3x the info

Three things for you today:

First something random, I am in a wonderful mood. Everything seems to be pulling together nicely. And this weekend should just make that feeling deepen.

Then, something not so funny. Travis practically gave himself a concussion yesterday by connecting his head firmly with the corner of a shelf at work... I kept one eye firmly on him all night, and we think he is fine... but he was not a happy boy.

Now something funny:
This is so worth the watch... John Stewart on I-Report.
If the link doesn't work, then head to CNN.com and click on the link under the big picture (next to the I-Report button.

And enjoy your weekend.

too cute

If this doesn't make you smile... nothing will.

He should enjoy it while he can.


I'm enjoying this week... which is passing quickly and been promisingly productive.
Happy Birthday to the Quads who turned 7 yesterday (dear god, can they really be seven?!), and to Stella who celebrates her birthday today. Hope your birthdays are fun and full of lots of cake.

oh... T.O.

No matter what you think of the guy, you just have to feel bad for him.

interesting times

Haven't written since Friday. Keep meaning to do that post about dating red flags... but haven't been in the right kind of mood for that. Long story short, I ignore some that I thought were my definite "do not date" flags... and ended up meeting the man who in 17 days will become my husband. So I'm thinking... red flags can be good, but maybe aren't all that important when it comes to finding "the one".
Besides, I've actually kind of had things to write about lately (thought I did forget to write on Saturday for the first day of Autumn... which I love and normally call much attention to... so Happy Autumn!!! yay! Also, L'shana Tovah to all my friends celebrating Rosh Hashannah this past weekend). Things have been interesting around here lately. Nothing "bad" necessarily, but the good has been tempered by a few trying things. I just feel spread very thin lately. Too much work, too much wedding stuff to think about, and not enough time for the people that are important to me.

The weekend was mostly uneventful. Got some good cleaning done. We have a bedroom floor again! My goal is to clean the whole house in time for us going away for the wedding and honeymoon. It would be so nice to come home to a clean house, but we'll see if that is actually feasible or not. Only about two and half weeks, this weekend I'll be heading up to home on Saturday, then the following weekend I have a baby hower to go to for Jen (see second half of post.)... and then its the week of the wedding!
Sunday night Trav and I decided to treat ourselves to a dinner out. We've been so good the whole time that we've been saving for the wedding. It is nice that we can finally relax about it a little.


For your amusement, here are some more pictures from Vegas, with a big thanks to Ro.

Ro and I in the airport:

Me pretending to do dirty things to the knight statue (totally not my idea):

Us girls outside of the Excalibur:

Good times!

Ciao!

Congrates

Please ignore cousin It popping into the picture... thx.

Congratulations to my Uncle Jim and his new wife Christina... who were married yesterday in a small ceremony in CA. Here's wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness.

I look forward to celebrating with them at their big wedding reception thing, next year.


Just out of curiosity... where are all my favorite bloggers? It seems like they all decided not to post today (or last night, i guess). I feel so lonesome without them.

Weekend plans are nil, except for getting things done... although I'm really tempted to head up to Bethlehem for the Celtic Classic. Anyone want to go with me?

hotties

The quick update: Monday night after work... headed to the New York & Co to do a little autumn clothes shopping. Picked up a great pair of pants, two super soft sweaters (one is from H&M actually, but who's counting), a belt, and a bag. The pants, belt, bag, and sweater go together to make a killer outfit.

Tuesday left Philly (wearing said killer outfit) at 8:30ish to head to DC. Arrived, set up, handled problems... texted my uncle around 11:30 to let him know I was his whenever. Lunched at the Dubliner... VERY tasty, and obviously good company. Back to work at 1:00, until the program ended at 3:30... then gathered stuff, did the whole "thanks for coming thing" until about 4. Headed to the station (Union Station is pretty damn gorg!), picked up some awesome Loaded Baked Potato soup. Got back into Philly around 7... my next train home wasn't until about 8... so I relaxed and read a magazine. Good to get home, but a nice day. I think I bruised the balls of my feet with my damn boots and too thick socks (aka made the boots too tight).

Wednesday, work like normal. Just a busy day, but at least things are calm again until next tuesday (when our next work event is). Stop by payless and get two pairs of shoes. One black work shoe almost exactly like what I have now... minus the scuffs, worn our parts, and creases. Plus a new pair of boots... tan, only a slight wedge on the back (no big heal), more room then the others, and warm! I can actually wear these during the winter, and not freeze or end up with bruised feet. Can't wait to wear them for the first time. Have now done all the shopping I'm allowed to do. Home to wait for the appraiser to come and check out my ring so we can finally add it to our insurence. Wait some more and call. No answer. Wait some more, watch some TV, call and leave an annoyed, but not rude message. Obviously he isn't coming, so relax and watch some more TV. Watch America's Next Top Model which leads to next thought:

Don't you think that these two would just make the cutest couple?!

If anyone watched last night's ANTM, you'll know that this lovely lady is Anchal. She's Indian, 19, from Florida. Much like my boy, Apoc... well, minus the 19 part.

And she's hot... which pretty much sums up Apoc's type. :-)

I think Apoc would be up to the challenge.

I'm really loving the weather today. Sunny and gorgeous, but with that fall chill to the air. I'm wearing new sweater #2, and am so comfy (while still professional of course). Maybe I'll wear new boots tomorrow with jeans? Hmm...

This is more time then I've ever spent focusing on fashion before. It's tiring, and makes me feel a little dumber. Oh well, I'm comfortable, so I'm happy. Two days until the official beginning of autumn, but for me its already here.

22 days. Wow.

i know, i know...

I know I promised you a post about an actual topic... but I have pictures! And isn't that so much better?! And quite honestly, this very much feels like a monday in that I have NO energy for typing up something lengthy which requires thought.

First, Vegas!

My hoes and I, eating at the Pink Taco.


Our hotel/casino... Excalibur.


New York New York.


Next, my makeup trial:

Hottie?! :-) (Sorry its blurry.)


From the meeting with the seamstress (obviously not my dress!)...

My hot mama, getting her dress pinned. She looks great!


And our latest project... the Do-It-Yourself Photo Guestbook:

The cover.


One of the pages.


A close up of one of the photo pockets with pretty autumn paper.


What do you think?

one more week down

It's friday, which just puts me in a great mood! It has been a long week. So much to get done (I did it though), both at work and at home. Lately I feel like this is more "Megan's Collection of Random-ass Things" then anything else. It's just so much easier when I only have 5 minutes to spare to throw up some random video (which I loved anyway) or blurb about nothing then to try to gather the energy to think and write a post. Even if I do give it a go I normally end up with something as lame and boring as... well... this!

Oh well, I'm trying. Sorry.

Last night was my makeup trial and I think it went really well. It was a lot darker then I thought, but I did like it (especially after I lightened it up a bit after she left!). So I think we'll be good to go. I will put up some pictures this weekend since Travis was there last night and saw it then. Maybe some Vegas pictures too... if I actually took any good ones!

I feel like all I can talk about lately is work and the wedding, work and the wedding. That's all that can think about lately! I can't wait for the wedding just to get here. I want to enjoy the day and then I want it to be over with!

Oh... so I just took a break and read Dooce... and here is what you have to look forward to in my next post:

“What are your relationship deal breakers? Some folks are annoyed if a date shows up ten minutes late. Others look for something weightier, like a felony record. Have you ever rejected someone over something that seems insignificant to your friends? Or do you have selective blindness for red flags?”

Check out Dooce and see what this is all about.

And tune in next time when I give you something that will actually register on the interesting scale!

Woosahhh....

Speaking of weddings...

(And not my own... 30 days!)

A really nice guy that interns here at my office is in a competition to win a wedding. Him and his fiancee have made it to the final round. So... if you get a second, click HERE, click on the big picture at the top which lists the competition and says "vote for your favorite couple", and vote for Joshua and Chauntee. I think it would be great to see them win, Joshua is the sweetest guy, and from what I hear, Chauntee is amazing too.

Thanks! :-)


P.S. Nothing new or exciting here... although I get my makeup did tomorrow night, and the final fitting for my dress this weekend. I also get to spend all day Saturday with Travis, which is very nice... yay no work.

Six years.

Totally random, but fun. Six and a half years, one guy, one picture a day.





We got the license today... so we can legally marry. Nothing (my new phone, new voicemail, cingular in general, my cooter, etc.) seems to be easy lately, when it could instead be a pain in the ass. At least it is done though! 31 days to go. Woot!
Got the guestbook put together this weekend too. That was nice.

Also get to go to DC next week, so I'm excited about that. There is so much more good then annoying, which I have to remember... even thought the annoying is so very annoying. Lol, not so deep today.

Noel J. Foster, age 40

Today is 5 years since 9-11. It seems like a lifetime, and yet it has gone by in the blink of an eye. There are so many people to remember, so many families for whom this will no longer just be a day... it will always be the anniversary of the day they lost their husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, friend, brother... it will always be the day that changed everything.

Today I am recognizing Noel Foster, who was 40 years of age when he died in the twin towers. He had a wife, of ten years, and two daughters (8 & 5 at the time). He graduated from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa... not far from where I attended college.

Noel was the vice president of Aon Corp, and the only reason he was in Tower Two that day was as a favor to a friend who had broken a leg. He was still helping that friend down the stairs when the towers collapsed. He didn't leave him. People said that he was just like that... always helpful, always with a smile. He liked red cars and always had a project going. He was one room away from having upgraded every room in his house.

Noel was a real person, with real hopes and dreams... and they were all extinguished, in the blink of an eye, 5 years ago. His girls, now 13 & 10, have only old memories of their father. They will never have their father walk them down the aisle. Their mother, Noel's wife, lost the man that she planned to grow old with...


From last year... my 9/11 story:

For some reason the TV was on that morning... normally it never was that early in the day. We would sleep as late as possible, then dash off to our first class, so morning TV didn't happen. But that day it was on, and as I came out of Trav's personal room I saw the smoke pouring out of the first tower hit. At that point it was still confusion about what had really happened... was this a mistake? I called to Jon that there had been a plane crash, and he gave some sleepy reply.

Soon all was clarified however, as I stood there, the second plane hit. I remember just being completely shocked. It was a weird feeling, like watching a movie. Something like that just didn't feel real.

I called out to Jon, who was still in his personal room that he had to come see this, that he would never believe what was happening. He didn't until they replayed the second hit.

I just sat there, unable to look away. Travis came back at that point, all the classes in progress were being dismissed, the rest (for the day) cancelled. He sat down to watch too... and then we remembered George.

One of Travis' fraternity brothers and friends, George, had a brother who worked in the city. Who we thought (but hoped not) might actually work in one of the towers.

Then the towers starting collapsing.

We went down the hall to George's room, and one look at his face was enough. He was frantic, trying to reach his parents, his siblings, anyone who could tell him anything about James. We tried to calm him down, and eventually we had to turn off his TV for him. He didn't want to watch, but he couldn't stop.

The rest of the day was a blur. No one could talk about anything else, think about anything else. Lehigh gets students from all over, but a majority from PA, NJ, and NY. A good number of those students have parents, siblings, or friends that work in NY. Numerous students lost people that day, or knew people that lost people. Too many (a good handfull) lost both parents.

Another large contingent of Lehigh students are International... and while our big draw is Asia, we also have a large number of Middle Eastern students. They were afraid to leave their rooms, afraid of how people would react... they were just as innocent as the rest of us, but no one was thinking clearly at that point.

As days went by you found that life continued, and that you just had to go on doing your thing, because the world does not stop turning for grief. Eventually the dynamic of school life returned to a semi-normal state. But for many students, many people across the country, their lives were forever altered. About a week later, George had to face one of the hardest realities of his life: James Andrew Gadiel was one of the thousands of people killed on 9/11, not making it out of the towers.

So, I wanted to write this post... while now we have new victims to think about (those homeless and abandoned by Katrina, those lost in Iraq, etc), the 9/11 victims are not forgotten 4 years later. They will not be forgotten 20 years later.

We will always remember. I hope you will take a moment for that today.
It's so easy to forget how fragile life is, and how it can end at the blink of an eye... but those with people killed on 9/11 will never forget that lesson. And neither will I.


Donations may be sent to the Megan and Nicole Foster Educational Fund, P.O. Box 181, Martinsville, NJ 08836.

friday friday

Late night, last night. Uneventful, but late. Worked until about 8:20, then got home about 9:20 (due to train timing). Watched the game, go Steelers!
Sleeping in this morning made it all worthwhile though! I don't mind working late when I get to sleep until 9:30 and show up at work at 12.

Phone is now up, charged, voicemail is activated. I have ringtones for Travis, Heather, my parents, and Ro (maybe Lauren too). As well as "Sweet Home Alabama" for everyone else. They are really music too... imagine. Cingular still sucks. Everything from transfering my account (from the old AT&T system to the new Cingular system) to setting up my voicemail has been a pain. Transfering number is going to be horribly annoying too (my phone is too old for them to transfer the numbers, I must do it by hand)... so if you see this and you have my cell number, call me! It's much easier that way.

Otherwise same old. I never really talked about last weekend much. It was such a blast though. I loved spending time with my girls, seeing the amazing hotels they have on the Strip (we checked out New York New York, the Luxor, Aladdin, the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, and stayed in the Excalibur), and playing the slots is always fun... though I didn't have any luck! The Thunder from Down Under was also more then entertaining! Extremely attractive guys, Australian accents, and they could really dance. This guy is not only my favorite, but we happen to share a birthday. Go Leos! Ro really outdid herself, and I had an amazing time.
Hopefully I will have some pictures for you next week, after I download mine and hopefully get some from Ro, Stella, and Lauren.

This weekend is going to be MUCH quieter. Just running errands and trying to get some stuff done for the wedding (35 days!). Guestbook needs to be put together. I'm going to try to figure out some music stuff and finalize our programs (for my mommy to print). I might also take a look at everything I have in our wedding bins and see what we still need to get together. Then their is transfering numbers to my new phone, and cleaning the house (it is in desperate need!). Also, I have the worst memory for when Travis is working, but maybe if he's home Sunday we can have Ro & Pat for dinner or something. I was supposed to have some friends over tomorrow, but haven't heard a word... so I really don't know.

Okay, I have to run an errand now and get back to work. Have a great weekend!!

bah cingular!

Just ordered a new phone which I am very excited about.

Not so excited about the fact that they accidentally turned off my old phone before the new one got here. Grr...

Getting my new phone today though, so should be all fixed by tomorrow, but very annoying. People can't even leave messages because my cingular account is not activated until the phone is, and my old AT&T account is now gone. So I currently don't have a voicemail.

If you want to reach me today, call the office phone (I will be in the office because of an event until about 8:30p.m., missing the first game of the season), email or leave a comment here if you need the number.

Croc Hunter

I will admit it... I was never a big fan of Steve Irwin. He was a bit too much for me. The wide eyed looks, the "crikey", the fanatical waving of hands infront of an already "he looks angry" snake. But all that aside, when I would yell at the TV encouraging the croc that Steve happened to be annoying at the time to bite his arm off already... I didn't mean it. And now I feel horribly. His wife is without a husband, his two small kids (the oldest only) without a father, and hundreds of animals without this amazing conservationist to save them. It hits me hard enough to move me literally to tears. It was a freak accident, and it was, in my eyes, a painfully ironic kind of way for him to die.

Maybe I'm just extra sappy because of my impending nuptials. Maybe the return from such a great weekend to a rain soaked, dreary PA has thrown me off. But I am actually quite sad about Steve's death. Whatever you thought of his shows, what he did for this planet is undenyable. If we all put forth a 100th of the effort that he did, we would have no more endangered animals and this earth would be strong again. My prayers are with his family.

To find out more... Here.

wooooooo

So tired. So worth it. GREAT weekend.

More later.

time flies

Is it just me, or did August FLY by?! This week did as well, and in just 3 hours I will be heading to the airport, and two hours after that I will be on a plane to VEGAS. I can't believe that it is September already. Fall is a measley 22 days away. Our RSVPs are due in 19. And the biggest of all. Only 42 days until I'm an old married lady. Wow.

I have the feeling that this month will fly as well. I have plenty to get done for the wedding and other personal life things... and work is going to be insanely busy. We have events on the 7th, 11th, 18th, 19th, and 26th, and two on the 14th. I already have a dress fitting scheduled for the 16th, possibly some friends coming down to see me on the 9th, and a hair cut on the 30th. My calendar is so scribbled on already. By busy is always better then bored, and things will settle down a lot after the wedding.

Okay, back to work. I have to keep busy so the rest of the day will fly by! See you tuesday. Pictures next week, I promise!!