Daniel & Lauren Atchison

Spain - First Week

2010-08-22T17:13:00.005-04:00

Here are some pictures from the first 5 days...only four, I'll add more later.

On a separate note...

2010-08-07T08:36:00.003-04:00

We want to send our condolences to the Ben (cousin) and Astu (grandfather) and their families. We know their loved ones will be missed. You and your families are in our thoughts and prayers.

Apples vs Oranges...

2010-08-07T08:22:00.002-04:00

And the winner is Apple!!! That's right ladies and gentlemen, I, Lauren Atchison, just bought an Apple computer! A laptop to be more exact. I've been looking at them for probably at least a year or more and with the bonus I received from work, it made it possible. I'm pretty thrilled about it and I hope to have it next week. I picked a MacBook Pro 13inch, bumped up the hard drive to 320, and splurged for a remote. I could see the usefulness in the remote so I went for it. I debated on Microsoft Office but decided to wait temporarily. I just wanted something a little more sleek, lightweight, and smaller to carry with me as we travel. We both looked at the 15inch but after comparing, the 13inch was the way to go for me. I was really thinking about the iPad. I've recently gotten kinda hooked on their "power" but ultimately, I decided to wait---not to mention I love that Flight Control game. (We go into the Apple store just to play the game. I know, I know. Sad.) Anyways, I feel like the next generation will have a web cam in it and I would like to wait for that.

Been meaning to post this...

2010-08-06T13:23:00.003-04:00

So I talk about my family at work. You know I love ya'll and that's just the way it's gonna be. We were talking about the "impromptu" family reunion and how many people were there. This was still after explaining that it was just Mom's side and that Dad's side could rival in numbers as well. Claudine, my coworker, had this to say:

"You don't even have a big family. You have a small country."

Well it makes me giggle and I appreciate it. It's good to know you have people you can rely and count on. I truly feel blessed to have a large family with so many aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents. It's like I have my own personal army/band that will fight/cheer me on when needed. What a great gift! Love you!

What a weekend...

2010-08-03T20:50:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it's already been a month since we've been home. I'm not sure how the month has gone by so quickly. To be honest, I don't even know what has kept us so busy to allow the month to pass so fast. Anyways...we have a few congrats to get out there. Congrats to Ellie! She was baptized on July 25th. Congrats Brian, Janie, and Sam! I know you are proud of your little girl/sister! We welcome her with arms wide open! Our second congrats goes to Libby & Greg!! We can't wait to welcome Baby Mink to world in March. Aim for the 17th and then there can be double funfetti and even more green beer! Our third congrats goes to my co-worker, Claudine and her now fiance. We are so excited and like your mama said "It's about time!" :)

This past weekend Celi came down to spend the weekend with me while Daniel headed to Boston to have a man weekend with Jason & Ben. Celi arrived Friday evening and we had a quiet night at the apartment. We cooked yellow curry chicken and attempted to color my hair. It's a little darker/browner but not much. I don't think it set long enough before I rinsed it out. Saturday, we headed to Hershey for the day. We checked out the Hershey Story Musuem, had a chocolate tasting, took a gander at Hotel Hershey and finally ended the day at Chocolate World before heading back. On Sunday we went to church, spent part of the afternoon in the town center, and then headed downtown to Zengo for dinner. It was soooo delish! On Monday we did a little shopping at the Outlets before Celi flew out. An hour later, I was picking Daniel up at the airport. Now I'll let Daniel fill you in on Boston.

Got into Boston around 2 Friday afternoon and Ben and Jason met me outside the airport where we got on the subway and made our way to Jason's apartment near the MIT campus. We decided to take it easy that night, so Jason made jambalaya (very good) and we watched the Red Sox game. On Saturday, we took a tour of the Sam Adams brewery around noon, had lunch, and then made our way to Fenway Park for the Sox game. It was pretty cool to watch a game in one of the most famous baseball stadiums. After the game, we went to a Tibetan restaurant near Jason's apartment, which was pretty good. It had some similarities to Chinese food.

On Sunday, we went to the Cheers bar for lunch and then went walking around downtown to see some historic sites around the city. We also went out to see the USS Constitution. Perhaps my favorite part of the city was the Italian section. I had some pretty good gelato from one of the places there.

On Monday, we just took it easy until it was time for Ben to head to the train station and me to the airport. Overall, it was a really fun trip and would love to take Lauren there and see some more sites.

4th of July

2010-07-13T09:22:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's already been over a week since we were in Alabama, time flies! We really enjoyed getting to visit with our families in the short time that we were there. Here's a recap of our trip and I'll get around to putting some pictures in this post later:

Thursday 7/1:

Our original Delta flight was cancelled (seems to happen a lot with Delta) and we were, at first, put on a flight the next morning. We were lucky to get one of the few spots on a flight an hour earlier than our original flight and that put us in Huntsville about 2 hours earlier than planned, so it didn't work out too badly. Once we got to Huntsville (around 7:30 PM), we got our rental car (the ugly Chevy HHR) and headed to Leeds.

Friday 7/2:

On Friday we went and visited with MawMaw and Mr. Gene for a little while and saw their really nice garden. They had a lot of cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes. We also went by the bank so I could close out my checking account that I hadn't used in a long time. When we got back we spent some time with Dad since he had to go to work that night. That afternoon, we (Mom, Lauren, and I) went over to Steve and Susan's where we got to see our new nephew, Luke, and Elizabeth (and Steve and Susan), swam, and had a ton of food (a ton of food seemed to be the one constant throughout our trip). Brian and Cindy were also able to make it out there, so it was great to see them too!

Saturday 7/3:

We had originally planned to go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast this morning, but Mom made the mistake of asking me if there was somewhere else I wanted to go. She then gave me some options and me saying "Wherever you'd like to go" was not an acceptable answer. It's tough for me to turn down the Pita Stop in Southside (B'ham). So, after being indecisive for a little while, I finally decided on the Pita Stop. I always get the chicken kabob platter when I go there and I am never disappointed. The food was really good (as always)! I recommend it to anyone.

Once we got back home, it was time to leave for Florence. We made a quick stop by MawMaw and Mr. Gene's and headed north. We got up there at about 5:00 PM, just in time for Lauren's grandfather's birthday party to start. I think there were around 75 of her Mom's family there for the event and it was a great chance to see everyone. I'm glad it started later in the day so that the afternoon heat had a chance to cool off.

Sunday 7/4:

We went to church at St. Michael's this morning and stuck around afterwards for the 4th of July BBQ and Chicken Stew that they cook each year. It was really good and they were selling out of everything by about 1:00. Brian, Janie, Samantha, and Ellie were at the house when we got back (Michael, Jackie, Chloe, and Jolie had been there since Saturday) and we all had lunch.

That evening, we all went over to Lauren's aunt and uncle's house for the family reunion. In total, there were about 105 people that came for it. I got to meet a lot of her family from New Orleans, Mississippi, and Texas, along with her family in Florence and close by. Again, tons of food and again, thankful that the event started in the early evening instead of the afternoon! We didn't get back until about midnight. It was great to see everyone and hopefully, we'll be able to see them again soon!

Monday 7/5:

Monday was mostly a lazy day until we went back to the airport. We went back over to Lauren's aunt and uncle's to help eat some of the food that was left over from the reunion (still a lot of food!). After that we were on our way back to the Huntsville airport. Once we got to the airport, we were notified that our flight was overbooked (Delta is not high on my list of airlines to fly, right now). So after a little while, we were able to get the Delta staff to put us on an earlier, direct flight into DC. This turned out much better since we got in at 8:00 PM instead of our originally scheduled 10:20 PM.

I'll put some pictures up soon! It was great seeing everyone and we hope to see you soon!

We're Back!

2010-05-02T10:19:00.013-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since our last blog post. We forgot about it for a while there. Hopefully, we'll be a little more consistent in posting new stuff up here in the future. We were in Alabama last weekend (Thursday - Tuesday) and were fortunate enough to be able to see lots of family and friends. We stayed at Uncle Jim and Aunt Judy's condo in Orange Beach, AL, with Ben and Celi, Thursday through Sunday for Kevin and Amanda's wedding in Fairhope. The weather was

great on Thursday and we were able to get out to the beach for a little while that afternoon.

That night, we all met up with Amber and her mom for dinner at Lambert's, where they throw the rolls. The rolls were really good and I probably could've made a meal off of those (the other food was good too).

On Friday, Lauren and Celi went to the Bridesmaids' Luncheon in Fairhope while Ben and I went for lunch at Sea n' Suds. That was my first time to go there, it's a staple for Ben. It's right on the beach in Gulf Shores. We both had the shrimp sandwich (recommended by Ben) and it was really good, a lot better than I thought it would be. I never thought of making a sandwich out of shrimp before, so that was new to me. That night, we all drove together to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner in Fairhope. The weather was not very good and several booms of thunder shook the foundation of the church. I guess it was good to get all of that out of the way before the big ceremony. The church was right on the Mobile Bay, all you had to do was walk out the doors and you were there. When rehearsal was finished, we all went to Wintzell's, a (go figure) seafood restaurant. It was a lot better than I was expecting (I never expect a lot from seafood restaurants) and Lauren thought it was good too, though she stayed away from the seafood options.

Saturday was a really busy day (mostly for the girls). Lauren and Celi left early to go get their nails and hair done. Ben and I sat around and watched the NFL draft. We all met back up at the church for pictures around mid-afternoon. The weather looked a little ominous and it was raining lightly around the time of pictures but, fortunately, the rain went away and some sun came out for the wedding. The ceremony was really nice and afterwards, we went to the reception at the Fairhope Inn.

On Sunday, we drove to Leeds to see family. It was great to see a lot of people at my parents' house for dinner that evening. We were able to see Mom, Dad, Brian, Cindy, Steve, Susan, Elizabeth, MawMaw, Mr. Gene, and we were very glad that Brian, Janie, and Samantha could come out that way! It was really nice to visit with everyone and spend time with them.

On Tuesday, Jackie drove down to Leeds with Chloe, Jolie, and Jackie's nephew Landon. It was great to see them and was my first time to see Jolie, so that was really nice. Chloe has grown a lot since I last saw her!

We came back to Virginia on Tuesday wishing we had more time to see family. Hopefully, next time we're down there we'll be able to make it around to more.

We've been really busy with work lately. Lauren and I have both been putting in extra hours. I worked some yesterday and will be working a lot more today/tonight. Hopefully things will return to normal soon, we'll see. We're really looking forward to going camping at the Hershey campground for Memorial Day weekend, I can't believe it's already May! We noticed that the circus will be there that weekend, so we may check that out along with the theme park they have there. And, of course, we'll check out all the chocolate offerings they have!

We're gonna try to make an effort to get on Skype more often, as we've neglected that for a while due to our work schedules. We'll try to be online more often so that we can see family and talk with them a little more frequently. Hope everyone is well! We'll post more often!

Looky there! Another month gone!

2009-11-17T21:42:00.002-05:00

So another month has passed. I'm not sure how much there is to report. Grandpa is still in and out of the hospital ---but out for right now. He's supposed to start chemo this week and we hope that everything will be successful with that. Please continue to keep him and my family in your prayers. Thanksgiving is coming soon and we are looking forward to going to Florence for a few days. I can't wait to see everyone.

Since the last post, on Halloween we had all of one trick-or-treater. I blame it partly on the rainy weather and partly because we are on the third floor. However, we did receive a good comment about our decorations. I had the pumpkin Mom bought me that's all painted up out there along with a couple of butternut squash, my small pumpkin from the pumpkin picking, and Daniel's carved Alabama "A" pumpkin. It looked really good lit up! Earlier on Halloween we went out to, I believe Temple Park where they have this huge corn maze, air walk/bounce, pig chase, moo rides, pumpkin picking, pumpkin shooting, corn shooting, and a petting zoo. They had two different routes for the maze and we made it through the first one just fine but somehow we bypassed one number. The second route we took, we could never find #1 and only find #10 so we did the entire route backwards. That was fun! Then we picked out our pumpkins, watched the pig race, and the corn & pumpkin shoots. They had air pressurized guns shooting these things and had different targets set up like hoops or an old beat up truck. It looked like fun but there were lots of little kids lined up so we decided to pass on it this time.

Oh! Before Halloween, I flew to Florence for a few days as well. Basically about a week after mom and dad left, I flew down. I got there in time to celebrate Sam's 2nd birthday and spend a little time there. Then went to Florence for a couple of days--I did get sick and apparently passed it along to everyone. I got to see Grandma and Grandpa and sat at the furthest away point I could sit just to be sure I didn't give them anything. Grandma fixed some bbq for us and it was a delightful supper to spend with them. I also got to spend a little time with Tasha and Ams so I was grateful for that as well! I had an eyeball appointment at Jackie's doctor place and got some new lenses for my glasses. We also helped mom pick out some new stylin' and profilin' glasses. She's a hot momma now in her red frames! With having that doctor's appt, it also gave Mom and I a chance to have a little one on one time with Chloe. I can believe how much all three of our nieces are changing! Just amazing!

We just got back from the Atchison family trip to Gatlinburg. Judy and Richard rented a big cabin in the hills and it was nice to spend time with each other. They also treated us to the Dixie Stampede and to Old Tyme Photos. I really enjoyed taking the pictures--I think they were pretty fun. Daniel and I also took a ride into Gatlinburg and the state park. On our way back down the mountain traffic started backing up really bad and we thought there was a wreck because somehow an 18-wheeler got on this little two-lane winding road (nearly hit us and another car coming around a curve) and we thought maybe it was him...but come to find out as we got closer, it was people slowing down to take pictures. Finally looked around and way up to find a black bear in a tree at the very top. I got a couple of good shots while Daniel drove. We won the best picture category if I do say so myself. We celebrated Susan's and I's birthdays, played a little Wii and pool, enjoyed the scenery, girls hiked/walked/rode bikes, boys played golf, and also did a little on our own (that's when Daniel and I went to Gatlinburg---I had to get a caramel apple) They're so good! And we watched the Alabama game on 60inch tv. This thing was a monster but like our very own theater. It was fun. Thank you Judy and Richard for our special treat!

I found out today that I will be starting as a private contractor for Tier on Nov. 30th. I've very excited to be working with them and to have this opportunity. I look forward to all the new stuff I'll be doing and joining the legal department. Daniel's work is going pretty good for him too. He's been fairly busy though having to stay on for support occasionally until 8pm. He at least gets to come home a bit earlier but he has to stay next to his computer until 8. Saturday he'll have to "work" as well--he's got to be on support from 9-5pm. As for birthday plans, I think we may go out with our friends Astu and Rishi. Oh! and I own a cello now. I'm still not very good but I manage. I'm thinking about getting a few lessons just to make sure I have the basics down. Not sure though. Well I guess that's it for now! TTFN! I hope everyone is doing well and we miss you all dearly! Love you!

Where does the time go?

2009-10-12T22:11:00.003-04:00

Not sure how two months have practically passed by and we haven't posted. I think about it at least once or twice a week while at work but I forget by the time I get home. Tonight was the exception. Let me try to remember what's been going on around here. I've started singing at church every 2nd and 4th Saturdays. It's been really good and I plan to start practice up at church too. For labor day weekend we went to New York and met up with Ben, Celi, and Jason. We we went to the Alabama alumni spot in NY to watch the first game. I actually saw someone I knew---which is funny because he doesn't live in NY so it was all by chance. It was cool to catch up. We also got to try Korean food for the first time. This time we took the Bolt Bus up and back. It was fairly nice. The first time up, the air wasn't working very well and on the way back, the electricity was out. Bolt bus are supposed to be these really nice buses with electrical outlets and internet. The internet was a little slower than we anticipated, but overall it was nice. Leather seats on the way back.

A couple three weekends back we went to Astu and Rishi's apartment. The made us some authentic Indian food that was absolutely delish! I'm not going to even begin to name the dishes because I know I will butcher them but it was soooo good. I've got a couple of the recipes and one weekend I'll get brave and try to make it. After dinner we played some mariokart for a little while. All around, a fun night. I really can't wait to try the recipes out!

My Grandpa has been in and out of the hospital for the last month or so. The found a couple of tumors in his bladder and removed them. They did prove to be cancerous. They also discovered that the left kidney wasn't functioning very well and that the duct from the bladder to the left kidney was blocked. The doctors tried to break through but couldn't. Not sure what this blockage is and they are monitoring how much the kidney is outputing. He recently had a bladder infection that put him in the hospital for at least 10 days and is still recovering from that currently. They haven't started chemo yet, but it is in the plans. He has to get over this infection first. This chemo should be entered directly into the bladder causing less side effects than other forms of chemo could create. Thank you to all of you who have been keeping Grandpa and my family in your prayers. Please continue to do so!

Mom and Dad left today to head back to Florence. We had a great visit with them and enjoyed our time with them. They got here on Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday we took them to Hershey and Lancaster, PA. There we went to Hershey Gardens, Chocolate World, and drove through Amish country. We took lots of time to smell the roses and found some we really liked. The country side was beautiful and very peaceful. On Friday, we took a slow morning and then headed out to Mt. Vernon. Wow! I was so surprised at what there was to do. It was a pretty interesting place and much more than we anticipated to do. We didn't even get to all of it. Saturday morning, I took Mom to Sam's and to Leesburg Outlets. We think we found a Coach purse for her. I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled in case something else comes out that she might like better. After that we headed out to Old Dominion in DC to watch the Alabama game. I think Mom and Dad really liked the atmosphere. It was a good game. Sunday, we went to church and came home for lunch. Later that afternoon we went to Great Falls Park to see the falls, the old canals, and walk around. It was such a pleasant day. Then finally, Mom and Dad left this morning. They drove down party of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and from what I can gather, thought the scenery was pretty. However, they said at some of the high points the temp was 44. Yikes, that's cold!

Speaking of cold, it's supposed to be a high of 56 on Wednesday. This Saturday, I will be flying home for a quick trip. Samantha's birthday is on Saturday and I'm looking forward to going to it. I'll also get to see Chloe which I'm looking forward too. I'm hoping to help Mom and Dad around the house as well as Grandma and Grandpa. Amber and I have some plans in the works for me to have lunch with her at SJS or dinner at her house that night. I'm looking forward to the quick trip. My return flight is on Tuesday. I might be able to work out getting an eye appointment on Tuesday.

Congrats to Brian and Cindy who got married this past Thursday! Best wishes to you both and we are so very excited for you! Maw-maw we are glad to hear that your test results were good. She had an arteriogram (sp chk?). And we are looking forward to the family Gatlinburg trip in November! I know we are both very excited to be getting to spend some time with the family. The other piece of news to share is that Tier has asked me to become a private contractor with them that will hold me there at least to March with the possibility of bringing me on permanently then. I'll have to do a little research into how the tax situation works out as a private contractor but overall, I'm very happy about this opportunity! I've already worked with Tier for 5 months which seems unbelievable to me already. Anyways, I guess this is it for now. I need to get a shower and go to bed. My eyeballs are tired! Love to you all!

It's saturday!!!

2009-08-22T12:29:00.002-04:00

Woot! So, in the trying to catch everyone up about our summer, I realized I forgot one key detail! We celebrated our 1st anniversary!!! We went to see the Proposal and to dinner at Carabba's --which is where we went the night we got engaged. It only seemed appropriate. I can't believe it's come and gone already. How fast a year flies by and it's only getting faster. With that year comes us, together, being in VA for a year and Daniel for a year and half. It seems so crazy. And then I think about the nieces---Elizabeth now two, Sam almost two and Chloe a year and half. They're getting so big and definitely more entertaining! Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it! I'm already starting to gather ideas for folks for Christmas and gearing up to start shopping early. I would rather get it all over early than wait and rush. And Congrats to Michael, Jackie, and Chloe!! Another baby is on the way and due in Feb! We are so excited about being an Aunt and Uncle again!

This week is restaurant week in Reston which means all the restaurants have really superb deals on 3 course meals--including the fancy restaurants. Next week DC will be having theirs and we may participate in that too. DC will have a lot more choices and it's a really good opportunity to go to a place that we wouldn't normally go to or be able to afford. We'll see though. Tonight, I will be singing at church for the first time with a couple of ladies and we'll see how it goes. I'm pretty excited and I've really missed being involved in the music end of things. After church we are gonna meet up with our friends Astu and Rishi and partake in restaurant week. We tried out a bbq place last night called Red, Hot and Blue--it was okay but not anything close to the BBQ we are used too. We have plenty of leftovers though so we've been able to get two meals out of RW deals. I went to the farmer's marketing this morning and got some squash, okra, and peaches. I hope to make some peach jam in the next couple of days. My peaches have to ripen a bit though. They are a little firm and I'm not sure which is better. I would think a riper peach would make a tastier jam but I don't know. On Sunday, Accenture bought tickets for employees and guests to attend a Nats game and they also preloaded our tickets with $20 bucks. The Nats are playing the Brewers so it's not a fantastic game but it will be our first time to go to a Nats game. Should be fun--we'll see Astu and Rishi there too!

Other than that, we've had quite a bit of rain in the last day and most likely will get more but at least it's cooled us off some. I also repotted some of our plants. I got rid of our strawberry plant and put our pepper plant there--which is starting to grow some more peppers. And our squash plant died out so I replaced it with all our basil which was severely needed a bigger pot. We are giving our green beans a second chance and I took out all the random plants, loosened the soil, threw the remaining packet of beans in the pot. Maybe we'll get lucky this late in the game. Okay, well that's all I got for now. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!! Love you!

Hey Kiddos

2009-07-29T22:39:00.003-04:00

So, I thought I would update you a bit on what we've been doing this summer. I know it's been a while, so I thought I would try to catch you up a bit. In April, Brian, Janie, and Samantha came to visit us and to see the Cherry Blossoms. The blossoms were beautiful but it was sooo cold. Sam did such a great job putting up with us while we toured the city. (Oh, okay! Brian and Janie, you were good sports too.) We got to give Samantha her Easter bag and I think she liked the bubbles best. A close second was opening the easter eggs to find surprises in them. Also during this time, some of Daniel's family visited too--Judy, Richard, Maw-Maw, and Mr. Gene. Together with Uncle Bill we visited Harper's Ferry, WV and Great Falls Park in VA along with several other places. Those were some neat things that neither Daniel or I had seen. Great Falls was unexpectedly beautiful. I had no idea they had that kind of falls there. After visiting there, we only wished we had known about it before Brian and Janie had left so we could have taken them there. We definitely enjoyed having all of our family members here to visit with us. It brought a little bit of home our way just before Easter! As for the rest of April not much else happened other than I took a temp job with Tier Technologies and as for right now, I'm still there, going strong. I have no end date at this time and the people are superb!

In May, I headed to Atlanta for Amanda's 1st Holy Communion. She did beautifully and I'm so happy that I could be there to share that special moment with her. I also got to celebrate Adam's and David's birthdays with the rest of family, which was a pleasure. I really enjoyed spending time with everyone and getting to be a part of their family for the weekend. In the middle of May, we both flew to Birmingham for our friends Libby and Greg's wedding. It was so good to see everyone and be their to celebrate their love for one another. We also got to see Michael, Jackie and Chloe that weekend. I couldn't believe how much little Chloe had grown! I tried hard to get her to dance with me but she just wanted Mommy and Daddy. Oh well. We want to thank Steve, Susan and Elizabeth for letting us crash with them. Elizabeth's growing like a weed and likes to repeat things you say. She also likes you chasing her with the shopping cart around the circle. Daniel and I both got our miles in that weekend. For Memorial Day weekend, we went to Hershey, PA and camped out. We had our tent, grilled at the camp site, visited the Hershey story museum, the Hershey gardens, the outlets, and just enjoyed the general setting. It's a pretty neat place and we look forward to going back there.

In June, I flew down for Uncle Roy's Diaconate Ordination in Huntsville. It was such a blessing to share in his ordination. I was so proud of him and he looked very "Father" like. I can't wait for him to become a full priest. I know he will do well! I was lucky to see a lot of my family on Dad's side at the reception for Uncle Roy. I also want to thank Michael and Jackie for letting me stay the weekend with them. I did come down one day early and stayed with Mom and Dad on Friday night. I got to see Dad's handy work on the sunroom. It's quite impressive and totally changes the look of the back of the house. I can't wait to see the final product. I know Mom will be excited to look out all her new windows at the birds and nature. For the rest of June we wanted to relax because we had been going so much. So we did. Only other thing we did was visit with our friends Astu and Rishi which we hadn't been able to do since before we went to Paris. We checked out this restaurant downtown called Zengo and then to an irish pub called Fado. It was a great way to relax and catch up with them.

Now to July. As Daniel mentioned in the last blog, Ben and Celi came down to visit us. While they were here we checked out Natural History and American History Museums and also took them to Zengo and Fado. On the 4th we went downtown for the fireworks (which you already knew) and also took them to our local Gelato place. It's Daniel's new favorite "restaurant." It is very delish and quickly becoming our weekend stop. So far my favorites flavors are grapefruit, local strawberry, concord grape, (sorbets) and cinnamon. I know what you're thinking. Cinnamon??!!?? Well, it is fabulous! It doesn't taste anything like you'd think it would. Oh the other new thing is that I rented a Cello. I have always wanted to learn and now I can. It's coming along pretty well. I can play Jingle Bells, Old McDonald, and Twinkle Twinkle. I've learned 10 notes and I think I know two more even though I haven't learned them yet. Two weekends ago, Daniel took me to see Taylor Swift in Charleston, WV. She did a great job with her show. It was quite different to any other concert I had been too. It definitely catered to the younger crowd but still, it was superb. Wardrobe changes, set changes, lights, effects, videos, it was all pretty cool She even played in the back of the arena where we were so we got to see her up close an personal. We ended up being about 10 feet away from her. Her opening acts were Gloriana and Kellie Pickler, of which both did great jobs too. We decide that her show was about the most happening thing in Charleston. Daniel's commute has started to take a little longer now because of the metro crash and because the bus route that used to drop him on/off at our apartment got discontinued. He now walks to/from the bus stop in the Town Center everyday. In the evenings, I've started taking up running. I'm not very good at it yet, but I'm definitely getting better. I can run .5 mile without stopping now and I'll be winded but it won't take me but about 10-20 secs to really catch my breath. Which is a big improvement from when I started. So now, I go out about 20-25 mins before Daniel gets home and run/walk and meet up with him at the bus stop for a cool down walk. Okay, so I think that's about it for now. Oh yeah, I've also enjoyed watching all the gooses again. The babies are here and have grown up so fast. The look adult sized now, just a bit skinnier and shorter. Okay, really, I'm done. Have a good night! Love to all!

4th of July

2009-07-12T16:51:00.005-04:00

Hello! It's been a while since we've posted to our blog, so we thought we should! Last weekend, we spent the 4th of July in DC with Ben and Celi. We had a lot of fun and were able to make it downtown for the fireworks show that night. It was a really good fireworks show (although I thought they were a little close to the ground). And I just found out that I could upload video to the blog, so I did that too! We got a pretty good video of the finale of the show. Hopefully it comes up pretty clear on everyone's computer.

We also made it to some museums that we haven't been to yet. We toured the Natural History Museum for a few hours and saw some pretty neat things, including a huge squid! On the 4th, we went to the American History Museum but, as you might imagine, it was pretty crowded and we didn't get to see a whole lot. Afterwards, we found a place to get a hamburger and fries and then found a spot of grass to sit down and wait for the fireworks show to start. There was a very long line to get through security to get a place around the Washington Monument, so we decided to stay around the Natural History Museum, which is right next to the Mall. It turns out that that was a very good spot, as we had great views of the show as well as a quick escape once the show ended and we were able to make it back to our car at the metro station in a little under an hour.

We'll post again soon to give more updates, but I just wanted to go ahead and put the video up. Enjoy! Hope everyone is doing well!

Bonjour mes amis!

2009-03-14T08:11:00.003-04:00

We are home from our journey! It was an absolutely wonderful trip. It started off just a bit rocky because the airport didn't like that my passport didn't match my ticket name. We originally planned to have my old name on the ticket, but were told differently. You would think the passport office could tell you the correct information, but apparently they can't. I was told that as long as I took a certified copy of our marriage certificate along with my passport, license, and ticket--that everything would be fine. They didn't like it too much. Lesson learned--in the future always match your ticket to your passport when going overseas. PS, the price for changing your name: 30 mins and $150 lighter.

We saw some pretty incredible things while in Paris. The Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees was probably one of my favorite things while we were there. We made it to the top of the Arc right at sunset and it was so beautiful. Of course the Eiffel was pretty awesome too. Daniel was stuck to the wall at the very top but it was really neat being that high up. The wind was blowing extremely hard so it made it difficult to get some good pictures. We also saw Notre Dame, Sacre-Coeur, Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Tuilieres Garden, Pantheon, the Concorde (not the plane), the Moulin Rouge, we took a Seine boat cruise, Versailles, and I'm sure there is more but I just can't think. We saw the Mona Lisa and one of Monet's water lilly paintings and many others. We have pictures to show so hopefully we'll get those up soon. We still have to go through them and get rid of the bad pictures. London was lovely too. It was pretty rainy so we ended up taking a tour bus around. We saw Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Big Ben, Westminister Abbey, Hyde Park, Picadilly Circus, the Tower, London, and Millenium Bridges, St. Paul's Cathedral, and much more. We stopped at Harrod's and went in--what a massive place. We didn't explore the whole place but it did have a grocery store in it which seemed weird for a department store type place. Of all things, it also had a Krispy Kreme so we took advantage of an American delicacy. We saw Margaret Thatcher coming out of a church service so that was pretty neat too.

Can you believe it?

2009-03-04T09:46:00.002-05:00

It's March! I cannot believe how fast this year is going by already. Saturday, I got up early to go to Old Navy because I had seen an ad for $12 adult jeans and $7 kids jeans, but when I got there, there was no sign of it. They did have $19 jeans, so we each got a new pair. That's still a pretty good deal as compared to their normal $30. I also got Daniel two new shirts for his birthday. I gave them to him early so he could have them for Paris.

On Sunday we got about an inch (maybe a bit more) of snow in the morning. When Daniel and I went to Sam's, we had to clean off our car and ended up getting in a REAL snowball fight. It was a lot of fun and we had snow everywhere. We also went by Old Navy to return some things and they had polos marked down even further so we each got one. Daniel (of course) got a green one (it is a pretty green) and I got a navy blue one with an purple argyle print on it. By late afternoon, most of it had melted. It's unbelievable how the second we leave Alabama, they get snow twice--and real snow at that. Not the normal ice and sleet situation. What's up with that? Well, I think it was made up for Sunday night/Monday morning. It was incredibly beautiful. We had white outs Monday morning along with some really strong wind gusts. I think we got a good 6 -7 inches. I went to work about 30 mins late. It was coming down so hard that I wasn't about to attempt it. Our complex and the road in front of us (Town Center) wasn't in Good condition. The normal two lane road became a one lane road because you couldn't see any of the markings. No one dared drive next to each other except when someone had to turn at the lights. When I turned onto Sunset Hills, the crews had worked there and as a result the roads where mostly slush with some compacted ice spots. I thought I was about to get rear ended because some guy wasn't taking normal precautions like everyone else. Most people were leaving about a car's worth of space between them and the next person and this idiot was right on my bumper. I could only see about half of his hood and he was in on of those Ford Aerostar vans. Luckily, he didn't and stopped but, that was a little too close for comfort. Other than that, the trip was fine. By the afternoon the roads looked like a rainy day except for Town Center and our complex. They were solid sheets of bumpy compacted ice but at least people were driving in two lanes. Daniel was able to work from home. I was a bit jealous, cause I really wanted to play in the snow and just enjoy looking at it. When I got home, we went outside and took some pictures, I made a snow angel, and we frolicked through the deeper drifts. I'm gonna try to post some pictures before we leave for our trip. That night, I also made snow cream. (And yes, I watched out for the yellow spots--we took it from our porch--we figured it was safest.) It was actually good as opposed to the sleet cream we had attempted when we were kids. Just like ice cream. I made more last night and had a coke float with it. Pretty tasty, I must say.

Sooooooooo, we leave for Paris tomorrow and I am excitttted!! We both are! I think Daniel might be more excited about the airports and the airplane than anything. I know we are going to see some incredible things. We have made our itineraries out and are keeping a watch on the weather. We've tried to plan for some days of rain where we do more of the museum thing. It was looking like the trip was a going to be a bit rainy but that's already changed since Monday and looking more sunny now. That's good, I hope it stays nice. It will be a bit cold, but I think with all the walking we will be doing, we'll stay warm enough. We are making lists of all the things we need to pack and trying to be prepared.

About a week after we get back, Ben, Celi, Amanda, and Kevin will be here. Kevin and Amanda are on spring break so they wanted to visit and see some sights. I think we are planning on taking them to the International Spy Museum--we've heard it's really good. Then a couple-three weeks later, Brian and Janie should be here (hopefully with Sam), my mom, Aunt Therese, and I think Aunt Cindy will be coming, and also Daniel's mom and dad will be visiting. We haven't nailed down firm dates with everyone, but most are coming within the first couple of weeks of April. Some for Easter, some for cherry blossoms, and some for both. It's gonna be a good month coming up. We are looking forward to all of our visitors.

Well I think that's about it for now! I hope everyone is doing well!

Parlez vous francais...

2009-02-22T21:39:00.002-05:00

By now, most of you have heard that Daniel and I will be going to Paris! We leave on the 5th of March and actually arrive in Paris on the 6th. We return on the 12th. On the 10th we've decided to take the "chunnel" to London. We are still nailing down our itinerary for each day, but we are accumulating a list of places we want to go. I am super excited about our opportunity and can't wait to go! It's somewhere I have always wanted to go in a few weeks I will be able to say that I have accomplished one of my dreams. I am trying to refresh my french skills and we are both trying to decide on clothing and things that we need to take--packing lightly and all.

What else has happened lately you ask? Not a lot in our world. It snowed a few more times here, but nothing really stuck. The last two weeks it snowed enough to stick for a little while and had to clean the cars off but the roads were completely clear. This morning it started snowing before we went to church around 9am and it was still going strong when got out around 10:45. It stopped closer to 11, but again it didn't stick. It was pretty watching it fall and it kinda made Mass this morning extra special.

I'm still working the same temp job and it looks like it will be continuing into March for a little while. This job might also turn into a possible permanent job too--just have to wait and see. Daniel's job is still going good. This past week was a little difficult because there were some bad Metro delays and one night it took him almost 3 hours to get home.

Today, I ventured into a new world. I decided to make a King Cake! It was kind of interesting. I looked up some recipes and finally settled on one from Emeril and one from a chick from Mobile. They were fairly similar so I combined the two to form what I thought would be the ultimate recipe. So far, they look really great. I had a little trouble put the twist into them, but overall the look pretty good. I'm going to put icing on them tomorrow. I've made one for Daniel and I and one for the ladies at Beeline. We went to lunch a week and half ago and they really weren't sure what a King cake was. I mean they knew what I was talking about, but they had never had one.

For Valentine's day, we had an extravagant dinner of Pizza Hut at Target. Then we headed to church for the "Dancing through the Decades" Valentine's dance. They had some professionals there to teach us swing dance. I think there were more people there than they anticipated, so it was a little crowded and to top it off they were having some sound issues. Overall, we did have fun and enjoy ourselves, but I think we would have had more fun if there weren't the issues and if we knew more people within the church. It was a good Valentine's. (Our real Valentine's is coming in about a week and a half.)

We are glad that MawMaw is home and feeling better. She even got to get her hair done the other day and I know she was excited about that. We hope Mr. Gene continues to feel better too. Mr. Gene had a small bout of Amnesia brought on by stress but from what we know, he is doing much better now too. We hope both continue to feel better and stronger everyday. My mom has had some sinus cold problems that's been going around and put her out of commission for a few days and just when she thought she was better and going back to work, she relapsed. I think the worst is over now. Feel better Mom!

Okay, well I guess that's it. I hope everyone is doing well! We miss everyone dearly!

It's been a picture of a day...

2009-02-08T23:26:00.002-05:00

Hello All-

We've uploaded a couple of new slideshows to our blog so be sure to check those out. They are Christmas 2008 & Our Apartment 2 - The Outside Edition. Besides that, I've been working on my computer trying to convert it to purely a computer for music and pictures. I've been going through files, deleting them or copying them to cd, switching files and pictures to different drives, removing programs not needed and just general maintenance. I must say, it gets a little frustrating at times but overall it's not been too bad. We also cleaned the apartment again today and it feels better around here. Our condo owners came by to check on our water heater. We've been having trouble getting through even one shower with continuous hot water. We don't think anything is wrong with the water heater, just that because it's in an outside closet and the weather has been colder than normal around here, we think that's the problem. Anyways, the owners bought a water heater blanket and came by to put it on. Daniel wanted to watch 60 minutes and the Grammy's so he's been taking that in. Yesterday, we were pretty lazy. We did go to church and then afterwards, we took a walk around the town center. We returned the movies we had rented and stopped by for ice cream. It was good. We are looking forward to the weather--it's gonna be in the 50's this week and it feels sooooo good.

I'm still working the same temp job that I was four weeks ago. Tomorrow, will be the start of the 5th week. Still going strong. Our thoughts are with MawMaw right now. She's been put in the hospital, but it hasn't been easy. Her and Mr. Gene went on their cruise around Mexico and somehow, she came down with pneumonia and got hospitalized in Mexico on Thursday the 29th. They thought she was doing better but then she got put on a ventilator and they weren't even sure if they were going to be able to Med-flight her out of there. They finally got the okay and she arrived in Birmingham Saturday morning. She's still in the hospital now, but she is out of the ICU and in a regular room. We are hopeful that she will get out tomorrow. Last weekend, we tried a restaurant called Benihana (Japanese). Daniel was itching to try it because it's where they had eaten once in The Office. We also played a rousing game of scrabble. I lost but it was only because he took my spot at the end of the game. I came from behind and then it stayed close till the end. Oh yes, it was Brian Atchison's and Papa Joe's birthdays--so Happy Birthday to you both! We love you very much! Okay, well that's a positive note to end on, so that's where I'm ending. Hope you have/are having a good week!

It's early

2009-01-24T08:23:00.002-05:00

Doust my ears deceive me? Do I hear Daniel waking up at 8:30?---We'll see. It's early. I woke up at 7:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. I had an interesting dream. I was hosting an art gallery showing in the bottom of St. Joe's gym. It was successful and everything was closed up. During the night, our friend Max broke into the gym and was starting to take the art pieces. For some reason I went there to check on them and caught him in the act. I asked him what he was doing and he said his grandmother was getting married and she didn't have enough money for a reception so he was trying to make her reception special. I told him not to take the art, that we would have the reception here. There were plenty of leftovers and we could make it work. So, we all got busy decorating and I must say as of when I woke up, it was really looking good. I won't into those details because it's too long but it was lovely. (My ears deceived me!)

I'm not sure if I mentioned this yet, but my temp job got extended for at least two weeks, maybe three. So this week was one of those weeks--I will be there at least through next week. The job that I thought they were putting my resume in for, didn't pan out. It turned out they hired someone the day they asked me about it. But, I was told a few days ago that they were putting my name in for another job in Fairfax. Maybe that one will work out. We'll see.

Other than that, nothing much exciting has happened here. It was a little warmer this week but it's gonna be cold again next week. We did go to the inauguration concert on Sunday and we were slightly disappointed. The speakers and screens weren't timed together so it echoed a bunch and turned out to be rather muffled. We didn't stay for the whole thing but we did hear Bruce, Denzel Washington, Jamie Fox, Martin Luther King III, and someone else, but I can't remember who. On Monday, we watched a movie or two and just hung around the apartment. It was too cold to go out--it snowed on Monday. Nothing really stuck though. The pond outside our complex froze over and stayed white with snow. Okay, well I guess that's it. We are supposed to meet some friends for dinner tonight. We are both looking forward to that! Ttyl. Love you!

It's been awhile...

2009-01-18T09:09:00.004-05:00

To all those reading, we are super sorry that we haven't been keeping up. With everything that has been going on, time has just flown by. At any rate, I will try to get you caught up with what has been happening with us the last several months.

In November, we loved seeing a large number of Daniel's family. They were here to see Uncle Bill and Janet get married. It was a lovely wedding and the reception was fantastic. We had a 5 course meal which was to die for. It was one of the best meals I've ever had. I tried something new--a quail's egg and I tried to try lobster, but it just didn't work. I had a physical/emotional response to it and Daniel had to get it off my plate. Hat's off to him for that. We celebrated Susan and mine's birthday while everyone was here and Daniel made me a red velvet cake while I made Susan a german chocolate cake. If I must say, they were de-lish. Since everyone was in town days before Thanksgiving, we went ahead and celebrated early. We had 12 people enjoying Thanksgiving dinner. We had deviled eggs, turkey, ham, squash casserole, green beans, cranberry salad, rolls, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, dressing, and I feel like there was more but I can't remember. I have a picture that I intend on posting. On Thanksgiving day, Ben and Celi drove down to have spend the weekend with us. Again, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a lovely dinner--green bean casserole, pineapple casserole, dressing, turkey, ham, rolls, cranberry salad, pumpkin and pecan pies and leftover cake. Ben and Celi also joined us at Old Dominion which is the Alabama alumni spot to watch the Iron Bowl. That was a good day and a happy victory! That about does it for November.

In December, we ventured to Alabama for the first time in a while for MawMaw and Mr. Gene's wedding. The ladies that helped put on the reception did an excellant job and it seems that all the planning paid off. We enjoyed getting to see everyone and I even got to meet some of Daniel's family that I had never met before. On the 12th, I had my work party --which I got to help plan and then on the 17th we got to go Daniel's work party. Right in between those two parties, I lost my job. Because I was still "on contract" with staffing agency, I found out about my job on my lunch break and was told I couldn't go back or make contact. That was the worst part of it all. I didn't get to say bad and I know my boss at Beeline, felt the same way. I know it was difficult for her too. I have been able to stay in contact with several of them their, so that's been good. We plan to have lunch next week. Anyways, that was that and I realize that their was a reason for it--just figuring out what that is, is the key. It was kind of a blessing in disguise because just in a few days we were leaving to drive home. So, it gave me extra time to wrap presents, finish those last minute items, do some baking, clean-up around the apartment, and pack--plus we could take an extra day or two to be at home. We left Friday night and drove through the night to B'ham. We made really good time and it worked pretty well. We were Daniel's family Saturday through Wednesday morning (Christmas Eve) and with mine from Christmas Eve til Monday morning. We celebrated Christmas with the Atchison's on Tuesday evening and ordered food from Jim N' Nicks. Elizabeth got to open her presents first, then we ate, then we watched "The Gift", and finally opened the rest of our presents. I think we all fared out pretty well. On my side, we opened gifts on Christmas Eve at G & G Eckl's, had Christmas lunch at Peepa's and played dirty santa, Christmas dinner at the Eckl's again, and on Friday morning we opened gifts at home. We let Samanatha and Chloe open their gifts on Christmas morning. Watching all three nieces open gifts was really cute and fun. Their faces were the best part. I got the stomach bug on saturday night and so instead of driving part of the way on Sunday like we planned, we ended up driving it all on Monday. I felt better Monday but I still felt nauseated several times throughout the week even though I could eat pretty normally. Daniel had to go back to work on Tuesday and Wednesday and was off for New Year's and then had to go back to work on Friday.

Now we are in January and I resumed the process of job hunting. I've had two temp jobs so far and I'm still on one right now. They have found a possible job and were submitting my resume for it, so we'll see what turns up. We had our first snow this past Tuesday. It didn't do a lot but just kind of cover the ground. Didn't hurt the roads or anything. The big talk up here is the Inauguration. All the planning, the events, traffic, can the metro handle it, etc. I'm really ready for some other headlines. There's a big concert lineup today and we were thinking about going but it's so cold and it's gonna be packed out with people! We took down our Christmas tree yesterday--it was kind of sad, but suddenly we have so much more room in our apartment. You wouldn't think that a Christmas tree makes that much of difference but in a small apartment, it really does. We also had a major overhaul--cleanup here. It really needed it, I feel like spring cleaning has come early. We invited Uncle Bill and Aunt Janet over for dinner. I made a loaded baked potato soup with broccoli, cheese, sour cream, and taco meat for toppings. Daniel made cake squares for dessert. We also went to church last night. So, I guess that kind of catches everyone up. Oh yes! Daniel is still on assignment with the Dept of Ed, but he got to move to another job there and I think he likes it better than where he was before. I'm looking into taking the possibly taking the GRE or MAT with a friend who wants to take it too. I think that's where we are at now. Again, sorry for the long delay but hopefully we'll do better. Love you all!

We're back!

2008-12-04T21:56:00.003-05:00

After a long hiatus, we have returned with a new post. We are leaving tomorrow morning, bright and early (6:00 am), to fly to Birminghm via beautiful Detroit. We're looking forward to seeing our family and the wedding. We're also looking forward to Jim n' Nicks tomorrow afternoon! When we get back, we'll post some pictures and post about our trip back home.

2008-10-26T21:41:00.003-04:00

Last week has gone by pretty fast. I've started my job and I really enjoy it. The people have been wonderful. Helen and Kelly took me out to lunch on my first day. I'm starting to learn more about the company and understand the different facets of the division. It was a little slow on Thursday and Friday, but hopefully once I get security clearance within the company, I will be able to do more things. Don't get this confused with governmental clearance--it's not that. Anyways, on Friday evening Daniel had to work late--well not really late but had a AIMS meeting and a happy hour thing. I came home from work and read a book. On Saturday, we had our Sams date and then came back home. I took a nap and then we left to go to the game in DC. We drove to the metro center and rode in. At Old Dominion we met up with several people and we finally caught up with one of Brian's old pals from 'Bama, Chris. It was great to talk with him and Daniel got to meet him as well.

We asked Uncle Bill to come over for dinner on Sunday, except that we found out that Janet was in town too, so we had an early lunch today with them because Janet's flight was at 2 or 2:30. We went to 9:30 mass and then came home and got ready for lunch. I got up early this morning and put a roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions in the oven, and then we also had english peas and cornbread. For dessert we had vanilla ice cream with strawberries. It was good. After Uncle Bill and Janet left, we went to the library and returned some shoes that I had bought for Daniel that didn't fit. We tried to get them in a different size but they didn't have them. I dropped Daniel off at our apartment and went to Target. I had to find some kind of halloween shirt for work on Thursday. We are having a big Halloween party for the kids at work with games, crafts, movies, food, and trick or treating. Tonight we've just been doing a little laundry and getting things straightened up around here. This Friday, we have tickets to the Coldplay concert--someone Daniel's been wanting to see for a really long time now. We can't believe it's only a month until Uncle Bill's and Janet's wedding. We go to Ben and Celi's not this coming weekend, but the next and then they will come down here for Thanksgiving. We can't wait to see everyone! So, I guess that's it for now. We hope everyone has a great week!

Oh happy day! (Oh happy day!)

2008-10-14T20:31:00.002-04:00

Today was a good day. I had my interview today at 11 and it went really well. At 1:10, I was walking out. I really enjoyed meeting the different people I would be working with and they told me straight up that there was another person they were interviewing. However, I guess I left a super great impression because by 4:00 after their other 2:00 interview, I had a call from the staffing agency saying that the company really wanted me to work with them and I accepted. I start Monday!! We are still working out some of the details, but the important thing is that I have a job and I'm really excited about it. I really feel comfortable with the people I will be working with and the atmosphere. It's a nationwide company so I could potentially move and still stay with them. The best part of it all is that I will be able to help my boss plan different events whether it's for the office or if it's for a bigger company event. So, Daniel and I went out to Carrabba's to celebrate. Well that's all for now. TTFN!

A little while longer...

2008-10-12T22:22:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since we've wrote. Let me try to get you caught up. Last week Daniel got to go to 'bama to help with interviews and got to spend the weekend with his family. He also got to see Brian, Janie, and Sam. We sent Elizabeth's very much belated and Sam's birthday present with him. He said both of them seemed to really like their gifts. Sam enjoyed her batteries more so than the puzzles...yes, these puzzles require batteries and Elizabeth enjoyed doodling on her Doodle pad. Daniel took lots of pictures while home and I really liked seeing how much Elizabeth and Sam have changed. I couldn't believe it. While he was home in Alabama, I went to the library, checked out the mall, Tyson's corner, and rented a few movies. I saw Definitely, Maybe--it was quite good and I also really liked Jane Austen's Book Club. It's a little different and takes a little bit more time to get into it, but by the end of it, I really enjoyed it. I think it would help more or be a little bit more entertaining if you have read Austen's novels but you can still follow it and the point that it's trying to make.

This past week, well nothing too exciting. Except for Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Daniel woke up and began to get ready for work. He did the usual wash his face, fix his hair and all. Then, when he went to the closet to figure out what he was going to wear for the day, he realized that it was only 3:00 am. Since he had already put gel in his hair, he got a washcloth, put it on his pillow and went back to sleep. He says that he thinks he heard an alarm clock in his dreams. (At least that's what he says happened. I have no idea because I was actually asleep through it all. He typed all of the previous.) Oh and I got a call Friday afternoon while washing my car, for an interview on Tuesday.

Friday we went to Sam's as per our usual. On Saturday we decided to be a little adventurous and head to Baltimore. We parked at the Baltimore airport and took the light rail the rest of the way in. I think we've decided that wasn't the best way in the long run. We walked around the Inner Harbor and Fell's Point. We found a pub called Kooper's Corner to have lunch at and then a little gelato shop afterwards. Fell's point was pretty neat with all the cobblestone streets and old style brick buildings. There were streets that were so picturesque, something you would see in a real estate magazine. Today, we went to Cox Farms with our friends Astu and Rishi. They have all these giant slides, animals, a fake corn maze, pumpkins, a hay ride, and some entertainment. We went on this really huge slide--it was really really fun. I was disappointed in the pumpkin selection but the apple cider that they make was fantastic. We got all the apple cider and apples we wanted for free. That was tasty. I must say, they don't really know how a hay ride works and I was a little sadden by the shape that some of the animals were in. I haven't seen a cow that way unless they were sickly and same thing for the goats. It kinda made me sad. Anyways, the afternoon was fun and something different to do. When we got home, Daniel cleaned the bathroom and I cleaned the kitchen and cooked dinner. I made spaghetti and it was quite tasty. I don't know what made it so different this time, but it was really good. (not to toot my own horn or anything but we both really liked it) Oh yeah, and somehow my big pyrex dish broke. It was in one of our cabinet drawers with plenty of room and everything, but it shattered. The only thing we can think is that enough heat from the oven caused it to shatter. It's not a drawer that we go into at all-- I mean the only thing in it was the pyrex dish, our serving pieces, and a few jar rings. I don't get why it broke. Oh well. A mystery that we'll never understand. Well I guess that's it. We'll try to get a few new pictures up soon.

Don't spill the grits.

2008-09-29T10:38:00.003-04:00

Last night I had the brilliant idea to spill the grits. I know what you're thinking. Why would spilling the grits be brilliant? Well let me just tell you of the many advantages of why to spill the grits. Despite the over-spilling in the microwave and the fact that the grits are boiling lava hot and can produce many speckled and splattered shaped burns on one's arms and legs, you can find much laughter, amazement, and joy in life. Those three things usually come after the shouts and tears from the much wanted pain that you will receive. Now, back to those three wonderful things that come after---the advantages. Please, to really enhance the advantages, use a plastic rubbermaid dish that becomes pliable when it warms for best results. Of course after asking if you're okay, the laughter comes after your husband comes out and looks at you with a rather confused look and then the two of you look around to see the damage. It's amazing how one serving of grits that falls to the floor, just 3ft down, can spread to the walls on the opposite side of the kitchen to the tune of as tall as 6ft and get in all the cracks and crevices of the cabinetry. But wait! Then it hits! BAM! The amazement. Can you feel it? You'll find, for the ultimate experience, to drop the grits about 2 ft from the end of the counter. That way when you go to the closet next to the end of the counter to get the mop and look towards your nice and clean living room which is behind, to the right of, and blocked by the 2 ft of counter, you'll have a nice surprise awaiting you on the carpet. Now, for the final advantage--joy. Ah, the joy you will feel after you clean for an hour to get all those tiny little grains up. They make such a nice coating on the floor and it's such a great feeling to know how soft the floor has become. You'll look around and be completely satisfied--no not exhausted--but satisfied to know your kitchen is sparkly clean. Then you'll feel like your day is complete.

Laugh of the day...

2008-09-24T22:08:00.002-04:00

So, Daniel made a funny. Here's how it goes:

Me: I didn't see the gooses (yes, I say gooses) anywhere today.
Daniel: I'll be your gooses. Onk! Onk! Onk! Onk! Onk! (While he's making his goose noise, his hand is opening and closing like the goose's mouth.)

Okay- so if that doesn't make you laugh...well you need to use your imagination more! 'Cause it was funny for me. The "onking" came outta left field.

Well I've been working the temp job the last 2 days and it's going pretty well. It's the same stuff day in day out of just entering a large amount of data into an excel spreadsheet. Each entry has between 20-25 pieces of information to enter. I think I'm averaging about 25 entries and hour. Not great but, not bad. There's a lot of deciphering. Most of the information is foreign so there's a lot of figuring out the order of stuff especially when it comes to the addresses. I think it's taking longer then they expected and I think they thought there would be more of the information pre-entered. When I started they told me that I should find a lot of the names already on the computer...not the case. Anyways, it's money and it does feel good to be working. I've realized how much I've missed working.

I hope everyone is doing well. We miss everyone so much. We especially miss seeing our little nieces grow up -walking, crawling, talking, and all the fun things of growing up. I look at the pictures online and I can't believe how much each of them have changed! Three little cute girls! Talk to ya later!

Nothing creative today...

2008-09-22T22:41:00.002-04:00

It's been a little bit since we last wrote, so we have some catching up to do. Daniel's been in a testing phase so he's had a few later nights and earlier mornings, but not as bad as before. He's only had to stay a little later a few times. The metro has been having some repair work done and this morning it took him 2.5 hours to get to work. As for me, I've signed up with a staffing agency and they are helping me to look for a job. In the meantime though, they call me when a company needs some part-time or last minute help and I get to work even though I don't have an official job. I interviewed/screened and took all the computer tests on Thursday with them. I had a interview with Wachovia on Friday and I think it went pretty well. Hopefully, I will hear from them soon. The staffing agency found a place for me to work for a few days and that starts tomorrow. It'll be some data entry from what I know, but maybe it could turn into something else. At least I'm making a little money.

This weekend was nice. We had our weekly date night to Sam's on Friday. We like to "eat out" and walk around the store. Kinda sad, but we have fun and that's all that matters. On Saturday, since the game was at 12:30 our time, we went to DC to the alumni spot. It was pretty fun and we really enjoyed the atmosphere and hanging out with all the Alabama fans. It felt like we were kinda home and watching the game with our closest friends. Daniel knew a guy there that was one of the project managers while he was still in school and so we sat with him. I recognized a few people, but that was about it. I'm not sure if we will go this weekend since it's on national tv. I think this time around, we might try to drive to DC instead of taking the metro. It might be faster and then we wouldn't have to walk the streets late at night. That's why we waited until an early game before we went to DC. Sunday, we went to church and then Daniel was a good sport. He went to the mall with me while I looked around at shoes and clothes. We also checked out Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Linens and Things. Our LNT is closing so they have a decent sale going on we had a gift card to use up. We were able to get a nice, big, wooden rolling pin, tongs, and a wine opener. We also visited Target and enjoyed looking through all the Halloween, Fall, and beginning Christmas stuff. I found a delightful, fall table runner and finally, I mean FINALLY, some Kraft caramels. I've been looking for some of those since we've moved here. I was getting somewhat desparate and was either going to have Mom mail me some or get Daniel to bring some back after his visit to Tuscaloosa to conduct interviews for Accenture. (He'll fly down on Oct 2nd and he'll come back on the 5th.)

The weather has been absolutely beautiful here. It's been in the 70's since the beginning of last week. I've had the windows open since then with the air off. Janet will be in town this weekend and I know that we will be doing something with her and Uncle Bill. There's a new restaurant opening in the town center and I think Uncle Bill knows the owner so we will probably check it out Friday night. Well, I guess that's all I got for now. Have a good one!

More new pictures!!!!

2008-09-14T22:10:00.004-04:00

We've added some new pictures of the geese that we have been talking about for a while now. We finally got the camera out on a day when the geese were in the pond next to our apartment. Hope you enjoy!

We had a nice, relaxing weekend. We had dinner with a friend from work and her husband on Friday night here, in Reston. We got up on Saturday and went to Sam's to get a few grocery items that we were out of and then came back to watch some football. To our surprise, one of the sports bars in the town center (Americn Tap Room) had the Alabama game available! So, we went there Saturday night to enjoy another Alabama victory. Hopefully, they can get another win next week at Arkansas! Sunday morning, we went to church and then to Barnes & Noble. We then came back to the apartment to do a lot of laundry and made hamburgers for dinner. Not quite ready to return to the workweek, but I guess it has to come around at some point, oh well. Hope everyone is doing well and we look forward to talking with everyone soon!

New Pictures!!!!

2008-09-09T22:35:00.003-04:00

We just put up pictures of our apartment so that everyone could see it! Take a look!

Labor Day Success

2008-09-01T20:32:00.003-04:00

We've had a great Labor Day weekend! Maw-Maw is in town and it's been nice getting to visit with her. Friday was Judy's and Uncle Bill's birthdays. We went out to dinner with Uncle Bill, Maw-Maw, Tom, Kathy, and Michael to celebrate. Judy- Happy Birthday to you! I hope you enjoyed your day! Tom and Kathy are some of Uncle Bill's long-time friends and Michael is their son. We went to this place called Jasmine Cafe and it was really good. I enjoyed it. Afterwards, we met up at Uncle Bill's where Maw-Maw had made a German Chocolate Cake.

On Saturday, Maw-Maw and I went shopping. We went to Macy's, Penney's, Nordstroms, Lady Foot Locker, Zales, and Old Navy. I got a new pair of tennis shoes, a brown pant suit at an extremely good deal, and a shirt (courtesy of MawMaw). I also turned in my rings to have them soldered together at Zales. They said it would take about two weeks to get them back. MawMaw found her a pair of comfy pants, a shirt, and a suit. We really did find some excellent deals. We had a wholesome meal of McDonalds for lunch and then went to Wal-Mart. I think I have decided to give up on Wal-Mart here. You just think it's bad in B'ham, Tuscaloosa, or anywhere else in 'bama. Not the case! This Wal-Mart is awful! 'Course, I should have known better than to go on a Saturday afternoon, Labor Day weekend, with schools starting here tomorrow. Everyone was school shopping. But--it is really disorganized here too. So that doesn't ever help. Saturday evening Daniel and I grilled a steak, had a baked potato, broccoli, and squash for dinner while watching the Bama game. Roll Tide!! That was a great game. So much for the sucker who was a Clemson fan in our complex. HeeHee...she quickly took her flags off her truck. I'd like to think that it's because we have our flags up on our cars and porch. :) We both thought the team looked better than it did last year. I don't want to jinx us though so, I'll stop.

Sunday, we picked MawMaw up and went to church. I think we've decided to join this church now. We've really grown to like it and have adjusted to the small differences. I've learned the new mass parts. The things that do bother me still but I guess are negligible, is that not everyone joins hands at the Our Father, sign of peace isn't very welcoming in that people don't seem willing to shake hands outside of their own clan (I mean they do shake hands if you stick your hand out, but otherwise...I don't know, it just seems a bit awkward. Maybe that's 'cause we don't know anyone yet.), and finally the Priest sits down before the Eucharist is back in the Tabernacle. I guess he does that because it is such a large parish and for older folks, but it does bother me. And of course as always, people leaving early. I do like that after Mass is over the whole congregation (at least what's left) claps for the musicians. That's always appreciated. Anyways, Sunday evening we went over to Tom and Kathy's for dinner with them and Uncle Bill and MawMaw. It was delicious. I had barley for the first time. I liked it probably better than rice. It was different but in a good way. I think I might try cooking it sooner or later.

Today, we cleaned in the apartment and invited MawMaw and Uncle Bill over for dinner. We fixed sweet potato casserole, marinated some chicken in Dale's, broccoli, corn, blackeye peas, and crescent rolls. For dessert, we made a strawberry cake. It turned out pretty well considering it was my first time cooking a real layer cake in a gas oven. I think I'm finally getting the hang of cooking with gas. I know it cooks faster, but I think really deep down, I'm an electric girl. I don't like having the open eyes. I know these are on electric stoves too, but I think I want a solid surface whenever that option comes available for me to utilize. We've started to really get used to our little 4 in 1 grill too. We cooked the chicken and the steak on there the other night and it really does a great job. I mean it's not got that full grill taste but it works. On a more thrilling note, our toilet over flowed this morning. That was semi exciting but luckily I heard it and got the water turned off pretty quickly. Daniel got to sleep in til like 11 or 1130. I think he really liked his sleep. I talked with Brian for a little while this afternoon and got to hear Sam talk a little bit. Mostly some ooo's and gargles...the norm but I think it won't be long. She seems to be getting some of the right sounds out. I learned that she got another tooth within the last couple of days and that she's starting to try to pull up. That's so neat and I wish I could be there to see it! Congrats Sam!

Today is Day 1 of the Health-A-Thon. I weighed...did you? In actuality, we may need to post-pone the start a few days because of Gustav and because of Labor Day. I forgot that it's Labor Day and everyone probably had big plans of good food. Plus it was a big weekend for football. I don't know. We'll see what some of the consensus is. I sent out an email with the guidelines. I do hope everyone is doing well and that all family is safe from Gustav. I hear that Mom and Dad potentially had a large crowd, but now it's just looking like it may be Mary Margaret and Keith from New Orleans pending how much damage Gustav does. I know they are in Florence or at least should be in Florence now. Aunt Therese, I understand kinda went in the Northeastern direction , but not all the way to Florence like she had originally thought she would. Hopefully, the levees will continue to hold. Our prayers are with each and everyone in the storm's path.

I guess that's it for now. We miss everyone so much. We are looking forward to coming home at Christmas and seeing everyone on Daniel's side at Uncle Bill's wedding. I plan on taking some pictures of the apartment in the morning and getting those up tomorrow. So no more waiting...hopefully. TTFN. Love Always!

Good Eats, Hot Treats!

2008-08-23T22:05:00.002-04:00

Last night, Daniel and I went to Sam's. We treated ourselves to a piece of pizza each, a coke, and a coke-float---all for less than $6. Not a bad deal but not very healthy. We walked around Sam's and found some ciabatta bread. I'm gonna make some hamburgers and use those as my buns. I'm pretty excited about it. We also bought some popsicles--fresh fruit ones and they are quite yummy.

Today, I went to the farmer's market and got some squash, okra, corn, and peaches. I plan to make a peach cobbler at some point for Daniel. Later we went to this grocery store called Bloom. It was okay, but we both felt really weird there. There wasn't any music, the lights were dim, and very few people around. I mean the store was clean and everything was presented well, but something about it was just a little weird. We were glad to get outta there. It wasn't in a bad part of town or anything--I don't know, just weird. When we got home, I took a nap and Daniel watched the Cubs game. I got a special treat. Daniel decided to cook dinner for me tonight! He made homemade pasta! He made tortellini stuffed with beef and cheese boiled in beef broth with sauteed veggies--squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and onions. We opened a bottle of wine and it was quite delicious. While he was working on that, I went to Target to get a few things.

Tomorrow we will be having dinner with Uncle Bill and we can't wait to hear all about his latest trip. Uncle Bill and Janet have set a date- November 22nd. I think Steve, Susan and Elizabeth will be staying with us for the wedding so that will be pretty fun. Maw-Maw will be coming up here in a few days so we are looking forward to that. Well that'll do. TTYL

Diet-Off

2008-08-21T22:50:00.002-04:00

Okay- so I sent out a large email about the Family-Friends Diet Off. I think it could be a huge success, but all we need is participation. What is the diet-off you ask? Basically from Sept 1st to about Christmas time we are all going to work towards becoming healthy. There will be two pots each $5. One for the most weight lost and one for the highest percentage lost. So basically, $10 a person. The more people in the more you could win. You can lose the weight anyway you choose, but the basic idea is simply to move more. We will way in probably each week to keep it regular and to keep everyone motivated so everyone knows where they stand in the rankings. We've seen the different patterns develop in our family--cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, etc and we want to prevent this from happening. Yes, this is a bit of selfish motivation for us, but at the same time, I think this could be a fun exercise for everyone. If I missed sending the email to you, please let me know and I will pass it on.

For today, I had another interview. It went well and basically they want me to start Monday. However, I don't know that it is the best fit for me. We've talked about it and I think I'm gonna keep searching. When Daniel got home, we went to exercise and then I made a fantastic meal. We had broccoli, corn, boiled potatoes, and fried chicken--a healthy meal. :P You should try the chicken- I put some flour in a bowl and then added some pepper, a little salt, and a little lawry's seasoning and then mixed it up. I floured the chicken, then dipped it in milk, and then refloured again, and fried it in a little olive oil. Yum---very delicious. I must admit the boiled "tatas" were high on the list. I've always been a sucker for potatoes though. Right now, Daniel's reading his book "Playing for Pizza" and it looks like he is getting pretty close to the end. Oh--we did some laundry too. We are exciting people. BTW, sorry we didn't post for a while. The time really slipped by. I couldn't believe how long it had been.

Oh! Question for the day. Who are the VP running mates going to be? I'm interested to hear opinions. That's it. I think I'm going to bed. TTFN.

First Signs of Fall?

2008-08-20T20:50:00.006-04:00

Yes, that Maple is already turning out red leaves!!! I can't believe it. We may be in trouble. Last Saturday we went to the National Zoo which was really neat. We were disappointed because the Panda's never came out and the Lions and Tigers closed at 4 so we missed them. They also didn't have any penguins--so sad. But, we did get some neat pictures so we will be posting those in a bit. I heard Mom had a good birthday--she got some lovely orange roses that I'm hoping to see a picture of. She also told me that I needed to go see Mamma Mia. So I know she enjoyed that, but I'm sure she enjoyed seeing the grandbabies more--their own kids just don't count anymore I suppose. We've been pushed out. I must admit that it was a little tough calling home and knowing everyone was there and we couldn't be there to spend time with everyone. We do miss our family gatherings.

I had an interview today with a marketing group today and I have another interview tomorrow with another company. The first one went pretty well and they want me to come back to shadow someone. I expect tomorrow's interview to be somewhat similar as far as what I would be doing. I'm not sure if these two places are right for me, but I guess that's what interviews are for.

We had spaghetti for dinner and it was goooooood. We also went on a walk. The weather here is nice and cool. Daniel said early this morning that it was a bit on the cold side. We had a cold front come through last night and we will be in the low 80's this week. It's quite different from Alabama where we are used to stifling heat and shorts/t-shirt 'til November.

My bruise is almost gone. I have some more pictures for that. Oh look here's one. I think that was about Day 5--a nice crescent moon shape. 'Least I get to see the moon whenever I want. I'm just thankful I don't have something that vibrant on my knee now that I'm going to some interviews.

Michael, I just heard Tony Stewart got fined and put on probation. Oops! Friday is his last day at work before he starts at his new job. I know he is excited and I'm really happy that he's found something that is a better fit for him. Good luck with those tickets though. Jackie, I think you should totally fight the ticket that you got. It seems a bit ridiculous from how Mike described it. I would love to see some video of the Sam and Chloe if possible. I wanna see them movin' and grovin' now. Susan, thanks for the video and pictures- we like checking them out.

Be sure to check out our new pictures from our trip to the zoo! The red toad---amazing! He was huge! Probably at least two of my fists put together. That's a large toad.

Day Three...

2008-08-03T21:18:00.003-04:00

It's becoming quite the color palette. I rather like have a swatch book with me anywhere I go. Daniel stayed up for the USA vs Russia basketball game. It was at 3am this morning...I went to bed. We went to 11:30 Mass where they introduced the new music director there. After that, we went to Pier 1 and then to Barnes & Noble and finally to Best Buy. Daniel bought a new John Grisham book, "Playing for Pizza" and I got a couple of magazines. Stopped into Best Buy to try and change to a different phone plan, but no cigar yet. Daniel found Season 8 of Everybody Loves Raymond on sale and now he has a complete collection. I think he's pretty excited about that. I took a nap this afternoon while he watched the Cubs game.

We had dinner with Uncle Bill--it was very good. We had grilled chicken, fresh corn, salad, rolls, and fresh purple hull peas. He also made a peach cobbler for us. Tasty-we aren't going hungry here, that's for sure. We looked at the table Uncle Bill said we could borrow and we are hoping to get that here pretty soon. Almost got things in order where we can take some pictures. Daniel's currently watching the preseason football game (Redskins vs Colts). We've also got a load of laundry going too. I'm gonna finish checking out Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants when I finish this. (I'm really excited about the new movie coming out and Daniel said that he would take me to see it!) We are both excited about the Olympics starting soon. We both enjoy watching them so I'm sure that will fill our evenings pretty soon.

What do you think of the whole Brett Favre thing? We've been kinda following it too. It's so nerve racking---will he or won't he? Will he be with the Packers or will they let him move on? It's so stressful. What will we ever do?

Well I guess that's it. I'm sorry that last night's post ended so abruptly. I thought Daniel had finished it off, but oh well. It ended and now this will end too. TTFN

The many phases of a bruise...

2008-08-02T22:02:00.003-04:00

Yes, I have decided it might be great fun to see the progression of a bruise. So take a gander at Day Two. It's quite a pretty shade of purple and yellow and sore as well. I wouldn't be in this predicament if someone wouldn't push me down on the ice (not true!!)...

Today we went to several different stores. We went to Target to get a vaccum cleaner and found one that we did like, but I wanted to see how it compared to the one we had registered for so we didn't buy it yet. After Target, we went to Sam's, Wal-Mart, and Wegman's. We browsed around Sam's and looked at their vaccum cleaners and found one their we liked too. It turned out to be the one that we had registered for, so I will be going back to get it a little later this week. The good news is that it's $10 cheaper than Target---what a positive! Wegman's is a grocery store chain, but it has everything. It's really neat and I feel like it's got a lot of good deals when compared to some of the other grocery stores around. It's a little further out, but if you have to do quite a bit of shopping, it's worth it. The meat always looks so fresh and they have all kinds of different types there. You can have fresh meat cut for you and they will even grill stuff as well. It's kind of like a Whole Foods or Fresh Market, but better.

For dinner, we had crepes. We had pizza ones for dinner and for dessert we will have crepes with Nutella on them. It's very delicious. We did good with our recycling this week. I was quite proud of how much we had. I bought some green beans at the farmer's market this morning and we ended and snapped those tonight too. That's one little thing that I can do to have a taste of home here. At the market this morning, one of the workers gave me a "Cherokee" tomato---it's almost purple and the lady said that it would be a deep shade when you cut into it at least when it's ripe.

Ice Skating...

2008-08-01T21:59:00.004-04:00

Today is Friday, which is usually good, but today was really busy at work. I was glad to finally get home. Once I got home, Lauren had already made dinner (chicken casserole) and said she had a surprise for me. She said we were going somewhere, but didn't tell me where. She took me to a place here in Reston that has an indoor ice skating rink. From 7:30 - 9:30, anyone can go out there and skate for $10. I was a little nervous at first since I had never been ice skating, although I have roller bladed before. Needless to say, I was a pro....kind of. I never fell, which was pretty good, I must say. The little 3 year-olds were showing both of us up, big time. Lauren decided to get a closer look at the ice (a couple of times), showing it how good she was (or not). Which is why she currently has a bag of ice on her knee and a nice bruise to go along with it. But, all in all, it was a fun experience and when people come up to visit, it would be a neat place to go. Now, we are watching Cheaper by the Dozen 2 on FX.

Movin' along...

2008-07-26T20:50:00.002-04:00

Today was kind of relaxing. I got up and replanted my fern and petunias. Now they look pretty. After that, we hung picture around the apartment. However, we ran out of nails so I'm gonna have to get some tomorrow. Daniel cooked a lovely meal for me today. We had hotdogs, tater tots, and baked beans. It was pretty good. I've learned he doesn't like corndogs. Not really sure why, but I personally like the grease on a stick. We took a walk around the town center, stopped into Best Buy and finally at Harris Teeter-- a store along the lines of a Whole Foods. On our way back to the apartment, we stopped by the geese and "played" with them. Unfortunately, I think something has happened to "Harry" the Heron---Janie what did you do? I've been looking for him for about a week and half now and he hasn't come back. I guess I missed out on getting my picture. Maybe he'll come back soon. My china and stemware pieces that I purchased with the gift cards and the credits from repeat items came in today. I've got to open them up and make sure everything is okay. I also had some shelves on order from linens n' things and it came in yesterday. I think I'm going to hang those in a bit.

Tomorrow looks like we will be going to church and then maybe just browse around for awhile. I'm gonna get some new bed raisers so I can stick the rubbermaid drawers under there for some extra storage space. We the ones from school, I'm shy about 1 inch from making it work. Maybe I'll stick those under our bed for a little more height. I guess that's all from me. Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the blog. Love, DL

Rest assured, the real blogger is back!

2008-07-24T21:38:00.002-04:00

As I'm trying to right this blog, Daniel reads the title and spits across the screen. ('Least it got it's yearly cleaning.) Mom left on Wednesday to return home. It was really great having her here to help us go through stuff and make sense of where to stick things. We really want to thank Ben and Celi for helping us lug everything up the stairs. It took some time, but we did it and I'm extremely grateful for their help. I'm learning my way around--so much that Daniel even admitted that I might know how to get around better than him now. However, I have had my mess-ups. When I took Ben and Celi to the airport, I missed my exit off the free part of the toll road to get to my real exit...so I took the really really long way around, but I managed. I didn't have to call anyone or even stop. Man I'm good. Coming back from Baltimore (Mom's flight left from there), I accidentally took the exit for the free part of the toll road...oops. I guess I'm a criminal now...but at least I saved $1.25.

Well, I'm officially a Virginian now. Apparently, I'm for lovers. They tried to say I needed some other information--like my birth certificate--I quickly said that I had a marriage certificate wouldn't that do? And they said "oh yeah, that'll work too." I mean be somewhat helpful. It took me longer to get through the "gatekeepers" line then actually sitting for them to call my number. I was sitting for like 5 minutes and they called my number...I didn't have any of my paperwork done. So, I'm up there and tell the guy what I needed to do and all he did was give me one-worded answers. I didn't know what I was doing and so I was trying to understand- When I asked him if I was getting my title back (my original Alabama title)---he laughed at me and said "yeah." Heck, I didn't know how it all worked and I didn't get my original title back. I got a new one for Virginia. It's not as pretty as the Alabama title. Anyways, I now have my Virginia license, new title, ss card, temporary tag, and a new voter registration card on the way. The cool thing was that they made my license right there in about 5 minutes. No paper license. Although, I think their red pigment was a little off because now it looks like I have a severe sunburn. Oh well, such is life---at least I actually have my license.

I'm still slowly working through our stuff and trying to get things organized. It's coming together. The air conditioner man came to look at our unit to see why it wasn't blowing through some of the vents. Apparently it was still blowing, we just couldn't tell it cause our hand wasn't touching the vent. He says there is nothing wrong and I think he thought I was stupid. Tonight, we had dinner with one of Daniel's friends from work, Roger. It was very nice to meet him and I think I was used. We went to this Mexican restaurant where if someone at your table has never been there, then you get a free dessert-sopapillas. Well guess who had been there before and who hadn't? Pretty sure I was used, but the dessert was good. When we were driving home, we saw a fox in the middle of the road. It was trying to cross the street but it stopped in the middle while we drove by. It was a little one and kinda cute--not that I wanted it for a pet or anything. It was the first time I had seen a real fox and in that regard it was pretty cool.

Daniel didn't want to write/type anything tonight so I guess I'm spent. TTFN.

I'm back...

2008-07-19T15:20:00.002-04:00

Since I haven't posted in a while, as Janie reminded me, I thought I would fill everyone in on what's been going on. It's been a pretty busy week for me at work and trying to get the apartment ready for Lauren and Mrs. Mauter. Now, they're here, Ben and Celi got here this morning and we now have a full apartment, literally. It was a lot of fun (sarcastically) getting all of the boxes and furniture up to the third floor, we were very fortunate for all the help! We're in the middle of clearing some things up in the apartment and getting things organized....while watching American Idol Rewind. We're gonna go to Mass tonight at 5, then to the town center to see a concert that starts around 7. Our plan is to go into the city tomorrow and do some sight-seeing and see some museums. We'll fill you in on all that we did a little later. Now, it's back to work.

What women want...

2008-07-12T22:26:00.000-04:00

and coincidentally the movie we are watching. No reason for the title, I just couldn't think of anything more interesting. This morning we went to the farmer's market. It was pretty neat. We got some peaches, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and a loaf of sourdough bread. The bread is good. Then we were pretty much bums until we had to pick up Uncle Bill and Janet at the airport. Later we went to dinner with Uncle Bill, Janet, and Uncle Bill's neighbor and his son to Champ's. Daniel uploaded a slide show to our blogspot so check it out. It has a picture of the sad looking cake. Hopefully, it's a good laugh. There should also be some pictures from NY, Montreal, and Quebec. I'm gonna try to get some pictures of the suspected heron and the geese flock. We are planning to go to church and then check out the Reston Festival tomorrow. Okay, so I guess this is it for now. We are pretty blogged out today. Blah.

Daniel woke up stupid again...

2008-07-11T21:14:00.001-04:00

I spent much of the day cleaning and yet, I don't feel like I got much done today. Surprise! Surprise! I did three loads of laundry, ironed some...and still have more to do. I took some of Daniel's clothes to the cleaners...and now I'm $20.00 lighter....for four items! Maybe that's good, but I don't really think so. Tonight we had a good dinner--lemon pepper chicken, steamed broccoli, sweet potato (Sam would be jealous), and a salad. I also made a funfetti cake--daniel's favorite(apparently I'm not worthy of capital letters). That was fun and my cake looks really special. So, I don't exactly have our round cake pans here and I didn't want to do it the easy way in a 9X13 pan so I made three loaves of cake in a single bread pan. I think I need a little more practice at that one...it's quite sad. After dinner we went for a walk. We saw what Janie says is a heron......not really sure since she wasn't here or anything. One of the ladies in our complex has a dalmatian named Riley, he was a sweetheart. We also saw a bummy, which reminds me of my Grandpa. And finally, we saw some really pretty orange day lilies that were unlike any i have ever seen. They weren't like the ones at mom and dad's house, but more like a a real orange crayon or orange jello. BTW, I'm excited about seeing some pictures of the three trees that fell a mom and dad's. I know Dad took some, so I will try to post them when I get there. Maybe soon I will put some exciting pictures up on this site.

The Reston Festival is tomorrow and Sunday. They are setting up tents, different concerts, character drawings, arts and crafts booths, and daniel is really excited about the free balloon animals. I think I'm gonna try to check out the farmers market tomorrow. We are also supposed to pick up Uncle Bill and Janet at the airport tomorrow from their return from Italy.

Well today started off good...

2008-07-10T20:47:00.000-04:00

Daniel woke up being stupid! (Not quite true, but pretty close.) (Not true at all) I tried going to the DMV today, and well apparently getting your bank statement printed off on official letterhead with your new address is not enough...rather a true enough bank statement. It had to be mailed. My question is, how do they really know if it was mailed or not? Beats me. So, I went to the post office and put in some change of address forms and hopefully i will have something soon that they will accept. Till then, I can't get a new license or a temporary tag. I have been able to get my SS card changed. I came home after those fun experiences, and cleaned up a bit and rearranged the kitchen. Where, one of the drawers attacked my leg (i.e. she ran into it) and now i have multiple drawer shaped bruises. Then, a drink pitcher decided to jump off the counter and fall on my toe (funny how none of this has to do with something she did). It's quite a nice shade of red-- i'm glad I like red and it's various shades.

We had a good dinner of BLTs. Except, I made Daniel try the toms, because they smelled like freezer burn to me. And apparently, they tasted like it too (I don't recommend being the guinea pig in these situations). So, needlessly to say, we didn't have the Ts. I baked a few cookies and we had some ice cream with them. It was very good, if I do say so myself (they were Pillsbury, pre-made).

We got some green sofa covers! They look pretty good. We also got two new brown pillows. They are nice and fluffy. I'm ready to hang some pictures, I feel like we have a bunch of stuff in about six places. (To an extent, it's true. :) ) I went to the grocery store yesterday. That was fun and expensive. I knew it would be more expensive than back home, but, I guess i didn't think it would be that much of a difference. The only thing I can think of is that I hadn't really grocery shopped for a) two people, plus we didn't really have anything at the apartment and b) I haven't shopped for at least 2-2.5 months because of not wanting to have a lot of leftovers when I moved out and really seen the price changes that everyone has been talking about. Let me tell ya, I've seen it now.

--This is Daniel (also me in some of the parentheses' above). I had a regular day. Caught the bus at 7:30, the train around 8:00 and got to work around 8:45. You may think that's late to get to work...but I get there before everyone else. I'm glad tomorrow's Friday, it's been tough getting used to working again. I think I'm getting Lauren hooked on "The Office." She watches a couple of episodes every now and then with me. That's about all for me. I may think of something less boring to write about tomorrow.

First Post!

2008-07-09T20:01:00.000-04:00

We started our blog today! We'll get around to fancifying it at some point.