Tomorrow Is Another Day...

Radio Silence

Y'all.  I am wiped out.

Between work, social obligations, trying to keep the house "show ready", and the early stages of true stress about this Germany move, I am seriously lacking the energy to read any blogs, let alone write a post.

Last week, I worked every day during the week, and also had tons of fun outings with pals.  On Wednesday, I went to see Titanic in 3D with one of my besties, and it was EVERYTHING I hoped it would be.  It's actually the first movie I've seen that I really thought benefited from 3D technology.  The movie really is gorgeous, and the glamour of the Belle Epoque is truly enhanced by the multiple dimensions.  Then the awful sinking scenes are so much more dramatic and literally in your face.  The only part I hate about 3D movies is how I'm constantly shoving my glasses up my nose and I get a slight headache.  But I have no doubt that someday soon we will all have computer chips implanted in our heads rendering 3D glasses redundant.

Thursday, I was very excited to meet Erin for the first time!  I discovered her blog and immediately was hooked when I learned about our common love for Ireland.  She moved to Charleston shortly after I started reading her blog, and we've been talking about getting together ever since, so I'm so happy we finally made it happen.  I enjoyed a delicious duck confit fried rice at Two Boroughs Larder in Charleston and really hope I get the chance for a return visit before we move.

Friday, I met a pal at my favorite local Greek restaurant, Papa ZuZu's , and it was nice to catch up and decompress a bit after a long week.  Saturday, I actually had a day of freedom, then Sunday I met Erin again and another friend for a delicious Easter Brunch at Charleston's Cafe and went over to a different friend's house for her family Easter dinner.  It was a fantastically tasty day, and my thighs are still trying to recover!

This week, I'll probably rack up something in the neighborhood of 50 hours of work--maybe something to scoff at for many people, but for this part time gal, I'm already worn out!  Yesterday and Monday I had 4 am wakeups so I could be dressed and over to my client's house by 5:40.  The little girl is mainly sweet, but she is 4 going on 16, and by the end of our 13 hours together yesterday, she was tired and I was about at the end of my rope with her attitude.  We have one more really long day to get through together on Friday, but I know things will be fine up until nap time, then once she gets up I'll have to deal with the grouchies until mom gets home around 9.

Next week should be a little quieter, but I don't have another "day off from life" until I get home from visiting family in Houston on the 27th.  Then I'll have a couple of days to relax before life gets utterly crazy again and the movers show up on May 8th.  Exactly 5 weeks until our first full day living in Germany.  Ack!!

New York City Redux

Let's go back in time to a month called February.  A month filled with family, fun and travel.  A month that just barely existed according to the evidence displayed on this blog.
My mom arrived on February 5th, and spent a little time with us before she and I boarded a teeny tiny airplane and jetted up to the Big Apple to visit my sister.  All three of us stayed at a very nice Hilton in the Fashion District, which was sort of a miracle in of itself in that there was room for both us and our stuff to coexist in relative harmony.  Being that it had been such a mild winter, we had big plans for our touristy adventures, but the day we arrived temperatures plummeted, the wind picked up, and we spent most of our stay trying to dash from one indoor location to another.

Since both my mom and I had been to New York so many times, we spent a lot of time relaxing in our hotel room, coffee shops, and restaurants.  Most of our stay was spent deciding on where we would eat our next meal.  We experienced a hummus restaurant, Lebanese food, Italian, a pretty decent New York pizza (yes, even in NYC it's hard to find good New York pizza), a vegetarian fine dining establishment, and my favorite, brunch at Alice's Teacup.

Being that it was so cold, I kept my hands in my pockets at almost all times, and therefore have a dearth of photos of our trip.  On the more touristy side, we visited the Tenement Museumwhich I would very highly recommend.  They have a number of different tours, both of the inside of an old tenement that has been partially remodeled to represent life at the turn of the century for various immigrant groups, and of the area around the Orchard Street tenement which was essentially immigrant central for many years.  We also made a very quick stop at the Guggenheim--quick because the majority of the museum was closed for renovation.  And we attempted to visit the Freedom Tower, but being that it was a blustery, frigid day after 30 minutes of walking around outside trying to figure out the ticketing system, we bailed.  It was impressive to see how much the site has changed since the last time I visited in 2006 when it was still just a massive hole in the ground.
But hands down, the most incredible experience we had was our last night in the city at the absolutely amazing Off Broadway cult hit, Sleep No More.  The premise of the play is that you are checking into the McKittrick Hotel, a luxury hotel built in the late 1930s, but which closed suddenly and mysteriously before it ever opened, two days before the start of WWII.  The hotel has been reopened, and you are invited in to explore the premises.  In reality, an immersive theater company has purchased some warehouses in Chelsea and converted various floors into the different areas that you explore during your two or three hour "show".  It's very confusing to try to understand without having experienced it yourself, but at no point are you sitting down in an audience watching actors perform on a stage.  Instead, you are given a mask and left alone to explore an old hotel, a graveyard, a sanitorium, and a small town where the actors (identified by the fact that they aren't in masks) run in and out and perform short scenes almost entirely without speaking.  I cannot even put into words how enthralling my hours in the McKittrick Hotel were.  Even after putting together everything that I saw with what my sister saw and what my mother saw, there are still mysteries that we can't solve, and I would give anything to be able to go back.  If you get the chance to see this show, DO IT.  It is creepy and mysterious and wonderful!

Ups and Downs

Down: I'm running on energy fumes after babysitting for six out of the last seven days.  I was substitute nannying for a friend, working for one of my regular families, and picked up some hours for a sitting service resulting in 40 hours of work--full time for one week!  The amount of time wasn't so bad, but the hours were pretty brutal.  I had to wake up at 4 am for three of those days, and 5 am on another leaving me pretty much wiped out all week.
Up: I made some good money, and really did have fun with the little ones.  At the sitting service job, I worked in the baby room and spent hours and hours just cuddling and cooing over teensy tiny little humans.  Oh, how I want one!!

Down: We've been spending so much money lately, I'm starting to feel like our savings account is hemorrhaging.  Between our fertility meds, the IVF cycle, a new mattress and finally replacing my 4 1/2 year old Macbook that had been on its last leg for about a year, our credit card can't catch a break.
Up: We are insanely lucky that my parents were kind enough to offer us a loan for our fertility treatments so we were able to pay off our credit cards and avoid going through a creditor that would charge us outrageous interest on a loan.  Plus it's amazing to have a working computer (oh my goodness, I can't believe how lightning fast and spectacular a Macbook Pro is!), our Tempurpedic is making sleeping my favorite new hobby, and hopefully some of those thousands will help bring about a precious bundle of joy in about 8 months!

Down: We never heard anything back on the original offer on the house, so we're assuming the financing just didn't work out for the buyer.
Up: We have another showing today, and my house is under specific orders to sparkle and shine in an effort to seduce the prospective buyers.  The original offer was a totally crap lowball anyway, so hopefully everything will work out for the best.

Down: Colby left on Sunday for six weeks of training in a simulator for the aircraft that he'll be flying in Germany.  I already miss him dreadfully and it was even harder saying goodbye this time than it was for the deployment.  It's been a very emotionally and physically draining couple of months, and I was really relying on him to help get me through the days.  I'm not looking forward to the weeks ahead on my own.
Up: We'll earn a nice chunk of cash in per diem which will really help us toward fattening up that savings account again.  And fortunately, this go round he'll still be in the States which means good cell phone reception and a strong internet signal for Skyping.  And, with his next assignment being a non-deployment gig, it will hopefully be our last long separation for a long time. 

What about you?  Hopefully your ups have been outweighing your downs lately!

Family Fun, Track Marks and A Giveaway Winner!

Well, hello, blogland!  I've been trapped in a swirling vortex of travel, vacation, and drugs, but I return to you now on my first day alone since February 5th.  OH LORD DO I NEED SOME ALONE TIME.

I had a fantastic time in New York City with my mom and sister.  I was already completely exhausted before arrival, and as always, the city managed to wear me down to a tiny nub of myself before I made my escape back to the suburbs of the South.  I'll do a more detailed NYC post later, with a focus on the incredible theater experience I had.

I was thrilled to have my mom return home to Charleston and stay with me for a few days, then Colby's grandma arrived, followed by his parents.  So, for a few lovely days, we had a completely full house and finally managed to have all of our bedrooms filled at once.  We squeezed in some time for touristy things, but a big focus for the week was getting all of the big projects done so that the house will be ready for MLS photos and hitting the market this weekend.  Colby and his dad made some fantastic improvements, and all we have left is swiping some stain on the front steps, planting some flowers to up the curb appeal, and of course, my favorite part--cleaning the entire house.  Ugh.

And perhaps most excitingly, I started my Lupron injections on the 7th and after a stellar baseline ultrasound and estrogen check on the 20th, added two other drugs (low dose HCG and Follistim to stimulate the follicles to produce awesome eggs) to my rotation.  I inject the Lupron and HCG in the same syringe, so that's part of my morning routine, right between brushing my teeth and drinking my tea.  The Follistim is in this crazy pen contraption, and I inject that every afternoon as a prelude to happy hour.  

The Lupron injections weren't bad, but now that I'm adding in more stabs per day and injecting a larger amount of liquid, everything is starting to get a little more painful and a little bruisier.  I've been doing the injections on my thighs thinking that the skin is a little tougher and maybe less sensitive, but I'm starting to run out of spots without little pinhole bruises, so I may have to transfer to my abdomen or upper arms at some point.  Fortunately, my mom and Colby have made wonderful nurses, and so far no tears on my part, so things are okay.

FINALLY, drumroll please!  The winner of the Alice Bliss giveaway is Molly from A Foreign Land!!!!!  I'm so excited for you, Molly, and thanks for being patient with me.  I had big plans for getting back to blogging after my NYC trip and that obviously didn't really work out.  I'll email you about the shipping details.  And thank you so much to everyone else that entered!  I learned from this giveaway that jewelry is a much hotter commodity than books, but I hope you'll check out this book even if you didn't win.  It really is a great story!

My Heart Is Going Pitter Patter

Oh, what a spectacular two weeks it has been.  My world has been completely turned upside down, but so far in only the best ways.

I would be lying my butt off if I said I wasn't the least bit nervous or anxious about moving to Germany, but so far any negative feelings have been completely trumped by my excitement.  I can hear the happiness in Colby's voice when he talks about it too, and it's so good for us to finally have something amazing to look forward to and help pull us out of the slump that we've fallen into this year.  I've already been hitting the German phrase books and (probably annoyingly) been dropping random German words and phrases into conversation.  I've been pestering friends with multitudes of questions and have justified the purchase of a few new items based on the fact that I will TOTALLY need new winter clothes for Germany!

On top of that, we found out that Colby will be coming home soon.  I can't say exactly when, but when I tell you soon, I mean SOON.  As in I just placed a call to our IVF coordinator so that we can start figuring out when we'll fit in our procedure between January and March!  SOON!!

I've been wandering through the house all morning thinking about how we'll stage it to sell, what items will come with us and what will go into storage, and all of the organizational projects I have in front of me to make this move as painless as possible.

And then, even in the midst of all the craziness, I made myself relax and enjoy a lovely Christmas at home with my family.  In past years it has become an all too rare incident for all of us to be sitting around the tree on Christmas morning, so I try not to take any of it for granted, and as fantastic as all of my gifts were, I spent most of my effort on imprinting memories into my brain and enjoying our time together.

Of course, I'm also another year older since the last time we met here in blogland.  On December 20th, my life calendar rolled over from 28 to 29 and I am now staring boldly down the barrel of 30.  And you know?  I'm not the least bit worried about it.

2011 has been a rocky year, at best.  There have been countless good moments for which I am truly grateful, but overall, I'm not sorry to be saying goodbye to this year.  2012 will bring with it so many adventures and dreams come true, that I can't help but look forward to it with hope and great expectations.  A new country, a new home, new friends, a new decade of life.  Bring it on 2012.  I'm ready for you!

Poor Unfortunate Soul

It has been way too long since I blogged.  I've kept myself quite busy since my last post, and kept thinking, "I really must blog this," but now that I'm sitting down to write, I'm having trouble remembering all of the terribly interesting activities I've been getting up to.

Well, for one, I had my hysteroscopy last week, and the doctor removed a polyp from my uterus.  I'm proud to say that I have been polyp-free for four days now.  It was actually surprisingly painless, though I'm a little concerned that I may be a drug addict now.  My anesthesia was absolutely dreamy--literally, I had a wonderful dream having to do with a large Christmas tree and angels--and for 20 minutes I enjoyed the best sleep of my entire life.  I actually managed to wake up from anesthesia feeling remarkably rested.  Well, after it took 2 nurses to transport me from the procedure room to recovery.  For a minute there I felt more like I'd just downed three cosmos and a panty dropper than like I was recovering from minor surgery.
As a side-note, ever since I discovered that I may be rife with uterine polyps, I've been imagining that inside of me is a tiny reproduction of Ursula's garden of unfortunates in The Little Mermaid.  I imagined mine as a sort of greying, mustachioed little man--an unholy combination of a polyp and the Lorax.  I kind of miss him now that he's gone.

My parents were in town for the week, to ensure that I did not have any sort of anesthesia related emergencies, not the least of which included perusing the underbelly of Craigslist for enterprising doctors who may be convinced to ply me with a steady drip of propofol on a nightly basis.  They kept mentioning Michael Jackson.  I got the message loud and clear.

When we weren't spending quality family time at the fertility clinic, we managed to have a little fun out on the town.  They treated me to a mouth-wateringly delicious anniversary dinner at Hall's Chophouse in downtown Charleston, my mom and I spent a day knocking out our Christmas lists, and we even squeezed in a matinee of The Muppets.  I still tear up when I think about The Rainbow Connection number, though that may have still been the remnants of drugs giving me such a warm, glowy feeling.

They headed home on Friday, and I spent the weekend recovering from all of my non-hermit behavior with a full DVR and a new book.  I even managed to squeeze in a little money-making, babysitting for a new family with three adorable kids.

All in all, it's been a good few weeks, and my mood has been, for the most part, pretty elevated.  I feel like I've finally gotten into my deployment groove, and have somewhat acclimated to my routine of single spousehood.  Obviously, I really wish that Colby could be here for all of the holidays and, well, everything, but I'm in a pretty good place, and it seems like time is going by a little more quickly now than it did a few weeks ago.  I've still got plenty to keep me busy with my favorite hobby of uselessly stressing and fretting, but at least now when I cry I generally have a pretty good reason!

Thanksgiving in Review

Such a good week I've had!  Things have been busy, busy, busy and I feel like I could nap until the end of time.  My parents got in on Monday evening, and Tuesday I did a little babysitting then came home in time for Thanksgiving grocery shopping then happy hour and dinner.  Wednesday we kicked off the Thanksgiving cooking and baking extravaganza, then went out to dinner and saw the Charleston Jazz Orchestra's Holiday Swing, one of my newest and most favorite Christmas traditions.

We got a ton of prep done on Wednesday, so on Thanksgiving morning we had a little time to relax before we got back to the kitchen.  I was hosting at my house, and my friends brought some sides, but we were in charge of the turkey, desserts, appetizers, drinks, and when one of my friends got sick and couldn't make it, we also inherited the stuffing.  We were frying the turkey, so we made a rub and injection and put my dad in charge of turkey operations.  Dessert consisted of these absolutely incredible S'mores Cookie Bars (thanks, Pinterest!) and Martha Stewart's Triple Chocolate Pumpkin pie.
Our fried turkey turned out absolutely SUBLIME.  It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and SO flavorful.  We had a very minor mishap when dunking the bird into the bubbling oil--because there was still so much of the injection retained, there was a bit of a liquid/oil overflow leaving my driveway with forever memories of a wonderful holiday.  We also had a lot of fun seeing Thanksgiving through new eyes as one of my friends who joined us is from Australia, so needed the full history lesson to fully understand why Americans gorge themselves on turkey and pumpkin pie annually.

With Thanksgiving behind us, I enjoyed a wonderful weekend with my parents, relaxing and recovering from the holiday prep, watching LSU beat Arkansas in the Battle for the Boot, fitting in a bit of tourism with a visit to the Hunley, and taking care of the turkey leftovers by making a delicious turkey, sausage, gumbo!  It made a vat big enough to feed an army, so we ate what we could, put some in the refrigerator, then froze about a third of it for when Colby comes home.

Now they're off in Disney World and I'm back to real life for a week, working, running errands that fell by the wayside, and resting up for their return on Friday evening!  They'll be here for the week so that they can bring me to my hysteroscopy on the 7th and then monitor me for the next day to make sure I don't have any nasty reactions to the anesthesia.

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving (if you reside in the States, that is!).  Anyone else host at their house?  Did you go home for the holiday?  Can't wait to catch up on all of your holiday adventures :)  And now, ONTO CHRISTMAS!!!

Ups and Downs: The I'm Still Here Edition!

Down: Clearly I abandoned NaBloPoMo.  I was all excited to participate, because when I did it a few years ago, I found lots of fun blogs and got some extra readers round these parts.  Sadly, this time it just feels incredibly impersonal, and I've had all of ONE hit from the extensive list of over 2000 participants.  I've also been feeling like blogging has been a "job" and I always promised myself that I'd never allow that to happen.  Blogging should be footloose and fancy free.  Unless someone starts paying me.  Anyone?  Bueller?
Up: That doesn't mean I've given up blogging altogether, just that I shan't be clogging up your Reader/Facebook/Twitter feed every bloody day.  I think we can all toast to that!

Down: Colby and I have had really rotten luck with the phones since he deployed.  He's been gone for just over three weeks now, and we've only managed to have one successful phone conversation.
Up: At least we got one phone call!  I try to remember how lucky we are to have all of the methods of communication that we do have available to us, and how much harder it would have been in the days of only being able to write a letter to the last known address and hoping it got there.  We got to talk for about 30 minutes on Wednesday, and it was glorious!  Here's hoping the internet continues to cooperate and we can do that again before another 3 weeks goes by.

Down: I've been so busy, I've really been letting the house go instead of sticking to my daily housekeeping chores.  I had some time to get things together today, but I've got a ways to go before my parents get in town on Monday.
Up: I've been so busy!  And my parents will be here in three days!  It really is amazing how much faster the time goes by when I'm not sitting around feeling sorry for myself.  Instead, I've been babysitting almost every day, spending time with friends, squeezing in lots of runs, and working on my Thanksgiving and Christmas to-do lists--I even made room in the budget (because I bought the tickets a month ago before there WAS a budget) to go see the national tour of In The Heights.  It made me wish I was a super sexy Latina!

Only Up!: Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm SO excited to be hosting the big dinner at my house next week!  My parents will be in town and a few of my "single spouse" friends will be coming over with their kids to help us celebrate and feast!  I'll be talking more about my Turkey Day plans next week, but for now I need to hit the road for a seven mile run (hold me) and gear up for a working weekend.  Hasta luego mis amigos!

Eleventh Hour Eleventh Day Eleventh Month

I cannot remember a single moment in time when I haven't had identified with the military.  I have no idea how old I was when I got my first actual id card--twelve maybe?--but even before that day, I knew that I was a part of the military.  My father had spent 20 years in the Air Force, and even as a child, I was pretty proud of that.  Once he retired, and we had moved to Louisiana, not many of my friends had parents who had served in the military, so I always felt that it was a pretty unique defining characteristic.

Then, in high school, I decided to take a couple of years of JROTC so that I wouldn't have to take a phys ed course, and four years later, I was accepting an Air Force ROTC scholarship and signing a contract to commission upon graduation.  I traded in my dependent id for a reserve id.  Another four years down the road, I was once more signing on the dotted line as I accepted my commission as a 2nd Lieutenant and began active duty as a personnel officer at Little Rock AFB.

While I was proud to serve my country, being on active duty never felt like the right fit for me, so when I got the opportunity to separate and join the inactive ready reserves, I once again traded for a reserve id.  Not too long after that, I came full circle when I was issued the dependent id card that came with marrying into the military.

I'm incredibly proud of my family's military tradition.  Three of my four grandparents moved to America from other countries, in search of the American dream.  But in that short time since we were established in the United States, each generation of my family has served in the military.  My grandfather as a part of the Army Air Corps in WWII.  My father in Vietnam.  Me in Operation Push Papers.  And now my husband in Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.

I'm celebrating Veteran's Day by giving thanks for all of the men and women who get up every morning and protect our country.  And I'm also giving thanks for the life that the military has afforded me.  It is far from perfect, and at times it can be downright miserable.  But it has given me a sense of pride and honor.  It has given me the opportunity to travel and to call so many places home.  It has brought so many wonderful people into my life.

And I'm shipping this off to my veteran who is far from home on this day that honors him.  I'd rather have him here, but if we have to be apart, I'm so proud that this is the work he's doing.  Thank you, Colby.  Thank you, daddy.  And thank you to anyone else who serves or has served.  America is a better place for having you.

Thankful Thursday

I'm dusting off the old Thankful Thursday posts and reusing the idea this November.  Last year I said:

Then, it struck me.  I am the only one who can choose my attitude.  I can choose to sit back and let my annoyance overtake me, complain about my problems, have a miserable week, and rely on someone else to bring me happiness.  Or I can dust myself off, acknowledge my sadness, and also acknowledge how much GOOD there is in my life every single day, enjoying each day for what it brings me rather than being angry because of what it does not.

 I needed that reminder more than ever this week, and in my very first Thankful Thursday of the year, I want to give thanks for the people who made my life possible.  My parents.

I am so lucky to have such supportive parents.  I have never, ever in my life had to wonder if they would be there for me when I needed them, and even better, they've always been there even when I didn't realize just how much I needed them.

There are so many examples of this, but just this month, they'll be coming to my house for the week of Thanksgiving, and then, because timing didn't work out for my procedure to be done while they are here, they're coming back one week later, so that I won't have to be alone at my house following my anesthesia.  Then, to help me save money and make it possible to visit my best friend and my sister in January and February, they're letting me leave my dogs at their house while I'm home for Christmas, and then my parents are coming BACK to Charleston in February so that my mom can come up to visit my sister in NYC with me while my dad grandpuppysits.

I didn't even have to ask for that--they just offered.

We don't always see eye to eye, and we are different in so many ways, but when it comes right down to it, they are two of the most supportive people in my life, and they have always been my rock.  And for that, I am more grateful than words can say!

So Glad You Were Born!

October is a big month for my mom.  Not only is today her birthday, but this is also the month that we celebrate her victory over breast cancer six years ago.

Over the past couple of years, I feel like my relationship with my mom has gotten much richer and deeper.  It's not that we ever didn't get along (well, aside from a few moments when I was between the ages of twelve to eighteen), but I think the older I get, the more I relate to her as a person and a friend and not just as a daughter.  We've been so fortunate that we've been able to spend time together on multiple vacations over the past year, and we've had so much fun exploring the world.  From our time in Europe last winter to her visit to Charleston this spring to our family vacation in Disney World in the summer, I've treasured every minute that we can spend in the same place.

It is a terrible feeling to have a parent seem to be slipping away, whether emotionally or physically.  When mama was sick, there were absolutely times where I thought we were going to lose her--and I think my sister and I were actually sheltered from the worst of it.  Even once the cancer was gone, she was still so weak and had to recover from neurological and physical damage that left her an echo of her former self for quite some time.  That year of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and their repercussions changed us all.  

Breast cancer has gained a reputation of being something of a cupcake cancer.  It is fantastic that so many women catch it early--as was the case with my mom--and that it is very treatable, so subsequently, the survival rate is much higher than many other cancers.  But the heartbreaking fact is that many women, and men, do not survive and their diagnosis is a death sentence.  I always remember that, and never, ever take for granted the fact that we still have our Annie with us.

Each day I see things in myself that remind me of her.  I say things that, in turn, make me smile because it was such a "Mom" thing to say.  She taught me to laugh at myself and find the humor in any situation.  She taught me the importance of being thoughtful and considerate.  She taught me to always, always be exactly who I am instead of who other people want me to be.  She taught me to finish my dinner before I eat dessert--but to always eat dessert!  Those little pieces of her will always be with me.

I look forward to spending many more years with her in my life, and hope to someday soon learn from her in a new way as I embark on my own journey of motherhood.  I got incredibly lucky in this life when they were doling out parents.  I can say with certainty that without the guidance, wisdom, support and love of my mom and dad, I wouldn't be who I am today. 

Happy Birthday, Momsie!  I hope you have some sort of pink beverage in celebration!  I love you!

(PS Ladies, please don't forget to squish your boobies once a month--it only takes a minute to potentially save your life.  Worth it!)

Past, Present, Future

I've been spending an awful lot more time lately traveling and recapping trips than keeping the old blawg up to date on my day to day life.  Posts have been a bit sparse because we've had a pretty busy time of it.  October is a huge transition month for us, with lots of good things leading up to the huuuuuge bummer that is Colby's next 120-day deployment.  We've been dreading it for ages--probably ever since we found out that it would be less than a year from his last return that he would leave again--so in a way, I think we're ready to just get it started so it will be over soon.
Last week, my fabulous friend, Jessica, and her recently aquired husband visited Charleston for a few days.  I crashed their romantic vacation a few times, making awkward Sister Wife jokes, and the highlight was certainly our dinner at the much buzzed about restaurant, Husk.  From being Bon Appetit's recently named #1 new restaurant in America, to Sam Sifton, the New York Times restaurant critic (and soon to be National Editor), calling it the best place to eat outside of New York City, Husk is possibly one of the most talked about restaurants in the country, and certainly in the South.  

From the website: At Husk there are some rules about what can go on the plate. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door,” says Brock, who has even stricken olive oil from the kitchen. As he explains, the resulting cuisine “is not about rediscovering Southern cooking, but exploring the reality of Southern food.”

And it was absolutely delicious.  I could have eaten an entire vat of the bacon and cheese grits, and my seared duck breast seemed to melt in my mouth.  Everyone else was thrilled with their meals as well, and given that the menu changes every day based on what is in season and locally available, I'm looking forward to seeing what the options will be at a different time of the year.  

Jessica and I also did some damage on the shops on King Street, and tried out the seafood at Coast restaurant.  Verdict: Decent food, TERRIBLE service.  It was so much fun to relive our memories of meeting in Ireland when we were just wee little college students, and it was great to get to know her husband better.

Once they left town, the weather shifted drastically, and Fall was upon us.  I've been enjoying my boots and new sweaters and plan to enjoy these cool temperatures for as long as they last.  I spent Saturday night drinking wine around a firepit with friends, and it was the perfect way to welcome in the new season.

Today, we're bracing ourselves for our first visit with a reproductive endocrinologist at a local fertility center.  I've been researching the doctors and the clinic success rates online, and I'm feeling incredibly hopeful about what we'll discuss today.  More on that later.

As for the rest of the month, we're heading to an LSU game in Tennessee on the 15th, then driving down to Louisiana to spend some time with Colby's family.  I'm looking forward to seeing the Tigers continue their incredible winning streak in Knoxville, and having someone to split the drive home with me!  But we'll leave it at that, because after we get back home comes the depressing part of the month, and right now I just want to focus on the good.

Super Extraterrestrial Sisters

This is my little sister, Brittany.  She's also my best friend--turns out my parents were right about that even back when we were young and swearing we'd never talk to each other AGAIN FOR REAL THIS TIME on a weekly basis.  She recently started a blog about her journey toward a healthier, more balanced lifestyle over at There and Back Again.

When I was approximately 5-years-old my sister told me I was a boy from Jupiter.

That may, in fact, be one of the defining moments of my life.

I in no way, shape, or form think that I am a boy. Nor do I think I'm from Jupiter. But... it's the fact that I trusted her SO MUCH that she had me totally convinced that I was a boy. And from Jupiter. I mean... wow. 5 year olds aren't dumb. I have encountered many of them, and I am always shocked at how much they are like adults. Except tiny.

I remember running to my mother and sobbing. We had a rule in my house. No tattle telling unless there was blood. But, from what I can remember, this was outside of the rulebook. I HAD to make sure I was not a boy from Jupiter. Of course, my mother reassured me that she remembered my exit from her womb and that nothing Mulder or Scully would have been interested in happened during her pregnancy or my birth.

She and I have always had a struggle of the wills (my sister... not my mother). Be it my fake crying her into playing Barbies with me, or beating her into submission with a baton. Or maybe sitting on her until she allowed me to play what I wanted to play on the computer. Or her... well... Her methods were always much more elusive and psychological. Winding me up into a hyper-active state so that I got into trouble for being too loud. Or scaring me so much that I screamed terrifying blood curdling screams and got in trouble... well... you can imagine that we were a fair match for one another.

And yet... the older we get... the more I realize that I couldn't have asked for a better human to grow up with. We were perfect rivals, yet we were also a perfect match. I was the outgoing, friendly loud one, and she was the intelligent, quiet, thoughtful one. But... I often wonder. If I didn't have her to drive me in my life, what would I be like? See, when she told me I was a boy from Jupiter, I believed her. No doubt. Pure belief. And to this day, when I don't know what to do with myself, I don't call my mom (although I love her very much and totally trust her), I call my sister. Opposites attract. She drives me. And I can only hope that I drive her.

Case in point: I was never a runner. Well, I retract that. As I child, I ran EVERYWHERE. I never walked. But the older I got, that faded. And by the time I reached adulthood, running was the worst possible thing I could imagine doing. Now I can run 4 miles and am training for more.  I'm not bragging on myself (ok, maybe a little), but without my sister, I would never have run a lick. Seriously... running for 3 minutes was pure torture when I first started "training". She was the one who ran a 10K this year... and we may potentially run a half marathon together in February... something that I would have NEVER considered a year ago. Heck, 5 months ago. Without her... I wouldn't have realized that potential in myself.

My grades in school were only as good as they were because I wanted to prove that I was just as smart as my super smart sister who didn't HAVE to prove that she was smart. I've always had to prove that I was just as good as she was. Because, y'all, my sister is awesome.

This year we went to Disney World as a family... and I had this sudden realization. We aren't kids any more. I'm 26. She's 28. We are adults (I have no idea why it took me until the age of 26 to realize this). And on this family vacation... we didn't fight... not at all. And I started to wonder if maybe she had been replaced with my real sister from Jupiter.

I don't know... maybe every little sister feels that way about her big sister... but... I really feel like we have something special. I have never been so traumatized, loved, or tortured by such a person as my sister Angela.

Also... without her... I may never have appreciated the X-Files. All the seasons are available on Netflix. And y'all... Tooms is just as scary as I remember him being when I was 8 years old.

Elusive Sleep

Last night I was in bed before 10 o'clock.  I read a chapter of my book just to help wind down, but I was abnormally exhausted and I'd been fighting off a bad headache since the afternoon, so I was really looking forward to sleeping.  At about 10 after 10, I turned off the light, rolled over and closed my eyes, prepared to drift off into dreamland.

I proceeded to toss and turn for the next two hours, and then woke up five or six times during the night before my alarm went off at 8 o'clock.  I wish that this wasn't the norm, but unfortunately, this is just how sleeping is and always has been for me.  It's part of the reason I typically wait until around midnight to finally begin the falling asleep process, hoping that I'll be so tired that maybe I'll drift off quickly and naturally.  I used to take my precious 3 mg melatonin about 30 minutes before going to bed, but I've read some research that has shown it can be detrimental to conception, so I no longer have even that crutch.  It's just me, the bed, and the stupid clock.

To add insult to injury, I happen to be married to a man who could easily compete in falling asleep races.  His head touches the pillow and he is instantaneously unconscious.  If he happens to stay awake for five or ten minutes, he flops around like a dying fish, cursing the heavens for the tragedy of beng unable to asleep.  So, on the few nights that he is home, sleeping beside me, not only do I have the frustration of insomnia, but I'm also fuming over the snoring emanating from the other side of the bed.

I have a theory that the kind of sleeper we are as a baby is indicative of the kind of sleeper we will be our whole lives.  When I was an infant, evidently the one drawback to my perfect baby self was my complete lack of interest in sleeping.  This continued into my childhood, when I would sneak under my comforter with a flashlight and some books, or play with my stuffed animals, or sit by the door of my bedroom, listening to whatever it was my parents were watching on tv.  I couldn't fall asleep easily, even then.  I remember, laying in bed, counting the cycles of the ceiling fan, attempting to hypnotize myself into sleep.

On the other hand, a part of the lore pertaining to my little sister's perfection is that she was an amazing sleeper.  To this day, it's shocking to me how quickly she falls asleep and how hard she sleeps.  When we travel together or are home together, we usually sleep in the same bed or bedroom, and I'm constantly waking up to her cellphone buzzing or her alarm going off while she sleeps tranquilly through the cacophony of noise.  

So, mothers, take heart, maybe your anti-sleeping baby isn't an asshole, maybe they're just an insomniac in the making!  I recommend a little bit of melatonin crumbled up into their pre-bedtime meal.  Nothing about that could possibly go wrong.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Mischief Managed

As incredible as our time in Disney World was, the true highlight of our trip was our visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on the Universal Studios property.  Our expectations for the park were so high, and there was a pretty sizeable chance of disappointment with reality.  Happily, Hogwarts and Hogsmeade were just as fantastically amazing and magical as we had hoped--and more!

There were a lot of people there, but we still found ourselves waiting in very reasonable lines.  The highlight of the Wizarding World is absolutely The Forbidden Journey in Hogwarts.  The other rides are a childrens rollercoaster, Flight of the Hippogriff, and a fantastic rollercoaster for the thrillseekers, Dueling Dragons.
 
I wish I could find the words to fully explain and do justice to The Forbidden Journey.  It is, without a doubt, the most amazing ride I have ever ridden.  You sit in a seat that is a bit similar to the people movers in the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World--so you are fully enclosed with a bar across your lap.  You sit four across, but there are small partitions between each seat, so you can't really see the person next to you.  The idea of the ride is that you are flying around with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and you experience all of the highlights of each book along with them--basilisks, spiders, dementors, a Quidditch game, dragons and more.  There is a combination of IMAX screens and actual set pieces that you "fly" through going backwards, forwards, side-to-side, and the best explanation I can give you is to tell you that yes, you truly do feel as though you are IN the movie.  It's incredible.  And I can't believe we only rode it once.  So much dumb.

The one thing I'd like to see improved is the food options.  We ate at The Three Broomsticks, which is right next door and connected to the Hogshead, and the food was decent, but it's really your only option and the meals are certainly on the level of tv dinners.  The frozen butterbeer on the other hand was delicious!  It's a sort of butterscotch-sasparillaish flavor and I think they put condensed milk on the top to give it a sweet creaminess.  Oh, it was so good.  Pumpkin juice tasted a lot like mulled cider, so if you're into that you'd probably like it--I wasn't a big fan.

All in all, Wizarding World was everything I wanted it to be and more.  We talked to a local while we were there who said that there were plans to expand the area further, and I would love to see what else they could come up with.  We didn't get to spend much time in the shops, and the line just for Ollivanders wand shop looked to be over an hour long.  Of course, I had to buy a wand, but I got mine at the Owl Post where there were fewer crowds.  You can choose from the wands of all the major characters, and I decided on Hermione's after much deliberation between hers, Harry's and Dumbledore's (you can see it in the picture on top with the conductor).  I would love to see another restaurant added--I'm thinking a sit down restaurant themed after the Hogwarts dining hall--and we all agreed that a ride through the Gringott's bank would be a no brainer for the expansion.  

We spent time at Universal as well, but honestly, we weren't that thrilled with the offerings and wished we had just spent more time at Wizarding World.  So that's it, my long winded recap of our time at Disney has reached its end!  It was such a great trip with my family, and I'm already counting down until we make our triumphant return in 2013!

Disney: Shaken Not Stirred

Fortunately, after day one, our drama quota for the vacation was filled and everything went just swimmingly.  We were amazed at how easily we were able to ride all of the rides multiple times--the longest wait we had at the Disney parks was 45 minutes for the brand new, just opened that day Star Tours ride--everything else was 20 minutes at the longest, and usually closer to five minutes or we were able to walk directly on.
Tuesday, we made our way back to the Magic Kingdom and hit the rest of the rides--my personal and perennial favorite being Splash Mountain.  If I could change just one thing about Magic Kingdom, I would add just one or two more "thrill" rides.  I know the park is geared toward kids, and I still LOVE LOVE LOVE the magical feeling there, but it would be nice to have a couple more exciting rides to do to fill the day.  Especially when the lines are so short and with the advent of Fast Pass.  The other highlights were Pirates of the Carribbean and The Haunted Mansion, always incredibly nostalgic and nicely update over the years.  That night we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Yacht Club to celebrate my parents' 30th Anniversary--way to go guys!  Feel free to keep celebrating and inviting us along!Wednesday we headed to Wizarding World of Harry Potter--but I'll save that for its own post because it was just too amazing to squeeze in here.  Thursday, we hit up Hollywood Studios and spent most of our time checked into the Hollywood Tower of Terror going up and down, up and down!  Favorite ride ever!

Did someone say wine?

My sister and I were happy to discover that not only is Disney the Happiest Place on Earth, but they also can make some damn good drinks!  Pina coladas at the Polynesian, margaritas in Mexico, wine in France, and a mimosa for me daquiri for her at the Prime Time cafe, just to name a few of our indulgences.  Disney is great, but it is miles better with a slight buzz.
  Our last day in Disney, we finally made ourselves over to Epcot where we hit most of the "science" rides before heading over to my favorite part, the world showcase.  Mission to Mars was new since I had been in 2008, and was a fun spaceship simulation.  Unfortunately, the ride for Soarin' was over an hour long, and given our line expectations of maaaaaaybe having to wait 30 minutes, we just weren't convinced to wait that long.  Some day!  After Epcot, my parents went back to the hotel for happy hour while my sister and I embarked on a tour of all the parks, heading back to Animal Kingdom for 3 goes on Expedition Everest, and Hollywood Studios for just a few more moments at the Hollywood Tower!  We wrapped things up with our traditional ice cream on Main Street, overlooking Cinderella's Castle during the Electric Light Parade.

There's nothing more magical than the combination of full fat ice cream, hot fudge, and LED lights!

The Results Show

Hm.

What to talk about?

It's so awkward to return to blogging after ages away from the blank Typepad Compose page.

...

I guess I could talk about how Colby is gone yet again on another trip.

Or about how my dog, Jack, has a stomach bug that has resulted in a shocking amount of vomit and crap all over my house.

Or that it was over NINETY DEGREES in Charleston yesterday.  And I went for a run.  And it was terrible.

Or how we finally got around to watching Toy Story 3 last night, and it was JUST as amazing as everyone said it was.  And I cried JUST as much as everyone assured me I would.  Buckets.  Buckets of tears.

Or how I had an absolutely splendiferous time in Disney World with my sister and my parents, and all I can think about is going back in 2013 when they open up the Beast's castle, the Little Mermaid ride, and the Dumbo circus tents in a major Fantasyland expansion.

Or about how awesome ebooks are until you forget to charge them.  And then I hate them.  Batteries.  The sole reason robots will never take over the world.

Or maybe I can just fill in some plot holes on the blog, and talk about that other stuff some other time.

Remember when we had a deep, meaningful discussion about whether I should keep my hair brown, or go blonde again?  Well, the internet pretty overwhelmingly agreed that I should keep the brown hair.  And so, I went blonde.  I know!!  Why do I even ask your opinion if I'm not even going to LISTEN!?  Such a brat.  But, I couldn't help it, my inner Barbie refused to be repressed any longer.  And now I know that when next I feel the strong desire to just buy a box of $8 hair dye and be done with it, the brown hair is clearly a winner in your books.

As for the great dress debate, I was able to have my cake and eat it too.  Lynn found a size 2 of the Tuillieres dress at her local Anthro, and kindly purchased it and sent it my way.  It still will require some alterations, but it's waiting patiently in my closet for when that day arrives.  As for the Disney dress, I decided to go with the Verdant Slip Dress, also from Anthro, and could not have been happier.  It's even more beautiful in person, and looked smashing with my glittery platform pumps that I gleefully dropped thirty bucks on at Target the day before I left for Florida.

Pictures, or it didn't happen.
We're such a well coordinated set.  Much more Disney to come next week.  Much, much more to come.

Angela vs Food

It's always a big adjustment when company leaves, going from the whirlwind of touring and dining out to the feeling of a quiet house.  The house seems to get bigger, and my stomach regularly questions me as to where it's next meal is coming from.  The past few days have been no exception as my mom and aunt left on Tuesday evening and then Colby left for a work trip Thursday morning.  I went from constant plans and activities to a pile of books to be read and the prospect of afternoon naps.

 
I had a great visit with my family as we ate our way through Charleston and Savannah over the course of the week--and everywhere we went was incredible!  For any locals or anyone who may be planning a trip to the area here's the run down of the places we hit during the week:Charleston
Anson Restaurant--A+ (holy grail of macaroni and cheese--oh my God, delicious)

Pavillion Bar--A (On the roof of Grill 225 next to the market, perfect place for taking in the view of Charleston harbor while sipping on drinks and appetizers)

Wild Olive--B+ (Tasty Italian with a twist, very different, but off the beaten path in John's Island)

This Whole House--A+++ (I've been here for lunch and now afternoon tea--both were delicious and incredibly generous portions and reasonable prices.  A combo restaurant/antique shop in Historic Summerville)

Fat Hen--AAAAA+++++ (The best brunch I have EVER had.  I thought their dinner was so so, but their brunch is so good it'll make you slap a nun.  Creme brulee French toast.  I mean really, do I need to say more?)

Red's Ice House--Ambience/Experience A+, Food B+ (My favorite part of Red's is standing on their back porch watching the pelicans swoop in and dolphins playing in Shem Creek.  The food is good and cheap and it's just a fun place to hang out and drink a pina colada!)

Pitt Street Pharmacy--A- (Old Village Mt Pleasant is one of the most charming areas around Charleston.  It's like stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting, and ordering up a sandwich and root beer float at the counter of the Pitt Street Pharmacy completes that feeling of living in a simpler time.  Plus the food is good.  A great lunch stop!)

Savannah
Back in the Day Bakery--A+ (This is going to get boring, because EVERYWHERE we ate in Savannah was an A+!  This bakery had incredibly fresh, delicious sandwiches and some of the most decadent pastries and baked goods I've ever seen.  I was thrilled with my caprese sandwich and a butter yellow cupcake with the best chocolate frosting that has ever entered my mouth.  Yummmm)

The Olde Pink House--A++ (Built in 1771, one of the two oldest buildings still standing in Savannah.  Incredible service, elegant ambience, phenomenal food.  This place is the trifecta of restaurant awesomeness.  Go there!)

LuLu's Chocolate Bar--A+ (It's a chocolate bar.  Named LuLu's.  Could it be any better?  Milky Way martini.  Drink it.  Love it.  Then eat some chocolate.  And cry tears of happiness.)

Can you believe that on top of that we also ate some lunches and dinners at home, and squeezed in a donut run one morning?  How I am not the size of a whale is a complete mystery to me.
Our secondary concern to stuffing our face was doing a little touring, and we had a great time on the Historic Charleston Foundations festival of houses and gardens on South Battery, did a tasting at the Firefly vodka distillery, an architecture walking tour and three home tours in Savannah, shopping on King Street, and a short trip to Folly Beach.

It was a fantastic week with my fantastic family and I'm left with only one question to ponder now that I am home alone, reflecting on our experiences together.

Why doesn't Charleston have a chocolate bar???

Loo-Wee-Zee-Anna

A couple of weeks ago, we loaded up the car and began an epic journey to Louisiana to visit our families and attend a friend's wedding.  Any trip to Louisiana involves a lot of driving, but this one was particularly grueling in the automobile department as we covered over 2000 miles in ten days, and "the kids" were so adorably good in their little back seat nest.

Because we had just spent a few weeks with my parents on the cruise, and I'll be seeing them again in April and May, we decided that we would spend the bulk of our time with Colby's parents.  Ellie for one was thrilled to be out of the car.  I kind of feel like maybe I should have edited this photo for vulgarity--oh well, let's just pretend we're European.

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the Global Wildlife Center in Robert, Louisiana.  When I was a child, it never struck me as strange to have a safari just down the road in a tiny rural town, but it is a bit surprising to be driving down a country road then suddenly come across herds of giraffe, zebras, and camels.  Still, we had a grand old time feeding the animals and scratching their cute little noses.  We also went to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, and I was amazed at how far they've come since they opened just about a decade ago.  And of course, we had to squeeze in a day of New Orleans eating, so on a beautiful Sunday morning, we joined some friends for a decadent brunch at Brennan's, creators of the world famous bananas foster!

The beauty of the Louisiana bayou.  We were sad to see how many of the cypress trees were dying as salt water seeps into the fresh.  There's nothing like driving through the bayou at sunset, the cypress trees and Spanish moss silouehetted against the purply red sky of twilight.  In all of the bad press that comes out of Louisiana, it's easy to forget how stunning it can be.

After a marvelous week with our families and reconnecting with old friends, we loaded ourselves back into the car, and headed north to Shreveport for my friend Jessica's wedding.  I met Jessica when I was a little baby 18-year-old, studying abroad at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.  We connected immediately, along with my other dear friend Annie who I also met while abroad, and have remained steadfast "Irish Friends" in the subsequent ten years.  We've always talked about going back to Dublin together some day, but in the meantime, we try to get together every time I go home to catch up and relive the good old days.  Now we're all married, Annie is working on her second baby, and we're separated by geography, but somehow we always manage to pick up exactly where we left off.

It was a fantastic trip home, and I always leave wanting more.  I don't know that we'll ever move back to Louisiana, but in its own, unique way, it will always be home.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Where Do I Begin?

Hiiiii!!!  I'm back!!!  What?  You didn't notice I was gone?  Well, hmph.

*****

We whisked ourselves away for a week in Louisiana, driving from one end of the state to the other, visiting both of our parents, various friends, and even squeezing in a wedding.  I'll do a more thorough recap soon, but I just had to write a crap post to get myself back in the habit of blogging.

*****

I've been training (somewhat half-heartedly) for a 10K, working diligently on my 30 Before 30 list, and trying to decide if I want to start doing work in exchange for money on a part time basis.  Running is so boring.

*****

I hate the day after returning home from a vacation.  Piles of laundry are overtaking my front room.  I have a million errands to run and can't do any of them because I have a flat tire.  I've got loads of blogs to catch up on.  My DVR is overwhelming me with options.  I can't even count as high as the scary number on my Google Reader.  So, I think I'm just going to go sit on the porch and stare blankly at birds.

*****

I don't even have any pictures downloaded off of our cameras to attempt making this just moderately engagaging.  Close your eyes, imagine me feeding a giraffe.  Isn't that CHARMING!!!

The Unsinkable Maltese Falcon

How could I have forgotten to include this bit of information in yesterday's post??  Check out the beautiful piece of art we discovered on the landing between the 5th and 6th decks while we were forced to climb about 30 flights of stairs per day due to the elevators being shut down during the horrible weather.  "They say this ship is unsinkable!"

I mean, seriously.  Even Kate is like, "Leo, shut the hell up!"Aaaaanyway.  When we finally docked in Malta, after three rough days at sea, stepping out onto dry land was one of the most incredible feelings in the world.  At first, we were a bit put off by the idea of staying in Malta for two days rather than one, just because we knew nothing about it as a country, but we all ended up falling in love with the beauty of this tiny, little known island.

Part of what was so fascinating about Malta was how it has taken its history of Roman, Arab, and British rule and fused it into its own completely unique culture.  The country only received its independence from the British following World War II, and they are so fiercely proud of their history and eventual independence. I've never been anywhere quite like it, and particularly fell in love with the tiny town of Mdina, the original capitol of the island.  We wandered the winding streets, visited St. Paul's Cathedral, and peeked into some of the many miniscule chapels that were scattered throughout the town.

We made our way back to the port city of Valletta where we first stopped at the Upper Barracca Gardens, overlooking the Mediterranean and the Naval Fort.  In the mid 1500s, the same Knights of St. John who built the English walled city of Rhodes, came to Malta and assisted in defending its people against the Turks.  Once the siege was over and the Knights were victorious, Jean Parisot de la Valette planned the city of Valletta, and noting the fact that fresh water was hard to come by in its dry climate, ensured that there was one very large garden to be shared by all of the residents.  Hence the Upper and Lower Barracca Gardens.  We then went to the National Museum of Archaeology which houses artifacts from stone structures older than the pyramids of Egypt, and St. John's Co-Cathedral where the famous Carravaggio, The Beheading of St. John the Baptist is hung in a chapel.

Our second day in Malta greeted us with grey skies and drizzling rains.  We waited as long as we could, hoping the weather would pass, then braved the day with umbrellas in hand.  We had a delicious lunch in the city, then made our way to the Casa Rocca Piccola, one of the few palazzos still remaining as a single family dwelling.  We even had the pleasure of meeting Marquis de Piro as he was setting out Christmas cards in his living room, and his wife the Marquisse who served us hot mulled wine!  My mom and I were then sucked into The Silversmith's Shop where we scooped up loads of stunningly beautiful silver jewelry for astoundingly low prices.

Unfortunately, shortly after that, as we were making our way back to the ship, my poor daddy BROKE HIS FOOT.  Yes, walking down the sidewalk, I suddenly heard a loud popping noise, thought he had stepped on a rock, but in actuality that was the sound of BONES BREAKING.  And we still had about 20 minutes of walking ahead of us, and not a single cab to be found. Remember how all the x-ray machines were broken in the storm? Yeah, when we tried to see the ship's doctor, we were told that if he thought his foot was broken, we'd be disembarked in Malta to receive medical care there. So, we decided his foot was not, in fact, broken.

We had one FINAL DESTINATION ahead of us when we returned to Barcelona, and still the Universe was not done having its sadistic way with us...

I'm On A Boat!

We had one full day left in Barcelona, so we packed it to the gills with cultural experiences.  We started the day by arriving to the Cook & Taste building for an expedition to La Boqueria (the market) and a half day cooking class.  The building was located in the Gothic Quarter, just off La Rambla and a short walk to La Boqueria, where we went to get supplies for our tasty Catalan meal.

Our teacher was absolutely adorable, and everyone in our cooking class was highly entertaining and enjoyable.  There were only about 12 of us, and by the end of the day and copious amounts of wine, we all felt like family.
 

Since the class size was fairly small, we each got lots of hands-on time behind the stove, as well as plenty of time to have fun, drink, and take photos.  And is that not one of the most beautiful meals you've ever seen?  As well as the seafood paella, we had a squash soup, potato pancakes (peeled and sauteed in part by yours truly!), and a creme de catalan for dessert.

The class ended up going until late in the afternoon, and though we half wanted to go home and sleep off our wine and food buzz, we sucked in our food guts and pressed on with the tourist experience, heading to the Barcelona City Museum where an entire Roman town had been excavated and was on display in the basement.  We then scooted over to the Barcelona Cathedral, dedicated to St. Eulalie, with its impressive flying buttresses, Gothic spires, and guard swans... yes, guard swans.

And still, our day was not complete!  After a quick stop at the hotel for freshening up, we headed out once more into the cold night for a Spanish guitar concert at the Palau de la Musica Catalana.  Manuel Gonzalez played a beautiful assortment of classical and original music, all with a Spanish flair.  It was absolutely amazing what that man could do with those strings.

The next morning, we waved a sad goodbye to Barcelona as we boarded the Brilliance of the Seas for the beginning of our 12 day Mediterranean adventure.  And an adventure it was.  But first we had a day at sea to get to know our floating home away from home, and more importantly...

NAP!!!!

El Viaje de Mi Vida

There were times on our way to Barcelona, on the cruise, and on the way back home that I honestly believed I was either going to die or commit murder.  Despite that specter of death, Barcelona managed to catapult itself into my Top 3 destinations, earning itself the great honor of being a city to which I would return without the slightest hesitation, following only Dublin and coming in slightly ahead of Tuscany.  It is remarkably clean, the architecture is stunning, and the people are incredibly kind.  The traveling trifecta!

We stayed at the Hotel Regina which was clean, comfortable, and a nice fusion of modern and traditional design, but more importantly inexpensive and amazingly located in the heart of the city steps away from the Placa Catalunya and La Rambla.  And right next door to a Starbucks.
My parents were supposed to arrive in Barcelona the day before us, unfortunately due to the horrible weather in Atlanta, the Northeast, and EUROPE IN GENERAL, they ended up arriving about seven hours after us.  While we were waiting for them, we decided to jump on board the hop-on-hop-off bus and get an overview of the city.  We saw plenty of modernisme architecture, centuries-old buildings lining the streets, cathedrals, and more and got back to the hotel with just enough time to squeeze in a short lay down before meeting up with my parents.  We went to dinner at a nearby tapas restaurant using the toothpicks to hold our eyes open, then my parents hit the hay while Colby and I went for a nighttime stroll along La Rambla.

We were warned and warned and warned again about the pickpockets in Barcelona and especially along La Rambla, but we never felt the least bit unsafe.  We kept our belongings where we could see them, were alert to our surroundings, and Colby wore the dread money belt under his shirt, and we came away unscathed.  The best part of visiting the city when we did was that all of the streets were decorated with beautiful Christmas lights and decorations, the buildings were glittering with LED lights, and pesebres (nativity scenes) were scattered around the city.  It was magical.

The next day we went back to the hop-on bus so that we could hit the Gaudi sites.  We started at Casa Batllo on Passeig de Gracia in a block of buildings referred to as "The Block of Discord".  Now granted, Gaudi architecture is a bit much, but I've got to tell you, I fell in love with the whimsy, surrealism and organic flow of his buildings.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a right angle anywhere in his design and there is so much creativity in everything from the flooring to the door handles.  We also went to Casa Mila, but as it has been converted into shops, we decided to just view it from the outside.

To continue our Gaudi experience, we continued on to La Sagrada Familia, his unfinished masterpiece.  Gaudi began construction on the cathedral in 1882, and it is estimated that it will take another 30-50 years to reach completion.  I cannot even put into words how incredible this cathedral is.  Let me tell you, this is no St. Paul's Cathedral or St. Peter's Basilica.  This cathedral is like walking into a mythical forest--unimaginably tall columns stretching up toward Heaven like towering trees, jewel toned stain glass windows cast bands of rainbows on every surface.  It is unlike anything I've ever seen, and all you can do is stand there, slowly rotating in the center of the construction chaos, pivoting slowly, head tilted back, mouth agape.

I'm not a particularly religious person by any stretch of the imagination, but standing in that cathedral, taking in the genius of another man's passion for his art and his faith, I couldn't help but think, this is a cathedral God could really get behind.

Thankful Thursday Through Thursday Through Monday

I really did have every intention of keeping up with my blogging and documenting all that I have to be thankful for this month, but then I didn't.  To think that I actually considered participating in NaBloPoMo this month, HA!  Right.  So, what exactly have I been thankful for?

Well...
Colby made it home safe and sound!  And he brought with him the gifts of jewelry, chocolate, and 8,000 pounds of laundry.  We've spent the last two weeks attached at the hip pretty much 24/7, and now that he's returned to work the house feels awfully empty.  I am, however, incredibly thankful that at least for the next month or so, there will be no trips to far off, sandy locales and he'll be coming home to me and the puppies each night.
His parents and I had been conspiring for the past couple of months to spring a surprise visit on Colby upon his return, and if Colby's look of shock and confusion upon seeing his mom and dad waiting for us at a local restaurant was any indication, we definitely pulled it off.  I'm thankful that our families are close enough to pull off a surprise like this and that we had a beautiful weekend to spend together eating, touring and enjoying each other's company.

Colby coming home was the last big milestone I was counting down to before our big trip, and now an international flight and 12 days floating on a giant boat shaped hotel is just a little over a week away.  We've spent the last two weeks having fun date nights (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 = AMAZING, The Social Network = Wow Justin Timberlake Can Actually Act), squeezing in some sight seeing, spending time with friends as couples, and yesterday I took Colby on a shopping spree that would have made Stacy and Clinton weep tears of joy and pride in preparation for the cruise.

So, now that the vacation is becoming a reality, I'm becoming a bit overwhelmed.  Our itinerary is definitely good enough, but I still feel like it could be better.  I really have no idea what I'm going to wear at any time that doesn't include the phrases "formal" or "semi-formal".  I need to bring some clothes to be altered.  And honestly, I feel like I'm forgetting a whole lot of other must-dos, but can't think of what they could be which means they probably don't exist.  But they're still bugging me.

Oh whatever, can we just go see Harry Potter again?

A Lovely Summer Home

After my successes navigating public transportation in Manhattan, I hauled myself and my suitcases down five flights of stairs and proceeded confidently out onto the streets of New York.  I proceeded to stand on a variety of street corners for the next THIRTY MINUTES in the pouring down rain and whipping wind, attempting to hail a cab.  This endeavour was complicated by a) the weather,  b) the fact that rush hour was in full force so cars were crawling by at a turtle's pace, and c) cab drivers are assholes.  I eventually made it to Penn Station where I caught the train to Newark and realized that the AMAZING deal I'd gotten on a rental car was at a company located 15 minutes away from the airport.  So, I sucked it up, accepted the $25 cancellation fee and got an AWFUL deal at a different company located at Newark.

 
Only two or so hours behind schedule, I got in my car, and with once again misplaced confidence, set off for the six hour drive from Newark to Stowe, Vermont.  When four hours later, I had barely made it past Hartford, I had the sneaking suspicion it was going to take me a bit longer than expected to arrive at my destination.  After ten hours in the car, eternally grateful for the fact that I'd stopped at Barnes & Noble for a book on cd, I finally arrived at the house a group of us had booked for the wedding weekend.  Fortunately, I made it just in time to drop off my things, and hitch a ride over to the post-rehearsal dinner dinner!  My lovely college pal, Melissa, had chosen the charmingly quaint Stowe for her destination wedding, and oh, Vermont, if it didn't get 12 inches of snow in October, I would move there in a heartbeat.

The morning of the wedding, we went out to hit the tourist spots and managed to feed ourselves on a multitude of samples consisting of chocolate, cheese, ice cream, cider donuts, maple fudge and wine.  Does that not sound like heaven on earth??  On top of the culinary delights, the leaves were in fact as beautiful as everyone has ever sad they would be.  Unfortunately, this dolt forgot to charge her one camera battery, so I wasn't able to capture the most vibrant examples of the Fall colors.

The wedding was positively beautiful, and though I started out not knowing a single other person there, by the end of my weekend I had met so many amazing people and had an incredible time both on and off the dance floor!  The morning after the wedding, I dragged my hungover butt out of bed at the crack of dawn and once more began the epic journey through New England.  Fortunately, it turned out that a huge reason the traffic was so miserable on my way up was that many roads had been closed and traffic diverted onto the interstate due to heavy rain and flooding.  So, my trip back down only took seven hours.  Only.

It was a long flipping day, starting out around 8 in the morning with my drive to Newark, a long wait at the airport, a connection in Charlotte, but I FINALLY made it back to Charleston at midnight.  And had a flat tire.

Fortunately a knight in shining armor, in the form of roadside assistance, showed up after my mini-breakdown, and I spent the entire next day trying to get my tire and oil changed.  Then I did a quick load of laundry, packed my bags one more time and hit the road the following day for the 13 hour drive home to Louisiana.  I made it in time for my momsie's birthday and her Pink Party celebrating five years since her breast cancer diagnosis and raising money for breast cancer research.  It was a wonderful week spent with family and friends, and I even managed to squeeze in some relaxation.  My sister drove back to Charleston with me, and we spent the next few days hitting the highpoints of the lowcountry from the vodka distillery to the haunted jail tour.

When she left on Saturday, I entered into a definite post-whirlwind slump.  After three weeks of near constant travel and entertainment, I wasn't entirely sure what to do myself.  And then I remembered my DVR queue.  And that's pretty much what I've been doing since.  Phew!  Now, onward!

Empire State of Mind

I honestly feel like my trip to New York and Vermont took place a lifetime ago.  But then going through my photos, I felt like I was looking through the lens just yesterday.  Time has become this funny, indefinable thing lately.  Life is going by so quickly, while at the same time, dragging endlessly.  I'm blaming the deployment and the fact that I've been so busy.  Things that seem like they should have been spread out over months, took place all within the same week.  And the four months that Colby has been gone have whizzed by, while it seems like an eternity since I've seen his face.

All of this to say... it's trip recap time!!! 


This was a very different visit to New York for me.  This was my 5th time to the city and my second this year, so the focus was much less on doing the touristy thing and more on spending time with my sister when she could fit me into her hectic schedule.  I also spent a good portion of time by myself, and was amazed at how friendly the New Yorkers were.  A man struck up a conversation with me while we were waiting for the walk signal to turn, I got random non-creepy compliments from passers-by, I made friends with an Israeli gentleman while navigating the public transportation from Newark to Manhattan.  I think I put out a different, more receptive aura when I travel by myself than when I'm travelling with others.  Plus, I got a tiny thrill from navigating the bustling avenues and subways on my own.

I took the train from Newark to Manhattan and met up with Brittany at Penn Station in the early afternoon.  We were able to squeeze in a fairly leisurely lunch before hustling back to her apartment where I dropped off my bags, and then she went off to make her big New York theater scene debut and I wandered around the perimeter of Times Square.  I got cheap tickets at the Million Dollar Quartet lottery and, wow, what an incredible show.  It's a fictionalized account of an evening in the recording studio with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins.  I'll be honest, I wasn't that thrilled by the synopsis beforehand, but two minutes into the show, I knew I was going to LOVE it.  After the spectacular finale, I met my sis for her opening night cast party and we helped New York get rid of a few bottles of Sweet Tea vodka.

The next morning, my lovely friend Carolyn came in from The Garden State, and we all headed down to Brooklyn for a walking tour.  Now, Manhattanites can say what they like, but Brooklyn is where it's at!  We met up with our tour guide in Park Slope, and he entertained us for the next three hours with stories about his wrong side of the tracks Italian family, real estate prices on 7th Avenue, and won our undying devotion with a delicious slice of pie at a tiny pizza joint.

My favorite part of Brooklyn was how if you just squinted your eyes and cocked your head a little to the left, you felt exactly like you were back in turn of the century New York.  The architecture is beautiful, everyone knows everyone, the accents are spot on New Yowkah, and the grittiness of the factory worker vibe meshes perfectly with the uptown chic of the million dollar mansions to give you the best of both worlds.  Next time I'm in New York, I'll definitely be devoting at least a full day to that incredible burrough.

Later that evening, I went to my sister's show, and following the show, we once more did our part to ensure that the bartenders of New York could feed their families.  The next day, exhausted from our extensive explorations of the city, we opted to stay in bed and watch tv all morning and into the early afternoon.  When, Brittany left for work, I mulled over the idea of possibly going out for a wander, but upon taking in the grey, blustery conditions of the outdoors instead tucked myself back into bed with The Event.  Finally, the time came for me to rouse myself from my stupor, and I met Brittany at the undisclosed delicious location of her employment, ate dinner, then we cabbed it up over to The 39 Steps, a farce, based on the Hitchcock film, in which 4 brilliant actors play over 140 parts.

The next morning, I packed up my suitcase, and headed out for a hellish day of navigating the Eastern seaboard as I journeyed from Newark to Vermont.  Google Maps would tell you it's an easy journey of mere moments.  I'm here to tell you otherwise.  But that's a story for another day.

(PS You may have noticed some changes to my blog over the past couple of days.  All of this loveliness is thanks to Ashley, who has been working hard not only at producing a tiny human, but also, building me the website of my dreams.)

Back In the Saddle Again

Well, Typepad just charged my credit card for the next year of blogging, so I figured I should probably actually use it.  I've been back home in Charleston since last Tuesday, but my sister was in town through Saturday and I took the weekend to regroup and recover from the post-whirlwind slump.

I left my camera at my parents' house like a big dummy, so the recap of the past few weeks will have to wait, but suffice it to say, all of my adventures were exactly as awesome and exactly as exhausting as I was expecting.  I feel so lucky to have such amazing friends and family, and even more lucky that I have the time and means to visit them and see so much of the country in such a small amount of time.

Saturday I spent glued to the sofa, working my way slowly through the epic DVR queue I managed to accumulate by going on vacation at the peak of the Fall/Summer television overlap.  Then yesterday, I put on my Sunday best and headed downtown to see the Charleston Ballet Theatre's production of Alice in Wonderland and found a new favorite restaurant.  I've been searching for delicious gnocchi in the US since our honeymoon in Italy, and I FINALLY found it at Muse, an old Charleston single house that's been converted into a restaurant and wine bar  My mouth is watering just thinking about it, and lucky for me, I have leftovers waiting for me in the refrigerator.

Looking forward, things are going to slow down for the next couple of weeks, but then, sometime during the first week of November COLBY IS COMING HOME!!!  We'll have two whole weeks where he won't have to go to work or even think about the Air Force, then, just two short weeks after that, we'll be zipping off for our international adventure in the Mediterranean!

I've been slooooowly working my way through my Google Reader and can't wait to hear what kinds of excitement y'all have been up to over the past few weeks.  Also, on the business end of things, if anyone would be interested in guest posting in December while I'm floating around in a giant boat that will hopefully feel exactly the same as a hotel on dry land, let me know.

The Donut of Misery

Congratulations!  You're over the hump!

I haven't been posting much about Colby's deployment because... well... it's just easier to not think about it.  Between my trip to Japan, my mom's visit, never-ending classes, and spending time with pals in the local area, the first half of the deployment has gone by pretty quickly.

Yes, that's right, we are officially well into the second half of the deployment!  And really, I thought I was handling it with aplomb.

But part of me wonders if the deployment isn't what's taking a toll on my energy levels.  If there's a subconscious stress there that I didn't even realize I was feeling with Colby gone.  If that is the case, it does make sense that the exhaustion would have peaked over the past couple of weeks as we're in that dreaded mid-deployment hump.  Those few weeks in which half the deployment is behind you, but the second half still stretches out before you in an endless parade of lonely days.

It bugs me when people complain constantly about deployments.  We knew what we were signing up for when we attached ourselves to these military men, and unless anyone was told a bald-faced lie, we knew there would be plenty of nights alone.  There's also a tendency for military spouses to pull out their rulers and start measuring and comparing--there's always someone who has it so much worse and wants everyone to know.  And you can't help but feel envious of those who have shorter deployments to get through.  Honestly, it's just a minefield of a conversation, and I try to avoid it as much as possible.

But I think every now and then you just have to get it out, and I'm taking that opportunity now:  This deployment suuuuucks.  I'm so tired of Google chat and Skype crapping out on us and having to fill out customs forms and having questions that can't be immediately answered and cooking dinners for one and making plans for one.  So there.

The good news is that the deployment IS more than halfway done, and the next month or so is incredibly busy.

Next week is packed with fun activities with friends, the following week my San Francisco bestie is coming for a visit, then I'm visiting my sister in NYC for a few days and heading to Vermont for a wedding.  I'll have one day in Charleston to recharge before driving to Louisiana for a week and then my sister is driving back home with me to spend some time in the Holy City.

By the time she leaves, just a few measly weeks will stand between me and Colby's return.  So, the exhausted part of me is pretty overwhelmed by all of this upcoming activity, but the lonely part of me is looking forward to the craziness and the fact that when it's over, it really will be almost over.

And then my vote is for two weeks of re-constitutional leave spent sitting on the sofa, watching tv, eating Dominoes Pizza. It will be so nice to be boring WITH someone else again.

Self-Imposed Exile

Things have been good lately, but so busy!  My mom has been in town for the past week and extended her trip by a few days so that we can have more lowcountry fun today and tomorrow.  I've had a great time showing her around Charleston, and we have definitely done our part to stimulate the economy as we eat, shop and tour our way through the area.

I've also started what is GOD WILLING my last masters class.  Of course, I've thought this two times previously, but I'm optimistic that this time I really do only have seven weeks of school left.  Long story here, and I will definitely be posting a very public and honest review of my school next week.  I can't do much to fix the mess of the last few months, but I can at least warn other students.  So, more to come on that, and now I'm just trying to be positive about this class and give it my best effort.

I'm still doing Insanity most mornings, though having company I've missed a couple of days.  But I'm still liking it, and I'm getting pretty close to the end of the first phase before I'll enter a "recovery week", and then jump into the last four weeks that ramp things up to a whole other level.  Yikes!

I've also been so bloody exhausted lately.  My mom and I are generally home from our daily adventures around 5 or 6, and I feel so beaten down.  It's all I can do to keep my eyes open until bed time.  I'm eating a fairly healthy diet with lots of veggies and proteins, I'm exercising regularly and getting about eight hours of sleep a night, so I'm really starting to wonder if something is wrong with me.  I have a family history of thyroid disorders, so I think in the next couple of weeks I'm going to see if I can have some tests run.

So, anyway, I haven't done much to keep up with blogging, and even my email and Facebook have been fairly neglected.  But hopefully next week, I'll be back in the saddle again and this weekend I'll be visiting some blogs to say hi.

Sisters: A Facebook Montage

I've made no secret of the fact that I love Facebook--my passion for it is so strong that I even gave it up for Lent a couple of years ago, and it was one of the biggest sacrifices I've ever made.  There are a lot of great things about Facebook, but one of the best parts is the way it has forever immortalized the strange and singular relationship I have with my sister through the beauty of Wall to Wall.  It's true that I have a... different sense of humor... but when our powers combine...  Well, let's just say, here is a sampling of our comments to one and other over the past year or so.  Do not expect any sort of narrative thread.  If you find yourself laughing, but you're not sure why--welcome to our world.

Angela to Brittany: You know what the worst thing about being sisters is? "Your mom" jokes fall really flat.

Brittany to Angela: I bought a pair of cowboy boots at a vintage store today ;) They're already beat up, so I won't feel bad about dinging them up around the city... but I thought of you cause they had SOMEONE ELSE'S FEET IN THEM!

Brittany to Angela: They didn't have someone else's feet in them at the time that I bought them... the only feet in them were mine... I mean... they HAD someone else's feet in them at some point...

Brittany to Angela: Just to... clarify...

Brittany to Angela: You are pretty fly... I mean, for a white guy...

Angela to Brittany: I think New York made your boobs bigger. Will Charleston have the same effect on me? One can only hope!!

Angela to Brittany: I'm thinking of writing a song for you. It would start out "When I'm feeling down and a little bit upset, I always tell myself, 'Well, at least I am not dead!'" But after that, I kind of hit a wall. A metaphorical wall.

Brittany to Angela: You're facebook following me...

Angela to Brittany: Do you like Bailey's?

Brittany to Angela: Only out of a shoe!

Brittany to Angela: You were in my dream last night... driving my car (that I don't have)... on a mario kart track... you were a very poor driver... and my teeth fell out... and your friend who is a blogger appeared in the car sitting on your lap as you drove.... because she could do this thing where her mind would wander and her "spirit" could travel... it was a very peculiar dream... good seeing you though!

Brittany to Angela: You're not dreamin' it's the moondreamers--makin' your sweet ass dreams come true!

Angela to Brittany: Holy crap. I heard No Scrubs on the radio today! I wanted to text you, but I was driving a bus full of kids and that seemed imprudent.

Angela to Brittany: Bawk, bawk, bawk. You're right. You're not a chicken. You're a rooster. Check it!

Angela to Brittany: WE ARE THE PERFECT MATCH! I just have to find a way to make you know it... Tara! I'll go back to Tara!

Angela to Brittany: Wow, Tyrone Power. I've... heard of him? I'm obsessed with these stupid facebook quizzes. Make me stop! I kind of want to punch you in the jaw now. Just to see how you take it.

Angela to Brittany: Holy jeez! That's a whole lot of Brittany head! (That's what she said.) (That was weak, I know.) I know nothing about what makes for a good headshot, but I just wanted to tell you that you are very pretty and I hate you for that. But in a way that is very loving.

Angela to Brittany: You know, your status updates are more like watching a descent into mental instability than any indication of what you're actually up to. On the other hand, your eyes look kind of green in that picture, so there's that.

Angela to Brittany:  Freedom cheese!!!  Yum!!!