user (4 days clean--he came over from detox), 22, with 2 kids, wife left him and he was a cutter. nice guy, sad story.

i knew i had a middle school gig in the afternoon, i treated myself to moe's for lunch, i was in serious need of a pick-me-up and nothing says lovin' like a joey bag of donuts with fresh jalapenos.

i love working with the middle school kids, because when im making a list of body fluids, we say words like poo and snot. the teacher that schedules me for TRAIL (taking responsible actions in life) calls my "HIV 101" class, "a stand-up comedy routine". i like making the kids laugh, and i think they actually learn something.

after work i headed to gastonia to meet jenny, of "yay for jenny cartee pottery!" to pick up nate and erin's dishes. they registered for a whole set of fun jenny cartee pottery. some lucky friends are going to haul it up to michigan next week for their wedding.

on the way home i was jammin' out to my fancy cd from fancy celeste for winning the it pays to pay attention competition. as the sun set over my left shoulder and the temperature cooled to 87 degrees, i rolled down the windows, opened the sunroof and sang with my tone deaf self. i thought about how excited i am that miriam is coming to see me next week (and staying for a whole month!), how fun nate's wedding and weekend of fun on the u.p. will be, and how much i like jenny cartee and her fancy pottery. i pondered jenny's explanation of my fascination with all things star-like (she just read the da vinci code). i was definitely in a lala sing-along-with-the-instrumental-version-of-its-a-wonderful-world mood. and then i noticed a bright red billboard around the freedom drive exit. in simple white letters it said

"i pooted".

i laughed so hard i snorted. really.

a poster girl with no poster

most of you have never seen this. but sometimes, when its so hot, the very thought of turning on the hair dryer could cause spontaneous combustion, i opt instead to let my hair do its own thing. and this is what happens.now usually, i touch it up with a little product, you know, to keep the frizz down, but this is completely natural.

a special thank you to the international eye candy provided by the world cup on espn 2 this morning, that kept me motivated for a near 2 hours of cardio.

tomorrow is father's day. i love you pops.

you'll see

this is why i love her.

happy friday.

something about soccer

so fancy celeste has another fun contest. its too late to submit entries. sorry. i, of course, know very little about soccer, well except for what tee taught me. i'm not ashamed to say that i chose my favorite teams based on best use of cheese in cuisine.

ole'! bravo!

crack is whack!

we all have those little vices that sneak into our lives unexpectedly and render our willpower completely useless.

a few weeks ago, fancy celeste, mr. yuke, the kruegercelli's and i found ourselves victimized by the little morsels of heaven from chick-fil-a. after the fancy derby party, under the guise of "cleaning" the five of us devoured (what felt like) several thousand chick-fil-a nuggets (which were part of the kiddos buffet table)

"they're addictive" said fancy celeste
"make it stop" said miss lisa
"what do you think they put in them to make them so good?" asked mr. yuke
"CRACK!", shouted i.
thus, the crack-nuggets were named. giggles perpetuated by derby day delights were muffled only long enough to shove the next crack-nuggets in our mouths.

so what is your crack?

made in the shade

i wish i got to go to hilton head with dominic and mr. yuke. here they are kicking back some cold ones after playing with yegos on the beach.

wedding palalala

the story of a wedding weekend as told through grandmother's snarky comments.

"your hair looks like crap! when is going to go back to normal?"--to elena, sister of the groom and jr. bridesmaid. elena had attempted to home highlight her hair.

"you need to control your children, they're eating all the shrimp! other people have to eat too you know."--at the rehearsal dinner, to the pastor who was to perform the ceremony.

"i'm the grandmother! bring me more champagne!"--to the waiter at the rehearsal dinner.

"[jesus], please help heather to not make smart ass comments"--to me after thanking grandmother for putting down her cigarette long enough for the family prayer before lunch.

"what's the story with that cream colored sash? is she trying to make up for wearing a white dress?"--to the mother of the groom (my aunt jennifer) because the bride was wearing a white dress with a beige sash. enough said.

"i have the best looking family, dont you think?"--to the photographer, as the groom's family walked up for pictures (all 35 of us) as the bride's family sat back down.

"hope you stay around for a while, or this could be embarrassing"--to cousin sloan's new girlfriend from charleston who somehow got in the family pictures.

"sally had gas last night, she thought she was having another heart attack"--pleasant reception conversation with myself and uber yuppie family from kiawah (see steven ellis).

*in a particularly annoyed voice* "they left me off of the 'in memory of our grandparents' dedication on the back of the program!"--after noticing that her ex-husband was mentioned on the back of the program, i then casually pointed out that she was listed "on the inside, because she was alive"

"i love y'all, but im ready for you to go home so i can sit on my couch in my pajamas and drink me some brandy"--to the family as everyone was leaving after lunch on sunday.

and these are only the ones i was around to hear. i love my grandmother.

other points to note for the weekend.
big tulip popular fell down in my back yard as i was getting ready for the rehearsal dinner. bummer.

i forgot to take my camera to the rehearsal dinner and the wedding (wedding pictures from the photographer will be posted online this weekend).

bridezilla threw a fit at the salon where the bridal party was getting her hair done. she was mad because two of the bridemaids' hair looked too much like hers. she started crying and then of course, demanded to have her makeup redone too.

uber yuppie cousins in kiawah invited me to come visit them (definitely making plans for a free vacation).

and for the record, murray seems to be doing much better. keep your fingers crossed for solid poop (today is his first day off medicine).

wanted

date for this wedding weekend
must be willing to dress up, smile and make polite conversation with guests
and engage in snarky banter about bridezilla with feisty family matriarch

i did promise my aunt jennifer (her son is marrying bridezilla) that i would "be nice" and also that i would have a flask on hand for when she needed it. she was thankful. at least there's booze at the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night. oh and in case you didnt already know, i dropped out of the wedding. the $300 bridesmaid dress wasnt returnable, so look for it on ebay soon.

a recipe

take one heart
still bleeding
add vodka
shake
serve in a chilled glass
at dusk on a warm weekday in may

the race fans cometh

the message boards over the interstate have been warning us for weeks now: "PREPARE FOR HEAVY TRAFFIC MAY 19-29. EXPECT DELAYS". or as we locals have come to interpret it "do not under any circumstances attempt to buy gas, go to walmart, eat out or leave your home". race week is upon us. for 10 long days the population of the charlotte-metrolina area increases by nearly half a million people. people come from all over the country, world for this. the first signs of impending doom sprouted yesterday. a replica race car was parked outside a local grocery store for pictures and yesterday on my way home from dinner at brixx, i was victimized by a mini-van from pennsylvania that read "charlotte or bust". as traffic crawled down the interstate, a likely intoxicated race fan hung out the window with a hand written sign "call me ...###-###-####". he was screaming "hey sexy! you going to the race? i got an extra ticket. call me!"

and so it begins. the epicenter of race activity is exactly halfway between work and home. my humble commute doubled this morning but a refreshing email from the health director encouraged non-clinical staff to work from home or flex their time when possible. this is good news.

i plan to do nothing this weekend but take care of the pup, maybe watch a different race and relive some derby party magic.

poor pooch

so its back to the doctor for murray. poor guy hasn't been himself for 2 weeks now. he's been struggling with "stomach issues". we've been through 2 rounds of antibiotics, x-rays (no more kong toys stuck in there), a thorough de-worming, a low residue diet, and now we're waiting on the blood work. last night i slept on the couch and took the pup out to potty no less than a dozen times between 6pm and 6am. besides not eating this morning, he's acting like his normal murray self. i hope they figure out what is wrong with him, and soon. not only am i exhausted, this little trick is costing me a fortune.

coolness

check out my fancy word cloud. you can make your own here.

mom

today is mother's day. i won't see my mom today. but i sent her two mother's day cards (one was disguised as being 'from the dog'). most of you know that my mom and i have a very um... unique relationship. in the past 15 years its fluctuated greatly from separation and indifference to supportive and endearing. i think my mom is a neat person (not always the best decision maker), but she has qualities i admire. although she'd never call herself such, my mother is quite liberated. she rode motorcycles, flew planes, went scuba diving and even was the first female disc jockey of south carolina. she played the trumpet and the baritone. she spent her summer's in mexico as a teenager, instead of teaching sunday school, she signed up for the manual labor, building schools and hospitals. she's chained up bulldozers for plowing the wetlands and made demanding phone calls to corporations she felt had done wrong by the consumer. she's rescued puppies and met martha stewart. when i had my first boyfriend she would let us stay in the living room all by ourselves and would give a warning knock on the wall before she came back in the room. she thought me how to use power tools and gave me a tool box for my high school graduation (laugh, but i still use that stuff today). she coached my high school softball team. she's beat breast cancer and heart disease. the day i moved out of my college apartment, she taught my roommates and i how to open beer bottles by popping them on the edge of the counter.we dont have long mushy heart-to-heart conversations. we've never done a mother-daughter shopping trip. we don't "do lunch" and she probably won't care at all what i plan for my wedding. when i turned 22 she left me a message saying "happy 24th birthday sweetheart".

i love and appreciate my mom for sharing with me her sense of independence and freespirit. for allowing me to make my own decisions and for teaching me the practical stuff. i think the moment my mom was most proud of me was when i called her on the way home from lowe's telling her i had just bought my first power drill. i love that.

happy mother's day, mom.