No Louisville stand-outs, bool club, CA, and marriage

I should clarify from my last entry that I didn't know GOING IN to last Wed that anyone I knew could potentially be trying out for American Idol. I was just HOPEFUL. I went to a high school with a Youth Performing Arts program that knocked the socks off of any local school. For this reason, I just assumed some aspiring artist from little ole Louisville would hit it big time. But I my hopes were dashed. No such luck! I did see someone from Columbus, OH dancing like a mad man. It was not pretty.

So I started a book club. YEY. Last Thurs was our first meeting - just to organize. We giggled and got to know each other. What a fun bunch of ladies! Isn't a group of women a powerful force. I'm gonna harness that kind of energy one day and turn it into a perfume fragrance. I'll be the next bagillionaire. The club will be picking its first selected reading next week. Anybody got any ideas?

Also big: I'm going to CA this weekend. Me and my 31 week pregnant self are going to sunny LA to have a little vaca with my hubby. He'll be working and I guess I'll find something to do with my time while he's making millions for Mayo. 68 degree weather? Heated pool? Lots of pleasure reading? Lots of journaling? Lots of ME time? I think I'll find a way to survive without him. But there will be great moments together when Scott's free too... like bonding with some of our long lost friends who live there: Phil Verhoff (Scott and Phil were inseparable when they lived in Cleveland... Phil educated himself at Case Western and subsequently found himself residence-ing in LA... he's a brilliant doctor), Sam and Amber Jaeger (Sam is a buddy of Scott's from OC days who dreamed big to make it amongst the Hollywood dreamers... and he did! He was 2nd leading man on the hit show Eli Stone... at least it was a hit in my book... but ABC just took it off the air. Darn them!), and Shad Hart (another of Scott's college friends who is SUCH a good friend... he is the BEST at long, real conversations and that's exactly what we'll do after he picks me up from the airport in the midst of LA rush hour traffic... Scott has already left and I leave tomorrow). So, as I'm sure is coming across loud and clear, I'M PUMPED!

Did I mention Jackson's staying behind? Sitter Cassie, who has faithfully committed to add Jackson into her family plans for the long weekend, is our lifesaver for this trip. I'm already a BIT droopy thinking about going away without him. But - believe me - my droopiness is MORE than compensated for by ENDORPHINS at thinking of hours on end of free time! Yippee!

Lastly, I have been sharing this with people for awhile now. So I'm just going to get it out there... I want to be able to marry people. I'm not interested in committing to a Masters of Divinity (YET, anyway... ). But, according to Joey's (on Friends) path to marriage licensing, there are more informal routes. I still have yet to research the stipulations individual states have in place, but it appears that becoming "ordained" and capable of marrying a couple is as easy as 1, 2, 3 on the internet. More to come on this. I clearly am at the VERY beginning of my research. Like so many other things...

It's been a random entry. But that's the beauty of blogging.

Waiting for one of my long lost childhood friends...

... to show up on American Idol's try outs tonight.

They're taking place in Louisville, my hometown... at Churchill Downs, no less. I have this crazy feeling Paula, Simon, Randy, and that new chick are gonna come across someone I know. I'm waiting on the edge of my seat.

Girls just want to have fun

What a delicious weekend I just had. The group of girlfriends known as "The Girlfriends Club" entered my life as a collective entity in 2002 (i think?). I remember the first "retreat" happening during a very melancholy and confusing time (some, including me, call it the "Quarterlife Crisis" - so does John Mayer in one of his songs!). That three-day retreat filled my cup back up in ways I didn't even realize until months, even years after.

It amazes me that although I enter into these Girlfriends Club Retreats in different personal places, I always come out feeling the same: filled up. Jackson and I arrived Friday night and stayed till Monday. Grandma Lynette took the testosterone (Jackson) out of the mix on Saturday afternoon so that it could be "just girls" from there on. We met in Circleville, as we often do, in Carey's amazing home.

Thank you Becky, KK, Carey, Beth (and Delaney, Beth's newest baby girl addition) for always filling me up. You are forever friends, without whom I'd be far less of a woman.

If Jackson's moments with Delaney are any sign of what kind of big brother he'll be, we're looking at one curious, affectionate, in-your-face sibling. (but he showed only a very small sign of jealousy, which is good!). Thanks, Delaney, for giving Jackson a head's up for what's in store!