Once Upon A Time...

It was a young man's 23rd birthday. Now, there is nothing particularly exciting about a 23rd birthday, meaning you can't celebrate your achievement of legality and the ability to watch rated-R movies without pulling a mission impossible to get into the theater like on your 18th (woohoo?); you can't be welcomed into the awaiting arms of alcoholism and create memories that were meant to be forgotten like on your 21st; and you don't earn lower rates on car insurance like your oh-so-exhilarating 25th (some of you may not even get that exciting birthday gift). Moral of this rambling? This certain young man was looking forward to birthday wishes and a dinner on his 23rd birthday, and that's about it.

Wedding plans, schoolwork, and endless piles of office work stood in this young man's way of celebrating his birthday to the utmost extreme. What was he to do? Well, his kind and caring and completely humble fiancee decided to present said young man with a small token of her love, a tiny surprise that would at least bring a smile to her hard-working man's face.

So, on the day before the young man's birthday, the fiancee got her creative juices flowing and tried to brainstorm a cheap yet thoughtful gift that would make his day a little sweeter. The lightbulb went on, and she stopped by Waffle House and bought his favorite pie. A Chocolate Cream Oreo Pie. She sneakily brought it home and organized the fridge so that the pie was completely undetectable. Her plan was to set up a birthday surprise the very next morning so that the young man would walk out to a scrumdidlyumcious surprise and a sweet birthday card sitting on the bar. (okay, it isn't the most expensive or imaginative present, but we are on a budget of both time and money, people!)

All went according to plan. At 6:30am on September 10th, the young man was completely surprised and happy about his birthday bar layout. And though try as she might to convince her young man that a Chocolate Cream Pie was an acceptable birthday breakfast, he insisted that he would enjoy said pie much more after a long day of school and work. Amateur.

Later that day, the young man and his fiancee sat on the couch discussing the days events and waiting for friends before they left for a celebratory dinner of sushi. The conversation was flowing smoothly when all of the sudden, the young man jumped off the couch in swift motion and let out an excited howl, "My pie!" As the fiancee recovered from her minor heart attack, she watched as the young man took exactly 3 bounds to make it to the fridge (for a normal human being the distance would have taken 7 bounds). Right after she heard the door open, the young man reach for the bag, and then...

Insert foul language here.

The fiancee ran into the kitchen to see what was the matter, only to view a heart-crushing scene of the helpless young man staring stricken at the horrendous sight before him: a Chocolate Cream Pie face down on the tile floor, whip cream smeared along a surface, a surface of which the fiancee could not recall had last been swept, much less cleaned. Oreo pieces had rolled under every appliance, and the tin lay bent and dented in the middle of the kitchen rug.

Before the fiancee said a word, she looked at the young man who pathetically looked back at her with what she sensed as complete and utter devastation. Then, in one quick movement the young man began shoveling handfuls of the pie into his mouth that had not, supposedly, touched the ground. This was an equally pathetic scene to witness. 10 minutes later, the mess was cleaned, the destroyed pie was in the trash, and the couple was reasoning that in a few days this scenario might be funny; however, at that moment, it certainly was not. Sushi and drinks seemed to lessen the impact of such a blow, but the young man was never able to taste his birthday pie (other than the handful of germ and dirt ridden dessert that he had managed to inhale before his sensible fiancee put her foot down.)

Moral of the story: the young man's birthday surprise may have been a little too much for him. Maybe for his next birthday, the fiancee (the future wife) should try something simple like a cupcake or a cookie, something that won't increase the young man's adrenaline and turn him into a raging, pie-craving hulk.

Enjoying the Little Things

There are so many updates and posts that I should fill my writing time for the day, posts that would make up for lack of posting over the last couple of weeks: wedding updates, job descriptions, too many freakishly trippy dreams to count, and even a scary story to throw in with the bunch. However, for right now, I want to stop and reflect on a little moment that happened not too long ago. When I think about this moment, I still smile and occasionally scare the unsuspecting passers-by on the sidewalk with a crazed outburst of laughter.

This is Why I am Marrying This Man

It had been a very boring day for me. I had the day off and nothing to do with my free time. Chance had been at work all day, and I was spending the day over at the apartment, trying to unpack some of the things that I wouldn't need over the next three months as I travel back and forth between my parent's place and work. I wasn't necessarily committed to this task because when Chance finally came home, he opened the door to about the same amount of unpacked boxes in the middle of the floor that had existed when he had left. Without saying anything about my lack of progress, he sat down on the couch and watched a couple episodes of Gilmore Girls with me. I was on Season 2 in my circulation of the show, so in the episode, Max Medina (for those of you who actually watch GG) is visiting Lorelai and Rory in Stars Hollow. In one scene, he surprises the girls with Ring Pops before they go into the movie. As soon as this happened on the show, Chance jumped off the couch and exclaimed--yes, he exclaimed-- "Oh YA, I have you a surprise!" Wondering what he could have possibly found for me as he was working at the job site (a fraternity house at GA Tech) all day long, I watched him search his bags. He ran back over to the couch with a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans! Does he know me, or does he know me? 

I was so excited that I opened them to share! I know what you are thinking: "You share? Right." Seriously, this just shows how elated I was over his surprise. Right before I picked out a flavor I wasn't scared of, Chance suggested a game. I'd pick out a candy for him to eat, one that he couldn't say no to and one I couldn't intentionally choose for the flavor, and then he would do the same for me. 

On the first taste, Chance ate a hot pink Candy floss (cotton candy) flavored bean. 

On mine? After plopping the cinnamon colored candy in my mouth, I imagine I had a very distraught and disgusted look on my face because Chance smiled and asked if it was that bad. After my response of "It tastes like dirt," he looked at the flavor key and lost it, and I mean lost it. It had been a serious minute since I had heard Chance laugh that hard. After coughing and spluttering through his laughing fit, he announced that I had eaten Earthworm.

At this point, I was determined to make sure he ate something gross. Alas, his next selection was Watermelon.

Don't worry, this turn was followed by my eating a Rotten Egg flavored bean. 

After lamenting on my rotten luck (See what I did there?), I started reading the variety of flavors on the back of the box out loud. I came across Soap, and Chance vehemently promised that he would be done with the game if that one was chosen for him. WHELP. On his next turn, a light blueish/white bean proved to be his downfall. He spit and cursed and gagged a bit as I doubled over laughing so hard that I couldn't breathe. As soon as I grabbed the candy out of the box, I knew it had been Soap. After his William Shatner-worthy overacting, he forced me to eat one more so that we each had 3 though, and wouldn't you know it? He sure "picked real good." My final selection? A Booger flavored bean was enough to make Chance crack up again and me almost gag. 

I really can't tell you the last time we had laughed that hard. As gross and odd as our little game was, I wouldn't have traded that moment for anything. 7 years later and he can still always make me smile (Even with a mouthful of Earthworm flavored candy in my mouth). 

He is such a gift, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with someone who knows the value of surprising me with nasty-flavored, Harry Potter-themed candy. 

That, ladies and gents, defines my Prince Charming. 

Trying to Catch My Breath

Life seems to be stuck in fast forward at the moment, and I look around and know that I'm certainly not the only one who can't seem to turn my brain off at night. For the past couple of weeks, I've been finding small, trifling things to complain about. Wedding planning catching up with me? I pout about it. Falling behind on my Italian project? Dwell on the fact that I have officially procrastinated for 2 full semesters. School graduation and deadlines tapping me on the shoulder to remind me of their existence every 5 seconds? Run and hide under the covers and complain some more.
This seemed to be my recurring pattern, with a couple of hiccups like my computer breaking, until yesterday. It was so difficult to get out of bed, and I seriously contemplated covering my head under the pillow and pretending that I never heard my alarm. I assume everyone else was in the same boat as I was because we were incredibly slow at the Writing Center. Around lunchtime, I went on my break, and I picked up my silenced phone to check messages. A text from Chance flashed across the screen showing only the words "I was in an accident..." Of course, my phone screen cut the message off right before the phrase "I'm okay." My stomach dropped before I could see the text in full, and even after I was able to read it, I was incredibly anxious until I could get him on the phone.
He was, as he said, okay. I picked him up at the Movie Stop off Barrett Pkwy. Apparently, he had been stopped at a light right before the on ramp to 575 on his way to work. A work truck rear ended him, owing to faulty breaks. His bike rack went right on through the back panel of his car.

Poor Lil' Toaster

We went straight to Kennestone just to be safe because his back and sternum were already sore. I may or may not have pestered him to go and make sure everything was where it should be. After a temporary stint in the ER waiting room, an X-Ray, and one game of I-Spy later, we were headed to fulfill his prescriptions and then have dinner with my parents for my dad's birthday. (It was dinner and a floor show once Chance had taken some of his pain meds and muscle relaxers!)

All of this to say, I am so thankful for my life: for my fiancé, my family, my friends, my education, and all of my opportunities that are pushing me toward my future career. Unfortunately, it took a very horrible experience to jar my mind and help me remember, warning: cheesy line ahead, what is truly important.

Learning from my Subconscious: Mount Vesuvius

I would love to transfer some of my dreams to my blog. All of them? Not so much. However, the ones that most intrigue me, that paint the most vivid imagery, and that stick with me during my waking hours will find their way into my posts every so often. Readers, I give you the insane inner workings of my crazy, weird brain.

Background

Dream Brain really outdid itself this time. The storms from the last couple of nights have worked themselves into my subconscious. While driving home around midnight last night, Chance and I witnessed a fantastic light show over the Kennesaw Airport. Two or three firetrucks passed us on the way, so I assume the lightning was inflicting some serious damage, which, I can only assume, is why the storm made its way into my dream.

Photo Credit

The Dream: Mount Vesuvius

I was on a study abroad trip to Italy, and my classmates and I were touring some churches in Rome when we stopped for lunch on a terrace. Our table had a 360 degree view that actually looked more like a preserved battlefield, scattered with ruins and fallen statues, rather than the regal Roman pictures of classical architecture and ancient infrastructure you see on tour brochures. While we were enjoying lunch, the sky went black and the lightning started flashing. We were completely shocked at the suddenness of the storm. Right before we all went to seek shelter in the restaurant, the lightening became so rapid and intense that we all sat dumbfounded staring over the battlefield toward a huge shadow of a mountain in the background. The lightning began to strike time and time again in the same spot, right on top of the mountain. Without warning, a blinding flash of the combined bolts of lightening shattered the sky and struck the peak of, what we all suddenly and collectively realized, what turned out to be Mount Vesuvius.

***side note: Dream Brain apparently had the fact that Mount Vesuvius is one of the most dangerous active volcanoes around today, AND the fact that this volcano factually exists in Italy around Rome. After, my dream I looked up volcanoes in Italy and had a shocking realization that my subconscious facts were pretty straight.  

The flash started an eruption, and mass chaos among the students and diners ensued. As the teachers of the program ran around gathering all of the students, I was stupidly looking for my phone to take picture. Priorities. We were all herded into a conveniently located yet small airport with several small planes and pilots on hand (Deus Ex Machina, much?). The planes were so small that they only fit about seven people and were also completely exposed to the elements; we were all covering our eyes and mouths with clothing to protect ourselves from falling ash and fire. As the plane flew over the village outside of Rome, we passed a rental car parking lot where the employees were casually washing down the ash-covered cars, smiling and waving to the eight-or-so planes passing over their heads. Apparently, our small planes came equipped with tour guides because a woman seated up front used a microphone to shout over the eruption and storm to explain to the passengers what we were seeing around and below us. "These natives have coped with their fate and are waiting for the volcano's vengeance." Dream Brain is pessimistic...and absurd. Around the time I was trying to grab my phone and hurriedly snap some tragic and dramatic pictures, I woke up.

  

My Internship: No, I'm not an Office Slave

Since the degree that I put myself under mountains of debt and stress to earn no longer guarantees a job right out of school, I am excited to be participating in an internship for the summer. For my last semester at KSU, I am interning for the Georgia Writers Association, a non-profit organization that conducts monthly writing workshops in many genres. Through seminars, meetings, speakers, and a variety of other events, the GWA encourages the growth and proficiency in all aspects of writing. 

As an intern, I will help plan, organize, and provide any assistance for events, and I contribute by writing pieces for the website and organizing the web content. One of my main jobs that I am stoked for, though, will be developing and organizing a book club for the GWA membership.

This week I'm writing a feature piece about the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The article will appear on the website and in the program for our event this month, the Georgia Author of the Year Awards. So far, I have conducted an interview and researched the author’s bio. I will be honest, I am incredibly nervous about writing and conveying the importance of the author and the award. I'm slightly intimidated. 

I also was fortunate enough to attend a reading and book signing at Foxtale Book Shoppe in Woodstock yesterday. This was a special treat because I was able to bring my mom to meet her favorite author and coincidentally the special guest of the event, Karen White. It was a great experience to listen to an author who expressed the progress she has made in gaining confidence in her writing, not to mention the bonus of seeing my mom meet her. 

For the internship, I am also helping the administrator create programs and prepare other presentations for GAYA. The next couple of weeks before this large event will most likely be a whirlwind of checklists and planning, so bring it on.

It feels great to throw the word "internship" around and equally wonderful to have the opportunity to improve and expand my writing skills as I dapple in the foreign style of article writing. Hopefully, this internship and the responsibilities will open up some doors, or at the very least some windows, in my quest to be employed after the dreaded graduation day. 

Caramel Apples, New "Digs," and Taking a Knee: Our Proposal

He liked it and put a Ring on It

I interrupt my usual program (aka my planning process lessons) for Story Time! Chance is back at Georgia Tech and is still working part-time at a contracting firm, and I am taking 15 hours of classes/16.5 hours of work all crammed into 3 days of the week. Luckily, my saving grace of a weekend gives me plenty of time to amend my procrastinating ways and to plan (or rather Pin) for the wedding. Despite all of the crazy, I still like to stop and reflect on the fact that we are engaged. Can I just reiterate that fact? Chance and I are engaged, and here is our story.

A Learning Process: A Nail-Biting Venue Search

Lesson 2: Pick Priorities and HOLD STRONG!

I had three things pictured when I envisioned my wedding ceremony.

1)      I wanted a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains; that skyline is just breathtaking, natural, and a great backdrop for any event.

2)      I wanted an outdoor event. I am Christian, and most of my family grew up as Southern Baptists. Needless to say, I received many disapproving looks from family members when I pooh-poohed the idea of church. In my defense, if churches here in the surrounding area had the aesthetics of churches over in Europe, I might think twice, but I see no reason as to why I can’t be as close to the Lord in his creation: outdoors.

3)      I wanted an arbor. Nothing too fancy, I just wanted a pretty frame to enhance a natural environment.

      These were the things on which I was most unwilling to budge. We looked at several venues before the exasperation commenced, and I developed an unhealthy fear that the date I had in mind was going to be snatched up by a more time-conscious bride. The place my fiancé and I fell in love with was just out of our financial grasp, not to mention the fact that it had an almost militant regimen for the ceremony and rehearsal. Wolf Mountain is a gorgeous venue, and I would encourage anyone who is not planning a budget wedding to consider the gorgeous grounds, friendly staff, and amazing vineyard atmosphere. It just didn’t work out for what I’m sure is a very good reason. I just had to take a step back and be more realistic. Venue after venue was consulted and considered. I was so flustered at one point that I almost decided on one mountain-top, secluded site that had the view upon entrance but lacked the mountain vista from the ceremony grounds. Fees stacked up when looking into my other priorities, but I was just ready to have my venue. Thankfully, my mom reasoned with me, and we took a last-minute trip to White Oaks Barn, about 10 minutes North of Dahlonega.

Here we are checking out one venue (a no-go) that had a gorgeous view but not-so great accommodations. 

The venue is absolutely breathtaking. My arbor sits in the perfect spot. The sun never impedes on your view but instead illuminates the mountainous landscape in the background. The barn is brand new and made from the timber that the owner cleared for his daughters own wedding. Apparently, she was running into some of the same obstacles that I was. The bridal suite is like nothing any of the other venues had to offer and was also constructed from the Georgia pines that were cleared to reveal the view of the The Three Sisters Mountain Range. I couldn’t ask for a friendlier couple to hash out the details of my big day either. Working with down to earth, welcoming people will only relieve my easily stricken nerves. The price? For what is included in the wedding package, the place is a steal. Just working out this list makes me giddy. I am so excited and relieved to have the venue picked out, and my only hope is that everything else falls into place a little more effortlessly. (I’m sure I’ll look back at this post in a few weeks and laugh at my naiveté!)