Happy but sad...

My baby sister is moving in with her boyfriend this weekend. Okay, so she's not really a baby -- she's 22. But, she's always going to be 15 in my eyes. :(

I am really excited for her. She is so happy and excited. She is still in school, so she has continued to live with my parents even after she graduated from high school. So, every time I go home, she is there at my parents' house. It was actually really nice. I liked having my family all in one place.

It's not that she's moving very far; only a few miles. I just am having a hard time accepting that she is an adult. I can't believe that the time has gone by so quickly. It doesn't seem right that she should be moving out on her own.

I knew it would be coming soon... I even got her a "hope chest" for Christmas (a bunch of stuff she'd need when she moved out on her own; stuff like a blender, a toaster, a mixer, etc.). I just kept expecting "soon" to continue to be in the distant future. :S

I also wish that I could be there to help her move in and set up. It is a big step; and I'm her big sister. Isn't this one of those moments that I should be there with her for? I probably would say "screw it" and fly home this weekend if it weren't Philip's birthday on Friday.

This is one of the times where I really don't like living so far away from my family. I miss moments like these. On the other hand, I really love Denver. My family really does need to move closer to me. :P

Oh, well. I am going to surf Amazon.com for a house-warming present for her. Then, I guess I'll just be there in spirit.

Another interview tomorrow

Yep. I have another interview tomorrow. So far, this job search is going pretty well. I've had more bites than what I thought I would. A few got the immediate "No" because they were too far away, but I have had a few promising bites. I really wish that last interview would have panned out; it seemed perfect. However, I'm holding out hope that there is something better.

The interview I have for tomorrow is in Denver. I would have preferred something a little closer, but I'm used to the long drive to work, so it won't kill me. I just have my fingers crossed that it goes well. The job is as an executive administrative assistant. I've done it before. And, if I'm working for a company that I like, I really enjoy the job.

I've done a little searching on the website, and I think it's something that I could enjoy. I will know more tomorrow when I do the actual interview. I spoke with the interviewer on the phone and he seemed very pleasant, so I think it will be a good interview.

The job is only 35 hours per week. I'm not sure what the pay or benefits are for this job, but I'm up for whatever they want to throw at me, so we'll see. Wish me luck! :)

Vacation: Finished.

Phew! That was quite an adventure! Two weeks of vacation. It was long, but wonderful. And, we spent entirely too much time driving.

May 7: Left at around 1:00 AM.

May 7: Arrive in St. Louis, MO at about 12:00 PM. We spent the night there. We stayed at the Westin. It was AMAZING. It's an extraordinary hotel. We decided to splurge a little bit in St. Louis because we were only going to be there for one night and it was the first (and possibly last) time either of us had been to the city. We wandered around the city for a while and we did a tour of the arch. A shuttle took us to the top and we got to look out through windows at the top down on the whole city. It was quite an experience. :)

May 8: Leave around 8:00 AM for Denver.

May 8: Arrive in Denver at our hotel (Boston Commons) at about 6:30 PM. We check in and just relax. :)

May 9: We visit a possible house. It was really nice and the owner was very friendly. That night, we went to the casinos in Black Hawk. It was a cool experience, but the slot machines stole all of my money. lol

May 10: Philip had an appointment at the Sysco in Denver for his transfer and then we visited another possible house. It was 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms with a 3 car garage, fenced in backyard, small storage shed, and finished basement. We really fell in love with the house, but it was outside Denver.

May 11: We visited two houses. One was a definite NO (overpriced, small, bad neighborhood, seriously outdated and dirty). The other was great. In a nice neighborhood, decent sized, close to Denver, and the people were very friendly. We spent the evening going over choices (there were other appointments, but they were rented out before we arrived in Denver). And, we thought that since we had 3 pretty good choices, we didn't really need any more to muddy up the waters!

May 12: After we slept on it, we decided on house number 2. It was further out, but we liked it the best and it was the best deal. We set up an appointment for Friday to settle all the details for the lease. Philip was supposed to have an appointment for his physical for the transfer, but there was a mistake and we had to reschedule. Then, we went to the aquarium. It was AWESOME. I loved it. If you're ever in Denver, definitely do not miss out on that! :)

May 13: We spent the day wandering around downtown Denver. It was really nice. We mostly stayed on the 16th Street Mall. It's not actually a "mall." It's a street with lots and lots of shops and restaurants. It is closed to vehicles (except for the bus that will take you from one end of the street to the other, for free). It was really nice. :)

May 14: We went to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado. It was VERY interesting. I got closer to tigers than I have ever been before. They rescue wild animals from abuse situations. There were lions, tigers, bears, wolves, bobcats, leopards, and even more unusual animals. It was definitely worth a visit. Then, we went shopping at the Northfield Stapleton Mall in North Denver. It was enormous. It's all outdoors and it seems like it goes on forever. We didn't make it through very much of it before it was time for our house appointment. We spent three hours talking to the owners. We actually have a great deal in common with them. We gave them references, etc., and we should be hearing from them soon to see if everything was satisfactory (which it should be!).

May 15: Our one year anniversary. :) We went to a local park and relaxed at our hotel. We got packed up and then we went out to a nice dinner to celebrate. We spent a while researching restaurants in the area (ones with plenty of vegetarian options) and decided on a restaurant called Venice Ristorante & Wine Bar. It was DELICIOUS. Philip started off with pear salad (mmmm...) and I started out with a pureed potato soup (it was amazing!). I had grilled pear ravioli in a gorgonzola sauce. Philip had some sort of chicken with roasted red potatoes. I don't remember much about his because mine was absolutely finger-licking good. He said that his was equally as good. We had creme brulee with strawberries for dessert and it was also great. The meal was absolutely perfect.

May 16: We left at about 9:30 AM (Mountain Time) for home. We drove straight through to Charlotte. We arrived on May 17th at around 11:00 AM. It was a not-so-pleasant drive, mostly because of the length, but we made it through all right. :)

May 17: When we did arrive, we did several loads of laundry. We relaxed and played games with some friends.

May 18: We left for Virginia Beach. haha... yeah, I know. We are definitely gluttons for punishment. We arrived late afternoon. We met up with a friend there, checked into our hotel, and then wandered around for a while. We walked on the beach, but it was dark by then and the water was FREEZING.

May 19: We slept in late and then went down to the beach. The water was still very cold, but we braved it anyway. After a few minutes, our bodies adjusted and we had a great time in the water. I forgot how much fun the ocean is! I read on the beach for a while and got burned on my backside. Some friends joined us at the hotel late that night.

May 20: We went down to the beach again. I got burned on my front side this time. lol The water was still freezing cold, but we braved it again. After a while, we went to get lunch and then bought some floaty toys for the water. I got a boat, Philip got a stingray, and Aileen got a dolphin. We spent a while riding our floaties in on the waves. It was an excellent idea! Then we dug a giant hole on the beach. I am not really sure why. haha

May 21: We went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was definitely overpriced and overrated. The Busch Gardens in Floriday is WAY better. There were not many coasters (and only 2 that were really good). There weren't a lot of smaller rides either. And everything was overpriced (especially admission). I wouldn't recommend it unless you just really like to throw away money. haha We headed back that night. We got home at about 9:30 PM. We unpacked and started some laundry. Then we relaxed and hit the hay.

Today, we did some grocery shopping and made dinner and have just been relaxing. It's been a wonderful vacation. It FLEW by. Philip heads back to work tomorrow night. I'm not sure that they're going to recognize him anymore since he's been gone for so long. ;)

Phew!

The next two months are going to be crazy busy. My schedule:

May 7th: Leave for St. Louis. We are spending the night there.

May 8th: Leave St. Louis for Denver. We will be in Denver through the 15th (our one year anniversary). We will be getting everything situated for our move and having a nice vacation.

May 16th: Leave for home. We will probably spend another night in St. Louis because the drive straight through to Charlotte from Denver is 1600 miles.

May 18th: Leave for the beach (Virginia Beach). We will be there through the 21st.

May 22nd: Leave for home.

May 25th or 26th: Leave for Indiana. I will probably spend about a week there. I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it back home once we move to Denver.

June 3rd or 4th: Leave for Charlotte.

June 5th through June 11th: Cleaning and packing all of our stuff for the move.

June 12th: Our going away party.

June 13th: Leaving for Pennsylvania to spend about 10 days with Philip's family.

June 24th: (hopefully) Getting my Sizzling Sixteen book signed by Janet Evanovich in Charlotte. :)

June 25th: Getting our Penske truck rented and packed up.

June 26th: Leaving for St. Louis to meet my parents.

June 27th: Leaving for Denver.

June 28th: Unpacking. Yuck.

June 29th: Spending a nice week with my parents in Denver. :)

July 5th: FINDING A JOB! haha

So, as you can see, I will be very busy for the next two months. But, it is going to be awesome! Wish me luck. :)

Which house to pick?

In the past few weeks, I have been attempting to find houses for Philip and I to live in (rent) when we arrive in Denver. As you might imagine, it's been quite difficult since I have four dogs. It has been incredibly frustrating. I mean, my dogs aren't destructive or mean. They are cleaner than children! So, I was bummed out for a while.

I talked to Philip and we decided to have a little bit more give in our budget for the house (and pray that I find a job IMMEDIATELY).

Today, I have the best sort of problem. :) I have SEVERAL houses to look at when we go on vacation (which is now 9 days away!!). I am trying to schedule them. It's a bit crazy, but I am super excited because the more houses we have to choose from, the more likely it is that we will actually have a house to live in! lol

*sigh of relief*

So, life continues to be great in Tara's world. :) Keep your fingers crossed that one of these houses is livable and doesn't break our bank!

The South

I was born and raised in Plymouth, Indiana. I spent the first 19 years of my life living at the same address. Then, I moved to North Carolina. I've spent the past 6 years living in the south. I really love the south. I love the accent (which I have picked up... not a STRONG accent, but a southern accent nonetheless). I love the people (friendly and welcoming). And, I love southern gentlemen. :) (haha... despite the fact that I came to the south only to end up with a northern man, he's still a southern gentleman).

I love to have doors opened for me. I am fairly certain that the only doors I open for myself now are when I'm by myself or with another female. And, I adore that fact. It is probably one of the biggest things that I will miss about the south (it throws me off when I go to Indiana and men do not open car doors or hold doors open for me when entering buildings).

A feminist once told me that it is oppressive for men to hold doors open for women. It insinuates that women are incapable of holding the door. I am a feminist. I don't believe that for a second. I know that I am perfectly able to open a door by myself. I did it for the first 19 years of my life.

Despite my capabilities, I love having the car door opened for me. I love having the door held open for me when entering a building. It makes me feel like I'm in an old-fashioned romance movie. I feel truly special. Like a lady. I still get the warm-fuzzies about it.

I will miss the south for many reasons, but that's definitely towards the top of the list. ;) Luckily, I am taking one fine, southern gentleman with me to Denver. :)

My Gloriously Fantastic Life :)

My life is wonderful. Sometimes I am just in complete awe of it. I have the most wonderful man in the world as my partner in life. I have four beautiful pups. I may be jobless right now, but I know that it will look up. I have amazing friends. I have a slightly crazy but incredible family.

Vacation is in 2 weeks now. That's 8 days in Denver and then coming back to go to the beach for a few days. Two full weeks spent with Philip without him having to go to work. That's hiking, exploring, swimming, and wonderful bliss. :)

We are moving in 64 days. That's a new start in a new state 1,600 miles away. That's new friends and new places and new experiences. And it will all be shared with the love of my life.

My life is absolutely amazing.

Oh, ABDC Nights... You will be missed.

Thursday night I got my first stab of reality of something that I will truly miss about living here in Charlotte, North Carolina. There are a few traditions that I hold near and dear to my heart. Every Thursday night, my roommate Brandon and I watch ABDC (America's Best Dance Crew on MTV). We don't miss it. Ever. Even when I'm out of town, we still watch and call or text each other about what's going on.

In June, Philip and I will be moving to Denver, Colorado. That's about 1,600 miles away. And, around that time, Brandon will be leaving for the Republic of Korea (hopefully... *fingers crossed for ya, buddy*) to teach English.

That means that the ABDC tradition will probably cease to exist. And, it sounds silly, but that was really the first thing that has really made me think, "Ouch. I am really going to miss this." It's important to me. I don't have a lot of traditions. "Family" Thanksgiving with my college friends. Christmas with my family. Coloring and hiding Easter eggs with my family in Indiana. Watching Forrest Gump when I'm home sick. Going to Hacienda (my favorite restaurant in the world) when I go home to visit my family in Indiana. And, watching ABDC with Brandon on Thursday nights.

ABDC night isn't even just about the show. Don't get me wrong, I do love the show. However, it has also become a night of bonding. Bonding over who Brandon and I think should get to stay and who should go home. Bonding over the hookah and making jokes and just hanging out. It's become a night of fun and relaxation. And I know we both look forward to Thursday nights.

Since graduating, I've not seen a lot of my college friends very often. I see my friend Jon (check out his blog!) usually once every week or so (a lot of the time it's when he's joining Brandon and I to watch ABDC -- lol!). And, I live with Brandon. But, my other college buddies I don't see a whole lot. So, it that way, it's made it easier to leave Charlotte. My connections aren't as strong as they once were.

But, the connections I do have will be sorely missed. There are only a few episodes of ABDC left for this season. You can bet that I will be savoring every second of that time.

Moving...

I'm becoming terrified. Philip and I are trying to make a decision on where to move to.

We want something different. Completely different, preferably.

Our first choice is Denver, Colorado: It's beautiful, it's got mountains, it's got snow, it's really different from North Carolina. :)

There are a few problems with the move though. First, we need to find a place where we can have 4 dogs; I want to live with my pups again. I know they're happy with my mom, but I want to have a place for them again. I miss them terribly. Second, we are going to be really far away from our families. Philip's family is in Pennsylvania and my family is in Indiana. Really freakin' far away from Colorado.

Our second choice is Albuquerque, New Mexico. It's beautiful in a different way. It's really different from Charlotte. And, Philip can get a transfer pretty easily to the Albuquerque Sysco.

It's also got the same problems. Dogs, Family, sad times.

We should be making a decision soon. And then we'll tell our families. And then we will make our arrangements in the city where we decide. Wish us luck. :)