My Bad

            After making bold proclamations in my last post about not disappearing and leaving my few loyal followers hanging, I did just that and dropped off of the face of the earth for a month.  My bad.  I don't really have a good explanation for my absence except to say that I just wasn't in the blogging mood.  I once read another blogger's post about how to hold an audience and create a successful blog following and her number one tip was to write every day.  To be a reliable poster and to never just disappear from your readers.  And though I totally get where she is coming from (and find myself feeling bitter towards my own favorite blogosphere friends when they hold out on me for a few weeks) I never want to just post something for the sake of posting.  I want my blog to be authentic and I don't want it to feel forced.  And since I'm not getting any income from this little online world of mine, I don't feel the pressure to have something great to say each and every day.  But that doesn't mean that those who do read my ramblings deserve to be ignored!  So, to each one of you who has continued to stop by despite my radio silence over the past few weeks, I'm sending you a big fat virtual kiss.  Thanks for noticing me!
            Over that couple of weeks, I have been soaking up summer in the District and trying to resist the urge to hibernate in the air conditioning on these 100+ degree days.  Because I have basically been MIA since the epic Dewey Beach Memorial Day, I wanted to catch you up on where I have been!  To celebrate one of my most favorite holidays (okay, let's face it, every holiday is my favorite), I started off the weekend at my most favorite place.  Fox Point.

            Though it was a quick trip, I was able to squeeze in some waterskiing, sunbathing, and crab feasting.  And my little furry man was thrilled to get some outdoor stick-eating time too.  After my two days on the Eastern Shore, I took advantage of a brief hiatus from the fluorescent lights of the hospital and hopped up to the Mainline to spend some time with my parents, get spoiled by my mama, and catch up with two of my favorite sisterfriends (complete with a Bachelorette date and a birthday celebration for Ally!).

            And after all of that travel, I made my way back to the nation's capital to celebrate the actual 4th because what better place to toast to all that is American than Washington, D.C., right?  Since the holiday was one of those annoying mid-week ones we kept the festivities low-key with a backyard barbeque (with our new grill...I'll spare you the four letter words details of my adventure to purchase said grill at Home Depot) and fireworks on the Key Bridge.  I did my best Martha and tapped into my ever-expanding holiday Pinterest board for some BBQ inspiration and I think the party was a big hit.

            Though I would have preferred to indulge in a few more red, white, and blue, cocktails while dipping my toes into some salty water somewhere, a tamer 4th of July was pretty great too.

Hope you all are having the happiest of Summers!  

Be back tomorrow with more of my recent summer fun.

The Big Fat Happy Post

            So I guess some people really do read this blog.  How do I know?  Well, when I'm a bad blogger and fall off of the map for a few weeks I get concerned phone calls from Mama Ball and emails from my sweet grandparents asking if everything is okay and if my lack of blogging and recent resignation from my Words with Friends game with FancyGma indicate that I am depressed.  But it really means quite the opposite actually.
            The past month has been beyond busy and filled with more fun than I've known what to do with.  And the result?  Living all this happiness instead of writing about it.  But I guess that's not totally fair to those of you who drop by every now and then.  So to show you that I haven't forgotten about you, here it is.  A months worth of blogging jammed in one quick recap.
            After the family trip to Colorado for Andy's graduation, I came home only to leave town again for a long Memorial Day weekend at Dewey Beach.  It's kind of hard to explain this weekend in words but for the Deacs out there it was basically post exams all over again minus the Hot Diggity Dog and the excessively large pitchers of Long Island iced tea.  We had the best time in our little beachside shack bungalow and already can't wait to go back.

Beach naps = the best naps

Just lounging with the birthday girl

            The weekend in Dewey Beach has been a tough act to follow but a new work schedule, weeknight BBQs, afternoons at the pool, roommate dates, a Thursday night with Zac Brown, best friends' engagements (Marie and Staddy, I'm still smiling!), Friday night Nat's games, and the anticipation of weekend getaways and tons of other summertime fun make me one happy girl.

Wishing you a happy weekend and the happiest of days to my sweet friend Keeley tomorrow!  And don't worry, I'll try not to let the disappearing act happen again any time soon :-).

Mountain Time

Disclaimer: I am writing this from a very bumpy 30,000 feet.  Which means that I am also drinking my own personal bottle of pinot grigio (and being judged by the gentleman next to me, I'm pretty sure).  So forgive me if things get a little fuzzy as this post goes on...

            For the past few days I have been adjusting to changes in altitude, celebrating my very special younger brother, and spending lots of quality time with five people who look a whole lot like me.  And it has been wonderful.  We started the weekend off with a late night dinner, which included a celebratory whiskey shot between father and son.  Yeah, times have changed.  On Saturday we spent the morning hiking in a chilly, rainy Cheyenne Canyon and though a nature girl I am not, I loved being outside and getting reacquainted with the outdoors after many months in the city.  And let me tell you, that whole altitude issue is no joke.  Though my dedication to the gym has waned a little bit since I left Nashville and lost my Zumba-loving roommates, I still consider myself to be somewhat in shape.  But put me at 9,000 feet above sea level and I was huffing and puffing up that mountain.  Despite the workout, I loved every little breath of fresh air.

            Other favorite parts of the weekend included lots of dancing, an awe-struck drive through the Garden of the Gods (you must go), parents playing beer pong and drinking bourbon, bluegrass and BBQ, a scary drive up the 14,000 feet of Pike's Peak, brunch at the Broadmoor, a commencement speech that I actually listened to, and hugs for the boy who just finished up a fabulous four years of college/snowboarding camp.

           
             I cherished every minute of my weekend getaway and am so grateful that my brother decided to go to college in such a cool place.  I'm pretty sure that graduation weekends in Winston-Salem were not nearly as fun for the relatives as this one was!

     
            And though being away was great and a much needed break from reality, I am excited to get home (and off of this bumpy plane!) to my puppy love, a short work week, and a very fun long weekend ahead.

An Unlikely Source

Of wisdom...

            And worry, this girl is not.  Cause I have a day off tomorrow which means that tonight is basically Friday and you know my head over heels feelings for Friday.  But don't get me wrong, I don't always live by Mr. Khalifa's motto.  In fact, those who know me well would probably say that worrying is one of the things I do best (in addition to speaking in accents, singing with my mouth closed, and doing the short-necked buzzard).  I'm really good at it.  Like, have a black belt in it.  And when I do worry, nine times out of ten it is about something that I can't control.  

            But over time my worrying has been tempered by the realization that there actually are a lot of things that I can control.  I can control my words, my actions, and my thoughts (well, for the most part...everybody gets a little cray cray in the head every now and then).  I can control the way that I treat people and how I make them feel (karma's a bitch...and I believe in it big time).  I can control who I surround myself with and whether I choose glass half-empty or half-full.  I can control what and who I spend my time and energy on.  And as for all of the rest of it that I can't control, you can bet I won't be walking around with an umbrella in the sunshine any time soon.  And if it rains, well, I guess I'll just wear my hair curly.

Recapping

            Since it's another rainy Monday, I figured the best thing to beat those beginning of the work week blues is a recap of a very fun, sunshine-filled weekend.  One that started out with some celebrating of the fact that I recently added a few letters after the end of my name (CCC?  Don't mind if I do) and continued on kind of like this...
    

(I swear I'm eventually going to get another real camera...but for now, the iphone pics will have to suffice)

And a Saturday that started out with rooftop margaritas, sun-kissed shoulders, and afternoon naps that looked a bit like this...

Which turned into a fancy Saturday night that looked a little like this...

And after an open bar and some very important props turned into something like this...

Which led to a sleepy Sunday morning and an afternoon like this...

And finally ended just like this...

Is it Friday again yet?