The Stratosphere of Chaos.

It's Wednesday. Typically, my favorite night of the week. However, tonight was a little on the bittersweet side.

So much has been going over the past few days. Where do I even begin?





Let's back track a bit, shall we? There are four major things that have been consuming my life in the past week. In no particular order:

1. Getting an interview for a teaching job (that isn't an ACTUAL teaching job mind you, just the list of people that could potentially get a teaching job if one should ever open up).

c. Repainting, fixing up and finding new renters for our first floor apartment (remember, we own a triplex house and our tenants of the past ten years moved out, dammit).

5. Packing up and tying up lose ends so I can leave for my summer job at camp in Maine. On Monday.

3. Fighting the most persistent and headache-inducing sinus infection this side of the Mississippi.


I don't know where 2, 4, a and b went. Into the stratosphere of chaos that I call my life, I suppose.

Here's where I stand as of this very moment: I have a teaching interview. However, during the days that I was waiting to hear word on whether or not I got an interview, I had a major meltdown. Like the kind where you question the meaning of life and consider the fact that maybe, just maybe, you should go eat worms.

During that meltdown I found solitude in the hours and hours I spent painting the entire downstairs apartment...which lead to us finally securing a new set of tenants this afternoon! Thank goodness, the mortgage will be paid.

On the other hand, I'm leaving for the summer in exactly four days and not only have I not packed one iota of clothing, I haven't even made a damn packing list or done laundry.

Also, I have enough oral, nasal and eye antibiotics to wipe out an entire country.

So. Tomorrow begins the list. Lists of what I need to get done. Lists for what to bring to the Birthday Extravaganza this coming weekend. Lists of what to pack for the summer. And, finally, lists of all the things that I need to present at my interview - in Power Point format.

Should be fun, no?





Tonight was our last Why Not Wednesday of the year. Instead of sipping wine at our usual hole-in-the-wall, we chowed down on Chinese at Jaclyn's house and ohhhed and ahhhed over baby Zara. She has the biggest smile and biggest blue eyes of all time.





We changed up our routine tonight because we had to get Jaclyn to the airport so she could catch her flight to Peru! She's heading out on the adventure of a life time where she'll spend two weeks exploring Machu Picchu, Lima and Cuzco. I know she was feeling a little jittery with all of the anticipation, but she was more prepared for this trip than I have ever been on all of my trips combined - and I'm an organized person!

By the time she gets back from her adventure Annie and I will already be galavanting through Maine. That means our weekly Wednesday meetings are on hold until September when we will all be back in town.

Oh, we will have so many good stories to share by then. Let the adventures begin.





Also, shout out to TC who has been my rock through the chaotic days. He's pretty great.

And the cool photos? Courtesy of the rockin' new app from the blog A Beautiful Mess. Search 'Beautiful Mess' in your app store and you too can have fun phrases, doodles, borders and filters :) You can even upload from there to Facebook and Instagram. Elsie and Emma are pretty talented.

She's Married!

Last weekend, I had the good fortune to see one of my oldest friends get married.

Her name is Katie and we met way back at the beginning of middle school. We were tight back then. Thick as thieves in those days, and caused just as much trouble.

Even as the years have passed on, we have always remained close, even when different social circles pulled us in different directions. Even when we moved to different cities. But those childhood bonds, do they ever run deep.





We both went to each other's weddings and we both married boys with the same name...just like us.

Kate and Jonathan and Katie and Jon.

Too cute.





It's funny now to see who is at who's weddings. Funny how those that you were once closest with are no longer around. Those who you didn't foresee being there in the long run are still around and just as important as ever. Even funnier how one weekend can bring all of those good memories back and make you wonder why high school cliques ever existed to begin with.

(Side note: There are seven of us in the photo. Two are named Amy/Aimee and three are named Kate/Katie/Catie. This is why we go by our last names.)





But the best is when you all pick right back up where you left off. Without missing a beat.

It's been 10 years since we've seen each other? No way.

You have kids? Awesome. More importantly, remember that time at soccer practice when you flicked me off and had to run laps as punishment? Remember when we were fourteen years old and took your mom's car for a joyride? Remember when we built a float for the Homecoming parade? Remember when you caught me sneaking out of a basement window when you just happened to be walking by with your pet snake wrapped around your neck and scared the living bejesus out of me? Remember when we worked at the deli and the ice cream shop that were next door to each other and stole food to trade with each other all the time?





Yeah. Those were the days.





High school may have been a roller coaster, but now I look back and only see the good times, the good friends and all of the fun we had.





Anyway. Back to the wedding. I flew into Atlanta and then my parents and I headed out to Pawleys Island in South Carolina for the wedding festivities.

Katie and her family outdid themselves with everything - even their recommendations for condos were perfection! We stayed at Litchfield Beach & Gold Resort. You can see how great our view was, we were right on the beach and the lazy river pool was awesome.





Since it was a destination wedding there were activities planned from Thursday night on. We started the weekend off at the Tiki Bar where we added another dollar bill to the ceiling, complete with our high school nicknames (a must when we all have the same damn names).

Friday night everyone was invited to the Yacht Club for a low country boil. The shrimp was amazing, the bacon wrapped scallops were even better and the acoustic guitar players kept everyone dancing.





In between all the evening festivities I got to spend some quality time with one of my best friends in the entire world. Morgan and is my oldest friend and we eventually lived together in college. Charlie, her then-boyfriend/now-husband was our unofficial roommate back then. I haven't seen her since my wedding, which should be illegal.





Finally, I got to meet her adorable baby girl too. Let's be honest. Sloane is probably the cutest thing in the entire world.





My parents and I also made sure to get in some family bonding time by hitting up the historic waterfront for lunch on the pier and a little bit of shopping before the wedding.





For the wedding we all piled into shuttles to take us out to the chapel. Pawleys Island is surrounded by a giant marsh, which is where the chapel was. How we didn't sink the place is beyond me.





Katie was gorgeous and the bridesmaids dresses were probably the best I've ever seen. Beachy, elegant, and all different styles with beautiful white bouquets.





At the reception we were greeted with sand dollars that had our names and table assignments. The tables were named after different surrounding areas of the beach, which I loved. I am a total sucker for creative table names. Gets me every single time.





The food was amazing, the band was killer and the wine was flowing.

Somehow midnight crept up on us and the happy couple made their exit under a fabulous display of sparklers.





They hopped in their limo, changed their clothes and met the rest of us at a local dive bar.

With this group there was no way the night was going to be over so quickly. We had so much catching up to do that we stayed out wayyyyy past our bedtimes and closed, yet another, bar down. At 4:00am.

I was so honored to be a part of Katie's wedding weekend and am so thankful that her family included my family. The entire trip was a blast - from hanging out with my parents, seeing all those wonderful old friends, getting the sand in between my toes and of course, seeing Katie marry her Jon.

Congrats to the newlyweds!

Home.

I'm back. You've missed me, right?

Back blogging and back in Canada. For now, at least. Just two more weeks until I head to the great state of Maine for the summer!

I spent the past week down South in Atlanta and South Carolina where I got to spend tons of time with my family and see some of my favorite people in the world.

Getting back to Atlanta is quite possibly one of the best feelings in the world. It's the house where I grew up and everything is familiar.

I made sure to stop by all of my favorite places that I am deprived of in Canada. Namely, Chic-Fil-A and Target. It is truly a miracle that I survive in Canada.

My mom and I had some girl time for a belated Mother's Day celebration while we got pedicures, ate fro-yo and did some shopping.

I also had time to see some of my oldest and dearest friends. Jen and I played with her kiddos one night. Sally and I drank wine and built a tree out of balloons and PVC pipe another night.

Then, of course, there was the wedding in South Carolina that reunited old high school friends for a weekend of chaos.





Lucky for me, my dad lets me borrow his fun little convertible while I'm home. As I was driving around town I realized that I don't even have to think about where I'm going. It's like I'm on auto-pilot. I've been driving those roads for so long that I know every twist, turn and bump. I've been in Canada for almost three years and everyday I still have to think about which way to turn out of my driveway. Now granted, I'm directionally challenged, but still...there is something to be said for knowing your home town like the back of your hand.

Right before I left for the airport yesterday I walked down the driveway and was hit with the smell of our yard. I've never noticed it before but it smelled like heaven. The flowers, the grass, the morning dew on the yard...it smelled like home. I wonder how many times I've walked up and down that driveway? Probably at least a million and I've never noticed that sweet smell until now. Funny how those things work.

I landed last night and luckily TC didn't forget to pick me up at the airport. The poor man has been living off of a frozen batch of cookies I left for him, so I was glad to see that he hasn't withered away into nothing.

I had a blast in Atlanta, but it's good to be home and see my favorite guy.