Hotlanta Part 2 a.k.a. Bringin' the Heat

So apparently when I went to enjoy the cool 67 degree weather in DC, I brought the sweltering 98 degree Atlanta weather with me. Ah well, what can you do? We had fun anyway, but as you can see from the picture (especially the Tyler part of the picture), we sweated like mofo's.

Our nation's capitol is lovely, however hot it may be, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Lots of museums - The Spy Museum, The Holocaust Museum and The National Archives. I highly recommend all of them, each for entirely different reasons. But all are well worth the visit. And a visit to the WWII memorial which produced the lovely picture below, was beautiful and captivating at night.


And I would just like to say, MARTA, PLEASE take a lesson from DC's Metro system. Or really from any other mass transit system in any other metropolitan city. It actually goes places people want to go and is easy and convenient to use. No cabs necessary. Metro goes everywhere you want to be. Kind of like Visa.

We also visited Alexandria, which is where the pic of Tyler and I was taken on the dock on the Potomac River. Super cool town and apparently super expensive as well. But it reminded me of my hometown, Franklin - well, downtown Franklin - on crack.

And if you're going and haven't been - I highly recommend the restaurant Lebanese Taverna. Holy cow, that place is good. Delicious hummus and pita. My main dish was awesome as well. I wished my stomach was about 8 times bigger than it was that night for dinner.

So yeah, big fan of D.C.! I hadn't been since 8th grade and then it was in a blizzard, so it was definitely time for me to go back. Apparently I only enjoy going in extreme weather conditions.

Hotlanta

I just read an article and discovered that I have lived through the hottest month EVER in Atlanta. This August beat out July 1993 as the hottest month on record and gives new meaning to the nickname "Hotlanta".

I'm pretty sure that the record 8 100 degree plus days all occurred when my car's air conditioner broke and my husband and I were forced to drive it around as we waited for parts to come in. If you're looking for a good way to lose weight, I highly recommend driving around with your air conditioner turned off and just sweating it off. It got so bad that I briefly considered this. Maybe I would've gotten a few stares, but I would have saved a LOT of money.

It's hot here folks and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to my weekend in D.C., where it is currently 67 degrees and cloudy. Oh yeah, and some rain would be nice too.

Walk...Don't Run

Not that any of you, dear readers, necessarily need tips for walking, but in my extensive travels around Cobb County, GA and around the track at CNN Center, here is what I have learned:

1.) You will get blisters, no matter what. But double layer socks help tremendously. I heart them.
2.) Say what you will about the fanny pack, but it is invaluable on walks for many reasons. Not the least of which are the holsters on the side for my 20 oz bottle of water and my 20 oz bottle of gatorade. That's right, I have holsters. I'm a walking cowboy. AND, there is a zipper pouch for my granola bars and my cell phone, should I get abducted. I still look like a total dork, but I'm a total dork with food, water and a wireless phone.
3.) The iPod shuffle is totally awesome. It's tiny and clips on to my shirt and holds an entire audiobook. Which brings me to my next point...
4.) Audiobooks rock. They make the time pass so much more quickly than when I'm just listening to music. So far I've listened to: The First Assistant, Shopaholic and Baby, and now I'm listening to The Jane Austen Book Club. Score!
5.) When it is 100 degrees outside, it is definitely worth it to walk 140 laps around the indoor, 1/10th of a mile track at the gym. You may get dizzy and nauseous, but you will not be hot my friends.
6.) Long distance walking is a lot harder than I thought it would be. You think you're just going out for a stroll and 3 1/2 hours later, the 14 miles you just walked have totally kicked your butt.
7.) It's a lot harder than I thought, but it's a lot easier to do it when you have a cause to walk for and a friend to walk with.
8.) X-Factor Gatorade is delicious!
9.) Stretching really is important.
10.) Even though I can walk 14 miles, I still feel like I'm going to hurl after trying to run even half of one. Go figure.

I'm sure I will learn a lot more as my training continues and will write more as I learn. Be sure to stay tuned for more on my exciting Breast Cancer 3 Day journey! Only 2 more months to go.

H-2-Oh No

My husband's company had his annual picnic this past weekend, which always makes me nervous because of being with a bunch of people I don't know, but it was fun! And I must give props to my husband for being in charge of it - well done, honey! It was complete with BBQ, inflatable games and my arch-nemesis, the water balloon toss. You may think all of this sounds like kids stuff, and it was, as it was a family picnic, but that didn't stop us (mostly Tyler) from participating. I think he might have broken his toe as a result of the tug of war. Way to sacrifice yourself for the team! Anyway, we were water balloon champions last year, so of course, we had to defend our title. And yet again, we were one of the last two teams left standing (thank you, thank you very much). However, after an ill-advised, ENTIRELY too high toss from Tyler (yes, I blame our loss solely on him), this was the result:
Thank you Tyler, for throwing it so high that no person could have reasonably caught it without it breaking. Please do note that I actually DID catch it because I am a rock star. And thank you God, for letting me choose a dark navy tank top to layer over my much more see-thru white one. That would have been office fodder for years to come.

Next year, I think I'll stick to the three-legged race.

K.I.T.T.

It really is the little things during my day that make me happy. I just figured out how to download ringtones to my phone. I know, way to stay current on technology, right? So anyway, after visiting AT&T's website, changing a bunch of settings on my phone, and generally wasting time, I finally joined the rest of America, who has been downloading ringtones for years now. What was my first purchase you ask? Well, after much deliberation, and realizing that my phone was only capable of downloading certain ones, I settled on the theme song from that great David Hasselhoff television series from the 80's. That's right. Knight Rider. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy my phone ringing now. It's way better than the weird, Caribbean themed tune that has been my ring up until this point. Knight Rider was such a cheesy show, but who didn't want a talking car?

Anyway, now that I've figured out how to download ringtones, I fear I may become obsessed. It was hard enough choosing between Knight Rider and Fraggle Rock. And not only are there TV show theme songs, but also movie songs as well - it's like Christmas on the AT&T ringtone website!

Like I said, it's the little things.

1 Great Book + 1 Great Movie = 1 Happy Girl

My latest book club selection was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I love my book club because it introduces me to new books that I might not pick on my own. It might not be quite as cool as my friend, Michelle's is, but for now it'll do! If you have not read this book, please run out and get it right now. She is the kind of writer I can only hope to be. First of all, it's an amazing story about her travels around the world, so it's bound to be interesting just based on that. Sidenote: This is also an enjoyable book about self-discovery through travel. But back on topic, in addition to the inherently appealing subject matter, she has the most beautiful way of expressing herself, choosing just the right words, making you feel as if you are there with her, experiencing Italy or India or Bali, just like she is. Her story is an inspiring one and I only hope that I'm able to express myself through writing as eloquently and humorously as she does some day. It's really a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.



Also inspiring is the latest movie we received from Netflix - oh how I love Netflix. The Motorcycle Diaries, if you haven't seen it, is an excellent, beautifully done movie. A riveting story about Ernesto "Che" Guevara's trip through South America on a motorcycle, with his friend, Alberto Granada. I had heard it was good, but really was amazed at how beautiful it looked (South America is gorgeous) and how engaging the story was. I don't know much about Guevara, but I enjoyed learning a little about him through this film. I feel like I should now write the sentence "I am not now, nor have I ever been, a communist." But Senator McCarthy isn't reading this, so I guess I'm safe. :)

100 Things About Jen

I got tagged (thanks Jenny) to do this, and being a sucker for any sort of survey, this is right up my alley. Here are 100 things you always/never wanted to know about me.

1.) I like a challenge. Hence coming up with 100 Things about me. Not easy.
2.) I do not like confrontation.
3.) Unless it is with my husband.
4.) I'm very stubborn - this is the only Aries quality I believe I embody.
5.) Well, that and a bad temper if you push me far enough.
6.) I'm left-handed
7.) I love to write
8.) One of my life long goals is to write a book.
9.) Bad spelling in emails annoys me - that is why spell check exists!
10.) I will read an email/letter 400 times before I send it to make sure I've said exactly what I want to say in the best way possible.
11.) I love to read. Like, insanely love to.
12.) I have questionable taste in music, but I desperately wish I was one of those "hip" music people. But sadly, Bon Jovi is one of my all-time favorites. And boy bands. It's shameful, I know.
13.) My top 3 favorite books are: On the Road, Gone With the Wind and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret. This last one was pivotal in my pre-teen years.
14.) I'm a television junkie
15.) I hate reality shows, unless they are dance competition-based (i.e., So You Think You Can Dance & Dancing with the Stars).
16.) The CW is on my DO NOT WATCH list.
17.) I love to travel
18.) My favorite trip so far is the trip my husband and I took to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons
19.) I am going to Ireland in October!
20.) My favorite color is green.
21.) I love 80's movies and music.
22.) I hate math.
23.) I am an introvert, but I'm getting better.
24.) I love kids, but want to treat them like adults, so I'm often awkward around them.
25.) I wish I was better at entertaining/hosting parties.
26.) I'm not a clean freak, but I'm not a huge slob either. I just feel like there are much better things for me to do when I get home from work and on the weekends than clean the house.
27.) I like to cook, but I hate cleaning up afterwards. That's what my husband is for.
28.) I'm trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
29.) I love my family - they all make me laugh - especially my little brother.
30.) I try to move my life along too fast sometimes. I should be better about living in the moment.
31.) I find I'm much more satisfied and less critical of myself the older I get.
32.) I'm terrified of scary movies.
33.) I cannot keep a plant alive to save my life.
34.) I love my church.
35.) I wish I knew the Bible better than I do.
36.) I think my husband is one of the smartest people I know.
37.) He also makes me laugh more than anyone else.
38.) I detest politics and politicians.
39.) My grandmother is one of the bravest women I know.
40.) If I could be a professional dancer, I would. And no, not THAT kind of professional dancer.
41.) I hate talking on the phone - I find it uncomfortable and awkward.
42.) I'm still trying to break the bad habit of biting my nails - it's a stress related thing, so you can always tell how stressed out I am by the length of my nails.
43.) I want to do more volunteer work.
44.) I am a very trusting person.
45.) I love animals, but could never be a vet because I would be entirely too emotional. I can't watch Animal Cops on Animal Planet b/c it makes me cry EVERY SINGLE TIME.
46.) I have an awesome dog name Lily Belle, who is a 3 year old, snorting, precious bulldog.
47.) I want to move back to Nashville one day.
48.) Don't ask me to pick a favorite movie. I can't.
49.) I love going to movies.
50.) I love Auburn University and going to Auburn football games.
51.) I think Aubie is the best mascot, EVER.
52.) I have amazing friends.
53.) I have hypochondriac tendencies.
54.) I hate going to the doctor.
55.) I love my TiVo.
56.) I love playing Dance Dance Revolution and the one time I played Guitar Hero, I was terrible.
57.) Fall is my favorite season, hands down. No competition from any of the other 3.
58.) Christmas is my favorite holiday.
59.) I have been married for 3 1/2 years
60.) Wow - it doesn't seem like it's been that long! Which is good I guess. :)
61.) I often wish I had red hair.
62.) There is a lot of bad in this world. But I also think there is a lot of good, and I try and focus on that when I watch the news.
63.) I don't understand how people can be so cruel sometimes.
64.) I am a romantic.
65.) I sound incredibly stupid and awkward when I cuss, so I rarely do it.
66.) I am sarcastic - sometimes to a fault.
67.) I do not tan - unless I buy it in a bottle. And that's just smelly, so I'm pretty pale year round, unless I have a sunburn.
68.) This used to make me EXTREMELY self-conscious, but I am coming to terms with it now.
69.) I wish I could sing, because I love to.
70.) I tried to learn to play the guitar once, but did not have the patience. I learned Brown-Eyed Girl and it was pretty painful to listen to me play it. Just ask anyone who ever heard it.
71.) I want Lasik surgery.
72.) I don't think I make a great first impression (refer to #23), but once you get to know me, I'm pretty cool.
73.) If I get embarrassed, I am not good at not letting people know. I turn bright red. Which is very noticeable on my aforementioned pale skin.
74.) I have a lot of freckles.
75.) I hate feet. Mine and yours. Don't take it personally.
76.) I love food. I often plan my days around it.
77.) I'm training for the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk in October, so a lot of my life consists of walking right now.
78.) It's harder than I thought it would be.
79.) I've gotten out of the habit of doing yoga. I miss it.
80.) I am a daddy's girl and I think he hung the moon.
81.) I appreciate my mom more and more every day and think she is one of the smartest, most loving people I know.
82.) I am seven years older than my little brother and we are totally different, but are crazy about each other.
83.) I do not like crowds. They stress me out.
84.) Taking off and landing in airplanes makes my palms sweat. In between, I'm fine.
85.) Being late also makes me sweat.
86.) I have absolutely no sense of direction. Mapquest and I are best friends. And if I had one, I know GPS and I would be too.
87.) I took dance for 12 years growing up.
88.) I wish I had stuck with it.
89.) I have lived in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.
90.) I am very loyal - to friends, brands, tv shows, you name it.
91.) I firmly believe that Junior Mints are the best candy ever made.
92.) I want to help this cause.
93.) I hate spiders.
94.) I LOVED Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, and was devastated when I found out he died.
95.) Same goes for Christopher Reeve.
96.) It's hard for me to turn down free Starbucks - which is bad, because I'm offered free Starbucks more than you would think.
97.) I am a very serious person - sometimes too serious. I think my husband balances me out in that respect.
98.) Do not call me during Lost or Heroes. I will not answer the phone. Same went for Felicity, Dawson's Creek, Alias and Veronica Mars.
99.) I love eating hot dogs at Braves games.
100.) I'm very forgetful. If I don't write something down immediately when I think of it, I will forget it.