Next month, my inspiring mother-in-law, Jessie, will pack her bags for her second mission trip within a year. She has always wanted to visit another country and serve on a mission trip and I do believe she is fulfilling her dream. Last August, she traveled to the Dominican Republic to spread God's word and this February she will be headed to Bujumbura, Burundi, a country in Africa that our church, Forest Hill, visits and aids in often.
To help raise money for the mission trip, Thrivent Financial put on an amazing event at Painting with a Twist. You simply signed up for a night to paint with friends and family and were able to donate whatever amount you pleased to help 12 women towards their mission to serve God in Burundi.
A portion of the group of women that will be traveling to Burundi. I am happy to know 3 of them!
As I hustled to get to the South Park area from Salisbury in due time, I walked into a class full of familiar faces. It turns out two of my other friends (one being the baker of our fabulous wedding cake) are going on the exact same trip as Jessie. After a welcoming hug, I soon got more as I found my saved seat next to Jessie, Reuben (one of the only 2 guys there) and Shannon! I knew it was going to be a fun night just from that.
He wasn't very enthused to be only one of two males in the room.
But his Momma was sure glad that he was there!
That blank canvas at the beginning of class always makes me a little nervous but once we got going, I eased right into it. We slabbed on globs of paint, blending and mixing our paints into a night sky with an illuminating moon. As we waited for the majority of our paint to dry, we donated money and played a few games to pass the time. Reuben also got his face painted in order to take home a painting of his choice.
Once all of the shannegans were done, we went back to our seats and class was back in session! We delicately painted on our tree branches, stars and flowers to complete the look. I must say, this has been my favorite painting out of all that I have done!
The night ended with more hugs and smiles and I left feeling amazing that I had contributed to their mission. I love that Jessie is so passionate about visiting other countries and serving God's people. If you would like to learn more about her upcoming trip and to donate to help send her on her way, please visit the link below. Thank you for your prayers and donations!
"No sir... there needs to be a black bachelor/bachelorette before there's a homosexual one. It's the least we could do for Dr. King."
Ok, that may not be word-for-word of what I'd say, but that's roughly what would be said. Anyway, now fans are all saying they won't watch anymore of this season. I have mixed feeling about moments like this because a lot of times in today's America, people aren't allowed to have personal beliefs/believe in something that isn't what all the cool kids believe in. And, we (media) continually put people in no-win situations. We don't like the standard, cliche answers, and we also don't seem to want actual honest answers. It's a vicious cycle.
Anyway, let's get this party started...
8:00 PM: SHOW TIME! And it looks like the girls are gonna start to get feisty!
Yo... this girl really gets to keep her dog the entire time?
8:02 PM: Ok... c'mon, Chris Harrison. That shirt is terrible. It looks like someone dipped you in paint up to your nipples. Go change.
Anyway, Cassandra gets the first date card of the day. Dang... and her first date is on a yacht. Wish I had a yacht. Actually, I just wish I had a friend with a yacht I can go on.
Ooo, I take it back, I wish I had that car/boat thing they're in. I be my friend Mike D'Avria would LOVE to have that for boat club. (Shout out to the D'Avrias!)
8:07 PM: Back at the house... somber moment. I'm gonna just... wait this out...
Aight, back to the date and it's yacht time! They're playing some acoustic guitar music, as usual, but they should REALLY be playing Jay-Z! #BigPimpin
[Commercial break]
8:13 PM: Second half of this date now. They're in somebody's house. He even put Camilla's artwork on the fridge. Make yourself at home, bro.
Back at the house... Kelly thinks she deserves a 1-on-1 date since she was on the last group date. Right on cue, she's the first name called for the next group date. Perfect.
8:17 PM: Now they're sharing cute kid pics. This date totally got boring for the non-parents.
Finally... Cassandra gets the rose. Not really a surprise. Juan Pablo definitely loves the ladies. He thinks they're all hotties. Can't lie though... he got a good crop of ladies.
8:21 PM: Oooohh man, previews of what's to come and there will be some terrible soccer playing on the group date. I can't wait!
[Commercial break]
8:24 PM: Group date time and Juan Pablo gets to show off his skills with the LA Galaxy B squad.
8:26 PM: The ladies are getting ready to play. They're practicing. Of all the sports that take a high combination of athleticism and skill, soccer and baseball are two sports that can REALLY make you look stupid.
Back at the house... ahh forget it, back to the group date! Blue team came out all... cute. Red team, on the other hand, came out gangstaaaaaaa.
Game time! Blue team scores first... and then start flexin' on 'em with the team celebration.
Hahahaha... Charlene keeps getting nailed with the ball. Ahh man... hilarious.
8:31 PM: Red team starts ballin' on them. Like... beat 'em down stuff. Juan Pablo tried to help the blue team out, but... yeah, too little too late.
This massacre is finally called off to end this half of the date.
[Commercial break]
8:37 PM: We're back. Everyone's all dolled up for the cocktail party. Mmm... that's... all I really have to say about this so far.
1-on-1 time with Andi. I think I like her. Oh... snap... and she got to make out with him in the kitchen.
8:40 PM: Back at the house, Elise is so excited about a possible 1-on-1 date. She said she even had a dream about it.
And right on cue... Chelsie gets the date card.
Opera singer Charlene has her private time with Juan Pablo. Uh... she got to make out with him but... she... doesn't look like a very good kisser. It just looked... awkward.
8:44 PM: I'm liking Andi less. Ugh, and Opera Singer. I guess when you go on the show, you just get lost in your feelings while in the romantic setting. You're on a show where you're 1 of the 25 ladies dating 1 guy...and you get shocked he kisses someone else? C'mon, son.
[Commercial break]
8:49 PM: We're back and it's Chelsie's turn for a date.
Uh... they're dancing in the car and umm... I don't know what song she's dancing to. And you know what... I think Juan Pablo just questioned it as well. #OffBeat
Guys... we're about an hour in and we have barely seen Hippie Lucy/a censor box. WTF, guys?!
Anyway, they're walking up to the bridge now where they're going to tandem bungee jump. If I were in her position... yeah, not sure how I'd react. I'm not really into the bungee jumping. I MUCH rather sky dive. The thought of bungee jumping makes my testicles quiver.
8:56 PM: Now Juan Pablo is trying to talk Chelsie into jumping cuz she's scared... as she should be. I'm not trying to jump off of any bridges either, Chelsie.
[Commercial break]
9:00 PM: Back on and Chelsie is totally freakin' out. They had to step off for a moment. At this point, he needs to just grab her, pick her up and jump. She's stalling. We're wasting time watching her be scared.
She's not getting a rose after this, right? I mean, you can tell HE wants to do this and she's totally been a buzz kill.
And now the instructor is getting impatient. Thanks to editing, there's no telling how long they were out there.
9:02 PM: They FINALLY jump. That took forever. Now they're hanging upside down kissing. She may still have a chance for the rose now.
Man, that took the entire time of the segment! Lame.
[Commercial break]
9:08 PM: Finally back on and it's dinner time for Chelsie. I won't be surprised if she doesn't get a rose. I have to agree with Elise, she does seem... young.
This date is boring... back to the house. Elise... again, talking about how young Chelsie is and for the 100th time, she says Chelsies seems like a baby to her.
9:12 PM: Back on the date and Chelsie gets a rose. I don't really see it, but whatevs.
I swear, these contestants act like they've NEVER seen the show before! Of COURSE there's a concert after your dinner and rose. They've only done it mmm. the past 3-4 seasons. Anyway... I'm glad she knows who this guy is singing. I know I don't know who he is... pretty sure Juan Pablo doesn't either, haha.
Also, for someone who likes to dance, she doesn't seem to be that good at it.
[Commercial break]
9:20 PM: We're back on and Juan Pablo looks like he's surprising the ladies in the house. Despite the fact that it looks like it's already noon outside there.
9:24 PM: My man Juan Pablo cancels the cocktail party and instead... we have a pool party.
Thank you, Juan Pablo.
[Commercial break]
9:30 PM: The pool party continues.
The ladies are hating that Kat got up on Juan Pablo's shoulders first. This IS a competition. This isn't the real world. Again, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT ON THIS SHOW?!
9:34 PM: Dang it... I've been spelling Sharlene's name wrong this entire blog. Oops...
Anyway, she's crying. It's her first time crying... oh and she snuck in some kissing. I swear... from what I've seen, I don't think she's a good kisser. And I honestly think Juan Pablo agrees with me.
Kinda funny, the other ladies can see them kissing. I don't think people actually like watching couples kiss in public, but on this show... they all just stare and send evil glares that are like darts piercing through the kissing couple's moment.
[Commercial break]
9:41 PM: Apparently, the majority of the girls are realizing this isn't an easy process.
Hey look, there's the House Mom Renee comforting yet another person.
Uh oh... Andi just referred to Clare as a "ticking time bomb." This makes think she must be a lil' crazier than we've seen. This also makes me smile in get a little giddy with anticipation of what may happen.
9:44 PM: I bet Juan Pablo is already sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tired of hearing each of these girls talk about how hard this is and how it's just difficult for them to handle. He would much rather just cook and dance and play some soccer and have fun. All these feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelings. Boo.
9:46 PM: Chris Harrison arrives to let everyone know play time is over and uh... yeah, time for a rose ceremony and somebody gotta go home. Oh, and I'm really glad he's wearing a much better shirt today.
[Commercial break]
9:52 PM: Home stretch! Time to hand out some roses. Dang, these ladies clean up well too.
Aight, it's go time *insert dramatic music*
First rose goes to... Andi! No surprise there.
House Mom Renee, Kelly, Opera Singer Sharlene, Elise (man she was happy to get her rose too) and Kat are the next 5 to receive their roses. Lil' supised with Kelly, but whatevs.
Allison gets a rose! Claire gets a rose! IT's getting tight now... only 2 left!
Lauren gets a rose (surprised me... didn't even recognize her).
*Gasp* It's the final rose!
The final rose goes to... Danielle! Which means...
America must now say goodbye to Hippie Lucy. Our censor box count was dramatically lower than I'd hoped. *Sigh* Maybe next time.
10:00 PM: Any of y'all watching the wedding of Sean and Catherine? Cuz I'm not. Someone will need to tell me how that one goes.
Ok, well that's a wrap. Fun as always, hope you all enjoyed the show. See ya next week!
New Years Resolutions...everyone makes them but no one really keeps them around. I, of course, have a few resolutions of my own and figured maybe I would stick to them a little more closely if I shared them with the world. Here goes nothin'!
PAINT. I hate the color of our bathrooms. I haven't liked them since the moment we moved in, yet all I've done is complain about it for 2.5 years and do nothing about it. 2014 is the year they will change from an awful gold to a more simple color. It's happening. It must.
NASHVILLE. Jeremy and I would like to visit the music city of Tennessee. We've heard nothing but good things from friends and family and would love to witness the awesomeness ourselves. We've got quite a few friends who now call Nashville home so it wouldn't be so bad giving them a visit either.
HALLWAY TABLE. I've been looking for a table to go in the hallway for at least a year now. It's time to buckle down and seriously find an affordable one. Once I've got my table, we can then work on the next thing on the list. And that next thing is...
GALLERY WALL. I want one so bad. I take more than enough pictures so this shouldn't be an issue. I'm just waiting for that perfect hallway table and then I think we'll be set for my dream wall.
BLOG MAKEOVER. I would like to give the blog a new look. Pure Appiness isn't going anywhere anytime soon so it might as well look pretty, I mean manly, right?
5 resolutions. I think that's more than enough for me to keep up with throughout the year. I'm hoping to at least meet one of these goals!
Well, since there was a big tease for this 2-night premier... I'm late with the blog. Also, I'm not live blogging this... you're getting a recap. You can blame ABC for that.
You can also blame ABC for putting every man's dream of having 25 gorgeous women vying for 1 guy on television.
Anyway, show opens up with the usual preview of the season. Looks like some good, scenic moments as always. Also... man, Juan Pablo is SO spanish.
Oh boy, just saw the clips of all the tears.
There were lots of clips of Miami. It really made me want to go back since they were in the same spots Asha and I were in.
It's pretty clear Juan Pablo loves his daughter... as he should. Also, I'm gonna go ahead and put it out there - Juan Pablo's daughter is WAAAAAAY cuter than Ricki (Emily's daughter). Was that mean of me to say? Oh well, sometimes the truth hurts.
Moving on...
An appearance from Sean! Giving his advice to Juan Pablo on how to find true love on this crazy journey. I think he left out the part where you keep around the OBVIOUS crazy chick for our entertainment. Hopefully he slid that in there off camera.
As I sit and watch this episode, I'm reminded that I could totally play some of the guitar parts used as the music bed.
It's a shame I'm not live-blogging this. There's a lot going on. I mean... I just started and there's a single mom, a woman who's engagement was just (allegedly) randomly broken off, a girl who is clearly all work, and a weirdo masseuse. This has the makings of a good season. Hopefully there are some good moments right out of the limos.
Chris Harrison just told Juan Pablo he was sooooo popular, they have 2 extra women. I KNEW there seemed like a TON of women during my preseason blog.
"I'm liking this first limo" - Juan Pablo. I am 100% positive I'd say things like that the entire season. Way to keep it real, Juan Pablo. Oh, and he also watches each girl walk away. Gotta check the goods in the rear.
Whoa, whoa, whoa... Lucy with no shoes looks like a bit of a weirdo. Her occupation is "free spirit." How much does that pay?
And right after that this lady comes up in a piano tricycle. That was cool and all but... what are they gonna do with that piano in the driveway?
Raise your hand if you ever thought it was a good idea to impress a single guy by pretending to be pregnant?
Props to ABC and this crop of women. No one seems evil yet, but they're all pretty easy on the eyes. Lots of different occupations as well.
My man turned this into a party! I KNEW I loved that guy!
First impression rose went to Sharleen the opera singer. That was... weird. She was so surprised she got the rose, but she didn't act very happy about it. I can see why he's intrigued by her but she might make it all go down hill really fast if she keeps acting awkward and calling him "sir."
Rose ceremony goes on as usual except... thanks to Juan Pablo's awesome accent, one girl totally thought he said her name... and he didn't. It was awesome. Previews of the season also reminded me that, 'the Bachelor' is so much more entertaining than 'the Bachelorette.' Anyway, good first episode. Can't wait for this crazy roller coaster to get goin'!
Before we get into it, I hope you all watched that great Wildcard playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. Great second half and it was nice seeing those 2 teams beat each other up in hopes of making it juuuuuust a bit easier for the Panthers next week! Bring on the 49ers! But anyway, on to what you're REALLY here for...
JUAN PABLO.
I feel like there's been a lot of anticipation for this season and the sexy Spaniard. I have to say, he was probably my favorite of that lame collection of guys on Dez' season. That was such a boring season... but now, America, we get Juan Pablo. I'm banking on the fact that women just create much more drama than men do, therefore making more entertaining TV (see "Bad Girls Club" and Real Housewives of... everywhere), so hopefully this will be a good season.
OK, let's start the show!
8:00 PM - Ok, it's actually 7:59... Americas' Funniest Home Videos is currently going off. Asha and I had the same thought... "this show still comes on?!"
Now it's actually 8:00 PM and... maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan... they're showing the casting stuff. I've already done my own preview.
Sorry folks, I'm not blogging through this. Instead, I'm going to play some xbox then hopefully catch the best of Jimmy Fallon special.
Ha... well, I've seen some of this and I'll probably watch some cuz some of these girls are... weirdos.
Anyway, I'm going to miss the show tomorrow night because of something WAAAAY more important (the final BCS Championship Game) but fear not, the show will be recorded and you'll see my thoughts... just a little later.
These are all hashtags one could use to describe my work with this blog as of late. Asha has done a wonderful job updating so I just thought - if ain't broke, don't fix it!
But fear not, oh glorious and faithful blog readers! For I have returned to the keyboard to apparently do what I do best on this blog and give you a proper preseason write up on the upcoming Juan-tastic season of The Bachelor.
So without further ado...
THE OFFICIAL 2014 'THE BACHELOR' PRESEASON BLIND RANKINGS!
In case you missed it before, I did a preseason blind ranking of the bachelorettes for Sean's season of 'The Bachelor'. I broke them up into groups and, believe it or not, the season's winner was in my top pick in her group and stayed in my top 5 for the entire season. But that was definitely luck so we'll see what happens this season. Anyway, there's a ton of football on this time of year and I'm a bit lazy soooooo I won't actually RANK the ladies in this blog, just give you my "first impressions" and maybe even give out a rose before the end of this blog. Ok, I've stalled long enough... wait, one last thing, I suggest checking out the bios and reading along. It might help. (Full bachelorette bios can be found here)
(Warning: There are a ton of girls so this is kinda long.)
First Impression: She's pretty. I Like 2 of her favorite movies. Bio Reaction: Typical answers. I like her aspirations to do missionary work, but honestly, the most interesting thing in her bio was when she referred to her "Abuela and Abuelo" because that made me say to myself, "oh... she's not white, she's hispanic." Quick Grade: Didn't get much about you so hard to really give a grade. I'll be nice and give you a B.
First Impression: Another Catholic? Anyway, interesting top 3 movies; really girly, really girly, then 1 of the
manliest movies out there. Bio Reaction: She got much better questions than Alexis. Her most outrageous thing was a move to Australia after college. I'd like to know why she did that. I'm not one of those people that can just up and move without some sort of plan. I mean, if needed, I could do it... but I need some sort of plan. So yeah, wonder why she went. Also, she got the classic, "stranded on a desert island, what 3 things ya bringing" question. I kinda liked her answers. Basically, she brought something to pass the time/entertain, some sort of companion and something for survival. That's smart thinking to me. I'm going to assume you couldn't bring made up stuff like a cell pBhone with unlimited battery power and service or something like that. Quick Grade: If there was something between an A- and a B+, that's what she'd get.
First Impression: Nice smile. She's older than the usual crop of ladies on the show. I can tell by her favorite music choices... and her actual age. Oh, and she's from Florida but her favorite sports team is... The Clippers? I'd like to know how that worked out. Bio Reaction: Overall... eh. But I will say, I really liked her answer to "if you wanted to impress a man, what would you do and why?" she said, "I would try to find out some secret wish or childhood dream, then figure out a way to make it come true. Something they've always wanted or wanted to try. We all have them and it means a lot when the person you love is invested in those things." Knowing how many sports-related dreams I have... that would be awwwwwwwwwwwwesome. Quick Grade:I'm gonna give her an A- because after typing it out, I really liked her answer to that last question. We'll see how the season goes for her.
First Impression: I really, really, really don't like her top. Bio Reaction: I'm still on her top. Am I just a guy and not hip to what's actually fashionable? Or am I right in not feelin' that top? Anyway, is Florida Juan Pablo's favorite state for the ladies? I mean, if that's true, good choice, Juan Pablo. Well, not sure if it's really her fault or not, but her bio questions and answers kinda just bored me. Sorry, Amy L... Quick Grade: ...unfortunately, I have to give you a C. I don't enjoy giving out a C... but somebody's gotta get one.
First Impression: I like her hair. 26 year old assistant district attorney, she's driven. Favorite sports are tennis and golf. Those are both... solo sports. I'm more of a team sport kinda guy, but solo sports take lots of self motivation which is something to be admired. Bio Reaction: Ok, gonna let you know now this girl is getting an A. Her 2 outrageous things are getting a murderer convicted in 8 minutes and climbing the leaning Tower of Pisa. I can honestly say I didn't really think one of those things was possible. Also, peep her answer to the desert island question. She's a smart girl. I like it. Quick Grade: Well after giving out the first C, now I'm giving out my firstA+. We'll see how she does once the season begins.
First Impression: Uh... well I don't have much of one. I like her 3 favorite sports. Dr. Seuss is cool too. Bio Reaction: Starts off well with her desert island answers. She went with an unconventional answer (machine turning salt water to drinking water), but she listed 3 important things. I like it. What I also like... her apparent love for the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Nothing screams "white American female" quite like a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Quick Grade: Unimpressive start, but Ashley's bio answers were pretty good. Smart answers, an Oscar Wilde quote and a Pumpkin Spice Latte reference get you a B+!
First Impression: First thing I notice, she's a former NBA dancer. Things I now wanna know:
Which team?
She's only 21, how long did she dance?
Why is she no longer dancing for an NBA team?
Also, with her being just 21, what's the minimum age for this show? Would Juan Pablo really want his future wife to be young enough to possibly be his daughters big sister?
Bio Reaction: Ok... couple things here:
Your favorite food you start with spinach pie? I like to think I'm basically your average male and speaking as an average male, you kinda loss me with the spinach pie.
She listed 'quinoa'... thanks to this commercial, that made me laugh.
Oh... but yeah, she better hope Juan Pablo is into the vegans cuz she listed a lot of non carnivore stuff.
She also said she loves it when her date "holds her hand" and hates it when her date "doesn't hold her hand." Ok, now speaking as someone who likes to be hands-free, holding hands is overrated. What if I need to quickly defend us from an onslaught of angry ninjas but our fingers are all intertwined and I'm stuck holding your sweaty-palmed hand trying to fend them off with just one hand?! Huh?! What now?!
Quick Grade: Ok, so maybe this girl isn't for me. But that shouldn't be a factor on if she's the one for Juan Pablo. I was mean so... B- for you.
First Impression: First black female! ...that's all I got...
Bio Reaction: What I didn't like - she considers herself a romantic because she's "watched too many love story movies"... girl, you do know those are fake right? Although, I do consider myself an amazing football player since I've watched too many football games. So I see her point. What I did like - she claims to have gotten good at cooking. I'm gonna take your word for it cuz I like to eat!
One last thing, her last bio question seemed pretty racial to me, asking about dating a "certain someone". Seemed like they were basically asking, "how would your family feel if you dated/married a non-black dude?"
Quick Grade: Racist questions will not prevail on this blog! She get a B ...for black power!
First Impression: She kinda sorta maybe a little bit reminds me of Kristen Bell. Maybe... do you see it?
Bio Reaction: She seems like a very... kind person. I also liked her list of favorite snacks. It was very definitive. I don't have much else to say though and that might be due to the fact that I'm currently watching football so I might be just a lil' distracted.
Quick Grade: Umm... eh, here's a B.
First Impression: What exactly does a Police Support Specialist do? Also, favorite game is Monopoly? I've never finished a game of Monopoly. I'll scroll up and go play board games with young Cassandra from earlier. Give me Sorry or UNO!
Bio Reaction: Do all girls have a favorite flower? Serious question. Also, she said she's really clumsy and has embarrassing moments daily. That could be fun and entertaining... or embarrassing for everyone.
Quick Grade: Didn't get much from her bio soooo... B-.
First Impression: We started this with almost all brunettes... now we're having a run of blondes. Anyway, an hour and 20 minutes... that's a long time, but an exact time frame so I would expect her to be ready not a minute later.
Bio Reaction: Her first question was about her 3 best attributes. Don't think I've seen this question yet. Anyway, I liked her answer of being "street smart." It's like subtly admitting you weren't the smartest kid in the classroom... but you're cool and not an idiot.
Quick Grade: B+ for the street smart blondie!
First Impression: First impression... I find her to be very pretty.
Bio Reaction: Mixed feelings about her bio answers. She's basically worked like crazy to own a successful business and that's all very admirable. But then it's somewhat of a "Debbie downer" when she talks about she's never been on a vacation or experienced romance. Cry me a river... (jk)
Quick Grade: Ok, Clare. You're getting a B. Now listen up, this is basically your chance to experience some well planned and well executed TV romance with potential to take like... 4 vacations to various countries. Don't blow it! Don't do anything crazy. Don't get wasted on the first night. No need to show up in a wedding dress. Don't go all 50 shades of stupid either. You've got some potential... just be normal!
First Impression: Mmmm... she mixed? We'll go with that. And if you didn't know, I'm pretty fond of the mixed girls. So fond that I married one. Anyway, nice to see it only takes her 30 minutes to get ready for a big night. I'm going to assume that might be closer to at least 45 minutes.
Bio Reaction: She seems like a cool chick. Her bucket list seems very attainable. Paris, hot-air balloon, learn to surf. She could totally knock those out. In fact, there's a good chance she could knock those out while on this show!
Quick Grade: A-. Knock out that bucket list, Danielle. You can do it!
First Impression: Umm... yeah I don't have much of an impression just from the first glance.
Bio Reaction: With her 3 bucket list items, she said 3 things in the first one. That made me chuckle.
Quick Grade: Overall... eh. I mean... nothing terrible, but nothing very entertaining either. C+.
Man... there are a lot of girls... ya boy is getting tired...
First Impression: Another blonde. And another mid-westerner. Does Juan Pablo have a thing for the land-locked states?
Bio Reaction: Dang, did you read her bio answers? She seems pretty interesting. Claims to be a good girlfriend, went backpacking in Australia (by herself!), and she reads books!
Quick Grade: A+ for you, Kat. Good luck this season!
First Impression: Her occupation is "Dog Lover." Umm... how much does that pay? Pretty sure I've been a dog lover for at LEAST 25 years.
Bio Reaction: Everyone has traveling as one of their 3 items on their bucket list. It's on my bucket list too. I'm gonna go ahead and declare "traveling" as an official universal bucket list item. So can we just eliminate that part? Like, yeah, we know you want to travel so just list something else.
Quick Grade: Mmmmm... B- cuz... just cuz, that's why.
First Impression: Oh snap... back to back gingers. Hey, red-headed people, do you dislike that term? (ginger) Just wondering. Anyway, bonus points for Kylie here for her picking Jumanji as her favorite board game. That was one of my favorite movies as a kid.
Bio Reaction: Biggest thing I took away from her bio answers - I agree with her 3 things she hates on a date. I don't think there's ever really a reason to be rude to your wait staff (or anyone), I could really care less how much she eats... unless it's an ungodly amount, but that's for a man or woman. And yeah, how old are we here? chew with your mouth closed.
Quick Grade: Umm... eh, here's an A for you. Enjoy.
Ok seriously... I give up. Why are there nearly 30 girls?? It's too much. I apologize to those looking for grades for each of the girls but man... I can't do it. I was even going to give out my own first impression rose at the end of this too. Not anymore. Now I'm gonna go watch football and hold on to my man card while I can. Enjoy the season!
The wonderful year that was 2013 has now come and gone. To help us recap the year, we wrote down special moments throughout and placed them in a mason jar. On New Years Eve, we took turns reading each card and couldn't help but smile and laugh at each memory. Our goal was to live the dream in 2013 and we definitely succeeded. For your reading pleasure, here's a quick recap of our top 10 moments (in no particular order) of the year! We came up with the list together but see if you can depict who wrote what (it's not that hard).
MIAMI
This was by far the best trip of 2013! Just typing this out immediately makes us wish we were back on the sandy beach with the waves crashing in and the warm sun rays beaming down on us. Miami is one of those places that just makes you feel at least 2x cooler than you actually are. As you walk down Ocean Drive in the iconic Art Deco district, 80% of the people you see along the street are gorgeous PLUS the area is a great mix of classic, old fashioned style fused with a nice modern touch. Oh, and really, it goes without saying... the nightlife is top notch. Also, BIG thanks to Rachel, my friend from high school. She gave us a great tour of the city and I hope she knows we'll definitely be back. So yeah, here's to you, Miami!
IT'S A JEEP THING
For the past 6-7 years you could see Jeremy parading around Charlotte in his awesome 2003 Dodge Stratus RT. I have to admit, I really liked that lil' red rocket. It got me from point A to point B... rather quickly. But, sadly, it started to cost me a little more than what it was worth and after numerous leaks and a couple break downs, it was time to let it go. Out with old and in with the new! I upgraded to my first SUV - a lovely, silver Jeep Liberty. I was amazed at how much more room I had! It's nice being able to actually load and carry things (I definitely wasn't able to do that in the 2-door car). The Jeep also makes me feel a little older because before you know it, the load I'll be carrying will include a car seat...
(No, that wasn't a hint about a baby coming... I was just sayin'...)
CONCERTS
Combined, Jeremy and I saw over 20 shows during 2013. I think that's some sort of record. Even though John Mayer, Imagine Dragons, Beyonce, Parachute, Tristan Prettyman and many others put on great performances, Justin Timberlake, Jason Mraz & Raining Jane, and Bruno Mars wowed us the most. Bruno Mars blew us away with his high energy and rambunctious band, I had an unforgettable weekend away with my mom as I surprised her with her first ever Jason Mraz show that featured Raining Jane, and Justin Timberlake made for the ultimate date night as we danced along to 3 hours of his music. If you can't tell, we love music and were excited that each month we had a show to look forward to.
YOU'RE HIRED!
After a lot of patience and hard work, I finally got a promotion at Food Lion Corporate! I hopped over the wall, moving into a new cube and jumped on what felt like a fast moving train that hasn't slowed down. My new job as a brand designer is the least bit boring and keeps me on my toes with new projects on a daily basis, challenges that I welcome and a great team that I'm able to get strategic advice from. I can actually say confidently that I like my job. Now if only I could change that thing about the one hour (sometimes more) commute....
PLAYOFFS?! PLAYOFFS!
No need to go into much detail here. Our beloved Panthers, after 4 mediocre years (2 of them being just... bad), have finally found our franchise QB, all-pro linebacker, identity on offense and one of the top defenses (reminiscent of our 2003 season) in the league. I can't sit here and act like I've been a long suffering fan of a cursed franchise - see Chicago Cubs or any sports team from Cleveland - but those years were rough and it feels great to not only see the Panthers make the playoffs, but win the division, earn a 1st round bye and have a legit shot to make it to the Super Bowl. Needless to say, I'm excited! #GoPanthers #KeepPounding
OH YOU FANCY HUH?!
We got a little star struck at the beginning of the year when 3 things happened.
The Obama's sent us a Christmas card. It may have arrived in early February but the Obama's sent us a card. It's all that matters. We did send them one...I guess they were returning the favor :)
Tony Dovolani, of Dancing with the Stars, commented and retweeted Asha's twitter post on the Blog about meeting him in NYC. Thanks to him, that post got hundreds of hits.
We were local celebrities! We were (barely) featured in the spring issue of Ballantyne Magazine for a couples cooking class at the Morrison Family YMCA. Our picture made it into the issue and Jeremy's mom bought 5 copies, haha.
PUT ME IN COACH!
In the fall of 2013, I decided to volunteer and coach flag football at the Y. I had never coached flag football, so it was all new to me. Once meeting my team, the other coach and myself were definitely skeptical of the season. We definitely had a rag-tag, bad news bears type team. Well, the first game came and we DOMINATED. It was quick a shock to us. Unfortunately, as the season continued, we had scheduling conflicts and couldn't quite finish the season very well. Overall, it was really fun and I'm glad I did it. After football season, I got the opportunity to help coach with the Carmel Christian School basketball program. I'm REALLY glad I signed up for this! It's been awesome helping some 14-17 year old kids develop their game and get better. I'm proud to say through the first half of the season, our JV squad is 6-1 and finished 2nd in our Christmas tournament (and we should've won it too). I'm excited about the second half of the season and can't wait to see how we finish up!
HOME IMPROVEMENT
We've been meaning to paint for oh, the last 2.5 years, but each and every month, we (Asha), finds some excuse to put it off. We finally, however, painted our master bedroom in the last few days of December. We just barely made the cut-off date for 2013 but in a days work we went from drab, to fab! In addition to our master bedroom, we also found an awesome dinner table at a local consignment store that is high enough off the ground so Apollo isn't eating with us. Yep, it's pretty awesome.
We're hoping to keep on making improvements throughout 2014....someone just needs to kick Asha in the butt to get things going.
ADVANCED SCREENINGS
This year we were lucky enough to have Asha be Facebook friends with Theoden Janes, a pop culture writer for the Charlotte Observer. Thanks to his awesome position, Theoden occasionally gets passes for advanced showings of blockbuster movies. This summer we got to see Despicable Me 2 (awesome movie), Man of Steel (great movie), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (way funnier than I thought it'd be), and my favorite movie of 2013, We're the Millers. If you haven't seen it, you need to. That movie is hilarious. I want to watch it again now.
COUCH POTATOES
Asha and I watched a ton of TV this past year. Like... a lot. Not an uncommon thing for me, but DVR has been Asha's best friend. Anyway, this year there were a few shows that stood out for us more than others and they were:
The Bachelor: This isn't necessarily on the list because we love the show so much. Y'all know I have a blog to do.
Scandal: Like all the other millions of #Gladiators out there... we got sucked into the show as well. There was a marathon on and within the blink of an eye, two episodes suddenly turned into like... 6 hours on the couch. The show is so outrageously dramatic, you can't help but get hooked. I just hope our nation's capitol isn't really like that.
Mindy Project: Thanks to me, this is Asha's new favorite show. If you've never seen it, it's about a single female doctor in New York and her various comedic adventures with dating, friendships, and life in general. IT's definitely more of a "girl" show, but in it's second season (currently) they've done a nice job developing some of the secondary characters.
Psych: I won't say much about this show since I only know like... 3 other people that watch it, but I'd say it's kind of an acquired taste in humor. Not everyone loves it... but I do! And that's all that matters right now.
We ended 2013 in style as we dressed in our finest attire and made reservations to Fleming's, an upscale steakhouse in the uptown area (we had a gift card, ha). Dinner was on the early side due to some confusion on each of us thinking the other made a reservation. With a lot of time before midnight, we decided to see 'Thor: The Dark World' before heading to Chelsea's to celebrate the new year. It was the perfect pitstop as it geared us up for all of the laughs, games, fireworks and s'mores that were had at Chelsea and Wes' New Years Eve party. As always, it was the perfect end to 2013.
As always, we look forward to a new year, new beginnings and possibilities. Cheers to 2014!
Asha and Jeremy met in 2004 at Appalachian State University. What started out as friendship soon led to love and they were off to the alter to get hitched in 2011. This is our story.
