Season's Greetings

I hope the holiday season has treated you kindly.
I spent mine back home resting and relaxing with the family. Neil came down for Christmas Day to join us for our annual Christmas brunch. Santa delivered lots of gifts this year....Mom got a new big screen TV and Dad -finally- got a digital camera. I've pictured the Christmas ornament Greg and I picked up in Cabo after we got engaged.
On Wednesday, Greg, Mom and I headed up to the mountains to look at the wedding spot I've picked out. It's a farm outside of Asheville that holds events for up to 400 people. I finally found a spot that felt right. I just needed to convince Greg of the same thing. It had snowed a little the night before we drove up there. Needless to say, it was quite the experience watching the snow melt away off of the tin roof of the barn. The cattle surrounding the farm were confused by our arrival and kept mooing at us in hopes of getting fed. I don't think Greg or my mom were that impressed at first. It really is just an old barn surrounded by an open field and of course, the mountains. We sat in rockers as we awaited our event manager to get there. She brought books filled with pictures of previous weddings and I think that helped Greg shape an idea of what to expect for our wedding.
We went to lunch at a cute vegetarian restaurant in Asheville and Greg noted on how quaint of a town Asheville is...another good sign. Over lunch, we discussed all of the other weddings we all had been to over the years. We were reminded that the ones that stuck out in our memories were because the couple had chosen an amazing location for either their ceremony, reception or both.
In summary, things are looking good for the farm wedding I hope to have this coming fall. I'll keep you posted!

Oh, what a night!

The past few weeks have flown by. The holidays are quickly approaching.

Greg and I (in our usual non-traditional way) hosted our own engagement party for our friends in the Atlanta area. We invited a huge crew of people and had quite the turn out despite all of the other holiday parties going on that weekend. We even had friends drive in from Tennessee and Athens. Good stuff!

The evening started out pretty tame with a few guests arriving and enjoying a few cocktails. Amanda presented us with a karaoke video game as the perfect gift for the "marriage" of our styles...video games and some good karaoke fun! Let's just say, the night ended with a few friends using our karaoke mics and our guitars from Guitar Hero as props for our "band". Chris dj-ed as we sang and played along to Pavement and Weezer hits.

Lots to be thankful for

The past week has been crazy to say the least. I worked an odd schedule at work, planned Thanksgiving at the house and starting getting the place in shape for our upcoming party in a few weeks.
PLUS- some major purchases have finally been made after much deliberation. My engagement/wedding ring was completed and Greg bit the bullet and bought the Honda Element I spoke about in the previous blog.
On the home front, Meredith came over last week with her mad sewing skills and helped me make curtains for the great room. She even asked me if this picture was going to be on my blog- of course it is! Many thanks to you, sweet Meredith.
This weekend, I painted the kitchen side of our fireplace which was no small feat. Twelve foot ceilings make me a bit dizzy on a ladder. Good thing Greg is around to help out with the really high portions. I plan on painting the dining room in the same color tomorrow. The house is finally coming together!
Our Thanksgiving consisted of Greg's family heading down for a short, but pleasant visit. I had to work on Black Friday so we missed out on the family fun in Greenvegas. We did manage to have a good time "bowling" on Greg's new Wii. You can see "Kenny Wayne" sporting his near perfect form in a competitive game against his boys.
Shoot me an email if you'd like to see the ring in its new form.

An update in a major way

As my family would say, Geez-o-wiz.

What have I been up to lately you may ask?

Lots.

Let's rewind a few weeks......

Halloween. Greg and I hit some parties up as the Halloweenies we strive to be each year. This year, I dressed up as a park ranger and Greg put his Mexican wrestling mask to use as a washed up wrestler. You can see one of the pictures with a friend of ours, Damon.

Wedding dress shopping. Danielle, Amanda and I started the day off with brunch-one of my favorite ways to start any day! We then went to several bridal salons where I managed to try on a zillion dresses. It was fun and I have a pretty good idea of what kind of dress I'll end up wearing.

Thrashers game. Seats on the glass! I managed to score some awesome tickets from work. Nothing beats watching your team win as you press your face against the glass.

Car shopping with Greg. Greg's minivan is on its last leg. We spent the better part of Saturday deciding what car Greg will purchase in the next few weeks or so. At the moment, it looks like a Honda Element in Rootbeer brown. I love brown.

I think that about wraps things up for the moment. We're looking forward to spending Thanksgiving at the house with the Vagens next week.

She'll be comin' round the mountain

Greg and I headed up to North Carolina last weekend to enjoy the fall weather with Neil and Lindsey. We also used this time to do some wedding venue scouting.
We tallied up our adventures this weekend and we think we spent close to 15 hours in the car! We made it to Neil's place late Saturday afternoon. Lindsey gave us a tour of the property while Neil and Mr. Grant started building a cedar strip kayak in the basement. We hung around for a while before we headed into town for some Mexican food.
On Sunday, we all piled in the station wagon to check out wedding spots and to grab some lunch at Lake Lure. We hit up a bed and breakfast near their place. Not exactly my style. A friend of Neil's owns some horses that we got to feed and pet while working our way across western North Carolina. We rounded out the day with some grilling and a bonfire complete with S'mores.
Monday morning left us to our own devices. We headed to the Black Mountain area to investigate two of the more promising places I'd researched. One of them was built by railroad tycoons, so Dad had his heart set on that one. Too bad it didn't really have to space to house a ceremony and reception. On to the next one. We have a "maybe" from both myself and Greg! The major concern: it's in the middle of nowhere. Twenty minutes to a hotel. Hmmmm...
We finished the day with some quick family visits in Greenville before the trek back to the ATL.

Update from Atlanta

Okay. I must admit this may be the longest span since creating this blog that I haven't posted. Things have been a bit nutty and I've been rather lazy.
As far as wedding plans go: not much has been decided. We're heading up to NC this weekend to visit Neil and Lindsey. We're hoping to get a few site visits in at possible wedding locations for next fall. I'm excited abut our little trip. Mom emailed Monday saying that the NC leaf colors are hitting their peak. PLUS, I get to check out Neil and Lindsey's new digs! I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures to share.
Other than that, I've been failing miserably at thinking of a Halloween costume.

The Adventures of Greg and Gwen

We just wrapped up nearly a week in Los Cabos San Lucas. It was a good trip. A very good trip- we’re engaged now.
I’ll go ahead and warn you now that this may take a while to enjoy this entry. You may want to grab a glass of wine or take a quick bathroom break before you get started.

Day One: We leave Atlanta and head to Houston on our way to Mexico. Our flight in Atlanta is delayed for over an hour and we miss our connecting flight by 20 minutes. No big deal, right? Wrong. At 11:50 in the morning we had missed the last flight to Cabo from Houston. The next flight was at 8:30 the following morning. Nice. So, we made a quick call to Danielle to find a cheap but decent hotel near the airport. Comfort Suites- here we come! We rounded out our stellar day with pizza ordered to the room and drinks at the local honky-tonk, Hoot County Saloon.
Day Two: A lovely early morning flight across Texas and Mexico. The landscapes were incredible. We arrived at our hotel a little before noon. The innkeepers immediately cooked us a gourmet breakfast of Peach Pancakes. We checked out our digs for the next few days and wasted little time getting to the beach. We walked through the marina and to Medano Beach. The water in the Sea of Cortez was the perfect temperature after our walk. We spent the afternoon beaching it up and checking out the beach bar nearby. I think we managed to encounter over 100 vendors trying to sell us anything and everything.
Day Three: Today we decided to check out the Pacific Coast of the Baja. We headed off to Solmar Beach. Several people warned us not to get in the water. Whatever. We get to the beach and it’s deserted. The waves are insane. I’ve never in my life seen waves this large with my own eyes. You can’t even walk in the surf, it’s that rough. We plop down on the beach just to soak up some sun and take in these magnificent waves. We’re hanging out and all of a sudden I notice that Greg is breathing kinda funny. I asked him what’s wrong and he says “nothing”. At this moment, I realized,”Oh, my. He’s about to ask me to marry him,”. And I was right. He turned to me and asked me to marry him. He gave me a ring and told me that it was his mother’s engagement ring. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed and it took me a minute to tell him Yes. Yes, I would marry him.
That night, we went to the most amazing restaurant EVER. Greg did lots of research and it payed off. It was built in adobe-style over looking the Sea of Cortez and the lights of Los Cabos. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Not only was it incredible just to be there, but the food was beyond comparison. We finished our meal with a shot of tequila. The best in the house. It seemed only fitting.
Day Four: I had been emailing a local adventure company to set up a day trip of mountain biking just north of Cabo in the Santiago area. Originally, we were to take the bus there and our guide would meet us at the station. The innkeepers told us to just rent a car- it would cost the same or possibly even less. Sure. Why not? The drive was awesome. Cacti as large as full grown trees scattered the horizon. Cattle were roaming and crossing the road as they pleased. We made it to Santiago: now to follow our directions to meet the guide. We drove our rented 4 door compact car through dirt roads with water and mud hazards. It was crazy. Here we were in the middle of no where, lost, and with my poor Spanish skills. I’m not much of a crier but once we made it through mud and sludge 4x4 vehicles were have a hard time handling; I burst into thankful tears. We decided to cut our losses and get the heck back to civilization. I’m certain we had a guardian angel for that little adventure.
Day Five: Did we have enough adventure to satiate us? Evidentially not, my friends. We went snorkeling. The inn arranged to a local company to come pick us up (we had abandoned the idea of a rental car as you may have guessed) and take us to the marina. We boarded a water taxi that took us by the various sites of Cabo: El Arco, Lovers Beach, Divorce Beach and Land’s End. After the quick tour, they dropped us off with our gear on Lovers Beach. This time we met up with our guide and we wasted no time hitting the water. We spent nearly an hour snorkeling. I started feeling a little sick. I couldn’t get the taste of the disinfectant out of my mouth that they use to clean the gear. I wasn’t feeling any better. Nope. Before I knew it I was feeding the fish with my breakfast. I was then fighting the waves to keep my breakfast from washing back up on me. Lovely. I let our guide know that it was time to head back. No more snorkeling for this gal-for the time being at least.
Day Six: We enjoyed another day at Medano Beach. We also did some shopping. Granted, I got the best souvenir of them all. However, Greg was obsessed with buying as many Mexican wrestling masks as he could cram into his luggage. We bought four, but I bet he would have bought more if I wasn’t around. We managed to buy a few more adult items like a bottle of nice tequila and a ceramic Christmas ornament to mark our engagement in Los Cabos San Lucas.
Day Seven: Our return to Atlanta through Houston. We were delayed 3 hours in Houston…I think we were destined to spend lots of time there. We arrived safely back at the house at 3:30 a.m. Monday morning. Nothing like getting 5 hours of sleep after a whirlwind vacation and heading to back work!
As always, you can click the title to see pictures from our trip.

Weekend Warriors

Greg and I certainly lived up to that name over the course of this past weekend.
On Saturday, I participated in my company's annual Volunteer Day as a co-project leader at Jerusalem House. Our group showed up and managed to spread 3 truckload of mulch and prime 2,500 square feet of hallways all in 2 hours! It's amazing how much work you can get done with a motivated group of volunteers. I find this even more impressive considering we were short on supplies...roller cages, tarps, wheelbarrows and rakes. I'm pictured on the left in the red shirt. Not the pregnant lady!
Greg, on the other hand, rode and rode his bike this weekend. He completed his ride each day in about 5 hours. I'm so proud of him! He said it was rough-probably the hardest physical feat he's ever accomplished in his life. I asked him how he kept going and he quoted a song from Revenge of the Nerds. Bone Symphony's One Foot in Front of the Other. We usually sing it to each other when one of us (usually myself since you all know how graceful I am) trips and nearly busts. I know; we're nerds.
I've included a picture of Greg as I found him after I got off of work on Sunday. The caption should read, "This is what Greg looks like after biking for a really, really long time".
Thank you all for your support of Greg's ride and for those of you who volunteered with me!

We're all grow-ed up!

So, 75% of our furniture was delivered on Saturday. We're just missing an end table and some lamps. It looks amazing!
Check it out.
I can't wait to have some visitors so we can really put it to use.
Now, you may notice the empty dining room in the back. Yeah. Who knows when that will happen!

Lots of goings on

The past few weeks have been kinda weird. It started off with a rainy camping trip in north Georgia. We came home to find that Zoe had passed suddenly while under the care of our vet. Greg has intensified his training for the 150 mile Bike Tour he's doing in September. I'm gearing up for a pretty big volunteer project at our local chapter of Jerusalem House.
Good news! Our great room furniture is on the way. Delivery this Saturday.
I'm looking forward to a long weekend of relaxing and catching up with friends.

New York, New York.

Work sent me up to the big apple last week to meet the staff up there and check out their event spaces. As usual, I never turn down a free trip to see my girlies who still live in the city. We used this as a chance to throw the Laura formally known as Hoffman a "Reverse Bachelorette Party". Seeing as she eloped without giving her ladies a chance to remind her just how much she will miss her single life, we decided to surprise here with a penis party. I won't go into specific details. Let's just leave it at: we all had a good time.
I was unofficially voted "Best Visitor" by the NY gals. They've lived there 4 years now and I think I've been up there 6 or 7 times now. I can't help it if work has sent me to NY a good 3 times! I love visiting my friends and the city. I'm just glad they seem to love my visits as much as I do! Thanks again!!

Happy Birthday, Greg!

Greg and I celebrated his 28th birthday in style this week. I'm sure you can tell this from the photo. I arranged for a good bit of his friends to drop in at a kitschy tiki bar in the area. To the left, he's pictured with a co-worker as they indulged in "Potted Parrot" cocktails. Cheers!
Thanks to all of you who stopped in to toast Greg's birthday on Tuesday evening!

Blue weekend

This weekend was my annual (this year marks my second) trip up to the blueberry patch for an afternoon of sweaty berry picking. Last year, Greg and I made an entire day of it with berry picking, a picnic lunch and a quick dip in a local lake. This year, I gave Greg a "get out of jail free pass" and took some of my ladies with me. Sarah, Danielle and I did some serious blueberry picking under the hot Georgia sun. It was very zen-like to fight your way into the center of these 8 foot blueberry "bushes" to reveal the hidden treasures most pickers overlooked or were too faint of heart to brave the branches. Between the three of us, we picked over 6 lbs. of blueberries....
Danielle hosted a Blueberry Brunch the following morning with blueberry pancakes, muffins and mimosas. Yum! Now, I'm researching recipes to share more of my blueberries with my co-workers. I've already made muffins....maybe scones this time around?

How's the new job going, Gwen?

I heard that more than a few times recently. Well, here’s the scoop. I’ve been here for a little over a month and I’m honestly still feeling things out. I’ve learned the basics, but still have to ask for help if things get a bit hairy. I’ve booked a few contracts and given a handful of site inspections. I’m getting to know people in the industry at networking events. What exactly do I do? I book tours for groups and market our space that can be used for after-hour events. These events are generally cocktail parties or seated dinners hosted by companies that are in town for conferences and are looking for a unique venue.
So, that is it in a nutshell. The main reason no one has heard me talking about my job is because I've yet to become fully immersed in it. Don't worry. If you know me at all, you know that you will hear EVERY detail of it once things get rocking here.

July 4th in review

What a great weekend. Don't get me wrong - we didn't really do that much, but we had a four day weekend to burn. It was just what we needed. Grilling on our new grill. Sharing a cold beverage with friends. Running barefoot in the cul-de-sac with sparklers.
I hope you all had a great weekend, too.

Memphis gets two thumbs up

Greg and I just returned from a long weekend in Memphis. Good stuff. We were there to celebrate the marriage of our good friends, Laura and Eldad. They eloped this February in NYC and came to her hometown of Memphis to celebrate with friends and family. And, boy, did we celebrate! Eldad is from Israel so we're trying to teach him about the ways of the South. I heard he had his daily dose of grits and the Hoffmans served up a most excellent barbecue feast.
By the end of the evening, most of the ladies were dancing and skinny dipping. A direct quote from Eldad, "God Bless America!" I agree.
We stayed with our most gracious hosts, Mona and Ronnie, and toured the city in the time we had away from the festivities. We ventured to Graceland to see how Elvis lived in style at his Memphis home. Nothing says fancy like green shag carpeting on the ceiling! Next, we hit up Beale Street for some awesome catfish lunches and then enjoyed live music and a cold beer on a patio.
The drive to and from Memphis was lovely and didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. I highly recommend a visit to those of you who have never been to this fair city.
A BIG "thank you" to all of those who made this weekend a memorable one!! Click the title to see more of my Memphis adventure.

Gotta love it

I haven't heard this phrase since I was in middle school. Rightly so. However, I'm still a member and I get a kick out of a grown woman wearing this t-shirt.
Enjoy!

Reporting for duty

The first week at my new job is done. Check. Complete.
Not a bad week. My boss was out of town, so I've slowly been learning the ropes around here. No complaints yet.

Zoe gets a haircut.

For those of you who have never met Zoe, here she is. She's been staying with Greg and me for a while now. Mr. V has had a lot of travels lately and we just love having her around.
She's sporting her new summer look for you.

Beach bum

I'm back at work after a long weekend in Charleston. I have a weird patch of sunburn on my leg, but I don't care. I'm wearing a skirt today to show off my semi-tanned legs. Well, about as tan as one day on the beach can make a pasty gal like me.
It was a good trip. Danielle came along to experience the city for the first time. Lindsey graduated and is now Dr. Lindsey in my book. Neil turned a quarter of a century. We got some good ole' family time in.
My favorite parts of the trip....
Neil "rescuing" us on his boat from Folly Beach and taking us to sun bathe on Morris Island.
Dad explaining how he got the nickname "Turk" in college. *It involves him running in the rain flailing about like a turkey.
An afternoon spent mixing with my soon to be sister-in-law's family.
No complaints here. I have just one week left in my current position and then it's off to start a new chapter in the Life of Gwen.

Bull Honky

After reading Danielle's comment on my last blog, I decided to go through my pictures and I stumbled upon this one that made me laugh. Danielle said she was going to use this picture for one of her entries and she never did. So I'm using it. I hope it brings a smile to your face and makes you chuckle. It's just been one of those weeks around here and I think we all could use some mindless entertainment. I don't mind providing it for you.

Vacaciones en Mexico!!!

I've been wanting to go to Mexico for YEARS. And we're going. It's official. We booked our flights this morning.
We're heading to Los Cabos on the Baja side of Mexico. We decided on this far and distant land since our trip is in September and we're avoiding the hurricanes in the Caribbean. I'm looking forward to an adventure trip mixed with lots of beach time. I'm also starting to brush up on my Spanish which has been dormant for a few years.
Quireo un cerveza, por favor. I would like a beer, please.
Necicito mas cervaza, por favor. I need more beer, please.
Donde esta la playa? Where is the beach?
Mi novio es muy guapo, verdad? My boyfriend is very handsome, right?

The vacation countdown has begun. I would LOVE any tips from those of you who have traveled to Los Cabos or Mexico. Gracias, amigos.

Spring Clothing Swap

This Friday was the 2006 Spring Clothing Swap hosted by yours truly. For those of you unfamiliar with the Clothing Swap concept here it is: a bunch of ladies clean out their closets and bring their unwanted clothing to our party. We eat, drink and share clothing memories. Of course, there is swapping involved. After we've claimed all of clothing we want to add to our own closets, we then try everything on and swap some more...."Hey, this didn't fit me but it would probably fit you".... and so on. The remaining unwanted clothing is donated to charity.
The Moral of the Swap: Clean out your closet, update your wardrobe for free and do a good deed.
Thank you to all of the lovely ladies that participated in the Swap this go around. Click on the title to see pictures from the evening.

Have ya seen one of these?

Just wondering.
I had never seen a cell phone tower disguised as a tree before I spotted this one from the passenger seat of Lindsey's car. Of course, I was so enthralled with it I had to take a picture of it. Now, maybe they should work on hiding that abandoned gas station.

Back in business

Yes, folks. It's that time of year again. THE WEDDING SEASON. This year marks my fourth year working weddings and hopefully my last. I'm down to one a month which is a refreshing change of pace from years past.
Here are my favorite parts of working weddings:
The food.
The flowers, the fashions and the festivities.
Seeing a couple get married that you KNOW will be together "until death do -they- part".
The venues. Going to places (like the Bahamas) and fancy-pants clubs that I normally would never see.
Getting neat ideas for my wedding. This doesn't happen as much as you would think since most of the weddings I shoot are mirror images of each other. Contrary to popular belief, I've gleaned very little from my wedding experience.
Here are my least favorite parts of working weddings:
Giving up my Saturday/Sunday/Holiday.
Psycho wedding planners.
Standing up for 6-9 hours.
The occasional "Vendor Meal" with a ham sandwich which leaves me to make it a nasty cheese sandwich.
Seeing people get married because they think it's time to get married. Not because they love each other or they would make good life partners. So sad.

Flashback

So... my friends continue to get married. I've recently been added to an e-mail thread that connects quite a few people from my high school days. It's weird and scary when we all start shooting our memories back and forth just how much of it I have forgotten. Greg added me to the thread saying something along the lines of, " In case you want to relive things that happened 10 years ago". Of course, I reminded him that WE are one of those things that began in those days. Yes, this year Greg and I will celebrate 10 years together. Again, weird and scary.
Let me share one of the funniest memories from this e-mail chain. The story starts with two car loads of us heading from one location to the next. I was in the lead car with Greg and another cohort. The second car told us they would meet us at our next destination shortly. We drove there and waited. And waited. Where were these people? In the boredom that followed while we continued to wait, we stumbled across an emergency yellow strobe light in the vehicle. It was then decided that when the second car load drove by us our car was going to race after them with the strobe light flashing from our dash. Sure enough within moments, the car drove past and we peeled out after them with this light blaring. They pulled over. The driver exited the car scared out of his wits with his hands up. Ahhh....good times.
I find it incredible how much I have changed and grown in that time. I'm not saying I wouldn't pull you over with a strobe light because if given the chance; I just might.

St. Patty's Day

Ahhhh...spring is still in the air. Greg and I met up with a group of friends at a local Irish pub to celebrate the nice weather and whatever else you're supposed to celebrate on this day. Snakes leaving Ireland? Sounds good enough for me to toast to St. Patrick. It's afternoons like today that make you glad you live in the South. I mean, it's barely Spring and it's sunny and nearly 70 degrees outside. Too bad it didn't stay that way once the sun went down. We froze our butts off toasting St. Patrick on the patio!
Ashlea and I hit up some plant sales on Saturday. We both purchased a tree. She a Crete Myrtle and myself a Yellow Twig Dogwood. We made a pact to have the prettiest yards in our respective neighborhoods. Now, we just need to get our men out there digging in the dirt with us!

Spring has Sprung

My daffodils are up. My hostas are returning. Our maple tree is budding. I have spring fever. I spent the entire weekend digging in the yard. I couldn't have been happier.
I planted 50 spring bulbs this fall and I spent the better part of the weekend planting an assortment of late spring and summer blooming bulbs. I'm even trying elephant ears along the side of the house that harkens back to my childhood days in Florida. Neil and I used to hide underneath them during quick sunshine showers.
Greg and I planted a jasmine vine that Ashlea and I bought for our apartment here. It felt great to finally put it in the ground for good.
Greg assembled and water sealed our patio furniture. Now, we have a place to relax and enjoy the lovely weather all season long.
Next weekend, we tackle the lawn. We're going to try the organic route this year. I've already started the war on weeds and done lots of research. We'll see how it goes. We'll be purchasing a lawn mower and lots and lots of pine straw to make the yard look presentable. Hopefully, pretty soon we'll start filling in the flower beds with flowers.
Wish me luck on the lawn adventure! I'm hoping PapPap and my mother's green thumbs are in my blood.

Birthday Brunch

Thank you to all of those who braved the icky weather to join Greg and myself for a Birthday Brunch extravaganza.
Nothings beats a day spent with friends eating yummy food (some of which was prepared by the birthday girl), drinking mimosas and giving Greg's Guitar Hero a whirl.
A few of us continued the day with some Smore making in the fireplace and watching a chic-flick to pass the rainy afternoon. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend a lazy Saturday.
The last of the troops left at eight in the evening. It was a good day and Greg and I snuggled in for a long winters nap shortly afterward. It's too bad birthdays only come around once a year because I could really get used to this.
P.S. Click the title and you can see my photo album!

What's in a number?

Today is my 27th birthday.
Last night, I was doing some online research on numbers and meanings just for the heck of it. I couldn't really find anything on the number 27 specifically, so I focused more on the the number 7. Seven is the number symbolizing introspection, investigation, and finding that deeper meaning in life. I find this very appropriate considering I feel like it's time to take a took at my life -and my career- to see if I'm still on the right track.
As I was surfing along, I stumbled upon the meanings of birthdays. I usually don't take this stuff too seriously, but when I read mine...it was kind of creepy. Check it out:
"For you, life is an adventure, to be lived to the fullest. You don't want to be cheated from having your share of experience.You are highly adaptable, which makes change a great deal easier for you than for others. You have an easy way with relationships and generally get along well with most people you meet.You have a gift for communication and promoting yourself. You possess talent in verbal and writing skills, and would make an excellent writer, editor, or salesperson.You are quite affectionate and sensitive. You work well with others as long as there are not too many restrictions placed upon you. You do not like to be cooped up in the same place for long; you get restless and bored easily.You are versatile and talented and there are few things you can not do. You have a very sharp mind and a fine understanding of the body, which makes careers in medicine or health both possible and rewarding.You are very creative and witty. But you can shirk responsibility and let your gift of gab get you through the tight spots. There can be a tendency toward sensorial indulgence, especially in food, alcohol, and sex. You need to learn to focus your considerable energies. Discipline and order are necessities for you to be successful in life."
That's me. What do you think? I guess it's time to focus my energies and get things in order.

All in a Day's Work

I started the day off watching the sun rise above my fair city as I drove in to work. I was driving in for an off site meeting and I was excited. I don't usually get excited about all day staff meetings, but then again this was no ordinary staff meeting. I was going to spend the day among audio equipment, PowerPoint files, and Beluga Whales. I watched them eat their breakfast as they lined up along the rim of the tank and listened to them sing to each other. Their singing sounded like a cross between a puppy whining and a guinea pig shriek. They provided me with a pleasant diversion from the same presentations I swear I see on a weekly basis. Thanks, guys! Again, click the title for more pictures.

Happy Valentine's Day

Yes, today is the day to tell that special someone just how special they are to you. I did so by taking Greg for lunch at the Aquarium. It was definitely a power lunch if I've ever been to one. Parking the car at CNN, trucking a good couple of blocks to the Aquarium and wading through miles of people who have no idea how to enter a line or pick out a soft drink is just the start of it.
We sat down to a lunch of veggie burgers, fries and oversized cupcakes. Not bad for twenty bucks. Right.
We had ten minutes to spare before it was time to head back to work, so Greg decided we were heading to the Tropical Reef exhibit for a quick looksie. It isn't the biggest exhibit there, but Greg loves it. I think he aspires to own one of similar size one day. It's simply amazing and this picture doesn't do it justice. The tank spans an entire wall and curves above your head where every few minutes a wave breaks. We stood there for just a few minutes, but it was worth the trip downtown.

Georgia Snow

Today marks the first and perhaps only snowfall of this winter in the Atlanta metro area. This is always exciting. If you're a true Southerner, you know it might be about time to head to the grocery store and stock up on bread and milk. I never know why those two items always sell out with the threat of snow, but they do. Heck. If I'm going to be stuck in my house for a few days, I'm going to stockpile wine and key ingredients for soup making.
I've included a picture from our deck with a few flurries highlighted. I doubt you can even make out the snowflakes. As I was out there documenting this momentous occasion, I realized that this was Pinochle's first snow. She was very excited about watching the falling snow even if they were nothing but microscopic particles floating in the air.
2/13 Update: As Greg and I drove into the city this morning, we found that snow had stuck to the ground in a mini winter wonderland. A nice way to start off a hectic work week if I must say so myself.

Baby Business

This weekend was the beginning of a new era for me. My first baby shower. My friends Amanda and Aaron are expecting their first child and I was invited to spend my Saturday afternoon surrounded by baby paraphernalia and lots of ladies. Luckily, Danielle and a gaggle of work buddies were there to help ease me into this new arena.
Let's start off with all the weird stuff there is to buy when you find yourself soon to be a parent. Danielle and I were searching through Amanda's registry for proper gifts and we came upon an item that looked like a travel neck rest thing-y. We were wondering why you would need something like that? We chalked it up to the fact most parents appear to be very tired and deserve a neck pillow if they want one. But then, she wanted a slipcover for it, too. That seemed a bit odd. We came to find out this thing is officially called a "boppy" and you use it as pillow support while breastfeeding. Here's the real kicker: she also received an item known as a "Pee-Pee Teepee". It's basically a hat for the baby's you-know-what to keep away unwanted surprises while diaper changing. Can you believe it? It totally blew my mind.
To wrap things up, I've been baptized into the baby world now. And what a strange, strange place for a gal like to me to end up.
I wish Amanda and Aaron the very best in their journey into parenthood. They are far more prepared for life's little surprises than I am.

Phew!

After months of inactivity, Greg and I kicked into gear this weekend.
On Saturday, we hit the Silver Comet Trail and biked 9.4 miles. I think this bike trail is one of the MAJOR perks of moving OTP (Outside The Perimeter). It's just lovely. It's also a pretty flat trail since it used to be a railroad line which is perfect for ole' Seven. Seven is my remake of a 1950's Schwinn cruiser. I must admit, I purchased it with style in mind; not functionality.
What could be a better way to end a day like that? I'll tell you. A Death by Chocolate party. I won't even try to describe the vast amounts of chocolate served by our three lovely hostesses. Greg and I had our fill of chocolate delights and even indulged in a "to go" bag full of goodies.
Okay. I know you're thinking,"Gwen, you've completely nullified your afternoon workout with that party". And you're right. I did. Please proceed on. I already have.
Sunday we investigated a local gym to see if we may want to become members. I took a yoga class that made me sweat like I've never sweated before and it wasn't even one of those "hot yoga" classes. Plus, I was sore for 2 days afterwards. Greg calls this complaining, but I'm proud of my muscle aches. Bring it on!!
I apologize to you loyal blog-checkers. I've had a tight schedule this week and can't seem to get my act together to publish a blog. You're also getting a recycled picture: yoga from Big Sur last spring. It makes me happy to look at it.

The Great Outdoors

I never thought moving 12 miles outside the heart of Atlanta would land both Greg and myself right smack in the middle of the wilderness. A few examples:
At midnight the other night (Friday the 13th to be exact), Greg and I were violently torn from our slumbers to find our home surrounded by a pack of wild dogs. Or at least, that's what it sounded like. I didn't know what the hell was going on, but we were scared to even crawl out of the safety of our bed to investigate the matter. Greg said the following morning that he envisioned Cujo crashing through our back door. This mystery still remains unsolved. Two deer were spotted from our kitchen window. They appeared to be as shocked to see us as we were them. A complete snake skin was found in our laundry room. Probably a garter snake, but GROSS! Rabbits. Lots of big, brown rabbits.
Shortly after we moved in, we were informed that coyote wander our area and it may be a good idea to keep our cats in the house. Of course, a subdivision is slated to be built this spring in the woods out back.
Such a shame.

Farewell my sweet Ella

The era of Gwennie Pigs is over.
My striped pig peacefully passed on last night as Greg and I stayed by her side. She didn't appear to suffer at all which was a huge relief since this all happened so suddenly. She showed no signs of being a sick piggie. She was eating and moving normally up until we came home from work.
She will be missed by all in the family. Zoe, Pinochle and Danka loved their little furry friend as much as we did. She was a quiet pig unless you stood in the way of her dinner.
Wheet, wheet.

My Obsession with Books

I can't tell you exactly when all this happened. I've always been a reader and will always be one.
At some point after I graduated college, however, I managed to turn my love of reading into an obession.
I get antsy when I'm reading a book and don't have another one "in the wings" as I like to call it. I devour books with an alarming frequency. And I just won't read any book. I'm a book snob.
I recently finished Middlesex by Jefferey Eugenides. Good stuff. Who knew I would like a book about incest, Greece, hermaphrodites and Detroit? Now, I'm getting into A Confederacy of Dunces. To those of you bookies out there: let me know the books that really got you going.

Sick Day

Today is the first real sick day I've taken in the nearly four years I've worked as a grown up. I've decided that the first two days I've taken don't count. Once my car was sick and another time I had the cocktail flu. I have to admit I miss the days of yore when my mom would serve me tea and toast in bed. I would watch The Sound Of Music, Summer Magic and Somewhere Tomorrow from the comfort of our family room couch. Now, I lay in bed with only Nurse 'Nchle and Doctor Danka to listen to me sigh heavily. I don't take well to sickness. I love to complain to any available ear about my latest affliction. To those of you listening out there: my sinuses feel as though they're on fire and I can't breathe. My throat hurts, too.

Am I really going to do this?

Yep. I guess I am.
After checking out the blogs of several of my friends, I'm finally sticking my toe in the ocean of blogs to see if this stuff is really for me. We'll see.
At this point, I've realized how much I miss the everyday nothings that I used to share with friends and family who are now miles away. Those family and friends could very well care less about the silly little things that make up my life, but I'm gonna put it out there for them.
So here you go, folks....