Last Blog of the Decade

So quite a lot has happened since I last blogged....

First and foremost, my best friend got married. Abby and Brandon tied the knot on December 19th, and it was beautiful. It was snowing out which made it seem even more magical (don't hate on the winter weather). I had an amazing time, Abby looked beautiful, Brandon looked sharp and we all danced the night away. I was honored to be a part of their special day. For my first time on the bridesmaid circuit, Abby made it so laid-back and fun!

Christmas was great as always. My sister came in from Michigan for a few days, and we went to the Transiberian Orchestra with our mom. It was insane. The light show was wild, and there were some times where I couldn't stop laughing (call it sleep deprivation). We opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve this year, and afterwards we went to our friends the Riecks for a little get-together. I had a great time catching up with everyone. Christmas morning we went down to Louisville to visit my mom's brother and family. It was great seeing my cousins. We watched about 8 episodes of The Office as well as parts of A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. We came home later that night.

I've been off from work since Christmas Eve up until after the New Year. That has been great. I've been TRYING to catch up on sleep, but Baxter is proving to be as annoying as ever.

I'm ready for a new year!!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

Wow. Only one post for November? I'm really slacking in my blog skills...

Nothing really exciting has been going down lately. Thanksgiving was great. My sister got to come home for Thanksgiving for the first time since she was in high school (which some people think she still is...cherish that young face of yours, Sarah). I made the mashed potatoes, and somehow managed to screw them up. If you ask me how I did it, I will slap you in the mouth. Some people are chefs and some are bakers. I fall in the latter category.

I got to see some friends over Thanksgiving that I hadn't seen in a while, which was fabulous. Work has been busy, and it will be nice to get a little break here in a couple weeks (we get off christmas eve until new years).

I love this time of the year. Halloween to New Years, I'm in The Zone. I truly believe that it is better to give than to receive. Giving presents is extremely exciting to me, especially when you find a present that you KNOW they will like. Needless to say I'm pumped for Christmas. I got all my shopping done already (never happens). This year we are going down to Louisville Christmas morning to see my family. They have come up the past couple Christmases, so this year we are returning the favor.

That's about it for right now. I'm diggin some xmas tunes. I'm an old-school girl. Give me Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, and I'm sitting pretty.

STRIKE!!!

Hey friends. I'm loving that we got an extra hour of sleep last weekend, but the sun setting as I type this kinda blows. But I do love driving to work with the sun out. Gotta take the good with the bad...such is life.

Happy Hump Day! I had a pretty great day...got off work early. I had to work, unlike SOME people I live with. Working for the government has its perks (getting off every possible holiday).

This past weekend I went up to my favorite city, Chicago. My friend Liz turned 23 on Friday, and her boyfriend R.G. planned a great shindig downtown. Traffic for the first time was non-existent on 65. I made it there in exactly 3 hours (and gaining an hour was awesome). Liz, R.G., his friend Jordan and I headed down to Chicago to meet Bonnie for dinner. We went to a great mexican restaurant that was underground called Twisted Lizard (I think that's what it was called...we had 2 pitchers of margaritas). R.G. had reserved a couple of bowling lanes at this amazing bar called Southport Lanes. It was the kind of bar I like: super old. I saw a Jim Gaffigan doppleganger, and I almost went up to him. I didn't obviously.

Some other friends met us at the bar and we bowled like champs. It was very old, and they actually had people behind the pins in charge of setting them up. And we had to keep score ourselves. I will say right now that I for sure won. No big.

We went to another bar called Deliliah's. It was....interesting. It was a whiskey bar. I think that's a good enough explanation.

I had to come home Saturday (sadly) but I hauled ass on the interstate and made it home in 2 and a half hours. It was amazing. Driving clears my head. I gave Jeni a Mac Tutorial on Saturday night, and we had some amazing sushi (it had been too long since I had any).

Sunday was Colts football, and raking leaves (gross). Since someone has no upper-body strength, I had to drag the leaves out to the cornfield. I wasn't bitter, though.

Halloween!

Can you believe October is over? This month FLEWWW by!! I haven't blogged in a couple weeks, so here are some updates:

-Last weekend was my best friend Abby's Bachelorette party! I had such a great time! Her sisters Katie (she will always be Katie to me) and Jen did a fabulous job planning everything! I picked up Abby at her mom's house then we headed to Indy to pick up Taylor, her friend from Butler and fellow bridesmaid, as well as her cousin Kerry (also a bridesmaid). We then headed to the Embassy Suites Hotel, where Katie and Jen had set up the suite for a Lingerie Party! After some margaritas and presents, we headed out to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner. I hadn't been there since Middle School! It was only a 5 minute walk from the Hotel, and luckily it was beautiful weather! We didn't realize how close Howl at the Moon was to the Spaghetti Factory, and we had some time to kill before we had to be there by 9 so we stopped in at a bar next door for a quick drink. We then went to Howl at the Moon, which I had never been to. Katie and Jen got Abby a special package for Bachelorettes (the last hurrah I think it was called), so we were front at center with 2 tables in front of the stage, where they had 2 dueling pianos. It was so loud in there, we had to scream to talk to each other! Katie was such a trooper since she couldn't drink (If you read this Katie, I wanna know if it's a boy or a girl!!!), so she took plenty of pictures. You will be surprised that I didn't talk Abby in to dancing on stage (that would be Taylor), but that didn't mean I didn't enjoy it none the less! We went to Steak and Shake for some late night food then crashed at the hotel. In the morning, most of us had sore throats from screaming at the bar, but overall it was a successful night! I got plenty of pictures and us girls behaved (for the most part...).

-Work has been pretty crazy lately. People are always traveling and out of the office, so it is really quiet right now. I think we just want to make it to the end of the year and start over fresh in 2010! I am learning more everyday about the pharmaceutical biz, and there's even more to learn!

-I love Halloween!!! We always went all-out in my house growing up with decorations and costumes! This year will be my first year since high school where I'm home for Halloween! I have been designated to hand out the candy (I hope we don't have TOO many Reese cups...I can't help myself sometimes). Since my mother procrastinated, I had to go out and find a Pumpkin today so she could carve it (I found a rather sad looking one finally since they were gone at EVERY grocery store it seemed). The chili is in the crock-pot and making the house smell amazing!! Last night I babysat 5 kids with the help of my lovely friend Sarah and threw an impromptu party for them. They bobbed for apples, wrapped themselves like mummies, and played a pumpkin bozo game. It was fun, but I was exhausted!

-Next weekend I'm going up to Chicago to see my friend Liz! We have tried to visit each other every month, but we have gone almost 2 months this time! It's her birthday next weekend, and we may go to a KISS concert with a group of people. I hope it happens, because that make for a great blog entry, don't ya think??

-Abby and Brandon's wedding is about a month and a half away!! Our bridesmaid dresses should be here any day, and I can't wait to get mine! It's going to be such an amazing wedding, and I can't be more excited for them!

-Finally, how about those Colts? I find myself more excited each week watching them! I can't remember the last time we played San Fransico, though. I'm STILL waiting to get my Addai jersey sewn up (AHEM, AHEM) so I can look like a legit fan.

P.S. I'm SOOOO ready for college basketball!! BOILER UP!! (and GO CARDS!!!)

wedding circuit round 6

So last night, one of the court kids got married. Leslie and Matt were too adorable, and they look so in love! It was a fun time, especially getting to see people who I haven't seen in months.

My (former) neighbor Ryan and I got in to a discussion on what number court wedding this was. I thought it was 5, but after a careful (and somewhat tipsy) recount, we settled on 6. That's right, about half of the court kids are married now. These include (in chronological order): David, Matt, Amy, Ali, Ryan, and Leslie. That's some wicked good memory on my part, and I was lucky enough to have attended all of these lovely weddings. However, David and Matt's were somewhat different for me since I was in high school at the time.

It really is crazy to think about how much all of us have grown up. We got a picture of all of us last night, with a few people missing (I'm still mad at Brian, who was up at Purdue for the major OSU upset game...I'm over it...kind of). I of course chimed in after the picture as the proclaimed youngest of the group (Brian normally takes this honor, but by just a couple weeks).

Most people find it weird that we are so close with our neighbors. I remember going to college, and when speaking about people from home, many of my stories involved my neighbors. Many people were baffled that we did so much with the people that lived 50 feet from us, and I quickly found out that many people just aren't friends with their neighbors anymore. I practically LIVED in the Rieck household growing up, and as an adult (until they sadly moved to a smaller home a few years back). In fact, we had an open door policy (as well as an open fridge policy, since ours was always stacked with the good stuff) with everyone. So I found it disappointing that people didn't have the same experience growing up that I did.

I could go on about The Court, but there are too many memories to type. 16 year's worth to be exact. I'm just happy that we are all still close, even as adults with busy lives. And it's pretty awesome to see the group expand, with the addition of wives, husbands, and children over the past few years.

*Editor's note: This pertains to Jeni, one of my main readers. Speaking of open door/no knocking policy, a couple weeks ago when I came to your house, I just walked in and sat down with Pat and Mags. Maggie goes, "How come Laura doesn't knock?", and without missing a beat Pat said, "Because she's family." It was a major, major loving moment (in horrible British accent).

Whoops! Update!

So I said I would blog more, and here I am not doing it!

So I started my new job last Monday. It's with a company called Harper Global, and they are a market research company mainly dealing with medical and pharmaceutical fields. It's a great company with a lot of growth potential, so I'm really excited!

Fall is kicking in to full gear, and I am loving EVERY second of it. You all know that it's my favorite season, and with Halloween fast approaching, I'm even more excited! (I wish it was still socially acceptable for grown- ups to trick or treat!) I love lazy Sundays watching football, and the smell of the heater when it kicks on (it's a weird thing of mine...I can smell the heat. Even typing that, I know it's weird). How about those Colts?? I wish my Addai jersey didn't have a massive hole in it still from, ahem, 2 years ago that still hasn't been fixed. It looks like I was the Hulk or something and busted outta it.

That's about it at the moment! I have a wedding this weekend to go to, then it's about 2 months til my best friend's wedding!!! I'm so excited, and next weekend is her bachelorette party, so it is going to be a lot of fun!

oh what a blustery day

I lived for Winnie the Pooh as a kid. We owned a bunch of VHS tapes of the different cartoon episodes. HANDS DOWN the best was Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. You know what I'm talking about. The one with the windy fall day a.k.a my favorite weather in the world. Coudln't use a better word to describe today's weather. Our poor tree in our backyard is taking a beating with these high winds.

I have to run some errands, and here's hoping that I don't blow away.

P.S. How about those Colts? I'm lovin me some Reggie Wayne.

hook em horns

So last weekend I went to Austin to surprise one of my best friends, Abby, for her 23rd birthday! I had an amazing time in the Lonestar state.

So last Tuesday (the 15th) I really started thinking about going to visit Abby and Brandon (her fiance). They have been down there for about 2 months, with Brandon going to grad school at UT and Abby teaching kindergarten at a nearby school. After talking to Abby on the phone, I decided that it would be great if I came down for her birthday weekend! That's when Brandon and I got really sneaky.

Basically I found a ticket Tuesday night, and called my lovely sister to tell her about it. Then I found out that she had won 2 free airplane tickets for anywhere in the country that expire at the end of the year. Damnit. Literally it had been like an hour since I booked my flight when I found this information out. Oh well, can't spend it when you're dead I guess.

Luckily, Brandon was able to pick me up at the airport Friday afternoon, so it was just a waiting game for Abby to get home from school. I hid in the back room, and when she came in the house I came out and surprised her. It was great! I wish I had recorded it because it was priceless, and executing a surprise like that can be tricky but it turned out great.

Friday night we went to an awesome Mexican restaurant called Maudie's Milagro that my friend Kyle suggested. He goes to Purdue and is from Austin and always tells me how amazing the city is (you were right!). We sat out on the balcony and had huuuuge margaritas (well Abby and I did...). Then we went to Brandon's friend's apartment and hung out there for a while. Side note, Brandon has made some awesome friends, and they were funny and just great guys!

We decided to go out to the bars on 6th street, which I guess is pretty well-known in the Austin area. After unsuccessfully waiting for the bus to take us (it was literally packed with people) we started walking. Now, unlike in Indiana where it gets cooler at night, Austin pretty much stays the same temperature, which sucks for girls like me who sweat after being outside for 2 minutes of exposure. We ended up walking over 20 blocks to the bars, and I will admit that I complained. I wore gladiator flats which was a poor choice on my part, and my dogs were barking as Jeni would say. We actually were only at the bar for about an hour since it took a while to get there.

Saturday proved to be a somewhat of a lazy day. We woke up and watched football all morning. My Cards lost to the Kats which made Brandon happy (he's a UK alum....disgusting). Then we went to campus to tailgate for a bit for the big UT/Texas Tech game. It was a night game and College Game Day from ESPN was there. Unfortunately, Abby and I didn't run in to Kirk from College Game Day. I wanted to get his digits! Sooo hot.

Brandon scalped his 2 tickets and we went home to watch the game on TV. My flight was a 7am Sunday morning, so we thought it would be wise just to stay in. Texas ended up winning (which I found out in the morning since I had gone to bed already).

Overall, I had a fantastic time. It was lovely seeing Abby and Brandon as well as meeting new people and experiencing a new environment. Best money I've spent in a long time to make my best friend happy!

P.S. I will never wear that hideous burnt orange color, which my friend Joe corrected me: "It's called Texas Orange." Whatever. I will always be a Black and Gold girl!

top 25

We all know music is awesome. It makes everything better, from driving to cleaning your toilet. This we can all agree on. However, when it comes to taste in music, everyone has a different opinion. Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one.

I think it's really interesting to look at the songs you play the most. Everyone has their own comfort music, a go-to list of songs that they never get sick of. This is when I look at my Top 25 Most Played playlist on my iTunes. It is a very diverse group of artists, and coming in at #1 is Robin Thicke (not a competition...the next song came in 27 plays less).

1. Shooter by Robin Thicke feat. Lil Wayne

2. Bodysnatchers by Radiohead

3. Got to Give It Up by Marvin Gaye (shout to to Liz on that one!!)

4. FutureSex/LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake

5. Paper Planes by M.I.A

6. Look Into The Air by Explosions in the Sky

7. Shake It by Metro Station

8. Magic Hours by Explosions in the Sky

9. Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon

10. Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf feat Lil Wayne

11. Whatever You Like by T.I

12. I Feel Fine by The Beatles

13. A Song For Our Fathers by Explosions in the Sky

14. Notion by Kings of Leon

15. Glittering Blackness by Explosions in the Sky

16. Freeze by T-Pain

17. Remember Me As a Time Of Day by Explosions in the Sky

18. Paperback Writer by The Beatles

19. Snow and Lights by Explosions in the Sky

20. Fans by Kings of Leon

21. Time Stops by Explosions in the Sky

22. Single Ladies by Beyonce

23. Champagne by 311

24. Womanizer by Britney Spears

25. Time to Pretend by MGMT

So when I saw this list, I was genuinely surprised. Everyone knows my devoted love for the Beatles, and yet they were only on here a few times. Explosions in the Sky is one of my favorite bands. They don't sing, just make beautiful music. I always listen to them when I study and before bed, so that explains why they are on here so much. When I listen to the Beatles, I always listen to the full album instead of songs on repeat. But if I had to pick my favs, they would be: Paperback Writer, Day Tripper, Helter Skelter, Back in the USSR, I Feel Fine, Get Back, Don't Let Me Down, and Come Together. That was hard.

I consider myself to be open to all sorts of music. Just don't make me listen to country music.

So sorry...

Sooo apparently I haven't blogged in over a month. My bad. I guess I just didn't have anything fun or exciting to say. Well, the same can still be said. I can always think of something, though.

This weather lately has gotten me really excited. Why, you say? Because fall is the best season of all. Without question. Fall has the best temperature, not too hot or cold, that great fall breeze...can't be beat. I love bonfires, even though I smell for a week after it...and I know that my sheets will need to be washed the next morning. I love apple cider and picking pumpkins. I love Halloween, even though I'm considered an adult now. I love Thanksgiving, and being with my neighbors who are my family. I love putting on my first sweater of the year, and taking a deep breath in, so that I can smell the distinct scent of home.

Only a couple more weeks until it's "officially" fall, but lately I have gotten a taste for it, and it makes me long for it even more.