As I mentioned before, my friend KH became KS recently in St. John. Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. S! Which meant celebrating their union included a nice, relaxing vacation just what I needed in the Caribbean. Being the fabulous hosts they are, they provided brews at the ferry dock welcoming us to their island paradise, a sunset sail, and plenty of rum punch at their wedding reception y’all were seriously awesome hosts. We spent the rest of the time hanging out at the beaches, snorkeling, and frequenting the local hotspot, Beach Bar, in the evenings more Painkillers, please. We ended up there for their official-unofficial welcome party on Thursday, which happens to be open mic night at the Beach Bar.

KH wasted no time letting me know she expected me to get on stage: “You have to sing! I’m the bride and I command you!”*
*actual conversation may have differed slightly

You have to do what the bride says, right?

Impromptu Jam Session

The fabulous thing about this open mic was that people just got on stage and jammed with you. It was so cool! I was about three chords into my first song when I heard bongos in the background. I kept playing despite my extreme desire to turn around and see if a naked Matthew McConnaughey had settled himself behind me . And then the host got on the keyboard where’s the keytar host guy? and added keys to the situation. I played a couple standard songs and somehow ended up singing on a cover of “Billie Jean” she says I am the one! but the kid is not my son… because I’m a girl.  All I know is that I have GOT to learn Kokomo for when I go back.

Last weekend, I got to celebrate one of my most favorite people in the world! KH soon to be KS is getting married in August in St. John thanks for getting married in such an awesome place BTW and a trip to Athens was in order. For the seven of us, including her sister, Athens is a huge part of our friendship we all met at UGA, which KH attended because of her sister. We went up Saturday afternoon, did some decorating and opened gifts and KH and I had the following conversation:

“Why do people keep giving me gifts? I didn’t do anything!” – KH

“You have made a man fall in love with you. You have succeeded in life!” – me in my best “Obnoxious Southern Belle” voice.

We grabbed tapas for dinner, ventured out to the side of town that the townies and professors frequent, and grabbed some yummy drinks at Highwire Lounge might I suggest the Pepper Basil Caipirinha. And then we got around to feeling old.

Here we are at Half Moon Pub below Flannagan’s quite possibly the only places that have survived since our freshmen years…. with a group out for their friend’s 21st.

“Y’all are a bachelorette party? Man! I feel young!”- Birthday Boy

“Yeah and I feel old!” – Any one of us could have replied with this statement.

Some observations:

• My friends are not good at taking shots anymore. “I haven’t taken a shot in years!” Wait, what? Why not? Wait – why am I still taking shots?
• One of our old fresh/soph year hangouts (aka places who accepted your library card as proper identification) was converted into a bar called 8D’s a couple years ago. We thought it was the greatest thing ever. Now they’ve opened 9D’s and I’m a little disturbed by this. When they open 00′s, I’m going to have a tantrum and reserve every right to have a midlife crisis in the process.
• People born in 1990 really love Hanson. I mean, holy crap – Mmmmmbop came on and you would have thought you were in Shea Stadium in 1965 and the Beatles had just come on stage. It really made me question America’s youth.
• Penis straws, a Bachelorette Party staple, will get you a few questionable stares the night of the Bachelorette party but should be disposed of properly afterward. No one wants a big blue penis straw falling out of their purse during work hours or a casual week night dinner. I’m looking at you, NK.
• Don’t show anyone your 1980 birthdate. Accept the fact that they think you’re a 5th year senior and move on.

I realize I’m about 6 days late on my Harry Potter review but being that I didn’t see it until Monday, I figured I might as well blog about it late as well. J and I went to the Mall of Georgia’s 3-D IMAX screen because I insisted. It’s a little bit of a trek for us, 45 minutes or so, but I’m so glad we did (we weren’t as dedicated for HPATDH PT 1 and I kind of wish we had been). It was amazing. I laughed, I cried. I nominated Molly Weasley for the badass of the year award. I’m so glad they kept that line in the movie! I felt a little bit empty inside when the credits rolled.

Naturally, I dressed up Gryffindor. I got some interesting looks from passersby since a) it was a Monday b) The movie came out like 4 days before and c) I’m 30 years old. I didn’t care. Personally I was pleased with my conservative version of the slutty Hermione costume thankyouverymuch. Besides, how else could I get this awesome shot?

I am totally on the wrong side. I am totally not a Death Eater.

Couple of thoughts:

• Last scene: Ron, Harry, and Draco looked successfully aged but why did Ginny and Hermione still look 18? Still glad they played themselves in that scene.
• Apparently, Blaise replaced Crabbe in the Room of Requirement scene because the actor who played Crabbe was arrested for cannabis possession. It confused me because I didn’t catch that it was Blasie. Why is Crabbe suddenly black?
• Ralph Fiennes killed it as Voldemort in this franchise. BTW, HP has the best casting directors ever.
• I want to read the books again. All of them.

Also, other people liked it:

Lindsay, I promise I didn’t highjack your title. We just think alike, as usual:

Quick + Dirty Dirty

Perks of Being a JAP (that’s Jewish American Princess, y’all)

Cake Wrecks Harry Potter Cakes

Harry Potter Trivia on Sporcle

Go see it. The End.

Last week, something horrible happened. And I don’t mean I got stuck in traffic and was running late to work. Or my hair stylist cut off five inches when I said “just a trim.” Or my dog ate one of my favorite pairs of shoes. Or someone pissed me off by saying something stupid or mean.

Someone I didn’t even know was killed in an act of senseless violence and I cannot shake it. I haven’t stopped thinking about this random act since I first heard on Friday afternoon from a friend who worked with the victim. I know this sort of thing happens every day – even in Atlanta tragedy strikes all the time. It’s why I can’t bear to watch the evening news. But this is different. Maybe it’s because it was in a parking garage I knew well, in an area that I always assumed to be safe. Maybe it’s because she went to my alma mater, UGA. Maybe it’s because it was someone my friend worked with and it could have very easily been her walking out to the parking garage that day. Maybe it’s because she could have easily been one of my friends.

I have found myself following this story hoping that the authorities can make some sense out of this. But there is no sense to it. It’s random (although I think the actual word I’m looking for is bulls***). It shouldn’t have happened. Her family and friends shouldn’t be ripped apart right now and mourning her loss. She was too young and had too many years ahead of her. In one of the articles, there was a link to her blog.  I read through a couple posts that started to paint a picture of who this girl was. Someone who appreciated the life that was so unjustly taken from her. In ways most others take for granted. Someone who had such a joy and love for life. Heartbreaking.

Her death is so tragic and so troubling – I am so saddened by it and I can’t wrap my head around why it happened. This world is so evil sometimes. It’s amazing that one girl who I never even knew can affect me in such a way that makes me hurt so badly for her friends and family. Her life was too short so loved and seemed to have make an incredible impact on this earth. I know she has on me.

I want to appreciate life like Brittney Fox Watts did. Because who knows how long we ever have?

I live in Atlanta so I’ve been stuck in my house for the better part of this week. Talk about cabin fever. Honestly, I never thought I’d be THIS bored sitting around. Here are my thoughts on the snow in Atlanta:

• I work from home so I’m not missing any work. However, even though I do work in my pajamas most days, I do venture out after work hours. And this hasn’t happened this week. And I’m about to go insane.
• My dog has only been crated for an hour the entire week. My captivity = her freedom. Irony.
• I live a heck of a lot closer to the grocery store than I thought. I spent that hour today walking to and from to get ingredients for Butternut Squash Soup. I should really walk there more often.
• I cook a lot when I’m stuck in the house. This week my roommate and I have made:  Turkey Chili, Oatmeal Raisin cookies, Chicken Stir-Fry, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (just like mom used to make!), and said soup.
• Although she’s a great person and all, I seriously think I may hurt my roommate if I don’t get out of here soon. People aren’t meant to spend this much time cooped up with someone else. Get me out of here.
• It’s possible to snowboard in your backyard.
• I really miss my boyfriend.

Scenario: You and your boyfriend are moving in together
Grandma’s view on premarital cohabitation: SINNERS!
Should you lie to your Grandma Conclusion: Yes. Yes you should.

Example:

Grandma (just so happens to be MY grandma in this case): So, your aunt tells me your moving into a new place? Are you going to have a roommate? technically, yes.

Me: Um… yeeeeeeeeeeah……………

Grandma: Is she nice?

She? Crap.

Me: Yeah, she’s great. Super awesome.

Grandma: That’s nice.

Phew.

Last year, during an annual girls’ trip to Charleston for the Cooper River Bridge Run, we ran (ha) into a rather magical booth at the Running Expo. A woman named Melissa*, clad in a tiara and running medal covered with iconic characters (PLUTO!), revealed to us that a magical running event occurred in the most magical places in the world. Disney has all kinds of fun running events including a Princess Half Marathon. I was convinced we were destined to participate in the 2011 event. We are all seasoned 10kers but we are all probably more comfortable with a 5k (with the exception of KB, who runs 13.1 miles for fun, like, every Saturday).  I think the conversation went a little something like this:

Melissa: Would you girls like to compete in the 2011 Disney Princess Run?

Me: Oooh do you get a tiara?

Melissa: why yes, yes you do!

ME: Whaaa!!?!?! Sold!

Friend 1, NK: Hmm.. do we really want to do a half marathon?

Friend 2, KB (seasoned runner): Yeah.. I’m not sure that February is a good month to be doing your first half… it’s going to suck training in cold weather.

Friend 3, RCB: Yeah, that’s going to suck.

Me: BUT YOU GET A TIARA!!!!!

At this point I am quite certain Melissa pulled out a magical wand, shouting “Bippity Boppity Boo!” as she convinced everyone that this is the greatest idea EVER. I mean… EVER.

Melissa and her evil ways

Everyone: THIS IS THE GREATEST IDEA EVER! I MEAN… EVER!

Forward to today, January 4th, 2011: I am now convinced that this is the STUPIDEST idea ever. Bippity Boppity BOO-HOO (see what I did there?). Here are the top reasons why training for ANYTHING in the cold is stupid.

1) RCB and I have both been fighting some sort of cold thing since Thanksgiving. Do you how much it sucks to run in the cold with a cold? Needless to say, there’s been a big ole’ gap in the training schedule.

2) Btw, it’s cold as hell out there, which makes zero sense since it’s actually hot in hell. However, hell probably did freeze over after we made this decision. Also, I hate running on a treadmill.

3) I know I ate about 9,000 cookies (give or take 8,985 or so) over the holidays. That makes me all sorts of unathletic right now.

Sure, you could argue that this is a good thing. You could argue that this is good for us. A new year’s resolution! You could argue that we’ll make it out alive since we’re all runners and we’re in pretty good shape and if we can run 10ks, surely we can do a half. I just wish this run was in April instead of February so I could actually conclude my training in clement weather (I’m assuming clement is the opposite of inclement, right?) instead of  this bs coughy-cold weather. I’ll be sure to update all 10 of you who read this (optimism – isn’t it great!?) with the results…

*Not really sure if her name really was Melissa as this happened last April, but it’s close enough for the telling of this story.

**Another friend, LVF, was scheduled to make an appearance but tore her ACL playing flag football . It was an expensive and silly way to get out of running a race (LVF, you could have just told us you didn’t want to go), but I understand entirely.

I work from home and sometimes watch the Today Show in the morning. Have you ever noticed how the Today Show goes from covering legit stories in the earlier hours to shallow bullshit with Kathy Lee and Hoda in the final hour? I suppose the majority of people sitting at home at 10am are bored housewives who really do want to know how to make curtains or get the perfect blow out. From two ladies who appear to be slightly buzzed every morning to boot… Oh, fourth hour, you’re ridiculous. Today on Today, I’ve learned the challenges of dealing with your mother dating again and how to deal with said challenges. Fascinating! I also saw a ridiculous interview with Shaun White complete with Kathie Lee and Hoda playing  his new video game (it was as awkward as it sounds). And finally, Halloween dog fashion. That’s right! KL and Hoda gave us some excellent Halloween costume ideas for the pups. I use the term “excellent” quite loosely, by the way. For the record, I do not plan on dressing up my dog as Miss Barkansas, a baked potato (this poor bulldog had tin foil all over his back. Didn’t look happy), or as a bar. Yep. Seriously. They dressed up some poor husky as a bar. Shon doesn’t really like Halloween (mainly due to my notion that it’s absolutely ridiculous to put your pet in clothing and her inability to realize it’s Wednesday let alone Halloween because SHE’S A DOG) but a couple years ago there was a prize for best costume at her Doggy Daycare and I wanted free boarding. I used some spare fabric and dressed her up as a ninja turtle (Raphael in case you were wondering), but we lost to Dog: The Bounty Hunter. Which I guess is a good costume. Personally, I think any dog wearing sai’s on its paws should automatically win but I wasn’t judging. I dunno, maybe I should have dressed her up as a bar. Perhaps one of these options would work better this year.

Swift, David the Gnome’s pet fox?

Shon as Shon White (she has the name, the red hair, and everything)?

Or as dramatic cupcake dog?

Is there anything better than an entire bar singing along to Phil Collins’ Against All Odds at midnight on a Thursday night? I doubt it. Pretty amazing, actually.

NK and I went on a little adventure Thursday night. We submitted to be extras (read: movable props) for scenes from an upcoming project movie? TV show? TV movie? that apparently Queen Latifah is behind. I’ve done extra work before and NK has been featured in a few commercials, so we figured it’d be easy money and a fun experience. Also, I always drag NK along for “fun” adventures. See: Summer of Joanna, 2002.

Call time was originally slated for 11am, so we figured we’d be out of there in time for Screen on the Green Thursday night. Wrong. After changing our call time to 4:30 uh-oh, and telling us to expect to be there until 12 or 1, oh dear gawd, we got scared. Actually NK got scared, I just figured we’d be out of there by 12 or 1. I should have been scared.

At the start of the most horrible cocktail party ever.

We arrived on set in the Terminus building and after wardrobe approved our outfits, we sat in them for a good three hours. Maybe four hours. We got our hair done, make up touched up, and then we sat around some more. They fed us. Then they moved us to a different place to sit around and wait. We were split up at this point. Around 12, I figured they wouldn’t need us all for these scenes and they’d let us go. Boy was I wrong. 4 hours later, we were still burning the midnight oil.

Extra work is an interesting job. It’s really not hard, but it’s really tiring and boring. You stand on your feet over and over again and are expected to give 110% energy over and over again. Except instead of the actors (principal talent) who are given plush slippers and water in between takes, you’re herded around like cattle and told to shut the eff up. Like I said, you’re basically a movable prop.

When the camera is rolling, you have to be quiet. But you’re supposed to be talking. And dancing. Quietly. With a lot of energy. Even though you’re tired. And hungry. Around 2am, they brought us back to holding to get a snack and water when they should have been handing out energy drinks.

NK and I contemplated leaving several times during the day but if you leave, you don’t get paid. You don’t get paid a ton, but we kept figuring we’d be wrapped soon and “surely they won’t keep us past 2″ turned into “surely we’ll leave by 3″ which turned into “is it really 4?” and finally “seriously? birds are chirping.”

We finally got released around 6am. I heard a couple people say that they had been up for 24 hours straight. I went home and took a nap only to awake in time to catch a matinee showing of SATC2 and then get some work done. Totally backwards, I know. A couple hours before we left, one of the crew members took a liking to NK and said, “you’re my favorite, Teri!” After apologizing for calling her by a name she is not called, NK answered, “It’s okay. I was asleep.”