GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T10:08:00.002-05:00

Bath Abbey - Bath, England

Beautiful Bath

2010-11-05T12:31:00.009-04:00

We recently returned from our first European Vacation! Our trip began in Rome, Italy (more pictures to come) and ended with dear friends in Bath, England. You may recognize Ros and Stuart from our wedding. They are great friends of the Lang family and traveled many miles to celebrate our special day. It was great to be able to drop in with them.

The abbey in the center of town hosts tower tours each hour that allow you to climb the very narrow and winding steps all the way to the top of the church. There are some really great views from the top.

Georgian architecture is seen throughout the city's numerous crescents. The most famous, Landsdown Crescent, is seen above.

That's a lot of padding!

Pub Run

2010-04-27T10:17:00.008-04:00

We participated in the 4th Annual Spring Sting Pub Run a couple of weeks ago. Yes, you are reading that correctly, we ran from bar to bar. The pub run was started to celebrate a friend of ours who was stung by a sting ray and fully recovered. Once she was able to move around again, they decided what better way to celebrate than to drink and run, just because we can.

Each leg of the run is about a mile with a one leg where you just have to hop across the square, as seen above.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-04-20T08:02:00.003-04:00

Even Atlanta

2010-02-16T14:57:00.016-05:00

Even Atlanta gets a little snow!

However, the city just about shuts down and all the bread and milk immediately leave the shelves.

A Little Downhill

2010-01-13T14:08:00.011-05:00

During our time in New York, we traveled to Watertown for a little downhill skiing. The resort was small and the slops limited, but it worked well for us considering I had not skied in almost 10 years and Steven was a first timer. To my surprise, it came back to me almost immediately. I was still wedging my skies at the end of the day, but I contribute that more to fear of injuring myself than ability. Not sure what happened, but I definitely had less fear back in the days.

Steven took a two hour lesson and can be seen above with his instructor. He ended up working much harder than me or Amie as he had to side step up the mountain only to ski back down for about eight seconds. He did take one trip down the big slope at the end of his lesson with the instructor. As he would attest, those instructors are great skiers and it is amazing how they keep up with you and ski backwards with you when necessary.

Now I just have to talk him into skiing with me again!

Winter Adventures

2010-01-04T12:58:00.014-05:00

We thought (well maybe a little more me than Steven) that it would be fun to travel to upstate New York for some winter fun after the Christmas holidays. It was quite cold and way more snow than either of us had seen in a while. We ventured to Lake Placid, got in a little skiing, and rang in the New Year at the Hoot Owl in Canton (more pictures to come later).

Steven can be seen above modeling Amie's fabulous ear muffs.

Our first experience venturing out onto a frozen lake (Mirror Lake in Lake Placid).

It was a wonderful trip, although Steven has vowed not to need another snow and cold experience like that again for about 10 years, while I could do it again tomorrow.

We are now home and after a slight snow dusting of the city, it has almost come to a halt. Lots of ice on the roads and very little milk and bread. A very different scenario in comparison to the northern states.

Lots of Golf

2010-01-04T10:43:00.007-05:00

Being that I am so far behind, I am going to start with Thanksgiving and go through the New Year. We have had some great times with family and friends over the past month and I hope to share it all.

We were able to get a lot of golf in over the Thanksgiving holiday. There is an inexpensive Par 3 course not far from the folks. This was my first attempt at a full course and I really enjoyed playing.

My first par hole!

Playing Dress Up

2009-11-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

I would probably say that dressing up for Halloween or any other kind of themed party is one of my least favorite things. It may steam from my fear of acting and the idea that you take on the persona of someone else. Steven absolutely loves it. Funny how we are so different.

We attended a party on Halloween eve and pulled our costumes right out of the closet. As several people said, we were not really out of our element considering that they fit our personalities and past activities. At least we dressed up and to my happiness did not spend money on unnecessary costumes. Yes, except for the glasses and the mullet, Steven actually wears that gear out into the woods!

We visited the nieces on Halloween and helped to pass out candy!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-09T12:40:00.001-05:00

This was our second year spending an evening prior to Halloween carving pumpkins. The patterns require a lot of attention and effort and so we chose to share one pumpkin this year. Last year we were a little sick of carving by the time we finished.

It is pretty amazing what you can do with a pattern. I remember seeing these kind of pumpkins when I was a kid. I was always so impressed by the designs and figured that some really talented artists must have contributed. Then you grow up and find out how easy it is. Our pumpkin is on the last row, second from the left.

Rehearsal Dinner Movie

2009-08-01T13:08:00.007-04:00

Steven and I put together a little video for the rehearsal dinner and here it is in case you did not get enough the first time around.

GEL-oh, thank you for the posting suggestion!

Addison Kathleen

2009-05-28T07:20:00.004-04:00

I became an aunt again on Monday, May 18th. Addison Kathleen was born Monday morning at 11:12 AM. She weighed in at 6 pounds 14.8 ounces and measured 20 inches long. She is absolutely precious and will be called Addie for short.

Her sister, Hannah Marie, is now a year and seven months and is developing quite a personality. Everyone is thinking that Leigh Leigh will be much easier than Leigh Anna and keep trying to plant that seed with her. I must say that it makes me smile every time I hear it and would love to have another family use the nickname.

Riding the Ducks

2009-05-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

The entire time that I was in Philadelphia I wanted to ride the Ducks. I finally got the chance when I was visiting Kathleen in transit to a conference that I was attending outside of D.C. We went to Baltimore for the day and decided to ride the Ducks. It was a fun journey that gave you a taste of the city's history on land and of course by boat. It was a good time, but I am not sure that I would do it again. I think part of the excitement was lost because we only had about 7 people on our tour.

Dogwood Festival

2009-05-25T17:25:00.001-04:00

The Dogwood Festival takes place each year in Atlanta in Piedmont Park, which is right in the heart of the city. Steven and I spent a beautiful Saturday afternoon looking through the hundreds of vendor tents and eating some good ole food includling a funnel cake.

The open space in this picture is called the oval. It has several soccer and baseball fields that can be rented and used for league play. Our kickball team spent the first part of the season playing here. You have great views of the city skyline while you are playing.

Happy Birthday Steven!!

2009-05-24T20:20:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I am just a little behind in posting what has been happening. Steven celebrated his 31st birthday at the end of April. We went out to dinner with a group of friends and then went bowling afterwards. Steven showed us all up with his skills. He was in a league a while back and looks like quite a pro when he steps up to the lane.

Engagement Photos on Tybee Island II

2009-04-15T08:24:00.007-04:00

LA Goes To LA

2009-04-07T21:48:00.005-04:00

Visiting Venice Beach with Amie

This was a store front on the way home from the beach. How cool!

Engagement Photos on Tybee Island

2009-04-02T11:44:00.008-04:00

Here are just a few pictures from our photo shoot with the wedding photographer. There are so many to choose from. I will have to put some more up in another post.

Wedding Shower

2009-03-23T07:30:00.002-04:00

We had our first wedding shower at the end of February. Two of Steven's fraternity brothers and their wives hosted the shower. It was a couples shower and so Steven was able to attend this one with me. We had a bunch of little kids at the shower since a number of his brothers have just had children. Steven's niece, Hannah, is getting so big!

Dusty and Jennifer traveled in from Augusta to hang out with us and attend the shower.

We got a lot of wonderful gifts and had a great time hanging out with everyone. You can see us above with a set of our everyday dishes.

What is happening in this picture?

2009-03-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Nerds Rejoice!

2009-03-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we attended a bachelor/bachelorette party on a disco bus. As you can see the party had a theme and we were all required to dress as nerds. I was a very low key nerd with my Legends of Zelda shirt, but a lot of the group went all out.

The ladies thought that Steven was quite handsome!

This is a group shot of most of the nerd ladies. You can see the bride-to-be in the center with her crown. We drove all over Atlanta and made stops in various neighborhoods to have a drink and then get back on the bus.

New Years Part II

2009-01-14T21:35:00.001-05:00

Carters Lake was about 15 minutes from our cabin. After crossing a rather large and intimidating dam we came to a large field that was surrounded by the lake with picnic shelters, horse shoes, and a play ground . At other entrance points to the state park there are a number of hiking trails. Our intent was to make it to one of the trails that went along the lake's edge, but we never quite found it. Maybe next time!

We did find a two mile trail with an entrance just off the road that brought us into the park. This picture was taken along that trail. Unfortunately a piece of it ran along a power line trail and so you get a little of that in the background.

Group shot minus a few who stayed behind at the cabin.

New Years Part I

2009-01-13T16:00:00.006-05:00

We traveled about an hour north of the city to Talking Rock, GA where we spent three days in a cabin with a group of friends that we made through kickball. We arrived on New Years eve day and stayed until the Saturday after. The house sat on 16 acres, was three stories, and had a hot tub and pool table. The inside was gorgeous with walls of all natural wood. Not a single one had been painted. It was a great environment in which to relax. We spent three days eating, playing games, relaxing by the fire, and hiking. It was a wonderful way to spend some time outside of the city and celebrate the new year. We have already decided to go back again in the spring for another long weekend.

The house also sat on a creek. A short hiking trail traveled along the creek and provided a good path for all of those whose dogs traveled along for the weekend.

More pictures to come!

Young Wifflesnappers

2008-10-03T13:30:00.001-04:00

Steven and I decided to add Wiffle Ball to our list of sports that bring us back to the good ole' days of elementary school P.E. class. This fall we are playing with the Young Wifflesnappers as part of the Wiffle Dixie Social League. Steven has decided that the above picture will adorn his trading card when he is called up to the professionals due to his amazing skills.

Wiffle Ball is much like softball in the way that it is played. Differences include: (1) the wooden board behind home plate serves as the umpire and any pitch that hits the board is a strike, (2) balls are not called since there would be way too many walks, (3) six players plus a catcher are on the field at one time, (4) no one plays first base and a runner is called out at first if the ball makes it back to the pitcher before the runner crosses the base, and (5) you can get a runner out by pegging them with the ball.

Steven hit a home run during his first game. He was very excited about his hit and is now listed on the league website with one home run next to his name.

Annapolis Wedding

2008-10-02T13:00:00.005-04:00

We traveled to Maryland for Kathleen and Robbie's wedding in mid September. They started dating as high school seniors and then spent 4 years apart while Kathleen attended East Caroline University and Robbie went to school in North Dakota. Even though they were over 1,600 miles apart, they made it work.

Kathleen's maid of honor offered her family's beach house as a place to get ready and take pictures. It was a really beautiful setting and a place that had a lot of meaning to Kathleen since she spent so much time there growing up.

A close friend created an emergency kit with anything that you could possibly need.

Kathleen and I started the ECU garter tradition when Courtney got engaged after graduation. This has continued with Kathleen and I already have mine ready to go. We wear two so that we can keep the ECU one and throw the other.

Courtney, pictured above, and Kathleen will be bridesmaids in our wedding.

Limited Gas...Long Lines

2008-09-29T11:22:00.001-04:00

Atlanta has an extreme gasoline shortage. Due to the hurricane damage in the gulf and along the coast, the pipe lines are not running at full capacity. Two weekends ago we began to see bags on pumps and stations that removed their gas prices, indicating that they were all out. Fast forward to now and you are lucky if you pass two stations on any route that have gas to offer. Even if they have gas, it is usually limited to one kind and is mostly unleaded.

I bought gas on Thursday evening at about 9:30 and only had to wait a few moments. The station was packed, but still moving rather well. Just a few days later there were lines backed onto the streets and cops controlling traffic in and out of station parking lots. Most stations that have gas are only allowing cars to come in one entrance and then are directing cars to pumps as they clear. We have heard stories of people waiting in line for an hour, limits of $30, people yelling and honking at one another, etc. I probably have until about Thursday before I need to fill up and I am planning on getting up really early to get gas and then going back home to get ready.

While their is an actual shortage of gas coming into the city, most of the problem is steming from people panicing. People are filling up before neccessary and if they are allowed they are filling up several of those red gas canisters for later. If people would just hold off until they needed it, the situation would not be quite so bad.

Weekend Visitors

2008-09-21T21:46:00.012-04:00

Jennifer, Dusty, and Maggie came to visit us last weekend. They were really interested in checking out the GA Aquarium and so traveled the very boring strip of I-20 from Augusta to Atlanta to stay with us. Saturday afternoon we went to one our favorite Atlanta spots, Stone Mountain State Park. You may remember from an early blog that this is where we got engaged. I really love to take people here so that they can see the spot and also just enjoy some time outside. We had a picnic lunch by the bells and then walked through the village. On Sunday afternoon Jennifer, Dusty, and I ventured to the aquarium while Steven headed to the airport for a business trip to London. The aquarium was a very expensive investment, but a lot of fun. They had a special Titanic exhibit that was really cool.

Hot Georgia Nights

2008-08-07T11:38:00.000-04:00

A second helping of GEL-Oh never hurts. Click on the title to this entry and you will go to GEL-Oh's blog where you can find out about what happens in Georgia on a hot summer night.

I said "YES" to a dress.

2008-08-06T12:12:00.001-04:00

Everyone needs a little more GEL-Oh in their lives. Click on the title to this entry and you will go to GEL-Oh's blog where you can find out about my wedding dress adventures.

We Have A Date

2008-07-24T08:25:00.008-04:00

July 18, 2009

Steven and I spent 4 days traveling through Charleston, Hilton Head and Savannah looking for a great place to have the wedding. Before we left we were almost positive that Charleston would be our favorite. We were quite surprised to find that Hilton Head was the best fit. The church and the reception site are beautiful and the location will give everyone a little time to relax at the beach and enjoy the summer in the SC Low Country. You can view wedding details by visiting our webpage created through THE KNOT.

St. Andrew By The Sea United Methodist Church

Church Interior

Port Royal Golf Club

Entrance to Port Royal

Interior Recption Space

Outdoor Reception Space

The Fourth of July

2008-07-06T15:41:00.007-04:00

We traveled to Augusta on Thursday evening to spend time with Jenn and her husband. Augusta is about 2 hours from Atlanta and you pass right through it to get to Columbia, which is another hour and 1/2 east on I-20. They just bought a home and we had not gotten a chance to see it in person yet. We spent most of the 4th just lounging around and eating. Towards the end of the day we played a little Bocce Ball in the back yard and then headed to see the fireworks. It was a nice way to spend the holiday. Steven and I both had to work on Saturday afternoon, but at least we got one day of relaxation.

Wedding Season

2008-06-17T13:30:00.003-04:00

We traveled to Pawley's Island, SC over Memorial Day weekend for Caroline's wedding. Caroline and I have known each other since high school and first met while sitting next to each other in Mrs. Pyles World History class. We did a class project together and have been great friends ever since. She is currently living in Orlando and working for Disney. That is where she met Evan a couple of years ago and now they are the married and living in a town house that they bought in Orlando. The above picture is at the rehearsal dinner.

This is a picture in the limo on the way to the reception. We all celebrated by having a little champagne. Just before this, we took pictures on the beach.

This is Heather who is Caroline's closet friend from Orlando and also the Matron of Honor. I was the Maid of Honor and one other friend from Orlando was also a bridesmaid.

Her grandmother owns a florist and so all of the flowers the entire weekend were just beautiful. I have one more wedding that I am in in September for a friend from college in the DC area. That will be it until my own!

Congratulations Jonathan!

2008-06-10T21:26:00.005-04:00

The whole family traveled to Clemson, SC in May to see Jonathan graduate. I know, I am quite a slacker, it has been almost a month and I am finally posting.

Can you find Jonathan on the big screen?

I must say that this was one of the worst graduation ceremonies that I have ever been to. They insist on keeping to tradition and read the name of every graduate as they walked across the stage. Jonathan was 500 and something on the right side of the coliseum. This means that there more than 500 on the left and therefore he was almost the last name to be called. Wow!

Going to the Chapel

2008-06-05T23:00:00.002-04:00

I woke up on the morning of Saturday, May 17th to find that Steven and Sean (Courtney's, my best friend from college, husband) were no longer in the apartment. Of course I am slightly confused and when I ask Courtney where they went, she says nothing. She simply gets off the couch, walks over to Steven's suitcase and begins riffling through it (also a little weird). She pulls out an envelope, hands it to me and tells me to read what is inside.

Steven's first letter beautifully described why he loved me. He used the following part of a Robert Frost poem...I shall be telling this with a sign. Somewhere ages and ages hence; two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. He was ready to travel that road with me and that because of that he had decided to change our plans for the day. I was to meet him at Stone Mountain Park by the old Carillon bells at 1:30. The second letter, which I was only allowed to have once I had showered and gotten ready to go, included a highlighted map of the park and a gift card for me and Courtney to get our nails done. Thank goodness he gave us something to do. I would have gone crazy just waiting for 1:30 to come.

When I arrived at the park at 1:30, Sean told me I was to walk down the path until I reached the bells. The bells sit on a peninsula on the lake inside the park. That path did not seem like it would ever come to an end. As soon as I read the letter that morning I knew what was coming and of course by this point had gotten myself all worked up. I rounded the corner and there he was with roses. He said "Not quite the world of coke, is it?" (We were supposed to go to the world of coke with Sean and Courtney that day. That had been my plan for a month. Of course they all knew what the real plan was and let me talk about it for that long)

Steven got onto one knee and proposed. As soon as I said yes the bells rang. It was an absolutely perfect moment.

We're Engaged! This is the spot where it all happened!

Courtney and Sean brought us a gift basket full of goodies including champagne bottles dressed as a bride and groom, and ECU garter (it is a tradition), and bride and groom baseball caps (seen below).

The surprises did not end here. We hung out in the park for a little while afterwards and I was told we had dinner reservations for later that night. Once again everyone managed to keep another secret from me. We arrived at the restaurant and his parents and mine were already there to celebrate with us. It was so nice to have them all there. We had champagne (which came in a She Said Yes! bag) and toasted the day.

All of the hidden truths came out later and I slowly began putting all the pieces together. I never picked up on it at the time, but when I thought back, it all fit. Steven had met dad in Augusta a month before to ask his permission. There were a lot of people who knew it was coming. I had no clue!

And of course, here is the ring!
GET READY TO PARTY WITH US IN 2009!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2008-04-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVEN!!! Check out who has joined the blogging world in my list of favorites (kyzer2020).

Throwing My First Bridal Shower

2008-04-24T17:00:00.004-04:00

Earlier this month I organized a bridal shower for Caroline with the help of her two other bridesmaids. Caroline is a friend from high school who is getting married next month at the beach in South Carolina. As her maid of honor, I was really excited about having the chance to plan a shower and throw her a bachelorette party as well as come up with a speech that is not only sentimental, but also funny (well maybe a little more apprehensive than excited about that part). The bachelorette party is in just a couple of weeks and I must admit that I have not started writing that speech yet, although I have been thinking about it a lot.

We threw the shower at a restaurant in downtown Orlando and luckily had almost the entire restaurant to ourselves. The above picture shows the main table where we ate. The bags were designed by another one of the bridesmaids. She did such a good job and was really creative in the way that she used gift bags for the center pieces. We also ordered confetti with pictures of the bride and groom. The confetti below is actually from another shower a couple of summers ago, but I wanted to show you how great it turns out. You just go to http://www.photofetti.com/, upload as many as 10 pictures and then choose the colors that you would like to incorporate.

We ate first and had a great spread of pasta salad, salad, pizza and grilled veggies. We also had petifores and cream puffs for dessert.

After eating we tested Caroline's knowledge of her fiance (she did wonderfully) and then tested the guests about their knowledge of famous marriages and their ability to unscramble words and phrased related to weddings.

Lastly, she opened all of her gifts. Which included a wishing well full of ways to pamper herself.

Since Caroline and her fiance work for Disney we had the chance to visit Epcot while I was there. I became quite fond of the plant man below, but unfortunately had to leave him behind so that he could entertain more guests.

Celebrate Earth Day

2008-04-22T17:17:00.003-04:00

Celebrate Earth Day by designing your own reusable shopping bag. Your bag will be entered in a contest and your bag could be sold at Kroger, which will probably never happen since there are thousands and thousands of entries. Since you may never see your design in stores, you also have the option to order it. The above is my design. You can view and vote for my design by typing 21228 on the vote for designs page (the title to this entry will link you to the website). Go Green! I can't wait to see everyone's designs.

Baptism

2008-04-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

Steven's niece was baptized this past Suday at a Methodist Church in Buckhead (the part of town that Steven and his brother's family live in). She was born in October of 2007 and is now almost 7 months. Being the first grandchild, she has managed to wrap the whole family around her little finger. This picture was taken after the service at his sister in laws' parents house. We celebrated there and all had brunch together.

The dress that she is wearing has a really cool history. It has been in the family for 40 years and the name of each child and the date on which they were baptized in it is then embroidered on the slip. Even the boys have worn it. What a neat thing to pass on to each generation.

Recess Rejects

2008-04-21T14:00:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, the folks have been playing on a kickball team in Columbia for a while now. When they started playing the league was organized by WAKA (World Adult Kickball Association). After some time people became frustrated with how little they were doing for the players as compared to the money that they were paying to play. A group approached the recreation centers in Columbia and now play through them with improved services for a better price. They are currently playing for a team called FOOTLOOSE. As a team they are becoming closer and have been doing things together off the field. A lot of the team members came to a party they threw after the holidays and they just ventured to the beach together last weekend.

(sorry for the really bad picture, but at least you can see them in their uniform)

After moving to Atlanta and having a certain someone on the road way too much, I realized that I was going to have to make my own friends. Following in my parents footsteps, I decided to join GoKickball as a free agent. For $51 I get 8 weeks of fun and a team tee shirt. The Recess Rejects have picked me up and welcomed me as one of the three new players on the team. I was a little nervous at first, mainly about having to throw the ball accurately and be an effective player in the field, but now feel pretty comfortable and have a lot of fun playing the game that I have not played since elementary school.

As compared to Columbia's one league, the Go Kickball organization in Atlanta is huge. There are 13 leagues with any where from 6 to 15 teams each. You can choose almost any day of the week to play and can choose between competitive leagues and those that are a little more laid back.

We also have a league bar (Mellow Mushroom) that we visit after each game for some food and discounted league drinks. We most often order the house pizza and a kickball pitcher (of beer).

My team is currently 2-0-2 and in 6th place in our league. We play the number 2 team this week. They have won all four of their games. I just hope that we can pull out a win.

Visitors From Afar - St. Simons Island, GA

2008-04-10T14:43:00.000-04:00

At the end of March we went to St. Simons Island in Georgia for a weekend with Steven's family and some friends of theirs that came over from Scotland and England. This is a favorite vacation destination for their family and also where Steven's brother was married several years ago. It is a beautiful island that is family friendly, very relaxing and quite scenic. While on the island we took a trip to visit Ft. Fredreca where for $3 you can explore one of the original British settlements. This settlement was meant to protect the colonies up the coast to the north from the Spanish that were further south in what is now Florida. The small fort was built facing the sound and was successful in protecting the other colonies from Spanish invasion.

You can find Spanish moss all over the island. It is nice to take a drive around the island so that you can see all the pretty vegitation and of course all the large homes of its rich inhabitants.

We even found a few orange trees while we were visiting the fort!

A Georgia Home - Part II

2008-04-08T16:46:00.000-04:00

Here it is at last. A few of our fellow bloggers have been anxiously awaiting the unveiling of my new apartment in Atlanta. It is really not all that exciting, but I must say that it is much better than my last apartment in Philadelphia. It was cute, but because of its size and lack of amenities, it made me a little stir crazy.

This is the living area as viewed from the kitchen. The front door is to the right and the bedroom is to the left. There is also a door that leads out to the balcony to the left of the window.

This is the kitchen as viewed from the foyer. The living area is to the right.

This is the bathroom as viewed from the bedroom. The closet is to the left just before you reach the doorway.

So there it is! Now everyone will have to come to visit and see it in person.

Finding a New Job

2008-04-02T12:29:00.010-04:00

At the beginning of the summer I began looking at job opportunities in Atlanta and then in July I began applying for positions and anxiously awaiting word. I had no idea when I began, that it would be such a long and frustrating process. Many would say, "that is just the way it is." "It takes a long time and you just can't expect a quick turn around." I must say that I have been more than a little spoiled. My interships during graduate school as well as my first job out of graduate school fell easily into my lap with a limited amount of effort on my end. Even my jobs before that and the part time position that I held during my first year, all came easily. Maybe I was just always in the right place at the right time or the competition was just so limited that I always managed my way to the top of the pile.

I have no clue at this point how many resumes I submitted. I know that I had to be well over 50 and that may be a conservative number. I will have to go back and count all of my cover letters that I have saved. From all of that, I only had three somewhat positive responses. That is a measly 4 - 6% return rate. Very sad! I seriously began to question my abilities and if I was even where I needed to be as a professional in order to find a job that I wanted. I do realize that some of the jobs I was either over qualified for or under qulaified for, the non profit job arena is much more limiting than the corporate, I only had a year of experience and I was living 700 miles from my potential new home, but come on.

After 6 months I decided that I needed to get closer and took a temp position at a consulting firm in Atlanta. I figured that would at least improve my chances - being that there was no longer 700 miles between me and my potential dream job. At the end of February I began the interview process with a company based out of Columbia, SC with a branch in Atlanta. I am now happy to report that after almost 9 months of constant searching I have accepted a job offer as a Grants Strategist with a for-profit grants consulting firm. Their main focus is on large (over 1 million) federal education grants. I will be helping clients through the granting process and then providing technical assistance on the back end of the grant (post-award). It is a really exciting small company that does a lot for its employees. I will have a large learning curve with this job and it will truly challenge me, but it should be a lot of fun and will allow me to learn a lot more about grants, especially large ones. My largest grant award at this point is $450,000. Jumping to the million dollar range is huge. I will also be traveling to Columbia as much as once a month and as little as every other month. I will get to stop by to see mom and dad quite a bit!

I start during the third week in April and am looking forward to a long career with them. I do not want to go through this process again any time soon!!

And the winner is...

2008-03-26T09:00:00.005-04:00

...MAU! Congratulations! Mau correctly guessed three out of the four secrets on her first try. Coming in a close second with two out of the four secrets is Ke. And now, for the answers that everyone has been waiting for. Disclaimer -Please remember that when you get to secret number 4, I did not create the clues and never would have been able to come up with the answer. I thought it would be fun though, to see if anyone could get it!

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SECRET 1: Lug Nut

SECRET 2: Fan

SECRET 3: Cookie

SECRET 4: Stephano DiMera (Days of Our Lives)

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I am heading to St. Simon's Island in GA this weekend and I am determined to bring Mau back a prize that you could only find in Georgia. I hope to suceed and have it in the mail to her by next week. Congratulations again to our winner and a thank you to the only two people who played the game. Maybe we will have a better turn out next time.

Leigh Leigh's Brain Teasers - Day 5

2008-03-24T09:34:00.003-04:00

This is your last set of clues. I have put all of the clues for each secret together and have included the final one. I am looking forward to seeing some guesses soon. Remember that your final guesses have to be submitted by Tuesday at 10pm. Good Luck!

SECRET 1

May need a key

When they rotate really fast, they do not spin

It is a hexagon alone, but forms a circle with others

An iron can remove it

MAY BE ATTACHED WITH GLUE

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SECRET 2

Some push, some pull, some paint

Can be made of paper, metal or skin

They can rust or wrinkle

Some have pleats

WHILE SOME PAY TO BE ONE, OTHERS PAY BECAUSE THEY ARE ONE

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SECRET 3

They can be circles, squares or strings

Can remember who you are

They are created by instructions and create instructions

They can travel by BUS or truck

SOME CAN BE DUNKED

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SECRET 4

Capable of chaning people's minds

Father of six

Villian

The Phoenix

RELATED TO ELVIS

Leigh Leigh's Brain Teasers - Day 4

2008-03-23T20:29:00.008-04:00

We are getting closer to the end. Remember that you have an opportunity to make one guess before your final guess on Tuesday. You last set of clues will come tomorrow morning. If you submit a set of guesses before Tuesday, I will let you know how many you have correct.

CLUE SET 4

SECRET 1: An iron can remove it

SECRET 2: Some have pleats

SECRET 3: They can travel by BUS or truck

SECRET 4: The Pheonix

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CLUE SET 1 (THURSDAY)

SECRET 1: May need a key

SECRET 2: Some push, some pull, some paint

SECRET 3: They can be circles, squares or strings

SECRET 4: Capable of changing people's minds

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CLUE SET 2 (FRIDAY)

SECRET 1: When they rotate really fast, they do not spin

SECRET 2: Can be made of metal, paper or skin

SECRET 3: Can remember who you are

SECRET 4: Father or six

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CLUE SET 3 (SATURDAY)

SECRET 1: It is a hexagon alone, but forms a circle with others

SECRET 2: They can rust or wrinkle

SECRET 3: They are created by instructions and create instructions

SECRET 4: Villain

Leigh Leigh's Brain Teasers - Day 3

2008-03-22T09:25:00.007-04:00

You may find that each new clue not only knocks any of your original guesses out of play, but that you also become more confused. We found it much easier to make guesses when we only had a couple of secrets that had to support our logic. Let those gears turn!

CLUE SET 3

SECRET 1: It is a hexagon alone, but forms a circle with others

SECRET 2: They can rust or wrinkle

SECRET 3: They are created by instructions and create instructions

SECRET 4: Villain

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CLUE SET 1 (THURSDAY)

SECRET 1: May need a key

SECRET 2: Some push, some pull, some paint

SECRET 3: They can be circles, squares or strings

SECRET 4: Capable of changing people's minds

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CLUE SET 2 (FRIDAY)

SECRET 1: When they rotate really fast, they do not spin

SECRET 2: Can be made of metal, paper or skin

SECRET 3: Can remember who you are

SECRET 4: Father or six

Leigh Leigh's Brain Teasers - Day 2

2008-03-21T12:37:00.002-04:00

Hopefully everyone is beginning to think about the clues and the secrets that they are holding. Each day I will give you the new clue set and also repeat the clue sets from the previous days. That way you have them all in one place. Enjoy!

CLUE SET 2

SECRET 1: When they rotate really fast, they do not spin

SECRET 2: Can be made of metal, paper or skin

SECRET 3: Can remember who you are

SECRET 4: Father of six

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CLUE SET 1 (THURSDAY)

SECRET 1: May need a key

SECRET 2: Some push, some pull, some paint

SECRET 3: They can be circles, squares or strings

SECRET 4: Capable of changing people's minds

Leigh Leigh's Brain Teasers - Day 1

2008-03-20T11:33:00.012-04:00

I recently participated in this activity and found it very challenging and also a lot of fun. I want to pass the fun along to you and so I am introducing my first contest...Leigh Leigh's Brain Teasers!

Over the next 5 days you will receive one clue a day for each of the 4 secrets. By day 5 you will have a total of 5 clues for each of the 4 secrets. The person who guesses the most secrets correctly will win a prize. If there is a tie, the winner will be decided based on the time of submission. There is one secret that no one participating was able to figure out. Let's see if someone is able to figure out the correct answer.

CONTEST RULES:

1) You may guess twice (the final guess is included in the two) during the contest by sending me an email. This will keep the guesses private until the end of the contest. If you do not have my email address, let me know and I will get it to you.

2) Any time that you submit a guess you must guess all four of the secrets.

3) After your first guess (which may occur at any time during the contest), I will tell you how many you have correct, but not which ones are correct.

4) All final guesses must be submitted by 10pm on Tuesday, March 25, 2008.

Good luck and have fun!

CLUE SET 1

SECRET 1: May need a key

SECRET 2: Some push, some pull, some paint

SECRET 3: They can be circles, squares or strings

SECRET 4: Capable of changing people's minds

A Georgia Home - Part I

2008-03-09T14:03:00.015-04:00

After living in a box in Philadelphia, I have come to appreciate a few basic household amenities, which I would now (after being deprived for over two years) also define as luxuries. Being able to do the basic every day tasks with ease makes these common household appliances some of the best inventions.

I absolutely adore my dishwasher. Not only did both of my apartments in Philly lack dishwashers, but they also lacked the needed counter space to do anything. You can imagine how much space was left once the drying rack was on the counter. Mom told Steven a story this weekend about my love of washing dishes when I was little. She would set me up in the kitchen while she was cooking and I would wash already clean dishes and make a huge mess. I am not sure where this passion went, but I can tell you that I no longer find pleasure in washing dishes and love that this machine does it all for me.

Not only do I have a dishwasher, but I also have a full size stove that all of my cooking dishes fit into. In order to demonstrate the difference...my pizza stone would not fit into my old stove with the metal rack under it. Without the rack, it would barely slide into the stove. You can imagine how much fun it was to pull out at the end.

Last, but not least, is the ice maker. A number of people would attest to my dislike of refilling the ice tray. I am not sure what it is, maybe it is the tediousness of the task or the fact that it is never ending, but I would constantly leave the ice trays empty until I completely ran out. Diet Coke is just not the same without ice and it was always a sad day to drink it out of the can. It was a vicious circle that has now come to the end with this handy kitchen appliance.

It truly is the simple things in life! Next up on A Georgia Home...a bigger picture of what the new apartment looks like.

Find Your Spot

2008-02-27T14:47:00.012-05:00

Are you interested in finding what places best fit what you love about life? If the answer is yes or if you would just like to take a fun quiz, then visit the Find Your Spot website (the blog title is linked). The quiz will discover what you look for most in a location by asking you questions about climate, culture, recreation, geography and much more. It will then generate your top 25 places to live. My top 10 were: 1) Albany, NY 2) Harrisburg, PA 3) Tallahassee, FL 4) Tacoma, WA 5) Ocala, FL 6) Chattanooga, TN 7) Gainesville, FL 8) Roanoke, VA 9) Ogden, UT and 10) Hattiesburg, MS. Once your list is generated you can read all about them and maybe find out why the site matched you with the location. I don't know if I was asked what place I would most want to live, if any of these would have popped into my head. Where are your top spots? Does it match the places where you have dreamed about living? You will be asked to register with your name and email address before you can view your locations. I have taken this quiz twice now (registering both times) and have not received SPAM or annoying emails from the site.

East Palisades

2008-02-25T15:36:00.000-05:00

We decided to take a short Saturday hike along the East Palisades trail located in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It is a short and easy trail that gives you a feel of being out of the city while being located right in the middle of Atlanta. The trail's name refers to the high, steep cliffs that run along the river. You begin up top and hike down into the gorge where you can easily walk out onto the rocks in the river (a lot easier due to our lack of rain). The granite palisades were often called the Delvils' stairsteps by boatman in the 19th century because they were "the devil" to navigate. We had a great time and hope to bring visitors along next time.