The "Side Hug"...Friend or Foe?

So I find myself a little perplexed by the exchange of "side hugs"...you know that half way, side to side, awkward "hug" usually exchanged between individuals that aren't quite sure that a full hug would be either appropriate or appreciated. I mean, what's the big deal about giving a hug? Maybe some are not comfortable with the close proximity or touch of another....maybe some people think a hug might imply certain feelings towards the other person. Personally, I don't go around hugging just anybody but I'd rather give and receive a full embrace than some lame "side hug". Any thoughts or comments?

What goes up...must come down...

I had a wonderful 5 day vacation in the sunshine state but now that I'm back home and tomorrow means going back to work, I can't help but feel a little blue. I guess that's to be expected seeing that for every high there is a low. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be back home and I can't wait to sleep in my own bed but after a couple days of no alarm clock, no schedule, no phone calls, no bedtime, I can't help but feel a little blah when tomorrow morning means alarm clocks, schedules, phone calls, etc... Of course, another weekend is two days away so I guess you could say that what goes up, must come down, but goes back up again!

Sunsets and Sisters

Beautiful Sunset
Sisters
Another view of sunset

Just thought I'd post a couple of pics from the sunset walk on the beach I took with my sister on Saturday night. She drove over from Pensacola on Friday to hang out for the weekend with us in Panama City Beach. We took a nice walk on the beach on Saturday night just in time to watch the sunset. How can one watch the sunset over the ocean and question the existence of God?

Sunshiney Days

Little waterfall in our resort pool
Amy pondering deep thoughts under waterfall
Sisters

Well we woke up to another day filled with blue skies and of sunshine. I woke up fairly early and got in a 3 mile run :-) If it wasn't for the Half Marathon which is 5 weeks away I probably wouldn't have been so dedicated and slept in longer. I came back to a condo full of hungry people so i showered quickly and we all headed to the Waffle House for breakfast. Dee-licious! From there it was straight to the pool where i was able to read and finish a book, soak up the sun and cool off periodically in the pool. Amy and I had plenty of fun playing in the "waterfalls" at the resort pool we have access to. I'm so glad she was able to come over for the weekend.

So I'm writing now while others are getting ready and I believe we are going to eat at Mellow Mushroom tonight. Yeah for gourmet pizza. I puffy heart vacation!

We have arrived...

The BEACH

View from my lounge chair at the pool

Well we finally arrived at our destination, the beach...Panama City Beach to be exact. Oh what a glorious day. We arrived around 11:30 am to a condo that was not ready for our arrival so what do you do to kill the time? Grab a quick bite to eat for lunch and head to the pool...immediatley if not sooner! It was nothing but sunny blue skies and a great ocean breeze. And even though it was 98 degrees outside the breeze makes a huge difference...so much better than the 100 degree dry heat that we've had in Nashville for the past 3 weeks. We got about 3 hours of sunshine and then finally gained access to our condo, got ready and headed to dinner at Pineapple Willy's Beachside Restaurant. Yummy! It was a great first day in FL and I can't wait to be back at the beach/pool manana. I wonder what fun awaits us tomorrow?!?

It's that time of year again...

When us girls (my Aunt Tammy, cousin Tiffany and various friends) make our way down to the Gulf to enjoy plenty o' sunshine, the salty breezes and breathe taking views of the ocean. I can almost smell the ocean just thinking about it.
This is something that started 4 years ago when I lived with my Aunt Tammy, Uncle Jeff and Tiffany. We were tired of the summer heat and humidity that Indiana had to offer so we packed up the SUV, left the uncle at home and headed south till we hit the beach. Now it's like another great family tradition and at every summer's end I find myself counting down the days till we hit the beach and I have a good book in my hands.
Work has been so busy the past two weeks that I had almost forgot but now that we leave in 2 days I can barely keep my focus on the work at hand. I am so excited and ready for a much needed week of R&R. You know that pictures and posts will be popping up on my blog so keep an eye out for all the fun to come.

Great Music and Friends

Jen and Me

Jen and Cathryn

There is nothing that I would rather do after working a long week than to spend a Friday night with good friends and great music. And tonight I got to do just that. Jen, Cathryn and myself enjoying a yummy dinner consisting of cheap Mexican food and yummy margaritas. We then headed next door to the Rutledge and saw The Gabe Dixon Band. I had never seen them in concert before and all I can say is WOW! I have always had a thing for a piano man seeing that I logged 5 years as a child playing piano, but their music abilities and various stylings totally blew me away. They definitely have a new fan and a good time was had by all.

The Gabe Dixon Band

What to say...

What to say? I'm not feeling the least bit profound or reflective at the moment and this week has been super busy. To write about my week would be boring to most so I'll spare you the details. I am now focused on making it through today and tomorrow and enjoying my weekend even though it will likely fly by fast.

I have been staying with Katie this week at the mini-mansion ( a nickname for their fabulous home with many luxuries). I have not been there since last spring but I still feel very much at home. It's nice to have a little escape from your familiar surroundings and routines. And even though Katie is old enough to pretty much do her own thing, I enjoy providing peace of mind to her parents and feel blessed to be an extension of their family.

Birthday Fun

Birthday Girl (my mom) and Boy (my grandpa)
Grandma, Grandpa, Mom and Uncle Alan
Me and my sister Holly

I had a great little trip back to Evansville this weekend. Here are some pictures from the birthday party on Saturday. We had a great dinner thanks to my mom and yummy birthday desserts thanks to Sam's Club and my grandma. There is nothing better than homemade ice cream and my grandma's homemade pies. YUMMY! It was great being home and hanging out with the family. I am truly blessed to have such a great family.

It's Finally Friday...

For whatever reason this week has dragged on and on and so when I woke up this morning and realized that it was finally Friday I let out a huge sigh of relief. I am looking forward to traveling back to Indiana this weekend to see my family where we will be celebrating my mom's and grandpa's birthdays. A birthday cookout is planned for Saturday afternoon and it will be a great time seeing everyone and celebrating the ones we love. I also look forward to my "normal routine" that occurs when I return home, like grabbing a Starbucks with my mom and having our usual giggles & chats, getting to spend quality time with my dad while we run in the early morning hours, stopping by my grandparents house to visit with them while listening to great, classic music and enjoying a glass of my grandma's sweet tea, or just hanging out with Holly and Elaysha. And though this moments may be insignificant and small in the grand scheme of it all, these are the moments I treasure the most. And of course, my camera is loaded with batteries charged so you know that I'll have plenty of pictures to post next week.

Disclaimer: For those of you that think I run with my camera (see previous post) I want to clarify that I ran with my cell phone since it has a MP3 player that I listen to while running and is also a camera phone. Like I would run with a big camera swinging around my neck... How silly would that be?!!

Stop and smell the wildflowers

So I braved the 100 degree temperatures that I previously vented about and went to Edwin Warner State Park after work tonight to run my favorite 2.1 mile loop. I would say that it felt like running in an oven but of course I've never actually ran in an oven. Needless to say it was pretty darn hot. Even my plan to run with a cold water bottle to stay hydrated was foiled as the water was warm by the time I started the second loop. Yes, you heard me right, I run the loop twice. Anywho, in the midst of the warm water, humid heat and goosebumps from my body trying to cool itself down, I came up the second hill and had to stop and take a picture of the beautiful field of wildflowers.

Sometimes we get so distracted by things in life that we forget to stop and enjoy the small and beautiful things that are right in front of us.

Whew...it's H-O-T

I know that I am not alone when I say that it's hot outside...but my goodness...it is HOT outside. Luckily it's only been this way since the middle of last week and of course I know that it's August but what I wouldn't give for say, some temps in the middle 70's with a gentle steady breeze. Is that too much to ask for? I think not!
Now, I know that these southerns would say they prefer the heat and would tell me to quit my whining, that the nasty cold will be here before you know it but as my friend Jen often reminds me I am originally a Yankee. Therefore, I'm "crazy" for loving the fall and winter season as much as I do. BUT I'll guarantee that most people right now would agree with me and say that they would prefer being cold and trying to get warm than being hot and trying to keep cool.

I hope everyone is able to "enjoy" these hot days and maybe you are even lucky enough to do so by lounging at the pool/beach. I know that I am looking forward to one more beach vacation at the end of this month and then I will be ready for a new season.

PS: And for all you other "yankees" and fellow fall/winter enthusiasts, the first day of Autumn is only 45 days away. YIPPEE!

A night with John Mayer

John Mayer at the Sommet Center
Me and Jen

I once read a quote that said "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life". And after attending the concert this evening with John Mayer I would most agree with that statement. The flawless sound of the guitar or the smooth lyrics of a song can be almost soothing to the soul. I love how a song can take you back to a certain time in your life, maybe it reflects a time in your life when you had someone to love or maybe it takes you back to a place you'd rather forget. Music can definitely be a powerful force!

TGIF

I'm sure like many working Americans, when I flip my desk calendar and see the word "Friday" I let out a sigh of relief. A sigh that means another week of work is completed, another week of training for a half marathon was survived and two days of "rest" are on the horizon. I use the term "rest" lightly as my weekends are usually filled with a variety of errands, loads of laundry, road trips, pool time with friends, more miles ran, meals with friends, shopping, book reading and church related activities. With that said, it's no wonder that when I sit in my bed on Sunday evening wondering where my weekend went and trying to fight back feelings of exhaustion that I'm already anxiously awaiting the next Friday.

Hope you are able to find some "rest" in your weekend!

Welcome to Nashville

Matt and Ruthann and their moving truck. NYC or Bust!
Downtown Nashville at the Hard Rock Cafe
The Infamous "Batman" Building
Me & Ruthann....kindred spirits
Cowboy and Cowgirls

So I woke up today with a big smile on my face knowing that I would be spending the evening with my bestest friend Ruthann and her husband Matt. They have been driving cross country this week as they are relocating from California to NYC and I was lucky enough to be one of their stops along the way. Seeing that Matt has never been to Nashvegas (or you visitor's say Nashville) I decided to take them to the one and only Broadway Street...home of all our grand ole' honky tonks . It was fun to show them around downtown with stops at Bailey's for dinner, the Ryman Auditorium , the Country Music Hall of Fame, Legends gift shop, Tootsies Orchid Lounge and Mike's Old Fashion Ice Cream Shoppe. It was a fun filled evening, Broadway style.