Highlights of 2017

Lots of life has happened this year! I spent a bulk of the beginning of 2017 back in Kentucky helping my parents as my dad recovered from sepsis. During my time there, it was also discovered that he would need surgery to correct a triple retina tear in his right eye. Despite the hurdles, we had fun spending time together, ate at nearly every restaurant in Owensboro, and managed to see all the Best Picture nominees.

When I returned to New York on Valentine's Day, Chris and I began putting our relocation plans into high gear. I was making networking calls, applying to jobs, and taking phone interviews in a number of cities across the mid-west. Eventually, we narrowed our prospects to Nashville, TN, Louisville, KY, or Columbus, OH. All three cities had advantages and disadvantages. I had a couple of interviews in Nashville, but things just weren't seeming to pan out there. In late April/early May, I spent three weeks at my brother's house in Lexington with meetings in both Nashville and Columbus sandwiched between being auntie extraordinaire, my niece's 5th birthday party, and my other brother's medical school graduation.

There still hadn't been quite as much movement on the job front for me as we had hoped, but we knew moving away from the expense of New York City when our lease expired in August was the right move for us. In mid-July, Chris and I made a trip to Columbus for a week where we both had some really encouraging networking meetings. After spending some time in Columbus, we felt like it was the right place to pursue. We squeezed in some birthday fun with our nephew in Lexington before heading back to New York to pack up our apartment.

After 10 years of living in crazy busy NYC, it was much more difficult that I expected to say goodbye. Once we officially made our decision to move to Columbus in mid-July, I began the overwhelming task of packing up our apartment. It was a small space to begin with so adding boxes everywhere made it especially daunting. In the end, we got it done.

In mid-August, we loaded up our packed to the brim U-Haul and made the journey to Columbus. We decided to rent a townhouse (more than triple the amount of space we had in NY for roughly a third of the cost!!) in Dublin, which is roughly 20 minutes from downtown Columbus. Upon arrival, we promptly bought a car (our 1st major purchase as a married couple) and began our life here.

We drove back to New York for one final week. I was able to complete my Level 3 Improv Intenstive with Magnet Theater, and we hosted a final shindig in our nearly empty LIC apartment. It was a bittersweet week, but we left with no regrets (and one final completely full SUV load of stuff).

We spent a couple weeks getting adjusted to our new life in Columbus - checking out all the local grocery stores, securing our CAPA season tickets, and organizing our new place. We managed an extended weekend trip to Lexington to visit the Ale8 Factory, watch Brinley and Landon play soccer, and tour Old Kentucky Chocolates. On the heels of that trip, God provided an employment opportunity for me at a local YMCA as a youth development director.

I started that position the last week of September and hit the ground running. It has certainly kept me busy while allowing Chris to search for a great opportunity. We also found a wonderful church home thanks to a sorority sister of mine that lives here now as well. We spent most of the last part of the year exploring our new city, visiting (and hosting) family and friends, and simply taking a breath.

Andrea :)

Our ICU Christmas to Remember

Life is full of surprises and mysteries. My family had our fill of both this Christmas season, but let me back track to the week of December 11. My dad had just returned with my youngest brother, McKinley, from a road trip to Louisiana. Dad played piano at two church services that Sunday and did a little Christmas shopping with my mom. Nothing to see here, folks.

On Monday, Dad began complaining of some back pain and headed off to the chiropractor to see if an adjustment would do the trick. On day two of no back pain relief, Mom was convinced a trip to the doctor was in order. That visit on Wednesday, December 14 resulted in an immediate admission to the hospital due to elevated kidney levels. Certainly concerning, but kidney stones seemed to be the logical diagnosis and fit for the symptoms. As it turns out, kidney stones would have been ideal. Instead, an aggressive blood infection was discovered. Mysteriously, no entry point for the infection was found, but it took hold in a real scary way regardless.

On Saturday, breathing became difficult as other levels peaked and dipped which led to a move to the Critical Care (ICU) area. It was at this point, I could no longer be convinced to stay in NY and wait for my previously arranged Tuesday flight. Of course, in true NY fashion we had a snow storm that day which significantly delayed flights. I was able to get on an 11pm flight that landed me in Louisville (still two hours away) around 1am. My best friend from high school graciously volunteered to pick me up and drive me to the hospital once I arrived.

When I finally made it to the ICU at 3:30am on Sunday, December 18, Dad was wide awake. He hadn't slept for quite some time (over 24 hours) and was clearly in distress based on the screens displaying his stats, but he knew me and we were able to talk a bit though most of the conversation revolved around helping him escape.

The next day, Dad was intubated to assist with getting his breathing under control and allow his body to rest while the antibiotics for the infection began to work. It was easily the most difficult and scary period of time I've experience in my life. God revealed to me a totally new meaning to the verse in 1 Thessalonians instructing us to pray without ceasing. During this trying time, I felt the Holy Spirit wash over me and provide a peace that gave me strength to continue to petition God on behalf of my dad. My brother, Jordan, provided frequent Facebook updates to family and friends requesting prayer and a number of churches were also lifting up Dad. God heard our cry. I have absolutely no doubt.

After three days of intubation, the tube was removed. Dad could talk again, but he was incredibly weak and tired. Other issues surfaced over the next few days and a number of blood transfusions were necessary, but by Christmas Day stats were normalized, his feeding tube was removed, and he was even able to sit in a chair.

We experienced our own Christmas miracle this year. Dad will continue to receive the antibiotic for several weeks and will need extensive rehabilitation services to regain his strength and full independence, but God has performed a remarkable work in healing my Dad. As 2016 closes and 2017 begins, our family is incredibly grateful for all of the support, prayers, and concern shown for our family. Most of all, we are thankful for the miracle God performed for us.

Andrea :)

Mickey's Christmas Party!

I got an early start on celebrating Christmas this year when I joined my brother's family for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney World. They had year long park passes this year so I had the best tour guides possible for my one day adventure!

We spent the morning checking out all the fun stuff at the resort and swimming at the pool. Since we weren't able to enter the park until 4pm, we also had time to grab a delicious lunch at Cracker Barrel. The kids were even able to mail off their wish lists to Santa while we waited for our food.

We arrived at the park about 10 minutes before entry time. We went non-stop from that point on. Our group took the divide and conquer approach so Jordan and I pushed the kids in strollers from ride to ride while Jen waited in line for the top characters of the night. We started the day on the Jungle Jingle Cruise - definitely a fun way to get things started.

After that, it was off to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Big Thunder Mountain roller coasters and Splash Mountain. I took turns riding with the kids using fast passes or companion passes while Jordan entertained the waiting kid. A couple of times - Dumbo and Alice's Tea Cups - I had both kids by myself while Jordan ran drinks and treats back to Jennifer. At various locations throughout the park, cookies and drinks (or in one case a snow cone) were served for guests at the party. We slowed down enough to grab those from each location. The snowman sugar cookies were the best alongside the hot cocoa.

We met a slew of character beginning with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Zootopia.  The party marked their first appearance for my niece and nephew so that was pretty neat. We also met Jack Skellington. He was quite interactive which was cool to see. We also came across Goofy in between rides on the Barnstormer. He was a lot of fun for our group.

I was able to watch the Frozen characters light the castle turning it into a brilliant background for photos. And we saw bits and pieces of the parade - talk about a packed crowd! The kids fell asleep during the fireworks show, but it was spectacular.

We found more characters - Minnie and Daisy, the Seven Dwarfs, and even some Prince and Princess pairs. We rode more rides - It's a Small World, Little Mermaid, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Flying Carpets, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

After riding pretty much every ride in the park, eating our way through a variety of cookies, and meeting super fun characters, it was time to say goodbye. We took lots of fun photos on our walk down Main Street to the exit. It sure was a day packed full of fun and adventure for all. Big thanks to my brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew for showing me the ropes - I absolutely loved spending the day with you all at the most magical place on Earth!

Andrea :)

An Indoor Beach Wedding

A few weekends ago, we packed our best summer clothes and headed down to Miami for a beach wedding. Little did we know, our weekend would be spent almost completely indoor.

The wind whipped viciously and continuously for our entire trip. Any time outside the resort venue found me in a windbreaker with the hood up. It was truly unbelievable. We made the best of it by spending time with family that we don't often see and catching up on some reading and Netflix documentaries.

Despite the drastic change of environment, the wedding was lovely. It was great to enjoy dancing and chatting with Chris' cousins and aunts from England, Memphis, and Atlanta as well as the crew from NY.  Family weddings are always such a fun time!

When was your last family wedding?

Andrea :)

Fall (Wedding) Fun

Fall has become my favorite season over the years. The weather is just right and the colors are so pretty. And who doesn't love apples and pumpkin, right?

We had the honor of attending a lovely fall wedding a couple weeks ago. The bride was stunning, the decor beautiful, and the food delicious. We sure had fun dancing the night away. Seeing so many folks from Albany was a nice treat for us as well.

We spent Sunday visiting with my aunt and cousins. She bought some gourmet cupcakes that we enjoyed while watching the atrocious second Presidential Debate on TV that night. I've never felt quite as vested in the election process as I have this year. Maybe because I am a woman, but mostly because I am a human. Let me leave no doubt in saying that I'm with her. I'm completely baffled how absolutely everyone isn't at this point. This isn't reality TV where it's acceptable to repeatedly outright lie, cheat, and steal to win the prize. This is real life where experience and strategic planning should be applicable. But that's a story for another day I suppose. As always, it was great to spend time talking with my Aunt Mildred - about the mess our country is in, family history, and everything in between! The next day, Chris and I made our way to the orchard on our drive back to the city, but it was too chilly for us to manage any apple picking this time. We settled for some hot apple cider and fresh cider donuts instead.

What fun activities have you done this fall?

Andrea :)

Broadway Week - The Color Purple

It is rare that I see a Broadway show twice. Especially twice in one year, but The Color Purple is a show for which exception are made. I saw this one with some friends around the holidays last year, but couldn't pass up the chance to see it again with my parents, Chris, and his mom recently.

We weren't fortunate enough to catch Cynthia Erivo as Celie this time, but Heather Headley as Shug Avery was a welcome change. I saw a disappointing Jennifer Hudson in that role previously. Heather had all the sass and seduction that Shug Avery needs. She was fantastic! The understudy for Celie had quite a voice on her as well. Nothing beats Cynthia, but she sure did give it a shot. The story is amazing and seeing it come to life on stage is truly beautiful. If you are headed to NYC and need a friend to accompany you to this one, let me know. I'd happily see it over and over again!

Andrea :)

Broadway Week - Cats

When Mom and Dad visited recently, we all took a trip to the Jellicle Ball one night. Cats was intended to be the highlight of their visit. The set was beyond amazing - so unique and interesting! The show itself wasn't our favorite though. We enjoyed seeing some of our favorite cats, but the story seemed to drag a bit. Those cats needed a little more pep in their step...or something!

We didn't take advantage of it, but at intermission the audience members were allowed to go on stage and take photos with Old Deuteronomy. As we discovered, they only let a certain number of people on stage so we decided to just watch the fun from our seats. Speaking of our seats, we were in a section that ran along the entrance/exit route for a handful of the cats so we really had some up close encounters throughout the performance.

Leona Lewis is currently playing Grizabella, but we didn't think she performed all that well the evening we saw the show. My all-time favorite cat is Mr. Mistoffelees, but I also liked Gus (the theatre cat), Jennyanydots, and Rum Tum Tugger in this performance. Although, in the end, we weren't blown away with the performance as a whole. However, if you want to see an extraordinary set and some fantastic dance numbers then Cats is the show for you!

Have you ever been to the Jellicle Ball?

Andrea :)

Broadway Week - Fiddler on the Roof

I was excited to see Fiddler on the Roof because I knew a handful of the songs, but wasn't entirely familiar with the full story. I find it is always a bit more fun when you don't have pre-determined expectations since experiencing a show for the first time is impossible to replicate. The emotions on stage in this one span the spectrum from laugh out loud humor to tear jerking heartbreak. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Learning more about the cultural roles of mamas and papas and sons and daughters in the community proved fascinating. I enjoyed the Biblical references complete with side conversations to God and SO many of the songs - particularly If I Were a Rich Man and Sunrise, Sunset. My dad often plays Sunrise, Sunset at weddings (ours included!) so it was really exciting to hear that one performed live. Fiddler on the Roof closes in December so find a way to get your tickets soon. I highly recommend it.

Are you familiar with the Fiddler on the Roof story?

Andrea :)

Big Apple Tour with Mom & Dad: Part Two

As I mentioned in part one, when Mom and Dad visit they sure do make the most of it. Along with all the fun I talked about before, we took a Circle Line Cruise around the island of Manhattan, watched Sully at the 42nd Street movie theater, and spent some time taking in the gorgeous views at One World Trade Observatory.

I was a little leery of the Circle Line Best of NYC Cruise when Mom expressed interest, but it turned out to be one of the highlights. Definitely worth the price of admission. Although, in retrospect, we probably should have sat on the lower deck because we had to really strain and contort ourselves to see everything from the covered upper deck. Other than that, the guide was full of knowledge and always kept us intrigued with stories about each area as we passed through. My favorite part of the tour was passing by Long Island City and seeing our building, but it was also neat to see the Statue of Liberty and the more spacious and grassy areas of upper Manhattan. We also passed through an Amtrak train track crossing area where the bridge holding the train track had to be opened and turned for us to squeeze through. Quite an endeavor to say the least.

Near the end of the tour, our guide briefly discussed the impact of the flight that landed on the Hudson a few years ago. His version only varied slightly from what we witnessed the day before when we watched Sully at the 42nd Street movie theater. It truly is amazing how quickly emergency personnel responded to the downed flight as well as how capable the pilot was in landing safely.  The movie was worth a watch though a bit slow in a few spots. My buddy Tom Hanks is one of the best so I am always happy to support him by seeing his work!

Our final exciting adventure was a trek to take in the beautiful views of One World Trade Observatory. We purposefully arranged to be there just before sunset so we could see the city in daylight AND all lit up. Again, it proved fun for Chris and me to attempt to find our apartment from such a high vantage point. We attempted to get a photo with our building in the background before descending back to street level. Dad even answered a trivia question the guide claimed he'd never had a guest correctly answer before. Bonus points go to anyone that knows the official name of Lady Liberty. Any guesses?

Stop in next week as I present Andrea's Adventures version of Broadway Week. We saw three shows together, but I also recently saw two solo as well. A full week of Broadway reviews is headed your way!

Andrea :)

Big Apple Tour with Mom & Dad: Part One

When my parents visit the Big Apple, they sure do make the most of it. We always find something exciting to do when they venture up to the city. This time, we started with a free informational and historical tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral. The tours all begin at 10am though the day of the week varies. The amount of knowledge the guide provided was incredible. We really enjoyed learning more about the beautiful structure. The most interesting Saint we learned about was St. Anthony - he helps when you need to find something that has been lost.

Later in the week, we made our way out to Coney Island for some Nathan's hot dogs and a whirl on the Wonder Wheel. Mom decided not to try the Wonder Wheel when we noticed that the carts actually move as the wheel turns. Dad and I gave it a go, but were terrified once we started moving. We survived, but not without a few yelps along the way. After briefly watching the ocean waves, we were off to the next adventure.

Our sporting event for the trip involved a short train ride to Jersey for a NY Red Bulls soccer match. Chris was excited to share his wealth of soccer knowledge. Mom and Dad hadn't ever been to a soccer match, but they seemed to enjoy it. We even managed to see a couple goals - double the fun!

I made a rice krispie cake for Dad's birthday...and he even found his way to the infamous Marilyn Monroe grate to celebrate!

Stay tuned for part two later this week...and I'll be having my own version of Broadway week on the blog next week!

Andrea :)

Are You Ready for Some Football?

I absolutely can't believe it is football season already!!  It's not possible to for me to allow this season to kickoff without recounting my Hall of Fame experience.  Despite the actual game being cancelled, the weekend itself was truly a special one.  My brother, Jordan, made the trek up to Canton to join me for my final NFL work trip.  I was glad to have him there for all the festivities - the Tim McGraw concert, the longest parade I've ever witnessed, and the enshrinement.

I had high hopes for the Tim McGraw concert, but he turned out to be mediocre.  I guess I didn't realize he had new music.  He totally killed it on the older songs, but lost me pretty quickly when he switched gears into his current "hits".  We had an interesting array of folks surrounding us so we ended up having lots of laughs throughout the evening regardless of the song choices.

The next day, we were able to check out the parade through downtown Canton.  It was a bit of a mix of Macy's Day meets small town 4th of July.  There was an enormous show of patriotism and more school bands that I can recall with a number of large and small balloon characters throughout.  It lasted well over an hour.  They sold tickets so everyone had an assigned seat.  All the Hall of Fame Enshrinees and several current Hall of Famers rode in fancy cars between the floats and performers. It truly was a site to behold.  The only thing we were missing was donuts.  Apparently, it's an annual tradition there.  Don't worry...we tracked them down before we left town!

The Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremony proved remarkable.  I didn't have high expectations going into the event, but I managed to leave with an unforgettable feeling in my heart. Hearing the speeches in person was a truly impactful experience.  Having previously worked with the Colts, I really enjoyed listening to both Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy speak.  Eddie Debartlo, Jr. had a wonderful message as well.  I could feel the love in his voice as he spoke about his experience with the 49ers.  Kevin Greene, Orlando Pace, and Brett Favre all exhibited such passion and emotion.  It was truly a wonderful night.  If you have a favorite player that has the honor of being inducted, I highly recommend making the trip to Canton for their Enshrinement.  It is definitely a worthwhile experience.

Who is your favorite football team or player?

Have you ever been to a really fantastic parade?

Andrea :)