Updated Pictures

I have added a few pictures from my family being here in Atlanta!! Please see the pictures in the folder "Christmas 2005."

I will update again later!!

Compound

Oh my goodness... the hardest part about going 2 weeks between blogs is I have to think so hard as to what I did the week before!! I have been sitting here for about 30 minutes trying to get my thoughts together as to what all I did!!

On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays I have a pretty good routine going. Monday is spent in dance class and with my small group. Tuesdays I go to Aiko with Chris and the past two weeks we met up with Micah and Tory as well as a few other people. The normal Wednesday routine is Mako's and Tongue & Groove.

Last Friday I went out with Carrie to Moondogs and Hole in the Wall. For a while that was the place we were hanging out but we hadn't been there in about two months. It was definitely interesting because there were a ton of Santa Clauses there and a lot of them wanted to talk with Carrie and me. It was very funny being surrounded by men in red suits!!

Last Saturday after work I met up with Chris and Daniel to go out to Moondogs and then Mako's. Some of Daniel's friends came out with us as well. One of his friends was Brooke. We were both quite tired that night so instead of dancing and her and I had a lot of fun hanging out and chatting.

On Sunday Victor got us tickets from a friend, Alex, to a Thrashers hockey game so he, Carrie, Victor (friend of my friend Victor - the same guy that is in the birthday pictures from Victor's birthday - confusing right :) ) and I met up with Alex and a friend of his at the Phillip's Arena. Alex works at the CNN Center which is a part of Phillip's Arena and he is able to get tickets to any game that he wants to. We had really good seats behind the goal. There was a lot of good fights and the game went to a shoot out in overtime. We had a lot of fun!!

This past week I have taken off from work. I had extra days and if I don't take them before the end of the year I lose them. So, Tuesday afternoon I went with my friend Brian to the new aquarium that was built here in Atlanta. The aquarium is absolutely beautiful!! It was a ton of fun to see all of the different fish from around the world. I was much more impressed than I thought I would have been!!

Wednesday this week was a little different than my normal. Chris came over and I made us some dinner and then we watched Nip/Tuck. I taped it using my DVR from the night before which is the best because I can fast forward the commercials!! It was the first time that I had watched the show but I Chris had watched it a few times before so he was able to explain the show to me... I am now hooked! After dinner we met up with Micah at Fox Sports Grill in then new Atlantic Station. Micah works there so we met up with him as he finished work and then he and Chris played pool until Tory showed up and then we went to our usual spots. Afterwards we went to a diner on 10th Street which ended up being quite interesting and a TON of drama. Chris's friend Rachel and her friend Celeste came with us and their personalities and Tory's personality collided. Their 'discussion' became so heated that all of the diner's staff were watching and at one point Micah and I ended up walking away from the table.

Thursday night Chris, Micah and I went to a Churchill Grounds, a jazz club right next to the Fox Theater. I LOVED IT!!! I will definitely go back there again! I have been waiting to go to a jazz club since I moved down. This one is in a beautiful old bar and the music was fabulous! Micah used to work there and says that some of the best jazz musicians go thru there. I can't wait to go back! After the jazz club we ended up back at Mako's. Chris and Micah know a lot of the people that work there so we always end up talking with everyone so now I am getting to know all the people that work there too!

On Friday Carrie and I went to a bar I hadn't been to before, East Andrews. The crowd here is a little more up scale than the places that I normally go but it was a refreshing change. I got a little more dressed up than usual and we had a blast!! We danced and I met someone who was from the Detroit area and had just moved down. He had gone to Central Michigan and had been to Bay City a few times so that was interesting. I also met a guy who could really dance so I had a lot of fun twirling around the dance floor with him!

On Saturday I took Carrie to Compound. She hadn't been there before and I hadn't been there in about five months. It is rated as the best night club in Atlanta and it was a lot of fun. Once again we met someone from Michigan... this guy was from Flint. He and Carrie hit it off pretty well and she spent most of the night talking with him. I had fun talking and dancing with the rest of his friend!! BUT, the most interesting part of the night was who else was there... Jesse Metcalf !!! I loved him when he played Miguel on the soap opera Passions but he is best know as the gardener on Desperate Housewives. And, to me he is just a beautiful in person as on TV!! Terrell Owens and his group was in the club as well and he said hi to me... it was cute!

Since I had all the time off I have been able to get some Christmas shopping in as well as run some errands and managed to find a little bit of time to relax! Today I am doing laundry at Victor's house. The next few days will be spend getting ready for my parents and brother to come into town!! I am very excited and can't wait to see them. They should be in sometime early Wednesday morning.

Christmas Spectacular

Since I last blogged I have had some more fun... no celebrity sighting though... well, maybe...

On Friday night Carrie and I took a cab to Eleven50. We started talking to our cab driver and found out he used to be an aspiring actor. He was an extra in quite a few movies, tv shows, and commercials.

We met up with Victor once we got to Eleven50. We had a lot of fun chatting with each other (it was the first time Victor and Carrie met), chatting with the people around us, and of course DANCING!! After Eleven50 Carrie and I walked over to Twisted Taco and met up with a friend of hers, Jose, who drove us back to my place.

After work on Saturday I went met up with a friend of mine from work, his wife and their friends at Vision. I had met his wife a couple of times before and she is a lot of fun so it was great to see her again and meet some of her friends. We ended up at one of their friend's house so I was out much too late that night!!

On Sunday I got up and went to brunch with my small group. One of the girls from the group, Mary Grace, was baptized at the 1:00pm service so those of us who could met up for brunch beforehand. Generally when I go to church I go by myself so it was nice to go with a group of friends and it was fabulous to watch a friend get baptized!

After church I decided to attend the last show of the season for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I hadn't purchased a ticket so I was hoping that there would be a seat available. Lucky for me I found a free parking spot behind the theater and then once in line for a ticket a lady walked by and handed me a ticket!! She said that they had an extra one and let me have it! I sat next to them during the show and found that she was there with a group of women who work together having a ladies day out. The show was fabulous, as always, and I had a ton of fun!!

I started taking a dance class last week and I take the class every Monday and Tuesday (since they are my off days). The classes I am currently taking are beginning jazz and beginning hip-hop. Tomorrow I will start taking an introduction to dance series which should help with the memorization and the understanding of dance moves. I am very excited about the class!!

Well, I am in the middle of making dinner which my friend Victor is stopping by for in a little bit so I better get back to cooking!!

Jack Rabbit

Ohh my last week has been quite interesting... here is a quick synopsis!!

On Monday I had the girls over from my small group to my apartment. It was our regular meeting that we normally have but this time it was at my place. Made the drive very nice!!

Then Tuesday was back at Aiko for Chris and me. This time Carrie came with us and spent some time on the dance floor with us!! Carrie took some pictures of the event so when they are developed I will add them to the blog.

Wednesday night I met up with Chris in Buckhead. Tory was also out and we started the night at Mako's but Chris found out that Brooke Burke was at Tongue & Groove and wanted to see her, which was fine for me because that is probably my favorite club on that street (there is a group of about 5-10 clubs all within a city block of each other). I didn't know who she was at the time but after seeing her I did recognize her from the E! channel entertainment shows. Tory ran into a few other people at Mako's that he knew so Chris and I went headed over to Tongue & Groove and started talking with people outside the bar.

We were standing there carrying on conversations with a few people when a line of about 5 SUVs drives up. One guy got out of the first one, said something to the owner of the club next to us, and then all the doors to every SUV flies open. Out of one of them steps Charles Barkley and Josh Lucas!!! I was definitely star struck!! I really liked Charles Barkley when he played for the Suns!! And Josh Lucas is very cute... loved him in Sweet Home Alabama!!

Once inside Tongue & Groove we met up with Mika and danced a little bit before heading back to Mako's. We were just playing around in Mako's when one of Mika's friends comes down and said that Shaquille O'Neal was going to be in Jack Rabbit (which was where Charles Barkley and his entourage were) and she really wanted to see him. So we all headed back down the street and were standing outside (which was pretty chilly) when we ran into a few more people that we knew and someone out of the group knew someone in the club that was able to get us in. Although Shaq never did end up there we had a lot of fun inside and Charles did walk by us a few times and once bumped into Chris!! For a girl from a small town with no celebrities siting it was pretty exciting!!

Tonight I went out to dinner with a friend of mine from work before heading out to Halo with Victor. We had a lot of fun people watching but it is now time for me to go to bed. Hope you all had an exciting week as well!!

OK... this is too funny!!

Real World

Really quick post... but for any of you who are fans of the Real World on MTV... I was out last night at Aiko and Mike from Real World 10 was there. Thought that was quite interesting!!

So its been a month...

OH MY... A WHOLE MONTH!! It has been a whole month since my last update... how terrible!! But it has been such a busy month that I haven't had enough time to even type.

Work has been going well. I am now on a new schedule so I am working Wednesday thru Saturday. That has been a challenge getting used to since no one else is free on Monday and Tuesday. It has been difficult getting used to but have been able to keep myself busy.

A few weeks ago I went back to Michigan for the Engelhardt family Christmas party!! We had a lot of fun and it was great to see everyone!! I have a link to the pictures on the side to check out if you have a minute.

I also have added some pictures as well from Victor's birthday party. Only a couple of the pictures actually turned out so I have added them in the main Picture link. They are in their own folder so check those out as well!! Victor is sitting to my right in each picture.

Other than that I have been keeping very busy with my friends. I have been lucky enough to be able to go out almost every night with them!! One of the highlights from the last month was going to Club Vision downtown Atlanta. Almost all of my friends were there together (there were about 30 of us in the group) because my friend Chris was able to get everyone into the VIP section so of course everyone wanted to go!! There are a few sections that are considered VIP in Vision but this is one that I had not known about until I got to go there!! It was actually above the dance floor and we were able to see a good majority of the club from up there (it is huge)!! We had a ton of fun dancing the night away on the main dance floor and up in the VIP section!!

Also in the past week I was able to go to a few other new places. One place I went to is called Famous and it is a sports bar close to my apartment. Chris, Daniel, and I met a few other girls at the bar. They played some pool and we all watched the football game that was on Monday night. On Wednesday, Tory, Chris and a few other guys and I all ended up at Mako's and had a lot of fun dancing. We had been there before and it is one of Chris's favorite places to go in Buckhead. On Thursday Victor and I went to Wetbar and then to Sutra and we socialized for the night. We had a lot of fun people watching!! Friday I ended up south of town at a new bar called Sauce. I went with Tory who is doing promotions for this bar. It has only been open for a few weeks and they are trying to make it more of a martini or a laid back bar instead of a dance bar but they have a very good DJ so there is a lot of good music playing.

But, before last week... it was too far back and I couldn't even begin to remember what I have been up to!! I will try to keep this better updated... at least more than once a month!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

double-0 7

This week has been quite relaxing as far as my standards have been!! On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I worked and then went to LA Fitness to work out. I am just getting used to the schedule with a workout routine in it again so I have been quite sleepy lately! After working out I am generally hungry so I eat and then relax for a little bit before going to bed.

On Friday I did go out again. I went with Carrie and her friend Charlie. We went first to the Cosmopolitan and Lava Lounge. We were only there for a short while but it was very interesting. It is two different buildings that you can walk between so its two bars in one. There were a few different dance floors (none of which we danced on since we left before the dancing really began) and quite a few lounge areas. It is definitely a place I would go back to.

After that we met up with another friend of Carrie's and went to Leopard Lounge for drink. Although it was very cute (in a martini lounge feel) there was almost no one in the bar so we only stayed for a few minutes. During that time though I had to use the restroom and in my hunt for the restroom I found the empty dance floor. I was able to talk Carrie and Charlie into dancing for a few songs and we had a lot of fun being the only people dancing!! Once a creepy guy got onto the floor and tried to dance with Carrie and I we had to leave.

Onto the next bar... we then went to Twisted Taco. I thought, with Taco in the name, that it may be a restaurant as well but there was no one eating!! It was a very small bar that was very packed but I did enjoy it as much as other places that I have been. There was no real reason why, I just didn't feel the vibe of this place. After a few hours in the bar Carrie got tired so we all left for the night.

Yesterday I woke up and went to the Saturday brunch that the apartment complex hosts. I have only been to a few and this one was the most packed. Usually I am the only one that shows up but there were quite a few people eating and talking. I started a conversation with one lady and found out that the Dillard's just opened down the road from where I live and she had been there for the grand opening so she told me all about it. She also let me know that there are quite a few other shops that have opened around it as well.

After my brunch conversation I went back to my apartment to clean and watch the University of Michigan football game (woo hoo... winning in overtime!!). I am hoping that I will be getting my couch sometime in the next week and wanted everything to be clean and ready!! I am keeping my fingers crossed.

In the evening I went over to Victor's to do some laundry and he made dinner. While cooking we watched a James Bond movie. Well, actually, watched is a very strong word. After eating we both fell asleep with the movie on and it was probably on 9:00pm!! What woke me up was the beep of the dryer telling me my laundry was done. I looked over to the chair Victor had been on and he was gone. I found him sleeping in his bed!! I though... 'Oh, do we seem old!!' After packing up my laundry I hit the grocery store on my way home. I then relaxed in my apartment before going to sleep!!

Today was a great day!! The weather man reported that we are having a cold front thru this evening but today was beautiful!! I went to the gym when I woke up to get a good exercise in. I then went to JIMMY JOHNS to get myself a sub!! I am so excited they are now in Atlanta!! After eating and cleaning myself up I went to church. It is an amazing church and if you ever want to see sermon you can actually watch them online!!

After church Victor and I met up and went to the Dillard's that the lady had told me about yesterday. There was actually some cute shops around the area but they make you pay to park!! It is the shopping complex's parking garage but they still want to charge you to pay! Victor and I were a little upset about that but most of the shops are also found in malls very close to this complex that don't charge for parking so I will probably not end up there much but it was fun to see.

This week has been quite relaxing as far as my standards have been!! On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I worked and then went to LA Fitness to work out. I am just getting used to the schedule with a workout routine in it again so I have been quite sleepy lately! After working out I am generally hungry so I eat and then relax for a little bit before going to bed.

On Friday I did go out again. I went with Carrie and her friend Charlie. We went first to the Cosmopolitan and Lava Lounge. We were only there for a short while but it was very interesting. It is two different buildings that you can walk between so its two bars in one. There were a few different dance floors (none of which we danced on since we left before the dancing really began) and quite a few lounge areas. It is definitely a place I would go back to.

After that we met up with another friend of Carrie's and went to Leopard Lounge for drink. Although it was very cute (in a martini lounge feel) there was almost no one in the bar so we only stayed for a few minutes. During that time though I had to use the restroom and in my hunt for the restroom I found the empty dance floor. I was able to talk Carrie and Charlie into dancing for a few songs and we had a lot of fun being the only people dancing!! Once a creepy guy got onto the floor and tried to dance with Carrie and I we had to leave.

Onto the next bar... we then went to Twisted Taco. I thought, with Taco in the name, that it may be a restaurant as well but there was no one eating!! It was a very small bar that was very packed but I did enjoy it as much as other places that I have been. There was no real reason why, I just didn't feel the vibe of this place. After a few hours in the bar Carrie got tired so we all left for the night.

Yesterday I woke up and went to the Saturday brunch that the apartment complex hosts. I have only been to a few and most are quite empty but this one was the most packed. Usually I am the only one that shows up but there were quite a few people eating and talking. I started a conversation with one lady and found out that the Dillard’s just opened down the road from where I live and she had been there for the grand opening so she told me all about it. She also let me know that there are quite a few other shops that have opened around it as well.

After my brunch conversation I went back to my apartment to clean and watch the University of Michigan football game (woo hoo... winning in overtime!!). I am hoping that I will be getting my couch sometime in the next week and wanted everything to be clean and ready!! I am keeping my fingers crossed.

In the evening I went over to Victor's to do some laundry and he made dinner. While cooking we watched a James Bond movie. Well, actually, watched is a very strong word. After eating we both fell asleep with the movie on and it was probably on 9:00pm!! What woke me up was the beep of the dryer telling me my laundry was done. I looked over to the chair Victor had been on and he was gone. I found him sleeping in his bed!! I though... 'Oh, do we seem old!!' After packing up my laundry I hit the grocery store on my way home. I then relaxed in my apartment before going to sleep!!

Today was a great day!! The weather man reported that we are having a cold front thru this evening but today was beautiful!! I went to the gym when I woke up to get a good exercise in. I then went to JIMMY JOHNS to get myself a sub!! I am so excited they are now in Atlanta!! After eating and cleaning myself up I went to church. It is an amazing church and if you ever want to see sermon you can actually watch them online!!

After church Victor and I met up and went to the Dillard's that the lady had told me about yesterday. There was actually some cute shops around the area but they make you pay to park!! It is the shopping complex's parking garage but they still want to charge you to pay! Victor and I were a little upset about that but most of the shops are also found in malls very close to this complex that don't charge for parking so I will probably not end up there much but it was fun to see.

Visions

I had a fabulous weekend!! It started on Friday after work...

I left work right on time (yes!!), went home, cleaned up, ate some dinner, and then headed to Chris and Daniel's apartment. We hung around their place for a little while before going out to what has become our 'normal' hang out, Moondogs and Hole in the Wall. We met up with a girl from my work while we were there which was nice and then we danced the night away. As always we had a lot of fun and I am now starting to run into people I have met in weekends past... does that mean I hang out there too often??? Either way, we left this time before closing because Chris had to work the next morning. He is on a new shift since he is the new guy in my department at work and is now working the weekends.

Saturday a whole group of us went out to celebrate Victor's birthday (his actual birth date was Sunday but we technically celebrated on Sunday too since we were out past midnight... hehe). We started out at a very nice restaurant called Two Urban Licks. It is owned by the same people who own One Midtown Kitchen and Pie Bar (which is where we went for my birthday). The atmosphere was fabulous and the food was delicious!! We sat outside, kind of. There was a patio section that was surrounded by walls but there was an open ceiling. It is hard to explain but it is very pretty in person.

After Two we went to Stool Pigeons, a sports bar located downtown, where we met up with some more people to celebrate. This sports bar is much nicer than the Three Dollar Cafe that we normally go to on Mondays so we may end up changing our venue to here.

The next stop was a quick dog run at Victor's so that his Rottweiler could go for a bathroom break.

After the quick stop we headed out to Vision night club which is also located downtown. It has just been redone and reopened in the last few months. This is another club that I had not been to since I have been down here but will definitely have to go back sometime. It looks fabulous and it is huge!! There were four separate dance floors and by midnight they were all packed!!

When all of the dancing ended there were only three people still standing: Victor, me and Victor's friend Victor. The three of us then went out to Landmark Diner and had a food break. Personally I think the Waffle House tastes better but I was not the driver so I didn't make the decision!! But after the diner I was spent and ready to sleep!!

Sunday morning I woke up and wanted to work out so I headed off to LA Fitness for a swim in the lap pool. I did not realize how hard it is to swim!! I can go 30 minutes on an elliptical machine but after 10 minutes in the pool I could barely breath!!

After cleaning up I needed to run some errands before heading to church and then after church I came home, ate some lunch and then washed my car. I found a spot in my apartment complex that I can wash my car and it doesn't cost me anything except that I have to buy my soap and bucket and it is very close to my building so it is very convenient for me.

My church also has events they do for singles and they break the events out by ages and call the events Fusion. The Fusion groups meet 2 times a month and this Sunday was the one of the days they meet. I didn't have much else to do last night so I checked it out. I was amazed and actually had some fun!! I am planning on going back again. What occured: there is social time at the beginning, then a speaker spoke for about 15 to 30 minutes and then they break everyone up into small groups and we answer questions and discuss the material and then there is more social time at the end. Of everything, what I was most amazed by was the speaker!!

Actually, let me back up... the speaker this week was actually a DVD that was pre-recorded. As soon as the DVD started playing I knew exactly who the speaker was... Rob Bell!! For those of you who may not know, or remember, who he is... he is the pastor at Mars Hill located in Grandville/Jenison, Michigan!! I have been to Mars Hill with my cousin Marie and my Aunt Sherry quite a few times!! When I was looking for a church down here I was basing a lot of my search on getting the same atmosphere as that church!! I was just floored that Buckhead Church had a DVD from him and played it on the first night that I showed up to the Fusion event. And, on top of that, the message was one of my favorite from all of the tapes that Aunt Sherry passed along. It was the sermon about being 'Covered in the Dust of you Rabbi.'

I played hooky today and didn't go to work!! Actually, I asked for the day off last week with the plan of helping Victor paint his house. The plans of painting fell thru but I had a wonderful day anyway!! I slept in, got some things done around the house, and then met up with Victor. He has been working out for a very long time and I don't know too much about weightlifting so he and I got together at the gym and did some cardio and then weights. I am going to work out with him more often so I can get a weightlifting routine into my normal workout schedule.

After the gym we headed off to Eats for some lunch. I have eaten there quite a few times before (and it was one of the places that I took Angie to when she was down) and it is very good!!

It was too beautiful of a day to stay inside so we headed off to Piedmont Park for some tennis. The weather today was somewhere between 75 and 80 degrees, light wind, with not a cloud in the sky. I couldn't have asked for a better day off in the middle of October!! We played until we were too tired to go on and then headed our separate ways.

As usual on Monday I had my small group but we are between lessons so we headed off to Rock Bottom Brewery for dinner and gossip. It was a very nice way to start really getting to know some of the people in the group a little bit more!!

After Rock Bottom I met up with my friend Chris and we watched some of the football game and baseball game at a different Three Dollar Cafe than usual. This one is closer to where Chris lives and is brand new. From the street it looks like there is a ton of TV's for watching the games but really there were only a couple. It wasn't any better than the Three Dollar Cafe that we normally end up at so we probably will not be going to them anymore. Also, generally Daniel meets up with us but this week he is out of town on business so it was just Chris and I.

Now time to get ready for going back to work for the week!!

My week with ANGIE!!

Ok... another week in review... I need to get better at doing this more often!! I am having a hard time remembering what happened in the past week when I go to blog it!!

All the way back to two Mondays ago, oh so far away! We do not have Small Group on the first Monday of the month so after work I worked out and then went to 3 Dollar Cafe again with Chris and Daniel. Once again we sat out on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the football game. The only change was that this time another co-worker of mine, Alice, also showed up!!

Tuesday was the day to pick up Angie. After work I dropped my car off at Marta (the name for the subway or train as well as the bus system that runs thru Atlanta) and road that down to pick up Angie at the airport. This time I found parking for the Marta system itself so I knew my car would not be towed!! Angie's plane came in on time and without any problems and it was so great to see Angie again!! By the time we got back to my apartment it was getting quite late and neither of us had dinner yet so we cooked up some dinner and then went to bed.

We woke up early on Wednesday in order to see Lance Armstrong at Centennial Olympic Park!! Atlanta was a stop for the Tour of Hope and Lance's team road from Jackson to Atlanta and did it only in a few days. There were quite a few people who came down to support the tour and to see Lance, like Angie and I did.

After Centennial Olympic Park we went to Little Five Points, a section of Atlanta, for shopping and for lunch. There are quite a few quaint shops and the restaurant rated as Atlanta's best burger, The Vortex. So we shopped around until we got hungry and then ate at The Vortex. After The Vortex we shopped some more and then ended up a Kroger to buy groceries to take to Victor's place. After he got out of work he made us some very good spaghetti for dinner!! Yummm!!! If that wasn't enough to fill our day, after we left Victor's place we stopped at Smith's Old Bar to support a co-worker of mine in the battle of the bands. There were quite a few bands that we watched, each of which could only play one song and it had to be original, but of all of the bands I would have to say that my co-worker's band was the best of the bunch. The name of the band is Rae' Ven Rae.

Since we had such a busy day on Wednesday we did not set our alarm for Thursday and ended up sleeping in until NOON!!! We got up and could not believe that we slept in like that but had time to dwell on the hour... we had things to do!! After getting ready we headed out to tour the World of Coca Cola. The building was really cute and we took some cute pictures from the tour you can check out by clicking on my pictures. My favorite part of the tour was when we got to sample the different kind of Coke product that the have for around the world. There were some very crazy flavors!!

When we left the Coke tour we went shopping right next door at the Underground, which is a lot of shops and restaurants all, you guessed it, underground!! Of course, no trip to Atlanta would be complete with out a stop to the local Hard Rock. When we were at the Underground the lady behind the information booth told us that we were only a 'couple' of blocks from Hard Rock so we started to walk instead of drive. When we got about one block I realized where we were and how far of a walk the Hard Rock really would have been so we walked back to my car and drove it instead.

Right by Hard Rock was what was labeled a 'mall' so we decided we needed to stop and take a look before going to eat but who ever named it a mall was really stretching because one clothing store and a few gift shops do not constitute a mall... well, at least not to me!

Even after the disappointment of the mall we still had a great meal at Hard Rock. At one point a group of girls came out and signed the national anthem that was being sung by Whitney Houston via music video. After Hard Rock we scooted home, change clothes and headed to Chris's house. Angie, Chris, Daniel, their friend and I all went out to a bar called 10 High to watch another band perform. This band was comprised of people that were Chris and Daniel's friends and they were really good!! It was a ton of fun to watch them play!!

Friday started out with a trip to Krispy Kreme... I don't know how I can live by that place and not be bigger than what I am!! The donuts are so tasty!! But, the next few stops were made OTP (Outside The Perimeter).

We stopped out at a Harley Store to get Judy, Jim and Kevin some Harley shirts that say Atlanta on them (don't worry Mom, Dad, or Dan when you come out to visit we can stop there too!!). After the drive to the Harley store we had to stop by a Buffalo Wild Wings, which is where Angie's husband works (but he work at one in Michigan, obviously... hehe) to check out a southern 'B-Dub's and compare the tastes. I would have to say, at least with this restaurant there was not much different between the north and south.

After lunch we stopped by the mall close to my house (and one that I know is good) and did some shopping at Lenox. We basically shopped until we dropped and then went to my apartment to watch movies. I don't think we could have made another night out on the town with out more rest!! So, Friday movie night became the rest and rejuvenation night!

Saturday during the day we went to another mall close to where I work and then spent the rest of the afternoon resting and getting ready to see the Atlanta Thrashers hockey game!! The game was the season's home opener so we got free t-shirts!! I have not been to a hockey game in a very long time so it was a ton of fun to go to!! To top it off the Thrashers won the game 8-1 and there was a huge fight!! It was so much fun to see.

We took Marta again to go to the game.. I am really liking how easy it is to use Marta to get around and I found another parking garage for Marta that I can use long term and it is within a mile from my apartment!! So, next time I take a fight out of Atlanta I know where to park!!

After the game we picked up my friend Carrie (we know each other from small group) and went to Coyote Ugly and to Mako's. Angie had been to the Coyote Ugly in Las Vegas and had gotten a glass from there that she also wanted to get from the one here. Unfortunately they do not see the glass at the Atlanta location and there wasn't too much going on at Coyote Ugly so we walked down the street until one of the bouncers told us there would be no cover to get into Mako's so we spent the rest of the night on their dance floor!! We had a ton of fun!!

Sunday we spent the day at Six Flags!! It was a lot of fun to ride all of the roller coasters... my favorite was probably the Superman Ride because it was the most smooth and because you do the entire ride on your belly!! When we got back to my place though we both crashed and had to take a nap!!

On Monday I had to say good by to Angie and dropped her off at the airport. Once again we rode Marta (oh so easy now) and they drop you off right inside the airport and there was an Air Tran check in located right by the Marta exit... can't get easier than that!! We then did some shopping in the gift shops and ended up in the Coke gift shop. Neither of us were paying attention to the few people who were in there but there was one lady checking out and a few people with her. After she left the cashier say to us "that was Kim Basinger!!" We all ran out of the store and watched her walk away. We found out later that she was with her daughter and the nanny. It was fun seeing a celebrity!!

After dropping off Angie I headed to LA Fitness. I have been trying so hard to work out on my own but have only been gaining weight. There are quite a few people that I know that use LA Fitness and one of the guys gave me a free week pass to try out the gym. Since I had some time to look around I decided to head over there. I went to the gym that is closest to my work because it was the one I had the free pass to and it was amazing. They have all the weights and running machines that you could ever dream possible but they also have racquet ball courts, a lap pool and a BASKETBALL COURT!! I was so excited about the court that after the tour I went for a quick jog and the shot some hoops!! I got so carried away shooting that I almost did not leave in time to got to my small group.

I ran out of there, came home, got dressed, and while getting ready to go Carried called me and asked me to meet her at a Mexican restaurant right by the place we meet so I finished getting ready and meet her there. By the time I got there it was too late to order anything so I had a couple of chips and then we walked to the small group. As usual I met up with Daniel and Chris at 3 Dollar Cafe but this time Victor and one of his friends, James, also met up with us. There were a few problems this week in that they didn't have the patio open (the place really isn't that nice indoors) and a lot of what we had ordered they were out of. Victor and James had come from another bar that they said had big screens all over the place and is really nice so next week we may end up there for the football game.

Of course on Tuesday I had to check out the gym again but this time I went to one that is close to my apartment (there are a few quite close to where I live). I went in the morning and it was quite nice but this one did not have the pool or the basketball court which is not so cool but I am told one of the other gyms by my house has one so I will check that one out soon.

Wednesday was laundry night and like my usual laundry nights I went to Victor's house but he didn't get out of work until 9pm so I stopped by the gym on my way home and then ran over to his place where we ate dinner and I helped him with his homework (as payment for the use of the washer and dryer) while my clothes got clean. Unfortunately clothes take a long time to get clean and I didn't get home and in bed until about 2am and had to get up this morning at 7am to go to the gym so I am now quite sleepy!!

The reason I had to go to the gym so early today was because I had a session with the trainer this morning. They give you one free session so I decided to go ahead and give it a try. I would love work with a trainer but after finding out the cost to do so I figured I can wing it with the help of my friends, the internet and magazines!!

After work I had this strong desire to play some basketball so I headed back to the gym and was shooting around when I got caught up in a few pick up games!! It was so much fun to run around again!! I missed playing the last few months!!

Looking back at the blog I am now getting very sleepy!!! Time for me to crash!!!

NEW PICTURES!!

Just a quick note to say that I have had a TON of fun with Angie in town!! I will come back later and post the day-to-day happenings later but I have added the pictures that we took during the week. I have to say that both of us were really bad at remembering to take the camera so there isn't too many pictures but we did take a few pictures of my apartment which are added as well!! Check out the link!!

Heck Yes I Did!

I need to start taking more time to sit down on a regular basis to update this thing... I am having a hard time remembering all I do in a weeks worth of time!! Hehehehe! But, let me give it a try...

Going back to last Thursday... I had a problem with the financing on the couch that I bought. I was going to purchase the couch on credit because they had 12 months free financing but they declined me the credit because of a Best Buy credit card that I had used to purchase my computer.

When I bought the computer I used Best Buy financing since they gave me 6 months no interest financing. I had paid off the card before the six months were up but after the 6 months they still added interest to my paid off card. This happened back in March... they did not send me any bills or letters, they did not call me, nor did they email me stating that they had added a balance to my account but they continued to add late fees and other charges to my account and reported my account as delinquent. Needless to say I was more than a little upset. I was able to contact Best Buy and got them to remove all charges but it wasn't in time to get the financing for the couch. I would have had to wait 60 days for the financing company at Traders to re-apply for the credit.

So, instead I decided I will pay for the couch myself instead of using the financing company. On Thursday I went to put the down payment on the couch after work but once I got half way there I found out from one of the road signs that the exit that I needed to take to get to the store was blocked because of a gas leak!! So, I turned around and went to Chris and Daniel's house where we watched The OC and had a few drinks. (I work with Chris and Daniel just moved to Atlanta and has been Chris's friend for years and is now his roommate).

On Friday Carrie, from my small group, and I had talked after the small group class on Monday about living in Atlanta. She just moved here in the past few months and was looking for things to do over the weekend. We decided that we would get together on Friday and go out around Atlanta. She stated that she had a friend coming into town and there were a few places that she wanted to take her friend.

After work on Friday Carrie let me know that her friend was not feeling well and would not be able to make it but she still wanted to go out. After getting ready she came over and we took a cab ride to, what is becoming my usual Friday hangout, Moondogs and Hole in the Wall. We met a TON of people out and had so much fun talking and dancing. I was so disappointed when the DJ said "This is it... we are now closed... you don't have to go home but you have to get the hell out of here!!"

On Saturday morning (quite early for how late I had been out) I was woken up by a phone call from work. I was on-call because of Hurricane Rita (we have customers in Houston, Texas) and they called me to come into work. So, I hopped out of bed, took a quick shower, and went to work. I was thinking that I was there just as extra support and figured once the phone calls died down I would be able to leave again but I found out that one of the guys who normally works on Saturdays failed to show up for work so I was working a full shift. On my lunch break I headed to Sears and found my vacuum, unfortunately they didn't have any in stock so I had to wait until Tuesday to get it. But, I now have a vacuum and a clean floor!!

At 8pm, after my 8 hour shift and my lunch break, I was able to leave. Carrie and I had been planning on going out Saturday night so I went home, changed, and went to her apartment. There were a few girls from the small group and we hung out and ate pizza. After pizza Carrie and I went to meet some of her work friends at a birthday party at Dantanna's. It is a much more upscale restaurant/bar than what I have normally been going to but it was still a lot of fun! The group had a private room for the party and had a TV on with a football game playing. Carrie and I had a few drinks before deciding that we were both pretty tired so we went back to her apartment and watched the movie Love Actually. It was a pretty cute movie and I had been wanting to see it since it came out in the theater.

On Sunday I decided to test my luck again on putting the down payment on my couch... so I headed back down to Traders and this time I was lucky enough to make it there!! I have put the down payment on the couch and should have it in 4-6 weeks!!! I am so excited!!

I then ran a few errands and did a few things around my apartment before heading to Victor's place where we ate dinner and watched TV. Since my weekend had bee so busy I was so sleepy so it was an early night for me!

On Monday I had my usual small group class which I really enjoy! We are in the middle of a video series so we generally watch the tape and answer questions that are presented. After which we talk about our daily lives and then have a prayer session. I am really enjoying the time spent with these ladies and I am enjoying getting to know everyone!

After the small group I headed to Three Dollar Cafe, which was just down the road from the small group meeting, and met Chris and Daniel for dinner and drinks while we watched the first half of the Monday Night Football game. At halftime we left and I came home and worked out before going to sleep.

Tuesday I ended up working a different shift, 12 noon to 9pm. Since the guy failed to show up to work on Saturday but still came in on Monday he was let go on Monday. So, they had to rework schedules to have full coverage. They moved Victor to Noon-9pm but he couldn't work that shift on Tuesday so I was the lucky one chosen to work that shift for Tuesday. Needless to say, Tuesday evening was very uneventful... after work I worked out and then went to sleep.

I needed to get my laundry done before my friend Angie comes into town so Victor was nice enough, again, to let me use his washer and dryer. So, on Wednesday night, after Victor got out of work I went to his house and he made dinner and I did my laundry.

On Friday some guys from work and I went out for Happy Hour at Blue Moon Pizza, which is just down the road from work. I enjoy the people that I work with so it was a lot of fun to see them in a different setting.

After happy hour I packed up some clothes and headed to Victor's place. He and I had agreed to do some volunteer work around Atlanta and since we would have to get an early start and we would be just down the road from his place I stayed with him on Friday night. During the evening Victor once again made us dinner (as always.. yumm!!!) and I helped him with some of his school work.

Saturday morning Victor and I got up and made our way to the volunteer site... let me back up a little bit...

The organization who hosts the volunteer services is called Hands on Atlanta. The company that I work for is one of the sponsors for the organization so that is how Victor and I got involved. You can click on Hands on Atlanta to learn more about all the projects and special events that this organization hosts but the project that we worked on was Reynoldstown Cleanup. The scheduled hours for the job was from 9am to Noon and the goal was to clean up and collect trash around the community and to paint an after school center that was built pre-Civil War.

Victor and I left about at about 8:45am from his apartment for a drive that should have taken us about 5 minutes but, since neither of us thought to actually print out the directions but just assumed that we would remember the directions after looking at them once we had a hard time finding the place.

We actually stopped and asked for directions quite a few times but I think the people that we asked got more enjoyment out of sending us in the wrong direction than actually helping us find where we were supposed to be going so that didn’t help us out at all!! But, after about 20 minutes or so we found the road that we were looking for and made it to the Center.

We got to the Center just in time to be placed in a group. There were three groups... 2 that went out to collect trash and then 1 that stayed and painted the Center. Victor and I ended up in a group that collected trash so we walked around for 3 hours filling trash bags. There were a few other people with us and we all wore shirts that said "Hands on Atlanta" on them but quite a few people asked us what we did to get community service or how many hours we had to go!! It was quite funny!!

After working there was a party in Centennial Olympic Park. There was music, food, and quite a few people around. We met back up with a few people that we had worked with but there were so many projects going on all around Atlanta that it was hard to find the people that we knew!

Next, Victor and I decided to clean out our vehicles so we went to the car wash and vacuumed both vehicles and then headed to Jame's house (a friend of Victor that I have met before) to wash the cars. When we got there he had the Michigan/Michigan State game on so I watched a little bit of the game before washing my car. It was a beautiful afternoon to wash the car and I have been wanting to wash my car inside and out so I felt very productive!!

With all the work that we had been doing we were extremely hungry so Victor took me out as a belated birthday dinner. We went to Cowtippers, which is very close to my apartment and had the best food!! YUMMMMMMM!!! It is a very fun and relaxed place to go and the waiter that we had was great!

By this point I was tired so we each went our separate ways to take a nap. We had plans to meet up with Chris and Daniel later that night to go to a new club called Club Caliente but we didn't want to fall asleep when we got there. Club Caliente is a new club OTP (Outside The Perimeter) of Atlanta. Chris knows the DJ there because Chris used to do promotions at another club that the DJ worked at.

After a nap and some time getting ready we met up with Chris at his apartment. Daniel wasn't feeling well so it just ended up the three of us. When we got to Club Caliente it was empty!!! We actually found out later that the 'official' opening of the club isn't for a couple of more weeks and they are still getting everything set up but the place was quite nice... and very big!! Once they open and get people in the door it will be a very fun place to go. After spending some time with the DJ, getting a tour, and getting our picture taken we stepped out and back to downtown but I will keep an eye out for the website (it is so new that when I search for a website I am not finding one at all) and if our picture is on it I will add it to the blog.

Once we got back to the city we went to The Heretic where we ran into a few people that we already knew. We chatted and danced until close!! It was a lot of fun but it left us all extremely hungry so we ate a late night 'snack' at the Waffle House.

Now, to try to keep my posts shorter I will definately try to post more than 1 time a week!! But, my friend Angie is arriving on Tuesday evening so it may not work this week!

Another Week in Review

Oh so much to say... hope you are ready to read!!

I got a call on Monday from a lady named Susan asking me to join a small group! I was very excited because I have been trying to join a small group for a few months with out any luck but Susan stated that they had an opening for 1 if I was still interested. So, after work I went to my first meeting and met most of the girls.

Actually, let me back up and tell you what a small group is. I have been attending Buckhead Church on a regular basis, and I really like the church but it is extremely large which can make it hard to meet people in the church. One way to meet people in the church is to join what they call a small group. My group consists of all single females from our mid-20's to mid-30's. We will be meeting generally once a week (on Monday's) for 2 hours.

After the meeting I met up with my friend Chris and his friend Daniel to watch the Falcons game at Three Dollar Cafe. The Three Dollar Cafe is a sports bar and there are actually quite a lot of them around Atlanta. There was even a contest for a guy to throw a football to win $100,000 but he didn't make it. I had lot of fun watching hanging out with them!!

On Tuesday... ok so at the moment I can't remember what I did on Tuesday... I know I did something so when it comes to me I will come back and add it in... hehe!!

On Wednesday I went for a run at Piedmont Park which is about 10 minutes from my apartment. I really enjoy running downtown surrounded by all the big buildings and downtown life. After my run I stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few item with the plan to go home and relax for the rest of the night but my friend Victor called me to see if I wanted to watch a movie with him. I really needed to do laundry as well and he was nice enough to let me use his washer and dryer. So he and I watch the movie Hitch and I did my laundry (it only took until about 2am to get it all washed... hehe)!

Thursday was my down day. After the late laundry night all I could do on Thursday was my workout and then sleep!!

Friday, though, was another story!

I worked 8am-5pm on Friday because I want to take dancing lessons that are being hosted by Georgia Tech. I was excited because it is dancing and it is FREE!! But, it starts at 5:30pm and I generally work 10am-7pm but by boss was nice enough to let me work a different shift on Fridays so I can go. But, at exactly 4:59pm a customer contacted me back and it was one of our customers who I could tell to wait until Monday. So, I spent the next hour working with him and by the time we were done it was too late to go dancing. So instead I went home and got ready to go out.

One of the guys that I work with, Mike, had his last day of work on Friday. He is starting his own business so a lot of us went out to a pizza place called Mellow Mushroom to celebrate. I went there with Chris and his friend Daniel (who I had spent Monday with) and afterwards we went back to Chris's apartment before going out to Moondogs, a bar in Buckhead. We actually ended up meeting back up with Mike and a few other people that we were with earlier in the night. Moondog's is quite a fun bar because it is quite laid back and there are a lot of different things to do. There are pool tables so a few of the guys played pool while the rest of us chatted and then later in the night we all went dancing!!! This bar is on top of another bar called Hole in the Wall so when the dancing ended at Moondog's we went downstairs and danced until they closed as well!! We had a very fun night!!

On Saturday I ended up in a completely different state... and I don't mean mentally... I mean Alabama!! A guy that Victor and I know invited us down to his lake house and when we said yes we both assumed that it was in Georgia but after the hour and 1/2 drive down I-85 and seeing the big sign announcing that we had made it to Alabama we realized how far away we have to go to get to a lake! We got there quite late Saturday night so Victor cooked dinner and we watched movies until we all fell asleep (I think we were all out too late Friday and up too early on Saturday).

But we all got up early on Sunday (and when I say early I mean like 7am - believe me I was forced up that early) and went out on the boat. It was a beautiful day!! We spent all day out tubing and driving and swimming in the lake. The water was warm enough to make it comfortable and deep enough so I didn't feel any weeds! My arms have hurt the past 2 days from the tubing though and I am so sunburned (but I did put on sunscreen but I guess not enough) but we had a ton of fun!!

When I got home on Sunday I went to Sean’s house for Lisa’s (his sister) birthday party. They, as always, had a lot of good food out and a beautiful birthday cake (yumm). After the party we watched football until we fell asleep on the couch and then I went home to bed.

Starting this week I began working out in the mornings again. I figured it is too dark to work outside when I get out of work and I really want to keep exercising and keep fit so I now get up a little earlier so I can run before work.

On Monday after work I went to my small group again. This time we met at a different girls condo and it was beautiful!! I was quite jealous of her wood floors and decided that the next place that I live at will definitely have them!! But, it was a lot of fun to get together with them. Afterwards I went grocery shopping since I was basically out of food. My cupboards are so full now!!

Yesterday after work I dragged Victor to a furniture store with me called Traders. He had gone there over the weekend and found a couch that he thought I would like and he was right!! There was a couch that I fell in love with and got!! I have been looking for a couch since I moved into my apartment and had a good idea of what I wanted but haven't been able to find what I was looking for until last night so I was very excited!! I picked out the fabric and some pillows to go with it but it will take 4-6 weeks to get in so now I have to wait again like I did with my TV. But at least now I have it picked out! After picking out a couch we went back to Victor's house and he made us dinner... he is such a good cook!! He made baked fish with rice and broccoli. YUMM!!! We watched some movies until I started falling asleep on the couch and Victor wanted to go to bed so I went home.

Today was a very busy day at work so I wasn't able to take a lunch and got out around 8pm instead of my normal 7pm. I was going to do some errands at lunch so I ended up doing them after work instead. I had some odds and ends to pick up at Target and then I went to the Home Depot because I had seen some ads for vacuums there but when I got there I didn't see any that I really liked so I still don't have a vacuum. The search continues.

Now I need to do some cleaning so it is a fair time to let you go!

Comment Spam

Side note...

You may notice something new added to my blog when you go to leave a comment. I have noticed that I am getting 'comment spam' now so I have added this feature to try to eliminate the spam. When you leave a comment just fill in the word you see before your publish your comment.

Sick, Sick, Sick...

I took my first sick day of the year on Friday. I could not sleep Thursday night and I felt awful on Friday morning so I decided to call in sick. I hoped that if I laid low on Friday I may feel better on Saturday so I spent all Friday either sleeping or resting. I went out only one time and that was to get some soup for dinner.

And I thought it may work because I woke up Saturday (or should I say I was woken up Saturday) feeling much better. I was woken up by the sound of my telephone... Victor was calling me to see if I wanted to go with him to the park. Since it was early (at least for me... he woke me up pre-9am) I stopped by Starbucks and got myself a white chocolate mocha before meeting him at Piedmont Park. He also brought his dog for the walk and we ended up at the dog playground in the park. The playground was a fenced in area where all the dogs could run around and I was amazed at the number of people there.

After the park I was going to go back to my apartment to sleep but realized that I had some books I needed to return to the library and I really needed to get the address on my license updated. So, I headed out to the library and exchanged my books and found the DMV. Luckily I brought one the of the books in with me because I sat at the DMV for 2 hours to get the addresses changed and I read one of the books, He's Just Not That Into You, completely. It was actually a really good book... just practical advice. As I was reading it I found out it was written by some of the writers from the HBO series Sex and the City, which I absolutely love. They made a ton of references to the TV show which I found fabulous!

When I got home I thought that 'sweating out a cold' would be a good way to verify the cold was gone so I laid by the pool for a few hours. I then caught back up with Victor and we played some tennis at a local park. We were going to play at the court here at my complex but there were already people playing and luckily Victor took a wrong turn on his way over and found the park that we ended up going to. After tennis I made us some dinner and then watched the movie White Chicks.

I was feeling pretty good last night and thought that I may have won the war with my cold but I woke up this morning and realized that I may have won the battle yesterday but not the war, yet. I felt horrible! And, I had used up my daytime cold medicine yesterday so on my way to church I stopped by the local CVS pharmacy to pick up more. After church I thought that I would lay out by the pool again but I felt too sick. I have stayed in for the rest of the day. Through out this weekend I have gone thru 2 boxes of Kleenex! I am now out and am in no mood to run to the store to pick up more... so I guess I will be using bathroom tissue for the rest of the night and stopping by the store again tomorrow.

Cough, Cough!

So, I got the registration taken care of on Tuesday at lunch... I am legal again!! It was quite easy to get the tags taken care of but now I need to get my license change into my new address which means a very long line. I will probably get that taken care of on Saturday.

Well, after church on Sunday I did about my most favorite thing (for one of the last times this year (pout, pout)... I laid out at the pool!! I love to do that. I met a few people while I was laying out this time too which was different. There are generally a lot of people there but I generally keep to myself and read... good downtime. But these people were from the apartment complex across the street but they say we have the better pool!! I have not been to the other pool but I would have to agree... hehe!

On Monday, Labor Day, I worked! We are a 24 x 7 operation, I could have taken the day off if I wanted, but for working I got some extra money and a few extra vacation days so I don't feel bad about working! I am saving up money now to buy a couch and the extra vacation days will come in handy because I have quite a few visitors coming down in the next few months!!

On Monday night I went to Piedmont Park, which is quite close to where I live and went for a run. I am getting back into working out again and figured that would be a pretty place to go. I felt a little out of place there though... I think I was the only person with out a dog!! Everyone seemed to have one! Victor told me I could borrow his puppy and take it for a run but it is a Rottweiler and it is huge... so I think it would have more taken me for a run!! After working out I stopped by Sean's house for dinner (once again made by his parents and YUMM) and Will & Grace. It was fun as always!

Tuesday was not a good day for me... I started feeling this little tickle in my throat. Hmm...

Then on Wednesday I got a call from my friend Jody, who I haven't heard from in years!! Actually, let me back up.. Jody was one of my best friends and we had met while working at the Sveden House. She got married a couple of years ago and I was in her wedding. Not long after that she and I both moved and we had lost touch. Then a couple of weeks ago she sends me a letter (she sent it to my parents house which was forwarded to me by them) and I replied back. In the letter I found out she is pregnant!! So, last night she called me up and we had a good conversation. Her and her husband are living outside of Detroit and manage a campground and are getting ready for the baby.

After my conversation with Jody my friend Victor came over and I cooked us dinner. I think he was pretty impressed... dinner was good and I am not known for making meals!! Generally I am much better at being the guest then the hostess!

And on Thursday I felt a little bit worse...

And now today... I think I am sick!! I have felt like I have a good head cold all day... yuck!! I went to the local Walgreens and got some medicine and I am laying low tonight.

I got my ride back!!

As I write this I am getting the pictures uploaded to the blog... hopefully I will get them all uploaded tonight.

Well, I do now have my car back!!! I called on the registration and they stated since my car is a 2002 and it is now 3 years old I need to get an emissions test done. I let them know my situation and they stated that if I pay for the taxes I can get the paper that will allow me to get the car out of impound.

So, on my lunch on Thursday I was able to get the paper registration and after work Sean drove me back down to the towing company and we were able to get my car back!! Then we went back to his house and his parents made dinner for everyone, which was very good as always. After dinner Sean’s parents went home, Lisa (Sean's sister) went to sleep, and Sean and I watched a few episodes of Will & Grace!! Actually, we probably watched 1, maybe 2 episodes, before we each passed out on the couch.

Yesterday evening my friend Chris and I went to a couple of bars in Buckhead for drinks and dancing. We started at Hole in the Wall and danced on their platform until they stopped the music and then walked downstairs to another bar and danced some more there until they closed up.

Today I did all of the car things I needed to in order to get my tags for my car... I got my oil changed and passed the emissions test. I did the oil change at Sears so I could walk around the mall while I waited. I did find a few cute pairs of earring that I bought!

I now have a list of things that I want to accomplish tonight that I need to get to... wish me luck!!

Save a horse, Ride a COWBOY!!

Right now I am on my way to CHICAGO!!! One of my uncles on my Dad's side of the family is getting married this weekend so I am on my way there. My brother, cousins, and I are planning on going out tonight around the town and then the wedding will be on Saturday.

My past week has pretty much been me getting ready for this trip!

On Monday I hung out with my friend Sean and his family. His parents went to his and his sister, Lisa's house and cooked dinner which, as always, was very good!!

On Tuesday Sean let me do laundry at his house so I could have some clean clothes for the trip! I have a hookup for a washer and dryer in my apartment but I haven't bought them yet. Lisa and their mom visited their grandfather (or father, respectively) in the hospital and then Lisa, Sean and I watched hours of Will & Grace!! We LOVE that show!! It is so funny!!

Wednesday was packing night and I got most of everything packed up and got it all to fit in 1 suitcase!! I was so proud of myself!! I did bring two suitcases figuring I will probably be bringing home more than I am taking with me. That some how always seems to happen!

Yesterday I visited with my friend Victor. He cooked dinner (I love having friends who know how to cook!!) and we watched the very last episode of Six Feet Under!! How I have got so hooked on that show after only watching a few episodes but it was so good!! I am now going to start from the beginning and watch all the episodes!! He will be going to Miami with a whole bunch of friends the day after I get back from my vacation and has invited me to meet him down there and hang out at the beach... I just have to see if I can get Friday off from work and see if I can still afford it after this weekend. It would be so much fun as long as I can get it to work!!!





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I am now on the flight back from Flint to Atlanta... vacations are never long enough!!

Here is the recap of the extended weekend:

I arrived without a problem in Chicago's Midway Airport. My mom came in to get me while my Dad and Dan drove around the airport and waited for us. It only took a few minutes for the bags to arrive and mine was one of the first out!!

We went to Uncle Kevin and Donna's new place. I met Donna's children, Kelly and Kevin (aka Buddy). On the way to their house we passed a Harley shop so you know when we left their house we went right there. My mom found some new pants and my Dad and Dan found some Harley shirts.

On Friday night the 'kids' went to downtown Chicago. Dan, my cousin's Adam and Marie, their friends Josh and Melissa, and I all rode in Uncle Rogor and Aunt Sherry's van and it took a little over an hour to drive down there and find some parking. Marie and Melissa had been told about a club downtown that was good so we got directions from the bartender at the bar in our hotel. We didn't find it while driving but knew we were close so we decided to walk around to find it, that way we could ask for directions.

While walking one of the bouncers at another club said we all could get in without paying cover so we decided to go for it. There were quite a few people already there, I was surprised since we got there around 10:30 pm but there were not many people on the dance floor, so of course we took it over!! The 6 of us had a great time dancing to the music and within a few songs the dance floor was packed!! After about an hour or so the music selection that the DJ was playing started to go downhill so we decided to go on a hunt for the club we had originally came for.

After asking around we found out we were only about 2 blocks from the club, called Bar Chicago. When we got there the music was going and there were a lot of people on the dance floor. We got a couple of drinks and then decided to start dancing. We saw there were a few people dancing on the elevated DJ booth and Marie and I wanted to join. So after a few songs we asked the DJ if we could dance there too and he was more than happy to let us dance up there!! It was a ton of fun since we were now dancing well above everyone else!!

After a few songs Marie and I decided to go back to dancing with the rest of our party. But the DJ stated that they needed to have girls dancing on the bar... Marie and I were more than happy to oblige. We spent quite a while dancing on the bar… and when we looked down we had a circle of guys around us watching. Quickly Dan, Adam, and Josh stepped into action and became our body guards and stood between us and the rest of the boys but there were a ton of pictures being taken!! We felt like celebrities!!

Saturday was the wedding party!! I have a ton of pictures from the reception on my camera that will soon be added. After the beautiful wedding was the dinner and reception. We heard a lot about how wild Donna's family is and how we had competition but by the end of the night we were being called CRAZY by her family!! You will see why from some of the pictures! After the usual rituals and the 'salutes' the hunting boys did their normal hunting ritual... bringing out the Butter Shots. We then danced and danced and danced some more.

After the reception we went back to the hotel. In our hotel was a bar that a few people had talked about going to so we took the party back to the hotel bar. We didn't have high expectations to begin with but the bar was 2 stories and had a pretty good dance floor and had an elevated stage that Marie and I quickly found and decided we would soon take it over. But there was 1 problem... there was no one dancing!! This problem was quickly and easily rectified by the same 6 as the last night and my parents. We started dancing away and quickly Marie and I were on the stage and getting free drinks from the DJ. We spent the rest of the night rocking away.

The next day my family and I drove to Grand Rapids and saw my Grandpa in the Vets facility. Aunt Linda was there and took our picture with Grandpa... if I get the picture I will add it to the blog. Uncle Rogor drove his new motorcycle over so we could see it as well. Grandpa was doing pretty good but he was very sleepy since he had not had his nap yet that day. Grandma was also there giving him a recap from the wedding.

That night I went out with my friend Angie and her husband Kevin (whose wedding I just went to in Jamaica). Angie showed me around her new house and then we went out to Buffalo Wild Wings (aka BW's) and had a few drinks. Kevin is a manager there so we met him there after his shift. The place brand new and really nice. There are like 40 or 50 TVs all over the restaurant and bar... there is even TVs in the restrooms! We played some games and caught up a little bit.

Angie then drove me home and we got pulled over by the police!! We had no clue why either since she was driving the speed limit and we had been chatting. After he asked for her license, proof of insurance and registration he had to take a few minutes to get all the information right because her name and address had just changed and the names and addresses on all of her documentation were different on each piece of identification. He then stated that the reason he had pulled her over is that she had her brights on and when he flashed his lights at her she didn't turn hers off. On her dashboard she had a wedding picture in front of her symbol showing that her brights were on so she didn't even know they were on. He didn't give her a ticket but told her not to drive in the city with her brights on anymore.

Later that night my friend Sean called from Atlanta to inform me that he wasn't able to pick up my car on Friday night and when he went on Sunday to pick it up it was no longer there!! Luckily later I found out it had been towed and not stolen but it make for a fun few days as my Mom had been quite curious to find out what had actually happened to my car. He and I will be picking up my car this afternoon when I get back in to Atlanta. Also speaking of Atlanta I picked the perfect time to be gone with Hurricane Katrina plowing thru... I have been very lucky that with every big hurricane I have been up in Michigan and have not had to be around for the high winds and lots of rain!!

On Monday Dad, Dan and I went up to Sebewaing and had Rosties at Sportys Bar. It was the first time I was allowed to go with the guys and get a Rostie... I was a little nervous at first because I was told it was a combination of a hot dog and a bratwurst (and I like neither) but they are really good!! After my Rostie we all went and checked out the hunting blinds that Dan and Dad have set up. I went up into a blind too!! We then visited Grandma at their house and picked up Aunt Dawn and Uncle Scott's camper for my parent to take up to Mackinaw this weekend.

At night Grandma, Grandpa, and Dawn came over to my parents house and we had Butt-Pan Chicken for dinner... YUMMMM!!! My dad takes full chickens and seasons them and then uses a can of beer and cooks them on the grill. We all chatted and caught up on all the current events. It was a lot of fun to have a night to be with my family.

On Tuesday my Mom, Dad, and I went shopping around Bay City and at at Jimmy John's... I so wish there was one in Atlanta!! We went to Mill Ends, which is having a going out of business sale at the Bay City location and I got 2 belts... at a penny each!! Can't get any cheaper without them being free!! We also went around the Bay City Mall and MEIJERS!! If I could bring any shopping center back with me to Altanta it would be Meijers... there is nothing like it any where around me. I got a black set of salt and pepper shakers while we were there.

At night we picked up Angie and had dinner at Tommy V's... the best pizza in the world!! After dinner we went to Double J's... Angie's parents bar and had a few drinks. There was a Texas Hold'em Tournament going on so her mother did not have much time to sit but we had a lot of fun seeing her keep busy!!

Today my parents and I went shopping at Birch Run... there is a Pottery Barn outlet there and I found the exact couch that I want in the price range that I was looking!! Unfortunately I have no way of getting it back to my house so I will have to keep my eyes open down by my house to see if I can find a Pottery Barn outlet close and see if they have the couch there as well. I did however find a ton of cute cloths at the Banana Republic store!!

After I got off the plane Sean picked me up and took me to get my car from the towing company. I had to get my registration out of the car and when I took the registration in the lady behind the counter says to me 'I need your CURRENT registration.' I couldn't believe it... to add insult to injury my registration expired on August 9. So, now I have been dropped off at home and I am getting the information together to get my registration renewed tomorrow and Sean will take me back to get my car tomorrow. Wish me luck!!

Not too much new has been going on for me... but I thought I would update anyway.

I have been reading the book Le Divorce and which is what the movie is based on. I am very curious now as to what is better... the book or the movie. So, when I am done with the book I will watch the movie.

Yesterday I spent the evening with one of my friends. He lives by the Braves stadium and there was a game going on so it was a little busy around his house but I found parking alright. We took his dog for a walk, ate dinner, and then I helped him get together some information for a paper he is writing for one of his classes while watching this weeks episode of Six Feet Under. Somehow I got hooked on that show when there were only about 5 episodes left and Sunday is the last episode. Now I will have to go back to the beginning and watch the episodes from the start.

The week in review

So, the latest update from the ATL...

My job has been CRAZY busy lately that we have decided that we need to make a t-shirt named after the NOC and call it CHAOTIC!!! I generally go in early, don't take a lunch, and then leave a few hours late and I am still buried!! They (or at least I have heard it said before) 'work hard, play hard' so on Friday a few friends and I decided to have another night on the town.

We started out at my house. It was all people from work so we spent quite a while talking about work... not much fun on a Friday night so we went out went to a bar called The Mark. There was a big event going on that they called The Pharmacy and it was supposed to be a big event. One of my friends has gone to this bar a couple of times before and said that generally when there is an even like this the place is packed but there were surprisingly few people there. But, we still had a ton of fun and spent the night dancing away!!

On Saturday I really wanted to lay out by the pool and when I woke up it was sunny... I was so excited. I really wanted to read a book while lying out so I went to the library and picked one out, came home, and got changed. As I was walking to the pool the sky clouded over and started to sprinkle!! I thought "well, I will try to wait it out" but by the time I got to the mailboxes to pick up my mail it was pouring. I walked back home and it rained the rest of the night!! So, I spent the afternoon watching my new TV. I then went to a friend's house and a few of us played Monopoly. I hadn't played that game in so long; it was a lot of fun.

Yesterday a couple of friends were supposed to stop by my house and work on a school project for one of my friends, so on Sunday morning after church I went to the supermarket and got some food to make us for dinner. When I got home it was (finally) sunny out so I went to the pool and laid out (yeah!!) for a few hours! It felt so good to be out by the pool in the sun! After I had gotten enough sun (I was starting to burn) I went home and started getting food together. One of my friends showed up but the friend that we were doing the project for didn't.

So, instead of doing work we watched TV... not just any TV either... we watched the HDTV channels on my TV. And what was playing on my HDTV you ask... GOLF. HEHEHE!! It was crazy how clear it was since the cameras were high-definition as well as my TV and the channel. After watching golf we went to his house and his family all stopped by and we ate a huge dinner that was so good!! Yummm! After dinner we watched the new Phantom of the Opera movie and played Monopoly again! It was a lot of fun!

Since I had food that I had planned on making last night a friend came over this evening and we ate dinner of chicken and corn on the cob. I made chicken with a recipe that one of my cousins had given me and it was so good!!

The Day After

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

The original plans changed... but I still had so much fun the entire night!! We had planned on a group of us going out to eat at a restaurant in the city but changed plans for the evening to drinks, but we were not quite sure where to go. So, we all met up at my apartment to finalize the evening plans and we came up with a new bar next to my apartment called PieBar which was built in an old building of a bank. The bar has only been opened for about two weeks and it was packed. But it was very open and it was different because it had a lot of windows so we could see out... and since there was a storm going thru the area it was cool to see outside.

We drank a few bottles of wine there before heading off to one.midtown kitchen. The style of each bar was completely different but both places are restaurant/bars owned by same people, and the people that I went out with know them! We had a lot of fun drinking and talking there before a few of us went back to my apartment and listened to music and danced!!

I had a GREAT birthday night!!

August 3, 2005

I wrote the following on August 3, 2005 but was unable to post because I couldn't keep Internet access long enough... so here it is now...


I now have a TV!!! Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!! I ordered the TV online about a month ago and it seemed to take forever to get here but it was well worth the wait!! I get cable hooked up on Friday!

Since they delivered the TV yesterday I took the day off work and it was a beautiful day to have off!! I spent the morning by the pool getting some sun. After the TV was delivered I spent the afternoon shopping for the stuff to go with the TV. I got a DVD player as well. I now need something to put the TV on... but that can wait until I find the exact one I want.

Today I had to go back to work and then after work I went with a friend to Sam’s Club and got myself a set of pots and pans. It is a really nice set and it is actually the same one that my friend had and it came highly recommended. Now to learn how to cook with them… hehe!!

I HAVE ACCESS!!

I now have Internet access and cable television!! Woo Hoo!!

I got my cable installed on Friday... they were supposed to be at my apartment sometime between 5pm and 8pm to install the cable but at 8pm no one had shown up so I gave Comcast a call. They said that there was a technician still scheduled to be at my location but they were running behind (obviously) and someone would be here by 8:45pm. At 9pm I called again... this time they said that there was someone still on their way but they didn't know when they would show up. I was so happy at 10:30pm when the cable guy finally showed up!! It didn't take him too long and I had cable!!

I didn't have them install my Internet access at the same time because it would have cost $100... and me installing it myself... free (I love free)!! So, this morning I got up and drove to Comcast and picked up the cable modem.

After I picked up the modem a friend and I went all over Atlanta looking for furniture for my apartment. In particular, we were looking for a computer desk, a couch, and a stand for my television. After a couple hours of searching and being no closer to actually finding any of the above we decided to give up the search and visit another friend for dinner.

We ate dinner and then washed our vehicles... then they had homework to do so I went to Ikea and there I did find a computer desk!! It is the perfect size (small) for my apartment. The only problem with Ikea is that I had to put the desk together myself and it gave me a challenge for about two hours!! It is now set up and I have my computer on it and it looks fabulous!!

Once I got the table set up I worked on the Internet access. It took a little bit of troubleshooting on my end and a phone call to Comcast to get the service working but I now have Internet!! Once I got the cable modem working I put together my wireless network so I can get my laptop online anywhere in my apartment!! I was so proud when I got it all set up!!

Now it is time for me to go to bed!! I am so sleepy!! Have a great night!!

Hey Hey Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey :)

I am so sorry it has been so long since my last update!! So, since it has been a while I will have to make this post extra long!! Hehe!!

I am pretty much moved into my new place now... and I am paying my second months rent so I guess it is no longer my new place... but close enough!! My TV is scheduled to arrive at my house on Tuesday and I am so excited!! I never realized how much I watch TV until I didn't have one anymore. I tried to schedule the cable company to come out on the same day but they were not able to make it so will be getting cable and Internet access on Friday.

What I have been doing to keep myself busy in the meantime...

On Sunday I went to brunch with a friend of mine at a place called Highland Tap. What is different about Atlanta (and what people make fun of me for) is that everyone here calls breakfast 'Brunch.' They tease me when I call it breakfast.

In the evening I went to another friend's house so I could do my laundry. There were a few people over so one person cooked us dinner... yummy!! This friend has both a TV and cable (LUCKY!!!) so we were able to watch cable television!!

On Monday I got most of my pictures hung up around my apartment. I still have a LOT of things that I need to get yet... a couch, vacuum, some more pictures to hang up on my walls (they are so bare) and some patio furniture but nothing that is too urgent (well, maybe the vacuum).

On Wednesday I went to watch the move 'Sahara' outside downtown. Georgia Tech put on, what they called, Flicks on the 5th where they played free movies outdoors on a big screen. I didn't realize that they have been doing this all summer... and this one was the last one!! They had some chairs that people could sit on but I brought a blanket and sat on that.

I was a little nervous because when I got home from work it started to thunderstorm so I checked online (my Mom would have been proud!) and saw that there was really only one cell coming thru so I decided to make a go of the movie. When I first got there it sprinkled and it stayed that way for about 10 or 15 minutes... but when it was over 90 degrees outside the rain really didn't feel too bad. In fact, it felt pretty good!! It only rained 1 other time during the movie and that was right at the end. The movie was so cute and it was a ton of fun to watch it outdoors!! I know there are a few other places around Atlanta that does outdoor movies like that but most have finished already for the season... I am looking online now to see if there is anywhere else in Atlanta that is still putting them on.

On Thursday I went to a friend's house after work and ate dinner and watched TV with him and his sister. We watched DVD's of a TV show called 'Moonlighting.' We have been watching a lot of that show lately because they do not have cable so they have been getting movies and TV shows from Netflicks.com that we have been watching. During one of the shows his friend called up and informed us that he was stranded because his car battery had died so we helped him get a new battery... which ended up as a good adventure for the evening!!

Yesterday a friend and I went to a birthday party for a friend of a friend. We went out to eat at a restaurant called D|B, which was downtown, and then went out dancing at a few different clubs. There was a group of about 10 to 15 of us at the to begin with but by the end there was only 3 of us left dancing! It was so fun to go but I have been so tired all day today!!

After we left the last spot we were at we ended up driving around down town a little bit and wound up at the grave of Martin Luther King, Jr. I had not been to there before but it was amazing... they have the grave outside surrounded by a pool of water. It’s hard to imagine, now a day, all that was going on in this town and in towns all across America when he was alive. There are a lot of museums close by there that I eventually want to go see.

I guess this brings you up to date on my social happenings down here... hehe!! Hope all is going well for anyone reading this!! Hope you are keeping busy and having fun!!

If you could take a prayer request for me... a friend of mine's grandfather is in the hospital. I guess he has been sick for quite a while now and they think there are problems with his heart and he is refusing surgery or a pace maker at this time. Please keep his family in your prayers.

The Weekend!

Hope you had a great week!!

A friend of mine visited my new place toda ay...nd after the 2 and 1/2 minute tour (it's a small place) we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the pool, but the weather had different plans. After about an hour it started to rain, so we packed everything up and went downtown for a few minutes and then to their house so I could do some laundry and they cooked us dinner. We checked the weather channel and it looked like a ton of rain coming so I didn’t stay to long in fear of bad driving conditions... I don’t like to drive in the rain at night.

After about an hour of being at home it pretty much cleared up so I went to Krogers and did some grocery shopping and I came home and made a strawberry pie!! Yumm!!

Tomorrow I am hoping to go to see West Side Story playing at the theater downtown. Should be fun!!

My mom sent me down a package that I received today… it had some towels and drinking glasses which is very helpful in my quest to fill up this apartment. My next big purchase will be a tv... it is very quiet in my apartment without one!

FIREWORKS!

Yesterday a group of people all outside Atlanta to celebrate the fourth of July... we went to my friend's Dad's house and took a trunk load of fireworks. His Dad grilled outside and some of the neighbors brought over some food as well
(yummmmmmmmmm)!! The food was excellent!!

When we first got there it was sprinkling and it ended up pouring for a while. They set up a tent outside that everyone could stand under but luckily the rain didn't last very long and by the time we were ready to set off fireworks it was beautiful and a star filled night. There were so many different fireworks as well... a lot that were shot into the sky… very beautiful! It was a ton of fun!!


Today after work I went to my apartment after work and there was no power!! It was crazy! I live about 15 - 20 minutes away from where I work and all but like 1 mile is expressway. Well, I got off at my exit today and realized that the stop sign is not working... hmmm... so of course everyone is doing there own thing and people are almost getting into accidents... in order for me to get to my apartment from the way i went home today I basically have to circle around the complex. The circle around the complex seriously can not be more than 2 miles... but it took me almost a half
hour to do the circle!! Crazy!

Nothing left for me to do but DANCE!

I got most of my stuff moved over to the new place on Thursday… the rest will be moved tomorrow am. It is so funny how little I actually own!! It still looks like no one lives in my apartment. But, it gives me a wonderful excuse to go shopping!! Love it!

I went out dancing last night and had the most fabulous time. I went with my friend I have been staying with and we met a friend of his out there!! We had so much fun dancing and they played a couple of Napoleon Dynamite songs so that made it even more fun!

Your Mom Goes to College

No new updates in one month... I am such a slacker!! I will definitely work on updating more often!

Well, the big news for me is that I just got a new apartment yesterday and I will be able to move into it sometime this week. The people that I had been living with and I decided that we need to separate… so on Friday night I stayed with a friend of mine and then Saturday I got the new apartment. My friend is letting me stay with them until my place is available. I sent out an email with my new address on it… if I was terrible and forgot to include you please let me know and I will give you my new address.

So, now I get to go shopping!!! Oh so terrible, right. LOL. Ikea opens up here in Atlanta on the June 29 so I am very excited about that. Also, there are Pottery Barns and other really nice furniture stores downtown so I am sure I will have a ton of fun picking out new things.

Finally Updated

Oh my... it has been so long since I have updated this blog!! Well, a lot of things have happened in the past few weeks...

Two weeks ago I went downtown to Piedmont Park and spent the afternoon enjoying the beautiful weather. The park is beautiful as well. It is about 2 miles outside of downtown Atlanta so it has the city as the back drop, which I love!! There is a pond in the center of the park and when I was there, there was a man singing and playing guitar on one end with a microphone so you could hear the music through out the park. It was very relaxing and a lot of fun.

Then, the Thursday after that, one of my roommates and I went to Fox Theater and watched Disney's "On the Record"... which was fabulous!! The show is a compilation of Disney songs. It was a lot of fun to hear a different mix of the Disney songs that I already knew. My favorite was when they sang the song "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast but they sang it in many different languages!! It was amazing to hear the song that you know but with a twist!

This weekend I went with a friend from work to Six Flags here in Atlanta. We may have picked the wrong weekend (Memorial Weekend) because it was packed but we had a lot of fun! We were there about 6 hours and were only able to ride 5 rides but we bought season passes since we live so close so we can go back and ride other rides (or if there are other people who want to go with me they can). My favorite ride was called Deja vu. Instead of starting by going forward over a hill it pulled you backwards and completely vertical so that you are facing the ground and then shoots you thru the ride. You go thru the ride and then end vertical again before it shoots you backwards thru the entire ride. We sat in the last car so when the car was vertical we were the highest in the air!!

Today I am planning on going back to Piedmont Park with one of my roommates for the Jazz Festival. Sounds like fun to me!!