Winter came to Omaha, it left us looking like a bride

This whole not blogging very often thing is crazy! When I finally get around to sitting down I have so much to get through. Let's begin at the beginning, shall we? My friends and I went to St. Louis this weekend for our friend Sarah's wedding. Road trip! Oh, I have photos, too.

So, after our six hour drive (that we survived with the help of some rockin' tunes from Declan) we headed straight for the arch. I've been up it a few times, but it was especially wobbly this time. That made me giggle and made Carrie nervous. See there's Carrie, Jeff and Jim before our bold adventure to the top!


They also have a Thomas Jefferson statue at the arch. I think my new hobby is going to be getting my picture taken kissing TJ statues all over this land. Just believe me when I tell you this isn't the first time I've been in a photo like this.


Anyway, after the crazy elevator ride, we were rewarded with a lovely view, and a great welcome to the city that never sleeps (except between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m).


The next day we went on a brewery tour to see where Budweiser comes from. It was really cool because I pretty much like any factory tour but I love them even more when drinks are involved.

But then we had to rush back and get ready for the wedding because that's why we drove all that way in the first place. The wedding itself was lovely. Sarah looked gorgeous and Austin was very cute in his tux. Those two are gonna have cute little kids someday. That's all I'm saying.


The wedding also had that most mythical of creatures, the "open bar." Much like true love itself, it is a gift from god when discovered and something to be cherished. The best thing about an open bar - you end up with photos like this.

Who loves ya, Baby?

The trip back was a quiet event with much napping, but I think we were all happy campers. Now I have a few days to recover before I head out to meet the family in Seattle. Sadly, there will be no open bar there.

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Now here's the best part. I actually listened to an album, too, and it's one of my faves. Digital Ash In A Digital Urn was high on my top ten list of albums last year. It was released on the same day as the other Bright Eyes album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and, like children, it's very hard for me to love one more than the other.

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning got a lot of the press last year, though. It's soft and acoustic and accessible. Digital Ash is noisy and loud and really kind of grating the first time you hear it. If you take some time to get to know it, though, it's very rewarding. "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" has been my personal theme song for the last year or so and I start all my 5k runs with it. Just for that, I may love Digital Ash a little bit more.

There's a point in the listening when the electronics and noise just start to make sense. Conor Oberst's voice helps hold everything together and lets me know we're going on an interesting trip. Noise can be scary, but he makes it okay.