Famous in a Small Town

Do y'all (It's this new thing I'm trying out, **See Footnote) think its weird that I keep dreaming about Kenny Chesney & Miranda Lambert songs or waking up with lyrics randomly stuck in my head???

I'm guessing it's just the residual affects from listening to 5+ hours of country music last Saturday night. We had an absolute blast in San Francisco at this concert! Even better, the tickets were free (Pat got them through work), so we justified spending big bucks on a room 8 blocks away from the stadium so we wouldn't have to worry about driving all the way back to Sac. Here are a few pics from the concert:


The concert was supposed to be Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Miranda Lambert, and Kenny Chesney. Sugarland cancelled, unfortch. But we had a great time nonetheless! I love love love Miranda Lambert, and this concert showcased just how beautiful her voice is. If you've never heard of her, please click here to hear my favorite song of hers.





Here is the only decent pic I was able to get of Kenny, because of how far away our seats were and the whole lighting issue.


Let me tell you, one of the most interesting parts of this concert, aside from the acts themselves, was the entertainment provided by people-watching. It's not everyday that a huge country music act comes to a city known for its flamboyance (for lack of a better word). The concert-goers at this event were truly the most diverse group of people that I have ever seen in one condensed area. I entertained myself before the concert by pointing out the real Stetson hat and Wrangler wearing cowboys/girls from those who went to the nearest trendy mall store for a cheap pair of boots and straw hat. Some (read: Pat) call this strange; I call it talent. What can I say? I'm a country girl.

Which brings me to my footnote about use of the word "y'all''. Upon discussion with my husband and a few close friends, it has been unanimously decided that I should have been born in the south. I'm thinking Georgia, specifically. Why, you ask? First of all, I heart sweet tea. It's my new drink of choice. And should McDonalds ever stop selling it, I will resort to making it myself, ungodly amounts of sugar and all. 2. I have been craving southern comfort food. Patrick can attest to this, as I spent the majority of the day in the kitchen a few weeks ago, making fried chicken and creamy mashed potatoes for dinner. And it was delicious! Now if I could only find a recipe for hushpuppies... 3. I think the word "y'all" should be grandfathered in to Webster's dictionary as a socially appropriate word for everyday interaction. As much as I have tried to incorporate it into my daily conversations with people, I still get weird looks and friends laughing in my face. But I tell ya what, I would rather hear "y'all" then the word "hella" any day of the week.

Maybe I am living in the wrong state. Lori & Lynn, we might be South Carolina bound soon, if I don't get rid of this "Southern Fever".

Well, I'm off to Portland, see y'all in Montana next week!!!!!

Summatime Take I

Hey-Ya!!!

Summer is a busy time around here, as I'm sure it is for our family and friends who regularly (or maybe not so regularly) read this blog. All of a sudden, it seems, things went from 0-60 just like that. We had my dad in town last week for a few days, and then Patrick won tickets to a concert over the weekend, so we had a whirlwind week or so. Things have slowed down just long enough for me to get a few errands done around here before our next adventures begin. I will be headed to Portland this weekend to visit my best friend, Jess, and then off to Montana on Monday, where I will meet up with my hubbs to spend some time with friends and family. Poor Pat is driving up here all alone, which I would feel bad about, except for that this whole arrangement was his idea. He suggested that I spend a weekend in Portland and then fly directly to Montana, so as to avoid that hellish 14-hour drive.


[As a sidenote, I must say that one of my absolute favorite qualities about my husband is that he is far and away the most considerate person I have ever met. He always put other's needs (okay, mainly mine) before his own. There is no questioning what is going to happen, he just does it without a second thought and without complaining. Somewhere along the line, someone ::cough cough Lori & Lynn:: taught him VERY well! And for that, I am very grateful. He's an amazing husband, and I cannot wait to see how great of a father he will be one day (not anytime soon though).]

Without further ado, here are some pics of my dad's trip to Sac, during our drive up to Tahoe:

Ex.Haust.Ted

Hello Friends.
It has been a busy last few days in the land of the Groff's. Between having my dad here, spending a night in San Fran for a concert (yeah, Kenny!), and a baby shower today, I am absolutely BUSHED. As we speak, I am sitting on the couch in my pj's, getting ready to hit the hay. I know, I know, it's only 7:20. But I'm struggling to keep my eyes open, as I wait for Pat to get home from golfing. This scenario has 'old woman' written all over it. But such is the life of Miss Randi, and this lady needs her beauty sleep. So I will update the blog with pics in the next day or two when I have caught up on my sleep. Nighty night.

Inactive Duty

Hello All
I seem to have bounced back from my lazy phase. At least that's what the cinnamon rolls in the oven and perfectly clean house would suggest (I got up at 5:00am this morning to make them from scratch). I think in part, my lack of motivation has had a lot to do with my restrictions on working out. I had to make an impromptu visit to the orthopedic surgeon last week after finding a bump on my shoulder, at the very tip of where my scar is. When we went down to visit my brother over the holiday weekend, we spent a majority of the weekend in the pool. The doctor had no problem with me playing in the pool, but he did have a problem with me playing volleyball in the pool. Luckily, the bump is just scar tissue. But before I found that out, I had to sit through a pretty harsh lecture. The doc reminded me that I've just had a major, invasive surgery, and even though I'm young, I still need to give myself another 4 weeks for my body to bounce back completely, otherwise I'm going to undo everything I've had done and end up back in the Operating Room.
::gulp::
I am officially on "inactive duty", meaning no exercise except walking until August 15th. I didn't realize just how active I was until I totally lost the ability to do the things I want to do. I miss lifting weights, using the elliptical machine, and doing situps. And I miss having a somewhat toned stomach and arms. But I don't miss these things enough to compromise my body and healing process. And that's what I just have to keep repeating to myself when I hear the workout room calling my name.

In other news, my dad and stepmom will be spending a few days with us starting tomorrow. My dad is in Reno for a work-related trip, and decided they would drive the extra couple hours to come down and see us. Since this will be their first trip to Sac, we are SUPER excited to have them here!!!! We are planning a dinner at our favorite local restaurant/brewery as well as a day trip up to Tahoe. I'm off to Portland for the weekend next Friday, and then we will be headed back to Montana for a week in the end up July. Lots of fun stuff in the next few weeks. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Jack Russells Unite!!!!

I'm feeling rather lazy today. So allow me to present to you, our 4th of July weekend in photos.

Hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday!