and I felt so safe in a warming bath of sunlight of sunlight

~death cab for cutie

the new album is good! my awesome grandlittle gave me a copy--she'd ended up with two and was gracious enough to give one to me!

anyway, I had an idea! I hope Matt goes for it. I think he will.

right now I have a wall o' black and white photos. I really like it, and I enjoy changing out the photos to reflect places I've visited recently--off the top of my head I know it's had pictures from the Charleston girl's trip, New York, Tulsa, Dallas, Oregon, Missouri, North Carolina, New Orleans, Los Angeles, etc. Love it. Plan on keeping it, maybe on the third floor, maybe at that staircase, not too sure.

BUT. my idea that I think is just brills--on the stairs either leading up to the second floor or at the landing where you can go to either the front door, the "basement" as we've coined it or up to the second floor, I want to put another grouping of pictures. Lots of 'em. All 8x10 or 5x7 maybe and no matting in silver frames. Or black. Likely silver. and maybe an assortment of sizes, I'm just not sure.

And I want them ALL to be flowers. But not just blossoms. Maybe parts of the flowers. More interesting sides/pieces/angles of flowers. Perhaps these would be some of the options--and maybe they wouldn't be in a well defined shape, they'd just have to look "balanced." I don't want it to be too girly, but I'm also really proud of my photography (and my painting, but much much moreso my photography) and I have no qualms about making my home my own personal art gallery. :)

perhaps ones like these: not necessarily these, not necessarily this many/few and this grouping is pretty heavy on the orange, and I don't want that. though I do LOVE the one that's just the bottom of the flower--the last orange one in this group. it's my background on my computer. for today, anyway!

also: all of the sudden I want to paint a wall pink. don't worry, I won't. okay well maybe the bathroom, but even then, not so much. but that doesn't mean I can't want to!

the one thing I really don't like about matt.

okay, operation: home purchase is in full swing. we're moving along swimmingly! (sorry for the pun...sorta)

work is EFFING CRAZY. I have too much to do and not enough time to do it. which is great and all, I think, maybe, sorta. icks. At least I'm using less vacay 'cause I'm working more, and that's good.

Last night Marla and I had some drinkie-poos at Bogarts and chit-chatted about guys and life and panic attacks and people we didn't understand. Ooh, and about me blogging for KayDee, I'll let you know when that stuff gets posted. Oh, and we talked about how Matt and I are moving together (!!!) (it was his suggestion!) (I'm excited!) (that's the Chili's convo, ps), and how that'll go and placement of things and how the downstairs carpet isn't so bad and the kitchen is awesome and how she'll help with the unpacking and how to arrange the living room and WHEW!

I'm SO excited. About ALL of it! I totally need to get on that packing thing. And buy a dv-r. And tell my complex I'm moving out. Zowee!

Anyway, Marla's husband (wow, that's weird to say! they've been married for four weeks now!) works there, and his friend made a nice little change to her bill, see? Yikes.

Oh, and the thing I don't like about Matt...well, most things even if I'm not fond of them (like when he sports a mustache) I am still pretty neutral overall--it's not a big deal, y'know? But, well, I realized last night that in, oh, a month-ish, poor Gobi and Hazel aren't going to get to sleep with their mommie anymore. And that will make all of us sad. Matt is allergic to cats--not allergic like Ariel, who would probably die if she tried to even stay the night in my house no matter how much I de-catted it--but allergic enough that he and Gobi each have "their pillow" and Matt has to take benadryl at night. His allergies have gotten better in the year and change, but he still reacts.

So the cat's won't be sleeping in the bedroom, though they will be allowed in the room.

Sadder still? Well, Gobi is my little miracle kitty--he's five now, and they're constantly telling me that his heart makes him kinda on the verge of death, and realistically, even though Hazel is only 3 years younger than he is, she's likely to be around MUCH longer. And she's a needy cat. But because of Matt's allergies, it's quite possible that I won't be able to get Hazel a friend when Gobi passes away. And that makes me very sad, too.

Matt is 110% worth it, but still it makes me pouty. I sure do love my cats, because they're AWESOME, and they love me too. Anyway.

So yeah, working. Didn't get a lot of sleep. (bed at midnight, woke up at 545, couldn't get back to sleep, showered, tried to sleep again, got about 25 minutes) Stressed. Going out of town tomorrow AM. Want. Social. Calendar. To. Slow. Down. !!!! working on it.

ack. JUST found out that the TSD I'm supposed to be doing is actually due today--not like a draft is due (which is what they told me) but like, due-due-like to the enviro protect agency. did I mentioned I've NEVER done one of these before and found out about it late on Tuesday/early on Wednesday, I forget which? yeah. awesome. guess I'll be eating lunch in ten seconds flat. and working even longer than I thought. enough complaining, time to get cracking!

I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling, it's so inviting

~paolo nutini
Today I am wearing my navy blue jcrew pants that people always compliment, and I'm rocking new red heels--and they are TALL and cute. And I like it. :)

And I got A LOT of unmedicated sleep last night (I got tired at 1030 and went to bed! people, I slept for nine hours!) and I did not have funky dreams, and I woke up at one point with gobi's paw on my hand and hazel cuddled in the crook of that same arm, and it was adorable.

AND AND AND...
yesterday marla and I visited the house again.
and she liked it.
and I liked it even more!
and I offered 50/50 on the earnest/option mulah.
and didn't hear back about it.
all last night.
or this morning.
until about twenty minutes ago.
and.
they ACCEPTED IT!

Woo hoo!

I'm going to add a days-til-I'm-a-homeowner ticker to that-there sidebar...
and then I'm going to get back to work because I have OODLES to accomplish today. OODLES. Like so much I wasn't even going to blog. Except, well, when one buys a house, one sure as shit oughta. :)

YAY!

elevator music and panic attacks.

for the love.

okay, so I've been on hold with TWC FOREVER. I did this damn price lock thing thinking it was a good idea and changed my mind, and seriously it is SO not worth it. SO.

Update on the house sitch--long story short, we're stuck at a thousand dollars. and not the price. no, no, we've agreed on price. and closing (june 16th! so fast!). and closing costs and who is buying the home warranty. but...we're still on hold. because they want a grand in "option" money, and I want to pay it as earnest money.

now, I assume you all know about earnest money. it's money you use to display your intent. I assume option money might not be as common to know about, but it's basically that it gives you the "option" of buying, as I understand it. with option money, I, the buyer, can quit the deal for any reason in the whole world, BUT the seller gets to keep my mulah.

if we make it to closing, it doesn't matter to my pocket if it's option or earnest money.

but this is kind of like putting a thousand dollar bet on this house saying "I'm sure it'll all turn up roses." and that? makes me a leeeetle nervous.

after work I'm going to check it out again. until then, me and the google earth are going to have a field day. yeeeeehaw.

and if I grow old, well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you

~the proclaimers.

matt and I had fun listening to that song this weekend. we heard it at Kemp's Seafood, and had to listen to it again at home. :)

I gotta be quick. busy day at work. and I had to go to the doctor. I've been having trouble sleeping and getting dizzy. they took blood and I did not faint. let's hope it's not thyroid related, hm?

today I'm putting an offer on this house. the front of it looks like either of the end units, but it isn't actually an end unit. it will be crowded when I have parties so if you're my friend plan on carpooling!!! and and and--if I get it, I will be closing a month from TODAY. holy smokes, people. holy moly schmoly smokes.

I took pictures of these orange gerbera daisies this weekend--here's one in color and one with my b&w color accent feature thing on. it worked out kind of awesomely. I bought 'em because the orange was so vibrant, and I was able to tone 'em down a little to maybe work with my friend kara's bedroom colors since she needs decoration in there.

these pics are with my point-and-shoot camera though, 'cause I finally took my SLR in for the compact flash card eject button thingie to be repaired, and it's GOING TO TAKE 14-21 BUSINESS DAYS. People, the month of May had 21 business days. That's INSANE. Boo on Wolf Camera. I get that they have to ship it out, but twenty one business days?!? Didn't I pay like $130 for my warranty? So isn't this a month that you should extend it? UGH.

double ugh, even.

um, what else. owning home. no strawberry picking because it was closed for ripening. LOVED the house on hollow oak but it needed to much love for it to be a good house for me. went to betsy's bday party, and that was fun. had an awesome talk at chili's that I'm not quite ready to share with the world yet. (nothing scary, it's exciting and you will all know soon and it isn't anything like a baby or anything) slept a lot. cleaned. gardened. made little drip irrigators. etc.

and now, I go back to writing memos and reviewing data. yeehaw, peeps.

carrie strawberry and anna banana

when I was born I had a birthmark one on of my shoulders--I'd have to look at a picture, but I *think* it was my right. It was a small red sort of triangular shape. As I got bigger it went away.

My identical twin sister, Anna, had a birthmark too. It was brownish yellow and sort of sliver-of-a-moon-shaped/curved. Hers went away too.

Mine kind of looked like a strawberry. Anna's kind of looked like a banana.

Since our names were picked out before we were ever born (I was named for my great aunt cleona carrie/my aunt carolyn, and also my aunt candi whose middle name is renee with the accent in the wrong place, and anna was named for our grandmothers--mamie anna and lila mae), the fact that we both had semi-fruit-shaped birthmarks that resembled fruits that rhymed with our names was quite remarkable. And kind of awesome. (also, I *just* realized that both of us were named totally with middle names. moving on)

So yeah. Neato bandito factoid.

Tomorrow is going to be a full day for yours truly. In the morning Matt and I are going strawberry picking! I've wanted to do this for a while, but haven't ever managed to actually *go.* So tomorrow morning it is! There's a place like 3 miles from my house, and that's where we'll be visiting. I am PUMPED! Hopefully there will be no more jam disasters. hopefully.

After that it's more house looking. I have SEVEN more to see. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. do wish me luck.

And then we will end the day with Betsy's birthday celebration. She rules. Year before last she was my Valentine, and I always always have fun with her, at halloween and new years parties and even when we have, um, complications at concerts or are tricked into thinking that a celebrity is going to hang out with us. :)

I am so so so SO excited for this long weekend, the first paid holiday (for me) of the year. and I'm looking forward to getting plenty of sleep, too!

a shout out to my sisters.

so, in case you haven't read my about me, or haven't been reading very long, or just don't know, I am a kappa delta.

I am very proud to be one, and very loyal to my sorority-of-choice, but I also appreciate the bigger picture, that my chi-o and gamma phi and alpha chi and tri-sig (and other twenty one NPC sorority) friends are kind of my sisters, too. more like cousins, if you will. And I know some fantastic women in other sororities. :)

But today, for the umpteenth-gazillionth time, I am reminded why I am glad to be a kaydee. There are so many things I could tell you--about my pin and my initiation and what my granny said after it, or the amazing amazing response of my sisters when my father passed away my freshman year, or about when I got an award at homecoming, or when I got my itsy and wittle, or the moments I shared with my sisters, or the times they tried to teach me (how to dance, how to wear makeup, how to dress, how to drink more and study less (ahem, kara g., gina and bueno. and then del and my itsy and misha) , or about my incredible grandlittles, or fun parties or formals or functions or the birthday flyers all over campus on my twenty-first or graduations or dealing with the awful thing my senior year or anything--but that's not the point today.

No, today, I'm just kind of overwhelmed by two things. I continue to be amazed by the support and love and attention that the KDs I know give to their sisters--whether it's for something exciting like a new job or an engagement, or something more unfortunate. I have two sisters dealing with very different but equally unpleasant circumstances--one who just had radical surgery because she is yet again battling cancer, and another whose mother is suffering from cancer. And I have seen these women I know go far, FAR out of their way to support those in need. I've seen them do it for me. And for others. For women they hardly even know yet. And it just makes me so proud and humbled to be associated with people like that.

And then, on a happier note, recently I've had the privilege of going to not one but two weddings of very close friends of mine. Very close Kappa Delta sisters of mine. I've known Marla for nearly two years and Mary Alise for going on three. And at each of their weddings I've gotten the same question, how do you know the bride? And when I get to tell them how I know them, and how we became friends, it makes me superhappy to be a KD (and an active alumna) all over again.

All the time I feel like I'm telling people how great it is to be a KD, how much I learned and how much support I've gotten, and how many wonderful friends I've made. The list is LONG, people. Long enough that Matt once asked me "how in the world do you manage to keep up with so many friends? I mean--the KDs here, and in Alaska and Texas and Oklahoma and Florida and where else?!?" And it makes me smile every single time!

I just--you know how sometimes you have those moments where you're like "damn, this is a good thing?"--well I just think I'm really having one of those is all...counting blessings and whatnot. :)

I think about you in the summertime, oh, oh!

~nkotb!

haven't heard this gem? or wanna hear it again? it's right here, just hit play. :) matt already knows all the words. and he's probably going to kill me for telling you that, so shhhhhh!





the past few months I've been eating kinda crappy. more than the occasional trip to get fast food, quite a few microwave pizzas, etc. not that I can't eat those foods every once in a while, but still. oh yeah, and toast (with real butter) for breakfast almost every day.

so I'm trying to eat less butter. and salt. and as little high fructose corn syrup as possible. (girl scout cookies are TOTALLY exempt from this, by the by). I'm somewhat thinking about doing what patty is doing, except I don't know about the vitamin c. Maybe I'll get a supplement and cut it in quarters.

so I got some mrs. dash. and some amy's meals. and I'm drinking less soda. I'm always good about fruits and veggies, so that isn't new, and I eat yogurt. all in the name of being less tired and helping my pants be slightly less snug.

this whole concept also comes with a sad realization--I spent almost an hour total getting to/from my softball games. I LOVE LOVE LOVE softball, but driving that long just isn't worth the time/money. I mean, the games are limited to an hour, and well...it's expensive, it's bad for environment and I could get a better workout if I just spent half that time working out at home. so now I'm playing on a when-we-are-short-on-players-only basis. man, I wish toxic waste were playing.

anyway.

so, since too much fruit juice isn't good for you either and I like to have drinks with flavor during my meals, I've taken to a new combo--seltzer water w/fruit juice. (tonic has hfcs) and monday I bought some pomegranate seltzer that goes VERY well with cranberry juice and a lemon wedge. yum! slightly tart and very refreshing! I bet it would probably go well with vodka too. ;)

also, when I got my friend jackie this headband, I got one for myself too. It is soooooo comfy and very cute, except for one tiny thing--it makes me look like I'm, oh, twelve years old. today I wore a pale yellow shirt specifically so I could rock the 'band and when I saw myself in the mirror I had to take it off--I am the youngest real employee in my group (clearly the intern is younger), not to mention that I tend to look younger than I am already, and I just couldn't handle it!

I know, I know, I'm sure you're all thinking what people are always telling me--I will be thankful for my "youthful appearance" when I'm older. I will be thirty five and I will get carded, and it will make my day or whatever. Someday I'm sure I'll think "they were right." But right now I'd settle for looking at least, oh, twenty while wearing the headband!

the magic city

a.k.a. birmingham, alabama

sunday after some seriously not-good sleep (poor matt learned he's allergic to down while we were in selma!) we got up, packed and headed out--but not before printing directions! we were off to eat at dreamland and going to see the satanic "storyteller" fountain I'd found on roadside america.

we stopped for some pictures on the way--the drive was GORGEOUS!

and then we looked for dreamland. and looked. and quadrupled back. and asked for directions. we never found it, but we DID make it to the fountain (despite vague directions!). I told Matt "It's on this street, keep an eye out!" And he said "well, wait, is it that fountain?" I couldn't see the fountain because of the part of the car between the window and the windshield, but that was it!

so we took some pictures of the fountain (which is right in front of a methodist church!) and ate at the grill nearby. we couldn't sit outside without waiting so we went in--we had to be at the airport in an hour!--and enjoyed some yummy sweetwater brews. we were bummed they were out of the roadtrip one though--that would've been so appropriate! and one of the servers saw my shirt and said "I like trees, too!" Matt and I kind of looked like the super-enviro-couple, but I think we're okay with that. :) anyway, we ate our food (including more fried green tomatoes!), took a few more pictures and went to the airport.

flight home was uneventful, we both got a nap, and matt headed to his place around 1230am. we are both still catching up on our sleep, but it was totally worth it!

"I'll say Lord, pardon me, but I'd rather be, down with those Kappa Delt-Delt-Delt-Delt-Delts!"

~toast to mary alise from her sisters

let's just start off with this. I think it's my very favorite picture from the night.


Matt and I got ready and got there early since I was reading a scripture. I am SO GLAD the hotel had a printer, because the version in the church's Bible said something about "putting on bowels of mercy" and "and so do ye" and there was no way I was getting through that with a straight face. I sat with Mary Alise and her bridesmaids while the guests arrived. The sunlight was pretty and I took some pictures--of her S-I-L and niece and friend's daughter with her, of Michael's baptism cap, of her and me, of her and the bridesmaids...and then it was time to go in!

Jill, the other reader, and I were very nervous--not about the 400+ guests in the church but about the microphone--it wasn't on and no one told us when it would be turned on. Also, we couldn't get the stand to raise up anymore and we thought holding the paper would be tacky, so when I read (first, mind you) my hair kept falling in my face! But I went slow and they seemed to like it. :)

The ceremony was BEAUTIFUL. Quick and lovely. Poor Michael was adorably nervous, looking back and forth like he was watching a tennis match. Everyone came in when they were supposed to and no one forgot the rings, though one of the bridesmaids fainted at the end--but she was fine. And then they were Mr & Mrs!

Next was this reception, and I kid you not--it was incredible. I think I was expecting something like Chris and Ariel's reception from March 06 since they were both larger weddings in places with a lot of tradition and history--but this was very different, but just as awesome! They went fabulously way overboard on the food but simple with the decorations other than lots of flowers. I didn't even get to see the cake (they cut it when they got there while most of us were busy at the buffet!) and I almost missed the first dance!

and then, while I was stocking up on beef wellington and some yummy cheese thing and fruit and fried green tomatoes, etc, at the buffet, a little girl who couldn't've been more than nine stopped me and said "oh! you read the scripture, right? you did a really really good job!" is it weird that that kind of made my day?

We sat with Jill and her husband (the blonde one in a bunch of pics, who by the way was also their "Raleigh friend") and took lots of pictures! And I learned right away that the table o' pink lemonades had no alcohol in 'em. I think everyone thought they were martinis. Not so much. However, the bartender lady MORE than made up for them. The drinks they served us were STIFF. Like, they'd pour the gin or jack first to 2/3 of the way up, add a splash of tonic or coke and then put the ice in. Holy schmoly, kids, those were some dangerous beverages. By the end of the night we were purposefully avoiding that woman because we were all gonna be on our butts if we didn't!

oh, and I learned a new KD toast, and did it with the Alabama KDs. This is the, what, third wedding where I've been the KD that didn't go to school with the bride--and at this one and Jessica's, I didn't know the song (or know it the same way). But Eleanor wrote it down for me, so I learned it. And it was great 'cause there were two non-bridesmaids, and we were both wearing green. Very KD. :) Matt couldn't get a good picture because of the videographer's light, but he got some beforehand.

Anyhoodle, the night wore on, we danced to some motown, we took pictures, and matt and I had to dance with really small steps to avoid hitting anyone near us there were so many people. Her dad did the Elvis windup thing again and I got a few email addresses so I could share my pictures with them. And I got a picture with Pumpkin, who also wore a green dress. OOOH AND--for those of you who know Michael, I forgot to tell you--his nickname from his family is "Little Piece of Sugar." Awwww...let me tell you, his fraternity brothers are NEVER going to let that go. EVER. here's the motown guys with their hand motions!

Oh and--these were their favors. They also had koozies, but I don't have a picture of them. There were all sorts of "roll tide!" and clemson fight song stuff going on throughout the night. It was pretty awesome.

We partied until about 11, when we wished the bride and groom well. Next was up to the hospitality suite to drink even more beer and so I could collect my pashmina I'd loaned the maid of honor. We talked to Michael's step-mom a lot, and Matt told her that her mom had been lying to her all her life--there was no way she was as old as she says she is (seriously people, it's possible they might be telling her lies!). And when Matt said "You'll have to ask your mother" Sarah said "she's right there, you do it!" and he DID. Aunt Nancy (I think) also made Matt dance the shag with her in the middle of the party.

I sure hope everyone drank plenty of water before going to bed. I know we did!