Sip and Strokes.

So last week I had this brilliant idea that would further my addiction to "Sip and Stroke" classes, as well as, do some good for some of my co-workers.  I suggested to my boss Amir that I should take the other two women in our group out for a "Girls Nite Out" / "Team Building" to help relieve the stress that had been dealing with.  He of course recognized it as the wonderful idea that it was and readily agreed. 

Both of my co-workers were very excited when I announced my idea and agreed to my plan for our "Team Building".  So another trip for me to Sip and Strokes for painting, wine, munchies and fun.  Unfortunately, Serena couldn't attend due to a sick daughter.  (Oh darn it....we will have to re-schedule another trip! )  So it was just Tina and I for the evening.  As much as I love Tina, usually the thought of being alone with her isn't my first choice.  She is not one who has learned to leave the office at work.  Take her agitated state talking about work and trying to drive....I was ready for the wine.  However, I knew this was going to be something that she wasn't used to and was interested to see how her Type A personality would deal with it!! 

Below is a kind of step by step process of how our evening and paintings progressed.

Just getting into the mood.

Preparing the Outline for the Flower.

Mmmmm...food...shouldn't have skipped dinner.

Finishing the background

Adding the initial colour.

Adding highlights to the flower.

More layers of highlights for the flower petals.

That is mine is on the left and Tina's is on the right.  Almost finished.

The Completed Art Work!

Just waiting for my painting to dry.

Tina quiet....for two whole hours.  Except for the occasional giggle of enjoyment.  Priceless!

Tina Happy!

Two Artists!

Saturday.

Back from putting in 5 hours at work... on a Saturday!  Sad part is that I did it on my own volition.  Now I am sitting alone on the couch drinking beer and watching TV.  Oh what has Kentucky done to me.  I might get wild later and clean!  That is of course, after my beer is done...and perhaps a wee cat nap.

Not everyday you get your bosses in the Stock and Pillory!

These two are my bosses.  The one on the left is Amir and he is the boss of me here in Kentucky.  That is Todd on the right and he is the boss of me in Blenheim.  I took advantage of their "agreeable" state after our dinner at the Tavern where we enjoyed the bourbon sampler.

The Bourbon Sampler.
They give you this list of all the bourbons that they carry and you can choose 5 to sample. 5 shots for $25 bucks! Below are the bourbons we picked. (I was only allowed to chose 1) Got to say that the Henry McKenna from Heaven Hill and the Knob Creek from Jim Beam are pretty smooth.  I even bought some Knob Creek Small Batch bourbon to have at the apartment for future visitors.

 Our bourbon!

James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer........Julie Brown

Today I had my first target practice. I shot with a Glock 19, Sig Mosquito and a Rugar Mark 111 with a silencer.

Don't get excited....none of the holes here in this target sheet are from my doing.  My shots went around and high.  Some lucky person will be finding my bullets in their cob of corn.

I saw this and I thought it was funny.

Yesterday I had to go to Illinois to visit a customer.  Just a short 4 hour drive there and back for a 45 minute visit!  However, it was a day out of the office and away from the madness, so I can't complain.  On the way back at one of the many rest areas we stopped at; I picked up a few tourist brochures for some ideas of things to do.  As I was flipping through this one brochure, this ad caught my eye.   I found it amusing and therefore I must share.

I get it is probably your last name....but seriously?

Crack is fixed.

This morning I had the crack in my car's front passenger side window fixed.  I went to have it fixed yesterday, but the woman who quoted the repair for me was looking at the wrong model year.  After slugging to Bardstown from Springfield and finding out I would have to come back; I also found out that my model year is over $150.00 more than what she quoted me originally! Swell. So back to work only to return in the morning.  On the bright side, it only took about 1/2 an hour to fix so that was positive. 

 Below are a few pictures of the crack.  I took them while driving....hence the blurring.

Now.....I just have to get it tinted to match all the other windows.

MONDAY!!

Driving to work today I noticed a HUGE crack in the passenger side window.  Now, I don't know if it happened the night of the storm from a brick flying off the roof since my car was parked out front or if someone tried to break into my car last night.  I am thinking it happened last night because I didn't notice it when I drove Saturday night after the storm.  But sadly, that doesn't mean it wasn't there. My powers of observation being so strong and everything. jeez...that is a pain in my ass.

Another Kentucky First for Me!!

I can now check off tasting homemade "Kentucky Moonshine" off my list of things to try during my stay here!  Well okay it really wasn't on my list, but it is not everyday you can say that.  Don't worry I didn't have much. I only had a couple of sips and that was all I could handle.  The smell of alcohol was enough warning of what could happen if I drank too much.  (Someone asked if I was wearing a belt, because this drink is known for ripping your pants right off!)  Ahhh....classy.  The moonshine was called Apple Pie.  It actually did taste quite a bit like apple pie......with a slight fire-y after burn as it goes down. 

I was able to taste this Kentucky Cocktail at a friend's barbecue last night.  I find it interesting the questions I get when people find out I am from Canada.  They usually always want to know how cold it is "up there" right now.  They also want to know why I don't sound "Canadian". (Apparently I don't say, "eh" enough) A woman last night thought I should also have a french accent.  At least she knew there was a french connection involved in Canada!  I usually get asked if I like Hockey. Then they start ragging on the Leafs and the conversation goes in another direction.  My favourite was when someone asked me why we were a separate country, since we seem so much like them.  I told him we were okay with being separate!

I was going to go to the Da Vinci exhibition today, but my nagging headache is excuse enough for me to put it off for another day.  Yesterday I went to Louisville to get some dog food for Bubba, hit my Target and checked out my favourite bookstore.  I love that place!!  It started out a lovely day, with great weather and then around 6pm we had a terrific storm!  When I left for the barbecue it was still coming down, but not nearly as bad.  However, it was strong enough beforehand to take out some brick on the house and take down some trees.  There was need to make a few detours around trees and huge tree limbs littering the streets.

Well good news, the headache is waning...(thank goodness) and I will be spending the day with The Bubba....as he sleeps.  I really need to find an area where he could just get out and run. Despite walking up 3 flights of stairs 4 times a day, he is getting a wee bit chubby.  I checked out dog parks in Louisville, but you have to pay an annual fee to go to them!!  There will also be cleaning on the schedule for the day and some groceries.  Woohoo....look at me go.

Girlfriend Time! (you need to say that in a Jersey voice with a fist pump)

I can hardly believe the weekend has come and gone...along with Terri's visit. So short, but so much fun. I picked Terri up from the airport late Friday afternoon. Her plane was due in at 5:00. I brought some helium balloons to make her arrival that much more special and to make it easy for her to pick me out of the crowd. However, her flight arrived early! 15 minutes early!!...a very rare occurrence. So still thinking that I am a little early, I wander around the shops to kill time.  Meanwhile Terri is breezing through security, passing the shops I am in and heads down to baggage. At 5:00 I go to security to wait for Terri when I hear my name being paged and my presence requested at information! Standing there in her pink cowboy hat is my Terri! After some big hugs we are on our way to Bardstown. We make a quick stop for some wine at Kroger's and then home sweet home.

We settled in, popped open the Beringer's and started catching up.  A couple glasses in we realised food should be in our near future and the restaurant should be in walking distance.  So off to the Talbot Tavern we go. Surprisingly, the Tavern was packed!  All the times I have ever been there it has been pretty quiet.  Despite that fact we were seated quickly.  When I say quickly that was after the 10minutes we waited for a hostess to actually show up to seat us.  I wanted Terri to enjoy some Kentucky favourites so we ordered Deep Fried Pickles and Green Fried Tomatoes!! You gotta be able to say you have eaten those at least once.  I will say the pickles were much better at the Tavern than they were at Mammy's. 

Green Fried Pickles. They even look better.

 

Terri's first!!

Green Fried Tomatoes!

Another first for Terri!

We had a lovely dinner together and when we were finished we just headed home.  We wanted a good night's sleep to be fresh and energetic for our trip to Zappo's first thing in the morning!

 

 

Before Terri heads in to the Happiest Place on Earth!

 I forgot to get an "After" picture of her with the big smile on her face.  I did steal a couple of her pictures of the sexy little friends she found to bring home.

She calls these her "Sex in the City" shoes.

These babies were only 10 bucks!!  So pretty.

From there we headed to our appointment with a psychic/tarot card reader in Louisville.  I was looking forward to what I would hear.  Would it be pretty hokey?  Or would it hit a nerve. Turns out it was the latter. I can't say we left the appointment as enthusiastic as we were when we got there!!

There was a little confusion about time regarding our appointment when we got there.  There was more than just our appointment booked for our time.  The lady swears I got it wrong, however I beg to differ.  Arguing the point wasn't going to get us anywhere so we said we would return in half an hour for the other psychic who was due to arrive.  We both had half an hour booked with him and I went first while Terri took notes.  He asks you what three things you want to know about.  I went with the typical marriage/kids, career and my Mom.  So he gives you the cards, tells you to shuffle them lightly and then put them in 3 piles.  From there he picks them up and lays them out and your reading begins.  It was really eerie how he knew things about my personality, which I didn't really expect.  For instance, my need for control and how I have a strong need for fairness.  I won't tell you everything but I will give you the highlights.  First up was love/marriage/kids.  Let me just say I now have proof...if you hadn't figured it out already...that I haven't been lucky in love.  Apparently the personality traits mentioned early have contributed to that somewhat....and not in a positive way.   I am very practical, but want to be more exciting.  My future cards were not "happy" cards.  I will be removing people from my life and that will give me a sense of loss.  Also children are not in my immediate future.  Sucky news as you are staring down your 39th birthday.  From there we move onto career.  Luckily it was more positive.  Here I am going to make good coin.  Currently he said, I work in a profession that is both functional and aesthetic. (so true)  He also picked up on the fact that I have wondered that if I took a different path would that have brought me more happiness.  He confirmed for me that I made the right choice and was on the path I was meant to be on.  So that felt good.  He also said that I started out in life with little, but that for my future, there will be good money, prosperity and growth. Big house and lots of vehicles!!  Good for me!! 

So to review, Julie unlucky in love, but not career.  Maybe now people can stop asking me about my love life.  Clearly it is in the cards that it is not my strong point!!  However, I figure with the prosperity in my career I can just buy the husband.....a young one...tall...speaks only when spoken too.  Hmmm....this could work.

I was kinda stumped about what my third question should be and Terri suggested my Mom.  I didn't tell him that she had passed away, but he figured it out.  He said this was a difficult read for him.  There is a lot of emotion involved, but that she is happy and lot more like me than I realised.  She is a young spirit who is on her way back.  He didn't really expand on that, but did say he saw the reincarnation card.  Not right away, but eventually.  All in all he said I was moving forward, taking more control of my destiny and that I have been for a while. 

Terri's reading was next. I won't say what her reading was like, but neither one of us walked out of there overly happy.  Not that they were bad, but they had a tone about them that left us a little introspective....which made us just want to get home and get back in the wine.

Originally I thought we should go into Louisville for dinner, but by the time we got home, had some wine, we decided to stay in Bardstown.  We headed to The Bourbon Bistro which I hadn't tried before. It was quite busy and we waited at the bar for 1/2 an hour.  So the food was good...when we finally got it.  I think they forgot to put our order in.

                      

My dinner!

Terri's dinner!

I would go there again, just maybe not on a Saturday night.  It was after nine when we were done so we headed home.  Both kinda sad that our visit was nearing the end.  It went by too fast.

I took Terri to the airport around 9:30 for her 11:30 flight and headed home to veg out with the Bubba.  So great to have her visit.  I didn't realise how much I missed her until we spent time together. 

Girlfriend time is much needed time.

Terri's coming....Terri's coming...Terri's coming....

Ah...another beautiful day in Bardstown Kentucky!  I have the day off to prepare for my visit from my friend THE Terri Dudar.  Me so excited!! Cleaning's begun, groceries have been purchased, alcohol in the cabinet, wine still to buy...and possibly a Bubba getting a bath!!...but doubtful.

Today we will chill with a dinner in the Grand Bardstown.  Tomorrow...uh...well...SHOE SHOPPING....lunch...visit with a psychic for spiritual guidance....sightseeing and dinner in Louisville...SO much to do, SO much to see and SOOOO much to catch up on.  I CAN'T WAIT!

Ah...bubba.

I came back from the kitchen and this is what I found.  I think Bubba's "issues"  have reached a new level.

I can't see you...you can't see me!  I can't see you...you can't see me!  I can't see you...you can't see me! I can't see you...you can't see me!  I can't see you...you can't see me!  I can't see you...you can't see me!....

Hump Day!!

Ah.... the week is half over. It is lunch time on Wednesday here in Springfield, KY.  I am enjoying a lovely salad from Wendy's for lunch.  I am a little addicted to this salad.  I think I eat it twice a week.  But can you blame me....look at this tasty concoction.  Pecans, apples, chicken, blue cheese topped with a nice pomegranate vinaigrette.  Quite delicious!.....it photographs so nicely too.

It is so nice outside today.  There is a breeze and I think the temperature is around 84 degrees.  I almost have to put a sweater on. 

The week has been quiet.  Yesterday the power went out in all of Bardstown.  I got up at 6:00am to shower when it got very dark all of a sudden.  I had just flipped a light on, so I was praying I didn't blow a fuse and have to hike it outside to the cellar to flip it back on.  But looking out the window I could see no one else around me had any lights on either.  So I went to lay down in bed for them to come on or for daylight to appear, which ever was to happen first.  However, I promptly fell asleep and woke up again at 8:00....oops.  Luckily the power was still out for me at that time.  I was hoping out for the rest of the day, but eventually I had power and no more excuses not to get to work.  It ended up being a long day anyway.....had to stay late to do inventory.  Oh joy.