Hilton Head for Labor Day

For Labor Day weekend, Tiffany, her fiance Mitch and I all went down and stayed with my mom's friend Linda on Hilton Head Island, SC.

Mitch, me, Tiff at HHI

We arrived about midnight Friday night, after a 4.5 hour drive that went by miraculously fast. It was so good having travel buddies - I so often drive alone. 

Linda's house was beautiful and there was enough space in the living room for a blowup mattress for Tiff and Mitch, and a big couch for me.  The next day we took a bike ride to the grocery store to pick up some things, then headed down to the beach with Linda and her boyfriend Jeff. 

Handstand on the beach!

It was a really spectacular day and we mostly just lounged in the shade of their giant beach tent. Finally, as it really started heating up, Tiff, Mitch and I decided to hit the water.  Tiffany and I were a little wary because HHI is known for its marine life and Linda's son, Nic, had just told us about being stung by a stingray.  Mitch was telling Tiffany and I not to be silly, that we'd be fine, then all of a sudden he goes "ahh, I was just stung by a jelly fish" and starts swimming away.  We thought he was joking to try and scare us, but when he confirmed that he was serious, Tiff and I were back on the beach in about 3 seconds. lol  We didn't go back in the water that day, and Mitch had four lines across the top of his foot where the jelly fish tentacles had wrapped around it.

After 5 p.m., dogs are allowed on the beach, and Linda went to get her dog, Bailey, and it made friends with some other local dogs.  Well then, one of the other dogs runs up right by my chair and lifts his leg, and by the time I realize what he's doing, it's a little too late.  I jumped up, but he still got a little pee on me.  Tiffany thought it was hysterical (and it kind of was - I mean really, who gets peed on by a dog?).  I braved the ocean again to rinse off. 

Linda and Jeff

sunset by the Boat House Restaurant

As it approached dinner time, Tiff, Mitch and I went back to the house (about a five minute walk from the beach) and got ready to go out to dinner.  We went to a place called The Boat House, recommended by Linda and Jeff.  The wait was 90 minutes, so we put down our names (Linda & Jeff planned to meet us there), and enjoyed the lovely evening and the sunset.  There was a long dock and we walked to the end and watched the last rays of sunlight fade from the sky, making the water orangy as it went. 

The food was delicious - I had fish tacos which were YUM!  From there we all went to a place called The Triangle where there are several clubs and bars, very close to where Linda lives. Linda and Jeff wanted to hear a band play, but they were running really late and as we waited for them to come on, I was getting really frustrated.  They were going to perform on an outdoor stage, so we got seats outdoors, but then everyone was smoking around us and it was really bothering me, then it got more crowded, and people were pushing up against us, and then some drunk lady stumbled and grabbed my shoulder as she went past and I was just DONE.  I left the four of them there and returned to the house. 

Tiff and Mitch on the pier.

After showering and getting in my PJs, Linda's roommate, Brian (who is also 25), got home and hung out with me for a little bit until the others returned.  When they got back, they convinced me to change and we all went for a walk on the beach looking for sea turtles.  We didn't find any, but I did find a hula-hooper with a light up hula-hoop which I got to try.  That was fun. 

Mitch and Tiff in the kayak.

The three of us on the dolphin cruise.

On Sunday we slept in late and then headed to a section of inter-coastal nearby where they rent kayaks.  Brian was able to use his connections and get us free kayaks for two hours! We couldn't believe our luck.  I had my own and Tiff and Mitch shared.  We saw a ton of jumping fish, some interesting birds, and a lot of beautiful houses and trees.  It was hot, but it was good exercise and I really enjoyed it.  After returning to the house to shower/change, we made a move toward Sea Pines (an exclusive area of HHI) where our dolphin cruise left from. (Tiff had gotten us groupons for a dolphin cruise before we left).  Tiff and I were worried about getting seasick, but we both did fine.  (Probably because we were mostly in a bay).  We saw a ton of dolphins, though none actually jumped out of the water or anything.  Basically, the boat we were on followed the shrimp boats and the dolphins were always behind the shrimp boats.  It was hot initially, but the last half hour was really lovely as the sun started to go down and the breeze picked up.  From there, the three of us headed to the Salty Dog Cafe (a world famous restaurant) where we got a snack and some Salty Dog paraphernalia.Then we went to a beach in Sea Pines and walked the beach in the falling dusk.

following a shrimp boat to see dolphins

We ended our evening at a delicious pizza restaurant before heading back to the house.

On Monday, we spent a few hours at the beach and Tiff and I borrowed Linda's neighbor's surf boards to try and surf (as the waves were bigger).  Unfortunately, they weren't quite big enough to surf, and we ended up using them more like boogie boards (though we put in a valiant effort in standing on the boards). We didn't get stung by anything, which was great, and we definitely got some good exercise! 

At last, though we didn't want the weekend to end, we went back to the house and got ready to leave.  We thanked Linda and Jeff, who had been fantastic hosts, and left about 4 p.m.   It was a really lovely weekend!

Tiff and Mitch on the beach.

walking the beach

Florida July 2012

 

Ft. Desoto

Our first night in St. Petersburg, Michael, Grandma, Dad and I all walked to the central downtown area full of different restaurants and bars. We had dinner at an Irish pub that Michael really liked, and all our food was quite good. Afterward we got gelato and sat outside talking as we watched people (several of them drunk already) walk by.  Michael said St. Pete is known for having a fair number of drunks walking around at any given time.

We went back to our hotel afterward and chatted for a while, then Michael and I went back to his place a few blocks away.  (I decided to sleep on his couch so Grandma had more room in the double bed at the hotel).  Unfortunately, Michael inhabits the attic of these people's house, and the only AC is a window unit in his room.  He left the door open to try and get the air wafting into the living room, but it wasn't overly successful and I was quite hot all night.

The next morning, Dad and Grandma picked me up from Michael's (he was at work) and we went to get breakfast, then went to Ft. De Soto State Park.  The beach there was voted at one point as "America's Best" and it really is lovely.  I'd been there once before with Patrick in May of 2011, so it had been just about a year.  We enjoyed the perfect water and white sand, then walked around the old fort and the pier.  On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a Barns and Noble where, unable to help myself, I bought two books.  (Even though I'd just gotten a book at the Goodwill Bookstore in Tallahassee).

with Michael outside the restaurant

I was really excited about one in particular: The Sisterhood Everlasting.  This is the continuation (10 years later) from one of my favorite series, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.  Those books made such an impact on me as a college student.  I felt like the characters were right where I was in every sense.  They "got" me at that phase of my life - empathized with me as I did with them.  They were truly like friends.  Those books inspired me to start my own book (still not quite finished).  So this book, written so much later, when the girls are all 29 (close to my age), was very exciting for me to pick up.  More about that later...

So that evening, after relaxing from the beach, Michael came over and we all drove to Fourth Street Shrimp Store where we had delicious seafood.  Thereafter, we played cards in the lobby of our hotel until it was time for Michael to leave.  I decided to try and share the bed with grandma that night in the cool air conditioned room.

with Dad at the Shrimp Store

When I walked Michael out, we started talking about my future job prospects and how I should go about looking for a job.  There is just so much I could do, it is very overwhelming for me to decide what direction to focus my energies into.  But chatting with him about it did make me feel better and he had some good tips.

On Friday, Dad, Grandma and I had a yummy breakfast at this cool bakery/restaurant and then drove home.  It was a nice drive back and a beautiful day.  We picked up Lily from her mom's house on the way and she came over until we met her mom, Dad and some family friends out to dinner at T.G.I. Fridays.

sunset over St. Pete

On Saturday, I spent a good chunk of the day hanging out with my cousin Brian (Michael's brother who lives in Tally).  I helped him go shopping for a bunch of stuff he needed and it was good catching up with him (though every conversation we have, I lose a little more faith in the male race).

Sunday, Gma, Dad, U. Andy, Lily and I all went to Wakulla Springs.  The water was as cold as ever, but the day was lovely and I enjoyed reading my Sisterhood book on the "beach." I also started to realize how moody teenage girls can be (namely, my cousin Lily), who sulked every time her father so much as looked at her, and has perfected the scowl to an art.

with cousin Lily at TGI Fridays

On Monday morning, Dad and I left about 9:30.  He drove while I finished the Sisterhood book, which I'd started only the day before. It was that good. In this book, the girls were all at points in their lives that I feel like either I or my friends are in.  It was about discovering yourself as an adult, figuring out how to maintain and change old friendships into adult friendships, dealing with loss and love and jobs and lack of jobs - it was just so perfect in so many ways. Though, like its predecessors, it did make me cry.  Bittersweet tears of recognizing the loss of the past, the struggle of the present, and the hope of the future.

in the water at Wakulla Springs - SO cold

I finished my book around 12:30, and then Dad and I stopped for lunch.  I offered to drive for a while, and after only 30 minutes, I got stuck in a speed trap and pulled over.  The speed limit had been 55, so I was going 61.  Then it had apparently dropped to 45, but I missed the sign, and then didn't start slowing down until I saw a sign for 35 mph.  At that same point, the cop saw me and turned his lights on.  Luckily, when he clocked me I was still in the 45 mph zone, but still, 61 in a 45 is not good.  He dropped it to 59 and insisted that it would not affect my license or insurance, but he's obviously an idiot, because any ticket affects your insurance.  I found out the next day that it's $175 ticket, which is just great.  Dad drove the rest of the way home, as I was all teary after being pulled over.  As we drove off, we saw someone else pulled over right where the first cop had seen us from.  Georgia, I am not happy with you.

Memories

It has been a while since I've written, but here I am again.  This time, I'm sitting in a hotel room in St. Petersburg, FL, waiting with Dad and Grandma Bailey for the rain to subside before we head out into the city.  I am also anxiously awaiting the work day to end so I can see my best friend/cousin Michael. We realized last week that we had not seen each other since May of 2011, right after I got laid off from the paper and came down to visit with my friend Patrick.  It doesn't seem like it's been so long though, as frequently as we talk.

With Michael on the St. Peteresburg pier.

Some quick memories of Michael (I'm feeling in a reminiscent mood today with the clouds all gray and the old town of St. Pete out our window):

My first clear memory of Michael was from our trip as a family to Hawaii when I was 7.  Uncle David, Aunt Margie and their four boys were all living Oahu and so we decided to go visit while we had a free place to stay.

I loved Hawaii - it was a magical place full of memories like these:
~coconut tree-climbing men in skirts (I remember the announcer say that he didn't have any underwear on, and Mom tell me that it was a joke)
~ dancers in coconut shell tops
~ colorful fish which I viewed through my first experience with a snorkel
~ my first experience with truly gargantuan waves that knocked the breath out of me several times (I remember Grandma carrying me into them and me saying that they were too big and we'd be knocked over, and alas, we were - she stopped trying to make me go in after that)
~ beautiful sunsets of orange and red over the mangrove trees with the water lapping the shore
~ climbing the dormant volcano, Diamond Head, getting to the top and Mom realizing with dismay that there were no bathrooms or vending machines.  Also on that climb, realizing we were supposed to bring flashlights and thus all 9 of us shared one and mostly climbed the steps in darkness.
~ losing my first two teeth, one of which was in a thift store and when mom asked if we could use the bathroom, the lady said there wasn't one, and my mom said "Well unless you want my daughter to bleed all over your floor, I suggest you find one."  She found one.
~ being really hot at night because Uncle David's AC stopped working and I had to sleep on a top bunk

So anyway, along with all the cool stuff we did in Hawaii, I also got to know my two older cousins Michael and Brian, as well as my two younger cousins, Logan and Mark, a bit better.  Brian, I decided, was a terror.  He chased me around trying to "Indian twist" the skin on my arm or in other ways torture me.  He was about 11, so I guess that was par for the course.  I also didn't have a great sense of humor about it since I was the oldest and had never had an older brother teasing me.  Michael, on the other hand, was quieter, about 12, and my rescuer from his malicious brother. He gave me piggy back rides and showed me cool stuff and talked to me like a grown up.  When I wanted the lyrics to "Whole New World" on my Sing Along Disney VHS, Michael enlisted Brian's help and they kept rewinding the video to try to write down the words (this was before the world of internet in your average home).  Basically, I thought he was the best cousin ever.

Fast forward about five years and their family now lives in Orlando, FL.  We go down to visit and go to Disney.  I am very excited to see Michael for the first time in such a long while, but when we get there, the sullen teenager using the computer is not the boy I remembered.  I'm pretty sure he didn't say one word to me the whole trip, and me, being rather shy at that age, didn't say anything either.  Brian on the other hand drove me around, taught me the words to Ice Ice Baby (which is the only rap song I know the lyrics to to this day) and was generally amusing and pleasant.  The following year, we returned and this time Michael spoke a little, but I daresay, it wasn't a whole lot better.

Fast forward again about 3 years.  It's Thanksgiving and I'm 15.  My family is down in Tallahassee and Michael is attending FSU.  On Thanksgiving day, I have been hanging out with a friend of mine on campus and Michael is assigned to pick me up from there before we head to Grandma's for dinner.  When I got in the car, he gave me a funny look and said, "So, do you like this guy?" (I'd been hanging out with a guy I'd met the previous summer at a pool in Tallahassee).  "No, why?" I said, rather taken aback that this cousin I barely knew would ask me such a strange first question.  "Well, I just thought, you know, when girls dressed nice and wore makeup, then they must like someone."  I gave him a deadpan look and said, "I always look like this."  "Okay," he said.  And off we drove with conversation flowing like it hadn't flowed since Hawaii.

In Michael, I'd found the older brother I never had and a kindred spirit.  And ever since Nov. of 2002, we've been the best of friends. I have three best friends: Michael, Lieselotte and Tiffany.  All are really wonderful and really dear to me in different ways, but there is something comforting with having one of my best friends be real family because then you know, no matter what, you'll never lose them.

That was a long reminiscence I suppose, but I figure, it's good to get these memories down while I still have them clearly in my head.

So anyway, tonight I figure we'll go out to dinner somewhere in downtown St. Pete and tomorrow, if it's not raining, we'll probably go to Ft. Desoto State Park to the beach.  If it is raining, I guess we'll go to some local museums and try to go to the beach on Friday before heading back to Tallahassee.

SC to MD

Mark, me, Scott and Logan in Greenville, SC.

 

After I didn't get the job at PDS, I was pretty upset most of the day.  I took a silk class that night, which took my mind of it for a while, but by the time I got to Scott's place for dinner, I was thinking about it again.  When he asked if I wanted to talk about it, I just broke down into tears.  He then turned me toward the kitchen and asked if "that" would help - "that" being five bouquets of flowers he bought for me as soon as he got off work when he found out about my bad news. He said he didn't know what flowers were my favorite, so he just got some of everything.  I was speechless. 

Learning how to use one of Scott's DSLR cameras in Clemson.

By the end of dinner, I was talking and laughing up a storm.  I'm still disappointed in the decision, but I get over things very quickly.

That Thursday a big group of us went to Maggiano's for dinner to celebrate Mom and Cheryl's birthday.  Scott, Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Uncle Bob and Cheryl were all there. We had a delicious dinner and went to Grandma's afterward where she'd made banana pudding and cake.

in the Botanical Gardens

On Friday, Scott and I drove to South Carolina to spend the weekend with his family and old friends.  It was down-pouring when we left, and took us a while, but we finally made it to Greenville for dinner with some of his old friends - a married couple, Logan and Mark. They were really delightful and we had such a good time at a delicious burger joint.  From there, we walked to Greenville's famous waterfall park.  It is really quite impressive, and I wished we had more time to spend in the park, but thunder and lightening was getting closer, so we had to go back to the car.  As we walked, the skies opened and it started raining pretty  hard.  The umbrella was being blown all about, so did us no good.  Finally, we just closed it and ran.  If we didn't have stuff with us, I would've enjoyed just playing in the rain.  It was warm and delicious smelling.  I laughed as we got in the car, remembering the last tine I'd been out in the rain for more than a couple seconds...

It was freshman year of college.  I was returning from a salsa dance with my friend Nick (from Mexico) and it started raining.  We ran and jumped in his car.  After we were in and put our stuff down, he told me to take my shoes off and get back out.  Then he led me over to the slick brick sidewalks of the Chapel Hill campus, and as the rain poured down on us, we salsa danced in the rain.  It was one of those amazing moments that I'll never forget.  A bucket-checking moment.  Now, when someone asks, "Have you ever danced in the rain?" I can say, "Why yes, I have."  And even when I'm 80, I'll remember that moment, though no pictures were taken and I haven't seen Nick in  six years and may never see him again. 

by the sunflowers

And getting in Scott's car, quite wet and covered in goose bumps, laughing at the pure joy of feeling like a child again, I relived a little bit of that memory, and it was beautiful.

in the cornfields

The next day, we went to Clemson, where Scott went to school.  First we visited the Botanical Gardens which were very nice, though we only saw a small part of them.  Scott did a photo shoot with me, all excited about a new lens he'd gotten. Lucky for him, I've been posing for photos since before I could talk when Mom would say "Stand like this, turn your head like this, smile like this, not like that...."  Therefore, I'm a patient model. ;)

After that he gave me a tour of the campus and got me a Clemson shirt so when I go to the football games with him this season I'll have something other than Carolina Blue to wear.  That probably wouldn't make me very popular. lol  We wrapped up the afternoon taking more photos in some cornfields and sunflower fields.  It is so beautiful in that area with farmland everywhere.  I had such a great time.

Lieselotte in Chapel Hill

Lies and me in Chapel Hill

The following Wednesday, I left for Raleigh to see Lieselotte.  She is home for a few weeks with her parents before moving to Berkeley to start her PhD in Biology.  I was sooo happy to see her, even though it didn't seem like so long ago that I saw her in Amsterdam. As it turned out, it was a great week for seeing old friends.  That first day, Lies and I got lunch with my old professor, Darryl Gless.  He is such a brilliant man and I knew Lies would enjoy meeting him.  We all had a great lunch and conversation.  For dinner, we went over to Krystle's house (my old roommate) and caught up with her.  I hadn't seen her in about 2 years, so it was really nice!

Lies and me at the outdoor concert in Raleigh.

On Thursday, I met my old friend and Ballroom Club Vice President, Jonathan, for lunch and had him replace one of my burnt out headlights for me (as he is a manager at Auto Zone).  He was always like my brother, so it was good catching up on his life.  He's getting really into scuba diving, which was fascinating to me. That night, Lies and I went to an outdoor concert with her brother Florian and an old friend of hers in downtown Raleigh. Unfortunately, I got my first ever parking ticket because we misread a sign.  Ooops.  But, it was still a nice evening.

With Aaron and Erika in Cary.

On Friday, Lies and I went to the pool and then I went over to my friend Erika's family's home for dinner.  She lives in LA now and just happened to be home visiting in Cary, NC (very close to Raleigh).  Her family is great and after a delicious dinner of swordfish and veggies, we all went to a karaoke bar where every one of us (her parents, brother Aaron, and the two of us) sang karaoke and danced.  Upon returning home (I was the DD so I got to drive their Jag home), we played music like Frank Sinatra and danced around the living room until 2 a.m.  That makes two impromptu dance parties in less than a week!  SWEET! I ended up spending the night over there and after a delicious homemade breakfast of waffles and berries by Erika's dad, I returned to Lieselotte's house.

Singing karaoke with Erika and her mom.

That afternoon, Mom and Dad drove up from Charlotte and Dad drove my car back home while Mom and I continued up to Maryland in his car to visit Aunt Coleen and Uncle Tom, as well as Erin and her kids.

It is always nice up here with a lot of land and it smells like the mountains to me.  Two nights ago, I went running in my aunt's neighborhood in the dark and it was sooo great.  The night was cool under a starry sky with the moon grinning down at me and the smell of fresh grass and trees all around.

Addie and her peach.

Yesterday, my little cousin Addie spent a good portion of the day with us, and we had a grand old time doing handstands and cartwheels in the yard, picking blueberries and peaches from "Mimi's" plants/trees, and having tickle fights.  After giving her a much-needed bath, I read her Madeline as a bedtime story (which I hadn't read in ages).  I think she enjoyed my French accent, because she initially wanted me to read only a couple pages, but changed her mind when I suggested stopping.  She is such a little love, and it was so nice spending some time with her.  She's also smart as a whip and hysterically funny without meaning to be.  I wish Erin and her family lived closer so I could see them more often.  (Addie's brothers, Marshall and Brennan are precious as well, but they are older.  Marshall is going into 6th grade, Brennan into 3rd and Addie into 1st).

Addie being adorable.

Well, this is way longer than I planned for it to be.  But oh well - as I tell my friends, this blog is more for me than anyone else. :)  When I get home, I suppose I'll start scouting out more jobs.  I applied to be an English teacher through the school system in Charlotte, but without an education degree, I'd have to go lateral entry (work on my teaching license as I went), and they are less likely to hire that sort of person. (Even though I'm sure I know more about English and writing than half the teachers teaching). 

The Other Shoe

Photo taken by Scott of Tiff's twin nephew and niece.

Life has been really going uphill lately, and I kept thinking "the other shoe is sure to fall soon."  It fell today.  I didn't get the job - I was the number two candidate out of all the interviewees and they thought the number one candidate might not accept the offer because she wanted more money, but in the end, she did.

The thing is, this felt so perfect, and I know I would have been great at this job, and so happy doing it.  And I'm getting so tired of freelancing and making no money and having to live at home because I can't support myself on $1,000 a month.  I also know it's incredibly selfish of me to be whining and complaining when I have so many blessings in my life, and I really was trying not to get my heart too set on this job, but I can't help it - it really was like a dream job for me.

But I guess I should talk about the positives instead.

With Scott at Tiff's parents' lake house.

Positive: On 4th of July, Scott and I went to Tiffany's parents' lake house and had a great time.  We played with Tiff's niece and nephews, swam in the pool, went on the boat, and just enjoyed everyone's company. 

by the pool in Charleston

Libby on the beach

Positive: We went to a fantastic dinner party with friends the following Friday where Scott cooked on the grill (as the rest of the guys watched), and the girls all stood around talking and eating delicious appetizers.  His roommate Kevin came as well and we introduced him to all my friends too.  Now everyone knows everyone. :)  I'm such a little matchmaker.

jumping off the boat

Positive: I had 3 Couchsurfers come stay with me for a couple nights and we had a good time talking and playing Wii Just Dance together.  The two guys, Joe and Chris, were a 2-man-band and the girl, Ingrid, was their manager/photographer.  Ingrid and I went to a yoga class one day and I showed her all around uptown Charlotte.  It was really nice hosting again.

Positive: Scott took me out to a wonderful dinner at The King's Kitchen last Thursday and then we got dessert at Crave (a bar that features about 50 different types of dessert).  We had yummy homemade cookies and milk. Yuummmm.

with Kelby (center) and Tiffany at Kelby's wedding

Positive: The next day I drove to Charleston where I spent the day with Libby (the 11-yr-old girl I used to babysit for when her family still lived in Charlotte).  We rode bikes around their beautiful new neighborhood, swam in the pool, then went to dinner, a walk on the beach, and put-put with her dad and brother, David and Trip. The next day, we all went out on their boat for 6 hours and had a great time enjoying the beautiful weather and water.  Upon returning, I got ready for my friend Kelby's wedding on Isle of Palms.

I picked up Tiffany and Mitch from their hotel on the way.  The ceremony was outside behind the Citadel Beach Club with the dunes and ocean right behind them.  The reception was inside with views out over the area and to the water.  Tiffany and I were able to catch up with a few old friends and get ideas for Tiffany's wedding next summer.

On Sunday, Tiff, Mitch and I walked around downtown Charleston which I hadn't been to since high school.  It is so pretty and reminded me so much of Gone With the Wind and North and South.

Mitch and Tiff in Charleston

After walking around for a few hours and eating lunch at a place called Caviar and Bananas (not kidding), we drove back to Charlotte and attended a cookout at Scott's place with several of his friends.  After Tiff and Mitch left, Scott told me how much he liked them and I was so happy - my boyfriend is a big fan of my best friend and her fiance.  All is right in the world!  We plan to all go to Hilton Head together over Labor Day. :)

Positive: That's a lot of positives with only one negative, so I guess I'm doing pretty well.  Please keep me in your prayers as I search for the job I'm supposed to have.

in Charleston

cool huh?

The Winds of Change

It's been an incredible last couple weeks, and the winds of change have been stirring. 

Dad and me at Ashley's wedding.

For starters, I had an interview at Providence Day School for the position in the Global Studies Department.  I thought it went really well and I felt like I belonged there and clicked with the department director. The following weekend of June 23, I went with my parents to Waynesville, NC for the wedding of an old friend of mine - Ashley.  The wedding took place at 5 p.m. on the golf course of the Waynesville Golf Resort and Spa.  The day before had record-breaking heat, but that day some clouds had rolled in with a nice, gentle breeze creating a perfect temperature and better lighting for photos.  After the ceremony, which was short and sweet but very heart-felt, we all gathered under a huge outdoor tent.  There was a yummy buffet dinner followed by six hours of dancing.  Guess who was the first on the floor and one of the last off?  Yup, that'd be me.

I'd been a bit worried at first because I didn't know any of the other friends of the bride or groom in attendance.  But the mother-of-the-bride introduced me to the brother of the groom who was also a dancer, and from there, I was introduced to many other new people.  I danced for about three hours before my shoes came off.  Then kept going in my bare feet.  Though I must say, the highlight was when the wedding crasher showed up.

Ashley and Jon.

with the bride

on the dance floor

This man, probably in his 40s, comes up to me and asks me to dance.  I can tell he's intoxicated, but I figure he's some crazy uncle or something.  We start dancing and I ask him how he is related to the family, he says he isn't.  Then he asks how I'm related, and I said, "I'm a friend of Ashley's" and he says "Who's Ashley?"  This is when I realize this man doesn't belong here.  I give him an odd look and he says, with a slur, "I'm just here on a golf trip and saw the party."  After this, he tries to spin around and falls on the ground. 

I then excused myself and found the sister of the bride to inform her about this wedding crasher.  She then told Ashley who then told her father, who'd had one too many drinks himself.  Next thing we know, the father of the bride is shouting at the wedding crasher to get out, the wedding crasher doesn't want to leave, and then throws a punch.  I'm not sure who the punch was aimed at, but next thing you know, a cousin who was an ex-cop comes flying up and tackles the wedding crasher to the ground and punches him five times. 

with some dance buddies

All I have to say is, I hope the photographer captured some of this drama.

After the police escorted the man out (along with two of his buddies who were also there), Ashley stood on a chair, commanded the DJ to keep playing the music and laughed about the whole thing.

The next day, Mom, Dad and I visited Mom's cousins who live in Waynesville and own an antique/wood working shop, then we drove home and I went to Pops in the Park with a bunch of friends.  It didn't rain on us for about the first time ever at Pops, so that was lovely. :)

I was supposed to find out the job that following week, and finally was told on Thursday that a decision should be made on Friday.  But still no call. 

sunset over Pops in the Park

I spent Friday at the pool with my friends Rachel and Vanessa, then left for Jonas Ridge (where my grandparents have a mountain house) at 5 p.m. with Scott, my new boyfriend.  It was the first time he'd met my grandparents and they got along great.  He helped Grandpa with a few odd jobs and was very talkative with them.  He told me, after meeting them, "They may be the cutest people ever."  I tend to agree. :)

We had a great time up there, even though it was hot.  (In the 80s during the day, but way better than the 105 that it was in Charlotte).  We hiked to the top of Hawk's Bill which always proffers amazing views, then hiked Upper and Lower Creek Falls where we slid down waterfalls and swam in icy mountain waters.  :)

Also, on Saturday morning I got a call from Providence Day School and it was the department director.  He said I was runner-up for the job and that the other person was still considering the salary and they'd be able to tell me by Monday or Tuesday July 9-10 if she accepted the job or not. I'm really praying that she declines because I know I can do this job, that I'd be GREAT at it and there cannot possibly be anyone more passionate about it than I would be.  If not, however, he said he'll pass my resume along to some other departments, as there may be some openings in the communications department, for example.  I would love to work at PDS in any capacity - it really seems like a great environment - but it would be a little sad for me to be somewhere else watching the job I really wanted be filled by someone other than me.  So anyway, please continue to pray for that.

on my grandparents' mountain

On Sunday in the mountains there was a neighborhood potluck/cookout in our backyard (since my grandparents live on the very top of the mountain and have a very large yard). It seemed like the entire mountain showed up and it was so nice to see everyone there.  Granted, I didn't know most of them, but I met some new people and chatted with some old neighbors.  I always love big gatherings with food involved, and boy was there some yummy food!

After driving home that evening, Scott made a delicious Thai dinner for us. It was the perfect ending to a great weekend.  

Life is Sweet

The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity - but overall, such a joy! 

Waiting outside the arena on Tuesday around 6 a.m.

I've been attending BBQs, bonfires, Pops in the Park (where the Symphony plays outdoors), and art crawls in NoDa.  On Saturday night, I went to my friend Jessy's son's first birthday party.  Ben (her baby) is so precious and it was so much fun watching him experience a frosted cake for the first time.  By the time he was done with his miniature cake, all that was left was crumbs and a little boy COVERED in frosting and squished cake.  But boy oh boy, the look on his face - what triumph!  You'd think he'd just uncovered the treasure of Atlantis.  Though I guess I can't really talk - food makes me awfully happy as well. :)  To make it even better, I brought my friend Scott with me to the party and he's a photographer and took some AMAZING shots of Ben, his 3-year-old brother Jack and the other party-goers. 

Jessy and other Idol hopefuls.

That night I spent the night at Jessy's because we were to get up at 4 a.m. and go to American Idol registration uptown.  We got in line about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday and were given our wristbands and her registration papers at 8:15 a.m.  Now many people were absolutely scandalized that I was not also planning to audition, but let me just say that when I sing, people say "You're such a good singer" - when Jessy sings, people either get chills or cry.  Not joking. So anyway, you can only bring one other person with you to register and then that same person can accompany you on audition day - and she picked me. :)

Jessy with Steven Tyler. ;)

So on Monday night, I spent the night at Jessy's again, and we were outside the Bobcats Arena in a RIDICULOUS line about 5:30 a.m. waiting to be let into the arena.  They had told us to be there at 5 a.m. - but as it turns out, we could have gotten there at 8 a.m.  They just tell you to get there early so they can get good camera footage of a tremendous crowd outside waiting to go in.  However, we had an enjoyable morning making new friends and meeting an 18-year-old kids whose name was actually Steven Tyler.  At one point, he started singing, "We Will Rock You" and everyone around joined in with clapping and for the chorus and WOW was he good!  A few minutes later, this girl came up to him and said, "I heard you singing and I think you're going to be famous some day.  Will you autograph this for me?" and handed him a paper.  It was so adorable watching his disbelief.  After hearing all this, Jessy decided that we must get Steven Tyler on TV, so when the camera crews came around, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the front of our section of the street and screamed "This kid's name is really Steven Tyler and he sings like Steven Tyler too!"  So the camera crew came over, and had Jessy introduce him, then had him sing.  I really hope they'll air it on the show!  Then, the woman asked Jessy to say "North Carolina has the best girls in the world!" and have a bunch of girls crowd around her (including me next to her) and blow a kiss to the camera and then start cheering.  So, maybe we'll be on TV too! 

Scotty McCreery turning to look toward us.

Right before they finally let us into the stadium, we looked back and saw that on the other side of the railings keeping us in line, Scotty McCreery (a former Am Idol winner) was there talking to fans.  Jessy totally freaked out and screamed at the top of her lungs "I love you Scotty," which got him to turn around so I could get a photo.  Unfortunately, I was using her camera which doesn't have a very good zoom, and the picture quality is very low. 

Side note: I don't think I mentioned why I didn't have my camera.  While at Ben's first birthday party (at Jessy's house), my camera disappeared.  We still cannot find it.  I'm trying not to think of it because, if you know me, you know that camera is like my right arm.  During our cross-country road trip, Enrique continually referred to it as "my baby." All I know is that I took some photos of Ben eating his cake, then threw it into my open purse in Jessy's room before brushing my teeth.  I didn't look for it again until that night when I was preparing my bag for Idol and realized it was gone.  We can't figure out what happened.  Either Jack (her 3 year old) picked it up and hid it, or one of her friends stole it, which I find unlikely.  But seriously? Her house isn't that big and she has searched high and low...

Inside the arena.

So anyway, once we got to our seats, we realized they were pretty good - we were 11 rows from the ground floor.  Scotty came in and led the whole stadium in singing "Be My Girl," then joked around with Ryan Seacrest for a while, then they got serious and started setting up 12 tables in the middle of the arena which were separated by thin black curtains.  They explained that two judges (i.e. - producers who may or may not know anything about singing) would sit behind each table and 4 people would go up, hand them their registration forms, and each sing 30 seconds of a song.  Afterward, the judges would tell those four people if any of them had progressed to the next level of producers, or if they were out.  Only 100 out of almost 16,000 people would progress to the next round.  From there, maybe half would then get to see "the big three" (Randy, J.Lo, and Tyler). They called people down in sections and, thank goodness, we were the first section to be called.  Guess getting up at 4 a.m. on Father's Day paid off. 

The people were funneled into a line about 7 people wide, and then ushered, about 10 people at a time, to one of the 12 tables.  So, when you get up to sing your 30 seconds of song, you have people behind you, to your left and right (singing loudly on the other side of the thin curtains), the judges in front of you, and an entire stadium of people watching you from above.  Talk about nerve-wracking! 

Scotty McCreery and Ryan Seacrest talking in the arena.

I was a nervous wreck when Jessy went up, and I saw her audition and it looked like she did such a great job (presence-wise), though obviously I couldn't hear her.  But then, I saw her get rejected and walk out toward the exit.  My heart sank. 

Meeting her outside, I found her amongst a group of other singers who had heard her try out and were absolutely scandalized that she hadn't been chosen.  And then it hit me - I have a theory on how they choose people.

If only about 100 people go through to round 2, then each of the tables is probably told they can pass up to 10 people of a certain type.  (Example: country, pop, crazies who can't sing, indie rockers, rappers, etc.)  Because think about it - there were thousands of amazing singers there, so if you a fantastic pop singer but go to the country table, they aren't worried, because the pop table will have no problem filling their quota.

They told us all to flash our cameras while they filmed us.

We were outside by about 11:30 and walked to Mertz Soul Food for some good ol' comfort food. I tried to boost Jessy's spirits by reminding her of all her many, many blessings.  She has an amazing family that loves her, she's a great writer (she also freelances for the paper and for some magazines), she has a gift for fashion and design - she really does have it all.  And I think, if she'd gotten too much further, it may have caused more heartache than joy.  She can't stand leaving her children for very long - what would she do if she made it on the show?  But in the end, I think it was a good, if not somewhat disillusioning, experience.

The tables of "judges"

As I drove back from Jessy's house that afternoon in eager anticipation of my bed, I got a call that I just missed picking up before it went to voice mail.  It was from a number I didn't recognize, so I waited until the voice mail came through and listened to it.  It was from Dr. Fauchier - the Global Studies Director at Providence Day School - asking me to come in for an interview on Thursday morning!  I was SO SO excited. I called him back right away and set it up, and when I got off the phone I screamed at the top of my lungs.  I think the last time I did that was when I got notice that I received the Phillips Travel Scholarship my senior year at UNC.  And before that it was when I got accepted to UNC. 

Jessy waiting to go to the judges tables.

After my nap yesterday afternoon, I went to Charlotte ONE and it was so good to see all my friends again. (Charlotte ONE only happens once a month over the summer, so I haven't seen many of these people since April).  I sang karaoke and just had a generally fantastic time.

So right now, I'm feeling like life is pretty good...even if my camera is missing and I still feel sleep deprived. lol