Quote of the Day

"As you go through life, 

whatever be your goal, 

keep your eye upon the doughnut, 

and not upon the hole."

-JimDaddy Miller, Camp Greystone

Today's quote of the day comes from "Breakfast Club" at Camp Greystone.  Every morning after breakfast, JimDaddy (as he was affectionately called by campers and counselors) told a short story that always ended in a hysterical joke or punch line you could never forget... and taught a valuable lesson. My favorite, and probably the one he is most known for, is the quote above. JimDaddy always encouraged everyone to have a positive attitude and outlook on life.  He woke up everyday, clap his hands, and said "It's going to be a great day, and I feel terrific!"  How's that for a way to start your day every day of your life!

P.S. It is 1:00 p.m. and I am still in my pajamas--- now that, my friends, is a great Saturday!!!

"Environmental Issues"

Lash has been scheduled to take the MCAT on this Friday since early November.  Yesterday, he received a phone call (excuse me, even worse, a voicemail) that the testing center is experiencing "environmental issues" and they are unsure if the testing center would be available as planned.

Hold on, WHAT!!  Here's where I lose it and enter freak out mode. . . thinking "he has only been studying for 3 months, planning it out to be ready exactly on this date-- not to mention also mentally preparing himself to take the damn test on Friday." Of course, Lash is calm and easy going as he always is (bless him!).... (Seriously, in our case, opposites attract!)

Well, after numerous emails and phone calls, he found out that a pipe broke in the testing center, and the facility is going to have to shut down for repair.  He had two options: 1) wait and take the test on the next available opening date (March 27th... TWO months away) or 2) scramble to find another testing center with an open seat for this weekend.

Well, taking the test in March would totally defeat the purpose of taking the test now to increase his chance of getting into Medical School for the fall as his score would not be reported in time.  So obviously, he opted for the latter.  And, there are no "open seats" to take the test in all of South Carolina.  The only seat available in all of SC, NC, and GA is in Marietta, Georgia, and by the grace of the Lord God Almighty, Lash got the last seat!!! So, thankfully it sounds like it is all going to work out, but he is having to drive 5 hours tomorrow to go spend the night in a hotel before the test Friday. Please pray that he has a safe travels and totally dominates the test! What a mess!

Updated: Mustard Braised Brussel Sprouts

Mission: To recreate the melt in your mouth, most delicious veggies (brussel sprouts) I have ever tasted from Lash and I's date at High Cotton

Result: e.p.i.c. fail.

Over the last few days, I have googled and googled recipes to try to get something similar to the High Cotton delicacy. . . I've searched cookinglight, myrecipes, foodnetwork.coms, and whatever random recipe site googled picked up.  With high expectations, I tried two recipes.  And basically, they bombed.  It was like I doused the brussel sprouts in a soupy honey mustard.  I love honey mustard. . . and I love brussel sprouts. . .  But. not. together.

Now, I love to cook, and I don't typically have many bombs in the kitchen. I can get recreative and bail out a recipe.  Wooo but not this one.  SO, if any of my fellow readers who also possesses a love for brussel sprouts finds a keeper recipe, please let me know.

Gosh, who would have thought I could devote almost two posts to brussel sprouts?!  haha. Seriously, there must be better things on the internet to read :)

The Picturebook

Last night, Lash and I drove to Georgetown to meet his parents, his two grandmothers, and my grandmother for dinner in honor of his 24th. (Birthday month, huh?!) Our grandmothers had never met before, so it made the evening very special for us all to be together.

After dinner, when Lash and I went to drop my grandmother off before we headed back down 17. As we left her house, she gave me a picture book that she started compiling many years ago. It was filled from cover to cover with pictures and various programs and memoirs of my sister and me growing up, from birth until about age eleven.

While Lash was listening to the Saints/ Vikings game on the radio, I was taken to another world looking at these pictures. Memories flooded through my mind as I was suddenly reminded of all times we all had together growing up. The vacations with friends and families, the birthdays, the first piano recital, Easters, Christmases, summers on the water, etc.

At some, I died laughing at my goofy sister and I in matching princess or cheerleader costumes, others I would groan as Mama (my grandmother) had managed to capture me at my most awkward growing age.

And then, as I reached the last few pages of the book, I burst into tears.

Good tears, yes, but sad tears, too. (Now, some may say that I am an emotional person- I certainly do wear my emotions on my sleeve- but I like to think of it as being more sensitive and sentimental—but that is neither here nor there :))

I think that I realized as I turned each page was how much I miss those people that shaped my life in those early years. . . whether they have been lost to death or to distance or to different circumstances.

As I looked at each page and each picture, I began to yearn for those lost relationships. I am specifically talking about my mom’s step-father, my dad’s mother, and our caretaker that RoRo that raised my mom and loved my sister and I like her own children. I certainly I have very fond memories with these folks from my childhood, but how I wish I could go back and have just a day with them! What I would give to have them in my life today, to help me, to guide me, and to love me with that unconditional love they showed me every day that they were on this earth.

With that being said, (beware, this post is taking a stark turn), I have modified my new years resolutions. Instead of trying to “work out” and "budget" and “read” and do all of these things that I’m sure are on everyone’s resolutions, I have decided that I am going to enjoy each day with the people I am with. I am going to spend more time with the people that are important to me, the people who have helped make me the grown woman I am, and those who encourage me to walk in the ways of the Lord.

After all, we all know we need to exercise more, eat less, turn off the trashy TV and stretch our mind with a book, go to church more. . . but what about the time we set aside to spend with those that matter most? What we are doing for others?

I think we (I, specifically) need to focus on things that are more important in life. . . not those that are tangible… but the relationships, the families, the friends, the memories that we make every single day . . . that will be with us for the rest of our lives.

So I’m thankful for the picturebook and the tears. Because as I turned each page, it made me realize, how quickly time flies by. After all, things will come and go in our life. But what is going to be that we remember? What is it going to be that is filling our life’s picture books or even our children’s picture books? What kind of legacy are we leaving?

Hope from Haiti!!

24

No, this post is not about Jack Bauer, but a tribute to Lash's 24th birthday!!  Happy Birthday Lash!  I'm so glad after 4 1/2 years to still be celebrating birthdays with you... and hope we get to share many, many more together!  You are the best!

Last night, we had a date night to celebrate his big day and had the best dinner at High Cotton.  We started off with some great wine and steamed mussels that were delicious (served with grilled sourdough-- yum!!) I had filet with a cabernet reduction sauce and seriously the best brussel sprouts I had ever had. I love love love brussel sprouts and the chef prepared them mustard braised.  I have been googling mustard braised brussel sprouts all day to see if I can recreate these, they were so good!  Lash tried lamb for the first time and his was super delicious as well.  I can't for my birthday in February so we have an excuse to go back!

Rockband!!

Hello everyone! Hope you had a fabulous three day weekend, and got to enjoy the extra day of R&R.  I had the BEST time in Charlotte.  It was so great to be with old friends and catch up.  Liz and Nat, mark your calendars for a weekend here so I can return the favor!  It was SO wonderful being with y'all again! :)

I know I'm a little late, but I finally jumped on the Ebay train two weeks ago.  And after rocking out NYE to Rockband, I just knew I had to buy it. . . but didn't want to pay full price for a new one.  So low and behold, after some late night Ebay bidding (and nail biting anticipation), I am now the proud new owner of:

Rockband!!

It is a blast!  And yes, I have logged some serious hours on the Wii since getting home.  Lash and I went to a dinner party last night, and after a fabulous shrimp 'n grits dinner with some of our best friends, we moved the party back to my house so we could rock all night. :)  So, if I'm not blogging this week, it's because I'm perfecting my drum and guitar skills!  hahaha

Happy Friday!

Sound the hallelujah chorus everyone, it is Friday!!  There is something so sweet about making it to the most anticipated day of the week... and following it with two full days of playtime! And, thanks to Mr. King, this weekend gets an extra day!  (I think this is the first time in my life I have gotten to thank Mr. King with a vacation day.  Wofford and the other schools I attended chose to honor him by making us go to class!)

Anyways, I'm off to Charlotte to visit these two:

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend!

20SB

I have recently joined this site called 20 Something Bloggers or 20SB, and I have loved "meeting" new friends through the site! I didn't join it necessarily to have my blog "discovered" but more really to discover other bloggers my age (it is kind of a social networking site for bloggers).  I've found the neatest blogs on fashion, sports, life, family, friends, everything... and continued to discover new ones daily! So, if you have recently found my blog through 20sb, thanks for stopping by! I hope you keep continuing to visit!

Jeopardy

I guess one of the main things that I did not mention in the token "about me" profile section to the right is that I am a huge gamer.  I know it sounds dorky, but I love playing games.  Lucky for me, my college friends were all "gamers" too!  A few nights a week (well, every night senior year), we loved getting together with a glass of vino in hand for a lively round of cranium, chicken foot, skipbo, mexican train, mario cart, cards, anything. . .

But our most favorite game to play together was Jeopardy.

Every night, at 7:30, my friends and I would get together at someone's apartment to watch Jeopardy together.  It was like our sacred promise to each other-- that no matter what you had going on that day or even the next, even if you had a huge test or a paper due, you put off everything else going on and raced back to be together from 7:30 to 8:00.

Being the gaming bunch that we are, of course, we kept score.  One question answered correctly= 1 point.  Only one person could score per question, unless the unaffected parties unanimously deemed it a tie.  The person with the most points at the end of the night won.  Yes, at times it got to be really intense and competitive over who actually said the answer first, or we would all gang up on the person with the most points, but y'all, I wish I could tell you how much fun this was.

It was our bonding time of the day.  For thirty minutes, every day, we got to catch up on each other's crazy lives, and enjoy each other's company.  Senior year, this time really became more and more special each night to us, with our graduation date slowing creeping nearer and nearer upon the calendar.

Looking back, this 30 minutes a day is one of the biggest things that I miss about college.  Obviously, I knew that being without my best friends in the same apartment or next door would be difficult, but no one warmed me how much I would miss the daily encounters with everyone... that in the present, I had no idea how much I took forgranted!  I really have not been able to watch Jeopardy since.  I've tried, but it just isn't the same.  I guess I'll have to plan a reunion weekend or something!

What are the small, silly things that make you miss your friends the most?

Fusilli Michelangelo with Roasted Chicken

This recipe is absolutely delicious!  I found it in a health magazine, and definitely plan on making it one of my week night staples.  And, even better, if you are short on time (or lazy tired after a long day of work), you can cut up a rotisserie chicken and put it in the dish.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb whole wheat fusilli
2 c. sliced white mushrooms
2 T. EVOO
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
1/8 c. sun dried tomatoes (oil packed, but drained)
1 1/2 c. tomato sauce
1/2 c. parmesan reggiano
3 c. spinach
2 T. toasted pine nuts

-Cook pasta al dente according to package direction.  Reserve 1/2 c. cooking water.
-Cook sliced mushrooms in EVOO one minute without stirring.  Saute 5 more minutes until brown.  Add minced garlic glove, and cook one minute.  Add fresh basil and sundried tomatoes. Cook one minute.  Add tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer.
-Add pasta, cheese, reserved pasta water, rotisserie chicken, spinach, and toasted pine nuts. Serve and enjoy :)

Awk.Ward.

Thursday night, my roommate and I went out to dinner at a local restaurant/ bar to have a couple beers before the national championship game. (By the way, whoop whoop SEC!!) As we were eating, a group of guys walked in the backdoor and caught my eye.  From the distance, one of the guys looked really familiar, and I guess he thought I looked familiar too because he made his way over to our table.  I turned back to my friends as he approached, got up from the table, and had the "hey! how are you? gosh its been so long!" conversation as I gave him a big hug--- all of this, without really giving him a good look.   As soon as we both pulled away from the hug, I realized . . .

I had never seen this guy before in me life.

Ever.

NO CLUE who he was.  And he had NO CLUE who I was either.

I could have died.  Looking back, it was hilarious.  I wish I had had a video camera.

By the grace of God, after our "oh, shit!" moment, we both played it cool, and found the fastest way to end that conversation.  So, face flushed, dumbfounded, with absolutely no idea what stranger I just hugged and pretended like we were long lost friends, I sat back down to finish my meal but could not get out of there fast enough.  hahahaha.

This Is Where I Live:

2009 in Review

January:  Went back to Wofford for my very last interim, and spent the whole month taking one class on cooking Chinese food.  (For the chef in me, it was heavenly!) Also, because I was taking only one class, I spent the entire month glued to the DVD player obsessed with the greatest TV show ever created on earth:

I watched seasons 1-4 throughout the one month.  86 1-hour long episodes.

February: Started my last semester as a college student and turned 22.  My mom and sister threw a surprise party for me with 20 of my best girlfriends!  I had NO idea it was coming, and was totally surprised!!

March: Went to Mardi Gras with 4 of my best friends, and loved the city of New Orleans.  I can't wait to go back.

April: Spent my spring break interviewing for jobs... and wanted to cry the whole time because all my friends were in sunny Florida getting tan and I was in SC in a business suit not getting hired. Back at school, I spent at much time as I could with my friends before graduation and the real world ripped us apart.

May: My spring break misery paid off and I was hired!  Within 8 days, I graduated from school, went to the Keys with my family (and got the monster seen below!!), and started my job.  It was a whirlwind, but totally worth it.

June: Settled into life in the real world, living on my own and having a j-o-b. One of my girlfriends got married so we had a mini- reunion at her wedding.

July:  After landlord drama, I moved downtown and haven't looked back!  My roommate and I have such a great location!  Friends came to town and visited, and I continued to enjoy the summertime by the beach and on the water.

August:  Did I mention that I love the summertime??  Check out this sunset.  Beautiful.

September:  September was tough because I think it was when it finally sunk in that I was not going back to college to be with my friends.  So, I hit the road to go see them!

October: As the fall started to come around, I began to spend time at our family plantation.  It was great to get away from "city" life and be outside crabbing and hanging out. Also, I carved my first--- and last--- pumpkin.  It was not a good experience for me.

November:  After a week of class and studying, I passed the South Carolina Department of Insurance Property/ Casualty Producer Exam!  My family and I went to my grandmother's for Thanksgiving, and Lash and I had the best time bouncing around town on the weekends going to Oyster Roasts and other parties.

December:  The most wonderful time of the year!  We spent Christmas at our plantation and had an amazing time-- lots of good food, family bonding, games, and exercise. We also had a debutante ball over Christmas, and managed to get our family Christmas card there.  :)

Indeed, 2009 was a fabulous year.  I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store!

NYE Pictures

Turns out I had not lost my camera like I had thought. . . it was buried in my purse!!  Here are a few pictures from NYE:

Me, Sally, Margie, and Blanche

Mimi, Bethany, Me, Blanche, and Lauren (I love this pictures of Lauren, haha!!)

Me and Margaret

It was such a fun night, but whew! I am glad NYE only comes once a year.

Resolutions

I've been working on my New Years Resolution, and this year I am determined to set goals that are both realistic and attainable.  Here's my list so far. . .

1- Get back in the exercise routine!  I have always been an athlete, but I've found it very difficult to find time to exercise in my new 'real world' routine.  I'm joining a gym this week, and going to try my best to make it there 3-4 times a week.  Obviously, it will be beneficial to my health, but also a great way to relieve stress and feel good!

2- Wake up 15 minutes earlier everyday to leave extra time in the morning for devotion and prayer before work.  I've not been giving myself enough time to do it and have felt pretty rushed or have had to wait until after work.

3- In the last year, spending time in the kitchen has really become a real hobby of mine, not a chore. I want to continue to cook and explore different cuisines and culinary styles.

4- Continue to track expenses, keep a budget, and be reasonable with my spending.

5- Read more!  I think I OD'ed on reading at college being an English major and have gotten into the bad habit of using my computer more at night than cracking open a book.  In 2010, I'm going to put my computer down earlier and read every night before going to bed.

Do you have any good new years resolutions to share?

5:30

Today, I think I have a hangover. sent. from. Satan. himself.

For some ungodly reason, I stayed up until 5:30 a.m. last night/ this morning.  I have never, ever stayed up that late in my life.  Ever.  During the week, I'm such an old lady-- I'm in bed (asleep!) by 10 or 10:30, and on the weekends, if I go out, I rarely make it to 1 or 2.  I require a lot of sleep and hate how I feel when I don't get enough.

So basically, today, I feel like I have been hit by a mack truck. Repeatedly.

I drank way to much cheap champagne and got only three hours of sleep.  Not the best way to start 2010, huh??

NYE was a lot of fun though.  It was awesome to be reunited with some of my best girlfriends, and fun to have a lower key NYE at a house party.  I took some pictures but accidentally left my camera in Columbia so when I get it back I'll post some.

By the way, my new favorite thing in the world is Rock Band.  I found out last night between the hours of 2-5:30 that I actually have hidden drummer talents in me!! It is so fun.