Chattanoogie

Miles and I, along with some friends of ours, went to Chattanooga this weekend to see M. Ward. "Per the artist's request" we weren't allowed to take any pictures during the show. I had already heard this about M. Ward before, solo and with She & Him. But I hadn't anticipated it making me feel so weird. Every 5 minutes I had to stop myself from reaching for my phone to take a picture out of habit. The whole show I kept seeing people being taken aside by security and confronted about their picture taking. All that confrontation (not even directed towards me) made the night slightly uncomfortable. If you haven't guessed/don't know this about me already--I loathe confrontation. Personal flaw, I admit it. All that to say, I have no pictures from the show. I have no pictures of M. Ward playing the exact same guitar that Miles has the prototype of. Only ~100 of them exist, my boo has the prototype, Matt has one of the few that followed. I mean, thats just a little bit awesome.

Dawes opened for M. Ward and I have to say, they were actually my favorite part of the show. They were simply amazing live. They're coming to Nashy next month, co-headlining with another of our favorites, Blitzen Trapper at a much better venue (in my humble, not so well educated in this area, opinion). The venue in Chattanooga was way too big for my liking, had folding chairs all lined up for us to sit in..which was weird, and then pointless when everyone from the back rows came and stood up front, and they didn't have pbr. I mean, really? So needless to say, I am definitely looking forward to the Dawes/Blitzen Trapper show at Mercy Lounge in a few weeks. If you're in Nashville that night, you need to be there. 

All in all, it was fun to get away with Miles. The drive down to Chatt-town was gorgeous, we'll have to do it again when the leaves begin to change. And now that I mention the leaves, I realize all the pictures I took of the drive down are on Miles' phone for some reason. 

We stayed at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo (thus the trains and train station), ate burgers (surprise, surprise) at Urban Stack, and I experienced my first Christmas display of the season!

Last Name Game

So how long is it supposed to take for me to remember my last name has changed? I guess I haven't ever straight up forgotten that I have a new last name..but I keep having those weird gut moments when I have to say my full name and am required to pause before I give it. Even when my newly alliterated name leaves my lips, in the back of my head I think, "really?"

For months (possibly years, shh) I have ben dreaming of this last name that I now have...so what gives? I suffered mild separation anxiety after the wedding when I thought of no longer having my parent's and sibling's last name. So I made it my middle. Its not the absolute best full name, doesn't flow that well. My former last name, maiden, if you will, was something that could only ever be a last name..and here I am, turning it into a middle. So heres to still being part Gaskins and getting used to ending in Benefield. And farewell to my one true middle name, Grace. You will always remain in my heart.

P.s. Can you tell I have nothing at all to write about? But I am trying to stick with this blog. 

I had lunch with a good friend today and I moaned about being so boring all the time and how I play mommy all during the weekdays (and love it). But can't really have a mommy blog because this babe aint mine. You just wait...

Oh, Life

I obviously haven't posted very much lately. I spend my days watching a chunky, adorable, goofy, cheese-ball baby girl (happy five month birthday sweetthaaang). She has just discovered her toes as her new favorite thing to stick in her mouth and slobber all over. My phone is completely full of pictures of this baby, and hardly any of my own boo. Oops? He's still around. But this baby has been the cure for my own baby fever that I was afraid would take over after the wedding. Hurray!! (the long labor day weekend was rough...and I'm wondering how I will handle withdrawals over the holiday season) I've decided not to post pictures of the little one out of respect for her parents. I mean, if I can ever afford to have a nanny for my babes and blogging is still something at that point in time, I would hope they would do the same. But man oh man, is she too adorable. You would die. 

So my life revolving around this baby has been a drastic change from anything else I've ever known. I wear pretty much the same five outfits during the week (mostly leggings and baggy shirts), no make-up  whatsoever during the week (when I wouldn't have been caught dead without it 4 months ago). I take walks with the babe, but rarely take her out in public--its too dang hard! Her stroller is ginormous and I get nasty looks wherever I go with it (okay, just at a cramped Moe's during a busy lunch hour), her car seat leaves red pinch marks on my arm, I'm terrified of her crying, what if she poops out of her diaper? Its just not worth it.  So we sit at home or go to the park. I am still watching way too much television. Currently, I am completely mesmerized by Mel B's accent while watching her reality show. Its so...I can't....how to describe...?

I had my first ever pumpkin spiced latte today (thats another thing, I never take the babe to my fave local coffee shop because that means I have to get her out of the car...hello, drive-thru!) My experience with the pumpkin spiced latte was as follows:

First sip: oh my goodness, this is incredible.

Second sip: this is pretty good. why haven't I tried this before?

Third sip: wow...this is.....really sweet.

Fourth sip: sugar coma.
And that was the end of my first (and last fa-shooo) with the pumpkin spiced latte.

It was way too hard for me to focus for the 5 minute drive back to the babe's house. When we finally got there I had to shove a handful of Pringles in to my mouth to counter my sugar intake and continue on with my nanny duties. 

Speaking of nanny duties...the babe looks like she's overdue for a cuddle.

Long Weekend

Three glorious days of being completely lazy with our new Roku, Dexter, cuddley duvets, Rummikub and lots of food.

And I only managed to take four pictures the whole weekend. Target run, game playing, finally hanging pictures up, and the first day I could wear tights! I was so happy to be walking around in tights and thinking to myself "hmm, I should've layered". GLORY BE! Fall is in the air. I know we're bound to have some dumb heat wave or two to come back through Nashy but yesterday got me so excited. It was wet, rainy and cold all day but Miles and I both agreed that yesterday was the best real life married day so far (even if Dexter season 5 was a major let down). Hurray for cool breezes! Hurray for turning a/c units off and opening up the windows even though the rain is sprinkling in.

Also, we have puppy fever. Halp!

Chi-Towwn

Such a fun, short weekend ending with a loonnngg trip home (delays, switched flights, airline customer service failures, an extra night in Chicago, crying in the airport like a big ole baby, late for one job, having to call out of another, complete exhaustion). But really, why has no one told me how wonderful Chicago is? Someone should give Miles and I jobs up there. Jobs that pay millions, preferably. That'd be reeeeal nice. I think I loved Chicago a teensy bit more because last week I stumbled across a History Channel documentary about bootleggers, rumrunners and prohibition...and Chi-town was obviously a very central part of all that. I can't wait to take Miles back up and explore with him! I'm glad both of my siblings now live there and I have a legit excuse to rack up some Southwest miles. 

Also, my momma bought all her children copies of The Help after we all loved the movie so much. And I am loving the book even more. Perfect summer read. I'm kind of disappointed in myself for not snatching up the book months ago when I saw it in Borders (oh Borders, how I miss thee!), long before I knew it was going to be a movie.