Check out my friend Hannah's post. She works for Crawford Strategy here in Greenville and today they held a big press conference about the soon to be outdoor ice rink in downtown Greenville. I think it's going to be awesome! It will be here before we know it. Scheduled for November 25, 2011 we'll have "Ice on Main". Hannah reports that Mayor Knox said, "It will be one of the largest outdoor ice skating rinks in the southeast".
There will be a huge Christmas tree at the top of the stairs, areas for spectators to look down upon the rink and festive music all around. Thank Hannah for the exciting news.
Meet Annie. She's 60, lives in Florida, and LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE ME. In a freakishly normal, yet older, but similar way. I mean if you know me at all you can see that we have the same eyes, smile, nose, even cheeks. It's so weird to me.
My first day at Entercom I met one of my favorite co-workers, Emily. Within 5 minutes of talking she asked me if I was related to Annie Lastname. I said, "no I don't even recognize that name". She said, "oh well you look just like her, you could be her daughter". I laughed it off but she continued saying, "oh my god I have to introduce you to my husband Tony (pictured), he would definitely agree". I just figured it was one of those things were people think one thing and it turns out to be a complete wash. Well, Emily finally brought a picture in and I about p'd my pants in laughter. The resemblence is uncanny. Which to me, means a few things.
1.) adoption - - dont worry, I asked and I'm not. I wasn't nervous to inquire though because my dad always told me it was a possibility because my dance moves led him to believe I'm half black....yes, I'll teach you how to dougie
2.) What "they" say is true. Everybody out there has a twin. I guess now we know they could come in all shapes, sizes, and ages ranges?
3.) That I'm going to look exactly as I always have, never really changing, and will still be raging at social functions well into my AARP days. Some probably would have guessed that without the picture...
so here it is. Age 6 to my potential look at age 60. Looks like I'll be just fine.
I'm telling you.....that is my face. So weird. I need to meet this lady.
If that doesn't get your attention I don't know what will....keep reading and you will get what you wish for. I realize its been a while since I last posted. Half of that is because I've been busy (Zoo-a-palooza went great, thanks for asking) and the other half is because I had somewhat of a brain fart on what to write about. I realize I tend to write about nothing, and that's actually something, so the something I couldn't think of was in deed actually nothing. Confused? Me too. Lets catch up.
Did you hear the world is coming to an end? December 2012 is it? I don't follow all that noise, but when you think about it the weather in the past year has been a mess. We've had tsunami's, droughts, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, you name it. The earthquake that hit DC last week shook up my family members in Baltimore, MD and parts of Virginia. No damage done. People say they felt it here in Greenville but I didn't. I'm sure many built it up to make their day a little more exciting. Twitter and Facebook were ridiculous. I guess everyone wants to be the first to say where they were and to let people know what happened, as if they didn't already.
Anyway, following the earthquake was Hurricane Irene. Not so much concerned about it down here but my family has a house in Nags Head, NC - the OBX - which was scheduled to get slammed by Irene. So we did what we could and boarded up the house.
We haven't been able to get to the house to see what it looks like because the roads are still flooded but we're crossing our fingers.
Pictures from other places have looked pretty nasty. The put-put golf next to our house (which was a total dump in the first place) is completely under water. Adios Jurassic Put.
As for my friends Kayla and Jason - I'm really crossing my fingers for them. My sister Whitney and her husband John got married at this place 108 Budley. Jason and Kayla plan to have their reception there on September 23 of this year. Here is a picture from Whitney and Johns wedding vs. the present day Budley after Irene came to town. YIKES!
So there is the Outer Banks. Quiet, evacuated, abandoned, under water. Virginia Beach where the rest of the family was.....a little more entertaining. Here is the full frontal I promised. These kids sure do have "spirit".
B93.7 is taking over the Greenville Zoo on Saturday August 20th from 6pm to 9pm and they're letting you in to party with Hawk and Tom and the rest of the station! Tons of food, vendors, free BEE prizes and more…plus, you can watch the monkeys while listening to live music from Mat Kearney!
Tickets are FREE but there’s only two ways you can get them… by winning them on-air, via text or on Facebook or stop by one of the tickets stops - Check out B937online.com for more details.
Hennessey in the Home - - my somewhat of an art business - - will be there, too. I however will not be, but my good friends Lisa and Catherine have been gracious enough to volunteer in exchange for a painting of their own. Simple enough. Hopefully I will manage to sell some things because I am on the great quest to get to Australia to visit my friends Pam and Merrick. That takes money, and lots of it. So if you do go, or know of someone who plans too, tell them to stop by tent. Or visit "Hennessey in the Home" on facebook! Thanks!
It's been a long time since I've turned on an episode of Sesame Street. It's nice to know that some things don't change. Like Bert and Ernie. They are still best friends, even after 40 years. However, one thing that could possibly change is there marital status. That's right - Bert and Ernie could be officially made partners in the very near future.
Check out the above article from Fox News discussing the online petition to get the 2 together. Sesame Street has already made 'changes' to the show to make so called 'improvements'. Did you know that Cookie Monster got canned because he was promoting childhood obesity. Or that Oscar the Grouch was fired because he had anger management issues? It's ridiculous. Katy Perry can flash her boobs to your 5 year old but a puppet that lives in a trash can can't be in a bad mood. A fuzzy blue character is not the reason your kid is fat. It's because of the Sam's Club size pack of Oreos he just snuck into bed, or the box of macaroni she single handedly devoured for an afternoon snack. If anything they should've left him on there and made him check out by a heart attack....that'll at least prove a point. And poor Oscar getting blamed for low self esteems - - again leave him on there. Kids are getting babied so much these days no wonder there's been an increase in bullying. It's not really an increase in the actual negativity, but rather kids being weak and not being able to defend themselves. They aren't used to it. That's why we need assholes like Oscar around. But back to the point I guess.....
Bert and Ernie may be the best potential candidates on the show for a homosexual couple and they've been targeted as those roles for years, but predominately as a joke. I have no problem with the gay community. I know a handful of people who date their own sex and I think they should have the same rights as everyone else. But, and I don't say 'but' towards them but rather those looking to marry Bert and Ernie - - can't you introduce a new couple to the show, instead of mess with legends of Sesame Street. I mean, first of all, lets be honest. Would a gay man (even if he is a puppet) ever walk around with eyebrows, or brow, like Bert's? No. He wouldn't. And would his boyfriend ever wear a sweater like Ernie's. No, probably wouldn't be caught dead in it. Bert does rock a V-neck and they both seem to enjoy musical numbers, so some stereotypical details are evident, but really people? At what point do we stop? In 5-10 years when I have children of my own am I going to have to explain to my kid that Bert and Ernie are married and have adopted a black baby boy and an Asian baby girl and that one of them is in a wheel chair but its OK that they don't have health insurance because Medicare will take care of it and that everyone is happy on Sesame Street and they all happen to be the same weight because they eat healthy, etc, etc, etc.....
It's nonsense. Leave Bert and Ernie alone. In fact what I'd like to see is MTV pick up Cookie Monster and Oscar and make some sort of messed up "reality" show.
Meet Margaret Durante. She's a bad ass and the next Carrie Underwood. Maryland born, and a Clemson Kappa Kappa Gamma with me, Margaret has gone on to Nashville to do big things. By big things I mean create some pretty catchy tunes, tour with big names like Lady Antebellum, make a couple music videos, and already beat out Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and many more as the #1 video on the GAC Countdown - - to name a few of her highlights.
Do yourself a favor and visit her webpage - www.margaretdurante.com . Then after you do that watch her videos. Margaret got her career jump started singing the cover "Use Somebody" previously recorded by Kings of Leon.
She has me and many others hooked to the rest of her originals and you can get copies for yourself by visiting iTunes or Amazon. Support her, she's amazing and one of the most genuine people I've had the pleasure to know. Check out her #1 video - "Maybe Tonight"
Other favorites are "Paper Chains" and "Mississippi's Cryin". Go. Listen. Follow her. Love her.
Once you turn 65 you should have to take your drivers test again. If you disagree, it's most likely because you are over the age and you know you will fail. If you think you could pass, then what's the big deal? My parents are closing in on that age and they are fine drivers. Maybe a little slow at times but that's because the idea of multi-tasking on a cell phone or eating a sandwich is just too much for them. I'm more referring to the old lady who can barely see over the steering wheel or the elderly couple who's biggest entertainment of the week is getting out to the store for their fiber one bars or bag of cat food. I think it's great that the elderly are independent, I just think that a little refresher course would be nice every 5 years or so. I also would love to know why they love to drive Lincolns, or better known as Cop cars. Once you turn a certain age do you want to drive an ugly car?
I have a good feeling he was a type #1 back in his day.
Seriously? I can't decide what I think about this. Clearly his outfit is serious, because hello, they are jorts, and jorts are an American symbol of awesomeness. However, that being said this man is not. Is he cross eyed? I can't tell. All I know is it looks like he is trying to play his penis as an instrument and swaying like he has to use the restroom (aka outhouse) instead of playing the air guitar. Thank you iPhones for your impeccable talent for grabbing horrific concert footage.
In his defense, at least he was keeping to himself, remaining in his own space, and only doing damage to our eyes. We all have seen, better yet heard, THAT guy at the bar or public event that is just plain LOUD. Mix in overwhelming body odor and an oafy smile and you've got douchebag #2. He's normally yelling at the tv in the bar, trying to call the players by their first name because he knows them of course, and everyonce in a while when a girl walks within 10 ft of him, he'll call out to her like she might actually stop. Followed by a head nod to his equally oafy friend like he's gonna 'tap that' later. Sorry big guy, my guess is you're going home alone, that or to jail because you managed to pick a fight with the only other people in the place who would talk to you. Whether you got the shit beat out of you or not, you won, right? You have one thing going for you, VOLUME. You could be 5 ft, 120 lbs, or known to your friends as Big Foot but either way when they walk in, they know you're there. Or because its YOUR bar. It's YOUR part of town. Out of your element I bet you're a gentle flower, still cocky as a USC graduate, but somewhat of a nice guy at least. But still we ask, why are you such a douchebag? It's like you want the group of people across the room, 8 tables away, to hear you laughing - and for them to know that you know every word to every song. Ever. Take Captain Douchebag for example. Proves that whether by land or by sea, a douchebag you may be....
This is NOT his first rodeo. He even has props. My guess is that he was waiting for just the right time to volunteer his iPod to play whats sure to be his ring tone. How perfect to have an empty bottle just when you need it. Man, I bet he is wasted! Hey Gilligan, you want another beer - not now Chief I'm in the zone.......but you already know that because you heard him tell his friends 5 minutes ago.
As mentioned previously, Hennessey Hits originated from my awesome "brand" of mix CD's that I have now had to make for several people. The volumes are vastly growing and in great thanks to my superior, Chase Murphy, and the good people at multiple record labels through out the country. Dino (#DinoRadioNow), who used to do mid-days here and now lives in Memphis working as a PD, has always been really jealous of my awesome hits and somewhat afraid to ask for his own copies. Same goes for Chase (#ChaseB937). So it wasn't too much of a surprise when I open my email and get several continuous responses to the subject line of: OMG! Did You Guys See This!?!?! Sad Sad News.
The email from Chase:
Wow….Keaira-please forward this to all HH subscribers. This is just terrible news….
With much curiosity I opened my attachement.....
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HENNESSEY HITS FILES BANKRUPTCY
August 3, 2011
Hennessey Hits announced it has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in order to reorganize the company and return to profitability. The services, formerly provided by Hennessey Hits, will now be distributed by Chase Jamz Inc.Hennessey Hits filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Maryland on August 3rd 2011.
When approached about the Hennessey Hits acquisition, President and CEO of Hennessey Hits, Lacey Hennessy had this to say; “I would like to thank the superior programming mind of Chase Murphy, CEO of Chase Jamz Inc, for saving this sinking ship that was going nowhere fast.I am a better person for knowing Chase and will defer to his vast knowledge in providing music services to all of my friends.Without Chase, I am nothing”.
Despite the success of Hennessey Hits volumes 1 through 7, as of late the Hennessey Hits product management has drastically suffered in the opinions of many.One former Hennessey Hits subscriber described the last few volumes as “the worst thing my ears have ever heard”.Going as far as saying “Lacey must have been drunk and def when she burned these last pieces of crap.They are not worth the stolen blank burnable cds they are on”.The former subscriber even added that “it’s a damn good thing I didn’t pay for this crap.We were once friends, but after volume #9, I quit taking her calls”.
Chase Jamz Inc will take over operations of the failing Hennessey Hits Company sometime later today.Hennessey Hits President and CEO, Lacey Hennessey, has been asked to stay clear of all operations and leave this to quote “the professionals”.When asked what his future plans were for the newly acquired Hennessey Hits division, Chase Murphy had this to say; “Lacey has made a mockery of this business for far too long and it was time for a change.What she needs to do is be a good woman and go fix me a sandwich”.
I guess Chase had nothing to do today. Glad I can be the brunt of a cruel joke. To go bankrupt I'm pretty sure you need to start with some sort of capital. Plus, HH was and always will be a charitable organization. Helping boring car rides become fun, one friend at a time.
Oh and in my defense Chase, I made Kaci bring me her own blank CD's. Who's the thief now?
I hate to read but I was more than obsessed with the Twilight series. I couldn't put them down. My social life completely stopped because I became so engulfed in everything Edward Cullen. Lame I know, but if you have ever read the series you know exactly what I'm talking about. Even then I was hesitant because of the whole vampire thing, but I watched the first movie, liked it, then picked up the next book. Two days later, I had to go get the third of the series. One of the reasons I don't like to read is because I never get lost in the story and I always feel like I'm reading really slow, but not with Twilight - its all I wanted to do. So when I heard about The Hunger Games I was slightly intrigued again. The new hit series was brought to my attention a month or 2 ago and since then I have brushed it off, but today more people were raving about it. A co-worker is bringing me the first book tomorrow and I have been warned that I will do nothing else once I pick it up. We'll see. The movie series is about to be created which means I'm sure its going to try and rival that of Harry Potter and Twilight.
They're already targeting a wide demo of readers and with a pretty advanced plot line, I'm sure they won't have trouble doing so. I've been told the books are set in the future but are extremely realistic - - meaning that one day, it really could happen. I could go into the plot line of the book, but from what I've read and heard it sounds pretty intricate, but like all good story lines once you get into it, you don't find it confusing anymore. Check it our for yourself. If she remembers to bring me the book, I will be turning the first page tomorrow. Like I said, if it's anything like Twilight, you will definitely be hearing about it. On the same note, if you know anything about the series, let me know!
Urban Dictionary declares a douchebag as an individual who has an over inflated sense of self-worth, compounded by a low level of intelligence, behaving ridiculously in front of colleagues with no sense of how moronic he appears. Such as Your friend is a real douchebag. Synonyms include: jerk, asshole, dipshit, moron, and assface.
Take a few seconds to reflect upon any and all douchebags you ran into this past week. You may have the best luck looking within your workplace. Hopefully not too many. If you are unaware if you surround yourself with douchebags, perhaps I can help. There are several types of douchebags, some more severe then others, lets discuss shall we.
Douchebags can come in all shapes and sizes. Your "go to" stereotype is probably that of the Jersey Shore. But let me stop you right there, those are my boys. I'd be lieing if I said I wouldn't want to hang out with Vinny and PaulyD.
Yep. They love me.
I'd be their Snooki any day. Don't judge. Moving on. So I guess we can touch on their type of physicality first. Big. Muscular. Juicehead Gorillas (now do you see why they aren't in the douche category - that is more of a Ronnie or 'Situation' type). These #1 douchebags spend more time in the gym than anywhere else. They use protein shakes as a way of life, and want to be more tan than the average Mexican. I do, too. Does that make me a douchebag, no. It doesn't. You know why, because I am not walking around with my arms raised off my sides with my chest out like I have something to prove. Guys, if your chest is bigger than mine, then you might be a douchebag. If you have to impress a girl by talking about how much you can press, or we catch you staring at yourself as you walk by the glass window just to spot your reflection, well you might be a douche. If you buy your hair product at Costco or Sam's club to save money, you might be a douche. If you have a design buzzed into your fade, you wear sunglasses literally at night, or you smell as if you bathed in cologne or axe body spray - - guess what? Yep. You guessed it. Douchebag. All of these stereotypes, are just that. I realize that. But I ask you this before moving on, where do stereotypes come from? Someone had to form them. They are, in this case, a trend - a fad - that at some point became "cool" to exploit. Take MTV as an example, or this YouTube clip (an oldy but goody - man, college seems like forever ago). If you've been easily offended or have started getting defensive, I apologize. Turn off your bluetooth earpiece and share your concern with a comment.
This is Jennifer Marbles. She's a complete nut job but for that she has been getting millions and millions of hits on YouTube, her blog, and her vlog (video blog). Most of her videos are over the top and vulgar, so they keep your attention if nothing else because you are appalled. She does everything from impressions to stories to stuff like this. I appreciate this video because I enjoy making ugly faces at people. Mostly for laughs, but also because sometimes I just want certain people to go away or to stop talking. So I guess from here on out, if I make this face, well.....
Time for another "competitive" run. This Saturday, Lauren, Catherine, Coley, and I (and hopefully others but we seemed to be the only ones who respond to emails) will be running in the JulieValentine Center Run2Overcome 5k. I always forget these things are a race. I don't know if its the people blowing past me or the turds that start out at the front of the pack and then decide to walk after the first turn and jam everybody up....and no I'm not one of those people.
Last October I set out to do my first 5k - the Lungs4Life run/walk. I was extremely proud of myself because not only was it my first race but I did really well - - a little background: a couple months before a friend of mine and I were discussing how in shape I used to be in high school vs. how out of shape I was at the time of this discussion. I told him I used to be able to just get up and run, and for long distances, and that even now I bet I could do 3 miles. Ye having little faith and hearing the humor/sarcasm in my voice, he took that bet and challenged me for dinner somewhere in Greenville. Man was I wrong. I think that may have been my wake up call. A couple laps around the track later, failure set in. My fat ass walked straight to the car with a shit eating grin on my face the whole way- - so yea, I was proud of myself for running 3 miles and in good time. Even if it was only 3 miles to you. I set out to do another this past February and it was much colder and rained the entire run. Again, did pretty well, but this was my first real experience with people "getting in the way". The course was pretty narrow and within the first 50 yards there were already people spread 8 people wide with strollers or their 6 year old jogging along (in most cases they were being led by their hardcore mothers who apparently couldn't find a babysitter and had to have their kid tag along. The kids almost never seem to really enjoy themselves even halfway through). I was in a real hurry to get past these road blocks -still undecided if it was being I was freezing my ass off, my toes were starting to prune from the swamp feet I had due to the intense rain, or if it was because I just wanted the run to be over, and fast.
The Run2Overcome will only be my third "race", but I'm excited, I guess. Lauren and I set out last night to test the course and see where we will be running. I'm really hoping we can't read a map correctly because that was the longest 5k course yet. Or maybe its the same and I'm just out of shape again? I have been slacking at boot camp recently. There's no air conditioning and with 100+ degree heat, sometimes it feels a little much. When talking to my mother on the phone and telling her my plan for the weekend she thought I was nuts for running. Thanks for the encouragement Mom. She was concerned about the heat index and me falling over in the middle of the run. I guess that's a concern. We'll see how it goes........
