all packed and ready to go.

well kinda.

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master tonic?

Meet Bambi. The best bodywork therapist in the world and great friend as well. 

This morning after I limped into breakfast (after having some work done last night) I choked out to Bambi that my worst fear was coming true. 

I could barely swallow and my ears were ringing off the hook.  

This can not be because I am about to get on a 30 hour flight to China and will spend a month in China land. 

As I pull out 6 pills to take....Bambi's answer is Master Tonic.  She swears by it. I wouldn't let her tell me what was in it because I was afraid I would chicken out...

(it looks and smells disgusting like a spicy disgusting)

I will barrel through this though. Here is my cup of Master tonic and my chaser of water. 

Down it goes. I closed my eyes and prayed I wouldn't lose my breakfast in her sink. 

(always a real possibility in my life)

To be honest...I actually feel better. Totally mental, but when I am not sick at all I may be mixing my own master tonic...horse radish, garlic, fermented apple cider vinegar and all. 

On a side note: Ashley's finance is the best! He called me while I was in RVA and said "we have had a lot of storms lately...can I please clean out your gutters and roof."  I traded those services for dinner and beer and now I have a clean roof, gutters, and deck!

p.s. I think I should buy a ladder. Next round of credit card points...said ladder will be mine. 

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third times a charm....right?

I was thinking back on a few of my past adventures and realized although I love traveling, I had some serious and not so serious mishaps. Hopefully, this is not a continuing pattern for my impending trip. 

Mishap #1: 

A few Octobers ago, I took a road trip to Canada with a friend.  I had a wedding on the VA Rivah and I drove up to DC very early the morning after the wedding.  I would venture to say once we got on the road from DC in our sweet rental car I was in and out of conciousness because it had been a late night and a long few weeks.  E drove most of the way up to Canada with maybe (I can admit this) an hour or so of "Brittany Driving Time."  We stopped right outside of Canada on the NY border around 11 or so for our last American gas fill up and I completely conked out. E equated it to me being drugged.  I couldn't even hold my head up and I was completely out of it.  He shook me awake as he drove up to border patrols crossing into Canada on our way to Quebec City.  I tried to pull myself together and handed him our passports which he handed over to the customs guard.  I had never driven a car across a border, but apparently you have to declare things and answer questions just like you do flying except the questions are specific.  The guard lady asked a few questions and I could not hear her so I just echoed what E said or threw my own spin on it (Yes, I live in NC).  I am sure I mumbled and I looked completely out of it.  All I knew was I needed to answer the questions so that the lady would give me back my passport, the gun guard wouldn't search my car, and I could go back to sleep.  I must not have heard Eric answer the last question because I didn't repeat what he said.  Here's how it went down:

Lady-blah blah blah...Yes or No(in a thick French accent that I couldn't understand)

Me-Yes!

Eric-Oh NO! Ma'am NO...Brittany why would you....She has NEVER had a felony.  

Me-OH that is what you asked?!?!! NO no felony.

Maybe the lady got a kick out of my answer or she really liked my Meanies (Jow Cowley fans) hair or she felt really bad for E who had to deal with me all week, but they let us through and they didn't search our car or kick me out of the country.  

As soon as we crossed through into Canada...I was out like a light. For the next 6 hours. Poor E. 

(sidenote: I have always had a hard time understanding thick accents)

Mishap #2:

I went to Puerto Rico which was the first mistake. To spare you the all the details,  we wrecked (minor accident) our rental car and we were robbed at gunpoint.  It made for an interesting trip back into the States without any money or an id.  

Let's hope the third times a charm?!?!

Here's to hoping for an incident free month in China!

future career?

wine guru vs. barber

On Thursday my friend Ann drove down from DC for the weekend. We normally have a reunion every few months, but ALWAYS in the summer and typically it involves a baseball game. 

select picture summary

 my favorite cups in this world. 

 clearly only a best friend would scrub your disgusting house the day you close on it. 

 on one of our many adventures.

Ok-back to this past weekend! Annie and I drove to Charlottesville and went wine tasting. I think we would make great travel reviewers for vineyards. We can swish our wine with the best of them. 

 Happy to finally have time to have real conversations

 and beautiful wine country aka "God's county"

 Annie and I went enjoyed the patio, fine food, classy jazz, and sunned ourselves at the pool all day on Saturday.  Then she had to go back to DC to run a 9 miler up a mountain training run. I tried to talk to her into staying, but no dice. 

Eric made his first appearance back in my life since the robbery in Puerto Rico.  Apparently, it was a  traumatic experience.  Eric decided he wanted a hair cut. I googled how to give a buzz cut and read the directions 50 times and at that point decided it was time to practice my new found skills. 

Here he is praying that he doesn't end up with blood dripping down his face or a bald spot. 

Not pictured: me praying we would still be friends after this. 

Pre Haircut: already very short. 

 my parents didn't have faith in me either...

the result.  a 3, 2, 1 buzz 

next time I will work on my blending between the different razor lengths. 

overall. I think it was a pretty successful "cool summer" haircut. 

BUT 

I should probably keep my day job. 

the easy life?

E and I had to make up our hours at school for our China trip last week.  So once the building closed, the air was turned off, and the floors were starting to get waxed....E and I started our China planning and organizing.  

After I set up my bulletin boards...

and put together my first week of first grade lesson plans. 

complete with a ready to assemble pencil box clearly labeled...the poor sub my day one lessons are 7 pages long. eeeeekkkk. 

E and I were finally ready to write some sweet China plans. They are finished along with all the powerpoints and materials list and finally I think we are ready for this fast approaching adventure. 

she is always ready. it was really me. no shame there. 

On to Raleigh/Duke Chapel to see the famous city/farm couple get hitched. 

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Kemper Beasley III

 Sister in law to my lovely college roommate. 

Yes. I am/was Lauren Walton's roommate. 

Who is sister to the most hilarious girl I have ever met. Jenny Walton. 

We had a great time and a lot of laughs. 

Of course, I met George Senior. 

Right after this picture was taken we struck up a conversation and I should have just asked him straight up to get in my picture. Again. 

I am a chicken in a lot of areas in my life. 

Of couse, something disasterous would happen on Georgia Ave while I was gone. Sketchy Bill, Bruce, and Tim (yes its a tri-plex) had a tree fall directly on top of Natalie's car. Poor crushed volkswagon. Impressive engineering though. 

Nate couldn't get out of his driveway for awhile due to a few live wires so we were all pretty neighborly and grabbed dinner and drinks and laughed about the situation. 

FINALLY

to Richmond I go!

I drove home and what do I find, but my sweet mama got me flowers. 

\

and my sweet papa made sure I had a cool backpack for my adventures. 

and this is their new patio. where i have been living. 

my parents went green and they compost:) Now I know where I got it from!

This is where I have spent about 90% of my time.  Picture it at night...the trees light up and some of the stones...

In fact, the feast I am cooking right now and the birthday celebration I am about to have will take place right here. 

All. Night. Long. 

This is the easy life. 

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a juggling goodbye

My friend Michelle posted this post about juggling and I was thinking today about how I feel like I juggle kids, adults, paperwork, classes, relationships, balance, etc. all day...every day.    

Today I made dinner for a dear friend who is moving back to Ohio this weekend.  I remember the day that I met her. I remember thinking "she looks nice but I doubt we have anything in common." Little did I know we would become "besties" (a term she coined when I was transfered to a different school and no longer taught next door to her).  She and I carpooled together everyday.  We had heated debates over the presidential election, life, religion, politics at 6am everyday.   She brought depth and insight into my life.  She was my lifeline at Shiloh and was the best friend there was the day I found out I was moving to BH.  She repacked my room as I furiously ripped things off the wall and threw everything on the floor.  She calmed me down as I sobbed in the hallway. She moved all my crap and helped me set up my room and the whole time made me laugh by telling me that I was going to replace her with a new bestie.

(Funny. I love BH more than I ever knew I could and she and I joke about the differences all the time.)

I remember waiting at the hospital for days waiting for her to have her sweet babe and then finally getting to hold sweet Hayley. Hayley was so tiny and I felt like I was part of the family.  I was a proud aunt.  Once she came home from the hospital,  I came over to hold the babe and feel asleep with Hayley in my arms. I feel in love with that baby from the minute I ever held her.

I remember the day that I got a call from her in the middle of the night wailing that her husband was leaving.  I talked to her all night and all morning as I got ready to leave for the mountains for a wedding (ironic).  I packed up the car and sleeplessly got in the car and started driving towards the western part of the state.  I remember thinking that I needed gas, but would stop closer to SC because it was less expensive.  Still on the phone with her, I stopped at a gas station and could not find my wallet...my purse...any form of money.  I panicked. I left my wallet/purse at home and I was halfway to the mountains, out of gas, and without any money or id.  She drove with her 4 month old baby to come pick me up and give me money so I could buy gas and run back to my house to get my forgotten wallet.

I have walked through her life (with her) and have learned so much. I am so thankful for her. She has single handedly raised a little girl.  When we are out she lets me hold the baby and take all the credit.  She lets me pretend that the baby is mine and when every one tells me what I beautiful baby I have and I say thank you ...she cracks up.

What a sweet friend I have.  I cherish our friendship. One of honesty, reality, and tough conversations.  She challenges me and I will miss her. She didn't believe me that I got pooly on the way to work yesterday, but I did.


Back to the juggling. Everyone juggles something. MB juggles divorce, a job, and a baby.  I juggle grad school, teaching, volunteering, and relationships. Just like I juggled trying to not overcook the corn, let the mushrooms sweat enough, and not burn the zucchini and squash.  You can't even see the chicken that I was grilling on the deck.  Isn't that similar to life though? There is always something that people are juggling that you can't really see.  This week I was struggling and I couldn't really verbalize why, but I was snappy, quick to lose my temper, and in complete panic mode.  It just took one person to stop and ask what was really going on to snap me out of it all.  



Lately, I feel like I juggle too much and so much goes untouched. I am not a good enough friend, I am not being the best teacher I can be, I am not being active in pursuing new friendships, I am not prepared enough, my house isn't clean enough, the Y wouldn't recognize me anymore, or I am not volunteering enough at church.

I. am. doing. the. best. I. can.

So, juggling may not be my forte but right now I think all the balls are successfully in the air.

whew.

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iv of caffeine please.

weekend one. 

what: first book gala 2011

where: providence country club

with: eric

why: to raise funds and awareness that not all children grow up with access to books at home coupled with the importance of early literacy

I am pretty sure E's alternate name is Mr. GQ

(courtesy of mason and michelle photography)

the gala was great. we had a blast with the BH/BB&T crew.  

 my friends. i am so thankful for them. 

 the attempted rockstar pictures...clearly E has it down, but I struggle. 

 (not pictured: driving to RIC the next am for AJ's graduation and graduation party)

(coming soon)

weekend 2

what: taylor girls fly in for charlotte fun and mountain retreat

why: relaxing weekend needed by all, but i have amazing friends who realized when I was about to lose it and they came to rescue

where: the queen city and montreat/asheville, north carolina

who: sarah and sarah

hiking mount mitchell

 incredible. 

 corny. but cute. 

 thanks for flying out to see me. 

 happy hike. 

weekend 3. 

what: absolutely nothing

when: the entire weekend

why: because I need to cool it before I go on anxiety meds

post to come: fragmenting your life: pros and cons