Because I have to

Technically I’m still keeping up on my promise of posting twice a week.   It just means I have to post again by Sunday.

 

Does it count if I’m posting just for the sake of posting?   I’m still super swamped with work and totally frustrated.

 

 

Overextended

I’m totally and completely feeling overextended right now, mostly having to do with work.   I’m partially to blame for taking on a project right on top of another one, but on the other side a job I was outlined an commissioned to do has pretty much doubled in responsibility and scope of work, and the time to accomplish what still needs to be done is very very limited.

So blogging (along with leaving the house) has taken a distant backseat to the tasks I have in front of me that seem to grown hourly and need to be accomplished like a week ago (oh if only I’d been given the information a week ago!)

So while I try and do what I can to pull this work off and make everyone happy in the end at the event, bear with me.

In the meantime, this is my new(ish) favorite site.  It’s the best mindless distraction and guaranteed that it will put a smile on my face from at least one (if not many) of the images on here.  The site and it’s simplicity, along with the images and links to their sources are so so awesome.   If you want to join, you need an invite, so just let me know and I’ll send one.  :)

xo

Homeward Bound

It’s official.   I’m moving back to Los Angeles.

 

Six years ago I made the decision to uproot my life and move to Detroit for work.    Little did I know that was going to be the beginning of six years that took me from Detroit, back to California (for like a minute), to Seattle, to Virginia, to somewhere else in Virginia, to Detroit and now back to LA.   Something about it feels full circle, and despite the circumstances that have gotten me here (and there and all over) I’m embracing the move and looking forward to having my footing established again after a tough year.

I was honestly totally bewildered about what my next move was going to be, and where I was going to end up.  As many (some, most, whatevs) know, I thought I was settle and was very content where I was previously, but sometimes things happen that turn our world upside down and we adjust and figure out a new footing.  That’s what I’ve been doing for the past six months or so, and didn’t quite feel like sharing the day to day on my blog.  But now that I’m feeling a little more centered and ready to move on, I’m hoping this blog becomes a cathartic reminder of the footing I do have in my life, and that I can recover and move forward in hope and anticipation and happiness.

Everything came together in a crazy, but seemingly meant-to-be kind of way, and I’m moving back to live the only way I can imagine there – with my playa fo life, Aunny, right in the heart of downtown.   We can walk to the Staples Center, I’m a 10 minute drive to Dodger Stadium (well, 10 minutes at 2 a.m.), and closer to my siblings and grandparents.  I’m excited to re-discover the city, especially parts I didn’t explore when I lived there before.   I’m looking forward to the weather, my friends, family and the opportunity to start again in a way, while still doing my freelance work and what I love.

So consider yourself warned downtown LA.   It’s on like donkey kong in October.

30 day challenge…

I’ve been challenged by a friend to update my blog at least twice a week for a month. She’s convinced that my writing skills need to be put to use, I’m convinced that no one reads my bog anymore. So in order to see who’s right, leave me a comment if you read it and think I should keep writing after 30 days. Just a simple comment would suffice. .

With Facebook and everyone else blogging I don’t know if anyone reads this anymore, but it wouldn’t kill me to write more and it’s an outlet for my never-short stories.

While I contemplate what to write first (dating adventures, family, work, travel), here’s a picture that to me captures one if my favorite things about summer in Michigan: pool, kiddos, sun, flip flops.

Because I’m so awesome at updating here…

I just discovered a site called Tumblr that allows me to do what I’ve always wished I could do with this blog…update from my BlackBerry!!   YAY!   Hopefully this will be an arena for me to actually update more often then I seem to do here.

 

I’ll still update here with more extensive posts and pictures, but I’m going to play around with my new Tumblr page and see how I like it.

 

So feel free to peep it out:

http://southernlivingyankee.tumblr.com/

Switzerland, France and Italy…Oh my!

Lots of updates to do.

 

Pictures and stories from my trip to Europe to see Aunny and take an Italian road trip.   So amazing.

 

Moved in here:

 

And am trying to unpack before I leave for a work event in San Francisco on Sunday.

 

But I’m alive.  And happy.  And plan on being well rested soon.

 

I hope.

 

Kellerman’s and Cascade Falls

Tell me if this rings a bell with anyone:

“Join hearts and hands and voices, voices, hearts and hands…at Kellermans the friendships last long as the mountains stand.”

That and nobody puts baby in a corner.

I found out about a year ago that portions of “Dirty Dancing” were filmed a few hours away at Smith Mountain Lake and decided I had to go.   Turns out, JB used to work there as a waiter (KELLERMANS!) and it’s near Cascade Falls where we were going to attempt hiking again.  I insisted it be our first stop in case I didn’t survive the outdoors experience 2.0.

As we drove up the hill I kept asking important questions:

“Did you get (not have to) sing the Kellermans song at the end of the summer?”

“Was Robbie the waiter really such a prick?”

“Were you for or against staff being able to dance at the end of summer banquet?”

“I can’t believe you worked at Kellermans!!!!”  (not a question, just something I’d blurt out occasionally when I was bored)

JB’s response pretty much always went like this (getting louder with each question):

“It’s not called Kellermans!!!!”

I sensed aggravation.  But my joy and anticipation was not affected in the least bit.  I just kept happily watching the scenery until we got there.

They cling to their DD ties there complete with shirts, mugs, ornaments, etc.  As they should.  It’s awesome.

The bar area is stocked with director-style chairs featuring the actors/characters from the movie.

Ode to Johnny Castle.

The lake where they practiced the infamous lift dried up a few years ago mysteriously.   There’s a little bit of water that’s back now, but mostly it’s this weird dried up place with docks that aren’t floating.

JB refused to re-enact the lift where the lake should have been.   He acquiesced for a picture.  But right behind us?  That’s where they practiced the lift.  :)

Where the family stayed:

Guess who got tired of taking pictures at his old workplace?   Spending $80 in the gift shop did not help.

Remember the wallet-stealing Schumachers?  I’m pretty sure this is them.

Ha!

After Kellermans (JB will never get me to stop calling it that), we went to hike to what was described as an amazing view above Cascade Falls.  It was a remarkable view.  We packed some lunches and enjoyed this scenery before beginning the real hike of the damned.

It was really pretty.  As was JB eating pesto pasta.  :)   I love this man.

He’s probably not going to find this picture as adorable as I do.

See the guys behind him?   They told us that we could get to Cascade Falls from where we were by hiking about another mile and a half to two.   Feeling very outdoorsy after making it the three-quarters of a mile to this viewpoint, and eating out of plastic, I was totally up for it.

Until it turned out to be entirely downhill.  For about two miles.   Which I realized would require hiking two miles back.  Uphill.  Which made me panic and almost cry.  I wish that was an exaggeration.

At least the falls were pretty enough to distract me momentarily from remembering what I was going to have to do after enjoying them.  Especially since what that wasn’t going to be was sending JB for the truck.

There is a swimming hole at the base but it was freezing.  And hiking in wet clothes did not appeal to me at all.

But it really was beautiful.  And since I lived through the return hike uphill I’m really glad we did it.

Then I drove the bronco the five and a half miles down the fire service road.  And didn’t do any damage to the truck much to the joy of the owner.

The next day I helped JB install crown molding at his parents house.   I’m not sure what’s becoming of me and my new southern life.  But I’m pretty happy.  :)