The REAL Nightmare Before Christmas

OK, so it appears I was a bit premature with my lost post. Having my flight canceled due to the snow storm turned out to be a blessing. Yesterday afternoon I was getting ready to head to a hockey game. I was actually pretty excited since it had been sooo long since I was last at a game. All of a sudden, out of no where I get this sharp pain in my lower back on the left side. I had no idea what had caused it.. all I knew was that the pain was getting worse by second. I was literally buckled over in acute pain. The best way to describe it is that it felt as if someone had stabbed me with a jagged knife and was twisting it around inside of me. The next thing I knew I was getting sick. It was at the point that I knew something was wrong. I called my parents and told them what was going on. We decided to monitor it for a little bit and see how I was feeling. I knew something was REALLY wrong when I peed blood (sorry if that is TMI). I started crying and was scared out of mind. I called my parents and decided I needed to go to the hospital. My friend Tamara came to pick me up and off we went. The entire car ride I was telling her that I did not want to wear hospital gown nor did I want to spend the night!!

I won't bore you with all of the details of my stay in the hospital but I will share these tid bits with you:

--Tamara and I entered the ER from the back which is NOT the way to go in. We got to see all of the behind the scenes including trauma and people on their death beds. Not the way you should enter an ER!!

--I got to wear a hospital gown OVER my clothes. Not sure why they made me do this but I was A-OK with that!

--I got to cruise around the joint while in my hospital bed

--EVERYONE told me that passing kidney stones would be the most painful experience EVER. Seriously, I did not need to hear that 1,000,000,000,000,000,000+ times. Seriously!

--When I had my CT Scan the lab tech told me that without moving I had to take my bra off because of the underwire. Umm... how am I to take it off without moving?!?

There is so much more I could tell you but I wont subject you to all of the fun details. In the end I was diagnosed as having two kidney stones. I think I passed the one last night and the other is still hanging out in my kidney. It was by far the WORST pain I have ever experienced and I hope I never have to experience it again. And I shudder to think what it must feel like if my stones were larger -- mine are/were 1-2mm. That's basically the size of a grain of sand. I am just praying that I did in fact pass it last night and that I am in the clear!!

On another note, I am scheduled to fly home late tomorrow night (only available flight before Christmas and I got the 2nd to last seat!). The Cape has about 18" and counting and Rob & Margaux got just shy of two feet!! Fingers crossed I can make it home tomorrow.. and that I don't experience any kidney stone attacks on my trip!

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Remember what I was saying in a post not all that long ago about how I have the worst luck when it comes to traveling?? Well, that luck has returned!! I am supposed to fly home to the Cape later on today. The only reason I am still in Raleigh is because NC State has graduation today. Yes... NC State is that university... the one who holds graduation on the Saturday before Christmas. To say faculty are not pleased is an understatement. Who knows what they were thinking when they decided to schedule graduation. But anyways... I digress.

So my plan for today was to go to graduation and then head straight to the airport to catch a 5pm flight to Providence. Rob & Margaux were to pick me up and I was going to spend the night with them. The three of us were then going to make our way to the Cape tomorrow morning to celebrate the Holcomb Family Christmas since Rob & Margaux will be in Maine this year. Well Mother Nature had different plans. Instead the mother of all storms is slamming the east coast -- from Florida all of the way up to Maine. Raleigh even got some snow/ice yesterday before it turned over to rain (on a side note, the Weather Channel keeps showing footage of NC drivers sliding all over the place -- classic!!). I was supposed to change planes in Baltimore. But as luck would have it, Baltimore is getting the worst of the snow (1-2 ft!). So it's looking like I won't be flying any where today. But what has me concerned is that the storm is supposed to turn into a blizzard for the Cape Saturday night into Sunday afternoon. If this holds to be true who knows if and when I will make it home. To say I am sad and disappointed is an understatement. I am not sure when we will be able to do the Holcomb Family Christmas now. I am sure when this is all said and done I will have some good stories to tell... right?!? So wish me luck as I attempt to make my way home for Christmas!!

Our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

It's hard to believe that this our third year putting up a Christmas tree together! Where has the time gone?!?! It's one of my favorite memories with Ryne and I always look forward to it every year.

Each year we find a tree that tends to have a certain Charlie Brown flair to it. Some years the flair has been more pronounced than others (e.g. last year we had to trim some limbs off from the tree so that it would fit in the tree stand which resulted in the tree having a great big hole on one side!). This year we found plenty of Charlie Brown trees to pick from but even they were just a little too Charlie Brownish for us. After failing to find a suitable tree in Chadron we decided that we would find a tree when were up in the Black Hills. After much searching we finally found our tree. We brought it back to Chadron with us on Sunday and put it up that night. It seems that every year we always have major issues with the tree stand. I am not sure if the issue is us or the stand itself but without fail something always goes wrong (e.g. last year's tree). Well this year our problem had to do with the tree having a fairly small trunk. The small trunk made it hard for the screws of the stand to actually screw into the tree. We thought we had the tree all set and secure so we began stringing the lights. The next thing you know the tree is toppling over!!! Thankfully we caught and nothing was damanged. But this lead to a few stressful moments as we tried to figure out how to get the tree to stand firmly in the stand.

Ryne finally got the tree secured in the stand after much twisting and pounding. After we were satisfied that it was stable and not going to topple over again we went to work hanging our ornaments.




I have been collecting and making ornaments for our tree over the course of the year. I just love the personal touch that personalized ornaments have. I think this year's tree is our best looking yet. It turned out to be a beautiful tree and it smells so wonderful!!

Christmas in the Midwest

Last week I flew out to spend a week with Ryne and to celebrate Christmas a little early with him. It's hard to believe that I have already been here a week and that I have to fly back to Raleigh tomorrow. Needless to say I am not ready to leave and I am going to miss Ryne like crazy.

The weather out in Nebraska has been FRIGID!! There have been several days with temperatures below zero and a few days with snow. This past weekend when we were at his parents' house we saw about 8" of snow fall in the span of a few hours. But now that I live in NC and have gotten used to southern winters I must say that while I do miss the snow, I do not miss the cold. Brrr!!

The past week has been a busy and fun one! Ryne and I had started watching True Blood together when I was last out here. For those of you who have not seen the show, it is pretty messed up. I had no desire to watch it alone at night so we decided we'd wait and watch it when we were together again. So we spent the first few days watching True Blood and catching up on it. On Friday we drove up to spend the weekend at his parents' house. It was good seeing them and as always it was so relaxing to be in the Black Hills. Ryne, his mom, and I all went shopping on Saturday and we were quite successful. I think that was one of the quickest and painless Christmas shoppingn trips I had been on in a long time. We also enjoyed lunch while we were in Rapid City. Sunday morning we got up and joined Ryne's aunt, uncle, and cousins for a big family breakfast at the Old House (the Old House is Ryne's grandparents's old house and was the homestead for the family farm). Breakfast was soooo good and it was fun catching up and visitng with everyone. While we were at breakfast it began to snow and it started coming down pretty quickly. It was at that point that we knew we would have to head back to Nebraska a little earlier than we had planned because of the storm. I was a little bummed because I enjoy being in the Hills but also because I hadn't seen any of the bald eagles hanging out in Ryne's parents' yard (I will spare you the details as to why they were hanging out there). But as we were pulling out and heading home I finally saw some eagles -- 6 to be exact! And let me just tell you, those are IMPRESSIVE birds. I could not get over how large they were. It was so cool seeing them in the wild.

Monday night Ryne and I headed downtown to see The Blind Side. It was such a good movie and we both really enjoyed it. After the movie we watched the last episode of season one for True Blood. Now we just have to wait for season two to come out on DVD. Last night we cooked chili for dinner and relaxed in front of our Christmas tree. It was such an enjoyable night. Tonight we will exchange our presents and have our own little Christmas celebration.

It's been such a wonderful Christmas with Ryne...I just wish I could last longer!

Tis the Season to Be Merry...Right?!?!

Anyone who knows me knows I have the worst luck traveling. And I mean the WORST luck! From lost luggage to endless delays to canceled flights I have seen and experience it all. I have even been on board a plane that was struck by lightning during our landing -- and yes, the emergency lights do light up in the case of an emergency. Yet despite all of my travel headaches, I still continue to travel and fly on a regular basis. There are times where I feel like I spend more time in the airport than I do in my own home. I try to stay positive and often keeping telling myself it can't get much worse... this was just a once in the lifetime experience, etc.

Well yesterday I had another enjoyable experience while flying. I was on my way out to see Ryne for the holidays and my plane had just landed in Denver. Now, it's pretty basic and a simple rule that you wait for your row's turn to disembark the plane. Apparently some woman did not get this memo nor have the common sense to follow the pattern that all of the other travelers were following. I eye this woman pushing her way up the aisle from the back of the plane and just rolled my eyes. She was one of those passengers. You know, the ones that you pray don't sit next to you or come any where near you. So I continue to make way off the plane when all of a sudden that woman slams into me from behind. I mean seriously... where did she think she was going. And for the record, we got in 40 mins early so it's not like she had a close connection. So anyways, she slams into me and I could feel something fall into my carry-on bag. Turns out it was her bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper. I did not realize it was her soda that had fallen into my bag until MUCH later and she was long gone. When I went to the restroom I noticed my bag was all wet. I peaked inside and saw my bag was FILLED with her soda. My Christmas cards that I had been working on during my flight were wet. But worst of all so was my laptop. No!!!!!! I quickly grabbed a bunch of paper towels and tried to dry it off as best I could. But it was too late... the soda had made its way into my monitor. My poor monitor looked like a lava lamp.. you could see the liquid and bubbles behind the screen. It was all I could do to not cry.

After many phone calls and support calls I was told to leave my laptop off and to take it in to get fixed ASAP. Apparently soda will corrode a laptop in a matter of hours (but diet soda is "better" than regular since it doesn't have all of that sugar!!). So Ryne took my laptop off to work with him this morning to get it cleaned and fixed. I am just praying that it is OK and I can get it back soon so I can do my work and grading.

Thankfully I have been using Ryne's laptop today. And I keep reminding myself that tis the season to be merry!!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

I must admit that I had my house all decorated for Christmas before I went home for Thanksgiving. I figured I might as well get it done so that when I came back my house would be all decorated. I didn't go all out this year since I will be traveling a lot during the month of December. But since I just love Christmas and decorating, I couldn't not decorate.

I have had this little tree in my bedroom ever since I was a little girl. I always loved having a tree in my room. I loved falling asleep to the twinkling of the lights. I now now have this tree in my family room since it's my "main" tree.

I also have a mini Christmas tree in my kitchen. I really enjoy this tree as it's my Clemson tree. I am still searching for some ornaments to add to it. I was surprised that I was able to find mini lights for the tree.

This year I added a third tree to my house. I was really missing having a tree in my bedroom so I find this tree at Target. Since it was on sale and I already had ornaments for it I could resist. I still enjoy falling asleep to the twinkling lights.

This year I also "made" my own wreath for my front door. I purchased an plain evergreen wreath and added pine cones, berries, and the bow myself. Granted this was pretty easy to do but I was quite pleased with my final product.




Next week when I am out visiting Ryne we will get a tree and decorate it together. I just love decorating Christmas trees!!

Thanksgiving Break Recap

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving was over a week ago and I am just now getting around to blogging about my week at the Cape. Things have just been crazy with the semester winding down! (*Pictures have been added!)

I flew home to the Cape the Monday before Thanksgiving. I hadn't been home since August so I was really looking forward to being home and spending some time with my family. My parents picked up Monday afternoon and we did a little shopping on our way back to the Cape. We went out to dinner at a new restaurant and enjoyed catching up. On Tuesday I was absolutely lazy and spent the day lounging around with Mistress. It felt so good to have a day of nothing!! On Wednesday I helped my mom get ready for Thanksgiving. We hosted it this year which meant that we were also have over night guests since everyone would be coming from Connecticut. In all we had 10 people staying with us so there was no room in the inn!! But it was so nice to have everyone with us for turkey day. My parents also have their friends, Bob & Gwen join us for Thanksgiving. We had so much wonderful food, including 5 different kinds of pie!! While the men watched football all of the ladies headed up to my room to watch a movie. We ended up watching The Ugly Truth. While it was funny it was definitely not the kind of movie you want to watch with your mom and aunts!! I think the highlight of Thanksgiving though came late night. My cousin Dawn (who is in her 40s) had on a pair of leopard print flannel PJs. My dad took one look at her and called her cougar. We all died laughing because it was kind of fitting for Dawn. So later that night as I was walking through Dawn's room to get to mine she sits up in bed and starts talking to me. She asked me questions about the morning.. if we were all set.. what else do we need to do to get ready... etc. I just figured she was talking about the breakfast we were going to make before we all went to Chatham for the day. I then went downstairs only to be followed by Dawn. She then starts talking to everyone about the meeting and how we were going to be on the morning news. She also kept saying we were late and kept tapping her wrist. It took us awhile to figure out that she was sleep walking!! It was pretty funny because she started talking about all kinds of things.



On Friday everyone headed to Chatham for the day. Our first stop was the Chatham Bars Inn. This was my very first time stepping foot on the property as it is a pretty swanky place. We wanted to see the train display (well my dad did at least). I must admit that it was pretty neat since all of the buildings were made out of gingerbread and were actual buildings from the surrounding area. After the CBI we headed to Main Street and did some shopping in the stores. I was able to get some of my Christmas shopping done which was nice. We all had lunch at the Squire (which is Chatham's version of the Land Ho! but is not nearly as good!). After lunch my aunts and cousins left and made their way back to CT.






On Saturday I got up super early and made the three hour drive back to CT. Unfortuntalely this trip was not for a happy occasion. My friend Melissa's sister was killed in a car accident the weekend before Thanksgiving and her funeral was on Saturday. Katelin was 28 yrs old and had just picked up her wedding dress the day she died. The funeral was so sad but I was glad that I was able to be there for Melissa and her family. After the funeral I stopped by and got to see my cousins, Michelle and Kristin, and my aunt and uncle. Michelle and Ron were up from DC so it was a special treat to see them. I had a nice time catching up and visiting with them.

Since I had gotten up so early on Saturday morning I decided that I would stay with Rob & Margaux on Saturday night. When I arrived at their house they were in the midst of decorating their house and I was promptly put to work. After the decorations were up we watched a movie and I fell asleep on the couch. I was soooo tired!! Sunday morning I got up and helped Rob put up his Christmas lights outside. It was actually a nice day so it was a good day to that job. When I got back to the Cape around lunch time my mom and I then headed out to do some Christmas shopping for my dad. Our trip was a success and I was able to wrap up my Christmas shopping aside from a few smaller gifts.

Monday was another relaxing day. My mom and I did little shopping and then had the BEST dinner ever!! My mom and I picked up fresh scallops from Cape Cod Bay. OMG.. they were so good!! I could have easily have eaten every single one of them!! I told my mom that we need to have them again when I am home for Christmas!

I flew back to Raleigh on Tuesday and returned back to crazy world of NC State. It's amazing how being back at work for one hour can wipe away all of the peace and relaxation that a week away brings.

Update Coming Soon!

I promise an update is coming soon! I just need to download some pictures and I will be good to go! It was so nice to get away for a week. I took a much need "break" (I say break but it was really a limited break) from technology. I got to spend lots of time with my family, see great friends, eat lots of amazing food, and sleep. All in all it was a great week. I should be able to post my update later tonight.

Clemson vs. UVA

This past weekend was the last home game for Clemson. It's hard to believe that football season is winding down -- where did the fall go?! I must admit that I was quite nervous about the game despite the fact that it was against UVA. If Clemson won the game, they clinched the ACC divisional title. Clemson has been here before.. and unfortunately we have not ended up on the winning side of things in the past. So the pressure was high for the game this weekend.

After getting on the road at o'dark thirty we arrived in Clemson around 9am. It was such a nice, beautiful day -- definitely a rarity this football season. We walked around campus and the kids had a blast playing in the leaves. It was nice just being able to enjoy one of my favorite places in the world with great friends on a gorgeous day.



I am happy to report that Clemson won the game and are now the Atlantic Division Champions of the ACC. The Tigers will be squaring off against GaTech for the ACC Championship on Dec. 5th. It's a great day to be a Clemson Tiger!! Go TIGERS!!!

Hockey and New Moon

Well, I survived! But I must admit that I am dragging today.. and all I can think about is going to sleep!!

Last night I went to the hockey game with friends. The Hurricanes were playing with a hodge podge of players due to injuries. The game started off rough.. and I mean rough. Down 3-0 at the end of the first period I have to admit I didn't have high hopes for the Canes. But they slowly came back and before I knew it the game was tied. The game went back and forth and it for a bit and it looked like we were heading to OT. But then Toronto scored with 29 seconds to go in the game to go ahead. No!!! I was positive the game was over. But then some how the Canes managed to come back and score a goal with 1.9 seconds to go in the game to send it to OT!! The Canes went on to win the game in a shoot out.

After hockey I went over to Jane's house. We then headed off to the movies to see New Moon with some other friends. Jane had discovered the best thing ever... wine that comes as a "juice box." Each box of win held 3 glasses!! Not too shabby!! I never ever thought I would be part of group of fans seeing a movie at midnight but there I sat with all of these wild teenie boppers. I think the wine definitely helped me cope!! The movie was good.. much better thant he first. I am really excited for the next movie though -- New Moon was my least favorite book.

I pulled into my driveway at 3am and was in bed and asleep by 3:30am! I had to get up early today for a haircut so I file last night's sleep under the category of a nap!! Later today I am off to visit Marianne and the kids and then we are headed to Clemson on Saturday for our last home game!

Does it Get Any Better Than This??

Tonight is a special night. First, I am going to the Hurricanes game (which should be interesting since literally half of the team is out hurt. This means that half of the team will be players who have been called up from the minor league team. Oh, and we are now without our top two goals. Hmm.. this should be very interesting!!). After the hockey game I am meeting up with my friend Jane and a group of girls and we are going to see New Moon. Yes, I am going to be one of those crazy people who is going to see the movie at midnight. Will I be able to stay awake??!! I sure hope so!!! As excited as I am about seeing the movie I am also dreading the super late night (I will be lucky to be home and in bed by 3am!!). And unfortunately I will not be able to sleep in tomorrow because I have a hair cut at the crack of dawn!! UGH!! But it will be worth it!!!

Happy Birthday, Mary McLean

Happy Birthday, Mary McClean! I hope your birthday is filled with lost of happiness!!

Bridget's Visit

This past weekend one of my closest friends from childhood came to visit me. I was so excited to see Bridget...sadly it had been well over a year since the last time we had been together!! There is just no excuse for that. For those of you who don't know, I have known Bridget since we were around the age of 7 yrs old. We first met through the town soccer program. While we were never on the same team I always remembered playing against her -- even back then Bridget was super tall. In 5th grade we both ended up on the town's travel soccer team together. All of the girls on the team were from the same elementary school.. I was the only one who went to a different school. So needless to say I never had a go-to partner when it came time to partner up. But one day Bridget said she would be my partner and I guess you could say that is when we became friends. As the years went on we became closer until we became inseparable. We shared a love for many things, of which included the Hartford Whalers and Geoff Sanderson. Ahh... let's just pause for a moment to admire our hockey love:

Now I won't bore you with the fact that I knew every little fact there is to know about him. Nor will I bore with the details about how I was convinced I was going to marry him and that my parents were slightly concerned. Instead, I will share with you how Bridget and I spent hours cheering on the Whalers and admiring Geoff Sanderson (we even discussed this weekend how we were convinced back in the day that he would make eye contact with us from the bench during the games).

It only seemed fitting that I take Bridget to see a Hurricanes game on Friday night, since they were the Hartford Whalers after all. Plus, the associate head coach of the Hurricanes is Ron Francis, who the first hockey crush for both of us. Unfortunately the Canes lost (again... that was loss #14 IN A ROW - and interestingly enough, we lost for the 14th time in a row with 14 secs to go in overtime). Despite the loss we had a great time reliving our love for hockey and the good old days of high school when we used to follow the players (some of you may use the word stalk but I think that is just a little too harsh :) ).

Ron Francis is in the center

On Saturday we got up nice and early and headed off to cheers on my Tigers! It was such a nice treat to be able to see Clemson play and only have to drive 10 mins!! Yes, that's right.. Clemson was playing at NC State! Bridget and I met up with some friends and we tailgated before heading into the game. It was another Tiger vicotry and by the end of the game there was definitely more orange than red left in the stadium. I think Bridget is still recovering from the game and how into I get. It was great that she was able to experience Clemson football.. next time it will have to be in Death Valley though!!


After the game we went to dinner with my friend Tamara. It was such a great way to end the night... lots of good food and plenty of wine. Bridget and I then came back to my house and just hung out and caught up. I am so glad that I was able to spend time with her this weekend!

Hello... is anyone there?

After several reminders and requests for updates, I am finally back to my blog! So much for those plans of mine to do catch-up posts from the summer. I thought about still doing my catch-up posts but I figured in order to move forward I need to start fresh... or else I might not ever got back to my blog!! I think that was part of the reason I had been avoiding my blog... I did not want to tackle all of my posts I had wanted to catch up on. The thought of all that I wanted to say and cover overwhelmed me! So... I guess I will just give you a brief update on the past few months and promise to try my best to keep updating.

So without further ado.. here is a condensed overview of the last few months:

My summer was capped off with an amazing trip to Ireland (this trip really does deserve its own post but I suspect that it would take forever... maybe one day I will do a special post dedicated to Ireland). I went with my parents, Rob, Margaux, my Aunt Susie, and cousin Amy. We spent the first few days in Dublin and had an amazing time. We did TONS of walking and hit all of the sites: Guinness (it's a lovey day for a Guinness!!), Jameson Brewery, Temple Bar, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Castle, Trinity College, etc. We celebrated my parents' birthday at a fabulous restaurant along the River Liffy as well. Despite a "minor issue" with our car rentals (read: we reserved 2 automatics cars since my dad is the only one who kind of knows how to drive standard but they rental company only had 1 for us. After much battling my dad finally caved in and was brave enough to drive the standard -- on the wrong side of the road!!) we drove across the country to the west coast. I truly LOVE the west coast as that is where my family is from and how I always picture Ireland. We had to most amazing time there -- Rachel's wedding was so much fun!! It started at 2pm and literally it went until 6am!!! We had a great time with family and did some traveling up and down the coast. I even milked a cow on the farm. But I think the highlight of my trip was climbing Green Hill. Green Hill is behind my Granny Mae's house (originally my great grandfather's house). At the top you have the most spectuclare view -- you can see out to the Irish Sea along with all of the rolling green hills. This year I climbed it with Rob, Amy, and my Irish cousins Leslie and Charlie. Leslie is my age and he is my partner in crime. Every time we get together we always have a wild night out in the pubs. It was great to be able to spend some time with Leslie since he had recently moved to Austrailia. I am so ready to head back to Ireland.. it truly is one of my favorite places in the world!!

Leslie, me, and Rob on Green Hill

After quickly regrouping on the Cape I returned to Raleigh. I had a few days to get settled before classes started up and the semester was back in full swing. This year I had a harder time than usual getting back into the groove. Perhaps it was because I was missing Ireland and my daily Guinness! I flew out to visit Ryne the end of August for his birthday and one last summer trip. We had a great time together and headed up to the Black Hills for the long weekend. As usual time zipped by and I was back in NC before I realized it.


And of course every fall means Clemson football!! It was great to head back to Clemson and to see and spend time with Marianne and her family. Her kids just crack me up and I love being able to spend time with them. Clemson got off to somewhat of a rough start but in the last few weeks they have been able to turn things around. I just love my Tigers and I hope they are able to keep on winning!! (On of my highlights from Clemson football weekends isn't so much football related as it is Emma related. On the drive home after a game Emma was the only one who was still awake. Since I was sitting next to her in the car she chatted and played with me. It was during that ride that I taught Emma to say "seriously" - which is one of my popular sayings. Let me just say this... hearing her say it is by far the cutest thing in the world!!! Mary Mac also melted my heart when she left a Care Bear for me in her bed. And of course Andrew is my little buddy so listening to his stories is always a riot as well).


Ryne came out in early October for a quick visit. We saw opening night for the Hurricanes. The next night we went to the U2 concert which was simply awesome. What a fantastic show!! We went with some of my good friends, Jane & Tamara, and had a blast. This was Tamara's first time ever tailgating and she is now hooked! Since it was a perfect weekend weather wise we also headed to the farmer's market (picked up some pumpkins and mums) and spent the day at the NC Zoo. It was just a perfect weekend.



But the fall is not just football.. it also means the start of hockey season. What can I say, I love sports!! During the off season the Canes picked up some key players and there were high hopes that the teams was going to have a strong season. Well... that did not end to be the case. The season is now about 1/4 under way and the Canes have only managed to win two.. yes TWO.. games!! They are currently in a 13 game losing streak. Bad... so bad... It's almost at the point where it is so bad it is comical. Yes, there have been several injuries to our top players but it is more than just that. The Canes are OLD (oldest team in the NHL) and it shows. We are slow. I don't know what it will take to get them back on the winning side of things. Several players have been put on waivers and I suspect that we will see a few players get traded. It just makes me sad... because I sure do love my Canes!!


My parents came to Raleigh for a week and we had a great visit. We did lots around the house - planted pansies and daffodil bulbs as well as installed motion sensor lights on my front porch. We also went to a couple of hockey games (obviously both were losses) and went out to dinner. I love having my parents here and it was said to see them go. But... the day after they left I flew out to spend some time with Ryne and his family. As you may know, Ryne's mom and grandmother are both battling cancer. It was important for me to be there to support them and do whatever I could to make their lives easier. We had a nice visit and I was able to help out and spend time with his family. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Whew! I think that more or less sums up the Fall. This weekend Bridget is coming to visit. I am so excited to have her come to Raleigh! We're going to Hurricanes game on Fri night and then to the Clemson at NC State game on Saturday. It will be a sports filled weekend but I know it will be a fun one!!

OK... It's Been A LONG time... a REALLY LONG TIME!!

I haven't forgotten about my blog; in fact I look at it nearly every day. I've had every intention of updating but the thought of trying to get caught up overwhelms me and I say to myself, "OK, I will set some time aside this weekend and will do a full and complete update." I then start to think about all of the things I need to include in my updates... my cousins' visit to the Cape, my uncle's death, my parents' birthdays, beach days on the Cape, engagements, my trip to Ireland, back to school, and my visit to Ryne (and I am sure there are other events I should update on but they are escaping my mind at the moment). Just thinking about all of the updates makes my head spin!! Heck, just blogging about my fantastic trip to Ireland could take days. And I am now entering my busiest time of the year. Between now and Christmas I only have 2-3 free weekends and one of those weekends I know I will be traveling out of town. Add to my travels is the fact that it's football season and believe it or not but hockey season is just around the corner!! So... I guess this is my long way of excusing why I haven't blogged in ages and to let you know that I am going to work on getting updated...started this weekend (you didn't think I'd do it tonight, did you!?!?!)

Happy Birthday, Mom & Dad!

THe summer always seems to be filled with lots of birthdays in the family! My parents' birthdays are only 5 days apart, with my mom's on the 20th and my dad's on the 25th. This year we spent my mom's birthday at the beach and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. We did the same for my dad's and he even took a swim in the bay! Rob and I decided that we would celebrate their birthdays one night in Ireland as a special treat.

Happy Birthday Mom & Dad!! Wishing you all the best in the years to come!!

My Uncle

My Uncle George (my mom's brother) passed away yesterday. His death was very shocking and unexpected. He had been in the hospital with some issues associated with his colon. He had minor surgery and was on the way to recovery. Everyone that he was in good shape, especially since he was released from the hospital on Wednesday. When he got home though he started having difficulties breathing and he was rushed back to the hospital. Upon his arrival he was put on life support and died early the next morning. It turns out he had an infection (at the site of his surgery) which spread through his body rapidly and caused body to shut down. He was a great man and I have so many happy memories of and with him. He will truly be missed.

Avery

My friend Meridith from growing up had her baby, Avery, a few weeks ago. She is such a cutie and I couldn't wait to meet her in person! My mom and I planned a trip to CT to see friends and spend time along the CT shore. I thankfully was able to spend time with Mer and meet Avery. Mer is a fabulous mom and Avery is such a cute little peanut. She definitely has her mom's long, long, legs! I think basketball will be in her future! It's hard to believe that the last time I saw Mer was at her wedding.. naerly two years ago!! I really need to get back to CT more often to see my friends.

I also was able to go out to dinner and catch up with some of my friends from back home. So many of my friends are expecting their first child so it was exciting to see their growing bellies and to catch up. On the flip side I also go to spend some time with my friend Chris and his fiance, Jen. I also was able to have dinner and spend time with my old neighbors, the Dawsons. Their little boy, Jake, is too freaking cute!! When I lived in CT I spent so much time with Chris and Trish -- from hanging out at their house to weekly golf outings we had so many fun times together. The only sad thing about visiting them was seeing my childhood home. Thew new owners do not take care of the house AT ALL!! The house looks so sad and pathetic.. the lawn is dead, my parents' beautiful flowers beds are so overgrown and out of control, and even the house looks hidesous. How all of that could happen in two years is beyond me. But despite that, it was great being able to see so many friends and to catch up!

OOC Storms the Cape

Every summer my cousin Dawn and her daughter, Emily, come to the Cape for a visit. I have given Em the nickname of OOC (Out of Control) because of her never-ending supply of energy! In return she calls me OOC-meister! Clearly we get along great and are on the same level!! This year Dawn and Em flew into Boston and then took the water taxi to Provincetown. This turned out to be quite the experience as Em was the only kid on the boat and Dawn was only 1 of 4 women (and the the only straight person too we're guessing!). My mom, Ryne, and I picked them up in P-town and then headed back to the house. Em's visit fell on her birthday so we had a big birthday celebration for her complete with cake and a pinata! Luckily lots of my little cousins were up that week and they all get along and played together. We played several rounds of mini-golf, hit the beach up, and did lots of bike riding. My Aunt Susie, Amy, and Amy's friend also came up for a few days to visit. Casa de Holcomb was at full capacity and filled to the gills!! All in all it was a great visit. The house seemed so empty and quiet after the returned home to Atlanta!!

*I don't have the pictures from her visit on my computer but if I download and remember I will post a few on here*

Recap - It's Summer Time!

I am so far behind in my blog (once again) and will try my best to get caught up. So keep scrolling down for updates as to what has been going on -- Ryne's visit, the Cape, boating, and beach!

Cape Cod Sunsets

Tonight Ryne and I went down to Rock Harbor and the bay to watch the sun set. It was such a gorgeous night and we were treated to a beautiful sunset. Enjoy!!

What a Great 4th of July!!

I can sum up our 4th of July in one word: AMAZING!! What a great night!!

But before we could kick-off the 4th of July festivities I first had a baby shower to attend (I know, a baby shower ON the 4th of July...hmm...). Thankfully the shower was just across the street so it did not require travel. It was very nice and it was great seeing some family who I had not seen in a while.

As soon as the shower was over it was off to Provincetown! My mom was under the weather so she and my dad stayed behind. Their friends Gordon and Terry were to go with them but at the last minute Terry decided not to go. Gordon decided he wanted to still go so he joined the "kids" and off we all went. Our group included me, Ryne, Gordon, Rob, Margaux, Chris, and Jen. We got up to Ptown in the mid afternoon and grabbed a late lunch. We then walked the streets and took in the sites (and let me tell you, there are LOTS of sites to be seen in Ptown!!

The sunset whale watch was unbelievable. We saw 9 different humpback whales, all of which were feeding. This allowed for us to get close to the boat and get a good look at the whales. Towards the end we came across a juvenile male who was breeching. They were not sure why he was breeching (possible reasons include trying to free feed stuck in the baleen and/or trying to scratch his back) but he would not stop. He literally breeched (jumped up out of the water and land on his side/back) between 40-45 times. The whale watch crew had never seen anything like this before. It truly was a rare treat!

We stayed on the boat to watch the fireworks once we got back into the harbor. This gave us the BEST view of the fireworks and also made it so we could enjoy them without dealing with the insane crowd. The fireworks were spectaculuar and everyone had a great time. After the fireworks we went to the Lobster Pot for a late dinner and drinks. All in all it was a perfect night!!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!! We're off to Pronvincetown today to go on a sunset whale watch and to see the fireworks. It is going to be a wonderful, fun day!! I hope you have a happy & safe 4th!!

Ryne's Cape Cod Adventure Begins!

I am off to pick up Ryne from Logan airport later this afternoon. I am so excited and I cannot wait to see him walk through the gates. He will be on the Cape for 10 days and I cannot wait to hit the beach and spend plenty of time resting & relaxing!! We have some things already planned -- whale watch, trip to Boston, and beach. The rest we will let fall into place. I am so excited for this weekend and the following week!!

Edited to add: traffic was a NIGHTMARE but thankfully I was able to avoid it!! There was a massive accident on the bridge (closing it for several hours). I was very lucky and missed being stuck in gridlock for hours by ONE car!! After I picked up Ryne we decided to grab a bite to eat in hopes that traffic would thin out while we ate. And as luck would have it, it did! We sailed right over the bridge and made it back to the house in record time!! Let the fun begin!!

Kick-off to the Weekend

Tomorrow begins the official kick off for the 4th of July weekend here on the Cape! Rob and Margaux (and Mad Max) will be arriving for the long weekend followed by Ryne and Chris & Jen on Friday. Our house will be filled this weekend and I am looking forward to all of the fun and festivities. Today my dad and I hung the bunting on the front porch. This is one of my favorite weekends of the year!!

Life is Good.. I'm on Cape Cod!

Ahh... life is good!! I am back on Cape Cod and I have several weeks of heading to the beach to look forward to!! I plan to relax and unwind!!

Travelers Open

I arrived in New England yesterday afternoon to gray skies and heavy drizzle. My parents picked me up at the airport and then we did a little shopping (car & clothes) before we made our way to Rob & Margaux's. I must say it was pretty entertaining watching my dad banter back and forth with the care salesman. Once we got to Rob's we all went out to dinner. It was an early night since we were getting up at o'dark thirty to head to CT for the Travelers Open (PGA golf tournament). Margaux was not able to go with us because she had to work. We were on the road and on our way before 6am!! UGH!! We met Rob's friend Josh in Glastonbury and then headed over to the tournament. Rob had gotten free tickets and VIP passes through work. It was so nice being able to park right at the event and have all of these extra little perks! We spent the day walking around the course and following certain golfers (Lucas Glover!). It was a fun and long day... and at the end of the day it got VERY hot once the sun popped out!! We left around 3:30 and drove back to Rob's to drop him off. My parents and I then continued on to the Cape. We stopped in Sandwich and had dinner which was wonderful (backed stuffed scallops with lobster.. yum!!).

While at dinner I got several messages about Michael Jackson dying. It was such a shock and hard to believe. What a week it has been for celebritites.. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. Very sad.

Packing!! And Getting a New Bed!

I have spent the last few days cleaning, packing, and getting organized. It is hard to believe that I leave for the Cape in a few days. This summer is flying by... I hope it slows down some once I get to the Cape!!

I debated back and forth as to whether or not I was going to clean before I left for the summer. My house was in need of some dusting and my bathrooms could all use a good cleaning. I love leaving and coming home to a clean house... but by the time I got back in August my house would no longer be clean. After going back and forth I finally decided to go ahead and clean.

Yesterday I went to Durham to pick up a queen-sized mattress for my third bedroom. Yes, the Holcomb B&B is expanding and I can now accommodate more guests!! The only glitch was that I had to pick the bed up and get upstairs on my own!! Thankfully my neighbor Gary helped me. The bed belong to Amy, my cousin who just graduated from Duke. We had to go to her old apartment (coordinating getting a key proved to be quite a hassle since Amy is back in CT!) to get the bed. I warned Gary that the last time I saw the apartment at graduation it was disgusting. I didn't think it could have gotten any worse.. but it did! I will just leave you with this... there were piles of dried puke in the corner on the carpet. GROSS!! Thankfully Amy's bed was fine and we got it up to my guest room without any issues!!

I have spent most of today packing and trying to get organized. Not only am I packing for the Cape but I am also packing for my trip to Ireland in August. It was hard packing for two entirely different trips while trying to keep it to two pieces of luggage. I just hope I didn't forget anything!!

I am so worn out and I am so ready to get to the Cape... I need some R&R at the beach!!

Congrats, Lucas!!

I am so happy that Lucas Glover won the US Open!! Just another fine example of a Clemson Tiger!!

Shen Wei Dancers

Last night I went to the Durham Performing Arts Center to see the Shen Wei Dancers with my friend Tamara. I had no idea what to expect and boy was I in for a treat!! It turns out that last night was the kick-off for the American Dance Festival. As part of the festival there were dance troupes all around the Performing Arts Center dancing. There were girls lined up along the sidewalks dancing around trees, guys dancing on the hand railings, couples dancing on benches, and so on. It was quite a site and perhaps a little too much for me!! There were even dancers inside on the stairs and in the bathroom!! The women in the bathroom caught me so off guard that I just stood there and stared. The one girl looked like a crack whore dancing on the counter.. it was so bizarre.

One of the girls dancing outside along the trees

Girl dancing on the bathroom counter

The Shen Wei dancers were interesing... not necessarily my cup of tea but it was fun to watch. The choreographer was the same man who choreographed the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics last year. I think it was a little to artsy for me, especially since one whole section of the performance was nude. Hmmm... I think I prefer more classical and traditional dance.