Matt and Katie Moore

Sin City day 4

2009-11-02T13:06:00.010-05:00

Saturday, our last full day in Vegas, we visited another West Coast staple, Fat Burger. Here we all are enjoying our tasty burgers, fries, and milkshakes.

Later, we walked down to Ceasar's for some more shopping as a group and Matt and Chad ran into Pete Rose, apparently he's some hot shot baseball player.

That evening we got ready a little early for dinner in the Luxor with our entire crew at a Tacos and Tequila resturant.

Then it was back on the town to see it lit up one more time. On our way to our show, we stopped for a few minutes at the Belagio and watched the fountains. Each show tributes a different song, this time it was "Your Song" by Elton John.

Our entertainment for Saturday night was the Cirque du Soleil water show "O" at the Belagio. So far, I think this is the best one I've seen! It was mysterious, beautiful, daring, and funny. Plus we had excellent seats! Thanks Jason!

When the show was over, we hopped on the "Deuce"(the bus system down the strip). We had a long journey with very interesting characters down to Old Vegas to end our trip with pure Vegas scenery.
Although, the lit ceiling wasn't on (we barely missed it), it was still cool to see a lot of the old neon signs that Vegas is famous for! However, it was a little sketchy around 1am, so we didn't linger.

We took the "Deuce" back to the Luxor and got some well needed rest for our trip home. The next morning we departed for the airport and caught our flight around noon. I don't think I have ever been more exhausted from a vacataion in my life!

Sin City day 3

2009-10-30T12:38:00.007-04:00

Friday mainly consisted of the U2 show. We slept in, ate lunch, and walked around town a little. Bethany walked down to Paris to do a little shopping and then met the Jason and Matt at the MGM Grand while they were gambling. While waiting on them to cash out, Bethany and I visited the Lion habitat, and ended up getting our pictures made with a lion cub! It was most certainly the highlight of my trip! I totally got star struck, and couldn't even speak when we were with the lion cub! There were so many things I wanted to say and ask, but I was completely silent! Oh well, there is always next time! Here we are with our new friend!

Afterthat, we got ready for U2 and took taxis to the UNLV stadium. Mabee, Heather, and Chad all spent a few hours waiting in line for good spots in the pit, but the other 6 of us happened to arrive at the right time in the right place and they rushed us in at the beginning of the line. It seems wrong that we jumped (and we felt a little guilty), but it was a split second decision of morals: walk straight in, or go to the end of a REALLY LONG line??? So we went in. Here we are all chilling out a couple of hours before the show.

The Black Eyed Peas were a lot of fun, and then U2 came out. It was very exciting to be so close to Bono and the band!

After the show, we had some issues getting back to the strip, but after about 2-3 hours of walking/trying to get a taxi/avoiding dangerous avenues of town/thinking we'd get lost in the desert forever, we grabbed a nice cabby and got back to the Luxor safely.

Sin City day 2

2009-10-28T10:20:00.003-04:00

After sleeping in most of the morning from the late night, we cruised on over to the Exaliber for some lunch at the food court. The ladies spent most of the day just walking around shopping and seeing the sites, while the fellows got some gambling done! Bethany and I got in particular trouble at the Forum Shops in Ceasar's Palace. We found a Pandora shop, and each decided to get charm bracelets and spent a pretty penny on them!

Here's my pandora bracelet, it's still a baby and needs lots of charms!

That evening we were surprised with a limo ride to our evening plans: dinner and a show at the Mirage. We had a champagne toast while seeing the lights of Vegas from a classy limo with good friends. Life surely doesn't get better than this! After about an hour in the Limo, we arrived at the Mirage for dinner at a Brazillian steak house inside the hotel. It was quite delicious and filling, and I'm pretty sure we all got the meat sweats!

Then we were off to the show! Our entire group attended the Cirque du Soleil Beatles' LOVE show. But before the show, we got to spend a little time in the REVOLUTION lounge.

Here's Matt and Jason being goofy in the big U. I think we all had a lot of fun taking pictures in the letters.
The Matts, looking très chic, chat it up in the lounge.
While sitting down for drinks, they had these really cool tables that you could draw bubbles on with your finger, and then an animated jelly fish would trace the path you drew. There is really no other way to describe it than that.
The show was a lot of fun, but not quite as thrilling as some of the other Cirque du Soleil shows I've seen in the past. It seemed to be much more of a tribute to the Beatles than creative gasps of excitement, if you ask me. But since I am a Beatles fan, I still really enjoyed it.
After walking around on the streets for most of the day, we began a nightly routine before all parting to our personal quarters. That routine was chilling in our room and soaking our feet in the hot tub. Often this resulted in Jason in the hot tub with all the ladies: like so....

Sin City day 1

2009-10-26T09:59:00.002-04:00

Day one in Vegas began with a rabid search for lunch after a long and hungry flight! We all agreed on IN-N-OUT BURGER, because that's a west coast staple and we could see it from our hotel. Little did we know, that the desert plays tricks on your eyes and that our destination was about a mile away, and IMPOSSIBLE to get to. We came very close to darting across the Nevada interstate, but due to the traffic we just ended up re-tracing our steps and probably tripling our walk to lunch! Here is Matt eating his much deserved burger! They were really good, and we even ordered off the "secret menu"(shhhhhhh). The rest of the day, we just walked around the strip and saw the sights! Here's Bethany, Jason, and Matt in front of the Planet Hollywood.

Here are a view pictures of my favorite hotels and casinos: Paris, Ceasar's, and NewYork NewYork!

Here's a view of our hotel, the Luxor, from a cab ride.Here we are on the Monorail from Mandala Bay to the Exaliber. I really wanted to go to the shark and dolphin habitat, but we got there after they closed. For the city that never sleeps, things sure did close a lot!

1 day until....

2009-10-20T10:16:00.002-04:00

We leave for vegas!!!

4 days until....

2009-10-17T10:06:00.000-04:00

Vegas! I am getting more and more excited by the minute!

The Luxor

2009-10-15T09:58:00.004-04:00

One of the things I'm most excited about in Vegas is visiting all the fancy hotels. Some have shows outside like the Fountain at the Belagio and the Pirate Show at Treasure Island. Some have entire malls within their walls or rollercoasters, and the Venetian even has a river flowing through it!

We will be staying in the Luxor(the giant pyramid casino and hotel with the big tractor beam on top). From what I've read and seen, it looks great and is on the main strip in Vegas, so we'll be pretty close to everything. In addition to typical fancy hotel ammenities...Our hotel has a bodies exhibit, the Cris Angel Cirque du Soleil Illusion show, and a musuem portion where you can peruse true Egyptian artifacts (in opposed to the fake ones that are all around the hotel).

Our room is inside the actual pyramid and should look something like this (according to the website).

7 days until....

2009-10-14T09:43:00.000-04:00

Okay....so I was about to shut this operation down for good, because I know there is no way to get this thing caught up on the summer. So we're going to leave the summer a mystery for now and I will try that again later. But I've missed blogging and would hate to leave out something as exciting as our upcoming trip.

We are 7 days and counting for Las Vegas, Nevada!

I have been so excited about this trip! Not only will we be accompanied by many close friends we have some really awesome activities planned! The U2 show, 2 cirque du soleil shows(Beatles LOVE & O), fancy dinners, nice hotels, ritzy casinos, shopping and more! I have never been to Vegas before, and to be honest, I had never really wanted to go, seeing that I'm not a gambler. But I have a feeling I will be totally surprised!

Coldplay

2009-08-05T10:31:00.004-04:00

I'm going to do my best to do this night justice, even though it occured 3 months ago. This past May; Jason, Bethany, Chad, Matt, and I attended the Coldplay show at Lakewood Amphitheater. Although it rained heavily, and was quite chilly, it still proved to be the best concert I had ever been too! We began the evening on trashbags and picnic blankets while we listened to Pete Yorn and shortly moved our way in front of one of the mini-stages that Coldplay retreats to halfway through the show. Here is me and Bethany waiting in high anticipation!
As the concert progressed, I began to enjoy the cold and rain. It seemed to mesh better with their music and style, kind of mellow and dramatic. We had our backs against the fence of the small stage, so when the band ran out to preform there, we simply turned around and magically our lawn seats became front row access for about 3 or 4 songs. It was incredible! Here's Chris Martin and Will Champion up close.

Then, my favorite part, Lovers in Japan! Only experiencing this could explain how unbelievably emotional this felt. It's difficult to tell what was going on, but at the climax of the song confetti canons shot out millions of paper and plastic butterflies that flittered down at different speeds. It felt like you were completely surrounded by the real thing!
Here's a grisly Matt and a soaking wet Katie with the stage in the background.

Bethany laughed and laughed at this picture, because she felt it explained her life like no words could (aka-Chad's timely entry). I can sum up my experience in 10 words. The company-unbeatable. The music-phenominal. And the night-unforgettable.

Back

2009-08-05T10:26:00.003-04:00

Okay...I took an unannounced leave of absence from my blog. Since I wasn't at school looking at a computer everyday...I avoided computers at all costs these last 2 1/2 months. But now that I'm back at school, supposedly setting up my classroom (which took me all of 30 minutes 2 days ago)...I thought I'd get things rolling and start updating what went down in this incredible summer I've had. So...there will be several things to come in the next few days.

more Riley

2009-04-23T10:21:00.000-04:00

Okay....so one post was not enough!!! Wednesday night...Matt worked late but was dying to break into the hospital to see our little Riley....so at about 8:30 (after visiting hours) we snuck back in to see our new little friend! Matt brought him the stupidist gift, that I won't even honor by mentioning(something he thought every man needs)...but we had a blast spending a little more time with Melissa, Anthony, and their new addition Riley!

I'm an Auntie!

2009-04-21T21:48:00.000-04:00

He is perfect in every way! Thanks Anthony and Melissa for letting me be there for most of it! I wouldn't have missed it for the world...and Melissa...you're a champ!

Riley Liam Pepin~6lbs13oz

Born April 21, 2009 at 3:39pm

PS- I think he looks like Melissa and her mom, Terry!

yard saling

2009-04-20T08:08:00.004-04:00

Saturday I went yard saling for about an hour to see if I could find anything good in the few sales around our side of town. Here's what I found....I was pretty excited! Here's what I got for under $15 (+ a cup of coffee and scone from jittery joes and a morning's entertainment).

I got two pampered chef measuring spoons for a quarter a piece! They were in great condition, and this is something I've almost bought through pampered chef shows tons of times! I'm glad I waited.

I also found an unused White Barn Candle for $3. These run for $20+ most of the time at Bath & Body Works. It is Velvet Tublerose scented, yum!
Then I found a dog coat($0.50) ...which was COVERED in dog hair, but after a run through the washing machine it looked as good as new! It is a little big on the pups but maybe they will grow into it. Here, Bunny got a little jealous that Olive got some new clothes.
And, in my opinion, my favorite/most exciting find of the morning was a VERY old school (what I believe to be the 1st) Roomba robot vacuum cleaner. It needs a new battery pack (it won't hold a charge) but for $8 I was willing to take the risk! (I did end up having to spend about an hour cleaning it out)

cirque du soleil

2009-04-19T09:35:00.002-04:00

Friday night, the Kelley's and ourselves ventured far and wide...all the way to Alabama...to see Cirque du Soleil. This was my first time in Alabama...and it was quite an interesting place, but perhaps not worth the 8 hour round-trip drive. Luckily we had good company, and laughed all the way there!

This Cirque du Soleil was celebrating its 25th anniversary, so we got some really great deals on the tickets. It was an Italian-esque show with MANY colors and exintricities! But I think we all had a great time and found it breath-taking. My personal favorite was the trapeze acts! They were phenominal!

Here's a video of my favorite part of the show we saw: Saltimbanco

flight of the conchords

2009-04-15T09:35:00.000-04:00

So Saturday night was hands down one of the top most fun nights of my whole life! Accompanied by our dear friends Jason, Bethany, and Chad, we made the drive to Atlanta to see the long anticipated Flight of the Conchords Show at the Fox Theater. If you are unfamiliar with New Zealand's 4th most popular comedy duo....then I am sorry...you have not truly lived. Here are some of my favorite videos of their stand-up, very similar to what we were able to see, but over 2 hours long.

Jenny

Albi the Racist Dragon

Hip-hop-apotamus vs. the Rhyme-noceros

Business Time

After the show, and after drying my tears of laughter, we ventured outside to wait to meet them. We were not alone in this idea, many gathered in hope to get a picture or an autograph. But after 2 hours of waiting, the group of fans had thinned out a bit (not much, but a bit). Not only did we get pictures and autographs, we had the rare oportunity to talk with them a little. Here's Brett McKenzie signing Chad's cd.

And here he is signing Matt's FOTC teeshirt. I got him to sign my ticket, and we also snapped a picture together, but unfortunately it didn't turn out.

Here's Matt and Jemaine Clement looking like old chums. Matt claims that him and Jemaine were talking about New Zealand's forein policy with the states in this shot, but I think he was actually just getting him to sign his shirt.

And here is me and Jemaine! I was so star-struck....all I could think to say was...."I like your dance moves..." He laughed and responded by saying that they're working on a whole new show of just dance moves. Words are failing me to describe how incredible the night was...so I'll just leave you with this ___________________.

moustashe bash

2009-04-13T09:34:00.000-04:00

A couple of weekends ago was Matt Bozeman's birthday...for which was another themed party...the moustache bash. Sorry to Jill for stealing these pictures from her blog, but hers turned out much better than mine, my camera was on the fritz that night.

Biologically, us girls had to improvise on growing some stashes....so we settled on drawn on eye-liner ones. Also, Casey and I worked diligently to make all the paper-moustaches seen on the wall.
The men grew their own. It was certainly sleezy.

And this is what my husband turned into. He was going for the Hyde from that 70's show-look. I truly believe that this is what Matt would look like full-time if I wasn't around...talk about a new reason to live! No need to thank me.....just another day of keeping scum like this off the streets....hehehehe Just kidding, sweetie! I love you even when you look like this.....just not quite as much.

guess what I had to do...again

2009-04-11T09:49:00.000-04:00

Friday night I got a call from my boss at Barnes and Noble. He wanted to check to make sure I was cool with dressing up again as this week's character for storytime. I had fun last time, so I heard him out. Unfortunately Bob, as sweet as he is, is a bit of a mumbler and I could have sworn he asked me to be Flipper. I was really excited about being a dolphin, and Bethany even helped me practice walking backwards, clapping, and making dolphin noises. Although, neither of us could recall ever hearing about Flipper books.

When I got to work a little early on Saturday morning...I went to the check out to purchase a book before my shift began, and Tim, the bookseller on call, said, "So I hear you're going to be Clifford today." I responded with a sigh and said, "OH!....Clifford...."

Like before, I was lead to a large crate in the back....when I said this before I wasn't lying. I was a little nervous about what lied within...

Here is Clifford creeping out of the box.. . I thought this was super creepy! Unlike last time....I had to dress myself in this costume...which took a lot of effort. This suit had a lot of padding which made me feel pregnant because I couldn't put my feet on.

And here I am as Clifford the Big Red Dog. I hope I didn't look so intimidating with the children...because I feel like this pose looks like I'm saying..."You want to start something, PUNK!?!?"

Scooba

2009-04-08T09:17:00.003-04:00

This is the coolest thing I've ever seen! And it might ACTUALLY change my life. Its called the Scooba. A robot that mops your floors while you're out of the house! They are quite pricy....but I have already started saving up for mine...it may take me a year with the rate I save money...but its going to be so worth it! And the best part is...your cat can ride it!!! Now if I could just get Matt to get me a cat.

Here's a video if you want to see it in action! Scooba video

no title needed

2009-04-04T09:29:00.002-04:00

This made me giggle.

easter

2009-04-03T09:26:00.002-04:00

See....this is exactly why I'm afraid of the easter bunny.

work woes

2009-03-31T08:20:00.000-04:00

This is how I've felt this month. Although I enjoy all 3 of my jobs...I have been a little over run with work lately.

At school, I am bringing in some new material into my classroom, which means...more lesson plans to make, more quizzes, tests, and assignments to create, and that, of course, always leads to more grading. Plus I am preparing for my eval for next week, which tends to cause me to panic and work as hard as I can, even if I was already doing a good job.

At Barnes and Noble, they have decided that it is better to have too many hours for too few people than too few hours for too many people. This may be highly considerate for their employees who do not have another job, but for me it means days at PACS, and nights at B&N. I'm working 3-4 nights at the store, when 1 night a week would be ideal for me until summer. Other than just being exhausted, this is cutting into my church time, my husband time, my puppy time, my family time, and my friend time. Sorry to you all....trust me, I rather be with you!

While my days are at Prince and my nights are at Barnes & Noble, my weekends occassionaly (as in this weekend) will be with my most fun boss, Melissa! Although working weddings with Melissa and Anthony are always a blast, and I come away with many funny stories and new dance moves, they still involve a lot of work. A good stressfull wedding day can be quite exhausting, much more so than teaching all day or working a long shift at the B&N. I am looking forward to the summer when I'll be working with Melissa more!

A couple of years ago, Matt once quoted me saying "All work and no play makes Katie a bi-otch." And friends, I'm afraid its true. To remedy this, I rewarded myself with a bit of a shopping spree, much to Matt's dismay. I purchased a nice stack of books (on discount, I might add) and I bought myself some much needed new clothes. There is nothing like seeing the fruit of your labor to get you over the work woes.

guess what I had to do

2009-03-16T11:18:00.007-04:00

Among my many jobs, I get to do some pretty interesting things. And this saturday was no dissappointment. I went in early for a morning shift at the good ol'B&N (barnes and noble) and was grabbed by my co-worker Emily who took me to a large sealed crate in the back room. Days like this USUALLY do not start out well, but I went along with it. She then stated: "Guess who you get to be today during storytime!!!" I wasn't sure I wanted to know, but due to my fear of masks and especially mascot costumes, I agreed that it was a better idea for me to be the "man behind the mask"rather than the woman who ran away from it. That's right...I was to be Curious George for all the little children at storytime.

I got to wear a fat suit underneath and there was certainly no seeing out of that head. Emily led me around by the paw as I proceeded to knock several books off the shelves. But when the children approached me, I froze! I had no idea what I was supposed to do! What if I walked towards them and they screamed! So when the first child walked up, all I could think to do was shake their hand like I was some cheezy politician. My co-workers got really tickled and its a miracle that I didn't shout out, "Hey, shut up, Emily!" I was also really afraid to move around too much, because we were not too successful at securing my over-sized head, and I was worried it would fall off and terrorize some poor child, much like I was probably terrorized in my youth, leading to this irrational fear of masks.

Kelley slumber party

2009-03-13T09:55:00.000-04:00

That sunday evening, our power was off (with no hopes for revival) so we stayed the night at chez Kelley! It was like a winter wonderland!
First, me and Bethany made snow angels! Here's the action shot...we literally just fell straight back into the powdery snow. Rougher landing than we each expected, but still fun.

Then we made the perfect snow man! Which was more work than we anticipated, and my pants literally froze to the ground...

Our snow man was SOOO classy, with his top hat, pipe, glasses, bowtie, and scarf! Jason, Snowman, and Matt strike a pose.

Snuggle time with Snowman!

Next we had a snow ball fight which I failed to get pictures of due to the fact that I was under the line of fire. We also strategically waited outside for Chad to arrive home from Macon and ambushed him with snowballs. Needless to say....he demonstrated his anger by using several choice words.

Afterwards, we banded together for some much needed hot chocolate and band practice!

After midnight, Chad and Matt had the brilliant idea to make Chad into one of those GIANT snowballs. This is the two of them attempting that.

The next morning, we all awoke to no power at the Kelley's, and times got desperate fast! Chad was starving and began raiding the pantry for non-perishables. Bethany, Matt, and I quickily finished off all the milk before it could go bad and Chad ate cold Beef o'roni straight out of the can! Just as Matt was starting to auction off my arms as dinner...the power came back on! Phew...that was close.

snow dogs

2009-03-12T09:54:00.001-04:00

House covered in snow....in March. I doubt I will ever understand Georgia weather. These pictures are actually right after it began to snow, so we ended up with a lot more than this in the end. But here's our little house, and us enjoying the pretty flakes with the pups!
Bunny, who is scared of all things, surprised us and absolutely loved it! Matt would throw little snow balls at her, she would try to catch them with her mouth and paws, and then would get so mad when they would fall apart. She really wanted to carry one around in her mouth.

Olive, on the other hand, did not like the cold and seemed a little peeved that we couldn't just curl up on the couch. She most likely was so annoyed because for some reason the snow seemed to form giant clumps on her feet and legs that we could not remotely remove....they just had to melt.

the after

2009-03-12T08:29:00.001-04:00

Finished Product: Shelves, drawers, and baskets gallore!!!There's even some faux flowers, sachets, and an old picture of Matt and I from one of our first dates!

I even have a scarf and headband drawer and one for all my ballet stuff!

the before

2009-03-10T09:44:00.000-04:00

So for my birthday this year, I really wanted to re-vamp my closet. There wasn't a ton wrong with it, but having a super organized closet sounded like heaven to me, and putting ikea in charge of that made it that much better. Matt was not thrilled (to put it mildly) at his new assignment, but reluctantly obliged. Here he is beginning to put the unit together. He hates all things IKEA, and wishes they would die. Me, on the other hand, says "Long live IKEA!!!"

Here are some before shots of what we were working with. Our closets are in a small hallway connecting our bedroom to our bathroom, so it was tough to get any full shots, but as you can see...things had gotten a little out of hand.

After a lot of work (mostly on Matt's part) the clothes were out and about half on their way to goodwill and the shelves were out! This certainly put me in a right foul mood because the rest of my clothes scattered our bedroom floor for about a week.

sorry...

2009-03-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

Okay....so I know I'm WAY behind...but here is what is to come....hopefully there will be some posts tomorrow...

Closet renovations
Something crazy that happened at the good ol'B&N
Fun in the Snow
And a recent slumber party!

for Jill....and any other HP fan

2009-03-04T10:47:00.002-05:00

This is really a toughy. Only a true fan could get this, and only with careful thought and reflection.

Name the horcruxes in the order in which they were destroyed. On your mark, get set, go!

more trivia

2009-03-04T09:56:00.005-05:00

Bummer. Last night we were in first place the whole game, until the last question and we bid too much, missed the answer and ended up in third! Rarr! The question was:

Q: What alcoholic drink did a Dutch professor produce on accident while trying to create a blood cleansor?

Chad and I were strongly guessing Absinthe, so that's what we turned in, you know because that was the only one we could assume was actually Dutch (because of Van Gogh's influence on absinthe). But oh no....Matt suggested it was Gin, and Bill sided with him. And they were right. Better luck next week.

chicks

2009-02-28T07:49:00.005-05:00

Although I received several ridiculously generous and thoughtful birthday presents, one of the most noteable would be from the Bozeman's. Knowing that I love animals, they donated a flock of baby chicks in my name from Heifer International. Here's the info about how my chicks are helping a family in need fight poverty and hunger!

A flock of chicks can help families from Cameroon to the Caribbean add nourishing, life-sustaining eggs to their inadequate diets. The protein in just one egg is a nutritious gift for a hungry child. Protein-packed eggs from even a single chicken can make a life-saving difference. Heifer helps many hungry families with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks.

A good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year - plenty to eat, share or sell. With Heifer recipients'
commitment to pass on the offspring and training, the exponential impact of adding chickens to communities in poverty is truly a model that helps end hunger and poverty. Because chickens require little space and can thrive on readily available food scraps, families can make money from the birds without spending much. And chickens help control insects and fertilize gardens.

I know that they are not technically "my"chicks, but all the same I've decided to name 5 of them, I have a little laminated card with a picture of chicks and their given names on my fridge so that I remember to pray for them and their respective family! Here is what I've dubbed them:

Mafalda Hopkirk

Bathilda Bagshot

Reg Cattermole

Libatius Borage

Augustus Worme

family in town

2009-02-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

Coincidently, some of my Virginia family was in town my birthday weekend. So, Sunday they all came over to breakfast (my dad made his infamous hoecakes and gravy~yum!) Here is my uncle Jeff and two cousins Jaren and Logan. Of course, my cousins don't have much to do with me because I'm a girl and have cooties, but Matt they adore! He talks about Star Wars to them and sword fights in the front yard. For the 30 minutes before they had to leave, the boys permanently attatched themselves to Matt not wanting to say goodbye.

trivia

2009-02-25T07:44:00.003-05:00

So this week we won 3rd place. A victory, yes, but like I said before, we are always a little disappointed in ourselves when we don't win 1st. However, I was super excited about my winner's choice Harry Potter question. It wasn't as grand, glorius, and challenging as I had hoped for, but still fun. And usually there are NO multiple choice questions, so I have NO idea why Bob gave these options, because I found it very obvious. But I thought I would extend the trivia to you guys and see who can get it the quickest. I have a good feeling that is will be Jill, but my second guess is Lydia.

The question was:

In the Harry Potter series, how does one rid themselves of garden gnomes?

A- Hammer them into the ground

B- Kick them.

C- Swing them in circles and throw them in a field.

D- Take a garden hoe to their heads.

Good Luck.

best birthday ever

2009-02-22T09:43:00.000-05:00

I have never felt as loved or as blessed as I did this weekend for my 26th birthday. It began saturday with breakfast in bed, peach oatmeal, my favorite, and apple cider! That evening we ate at Last Resort with friends, the Pepins, Helleloids, Kelley's, and Chad.
Then it was back to the house where the Bozeman's and the Miller's joined the rest of us for a few board games! Where Chad ate some fire,

We had a little hookah, pumpkin pie flavor!

And played some baldrerdash and then cranium, guys versus girls. The fellows outnumbered us and won.

On Sunday, during the Flight of the Conchords party at the Kelley's, there was an ice cream cake (Birthday Cake Flavored!).There were so many candles that I wasn't able to blow them all out. Guess my wish won't come true this year.

snow trip

2009-02-20T19:45:00.010-05:00

Mid-month, we journeyed to Boone, NC for a little snow and fun, only to find little snow but lots of fun! Here are some of the highlights from our trip:

The Cabin rocked!

Here's the inside.
Me and Matt's bedroom was HUGE!

Jason shoveled the driveway with help from some of the fellows.

Crammed in one car for a grocery run.

Jason eats a bagel bite with sour patch kids on top. He said it wasn't half-bad. Jill literally swings from the chandelier!

Big meals together!

Daniel and his Dean's dip. I don't think I saw Daniel once without that at arm's reach.

Wrap around porch with half a dozen rockers. Great morning reading spot! Jill and I were enjoying our morning coffee out there with a good book, before the men interrupted.

Then we played a rivoting game of Sardines, where one person hides and everyone else tries to find them in the dark and once you've found them, you hide with them. Bethany even hid in a suitcase and we nearly never found her!

After that, we played Cranium. Here, Luke and Matt solve a puzzle.

Casey reads us a question.

Casey and Daniel were a cranium-match made in heaven!

"Daniel, write the first 3 words that come to your mind when you hear Seasame Street." Daniel wrote 2.

"Your puzzle is to spell the word "Astrology"backwards. Lets start with you Daniel. "Uh....E?"

Chad and I beat the other teams by a landslide! Good thing Jason put his money on us!

Luke and Matt say "Yo, it's a cloodle!"

There was plenty of hot tubbing, eating, relaxing, game playing, antiquing, some skiing (by the Bozeman's and Luke) and movie watching as well. We all agreed that we should try to do this annually!

feeling nostalgic

2009-02-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

I flat out missed the old-school blog. I'm done with frilly bells and whistles...for now.

Lyndie's day!

2009-02-19T09:04:00.001-05:00

Sorry that I'm a little late in getting this up, crazy couple of weeks for the Moore household(I'm also sorry that I stole this picture off your blog, but I didn't have any pictures of you on my work computer). But today is the wonderful Lyndie Miller's birthday, and I'm about to burst to list my favorite Lyndie-ism's.

1) Gourmand: She is a fabulous cook! I can list about a hundred of her dishes that rock my world...but I won't list them all for time's sake. Here are a small few: Coffee Punch (I stole that recipe from her), Fuji Salad, Mississippi Sin, Monkey bread, homemade ice cream, potato soup, I could go on and on!

2) Hero: She absolutely, 100%, without a doubt saved me and Matt's wedding along with her husband, James. They were super heroes on our wedding day and Matt and I probably wouldn't have gotten married if it weren't for them!!! Thanks guys!

3) Genius: Lyndie may possibly be the smartest person I've ever known. She graduated, with HONORS, from the University while getting her CPA. She has never made a B. She can do math I never knew existed!

4) Modest: Even though we ALL know she could ace any test, she was always SURE she failed all of her CPA exams, when in fact I believe she got perfect scores...each time.

5) Exemplary: She is an excellent daughter, sister, wife, mother, follower of Christ, and FRIEND. I would do well to be half as good at any of these things as Lyndie is.

LOVE YOU SO MUCH GIRL!!!

win

2009-02-18T09:34:00.000-05:00

So this Tuesday we won first place at Trivia!!! And the exciting part is, not only do we win a $50 gift card...we get to choose the "winner's choice category" for next week! Since Chad chose U2 last time we won first, they let me pick this week.....and you guessed it! I chose the Harry Potter books! Not the movies, not the fandom, purely the books! I am so stinkin'excited to knock the socks off next week's competition! I will be refreshing my HP knowledge all week!

sale

2009-02-17T08:01:00.003-05:00

So, I made my first sale on etsy last week, and I'm super psyched! My little shop is totally for fun, I doubted I would sell anything, but how cool was it that someone thought something I made was worth buying! Mostly my stuff is for dollhouses....because that is my crafty outlet. I plan to post about my current and past projects soon.

gone

2009-02-06T08:23:00.002-05:00

Totally psyched because the next few days I'll be spending in the snowy, snowy mountains: skiing, snow tubing, ice skating, and snow ball fighting with some of (but not all {sad face} of) my favortie people. More about the trip to come.

washington generals

2009-02-04T09:10:00.004-05:00

So for the past 2 months our Tuesday nights have been spent at Locos on Timothy playing a rivoting game of Trivia. We are asked about everything from sports, music, pop-culture, history, language, movies, you name it and its been a category...
Our regular waitress, Ginny, is super fun, and not only knows exactly what we'll order every week, she has at one point dragged me into the restroom to show me her tattoos(she has 2 Harry Potter tattoos, that I think are the coolest things EVER). I feel comfortable saying we've gotten close. A couple weeks ago I even brought her a surprise (Twilight hair clips) which she went crazy over! I hope to invite her to church, she seems pretty intrigued that we meet in a bar.
Here's Bill. He's a character, alright. His motto is lose together, win alone(hehehe). But everyone brings something to the table (literally). Bill and his MBA(the business world, economics, and news are his forte), Chad and his ridiculous pop-culture and music knowledge make him a genius. I tend to meet the nerd quoto with my book exposure at Barnes & Noble (literature, language, and foreign culture). I'm also the token girl on the team, so I cover all the girly categories. Unfortunately, my team has had to learn the hard way not to trust me with numbers. We were asked "How many tablespoons in a cup?" And of course they looked to the one women...I confidently answered "Three". Only to later discover it was "Sixteen."
Matt is great with sports, movies, and filling in the rest of the gaps! Out of around 20 teams, we on average place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. However, on rare occasions, we get 4th out of 20 which we beat ourselves up over. Although, considering our team is half the size of the majority of the other teams, its nothing to be asshamed of!

This is pretty much the standard team, on a weekly basis. But occasionally we're accompanied by the Bozeman's and/or Kelley's which leave our team unstopable!

Matt's birthday

2009-01-29T07:45:00.000-05:00

Today is Matt's birthday! And not only is he a wonderful person; he is an incredible husband, a sincerely loyal friend, a God fearing soul, a loving son and brother, and a great pup-dad. Here are my favorite things about the notorious Matt Moore:

1) Ambitious: His one true ambition is to absolutely humiliate me in the grocery store.

2) Persistent: He'll find something that scares the begesus out of me, and chase me around the house with it for weeks!

3) Sentimental: He dotes over me, like he still thinks we just started dating. Don't tell him otherwise though, because I love it!

4) Protective: He always insists on sleeping on the side of the bed that's closest to the door, or walking on the sidewalk closest to the road, so that whatever comes at us would have to get through him first.

5) Chivalrous: He still opens doors for me and pumps my gas.

6) Enduring: He never grew out of the awkward teen phase.

inked

2009-01-28T08:30:00.000-05:00

So a couple of weeks ago the fellows went to get tattoos to commemorate their birthdays. It was pretty fun to watch, I was there for moral support, and to make sure neither of them got anything ridiculous, but there was certainly pressure to get one myself! Jason got his much awaited Captain America shield and Matt got the Latin phrase "Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici"which means something along the lines of "I, while living, through truth have conquered the universe." Matt will have to explain to you what it means, its political for the most part. They were both very brave, but poor Matt had to stare into a bright light while Jason chilled and read a comic. I won't unveil the actual tattoos, I will leave that honor for the guys.

the band

2009-01-25T17:38:00.002-05:00

This month I have been too busy to post because of the new band I've joined. I've spent a good month of 4 or 5am jam sessions. And let me tell you that this is just about the MOST talented band you could possibly fathom. One of our drummers, Chad, is also a lead singer. Our lead guitarist, Jason, broke his pinky and has had to learn to play left handed so that we wouldn't loose any scheduled gigs. Matt floats from one instrument to another...drums...bass...guitar...then drums again. Bethany and I are primarily lead singers, however lately we've been dabbling in drumming and bass playing. We also manage the band. So far the band is off to a great start, our fan base is growing exponentially, but we had a major hit last week when Matt tried a difficult drum solo and failed...the crowd ended up booing us off stage!!! And we lost about 2,000 fans. But we've got a new jet and have been traveling out of country a lot more lately! Montréal, London, Dublin, L.A. I love this life.

The bands name is the Riverbottom Nightmare Band, although after a glass of wine I tend to refer to us as the Soggy Bottom Band...hehehe.

Anninversary

2009-01-02T19:39:00.002-05:00

So we celebrated our 3rd Wedding anniversary in Atlanta. Here is what we got into:

Lunch at the Buckhead Corner Café with Ted Turner

Shopping in Atlantic Station and Lenox

And Dinner and drinks at Chops Lobster Bar

Auld Lang Syne

2009-01-01T10:37:00.007-05:00

This year, we brought in the New Year with our friends the Bozemans. We enjoyed many hors d'ourves as we played board games and sipped on sangria. Casey feel asleep on the sofa and I on the floor a little after midnight as we usually do. I love this picture of the old New York New Year's Eve ball! It's so retro!

My resolutions this year include:
Running on a consistent basis again
Spending more time with my mom
Reading the bible every day
and seriously organizing my closet

Noel

2008-12-26T07:36:00.004-05:00

Christmas was great this year, filled with a lot of family, a lot of friends, and a lot of food! Here is a picture off our crooked little fir tree. And I wanted to give yáll a glimpse of a couple of my favorite ornaments: the christmas turtle and the infamous leg lamp!

I received a ton of books for Christmas, which I was totally stoked about! I told my students that most of what I got was books and that just further confirmed that I am the biggest nerd to ever live. Some notable ones were receiving the collector's edition of Beedle the Bard (a Harry Potter Book), a French copy of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, and a passed down stack of my mom's favorite mysteries that she knew I would love! I also got Dewie the Library Cat which is an awesome novel about a cat who lived in a library and inspired hundreds to read!!!

throw in the truck while you're at it

2008-12-10T08:59:00.002-05:00

Okay, so my family never owned trucks, it seems like something I would never be apart of. Not that I'm against trucks, in fact we have probably borrowed YOUR truck a time or two. However, this is something I may need some adjusting to.

Since Matt is already buying Keith's biz...he really needed a truck to complete the outfit. And so far, so good....I'm actually enjoying riding around in it....driving it on the other hand is a different story! The truck is a good 4 of my Scions and therefore I feel like some dragon on the road among mice. And parking it is something I will never master.

Here is Matt enjoying his new toy... I mean work expense.

shark attack

2008-12-05T07:46:00.002-05:00

Fortunately for me, there are brief moments of humor while working in a bookstore. This greatly helps pass the time while shelving books and begging people to join the membership club. Last night was one of those nights.

I was working at the Info desk, as I often do, and we were pretty busy. Actually I was on the phone checking to see that we had a particular book in stock, when a 5 year old girl marched right up to the counter (that she could not see over) and tried to hold an open book into my face. I politely asked the woman on the phone to hold, knowing this should be good. Because when children come to the info desk, it usually is.

The girl was holding a small chapter book for boys about sharks and she loudly declared,

"Do you see what you keep in the children's department!!!???!!!"

While indicating an illustration of a shark biting a scuba diver. I seriously doubt I can give justice to the appaling nature of her voice, but I tried to keep a straight face as I described to her that even though she might find such an image disturbing, some people, {especially boys-yuck} actually enjoyed reading about shark attacks, and that's why we kept it here in the store. I apoligized if the picture frightened her, but showed her an area of the store where she could find something that was more to her liking and interests.

Here is the book that disturbed her so.

Four Thanksgivings

2008-11-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

This year we over-extended ourselves once again. We started off by celebrating with my parents and the pups with all the holiday favs: turkey, honey baked ham, corn pudding, stuffing, pumpkin tartlets, etc. Matt and Bunny ODed on tripdafan and slept the afternoon away.

Mom and I did all the cooking...and the cleaning...how is that fair. But we found a second to pose for a quick picture.

After the 'rents left...a few friends joined us for left-overs, drinks, and games. Our crew included the Bozeman's, the Helleloids, and their cousin Drew. We played a competitive card game called "Nerts"which I definately sucked at. Poor Matt had to struggle along with me as his partner. Casey and I ransacked the newspaper for the Black Friday sales and coupons. We had to develop our strategies and battle plan for hitting the stores at 4am. Over the weekend, Matt and I journeyed to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where we celebrated an early Christmas with the Hollandsworths at my Uncle's condo.

And finally we visited Matt's parents and sister in Greensboro for a late Thanksgiving meal. As always, I fell asleep on their enticing couch. Everytime we've visited...no matter how short a visit... I have ALWAYS fallen asleep on that sofa.

All in all, a GREAT, but BUSY thanksgiving holiday.

card shark

2008-11-26T23:53:00.001-05:00

So I think that Sadie is ready for Vegas. Tuesday night we were invited over for dinner and fun at the Millers, and the fun included a game of "Hearts" where I dominated with the high score! (If you've never played hearts before you will probably assume that high is good, and that's my angle). But as you can see below, Sadie must have just been dealt a lucky hand, plus she was really hyped up on coffee. Its really sad when you have to make all these excuses for losing so bad to a baby. The only person Lyndie and Sadie didn't beat was Matt, who we all know cheats.

Melissa's old...

2008-11-26T00:01:00.002-05:00

Melissa, our newest Twilight fan, is turning 26! She is seen here with Edward Cullen, and she might possibly kill me for posting this online! However, before she does, let me list my top 8 reasons I love Melissa (and probably why you do too)!
1) Enthusiastic: She gets absolutely ecstatic about Christmas decorations!
2) Creative: She is the most artistically talented person/photographer I've ever met.
3) Persistent: She carves the exact same pumpkin at Halloween EVERY YEAR!
4) Old-School: She has an authentic love and appreciation for all things 90's (including but not limited to the snick tv show "Are You Afraid of the Dark?")
5) Impressive: She does the best "Weaver D" impression that I've ever seen! And no matter how many times I've heard that story...I die laughing!
6) Thoughtful: She has celebrated every success and mourned every failure with me for the past 3 years.
7) Rebellious: She gets into the perfect amount of trouble, like "almost" getting kicked out of private school for attempting to host an illegal prom.
8) Awesome: She's an incredible friend and I couldn't imagine my life without her!

Love you girl!

twilight premier

2008-11-21T09:58:00.000-05:00

Last night, we were all excited about the Twilight movie premier! During our countdown to midnight, we partook of Jersey Mike's sub sandwiches, watched the new office, and discussed our book theories. We were joined by the Kelleys, Helleloids, Bozemans, Pepins, and the Chad Wise (however Jackie Gleason was not in attendance this evening).

And what themed party is complete without favors!?!? There was a wide variety of movie candy for everyone to later be smuggled into the theater and Twilight soundtracks!
Unfortunately the movie was not everything we expected and more, but still enjoyable. There certainly were very cheesy parts at times, but have no fear, this was not a representation of the book series. In fact, mostly anything we found negative about the movie was when they strayed from the original plot or dialog. The turn-out at Carmike was remarkable! Matt asked an employee who confirmed that this was their second biggest premier ever, only second to The Dark Knight. That means it beat out the Lord of the Rings, the Matrix, and the Harry Potter movies! If you have no idea what the hype is all about check out the following trailer by clicking here.

fish biscuit

2008-11-17T08:03:00.000-05:00

As I may have mentioned a time or two, Big City Bread is the best resturant in town! I would choose their Sunday brunch, possibly above any other meal in America! However, Matt found a way to ruin it for me this Sunday! He ordered the one item that could be the my ultimate downfall, my kryptonite, if you will. A fish biscuit with cheese. Over the summer, while on a short trip to Orlando, we discovered that nothing can make me gag quicker, than the thought of a biscuit with fish on it. Big City, of course, has found a way to turn a slug into a butterfly. This was no slab of fried fish bits on a buttery, greasy biscuit topped with pasturized american cheese like I had always feared, but a sophisticated slice of salmon with swiss on a pastry. But who are we kidding? Let's call a spade a spade
As usual, I ordered my croque madame (a grilled ham and gruyere cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top) and roasted potatoes. I even stole a little rosemary off the bush outside while we sat by the outdoor heaters.
For dessert, we ordered the usual fruit tart (my favorite BCB pastry) and a cup of joe. Sweet crumbly shell, with creamy custard, and topped with fresh fruits. Yum!

5 years

2008-11-11T09:57:00.001-05:00

Today marks five years since Matt and I started dating! So I decided to throw a first few date pictures your way. Before we were dating, Matt and I went to a halloween party together as friends. My jaw dropped when he picked me up dressed as "the road". I definately thought he was the BIGGEST dork I had ever encountered. This isn't a great picture, its actually a picture of a picture from a scrapbook because this was taken before I owned a digital camera. So if you're wondering, I was dressed in a homemade bat costume (minus my fangs).

This next shot was taken when Matt picked me up for our first official date. Himself and his roommates were throwing a "prom"in their appartment (Theme: Apt 78 "The end of innocense, the decade of decadence Prom") and therefore I was his date. After picking me up, we met a few other prom-goers and ate a very classy meal at Burger King. We danced our first dances to "Kiss the Girl"and "Ducktales". And yes, that is a corsage that he brought for me!

Within the next week, I some how ended up cutting Matt's hair on his back porch. So here are the before and after shots. There were a couple of gaps here and there, but not too bad for my first time.

And somewhere around that time, Matt also took me to my first couple of University of Georgia football games. I had only been living in Athens for about 4 months at this point. Its scary how young we both look in these picutres!

remember, remember

2008-11-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

I will never forget, forget the Kelley's "Remember, remember the fifth of November"party. Second annual, but a new entity entirely! This year we celebrated Guy Fawkes day by competing in a chili cookoff, watching "V for Vendetta", eating lots of toffee, and shooting off fireworks. Chad, Bethany, the Bozeman's, and myself all participated in making our best chili recipes and then let the other partygoers be the judge. Each chili was numbered and tasters would throw their ballot into a large jar. The verdict was: Chad 3, Bethany 3, Katie 2, Bozemans 2, Tim Tebow 1, Q 1, and the number six 1 (there was no number six). Someone got a little creative with their votes, and I think that someone once wore a speedo and dressed as Robert Goulet.
The movie was projected onto the garage this year, so we could see it on the BIG SCREEN! We had to bundle up and snuggle under the warmth of hats, scarves, mittens, and blankets, which proved cozy will eating chili and baked potatoes. Some chose to watch from the firepit, instead.
Later in the evening, the Matts got a little dangerous with the fire and fireworks. As you can see here, one has a bottle of lighter fluid while the other stands a little too close. Shortly following, I preformed a few "Matrix"moves when they threw a bottle rocket into the firepit, and I just happened to walk up right as it shot directly into my face. I bent over backwards in time to escape with only some singed hair.

obama-rama

2008-11-05T08:06:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the candidature Barak! It's no Ron Paul, Chad Wise, or Brak the space-cat, but I'll take it!

campaign

2008-11-04T12:20:00.002-05:00

So I went to vote today...
I won't get all political about who I voted for, that's neither here nor there, but overall it was a pretty painless experience this election. I really expected a pretty hefty line, however when I arrived at 11:45am this afternoon...I was the only one there! So, hooray for procrastination! I even got offered a cupcake!

road trip

2008-11-04T07:56:00.000-05:00

This previous weekend I spent with friends on Saint Simon's Island. We journeyed the 5 hours south so the fellows could attend the GA/FL game in Jacksonville. Bethany and I didn't want to pass up a free ride down to the island, so we hopped on board and made the trek down there for some fun and silliness. Friday night, Halloween, I was dismayed to not give out candy to the trick-or-treaters, however, hanging out downtown on the island proved fun indeed. We hung out at a local bar and witnessed a pretty humorous costume contest. In one of the following pictures you'll find Daniel, who dressed as Captain Crunch. He had made his costume entirely out of carpet foam, very inventive. We were saddened that he didn't take home the prize for the best costume, but he was in the top 5! Somehow or another Matt and I were coerced into resurrecting our Spartan Cheerleader cheers out on the sidewalk that night by Sarah, Daniel, Chad, Chris, and Bethany! We definitely drew a crowd of spectators. Afterwards we took a stroll on the pier. Chad and Daniel got very silly indeed, harassing couples in romantic embraces and climbing down to the fishers' perch and trying to scare people.
The weekend proved particularly difficult for Bethany and I because we are working on something I like to call "Operation Cut -out Coke." We are strongly attempting to rid diet coke and other caffeinated sodas from our diet. This led to a weekend of some grouchiness and headaches on our part. Poor Matt probably got the worst of it. You can see Bethany here trying to remedy-this by treating her self to a nice hunk of chocolate. The drive home was fun as usual with this crew. Matt chauffeured us while Bethany studied her analogies and Chad and I officiated our car time activities. We managed to play a plethora of car games to pass the time. We read the lateral thinking puzzles to each other, played boom truck, red dooley, the movie game, the alphabet game, and we even sang Row, Row, Row your boat in rounds.

Harry Potter

2008-11-03T13:19:00.006-05:00

To my excitement, a new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer was released last week. This is the one they show overseas, the international trailer. This is definately not as good as the previous trailer, but I still really enjoyed it! Warner Brothers has changed the release date from November 21, 2008 to July 17th, 2009. As disappointed as I was to hear of this over the summer, they did end up moving the Twilight movie to its date. And I am also looking forward to the release of that movie now that I've read those books too!

You can view the trailer by clicking the link below.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer 2

Halloweens of yester-year

2008-10-31T12:29:00.002-04:00

Many of you remember our costumes from two years ago(2006), I came as Harry Potter while Matt was the legendary sleazy lounge singer, Robert Goulet. I believe this is truly where the image of Matt Moore being sleazy originated. Pre-Goulet, Matt was a sweet and innocent man, post-Goulet, a creeper. I think what did it was when we'd kiss in costume. Yuck.

Three years ago in October of 2005, just a couple of months before we were married, Matt and I showed up at a DCF halloween party in katie-made Spartan Cheerleader uniforms. We practiced for days on our cheers and gladly obliged the other party-goers with our renditions of "Who's that Spartan in my teepee?, " "Bobbie Fischer," and "R-O-W-D-I-E."
Unfortunately, I cannot find the pictures of our first halloween together, I'll have to do a little more reasearch. We went to a halloween party as our first date in 2003. I knew I was hooked when he came to pick me up dressed as the road. Yes...the road.

Anthony picking his nose

2008-10-29T09:38:00.004-04:00

So sunday we took our annual trip to Burt's pumpkin farm, and what an affair it was! Since I had already bought and carved a pumpkin earlier this month with Melissa, I decided to just buy a couple of cute gourds for decoration. But as usual there was a little something for everyone at the pumpkin farm! Jill found herself a few hefty pumpkin friends, melissa a few ears of corn....yet I indulged in the oh-so-fabulous "corn nuggets."The guys found other things to occupy their attention. Eric was on a man-hunt for mullets and other exciting redneck sightings, Matt coerced Melissa out of half of her boiled peanuts, and Anthony picked his nose. All in all, a successful afternoon, huh Anthony?

Also, on the way home, the Moore's and the Pepin's played a VERY competitive game of Boom truck and started making up funny false Obama facts.

*I stole these pictures off Jill's blog, because I forgot my camera at home. Sorry Jill.

most useful french

2008-10-21T08:38:00.010-04:00

Well, over the years I have used many useful expressions in French, however, I'd like to share with you the two I still use more than any others! "My secret as a French teacher,"if you will.

The first of which is "Je ne sais pas." Pronounced -ZHUH NUH SAY PA- This means "I don't know"and can be used in several scenarioss....per se if someone asks you something in French that you do not understand, this will get them off your back quickily (playing dumb). Or if you do understand, and prefer not to answer, this will work like a charm.

The second I recommend learning is "D'accord." Prounouced -DA COR- This simply means "okay" However, use caution with this one because you may end up committing yourself to some tedious tasks! For instance, if someone asks you "Est-ce que tu sais monter à cheval?" And you simply answer "d'accord" they may throw you on top of a horse, slap its butt, and send you off never to be heard from again!

monster

2008-10-14T09:11:00.004-04:00

So I carved a pumpkin along with the Pepins last night. A tradition dating back to the early years of our friendship, 2006. Our festivities usually include toasting pumpkin seeds, some sort of fall dessert (pumpkin log or pumpkin pie) and a scary movie of sorts. Last year we watched "Salem's Lot"which freaked me and Melissa out way too much, so this year we kept it slightly milder with a few episodes of the old SNICK tv show "Are you afraid of the Dark?" (Which we do in fact own 2 seasons on dvd= great television).

Once again, Melissa always carves the exact same face, she calls him "Fred" until he starts to whither up and his lips get all pruny, then its "grandma."

Anthony's pumpkin last year was two faced, but this year fell into the slightly scary, slighly silly face category. The eyes creep me out a bit, but you can't help but giggle at his gap-toothed grin!

I was going for monster face...not really sure if I acheived that particular look, but I'll let you be the judge.

Ninja cat

2008-10-07T23:58:00.002-04:00

This little kitty makes me laugh. I highly recommend taking a moment to watch this clip.

Ninja kitty strikes again!

MUSE

2008-10-01T10:00:00.004-04:00

So I've really gotten into this new band. Their name is Muse....you know like the ones in Greek mythology who are the source of all inspiration...anyways....not my typical type of music....but there is something about them that I've really come to enjoy. Some of my favorites are...

Starlight

Time is running out

Unintended

Absolution

I've just added them to the top of my playlist on the right....so you can hear them for yourself.

fall

2008-10-01T09:17:00.004-04:00

Fall is officially in the air. A friend of mine who knows I love fall very much sent this picture to me. At first I was completely disgusted and revolted, but then I laughed very vigourously. I hope you find the humor in it that I have.

camping

2008-09-25T10:15:00.002-04:00

So my good friends, Jonathan and Soleil Smith, have been patient with our busy schedules enough that we were FINALLY able to try out all our camping gear (unused wedding gifts) for the first time with them! We had such an awesome time; having political conversations around the campfire, playing cards, setting up the tents, and watching Matt labor FOREVER churning homemade icecream. The weather was absolutely perfect at Unicoi this weekend. Chilly enough for a bonfire, but warm enough not to freeze in the evening. We even talked Matt into hanging out in Helen, GA for a couple of hours. If you didn't already know...Matt is terrified of midgets, and for some reason or another...he believes that there is an abundance of them in Helen. He came, but not without his concealed-carry. I knew it was bound to happen at some point of the trip, but Matt took down the tent with me still inside. He even zipped it all up so I couldn't find the way out. What a stinker.

Last week part 6

2008-09-24T09:58:00.004-04:00

Okay, so technically it was no longer last week that we were in the Bahamas, but there is a lot to tell, and its taking me longer than I had imagined. So running with the scheme of things...its part 6. On the last evening at dinner...our waiters did a little song and dance number as a thank you for being awesome. I thought that was very nice of them, but we already knew we were, so thanks anyways.

Then it was back to Karaoke. Casey really gave us something to talk about by singing some Bonnie Raitt, and then Melissa jammed out to Madonna. I decided to become an international sensation by singing AGAIN, this time "stay"by lisa loeb. I believe they have created a monster, in letting me think that I rock at singing karaoke.

We closed the final Karaoke session out right by Matt Moore and Casey leading our whole group in singing "We are the world." None of us had ANY idea how long that song is (especially since it just constantly repeats itself over and over again). But we had fun, none the less, and we totally sucked.

Early the next morning, we met up in the theater just before becoming land bound...sad to see the trip at an end. Best wedding ever...hands down.

Last week part 5

2008-09-19T10:16:00.011-04:00

We disembarked the ship and took the ferry to the island of Cococay, aka paradise on earth. The sea was very blue, the sand very white, the seaweed slimey as ever! We even got pretty close to a massive sting ray.

After swimming around in the ocean, our large group found refuge under some palm trees. I read, many tanned and slept, and Matt modeled. A treat for the mind and the eyes! What a day!

The island was gorgeous. There were hammocks everywhere!

When we got back to the ship, we all decided to hang at the pool, it still felt like we were in the ocean because it was a saline pool and there were small waves due to the boat rocking. And unfortunately yes, Matt was given a speedo, and yes, he sported it with far too much pride. Hopefully, this picture will not haunt me forever.
Arriving back to the room to get ready for dinner was another fun surprise! Matt and I had a new pet swan, this time wearing Robert Goulet's sunglasses. Bethany found a stingray in her bed, which kind of freaked me out a bit.

Last week part 4

2008-09-18T09:53:00.001-04:00

The night was young, so we headed to Karaoke. I had vowed to Matt and Casey that I would sing my very first Karaoke song on board, and so I honored my promise. Fortunately, about 40% of the audience was their family and friends, and they were overly encouraging and kept buying me drinks.

There was a surprise appearance from the grave: Robert Goulet, in all his glory, swooned us with an accapela version of "Rain drops on roses, and whiskers on kittens." I'm always impressed that he can sing with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth.

Here's me and Blanche! Living it up! She helped me a little bit with my song selection.

When they called my name up to sing...I felt more terrified than I believe I ever had. That's right...give a girl with anxiety a microphone....see how that turns out. When I say I much rather jump out of an airplane (with a parachute), I mean it. My adrenaline was pumping...but I managed to poorly belt out "Don't Stop Me Now"by Queen. I can not sing, that is not a talent of mine, but I was enthusiastic...with my hand motions and kicks in the air. By the end of the song, I had a few people up dancing! Possibly the biggest rush of my life.

Right after me, Casey, Bethany, Amy, and Amanda joined group of strangers to sing the last song of the evening.

Then the club opened up and dance party began! So Melissa and Fun Bobby taught Blanche to booty-dance.

Last week part 3

2008-09-17T10:20:00.002-04:00

So the journey continued and we awoke in Nassau, Bahamas. The weather was beauitful, but very hot. No sign of Hurricane Hanna. We went to an open market where all they sold was Frada (prada), Couch (coach), and Folce & Gabbana (Dolce & gabbana) purses. Melissa, Bethany and I treated ourselves to a purse and wallet of our liking for a decent fee. They looked quite authentic, however, the label in Bethany's had about 11 mispellings...(genuhine leather) hehehe. We went to a resturant called Señor Frog, that was loud but popular, to rest and refuel. We split massive nachos and were given balloon animal hats. But there were a few rules...number 7 was particularly difficult to abide by.

All the fellows bought very cheap beers, and in Nassau, you can drink them on the street with one exception...it must be in a small brown paper bag. Someone offered to sell us pot, cocaine, and prostitutes. The natives were friendly to say the least.

And on to formal night. Matt and Casey looked radiant. Matt and I looked...well... goofy as usual, but it was fun to get all dressed up. And Chad repelled Bethany.

Chad and Matt misbehaved at dinner. They shot spitballs at unsuspecting Anthony as he had a -far too serious for a cruise- conversation about medicines with Mrs. Bozeman. Meanwhile, I ate snails...my little tribute to Paris.

And then, when we went back to the room to change for Karaoke, there was an elephant friend made of towels sitting on my pillow, wearing Matt's sunglasses.

Last week part 2

2008-09-15T12:19:00.000-04:00

Friday afternoon, after the wedding, we attended a cake and champagne mini reception before boarding the boat. As Bethany and I were bringing our luggage down from our hotel room, we ran into an astronaut from the NASA cape canaveral center in the lobby. He was kind enough to allow us to take a few pictures, but he ended up getting a little too friendly with Bethany, if you know what I mean. Once aboard the ship, we were instantly bombarded with waiters thrusting large fruity cocktail drinks into our hands. They act like they're handing them out like candy, but we soon learned they went for about $11 a pop! However, Bethany, Melissa and I would occasionally treat ourselves to one. Here, Bethany and I are enjoying our Bahama Mama's in front of a table of the fresh pineapple drinks. Later that evening, a couple of us went in together for BINGO cards...and were much disappointed when we didn't win $500 or an upgraded suite. I do believe the odds were against us. Afterwards, we attended the "Love and Marriage Game Show"which Casey and Matt competed against a couple who had been married for 10 or so years and their own grandparents who have been married for 59 years!

Katie through the ages

2008-09-11T14:00:00.002-04:00

Okay so Jill did this on her website, so I had a go and laughed my head off! If you're interested in trying it go to the Yearbook Yourself website. It only took me like 5 minutes. So here I am through the ages!

1952:

1964:

1982:

1990:

Wise announces intent to run for Presidency

2008-09-10T08:00:00.004-04:00

I received the following email yesterday, and want to encourage you all to make "the wise decision."

Charles W. Wise, Jr. Announces Intent to Run for Presidency of the United States as a Write-In Candidate
Madison, GA – After days of deliberation during my cruise on the High-Seas this past weekend, I wish to officially declare myself as a write-in candidate for the Office of President of the United States of America. The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008. I would also like to officially announce at this time that my running mate for the Office of Vice President of the United States of America is none other than Spaghetti Cat. While I have not officially spoken to Mr. Cat, I feel that he would make a fine choice for this office and would no doubt accept the position.
At this time, I am currently accepting applications for position on my staff and I am open to any and all applicants. Interested parties should contact myself (Charles Wise) at 706-255-3542 or by email at charleswise@gmail.com. In the near future, I will issue further press releases outlining my plans for the country, my stances on key issues, and how the Wise/Spaghetti Cat ticket will provide the United States with the tools it needs to remain the greatest country in America!

Please see attached file for preliminary campaign image. Further campaign materials will be provided in the future.

Charles W. Wise, Jr.

Last week part 1

2008-09-08T22:07:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, the adventure began. We were accompanied by Chad and Bethany as we journeyed to the Isle of Saint Simon's where we stayed at my parents for the evening. On our way, we played many games such as Horse (where everytime you see a horse you say "horse"and that horse becomes yours. At the end of the trip, the one with the most horses, wins all the horses!) And we played "mine," where we claimed the cars we wanted and could later upgrade to another, by shouting "MINE" again before someone else claimed it. We stopped in Sandersville for dinner at the ever-so-classy Dairy Lane. Chad ended up driving about 90% of the way, and Matt spent many a hour on his handy-dandy iphone researching fun facts as we traveled.We also played Boomtruck, where everytime you see a work truck with a bucket arm you say the words and get points, but don't say it on accident or you'll loose points. Therefore, you must refer to it as BT. Red dooley is another game, whose rules were similar to BT, but you look for red trucks with double wheels in the back and we refer to this as RD. Chad totally dominated the extremely large 7-up can game. He found the only one on the way down and then again on the way back up. Bethany is my new hero because she totally read Jane Austin in the car, which impressed me because I get serious carsickness. The carsickness may have been slightly amplifyed due to my Tabasco Cheez-it intake.Apparently, Matt's dad kept asking Casey who the wedding coordinator was, and to get him off her back, she told him I was. So on Thursday I was a little surprised at the rehearsal when the minister asked me to get things started! I believe it went well, even with very little notice. The rehearsal dinner was at a little Bistro called Izzy's. The food was great and we even each had presents on our seats. I don't believe I've ever been so spoiled at a wedding. Usually you end up with some cheesy party favor like red hots or hershey kisses. But we got a free trip to the Bahamas and presents just for showing up to the Rehearsal Dinner!!!

Unfortunately, Hurricane Hanna had her way a little and the wedding had to be moved inside. However, it was still beautiful and I balled like a baby. I wasn't able to take many pictures because I was "coordinating."But here's one right before the ceremony of beautiful Casey and her bridesmaids, and then one during the ceremony. More of the story to follow.

2 days and 5 hours

2008-09-03T11:41:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it is almost here! I feel like we've been waiting for this weekend for years (when in actuallity its been about 6-8 months). It will be so incredible to see Matt and Casey finally tie the knot and then celebrate with their family and some of their (and our) closest friends! I have bought several books to read by the pool and a new chic dress for the Formal dinner! And of course Matt has his tux!

A warning though, the guys have been joking about buying Matt a yellow or an american flag speedo to wear at the pool while cruising. They know that this could be very detrimental to our marriage, however, I'm guessing that there is high probabability it will happen. News to follow.

the saga continues

2008-09-02T10:58:00.010-04:00

3 days

6 hours..

So, I've never been on a cruise before. Plus I'm a little nervous around water, so this trip could be interesting, especially with hurricane hanna on her way. Although, She has been banned from our trip, and I don't foresee any problems with her arising. But be praying for her to re-route none-the-less.

countdown begins

2008-08-31T23:34:00.003-04:00

Cruising in 4 days and about 16 hours.

split personalities

2008-08-27T08:04:00.010-04:00

Okay. This just makes me love animals more than I already do. It's so sad, but you know that these cats probably get more love, attention, and publicity than non-deformed animals. I read about this first one in the news on msnbc.com, but apparrently its more common than you'd think! If anyone has a deformed cat they'd like to get rid of, I'll take one anyday, and deal with Matt's consequences later.

French lesson for the day

2008-08-25T08:35:00.014-04:00

The word "bof" in french is a colloquial term of indifference. If someone were to ask you how you were....

"Comment çava?" there are many responses you could make; comme çi comme ça, çava, pas mal, pas terrible, et cetera.

However, "bof" is similar to the english equivalent of "eehh" with a shoulder shrug. Use it well.

Estonia

2008-08-20T09:37:00.003-04:00

I thought everyone should know that today is the seventeenth anniversary of Estonia regaining their independence from the Soviet Union! You go, Estonians!!!

busy busy

2008-08-20T09:33:00.000-04:00

Well, with school back in full swing, starting the new job at B&N, studying for the GACE (which I take this Saturday), and crying over spilt milk (Harry Potter news); my life has been too hectic to type up anything. Stay tuned for more to come....

bon anniversaire!

2008-08-11T23:47:00.006-04:00

Gosh, we love Bethany! It's her birthday, and we're
going to celebrate her!
Here are the top 8 reasons I love Bethany:
8) Bethany loves to make snapdragons sing Queen songs.
7) I love that she's cool with me, even when I fall asleep on her love seat
or throw up in her presence.
6) She knows how to kill a zombie, and she's got my back if zombie's attack.
5) I love that any bad day can be cured by laughing like mad about LOLcatz with her..."and then she crept out of the tv like this..."
4) Bethany puts hats on her cat, George.
3) She makes new sun roofs for her friends...i.e. pink umbrellas.
2) Bethany loves Brak almost as much as I do, and I can catch her singing "I'm gunna kick your ass until your head falls off..." at any given moment.
and 1) She is one of the best and most caring friends anyone could ask for! Who's with me!?!?

my space

2008-08-11T16:00:00.005-04:00

Okay, so quick update: School is back in session, and so far so good. Friday, I started my job at Barnes and Noble and LOVED it! I can't wait to be back there on Wednesday!

I just had one thing I really wanted to share. I have a cubbie! No this isn't some cute name for a new pet or even another fuzzy thing....but at Barnes and Noble, I was issued a cubbie (like you had in kindergarten). And something about that just makes me happy...

Joe's

2008-08-07T13:30:00.004-04:00

Lately Matt and I have been spending a ton of time at Jittery Joe's on the east side. We love going there and playing cards while having our daily coffee. In fact, it's become so customary for us to do so that we're beginning to develop relationships with the employees there. They know our names and always give us a hard time about something or another. And since we're quite the regulars now...they hook us up with large cups of ice water for free! It really pays to know people.

Anyways, probably our favorite Jittery Joe's employee is Pete. He's a real laid-back guy, that we often catch on his cigarette break, or macking on some college girl. Every once in a while, he'll even sit down with us and play a few hands of rummy. Though, on Tuesday, he didn't seem his normal happy-go-lucky self. So we bought him a latte and got into a very interesting political conversation. I know, ME, a political conversation!? But it really is awesome learning where people are coming from. So here's to Pete! Long-live-ya!

Where's Waldo?

2008-08-05T17:18:00.006-04:00

Friday evening we were fortunate enough to attend Melissa Pepin's new studio opening! Not only did her space look super chic and fashionable....so did everyone who attended! Matt got to play bartender...which was like a dream for him, and speaking of dreams...he was quite the "dream-boat" himself! I felt like he just walked off the cover of GQ....(wolf-whistle).Below, we have him making the signature drink for one of the guests, a Key Lime Martini. Also provided were Terrapin Rye Pale Ale, and some white and red wines. Needless to say, Matt had many friends that evening.
The last pictured here, is one of my favorites from Melissa's blog. Yes, all of these were stolen from her site, solely for the reason that, even though I brought my own, I was having entirely too much fun to pull out the camera. It was a little later in the evening when the crowd was beginning to dwindle down, but it reminds me of a "Where's Waldo?" book. So see if you can spot me and Matt.

SWEET PEACHES!

2008-07-30T17:19:00.006-04:00

Stop the press!!! Because the moment we've all been waiting for has arrived! (what I actually mean is the moment Katie has been waiting for...but humor me with a little excitement please). I received an email this afternoon from my husband with this link. As dumb as this is, he searches the web on his iphone while sitting in Atlanta traffic everyday. Normally, I frown upon this, but today I only slightly grimaced, because he stumbled upon this. I am so stinkin' enthused because the trailer is even better than I anticipated...which is really saying something! Click on the link below to view it!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer

Irony is....

2008-07-29T13:07:00.004-04:00

defined by wiktionary as:

The quality or state of an event being both coincidental and contradictory in a humorous or poignant and extremely improbable way.

A prime example of this is when you are a school teacher that looks for a summer job in May, interviews for one in June, and is finally offered one that starts on the first day of school. So, I did get the job at Barnes & Noble. They called me this afternoon and hired me, and my first day is Friday, August 8th. I figured I might as well give it a go, because the idea of getting discount books discounted makes my heart skip a beat! So keep me in your prayers, that all goes well and that I don't completely pull my hair out on the first day of school. (It would be humiliating to go bald for your first day at a new job).

Interview series: Session 2

2008-07-27T11:19:00.001-04:00

Here is session 2 of my interview series. This week we will focus our attention on a guy most of us think we know...but like all superheros, often we do not see the obvious clues of an alter-ego. We all have a special appreciation of our dear friend Jason Kelley. Not only is he a brave and intimidating cop, but he's a great pal to many, fantastic roommate to Chad, and super husband to Bethany. He often dominates the football and ultimate frisbee fields, even though we know he plays down his super strength and speed to try and fool us all. When he is not killing terrorists or fighting zombies...this is what plagues his mind. The gig is up, Jason, we know your secret.

Katie: Which lollipop flavor do you prefer?
Jason:

Ummm...As in "dum-dums"? Probably rootbeer.

Katie: What would you say is your most prized possession?
Jason:

Other than Bethany, or George? Probably my Avengers #4 Comic book, you know, the one that brought Captain America back.

Katie: Your favorite and least favorite words:
Jason:

Favorite word: hero: I suppose because it is associated with comics and it solves conflicts
Least favorite: conflict: because it causes drama and its what heroes fight.

Katie: If you were to deem yourself a fictional or historical character, who would you be and why?
Jason:

Can I answer with Captain America? Okay, him. Is that lame?

Katie: What was your favorite toy/or game to play as a child?
Jason:

I really liked legos a lot. Especially the Robin Hood set!

Katie: Have you ever met or seen anyone famous? Who? Where? (X-Ray vision excluded)
Jason:

I was hoping not to go there, but I've seen Buff Bagwell (the 1990's wrestler). Also, Sonny Purdue was in our Sunday School class. But I didn't get to tell him my "sonny-do" list...

Katie: And the question I've decided to ask everyone...Are you planning to bring sexy back?
Jason:.

(Laughing, he sheepishly responded:) No...but if it happens, it happens.

Reason #3

2008-07-22T12:09:00.002-04:00

Well, again, I have another installment of how Bunny is smarter than Olive. Last week, Olive decided to try to scare Bunny by acting like a ghost, squealing like a banshee, and chasing Bunny around. However, the scheme backfired and somehow Olive ended up terrifying herself. Here she is hiding in the bathroom, pleading for our help.

Yum

2008-07-21T13:06:00.000-04:00

Well, I feel like there are a million wonderfully unique places to eat in Athens. The problem is, sometimes it's tough to break away from going to the one's you love to try something new. I thought it'd be nice to voice our opinions about our favorite (maybe lesser known) restaurants and our favorite things to order there. Maybe this will give courage to people like me who are scared to try a new unfamiliar dish when their favorite meal is a block away.

My number one top choice is Big City Bread (393 N. Finley Street~Downtown in between Broad and Prince Ave.) and I absolutely LOVE their Croque Madame! This is a popular lunch entree found on every Parisian cafe menu. It's basically a grilled ham and gruyere cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top (if you don't like fried eggs, the Croque Monsieur is the same thing sans oeuf). Their quiche du jour and sweet pastries (Truffle stars, chocolate croissants, and fruit tarts) are also to die for, but I haven't found much I don't like there. They have a wonderful patio (with fire places in the winter) and are very dog and child friendly. They even let kids (or adults for that matter) graffiti the walls and ground with side walk chalk.

Any other good suggestions?

late evening

2008-07-18T12:25:00.004-04:00

Last night a crew of us (the Kelleys, Pepins, us, Chad, and Becky) stood in line to view the midnight showing of The Dark Knight, the new batman movie. I think we all really had a good time, eating our smuggled snacks and laughing at people in costume. Everyone seemed to agree that this film was even better than Batman Begins! Heath Ledger was absolutely ridiculous! I may venture to say....the creepiest movie villain I've seen.

However, in my nerdiness, I found myself disappointed. I was wishing and hoping for a preview for the upcoming Harry Potter movie. There were rumors that there might be a small teaser trailer with this film since they are both Warner Bros productions. But, to my dismay, there was not (at least not in the regular theaters). There was however a preview in the IMAX theaters. And here it is: It's only 15 seconds, and a black screen, but I still got pretty excited nonetheless.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince teaser trailer

If you're curious about what is being said, it's Dumbledore's voice simply saying:

"Once again, I must ask too much of you, Harry."

Interview series: Session 1

2008-07-15T15:10:00.004-04:00

I've decided as a regular treat for my readers, I will be conducting random interviews with people you know, some you don't, and many you thought you knew. You may see some of the same questions repeated, but most will be new, as will our interviewees. Keep your eye out, anyone could be next, that means YOU! This week, I have chosen a friend we all know and love, to get this ball rolling: Melissa Fawn Pepin. She is a mother of 3 (2 pups and one husband) and is a successful photographer who travels the world (even Iowa). Here she is with her husband, being all romantical with some bagel bites. Here goes nothing:

Katie: What was your favorite pet you've had (name, type of animal)?
Melissa:

Other than Sophie and Charlie, a sweet rottweiler named Jesse my family had when I was young, who was really stupid. She took out my parents' bedroom wall while chasing a moth.

Katie: What was your favorite toy/or game to play as a child?
Melissa:

Fav Toy: Cut and Style Barbie (until she ended up looking like Sinead O'Conner)
Fav Game: Mall Madness (where I learned the important life lesson that you can't do anything without a credit card)

Katie: If you could travel back in time and change one thing from your life, what would it be?
Melissa:

I probably would have applied to the University of Georgia from the beginning (rather than starting off at smaller schools in the area). Things would have probably been a lot smoother and college a lot quicker.

Katie: Have you ever met or seen anyone famous? Who? Where?
Melissa:

I've seen several...Lenny Kravitz in his Porsche Boxster on Rodeo Drive in LA, Cuba Gooding, Jr. at my mom's first boxing match, and who hasn't seen Michael Stipe, the B52's, or Widespread Panic cruising around Athens from time to time?

Katie: What has been the best job you've ever had, money has nothing to do with it?
Melissa:

Definitely this one! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It's awesome getting to see people at their absolute best and getting to use creativity on an everyday basis!

Katie: Any nicknames we should (or perhaps shouldn't) know about?
Melissa:

Lots! Tootie, Tootoo- by my father's family, and my mom and dad, Kidstuff- by Tony, my stepdad, Mel- by about everybody else, and Melis- by my high school volleyball team

Katie: Are you planning to bring sexy back?
Melissa:

Done.

Katie: And lastly, who is the 4th person on your recent/received calls list on your cell phone?
Melissa:

Mandy (one of my future brides booking an engagement session)

Happy Day

2008-07-14T13:00:00.003-04:00

Everyone's favorite little buddy just turned 1! Yea, Noah! We love you! Here he is eating a lemon cupcake at his church birthday party. My favorite 5 things about this little guy are:
1) He sings during worship at church.
2) He shares his toys with my husband.
3) He cracks up over nothing at all.
4) He plays the moroccos like no one's business.
5) And he always dresses in casual business attire (sweater vests, corduroys, and polos).

X

2008-07-13T11:37:00.006-04:00

We were invited by the Pepins and Helleloids to an intense evening of game playing last night. Beginning at Kingpins, the attitudes were fierce. It was a steep competition of who was the worst. There was Melissa with her dramatic wind up, it looked as though she was pitching a 6-pound fastball. And then Matt with his ridiculous side arm roll. Somehow Eric still beat everyone with all of his scooter wounds, and Jill and I tied for last place. As usual, Anthony simply provided the eye candy...wink wink.
Matt was a turd because it took us like 6 attempts to get the three of us in this shot, and when we finally did, he ruined it with a rude gesture. So ignore that top left corner, please.
Afterwards, we recongregated at Jittery Joes for what Eric and I like to call "The game previously known as 'Dice." I hear its even considering dropping that too, and only being referred to by this symbol.
The future Matt B's joined us, after their invitation escapade, and a few of us returned to chez Moore. Here, Casey truly learned of Bunny's hatred of all things bubble wrap. We ended the evening watching Matt B line dance to 'Hook' by Bluestraveler, as the rest of us daydreamed of our next great adventure. All in all, a fabulous friend filled night.

How to freak out your roommate in 12 ways or less

2008-07-09T12:50:00.002-04:00

Here are all of my former roommates. Of the following 12 methods, some I have just read about, several of which I made up, but only a few of which I've tried on any of them.

1. Spend all your money on Transformers. Play with them at night. If your roommate says anything, tell him/her with a straight face, "They're more than meets the eye."
2. Leave a declaration of war on your roommate's desk. Include a list of grievances.
3. Hide your underwear and socks in your roommate's closet. Accuse him/her of stealing it.
4. Array thirteen toothbrushes of different colors on your dresser. Refuse to discuss them.
5. Shelve all your books with the spines facing the wall. Complain loudly that you can never find the book that you want.
6. Give him/her an allowance.
7. Whenever your roommate comes in from the shower, lower your eyes and giggle to yourself.
8. Buy Sea Monkeys and grow them. Name one after your roommate. Announce the next day that it died. Name another one after your roommate. The next day say that it died. Keep this up until they all die.
9. Eat a bag of marshmallows before you go to bed. The next day, spray three bottles of whipped cream all over your floor. Say you got sick.
10. Every night, when going to bed, begin singing opera music at the top of your lungs as soon as the lights are turned off. When your roommate turns them back on, act just as confused about where its coming from.
11. Draw eyes and a smile on a Watermelon, treat it like your new best friend. After several days forge a suicide note, and push the melon out the window. Mourn for weeks.
12. Wear a ridiculous and conspicuous disguise (trench coat, sunglasses, wig, etc.) and sit in the back of all your roommates classes for one day.

Melissa's space

2008-07-08T21:19:00.000-04:00

I am proud to say that I have been able to witness the development of what Melissa now calls home to her flourishing business! Over the last week, we have all been cleaning and painting, painting and cleaning, building, hanging, and then moving. But all I'm going to say is that Melissa has the coolest club-house ever! I totally vote for a "She-woman man haters club" like in the Little Rascals. We could even have a password...what do you think Melissa?

I know that everyone will be super overwhelmed with Melissa's vision for this space. It is quite impressive how she turned an unused, storage local into a studio any photographer would envy (or any French teacher for that matter). She is going to throw one kickin' party when all is said and done.

B&N

2008-07-07T23:17:00.000-04:00

So, on Saturday, I finally got a call about an interview with the good ol' Barnes & Noble.

I met with an assistant manager today for a preliminary interview (which I think went pretty well, because they talked to me about when we could have the second interview). This second meeting will be sometime this week.

We're still not really sure about whether or not this would be a good decision for me to take it if offered. Because as Casey put it, "Will you be bringing home a negative paycheck every week from the massive amounts of books you're going to buy?" And yes, Casey, that will probably be the case.

and the rockets' red glare...

2008-07-05T11:46:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the 4th, and what a 4th it was. I awoke early to fetch supplies at the Kroger...and rapidly baked some chocolate and strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese icing and patriotic sprinkles and made some potato salad (And by "made" I really mean that I put it in a nice bowl, so people would think I made it, because I hate making potato salad, especially when Kroger's is still going to be better than mine).

At noonish, Matt and I went over to the future Bozemans' for a cookout and swimming. There was a watermelon that tasted a lot like lighter fluid; pool dodge ball with tennis balls, Frisbees, and a kick ball; and Mrs. PacMan. While it looks as Casey got hit by an unidentified flying object, I was on the business end of that watermelon. All in all, a ridiculously fun afternoon.
That evening, the Kelley's invited us over to eat with their family (seeing that ours all skipped town on us, pity-invite). It was one of those average BYOM&F parties (Bring Your Own Meat and Fireworks). It all began with a riveting game of whiffle ball, I was very honored to not be picked last, and also to be picked by Chad, who I know is VERY serious about whiffle ball. I heard he did a little pre-game scouting when he saw me catching and throwing a few with Matt (by the way, he did not pick Matt). My team lost, but I am proud to say that I made a double play... whatever that is.
At dinner, all the great American staples were there: Pasta and potato salads, corn on the cob, hotdogs, barbecue chicken, kabobs, ice cream, cake, cupcakes, etc. After dinner I found a yo-yo that truly was a blast from the past, and then the fireworks began. The guys sported the heavy artillery (bottle rockets and cherry bombs), while the girls had some fun with sparklers and roman candles. I totally pretended to be Harry Potter for like a second and got busted. I think we all had our fill of explosives until New Year's, especially Casey. We did our fair share of mere-chilling on the new driveway. Then we partook of the purdiest little cake I ever did see, thanks Bethany!

It's official,

2008-07-02T10:31:00.014-04:00

I'm a nerd (if there was ever any doubt)! Last night, Matt, Chad, and I went to see the band "Harry and the Potters" at the 40watt club. This, probably, was one of the single-most interesting events of my life. Upon entering, we were all given a name tag (the band's request to create a more friendly and personal environment). However, most people were not themselves. Matt was just Matt, but I was Andrew W. K. the hard core rock-and-roller! We were also informed to help ourselves to the homemade cupcakes and free face painting. And so I did. After partaking of their tasty red-white-and-blue cupcakes, I got a lightning bolt scar painted on my forehead.
The concert tour was titled "Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo '08" and consisted of 3 bands. The first of which, was called Uncle Monster Face. With a sheet and a projector, they showed ridiculously weird short videos they had made to go along with their music (including, but not limited to infomercials and roller coaster ride simulators). They also had sock puppets and someone dancing around through the crowd wearing a paper-mache monster-head.
Math the band, was the second act. They describe themselves on their own website as this:

"Math the Band is a being of pure light and energy. A three piece high energy electro dance rock band that sings songs about were wolves, the water cycle, sharks and the importance of staying in shape. High speed high energy dance anthems with more beats per minute than you’d know what to do with!"

I couldn't have phrased it any other way.

And the band we've all been waiting for.....Harry and the Potters. They were everything I expected and more..... Of course they were nerdy, both dressed completely as Harry, and their songs were solely about the book series, but everyone there was having a blast. Being a family friendly show, tons of young kids and their parents attended, dressed in costume. It was a site to see kids under 12 in a mosh pit. During one part of the show, Harry's guitar string broke, and he borrowed a drumstick to use as a wand and summon another. From off-stage, someone threw him a guitar with broom bristles attached to the end, which he caught and began playing without missing a beat. Some of my favorite songs they played were: "Save Ginny Weasley," "Voldemort can't stop the ROCK!" and "Hagrid is Full of Hugs but Don't Get Stuck in his Beard." I bought myself an awesome t-shirt, and Matt bought some Harry and the Potters' official Dental Floss. This truly was a night to remember!