FABULOUS times

I spent last weekend in Tampa for my bachelorette party at Stevie's house!!! When I got off the plane, my friends were at the airport with a sign to pick me up - it was as if I had a driver :) And then when we got to Stevie's house, the mailbox was decorated too!

I couldn't believe that friends had come down from Connecticut (Brittany), Virginia (Meghan), South Carolina (Megan and Wendy), Georgia (Blair) and my Florida babies (Stevie and Vickie). I was excited to see the renovations that Stevie and Eric have done to their home over the past three years too! She wasted no time and brought out her fabulous vegetable dip, drinks, etc and I was surprised with a bouquet of flowers Brad had delivered for me...then suddenly it was time for gifts!

They organized a lingerie shower for me and I think Brad now has some new best friends ;). My friends also created a beautiful recipe scrapbook for me that I carried home on the plane in my lap. There are pages from nearly everyone who was invited, whether they could make it or not. It is a real treasure!!!

*I'm having a problem arranging the pictures - again - so they are all over the place (obviously)*And make note that the majority of weekend photos are only for the party girls and Brad to see...especially those from our pre-party on Saturday night!**

We went to a country bar called Round Up on Saturday night and it was Brittany's first bar experience. Before leaving the house Stevie brought out dozens of colorful leis with tags that said "I got LEI'd at Shannon's Bachelorette Party August 1-3, 2008." We all took three leis and had to lei guys throughout the night, that is, when we weren't awestruck by Ryan Weaver playing on stage!

Saturday we spent at St. Pete/Clearwater beach and got to relax and chat all afternoon. While in the GUlf, Meghan, Wendy, Stevie, brittany and I got a horoscope reading by a sketchy guy in the water..yeah I don't know either. Vickie met us at the beach before we had a yummy lunch. Luckily no pigeons ate our food. Once back at Stevie's we were in the pool and all started getting ready for Saturday night and I had no clue what I was getting myself into!

A few weeks ago Stevie, Blair and Brittany e-mailed me a list of things to bring and it included random stuff like: aviators, a Clemson shirt, argyle socks, something camo, etc. So I brought all of it with me, but as it turns out I only needed the argyle (see below picture). And people were still asking us all night why we had the socks on??!! C'mon, really?! But before leaving for Channelside there was a visitor, no nothing that involved nudity, not at Stevie's house that night at least. I'll leave it at that. Let's just say that the picture of me laughing hysterically, was from the party :).

At Channelside we went to three different bars where I got on stage at the Paino Bar and the 80s bar to sing Jessie's Girl and a variety of toher songs with the band. It was fun times had by all. Oh, except when the waitress tripped and fell into me and Vickie - drenching the back of her shirt early in the night. We tried to clean it up in the Sit2P room! The night was fabulous and ended at 3:30am with me making my sister feed me before I went to bed. Good news - no one had a hangover on Sunday! So, we got to enjoy the pool and gradually everyone started to leave and yes, I cried. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend!!! I hope to see these girls in a few short months at our wedding!!

On the wedding front: 85 days to go TheKnot told me this morning. I have gotten all the bridesmaid gifts completed, their dresses were delivered to them last week (and look great!), I purchased my veil, scheduled my first fitting and made arrangements for brunch on November 2nd at the Hampton Inn in a separate room. If only I was quicker at addressing envelopes......

What a month..

Well, life goes on and I have certainly moved on from my previous job. The experience was a good one and some of the people were nice to work with/work for, but the "cattiness" of a majority of the employees had gotten out of control - another good reason I got a new job!

This is my second week at the new job and I am working more hours but am more satisfied with my opportunities and co-workers. I am looking forward to speeding up the learning process so I can understand things better. I am involved in alot more corporate interaction now and there are many out-of-house names and associations to remember, but I'll get better with time!

Very fun news: Tampa in two weeks for my bachelorette party!! :)

Playing Catch Up

Since I don't put anything personal on my work computer, I feel like I'm always going back and forth from work to home with pictures...yes I have a jump drive, but my ancient dinosaur-of-a-work-computer doesn't read it - don't ask.

So, Here are some photos from the Rhoderick family reunion which was on Father's Day... I don't have a digital copy of the group photo of all 65 people, so just imagine it!

*And apparently I'm not very good at placing photos in the right place in this blog either...*

Last week Brad and I went to Connecticut for Kyle's high school graduation - the last Campbell is out of Fermi and off to UCONN!! It was a very quick trip (we arrived at 10:30pm Wednesday and our flight left at 6:15am Friday) but we were there for the day's festivities and some time with mom as well. I wish brittany was able to make it, but as I couldn't make it to her graduation because of school and work, she was in the same boat this year. Maybe someone can photoshop her into the group picture?? I would call it a family picture, but she is missing!

The fourth of July is right around the corner and we'll be heading down to the beach for the weekend! I haven't been since Memorial Day which seems so long ago. Stevie told me that she is going to be in Eatonton for the 4th with Eric, but we were there last year and she wasn't which makes me sad :(. But, I know she will be MUCH better at karaoke with the Friedgen's than I was! :)

Time Flies

Yes, I am still getting usd to the concept of updating my blog entries regularly. I feel like I need to backtrack (but I'll have to do that with photos later since I don't have access to them now).

Well, a formal offer was presented to me for a new job at a new company and I have officially accepted it! My last day at my current job will be July 8th and then I will spend some time at the beach and transition into my new position the following Monday.

I'm really lookign forward to additional job duties and more corporate out-of-the-office communcations as well as event planning in DC, NYC and even an event in Florida. The people I will be working with are quite "powerful" and I feel it will make me a more consciensous employee.

Metro Chronicles

Yesterday around 2:45 in the afternoon an orange line train derailed and the poor passengers were stuck in the tunnel (I'm assuming since it was at Courthouse) without AC or lights for more than 30 minutes. Did I mention it has been 96 here with a heat index of more than 105? Oh that's right, just a minor painful detail.

Well, when i found out about this "red flag" situation I immediately jumped on calling people I know and trying to figure out how to get home without taking Metro - or the orange line at least. My cousin was driving home to NY, a nother friend was still in school so I was thinking about going to pentagon City for a little while and have dinner until brad could pick me up once traffic died down some. What about the bus?? Well, the fact that I would have to take four buses made that option the last for me.

Wait a minute - someone at my company lives in Annandale, the town next to Falls Church!! He saved the day! Riding home with him was initially a last resort because I felt bad about him going out of his way, but he reassured me it was no problem. I am writing a thank you note and will probably buy like a $10 gas card just to say gracias.

The Metro problem was not cleared until 12:41am according to the fourteen Metro e-mail alerts I received since I left work at 4:30pm so I sure am glad I hitched a ride! Last Tuesday when we had the major thunderstorms and all the trees fell, power was out, etc it took me three hours to get home because one stoplight was out on the train track so everyone had to get off and then board a bus to get back on the metro after that one stop.

For the record - I am not confident about DC's emergency evacuation plan if it ever needed to be put into place - you might as well get to georgetown and swim across the river and hitch-hike with someone who is already on the Parkway......

Five months to go!!

Wow, June 2nd already, really? This past weekend our friends/floral designer from Philadelphia came down to scope out the church and reception sit efor our wedding. She designed a beatutiful arrangement that will be centerpieces on some of the tables - it is very unique and rustic and modern all at once. No, no one can see pictures except for my mom :). (MOB privileges). It felt great to have Erin here to do some wedding things with me and I also approved our invitation proof so that order will be placed this week too! Whew, there is alot going on! I never mentioned it, but I passed my boater's safety course over memorial Day weekend so I was able to ride the jetskis alone and had a great time doing it. I have pictures of Brad and his mom, but none of me, which is why I haven't posted any. At some point this summer I'll have him be the phtographer so I can see myself on the Magnum PI-like watercraft. Also, the Virginia Clemson Alumni Association has finally received enough applications for CU license plates! Once all 390 applications are submitted to the DMV and approved, I'll be getting a new VA plate with a pas on it!! I knew there was a reason we haven't moved out of Virginia yet. I enoucraged Brad to get a UMD version when we moved in last year, but he got a standard plate instead. Now he really should get one because I'll be supporting my school, so he should be supporting his. But then again, buying four season tickets for football supports UMD way more than a license plate.

Another license

This past weekend Brad's parents accepted a deal they couldn't refuse - two jet skis from the 1990s with a double trailer for a very reasonable price. So, now I have to complete the boatering safety class through the Maryland DNR. i feel like I'm studying for my driving test again except i can take this test online whenever I feel "ready." Brad thinks this should be Thursday or Friday so I can drive a jet ski on my own this weekend, but I think i really should learn about it and what's going on. So, we'll see. And weather in this area is nowhere near as beuatiful as South Carolina or Tennessee so it will be a chilly Memorial Day anyway.

Another Birthday has Passed

It's official - I am now 23. That seems so much older than 21 and much closer to 25 even though it is right in the middle. Brad called my friend Meghan and her boyfriend Chris about celebrating my birthday and I wa ssurprised to be going to Ocean City with them for my birthday. But first we had a company event at LIMA in McPherson Square where I had the best mojito of my life, oh and some $300 strawberry champagne. Yes, seriously. That could be the reason I slept for 2/3 of the three hour drive to Ocean City after the event. I was lucky enough to have banana and blueberry pancakes made for me on my birthday and crispy bacon. All accompanied by some pink potted gerber daises. We went fishing in the afternoon and at least Meghan caught something! A 15 1/2 inch fat ole flounder that could've fed all of us if it was 1/2 inch larger and legal to keep! It was so windy that on the way back I laid in the front of the boat and Brad snapped the boat cover over me which elimanted all the wind - glorious. After a yummy dinner of orange roughy, roasted potatoes, salad and of course birthday cake! brad and I went to The greene Turtle for some libations. We met a fun group of guys from Hoboken believe it or not who joined us in laughing the woman who appeared to be 50

in velvet pants and off the shoulder sweatshirt (very flashdance-esk) who was "dancing" as if she was on ecstasy. Oh and then the lady flashing the bouncer and believe me, she really shouldn't have been. It was a very relaxing weekend, especially since I slept until 11:30 Sunday and then napped from 12-2:30! Enjoyable. On another note, there appears to be an Alpha Chi baby boom, but definitely not of my pledge class yet, of the 2001 pledge class. Two friends that I know through other friends just had a baby girl this weekend and another is pregnant...in addition to those who already have a lil' peanut and those who should soon!!

Myanmar Crisis

I am at a loss of words about the crisis in Myanmar as a result of the cyclone that hit earlier this week. The UN has delivered enough food for 95,000 people but the military government is not allowing the supplies to be distributed - they are sitting on the tarmac at the airport. What a waste! It seems like the government is committing genocide, that is what will happen if they don't accept help. Hundreds of thousands of people have already died and more are suffering. here is the US, Thailand and other more powerful countries who are offering FREE aid, but they aren't accepting it. Maybe the governemnt's brains and rationale got swept away in the storms too. What a shame. It bothers be every time I see updates on the news about the situation.

Reflection...

I know I just wrote yesterday, but last night Brad and I celebrated our two year anniversary - the day we met in Memphis. We had a nice dinner at Wildfire, a great restaurant in Mclean where I delightfully ate some swordfish, but brought most of it home for dinner tonight. Then I had him experince Nielsen's frozen custard for the first time and of course we got chocolate. It was glorious. Interesting how after this year we won't really be "celebrating" May 6th anymore since our wedding anniversary will be November 1st. Yes, we'll always remember it (especially since it is the birthday of my grandfather and two sorority sisters), but we'll essentially have a new anniversary. I'm sure he's relieved since my birthday comes just a few days later!

Spring symbolizes a Fresh Start

Well, for those of you who don't already know, we pulled out of the contract for the house in Brunswick (pic in earlier post) because the sellers refused to fix some major things, so, time to move on - eventually. In the meantime, we celebrated by finally buying mountain bikes on Saturday! We are both excited about our new purchase (a birthday gift from Brad) and went on a 20 mile C&O Canal ride Saturday afternoon and I went another 8 miles Sunday through DC.

I also got another great gift from him last week that was meant for the proch of our new house (we will eventually have one!): a set of two white wooden rocking chairs! We haven't assembled them yet because we don't have a place for them where we live right now, but we did peek.

Today is our two year anniversary - also the day we met. I can't believe it was two years ago that Ek introduced us in Memphis nor can I believe that here we are deciding on which weding invitation to choose for our wedding less than 6 months from now. Life moves fast, doesn't it?

Sunday after church we also planted our veggie garden for the season. It inlcudes tomatoes, red and green peppers, broccoli, squash and chives. Talk about a fresh start... :)

Stupid "contractors"

Last night Brad's cousin, a builder, walked through the B Street house as sort of a pre-inspection. I was supposed to meet them there at 6 via the MARC train, but didn't get into brunswick until 7:15 because the train was deleayed - for an hour and twenty minutes. We were not moving for fifty of those minutes. Yes I was angry and no I do not want to talk more about it. I could tell builder cousin didn't have good things to say because everyone looked very defeated when I arrived. I was very dissapointed when brad explained some of the problems to me, ie: no insulation in the roof, wires wrapped around plywood instead of through plywood, no sump pump to remove water in basement, missing railings, fuse box next to water mainline. I mean come on people! They evidently didn't read anything about building before renovating this home which sucks for them but is also sad for us. Today while I've been at work Brad spent six hours at the house with an inspectopr and our realtor who found the same things that were pointed out last night. Additionally, one of the seller's was on site and said he didn't know the inspection was today. Tough luck, it was and we have an e-mail trail that confirms the date and time. So unless they accept responsibility for ALL 28 (yes, twenty-eight) repairs, we are not going to buy the house.

All Scheduled Out

Well, every weekend in May, June and August now have activities planned. Thank goodness July is open for Ocean City! Then again, two of the August weekends are Enfield friends visiting us in Ocean City so I guess that only sort of counts. Between moving (yay!), visiting with my family, reunions, church festivals, and my bachelorette party the first weekend of August, seems like the summer might go pretty quickly...again. Last night Brad was in Philadelphia for a work seminar today so i took the opportunity to make scrumptious guacamole (he doesn't like it) and watch grey's Anatomy and pack four or five boxes of books. We're stacking all our labeled, numbered and color coded boxes in the living room which means we have to keep the blinds closed so epople don't see all our stuff "on display." I felt relieved to speak with the pastor about our wedding in more detail this morning so we have a few things arranged. Coming fast!

Offer went through!

Well, the offer we made on a house last week was finally signed by the sellers yesterday! This means that the house has to pass inspections and as long as everything is fixed up the way it needs to be, Brad and I will own our first home together May 14th!

You know what's frustrating though? Fishing trips to the middle of nowhere while you're trying to purchase property. One of the sellers was apparently "out of town fishing," apparently a common excuse for realtors, and had no access to a phone or fax machine which is why it took a week to sign all the paperwork.

keep your fingers crossed! Both hands, and your legs and toes and everything else for us...

Starting from scratch

This seemed like a good time in my life to create a blog. My fiance and I are in the process of purchasing our first home together and planning our November wedding. My onling "blogger" thoughts will help keep some family members updated about our progress and events happening in our lives - without going into much personal detail like a journal under lock and key ;). So here it goes........