What's My Age Again?

This weekend I celebrated by 30th birthday. That's 3-0. And it was amazing. 

With all the Facebook posts and text messages, I realized how lucky and #blessed I am to have such amazing people in my life. Year after year, I bring in my birthday with some of my favorite people - near and far. Most of us have been friends with for over 10 years, and we somehow made it through our 20's together. 

This video is dedicated to all of you.

I was having issues posting this video (I don't think it will play from phones/tablets) so let me know if it does not work!!

 If you cannot play the video, try clicking HERE from an actual computer.

All I wanna do, is grow old with you.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, today I am asking myself, "What am I thankful for this year?"

Now, I like to think of myself as a pretty positive person. Not a lot gets to me and I usually can find good in even the darkest of situations. But, I have to say, 2013 has been kind of a shitty year. Maybe it is the screaming baby behind me on this flight, or maybe it was the fact that there was no hot water in my hotel room shower today, but I am feeling very negative as I reflect on the year and write this post. I mean, my year started out with a fire (you can read about here)! That should have been my sign. 

But when I really think about it, there have been a lot of wonderful things that have happened this year! And since the baby behind me is starting to finally calm down (knock on wood) I am starting to see the sunshine - in 2013 there have been vacations, weddings, new beginnings, fantastic parties, and soon to be babies! So much to be thankful for this season! Today, I am thankful for great friends, who have found great loves, and who throw GREAT parties. Today, I am thankful for weddings. 

Melissa McCormack and Bob Sisco - 3/2/13

I have known Mel for about 8 years as Pam's friend and roommate. But if you have ever met Mel, you will quickly start referring to her as YOUR friend, because she is the type of friend everyone wants to have. Mel is always smiling, and I have seen her dancing with joy during vacations, concerts, karaoke performances and sporting games. But I have never seen Mel any happier than the day she married Bob. 

Look at her!! Gorg. 

So happy walking down the aisle. Cue the tears.

While their beach wedding was slightly colder than expected (a chilly 50 degrees) we were all warmed by the look in their faces as Mel walked down the aisle. Plus, they had "Grow Old With You" from The Wedding Singer as a reading! Love that! And their photographer was out of this world, capturing some of the most amazing shots of the night! 

So So So So OBSESSED with this photo. 

The reception was so fun with Pam's (Patricia's) MOH speech and Captain Harry on the keyboard. They had a photo booth complete with amazing props and incriminating drunken photos. Plus it was Cad and Cherry's official first dance! The vacation to FL was overall one of my fave weeks in 2013, but the wedding was def the highlight of the trip. 

Our first dance together - "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz

Me and the MOH - such an amazing poem written for the bride and groom!

Dancing in Moderation...or not. 

Patricia and Keith Armstrong - good lookin' crew.

Drunken Photo Booth - woa.

Kimberly King and Bert Margis - 8/3/13

Kimmy and I have been friends since we were probably 9 years old, and we spent a good amount of time trying to be like out sisters, obsessing about poms, enjoying Calculus and Spanish, and looking for dates to dances. It seems that we were always a little lost when it came to boys. But as we grew older and became more confident in who we were, we started to look for someone beyond a date to Homecoming/Formals/Weddings. And when I first met Bert, I knew he was more than just Mr. Kimmy, he was going to be her Mr. Right. 

Kimmy and Carrie before walking down the aisle - BFFs! 

At the rehearsal dinner!! BMs and the groom.

They say your +1 should bring out something in yourself that you didn't know you had, and Bert and Kimmy do that for each other. They complement each other in the best way, and while I have always known how amazing Kimmy is, they make each other even better. I was supes pumped when Kimmy asked me to be a bridesmaid in the wedding, and I absolutely loved standing by her side as she said, "I do." She was just as elegant as she always is, but you could see her excitement as she walked down the aisle. She was gorg! And I cried, per the us. 

This photo says it all. Look at those smiles!!

The reception was too much fun with a live band and a family full of dancers. No one took a break from dancing! The next day I was so exhausted from the dancing and the boozing, but mostly just excited for the two of them. 

I really LIKE this picture - so do a lot of peeps on the FB. 

Weddings are not a place I practice moderation.

The BMs. I love these dresses, and these girls are awesome!

Love this one!! Celebrate good times, c'mon!

Jen Zei and Craig Boomer - 11/9/13

I met Jen my third day at UF. We went country line dancing, sat next to each other on the bus to Pi Phi, and instantly became friends. Jen and I were always together in college, and pretty much every story I tell will somehow include Jen Zei and probably include not doing things in moderation. Moderation didn't really exist in Room 6, except for the amount of living space we shared. I couldn't have been happier when The Jens moved to Atlanta because that just meant the saga would continue. Little did I know that a night of little moderation (it involved Bucky Covington and Front Page News) would also be the night we first met Boomer, and most importantly - Jen met her future husband. 

The new Mrs. Boomer

The groom drinking bourbon. Per the us. 

So last Christmas, when Boomer proposed with bourbon in hand, Jen toasted her chard and said yes! Archie barked, IPPL cheered, and Cathy Zei started planning what would soon be known as #BoomBash. Everyone was counting down the days. As Elle Tee would say, "An IPPL wedding? Get ready to live!" 

Zei #1 kept Zei #2 smiling!

#boombash was amazing for obvious reasons- a trip to Atlanta, a beautiful hotel, and amazing friends. But Jen and Boomer somehow managed to take a weekend about THEM getting married and starting their life, and made it about the guests! I shouldn't be surprised that Jen wanted to the focus off her, but you couldn't help but stare at her huge smile as she came down the aisle, so ready to marry her best friend. It was so beautiful to watch, plus she looked ah-maze! I always wanted Jen to move to Chicago so we continue our escapades together, but I lost that battle when she met Craig. And you know what, when I see how happy she is, that is fine with me. ORRRRR, they could BOTH move to Chicago. Just sayin. 

Rent the Runway worked! And look at that STUD!!

The girls initiating Boomer into the group!

Lacy wedding!!

I never use Pom Poms in moderation

There was not any moderation at the after party, but there were lots of photos and laughter. 

So as I reflect (with a sleeping baby behind me) on the year, I am thankful that these friends are starting these amazing chapters in their lives. And I am thankful they invited me to see them tie the knot! Cheers! 

Totally Awesome RBVs and going Balls Deep

Since I am being supes honest with you readers, I am going to admit to something else I am not good at. And this one may come as a surprise to some of you…well, probably none of you.

When I say, “I am so good at playing kickball,” I am lying. If I claim to ever be good at any sports that involve a ball, I am lying.

“My Plastic Surgeon doesn’t want me doing any activities where balls fly at my nose.” 

“Well there goes your social life.”

Just like most kiddos, my kickball experience started young. We played in gym class and at recess (between friendship bracelet sales and sticker trading) and I often took my usual spot in the outfield. FYI, that is where you go when you don’t really want to play, but have major FOMO if you don’t participate.  If you know what I looked like between the ages of 8-12, you will understand why I was never that into the game. Let’s just say, I wasn’t athletic.

Anyways, in the spring of 2007, my 3 friends and I were looking to branch out and meet new people. Obviously we were looking for something that involved booze and boys, and joining a kickball league seemed to fit both requirements quite nicely. We joined a team called “Totally Awesome” and played OTP after work on Thursdays, followed by boozing at American Pie, a bar with Christmas lights, Palm Trees and Karaoke. My type of establishment. Needless to say, we made friends and the playoffs. Success.

By the 2009/2010 we had all moved ITP and had enough friends for our own kickball team….barely. Being that we had some boys on our team, we thought we were due for a good season. We realized quickly that their athletic ability was highly questionable…that is if they even showed up for the games. Regardless, we formed a team called Red Balls and Vodka (RBV) and started boozing before/during the game, rather than after. This made for some great laughs, some not-so-great plays, and some not so happy refs. I believe we won 5 games between the 2 seasons.

Red Balls and Vodka Costume Contest

I think I joined another kickball league with the Jens somewhere in there – maybe in 2008? I attended 2 games and got some cool knee-socks. That’s about all I remember about that.

Back on track…When I moved to Chicago, I thought my kickball days were over. But sadly luckily, my friends here wanted to play on a league, and due to the FOMO, I accepted. And so began the team “Balls Deep.” One thing to note here: Balls Deep is serious. Sure, we would have some drinks during the games, but there are guys on our team who are actually athletic. There were girls on our team who were actually athletic. And more than that, everyone was actually competitive. Needless to say, no one seemed to complain when I would sit an inning out because I didn’t necessarily add much to the team.

Proof at my stellar athletic skills. See the ball? See my lack of forward motion? 

Although I never was very instrumental to the games, there were the few times I made some game-changing catches (no one was more surprised than me), but most of the time, I was making memories. If I were creating a highlight reel, here are some scenes that would make the cut:

• Kate missing the game-winning catch during the “Totally Awesome” playoffs due to excessive margarita intake, and seeing the disappointment in our new friends’ faces while we laughed hysterically.
• Drinking gross bloodys and Jell-O shots to give you some liquid athleticism.
• Hoger falling down the hill on the way to pee, breaking her tailbone, and letting it all go.
• Drawing the design for the Balls Deep t-shirts and the big debate – hair or no hair?  
• At-bat songs and team warm ups.
• Having crushes on “the blue team” and playing them in Flip Cup until we blacked out.
• Dressing up as Hot Dogs, only to come in second in the costume contest to the Prom Team.
• Mike’s wicked curve ball and 3^rd base coaching….and of course his frustration if he couldn’t strike out the other team.
• Watching the “Save a Horse” guys doing their choreographed karaoke at American Pie.   
• Threatening Kate, Maggie and Josh that the game is starting without them….all while sitting at the bar with Jen Zei 20 minutes late for the game myself.
• Waking up on Sunday mornings and playing a game still drunk.

You can tell from the above descriptions that there is a lot of alcohol intake during these games, so those are all the memories I can think of for now. But if you have any other gems that I am forgetting, leave a comment below! 

Noodles and Sauce

WARNING: If you are my friend and have ever lived in Atlanta, you will either love or hate this post. But after buying my recent flight to the ATL, I started feeling a little nostalgic.

Once upon a time there were 4 girls, living in a big city, working in the real world, and learning how to balance work and play. Their names were Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda Carrie, Melissa, Kate and Maggie. These classy ladies filled their days with advertising and their nights with cheap booze, dancing at CJ’s, taking $80 cab rides to the middle of nowhere, and overdrafting their bank accounts. Sunday’s existed for early morning conference calls recalling the night’s events, and eating queso from Taco Mac. They played kickball, went boating, and after too much queso, forced themselves to join bootcamp. The definition of Renaissance Women.

   

Note - we had to take this picture of ourselves because we didn't have any other friends. 

 In 2007 things really started to pick up when we added 2 new faces to the group: Enter Jones and my fave roomie, Carreen. The additions brought a few new things to our routine: Sunday Bloody Sundays in our comfies, late nights at Atkins, beer pong and flip cup at 3am, sticky red counters from kool-aid and schnapps mixtures, and Halloween parties with sparse attendance. They were the best of times, they were the worst of times, and above all, they were the blurriest of times.

 

  

   

Members of IPPL came to Atlanta in waves and with them came the VaHi crew and the infamous John Harrison. Throw in John Coggin, Schmelter, a few part time love affairs, fellow NAM coordinators and other groups of co-workers...you've got yourself a great group ATLiens (yes, I said it). Suddenly we had enough players for our own kickball team, and a garage code known by 10% of the Atlanta population. People actually came to our parties!! Proms, Furthdays, Luaus, Easter Brunches, and cookouts on the back patio. Sometimes we were too busy planning the next party that we could barely remember everything that was going on. But no matter where we were or what we were doing, I always loved the company of my friends in Atlanta.

   

Over the years, many of us have left the great city of Atlanta. Atlanta is known for being a transit city, but mostly it was just a city of change. We grew so much throughout the years, and changed more that just our hair (photographic evidence above). For me, it was the city where I really found myself. I learned how to make it in the real world on my own, how to make meals other than just noodles and sauce, the difference between a cab and a cop car, how to bail your friend out of jail, and found a love of white queso. I learned that the Gator Nation really is everywhere, Publix is better than Kroger, gossiping is best over sushi and Crystal Light powder makes a terrible mixer. And mostly, from my friends, I learned what it means to love, forgive, trust and take risks, and I will always remember the four years I spent there to be four of my favorite :)