Emails like these

EMAIL: From: Jennifer Colosimo	11:22 AM (13 hours ago)
to Renee, Amp, me, Sallie, Danielle, CLAIRE, Mary, more

Okay ladies... It's time to slip on those running shoes and get to work. (Besides Amp who seems to always be training anyways). Renee and I were discussing a road trip run, other than nashville... and clearly it feels like the MOST fun we could have is running our hearts out and being able to relax afterwards on THE BEACH. So, pending Carole's report of what the weather is like in January on Southbeach, and if she agrees to let us pile into her living room, I think we should think about signing up for this. 

http://www.ingmiamimarathon.com/

Plenty of time to save up for flights and to train (much needed). WHO IS IN?????

From: Jennifer Colosimo	11:17 AM (13 hours ago)
to me

Can you give me some information on how the weather in Miami is during the month of January? Specifically, can you enjoy some beach time in your bathing suit? Thanks.

carole927@gmail.com	11:16 PM (1 hour ago)
to Jennifer

Hola! In the sunny state of Florida, January is the start of what many locals call Snowbird Season. This is a term for many northerners who venture to the warm tropical climate that defines south Florida to escape the chilling cold winters of their home state. Miami is the ideal location for snowbirds to spend their winter holidays/weekend half marathons. 

Based on one year of experience, January proves to satisfy the snowbirds cravings as well as offer optimal outdoor running conditions for long distance workouts. With temperatures averaging in the mid to high 70's, no likelihood of hurricanes, and afternoon thunderstorms are close to non existent, the only consideration when deciding to come to Miami in January or not is ....

...whether or not it's too close to the Tour de Cure. Ok ok, It will still be like a month away but thats only four weeks of trying to make sure everything is scheduled and perfect and the time and effort it takes simply to train for the half marathon, then having to stress about hosting 8 people for a weekend, may be a bit too much. Eee! But it sounds so fun! But that was my initial thought. 

My second thought is that this sounds REALLY fun and I'll prob need to be exercising anyway, and that this year during the half marathon, I was driving to church that morning, missed it by being stuck at the intersection blocked for runners, so I turned around, rode my bike to Walgreens, came back home and ... Idk, crafted or sewed something. This makes me think YOU'RE Soooo young! .... Not the sewing part, bc duh, but that I am in Miami, I can handle visitors, I can get your help to host, I need to live it up, and I'll actually be fine if I stop being such a stick in the mud. I need to be a stick in the sand,.. The sand on the beach! Yay! 

Ok, I'm in!

Ing, make me skinny and young again! 

So now that that's decided, the truth is that it might be a little chilly on the beach. Bathing suits might only be an option when the breeze is low and the sun is at its peak. Still worth it though. Bring your cover ups, Books, mags, margs, and cheez-itz to take care of the rest of the time.

Jenni Williams jennsw@gmail.com	11:34 PM (54 minutes ago)
to me

It's emails like these that help me understand why we are related :)

Peeved

Tonight I'm just in one of those peeved moods. And it started because of Number 10.

10. Misspelling my name on Facebook... IT'S RIGHT THERE!!!

9. And this motion...

I see this and it's instant anger.

8. Singing the wrong words to a song... (Sallie Garner Williams)

Singing over me in the car... (Sallie Garner Williams)

7. Phil Mickelson's SHORT sleeves

6. Accidental iPhone Muting.

(Purposeful "Mute": RULES!)

5. Pageant-girl personalities... Just act natural!

4. Amanda Bynes... Just act normal!

3. The fact that the "Door Close" and "Door Open" elevator buttons take 1 second too long to figure out which is which and then in the end, they do NOTHING!

Close! GO! Hurry! Noooo!

Dang it.

Tell me that's not hard to read during a panicky glance!

2. these buggers:

because they make these buggers:

....GROSS! Don't Google "bug bites".

Y Numero Uno:

Calling it "di-a-bet-us"

You may say "coo-pons" or "pee-cans" or something really dumb like "tome-ah-toes" but let it be understood... It's "di-a-beet-eeees" "...eeeee". Say it! "Eeeeeeeees"!

wheew!

ok, I feel good.

Love, Carole

(with an "e")

Hips Don't Lie

Tonight I went to join the cycling folks that claim themselves as the social group with a cycling problem... ha! I was invited to their holiday masquerade party at one of the fancy condominiums down the street in the "newer" side of Brickell.

After showing up an hour late and still being one of the first few, I met some very tried and true Miamians. I think it has a little to do with the fact that these people get positive endorphins from cycling AND they just love each other so much, but they were so welcoming to this not-so-Miami-girl, me.

Usually in a social atmosphere like Atlanta, there are the few who are shy and the few who are the loud, dancing, maniacs who seem to always give it that "party" vibe. In Miami, even the shy ones get out to dance and yell and salsa with the best of them. SO FUN! I love this kind of party! And i love these kind of dancers. The men swing their hips in a way that has been unknown to me except through Dancing with the Stars. Even though i can't understand the words to the song, i can understand the rhythm. It's impossible to stay still and resist the temptation to join them.

So I'll be honest for a bit and admit that I may be guilty of thinking I'm a better dancer than I really am, but still, throw me beat and I'll make an earnest attempt to replay a scene from Dirty dancing or West side story or an Atlanta based rap video. In Miami, where I know NO ONE, my inhibitions, I must say, are even moreso thrown out the window. In the past, I've fooled myself into thinking my hips don't lie like Shakira's or Beyonce's. But tonight i was thrown into the reality of true Cubans and my salsa turned to a true white girl from the burbs dork dance! ugh - so embarrassing! but OH, so FUN!

Give me some time and some practice... and a partner to lead me around so i dont look like an idiot by myself, and I will fit right in.

Bialamooooos! Let the rhythm take you over, bialamos!

12.12.11

Home for the Holidays

My trips home have been short-lived Atlanta-teasers. But quickly approaching is a 12-day reunion and I am fantasizing a to-do list so I can be sure to relive all the best pieces of my old stomping grounds. The best part is that it is also going to be CHRISTMAS TIME!!! With these things, time will fly, my holiday fulfilled, and am sure to return to MIA kicking and screaming.

The list begins with:

• Drink Mom's coffee
• Watch Christmas movies with the tree lights on and a fire in fireplace
• Watch Elf with Jennifer
• Visit Papa
• Go on a date -preferably holiday themed
• Drinks with the Fabs in the Highlands
• Visit old friends: Blake, Amp, Natalie, Amanda, Grant
• Spend at least one night at the lake
• Drink hot chocolate
• eat out of a fully stocked refrigerator
• Wear socks
• Wear boots!
• Play with Dixie and her new toys
• Just sit....

and then, of course, Kel's New Year's Wedding!!!

December 22nd thru January 2nd... My twelve days of Christmas, perfectly clever and appropriate

12.08.11

Welcome to Miami

guilty, again, of titling my blog before actually writing the post but, alas, I do what I WANT! I want to write about the things that make Miami different than Atlanta before I get too acclimated, and this title was the first thing that came to mind and I think its appropriate. What can I say, I like to reference songs whenever possible! You know... Welcome to miami, somethin somethin -ami -ami!

... Ok THIS one

This unoriginal blog title is actually making me think about the well-known "HOT-Lanta" phrase, which, according to The BertShow and Q100, is totally unacceptable post 1980. I bet Miamians feel the same way about this 20th century rap lyric. It's been helplessly overused in referencing the city and the locals are SICK OF IT!

So here are my observations:

Miami from the Southern girl perspective:

Glass Half Full:

• Duh - the BEACH. It is beautiful and relaxing and its close enough that you can go for an hour if your short on time.
• the WEATHER- in the winter, its perfection at 70 degrees and in the summer, it's hot but with a consistent ocean breeze. Ah, yes.
• The MENUS- Miami offers a selection of restaurants that is so unique. People say that the US is a melting pot but MIAMI is so melted together that you can find Pizza, Cuban, Italian, Venezuelan, fast food, sushi, and fried seafood all within a 1-mile radius. It's here that Id like to give my shout out to CVI CHE 105 for introducing me to the wide range of delectably intriguing ceviche courtesy of Peru. Yum!
• Hooray for flat roads! My running routine is a breeze compared to the foothills of GA!
• Beautiful! Everything and everyone in Miami is beautiful. The weather, the cars, the foliage, the crystal clear water, the spanglish, and the people, who are all tanned with attractive dark features and curiously physically fit to perfection! Not quite what I'm used to in the home of Waffle House and the Varsity!

The glass half empty:

• RUDE!!! Ugh, I was apparently spoiled in Atlanta with southern hospitality because each day, I encounter a sassy attitude most associates with Latinos, quick tempers, and road rage like you've never seen!!! It's obvious that Miami Drivers Ed curriculum has omitted the lesson on turn signals and right-of-ways.
• SPANGLISH! I just can't follow.
• SHORTIES! I am tall and many Miamians have some sort of Spanish-speaking country's heritage which pretty much means they are all about half my height. As a blonde and being tall, I very literally stick out!!
• "Miami Time" - no question that over the decades, the lure of the ocean has impacted the overall outlook on life. People here enjoy the social aspect of life over all else! Why is this glass half empty? Because that includes work ethic. Miami time is a county-wide phenomenon that gives people the illusion that when a meeting is scheduled for 6PM, that actually means 6:45. It also also means that when your hours are until 5pm, you leave around 4:30.
• EXPENSIVE! The cars, the condos, the meals, the gas prices, the drinks- the cost of living is so over priced, I'm already debating a roommate next year. While Miami makes for pretty things to see, its not pretty on the bank account.

Miami is not home but I like it for what it is. I'm goin to explore again this weekend! Maybe even party all night on the beach til the break of dawn.

11.12.11

Living By Yourself: Lesson Four

Busy is good.

One - being busy means you're are getting things done

Two - being busy means you have a purpose

Three - being busy gives you something ELSE to complain about at 7:24pm as I am getting off a conference call and still have minutes to send, emails to create, and reports to submit.

It's nights like these when I just want to instantly be home, showered, fed, and finishing up the remainder of my wine.

Ok positive thoughts to distract me from spiraling out of control and filling out my two weeks notice:

- when I leave, it will be after rush hour

- I don't have too many social obligations that pull me away from work anyway

- its dark and lonely at the office but at least there's security that patrols the area

-working late is an excuse to order takeout for dinner!

- work hard = play hard so this weekend I can get real crunk!

Long hours are actually a lot working out. It takes a lot to get yourself pumped up for it, it's torture as you're doing, Pandora helps get you through the tough times, you speed through the very end so you can finally just be done, but then when it's done, you are so glad it's done and you don't have to stress about the negative repercussions for having been lazy if you didn't do it...

Ok this has turned into a self pep talk so now I'm off to fight diabetes!!!

11.08.11

Southern Living inspired Miami apartment

View from the balcony

In my desperate attempt to leave the accounting, economics, and fancy so-called "math" classes that make up the beginnings of a business degree, I seriously considered interior design.

Reason being:

1 - i am not good at accounting

2- i like art

3 - i am easily inspired by DIY projects

4 - people in artsy majors seem cool

My love of mixing patterns and appropriately using words like "texture" and "negative space" can only take me so far and thus home decor resumed its position as a mere hobby.

After moving to Miami, and for the first time having all MY things in the apartment together, I can finally get a full sense of MY style . I'm pretty satisfied with it, given my lack of financial resources. If I could explain my style I would say it's a Southern Living Magazine-inspired collaboration of organic tones and geometric patterns. I would compare it to a Pier 1 Imports-wannabe but still influenced by my Atlanta family history, HGTV, and re-purposing.

My sofa arrived after 9 weeks (boo Haverty's) and my naked apartment felt like a cozy home at last. No more dinners on the floor! No more pretending to relax scrunched up in a wing-back chair! No more lonely empty space! ...Hmm, is my apartment transformation paralleling my own Miami perspective? The installment of my sofa inspired me to finish up a few DIY projects to complete my look including painting the desk and shelves and finishing the upholstered chair (seen below). Get your hopes way up, let's take a tour and check out my new digs!

LIVING ROOM!

Okay so it may be a bit bare as of now but its a work in progress. I'm thinking a different chunky floor lamp to compliment my over-sized wall piece and maybe a stencil up the wall behind the table lamp... oh baby that's the ticket!

BEDROOM WALL!

Frames! Frames! Frames! These trusty frames have been with me through the good times and bad, including the pink and lime green phase of freshman year. Now matured with yet another coat of spray paint and the cheesy sorority photos are replaced with one of my fav low cost decor items: decorative wrapping paper, these frames are arranged in a new way to cover the huge white wall in my bedroom.

FUN PIECE!

One of the things I love about my mom is her creative thinking. REPURPOSE!!! This $20 porch railing from Home Depot was going to be used as my headboard (cool!) until we realized the wall was impenetrable concrete. Aaaand so it was repurposed again as a free standing shelf-like thingy! Now those cheesy photos I couldn't throw away have a home again! Love it!

TV ROOM!

Hmm still trying to figure out how to make this area look better. The makeshift entertainment center is awkwardly small but this was the best I could figure by putting a bunch of other pieces around it. I'm currently taking suggestions here. What do you think: allover wall stencil? buy one more mini bookshelf? Hanging lamp in the corner?

KITCHEN!

I am one of the lucky remaining few in my 1960's building with its original kitchen intricacies including the pale pink whatever you call this pressed wood-like stuff with plastic coating counter tops. Not to mention the accompanying cafeteria-style lighting serves as a perfect early morning jolt on my way to the coffee machine. Not much I can do here but please enjoy the blast to the past and my first pieces of my copper kitchenware collection.

next steps:

1. Upholster a chaise

2. Stencil my wall

3. Make one of those hanging lamps from doilies

4. Then beach because it's prettier there than in here and essentially its seemingly further away from all things "business".