back in the saddle again

I haven't blogged in a long time. A really long time. Not wanting to mess with it mixed with being busy, working, and some laziness/tv watching has led to no blogging. But now I'm back to blogging, even though I'm sure there won't be anyone reading anymore.

This week we went on vacation. It's the first time we have gone on vacation for more than a weekend, and the first time I have taken time off from work since I started. Since we were going to Seaside, we decided to go to Mobile first to see my dad's parents. Since my dad died in 1994, I have seen them twice. Twice in 16 years. So we went to Mobile on Monday, but not without issues. We got about 100 miles out of Mobile and had a flat tire. Did I mention we had the weenies with us? Not to mention a tiny car packed perfectly (thanks to Ben....he loads the car like it is a puzzle - I'm not allowed to help) to the brim. Anyway, we called AAA and they were right out in about 30 minutes. He changed the tire and told us how to get to a tire "center" in Evergreen, which was basically a hole-in-the-wall tire shop in the woods. Of course the nail was in the sidewall (is it ever in the no-you-don't-need-a-new-tire-we-can-just-plug-this-one-right-up tread?) So, I had to buy a new tire. To replace my approximately 3 month old new tire. That doesn't match. With 2 lovely multi-colored paint splats on it. Oh well...they changed it and we were back on the road within an hour.

Yes that is my fan on the side of the road. I travel with my fan now because I can't sleep without it, so it is better for everyone involved if I can get my sleep while we are out of town. Living on Peachtree has ruined normal sleeping habits for me.

We made it to Mobile and went straight to my grandparent's house to see them and my dad's sister. It was good to see them, although somewhat awkward in that distant family, feel like I should be more comfortable around you but definitely am not way. We visited for awhile, went to dinner on the causeway at a seafood place, and then looked through multiple photo albums until we said we had to leave since we still had to drive a couple of hours to get to Seaside and it was after 9:00. It was a good visit and I'm glad we made the effort to see them.

We made it to Seaside about 11:30 and took the weenies for a walk. I'll post more pictures and talk more about our vacation in multiple posts. Otherwise, this would be a mighty long post to read!

weenies in the snow

We took the weenies out in the snow on Friday evening before it got dark. They have never been in the snow, so we wanted to see how they would react. We figured Eleanor would love it and Cleo would hate it. We were wrong! They both loved it! I think Cleo was actually a little more adventurous than Eleanor. We finally had to drag them back inside because they were shivering from being so wet.

This is the view from our window. 

The Margaret Mitchell House

Tenth Street

As much as I hate snow, it was really pretty!

first day = done!

So...today was the first day of my first real job as a speech-language pathologist. It's a little weird to be a for real therapist instead of being an intern. I have my own patients. I have to sign my own papers (which, by the way, is even more strange since I am now Kristen, M. Ed. CF-SLP), I have to write my own goals. It is a completely different experience! Today I got to see three lovely, grouchy old ladies. As grouchy as they are, they absolutely crack me up! They can't remember anything, but they want me to know that they are fine, they don't need any help, and no, they do not want their hearing or hearing aids checked. Ha!

Essential therapy tool for tomorrow...mini dry erase board! If they can't hear me, hopefully they can see big letters!

behind the scenes

Today was my last day of freedom before I start my new (first!) job on Monday. I asked Ben to take half of the day off so we could spend some time together, especially since he has been working so much recently. A few months ago, Ben surprised me with tickets for the Behind the Scenes tour at the Georgia Aquarium. I made us reservations to go on the tour today. It was so much fun! We have been to the aquarium a few times, but the behind the scenes tour gives a totally different perspective. We really did get to go behind the scenes! Fortunately, there were only four people on the tour including us, so it was great. Plus, nasty weather + weekday afternoon = empty aquarium. We got to see the penguins that are waiting for their new environment to be built, the veterinary areas, the water filters/pumps, and the view from the top of the Ocean Voyager exhibit. Ben took lots of pictures!

All of these pumps are just for the Ocean Voyager tank.

This is the view from the top of the Ocean Voyager tank.

We got so close to the whale sharks!

While we were looking at the penguins, the tour guide told us about a penguin video on YouTube. It is so darn cute!

If you have a chance to go on the Behind the Scenes tour, it is definitely worth the extra money. It is a little expensive, but we got our tickets from Half Off Depot, so they were cheaper.

if you have a few minutes...

You should definitely watch this. It's one of my favorite Andy messages. So good!

Series: Taking Responsibility for Your Life

Message: Embracing Your Response Ability

show us your life - fashion tips

I have a couple of things that have become staples in my wardrobe this year, so I thought I would share! 

1. Cardigans, cardigans, and more cardigans

I love cardigans, especially the ultimate cardigan from Gap. I have it in yellow, grey, and purple. I also have a black and a navy cardigan from LOFT. They are great for mixing and matching with various tops. 

2. Ruffled tops

I have bought several tops like this sequin ruffle top from J.Crew to wear under my cardigans. 

3. Ruffle dress for spring

I love anything with ruffles. When I saw this dress at J.Crew, I loved it! I love anything with ruffles, and J. Crew has lots of ruffles right now. I bought this dress in grey, which is an in-store only color. 

4. Frye boots

My Frye boots are my all-time favorite purchase. They are the melissa button boots. I LOVE these. Thankfully, I found them on sale (slightly!), because they are definitely expensive. 

5.  For the spring/summer, woven shoes seem to be popular. I really want these from Banana Republic, but I am waiting for a coupon first. 

J. Crew is one of my favorite stores now, but it can get expensive. They put things on the website on sale fairly often, but sizes go quickly. I found this blog called J.Crew Aficionada that is great! The lady posts lots of coupon codes, product reviews, and sale announcements often. She also hosts a weekly clothing exchange, so people can trade J. Crew clothing. I have never participated, but it sounds interesting!

cb2

Several months ago, we heard that cb2 was going to open a store a couple of blocks from our house, but we never saw it. Then I read it in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, but again, there were no signs of the store. As I was driving Ben back to work today from Tech (he was on a panel critiquing grad student work for one of his old professors), I noticed the windows of one of the retail spaces in a new condo building had cb2 paper announcing it's opening in the summer. I am so excited! 

*I took the picture with my iPhone while I was driving. And it was raining. Please excuse the poor quality. 

happy birthday cleo!

My sweet, spotted weiner dog is 2 today! I went to Taj Mahound today and picked up doggie cupcakes for Cleo and Eleanor. They loved them! Cleo wore her birthday hat, too. I bought a second one for Eleanor, but when I brought it home I realized it was much bigger than the other, so Eleanor couldn't wear it. 

After we got married, I begged Ben for a dog, specifically a weiner dog. When I finally convinced him of our need for a dog, we searched and searched, but couldn't find a female chocolate and tan dapple dachshund anywhere in the Southeast. I gave up and decided we would have to wait a few months. The next day, I came across a website of a lady in Chattanooga. She had a litter of chocolate and tan puppies, and there was one dapple girl. She had a pink bow in her hair and was sitting in a basket. As soon as I saw her, I knew she was mine. 

Happy birthday Cleo!