SATURDAY - Part II

We arrive at Wavelengths a tad early – I was rather excited to have my hair done here, as originally I just planned on doing it myself to save the cash. But then Meredith graciously offered to gift me a hairdo! It was very sweet and generous of her. Last minute, she decided that she would try to get fit in as well for a quick hairdo. She actually got in and done before I was ever in the chair!!!

Lauren and I headed upstairs to wait for my lady to finish with her customer, so we just sat on the couch and chilled. At that point, I was actually starting to feel the weight from the ceremony that would occur that evening. I did this once before, and I didn’t do too good of a job. This is a big decision and a huge step. But I felt confident and rather chill, so I just took lots of deep breaths and I was fine.

Finally it was time for me to get my hair done – I also realized at this time that I had left all the photos I had for suggestions on a possible hairdo at home. They were all sitting on my iPod touch, which was on the coffee table at the house. Poo. So, the hairdresser and I talked a few minutes and I trusted her experience in this subject. Anyway, she did a lovely job, and I was thrilled with my hair.

Once the hair was done, for me it was time to wait. Meredith and I got back in her car and headed over to the East Duke Building. We rented the parlors in the building for respective boy and girl getting ready space, so we just headed over there about 3:30 or so. Lauren needed to touch base with Cookie for last minute things at Alivia’s as well as picking up a table cloth for the guest book, so she took off for a bit. Meredith and I hung out in the Pink room, painting toenails, reading miscellaneous stuff in the room, and I finally had to get to an important task. Instead of exchanging gifts, Mike and I decided to write each other a letter and exchange them shortly before the wedding. Therefore, I picked a lovely antique desk in the corner of the room, formerly owned by Mark Duke Biddle, and I wrote Mike a card. I spilled my emotions all over each open surface of the card, expressing to him how happy I was to have run across him in my life and how excited I was to start this partnership for the future. I thanked him for his love and friendship, I thanked him for his appreciation of my flightiness and desire to try new things every day, I thanked him for being the amazing social creature he is – for loving my friends and family as much as I do, and for being such a wonderful citizen of the world. I think it was a good letter ;-)

After that was wrapped up, I waited. And waited. I actually told Meredith, “Soak this in – it is so quiet right now, but within one hour, the time will fly.” Boy was I right. Eventually, I started to wander the parlors and found out that the Blue Parlor actually had a TV, DVD player and a radio! Jackpot! Meredith and I packed up the pink room and moved everything over to the blue room. Blue is for girls now! We found some fun tunes and started the party. Woo hoo! Shortly after that, Lauren was back, and then my Mom arrived. Taylor got there shortly after and wheeled in a cooler of champagne. Awesome! We broke open the bottles, shared the wealth of yumminess and started to get ready. About 4:30, our photographer arrived, and that was super exciting! This meant it was all going to be real now. WOO HOO! Laura, Darrah and Becky arrived, and it was great to get them in on the celebration, too.

Enjoying some champagne

Our photographer, Annie, was just amazing. She got her bearings with the building then started snapping photos. Awesome. Eventually, Cookie arrived after running all sorts of other errands. By that point, we were only an hour away from the ceremony start, so it was full on “get ready time.” Mike called me (the first time I had talked to him that day) and asked me to go through the list of items he was supposed to bring from home. “Let’s see, marriage license, camera, iPod, um, that’s it!” I said. Thankfully he replied, “You are forgetting one big thing – our toasting glasses!” WHEW. I am glad he thought of that, as it had totally slipped my mind.

By that point, I could hear folks outside and you could feel the buzz in the air. Make-up, hairspray, perfume, dry cleaning bags, shoes, champagne, 80s songs on the radio, hugs, cameras, flowers, oh wow. It was just a flurry of activity. So much fun.

Putting on the dress

Suck it in!

The boys!

Handsome, handsome!

The girls all helped me into my dress and then Mom helped me with my jewelry. By that time, we were only about 15 minutes from start time (my tummy is even getting fluttery as I write this!!). The last guests were shuttled upstairs, and the boys were in the room off to the side of the Nelson Music Room. We were ready to start.

The girls, my Dads and I all headed up the stairs. I realized we never set up a signal to let our good friend Marty, the pianist, know that it was time to start the wedding entry music. Somehow we managed to get that point across, and Canon in D started. YAY! Meredith went first, followed by Cookie, then Lauren and Owen. As I stood there with my Dad, I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. Many worried I would cry like a baby for the wedding, as I kind of have a habit of doing that. But tears were the last thing on my mind. I was just SO excited. I was ready to get in there – I wanted to see my future husband, my family and friends and just soak it all in.

We made our way to the door and went in – Mike was beaming. And it was contagious. I just smiled. A huge HUGE all gum smile. My Dads walked me up and Mike took my hand to help me on stage. My heart had stopped pounding, but I could not stop smiling. The ceremony itself was record speed fast. Ambassador Joseph, my former boss and former US Ambassador to South Africa under Clinton’s second term, officiated the wedding, which was huge for us. The service was ecumenical and spiritual, and it was so packed with everything a couple needs to hear when making this commitment. It was a beautiful ceremony, and Mike and I both could not stop smiling. Smiles, smiles, smiles (we have been told by a few folks that we looked like the happiest people ever getting married).

(I'll give you the professional pics for this one soon...)

Before we knew it, we were hitched. Awesome. It was beautiful, wonderful and quick! Mike and I filed out and just waited outside the doors to greet all of our friends and family. We did a receiving line and said thank you to every single person there – it was a great feeling. Once all the hugs were done, we headed downstairs to sign the marriage license and take photos. Annie was great with the group photos – those went at record speed, too. It was a bit steamy outside, so being quick with outdoor photos was a pretty good idea. We whip through those, then it’s time to grab the stuff out of the building and head off. We managed to load everything up, and we headed for the reception………

COMING NEXT…..the reception and after!!!!!

SATURDAY, Part I

I slept surprisingly well. After running around most of the day on Friday and staying up til past midnight, I guess that’s not too much of a surprise. My alarm went off about 7am, and for once I didn’t hit the snooze button at all. I got up, wiped the sleep from my eyes, had some water and got over my morning grogginess. Once I accomplished that, I decided to give Miss Lauren a call and find out how the day was going so far. (WARNING: WEDDING FREAKOUT COMING IN 3….2……) Cookie and Lauren were scheduled to go get the remainder of the flowers at the market early that morning. When they left the rehearsal dinner, they said they were picking them up about 6:45am. So, I was excited and wanted to get the day started with good wedding news.

“Good morning!” I say to Lauren.

“We are just about to leave, I promise,” is her response.

“Leave to go where? The farmers market?” I ask (with a semi-snotty tone in my voice).

“Yes,” she replied.

I then asked, rather sternly and somewhat worried, “You mean you haven’t picked up the flowers yet? The market opens in 30 minutes! You guys need to get there NOW.”

Yeah, that wasn’t the best way for me to respond. Saying that to two ladies who had stayed up til 3am+ working on a grooms cake and flowers, yes they did work on the flowers AFTER my spies had left, was not well received. They were tired, I was worried. Add the two together, explosive.

Many ladies were coming to my hotel room around 8 to help put together flowers. Shortly before then, Lauren and Cookie arrive, drop off the flowers and are very obviously super upset with me and my attitude. They drop off the flowers, pick up the items from the prior night’s dinner that needed to be returned, and they left. Angry. I cried. And cried. And cried. Thank goodness my Mommy was near. I went immediately to her room. And cried some more. Here it was, only 8am, and I had managed to seriously piss off my maid of honor and one of my bridesmaids. I got snappy and shouldn’t have. I felt terrible.

Lauren and Cookie finally got back, and the situation just worked itself out. I looked pouty, they gave me hugs. I apologized, they said it was okay. Crisis passed. Thankfully. Again, I’m sorry, ladies. Luckily, that was my ONLY freakout the whole day.

Anyway, we had lots of help on the flowers. Cookie orchestrated the process, and everyone put together the bouquets, the table arrangements, the stage arrangements and the like. Every flower had been cut between 24-48 hours hand picked by Cookie and Lauren, then delivered to the Farmers Market that morning. Just amazing. The flowers went so smoothly that by 11am, Meredith and I were able to check out of the room and head over to the mall to have our nails done. But escaping the hotel was a feat all in its own. Mike and I decided that we did not want to see each other until the actual wedding, so there was an entire crew working very hard to make sure we did not run into each other. It worked fairly well, although as Meredith and I were at the light next to the hotel, I looked over and sure enough, there was Mike sitting on the stairs! The theory is that the groom shouldn’t see the bride, right? I think we’re okay.

Meredith and I dropped off the flowers and table decorations to Alivia’s and into Courtney and Fay’s hands. All would be fine. We dropped off the other flowers to the Nelson Music Room, and we realize that we are actually fairly ahead of schedule. Amazing! With time to kill before our nail appointment, Meredith and I agree – IT’S BLOODY MARY TIME! Therefore, she and I made a quick stop by Tripp’s near Northgate Mall and enjoyed a lovely bloody mary (they make them with Absolut Peppar, give it a shot!) We finished our drinks and made our way to the nail place.

The place was packed, but Cookie had made reservations for everyone; therefore, we got to skip to the front of the line. Meredith and I got started, then Lauren and Cookie arrived. We all got our nails did and they looked great. Cookie had to bolt pretty quick, as her hair appointment was quickly approaching. Once our nails had sufficiently dried, the three of us remaining decided it was big soda time before my hair appointment. We made a dash for the closest BP to get big sodas, then made our way to Ninth Street for my hair appointment at Wavelengths.

Part II coming soon………….

I promise, Saturday is coming!

I promise, promise, the recap of Saturday is coming! I just picked up our professional pics yesterday, so I think I will post the text of Saturday's summary, then post a link to an online photo album for pics of Saturday. Sound good? I hope so :-)

FRIDAY!

After a nice evening of rest, Mike and I got up to prepare for the day’s festivities. Today was the day before the wedding, and I had just spent my last night in the house as woman living in sin (hee hee). I got to quick work packing up a bag that had everything I needed for the next two days, as I wouldn’t be back to the house until Sunday morning – the day after the wedding. I managed to fit most of my stuff in my roll-on suitcase, a small shoulder bag and the bag for my wedding dress. Mike was taking his Aunt, Uncle and cousins on a driving tour of Durham from about 10am-1pm, so it was a bit quiet in the house while I got ready to depart. It was actually a bit strange. I knew that once I left, when I eventually came back, Mike and I would be husband and wife!

Anyway, I loaded up the car with all the vases, table runners and miscellaneous reception supplies, threw in my dress and all my belongings. I decided to give Lauren a call and see how she, Darrah and Laura were doing that morning. First hiccup of the wedding schedule (I told you it would go out the window, right??). Lauren was sick. Her throat hurt and she wasn’t feeling well. Same for Cookie. Cookie had planned on going out to the flower grower’s house to select the wedding flowers, and somehow it was decided that Lauren would go with her (so not in the schedule – but I love you girls!). Turns out that Darrah and Laura were at Lauren’s house with no way to get to the hotel and check in. I made the decision that I would go get the girls after my morning appointments.

I was scheduled to meet Lauren, Cookie and Meredith at noon to go pick up all the rental equipment for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. With Cookie and Lauren still fairly far away from Durham, Darrah and Laura still in South Durham at Lauren’s place, we moved the pick up time for rental items to 12:30. I was also supposed to meet with Val, the manager at Duke Towers, around 11:45 to discuss setup for the rehearsal dinner. I needed to get going! Therefore, I scurry over to the towers, meet with Val, then rush to South Durham and pick up the girls. They had sufficiently entertained themselves that morning, but I think they were ready to get settled into their long term digs.

Once we got to Duke Towers, I dropped off the girls to get checked in. Cookie and Lauren decided to meet us at the rental place, so I jumped in Meredith’s car and we shot off for the rentals. This place was a bit tough to find. The address read Alston, but if you know Durham, you know Alston is a strange street. It breaks off and switches names, it is north and it is south. Just a weird road. I call Lauren and Cookie, they are getting antsy, they can’t find the place, and Meredith and I are already loading up the chairs. We were actually able to get all the chairs and the columns for the ceremony stage in Mer’s car. And now being rather behind on time and very hungry, Mer and I went up to the corner store to get a healthy lunch of Doritos and soda while looking for Lauren and Cookie to flag them down. We see them, wave them in the direction they need to go, and they pick up the remaining items (a few tables).

We get back to Duke Towers and unload all the items, then we set up the tables and chairs for the rehearsal dinner. It’s hot hot hotttt that day, but I just cross my fingers that the temp will be manageable to sit outside and have dinner at 6pm. Lauren and Cookie are still not feeling well, so they take their leave to go grab lunch and prepare to meet us at the actual wedding rehearsal at 4pm. With all of the essentials in place, I actually had some time. My parents were all at the pool at the Towers, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take a quick dip. Meredith and I got checked into our room and unpacked. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to crash with Meredith, but with the sickness that had befallen both Lauren and Cookie, they were now not staying at the hotel with us. Major bummer and probably my biggest disappointment of the weekend. ANYWAY, I get changed into my swimsuit and go meet my parents at the pool. This was actually my first swim of the year! It felt wonderful. I got in an hour at the pool, and by that time I needed to get cleaned up a bit to head to the wedding rehearsal. Man, time flies!

I take a quick shower, throw on a t-shirt and shorts and jump in the car with my Mom and Dad. We go over to the Nelson Music Room about 3:30pm and were greeted by Stefan. He was there early to help out with anything that needed to be done – thank you, Stefan! All the rooms are unlocked as scheduled, so we start rearranging chairs, cleaning up the room, etc. I was all fluttery. This is the room in which we would be wed! woo hoo! Eventually, all the other parties start to arrive – the rest of the bridesmaids, the groomsmen, the parents and Ambassador and Mrs. Joseph. With everyone there on time, we jumped to the actual wedding rehearsal. At an amazing 20 minutes to run through the ceremony, the rehearsing was straightforward and pretty easy to manage! Marty ran through the music on the piano (which sounded amazing), we walked through the entrances and exits, and we had a lot of smiling and giggling. We all knew our roles and what we were to do the next day!

Mike and I practicing our exit! (thanks, Amy!)

With that over with, we did a bit more decorating then headed back to Duke Towers to prepare for the rehearsal dinner! A colleague of mine at work had suggested we use the Q Shack at North Hills in Raleigh if we planned to do BBQ, as that location uses all organics and local foods whenever possible. I promised Mike he would get BBQ for part of the wedding celebrations, and we decided the rehearsal dinner was the time to do so. I had placed the order a couple weeks before and was anxious to see how it all turned out.

The Q Shack delivery person showed up on time at the right place. He started dropping things off and first notified me he had brought no beverages as it was not on the ticket. Uh, great. We were supposed to have enough tea for 25 people. Then, he asks me to sign my credit card receipt. I look at the total, and the amount is 2.5 times higher than I was quoted!! “Hold on!” I said. “This is not right!!” He put me on the phone with the store, and it turns out they charged me for 75 people rather than 25 people. The guy on the phone said he voided the charge and charged us the right amount now. Hmmm, okay (more on this later). Anyway, they drop off the rest of the food and I am thinking that this in no way will feed 25 people.

A moment at the dinner

But, it’s 6pm, dinner start time, so we open it all up and request people dig in and start eating. And the heat? Yeah, it was oppressive. We did the rehearsal dinner outside on the brick patio at Duke Towers. There’s no cover. So, we all ate outside, in the heat. The hot hot heat. (sorry, everyone!!) People arrived at various times – we had invited all of our out of town guests to this shindig, so we actually got to say hi to some peeps we hadn’t seen yet at that point. The Q shack was a huge hit with folks, and for the vegetarians and vegans, Stefan and Mike grilled up some awesome veggie dogs and brats.

Dad enjoying the Q Shack (thanks, Lauren!)

Becky enjoying the rehearsal dinner (photo BY Becky, too!)

We of course had to have another hiccup with the dinner though. Mike and I had bought a great cake and a pie to serve as dessert. Which we realized right as the dinner was starting was still at home in our oven. Great. Luckily, best man Ed was kind enough to go to the house and pick up the desserts. Thank you, Ed! We all chatted at the dinner – had great food, great conversations, and sweated out every bit of food we ate!

Sweating out our dinner (thanks, Lauren!)

At the dinner, we wanted to thank everyone who had been there helping with the wedding, so we presented the full wedding party with gifts. The groomsmen and bridesmaids got these awesome cooler totes filled with all sorts of goodies. The Josephs got a nice dinner gift certificate, and Owen the ringbearer got an awesome towel that made him look like a monkey and a big container of cheezy poofs! Darrah, Laura and Becky (who was there by now) all got some trendy little piggy banks. The parents all got big thank yous – their gift was a new kid – Mike or me! Mike and I were also presented with a wonderful gift from Owen - he made us an awesome painting!!

Owen enjoying his cheezy poofs!

Our cool gift from Owen! (thanks, Lauren, for the photo!)

Eventually some people drifted from the party. It was hot, and the next day was a big one. But for those of us staying at the hotel, it was a chance to get the party started! We put away the food and started on the beer pong! Several people in attendance hadn’t played before, so we had to do a few tutorials. But everyone seemed to enjoy playing and watching. We all learned Laura has some wicked defensive moves and that Marty is a ringer. I was also able to show off my own beer pong prowess….hee hee. With Lauren and Cookie still not feeling well, they went off to Cookie’s house to work on flowers and the groom’s cake for the wedding. After the beer pong wrapped up and even more people had gone to sleep, we moved the party to the pool. By this time it was well after 10:45pm, but we were all happy and excited.

Several of us jumped in the pool while others chose to just dangle in their feet. It was a great night – we all chatted, drank beers, swam, told jokes and old stories. But before I knew it, it was approaching midnight, and Mike had to get out of there! We decided to not see each other on the wedding day, so as of midnight, he needed to be gone. Therefore, Mike, with Ed and Sean in tow, headed to the house. I heard they had a good time sitting up and chatting, drinking beers and doing boy things!

I stayed in the pool a bit longer – I was relaxed and really not ready to go to sleep yet. I did find out through some recon that Cookie and Lauren were still up and doing stuff. I asked about flowers, and a certain little birdie let me know that they had seen nothing of flowers. Just cake. It was then I started to panic a bit…….

Coming next…….THE BIG DAY!

THURSDAY!

Mike and I wake up groggy on Thursday morning after only a few hours of sleep. We need to run a few errands and get all our ducks in a row before more guests start arriving that afternoon. Therefore, Mike and I head out to take care of a few things – we ran by the offices for the Duke Music Department to drop off payment and thank Mr. Percy, the head of performance venues at Duke. We chatted with him for a while (great guy by the way), paid our rental fee, then we headed to Parker and Otis for a couple cups of coffee. While getting our coffee, we realized that we should come up with a plan for an informal meet and greet that evening. Mike came up with the brilliant idea to go to Satty’s – we could have them reserve a space for us, people could come and go as they pleased, food is plentiful and cost effective, and it was big beer night! The two of us walk over to Satty’s, speak with a very friendly manager, and we successfully book the back room for that evening. One more stop after that – we got a nice thank you for Ambassador Joseph for doing the wedding ceremony – a gift certificate to Piedmont so he and Mary could go have a nice dinner, care of the soon to be “Bradys”.

Once those errands were completed, it was time for Mike and me to run our individual errands of the day. This day was particularly exciting for me, as my friends from cyberspace, Darrah and Laura were arriving today! I met Darrah, Laura and Becky (who was arriving on Friday) on an Internet chat board back in 2001. I had just moved to North Carolina, and my former college roommate Marissa invited me to join my first ever chat board. It was there I met these awesome ladies. Since ’01, I have met Darrah and Becky only once before – in the summer of 2006, and Laura three times. It was a real treat to have them all here for the wedding.

ANYWAY – I head off to the airport around 11:30 to pick up Darrah. She was scheduled to get in shortly after noon. Unfortunately, the airline had other plans. Darrah was about 45 minutes delayed, but I patiently waited in the terminal reading a book. Honestly, the down time was welcome during what was sure to be a crazy weekend. Finally, I saw her bright red hair coming down the walkway. It was a wonderful reunion!!!! Darrah and I rushed off to meet Lauren for lunch at Tyler’s in American Tobacco. The three of us had a positively lovely lunch – and some Framboise to go along with it. Yumm!

After lunch, I had to leave my guest with her host for the evening, as I needed to pick up programs and find out where my parents were! Ran by the printers for the third time over the past two days and was finally able to collect the completed wedding programs. Right after picking them up, I got a call that my parents had just arrived at Duke Towers. Woo hoo! Rushing straight over, I was a ball of excitement. Everyone is starting to get here! I greeted my parents and chatted with them about their trip. It had been a while since I had seen my parents – since March to see Mom, and sadly over a year or so since I had seen my stepdad. Anyway, the hellos were wonderful. I found out in the meantime that Mike’s Aunt, Uncle, and cousins had also arrived. At the same time, Lauren and Darrah were on their way to pick up Laura at the airport! HOW EXCITING IS THIS????

I decided to give Mom and Dad a quick driving tour of the area so they could find all the goodies that they needed to survive the next few days. The grocery store, restaurants, etc. We jump in my car and start on the tour. One problem – that belt I got fixed? Yeah, it was squeaking more than it ever had before. It was downright embarrassing.

“Mom, Dad, you mind if we stop at Neal’s? This is crazy,” I asked. No problem for them, so we stopped and were immediately tended to at the shop. They said it would be about 30 minutes. Mom, Dad and I walked around the corner to Charlie’s, grabbed a drink, and halfway through my beer, we found out my car was ready. Headed over, grabbed the car, good to go. We do the tour – Food Lion, Ninth Street, Main Street, East Campus. I think they got their bearings.

I drop them off after the tour and head to the front office to leave a note for my Dad about that evening’s plans. Evidently he and my Aunt Julie got stuck in some serious traffic on I-85 due to a sudden rainstorm and not so smart drivers. I figured I would leave him a note about where to meet us. As timing would have it, halfway through writing my note I saw his car pull into the parking lot. I ran out to greet he and my Aunt. Today was truly a great day!! I unfortunately wasn’t able to hang with them too long, as I needed to get back to the house to take a quick shower and prepare for the family Meet-N-Greet that evening.

By this time, the clock is pushing 5:30pm. I quickly, yet safely, drive home, jump in the shower and get ready to meet the family and wedding party at Satty’s. Mike and I both manage to get ready in time and head out shortly before 7pm. We told everyone it was casual and that we would be there around 7 – I expected people to arrive at different times, stay for a bit, then go. Oh no – that is definitely not what happened. Mike dropped me off at Satty’s on his way to get his Mom and Peg. I wanted to make sure Satty’s was ready to go – by now, it was right at 7pm. Satty’s did a great job, and the room was all set up for us. I barely had time to sit my bag down before I saw my parents walk in! Then, Mike’s Aunt, Uncle and cousins! Then Mike and Mom and Peg! Then Dad and Aunt Julie! Then Lauren with Laura and Darrah! Then Meredith! Everyone was there at the same time! Mike and I started all the introductions – and it was a lot of introductions.

Hanging at Satty's (photo courtesy of Darrah)

For the first time, my Stepdad met Mike. Very exciting! All the family members met, the wedding party met the family and vice versa. It was wonderful seeing everyone interact. Lots of big beers were ordered and drank. Lots of pizzas were ordered and eaten. Lots of fried foods were ordered and nibbled upon. The waiter taking care of us was beyond amazing. He never wrote anything down and got every order right every time. Even when it came time for everyone to pay their bills, the guy rattled off exactly what they had! Amazing. Two thumbs up to Satisfactions for providing a wonderful atmosphere for our families and friends to meet. By about 10:30 or so, we had lost a few folks who were tired from traveling, but we still had a contingent that wanted to stay out. Therefore, we paid our bills and wandered across the street to the Joyce.

Meredith, Laura, Neil and Lauren at the Joyce
(photo courtesy of Darrah)

We took over the bar!
(again thanks to Darrah!)

Ahh, the Joyce. It is the heart of our social circle. It was really fun to have my out of town family and friends come over to a bar they had always heard me talk about. They finally got to experience it in all its musty glory. I think everyone who made the walk over had a pretty good time! There were a few more drinks had at the Joyce, but we had to wrap it all up at a reasonable hour. Friday was the day before the wedding – the final preparations, the actual rehearsal and yet another party. We needed to save ourselves for the next day……….

COMING NEXT…..The Rehearsal and Dinner!!!!!

PS - I also have a lot more photos from people starting on Friday. So, hopefully these posts will be just as photo filled as word filled moving forward!!!

The Wedding Journal: Wednesday

As there was so much fun and excitement over the wedding weekend, I figured it would be more fun to go through day by day and tell what happened rather than trying to spill it all out in one ridiculously long blog post. I'm starting at the beginning - Wednesday. It was my first day off work for the wedding and the first arrival of a family member for the celebration. So, that's where I will start!

Wednesday

Today is the first real day of “post-work” wedding preparations. I have a full time-line together for everything that needs done over the next few days, but something tells me it may all go with the wind anyway. I sleep in a bit this morning, relishing the first day of wedding celebrations to come. I figured I will get some rest, hit the gym, run some much needed errands, then veg at home until Mike gets back to the house that evening. Ah, the best laid plans…..

So, I take my car to Neal’s Garage in Durham for an oil change. I was way overdue, and I figured that while I have a day off work I can get this important chore checked off my list. I drop off my car and walk over to the East Campus gym to get a good workout in while my car is worked on. Within about 15 minutes into using some newfangled gazelle/elliptical machine thing, I get a phone call. It’s Neal’s. “Michelle, you have a belt in here that is about to die. It’s cracked, it’s in bad shape and you need it replaced.” I knew it – the damn belt had been squeaking for a long time (and when I say long, I mean LONG. So long in fact, I am even embarrassed to say how long it had been since the squeak started.) “Alright,” I said, “what will it take to fix it?” The friendly lady on the other line quoted me a most reasonable price and only about 45 minutes to get the work done. “Go for it,” I said.

I switch to a stationary bike only to be greeted by a ringing phone yet again. “Michelle, it’s Neal’s here. The motor turning the belt is also fried, hence why it is killing your belt. We need to replace that, too.” At this point I explain that I am getting married this weekend and had just planned on getting an oil change, not leaving my car all day. I asked about price (again, very reasonable) and was quoted only an additional hour for the car to be done. “Go for it,” I said. It needs to be fixed, and there is no time like the present. I plug through another 30 minutes of cardio, lift some weights and finally tire of the gym. By now, it is lunch time and I am one hungry bride. COSMIC! I haven’t had a burrito in a while, so I head on down to have a yummy veggie deluxe burrito. Yum. By the last bite, I have a call from Neal’s that my car is ready to be picked up.

After I have my newly repaired car, I head to Whole Foods to pick up some veggie grilling items, and I finally head home. I put together the last remaining items at the house that needed boxed up for wedding venues and waited for Mike to get home. Once he arrived, it was time to go see Mama Brady. She had arrived earlier in the afternoon with her bestest buddy Peg, so Mike and I went to pick them up and take them to dinner. It was great to catch up and hear about all the latest happenings from her, and fill her in on what was going on for the exciting weekend. We had a great meal at Elmo’s and closed the evening at Peg and Mama Brady’s room with a very touching gift giving of family heirlooms. It was meaningful to both Mike and me. We finally left about 9 and headed home to finally put together the dance mix for the reception!

Mike and I popped open a bottle of wine and parked ourselves in the office at the house – scanning through each and every song in the iTunes library upstairs! Mike flipped through tunes, I steamed table runners. We had a great time – so much so we decided we should make playlists together more often. That process lasted well until 3am – we finally needed to head to sleep. Thursday meant the arrival of a large part of our out of town guests – and the real adventure was about to begin!!!!!

NEXT.......Thursday and the get together at Satty's!

We are back - AND MARRIED!

Hi, everyone! I am happy to report Mike and i are very happily married and trying to get settled into "real life" after the honeymoon. The wedding day went amazingly well, and the honeymoon was fantastic! Once I get my head above water, I will post some reviews, summaries, and photos!!!

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN......

Oh yes, folks - only a few days away! I am at work today and tomorrow, then it is WEDDING TIME!!!! I talked to all the parents yesterday, and everyone is about ready to head out to NC. Mike and I are pumped up and ready to go, and all our friends are excited and ready to party. SWEET.......

Fans of Arrested Development will surely know what this picture means:

"IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!!"

An Anniversary today.....

This time last year, I worked a half day at work. I then went with Cookie and Lauren to Projekt Revolution in Raleigh. I learned I do not like Linkin Park....at all. But, the cool part of the story is that before the concert, I received a call while we were tailgating in the parking lot.



That call was one that brought me where I am today.

After working with Ambassador Joseph for six + years, I started looking for a new job. I loved the travel, I loved my bosses, but I just needed a new challenge. It was time to leave South Africa behind. I was in a new phase of my life, and I needed new scenery and new experiences. Therefore, I embarked on the very frustrating and scary process of searching for a new job. I didn't want just any new job - I have my standards. I wanted to work for a company that I believed in - one that was guided by mission and not dollars. I am the forever nonprofit worker, but I also didn't want to be stuck making $28K/year.

I had applied and interviewed for jobs at Self-Help in years prior. Marketing jobs, research jobs, I was even offered one, but the pay was so low I had to say no. But in 2007, another marketing job opened up, and I gave it a shot. After a great phone interview, the woman on the other end of the line said, "You know, I think you are just too over qualified for this job. But we do have another position open that may fit you better." I agreed to let my resume be turned over to someone else, and I was asked in for an interview for a "Lending Project Manager" position. Honestly, I didn't really understand what they were looking for at all. But, I liked the people I met, and the prospect sounded promising. It went well, but then I hear nothing. Zilch. Zero. For about a month and a half.

Then, out of the blue, I get a call from Brian (who is now my boss) asking me if I would be interested in coming in to meet the rest of the staff. I was surprised and said sure. So, I came into the office, met with the legal counsel, the closing team, the marketing director and a loan officer. Then, I had to take a financial analysis test (which to this day I have no idea how I performed). It was a good day, but after my last experience, I figured it would be a while before I heard anything.

That brings us back to Projekt Revolution. As Cookie, Lauren and I downed beers in the parking lot, my phone rang. It was Brian - with a job offer and the salary I had requested. It was too good to be true. It was then on the phone that I said, "I accept the offer." It was very exciting, and it still is. It was terribly difficult to say goodbye to Ambassador Joseph and Lance, but they are both still in my life. They were proud of me and sad to see me go at the same time - but they were beyond supportive.

I didn't start the job at Self-Help until mid September, but we will talk more about that when the anniversary hits. I just wanted to celebrate today, as it put me on an exciting new career path (it's not just a job anymore - I have a CAREER) that I never would have expected. Feel good finance - it's out there, and I love it!!!!!

Thank you, Scout!

Mike and I are parents to three kitties - Scout, Buddy and Allie. The three do not get along. Well, Buddy and Scout do (as evidenced by the photo below), but no one gets along with Allie except for the people living in our house. Due to this permanent animosity, Scout resides in our bedroom 99.9% of the time - until now that is. Some sort of confidence has overtaken our all white warrior, and he is now coming downstairs, walking on the floor, and even going room to room. It is an amazing transformation.

Scout (L) and Buddy (R) in a snuggle

With that being said, Scout's new found freedom while wonderful for him, has added a whole new level of kitty antics to deal with for us. For example, Scout LOVES to hug the small Ikea lamp next to my bed; ramming his head into the lamp and causing it to make a loud "thunk" on the nightstand is a sure fire way to wake me up and deliver him to the litter box. After that, it's back to the bed to walk around for a bit, snuggle and purr as loudly as possible. If he is feeling antsy, like he has been here lately, the purring is very loud, the patting on the face and arms becomes consistent, and the banging of the lamp continues for fun rather than for purpose of signaling a need to go to the kitty loo.

This morning was one such morning. Coupled with his brother Buddy's persistent meows for food at 5:30am, I was up and awake. I attempted to go back to sleep, but after 30 minutes of near earth shaking purring coupled with my mind rolling wedding "to-do's" back and forth, it was a hopeless cause to go back to sleep. Therefore, I decided to make use of the time, get up, put on some workout clothes and go for a run. It was actually chilly when I left the house and entered the morning outside. By the time I walked out of the neighborhood and hit my run's starting point, I was feeling pretty comfy. I got in a mile and a half run, but the hills were too much - so I did a nice powerwalk for the next mile or so. I got back to the house 45 minutes later and decided I would rest my eyes for a few minutes. TERRIBLE idea. I have felt sleepy nearly all day now. It was great to get my workout out of the way first thing this morning, but yikes - it sure did make my day go kind of funky.

Anyway, thanks, Scout, for the valuable lesson in why I do not exercise in the morning :-)

Not too much to report....

......the wedding is barely over a week away, and at this point there is not much to report. Once the wedding is over, I will be sharing some more details about the celebration, but I don't want to spoil anything for the folks who will be in attendance.

Mike and I were talking about it yesterday, and we both wonder if we should be more nervous! Everything seems to be in place and about ready to go. We are either missing some serious details or are just excellent planners :-)

We are thrilled, excited and excited. Did I mention excited? I can't wait for the day to get here on one hand, but on the other, I know it will go by so fast. Therefore, I am enjoying every moment up to the big event. It is really wonderful!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MADIBA!

Today is the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela, also known as Madiba in South Africa. An amazing man, an amazing life, an inspiration to the world. Happy 90th birthday, and may you have many happy and healthy years in front of you!

In less world worthy news, Lauren, Cookie and I are off to Charlotte this weekend to party party party. Bachelorette #2 is upon us. Tonight is dinner and wandering; tomorrow is Carowinds and more wandering; Sunday we return home. We are one bridesmaid short as Mer has a once in a lifetime interview with the Humane Society in DC. We will miss her but wish her the best of luck this weekend!

Hopefully I will have some photos to share on Monday!

CIAO!

Digging all the love.....

With the final countdown well underway for the wedding (only 16 full days to go), the response we have been receiving from those around us has been awesome. People tell us how excited they are for us, how much they are looking forward to the wedding, asking us questions about how things are going - and also commenting how calm we seem! Luckily, all the big planning items are in good shape. It's just smaller stuff from here on out.

I just had to mention how wonderful it is to hear so many words of support from the people in our lives. The butterflies are in my tummy everyday - first, because I am about to marry the future father of my children and best partner I could ever imagine having; second because the support we have behind us feels amazing.

Thank you, everyone - and we are just as excited as you are - even moreso!

I love my city

Today at lunch, I needed to run an errand. I had a check to drop off to Duke Tower for the wedding, so I thought, "Hey, I will walk over there and just hand deliver the check. I can get some exercise and check something off my to-do list." So, I headed out to the Towers which is about .75 from the office (I assume). I walk through downtown, help someone get to the bus stop, and I continue my walk past the ever cool West Village, the Durham School of the Arts, past the awesome loft condos and apartments in all the mill buildings, then to Duke Towers. It was a warm walk, but I enjoyed seeing my city by foot.

Dropped off the check, then back to the office - to keep the walk interesting I took a different route back to the office. I traveled past the new Trinity Lofts, a random handbag store, the old Durham Ball Park, the Farmers Market and then back into downtown. Today was rather warm, so I ended up sweating through my shirt and changing into my gym shirt when I got back to the office.

Anyway - it was just a great walk. I love living in Durham, and I know I am at the point where I will have to leave Durham behind soon enough. It always seems that once I feel completely settled, know my way around and have a good network in a city - it's time to go. But that's okay. It's how I get to learn about new places, meet new people and grow and change myself. Mike is on the academic job market right after the wedding, so it is only a matter of time until we say goodbye to Durham. But until then, I am going to keep taking walks and keep showing my city and its people some love.

BACHELORETTE PARTY!

I only have a few pics of the illustrious evening in Raleigh, but let me just say that the Bachelorette Party was a wonderful evening out with my ladies on Glenwood South. Here are a few snippets of the evening for your viewing pleasure.


Getting started at The Red Room

Michelle and Tammy

The Maid of Honor and the Bride to be!

Tammy and Meredith

On the dance floor at the Red Room - who is that guy?? No idea.

Dancing

You may have seen this, you may have not. But I strongly recommend you watch this! It pulls at my heartstrings every time!


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

I'm sorry - did I offend you?

When planning any event, there is always etiquette to attend to - the addressing of invitations, the day of the event (beware of holidays, double bookings and on and on), the location of the event (too close to one group, too far for another), the time of the event (she KNOWS I can't be there because of X obligation) - the list is endless. And in wedding planning, we haven't escaped this cold fact.

As we are now only one month and one day from the wedding, I get more and more nervous we have offended or are about to offend people. I worry about who we did and did not invite; I worry about the parties beforehand and those invitations; I worry about those IN the wedding and if I have kept them properly informed and minimally stressed. Are people thinking I am ungrateful? Are we too pushy? Are we too lax and therefore seem disorganized?

Like the post I had up a few days ago - one must not worry too much about what others think of you. It's a fruitless exercise.

But just in case I have offended someone or upset you due to wedding stuff, I truly am sorry. I am trying to balance it all, and sometimes it falls through the cracks. Please, World, accept my apology.......

Bridal Shower!!!

Can you believe it? It is almost to the 30 day mark in the wedding count down! WOW! Where does time go?

This past Sunday afternoon, my bridesmaids' threw me an absolutely fantastic bridal shower. The shower's theme was a "Big Hat Tea Party," and the event was held in the Parlors of the East Duke Building, the same building where the ceremony location will be held in August. It was a fantastic afternoon - great food, great drinks, great company and beautiful cards and gifts. A huge thank you to Lauren, Meredith and Cookie for throwing such a wonderful event, and another huge thank you goes to all the ladies who came out with their big hats, big smiles, and joined us at the shower - it was a fantastic afternoon!

Back Row (L to R): Mary, Candis, Christy, Winter, Lesa, Laura, Tammy, Cookie
Front Row(L to R): Marty, Meredith, me, Lauren

30

Well, it is here - and in one hour, I will officially be 30 years old. Wow. And it has been one heck of a day. This morning I was greeted with a lovely phone call from my Mom, then the wonderful Michael Brady presented me with a beautiful Tahitian pearl pendant on a beautiful necklace. I rushed off to work to be there early in hopes of getting out early. My co-workers Brian and Joy busted into my office wishing me a happy birthday and pulled me across the street to Ninth Street Bakery where I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll. They were also sweet enough to share a third of their Friday challah bread with me as well. And all day, I have been receiving Facebook e-mails and wall posts from all over the world - just fantastic!!!!

About noon, I headed off to George's Garage to meet Lauren for a quick lunch. We had a great meal, then I hopped in the car, turned the key - and nothing. Not a sound. Car would not start. Lauren and I start the hike back to her office in hopes of bringing her truck to jump my car, but we luckily ran into my buddy Rod on Ninth Street. We were able to push my car into another parking spot and have Rod pull up to hook up the jumper cables. By this point, Mike arrived to help, but no luck. The car would not start.

Right now, I am back at work (Rod dropped me off), and I am waiting to hear from Mike. Poor guy had to ditch his one open afternoon this week to go and get me a new battery. At least that is all I hope the problem may be. Keep your fingers crossed. I'll let you know the end of the story later.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

But I sure as heck know I have one wonderful fiance and some awesome friends!!!

My internet friends

In the excitement of everything wedding, one of the most exciting things is receiving RSVP cards. I love running to the mail everyday to see if one of those little response cards is sitting in the mailbox. It always stings a bit when you get a "no" from someone you surely thought would be there, but the reality is that travel costs are beyond high, and scheduling busy people is often like herding cats. The point of this ramble is that there are three people attending the wedding who have a very special place in my life.

My internet pals
From L to R: Becky, me, Laura and Darrah

I met Darrah, Becky and Laura online, way back in 2001, I believe. At the time, I had just moved to North Carolina and knew hardly anyone. Therefore, I spent a fair amount of time online to keep myself busy. Another friend, Marissa, introduced me to the idea of "chat boards," which at the time, I knew nothing about. Marissa invited me to join a wedding chat board, at which time I was not even planning a wedding, but in that place on the interwebs I met some people that I can proudly call some of my best friends.

I have chatted with Darrah, Becky and Laura almost every work day since 2001. We greet each other over e-mail every morning, and the e-mails continue all day sometimes. When someone is sick, they try to let the others know; when someone has a crazy story, they always share. We have also been there for each other through some amazing life events. Weddings (well, one), divorce (again, one), births (um, okay - just one), breakups (probably a few), hookups (also a few :p ) - all of it. I guess in a way it's a calmer version of our own online "SATC" - just spread throughout the country. Darrah is in Kansas, Laura is in Chicago, and Becky is in St. Paul. Even with the distance, it still seems like they are close.

I only met these awesome folks in person for the first time back in 2005. We had an amazing get together in Chicago - Laura served as host, and we all spent the weekend in the city. We hit bars,a beer festival and restaurants. We vegged, we laughed, and boy did we drink. It was probably the best girls weekend I have ever had. After that, I have been able to see Laura a couple of additional times - once while I was in Chicago and once while she was passing though Durham. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Darrah and Becky since that girls weekend, but like I said - we talk every day.

That is why I am beyond excited that Darrah, Becky and Laura will all be traveling here to attend the wedding. It will be so great to have them here, and it will also be awesome to introduce them to the people in my life here in NC and all the others that are coming in for the wedding. Their every day presence in my life has been so influential in who I am as a person. When I whine, they let me know. When I sell myself short, they let me know. When I just need to vent, they listen. They are a constant in what so often can be a crazy and hectic life - especially during periods where I was in total personal turmoil. These three women were a foundation for me keeping my sanity.

Although I have three amazing bridesmaids here in Durham I hope that Becky, Darrah and Laura all know that they play just important of a role, and they have for many many years. Thank you, ladies, for being so wonderful, and I cannot wait to see you in August.

The final push

39 days, folks. In 39 days, I will be getting hitched to the amazing Michael Brady. As excited as I am about that, there are some major logistical hurdles to get over between now and then. We are still securing details for all sorts of pieces of the wedding and the events leading up to it. I have my fingers crossed that the stars will align this week and allow Mike and I to check a few things off our to-do list. Mike is still busy with his summer program, so his free time is quite limited. Therefore, when we do have time together, it is often "wedding, wedding, wedding." But hey, the end result is pretty awesome though, right?

I also have only 4 days til I'm 30. Geez. Where is the time going?

Good things to love by

Mama Braun forwarded me this e-mail today, and several of the items here are just fantastic advice. As I am not feeling terribly chatty today, I thought this would be a great post. We all need to be reminded of what really counts sometimes - so why not today?? (I posted a few comments in yellow.)

Advice to Live By:

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
There are times in my life where I have decided to consciously do this every morning. It has helped me get through some very tough times.

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
...damn you Kraft Mac and Cheese for being so tasty!

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
I recommend against the salmon, but again, I'm one of those veggie people.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
Whenever I start becoming a control freak, which is often enough, I always think about this quote: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Amen to that.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
You are one person on the planet. To you, your problems are huge - to the rest of us, they aren't. We have our own things to worry about.

12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
You also have no idea what their journey was like before you knew them.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Too many people forget this. We try to find acceptance and happiness in others - but the truth is, you will not find happiness with ANYONE until you have found happiness with YOURSELF.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
And 9 times out of ten, the answer is NO.

17. Forgive everyone for everything.
Much easier said than done...

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
I am still learning this lesson - most days I am good at it, but other days I am not.

19. GOD heals almost everything.
...or for those of us nonreligious types, our faith in all that is good in the world and those around us will get us through anything. See #9 on this list.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
Nothing is ever stagnant.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
...unless you have some sort of nasty bug that they don't want to catch. But we will send you good vibes :p

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
...and if you REALLY need something else, quit bitching and do what you need to do to get it!

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
( a bit cheesy for me, but hey, whatever works for ya...)

25. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.
...or don't. But I am glad you read through this!

Only 9 days left.....

Next Friday, June 27, I will enter a new era in my life. My twenties will be behind me, and I will be 30.



I have always said that I actually looked forward to turning 30. While a lot of my 20s were fun, a lot of those years were some of the scariest, saddest and toughest times of my life. Many I have talked to say that the 20s are for figuring everything out. Your 30s are for acting on it all. That's what I am hoping to achieve. This year has been a big one for me. I graduated from Duke with my Masters, I get married in August, and with Mike going on the academic job market this fall, we may be making some very big decisions before 2008 ends. Family planning, moves and jobs will be at the forefront of discussion, I am sure. But, it's an exciting time, and I am looking forward to every bit of my 30s. And for a few months, I can say I am marrying a man in his twenties ;-)

Need something to do? PLAY MORE in Durham!

Durham Parks and Rec has started a summer concert series for the newly developed CCB plaza in downtown. I found this out today at lunch while walking to the post office. There was a great blues band playing right in the square! It looks like today is the last weekday performance, but there are plenty of evening performances planned for all musical tastes. I copied and pasted the schedule here for your review. If you want to see more, check out the series' website HERE.

Good Music is Happening in Durham
DPR Music Series at the CCB Plaza

With the completion of the downtown streetscape, DPR is introducing a new venue for special events in 2008. The CCB Plaza is a centrally located facility, making it an ideal location for after work and weekend events. Regular programming at this facility will invite audiences to stay in town after work and begin their weekends in downtown Durham. These new events will target adult audiences seeking early evening entertainment after work or to kick off weekend evenings.

CCB Plaza is located at the corner of Corcoran and Parrish Streets in downtown Durham – home of MAJOR, the big bronze bull.

Tuesday and Thursday Concerts (12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.)

Tobacco Road Series - Tobacco Road is a blues series co-produced with the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation/Hayti Heritage Center highlighting our rich Piedmont Blues tradition.

• June 3 - Jasmé Kelly
• June 17 - Will McFarlane

Thursday Night Concerts (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.)

As an early start to your weekend, enjoy a series of some of the region’s favorite alternative bands.

• June 12 - Coolius Caesar
• June 19 - Dasan Ahanu and Picasso present Jim Crow Jackson
• June 26 - Dom Casual and Shipwrecker
• July 10 - Fontana and Maltswagger
• July 17 - Kim Arrington
• July 31 - Fire in the Woods, Roxcetera and The Beloved Binge
• Aug 7 - The Urban Sophisticates
• Aug 21 - Future Kings of Nowhere
• Sept 4 - Menes and Back Street Productions
• Sept 11 - Veronique Diabolique and The Wigg Report
• Sept 25 - A Guilt Free Affair
• Oct 2 - The Bad Mothers
• Oct 23 - The Beast

Friday Night Concerts (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.)

Third Fridays - The Friday Cultural Crawl and art-making activities held in conjunction with the monthly art gallery tour. This programming adds music to this informal visual arts tour of Durham.

• June 20 - Piedmont- The Backwaits, Dry Heathens, Midnight Gladness (TRY TO COME OUT TO THIS ONE FOR SURE! OUR BUDDY STEVE WILL BE UP THERE ROCKING OUT ON STAGE WITH HIS BAND, THE DRY HEATHENS!!!)
  
• July 18 - Scrap Exchange & Triangle Sound Painting Orchestra
• Aug 22 - CAPS Program
• Sept 19 - Gospel Rap Extravaganza
• Oct 17 - Community Arts Program (TBD)

Youth Event – Durham Parks and Recreation will host an evening of fun and entertainment for and by the youth to celebrate the new school year.

• Aug 29 - Youth Back to School Night

Saturday Night Concerts/Jazz Series/Latin Series (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.)

This series will include six Saturday evening concerts showcasing Durham’s very active local jazz scene.

• June 28 - Stanley Baird
• July 12 - Oscar Wright and Simba
• July 19 - Freeport Jazz
• Aug 2 - Freeman Ledbetter and Generations
• Aug 9 - Martin Eagle
• Aug 23 - DPI and Kirk Keyes

This four-part Saturday evening concert series was developed to highlight the culture of Durham’s fastest growing population.

• Sept 6 - Maria Rocha
• Oct 11 - Julio Martinez

Saturday Night Special (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.)

A festive mix of upbeat rock, rhythm and blues bands.

- Sept 13 - Rock and R&B Band (TBD)
- Oct 18 - Mel Melton and the Wicked Mojos
- Oct 25 - Rock and R&B Band (TBD)

We raced for the cure!!

M, me and L heading to the start line of the 2008 Competitive 5K
at the 2008 Triangle Susan Komen Foundation Race for the Cure

I am happy to report that Lauren, Meredith and I all successfully raced for the cure on Saturday! With beautiful weather as a welcome companion, we all set out early on Saturday morning to Raleigh - chauffeured by Mr. Brady - and hit the starting line just after 7am. My cold still has a slight hold on me, but thanks to Meredith's pacing and encouragement to continue, I only walked three times. Twice to get water and for about a quarter of a mile right after mile marker 2. The turnout for the race was amazing - it was a sea of people. To see lots of photos and a few video clips, go here: http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/3044561/. All three of us were interviewed by WRAL, but I think only Lauren made it into one of the videos. I have yet to go through them, but if you watch all of them, we show up somewhere!

After finishing the race!

It was an inspirational day seeing so many people come together to support breast cancer research. It was also heartbreaking to see the names of all the friends and family lost to the disease on the backs of so many participants. Let's keep racing for the cure - next year, will you be at the start line??

RACE DAY

Tomorrow is race day. Unfortunately, I haven't run in over a week due to this cold I have been fighting off. Therefore, I am more than nervous about tomorrow's race. But, if so many women out there tomorrow have beat breast cancer, I can run a 5K while recovering from a cold. To all of you who supported me by giving a donation, thank you so much. To those who were not able to support monetarily but sent me an e-mail of "good luck," thank you so much for that, too. I will hopefully snap a few photos at the race tomorrow. The starting gun fires at 7am for our race, so by 7:30 or so, we should be at the finish line. Wish us luck (Lauren, Meredith and Taylor are running, too), and I will report back later this weekend!

HELP! I'm addicted to Weeds!

So the truth is that really, I have discovered an awesome awesome TV show. Thanks to the nasty cold that kept me home two days this week, I explored the "watch it now" section of my Netflix. There, I found that the first two seasons of Showtime's "Weeds" were available to watch online. At less than 30 minutes per episode, the timing worked perfectly with the average amount of time I was able to stay awake in between meds.

The characters are great, the dialog is often very witty, and the story line is so far fetched and so possible at the same time that it does great things for your imagination. I highly encourage you to go check out this series. Keep the kiddos away - it gets a bit graphic in parts - but for the adults, I think you will seriously enjoy this look at the darker side of the suburbs.

Another bonus: During one episode, I realized that I heard a familiar voice in one of the songs. A fave indie "band" of mine, "The Mountain Goats" performed a song used in Season One of the show!

My first published photo

I have had my first photo published, although not that impressive. I downloaded a lot of my England pictures to Flicker some time ago, and I received an e-mail that the Schmap Travel Guide wanted to use my photo of the Radcliffe Camera for the online guide. I agreed to its use, and I received an e-mail today that the guide is complete and online!



If that doesn't work too well, try clicking HERE.

JUNE 14 - MJ vs Prince REUDX

As I had to stay home from work sick today (damn summer cold bug finally hit me), I am pushing myself to recovery because Saturday is a big day. That morning, I am running the Susan Komen 5K race. I hope I am back to normal by then. That evening, I am heading to Club 9 for Jeff and King's second annual blowout: Michael Jackson vs Prince. Last year was a blast, and something tells me this year will only be better. Get a cool outfit together and get ready to dance.

THE DOUGHMAN: Reflections

NOTE: The cool "I hEArT Durham" shirts are my own inspiration, and I made them at home. If you want one, let me know - I could possibly throw together a few more for a fee ;-) Those shirts one us the "best costume" for the race!

I know I didn't post any photos of the Doughman, for I didn't bring a camera. But thanks to a few folks who participated and did have cameras, I can show you some of our team's experience. Credit for photos goes to Pae Wu, one of the race organizers, and Dain of Dain's Place.

The team at registration

I was the first racer of the team - that meant I had to eat a full breakfast at Foster's then bike about 5 miles through Durham. Here I am, in all my glory (bike helmets are the most unflattering accessory EVER) trying to scarf down an egg and cheese biscuit with a side of potatoes.

(I'm in the right corner in the white shirt)

Quite possibly the worst photo of me taken - EVER

Unfortunately, I got us too behind to have our team available for photos when Lauren lunched at Nosh. She had to eat a spinach and turkey wrap with a side of chips then dash to Luther's off east campus. There, she tagged Mike who had to eat a chili dog and a side of hush puppies. Mike ran like the wind to the East Campus pool, swam in a floatie across the pool, then tagged Meredith. She had to run about a mile to Dain's Place.

This is our team dancing to EYE OF THE TIGER while cheering on Meredith...

...who had to eat a whole order of cheese fries at Dain's place.

Meredith ran and tagged the whole team at the Locopop's stop in downtown where we all ate a delicious SEEDS popsicle. After that, we all dashed to the finish line at the farmer's market. The final results say it took us almost a half an hour longer than the team in front of us - I have no idea how that happened, but alas - we still finished!

The Final Results

It was a great experience, and it appears we will try to compete again next year. Maybe we can come in "next to last". YAY!!!

All the participants of the inaugural Durham Doughman.