Some old drafts

When I started this blog, I started making lots of drafts of posts I thought I wanted to write and then I never finished/posted them (usually because I didn't have photos to go with them and aren't blogs more fun when there are photos?!).  I just came across these drafts and thought I would share.  Here are some of the first things I felt or noticed when we were very new to Alabama:

Thursday, August 2, 2012 - Red Delicious
I love apples.  I usually eat an apple every single day.  My favorite kinds are Gala and Fuji, and I like Granny Smith if I'm feeling the tart taste.  I've never liked Red Delicious.  The primary factor for me in liking an apple is the crispiness.  If I get a mushy apple, I can't eat it, and I hate wasting food so it's a big deal when I can't eat something.  Almost every time I've had a Red Delicious, it's been mushy.  So I gave up on them.  But here in the South, the Red Delicious apples are crispy, and I'm really liking them.  And it's not just Birmingham, it's Atlanta too because I've had Red Delicious apples there and they were good.  Maybe it takes longer to ship them out west, and they get mushy by the time their sold in the grocery store.  I don't know.  If you don't like Red Delicious, try them when you come south. 
Today's response to this draft - I've had mushy Red Delicious since writing this post...  Maybe Red Delicious are just hit or miss.

Thursday, August 9, 2012 - Rain
It rains like crazy here!  It doesn’t rain all the time, but when it rains, it really does pour.  I first night here, Newel and I woke up to thunder and lightning and a downpour.  I’ve never seen it rain so much.  It doesn’t rain out West like it does here.  Growing up in San Diego, it didn’t rain much, and in Utah, when it did rain, it was usually snow.  The rain here kind of comes out of nowhere too.  It might be kind of cloudy, but then all of the sudden really big gray clouds come, it gets pretty dark and it just starts pouring.  It’s cool to experience if you’re inside, but yesterday I was running errands, and it started, and I had no umbrella and was wearing flip flops because it was hot.  That was a little adventure just getting to my car.
Today's response to this draft - Yeah, it still rains like crazy here sometimes.  It rained a lot this last summer.  That's why the heat was so mild this year.  I've also learned to always carry an umbrella with me because you never know when you might be stuck in a rainstorm in flip flops.

Thursday, September 27, 2012 - Beautiful Feet
After 8 years of dry, cold weather experienced in Utah, and 2 months of recovery in humid, hot Birmingham, I finally have my San Diegan feet back (i.e., feet with no extra layer of calloused skin and no need to slather them with thick foot cream every single day)!  But I still have my broken-looking pinky toe, which I love because I love every bit of myself. :)
Today's response to this draft - Yep, my skin is not as dried out, especially my feet.  I do have to lotion up every few days though.  And yep, my pinky toe is still broken-looking; always has been and always will be.

Well those were my drafts.  Kind of fun for me just to read them.  And I'm glad I remembered to finally post them.

Uhhh...

I remember a year or so ago, my sister-in-law wrote about having a blog block, meaning she was having a hard time coming up with what to write about.  I know what she felt like now because I'm having major blog block.  I haven't forgotten about my blog, and I haven't been procrastinating putting something up on the blog, but I just can't think of what to write about.  We haven't taken any pictures lately either.  Maybe I can tell y'all about Lloyd's Restaurant sometime.  It's where all the local old people dine and we've had some pleasant/funny experiences there.  I guess for now I'll just end this meaningless post with a Southern saying I heard today:

"He'll be on you like a rat on a cheeto."

I can't even remember the context now, but I don't think explaining it would make a difference. :)  Happy Wednesday.

Preferable Roadkill

Last month, I wrote about the never-ending roadkill in Birmingham.  That hasn't changed.  But I noticed something else that I think is rather interesting.  Two times in the last week, I've come across armadillo roadkill and it's a much better sight compared to other animals because the armadillos stay in one piece.  They kind of look like they're stuffed, and they're just lying on their backs with their feet up; not broken up with flesh & blood all over the place.  They're the kind of roadkill I don't mind seeing. :)  I hadn't noticed any armadillos since this last week; maybe armadillos come out at the end of July...

ONE YEAR

On Tuesday, July 30th, Newel and I hit our one year mark since moving to Birmingham.  I wanted to do something fun to celebrate our year mark.  I was thinking we could go out to eat some fried chicken and collard greens and then looking for some wild boars in Liberty Park.  It's not like it was our wedding anniversary, but I wanted to do something special and Southern-ish since coming here was a very big step out of my comfort zone and I felt very proud for being here one year without running back to Utah because I couldn't handle it. :)

Alas, it just didn't work out to do something like that.  Newel has been really busy at work, and he ended up getting off work even later than expected on Tuesday.  He hurried home, we ate some good leftovers and then went to visit some families we go to church with that we really love.  Then we went home and went to bed because we were tuckered out.  It was kind of anti-climatic, but it's funny because being here a year wasn't that big of a deal so it was probably fitting that we just had a normal day.  I think being here a year was just a big deal in my head. :)

I remember dates really well, and I like to think about where I was a year ago and then think about how much I've learned and how much I've grown and how much better I am now that I've had another year's worth of experiences.  I like to call them "let's celebrate me moments" that I can have all by myself.  Sometimes I invite Newel to "let's celebrate me" because he's my number one fan. :)

Jokes aside, there's so much I want to share about being here a year, but I can't find the words to describe it.  We feel really grateful to be here.  There are people we've met and experiences we've had that we would not have been able to meet and experience anywhere else, and that seems so weird because we wouldn't be who we are now without them.  We are better people because we've been here in Birmingham this last year.  This is where we've needed to be, and I believe where ever any one is right now is where they need to be.  Does that make sense?  I believe my brothers in Utah, my sister in Texas, and the rest of my family in San Diego are all meeting the people and having the experiences they need to have to continue becoming the better people God wants them to be.  I just wish someone had a camera filming all of them so I could share in all the great things that are going on in all their lives.  Oh how I miss them and love them.

With all that in mind, I'm looking forward to another year in Birmingham.  I'm glad to be here.

Homes of the GD

So it's been almost two months since we visited New Orleans, but I took lots of pictures and there was lots of stuff to share so this is the third and probably final post of what we did there.

Our last morning in New Orleans, we took a walking tour of the Garden District.  I definitely recommend walking tours if you like to learn some of the history/background and get a feel for what you're learning about because you're walking around and seeing everything.  What I remember most about the Garden District were all the beautiful houses.  Apparently, the Garden District was built by Americans that moved to New Orleans after the Louisiana Purchase who didn't want to live with the French/Cajun people in the French Quarter.  The neighborhood is a little classier in my opinion - it's more quiet and has a nice neighborhood feel.  Anyway, back to what I was saying - the houses.  Beautifully built and very cool.  I'm just gonna post a picture of a house and tell what I learned about it.

Anne Rice, author of Interview with a Vampire, lived in this house and then Nicholas Cage later lived in it, but then he had to give it up because of all his money problems.

Archie Manning's house - I thought my dad and brothers might think this house would be cool to see.  Can't you imagine little Peyton and Eli throwing the football with their dad in the frontyard?

This house was Walt Disney's inspiration for the haunted mansion ride at Disneyland.  This house reminded me of all my family that loves Disneyland (especially Stacy).  I can see it, but I totally thought this next house would be better inspiration for that ride.

Isn't that tree in front creepy?

John Goodman's house - They say he's out on his lawn a lot and will talk to people passing by.  He wasn't out when we were there.

Sandra Bullock's house - well one of them I'm sure.  She bought this house when she adopted a baby from New Orleans.

Nothing famous about this house as far as I know, but I really liked it so I took a picture.  I think the staircase leading up to the front door is cool.

I took more than just house pictures.  The Garden District has a pretty interesting graveyard/cemetery and a cool restaurant and lots of cool shops on Magazine Street that we checked out.  It was a very enjoyable experience in the GD.

Back to Nashville

 A few weeks ago (actually almost a month ago), I went up to Nashville for a girls trip with two of my best friends from college, Lauren and Julia.  

We did so many fun things including walking up and down Music Row, going to the Country Music Hall of Fame, hanging out in the District, checking out Opryland/the Grand Ole Opry, walking around Centennial Park, and going to the Bluebird Cafe.  

And, of course, we hit up some of the best places to eat including Pancake Pantry, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, Monell's, and Loveless Cafe.  

I recommend every single thing we did and every single place we ate.  Seriously, two thumbs up!  Both Lauren and Julia wrote posts already, and they both have better pictures.  So see their posts here and here.  

In addition to all they've shared, I'd like to say that Nashville has become my favorite city in the South, and there are many reasons for that.  One is because of all the many fun & exciting things to do, and two is because I always have the best company when I'm there. :) 

Lauren and Julia are some the most wonderful people I have ever known and will ever know.  They've known me in my most immature/awkward moments as well as in my greatest, and they have loved me and supported me in all of them.  I just know they were meant to be a part of my life.  I had the greatest time seeing them again, catching up, talking about families & friends, where we live, things in life that are great & things in life that are hard.  I could not have asked for a better girls trip!  

Some of the best adventures of my life have been with Lauren & Julia, and I'm really glad our most recent one was in Nashville!   

Riverwalk

When Newel and I were down in New Orleans we walked along the Mississippi River waterfront from Canal Street up to the Riverwalk Marketplace.  We really enjoyed the openness and the breeze from the river.  Here are some pictures we took:

Newel & the M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I River

Some very yummy beignets we ate from the famous Cafe du Monde.

And more of New Orleans.

I know the pictures don't show much, but I really enjoyed the riverwalk since it was cooler out in the open versus in the busy, crowded streets of the city.  You learn to find ways to escape the heat to some degree in the South.

Side note: I should add that the summer has been mild here in Birmingham (I think).  It doesn't seem as hot as last summer.  Or maybe my body has adjusted to Southern weather better than I thought it would. :)