Listed Recap

So, wow. It’s been since September 18th that I wrote a real post. That was my cousin’s 29th birthday and one of my best friend’s 28th birthday. What all has happened since then?

• I took the last day at my old job as a vacation day. Way to go out on top!
• I started a new job. I’m in a cubicle. I have to listen to the crappy local radio station. Other than that? It’s a pretty sweet gig.
• The co-ed softball season wrapped up. The Master Batters won a few games, even! We definitely won the best team name contest that we held, judged and congratulated ourselves on. The Boyfriend (because that was back then) and I made some kick-ass team shirts.
• My sister and her two sons moved home from Oklahoma. The oldest son was cute in his tuxedo at a wedding and the youngest was as butterbally, stinkpotty cute as ever. Later on, her husband would join her as a newly ex-Army veteran.
• After only two weeks on the job. I took six days of vacation and went to Mexico. It was really great – both to be gone from work and everyday life and experiencing new things and places. #1 best food? Ceviche. Seriously. You can see pictures of our trip in my Flickr set.
• Halloween happened. I made my Little Red Riding Hood (scary, non-scary) costume. I also made The Boyfriend’s and the Best Friend’s Husband’s siamese twin costume (of which no good pictures exist but this one and it doesn’t show the awesome craftiness of sewn-together shirts).
• November came and so did an aborted camping trip because of a fire ban.
• I have crafted up a storm. I cannot reveal anything, here, because handmade Christmas gifts abound!
• The Boyfriend, The Best Friend and The Best Friend’s Husband and I stood out in the cold, rainy day to tailgate a football game that, ultimately, turned into a crapfest (UK vs. Vanderbilt). I did pull out the gutsiness to tell the Negative Nelly football analyst guy behind us to STFU, but nicely.
• The UK basketball season began! It started off shitty, though. It’s gotten better.
• I saw Twilight and made The Boyfriend see it, too. I think he thought the squealing teenage girls were more entertaining than the movie.
• The Boyfriend and I became The Fiancee and I – more on that in the coming days. You’ll get tired of it. Seriously.
• Thanksgiving and the long weekend came and went and involved thankfulness, happiness, stuffed-ness, craftiness and laziness abounded.

That’s about all that happened that won’t get covered in the following few posts. Now, you know what I’ve been doing all this time that I haven’t been posting.

Any questions?

Celebrate Life!

Another great year of fundraising for the Komen for the Cure Foundation is now behind me. Team GDT gathered this past weekend to celebrate friendships, hard work, and life while culminating their fundraising at the Boston Race for the Cure. For all of you who showed me support in the form of donations, of cookbook purchases and of kind words, I say a big huge, “Thank you!”

I’ve already got some new ideas for next year, and I hope to be participating in my local affiliate’s Race, too.

Here I am with my warrior cape (from Fuze) and ready to race:

It’s My Birthday

Send me birthday wishes, betches!

If not, I’ll give you this look:

Or, I’ll make you play Ring Around the Rosy with me (of course, I’m the giant one):

Or, I’ll squint my eyes really hard and make your head explode:

If you don’t feel like wishing me a happy birthday, you could always just shower me with presents. I won’t even mind the Christmas wrapping paper. It can be Christmas in July!

However, if you do give me birthday wishes, I’ll be so happy and love you forever and facelick you.

Ok, maybe that will scare you away from it. How about just a tongue stuck out and a peace sign, instead?

Thanks are in order to Elizabeth, from whose Flickr account I purloined most of these pictures!

As Sweet As A Georgia Peach

This past weekend, a bunch of us travelled to Marietta, Georgia for the wedding of an old friend. The groom went to elementary school, middle school and high school with me. It was a very fun weekend and the crowning moment was their beautiful wedding.

On the trip down, we encountered some pretty funny road signs. The following was extremely funny to us:

That was a business at one of the many exits where we stopped to use the restroom. We may have the sense of humor of a 12-year old boy, but we have bladders of 92-year olds.

On Friday night, we kind of crashed the Rehearsal Dinner party, but is it really crashing if you’re invited by the groom? What about if you bring an ex-girlfriend of the groom? It was a fun time, and good to see everyone before the mayhem of the wedding.

On Saturday morning, The Boyfriend, our roommates (The Best Friend and her husband) and I headed to downtown Marietta for some breakfast. We walked around the cute little square, where they were having the weekly farmers’ market, found a great little place to eat and window-shopped in the boutiques. As we were strolling down a back alley, I saw this building, the back of a cafe, and it really struck me as picturesque.

After that, we bummed around the hotel until the wedding. We swam, we sought out a touristy Mexican food place for lunch, we napped, etc. Then, it was the big event! The ceremony was very sweet and perfect for the couple. It was very nice. The reception was at the same sight, and that’s where we Kentucky kids really hit our stride and made our mark on the Georgia folks.

I think everyone really had a great time. Probably the most photographic evidence I have of this is NatBoogie. I promised him he’d earn a place in this post. Here it is:

Gearing Up for Derby!

Tomorrow is the biggest holiday of the year in Kentucky. At least, when the Cats aren’t playing in a national championship game. It’s Derby time!

The success of our plans hinges on the weather, which is NEVER a good thing. Forecasts are calling for an 80% chance of showers, which totally blows. We will endeavor to persevere, though. Tonight, I’m preparing fruit kebabs and drinkies for tomorrow’s festivities. It’s probably a crime, or something, but none of those drinkies involve bourbon. There are no mint juleps in my future. I find the concoctions to be vile, but that might by my great dislike of bourbon clouding my judgment. No, for me? It’ll be Bloody Marys and Mimosas. I’ll alternate those starting around 7am. I know. That’s probably too early to be considered prudent, but it’s one day a year.

We’re heading to the Governor’s Derby Breakfast. Free meal! Cliched Southern Belles walking around the grounds! Politicians glad-handing like mad! What’s not to love? The plan is to take the Monster Dog. He’ll be a hit if he stays off my toes. After breakfast, we’ll ride up to the beautimous Keeneland race course for some simulcast action. Next year, I think I want to have a Derby party. The logistics of leaving home early, finding and holding a spot, betting on races, etc. are just way too crazy. This year, they required a pre-Derby dinner to talk plans. We’re sort of ridiculous.

Oh, my other plan? To win some money on Z Fortune and Colonel John. I just chose those. I haven’t looked at a racing form, yet, so that might change, but I’ll probably do an exacta box with those two. I’m big on first instincts. Z Fortune is in a great post position and also has one of my favorite jockeys, Robby Albarado. Colonel John’s got some nice looking odds at 4-1 and also is from my very most favorite ever horse farm, WinStar Farms. I love their silk because it involves a star and the color green, but I mostly love it because it’s on my favorite backroad in the whole world and has beautiful barns and scenery. Obviously, as any true Kentucky girl will do, I’ll place that bet based on what tugs at the heart strings, but I’ll place a more realistic bet once I analyze and study that form!

I will say that people betting on Big Brown are crazy. The 20th position? No way.

Also, no big hat for me. I look stupid in hats.