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soup season

Well guys. It's that tights wearing, soup making, hot chocolate drinking, carol singing, fire warming time of the year.

Now I'm a pretty big chowder person. Don't get me wrong, I like my thin soups, but there is just something about a creamy soup that makes me melt. One particular lobster bisque I had in San Diego may have been in the top ten of best things I've ever eaten. However, that creamy deliciousness normally comes with a price to pay...it's not the best thing for you.

Not so fast my friend (thanks, Corso).

I've found a soup that is chowder-esque and healthy. This soup has been a staple for me during the past couple of winters, and I'm actually whipping it up as we speak.

It's Ellie Krieger's Corn and Vegetable Soup and it, my dear friends, is amazing. Check it out here.

It's so easy to make, and I substitute the red peppers with orange just to add another color to the mix. Enjoy!

phlog: sec championship

So I actually wrote some things for this post, but they magically disappeared. Imagine that.

View from our seats...not too shabby.

Sir Charles. Four (okay...maybe five) rows in front of us.

Heisman Finalist Winner
Me trying to get on the big screen for fans of the game, but the broseph's AT&T 
coverage wasn't allowing it. Then again my Verizon wasn't doing too well either. 

Georgia Dome = Black Hole

a few of my not so favorite things...

Okay. Maybe just one...


Now I'm not one to normally judge hair because lets be honest...I'm not known for having my hair perfect all the time or any time for that matter. However, I also don't have my own personal stylist, and I'm not on tv everyday. I mean come on. That is a styled mullet. And as my then 4 year old nephew said one Christmas Eve while hiding under my parents bed..."I just can't take this anymore."

Lady. Fire. Your. Hair. Stylist. PLEASE. KThanksBye.

cyber monday and how it owned me

Cyber Monday has really been catching on the past few years, and this year...it caught me. You like that play on words? Thought so.

I can honestly say that I cannot believe what all I bought Monday. I am basically finished with my Christmas shopping as of Monday aka November aka that has never happened in the history of my life.

So besides the wonderful presents/steals that I bought for the rest of the fam, I bet you are really wondering what I bought for myself. If you are not, you might as well quit reading this post now.



+



+



=


NEW PIANO(-ISH)!!!!


Other purchases:
New running shoes
Seasons 1-3 of Mad Men
Beatles Rockband Bundle

Woot!

archived post: norah jones

What do I have to say about FINALLY getting to see Norah Jones live at my favorite venue ever...a lot. So here it goes.

First of all, it was pretty awesome to know that Norah was just as excited to play at the Ryman as I was to see her play at the Ryman. I mean after all (as she explained) she did play her first song ever at the Ryman with Willie Nelson.

She played quite the variety, and I was pleased with her song selection. Who am I kidding though? I love all of her songs. I was surprised to see her not only play the guitar for a good amount of the songs but completely rock it. I mean you try to play riffs while singing (I just hope that most of the time I can get strumming patterns down while singing). It's harder than hard, and she made it look easy.

For those fans that strictly love her piano playing ways, she did have a small set where it was just her and the piano. She played Cold, Cold Heart, Man of the Hour, and Don't Know Why (classic). Pretty magical.

After I thought the concert could not get any better...it did. Her encore was completely acoustic. Her and the band used a single mic that was used back in the Grand Ole Opry days, AND they played Creepin' In. This is one of my faves of hers, and she had not been playing it in her recent sets so I was more than thrilled. I almost felt like Dolly was about to walk onto the stage and join in.

For those of you who are fans, you HAVE to see her live. For those of you who aren't fans, you STILL HAVE to see her live... and what is wrong with you? She has always had one of my favorite voices. If I could describe it in two words they would be smooth and calming. Those of you who are familiar probably already know this and also probably won't believe this when I tell you...

Her voice is even better live.

Funny sidenote: I called my mom during the show so she could listen to some of her favorites (like I did with Regina). Well she listened to three or four songs, so I called her afterwards to see if she liked it. Turns out my dad was the one listening since my mom was already asleep when I called. Oh Pops.

hey you guuuuuuuys

Well guys...it's been awhile.

Just as I was attracted to the world of facebook during my first semester of sophomore year finals, I have also been drawn back to the world of blogging thanks to a massive amount of studying I've been doing for a certification test that is quickly approaching.

That was quite the sentence.

Over the past six or so months I have had some pretty amazing experiences...in a nutshell...

Best friends are now married.
Travels galore.
Great shows upon great shows upon great shows.

I will say that I did attempt to write blogs over the past months so I'm going to attempt (key word) to edit and post those.

Lets see how this goes, shall we.

love it

fear facing success

I finally got my first taste in a good while of a free weekend this past weekend (I will eventually update you on my life for the past 5 months but for now lets concentrate on the recent past). I decided to try to catch up on some sleep Friday night so I got up at a decent hour Saturday to go for a hike.

I decided on Percy Warner Park since it's only a couple of miles from my house. Woke up. Packed my bag. Hopped in my car and guess who was on the radio? Carole. It happened to be "Tapestry" which is definitely a song you don't hear much on the radio now (and probably didn't back when it was released), but man, is it a pretty song. I instantly knew it was going to be great day.

Turns out there was some kind of track meeting going on at Steeplechase and the parks so there was a bit of traffic, but I managed to find a parking spot near my starting point and headed into wilderness.

Well I got to within about five feet of the trail entrance, was about to take a step, looked down, and what did I see but a decent sized snake right in front of me. Holy shiitake mushrooms.

I jumped. Turned around. Started walking back to my car. Paused. Turned back around. Saw no signs of the snake. And thought to myself a nice little three step sequence:
  1. You are not going to let your fear ruin a good time (positive reinforcement)
  2. What are the odds you see another snake? (statistical reinforcement)
  3. It's more scared of you than you are of it (superiority reinforcement)
So I marched back to the woods, and I'll be honest with you. I wasn't even thinking about snakes when I met my first uphill challenge.


2 hours, some jogging, and a near fall that led me about 20 ft off the trail that but an end to my jogging for awhile...I made it to this.

Totally worth it.

I'm Alive and Well

...and so is Joaquin Phoenix.


Check it out. It's hilarious...and not for children.

Superpowers

This might be the most important question you answer in your entire life.

If you could choose between invisibility or flight as your superpower, which would it be? You'd be the only one with this superpower in the world, but you can't have both.

I know, right? Pretty deep stuff.

While listening to a This American Life podcast ironically titled Superpowers on the way from ATL Georgia to Opelika, I was asked this question. The funny thing is I knew my answer right away. No hesitation. Why? Well, kids, apparently I think about this on a more normal basis than most people.

So what did I choose? Flight. Hands down.

You see. There are many reasons I can think of that reaffirm my choice, but I'll just list a couple.

I love heights. Always have. I love jumping off the Lost Boys rock at Lake Martin. I love rappelling (regular and Australian style). I love every part of a flight. The ascent when things grow smaller and smaller, and you can use the finger trick on huge lakes and entire cities. The cruising altitude when all you see around you are clouds galore, and you feel like if you look hard enough you might just see Mary Poppins' umbrella in the distance. And last but not least...the descent, when the little specks turn into a baseball field or a swimming pool. The part of the flight when you return to reality.

Besides the fact that I love heights, the number one reason I can think of to back up my superpower choice is a recurring dream I have had since I was little.

I want to preface this by saying that there are maybe ten (probably a stretch) dreams that have stuck with me throughout my life. This dream is far less complex than some of the other dreams I can remember, so I'll sum it up for you real quicklike.

It starts out with me jumping on the trampoline in my backyard. I was fortunate enough to have a trampoline from the time I was one through my stint at the parentals house. Two of my close friends who happened to live in my neighborhood also had trampolines so needless to say we spent a good amount of time on our tramps.

(SENTIMENTAL SIDE NOTE: I have a great memory of jumping on the same tramp with my oldest nephew just as my mom had jumped with me sixteen years before on one of our home videos)

So I'm jumping just like normal in the dream, and then out of nowhere I start flapping my arms and I can fly. I can fly from anywhere after that. I just have to jump and start flapping my arms (wings?). This dream is always so bittersweet though when I wake up I realize it was simply a dream.

That, my friends, is why I choose flight.

According to the podcast, you're choice can tell you a lot more about yourself than you would think. Men lean towards flight more while women lean towards invisibility more. Flying means you have nothing to hide while invisibility means you want to hide yourself. Flight is the hero. Invisibility is the villain.

The conclusion according to one interviewee is that we all want to choose flight because it's the heroic and noble choice but deep down we know we want invisibility because that's who we are. It's a battle of who we are versus who we want to be.

Me? I just really wanted to fly. I had no idea it would take a turn for the deep. I guess I'm still a kid at heart.

I did ask two of my nephews at dinner the night I listened to this podcast what they would choose. Ironically enough, they chose invisibility. Apparently, I'm more of kid than they are. What I liked about their reasons for choosing invisibility was that they were actually thinking about which superpower would be better in a fight. They decided that if nobody can see you then how are they ever going to attack you. So it turned out they were still pretty good at being kids, too.

After talking to them, I realized that my answer was actually pretty selfish. I wanted flight simply for me. I wanted to get that feeling back from my dream. I didn't care about anyone else. It seems that even though I chose the heroic and noble superpower it wasn't for a heroic or noble cause. Heck...it wasn't for any cause. It was simply to enjoy MY life more. Weird.

You can listen to the podcast here.

no worries

While your already million item to-do list is doubling in size on this wonderful Monday, I would advise you take a much needed break from your day, and enjoy some encouraging words via Disney songs.



new records

Just enjoying some new (used) records while anxiously awaiting the season 4 opener of Mad Men.

When shopping for records at McKay's, I always go for random...see for yourself.


check this out

Everyone who knows me is very much aware of how much I love Life is good (aka LIG when I'm feeling lazy) products. Well they have a super awesome project that they call Fuel which is just a bunch of inspirational letters that they receive on a daily basis.

"Here at Life is good, we are blown away and humbled by the amazing letters that arrive each day from people who have had powerful experiences that they would like to share with us. Some are funny and light, others are deeply meaningful stories from people facing life's inevitable challenges. This steady supply of inspiration keeps our engines running, and that's why we call it FUEL. We're happy to share these with you and hope that you can send us a note with your own story of optimistic inspiration."

- The Crew at Life is good.

If you have time, check it out. If you don't, you should probably find the time.

another reason why I love Disney

my youngest nephew at disney world...melts. my. heart.


all the nephews at disney world

Definitely the happiest place on earth.

Imagineering here I come...

3rd Annual 4th O' July Trip - Phlog

Phlog = Photo Log = Beth is a genius

Hot Tub



Rafting


Engagement



S'mores (and possibly the worst candid of me ever)


Getting lost(ish)...don't have a picture because we didn't take a phone. Smart. The photo below best represents one of the hills we walked down then back up when we had to turn around.



I should probably quit my day job.

you're totally gonna be clapping in your cube


Happy Monday, y'all!

just call me betty

Betty Crocker that is...


I thought I would take a picture while they still looked good unless anything happened to them in the 24 hours until the pops and I consume them. Or some of them at least.

These cupcakes put the light in delightful. Literally. I used the old diet soda pop and cake mix trick with a lower sugar icing. Did you know that existed?

I love the effect I used for this picture. Circa old school finish. I'm playing around (not nearly as much as I have wanted to) with this new app on my phone. Vignette. The first photo I took was at work on Friday. I think I had already called it a week hence why I was taking pictures of my feet.

more carole and james

another way to enjoy centennial this year

http://www.musicianscornernashville.com/index.html

See you July 10th.

Guys...we can see Sam & Ruby for free without party crashing. Although I think I prefer the party crash method. Much more exciting.

and the week begins...

I heard David Bowie on the way in to work this morning, and it made me think of this...



I miss Extras. Maybe I'll watch both seasons again soon. I need a good round o' British humor.

Also, I totally called into the station to answer the trivia question on the way to work this morning. It was a Harry Potter question so I definitely knew the answer, BUT they told me to call back one more time, and I'm lazy...so I didn't. I don't even remember what I would have won. Probably something incredible.

Lady and Her Uke

I promise when I feel inspired to write again I will catch you up on all of life's happenings (concerts, weddings, training, etc).

But until then, I'll just play my uke.

Cheers!

tomorrow starts the perfect bonnaroo for me

... and I won't be there. Ironically enough, this probably worked out for the better seeing as the medication I am on right now makes me highly sensitive to sun, and there is no drinking allowed. A sober, third degree burn Bonnaroo would have made for a pretty shitty first.

So if you are holed up inside at any point this weekend (including tomorrow), check out the live coverage at NPR and YouTube. Julia Nunes is kicking off the YouTube coverage, and rightly so seeing as how that's the media outlet that really got her music career to where it is today. I will definitely be watching this concerto over lunch seeing as how she is the one person on my list of tops that I have yet to see live. Grrr.

Anyways, enjoy if you want to. Don't if you don't.

one can dream...

Lady and Her Uke

Because she's not singing this on her tour, I thought I would sing it for you.

One Fine Day - Carole King and Gerry Goffin



That's right. I decided it was songwriter week.

tuesday should definitely be the new monday

Why?

IGOTAPROMOTIONTODAY!

I am officially a Sr. Systems Engineer. In other words, I am officially higher up in the nerdom...and I'm totally fine with that.

Jennie, you were there. You just didn't know it.

AND

I'm already halfway to my total blog post count for the month of May. Just call me overachiever.

two days

James Taylor & Carole King Setlist Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, USA 2010

Yes...I've been MIA again, and I have a lot to tell. But for now I just want to say that I am beyond excited to see my most fave artist for the third time. THIRD. I didn't even know if I would ever see her live period...but more than once? Awesomeness.

And my broseph is so great that he is seeing Carole live for the second time. I guess that's what happens when you have a sister that's slightly obsessed.

Throw James in the mix, too. I am beyond ridiculously excited.

stuck

This song makes me cry almost every time I listen to it. So haunting and beautiful. Plus the lyrics have been interpreted in many different ways which is what I love about music.



And yes...I'm a softy.

summertime

Stand by Me Cover



The skip at the beginning was me getting one or more of the following:

1) Text message
2) Work email
3) Gmail email
4) Twitter update
5) Facebook update
6) Application update

And the list goes on. Oh smartphones...you really do too much.

great news

...for me. I have two what-I-know-will-be-amazing shows at the Ryman within the next week.

I'm going to see Norah (first name basis as usual) tomorrow night and the Swell Season next Tuesday. I'll be flying solo for Norah which I have really started to enjoy. I know...weird, huh?

After I took a tour of the Ryman with the broseph, I managed to enlighten my boss and his wife on the historical background of the Ryman. Let me tell you. I think I'm going to enjoy knowing where the bands/artists are hanging out prior to the show. It's almost like I'm part of the crew. I know...weird, huh?

Anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm essited. Since I'm hitting up the Ryman, that means tomorrow and Tuesday will also include the Flying Saucer which I feel like I haven't been to in ages (aka maybe a month).

Yea for the Nashville plans that I love. More to come on the shows. It's only been like 8 years since I've wanted to see Norah live.

Right at the very second I am enjoying the song that Norah contributed to the "Hank Williams Project." You should, too...


number game

0: times I've exercised this week
1: times I watched Once this week (I've watched Once once...get it?)
2: times I've searched for my keys for 15+ minutes this week and subsequently times I've been late for work
3: hours I worked in the office last week
4: times I've tried to blog but have been unsuccessful in the past week
5: games who farted won this season
6: navy showers I've taken this week
7: horse races I saw on Saturday
8: hours wasted on Sunday due to Saturday
9+: times I've played Hanson songs on the uke this week (I kid you not)

Well, that was fun. My life is soooo exciting these days.

picture edition: who wants to run that many?

Compliments of the broseph's phone and the race photographers...

Everyone getting ready to start.
You can see the start line in the distance.


Start line!
The race started around 6:45 instead of 7 because of weather.


Hardcore.



After the race.


What happens when my fam tries to take pictures...

Mom telling Trey to hurry and take the picture
because rain had started to fall.



Trey trying to take a picture of us after my dad
failed multiple times/ways with the iphone cam.




Oh. Oh. And I had a couple of signs that stuck with me.

1) Relax. You're not going to win it anyways. (around mile 6)
2) Your feet hurt because you are kicking so much ass. ( around mile 7)

My fave signs were back to back.

And. I'm. Out.

who wants to run that many?

13.1 miles...who wants to run that many miles? (in little old lady voice)

That's the response my mom got from her friend's mom when discussing my race during a lunch date with my grandmother, my mom's friend and her mother earlier this week.

...Apparently me.

When I started training earlier this year my two goals were to a) run the entire time and b) finish. I had no goal set for time seeing as how any finish would be a PR. Good news though...I did better than I thought.

I ran the whole time. I paced myself. I drank a ton of Cytomax and water. I didn't have to use the bathroom at all. I timed my energy gel just right with a little practice during my 12 mile practice run. AND the storms that were suppose to hit Nash didn't roll in until about 15 minutes after I crossed the finish line.

Was it hilly? Yes. Did I want to quit at times? Only within the first 5k. It took me that long to get in sync. Did I almost cry twice during the race because of the ways I could tell I had changed both mentally and physically? Yes until I realized it affected my breathing so I tried to prevent it when I felt emotions rising. Did I cry at the finish? No...I had no water left in me to produce tears. Haha.

I finished about 4 minutes faster than I had predicted. I managed to dead sprint the last quarter mile because I could see the finish line so I wasn't completely out of gas but I don't know how much longer I could've made it.

I had my parents and brother there for support along with amazing fans that lined the roads. I think I high fived about 20 kids during the race. What a great feeling.

One stretch of the race is strictly residential so folks were outside tailgating with mimosas and bloody marys in hand. They had all this food laid out and I even saw one table with a bunch of tiny mouthwash cups full of beer. One of my coworkers and I were talking about it and he said that he saw one guy take a couple of beers and then a mile later saw that same guy off to the side...not racing for the moment.

So I guess you can say I am officially a distance runner. I enjoyed it enough to do it again so we'll see what the future brings. I will say this. If you think there is no way in heck you can do it, that's just not true. I couldn't even run a mile without walking when I started earlier this year, and now my short runs are 3-5 miles. And the best part is...I enjoy it.

Pictures to follow.

humpday

Song currently stuck in my head...


Your welcome.

taylor swift meets auburn

For those of you who aren't aware of what's going on between two Auburn students and Taylor Swift...check out their website here.

Challenges from Taylor...








And completed...








Will I ever like her music? Probably not. Do I like her? After watching these videos...yep.

crafty

Since I'm not going home for Mother's Day this year and my mom is going to be up this weekend for the race, I thought I'd give her her Mother's Day present this weekend. After shopping galore out at Opry Mills on Saturday, I stopped at Michael's to buy some paint and canvases. As I do at most stores I walk into, I walked in with a set gameplan and walked out with something that wasn't on my list and nothing that was. Go me.

What did I get? A mosaic coaster kit. What? Haha. I thought my mom could use some cute coasters outside during the spring/summer time, and after hours of working on them from glue mishaps to a black grout sink to vegetable oil shining...here they are.

Before the grout...


Finished product...



This was my first time doing a mosaic so I was pretty excited just to get a finished product.

I just can't hide it

Less than 9 days until the half AND less than two months for CK and JT in concerto! Just doing a little bit of research/reading on their shows thus far on tour.

I liked this review just because of the title, but once reading it, I thoroughly enjoyed the content as well...The Earth Waggled Its Hips.

A couple of my faves (beware if you get motion sickness...apparently the lady/lad recording was a bit shaky).



Oh...and guess who else is a fan?


Carola tweeted this pic herself. Oh twitter.

livemocha

One goal I have always had is to be multilingual...bilingual at the least. After many failed attempts to get started, I finally found a site last night that I think I'm going to stick with.

It's called livemocha, and it's completely free to get you started. You can take lessons, submit written and oral assignments, and receive comments from peers who are fluent in whatever language you are learning. I even commented on a few English submissions and earned some teacher points.

The main thing that drew me in to this site was the opportunity to interact with people who spoke the language that I am trying to learn. I feel like the more I dive in and interact, the better off I will be.

I guess when I think Spanish the first thing that comes to mind is how quickly the words roll off of the tongue. I wasn't sure how well my Southern tongue would adapt to this seeing as how I can't even speak English that fast without getting tongue tied. Well last night I completed my first oral submission and one comment I received from one of my Spanish "teachers" was this...


Slower? Well at least I know that won't be an issue. Haha.

my productive weekend

Not many items but three were pretty huge. Normally I crash after my long run but not this weekend. I decided to get things done instead...
  • Started and completed my taxes
  • Hung out at Centennial with a nice book
  • Got my prescriptions refilled (usually not very good at doing this on time)
  • Ran 12 miles
  • Cleaned my entire house (including closets)
  • Recycled
  • Played the uke (to most this would be unproductive but to me it's something that keeps me balanced)
Now if I can make this week at work as productive...that would be awesome.

Happy Monday!

sharing time

Watched the season premiere of In Plain Sight today in between spring cleaning sessions. I really liked the quote at the end and thought I'd share.

We forget sometimes how much the world can hurt. It can hurt people we love. People we don't. People caught in the middle. Even people who'd give anything if they would never, ever, get hurt again, but sometimes the hurt can't be avoided.

It's just coming at us and can't be stopped. It's in us and can't be seen. Or its lying next to us in the dark... waiting, but sometimes it doesn't come at all.

Sometimes we get this other thing that just flutters down out of nowhere that stays just long enough to give us hope. Sometimes, rarely, barely, but just when we need it the most and expect it the least, we get a break.

I'm a firm believer in God never gives us more than we can handle, and I feel like this quote explains that quite nicely.

go ahead and...

...smile! You thought I was going to say jump, didn't you? Be honest.


believe it

I can't believe my first half marathon is less than three weeks away. I also can't believe that I pulled my quad playing in a rec kickball league game last Wednesday. I completely laid off training or physical use of my leg since (minus walking and a few games of ladder golf over the weekend). Good news is my leg has seemed to heal pretty fast (fingers crossed), and I'm going to try out some easy running today.

I also can't believe this...

It's called the double dunk. Woof on my face.

Lady and Her Uke

What could be more uplifting than a John Denver cover?

Please excuse the semi stuffiness.

John Denver - Country Roads Cover



Song I was referencing at the end. I knew that it didn't technically have words, but I didn't even think I was getting the sounds right.


encouragement for the week

Well it's Sunday evening and I have FINALLY recuperated from my long run yesterday. It didn't help that I've been sick the past few days as well. I've been told that I will get use to the longer runs which I do believe because I got super tired after 4 and 5 mile long runs, but those are weekday runs now. ANYhoo.

When I was running on Saturday around lunchtime in the absolutely gawgeous weather, I was very encouraged by people in general. First off right by Belmont there was a nice couple(?) that had set up water coolers for runners. They were on Belmont Blvd which is a main drag of the race. I thought that was going above and beyond and super nice. I actually almost changed my route to swing by there again because I ran out of water with a couple of miles to go. Instead, I just got dehydrated at the end. Testing out my physical and mental strength.

Now I shared this with Amy already, but when I am running I totally pump myself up in my head. I mean how else are you suppose to run for extended periods of time? I'll say stuff like "you got this" or "if you quit now, you're only hurting yourself." I guess you could say I give myself positive and negative encouragement. Call me coach.

Well, I was fortunate enough to receive encouragement from a fellow runner this weekend. Running a similar route to the race itself, I passed a good amount of the same people going the opposite direction. I happened to pass one guy for a second time. He looked up, smiled, and simply said "you got it." I was about 3 miles out from being done. So for the rest of my run, you know exactly what I said to keep me in the run. "You got it." Thank you stranger for helping me out.

This week should be a very trying week at work, and I'll probably need some sort of encouragement to get me through it. I think I already have it in my back pocket though. You. Got. It.

unforgettable

I went to a bachelorette party down at the beach last weekend. It was sunny and beautiful, and I think I'm still tired from the trip thanks to my busy work week/sickliness. We went to Rum Runners one night, and one of the dueling pianists had on this shirt...


Love it. I should probably get it. Yes? No?

is it wednesday yet?

I realized halfway (aka when everything was falling apart) through the day yesterday that it was the Ides of March. Naturally, I randomly said "Beware the Ides of March" ALL day as an alternative to "It is Monday." Aren't you glad you don't see me on Mondays? Or March 15th for that matter?

I think the best was when I explained what the Ides of March was to one of my senior engineers and rounded out the quick info session with something along the lines of me being a Shakespeare guru. Right, right, right.

Today has pretty much been another Monday for me at work. No worries though because tomorrow is one of my most favorite days o' the year, and then I am off to the beach for a long weekend. That instantly cheers me up along with this video...



I found this video a few weeks ago and had completely forgotten about it until this weekend when I showed it to the bro. We instantly laughed...multiple times.

weekend edition

This weekend was a total blast.

The broseph got in town in time to dine in Nashville on Friday, so I took him to one of my favorite spots...The Flying Saucer. We started with just the two us and ended with ten folks with him being the only guy. Fun times. After that we hit up Demonbreum for a little bit of socializing and musical fun.

Saturday we decided to hit up the Shoney's buffet for brunch because lets be honest. If you can eat Shoney's bfast buffet and lunch then you are amazing. After that we headed downtown to tour the Ryman which I had been wanting to do for a while. When our tour guide met up with us, he informed us that the last tour he gave had 21 people in it...ours was just the two of us. VIP. I sat my nice little hiney where many a musician have sat.

We also played the Ryman...


After the Ryman, we tried to tour Yazoo, but since they are moving to a new location soon it was packed. We got there around 4, and the next tour we could take was at 6:30. So we voted no, decided to go back downtown and fight the sea of blue that was Kentucky fans, and spend the rest of the evening there.

Oddly enough, we apparently had the same schedule as former president Lincoln since we saw him in the two bars we went to, and I'm pretty sure I eye flirted with him which I'm not sure if I'm excited about or weirded out about. I tried to take a picture but it's not that good.


Top Hat Close Up - He's basically looking over the bar. Love it.


Notice the Kentucky fans. I'm pretty sure we were the only non-KY fans each place we went. Well, there was this one lady who was part of a (bum, bum, BUM) house divided. She was a TN fan and her husband...you guessed it...KY. She pointed him to the storage room when he was trying to find the bathroom. It was pretty hysterical.

At the end of the night, we found ourselves running (sprint style) up commerce to get to our parking lot before it closed for the night. We are guessing we made it within maybe 30 seconds to spare because when I actually pulled my car down to leave the garage door was closed. No worries though...it automatically opened from the inside.

Sunday was another brunch day (Noshville instead of Shoney's) followed by a 10 mile run around town with three of the gals. Not the best day for running, but we made it happen.

I have a new show

I've been super excited about NBC's new show Parenthood since I first got wind of it late last year, and the fact that it was advertised every other commercial break did not hurt my excitement either. I'm a big fan of Gilmore Girls so I was glad to see a new show coming out with Lauren Graham...plus the rest of the cast is pretty amazing.

I'm two episodes in, and I love it. I've laughed. I've cried. I've laughed while crying. Enough, Beth, enough. The storylines are great. The music is wonderful. Seriously, though Beth. It's an hour long which I love, and it's on demand. It's always the small things for me. Lets just say...I definitely recommend it. I mean the pilot started with the Avett Bros Kick Drum Heart and ended with Dylan's Forever Young (which always gets to me). So on this terrific Thursday...enjoy this one on me.

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

Lady and Her Uke

It's Friday. Broseph is coming to visit this weekend. So this should most def be an uplifting song, right?...WRONG.

Bon Iver - Skinny Love Cover




HAPPY FRIDAY!

kind of excited

Not going to lie...I'm kind of excited about this.

travelin'

I'm getting settled back into Nashville life. I say that like I've been gone for months. My roadtrip was quite the success which started out with a great mardi gras bridal shower for a great friend and ended with a night on the town in dear old AU which showed me just how old I was getting.

My schedule went a little something like this...Bham to Otown to Bham to Otown to Nash. Redundant much?

I attended a sales meeting for the territory I work in at the beginning of the week at Ross Bridge...which was great by the way. While there I managed to bond with some new folks, was approached to enter the sales world with a different team, and earned the nickname 40 dollars. Success.

I headed down to Auburn for some recruiting midweek which I thoroughly enjoyed. Needless to say I got to hang out with friends and family while there. I always feel like I leave the hometown more tired than when I arrived. Totally worth it though.

I got to do a lot a fun things with the fam which always makes me happy. I visited my grandmother after she moved into her new apartment, had friday lunch with the men of the family (my dad and his dad), had dinner (I paid for it which thrilled my mom) and hung out with my mom on a week night, supported the nephews in their derby car races, and got to go shopping with the sis (and sis alone) for a good couple of hours.

I feel like the older you get and the more you experience...the more you realize that no matter what family will always be there, and I have come to appreciate this more and more lately. I was so fortunate to grow up with all four grandparents in the same town and all of my family close by. After meeting other people and hearing their stories, I feel so blessed to have had the relationships I did with my grandparents and other family members. Now that I live farther away and don't get to see the fam as much, I am trying my best to make the most of my time at home which made this past week a total success.

Yea for successes.

check it

I just got back from a 9 day stint on the road. Glad to be home. Glad it is absolutely B-E-A-U-Tiful outside. I will update on my trip in a few but first things first. If you were a fan of SNL (or not) in the mid 90s, you will appreciate this cover...especially since it doesn't sound like the original version.


can't quit watching

my thoughts exactly: winter olympics edition



party crasher

It's official. I crashed a birthday party...and not just any birthday party. A birthday party with great music. I happen to follow the lovely and wonderful Sam & Ruby on twitter, and I saw a tweet yesterday with the words free, dan mcguinness, party, show, and birthday in a completely different order. So I thought...lets check this out. Which is what a few of us did last night.

First up was Brooke Waggoner, who I must say I had never heard of until yesterday and totally dug. That's right...d.u.g. Anyone who plays the piano automatically gets some bonus points from me.



Next up and the reason we crashed, Sam and Ruby. They were as awesome as I remembered from their opener for Jake at the Belcourt. They also announced that they were releasing a new EP on Tuesday...whoopity whoop whoop.

My fave part of the night by far though was us talking about the first night we met Zach (the bday boy). What a crazy night that was. So crazy in fact...we couldn't even remember it. Good backup story, huh?

say what?

The Avett Bros are on Ace of Cakes tonight. Really? One of favorite shows and one of my favorite bands collaborate. That is amazing. You should watch it.

Lady and Her Uke

After karaoke at Lonnie's a couple of weekends ago, this song has been on repeat in my head. Enjoy.

4 Non Blondes - What's Up

best. valentine. ever.

I have a valentine, and he is three. My nephew printed out a valentine all by himself and when my sister asked him who he wanted to send it to he said...Bess. Melt my heart times 20 bazillion.


white people: day 5

Last day of evaluation. I ran seven miles today. Wow. Tired. Woot.

#25 David Sedaris
...he'll be in Nashville the night before my race. Still debating going. I would like to finally put a visual live performance to all of the books/podcasts I've read/listened to.

#24 Wine
...from boxed white to bottled red. Boy how I've matured.

#23 Microbreweries
...I have two within a 2 mile radius of my office.

#22 Having Two Last Names
...wish I did.

#21 Writers Workshops
...do songwriters workshops count?

#20 Being an expert on YOUR culture
...I wouldn't call myself an expert but...

#19 Traveling
...
I've got the wheels to ride and the wheels to run. Some say I got ramblin' in my blood. I prefer to listen to this song a least once while traveling which is often with work and play.



#18 Awareness
...you mean like when I'm running alone at night? eek.

#17 Hating their Parents
...never really went through that phase.

#16 Gifted Children
...my parents were informed I was one, but I just turned out normal. what a let down for my parentals.

#15 Yoga
...I don't laugh while doing it like I use to. I think it's growing on me.

#14 Having Black Friends
...that think you're crazy.

#13 Tea
...green.

#12 Non-Profit Organizations
...don't think I work for one.

#11 Asian Girls
...huh? for white boys only?

#10 Wes Anderson Movies
...royal tenenbaums is probably my fave.

#9 Making you feel bad about not going outside
...I have to admit if I'm in the mood to do it then I really want everyone else to be too. Not good for any friends in my general vicinity.

#8 Barack Obama
...ask my friends.

#7 Diversity
...we having been talking for awhile about adding some diversity to our group of friends but it hasn't really happened yet.

#6 Organic Food
...I mean I buy some here and there. hard to avoid in whole foods.

#5 Farmer’s Markets
...can i say my favorite was the one with the ginormous blow up peach on the way back from the beach?

#4 Assists
...preferably alley-oops.

#3 Film Festivals
...I'd like to go to sundance once.

#2 Religions their parents don’t belong to
...I find all religions interesting but I only believe in one.

#1 Coffee
...nope. I do not care for THE #1 thing that white people like. Does that automatically rule me out as a white person?

Finished with another 80% which brings me to...

110.5 + 5 for my last name
= 115.5/131
= 88.2% white

But does anyone really care?...nope. I love wasting time.

white people: day 4

#50 Irony
...si.

#49 Vintage
...oui.

#48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops
...a whole foods is being built about 10 seconds from my office. I. Can. Not. Wait. Even though there is one about 5 minutes from my office already.

#47 Arts Degrees
...I mean I changed my major 4 times in college, and they were all BS degrees. if I was even the slightest bit talented in "the arts" then heck yes.

#46 The Sunday New York Times
...not really.

#45 Asian Fusion Food
...very much so. I just had pei wei for din din actually.

#44 Public Radio
...when I'm not singing at the top of my lungs...This American Life and All Songs Considered get me through roadtrips.

#43 Plays
...plays, musicals, concerts. Yes, yes, yes. I did try out an opera as well but I laughed through one of the murder scenes. Whoops. I had never heard anyone sing so beautifully while stabbing someone multiple times. Sheer talent.

#42 Sushi
...nope. I tried it once like 6 years ago and didn't like it. I tried it again a few weeks ago...still didn't like it.

#41 Indie Music
...hate it. Just check out my music collection. You don't believe me, do you? Paste's recent cover story is about the death of indie music. Just saying.

#40 Apple Products
...nope. nada. nilch. nay. in no particular order.

#39 Netflix
...I do thoroughly enjoy all of the netflix movies that I watch thanks to my friends.

#38 Arrested Development
...have been told by many that I would love it. I'm working on making a weekend out of watching it. Unfortunately, I've been pretty booked so far in 2010.

#37 Renovations
...performing them or watching people fail miserably at performing them on TV? Both.

#36 Breakfast Places
...i love eggs from my head down to my legs. the delectable egg. denver, co. that's all I'm going to say

#35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report
...I mean I've watched each from time to time.

#34 Architecture
...like it so much it was my original college major.

#33 Marijuana
...what is this?

#32 Vegan/Vegetarianism
...not my cup of tea but have definitely eaten tofu fettucine noodles.

#31 Snowboarding
...YES. And I can't wait for my cousin Shaun to take home the halfpipe gold. yea for the winter olympics...I mean games.

#30 Wrigley Field
...and the Cubby Bear.

#29 80s Night
...my hair and the 80s were meant for each other.

#28 Not having a TV
...the closest I've gotten is not watching TV for a week. Productivity was through the roof.

#27 Marathons
...will soon be officially part of this wonderful group of people.

#26 Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!)
...not my favorite. no offense.


80%

white people: day 3

#75 Threatening to Move to Canada
...I normally pick Australia.

#74 Oscar Parties
...eh.

#73 Gentrification
...seeing as how I bought a place in Brentwood...

#72 Study Abroad
....still not sure why I didn't because I'm jealous of everyone that did.

#71 Being the only white person around
...awkward at first but it grows on me. Being the only girl around? An everyday affair.

#70 Difficult Breakups
...never been through one. I guess that means I was the mean one.

#69 Mos Def
...does liking the saying count?

#68 Michel Gondry
...Eternal Sunshine. I dig it.

#67 Standing Still at Concerts
...I mean sometimes I sway.

#66 Divorce
...fortunately not my parents.

#65 Co-Ed Sports
...I get to add another notch to the belt in a month with kickball.

#64 Recycling
...we must close the loop. unfortunately, I am not really helping.

#63 Expensive Sandwiches
...I wish I wasn't.

#62 Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
...I don't even know what's best for me most of the time.

#61 Bicycles
...my mode of transportation prior to 16 and again freshman year of college until I almost hit a Tiger Transit bus.

#60 Toyota Prius
...are their pedals sticking, too? (Note to reader: I wrote this on Monday and was quite amused when Toyota added the Prius to the recall list on Tuesday).

#59 Natural Medicine
...how about no medicine? Well, I guess Ricola from time to time.

#58 Japan
...don't think I've jumped on this bandwagon yet. Oh wait...I have driven a Toyota, followed by a Toyota, followed by a Mazda, followed by a Honda. I would say Japan plays an important role in my means of transportation.

#57 Juno
...I used to watch it on all my flights since I have it on my zune, and I totally own the slinky shirt. You know the one...


#56 Lawyers
...I thought about being a patent lawyer at one point during my college career.

#55 Apologies
...sorry seems to be the hardest word. That's what Sir Elton thought at least but not me. I'm totally on the unnecessary sorry bandwagon.

#54 Kitchen Gadgets
...have taken all of my money.

#53 Dogs
...this is in my top five at least.

#52 Sarah Silverman
...inappropriately wonderful.

#51 Living by the Water
...who wouldn't love that?


19.5/25