Running to Phoenix!

Well it's official...I'm going to Phoenix in an attempt to run a 1/2 marathon!! Ahhhh!!! Now for most of you reading this, you are probably all seasoned veterans at this painful process. But for me, it's been a while since my body has gone through this type of rigorous training! Yes, as many have recommended, I'm using http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm for my training schedule. This week is my first official week of training, although I have been running slowly for a few weeks. 

In the past I've had absolutely no desire to run a 1/2 marathon, as many of my friends have accomplished. But during my last 1/2 marathon cheerleading, I was at the mile 3 marker!  I was simply blown away by the people putting forth this effort to run...and yes a few were already walking at mile 3 and were much larger in body weight than myself! So I began to think...well if THESE people can do this, surely I can give it a try. So come January 18, 2009, I'll be participating in the Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 marathon, along with Nick, Joy, Billy and Stephen- some of my favorite people! 

So if you have any advice or words of encouragement for me I'll greatly appreciate it over the next 3 months!! But hey, at least my turkey and dressing will be burned off (hopefully!).

Wishing it was Halloween 2006...good times! How does it fly by so fast!!!

And duh, the chicken always comes before the egg!!! LOL! 

Ode to Carraway

For those who actually keep up with the Bham news you know that Carraway hospital is closing it's doors this week. Now most of you probably haven't even stepped foot in Carraway. But of course, me with my oddball eyeball job, I've been there lots! It was actually one of my first hospitals to visit all by myself when I got this job. When first visiting a hospital I have to find my way to all critical care units, which in most hospitals are nicely organized and grouped together. But with Carraway being a tad old and very sketchy, ICU and NICU were far apart. So I end up getting on this elevator that was like seriously probably the original model elevator invented and made the creepiest noises ever! I've never been so scared in my life to get on one, I don't even think it had an emergency telephone in it! So I take this life chance and ride it to floor 6 (where I was told NICU was). I get off and seriously feel like I've stepped into some type of horror film. There was no one in the halls, only every other light was on, and just a bunch of empty hospital beds in the halls and rooms! I looked around a corner or 2 hoping to find some sign of life but NOTHING! My mind quickly raced to some scary movie and I jolted back to the elevator!!! Of course, the same creepy elevator picks me up! I later discovered it was floor 5 not 6! And every time since going to NICU over 3 years that same elevator always opens with the same sketchy noises. (there are 3 other elevator possibilities!) I now take the stairs...every time!

But overall, Carraway has some of the nicest nurses and staff. Every 2nd Tuesday of the month I do the nurse orientation and at least 75% of the attendees are truly interested in what I'm saying, which is a good percent in my opinion! :) It's been around for 100 years...that's a long time! It was THE hospital to go to back in the day.UAB had nothing on them 40 years ago or so. But my strongest memory of Carraway will always be that blue star...once I learned where and what it was as a young child, I always looked for it when I traveled through downtown. Maybe someone will still pay that power bill and my star won't fade too soon...but for now...so long Carraway Methodist Hospital...so long!!! 

Happily always the bridesmaid...

I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in Lisa's wedding last weekend. After my conference I made the LONG drive to ATL. (i thought I'd never get there!) It was a perfect wedding weekend! The weather felt fabulous!! And it was great to be back together with my favorite zeta girls! Lisa and Kyle have been through a lot with the recent loss of Kyle's father and Lisa's uncle, so this weekend was a joyous event for all, even with many special people missing. The rehearsal dinner was at a Mexican restaurant with nonstop food and drinks! Yum! And may I add one of the calmest wedding days I've ever been a part of. I think mainly b/c there wasn't 50,000 pictures that Lisa wanted taken so we just did our few group shots, drank champagne and waited for the guest to arrive! She got married at Park Tavern in Midtown in  a room that overlooks Piedmont Park! It was gorgeous, especially as the day faded to night and the ATL skyline lit up! 

We all know it's a running joke about me catching the bouquets at weddings. (caught 8 of them) I get a lil competitive after a few drinks and do it for all the short people out there! Ha! Also it makes for funny pictures with me leaping in the air to catch them. Well Cathy decided that Haley needed to catch it so, she pushed me during the bouquet toss but with my quick skills I tried to stay on my feet still leaping for the bouquet and BOOM...fell right on my tush!!!!!!  It was quite a scene and I can only imagine what the pictures will look like. But of course GIANT Haley caught it! Cathy tried to deny it at first but got called out! Ha! Afterwards we all went to The Warren and had a fabulous wedding night into the wee hours! Lisa asked me: "Brandi do you ever get tired of being a bridesmaid." And my response was "No not at all because every single one is so different: different bride, different families, different places, overall a new experience every time! " :)  And as a drunk 40 year old divorcee told me in the bathroom, "honey that's the greatest honor a friend can give you, to be their bridesmaid!" haha!!!! :) 

Political humor

So, I'm not too much of a political talker unless you are totally disrespectful. (long story of me fighting with a German in Greece about President Bush! Ha!) Overall, I think that everyone should make their individual choice on who they want to vote for and why. For instance, I'm not going to lie, on some of the state ballots I vote for the one with the more fun name or who's commercial I like. Ha!  Whatever your reason, do what you want but at least vote b/c you can't complain if you don't vote! Personally, I know I should be more educated on issues and politics but lately I've decided that maybe if I just pray a lot God will take care of our country! I'll vote for McCain come November but even if Obama wins I won't be totally mad. Our country is a mess right now so whichever candidate wins has his hands full! 

I'm just happy all this news coverage will be over!! But last night when i couldn't sleep due to my annoying cough, I was flipping through the channels. I landed on the Presidential Candidates Roast! I was intrigued, so i watched, and I laughed! It was actually pretty fun! Both Obama and McCain poked fun at themselves, the media, and each other! Overall, very impressive. Yes, you could tell someone had written the jokes for them probably but still it was very refreshing to watch after all the back and forth banter. So if you're bored, google it and watch it online (i'm sure it's out there somewhere!). If not for anything else than this really old man sitting behind the candidates as they talked and it's like he forgot he was on TV and he kept doing funny things! haha!  

Aunthood- James Sawyer Burgess!!!

On October 4th at 3:19am...I received the most amazing gift from my sister!!! A nephew!!! Brooke's water starting "slowly leaking" on Friday afternoon so they checked her into the hospital and waited for her to birth. We all sat around for hours...waiting for something, watching the monitors and laughing that Brooke wasn't feeling any of the contractions she was having. Finally they gave her some drugs to speed it along but told us all to go home b/c it wouldn't be until 7 or 8 am. Both grandmother's refused to leave of course! Well after hours of tossing and turning! Mom called me at 5 am but before she said anything I said WAIT!! Don't tell me what it is, I want to walk in that room and find out from Brooke and Matthew! So I threw on clothes ran to the car (almost hit a runner, seriously 5 am in the dark for a jog...homewood people are crazy!) and literally FLEW to the hospital...going 60 mph down Broadway! (possibly going faster than when Volree called to say her and Nick got engaged and she needed her phone and camera! Scary beth, right?! Ha!) 

So I opened the door and I said WHAT IS IT!! They had made me wait all this time!! She said guess and I said i don't know....a girl? And she said no  BOY!!!! hahaha!!!! I was sooo excited!!! I didnt' care what it was!! Matthew was convinced it was a girl b/c of the odds of girl were more likely when compared to what all their other friends were having! and Brooke thought it would be a girl too b/c in the last sonogram they had hours before the birth the baby had a "girlie face"!!! haha! Poor Sawyer! But he does have pretty lips (in the sonogram they look just like Shiloh's) But I am just glad he was a healthy baby and that Brooke didn't have any problems! She actually said it was pretty easy b/c she couldn't feel anything! Ha! He was a lil jaundice after he left the hospital so they put him on a "tanning bed" for a week and now he's all better! 

I had a crazy week/weekend but got to go see him last night after 5 days of being away and I could literally just hold him all day long! He still sleeps a lot but i think that will wear off after his 'real' due date comes around. Brooke and Matthew are finding their balance and have some amazing friends, family and church folks to bring them food and help out. Someone even anonymously cleaned their gutters while they were in the hospital! 

But with Sawyer in my life now I'm just so excited to see what the future holds for him. I know that Brooke and Matthew will be fabulous parents. I have no doubt that Sawyer will be one of a kind with them raising him! I can only hope that he continues to love his Aunt Brandi and will think I'm the cool one! (but I will be since I'll take him to cool places like Greece, ha!) I know that this responsibility will only strengthen me as an individual, friend, sister and daughter! And that excites me times 1,000!!!!! 

2 side notes: #1 No, he's not named after the character on LOST, none of us even watch the show but it's funny since that was one of our discussion points was "is there any famous people named sawyer?" Little did we know...haha!

#2 I won't give up my efforts to make him an Auburn boy but considering his arrival did mess up my long awaited plans to go to Nashville for the Auburn/Vandy game, which we were all pumped about...I'm thinking only a Bama fan would do something like that! LOL! ;) 

Moonlight God Peace!!!!

Ok so i'm at the beach for a Alabama Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society meeting!!! Aka...a FABULOUS free trip to the beach!!! I'm  always amazed by the power the beach has over me. I had a yucky day yesterday ( for no reason at all other than lack of sleep and girlie emotions!) so being at the beach is MORE than a breath of fresh air!!! it's like a cleansing of the soul!!! I just got back from the hospitality suite...aka lots of delicious free drinks and chatting! I came out on my balcony and the moon is so perfectly hitting the water that i just couldn't help but bring my computer out here to type!!!! i wish i could take a picture for all of you to see. I wish i could give you all a sliver of the peace and love of God that I feel right now just looking at this moon, water and feel of the October breeze!!! 

In my old age...aka late 20's...i've decided that a peaceful trip to the beach solo is very refreshing. Now some might baulk at this and say...i'm  a loser/very single,lonely person who should be married by now...but I realize that God has me where I am for a reason and that moments like this are priceless!!! Years from now  I hope to relish on these moments. And I also hope to understand a little bit more the power of solo time. I don't know why I am still single but I know that very, very few of my friends will ever experience the full power of individuality like I am right now! 

P.S.I KNOW i should have blogged by now about the most amazing thing in my life... SAWYER!!! My sister's baby!! but literally this is the first time i've thought about blogging since Friday!!! If not before this weekend (aka Lisa's wedding madness) then ASAP on Monday pics of my FAVORITE human being in the world...plus details of my thoughts on being an AUNTIE!!!!