A day late and a dollar short

In case you haven't already noticed, I'm always a day late and a dollar short.  I never paid attention to the Twilight Series until after the first movie came out... and that's just one example.  Another is Friday Night Lights.

I vaguely remember when this tv series came on (circa 2006) and although the commercials seemed appealing I wasn't sure where I was going to find the time for another tv show.  Well, years later after friend after friend told me how much I would like it, I've finally finished watching all five seasons.

What can I say about it?  To start, I absolutely loved it.  I'm sort of glad I got into after the seasons were available on Netflix because I'm not sure I could have waited a week in between each episode or months for the next season.  Poor Jake had to deal with me monopolizing the tv the past few Saturdays, which I don't feel bad about because I liked the show too much to turn it off.

I thought I might be able to narrow down my favorite characters to a select few, but it turns out I love almost the entire cast.  What I will say is despite a large portion of the cast changing midway through, I preferred the characters in the later seasons.  I loved the stories early on too, but there was something about East Dillon that really hooked me.  Coach Eric Taylor and his wife, Tami were hands down the reason I kept watching though.  They truly had a great marriage and the show was only enhanced by the characters coming in and out of their lives.  Of course, Tim Riggins wasn't tough on the eyes either.

Since I literally just finished the watching the last season I could probably talk about the show for hours, but I don't want to overshare and spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it. If you haven't watched the series I would highly recommend it- you can find all five seasons on Netflix and it won't take you more than a month to get through it, talk about $8 well spent.

Anniversary Weekend in Manteo

 Manteo carries a lot of significance for me and Jake.  Its where we got engaged, 11 months later honeymooned, and then 12 months after that celebrated our one year anniversary!  As a matter of fact, I don't know that another town has more meaning to me right now at this stage in my life.

Since it holds sentimental value and is just over 2 hours away, it was easy enough to go there for the weekend to get away, relax, and celebrate.  We stayed at the same Inn that we did last October and made sure to hit our favorite restaurant, the Outer Banks Brewing Station.  We had plans to do dinner at Adrianna's, the site of one our all-time favorite dinners, but a wedding was going on there so we hit another local place instead.  It was a pretty chill weekend, which is exactly what we wanted!

Oh, and on Sunday we picked out a pumpkin from a Farmer's Market on the way home... something we put off last year and never got around to doing.  I'm pretty excited about it actually!  I can't wait to show you pictures after we carve it, but for now I'm keeping secret what its going to look like.

where has the time gone?

It has been far too long since my last post and that one slipped in after too much time as well! 

Its quite busy here but we knew walking into the Fall that we had plans every weekend.  However, having that understanding and handling it are two different things!  The worst part is that in the midst of the chaos, there haven't been too many noteworthy moments!!!  At least now you know why my blog has been slacking.

This weekend Jake has a triathlon at Smith Mt. Lake, so we're traveling that way and will be staying with friends in Roanoke.  I'm not sure when we'll get in or when we'll head back, but I am sure that the weekend will feel way too short.  A perk is that we will bringing Tank along!

I don't remember if I blogged about this or not, but at the end of August Tank took his first trip with us to Charlottesville.  After hearing our friends Jeff and Elizabeth were bringing their dog I convinced Jake that Tank should be able to come too.  With hesitation, he agreed but made it perfectly clear this would be a test and would determine his inclusion on future trips.  

Well, I'm proud to say Tanky Tank passed with flying colors.  He slept with me both nights in my sleeping bag and was very well behaved at the wineries.  Jake couldn't deny this so Tank has officially earned the right to travel with us... as long as the people we're visiting don't mind!

Trust me, we're not going to be those people who can't be separated from their dog, BUT when you're traveling pretty much every weekend you sort of feel bad pawning them off!  Right???

all you need is love

This weekend Jake and I set out for Roanoke, VA to attend both a wedding and a funeral. Our good friends Justin & Katie were tying the knot and Jake's family was coming together to mourn his MaMaw Williams' recent passing. Both occasions were taking place within 15 minutes of each other, making it very easy to be everywhere we needed to be- no doubt a blessing from the Lord.

I don't want this reflection to be dark, because the weekend wasn't. Both Jake and I had such a sense of joy when we sat with his family because his MaMaw had a beautiful life. She had 91 years filled with love and laughter and left behind an absolutely wonderful legacy (something to the effect of 7 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild). She was a God fearing woman and I have no doubt she is heaven, which is something to be celebrated.

For being an emotional person, I tend to handle funerals very well. There is a peace in knowing that people have moved on to a better place and that in some cases suffering has ended. My heart goes out to the family always, but I know where their rest and comfort must come from.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."- Matthew 5:4

The biggest thing that was made so clear over the weekend is the importance of l o v e. The thing that was touched on time and time again regarding Jake's grandmother was that she loved her family, friends, and the Lord so well. This theme of love carried into the wedding too. While at one event we were celebrating the end of a life full of love, at the other we were celebrating just the beginning.

Justin and Katie are two people who love those around them so well and now they have a new challenge to love each other in this sacred commitment of marriage. Katie's sister's toast went on to talk about how this love between Katie and Justin was a love they could trust for so many reasons and I think everyone at their wedding agreed wholeheartedly. I know I did.

All in all I was touched to see two very separate occasions share an important truth, and that is that we are designed to love. I know Jake felt encouraged by the experience as well and I'd like to think we are a little bit closer because of it. Here is to to the hope of our own 66 years.

I prove my point

After Tzu & Diana's wedding a group of our college friends got together for dinner before parting ways. At some point a conversation started about being newlyweds and the adjustments to living together, etc. I, of course, shared a little about Jake's gross habits that may or may not be attributed to him being male. Either way, this had Jake spinning in confusion as he started debating over who was more gross. Are you starting to see where this conversation went? I called him dirty, he called me messy and we shared examples to prove our descriptions true with everyone- bless their hearts and ears for listening. I totally agreed that I am a messy person, but leaving a dish in the sink doesn't come close to some of his down right dirty tendencies. Just ask his parents about his laundry basket... gross!

Anyway, the group was laughing and the debate sort of ended with no clear victor... until now!

When we got home I opened the door and was immediately hit with an odor I could barely stand, let alone properly describe (don't forget, I was in New Orleans the entire week). I asked Jake what on earth happened and his response was priceless, "I don't know what the scent is but it was definitely here before I left. I looked everywhere for it." It took me no more than a few seconds to reach the top of the stairs where bags of trash sat in a large shopping bag. How did I know for sure the contents? Well, probably because I collected trash Monday night before leaving and set it right there for Jake to take out. I actually bugged him more than once that night about running it to the dumpster because the kitchen bag had banana peels and chicken trimmings in it. He of course assured me that he wouldn't forget to take it out and to stop nagging him about it. I would have taken it out myself, but I'm sort of a procrastinator when it comes to packing and I had a lot to get done before my 5am flight out. I should have known better.

Oh, and did I mention that Jake cut off the AC when he left on Friday? Oh yes, true story. So that bag of trash and all of it's pleasant contents soaked up the 100+ degree heat in our tiny little apartment for over a day. Totally gross. I think I prove my point and win the debate.

Elizabeth- please, please, please make sure you relay this story and final "point" to Jeff and Howard. I know they will have no trouble believing it.

not so lucky

This week I was in New Orleans for work and I honestly had a really good time (Sallie- don't worry, Law & Order was not watched at any point). The event itself went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves- which means I did my job well. The only two problems I came across were personal ones... and I must say they came close to getting the best of me.

The first incident involved my Pandora bracelet. I was rushing to make an 8am meeting with the AVP of Marketing, so of course I couldn't be late, when I grabbed my Pandora bracelet and fought to get it hooked on. For those of you who own a Pandora, you know they can be tricky to get on. So, without having the time to waste I clenched it in my hand and decided to put it on once I got there. As I was walking I saw a charm fly across me and onto the sidewalk- I knew it belonged to me and immediately felt frazzled. I started searching the ground and found not one, but two charms on the ground (nowhere near each other). This of course made me check to see how many had fallen- my assessment led me to realize I had dropped 4 of my charms... out of 5 total! At about $30 a piece this had me upset. I looked quickly around me and had to decide whether to be late and continue my search or move on and hope that they'd still be there afterward. I moved on. When I finally left the meeting, my friends and I took to the streets in search of the remaining two. The sandcastle (my only charm from Jake) was found closer to my hotel and had been completely run over by a car. I held onto it anyway, despite the opening was closed from compact, call me sentimental. The other dolphin charm was never recovered. We came to the conclusion that with its round shape it was most likely stuck in the tread of someone's tire. How depressing.

As if that whole scenario wasn't bad enough, the next one proves my luck could in fact get worse. The following incident took place on Friday at the airport. Let me set the stage...

I had to get my Friday travel approved since our show officially ended on Saturday, but our friends, Tzu & Diana, were getting married so it was important that I catch a flight that gave me time to travel from Raleigh to Wilson. Well low and behold, when I got to the airport my flight was canceled!!! I had no clue until I was in the United line to check my bag. It was u n b e l i e v a b l e. I waited in line for 3 hours- THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION- before I finally spoke to an agent. They of course had NO flights going out that evening because it was a small enough airport that flights weren't scheduled after 7ish... and wouldn't you know I didn't make it to the counter until 7pm!!! They put me on the first flight out the next morning and stuffed me at a nearby hotel with a $15 meal voucher. The story gets better, but I honestly don't want to think more about it- it was that awesome of an experience.

To end on a positive note, I met Nancy from Sacramento and we had dinner together and shared a cab at 4am the next morning. She was this cute older woman and we exchanged contact information. Who knows, if I'm ever in Sacramento I might give her a call.

Saturday

This was my favorite day from this past weekend...seriously. I woke up early and moved from the bed to the couch to watch some tv, amazing. After some time being lazy, I went for a run. It wasn't anything remarkable, but it felt good to be productive.

Jake got home from cycling soon after me and we decided we wanted to go out and do something. Jake usually approaches every day with this intense motivation for activity, but this was newer for me. We ran some errands and randomly decided to go to Conte's to check out their used bike sale. I was thinking we might find a mountain bike for Jake or a beach cruiser for myself but we had no such luck. Jake sneakily told the sales associate we wanted information on a entry level cycle for me...umm, no thank you. I have definitely mentioned that I'd like to get into the sport, but not yet!!! We looked at a few bikes and I politely refrained from mounting/test riding any of them. Honestly, I can barely get on a regular bike without almost falling over (graceful, I know) so the thought of climbing onto the something supported by 1/2" wide tires is terrifying. To avoid this fear, I quickly turned the focus on to Jake, he is the one who is counting down til graduation so he could make this type of purchase anyway. A lot of questions were asked and answered and after everything was said and done he walked out a new bike owner! There is a lot more that went into than this, but since this only takes us to about 2:00pm I'm giving the abridged version. Main details, he goes to get "fitted" this week and should have the bike by Friday. As I'm sure you've already guessed, he has made plans to cycle Saturday, and I'm sure will add on a ride for Sunday too.

After this big purchase we celebrated by painting the kitchen! I won't go into detail but here are some before and after pictures.

before

after

Lastly, this past Saturday marked being married for 6 months! We're not typically celebrators of non-annual anniversaries but Jake is a fan of unexpected celebrations...as was proven this weekend. He told me in the morning he was going to take me to Croc's for dinner and I was genuinely excited. As we were getting in the car, he got a call from his clinical instructor, Alex, asking if we could jump his car. The story was that his wife was at work and he had tried a few other people before Jake but no one was answering. Supposedly, they had just made the connection on Friday that we lived close to each other- how convenient! Anyway, I was happy to help him out and proceeded to drive out to 89th St.

The following should have been dead giveaways that Jake was up to something:

1. He suggested we bring our camera...to dinner.
2. When we left our complex (before Alex's call) he asked if taking Shore Dr. would be quicker than the interstate- it isn't if you're going to Croc's, it is if you're going to the North End...let's say 89th St. Plus, I'm awful at directions and taking the shortest route; he of all people knows this about me!
3. As we walked out, he went back to grab his jacket and asked if I wanted mine. I didn't think this was necessary...since we would be dining in.
4. He was way too excited when Alex called and even put him on speakerphone...once he hung up, he instructed me to take Shore Dr. after all.
5. When I got to 89th St. he told me to park on the street, even though I suggested it make more sense to call Alex and see where his car was.
6. Upon parking, he said Alex was killing time on the beach and we could meet up with him down there and then follow him back to his car.

As we were walking down the path to the beach I knew something was up...the picnic blanket with flowers, a handmade poster (with our names and french bulldog cut outs created by Alex and sons), and wine confirmed. Jake had coordinated this whole thing with Alex on Friday, he even recruited him to set it all up while we were painting! His plan was to have a little appetizer and wine on the beach before our 7:30 reservation at Croc's- he timed everything perfectly, I was blown away. Hallmark holidays come and go and we don't do very much, but when I least expected it he pulled something off that required actual planning. It was awesome and thoughtful.

the view

Friday

This weekend was insanely productive. To prove just how busy I was, I will be creating posts recapping each day. I had some high moments and some low moments, but all rank blogworthy...enjoy.

This past Friday I got off work early (a definite PLUS) and Jake finally agreed to go with me to pick out and purchase paint for the kitchen (another PLUS). After bouncing back and forth to decide between buying from Lowe's or Home Depot, we parked at Lowe's. We compared tons of colors before we settled on a marine inspired blue. When we asked the Lowe's team member to help us, we discovered the shade we had selected was a $30+ can of paint! Now, I don't consider myself as frugal as Jake but I definitely knew we could find a color we liked equally for less (remember, we're renting so I'm not trying to spend a fortune). The woman pointed us in the direction of our other options and explained how as you moved from left to right, the paint price increased. We carried ourselves and our first choice swatch to the furthest left hand rack and began trying to match the shade as best we could. Despite our efforts, we couldn't find anything comparable- this was frustrating considering how long it took us to agree the first time around. And so, a search for a runner up began....the winner was green grapes and our total came to $20!

Now, I'm sure you're thinking my night couldn't get any better than this, but it did! I was timing everything perfectly (including our Lowe's adventure) to pick the rents up from the airport at 9:30pm, but my mom's text t 9:00 that they were delayed until 10:40 threw things off. Being the flexible person that I am, I went back to their house, watched some tv with Jake, and played with Finn. Around 10:20 I left Jake behind and headed to Norfolk International Airport (you're not missing much if you've never flown in or out of here). I pulled in to curbside pick up at 10:35 and listened to my radio to pass the time. Come 11:00 I was curious whether there had been additional delays with their flight, but if you've ever been at curbside pick up you know that leaving your car unattended for even a split second is not a good idea, so I waited. At 11:08 the lights dimmed and the music cut off- my car battery died. AWESOME. At 11:15 a security officer came close enough that I could ask for help...my parents arrived at my car at 11:17. PERFECT. We waited for the officer to come back and jump my car (time escaped me at this point) and finally arrived home at 11:56. Poor Jake was asleep on their couch, he had to be in Suffolk (about 45 minutes away) at 8:00am for a group cycle.

I'm seeing a pattern here

This weekend was awesome for several reasons:

1. Jake approached me twice in just boxers and a red blanket tied around his neck as a cape..he made strange statements and talked in his version of a superhero voice. It was weird and awesome at the same time!

2. We went on a date! Jake and I had dinner at Zushi (a first for us) and I tried sushi. I've had california rolls, etc. but not the nicer stuff- it wasn't bad at all! The best part was when the waiter placed my plate in front of me and the two tables near us started cheering on my first bite. I am assuming my grossed out/intrigued face let on that I was a newbie. One guy actually welcomed me to the "club"- is there a sushi lovers club? I guess I'm in. After dinner we went to see the movie Green Zone. Let me start with Jake's way off base description- he suggested it, saying it was a Jason Bourne movie. When I asked if it was really another one in the series he said no, it was just the character. To clarify (of course) I asked how Jason Bourne could play in a movie that wasn't a sequel. Then the truth came...it wasn't really Jason Bourne just that style character. Needless to say, the movie and the role Matt Damon played was nothing like the Bourne series, but it wasn't terrible. I should have learned my lesson when it comes to hearing Jake's version of movie descriptions- first time shame on him, second time shame on me.

3. Sunday we checked out Dani & Tim's new house, played a little darts, and had dinner at Wood Chix BBQ. Jake has been obsessing over trying this place out since he watched the owner on the Food Network and again in a cook off with Bobby Flay. He really lost it when we walked in and there was a sign that said "All You Can Eat Buffet $7.99"- aka heaven on earth for Jake!

All in all, a nice weekend! Jake might describe his meals on Saturday and Sunday as magical...and good food is what makes a weekend great for him! It takes a little more than that for me, but the cape sealed the deal from the start.

Valentine's Day Replay

Ok, ok so this Valentine's Day was not too shabby. I know my previous posts might lead you to believe that Valentine's Day is my least favorite holiday, but it has never been awful. Jake is always great to me, I just don't love the created pressure it brings about.

Anyway, Jake and I celebrated this past weekend in our usual fashion and it was nice. I can never wait to give Jake his presents til the day of- never...I just get so excited that I always give him at least part of his present early. So this year's V Day was no exception and come Saturday I gave Jake a big bag of cliff bars (2 of every flavor except for mint). I know it doesn't sound romantic, but food is the way to Jake's heart and cliff bars are something he considers a "splurge" so I'm safe to assume he won't have bought himself any recently. Plus, this was a compromise since he asked me not to spend any money. I did at least save the card for Sunday to shake things up, but all in all I was glad I gave my gift early...as Jake's plans for the holiday unraveled on Saturday as well.

He started the evening off with a much appreciated gift card and bottle of wine I mentioned wanting to try and then started cooking what became one of my favorite shrimp dinners thus far. I actually tried to take a picture of the beautiful meal and table, but as usual, our camera battery was dead and it took too long to find the charger (story of my life). After dinner, we watched the Olympics and had some good conversation about the crazy athleticism...it was perfect.