A to Z about me!

Carly motivates me to keep blogging.  Besides, I can't resist a questionnaire!

A - Age: 30

B - Biggest Fear: Oh, you know... the big sleep.

C - Current Time: 6:55 P.M.

D: Drink You Last Had: Besides water, La Croix.  Apple-Berry flavor.

E - Easiest Person to Talk To: Leyla.

F - Favorite Song: I recently saw the Alabama Shakes in concert and I'm a big fan of The Greatest off their new album, Sound and Color.

G - Grossest Memory: Recently I was watching my niece Charlotte.  She was naked right before bath time and we were playing when she started to poop.  I screamed!

H - Hometown: Ryland Heights, Kentucky - it's about 15 minutes from downtown Cincinnati.

I - In Love With: My BKR water bottle.

J - Jealous Of: People that can seemingly eat whatever they want and never gain weight!

K - Kindest Person You Know: Mara.

L - Life Isn't Complete Without: Sex, drugs and rock and roll.

M - Middle Name: Rose after my maternal grandmother.

N – Number of Siblings: 2.  Older sister Molly and younger brother Elihu.

O – One Wish: To always have a job that I enjoy.

P – Person You Spoke To On The Phone Last: Mr. Louisville.

Q – Question You’re Always Asked: "Are you a nurse?"  When I tell people that I work at Hoxworth Blood Center.

R – Reason To Smile: LIFE.

S – Song You Last Sang: Build me up Buttercup with Charlotte and Molly while I was cooking dinner this evening.

T – Time You Woke Up: 7ish a.m.

U – Underwear Color: Currently white with blue and green hearts.

V – Vacation Destination: Anywhere!  Next up is Vegas and San Diego.

W – Worst Habit: Using a credit card.

X – X-Rays You’ve Had: Only at the dentist.

Y – Your Favorite Food: Chipotle.

Z – Zodiac Sign: Aquarius!

Your turn!

Charleston and Savannah... a timeline!

A belated timeline.

Tuesday -  Depart Louisville and fly to Charleston (via Baltimore).

Arrive in time for a late supper with Carly and Adam at Minero.  Quite delicious!

Wednesday - M and I walk around town and explore a bit.  We hit 10,000 steps before lunch!

Since we were on a Sean Brock streak we lunched at Husk for a delicious lunch.

Pimento cheese and a bibb salad.

Shrimp and grits with a ginger beer.

After lunch we hit the road for Savannah!

In the evening we meet up with friends for happy hour then head out for supper at Blowin' Smoke.
Pretty decent barbecue!  Afterwards, Spanky's!!

Thursday - Pool day with TP. We are professionals but it was HOT!!  That evening, after happy hour we walked a little shy of 2 miles to Elizabeth on 37th Street.  The route took us through many of the squares so it was quite nice.  We were even up for the walk back!

Friday - I met up with TP and Kath in Savannah.  We lunched at Zunzi's and shopped around town.
That evening was the reception for Mr. Louisville's work thing.  It was a work trip after all! Afterwards, we hopped on the ferry across to Savannah and went to 1860 Gastropub.  It was definitely my favorite restaurant we went to in Savannah.

Saturday - Mr. Louisville and I met TP and BP for brunch.  Then TP and I took off for pool day take 2 while Mr. Louisville took a trolley tour.  A trolley caught fire across the river and we watched the whole thing!
We rendevouzed with the group later for $1 oysters and $5 glasses of wine at our hotel restaurant.

Best deal of the trip!!  Afterwards it was dinner at Huey's followed by drinks at Spanky's.

Sunday - Mr. L and I hit the road back to Charelston stopping along the way to visit with my cousin David and his lovely fiance Taylor!  They are living about 30 minutes North of Charelston for a few months so it was nice to sneak in a visit!  We lunched at Graze and caught up back in their apartment.

Afterwards, we headed back to Carly and Adam's.  It was nice to hang out and drink rose while Carly prepared the best meal of the trip!!  Coconut Mango Chicken Fried Rice.  SO GOOD!!
Mr. Louisville and I had a night cap down the street at a neighborhood bar while Carly and Adam watched the Game of Throne season finale.  We returned just in time to catch the end of the NBA final game 6 before calling it a night.

Monday - We left early and grabbed a biscuit to go and then headed home.

A great trip!

Derby week

Derby in Louisville starts on Tuesday...

Tuesday - Winefest.

Tipsy!

Wednesday - Beerfest.

Thursday - Wing Ding.  Annual shindig with wings, beer and an ice luge!

Friday - Oaks & Mr. Louisville's birthday!  We scalped tickets so we'd have a seat and it was a gorgeous day.  We were next to some folks from New York that helped us drink the bourbon we snuck in.

Abbey came!

Bathroom selfie.

Saturday - Derby.

With Tracie and Pam.

All fun and games until you can't get an Uber home...

Sunday - Tired.  But still managed to make it back home and have dinner with me ladies!

Read, Watch, Eat: Volume 3

Read

I'd like to read at least 1 book every month this year.  Last month it was Everything I Never Told You.
I liked the book.  Didn't love it but it was a quick read.

Up next: Girl on the Train.

Watch

Detroit '67 at the Ensemble Theater with my momma.  We have season tickets this year and this was my favorite show yet!  I loved learning more about the Detroit riots and listening to the Motown music.  Overall I thought it was heart-wrenching and beautiful.

Eat
At Kreuger's Tavern in OTR before the show.  This new ditty is of the same Bakersfield and The Eagle restaurant group which are two of my faves!  I'm still thinking about their chopped salad and chicken schnitzel! 

Last weekend...

I ran a 10k.  My third one ever but a personal best!

I went to the NCAA Tournament in Louisville.  I saw UCLA upset SMU, UAB upset Iowa St., Cincinnati upset Purdue and Kentucky dominate Hampton.

As much as I LOVE my Wildcats I still found some time to cheer on Mr. Louisville's Cards.  I'm a lover, not a hater.

I had my first patio drinks of the season pre-gaming for more NCAA madness on Saturday.

I saw Kentucky dominate UC.  I was never worried.  We are going all the way!

Mr. Louisville and I hung out with Payne!  Fun, fun!

I made sloppy joes after the long weekend.  Charlotte loved it!

xoxo

So long, Newport

I closed on my Newport house this week.  It was exciting and a lot of work to pack up and move but I'm thrilled for what's ahead.

But first, a little history:

I moved to Newport in 2008.  I had just started my job at Hoxworth Blood Center as my mom was moving home from grad school.  I found a perfect apartment on Craigslist for $600 a month.  817 York Street. Right between the York St. Cafe and Green Derby.  I had such a fun time in this apartment and remained there until February 2013 when I moved into my house on Washington.  3 blocks away.  Big changes, people!

Things I'll miss about 2008 - 2015 aka MY TWENTIES:

Inviting friends over to hang (in my first apartment).

Decorating a space that was mine, all mine.

Riding my bike across the Roebling (or Purple People) into Ohio for Findlay market trips, MPMF and all the things Cincinnati has to offer.

The original Southgate House and the Southgate House Revival.

Parties!

York Street Cafe.

Telling people about the Brass Ass but only actually going in once.

Hula-hooping with friends.

The first home I bought.

I'll mostly miss living close to all the action but the other things I'll miss about Newport include:
LEYLA!!  Dinners, walks and chats together.
Living close enough to the gym where it didn't feel like a big deal to go.
Living alone (although I'm loving my temporary roomies!).
Newport Pizza Company, Dixie Chili, Mokka, Dewey's Pizza... pretty much all the food.
Live music at Jerzees.
The Hofbrahaus patio with friends.
Walking to the Levee for movies alone.
The Crazy Fox.
Riding my bike around town.

Sigh... Newport, you'll always have a piece of my heart.

Jamaica, a timeline!

A few months back Mr. Louisville said that for my 30th birthday he'd like to take me on a trip.  He's a keeper!  Anyway, right around this time a few friends suggested planning a trip to get us through the winter.  So, it was decided that the 6 of us would all travel together and I became the official trip planner.  It only took me a few days to decide on Jamaica since it was someplace we'd never been.

Jamaica, a timeline!

Saturday
5:00am - Our adventure begins as our friend, John, picks us up for the airport.

6:30am - Our travel companions ran into a few snafus but luckily we all made it on the flight.  First stop, Orlando and then Montego Bay!

12:30pm - We arrive and head to our hotel, Hilton Rose Hall, which ended up being a steal!  A last minute change in rate allowed us to cancel and re-book.  We paid about $425 per night and it was all-inclusive!

1:30pm - A quick change into more appropriate attire and then lunch and drinks at one of the restaurants.

2:30pm - After lunch we walked around (with drinks!!) to check out the grounds. Then we all went to the pool to lounge for the rest of the afternoon.  I couldn't resist a quick dip!

5:30pm - Drinks at Bar King Frog.

6:00pm - Dinner at Three Palms which was the restaurant on the golf course.

Kath, Harry, Mr. Louisville, Me, Brian, Tracie on the first night.

8:30pm - A night cap, or two, then we call it a night.

Sunday
8:00am - I was too excited to sleep in so I was up and at it early!  I went to the gym and knocked out 3.5 miles at about a 9/min/mile pace.  That's the fastest I've run!!  It felt good to get my long run finished since I'm training for a 10k.  But don't be too impressed.  I started strong but didn't make it back to the gym for the rest of the trip.
10:00am - Breakfast with the gang at FRESH.  Then pool time and fun drinks!  They had various fruit slushes that you could mix with any kind of alcohol.  I was fond of the pina colada/strawberry/mango/vodka mix as well as the mudslides!  Red stripe light with lime was the beer option and much of that was had as well.  There was also a drink of the day that we always tried, as well as champagne, red wine... :)

12:30pm - At some point we went back to FRESH for lunch where I loaded up on their salad bar.

4:00pm - Happy Hour!  We went to the resort's swim up bar for a drink then hit up the lazy river.  We'd do two rounds then have another drink, head to the waterslides and then have a soak in the hot tub!  So fun.

7:00pm - After spiffing up we met for a pre-dinner drink. 

8:00pm - Dinner at Luna di Mare.  I loved the lasagna!  After dinner there was always something going on.  Maybe a band, talent show, dancing.  But after dinner we were usually beat and called it a night!

Monday
8:00am - Quick breakfast at FRESH.
9:00am - Excursion day!!   We all traveled about 90 minutes away to Dunn's River Falls for a hike up the falls.  It was fun and intense at times.  I fell a few times but so did some others so it wasn't terribly embarrassing.

Climbing up the falls!

Halfway!

2:30pm - Back at the resort we had a quick snack around the pool and lounged in the sun.

4:00pm - Happy Hour!!  Drinks at the swim up bar, lazy river, water slides, hot tub.  Hey, no use messing up a good thing, am I right?

7:00pm - Dinner at Three Palms. This time, the boys weren't messing around as a few ordered 2 entrees which I thought was hilarious but it was fun to try it all.  Both nights I ordered the same thing: The seafood rundown which had shrimp, scallops, mussels, fish, simmered down in coconut
sauce with jasmine rice. 
After dinner we may have lasted another night cap or two before it was off to bed!

Tuesday
8:30am - It was our last day so I was not messing around.  I woke up early to pick out the best spot for the day by the pool but facing the ocean.  Perfect!!  After a quick bite I proceeded to lounge all day in the sun.  Breaks for lunch, swimming, beach walks and ocean exploring were had at some point but it was the most relaxing, perfect day.

4:00pm - Happy Hour!!  Drinks at the swim up bar, lazy river and extra trips down the water slides since it was our last night followed by a soak in the hot tub.

6:00pm - Sunset drinks on our last night.

7:00pm - Dinner ocean side at Seaside Grill.

Wednesday
8:00am - It's a sad day!  We wake up to lay by the ocean for an hour or 2 and take a walk on the beach. 

12:00pm - Before we know it, it's time to catch our ride to the airport. :(

I'll miss Jamaica but I'm already thinking about the next adventure. 

Yeah, mon.