Seacoast comes to NC!

My church in Charleston, SC has opened a new location in Greensboro. The services are telecast which is fabulous because that means I now only have to drive an hour away when I want to go to First Wednesday praise & worship services.

It is great to be a part of two awesome church groups in Seacoast & EveryNation.

Once more, here is my plug for Naeem's podcast.

On the Road ALL DAY

I'm driving 9 hours today!

(In case you were wondering that translates into a LONG DAY.) Chad (co-worker) is in PA with a new customer so I have to visit one of his customers.

In other news, my favorite restaurant is definitely Nantucket Grille. I've eaten there two nights in a row this week on the outdoor patio tables by the big fountain. In about a month, they are re-starting their concert series on the lawn that runs every Thursday and Saturday night.

Julie's Baby Girl

FINALLY!! A little girl I can buy frilly clothes and hair ribbons!

Julie's first child is a really cute little boy. That is when I realized that they just aren't as creative with the boys' clothing as the girls'...

Google Search: "I don't want to be that girl"

If you want to know what is going on in the hearts of women, just google the phrase, "I don't want to be that girl."
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I think our biggest fears and insecurities are realized in being "that girl". It helps me to check in every now and then and remember what the rest of the world is going through. (P.S. I think I may have scurvy. This picture looks SO good.)

Some of the Search Results: "I don't want to be that girl who forgets God in her quest to figure out what her life's about. My life IS, and always WILL BE, about God."

"I don't want to be that girl - the one who spends hours in front of the mirror blowing herself kisses and telling herself how fabulous she is. And I'm not."

"I don't want to be "that girl". Am I being that girl cause I am interested in him?"

I mean, I don't want to be "that girl" that is all "don't eat turkey. what about bird flu? do you feel like dying?? kill all birds.

i can't believe i did that i never kiss people in the bar i don't want to be that girl thats kissing a different guy every week.

I don't want to be that girl that shuts down, closes off, and becomes bitter. But I don't know what else to do.

I don't want to be that girl who ate 6 skittles a day, and lied and told people she'd already eaten, and fainted in the shower.

I don’t want to be that girl….you know the one. She graduates, settles for some job, goes back to her hometown or close to it, marries, etc, etc.

"I was waiting for her to say, "I don't want to be THAT GIRL crying in the limo" but I think she did want to be that girl, just for the drama of it."

Innamorato is over! So is our basketball season...

I am SO tired after months of preparation for Innamorato, the American Idol-like competition at Campus Harvest this weekend.

It was Friday night.

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My feet still hurt.

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Today, I spent three hours relaxing on the lawn patio of Foster's Market with Kim, Jason, & Charleigh, slept straight through the game, and then went to Char's for Chinese and a really horrible movie.

James who?

Jaimie and I went shopping at our favorite store in Cameron Village, Certain Things. Then we had dinner at Mojo's. The weather is so beautiful and we sat outside on the patio overlooking the intersection of Peace Street and Glenwood Avenue which was suprisingly fun.

We decided to see the new James Bond movie at the dollar fifty theater.

A couple on a date talked NON-STOP throughout the entire movie. There couldn't have been thirty seconds of silence from them in the whole two hours. The worst was when they started speculating on the ending of the movie. The girl was having a hard time distinguishing one old white Englishman from another so the plot twists where throwing her for a loop and the subject of much discussion. (To the point I had to explain something just to stem the tide of talking when her date couldn't answer the question.)

With only a few minutes left in the movie, Bond gets a text that says, "For James..."

The girl behind us starts frantically whispering, "WHAT?? WHO IS JAMES?? HEY, WHO IS JAMES??"

Jaimie and I couldn't hold in the laughter!

Currently Intaking

Seems like I shouldn't have time for anything other than work, aXcess, Innamorato, and the rest of my life however...

Sarah and Jim have encouraged me towards West Wing and I'm now making my way through Season 3.

Crossing Borders

I spent last night at Duke filming out takes for Innamorato. You know, the really super funny auditions of people for American Idol who really believe they can sing but are really horrible.

The campus ministry group has TALENT! The crowd Friday night is going to be cracking up! Tonight I'll be at UNCG filming craziness.

Grief

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purposes that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

I guess we think that the people we care about will always be around. I lost someone this week who would be in the Top 10 of people who have most affected and shaped my life. I thought I had a lot more time with her. I got an email from Eddie with this verse on the bottom and it really ministered to me.

For the Foodies...

I eat in soooo many good restaurants that I don't often mention them but after a week of traveling, I've decided to share my top picks of the trip.

Awesome restaurants you MUST try:

Columbia Restaurant: A Florida tradition since 1905

“If you cherish your palate, visit the Columbia. Try the Paella “A la Valenciana,” the Red Snapper “Alicante,” and the Pompano en Papillot. Relish the black bean soup and fried ripe plantains. And with every iota of conviction you possess, order the flan. Made in the Cuban style with sweetened condensed milk, this evanescent egg custard tastes like a dream from which you hope to never awaken.” Southern Living - April 2005
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We tried everything in the review and they were right. We ate there TWICE while in Tampa.


Buddakan: Philly, NYC, & Atlantic City

OH MY WORD.

You must eat there.

Every bite was beyond delicious.

3,000 Miles in 5 Days

Durham to Tampa to Clearwater Beach to Orlando to Philly to Atlantic City to Philly to Columbia, SC...

1. You know you've been in too many hotels when you forget your room number and have to try your key in every door. I started at Rm # 200 and had to go all the way up to 230 before getting a green light!

2. I love Hampton Inn. It is more consistent than a lot of hotels. I love their emphasis on lots of big, fluffy pillows. Hilton and Sheraton just vary WAY too much to be dependable. They can be really great or really awful depending on the city.

3. At 6am this morning, I was coming out of my room in Bally's Casino & Hotel in Atlantic City and there was a little old lady already playing the slot machines.

4. 6:15am some guy on the elevator hit me up for $5 so he could get home. I may have been more sympathetic if we weren't surrounded by slot machines.

5. The Columbia,SC airport is SO beautiful and nice. After five days spent in the Northern regions of the country (Florida is not the South), I could literally have dropped down on my knees and kissed the floor of this place shimmering of Southern Hospitality and sparkling cleanliness. Praise the Lord for public places that you don't have to worry about contracting a disease if you touch anything! I never thought I'd be so happy to see Columbia!

6. Jenny's gallery is SO awesome.

7. 4 of my 10 foodshow decorations were shattered into many pieces by the time I reached Atlantic City. Apparently, the airline beats bubble wrap.

Tampa, Florida ACC Champions 2007

We spent the weekend in Tampa for the tournament. Mom, Dad, Alisha and I got into town on Friday.

John, Kate, and her parents, Rick & Dunlop already had plans to be in town.

We had FABULOUS seats. I love how you bond with the people you sit with all weekend. Alisha and I caught a lot of flack from the people sitting around us for reading fashion magazines and novels on Friday. It was the third straight game of the day. We needed a break!

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Do you KNOW how many games they play in a weekend?? 11 !!

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(I think Kate is cute with her pom pom pigtails!)

Of course, the news going into the weekend was NC State sending home the Durham crowd. A guy who sat with my parents all weekend and his sons had band aids that said, "Where is Duke?" at the championship game. Christian Laettner was honored during the weekend and, although the crowd met him with boos, I had to clap bc I had a HUGE crush on him when I was in middle school!

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Alisha and I were screaming and waving behind the guys when the ESPN cameras came over to film them.
Since Kate is in Charleston and John is in Cincinnati, it isn't often that we are all together.

The band's brass section wore face masks to support Tyler!

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Alisha and I spent the weekend appreciating the creativity of the fans. Our favorite was a girl who changed outfits two or three times a day!

You'll never believe it!

Eddie is a graphic design genius!!

Vote on which hairstyle you think he should choose. (They are all so awesome that I'm having a hard time deciding.)

Even if you don't know Eddie, you'll have to appreciate his hair aspirations!

Here's a sample of what he could look like with hair...

Hark the Sound

In a fun turn of events, I'm heading to Tampa after work today for the ACC Tournament! I'll fly from there to Philly on Monday.
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Someone gave us tickets yesterday!

Innamorato 2007

Be a part of my current project.

It is American Idol, EveryNation style.

1700 kids from all over the country will be joining us for Campus Harvest 2007.

College kids submitted auditions through YouTube and winning entries were uploaded to the website. The six with the most votes will be performing on Friday night for our panel of judges to win an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville where they'll get to lay down a demo with Grammy Award Winning Producer Michael O'Martian (he's also one of the judges).

vote here

Card Sharks

Jaimie and I took on all challengers in the spades tournament.

We lost fairly embarassingly!
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Jason was one of the many onlookers to our being blown out of the water.
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(That's what happens when you do too much trash talk on the Evite. Everyone wants to see how it will turn out.)

The Score: -41 to 400

Excitement

I just found out that I'm headed to Philadelphia next weekend!

I have to be in Atlantic City for work so I am going to go up a little earlier and stay with Jenny.

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I'm really looking forward to finally getting to see her art gallery! She is getting great reviews since opening. I love this feature on her decorating services!

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I'm also looking forward to shopping in Philadelphia...

This installation is a part of her current exhibition that opened last weekend. It is called "Son of Arnold".

While waiting for my drink at Starbucks, I heard one of the barista's conversations...

"I saw the two of them together but they didn't know I saw them. I was so furious. I didn't even care. I went and banged on the door and she answered it. I told her, 'Where is he? I'm ready to leave.' Then she told me, 'He isn't ready to go yet. He came over here to see his kids.' Then, I heard him yell, 'Don't lie to her.' I guess it was because he and I have had that conversation about him choosing between seeing me or seeing his kids."

Wow, this is getting a little intense. Maybe I should move to the other side of the counter. I really shouldn't be listening. BUT IT IS SOOO interesting.

"He told me that if it was between being with me or being with his kids, he would have to choose his kids."

No. Okay, moving to the other end of the store. Hmm, these desserts look pretty good. Wow, I can still hear her.

"So, I guess I was already upset but I told her, 'Look, I don't care if you don't like me or not. He is my boyfriend and he isn't with you anymore.' I told him, "I'm leaving. You can come with me now or you can stay here with her and your kids but I'm not staying any longer."

Oh, no. Bad move. Why'd she give him an ultimatium like that? She already knows what he is going to say. Ugh, I'll bet he chose the kids.

Oops! This is none of my business. Focus on the half price Valentine's coffee mugs. Ahh, this one is cute...

"Then she said, 'That's what you think.' Then, he jumped in and told her to keep her mouth shut and that set me off. I told him, 'I ALREADY KNOW you are cheating on me with this skank ho..."

Oh, my word. WAS HE KISSING HIS KIDS' MOM when she walked in?! Wow, I missed that part. I am SO posting about this on my blog. Ick. That's not right. This is someone's private life. I can't post that...

"...I saw the two of you in there kissing each other and you didn't think that I saw you but I did."

Maybe if I take a few steps closer I could hear this a little better. Besides, I am still waiting for her to finish my drink.

"Then, she called me a . I had it. I hauled off and slapped her right across the face."

NO! I cannot believe she is going on and on about this at Starbucks. Do not stare, Kristin. Act like you don't even notice.

Then, she slapped me back and we went at it and he was standing right there watching us.

!!! this is CRAZY!!! wow!

"I don't really remember what happened after that. It was right after that I woke up."

Are. You. KIDDING. Me. it was a DREAM?

I knew it was too good to be true. I guess my friends and I really are the only ones with that type of high drama lifestyle. I cannot believe I got so sucked into someone's dream. This is like one of Sarah and Eddie's emails only I got completely sucked in. Well, the bright side of things is that it doesn't cross ethical boundaries for me to tell this story to other people now that it didn't really happen.