travel | Little Miss Drama Pants

Oh the Places You’ll Go…

April 3, 2013 by lilMDP | 1 Comment

This is part of my daily drive, and is my favorite part in the spring. It is always so beautiful and inviting. What I like best is that the potential to go anywhere seems limitless from right here.

New Orleans

March 27, 2013 by lilMDP | 1 Comment

This gallery contains 31 photos

September 16, 2012
by lilMDP 1 Comment

I know I have been spotty in keeping you up to date with what’s been going on with me. And mostly just downright absent. And I have actually been doing all kinds of things behind your back. Some fun, some necessary, some boring, some sucky and to sum it all up, life. I have been living my life without you. And at first it was because I thought I didn’t have time. Then I thought that maybe it was just for the best. Like the way some friendships go. At first, you’re hanging out all the time, then things come up and hanging out doesn’t happen as often. After awhile, you are just cordial and nod or wave hello, but don’t really hang out anymore. I thought I would be ok with that because I was “busy.”

But then I started to miss you. I was doing all these things I wanted to share with you but I thought for sure you would be mad at me and wouldn’t want to hear them. You would probably pretend to be interested in what I had to say, but when I wasn’t looking, you would totally talk about me behind my back with your other little blog friends and say really mean things about me.

And then I remembered. You’re a fucking blog. And in my country, I blog you.

So, in a nutshell, here’s what’s been going on while I was ignoring you (not necessarily in this order)

My workaholic tendencies got the better of me. To the point where I almost never go out if it isn’t work related.
I’ve been traveling more for work so when I’m home, I rarely go out if it isn’t work related.
I got depressed.
I got diagnosed with SAD.
- This is something I have suffered from basically ever since I moved to the States but the last few years have been the worse and I finally sought professional help. I shouldn’t have waited so long.
I was prescribed a light boxfor SAD by my therapist as an alternative to taking medication. It worked.
- Note: You do not need an actual prescription to buy a light box, but you should talk to a professional before investing in one. If you don’t use it properly, it will not help you.
I got better (That light box saved me from going to jail. I’m just saying.)
My diet and exercise went to shit. I gained a lot of unwanted weight. (See: Travel. Workaholic. SAD.)
I learned how to use my DSLR.
- Photo sets here, here, here, and here.
We re-did the floors (bamboo) in the house and painted out living/dining room combo BRIGHT ASS GREEN (Awakening by Valspar). It’s awesome.

New Floors/Paint

B finally recognized and accepted the size of his bald spot and shaved his head.
B and I made it to FIVE YEARS OF MARRIAGE (to be sung in the manner of FIIIIVE GOOOOOLD RIIIIIIIINGS!!!!!!)
We went to Vegas and celebrated our anniversary by renewing our vows. And finally going on our honeymoon. It was awesome.
- Note to self: Order photos of vow renewal.
I took a bunch of pictures while we were in Vegas.

Bellagio Conservatory

You can see the rest of the set here.

I haven’t been knitting, spinning or weaving like I intended (See: Workaholic. Depression.)
Got my second tattoo for my 34th birthday. (It only took me 13 years to decide what I wanted after my first one.)

Doctor Who Represent!

I’m planning my third tattoo. It’s knitting related. That’s all I’m saying until it’s done. (No more spoilers.)
I’ve started working out several times. After a few false starts, I’m feel like I’m on my way to being back on track.
We’re once again revamping our eating habits (always a work in progress).
I’m knitting more. I almost have a finished project! It has only taken me…um…most of the year to knit it. (I think I’ve already covered why. See above.)
Developed and nurtured a nail polish addiction. Last night I realized that I know own nail polish that I haven’t even worn yet.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some stuff, but that is the beauty of having you. I can always come back and tell you more.

And blog? I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long. This feels so good. I don’t know why I ever stopped. We should do this again. Soon.

XOXO,
lilMDP

July 15, 2012
by lilMDP Leave a comment

Birthday Road Trip

There’s nothing like spending 8 hours in a car driving to and from the Florida pan handle to pick up your kid. Especially when it’s your birthday. Also? Every single one of these photos was taken from inside a moving vehicle because someone only asked once if he needed to stop.

Clock

Clouds

Rusty

Hot Peanuts

Gas Station Signs

I’m just really glad it was such a pretty day for a long-ass drive.

May 31, 2012
by lilMDP 2 Comments

You Learn Something New Every Day

Yesterday, I transported two of the most adorable Rottweiler puppies to the Atlanta airport so they could get on a plane to go meet their new daddies in Guatemala. And because school is out, I ended up with two helpers who were less thrilled about the getting up at 6 am part of driving to Atlanta, but excited about the prospect of visiting the Georgia Aquarium. It was an incredibly educational trip. Here are some of the things we learned yesterday.

The cargo drop off areas for airlines other than FedEx, UPS or Delta are really hard to find at the Atlanta airport.
Puppies and dead people can potentially be on the same plane. A dude in a hearse dropped off a casket while we were there.
Shipping puppies is fairly common. Another lady was there with a dachshund puppy to be shipped.
Not everyone can tell time and do math. When we got there at 1pm to drop the puppies off, the dude behind the counter told me we would have to wait an hour because we couldn’t drop them off more than 4 hrs before the flight. The flight was scheduled to leave at 4:36pm.
If you are shipping two puppies in one crate, they have to be from the same litter. I don’t know why, but apparently it’s a big deal. Actual conversation I had yesterday:
Him: Are these puppies from the same litter?Me: I don’t know. Does it matter?

Him: Yes. If they’re not from the same litter then they can’t travel in the crate together.

Me: Then they’re from the same litter.
A pile of sleeping otters is one of the cutest things on the planet.
Alligators do not care if you watch them get it on. This is also very embarrassing for 12 year olds. They may something like, “We can go now.” when they see nature acting, well, naturally.
There is a dolphin show now at the Georgia Aquarium that is…well… The dolphins are amazing. The rest of the show? Yeah, not so much. It was pretty awful. The opposite of fabulous. Times infinity. The dolphins, though, were SPECTACULAR.
Here are the rest of the photos I shot at the Aquarium yesterday. http://www.flickr.com/photos/graceshadix/sets/72157629976879796
I am very tired today.

What’s up with you guys?

May 11, 2012
by lilMDP 2 Comments

Karma

How To Tell If You Are Karma’s Bitch:

Step One:
Tempt Karma, Fate, the Universe et al.

Example: Forget to go pick up your kid in carpool and don’t realize you’ve forgotten him until he calls you. Immediately rush to the school and pick him up. Feel bad that you lost track of time, but also a little smug that he’s not the last kid to get picked up.

Step Two:
Give Karma, Fate, the Universe et al. a chance to retaliate.

Example: The very next day your kid goes on a field trip. Two hours away.

Step Three:
Determine whether or not Karma, Fate, the Universe et al. owns you.

Example: While your kid is on said field trip two hours away, you get a call from your kid that he’s been sick and wants you to pick him up. This call happens an hour and a half before they’re scheduled to leave said field trip. Did I mention the two hour drive? After three phone calls (one from the kid, one from the nurse, and one from your husband after the nurse also calls him), you drop everything you’re doing and drive FOUR HOURS round trip to pick up your sick kid. Arrive home at roughly the same time you would have if he had ridden the bus back and been picked up from the school.

Survey Says:
YOU ARE KARMA’S BITCH.

Moral of the story: Don’t forget to pick your kid up from school.

May 3, 2012
by lilMDP 2 Comments

Starting My Countdown

This August will be B’s and my 5th wedding anniversary. It’s special for both of us because it’ll be the longest either of us have ever been married to anyone (we’re both second timers) AND everyone knows that the 5th wedding anniversary is the Vegas Anniversary! I would say this is payback for B “updating” the anniversary presents for our first anniversary gift (the PS3), but this will also be a mutually beneficial anniversary gift. Plus, he’s my favoritest husband, EVER. And I KNOW I’m the best wife he’s ever had.

It’s also a mixed blessing that I do so much meeting planning and traveling for my work. Mixed in that sometimes it’s really tough to be gone so much, but the trade-off in points is kind of awesome. How so? Well, here are the things I’ve paid for with points so far:

Booked our hotel stay at the Palazzo with points – 3 nights.
Booked airfare for 1 round trip ticket with points.
I have $250 in spa credits to use for hair and makeup while in Vegas. Thank you points!

Things we have shelled out real money for:

Elvis Renewal Package at the Graceland Wedding Chapel!!!

Can I tell you how excited I am about this? We’ve got an Elvis impersonator. We’re doing the Elvis vows for our renewal. How awesome is complimentary limo service to and from the chapel? Oh yeah, AND there will be streaming video. For your viewing pleasure. And pictures. And did I mention that Elvis will also be singing? It is going to be so awesomely cheesy. And also, just plain awesome. (Like a hot dog. Like a hundred billion hot dogs!)

Things we will probably shell out real money for:

New dress for me
Dress accessories (also for me)
Whatever B decides to wear
Incidentals while in Vegas
Food (in Vegas specifically)
One more round trip ticket (I have more points coming my way, but we’re trying to decide if we use or hold them.)

Things I am waffling on doing:

Making a brooch bouquet to carry down the aisle while being escorted by Elvis. Because really, why not? This will probably happen.

[SIDE NOTE THAT IS TOTALLY RELEVANT] I love Pinterest. I have a whole board devoted just to our 5th Anniversary and what we want to do. You can view it over here. [/END RELEVANT SIDE NOTE]

And another thing? This is honestly, my dream wedding come true. I have always wanted to get married in Vegas and now we’re doing it! Well, we’re renewing our vows, but in a way, this is even better. At least it is for me. We’re going to celebrate our love for each other by being silly and having fun and it really doesn’t get much better than that in my book. (Also, full disclaimer/disclosure: I totally wanted Bob Denver to marry us, but only as Gilligan. This, I have been told, is both ridiculous and also never going to happen since he’s been dead since 2005. I am totally cool with an Elvis impersonator as choice number 2.)

So in 100 days, B and I will be celebrating our life together. We’ll be getting some alone/grown up time so we can be ridiculous and silly and awesome. I can’t think of a better way for us to spend our 5th anniversary together. I can’t wait!!

October 30, 2011
by lilMDP 1 Comment

Girls' Trip!

A couple of weeks ago I went on my annual trek to the mountains of Asheville, NC for SAFF and stayed in a rustic cottage of mostly awesomeness with my girls Evil Science Chick, Evil Julie and Nytefalle.

Drinking Is Srs Bizness

Evil Science Chick

Zombie Nytefalle

We learned that if a bear shits in the woods, it definitely stinks. (A bear may or may not have shit outside our cabin. Or possibly the drunk boys 2 cottages down. OR there may have been an issue with a septic tank. We went with bear.) We pretty much blamed that bear for anything remotely stinky. Strangely enough, I think that bear may have followed me home.

Moving along!

We ate lots of tasty, tasty food.

Caramel Sea Salt Mocha Chocolate Cake

Spring Ridge Creamery Ice Cream (Pumpkin Pie & Peppermint)

Acropolis Pizza

Saw lots of cute animals:

Heeey, Baby!

Communing With the Sheepies

Check Out Those Horns

How You Doin'?

This Is My Good Side

I made several purchases. Again.

Corriedale Fleece

It is both awesome and dangerous to be friends with folks who on a fiber mill. I had 2 alpaca fleeces and also wool from Sugar Ray (I hope he’s getting plenty of tail in bunny heaven) that I wanted to blend and Jen picked out this gorgeous Corriedale for me. Then Jared took in my order. I’ll be getting a beautiful DK weight yarn out of the mix. I can’t wait to see what they do with it all!

Supporting My Friends

Sugar Skull Stitch Markers!

Gale-dar in Full Effect

Stash Enhancing

Because Everyone Needs A Ball Sack

You Can Never Have Too Many Project Bags

Oh Yeah. I Went There.

And the coup d’état :

Loom!

I blew my Vegas wad on a loom! [Sidenote: I won a grand in Vegas on the penny slots and my first thought was "OH MY GOD, I WON!!!" and my second thought was, "SAFF MONEY!!!!!"] I got a Kromski Harp 24″ Rigid Heddle Loom. As you can see here, I set it up as soon as I got home and started warping almost immediately. I think this is an excellent starter loom. You have the loom on one side, flip it over and the warp is on the other. Which is what you’re looking at. (The pegs are removable. Also very awesome.) I will be going through my used stash to find the rest of my sock yarn remnants to play with this baby on my first run. I imagine it will become a scarf that only a first-time weaver can love. But I can definitely see how easy it will be to use up a lot of yarn quickly. Maybe even some of my handspun. Also? It has the option of adding a second heddle, which means I can get fancy with the designs. Lots of options.

This was my 6th year of attending SAFF. I can honestly say that it never gets old. Asheville in October is absolutely gorgeous.

Scenic Drive

We usually see interesting things along the way:

You're Not Reading That Wrong

Let's Stop and Ask for Directions!

And I get to spend time with my tribe.

Bunch o' Weirdos

I can’t wait for next year!

October 17, 2011
by lilMDP 2 Comments

Road Trip!

My life consists traveling a lot for work, but every now and then I get to travel for fun. When I’m really lucky, it’s with my honey. This past Saturday, we took a road trip to Cumming, GA to visit the Lakewood Antiques 400. It used to be in downtown Atlanta at one of the amphitheatre grounds. I forget which one. Anyway, B and I decided to drive out and give it a whirl. It’s been about 8 or 9 years since the last time I was out there. B had never been. It was… well, the important thing is that we had a good time. Which we did.

We saw some interesting things.

Some dead things.

All that's missing is a full moon?

Some really poorly taxidermied dead things.

And something we would have taken home if it hadn’t cost an arm and a leg.

It’s a kick ass boomerang coffee table.

That’s top swings out.

And reveals a bar! It was in terrific shape, still had the key that locked the cabinet to store the liquor and cost about $1600. We kept our hands to ourselves and moved along. ::sigh::

We saw some cool stuff and some weird stuff and had a good time walking around. But overall, we were underwhelmed with Lakewood. However, the day and the trip itself? It was great just getting to spend time together.

I took a few more pictures. You can see the rest of them here.

October 16, 2011
by lilMDP 2 Comments

My Brush with Fame

Last week I had to go to New York for work and had a little bit of free time before my flight home so a friend and I went to stand out on the plaza of where they shoot the Today Show. It was a grey and overcast day. It may have even been sprinkling, but we really didn’t care.

Because we were in New York City! And NYC is about as different from Birmingham as you can get. Parts of it reminded me a lot of London and parts of it reminded me a lot of Jeddah.

We had to ask for directions to where the Today Show was taped and the doorman at our hotel couldn’t believe we needed directions. But you know, we weren’t from around there? Whatever.

When he was giving us directions, he told us to “Bang a left” and then later to “bang a right.” I can’t even begin to tell you how much it tickled me that we should “bang a left.” I’m giving all turning directions this way from now on. I’m sure this will only drive my sister more crazy since she already hates it when I say “hang a left (or right).” Love you, sister!

So we banged a few lefts and a few rights and then we were there. Where the magic happens. OK, so where some of the magic happens. When they’re outside. Whatever. It was awesome! Especially when they all started walking outside.

We watched Al come out onto the plaza and head straight to the cameras. He talked to people in the crowd as he walked by, but didn’t stop for anyone. He was a man on a mission.

Matt Lauer was heads down and really focused on what he was doing the whole time. He didn’t talk to anyone in the crowd while we were out there either. Ann Curry, however, was a whole different ballgame. First of all, she came out at a brisk walk in 4 inch heels. (Really cute 4 inch heels.)

We were oohing and aahing over the whole crew and snapping pictures like crazy (obviously). Where we were standing was directly in front of the door where they come out onto the plaza (as you can see). This picture where Ann is moving at a jog? She had spotted my friend and I and beelined straight at us.

That’s right.

Straight. At. US!

When she was close enough for us to hear her? She was oohing and aahing over us!! She ran over, grabbed our hands and squeezed while saying, “Look at you two! You are so beautiful! Thanks for coming out!” We were so shocked and flabbergasted that we just kind of stood there grinning like idiots and not really saying anything. And then she was gone, rushing to get in place to do the news. It never even occurred to us to ask her to take a picture with us until she was gone.

It was amazing.

The Today Show crew in action! We couldn’t hear a word they were saying standing behind them, but I really didn’t care. I was seeing it in action!

Al comes out first and leaves last. After he finished his segment, he took time to chat with people. These guys were all incredibly polite and professional the entire time they were out on the plaza. Natalie Morales also stayed and talked to people for quite a while. It was really nice to see.

And you can’t go out to the plaza and not get a picture with Lenny, right? In case you can’t tell, it was a little windy.

This was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. I’m not really enamored by Hollywood or famous people, but I have watched the Today Show for a long time and these are people I respect professionally. It was a real treat to see them do their thing in the flesh.

When I got home, B and I watched the Today Show (he dvr-ed it) to see where I was on it. It was really surreal to watch it on television after being out there, the same day actually experiencing it. Are you ready for my television debut? Keep your eye on the top right hand corner. If you blink, you’ll miss me.

Did you see me? I’m standing behind the lady in the houndstooth coat. Mostly, you can see my hair and that’s about it. That’s about as “in front” of the camera as I’ll ever want to get. I have way more fun behind it. But I still think it’s pretty cool that I was “on” the Today Show. But even cooler? Meeting Ann Curry.

Little Miss Drama Pants

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