HGTV bound...almost - so close....

Tuesday, I get an email from some lady at Pie Town Productions telling me she's interested in my relocation story and wants me to call her.....so I do...because I don't know who the hell she is, but she peaked my interest. As I was dialing, I realized that back in November, I had applied for HGTV's House Hunters and then completely forgot about it.

I called this lady, who happened to be a producer for the show and she was really interested in our situation and she wanted us to send in audition tapes. She was really excited to spin our story - Brad in MA, me in a hotel, us going from a high cost of living to finding a home in the south with the same price range. The catch was that she only had two episodes left to film and 5 other producers trying to fill the spots too. So we had to be quick. She mailed me all the forms I had to sign and all the rules that we had to follow and what she needed on the audition tape that Brad and I would have to submit in the next day. I called my realtor, asked if he had a camera, called Brad to tell him to get a camera and we were off.....

The next day, got another email from the lady....the other producers already had tapes in their hands....and it wasn't worth me wasting the energy to make the audition tape b/c they were submitting the other tapes that day.

Bummer....I really wanted to be on House Hunters....

A little MA ink and a trip to CT

I made it back to Boston airport around 9:00 on Friday evening and settled in Friday night for some much needed rest for a busy day on Saturday.

Saturday morning, we headed out to Mandrake Tattoo around noon for our appointment. Yes - we got inked. When we were in Ireland last year, my husband found this Celtic Love Cross that he fell in love with. We wanted to do something to remember our time here in MA before we moved away, so we decided to get a tattoo...not only a tattoo...matching tattoos in the same location. I hope that this doesn't doom us for divorce now!



Brad went first and for some reason, I didn't think it was going to hurt as bad as they say...(this is my 3rd tattoo, but I got my last tattoo about 8 years ago)...and Brad seemed to get through it okay. It only took an hour for his to be finished and then it was my turn. It sucked...it hurt, it was painful, but I sucked it up until I left the shop and then whined like a little girl afterward. Two hours and $180 later, Brad and I left Mandrake Tattoo branded and happy. I think they turned out quite nice.

Brad:



Jen:



We headed home for about half an hour and then headed south to CT to visit some friends. Brad and I are officially moving to GA the first week of February and figured this would be our last chance to visit Jen and Patricia.

I was so excited to get to Jen's because I have not seen her daughter, Crazy Natters, in so long. She had grown so much. Crazy Natters is the first baby we've been around and have been able to watch grow up. Brad absolutely adores this child and she in turn, adores Brad. Most of the night she kept saying, Bwad...Bwad...and point to the garage where Brad and Kevin would occasionally hang out. It was too cute.



We then headed over to Patricia's house. Patricia just moved into her first new home after moving from her apartment in Mansfield and it was beautiful! We drank, smoked, ate pizza, played guitar hero and then headed back to Jen and Kevin's to "watch the game." I say that with quotes, b/c I don't actually remember watching the game...but more the group as we started talking about politics. Fun times!!!







Please note my husband in the far left with his hand against the wall...he's practicing to be a JC Penney model...as Jen mentioned last night!!
We ended up leaving CT around midnight for a two hour drive home. It was a great weekend and I'm sad to see it go by so quickly. We do have another showing today at 4:00...the real estate business is finally picking back up and we've had a total of 3...yes 3...showings at our place since we put it on the market!!

I'll be working for 3 days out of the Mansfield office and then Brad and I will head down to GA on Wednesday night to do some househunting. Very exciting...

And...on January 28th...I bought tickets to see David Copperfield...I've wanted to see him since I was a little girl. Brad isn't going to be able to join me as the show is in Augusta and Brad won't move down until the first week of February, but this was one that I didn't think he would mind to miss....and it will be a much needed girl's night out with my new friends in Augusta!

A day in the hotel room

Picture a girl...hiking in the mountains of the wilderness, then falling into a cave and being stuck there for days on end....enter Jennifer:

It's going on the 8th day here in the cave (hotel).....just kidding. I intro'd that for dramatic effect...

It is my 8th day here in Augusta since New Year's and I've done well to keep myself busy. I decided to stay in Augusta over the weekend rather than driving 5 hours to my mom's house. I joined the World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League here in Northern Georgia that plays at a different venue every night except Friday nights. I have made some new friends...although they'll never compare to the friends that I've made in my first league in New England!

The league here is pretty good, very serious since it is a national league. I have played almost every night. If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked if I was moving here b/c I or my husband was in the military...I'd be a rich woman!

Tonight, the venue listed for the league cancelled, so I'm stuck at the hotel...

Friday night, I went out with some girls from work for some much needed margarita's and social life! The biggest difference in the bars here is that you can smoke in them...which was really cool at first...until I realized after being a smoker in New England for 2 years...I don't like indoor smoke....indoor bar smoke! And I do smoke much more when allowed to smoke with my drink at the table! I think I smoked my body weight in cigarrettes!

I've started working on another 8 hour baby blanket by Plymouth Yarn...and am halfway through. Cooper was born in October....and still doesn't have a baby blanket! My goal is to finish it this week and ship it before I head back to MA, but I tend to set goals outside my reach. I've been toting an unfinished pair of socks with me to Augusta, GA every trip...and never get around to working on it...although I did manage to completely tear the sock out once I got to the heel....

With all the travel and move...It's safe to say...knitting has taken a back seat. I think it took a back seat a long time ago, I just didn't want to admit it. For me...I have to be in a happy place...in my head at least. I have to be calm, relaxed and not have anything "pending" as my friend patricia would say.

I did spend a little bit on my Ravelry account. I added a few pictures...and realized that I have been knitting for almost 2 years!! WOW...that long....? I hate how I started knitting, but glad that I did start...and was lucky that Crazy Natters Mom and Patricia were around for some knitting support!!