Free Fallin'

Yes we did it. Woody's family talked us in to jumping out of a "perfectly good airplane" at 14,000 ft (approximately 2.5 vertical miles). This is past the point in commercial airliners when the flight attendant informs passengers that they can now operate electronic devices. The jump consisted of a 9,000 ft free fall in about 60 seconds and an excruciating ascent in a plane, with no seats, to our "final destination". There were about 15 jumpers in our group packed in a small plane like sardines. Most were single jumpers, some military, and three tandem jumpers with thier instructors. Woody and I each had a photographer/videographer and were forced to become instant best friends with a perfect stranger whom we were strapped to, very tightly, at the shoulders and hips from behind. I chose Bob becasue he looked as if he would cushion my fall should we encounter a crash landing. Woody didn't have a choice. The jockey-sized instructor always got the big guys to even out the weight for the parachute.

Instructors: "Who get's Tiny? Aren't you late for your NBA game Dude?"

Woody: LOL

Instructors: "How tall are you?"

Woody: "6ft 6in"

Jockey: "I'll take him!"

I drilled Bob with questions hoping to have a bonding experience before "risking my life for a thrill" as the instruction video put it.

Me: "How many times have you done this, hundreds?"

Bob: "Thousands."

Me: "Have you ever been hurt?"

Bob: "Never."

Me: "Have you every had anyone pass out on you during the free fall?"

Bob: "No"

Me: "Be honest!"

Bob: "Okay, only one. It was an man with a chronic illness in the last stages of his life."

Me: "Have you ever been peed on?"

Bob: "No, but are you in to that?"

As we became up close and very personal with our instructor during the ascent, we straddled the poor soul in front of us. There was no time to think, no time to back out. We walked to the door somewhat unwilling. WHOOSH! It was exhilarating yet beautiful. A little loud and windy I might add. Your mind cannot quite comprehend what you are about to put your body through. Will it be like a rollercoaster, like a dream of falling from a cliff (or out of the bed)? Neither! Words cannot express the feeling. And before you even know it, the experience is over. Would I do it again? Yes! Was it worth it? Absolutely! How much was the aerial photograpy and video? Priceless!

Bottles and Cans & Devil Ray Fans

In mid-October, I was sent to Tampa, FL to attend a Solid Waste & Recycling Summit, exciting I know. But these are the thrills and the kind of issues that I deal with when working for local governments: 33 Mayors and 17 County Judge-Executives precisely. Mom tagged along for the week and while in Tampa, we had the opportunity to spend time with long-lost cousins we had never met and visited my long-lost childhood friend Ashley. Ashley and I have known each other since birth; I litterally greeted her on the day she was born on my way out of the hospital as a newborn. It just so happened that during the Summit, games 1 and 2 of the World Series were being played at "The Trop", Tropicana Field, and the actual trophy was on display at Tampa City Hall. Too bad the Rays lost because I spent a fortune on Christmas gifts at the Tampa Bay Rays Official MLB store. And no I'm not revealing any soon-to-be Christmas gifts because Woody charmed me into giving his early. What can I say? I give in easily when hiding something. Ask my friends; I laugh hysterically when I am lying. Here are a few pics from our fabulous trip.

Clearwater Beach

Childhood peeps at Longboat Key


Longboat Key


Mom with 2008 World Series trophy


Tampa City Hall

On Top of Ole' Smokey

A few pics from a weekend getaway celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary. Not only did we find a luxurious establishment named after me, but learned that Woody had grown a whole inch this year!

Max-A-Million

Meet Max. He is a 5 month old, or so, mutt with calico hair and deep brown eyes. He loves walks in the neighborhood, wrestling with his cousin Zaxby, aggravating Iddy Bitty and Jasmine, chasing cats, rolling around in poop and eating bugs. He is the pride and joy of the Wood family adopted from the Nelson County Humane Society on September 27th, Weasel's birthday.

Max was a stray found in Bardstown, KY and doesn't like to eat dog food out of a bowl. He is a finicky eater, just like me, and prefers to eat off of the ground, just as any stray would. No, I'm not saying that I was a stray and like to eat from the ground, I just know what I like and how I like it. Max was formerly named "Scruffles" by his Humane Society friends but prefers Max, Maxwell, Maxamillion and sometimes, Snugglemuffin.

Max's adoption day was very emotional; one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. There were so many homeless animals in the shelter that day but I gave myself a pep talk before walking in. "You are here for one dog and one dog only." I forced myself into tunnel vision without having to look into the eyes of another soul in need.

Earlier that day, we decided to pass along an opportunity to adopt a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix found along side I-64 with his litter mates. There were about 80 others waiting to adopt him and Woody and I decided that "Scruffles" deserved a chance more so than one who had a line of people waiting to adopt him. Max was located on petfinder.com, a website filled with hundreds of thousands of pure bred and mixed homeless animals, from puppies to seniors, all across the U.S. Max's face just spoke to me.

If you are wondering, "What, exactly, kind of breed is Max?"; we believe he is a pure bred mutt. A little terrier, a little shih tzu, a little schnauzer, maybe some beagle thrown into the mix, it doesn't matter. Max is a wonderful addition and has already added so much happiness to our family.

How's Married Life?

There is an unwritten rule for topics of conversation with newlyweds; "How's married life?" As the newlywed-ness wears off, conversation leads to "When ya'll gonna have a baby?" We've come to expect this question, nonetheless, and I'm here to say, I love being married but I'm not ready to be a mother... just yet. In fact, I still don't feel like a grown up. I don't feel old enough to be a married woman, let alone old enough to be a mother. I don't feel old enough to have the responsibilities of 401Ks, IRAs, health/home/auto insurance, mortgage, bills, and all of the headaches that come along with grown up things. I'm only 26 for goodness sakes!

But the truth of the matter is, I am one of the happiest married women you will find. Yesterday was our 1 Year Wedding Anniversary and boy what a year it has been. I feel so blessed to be married to my best friend, my hero, and my soul mate. I don't know were life would have taken me without the love and support I get from Woody. Although neither of us really love suburban life in Lexington, we do our best to make each other happy with what the Lord has blessed us with. He has truly provided for us this year with a wonderful church, a house, one fabulous car, one heck-of-a V8 "Big Boy Toy", stable jobs, very little debt with the exception of our house, and more recently, Max the Mutt. Our house has slowly transformed from college hand-me-down mis-matched rooms to a home of furniture that reflects our personalities, well almost. Oh what a joy it is to finally have matching furniture! What a feeling it is to feel taken care of by my husband and provided for by our Lord. What a blessing this year has been! Our dreams of country living and having children will come soon enough. We will welcome the opportunity with open arms when the timing is right.

More to come on Max the Mutt and our Anniversary weekend in the Smokies...

YO - HO, A Pirate's Life For Me

There are so many topics to write about since my last post and so little time between our latest great adventures and our next great adventure. So today I've decided to celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Yes, that's today! To view your pirate name and personality, hear pirate songs, or for a pirate translator, visit: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html. The picture above was taken almost a year ago on our Honeymoon. Woody was in charge of off-shore excursions for our day in St. Lucia. We were all aboard a pirate ship, featured in Pirates of the Caribbean, and I must say, it was one of the most memoriable days of our Honeymoon. Lots of RUM!

Ahoy Maties!

Licensed to Conceal

Woody has been "aiming" to get his CCDW (Carry Concealed Deadly Weapon) license for years now. It just so happened that some friends of ours were taking the class and Woody jumped at the chance to take the day-long course. I decided I might as well take the course with him, just in case I happened to be pulled over while driving his "big boy toy" (what I call his Toyota Tundra) with his concealed weapon lurking in the glove box. And, just in case I feel the need to pack heat in my car or on my ankle. There are a few sketchy locations in Lexington where I would feel safer packin' heat, but I also feel gun laws in this nation may soon change, or not depending on November 4th, so I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. Obtaining the license and passing the 20-shot field test also makes "Weasel" (Dad) very proud of his sharp-shooting, NRA-supporting, rifle-aiming, pistol-drawing daugther. Besides, Dad taught me from a young age to always respect and care for firearms the same whether they were loaded or un-loaded.

What qualifies as a concealed deadly weapon you might ask?

• Any weapon from which a shot, readily capable of producing death or serious physical injury, may be discharged.


• Any knife other than an ordinary pocket knife or hunting knife.


• Billy, nightstick, or club.


• Blackjack or slapjack.


• Nunchaku karate sticks.


• Shiriken or death star.


• Artificial knuckles made from plastic, or other similar hard material.

So the next time you see me, I may be concealing brass knuckles, a billy club, revolver, or slapjack. I'm licensed to conceal baby!

Disclosure: Woody refused to pose for the photo "shoot". He thought the shadow man with holes didn't compliment his outfit while in the deserted rock quarry.

A Tribute to Blake

Two years ago, I received one of the most devastating phone calls of my life. One of my best friends, Blake, did not survive a car accident. Blake had just celebrated his 25th birthday and had recently been granted custody of his son, Lucas. I had called Blake several times throughout the last couple of weeks and was awaiting his phone call. I was so happy for him and Lucas and his entire family. I never got the phone call, but over the last two years, I still have dreams about the memories we shared, dreams about him not really being gone, dreams about the terrible news, and some dreams where he just randomly shows up. Here are a couple of things that bring back sweet memories of Blake:

AC/DC

Lynard Skynard

Rolling Stones (he loved the song, "Girl I Miss You")

Pink Floyd

David Alan Coe

Rebel Flags

Gibson guitars

Alabama "Crimson Tide"

Football

Chevy Trucks

"Roy-al with Cheese"

Mane N' Tail Shampoo

Crown and Coke

The only 6th grader with a beard

Snowsking in coveralls

My friend Lori tanning his name on her stomach in Middle School

Making "concoctions" with his school lunch leftovers

Referring to himself as "Bwake" (his little brother's name for him when they were kids)

Blake lived life on the edge and sometimes I feel he was a little misunderstood. Mom tells me, "Maybe he just had a lot of living to do in his 25 years." Blake holds such a special place in my heart. He was also a great listener. I always told him he should be some kind of therapist or social worker for his abiltiy to put my thoughts and feelings into words when even I couldn't.

One Christmas, Blake gave me an Atlanta Braves hat. He saw me eying it in Hat World at the Fayette Mall. Turns out, my husband had a thing for the Braves and would spot the "girl in the Chi-O jacket and Braves hat" on campus that he could only dream of dating. Little did he know, I would be his wife someday. I give Blake credit for the "tall baseball player guy" finally noticing me.

Friends come in to and out of your life for a reason. Without Blake's friendship, I wouldn't be the person I am today. He made me appreciate, well, the "southern" things in life. And, my husband may never had noticed me without my treasured Braves hat. He wanted the best for me and for all of his friends and family. Blake will always be a best friend and he will always be my watchful guardian. I miss you Blake!

Bodies

While Woody was in Nashville for a guys weekend, I organized a fun mini road trip with a couple of girlfriends this Saturday. I've been "dying" to see the Bodies exhibit since Lana raved about seeing the exhibit in Chicago years ago while I still worked at Root-A-Bakers.

Medicine has always been a big part in my life. With parents in the medical field (Dad no longer) and having a fascination of the human body, I've witnessed surgeries, explored cadavers, and become engrossed in Discovery Channel presentations on the subject.

Seeing these perfectly preserved bodies at the Cincinnati Museum Center made me realize why scientists, doctors and researchers still have so much to learn about the body's complexity and response to disease. Why wouldn't I want my otherwise decomposing dead body to be studied and possibly contribute toward a cure for disease? Well, ultimately it is a decision for my family, but I thought the exhibit was very respectful of the deceased.

You may have heard the controversy surrounding the Bodies exhibit. That these unclaimed, unidentified bodies were the remains of incarcerated Chinese prisoners. Whether they are or aren't, the exhibit honors the bodies just as the Egyptians honor mummies, without all of the jewels of course. On second thought, maybe I did see a few jewels. LOL, oh I just crack myself up. Should they just be placed in an unmarked grave for all to forget without a proper ceremony? What I witnessed was a respectable presentation of science and human life. From the moment our LIFE begins in the womb (fetal exhibits died in-utero), to birth defects, to the display of lifestyle habits that eventually become fatal.

I would be honored to be preserved, parts of me or the whole thing. I think I would make a fine specimen. However, I think my husband and I will stick together and rest in peace along side one another someday in our earthly bodies. And someday we will be together in Heaven, spiritually, with our Father.

After spending the day with the Chinese, we treated ourselves to The Cheesecake Factory. I had ice cream for dessert, because I think the words "cheese" and "cake" don't belong together and the thought of the two together really grosses me out. Our meal was fabulous but our waiter was, what Woody would say, " a few chicken nuggets short of a happy meal".

The exhibit and the entire day was, well, to die for.

http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/

Hidey-Ho Neighbor

Everyone has a funny neighbor story or experience. I've heard some people even have nick names for their neighbors. Since purchasing our home last August, I've always wondered whether the appearance of our neighbor's house and yard would affect the value of ours. How so?

In an effort to protect their identity, I will call them Tim and Jill. Tim and Jill are middle-aged to retired folks who love to decorate their home for every holiday event. They have two storage buildings in their tiny yard that store such festive decorations. One might compare them to the Griswold's but I think it becomes a little more tacky than that at times. The Griswold's are classy and consistent, making sure every light counts. Tim and Jill display a hodge podge of singing Santa Claus', Santa in a helicopter with propellers spinning 24-7, a combination of clear lights and colored lights (one of my pet peves) adorning the eves and gutters, some lights a constant glow while others twinkle in a pattern, and every lighted Christmas shape imaginable; from reindeer to snowmen, from elves to baby Jesus.

We only celebrate Chirstmas once a year right? Well, Tim and Jill celebrate from Halloween night (literally hanging the Chirstmas lights as trick-or-treaters pass by) until well after MLK Day. Tim and Jill even have lovely orange and black Halloween lights that highlight the trim surrounding their screened-in garage / UK sports / billiard room. Yes, you heard me. Tim and Jill have screened in thier lovely two-car garage, leaving the garage door of course, and have turned it into a rec room for all the neighborhood to see. They have just about every fashionable lawn ornament you could imagine which compliments their bright yellow trim on gray siding.

Tim and Jill are sweet folks and we have a wonderful realtionship. I wouldn't trade them for the world. Tim and Jill remind me of home, where the stresses of zoning and strict neighborhood or builiding associations are non-existant. Ahh, brings back sweet visions of trailer parks mixed in with mini mansions. Tim and Jill have a sense of ruralness with a tweek of redneck. I love it! It gives me a sense of home while living here in suburbian hell.

As we settled into our house, we got to know more people in the neighborhood and had more guests at our home. The common topic of discussion was the neighbors of course. "You don't live in the Chirstmas house do you, the one with yellow trim?" or "What happened to thier garage? They've screened it in."

Tim and Jill are great despite their tastes. As I was washing my car Wednseday evening, Tim and Jill were painting thier bright yellow trim. At first I thought they were giving the faded bright yellow a freshening up, but I had a double-take when I realized they were actaully painting it a dark gray. Yea for gray!

I love Morehead!

Well, here I created a blog, told everyone about it, and failed to post anything for two weeks.

For starters, I love Morehead. I cherish every moment I spend in Morehead b/c it is home. I never wanted to leave but job opportunities keep us tied down in Lexington. It is nice to be able to visit just about any retailer I want and most times during a lunch break, but this is the only advantage to living in Lexington. But I will admit, we have alot of friends in Lexington and found a great church, NorthEast Christian Church. Okay, now those are really the only good things. And no, its not the restaurant varieties that makes Lexington special. What I crave is Morehead Wendy's, the freshest, fastest drive-through in the world! I crave La Finca, Melini's, and Pasquale's! Yeah, sure we have our favorite restaurants in Lexington but we are repeat customers there as well. I guess I grew up with limited menu options and that is what I long for. I know what I like and I don't really care for trying anything new.

I love our house in Lexington we bought from the stripper, an entirely different story, and it is one of the most private lots in the suburbs. Our house is only surrounded by two other houses instead of five or six looking through your every window and down on your backyard, if you call what we have a back yard. Our house is plenty for the two of us but not suitable for a family. I guess it doesn't help that Greg and I were both raised on 15 or so acres... I just want a little privacy, some acreage, a pond, and maybe a few head of cattle, for aesthetic and mowing purposes, not for beef of course. Hmmm...maybe a filet or two wouldn't hurt.

I miss walking into the Morehead Wal-Mart and not meeting a stranger. I miss being able to drive to Cave Run and hop on a boat in a moment's notice with friends. I miss the hills, the trees, going 4-wheeling, and driving past the places everyday I've made memories throughout my entire life. I am a different person when I'm in Morehead and I thank God Woody appreciates the place almost as much as I do. It is a true southern community I hope my children grow to love. It is the Muskie Capital of the South. It is the Hardwood Capital of the World. Someday I will call it home again and someday I will breathe my last breath at home in Morehead.

The Official Groundbreaking

Well, here goes. Lately, and by lately I mean yesterday, I've been inspired to archive my life with Woody. Maybe someday our blog will include stories of pregnancy(s) and our children but for now, it is just the two of us. Not that Woody and I are expecting to expect soon, or within the next five years... It was my friends that have children and blog their lives that inspired me. What a wonderful way to share with those closest to them and those that are physically separated. What a wonderful way to share your life with those without facebook i.e. our parents, grandparents, and some of my best friends who are too stubborn and think facebook is, well, childish and immature.

The title of our blog was inspired by an abundance of knick knack souvenirs I come across in places like Marshall's, Home Goods, and various woodsy gift shops as found in Pigeon Forge (I hate that place) and throughout Appalachia. What can I say, I love the woods so the name seemed appropriate. Welcome to the Woods!