Car trouble...

Who wants to hear a funny story? Well, not haha funny...just...some other kind of funny. Anyway, last night my papaw came down to listen to my Sentra. He can tell what is wrong with a car just by listening to it, so he came down to see what he could do with it. (It wasn't starting.) Michael and I had taken the battery to AutoZone like a week before, and they said the battery was fine and that it sounded like a problem with the starter. So I told him that, and he sat down to start it and was like "No, that's not the starter." So he kept playing with it for like 20-30 minutes.

Well, he figured out the problem and got it started. Not only did he get it started, but we actually drove it around the neighborhood. (It was actually my first time driving it because it died before I ever had the chance before.) So we drove it around, and he said that moisture had built up in it because it hadn't been started in like a month. He told me to start it once a week if I wasn't going to drive it, and that was that. Well, then we got back home, and turned the car off and everything, and he said, "Now, let's start it up again and make sure everything's okay." Okay, so this time it would not start. It just made a clicking sound, and he said, "Now THAT'S the starter." He was looking under the hood, and then he just started laughing and was like "that's wild." So he thought that maybe he had just overheated the starter. He told me to try it again in the morning after it had time to cool down. So I tried this morning, and it still doesn't start. LOL So now the starter is messed up. Apparently it wasn't before, but now it is. Is that not crazy?

Anyway, I hope my dad will pay for it. Michael is, of course, loving the fact that the automatic car that everyone said I had to have because the 5-speed he got me wasn't good enough and wasn't reliable already has a problem. By the way, the Saturn still runs great. Not a thing wrong with it. That right there shows you that you don't have to spend $2600 on a car to get a good one...my Saturn only cost $200, well around $250 if you count the parts (new spark plugs, new brake pads, new belt, new hoses, etc.)

My Thanksgiving in Florida!!

In case you were wondering...I had a GREAT time in Florida!! We left early Wednesday morning and arrived around 4 p.m. or so in Mayport, Florida (which is a naval base on the outskirts of Jacksonville). Anywho, since Michael's brother and new wife (they got married on Saturday) make a decent living, we spent our time there with them and their well-to-do friends. On Wednesday night, we had a cookout...yeah, I was thinking hamburgers, hot dogs, some chips, etc. nothing impressive...WRONG. That was before Michael and I met Damian, one of the most awesome people ever, who happens to be a FABULOUS cook! There was like five pounds of chicken that was heavenly, as well as 7 or so filets of fish (mahi mahi, i think), and the burgers were not ordinary burgers. They were high quality, like hamburger steak, pretty much. They had crackers and crab dip, and Damian also makes a mean drink. He invented one that night called the "Cleveland Rocks," and they ended up serving it at the wedding.

Anyway, then we arrive at Thanksgiving. Damian did most of the cooking again...I knew I would be pleased when I saw him stuffing a turkey with fresh herbs. They also had mashed whole red-skinned potatoes--some loaded, some not loaded. I could've gotten full on the potatoes alone! Both turkeys, the roasted one as well as the deep fried, were great. Everything was wonderful! It was really warm that day, and Michael and I walked on the beach and collected shells for a bit. I'll post pictures on my Facebook soon.

The next night, we had the wedding rehearsal...which was on the beach--very windy!! Then there was the rehearsal dinner at an Italian restaurant called Maggiano's. This was fabulous...seriously some of the best food I've ever eaten. Let me just tell you our menu for the evening:

Appetizers:

Sliced Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella (Seasonal)
Sliced beefsteak tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese;

drizzled with our Italian Vinaigrette.

Fried Ravioli

Salad:

Chopped Salad with Chicken
Chopped iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced chicken, crumbled bleu cheese,

green onion, avocado, crispy prosciutto, tossed in our signature House dressing.

Spinach Salad
Tender leaf spinach tossed with roasted red peppers, sweet roasted onions,

gorgonzola cheese, pancetta dressing and topped with bacon and toasted pine nuts.

Main Course:

Farfalle, Chicken, Asparagus, Spinach, Parmesan Broth
Bowtie pasta tossed with chicken, asparagus, spinach, sun

dried tomatoes in a light parmesan broth.

Chicken Parmesan
Lightly breaded chicken breasts fried and topped with

provolone cheese and marinara sauce.

Lasagna, Our Special Recipe, Meat or Marinara Sauce
Whipped ricotta cheese layered with pasta sheets, crumbled meatballs,

Italian sausage and marinara sauce. Topped with provolone cheese

and your choice of our meat or marinara sauce.

Beef Tenderloin

Dessert:

Chocolate Zuccotto Cake
Chocolate cake layered with Sambucca chocolate mousse;

iced with chocolate frosting and dusted with cocoa powder.

Tiramisu
Ladyfinger cookies soaked in espresso and coffee liquer layered with

mascarpone cheese;dusted with cocoa powder and served with chocolate.

Yeah...it was oh so good!! And oh, so paid for, which was the best part!! Michael had WAY too much wine that night, so my evening was spent taking care of a sick man...which is difficult, by the way. It's hard to direct a person that's a lot bigger than you when they are resisting!! The next day was Saturday, and the wedding was at about 4:20 on the beach. It was really windy and cloudy that day, but it was really pretty. We stayed at the reception until about 10 or so that evening. Michael looks good in a tuxedo, just in case anyone was wondering. The wedding was catered as well, and Damian created a drink for me called the "Kara Cooler."

On Sunday morning, we had to check out of our hotel. We left there and went to the Casa Marina on the beach for the post-wedding brunch. Amazing food...once again. Didn't have to pay for it...once again. I left with Michael's brother, his wife Kara, and his parents on Sunday evening around 4. We got home last night around 11:45, which isn't bad timing at all, especially since we stopped twice. Anyway, I suppose I should go do something productive now, but I wanted to share my weekend! Okay, that's all!!

Random...

Apparently I shake my butt more when I walk than I used to... yes, that is a random comment, but two people at work made a comment yesterday. Now I'm all trying to notice if I shake it more, which, obviously, makes me shake it more...Michael said he'd just stare at my butt the next time he saw me and would let me know...he's such a good boyfriend!!

Oh, and by the way this time tomorrow, I will be on my way to Florida. Yeah, my family will be pretty pissed at me when I get back, but I really need to get away from my mother. She is literally driving me insane. If you knew some of the crap I've had to deal with concerning her since I've been home, you'd probably understand. I hope I'm not a horrible person for not being with my family on Thanksgiving. Shawntae said that I'm not, and I trust her opinion. After Thanksgiving break, there are 2 weeks of school left, and in that time I must write three 15 page papers, take 2 tests, give one more presentation, and revise my portfolio. That's a lot of crap to do in two weeks...there's nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh? Anyway, I'm sitting here STILL reading the Three Musketeers, which is much too long. I've been reading it forever...I'm almost a third of the way through it. Good gosh, Dumas, enough with the detail already!!

My name acronym...doesn't this look like something a highschooler would do?!

K	Kind
A	Awesome
R	Revolutionary
A	Amorous

Name / Username:

Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com

Just curious...a question by the french-speaking dominatrix

For those of you who do not know, I am called the "french-speaking dominatrix librarian" at work. There are at least four different people who have come up with some combination of this...and none of them knew (to my knowledge) that the others had said anything. This is a little scary. LOL Do I really give off the "dominatrix" vibe?

Another weblog...I am pathetic

Well, I already have a blog on xanga (www.xanga.com/karabea), but I thought I may as well try this one just to see if I like it. I can only post a picture of myself on the other one, which is annoying, so I can at least have this to post some pictures on. Anywho...I'm currently sitting in the library avoiding homework and doing a damn good job of it...I've been sitting here for 45 minutes, and I have accomplished nothing. For anyone who may read this that does not know, I am in grad school right now and working at Applebee's. Good times. Well, I think I will go and try to get SOMETHING done...catch ya later.