Norway!!

Thanks to a very generous donation of free flier miles from Will's dad, we booked out tickets to Norway last week! A lot of people wonder why we chose Norway- hopefully these pictures will help explain why. When Will first brought up the idea of traveling overseas for vacation this summer, he had Greece in mind.  He took me to the travel section of a book store, and pulled out a Greece guide book, while I pulled out a Norway travel guide at the same time. In the end we chose Norway as our destination for several reasons:

#1- While Greece is no doubt a beautiful country, Norway just looks strikingly gorgeous.  We plan on hiking a ton to different fjords and mountain peaks.  Look how awesome/freaky the Pulpit Rock looks!  I don't know if I will have the guts to step onto the Mortised Boulder, but I'm sure we'll get pictures

#2- Norway seems to be a country far less travelled.  Not many people consider visiting Norway when planning a trip to Europe.  We have both visited many countries in Central Europe, so Norway is a nice compromise, plus we both get to add a new country to our roster.

#3- Will's love of all things cold.  The upper half of Norway is in the Arctic Circle.  We will be there in August so we'll miss the Northern lights, but we still plan on going on a whale watching excursion.   Depending on where we go, we have an opportunity to see Orcas or Sperm Whales.

#4- Norway has a road that's been dubbed "The World's Best Road Trip".  It's a 5.5 mile long road that connects a few smaller islands to mainland Norway.  Apparently when storms come through, the road can be pummelled by waves!

We are slightly concerned about trying typical Norwegian cuisine.  Lutefisk (a cod that that is soaked in lye until it congeals) and Reindeer steak seem to be pretty common.   We may get adventurous and try these one night, but I think I'll stick to simpler food!

We're very much looking forward to our trip.  The good news is that we have plenty of time to plan out all the details of our trip.  The bad news- we have 6 more months til we get to go!

Well, Hello Winter!

...welcome to Nashville! We've been expecting you for awhile. And after one false alarm (and might I add, a lot of hype, hoopla, school cancellations, and general hysteria) a couple months ago, you finally graced us with your presence yesterday and today. A Nashville based blog I follow nicknames the "snow storms" that come through the area. "Snowpocalypse '09" was a huge disappointment (except to the thousands of school kids who had no class, as Nashville tends to cancel school before any weather actually hits the area) and we got barely a dusting of snow. "The Situation 2010" (Jersey Shore fans?? Get it? Get it??) was a great success, though! We actually had a pretty nasty storm come through yesterday, leaving the city virtually shut down.


Will and I love it. It's nice to put on our puffy coats (which are usually scoffed at down here because it's just too warm to wear them) and boots and hike around. This is the first place I've ever lived where snow isn't a normal part of winter. It's amazing to see how freaked out Nashvillians get when snow hits the ground. In their defense, 'round these parts snow usually shows up with a friend- ice. And ice is not a welcome guest- more like a dangerous party crasher. The biggest problem is that the south just doesn't have the same resources to take care of ice and snow. Since snow rarely hits the area, there aren't a lot of plows, and that means that roads aren't plowed nearly often enough, if at all. Will drove into work at 5:30 this morning, and said he had a heck of a time. A drive (on a fairly busy road) that normally takes him 15 minutes, took 40 minutes (because it hadn't been touched by a plow yet)...and he has 4 wheel drive. He's not complaining though. Will's such a winter baby. I love watching his face literally light up with delight when he sees snow on the ground. It's his happy place.


I went walking around downtown this morning to capture some of "The Situation" on camera. It was so quiet out! No one driving on the streets, and very few people walking around. I ran into a few other picture takers, and we shared a few words about how great it is to see winter arrive. Ironically, I talked to 3 different people who were out walking around, and none of them were locals. We all lived up north before. I guess southerners just really don't like the snow! My favorite part of the walk? All the untouched snow. The best thing about snow is being the first one to step in it and mess it up. Love. it. Also, the snow here is unique because it formed a layer of ice on top of it, so you get an extra satisfying crunch every time you step down. Ahh, heaven.


It's been a cozy winter afternoon. I've showered for the day, but put my PJs back on, there's chili simmering in the crock pot for dinner tonight, my blog is (finally!) being updated, and Will is due home in about a 1/2 hour. Here are some pictures from my morning walk!


The Batman and the Ryman, all decked out in a dusting of white powder: The Honky Tonks, looking very quiet (for once):The little park right around the corner from our place: Our local Vietnam Veterans Memorial (surrounded by pristine, untouched snow) (that scene quickly disappeared as soon as I took the photo): Snow and ice- with their powers combined, they are able to cause a LOT of bruised tailbones the world over (luckily mine wasn't one of them...today):Frozen over fountain:
The state capital: Sledding on capital hill:
News helicopters capturing the sledders (because, Gasp! People were out and about enjoying the white stuff) (Also, what is my obsession with helicopters lately??):Nashville: Country and Blues and monuments paying tribute to them:
And finally, what would a tour of scenic snow-covered Nashville be without a picture of a man and his guitar, walking down a winter street?:

Washington DC

I finally uploaded pictures off the camera, so I guess I can't put off writing any longer. Time to post some DC pics!
Will's grandma passed away last week, so we were up in Michigan for a few days to say our goodbyes. We then took a roundabout way of driving home....via Washington DC. It was a very last minute planned trip, so we weren't able to arrange for a tour of the White House or Congress, but we had a great time checking out the rest of the sights. Neither of us had ever really spent any time in DC, but we were pleasantly surprised! The city is really pretty and vibrant. And there is so much to do (for free!)...you could literally spend a solid week there and not see all the museums and monuments. We spent Friday running around the National Mall- we were able to go to the top of the Washington Monument and visit 3 different Smithsonian museums. Saturday we took the metro out to Arlington Cemetery and caught the Changing of the Guards, and then had lunch in Old Town Alexandria. Some friends of ours who live in Baltimore met up with us on Saturday night for dinner and drinks in Dupont Circle. Here are some of the many pictures we took from the weekend:

Illinois! Representin' at the World War II Memorial:

The White House (from the top of the Washington Monument)
Mr Lincoln:
This picture's like Where's Waldo, only with Presidential Helicopters. We saw several of them land at the White House one evening while we were walking back to the hotel. Also seen: snipers on top of the buildings surrounding the White House, should anyone try to take down the President as he de-helicoptered:Oh yeah! The Friday we were there happened to be the Annual March for Life. There were literally thousands of people marching to the capital, protesting abortion.At JFK's memorial gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery:Iwo Jima Memorial:Old Town Alexandria (and the site where we bought some delish salt water taffy):The Willard! Very swanky looking hotel that bear's my boyfriend's name. I'm so proudDinner with Mike and Amy! And finally, one final story that has nothing to do with the sights or majestic-ness that is DC. It's just a very funny story (to me and Will, anyway.) The hotel we were staying in had room service, and one of our favorite things to do when we stay in a hotel with room service is to order late night snacks. It's like a little treat, and something we look forward to doing when we are lucky enough to stay at a nice place. So on Thursday evening, after a long night of walking around the National Mall (in the freezing rain (as in, sleet, not as in it was cold outside and raining)) and stopping off in a...couple...bars to get out of the rain, we were pumped to order room service. It was close to 1:30 in the morning, and we were a tad on the tipsy side after our evening rounds at the bar, so to keep us awake, we were watching Mama Mia! Fast forward about 10 minutes. There is a knock on the door, and I get up to answer. The delivery guy asks if it's OK to come in and set up the table, and I say sure, why not. So delivery guy comes into the room, with his back turned to the TV, and I follow behind him. As he is setting things up, I ever so casually glance at the television, and to my HORROR, Mama Mia! is no longer on. It has been replaced by a full fledged pornographic movie. Oh. Dear. Lord. What is going on?!?! I looked quickly at Will, and asked, "what in God's name are you watching?" To which, he looks at me in utter confusion, and says "huh?" Upon which, the delivery guy looks at the TV and starting grinning like the Cheshire cat, but trying to hide it. My face turned brighter than a cherry tomato, and Will sat there, still laying on the bed, in shock, not sure what to do. The porn on TV was like a big elephant in the room. The 3 of us tried to continue on with our respective routines as though everything were normal, but we all knew. We all knew what was happening on TV whilst Will signed the bill, and I reached for a couple extra dollars for tip (because, hello! He just "caught" us watching porn!) It. was. mortifying. Turns out, Will was a bit embarrased to be seen watching Mama Mia! so as the delivery guy came into the room, he clicked the channel up button. Then the delivery guy was in front of the TV so he didn't realize the compromising channel it had fallen on. So needless to say, we were probably the butt of several jokes amongst the staff that night. And that will forever be a memory we think of when we recall our trip to DC. And now, you all will remember it, too. You're welcome for sharing.

Why I wish I had paid attention in geometry.

How do we get this dresser (which matches awesome new bed) up spiral staircase and hence complete our grown up adult bedroom set?

Not by sitting on the couch staring at it, as Will and I are currently doing. We both **think** that it will fit, but neither of us are confident. Notice Will holding the tape measure. It's not all that handy when you aren't sure what angles to measure (damn it all! As much as I hate to admit it, Geometry IS a necessary evil!) You might be asking yourself right now, why don't you guys just try?

To answer: Jillian Michaels and I have been shredding it up for the past few weeks, and I have noticed the jiggle under my arms slowly going away (Woo!), but I don't think Will and I are Hercules-strong enough to get this 175 pounds of dresser fury up the stairs without doing one or more of the following:

a. Ruining the staircase

b. Ruining the new dresser

c. Breaking an arm, or possibly a leg

d. Killing ourselves

...which is why we are currently sitting on the couch, staring helplessly, trying to figure out our next move. Me thinks opening a beer will help.

Did anyone else...

...hear the sky open and angels singing 2 days ago? Because Will and I did here in Nashville.



We finally have a "grown-up" bed! It's king sized and large and pretty and perfect for us.



The backstory: We have had this bed picked out for awhile and would sit for hours at a time, dreaming of that glorious night when we would both sleep blissfully far apart from each other. (I love my Will, but I at 3 in the morning, I love my personal space more.) Well, for Christmas this year we received a "certificate" from Will's dad which entitled us to the very bed we were hoping to get. Here it is in all its glory:





Isnt' it beautiful?! We were stoked to finally get started on our greatly deprived loft area. So the day after Christmas we headed down to the store to order our new furniture. First a loft, now a bed. We're becoming full fledged adults with every passing day. Imagine our delight when we found out that they had our bed in stock, and that we could take it home with us that very day! Woohoo! We wouldn't have to wait until the new year to have an authentic master suite. Rock on! On such a "we're grown ups, lookie at us!" high, we weren't even phased by the slightly (to me) disturbing news that we would be responsible for the transfer and assembly of our big new beautiful bed. We borrowed a truck and got our bed all loaded up and home sweet home. That was the easy part.


I won't bore you with the details, but Will and I (and the grace of God, who was looking over us that night) managed to get the whole bed, 110 lb headboard and all, up our spiral staircase and assembled. And with the delivery of our mattress 2 days ago, we have been sleeping like kings. Pun intended.

Slight problem we noticed yesterday morning- the "platform" wasn't holding up its end of the deal and the mattress resembled the rolling hills of Ireland. Rolling hills on a mattress= not good. So we ran out last night and purchased a king box spring set to even out the mattress.

And this? Is the result:

In the words of Buddy the Elf: isn't it ginormous?! I stand at 5'8" and this bed dwarfs me. I need climbing gear just to hop into it at night. But I'm not complaining one bit. #1- because the bed is just plain awesome. #2- it is like a late night quad and thigh stretch when climbing under the covers and #3- it is so heavenly once you collapse into it that all the extra effort to climb into it is worth it.

Who needs a job when I have this new bed to lay around in and feel like royalty all day long? (I don't really do that. I refuse to stay in bed all day long. That's slovenly. I get up every morning at a decent hour and go straight to the couch to commence my day full of nothingness.)

Free Tickets!

Will and I walked down to the Predators game last night, looking to take advantage of a 2 ticket special they were offering on Tuesdays. While we were talking to the Box Office, a man walked up to us and offered us a couple tickets. His friend worked for the Calgary Flames, who the Preds were playing, and had sent him some tickets to the game. Unfortunately all his friends had backed out on him at the last minute, so he had 2 extra tickets he was trying to get rid of. He offered them at a great price- FREE! We were happy to get free tickets, and even more excited to see where they were located- practically on the ice. The Preds lost, but we had a fun time being close to the action.

Random thoughts on a Tuesday morning....

**Hope everyone had a great holiday season. Mine was wonderful- I spent Christmas with Will's family, but also made it home for a couple days to have a late Christmas at my parents' house.


**New year, new career. That's my mantra these days. I'm just waiting for my dream job to post somewhere. When it does, I'm ready to pounce!

**In the meantime, though, I'm pretty ancy. It was sort of nice around Christmas to have time off. Having the freedom to go shopping for gifts when the stores weren't crowded was great. Now that everyone is back to work, though, I'm bored.

**Here's how I keep myself occupied during the week:

1. Reading lots and lots of books (some of which are on display on my new digital bookshelf) As you can see, none of them are particularly deep- I just look for quick, mindless reads. I should really start finding books that don't turn my mind to mush.
2. Doing Jillian Michaels Shred in the living room, or whatever other Comcast On Demand workout that strikes my fancy.
3. Playing my new Wii Resorts game. If you are in the mood to look incredibly foolish, I highly recommend trying the sword play game.
4. Looking for curtains for our living room. The Christmas tree has done a fantastic job hiding my 2 above-mentioned activities from my neighbors. Unfortunately, it's nearly time for the tree to come down, and my ridiculous looking antics will soon be on display for all to see. Hence the need for curtains.
5. Tending to my new Chia Herb Garden. Though honestly, there is not a whole lot of tending to do. I have never had a green thumb, and I don't think my new herb garden will fare well. I'm sure it doesn't help that the plants need a warm environment to grow in, and our place is currently a balmy 64 degrees inside.

**We have yet to turn on our heat this year. So 64 degrees is a pretty average temperature these days. The good news? Our electric bill has only been around $50 the past few months. The bad news? It's FREEZING in here! I am currently wearing my robe over my clothes, with 2 blankets over me as well.

**I tried to add a spin to my zumba workout yesterday. The Y now offers aqua zumba on Mondays. I was so pumped to try it out, but unfortunately it was cancelled yesterday. So instead of shaking my tail in the water to latin beats, I spent 40 minutes resembling a drowned rat paddling my way up and down the pool. I really need to learn how to swim.

**Man, even my blogs are boring lately.