Best Weekend Ever :)

This weekend was probably the best one that I've had for as long as I can remember. And the best part, was it was 3 days long... and every single day was equally as amazing!

The best parts of my weekend:

• Meeting new friends that I have a million things in common with :)
• Watching Hangover 2 and laughing until I cried
• Laying out by the pool with Sarah and Brittany (then having a lunch date here - so good!)
• Grilling out and drinking obnoxious amounts of ice cold beer
• Puppy play dates with Toby, Pete & Samson
• Buying this adorable top at Ruche (so many cute things to choose from!)

And my very favorite part...

Deciding that 9 to 5 jobs aren't for me -officially- and starting to look at hair & make up schools! (more on this later)

What did you do this weekend?

You may be a [crazy obsessed] dog person IF . . .

What you're about to read is a little list that I made up this morning after I was woken up by a tennis ball under my back, my covers stolen by my 70 lb boxer, and realizing that even though we have a king sized bed... I was somehow squished up against the wall with cramped legs. [Either way, I will always always always let my puppies sleep in the bed ;) ]

You may be a [crazy obsessed] dog person IF:

1. You allow your dogs to sleep in the bed, even at the cost of your own comfort. This usually means that your dog(s) will creep up to the top of the bed while you are sleeping, steal all of your pillows, take the blanket from you, and sprawl out to the point where there is little room for you. If you have a dog who loves toys, watch out for tennis balls... they don't feel that awesome once they're carelessly lodged behind your back or neck. Also, beware... you could wake up to a dog butt in your face.

2. When at a party, you pull out pictures of your dog(s) as if they're your children. This one happens a lot, especially thanks to whoever invented camera phones. People! My dog is just that cute! If you don't believe me, here, look at this tiny puppy slide show I've complied as cute puppy evidence.

3. Your dog(s) have multiple facebook albums or you have totally crossed over to the dark side and created them a facebook all their own. [our dogs don't have facebooks... but sean's dog in high school did have her own myspace ;) ]

4. When you're at a bar or other social place meeting people for the first time and some one asks you if you have children, you say yes. two actually. a really cute boxer named Samson and the most adorable schnoodle ever, Pete! wait... that's what you meant by 'children' right?

5. Your in-laws refer to your pups as 'grand-puppies' and your dog(s) know exactly who their going to see when you say, in a very high pitched and excited voice, ''let's go see grandma and grandpa!""

6. You make funny voices for your dogs and make them say funny things. Even when you have company. Come on, I know we aren't the only people who do this!

7. You laugh hysterically when your dog farts, even though it smells terrible!!!!!

8. Ok, this one isn't that crazy. At Christmas, your dog(s) have their very own stocking. Family members buy them gifts, and you find that most of the presents under the tree are for your pup(s). [i spent $80 on our pups stocking stuffers this year.... more than I spent on anyone else except Sean! ok... maybe a little crazy]

9. You have several ''I love my _____'' paw and/or bone shaped bumper stickers on your car. Mine wouldn't stick to my car because it's apparently all plastic [awesome!].... so ours are on our refrigerator.

10. Lastly, you may be a crazy obsessed dog person if your dog dresses better than you do. Pete know's what i'm talking about.

What crazy things do you do for your pets?

new hair :)

Yesterday I left work early and tried a new salon -- Bombshell -- and let me tell you, they did not disappoint! I wish I had a before picture, because you would be amazed at the difference... I'm going to start calling Carol ''Hair Goddess'' from now on, because she r e a l l y knows what she's doing! Before I came in, my hair was a two-toned mess and my roots and greys were downright embarrassing. I picked the color and it came out exactly like I wanted.... something that other stylists have failed to do in the past (hence trying a new place).

If you're in the Richmond area, I definitely recommend this place. It's affordable and the service is excellent; I felt like I was hanging out with a bunch of old friends! And when you walk in, it doesn't really feel like a salon... it feels more like a dressing room with big sofa's and chairs and vanity mirrors (did I mention it's a 50's pin up girl theme?!), I was in heaven! Everyone was really down to Earth, and I felt really comfortable and at home... I'll definitely be back!

P.S. - Why is it that every time I get my hair done, I want to become a stylist myself? The work environment is totally different than an office setting, and it seems like so much fun!

A Perfect Sunday.

This weekend was all around perfect, but my favorite day by far was Sunday. Usually, Sean wakes me up on Sunday morning with a really great breakfast and we spend the entire day in our pajamas watching movies, not putting actual clothes on until around 4:30 pm and heading over to his parents house for dinner on the grill. It was sunny, however, and I needed to break the routine (although I did still get homemade hash browns and a fresh omelet, thanks to Sean!).

Sean isn't really an ''outdoorsy'' person, but when it gets warm and sunny out I can't help but spend as much time as possible at the River... which we're lucky enough to live only about 5 minutes away from. I couldn't stand the thought of staying in my pajamas when it was so nice out, and even though all of my other friends had plans, I decided to pack up the pups and head out on my own.

I don't usually go places by myself. Once I attempted to eat at Panera alone and I finished my soup and sandwich in under 10 minutes and then got the hell out of there... eating alone is awkward. I figured, why not give it another shot... after all, bringing Pete and Samson meant I wouldn't really be alone anyway.

Best. Decision. Ever!

I packed up the car with water and dog treats, and started driving towards my favorite river spot on 42nd street....... only to find that it was blocked off for the weekend due to high/dangerous water. Disappointed, I decided to head towards Belle Isle, a small island in the city with pretty good rocks to lay out on.... the only issue I have with this location is parking sucks and it's always incredibly crowded. Sunday was no different.

We found a parking spot (wayyyyy too far away - not doing that again!) and after walking several blocks finally got to the river and spread out our blanket. There were a ton of people, but it was nice listening to this guy play his guitar (he sang all Beatles songs, who could complain?) and I'm always up for good people watching. Everyone on the river is super friendly, and some one gave my pups the ice out of their cooler on their way out (they needed it!) and another gave them each a bite of their sandwich. Needless to say, we were in heaven!

The water was pretty rough and nobody was allowed to get in over ankle deep, so we got hot pretty fast and once we ran out of water, headed home. I'm proud to say that we stayed for 3.5 hours before we were ready to leave, and I think I'll go back next weekend - the benefit of going by yourself is that you can come and go as you please. Usually, my friends are ready to leave by the time I'm just getting comfortable.

The walk back to the car was pure torture. Our car was parked at the top of this really huge hill, and halfway through Pete and Samson pulled me into the grass for a little break. We finally got home, and they spent the rest of the afternoon/night passed out!

I took a nap, too (it was glorious!)... and then Sean and I went out to this little place. We'd never been, and let me tell you - we will be back soon! Sean got meatloaf which was out-of-this-world and I had a veggie sandwich on sourdough break. Ohmygosh. We came home and watched 4 episodes of Freaks & Geeks... remember that show? We're obsessed all over again :)

I hope you had an amazing weekend - I'm getting my hair done tomorrow and I couldn't be more ready to be brunette again! Isn't it funny how simply changing your hair gives you such a confidence boost? I love it!

Guest Post!

I'm over at one of my favorite blogs today, Sometimes Sweet!

Come say hello and learn a little about River City :-)

xx, Kara



[baseball.]

Last night Sean and I took our very adorable [and surprisingly well behaved] pups to their very first baseball game! I know, I know... people do the strangest things with their animals. But it was really fun, and actually really bizarre having our pets with us in a place where they're normally not allowed. We met our friends Cara and Jason, along with their pup Biltmore, and enjoyed $8.00 beers, $5.00 hot dogs, and $7.00 curly fries. Gotta love expensive, greasy park food!

I can't say that Sean and I are ''sports people''... but it was nice sitting outside and looking at everyone's dogs. There were dogs in hula skirts, dogs that weighed more than we did, and tiny little puppies. We got little goody bags when we entered the park, and Pete & Samson watched the game and munched on treats - they were basically in heaven.

In other news... this week has been flying by at lightening speed (for me anyway)! Did you know that Saturday is supposedly the date of the Rapture? Ha ha... I don't really take fundamentalists seriously, but it sounds like a good excuse to live it up a little this weekend! My friend's having a pool party and I'm more than ready to cook out, swim, and relax with my friends this weekend. Are you doing anything fun?



fortune cookie.

A few weeks ago, Sean and I decided to order in Chineese and spend the night watching movies together. [isn't that the best way to spend a Friday night?]

Anyway. I was more than pleased when I opened up my fortune cookie and got this little bit of encouragement:

How did my cookie know that I was looking for a different job? And guess what... today I'm going on my first job interview in almost 2 years! I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited to branch out and try something new for a while. Hopefully this will be the first interview of many, and in a few weeks I'll be happily employed somewhere else :-)



prince charming?

This picture has been floating around Facebook all week, and I can't help but smile when I look at it. Maybe Prince Charming's do exist? (or just appear to on the surface, perhaps...)

Either way, I hope your weekend is magical!!



somebody has to say it - v.06

Somebody has to say it...American's need healthcare reform. See:


Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Happy Mother's Day!!

 

This is a picture that I grew up loving, because look how pretty my mom (blue dress) looks! I think this was taken on Easter Sunday in Kentucky with my mom's mom, my Great-Grandmother and my Mama Bess... such great memories!

How are you celebrating today? I'm going to travel an hour for lunch with my parents, and Sean's going to be having a cook out with his. Whatever you do... I hope you take time to tell your mother just how much she means to you -- after all, without mother's none of us would be here!

International Day of the Midwife

Today is a very special day, because it is two holiday's in one! It's obviously Cinco de Mayo... but more importantly (in my opinion) it's International Midwives Day!

What many people don't know, is that I very seriously considered leaving my job and becoming a midwife... the ONLY thing that has stopped this dream is the tiny little detail around the fact that you have to train for about 3+ years to become a direct entry midwife, and you do not get paid (you actually pay for this training most of the time). Since I can't afford to not work for 3+ years... I'm looking for something that's closely related and in the meantime telling everyone who cares to listen about how important, beneficial, and self-less this profession is!

Midwives are very special people. They are basically on call 24/7, for 365 days a year. They can be found in hospitals, birthing centers, or within the home. They are counselors, mentors, coaches, best friends, soul sisters, the voice of reason. They are the parent and baby's biggest fan, and without them... the sanctity of birth and the mother's rights would very quickly diminish.

Midwives are so essential to our culture, and at the same time... they aren't given the respect or adoration that they deserve. As a matter of fact, they are illegal in some states and most people don't really understand who they are and what they do.

They are advocates. They believe that healthy women's bodies are naturally able to give birth without medical interventions. They cherish the woman's birth plan and go above and beyond to accommodate her wishes while still delivering a safe and healthy baby. They are goddesses; patron saints of birth and femininity.

I could sing their praises all day long, but instead of hearing it from me I would encourage you to do some of your own research -- I recommend looking here, here and here for starters. And I definitely recommend that you watch t h i s if you haven't already.

Do you have a midwife in your life? Would you ever consider using a midwife? Have you used a midwife? Are you a midwife?

To all of the midwives out there, thank you for doing what you do every single day. Thank you for putting your lives on hold so that other lives can come into being. Thank you for being the refuge in so many women's lives. Thank you for keeping birth natural, simple, and beautiful.



a survey of sorts

Hey, blog-land!

I got this survey from Chloe and since I'm too tired/lazy to think of a good topic today myself.... I figured, why not. {feel free to complete it too, and link back here so I can read yours too!}

A. Age: Twenty-Four. I'll be 25 June 25th :)

B. Bed size: King!!

C. Chore you hate: I get in 'cleaning moods' (Sean loves these!) where I deep clean the entire loft all at once, and this is actually very therapeutic for me. HOWEVER, I absolutely HATE doing the dishes!

D. Dogs: We have a schnauzer-poodle mix named Pete and a Boxer named Samson... to say I'm obsessed with my dogs is an understatement!

E. Essential start to your day: I am definintly NOT a morning person, so I always take my first hour at work to ease into the drama for the day (I work with teenagers). This means that I do not answer my phone until 9:00 a.m. and I usually eat frozen grapes and another fruit while blogging and checking facebook.

F. Favorite color: Blue. It was always red growing up... but I guess things change!

G. Gold or silver: Our wedding bands are white gold because I wanted gold and he wanted silver. I could go either way.... but I wear mostly all silver jewelry.

H. Height: 5'9

I. Instruments: None! I am very upset about this! I wish that I could play piano, but I don't have the patience or time at the moment. Sean can play guitar and piano and even a little drums! {i hope our kids take after him!}

J. Job title: Adolescent Substance Abuse Case Manager is my 'official' title. I basically refer client's to services like counseling/mentoring/in home/etc, do drug screens every once in a while, go to court with them, check on them at home and school. It sounds interesting I guess, but it's a lot of paperwork.... and I HATE paperwork.

K. Kids: None yet! Hopefully within the next 2-4 years!

L. Live: Richmond, Va... right in Shockoe Bottom which is a long strip of bars and resteraunts. We can also see the James River from our rooftop and we're literally about 50 feet from the floodwall!

M. Mom’s name: Sue Karen

N. Nicknames: Sean thinks its funny to call me 'Workman' aka my maiden name. Family calls me Kara-Boo, Kara-Bara, Kara-Bee...My dad calls me pebbles because I used to rock climb or cricket because I have long legs... haha

O. Overnight hospital stays: Just once.. I donated my kidney in April of last year and was in the hospital for about 5 days. Hospitals suck, and I hope to have a home birth when the time comes because they make me so stressed/uncomfortable.

P. Pet peeve: Ummmm I'll try to limit this to my top 3 to avoid being overly negative!

#1 - I CAN NOT STAND when people comment on your facebook wall trying to start a debate (especially about politics) and they honestly don't know what they're talking about. For instance, some one was talking about Obama's birth certificate and was like ''HE'S OUR PRESIDENT! WE NEED TO KNOW!'' Ummm, sorry sweetheart.. did you miss when he released it back in 2008??! Wow. Please don't do that.

#2 - Another pet peeve (which may cause some friction, don't mean to offend) is christianity in the work place. I'm in social work, and the amount of Christianity is unreal -- to the point where I feel almost ostrocized because I'm not 'in the club'. I don't have a problem with people being religious, and with some of my client's I often ENCOURAGE it.... but please please PLEASE don't call my office inviting me to church or try to witness to me while I'm trying to exit the building.... it's rude!

#3 - The last, biggest pet peeve is definintly people who stop at intersections without a stop sign. If I have a stop sign and have to sit and wait for you to figure out that you can go.... WHEN THERE'S A SIGN FACING YOU THAT SAYS 'DO NOT STOP' please do not stop. You aren't helping, you're hurting.

Q. Quote from a movie: Hands down my favorite quote ever is from Garden State -- ''That's life. If nothing else, its life. It's real, and sometimes it fuckin' hurts, but it's sort of all we have.'' (I would also like to point out that my husband and I watch Home Alone 1&2 year-round and we quote this movie on a consistant basis!)

R. Right or left handed: Right-handed.

S. Siblings: I have a younger brother named Jacob.

T. Time you wake up: My alarm goes off at 6:00, 6:40, 7:15 and finally I get up at 7:30. I set my alarm for 10 on the weekends.... if I don't set an alarm, I will literally sleep until dinnertime.

U. Underwear: Yes? Although I did go through a weird faze in high school where I thought it was cool to go without underwear... not in the slutty tell everyone about it kind of way, but the natural (i guess?) way. I also wanted to be a nudist.

V. Vegetables you dislike: Carrots and Cucumbers.... and Sean is ALWAYS trying to sneak them into our meals!

W. What makes you run late: My dogs, every time. It only takes me about 15 minutes to get ready in the morning... but sometimes Sean has to go to a meeting or something and tells me last minute (as in 7:50 and I have to be at work at 8) that he can't take the dogs out (he takes them out in the morning, I take them out at night) and this without fail causes a HUGE argument because I can't stand being late.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: I broke my pinky in high school so had one for that, another on my ankle because I thought it was broken (it wasn't) and then one for when I donated my kidney.

Y. Yummy food you make: I have been learning how to cook and I am FINALLY at the point where some of my food is acutally edible! I can make chicken 10 different ways, a smack-your-mamma-good fried chicken ceasar salad, and I can usually bake pretty well.  

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: ELEPHANTS. Totally obsessed!!! :)

 

 

Your turn!

''justice has been done''!!!

Today is such an important day in our nation's history, and I was surprised that more bloggers aren't talking about it. Sooooo.... I'm going to! 

May 1, 2011 is a date that will for sure be marked in our history books from this day forward. Just like most of us remember where we where/what we were doing/how we were feeling on September 11th, I'm positive we will also remember every detail of those emotions and feelings that we felt today as we found out that Osama Bin Laden has finally been found and put to death.

As morbid as America's celebrations may seem on the surface, all of the happy faces and excited emotions are due largely in part to our nation finally getting some closure on one of the worst days that many of us have ever been apart of. A day when our personal sense of security was shaken, and where (for me anyway) our biggest nightmare became a reality. Sure, terrorism is still a very real concept and there are and still will be wars and devastation and suicide missions... but we have finally gotten a little assurance that one of the monsters in our universe has been quieted and paid the ultimate price for so many lives that have been lost as a result of that day. It's similar to the partying and laughter and over-all universal sigh of relief that I'm sure many felt when Hitler died.

I was surprised, as an individual who is 110% against the death penalty, that I felt so much emotion today. My husband woke me up last night to announce the news, and I instantly felt relieved - like I could sleep a little easier and that the Universe was a little more balanced than the day before. This morning on my way to work, I felt so connected to my country and our troops and President that I literally wept. This gave me a glimpse into my own belief system and reminded me that black and white thinking does not exist, situations are complicated, and that my views are more complex than even I realized. 

I was sad that across facebook, some of my friends were unable to be happy and took it as an opportunity to create friction and bash President Obama. I would encourage liberals and conservatives to drop their titles, at least for today, so that we can all simply be 'American'.

At the very least, I hope you can find humor in the parallel that I've drawn in my imagination between Osama Bin Laden and the Wicked Witch of the West (it's been stuck in my head all day!). It helps me feel better about my support for this terrorists execution... good riddance!