Happenings Chez Nous

Lazy

2010-07-17T23:20:00.001-04:00

We've been doing fun stuff... check out Katie's blog for details :) This is my favorite way to post!!

Home Improvement Projects

2010-01-18T21:13:00.004-05:00

Are finally complete! The tiles in the master shower have been replaced and our front door has been painted. Yay. As soon as our new couch comes in, we'll be ready to entertain!

Ah! A very satisfying tie.

2010-01-12T22:46:00.002-05:00

I'd call that a successful challenge :)

Soup Off 2010!

2010-01-09T18:53:00.013-05:00

What do you do when your sunny paradise freezes? First you think, how much farther south do I have to go? Key West? South America? Then you succumb to the cold, begrudgingly retire your flip-flops, and dust off those cold weather coping skills you thought you'd left in Pennsylvania: stay in, watch movies, and make a TON of soup. To that end, Matt and I decided to mix it up a bit and challenged each other to Soup Off 2010. The objective: make a new soup that's better than your opponent's. The judging: each contestant will taste both soups and choose their favorite. In case of a tie, pictures of the challenge will be taken to document the event and our loyal blog followers will decide whose soup looks/sounds like it tastes the best. And so, it begins.

Matt's entry: Paula Deen's Poblano Chicken Chowder.
Whitney's entry:Grilled Tomato Soup from The Joy of Cooking.

Read our accounts below, take a look at the ingredients and preparation in the slide show, and vote in the comments section :)

Matt: As I'm sure you guessed, we are divided. I believe my soup to be the best and Whitney her's. We need your help. Whose bowl of divinity will you choose? Mine is a hardy chowder, touting a superb balance of spice and creamy-richness; just what you need after coming in from the cold. The poblano peppers, cumin, and black pepper reignite your ice laden soul, while the heavy cream and rib-stick'n grilled chicken, carrots, onion, and celery quiet your stomach's aches and pangs. Campbells can suck it!

Whitney: If you've read the captions on the photo album, you'll see Matt likens his soup to a taste of heaven. Bullshit. If you knew how much cream and butter were in it, you'd liken it to a sinful meal hastening your trip straight to hell. Mine, on the other hand, is an uber healthy, ultra-flavorful vegetarian delight. Grilled tomato, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), garlic, onion, lemon and basil. Simple and flawless. Add a couple slices of french bread and put me in a guilt-free food coma for the night. I'm the clear winner.

Now it's your turn. Tell us which soup you think should be the winner. And none of that pansy-ass, "Ohh, they both look good." Pick ONE.

Stuffed

2009-11-26T18:31:00.003-05:00

My most recent facebook status read as follows: "A 15 lb. turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, fresh cranberries, rolls and a pumpkin pie. Two people. Overkill?" Well, now you can be the judge. Here are pics of the feast Matt and I prepared for ourselves. And it was D. Licious. We've been cooking turkeys for the past 5 years, but this year, with the help of America's Test kitchen, we finally mastered a juicy and flavorful bird without the help of a deep fryer. Check out the recipe for yourself. We promise it works!

Cruise!

2009-11-19T21:19:00.003-05:00

Matt and I went on our first Disney cruise last week and it won't be our last. When we have more time, we'll elaborate with some stories. Until then, here are some pics to satisfy the relentless nagging by Jennifer and Katie :)

It's been a while

2009-11-01T14:52:00.006-05:00

Wow, has it really been 3 months since our last post? Well, we have been busy. How 'bout a top five recap...

1.) The house is shaping up. Painting is complete. Furniture is moved in. And when my parents came to visit in September, they helped us paint the patio floor and set up our indoor-outdoor Florida living space! Check out the slide show on the previous post for the latest pics. We do still have a few projects underway... we ordered a new front door that's supposed to be installed in the next few weeks. In our zest as DIY-ers, we thought we could re-grout our master shower. I won't bore you with the details, but we're now getting quotes from a couple of contractors and handy-men. :)

2.) Met our first niece, Taylor Kate! She's adorable and, sorry Seth, but she looks exactly like Lindsey. Linds just called yesterday so we could hear Taylor talking... no actual words yet, but she definitely a noise-maker.

3.) Went to our 10 year reunion. I did have to twist Matt's arm to get him to go with me, but we had an amazingly good time. And like all classy Kentucky gatherings, this one ended with a field party and a little moonshine.

4.) Trip to Clearwater. My long-lost BFF from high school lives just down the road in Clearwater, so we spent a long weekend with her in October. The beach was a little chilly, but a good cup of Starbucks helped us last for a good 1.5 hours. We went to the Tampa Improv in the old Cuban district of Tampa, Ybor City. We sat right next to the stage and Jennifer even made it into the act. An awesome $16 evening. To top it all off, we spent Sunday in Tarpon Springs, sponge capital USA. We bought loofahs, ate seafood, tasted Greek wine, and topped it all off with some pastries from a Greek bakery and a little HGTV back at the apartment.

5.) Our first trick-or-treaters! As apartment dwellers, we never had any trick-or-treaters. Now we know that spooky little kids begging for sweets are a luxury saved for suburbanites. We're now qualified candy pushers! Last night we had 30+ kids stop in. We were out of candy by 8:10 PM. Awesome.

We're homeowners!

2009-08-01T22:21:00.002-04:00

It's official! Matt and I closed on our first house on Friday, exactly one year to the day after we moved to Florida! Great deal, great interest rate, and a tax credit = great timing for us.

We're pretty tired after our first day of painting, but we thought we'd post a few pics as a preview. Enjoy!

Kentucky in the Spring

2009-05-10T10:51:00.007-04:00

Last weekend, Matt & I took a fabulously exhausting trip home to Kentucky. The excursion was jam packed with early birthday shopping, the infamous Derby Day party, and Lindsey's baby shower! It took us several days to recuperate, but it was great to see all of our favorite people & celebrate for 3 days in a row. Here's the slideshow recap:

New Car... her name is Flip

2009-04-11T19:28:00.009-04:00

When you're driving and you apply the brakes, your car should never complain, "I don't feel like stopping." But for the last week, that's exactly what our '99 Ford Explorer had been doing. We took it to the repair shop and the mechanic, who we really like by the way, said something along these lines when he called:

"Uh, this car looks like it's been driven up North... like New York. You're looking at about $1000 in brake work. I don't want to worry you, but this will be a lot easier to explain when you come in to the shop. I can show you exactly what I'm talking about."

Up on the lift, with the tires removed, the brakes looked as though we had driven through wet cement and parked for about, I don't know, a thousand and one years. The mechanic couldn't rotate the front driver's side rotor without a pry bar for leverage. We laughed nervously and asked, "Is it safe enough to drive home?"
"How far is home?" he asked.

Well, we drove it home. And then, we drove it 119 miles more to trade it in at a Toyota dealership, with Whitney clutching my arm anytime the distance between us and the car in front of us shrank beneath the length of a football field. Her anxiety wasn't entirely unfounded. You could literally hear the rusted rotors grinding as the break pads made contact. People were staring.

Now for the happy part. We arrived safely, obviously, and purchased our newest family member. (Wow, that sounds awful!) Meet Flip. She is a 2009 Toyota Yaris 3-door hatchback. The pictures say everything...with help from the captions.

Random updates

2009-03-08T16:49:00.010-04:00

As you can tell, we're not religiously posting to our blog. But for those of you wondering about the random happenings chez nous, here's a brief update.

Today, Matt got the usual 12-18 month itch to shave his head. It's ridiculous, but it's pretty much a night of free entertainment for us. I use the clippers to cut off most of the length and we laugh hysterically at the thought of me as a barber. Next, Matt finishes the job with a razor, head fully lathered in shaving cream. The rest of the night is filled with horrible Go Army! jokes and references to his baldness in years to come. We are sooo easily entertained. Feel sad for us.

Still, we are not completely hopeless. Two weeks ago, our good friends, Matt & Molly, came to visit. We had an awesome three-day weekend riding Soarin' at Epcot, sunbathing and picnicking on Clearwater beach, and catching up on inappropriate stories over beer and board games. It was legitimate fun. Yay! There are some amusing stories about kamikaze seagulls on the beach, but I think I'll leave that for the real story-teller to write about. -Whitney

Clearwater beach is beautiful. White sand, blue skies, the serenity of the surf...and those mother f#@%ing seagulls! One minute, you are munching on a sandwich and, the next, you feel wings beating over your shoulder and the pinch of beak on your finger. Your sandwich falls to the sand and is immediately fell upon by 10, 15, the entire flock. You curse at them, run at them, throw shells, frisbees, some passing kid at them, but they don't surrender. They laugh at you, gain altitude, measure the wind direction and speed, and take aim for a second dive. This time, they attack the unsuspecting guy who just wondered onto the beach with a hotdog in his hands. Here is his reaction, verbatim:

What the!?! AHHH! Get the hell away from me! It's my hotdog!

He then collapsed, curled into a ball, and tried to stuff the entire hotdog into his mouth. But, when the gulls started diving and striking his body, he threw a piece of the hotdog and ran in the opposite direction, shouting obscenities over his shoulder. Sharks eat with greater reserve than these birds.

Clearwater is great! We'll have to take you when you visit. -Matt

Must see!

2009-01-17T12:05:00.003-05:00

If you're looking for a new movie to watch, Slumdog Millionaire is it. A dramatic, action-packed, critically acclaimed love story with stellar performances and beautiful settings. You couldn't ask for more. Go now.

Christmas & New Year in Florida

2009-01-04T12:07:00.025-05:00

Happy New Year! The Conner-Taylor apartment was super busy over the holidays as my parents, Matt's mom, and my sister and brother-in-law came to visit for a week. I thought I'd do a quick Q&A post about their visit.

Question: What is the perfect Christmas gift for three sisters in their late twenties?

Answer: Coloring books and crayons, of course!

Thanks Aunt Sue! You should be receiving refrigerator art in the mail :) Katie and I cropped our picture because there should be no evidence of "bed head" floating around the web. But Lindsey was looking cute enough for an un-edited pic. PS. We also loved the cards filled with money! Thanks everyone!

Question: What locale conjures that warm Merry Christmas feeling better than any other?

Answer: Sun and sand at Cocoa Beach!

While the fam was visiting, we took a day trip to the beach to walk along the pier and eat delicious seafood. I vote for lobster and shrimp over turkey every year!

Question: How do you entertain 8 people for 4 hours in a 1,000 sq ft apartment?

Answer: Jenga on a glass-top table.

The glass table top is key as it makes for a spectacularly loud crash when the tower finally topples!

Other fun moments included: watching ultra-sound videos of Lindsey's baby (yay!), "girls day" pedicures, tanning by the pool, shopping, trash-talking games of euchre, and eating a ton of food! And after all of that, I think it's time for a nap.

Lazy post

2008-12-01T20:09:00.002-05:00

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving with Katie and Robby! But Katie already posted pics on her blog, so I'm just going to point you in that direction ;-)

We also enjoyed some delicious food at Animal Kingdom... and again, I point you to Katie's blog ;-) This is the only way to post!!

Just for Katie...

2008-11-13T14:41:00.006-05:00

We haven't done a post in a while... and other than working and going to the Disney parks almost every weekend, not much is new. However, after a visit to the fabulous MouseGear shop at Epcot (think the Disney Store on crack), Matt and I brought home this lovely new throw... and Katie's been giving us Hell ever since. So you tell us... have we gone overboard yet? Oh, and speaking of overboard, I've got to go check on those Disney Cruise Line deals! :)

Disney Daytrip

2008-10-05T17:20:00.003-04:00

When Whitney, Katie, and I got the mail this past Saturday, Saturdays equal group-adventure-to-the-mailbox-day, we noticed one envelope stood out from the others. It had an aura of happy and it giggled a little when you shook it. It was our Disney passes! Our keys to the Kingdom...Magic Kingdom of coarse, and Animal Kingdom and Epcot and Hollywood Studios...they all had arrived! So, what do you do with such power? You decide at 4pm to take a trip to Epcot and experience the International Food & Wine Festival...ON A WHIM!!!

We took showers, hopped in the car, and were in the park by 5:30. That gave us only one and a half hours to hit Future World, the rides portion of Epcot. Luckily, Whitney was on top of her game. She had Katie reading our options to us from Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando 2008. From the backseat, Katie spat options like a rabid Tasmanian Devil while Whitney navigated the back lots. (That whole Tasmanian Devil thing was a bit of dramatization. Katie is a lady and probably doesn't even know how to spit.)

We decided on Living with the Land and Soarin', two informative rides. Yeah, we know we're nerds...what of it? Living with the Land started out slow, but proved well worth it once we got to the future of horticulture section. It was unbelievable. Seriously, I'm not sure I believe it. They were growing nine pound lemons. Crazy! Next, we headed for Soarin' to enjoy a simulated glider ride over various California landscapes. Beautiful...I imagine. It was a 55 minute wait. The Seas with Nemo and Friends was only five. We likes 'dim numbers! Again, things started out slow, but became totally gnarly when an animated Nemo, along with other memorable characters from the beloved movie, were, somehow, projected into actual aquariums and swam with dolphins, sharks, and varius other marine life. But, by far, the highlight of the ride was watching kids, and their parents, talk to Crush, the surfer sea turtle. The animated turtle selected auidence members to ask him questions, which he then answered in his own way... Duuuuuuuuuuude, it was totally swwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttt!!!

After the brief exposure to rides, we proceeded towards the International Food & Wine Festival for yummy drinks and snacks. We sampled fare from Canada, Poland, and France, leaving us only 27 countries. The food was exquisite, the drinks expensive/tasty, and the scenery was ethereal. Seriously, look at those skies!!!

So, to summarize, naah-nah-naah-nah-naah-nah (sing-songy)!!! :-P

And we're going again this weekend. How much do you hate us?

First days of work!

2008-09-30T19:57:00.006-04:00

Last week, Katie started her first day at Heery International and together we wrote a post on her blog about "First day" traditions. Today, I'm reposting that blog with my own "First day" of work pics. Enjoy ;-)

"First day" traditions- originally appeared on Katie's blog last week:

The glorious legacy began 22 years ago at a McAlpin's register. Whitney was in line with mom and grandma Peggy when she spied a red Rainbow-Brite umbrella. The purchase would inform her fashion, and sense of humor, for years to come. While the umbrella was memorable, the purpose of the trip was Back-to-School shopping, and resulted in many outfits of Spumoni, Osh-Kosh-Be-Gosh, and Khaki-cuteness. After this successful and fun day, Peggy declared it a tradition, topped only by Derby Day.

In the next two and three years, respectively, Lindsey and Katie received their prestigious invitation to join The Event. It didn't stop there. Luckily our family was blessed with seven granddaughters, each of whom was initiated into the yearly retail ritual before the first day of school.

The first stop was always McAlpins, as Aunt Susan worked there and could scout the newest styles and deals. As youngsters, we were easy to please, however, as we matured so did our personal styles.

Whitney:
Princess and the Pea Complex- no itchy fabrics like wool, no tight turtle necks, and no sleeve rolling (although she did tight roll her pants in middle school-ha!). In high school, she was a Total Bitch. Nothing pleased her. She refused to try anything on unless it was brown or black. She had that flannel-grunge-thing going for her, or against her. Later on, she improved. She added reds and pink to her repertoire. And she started to take advice from her fashion forward family.

Lindsey:
Lindsey liked it all, the shopping and the clothes. Consistently classic, she liked stripes, solids, denim and khaki. She despised Whitney's inevitable rummage through her closet to find the newest (unworn) addition to her wardrobe, stealing her thunder and wearing it first. But she did get a nice superiority boost by bitching Whitney out ALL the way to school.

Katie:
At an early age, like 3(!), Katie had developed her own style. She didn't want the gray pea coat that mom picked out and bought, she wanted the purple one. Distraught by the pain of betraying the purple coat, she burst into tears when modeling it for great-grandmother Sara Newt. (Sara Newt remedied said situation by demanding that mom exchange the coat for the appropriate color. More to come on "The Spoiling of the Grandchildren" by Sara Newt in a coming post.) From then on, Katie was not afraid to voice her opinion on fashion choices. As a result, Katie could be found in the best wears, with her eclectic-before-the-trend style, which gave her that "unapproachable look."

With our shiny new wardrobes in closet, we would spend an hour, minimum, getting ready for The First Day. We chose the outfits based on majority votes, men excluded, followed by hair styling, shoe picking, and later, bad make-up application. We were ready by 6:30 am when Aunt Robin would pick us up and drive us to the end of the lane to wait for the bus. There we were, seven groggy, yet beautiful and dressed to the nines, granddaughters huddled together at the end of VanDeren Lane. At the butt-crack of dawn, we waited. Aunt Robin got out her camera, and snapped the first picture. Beginning to dismantle, Robin would flail, "Megan had her eyes closed!" Rolling our eyes and making snide comments we always had to take at least five photos before she was satisfied. :-)

We never escaped the dreaded "First Day of School" picture, even when we went to college at UK. There she was, with her camera, waiting eagerly for us to drop by Funkhouser Building (where she worked) and where she would take at least five photos.

And so, this post is dedicated to all of the wonderful women who enabled our addiction to shopping, and saying cheese. Here is my "First Day of Work" picture, complete with new outfit and new haircut, highlighted by a classic vogue pose. My "Day Two" pic illustrates my new Disney look- with name tag, company ID, and Mickey trading pin! Also, I'm wearing the cutest new navy, patent leather open-toed shoes, which unfortunately are not very visible. Perhaps I will devote a future post to the shoes ;-)

First day of work- Vogue Style

Second day of work and covered in Disney!

Yet another pretty meal

2008-09-24T20:57:00.004-04:00

I'm starting to feel a little like Rachel Ray, but we've been trying so many new recipes that I just can't help myself. I have to post the pictures. Tonight for dinner we had Grilled Shrimp Tacos, compliments of Real Simple magazine. It's light, refreshing, and flavorful thanks to the sour cream sauce made with mayo, milk, and cumin. Calories= 500.

Me Employed, You Envious

2008-09-22T15:30:00.003-04:00

In case you haven't heard, I'm employed...well sorta. I am now a marketing intern at G&G advertising. I landed this gig as a direct result of my "unique" portfolio. I'm not sure what was meant by that comment, but I'll take it. :-) Let's start at the beginning.

When Whitney and I first moved to Orlando, I set out to find a creative position in advertising. Major obstacle: I had zero experience in advertising. I vaguely remember working to obtain this thing...it indicates a sound knowledge base and ability to perform. What is that thing called again? Oh, right. A degree. In English, no less. I knew it would come to me. I hoped that all those years spent amassing writings and an impressive library (or so I'm told) would in some way benefit me in my career search. And it did. I compiled a sample of works, from travel writing to blog posts, that demonstrated my range as a writer, called it a portfolio, and bam! Oh no, no, no. We need an Emeril style, over-the-top, emphatic BAM!!! Much better. That was all it took to find the entry level career of my dreams. Well, that and a willingness to work for free. Who needs money when you have an awesome sugar momma?!

So, now I go to work every day, excited to learn the inner workings of G&G advertising. Once I get over the "Hey, I'm new here and you all scare me," acclimation phase, I think I will love working for the Gs. Here's a video of the office ambiance...aren't you jealous?

Installment Two: Diet a la Whitney

2008-09-21T21:28:00.006-04:00

Started the day off right with yummy pancakes and blackberry syrup. Usually, I'm a maple syrup kinda gal, but Matt found this blackberry goodness at the local farmer's market. It's so heavenly.

Now, you'd think that meal would eat up all my calories for the day, but luckily it was only 586, leaving plenty of room for the salad recipe Katie and I discovered in the new issue of Domino magazine. Super simple, the salad consists of 2 pears (sauteed in olive oil), mixed greens, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. We added some pecans and freshly grated parmesan to make it even more fabulous. Mmm.

Dessert and Exercise

2008-09-18T20:34:00.006-04:00

Mmm. Peaches and brown sugar. The first step to a healthy balanced lifestyle... a la Whitney.

Surprisingly, this dish (one large peach, 2 tsp. brown sugar, cinnamon, and cool whip) only contains 115 calories. It's all part of my new fitness regimine... 30 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week, and a 1500 calorie diet. Results to follow.

Oh, and my sister, Katie, has joined us in paradise. She will be staying with us for 6 months while she works as an intern for Heery International. I'm sure our hijinx will end up as posts eventually!

Katie, and her cute new hairstyle.

Film Festival Fun

2008-08-31T11:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, from 1pm to 1am, Matt and I spent the rainy day at the CenFlo film festival. While I'm sure it doesn't compare to Cannes or Sundance, we had a great time and wanted to share a few of our favorite films with you. So, if you see these in a theatre (or on Netflix) one day, check them out!

The whole reason we went to CenFlo was because my cousin, Michael McCord, starred in the film Surviving Guthrie. The film was produced by Georgetown College and is about an unruly professor who is black-mailed into walking the straight and narrow to ensure that his daughter doesn't get expelled and that the University gets some much needed funding. It's got some nice one-liner's and if you've ever eaten at Bianke's restaurant in Cynthiana, it's pretty awesome to see it on the big-screen as one of the locations.

Full Length Trailer

Pretty Ugly People was our favorite feature film. The acting was amazing (I love Melissa McCarthy), the script was hilarious, and it's really beautiful. I definitely see it winning several indie awards! Be warned that the trailer doesn't quite do it justice. You must see this movie!

Pretty Ugly People _Trailer_short

We also saw several great short films:

Yay Indie films!

Two sense

2008-08-29T16:09:00.003-04:00

Let me begin by saying, I am glad to see that so many fellow twenty-somethings are passionate about the upcoming election. Facebook-ers and Bloggers alike have been busy commenting on every new twist and turn since the heated primaries were held. And, while I think that this election will result in some of the often touted “change” we all hope for, I still can’t find a candidate that stands for what I, as a registered Independent, want. To give you a brief glimpse at the dilemma I’m faced with, here is my stance (as a citizen, not an expert) on a few issues:

Economic Policy: Yay free trade, Cut Spending, Cut taxes

Foreign Policy: Make love, not war

Energy Policy: INVEST IN NEW SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY

Health Care Policy: I am not a socialist.

Abortion: Pro-choice

Illegal Immigration: America depends on the work force of illegal immigrants. I’m probably in favor of a temporary worker program.

Gay Marriage: Legalize it already!

And so, you see my predicament. Socially, I’m a liberal and fiscally I’m a republican. Will our ridiculously partisan political system ever be able to bridge this gap? Are there more people like me out there?!!!

Going Greener

2008-08-18T18:36:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Abbey's recent post on the Well Fed Network, I thought we'd do a post on all of the "go green" habits we've started since we moved to Florida. Back in PA, we'd started taking baby steps, like switching one room to CFL light bulbs and using a Britta pitcher as opposed to buying bottled water. But we decided we could do more, and that the process would be easier to start in a new place. So, here's what we're doing so far:

Switched to all "green" cleaning products... some by Clorox and others by Method.
Purchased re-useable grocery bags. Although, I admit that we forgot to take them with us on our last grocery run. Next time.
Switched all of our light bulbs to CFL bulbs. Energy efficient and cost effective (in the long run). Engineers love that combo!
Recycling, at least we hope so. We've been saving our plastic and glass bottles and want to recycle them, but we haven't found the recycling bins in our community yet.
We're still using the awesome Britta pitcher for ice-y cold water. And we fill up Matt's nalgene bottles when we're on the go.
Katie inspired the next green purchase: cloth napkins. Oh so cute and eco-friendly.
My final, and probably favorite, green habit came from the book It's easy being green. To conserve water, we always keep our watering can next to the sink. Then, if I don't drink my entire glass of water with dinner, I empty it into the can instead of sending it down the drain! So simple, so smart.

Here are some pictures, as proof of our progress. Let us know if you have any simple, green-living tips for us!

You have arrived.

2008-08-12T21:24:00.007-04:00

I know Matt's been in charge of relaying the events of our move (see new post below), but can I just say that ever since we got here, I keep thinking: "You have arrived" (as said by the Garmin GPS lady when you reach your programmed destination). Yay! For those of you who have requested pictures of the new pad, here ya go ;-)

Floridians Rule! continued

2008-08-08T19:38:00.004-04:00

Back by popular demand...for all you who obviously suffer from schadenfreude! Our pain amuses you, huh? Well, guess what? We live in Flor-da, we live in Flor-da and you all dow-nt! But seriously, the trip started to improve immediately. That night, after washing the kitty litter out of the things we wished to salvage, my lovely wife took me out for THE GREATEST MEAL OF MY LIFE--IFE--IFE--IFE!!! My mood was understandably foul and I wasn't looking forward to searching all over hell's half acre for reasonable dining. So, we hopped into our sporty little rental car and headed for the closest restaurant we could find. Never have such low standards yielded such amazing returns. We found Charley's.

The Scene: Simple, common facade (neon sign and all). You enter and immediately before you is a brick fire pit, easily 10'x10', and the most wonderful smells. A waiter, dressed to the nines--full tux, shows you to your table. Their bourbon selection consisted of 8 top shelfers, including Woodford Reserve. Your steak choice would be difficult, were it not for the a la carte presentation. I opted for the 20 oz. (quick little conversion and you will find that is 1.25 lbs) Fillet Mignon, served rare. No sides, just a salad and the steak. The salad was really just to taunt the meat. Whitney had a 12 oz. Fillet Mignon with the house Cabernet sauce and rosemary mashed potatoes. It is our new favorite restaurant and once I go for 1 year without smoking I will return. Who knows, maybe I'll try the 50 oz. Porter House. Did I mention that all of their meat is aged for 4 months at the restaurant in an O2 free environment. It was like eating cotton candy, if they made cotton candy out of cow. And, I should also mention that neither Whitney nor I could finish our entrees.

The next few days were spent shopping and acclimating ourselves to the new surroundings as we waited for our stuff to arrive. We slept on the floor and invented ways to pass the evenings. The most entertaining creation was Noodle Golf. It requires a pool noodle, a ping pong ball, and a willingness to look like complete idiots when neighbors walk by your patio. I took home "The Noodle" and Whitney came in a respectable second.

Our furniture and cars happened to arrive the same day, Monday, at the same exact time. Two different companies having zero affiliation, it was weird. Whitney dealt with the car guy while I dealt with the movers and, much to our delight, they were awesome. In the Florida heat and humidity they still managed to have everything unloaded and in our apartment in about a third of the time it took the other guys to load it, and with one less helper. So we spent the next 3 days, working 12 hour days, unloading boxes, shifting boxes from one room to another so we could arrange things, only to move them back again--repeat 4-5 times and you see the level of hell Dante loaned us-- and, my personal favorite, dumpster shopping. Dumpster shopping is where you drive around the community dividing your ungodly quantity of packing paper and boxes between several dumpsters so your neighbors don't hate you. Oh, it turns out they have a cardboard recycling dumpster behind the clubhouse. Oops! The things you learn on day 3.

Well, that about sums it up. Whitney and I are unpacked and official Floridians, with driver's licenses and all. For those of you who might be sticklers for grammar, please ignore any solecisms you might find in this blog for it is written late at night (by my standards). Oh! One last thing. We can see the Magic Kingdom fireworks from our bedroom. Well, that is where Whitney maintains they are coming from. ;-)

Floridians Rule! (now that we are here)

2008-08-07T20:05:00.002-04:00

So this fat guy walks into our house. You expect laughs with a line like that, and you will find them all throughout this story. But bare in mind that each laugh contributes a pang more anguish to mine and Whitney's fragile souls after our moving experience. This fat guy was one of our movers. He produced more sweat than an entire high school football team and he decided to plant his rotund backside on our couch with arms akimbo across the back. We've already called Stanley Steamer. When he wasn't busy defiling our furniture, he talked. He talked with the endless prattle of a little old person cooped up in the nursing home, overdue for a visit from his relatives... but the mover failed to inspire sympathy. He talked about country singers he had seen in concert, places he had visited (Vegas twice with two different wives), his coworkers, any thought that might have glossed his mind for a scintilla of a second set his tongue a quiver. Oh, and the packers left all the lids to our pots and all our Tupperware dishes; we had to have them sent UPS.

Once all our belongings were safely on the way to Florida, it was time for Whitney, Isabelle, and I to make the same journey via US Airways. We should have just stowed away on the moving truck. We make it to the airport terminal without incident, though I must admit I was worried about having to get Izzy out of the carrier at the security check point. I had no idea how she would respond with so many people around. She did great. Shout out to my kitty! Anyway, we loaded the plane and everything was going smoothly. The flight attendant had very calmly (I have not seen such serenity in anesthetized animals) explained our seat belts, cushions as a floatation device, oxygen masks, amazingly loud crash from the left side of the plane. Yeah, that turns out to be us (the plane) crashing into the jetway as they are pushing us away from the terminal. No big deal, we'll just get maintenance to come and take a look-see, said the Wizard of OZ flying our plane. An hour later and the wizard comes back on to say we all need to unload. Your telling me! They put us on another plane and we finally take off three hours late. Who wants some Airline stock?!

By the time we land Izzy has been in her carrier for 8.5 hrs, not counting the 2 minute security check, and instead of sleeping on the plane she opted for the more exciting drool-like-a-rabid-beast approach to air travel. As soon as we are in the rental car, she is snoozing and it kind of freaks me out. Tap, tap on the carrier. Kitty? Are you dead? We rush to our hotel room, not the vet because she is obviously not dead or I would not be joking, and get our room. Reason for rushing? So we can set a litter box up for Izzy. Amazing that the plane and/or rental car did not wind up smelling like cat urine! Into the room we run, pull back the zipper of my duffle bag and...dramatic pause...cat litter all throughout the bag. That is not enough. Sticky shampoo too. I despise airport baggage people with the fury of a religious conflict. I worship respecting other people's valuables. They worship Satan. We war. Seriously, they had thrown about my bag with such force that it broke a hard plastic Tupperware container filled with litter and a shampoo bottle. How?!

I am tired. The saga will be continued tomorrow.

Surprise!

2008-07-26T09:32:00.006-04:00

Aww, so sad. Last night we went to our final shin-dig with Metzger's Animal Hospital. The fabulous MAH group threw a surprise party, for Matt, at Champs, our favorite sports bar (because of the food, not the sports). We enjoyed lots of yummy snacks, drinks, pool & darts, and great company. I'll wait until Matt recovers from his open-bar hangover before I let him post a sentimental "Ode to Metzger's." Until then, here are a few pictures from the big event.

Matt with all of the MAH doctors

Matt with Fred and Lee Metzger (proprietors of MAH)

The reason Matt has a hang-over

Aww, We love John and Laurie!

Matt with his harem
AKA. The MAH technicians

The count down begins...

2008-07-22T13:53:00.008-04:00

Woo-hoo! We're down to our last 10 days in Pennsylvania and the move can't come soon enough. Mentally, Matt and I are already Floridians, so we've been taking advantage of our final weeks by playing "PA tourist." Our first stop was the annual State College Arts Festival, followed by a day with friends in Philadelphia, and then shopping for quilts and pottery in Amish territory. To top it all off, we've enjoyed several ice-cold bottles of Yuengling, our favorite PA brew.

Cute new cream and sugar set from Eldreth Pottery

Amish gathering in Lancaster County

Arts Fest on Allen Street

Ice cream at The Franklin Fountain in Philly

Quehanna Hike

2008-07-05T22:49:00.007-04:00

Pennsylvania, where the woods are as wild and verdant as you will ever find in Canada...and without those crazy Canooks ;-) Over the holiday weekend I journeyed a portion (~20 miles) of the Quehanna Trail in Moshannon State Forest. According to some true locals, this area is the progenitor of BFE. Here are a few pics from my last--final--backpacking trek through the amazing PA woods.

Look kids, a wood angel! See the heavenly glow?

My cheap digital camera doesn't do the scenery justice.

Like a true woodsman, I only need 40 lbs. of gear...eat it SurvivorMan.
(Les Stroud--Absolutely kidding about the Candian and SurvivorMan remarks...mad props!)

What do you do?

2008-07-02T12:27:00.007-04:00

Family reunions, Holiday parties, and Derby Day celebrations roll around and inevitably the small talk begins with "So, what are you doing these days?" That question is easily answered. It's the follow-up that I dread. "An Industrial Engineer!? So, what do you DO?"

Industrial Engineering encompasses a wide variety of jobs in many fields, but the common thread, in my opinion, is a focus on efficiency management and the art/science of making good decisions. That's probably not the most satisfying answer, so for all those family members and friends who are still wondering "What's Whitney do?", here's a video about IE work at Disney. Enjoy the geek-y goodness ;-)

We're Moving!

2008-06-28T11:41:00.012-04:00

In case you haven't heard, Matt and I are moving to Orlando, Florida on August 1st! We're both thrilled about beaucoup de soleil and I'm super excited to get to work. I landed what is arguably the coolest job on the planet for an Industrial Engineer- I'm going to work for Disney. The only hitch is that I have to finish all of my dissertation research by mid-August in order to defend in late September. Do you think that'll be hard to do while I'm laying by the pool, sipping a pina colada?

Matt is counting down his last days of work at the animal hospital.. 19 to go! And moving from small-town State College to the metropolis that is Orlando, we're hoping he can finally find a creative job as a copywriter or editorial assistant. At the very least, he has enough energy to land a gig as a costumed Disney character... his vote is for Aladdin, but I'm thinking more along the lines of The Beast.

Since we're moving even further from family and friends and more importantly because all the cool kids are doing it (Katie, Abbey, Brileen, & Josh), I thought I'd start a blog to keep everyone up-to-date on our riveting lives! So enjoy a few pics and check back often to see what's new.

Second load of stuff for Goodwill. LOVE purging!

Isabelle's new hairstyle. She's recovering nicely after surgery.

A night of bowling with the vet techs (picture by Tiffany)