Need Help Moving?....

...well, I certainly would not contact these people who solicited our apartment complex by placing the following on it...

There is only one word to describe not only the bad grammar and spelling, but the suckiness of the overall content of the advertisement.....FAIL!

Love A Fair

Well, not so much, but since that is the slogan of the 2011 North Carolina State Fair, I figured I would use it as the title for this post.  Last Saturday, me and Jeff and our friends Chase and Ashley (and pretty much the rest of the state) decided to check out the fair.  As a state fair, I was expecting it to be a whole lot better than it turned out to actually be.  I got tickets through the concierge service at work and we headed out.  First of all, the crowds were ridiculous...there were times when there were so many people everything just bottle necked and we were stuck for a little while until people started moving again.  Then, the rides were not too impressive and scattered in various areas throughout the fair grounds.  But there were not that many of them either....but there were a ton (and I mean a TON, which ironically is what you would weigh if you sampled all of them) of food booths.  I mean, how many deep fried oreos and turkey legs can one person eat?

After I had my annual, obligatory elephant ear, we walked around and found a Ferris wheel to ride.  It was fun to see the entire fair as we went around on the Ferris wheel (even though Ashley scared the crap outta me by opening up the door of the gondola).  Here are some pictures of our day at the fair...

While on the Ferris wheel we were also lucky enough to witness one of the "highlights" (said sarcastically) of a fair in the south...a tractor pull!  Really?  Isn't the fact that North Carolina is attributed with NASCAR redneck enough?  I guess not, as we got to watch the tractor pull...I am not sure what is more redneck, the fact that we had to watch it or the fact that Jeff documented it by taking pictures?



Finally, here are some pictures worth posting...the four of us at the fair (which was Chase's first fair). 



Overall the fair may have been a bust, but the four of us had a blast and even went through a fun house that was for kids...I love acting like a kid sometimes.

After the fair it was back to the car and home to make dinner for the four of us and watch the Clemson game against Maryland...it was a squeaker, but Clemson pulled it out in the end and remains undefeated at 7-0!  Go Tigers!

Grandma's Coming to Town...

...at least Kira and Koda's grandma!  At the beginning of October, my mom and Mike came up to spend a weekend with us before heading to the mountains for a week.  We had a crazy, but really fun weekend...we had tickets to the Carolina Hurricanes' first hockey game against (who else) but the Tampa Bay Lightning!    Even though we were outnumbered rooting for the Lightning, they wound up winning so it was a great night capped off by having dinner at the Carolina Ale House.  On Saturday we went to Cameron Village, did some shopping and came home to watch the Clemson game and drink sangria.  It was delicious!

Although it was sad to see them leave on Sunday morning (and the dogs were devastated the rest of the day), it was so good to see them.  They got to see Kira for the first time since she had been sick, which gave my mom some comfort because she looked so well.  We were so busy catching up and running around, I didn't get a single picture all weekend.  Oh well, we will always have the memories!

Goodbye 32...Hello 33

Well, even though I didn't want it to arrive (as I am with most birthdays these days), my birthday did come (as birthdays have a way of doing).  I was so not excited about turning 33...I feel like this birthday was one where I looked up and said, S@!T, how did I get this old?"  And then it really didn't sink in until my friend emailed me and said she couldn't believe we had been friends for 26 years!  Really?....I certainly don't feel old enough to have had a friend that long.  Completely crazy.  I mean, I feel good, am happy and would like to think I am taking good care of myself.  Still, 33?  When did this happen?

But, those feelings were completely erased when I got up in the morning (another case of the anticipation being so much worse than it actually happening); I had a great day at work, capped off by lunch with amazing friends, cards and gifts and an actual card and gift card from my boss.  I was completely shocked (but also extremely grateful).  What a nice gesture to show that he appreciates the job I do each and every day.

That night, Jeff and I went to Melting Pot to celebrate the big day.  We had not been in quite some time and it was even better than I remembered.  Scrumptious is the only word I can use to describe it...especially the dessert.  Dark chocolate with dulche de leche...it. was. glorious!  I almost felt gluttony for the first time...almost.

Here is a picture of us taken at the restaurant...

...and one taken with Kira and Koda when we got home.  They were excited it was my birthday (or maybe it was the fact that we had just gotten home...who knows?).

Here's hoping 33 brings a lot of luck and good things to me!  Cheers!



Happy Early Birthday to me!

Last Tuesday afternoon, Jeff came home from work with an envelope he wanted me to open immediately; I told him I didn't want to, as my birthday wasn't until Friday, but he would here nothing of it.  So, I broke down and finally opened it.  And this is what I saw...

It was season tickets to the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC)'s Broadway series!  We are going to eight different shows...Come Fly Away, Rock of Ages, the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes, Memphis, The Addams Family, Bring It On, Wicked and West Side Story!  There is one each month (with the exception of December) for the next nine months.  I was so super psyched; this is the most thoughtful present he has ever gotten me.  I almost couldn't believe it.  And, since our first show was Thursday night, I had to open my gift early.

And Come Fly Away was an awesome show.  All Frank Sinatra music with choreography by Twyla Tharp.  There was no dialogue during the entire show, but a story was told through the music and dancing.  I loved every minute of it.  Already looking forward to the next one...Rock of Ages with music from the 80s (only my favorite decade for music). 

Thanks, Jeff...I am so looking forward to seeing all of these shows.  You made my birthday this year one that I will never forget!  You are the best and I love you!