In Between

I had an interesting waking up experience this morning. My alarm went off at 5:45 and I promptly hit snooze... and then again 10 minutes later. As I was nodding back off, I heard some clunking noises but quickly realized that it was the ice machine. Shortly after that, I heard someone wiggling my front door knob and yelling something I couldn't understand.

...or did I?

I was in that in between state of asleep and awake where you're not quite sure if what you just dreamt was a dream or reality. Well, in my state of in between, I COMPLETELY FROZE. I mean, I have a loaded shotgun under my bed, and I was paralyzed. All I could do was think about the gun and think about jumping up to turn on my bedroom light so whoever was at my door would know someone was home. And then I came to, and I did get up and turn on the light. Then I stood there listening and trying to decide if that was real or not. I didn't grab the gun, but I did walk out of the bedroom to make sure there was, in fact, no one at the door. Clear. Back door was clear too (that's the nice thing about having windows around the front door a big window doors on the back... easy to know whether or not someone is there). That didn't stop me from thinking that someone was going to break in while I was in the shower and realizing for the umpteenth time that I STILL do not know the panic code for our alarm (I really need to bust out the manual and find that) and that I should have brought the shot gun in the bathroom with me. Paranoia, I tell ya... it'll get the best of you! P.S. The ice maker noise was real. :)

On a completely unrelated note, I posted this as my facebook status yesterday.
"Kristin has 4 club seats in the GA section that she'll trade for 4 in the FL section. :)"
My best friend Jenn posted the following reply.
"I have 4 seats in my family room I'll trade for your club seats. They are convenient to both refreshments and the bathroom and include a very cute 6 month old. Let me know if you're interested."
I have the funniest friends. :)

It's definitely not a Nashville party...

So, I was on the elliptical at the gym this morning, and I hear the faint sounds of Miley Cyrus singing Party in the USA. Hmmm, it's not coming from the gym radio, because it's on Dave FM (if you're not from Atlanta, I can ASSURE you that you'd never hear Miley unless they were doing a fundraiser where people pay to hear a song). I look to my left, guy on the elliptical, JAMMING out to Miley. Seriously.

Change of Plans

I almost hesitated when I was offered FOUR FREE TICKETS TO FLORIDA VS. GEORGIA, but of course I took them. Why reluctant, you ask? Well, only because my friends and I had the best costumes planned EVER. Okay, maybe not ever, but I was REALLY excited. We were going as KISS, and I was going to be Gene Simmons. Face paint? Check. Wig? Check. Long tongue? Check. My mom said I should just wear it to the game. haha. So, no Halloween for us this year, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead, we'll be sitting amongst the Georgia fans (ew, yeah, I forgot to mention the tickets are in the UGA section... oh well) cheering on the Gators, decked out in orange and blue!

Confession

I bought a Miley Cyrus shirt from Walmart yesterday. Not one with her picture on it, one with her label. [Don't judge.] What can I say, I'm a sucker for trendy on the cheap, and Max Azria is on the label, too. I love me BCBG and the like. It's this but in blue... can't beat it for $12!

New Car

So, Matt got a promotion at work (YAY!), and with that came a company truck (YAY!), so we sold his truck (YAY!), and we're trading in my POS Explorer Sport (okay, it's really not that bad) for a new car. We've pretty much set our eyes on a Toyota Highlander, a Toyota 4Runner (2010s are out very soon and some dealerships may already have some inventory), or a Volvo XC60 (new this year - their interpretation of a crossover). I know Toyotas are great, reliable cars, and I've heard good things about Volvos but I really don't know too much about them. Any Volvo lovers out there? What can you tell me... the good, bad and ugly? For some reason, I have the impression that they cost more to fix. Any thoughts on any of the vehicles? I realize the Volvo and the 4Runner are quite different cars, but that's where we are at the moment.

2010 Volvo XC60

I feel like this is not what the Highlander really looks like, but this is what is on the Toyota website.

Cancer Sucks

That's the truth. I work with a lot of awesome people, but one of the most awesomest is an analyst I work with named Greg. Greg started with our company right out of college and has grown a lot in the last year and a half. We work together on several deals, so we've gotten to know each other well. He has an absolute heart of gold and would do anything for those around him. Greg became very involved with Young Life when he was in high school and remains very close to his YL leaders today. Unfortunately, his Christian mentor and former YL leader was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic melanoma last year. He's been fighting quite the fight, and to read his and his wife's updates on their Caring Bridge site is to be humbled and inspired. After many rounds of treatment, Sweeney is stuck. The last thing he can try is a clinical trial for TIL therapy. Pricetag = $200,000. Cost covered by insurance = $0 (because it's still in the trial phase). You can read about their journey here. Please pray for Sweeney's healing, as well as the funds to proceed with this hopefully life saving treatment. And, if you feel so inclined, you can learn about donating money for Sweeney's treatment here. Every little bit counts. They've already gotten over $125,000 in a few short days. I think that shows how much this young couple has touched a lot of people. I've never met them, and they have touched me.

Well, I didn't win the lottery...

So, it's back to work this chilly Monday. We've got a few things to finish up in the half bath, but it is SUCH an improvement. I'll post pictures as soon as it's put back together. I am still looking for a white corner shelving/storage piece. The bathroom has a corner that is just a lot of wasted space, so I need something to fill it in. If you have any suggestions of where to get one, let me know (Target shockingly does not have one... should probably look online though). I also need a mirror with a brushed nickel type finish. I have a round one, but Matt doesn't seem to keen on putting in there (he says it looks like a porthole... lol).

And, yeah, can we talk about the heart attack I had watching the Gators on Saturday!?!? Good Lord! I was so amped, I think I burned 500 calories. I couldn't sit still, and I was so antsy that I went into the bathroom to continue painting on each commercial break. Then I ran out of paint before half time, and I really couldn't imagine suffering through the second half without being able to distract myself. So, I decided to go get paint during half time (both a bad and good idea). It took me much longer than expected due to traffic and I didn't make it home until the start of the 4th quarter. At that point, we'd come back, so Matt wouldn't let me watch the game/I couldn't stand to watch it. So, I painted and stuck my head out for replays. HAHA! Seriously, I am pathetic. I did watch the field goal and last ditch effort by Arkansas, though. We still won, so maybe I'm not bad luck. Plus, they fumbled (AGAIN) while I was driving, so it couldn't have been me. ;) So many missed opportunities in that game by both teams, but happy that my Gators are still #1. They're hanging on by a thread though. C'mon boys!

I ♥ Taylor Swift

I'm not sure if it's a girl crush or I want her to be my friend or my little sister or what, but I just adore her. She's the perfect mix of ridiculously adorable and incredibly beautiful and just seems as sweet and down to earth as can be. Oh yeah, and she sings and plays the guitar and writes her own music. What a gal. She was on Oprah this week, and I was as giddy as a 6 year old on Christmas morning. I hope that if/when I have a tween aged daughter, she has someone like Taylor to look up to. Any other Taylor lovers out there?

Random Thoughts for Thursday

• I don't want to work today. I haven't wanted to work in several weeks. My job is not satisfying me right now. Cry me a river.
• I think a spider bit me on my pinky toe Sunday. It itches something fierce. I am going to the doctor in a few minutes to look at it. I can't believe I'm going to the doctor for a itchy pinky toe.
• I was actually in four states in 27 hours last week (NJ, GA, IL, MO). How 'bout them apples?
• I need a few more trips to get Delta Silver Medallion status. I hope I get first class upgrades once I make it there, but seeing as I'm mostly on business flights, I probably won't.
• I went to the gym this morning even though I didn't go to sleep until after midnight last night. Are you proud of me? It's okay if you're not, because I'm proud of myself. :) I am NOT a morning person, but this is my new quest, since I've been working sorta late every day (late enough to talk yourself out of working out).
• I want to strike it rich somehow, so Matt and I can quit our jobs and just travel. And then maybe have babies.
• Lately, I haven't had a whole lot of desire to have kids. I think it's because I can't figure out how I will manage it all. Well, for starters, I will have to work less (fine by me!). And, Matt will actually live with me (gasp!), so maybe that would make things easier. It's hard being the only one home 4-5 days per week and working 10-12 hours per day, trying to make it to the gym, cleaning, shopping, cooking, etc. For many more important reasons, I will be glad when he is home.
• I came home last night and there was a spider by my door (inside). And then there was another one when I walked into my bedroom. And when I was getting ready for bed, there was a huge cockroach crawling on my stack of clothes waiting to get hung up in the closet. I assume it's the cold and rain that is driving them inside, but where the heck to they come from!?
• Top Chef was great last night. I love the Voltaggio Brothers and, of course, my Atlanta boy Kevin Gillespie. I might have to go to Pigs and Pinot in Healdsburg next year... man, I would so love that. So would Matt. Makes me hungry thinking about it.
• I want to go skiing this winter. I've been to Park City and Breck. Any recommendations of somewhere else to try?

Update: Not that y'all probably care, but the doctor was actually mildly concerned about my toe and was glad I came in (meanwhile, I felt like an idiot... "Hi doc, a bug bit my pinky toe... can you take a look?"). I shouldn't still be having a reaction from a bite that occurred on Sunday, and my toe is all swollen and itchy and stuff. So, a very strong antibiotic later (and hopefully no rashes as a potentially very serious side effect), and I should be just fine! He said he's seen a lot of very bad spider bites lately that have actually hospitalized people, so hopefully this clears it up. I'd like to keep my pinky toe! :)

Happy Fall, Y'all!

It doesn't take much for me to get into the fall spirit, but now that the leaves are officially starting to change and I have such a lovely front porch, I figured some decor was in order.




A quick trip to Trader Joe's for some pumpkins and Home Depot for mums, hay and an awesome deal on that fall plant ($10 marked down from $25), and voila!

In other news, the Gators are still #1! Matt got up at 6 on Saturday to start smoking the pork butt, and by the time I roused from my slumber at 10, he'd already done a ton of work around the house. I am a lucky lady! We had a great time watching the game with our friends, but it was gut wrenching. I made my classic salsa and guacamole, cole slaw and some cookies... okay, I didn't so much make them as I decorated them, but I just didn't have time to do them from scratch.

Not my best decorating job, but whatev. Everyone thought they were pretty. :)

So, Matt and I have plans to do some work in the half bath this weekend. We're going to change out the faucet, light fixture, outlets/switches and paint. I casually mentioned that I'd like to re-tile the floor, because I'm not a huge fan of the tile, but I really didn't want to get that involved. Well, I guess Matt only heard the first part, because now we have grand plans of new tile in the bathroom. He says it's practice for the other two bathrooms that need new tile. Considering we haven't even picked out tile, I don't know if we'll really do it this weekend, but it really shouldn't take too long because it is so small. We'll see!

Update: Well, I stand corrected. We are not tiling this weekend (thank goodness) but will attempt it at some point in the future before the major tilework for our bathroom and the upstairs bathroom. :)

Four States in Three Days

Heading to NJ this evening, back tomorrow, Illinois and Missouri on Thursday, back on Friday. Craziness!!!

I spent the weekend in Key West for Dai's bachelorette. It was just like senior year, only funner. I always have a blast with those girls, and let me just say, I may never look at the game Charades in the same way. I laughed so hard, I cried... multiple times... I almost peed myself once. I probably shouldn't advertise that, but it's true.

Big game this weekend - Florida at LSU. I think I'm going to be a nervous wreck. I get way too invested in college football. We're smoking a pork butt and having some people over for the game. Go Gators! This is a big one!

Hope you all have a nice week and weekend... I probably won't be back to blogging until next week. xoxo!