Bitching & Rafting.

I was thinking today about just how many pessimistic people there are in this world. Today as we all woke up to learn that Osama Bin Laden has finally been given justice, all the people in the City of New York are practically dancing in the streets with joy-- while so many other people are running their mouths about how "it's not really him, blah blah blah"--- I just want to run around screaming

"GET OVER YOURSELF, DEBBIE DOWNER! & LET THE REST OF US ENJOY THIS DAY FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH!!!"

uugh. for real. Some people just want to ruin everything for everyone-- & today those people are totally pissing me off.

Okay, enough of that-- NEXTTT:

I went white water rafting for the first time this past weekend! & in all honesty, I thought I was going to die more than once but after the fact-- it was a LOT of fun! 

11 of us went camping, rafting, ziplining & drinking all weekend. We sang campground-karaoke, we cooked campfire pies. We ate. and ate. and ate. and ate. and then drank some. WHEW. I think I gained 7lbs in just the last 48 hours. But it was a BLAST!!

Photo evidence below:



one of the few pictures where my face didnt register sheer terror. haha




shortest to tallest. classic. I would be far left. haha




our group after the adventure!



This trip was so much fun! I can't wait to do it again!

<3k*

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Super Super Sundayy!

Mini Weenies .... Check!

Apple Slices .... Check!

Doritos .... Check!

Yuengling .... Check!

Steelers Tshirt .... Check!

TERRIBLE TOWEL .... Check!

everyone needs one of these..

Today's the day! We've been waiting ALL season for this day!! In t-minus 5 hours I'm gonna crack open the first beer of the day and get ready!


On another note, yesterday was a fantastic day. I woke up early to homemade apple pancakes and coffee, then watched the movie Phenomenom & spent the morning being lazy. Then Boyfriend and I went to TJ Maxx where I found an awesome white serving platter for $10 (I'm going back today to get another one..) Then we went to the IMAX theater and watched Inception. That movie is amazing. I have seen it before but fell asleep at the end of it and I'm so glad I watched it once before I went to the theater because it is soooo confusing. I really enjoyed being able understand what was going on. So if you haven't seen it-- I highly suggest watching it! After the IMAX we came home and made pizza then went back out and hung out at Spicoli's and drank a couple pitchers of beer-- where I am almost positive I saw WILLIE NELSON... haha for real.

I saw him, seriously. But I was drunk-- so there's a little room for recognition error, right? haha
& p.s. i didn't take this picture.

Okay ya'll I'm goin back to TJ Maxx.. Have a good Superbowl SUNDAYYY!!


GO STEELERS!!


<3k*

Stairway to SEVEN!!

okay, so that was cheesy and kinda dumb for a post title

but I DON'T CARE because:

PITTSBURGH'S
GOIN TO THE
SUPERBOWL!!!

I have been trying really hard to learn the game of football. I've always watched it and was a cheerleader my entire school-age life but I never grasped even the simplest concept in the game. --for example: I'm one of those people who thought the yellow first down line was actually on the field. (I know better now though!)

And now I have for you a bunch of pictures I didn't take but make me smile a LOT:


count 'em 6!!... shootin for 7!



this is from the Post-Gazette --last play of the game

Mike Tomlin.. he's not even 40!

if Brett Michaels likes them, they MUST be good!

Okay, back to work.

Have a good week, lovies!

<3k*

New Orleans Service Trip

Holla Holla!!

I got home last night from a fantastic 4 days in New Orleans! & let me tell you i had ZERO desire to come to work today-- which might be why I slept in until 8am, rolled into work at 9am, took a long lunch (for new fingernails and gel pens haha) & now I'm blogging. I just can't get back into it!!

All in all this year's trip to NOLA was a success! My group of friends has been going down there since as early as 6 months after Katrina hit the area. & As a group, we've been going for the last 3 years. Every year we go we're still shocked by the things we see and the progress that's not been made in some parts of the city.

photo: realworldhouses.com

I'd say the biggest shock for me this year was the realization of how different parts of the city can be. We went to see the Real World New Orleans house since it was somewhat close to the Hostel we were staying in and I came back surprised to see that there are parts of NO that look like they were never touched by disaster and then there are parts of NO, like the Treme Charter School [where we volunteered] that are still battling Katrina like it was yesterday. It really makes me sad. But at the same time it reminds me why we continue to go to New Orleans every year-- because the JOB ISN'T DONE. These people and that city still needs OUR HELP until things are put back into their places. It's finished for some parts of the city, but in others it's still too early to stop working. There is unbelieveable disarray in huge sections of NO that the government and private and public and so many other entities are giving up on.

But this post really isn't intended to be political or persuasive or anything like that. This is just how it is. I guess my servant heart is speaking to me today :)


Okay Okay-- enough of that mushy, heartbraking, serious stuff!! I haven't uploaded my camera pictures yet but here are some fun DROID pics I snapped this weekend!

 The Joint
This is an AMAZING little BBQ restaurant that my group has now visited twice. They have the BEST smoked macaroni and cheese!!

This is right down the street from The Joint, saw this sign last year and it's just as hilarious in 2011!

This is a mural on the wall in the elementary school we worked in. There were 8 children killed in that school during the last school year.

We spent Sunday wandering around the French Quarter! I got new glasses last week and I'm still trying to get used to the look of them.

& YOU KNOW we had to go waste some money at Harrah's right? haha.

Apart from all the seriousness, we really did have fun! We tutored children. We served snacks. We built a garden. We learned. We saw. We remembered. We praised. We laughed. We ATE and ATE and ATE. We drank. We danced. We sang. We drank some more and then we danced some more. Ohhh & HEY WE FLASHMOBBED BOURBON STREET TOO!! haha. [video will come soon!]

New Orleans 2011 = SUCCESS!

I hope ya'll enjoyed this one, I certainly did! :)

Happy Tuesday!

<3k*

NOLA

I am leaving for New Orleans.



RIGHT NOW!!

See ya later, taters!!

[with photos, of course! :)]

<3k*

Birmingham, AbaLAMa.

No, i didn't spell that incorrectly. That's how we say it. :) AB-A-LAM-A.. much more fun that the normal Alabama. And much more obvious that you're a drunk-out-of-towner when you say it like that too.

We went to Birmingham on Friday night to meet up with one of our best friends from college and to go to the Compass Bowl on Saturday. && Let me tell you-- this weekend was a MESS!!

Pictures tell the best stories & excuse the blurriness-- that just means we had a good time!

my whole heart. <3

a moose & a drunk girl

glad we got ONE picture looking normal.

there's those antlers again.

at the PITT bar with Eddie, I'm not a PITT fan but I'll drink anywhere. haha

normalcy. right here.

i've got the 2 best friends that anyone could have.

Softy. love him.

With Soft-- stupid sunshine ruined a good picture!!

At the PITT bar with Alan & some random dude who wanted in our picture.

Has anyone else been out in Birmingham? I think we got lucky when we ran across Nana Funks downtown. It was the perfect scene for us. A little dancing, a little mingling, and stools! Why is it so hard to come across a barstool these days?!?

This Thursday we're off to New Orleans for some volunteer work and a little Bourbon Street action!! My liver is going to fall out by the end of January.

Our 2010 NOLA volunteer group!

Have a good week everyone!!
<3k*

It's been a while...

That's what he said. .. haha jk :)

Anywho, it has been a while since I sat down to write on my blog. Woops!.. I wonder where my time goes?

I have absolutely no idea where my time goes. In the month of December I have been to 2 holiday parties (to include my company event which = AWESOMEEEE) & I suppose I've been going out a lot-- every Friday and Saturday to be exact and spending my Sundays recouperating & watching the Steelers.

I've spent WAYY too much money recently. What makes me think this is okay? I don't know but it's happening. Still. I've bought some awesome presents for my lovies and some awesome stuff for myself as well. haha I have one more thing to pick up for Daddy sometime this week and a few things coming in the mail so I'm about to get busy wrapping!

I have been attending Body Bootcamp for over a month now and I'm really starting to feel better about myself. I haven't been paying attention to weight because I don't really think that's what's important. The body image is my biggest problem. and I love the workouts a ton but the 5am wakeup is really hard sometimes. & to make things even better I started Triathlon training yesterday!! The Iron Girl is only 6 months away!! --so I got my swim on at Chattahoochee Scuba after work yesterday. I did the distance + some, now I just need to focus on speed and strength. --I should probably schedule that out, huh?

I CAN'T BELIEVE CHRISTMAS IS IN JUST 11 DAYS!! HOLY FREAKING CRAP.
okay, i feel better with that off my chest. but MAN I'm really behind. I just ordered my Christmas cards last night so my family and friends might be extending their holiday cheer into 2011 when they finally receive my card. hahah Who cares about timing, it's the thought that counts right? haha


aren't we just the cutest?

.. & tons of thanks goes out to my great friends Nate & Jenny for taking our pics on a freezing December day!!

Okay, back to work for meeeee.

--I've kinda missed this little blog :)



<3k*

I finally replaced my camera..

with this little gem:

The Sony Cyber-Shot, model HX5V

I wanted to invest in a larger, nicer DigitalSLR camera but I decided to wait until I could actually afford one of those before I bought one. But this new camera is NIIIIICE!! I love it. I went around my town the next day and took about 150 shots of our beautiful brick buildings and the camera definitely pulled through some good shots. Of course I don't have those loaded on my work computer so photo updates will follow!


....so you say you want an update on my life???

YOU GOT IT!

Last week I traveled to the Mountain State & oh what a glorious vacation it was! I got to see my fabulous parents, my best friends, some family & lots of snow flurries!

There was plenty to drink and plenty of laughs and stupid pictures and completely unhealthy food and aboslutely no sleep --but all in all it was a great trip. [those photos will come soon also!]

..short update.. haha oops :)


What did ya'll do last week?


<3k*

Drunken Mishaps..

Happy Saturday, yall!

So last night started out as a nice dinner at El Vaquero... Can you say, PARTY OF 15?! haha we pretty much took over that restaurant after the beers started flowing. & That is how the night was supposed to end.. We were supposed to go home, and SLEEP-- but no, what did we do? --someone had the bright idea of having a "few more drinks" at the bar (my new favorite: the Maple Bar).. so of course, 10 minutes later our party was continuing to the tune of an OLD MAN BAND at a crowded tiny country bar..

BUT THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT THAT!

The post is about the fact that my drunk self happened to LOSE misplace the BF's camera. It was in my hand last night.. it was on the table.. it was in my purse.. and nowww it's not in my purse. It's not in my house. I LOST IT!! Omg I KNEW the jager bombs were a bad idea.. but I just can't say no!!

So now I'm on a hunt.. for a camera.. that doesn't belong to me... because I got drunk and LOST IT.

[insert sad face here]

If anyone ends up at the Maple Bar today, take a look around, there's a free camera lingering around there somewhere!!

RIP, oh camera that does not belong to me.

<3k*

Halloweenieeee

Hi all!!

I hope everyone had a safe and superfun weekend! I am still on my candy-high this morning and am so excited to share this weekend's events!! [once I get the pictures uploaded]...

Here's just a little preview of what's to come:

<3k*