Just Wrong

As most of you know I spent 10-years working in the TV news business. Granted -- I was behind the scenes writing everything the anchors said on the air.

BUT.. I'm still sensitive to what it takes for on-air personalities to work their way up from reporting in Pohdunk , America making $13,500 a year to a job in a bigger market where you can actually pay bills, then possibly(if you're good enough)to make it to the big bobs..the network.

Soooooo...saying that -- I'm very disturbed by NBC's decision to make Jenna Bush a contributor/reporter.

Reporting from Yellowstone earlier this week she TOTALLY AND COMPLETLEY SUCKED!! Check out a clip on Perez's page.

I'm sorry - it's just not fair people. Just because your from a prominent family you get a job that others, who are ten times better than you, have worked their ass off for??



And Miss Jenna isn't the only one who has received this 'special' treatment. NBC has also given the late Tim Russert's son Luke a job too.
What has he done, except for a bit of sports radio, to get such a job? How is he an expert in politics??
He sucks too in my opinion.

Can you tell I'm bitter?? Just wrong...wrong...wrong...

Bears...fo reelz

I am currently obsessed with bears. Fo reelz kids.

I never really thought about them too much until planning for my hiking weekend I ran across the review of that trail where tons of people said they saw bears.

I thought to myself - OMG! what would I do?
I've heard stories of people seeing them in campgrounds where food is kept, etc.
My friend Kara and I think we might have 'heard' one on a hike once and we hauled ass down the trail but we weren't sure.

So, what did I do in preps for this past weekend?
I thought about buying bear spray but decided that I would go in shock and probably not be able to open my backpack and pull it out.

So, I saw this in the general store in Little Switzerland and decided to buy it instead.(even though the clerk tried to get me to buy an air horn)

What is it exactly?
A Bear Bell.
It's a jingle bell and you put it on your backpack to alert the bears that you're there so they stay away.
Hmmmm.
I'm sure you can only guess what Brad's reaction to this was when I told him about it.
Brad: awesome! is that the dinner bell for the bears to know where their food is?

Dee: LOL
A hiker we ran into said the same thing.

Kelli and I laughed our asses off all weekend about possible bear sightings and this bell..that is until we found out that one of the trails we did was actually shut down a few weeks back due to 'dangerous bear activity'.

Seriously.... that's what a Park Ranger told us!

So, we asked the Ranger what are you suppose to do if you see a bear in the woods???

His response:

black bears in NC are not that big. Only about 120-pounds -- unlike grizzly bears out West.

So....

* if there are two of you stand together to look bigger and scream at the bear.

* throw rocks if there are ones around to throw

* and make as much noise as you can

If the bear has her cubs with her -- it might be a whole different story. Have any of you guys ever seen a bear in the wild?(not a zoo) If so, what did you do?

My New Favorite in Western North Carolina

Can you saw AWESOME?? What a great time we had this weekend!! I have found my new favorite place in Western NC -- it's called Little Switzerland. I had stayed here before but never really explored too much.

As I mentioned last week my hiking friend Kelli and I stayed at The Alpine Inn which is situated literally in the mountainside.

This was the view from our back deck. There's no phone, no TV, no A/C but that's part of the charm.
You might be thinking...NO A/C??!! Well, the high was 80 there in town and in the mountains on the trails it was 70!

Another view from our room at the Alpine Inn. The innkeepers Susan and Ron are some of the nicest people I've met. Interesting too.

This is what I saw from my bed when I woke up Saturday morning. No kidding..laying in bed and watching the sunrise over the Blue Ridge. Total heaven.

This was our view at breakfast.

Cute pottery for their breakfast dishes. They serve homemade granola, fresh bread and fresh fruit.

I was telling Brad about our little inn and town and he said quote: "I'm glad you have a girlfriend that likes to do that gay stuff with you." LOL!!

Downtown Little Switzerland. Cute shops, restaurants. This is a very tight knit community that attracts a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts riding the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Now for the hiking..

We did the Old Mitchell trail loop at Mount Mitchell on Saturday where as you can see I started out with a shirt over my tank top because it was chilly!

Drinking my latte on the trail. HAHA! Not really.. This was Kelli's coffee because she is so not a morning person unlike me. I think she drank coffee for the first mile of this 5-mile hike. Craziness!(I was giving her a hard time in this pix)

Absolutley GORGEOUS!! I felt like I was in heaven. I'm not sure what it is about the mountains that makes me so happy. I feel worry free, relaxed and happy just looking at this scenery.

Aside from the lush on this particular trail we ran into this grouping of trees. Very neat!

And..lots of wildflowers. I need to get my wildflower book out to find out what this is.

Most of the rhodies were done for the season but we did see a few bushes.

Then after our hike we drove back to the top of the mountain and ate at the state park restaurant.

My Mom and I ate here a few years back in the fall. It's literally the highest dining experience in the S. East.

Then back to the hotel we showered and kicked it on the back deck where we spotted a bunny!!

And took in the view before dinner.

Then we went to dinner at this gorgeous hotel right down the street. If you were planning a trip to Little Switzerland with kids, etc. - I would suggest staying here.

They do have tv, a/c and a pool. The views? AWESOME! They had weddings there both Friday and Saturday.

As for my dinner selection? Trout with pecans.

Yesterday we got up and prepared for another day of hiking.

We headed to Crabtree Meadows off the Parkway where we some more wildflowers.

We hiked a 3 mile hike to Crabtree Falls. I had done this hike before and really wanted Kelli to see the falls.

There were a ton of people at the falls. Families, couples, even the Ranger ventured down there to check things out.

And.. poochies. This little Pom was cooling off. Just for you Sass...

The hike out of the falls was a little sweatier than we experienced the day before but we survived.

I'm happy to report that we did not have any bear sightings but I did learn a lot about them and we know they were on some of the trails that we were on.

That's for tomorrow's post.

This is it for today.

Back to reality and the heat of Charlotte. Boohoo!!

Decisions..Decisions..

As most of you know I heart the mountains! I don't get up there enough which makes me sad :(

BUT...I'm headed that way this weekend with my hiking buddy Kelli. Brad's friend was originally scheduled to come to town for a golf weekend but it got canceled so he'll be staying home with The Budster.

So...giving that we have an entire weekend in the mountains I've been getting my 'plan' on. I love planning mountain trips but it always comes down to decisions. Decisions on where to stay, where to hike, how far we want to hike, etc..etc.

What makes it easier this time is that I don't have to factor the dog into the equation. That means unfriendly pet hotels, and water hikes(it's hard to hike with the dog when it's slippery).

So, here's what I have come up with so far.
We'll be staying here. Not a fancy place but the views are SPECTACULAR! See this picture below? It's where you eat breakfast. I've stayed here once before and really enjoyed it. Brad would NEVER consider it because...WAIT FOR IT...no TV!

Another great thing about the Alpine Inn is that it's only one mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway! That means cool(probably a fleece will be needed)and close to a lot of hikes! Awesome considering it's 98-degrees here everyday.

I think Friday after we arrive we'll hike the top of Craggy Gardens and look out. Isn't this view nice? It's only a mile and half round-trip.

Then on Saturday we'll wake up do one of the trails at Mount Mitchell. This is where I get caught up on making a decision.

We know we can't do all of Mount Mitchell in and out in a day because it's 12-miles, yet do we want to do the other trail(Mt. Craig) that is 6-miles? We generally like to go with 4 or 5-mile hikes especially if they're straight up.

This is a picture from Mt. Craig. I'll let you know what we decide and take lots of pictures.

Another factor that plays in my decision making is wildflowers. Right now the rhododendron is peak up along parkway trails. I just love hiking among wildflowers. Also, a waterfall..we might hit the Crabtree Falls Loop(2.5 miles) on Sunday before heading home.

I originally thought our big hike on Saturday would be Douglas Falls which is 6-miles until I read this review where 2 different guys said they hiked there recently and saw black bears on the trail 1/2 mile from the campground!!! OMG! seriously?? My heart dropped.

I always know it's a possibility but holy cow! I'm seriously thinking of buying some bear spray and bringing it in my backpack. What do you think?!!

Well, Happy HumpDay!

Why Do I Do It?

Why oh why do I watch these shows like Intervention on A&E? Does anyone else watch it? The new season starts next Monday but last night I was up until 11pm after getting sucked into watching back to back episodes.

Then....I go to sleep thinking about all of this.

Last night's 2nd episode featured a man named Brett who was an alcoholic who lost his family and job to booze but refused to go to rehab until they threatened to hospitalize him.

He got sober, much to his children's delight, but 80 days into treatment they found out he had cancer and went home and died 3-weeks later.

I'm not going to lie....I cried... All by myself(Brad refuses to watch the show)in my bedroom..crying..

The show ended with his son(who appeared to around 11-years old) saying that at least his Dad didn't die an alcoholic but instead he died a Dad. It broke my heart.

Did anyone else see this episode? My Mom has preached at me through the years not to watch trash like this because it's depressing and it does nothing to help foster a positive attitude.

Yet....I still watch it.

Another show I find myself watching is Hoarders(also on A&E). My blogging friend Mrs. Lenzer talks about this on her blog today saying she can't get herself to watch it.

So..why..why?? do I watch this trash if it does nothing but make me sad?

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday! (actually, I hate Mondays...)

Anyhoo -- fun weekend which mainly consisted of the lake and symphony in the park.

Let's start out with the lake where my in-laws neighbor had a big party! Before we went Brad commented that it would probably be a bunch of rednecks and I thought.....no way! Well, I am here to say that Brad was right - but it was fun and great people watching fo sho!

Here's Brad in his straw hat trying to keep cool in this crazy heat that we've been experiencing. I was pretty shocked that he wore this hat but thought it looked cute.

Most of the party people came by boat - we just walked over 2 houses.

We offered to put up the Stephens' tailgate tents to help give some shade.

There was even a live band who played all sorts of fun music.

My MIL and FIL who are always fun to hang with. (oh.. btw ... helped my MIL set up a Facebook page yesterday! can't wait to see how much she likes it!)

We headed back to Charlotte yesterday and I had plans to do symphony in the park aka 'Pops in the Park'. They only do this for a month each year and I love it! Last year I didn't get to go because we had too much going on so I was totally going this year!

Brad opted out which did not surprise me. He's all about 'couch time' on Sundays and I knew he wouldn't want to sit out in the park, drink wine and SWEAT!! Especially since it was 95 yesterday.

So, Kelli came with me and we had a great time. I would like to go again this Sunday but if so I won't get out there until right before the concert so it's cooler.

Of course, giving that lawn space fills up fast we'll have to go and lay our blanket out in the morning to save our spot.

I know today is the 'official' first day of summer and the longest day of the year -- but is it just me or do you feel like the summer is half over??

That's it for today!! CIAO!

Happy Father's Day!

We're headed to the lake today but before we go I thought I would take time to wish all the dads out there Happy Father's Day!!

I also thought I would share a bit about my Dad.
There's a lot to tell such as: war hero, survivor, provider and much more. BUT.. in recent times I have reflected about the one thing that my Dad started teaching me at an early age. What is that you ask?

To set goals...sounds stupid but I think that a lot of parents don't do this like they should. I remember having a chart on the back of my bedroom door with small, simple goals such as -- make an A in science.

I have to admit - that I think back at this and I still set 'small' and 'big' goals for myself just like when I was a kid.

Thanks Dad!! love you much(even though he never reads this blog)!! LOL!! Have a good weekend blogging peeps.

Funny Foto Friday

I haven't done funny foto friday in a while so I thought I would give you guys a glimpse of this! WOW!
Can you say 'turbo?' The hair, the costume, the whole thing.

I danced for years and years. Tap dance was my talent when I was in beauty pageants. I was 14-years old in this picture.

Happy Friday! We, of course, are hitting the lake this weekend! Can't wait!! We're also going to a shag-dance party. I've never shagged before but something tells me that I will learn this weekend!!

Have a good one!

Wedding Album - Advice Needed

I need some advice blogging peeps. I opted out of buying the wedding album from my photographer and do my own. His was gorgeous but sorta pricey and my rents' weren't for spending that kind of $$.

Also, I like doing this sort of thing. We have the disk with all the pictures so it shouldn't be too hard. Someone gave us a Lenox album that I am going to print pictures out and put it BUT I want to create a nice digital album online as well.

I know they aren't cheap but I am willing to pay a good amount for a nice album, meaning leather bound, etc.

I typically use shutterfly but am not sure about doing a high-end album through them? Do any of you have advice or used a company I'm not aware of that does high quality stuff?

If so, let me know by commenting.

As you may have noticed I’ve been playing around with my header pictures and it’s mainly because I’ve been going through them to see which ones I want to print out for the Lenox album.

So.. you get another dose.
Here are two funny pictures of Brad from the big day.

The story behind this one??
Ummm..can you say nervous?

Poor guy had a case of the ‘nose bleeds’ throughout the wedding weekend. Once in the middle of the rehearsal dinner and once while taking pictures. He NEVER gets nose bleeds!! Yes, hes was nervous.

Not sure what the whole story is behind this picture but I think it’s funny and love the look on his face. This was in the bar at our hotel when the guys were taking their pictures.

To see all of our wedding pictures – go here. Ta-Ta for today!

Random Thoughts

No pictures today just random thoughts rolling through my head.

* Is it bad that I wish I was on vacation again? I was glad to get home but now I'm dreaming of this. Looks like heaven to me. Good thing hubby's b/f/f is coming to town next weekend so I can get my mountain/hike on with my bestie Kelli.

* Speaking of Kelli -- I can tell that I miss my TV news days when I see that her high-rise condo complex is on fire(it's next door to my work) and I run outside ask what's going on to all the news crews then send her this text:
'CALL ASAP!! YOUR BUILDING IS ON FIRE' -- just wrong.. don't you think? It was on fire but luckily her place was not affected.

* Going back to news. I've been bit of a junkie here recently and it's kinda making me sick. I can't quit watching coverage of the oil spill, the campground flood in Arkansas and the OKC flash flood.

* I think I'm still obsessed with wedding stuff because anytime I see or hear that someone has gotten married all I want to do is see their pictures! Even if I don't know them. Is that weird?

* Our wedding DJ is a local radio host in the mornings on the lite-rock station and I feel nostaglic everytime I listen to him. Especially when he plays our first dance song Smile by Uncle Kracker. Do you think he remembers that it was our song?

Okay --I'm a nerd.. Happy Humpday!!

Honeymoon In Wine Country

Ready for the last few days of the honeymoon recap? Wine country! We decided to go to Sonoma on our trip because neither of us had been there.

As many of you know - I've been to Napa several times and last year Brad and I went there together.

In planning my trip I went to several of my friends who live in the Bay Area and/or Napa to ask where to go, what to do.
Their response? 'F-Sonoma'.
Nice eh?
Most people don't know this - but there's a big competition between the two areas.

We didn't care. Most of our friends here in Charlotte said they liked it better because it's not as 'snobby' or 'uppity' and they don't charge you for tastings.

So here we go..
We arrive to find that Sonoma is much more residential than Napa/St.Helena/Rutherford. For instance - there's a Mickey D's down from our hotel. Very different for us but what the heck. Right?

So we couldn't check into our hotel until later so we headed out to the Square, where we had lunch, then to the wineries.

They weren't as close as they were to our hotel in Napa last year. About a 10-minute drive.

Since it was our first day there we decided to take it easy. We hit one winery which was Chateau St. Jean.
Most of you have probably heard of it. Beautiful place! Gardens, grounds, everything.

We did a tasting. Good wine. I'm not going to go into specific wines that we did or did not like because I forgot to bring my sheet with me but I will start posting about certain wines Brad and I do or do not like.

I tend to be a Chard fan...I know, Coco wouldn't be happy. Brad waivers...he generally is a Cab fan but now that it's hot he joined in drinking Chard. After our tasting we got a bottle and sat outside and relaxed and took it all in.
People were having picnics..it was nice.

Then we headed to our hotel - the Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa. Lovely hotel with lovely grounds.
Here is our suite.

And.. another shot. We had a patio too that we spent a lot of time on.

We decided to spend the rest of the day at the pool then do dinner.

Have I told you how much my hubby likes the water? LOVES.IT!

The funniest part of this day? We started talking with this couple at the pool and come to find out they are big buds with our friends Beth and DJ in the city. B and D had been in Napa so on the way home they stopped by to say 'hey' and they brought their pooch Cali Bear.

Cutest dog ever(well, except for Buddy). They take.her.everywhere. Literally. She even told us a story about the car being towed with Cali in it!

Dinner at The Girl and The Fig in the Sonoma Town Square. Very popular place - I made reservations a week in advance and of course told them it was our honeymoon so they brought us some bubbles.

I will tell you what our favorite wine from this night was and we even ordered a 2nd bottle to take to the hotel with us.

It's a 2007 Terre Rouge Roussanne - it's from the Sierra Foothills. A yummy white!!

Great dinner! Brad and I made a pact that we would try new, out-of-the-box foods we generally don't order.

That had us ordering duck, rabbit -- all kinds of fun stuff!

The next day I had set up a private food/wine pairing tasting at Ferrari-Carano. We have a friend whose Mom works there and told us we MUST go.

Awesome! The only bad part?? I had no idea it was an hour and 15-minutes from our hotel out in the Alexander Valley!

Our tasting was for 11am and we found this out at 10am.

No breakfast for us - just straight to the winery. Not going to lie.. me and hubs were not thrilled but we couldn't cancel because we had already paid.

Lovely place though. Here we are in the cave.

If you're not familiar than you should be. Most of their wines have been served at the White House.

The tasting room, grounds, the whole place was gorgeous!

As I said we set up a private tasting and THANK GOD it had food because we were still in breakfast mode.

An array of cheeses, meat, bread, pate, figs..you name it.

The after shot. The point of the tasting is mix it up. Try some truffle with some fig - taste the wine.

We had 3 glasses of reds to taste with and one was light, one medium and one big. Have to say.. I like the big, heavy reds! Especially with the cheese truffle!

One cool thing he suggested and I think I'm going to plan this for later in the summer.

Plan a food/wine tasting party...tell everyone to bring a cheese, pate, bread, meat and a bottle of their fav wine.

Have everyone sit together taste - putting different combos together and talk about it. I'm thinking this will be a girl party?

Gardens afterwards..

Then off to Silver Oak, which appeared to be next door according to the map, but after driving in circles and making a phone call we finally found them.

Not sure how familiar you are with them but they are one of the highest rated wines out there and they only make cabs.

Check us out in the courtyard.

Another thing to remember about Silver Oak? Not a cheap bottle of wine but worth it. We both still think the best bottle our entire trip was a 2005 Alexander Valley Cab. $70.

We enjoyed it in their courtyard then headed home -- which again, was over an hour away. boohoo..

We chilled at the hotel before heading out for our last dinner in Sonoma. I had reservations one place but we decided to just go for it and pick something.

Good idea!! Our best meal yet! Harvest Moon Cafe! OMG! It was downright divine! I had the rabbit risotto! Brad had lamb! AWESOME!

And.. that's about it. The next day we had a spa day at the hotel then headed back to the city for a little browsing around, dinner and home on the red-eye.

Overall, we didn't enjoy Sonoma as much as Napa but maybe we didn't do it right? The long drive to Alexander Valley was a screw-up on my part but who knows..?

Sorry for the long post but hope you enjoyed?!! Happy Monday!