The Randomness

I write to you today as a married woman, yes as Mrs. Troutman. Will and I said our vows in front of close friends and family on March 29. It was glorious, and I'll have a link to pictures very soon.

Sunday after the wedding, we made our way to Charleston, SC. My parents have a time share and were generous enough to give us 5 nights there free. What a gift. It honestly could not have been more perfect. It suited our personalities and interests beautifully.



We ate some fantastic food. Bocci's had amazing duck, Will got the most ridiculous bowl of shrimp and grits at Fleet Landing and Hanks did me right with a tuna filet cooked to perfection. One of my favorite moments was at Paolo's where they serve the most amazing gelato ever. Oh, how I squealed with delight.



The weather provided for great shopping on King Street. We got a new rug for our place, candles, some clothes, and I got a great pair of black pumas.

We took a ghost tour of the oldest jail there and got to step inside the cell rooms and holding rooms. We took a carriage tour and a "dark side" tour, with more seedy and gritty information. Our tour guide was pretty much the most authentic Charlestonite imaginable. His delivery was outstanding, and he just engaged you with his storytelling.

We left wanting more of Charleston, but that's the way it should be. I didn't want to have my absolute fill. I can't wait to go back, knowing that it will always remind me of our amazing time there.

Well hello there... so at this time next week, I'll be a Troutman. WOW! That pretty much blows me away.

While engagement can have some stressful times, it is also totally exciting and a time where you feel ridiculously loved by those close to you. We have had several showers over the past month and a half, and our church just threw one for us. The children's ministry staff and parents got together and it was awesome. We felt so blessed. And get this, we were told that there would no thank you notes. That was pretty much the best thing I've ever heard.



We also got a gift basket from the staff at Will's school. In that basket was our fantasy gift; a super nice, bright yellow Dyson vacuum cleaner. We also got our coffee maker, a tool kit for the handyman, a flashlight and a gift card.



We are so appreciative and feel your love so much. Thank you, thank you.

You all are loved,
Sarah

Hello my fellow comrades and pilgrims of planet earth and beyond. It has been a long day, and I wind it down with a little blogging.

For a while now, Will and I have been noticing a humongeous building on our way to the gym. It appeared to be finished, just unoccupied. So, we speculated about what it could be. We thought, maybe a Dick's sporting goods or Bass outlet or perhaps a Walmart.

Then finally it appears. A Wal-Mart, a Wal-Mart...I hate Wal-Marts!

Today took us there to try and retrieve a new battery, but what we saw was pure Wal-Mart goodness and what is pretty much the essence of the store. I think we all know what I am talking about, but have we ever really "talked about it."

The clientele resembled the line-up from a carnival act. Upon entering the store, I distinctly remember a couple who looked like they were started on a pure baby food lard diet at birth that continued into their formative years and through their teens culminating in what we saw. An extra layer of flab that covered the extra layer of fat that covered the extra layer of goo that covered the stomach, which is where the gut sandwich started. They apparently passed it down to their 8 children, who were all with them, screaming and complaining that there weren't any Captain Lard Bars in the candy section.

Why is Target not like this? Or even a Kroger or Publix? I don't understand. I truly feel that before the building of a new Wal-Mart, there is work that goes on under the ground. I believe that there are tiny seedlings of these "hybrids" that are planted beneath the structure. They are nurtured and strengthened with butter feedings thoughout the process, until they burst through the ground at the grand opening, fully grown. Just a thought.

Peace out,
Sarah

Will and I had the privilege of going to Richmond 2 weekends ago. We had two showers and also last minute, scheduled an engagement photo session with our wedding photographer. We went to downtown and had an absolute blast. We started in the old train station and made our way out and through the Farmer's market and through some alleys with character and style. We did a shot in the barber shop and one in the street with traffic. We gave a Richmond police officer someone to reprimand.

It was amazing fun, and we are so happy with the results. I leave you with a link to an online slide show. We sent this slide show to our friend, Eric. He said, "My computer just received a slide show of awesome." So prepare yourself and enjoy!

Sarah and Will Slide Show

Yes, my title is a bit misleading and mysterious, I know. This blog is pretty much just me ranting a little on my disdain for the Ray.

I fully enjoy the Food Network and like quite a few of the hosts. There is Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, Giada de Laurentiis, among others. I've even gotten semi-fond of Paula Dean. There is a warm, interesting quality that the above mentioned chefs embrace.

Then comes the shrill, irksome and over the top form that is Rachael Ray. There are so many irritants which possess this woman. I won't ramble and will hit on just a few here in this blog.

I could be catty and talk about her high waisted pants but won't. That would be superficial and obviously wouldn't matter if she was fantastic.
1. "Her voice" The shrill nature of it. It's like she's shouting at me, cawking out her ingredient list. I'm also not fond of her giggles after the dumb remarks she makes.
2. "EVOO" She refers to oil as "EVOO"- extra virgin olive oil. That's okay, your cutting down on how much you're saying but when you explain what "EVOO" means everytime you say it, it kind of defeats the purpose.
3. "Bombardment" She is also suddenly everywhere. On Wheat Thins boxes, on magazine covers, on book covers on like 4 other Food Network shows and then there's the talk show which showcases an arrogant and annoying Rachael Ray.
4. "Unoriginal and Lame" The capper was yesterday when her dessert was the following; A banana cut in half, with a popsicle stick shoved inside dipped in a mixture of peanut butter and honey with granola sprinkled on top.

Are you for real, Rachael Ray? So, when I dip my banana in a jar of Peanut butter and honey, I should be on TV? I desire to hear from you, dear readers. If you are a fan, convince me why she is awesome and if you also cringe at the sight and sound, please let me know! Love you all.

I send my warmest of hellos to the faithful readers of "The Randomness".

I adore the store, IKEA. It has a plethora of furniture, decoratives and even some yummy treats. I have been to IKEAS both here in the states and abroad and there is one downside to this grand store; exiting this store is a chore. Oooh, I rhyme and in perfect time...okay, I'll stop.

Will and I have experienced the exiting of our Atlanta IKEA twice now. In reality what they are hoping for is that you'll peruse the entirety of the store before leaving. Well, this past Friday, we wanted to bend those rules. We shopped and looked for a while and were ready to leave but, no exit of course. We saw our opportunity, though. We hopped this gate at the deserted kids area with one more to go and there she was on the other side...an IKEA employee in her bright yellow top. Busted! With freedom only one hop away, we were pretty much stuck there in the middle.

"What you doin?", says employee.
"Just trying to leave, is this not okay," says me, mid hop.
"No, you gotta through the gray doors that say employees only," comes the clear and obvious response.

So, she comes over and opens the gates for us and tells us not to come this way again. It was fun hopping the gates and getting busted, but come on people. Take away the "employees only" sign and you might end some frustration and solve some problems.

Peace and love to you all.

Remember how I wanted to write a fun and not super serious blog? Well, I think the time has come for that. I had an "interview" for a job today. My friend, Sarah, told me about a job that she does part time, like a couple of hours a week. She works for a woman out of her house and this woman is wanting someone who can work more than that. So, after finding out more about it, I decided to meet Sarah over there this morning, meet the lady, talk about the biz, details, etc. The hours are super flexible, the pay not bad and no strings attached whatsoever. I could leave at any time. It is a bit of a commute, but I am totally used to that.

Now, when Sarah proposed this idea to me at lunch the other day, she said, "There's a catch, though. It's the business that her and her husband are in..." Well, I am of course thinking something completely sketchy. "They sell portable toilets", says Sarah. Obviously strange and funny but not sketchy. So, I will be answering the phone like so: "Happy-can, this is Sarah, how can I help you?". Wow. It is a great in between jobs, job. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

More good news; Will and I are getting a great deal for housing after we are married. We are going to convert Will's loft apartment into our own, with our own touches, etc. The rent is great and no utility bill! PLUS, there is a brand new, MTV cribs style pool in the backyard. Up top! Dillon! Love to you all.