five things I love today.

It's raining.  Again.

Might I suggest a bowling trip if you're in Atlanta and are looking for something to do this weekend to escape the cold and the rain?

I'm channeling my inner Andy Cohen today to tell you the five things I'm obsessed with right now.

Nashville

More about this long-weekend trip Jacob and I made to Music City in later posts, but what a cool city that continues to grow up and evolve since my days of working for CMT.  Our weekend was full of music and good food, and therefore waiting in long lines, but that which made both that much more enjoyable.

 

There were also selfies, including this one which so accurately demonstrates the two worst offenders of all selfies - the "Duck Face" and the "Taylor Swift - OMG I can't believe I won?!?!?! Surprise Face."  Nice job, guys. 

 

Amy Poehler

I know, I know, this is an easy one.  I mean, who doesn't love Amy, right?  And her work wife Tina Fey, who completely slayed at the Golden Globes a few weeks ago.  But I just finished reading Amy's book, Yes, Please, and I love her even more.  Annnnnnd, Parks & Rec's bittersweet final season is now underway, which means more Leslie Knope in my life.  This show is genius and I laugh out loud every time I watch it.

Fixer-Upper

With the exception of House Hunters, I pretty much love everything on HGTV.  I definitely have my favorites (Love it or List It and Flip or Flop), but when it comes to home improvement shows, I'm an equal opportunity offender.  My MOST favorite show, Fixer Upper just started a new season and I'm completely obsessed watching husband and wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines find the worst house on the block and turning it into something beautiful.  Sometimes the show frustrates me, considering they're buying homes sometimes for less than $100,000, but the housing market in Waco, Texas is a little different than most places, I guess.  Regardless, I think I have a woman-crush on Joanna.  She's so cool.  

 

I'm not sure my personal style is quite as rustic as hers, but I think she has such decorating vision and impeccable taste - in home furnishings and in clothes.  I also find her relationship with her husband Chip completely charming.  I have big dreams of finding my own fixer-upper and completely gutting it, Magnolia Homes-style.

My Amazing Niece

She found her shadow this week and the two became fast friends.  

This article.  This study. This idea . . .

 . . . that love is something you do, not always something that you feel.  For someone whose cold, black, cynical heart has only thawed slightly over the years, I connect to this on so many levels.  I may not always feel the sticky sweet, gooey love stuff all of the time, but love as an action?  A verb? In the words of my BFF Amy, "Yes, please!"

Go do love this weekend.  Enjoy yourself. 

a cure for your rainy day blues.

The meteorologists in Atlanta are saying the sun is going to come out Friday, but I'm not sure I buy it.  Lately everyday feels like Groundhog Day if Groundhog Day were misty, cloudy, cold, damp, gross and depressing.

Last weekend, my friends Maribeth and Scott, Jacob and I pulled ourselves off our respective couches in favor of some rainy Friday night fun - and stumbled upon the new and improved Midtown Bowl.  I say "new," but Midtown Bowl isn't new at all - but since the last time I'd been there before last weekend was in 2008, it was most certainly improved having undergone a major renovation in 2009.

Here are three reasons you need to go there immediately (besides the whole weather sucking and needing something to do besides eat, sleep and binge watch Netflix, all things that I also enjoy):

1. The bar: Three words, Bourbon lovers: Pappy Van Winkle.  They have it.  I'm not a Bourbon drinker myself, but I know enough people who are to know that PVW is the most coveted bourbon of them all - like get on a waiting list to buy it kind of coveted.  I didn't have any and I'm not sure how much it costs for a glass, but the fact that Pappy Van Winkle exists at Midtown Bowl has been the number one way for me to explain to people how much this place has improved since 2008.  They also have dozens of great beers both bottled and on draft and I had plenty of those.
2. The tunes:  I was surprised to see Pappy Van Winkle on the bar shelf.  I was shocked and elated when I heard "Reba" (I don't mean McIntire, though she's great too) come over the speakers.  Scott and Jacob immediately looked at each other and said, "Did you play this?" Finding Phish, the Grateful Dead, Stevie Wonder, Rolling Stones on the same jukebox means hours of fun.  We spent as much money, if not more, on music as we did on bowling, including paying more money to skip other people's songs because we think we have better taste in music than them.  
3. The bowling:  Bowling is fun.  Even if you suck.  And trust me, no one sucks at bowling more than me.  

People watching is another great reason to go - but let's be honest, that's certainly not specific to Midtown Bowl.  

Have a great, warm, sunshiney weekend. 

highlights (aka huge photo dump).

My mom sent out her 2015 holiday card this week, and even though I knew what was going to be on it before I received mine, I had to chuckle when I saw the picture.

My niece Gray has completely stolen our hearts, which I guess warrants Jeff and Katie's and my complete elimination from the family card.  In my mom's defense, the Gallmans didn't exactly "nail it" at our family photo shoot, so she was left with no choice but to go with a winner. 

Gray's position in the card merely serves as a metaphor for how much she was the highlight of our year. 

I mean look at this face. 

There were plenty of other highlights for me - both personal and professional - including, but not limited to:

Lots of music - Lionel Richie, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Phish - just to name a few.

Beach vacations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Gulf Shores, Alabama and Mexico. 

Plenty of weddings and babies. 

2015 is shaping up to be another year full of adventures and more travel - some already planned for the first three months of the year.  I make no promises, and I have made no resolutions to write about these adventures.  All I can say is that I will try.  I always begin the year recommitting to my writing life, as it is such an exercise that makes me happy and peaceful. 

I'm treating this conversation like I would with an old friend you just pick back up with regardless of how much time has passed.  There aren't any excuses for why I haven't written - no good ones anyway - so I'm just gonna omit that.

What was the highlight of your last year?  What are you most looking forward to in 2015?

Let's make it a good one!