Mochas & Schemes.

The last few weeks have been blissfully quiet. Nothing too pressing, just the everyday routine of working in clinic, hanging out with friends, and making the world go 'round.

Our book club met this past Thursday night, which is always a ton of fun. We discussed our latest book, Apologize, Apologize, and caught up on each other's lives over some brie and some fondue and some Riesling. Ahhh, just as it should be...

So this past Saturday morning, I woke up early-ish (for a Saturday, I mean) to meet up with my buddy, Starnes, for some girl time. We originally tossed around the idea of going for a run, but with the sky threatening and the coffee brewing, we elected to head straight for Starbucks instead. Naturally.

The morning was quiet, for whatever reason. We had our laptops open, and Sarah McLachlan's Greatest Hits album was playing in the background. It wasn't too long before the cloudy skies opened up. But we were so happy to catch up and hang out together that the rain just sort of added to a super-cool, much-needed morning. And so it was, over a caramel latte and a white chocolate mocha, that we started to plot and scheme.

Some small plans, you know. And some bigger plans. Even some of our biggest plans yet. Medical coverage for bike races. Maybe a half-marathon somewhere down the road. Lots of travel ideas - some well within reach, some a little more like a fantasy (yet). But I can tell you this - our Google Calendars (and our hearts) were completely full by the time we packed up.

A mocha or two, a few plots and schemes, and a little more Shake.and.Bake. Look out, World!

Shake.and.Bake.

It all started with a letter.

In 2003, upon my acceptance to the Physician Assistant Program at Wake Forest, I received a letter from the President of the Class of 2004. Contained within was my official welcome to PA School, as well as the assignment of my big sister, or the mentor from the class ahead of me who would guide me through my first year. I couldn't have known it at the time, of course, but that class president would later become my husband. And the big sister he assigned to me all those years ago? She became my best friend.

Last week, as I prepared to stand beside her as her Matron of Honor, I searched through some of our old cards and photos. I even found the first e-mail she ever wrote to me, introducing herself as my big sister. Dated 04/14/03. I can't even believe I still have it in my Inbox, but there it was. And it's no secret to anyone - especially her - that she was possibly the worst big sister. Ever. Like, in the history of Wake Forest. Busy with the challenges of adjusting to PA School (for me) and surviving clinical rotations (for her), we almost never saw each other. I didn't know it at the time, but she was also grieving the loss of her precious sister-in-law, who had suddenly passed away only two months before I arrived at school.

But there's always a greater plan at work. And I'm not sure there's ever been a more powerful illustration of that in my life than during those early days at Wake. Because while my big sister was sorting through her life changes, another mentor stepped in - and much later, when the time was right, I even fell in love with him! As that relationship evolved, so, too, did my career. After graduation, I began working at an orthopedic practice in Winston-Salem. As fate would have it, my big sister was working there, too.

And that's when the magic started.

Our friendship blossomed quickly. She brought me something in my life I had never had before. And to this day, if you ask me what it is, I'm not even sure I can tell you. What I do know is that for as long as I live, I hope I'm never, ever without it.

We commonly refer to each other by our last (maiden) names. Payne and Starnes...or, more accurately, Payne&Starnes. Just one word.

I somehow tricked her into signing up for her first 5K back in early 2006. And to this day, I blame her exclusively for making me do my first triathlon. I can still remember that chilly fall morning before the Angels Race. We were so far beyond nervous, it was ridiculous. In the tradition of that race, you have your race number marked down one arm and the name of someone you race in memory or in honor of down your other arm. She raced in memory of Jenny, her late sister-in-law. But standing there in line behind her, I decided to have something altogether different written down my arm.

If you've seen the movie 'Talladega Nights,' then you know that Ricky Bobby and his best buddy, Cal, always give each other a fist bump before the start of any race and say "Shake and Bake." Earlier that summer, when the movie first came out, Starnes and I decided we'd snag that slogan for our friendship, too. We'd used it over and over so much that I suddenly knew exactly what I needed the volunteer to write on my arm to serve as my inspiration on the morning of that first triathlon.

So while I joke about blaming Starnes for making me do that first race, the truth is, I've been grateful ever since. We've now done so many races together that it's become one of the (many) signatures of our friendship. And maybe with the exception of a Baby Grant and a Baby Bus down the road, I'm pretty sure we won't slow down any time soon.

We've also traveled together a bunch - both with our guys and on the greatest girls' trip in the history of the world (so far). Our trip to New York City in 2007 was something I won't ever forget. Holiday lights, the tree at Rockefeller Plaza, a shopping bag from Tiffany's, and a peppermint white mocha every fourth block. And if you add that to Max Brenner's Chocolate Factory, the giant piano at FAO Schwartz, and pomegranate margaritas from Rosa Mexicano, all set to 'The Music of the Night,' then you have one of the greatest trips ever taken. Period.

Later that spring, I asked Starnes to stand with me as I married my Erich...the greatest day ever. And if you can believe it, I totally kept the secret when her Erik proposed to her the following spring until she could tell family and friends in person. And so life was really sweet. Crazy jobs and Starbucks dates and swim-bike-run...with a kindred spirit by your side, laissez les bons temps rouler.

But it doesn't take much living of life to know that a good friendship - I mean, the really good kind - needs to have its hard times, too. That's how you know it's made of the right stuff. Or as Kahlil Gibran (much more eloquently) put it, "How else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."

So last summer, on the 4th of July, I knew immediately when my mom handed me the phone that something just wasn't right. My parents and sister had come down from Virginia and New York, respectively, to visit us for the holiday. Starnes had left our house with Bus, her fiance', not two hours earlier on their way to dinner. So I had no idea why she was calling me...I just knew when I heard her voice that it wasn't for any good reason at all. The few words she could speak clued me in that her brother and Bus' father had been critically injured in a horrible accident. What followed was, I think, the longest, scariest night of our lives.

You learn a lot about somebody when you see them in that kind of pain. And you learn a lot about yourself when there's not one thing you can do to fix it. We spent that whole long first night shoulder-to-shoulder in the ICU waiting room. And when it finally became clear that recovery was possible at the end of a long road, I learned that it's totally possible to love somebody so much more than you already did.

This past fall, I watched from the edge of the pool, the side of the road, and the end of the trail as Starnes did the Angels Race again, this time in honor of her brother. It was the first time he'd ever seen her race. As she approached the Finish Line to the sound of him ringing a cowbell and cheering her on...well, let's just say it made waking up early on a weekend morning way more than worthwhile.

And so, this past Saturday, we came to her wedding day. My anxiety over somehow summarizing in a toast what it all means to me was outweighed only by the very deep honor I felt to stand beside her. We spent the early part of the day getting ready, and in addition to the countless other emotions, I couldn't help but feel really, really lucky. Because it's not every day that you find yourself sitting on the edge of a bathtub, drinking a celebratory mimosa, and watching your best buddy put on her (waterproof) mascara before heading off to the church. It was, in the very best way, such a privilege to be there in that moment. And I felt a nearly overwhelming sense of gratitude.


It was for those (and so many other) reasons that we had agreed to keep our words few before walking down the aisle. Because I knew that when everyone else had gone inside, it would be just me standing there with her and her father in that vestibule. So you may not believe this, but in a moment that will be a highlight of my life for a long time to come, we leaned over, gave each other a fist bump, and mustered up a "Shake and Bake." It was the planned ending to my toast for later that night, and she couldn't possibly have known it at the time. But that's just how we roll.

It was, in the most real sense, the Start Line of her biggest adventure yet, so for us, those were the perfect words. And I won't be able to tell you all that it meant for me to stand there beside her while that knot was tied. What I can tell you is that I have most happily surrounded myself with people who make me better because of who they are. And when you share a day like we all shared together this past weekend, what you're left with is a happy, (so very) happy heart. I guess every friendship has their own language, their own quirks and funny phrases that mean something special, just to each other. And you often hear about those three little words - I. and Love. and You. Believe me, Starnes and I said those words plenty of times on Saturday. But at the end of the day, it might have been those three other little words that knit our hearts just a little closer together.
Shake. and. Bake.

Argus and Everything After.

Last weekend was our epic Argus and Athens weekend - and we weren't disappointed.

As soon as we could all finish our work Friday afternoon, Erich, Amy, Bus, Aliza, and I all hit the road for Athens, Georgia. Mark had left earlier in the day to meet up with his Team Mountain Khakis boys. Our road trip was an enjoyable one...low-key with good company...my favorite! We all crashed as soon as we arrived into town, knowing it was late already and the next night would not be an early one.

Erich left early the next morning to join the rest of his buddies for band practice, so I joined Starnes and the Hekmans for breakfast. Once we finally got The Bus awake, we all hit up Jittery Joe's in downtown Athens. What a funky, cool coffee shop! The combination of two of my favorite fixes, cycling and coffee, was really, really cool. And I'd put their white mocha up against just about anybody's.

Once Mark left for a training ride, A-Hek, Bus, Starnes, and I shopped for a while downtown. I know it sounds crazy, but Junkman's Brother's Daughter is a super fun store! I'm pretty sure the only reason we left after an hour was because of the barbecue lunch Jay and Courtney had waiting for us at their house. Delicious food and great friends...it's hard to beat it!

The only real damper on the whole day was the weather. We knew there were some nasty storms to our south and west, and sure enough, as the day wore on, the weather got worse and worse. Bus, Starnes, and I sat on the front porch, listening to the sounds of the pouring rain and Argus-turned-garage-band. I have to say - the old boys sounded pretty good in warm-ups, so we started to get really excited about their show later that night.

Erich and I headed back to the hotel so he could change, then we headed to Tasty World to 'load in.' For those of you who don't get to hang out with rockstars on a regular basis, that's the lingo for setting up your equipment before the 'gig.' Once they were all settled, I met up with Aliza at the hotel, and we headed downtown for an espresso before meeting up with the crew for the show.

Just as planned, the show started around 6:45pm so we could have around 2 hours of rock 'n roll before heading out to the Pro Race of the Twilight Crits. The guys really did rock the crowd - maybe the best show I've ever seen them play! It was a ton of fun to be there with our buddies...something I'm sure we won't forget for a long time to come. We were even lucky enough to have The Legend join us for the show before heading out to the race. For those of you who don't get to hang out with The Legend on a regular basis, that's the lingo for Aliza's dad, Wayne. And that's about all I can tell you. The rest you have to enjoy for yourself!

Once the show wrapped up, we headed out to the soggy race. I felt bad for the guys having to race in the thunder, lightning, and pouring rain. But the race was still an entertaining one. Once a 6-man break went down the road, Team Mountain Khakis put on a show chasing them down. With the conditions as bad as they were, the peloton had dwindled to fewer than 40 riders out of the original 150+ starters. As the bell sounded for the final lap, we all held our breath for the sprint. Unfortunately, when one racer went down in the finishing straight, he took a few other guys with him, including our buddy, Mark. But he still made his way across the Finish Line, leaving a little skin behind for good measure.

After the race, we all unwound with late-night pizza at the hotel. And after sleeping in to a delightfully late hour, we grabbed plenty of fresh java beans from Jittery Joe's, plus mochas for the road. It's funny, but after traveling to Charleston, Williamsburg, Courtland, New York City, Cambridge, and back again over the past few weekends, the trip home from Athens literally flew by.

And before we knew it, we were right back in the middle of a new week. We celebrated Aliza's birthday with a girls' night this past Thursday, which was a lot of fun! And Amy's bridal luncheon was this past Saturday...we had such a beautiful day to celebrate together. It's so hard to believe that we're only a few short days away from the much-anticipated wedding of Bus and Starnes! I'm putting the finishing touches on my toast (read: deciding how to put it all into words). Hmmm. Stay tuned on that one.

You know there's nothing in the world like my girls!

...And Back South.

So the second half of our Empire State adventure was easily as exciting as the first.

Erich and I road-tripped up to Cambridge, New York, on Friday morning. The drive itself was beautiful - the company, even better. We could tell the temperature was dropping as we headed further north. Arriving into the small village of Cambridge, Erich decided to pre-ride a bit of the course before we headed to the Cambridge Hotel sign him in. I drove around to follow, and the scenery was like stepping right into a painting - unreal. The covered bridge over the Battenkill River is the primary symbol of the race, so it was really cool to see it in person!

Once the course had been previewed and registration was complete, we checked out a bike shop in Saratoga Springs (to replace the bike pump still sitting on the 19th floor of Sarah's apartment!), then checked in to our hotel. We had fantastic hotels on this trip (not to mention our best accommodations in NYC!)...if you're ever, ever in the Saratoga Springs area, you should stay at the Hyatt Place. Clean, beautiful, huge rooms, endlessly-kind staff, delicious food...just go stay there already!

Erich and I asked the hotel staff for a recommendation for Friday night's dinner, and they pointed us in the direction of the Jonesville Store. We had the most unbelievable appetizer before devouring our dinner...with a glass of wine for me, the non-racer (sweet revenge for Erich's beverages during my Disney half-marathon!). There was also this cool old guy playing acoustic guitar for nice background music - truly, a lovely setting. It's really cool to take a chance and discover something new and wonderful!

When we returned to our hotel, Erich worked on bike maintenance, putting on his brand new tires. I went to the train station to pick up Sarah, who had taken the beautiful train ride out of the city after work. Believe it or not, it actually snowed on our way back from the station! The three of us were surprisingly relaxed that night, thanks to Shrek, Donkey, and a few chocolate chip/peanut butter cookies.

The relaxed mentality continued through our brunch the next morning, as well as all throughout our road trip from Saratoga Springs to Cambridge. Once Erich was pinned and sent off to the Start Line with his newfound buddy Frank, Sarah and I drove through the beautiful countryside in search of the Feed Zone at Mile 41 (where we would reload Erich's drink supply). The scenery continued to amaze us, and we had some great sister time. Once the Feed Zone was located, we elected to head to Juniper Swamp Road for a little racing action. We were really pumped to see Erich in a great position heading into the climb, roughly in the middle of the pack. He would go on to move into the lead group after that point.

Time seemed to pass really quickly from that point on. Before we knew it, the pace car was approaching the Feed Zone. I was a little nervous about my bottle hand-off, but I was excited to see the race shaping up so nicely. There were two guys down the road with the main peloton chasing, and Erich was right in the middle of that lead group! The rest of the race had been dropped, so he was well on his way to a Top 25 finish...at worst. I was really pumped for him! So you can imagine my surprise when he gave me a thumbs-down and pulled his bike over to the side of the road. Almost immediately, there was a big crash just behind us. Total sensory overload. As it turns out, Erich's shifter cable had completely snapped 5 miles before the Feed Zone, leaving him in his hardest gear. The fact that he had made it even that far was pretty miraculous in itself! So after months and months of training and anticipation, his race was over. Just like that.

I can't deny I was disappointed. He has worked really, really hard! And I felt invested in this whole process, too. But Erich was so positive about the entire experience, it was hard to stay down for long. And indeed, as she had all week, my sister played the role of hero, having planned an awesome dinner for us in downtown Woodstock! It's pretty hard to beat cold beer and gourmet pizza in a funky/cool setting...plus the raddest cycling hat out there.

Our road trip back into NYC was a whirlwind, as usual. The feeling of chilling out in Sarah's apartment, overlooking the city with a (now very cool) breeze blowing, with Tina Fey on SNL in the background...well, that was pretty awesome. We slept in the next morning before grabbing brunch at the hip, delicious Community Restaurant with Erich's cousin, Lisa. It was great to catch up with her! Then Erich, Sarah, and I decided to spend the afternoon at the Museum of Natural History. Needless to say, that was time well-spent. We even got to meet up with Sarah's best buddy in the city, Ally. Pretty much a perfect spring afternoon in Manhattan.

It would seem that no trip to the Big Apple is complete without at least one meal at Rosa Mexicano. Their food and drinks (especially their pomegranate margaritas!) are hard to beat. The three of us decided to relax on Sarah's 'back porch' for the rest of the evening with the sounds of the city (and Erich's travel guitar) all around us. Nearly impossible to beat the views from Sarah's place. Simply gorgeous. I love New York!

What a perfect trip. All too soon, our time in the city was over. Hugs, kisses, and Starbucks all around on Monday morning, then Erich and I hit the Lincoln tunnel and headed south. We had a long, but very enjoyable road trip back to The Dash. Nothing quite like coming home to a slobbery chocolate lab who is nothing short of elated that you're back!

Having a chance to take a deep breath before heading back to work was essential to the planning of this trip. I've spent the past two days making sure our house was in reasonable order, ensuring our laundry is caught up, doing a little yard work, cheering on some buddies at a local bike race, and being straight-up lazy. It's been awesome! We have what appears to be a really relaxing weekend in front of us, and I can hardly wait.

And then, if you can believe it, we hit the road again! Destination: Athens, Georgia. Mission: Cheer for the long-overdue Argus reunion show, then head out to the Athens Twilight Pro Race in search of flying pigs. Stay tuned.

It's gonna be epic.

Heading North...

So Erich and I hit the road on Tuesday afternoon to start our New York adventure. We decided to take the scenic route through the mountains via Interstate 81. The very best part of that decision is the detour through the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Before I went to PA School, I was fortunate enough to earn my Master's Degree in Exercise Science at James Madison University, so I feel I can claim a little ownership of that part of the world. Erich had never spent much time in the Shenandoah Valley, so we decided to make our first stopover in Bridgewater, Virginia - significant, too, because my dad went to college at Bridgewater. It was awesome to walk through campus and take in the springtime sights, not the least of which was the football field where my dad made a few tackles back in the day. And the Crimson Inn is a must if you're ever in need of a place to stay in that area.

After a quick breakfast at the aptly named Jess' Quick Lunch on Wednesday morning, we were back on the road. From Bridgewater, our road trip was just over six hours to the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Looking at the map ahead of time, I noticed that the Gettysburg National Military Park was not too far off the highway. This stop proved to be not only well-timed for stretching our legs, but unbelievably beautiful (and moving) as well. We decided to take the auto tour through the battlefield, which allows you to drive your car along paved paths snaking through the 24-mile route. We took several stops along the way to walk along the same grounds those thousands of soldiers covered during those three fateful days. And of course, our tour concluded at the cemetery where good old Abe Lincoln gave a certain address a few years back. Truly, Gettysburg was an amazing place to visit. Our only regret was that we didn't have more time to spend there.

But we could hardly wait to get to the Big Apple! Our trip through the Lincoln Tunnel and into Midtown Manhattan was a little adventurous, to say the least, but it's always a ton of fun. We were so happy to see my sis, Sarah, our fantastic hostess for the week. Once we got settled, she took us for a great dinner at Penelope. And of course, because it was Erich's birthday, the night called for a little celebration. For us, celebrating included Sarah introducing us to the most amazing cupcakes ever, courtesy of Crumbs. Unreal! She and I were able to tear ourselves away from our respective Cookie Dough and Peanut Butter Cup treats long enough to snap a picture of E's Devil's Food cupcake, complete with a musical birthday candle! Hard to beat indulging like this while sitting on Sarah's balcony overlooking the Empire State Building on a spring evening...

Erich and I started our day today at Starbuck's (naturally) before heading over to Sid's Bikes NYC. This bike shop is super cool - and it probably doesn't hurt that they sport the orange and black colors, just like all CLM-wannabes. From Sid's, we walked over to Herald Square, down to Times Square, and then to Central Park for a rest. We grabbed lunch at a delicious Asian fusion restaurant before swinging by Niketown and the Apple Store. Our ultimate destination for the afternoon was 30 Rock, as in Rockefeller Plaza. My wicked-fun sister hooked us up with tickets to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. And it just so happened that his guest for the night was Tina Fey - love her. Amy Poehler, Seth Myers, Mario Batali, and Justin Bieber rounded out the lineup. Very, very cool way to spend the afternoon!

We had a great dinner tonight at The City Grill, then grabbed our dessert nightcaps at Magnolia Bakery. You just can't beat having a live-in guide to NYC! In the morning, Erich and I will drive up to Cambridge for race registration, then he and the Cervelo will preview certain parts of the course. When she's finished with her work week, Sarah's taking a train out of Penn Station to meet up with us in Saratoga Springs tomorrow night. And then, as hard as it is to believe, Race Day will finally be here!

Whirlwind.

It's crazy to reference a whirlwind, especially with it being 'Tornado Week' on The Weather Channel and all. But much like the EF3 twister that rocked our good buddies in High Point last week, things keep right on spinnin'.

Our girls' weekend in Charleston was so much fun. Sarah, Aliza, and I had a great road trip down together, and it was really, really nice to catch up with everybody once we arrived. There were 10 girls in all who made the trip down to celebrate with Starnes for the weekend. And you know how it goes - these adventures are always short on sleep but long on fun!

I'm pretty sure I'd barely blinked when our alarm clocks went off the next morning, but with more than 40,000 people signed up for the Cooper River Bridge Run, we couldn't chance our arrival to the Start Line before the bridge closed. Two things to note about our morning together before the race started: #1 - Try as you may, you simply can't beat our Starnes Bachelorette Dri-Fit race shirts. And #2 - Charleston before sunrise in late March is chilly! I had a flashback to my nearly-eternal wait at the Start Line of the Disney Half...minus the snow and freezing rain, of course...

Our whole group managed to join together as we approached the Start, and before we knew it, we were off! This is definitely one of the most fun races I've run - not only because the course is so flat (minus the 4% incline for 1.1 straight miles on the bridge), but also because I was there in Charleston with some of my favorite people on the planet! We had a great time. And my baby sis killed it, running the whole 6.2 miles with no walking breaks. In her first race. Ever! What a stud.

A hearty lunch with the gang - followed closely by a little shopping and a big nap - was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. And then came the Bachelorette Shenanigans. Not too much scandal to report...but suffice it to say, amaretto sours and high-quality friendship can go a long, long way.

All too quickly, our weekend together came to an end. Aliza, Sarah, and I road-tripped back together, dropping Sarah off in Charlotte for her flight back to NYC. And after some heavy springtime storms, complete with a few random tornadoes, we were right back where we started in our everyday lives.

Thankfully, the work week was short. And I had the added bonus of a mid-week Argus concert right in my own guest room. Jay was in town on business, so he and Erich took the opportunity to dust off some old Argus tunes in preparation for their upcoming (epic) reunion in Athens, Georgia. I can hardly wait for that weekend!

As I've mentioned before, we're in the middle of a silly stretch of travel and adventure. We just came back earlier today from a really fun trip to Virginia to see my family for Easter. Erich and Dad hit the road for a pretty spectacular cycling trip from Courtland to Colonial Williamsburg. And Mom, Sarah, and I joined them on Duke of Gloucester Street, following our own shopping adventure, of course. It was a perfect spring day - and so great to be with my family. We spent all day Saturday with our extended family - grandparents and all! I really love to be back home. And then we road-tripped back to Winston just in time for an Easter brunch with Erich's mom and her fellow at Noma. Mmmm...

We have just enough time to catch our breath tomorrow before our journey to New York for the Tour of the Battenkill. I can hardly wait for that whole adventure! Stay tuned...

March Madness.

It's funny. As busted as my bracket is, my own version of March Madness is really just halfway through the first round.

This past weekend, Erich, Zable, and I headed to Sugar Mountain. Erich put in a training ride with the rest of the CLM on the route of the Boone-Roubaix race coming up in less than two weeks. The scenery was spectacular - truly, a gorgeous early-spring morning in the mountains. The gang seemed to have a great ride together before all of us met back up in downtown Boone for lunch. The hungry cyclists chose Black Cat Burrito for their carb-reloading, and it was tasty.

Erich and I headed back up the mountain to watch more basketball and steal a lazy nap. We watched the thriller between Northern Iowa and Kansas that ultimately laid our brackets to rest...and loved it. The games were so compelling that we decided to grab dinner to-go from Bella's in Banner Elk so we could watch the Deacs play. Needless to say, Kentucky played like the best team in the entire tournament that night, but we still had a blast! In spite of the warm sunshine the whole day, there was a chill in the air that inspired us to build a fire in the fireplace during the late games.

And sure enough, by the next morning, the weather was vastly different. It was much colder, very windy, and super foggy up at the top of Sugar. I love when the weather feels like that. Erich and I packed up our bike, books, and dog, and hit the road. We first stopped at The Lodge at Banner Elk Cafe for food and mochas. That's when it started to rain. But we still decided to take the long way around, driving up and over Grandfather Mountain. In spite of the rain and fog, the views were beautiful. And it was nice to just drive and talk and listen to music.

As we came down the mountain, we arrived in Blowing Rock. Zable (exhausted from watching people of all kinds on the ski lift from the porch all weekend!) napped in the car while Erich and I wandered between a few shops, dodging the rain from beneath an umbrella. You know you've done just the right kind of shopping when you end up with a Bon Iver CD and chocolate-covered espresso beans from Kilwin's. Perfect.

We spent most of our drive home discussing how we'd love to have a second home in the mountains someday. And that fantasy has carried us right into the work week...where the adventures just keep coming! I can hardly wait for our book club tomorrow night. I finally get to talk to my girlfriends about Skeeter, Minny and Aibileen from The Help. Perhaps over a glass of wine. Or two.

And then Friday, we leave for Amy's bachelorette weekend in Charleston, South Carolina. That whole trip will most likely be a blog entry in and of itself! And the Tour of the Battenkill is now less than 3 weeks away. Erich heads to the hills and the gravel for his big race simulation ride on Saturday. I can't wait to hear all about it. He's showing amazing form these days, even if he is my own husband. Hard to believe that we'll spend Easter in Virginia with our family, then take off for New York only 2 days later. And by that time, a trip to Athens will be waiting on the horizon.

Is there such a thing as April Madness, too?