Edifice Fall Festival

Last Saturday was our annual Fall Festival at work. It is held in our parking lot. This year's festival was much more enjoyable than last year's. For starters, I'd only been working here for about a month last year and really didn't know anyone that well. This year we had a Ferris Wheel (Eric, the owner was giddy about that). I'm not a fan of the Ferris Wheel in general, much less one that is toted from place to place on the back of a truck. However, Mike wore me down and we rode it and I lived to blog about it. It did have a nice view of uptown at night.

All the employees and many owners and subs came along with their kids. The kids had a bouncy slide thing and there was face and pumpkin painting. There were two video game consoles set up. The kids (and many uncoordinated adults) played Guitar Hero and the Wii Sports games. There was a cake walk for prizes and a best beard contest. The fellas at the office grew beards for about a month in preparation. There were clowns, magicians, and a bluegrass band. It had all the Fall Festival 'musts'. This is a picture of my co-worker, Candace, and her adorable little boy, Lance:

And finally, there, of course, was food. Eric and a co-worker stay the night in Eric's RV in the parking lot tending to two whole pigs on the BBQ. There was BBQ, thanks to the two pigs, chicken and all the fixings. Mike loves the grilled corn-on-the-cob...yuck!! There were lots of hungry guests. This is all that was left of the pigs...warning...not for the vegetarian reader...

Edifice Tribe "Run for the Hills"

Eric, the owner of Edifice, put together a motorcycle ride that included any employee that wanted to go and a few subcontractors. We left from work on Friday morning and rode to Hiawassee, GA. We stayed two nights in Hiawassee and came home on Sunday. Friday was pretty much spent getting to GA. Saturday we rode all around the area and enjoyed the scenery and the views!!

We went to the famous 'Dragon's Tail' at Deal's Gap. It's NC/TN best known motorcycle road. It claims to have 318 curves in 11 miles. We rode it and I'm not sure I counted 318 curves?? But now we can all say we've 'ridden the dragon!'

We also stopped at NC's last virgin forest. There were some HUGE poplar trees. The only thing was we had to walk a LONG ways to get to these trees!! Let's just say, once you've seen one big tree, you've seen them all...maybe except for the Redwoods, which I have yet to see.

On Friday, after we arrived in Hiawassee, Mike and I took a little side trip before dinner. We rode to Helen, GA. It was about 30 minutes away. I read a story in the Observer a few years ago about Helen, GA and I've always remembered it and wanted to go. So, this was my chance. It is basically a tourist trap, but the town looks like an Alpine Village.

Edifice built a church about 2 years ago in Hiawassee so we attended services on Sunday morning before we headed for home.

There were a few 'incidents' along the way, we were only the cause of one. The shield for my helmet blew off on Hwy 74 going towards Hendersonville. Mike and I turned around and we saw it on the road. However, before we were able to get turned back around to get it, a big 18-wheeler came along and needless to say, the shield was no more. No biggie, I bought another helmet in Hendersonville (I needed a new one anyway!). One guy dropped his bike and then tried to ride off with another group of riders (we got him back though). Then on Saturday one of our group set the fire alarm off at the hotel. He burnt his toast, but he likes it burnt!!

I need to take a brief moment to say just how generous Eric is. When he said he wanted to get a bike ride together, I thought, OK, this has been a slow vacation year, Mike and I can afford to go. Well, I underestimated Eric. He paid for EVERYTHING but the gas!! How fantastic was that!! I really do work for a great company with a great owner. He really does try to take care of his employees and is very generous with his money!!

Here are a few more scenic pics:

Cabinets are Here!!

Well, our cabinets were installed about a week ago. I was very happy with how they turned out. The granite should be installed this week. Loser Builder says that he hopes to be done by next Friday, the 17th. I wouldn't bet on it, but we are getting very close. He better be done by the end of the month because I'll be homeless then. But I can't worry about that now...I'm sure our friends Rob and Carla will let us sleep on their couch for a while :)

The green cabinet is in the guest bathroom and the other cabinet is in the master bathroom. There are two of the same cabinets in the master bathroom, one for me and one for Mike.

These are the kitchen cabinets. I must say that the dining room paint looks really neon green in the kitchen cabinets picture number two. Hmm, it doesn't look that green in person. Anyway, the cabinet maker said we shouldn't put them in so early. He said we needed to wait until the floor was sanded and finished. Of course, Loser Builder didn't agree so they were put in before the floors were finished. Well, after a week of being in the house, the corners of the island have been scuffed and scratched so bad that they are going to have to be repaired. I think someone draped an electrical cord around the island. All this damage and the floors haven't even been finished yet. I'm trying to not worry too much about it. I've told Loser Builder that his loser subs have already damaged my pretty cabinets. So, we'll see how much damage there is when it's all said and done.

New Fall TV Schedule

Well, some new shows and some returning shows have premiered in the recent weeks. Since I am a fairly big TV watcher, I thought I give you my opinion on the shows I'm watching.

Fringe
This is a new show on Fox from the creators of Lost. I am really loving this show. The storyline is a continuing mystery with a different mini mystery to solve each week. The characters are enjoyable and easily likable. It only makes since that I'd like this show since I love Lost. My only complaint so far is that the over-riding mystery of the show is still a little vague and is very slow to be explained.

The Mentalist
I have only watched one episode and I'd say it was only so-so. I really like Simon Baker's character, but I really don't like the female lead detective. She was on the first season of Prison Break, she was a lawyer. Anyway, her voice is too whiny and she seems to be too frail to be a tough, hard core detective. So, she isn't very believable. The Mentalist's 'talents' seems to be a bit lame right now too. He is supposed to be very observant and can thus pass as a psychic, but so far, that hasn't been too convincing. I taped last night's episode, so I'll give it another shot.

Prison Break
I am no longer a die hard fan. Last season was the beginning of the end. I really thought the storyline was lame and the way they broke out of prison #2 was just too corny. The start of this season put the nail in the coffin. When Scofield had all the tattoos on his chest and arms removed in one sitting without anesthesia, that was the end for me. Come on, how stupid can you get?!?!? The whole first episode was just dumb in my opinion, not to mention that I thought the acting was just terrible. I'm really tired of the 'whisper talking' that Scofield does. So, although Mike still watches, I no longer pay it any attention.

Finally, my tried and true reality shows are back, The Amazing Race and Survivor. Although I swore off 24 toward the end of last season (I didn't even watch the last couple of episodes), I may have to give it another shot. The commercials look intriguing and the storyline appears to be very different from the 24 standard. Jack doesn't appear to be running around L.A. in record time saving America from impending doom.

Breast Cancer Awareness Walk

Saturday was the three mile walk. Edifice, my employer, was a sponsor of the walk and we also formed a team to raise money and awareness. Thanks to all my friends and family that were kind enough to donate to the cause. There were a few employees from work that made it to the walk on Saturday. I took my dog, Yana. I know, many of you who know Yana may be wondering why I took her and not Foggy. Well, it's simple, Foggy would have tried to kill any other four legged creature he came across. Yana loves attention and I figured with all the other people that she'd be able to make it 3 miles. Plus, it was overcast and a little rainy that morning. Well, she did beautifully, at first. There were a lot of pink balloons around and she desperately wanted a balloon. We started the walk and she immediately had to 'lighten her load', if you get my drift. Luckily, I had thought ahead and brought a plastic bag to scoop the poop. But then I had to carry said poop for about a mile and a half. Yana continued to be a trooper. At about the two mile mark she started to fade. I stopped and let my group go on so that Yana could have a little break and I gave her some much appreciated water. The next half mile she was slow but we were making progress. Then, with about a half mile left, she just refused to walk. We were on the sidewalk out of peoples way at least. So, I'd go squat beside her and tell her how great she was doing and we'd start walking again. She'd walk for a few more blocks and then stop again and the whole cycle would repeat. She did get a lot of encouragement from passing walkers (that wasn't embarrassing!)! Then we came upon a big hill and Yana does not like hills. So, about half way up she stopped and there was no restarting her this time. So, yes, I had to carry my fifty pound dog up the hill (again, not embarrassing at all)! But after that I could see the end and she must have sensed it too because she didn't stop again and we made it, thank goodness we made it!!!!! I was super proud of her. Here she is at the end, recuperating...


On a more serious note, it was inspiring to see all the many breast cancer survivors and all the people that came out to support them. I saw a former client of mine, and breast cancer survivor, as well. It was great to see her again. Also, Rose, our office manager, walked with her sister, who is a two time survivor. Those two had the best time together and boy do they look alike.

It was a fun time and Yana has gotten her walking in for the rest of the year!!

Baby Pictures!!

What a cutie!!!! My sister Susan and I met our niece Virginia for the first time on Monday night. She is just too adorable for words!! I mean, look at that face!! She's so tiny, you just want to snuggle her close to you.

As soon as she was born she was taken to the nursery to receive oxygen. She was having some trouble breathing. While Susan and I were visiting the new parents, new mom Kathy was able to hold her precious new baby for the first time in the nursery. It was a very sweet moment and I feel honored that we were able to be there.

Only parents and grandparents are allowed in the nursery so Susan and I were bummed! We were really wanting to hold the little cutie!! Lucky for us, soon after Kathy was able to hold her, she was able to come off the oxygen and was brought to the room for the first time. Then new dad Reiggin was able to hold her for the first time also. The family will be going home today to start their new lives together...

First family photo!

Mom and Virginia...how sweet!!!

Proud new aunts...Susan and Lisa (I look like a natural, I know)!

Kathy is such a loving and forgiving person, Virginia is lucky to have her as her mother! Kathy may miss sleeping in but I know she wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world.

Not much longer and sister #2 (Susan) will be a new Mom too...only 3 1/2 more months and there will be more newborn pictures to post!! Can't wait!!

Baby Virginia has arrived!!!

Just a quick post to announce that at 5:50am this morning, I became an aunt for the first time!!! My sister Kathy had her first baby, Virginia Lee Hilderbrand. She weighted 6lbs. and 9oz. Kathy started having contractions yesterday around 3 pm. She went to the hospital at about 5:30pm and didn't have Virginia until this morning. So, she is very tired after a long labor. I will go visit this evening after work. I will post pictures tomorrow!!