As time would always have it, yet again the blogsphere got left behind in the wake of our ever moving life. As such I regret to announce that it is with heavy heart that I again attempt to catch up by listing off the various adventures we have encountered since last you saw us... which was nearly a year ago. Never the less I must continue for those select few who actually care to read the blog... and if nothing else it gives me something to do on these cool summer nights.
Thanksgiving in Georgia - November 2011
August starting approaching us very quickly shortly after our Honeymoon in August of 2011. We had barely gotten home and unloaded our bags when we started looking for more teaching jobs for Katie. The month rolled on hoping beyond hope that maybe we might find something by the beginning of the School Year or at the very least the end of August. When the hopes ran dry and all else failed Katie decided to go and interview with a Bank... and she got the job. Changing careers for her might have been one of the greater things that happened. On top of the awesome benefits we both get to enjoy now, Katie found herself at home a lot more during the nights then when she had been teaching. Surprisingly enough the salary she began making at the bank was on par if not greater then her short life as a teacher.
September hit us with little remembrance other then the desire for Katie to use her new time off she had acquired at her new job. We decided to go out to Atlanta in November to visit my brother, his wife and their five girls. We got ourselves loaded up, landed, rode the Marta into town and had a blast visiting and hardly relaxing as we played along with the girls and caught up on important conversations with my brother and his wife.
Remember those friends we made on the cruise ship? They just so happened to live in Georgia and made it a special visit to come into the city of Atlanta and drive us around. It was very entertaining, hearing the stories of these couples and their place in the history of Atlanta. We saw all the landmarks, all the sights, and on one off-handed occasion accidentally crossed the wrong side of the tracks and wound up in a very depressing and shabby part of town.
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| Cartersville, Georgia... Don't ask me how we got here. |
We ate at a local spot known as the Varsity, an acclaimed and honored restaurant just up the road from Georgia Tech. I want to apologize for any and all who might have eaten at this restaurant and found yourself enjoying it. The food was horrendous! I'm not talking stomach-able. The fries were slippery with grease, the food processed beyond any original animal recognition. Even the soda was flat and jejune. Luckily after our date with the "Old-Timers" we made it back to my brother's house and enjoyed sandwiches instead.
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| Welcome to Marketing... Wanna buy a Coke now? |
Aside from hanging out with family, Katie and I also took the opportunity to explore the World of Coke in Atlanta. While obviously playing up to the ideals of Americana via Caffeinated Beverages the place was pretty cool. After watching a video about the magic of Coca-Cola, they then take you into a large room with multiple side rooms. One such takes you into the art of Marketing including foreign ads, athlete sponsored ads, and general Coca-Cola wall-art. Another room leads you through a mock bottling facility, and another into a theater where you can watch thirty minutes of Coca-Cola commercials. In the end it was worth the time at least to get a chance to see all the things that have come out of the company for nearly 100 years. It was a huge part of the American identity back in them days, and even today. Oh Coke... how can I ever quit you...
The Newlywed Christmas - December 2011
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| Ho! Ho! Ho! Good luck sleeping tonight!! |
Buying gifts for your three older brothers, and two younger sisters is hard enough. Add getting married on top of that and suddenly you are buying for a whole new set of Brothers and Sisters. Our first Christmas together official began when we returned home from our Thanksgiving trip in Georgia. After being dropped off by Katie's father we raced upstairs and were blinded by a sudden light glaring from our back porch. When upon further investigation we found that our apartment had not been left alone despite promises that nothing would have happened to it. Instead we find the culprit, a cartoon Santa flying a single rider plane through the sky with a flag waving behind him with the insignia: Merry Christmas. The whole thing was on a timer and was great for a laugh during the dismal December nights but after coming home to Neon Illuminated Darkness night after night the thing quickly got old and was unplugged except for the few days leading up to the actual holiday.
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| Don't let that smile fool you, I'm really crying. |
Katie found a new project during December as well. We had bought a sewing machine with some of the generous gift money that was given to us for our wedding. During the entire month of December my mother had been attempting to get Katie and I to attend Church with them on Christmas Morning (as it fell on a Sunday). Katie kept going through the month hearing this request over and over and suddenly got an idea... an awful idea... The Katie got a wonderful, awful idea. She decided to make matching Christmas Vests for us to wear to Church with my parents. According to her philosophy "If we are going, at least we can embarrass them somehow." Katie's plan worked, and while perhaps not causing quite the scene she was hoping for at least the Christmas Vests were talked about for a few weeks if not more. We actually received quite a few compliments and Katie was asked several times on how she went about making the vests to begin with.
Another Christmas here and gone, the only difference was this was our first as an official family. The month was ended with good will and cheer for all and of course the tradition of Denver Zoo Lights. 2011 was a good year for both of us. We got married, enjoyed a cruise together, changed careers, visited family in Georgia and new friends, and made it back in time to slow down and enjoy each other.
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| Klondike and Snow... still in our Neon hearts. |
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| It's Christmas! Can we go back to bed now... |
Join us next time for the exciting conclusion of... Catching Up Da' Blog!
