Girls Gone Wild!

I'm back from my much needed mini-vacation.  The ladies of my family spent two nights in Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.  It's a tiny place that time forgot in about 1970.  I love it.  It seems to never change yet every time I go back I fall in love all over again.

So, it was me, my sister, my mother, my sister's mother, my granny and my mom's mother in law. Got that? Okay. Good. Break our your family tree diagrams - we are off the hook!!

Here are some highlights:

Granny with Mom's face.

My mom so wishes.

The skinny sisters posing on the Ocracoke Ferry.

It's all about the pose!

I heart my Granny Nora SOOOO MUCH!!!!

On girls weekend you discuss things like pocketbooks...

And cup sizes.

It seems things are a-changin' and I'm hoping to inherit about $400 worth of bras because of it.

Tracy - need to double check my mailing address? Bring 'em on baby!

Group shot.

Mrs. Floyd, Tracy, my mom Cindy, Granny Nora, me, and Shannon (my sister's mom.)

One big happy family!

Everyone always talks about how much I look like my sister and I love it because I think she's beautiful!

I'm such a "little sister," I know... oh well.  :)

Mmmmmmm.......

Now.... for a favorite Ocracoke Island pastime... the one activity that gets THIS reaction....

THE MERMAID!!!

Is that fun, OR WHAT?  Seriously, that right there is worth the drive, my friends.

Now, for more examples of why you should ALWAYS have your camera with you:  Tighty Whiteys in the middle of a tourist t-shirt shop - WHY?  So we can take pictures with them, I'm sure!

And I need to get one of these signs for my space in the parking garage at work...

I'm getting into the habit of starting off every blog with an apology.  I've decided, I'm quitting. Not blogging, apologizing for not blogging on a regular basis. So, there. Sorry. I mean, I'm not sorry...

Whatever. I'm a busy girl. You're lucky I'm writing and I'm lucky you stopped by to see what's going on in my world.

Here's the short version of what's happened since I last visited this space.

I got an e-mail from Dana Perino.  It was a response. This is major in my little world.  I am a peon, and do not usually get e-mails from Dana... even though we share a name and a shoe size.  She's so cool. I totally have hair envy for her hair.

Okay, let's see, what else? See... my life really isn't all that exciting. All I do is work. sleep. work. walk the dog. work. nap.

Oh, I had a birthday. No super special milestones met this year, and that's completely fine with me.  I was reflecting back on 27 and I think it was a pretty awesome year.  Here's hoping 28 will be even more fab.  I think it will be.  I'm a "half full" kind of girl, you know?

So, this birthday will go down in the history books, not because any milestones were met, but because one of the most hilarious/fun to be with people on the planet came to visit me. 

Yep, you guessed it:

This is in NBC Studios in Washington. Yes. On the couch in the lobby. Only with Gretchen do I somehow transform from someone who should probably not be allowed in the parking lot to someone who is sitting on the couch.  We were stalking out for Stephen Colbert on Meet the Press.

It turns out, he taped the interview on Friday, so he wasn't actually in the building.

Otherwise, there would be a picture of us with him here.

Oh well -- Colbert, you eluded us this time, but this is not mission unaccomplished. This is mission incomplete.  You just wait!

Other pictures from our adventure:

Black Squirrels circling the perimeter.

Not a security challenge.

Not for us, anyway.

Here we are on the approach.  Now that I see this picture, I'm secretly glad we didn't meet anyone famous.

I have something in my teeth! Aaaahhhh!  I'm 99% sure that's a piece of the blueberry muffin I scarfed down in like 0.4 seconds in my car on the way...

Saturday night, we went on a Ghost tour in Old Town Alexandria.

It wasn't so much creepy as it was historical.  It was a lot of fun though!  We saw George Washington's Alexandria Townhouse!

This is reason #578 that you should always a) have a digital camera with you b) that's in close proximity.

What in the world is going on here?  I didn't realize that to go on the Alexandria Ghost Tour, you had to pack a fake horse and a giant American Flag... but I'll keep that in mind for next year.

The number of statues in this area is insane.  I have no idea of what historical significance this is... but apparently it's commemorating some sort of 19th century interpretive dance??

We wanted to pose with this statue, but there were too many people around. Argh!

This is Randolph, our ghost tour guide.

He was the deal.  Great storyteller.  Loves his job.

And he loved us!

Boo!

Scariest 30 seconds of Gretchen's life thus far.

So, that's pretty much it. An e-mail from Dana Perino and a weekend full of fun with Gretchen. You're all caught up. Oh, I got a new cell phone, got my glasses fixed and my hair highlighted... details, details...

Okay, now it's time for a melatonin and a mimosa... good "night!"

Oh... one more thing, check out my new "life is good" t-shirt.  I'm thinking it's going to be my theme for 28: 

Hello Friends.

I know, I'm slacking in the blog department. Tell me about it. No, really, spare me.

The truth is - I don't really have time to have a blog.  But it is a good way to let you know what's going on in my life now that I can't ever actually talk to anyone.

Combine my crazy work schedule with the fact that when I'm driving, I'm in and out of parking garages with no cell service and that whole no talking on the phone law in DC... I'm on my way to becoming the world's most out of touch friend.

Thank you to those of you kind enough to IM me when you're at work and those of you who don't mind the late-night phone call.

I appreciate it.

I kind of did "nothing" this weekend.  But at the same time, I feel quite accomplished.  My apartment is super-clean. Like smells-like cleaning products clean, and I love it.  I switched my closet over from summer to fall/winter.  I finished a book I feel like I've been LIVING in, only to close the book, turn it over, and start all over again.  It's that REAL to me.  Took Brokaw to the dog park.  Made lasagna.  Actually watched television.

So, no exciting meeting of White House Correspondents this weekend. But there is that women's dinner tomorrow night - so I'll mingle then  :)

You've all been here, I'm sure: When you hear a song and it makes you think of someone right away.  You see them with every word.  Imagine what it would be like to dance with them to that song.  To sing it to them.  This is really cheesy - but for the past week - I can't get this song out of my head.  But it's not some boy that my heart melts for over this song - nope - it's my God.  He's really doing a number on my heart right now, and I'm thankful.  I want to milk it for all it's worth.  When I get in these introspective/spiritual places, I listen to a lot of Sarah McLachlan.  Anyway - here's the song:

"Push"

Every time I look at you the world just melts away
All my troubles all my fears dissolve in your affections
You've seen me at my weakest but you take me as I am
And when I fall you offer me a softer place to land

Chorus
You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in
You're all the things that I desire you save me you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe

I get mad so easy but you give me room to breathe
No matter what I say or do cause you're too good to fight about it
Even when I have to push just to see how far you'll go
You wont stoop down to battle but you never turn to go

Chorus

There are times I cant decide when I cant tell up from down
You make me feel less crazy when otherwise Id drown
But you pick me up & brush me off and tell me I'm OK
sometimes thats just what we need to get us through the day

Happy Birthdays

October is like birthday central in my family.

Saturday my mom turned 50!  I can only hope I'm a fraction of this cute when I'm 50.

And today, "baby" Brayden is 6!  Who told him he could grow up so fast... because it certainly wasn't me. :(

I love you both.

What a Weekend

My friend Patty got married Saturday.  She was beautiful. The wedding was on the farm where her husband grew up.  The whole thing was just magical.

Here comes the bride!

Patty and Sean.

                                                             

When I first got there, I was looking for a place to sit on the hay and look who I found!!
Danny Lee!!  What a pleasant surprise.

Maid of Honor Mary Kay.

She had Britney's hair and some chicken cutlets.

Swinging Paul.

We danced....

And danced the night away.

Told you.

So, chillin' with White House Correspondents is my new Saturday thing. Last weekend it was Martha. This time it was with Kelly O'Donnell from NBC.

She is gorgeous.

And so nice.

Thank God I have friends who double as Paparazzi.

Here I am telling Kelly how great she is in the WH Briefings.

Then we discussed Tony and Dana and the definition of torture.

See us in the background? That's my photographer, Mary Kay. 

Just wait until you see the one of Danny!! You will DIE it's so funny.

Not only did I see old WAVY pals this weekend, but Friday night I caught up with old co-workers from WSLS.

I forgot how hiliarious Jay is. Oh my goodness.  I could hardly keep the expensive beef tenderloin down!

What a weekend.