Sleepy

I left work at 5:16 PM today. Having stayed so late all week, I practically RAN out of the building when the day was over. I'm still loving the job, certainly; I'm just stressing and not sleeping very well. In fact, I haven't slept well in awhile. I normally wake up at least once during the night, but lately it's been three or four times. I'm just not getting good sleep, and going to bed earlier doesn't going to help.

Anyone know of some good sleep aids? NOT the over-the-counter kind, like unisom, but natural remedies. So far I've tried the following things:

- Milk
- Wine
- Tylenol PM (works for 4 hours)
- Melatonin
- Exercise

I need to get more sleep. Short of drinking every night - which I do not want to get in the habit of - I don't know what to do. I am definitely tired, but I have so much running through my head that I can't relax. Help!

The Morning Commute

How much you wanna bet that I see this again in seven hours?

"A Laugh Is A Smile That Bursts."

~ Mary H. Waldrip

A coworker sent this to me today... and it is hilarious. I mean, dogs falling asleep mid-stride is funny, but I was almost crying at this video. Make sure your volume is up when you play this. :)

"I Can't Sleep..."

Oh my. I just watched a special on dog genetics (I know, I'm so cool), and there was a bit on doggy narcolepsy. It is actually quite sad. In dogs with narcoplepsy, any excitement at all can send them straight to sleep. It's a terrible affliction, but I couldn't help it, I just found myself laughing at the sight of these poor dogs!

I found a few videos on YouTube for your, uh... enjoyment education.

What's That On My Head?

Cold Feet

I broke out my slippers tonight. I honestly don't think I've worn them since I moved in here - almost two years ago. Oh, how I heart my slippers and their warm, fuzzy wonderfulness.

Suddenly Monday

I love that song. Do you know it? It's Suddenly Monday by Melanie C. You probably know her best for her rendition of I Turn to You, which gets a lot of airplay as a remix. You can listen to a lot of clips on her website (all of which are good), but you'll have to go to iTunes to hear a clip of Suddenly Monday. It kicks arse. Go listen and let me know if you don't totally fall in love with her.

Anyway, I blasted this song on the car stereo while driving home tonight (at 6:30 by the way). It was definitely a Monday. I knew this morning that today would be challenging; I sent far too many emails to my vendors last week and received far too few responses that I knew I was bound to get a post-holiday whipping on the first day back. And boy did that happen. But what was soooo cool was that I got two emails midday from my boss telling me how well I am doing, and her boss (a Senior VP) came by my desk at about 6 PM to tell me that he's heard great things about me and to "keep it up." How cool is that???

I am totally sleepy from work today, but I what a rush! What a great start to the week and what a way to start my second month!

Teen Magazine Photo Series

So you might have heard me refer to my teen magazine photos... photos of me acting like a dork but looking strikingly similar to the over-posed photos in many teen magazines or clothing catalogs.

We now have three pictures in this series, so I decided to post them all together for commentary. I don't claim to be a model, but it sure is fun to imitate them sometimes (sorry, Cassie...).

This one you've seen... I call it "Aloof."










This is the photo from Wednesday at Sarafino's. I call it "Giddy Girl."







This is the pic from last night at The Gin Mill. It's called, "Snow sure is pretty!"

The Gin Mill and More

Yesterday Jill and I saw Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell, and we both really liked it. I've never been a big fan on Will Ferrell, but it was great to see him in a more serious and sensitive role, much like what Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind did for Jim Carrey (one of my favorite movies ever, by the way). If this was Netflix, I'd rate this movie four stars because I really liked it.

After the movie, we headed back to our old haunt, The Gin Mill. We had a bit to eat (NACHOS!) and ended up staying until 1 AM with a bunch of good friends. That was a long night out for me, because we were at the bar from 6 PM to 1 AM... that's just a lot of hours for me to drink. Luckily, I made sure to drink plenty of water, so I only feel tired today and not too hungover. It was nice to be back at The Gin Mill again... it had been too long.


I love this photo.











Jill and I were taking a pic of just us, but Jaclyn and Jessica just couldn't help them- selves. Haha. I love this family.

Whistle While You Work

Last night I worked at our distribution center again from 3 to 7 PM. I was so tired when I got home that I showered and crashed on the couch. I slept so well (after I removed myself from the couch at 4 AM, that is). This morning I am headed back to the distribution center for a few more hours of work before I spend the afternoon with Jill and friends. I feel rested, which is nice, but I can tell it's short lived. Standing for hours on your feet on an assembly line is tiring. I don't know how they do it every day.

Thanksgiving Dinner

I am spending Thanksgiving weekend in Baltimore... that's what happens when you get a new job with minimal vacation in the first year. For the last week, I just haven't been sure what I wanted to do for Thanksgiving Day, and I received offers from a few friends who invited me to spend time with their families (THANK YOU CJ, Jess and Russ, and Wes for the invites). In the 11th hour, I decided to go to Jill's parents' house. I hadn't seen Jill or Rob in awhile, so it was nice to get my friend-fill of them. :)

I ended up having a really fun time. There was an immense amount of food, and I know Jill's sisters and parents, so I didn't feel too out of place. Here's a photo of us kids sitting around chatting just after dinner. (From left to right: Jessica, Joe, me, Jaclyn, Rob and Jill)


Photo of Jill's mom eating turkey... yummy!







Joe, Jill's younger brother, is majoring in the performing arts, so after dinner was over, we all gathered around the piano and listened to him sing. It was a real treat since not many of my B-more friends are theatre/Broadway musical fanatics like I am. In fact, even though Jill and Rob had to leave to go visit with Rob's family, I stayed around with Jill's family listening to Joe and watching his recital tape.

Here's a bonus video. It was Joe's first song of the night. I heart Jill's mom. She's so funny.

Sarafino's

I'm quite late in my post about last night, but oh well. Angie, Donna, Jess, Russ and I met at Sarafino's in E-City to see the boys play.





Click HERE for one of the best versions of the Dave Matthews Medley that they've done. It was really amazing.





Here's a funny photo of Jess and I - I'm not quite sure what she's doing, but I love her anyway. It was a nice relaxing evening... Angie took another photo of me in my 'teen magazine photo' series, which I will post once she emails it to me. I'm really getting a kick out doing those photos.

Mystery Questions: Revealed

Okay, so I have investigated our mystery questions and here are the answers!! Danielle, my cube neighbor isn't American born, and although he's lived here for a majority of his adult life, he said he still finds some of these language anomalies interesting/confusing.

Porch vs. Patio
Porch \Porch\, n. [F. porche, L. porticus, fr. porta a gate, entrance, or passage. See Port a gate, and cf. Portico.] A covered and enclosed entrance to a building, whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof. Sometimes the porch is large enough to serve as a covered walk.

Patio \Pa"ti*o\, n. In Spain, Spanish America, etc., a court or courtyard of a house or other building; esp., an inner court open to the sky.

Coat vs. Jacket
Coat \Coat\ (k[=o]t; 110), n. [OF. cote, F. cotte, petticoat, cotte d'armes coat of arms, cotte de mailles coat of mail, LL. cota, cotta, tunic, prob. of German origin; cf. OHG. chozzo coarse mantle, G. klotze, D. kot, hut, E. cot. Cf. Cot a hut.] An outer garment fitting the upper part of the body; especially, such a garment worn by men.

Jacket \Jack"et\, n. [F. jaquette, dim. of jaque. See 3d Jack, n.] A short upper garment, extending downward to the hips; a short coat without skirts.

Congratulations, Julie!!!

Mystery Questions

My cubical neighbor, D, asked me a few questions today that I couldn't answer definitively. So out of curiousity, I am posing them to you. Let us know what you think about the questions below (and don't cheat and point us to wikipedia or something; just give us your opinion)!

1. What is the difference between a porch and a patio?

2. What is the difference between a jacket and a coat?

And just for fun...

Gordie: Mickey is a mouse, Donald is a duck, Pluto is a dog. What's Goofy...?
Teddy: He's a dog, he's definitely a dog...
Chris: He can't be a dog, he wears a hat and drives a car...
Vern: Yeah, that is weird. What the hell is Goofy?
Stand By Me, 1986

The New Toy

At Cham's request, here is a video of Antonio and his new toy. It's a private moment between a dog and his momma, so no making fun. (And watch his mouth for "excited-mouth..." I love it.)



Thanks, Cham. :)

I Like Me Sum Fahr....

Last night a bunch of us went over to Russ & Jess' house for some chili and a bonfire (BONUS fire video at the end of this post). It was me, Angie, Donna, Jess, Jess, Russ and Wes. First, the chili was sooo yummy. Russ is quite the chef. Russ and Jess have a few acres out in the county, and I was so excited to finally get my ride in the red golf cart.

I have been waiting to do that for months! Jess took us off-roading around the property, and besides getting stuck in the "lake" ("He told you, Jess...") it was very, very awesome.

Here I am during the golf cart ride. WOO HOO!
Jess LIKES it. She REALLY LIKES it!



Antonio and Penny finally met each other too, and we've now arranged their marriage. The kids part might be difficult because they're both fixed, but can't you just imagine how cute their babies would be? Goodness.... I loved this teeney puppy. She is scrumptious.

Jess picked up both puppies and they actually LIKED being held like this. They are crazy in love, I tell you.






Lastly, here are a few FIRE photos. We burned everything in sight, including wayne's coating and beer bottles. I love fire. :)


Burning a BIG box!

Paper burning... I love the effect!

Here is one of MANY beer bottles burned. It was pretty sweet watching them melt.

Hot beer bottle plus cold water = BUBBLES and STEAM!








And finally, for your viewing pleasure, "Having Fun While Playing With Fire."

Kelsey's Pub

So last night we went to Kelsey's Pub in E-City. I'd never been there before, but it was a really nice place! The bartender was a little slow, but great acoustics for a band, and very clean.

Oh my God... what fun we had! It was a complete upper for me since my mood has been so bad the last few days. I met Jess' friend, Jess (go figure), who is visiting from Vermont. What a great gal! So it was Jess, Jess, Angie, Donna and me. Awesome, awesome, awesome.


A Jess sandwich! I bet we're delicious!

A Wes and Drew sing-a-long!

This is me getting my groove on - and what a groove it is!

Angie and Charissa... how sweet! We always take good pics.

Drew and Jess catching up. Jess hasn't seen the boys in over a year.

Jess and Wes - hey, that rhymes!








These are just snippets of the multitude of photos that we took. For the full set, email me and I'll send you the link to the Kodak Gallery album.

Bummer Day

Today has been a huge bummer of a day... I've just been in an awful mood. I did a lot of nothing, watched some Netflix, took Antonio to the pet store (because he deserved it), and laid around. I wish I could cheer up. My mood is so crap.

Speaking of Antonio, we found what is possibly the BEST dog toy today. It squeaks (a must for an Antonio toy), and it is INDESTRUCTABLE. I. Heart. This. Toy. And I think Antonio does too because he does that excited-mouth thing when he looks at it. The brand is "Good 'Cuz," and it's essentially a ball with two feet. It's made of hard rubber, but not like a kong... it's more chew-friendly. We've had it home for 3 hours and not one piece of rubber is on my floor.

Well, tonight I am going to the bar. That could either have a positive or negative effect on my mood - I guess we'll see. What a crap day.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good
Today I received an a-okay letter from the MVA stating that I am still approved to drive in the state of Maryland. I've had two seizures in my lifetime, and even though neither occurred behind the wheel of a car, this was the second year in a row that I had to be evaluated and approved to keep driving. It's a pain in the butt, but I guess I don't blame them. It's a waiting game to see if I ever have another or not.

The Bad
My feet hurt, and I am sleepy. My company is a distributor, often to retail stores, and during the busy holiday season, employees donate time to work at the distribution center and help out. After a full day in the office today, a bunch of us headed over to the DC to work. I worked there from 5:30 to 9:00, which was a 13 hour day, including lunch. It wasn't mental work, but I was on my feet the entire time. After the week I've had, this definitely took any bit of energy that I had left. I'm glad to help - no question - I'm just tired, and tomorrow I'll likely be sore.

The Ugly
I didn't save the best for last. This is definitely the worst. I found out today that my uncle has Leukemia. He had bronchitis recently, and when they did a blood test they found an abnormally high level of white blood cells. His white blood cell count triggered a number of other tests, and today they came back with the result... some sort of Leukemia. He is 55.

My uncle will mark the third family member on that side of the family with Leukemia. My father's cousin died of a fast-moving Leukemia in his early twenties. My grandmother has the slow-moving kind, and now my uncle has it as well. I guess every family has their weakness. It's just depressing and also very scary. It's not a disease you can prevent... it just up and appears one day. It's so unfair.

What a week.

Barnified

Okay, yeah. So I went out. But I'm home now and getting ready for bed. We went to the Barn in Parkville where the Wes McDonough Band plays Thursdays, and I lasted almost two sets before I cared more about sleep than hearing 'Corner of the Room.'

Here's a photo of Charissa napping on Angie's new hair - it was so SOFT!
Here's a photo of Angie and I. (I would have included CJ, but she whines when I try to take her picture.)
Ross from 'Crushing Day' and Wes jam on stage...

"BEEP BEEP BEEP."

As I left work tonight after 7 PM again, I couldn't decide if it was Tuesday or Wednesday. I am so tired. It's not that I'm overworked... it's that maybe I'm overpushing. Part of me is just beat. But, you know, even as I say that, this isn't something I can change right now. I am on a mission to know my job as best and as fast as I can know it. The result: I'm absolutely killing myself.

Oh well...

On another note (which is definitely ONE driver of the above), last night I woke up at 1:10 AM to my carbon monoxide detector going off. "BEEP BEEP BEEP. WARNING. CARBON MONOXIDE. BEEP BEEP BEEP." Unfortunately for me, I am too short to reach the detector well, so it took some thinking and some waking up to pull a step stool to the top of the stairs (dangerous, I know... but I had few options) and beat the thing until it stopped. Of course, then I heard, "BEEP BEEP. FIRE! FIRE! BEEP BEEP." It took a number of hard hits to get the message back to the carbon monoxide warning.

So after a slew of calls to my landlord who didn't answer (he lives downstairs - his bedroom is in the basement), I proceeded to bang and scream to wake him up at his front door, his basement door, his back door and his front windows. For 45 minutes. Meanwhile... "BEEP BEEP BEEP. WARNING. CARBON MONOXIDE. BEEP BEEP BEEP." Jumping to the easy conclusion that the carbon monoxide had probably filled the basement and killed him, I was about ten seconds away from calling the police when he finally woke up and opened his door.

Do I have a carbon monoxide problem? I don't think so. My landlord changed the batteries, and it never went off again. Of course, to be safe, I locked the kids and I in the bedroom last night and slept with the windows open. First, so we were safe. Second, so if there was a problem, the carbon monoxide would have a chance to build up on the other side of the door and set off the alarm again - then we'd know for sure. Luckily, it hasn't gone off since.

The whole event was insane. It was still another 30 minutes before my landlord stopped the alarm, checked the house, left, and I fell back asleep. I probably got about four hours of rest, so no wonder I'm cranky, right?

Right. That's also why I need to go to bed.

But before I do, a short list of my accomplishments on four hours of sleep:
1. Got to work on time.
2. Didn't drool on my desk.
3. Worked a full day and crossed quite a few things off of my 'to do' list.
4. Worked until 7 PM.
5. Cooked dinner.
6. Showered.
7. Laundered my sheets and one load of clothes.

I'm actually pretty impressed with myself. Hell, I'd hire me too. ;)

Happy Birthdays!

This week is the week of J birthdays. I want to send out a ton of love to Jessie and Jodi. Jessie is my ex-roommate, former coworker, ex-therapist (okay, not so much on the last one, but whatever) and current friend/buddy/idol; and Jodi is my high school friend, performer, used-to-go-to-church-with-me, singer/actress/dancer NYC famous galpal.

To honor them, I found the oldest digital photos that I had of each of us together! (Maybe honor is the wrong word??)

Jessie and Charissa at her wedding reception in 2002!







Charissa and Jodi at Niagara Falls in (best guess) 1994.





I love you guys, and yes, I know this is belated for one of you because I forgot Neil Diamond's 2001 concert date, Jessie, and early for Jodi because I was scared I would forget your birthday like I did for Jessie.... but I love you no less just because I have issues.

Happy Belated or Early Birthday!

I'm Double Hearting!

Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver?
Do not tease, lest my heart BURST!

More info: HERE



Updated: Charissa's Christmas Wish List (Take One)
Circus (2000)
Eddie Izzard - Circle (2003)
Eddie Izzard - Sexie (2004) Not yet released

The Call of the Wild

So I still haven't cooked lunch for work yet - although I am working on it now - which means I ventured out for food at noon today. I picked up some drive thru and decided to walk around the lot our building is on before heading inside... just trying to take advantage of the break.

I walked by the light rail and couldn't believe what I saw: A FOX! Poor baby, he was limping and looked like he had been hit. I thought about calling the SPCA, but I figured by the time I called, he'd be gone.

The whole thing made me a bit sad.
He was a good lookin' little guy.

Damn.

I got home from work ten minutes ago... and promptly realized that I left a gallon of milk on the counter all day long.

That's what I get for trying to be responsible and eat breakfast.

Damn.

Where's Waldo Antonio?

Note to Readers: Antonio is my dog, not my boyfriend. Haha.

Wine Head

I think I drank an entire bottle of wine by myself last night at JJT's housewarming party. Yep. Sure did. I've had a wine headache all day that is just now starting to fade. I hate headaches. I especially hate wine headaches. Ah well, it was worth it.

JJT's house is beautiful. It was such a pleasure to meet everyone, especially Colleen - you are simply adorable, JWR, and of course Anger's LF. I'm not going to name drop anymore in this post because I got made fun of last time I did that, but I had a really great time catching up with you all again and meeting all the new faces.

Thanks, JJT for having us all over. Great house. Great neighborhood. I have a whole new respect for Pigtown now.

Successful Saturday

Boy, I got a lot done today. Here's the rundown:

1. Emissions check - Passed
2. Oil changed - Successful
3. Pick up pet food - Done
4. Pick up wine - Done
5. Pick up house-warming gift - Done
6. Pick up essential groceries - Done
7. Buy and drop off BEA GADDY food donations - Done

And it's only 4:30!

As promised in an earlier post (and covered in # 7 above), I donated food to the Bea Gaddy charity today. This feels very important to me this year — maybe I am feeling super sensitive for some reason, but it's an easy contribution to make and it's for such a good cause.

Here's a list of what I dropped off today:
4 Jumbo cans of green beans
1 Jumbo can of peaches
3 Large cans of yams
10 Boxes of turkey stuffing


Who's next?

'Bea Gaddy' Needs Our Help

I've lived in Bawlmer for three Thanksgivings, and each year it's the same story. The Bea Gaddy Charity is once again low on food.

For those of you that don't know, Bea Gaddy was a resident of Baltimore that started a community food kitchen to feed the city's poor and homeless. Known mostly for her annual Thanksgiving feast, Bea Gaddy and her charity have changed and helped numerous lives in this city for more than 25 years.

Driven by the experience of her own struggles as well as her desire to help others, Bea Gaddy began a tradition in Baltimore that has survived even after her death. Every year, her charity collects massive amounts of food to feed the city's poor and homeless on Thanksgiving. From a humble feast of a few dozen neighbors to the 45,000 meals that are expected this year, this annual tradition has impacted more lives than any one of us could possibly imagine. For the many that are fed, this day is significant. These folks are our fellow Baltimore residents, and for one very important day, all that is required of them is to show up, be grateful, thankful and fed on a day that many of us take for granted.

Many of us bloggers live within city limits and are constantly reminded of the struggles of our neighbors. Each morning as I commute to work, I see the homeless in their tent cities. Walking through downtown, there are men asking for change or holding signs asking for assistance. On our city blocks, there are children playing in the streets without proper shoes or coats. Poverty is all around us in Baltimore, and because it is so widespread, many of us forget or ignore that there are thousands of people in this city that could use a big helping hand.

I'm not asking for a lot. But as a small blogging community, we have a chance to make a difference by collecting food for Bea Gaddy's Thanksgiving dinner and helping to spread the word to our fellow bloggers and readers to do the same. I challenge each of you to collect canned goods, boxed goods, paper goods (plates, etc.) and food storage goods (aluminum foil, etc.) and drop them off at a collection center. Take photos of your donations (food and monies) and the donations of your friends and post them on your blog to recognize people for their generosity.

Please remember that Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Don't wait until your 'shopping day.' Don't wait until you run out of milk and need to go to the store anyway. Go today. Go today and load up on one bag, two bags, or more bags of supplies, and drop them off on the way home. We may not be a big group, but even in our own small way, let's do something for our city and make a difference.

Donations to Bea Gaddy's charities can be sent to:
The Bea Gaddy Fund
P.O. Box 38501
Baltimore, Maryland 21241.

CORRECTED: Non-perishable food items may be dropped off seven days a week at 425 North Chester Street in Baltimore ONLY. (Or if you'd rather... I'll drop them off for you. Just ask.)

Out To Lunch

I need to start packing my lunch starting next week. In the two or three weeks that I have been actively working at the new Company, I have eaten out every day. This is what I gander I've done:

McDonalds 2
Taco Bell 1
Baja Fresh 1
Sushi 3
Silver Spring Mining Company 1
Chik Fil-A 1
Macaroni Grill 2
Chinese 2

I believe that the one lunch that I am missing is the day I went home to let out the dog so that I could stay late for happy hour.

This is crazy. I need to eat smarter and healthier (she says as she reconsiders Taco Bell for later today). God only knows how much money I am wasting this way.

A Night at M&T Bank Stadium

My company is pretty cool. We just spent the evening at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens. We are a huge sponsor of the Ravens this year, so we got to do a 'Punt, Pass, Kick' Contest right in the stadium.

First things first, I'm not originally from B-more, so I've never been to a Ravens game... ever. Second, there's no reason on Earth why I would have ever been on the actual field. Nope. None at all. But tonight I spent hours not only in the stadium, but running around the field. It was awesome. I don't want to post a zillion photos of a work event, but just to give you an idea, here is a small sampling of images so that you can get a taste of what it was like.

A loud musical intro blasted when our employees ran onto the field, and our company name was posted on the big screen (I specifically chose this photo because you can't read it, but you get the idea).



Here's a view of the field from behind the goal post.







There were four stations of skills set up around the field (which doesn't have real grass by the way), and each team rotated through the stations and earned points.

Here's a snapshot of a coworker kicking a field goal. It was amazing! Some of these folks were so good!

Just in case you don't believe me, here's a photo of me in the end zone. I'm not crazy about the photo, but at least I can prove I was there!



After the contest, we went up to the club level for food and drinks. This is a view of the stadium from that level.




I noticed that the field seemed small from field level, but yet the entire stadium seemed so huge from up here.

Today was certainly not your average day!

Loving Minnie Driver

Not sure if anyone knew that actress Minnie Driver also sings? Sounds odd, but her album has been out since 2004. It's called, "Everything That I've Got In My Pocket." The title song is great. Take a listen at her website and let me know what you think.

She'll be at Ram's Head in Annapolis on 11/27. Anyone wanna go?

Did Anyone See the Paper?

By this evening most of you have probably seen the article in the Baltimore Examiner, but in case you missed it, last week's blogger happy hour was captured in print. The link above is to the html version of the article, but to see my photo either go and get your own copy, or click HERE for the print/PDF version and check out pages 28 and 29.

Admittedly, I'm not too crazy about my photo (I'm so vain, right?), but it's pretty cool that a thumbnail of my blog and the URL made it into the paper. Sure, I wasn't quoted like Broadsheet, or spotlighted like Jason J. Thomas and Anger Hangover (who was listed as one of the "Best Local Blogs")... but it's still freakin' sweet!

Unfortunately, there was no mention of Bags In Trees in the article, which is a shame. Thank you to all of the bloggers who shared their love for our little site - it's just too bad we couldn't share it with the world, you know?

Jodi's Visit from NYC, Part Two

After pizza at 3 AM, Jodi and I slept pretty well into Sunday. Then we did what all girls should do when they have a little free time... we went shopping again! I bought some SINFUL jeans at Ann Taylor (so hot), and Jodi DRAGGED me into Forever 21. I'm not sure how it's acceptable for a girl to visit high class Ann Taylor and *ahem* Forever 21 in one shopping trip, but we did.

We played a fun game, though! We picked the absolute worst outfits that we could find and played dress up. (We also got yelled at for taking photos, but whatever.)

Here's Jodi in a HORRIBLE little dress. I wish I could have taken a full body shot, but we were hiding in the changing room, so it was rough. The weird thing is that Jodi actually looked good in most of the ugly stuff I picked. Maybe it's because she's a city girl? I dunno. It was weird.

Here's the stand up shot of the Annie-inspired dress that Jodi chose for me. I think my face tells it all. I couldn't decide if I looked like Annie, a stewardess, or a Star Trek character (minus the bows).

But I am most proud of this photo. It's my interpretation of a fashion shot from a teen magazine. Don't I look aloof? :)


We rounded out our night at (you guessed it) Wes and Drew's acoustic show at The Barn. CJ, Angie, and Donna met us at the bar, and we gave Jodi her first dose of the boys in action. Of course, she's a fan now... who knew she liked bald guys?

Jodi's Visit from NYC

I realize that I didn't post almost at all this weekend. My apologies. I just had SO MUCH FUN! My girlfriend Jodi visited from NYC this weekend. She arrived at 11 AM Saturday, and we proceeded to drink, eat and shop our little hearts out. Here's a photo from Keith's birthday party. From left to right, Angie, CJ, me, Donna and Jodi.

After the party, we spent way too much money at Towson Town Center (I heart clothes) and then headed to my place to get ready for a fierce night out in Canton. We met Rob, Jill, Marci and John at Granite (used to be Rick's) and decided it was time to get out of there when they removed the tables, chairs and stools and shoved foam panels into the front windows. I hate it when things get clubby.

If you read my blog regularly, you'll know our next move... we met Angie and Donna at Walts Inn and sang and drank our hearts out! There are too many photos to post, but here is a small sampling.

Charissa and Jodi before our night out!

I still don't understand how a gal who performs professionally for a living can be nervous at karaoke, but after a few drinks Jodi was singing her heart out.

My first song of the evening... it's AMAZING what a few drinks can do!

Jodi, Angie and Donna

Right back at ya, Jodea!

Marci and Jill - what are they laughing at?

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!"

These are my best girls! Jill, Jodi and Charissa

Angie will "Take You There!"

Charissa, Jodi and Angie!

"DANCING QUEEN!"

For the full album, email me!!