Ruby Red Slippers

Two things I believe in:
1) Fate
2) Love at first sight

I experienced both today when I walked into a store and was swept right off my feet and into a pair of candy red Steve Madden pumps. They began calling my name the second I walked in so I b-lined for my size. Perfection! Only 2 pairs left, both in my very own size 7! I could not have been more excited. That is, until I tried them on and my toes were squished up like little sausages. I convinced myself that it was worth it (style over comfort) and carried them around while I shopped for other potential treasures.

By the time I made it back to the front of the store I had tried them on 9 additional times. Just to make sure. But against my better (fashion) judgement I decided that I needed my toes after all. I mourned the loss of my beautiful red heels and wished there was a way to shrink my feet. Dehydration? Baby oil? Surgery? Anything to ensure those shoes were leaving the store with me. But instead I settled for a new wine stopper with a "W" engraved in it. Not a bad consolation prize I decided.

Then fate intervened.

I approached the register (wine stopper in tow) and GASP! A pair of my beloved shoes in a size 7 1/2 were sitting right there on the check-out counter! Staring right at me! The store clerk was checking someone out but I couldn't stop myself from interrupting her to ask if those red beauties were waiting for someone. When she said no, I literally threw my arms up in the air, grabbed my new shoes, and let out a tiny scream of pure joy as I cradled them in my arms.

It was at this moment when I realized I looked like a lunatic. Knowing that if I had to be escorted out by security I would never get to wear my amazing new pumps, I resisted the urge to hug the cashier and instead bit my lip and swiped my debit card.

To add to my good fortune, they were only twenty bucks! What. A. Deal. Truly a Cinderella story. Or rather, a Dorothy story (complete with a brand new shining pair of Ruby Red Slippers).

"Stiletto, I look at it more as an attitude as opposed to a high-heeled shoe." ~Lita Ford

Let the Anxiety Begin

Yep, I finally did it. After years of thinking about it, talking about it, and making excuses not to do it, I finally did it. The thought of it makes my knees tremble and gives my mom a near heart attack. But alas, I did it.

I registered for my first (half) marathon.

With exactly four months to train, I am anxious to see how this whole thing pans out. I haven't been on a regular running regimen since circa 2006, but I figure I'm not getting any younger (or any more athletic). And even though the furthest I have ever run at once is 5 miles, 13.1 shouldn't be so tough, right?

In other words- lots of stress and complaining to follow. Let the anxiety begin!

Home Sweet San Antonio

There is no better reason to travel cross-country than for a day of wedded bliss! Nick's high school bestie got married in SA-town this past weekend to his oh-so-wonderful sweetheart Vanessa. While Nick tended to his Best Man duties I got to spend some quality time with my favorite sista!

The first item of business was devouring some TexMex at Alamo Cafe. There's nothing like tortillas, queso, and flan on a Friday afternoon (or any afternoon for that matter). Mmmmmm. Next up was a nice hot cup of Mom's delicious coffee then shopping for Chelsea-Handler-appropriate threads for our comedy tour date night. We made it to the "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang" event in classic Andrea & Roz timing... as the show started. (What can I say? We like to make an entrance.) We skipped our seats and headed straight to the bar. Because seriously- how can you go to a Chelsea Handler show and not get a Belvedere drink? An even better question- how in the world is it possible that the bar ran out of Belvedere within the first half hour of a Chelsea Handler show? Dis. A. Pointing. But as they say, the show must go on, so we gladly accepted our house vodka gosh darnit and were as merry as could be. The stand-up was great, Chelsea was ridiculously funny, and it was awesome to hang out with my sister!

Then. We got a wild idea. In all of our years, Andrea and I have never, not once, been "out" by ourselves. Just us. No friends, boys, parents, or chaperones. It was so ON. We were going OUT. It was time to let our hair down, throw caution to the wind, and make it a ladies night!

Abfab idea... until we came to the realization that neither of us have resided in SA for since the early 2000s. The only place we knew to go served sushi (winner!) but closed in thirty minutes. Being the adventurers we are, we decided to go for it. We ordered a few rolls, a beer (me) and a glass of red wine (her) but were soon rushed out the doors. We didn't have to go home, but we couldn't stay there. I will leave the rest of the night to your imagination but will say that it definitely did NOT include any of the following:

- Finishing our sushi in the car (way too cool for that- obvi)

- Googling every bar in SA and analyzing them based on the likelihood of us being abducted or stalked (looking for adventure- no creepers allowed)

- Making it home before midnight (12:07 technically counts as "past midnight")

Needless to say, I woke up hangover-free and wedding-ready on Saturday. I put on my dress and was headed out the door when GASP! Somehow I had gotten mascara all over my GRAY dress. Cool as a cucumber I was not. A few blood throttling screams and my EBS (Emergency Beauty Squad) came to the rescue! Mom with her Shout wipes, Andrea with baby wipes, and me standing there shrieking. A few wipes later and my dress was mascara-free but had a giant wet spot right in the center. Awesome. I didn't have time to wait for drying so I ran out the door assuming the issue was resolved. Eh... not so much. Luckily I was able to keep the head-on pics at a minimum- it was all about the profile baby. Stain aside, the wedding was beautiful and the reception at Sazo's in Rivercenter Marriott was amazing.

As with all great weekends, this one ended with some good old-fashioned R&R. We shopped with my mom, met up with the newly married bride and groom for some grub at La Cantera, and dined with our close family friends The Murguias at their new casa. We even snuck in an early birthday cheesecake for Nick! There is really nothing better than going home and no matter how long I live in Florida, I will always be a Texas girl at heart.

Celebrations, Citations, and Crees

Since relocating from Dallas to Destin over a year ago, many old friends have tossed around the idea of coming for a visit. Many dates and plans have been arranged but I dare to say that not a single one of them has actually shown up on our doorstep. (You people know there are white sand beaches here, right?) So when I got a call from an old friend I only half-expected to have company for Labor Day...

But I do LOVE surprises, especially when the package is a Kerry-Kevin combo! Our newly engaged Dallas pals ventured down to the Emerald Coast for a "celebratory" Labor Day weekend. The fun began the second they arrived on Friday evening when Kevin and Nick made a quick ($150) trip to Cash's for some "celebratory" beverages. Let's just say the night started off on an interesting (wobbly) foot. We headed out to Harry T's for some grub and an ocean view then to Funky Blues Shack for some cocktails and live music. The night was spent in laughter and fun... which led to pure exhaustion... which led to all of us coming home and passing out... except for Kevin who got locked out of our condo for 4 hours. Oops...

Luckily Kevin made it back into the casa for some shut-eye before we rounded up the troops for a day at the river. Apparently the river is part of a state park so alcohol is not permitted. Since we didn't believe such a ridiculous rule could actually exist, we of course ignored it and went about our lazy river ride. As we finished the last of our brewskies about a mile before the exit, we saw a uniformed man flagging us over to the bank. Surely, he wasn't talking to us- the group of older adults with 2 kids in tow- so we kept going. In retrospect- 6 tickets later- probably not the best idea. My citation read: Wik was consuming Bud Light Lime beer on the sand bar at River Beach Black Water state park. End quote. Luckily this particular citation is the equivalent of a parking ticket. It has, however, been catalogued in my souvenirs under "B" for Best Labor Day weekend ever. Ain't nothin' gonna to break my stride... nobody's gonna slow me down, oh-no...

After a long night out on the town and an even longer day in the sun, we didn't make it past 9 pm. Talk about getting old. It's one thing to go to bed at 9pm. It's another to do it on purpose. On a Saturday. During Labor Day weekend.

Once we all got a good night's sleep our fab foursome went to breakfast in Mirimar Beach (my favorite spot) then decided on a beach day. Nick's fam joined us at Norriego Point to soak up the sun and a little R&R. The weather was perfect, the scenery was great, and the company was simply amazing.

We couldn't let our guests bid farewell without experiencing our very own local treasure- Helen Back. At this point, Kerry and I could barely keep our eyes open but once that greasy pizza hit the table we were wide awake. After the pizza high? Not so much. We stopped in downtown Fort Walton for a quick drink and then decided to turn in for the evening. I cannot say the same for our men who tucked us in and escaped into the night for some quality time together. Warm and cozy in our beds after an exhausting two days, Kerry and I didn't mind one bit.

Kerry and Kevin had planned on staying until Tuesday, but woke up early Monday morning and simply could not make it one more day. I was sad to see them go, but to be honest I was not sure that I could have made it another day either. Too. Much. Fun. A warning to all future visitors: The Crees have left you some pretty large party shoes to fill. Veni vidi vici.

Quarter-Life Crisis

Mark your calendars folks... the quarter-life crisis has officially begun. I have always enjoyed my birthday, but this year I insisted on taking the celebration to the next level. That's right- this year it was all about me. Translation: I made it my Birthday Month. After all, it's not every year I hit the quarter-century mark.

My first birthday celebration was in New York, where I got to celebrate with my Mom and Dad, cousins Jason, Crissy, Jase, and Cole, nephew Luke, BF Nick, and favorite sister Andrea who celebrated a birthday in July. We were both shocked to find out that our sneaky little fam managed to get a birthday cake and gifts behind our backs and right in front of our faces.




The festivities continued a few weeks later when I came home to a house full of all my favorite ladies! Nick had planned a SURPRISE ladies night complete with all the fixings- sushi galore from Juno's, vino, and ice cream cake. And did I mention I got a new iPhone? Best. Birthday party. Ever.




To top it off the ladies at work surprised me with a special cake to celebrate the actual big day. That's right- I worked on my birthday. On my BIRTHDAY! Seriously people. Only grown-ups work on their birthday. Say it isn't so.



But who am I to complain about three surprise parties and three delicious cakes? Cheers to 25!

Thanks to my cousin Gerard in France for the picture at the top- talk about capturing the essence!

Every Day

After returning from my northeastern adventure I quickly found myself in the doctor's office with a rash on the back of my legs. Let's just say I learned a good hard lesson about why you shouldn't wear a short skirt while traveling on the metro. One of my coworkers convinced me it was scabies (it wasn't) and my sister had me convinced it was from bedbugs (it wasn't). Turns out it was just an allergic reaction to... [insert something interesting here]. I still don't know what it was from, but while I was sitting in the waiting room for 45 minutes (why do you schedule appointments to see the doctor again?) I came across a fantastic article in WebMD featuring the Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love" (new Book Club book #1) and I found myself intrigued and making my own list of sorts. Enjoy!

Q: What's your healthy-living philosophy?

A: I have a list of 10 things, which I have found keep me happy and healthy, that I try to do every day. I can't say it's a prescription for everyone, but this is what works for my particular organism - - mind, body, and soul. When I take care of these things, everything else takes care of itself. Here is the list:

1. Take a walk.

2. Write something.

3. Read something.

4. Don't eat too much.

5. Spend some time in silence.

6. Stretch.

7. Send a message of love to somebody.

8. Drink water.

9. Mess around in the garden.

10. Floss.

Get me out of this city.

After our vacay with the fam in the Big Apple, it was time for Nick and I to venture off to Massachusetts for a little R&R. We were sad to part ways, but excited to escape the city. We packed up our suitcases, bid farewell, and hitched a ride to the ferry. In Manhattan we pulled our luggage up and down the city sidewalks until we made it to the rental car place. That is where they told us the fantastic news! Since our car was reserved on a debit card instead of a credit card, we were not eligible to rent a car per the law of the state of New York. And surrounding states, might I add. No credit card? No rental car. No bueno.

Side note: Since becoming "financially responsible" I have not used a credit card in two years and refuse to even carry one around in my wallet for "emergency use only" since my "emergency" of the moment could very well be a new handbag or a pair of expensive jeans. Not worth the risk. Nick doesn't believe in credit cards... so therefore at this moment we are toast.

After what seemed like hours of Nick pleading with me to just call my parents (who were still in Staten Island) so we could get this situation resolved (to which I folded my arms and continued to resist the notion of GASP! asking for help) we grabbed our luggage and started aimlessly wandering around the city. Again. Luckily at this point a light bulb went off in Nick's inventive little mind- other forms of transportation. We headed to Grand Central Station to investigate trains to Boston (which I was secretly stoked about since GCS was on the section of my must-see list that had not yet been explored. Hello- Gossip Girl anyone?) It only took a few minutes to realize that the party was actually at Penn Station, so we raced down the street (luggage in tow) to find the Amtrak. We got there just in time to catch a train to Boston (sigh of relief) and climbed aboard for our new adventurous detour.

I wiped the sweat from my brow (the weather in New York is waaaaay warmer than I thought) and sunk into my seat on the train not knowing what to expect. Once we started moving I couldn't help but feel like I was on the Hogwart's Express. Let me just say that traveling by train was pure loveliness. The seats were huge, the food was delicious, and the service was better than any flight attendant I have ever had. Not bad for accidental transportation.

We got off early at Providence Station so our dear friend Laura could scoop us up and take us to her son's bakery Wholly Canolli in Worcester, Mass. for a quick visit. So delicious that I am STILL dreaming of Dynamite Sticks. A must-visit for anyone visiting the Northeast. MMmmmmmm.

The rest of the weekend was spent in pure relaxation mode. We shopped, barbecued, shopped, boated, and then shopped some more. By the way, thanks to this week of vacay my wallet is now empty but my closet is not. Wink wink.

My one ambitious request was that we tour Harvard. Nick and I strolled through the Square and around the campus, taking in the scenery and chatting about how neat was is that 8 U.S. Presidents, over 50 Nobel Peace Prize winners, and countless political figures walked across those very grounds. Even though I was glad to cross it off my must-see list, I could not help comparing the campus to my Alma mater with a very biased, Hook 'em Horns, my-school-is-better-than-your-school attitude. Sorry Harvard, you've got nothing on Texas.

Razzle Dazzle in the City

Ever since my obsession with the television show "Friends" began circa 1996 I have dreamed of visiting New York City. I always envisioned myself sipping coffee in Greenwich Village, carrying around shopping bags from Bloomie's, and having drinks at the Plaza. And don't EVEN get me started on my love for Kelly Ripa and my dream job on "LIVE with Regis & Roz."

Please note that I did not do a single one of these things this past week on my first trip to The Big Apple, nor did my morning show premiere on networks worldwide. (Sequel trip? Already in the works.)

My cousin Jason picked us up from the airport on Saturday afternoon after a long morning of traveling. As we crossed the Verrazano Bridge I saw... the Statue of Liberty! And literally started tearing up. But hey, it's my vacay and I'll cry if I want to. We settled in to Casa de Jarrell thanks to our fabulous host family then headed out for a city tour. It is widely known that Nick and I insist on doing a bicycle tour in every new city we visit. Instead of doing a group tour per our usual routine, Jason borrowed some Coast Guard bikes and gave us our own guided city tour! From the base... across the harbor via the Staten Island Ferry... and into... THE CITY! We zipped through the Finance District, rode through Battery Park and past Ground Zero then made quick stops in Chinatown and Little Italy. The three of us dodged cabs, ignored red lights, and cruised up the wrong side of the street like true New Yorkers. After my daring escapades in the city, Nick and Jason dared me to jump down some steps close by the house. Easy breezy for a bicycle hot shot like myself. After I successfully cleared the steps I raced past them in all my glory, leaving them in the dust. Then I dared to conquer the impossible. A feat not even a pro like me could manage. I attempted to jump... a 2-inch curb. Needless to say I ended up face first in an iron fence with no skin left on my knee and bruises the size of New Jersey on my forearms. Not exactly what I had in mind for my first day in the city. I spent the entire week cleaning my wounds, changing band aids, and limping through subway terminals. Injury aside, the trip was amazing. What I love about the Northeast (other than the go-go-go-go-go mentality)(and the shopping)(and the amazing accents) is the history. Very rarely do I get to draw upon my Bachelor's in History (and by rarely I mean never) so just being in a place that has so much of it was unbelievable. I think I took pictures of every building, statue, and tree in the city just in case it had a back-story I had not yet heard. Just in case you don't believe me, here is a little taste of how I spent my trip to the NYC...





Speaking of history, Nick and I were able to check out McSorley's Old Ale House which is rumoured to have had every U.S. President since 1854 walk through it's swinging doors. They only have two types of beer- light or dark- which they serve up two at a time. (Apparently a popular concept- it was so packed there was barely a seat in the house.) Even though we didn't stay long, the experience was totally worth the trip. The moment I stepped foot onto those sawdust-covered floors I felt like I was in a time warp. The place definitely doesn't look a day past 1854.

Another interesting place was Dangerfield's, which is the longest running comedy club in the WORLD. It was awesome to be in a place knowing that some of the greatest comedians got their start in that very club. In fact, we met a bartender who began his career there in 1969 when the club first opened... and still works there. Talk about job security! He served us up our drinks ($80 for 4- ouch) and even got up on stage to tell a joke at the end of the show.

Not only did I get to learn some history, I got to create some with my amazing family. We ate pizza at Lombardi's Pizza, which claims to be America's very first pizzeria. I insisted that everyone treck through Central Park to walk through Strawberry Fields and travel almost an hour to get to The Museum of Natural History (complaints about this all around but lots of thank-you's afterwards). We took strollers on the subway, ate cheesecake in Times Square, and never went anywhere without our Globetrotter travel guide in tow. We were total tourists and it was embarrassingly amazing.

Vrroooom Vrroooom

When I was just a young tike, my dad had a motorcycle that he would cruise to and from work. I remember riding up and down the dirt road to our house in his lap (prior to seat belt laws, helmet laws, all laws really) until my mom would come outside and school him on how dangerous this was...

Fast-forward to high school when I dated a guy who literally drove a motorcycle to school every day. Not because he was cool, but because he wasn't. (Being 16 and having to pick up my date to the Homecoming dance? How. Embarrassing.) Never in all my years have my parents loathed a boyfriend so much, and to this day my dad still makes fun of his handshake (and remembers his name- though he prefers to call him idiot, bonehead, or loser). Needless to say, I was never allowed to hop on the back of said guy's motorcycle for a leisurely cruise. (And for once I didn't argue- mainly because I was pretty certain death was imminent if I let that road-rage-crazed maniac drive me anywhere.)

So last summer when Nick suddenly decided he wanted to ride, I was somewhat perplexed. Not since high-school-bonehead-boyfriend had I ever even considered hopping on the back of a motorcycle; nor was this on my bucket list. I was definitely not one of those people who would rubberneck just to scope out the Harley in the next lane (unless the loud grumbling engine reluctantly forced me to turn up the volume on my car radio- in which case I would mean mug the biker and speed up, praying he or she didn't see me) and I had never once heard Nick mention riding before. So.... it was weird.

It all started with this little red creation.



And led to a conversation with lots of convincing that led to this.



Which somehow led to a biker rally, bandanna, and personalized leather vest.



At this point, you are probably thinking it can't get any worse.

Then the recruiting began.



Along with weekend trips to the local (fifty mile away) biker bar.



So I guess it wasn't any surprise when we spent Father's Day (and last Thanksgiving) like this.



Happy Father's Day to my Dad (thanks for keeping me in line and away from bikers, well... until now), to Paw Paw (thanks for always making me feel like the most special granddaughter on the planet) to Mike (thanks for taking care of me as if I was one of your own), to Nick (for being the most loving and determined dad I know), and to all the other fathers out there who deserve more than just one day a year. Love you all to pieces.

Side note: There are currently no helmet laws in Florida, but given my track record of head injuries I always always ALWAYS wear one. Yes, I realize it makes me look like a mushroom. However, I am going to need these brains once I get around to writing that New York Times Best-Seller. Until then, just call me Toadstool.

Night in NOLA

"Worst week ever + Best boyfriend ever = Surprise weekend getaway to New Orleans!! Top down, radio up, headed to The Big Easy:-)"

This breaking news has been brought to you via Facebook Mobile Web.

First off, let me say that this week has been awful. It was the week of "The Big Audit" so needless to say I went to work early, got home late, and even broke down in a flood of awkward tears on my home two days ago. Miserable. All I could think about was getting off early on Friday and heading straight to the sofa with a glass of wine and some peanut m&m's. (Because honestly, who can think calories in a time like this. Celery sticks? Not exactly comfort food.)

But of course I didn't leave early.

Well, I did leave early. One hour early. But I didn't quite make it to the couch--only to the kitchen counter where I found an envelope with my name on it. I immediately ripped it open to find a hotel reservation for NEW ORLEANS! My superfantastic boyfriend had the suitcase packed and the convertible all ready to go! As exhausted as I was, I figured I could just sleep in the car. Roadtrip!

Side note: As much as I love convertibles, I would like to mention that it started pouring down rain fifteen minutes outside of Destin... but hey, it's the thought that counts.

Let me just say that I love pretty much everything about New Orleans- the food, the music, the streets that force you to wear flip-flops so as not to sprain an ankle. And of course, the local people are amazing...



And it's not just the ones in drag that are amazing. I was also quite fond of the man who pulled his rolling desk chair all the way down the street to the park to watch a concert. Of course he didn't have a ticket, so he just sat outside the gate with his brown bag bottle in tow.

I will never understand people who don't like New Orleans.

Nick and I actually had our first date in NOLA so it's always nice to spend a romantic night away where it all started. And by romantic, I mean walking down the streets until the wee hours of the morning, hand-in-hand, arguing about which one of us is currently more intoxicated. Only in New Orleans.

Since we have been to the city a few times now, this trip was all about venturing off our normal beaten path and trying some new local flavor. First, we ate pizza at a funky little Italian place called Mona Lisa. The pizza was so good that I literally wrapped the leftovers up in tin foil and put them in my purse for later. Don't judge. Later we checked out the oldest bar in New Orleans, a place called Lafitte's Blacksmith where we discovered lots of hipsters and didn't last past our first drink. Though I enjoyed the atmosphere, this is definitely not the place to go for people-watching. The crowd is far too normal by New Orleans' standards. After our run-in with the swanky crowd, we made it over to Harrah's for a little gambling. I was up by $20 on the nickel slots (big spender), but then got bored and tried out the "Max Bet" button. After approximately 3 minutes I had lost everything and was over it.



Needless to say we ended up with the masses on Bourbon, sipping on hurricanes in the street and soaking up the scene. I would share more details, if only I could remember them.

In the morning we woke up bright and early (10am) to get ready for our bike tour. Back in September 2008 we took a city tour through Boston on bicycles and have been hooked ever since. Getting the street view of everything makes it much more interesting, so long as you don't get pummeled by a moving vehicle (or horse, other bicycle, gypsy, etc). This one was especially exciting, since our tour guide got screamed at by locals pretty much the entire time. "Can you believe he charges these people fifty bucks in an economy like this?" Apparently they do this every day, as he often used their rants as a segway into talking about local cultures and attitudes (more frequently the latter). Considering he is probably the most laid-back person ever (not to mention he actually does charge $50 a person), something tells me he doesn't mind the chatter.



After 24 short hours in The Big Easy we loaded up the car and headed back back to the Sunshine State. The funny thing is that after having what I thought was the worst week of my life, somehow all I can think about now is what a fantastic weekend it has been so far. I could totally get used to the whole weekend getaway thing and am considering resigning from my current position of "Weekend R&R Extraordinaire" to "Weekend Warrior." I'll keep you posted.

The Family that Plays Together Stays Together

The last few weeks have been jam-packed full of familiar family visitors which has been quite the treat. The first to arrive was my very own brother Alex Bafeep! For the last few years he has been in the Coast Guard, which pretty much means I never have any idea where he is living at any given moment. (I probably could know, but keeping up with his whereabouts is somewhat exhausting.) If you were to ask me right now where he is I could at least point you in the right direction- somewhere between South Carolina and Virginia- but that's about it. Sad, I know. As you can imagine, not knowing where Alex actually lives makes it a little difficult to actually see him face-to-face. However being the loving brother that he is, my address somehow ended up on his GPS while en route to San Antonio for a visit with the parentals. I was totally psyched to have entire night out with the little bro. We spent the evening at a local bar playing pool then ended up on our balcony listening to Al strum his six string while sipping on White Russians. Pure loveliness. The next day Nick and I gave him the tour de grande and drove out to Seaside for some delicious pies at the Pizza Bar. Unfortunately I had to leave for Gainesville to attend a software training seminar so Alex headed on down the road to his next vacay stop. (Obviously not fair...)

The next group arrived the following Friday and consisted of Nick’s brother Kris, wife Ashley, and daughter Adriana. Ashley and I set out for a relaxing evening with the girls to see Sex and the City 2 then met up with the guys afterwards for beer and basketball. The following night we ventured to White Sands for a little bowling with Nick’s mom and Jesse, where I just-so-happened to get on a hot streak. Unfortunately my better half was struggling to get a triple-digit score… but I guess you can’t win everything all the time, right? Three games, three different winners (YAY for me, Jodie, & Kris) and fun had by all.

Wednesday brought the largest group yet when Nick’s extended family headed down from Colorado. Let me just say that my mom has a big family and this is the first time I have met one that even holds a candle in the size division. Just as fun. Just as wild. Needless to say I had a wonderful time. Nick’s sister Angie also came in town from Mississippi and we were able to get a two-on-one Yoga session in with my boss (who moonlights as a Yoga instructor- love it). It was nice to have some solo bonding time in the midst of all the chaos. Plus, any activity that burns calories is bonus points in my book. I was able to take Friday off work and the twenty-plus of us rented a couple boats and spent the day at Crab Island. I have never seen a more packed speed boat/clown car in my life, but everyone had a great time and the weather was gorgeous. The really good news is that we only had one near-death experience. Note to readers: If you insist on jumping off the front of the boat while it is in motion, first make sure that what you are in is a pontoon. Those few milliseconds of floating underneath the hollow bottom might allow your driver an extra moment to cut the engine and stop the propellers from slicing you to bits. (And no, I was not the person who jumped off the moving boat. At least not this time.)

Moving right along, we were also able to celebrate Meme Spencer’s 80th birthday with a dinner at Pronzos! Then we later found out that her birthday is months away. (It’s no wonder she was surprised by the dinner party.) They figured the best time to celebrate was when the majority of the fam was together, and it was so awesome to be a part of such an important family gathering! All-in-all it was a great visit with the Spencer fam and I hope they come back to visit again next summer!


Just when we thought the company was gone… Alex managed to find his way back to Casa de Nick and Roz! And this time he wasn’t alone, which was even more exciting. Memorial Day was spent zipping through the city on scooters at breakneck speeds of 40 mph with my honey Nick, bro Alex and his girlfriend Chrissy. I was a huge fan of this activity because I got to actually got to drive- Nick rode on the back (classic). A trip to the snow cone stand was a must, then it was home to do some baking for Alex’s birthday festivities. Turning twenty-one should not be taken lightly, and it is recommended that a tall glass of milk and some chocolate iced cupcakes are present to soak up all the alcohol. Seeing as how my cooking skills are sub-par (understatement) I somehow managed to turn these said cupcakes into muffin-looking edible objects after overflowing them in the pan. Then I ended up with extra mix, which led me to create the smallest birthday cake ever recorded in Wik family history. But both were delicious so I didn’t hear too many complaints. Pointing and laughing? Yes. Ill-spirited cooking jokes? Yes. Complaining? Not so much. So perhaps presentation isn’t important so long as your treats are tasty. Or here's hoping...

I leave you with these--- Happy 21st Birthday Alex Bafeep!!

Marco...

... Polo! Yes, I am still alive. And yes, I am still (slowly but surely) blogging. Don't give up on me quite yet folks. Sometimes life just gets in the way. Which, speaking of life, in the crazy hecticness of the last week-and-a-half I have acquired a few lessons.

Let's review, week-at-a-glance style:

- When your boxer pup stops in the parking garage to leave a present, pick it up immediately. When another dog later decides to leave one in the same spot and the owner doesn't pick it up, throw a fit. Unfortunately, no one will care about your fit and you will still end up picking it up yourself. Scenarios such as this one are obviously only possible on a Monday.

- Love really does come along at the oddest times in the most bizarre circumstances. Congratulations to my newly-engaged friends Kerri and Kevin! Who would have thought a romance could bloom out of a funeral (seriously). Way to be awesome.

- Whenever you feel like you are in good shape, go to the Body Pump class at Gold's for a quick reality check. Then be humbled when 45 minutes leaves you practically immobile for the next three days.

- Voting for contestants on reality shows is surprisingly fun. Except when it's The Biggest Loser and you later realize that text voting is not free. Daris, if you are reading this, I want you to know you are totally worth my weekly lunch allowance. I didn't need to eat this week anyway.

- Dancing with the Stars does not seem to care about my votes.

- Lots of work does not always equal lots of money. However, it does equal a lot more phone calls to return, a lot less sleep, and a lot more 'tude. Sincere apologies to anyone I have come in contact with over the last ten days.

- Shorts + Motorcycle + Blazing Hot Day = Burnt Bum & Bad Tan Lines. Not recommended.

- Girl's Nights are ridiculously fun. (But not so much for surrounding parties.) Hanging out with an amazing group of loud, fun, laughing women is totally worth a few cross looks.

- When challenging yourself to a 50-Book-Challenge in 2010, perhaps the 2009 result should be taken into account. Especially when the goal was 50 and you read 7. I can't even see the bar anymore because it is set so high.

- Lazy Sunday is sometimes necessary to recover from all of the above.

It's a Mom's Life.

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful, patient, loving, beautiful moms out there! (Special shout-out to my own special mama- love you!) This day always makes me think about how crazily amazing women are- especially moms. All the mothering (i.e. the cooking, cleaning, sacrificing, care giving, whine-enduring, multi-tasking, schedule-coordinating, and disciplining)...it just seems so exhausting. Luckily I won't have to worry about any of that for a while. Well, at least the cooking part. The rest is debatable thanks to a boyfriend, roommate, and two pups.

Speaking of exhausting, this week has been one for the books. Wednesday was Cinco de Mayo so a couple of fab ladies at work decided it was margarita time! (Virgin, of course. A marg, even a good one, is not worth a spot in the unemployment line.) While on the topic I would like to point out the hand-crafted (not by me) sombrero that was the centerpiece for our Cinco festivities. I was pretty excited to momentarily relive the olden days when some tin foil and a handful of pipe cleaners somehow got transformed into a masterpiece. (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.) I actually envy my elementary school teacher friends solely because they get to do arts and crafts on a daily basis. Their job would be much more appealing if it did not involve twenty plus children under the age of ten. Or maybe that is the appeal? Either way, Teacher's Appreciation Day should be a much more popular holiday.

Anyway.

After clocking a ten-hour day at the SH, I turned my metaphorical trucker cap around Over-the-Top style and headed to my other gig at The Shed. Hype Pix got hired on to do our first third-party event for 654-Limo's 7th Anniversary Party. Slam Dunk. The pictures were fantastic thanks to our amazing photographers and even-better subjects. You would be surprised how many people are anxious to look ridiculous (myself included). Then pay money to showcase the evidence in an 8x10. Amazingness.

After a long evening at the party it was up again for another day at the office, followed by a fundraising event for Shelter House.

Followed by another night of less-than-ample sleep.

And another day of work.

Fast-forward to Friday night when I was peeled off the couch and carried to bed. At approximately 9pm. Rock star.

The rest of the weekend involved fun with friends, the first soccer game of the summer season, a Mother's Day movie (Date Night, finally) and lunch at Bonefish (winner by unanimous decision). After enjoying delicious food with Nick, his mom Jodie, her boyfriend Jesse, and their neighbor Caroline it was back to the casa for a little R&R. Except that I decided (unintentionally) that I would spend the remainder of my day doing all things "motherly" instead. The next three hours included lots of laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, and the grooming of my own two furry children. (Which, according to Nick's four-year-old little sister Juju, qualify me for Mother's Day.)

So what did my little family do while I worked tirelessly?



That's right. They all three took a nap.

So to all you wonderful mothers out there... I hope you enjoyed your breakfast in bed, musical greeting cards, flowers, and hand-crafted gifts. Cheers to knowing that you will have to do your own breakfast dishes, cut and water your own roses, and probably pay for your own present. But chances are, you didn't even notice. And that is why you are wonderful.

'What made your butt fall down?"

One of the many things I love about living in Destin is that the people here generally keep a pretty nice physique. (They also all have tattoos, but that is beside the point.) It's easy to be active and stay in good shape when you live on the beach and know that you are going to be in a swimsuit eight to nine months out of the year. Motivation? Check!

I have been pretty good about going to the gym and staying active since I moved here last May- beach jogs, yoga, the gym, and of course kickball (not to be confused with dodgeball) have kept me feeling energetic and overall pretty healthy. That is, until mid-April when I busted out my book of excuses and decided that working out was not only inconvenient, but impossible. BIG mistake. Those LBS catch up quick! The last couple weeks of eating out and skipping the gym have seemed to trump out any work I have done over the last year. [Sigh.] Needless to say, it was back to the gym kicking and screaming yesterday afternoon.

When I lived in Austin, my friend Sara and I used to go run the Hike & Bike Trail around Town Lake. For some reason the only thing I remember about these runs (with the exception of the time I tripped on Lucy's leash and skidded three feet across the gravel while she literally pointed and laughed) is the ceremonious trips to the gas station we would make when we were finished. Odd, I know. But let me just say that gas stations are the BEST for impulse purchases. A soda is always better if you get it from the corner store, as is a candy bar, Icee, or anything else delicious and equally bad for your midsection. Since I haven't been to the gym in like, oh, two weeks, I decided I deserved a ceremonial post-gym Dodge's stop to reward myself for getting back on the work-out wagon. I decided I should probably opt for a "healthy" snack choice, so naturally I bypassed the granola bars and went straight to the trail mix instead. (Life lesson #1: You can never go wrong with anything that involves chocolate.) (Especially milk chocolate m&ms.)

I have since decided that I HATE trail mix. Correction: I LOATHE trail mix. It is way too much work to sift through all the different ingredients to get to the good stuff. (I hate jellybeans for this same reason.) So as I snacked I was overly annoyed that I had to pick all the stupid raisins from the bag. (I come from the school of thought that grapes should only be consumed two ways: straight from the freezer or squeezed into a bottle of Moscato. I don't want them dried-out, shrivelled, and served with peanuts thank-you-very-much.) The upside is that maybe the act of picking out raisins burned a few calories.

So at this point I am feeling alright about my day. Gym? Check. Somewhat healthy eating? Check. Then I run into Nick in the elevator at our condo.

Nick: Why are you touching your butt?

(Apparently I was, in fact, doing this. Awkward.)

Me: Well, it just seems like it was more "up" a couple weeks ago.

Nick: What made your butt fall down?

Me: Um, okay just because it is not "up" does not mean that it is "down."

Nick: But you just said...

Me: Oh just forget it.

Yep. That's right. Apparently not going to the gym makes your butt fall down. So for all of you that were wondering, now you know. Needless to say, tomorrow will be another gym day. I will be the one literally kicking (and screaming) to get those buns back where they belong. And the beat goes on...

"Living the 10W-40 Life"

I wish I could take credit for the title of this post, but the honors goes to one of the many status updates on the FB regarding the oil spill that is ripping through the Gulf of Mexico as we speak. Others include...

Oil. Mind consuming.

This oil spill is not gonna be good for our area. Our beautiful beaches and water will be gross, and a lot of businesses and jobs will suffer as well. I pray that a miracle happens.

This oil spill is coming and we can't do anything about it. Devastating. And this is just the beginning...

Worried worried worried, don't know what's going to happen to our jobs and lives due to this oil spill!

...and of course the ever-so-honest...

I would like to thank BP for ruining my summer.

I have never been savvy with politics and I can't really say that current events are my forte (unless broadcast via E! news) but this oil crisis has really left me with a heavy heart. The majority of our friends here work in either tourism, fishing, or on the water in some capacity. After having them over to watch the fight on Saturday (boooooo Mayweather) I learned first-hand what a crisis like this will do to the Emerald Coast's environment, economy, and livelihood. One word: Devastation.

I've never been one to put up an umbrella before it rains (well, mostly) but things are not looking so good for the Florida Panhandle. Seeing something like this happen to your home can really light a fire under your back side. It really makes you want to get out there and actually DO something for once instead of just chatting about it in your sewing circle. Get out there, get your hands dirty, and actually make a difference! Come on now, who's with me!?! (I feel like I should be holding a picket sign right now.) (Or may maybe a bullhorn?) I digress.

Nick will be attending the FWB City Council meeting tomorrow that will discuss a Citizens Response Team. I am anxious to find out what locals like myself can do to assist with the oil spill cleanup. In the meantime I will be thinking happy thoughts and hoping that my weekly lunches in the sand at SRB will not be interrupted (and that the beaches will stay as beautiful as they were the day I snapped this photo).

Shake Your Groove Thing

About a month ago, Nick and I started entertaining the idea of starting a new division of Destin Hype. The spin-off would put on events to benefit local non-profits. Like most ideas we have (let's date, let's move in together, let's vacate Texas and ship ourselves to Florida) we really had to think things through. Needless to say, thirty minutes later it was decided that we should go for it.

After three weeks of brainstorming, planning, and ticket-selling, our event-planning adventure kicked off last night at the Funky Blues Shack in Destin. "Bringing Down the House" was a huge success and we were able to raise awareness and cheddar for the organization I work for by day, Shelter House-Domestic Violence Center.

The event was promoted as a '70s Disco Night, but even hours before the event it seemed like no one would be dressing the part. I was alarmed when I got home from work yesterday and saw that my workout drawer had been violated and the contents spread all over the bed. Then, I saw this--->

Unbelievable. Speechless. Hysterical laughter. Then back to the drawer (bed) to pick out some "longer" shorts. Pretty soon, the afros started to duplicate and I knew the event would be a ball. A disco ball, that is. (yes, I said it)

After all was said and done, the event ended up being a BLAST and everyone is pumped for the next one. Look forward to more partying for a cause in May... in the meantime here are some pics from the big night!