Game day in Blacksburg...

We woke up on Saturday morning ready for an amazing day of tailgating and of course, the big game. First on our list of activities was to get some morning coffee at Starbucks. While this is a normal occurance in our lives, it is not something that we were ever able to do in Blacksburg, and now, five years later, you have your pick of three locations...my how times have changed!

Once we had some caffeine in our systems, it was time for the boys to head to Super Walmart (love it!) to purchase a cheap charcoal grill and a few other items we had forgotten. Erica and I on the other hand, had appointments at Tivon, a local hair salon and spa. Erica had gone there throughout college and made the recommendation that we take advantage of the super cheap treatments, and so I bit the bullet and got an appointment with a random stylist to have my highlights touched up. I was definitely nervous, as I'm typically particular about who does my hair, but for $50, I couldn't resist! I am happy to report that it all worked out and I am very happy with my cut and color, all at a 50% discount from what I normally pay here in No. Va!

After our appointments we headed back to the RV to get the tailgating started. The boys had already set up our table and chairs outside, which would end up being used for all of five minutes as the wind was whipping and it was far too chilly to spend any time outdoors...again, love the RV and the heater! :)

On the menu for our tailgate, wings from BW3's, buffalo chicken dip, texas caviar, veggie platter, and grilled chicken sandwiches. Yum! After we stuffed ourselves to the gills, we played some football in the parking lot, in true tailgate fashion, and then got bundled up and ready for our trek to Lane Stadium! Let the game begin...

The Camper...

The RV itself is perfect! We couldn't have asked for a better set up for the weekend. With heat, potable water, electricity, and even a flat screen HD tv, what more could we ask for? Oh right, how about a bathroom, windows, oven, microwave, stove, freezer and refridgerator? Check, check, check, check, check, check and check.

Here's a quick look at our home for the past few days....

Downtown...

One of the things we were all looking forward to about this trip to Blacksburg was getting downtown and hitting all of our favorite spots from our college days. Stop one, Sharkeys!

Sharkeys was definitely the bar that I have the most fond memories of. It was one of the first places that I can remember hanging out with Greg, Erica and Andy, and so many other great memories took place there. The only down side is that they moved locations a few years back, and their new place doesn't have the same cozy intimate feel, but the menu and drink specials remained the same, so I guess we can't complain too much!

We all started out with their Friday special, Strong Island Iced Teas. When the bar tender told me the bill was $8.00, I automatically assumed that meant for one, but no, that's the cost for two tall Strong Islands...amazing! We had lots of moments like that this weekend, where we were just blown away by how inexpensive everything is. We even got carded, which of course made us all very happy, and we even got stamps on our hands, ahh the memories!

We all enjoyed a fabulous dinner of terribly unhealthy food. Who can resist the fried zuchinni, pulled pork sandwiches and sweet potato fries!? Not us.

After dinner we made our way to another favorite night spot, Champs. We were a little disappointed at how crowded and smokey it was, but we did enjoy a few beverages and some music I picked out from the juke box...Michael Jackson anyone?! :)

Around 10:30 we all looked at each other and almost simultaneously suggested we head back to the RV (we fear we are getting old!) Once we returned we did rally and played several rounds "American Idol" on the Wii and Catch Phrase...perhaps we really are getting old! :)

It was a great night though and we were happy to be saving our energy for a full day of tailgating and of course, some Hokie football!

Blacksburg bound...

For a few months now we've been planning a trip down to Blacksburg with our friends Greg and Erica for the Virginia Tech v. Duke football game. It's been five years since I've attended a game in Blacksburg, and two years since we've been to the 'Burg. Needless to say, we were all counting down the days.

When we first started looking for hotels, we realized that even to stay in the "hurting" Comfort Inn in Christiansburg we'd have to pay $250 a night, per couple. This did not seem like the best option so we decided instead to rent an RV for the weekend. This enabled us to actually sleep and tailgate on campus, for half the price of the hotel...amazing! Our weekend started on Thursday night when Erica, Andy and I drove to Ashburn to drop Liddy off at my folk's house. We decided to sneak out to "Super" Clydes for dinner and had a Lurch Papa sighting (one of the DJ's for the Junkies.) Needless to say, Erica and I were star struck! :)

We then woke up early on Friday and started the trek to Blacksburg. Greg had been working in Warrenton all week so he drove separately and met us at the RV place. After about an hour of filling out paper work and getting oriented with our "home on wheels" we were back on the road headed for our beloved Alma Mater!

Erica and I drove the car and Greg and Andy followed in the camper. As the campus first came into view, John Denver's "Country Road" came on the radio and we proceeded to turn up the volume and sing along, changing the words to "Virginia Tech, mountain mama, take me home!" We later found out, Greg and Andy had done the same thing. Our excitement levels as you can tell, were off the charts.

We had planned our arrival so that we were in Blacksburg around lunch time, and we all made our way directly to Macados. Those who went to Tech, know that there is nothing more satisfying than a sandwich from Macados. After enjoying all of our personal favorites, it was time for some grocery shopping and then on to the parking lot.

We were the third RV to arrive in the specified lot for campers, and we ended up with a prime location up against the grass. If it was possible, our excitement levels were getting even higher at this point and we knew we were in for a memorable weekend!

Turkey cupcakes

Ok, maybe I need to think of a better name for these, but in the meantime, I am loving these cute cupcakes I brought to the office today. Since it is my last day of work (YAY!) before Thanksgiving, I thought I'd bring my co-workers a little treat. The original idea for these shows candy corns as the feathers, but after searching high and low at the grocery store I could not find a single bag (probably because the candy canes have taken over!). Anyhow, I think I did a good job of imrpovising. My co-workers will even have a choice of "white" or "dark" meat. :)

5th Annual Pre-Thanksgiving...

On Saturday, Andy and I hosted our 5th annual Pre-Thanksgiving. We started this in 2004 when we realized that Thanksgiving is always set aside for families, and yet some of the people we are most thankful for are our friends. So ever since we've made an attempt to invite a variety of friends, from different parts of our lives, (some of whom have never met), to spend time enjoying great food and most importantly each other.

This year we were so happy to be able to invite Greg and Erica. When we started this tradition they were living in Kuwait, and haven't been home for a Thanksgiving since. Jenn and Ben were part of the original Pre-Thanksgiving crew, and we were happy to welcome their new addition, Owen, to the festivities. We rounded out the dinner with Dave and Alysia, who are quickly becomming "regulars."

Part of the fun of this event is inviting everyone to bring a favorite dish. As a result we ended up with a great feast and my refrigerator is still packed with leftovers!

It was a great night, just as all the other ones have been. We are thankful year round for all the fabulous friends in our lives and are happy to spend at least one evening celebrating that!

Happy to be home...

I got home last night after a full day of travel. I got out of dodge before a big storm though, so I was happy about that! The sleet had started in Minneapolis before I got on the plane, so I got to see the de-icers in action!

My layover in Chicago wasn't quite as long as the one I had on Sunday, but I did have time to enjoy a "salted caramel hot chocolate" from Starbucks. I had been wanting to try this out and it was definitely as amazing as I had hoped it would be. Just picture dipping a chocolate covered pretzle into a yummy caramel laced hot chocolate...yeah, it was fabulous!

I was also lucky to have Andy pick me up at the airport. I flew into National, and he even got a quick shot of my plane landing over the Potomac with his cell phone. Pretty cool!