Another wedding!

Tonight we're going to Dad & Debbie's wedding.  I never thought I'd see this day coming but I am happy for my Dad.  My brother is going to be the best man and the ceremony and reception are just a small function after work tonight.  I'm in charge of playing the correct wedding music at the right time off of Debbie's iPhone...considering I still don't have an iPhone nor am I that technologically advanced, I'm just hoping I don't play something like Baby Got Back when it should be Canon in D. 
While my Dad doesn't follow my blog, I still want to wish the couple a lifetime of happiness. Congrats Dad & Debbie!

Trying something new

Since I moved and there are no downtown locations, I decided to give up my gym membership at the club I've gone for the last 5 years.  It wasn't a hard decision considering there is another gym just 2 doors down from the loft, but it still has taken some time getting acquainted at my new place.  It doesn't have 24 hour access like my old place and with the hours that I work, its not always convenient to get in there in with everything else going on.  I've started getting back into the routine of going after work a few times a week along with my mini home workouts and 30 minute lunchtime visits to the gym at our office just to keep active.

My boss who also lives downtown and has been working out with me at lunch time recently joined my other gym in hopes of getting in extra cardio after work.  Usually after work, you can find me on the elliptical or the stair master but this week she convinced me to try something new.  In all my years of working out, I've never tried spinning.  My first class is Wednesday night.  I'm a bit excited, but more nervous and hoping that in all my clumsiness, I don't break something.  My boss gave me two tips for class...I should have my hair in a pony tail and 2 bottles of water for class because I'm gonna need it!

Catching up

So I've been meaning to get around to a full blown update of the last couple of months and time has just slipped by far faster than I have wanted to when it comes to updating this blog properly.  We have been on the go all summer and now its officially fall, the season where we'll be twice as busy with the holidays and visiting family.  Heck, some days just surviving work has been difficult!
Before we head out for night two of Blues hockey, I thought it would be nice to get a real post up.  So, while the boys watch the MSU-Notre Dame football game....

I'm camped out on the loveseat, paying some attention to the game and going through all the photos of the last 3 months. (Thank goodness for WiFi and laptops!)
Here's my photo dump to get everyone up to date.  Let's start with July and after the 4th of July festivities...

 

A and K's wedding in Pure Michigan - 7/13/13

Ribfest in Chicago - 7/26/13

Cousins weekend downtown - 8/3/13

Finishing the Big Move - 8/10/13 (Shell, this is outside our living room window!)

 

K and N's wedding in Quincy - 8/24/13

A mini visit to Clarksville, MO - 8/25/13

Preparing for our Labor Day Camp - 8/30/13

Labor Day Camping Trip in Pure Michigan - 8/30-9/2/13

Lake of The Ozarks Old Time Photo - 9/7/13

Putt Putt Date in the Ozarks - 9/7/13

I was surprised with these lovely flowers - 9/12/13

Sam, Zach and Em's 16th birthday party - 9/14/13

Oh when the Blues...

....go marching in!!!
This weekend is one full of hockey for me. My bro bought 2 tickets for Friday night's Blues game and asked me to accompany him before we head to D's super late night game at the local rink. Then Saturday night, me, D, and Bro are going back to Scottrade Center for another Blues game. I may be on hockey overload by Sunday but I'm ready to see the team back on the ice. I'm even more excited by the fact that the team plays pretty much in my back yard....and in my book, it doesn't get much better than that!

So for the first time this season...or preseason I should say, here we go....."Let's Go Blues!!"

Labor Day weekend camping

Labor Day is upon us and nothing says goodbye summer like experiencing the great outdoors.

For the first time in like 10 years (remember that impromptu camping/float trip weekend to Lesterville when we were in college Shell?) I'm going camping with D and his fam in the middle of Michigan. It's a family tradition, yet this year we are adding to that tradition and breaking out the big guns. Rather than packing some dinky little tent, D's aunt and uncle rented this bad boy.....

Source: Cruise America

We are flying into Chicago early morning where they will pick us up to make the 4 hour drive north. I'm excited, not only for the crazy ride up to the property with D's cousins, but for a weekend of fun out in "Pure Michigan." And for some reason, I'm picturing this as our own Griswold family trip. Hey, at least we know we won't end up getting lost in East St. Louis like they did in the movie....

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Are ya ready for some (preseason) football?!?

This afternoon I'm taking a break from all of the unpacking and moving silliness and enjoying some time with the work fam.  As luck would have it, nearly all of our group got tickets to tonight's Rams-Packers game in our company's suite and since D and I are just a mere 10 or 12 blocks from the Dome we invited everyone over for a bit of pre-partying.
It's the first time the group has been over since our Christmas party and back then he and I weren't even dating, let alone living under the same roof.  I expect there to be quite a bit of ragging on D now that the place has a bit more of a female's touch.
Personally, I'm just looking forward to the start of football season and seeing what is in store with the Rams this year.  Oh and the dessert cart....can't forget how awesome it is to see that lovely thing come by our door!

Go Rams!

A quick check in

For those of you wondering where I went, have no fear I am still alive. :) It's been 5 weeks of absolute craziness here. A's wedding, a weekend of BBQ in Chicago with D's fam, an engagement (no, not me but ironically my Dad), a bachelorette party for KP's upcoming wedding, cousin's weekend with Nicole and Em and oh yeah, moving to downtown St. Louis!
Yep, this weekend it was "officially official" as we got the last of the stuff out of my apartment. I'm living in a sea of boxes right now but thankfully with everything now under one roof, I can go through the boxes and settle in. It's amazing I lived in the suburbs of STL for 7 years and then moved twice in the past 2 years. I told D on our drive home this afternoon, I'm alright with staying put for a few years. (This as he has already told me we will be looking for a house in the future.)
As soon as I have a chance, I'll try do a photo dump of the highlights.
For now, I gotta get ready for the week ahead because work hasn't stopped either.

What seems like just yesterday

It's amazing how life can change in what seems like a blink of an eye....  

November 2011, 4 of us girls headed to Tunica to see 3 Doors Down live.  My friend Steph, one of the girls I worked with at the trucking company, went on the girls trip with us.  At the time she was just casually talking to a guy and hanging out with him occasionally.  Fast forward a year and a half and she's now married to this fella and they are expecting their first child together in mid-September.  Tonight I'm headed to a unique happy hour/baby shower thrown by the girls I used to work with and some of my other girlfriends.  Besides Coco who I have just recently been catching up, I haven't seen any of these girls in well over a year.  I can't wait to see what else I've missed and update everyone else on all the fun happenings going on here.

Just a weekend in Pure Michigan

Queue Tim Allen and his soothing voice and picture me heading up to "Pure Michigan" for a wedding this weekend.  D left Wednesday after work taking my dress, shoes and everything else I'd need for the weekend and I'm boarding a plane to Chicago this afternoon to meet up with Uncle Paul, Aunt Judy and Amanda and finish the last 4 hours of the trip  We're hoping to be there by midnight.  Then its a whirlwind Saturday down in Battle Creek for the wedding, reception and a night of fun with the whole family.
It's the first real day off for me since we went to Michigan at Memorial Day and that day off was also spent traveling.
The good thing about tomorrow is that I don't have to be to the airport until late afternoon so I can actually have a productive day off at home first.  My plan for the first half of the day....get a great workout in and then declutter, declutter, declutter.  Moving day is officially set as August 17th, I have 1 month to go through everything and figure out what I'm keeping and taking with me; what I'm going to store for awhile and what I'm getting rid of.  The goal is to actually get rid of more of my stuff than anything else.  We'll see how well that goes....

By the way, random tidbit of info....D actually shushes me and turns up the volume on the tv or radio any time a Pure Michigan commercial airs....so silly!

Happy 4th of July!

Source

For the first time in the two years he's been living in the Lou, D will be home celebrating 'Merica (his word, not mine) rather than being in Michigan. 
St. Louis is known for their huge fair and fireworks display known as Fair St. Louis and we're headed down to the Riverfront to experience all of the festivities and fun later today.  But right now, we're getting ready for the Veiled Prophet Parade which will be coming down the street any minute.  This is a first for me...being 7 floors in the air, getting a birds eye view of a parade from the living room.

Happy 4th of July!

Movin' my shoes

I blinked and the month of June is behind me.  Really, I can't keep up with the amount of stuff going on right now....month-end close, Cardinals baseball games, Friday night beer league hockey, dinner with friends and family and prepping for upcoming weddings and weekend trips.

Perhaps the most exciting news is the giant leap I'm about to take with D.  We've decided that in the upcoming months, I'm going to be moving into his loft and officially co-habitating.  I'm down there 75% of the week as it is and its so much more convenient for work and a good portion of the other things we have going on during the week.
I revealed the news to my Mom and Step-Dad Father's Day weekend and they were thrilled.  I told my Dad last week when we were planning a family dinner and he was equally as happy for me.
Our month of July is completely booked and all but one weekend of August is also tied up so we're looking at September as a time frame for getting everything out of my place and either into storage or D's loft.
I've already taken the essential measures at making the move though, securing a parking spot in a neighboring garage and signing up for a gym membership downtown....you know, the priorities.  Now comes the monumental task of decluttering and condensing all of my treasures.
D's already warned me I've got to cut down my huge shoe collection.  I'm not so sure about that...of course I find nothing wrong with having 50 pairs of shoes either.  I call it.....variety.

Celebrating the Dads

Happy Father's Day to 3 great fathers in my life, my dad, my step-dad Michael and D's dad!
(Can ya tell, I'm getting tired of typing out Red Wings fan in every post?!? LOL)  All 3 of these fine fellas are amazing, hardworking dads who deserve to enjoy their day!

I'm hoping to see my Dad soon but he's working today filling in for another guy in his department who is out on vacation.  Since we won't be heading back to Michigan until next month, we mailed a card to D's dad along with a gift card earlier in the week, in hopes that he would get it and be able to put it to good use. 
So today we're headed to Fast Eddie's with my Mom and Michael.  This is D's first visit to the legendary bar and when I asked if Mom and Michael would be alright with them if we celebrated Father's Day at this local hangout and both seemed excited for an afternoon out.  It may be an unconventional Father's Day for my family but we're making it work.  Lately it seems like we've all been going in 100 different directions, so much so that I don't think I've spent any time with either side of parents since April.
This weekend is the much needed chance to catch up and have some fun.  Plus, what's more fun than ordering food with names like Big Elwood on a Stick, Fat Eddie Burger or Hot Chick on a Stick?!?

Anyway, as for the rest of the dads out there, Happy Father's Day and thank you for all that you do for your children.  Have a fantastic day!

Technology Revolution

Within the past month, both of my parents have upgraded their cell phones and taken a technological leap by getting iPhones.  It's hilarious because neither of them have had smartphones before and yet now they can't live without them. 
Dad has resorted to texting more than talking to me anymore (partially because of the new phone and the other reason being his new found love life) and while Mom still checks in via phone about 90% of the time, she does text me quite a bit now too.  But, Mom's big leap has been taking pics of recipes and then emailing them to me so that I have them for future use.  When I talked to Mom earlier this evening she asked if I got the latest recipe she sent last night....a french onion soup recipe that I will just love!  Yep Mom, I got the recipe but until these 95+ degree days pass, I'm not making much more than a sandwich, let alone hot soup. 
Its been comical to see what each one of them will be up to next.  I'm waiting for my Dad to get a Facebook or Twitter account now and since Mom already had a Facebook account and is now sending me invites for games like Candy Crush Saga, I'm thinking she'll be recommending Apps for my phone soon enough.

Ahhh parents....gotta love them!

The Shaved Duck...a Triple D Date Night

A few weeks ago before the tornadoes ripped thru the STL for the second time this year, Red Wings fan and I got to test out another cool spot for dinner.  It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and since I'm a huge fan of food, Food Network and anything Guy Fieri, Red Wings fan decided we should try it out.
The Shaved Duck did not disappoint either! 
I opted for something a bit healthier on their menu and order the pulled chicken sandwich and sauteed brussel sprouts while Red Wings fan ordered the signature dish....

Smothered Fries with pulled pork and home-made cheese sauce

He actually texted this pic to our co-workers to make them jealous too because they were THAT good.  I was also given the task of trying to make these at home but lightening them up as much as I could since this definitely was a splurge.  (The wheels in my head are spinning as they are with most new things we try).

Along with trying out new places to eat around town, froyo has become our new obsession.  Of course it doesn't help that there is a DIY frozen yogurt place only about a block away from RW fan's loft...so close that its perfect to walk to on a warm spring/summer night. 

Our bucket list for restaurants to try is growing by the minute and it has definitely made our date nights out even more exciting.

Btw, we luckily did not have any damage from the tornadoes that came through the area.  We were forced to the basement of RW fan's building since the front of his place is all windows but besides some torrential rainfall and flash flooding, we managed to stay out of the path of the storm.  My place was also spared thankfully!

Pure Michigan

Sunset at the Speedway

Racin'

Me and Red Wings Fan...our backs at least.

Oh wait...that's better.  :)

This is just a small piece of the weekend but the only part of the weekend that I have pics of right now.  Saturday night we went to the stock car races with Red Wings fan's dad, step-mom and extended family.  Being a man that has made a living in the automotive industry, Red Wings fan's dad was excited to take us to the local track for a night of racing.  We laughed and joked and picked our favorite cars each race and had a fun night capped off with a bonfire and s'mores.

We made our way out of STL around 6 on Thursday and spent the night in Chicago with RWF's aunt, uncle and cousins before finishing the 3.5 hour trip early on Friday morning.  By the time we got to Lansing it was lunchtime and we had planned to meet RWF's mom at a place close to the MSU campus.  We had lunch, chatted about the weekend ahead and about everything else happening here at home and in Michigan.
RWF's was not about to spend the afternoon just catching up with his mom though, we had too many places for him to show me around town.  We ended up visiting campus, the college bookstore (yep, I got another MSU shirt!), the dorm & apartments he lived in while in college, the bars he partied at while at school, his childhood neighborhood and the store he worked while going to school before heading to his grandparents and eating perhaps the greatest pizza ever with his family and spending the rest of the evening going through some of his childhood treasures that have been packed away for years.
We woke up Saturday morning with one mission for the first half of the day...take me to a Meijer because in RWF's eyes, this is by far the greatest store in the world and nothing we have in the Lou comes close to this sort of awesomeness.  I must say, I was impressed.
Sunday was a big family BBQ with RWF's mom's side of the family.  Everyone came to celebrate the holiday weekend, meet me (yeah, I felt like a big deal!) and as luck would have it, be let in on another surprise... RWF's cousin E is going to have a baby in January! Woo hoo!!  So many exciting things going on with the whole family!
We said our goodbyes on Monday morning and while it was sad to be leaving already, we reminded everyone we'll be back in July for A's wedding.  It was so nice to be able to say, "see you in a few weeks!"  I truly felt welcomed, I felt like I belonged and I felt part of the family and in my book, that by far is one of the best feelings I've ever experienced.

Learned my lesson

I could kick myself in the butt for not looking at my bill at little more closely 4 months ago but I guess my mind has just been elsewhere and as long as my monthly bills are being drafted right from my account, I typically just write them in my checkbook ledger and forget about them. 
Last night though, after making the 7 hour trip from Michigan to my place, I decided to sit down and pay bills and actually go through and read each of them.  Don't ask me why I chose last night to do this, since I was plum tired and really not even in the mood to pay the few bills that absolutely had to go out but I sat down and analyzed all my monthly bills while Red Wings fan watched the Red Wings-Blackhawks game.

Come to find out, since getting my DVRs at the end of January/early February, I've been paying for both DVRs and a Digital Receiver, of which I returned the Receiver to get my DVRs.  I'm not sure why this didn't occur to me to check the first month but I was oblivious.  I decided that tonight after work I'd call and find out what exactly I was paying for and if I could get a credit for the extra equipment I didn't have but quietly paid for each month.  After 15 minutes on the phone with the cable company, they came to the conclusion that I had returned the receiver and have been overcharged since February.  Right now I have 5 months of equipment credits they will apply to my next bill...over $30 in fact!  Great news for me!!

I just don't get it though...over the years, I've gotten so good at watching other people's money, somehow I've forgotten to monitor my own.  Pretty sure, I won't make that mistake again.

Heading North

Another weekend and I'm heading out of town once again.  I'm starting to think I should be renting an RV and not an apartment.  Ha!  This time, Red Wings fan and I are headed up north for Memorial Day and the BIG reveal.  Ok, maybe its not that big of a reveal, I'm just getting to meet some of his family for the first time; visiting with his mom and sis, who I met back in January when they came to the Lou; and checking out the almighty MSU campus.  It's my first trip to Michigan ever and I'm pumped for this chance to see Red Wings fans' hometown and learn more about his roots.
It's a jam packed trip for us visiting both sides of his family and a preview for my next visit in July for A's (Red Wing fans' sister) wedding.  We both took tomorrow off of work so that we could head out tonight to tackle the first leg of the trip and hopefully will make it to Chicago before midnight.

Enjoy your long weekend and wish me luck with the fam!  Catch ya on the flip side!

Memphis in May 2013

I'm home from a great weekend and getting ready to head out again in a few days.....more on that later!
Here are a few pics from our weekend down south.

Welcome to Memphis!

We met the King of Rock N Roll or at least took a pic with his statue!

There are no words for this!

Hurricane, anyone?

Honestly, I don't know....

We told our co-workers, he won this at the casino!

Lunch at Rendezvous, watching the Red Wings-Blackhawks game on Beale Street, checking out the BBQ championships, dinner at the Kooky Canuck and finishing our night with a visit to the casino.  On our way home, we made a stop at another Southern Missouri staple and Red Wings fan got to experience the Home of Throwed Rolls, Lambert's.  We had a lot of fun and packed a lot into less than 24 hours.
Not only that, but Red Wings fan and I went out Friday night and met up with our boss and JP and his wife and listened to the band our boss' boyfriend plays in.  Needless to say, sleep was hard to come by, but it was worth it.

Expanding our tradition

2008 my bro and I started a tradition and vowed to make it an annual weekend road trip.  2009 we planned the 2nd road trip and then somehow life got in the way 2010 through 2012 and we postponed our tradition.

Early in our relationship and probably even when we were just talking, I mentioned to Red Wings fan about Memphis in May and the BBQ Championships.  He has only stopped through Memphis for work and really hasn't seen much if any of the city and said it might be fun to experience it.  I jumped at the opportunity of planning what has always been a fun road trip for me. Red Wings fan also suggested we invite my bro along since it was our tradition to begin with.  It didn't take much to get Bro on board with the trip and a few weeks ago, I booked our hotel and put the finishing touches on our plans.

Tomorrow morning, we're getting up bright and early and making the trek to Memphis for BBQ, Beale Street and more fun than I can possibly imagine with two of the most important special guys in my life.  Somehow I think this trip will be filled with me laughing hysterically for 36 hours straight because when you put Red Wings fan and Bro together for any period of time, all I do is laugh.  Who knows maybe we'll even come back with a few tricks to be the champs at Ribfest with Red Wing fans' family in Chicago in July.  Either way, I'm super excited for the weekend ahead!

Swaping stories

A few weeks ago, my Dad went on a date and ever since, he's been spending quite a bit of time with his "Lady Friend" as my Bro calls her.  First of all, I think its great my Dad has found someone to share his free time with and from what I've heard she's extremely nice and my Dad is having fun going out and getting to know her.
It's hilarious when I call my Dad and check in anymore -- tonight we had an hour and a half long conversation, catching up, sharing dating stories and tentatively planning a double dinner date in the upcoming weeks.  As I got off the phone, my first thought was who would have guessed those would be the kinds of conversations I'd be having with my Dad these days?