The Week of Insanity

Last week was nutso.
Absolutely nutso.
I am seriously wondering what's in the water these days! LOL.
I was oncall last week (aka getting paged at all hours of the day or night). Every workday last week I worked through lunch and stayed over 1-2 hours to help keep the work caught up before the next day. Sheesh!
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However, the weekend was more relaxed thank goodness.
Friday, we stayed home and had an impromptu screenporchparty with friends. Saturday, Matt and I went to Get Coffee for breakfast (my fave), and we watched Multiplicity with Alex & Gorkem (one of Alex's fave movies). Saturday night, Matt took me out on a "date" and we went to WASABi for some excellent Sushi, and then later an impromptu dessert over at Apres Diem. The Espresso Martini is just delicious.
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Later on, I couldn't sleep due to upset tummy (later found to be result of the St Germain), so we stayed up until 4am watching Groundhog Day (one of my favorite movies), and then slept in very late on Sunday. Sunday, we relaxed, played some Wii Sports (I beat Matt at Tennis again!), had a nap, and then watched Thomas Crown Affair 1999- one of my favorite movies. Gorkem hadn't seen it yet, but she enjoyed it. YAY! I also have the 1968 original movie, but have not watched it yet.
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Matt's off to a VIP suite to see the Tool Concert tonight. I was the backup person if they couldn't get all the spots filled. VIP suite includes the concert, food, and drinks. Hmm. Should be fun. At the last minute another guy wanted to go, so I am off the hook. Not that I don't want to go, but it's a "school night" and my boss is in town this week (which means I usually have to work later hours), and it sounds like they won't get home until 1-2am (which means less than 5 hrs of sleep for me) and I prefer not to have the hassle. Anyhoo, I hope the gentlemen have a GREAT time! :-D
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Finally tracked down a bottle of St. Germain Elderflower Vodka (well I thought it was vodka, but actually it's more like a liquer), and some champagne to make myself a St. Hillaire beverage. It's very tasty and summery. Garnish with strawberry. mmm. However, I soon learned that for some odd reason, this St. Germain stuff totally wipes me out. I feel like I'm having a total sugar crash right after I have any of the stuff. So, I am guessing that means it will be something we go through very slowly.
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This week is going to be hectic, and next week I'm off to Philly for work, so I may not be updating the blog for a while.
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Have a great rest of July & start of August!

I know, I know. I've been BAD. I've been slacking on updating my blog.
Sorry, life has been super hectic lately. Hectic in a good way, but still insanely busy!
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So, May 15th weekend, my Aunt Julie came to visit me. We did the town right! We hit the King Tut exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center, toured Ikea's Store (quick run through), dined at Six Feet Under with a breathtaking view of the city, and then dashed off to a friend's Birthday party.
Saturday, I woke up slightly hungover (thanks to the late night party) but Aunt Julie (who has a liver of steel thanks to her gin and tonic nightly regimen) gave me a quick hangover cure, and off we went to the MA Home Tour. WOW! Although I was a modern home virgin last year (which makes your first year the best ever and none can top it), this year was still amazing! We saw 2 homes designed by my favorite architects - TaC Studios. If I ever get some serious money going on, I'm going to hire THEM to design a new one (or fix my existing house)! On their website click East, Ashley, or Kendall. The Kendall one is their own home, and it's lovely (was featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine this year also!) The reason I love TaC Studios SO much, is that they design AMAZING homes, but they are "realistic" and "livable" not the fluffy millionaire stuff that is so completely out of reach for the middle-income family. Sure I love walking around someone's 5000 sq foot, fine-art decorated, plush, home, but would I ever really enjoy LIVING there? Seriously. Who cleans it? I would go nuts. I like the smaller sized, realistic homes for myself. But for eye-candy, yes yes yes - go on the MA Tour!
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Other architects were Dencity Designs, BLDGS, Tamara Bickley Design (her own white house was on the tour, and hot damn that was a lovely pad. I would never leave it - there's no need, everything is there!), Lightroom Studios, Carlson & Mosley, and Inman Green Condos.
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Saturday Night we stayed home, and grilled some steaks and fish - chillin' on the porch. Sunday I had to drive Auntie Julie to the airport, and then Matt and I checked out the last 2 homes on the tour that we missed the day before. Amazing. I could just look at those homes all day long.
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Then it was back to the grindstone at work. My boss came in for a visit and he kept us very busy. Although, it was stressful too (As we were making a lot of cut-throat decisions and dealing with some idiotic issues), so I coped with 3 happy hours last week. Sheesh. I'm getting a steel liver now ...
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BTW was happy to see my fave Tequila was featured in the June 2009 issue of Metropolitan Home Magazine: Gran Centenario Rosangel Tequila (Reposado) infused with Hibiscus. I sip this during Happy Hour, it's lovely.
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Matt of Zazen Photo, was at "Get Coffee" on Saturday afternoon, for a "Meet the Artist" during the live musical performance of "Ruff Sacks" - a local band. Very fun.
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Sunday we watched the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, and sipped some celebratory Champagne. Then it was off to the mountains to visit the folks. We had a nice dinner with our folks and some of their new neighbors. It was lovely.
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Monday we finally got to take Sport out to the side stream by the lake. He doesn't "swim" in the deep water, but he will run along the rapids, and rocks as long as he has a place to tough the bottom. It was hilarious watching him run around after a ball in the little rapids (rapids to him, but just a current to us). so funny! We wore him out, let me tell you!
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This morning, after catching up on some sleep, I finally bathed that dirty dog. Poor Sport. He wakes up and it's oops - into the tub. At least now he has all day to sleep and relax while we are at work.
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That's all for now, talk to you all later!

Grandma is OK! Thank you!

Photo Credit goes to ME - took this with my iPhone.
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Grandma is home from the hospital and resting. So far so good. One of my relatives will be staying with her for a few weeks also.
Thank you all for your prayers!
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Update for Zazen Photo exhibit at Get Coffee:
The May Exhibit was delayed due to reasons outside of our control.
BUT on Cinco De Mayo, you should be able to view the exhibit at Get Coffee!
We are going there tonight to set everything up. We couldn't put Matt Lane's work up until the April Artist's stuff was moved/taken down.
Thank you to everyone to inquired, and my apologies to those who went this weekend and were disappointed not to see the exhibit yet.
NEW DATES of the exhibit are now May 5th - June 5th!

Weekend Update - put on your fancy shoes and GO!

Not sure what to do this weekend? Check out these 2 amazing options!
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1) Urban Couture Fashion Show/Benefit tonight at Studio 1*Five*0. Friend of ours is a photographer who owns the studio & rents out the space (he also just recently photographed the Indigo Girls. WOW famous client alert!). Another friend is a fashion guru and teacher at local Grady High School. They are the only HS in the nation (that I know of) who has their own Fashion Design classes. Tonight's fashion show features HS students designs from this year. Very cool. In the News: http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/living/urbancouture0507/ -I will be covering the event as a journalist on behalf of my friend Dreama's non-profit art magazine - The Voyeur of Fashion Art & Politics.
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2)· Celtic Fling at Get Coffee sponsored in part by Zazen Photo - attending this tomorrow evening. Get Coffee is our local coffee shop in Chamblee, GA. My husband has several framed photos on display there, and he will be their featured artist in May. Get Coffee partnered with the Chamblee Arts Alliance to host a Celtic Fling this Saturday night. They were looking for sponsors, and as part of the sponsor pkg you get a free membership to the alliance. My husband's photography biz "Zazen Photo" is now one of the sponsors for the Celtic Fling. There should be dancers, live music from Keltic Kudzu, an Irish photographer will have her work showing, and of course there will be alcohol. It's a sort of belated-artsy-StPatricksDay-thing-a-ma-jig.
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Get off your heiney and come over to one of these FAB events! SEE YOU THERE!
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Oh yeah, and I got an iPhone. that's right. so Pbbbbbt! to "Big Brother." Take THAT you Nazi's!

Weekend Update

Photo Credit goes to Zazen Photo.

Glasses?
Ok ok, yes I got glasses. No I don't really quote "need" them, I still have 20/20 vision, but my doc says it may help me with looking far off into the distance. Aka - good for driving or watching TV, but not "needed". Well my job has me staring intently at miniscule text on my screen and meticulously checking it for required results, so I've sort of started wearing my glasses every day to work, and then taking them off when I get home.
I've never had glasses before, so it's really weird to me. I feel like I'm wearing sunglasses indoors, and I have to remind myself that "hello, yes if you are staring at something or someone, now people can SEE your eyeballs thru the lenses, so don't be so obvious." When I'd be in sunglasses I always felt sort of incognito and nobody could see what I was looking at. HA! This is totally different. Fun, but different.
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Matt says to me the other day "you're like my own little Sarah Palin" and he wanted me to put the glasses on, make my fingers into little guns, and say "pew pew" and wink - like the Tina Fey impression of SP. So I did it once to amuse him, but told him to stop calling me SP. LOL. I'd rather say I look like Liz Lemmon (from 30 Rock, aka Tina Fey)-thank-u-very-much.
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Weekend Happenings
Let's see, we did updated headshot photos (will post them later today hopefully - courtesy of Zazen Photo), installed 2 mirrors, a make-up counter, a privacy curtain, and rearranged the basement (aka Studio) for models use - cleaned out the pantry and laundry room, went to Twisted Taco for free food and drinks (pure luck it was opening night), went to Get Coffee twice (love love love their breakfast veggie burrito), watched "The Aviator" finally, saw a new Family Guy episode, put better "feet" on the coffee table for ease of moving it around, vacuumed, cleaned house, etc. Cooked up some Noodles in white clam sauce, I can't remember anymore. it was fun!
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Oh yes and our roommate is finally moved in. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! So far so good.
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No new Master Bath updates, but if this weekend is any indication, we are off to a great start as far as the residual productive aura permeating my house right now - GO GO GO!
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Treadclimber was available for use this AM. Oh you betta believe I got my butt moving on that!
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Rubber Duckies - Per Warren's challenge, I DID find some "Biker duckies" and now we have Valentine Day Ducks on display here in the office, and all the Biker Dudes got Biker Ducks. Thank you Oriental Trading Company!
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My new fave snack - Lara Bar! All natural (for shizzle - really really REAL all natural ingredients), healthy, and satisfying. Gotta love it!
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Decided to give up alcohol until the Age of Aquarius Party. It can't hurt, and maybe I'll drop some pounds? we'll see. Hot Tea is my new evening bliss.

Life in the Fast Lane

Well, as you can see, I'm a slow blogger. As much as I type everyday, you'd think I could get this thing going.

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Anyhoo, nuff of that. WOW life has changed since the last entry. It's been almost 1.5 yrs!

I did get a new job afterall, but staying within the same company. I'm now an "ITIL Change Analyst" (well that is the job title), but my role is "Change Manager" (meaning that is the work I do), and the payband is something like "Project Manager" (meaning that is the closest title they have for us even tho we really aren't project managers and have an excuse to pay us less $, I think). Talk about confusing! This job is much better and less stressful than my last one, so we'll see how it goes. I've almost been doing it a year now, fun fun.

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Ok so what else is new? I have a facebook account & a myspace page - both of which I neglect horribly. We remodeled the kitchen - we tried to sell the house and move downtown, but then we decided to stay. Matt sort-of-took-over the camera he got me for Christmas in 2006 and became a photographer. The business name is Zazen Photo - and I am now his business manager/ model/ assistant/ everything else. We've taken a few vacations, and I think that is it in a nutshell. Of course there's just not enough time to tell it all.

Most recently, we've hung some of his photography in a local Get Coffee shop, (Say HI to Durinda the owner if you stop by) and at a local hair salon called the Hair Lounge: (say hello to Debi there).

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Matt's also the photographer for a new client Amy of Mikamy Meadows. I used to work with Amy back in Ohio a few years back. She is a dog-lover, wonderful nature/organic person, and just all around fun woman. I am proud that we get to photograph her earth-friendly products! Check them out. Hint: you can get discounts on her products if you get on her mailing list for the newsletter and enter all her contests. Currently there's a "salsa recipe" contest going.

We just got back from a trip to the beach. Staying at a hotel on Treasure Island just near St. Petersburg Florida, and that's where my sister Jamie lives with her son Michael. I love being an auntie. I got to play with him in the ocean this weekend. That was the highlight of my trip, other than eating at Crabby Bill's mmm mmm mmm. Sunburn was the lowlight. yeah. ouch! just say NO to spray sunscreen cans.

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Yesterday, we took our Dog Sport to Sope Creek for a hike and he somehow cut the pad of his Left front paw. I have been trying to keep it disinfected and bandaged up with neosporin, but the darn dog keeps removing the bandage and licking the heck out of it. On the upside, he isn't wincing or favoring that paw at all, he acts like it's no big deal, so maybe it's okay to leave it unbandaged? I'm still keeping an eye on it. I don't want him to get infected. Glad it doesn't hurt him tho. Stubborn darn dog!

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Current Goals: expand the Zazen Photo business further, pay off credit card, get in shape (I'm finally giving in and getting a YMCA membership so I can work-out cardio every AM), meditation/yoga, and resting until the next vacation.

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Upcoming news for the future: Poker at Midget Mansion, my first Hair Lounge visit, Pin-up Style Photo Shoot for The Voyeur Magazine, Mikamy Meadows Party, wedding in NYC, Bahamas Cruise, paying off credit card, getting into shape.