Fall Break...

...was awesome.

I was able to relax and not do any work. I did exactly what should be done during a breeak: nothing.

Well, nothing work related.

Friday night Josh took me to Kabuto, a very nice habachi-style Japanese restaurant where they cook your food in the middle of a giant table that you just happen to be sitting at. It was delicious and a fun time. When we got back we learned that some of our friends were going to the Richmond Folk Festival so we decided to go. We got there about an hour and a half before closing but just in time to see Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine playing the harmonica with one of the blue grass bands. He was pretty good and so was the band. We listened to a little Philadelphia soul and then some reggae before heading back to the bus that took us back to free parking.

Saturday was the Richmond vs. James Madison University (JMU) game and it was amazing! We lost, but we lost to the top play of the day, according to ESPN. We were winning with a few minutes left to go when JMU tied it 31 to 31. Then in the last five seconds JMU returned the punt to score the winning touchdown. It was so not cool but such an amazing play. And of course UR and JMU are rivals so that made it even more fun. Especially since, even though it was fall break and so many people were gone, the Richmond section was full and we were so loud. It was great.

After the game Josh, Brian and I went to Moe's for some "Mexican" (it'e the closest I can get to San Diego Mexican here) and then rented some movies from Blockbuster. We watched 21, a very good movie about math genious' from MIT who count cards in Black Jack in Las Vegas on the weekends to make some extra money. It is very interesting and I did not mind seeing it again. The first time I saw it was on the airplane coming home from Namibia.

Sunday I went to church with Josh to Derbyshire Baptist Church. I had never been to a Baptist church before and it ran the exact same way as all the Mehtodist churches I've been to, except for the fact that they had an orchestra and a huge choir. The music was excellent and made me miss being in a full choir. After church we went to D-Hall for brunch and then to Josh's apartment to watch the second movie we rented, The Forbidden Kingdom. It's a modern Kung Fu movie with Jackie Chan AND Jet Li. Jackie Chan + Jet Li = amazingness. It was a cheesy Kung Fu movie, as it should be, but it had amazing fight scenes and good graphics. After the movie we went out on the Westhampton Green, laid down a blanket and read until dinner. That night we intended to see Hancock at The Byrd theatre downtown but apparently that was last weeks movie so we went back to Josh's apartment with a bunch of his friends and watched Top Gun. Oddly enough, I had never seen it. It was good for a Tom Cruise movie, especially the music. Welcome to the Danger Zone...

Monday morning I headed back to Charles City to hang out with Grandmama for a few days. We were both lazy lumps on Monday, taking a nap, reading. So for the evening we decided to do something productive and go out to dinner. We realized the Blue Heron is closed on Mondays so we went to Williamsburg and went to Ruby Tuesday. My petite sirloin and parmesan fries were delicious and the double chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream made my night. But then we topped it all off with a trip to Target where I may nor may not have purchased two sweaters.

Tuesday I did a whole lot of nothing. I did organize and scan some clips for my journalism internship resumes and then just watched a little TV. When Grandmama got home from work I made some barbeque chicken and she made potatoes and cabbage. After dinner Curry came over and we watched The Forbidden Kingdom. He loved it and learned some sweet new moves. I think he and I are going to have to start watching Jackie Chan movies together on the weekends.

And today it was back to work/school/everything. Today is Josh's and my six month anniversary so we will be celebrating with a nice dinner.

Right now I'm taking care of the baby.

You know you're jealous.

Spring Break-Days 5, 6 and 7

Here we go!

Day 5

Day 5 consisted of more doing of nothing. There was sleeping and eating and playing "basketball" and "tennis" at 10pm. I'm pretty sure there was was a visit to the hot tub in there as well. And of course, more swings. Apparently nothing picture worthy because I don't have any pictures...

Day 6

This was a fun day. We drove into Nashville, the "Athens of the South" and visited the Parthenon. Steph L., as I may have mentioned before, is a Architectural History nerd, big time, so she was ecstatic. The Parthenon and the statue replicas inside were pretty amazing. The Athena statue is 41'10" and there were Elgin statues, which have something to do with a British guy named Elgin who took them from the real Parthenon and moved them to the British Museum and now Greece wants them back, etc. I don't remember the story exactly but Steph L. sure knew a lot about it all. I thought they were pretty. I also love Greek Mythology and enjoyed seeing statues of people/gods that I've read about. Mythology is such an interesting part of the Greek culture and it was exciting to see pieces of that, even if they are just replicas.

After the Parthenon we headed back to Crossville where we did more relaxing and eating and I think Elizabeth and I watched Footloose. Good movie, FYI.

The Parthenon

Steph L. being excited about the Parthenon

Athena

The Medusa shield

Demeter and Persephone statue

Elizabeth and Steph L.

Lex and I (in my new dress!)

Steph L. being happy while hugging a column


Day 7

Our last day in Tennessee was spent doing more of nothing. Elizabeth and I went to the hot tub again. We ate, relaxed (what else is knew?) and around 7pm went to Ink Impressions to get Lex a tattoo or two. She had been planning on getting them next weekend as a birthday gift to herself but decided when we passed by a tattoo parlor to check them out and see about doing it now. She was completely nervous but the guys at the parlor were great and Travis did an excellent job. Travis and Steph L. had a good time joking around. Steph L. is very, well, white and Travis is very southern, tattooed and pierced. Even though they are opposites they became "home skillet biscuits" as Steph L. said. Good times.

Lex's new feet

Her left says "Sacred" and the right "Profane". It's an Anthropology thing that has personal significance to Lex. I think it looks amazing.

Steph with her new found friend

The next day we packed and cleaned up and were out of there! Being back is great. It is sort of strange to think about getting back into a schedule and going to classes. In fact, it's kind of stressful and not a comfortable feeling. I am glad I'll be doing things again. Doing nothing can get boring after a while but still...

Hey, a month and a half left and it'll be summer!

You can see all of the pictures on Facebook here and here and here.

The end

Spring Break-Day 4

Day 4 was a fun day. We didn't really do much but what we did do was fun and exciting. I believe we started the day late as always and proceeded to lay out in the sun and then take a dip in the hot tub. Then there was much running and playing on the swings. Then we went back to the condo and had some amazing chicken cooked by our very own Lexie Homemaker. Then there was driving and singing and dancing in the car and a Sonic run. Then a not-so-scary movie (When a Stranger Calls) and a Wal-Mart run. Yay Wal-Mart at 3am! Then of course we slept.

The end.

Hugs all around!
Lexie Homemaker and her tasty chicken!

I love the swings!
Elizabeth and I on the boardwalk
The boardwalk
"Why can't we have a funeral?" -Steph
The other side of our condos
Playing with the ball in the grass
Sitting on the wall
Steph looking like the girl from the Grudge at Sonic

Steph L. should be a comedian:
"You can squish my bladder, you can squish my ribs but you can't squish my breasts!"
"I can't infect people by myself."
"I only date guys with normal-colored lungs."
"Elizabeth, get a liver."

On that note, Elizabeth has a very nice liver, and a good sense of humor:
"Steph (L.), you're not meant to be in the middle."

Me:
"[Elizabeth] Please don't think about Brad Pitt while you're spooning with me."

The official end.

Stay tuned for more pictures and quotes from Spring Break 2008!

Spring Break-Day 3

Honestly, we did absolutely nothing. We woke up around 2pm (going to bed at 5am will do that to you), had a little breakfast and headed to the fitness center. After walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes, Elizabeth and I went in the hot tub while Steph L. and Lex headed back to the condo to start dinner. The hot tub was very, very nice and relaxing and then it was back to the condo. Elizabeth and I laid out on the dock and read for a bit and headed back inside. Lex made us some awesome spaghetti and fruit and yogurt pie for dessert. Go Lexie Homemaker! I also made my Paula Deen Spinach Artichoke Dip. Good times.

Then there was a lot of laying around doing nothing until we decided we were tired and wanted to go to sleep.

The end.

Reading on the dock. It got too cold eventually...

Lex making pie

Sitting around doing nothing. Ignore Steph L. She's choking on a Twizzler.

Spring Break-Day 2

Yesterday was amazing. I shall tell the story in pictures and funny quotes. And then actually tell the story.

The lake outside our condo with our personal dock.
Steph L., Elizabeth and Lex on the deckSteph L. and Lex
All of us in the living room
The coolest guitar ever
Elvis is our hero
Only in the South
The Hard Rock Cafe
Sitting in front of a river in Nashville
Printers Alley

Elizabeth and Steph L. in front of the Parthenon

Steph is way too excited about seeing the Parthenon
Frolicking to the Parthenon

More frolicking

More frolicking

The two lovers meet

No Steph, you can't scale the column

Elizabeth and her sister Delia at the Loveless Cafe

Elizabeth and Lex

Trying on Easter hats in Wal-Mart at 3am


Watch out for Steph L.

The end.

All good quotes come from Steph (L.):
"The Abomidable Ho-man!"
"This makes me want to get naked and roll around on the floor."
"'Cause I'm bad."
"Look at the Metopes."
"It's too intellectually loopy."
"I'm a UPPEAH nerd." (Urban Practice and Planning Environment Art History)
"Maybe in a foreign country fresh eggs."
"You break it down very nicely."
"Ooo... Look at that moo moo on him."
"With a wooden spoon that is."
"Tasty times abound."
And the one that took the cake:
"If you had wieners I would smack them all."

Lex is funny:
"You can work out with Richard Simmons."
"He couldn't keep it in his man-skirt."

Elizabeth is a very funny girl:
"They didn't even have pants."
"You are the proboscis monkey to my guerrilla."

Overall the day was again, amazing. We woke up around noon, ate, got ready and headed into Nashville. There we met Elizabeth's older sister, Delia who was totally awesome. We walked around downtown for a bit and then went to the Loveless cafe for dinner where we oddly enough ran into four guys from school. What are the odds that we would see people from Richmond in Nashville at the same restaurant on the outskirts of town at the same time? It was pretty insane.

After we got back to the condo we watched Troy (yay Brad Pitt) and then decided we wanted to go to Wal-Mart. So what if it was three in the morning? We're on Spring Break we can go to Wal-Mart whenever we want! We had some pretty awesome times there. I bought a pretty new sun dress and a cute t-shirt.

Then it was back to the condo for candy and sleep.

Good times.

Stay tuned for more pictures and funny quotes from Spring Break '08!

Spring Break-Day 1

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more school!!!!!! For a week at least. Close enough.

So Elizabeth, Steph L., Lex and I met at school in the morning, loaded the car and headed out. 8 hours and fun times later we were at Mariner's Pointe Resort in Crossville, TN!

Here are a few pictures and funny quotes from the trip so far.

Eat more chikin'!

My back seat buddy Elizabeth

"Bark with me if you're my dog." Go parody's.

Front seat sitter, Steph L.

"I love Ludacris. He's the Dr. Seuss of rap."
"You can't eat your friends." No Steph, you can't...

My view of Lex the entire time.

A pretty awesome picture.

Back seat buddies!


Stay tuned for more pictures and funny quotes from the Spring Break girls in '08!