february 13th – nyc

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after a raucous night out on the town, we let ourselves sleep in deeply saturday morning.  wyatt was curled up under the warm flannel sheets while natalie, phillip, and i chatted about the latest and greatest in each of our lives.  soon enough our stomachs started to rumble and our thirsts began to quench, so some breakfast (rather brunch) was needed.

“i’ll just order us something in.  what does everyone want?  i’m ordering from a place around the corner called hot & crusty.”  so, you might be reacting to two things about natalie’s comments here.  first, why would we eat from a place called hot & crusty?  off the bat it doesn’t have the most appealing ring to it.  well, that’s because they’re a great local shop with divine eats and who doesn’t like supporting that kind of place?  second, you may want to ask, “if it’s just ‘around the corner’, why not go get it yourself?”  oh, that’s because it was a whopping six degrees outside and when you can get everything delivered to your doorstep in new york, it just made plain sense to have it brought to us.  i’m sure those delivery fellas were bundled up!

twenty minutes later we had nine bottled waters, one large coffee with cream, and three breakfast bagels in our hungry hands.  there’s something so pleasing about eating breakfast in a warm bed as you gaze out the window at the winter weather.  mm, cozy!  my sesame seed bagel with american cheese and bacon was savory and delicious, the perfect choice after an enjoyable evening/early morning.

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february 12th – nyc

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okay, folks.  even though the winter holidays aren’t too far behind us in the rear view mirror, i decided it was time for a vacation for phillip and i both.  actually, i decided it last fall when i planned the surprise as his Christmas gift, so it’s been many months in the making.  i just love surprises!

anyway, about this time last week i was hailing an uber to take me to the marta station.  a quick ride later, i met phillip at the delta baggage drop to check-in for our evening flight to our fabulous destination:  new york city!  yes, we were headed north to the city that never sleeps for a lovely five-day trip.  after leaving our overpacked luggage with the attendant, we made our way to the tsa precheck line like the local celebrities we are (or hope to be some day).  i do a fair amount of air traveling for work, so all those flights and miles have added up to some luxurious perks like precheck.  i felt so spoiled waltzing through the metal detector with both shoes on and my light jacket thrown over my shoulder.  ah, to be pampered is such a privilege!

we munched on some subway sandwiches in terminal t, and it wasn’t too long before we were boarding our md90 with all the other passengers.  as i walked down the aisle, i double-checked my boarding pass.  “phillip?” i asked.  “are you sure these are the right seats?  these are comfort plus.”

“yes, this should be us.” he replied.

“oh, okay.  well, let me get situated and out of the way.”  i moved into our seats and crouched under the bulkhead while other people shimmied by us.  we got our carry-ons safely stowed below the seats in front of us, buckled up, and sat back for take off.

phillip and i sat discussing our lucky circumstances, convinced that we were able to upgrade to comfort plus for free because of my status.

“well, isn’t that just the best thing you’ve heard all day!” i exclaimed.  i immediately grabbed the drink menu to decide what free drink i would enjoy.  funny how i can so easily adjust to a life of ease…

once we were up in the air, phillip and i both enjoy a quality glass of wente red wine.  it was the perfect drink to help us unwind from the work week and gear up for a great vacation.

cheers!

cheers!

soon enough we had a great view of all the city lights before banking left and coming in for a smooth landing at the laguardia airport.  we had arrived!  as t swift likes to say, “welcome to new york!  it’s been waiting for you!”  ah, such a sweet welcome!

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floof! poof! puff! fluff!

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a little bit ago i shared with you all a beautiful necklace that one of my dear girlfriends made.  well, her creative, designer spirit is at work again with this precious keychain!

i think an audible “eek” squeaked out of me when she surprised me with it earlier this week.  i mean, how precious is this little thing?  it’s super girly and super extra and super fun and super fluffy and makes me smile.  and let’s be real:  every girl can use a few more danglies on her keychain.  we’re known for it!

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also, yes, you are seeing correctly that the carabiner says “omhs prom 2005.”  that is the carabiner i got for my junior prom back at oak mountain high school.  man, the memories are flooding back to me now, especially since my ten-year reunion is this fall.  how the time flies!

to spa or not to spa

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i recently ran out of razor blades for my gillette venus razor, so while at the local disco kroger i moseyed along the personal care aisle to find some refills.  as i looked at the rows and rows of options, i exhaled and thought with exasperation “why are these so expensive?”  shaving is such a necessary evil sometimes, and i loathe the fact that i have to spend so much money on these little blades.  if any of you out there do anything like the dollar shave club, i’d love to know what you think, as my wallet would appreciate a change of pace.

anyway!  i don’t ever remember which “style” i currently use or have used in the past, so i almost always end up with a new flavor.  this time i unknowingly picked out the spa razor blade which ended up being a cruel deception dressed in pretty colors and girly attractions.

fyi - this one happened to be enhanced with olay moisturizers!

fyi – this one happened to be enhanced with olay moisturizers!

now, my first use with the spa razor blade was, actually, close to heavenly.  the gel bars on either side of the razors give you a silky smooth and close shave without having to use soap or shaving gel.  in fact, i’d go out on a limb and say that it was one of my best shaves ever.  there, i said it!  i even recall exclaiming, “i’m never going back to those other razors!  this is amazing!”

as they say, though, nothing lasts forever, and this spa razor blade is no exception.  the first few shaves were blissful and i stepped out of each shower as if i belonged in one of their ad campaigns.  the honeymoon with this blade is short-lived, though, as after just two shaves the gel bars begin to rapidly disintegrate.  at that time it’s everybody for themselves because using soap and shave gel seems redundant yet there aren’t enough suds to protect your legs from the harsh scrape of the blade.  talk about razor burn!

to give you a visual, here’s a picture of the blade right out of the packaging…

…and then here it is not enough shaves later.  not very impressive if you ask me.  you can still use it like this, but you better be sure to lather up with soap or shaving gel.

next time i have to get blades i’ll be sure to make sure i’m picking one that won’t last half as long as i expect it to.  if i’m paying a pretty penny for these things, then they need to work for me!  let me hear your “amen!”

memphis, the blues city

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hello all, kelsey’s dad here.  it is my honor and privilege to be a guest blogger again.  this past weekend was my birthday and as a gift i was given the dream of being the guest duckmaster as the peabody hotel in memphis, tennessee.

as kelsey will tell you, one of my favorite sayings is “complete home run.”  i use this when anything or any place is spectacular, worth the time, worth the money, etc…as you read this blog, when you see COMPLETE HOME RUN, you can “take it to the bank” – it was worth it.

friday night we arrived at the peabody hotel in memphis.  tori was completely surprise to see our best friends mark and kathleen (from dallas) when we arrived.  our kids had arranged for a special birthday cake to be in the room as a celebration for me and for mark (his birthday is later this week).  COMPLETE HOME RUN, kids!  the chocolate cake was delicious.

now, saturday was a full and fabulous day!  mark had done the research for all the festivities, so we started at breakfast only a block from the hotel.  we took the ultra exclusive vip route through the alley to the bon-ton café.  COMPLETE HOME RUN.  whatever you do, be sure you order the big sammie.  COMPLETE HOME RUN.  while at the bon-ton, we struck up a friendly chat with locals hart and sarah.  hart is a third generation memphian, so it’s obvious that he should work for the chamber of commerce up there.  i told hart we were in memphis just for a short time and were looking to “blow it out.”  he kindly obliged and provided a complete list of “what to do and where to go” during our stay.

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salsa – the number one condiment in america

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recently phillip returned home with arms full of groceries from the local buford market for, you guessed it, taco night!  as everyone knows, no taco night is complete without chips and salsa, and phillip picked quite the winner with the herdez salsa casera.

this salsa is fresh and flavorful, everything you want in a little pre-dinner appetizer.  i mean, if you’re gonna fill up on chips and salsa, it may as well be the best stuff you can find!  this jar of condiment heaven is the perfect balance between chunky and liquid-y, if that makes any sense at all…?  i guess what i’m trying to say is that it’s kind of more restaurant style, and i think it is just divine.

also enjoyable is their verde salsa.  it was a great topping for my taco salad, and i’m sure it would be a great addition to a plate of enchiladas or maybe even chimichangas.  heck, dip your quesadilla in it, too!  the possibilities are endless!

i mean, as long as you don’t get your salsa mixed up with your seltzer, you’re good to go!

my new jam!

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okay, folks.  it’s time to talk about my latest favorite song “get it on tonite” by mr. montell jordan.  this gem from 1999 came on the radio as i drove home the other day and i couldn’t resist sharing it with you all.  so go on, put in your headphones and check out the music video.

is your life complete now?  i know you’re answering with a resounding “yes!”  let’s talk about all the things in this video that make it worthy of nearly seven million views.

first up, the gritty and honest and sooo 90s lyrics are difficult to ignore.  now, i’m not saying i actually endorse the idea of checking out someone else while in “love” with your significant other, but at least he’s being true to himself?  sure, we’ll give him that tiny bit of latitude.

next up is the grade “a” product placement.  i don’t know about you, but i am ready to run out and drain my savings account for a white cadillac right now!  and that keyboard phone?  ooh!  you know i’m going to trade in my samsung galaxy for one of those this weekend!

the g spot club, sick dance moves, unbelievable acting talent, and wicked fashion (did you see his faux fur chinchilla coat?!) all add to the magic of this production masterpiece.  this mound of amazing work only adds to the fact that the beat and tune of this song are ridiculously catchy.  i mean, don’t you just want to bump along?!  i can hear each and every one of you chanting in agreement!

let’s get organized!

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last weekend my parents were in town to visit since they had monday off for the martin luther king, junior holiday.  jeeeaaalllous!  there’s no rest for us tech folks who keep the world running!  regardless, we were all glad to host them in atlanta for their little getaway and some quality family time together.

saturday was pretty lazy, so sunday (after licking our wounds from the packers’ heart-wrenching loss to the cardinals) we got a good night’s sleep and woke to a lazy afternoon full of coffee, fruit, orange juice, and homemade banana nut bread (this recipe is to die for!  i also highly recommend adding chocolate chips).

we chit-chatted between bites and sips and then eventually got all freshened up and ready for the day.  per mom’s request, we made a trip to the nearby container store for, as it would turn out to be, a much more exciting venture than any of us had anticipated.

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the patriot threat

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this month i had the recently rare opportunity to actually read my book club’s first pick for the new year.  yay!  it was the patriot threat by steve barry and i loved every page of it.  it is my first read by this author, and i enjoyed his no-fuss yet still descriptive writing style.  the story, set in both washington, d.c. and, can you believe it, croatia(!), surrounds the potential ramifications and legitimacy of a conspiracy theory that the united states’ 16th amendment was never legally ratified, meaning that taxes upon the nation’s citizens have been wrongfully collected for decades.  i mean, if that isn’t a headline to get you wondering, i don’t know what is!

this read is full of fact with fiction trickled here and there.  mr. barry is even so kind that at the end of the novel he helps you separate history from imagination.  a greatly written book makes for a great read, and that’s just what this one was.  it was this cool hybrid of action from a movie like national treasure and then curiosity and intrigue from a book such as the da vinci code.  no joke, as you turn to learn more about the characters and their journey, each page helps you picture the story on the silver screen.  perhaps they’ll put it in theaters some day!

the patriot threat is a novel that will make you dust off your thinking cap and wear it for a while as you ponder the what if’s of life.  i thought it an interesting pick for the group of ladies who i will discuss the book with on thursday, but you never know.  it could lead to some of our most interesting conversations ever!  or they could all think it was a flop and have a totally opposite opinion, and that’s what makes it fun!  all i know is that this book is one i would readily recommend if you’re a reader like myself.