Spring has officially sprung y'all

You can certainly tell that Spring is in the air. More people hogging the treadmills trying to get bikini ready. Easter bunnies - chocolate and real, furry ones sold in mass quantities (Eeeeeek I want one!). And pollen coating your car the second it sees daylight.

In honor of the cold weather finally going buh-bye for the next 6 months, I too say fairwell to my trusty boot collection. Thank you Pinterest for allowing me to find a way to keep my boots looking fresh, and not folded over, when I pull them out at the first signs of fall. With the assistance of a reliable and sharp pair of scissors, cut some pool noodles and insert ever-so-delicately in your boot. Wam! You're done. This will keep them nice and erect all year long. I'll add this to my list of Pinterest-Inspired Projects!

One of my favorite things to do when it's nice out is go to the zoo. Don't ask me why. I just like it. This past Saturday I babysat my sweet little godson, with the help of one very helpful boyfriend. Despite the quarter century age gap, they have a lot of similarities. The most endearing trait, other than thinking that I'm the most amazing thing since sliced bread...they both get ice cream wasted. Which is precisely what happened at the zoo. Check out my little Cookies-n-Cream Baby Bug. What a little lush.

Another Spring Time activity that I wouldn't say I love to do, but will happily do sporadically is attend a Braves game. Lucky me, I went to 2 during Opening Week. A bit too much for my liking, but what are you supposed to do if all your friends are doing it? You do it too. Unless they're getting face tattoos. Or going to an Anne Hathaway movie. Then you can count me out.

So I went to Opening Day on April 1st. No joke here...the Braves really impressed me. Plus I got a new hair bow in my Easter basket that I just had to show off (left). My Easter Honey-Bunny really knows the way to my heart. Oh and here we are again (right)...just 6 days later when the Braves sent the poor little Cubbies scrambling home in search of Mama Bear. It was a truly sad performance for Chicago. Sorry boutcha.

Notice that pink tint on my shoulders? At first glance you may say, "Hey, she ran The Color Run the day before, I bet she couldn't scrub all the color off". Yes my friends, that's what I want you to think. In reality...my skin is the color of snow and standing in the sun to tailgate for an hour gave me the grossest tan lines ever. I need the beach, or at very least a pool day...STAT.

Speaking of The Color Run...aka The Happiest 5K on Earth...it was on Saturday and in fact, a very fun run. I made a tutu (which some lady offered me $10 to take off and give to her during the race. I said "Show me the money, lady"). The race isn't timed, and wasn't actually a full 5K (it was only 2.7 miles), and there were probably between 25-50k people, and it was an hour outside the city....so the more I think about it, the less I actually liked it. Whatever, still checking that sucker off my list.

My very nice and generous boyfriend ran ahead to finish before me, then when he finally saw me dumped an entire packet of blue color on my head because I wasn't colorful enough. Such a sweet guy, I'm so lucky....blue is my favorite color :)

The next thing I get to cross off my list is Number 33 - Ride A Bike. After getting off work yesterday, the bf and I decided to take a leisurely bike ride. He rides his bike all the time. I however, haven't been on an actual bike (I like to stick to the stationary ones) since I was roughly 10 and in a very bad bicycle accident. Time to get back in the saddle...Literally.  So I hopped on his brothers bike and we went out for our ride. 7 miles later we got back home. I was tired. My butt hurt. My wrists hurt (mainly from squeezing the brakes every time I got over 8mph). I was hungry. But hey, he cooked me dinner and documented the ride, so I can't complain too much. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Until next time,

L

A Little Help From My Friends

I've spent the last 10 minutes reading my list over and over again. I have to say, I'm not sure where we go from here.

I have several projects in the works:

• I'm planning a west coast trip, which will also knock off a state I've never been to. The plan is to zip over to Seattle, Portland, and LA the first week of July. Time to start saving/booking/doing. 
• I'll be doing the Color Run 5k on April 6th. So I can check the "fun run" off my list. Sadly, I doubt I'll be running it the entire time, so that one will have to wait.
• I have t-shirts piled up in the corner of my living room. Yes, they are in the shape of quilt squares (Yay I made it that far). No, I still haven't unwrapped my sewing machine from Christmas. 
• The camping with friends is somewhat planned. If I tell you anymore, I'll have to kill you. 
• I'll be hosting a housewarming/stock the bar party in June. It's going to feel oh-so-good to play Hostess with the Mostest again. That should also add a couple Pinterest inspired recipes to the ol' list. 

Until these things start happening...I'm going to need some help from my darling friends/family/blog readers/whoever you are. 

I need suggestions for:

• Random Acts of Kindness
• Touristy Things to do in Atlanta - I can think of several things, but I want some input from y'all. Best places to eat, best things to do, what things should I NOT miss out on...
• Inspirational Quotes - obviously it's easy enough for me to use Google, but I'd prefer to get them from people whose lives the quotes actually touched. 
• If you have a goal you need help with, I'm your girl. Let me know

In other news. I tried out some pretty awesome places in the month of March. Last night I ate at a lovely little Mexican place in East Atlanta near Grant Park, Mezcalito's. I had a delicious ground beef quesadilla. The real star of the show however, was my sweet little JBug - who fell asleep eating his food 2 weeks earlier. The server immediately came to our table and said "Ahhhhh, I remember him! That sleepy little guy who wouldn't let go of his quesadilla!!!" Yes ma'am, that's the one. Note: yes that is green rice, and yes it's delicious. 

I was also lucky enough to zoom down to MIA for a wedding weekend with my man. His good friend from home was marrying one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Seriously - gorgeous. They had the rehearsal dinner at Perricone's which nailed the rustic, yet elegant, yet Miami feel perfectly. The food was yummy. The wine was flowing (as you can see, my wine glass is nearly overflowing). And I woke up with a killer hangover that only Florida sunshine would cure. Well played, Miami. Well played. 

And tonight, I finally get to go to a place I've been dying to try since I moved here. Antico Pizza. An authentic Italian pizza place, complete with wood burning oven and BYOB, it is sure to be simply delicious. And a perfect start to a perfect date night. Yay!

Ok well, feed me with suggestions and maybe I'll feed you with authentic Italian pizza. Fair trade, right? 

Until next time,

L

Brought to you by the letter...

So one of the things on my list is to take a picture for every letter of the alphabet. Well, after giving it some serious thought in addition to flipping through various pages online of photographers who specialize in this, I decided, "Eh, I'm not doing it". Instead, I'm going to list my favorite things alphabetically (with pictures - who wants to actually read something when they can just look at pictures, right?). Here we go:

A  Alice in Wonderland. By far one of the betchiest Disney characters of all time. Apple Products. Can you live without your iPhone, iPad, iPod (well yes because this isn't 2004),  MacBook Pro (ok I don't have one, but that's what my bf is for), Apple TV, iHome? It may seem a bit excessive but Apple products will change your life.

B Bows - on my clothes, on my wrist, on my fingers, dangling from my neck or earlobes. Bows in my hair, tying presents, on pillows, shoes, or purses. Put a bow on it. It will make it look a MILLION times better. I swear. Betch as a lifestyle. Not sure what I mean by that? Click for all things Betchy. Bubble Baths. Seriously. How good does that bath look? Wine, bubbles, a garden tub...what more could you possibly want in life? Oh yeah, more bows. Birthdays. My favorite holiday, by far. It's a day where literally the world revolves around you. You don't have to worry about what you eat - because calories don't exist. You don't have to worry about getting other people gifts (this ain't Christmas). You don't have to worry about being nice or thoughtful - because it's YOUR day. I was also born on Father's Day, the best present I could have possibly given my Dad. I'm also really good at giving gifts, so if it's your birthday and you're on my good side, you might get a little somethin somethin...and it will be AWESOME.


C Chicago - A place I almost went to Grad School. A place with an entire mile of shopping. A place where your pizza is as deep as the river that runs through the city. Swoon. I have a love affair with that place, if you can't tell. Chandelier Bar in Las Vegas. Champagne. Someone recently asked me: Mimosa or Bellini? I said, "neither just give me the bottle and get out of my face". And last but certainly not least: Cheese (the dairy product as well as my boyfriend's silly nickname).

D Disney. I freaking love it. Can't get enough. Growing up outside of Orlando will do that to you. Walt Disney: Genius. Disney animation: Pixar can't even come close. The Magic Kingdom: Legit the happiest place on earth. And I swear if I don't go to the brand new Fantasyland soon, I'm gonna throw a fit (like the Queen of Hearts..."All ways here are the Queens Way" - Such a wise woman). Diamonds. The really big, sparkly rocks and my sorostitutes. My parents paid good money for you...What up sisters <>!!! Drake. Love him...mainly because he gave me a shout out at his concert one time. If you don't believe me, I have witnesses..."Girl in the brown shirt, I see you right there," -Drizzy.

E Egypt. I know it's technically not the safest place in the world right now, but I want to, I need to, I HAVE to go there. I truly believe I'm Cleopatra's third cousin twice removed and about hundreds of years younger. I mean, have you seen me do cat eyes? Another fact to support this claim - I look better with dark hair than I do blonde. This proves it. I'm obviously Egyptian and I need to visit my homeland. Ellen. Homegirl can dance. She's witty. She's rich. She's famous. She's in love. Role Model. Etsy. Damn you for creating a site where people can sell cute things that I can't make...handmade jewelry, monogrammed baby crap, customized hangers...here's one of my favorite Etsy items. Not the pirate, the headband.

F Frozen bevs. I'd prefer if all drinks could come frozen. Do not, I repeat DO NOT let me loose in a place like Fat Tuesday's or Wet Willies. I will pass out with my drink clutched to my hand (probably getting frostbite). Fat Apps. One of the greatest contributions the city of Tampa made, was introducing me to a gentleman with a strong affinity to use the Fat App. A app that takes your face and stretches it in certain points to make you obese. This man showed me an entire album on his iPhone....literally 75 pictures of nothing but his friends + Fat App. Feast your eyes on my double chin. I guess I need to lay off the Kalteen Bars.

G Gossip Girl. What show can strong you along for 6 seasons, not giving you even the slightest hint about who GG actually is. When GG was actually revealed, it was like, "Oh duh. The only one who can actually write. The outsider wanting to be an insider. The one with a weird love/hate relationship with Serena. I mean, she got the brunt of the blasts. Funny enough it was all rainbows and unicorns when they were dating, but every time a new guy sprung into her life, GG was full of fire and brimstone towards SVW. Totes makes sense. Gasparilla. A weekend where it is socially acceptable for grown folks to dress like, talk like, and drink like Pirates. Arrrrrrrrgh mateys...if ye be a landlover or sea urchin, make ye way to the Shore of the Bay (Bayshore Blvd) for a swashbuckling good time. P.S. Check out the badass cooler I painted for my main man.


H Handstands. I like to show off my 4th grade gymnastics skills and will gladly go into a handstand whenever the mood arises. This was at a Florida/Georgia game. Roughly 19 beers and 1/2 a bottle of Jack in. Slight exaggeration on the alcohol consumption. Feel free to scroll down to the "P" for another mega classy handstand pic. Go ahead. I'll wait right here.................mega classy, right?

I Italian everything. Italian food, clothing, culture, architecture, history, language, and my favorite...men. They really know how to treat their ladies.


J Jackie O. She had natural beauty, style, and grace. Plus that betch knew how to dress. Justin Timberlake. Easily one of the most talented men on this planet. He needs to be a full time on SNL, go on tour immediately, and star in a RomCom with Rachel McAdams. Just sayin. My little JBug. My baby nugget of a godson that I can't believe is sooooo big and full of personality. He's such a little ladies man. And the kid loves wearing high heels. Don't tell his Dad. Juicing. Recent obsession. My juicer is by far the most fun appliance in my kitchen.


K Kristen Bell. Also known as Sarah Marshall and the voice of Gossip Girl. She's one of the most sassy and underrated actresses in Hollywood. And who knew she loves sloths so much? Kayaking. Not saying I'm a pro or anything, but look what I caught on a kayak. Yes. That's a baby Hammerhead Shark. I also caught a Manta Ray, 2 crabs, and some weird fish all while floating along on the Intercoastal in a kayak. Ahhh, the life of a Florida Girl.




L Lions. Obvious one, being an ADPi and all. One goal I have in life is to buy a dog and shave it to look like a lion. Lil Wayne. My first rap love. There will always be a special place in my heart for you, tats, and syzurppp - just calm down a bit on that ish. Leo. Why must you die in every movie you're in? As long as it's only in the movies, Mr. DiCaprio.


M Movies. Even more specifically Mean Girls. I bet you probably could have guessed that I'm the Regina George of my friends. But that's only because my hair is insured for $10,000 and I just wanna lose 3 lbs. I'm working on obtaining my silver Lexus. Instead, I'll cruise around in my silver Altima with Shane Omen.

N Never Have I Ever. You will never learn more inappropriate things about another person so quickly than by playing this little game. It's also best to play with your besties, that way you can ruin their life if they ever decide to run for public office (PTA President included).

O OpenTable. Quite possibly the best website ever. Okay, one of the best. It singlehandidly brought back exclusivity by reinventing the reservation. Instead of the typical, annoying "Oh, I'm sorry the only open seats we have available for a party of 8 are at 4:30pm and 10pm", you simply sign online, look for availability and click a button. After so many reservations, they even give you money back. The only time you really encounter a problem is when you're trying to book a table for your party, and your bestie/boyfriend/grandmother also has an account and wants the points too.

P Pretty Little Liars. I know. I know. The plot is now absolutely ridiculous. Jason survived an elevator incident only to disappear from his hospital bed? There are multiple A's taking orders from girl in the red coat who might be dead Ali? Toby and Mona might be a thing while Spencer looks like she's been hit by a lovesick semi? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? ABC Family has about 4 more weeks until you lose me forever.  Pole Dancing. Don't give me that face, we already went over it in a previous post. But look how I worked a pole, even years ago (back in the Blonde Days).  Paris. I've never been, so I'm sure you're confused as to why it's on this list. Not only do I love crepes, croque monsieurs, and speak French but I have a bit of a fascination with the city and think we would get along parfaitement.


Q Queso. I'm still trying to figure out the best place in the city to consume my little obsession...I'll tell you where I won't be going to indulge: Chili's. Your queso is gross.

R RedBull (SugarFree preferably). I recently mixed SFRB with jello and vodka and made the most delicious jello shots known to man. Try it sometime. There was an incident during a RB event where I consumed roughly 12-15 SFRB's in a 12 hour sitting. I would highly advise against this. You live. You learn. You tone it down on the SFRB for a month so your friends don't think you have a problem. 

S Shoes - at one count in recent years, I had close to 100 pairs. I've since cleaned out and donated a good chunk of those, but still I'd guess I'm around 50-60. That's a pretty sick realization, isn't it. Skiing - a recent discovery. Feel free to read all about it in my previous post. Sour Candy. Preferably Sour Patch Kids or Shockers. A lesser known Willy Wonka brand candy. Most cringe at due to the mouth-puckeringly sour taste...I just love them. It's also really hard to find them at gas stations so please, by the entire case next time you see some. I'll pay you back, I swear. Sock Buns. The easiest and classiest way to do your hair in under 2 minutes. It's easier than straightening. You can dress it up or down. It looks like you put in a lot more effort than you actually did. My kind of hair accessory.

T Target. You can never make it out without purchasing 18 unnecessary items.

U The Original and Infamous - Ugly Cry Face. Originated in what can only be assumed June 1986. The UCF (ironic those are the initials) has brought laughter and joy to many. Here, as you can see are some prime examples of the UCF. If anyone has the up-close UCF of me at Mallard Ball 2006, please let me know. I'd like to burn it. I would also respectfully have to include my alma mater, the University of Central Florida (again, UCF) on the list. Thanks for the memories. And the $40k in student loan debt.

V Vampires. By far the sexiest of all supernatural creatures. And I'm not talking about Edward Cullen. For a brief moment, let's step back in time to the 90's. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Bram Stoker's Dracula. Interview with a Vampire. These movies paved the way for Robert Pattinson to swoop in and steal all the "Hot Vampire" glory. Uhhhhh, as if! Brad...you will always be my first and fav vampire love. Wait. I take that back . True Blood. I can't even start, or else I will be fixated all day on Eric Northman. Speaking of vamps...anyone want to run this with me?

W The [wonderful] Wizard of Oz. That movie is "seriously one of my all time favorites, never gets old, will watch it every time it's on TBS...with commercials, yet I still don't own it" movies. Seriously can't wait for James Franco, Michelle Williams, and Mila Kunis in Oz.

X Nothing good begins with X. I feel like I supplied enough material to skip a letter. And if I have to pick something, The XX.


Y Yorkies. How can you not love these dogs. I have two, and then I've become the aunt to two. And I have a bit of an obsession. It's unhealthy I know. But look at that wittle puppy face! YouTube. There are FAR too many videos that I'm obsessed with...Jackie and Debra, The Sprinkles Kid, Sneezing Panda.

Z Zoo's. Sure they smell like shit and animals are in captivity, but if you ever need to shut a baby up, take them to the zoo. I have used this technique on multiple occasions. The funniest time was when little JBug decided he wanted to be an Otter and tried to get in the exhibit. Jokes on him, he couldn't crawl over the wooden fence. It was adorable though.

Now y'all know my [list of favorite's via the] ABC's...Next time won't you, ah screw it. Hope you enjoyed reading about me and my favorite things.

The truth about seafood

Since I was three years old, I have despised seafood. I can remember sitting at the dinner table with my mom and dad with a big chunk of fish on my plate. I was incredibly slick, even as a toddler, and would take the biggest bite ever then ask to use the potty. Immediately, I would spit out the fish and flush it down the toilet. This would happen roughly 5-6 times during dinner and my parents never caught on. Like I said before, I was slick.

I did the same thing with a pound of asparagus. That's when mom got pissed and told me to let her know what food I didn't like so I could stop being so damn wasteful. Kids in Africa are starving. Oh, and the toilet overflowed a bunch of asparagus. Oops.

So what is it about seafood that makes it so unbearable, you ask? I think the texture is gross. I think the smell is gross. I think the process to get your seafood to the point of where it's edible (okay just shellfish) is absolutely gross. General consensus on my part...seafood is gross.

There have been times growing up where I can remember incidents where someone tried to reintroduce me to the food group. The time my mom decided to boil lobster when I was 12. I about had a heart attack when she threw Little Red into the pot. Yes, I named him. Or then there was the time in Nashville when I was 15 at one of the nicest private dining clubs where I was served the shrimp in my pasta when I specifically told them "NO SHRIMP". It was sent back, and someone clearly picked through it instead of making me fresh pasta. Needless to say, I didn't eat it. Instead, my friend's dad stopped at McDonald's so I could get some nugs. Or the time when I was 21 where I was forced to try calamari or starve.

The turning point was this year. I spent Memorial Day on the Intercoastal waters of South Georgia with the Tarver Family (my best friends family in law). They are a seafood eating, low-country boil having, deep sea fishing, Southern family. Mr. Tarver took us all out for an afternoon on the high seas. My best friend and her then fiance were either incredibly sea-sick or incredibly hungover and spent the entire trip sleeping on the boat. So Mr. Tarver and I fished. And boy did I fish. In addition to this little 20lb King Cobia, I also caught a Spanish Mackerel and a Barracuda which was promptly thrown back. Also caught were a bunch of little guys we used for live bait. So what did they make me do? They made me eat a piece of fish that I caught. And it wasn't all that bad.  They also insisted on having nothing but Oysters for Sudie and Travis' rehearsal dinner. Which is where I became introduced to shellfish.

Fast forward a couple months to the Steamhouse Oysterfest. Held annually, it's a great excuse to drink a ton of beer and shuck a bunch of oysters. Which is precisely what the bf and I did. Buckets of steamed oysters were $12 and boy did we think we were getting a good deal. Little did we know, they were not steamed enough and extremely hard to open, even for a seasoned expert oyster eater like myself. Truth be told, it was only the 3rd time in my life eating oysters.

So here are some pictures of the festival....

Look at that determination...

...Just to get a measly little oyster....

....So much freaking work.....

....Jab the oyster shuck in...

.....Move it around to pop that sucker open...

....slop it on a cracker...cover in hot sauce....Enjoy.

Well for most people, that is the process. But for people like me, who don't practice shellfish cracking on a regular basis, there's an additional step. Visit the Emergency Room to get stitches. Which is exactly what I should have done. Instead, when I sliced my finger open with an oyster shuck, I wrapped it in paper towels and walked to Tin Lizzy's to get nacho's and more beer. Two weeks later, the gash is starting to heal, but will most certainly scar. It's also disgusting to look at. And may I say, quite painful. Note to Self - go to the ER next time. 

By the way, all this was to talk about the new restaurant I tried for the month of February, called Lure. It's a trendy little seafood place in the heart of Midtown. The best part, it didn't wreak of fish. The second best part? Their cheeseburger was AMAZING. Third best part? The ice cubes. They are big, bobbing, blocks of ice. I saw one of my coworkers get a Diet Coke and immediately needed one too. I mean, I had about three DC's already that day, but that giant ice cube melted my heart (not my drink) and I had to have it. Fourth best part? The decor. So cool. So open. So crisp and clean. Overall, it's a bit pricey, but worth every penny. 

Well that's all for now, my little fishy friends. And remember, if you're going to shuck, please practice safe shucking.

-L

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue

A Valentine's Day Poem:

Roses are Red. Violets are Blue. My boyfriend is the best. And you should be jealous.

I know it doesn't rhyme, but I wasn't really going for that. If you have a weak stomach, stop reading because shit's about to get nauseatingly romantic and sweet.

Here begins my February 14th, as I cross Number 71 off my list. I wake up to the nicest text, filled with emoji hearts and kissing smiley faces. Well played, sir. You have set the tone for the rest of the day.

Next came the beautiful flowers I received while I was out at my eye doctor appointment (getting some new contacts...finally, I can see again). I was just about to send a text to him complaining about the hundo's I just dropped at my appointment, when I got to my desk and froze. These beauties were staring me right in the face. Please feel free to read the note and swoon.

I mean, how gorgeous are those? Seriously....

So I call him, and thank him, and immediately start online shopping to get him more goodies because I'm already way impressed and know it can only get better.

Fast forward 7 long hours. He picks me up, opens the door, and we start to drive to the surprise destination. He made resi's a month ago but since I ruin every surprise, he swore this would remain a secret. He did let me know that it would be one of two places. For the last month, the suspense nearly killed me. Being the sleuth I am, I told him I'd be able to figure out where we were going based on the route we took, since the 2 options he gave me were in different parts of the city. We got to the turnoff point, and as we were stopped a the red light, I said, "Well I guess we're going to Sotto Sotto since if we were going to Ecco you would have turned right on red.". Light turns green. He turns right. Sneaky little devil.

We get to Ecco (which for those of you who have seen The Change Up will recognize it...it's the restaurant where Ryan Reynolds and Olivia Wilde go on their fancy date) and it is gorgeous! We get a cocktail at the bar and wait for our table - which is BY FAR the best seat in the entire place. A corner booth overlooking the main dining room and open kitchen.

We dined on Fried Goat Cheese Balls, while my wood-fired pizza and his homemade pasta cooked. We ended the evening with Champagne Truffles and Olive Oil and Sea Salt ice cream. And I should mention, no fancy dinner would be complete without a nice bottle of wine...so that was happening too.

 At this point, I'm all like..."This has been the best Valentine's Day of my entire life," and "I had to kiss a ton of frogs to end up with this Prince Charming," and "Can someone please pinch me because I have to be dreaming...how did I get so lucky?".

Then come the presents. He got his last two "14 Days of Valentines" gifts. An apple because "he's the apple of my eye" and a bottle of champagne (yes, more for me than him) because "he makes my heart bubble over". He did his actual gifts first...a pair of shoes he's wanted and has been wearing since Gasparilla. I caved and let him have them early. Then he got a shiny, new wallet. WOW. Oh, he also got one hand-written love letter, by yours truly. FYI...Everyone should receive one at least once in their life. It's a good way to let someone know how special they are.

My turn.

I got a nice little box of chocolates and.....wait for it......eeeeeeeeeeek. These babies.

Needless to say....HE DID AMAZING. And spoiled the shit out of me. I would have been good with some new socks and a box of wine, but he went above and beyond. So again, let me say:

Roses are Red. Violets are Blue. My boyfriend is the best. And you should be jealous.

Until next time,

L

Surviving Nemo

Someone once said, "Spontaneity is the quality of being able to do something just because you feel like it at the moment, of trusting your instincts, of taking yourself by surprise and snatching from the clutches of your well organized routine, a bit of unscheduled plea".

So that's what I did this weekend. Totally spontaneous move stemming from the unpredictable winter weather the Northeast sometimes faces, allowing me to cross Number 79 - Spontaneous Vacation Decision off my list.

Seven days ago, I checked the weather for my upcoming weekend getaway to The Big Apple. Much to my surprise snow flurries were in the picture and I got excited at the possibility of checking some bad-boys off my list. Later that day, I discovered it was in fact not only snow flurries...but a nor'easter storm grazing through the City right when my flight was scheduled to land.

Oh, the horror.

Thursday morning, I called AirTran at 8:30am to see what could be done about my Friday night flight. They told me it wasn't serious enough to prompt waived changed fees or flight cancellations, but to keep checking back. So that's what I did. Every 20 minutes. Check, check, check, monitor, monitor, monitor. Finally at 11:30 I updated my AirTran.com flight page to see that LGA was finally under a weather alert. I called them immediately to see what could be done.

"Well ma'am (in her sweet old woman southern drawl), I don't know if any flights will make it to New York on Friday. Nemo's - a - comin'. But I do have one seat left on the 8:50 flight tonight. Do you want it or do you want to call back? No guarantee's it'll still be here though...". I took it without hesitation. I'm glad I did, because at 11:36am an email went out to all AirTran customers encouraging them to call and reschedule. Ha, I beat the rush and got a flight out before the snow started. Then I felt an awful pang of guilt and anxiety wash over me.

I didn't request PTO 2 weeks in advance...crap. My supervisor isn't here, he's in London...what if he freaks out? How can I spin this to make a weekend trip to visit your besties sound more like an emergency? What if I get fired? These thoughts (and others) ran through my head all morning. And all afternoon. And right up until 6pm, when I got a response back from my boss saying it was okay. Phew. Now I can enjoy my Business Class flight to NYC (thanks to an amazing boyfriend who upgraded me using points).

Let me tell you, the flight into the City at night is unbelievable. I felt like I was filming a scene straight from Gossip Girl. Then I remembered, Chuck, Blair, and Serena have private jets - they don't do commercial. Oh, and they are fictional characters.


So I arrived. It was cold but not snowing...that didn't happen until roughly around noon on Friday. Then it didn't stop. A continuous wall of snow fell all day and all night long.




It allowed me to cross a couple other things off my list. I caught a snowflake on my tongue...and in my eye...and all over myself. Number 58 - Done. I also built the saddest little snowman EVER. Who knew that was so hard? We made her super fancy by giving her my headband, a pearl earring nose, and candy for eyeballs. But she was still pretty pathetic. I turned around and saw a MUCH better snowman. I'll just claim that one instead. Number 87 - Done. I'm also going to add "Make a Snow Angel" as Number 87.5. I can also cross that off my list. Check out my form...it's the best 3am, post bar Snow Angel I've ever seen. Even if I did get soaked from the snow and almost froze to death. Number 87.75 was also accomplished - Throw Snowballs in Central Park. Okay fine, these last two did not belong on my list, I was just really excited to be in the snow.

This trip to NYC was by far the BEST TRIP EVER. Not only did I get to see snow fall, but I got to see  two of my very best friends: Lauren and Loren. We dubbed this trip, "L, L, & L Weekend 2K13". It was one for the books. Not only can I not wait to get back up to the Big Apple, but I can't wait for more snowy adventures....This Florida girl, now a Georgia Peach absolutely loves that fluffy, powdery, white, cold stuff that falls from the sky.  I'm so happy I made the spontaneous decision to fly up, not knowing if I could and would survive a blizzard, and if I'd be able to make it home. Sometimes you have to take a blind leap of faith and hope it works out. For me, it did...I survived Nemo.

L

Short...but oh so sweet.

This post won't take up much of your time. In fact, it's not so much of a post as it is a celebration.

Of what?

Of this.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I'm working on an actual post, but until then, just stare at the picture to your right a bit more and send me congratulatory thoughts, cards, and/or presents (since I cannot and will not be buying myself presents anymore as much).

L