Fun and rewarding

I bought a chair online that arrived on Tuesday in a large box. I was a bit dismayed to find out that I actually had to assemble it. I spent some time in frustration before calling Kim and pleading with her to come help me assemble my new furniture; this was not a one-man job. What really made me smile was the instructions. "Congratulations - you've purchased a fine furniture item from Target. We have designed our furniture with you, the Target guest in mind. Our clear, easy to follow instructions will guide you through the project from start to finish. Feel confident that this will be a fun and rewarding project." Fun and rewarding? My idea of fun and rewarding is getting a massage, attending a yoga class or finding a really great sale on shoes. Putting together furniture? Not so much. At least the chair is really cute.

Ahh. Vacation.

I rented a condo with five of my girlfriends for a vacation at the Lake of the Ozarks. What we'd envisioned was three days of hanging out by the pool, soaking up the sun. (Of course, I would be well-armed with sunscreen and a straw hat.) What we got was rain - the entire time. Instead of playing in the sun we spent time eating, watching movies, napping, eating, playing board games and eating. And while I wasn't able to put in any time on the miniature golf course we sure did have a lot of fun.

Meggan, Kim, Meera, Breanne, Monica and I

at dinner our last night.

We had some really great meals. Monica made a Mexican soiree on Friday night and Breanne cooked a Cuban meal for us on Saturday.

When Monica couldn't use her noodles in the swimming pool we came up with other creative ideas.

Or maybe we were just bored?

Our favorite pastime.

Let's be honest

I could pretend that I wasn't going to watch Paris Hilton's interview on Larry King Live tonight but I think everyone who knows me knows better than that. So there, I'm out with it...and I'm quite excited.

Tenth time is a charm

I think one of my favorite parts of summer is looking forward to summer concert season and road-tripping with Breanne to see John Mayer. Tuesday we were off to Kansas and Wednesday to St. Louis. Ben Folds was opening and I would be racking up my 9th and 10th live show (including his live performance at Conan O'Brien, which, by the way, I stood in line for three and a half hours in the rain to see) and was so excited but wasn't fully prepared for the experience that we would have. Breanne and I always get lawn seats and try to go to as many shows as possible.

Tuesday night in Kansas, the two girls next to us in the lawn, wearing their home-made t-shirts, were offered front row seats by the "Ticket Fairy." (Nope, she's not a myth.) We both had pipe dreams of being 10 years younger and the same thing happening to us. The show was good and we made it home at almost two a.m. only to do it all over again the next day.

Wednesday we were at the St. Louis show settling into the lawn when I started to reach for a book and a woman approached Breanne and I. She asked us if we were big fans. How many shows have we been to? What was our favorite song? How far were we traveling to see John? Why were we sitting in the lawn? Finally, she asked to see our tickets. I handed her my ticket and the self-proclaimed "Assistant Ticket Fairy" started ripping my ticket to shreds and announced that she typically has front row seats but unfortunately she only had second row tickets tonight. She handed us both brand new tickets. I started to cry. (Yes, it's embarrassing but true.) Breanne and I were treated like royalty at the front of the stage and it will be a night that I will never forget.

Breanne and I at the show in Kansas
At the show in STL. Pre-upgrade.
Post-upgrade!!!
My view!!!
Sigh.
Good night, John.

P.S. I think we made eye-contact. Twice.

Moving is a wreck

Apparently I can't have a normal move. Approximately 1/16 of a mile from picking up the moving truck, a kid ran a red light and smashed into the truck. The car slid under the truck and thankfully nobody was hurt. Joe was driving the truck and I was in front of him and had already made it to my apartment when I got the call. Imagine my surprise (and Meagan's) when we showed up on the scene to see not only the police but also an ambulance and fire truck. The truck rental place was extremely nice and luckily they had a new truck for us to use. Other than that, the day went rather smoothly and I LOVE my new apartment. It's so cute!!!

Table talk

I just completed my first furniture refinishing job. (Okay, techinically Josh did 90% of the work and Meagan and I combined efforts to do about 10%.) My princess bed is so tall that I have been in desperate need of a night stand that was tall, too. A couple weeks ago I was at my mom's house and she found this horrific piece of furniture in the garage and asked if it was the right height. It was perfect but in sad shape. With a lot of sanding (thanks Bryndyn for the use of your power sander), some polyurethane and a new shiny handle plus many trips to Lowes, I now have a really cute piece of furniture. My biggest regret is not taking a "before" picture. I'm not sure anyone would actually believe the difference.

Danner

I have a lot of turnover in the friendship department. No, I make friends and keep them for life. That's not the problem. I do live in a town where people are constantly moving. This place is so transient. I have made many close friends only to have them leave and move away after a short period of time. It's rather annoying which is why I'm constantly trying to recruit people to stay here. Dan and I met approximately 5 years ago. He met my friend Monica (who also no longer lives here!) one evening while they were both at a coffee shop studying. The next thing you know, Dan and Monica were talking over a clementine and soon later, I was introduced. Dan and I have been close friends ever since. We've spent countless hours talking about relationships, books, music and just about everything else under the sun. Just when I thought I'd recruited Dan to stay here forever, or at least for another couple of years, he decided to move to Denver. Sigh. Tomorrow he's leaving. I wish him the best of luck and I really hope he loves Colorado. Columbia won't be the same.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What do you consider to be the ultimate snack food?
Cheese. I think it's the ultimate food. Period.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), about how popular is your last name?
Definitely a one. I don't know anyone with my last name except for the members of my immediate family.

Salad
Who is your all-time favorite sitcom character, and why?
I'm not sure I've religiously watched a sitcom since Friends; Chandler was my favorite. I'm really into dramadies and hold Carrie Bradshaw close to my heart and Veronica Mars (may that show R.I.P.).

Main Course
Do you shop online? If so, name some sites you like to browse for goodies.
I mostly buy from Amazon.com

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I think Paris should be free.
(I fully expect backlash from this one but isn't there a much better use of our tax dollars? I'm so over it.)

It might be time for a vacation when...

you and your coworker hear, Walk the Dinasour on the radio's retro lunch-hour and spontaneously make up a dance routine.

P.S. What a lame song!

Moving on

I think I've figured out why I haven't moved for six years - it's hard work! Yesterday Meagan came over and helped me pack up some of my things. It's been an ongoing process for many weeks now and I can't figure out why I have so much stuff. Even after multiple trips to Goodwill I still have an insane amount of boxes and things I still need to pack up. This has really been an eye-opener to how blessed I am. Perhaps this will encourage me to get rid of stuff that I'm not using more frequently. I'm so excited about my cute new apartment which I will occupy in about two weeks but am sad to be moving away from my fabulous neighbors and the great location of my current apartment. And the next time you're with me and I want to buy cute new shoes, remind me of the work involved in moving all of my cute shoes, surely I will think twice.

Waitress

I'm just now getting around to blogging about this movie but I didn't want to forget to do so. I saw Waitress over the weekend and it was such a delight - go see it! First of all, I love Keri Russell. (I've loved her since Felicity and tuned in every week to see whether she'd end up with Ben or Noel. I was heartbroken when the show ended.) I have read so much about this movie (which has been getting perfect reviews) so I had to see it for myself. Keri Russell's character, Jenna is an unhappily married, preganant waitress who has a knack for making pies. It may sound depressing from afar but the story warmed my heart.

Oh no he didn't...

I gathered with a group of friends last night on Memorial Day for dinner and good company and was honored with the following story. A friend of mine (who will go nameless) had a third date last week which went terribly wrong. The first two dates were great. She said she thought they were really connecting and then the third date came. He did all of the following things:
- Made a remark that sounded to be racist
- Parked in a handicapped spot
-Went to the bathroom at her house with the door open
-And told her that he wanted to “take her to bed”

This left my friends and I wondering, what is wrong with men? We all rehashed what the next date could be like (if, hypothetically, there was to be a next date). We imagined kicking puppies and a variety of other very politically incorrect scenarios.

This brought up a memory of my own. Once upon a time, many, many years ago, I ran into an old acquaintance. We spent a good time talking and reminiscing before he asked me for my phone number and out on a date. I gave him my phone number. The next day, the VERY next day, his engagement announcement was in the newspaper. He still called to ask me out.

How about you? I’m challenging all my fellow bloggers to recall a dating horror story. Maybe it didn’t happen to you but maybe instead it happened to a friend.

7 random things

Sandi tagged me to write seven random things about myself. I'm always up for a challenge so here goes...

1. I have the ability to turn my arms almost 360 degrees.
2. I love to read James Patterson books. Growing up, I was obsessed with reading The Babysitter's Club books.
3. I used to love reading phone books. Give me a new city or a new book and I'd immediately sit down for a long read. Now given my profession, I typically read newspapers just as much for the ads as for the news.
4. I am super sensitive. I would like to think if I were an actress I'd have no problem crying on cue. While I think my sensitivity makes me who I am, it's also somewhat of a handicap when I'd like to not be so emotional about things.
5. I have been a nail biter for as long as I can remember.
6. I've been getting grey hairs since I was 17.
7. I save most cards and letters that I get from friends and family members. I have them in a box and look through them from time to time. Some of them are 15 years old.

The ultimate drive

Kim and I took part in the BMW Ultimate Drive today to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Kim drove a BMW and I was her faithful passenger. For every mile we drove we raised $1 for the foundation. On my to do list: rethink what I'm currently driving.

Sunny San Diego

Part II
I got home at 2:30 this morning so I'm tired but I had a wonderful time. First of all, it wasn't "Sunny" San Diego. May is known as May Fog and June is known as June Gloom. Even still, the view of San Diego is amazing. Thursday I traveled with Marcia and Diane (for those of you who don't know, Diane is Jodi's aunt and she and Marcia have practically adopted me as a niece since I've been in Columbia) to California and we arrived just in time for the Bachelorette Party. Friday we went to Coronado for sightseeing and we went shopping in San Diego at Horton Plaza (I did some serious damage at Baby Gap) before heading to Jodi's dad's house for the rehearsal dinner. Saturday we went to Seaport Village before the wedding. The wedding, by the way, was super fun (and a little emotional - everyone around me was crying). Sunday we hung out at Balboa Park before having an amazing seafood dinner with Jodi's family. I took so many pictures but below are just some fun highlights.

The wedding cake was tiramisu. And don't you just love this very nontraditional cake topper?

This was just one view of our hotel. When we pulled up I thought there'd been a terrible mistake and it was actually closed. Unfortunately, I was wrong. It was open. Open and under MAJOR renovations. We nicknamed the hotel, The Bates Motel. I tried to convince myself that early-morning hammering wasn't so bad and maybe it was kind of like a lullaby...that didn't work either.

Our hotel was in Little Italy. Guess where we ate every day?

Jodi and Brendon. I can't believe how grown-up Brendon is now. He's so smart and told us how excited he was that his mom was marrying Brian. Jodi definately has her son's seal of approval.

The happy couple. I loved the brown tuxedos especially with the pink bridesmaids dresses. Also, Jodi's stepdad Ralph officiated the ceremony after becoming certified online and Brendon helped walk Jodi down the aisle.

Brendon and I before the rehearsal dinner. When Brendon came home from school and saw me, his face lit up and he gave me the biggest hug and kiss ever. My heart melted.
Jodi and I at the Bachelorette Party. Jodi sang karyoke and did the best rendition ever of Sweet Child of Mine. Trust me, Axl Rose has nothing on her.
Brendon at Balboa Park.
The famous Hotel del Coronado. I loved this place!
A much better view from our hotel.

Sunny San Diego

Part I
Tomorrow I leave for sunny San Diego for five days. I am very excited to take this trip to California but even more excited to see my friend, Jodi. I met Jodi when I was in high school and we both worked at the same grocery store part-time. Jodi lived in a neighboring town and I had remembered seeing her as a cheerleader at some of our rival games. She was beautiful and outgoing and her personality was electric. I'll admit to being a bit intimidated by her but we hit it off and became the best of friends. The years that followed we stayed close while I was in college. Jodi moved to St. Louis and then Columbia but we still talked whenever we could. Then six months after college, when I still didn't have a job, I decided to make a move. It was the hardest decision of my life. Even while in college, I commuted to and from and lived at home. Somewhere along the way, I realized that in order to be the person I wanted to be, I needed to step outside of myself and make a move in order to find something better. I moved to Columbia and moved in with Jodi and her son, Brendon. I spent the first two months of my life in Columbia with them and hanging out with her at every possible free moment. It only took me a little over a month to land my dream job and I felt like she was there for me throughout so much transition. Leaving home for the first time and moving away, being depressed because I didn't have a job, finding the perfect job and, finally, settling in to adulthood. About a year later, Jodi and Brendon were making transitions of their own. They were moving to Colorado and I was devestated. What I realized later was that it was Jodi's turn to blossom. The transition without her was difficult but eventually I started stepping out on limbs, meeting new people, nurturing my faith and calling Columbia my home. Meanwhile, it took a couple more moves but Jodi finally found her footing and the perfect guy. Saturday she's getting married.

Damien

Breanne, Natalie and I hanging out before the show.

Breanne and I went to see Damien Rice at The Pageant on Friday. Not only was it one of the best concerts I've been to in ages but it was definitely the best use of lighting I've ever seen at a show. I do, indeed, have a new crush.

It's a...niece!

My sister, Cathy is having a girl. As you can imagine, I'm ecstatic.

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Memorable moments

• The amazing performance at The Color Purple. I laughed, cried and had chills. Also noteworthy, Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child starred as Shug Avery.
• Laughing at the absurd service we had at dinner before the show. Dare I say, Alison raised her hand during dinner to get our waitress' attention. Then our waitress informed us that refills were not free on our $2 shot-glass-size-o-Diet Coke. She also walked away from Alison mid-sentence and was rude, rude, rude.
• Cristin getting lost at the hotel and then calling the front desk to ask which floor room 1204 is on. That would be the 12th floor.
• Getting a whiff of Cristin's Mystic Tan while on the shuttle to the airport. Smelling Cristin's Mystic Tan again while sitting next to her at The Color Purple. And, finally, asking Cristin if she was going to go through spray-tan withdrawals.
• Shopping at H&M.
• Joe's friend, Rob giving me a Kinder Surprise.
• Oversleeping for our conference as my alarm didn't go off. I woke up at 7:30 (registration was from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m.) and we were still able to throw things together, take a taxi and be there by 7:45!
• Cristin waking up, probably paranoid about the alarm incident from the day before, and calling for a wake-up call for 6:45 a.m. The desk attendant said, "Um, that would be in seven minutes." Nevermind.
• Celebrating Monica's 30th birthday a week early.
• Cezanne to Picasso exhibit at The Art Institute.
• Dinner at The Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building.
• Our celebrity sighting at California Pizza Kitchen. We saw Richard Bull who played Nelson "Nels" Oleson on Little House on the Prairie.

Less than memorable

• Spiderman 3. Not nearly as good as the first two installments and quite disappointing.
• Camelot. The musical was not that good and probably even harder to sit through after seeing The Color Purple earlier in the week.

The Color Purple
Alison, Cristin and I at the show.
At dinner with Monica and Cristin.
With Joe at Camelot.

A day at the park

Saturday I was able to see Marla, Tony and Kyler and also meet the newest addition of their family, Bethany. They are such a sweet family and it was the perfect afternoon to spend some time at the park. (It was also my first experience at watching lacrosse.) Unfortunately, I came home with a sunburn but that was to be expected.

Levi's big day

Saturday I joined Becky and friends as we celebrated the third birthday of her son, Levi. He was so excited! It was also my first time at Chuck E. Cheese and it wasn't nearly as scary as I had expected. A good time was had by all.

Me with the guest of honor, Levi.

The girl next door

This is an addendum to my earlier post about the crazy, bizarre dreams I've been having lately. The night before last I dreamt that I lived at the Playboy Mansion. I really wanted to have my friends over so we could swim in the pool but I was afraid to approach Hugh. Last night my dream was something out of War of the Worlds.

Paris is for me

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and expressive, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

A potpourri of my thoughts

• There has been a lot of discussion lately amongst my friends at the great lengths that women go to in order to remove unwanted hair. Threading (which sounds so painful after reading about it), waxing, shaving, laser removal, etc. We do all sorts of crazy things just to maintain our beauty and to keep our self-esteem. It just doesn't seem quite fair but I know I'm not about to stop any time soon.
• Hugh Grant has been arrested for allegedly throwing baked beans on a photographer. I love Hugh. (Who doesn't love a confused, yet charming, British man?) I can't decide how I feel about this incident. Perhaps it makes me like him even more.
• Joe Simpson supposedly wants to be Britney's new manager. Joe, you are so creepy.
• I am listening to Damien Rice 9 and I love it. More exciting is that Breanne and I will be seeing him two weeks from tomorrow in St. Louis.
• I'm preparing for a conference in Chicago next week where I will also be seeing friends and the musical, The Color Purple.

Jackpot

It's true, I am a pack rat. I keep everything and so it should be no surprise that I still have cds from junior high school that I know will never get listened to again. I started cleaning out closets a couple weeks ago to prepare for my move and realized that I had four very large boxes full of nothing but cds. Ridiculous. I decided to sort through them and came up with three large shopping bags full of cds that could be re-sold and only a box and a half of cds to keep. Last night I cashed them in for store credit. After almost two hours, I finally left the music store with $260.49 worth of store credit and one shopping bag of stuff they couldn't take. Why didn't I do this sooner? I am a pack rat no more.

Amy, meet Dog

I have been having crazy, bizarre dreams all week long. I don't even know where to start. Last night, I dreamt that I was a bounty hunter.

Friday's Feast

Feast 140

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of bread?
I'm going to say Asiago Cheese Bread because cheese makes everything better.

Soup
When was the last time you bought a new pillow?
I bought new pillows in August when I got my new bed.

Salad
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend surfing the ‘net?
Usually when I'm on the internet I'm going to sites for something in particular but I probably spend a couple hours a week just randomly looking around at stuff.

Main Course
What’s the highest you remember your temperature being?
When I was in middle school I remember my temperature being 103 or 104 while I was on vacation with my family.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: When I shop, I feel better.

Baby love

Taina's foster baby, Jamie is probably the most content baby I've ever met. I've rarely seen him fussy before and he's constantly smiling. I always enjoy loving on him.


Rachel enjoys loving on Jamie, too.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
When you were a child, which crayon color was your favorite?
I don't recall having a favorite crayon but I think blue was probably my favorite color.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest), how likely would you be to change jobs if it required you to move?
Right now, I'm not looking to change jobs but I'm also not married to the idea of staying put forever. If it were my dream job, with a huge salary increase, I'd say an 8.

Salad
Take all the numbers in your birthday and your phone number and add them up, one by one. What’s the total?
What kind of a question is this and who has time for that?

Main Course
Have you ever “re-gifted” anything? If so, what was it and who did you pass it on to?
I have a feeling that if you are a re-gifter it's usually not something you want others to know about you...isn't the point to act as if you came up with the gift all on your own? Sometimes if I get things I don't need or like I ask my sister if she wants them. Otherwise, I might re-gift to Goodwill.

Dessert
Name something you need from the store.
Lightbulbs

Note to self

Note to self: Next time you get really horrible service at a restaurant and decide to stage a walk-out with your friends, don't "forget" your keys and give yourself a reason to return. Even worse, said walk-out is not only ineffective, you've realized missing keys are in your pocket.

Chicago recap

I spent my weekend in Chicago with Joe. It was nice and relaxing. No set plans and not a lot of schedules but a lot of "hanging out" time which I needed. I did have dinner with my first cousin once removed and her son, Adam. I think that makes Adam my second cousin, right? (I'm not so good with this stuff.) We had a lovely time and the rest of the weekend was spent playing video games (yup, I was Superman) and watching movies. And aside from Grindhouse, it was a lovely weekend.

Terrie and Adam

Joe and me at dinner with Terrie and Adam.

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred and Thirty Eight

Appetizer
When you travel, which mode of transportation do you prefer?
Short trips, under four or five hours, I prefer to drive; long trips, I prefer to fly.

Soup
Have you ever met a blogging friend in person?
I think I know all of my blogging friends. I tend to blog with people I already know.

Salad
When was the last time you were really, really tired?
I was pretty tired by the time I went to bed last night after traveling to Chicago.

Main Course
If you could have dinner with any one fictional character from a book or movie, who would it be?
The first person who comes to mind is Detective Alex Cross from the James Patterson novels. I would have a lot of questions for him about the cases he's worked on.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: One day, I hope to see the Louvre in Paris.

Joseph

I think I have found my new favorite musical. I saw this last night and absolutely loved everything about it.

We the jury

We all play the role of juror from time to time and it’s true that I can be a bit judgmental. It’s easy to do without even thinking. For instance, I found plenty of people guilty last night of various “crimes” committed while I was watching The Bachelor. Some women were guilty of fashion crimes, some guilty of being way too desperate and some guilty of using really cheesy ploys to get a man. And let's not forget those who were guilty of being just plain mean. At any rate, in all seriousness, I am on jury duty this week – for real. I have never been on jury duty before and I’m still waiting to see if I get called in. So far, so good. The entire process has made me think a lot about our judicial system and what it means to find someone guilty or not guilty. It's a huge responsibility and as much as I think it's necessary, I really hope I don't get called because I don't want the responsibility. What about you? Do you have any jury duty stories?

My weekend with D

I had a great weekend spending time with Dorian in Edwardsville, IL/St. Louis. Dorian and I don't get to see each other much these days but I can always count of her to partake in my three favorite activities: napping, eating and watching movies.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What are you proud of?
The close-knit friendships that I've been able to maintain.

Soup
What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize?
I once won a brand-new washing machine and I'm still using it.

Salad
Name something you do that is a waste of time.
Surf the internet

Main Course
In what year of your life did you change the most?
Probably when I was 27

Dessert
Where is a place you consider to be very tranquil?
The ocean.

Big Buck Hunter

My neighbors and I decided to do something different on Saturday night. We went to a local establishment to play games. You name it, we played it. Air hockey, skee ball, basketball, bowling. The biggest surprise of the evening? Although her face has been concealed as to not give away her identity, someone found out how great she is at hunting.

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Six

Appetizer
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?
I have become very bad at watching the nightly news in recent years but I like Brian Williams. Peter Jennings was my favorite before he died.

Soup
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
Tilapia, Lean Cuisine, frozen green beans

Salad
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?
Amyville sounds too much like Amityville so I'm not sure.

Main Course
What will most likely be the next book you read?
Joe gave me "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" so I need to crack it open.

Dessert
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?
Usually a smile.

Why life isn't fair

One will burn more calories just from eating celery than what is actually in celery. Why can't this be the same for cheesecake?

A new look

I've been wanting a new look for awhile now so I took advantage of my mom's visit yesterday for a new haircut. I absolutely love it. The best part was how quickly my hair dried and how remarkably tangle free it is now. Haircute for sure!

A dream come true

Maya Angelou has long been one of my most favorite poets. Her books get regular use at my house and I could read Phenomenal Woman a thousand times and never grow tired of it. She is so amazing that I obviously jumped at the opportunity to see her in person. Saturday night she spoke to a sold-out crowd and her words sent chills up my body and left me feeling inspired and motivated. It was a dream come true.

A new career?

Monica and I had quite the restaurant adventure on Saturday night when we decided to try something new. The restaurant made us ask ourselves if we should become restaurant critics. We couldn't decide if it was a nice sit-down restaurant, a sushi bar, a juice bar or a coffee shop. Literally one of the most unique and weird dining experiences I've ever had. In fact, I'm not even writing anymore because words can't describe the adventure.

The 5K Mosey

Kim, Meagan and I set out on an adventure Saturday morning for the annual St. Patrick's Day 5K Run (nicknamed by Kim as the St. Patrick's 5K Mosey). When I heard the weather reports were calling for snow I stated that if it were to snow I would, indeed, not be there and instead would be curled up under the covers at home. Well technically it wasn't snowing when I left the house that morning so I was at the starting line along with Kim and Meagan. Throughout the race the snow just became heavier and heavier until my black fleece was white and my hair was soaking wet. Crazy. The girls were extremely patient with me being so out of shape. Even though I generally lagged behind we all stayed together. And the best reward for exercise that morning? Breakfast. Nope, none of us opted for the Monster Biscuit but I'm not sure what we had was any better.

Celebrating Monica

Friday night the gang headed out to celebrate Monica's 28th birthday. We had a blast and it must have been successful because Monica claimed it was one of the most fun birthdays she'd ever celebrated. So far, I think it's true that we do really get better with age.

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Five

Appetizer
Name two things that made you smile this week.
1. Tia seeing me for the first time in a month and running towards me at Shakespeares. Her eyes lit up and she had this look on her face that melted my heart.
2. Going on a walk with my girlfriends Tuesday night. They always make me smile.

Soup
Fill in the blank: Don't you hate it when you have cute clothes you can't wear because they no longer fit?

Salad
When you can't go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland?
I usually get up if I've laid there long enough and start watching television. Eventually I feel tired again.

Main Course
What is something about which you've always wondered but have not yet found a good answer?
I've always wondered why I do such a horrible job at picking up after myself.

Dessert
What is your favorite pasta dish?
Lasagna! It's my favorite meal.

I've got fever

I've had this conversation over and over again with several different friends. It probably started at least five years ago and goes something like this, "I can't stop watching (insert favorite MTV show here). When am I going to be too old for MTV?" The truth is that I already know that I'm much too old and ashamed but continue to watch anyway. Now I'm pushing 30 and I still can't stop watching. The worst part is that most of it is just plain trash. Next, Super Sweet Sixteen, The Challenge/Duel/Inferno, etc., (old school) Laguna Beach...the list goes on. I recently saw previews for Maui Fever and swore I wouldn't watch it. Plus, I genuinely thought it looked stupid. So last night I came home from work and turned on the television. It was already tuned to MTV and Maui Fever was on. I went about my business doing something else and within two minutes I was totally hooked. For the next couple of hours, like a zombie, I sat and watched. I couldn't pull away from it and even when I had to go to the store I decided to record the last of it so I didn't miss the ending. What is wrong with me? And why do I continue to watch television shows about spoiled rotten children who try to top each other with lavish birthday parties where they boss around their parents? Most of the time I sit watching and thinking, "No she didn't!" Meanwhile, I'm just waiting for my fever to break.

Aunt Amy

As you can tell from my blog, most of my friends have kids and I often play the surrogate aunt. I love my friends' kids and still I have always wanted to be a real aunt. It looks as though I finally get that opportunity. My sister is expecting. I am thrilled to officially be, Aunt Amy. Yesterday was her first doctor's appointment and, although she is only 10 weeks along, I can't wait. Mostly, I can't wait until she finds out the sex of the baby so I can shop, shop, shop. I already have several things in mind and plan on spoiling the baby rotten.

My new favorite game

I am a horrible bowler and I haven't been in years. When I went with Meagan, Josh and Jason on Saturday night I warned them all about how horrible I was and then I proceeded to bowl the two best games of my life. My top score was a 101 and unheard of for me, the world's worst bowler. I think this is my new favorite game.

Friends

I had dinner at Bryndyn and Taina's house on Saturday night. Caelleb was hilarious in his Power Ranger uniform and Jamie was his usual content-self. Bryndyn cooked steaks and then Taina and I snuck out to The Artisan. I love my friends.

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred and Thirty Four

Appetizer
What is your usual bedtime? Do you like that, or would you rather it be different?
For the most part, I'm in bed around 11 pm. I usually watch Showbiz Tonight in bed from 10-11 pm. Sometimes I wish I were in bed earlier. Usually it's when my alarm's going off and I'm still tired.

Soup
When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more?
I think lately I've probably received more advice than I've given.

Salad
Describe a memorable meal you've had.
My memory is really bad so I'll explain the most recent memorable meal that I have had. Wednesdsay night, Meagan came over for dinner and we had bacon meatloaf and cheesy potatoes from Super Suppers. It was awesome. I actually cleaned off my table and lit some candles so that we could have an enjoyable meal.

Main Course
Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something.
"I Know This Much Is True" by Wally Lamb really stayed with me. The book is about two twin brothers and one is mentally ill.

Dessert
What is your favorite type of fruit juice?
Orange juice

True/False

I had a blast at True/False. I am, however, worn out. I don't think I could have seen one more movie but I'd love to do it all over again. Below are the movies I saw:

1. War Dance This movie was extremely emotional (I cried) and so well done. It will stay with me for a long time.


2. The Armstrongs If you like The Office, you'll love The Armstrongs. You'll think these people are actors but, no, it's for real.


3. Souvenirs Probably one of my favorite movies from the weekend.


4. The Monastery Touching.


5. Manda Bala (Send a Bullet) About the world of crime in Brazil. CRAZY. Also, the Grand Jury Prize Winner at Sundance.


6. Kurt Cobain About a Son Amazing; I want to see this again.


7. Miss Navajo Sheep butchering is part of this beauty pageant. (Breanne and I had to turn our heads away during this scene.)


8. American Shopper Filmed in Columbia, I laughed the most during this movie. It was awesome to see familiar people and places but even more impressive that it was so well done. Highly recommended. View the trailer.

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Three

Appetizer
What does the color pink make you think of?
Ballerinas

Soup
Name something you thought you had lost, but later found.
I recently thought I'd lost an earring but ended up finding the missing one in my purse. Thankfully, it had fallen out of my ear and into safety.

Salad
In 3 words, describe this past week.
Busy, stressful, exhausting

Main Course
What are you obsessed with?
Movies and shoes

Dessert
What kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear?
Eternity and Clinique Happy to Be

True/False

This weekend I'll be attending the True/False Film Festival. So far I have tickets for 8 movies in a 48 hour period. Wow! I'm exhausted just thinking about it. There are a couple of movies that I wanted to see that sold out before I got my pass so I may try to stand in line for some, too. I am especially looking forward to The Armstrongs.

Move over Rachel Ray

Cristin and I went to Super Suppers last night. I wish I could tell you that we actually made the meals ourselves but when given the choice of putting everything together or picking up some of the meals already frozen and ready to go, we opted for those already prepared. I now have a freezer of meals waiting for me in easy-to-bake containers. Dinner party, anyone?

Two things to smile about today

1. John Mayer in Kansas City on June 19
2. John Mayer in St. Louis on June 20