sugar high

What would Christmas be with out decoarating sugar cookies?!?! Ok so maybe it would still be fantastic, but I couldnt help myself and praise jesus i found a whole crew of people to participate in the festive activity! However I did miss delivering the cookies to each of you which is pretty much the best part! But nonetheless the party was success and I think this event shall become an annual one.

But guess what everyone..... I'm coming home in 10 days!!!!!!!!!!

and I am so excited I dont know what to do with myself. So don't be surprised if i tackle you when I see you.

Also, life is freakin fantastic because Hanna is coming to visit for a whole week. I get to fulfill the dream of going to Disney World!! Chris got us tickets! Magic Kingdom here I come!! And Rachel's addiction to Wendy's cokes got her a super cheap plane ticket to come visit too!!!

Oh the joy

The joy of:

finding the perfect tree and decorating it
singing Christmas songs
the birth of our Lord
the warmth of family and friends
drinking eggnog
drinking wassil
making christmas cookies
admiring beautiful christmas lights
laughing at tacky lights
soaking up magical moments
listening to carolers
wishing you were a caroler
baking too many desserts
eating to many desserts
wrapping presents
giving gifts...getting gifts
shopping..the chaos, the fun, the stress
funny christmas sweaters
watching the santa radar
'the christmas story' marathon
comparing terrible gifts

And I love it all! I just love christmas. May the season go by slowly this year!

Check out the tree in FULL detail on my photo site.
And if anyone has a copy of my "best christmas mix ever" cd I would be forever grateful to be mailed a copy. I miss that thing!

Happy Holidays to All!

Needless to say I successfully survived my first holiday away from home. Turkey Day in Cali is shocking similar to Turkey Day on the east coast. As the name shouts I did eat turkey, however not in a deep fryer, but nonetheless yummy turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top(a personal fav), green beans, stuffing, however none of martha's cornbread dressing (which i did miss, I imagine cornbread isn't exactly a california staple bread), pumpkin pie, etc. Although people dont seem to really get into casseroles out here.. its a shame.

There was no kiddie table. Actually I sat next to a sweet girl who could have quite possibly been the exact replica of Rachel in her middle school days. It was very strange. a tall and thin quite but sweet ninth grader mildly in a hippie stage with short and curly brown hair that she probably learn how to style in about 4 years. I had a good spot at the table and right across from the grandpa who by the end of the night was serenading the table alone on the piano...basically perfect.

And the praise the Lord for an excuse to bake. So far 2 loafs of pumpkin bread. one was close to perfect. the second was well lets just say.. it could pass as one really large pumpkin flavored crouton. one cranberry cake, shrimp dip, and crab cakes (both Chris's and my first attempt and I must brag the crab cakes were the hit of the party)

And now life only gets better...why b/c now there is no reason to suppress my abundant Christmas spirit that I keep bottled up inside all year long. Now no one can say its to early to listen to Christmas music or plan a Christmas cookie baking party which is on the 10th if anyone wants to pencil it in. So I want to go ahead and say HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!

OH yeah I forgot to mention one of my snow globes key features ...it plays Christmas carols on a motion sensor. cool i know!

opinions..please

ok so i spend a good bit of my time in rinky dink little towns all over northern california right?!?! so naturally i encounter some...well some strange things, some interesting things, some cute quaint little towns, and some towns that should be remaned the twilight zone, some nice people, some not so nice people, wierd people, creative people, people with teeth, people without teeth, you get the point. the options are endless.

each day something new cracks me up. today it was this location:

Then again i guess who's to say this particular fine dining restaurant could not have fantastic raw fish, grade A beef and a cheesestake that Philly would approve of... who am i to judge....but the name is Koala's...thats just wierd.

One more I'm sorry....but this is amazing. He balances rocks...who does that?!?!

This town is Saulsalito.. It's adorable. You can barely tell, but thats the San Fran skyline in the background. it has great shopping and the cutest little restaurants and ferry rides!!! when everyone comes to visit we will definitely make a trip. and i mean hello people there balance rocks on top of other.

Food for thought

a for-warning.

this post is simply a multitude of my random thoughts that i needed to share with someone. One of these topics alone is not worthy of a phone call or even the entire list all together. and considering the fact that Chris is still in Iowa he is not an option either.

therefore i post!

• My very first tree has its very first bloom. I am on my way to becoming a domestic goddess. However it is sorta hard to brag when the leaf accompanying the flower has a huge brown dead looking spot taking over.

• My dvd collection double doubled today. I now own the big whapping total of 4 dvd's : Just Married, The edge of Reason: Bridget Jones (Unfortunately, , I thought I purchased Bridget Jones Diary...very depressing), Notting Hill, and A River Runs Through It...hmmm somewhat of an embarrassing list. When i am sick of my clothes, I now turn to the mall instead of someone elses closet...this cannot become the norm...anyone want to do a clothes swap through the mail?!??!

• I have discovered the TCBY of the west coast..The Golden Spoon. I would venture to say the pumpkin pie with graham cracker crumbs may tie with the white chocolate mousse and oreo combo.

• I think my feet smell equivalent of ryan's these days...what have i done to deserve that type of punishment?!?!?!

• I do not understand how hair is still attached to my head..why?? because i have seen the mass quantities that I have pulled out of my drain, sweeped off the floor and today separated from the spinning thing in my vacuum cleaner...it's gross i know.

• I saw a 70 yr-old-man man nonchalantly walking through the Napa wal mart wearing with a large blue fuzzy Viking hat. He and his wife seemed to simply be doing thier weekly shopping. I think i starred at them...oops.

• Also my job, i was left alone in the receiving room with a huge box and a set of directions. Let's just say you should have a new level of respect when walking past a checkstand at any local store because someone like me may have put it together. i recall laughing out loud as i attempted assemble the parts. also i do not advise slamming your cart or self into them b/c the sterdiness is debateable.

Phew...it feels so good to get those thoughts out of my head and into some else's.

Thanks everyone!

yay or nay

this is my current fascination!

you must admit...a giant blown-up globe of a huge smiley snowman waving hello is a permanent snow storm is FASCINATING. But not only am i fascinated by the size of this snow globe but by the variety of people who purchase this $199 piece of Christmas decor. There is a huge part my Christmas lovin spirit that would like to sacrifice to money to simply to see if there was a way to fit inside this enormous snow globe to live in a permanent snow ball. And considering the fact that I do not own a kitchen table, the dining room would be the perfect location to begin spreading a little Christmas cheer.

And if you are thinking...that thing is TACKY.. well some may think so but i do recall a large number of these huge snow globes parked on lawns in rather refined neighborhoods last Christmas. And as I began chatting with the Wal-Mart store manager apparently there was such a high demand for them this year that 14 people were on a waiting list to receive them before the season arrived. So as of now I do not know if they belong in a trailer park or beside a driveway with a parked BMW .

Some what of a mystery that I find fascinating.

But this is one thing I do know. Somehow someone was aware of my obsession with snow globe and now a miniature version of this fascinating art work wound up as the current decor on my newly assembled dresser. Did I mention Chris was cool?!?!

Shameless plug

So don't you hate it when you wake up in the morning and you look into the mirror and you freak out because you realize "oh my gosh I have become someone I swore I never would!" For me it began the day I purchased my first pair of Capri pants, then the day I dressed in themed colors for the holidays, and then the first day I drank a beer in public...what was my life coming to?!?!?! And now I am a blog slacker. I hate the slackers and now look at me....a slacker.

So this post is simply a ploy to convince my readers to come visit me in California. "Use me for my location"...that can be my byline..I'm totally cool with it. There are multiple obvious reasons to come from whatever state you may be in, but there are a couple of additional other reasons that you may be overlooking. In which case I feel the need to inform and basically make you want to spend every spare minute searching Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, Cheaptickets, etc. to puchase a ticket to come visit me!

Top 10 reasons to visit Dianne in California

#1 People watching at the airport is immediately entertaining.

#2 It's time to bust out N'SYNC's Chrirstmas CD. So we would jam to "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays" in the mini van.....kinda like Nelly in the Cruiser.

#3 It is still "tank tops 4 life" weather so no sweaters or warming you extremities by the heater.

#4 Two words: Trader Joe's...bascially the coolest grocery store/market ever....it puts the Harris Teeter to shame.

#5 The self-esteem booster. Apparantly, our southern accent is just simply adorable. I don't get it but whatever.

#6 Best thrift store shopping on the planet.

#7 The Jelly Belly Factory is less than 30 miles away. We can eat the reject Jelly Floops till our tummies hurt!

#8 Find out if Chris really does exist...I swear I do have friends, but you gotta come out here to make sure they really aren't imaginary.

#9 Meet a real hippie, we thought Billie was close but no way.

#10 You get to secretly snicker inside everytime some says "no worries" or "right on" in everyday conversation.

introduction

Ok Ok. So this post is well way over-due, but I had to wait and make sure it was safe before I advertised this piece of information to the entire blogosphere. Yes this is silly, but considering the fact that my blog is the closest thing I have for representing my life, there are certain things my friends on the east coast must be aware of. And I believe the person I spend 90% of my time with outside of gas station owners and Wal-Mart managers is definitely a blog worthy topic!

So meet Chris Denny.

You may recognize him from my birthday post who was then introduced at the coolest guy ever (which still proves to be true!). But you know it was in that inbetween phase where you're not exactly sure how to define the relationship. But I can now confidently introduce everyone to Chris as my boyfriend. So naturally I want everyone to meet him!

Somehow we both ended up in California together. In a nutshell, he came from Florida and now works at the church I found on the internet doing a combination of graphic design and youth ministry. We have basically hung out ever day since we really met. Adventures vary from taking shots of wheat grass juice (2 1/2 lbs. of fresh green vegetables) to jammin to 80's cover bands to taking directionless trips to the coast.

In the future we hope that Chris will update his blog (he is a link on mine) so we can tap into his life!

I just got a brilliant idea. An explanation for the picture first . This is Chris trying to perfect the frown face. He has potential but a long ways to go! So let's have a competition throughout our blogging circle for the best frown. I am very proud of the arch in my frown. I will frequently be checking everyone’s blog for their frown face. So post one, if you don't then I'll just assume that I get to take home the cake!!!

definition of cool

First the flip-phone

Now an IPOD!

Next a plasma TV for real. (sorry JD that was a joke)

But we're talking baby steps here!

So the point of this post! I, like the rest of the Apple lovin world, own an IPOD! And i must say I really dig the cingular commercial of the girl listening to i-tunes on her phone. You know, shes gracefully waking down the street, but on the inside she is JAMMIN to her tunes! I think it's a fantastic commercial.

Anyways, happy birthday to dianne. This is my present thanks to a combination of people. I am super excited, although I still haven't actually gotten any songs on it just yet. My first attempt to use it, it FROZE! Typical, I know! But I'm just hoping to compete with Hanna for the title of the "technical genius."

Now here's the fun part! I got engrave something on the back. Naturally had I known about this in advance to ordering, I would have put deep thought into this engravement. But in the heat of the moment, I had to just choose a quote, a lyric, a verse, just something to sum up my i-tune identity.

What did I choose? Who can guess simply from this picture and by knowing my random thoughts??? You'll get a prize if you get it right!

a common phrase

There's no place like home... I guess Dorothy actually knew what she was talking about. And I never even really cared for the movie to be honest.

But guess what... and probably to no one's surprise I miss home. And which spot do I exactly pinpoint as home, I'm not exactly positive.

Montgomery was home for the longest but it seems like forever ago that I actually lived there. But on Sunday morning when I was sitting on my porch a hummingbird flew into my balcony and I think stared at me for at least 4 seconds. That's when it felt just like yesterday that I was sitting on my porch in Montgomery and my dad was recounting every time a hummingbird landed on one of our feeders. I got sentimental over a hummingbird!

Then at church we were singing "my glorious" and it took me back to my days in Auburn at Encounter. As I closed my eyes I could see the room slam-pack filled with people praising the LORD. It was a great vision that I miss being part of!

When I miss everyone so much, naturally I turn to the cell phone to hear a voice, voices that bring comfort. And they did just that. The beauty of the entire day was knowing that everyone I spoke to that felt just like me. We all miss each other, but we are all where God has us right now.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am supposed to be at this exact spot in California. And I rejoice in the fact that the Lord has made that so evident to me. But I wanted to let everyone know that I miss you and you are irreplaceable. I am very happy here, but I do miss you.

I know I normally share the random and bizarre Cali moments in my blog. But today I wanted to give a different insight.

Turning 23

My goal was simply to have low expectations for my birthday this year. Yes. This is the very first year, I haven't been physically with my family and friends. And knowing the big extravaganza we have always placed on each others birthdays, I didn't know exactly how this one was going to go over.

But someway somehow, yall made me feel just as special as you have on every other birthday. My face was filled with big smiles each time someone sang a beautiful birthday melody on my answering machine. The variations of the song NEVER get old. And to hear a little beep from my cell phone every time someone sent me a Happy Birthday text message was very exciting. And I even cherish the public humiliation of HORRIBLE pictures of me posted on your blogs, because behind every bad picture is a FANTASTIC memory. So you're off the hook this time, but if other pics start showing up I will be forced to retaliate...remember that.

So what did I do on my birthday besides listen to messages and read blogs. Well, praise the Lord for Chris Denny. This year I celebrated my birthday with the coolest guy ever in Napa Valley. It began with wine tasting at Domain Chandon then followed by the fanciest dinner ever. A place called the Martini House that had outside seating and Christmas lights (my fav)! Our meal was 5 different plates of the chef's specialties. I ate goose liver on my birthday! And liked it! Everyone should try it! It has a cooler and fancier name but I can't remember it. The whole dining experince was incredible.

Needless to say, thanks to all my family and friends, old and new, I had a fantastic 23rd birthday! I am so blessed to have each of you in my life and I miss you like crazy!

THANKS EVERYONE AND MUCH LOVE!!!

Oh yeah! I still think these are our prime years. 23 is still super young!

Things they don't teach you in college

The saying goes, " You learn something new everyday..well as for me I think I learn at least 10 new things everyday.

Therefore I shall share my new insights into the world with my fellow friends.

#1 Wal-Marts are not very cool out West and super Wal-Marts are basically nonexistent...they have no idea what they are missing.

#2 There is a print screen button on they keyboard that is very handy. (shift + F11)

#3 I am not a big fan of the spice dill.

#4 There are many other ethnic restaurants outside of mexican and chinese. I see more Indian, Thai, Mediterranean, Japanese, Greek, Mexican, and Chinese food than a simple American Grill.

#5 DINKS: acronym for Double Income No Kids. Permanent couples that have no intentions of getting married just live together to split housing costs and bills and don't ever want kids...strange.

#6 Inspirational quote for october:

7 Everything reminds me of something or someone from back home, whether it's a song, a really cool vintage clothing store, loading the dishwasher, or a great chicken salad recipe.

#8 People take EVERYTHING literally written in "Dianne's Details." I forget my humor may not accurately be expressed through my posts. In which case, no way is that really my tv. The picture of Jack Nicholson is a look a like. And the crowd surfing didn't exactly happen. My apologies, in the future I will italicize my exaggerations.

#9 In essence, getting lost can actually be a good thing. Sometimes I find a beautiful drive, a sheep farm or have one more opportunity to study my map and hope to blessed with a sense of direction!

#10 Giving Bubble Tape and Hubba Bubba to 8-yr old snaggled tooth, ratty hair girls in a station wagon at a podunk gas station is the peak of my job. They must have screamed "THANK YOU FOR THE GUM!!!" out the window 25 times. It was adorable.

major updates

Busyness is no excuse for neglecting the blog. Numerous significant events have taken place that haven't been documented. I feel terrible. So I must recap.

#1 Hollywood was amazing!! I meet my territory guys. They are hysterical. Out of 700 people, my guys are the life of the party. The only people to close down the band, so of course I had to join them! Wrigleys surely knows how to wine and dine to say the least. On the big night I got to ride in an excursion limo and be escorted down the red carpet (where they have the emmy's) to an Awards banquet. People off the streets were crowding around with cameras taking pics of us. We laughed really hard b/c they were gonna be really let down when no one picture worthy ever exited a limo- but great entertainment for me!! I took pics of them!! I also went to this LA club. Everyone dressed in black, covered in tattos, spikey scary hair, and screaming and jumping. Our guys in polos and kackis and no screaming and jumping. although I did crowd surf...

#2 I have definitly found a church. God is so good! The chain of events was amazing. Long story shortened. Becuase I was super late to a service, I meet the father of the paster (who knew John Ed and spoke at Frazier). He gave the 411 on the church, that has been transformed from traditional to contemporary based off a church in ATL called Northpoint...hmmmm! And then he started talking about Andy Stanly and how important small groups are?!?! I was like...this is it! And they need people who are willing to serve as leaders for jr & sr high, and college. SO then I meet the jr high minister (my first friend!!!!) and have been introduced to A LOT of people in the church. They are super nice and have been very welcoming. So I am starting to find my niche!

#3 I expereinced a day in the life of a Wrigleys rep. by myself today! It was good, but it takes me FOREVER to make a call right now, the goal is 10 calls a day.....I only made 4. I think I need start sprinting through the parking lot. But I sold 2 contracts which is more important, so its all good. And one of the Middle Eastern owners gave me roses in a styrofom coffee cup! How sweet is that?!?!

#4 I went to "the city" (the only way to refer to San Francsico around here) with justin (my first friend). It is so fun and I drove the mini-van up the hills...sweet! And I almost ran a red light b/c freaked out as I drove past the most memorble/freightening lodging of MY LIFE!

Sorry to say so much. But now my blogging conscious will be set free. And for those that continuted to read the whole thing...if you want samples of the newest items that wont be in stores til Jan...give me your addy.

in love

WITH COMCAST!!

Yes I am in love with a cable company. And you are probably wondering why..because it has some amazing features. Who knew?!?!

And here is the crazy part. The only reason I even figured this out is because I actually decided to read the pamphlets they gave me when I signed up. Normally, I don't even bother and just stuff them in a drawer. But something possessed me to read them.

And it's SO COOL what I discovered. This really cool photoshow thing. It makes the coolest slide shows and now I can upload them for yall and myself!!! And the cable guy was so nice that he gave me a free webcam!! I don't know what to do with it just yet, but if anyone else has one I think we can talk to each other through it!! So let me know!

So if you have the opportunity now or anytime in your life: Choose COMCAST to provide your internet and cable.

Check out my site: Dianne's Photo Show
I still have to tweak it a lot!

discoveries

well, I've been here a total of one week and it still barely feels real. I still find myself driving down the street, saying out loud to myself "I live in California?!?!" as if don't know. It is the weirdest thing being/living in a town that you really don't know where you want to go, eat, hang out, shop, drink your coffee or even steal free wi-fi.

I think I've decided these days are going to be a lot about trail and error. I am going to find a lot of strange things where I stay to myself I'm never doing that again and then other days I'll walk away thinking that was the coolest thing EVER!!

So with a little inspiration from Bridget Jones, I have decided to keep a list of each of the things I discover. Yesterday began the chain events. I decided to go to a park near by to read the Bohemian in which I circled every restaurant, concert, film, art gallery, etc. that interest me. As I was sitting there I observed 3 very interesting things. #1 The bravest child in the world. This little girl was tossing bread to about 25 squawking geese and ducks that were inches from her body. Those geese are scary and she just nonchalantly kept feeding them. #2 Then I saw this goose next to me that had a nub for a leg. It was bizarre. It kept digging its beak into the dirt, I don't know if that was helping it walk or if it attempting to eat dirt, b/c no one would throw him bread. Kinda sad...kinda funny.#3 Biscuet's clone. I wonder if his name was Biscuet too. I didn't ask.

Discoveries
parks:1
coffee shops:3
festivals: 0
random concerts:1
neighbors met:2
wrong turns: 53
tolls paid: 3 + a $25 ticket for running out of change (result of wrong turn)
successful parallel parking job:1
humiliating parking job: 27
books read: almost 1 (Bridget Jones Diary)
one legged goose: 1
a Biscuet clone:1
gum: about a pack day
Wrigley obsession: LifeSaver Sour Gummies

Moving in

I would like to start this post off with the inspirational quote of the month. For those of you who eagerly looked forward to my quotes in the past, I have decided to continue sharing them through my blog (I found my calendar in a box today!!)

"Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other. Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that." -unknown

As for me, I felt that to be very appropriate. I keep going from one new thing to the next. It was a strange feeling when I flew into San Francisco and landed knowing that the next place I walked into was going to be my home. My apartment is slowly transforming into a cozy place. I have unpacked most of my life. Lance and Wall did take good care of me.

I want to leave you with a couple of pics. Each represent something very important I have learned from the past couple of days.


Never will I commute to San Francisco, unless it's by motorcycle.


Mom: The Golden Gate Bridge is still there.


Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to park a mini-van. Can't wait til the parallel!

Moving sales = great finds! Not real sure what kind of plant it is, but it is supossed to bloom real soon!

last week

Had I grown up california I think I could have been athletic. All you have to do is either roller blade, bike or skateboard and your in!

This is Marie, my trainer, and I dining at Trattoria Mollie's..Oprah's favorite lunch spot. We both order her recommended dish: Polpette alla Mollie a.ka. turkey meatballs (they had raisins in them..who would have every thought, but delicious! Then we attempted to hunt her down, but assume she had another lunch date elsewhere that day.

State Street in Santa Rosa. I just love the palm trees!

Malibu sunsets. Every night is picturesque!

Needless to say, I enjoyed photographing everything in sight. I think I will always be a tourist at heart! Hanging out the window with my camera...pretty soon I'll just attach it around my neck! I did something really brave this week. I went to dinner by myself..scray at first, but it was actually really fun! I went to the Sushi Marina and sat at the bar. I just hung out with everyone there and had soke for the first time.

I sell gum!

Well I'm actually here after a super long day of traveling. But the long day what heightened as I walked out the rental car place with the keys to a white seabring convertible. This guy looked at me and said its the only midsized car left....I wanted to leap over the counter and hug his neck. I mean...after this week, I'm gonna be a soccer mom for life sportin' the mini-van. So, of course, I took advantage of my wheels and cruised hwy1 for about 3 hrs yesterday.

As for the job, I am in my own organizational HEAVEN! I get to organize gum all day long. Each flavor and brand has a specific place and someone has to make sure it's not messy! Also there is a great color coded pattern for the gum. It seems like all those years making color coordinated note cards and organizing the frig really paid off!

I still have a ton to learn and there really is so much more to it than organizing. A lot is building relationships with store managers and getting more products on the shelves. And I get to be out in the field all day...good bye to cubicles!

The only bad thing is...my right ear feels like it is full of water from the airplane. It's kinda driving me crazy!

The Red Hat Society

I'm almost speechless. My dad didn't bat an eye as we watched my mother and all her girlfriends get into the limo dressed in full red hat society attire. I think if I was in middle school right now, I would be mortified. Instead, I think no matter how old you are a themed party in costume is always better!

Still Scared to Sit

How do you know that seat cover doesn't rotate in a circle?

Chicago Update

So a quick update.

Nice flight to Chicago. Meet cool people on the flight. Both who which gave me their name and #. What?!?! But one has potential for becoming the next steven speilberg. in which case I have is autograph...sweet.

Also I saw a crazy airport bathroom toliet. I took a pic but will post it later. It was laced with a permanent toliet cover that rotated when flushing...wierd. Also was told I was getting picked up in a limo(really pumped)..instead I arrived in real cool lincoln town car(a lil depressed) with techi men talking techi lingo that I thought worked for wrigleys...not so much. i sat there really confused until it was obvious we were not w/ the same company (after which I introduced myself and began small talk).

But meet other Wrigley's people and they are cool. Today was like school. Learned from 8-5 about comp software. Lot to learn to say the least. But got a cool laptop. no complaints. So far I think this is going to be awesome!

p.s. I work in the confectionery industry...not the gum industry..who knew?!?!

Peace

Well I hate good-byes, but I'm all about some closure. And my last month was full of closure activities. Today was the last day having the South as my homeland. Weird and sad, but true.

I had some quality bonding time with Cecil yesterday. Usually, he's begging my guy friends to fish with him...well yesterday his daughter went. "Caught about 40!!" And I am quite proud because I did catch some rather beautiful bass (at least 2 lbers!). But I think for every fish I caught I caught at least 3 trees. But Cecil was very patient and yanked it out for me! He almost caught a monster, but it got away...we are still talking about it. It was sad.

I kicked the day of with a tasty ham & cheese omelet at Waffle House with my favorite Nashville stars. Although our coffee looked like tea and we parted with tears, I made it through the day. A little shopping with Martha always easies the mind. And a surprise visit from Karen was a joy! It ended with a traditional steak dinner on the porch (great outside seating) with the rents.

Sorry, not a very eventful post and with no pic, but a short peace out for now. I'll keep everyone updated on my blog while in Chicago (like anyone really doubts that I might not update my blog). But I'll get to be one of the professional people who look like they are taking care of important business on their laptop...but really just be posting pictures of myself on my blog with one to many details to follow...but I love it!

Find your own spot

Who is this guy walking in MY spot?!?! You heard me I've been roping off that spot for 4 years and now some random guy just thinks he can set up his food, his tv, and his chairs on my turf..I don’t think so!

Ok so maybe it's no longer my spot....He just better do it right is all I have to say!

Yep I went to Auburn..again! I'm starting to feel like the kid that just won't go away! It was great to see faces one last time and walk in the sea of obnoxious orange and mooch off other peoples tailgate (for the first time). But Auburn feels different now! It's not my turf anymore, maybe it never really was...but I sure acted like it!

Two days until I fly out to Chicago and I'm ready. It's definitely time to move on. Don't worry a huge chunk of my heart will always be devoted to Auburn and Auburn football. I have already found an Auburn Fan Club in California that I will be the president of here shortly!

Box up your life!

Going back to Nashville.....

Today I put my entire life, which consists of 17 boxes and a couple extra items, on a moving van with Lance and Wall to be shipped to California! I consider myself pretty tight with the movers! They rocked and apparently 29 items TOTAL is somewhat of a small move..who knew?!?! And lets just say I better fall in love with California, but it's too dang expensive to move back....

I also had the privilege of spending the day as Hanna's sidekick. It was quite fantastic. Since I don’t exactly have any type of routine these days, I just hang out with lucky people and adapt to their schedule! We managed to wash the day away with Dawson's Creek (Jack came out today) and what I would consider to be pretty professional photo shoot on Music Row. Photo shoots are now my new favorite pastime. Basically, if I photographed you there is a good chance you could show up on the cover of an album one day! As of now, Ryan has major potential. He has rockstar written all over him!

Soon I will say goodbye to Nashville. Another place that was home for a while. I thought it to be a little more permanent, but life’s about changing and nothing ever stays the same.

Reunite!!!

The next time I arrive in California it will no longer simply be to tour wine country, surf the Pacific or pray for a celebrity encounter...I will actually be gaining residency, driving with a California license and adjusting to a new world. But for now I am back in my familiar town with my familiar streets and FAVORITE people.

As cheeseball as it sounds, there is something special about walking into a place where everybody knows your name. No wonder Cheers was a hit...it's an ideal situation. Basically, I'll use any excuse possible to stop through Auburn. This past Thursday, Encounter was my pit stop on the way to Hotlanta for Rachies birthday (double dues that is!). Just like the TV Show, I was greeted with big hugs and smiling faces. It was FANTASTIC!!

But the best was yet to come! Praise the Lord, Rachel turned 22 this weekend. Therefore, without question, a road trip to Atlanta was necessary....Time for a reunion!!! You would think the 5 of us haven’t seen each other in months, yet it's really only been 2 weeks. But we savor any opportunity to reunite knowing the next encounters may be few and far between.

Bottom line...my favorite people are the ones when it doesn’t matter what you do because the simple fact of being together is enough. Cheeseball again I know, but hey it’s true! No elaborate birthday celebration just good friends, good food, and good fun!! With a couple bonuses of a Laguna Beach marathon, food court chicken samples, Debbie's famous Kahlua, Oreo, fudge cake! YUM, and a picture perfect view of the Atlanta skyline from Rachel's front porch!!

Future Bloomingdale models!!

My first wine tasting

My first day of wine tasting was all I hoped for and more! As my mom and I drove along highway 101 through the rolling hills with vineyards on either side of us, we were in awe of the beauty. I guess they call this place "Wine Country" for a reason.

This mini-vacation with my mom has actually been filled with action-packed days of apartment hunting, furniture shopping and perfecting the u-turn (we get turned around all the time!). So we decided to take a break from that tough task and tour the wineries!!!

Our first stop was the Korbel Campagne Cellars. As of now, my mom and I might as well have tourist stamped on our forehead. Not only am I uneducated as a wine connoisseur, but I am the only person who gets IDed at the wine tasting bar. And then I normally have the "You have a great accent, where are you from?" conversation. But all in all, it was a beautiful vinyard and I can now recommend Korbel Cream Sherry. It is the best dessert wine I have ever tasted. It's almost like drinking pecan pie in a wine glass. I did leave with a bottle of that!

Next, we drove all through the countryside on little winding roads through quaint towns that led to the Chateau Souverain Winery. It was, as they describe it, a historic French chateau; I felt like I had walked into a castle. And imagine this... as we pull in the front gates we witness a wedding ceremony on the front balcony of the chateau!!! Can you imagine?

Oh yes...they had great wine too! But an important thing to know...white wine is basically unexceptable out here. RED is the only way to go. But I have nothing exciting to recommend. Sorry....unfortunately to me after a couple they all taste the same. I'm hoping that one day I will be able to decipher the difference simply by swirling the glass and whofting the smelling towards my nose. As for now, I'm just inexperienced, overeager tourist!!!

It's happening

Check it out! Pretty soon this will be my view every morning as I wake up and drink my coffee on my balcony. And If you look really close you can even see a cross on the hillside. Just one way to be reminded of the Lord's presence!

Today I signed a lease in California!! AHHH!!! I have to say this quite often (out loud) to remind myself that this isn't a dream...its my life! Crazy!

The past few days in Cali with my mom have been one great adventure! When we arrived at the San Fran airport, our first task was to get a renta car and find our way. Needless to say, we were all excited about driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. But it was so dang foggy, we drove over the enomrous thing and had no idea we ever even on it! And imagine your mother from Alabama who hates driving at night in the first place being the tour guide in San Francisco at 1:00 am! We laughed...A LOT!


Our second day began with a bang! I meet my boss (who is AMAZING) and she took me to a storage unit! It is filled from top to bottom with boxes of GUM!!!...I knew I might get some free samples here and there, but holy crap this is awesome!

One other hightlight I must mention. I have found a replacement for the "Rage"..It's called the "Bohemian" for the North Bay Coast. How perfect is that! There's no way Nashville's entertainment can compete with that! The thursday hightlight will remain the same!

Anyways my goal is to eventually feel like a true local. But I have a long ways to go. I have learned that ordering white wine is obsurb. And I need to devote my eating habits to those of either a vegan, vegetarian or an organic addict. But honestly, I think I am really going to like it here. Everyone I have meet is extremely nice and friendly. The weather is beautiful and I have great hair because there is no humdity. What's not to like?

Soak it up!

So good-byes have never really been my thing, but a small part of me actually has to move on.....hints the frowny faces in the pic of my roomies. A wonderful place known as the "crayola house" is no longer my home and neither is the loveliest village on the plains. This may sound like a depressing way to start of a small documentary of my life, but I have high expectations for the adventure ahead....don't worry. I mean who can really complain about living in the same state as Seth Cohen and having Arnold as your governor.

Anyways since all of my favorite people are no longer living in the same house or even in the same state for that matter, I figured what better way to provide easy access to the details of my life than through a blog

-side note: a "blog" used to be a school assignment that I dreaded daily and now I am choosing to spend precious moments of my day blogging for sheer joy...what's up with that?!??!

Well this is the first step towards change ...so let's frown and wave good-bye to the "crayola house" and "wacka wacka" (praise God) one last time. The next time I post I will have seen the a little glimpse into my life in Cali and cross your fingers that I find a place to live!!!