I love pictures

I love pictures - looking at pictures, posing for pictures and taking pictures! Recently, my family has been digging back through old photos.  My aunt, uncle, mom and dad have all found great pictures.  After talking to my mom today, she told me that her teenage self in the prom picture at the very bottom (she's on the far right) has inspired her to go on a diet.  Good luck!

Clockwise, the top photo is my mom's father (on the right), then my grandmother and grandfather on my dad's side. Both of my grandfathers passed away before I was born and I've seen very few pictures - these were new to me and so exciting to see.  The bottom photo is of my mom at prom, and last is my dad straight chillin' yo.

DVR, of course

When Parents Text: The Kemps
Dad: Cee-lo is my new favorite artist
Me: I don't want to know what you are watching that made you decide that. I'm watching The Bachelor.
Dad: Today Show of course

MY WASHING MACHINE IS BROKEN.

Last night, at about 7:30 pm, I went to do some laundry that I needed for my trip to South Carolina today for my dad's wedding. Nothing really needed to be washed that badly, but I figured better safe than sorry.

At about 8:30, I went downstairs to transfer my clothing to the dryer. It was at this moment that my life ended. I quickly realized that the spin cycle on our washing machine was broken, and therefore the clothes weren't spinning around quickly enough to be anything but dripping wet. I couldn't put them in the dryer (I would either break the dryer or start a fire) and I couldn't undo putting them in the washing machine (because I'm not magical). So basically, I was stuck with about 75 pounds of dripping wet clothing that needed to be packed for SC in less than 2 hours.

After trying to go to friends' houses and use their appliances, I finally had to squeeze out all of my garments and choose which ones were lucky enough to get to go into the dryer (for 2 hours) and which ones I would have to hang up in the shower.

I curled up on my bed and bawled my eyes out about it for around 25 minutes last night (although I think it was the stress of about a million aspects of my life all coming together with a broken washing machine that caused the crying), then pulled it together, told my roommates not to do laundry, and fell asleep. Thank god there is a happy ending and all of my clothes are now dry and packed.

...and now here I go to the airport to get to Hilton Head. Where I have a spa treatment already booked. And it is 75 degrees.

Goodbye Twin Lakes

Today I learned that my grandmother's country club, Twin Lakes, declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy this weekend. With an average member-age of about 70-years-old, we all knew this was coming, but it's still sad. (I'm pretty sure the Kemp-family gathering that occurred this past August for my cousin's wedding was the most business that pool snack bar had seen in seven years.)

My mom sent the following e-mail: What a shame! Lots of fun memories...Lauren's boom-boom rainbows, Amy learning to swim, Bob...forever tanning, Mom's surprise birthday party...tied up in balloons, my one-and-only fashion show modeling experience...very sad --- it's such a beautiful spot!

I think my favorite memory - or at least most memorable, along with Amy and Robbie, is the time when we decided to go out on the lake in paddle boats and kayaks. Of course Amy and Robbie went off without a hitch and started to paddle away. I, on the other hand, was left to finagle my way into the kayak with only the help of my 80-year-old grandmother. I slowly stepped down into the kayak and suddenly saw my life flash before my eyes as I wobbled to the the left, then the right, and finally capsized and trapped myself underwater and under the boat. I could've died, but Amy and Robbie still laugh out loud over this - if you see them, ask them about it.

With that said, I've already marked it down to head back to Kent in September, 2023 to open the time capsule! Oh, and for those not in the know, boom-boom rainbows are fireworks, thank you very much.

You still have LeBron.

I go to Nationals games and I pretend to root for the Redskins. If either of these teams are ever good, I will cheer for them and possibly buy a t-shirt or two.

Unfortunately (and it really is unfortunate), my true loyalties lie with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Browns, and Indians, all of whom SUCK. -Luckily Cleveland doesn't have an NHL team, so I can join the DC bandwagon and cheer for the Caps!- And that brings me up to this point - the funny guys over at FOX decided to put up a little graphic titled "You still have LeBron" during the first game of the World Series last night. I laughed. I also tweeted about the irony of Sabathia and Lee pitching against each other (both ex-Indians and Cy Young Award winners). To top it off, Lee pitched an amazing game, including an awesome behind-the-back catch in the 8th, and the Cavs lost miserably to the Raptors. I didn't even know there was an NBA team in Toronto.

My dad is up in arms, and friends I didn't even know I had are coming out of the woodwork with comments - some snide, some sincere. As Brian tells me - at least when the Redskins and Nationals are awful, he can find solace in knowing that Cleveland teams will always be worse.

Tom loves Target

Every holiday, without fail, I receive a box in the mail from my dad. In college, these packages included candy and a card with a check in it, among other things that my roommates and I could always use to decorate our apartment. As I'm getting older, the cards are missing the check and include considerably less candy. So a few days before Halloween I was not surprised to receive this:

Highlights included the iTunes gift card (that I just used to purchase Taylor Swift's rerelease of Fearless and a few episodes of FlashForward for the plane) and the mini Ugly Doll. *Side note: I've been trying to find a small child to buy an Ugly Doll for for years!* Maybe you'll see me in my new ghost earrings on Saturday at the Tennessee game???? ...maybe not.

Thanks, Dad!