My weekend in photos

I just had the most wonderful weekend. Seriously, top notch. But instead of writing a diatribe about all the events, I'll post photos. With commentary, of course.

FRIDAY EVENING


Cam and I and Wendy and Brandon went to the Fulton County Development Dinner at The Ritz Carlton in Atlanta.


Doesn't my trouser/shirt combo look like a long, elegant dress?


The decor was gorgeous. And Brandon and Wendy aren't that much taller than us. It is completely the angle.


As Cam's aunt said, this looks like a Christmas card.

SATURDAY MORNING/DAY


We helped out at Clark's Christmas Kids with Clark Howard (from AM 750 WSB). So, I can cross #3 off my 108 in 2008 list - Volunteer for a worthy cause. Here we are laughing at Bridget. I like how Rick looks like he is praying.


Here's the whole gang with Clark Howard.


Cam secretly took Wendy and my photo as we shopped for the kids. It looks like I am patting an imaginary cat here.


Me and the beautiful Wendy. Notice a subtle difference between this photo and the next one?


And it's not our smiles.


Cam and I pause for a photo op between bagging presents up.


Sorry mom and dad. But you are meeting him this Sunday!

Afterwards, we all went to Hot Dog Heaven - located in Woodstock - for THE BEST hot dogs in Atlanta. And they have the best sweet potato fries and onion rings and friend green beans and... I HIGHLY recommend trying it out.

SATURDAY EVENING

Cam took me to see A Christmas Carol at The New American Shakespeare Tavern on Peachtree Street. I absolutely love this place, and the show was awesome! They still have tickets available for upcoming performances and I highly recommend you going to see this show. I also had food there for the first time and it was very tasty (and reasonably priced!). AND I was able to cross #5 (see a play) and #70 (go to the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern) off my 108 in 2008 list.


Cam and me before the show. I still look a wee bit tired from the day's activities.

SUNDAY

On Sunday, Cam and I met up with Wendy and Brandon at a political reception.


Don't they look fabulous?


I LOVE this photo of them. They look so happy!


Cam and me.

Sadly, I have no photos from Sunday evening, which I spent having dinner with one of my best friends, Julie. I hadn't seen her in quite a while, so it was a real treat to hang out.

Can you see why the weekend was so fabulous? And except for dinner on Sunday, it was all planned by Cam. He is phenomenal.

Warm, delicious memories

Today I had one of those emotional, scent-triggered memory moments that put such a smile on my face. I was pouring my daily cup of coffee and we must have switched grounds because today's coffee scent took me back to my first 'real' job out of college, when I was a press secretary for a US Senate candidate.

I was so nervous my first day on that job, because the day I began work was the same day I interviewed for the position! I sat in the interview, greener than a hybrid-driving hippy, and my soon-to-be-boss basically said, you're young, you seem like a hard worker, your resume looks good and I'm going to give you a chance. Can you start right now?

I was so happy and eager to take on the world at that moment. And my first job assignment? To make coffee. This was not officially on my job description, but because I was the newbie, and the youngest on the campaign at that time, it fell to me on that one day.

My new boss took me to our break room and I brewed the first pot of the day and I remember savoring the delicious smell of the coffee as it gurgled through the filter. After he took his first sip, my boss told me that everything was a little easier after a good cup of coffee in the morning and that I was in for a wild ride over the next 12 months.

And I now know how lucky I was to have had that interview, to have gotten that job and to have shared that first cup of coffee with an incredible mentor/boss and now, friend. So today, I stood just a little longer in my office's break room, savoring my daily cup of joe and thought about how much I've changed since I took that job five years ago, but how the aroma of coffee still gives me an excitement to take on the world. How's this for a cheesy Friday post?


Five years after this wonderful man gave a kid a chance. I should take him out for a cup of coffee.

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