Saved by the hanger

A few minutes ago Matt accidentally dropped his keys through a permanently sealed sewer grate onto the ground about six feet below. It's located right behind the spot where I usually park at work, so I'm surprised I've never done it myself.

Thanks to a load of dry cleaning I finally remembered yesterday, I had a wire hanger in my trunk, from which Matt and Jacob formed a keyring-retrieval device. It worked like magic and the whole episode was quite a lot of fun to observe but did I have my camera? Of course not.

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Matt's dad spends more and more of his time in the Caribbean since retiring, and why not? Lately he's in a Turks and Caicos phase, and his typical routine lately is to be there for a month or two, then come back to the States for a few weeks, then head out again. He's flying out again next Monday and we found out a couple of days ago that we (Jacob, Carrie, Riley, Stephen, Matt and I) get to go with him for the first week of this trip. The place we're staying looks AMAZING.

Since the trip was a last-minute deal, Jacob and Carrie had to scramble to get passports for Carrie (whose passport still had her maiden name on it) and Riley. I didn't even know babies needed passports, but they do.

Check this out. If you're thinking it's the cutest photo on any passport in the world, you are correct:

Right?

Living large

Yesterday Matt and I watched the Panthers game with our friends Brian and Morgan -- from the best seats in the house, Suite 87.

You know how sometimes during a game the camera zooms in on the owner and he's wearing a suit and tie and has a drink in his hand and looks much warmer than everyone in the stands? That's where we were sitting.

It was absolutely incredible. I had no idea anyone watched football like that. The suite directly overlooked one of the end zones. It was enclosed and heated. There was complimentary pre-game fruit and cheese and chocolate and coffee.

During the game we had a full menu and bar to order from. Technically, the food and drinks weren't free, but the people from Brian's dad's company, who owned our seats, told us to eat and drink as much as we wanted because they'd taken care of it. Gluttony ensued. There was also a popcorn machine I couldn't stay away from.

Mike Minter, a former Panther, was in our suite signing copies of his book. Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance, as did some of the Panthers cheerleaders.

We had free parking right across the street.

Morgan and Brian are Broncos fans, having moved here from Colorado, but they couldn't be very vocal in that atmosphere. The Panthers played great and easily won. I was playing Jonathan Stewart in fantasy, and Matt was playing Deangelo Williams, and both of them had a good day so the win was that much sweeter. (I was also playing the Broncos' kicker, Matt Prater, but he only made one field goal.)

For possibly the first time in my life, I wasn't ready for the game to end.

It was a 4 p.m. game but we left home early to make a day of it and fit in a Target trip, a stop at a guitar store for Brian and lunch at Lib and Jorge's favorite uptown restaurant, Rock Bottom Brewery. (If we'd realized how much unlimited free food was coming our way in Suite 87, we never would have actually paid to eat just a couple of hours earlier, but we were expecting only light hors d'oeuvres.)

While walking to lunch we happened to pass the hotel where the Broncos were staying. The team buses were out front and a small crowd had formed waiting for the players to walk out. We decided to wait five minutes and see if anything happened, and sure enough, we got to see Jay Cutler, Champ Bailey and coach Mike Shanahan, plus some other Broncos none of us recognized.

I had thought about giving Matt Panthers tickets for Christmas, but I'm so glad now that I didn't. Can you say anti-climactic?


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Riley picture of the day

Here to stay?

For a really long time I've been meaning to write this post in response to Ally's comment on another post: "You seem pretty involved in your community. Are you guys there to stay or could a move be in the future?"

Our plan, and I use that term loosely, is to stay here until all of our kids are in college, by which time maybe we'll be able to retire and either move somewhere else (if we want to) or do some traveling (if we can afford to).

We do love being here. I spent the first 17 years of my life itching to leave, but after living in a half-dozen other cities, and visiting many more, we returned with a renewed appreciation for the Pinehurst-Southern Pines area. More and more old friends are trickling back here, too.

We moved back about four years ago for Matt and Jacob to start our company. Knowing people is key in a real estate career, and here, in a county overflowing with people who are related to us and people we played high school sports with and people Dad taught 20 years ago and church members who knew us before we could talk, a lot of groundwork was already laid. The company's still primarily what keeps us here. If Matt had to find another job, we'd look around town but we'd also be open to moving wherever.

Having so much family around is a GREAT benefit of being here. (Every time the holidays roll around I am so thankful we no longer have to travel to see most of the people we love. The first couple of years we were married it was stressful rushing into town for just a few days and trying to make sure everyone got equal time.) I know exactly how lucky I am to have had lunch with Amanda today and to be meeting Mom for coffee tomorrow and to be only five minutes away every time Granny calls with a surplus of vegetable soup.

It thrills me that our baby will have such easy access to his or her first cousins, starting with Riley and Brianna. I eagerly anticipate all the free babysitting headed our way -- and am just as excited to return the favor.

So, short answer, who knows. We expect to be here not forever, but for a long time -- but I could find plenty to like about raising our family almost anywhere, should the opportunity arise.

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Riley picture of the day

Pardon the blogging laziness

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? For giving: gift bags. For receiving: wrapping paper.
2. Real tree or artificial? Real
3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? Around New Year's
5. Do you like eggnog? No
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I have a bad memory for stuff like this ... but I remember being really excited when I got my first bicycle
7. Hardest person to buy for? Terry
8. Easiest person to buy for? Riley
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Plastic dancing Santa Claus
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Mid-December -- which means it's about time to get on that
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Of course
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Finger foods at all the parties
16. Lights on the tree? They're the most important part
17. Favorite Christmas song? "Carol of the Bells"
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? We never get a white Christmas
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Mom, Terry and Gran give us an ornament every year, and most of those are our favorites -- no particular theme, though
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A healthy start to my second trimester (which begins on Christmas Eve). And a healthy baby for Lib (due any day)!

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Riley picture of the day

Getting better all the time

I'm feeling much better today. I haven't blown my nose once and the sore throat's gone, though I've acquired a cough.

Possibly the only thing less interesting than hearing about someone's nasal congestion or lack thereof is hearing about her dreams. Nevertheless I'll tell you that this morning between the first time the alarm went off and when I actually got up I dreamed I was at a big table with a bunch of physicists who were discussing string theory and I was panicking because if someone tried to involve me in the conversation I wouldn't have a single word to contribute. (I have had some weird dreams lately.) I knew Matt would love that string theory's floating around in my subconscious, even though I really have no idea what it is or means, and he did.

Last night the usuals came over for tons of fried chicken and the Panthers game. I am so glad I can finally enjoy fried chicken again. For years, like more than a decade, after high school anatomy I couldn't eat chicken on the bone, even though it used to be my favorite food. It only got worse once I started cooking it myself and dealing with the blood and guts (yum!). Somehow, I was able to overcome all that enough to start eating it again this summer.

Today's such a nice day I feel guilty that I didn't make time for an outside run before it got dark. Being stuck on the treadmill is just awful, but at least I can usually find an episode of "What Not to Wear." I love that show although I never watch new episodes. I hate to think how far I might have come with learning Spanish by now if I'd stuck with listening to Pimsleur on the treadmill. Argh.

Which reminds me, have y'all been to the blog Stuff White People Like? I heard of it a long time ago and then Lib reminded me of it the other day, and No. 115 is "promising to learn a new language." Most of the site is absolutely hilarious.

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Riley picture of the day

Monday, Monday

I have a lingering cold that's driving me crazy! It started rolling in on Thursday and was in full force by Friday. I seriously never get sick -- and I know a cold doesn't count as sick -- but I'm ready for this to go away. My throat hurts, my nose is raw, my head feels like it's floating somewhere way above my body. Matt's being really sympathetic considering that the way I feel is essentially the way he felt (because of allergies) every day of his life until he started taking five medicines a day last year.

Matt's birthday was Saturday and we just kept it low-key with dinners Friday and Saturday. Jacob was pushing hard for a surprise party but I would have been sleeping on the couch for a month. Every year I love Matt's birthday because it makes me feel young for the next nine months.

Besides that, we had a really relaxing weekend -- movies, football, final Christmas decorating, church, books borrowed from the community college with our shiny new free library cards. Qualifying was as simple as showing our driver's licenses. The college library's hours are better than the Southern Pines library's, as is the selection -- we have free access to 47 other community colleges' collections. We got an enthusiastic tour from the librarian and free oranges from the library director. There's free wi-fi, a reading room and an art gallery. Plus, it's only about 10 minutes from our house.

I'm getting close to checking off No. 3, "For all of 2008, send a snail-mail birthday card to everyone I love." When I was making my 101-things list I almost wrote that as "an on-time snail-mail birthday card" but thank goodness I didn't. If you have a November birthday and I didn't get to see you last month, your card is in the mail today. If your birthday was months ago and you haven't received a card, please let me know ASAP so I can send it out. And I'm sorry for any oversights. I've done my best this year but I bet some people have slipped through the cracks.

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Riley picture of the day

You are the bomb.com

Thank you to everyone for the flood of comments and emails in response to yesterday's post! I often think about the proverb that "shared joy is a double joy (and shared sorrow is half a sorrow)" and all of you are proving it true.

A special thanks, too, for cumulatively leaving me more than 20 comments (and counting) on that post! You guys can take the credit for my checking off No. 94, "Write a blog post that draws at least 20 comments, even if I have to beg."

The baby blog address is http://ababyinjuly.blogspot.com/. I'm also linking it on the sidebar for easy access. I won't promise to update it as frequently as I update this blog, because pregnancy-wise there isn't a lot to say right now beyond "I'm tired ... I'm tired ... still tired." I suppose that will change, though.

Again, many thanks for the vicarious joy (Dad's phrase)!

P.S. The daily baby Riley has returned!

Other than deviled eggs, very little productivity here

I swore I would get cracking on this alcoholism story today. It's only 1,000 words and shouldn't take me two hours! Instead I have:

1. Drunk a pot of coffee
2. Introduced Matt to cream of wheat (he liked it)
3. Made three-dozen deviled eggs for tomorrow
4. Thoroughly cleaned the whole house
5. Folded and put up four loads of laundry
6. Finished reading "The Corrections"
7. Checked Facebook and Google Reader too often
8. Had a longish, highly entertaining conversation with Amanda
9. Written a query to NC Signature Magazine (Yay! Productivity!)
10. Taken a shower
11. Painted my toenails
12. Created a Word document and written: "Alcoholism, By Jennifer Kirby"
13. Made two new playlists in iTunes
14. Updated my iPod
15. Unloaded the dishwasher
16. Gotten my inbox down to 14 messages
17. Typed this while ignoring the ring of my cell phone in another room ... twice now

I don't know what to say. It feels like a holiday. I tried to convince Matt that today and Friday are legal holidays, but he emailed me an article from The Pilot saying that many local businesses are open today and Friday. So he's at work right now. Each to his own reality.

Speaking of Matt, he just called to say we're going to dinner tonight with some favorite peeps, including Carrie and Jacob, who are getting a babysitter for the second night in a week! Eager babysitters who refuse to accept payment appear to be a huuuge perk of living in the same town as lots of your family. (Another perk is no required travel for holidays.)

I hope this weekend we get to see some of the "Matt's guys" crowd in either Greensboro or Raleigh. There was talk of the guys going to a football game while Todd's mom gave the girls a tutorial on her to-die-for Italian meatballs. Guys are in charge of the planning, so we'll see whether it pans out.

I made an awesome discovery yesterday: Express now FINALLY has online ordering! It has driven me crazy for years that they didn't have an online store. Express pants are the only work pants I've ever found that fit me perfectly, are long enough for me to wear with heels and have consistent sizing. Plus you can get away with machine washing them. I got a coupon in the mail yesterday and normally I just throw them away because we don't have an Express here but yesterday I noticed that for the first time it said "Good for in-store or online purchases." Excitement! I checked out the site but didn't buy anything because I don't need anything and right before Christmas is the worst time to buy something you just want.

Just in case I don't get around to blogging tomorrow ... Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

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Riley pictures of the day

Derelict in my duties

Happy Monday, all you people out there. Sorry I've been an absentee blogger lately. Don't worry, there's good stuff in the works. I mean it this time.

When I last wrote I was cold and that's still my status. I realize that it is winter (although not technically) but I don't like being this cold. I did wake up and run in the Turkey Trot 10k Saturday morning (24 degrees). I didn't have a great run but I did win my age group. For my efforts I received what I think is an insulated lunchbox and what everyone else says is a beer cooler. Either way, pretty useless to me. But better than a fanny pack, which is what it looked like from a distance.

Saturday night we went to Wendi's birthday party and it was fun to hang out with a bunch of CrossFit people who we usually see only at the gym. It never ceases to amaze me how different everyone looks when they're all cleaned up. At the end of the night we played Pictionary, girls versus guys, and that was awesome. Some interesting conversation that night, too.

Speaking of CrossFit, look what showed up on the CF website:This morning was the ultrasound that revealed the sex of Amanda and Stephen's baby (!!!). It's not easy but I'll refrain from announcing whether it's a boy or a girl until she posts on her blog -- hopefully with pictures.

I'm having a hard time staying in work mode today. I have two stories due on Jan. 15 that I really ought to get cracking on so they aren't hanging over my head during Christmas, but it feels like this whole week is a holiday. Anybody feel my pain?

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Riley picture of the day

Brrr

It's so cold I can hardly function. I don't understand why it won't snow if it's going to be so cold. This morning I had to come in early for a meeting at the building at the other end of our short block. It was so close I HAD to park at our office and walk over -- there was no justifying driving there. To endure the walk I counted my steps (130). On the way back I focused on eating three mini-ham biscuits I'd snagged. I wish our office had a fireplace.

Back in the day I used to get all pumped up for running in the cold. Especially if it snowed -- I loved bundling up and running in the snow. I think it made me feel strong or something. Clearly I have evolved into a wimp, because I have skipped outdoor runs for the treadmill for about two weeks now, with the exception of last week's run with Kate. I'm even considering bailing on the Turkey Trot this weekend, but I'm sure I won't. Since our company's one of the sponsors we'll have a booth there, and I'd much rather be running in the freezing cold than manning a booth and making small talk with randoms in the freezing cold.

Yesterday I cleaned out my Rolodex for the first time ever. There were 46 outdated or otherwise useless business cards. Some were so old and random: one from the sketchy apartment complex where I lived right before we were married (where a baby was found dead last week). One from the jeweler who years ago resized my engagement ring so it wouldn't slip off into a drain. One from a forgotten interior designer-turned-flooring saleswoman-turned-gospel singer we once knew (who turned out to be a little cuckoo).

A few days ago Granny called me to ask if I'd like some turkey. Apparently, she'd been forced to cook the Thanksgiving turkey because she'd gotten it home from the grocery store just to realize there was no room for it in the freezer. This is classic Granny -- I love it. Of course I said yes and I went over and we chatted for a while and the whole time I was thinking I'd love to dig into that turkey (and stuffing) right then and there. When I left I drove back to the office and Matt and Stephen and I devoured every bit of it. With our fingers. Delicious. It's not just anybody who can cook a juicy turkey.

I may have mentioned this before but Amanda does all these mystery shops where, say, McDonald's will pay her to eat there and evaluate the food, overall experience, etc. Whenever she gets a lunch assignment I go with her. I'm so interested in this. She looks so sweet and innocent but she's covertly working her stopwatch and noting names of negligent cashiers.

Last week we went to Sonic for a mystery shop and the service was so good, way better than anything I've ever experienced at Sonic, that I have to wonder whether they were expecting us. They responded in seven seconds to our pushing the button to order, they repeated our orders back to us, the food was out right away, and a waitress came by with a tray of condiments -- which apparently they're supposed to do but I had never seen. Today we're going to Panera, yum.

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Riley picture of the day

97 things

Thanks, Amanda. These list things are perfect for days when I'm feeling lazy and uninspired ... like today. The items in bold are the ones I've completed. The items not in bold made me feel either untraveled, boring or fortunate.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Run a marathon
27. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
28. Seen a total eclipse
29. Watched a sunrise or sunset
30. Hit a home run
31. Been on a cruise
32. Seen Niagara Falls in person
33. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
34. Seen an Amish community
35. Taught yourself a new language
36. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
37. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
38. Gone rock climbing
39. Seen Michelangelo’s David
40. Sung karaoke
41. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
42. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
43. Visited Africa
44. Walked on a beach by moonlight
45. Been transported in an ambulance
46. Had your portrait painted
47. Gone deep sea fishing
48. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
49. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
50. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
51. Kissed in the rain
52. Played in the mud
53. Gone to a drive-in theater
54. Been in a movie
55. Visited the Great Wall of China
56. Started a business
57. Taken a martial arts class
58. Visited Russia
59. Served at a soup kitchen
60. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
61. Gone whale watching
62. Got flowers for no reason
63. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
64. Gone sky diving
65. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
66. Bounced a check
67. Flown in a helicopter
68. Saved a favorite childhood toy
69. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
70. Eaten caviar
71. Pieced a quilt
72. Stood in Times Square
73. Toured the Everglades
74. Been fired from a job
75. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
76. Broken a bone
77. Been on a speeding motorcycle
78. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
79. Published a book
80. Visited the Vatican
81. Bought a brand new car
82. Walked in Jerusalem
83. Had your picture in the newspaper
84. Read the entire Bible
85. Visited the White House
86. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
87. Had chickenpox
88. Sat on a jury
89. Met someone famous
90. Joined a book club
91. Lost a loved one
92. Had a baby
93. Seen the Alamo in person
94. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
95. Been involved in a lawsuit
96. Owned a cell phone
97. Been stung by a bee

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Riley picture of the day

Believe it or not

This is old news, but I never wrote about it and I want to document it because I think it's an absolutely crazy coincidence. As you know, Amanda turned me on to FutureMe.org and several weeks ago I was on the site writing a letter to her future self. After I finished I was bored and clicked on "View Public Entries."

The third public entry that popped up was written by a girl who'd scheduled it to arrive on her and her boyfriend's fourth dating anniversary, in 2003. The first sentence referred to the boyfriend -- Stephen. The fifth sentence referred to a friend -- Keely. Amanda's husband (a mere boyfriend in 2003) is Stephen, and her best friend from college is Keely, so I thought, that's interesting ...

And then I got to the end, which simply read "143" -- which is "their" number, if you will. I did the math on the dates and sure enough, it added up. I couldn't believe it! I called Amanda, read it to her and she confirmed.

Out of hundreds of thousands of public letters on that site, the third one I clicked on was written by my sister five years ago. What are the odds?
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Riley picture of the day

Just a quickie

This weekend came and went in a flash! Matt got home from Tennessee in time for a late dinner together Friday night. Saturday we slept in, went grocery shopping and then went to Raleigh to hang out with Maegan, Lee and Emma. Today after church and football we went over to Melissa and Thomas' new house for a couple of hours. And just like that, it's back to work tomorrow.

Better blogging to come.

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Riley pictures of the day

These are from last week but I forgot to post them earlier. Once things had calmed down a little in the Riley Kirby household, we went over for the guys to have a celebratory drink and smoke a cigar. When Stephen was in the Caribbean last month Matt had arranged for him to buy a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label for this occasion (duty-free). Everyone was excited to try it but said it tastes like any other whiskey. (The packaging was fancy, though -- silk-lined -- it looked like a casket.)

Rain, rain ...

What a wet, dreary day! I get cold just looking outside. I came home for a late lunch and decided to stay here until CrossFit at 4. It's no warmer here than at the office, but here I can wear Matt's pajama pants and wrap up in a robe.

Normally I would be able to turn on the gas logs for a quick blast of heat, but they seem to be broken. I think the pilot light's just out but I don't know how to fix it and Matt's still in Tennessee. I wish I had a space heater. I asked Matt the other day if he would give me one for Christmas for the bathroom. I procrastinate getting out of the shower in the mornings because I know how cold it's going to be outside of the stall. I love being warm and toasty.

I asked my editor for more stories this morning. Luckily, he always seems to be able to come up with something, and I've moved on from NFL cheerleaders to alcoholism and the history of UNC men's basketball.

I'm afraid my legendary six-game winning streak in fantasy football is going to come to a screeching halt this week. Portis is probably out, Romo is finally back but probably not in top condition, and the Jets defense, which saved me last week, fell way short of expectations in last night's game. Matt says I can afford to lose one, maybe two of the next four games and still make the playoffs. Oh, the pressure! It would be sweet to win the first-place cash, but just making the playoffs would make me happy. Honestly, I'll be happy no matter what because I think at this point it's statistically impossible for me to wind up at the bottom of the pile.

A salesman came in the office this morning and I don't know whether it was my mood or if he really was extra-pushy, but I could hardly be polite to him. I cannot stand when totally uncharming people are so sure they can charm you. It really turns me off. Especially when they reek of cigarette smoke -- and for some reason, a lot of those type people seem to.

I wonder why I'm writing so many disjointed posts lately? Maybe my mind is not working so well. If that's the case, I hope it's temporary.

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Riley picture of the day

Rambling woman

I keep wanting to post more pictures of Riley, but a) Too many pictures are overwhelming and b) I'd hate to come across as an obsessed aunt, so my solution is to post one picture a day of her, indefinitely, starting today.


It feels like it's been a long week. I'm tired. The NFL cheerleaders article ended up being a lot harder to write than I expected -- it wasn't really a profile piece, but there wasn't really a story either, so it was hard to organize. I finally finished it this morning.

Tuesday I ran with Kate. We planned to do an eight-miler and I wasn't even sure I could handle that. I hardly ever run more than five unless I'm with her. As we were nearing the end she let it slip that "Vinny claims this route isn't really quite eight" and she decided to run an extra lap around the lake (two more miles) for good measure. I spent the next quarter-mile trying to decide whether I'd regret it more if I did or didn't join her.

In retrospect, I think I would have regretted it either way. I ended up running it with her because I have a lot of stupid pride, but it pretty well knocked me out for the rest of the day. But all in all it was a good run because we had a long time to talk plus I ran into my phenomenal high school coach, Coach Carter.

Yesterday I played tennis with a different woman from the same team and it was a lot more fun than last week. She was pretty good and I played a little better too. We had some marathon rallies, which I love, and she told me where to find courts with a backboard (the ones near Memorial Park on Morganton Road, for any locals who care). Even if I don't join the league maybe she and I can get together once in a while to play.

Let me think, what else ... I don't think I mentioned that Melissa and Thomas finally closed on their house on Friday, an hour before Riley was born! Of course my one closing of the quarter coincided with the birth of my first niece. But it worked out fine and I didn't miss either one. This morning Mel and Thomas found out they're having a BOY!

Matt and Stephen are going to check on some stores in Tennessee today and tomorrow so I'm on my own tonight. If I had to guess I'd say I'll be in bed by 8:30.

Amanda will be here any minute for lunch -- she has a mystery shop at Sonic and I'm joining her -- so the rambling ends here.

Baby Riley is here!

Finally! Riley Madison Kirby arrived today at 3:56 p.m. She's 7 pounds 8 ounces, 19-3/4 inches long, and we are totally in love.