OBX Saturday PARTY

We spent all day Saturday in the sun. Morning time was at the beach

and afternoon we spent it at the house's pool.

Well, we didn't get in the pool, but we did get in the "cold" tub to cool off. It was nice not to have a rigid schedule. I don't do that often.

Late afternoon, some friends from Va Beach made a trip down for a nice dinner at the Sanderling.

Cake and presents followed at the beach house and some gaming. I won't mention that I was in absolute last place in Apples to Apples. My friend, Rob Socia, had no mercy on this birthday girl!

OBX Friday Fun

Our first night at the beach house was filled with lots of yummy food. Adrienne made chili and then we had funnel cakes and other fried confections while we waited on Pattee to find her way.

We also discovered our love for "Would you rather..." That game literally entertained us the entire weekend. Here's one for you:

Would you rather only eat from a liquid diet or only eat things burnt to a crisp? I was alone on the burnt option...

We also made a night trip to the beach to peek at what was in store for the next day.

OBX for 3-0

I know you are all DYING to know what I did to celebrate the third decade of my life. I had an awesome girls weekend and welcomed several ladies from different parts of my life to VA. Travelers arrived planes, trains, and automobiles style on Friday and we headed south to the Outer Banks, NC. Attendees were:

Sheila Tandoc is a friend that I made while at Liberty Tax Service. She is my personal helpdesk and loves taking pictures. You can always count on her to arrive camera in hand and depend on her to post ALL pictures.

Brittany Carpenter Jepson is one of the first friends I made in kindergarden. From there we attended North Lee, BJHS, BCHS, and Lee University together. To be honest, it's weird to go to graduate school without her!

Ali "Ali-san" Krizner is another friend I made at Liberty Tax Service. She was a fellow Southern Belle in this quasi southern state. Ali has played a role in my running and has become my recipe swapping buddy.

Adrienne Wilker is my newest buddy from General Dynamics and cheese companion. She "hosted" my birthday weekend organizing the girls and our fun. We had a great time experimenting with fried confections the weekend prior.

Patricia "Pattee" Williams is a former Starbucks barista. She is also my church buddy and Half Korean, half Greek, and full FUN friend.

Karin Kramer is a an old college buddy and former neighbor. She also lived here in Va Beach when I originally moved here. She is one Hip Conservative and I can always count on her to travel to DC for an inaugural event.

Chuckle, chuckle

I sat down with a young guy this morning and shared a little bit about my current situation. He said something that was both profound and funny:

"With patience and a fast bimmer, you are going to go far."

Thanks, Mike!

Proud to be a woman

I have spent the last 20 years emotionally and intellectually involved in the GOP. So, I live for election season every 4 years. A few months ago I got wind of a possible VP selection that I found to be appealing. I told folks when we talked Veepstake speculations to watch out for the governor of Alaska. I knew this would be a valuable pick for a number of reasons. When I woke up on Friday, I was prepared to accept Mitt Romney as the pick. I was certain McCain wouldn't pick my girl. My mother called me at 8:30 to inform me the rumors started to fly and it could be Sarah Palin. The day was gone at that point. I had to keep my eyes to Foxnews.com for the story. Before I knew it, my inbox on both my phone and computer was filling up with emails about Palin. It was her! McCain picked my girl!!! I couldn't believe it. Ecstatic and elated are the best descriptions for my reaction. Gov. Palin is an amazing woman and a brilliant pick. Not only will I vote, I will vote with enthusiasm. And for the first time, I plan to participate in the campaign process in my area. I will forever remember this moment in time when a woman of character and substance, a woman that has found balance between family and career, and a woman that isn't afraid to get dirty and sweaty has the opportunity to break the glass ceiling of executive leadership in our country. I have been proud of my country many, many times before now, but I am especially proud to be a woman right now.

DMV Select

So, I have dreaded going to the DMV to title and register my car. I made a trip to a regular DMV location yesterday. If you know me at all, there are very few places that I go without my water bottle. I mean, you never know how long you will be somewhere and your mouth become parched. Upon entering the DMV, a lady told me that they could not help me until I took the water bottle out. NOTE: Do not bring any water bottles into the building. In fact, I would suggest keeping any food or drink at least at a 5 mile radius. I thought, "This is going to set the tone for this visit." I returned and was informed I didn't have the right information. Not much direction or help so that I can return for a successful trip. Well, my girlfriend at work tipped me off to the DMV Select location at the Courthouse. I made the trip this afternoon. I LOVED it! The woman was extremely helpful and courteous. Even though I didn't have a piece of info that she needed, she told me what to do to get it and then waited while I made a phone call to track it down. I let her know over and over again how appreciative I was for her pleasant disposition. I am sending a comment card and letting you know that you should visit them for all your DMV needs (except licenses because they don't do that). No wait, friendly staff, and a very nice facility. You can't go wrong. As for the DMV proper, they are on my hit list with the USPS.

FDT Wisdom

"This crisis half a world away confirms what I’ve been saying for a while: This election cycle, the traffic in the world is very heavy …and dangerous; it’s no time to give a kid with barely a learner’s permit the keys to the car." Fred D. Thompson