Happy Year of the Unicorn!

I've decided to dub this year the Year of the Unicorn. I had a very unicorn Christmas and feel my New Year should correspond. Plus unicorns are symbols of good fortune. I was reading an column in LEO or Velocity discussing writing. The only part I remember was "Don't just talk about writing, just carry a journal and write." I'm guilty of the former, so I'm attempting to resolve it this year.

I had to work New Year's Eve which was kind of a bummer, especially since Dustin took my lunch that day. Still, I got to hang out with one of my favorite supervisors/co-workers, and we only had to work til 6 PM. After work, Dustin and I went to Oishii for sushi; business was hopping, but it wasn't impossible to find a table.

Following dinner, we headed over to my friend Bill's house; my friends Leslie (who is dating Bill) & Rachel took over his house to throw a New Year's Eve party. So many nerds and engineers in one place, it was hilarious. I had a couple drinks--didn't get too wild because I had to open the next day. Rachel and I drunk danced together. We spent quite a bit of time conversing about our boobs, and how the workers at Victoria's Secret keep trying to convince us to buy the bra that will make use go up TWO WHOLE CUP SIZES!

We turned on Dick Clark's New Year Special. Lo and behold the Backstreet Boys were the musical guest AND New Kids On The Block. All us girls started screaming and singing "I Want It That Way." We were pretty bad. Leslie and I were on the couch together and were both like "BRIAN AHHH!" Dustin moved far away. Rachel commented on how the NKOTB's harmonies were good and BSB's were not. We all agreed A.J.'s physical appearance was really bad and definitely reflected his previous alcoholism. We spent a lot of the evening yelling at the musical celebrities on TV and about everything. I got my first kiss with Dustin on New Year's Eve! I always had to kiss someone else, like Matt Tobbe, because Dustin was always working UPS.

New Year's Day I worked; it was vastly boring. I was surprised we weren't closed considering  my workplace is non-profit, and there were no shows going on. That evening we went to Bill's again for spaghetti made by Rachel. Rachel and I drank leftover Smirnoff's. We were like, "These are so delicious! They taste just like candy!" I said to Dustin, "We should buy a ton of these and drink them everyday!" To which Rachel responded, "That's called being an alcoholic." Then we ate Lindt and Hanukkah chocolate (which we didn't know why Bill had it because his family is Catholic) and watched Hot Tub Time Machine. Dustin and I cut out a little early, went home, and promptly fell into bed.

Today was my first day off in a week! I couldn't sleep past 9:30, and Lily was being a whiney brat. I piddled around on the internet for a good couple of hours. I took an uber long shower jamming to my fave 90s Celine Dion songs. I washed all the dishes in the sink and swept the very messy kitchen floor. I had a my oil changed at Sears and walked all around the mall. I was proud of my refusal to cave in and buy stuff super on sale. Afterward, I went home for a bit, then back out to the movie theatre to see Black Swan--which was the most beautiful film, I've seen in forever! The final dance scenes makes the entire movie worthwhile!

Lastly, went to dinner at a local Vietnamese restuarant La Que on Bardstown Rd. I loved being with a large group of my friends; somehow we always end up being the people who are really loud and laughing the most. I ate a super yummy, uber spicy green curry. Leslie and Bill were introduced to Vietnamese and Thai food (the restuarant serves three kinds of Asian food: Vietnamese, Thai, & Chinese).

Good times, good times. The year has started off great! This weekend was uber fun and friend filled! So sad, we all have to go back to our separate lives. Now that I have texting, it's somehow magically easier to keep in touch and make plans. It's amazing how fast people respond to text messages! EVERYONE I texted responded, unlike when I call and leave messages.

Christmas Magic: The Nutcracker

I have found a love and deep appreciation of the one of the oldest and most iconic Christmas traditions: The Nutcracker ballet. Tonight was opening night of the Louisville Ballet's Nutcracker. It's been running for 50 years in Louisville; this is the second year of the new, localized production. It's in someways different from the traditional ballet version of the Nutcracker, but apparently closer to the original book version. The main character is Marie not Clara; she's older, not a little girl. There were changes in choreography, staging, sets, etc. I've never seen the original version, so I really don't have anything to compare it to, unless you count a very, good cartoon movie version.

I never saw the Nutcracker as a kid and as I got older, I always associated it with being aimed towards younger kids. Working at the theatre though, I was taken aback by how many grown people love the Nutcracker. It's one of those shows that appeal to everyone, even people who aren't particularly artsy folk. One of my co-workers told me she went last year for the first time; she spontaneously bought a cheap ticket. She said she had so much fun and sitting next to a little girl who was completely into the show made it more so. I decided I had to go see the show at least once in my life. This week, we got an opportunity to get staff comps.

I took my friend Matt Tobbe with me because he really enjoyed the last ballet we saw, Giselle. Matt and I are almost always late for everything. We both left work late. The weather was awful; it snowed/rained--slushed--all day, and traffic was terrible. Matt and I both take forever to get ready to go anywhere nice. We were both convinced we were going to be late. WE ARRIVED AT THE THEATRE EARLY! In spite of everything, I was on time picking Matt up, and we got to the theatre exactly one hour early. Obviously to celebrate our achievement and not the ballet's opening night, there was a fancy reception with hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Matt got to smoke extra cigarettes, and I had snack and chill time.

I loved Nutcracker for all the magic and sparkles.The show was seriously magical. There were so many amazing tricks like turning a small wooden nutcracker into a life sized moving nutcracker. I think my favorite trick was when the life sized "dolls" of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier were pulled from seemingly small boxes, perfectly poised. I thought the best part of the whole performance was the Snow Pas De Deux/Waltz of the Snowflakes! That musical number is my favorite of the entire ballet, and the scene was the most beautiful one I'd ever seen! To top it all off, at the end it snowed in the audience as well as on stage! Matt's favorite part was the Russian Caviar; the dancers did flips and awesome spins. We both loved the dance between the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier. There was a large number of children in the production. They were all students at the Louisville Ballet School. I was impressed by how good all of them were! Uber cuteness was not the only factor in their being cast. The kids made the show twenty times more fun. Again, Matt and I thought the show was simply amazing and wonderful!

Something weird and funny also happened. I took of my high heel shoes when I sat down because I usually pull my feet up into my seat. At intermission, Matt went out to smoke, and I wanted to get a drink of water. I reached down and grabbed one shoe, but couldn't find the other. I thought maybe it had fallen down in the row in front; not there. I looked to see if it had been kicked over a few seats in my row, I checked my tote bag, and the row behind me. I was baffled as to what could have happened to my one shoe. Could someone have found it and taken it to lost and found? Why just one shoe?

When the lady and guy sitting next to me returned to their seats, I asked her if she had found or kicked a shoe. She said, "Yeah, I found a shoe and put it in my bag." What normal person, finds a single shoe, and puts it in their bag?! I am pretty sure she was a combination of toasted and weird based on her following comments. "I found the shoe and put it in my bag. I thought it might be one of my shoes. (really, just one shoe randomly laying around on the floor?) I have really small feet (note: she was quite big--not obese, but big; she did say it with a joking tone)." She proceeds to pin this giant sparkly flower on her shirt, then show me & the guy in-between us (who she came with) the new nutcracker she had purchased. "This is the new nutcracker. It's different from last year's; it's sparkly." The guy asked her if she collected all of them; she answered, "So what if I do?" Then she turns to me and says, "This is my brother NOT my lover. Just so you know." Needless to say, conversation was very awkward, in spite of the humor. 

Matt thought the lady was nice. He said we should go see Nutcracker again drunk and act like that lady and steal people's shoes and put them in my bag. I really hope I win the Nutcracker ticket sales contest so I can get a $50 Bristol Bar & Grill gift certificate and four tickets to see Nutcracker; I'd settle for second place and getting two free tickets. I know I'll definitely be making plans and saving to see the show next December! Oh and also, as I was driving Matt home we saw FIREWORKS! It's because we were early for the first time in forever! Matt and I realized tonight we never got to eat strawberries and see fireworks in the same day before because we were always late. Well tonight changed all that! Tomorrow we'll be back to our normal, tardy selves. 

Weddin' Timez - SO EXCITED!

NaNoWriMo is going...slowly...but it's going. However, it's being put on hold this weekend because my friend, hetero-life-mate, and former college room mate Rachel is getting married on Saturday! So excited! I'm a bridesmaid (first time). We're headin' out bright and early to get to Owensboro by 10:30 to help decorate the reception site. Rachel and her mom already finished decorating the church. I'm very glad that Owensboro is an hour behind us because otherwise we'd not be getting there on time.

Gotta get my tires aligned before we leave tomorrow, wait for my friend Matt Tobbe to be prissy and fuss for 30 minutes with his hair (and then the whole 2 1/2 hour car ride), get gas, stop for food somewhere, and get lost because the road signs have been knocked down and not replaced. Maybe somewhere along the way we'll see another beaver-cat; Cassie insists it was a prairie dog, but I know better. Hopefully, Rachel took our advice to make driving easier; we insisted Rachel mark every turn with a hay bale, decked in blinking lights, with a regular sized Easter egg. Very efficient idea no?

I am making Dustin drive on all the windy back roads. Funny enough, it's faster to drive through Indiana to Owensboro than through KY on Western KY Pkwy. I'm going to try not to worry about Lily over the weekend. We're leaving her plenty of food and water; our friend Brett, who lives across the road, is going to check up on her. This weekend is all about Rachel and having a good time! First time in forever all our college friends will be together in one place to have a huge party! Again, cannot stress how EXCITED I AM! WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A FABULOUS TIME!

Here's Rachel in the middle with the bridal crew (missing two: Leslie and Kristi); It goes me, Mary (Rachel's sister), Rachel, Cassie, and Matt. :)

A Country Weekend

Weekend before last I left behind my comfy city life and internets for the country in Owensboro, KY. My friend Rachel was having a wedding shower. I carpooled with my friends Cassie and Matt. Matt and I were ashamedly late arriving to Cassie's apartment; thankfully, she was not too upset with us and did not give her teacher lecture. Despite the fact I was responsible for being late, I placed the blame on Matt saying he had to change four times before we left his apartment (note: he came up with the excuse and gave me permission to use it). Cassie drove to Owensboro as she was an expert at navigating back roads and had a car that would actually make the trip. The scenery was really pretty; we saw lots of farms with HORSES (yes, I'm still a 10 year old girl who gets excited at the sight of horses).

We only got lost a little bit due to missing/poorly placed signs and some street address confusion. We arrived at Rachel's and chilled for a little bit, playing with her kitties and puppy. Then we went out to the Bridesmaids luncheon at a new, slightly fancy international restuarant. I ordered a Mahi Mahi stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese served with pesto fries. The food was good, albeit the portion was rather small. Not having eaten all day, I was still starving. Cassie felt the same; we went to the Dollar General right after lunch to get cards and wrapping paper, but also bought a big bag of pretzels to share. We went back to the house where Rachel gave us our bridal party gifts; she gave me a spangly, bohemian necklace & earring set.

We hung out a little more at the house until it was time to go out to her Grandpa's (on her dad's side) house way out somewhere in the country further than we were before. The house was beautiful with the most fabulous screened porch and gazebo ever! There were also horses and barn kitties present. We ate a great dinner of ham, other stuff, and the best baked beans in Owensboro (that Rachel's dad made it a point to pick up personally). Rachel opened presents, and everyone just sat around drinking and talking the rest of the night.

We got to the swanky hotel Rachel's parents put us up in late that evening. Matt and I went in ahead of Cassie (she was doing something important, can't remember what). Matt mentioned how nice he felt in his business attire and it looked like he just came from an important business conference. I said to him, "Matt you know it looks like we're having an affair now right. We're both in business attire and walking into a hotel together. Men only go to business conferences to have affairs, you know." We had a good laugh over it. The next morning we got up early to eat breakfast and go to church. Cassie left super early for choir practice. That left Matt and me to get ready around the same time. I told Matt when we were both getting ready in front of the bathroom mirror, this was married couple behavior, and I fully expected him to leave his imaginary wife for me. As we were leaving the room, Matt said, "Damn, it does look like we had an affair. We're both leaving the room and getting in the elevator without looking at each other."

Rachel's church is a Methodist church. All of us joked about Matt and I being Catholic and not having been to Protestant church but once. We needed a little instruction as to what the proper behavior was. Rachel warned us her preacher was really wacky, and told us not to judge all Methodists/Protestants by him. The preacher made obvious jibes at Catholicism talking about the Sacrament; he compared Catholics to pagan heathens. He then went on random tangents about spiritual and physical gifts/talents and something about football; I got kinda lost in the Southern church metaphors. We all chuckled in church but refrained from inappropriate behavior since Rachel was getting married in the church and with many of the same people present (who were all very nice, I might add). I think the most notable moment of the service was when Cassie and Rachel sang a duet together; it was such a pretty number.

Following church we got lunch from Ritzy's; it's a local Steak-n-Shake type place that Cassie kept raving about for its cherry amaretto shakes. We took the food and at Rachel's aunt's farm. This was the first time I'd been to a real farm. We went to the pond and saw giant Coi and Catfish. There were chickens and Guinea fowl wandering all about the place. There was a really nice dog and barn kitties galore (all of whom where either black, black & white, or gray)! The barn kitties were really sociable unlike the ones we saw the previous night. We saw a momma goat and her two babies. We got to hold baby chicks (one had just hatched that morning)! The best part was when we got to pet the horses! There were five total, and one was a six-month-old colt! I probably acted like I was an elementary school kid the way I was squeeing and getting all excited about the animals.

We eventually had to leave to get back to the church for the second wedding shower. The basement was decorated to fit Rachel's western theme. We played some fun shower games, snacked, and watched Rachel open presents--best of which was the infamous "Ugly Bowl" which had been in her family for a long time. Rachel vowed to turn it into something beautiful. I said, "Rachel you can bedazzle it!" She said, "I'll bedazzle it and give it to you at your wedding. It's time the Ugly Bowl found a new home." After the presents were all opened, Cassie, Matt, and I booked it back to Louisville where I gushed to Dustin all night about going to the farm and petting the animals.

Brief Life Update

Blog, blog, blog, I always feel I don't ever have anything exciting to write about. I don't feel like I should be forced to write when I don't feel it. However, I have had quite a few things worth a quick blog about, so I'm gonna shove 'em all together.

My good friend and former college roomie Rachel Roberts is getting married this November! Since I'm a bridesmaid, my social calendar suddenly has a whole bunch of fun things filling it up. I've been getting a lot of fancy, social important mail, save the date, wedding invitation, shower invitation, and bachelorette party invitation. It makes me excited to check the mailbox and a little grown-up.

Dustin and I have new friends, and they're a couple to boot! Their names are Julie and Timothy. They're nerds but primarily gamers. We hung out together on Saturday playing Smash brothers (I fail at this game), Disney Sing-A-Long (Dustin and I sang A Whole New World together--very romantic and cute), and Cranium (which Dustin and I totally dominated with our college learningz). We'll likely be hanging out again in the future sometime though not sure when. I'll just wait for a facebook messaging.

There needs to be a "Parking Downtown Lousiville for Dummies" guidebook for me because I not only fail at driving downtown, I fail at parking too. Apparently, all this time I thought I was parking in the KY Center garage, I was parking in the River Front Garage. The latter is more expensive and not free on weekends or after 8 PM. However, it does lead directly up to the KY Center which is really confusing. On Sunday, when I finally found and parked in the correct garage (right next door, though kind of hidden); I forget which side I parked on only remembering I parked next to an elevator. I took the elevator in the front of the building down only to not find my car; so I went up and down for like 20 minutes (I'm sure my co-workers thought I was crazy and the dumbest girl imaginable if they saw me). Finally, I just walked out the front of the center, down the sidewalk to the front of the garage, took the stairs down, and then magically ended up at my car. I didn't understand how I could take an elevator up from the garage to the center, but not back down to the same place. Then Dustin reminded me, there are two sets of elevators in the building. DUH! Again, seriously, someone needs to create a downtown Louisville parking guide, but it's freakin' confusing and nuts down there! I think I could write an epic novel on my parking/driving exploits downtown.