life with rushing

2009-10-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

Whoa. So I Googled myself and my blog showed up, and I realized it had been almost an entire year since I'd updated this thing. Craziness.

I used to have the same problems with diaries as a child. I always wanted to have a diary, but I just couldn't find the time to commit to writing in it. Same thing with this blog. However, I refuse to delete it because I spent quite a while thinking of a name for it--and I don't want to lose the clever domain I have secured. Besides, I know once we decide to have children my family will demand it, so why totally disappear from blog-land?

I probably could easily write daily. Or hourly. With the randomness that goes on in this head, though, it is best not to disclose all mental faculties to the general public by writing so frequently. Could be scary. But I do think that I should commit to at least a bi-weekly contribution to the social media phenomenon of the blogsphere. Part of me feels like I owe it to the fans. (Just kidding--there have been no fans since I closed the Random Thoughts blog back in 2006.)

I have nothing really all that interesting to share today, though. Normal life is keeping Mark and me really busy. And we love it. Off to get ready for the Fall Festival at Ridgecrest. Happy Halloween.

One Month in One Blog

2008-11-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

So it's official. I suck at blogging. Someone please back me up that I used to be good at this. Now, I just don't make the time.

For those of you who have been worried, Mark and I are alive, and we are leaving the house on occasion--contrary to popular belief. Here's my attempt to hit the highlights of the past month:

Mark and I shared our first Halloween as a married couple. We carved a pumpkin (and argued because Mark thought I drew the eyes too close together:). We had tons of trick-or-treaters, but the cutest was a sweet little pumpkin named Joseph! (Joey, Leah and Joseph joined us for dinner.)

We traveled to Golden for my 10 year class reunion. It was great to see old friends--I haven't really kept in touch with many people from high school, so it was fun.

Leah and Joseph visited and I took pictures like the paparazzi. I know I am partial, but Joseph really is the sweetest thing. And he loves me the most. He tells me. It's really weird, I have the exact same affect on Taylor!

Mark and I put up our first Christmas tree. I spent way too much money on the tree itself only to realize I also had to have ornaments. But it's worth it--our tree is really cute, even though Mark hates the topper I made.

Grown Men on the Block

2008-10-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't seen my facebook.com page (yes, I gave in and joined facebook), I went to New Orleans this past weekend to see New Kids on the Block. And even though they're pushing 40-years-old, I have to say, they stole my heart again.

Three friends and I made the trip, excited but unsure what to expect, with only our first NKOTB concert experience from the early 1990's to develop a theory as to what the concert might hold. I knew it would be fun--the company alone ensured that--but what the show itself would hold, well, I must admit my expectations were not exactly high. I feel ashamed saying that now. In hindsight, the show was great and truly beyond what I'd hoped for. It was the most fun I've had in a very long time.

The New Kids aren't kids anymore, but neither was their audience. And the show matured at the same rate, with new song lyrics like, "I wanna give you some grown man..." (suggestive movements inserted here). It was not a show for the children we were the last time we saw them sing "Hangin' Tough" live. But neither children nor males attended, anyway. Instead, the crowd was filled with 30-year-old females, plus or minus four years. All attended in groups and most were dressed in attire reminscent of their first encoutner with The Kids.

Some dressed in the styles of the late 80's, some had made new T-shirts with song titles and band pics, our group went vintage and wore T-shirts, buttons and hats that had been in storage since about 1992. Yeah, we did.

Now, if you grew up when NKOTB was popular and ever swooned over Jordan Knight or drooled over sweet Joey McIntyre, then you too would have had fun at this concert. Maybe more than some of you would want to admit. But I promise, no matter where your musical tastes have taken you during the past 20 years, if you forget about trying to look cool, you'll admit that NKOTB being back together and being on tour brings just a bit of hope back into the world. Anything really is possibly.

NKTOB, October 18, New Orleans, LA

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

2008-10-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Not actually, but I we did leave Andy and Tress. They made it home Monday....and that's a totally different story.

Mark and I returned on Sunday from a five day trip to San Francisco. It was fabulous! Mark's bst friend from high school, Christi, got married there this past weekend so we decided to turn the wedding weekend into a mini vacay. Andy and Tress Johnson, our travel buddies, went with us.

None of the four of us had ever visited SF, so we felt compelled to see all 49 square miles of the city. I think we actually did. Such a great time, I recommend to anyone. We'll definitely be going back.

Lunch at Mocca

Mark and Andy in Chinatown

Sonoma at Viansa Vineyard

Alcatraz

California Academy of Sciences' Living Roof

Thank You Notes

2008-08-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

I know, I am really sucking it up this time when it comes to regularly blogging. I know. But right now, my free moments are consumed with decorating my house and writing thank you notes. And writing thank you notes. And writing thank you notes.

A colleague of mine who was married a couple of months before Mark and I told me just today that she'd finished all of hers already. I secretly hate her. (Not really, Meredith, but if you begin to miss making up the lame lines of thanks to little old ladies that gave you stuff you didn't even register for, let me know).

I have been terrible at writing thank you notes since the wedding. Like I didn't write any at all for two months:) But I really am on a schedule now and write 20 a day. Stinks. But I have to do it if I'm going to finish by Emily Post's six-month deadline!

CaringBridge Page for Daddy

2008-07-31T18:11:00.001-07:00

I set up a CaringBridge page for Daddy in case you want to keep up with him.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ronniebrown

Dog Sitting

2008-07-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Mark and I kept Ladi (for my former roommate Sharon's dog) for the past four nights. We picked Ladi up on Saturday night when we got back into town and she's stayed with us until today when Sharon got home from the beach.

I am so glad Ladi came to visit! I miss her more than I realized. And she and Mark had a blast together. From the time Mark and I started dating, Ladi was obsessed with him, and she still is. If he goes to the bathroom, she sits outside the door and waits until he comes out. When he takes a shower, she sits outside the shower and whines until he's finished (see photos).

Mark likes to pretend that it's just because he's Mark that Ladi likes him so much, but I know that it's really because he "accidentally" drops food on the floor for her and that got her hooked.

I have been wanting a dog so badly lately, and Mark keeps telling me that we have to wait. I think he thought a few nights with Ladi would make me remember that dogs are work. But it didn't work. I still want one of my own! However, we're going to keep my parents' dog, Benjamin, for the months that Mother and Daddy are in Nashville. So, we'll actually have a dog from mid-September until Christmas.

Daddy Update

2008-07-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Mark and I drove to Golden last night to my parents' house. Daddy had his six-month check up with his doctor at Vanderbilt on Thursday, and fearing what the news might be, Mark and I decided to go home. I am glad we did, as the news we feared became our fate--Daddy will soon undergo a bone marrow transplant.

A bone marrow transplant is a procedure that transplants healthy bone marrow into a patient whose bone marrow is not working properly. A bone marrow transplant may be done for several conditions including blood diseases, immune deficiencies, and various forms of cancer. In my Daddy's case, he has myleodisplasia--a stage of pre-leukemia that will turn into leukemia eventually if left untreated. A bone marrow transplant is the only cure.

They want to do the transpalnt soon--and Daddy is ready. Ready to get on a real road to recovery because he hates the treatments he's taking and how they make him feel. And the treatments will never cure him, just slow down the progression of the disease itself.

The transplant itself is pretty simple--like a blood transfusion essentially. And he has two perfect donors, his older brother and other sister.

After the transplant, the hospitalization period will be about 100 days during which time he will be isolated and under strict monitoring because of the increased risk of infection. He'll live with my mother in an "apartment" off Vanderbilt's campus and travel daily to the hospital for check-ups. He will require attentive follow-up care for several months following the first 100 days. And then it may take six months to a year for his immune system to fully recover from this procedure.

However, once he does recover, he's good as new. And he's ready for it. As we all are. He feels pretty good right now, but please keep us all in your prayers. There's a lot of questions to be answered that won't come easy. They have to set a date, of course, and then we face the details of my parents being away from home for three or more months. It's going to be a long road.

Spring Break '08

2008-07-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Mark and I traveled to Orlando this past weekend for Eric Jones and Ashley Ledford's wedding. Mark and Eric are friends from college and Mark was one of Eric's groomsman. We were joined on the trip by our friends Tress and Andy and Rob and Lindsey.

And there are no words. It was like Spring Break, only we're older and it hurts worse. I'll have to tell you the stories in person. But here are some pics from our trip.

Our rented Suburban

The Boys: Andy, Rob & Mark

We rode in the very, very back and Mark was very happy.

Kassi and Mark

The bride and groom led the
crowd in some Bon Jovi.

Ashely is from Louisiana originally, and there were lots
of fun Southern influences. Magnolia centerpieces, pralines
as gifts for all the guests, Hurricanes, shrimp and grits
and cornbread muffins.

Kassi and Mark

Andy and Tress

Lindsey showing us what Rob's
tuxedo shirt looked like on Sunday
morning. This photo doesn't do
the grass stains justice.

Wedding Photos

2008-07-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Beginning Again

2008-07-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

The first time I started blogging was in 2005. Long before anyone I knew had their own blog--actually, at the time, most asked what blogging was. About the time everyone else started blogging, I opted out. But, now, with my friends and family spread all over the world, I decided that maybe I'd give it another go. So let me attempt to catch you up since my last post in December 2006:

New job.
New house.
New husband.

Life with Rushing is fabulous. And quite entertaining. Being a newlywed has its interesting moments, and lacks the drama I've previously survived. Thank goodness. Now, my days are filled with love and a whole lot of laughing. And it's better than I'd ever dreamed of.

Photos to come from the honeymoon and wedding....