Just Paradin' About

First, I should apologize for not blogging for 15.5 months. I'm not really sure what happened there. Great apologizes and promises to do better.

Lots of things have happened in the last year or so, and not all of those things have been happy. However, there have been many happy things too, and for that I am grateful.

In the past few months, I have gotten to spend time with some of my favorite people! In January, I traveled to Birmingham to reunite with some of my favorite college friends. Although we would love to see each other all the time, it is a lot harder to all get together now that we are scattered across four states. We had a really great excuse to make a trip this time-- the arrival of Alli's twin girls, Mary Pace and Currey Elizabeth! Allison and Michael are very talented at producing cute babies (Mr. Riley Godwin, the gals' three year old brother, is equally as cute). Just look at these two (!!!):



The whole weekend was wonderful. Shelley, Cat, Nan and I ventured to Montgomery for the day on Saturday to see Alli and the twins. Then, we returned to B'ham and met Mary Ellen at another old stand by-- Surin! I had such a great time seeing my dear friends and staying with Mary Ellen (I haven't laughed so hard in a really long time. I miss my old roomie). It was also great to meet Brodie and Hunter, the men in Shell's life.

Next on the agenda was carnival season! There are definitely perks to living in a city that people like to visit. For Mardi Gras, I had visitors during both of the big parade weekends. First up was my better half for the the duration of law school (Tara) and her better half (Ty)! We had such a great time eating crawfish, hitting up the parades during the day and on Saturday night, and eating a delicious brunch on Sunday. The one thing that could have been a bit better for the weekend-- the weather. It was literally the only cold weekend we've had all winter. It didn't put too much of a damper on our fun though:



The next weekend was a bit warmer, and equally as fun. Carrie Beth, another one of my dearest college friends, and her fiance, Charles, came down for the 2nd weekend of Mardi Gras festivities. I had not met Charles yet, and he was just as delightful as I knew he would be. The plan was for me to have a get together at my house before the Endymion parade, but the weather had different plans. However, the rain cleared up by parade time and we were able to walk over and enjoy it. The weather had cleared by Sunday (seriously, the weather on Sunday was gorgeous and perfect), and we enjoyed a full day of parades on St. Charles Avenue. It was Charles' first Mardi Gras and I think we showed him how to do it right! Also, because one of the marching bands had a panther as their mascot, CB and I got a photo to remind us of our college roots. GO Panthers!!



And last (but very far from least), I leave you with this next photo. This past weekend was the St. Patrick's Day parade in Jackson. Jackson has a great St. Patty's parade, and we had a great time walking in the parade. That is one handsome fella I've got there.



What's next on tap?? Jazz Fest!! Counting down the days (38, in case you're wondering).

Long time, no read.

I haven't updated this in awhile. Oops! I have been very busy starting a new job which I am now about 2 months into and really love-- hooray for employment, and a double hooray for fulfulling employment.

Outside of work, things have been rather hit and miss. I did have a delightful trip to the zoo this past weekend and am looking forward to Kyndle coming down from Birmingham this coming up weekend. Currently, I am catching up on some pleasure reading, because to be honest, there is not much more satisfying than coming home from a day at work and crawling up in bed with a good book. Right now I am reading this:



I am about halfway done, and although I guess it would be premature to review the book, I am loving it so far. This is my first Tom Robbins book and I am quite certain it won't be my last. I have been wanting to read something by him for awhile and initially I was going to start with "Skinny Legs and All". However, review after review said that "Skinny Legs" was not the best Robbins book to start with, not because it isn't good, but because it's not a good way to ease into his writing. I don't know if this is true or not, but I do know that "Jitterbug Perfume" has caused me to catch the Robbins bug. Here's to a winter full of early nights curled up inside with a book!(because heck, it's cold outside, and I don't really want to be outside anyway).

Teenage Dream

This kid may have just made my day:

The Kudu

During our senior year of college, the Lakeview district of Birmingham became very popular. Not only was this little area the home of Lakeview Oyster House, a really great little restaurant that unfortunately no longer exists, but also the home of the Barking Kudu. I have not been to this bar in at least 4 years, and it's not just because I no longer live in Birmingham. Don't get me wrong...this place was a BLAST when we used to go. However, I don't know if it was really a fun place or if we were just typical college students who loved bars that served cheap beer and had cover bands playing every weekend.

Anyway, this blog post is not completely random... I had dinner with Sarah Katherine, one of my best college friends, last night in NOLA. I have just made the big move to the big easy, and SK has lived there for the past few years. So, we are excited to be in the same city again and I look forward to regular dinner dates! SK mentioned last night that I don't update my blog often enough and I think she is right. I decided that SK should get some sort of photo shout out since she reminded me to post, and while looking at old pictures on my computer I came across this:



Not only is this a pretty picture of Sarah Katherine, but it is also taken at the Barking Kudu. I actually remember this night quite well. Yes, there was a cover band and we danced until our feet felt like they would fall off. And, as an added bonus: Cat with straight hair!

Suggestions Welcome

So, I recently acquired a new living space. I am packing up my (few) possessions and moving to the Big Easy (the big NOLA). I have signed a lease for the most glorious apartment. A (not so) little shotgun all for myself. There is technically room to make the place into a two-bedroom, but I have decided to have a dining room instead. Therefore, I want to make sure I still have a place for visitors to lay their pretty little heads (so, this is also an open invitation to come visit). I want a very clean and modern looking living room, so I have been on the search for a stark white couch that can convert into a bed. I have narrowed it down to the following two and can't make a decision to save my life.

I was originally dead set on this one:



I loved that it had an ottoman and just really liked the look of it.

However, upon further consideration, I think I have decided on this one:



I really think I'll regret getting something with no arms AND this one is significantly bigger (although by just looking at the picture, the first one gives the illusion of being bigger than it actually is).

What do y'all think?

Stumblin'

I'm kind of sleepy, so no long blog post from me (but it has been way too long, so I feel the need to post something).

So, I leave you with this: Stumble Upon

Possibly the most delightful website ever created (warning: major time suckage will occur upon viewing and utilizing this site). Just put in some interests, press "Stumble" and you're off! A grand adventure on the interwebs that will help you find this:



and this:

Shoelace Lacing Methods

and this:


(Don't worry kids, it's just a sleeping bag that can be seen in more detail here: A Bear Sleeping Bag. Grrrr!

Let the surfin' begin!

Happy Birthday!

Tomorrow marks the birth of Penny Lane Austin, cute dog extraordinaire. Actually, July 15th just happens to be the birthdate I gave PL. They said she was 7 weeks old when I got her, so based on a little counting backwards, I hypothesized. Here's a little look at Penny throughout the years:


Here is the picture that was posted of PL on Petfinder. As if I ever had a chance at saying no to that face.



She was good lookin' from the start, even during her awkward teenage years.



Penny loved living with Mary Ellen, the dog whisperer (seriously, all the tricks she knows are due to ME's animal training skills. Thank you BSC for making ME do all those little behavioral experiments with rats).



Penny's first years in Birmingham were full of fun and games. She never complained! Even when we did this:



Now PL can be found lounging on the couch, playing with her favorite toy, Octavius (who has since been reduced to a stuffingless shell), and sometimes even doing this:



Did hell freeze over in Louisiana??

I look forward to many more years with this little munchkin. Here's to the hippest dog on the block.