Don't Cry for Me Argentina

As I am at home doing laundry and picking up dogs from the groomer and washing dishes, Roo and Jess send their best via Blackbery from the front row of Phillips Arena in Atlanta. I suspect more pics will follow upon their return tomorrow.

Its beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving

If the Extreme team can makeover a house in an hour every Sunday, who was to stop us from mildly renovating our bathroom over the weekend? It started with our do-it-yourself painting of the guest bedroom that will house Roo's in-laws for Thanksgiving. My mom, step-dad and sister are driving up from Florida this week. Our prep list of to-dos is slowly shrinking...practice frying a turkey. Check. Paint the bedroom. Check. Stock up on groceries. Check. Clean the house...well lets not get ahead of ourselves. Roo and sis head to ATL tomorrow for their front row show of the Queen of Pop. Had we cleaned this weekend, my wife would not have returned to find the house in the same manner. So instead, we used the leftover bedroom paint to add some color to the master bathroom. Then we had to replace the mirror. Then we needed to change the color of the light fixture. Then we had to stain the cabinets. Let's add some of that grafiti art above the tub. Exit brass cabinet knobs. We probably need to replace some of the caulking around the shower. It took more than an hour, the project technically started on Tuesday and just wrapped up an hour ago. How do those folks at ABC do it?

Madge on Monday!

Is she a lucky star?!?

Yes that's my sis and yes WE will be sitting in the FRONT ROW at the Madonna concert in ATL on Monday.

6 Months

Happy 6 Month Anniversary to Us!!

I should be mad at you...

For coming into my life

and turning things every which way...

For flashing that smile

that melts my heart

and makes me forget

what I was saying...

...for the way

thoughts of you

constantly interrupt my days

and make it next to impossible

for me to focus

on anything

but the shape of your eyes

and the softness of your lips...

I should be mad at you...

but I'm just too busy

being in love with you.

Have a Little Faith

I had a potluck lunch meeting today at work. I needed a desert dish and Roo quickly stepped in and seized the opportunity to test out a Turkey day dish. We are hosting Thanksgiving this year with my mom and family coming up from Florida to stay with us for 5 days and Riley's parents joining us Thursday. My brother will be in attendance, though he's a regular 'round these parts when it comes to eating. I also reached out to a stranded co-worker that can't get back home to Ohio until Christmas. He accepted our gracious invitation. Holy cow Uncle Jesse, we'll have a full house. Needless to say, there is a lot riding on our first Thanksgiving. Roo is working on the menu as we speak and I'll be frying my first turkey this weekend as a test run. So back to my office feast, Riley has been working over the baby showers and holiday parties of recent months to fine tune her homemade chocolate-chip cheesecake. My waistline speaks for her cooking ability, but yet she was worried about the outcome of a Thanksgiving desert experiment: maple pecan pumpkin cheesecake. She was so worried it wouldn't work for my work that we whipped up a backup batch of cookies just in case plan A was a bust. At the luncheon, I carved the first slice to hide a crack in the crust on the side. I watched as the main entrees were consumed and the first few sweet-seeking stragglers browsed the desert line. It almost wasn't even fair. Riley's treat was up against an assortment of store-bought pies and cupcakes and candies. It only took one endorsement and the cheesecake was history. One of my cube neighbors suggested Riley should make and sell them. After hearing a brief version of the test run concerns, another office mate implied that Riley can cook with her eyes closed and not have to worry about the outcome. To start the day, I was worried I'd have to take too much home...at day's end, my only stress was being able to squeeze 5 minutes between client calls to clean the crumb-laden cake plate. The cheesecake was a huge success. Roo may have been surprised by my office results and perhaps also when she got a taste for herself on the slice I cut and saved, but I've always had faith in her ability to feed me. And now more friends from work want to come over for Thanksgiving.

...and the wine is bottled poetry..

Napa was absolutely amazing. Trip Favorites - Shramsburg, Prager Winery & Port Works, Milat Vineyards, and Fried Olives at Don Giovanni.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Dear UPS: We get it

Seriously, what is the deal with the whiteboard UPS commercials. Its a pretty straight forward concept, I need something delivered to someone and I give you some money and you take it there for me. I don't need a guy with a Cosby sweater and late 80s intellectual mullet to draw a picture demonstrating how mailing a pacakge works. It takes me longer to figure out what his stupid drawing means that it does to understand what it takes to send a package. The cartoon about how a bill becomes a law has more substance. What can brown do for me? Stop annoying me with this guy. I've moaned about this marketing migraine before...I think my present mood is partly to blame for this rant. The Bears lost another game they shouldn't have today. On various radio stations, Christmas music has started its 24-7 loop earlier than last year. Tomorrow, I'll be flying west just as Roo flies back east, our planes will cross pathes in the air. guess being apart for 11 of the past 14 days is what really has me down, not the Michael Bolton wannabe and his whiteboard. But seriously UPS, we all get how it works.

"Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it."

We're both traveling for work this week. I'll be spending the next 6 days in Napa while EJ will take a quick 2 day trip to Pittsburgh. I'm not sure what's on his agenda but here's a sneak peak of a few things that are on mine!!

This will be my first trip to Napa (actually my first trip to California period). I can barely contain my excitement! I hope the weather's nice in Pittsburgh.....

No Jokers or Palins or Werewolves, Oh My

Another Halloween has come and past and I am not sure what hit me. It started out like any other night, I got home around 4:45 to find Max and Kennedy's noses pressed against the window at the front door. I got the mail, straightened up the kitchen from Phil and Jessica's pizza lunch, fed the dogs, changed clothes, made a mix CD of Madonna to set the tone for Jess's costume, watched an old episode of King of Queens. The one where IPS is on strike and Doug, Deacon and Arthur are living it up remains my favorite episode. I literally laughed out loud and before I could stop the calm before the storm was over. A small posse had formed at the end of our cul-de-sac and our house was targeted. It was just past dusk when the first doorbell rang. I didn't have a gameplan drawn up let alone my Scarecrow costume on yet so I did what first came to mind...flung the door upon and thrust out the bucket of candy to the neighbors kids. About 3 hours, 4 Batmen, 16 princesses, 2 dead bridesmaids, 2 Ironmen, 12 Supermen and 1 Winnie the Pooh later, I am nearly out of candy and exhausted. I managed to contain the dogs between the baby gate at the top of the stairs and the closed gates on the back deck. I watched Fright Night (a terrible 80s vampire horror) and did a crossword puzzle as waves of tricker and treaters ebbed and flowed. I had barely made it halfway through the downs before it seemed the Great Pumpkin had come and gone. I was amazed to see the bottom of the candy bucket. Almost equally amazed to have NOT seen any Joker or Sarah Palin costumes. The night went by fast, as did the week, which means Roo's trip to Phoenix was over before I knew it. I hate she missed the big night. Is perhaps a trick-or-treat session in order this time next year with a Buzz Lightyear of our own? Maybe next year is too soon, but add this to the list of reasons I am ready for a Baby Roo...I don't want Roo to have to miss all of this because of work next year. I want to be part of the cul-de-sac trick-or-treat posse. But then, who would be here to give out all of our candy?

From Gate A13

I'm headed home after an amazing week at the J&W Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. My company's national meeting was held there this week and after 3 days of meetings, awards, AMAZING food, and absolute FUN I am ready to get home. I'm not looking forward to the 4.5 hour flight....as I type this I'm hoping the poodle skirt clad gate attendant will hook me up with a first class upgrade.


I spent the afternoon yesterday riding in a jeep through the desert. LOVED IT!!! We saw a gigantic jack rabbit and even heard coyotes howling in the distance. It was blazing hot and I wish they would have told us we needed to wear real shoes (I didn't think we'd be getting out of the jeeps so of course I wore my Rainbows).

I'm looking forward to getting home tonight just in time for trick or treaters. I hope EJ remembered to buy some candy.....

Countdown to NAPA: 4 DAYS!!!!

The countdown is almost over...

I'll be here by noon tomorrow....

How about a little fire, Scarecrow?

The ability aka talent to quote movies line for line is something I am very proud of. Groomsmen Page and I can have a conversation entirely in movie script. Roo fails to appreciate this skill. I have no doubt she was ignoring it during Friday night’s viewing of Gladiator because I was lending a helping hand in the kitchen prepping for a baby shower we hosted Saturday. It was a Halloween-theme shower with good food and great friends. What I took most from the event was an advancement on when I might want to add someone new to the household of EJ & Roo. We both want kids, there is no dispute there…but we know we probably need to wait a little while and get everything in order in the house that we still have 28 years and 10 months to pay for. However, if having a kid means Roo will spend more energy on dressing a child up than decorating me and the dogs, I am all for it before next Halloween. I kid, of course, as Roo’s creative touch is one of the many things I truly appreciate about her. For Halloween, she has done a great job of transforming our home into the Land of Oz. Friday’s epic of dishing out tricks and treats will star Roo as Dorothy, myself as the Scarecrow, Max as the Tin Man and Kennedy as the Cowardly Lion. And as I write this, I am informed that future Halloween’s with little EJ’s running around the house will only add to the cast giving us munchkins and flying monkeys. So it looks like it for years to come I’ll need to try to keep my sleeves of straw away from the candles which I failed this year by the way. Roo warned me several times that I needed to mind my outfit around the food and fire. “I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers, consultin' with the rain. And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts were busy hatchin' if I only had a brain.”

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it."

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

You were my first love,

always there for me

You taught me how to walk and how to dream

God gave me your eyes

But it was you who taught me how to see

Now I can stand on my own

But I know that you'll never let go

I'll always be your baby

No matter how the years fly by

The way you love me made me

Who I am in this world

I'm a woman now, not a little girl

Wherever this life takes me

I'll always be your baby

You are my hero and that will never change

You still can dry my tears with just a smile

The one I've leaned on

From my first steps to walking down the aisle

Now there's another man in my life

But I know by the look in your eyes

I'll always be your baby

No matter how the years fly by

The way you love me made me

Who I am in this world

I'm a woman now,

Not a little girl

Wherever this life takes me

I'll always be your baby

Your faith, your love

And all that you believe

Have come to be the strongest part of me

And I will always be your baby

Anyone hiring?

I’ve been thinking about getting a second job. No, not because of the recent economic hiccup or because I'm not happy and successful in my current position, not because I want a bigger TV or a faster car. I have no intention of investing a dime more than my employer matches. Have you checked your 401K lately? I could use a second income so that Roo wouldn’t have to bring one in at all. And before you get excited about a super sweet hubby post, I must confess the reasoning for such is slightly selfish. Of course, I love having the Mrs. at home as opposed to her being on the road solely for the sake of having her home, don't get me wrong, but if I could have her home all the time, I’d eat like a king. She’s outdone herself this week with some new menu items added to the mix and complimented by some old favorites. We also had movie night on a Tuesday. We’ve walked the dogs around the neighborhood every day this week. So while I may have to share the tv and dvr a little more, a play a little less xbox with Riley around, I would gladly trade the Call of Duty 4 and the plasma for a stay at home mom. I’d even offer to cook a little more.

Fall Photos

Kennedy & Max

This guy is scaring the heck out of the neighborhood rugrats.

We've Been Boo'd

We woke up Sunday morning to find this on our doorstep!

We decided to jazz ours up a little.

Visit www.boograms.com to get your own BOO!! We're off to BOO 2 of our neighbors!!

In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.

It seems like yesterday I was holding you mere hours after you were born.

I will always be your #1 Fan.

You've grown to become such a beautiful young woman.

Your sense of fashion and love for shoes is amazing. You were the best maid of honor a girl could ask for.
I thank God everyday for giving me such an amazing sister. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

The Great Debate

Me again. And the last thing I would do is try to make any kind of political statement here but given the times and the latest debate fresh in our minds, it kind of steered my thought process this morning. I don’t post as often as Roo nor did I realize anyone else was really reading this. I tend to get inspired by a thought or moment and put it in virtual ink so that I can look back later and remember it all. Time is really flying by, I can’t believe it has been 5 months. A great 5 months and I want to hang onto all the memories, so my posts here tend to be more of a moment that moved me or an idea that inspired me or just something that made me smile. I guess we could argue as to the purpose of our posts but why debate that? I made the mistake of mentioning the Presidential race at work and forget the battlefield, the civil war was reenacted right before my eyes. Riley and I rarely talk politics. I know how she feels and not so sure how I feel…especially about politics as it relates to our relationship. Roo and I don’t agree on everything…like the amount of humor found in the Family Guy. We agree to disagree on how good a driver I am. The definition of a clean bathroom registers a little differently between the two of us. I hold a generally optimistic and go with the flow, laid back sort of spirit while Roo is definitely more organized and structured. She loves butter beans, I hate peas. I don’t know how we ever watched TV without HD, she can’t really see a big difference. I’m an early riser, she not so much. We certainly disagree on where Star Wars rates on the list of all-time great movies. And of course, like any couple, we have our disagreements that come and go, some faster than others. I admit I am guilty of pushing buttons sometimes, especially when it comes to getting in the last word. In our pre-wedding counseling, the preacher told us that the most successful marriages are made up of those that don’t always see eye to eye, opposites not only attract but also attach. With Riley, I may not see everything the same way…but in Riley, I see everything. And there’s no debating that.

Can't believe it's been 5 months...

"I love being married. It's so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life." - Rita Rudner

Go DAWGS!

No I'm not a Georgia fan but I am officially a fan of Athens, Georgia. I'm here on a work trip and had the pleasure of dining at Harry Bissett's tonight for dinner. All I can say is that my Carpetbagger Steak (Filet topped with fried oysters and Bearnaise sauce) was DELICIOUS! If I could go back to college (as an 18 year old) I would definitely consider the University of Georgia. The campus is beautiful and the surrounding area is full of awesome restaurants and bars. Don't get me wrong I love my alma mater - GO EAGLES! - but this college town is pretty awesome!

Mmmm...Pimento Cheese

Since I'm not traveling until later this week I was able to enjoy an amazing lunch with one of my old coworkers today. I'm a born and bred southern girl and this southern girl is a sucker for some homemade pimento cheese. NOFO on Liz is a lunch spot I frequented when I worked on a daily basis in Charlotte -- since my job keeps me on the go now, I don't get to go as often as my stomach would like!! The Grilled Pimento Cheese with Tomato & Applewood Smoked Bacon is the reason I keep going back! I topped it off with a side of potato salad and a big glass of sweet tea. Yum! If you're ever in Charlotte, specifically the Elizabeth area, I highly recommend NOFO on Liz.

NOFO on Liz - LOVE the Decor!

~ Roo

Happy Birthday to the Future Mrs. Connor

Happy Birthday to my favorite karaoke partner!! I'm so excited about the year that's in store for you and can't wait to stand beside you on your special day.

Where did the weekend go???

Max & Kennedy got much needed hair cuts on Saturday. They both enjoyed our ride home from Petsmart hanging out the windows with the wind blowing their freshly groomed hair! Too cute!!

We enjoyed a pretty relaxing weekend. Ordered pizza Friday night and watched SATC for the third time. Spent Saturday cleaning the house and went to dinner at a local dive Saturday night. We officially became members of First Baptist this morning and were recognized in front of the congregation. We're so happy to have found our church!! After church EJ & I went to lunch at McAlister's followed by grocery shopping. We tried two new recipes for dinner and they were delicious -- Hamburger Steak with Sweet Onion Mushroom Gravy & Three Cheese Potatoes. Definitely keepers! Back to another work week tomorrow. Glad to be in the home office Monday and Tuesday. Headed to Athens, GA on Wednesday for work. I've never been to Athens so if anyone has any restaurant recommendations please share!! Where did the weekend go???

Happy Anniversary!!

Happy Anniversary to Roo's Mom & Dad!

Here's to many more years to come.

We love you guys!!

Let the Countdowns Begin

19 Days!

JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa - Phoenix, AZ

26 Days!

And they're both work related trips so my unlucky husband can't go!! Think he'll forgive me if I bring him back a cool tshirt?!?

From Gate E37

Blogging today from the ATL airport waiting on my connecting flight to Albany, GA. Just a recap of our eventful weekend!! * I can't stand the ATL airport.*

Saturday

Yard Sale - Wasn't a HUGE success but my sister and I managed to rake in around $160. Still have a ton of clothes to get rid of. Our neighborhood holds an annual Fall Yard Sale so we may hold on to everything until then or make a donation to the Salvation Army.

Yard Work - Wrapped up the yard sale around noon and headed to Home Depot. We'd been talking about doing a little landscaping for months and the yard work bug hit us on Saturday. We bought pine bark nuggets to freshen the flower beds and small hay bales & gorgeous mums to decorate our entryway for the fall (photos to come later!). Our estimates were off on how many bags of bark nuggets we needed so we'll be heading back to Home Depot at some point this week or weekend to get more. EJ finally removed a horrible bush that was planted right outside our doorway -- it was so big! What we've done so far looks amazing though!!

Sushi & Who's Bad - After our long day of Yard Sale and Yard Work we got dolled up for a night out on the town to celebrate my good friend Jessica's birthday. Our night began with sushi and sake bombs at an amazing restaurant called Nikos. Great sushi, great music, amazing atmosphere, and a great big bill but it was well worth it. If you're ever in Charlotte check it out!

Sake Bombs at Niko's

We wrapped up our evening at Amos' Southend. A Michael Jackson cover band known as Who's Bad was playing. They weren't that great but we enjoyed ourselves. Actually we enjoyed ourselves a little too much and spent our entire Sunday recovering.

Michael Jackson (wannabe) in all his glory.


Sunday

Wasted the entire day away napping on the couch watching movies and recovering from our night out. We are both plenty old enough to know better and we were very disappointed in ourselves for missing church. We've been visiting a church by our house for the past 3 months. We've been praying that we would be able to find a church where we could grow as Christians, meet young couples, and get involved in our community. We were to able get out of our funk yesterday afternoon to attend something the church calls "Dinner with the Pastor." Along with a few other folks we enjoyed a great dinner while getting to know the pastor and his wife as well as other church leaders. All of our questions about the church were answered and by the end of the evening we made the decision to become members through transfer of letter. We both were still members at our childhood churches. We are very excited and will officially be welcomed into the church family on Sunday. Keep us in your prayers as we start another new journey together!!

I Just Don't Know What to Do With My Time

Most of you will have to excuse the nature of this message. It doesn't quite follow shiny, happy, feel good posts Roo has been laying out here lately. Its hard to come up with the right words to describe how I am feeling today. You invest so much time and energy and emotion into a relationship only to be let down and it truly leaves you at a loss. I have spent most of the year, at least since spring...no, actually I have spent pretty much my whole life waiting for this to happen. And everything seemed to be going so well, the stars were aligned, the pieces were falling into place...and then the bottom drops out...again. 1984...1989...1998...2003...2007...2008? Every year, as a Cubs fan, you wait til next year. And when next year rolls around, as a Cub fan you naturally ease through even a slightly successful season with at least a hint of hesitancy. And here we are in October 2008 with the Cubs as postseason favorites to win it all and end a 100 year title drought and end a quarter of that century's worth of this fan's agony only to find the Cubs down 2-0 to the Dodgers. The Cubs didn't just lose the first two games of best of five either...they looked awful. No curses can be blamed here, they just stunk...at Wrigley nonetheless. So I sit here and wonder, while Roo is outside selling away our belongings that perhaps we held on to for too long, I am holding on too tight to the dream that one day the Cubs will win it all? If there truly is no Miracle on Addison St...and it will seemingly take a miracle at this point...what do I do with myself? What do I do with my time? The thought of going through the entire 2009 season really makes my head and heart hurt because we'll just be doing it all over again.

I just don't know what to do with myself. Going to the movies only makes me sad...because the last movie I saw, I saw by myself. Its my fault though. Choice really. The last movie I saw as the theater was Iron Man. Watching the screen next door were Roo and sister Jess, enjoying Sex and the City. Last weekend, there was discussion of going to see the new Nicholas Sparks movie. We didn't go and it may be partly my fault. Batman wasn't playing at the same time. Now that we're married, are movie dates over? Make no mistake, I enjoyed going to see the Notebook with Roo. I even read the book. But does that establish diplomatic immunity from being subject from sad stories ever again? Or would I enjoy a full series of sappy Sparks flicks more than yet another Cub-less World Series?

Moments

EJ and I are huge fans of Wonderful Graffitti - visit their website at http://www.wonderfulgraffitti.com/. We purchased two graffitti pieces for our home and can't be happier with the end result. These folks have an amazing customer service team as well. We weren't happy with the colors of the graffitti we purchased for our dining room -- they were horrible. I sent an email to customer service and a new one was shipped within 24 hours free of charge!!

The picture below is of the graffitti in our living room. We surrounded the graffitti with our favorite photos from our wedding day. We hope to change the pictures over the years when other special moments happen. Our house is finally starting to feel like a HOME and we've had so much fun decorating together. More photos to come of Wonderful Graffitti in our dining room!!

Garage Sale

We've decided to have a Garage Sale this weekend. We have a ton of STUFF we need to purge to make room for NEW stuff!! Meaning I need a new fall wardrobe and I'm secretly hoping EJ will finally decide to depart ways with some of his "college era" stuff. We originally planned to hold the garage sale next weekend but my mom convinced me that we'd make more money if we held it on the first Saturday of the month. Mom's always right so we changed our plans!! I put an ad in the local paper yesterday so hopefully it will attract a few bargain shoppers. One of our neighbors held one last weekend and the street was lined with cars!! Do any of you guys have any Garage Sale Tips??

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Little Man!!

Little Man is the son of my best friend AlyKat. He's an amazing kid with an amazing mom. These photos were taken during our yearly vacation on Edisto Island.

I have gas

I have to admit, since granting Riley access to post here, I've gotten a little lazy on keeping up. I'm thrilled to have her on here sharing our experiences. As you can see by the makeover, she does have a habit of cleaning up after me and really making everything around me look a little better. For starters, I no longer wear blue socks with black pants. Everything is better with her added touch. When she returns home from a work trip, as she did late last week, the pillows feel just a little bit softer, the sun and moon shine a little brighter, and desert tastes a little bit sweeter. Unfortunately, this week she came home to the gas crisis of the southeast. I blame the media almost as much as I "blame" Hurricane Ike. For the second time in a month, the media has helped infuse a frenzy on the area sending everyone out to the gas pumps. People were topping off all of their cars with gas cans in tow, stockpiling gas and draining the supply. Folks would spend hours and miles in line at stations that had petro flowing while others scoured the county for a station that had shorter lines if they had gas at all. I could have played the gas card to stay home with Riley Friday but was able to fill up both of our running on fumes vehicles to get us through the binge. Then it was back to normal, as normal as $4 a gallon gas can seem, we dropped in on a birthday party Friday night and had movie night last night. Tonight we watch the Bears and then its back to the grind tomorrow. Riley is back on the road but only for a couple days. I am already craving Wednesday's dinner because I know it will be delicious with her back home.

Headed South

I'm headed South!! I've been residing at the Staybridge Suites in Chantilly, VA on and off for the past 2 months due to a huge hospital opening. The girls at the front desk were a little sad when I told them I'll be leaving for longer than 2-3 days tomorrow. I think these guys have the same idea. There must have been 100 geese walking in a perfect line through the hotel parking lot this afternoon! It was truly amazing!

Leavin' on a jet plane at 9:00 am. Can't wait to see HIM!!

Wedding Memories

what time of year did you get married? Spring - South Carolina's definition of Spring is 80+ degree weather.

Candid shot taken by one of my bridesmaids on the way to the church.

Trying to stay cool in the limo!


what did the groomsmen wear? Traditional black tuxedos with black shirts, black polka dot vests, and black ties.

color of bridesmaid dresses? Black. Each of the girls wore hot pink satin shoes in various styles from Nine West.

how many bridesmaids? 8 beautiful girls!!

are you still friends with all your bridesmaids? Of course -- they're all a part of who I am today. I can't imagine my life without them.

location for reception? A beautiful hall on the campus of Coker College.

band, dj or other? DJ

something unique about your wedding? In lieu of traditional favors we made a donation to our local Humane Society in honor of our wedding guests. Our suprise dance was definately something my traditional southern baptist family wasn't expecting.

where did you go on your honeymoon? Antigua

name one thing looking back you would of changed? As a couple I don't think we would have changed anything. As a bride, I wish I wouldn't have cried like a baby when my dress ripped after the ceremony. My daddy was really upset to see me so upset over something that looking back on it now was not a big deal. It all went by so fast I wish I would have taken more time to take it all in.

One of my favorite photos from our wedding day. We'd just returned

to the bed and breakfast after the reception. The wedding party started

coming in and saw us hanging out on the couch. One of my bridesmaids

snapped this quick shot of us. We weren't ready for the day to be over!

Fingers Crossed

Hoping we'll be one of the "lucky fans" selected in the random drawing to be able to purchase Cubs postseason tickets on Tuesday. Will know for sure on Monday. Fingers crossed!!

Our first BEARS game as Mr. & Mrs. J



Chicago Bears 17 Carolina Panthers 20



When I became Mrs. J I officially became a Chicago Bears fan. You might say I abandoned the Panthers but I was never really a die hard Panthers fan anyway. They haven't really been around that long! Not to mention, where I'm from we watch SEC football on Saturday and NASCAR on Sunday. The NFL wasn't a frequent dinner topic at my house. We had a great time on Sunday tailgating with family and watching the game from our amazing 17th row seats. EJ's mouth scored him a few dirty looks during the game but it only proves what a passionate Bears fan he is (even when they're losing) and I love him for it. As long as he doesn't get this passionate about the Bears...






I'll keep loving him.

Will EJ or the grass ever learn?

If evolution were true, wouldn't grass learn to stop growing? I think the feature on the yard was really overshadowed last week by the snake adventure. So we are back at the grass, which was again cut today, a week later and even longer than it was for last week's cut. I lowered the blade to a 2 for the front yard, a 3 for the back...last week's cut was at 4...and pushed through. Inside, Riley worked her magic at cooking up a storm as I sweat it out in the sun outside. No Hanna for us, a brief passing shower aside last night. Riley does such an amazing job in the kitchen and all around the house, I really am proud to have people over. More than she knows. I think about where I've been, where we've been and I know that we are truly blessed, not a day goes by that I am not thankful for what I have. But like the grass, there are some things I just don't learn. I do make mistakes and I'm lucky sometimes that Riley doesn't make me sleep in the garage. For that, I am also blessed.

The grass is always greener

Thanks to global warming or El Nino or Cobra's weather machine, we've been in an severe to extreme drought for the better part of the past 2 years. In case you don't know, severe is only the middle level of drought. Its worse than abnormally dry and moderate, but not as bad as extreme or exceptional. Isn't that kind of like a fast food restaurant only offering medium, large and super-sized drinks and then rejecting you when you order a small? Can you ever really be more dry once dry? Nevertheless, one tropical system and inches upon inches of rain later, we were not only out of the severe drought stage but approaching annual average rainfall totals with 4 months left to go in the year. A year ago, when we first moved in to our house, we were blessed with the gift of a lawn mower from Riley's uncle. I could go weeks without cutting the grass this time last year, it was a matter of what shade of yellow I wanted the yard to emit. A year and Fay later, the grass is green and growing. I cut it Thursday afternoon and by Sunday, it is ready for another trim. Yard work was not the only impact of the tropical downpour of last Tuesday. The eco-system that is our backyard was thrown out of whack in many other ways. The birdseed that scattered the yard below the corner of the porch under the feeder was washed away. The song birds have all but given up on our house as a food source. Mosquitoes are breeding in a moisture wonderland. Spidermonkeys fled to the garage to escape the rising waters. They weren't the only ones. Late Thursday night on the normal last call for the pups to potty, I carried Max out to his spot as Kennedy sped out to hers. On the return trip, Max's eye caught it first...something sliding away from the back door on the porch. I thought it was a stick blowing across the deck...until I got near. I quickly shuffled Kennedy inside and deposited Max onto the kitchen floor. I grabbed a flashlight and stared into the eyes of the beast. A snake of about 2 feet in length stared back at me, waiting for my next move. I have an Indiana Jones-like passion for snakes. The thought that I wasn't wearing shoes and probably stepped right over it when we first went out didn't sit well in my head. But there was not time for emotion, I had to take action. I obtained a cardboard box from the garage as well as the broom. I snapped a couple photos on my cell phone then gave the serpent my best slap shot into the box. I closed the lid, it hissed and rattled. I put the broom on top of the lid to be sure it was secure. To google I went next, searching and researching the www in an attempt to identify this brand of asp. It didn't take long; I credit my wildlife searches from weeks before in relation to the bigfoot carcus capture. Turns out I had captured an Agkistrodon contorix contorix linnaeus right there in our backyard. Southern Copperhead to the common folk. A mildly venomous asp with an attitude, I proceeded to slay the dragon with a shovel. Its in a garbage bag on the side of the house if you want to come check it out. I try to show anyone I can. I felt a bit like Tom Hanks when he finally made fire. I trapped and killed a dangerous creature that threatened the lives of pets around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, Riley and Jessica aren't exactly sleeping easier these days...they may have been better off not knowing of my adventure as it stirs the notion that there could be more out there. Yet, whatever Gustav may bring...be it more yardwork or slithering stragglers, I feel I am ready to take it all on.

Is it better to ask permission or forgiveness?

I feel pretty bad. With Riley about 500 miles away, working her weekend away at another hospital I went and did something without telling her. I am not sure how she'd react so I went through with it. Ultimately, it doesn't even effect her, its so innocent and when she returns at the end of this week (not soon enough), she'd never even know. I have grown a mustache. In all my days of shaving, I have mixed things up: chin goatee, full goatee, shaved head with full beard, shaved head with (some) hair on top and sideburns, complete lack of shaving. I've never had just a mustache. I was cleaning myself up today and in combination, my razor seemed to get overly dull and I also ran out of shaving gel with a sole strip of stubble yet to be shaven. Looking in the mirror, squinting a little, I looked just like my dad. I thought it was cool, at least for the weekend. But while I see my dad in the mirror, I hear Riley in my head telling me how ridiculous I look. And when I say thought it was cool, I mean to say I know it looks ridiculous. But still, I couldn't tell her. I'm certain she suspects something anyway. She can probably hear the whiskers scratching the mic on the phone. So now, do I shave it off in the morning after a quick trip to Target to reload my shaving cream stock and pretend it never happened? Do I lie awake all night wondering whether to call and wake Roo and spill the beans. I'd hate to be tagged in a facebook picture and have her see it before I can tell her. Do I run out know to take care of it before Jessica gets home and laughs at me? I thought about driving up to D.C. to lay it out there and let her see it and feel it first hand? We've been married for 3 months now...together for years on top of that. I have no reason to worry about something so insignificant...and yet no reason to dig myself into such a hole over something so silly. Perhaps just missing her so much for the past few weeks has amplified the emotion. Perhaps my oversensitivity pushes me in the wrong direction when it comes to be open and honest with her. Perhaps the problem I am facing is really with myself and no matter what she thinks of the scruff beneath my shnoz, I need to face the mirror and figure out how I could let myself run out of shaving cream in the first place.

Sweet dreams

Max has inherited the throne from Princess Abby as being the spoiled pup that sleeps in the bed. I am a light sleeper so his presence has taken a toll on my REM. Even without Max rolling around or chomping on a toy at my feet, I am a light sleeper. Really intense, long-lasting and "meaningful" dreams are hard to come by. You know, the really good ones that have you wondering when you wake up if that really happened or not. Riley seems to be sleeping much better than she was a little over 3 months ago. No more nightmares, nightmares related to wedding disasters that is. Not to say my dreams don't get crazy. My latest involved us celebrating Riley's acceptance to Clemson for grad school and the resulting move to Greenville, SC which would allow me to still commute to Charlotte. Not sure what that is supposed to mean, I'll have to google it. Also, not sure what it means when, being a light sleeper, I can wake up in the middle of the night and lie awake for 20-30 minutes and think up very random ideas, tasks, lists, whatever. A major technical breakthrough in my last stroke of genius came to me a few nights ago at around 3 a.m. Instead of counting sheep to get back to sleep, I ran query methodology and code through my head. Another night, I generated my weekend chore list. Another, I wrote out a card for Riley in my head. The next morning, I added some ink and snuck it into her bag before she left. Last night, I realized I was overdue for a post here...and came up with this.

Its a boy!

Congratulations to Anna and John today on the birth of Buxton Thomas! The due date was yesterday but the anticipation started with a birthday lunch for Anna last Sunday. Riley worried that a late week work trip would keep her away from the baby's first day. There was centimeter talk all week, though I admit I don't really have any idea what is being measured. Spicy foods and eggplants were eaten and the yet the due date had come and gone...but not for long, shortly after midnight, Riley got the first call. They were on their way to the hospital though not quite ready for the main event. That wouldn't come for about another 10 hours, and I'd guess Riley didn't sleep for 10 minutes between. I worked from home and snuck away from my "desk" at lunch to meet her and the proud parents at the hospital. John quietly apologized to me as we watched Riley hold the baby boy; apologized if by chance the birth had set Riley's wheels in motion faster than I was ready for. No apology needed, I said. My wheels have been turning since May 18th.

How Did I Live Without You

After almost 60 hours, I couldn't take it anymore. Sometime between our one night stay in downtown Charleston and our week on Edisto Island, I lost my cell phone charger. If I had to narrow it down to a specific, I'd guess the charger went missing sometime between when I packed my bag and when I left the hotel to pick up Riley at her hospital en route to SC-17 towards Savannah. During our vacation, I had to leave my cell phone turned off, only powering up to check voice mail once a day. Back at work, I followed the same practice but the juice could only last so long. Wednesday morning, it was all over. Its really got me thinking...what did we do before cell phones. I was handcuffed to communicating only through land lines. At the beach, I was denied 24-7 access to my fantasy teams or facebook notifications. What did we do before the internet? Next Thursday, the cable guy is coming to connect us to HD service. How did I ever watch TV using mere rabbit ears? Its not hard if you really stop and think how much we take for granted and if not so much take for granted, just completely rely on and also how far we've come. Riley and I have been officially married for 2 months, 8 days and 82 minutes...give or take a score. But the way Riley and I click, and also the way we calamity (yes, I used calamity as a verb) you'd think we've been married for much longer. It feels like longer than 2 months, 8 days and now 84 minutes and maybe that's because I really don't remember what my life was like before Riley. I can't imagine how I ever managed. Not just emotionally, spiritually or dietar-ally but totally. There is so much ahead of us, make no mistake, I have no reason to look back. That's not where this is coming from. What I am saying more so is that I am so appreciative and fortunate to be sitting on the back porch, at our new patio table, waiting on steaks to grill in my smoker, with Max asleep at my feet with my wonderful wife inside, probably flipping between Jeopardy and Entertainment tonight. Next week at this time, when those shows are broadcast in HD, perhaps she'll understand what I am getting at here.

Riley and her mate plus 8

Check the DVR on our new big TV...too big Riley says, but when upgrading to a new big flat-screen, might as well go big...you'll find several an episode of John and Kate plus 8. We recently got hooked on to the show thanks to the many mini-marathons that the TLC network has aired over the past couple months. The story is as simple as they make it look...a couple had twins, then tried for one more and had more...sixtuplets. I know that's not the right word, but I'm mathematically qualified that to say there is no confusion as to how many more kids they had. Riley and I might be a ways out from our first, nearer or farther depending on who you ask, but that show sure makes me think we could really have some fun sharing our house with 8 kids. That is of course, assuming that we get the tv series sponsorship and generous handouts to match. For now, Roo and I are sharing the beach house on Edisto Island with 8 other kids, some bigger than others. Our sun-splashed week has gone by fast and we will had back to Rock Hill tomorrow a little more tan than when left. No sun burn for me this time. It was Riley that spent a little more time on the beach whereas I spent a little more time in the sand...sand traps at the island 18. I fired a 97, best score of our trio and best honest and non-digital score I have posted in some time. I lost faith in the weatherman, who had bound us to the house for 2 days due to torrential tropical rains. Come to find out the low pressure system only postponed golf from Wednesday to Thursday; we watched Mother Nature give birth to tropical storm Cristobal, and we watched it pass right by. More of the usual through the week, ham rice, bocce ball, boogie boarding and board games. I took up kakuro. We missed karaoke. We fished the Atlantic, yesterday off the docks and today on a chartered boat. While I brought in the most fish, Riley had the biggest catch...a small shark. Jessica caught a boy, but threw him back. Just like last year, we have ran out of boiled peanuts and time on the beach all too quickly and soon we'll be headed back up 95 to 26 to 77. Our "kids" back in Rock Hill will be excited to see us. Most eager for our return though is probably Phil, who has been dog-sitting Kennedy, Max and Abby. The hardest part of his sitting was waking up at 7 each day to let them out. I don't expect Phil to be working towards kids anytime soon or offering to babysit for us when we have our 8. Jessica?!

But I Wanna Go Home

Boulder, Colorado is a lot like an REM video. Shiny, happy people bouncing all around. But in my mind, I’m going to Carolina. A three day trip sent me out west to the Front Range of the Rockies to train at one of my new hospitals. Meanwhile, back east, Riley is attending to a grand opening for a client of her own in Charleston. We will rendezvous briefly in Rock Hill for about 36 hours before headed to Edisto Island for another week-long vacation with Riley’s family. After years of monitoring the activities of Riley’s teenage cousins, now happily married, I am moving out of the “boys room” and into a room with Riley. We will share a room, as a married couple should, but I am certain the thought her parents being in the room below will float in the back of my mind all week. Nevertheless, with the granola-eating, dreadlock wearing, free-spirited liberalist capital of the world behind me, I am leaving on a jet plane for Charlotte, via Atlanta, and looking forward to the warm breezes of the Atlantic seashore. Can’t you feel the wind blow?

Bedtime story

I've always been a fan of weddings. They always lead to good times and great stories. You get old friends and new family together and create memories that stand the test of time. It goes without saying (which is an odd pre-cursor because if something really went without saying, it wouldn't ever be said) that Riley and I etched many of those moments into our minds and reliving them in conversation ever since. What has been especially fun has been discovering the memories we didn't make...at least directly. Be it over dinner, on the phone, in the car or between songs of Rock Band, Riley and I have been very intrigued to hear what else took place over our wedding weekend. We've heard some interest reception table talk, nearly solved the mystery of a pair of missing shoes, learned the varying post-reception habits of several guests, laughed at the late-arrival antics of a few lost sheep that went to the wrong church and wrong wedding. If you've got a good story from our wedding, share it. I could use a good story tonight before bed. Its been a rough weekend as the Sox have gotten sweep-revenge on the Cubs. I can't decide who has worse announcers...ESPN Sunday night or Southside WGN. Less than memorable play by the Northsiders...but a memorable weekend all in all. We finally completed our patio furniture, I installed surround sound and above all that...well, I'll save this story for next time.

Oh how the years go by

It all happened so fast, I took one wrong turn down the aisle where the water wings, picnic baskets and other summer assortments used to be and I looked back and she was gone. The Target associate asked if he could help me find something, to which I simply replied “my wife.” If you judged our relationship solely on our Target shopping patterns, you’d think we’ve been married for 50 years. It’s flawless, aside from a wrong turn or wander here and there, efficient and effective. We go for what we need and we know where it is and we know all the stops to make along the way. And when we split, which we always do…she to either clothing, handbags or makeup and I to electronics, we always know where we will meet up again. It is retail poetry in motion. Hard to believe it has only been a month since Riley struggled to cut into our wedding cake at the reception. She thought we had a really dull knife, I suspected very stale cake. Turns out we were cutting into the cardboard base. An instant memory to be savored just as delicious as the deserts that night.

Stay at home dad

On Thursdays, I work from home, a benefit and privilege provided by my employer. Riley's schedule varies but when she's not on the road, she is working from her office (or the couch and her Blackberry...just kidding dear). Most days, I set out at 6:30...ok, honestly MOST days its more like 6:45 or 7...and am greeted by Riley back at the house at 4:30 that afternoon. Today, she set out into the real world while I lounged in my office (the couch) and hacked away on the laptop in my boxers. You'd think I'd spend most of the day hammering away at terrorists on Call of Duty 4 or hack at sliders in MLB2K8 but I've actually been very productive today. Worked on a few client issues quietly while the kids (Max and Kennedy took their morning naps). Organized my Outlook folders. PBJ for lunch. Still in my boxers. Dogs morning nap has stretched into the afternoon. Check my office voicemail, return a few calls. Put another dent in our boiled peanut collection. I then looked up and it was already the 3rd inning of the Cubs game. They are down 2-0. Its a turn back the clock game so the players and staff are all decked out in 1948 garb. Prices at the park were also rolled back. Can we do the same for the cost of a gallon of gas? Even the broadcast for the first two innings is a throw back. Black and white, only certain old time camera angles, old style graphics and text. All of that yet the game is still being broadcast in HD. Go figure. In any case, I am looking forward to turning the clock ahead to next Thursday, because I could really get used to this being at home all day.

I'm no Buddhist but...

....recently a married Buddhist couple in California, I believe, vowed to never be more than 15 feet apart. So many questions. What does he do for a living? I mean they have to afford the rent on the tent they live in (no joke). The Yahoo article explained how they use public restrooms. I'll say this, there are definitely some things I do that Riley wants to be nowhere WITHIN 50 feet of...like when I play Xbox on-line with sharp-tongued teenagers. We are happily married and two have become one, no doubt...yet somehow, Monday night, I found myself sitting alone at the movie theater. Perhaps the Buddhist folks beliefs are a little extreme but shouldn't the sacred bonds of marriage afford me the right to never have to see a movie alone again? Ok, so I am being dramatic for the sake of drama. What had happened was a classic tale of retail vs. comic book, cosmo vs. molotov cocktail, SJP vs. RDJ. Jessica, Riley and I went out to eat Monday then decided to go see a movie. Riley and Jessica chose some movie they made out of some old HBO show that wasn't the Sopranos. I opted out and saw Iron Man instead. Interestingly enough, I was one of at least 8 or 9 single-seated guys in the theater (and on a Monday night this made up about 90% of the audience). I suspect the better-halfs were on the other side of the cineplex, taking in all that Carrie Bradshaw had to offer. I only hope for the Buddhist beau's sake that the bride granted him a 2 hour reprieve from their vow when they went to the movies.

I'm back...

...and this time I brought a friend, specifically, my wife. I had a lot of fun documenting my adventures in Chicago and the few readers I had seemed to enjoy following along. Well, its time to put those creative juices back to use. Riley and I were (finally) married on May 17th, 2008 in Hartsville, SC. The event was more than I could have imagined or asked for. Every day leading up to the ceremony was an adventure and every day since has been equally exciting. From the Caribbean shores of Antigua to the hardware stores of Rock Hill, Riley and I have plenty of stories to tell. With a lifetime of memories yet to be made ahead of us, check back here as we share some of our everyday and occasionally extraordinary adventures here. Can't wait to hear what we've been up to? Here's is a preview of what's to come....all things wedding including our male bridesmaid, our 6 hour layover in the Netherlands returning from our honeymoon, our newest monster Max, Eric's home improvement lessons learned from Riley's dad and the household ban of a top selling video game. Stay tuned.