Thursday, April 30, 2009

Horses, museums and more...


I'm working today but at the end of the day Brad and I are headed up to DC for a weekend of fun! YAY!
We're going to hit up the Newseum -- TV news museum -- tomorrow then on Saturday we're going to the Virginia Gold Cup Races. The Cup is a Kentucky Derby of sorts except all the proceeds go to charity and there's no real gambling.
It's fun though because it gives the girls a chance to dress up in fancy dresses and big hats! YAY!
Anyhoo -- this weekend will certainly be full of shenanigans! can't wait!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Why would you choose such a photo??...


OK -- one of my b/f/f's is Dawn Brown -- now former WWL-TV weather forecaster in New Orleans.

She found out late last week that her contract(which has been up for months now) was not being renewed. New Orleans being somewhat of a small town -- this big news from what I hear!

Anyway -- today, in the midst of all the bank's shareholder's meeting fiasco -- I finally got time to google her and see what the newpaper article had to say.

What did I find? This crazy picture of her above! Why would you pick a picture like that?? I know for goodness sake it wasn't the only option?? I means it's just not good...her eyes are closed and she has her mouth open!

Anyhoo -- Dawn is seeing all of this as a new opportunity and so do I! As most of you know I worked in TV news for 10-years and was railroaded out only to find myself in a much better place!

I've known Dawn for 11-years now -- dating back to our days in Reno at KRNV -- her are a few pictures from the past few years. I have gotten a chance to scan in any real old ones!

BTW -- read the Times Picayune article about Dawn by going here.

2007 - Dawn when she was featured in New Orleans magazine. She was voted one of the most popular weather people in the city.

2007 - Dawn and I on Thanksgiving day at some crazy Christmas display in Louisiana.

2006 - Dawn comes to Charlotte to visit.

2008 - Dawn and I out in New Orleans.

2006 - Dawn with me and other friends in SF for my 30th birthday.

2006- Dawn and I skiing in Salt Lake City - Snowbird Resort.

New Challenge -- Walking for Aunt Bobbie


Well, I've thought about it and I've decided to participate in this year's 2-day Avon Walk for Breast Cancer! I'm doing it in memory of my Aunt Bobby who succumb to breast cancer in October 2007.

The walk is 39 miles over 2 days here in Charlotte this October. It's time to train! I will be on a team with my co-workers here at the bank, one of whom is a breast cancer survivor as of just a few months ago!

I still need to find out all the details but I know that I need to raise $1800 by October and will be calling on many of you to help out!

More to come... for now a few pictures my beloved Aunt Bobbie. Oh how I miss her!

April 2005 - Mt. Ida, Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas - January 2000

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Baby Shower and Lake Time


Check out my beautiful cousin Cindy 8-months pregnant! She's so excited -- they're having a little boy and naming him Joseph Cole Baxter and will call him Cole. They're naming him after their 2 dads.

I went to the shower even though my gift didn't arrive in time - I gave her 2 books -- Good Night Moon and I Love you Forever on suggestion from Casey. Thanks Casey!

After the shower I headed up to Brad's parents house on High Rock Lake and we enjoyed the beautiful weather by riding the jetski and then going for a ride on the pontoon boat.

As you can see in the picture below -- Buddy is getting more use to being on the boat. Each time he gets more and more comfortable. Check him out with Brad's dad Mr. Joe.

Then the last picture I just love. As goofy as it sounds I am amazed more and more each day how much Brad has gotten attached to my little dog Buddy. :)

Happy Sunday!

cute cupcakes at the baby shower.

Buddy chilling out on the boat with Mr. Joe.

Brad napping with Buddy...

Friday, April 24, 2009

Baby Shower Gift --Lost in the mail??


So, I have my cousin Cindy's,(picture above)baby shower tomorrow but the monogrammed baby gift that I ordered online over a week ago still has not arrived!

Yikes!

I’ve got a message into the company and I am going to check our mail room again here at work but I’m just bummed.

It makes me not even want to go to the shower tomorrow?? I spent pretty good money on my gift so I don’t want to go out and buy something else??

The two options I’m thinking about are:

#1. Go and buy the book Goodnight Moon and give her that with a note that the rest of it is on it’s way.
#2. Just skip the shower and send her the gift at a later date.

What would you do??

Here's the gift -- I got in baby blue.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Napa/Sonoma Trip - 6 weeks and counting


Just 6-weeks from our Tahoe/Napa/Sonoma trip! Again, we're going out there for my friend Beth's wedding but taking a few extra days to go to the wine country.

I have been to Napa/Sonoma NUMEROUS times and it is one of my favorite places in America!

I'm so excited because I booked our room today! We're staying at the Rancho Caymus Inn in Rutherford.

My friend from LSU - Jason -- lives and works in Napa and he was able to get us a discounted rate of $150 a night!! woohoo! rates are generally $250 and up!

I stayed there on my 30th birthday weekend over 3 years ago and it is great! A picture below shows the courtyard and rooms and then there's a picture of my birthday crew at Mumm Cuvee in Sonoma. What a fun trip! I miss all my gals :(

Sorry -- I haven't been posting regularly but work has been crazy!

Courtyard at Rancho Caymus Inn

Rooms...ahh..

Mumm Cuvee on my 30th birthday trip! how fun! Mom, Christina, Me and Dawn.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Can you believe?


Just look at those faces...ahh...so cute!

Then look how much bigger Buddy(the one of the far left) is than the other two. Can you believe it was the one in the middle that was able to knock over a gallon size trash can to get to a pie inside and the other two didn't get involved?

She's so small compared to Buddy!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Girl's Weekend and Beagle Drama


Fun weekend with the girls! The house was great and we relaxed and drank a lot of wine, laid in the sun and drank some more wine :)

We got there on Friday night and unpacked and relaxed then on Saturday we got up and drank Mimosas and ate breakfast, and went to the store. Then later, me and one of the Kelli's(there were 2 of them) went for a long walk to get some exercise.

After that we laid in the sun on the deck and eventually got ready for the night. We decided to go to local bar and it was fun! As you can see below we drank one too many but why not? It's a girl's weekend!

As I mentioned on Friday we had my beagle Buddy and Kelly S's 2 beagles(it was her parents house we stayed in).

To make a long story short... Kelly threw almost an entire chocolate pie in the trash before we left to go out. When we got home from the bar we were welcomed home to vomit and crap all over the house!

Kelly was like-- OMG!! The dogs turned over the trash and ate an entire chocolate pie!! We immediatley started scrubbing with OxiClean and the more we scrubbed the more vomit we found. It was on every inch of the house!

Finally we went to bed and when I woke up the next morning we knew more about what happened that night before.

Kelly's 11-year old rescue beagle, Jessie, had thrown up all night long. I'm talking projectile vomiting! All over the bed, bathroom, EVERYWHERE! Buddy and Drue weren't sick at all!

Jessie, who has had these episodes before eating 16 hamburger buns off the counter, was one sick doggie.

I didn't take pictures because I felt so bad for her -- but she was lethargic with a big tummy that you could hear rumbling.

No emergency vet -- just time and she was fine when we left on Sunday. Kelly later bathed her and said she had chocolate in her ears, under her eyes and on her collar.

Again, the other 2 dogs somehow didn't get a bite of the pie. I can't help but wonder?? How did the whole deal go down? Did she growl at the other two to stay away from her pie??

The best part of the story is that Jessie is still alive after all that chocolate!

Happy Monday!

The view from the Hill's back deck at the lake house.

The Buddy thinks he's a small dog and decides to sit with Miss Kelli.

Beagles sunbathing -- this was BEFORE the pie drama!

The Buddy getting his 'relax' on...

The Dock Bar -- Kelly S. delivering us all shots!

After the shots.. The 2 Kelly's getting their groove on!

I'm not sure what's going on here?? Check out this guy?? and Dana trying to get in on the picture! LOL!

Friday, April 17, 2009

TGIF - Beagle and Girl's Weekend!


YAY! It's Friday and the weather here in Charlote and the Carolinas is gorgeous and is expected to be that way all weekend!

Brad is in DC this weekend hanging with his boys therefore I'm hanging with the girls!

My friend Kelly Sercer has been nice enough to invite me and some other girls to her parents lake house down on Lake Greenwood in SC.

It should be a lot of fun! We've planned our menus and will proceed to eat, drink, boat and enjoy the outdoors!

Yes, The Buddy is coming too! It will be a beagle weekend because Kelly has 2 beagles! You can see them in the picture above -- they are girl dogs - Jess and Drue.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Lake Greenwood, SC

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Field Shoot at Habitat for Humanity Build



I don't talk much about my work on here because the blog really isn't about my work. I'm a TV/Video producer and while I used to work producing TV news now I work mostly producing TV at Bank of America and at the local PBS.

Today was a cool day in bank TV land because me and a videographer went and shot/taped a Habitat for Humanity build that the Bank of America Home Loans associates were doing.

How cool? home loans people actually building homes! There's been so much bad press surrounding banks in the past 6 months but I can say honestly that bankers aren't all bad!

Anyhoo.. fun day - great weather and while I didn't participate but just hung with the videographer it was fun to watch a slab of concrete turn into a shell.

Habitat for Humanity is a great organization!

Happy Thursday! going to get my hair colored now :)


Beginning to raise the walls!

Raising the walls!!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Tax Day


Today is tax day and this year I opted to save my money and instead of hiring an accountant to do my taxes I took my brother up on his offer to do them for me! :)

He stressed me out a bit because even though I sent him my documents over a month ago – he just got my return finished on Monday. YIKES!

In the long run though – he got it done and he got me quite a bit of $$ back!

So, what will I do with my extra cash? Well, pay off the little bit that I have on my credit cards, then put the rest in the bank for our numerous trips we have scheduled this summer.

Tahoe, Napa, Nagshead and then up to Kelley’s Island on Lake Eerie to hang with Dean and Kathleen! So much to look forward to……

What are you doing with money you might be getting back from Uncle Sam?

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Decision Made - Bridesmaid Dress


My friend Beth has made her decision about bridesmaid dresses and above is it!

It is a beautiful designer dress from Nanette Lepore and I think it will be flattering on all body types and she says it does fit true to size.

We are going with ink navy even though this picture shows a different shade of blue.

She's going to have us wear strappy silver heels of any height that is comfortable.

What do you think?

Monday, April 13, 2009

Arkansas Trip Wrap


I'm back in Charlotte...

Sorry I didn't post while gone but there wasn't real access to a computer and I opted at the last minute not to bring my laptop.

It was a good trip -- even though at times emotionally draining. As I've mentioned I went to see my Uncle David who has bone cancer and he's not improving.

They brought him home for a few days for Easter -- but as I landed back in Charlotte my Mom called and said they were taking him back to the hospital. The radiation he's received has burned his throat so much that he can't talk much less swallow food or drinks --so now he's dehydrated.

I'm hoping for the best but right now things are not looking good -- we continue to pray at this point.

I've posted a tons of pictures starting with a picture of my Uncle Jimmy cleaning fish he caught. When I arrived in town this is what he was doing. As you can see below I got to see my Uncle David but a lot of other family as well.

Oh yeh... I got to enjoy some of Hot Springs in the midst of everything.

I hope everyone had a great Easter!

Uncle Jimmy cleaning fish he caught...


The next step -- frying to little guys up! yum!

My cousin Tim waiting for some fish but getting he 'relax' on in the meantime...

The next morning I went and visited my 93-year old grandmother 'Maw Maw'. I took her lunch and she was thrilled since she doesn't get 'Meals on Wheels' on the weekends.

Then I spent the rest of the day with my Uncle David. My cousin Alayna came over and brought her dog Rachel. Uncle David just loves Rachel so this was great therapy as you can see!

Then Alayna and I headed downtown Hot Springs to the Happy Hollow spring to get some water. Hot Springs is named for the springs that come out of the ground. Residents and visitors can go and fill up as many bottles or jugs as they like in the many springs downtown.

Then a trip up North Mountain and then West Mountain. A view of downtown Hot Springs!

Alayna and I on West Mountain...

Then.. Me and Mom on Easter Sunday. It was raining cats and dogs! This is at Easter lunch at my cousin Lynn and Buster's house.

Uncle David was determined to make lunch and arrived in his motorized scooter. He just started using this now that he can't walk due to the tumors on his spine.

and.. I just love this picture.. My Aunt Jane and Uncle David who have been married for 56-years!