The Long Way There

In a play off of the lyrics from a song by one of my daddy's favorite bands (Take the Long Way Home, Supertramp), this post is brought to you by my lovely husband, Alex.  He recently returned from a work trip to Hawaii, in which I asked him to compile a list of tips or suggestions for surviving long plane rides.  With lots of folks heading out on long trips to visit family for the holidays, I thought this might be something worth sharing (that, and my internet time has been consumed by baby registry research/Christmas-Anniversary shopping, so I needed something to fill the space here!).  And without further ado, read on!

5 Ways to Entertain Yourself … On a 12-hour Plane Ride 

When on a chartered flight from Monroe to San Francisco to Honolulu, you have to find ways to pass the time as total flying time is about 10-10.5 hours and then add in another 1.5 hours of a layover to refuel.

What is one to do on a flight of that length?  Below are the things that I did to help pass the time.

1 – Listen to music.

I got a bunch of new CDs for my birthday which was just about 10 days earlier, so I loaded them all up on my phone and jammed out. Everything from Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley to American Authors and Imagine Dragons. Listening to all of that got me about 2.5 hours or so, so that was a tremendous help.

2 – Read a book.

I had been working on a book for most of the football season but I finally got around to finishing The Closer by Mariano Rivera. Not a NY Yankee fan by any stretch of the imagination, but he was one of the greatest pitchers ever and a class act of a guy. It is a great book, definitely worth the read. Anyway, finishing out about the last third of the book or so got me on the ground in San Fran. So leg one of the trip was in the books.

3 – See what others are doing / stand up.

Some of the athletic training staff that I was seated near used Snapchat to play hangman, it was rather entertaining to watch. Also, don’t sit the entire time, you have to get up and move around – pending no turbulence obviously.

During our layover, we were able to get off the plane and stretch our legs on the jetway, just to give us a break. After refueling and putting meals on the plane we headed off for Honolulu.

4 – Eat.

After take off and once the seat belt sign went off, I grabbed my food box which was nothing more than a ham sandwich, chips and an apple. Regardless it was much needed and combined with my snack bag that I had brought on the plane, I was all set for leg two of the trip.

5 – Movies.

Thanks to a Google Play card from my wife for my birthday, I rented some movies to watch on my tablet to help pass the time. I watched The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (a comedy) and Southpaw (action/drama). The first was funny, to me at least, and I had meant to watch it several years ago, but just now got around to it. The second movie was great, if you haven’t seen Southpaw then you need to do so ASAP! It has some rather sad and dark parts, but it is a great movie.

Watching two movies (I watched Horrible Bosses on the return trip) and talking to those around me took most of the trip to Hawaii; so there you have it, what do to on a plane for 10-12 hours.

I hope this helps to jump start ideas entertainment on any upcoming flights you have! 

Alex

-
Notes from the wife: 

A few weeks before Alex's trip, I came across this post that included some great ideas for getting him set up for the long flights.  Wet wipes, medication, neck pillow (yes, the one they mentioned) and snacks...I made sure Alex had everything he might possibly need to stay comfortable on the trip.  I also started a (private) Pinterest board for travel ideas, so be sure to let me know if you'd like to see it.

-Lauren 

And He's Off! (GBB, Vol. 5)

At the risk of getting too sappy over here, Alex left for a work trip to Hawaii on Wednesday, and today's the last day to join Betsy for her Guys Behind the Blog link-up, so here I am!  Sports are totally Alex's thing (well, work-wise, not so much in the athleticism department), which means he jumped at the chance to answer these questions when they were posted a few weeks ago.  Go ahead, warm your leftovers, sit back and learn more about the wonderful man also known as my husband! 

1. What sports did you participate in as a child? What sports did you watch growing up?

In my early athletic days, I played baseball and soccer. Soccer, was pretty much what you would expect, a mass amoeba of kids that just ran after the ball, I was about the only one that understood my position of defender, so me and the goalkeeper on my team basically just chatted most of the game, it was boring so I only played for one year. Baseball was by far my best sport, I played from tee ball all the way until the end of middle school, so a pretty good little run for 8 or 9 years. I did play football and basketball as well - football in sixth grade and basketball between fourth grade and seventh grade. I still enjoy playing basketball, but at 31, the wide open jumpshot is my best move.

Growing up, I watched baseball, basketball, and football. On Saturday's my dad and I would get a pizza from Dominos and watch whatever the ACC game of the week was on what used to be the Raycom Sports Game of the Week. Basketball was always fun to watch too, especially when I got older and my parents let me stay up late and watch 9 PM Duke-North Carolina games as well as the National Championship. Baseball, my favorite, was more enjoyable in person than on TV, but I went to a lot of Carolina Mudcats games growing up which was fun.

2. If you could line up your ideal Super Bowl, who would be facing off, where would they play and who would you pick to win?

Carolina Panthers playing anyone from the AFC, doesn't matter who, as long as the Panthers win.

3. Do you prefer the summer or winter Olympics? If you could participate in one Olympic sport, what would it be?

Both have events that I like to watch, so I don't have a true favorite as they also have events I care nothing about.

I would like to participate in curling, only if I was the guy that pushes the stone toward the target; the sport seems simple enough, especially since the people with the brooms do all of the work.

4. What is your favorite food to eat at a sports party (ex: World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, etc.)?

Chips and Dip. Put that in front of me and I am good to go.

5. Who is your all time favorite athlete and why?

Gonna go with two players here. It's funny - I am not a New York Yankees fan, never have been, never will be, but two of the classiest players, in my mind that ever played the game played for NYY. Derek Jeter "the Captain" and Mariano Rivera, probably the greatest closer in the history of the game played for NYY, but they are probably my two favorite athletes.

There you have it, a little snippet from the guy behind this blog!  Is there a man in your life?  If so, you should totally consider handing over the reigns every once in a while (or month, heh) and linking up with Betsy for lots of fun.  

Until next time.

-Lauren

An Ode to the Mister

I know I've been pretty MIA around here.  Things are busy and boring all at the same time, which means there has been a lot on our plates, very little of which lends itself to photo ops or blog-worthy sharing.  Heck, I think it's been almost a month since I posted on Instagram.

In any case, Alex celebrated his 31st birthday on the 15th and I have been wanting to take a few minutes to honor him here.  I could gush for hours, but it's a little harder to put into words exactly what he means to me...

Alex puts me first in all that he does.  He thinks of me always, goes out of his way to make things easier for me, and sacrifices himself or his desires for the good of mine before all else.

Tangibly, this translates to cooking dinner several times a week (namely anything chicken these days), getting up to retrieve for X item (water/cough drops/snacks) upon request, allll the errands, and the list goes on.

Sure, everyone loves their husband and thinks they're the best in the world, but I 100% believe it over here.  We're perfect for each other, and I am so glad he's in my life.

And for this, I am thankful.

Happy (belated) Birthday.  I love you, Alex.
-Lauren

Fall in Love with...Alex (GBB Vol. 4)

I can't believe it's been 7 months since Alex has taken over for a "Guy Behind the Blog" post!  He asks to post every once in a while, but schedules get in the way and we tend to miss the link-up with Betsy.  But not this time!  Volume 4 is a "fall" edition, so cozy up and settle in to learn a little more about the guy behind Here We Geaux.

1 // We’re headed into fall, which means cooler temps for most of us…are you a warm weather or cold weather kind of guy?
Cold ... Because It is easier to bundle up and pull layers off... In Louisiana in the summer, the heat and humidity is brutal, and one can't simply take off his/her skin.

2 // What's the best Halloween costume you've ever worn?

This one takes a little bit of explaining... In undergrad, I went to a Halloween party dressed in a blue sweatshirt and sweat pants with cotton balls taped to me and a super soaker water gun... The end result ... I was partly cloudy with a chance of rain - and anytime someone asked what I was, I told them and sprayed them with the super soaker.

(Side note from Lauren:  Is this not the most hilarious thing ever?? I don't know how I'd never heard this story before, but I love it.)

3 // What's your favorite Halloween candy? 

Candy corn. Hands down.

4 // What are your favorite parts of fall (ex: football, the weather, Thanksgiving, etc)?

The weather, though I am not sure it will ever get cooler here again... Thanksgiving is always good, I like to eat and then lay on the couch for a few hours... My birthday, though I am turning 31, so the years are starting to increase rather quickly, sorry to be a debbie downer.

5 // How do you feel about pumpkin spice lattes? (As a joke question hahaha)

Not a coffee guy, so I have no feels.

There you have it, a little snippet from the guy behind this blog!  Is there a man in your life?  If so, you should totally consider handing over the reigns every once in a while (or month, heh) and linking up with Betsy for lots of fun.  

Until next time.

-Lauren

Another Inside Look: GBB Vol. 3

I hope you are not totally hating this monthly insider perspective from Mr. Alex, because I am totally loving handing the blog over to him on a regular basis.  It also gives him something fun to do during long bus rides (RE: 15 hours to Boone, NC), and I happen to learn a little more about him each time, as well...

1 // Do you have a good luck charm or ritual (like a lucky coin, or you always used to listen to a certain pump-up song when you played sports in high school?)

I don't really have a charm or a ritual, but being a baseball SID, I will tend to be somewhat superstitious - whether it is wearing a certain shirt, using a lucky pen, or for example at Appalachian State - we lost the first two games, so I sat in a different seat in the press box for the series finale (and we won!!).   

Bubble Pizza at its finest.

2 // What is your favorite dish that your wife makes for you?  Do you have any fun memories of a time when she tried to cook and it totally flopped, or does she get it right every time?  

Well, typically the wife and I cook meals together so it is hard to say a favorite dish that she "makes"...But I am a fan of tortellini; I realize that is a simple meal, but it is really good and I am a fan so that's what we are going with.  The only time I really recall a meal flopping was from early on...back when we first started dating.  We tried to make bubble pizza, however the dough never really cooked, and we had to keep putting it back in the oven until we finally got it somewhat cooked.  It turned out okay, but we never tried it again.  (Funny, I was thinking about that bubble pizza not too long ago...what a disaster.)

3 // What did you want to be when you were growing up? 

Growing up, I wanted to do something banking-related.  I thought the people that worked at the bank got to keep all the money they were given so I figured everyone was really rich and I wanted to have lots of money too!  (Oh the imaginations of children!)

Hey, at least he didn't want to be pipe smoking firefighter...

4 // Which of the five senses is your strongest?

Easy question!  Hearing...just kidding.  Lauren knows that is not the truth.  I have an awful sense of hearing, so that is out.  My eyesight is also terribly poor, so that is out too.  I like food, so let's go with taste...does that count?  

5 // Would you ever run for President of the USA?

No, politicians piss me off and I would likely punch someone on the campaign trail or on Capitol Hill.  So no, not for me.

It's all a facade. ;)

What an interesting conversation!  I had no idea banking was in Alex's future..lol.  Is there a man in your life?  If so, you should totally consider handing over the reigns every once in a while (or month, heh) and linking up with Betsy for lots of fun.  

Until next time.

-Lauren

Better Late than Never - A Birthday Trip

You may remember that Alex celebrated his 30th birthday back in November.  Since we have no family and friends nearby, it broke my heart for us not to be able to make a big deal out of the celebration.  In an attempt to make it up to him, I planned a weekend getaway to a secret destination after football ended in early December...Hot Springs, Arkansas.

At one point, I planned on heading to see the Christmas lights in Natchitoches, but further research indicated more exciting things to do in Hot Springs.  Then I lucked into being offered a free condo (a friend's parents' condo) for the weekend and that pretty much sealed the deal.  And let me say...that condo was sweeeeeeet.

We couldn't leave until after work on Friday and it was super foggy, so we arrived pretty late due to the four hour drive. On Saturday morning, we explored downtown Hot Springs, did quite a bit of Christmas shopping, and enjoyed our time exploring together.  We also stopped in at the local casino (which is really a horse track, just out of season) for a bit.

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is enjoy eateries that we don't have in Monroe.  Being back in Arkansas meant that I wanted to eat everything that reminded me of Little Rock, and then some. For lunch, we ate at the Dixie Cafe, then planned to grab a milkshake at Purple Cow after a faaaabulous Chinese dinner buffet.  Unfortunately, we had to scrap our plans for the Christmas lights at Garvan Gardens due to traffic, but that purple peanut butter milkshake made it allllllllllll worthwhile.

And finally, on our way home, I introduced Alex to geocaching as he scored his first-ever cache in the middle of nowhere, just north of the Louisiana state line.

The funny thing about this dog is that he was mentioned in the clues for finding the location.  LoL.

I'd say the trip to Hot Springs was well worth our time, and I would absolutely visit again (maybe in warmer weather?).  Since making this trip, I read about Stephanie's babymoon trip to Eureka Springs, and she definitely has made me want to visit there.  I mean, who could argue with sleeping in a treehouse or a castle?!  That drive is nearly twice the distance for us, so not great for a weekend, but maybe a vacation one day...So where is your favorite place to take a weekend trip?

-Lauren

He's Baaaack - GBB Vol. 2

Alex enjoyed his first takeover here so much that he asked to do it again...and whattaya know, Betsy made it a regular thing, so here we are.  The Guy Behind the Blog, Volume 2.

1 // If you could write a book, what topic would you write about and why?

Well I love sports, so that is probably a topic I would write about - maybe my journeys around the country as an SID, things I have seen, and special student-athletes I have worked with, etc.  However, my book would probably be shorter than the average 250- to 300-page book, since my wife doesn't allow me to watch sports at home.  :)  (I'd like to object to this comment...but...it's true...)

2 // What is one thing on your bucket list, or one thing that you'd like to do or accomplish in your lifetime?

I have always wanted to visit London, Rome, and Paris, but with all of the terrorism BS we have to deal with, I think I will just keep myself planted in the U.S. for the time being. As far as something I would like to accomplish, I have always wanted to own rental property - you know, enough of an income to where I don’t have to have a 9-to-5 job.

3 // If you could look out your window and only see one view for the rest of your life, what would you want to see?

Water – whether it be ocean, river, lake, etc.

4 // Imagine you're opening a shop.  What are you selling?

Whatever makes me the most money – I don’t know, something trendy, but something that I also know about, so I can make the most sales possible. (If we knew the answer to this one - we'd already have the shop and be working that business instead of for The Man.)

Yes, we know this is the tiniest fish on the planet - it's a goof photo.

5 // If you could have 50lbs of anything other than money, what would it be?

Live crawfish…that would stay alive until I could cook and eat them all.

6 // Time to brag on your girl...tell us one thing that makes you proud of your wife!  

I am proud of how passionate she can be about certain things… It may not make sense to you, but to me it does – so there you go.

Okay, so these questions weren't quite as fun as the last set, but I do always enjoy sitting back and letting Alex take over.  Is there a man in your life?  If so, you should totally consider handing over the reigns every once in a while (or month, heh) and linking up with Betsy for lots of fun.  

Until next time.

-Lauren

Us, According to Him

Since I took a seven month hiatus from the blog before/after we were married, I never really took the time to say a whole lot about our wedding or the details that went into planning it.  As the cliche "engagement season" (December to February) winds down, and the resulting "wedding season" (April-August?)  gears up, I would like to take the time to recap of the features from our wedding.  Now, I know not everyone gets excited about wedding stuff on blogs, but I really do want to have this to look back on years from now...just in case some of the details fade from memory.

Allow me to present... the first installment of Wedding Wednesday.

Today's post is kind of a long one, but it takes a little bit of a different approach - Us, According to Him.

Our Story

(Shared from Alex's perspective)
The First "Date":We both agreed, at the time, and to this day, that our first meeting was an awful experience.  I was in the Old North State for the USC Upstate / NC State basketball game on Dec. 11, 2010.  The "meeting" took place on Dec. 10 and it well, was not something to remember. I drove to Raleigh from my mom's house (Dunn) and met up with Chris and Kara and we drove to Lauren's apartment complex before going to Krispy Kreme. Very few words were exchanged between Lauren and I, it wound up being more of me interacting with Chris and leaving Lauren and Kara to enjoy each others company. The quartet went and looked at Christmas lights in downtown Raleigh before calling it a night... and before it was over, Lauren made fun of my car and in her mind really made me angry. Lauren went back to Louisiana for the Christmas holidays while I returned home for a few days before returning to Spartanburg.

The Next Step:
A few days after the less than spectacular meeting, I decided to contact Lauren and just say it was nice to meet her. We conversed here and there and I figured it was worth a shot to schedule another "date", just the two of us and see if it went any better.

I really don't like dogs, but C.J.'s pitiful "please love me face" melted my heart.

The Second Date:
I left Spartanburg early on the morning of Jan. 9, 2011 and drove to Raleigh for lunch and bowling with Lauren. We ate lunch at Crazy Fire, a Mongolian place. It was really good minus the slightly undercooked calamari. (Haha) After lunch, we went to the bowling alley and bowled two games. Neither of us did well - I barely cracked 100 and that was the first game. After bowling, we went back to Lauren's apartment and watched the movie "Heavyweights" before I got back on the road and headed back to the 'burg. Date two went tons better than number one, so that was a plus.

A week later:
Lauren came to visit me in Spartanburg and told all of her friends my phone number and address in case she went missing - I guess she thought I was some crazy person. I had just gotten back from a basketball road trip, so we just hung out and watched movies and enjoyed each other's company. That was the same weekend Lauren became my girlfriend (on January 16, 2011, to be exact) - pretty bold, yes I know.

3 months into dating, March 2011

~Insert 15 month interlude involving Lauren's completion of her Master's Degree, her move to Little Rock, AR for employment, and the resulting long-distance relationship that continued to develop between us.~  

Fast forward to Easter Weekend 2012:
I arrived in Little Rock on April 4th to spend Easter weekend with Lauren and her family in Abbeville, LA. On April 5th, Lauren had to work so I just ran errands around town and etc.  While out and about, ULM (my new employer) called to set up a phone interview and restart the search for the Director of Media Relations Position. It started a crazy week of 6 phone interviews and at the end I had a on-campus interview set up for April 23-24th.

Back to the previous story, Lauren got off work at 5 pm, so I went to pick her up and then we had a picnic on a big rock at her apartment complex. Lauren and I talked about her day and I knocked the lunchbox off of the rock and jumped down and got it. While continuing to talk I reached inside and pulled out the wedding ring and asked Lauren to marry me... It took her a few moments but she screamed, "YES," for all to hear. I also had her neighbors hide and take photos. Afterwards we made the usual phone calls and then went out to dinner to enjoy being with each other.

We went down to Louisiana on Friday and it was a great weekend showing off the diamond and telling everyone about how it happened and begin Lauren's favorite part - the planning.

If you stuck around for the whole story, mad props to you!  What can we expect in future WW posts?  Oh, don't worry, there's a whole laundry list of ideas, including The Lineup (people involved), a shower I didn't expect to have, creative gift ideas, traditions, etc, etc.  Additional "guest" posts may even appear at some point.

Cheers.

-Lauren



Note:  "Our Story" was originally written in 2012 featured on our wedding website, hosted by Shutterfly. 

Also featured in the Wedding Wednesday Series:

The Lineup

The Guy Behind the Blog

Don't let the silence around here fool you...thanks to Bonnie's annual Sheenazing Awards, I have been reading blogs like a madwoman for the last few weeks.  I fell into the habit of checking out the list of nominees, and now I feel like I just might miss my next virtual BFF if I don't make it through the entire list.  With abuncha categories and abuncha great nominees, this task is taking for-freakin-ever.

But see, today I came across something that just might kick me out of this rut, and voila, it might all be worth it.  Without further ado, I present to you...The Guy Behind the Blog.

Obviously, Alex has made appearances here on the blog quite a few times, and he's even featured on the About page.  Other than that, it's been radio silence from the Mister.  When I came across this link-up, I became super excited about the possibility of letting him take over every once in a while.  So here's Round One for you!

Introduce yourself! 

Legen.....wait for it.... dary! Legendary!  Why not start out with a quote from a show that my wife despised but she is glad the show is now off the air (How I Met Your Mother)?  I work in athletic media relations where I serve as the media contact for football and baseball.  You know the guy that coordinates interviews, monitors Twitter to make sure athletes are posting craziness and serving as the official scorer for baseball (the guy who rules Hit or Error and gets booed no matter the call).  So aside from being called an SID, I am @Geaux_Lauren's better half.  :)  

What do you think about my blog and What do I blog about?

I like your blog and your desire to blog about things that matter or just life in general.

What is your favorite post I’ve written?
Hmmm... That is a tough one. I guess anytime that there is a blog that talks about me as it means I am on the good list and haven't done anything recently to deserve a face palm.

Have you ever had a blog or have you ever considered starting one?

I have considered it, but since I write for a living, the thought of writing more than I have to, meh, I'll pass.

If you could be a member of any band, which one would it be?

The guitar hero band... That is the only band where I can be off and no one will know!

Valentine’s Day is on the horizon…are you the date-planner type or do you fly by the seat of your pants?  
Date-Planner, clearly! The wife will tell you that I am all about plans, I don't like not knowing a plan, haha.

Tell us about a date-night-gone-wrong for you and your wife.  
HAHAHAHA, just go back to one of Lauren's 2011 blog and you can read all about it. #OurFirstDate (He's actually referring to this post.) 

And let’s cover all the topics…sports…who are you rooting for in the Superbowl and why? 

I am rooting for hilarious commercials... I don't like the Seahawks b/c of Lynch and his lack of interest in talking to the media; no athlete really likes talking to the media, but it comes with the territory and he is the only one that seems to take issue with it. Meanwhile, the Patriots have won several Super Bowls over the year, so they have won their share, but I suppose I don't want a repeat winner (Seattle won it last year). Also I am not a Katy Perry fan so I won't watch the halftime show... I guess after writing all of this, the wife may not let me watch the game, so be sure to ask her in the future if I "got" to watch Super Bowl 49 or not.

There you have it, folks!  Hopefully you enjoyed this little guest post courtesy of "Mister Alex."  If you're a collegiate sports fan, you're welcome to follow him on Twitter via @ABEdwards1.  In the mean time, I'm going to tackle another post for next week, while your favorite SID enjoys poker night with the guys.  

TGIF.

-Lauren

P.S. For more TGBB, be sure to check out Betsy at Heavens to Betsy.  Thanks for hosting!