And more photos from Tuesday

Malasadas. I love 'em. Especially from a truck.



So I spent a long time looking at this sign and laughing in Chinatown today. It's a woman spanking a shrimp. And I stood on the sidewalk and took several close up photos of it.



And then I bothered to take four steps back for a full doorway photo, and realized it was a sex shop. Awkward for all...

Hawaii in Fast Forward

Religion on the Hawaiian Roadside, for my friend, Joe York.

Orchid farm.

Landscape from the windiest place ever.

Pork council forgot to send them their slogan before the meat market painted the sign.

I love pigs. It's the year of 'em, ya know.

Today Ned worked all day. Poor boy attended more conference sessions than I can count. I, meanwhile, took a fast forward tour of Oahu. On the agenda: windward ocean-view drive; macadamia nut farm; orchid farm; Agnes's Bakeshop for malasada #1; Zippy's (for a restroom, and to peek at loco moco in another location); Pali's Highway, the windiest point on the island; Hanauma Bay and fabulous Greek restaurant across the street; downtown Honolulu; another trip to Chinatown; a tour of the University of Hawaii; and a stop at the surfing championship and malasada truck (that's #2) on the North Shore before I headed back in time to meet Ned for sunset. I'll spare you the gushing, inadequate details and landscape photography. But it's beautiful here, trust me.

Seeing is believing

Day started well. Hiking on the resort started the morning (the maps were bad, I got lost), but I stumbled upon a sea turtle amidst the ramblings. Lunch from a shrimp truck, which would have been better, but the menu read like a Chinese restaurant in a shopping mall. Afternoon spent by the pool/beach was terrific, and the afternoon nap even better.

Then the evening began. We headed out for Mexican food (yes, in Hawaii. I love it). About a mile from our turn, we saw a brilliant flash of light which we thought to be lightning. It turned out to be a power line that fell in the road, so all traffic was turned around after a lengthy delay. We headed back east to find dinner, in a desperate effort to avoid overpriced, bland resort food, only to drive about 40 miles and pass only 3 places: one serving "island-like cuisine," the other looking sketchy, and the third--the one we picked--serving local fare. It was called J&L's Hawaiian BBQ. There was no BBQ on the menu, in case you're curious. I ordered loco moco, a genius invention of white rice topped with two hamburger patties, two eggs over easy, and the whole thing smothered in gravy. And did I mention that cold macaroni salad was tucked in the side of the container? Ned got "the mixed plate"--gravy over hamburger patty over steak over rice over (again) cold macaroni salad. He had a side of beef stew. If you're counting, that's 3 kinds of beef in one styrofoam container. Photos follow, b/c I know that no one will believe the concoctions.

Late night will include lots of Tums.

My brother, Patrick, applied to Mississippi Teacher Corps today. Keep your fingers crossed!

Hawai'i Days One & Two

So far, so good. We started (after Jackson) in the Dallas airport. I found a candy store and charged a bunch of sugar for the plane trip over, and Ned drank so much Guinness that we lost track of time and almost missed the plane. Landing was safe; hotel (the Royal Hawaiian) was very "pink" and lots of fun. Late night dinner involved pork (they wrapped the pork in greens, rather than flavoring the greens with small bits of pork, which I think is GENIUS), and then some malasadas (sp?) from Leonard's. Melissa, we know it wasn't as good as Agnes's would have been, but it was convenient. Afternoon at Pearl Harbor (very moving) and a few hours spent cursing the fact that you can't find H1 West anywhere on this island (though there are plenty of exits for H1 East, oddly). Hit the jackpot with postcards, and arrived at Turtle Bay this afternoon in time for sunset and conference mai-tais. All in all, great trip on day two. Stay tuned in for more photos.

More Hawai'i Photos

Photos in order: The pink hotel. Lunch spot where Ned's still not sure what he ordered, but we do know that it was prepared in the foyer next to a faucet. Sunset from our bacony on the North Shore.

The Irish...

Notre Dame Football Team Having Worst Season Since Corinthians

After the wedding, before the move-in

The day is rapidly approaching when Ned and I will move in together. It'll be like worlds colliding.

I have this sense that, since I'm a married adult, my house should look somewhat grown up (like a magazine, but with style points). Ned is still decorating as he did when a bachelor. Our fireplace mantle is the perfect example of our struggle to co-exist. All the stuff is ours, and we like it all. I like some of more than Ned does, in fact. Our difference of opinion is that Ned thinks it all looks good on the mantle...

Click on the photo to view it in greater detail.

Hawaii Bound

In 48 hours we'll be in Hawaii. Ned has a conference. I have a need for the beach, after this first taste of fall weather.

We'll stay in a touristy resort (it's almost impossible not to be touristy there), but the beach is beautiful. Check it out and be SO JEALOUS: www.turtlebayresort.com

I've been spending a good amount of time trying to find fun off the beaten path. Thanks to my friend, John T, I've found our first bar stop, on the way to the hotel from the airport: La Mariana Sailing Club. He's also recommended some good donut spots (the book in the photo will be our guide). Thanks to my friend, Melissa, I've charted all our other activities. Perhaps most exciting, she's told me where to get good Mexican food on the North Shore. I can hardly wait.

Look for photos in the blog next week of me and Ned at the windiest point on the island, at Pearl Harbor (how will they present that history to all the Japanese tourists, I wonder?), and--of course--on the beach. This time we'll try not to get sand in the camera. But, if we do, I'm buying a new one!

Caramel Cake

I'm perfecting my caramel cake skills. It all started when I got that fancy new mixer (see an earlier post). I couldn't stand the thought of the first thing I made being something from a box. I wanted something involved. Something Southern. Something I'd eat (and I'm not a fan of most cakes). So I made a caramel cake. And, to my surprise, it turned out well. I made another one this weekend. Check out the fancy cake plate, a wedding gift from our friend, Sawyer.

China Night

Ned and I enjoyed our first-ever china night last Wednesday (also Halloween). It's our effort to make sure that we use our "good dishes" and don't just let them gather dust in the china cabinet (though the china cabinet is beautiful -- thanks, Aunt Da!). Check out the dishes!

Happy Halloween!

I surprised Ned with a Halloween drive down to Vicksburg. I almost ran over him with the car while he was walking down the street with our friends' borrowed lawnmower, to be exact. We enjoyed the first official china night this Wednesday, and we carved our first Vicksburg pumpkin. Happy looking, no?

Pretty boring when we don't post, huh?

Last week was crazy busy. We (Ned included) were all working on the Southern Foodways Symposium. This is a four day weekend in Oxford filled with good food and great friends and, save for our wedding in August, it's usually the most enjoyable thing we do each year. After four days of eating pork, I feel like a pig myself! We were happy to have brother-in-law Marvin join us for the fun this year, all the way from Austin.

Photos today are from the wildlife in our backyard. Ned took pics of the critters, as I'm not a fan. We found them when we were ripping out the summer garden in preparation for the fall garden.

I return to Vicksburg this weekend, to check out the repairs on our roof and to meet with a contractor about doing some work on our fireplace. Ned hates the small "fake fire" that the gas logs offer. And I'm afraid that I'll freeze this winter in that drafty house without some additional heat. Plus, we like the roar of a real fire. It's not the same when you just flip the switch and get small flames.

Kitchen of dreams...weekend of baking

I head to Vicksburg this afternoon. I can hardly wait. My Kitchen Aid mixer awaits. Next weekend (in addition to being symposium weekend) is also the fall festival at St. John's Church in Oxford. I think I might get my baking game on...make a few margaritas for the afternoon, whip up a few caramel cakes for the freezer, and generally enjoy my green kitchen and new cookware. Ned might even get a hot meal! And then, of course, there's Auburn-LSU. My friend and I have a bet for lunch at the City Grocery. Either way, a Tiger wins and I get a good meal. Of course, I prefer the purple and gold tigers.

Excruciating minutiae from the eraser collection

When Ned and I drove through Valdosta on the way back from the honeymoon, my parents sent me back with everything I've ever owned. Groan. Who knew I owned so much? As I agonize over what to do with that box of my first grade papers, the old trophies from t-bat teams I barely remember, and an enormous collection of Winnie-the-Pooh items from overzealous Disney store days, Ned's enjoying the quirkiness of my childhood eraser collection. Of particular interest is this one, made by non-native speakers.

Our first disappointment

The Irish lost, the Tigers lost, and I don't remember the pep rally. This photo is from a stop on the drive up that looked promising, but when Ned and I arrived at 8:30 they told us there'd be no fried bologna until 9 a.m. Bummer.

Rally, Sons of Notre Dame...

Ned and I are off to ND this weekend. It'll be Ned's first Irish home game. We're traveling on a bus with 48 other members of the Memphis Alumni Club. And we're watching RUDY on the ride.

We're staying at Sacred Heart Parish Center. When I sent in the rooming list I had to make a special notation that Ned was my spouse, b/c Our Lady has no tolerance for unmarried couples sharing a room at the parish hall. And, since our last names are different, we got a "checking up" call from the front office.

Here are some photos from our last trip to the Holy Land. This time, we look forward to seeing baby brother Patrick and going out with him legally (for a change). CJ's burgers, here we come!

Cheer, cheer -- after the Irish got their first victory last Saturday, anything could happen. We could beat the Jesuits. And how great would that be...

Saving Willie Mae's Scotch House at NOLA Film Fest

Some of y'all may remember that crazy weekend when I ran around New Orleans shopping for scaffolding and renting a jackhammer. I was just one small part of an amazing work crew that helped rebuild Willie Mae's Scotch House, a small restaurant in the Treme area of the French Quarter. This weekend, my amazingly talented friend Joe York will debut his film on the whole rebuilding effort at the New Orleans Film Festival. And the film, which I hope you will see, will chronicle the work of my amazingly talented friend John Currence -- as well as lots of other SFA-ers who worked to get the job done. For more info on the festival, visit www.neworleansfilmfest.com. Miss Willie Mae is pictured above.

We're all over the internet!

Yep, we have another Web site for photos. Hard to believe, after all you've already endured, huh? Well, here are photos from the rehearsal dinner: www.nedandmarybeth.shutterfly.com We'll add more wedding photos as they're available. But don't worry -- we won't ask if you've viewed them...

On the road again

It was another busy traveling weekend for Ned and me--Friday I went to Jackson, Saturday and Sunday we made a whirlwind trip to New Orleans, Monday I spent hours unpacking wedding gifts, and Tuesday finds me back in Oxford counting the minutes until I can turn the car around to Vicksburg again on Friday afternoon. Check out the festive Fiestaware--we had lots of unpacking and dishwashing happening on National Street, let me tell you. We broke them in (not literally) with another fabulous night of tacos. Thanks to our friend, Sarynna, we now know the trick to easy tortilla making: the Ziploc freezer bag. Next time, it'll be catfish tacos. Maybe I can even find Ned a fancy chef's hat to wear while he makes all those tortillas. Then he can match the catfish you see pictured here--doesn't he look happy? You'll see this joint on the Causeway exit off I-10, very near a "gentlemen's club" that has happy hour drinks beginning at 3 p.m. It seems the lunch spot closes down before the afternoon clientele arrives. Probably not a bad idea.

A return to New Orleans

This weekend, Ned and I will return to New Orleans. We're going to an engagement party there for our friend (the one who let us stay with her the Mardi Gras weekend that we got engaged). This will be our second trip to the city since that big event. Here's a photo from our last visit (at the end of our honeymoon), on the park bench where he proposed. At least, we're pretty sure this is the bench.

Also for good measure, here's a photo of one of my favorite wedding memories: the stack of homemade moon pies by John Currence. The amazing thing about this was the way it kept re-stacking all night. Whenever there was a run on moon pies, more would magically appear. Amazing.

Our anniversary

I have the best husband in the world. Look what arrived to my office yesterday afternoon, in celebration of our first anniversary! We're a month in... And this is what it's gonna be like, right, Ned? A lifetime of gifts and flowers. And good cookware.

Compared to today, this looks easy...

On our honeymoon, we were almost attacked by a shark. See photo.

But that's easy compared to the Monday we've had. I've had to share sad news with friends that we don't have room for them at the annual Southern Foodways Symposium. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, and I've had to do it 80 times today. I'd rather say things with a smile. Ned, meanwhile, is pricing overnight shipping for library books so he can get them back to Vanderbilt before they send out the bounty hunters.

Tomorrow, at least, will have to be better. Unless, like my Grandpa said, "Things are never so bad that they can't get worse." There's a bit of comfort in that. Oddly. Wise man, my grandpa. Photo here for reference.

More wedding photos!

It's been awhile since we posted. I've been busily working on thank you notes. If you haven't received one yet, know that it's on the way...soon! (The photo here is of my last writing campaign: postcards from the honeymoon.)

Ned and I look forward to our first weekend in Oxford since the wedding this weekend. We'll Grove before the game, and maybe even make it over to the stadium in time for kickoff. The Rebels are playing Florida. The line is a generous 27 points. Bet now. My Irish are playing Michigan State this Saturday. Miracles do happen. Keep the faith.

Wedding photos are online. I've been USELESS at work this morning, as it's taken me nearly two hours to go through all 1200 of them. Our official photographer was Josh Hailey. We highly recommend him if you're thinking about getting married. He managed to take a ton of photos, with very few awkward blinking shots. Thanks, Josh.

For those who want to see the wedding photos, go to www.pictage.com and enter event 366854 (or search for us by name). To see all the other cool stuff Josh does, visit his studio Web site at www.joshhaileystudio.com.

Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?

By popular demand, I've added some of the childhood photos to our Web site. Click on the "younger days" link to see photos of Ned and Mary Beth sporting some fabulous 1970s baby attire. I've also added a few snapshots from the wedding, and we'll be sure to post the official shots from our photographer just as soon as they're ready.

Ned and I are settled back into the routine -- he in Vicksburg, me in Oxford. We're planning a rendezvous at Doe's Eat Place with some friends in Greenville this Thursday. Read more about Doe's in the SFA oral history project here:
http://www.southernfoodways.com/oral_history/does_eat_place/index.shtml

And we'll post photos from our travels just as soon as my camera is returned from the repair shop. Yes, we elected to get it repaired. But I have plans in the works to give that camera to Ned, sell his old camera, and get the new one I wanted all along! Everything works out in the end...

Wedding photos, Version 1.0, online now

Many thanks to our dear friend Pableaux, who took wedding photos and has posted them online to share with our friends. Pableaux's smiling face was the one that greeted us as Ned and I walked out of the church; his flashing camera made us feel famous! Thanks, P!

Friends, you'll find photos online at
www.bluecrablabs.com
Sorry we don't have one to include with this post, but if you type the address into your browser, you'll find 103 shots!

If anyone has contacts at Pabst Blue Ribbon, Mary Beth is happy to negotiate a contract for the advertising.

The honeymoon's...to be continued

Ned and I returned to Vicksburg on Monday in a U-Haul that we rented one way from Valdosta, Georgia. 500+ miles and a lot of stuff... My parents sent me out the door with everything I had in their house, including a bag of Barbies and my pencil collection from second grade. Y'all remember that we live in a house with 2 small closets, right? This is going to be interesting.

I'll include a few more photos from the honeymoon fun for your viewing pleasure. The first is from O'Steen's. We ate there for lunch every day, thanks to the generosity of an open tab given to us by friends as a wedding gift. The second is from a nature tour we took in St. Augustine last Thursday.