Not in your mouth or your hand

Lis and Bea made me do it. Blame them. It does kind of look like me, you know, pale, hair up, and walking the streets without pants on.

Try it out for yourself, become an m&m.

He's not heavy, he's my brother

You can barely see him, but that is my brother playing with the glow bands he bought for all the kids on the Fourth of July. This is myPhoto Friday entry for "Brother"

Baseball season started about 45 seconds ago

I'm Being Published!

One of my photos will be gracing the cover a small monthly magazine in February! There is a circulation of about 18,000, not huge, but enough. I haven't seen my work in print since my days at the Daily Collegian, and that was years ago so I am excited. It was sort of a random photo at the time, and not what I consider one of my best, but it is funny how things happen. My photo and my name will be showing up on a lot of doorsteps, and that is what matters. Woohoo! It seems to be running in the family this week.

Wicked Proud

My older brother Bill (Billy to his sisters who will never stop calling him by the name he grew up with) is one of the most talented people I know. Dude can fix anything he puts his hands on. He is currently working on completely remodeling his kitchen. When I say completely remodeling, I mean totally gutting the room down to the wooden frame and putting it back together. Himself. The last time I was home he was redoing his electrical wiring. My brother is not an electrician, but has taught himself how the wiring should work. This was after he moved the window over six inches, and before he built a new bathroom. I consider myself a very handy person, but he takes handy to a realm that I am not worthy of even imagining. The handiness does not stop at the front door, he can also fix the crap out of a car. During college my car broke down, wouldn't start, and I had no idea what was wrong with it. I called my brother, and he directed me to test a few things under the hood. After ten minutes of examination, and telephone consultation, he informed me that my fuel pump was shot. He told me to get it to the station, and tell them I needed a new one. He even told me how much it should cost. I did as he directed, and the mechanic looked at my twenty-one-year-old-female-self and shook his head. He informed me that he was going to have to check it out, and it could be this, or it could be that, so I will call you and let you know. When the phone rang, he sheepishly told me that I did need a new fuel pump. Ha! I thought, how dare he question my brother.

The point of all this is, that Bill has been working on rebuilding his friend's old Pontiac for years. I mean rebuilding as in new engine rebuilding. It is a 1973 LeMans that belonged to his friend's grandfather and now looks pimp. After all of their hard work they were featured in a magazine devoted to Pontiacs. So cool. I am wicked proud of him.

Thankful that I still go to the gym

In honor of our friend Bethany's birthday, my coworker Kelly baked cupcakes and brought them into work. Chocolate cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Chocolate cupcakes, with chocolate frosting, and mini chocolate chips in them. Mmmmm. Never being one to turn down a perfectly good cupcake, I inhaled one first thing this morning. There were witnesses, I barely came up for air. It was so good. It was the kind of cupcake that requires several napkins and a wet wipe to get the markings off of your fingers, and in my case face. By ten o'clock I was becoming frustrated with one thing or another, so Kelly brought a second cupcake to my desk. Hey, it was delivered I couldn't turn it down. Next thing you know it is noon and I decide to go in for a third. Perhaps the universe was trying to tell me that three chocolate cupcakes, with chocolate frosting, and mini chocolate chips in them is not a good idea before lunch, because midway through I cut my lip on the metal wrapping. There was blood. This did not stop me from eating the rest of the cupcake however, it only required that I use my free hand to hold a napkin to my face while finishing the cupcake. That my friends is talent. By the end of the day I could still feel the little cut on the bottom of my lip and it didn't feel good. Knowing that I was actually stronger than the metal wrapping, I did not let it get the best of me. I showed it who was boss, and went in for a fourth. Success was mine. I completed the last cupcake of the day with no damage to my epidermis and my pride intact. Well, my determination intact anyway. I am still looking for my off switch.

Pats Win! and Colts fans have no sense of humor

Wow, that game was tough. I knew that the Chargers wouldn't go down easy, but it was way too close of a game for my nerves. Games like that make me want to vomit I get so worked up. Thank goodness that one is over so I can spend all week getting jazzed up about playing the Colts next weekend.

Speaking of the Colts, over a year ago I wrote a post about Peyton Manning and how he is the closest thing to a dark wizard that we have on this earth. I have been getting anonymous comments on that post for a while, the most recent being last night. Now, I have expressed how I feel about annoying anonymous comments in the past, so I won't do that again. I will add that I do enjoy when people can't take, or don't get a joke. I really like it when those same morons are defending Peyton Manning. It is genius really.

Per example:
"Peyton Manning on the other hand has taken "quaterback" to a whole new level of football. Maybe because he IS slightly better than Tom Brady...that's why it bugs you. It's ok, TOM can still be your man! He's just not "THE MAN" if you will."
Right. Hmmm. Interesting choice of capitalization, spelling and quotations.

"I love peyton manning,but not for all the reasons sprtscenter hypes him up to be. I like him for who he is. But i will say-he his no spawn of a death eater."
Oh. My. God. For real, he isn't a Death Eater?! And all this time I was harboring the belief that he was doing the work of Voldemort. Geesh. Next thing you know someone is going to tell me that TOM Brady isn't actually Harry Potter. Now that would just be crazy.

Let's hope the Pats can keep on winning, because who knows what Colts fans will say when the actually start winning.

Peaceful

With the new blog in action I am going a little photo crazy this week. Above is my entry for Photo Friday "Peaceful" and the reason is self explanatory. It was taken in Hallstatt, Austria during October of 2004. There are more photos of Hallstatt, and of Austria, over on flickr. Take a look and you will see why we want to live there.

Meet me at the crossroads

Being in Atlanta last week has made me appreciate DC a little bit more. This was my third trip to Hotlanta. The first was during college, when I went to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site and the High museum. The second trip was for a wedding, and I was too busy with bridesmaid related activities that I didn't see much of the city. That is, besides the bars and restaurants in mid-town near our hotel. This time I spent a whole week, and while I was working for most of it I did make an effort to go out and explore. Atlanta has always been nice, the people especially, but that is just it, nice. It isn't exciting, or full of energy, and it doesn't seem to have a soul. Atlanta feels like any other big city to me. Take away the sweet tea and the grits, which can be found anywhere in the south, and you could be in Any City, U.S.A. The aquarium was clearly the highlight of the trip. It is the largest aquarium in the world, full of amazing species of fish and animals to gaze at for hours, and we did. But it was disappointing in that there was little, or no, information available about the aquatic life. I don't know, the whole city is just missing that "something" that makes it feel alive. The point was driven home when we visited the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau's booth outside our hotel. We asked the kind man inside where all the people were, and where all the action was downtown. He stated that we were standing on the corner of what he considered the crossroads of Atlanta. The center of the city. I took a moment, and looked around. Behind me was the hotel. In front of me was an empty storefront. Across the street there were two restaurants, capturing all of the attention of the people on the street. There, The Hard Rock Cafe, and Hooters, represented the heart of Atlanta. The visual confirmed my doubts. As a guest in a town, I try to experience what makes that place unique. Whether it is cheesesteak in Philly, Canolli and a stroll around Central Park in New York, the beach in Miami, the architecture of Paris, the pigeons in Venice, or the beer halls of Munich, it is that special part of the city that stays with you after you have gone home. Atlanta offered me Hooters, and I don't care much for wings.

My blog has spawned

I have a new blog. This idea has been floating around in my brain for a while waiting to be set free. The goal is to add a new photo everyday. I am trying to take more pictures, so I am hoping to take a new shot each day. The key word there is hoping. So the images may or may not be from that day. It is low on rules...and subject to change depending on how much I enjoy this.

I waited a week to share it with you so that you would have more than one picture to look at. Meaghansphotos.blogspot.com

Word.

How I know I have had one too many beers

Calling your fiance's friend's wife by his ex-girlfriend's name is never, ever, ever, ever a good idea. Like never. Ever, ever, ever. Who decided to let me speak anyway? For reals? I should be given a muzzel. Honestly, that wouldn't be a bad idea. Yikes. Ooops!

She is probably going to kill me, but...

Photo Friday this week is Sister. I have posted numerous pictures of the sisters who were lucky enough to share a room with me as a kid. Man, they were really lucky. Now Lauren won't "officially" be my sister until I swear my life away to her brother(hi Dave!), but that will be soon enough.

This photo was taken in Lewes, Delaware during one of our numerous beach trips this summer. There were several other photos in this series of La making silly faces and generally acting like a member of my family would. But, my wedding dress is hanging in her closet, and I know when to hold 'em.

What did you do today?

Best of 2006

Before we get too far into 2007, I want to look back at some of my favorite photos of 2006. It was difficult to narrow my selections down, but I think this collage represents much of my year...great people, a small bit of travel, and most importantly a lot of laughs. As you can see, there is a lot of love in my life, from and for a variety of people. 2007 is going to be a big year for Dave and I, but if it is anything like 2006 we will be very lucky.

Happy 2007 everyone!!