hello, 2010!

Another year is almost gone...that is so crazy! Even more crazy that we are about to enter 2010...it's going to be weird to write that.

Big things have happened in 2009. Like it or not, the inauguration was huge...as was Aretha Franklin's hat. I'll always remember where I was when I heard that Michael Jackson died (I was in line at the u-scan at Kroger.) The Miracle on the Hudson was pretty awesome...and I would be perfectly happy if I never heard another word about balloon boy/his psychotic parents, the octo-mom or Tiger Woods.

I'll be honest when I say that I'm more than ready to say adios to 2009. BUT, with the end of the year comes a look back at some fun memories.

....so here are my favorite/most memorable moments of 2009, in no particular order.

Meeting Brad Paisley in March at his concert. I am in love with him, in case you haven't heard. Much like a 14 year old meeting a Jonas Brother, I freaked out, got way too hyper and don't remember a thing about it. I did not play it cool, at all.

After being a part of 10 weddings in 18 months, I ended my streak as Bridesmaid of the Year. And I'm not going to lie...the amount of open free time and finances has been glorious.

In June, Ann Claire and I had our "last night" together after 8 years as roommates. Lots of tears. Think of the Friends episode when they all leave the apartment one last time...except worse. Somehow, we made it! And now I live with my parents. Not nearly as cool...but a lot cheaper :)

(thanks to the above) College is finally paid for! I set a goal that by the end of 2009, I would have my loans paid off and I did it! But Samford was worth every penny...

Going to Knoxville twice in the fall. I am not sure if there is anything that I love more than Neyland Stadium on game day. Thank you Grace for delaying your graduation from college a full semester so that your older sister can have one last fall of free lodging in K-town.

I finally took my first trip to Beale Street in Memphis. And I went to a bar that was the home of quite possibly the biggest goat I have ever laid eyes on. I love Tennessee.

For my birthday, I was given my first ipod. I know I am about 7 years behind the times, but it takes me a while to get use to anything "new" like that. I am not a fan of anything high-tech. I am also 80. Could 2010 bring a new cell phone that does more than just call people?! Stay tuned.

I saw Billy Joel in concert for the 3rd time. THE entertainer. I love him. When I was little I use to dance around to the Uptown Girl video, pretending I was Christie Brinkley. Music-wise for me, there's Billy Joel, and then there's everyone else.

Those are just a few...I'm excited to see what 2010 has in store! CHEERS!

like mother, like daughter

All mammas are special - and mine is no exception. For 27 years now, she has made my life more than interesting...and I love her for that. She is the queen of practical jokes...she is the best four-leaf clover finder I know...and she's a pretty darn good friend and mother to have.

One of my favorite parts of Christmas morning has and always will be seeing what is in my stocking. As I have gotten older, I have noticed Mom filling it with stuff that gets more odd every year. This year, I received this.

A fat, glossy Spanish children's Bible.

I majored in Spanish at Samford, just like my mom did at MTSU. So maybe that is why she got me this? I have no idea. All I know is that I laughed hysterically Christmas morning when I pulled this out. So totally random.

I hope your Christmas was filled with as many blessings...and laughs...as mine was!

Joy To The World!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Here we are on the eve of Christmas Eve. In some ways, it doesn't seem like Christmas at all...and in other ways, it can't get here fast enough.

Christmas brings out the child in me. Snow (when we get any), Christmas lights and Christmas Eve service at church still bring me back to when I was little. But as I have gotten older, the meaning of Christmas keeps becoming more and more obvious. I don't make a Christmas list anymore, and I don't rip through presents like I did years ago. Now I find myself genuinely more excited to give gifts than to receive. I love the whole spirit of Christmas and the reason we celebrate. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Merry Christmas to you!

Happy Birthday, Grace!!!

Happy 22nd birthday to my baby sister!

12.18.1987

If you think I have random stuff happen to me, you should meet Grace. She could write an entire dissertation on her Knoxville years alone. She has two more semesters left, but in her college years she has...

·torn her knee doing a handstand, stone cold sober
·gotten arrested in the middle of the Nashville airport for bringing nail clippers on a plane (one attorney and court apparence later, the charges were dropped)
·had her car stolen...it's still gone
·seen her twin-sister suitemates get thrown in jail for beating each other with a hairbrush (made the front page of UT's Daily Beacon!)

Do not be fooled though...her high school superlative was "Best to Take Home to Mom and Dad." And I mean her name is GRACE?!? I look up to her in so many ways and she is without a doubt one of my best friends.

Life is never boring when you have a sister like her. I love you Grace!!! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Scattered, Smothered and Covered

I have this weird thing with Waffle House. I don't know if it's an association or an attachment or what, but I have two great memories that have happened because of that restaurant.

In college I went to a fraternity party called "White Trash". Most everyone dressed in their finest redneck gear, but I dressed like a Waffle House Waitress. I went to a Birmingham Waffle House to ask if they would let me borrow some of their flare. Ask and you shall receive! I got a hat, my own name tag, buttons and an apron. I went to the men's section at Wal-Mart and bought these obnoxious black sneakers and huge tube socks and I was well on my way. It was one of the most fun nights of college. I have since worn that costume on two separate Halloweens. I still have it if you ever need to borrow it.

The second is a bit more sentimental and appropriate for this time of year. One Christmas when my sister and I were little, Nashville had a huge ice storm. The power was out at our house and we were trying to find a place to eat before we went to Christmas Eve service as a family. The only place we could find open that late the night before Christmas was Waffle House. So that's exactly where we went. We were sitting there eating when in walked Santa Clause...my dad said he will never forget our deer-in-headlights expressions as we saw the man in red on his big night. More than 15 years later, my dad and whoever he invites along with him will go eat at Waffle House after church services.

Most families have really great Christmas traditions...my family has Waffle House.

The Eye Dr.

Without contacts, I am blind as a bat. My sister and I both get our terrible vision from our dad. So yesterday I had my yearly eye checkup. And in true Angie fashion, it provided for a decent laugh.

Every time I go to the optometrist, for whatever reason, part of the routine checkup is sitting with my eyes up to a machine that blows air directly in to both of my eye balls. Bam! Without warning. And you have to sit still and not blink...as the puff of air is being shot point blank in to your eye. Are you kidding me? I had to re-do my air test at least 5 times. I kept laughing which made me keep blinking which made the test screw up. The nurse lady was not impressed. It was more or less like this funny episode from friends.

Then, I had a really awkward eye dr. As I am sitting there half blind, waiting for him to work his magic on my eyes, out of the blue he goes "How old do you think I am?" Seriously - out of nowhere. We weren't even making small talk. Maybe he was going through a mid-life crisis and needed an esteem boost.

"Oh, I don't know, like 38?"

"No. No, I'm 27."

Ouch. To his credit and mine, I didn't have my contacts in so he was just a blur anyway. But I can't believe I was 11 years off. Eleven! So I tried to help him out a little by saying, "It's impressive that you are a doctor this young!" Pretty sure that didn't work. The rest of the exam was kinda weird. I killed it. Oops!

Seriously...you can't take me anywhere.

follow-up

December 8, 2009

Dear FRA Alumni,

This follow up to yesterday's alumni eNewsletter, Happenings on The Hill, brings both good and bad news. Let's get the bad news out of the way: I goofed. We erroneously had Casey Bourke, Class of 2001, on our list of deceased alumni. For whatever reason -- computer glitch in our database, human error -- Casey wound up on this list.

And now, the good news: Casey is alive and well. I've spoken with him myself. In other good news, you all are reading the newsletters! You're keeping up both with fellow classmates and continuing to follow FRA news. I heard from many of you yesterday regarding this matter and although the mistake is regrettable, it warmed my heart that so many of you cared to pick up the phone or send us an email. That's just one thing that makes FRA the special place it continues to be - that we care. We keep in touch with friends and teachers. We're there for each other in times of need. And when someone slips up, we're there to pat them on the back and say, "It's OK. We're only human."

Here's a quick update from the man himself:

I'm okay!! I received a BA from the University of Michigan in 2005 and a JD from U.C.L.A. School of Law in 2008. I am currently working as an attorney in Irvine, California, at the firm Palmieri, Tyler, Wilhelm & Waldron.
-- Casey Bourke

Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas season.

I went to Franklin Road Academy my whole life - in my graduating class, there were only 71 people. We were a pretty tight group --- but, as expected, life gets in the way and it's harder to stay in touch through college and after...but if something big happens to someone, you are still going to hear about it through the grapevine. And by grapevine, I mean Facebook.

Every week, I get an email newsletter from FRA highlighting birthdays, weddings, babies, etc. of alumni. There is also an "in memory of" section of those who have passed away. Well yesterday afternoon, I get a call from Carla asking me if I had heard anything about our friend Casey passing away. I panicked - granted I hadn't talked to Casey in a few years but I certainly didn't want to hear about him passing away. He was listed in the "in memory of" part of the newsletter.
A few phone calls later, we were all relived to find out that Casey is, in fact, alive and well. He emailed FRA asking to be taken off of the deceased list. Granted it was a mistake...no idea how in the hell it happened, but it was just an error over-looked by the school. A big one, for that matter.

Casey received more than a few calls yesterday regarding his "death". Can you imagine getting a phone call out of the blue from an old friend making sure you were still alive? He said he was glad to know so many people cared about him, if something really had happened. He also vowed to keep his alumni contact information more updated, so in the future we won't have to question his existence. :)

You've Got Mail

I love getting real mail. I think it's one of those simple pleasures that has all but been totally replaced by the daily use of email, texting and the Internet. My sweet grandmother still sends me letters every once in a while talking about what she fixed for lunch or who was missing at church on Sunday, and she almost always sticks $1 in them, just like she did when I was a little girl. It is so refreshing to get one of her letters amidst a cell phone bill or the Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons that I seem to get 3 times a week.

I always love checking my mailbox at work, even though nothing remotely fun is ever in there. One of the first things I do when I get home at night is check for the mail to see if there is anything for me... especially this time of year when the Christmas cards start rolling in!

The other night I had a hand-written legal sized envelope with my name on it, no return address...but it was post-marked from Nashville. So I got really excited...only to open it up and find a blank white piece of paper folded around a $25 gift card! Neat, right?

Negative. It was for a restaurant in town that has been closed now for at least two years. I don't know if it was some kind of joke or what the heck the sender's intentions were, but it was just plain cruel! I got all excited for nothing. But...it sure was random.

And I love random!

PACK my SUITCASE?

I can't believe it is December. Last year, I went to Hawaii with my family at Christmas. Don't get me wrong, it was the trip of a lifetime and I was so grateful to go. But it wasn't home. I couldn't even listen to Amy Grant's Tennessee Christmas without bursting in to tears.

I am a creature of habit, and Christmas is no exception. I enjoy the same movies, songs and traditions year after year and they never get old.

MOVIES...for the life of me I can't decide which Christmas movie I love more...Christmas Vacation or Home Alone. I laugh a little harder every time Clark Griswold lashes out for receiving a membership to the Jelly of the Month club. But then again, Home Alone has some scenes and quotes that are just as classic. "Buzz...your girlfriend...woof!" Love Actually comes in as a close second.

BOOKS...Last year I read The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck. I honestly think it's the only book that has ever made me cry. I read it twice! I highly recommend it...it is very easy to read and has such a good message.

MUSIC...this is tough. I can't even being to pick my favorite Christmas song, so I went to my ipod play list and just picked the top 5 I play the most.

Please Come Home for Christmas by The Eagles

Do You Hear What I Hear by Carrie Underwood

Santa Clause is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen

What Child is This by Martina McBride

Oh Holy Night by Martina McBride (a cappella version)...she can sing the crap out of that song.

I am SO GLAD to be home for every bit of Christmas this year!