Runaway Socks

They go in together, but come out alone. How does it happen? and why so often? If you can tell me that you've never had a missing sock, than I can tell you that I don't like you and you are lieing to my face. It's just wrong. Admit it like the rest of us. You've had socks that didn't like you or its "mate", as my mother calls them, and the sock decided to leave your life forever. You save the extra one like one day that missing sock will return. Perhaps, he will ring your door bell. You'll answer and suddenly it will jump on to your cold, clammy foot and you'll be reunited......until it wants its freedom again. Then you'll be shit out of luck. Yea, keep waiting, I'm sure it will return. We all do it. You probably have a few randos in your sock drawer right now (I mean really, why do they leave us, we have a whole drawer dedicated to them!) Or if you're like the Hennessey family growing up, you stick the single and lone socks in "the bag". A bag? Yes, a bag. With 6 members to the family, you can imagine how many "lost" socks there were. Each and every time you had a new lone ranger you had to go thru the bag to see if its long, lost mate was waiting for him, which it never was. Why would it be? That'd be too easy and convenient. Instead you thru the new sock into the bag with the rest. Unless of course it was one of the 'good ones'. Then you'd hold out for a day or two before adding it to the rest. You know what I mean, one of your favorites. We all have them so don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You have your go-to's and then the ones you hate to wear. Which usually looks like the pile of endagered socks sitting in the bag. How long do you wait? A few days, a week, a month? Whatever the length of time, it's probably too long.

This is always an issue when doing laundry. Maybe not every time, but far too often, wouldn't you agree? I was discussing this "situation" with my friend Gill last night (@gillweathers - huge twitter fan, follow him). Gill has a "system", but the "system" seems to fail. Are his socks outsmarting him? You decide. Gill will come home, take off his shoes, then his socks. He will throw the socks in his laundry basket together. Not together as in at the same time, but rather, literally put them together like you would after being washed. He then does the laundry, and to his surprise one will be missing when he goes to fold his clothes. How does this happen? Are our socks actually running away, or is the above picture true? Maybe our washing machines are bonusing us a new sock! Chew on that.

The best "waste" of time EVER

http://www.27bslash6.com/index.html

Just trust me. This guy is hilarious.

'Tis the season

I want to start by saying that if you haven't seen The Fray live, you haven't heard an amazing concert. They were unbelievable! The sound was incredible and they sound exactly the same, if not better than their recordings. I was lucky enough to see them during "work" but would pay big money to see them again, and again, and again. Find them! I promise you you will not be disappointed. In fact, you may thank me.


How could you thank me you ask? Why how about one of these items on my Christmas list this year. I think this could be the most random 'wish list' I have ever created. In the Hennessey family you send your list in October. It's not normal, I know that, and you might even say that its over the top.....and I would agree. One of my sisters likes to send hers in an email early on, normally stating, "I know it's early but so many of you have asked me what we want for Christmas". Have we? Who knows but I oblige by reading the list of items I normally cannot afford followed by sending my sad list of toiletries I hate buying for myself, throwing in the occasional big item to shoot for. Not this year though. This year, I know exactly what I would like. Any of the following items would make me overly joyed, as well as help make me some dough. Except for the comforter, that is meant for comfort, promise :)

To name a few....

The season is upon us and this weekend the festivities begin. Lots of friends coming into town for two big "ragers". Can I still use the word rage?


These are annual events and they are sure to live up to their expectations. Christmas decorations, red and green outfits - some more outrageous than others, kegs, wine, and "treats". Treats = mini bottles.....a tradition now forever embedded into any party or event worth attending. Someone has a brown bag filled with "treats" and the crowd starts chanting "TREATS, TREATS, TREATS, TREATS, TREATS", etc!! Then someone reaches into the bag and pulls one out. The crowd begins chanting "EAT YOUR TREAT! EAT YOUR TREAT! EAT YOUR TREAT!". The normal response is the eating of the treat, following by cheering, laughter, and faces that clearly read with looks of disgust,  however there are a few who don't fall to peer pressure. It's all really mature, can't you tell?


Speaking of mature....check out my friends Christmas card. These will be the hosts of party #1. Lookin' good boys, lookin' good.



I'm bringing a change of underwear...

...because I may very well pee my pants with excitement. To say that I love all kinds of music is an understatement, especially with my current profession being what it is. But throughout past years had someone asked me who my favorite band was, I wouldn't have the slightest clue - - mainly because I tend to like a few songs but never whole albums time after time. With the exception of recently. I am in love with The Fray. Any song, any album (if you couldn't already tell from the blog playlist). The obsession started on long, long, long (did I mention long?) road trips home and all over the East Coast in my 90's Volvo Station Wagon that sported an awesome CD player and one speaker blaring as loud as it could go (luckily on the driver side). Now, still on road trips, I love to keep the tunes going. Still The Fray, a little of The Script, and many more Hennessey Hits (which needs to be updated). I like their type of music, it's good "listening" music as weird as that might sound Do you know what I mean? Anyway, The Fray are part of our (B93.7) Acoustic Christmas Show happening this weekend. I'm pumped to say the least.




click here for tickets

Besides them I will get to see and meet Colbie Caillat, Andy Grammer, Patrick Stump, and the mystery guest (who I know and am also very excited about!). These are a few that I'm excited to hear....

and their latest track....

To add to the excitement my sister Lindsay and her friend/my non-related sister Dez (pictured on the left), are flying in Friday night and staying for the weekend. I'm treating them to the perks of the job while they are here, plus I can't wait to show them Greenville in general! Dez and Lindsay live in Baltimore and I keep telling them they need to get out of that concrete jungle and head south for the winter. Took a couple dates to throw around and a little bit of bribing, but I mentioned who was coming and how much I love the rates Southwest is offering these days, and there you go. 2 round trip flights to Greenville. As you can see Dez likes an alcoholic beverage just as much as the next guy (if not more) so we plan to booze it up a little while they're in town, too. Please feel free to join us.

SEE YOU SOON GIRLS!

<3

T-Pains Apology

Remember when I told you I went to T-Pains house? No? Read this.


So in my post I said, "After a few songs, and a couple more drinks, a small group were possibly engaged in an outside conversation. At this point I will share with you that T-Pain is extremely passionate about his music, and that this album took him about 2 1/2 years to make, whereas his past work was only an average of 4 months. I'll leave it at that I guess, but the key word being 'passionate'."


His "passion" resulted in cutting off the 4th or 5th song half way through us listening to the album and going on a 3-5 minute rant about how this is his life and he invited us into his. f****ing. house. And that if you didn't want to talk about T-Pain that you should go outside, yada yada yada. There were a lot of f-bombs, hand gestures, and slaps to the granite bar counter top to get the point across. Then following up with 'since you weren't listening I guess we will have to start over' and started the entire album from the beginning again, introducing each song again, just like the first time. I can now share this with you because it turns out the other radio personnel there that night weren't so tight lipped as I kind of was. He sent out this apology today.

You can find the actual apology here. I didn't think that he went overboard that night, it was a little shocking and surprising, but mostly just uncomfortable and a little awkward for everyone in the room. I appreciate his apology and would welcome the chance to return to his home...Heineken in hand of course.

Barbie is pregnant?!?

It was just 3 years ago that I would open my facebook to find pictures of frat parties filled with kegs, spring break photos, posts about the night before or what was going on this weekend. These days its about houses being purchased, promotions, engagements/weddings, and the newest addition....babies. My sister and her husband had a baby last February, which is one among many in their circle of friends. A few of my friends are expecting their first within the next few weeks. It's a very exciting time and I couldn't be happier for them. I am more than obsessed with my niece, Sawyer, and she's not even mine! So anyway, back to my original thought. I kept seeing  all these baby posts on facebook and it was basically the only thing that sat on my news feed for a few days (around Halloween specifically). A few days later there was an MTV marathon of Teen Mom on, and then somehow I came across this picture. I can honestly tell you that I don't remember how but I didn't know whether to laugh or just go with my original thought....w. t. f..... It's probably because I find this so intense on the strangest level. Is this a teach method or is barbie just trying to 'keep up' with society? Either way I find this incredibly odd. It used to be that barbies accessories were her comb, purse, or shoes (before they were eaten or chewed by the family dog). Now it's.... a baby. This sparked my interest so I google imaged "pregnant barbie", and I found this gem. Read the caption on her packaging.



 Teen Pregnancy Barbie....."She's so happy she didn't listen to the grumpy old nurse at the clinic". I wondered if she costs extra or if her "trendy diaper bag" came with it, so I followed up the search, and that led me to this.

If you ask me Ginni looks pissed. It might be because she just found her husband boyfriend in a closet with Ken. Does anyone else think he has an incredibly strong resemblance to carrot top? Either way it's creepy, but you can get this happy family for a slim $40 after shipping.

I'm at a loss for words and you will be, too. Do yourself a favor and google image "pregnant barbie". It's a pure sign our culture is going downhill, in the toy department anyway. Your child can even help barbie give birth....oh yea. Google away. It's so weird.

1 Hilarious Holiday

So about this time last month I told you to keep an eye out for what was soon to be one hilarious holiday with the Hennessey family. Check out my original post here. It's one thing when you can create a "good" idea for a group of people, it's another when that group of people totally embrace the idea without judgement or any type of refusal......and that group happened to be family of all people. The one group that can criticize and raise hell without you being able to get rid of them.

The Hennessey and Barham family always have a good time when put together, however this year was more comical than the rest. I can honestly say that without a doubt this year was the craziest but to our surprise had the least amount of "issues" arise....well except for Lindsay ruining an attempt at both the broccoli casserole AND the stuffing (sorry Lindz). Maybe its our age increasing and we are all maturing, leaving stupid family feuds behind, or perhaps it was so chaotic we didn't have time to argue (3 dogs - 2 of which were puppies, 1 baby who just learned to crawl, my divorced parents who thankfully are friends, 4 growing families, 1 non-related guest, and costumes galore). Either way we managed to get through the week with little to no arguments.

As you can see everyone went all out. Even more so with some of the names. We were graced with the presence of Indians Pocahiney, Chief Dungfromhorse, Chief Twig-n-berries, and Pilgrims Christopher Jones, May Flower, Francis Bradford, to name a few. To the left you will see our precious turkey - Stinkybutt McGobbleGobble. Otis, Olive, and Harper (the crazy dogs) loved all the commotion. To think that this all stemmed from my Aunt Penny asking me how we could "spice" up this years holiday blows my mind. I can't wait to see how we top it next year. Love this crazy family of mine! Anyone and everyone is welcome to join.... Check out facebook for more pictures of the 'event'.

Happy Thanksgiving!
~Pocahottie


P.S. On another note, at my hometown Christmas parade a man dressed as Frosty the Snowman recently got arrested.....read this article. Ridiculously humorous.

Put Another Shrimp On the Barbiiieee

Business is booming and thank goodness! Plans are official - I'm headed on my first out of country adventure come March/April. Where to? I'm headed to the outback (not the steakhouse) but rather the great land of Australia. Perth to be exact, where I will spend 2 glorious weeks with friends Pam and Merrick. Some family members have questioned whether I will actually be returning for I sometimes make some pretty spontaneous moves.....and when I say "moves", I mean that literally. I have lived in 4 states, have had about over 40 different roommates, and am a pro at packing. The amount of stuff I can squeeze into a Volvo station wagon is truly inspirational. To get there I knew I would need some extra money. My sister reminded me about my tax return which will be a huge chunk of my savings to go, but the biggest help will be from my artwork - "Hennessey in the Home" which you can officially find at www.facebook/HennesseyInTheHome.com . Please go and "like" the page if you'd like to support a good cause. I am making a "run" up to MD before Thanksgiving to drop off several coolers and paintings, as well as already have a lot of orders lined up before Christmas. The week before Christmas seems to be a popular deadline, however I'd love to keep it going throughout the first of the year, so please feel free to pass along my link. I always need extra money, but Australia is something I've been looking forward to for a while now and I'm ecstatic it's actually happening. I can't wait to speak Australian...Elllloooo Mate!!!

check it.....

I Went to T-Pains House

No joke. It was legit. I have been meaning to blog about my experience at his house for a week or 2 now. I've been going back and forth about how I'd share the information with you and what I could actually tell you. From the get go we (@kacib937 and I) were told not to talk about it on-air, but that tweeting might be ok. I don't want to get banned from any experiences like this in the future, so forgive me if I leave out what might seem like crucial details.


You are probably wondering, why the hell were you at T-Pains house? Or if you are my parents you are wondering who the hell T-Pain is. Here are a few of my favorite hints for those of you who are unfamiliar....

Anyway, @Chaseb937 - aka Chase Murphy - on-air talent and PD for B93.7, and @KaciB937 - Kaci Kruz, on-air talent and Music Director for B93.7 were asked to attend a Listening Party at T-Pains in Atlanta. Chase declined and Kaci was intrigued and all about going. She got to take a friend. Kaci asked @JackieB937 and fortunately for me, she was unable to go. So it was some of the best sloppy seconds I have ever had the privilege to be haha. I was PUMPED. Our curiosity led to us googling what his home may look like. I came across a video of a group of strippers in one of the rooms in the basement.....sure enough I ended up partying in that room. Stripper free of course, but pretty posh. Leather couches, a few stripper poles, manikins undressing, an awesome open bar and the occasional spritz of fog machines. A few Heineken's later, our main man entered. Dressed in a relaxed outfit, he was modest, friendly, and looked me in the eyes - saying "thanks for coming" - when shaking my hand. I'd like to prove it but when getting picked up at a 'meeting point' in a VERY nice shuttle bus, pimped with flat screens and black leather, I was asked to leave any kind of phone or recording device in the car. I did, but the second time we were told, it was so intimidating I was wishing I left it at the hotel.....yea the one they set us up in. Nice stuff. Anyway, T-Pain introduced his new album that is soon to be released and told us a little about what it took to make it, who is on some of the tracks, etc. He went song by song, and I will say that the album is tight. Only a few songs have his go-to autotune settings. After a few songs, and a couple more drinks, a small group were possibly engaged in an outside conversation. At this point I will share with you that T-Pain is extremely passionate about his music, and that this album took him about 2 1/2 years to make, whereas his past work was only an average of 4 months. I'll leave it at that I guess, but the key word being 'passionate'. This man LOVES his album and LOVES the effort he put forth. Love what he does and show interest and he will love you back. "It is his liiiiiife".....see @kacib937 for more detail....


I'd be happy to share more, but perhaps in a not so public setting. Regardless, it was awesome, he was super nice, had a bad ass 3 story home, and knows how to treat his guests.


Thank you T-Pain, thank you Jen, and THANK YOU KACI!

Soggy Shoes

My ride to work this morning was like any other rainy commute I've normally had....for the first 10 minutes, anyway. The last mile, I was overwhelmed with emotion, but held it in until I walked through my office door to find 2 of my closest co-workers chatting. By the look on my face they could tell something was wrong. I had to tell them what happened, what I saw, and then I lost it. Like the rain outside, my tears came down quickly. There is a homeless man that normally stands at the Woodruff Rd exit ramp off 385 headed towards Simpsonville. I always exit right.  He is always on the left. Today he wasn't there and in good reason, it was pouring down rain. But as I was stopped at the (unusually long) red light, about to turn right onto Garlington Rd, I was looking around and my eyes found him walking, freezing, soaking wet, through a shopping center parking lot. Light turned green and I drove the 150 yards to my office. I was quickly overwhelmed with thought. Where was he going, how long could he stay there, how did he get in that situation, what could I do to help? I know it might sound lame to some, but I couldn't stop thinking about how fortunate I am and, in the big picture, how ridiculous it is when I complain about being "broke". I get by with the salary I have, and with that and the support of family and friends, I manage to have a wonderful place to live, with nice things, a few meals a day (tasty ones that I actually want, sometimes making me too full), an active social life, a car to drive, smartphone, and a job that I love. Yet, I'm sure if we are friends you have heard me complain about having "no money" at one point or another. 

My job offers a lot of perks. And when I can, I like to share them. As I collected myself, drying my face with a Panera Bread napkin from a previously bought lunch, I knew I wanted/needed to do something. If I get excited when someone hands me a free gift certificate or offers to buy me lunch, just imagine how this guy would feel......Ironically enough, my roommate Meredith and I were just talking a day or two ago about 'good deeds'. Meredith holds a bible study for a group of younger girls before school one day a week. This weeks topic was about doing just that, giving back and doing good deeds. It stayed with me, I guess (thanks Mer).....I collected some things from the office and hopped back in my car to find him. At this point he could be a lot of places but on foot probably couldn't have made it too far. I finally found him walking into a Hardee's on Woodruff Rd. I parked, walked in and he wasn't anywhere to be found, but I did see him walk in, so I assumed he was in the bathroom. I waited outside the door like a stalker for about 10 minutes. Hardees customers came and went and I started to feel a little creepy. With patience, I started wondering how long he'd be in there. Lots of things crossed my mind. Was he drying out, was he using the porcelain throne to "do his business", washing up? Finally, he came out. I walked up to him and said, "Sir, I know this might sound really weird but I noticed you didn't have an umbrella", his eyes lit up and his jaw dropped a tad, "and I thought you might like something extra to eat." I explained what was in the pile of clippings I handed to him- $10 to Fatz Cafe, a free thickburger from Hardees, and a few movie passes to Hollywood 20 just down the road. He replied with a couple nods and a sweet "God bless you", followed with a hug - which admitidly I was nervous about, but then I thought about what an asshole I was being, and that maybe he hadn't had a hug in a while, so I embrased it. I smiled, told him to have a wonderful holiday, and walked back to my warm, dry, SUV filled with gas, and drove back to my job. I don't know what that man has done in his life to result in him being homeless, nor will I ever know if he has family or a group of friends. But I do know that he was thankful for what I was able to give him. There are always the people out there who say they don't feel sorry for someone in his situation because he could get help or make a change, but I couldn't help but put myself in his soggy shoes for a moment, and give him something I really didn't need. Do the same this holiday season and pay it forward.

Snookin' for love

I've never been so excited for Halloween as I was for this year, nor have I ever fully committed to a costume like I did. If you can't tell (or you are a hermit completely out of touch with pop culture) I strived to be Snooki from MTV's the Jersey Shore. My newly dyed, jet black hair was only the beginning. I had my sights set for a fake butt (I joke that my lack of rear end is just an extension of my lower back) but the facial expressions and looks I was given EVERYWHERE I asked for some sort of padded caboose, quickly made me think my own suited just fine. Especially after I found the pleather skirt that hugged me tightly... not sure what else would have been able to fit. Luckily for society the top/leotard I wore was not a legit shirt for retail sale. I found this gem at Halloween Express with the cast costumes and cut off the tail. Luckily because of my job and the party we were throwing, I got it without cost - along with the glasses and bracelets, too. I made my boots with tha furrrr! Took some fur fabric from Hobby Lobby that would have made the fugliest blanket or worse, vest, and wrapped it around my already comfy boots. It looked as if I had murdered and sheered a cat in my living room constructing these. The headband was the finishing touch. Snooks had been rockin' one this season so I splurged for my own. Confession: I've worn it twice this week. Maybe a little on overload but I like it. I'm just sayin. In fact, if I'm being honest, I really enjoyed wearing my costume. Maybe I have a little 'meatball' in me after all. I also have found that this hair color is really growing on me. Initially I felt as if I had some sort of bad ass attitude or had to wear all black, but now I dunno, maybe its me....? Sill hoping it washes out by, maybe, Christmas, but we'll see. I'm sure the suspense will be killing you....

Anyway, I spent my holiday at the B93.7 Halloween at the Hyatt party in downtown Greenville, SC with about 1,500 others. The first lady I saw asked me if I was Lady Gaga. When telling her "No", her next guess was, "A stripper?". I should have told her that the white bathing suit and blue glitter she was sporting gave me no idea what the hell she planned on being. Flash forward a few hours and I'd find this....

Oh, ok, I just needed to see the wings I guess. So you are an angel??? Still till this moment I'm clueless. There were some real spectacles at the party. One guy/girl (I honestly have NO idea) was sporting some sort of dominatrix attire. He/She walked better in heals than I think I do myself. He/She was by him/herself all night, which made it even creepier. Perhaps I am being to harsh? See for yourself.

Creepy, right?! Anyway, I started getting asked to be in pictures with people I didn't know so I felt pretty great about my work as Snooki. Especially when the opening theme song for the show "Get Crazy" came on. I went nuts as some of you may be able to imagine! The night was fun and I eventually ran into a 'Pauly D' look-a-like. Looking forward to Thanksgiving in a few weeks when I will become an Indian. Should be hilarious.

My version of the "People of Walmart"

We all get those email forwards. You know, "The People of Walmart" ones where you see butt crack after butt crack, followed by back boobs, the occasional mullet, or really hairy man in tight pants.....or woman, with, well, no pants. These forwards have made there way around so much, that now when I get one I don't even laugh but quiver or erase the email entirely. There's even a music video about it....

The pictures do tend to surprise me more times then not, because every time I'm in a Walmart I see some unattractive people, but nothing that goes this far. I've never had a "walmart moment" until yesterday. Unfortunately I was the offender. In my defense let me start by saying that it was late, it was dark out, and I was in a big rush. It's "cooler season" for college kids - meaning I have excited freshmen girls calling me in desperate need for a well decorated mountain weekend cooler and normally at the last minute (really important stuff I know)! Therefore I hopped in the car and drove swiftly over to my local wally world for none other than a bright red cooler with wheels. As I pulled up to park something came over me. A feeling. A soft feeling.......between my toes. I looked down. In the quick flee to my car I guess I forgot to put on shoes....or change. Still wearing my slippers, or what I would like to call now - my house shoes - I picked up the phone and immediately called my roommate, Meredith. It would have been ok except for what else I had on. Large sweatpants from college, a big hoody, accompanied by my newly dyed jet black hair for what will soon be the most amazing Snooki costume you've ever seen. I looked like a hot mess. Big time. If I were in my own home I probably would have changed if I knew someone was stopping by....big time bummin it. With that, and the laughing support of Meredith, I got out of the car and tried to assure myself that there HAD to be someone who looked as disheveled as me inside those sliding doors. Nope. Like my experience with the church goers a few Sundays ago (read: I Know Better), eyes looked me up and down with a bit of disappointment. Really people?! It's Walmart, where are these high expectations coming from? and where are all the rednecks I normally see? So what did I do....I decided to play "college student". Poor, tired, hungry, with a touch of hangover.  I rocked those slippers - which again, in my defense looked like house shoes. I also think that my scary hair gave a hint of bad ass attitude, kind of like a "don't mess with me, I may have a gun in this hoody" vibe. I got my cooler and headed to the cashier. She did a full inspection of the cooler to make sure I wasn't stealing anything. Good thing, too, because in my race to the sporting goods section I forgot I had placed a roll of duct tape inside so I wouldn't have to carry it. Great, now her and Betty Lou the greeter think I tried to pull a fast one on them......I had what she thought was 'guilt' written all over my face, when really I wanted to tell her it was 'embarrassment'. If you know me, when placed in uncomfortable situations I start to sweat. By my appearance it definitely appeared that paying the $6 for duct tape seemed out of the question, though she believed it was an honest mistake. Lesson #2 this month for support of - when in public, get your sh*t together.

The Great American Thanksgiving

 I know it's not even Halloween yet, but Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday (behind 4th of July) and this year it's going to be quite the spectacle. If you havn't read previous posts about my family and how "rare" they are, check out the #Family tab and catch up on your reading.

I got a phone call from my Aunt a few weeks back asking how we could "spice up" this years holiday. Every year we try to do something new. For example, for several
years now we have been using the trick knife made by my Grandfather. It maches the nice silver and we always give it to the guest who hasn't been there before. How it works - - we say grace, and normally what we are thankful for which always ends up having people in tears, then start to laugh and all dig into our food. With Thanksgiving comes Turkey. When the 'guest' goes to cut something it "breaks". Basically swings at a a hinge where the blade meets the handle. The reactions are priceless. Some pretend like nothing happen and try to hold it together, which is hilarious because everyone around them knows that they basically just tried to hide it. Some hold it up and immediately admit to breaking our "best silver", and some, like my brother-in-law Dan, never even pick it up.....Dan is allergic to EVERYTHING and didn't even need to use it at his first Gunn/Hennessey/Barham thanksgiving. Joke was on us, I guess. Other traditions include having tasks given to you depending on where you are sitting or what is under your name card, beer pong, cook-offs for Best ____, Turkey hats, super nice Champagne, etc.

This year though, will be different, excicitng, hilarious, and definitely be caught on camera. This year my  moms side of the family has all divided into two. We drew names out of a hat and you are either labeled an Indian or a Pilgirm, and you must come that way to dinner. I picture it now, the long table of about 15-18 of us dressed as the First Thanksgiving. Sawyer, my niece, dressed as the Turkey. The sailboat out back labeled as the Mayflower, and a giant rock as the centerpiece, of course.....name Plymouth. Never a dull moment in the Hennessey family. I literally start laughing when picturing this 'hot mess' at the end of the night. The wine flowing, the beer pong games - indians v pilgrims. Should get pretty interesting. 

The inspiration, for this great idea, actually stemmed from Halloween. One year in college a group of us went as the Great Thanksgiving. Lesson learned here was if you go as Plymouth Rock, you don't want to leave your friends side at any point in time. Not always the "coolest" costume.

I'm sure I'll be posting pictures from this years holiday, stay tuned. As for halloween - this year I will be going as the ever so (un)popular Snooki. The hair is getting dyed, and the outfit will be as tacky as the original herself. I'll be slightly less tan, but a perfect little Meatball.

Medical Update. I'm going to live. Shocker.

Warning: This is boring and basically an update for the people who know what's been going on and background for those who don't.

Cliff Notes: I'm fine and will be fine. Current diagnosis: Migraines....the numbness and vision is my "trigger"....? Great. Love that.

Doctor. Co-Pay. Doctor. Co-Pay. Bill. Doctor. Co-Pay. Bill. Hospital scare. Co-Pay. Bill. Bill. More Bills. Doctor. Co-Pay. Bill........never ending.


I grew up in a family where you only went to the doctor if your leg was falling off. Literally.....my brother once walked around for 3 days with a hurt ankle before he went to the ER to take care of it. If you were sick, you needed to drink more water, eat better, and weren't getting enough sleep. That was the cure and answer for it all. Times seem to have changed though and back in February I finally visited the doctor for what seemed to be some nerve issues. I had been experiencing excessive shaking and tingling in my hands and arms, sometimes with rapid heart rate. Most of the time I tossed it off as nothing, but on a few occasions it gave me a slight scare. I had never needed a doctor while living in Greenville before so I asked around my office. I went to this guy who was pretty reputable, so I was told. Disaster. Either I blacked out while I was in there or he made stuff up. I left and called my mother and told her he nor a nurse took my blood pressure or listened to my heart, which was weird because that seemed pretty routine at most places, and because one of my 'symptoms' was rapid heart rate. He also prescribed some pretty 'legit' drugs without really running any tests at all. I'm no pill popper, but how did he not know that within the 30 second conversation he had with me. Good to know I don't throw off that vibe...Prescriptions, yet no diagnosis and another appointment 2 weeks later. When I went back, suddenly they had record of my blood pressure.  Actual numbers. Hmmm. Sketchy. I didn't confront the doctor but the guy just seemed like a.... well, a big wiener....if you will.


I called around and a good family friend recommended somewhere else and I got in quickly. With a few changes the hand issues went away, but with those changes came intense migraines and a trip to the ER with a HUGE scare. This was the weirdest/coolest/scariest experience of my life. Along with a migraine that made me sick to my stomach, my entire left arm was so numb that when I sat up it literally dragged. I couldn't open my hand. Literally told my brain to open my fingers from its fist and could not do it. Cool, yea, for about 5 seconds, then when I touched it with other arm and didn't feel it, sudden panic set it. I literally started shaking it violently with the working arm and after about 30 seconds some feeling came back. To the ER I went at 3 in the morning. Nothings worse then being there alone......oh wait, there is. Hearing a 70 year old woman whaling and moaning in pain with no one paying any attention to her during a 90 minute wait. The occasional spit up to follow each moan. The fluorescent lights are enough to keep me from going back.


Within the last few months I have had multiple blood tests (not afraid of the needle anymore), an EKG, and a CAT scan. All normal....thank goodness. Reassuring, yes......an end, no. I have follow up appointments and take an orange pill for the migraines as soon as I feel one coming. Hopefully, as annoying as it is, that is all that it is. Crossing my fingers. I've been told/asked to keep a "Migraine Journal" with all the details of each occurance. Isn't that cute? I've always wanted to carry around a mini notebook.

Dear Diary,


Today my migraine was a total bitch. Knocked out my vision in my left eye. FML


LYLAS,

Lacey

Kevin Bacon

What idiot took this off the air?

I'm curious if there is a camio in the new "Footloose".

Curious enough to actually see it though? Not so much.

I know better

This morning, around 11:45am, I ventured out with a minor hangover from a Clemson win over Florida State. I made a mistake, and it's one I've made one too many times.

I've been in South Carolina long enough to know that if you literally just woke up and want immediate food, and you decide to get dressed in sweatpants, a sweatshirt, flip flops, with a paw tattoo still on your face your best bet is to go through a drive through. This ensures that all the Church goers (who hopefully prayed for you as well) won't look at with you a face of disappointment. But no, not today. I wasn't really thinking and I made my way over to the 'nice part of town' for what I hoped would be a Firehouse Sub. I walk in and the place was packed. With 5-7 faces of disgust upon me, and what was sure to be a 30 minute wait, I turned and walked out. Went across the street to a Panera Bread. As I go to enter the building I notice an elderly couple getting out of their car in the handicap spot closest to the door. I wait and hold the door open. As the man approaches, helping his wife on crutches I notice not only did he just leave church, but his name tag stated that he was the priest. This is what I call a double whammy. However I would like to think that regardless of the visual I was giving this man, I at least got points for waiting for them and holding the door. As he approached he said, "Man, how 'bout them Tigers". FANTASTIC. He likes Clemson! Wanting to gain more good graces with this man, I replied with jolly banter and big smiles. Assuring him that I felt wonderful and chose this 'relaxed' outfit, not resorted to it by the feeling of exhaustion brought on by day drinking. As we stould in line, one next to the other, pretending to pick out what we wanted to eat off the menu board (and by we, I mean me), he continued to enquire about my life. Questions as to where I lived, how old I was, what I did for a living, where I grew up, what brought me to Greenville, if I was in a relationship, if I was planning on being married, and more. I started to sweat. Then i wondered if he noticed, which only made it worse. Suddenly the sweatshirt was highly unnecessary. I've never wanted to order a panini so badly in my life. Finally to the register. Ordered. Gave my frequent buyer card they slide each time. What do you know - I have a FREE pastry. Excuse me, sir? Would you care for a danish? Heaven, here I come.

Moral of the story - on Sundays in the 'Bible Belt', after an entertaining social evening put a little more effort into yourself if you choose to be in public between the hours of 9am and 2pm.

on to 2012

Another successful wedding weekend! The now married, Shawn and Keaira Huffman are off to beautiful St. Lucia! This was the last of the 2011 weddings that I will be able to attend - sad to be missing out on Kayla and Jason (soon to be Chalfant's) next weekend, but I will be working our Radiothon for the Children's Hospital here in Greenville, SC.


2012 shows great promise for another busy "Wedding Season". Lots of fun couples and most of them are 'local' which helps the calendar....and the wallet. That being said, many more engagement parties, showers, and bachelorette weekends to close out 2011's "Wedding Season". It never gets old, I love it. Thank goodness, too. I don't know what Bed, Bath, and Beyond would do without my business.






Kayla and Jason (far left) were roommates of mine at the beach one summer in the OBX. There were 11 of us in a house in Nags Head, NC and it was basically like "The Real World". 6 guys, 5 girls and quite the interesting mix. They get married next weekend and I have to miss it. I am extremely bummed. Not only is it back in our old stomping grounds (OBX) but its going to be like a giant reunion of our beach family - The Morning Doves.

Tony and Whitney (centered) get married in January 2012 and have asked me to be a part of it. I have accepted, obvi, and cannot wait to get crazy with them. Whitney was my childhood best friend and I basically lived at her house growing up. The wedding is back in MD where I grew up, so crabcakes and football, here I come.

Mills and Lauren get married the following weekend in February. I frequently crash at Hotel Maxwell after nights downtown, even though my house is just a miles away. Mills and Lauren are a fun couple who like to partake in social events themselves, which has made us really good friends. Their sense of humor is outstanding. This Greenville wedding is sure to get rowdy.

Stephen and Lisa have a really cool story on how they met. If you believe in fate, you're a fan of them. Not too far behind Lauren and Mills, they'll get married early Spring in Simpsonville - one town over from Gville. Lisa and I met when I moved to Greenville through mutual friends and became close instantly. Walks and gossiping about our latest disasters and successes have brought many laughs. I'm super excited for this one, too.

Randy and Carolyn. FINALLY! I have been waiting for this one for a while. They've been together since we lived in doorms and attended frat parties like we were the coolest chics around. A Clemson wedding and sure to be a shit show. I love getting together with them because its constant laughter. Especially listening to stories from /about Carol. Love.

Meredith is my roommate and will be marrying the handsome Andrew. Her dress is stunning and totally Mer. Andrew and I share the same birthday so of course he's legit ;) Kicking off June with a wedding in Greenville is just the right way to start the Summer. Elegant and Class - this one will be a good one.

Kristen, another one of my beach "besties" met Nick in dental school, so that means one day they will have their own practice and be loaded - right Swartz? They are hilarious and I can't wait to make the drive to VA to see them. It can't come soon enough.

I would love to call out the other couples that will soon be added to this list, but I don't want to jinx it. Not that I believe it would, but I'll leave the pressure to the girlfriends.

Here are few of the cute married couples from over the years.

The Natty Daddy

The folks in St. Louis have joined the party! I present you the soon to be - Natty Daddy - with 6% Alcohol. Some family friends of ours are big timers for Anheuser-Busch and their son, who's around my age posted this picture on his facebook. They registered the trademark back in February and it just got approved in June. If you try to find anything on the web about it, you'll have a pretty hard time getting anything with actual information. Natty Daddy is categorized as a beer, so it's not supposed to taste anything like the energy drinks like Joose or the blackout leader, Four Loko. However, I'm hearing it will get the job done. Keep your eyes pealed for this tasty party in a can.

Movin' on up!

A local to Greenville, South Carolina - Charles Pate everybody! Charles is what I call a "real" artist, where I think of myself as more of a "pretend" artist. His work is no joke. For more, check out Charles' blog - www.cpatejr.blogspot.com

Congrats Charles!

Big crush. Huge.

John Harbaugh, you are one sexy, sexy man. And a win over the Steelers only makes you that much hotter. Married and with child, you are slightly unobtainable but watching you from afar is good enough I guess. Keep up the good looks and keep bringin home the W.

check him out - http://www.baltimoreravens.com/People/Coaches/John_Harbaugh.aspx

Am I right or am I right ladies? Total fox. Also, I'm calling it now.

The Ravens will be in the Superbowl in 2012.

102 Minutes

As my brother Billy recently commented on this video, "I don't care if you hate W. or are "against the wars", if this doesn't make you proud to be an American please do all us freedom loving Americans a favor and move to Canada"


I got chills when watching it for the first time. I recently wrote a nice, long of course, patriotic post for you guys about the upcoming anniversary of 9/11. When going to hit spellcheck I accidentally deleted it. Isn't that the worst feeling? I thought about writing it again right after, but you can't make the same greatness twice. That's like trying to re-create the same epic party twice; rarely can it be done. But I wanted to share a few things with you, so I thought I'd just touch on those again.


1. If you missed the History Channel special this past week on the capture and kill of Osama Bin Laden, do what you can to track down the 2 hour special. It was really cool and amazing to see what all went in to it. Especially the bad ass-ness of Seal Team 6 and the technology our military is working with.


2. Click here --> http://www.history.com/interactives/witness-to-911 . On Sunday, exactly 10 years later - to the minute - all A&E networks will be airing "102 Minutes That Changed America" starting at, I believe 8:43 a.m.


I've heard a lot of people say "ugh, I can't watch that stuff" and "I don't know why they keep making specials about it" - - it's because its history and a mass group of people lost their lives and loved ones. It's not going away, and especially this year, the 10th Anniversary, there will be something on every channel about it. I personally am interested in watching the documentary, particularly this special because it is almost entirely made of average Americans video footage, phone calls, and voicemails from the day of the attacks. For some people it's their final words ever heard. It's horrible yes, but again it's history. If you know me well, you are probably thinking Lacey doesn't know crap about history and you're right. But I was around for this one, remember? and maybe that has something to do with it. I have also had friends overseas fighting the war, so it hits home for me.


  

Have a great weekend. Be safe, GO TIGERS, and God Bless America!