Field day, friends, and Florida sunshine

This was a weekend where I sit back and realize how nice it is to live in Florida.  While my friends and family are up in the midwest dealing with another snowfall and freezing their butts off, I had a weekend filled with sunshine, drinking by the pool and reading a book on the beach.  It really was a wonderful weekend.
Yesterday we competed in a field day through the Tampa Bay Sports Club with all the proceeds going to the Special Olympics.  It was such a fun day! We competed in all different types of events.  For example we all had to tie ourselves together and go through an obstacle course, there was a waterballoon toss, a rubber ducky launch, flippy cup, football throwing, relay races and even an event where you had to carry empty kegs and move them along while someone rides on top of them. It was all about strategy!  I competed in the football throwing contest and basically you had to go down the line and hit targets.  Each target was placed further and further out.  The last target is worth 50 points if you hit it.  There were 39 teams yesterday and I was the only girl to hit the 50 point target. So that was something I was definitely able to smile about!  And then this got me thinking..I am not your average girl.  I can be good at sports, I'm addicted to the video game Black Ops (yes I play almost everyday and yes I wear the headset), I would rather go to a sports bar and drink beer and eat wings then sip wine at fancy restaurant.  I would think these characteristics would make me a good catch but now I'm realizing that maybe I'm too intimidating to men. Maybe this is why I always end up the "friend" and not the girlfriend.  Maybe they don't want a girl that can beat them in anything competitive or know a little bit more about sports than them or have more kills than them in their video game.  I think I make myself harder to approach with these characteristics of mine or make it harder to see me as more than just a best friend.  But I am not changing how I am and I will just continue to wait until that day may come where someone will  want to be with me for these characteristics of mine! He just better not be a sore loser. ;)
Ok now that I'm done venting about not being your average girl, I will continue on with how my weekend went.  After field day we filled the cooler, took some cards and our music and hung out at the pool.  It is hands down one of my favorite things to do on the weekends.  Always a good time!  You know you want to come here and hang out with us after reading this! :)
Then today mom and I went to the beach.  I think everyone that lives in the Tampa Bay area was on Clearwater beach today.  It was so crowded! With the weather being so nice this weekend, that is obviously where everyone wanted to be.  After dealing with the traffic and searching for a place to park it was so nice to just lay there and relax! It was a beautiful day.
Oh yes and now for an update on the "airplane boy."  After texting yesterday we decided that we need to randomly stop seeing each other on airplanes and offcially make plans. (thank you Jess for giving me that courage-you are the best)  We are trying to figure out a weekend that works for both of us and then I will head up to Daytona! My hands are starting to sweat already just thinking about it!  So we will see what happens, and of course I will keep you all updated.

Now I'm going to go back to watching the Oscars and wishing I looked like Mila Kunis and owned that dress! So beautiful!

Pennies and Patron

I just have to share this story because everytime I think of it, I laugh. 

A few weekends ago my friend Jess and I went out for "girls night."  Our girls night consists of happy hour to start and usually ends in dancing.  Always a good time!   Anyways, so we were at our favorite happy hour hangout and we were sitting at a booth with four empty appetizer plates in front of us.  (we were there to drink, not eat).  A couple guys approached us and to put it nicely, they were douche bags.  We were trying to get rid of them or at least have them buy us shots or something and the next thing I know Jess is shuffling the plates around.  I looked at her confused and she whispered "just go with it."   She told the guys she put a penny under one of the plates and if they picked the plate with the penny, they wouldn't have to buy us a shot of patron.  The first guy stepped up and of course didn't find a penny under the plate he picked! He went to buy us shots.  The second guy stepped up and was very skeptical of us, doubting that there was even a penny.  Quickly she took a penny out of her purse and secretly put it in between her fingers so when she flipped a plate she was able to drop the penny and make it look like it was under that plate.  Second guy fell for it, which led to another shot of patron.  Four guys later and four shots later, we decided we better stop.  Every single one of them fell for it!  They obviously didn't have my interest, but hey it was fun! So next time you are out with a girlfriend and looking for a fun game or a free drink, I recommend this one!  :)

Weekend filled with fate, laughter and taco pizza

Do you believe in fate? Well my thoughts on fate were tested to the maximum after a wonderful weekend spent in Iowa.
First off, I need to set the setting for you before I tell my story.  Let's rewind to last summer....
Last summer my friend Brittany came down to Florida to spend the weekend with me.  What better than a weekend on the beach? We rented a hotel, took a cooler to the beach and spent all day with our toes in the sand.  That night we went out to a popular beach bar.  While I was ordering my drink, this extremely hot guy next to me offered to buy me a drink.  Of course I accepted, I would be crazy not to!  So then we struck up a conversation and he was down for the weekend from IOWA visiting one of his best friends. He runs a gym up in Iowa, 35 miles from my hometown.  Small world.   We ended up talking and hanging out all night and at the end of the night we exchanged phone numbers.  He told me to get in touch with him when I was going back to Iowa to visit.  That next month I went back for a visit and sent him a text but told him I didn't think we could meet up because I was only there for 3 days and had so many friends I needed to see.  It's just too hard and 3 days is just too short.  So that was that and we didn't talk again. 
Fast forward now to Friday.  My flight was at 4:15pm and with Allegiant air now it's all open seating.  So basically if you see a seat you want, take it.  My zone was the last to board and I was the last person on the plane.  Not fun when you have a carry on bag that you need to put in an overhead department.  The stewardess told me there was a spot at the very back of the plane for my bag.  So I walked clear to the back, put my bag up and just took that seat.  Then next to me I hear "Stephanie!?!" and it was HIM!!!! I mean seriously! I never thought I would see him again! He looked as hot as ever and my hands instantly began to sweat because I was so nervous.  We talked, and laughed, and couldn't believe the odds.  Best part, he just moved to Florida! Three hours away from me, but still! He was flying back up for the day to help a friend move down to work in this new gym with him he is doing in Daytona.  I was trying to be all smooth and flirty. He told me he was really tired so I told him to take a quick nap.  As he had just fallen asleep I got out my hand lotion from my purse.  I went to open the lid and it seriously exploded all over his face!!! I didn't know rather to crawl under my seat and die from embarassment or just laugh about it.  He instantly woke up and was like "what the hell?" and I was trying to help him get it out of his hair.  Only me this would happen to, seriously.  But we both just laughed and just talked the rest of the flight.  His ex-girlfriend is Miss Kentucky and is on the show Amazing Race.  This guy is clearly out of my league.  But as we landed he made sure he still had my phone number and sent me a text the next day saying he would love to see me again.  So who knows what will happen.  But I just can't believe it!! Fate?

So that was how my weekend started.  Then the rest of the weekend was followed by my favorite foods when I'm back home, consisting of tenderloins, carlos o' kellys chips and queso, and of course taco pizza.  After spending the weekend with my friend and her amazing family, seeing another friend's newborn and another friend pregnant, I realized so much that I really do want my own family someday.  I really do want to give my parents the grandchildren they dream of having! Someday I keep telling myself.  Someday. 

I also re-lived my glory days and went out in Iowa City Saturday night.  It was a blast.  I was so thankful that a few friends came to see me (yes Mozz I will book that ticket) and my brother also drove down from Chicago with his girlfriend.  Yes thats right, I said girlfirend.  If you know anything about my family, you know my brother is just like me and doesn't date.  So this was a first for me to meet a girlfirend he is actually serious about! (see mom, your odds are getting better)  And I really did like her!  All in all it was a great time! A night filled with sushi, shots, and lots of pictures.

My flight was cancelled Sunday night due to snow in Detroit so I finally made it back to Florida today.  As always I'm so sad to say goodbye, but when you are leaving 29 degrees and coming home to 80 and sunshine and palm trees, you can't help but smile. 

It's been a long day so I'm off to set the coffee pot to brew in the morning.....coffee for one that is. 

27 is the year!

This is going to be my first blog ever, so hang in there with me.   My life can be pretty entertaining at times so I decided to start sharing with you all and make it easier to follow what is going on with me. It came into my head to start a blog after a pretty amazing "girls weekend" I experienced.  I decided all of our adventures would make for a great blog, it was obviously an alcohol induced epiphany.  But after much thought, and with help from my amazing and talented friend Jess, this blog is now a reality. 
So a little something about me...
27.  That is my age and that is the number of bridesmaids dresses I will probably have in my closet.  Well maybe not that many, but I'm well on my way with 6.  I will be just like the girl in "27 dresses" with all my bridesmaids in those dresses standing next to me.  Did I see myself being single at 27? Absolutely not.  I honestly never saw myself leaving small town Iowa.  But here I am, living in the sunshine state, blogging about my single life.  Maybe 27 will be my number and my year! We can only wait and see! Until then, I will continue on my journey and now share with you some stories along the way.  I am excited for the future and am so blessed for everything I have today.  I have an amazing family and truly amazing friends.  They say you learn who your true friends are when you move away, and that is absolutely the truth.  Even though I am 18 hours away from most of my friends, you would never guess it.  I am so grateful to have my life surrounded by such wonderful people.  I wouldn't be who I am without them!
 I am flying up to Iowa tomorrow for the weekend.  Excited to go home to my roots and spend the weekend with one of my best friends and her three sons. Hopefully I will get to see some others as well! (yes that is a hint to you Mozzarella) It's going to be a good weekend. :)
 "Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."

But for now I have to go, as it is time to fist pump to my favorite show on Thursday night..Jersey Shore.  Until next time...and like usual, maybe I'll get some Takeout for One.