This New Years Weekend

I know everyone has rocking plans this New Years weekend, even those of us who live in a city where the bars can't be open on a Sunday night and therefore New Years Eve starts at 12:01 am...

I know everyone will drink, or not drink, will throw confetti or not, will wear hats and blow horns and give each other champagne toasts...

I know everyone will wear their sparkliest outfits, and kiss their loved ones at midnight and think how grateful they are at what a good year they had, or perhaps reflect on what they would have done differently, or maybe even look forward to the year to come...

Everyone will make resolutions they likely won't keep, and laugh about things that have happened, or cry over things that didn't...

It is good to do these things. I will be doing them. But perhaps you could join me and think some good thoughts for a family that truly needs it? Because Katie could really use all the prayers and good wishes she can get right now.

Her courage, strength and conviction amaze me every single day. Let them amaze you as well. You don't need to know her. You only have to know her story. You won't be sorry.

101 Things December Taught Me*

*Trust me, I won't bore you with 101

Is New Year's really soon? Like in 4 days? Wow. The time, it flies.

December has been hectic. Busy. Crazy. And what has it taught me?

1. Driving anywhere 2 days before Christmas in the rain means a lot of traffic. 10 hours? Nope. 12.
a. And when you have to rent a second car to allow for all the gifts you are driving up that won't fit in the SUV? Perhaps that is time to reconsider how many gifts you are giving.

2. It is so nice to have the kind of friendship with someone where when you haven't seen them in 8 months you can get together and in seconds it is like you have never been apart.

3. It is even better when that friend throws you a 2nd bachelorette party, for just the two of you, proving that it isn't the size of the party that is important but the people who attend it. Thanks Laynie, it was mucho fun. If you ever get around to sending me the pictures (hint hint) I will even post the bad ones of me!
a. And the night gets better with a visit from Kendra, her sister and some jumbo pizza. Trust me on this.
b. A slice of jumbo pizza at 3:30 AM doesn't mean you won't be hungry when you wake up. Likely you will. That is due to the beer and amaretto sours consumed the night before.
c. Wearing a sticker that says "I'm getting hitched in 22 days" either makes sleazy men hit on you more or non sleazy men offer their apologies.
d. It also somehow attracted the two Brits in the bar to talk to us. And then I was lectured why I should live in Fulham instead of Wimbledon. Thanks dude, you may be from Fulham but you live in DC. Keep your comments to yourself.
e. His name was St0rm. Would you have listened to him? Yep, me neither.

4. Christmas takes on a whole new meaning when it involves a 3.5 year old.

5. Being woken up at 7:30 by the 3.5 year old screaming "It's Christmas!!" doesn't make you cringe but instead makes you realize how fortunate you really are.
a. And nothing will probably ever be as funny as watching him say "Don't hate the player, hate the game!" Yes, he is 3.5. The things my brother teaches him probably shouldn't amuse me, but they do.

6. Your 3.5 year nephew can get all the presents in the world, and he actually may have, but the ones he really wants to play with? They all belong to his almost 1 year old brother. Somehow I don't think that will ever change.

7. But it's okay, because your almost 1 year old nephew really only wants to play with the tissue paper and gift bags anyway. And perhaps an empty box now and then.
a. However this is the same almost 1 year old who eats falafel. And hummus. And likes it!
b. He also loves Country Roads. It is truly baby magic. It calms him down almost instantly, no matter who is singing it. And trust me, none of us sing well. Maybe Cris, but she is it.

8. LV under the tree makes this girl very, very happy

9. Just because an Emergency Room looks empty doesn't mean the wait won't be long, even at 11 PM at night.
a. It was my mom. She has walking pneumonia. She will be okay.
b. But it will never fail to break my heart when I see her in pain. I can't even imagine what it will be like when I have kids.
c. Country Roads doesn't have the same effect on my mom.

10. When you decide to drive back at noon and hope you make it back in 10 hours you should just laugh.
a. Because 10 turns into 11 into 12 into 13.
b. Every single retired person in the North drove South last night. And they all took 77 South. Thanks for that. The one hour we drove 5 miles? That was awesome.

11. During the 13 hour drive you hear lots of the same songs over. and over. and over.
a. Beyonce? We get it. He is not irreplaceable. And your stuff is to the left.
b. The Fray really knows How To Save A Life
c. And Tequila makes her clothes fall on the floor. Every time. God love the areas with only country music, right (or really not!)? If nothing else they never fail to amuse.

12. I do actually have self restraint! Because if not what I would have said to the heavily pregnant woman chain smoking next to her 8 year old daughter in the Diner in D0bson, NC would not have been pleasant.

13. I have waited 31 years to get married. 29 years to meet the person I want to marry. And yet the last 3 weeks without him seem like forever. And the next two weeks till I marry him? Longer than forever.

14. I am getting married! Like, soon!
a. No. I don't have it all done. But it's getting there.

I have so many photos. But those will come later. Now I have wedding stuff to do. Cause remember? 2 weeks!

The Pink Pig to Bachelorette to Arizona and Back

Holy. Moly. It has been a busy few days, and it is nice to just have a second to sit, and breathe, and relax. Because tomorrow the fun starts all over!

Saturday morning we took Landon to see the Pink Pig, an Atlanta tradition. Given the 74 degree weather standing in line was not so bad, the ride was cute, and Landon enjoyed it.







Stephanie came in from Charlotte for my bachelorette party, which was more fun than I ever could have imagined. I have so many people to thank for it, but especially to Rachel, Stephanie, Merrill and Maya who helped plan the embarassment free evening. Mostly. Although getting someone to apply my lip gloss was slightly embarassing. But I took it all like a trooper, getting almost everything on my list, and even meeting several British people in the process. How we ended up at a bar with more Brits than Americans in Atlanta is beyond me! And of course...HITW, my favorite!

I danced on the stage...


Merrill joined me...


And then Maya joined us...


Stephanie, Neil and Nancy struck a pose


And then Neil ate Rachel's bracelet...


I was so happy John and Dustin were part of it, looking ever so cute...


I took a breather from the dance floor for my wonderful matron of honor and lifelong friend Rachel...


I am fairly certain Sissy and Kara were singing either to I Love Rock and Roll or Pour Some Sugar On Me...


And look! Back on the stage!



I wish I could post more of me. But I don't like the way most of them turned out, shocking right? And I think lots of pictures were taken by others, so maybe if some good ones happened I will share those.

But likely not.

Really? I had an excellent night. My friends are great, and I am glad my mom and Cris were part of it at the beginning. Now, 24 days, and the wedding!

Early yesterday we left and flew out to Vegas and drove to Kingman to visit my grandmother. I wanted to spend some time with her before the wedding since I knew it would be hectic and crazy and I am so glad we did.

However. It was 74 here yesterday. It was 74 when we landed. And in Vegas? And Kingman? In the 40s. And low 30s. And snow. SNOW.

We had lunch, and dinner. We saw a store called Ye Olde English Shoppe, which sold English foods and tea. If you knew how small this town was you would know how weird this is, and out of place, but it was closed on Mondays so I just took a picture of the outside, because it was just so bizarre.

We saw tons of Christmas lights. Those desert folks know how to illuminate, it was like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation all over the place!





Then my dad wanted to do a photo shoot, so we did...





We said goodbye early today, and we will see her in three weeks for the wedding, and I am so happy she can come out for it, it is a long trip but I know she wouldnt miss it!

On the way from Kingman to Vegas, about 90 miles, there was so much snow, which is very unusual. So of course my dad and I had to keep stopping for pictures!








So. Let's recap. Friday night? Christmas party. Saturday? Pink Pig. Saturday night? Bachelorette Party. Sunday? Dress fitting. Monday? Leave for Arizona. Tuesday? Return from Arizona. Tomorrow? Thursday? Shop. Wrap. Shop. Wrap. Wedding stuff. Wrap. Friday? Drive to DC.

This is not a relaxing vacation for me at all!

The Correct Way To Blow A Nose

Several years ago my dad and I were on a trip to Chile and then Easter Island. It was a place we had both wanted to go, and it was something we had been looking forward to for months. On our arrival in Santiago I felt a little worn down. We took another flight to a town further up in Chile, near the Atacama Desert, and once we landed and drove a few hours I was done, I was so sick I didn't know what to do.

We arrived at the hotel and everyone thought it was altitude sickness, so they promised to bring me tea after they made my bed. Literally, they made my bed. They brought out wood, a hammer, some nails, and pounded my bed together. My dad's bed had been premade, so while waiting on that I drank some cocoa tea that was so hot when I took a sip that I didn't know whether to swallow it or spit it out and so just kept it in my mouth long enough that it managed to scald the entire inside of my mouth.

Fast forward two days, two long days and nights of me not being able to eat, or hear as my ears were so clogged, or breathe and actually asking my dad in the middle of the night if I was going to die. We arrived back in Santiago, after a flight during which I asked if it was physically possible for my head to explode from the pressure (and I was 27, so deep down I knew it wasn't.)

We debated going on to Easter Island but I insisted, so 6 hours later we landed on the world's most remote inhabited island. It was awesome, with a runway long enough for the space shuttle to land in case of emergency, and Moai statues everywhere. Unfortunately my cold was still there, and worse.

The next day, facing a $90,000 charge if I got so sick I had to be airlifted off the island, we headed to the 'emergency room', or the trailer in the town with movie posters all over the walls. It had a dirt floor, or rather a floor covered in dirt, and when they called us back they didn't change the garbage bag they had covering the bed. My dad had said no shots, and when they said I had a bad infection and needed shots my dad said 'ok' and sold me upriver! Fortunately the shots straight in the behind worked wonders and I got better pretty quickly, and we enjoyed the rest of our trip.

Later on he said to me he felt bad because during these 3 or 4 days he realized something, something so crucial and so important that he felt he and my mom had failed as parents in this one place.

I didn't know how to blow my nose properly.

Clearly I thought I did, but he begged to differ. So it has become a family joke that I don't know to blow my nose.

Fast forward to last night. I am staying in Landon's room at my parent's house, since he has two twin beds and it is cute to wake up to him singing, and, well, I have no place of my own anymore. However my poor nephew has a cold and has been waking up all night congested. So last night he woke up and asked me to blow his nose.

Guess what? I did it wrong, as he pointed out, and I then received, at who knows what time in the middle of the night, a lesson on how to blow a nose. From a 3.5 year old. And he was a pretty good instructor! Obviously Grover and Cris tackled this at the right age!

Tonight is my bachelorette party. I am excited yet slightly filled with fear at what my friends will do to me! But not to worry, I am confident there will be pictures to tell the story of my evening for all to see!

A Vienne Vonderland!

Ah, back from Vienna. Back from London actually, sitting in the 70 degree weather of Atlanta, enjoying getting my bangs trimmed and Target and Tivo and my parents and my beloved Persian food, and well, you know, all of the good stuff except for Lee. But that, my friends, will change in a mere 25 days when he arrives...and in 31 days when we get married. Married!

Anyway, Vienna was, as I said, vonderful! Aside from a quick mishap with the hotel and being shuffled to a different Hilton which actually ended up being better than the first, we spent the entire time just enjoying the mostly nice weather and the Christmas markets and the food. Lots and lots of food.

As usual the best way to tell the story, when you are me at least, is through pictures -

The Christmas Market by our hotel



Lee in front of the palace. The palace of many, many photos



My favorite street food, a huge pretzel! And a really, really bad punsch. Or what I liked to refer to as grain alcohol. They pretty much taste the same. And children all over Vienna were sucking it down like there was no tomorrow. On second thought there may not be for them if that continues!


From the pretzel to St. Stephen's Cathedral...we had to fight our way in and then back out again...


There were carriages everywhere. I guess my Dr Zhivago fantasy wasn't that far off!


Interlude for self portrait number one!


And an example of when self portraits go bad, or rather when Andrea forgets to unzoom the camera...


A fountain. Pretty much just a fountain. But in Vienna! Austria! And some good pictures regardless!



Again with Hofburg palace...


And now Karlskirche Church, with another Christmas market, and some really unfortunate tasting Amaretto punsch. Apparently amaretto isn't always my favorite drink!



Once inside the Church we took the world's sketchiest elevator ride to the top...

where we encountered up close and personal the artwork. Most were really beautiful, and some? Well some were kind of bizarre...


We headed to town hall for the biggest Christmas market and became completely overwhelmed with tourists and booths...



So naturally we had to go get a beer. It was just like Oktoberfest, except, well, not...



The rest of the day was spent not going out in the rain, or rather starting to and turning around, going into a store to buy a drink and instead buying popcorn and then realizing we weren't in a store at all but in fact we were in a movie theatre. We realized this when the woman asked me, in German, what movie we wanted to see. Apparently I look Austrian or German and Lee does not, since I got spoken to in German constantly and he never did! Instead we ate our popcorn in the 'lobby' and went back to the hotel and called it a night.

We woke up to much cooler weather, and the bluest skies imaginable...and off to the Christmas market we went!



It was at this point that our day just turned into consuming every food we could, so here you go...









We did actually see things at the markets other than food...



And then it was cold. Did you know gloves with no fingers don't keep you so warm?


Self Portrait Number 2 Interlude...


And then I couldn't see from my hat, so I turned it around and voila, a beret!


And the palace, again. For old time's sake.


And then, we were tired. We stopped at Sparky's bar and grill, had a beer, one last self portrait, and called it a day...



Now, if those pictures weren't enough, if they just wet your palette for a little more? Click here and check them all out...but be warned that I am too tired and too lazy to caption them, so go ahead and look, but your guess is as good as mine as to what it all really is!