My name is Kaitlyn and I am a SLACKER
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Bad Blogger Award
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Whew, long time no blog! I really have to get better at keeping up with this thing. I officially bestow upon myself the Bad Blogger Award. I promise to try harder! We should have some good news to share soon (nope, not pregnant, sorry Julia!) so I'll definitely keep you all posted. Okay, now, what has happened since the last time I posted... in August!
August
August was HOT here in the South. I got back from Wyoming and proceeded to melt until the cooler fall weather arrived. I started working for the newspaper and met lots of locals who complimented my work, which felt pretty good. Mike dealt with some Clifton drama surrounding the ability of a Fire Chief to run for City Commission. It was pretty crazy stuff, I am constantly surprised that we don't really live in "sleepy" little town! The American Queen riverboat passed through Clifton on the TN River at the end of August, and I managed to get a decent photo of it. I love the reflection of the lights on the water!
August
August was HOT here in the South. I got back from Wyoming and proceeded to melt until the cooler fall weather arrived. I started working for the newspaper and met lots of locals who complimented my work, which felt pretty good. Mike dealt with some Clifton drama surrounding the ability of a Fire Chief to run for City Commission. It was pretty crazy stuff, I am constantly surprised that we don't really live in "sleepy" little town! The American Queen riverboat passed through Clifton on the TN River at the end of August, and I managed to get a decent photo of it. I love the reflection of the lights on the water!
Vacation, Vacation on the Range
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Mike's Surprise Birthday Weekend Getaway!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
As you all know, Mike's birthday was Friday, July 20th and in keeping with our now four-year-old tradition, I took him on a surprise birthday weekend trip! This year I concocted a plan to spend the weekend at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville to explore the vast hotel and relax. Before we left on Friday, I managed to snap a quick picture of our very skittish feral cat. Apparently, there are a few of them that live in the brambles behind our house and this little kitty loves to sleep under my car when it's hot out. It is absolutely terrified of me (and Mike, which is good, since he's allergic), but I'm trying to become friends with it - I also wish I could figure out if it's a boy or a girl... I'm pretty sure it's a "she-cat," but it remains unconfirmed.
A Rainy Day Trip
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
**As I'm typing, we are in the middle of a huge thunderstorm here in Clifton. One thunder clap just shook the house and set off a few car alarms. I swear, for such a small place, there's always something happening! **
Since I was such a good little housewife last week (ha ha), Mike took me on a day trip to Williamson County, just south of Nashville. Our first stop was Arrington Vineyards, a relatively new winery that is owned by Kixx Brooks (of the famed country duo Brooks & Dunn). Mike packed us an awesome picnic lunch in our adorable picnic basket (wedding present from our friends Terra and Mitch Greenwell. We love it and we love them!). The view was lovely, the winery is up on a small hill overlooking the vines and some rolling country fields.
Weekly Wrap-Up
Sunday, July 15, 2012
So, it's been a little while since I posted, sorry! I'd like to say that I'm super busy, but really, I've kind of just been taking time to relax, unpack, and get used to being unemployed. If you follow me on Facebook, you know that I have been baking and cooking quite a bit... lots of "made from scratch" meals up in here. So different from Fairfax, I think I cooked twice in that little apartment kitchen (not counting freezer pizza - we lived on that stuff!) Here I'm baking bread, making sugar cookie bars (miserable Pinterest fail though), lasagna rollups, French dip sandwiches, and homemade pizza. It's fun, the weekly menu keeps me busy :)
For the Birds...
Monday, July 9, 2012
Well, we are officially in Tennessee and are beginning to settle into the house. I'll post pictures of the house after I've cleaned everything and put all of our crap away... the place is kind of a mess right now. I'm mailing new address announcements, so keep an eye on your mailbox over the next few days! I fully expect Christmas/Holiday cards from all of you. ;)
In the meantime, we have some very exciting news here on James K. Polk Street - we have baby birdies! There is a sweet little nest of cardinals in a bush next to the house in the backyard. The Mama was a little wary of me taking pictures at first, but she warmed up to me a bit after an hour or so. I was super careful to not disturb anything while attempting to grab some shots, so forgive me for weird angles and some unfocused shots. I threw in some others of the backyard, I was just having a little fun with perspective. Stay tuned as we watch these little guys grow up!
In the meantime, we have some very exciting news here on James K. Polk Street - we have baby birdies! There is a sweet little nest of cardinals in a bush next to the house in the backyard. The Mama was a little wary of me taking pictures at first, but she warmed up to me a bit after an hour or so. I was super careful to not disturb anything while attempting to grab some shots, so forgive me for weird angles and some unfocused shots. I threw in some others of the backyard, I was just having a little fun with perspective. Stay tuned as we watch these little guys grow up!
Holy Mixed Emotions, Batman
Friday, July 6, 2012
Here I sit, alone, in an empty apartment. I've just left my job of three years and drove the Capitol Beltway for the last time. Saying goodbye to my amazing co-workers/friends was way more difficult than I imagined... I even cried when I said goodbye to the friendly parking attendants in my building. Then, I proceeded to sob all the way home.
It's not that I'm unhappy about moving to Tennessee, I'm not even really that sad about leaving DC, it's just so hard to say goodbye to people that put a smile on your face everyday, no matter how busy or stressful the job becomes. I loved my job so much - even the most mundane tasks like filing and making copies. I love the people in that office, the crazy clients, those sweet kids that just need someone to stick up for them. Even the computer glitches and endless phone calls don't seem all that frustrating anymore. I hope that one day I can find another job that is as rewarding, challenging, and gratifying as the one I left today. Goodbye, Michael J. Eig and Associates, thank you for teaching me a million lessons about life, professionalism, and the value of hard work.
I am leaving Fairfax tomorrow - if I ever get my damn car packed - and I cannot wait to see my husband and sleep in my own bed. This air mattress and I are not having as much fun as we did earlier in the week, haha. I can't wait to get to Clifton and really get the ball rolling on our new life there. With all of the obstacles almost free from my path, I am starting to see the long stretch of open highway that stands between me and this new chapter in my life.
Ready or not, Clifton. Here I come.
It's not that I'm unhappy about moving to Tennessee, I'm not even really that sad about leaving DC, it's just so hard to say goodbye to people that put a smile on your face everyday, no matter how busy or stressful the job becomes. I loved my job so much - even the most mundane tasks like filing and making copies. I love the people in that office, the crazy clients, those sweet kids that just need someone to stick up for them. Even the computer glitches and endless phone calls don't seem all that frustrating anymore. I hope that one day I can find another job that is as rewarding, challenging, and gratifying as the one I left today. Goodbye, Michael J. Eig and Associates, thank you for teaching me a million lessons about life, professionalism, and the value of hard work.
I am leaving Fairfax tomorrow - if I ever get my damn car packed - and I cannot wait to see my husband and sleep in my own bed. This air mattress and I are not having as much fun as we did earlier in the week, haha. I can't wait to get to Clifton and really get the ball rolling on our new life there. With all of the obstacles almost free from my path, I am starting to see the long stretch of open highway that stands between me and this new chapter in my life.
Ready or not, Clifton. Here I come.
Heave Ho!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
This past week has been a whirlwind of planning, packing, and adapting to circumstances beyond our control. Since Mike has been using his vacation days to finish out his time at his job, he packed the entire apartment over the course of the week. Super Husband!
The apartment was a disaster all week, as we suddenly realized how much crap we had stuffed into 730 square feet. Boxes littered every room, pathways were blocked (total fire code violation) and the kitchen was a mess. Mike was really amazing this week, he worked so hard all day while I was at work. By the end of the week, he had packed the entire apartment, and loaded everything into the UHaul - oh, and it was over 100 degrees on loading day!
Tour, Tour of the South
Friday, June 22, 2012
Well, the trip to Clifton was... not as successful as planned, but lovely nonetheless. We still don't have an official place to live, but we're working on it. We had a lovely road trip to Clifton, stopping over in Atlanta for a Braves game. We spent Thursday night in Clifton and then headed to Knoxville for my cousin Katie's wedding weekend. At the end of the week, we had driven over 1800 miles.
It's Official
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Holy *#&%, We're Moving to Tennessee!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
There are many places in this world that I never imagined I would ever visit, much less move to. One of those places is rural south-central Tennessee. I'm an East Coast girl, born in the beautiful Trenton, New Jersey (haha) and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA... I crave the sweet comfort of living near a large city that can boast a variety of (mostly frustrating) sports teams, aggressive driving, and equally aggressive accents. Even when I moved to Louisville, Kentucky for undergrad I required proximity to tall buildings, expressways, and a population density of over 100K. Promptly after graduation, I moved to the nation's capital to pursue a Master's degree in International Relations and walked to the White House during my free time (I mean... study breaks).
Guess what? I'm about to experience some culture shock.
Guess what? I'm about to experience some culture shock.
