Heat in the Kitchen

So, I'm really trying to get into this blogging thing.  It is the perfect outlet for my writing needs.  Hence, the makeover...there will probably be more changes soon :)  Anyway, I've had a couple of really huge weeks that produced a boat-load of random adventures.  Here is a preview:

1.  Carrie and Patrick's wedding
2. Annual St. George Beach Trip

Both of them were fantastic and ridiculously hot.  Like, oven hot.  Thus, the name of this post.  In the coming days, I will be back with more about these two.  And, hold the phone, there will be pictures.

The Evolution of "Meg Beg"

So, it has been a minute since I posted to this blog.  What started as a wedding outlet soon became dormant once the big day was over.  It's been about eight months since I last posted and I really want to get back to blogging.  I'm a writer.  I write.  But for some reason I haven't been able to commit to a single blog that I've started.  And let's just say, I have three blogs floating around out there.  I tried the 365 picture project blog.  After a successful month of taking a picture EVERY DAY, I slowly became exhausted by the idea and felt like an utter failure.  Then, I realized something.  I enjoy taking pictures and I really love my new camera, but I really would rather be writing than snapping photos.

Thus, here is an attempt at a different way of looking at things.  My most favorite memories have been made randomly.  I have a vivid recollection of riding around in Will's old Izuzu Trooper on a Saturday during the summer of 2005.  We were friends then and decided to drive out to Watkinsville for a Chicken Express lunch with two of our other closest friends.  The wind blew in through the open windows and Jack Johnson played on the radio.  Peaceful.  Content.  Simple.  Thus, the term "random adventure" was created.  I look forward to many more of these times in the coming years.

Directions and Parking Information for the Big Day!

Directions and Parking Information:

FROM THE EAST (Thomson/augusta area):

Take US Highway 78 West into downtown Athens. At the traffic light at Oconee, Broad, and Thomas Streets (this will be a five way intersection) take a sharp right onto E. Broad Street. The orange and green building in the triangle will be on your right; travel one block; turn left on Foundry Street. The entrance to the parking deck will be on your left.

FROM THE NORTH (Gainesville area):

Take US Highway 129 South, as you enter Athens the name of the road will change to Jefferson Road, Prince Avenue, and then Dougherty Street. Continue straight on this road to the traffic light at Dougherty and Thomas Street (the Athens Welcome Center will be on your right). Turn right onto N. Thomas Street. Travel one block turn left onto Strong. Travel to Foundry Street and turn right. The parking deck will be straight ahead on the left.

FROM THE WEST (Atlanta Area):

Take I-85 North to GA 316 east. Do not exit on the US 78E Business Athens-Monroe exit. Continue on GA 316 for 4.5 additional miles to Loop 10 Inner. (Home Depot will be within sight on the right.) Turn right onto Loop 10 Inner and travel to the Lexington Rd./Oconee St. (exit 8), Take US Highway 78 West into downtown Athens. At the traffic light at Oconee, Broad, and Thomas Streets (this will be a five way intersection) take a sharp right onto E. Broad Street. The orange and green building in the triangle will be on your right; travel one block; turn left on Foundry Street. The entrance to the parking deck will be on your left.

OR

Take I-85 North to GA 316 East into Athens. As you enter Athens, GA 316 will become Epps Bridge Parkway. Follow Epps Bridge Parkway and it will veer to the right onto US 78, Atlanta Highway. Continue on US 78 East, (also named Atlanta Highway and W. Broad Street) into downtown Athens. Pass the Varsity on your left at Milledge Avenue. Travel approximately 1 mile from the Varsity on Broad Street (through 7 traffic lights), at the five way intersection, stay in the middle lane and continue straight on E. Broad Street one block (the green and orange building in the triangle will be on your right); turn left on Foundry Street. The entrance to the parking deck will be on your left.

The Foundry Street parking deck has 644 parking spaces with a connected walkway to the Classic Center.

Once you park and walk to the Classic Center (where the reception will be held), you will have a two block walk to the UGA Arch on Broad Street.  It will be on your left.  Make your way through the Arch onto North Campus; once you enter North Campus, you will see the Chapel on the right side of the sidewalk.  There is a sign in front of the Chapel to help you find your way!

There will be a shuttle service prior to the ceremony.  The shuttle, however, will be reserved mainly for the elderly and disabled.  But, if there is room, you are welcome to catch a ride :)

Let The Feeling Move You...

So, as I embark on my fourth year of teaching and as I move on to a brand new school, I can't help but think about my most favorite moments of teaching.  One occurred during the spring of my first year.  

My students and I are quickly preparing for a night called "Celebration of Learning." You know, a night where parents come to oohh and ahh over their children's achievements.  Anyway, it's third period and we've just had some thoughtful discussion about S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, I'm sure :)  My students close their novels and begin to pack up.  Before we transition to fourth period, I pass out their poetry project posters and give them one simple direction.  "Find an empty, appropriate space in the room.  Grab some tape from the various dispensers on the back table and hang your poster up."  After that I answer the general questions like, "Anywhere, Ms. Jones?  Even the whiteboard?"  Then, students are up, gliding around the classroom, contemplating that perfect spot for their posters.  Tape leaves the roll, chairs begin to move for the top spots, and everyone starts admiring the work of peers.  Admist the ruckus, I attempt to monitor the girl on her tip-toes in a chair by the television, offer suggestions as to how much tape everyone should use, and the like.  And then, I realize the rise of a sound...a note, if you will coming from the middle of the classroom.  I glance over to see one of my students standing in the center of our chaotic little world with his hands above his head singing, "AHHHH!" at the top of his lungs.  Slowly, I approach his little bubble and tap him on the shoulder.  Of course, his eyes are closed during his solo and I scare the notes right out of him.  Unsure of how to handle this performance and well aware of the nineteen pairs of eyes waiting for my reaction, I ask our superstar to step outside.  As the door closes, I say a little prayer for his parents, and ask, "What in the world were you doing?"  And, as serious as a heart attack, he says, "I don't know.  The feeling just moved me..." 

This is my world, people, in the land of seventh grade.

So, when the wedding stress combines with teaching stress, I'll take the advice of that student (who by the way, will legally be able to drive a car this year) and let the feeling move me.

The beginning...

This is the first known picture of me and Will circa 2005...ahhh the YMCA.  That's where we met about four years ago as summer camp counselors.  Anyway, enough with memory lane.   

Engagement Party Directions

From Athens:

1.  Follow U.S. 129 to Gainesville (starts out as Prince Avenue).  You'll go through Arcade, Jefferson, and Pendergrass (about 36 miles).

2.  This road turns into EE Butler Parkway/GA 11/Green Street in Gainesville.  Follow it for 1.4 miles.  

3.  Turn right onto Glenwood Drive and drive about two tenths of a mile before turning left on to Memorial Drive.  The house will be on your right.

Final Destination Address:  812 Memorial Drive - Gainesville, GA

From Atlanta:

1.  Merge on to I-985 from I-85.

2.  Take exit 22 towards Jefferson/Gainesville.

3.  Turn left onto EE Butler Parkway/GA 11/US -129 and follow it until you get to Glenwood Drive (about 2.5 miles).  Turn right onto Glenwood and then left onto Memorial Drive.

Final Desitination Address: 812 Memorial Drive - Gainesville, GA

If you have any problems, give me a call.  I will have my phone and Will on standby to help out :)

St. George Island

So, I realize I've been away from the blog for a while, but we really enjoyed vacation last week and I think all of us were sad to leave :(  St. George is such a beautiful place and holds some of my most favorite memories...It is where I first saw a real, live dolphin at the age of seven.  Even this year, as I sat in the shade of an umbrella with my feet buried deep in the sand, I grew extremely excited to see that glimmer of an oily black fin cresting in the waves.  Ahh...that's why I love the island so much.  When I feel the stresses of daily life drowning out my sensibilities, I think about St. George and it's unending peacefulness.  I can almost hear the laughter of my sisters and my cousins from all those years ago, terrorizing crabs on the shore after dark with our flashlights and nets.  Running up and down the coastline with a net and a head lamp is one of the most exhilirating feelings in the world.  For those of you who have been to our happy place, I know you can relate.  For those that haven't, I wish you could.  And although a twinge of sadness tugged at my soul when we left last Sunday, I was only able to think about my most favorite moment of vacation.  It's that first sight of the ocean that gets me.  Peeking through the trees ahead as we drive down Highway 98, the gulf reaches out and wraps its' salty arms around me on the drive in.  And for a week...hopefully next year, two...I breathe a little deeper and sleep a little easier.  

Here are some pictures from the week!

And the trip ain't ending...

Today, Will passed his "grill" exam at Enterprise.  And when I say grill, I mean a five hour interrogation over the ends and outs of his company.  I couldn't be more unbelievably proud of him than I am right now.  He's been intensively studying for the past month and he hasn't relented for even one video game.  Yay for success and the possibility of promotion.

In other news, I am renewing my love for academia and the College of Education this week.  As a part of the National Writing Project, UGA adopted a program entitled The Red Clay Writing Project.  It offers graduate courses during the summer and I've fallen in love.  The technology class I'm taking has created within me a passion for teaching writing that I never knew I would have.  Most of you know that I am a closet creative writer, but I've never figured out how to bring that passion into a middle school classroom.  When I was in seventh grade, I would write every day curled up on the couch at home.  Try as they might, my family never convinced me to let anyone read those bizzare little stories I used to write.  But, this class has shown me ways to help students find their voices.  Today, on my lunch break, I perched at a picnic table outside Aderhold Hall with several other teachers.  Bees buzzed by my ears, students trekked in and out of the building with their armor of books and laptops, and the sun cast shadows on all of our faces.  At that moment, I remembered my purpose in life is to not only teach, to not only inspire, but also to keep learning for myself.  

Do It Yourself...

Well, it has been a very productive week!  The music crisis has been solved, though I was probably a little melo-dramatic about it anyway.  We found invitations yesterday and in two weeks we get to taste all the food.  So, at the moment, I'm counting down the days to a week on St. George Island and I'm focused on making the wedding favors myself.  My creativity has returned in the absence of "teaching and learning."  I have lots of ideas for wedding details and I've figured out that the best way to get what I want is to create some things myself.  So, this wedding really will be a labor of love.  Will, the calming and patient force in my life, just smiles and loves everything I show him.  Is it what he really thinks?  Maybe.  Is it self-preservation?  Probably.  Is he maintaining his sanity?  Definitely.  

P.S.  I'm very excited that Drew Stichtenoth arrived in this world on Saturday, perfectly healthy.  Congratulations to Casey and Todd!  

Music makes the people...yeah!

Grr...So, planning this wedding has been relatively easy thus far.  I couldn't believe the chapel was available and I even called Erin, who runs the place, back the next day to make sure she marked the correct YEAR on her calendar.  People will get married on Fridays and Sundays just to have their ceremony at the chapel so we considered it fate when we booked it:)  The Classic Center is beautiful; their caterer is accessible and the CAKE!  If you've ever been to The Last Resort downtown in Athens and had a piece of cake, you've tasted a little slice of heaven from Cecilia V, who is designing my cake.

A side story about the cake: At Casey's baby shower, there were little petit fours with booties on top as part of the food fare.  As I bit into one, the hostess said, "Those are from Cecilia's in Athens!"  I turned around to the tower of deliciousness and tried every single flavor just because I knew she'd be making my cake! (And another reason I'm in the middle of a Wedding Boot Camp fitness routine.)

But, the ONE THING that we cannot find is reception entertainment.  I think we waited a little too long to start the hunt.  When you hail from a family of school teachers, everyone has one mentality:  Let's just make it to summer break.  Well, that strategy isn't working for our entertainment booking.  We've been in contact with three fantastic bands and all of them are booked.  But, they've been very kind to let me know that if I wanted to change my date to another Saturday in October, they would be GLAD to play at my reception.  I mean, neat.  So, if anyone has ANY suggestion for a band that plays a great variety, please let me know!  If it comes down to it, we'll have to pick out a talented DJ, but even those seem to be limited.