Just kidding but seriously

I am now a resident of Sanford

2011-06-28T09:20:00.004-04:00

So I am a terrible blogger. I forget to blog. Forget to share what's going on in my life. I figure if people really want to know, they would ask or already have known since I am a wide open book.

My last post, I was about to get married. Well, that is old news. Josh and I are about to celebrate our 4 month anniversary! At what point in marriage do you stop counting months?

The last 4 months have been full of lots of changes.

Josh and I got married on March 5, 2011.
Josh finished his MBA at State and graduated on May 7, 2011.
In between March 5 and May 7, he had various interviews that ranged from downtown Raleigh to Dallas, Texas... AH!

We had no clue where we were going to live or he was going to work.

We decided he was going to work in Goldsboro and would start on June 1. It seemed like a good idea but we still were not certain. After all, he needed a job... but Goldsboro?!

Josh went to a conference here in Raleigh where he met a guy that worked for Coty in Sanford, NC. The guy took Josh's information and said he would email him about a job opening that he was hiring for. A couple weeks went by and Josh didn't hear anything. Finally, he got an email asking him to come in for an interview.

On May 27... yes, 6 days before he was going to start working in Goldsboro, he went for an interview at Coty, Inc. in Sanford, NC. On the following Tuesday (May 31), he received a job offer! It was a better offer than Goldsboro and Sanford seemed like a nice place to live and still not too far away from our friends.

On June 10th, we set off on an adventure to find our first place to live together. On June 18th and 19th, we moved to Sanford. We love it so far. It is a cozy little place that is calm and has a slower pace of living. It reminds me a lot of Boone, minus all the college kids and add a lot of grown-ups.

I love our new place as well. When I picked out my small, 1 bedroom apartment 2 years ago, I had no clue I would be getting married and my husband would be living there with me. It was very small for 2 people. Our new place is a lot bigger and Josh has even claimed our spare bedroom as his man room.

That is where we are, come visit anytime! I will post pictures of our new place soon, well... maybe!

Wedding Stats

2011-02-17T12:04:00.002-05:00

So I am going to a wedding in 16 days. Something is different about this wedding. I get to play a part at a wedding that I have NEVER played before. I get to be the bride. I get to marry my best friend. Many of you, I am sure, have seen the movie 27 Dresses. Well, to be honest, Katherine Heigl does not have that much on me. My wedding debuted began about 22ish years ago when I was the flower girl. For entertainment purposes, here are the parts I have played at various weddings:

~ Peanut Girl- 1
(yes, this is the most random of my wedding appearances. Abbey was the flower girl at my grandma's wedding, which happened to be on my 3rd birthday. Me, well I got to wear a flower girl dress and carry peanuts in my basket... not flowers)
~ Flower Girl- 1
~ Random bridesmaid or groomsman I am note sure- 1
(yes, that is correct. I wore a bridesmaids dress and stood next to my dad at his wedding)
~Attendee or Attendant- 2
(I am not sure of the correct wording of this)
~Honorary Bridesmaid- 2
~Bridesmaid - 4
~Maid Of Honor- 3
~BRIDE- coming soon!

I am pretty sure I am leaving 2 weddings out but I cannot remember. If I think harder about this today and remember, I will be sure to update this!

I also counted and I think I have been to like 30 something weddings. I love weddings, what can I say?!

Happy Thursday!

Ode to Dallas

2010-12-02T09:39:00.019-05:00

Dallas has been living with me for the last 11 weeks.

He is a very sweet dog and has learned a lot during his stay. Just last night, he learned how to use the TV remote:

Before that, he learned how to dance with Josh:
He wanted to wear this but Josh would not let him.

Sometimes, he even works on the computer and sits in straight back chairs like a proper gentleman:

Dallas also loves to ride in the car and go to the lake.

Sometimes Dallas has a hard time waking up in the mornings. He is so lazy.

Josh has taught him some tricks also, like:
how to be a big baby, how to be a bunny and how to pee on a fire hydrant

Sometimes he misbehaves and does things like:
Eat food off of the coffee table

Or shred his bed to pieces and make it look like it has snowed in my apartment:

You can't help but fall in love with the little guy, he's just too cute!

You're beautiful

2010-11-18T17:04:00.001-05:00

The days will come when you don't have the strength
When all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart they'd see too much

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You're beautiful

And praying that you have the heart to find
Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skys above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to death

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
In His eyes

109 Days To Go!

2010-11-16T12:28:00.006-05:00

In 109 days from today I will be married to the man of my dreams. It seems so far away but I know it will be here before I even realize it. It's exciting to me to think about being married.

I will always have somebody to talk to when I am going to sleep at night. There will always be somebody to talk to in the morning while I am making coffee or packing my lunch. I will always have somebody to make sure I am okay. I have somebody to make life decisions with. I have somebody to push me closer to God. I have somebody I want to be the father of my kids. I have somebody that I do not feel the need to run away from. I have somebody that I want to share everything with (and probably share too much). I have somebody that will let me be sad and comfort me and then at the same time I have somebody that always makes me smile or laugh when I am sad. I will ALWAYS have a +1 to any event in the future. I realize all of those things are about me but I consider this my selfish blog post!

Life seems to always work out differently from what I plan. This time last year I was planning to go to nursing school and was not worried about getting married or being a wife. In fact, I wanted to have a baby more than I wanted to get married. Now I have realized I would be the worst nurse EVER and I do not want a baby at all right now. I really just want to be married to Josh.

So in 109 days, that is exactly what will happen. I will become Mrs. Emily Alden Fox!

Words can't explain

2010-11-12T11:24:00.002-05:00

Words cannot explain my thoughts and feelings about the happenings in my life last week. I read my sisters blog this morning and her words perfectly describe how I feel.

2010-11-12T11:04:00.002-05:00

Since 2010 is drawing to a close, I took a look at my 101 Things list that I created back in March 2008. I still have a lot left on that list. A lot of these are things I know I will someday get done but for now, here are the things outstanding from my list. I have 49 days to see what else I can cross off! Of the 104 things (I thought of 3 more that I added) I was able to accomplish 55 of them. Of the 49 left, I have A LOT of traveling to do!

5. Write a letter to every family member letting them know how thankful I am for them.
6. Go to a vineyard and see all the grapes and taste the wine.
8. Learn how to change the oil in my car.
10. Learn how to wakeboard.
17. Learn to drive a stick shift.
18. Lose 15 pounds or at least get into shape.
25. Update my happy book for the last 2 years.
26. Make a list of all the people in my life I am thankful for and tell them.
28. Learn how to sew buttons back on clothes and fix torn seams.
29. Go camping for at least 2 consecutive nights.
30. Learn how to whistle.
35. Go to Red Wood Forest and hug a tree
36. Crash a wedding.
40. Drive across the country.
41. Learn how to ski.
42. Live within walking distance of my best friend.
43. Go to Italy, Germany and Spain.
44. Go on a hot air balloon ride.
45. Make curtains for my bedroom windows.
47. Buy bedroom furniture.
48. Take a road trip across the California Vineyards.
50. Have a garden and actually eat the vegetables from it.
52. Walk on the Great Wall of China.
53. Go to the Holy Land
54. Go to 6 states I have never been to and see the touristy things in each state.
58. See the Grand Canyon.
61. Buy my boss something for boss appreciation day.
62. Celebrate Chinese New Year.
63. Go to the beach at night and sit in a lawn chair and drink Blue Moon.
69. Have a 'oompa' party.
70. Go to the drive-in movies.
74. Eat at El Rodeo every night for dinner for 1 week and order something different every night.
76. Give up TV for a week.
77. Dread my hair.
80. Learn how to play poker.
81. Go to a Panthers game.
82. Create and use a prayer journal.
85. Keep a Christmas tree alive until July and have a Christmas in July party.
88. Paint a room bright pink!
89. Go visit the Alden's in Massachusetts.
90. Make a family tree for both sides of my family.
93. Read a book about a different religion.
94. Attend a church of a different religion.
96. Read through the entire Bible.
97. Write a letter to my mom telling her all the things I would like her to know.
98. Buy an outfit from a thrift shop.
100. Make a video documentary of all the houses I have lived in, schools I have gone to, churches I attended, or other important places in Charlotte, Boone and Raleigh that have impacted my life.
103. Plan a last minute trip using Travelocity last minute trip planner.
104. Wash my car in the rain.

Ponderings for today

2010-10-20T09:38:00.002-04:00

Today I have been pondering why it is not acceptable to not wear shoes. I hate shoes. I take them off when I am sitting at my desk, when I am driving, when I am at home, pretty much any chance I get. Why do we always have to wear shoes?

I mean I understand wearing shoes if you are at a construction site and there are nails or somewhere where your feet could get hurt but seriously...

Wedding Bells!

2010-08-02T15:05:00.002-04:00

So we have been engaged 3 weeks and 2 days now! So much has happened in that time.

We have a date: March 5, 2011We have a church: Visio Dei
We have a reception place: Durant Village
We have a bridal party
We have colors picked out
We have flowers picked out

Can't wait for it all to come together into the best day of our lives!
Isn't he cute?!

Engagement Story

2010-07-28T10:20:00.016-04:00

So this is the story of how Josh and I got engaged.

Josh was playing in a tennis tournament in Asheville. Depending on how the tournament went, we were planning to go to the Biltmore House on Sunday. Well on Saturday morning, we got up and drove about 20 minutes to the tennis tournament. We then drove about 20 minutes to go eat lunch with Mark in downtown Asheville. The plan was to then go see Josh's Dad about 30 minutes away. After being at his Dad's house for about 45 minutes, Josh decided we should go to the Biltmore House. I was a little reluctant because it was about another 20-30 minutes away and it would be 3:30 or so by the time we got there. Nonetheless, I got online and bought our tickets and we rush to leave his dad's house.

We get to the Biltmore House and I have a small inclination that something might happen (AKA Josh would propose). We tour through the house and look at all the nice things. We decide to go look at the gardens (a perfect proposal place, right?!). Well after walking for about 3 hours, I decide I need a little break so we sit down on a bench in the greenhouse. We are just sitting there and Josh says something along the lines of 'this is our special place' and me, being the nice girlfriend that I was at the time, said 'we'll see about that.' Just then a group of people walked into the greenhouse and Josh says 'let's keep walking.' At that point, I didn't think anything of it... not looking back, HELLO HE WAS ABOUT TO PROPOSE!

Well we decide to walk down to the pond that's there. We stopped and watched this cute little bunny for a while and then kept walking. I saw this cute little gazebo that overlooked the water that I wanted to go look at. We get closer to it and there is a HUGE BLACK SNAKE. So it slithers away and we carefully go into the gazebo. Still no proposal.

We keep walking and by this point I really just want to sit down and I really don't think Josh is going to propose. I was okay with it and just thought I was being 'that dumb girl' that makes stuff up in her head. While we are walking, I see a cute little bench and we go sit down.

Well we are sitting there talking and Josh says 'I really do want to spend the rest of my life with you' and I said 'well I really want to spend the rest of my life with you too.' Then he sticks his hand in his pocket and I think 'okay, this is it, he's proposing!!!' and then he pulls out a map of the Biltmore house and says 'wow, we've walked a long way.'

I try not to give it away that I was disappointed or anything like that, so I say 'yes, we have' and then look back out at the water. As I am looking at the water, I notice out of the corner of my eye that Josh stuck his hand back in his pocket. I turned my head back toward him and he had gotten down on his knee and pulled out a little black box. I yelled in his face, 'are you serious?' then he said 'Emily Alden will you marry me?' and I started crying and said 'YES!'

So there we were sitting on a bench, ENGAGED! and Josh tells me how 6 of the little diamonds on my ring were from my mom's wedding ring. I started crying even more as it was the most thoughtful thing I could have ever imagined.

We then walked back up to the house and there was a bridal party taking pictures in front of the house. I felt like I was on cloud 9 and thought I was living in a different world from everybody else. We walked back to the car (let it be known this was about our 4th hour of walking) and then went to the winery at the Biltmore. We then ate dinner at Antler Hill. It was very nice and I cannot wait to go back. Turns out, it is our special place after all!

We are planning to get married on March 5, 2011!

So I'm engaged...

2010-07-21T13:55:00.002-04:00

Josh proposed to my on July 10, 2010 at the Biltmore House in Asheville!!

Failure...

2010-03-23T16:54:00.002-04:00

So last week for St. Patrick's Day my company went on a beer and bowling adventure to the bowling alley on Hillborough street.

The first game I bowled a 57. For those that know me, I HATE bowling. It is boring and I am not good at it and I do not aspire to be good at it. With that being said, I decided to bowl the second game left handed. I am right handed. When I got to work the next day I found out I won a prize...

a Snickers bar with this note attached:

F My Life!

101 List!!! AHHHH!

2010-02-16T14:21:00.001-05:00

I still have a lot go accomplish on my list over the next 10 months. For an update, I crossed a bunch of things off, you can take a look!

Oh Life!

2009-12-09T21:58:00.004-05:00

We miss out on life because we get tied up in work, school, and being busy to avoid life. I had this epiphany while sitting at Borders books on my lunch break while studying for my exam, calling my insurance agent and checking my blackberry to see how far behind I was getting at work from actually taking a lunch break.
I got off my phone and noticed a group of 4-5 elderly ladies drinking coffee and showing their crochet pillows to each other that they were making for various people for Christmas. I looked at them in envy. They have passed the season of life of working and schooling. They are not too busy to avoid life. In pondering this for a minute, I started writing this:
We are scared of our own thoughts- the places and things we will think about and maybe have to deal with. We are scared to face the reality of what life really is and what has happened to us in that life. The trials and hopes and fears and joys and happiness and love and all the other emotions we feel. We are scared to reflect when we stop for the fear that these thoughts and reality might horrify us. What if the things we hope for don't happen? What if we waste of lives being busy and miss out on loving others that were placed in our path? What if what we are scared of is our own selves and the potential we do not live up to? What is we stop and reflect on what we are accomplishing in life? What if we take a little bit of time each day to stop and think and be alone with our thoughts? We will see the world in a different perspective. The world we live in is cruel but maybe not as cruel as I imagined. The magnitude of my fears and thoughts are nothing compared to the magnitude of the love Christ has for us. It is so easy for me to forget that. It is so easy for me to not realize how broken I am. I have recently begun realizing the depth of my brokenness and that I cannot on my own. These are just some of my random thoughts that I had while procrastinating studying... oh life!

Vance or Shiny P?

2009-08-18T14:58:00.002-04:00

So I thought I had decided on a name for my car, but now I am not so sure. The color of my car is Midnight Black Pearl, so I was thinking Shiny P might be a fun name. I also liked the name Vance since it's kinda random, and well, we all know I am kinda random.

Please leave your thoughts or any other great car names for my new purchase.

Updates on life!

2009-08-17T11:51:00.005-04:00

So much seems to be going on in my life right now!

Here are some updates on my life in case you have been wondering (I don't think anybody really reads my blog sooooo it's probably just more updates for me to have- ha ha!):

I got a new car. I named it Vance and I love it! It is a 2007 Black Element that is shiny and neat.

I am moving! I have decided to live by myself . It is something I have been wanting to do for a while and decided better now than never! I move sometime between August 31st and September 13th. If you would like to help me move, HOLLER! I will make you cookies or something as well.
I start taking classes tonight... ahhhh!
Panther football starts tonight. I can't wait. This is my favorite time of year. Football. Glorious!
Appstate plays ECU in 19 days. If ASU wins, Jennifer has to wear a different App shirt to work everyday that week as well as a face tattoo. Please note: ASU will win!

I had strepthroat last week for the first time in my life. It was not fun and I still feel kind of sick.
I spoke at church yesterday. I have never done that before. It was a great experience for me and challenged me a lot.
I recently went to Iceland. Apparently not a lot of people have ever been to Iceland. I think all people should visit Iceland. It was different and fun.

I think that is all the major updates in my life for now. Happy Monday!

Another 101 blog update!!

2009-08-10T16:41:00.001-04:00

Even though there are a few things I can mark off, I still have so many things left to do on my list:
2. Finish the 5 books sitting by my bed that I have started and not finished.

Holy Discontent- very good, you should read it!
Through Painted Desserts

3. Pay off the rest of my debt.
4. Take 5 vacations.

Myrtle Beach (July 3rd-July 10th, 2008)
New Orleans (February 12-February 15, 2009)
West Jefferson (July 3- July 5, 2009)
Iceland (July 31st-August 4th, 2009)

5. Write a letter to every family member letting them know how thankful I am for them.
6. Go to a vineyard and see all the grapes and taste the wine.
7. Meet at least 1 new person a week.
8. Learn how to change the oil in my car.
10. Learn how to wakeboard.
15. ~~Give up soft drinks for 2 weeks.~~
DONE! 15 Days (July 24, 2009)
17. Learn to drive a stick shift.
18. Lose 15 pounds or at least get into shape.
19. Run a 5K
23. Get kissed in the rain.
25. Update my happy book for the last 2 years.
26. Make a list of all the people in my life I am thankful for and tell them.
28. Learn how to sew buttons back on clothes and fix torn seams.
29. Go camping for at least 2 consecutive nights.
30. Learn how to whistle.
32. Go to at least 3 outdoor concerts.

JOURNEY!!! 8/10/2008
Floggin Molly!!! 3/14/2009

35. Go to Red Wood Forest and hug a tree
36. Crash a wedding.
37. Laugh until I pee my pants.
40. Drive across the country.
41. Learn how to ski.
42. Live within walking distance of my best friend.
43. Go to Italy, Germany and Spain.
44. Go on a hot air balloon ride.
45. Make curtains for my bedroom windows.
46. ~~Travel to Australia and New Zealand.~~
TRUMPED with ICELAND! (July 31-Aug 5, 2009)
47. Buy bedroom furniture.
48. Take a road trip across the California Vineyards.
50. Have a garden and actually eat the vegetables from it.
52. Walk on the Great Wall of China.
53. Go to the Holy Land.
54. Go to 6 states I have never been to and see the touristy things in each state.
58. See the Grand Canyon.
60. Learn how to be good at frisbee throwing.
61. Buy my boss something for boss appreciation day.
62. Celebrate Chinese New Year.
63. Go to the beach at night and sit in a lawn chair and drink Blue Moon.
65. Play wine pong.
67. Commit a random act of kindness.
68. Pour into someone and impact them profoundly.
69. Have a 'oompa' party.
70. Go to the drive-in movies.
71. Buy a lottery ticket in NC.
73. Ask my Grandma all the questions I can think of about my mom.
74. Eat at El Rodeo every night for dinner for 1 week and order something different every night.
75. ~~Give up fast food for 2 consecutive weeks.~~
DONE! 19 days (July 28, 2009)
76. Give up TV for a week.
77. Dread my hair.
79. Take a dance class.
80. Learn how to play poker.
81. Go to a Panthers game.
82. Create and use a prayer journal.
84. Try a new recipe once a month.
85. Keep a Christmas tree alive until July and have a Christmas in July party.
86. Make cookies for random friends.
87. Make a sand castle at the beach.
88. Paint a room bright pink!
89. Go visit the Alden's in Massachusetts.
90. Make a family tree for both sides of my family.
91. Learn the proper way to iron pants and button-down shirts.
93. Read a book about a different religion.
94. Attend a church of a different religion.
96. Read through the entire Bible.
97. Write a letter to my mom telling her all the things I would like her to know.
98. Buy an outfit from a thrift shop.
100. Make a video documentary of all the houses I have lived in, schools I have gone to, churches I attended, or other important places in Charlotte, Boone and Raleigh that have impacted my life.
101. ~~Save up $100 and go buy something. Anything I have wanted for a while and just never bought.~~ DONE! (July 23, 2009) I bought Vance
102. Go on the perfect date.
103. Plan a last minute trip using Travelocity last minute trip planner.
104. Wash my car in the rain.

the land of ice!

2009-07-28T13:41:00.004-04:00

cant' wait to see this place!

Honda Elements

2009-07-23T09:41:00.010-04:00

There has been some discussion lately of whether Honda Elements are hideously ugly or actually great cars. People love them or hate them. For those of you that have never seen an Element, I have added a picture.

I personally think they are great. Not only does it have 5 cup holders (highly important to have as many cup holders as possible) but you can hose the daggum thing out. Now with 5 cup holders, you are at some point going to have to hose the thing out. It also has incredible seats in the back. It's been said you can arrange the seats in some 40 different ways. They can be hooked to the inside of the car so that there is room for at least two kayaks and a bike OR you can just take them out completely OR you can lay them down flat and sleep in your car. I don't plan on sleeping in a car, but I would like to have that option. The Element also gets decent gas mileage for it's type.

Now looking at this newer car compared to my current 1996, there are small things that are great about this car too. Don't get me wrong, love my car but this Element has a sunglasses holder by the rear view mirror, you can control the radio on the steering wheel, it has a CD player, the display lights work so you can know what radio station you are listening to, the engine is so quiet you can't tell if the car is on or not, the spedometer and odometer work- just to name a few differences between my Accord and this guy.

So feel free to post about your love for Honda Elements, if you don't love 'em then shut it :)

Road trip to Mt. Pleasant

2009-06-29T15:45:00.005-04:00

Wrecked

2009-06-18T09:18:00.005-04:00

I am reading this book and one of the chapters is titled Wrecked. The chapter talks about how Jesus Wrecked his life. I am beginning to think that this is what happened to me in Nicaragua. I have been back in my life in Raleigh for almost 2 weeks now and my heart is not here. It's been great to see my friends and catch up with people f, but something is different in me. I learned that there is way more to me than what I know and love about my life in Raleigh. More to come on this but that is where my heart is right now.

Update on 101 things to do list

2009-05-04T16:10:00.000-04:00

Not a very big update...

11. Take a Yoga class.

DONE!

13. Run the Muddy Buddy Race.

DONE! So muddy

32. Go to at least 3 outdoor concerts.

DONE! and it was raining

How does one get this job?

2009-04-13T16:48:00.000-04:00

I was running some errands earlier and got stopped at a traffic light for a few minutes. I saw a backhoe that was busy working on the sidewalk so I started watching it. It was moving all this dirt around and there were a few men (4 to be exact) standing there watching the guy in the backhoe move all this dirt. Once the dirt had been moved enough... the other guys started 'working.' All I am asking is... how do I get THIS GUYS JOB? Right here...
I guess each one is the personal supervisor of one of the workers? IDK... either I want the money from my taxes that pay their salaries back or I want his job! That's all.

This made my day...

2009-02-20T14:11:00.000-05:00

Most Random Blog Ever

2009-02-19T09:52:00.000-05:00

This past week has been fun and for some reason I have come to realize a lot this week- both silly things and serious thing and important things and things that don't matter. I have been waking up early (not on purpose) and so I have had a lot of 'thinking time' this week. Here are some things I have been thinking about:

Louisiana might be one of my new favorite states.
Chicago has lots of tall buildings and is a very fun city to fly into.
Everybody should experience Mardi Gras at least once in their lifetime (if not every year).
Good friends should always be cherished and are irreplaceable.
Babies are such a blessing from God.
Hockey might be my new favorite sport.
The world is so small (one of my co-workers is dating a guy I new in high school- he sent a picture to me from her of me and my sister in 11th grade- SMALL WORLD!!)
Methylphenid might be my new best friend.
I love learning and school.
Sheep have very small brains. It was actually really surprising how small they were (I had to dissect one, that's all).
Grace- the last best word.
I want to be a nurse or PA or NP that helps people in need. There are so many people in need that can't afford and don't receive the medical attention they need. I want to learn as much as I can so I can always help these people.

Moving-ahhhh!

2009-02-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

Since June 5, 2006 (the day my life ended) I have sat here: Monday-Friday from 8ish-5ish with an hourish lunch break.
Well now we are moving... TO CARY- ugh! Who wants to work in Cary? Seriously? I am fine having this office, I love this little office. I look out my window and see beavers, turtles, rabbits, a fox, nutreas, birds, a train... anything you can imagine:

Maybe I will love my new office as much as this one but it will be hard. One positive is I get to sit with Jennifer at the new office!

24 Reason You Know You've Watched Too Much 24...

2009-01-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

1) You start talking about showering like it's a mission. IE. "As long as there is not a breach in the system, all should go as planned."
2) You look in your closet and shower before you go to bed.
3) You hear a noise and jump out of bed and turn the light on and open the door before anything happens just to find out your roommate is getting some water.
4) You receive anonymous texts from friends saying 'the simbiot program is now operational. execute phase 2 now.'
5) You begin your own profiling of people around you (I know, I know... but it's kinda funny).
6) You can't wait to find out what happens next and begin thinking of possibilities.
7) You scream and jump up and down when you see previews.
8) Jack Bauer consumes your dreams.
9) You are so excited that you mess up simple Jack Bauer phrases, such as "The Black Eyed Peas were just the black eyes until they met Jack Bauer."
10) You think of life in terms of 24... missions and failures and being compromised.
11) You no longer trust all of your friends and question their loyalty.
12) The thought of a cigar cutter makes your crotch hurt. (that's for colleen)
13) You run into your bedroom and shut the door randomly when you don't want to see what's happening.
14) You find yourself yelling at the TV as if Jack can hear you.
15) You often get laughed at and called lame because you are daydreaming about something else (secretly you know it's 24 but you don't admit it).
16) You want to be Chloe O'Brian.
17) You look over your shoulder frequently to be sure you are not being followed.
18) Nobody asks you to hang out on Monday nights.
19) You can't sleep at home by yourself.
20) You choose to get up in the middle of the night to let your roommate in rather than take the chance of leaving the door unlocked.
21) You have the CTU ringtone on your phone at work and you accidentally answer the phone, "Thank you for calling 24..."
22) You actually take the time to call the phone numbers that are mentioned on the show.
23) When you realize that the season premiere starts on the same night as a dinner party that you are hosting, you seriously consider calling everyone to cancel the party.
24) You spend a good 24 minutes at work coming up with a dumb list of 24 things...

Don't judge me :) Comments are welcome!

Essay from High School...

2008-12-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

Last night I was looking through a box of things I kept from high school. It was interesting the things that were in there. Just a sampling, I found about 100 notes from my Dad that he used to leave in my lunch box everyday. Cute, I know! There were also various notes from friends at school, love letters, a few birthday cards, sports letters for a jacket (I didn't want a jacket), certificates of stupid academic things and chords from graduation. There was also this essay I found that instantly took me back to these moments of high school. I would gladly go back through all of the things I have gone through over the last 6 years to be back at my senior year of high school. I know it's hard for some to understand but I loved high school, especially my senior year. There were 6 of us girls that were inseparable. We were ALWAYS together. To these girls, I will always be grateful and very sentimental as they taught me to love and be loved for me.

Before I let you read part of this essay that explains my senior year of high school, please note that I have been blessed so much with friendships and lovely people throughout the years. Relationships are what I love and what brings me joy.

"There are many topics on which I am passionate about. Political, religious, philosophical, and trivial...yet, I think I should write about what I know best. That subject indefinitely is my friends. While this may sound like a frivolous thesis, if I'm honest, it is one of the most influential and important parts of my life. They have been a huge part of what makes me. They've provided joy, pain, support, laughter, tears, and all the good emotions that make living real. That is what they do for me, they make my life real. They push me in my faith, and build me up in a Christian atmosphere that is so perfect. They have greatly influenced my life. The memories I have with them, they things they say to me, the way I can look at them and feel like I'm the most blessed person in the world... these are the things who shape who I am. I don't know if the admissions staff is interested in this, or if they understand why this is important but I once heard that aspiring writers should write about what they know. This is all I know. In the past two years, my life has changed drastically with the Lord becoming the center of my world. Besides Him and my family, my core group of friends describes me. Let me tell you a little about our group of friends... it's mostly girls (which is the subject of many jokes) but a few boys are daring enough to hang out with us occasionally. We are all profoundly different, physically and every other way possible. Some of us are tall, some short. Some easy-going, a few demanding.We can all read each other in remarkable ways and we have mental connections that sometimes bewilder even us. Laughing is our forte and communication, our major foible. We are protective of each other and yet the words shared between us often hurt the most. Quality time is a requirement, and tangible gifts unnecessary. No one is ever the most important, the most loved, the most beautiful or the most anything... we're all equal. We love to hang out at Starbucks for hours. We dance like no one is watching (people usually are, and laughing simultaneously), and we sing at the top of our lungs... off key and singing the wrong words. Creativity on the weekends is what we pride ourselves in, since none of us drink or party-hard we often end up doing things regarded as incredibly childish or immature... and having more fun than imaginable. These memories, these moments, these people... this is what I know. It is what I'm incredibly passionate about. It has affected me in ways that words don't do justice to. They have made me strong, wise, funny, loved and incredibly content. Most of all, they've made me who I am."

Why I love life

2008-12-02T13:44:00.000-05:00

Here are a few reasons why the last few days have been so wonderful:
1) I got to watch 24!!!
2) My Christmas tree is so big that I could not lift it by myself and the top sticky up thing had to be folded in half so the star would fit and not be in the ceiling. It is beautiful. If you love Christmas, come see my tree.
3) I got the most awesomest coffee mug EVER. Apparently I can had red Christmas cups from Starbucks always and not just at Christmas.

4) Thanksgiving leftovers.
5) A nice check came from Grandma- love when that happens!
6) I got to see beautiful mountain trees covered in ice- gorgeous!
7) Holiday festivities are starting! Christmas parties, great friends, lots of eating and desserts, Christmas lights everywhere, maybe some presents- all wonderful things!!!
8) My favorite Appalachian t-shirt is no longer missing
9) I get to see my sister and family 3 weeks in a row!!
10) There is this crazy tree machine that's been chopping down 2 trees over this house outside my window for the last 4:30 hours... Here is a picture (it's way cooler in person)

I think this list might could go on a little bit more but seriously I should probably get some work done!

Mondays are not always bad-

2008-11-24T14:50:00.000-05:00

I have troubles with Mondays. Most weeks I would rather just lay in bed and pretend it's still the weekend. I drag myself out of bed about 10 minutes before I leave my house and go to work looking about like that.

Well today has been a pretty funny Monday for several reasons. The first is the lovely picture to the left. Please laugh. I keep looking at it and laughing. Jerry was trying to explain the directions for the game we were about to play. Let's just say this is what happens when there is an A.D.D. person with the camera (that person may or may not have been me) and friends that get easily distracted. This is our first annual live nativity scene... awesome!

I got to work and was minding my own business, playing with this awesome link Mic sent over, http://www.vw.com/vwhype/babymaker/en/us/, looking out the window of my second floor office when out of nowhere 2 men appear in a cherry picker. So I jumped out of my seat a little bit and started freaking out. The nice men in the cherry picker graciously laughed and then looked away to go about painting. Here is a what I am talking about, I am pretty sure it's called a cherry picker.

So for lunch I went to meet Elizabeth at Cafe Carolina. Now this was great, we had delicious food and interesting conversation. We decided to stop by Swoozie's before heading back to work, after all they wrap packages and call it 'swoozing them up.' We get in my car and head to Swoozie's. After laughing at the funny cocktail napkins, we leave. We are just driving along talking and having a great time. We are about to pull into my work neighborhood when all of the sudden I pause and say 'what are we doing?' Ivey looks at me and said 'I don't want to go to work with you! I have to go back to my work!!' We forgot to get her car. Michayla says we are special.

To make the day complete, I was just told I am on the 'SWAT' team at work. I don't even know what that means but it was pretty comical to me. All I can picture is the movie SWAT with burning buildings and bad guys and guns.

Maybe next Monday won't be bad. Maybe this Monday has set a precedent moving forward that Mondays will just be funny.

BeST FriEnDS!!

2008-11-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

I am pretty sure I have the bestest friends EVER. I'm thankful for all of you! :) That's all

The wonder that is the mountains

2008-11-06T10:43:00.001-05:00

So lately- today especially- I have missed the wonder that was my home in Boone, NC. Now for those that have never been to Boone, this is truly your lose. Boone is the prettiest, most peaceful, entertaining place I have ever lived. Don't get me wrong, I love living in Raleigh, but there is something that draws me too Boone. Perhaps it's because a little piece of my heart will always live there.

I am currently sitting at my desk at work STARING out the window with this longing in my heart to not be sitting here but rather be out enjoying the changing leaves and brilliantly blue sky. I want to go to Trout Lake and sit in my spot- that was my spot for 4 years- and think. I love that spot. I have yet to find a spot like that in Raleigh. It was a peaceful spot, I went there to think, ponder, reflect, cry if needed and just have Emily time. One time I went there not knowing it was icey...needless to say I got stuck in the ice and could not move my car... that was scary.

I miss sitting on my porch with my roommates and enjoying the scenery around our house. I miss being snowed in and making snowmen and going sledding on death hill.

So yeah- moral of the story is I miss Boone but I love Raleigh also.

On a lighter note... 101 Things to Do UPDATE!!

2008-11-05T09:13:00.000-05:00

21. Print out digital pictures and put them in a photo album.
I did this through like Junish time so I think that counts! Yaaay me :)

22. Make a scrap book.
I made 2! One for my friend Elizabeth Ivey Henderson to remember her wonderful wedding and surrounding events. 1 for my pal Emily Aker to celebrate her fake 21st birthday! Yaaay weddings and fake 21st birthdays!

31. Plan a big party.
There have been a number of parties that I have helped plan(some big some pretty big) so I feel like between the following list, this has been done:

Abbey and Frank's Wedding
Elizabeth and John's Wedding
Aker's birthday party
Elizabeth and John's birthday party
Michayla's birthday party
Leslie's baby shower for baby Ethan
Abbey's bachelorette party
Elizabeth's bachelorette pary
Abbey's lingerie shower
Abbey and Frank's couple's shower
Elizabeth's shower
Supper Club
Dessert Party at my new apartment

39. Walk to the grocery store and get my groceries when it is nice outside.
I did this a while back before I moved to my new apartment. It was a nice and kinda fun. I don't think I can do this from my new apartment though!

57. Cook a meal for a family in need.

95. Play in some type of tournament.
Fantasy Football! So far, so good. Hopefully I will keep winning :)

The Perfect Blog Post Anxiety

2008-10-14T11:31:00.001-04:00

So every time I go to write a new blog post I get this terrible anxiety, I have started calling it The Perfect Blog Post Anxiety or TPBPA for short. I get this block where I panic if people will 1) actually read my blog 2) think it's funny or interesting depending on what I type 3) make a comment about my blog or 4) just think I'm an idiot.

Now my life is pretty comical for those that know me. Funny things tend to happen everyday and a good bit of my day is spent laughing or accidentally making people laugh by doing or saying ridiculous things on accident. When I go to blog about these events they either don't come out funny or I get TPBPA and cannot remember what they were. (We all know I am the best story teller EVER so I don't now why I can't type out funny stories, makes no sense).

Sometimes I type about serious things but then wonder if people think I am too serious or that my serious thoughts or stories are boring and not intersting to others or in general TMI. Most times once I decide to write about something I am okay with it, it's just a matter of getting past TPBPA! Ha

So there's my random thoughts for today! :)

Maw Maw and Poppy (and Paw too)!

2008-10-11T22:25:00.000-04:00

I just reread this after I published it and realized it is a little sad, so if you don't like sad, just read the first paragraph or 2.

So my grandma is not like most grandmas. Today we celebrated her 85th birthday. Tonight she learned how to "shoot wii" as she called it. Yesterday she bought a shirt and jacket from Express, not for me but for her. She drinks Caramel Latte's from Starbucks, drives an SUV and wears Prada and Michale Kors glasses. She drinks 4-5 cups of coffee a day and is a true southern bell. My grandma lived 1 mile from my house from the time I was 6 until June of this year. I saw her almost everyday for 12 years. Now she lives in the mountains and while I talk to her on the phone everyday, I only see her about once a month.

She is one of the strongest women I have ever met in my life. She has lost 2 husbands, a daughter and numerous friends now. Yet she doesn't complain about those things, she complains about hip pain (she's broken her hip twice and had 2 hip replacement surgeries) and being soar from walking around the mall all day. While she doesn't complain about those things, I know it's hard for her. She started taking a writing class and has recently written the story about her 2 loves.

She met Paw (Carl Doss) in college. See my family is not very good at being on time and Maw arrived late for her first class where she was forced to sit behind Paw. The second day of class, she arrived late and there were no seats left, so Paw gave her his seat and asked her out. The rest is kinda history about falling in love and wanting to spend their lives together. The funny thing about my grandma's 2 loves is they were great friends! You see, during this same time, Poppy (Charles Bond Blain) and his family moved in next door to my grandma in Johnson City Tennessee (I think this was about 1942). Well Poppy and Maw became best friends, they walked to school together everyday. Paw was away ( I think fighting in the war). Maw told Charlie all about Paw and how they were going to get married when Paw came back. Maw told Charlie how he and Paw would be great friends. Paw came back and Charlie and Maw and Paw all became inseparable.

During this time period, the draft for WWII was happening and it wasn't long before Poppy and Paw were drafted. Ironically, they were both drafted on the same day. (I am not sure why Paw was away at war for the first time and then got drafted again, this date was May 15, 1942) Poppy was on a medical ship that went to and from England with injured soldiers. His time in the service helped him decide he wanted to go to medical school and become a dentist. I am not sure what Paw did while in the service but on his first leave, he proposed to Maw and they got married. Since Maw couldn't be with Paw, they decided to have my aunt Linda so that Maw would not be at home by herself. Paw and Poppy both finished their time in the service and Poppy went to Georgia and then Tennessee to acquire his medical degree. Paw and Maw continued living in Johnson City and had 4 children, Linda, Carla (my mom), Henry and Grace. They lived there a while and then moved to Charlotte. In 1983 Paw died suddenly in the middle of the night. I was the only grandchild (of 10) to not meet this crazy man. I have only heard stories of him and cannot wait to meet him.

A few years after this happened, Maw went back and forth about going to her class reunion. Well finally her children convinced her to go. And low and behold guess who else was there?! None other but Charlie! Now Charlie lived in Atlanta and ran his own dental practice and Maw lived in Charlotte and worked at the hospital. They dated for a while and on June 13, 1987 (my 3rd birthday!) they got married in our backyard! Over the years, Charlie became Poppy. He was the only grandpa that I knew. He played outside with us, he always gave us candy (he even had a candy store in his basement for us), he was so kind and compassionate and caring. He taught us all so much. He treated Maw like she was the Queen. Poppy passed away about 10 months ago and it's sad to see Maw without him as I have no memories of her without him. The love that they had for each other was/is an example of compassion and patience and caring that has forever been ingrained in my mind. He taught us of unconditional love and what it means to serve others. He always put Maw and us first and he never complained about it. He truly is the kindest, most compassionate man I have ever met.

Nice cars

2008-10-03T08:35:00.000-04:00

So I have a '96 Honda Accord and I love it. When I was in high school, it was the car I really wanted. Maybe a different color, but still it was what I wanted and now I have it. Other than that, there has only been 2 other cars that I have REALLY liked or wanted. In high school and college I really wanted an orange Xterra. I heart them. If gas wasn't so expensive, that is what I would have right now. There was a year or so in college that I also really wanted a Touareg. I still would like to have an Xterra and I think one day a Touareg can be my mom car. ANYWAYS, my car has had a series of unfortunate events over the last 2 months. It has been a little traumatizing. So my car needs to be fixed or I need to get a new one. I don't necessarily want to buy a new car as I am content with my car. It's strange how cars have become a status symbol. I mean, I obviously have a terrible job and terrible self worth or I would be driving a really nice car by now. It will be interesting to see how our economic crisis impacts peoples perspectives and peoples willingness to drop lots of money on a new car when the one they have works perfectly fine. I think for now I will keep my car that some might consider a piece and drive it happily until I all of the sudden get lots of money.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2008-10-01T11:41:00.000-04:00

i love fall. it is my favorite time of year. the air gets crisp, you are forced to wear hoodies and warm jackets and jeans ALL the time. it is the start of football season. thanksgiving is around the corner meaning christmas is around the other corner. christmas is my most favorite time of the year (side note: i kept my christmas tree until july this year.) fall means the leaves start to change colors. soup becomes okay to eat again because it's not 100 degrees outside. fall means the state fair is about to arrive- who doesn't love the demolition derby??? i mean serioulsy, how is fall not everybodys most favorite time? pumpkin flavored things appear everywhere. fireplaces and firepits become a must. the start of new seasons are always fun. it seems that these seasons not only are 'weather' seasons but also life seasons. with every season, it seems things change so much. i'm excited about this season and the things that will happen and the things that will change!

Football Obsession

2008-09-29T08:42:00.000-04:00

For those of you that don't know me well and for the other 3 that actually read my blog, I love love love football. There are many reasons why I like football: 1) it's the start of fall and lasts through winter 2) who doesn't love a good hoody with your favorite team on it?? 3) friends always get together to watch football 4) nobody judges you for eating pizza and chips and desserts and drinking beer or wine 5) lazy Sunday afternoons, 6) guys in tight pants (okay just kidding, but seriously), 7) it's a great sport to watch on TV and live! Which leads me to my next point... Super Bowl parties are fantastic!! Other reasons I like football: "I said it's great to be a mountaineer..." App State football rocks my face off. For the past 7 football seasons I have enjoyed watching these boys play... they play their hearts out. It's fun to get all bundled up and go to the games in the mountains, it's fun to watch them win and it's fun to announce to people who talk crap about their crappy football teams that App has one 3 national championships. I don't understand why people can't just be excited about that. People are in fact RUDE about App State football. I am not sure why, perhaps they are jealous. I mean how can you not look at the picture to the left and not fall in love with those boys???

The Panthers are my favorite pro team. Now I am not going to lie, this has been a rocky road over the last few years, but there is hope that this season will be better. There are also my Redskins. Now I know the Redskins are a random team to love but I do. I have always loved them. They are consistently not super great or super bad, that's something to appreciate I guess. Every season I try and go to a couple games with my cousins that live in DC. The best game was when the Panthers played the Redskins. I wore my Panthers stuff to the game... let's just say I got ridiculed and didn't enjoy sitting in between my 2 cousins that are 6'5 and 6'3 that thought it would be fun to jump up and down and high five whenever anything happened.

Something new to my football obsession this year is a roommate that loves Da Bears. I am still not sure how I feel about this and I am just thankful my Panthers beat them already this season. My last random thing about football is fantasy football. I joined a league with a bunch of guys and 1 other gal at work this year. Let's talk about who's 4-0?! OH OH PICK ME!! I am killing these people and it's fun! :)

The day finally came!

2008-09-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

Baby Ethan McKee was born this morning. He is precious! Here are some pictures...

This is by far my favorite, already sucking his thumb (with a little help from dad)!

Already got Grandma wrapped around his little fingers. Please note the nice cone head!!

It's crazy how he's already stolen all of our hearts. He really is the most perfect thing ever.

My poor car

2008-09-23T13:38:00.001-04:00

Best Friends

2008-09-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

So this weekend I went on a retreat. It was great... great friends, great people there, great place, great weather and great everything! The group that planned the retreat was a group of about 6 best friends. They all lived in different places, had different jobs, were interested in different things and all loved Jesus. That was what kept them best friends... their love for each other and Jesus. Each time one of them spoke, a friend would introduce them. Each introduction ended with "if you don't have friends like this, well, you really need too." Each time they said this I couldn't help but be soooo thankful, it almost brought me to tears more when I thought about it. I am so blessed to have such a group of best friends. They are always here for me, they always love me, they always encourage me and they always look after me and tell me when I am being stupid, they let me love them and encourage them and act like an idiot with them! They love me and I love them even though we all have different interests and different things going on in our lives. So, if you don't have friends like this, well you really should because they will change your life. You won't ever be the same. Thanks to you people that make up this group of best friends to me, I don't know what my life would be without yall.

On a side note, since blog posts without pictures are BORING... here is a picture of a dog in a motorcycle compartment that we saw on the car ride home. Please laugh...

Hit and Run... are you kidding me?

2008-09-16T09:12:00.000-04:00

I had my first wreck on July 26, 2008. Yes it was partly my fault and partly the other girls fault. Well I went to court (the Assistant DA was very good looking I might add) and had the case dropped, thank God. In the process of having this wreck and going to court, I am changing insurance. The new insurance guy thinks I am crazy. So skip a month and Saturday night I was at a friends house and went to leave and to my surprise, my car had been hit. Not just hit like dang there is a scratch, but hit like the mirror was knocked off and in between the drivers and passenger door is dented and that whole side of my car is ugly now. So not only is my rear bumper scratched, now the whole drivers side of my car is messed up. I let the new insurance guy know about the hit and run, he called me and said 'girl what in the world is going on.' I told him I was going to start biking everywhere I go now. AND note to self: hit and runs are considered your fault... how in the world does that make any sense?!?!?!?

Check #16 off the list...

2008-08-27T08:37:00.000-04:00

I chopped all my hair off! I sat down and the chair and said 'do it!' I think Steve was more nervous about cutting my hair then I was. Once he cut that ponytail off, I felt like I had lost 10 pounds and that I could stand up taller! Who knew how much my hair weighed?! Well that was the fun part, I suddenly got real nervous when he started cutting what was left of my hair. I tried not to show how nervous I was as I have a tendency to make other people nervous with my nervousness... well I think it turned out pretty well, I am still not sure about it but at least I won't have the same ponytail look at the end of each day now! Well I don't have a good picture of my hair cut and my camera died and the charger is in storage with the rest of my stuff...

Honor of Maid of Honor

2008-08-05T09:24:00.000-04:00

So I love weddings. They are such great fun and represent such a wonderful thing... love! Well the first wedding I was in was my Leslie's wedding 3 summers ago (I can't believe it has been 3 years). I was the Maid of Honor. I was so nervous, I wanted everything to go perfect. I think I was more nervous than Leslie was! It was such a great feeling to know that I meant that much to her.

Well skip about 3 years and 6 other bridesmaid dresses (yes, I still have all of them if you would like to borrow one or play dress up)... Ivey got engaged! Now she asked me to be her Maid of Honor! What a great feeling all over again! This time, I was not nervous (maybe it has something to do with the 6 dresses in between?) but the wedding was beautiful and things could not have gone smoother!

Well then we skip about 5 months and now my sister gets engaged, and asks me to be her maid of honor! Wow, kinda overwhelming but WONDERFUL! My sister is getting married in 12 days and I can't believe it! It seems like we are still just little kids and she is trying to be a grown-up. This will be the 8th, yes 8th wedding that I have been in. Katherine Heigl better watch out, I am about to catch up with her!

A few weeks ago, I was at dinner with Leslie and Ivey and got really sentimental thinking about these 3 beautiful friends that I've been blessed with. What an honor it's been for me to stand by them as the enter into this wonderful covenant with their husbands and God (and I guess the power invested to the minister by the state of NC ;))! I have never felt so blessed in my life.

(Side note: I am VERY thankful for ALL of my friends but was just posting about weddings... that's all!)

Here are some of the other weddings I've been in:

Update on 101 things post

2008-07-15T10:47:00.000-04:00

4. Take 5 vacations.

Myrtle Beach July 3rd- July 10th, 2008.

9. When I wrote about completing #9, giving blood, I had gotten over my fear of giving blood. After I wrote about that though, my arm became black from about my bicep to below my elbow and my arm was in pain for like 2 weeks. So I retract my statement about not being afraid to give blood, I am TERRIFIED.

27. Eat at 5 new restaurants.

BBY
Hayes Barton Cafe
Q Shack
Kanki
Amedio's

55. Go skydiving.

Okay, well I didn't go skydiving but I went parasailing and I thought I should mention that because it's fun and I didn't think about adding it to my list when I made my list.

72. Go on vacation with my family.

Why App State is better

2008-06-11T08:26:00.000-04:00

Now I understand a lot of people like to talk crap to me about Appalachian football... BUT before you talk crap to me again, I would like to see Governor Easley declare a day to celebrate your schools football team. This has happened every day for the last 3 years. So until the Governor declares a day for your school, I don't want to hear your crap.
Why App State is the best.

Random things you should now about me

2008-06-05T10:15:00.000-04:00

I have a nerdy job that I never thought I would have.
My sister is my best friend.
I really enjoy playing jokes on people.
Laughing is one of my favorite things in the world.
I want to be a stay at home mom.
I could eat chocolate or sweets for every meal.
Snowboarding is my favorite sport.
I like not wearing shoes.
Hoodies are my favorite article of clothing.
I love watching the sunset and sunrise. The sunset is my favorite.
I had 5 best friends in high school, I miss them everyday.
I once wrote a paper for class about how much those friends meant to me.
Birthdays are my favorite celebrations.
Christmas time is my most favorite time of the year.
Fire pits in the back yard with good friends are bliss.
If you mess with my friends, you will be sorry. I don't do well with this.
I don't cry a lot, I wish I did but I can't. I used to.
My grandma lived less than a mile from my house for 18 years of my life. She is moving next week.
Boone will always have a big chunk of my heart.
El Rodeo is the best mexican restaurant ever. Period. No questions.
I would love to live in another country for a short period of time.
I am scared to move somewhere far away by myself.
I have never lived outside of North Carolina.
My family is crazy.
My real grandpa died before I was born. I have always wanted to meet him. I was the only grandchild that didn't get to meet him.
My grandma got remarried on my 3rd birthday, he was my grandpa for 20 years. He died in January and I am still not okay with this.
I don't really like indoor pets.
I don't handle conflict very well.
I love singing as loud as I can in the car by myself.
I don't sing in the car in front of people I don't know well.
I actually have the worst singing voice you will ever hear.
My friends once played a joke on me and scheduled a fake interview for me at Starbucks.
I dated my best friend and it didn't work out like a fairy tale.
I love skirts, especially ones that twirl.
I talk to my dad, my sister, my grandma, leslie and elizabeth on the phone almost everyday.
I love making people laugh.
I like buying gifts for people.
I usually wake up 15 minutes before I need to leave for work and then lay in bed for 10 convincing myself to get up. I wish I didn't do this.
I love cheesy love story movies.
I am very competitive, I hate losing.
I get really animated when I talk and don't mean to.
Crazy things always happen to me. I don't always realize they are crazy until I tell other people about them.
I am the only person at my office that has not had to move offices in the last year.
I want to see a bear in real life... in the woods while hiking or climbing.
I don't like when people lie to me.
My mom might be the nicest, coolest, most genuine person I have ever met.
My step-mom is so wise, I love listening to her advice.
My whole life, my family has prayed together every night before going to bed.
I love sitting on my beach chair at the edge of the ocean when the tide is coming in.
Bocce ball on the beach.
I love surprises.
I hate carnival rides, they scare me.
I don't really like taking showers.
I love being lost.
I love the memories I have from the past 23 years. I wouldn't trade them for anything.
I value friends and family. They are the most important things in my life.
I love big necklaces.
My sister thinks I am chubby.
She used to call me Barkey and I called her Sparkey.
I don't like it when people that are not close to me call me Em.
I love being called Alden.
My whole life, when my sister and I spent the night with my grandparents, we would get in bed with them to drink coffee and gossip in the mornings. This still occurs.
I love when my clients put their pictures on their website. I like to know what they look like.
I like mowing the grass.
When I was little I was a tom boy.
Shrews once lived in my house in college. I was terrified and could not sleep at night.
I freak out easily about stupid things.
I hate being the center of attention.
I fall asleep during most movies.
I am not good at being a passenger in the car at night, I fall asleep easily.
I had braces for 4 years.
I love kids.
I will argue with anybody that Appalachian State Football is the best football team. I don't care what you have to say about it.
I once set a swimming record at our swim club when I was little.
Friends is my favorite TV show. I love it!
I once went for a 5 hour walk. It was hot.
I hate being hot.
I have never skipped work for no good reason.
I can't let anybody cry alone, if somebody is talking to me and crying, it makes me cry.

There are lots more things about me but those are some...

A Bird... IN THE CAR

2008-06-04T22:32:00.000-04:00

So I went to dinner with my lovely friends. Unfortunately, Mic's car got towed while we were at dinner. She was going to see the premiere of Sex and the City, so I let her take my car and Aker and I set off to get Mic's car back from the jerks that towed it. After retrieving the car, we went to play Wii at Joel and Rebecca's house. I then went home like normal. I woke up the next morning to go to work and went downstairs to get in Mic's car. I unlocked the doors and heard a chirp sound. I thought maybe it was her car alarm turning off or the batteries of the unlock remote dying. I opened the car door and saw a bird sitting on the dashboard. I then screamed 'OH MY GOSH' and began not breathing. I don't know who was more scared, the bird or myself. Thinking the bird was eager to get out of the car, I open the car doors thinking the bird will fly on out and problem solved. OH NO, with the doors open, the bird begins the process of trying to escape through the windshield. I call Mic in a panic, "MIC, THERE IS A BIRD IN YOUR CAR." I wasn't sure what Mic was going to do about it, but thought maybe she could help. Mic said 'well get a stick and get it out.' This sounded like a great idea, so I start looking for my stick. Once I found a twig, I began trying to get the bird out of the car, finally the bird got out of the car. I wigged out and for the next hour was paranoid of bird attacks.

Sooo I had a crazy dream...

2008-04-24T22:14:00.000-04:00

So for those of you that don't know me too well, I have this neck phobia. I don't like it when people touch or get near my neck. And by don't like I mean I violently freak out. Well I was asleep minding my own business last night when I suddenly woke up screaming. In my dream I was doing something, not so sure what, but all of the sudden I look over and somebody is about to poke my neck. I started screaming and woke up looking around my room to see if somebody was really about to touch my neck. I realized I was dreaming and then had a good laugh... well then it gets worse. I got up to go to the bathroom and somehow cut my heal on the bathroom counter, I managed to put a band-aid on my foot and go back to bed. When I woke up the next morning there was blood all over my bathroom floor... SOOOO gross!

#9- Give Blood- Check!

2008-04-08T21:46:00.000-04:00

#9 on my 101 list was to get over my fear of giving blood. Well, last Friday, Michayla's work was having a blood drive, she made me sign up. I was really nervous about it, but I did it! Not only did I cross off #9 but I am no longer terrified of giving blood.

Rainy Days and Mondays

2008-03-31T22:44:00.001-04:00

I know we need the rain but that doesn't mean I like it. Today was definitely a rainy Monday. If it is still raining in the morning, I am going to scream and then go play in the mud.

101 Things to do before the end of 2010

2008-03-28T11:15:00.004-04:00

Here is my list and attempt to set some goals, both fun and serious. I have given myself 2 1/2 years to complete all 101 items.

~~1. Make my blog sweet.~~

DONE! 3/29/2008 Thanks to Rebecca's help!!!

~~2. Finish the 5 books sitting by my bed that I have started and not finished.~~

DONE!

Holy Discontent- very good, you should read it!
Through Painted Desserts
Diary of an American Boy
A Millions Miles in a Thousand Years
The Me I want to be

~~3. Pay off the rest of my debt.~~
~~4. Take 5 vacations.~~
DONE!

Myrtle Beach (July 3rd-July 10th, 2008)
New Orleans (February 12-February 15, 2009)
West Jefferson (July 3rd-July5th, 2009)
Iceland (July 31st-August 4, 2009)
Disney World (December 31-January 2, 2010)

5. Write a letter to every family member letting them know how thankful I am for them.
6. Go to a vineyard and see all the grapes and taste the wine.
~~7. Meet at least 1 new person a week.~~
8. Learn how to change the oil in my car.

~~9. Give blood.~~

DONE! April 4, 2008 with Mic! I got a huge bruise!!

10. Learn how to wakeboard.

~~11. Take a Yoga class.~~

DONE! 3/8/2009 with Ivey!!

~~12. Take a Pilates class.~~

DONE! 3/31/2008 with Jessica!!

~~13. Run the Muddy Buddy Race.~~

DONE! 5/3/2009~ sooo fun!

~~14. Have people over to my apartment at least once a month for a get together.~~

DONE! Well we missed July and August and now it's turned into Supper Club which is way better anyways!!!

~~15. Give up soft drinks for 2 weeks.~~

DONE! 15 days, July 24, 2009

~~16. Give my hair to locks of love.~~

DONE! 8/27/2008... YIKES!

17. Learn to drive a stick shift.
18. Lose 15 pounds or at least get into shape.
~~19. Run a 5K~~
~~20. Get rid of all the clothes and shoes I haven't worn this year.~~

DONE 6/22/2008- still in my car to give to Goodwill though. I gave them to Goodwill on 7/15/2008!

~~21. Print out digital pictures and put them in a photo album.~~

DONE - through June at least!

~~22. Make a scrap book.~~

DONE! For Ivey's wedding and Aker's 21st bday!

~~23. Get kissed in the rain.~~

DONE! It was raining outside and I made this HOT guy that will soon be my husband kiss me :)

~~24. Write in my journal everyday for 3 weeks.~~

DONE!

25. Update my happy book for the last 2 years.26. Make a list of all the people in my life I am thankful for and tell them.
~~27. Eat at 5 restaurants in Raleigh I have never been to.~~

DONE!
1) BBY

2) Hayes Barton Cafe

3) Q Shack

4) Kanki

5) Pharoah's

28. Learn how to sew buttons back on clothes and fix torn seams.
29. Go camping for at least 2 consecutive nights.
30. Learn how to whistle.
~~31. Plan a big party.~~

DONE! There have been a lot of them, see the update from 11/5/2008

32. Go to at least 3 outdoor concerts.

1) JOURNEY!!! 8/10/2008
2) Floggin Molly!!! 3/14/2009

~~33. Go to the movies and get popcorn, candy and a soda.~~

DONE! Sex and the City!

~~34. Meet my neighbors.~~

DONE and they were strange....

35. Go to Red Wood Forest and hug a tree
36. Crash a wedding.
~~37. Laugh until I pee my pants.~~

So who really wants to pee their pants? But Josh did make me laugh almost to that point by saying 'With this ring I be wed'!

~~38. Drink a nice bottle of wine with Ivey.~~

DONE! 1/9/2009 at Luna Cafe!

~~39. Walk to the grocery store and get my groceries when it is nice outside.~~

DONE! I did this when I lived at my old apartment but forgot to update this back in July!!!

40. Drive across the country.
41. Learn how to ski.
42. Live within walking distance of my best friend.
43. Go to Italy, Germany and Spain.
44. Go on a hot air balloon ride.
45. Make curtains for my bedroom windows.
~~46. Travel to Australia and New Zealand~~

DONE (trumped) Iceland!

47. Buy bedroom furniture.
48. Take a road trip across the California Vineyards.
~~49. Figure out how to "leave my mark."~~

DONE!

50. Have a garden and actually eat the vegetables from it.
~~51. Go to Africa.~~

DONE (trumped)! 6/6/09 to Nicaragua!

52. Walk on the Great Wall of China.
53. Go to the Holy Land
54. Go to 6 states I have never been to and see the touristy things in each state.
~~55. Go Skydiving.~~

DONE (trumped)! 7/9/08 in Myrtle Beach with parasailing

~~56. Attend a NHL game.~~

DONE! 2/17/2009- Canes vs. Bruins

~~57. Cook a meal for a family in need.~~

DONE!!

58. See the Grand Canyon.
~~59. Pay for dinner when out with a group of friends.~~

DONE!

~~60. Learn how to be good at frisbee throwing.~~

61. Buy my boss something for boss appreciation day.
62. Celebrate Chinese New Year.
63. Go to the beach at night and sit in a lawn chair and drink Blue Moon.

~~64. Write down nice things people say to me. When I feel down or blue, read the list.~~

DONE!

~~65. Play wine pong.~~

Trumped with Wine Flip Cup

~~66. Give a speech in public.~~

DONE! 8/2/2008- Ivey's wedding!!

~~67. Commit a random act of kindness.~~
~~68. Pour into someone and impact them profoundly.~~
69. Have a 'oompa' party.
70. Go to the drive-in movies.

~~71. Buy a lottery ticket in NC.~~

DONE! and I won $1 back!!

~~72. Go on a vacation with my family.~~

DONE! 7/3/2008-7/10/2008

~~73. Ask my Grandma all the questions I can think of about my mom.~~
74. Eat at El Rodeo every night for dinner for 1 week and order something different every night.
~~75. Give up fast food for 2 consecutive weeks.~~

DONE! 19 days (July 28, 2009)

76. Give up TV for a week.
77. Dread my hair.
~~78. Throw a dinner party.~~

DONE! Supper Club- 1/11/2009- Dress like the host!

~~79. Take a dance class.~~

DONE! I took an aerobics class with Elizabeth at the Y! (January 24, 2009)

80. Learn how to play poker.
81. Go to a Panthers game.
82. Create and use a prayer journal.
~~83. Catch up with 3 old friends that I have let slip away.~~

DONE! I love old friends! :)

~~84. Try a new recipe once a month.~~
85. Keep a Christmas tree alive until July and have a Christmas in July party.
~~86. Make cookies for random friends.~~

DONE! Christmas cookies for work and frisbee friends!

~~87. Make a sand castle at the beach.~~

DONE! Abbey and I did this in August when I visited Charleston!

88. Paint a room bright pink!
89. Go visit the Alden's in Massachusetts.
90. Make a family tree for both sides of my family.
~~91. Learn the proper way to iron pants and button-down shirts.~~
~~92. Try a kind of meat that I have never had before (like dear, lamb, duck, etc.)~~

DONE!8/8/2008- Buffalo

93. Read a book about a different religion.
94. Attend a church of a different religion.
~~95. Play in some type of tournament.~~

DONE! Fantasy Football Baby!

96. Read through the entire Bible.
97. Write a letter to my mom telling her all the things I would like her to know.
98. Buy an outfit from a thrift shop.
~~99. Clean out my purse rack and get rid of the ones I don't carry.~~

DONE! 7/25/2008 while moving out

100. Make a video documentary of all the houses I have lived in, schools I have gone to, churches I attended, or other important places in Charlotte, Boone and Raleigh that have impacted my life.
~~101. Save up $100 and go buy something. Anything I have wanted for a while and just never bought.~~

DONE! I bought my Element! (July 23, 2009)

~~102. Go on the perfect date.~~

DONE! :)

103. Plan a last minute trip using Travelocity last minute trip planner.
104. Wash my car in the rain.
~~105. Take clothes to the dry cleaners.~~

DONE... and so expensive!

APP STATE IS THE BEST!!!

2007-09-04T09:05:00.001-04:00

This is from my friend Katie-Jo's blog and it makes me really really happy...

App-elation

Some lyrics to App State's fight song:

Always a winnin,
Always a grinnin,
Always a feelin, fine.

I can't stop grinnin myself. We are now on Day four where we wake up smiling with a blocked kick image in my head. I am still floating. I can't get over how amazing our team was on Saturday. I have never been so proud to be a mountaineer.

I loved everything about App, but I secretly always wished we had a big sports school.. that I could go to a random sports bar and see us on TV...

I wasn't the only one who had all my dreams come true this weekend....

Here is are a few things to help you reminice and grin as well....

My personal heaven will just be this clip on repeat for eternity. (note all Jerry Moore can say is "God bless em.")

Walking Wounded

OHIO STATE LOVES US THE MOST

PENN STATE LOVES US THE MOST

They really really love us

Immeditately after the game, 600 miles away, in a little mountain town in Carolina (PS, this ends UP A MOUNTAIN in the CHANCELORS FRONT YARD, who was quoted later saying about the goal post..."I can't wait to get home and see it"

In Boone at 11:30 Saturday night, a few miles out of town, they team was greeted with police cars, fire trucks and ambulances to lead the team back to the stadium.. there they were greeted by the entire town of Boone.

After the game.

Sorry Michigan

I want to shout it from the roof tops.

I want to buy 2 million dollars of Appstate T Shirts... kind of like Ohio State is doing to wear to the Ohio Michigan this year....

I want to stake see the A flag all over my yard and watch them wave in the wind.

I want to... I want to... I don't know.. its three days later and I am still chanting in my head "I don't give a damn about the whole state of Michigan.. the whole state of Michigan..."

I want to kiss Jerry Moore on the lips.. and dance with Chancelor Peacock and bear hug Armanti Edwards...

Who knew the greatest upset in college football history would be our little Apps.....

Here are some quotes from my favorite article thus far.. which was in the NEW YORK TIMES.. we were in the NEW YORK TIMES...

"While I won't say that Saturday's victory was my happiest moment as an alumni... oh, what am I saying? Of course it was my happiest moment as an alumni. When I saw the new Saturday, poping up as the lead story on Yahoo.com, I had the same kind of sensation that strikes when you see that someone young and vibrant has died, only in reverse..... "

"The bad news is, we just inherited about a few million Michigan fans as enemies. Let them swear, I say. I won't hear them. I will be in the closet, hunting for that black and gold necktie."

Business Cards?

2007-07-10T11:14:00.000-04:00

So I started my job a little over a year ago. When I started I was given some things to do, one of which included telling somebody to order business cards for me. A few weeks later I received a box of about 1,000 business cards. Well, now here I sit a year later staring at a box of about 995 business cards. I guess I am a little confused as to why they would want to spend money and kill trees to order business cards for somebody who sits at a desk ALL day and works with clients through the web and phone...just a little confusion. Of the approximately 5 business cards I have given away, I can safely say that 1 was given to my dad, 1 to my sister and the others I am not so sure where they ended up. All I know is I have about 995 business cards in a box on my desk and some poor forest is missing quite a few trees.

So I got a blog

2007-07-06T15:05:00.000-04:00

Today I was bored at work and began thinking of things I could do that would be the best use of my time. Soooo I created a blog so you can keep up with my life! hahaha