Dirty 30: Memories with Christy

It's time for another entry in my Dirty 30 series!  Christy celebrated her big 3-0 exactly a week ago, and she's more than deserving of a special spot in this series.

Christy and I met in February 2009 as we settled in for a semester of working as Program Assistants (fancy term for DC tour guides) at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD.  She and I, along with seven other 20-somethings from across the United States shared a residence that semester, and boy did we make some great memories.  I blogged fairly often that season, so feel free to hop around and catch up on any of my posts with the following tags: DC, Warren Hall, tour guide, or internship (though some may be sprinkled with posts published before or after my stent there).

Currently, Christy lives in southwestern Ohio and works as a 4-H Educator and County Director in the area. An Ohio native, she received her bachelor's degree from THE Ohio State, and Master's at Purdue University.  Aside from her time in Washington, D.C., Christy has also briefly worked in Texas and Wisconsin before making her way back home to Ohio.  She occasionally blogs over at Traveling Soul.

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite memories with Christy:

30 Memorable Moments with Christy

• Studying for the DC Tour Guide exam - 200 questions and even more pages worth of material to memorize.  Suffice to say we were all relieved when that was over. 
• Hanging out on "the meranda."  Forget relaxing on the balcony of our three story residence...at Warren Hall, it was called The Meranda.  
• Throwing notes to each other over the cubicle walls. 
• To celebrate my first-ever official snow day, Christy taught me how to build a snowman!
• ...And then we spent the afternoon sledding down the hill behind our residence on lunch trays from the Clover Cafe. 

• Exploring Bethesda.  Whether it be an evening walk, or Saturday stroll, Christy and I made the two mile trek to Bethesda on the regular.  Restaurants, shopping, and even neighborhood parks were all a part of the fun. 
• Playing Mardi Gras, eating King Cake.  When my mom sent me a care package for Mardi Gras, everyone went crazy for the goods.  Christy was most interested in learning about the traditions, and of course, enjoying the delicious king cake.
• Watching J referee an ice hockey game at the world-renowned Chevy Chase Country Club.  To this day, one of the most bizarre memories I have from that whole experience.  It was my first ice hockey game (I didn't even know kids actually played ice hockey) and my housemate was the referee.  I think the parents in attendance were equally confused at wondering who the rowdy college-age bunch was and what we were doing there in the first place. 
• Training Week scavenger hunt.  Our first real experience navigating DC on our own.  We barely even knew each other at that point.
• Turning someone else's cake into my birthday celebration.  Leave it to your roommates/coworkers/poor (basically) college students to snag leftovers from a client's party cake and shape the icing into your initials so you could celebrate your 22nd birthday.

• St. Patrick's Day Parade.  When in Rome DC, you partake in all the festivals...because, DC!
• Cherry Blossom Festival - parade, pictures, pampering. 
• Running up the down escalator.  Yep, you read that right. And no, it's not as easy as it sounds.
• Warren Hall Olympics. When you live with 8 other 20-somethings from across the country, the entertainment possibilities are endless. 
• Our day trip to Baltimore...trapeze school?!

• Magaritas as big as our heads, on more than one occasion.
• The Warren Hall water fight.  While I didn't partake, it was quite the view from the meranda that day. 
• WMZQ Fest.  What could be better - great weather, 11 country music performers, and a girls day trip to Virginia??
• P.A. Adventure Day:  lunch at Ben's Chilli Bowl, touring a real row house, and going to the top of the Washington Monument to celebrate before the new kids moved in. 
• Paddle boating on the Potomac.  Again, because DC.

• Leaving our mark in the concrete.  One day we're going to return and see if "WaHa '09" is still there.
• WaHa Reunion weekend.  A year and a half later, 7 of the 9 original housemates reunited for an entire weekend...epic indeed. 
• Pondering life at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. 
• Playing leap frog on the National Mall. 
• Showing you around N.C. State as you pondered grad school options. 

• Letting you take shots for me during my bachelorette party. 
• Sharing Nanna's gumbo with you. 
• Hearing stories of your trip to the marsh with Stu Daddy while I got pampered for my big day. 
• Watching you have a great time at our wedding. 
• Reuniting with you nearly two years later at our work conference in Minneapolis, MN. 

While most of the memories Christy and I share took place in the Washington, DC, area, we still maintain regular contact (thanks, Voxer!!) and Christy remains one of the most loyal friends I have ever met.  Her "Dirty 30" celebrations involved last-minute free concert tickets to see Garth Brooks last weekend, as well as a spur the moment reunion with one of our DC housemates as he dragged her to a wedding in Indiana this weekend. I'm sure she'll continue the celebrations on her trip to Portland for a work conference next week.  Christy, I wish you all the best for many years to come!

Happy Birthday.

Love, 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

Dirty 30: Alexisms

It's time for another entry in what is becoming the "Dirty 30" series!  My sweet husband is celebrating his thirtieth birthday today, so he certainly deserves his own post in this collection.  While I would love for us to be celebrating today with one big huge surprise party including all his family and friends, we are both working the day away...outside in the "frigid" cold at that!

Without further ado, here are 30 random facts about Alex...aka Alexisms.

• Adopted in December 1984 (about a month after he was born).
• Grew up in North Carolina, until he moved to South Carolina for a job in 2009.  In 2012, he moved to Louisiana for another job (and a girl...tehe).
• Majored in Parks & Recreation at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and received a Master's Degree in Sport Management from East Carolina University.
• Over the years, random jobs have included work at a barbecue processing plant, serving as a restaurant greeter/seater/food runner, and summers as a camp counselor.
• Favorite color is teal.

• Has a tattoo on his inner arm - "πρεσβεύω" - translated, it means "Ambassador (for Christ)."
• Collegiate athletics pay the bills; baseball is his favorite.
• Has a bad habit of leaving the closet door open.
• Gets excited when "Mean Girls" is on TV.
• "Moonshine in the Trunk" (Brad Paisley) is his jam.

• Often forgets his lunchbox/water bottle at the office.
• Loves Harry Potter.
• Cheers for the Panthers. 
• Goes through 39287 pairs of socks a week...they're EVERYWHERE.
• Lives on MAN TIME!

• Has a taste for Cheerwine...
• ...and Woodchuck...
• ...and Bojangles...
• ...and Cookout.
• Needed me to spell out directions for 1-2-3 cake...82734 times.

• Steals my razor.
• Enjoys watching The Middle and Big Bang Theory.
• Has visited 22 states and 4 foreign countries (Malaysia, Honduras, Belize, Mexico).
• Brought home a leprechaun that hides his mouthguard...and my socks!
• Collects college t-shirts.

• Missed out on "The Art of Clothes-Matching" class.
• Is the the resident "chicken cooker" of our house, and will always be on "dish duty."  
• Welcomes "the guys" for poker nights during bachelor weeks (aka, when I'm out of town).
• Famous for his peanut butter pie recipe.
• Is the best husband ever! ... duh!

He's a pretty cool guy, right?  I mean seriously, he could be friends with anyone...just ask the thirty people who sent letters for Alex to read on his first thirty days of Age 30. Say what?!

Yep, that's right, Alex...for the next thirty days, you'll receive a note from someone special in your life.  This is the just the start of what will be a great year for you!   

Happy birthday!

I love you so much.

-Lauren

Dirty 30: Moments with Lendy

I'm a little late on this, but it's all in the quality, not the quantity, right, Lendy?  ;-)

--

My friend Lendy celebrated her 30th birthday exactly one week ago.  She's jokingly referred to her birthday as the "Dirty 30" for months now, but I figure she'll forgive me for copyright infringement.  Unfortunately, Lendy and I live 900+ miles apart, so it wasn't exactly feasible for me to attend her party over the weekend.  This is my attempt at making it up to her.

30 Memorable Moments with Lendy

(in no particular order)

• Barnes & Noble - That first night we actually sat and got to know one another...never mind it included quite a bit of my anti-North Carolina ranting.  
• Letting Daddy Stu show you the ropes as you became an Honorary Cajun that day in the marsh.
• Your love, no, take that back, passion for real rice dressing, and the best coffee anywhere around.  
• Our spur-the-moment adventure exploring your old stomping grounds in Virginia. 
• Riding shotgun in Mikey's big truck as you took it for a spin on the track at Martinsville Speedway. 

• Conquering The Feces (thesis) side-by-side one another...aka going to Hell and back. 
• The night we played "Deaux." (Re: Two bottles of wine and two very tipsy grad students.)
• Gifting you a 1970s version of The Farming Game.
• Our SATC marathons.  Especially the ones coupled with sweatpants and dumplins. 
• Hiding from tornadoes in your closet...that was a close one!

• Adding a little (4-H) green to your wardrobe.  It looks good on you.
• Our 1,000 mile road trip that was supposed to take two days...and instead took one.  
• Panera dates - always a favorite.
• ...on one of which I swore the "blind date" would be a total waste of time.  Four years and a husband later, I'm still eating my words.  
• Being welcomed as a member of the family to your Carolina Thanksgiving.

• Waking up at 3:30 a.m. for Black Friday...once, and only once!
• Receiving cute messages from the "Cajun Yota" when you fostered her over Christmas Break.
• Our girls' trip to the Outerbanks.  
• You introduced me to the Cheddar Bo.  Is there really anything more to say?
• Having the pleasure of sharing my very first New Orleans Mardi Gras with you and the Lirettes.

• Supporting the NC Children's Hospital and their annual Country for Kids Concert. 
• It's worth saying again.  Dumplins.  And sausage gravy.  And sausage dip.  And brunswick stew.  And...the list goes on. 
• Our Burn Party.  Burn, baby, burn!
• Pillow talk.  Especially when the conversation turned to love.  When you know, you just know.
• All the times I observed your faithful example as a selfless devoted wife.  You taught me great things about this vocation.

• Lessons in becoming a proper daughter-in-law.  ;-)
• Snail mail.  Sweet notes.  Genuine concern.  You are an excellent pen pal.
• The stories I later heard about your escorting my parents to their hotel after our wedding...because they would have never made it there themselves. 
• Touring your fancy new castle..and daydreaming about my very own "Swoon House."
• And we can't forget Mikey...he deserves a major shout-out for putting up with us girls all those years.

There you have it - thirty great memories from our friendship.  Here's to lots of love and wishes for thirty times thirty more!

Happy Birthday, Lendy.

Love, Lauren