tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-175778612024-03-21T09:42:57.295-04:00the girl next door is a superherojust a white girl from the suburbs trying to save the worldHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-57050767941877758502007-11-20T10:17:00.000-05:002007-11-20T10:36:18.618-05:00Fresh-ishSo, you’re right. I haven’t posted in like 6 months. And several of you have been very vocal about your disappointment. Lets recap what’s happened in the last 200 days shall we?<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>1. Erik moved to NC<br />2. Luke and Cassie got engaged<br />3. I planned a wedding<br />4. I officially entered my “late 20’s”<br />5. Went on funnest beach trip ever with 3 bridesmaids. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8_6JL5NfRtbjdEwUROs0zYcRVH_HTikvnR2WLn3f56ZSwMZGB-MOt8lxPa0FCXaVIqMBD1_E6D_nTu6qyOTJkwTXaJxJvR4YH2AoUTTZchXs5U1AVSPz6vyzGf7d3wztIVPMGA/s1600-h/ANTM.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134943253229679170" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8_6JL5NfRtbjdEwUROs0zYcRVH_HTikvnR2WLn3f56ZSwMZGB-MOt8lxPa0FCXaVIqMBD1_E6D_nTu6qyOTJkwTXaJxJvR4YH2AoUTTZchXs5U1AVSPz6vyzGf7d3wztIVPMGA/s320/ANTM.jpg" border="0" /></a>Possibly the funnest (stop spell checking that word!) 4 days of my life. Here we are playing “America’s Next Top Model” –be afraid of the birds and the amazing shirts Miriam made for us.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SDmdtDARzJ7urYqaRIqkjuGcVrBAngsY7Bj6eOPZeeZhb-UNf74tMDDBVzyDJn-jNaWzZtBVmmLa_NkuA-6AWYeCUGxNuBKbE1twtJNgSb_GCmR4g7M_KxzT3a45_TRBFCY_sg/s1600-h/bridesmaids.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134943356308894290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SDmdtDARzJ7urYqaRIqkjuGcVrBAngsY7Bj6eOPZeeZhb-UNf74tMDDBVzyDJn-jNaWzZtBVmmLa_NkuA-6AWYeCUGxNuBKbE1twtJNgSb_GCmR4g7M_KxzT3a45_TRBFCY_sg/s320/bridesmaids.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div>6. Miriam turned 23<br />7. I got married </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB3iYCSmgbQK9xGRKfXOO9FJyjZYvZPHBdNFsBRDpFhdZ7lvhc5hRz_0SvFXrsBTI8jzSrWfthG18la8u1ikM3bb18AttMOMYM0NvXpGD8uYEyplGKUpQwI8RDSlVgf3DgzHrhw/s1600-h/cake1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134943532402553442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB3iYCSmgbQK9xGRKfXOO9FJyjZYvZPHBdNFsBRDpFhdZ7lvhc5hRz_0SvFXrsBTI8jzSrWfthG18la8u1ikM3bb18AttMOMYM0NvXpGD8uYEyplGKUpQwI8RDSlVgf3DgzHrhw/s320/cake1.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jXmTRdm5ito5144zJHKaWk14vwD1mCZmu8dpl9f9vbudQmZZBgrXfdGbqBn10CG-QtcQ-m1FjmlZzbmUI2_nE5cAXjmqtmbX7l1Y6tjbg9PatYbuLQMlNUGsP7Mgkxt318S11A/s1600-h/goodbye.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134943661251572338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jXmTRdm5ito5144zJHKaWk14vwD1mCZmu8dpl9f9vbudQmZZBgrXfdGbqBn10CG-QtcQ-m1FjmlZzbmUI2_nE5cAXjmqtmbX7l1Y6tjbg9PatYbuLQMlNUGsP7Mgkxt318S11A/s320/goodbye.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br />8. Clemson beat FSU<br />9. Luke and Cassie got married. Notice the sign. Prophetic don’t you think?<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kaO8s69zbQTSoNevjgViPAjMqCdwjX0zR6NWsGQBimjLO1cmxQno58QkPe-7AQ3arXPMuZ2Tt3qLhKRgovx-mmDMQFcU8T20cmYiPVPx3AdRXXetsFjZGczFkkkapprMayo6CQ/s1600-h/Cassie_&_Luke's_Wedding_025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134943918949610114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kaO8s69zbQTSoNevjgViPAjMqCdwjX0zR6NWsGQBimjLO1cmxQno58QkPe-7AQ3arXPMuZ2Tt3qLhKRgovx-mmDMQFcU8T20cmYiPVPx3AdRXXetsFjZGczFkkkapprMayo6CQ/s320/Cassie_&_Luke's_Wedding_025.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAFCrtGg8KBNSVO4EjNDd-8llC7jzErTJT-ZjOfzHZPAXW5WnO_bCkcRhhatna4-vhDj8m0DKXAHLqV4N9NdaX5nSesr0SElRy7vWIsKhr_fV2EUU251la6GDPXfj3xfJSCac3Q/s1600-h/patio.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134944382806078098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="182" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAFCrtGg8KBNSVO4EjNDd-8llC7jzErTJT-ZjOfzHZPAXW5WnO_bCkcRhhatna4-vhDj8m0DKXAHLqV4N9NdaX5nSesr0SElRy7vWIsKhr_fV2EUU251la6GDPXfj3xfJSCac3Q/s320/patio.JPG" width="230" border="0" /></a><br />10. I gave my orange bridesmaid’s dress to Goodwill<br />11. Murray turned 5<br />12. Spent a lot of time in Chapel Hill<br />13. We got a bigger fancy patio</div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br />4. Miriam’s parents got chickens. The most noteworthy thing on my list. See what happens when you leave your parents unsupervised. They do crazy things like raise chickens.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkG8sXWux_J0V0H_gxoB0rsLnkhMfL3wAX2fWVFdlWo4FxlNIk4AogxIq-dxmcBOHu5kx3FLZqa9a3mv26Y8FQjFhbtg9YKp-FStqBK8FdpCb23hUZuF-hbchK67Q13gkTOmddQ/s1600-h/George+and+Chicken.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134944816597775026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="261" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkG8sXWux_J0V0H_gxoB0rsLnkhMfL3wAX2fWVFdlWo4FxlNIk4AogxIq-dxmcBOHu5kx3FLZqa9a3mv26Y8FQjFhbtg9YKp-FStqBK8FdpCb23hUZuF-hbchK67Q13gkTOmddQ/s320/George+and+Chicken.jpg" width="334" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdh-3AWGrEtr4aqsCw2cm7GGyFW9E-_gnjipk_JMJPCwLn7t00vN1MEURVV8XhuFZVu-5rOLq-sqJgoIhMOAiydMFXSldyOxjhPqOTOUJBf6l1krokOCicCeroEE8BQen59CRxXQ/s1600-h/chickens.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134944636209148578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="223" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdh-3AWGrEtr4aqsCw2cm7GGyFW9E-_gnjipk_JMJPCwLn7t00vN1MEURVV8XhuFZVu-5rOLq-sqJgoIhMOAiydMFXSldyOxjhPqOTOUJBf6l1krokOCicCeroEE8BQen59CRxXQ/s320/chickens.jpg" width="262" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>15. I have TMJ<br />16. Charlotte has worst draught on record. Here’s my plan to help.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0tAiptjaS1QGEYcV9KibZ-PEy5pJylEsRu5-8vseAYJ8D_yKsGwukY_al_rH2WECOxSdUMt96ib-z8dk9gTPdk7AXYagE8-7MP99gWZsv9Bmv0yLNmnhDBg_x-lvIKH_BnUtHA/s1600-h/save+water.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134945203144831682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0tAiptjaS1QGEYcV9KibZ-PEy5pJylEsRu5-8vseAYJ8D_yKsGwukY_al_rH2WECOxSdUMt96ib-z8dk9gTPdk7AXYagE8-7MP99gWZsv9Bmv0yLNmnhDBg_x-lvIKH_BnUtHA/s320/save+water.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div>17. I got my hair all cut off<br />18. Jenny Cartee Pottery featured at the Southern Christmas Show<br />19. There are no new episodes of The Office left.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134945357763654354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGGkEd-SsVnZGETNWphgid7VNpvc3keameH22WYP5LzfCDCVPDX-5KyUDvzNWFTL0vjjuuRJDgSt6rUVz4iEt_dnmB2WrB6yA7jRmVLaAPC6R_MgMazGCrxAfdWHnsLcBLFouyQ/s320/Where's+the+Beef.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Right now I’m just killing time until the 4 day weekend. Life has been pretty busy lately. I’m looking forward to some downtime.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-65616148268168589662007-05-03T14:27:00.000-04:002007-05-03T14:29:05.739-04:00i can see the futurefrom <a href="http://www.dooce.com/">my favorite website</a>.<br /><br />i predict <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dooce/482887923/">this scene </a>will play out in my living room with erik and murray everytime i go away on business.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-254286816386717562007-04-19T14:24:00.000-04:002007-04-19T14:54:03.768-04:00dont blame the wine"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame.Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, 'It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."~ Jack Handy<br /><br />on a recent business trip to san francisco, my co-workers and i put together our pennies, rented a limo and spent our free day exploring wine country. it was quite possibly the best use of 9 hours and $92. ever.<br /><br />san fancisco was amazing. like my last visit i was in awe at every turn. the people of san fran are amazingly beautiful and unique. not unlike the cross dresser with a 5 o'clock shadow and short stretch velvet dress that emerged from walgreens with a HUGE stuffed teddy bear. she winked at me like she knew i was waiting in line to pay for the AA batteries my camera would have required to snap her picture.<br /><br />in the meantime, here are a few pictures from the trip. the full album can be found on my flickr site. click on the badge in the profile box on the right side of the page.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055211399964946402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRzZxnheeo-2jLYWeEEAH4USWI7Ai_2-FfI0le8GPkySF8ldm99n2xyPZl8VzjjJF1KmYkyLB94aPe17WZfb58sojDNMv4IQJfigAMqfFhhSiRQd7hFsobe75Cg6PcRykv5E3Tw/s320/hearts.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>this is from the "hearts" display in union square. a different heart designed by a different artists is featured on each corner.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055211331245469650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A6eOBNzR2kH1-l5SZPOIEa31h23Ufkepkcyui58xX1ZhSCWewkAcOrAUl0dgnBOGs85VRr7pDUPzPtruqAESFmasKiBumTiLYfwRKjHscdQSkeHsGfXosxcHoMelHymfowTVpQ/s320/trolley.jpg" border="0" />you can't go to san francisco without riding the trolley. this is a very typical s.f. street.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055211477274357746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9hOygK2ln39BOVlJJw646dVX-XpDGTpXd_1cRrbxeieso6JEBVuYfdbebg2uPrrvTq8kia6ie5QaQwhvAPUmVoMS2guGrz74mBGiCaVth953fsfYxMc6e6bMDcqRTC-tSzR-xQ/s320/signs.jpg" border="0" />they have funny signs in california.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055211627598213138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pEfJrsZrFDE1IuwZ6Q0IK-f-NSG_yl3OVHwca6tRT5eoHZrJ6s7duZaOklFNbQR7T7uZ-SIVTOjcVnEHClsAZnFqXBTjnHj3u6tDoxDm5_-cUHu1CxSiMyg2r289cwruDivzSw/s320/lime.jpg" border="0" />i'm not really cool enough to hang out in places with such hip lighting, but it makes for a cool picture. more from "lime" on flickr.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055211709202591778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAENdMgGk9Nl4MWgvSzAC-vCZmhARxTPH3I8xEDMM0Y9wem0eMdWyJ3yKNiW68NEXyfslaesQ2-k5l0m5a89_kNFajVtYdMNRFkp9MUw2CvuvA9hB7uBsXTTI-Yu-SgtX7q8xDQ/s320/heitz.jpg" border="0" />this is wine country.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055211790806970418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFxUYGaM_hlHALagIL5m63jUCZfUrExp66w948rY2C5XLuJmwmFZNoPYu2mJiWBVOCqxxvS37nvTbLnPK_37N_owKbiGT_1GyJNEb8vwTs1uybx_L7NwK0_j-egag_MNRi6t-BQ/s320/cakebread.jpg" border="0" />the best wine in the world. just ask my dad. that $65 bottle of chardonnay reserve goes down like butter.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055211850936512578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWSdMvkeGEkVQzEvHXPOENSkKc2pwvJJ1xO4KYc2yK1xWM7bGiBZTQolSftiiw-uUaz9o_humC1AUp_W5JS-YC6FeN4s82-tu9EGRoaSAys8Ghm-7sDUE69xy3QzXXJnsNnl1aQ/s320/dutch+henry.jpg" border="0" />the fun boys at dutch henry family winery liked us a lot. we told them we were the youngest female doctors in the country, they told they were all named gary and then they let us taste wine straight out of the barrel.<br /><br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-37318469275101523412007-04-12T13:02:00.000-04:002007-04-12T13:03:38.701-04:00i'm so glad i found this information now...and to think, i was about to get married without having read <a href="http://blinkytreefrog.livejournal.com/80660.html">this gem</a>. someone please get me the full text!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-3632244430924799442007-03-22T10:55:00.000-04:002007-03-22T10:58:53.808-04:00first day of spring<div>and this is how we celebrate here in Charlotte <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044762966561577634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHisnWdpC4RO8PGLc8CvosnDVq5jjHTQkvu9FX5wMEI9LhpBaWg-N16yNX0zzD3uT8orOQRzir-ibs2XLbLft97Xe2qodxvraEFQ0gKTvpRdD4Q2-N-l169_U_WcYQvpdht8xKw/s400/pollen1.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><p>sigh. tis the season, for sneezing, sniffing, itchy watery eyes and green and yellow cars. erik thinks that "since he's never had allergies before..." it wont bother him. welcome to the land of the blooming.</p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-9977708050535789212007-03-08T17:40:00.000-05:002007-03-08T17:41:33.925-05:00faster than a speeding bulletYour results:<br /><b>You are <span style="font-size:6;">Superman</span></b><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><td>Superman</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="100" size="4"></td><td>100%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Spider-Man</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="85" size="4"></td><td>85%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Supergirl</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="67" size="4"></td><td>67%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Wonder Woman</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="67" size="4"></td><td>67%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Robin</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="60" size="4"></td><td>60%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Green Lantern</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="55" size="4"></td><td>55%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Batman</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="50" size="4"></td><td>50%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>The Flash</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="45" size="4"></td><td>45%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Iron Man</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="25" size="4"></td><td>25%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Hulk</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="20" size="4"></td><td>20%</td><br /></tr><tr><td>Catwoman</td><br /><td><hr align="left" width="20" size="4"></td><td>20%</td><br /></tr></tbody></table></td><br /><td>You are mild-mannered, good,<br />strong and you love to help others.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.thesuperheroquiz.com/pics/superman.jpg" /></td><br /></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://www.thesuperheroquiz.com/"><br />Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...</a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-10734754783769408082007-02-28T10:16:00.000-05:002007-02-28T10:40:19.280-05:00from the buckle of the bible beltso i thought things might get back to normal yesterday. finally, dad is able to mostly care for himself (except driving) so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">i'm</span> at least living at my house now (for the first time in 24 days). the car is back from the doctors, and i got my hair did, about 2 months overdue (i can tell it must have been worse than i thought given the number of "wow, your hair looks so great today" comments <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">i've</span> received today). lovely.<br /><br />i now measure the cost of EVERYTHING compared to its <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">equivalent</span> wedding cost.<br />tank of gas=1.5 wedding guest fed<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">chinese</span> takeout=3 slices of wedding cake<br />car repair=2.3 chocolate fountains or 1.8 wedding dresses<br />can of diet coke=2 stamps (enough for 1 invitation)<br />hair cut and color (read:sanity)=deposit for d.j.<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">murray's</span> overdue rabies vaccine=1 bridesmaids <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">bouquet</span><br /><br />the encouraging news is that if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">erik</span> and i can continue this slightly above broke college student lifestyle for 4 years, we'll be in excellent financial shape for the rest of our lives. keep your fingers crossed he'll find a job.<br /><br />yesterday a few nurses came back from lunch (mind you they've probably never left a 12 mile radius of the health department in their entire lives) and commented that "they're back!" excitedly. other veterans dashed out to see the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">spectacle</span> outside of the grocery store with which we share a parking lot. girl scouts i thought, maybe even those people who stand outside to sell toys so that you can donate them to toys for tots. i shrugged, back to work, after all, i had poor decision makers to reform.<br /><br />a few hours later as i made my way out to the car and noticed what can only be described as old time southern gospel (<a href="http://rosemck1.tripod.com/gaithers-what-a-meeting-in-the-air.wav">click to listen</a>) blaring from speakers outside of bi-lo. i was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">befuddled</span>. on my way out of the parking lot i drove the long way out to discover a middle aged man and wife (yep, her hair looks just like you'd imagine) singing with a full sound system and asking passers by if they knew <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">jesus</span>. a small crowd had parked their buggies and were enjoying the free concert followed by a brief invitation to join them for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">wednesday</span> night service and covered dish dinner.<br /><br />i laughed to myself. only here.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-92218495714846006312007-02-21T14:18:00.000-05:002007-02-21T14:29:17.221-05:00unfalling from the edge of the earthbefore i start, yes, i know the video below is staged. still funny i think. and bravo to the young actress for getting her start on youtube.<br /><br />sorry i've been m.i.a. for a while. dad had emergency eye surgery a few weeks ago, and i basically gave up life as i know it for a few weeks to care for him. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinal_detachment">detached retinas </a>are very serious. here's hoping pops is better very soon.<br /><br />in case you haven't heard (kristinfriend), there is a salmonella outbreak. peanut butter, bad, very bad. working in public health, i get to be at the forefront for serious terrorist threats like this. i'd tell you to google it for more information, but all you'll find is advertisements for lawyers trying to get their 30% off your misfortune. where they there for 30% of the diarrhea? ok. just checking.<br /><br />in the true spirit of project optimism, <a href="http://indexed.blogspot.com/2007/02/elementary.html">here is a short visual lesson</a>, from a <a href="http://indexed.blogspot.com/">new favorite website</a>.<br /><br />and a short note, erica and joe had their baby, addison mae was born on valentine's day. ready? all together now... "aww".Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-20688945269092072372007-01-30T09:31:00.000-05:002007-01-30T09:32:12.626-05:00I promise, promise, promise not to be that girl<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MRNntNBEUF0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MRNntNBEUF0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />heheHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-66703574427136986522007-01-21T16:41:00.000-05:002007-01-21T16:43:49.180-05:00if i was pregnant...this would be the test that i would use. because im a sucker for marketing. in case you havent seen this commercial, pay particular attention around :18 seconds.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dfskwS_mnmg"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dfskwS_mnmg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />pure brilliance.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-61575590502437559142007-01-04T07:15:00.000-05:002007-01-04T08:47:51.987-05:00same old story of boy meets girl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuQwMbDGE-FXalRL0LtYppVgNvzQixeIdkYQURaCUmPgWPzjE8jVp8J7hrb-Jo07VYt0Q8kndUe7ShB3-_6DuvnZvE8TOnH1q_4A6gh632xn6d3Gaq3CgfXddwMvrnUKfaGrA-Q/s1600-h/erik3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016150364611902978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuQwMbDGE-FXalRL0LtYppVgNvzQixeIdkYQURaCUmPgWPzjE8jVp8J7hrb-Jo07VYt0Q8kndUe7ShB3-_6DuvnZvE8TOnH1q_4A6gh632xn6d3Gaq3CgfXddwMvrnUKfaGrA-Q/s200/erik3.jpg" border="0" /></a>For those of you who have been under a rock for the past week, guess what? I'm engaged! That's right, its official. Erik asked me to marry him. It was a total surprise. We'd talked marriage for a little while now, but I didn't expect a formal proposal or a ring for many, many months. So where to begin with this whole story...<br /><br />In 1984 the Esch family, moved from their home in Minnesota to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. There, in middle school, Erik met a boy named Luke Adams who would become his life-long friend. As fate would have it, Luke moved to Charlotte, NC just before his senior<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aSWc1GbnXGRZIWdBZIcpgdLdSoeNk0cayPvTd25EoIMBGIcnWyYi6a2xeERhI78tn2jodSJCZzUJF6m7p0MIi-OOwN3XjFfqOPMYRrSnwYDIjemO8A9qn8LhoUUI-K_0s6d4IA/s1600-h/Heather+and+Lukie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016148994517335506" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aSWc1GbnXGRZIWdBZIcpgdLdSoeNk0cayPvTd25EoIMBGIcnWyYi6a2xeERhI78tn2jodSJCZzUJF6m7p0MIi-OOwN3XjFfqOPMYRrSnwYDIjemO8A9qn8LhoUUI-K_0s6d4IA/s200/Heather+and+Lukie.jpg" border="0" /></a> year of high school. At his new school, Luke met an uber cool girl named Heather (that’s me). They quickly became very close friends. While no romantic relationship transpired, they kept in close contact while they went to different colleges. All the while, Erik and Luke also kept in touch, visiting each other regularly, it was only a matter of time until Erik and Heather's paths crossed. In early 2001, Erik and his friend Jenny (Ally) Kristofiak came to visit Luke at his first apartment. Of course, Luke invited me to town to show his friends around. Many drunken antics occurred. I observed Erik to be a very nice boy, but nothing particularly earth shaking.<br /><br />Over the next few years, Luke and I visited Erik several times in Florida. In November, 2004, Luke and I traveled to south Florida for the Clemson/Miami football game. Luke and I stayed with Erik and his family. It wasn't but a few short hours into the trip that I decided that Erik was quite possibly the most adorable and sweet boy I'd ever met. Ludicrous amounts of flirting commenced. Even Luke and Jenny (at this point Kristofiak) noticed that Erik and I were sitting a little close, laughing kinda loud and generally paying a little more than causal attention to each other. Luke commented to me once on the way back to the car after seeing a movie "what? are you guys soul mates or something?" I told Luke I was in love. On the flight home, I told Luke I was going to marry Erik. He laughed and gave me the same "you're crazy" look I've seen many, many times.<br /><br />The next two years I spent loving Erik from afar. I regularly sent him Christmas cards and stalked him through Luke and Jenny. I refered to him as "my sweet baboo". Word got out of my secret obsession, but Erik was always politely indifferent.<br /><br />That was until late summer, 2006. Luke changed his cell phone number. One warm summer Friday afternoon, Erik called me to get Luke's new digits. After I finished jumping up and down and squealing with delight, I engaged Erik in a cool and casual conversation and eventually gave him the information for which he originally called. Erik asked if I was on myspace. Of course I was! And many times I already had searched for him. When I got home that night, I diligently searched every feasible combination of his relatively unique name. Finally, I gave in and called him (trying to be coy) and told him I couldn't find him. He gave me his new email address. And POOF! I had a new friend on myspace. Several days of witty-banter back and forth online, gave way to 6 hours a night on the phone. My heart fluttered with each email and text message. We still had no definition of a relationship. My nerves were getting the best of me. I over analyzed every conversation, consulted with Luke and Jenny for hidden meaning and suffered severe sleep deprivation. Until finally, Erik admitted that he didn't know what was going on with "us" <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0QedO-lx_2qCiwq2uKXxYE4RkcDHc4va-YdnxRNm6XxkACpZhQLArx4CO4f_zcqW0eED_rerQMlPdXygSdSbnTEUU3B3C66wIwsKQukPO0m30EWXYmOvQJvR3fSYLqja0ztWXg/s1600-h/ErikandH1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016149303754980834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0QedO-lx_2qCiwq2uKXxYE4RkcDHc4va-YdnxRNm6XxkACpZhQLArx4CO4f_zcqW0eED_rerQMlPdXygSdSbnTEUU3B3C66wIwsKQukPO0m30EWXYmOvQJvR3fSYLqja0ztWXg/s200/ErikandH1.jpg" border="0" /></a>but that he looked forward to talking to me everyday. I melted. A few weeks later I got a phone call from Erik asking me to do a favor for him. "Of course! Anything!" I said laying sweaty in my bed after coming back from the gym. He asked if I could come pick him up from the airport. AGHH!!! He flew up to surprise me! (Just 2 short weeks before his already planned trip up to visit Luke for his birthday. The weekend of a family reunion no less. He meant business. We were both head over heals for each other. The whirlwind romance continues. We spend as much time together as possible, since Erik still lives in Florida. Erik plans to move to North Carolina in May of this year.<br /><br />Erik came to visit over the Christmas holiday. His flight on the night of the 22nd was delayed several hours. The morning of the 23rd we got up early to get ready for Christmas with my mom's family. When we came downstairs, I flipped on the Christmas tree lights and Erik asked "What’s that on your Christmas tree?" I couldn’t see what he was talking about. So he asked again and I was completely oblivious to the beautiful ring sitting right there tucked in a box on a limb right in front of my face. After about the third time I asked him "what?", he pointed at the box. I squealed! He got on one knee. I said yes. He shook like a leaf. It was magic. Then we sat on the couch and<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ETFKOtbnWAoZTbILlGWcn6nYH6l86Upr5DUdxuq1moWOc8iVHPlh4KkUUS8thpsGwUASDTg7cqdQ6JKV9Ryp1RWFkCGnQjpbYucZA8JBQ1uFi57B6RCZKI6Bejb7KWupuPUrrA/s1600-h/ring+edit.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016149982359813618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ETFKOtbnWAoZTbILlGWcn6nYH6l86Upr5DUdxuq1moWOc8iVHPlh4KkUUS8thpsGwUASDTg7cqdQ6JKV9Ryp1RWFkCGnQjpbYucZA8JBQ1uFi57B6RCZKI6Bejb7KWupuPUrrA/s200/ring+edit.JPG" border="0" /></a> watched Saturday morning cartoons while I called family and close friends. My family was ecstatic! We left the next day for Minnesota to visit his family who was also very happy for both of us.<br /><br />So here we are. Erik and I hope to get married in the fall of 2007 and looking forward to sharing a casual afternoon with the people we love.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-47087119817719424442006-12-31T22:23:00.000-05:002006-12-31T22:25:39.620-05:00by popular demand<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMQwsUC8QpBBzxkI9cBR45HmYHsaQoUCtyo60Iq8eOecWvEVrHvHQnSdW4eXh5TJysr4DlmzdPYFzEPBn9a8IU-0BxiA3wAB14bUYT96evDbo8jsL7ENDD5cFrcq63GWFa1i_Qw/s1600-h/ErikandH1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMQwsUC8QpBBzxkI9cBR45HmYHsaQoUCtyo60Iq8eOecWvEVrHvHQnSdW4eXh5TJysr4DlmzdPYFzEPBn9a8IU-0BxiA3wAB14bUYT96evDbo8jsL7ENDD5cFrcq63GWFa1i_Qw/s320/ErikandH1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014897827594337714" border="0" /></a>finally, a picture of us together. full holiday recap to follow.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-59028851013738723692006-12-23T17:50:00.000-05:002006-12-23T17:51:48.839-05:00i said yes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25WRECjsNeBKXpNQXjFJBNDYWK3-MQfckuKwTQMwdoQn8subpd_nsRB1pdQzHRNONi_Th3AzPdeMb-_7k56JLe9iuheqfGSe6_U_HcruXC5-XAqMbQ98mxHOUPljbsnYBXU2Sqg/s1600-h/ring+edit.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25WRECjsNeBKXpNQXjFJBNDYWK3-MQfckuKwTQMwdoQn8subpd_nsRB1pdQzHRNONi_Th3AzPdeMb-_7k56JLe9iuheqfGSe6_U_HcruXC5-XAqMbQ98mxHOUPljbsnYBXU2Sqg/s320/ring+edit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5011858737613764530" border="0" /></a><br />I think this about sums it up. Details to follow.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-29411310130585082722006-12-21T10:07:00.000-05:002006-12-21T10:09:14.139-05:00i couldn't resist<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkE2LmGfvsCUC39p_Kvt1bC_RqIpI-HXJNcdNkjYDYpPWQYOV5Flc8rerAhJVRCKIl0mwDOZ9iX7y3jSTT6ElR44QzuFaBVpOp0pJ2bkhKw4-X1bvn3R400uWbt3YFSqtoSVUAw/s1600-h/hossidays.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5010997330382944162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkE2LmGfvsCUC39p_Kvt1bC_RqIpI-HXJNcdNkjYDYpPWQYOV5Flc8rerAhJVRCKIl0mwDOZ9iX7y3jSTT6ElR44QzuFaBVpOp0pJ2bkhKw4-X1bvn3R400uWbt3YFSqtoSVUAw/s320/hossidays.bmp" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;">Happy Hoffidays!</span><br /></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-69260185804232256152006-12-20T12:20:00.000-05:002006-12-20T12:21:29.197-05:00really, you think?<center><table style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid"><tbody><tr><td align="middle"><span style="font-size:100%;">You are a <center><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Social Liberal</b></span><br /><span shmolor="#a8a8a8" style="font-size:100%;">(70% permissive)</span><br /></center><br />and an... <center><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Economic Liberal</b></span><br /><span shmolor="#a8a8a8" style="font-size:100%;">(25% permissive)</span><br /></center><br />You are best described as a:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:+2;"><u><center><b>Democrat</b></center></u></span><br /><table id="thetable" height="375" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="375" background="http://is2.okcupid.com/graphics/politics/chart_political.gif" border="0" name="thetable"><tbody><tr height="262"><td width="243"><!--this width sets social axis, center is 169--></td><td width="131"></td></tr><tr height="112"><!--this height number economic axis, center is 206--><td width="243"></td><td valign="top" align="left" width="131"><!--this cellholds the image--><img src="http://is2.okcupid.com/graphics/politics_you.gif" border="0" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table id="thetable" height="375" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="375" background="http://is2.okcupid.com/graphics/politics/chart_basic.jpg" border="0" name="thetable"><tbody><tr height="262"><td width="243"><!--this width sets social axis, center is 169--></td><td width="131"></td></tr><tr height="112"><!--this height number economic axis, center is 206--><td width="243"></td><td valign="top" align="left" width="131"><!--this cellholds the image--><img src="http://is2.okcupid.com/graphics/politics_you.gif" border="0" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Link: <a href="http://www.okcupid.com/politics"><b>The Politics Test</b></a> on <a href="http://www.okcupid.com"><b>Ok Cupid</b></a><br />Also: <a href="http://www.okcupid.com/online.dating.persona.test">The OkCupid Dating Persona Test</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-13919142031809672322006-12-08T17:39:00.000-05:002006-12-08T17:44:24.651-05:00repent for the end is neari would just like to remind everyone that just a week ago it was nearly 80 degrees. and then, today, there is this silliness.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO0mQL0JWmgBKVWSgc85MfBAGQE6UeP9vS-ogPpDozS-F_bxQBevwl1sDLRmEnzyL6skfIVIThfWvTQFpgzCkKGFUarMCd7JM5toc_HANnrPuVqv1kVSW2wKn3jK_6e-Dz9D-jA/s1600-h/coldness.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO0mQL0JWmgBKVWSgc85MfBAGQE6UeP9vS-ogPpDozS-F_bxQBevwl1sDLRmEnzyL6skfIVIThfWvTQFpgzCkKGFUarMCd7JM5toc_HANnrPuVqv1kVSW2wKn3jK_6e-Dz9D-jA/s320/coldness.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5006290214241578994" border="0" /></a>AND they say tonight, its going to get worse.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">yes, the picture is crooked. i had a hard time navigating the steering wheel and the camera while wearing gloves. </span></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-24480479350051585782006-12-04T20:23:00.000-05:002006-12-04T20:32:10.390-05:00eye candy<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">isnt</span> he cute?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktk2k7rg1dXUQDZ47RqOzSok2pYqsv-skQLd_4X3V8OXpzaCy0i34TSm_EKLqqWtgLauJn2sXOGehVNgFcmn6jQvKw4_MGSKimuagU3IRt1rn9rBwIwP68r1qayyigXhGKvh_KA/s1600-h/Home+MakerJPG.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktk2k7rg1dXUQDZ47RqOzSok2pYqsv-skQLd_4X3V8OXpzaCy0i34TSm_EKLqqWtgLauJn2sXOGehVNgFcmn6jQvKw4_MGSKimuagU3IRt1rn9rBwIwP68r1qayyigXhGKvh_KA/s320/Home+MakerJPG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004848958922406306" border="0" /></a>sorry we still have no pictures of us together. we promise to do better at <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">christmas</span>. i went to <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">florida</span> to visit him the weekend before thanksgiving. unfortunately, i spent 70% of the weekend puking my brains out. we <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">didnt</span> 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. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">aww</span>.<br /><br />thanks to everyone for filling out my <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">johari</span> window. if you <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">haven't</span> yet, see the post below.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-105350202533045732006-12-03T07:49:00.000-05:002006-12-03T07:56:45.131-05:00you wanted a new post<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ok</span>, yes, <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">i've</span> been a slacker. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">dont</span> i get any time off for thanksgiving? i mean, really. you might notice that even though i <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">didnt</span> make a new post, i did create a <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">flickr</span> account (seen to right). you can view some pictures from the price family thanksgiving up in the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mountains</span> at my mom's place. we had a good time.<br /><br />for those who <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">dont</span> know yet, <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">i'm</span> 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 <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">cdc</span> (<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">thats</span> centers for disease control and prevention) and hosted by chapel hill. the first session is all next week (<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">dec</span>. 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 <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">deferment</span> for the year, well, and frankly i <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">dont</span> have the $400 a month right now, thanks for playing.<br /><br />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 <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">johari</span> window. you can be <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">anonymous</span> if you want. go ahead, <a href="http://kevan.org/johari?name=Heather+Stewart">tell me what you really think</a>.<br /><br />im off to the asheville for a conference today and monday at the grove park inn. peace out.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-11504026036644824422006-11-15T14:05:00.000-05:002006-11-15T14:10:29.495-05:00thats just the way it isyesterday 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. <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/6021/2145/320/kentacohut.jpg" border="0" />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-1162911425560124982006-11-07T09:56:00.000-05:002006-11-15T14:04:30.579-05:00duhit seems that i've sacrificed all my creative juices to online quizzes these days.<br /><br /><table style="BORDER-RIGHT: gray 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: gray 1px solid; FONT: 12px arial, verdana, sans-serif; BORDER-LEFT: gray 1px solid; WIDTH: 320px; BORDER-BOTTOM: gray 1px solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: white"><tbody><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; COLOR: black; PADDING-TOP: 5px" colspan="2"><b style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 8px; FONT: bold 20px 'Times New Roman', serif">What type of person do you attract?</b> <div style="FONT-SIZE: 16px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 4px">Your Result: <b>You attract geeks!</b></div><div style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BACKGROUND: white; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; WIDTH: 200px; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 8px; BACKGROUND: red; WIDTH: 66%; LINE-HEIGHT: 8px"></div></div><p style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 10px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: black; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">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.</p></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; COLOR: black; PADDING-TOP: 3px">You attract Yuppies!</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px"><div style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; MARGIN-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND: white; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; WIDTH: 100px; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 8px; BACKGROUND: red; WIDTH: 56%; LINE-HEIGHT: 8px"></div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; COLOR: black; PADDING-TOP: 3px">You attract models!</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px"><div style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; MARGIN-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND: white; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; WIDTH: 100px; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 8px; BACKGROUND: red; WIDTH: 31%; LINE-HEIGHT: 8px"></div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; COLOR: black; PADDING-TOP: 3px">You attract artsy people!</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px"><div style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; MARGIN-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND: white; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; WIDTH: 100px; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 8px; BACKGROUND: red; WIDTH: 24%; LINE-HEIGHT: 8px"></div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; COLOR: black; PADDING-TOP: 3px">You attract rednecks!</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px"><div style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; MARGIN-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND: white; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; WIDTH: 100px; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 8px; BACKGROUND: red; WIDTH: 21%; LINE-HEIGHT: 8px"></div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; COLOR: black; PADDING-TOP: 3px">You attract unstable people!</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: white; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px"><div style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; MARGIN-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND: white; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; WIDTH: 100px; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 8px; BACKGROUND: red; WIDTH: 8%; LINE-HEIGHT: 8px"></div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 8px; PADDING-LEFT: 8px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 8px; PADDING-TOP: 8px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" colspan="2"><a href="http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_type_of_person_do_you_attract"><b>What type of person do you attract?</b></a><br /><a href="http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Quizzes for MySpace</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />UPDATE: 11/7/06 12.22pm<br />It seems that Amanda was having a hard time seeing the link. Try <a href="http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_type_of_person_do_you_attract">here</a>.<br /><br />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.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-1162700941925303122006-11-04T23:26:00.000-05:002006-11-15T14:04:30.491-05:00still crazy after all these yearssome things are always funny.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/1600/HPIM0839.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/320/HPIM0839.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />the chins are ALWAYS funny.<br />special thanks to kristin friend and jenny friend for a fabulous weekend!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-1161870543757702282006-10-26T09:45:00.000-04:002006-11-15T14:04:30.333-05:00creepy isn't iti 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.<br /><br /><table width=350 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2><tr><td bgcolor="#31E4FF" align=center><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'><b>Your Superhero Profile</b></font></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#94F1FF"><center><img src="http://images.blogthings.com/superheronamegenerator/girl.gif" height="100" width="100"></center><font color="#000000"><br />Your Superhero Name is The Golden Maximus<br />Your Superpower is Mind Reading<br />Your Weakness is Confrontation<br />Your Weapon is A Fairy Wand<br />Your Mode of Transportation is A Clown Car</font></td></tr></table><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/superheronamegenerator/">What's your Superhero Name?</a></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-1161786705494243172006-10-25T10:21:00.000-04:002006-11-15T14:04:30.232-05:00just a few flakesbetween 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. <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/320/Hill.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>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!<br /></p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/320/OJ.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>erik and i are learning to compromise. </p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/320/Tattoo.jpg" border="0" />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. </p><p>one last point. <a href="http://indexed.blogspot.com/">here is a fun blog i found recently</a>. its great for people like me who like short bursts of wit throughout the day. enjoy. </p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-1161183735081661062006-10-18T10:49:00.000-04:002006-11-15T14:04:30.154-05:00HAPPY 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.<br /><br />quote for the day: "i'm not in denial, i'm just selective about the reality i choose to accept"Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17577861.post-1160609733326721872006-10-11T19:28:00.000-04:002006-11-15T14:04:30.059-05:00better late than never<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/1600/Dad%20Terry%20and%20John%20on%20the%20back%20of%20the%20boat.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/200/Dad%20Terry%20and%20John%20on%20the%20back%20of%20the%20boat.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/1600/Suzi%20and%20Heather.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/200/Suzi%20and%20Heather.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/1600/Tailgating.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/320/Tailgating.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/1600/Dad%20and%20Mims.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/200/Dad%20and%20Mims.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>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.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/1600/Dad%20and%20Luke.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2979/1697/320/Dad%20and%20Luke.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00156118457145402517noreply@blogger.com3