The Happy Hartmans

Nashville Flooding

2010-05-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I were in Nashville last weekend, when they were hit by terrible rains and flooding (13 inches of rain in 2 days). While it was obviously raining a ton, I never could have imagined the devastation and destruction that happened. It was so crazy! (and heartbreaking!!) It is probably the most severe "natural disaster" we've ever been in. We left Nashville Sunday morning, so we were able to get out...I think if we would have left even an hour later, we wouldn't have made it. Here are a few pictures...although you can find way worse online.

These first 2 were taken on Saturday on Highway 100 (south of the Harris Teater headed toward Loveless). By Sunday, the street was a river (literally) and obviously not drivable. I spoke to some employees at Loveless Cafe Sunday morning...they were stranded as the 100, 70S, I-4o, and McCrory ln were all closed.

This is our hotel Sunday morning. We were staying near Vanderbilt at the Courtyard Marriott.

This was taken on our drive home Sunday morning. We were on I-65 N, about 20 minutes north of downtown.

CHI Town with the Girls

2010-04-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I spent 3 incredible days in Chicago with Anne & Jenni. It was a mini "Nashville" reunion...all of our husbands went to Vandy (Residency, MBA, & Law) and now we're spread across the country (Cincy, Boston, Park City). We had a blast in Chicago...here are the highlights.

Restaurants (I plan trips around food!) - Rosebud on Rush, Bongo Room, Garrett's Popcorn, Frontera Grill, Toast, Sweet Mandy B's, & Bandera

Shopping - Michigan Ave, Lincoln Park, Old Town (The Spice House!), and we can't forget Trader Joes. We're in the taxi, Jenni sees Trader Joes and yells "Pull Over!" I guess we're stopping :)

Besides Shopping - The Bean and Bobby's Bike Hike (good find Anne!)

Our New Neighbor

2010-04-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon, after getting home from my girl's trip (more to come!) and of course after getting unpacked (that is the first thing Ry and I do whenever we get home from a vacay :) we went on our Sunday walk. We start at our house and make about a 1.5 mile loop. As walked past this one house (it is brand new and was for sale when we moved here but sometime during winter it sold) we noticed some signs in the driveway that said "Valet Parking" and also a catering truck our front. We said, "They must be having a party!" Well as we got closer we noticed a few people out front talking and low and behold, it was NICK LACHEY!!! We walked right in front of him. He was talking to the catering guys. It was crazy! Apparently he is from here; we've heard him on the radio a couple of times. And now he is our neighbor :) We were a little surpised he didn't invite us to his party! I'm sure we'll get an invite next time :)

Move Over Celine

2010-03-30T07:39:00.001-07:00

Ryan has a new favorite artist - Taylor Swift!

For Christmas I surprised Ryan with tickets to the Taylor Swift concert. Yes, it is what he wanted, and yes, he was very excited to go!

We sat next to these girls, and I asked if I could take a picture of them with Ryan. We figured there was at least a 10 to 1 ratio of girls to boys. These girls thought Ryan was so cool for coming!

Since Ryan got the t-shirt at the Celine concert (yep, Ry really does like Celine...we saw her play in Vegas) I bought the black t-shirt at this concert.

Seriously, she puts on a great show. Go see it if you get the chance!

NOLA

2010-03-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I just got back from a long weekend in New Orleans. It was our first time, and we had a blast! Here are a couple of my favorite pics...

beautiful homes in the Garden District

cool cemeteries (I went on a fun bike ride too)

I ate beignets (a doughnut like pastry covered in powdered sugar) EVERYDAY! They were delicious!!!

French Quarter / Pirate's Alley

St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Sq

Movie Updates

2010-01-04T12:51:00.001-08:00

I have gotten to see a few movies since Thanksgiving. There are 2 you HAVE to see:

1. Avatar - a few people I have told were like "Really? It kind of looked weird" The first time I saw the previews, I thought the same thing...I thought it was a weird animated film. It is definitely not. I don't like to hype up movies too much because then they don't meet your expectation, so just go see it thinking, "well, Heather liked, but she likes most movies, so who knows??" Then after you see, we'll chat about this phenomenal movie :) It had ALL the elements of a great movie - a love story, good vs. evil, special effects, humor, creativity. Seriously, one of my very favorite movies in YEARS...and I see a lot of movies!

2. The Blind Side - LOVED this movie too! Sandra Bullock rocks. She did an amazing job. This is such an incredible story. I just bought the book and am half way through it. It is really good too.

Other movies you might want to see...

It's Complicated - we laughed a lot in this movie. Very entertaining

Up In the Air - really like George! Not the typical romantic comedy, so I see why the critics liked it (they hate romantic comedies...weird right?!?) Lots of bad language, so beware!

I Netflixed Romeo & Juliet because somehow Ryan made it through high school, college, med school, residency, and 1/2 of fellowship without ever knowing the story of Romeo & Julie. I think this came up when I dragged him to New Moon and said something like "Stephanie compared New Moon to Romeo & Juliet" and Ry was like "I never had to read R&J...I don't know the story" So anyway, we watched the movie...I obviously new the ending but was still bugged because there is SO many ways they could/should have ended up together, but somehow both end up dead! Hadn't those kids ever heard of eloping!!!!????

I have not see Sherlock Holms yet, but have heard good things. Leap Year is next (Jan 8 :)

That is about all...go see Avatar and the Blind Side and report back!

Dear NYC, Love you, Miss you, Heather

2009-11-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

After 3 years, we finally headed back to the city I love! New York City - the best city in the world. We ate and ate and ate, saw Wicked, saw friends, spent a day in the park, and shopped for purses in China Town.

More pics are posted on my facebook page if you're interested. Loading these takes forever on my blog.

Our 4 Year Anniversary

2009-10-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

4 years ago this past weekend, Brett brought this gang together for the first time to watch General Conference. And so began our Conference Weekend Tradition (and 5 new best friends)! Of course since then, we have added (well actually Anne has added) 2 new faces.

The weekend included LOTS of snacks!

Watching conference

Taking notes

While others slept

Okay, I took a nap too!

But the main event (besides President Monson's talks of course) is dinner:

Spicy Beef Sandwiches

Pottery Barn Potatoes

Green Beans & Onions

And Chocolate Cake for dessert

Thanks Dave, Anne, Ellie, Hank, & Brett for making the trip to Cincinnati to spend Conference Weekend with Ryan and me. We had a blast! Whose house in April? :) Miss you!

Ellie & Hank

2009-08-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we met our friends Anne & Dave and their 2 adorable kids in Columbus. Somehow I only took pictures of the kids (note Ry is included in that!). Sorry Anne & Dave :)

Cincy Tennis

2009-08-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Every year in Cincinnati they hold a tennis tournament that is part of the US Open series. All the big players come. We got to go to a women's quarterfinals on Friday night between Jankovic and Bammer. It was awesome! Bammer actually played Serena Williams the day before and beat her (which was a huge upset)...had Williams won, we would have gotten to see her! Jankovic won and actually won the whole tournament. The men are playing this week. We have tickets to the men's finals too...I am hoping it is between Nadal and Federer.

We got our tickets through Ryan's fellowship..they have a "box" :)

Jankovic - winner of the tournament

Christian the Lion

2009-08-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

Check out this video. It will amaze you and make you cry...I LOVE It!

Glee - Mania

2009-08-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Did anyone see the premier to Glee? I thought it was hilarious! I am so excited for this show to start. It's gonna be big! (hopefully:)

Italy & Switzerland

2009-07-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

We are back from the land of chocolate and cheese, my favorite diet. We have continued with our whirl wind travel schedule...We arrived home last Thur night at 8:30pm and headed back to the airport parking lot 9 hours later to travel to Spokane (job interview for Ry). We got home from Spokane on Sunday. After a month and a half of moving, traveling, etc. we're looking forward to being home for awhile (at least a week or two until the travel bug hits again:)

Anyway, the trip was fabulous! Hot at times - you know those Europeans, they don't believe in AC. Milan and Lake Como were great - both new places for us. We stayed in Varenna but visited Bellagio...did you know they named that town after a hotel in Vegas (haa haa!) Bellagio was super cute but more touristy than Varenna. It was a beautiful lake, but quite hot! I'd go in May or June next time. Then we went to Cinque Terre, which we have been to before. Loved it again. The towns were darling. Nice cool ocean breeze as well. We also visited Portofino which was fun. Made we wish we had super wealthy friends and arrived on one of the amazing yachts we saw. Truly lifestyles of the rich and famous! Then we took a train to Switzlerland and went back to Muerren, a little town in the Swiss Alps. This is the only place we constently start sentences with "If we moved here..." We think we were meant to be Swiss! This place is a gem. The most beautiful place in the world...well at least in all the places I've seen. 2 fabulous days of hiking and biking, eating chocolate and cheese, and taking lots of amazing pictures. Then we headed to Zurich (with a stop over in the captial - Bern) and flew home.

The Chiefs

2009-07-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the end of the year parties - the 2 pictures where we are casual (on the left side) are from "Chief's Roast"...where the attendings make fun of the chiefs and the chiefs make fun of the attendings (it is also where the wives read "Things we've learned"). The rest of the pictures are from the Chief Banquet which was held last Saturday night at the Hermitage Hotel. They honored the 5 graduating Ortho Residents. I can't believe residency is over. 5 years flew by!!! Parts of residency were really hard, but we loved our time in Nashville and will miss it a ton!!! Shouts our to all our Nashville Peeps!

Cincy House

2009-07-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

We landed in Cincinnati on a Monday morning and started unloading (up a LOT of stairs - see blog below!) We unpacked and organized for the next 4 days. I think we did pretty good. Here are some pics of the new place.

STAIRS...seriously

2009-07-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

I think I may have mentioned that our new house has a LOT of stairs! 20 minutes into unloading and already my legs were hurting, Ry and I turned to each other and said, "We will NOT be moving ourselves out!" I'm sure Joanne and Kyle were excited to know that we would Not be "inviting" them back in 12 months to help us move out :)

CLEANING

2009-06-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

So Ry and I are pretty clean...no kids, no pets = a clean house, right? I thought my house was clean until Joanne (Ry's mom) cleaned my house. You've never met a woman who cleans like Joanne. Seriously! It was spotless! Ryan's younger brother Kyle inherited this 'super clean bug' too! THANKS Kyle and Joanne for all your help. (more moving posts to come soon...stay tuned).

Our 26' Truck!

2009-06-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

We've moved!!! Here is our HUGE truck that we loaded in Nashville. Sadly, we actually filled this thing up. We decided we have way too much stuff!

Things I've Learned...

2009-06-07T14:32:00.001-07:00

I am finally getting around to updating my blog...in my defense, I am trying to organinze a move to Cincy (on Saturday!) then a week in Denver for work, then back to Nashville for a chief banquet (for Ry!) and then back to Cincy for good. 9 days later Ry takes his boards and 3 days after that we LEAVE FOR EUROPE! :)

Anyway, last night we went to the "Chief's Roast" - this is an annual party for the ortho chief residents. The residents film videos making fun of their attendings and the attendings film videos making fun of the chief residents. Ryan was themed as the "happy Mormom" (naturally) but finally "cracked" and started drinking scope and going to Hussler. It was quite hilarious!

I thought it would be fun for the wives to do something as well, so we got together and made a list of "Things We've Learned While Being Ortho Wives". This got quite a few laughs as well. Of course some of these are more inside jokes, (and you kind of have to live with an Ortho resident to really get what it is like!) but hopefully you find them funny.

10 Things We've Learned Being Ortho Wives:
Dedicated to our wonderful ortho husbands!

1. We've learned that Grey's Anatomy, ER, and the like are ridiculously inaccurate programs and no self respecting person should watch them.

2. Every month we get to hear about another fabulous Nashville restaurant…one that we will never see the inside of.

3. We’ve learned an Ortho resident can give a great presentation despite having to excuse himself to throw up…twice.

4. We’ve learned there is NO moonlighting in Ortho…but if there “was” it would fund babies, trips to Switzerland, tile floors, minivans, and calls to the Conga.

5. We’ve learned when you say you’ll be home at 5, 5 means 7, 7 means 10, and 10 means don’t wait up.

6. We’ve learned that you get more done before 8am than we do all day.

7. We’ve learned that "Pussy" is not a word. (Puss - y)

8. We’ve learned there are things we will never have: motorcycles, ATVs, trampolines, & chainsaws. And things we will always have: helmets and handymen.

9. We’ve learned 80 hours is a normal week, 60 hours means your attending is out of town, and 8 hours is a half day.

10. We’ve learned that our husbands will NOT be doing a 2nd fellowship. In: shoulder & elbow, Young Adult Hip Preservation, Spine, Peds, New Zealand.

Quick Update

2009-05-01T12:55:00.001-07:00

I've been a lame blogger lately...sorry!
A few updates though, Ry and I went to Cincinnati a few weekends ago and found a place to live. I am really excited...we are living in this area called Hyde Park that everyone raves about. There are all these old/charming/unique homes, rollings hills, a few parks that are centered around a couple of "squares" with shops, boutiques, and restaurants. I think it will be so much fun. Of course we are paying WAY to much in rent, but it is only for a year and I definitely wanted to live in this area. We could have found something a little cheaper, but you know us, we don't do ghetto :) There were the typical 'old' homes...no closets, 1 bath, tiny bedrooms, kitchen, laundry in the creepy basement (most of the houses are 70-100 years old). We wanted to find one of these cute houses that was 'new' inside, but in our price range, there wasn't much. Anyway, we found this house on the edge of Hyde Park (actually called Mt Lookout) that was built in the last 10 years...so it seems knew. The outside of the house is not very cute...it is a tall skinny site-ing house (almost looks like a condo but no shared walls) but it seems like the best of both worlds for us...new but in this fun neighborhood.
Unfortunately I have no pictures to show...I just didn't take any while we were there. :( I promise after we move to upload some!

Now...we just need to sell our house. Know anyone moving to Nashville?

AAOS Meeting In Vegas

2009-03-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I spent a week in Las Vegas (which is a REALLY long time in Vegas :) for an Ortho Meeting. All of the chief residents got to go, so it was a lot of fun hanging out together!
A few notes about the pictures (top left to bottom):
We all saw O at the Bellagio - very good!
The chiefs + wives (note Ry indicating he lost Zero...although I lost $120 at the craps tables!!!)
My sweet friend Wendi from high school
The whole gang again at dinner before O
The Venetician (we stayed next door at the Palazzo - Really Nice Hotel!)
The whole gang - it was a great trip!

And the Oscar goes to...

2009-02-23T09:04:00.000-08:00

loved, Loved, LOVED Slumdog Millionaire...I know, I know I like most movies (romance, comedy, drama, action - I love movies!) but seriously, Slumdog Millionaire is one of the best movies I've ever seen. GO SEE IT!!! So glad it won Best Picture (and Director, Adapted Screenplay, Music, and Editing - need I say more?)

He's Just Not...

2009-02-08T12:42:00.001-08:00

No suprise here...LOVED "He's Just Not That Into You" And yes, Ry liked it too! Take your hubby - great date night flick!

The DR

2009-02-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

We're back and had a fantastic time in the DR! Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

We Did It!

2009-01-23T13:11:00.001-08:00

Remember when I said we only had 68 days left of trauma...well guess what, we're done! (well at least at some point today, when Ry comes home, we'll be done!!!)

To celebrate, we'll be spending the next 7 days here - at a villa in the Dominican Republic :) To get ready, I've been Tanned, Sprayed, Waxed, Dyed, and Painted. It takes a whole village to get me tropical :) More pics to come!

btw - anyone watching 24? I loved the first 4 season, but hated season 5...really liking this new season though! Seems like having a year and a half off really helped the writing!

A Colorado New Year

2009-01-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I flew to Colorado over New Year's and went skiing with some of his family. We skied at Cooper Mountain and Breckenridge. Both days were awesome!!!

Everyone cool wears a helmet these days!!!

Good times with the fam!

Hartman Annual Gingerbread Party

2009-01-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Every year we try to have a Gingerbread Party (thanks to Ryan's mom for the idea many years ago!) We start the evening with homemade soup and then let the decorating begin. I used to bake the gingerbread houses from scatch, but wised up this year and bought them at Michael's! (So much easier! :) We had a few friends over and had a blast decorating the houses!!!

Gingerbread Party Part 2

2009-01-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

And here is the end result! A big mess and very cute houses!!! Thanks to the Bateman's and Rich's for making the evening so fun!

Christmas At the Hartman's

2009-01-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

Hungry?

2008-11-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading a really interesting book - The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins. It was recommended by my BFF Stephenie Meyer (okay, so Stephenie Meyer doesn't actually know who I am--I wish! Then I could tell her to FINISH Midnight Sun...anyway, she recommended this book on her website site, so I decided to read it). It is really good! Think back to high school english...did you ever read the short stories, The Most Dangerous Game or The Lottery? The book is kind of a cross between the two. Let me know what you think if you read it!

2 down...68 to go

2008-11-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

Poor Ry. Long gone are the days of sleeping in until 5:15 am. He started his Trauma rotation yesterday, and that means the next 10 weeks are going to be a little crazy!!! He now is getting up every morning 3:45 am. Yikes...that is 5 hours earlier than me. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if he got off at 1:45 pm...you know, a typical 8 hour day...but since it normally isn't until 7 or 8 pm (or even later), it makes for a rough rotation. Well, only 68 days to go...but who's counting :)

Just a Dream

2008-11-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

This isn't new...but I just recently heard it. It is pretty good!!! Carrie sang it on the CMA awards last night.

give THANKS

2008-11-10T18:28:00.000-08:00

For the last 10 weeks, Ry has been working at the VA hospital. This rotation is great in terms of his schedule - for the most part, his weekends are free! :) And in free, I mean free in the Ortho world...Ry would say, "Working a few hours Saturday and Sunday morning is practically not working, therefore it's a day off!" Yeah, I don't get it either...surgeons live in this warped world if you ask me...anyway...

Because he had some "days off" Ry's mom came for a visit as well, which was a treat for us!!! It was a great weekend, 2 movies (Nights of Rodanthe - 3 thumbs down!; Eagle Eye - 3 thumbs UP), dinner at Margot's and PF Chang's, shopping, and a fantastic craft project :)

Here are some of our fun supplies!

It may look like he is thinking, "Why is Heather making me do this?"

But he actually loves my projects!

Fall Back

2008-11-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Ryan's dad and grandma came for a visit. The weather was perfect, and it was just the right time to see the beautiful fall leaves. We took most of these pictures along the Natchez Trace Parkway Sunday afternoon. It is always lots of fun to have family out. Thanks for a great weekend!

We took this on our Riverwalk Walk!

Beaumont, Texas

2008-10-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I spent a quick weekend in Texas visitng my brother and his family. They have a beautiful home and 6 awesome kids, plus a new puppy and a cat! During the 30 hours we were there (way too short btw) we had a birthday, a swim meet, 2 soccer games, and dinner at Tokyo's at 10:00pm (ironically we were the only party with kids! :). Thanks for a great weekend! Love you!

Great new tunes!!!

2008-10-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

Love These Gals!

If Obama Wins...

2008-10-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

Our Tax System Explained in Beer!
By: David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. Professor of Economics
University of Georgia

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill
for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way
we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite
happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw
them a curve.
'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going
to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.'
Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our
taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would
still drink for free.
But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How
could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would
get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man
and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his
beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to
reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he
proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing
(100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 ( 22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first
four continued to drink for free. But once outside the
restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20,' declared the sixth
man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved
a dollar, too.
It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!!'
'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get
$10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the
breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We
didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!!!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next
night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine
sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to
pay the bill, they discovered something important.
They didn't have enough money between all of them for even
half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college
professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay
the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction.
Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they
just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start
drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat
friendlier.

Sadly, we're back

2008-09-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, coming home from Switzerland was depressing. We were so not ready to leave. We had such an amazing week!

We flew into Munich and toured the city for 2 days, visiting the Dachau concentration camp, English Garden, Deutsches Museum, and the fun downtown area. Also went to the famous beer hall, Hofbrauhaus...kind of made me wish I drank...it looked so fun :) Then we picked up a car and drove to the Nueschwanstein castle (the "Disneyland castle"). It was awesome (cloudy/rainy, but what an you do). Toured the Hohenschwangau and Linderholf castle as well. Saw the cutest white church and a fun town named Oberammergau. Stayed the night in Reutte, Austria, right across the border.

Then off we drove to Switzerland...we headed to the Berner Oberland, Interlaken, Swiss Alps area for an amazing 3 days. Hiked in the Alps, rode trams and trains, went to the top of the Schilthorn, ate CHEESE, potatoes, CHEESE, bread, CHEESE, and chocolates. We stayed in the adorable town of Muerren. Saw lots of cows (with their cow bells on!) while hiking. Absolutely HATED leaving. I want to move to Switzerland so bad!!! Took the train through Luzern and toured around for a few hours and then flew home through Zurich.

We packed a lot into 8 days, but it was awesome!!!!

From 09132008 - Germany Switzerland

E2 Shoes (aka Europe 2 Shoes)

2008-09-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Yep, I bought new shoes for our trip next week :) and not Keens, can you believe it? They're Merrells. We're headed to Germany and Switzerland, and I really needed more of a hiking shoe for Switzerland since we'll be spending 3 days hiking in the Alps. We can't wait to go! Stay tuned for pictures when we get back.

(E2 shoes = well, 2 years ago Ry and I went Italy. It was our first trip to Europe together...of course we bought new shoes :) which became known as our Italy shoes or Italy Keens. Now that we bought new shoes for this trip, it was kind of mouth full to say Germany/Switzerland Shoes, so we've decided to call them our E2 shoes. I know, I know, we're dorks!)

Infidel

2008-09-06T16:22:00.001-07:00

This was a really interesting book...it is the true story of Harisi Ali. She was raised in a strict Muslim family and because she was female, had no voice, no opinion, no say in what happened in her life...which included beatings, female mutilation, and an arranged marriage. (Seriously, so glad I wasn't born Muslim!) She defied her family, her religion, and her culture, and escaped this way of life. To all my feminists out there...you actually may NOT want to read this. It will make you so mad (and hate men even more :) Seriously though, fascinating book!

Fun Weekend in Chicago

2008-09-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Recently Ry and I were in Chicago, where we met up with our good friend Brettman for the weekend. Ryan had an Ortho Conference, so since he was going, you know I had to go too! We stayed at the Intercontinental, right on Michigan Ave. Great location! We had a fun 3 days of seeing the sights. Our favorite part of the trip was a Food Tasting/Walking Tour by Chicago Food Planet (http://www.chicagofoodplanet.com/). If you're ever in Chicago, don't miss it!

Sears Tower

Brett and Ry

Oak Street Beach

Where I want to live (Gold Coast) if we ever move to Chicago!!!

My new obsession...the only place I'll ever buy spices again!

Seriously...start blogging

2008-09-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

So, I took a little break from blogging, and not because I was obsessed with reading Breaking Dawn (okay, so I read it twice :) but because I started reading a blog called SersiouslySoBlessed. I am sure most of you have heard about it. It is so funny, but totally makes fun of the world of blogging and the Mormon culture (and let's be honest, the Mormon culture is totally worthy of some sarcasm). I went online to read it, thinking I would laugh with her at all the funny things she points out about "other" people, only to realize I totally was one of the people she was making fun of. CRAP! So I had to take a break from blogging (and for awhile considered even stopping all together). I have decided though, (after my good friend Quinn reminded me how much she loves to keep up with friends through their blog) that I’ll keep bloggin. So if you want to hear about Ryan and my vacations, books I’ve read or movies I’ve scene, stay tuned!

Done

2008-08-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

Amazing! Loved it! (16 hours to read)

New Favorite Song too

2008-07-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

And while I'm on new favorites, here is my new favorite song.

Taylor Swift - Picture to Burn

Have you seen...

2008-07-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Penelope?
This is my new favorite movie. I just saw it the other night and thought it was so cute!

This is such a great scene. (I am a sucker for romance!) It is at the very end, so if you haven't seen it and plan to, Don't Watch.

Also, the DVD has a spotlight on Twilight the movie if you're interested (and it doesn't include the swear word :).

SLR Camera Debut

2008-07-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I've said that Ry rarely gets 2 days in a row off, and that is true (he has gone 6 weeks straight without a day off before), but he actually had 2 weekends in a row off!!! The first weekend he went fishing - see below - and his 2nd weekend off we went to Asheville, North Carolina to visit the Biltmore Mansion. It was very impressive. The Biltmore is the largest privately owned home in the US. and was built by George Vanderbilt. For the small fee of $50 each, we toured the impressive home and beautiful grouds. We both really enjoyed it and had a great day!!!

On the way home, we drove through the Great Smokey Mountains. It was beautiful.

(Ry bought a new SLR camera - a Canon Rebel XTi - this was our first time using it. Here are the rest of the pictures. Great job babe!!!)

Deep Sea Fishing

2008-07-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ry went on a "boy's weekend" to Florida last week. Here is what he had to say about it...

I had the chance to go deep sea fishing in Florida last weekend with some guys from work. We drove from Nashville to Destin, FL, where one of the guys has a beach house. We then took a charter out about 45 miles off the gulf coast and fished for a few hours. We were fishing in 350 feet of water and caught 36 fish between 6 guys. We caught grouper, amberjack, red snapper and scamps. Our biggest fish were about 35 lbs. We ended up with about 100 lbs in filets and had a great time! Enjoy the pictures

Of course, what I see is...defenseless animals fighting for their life, barbarically hung by their lip from a hook, and paraded on hooks by their eye balls at the end of the day to show man's dominance. This might have to be a hobby Ry enjoys without me :)

Do you like Ry's fishing hat??? It was new for the trip - a "Congrats, You're a Chief!!" gift. You know, the Hartman's can't travel without buying something new for the trip! Below are some more pictures of his fun weekend. Double click on the slideshow to see the pictures bigger.

Dance Dance Dance

2008-06-27T07:12:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I'm not a TV junkie, I promise (maybe a movie junkie, but not a TV junkie) but I have to admit I have been watching, So You Think You Can Dance this season. I have never watched it before, but I'm liking it. Not obsessed and feel the need to vote or anything, but I DVR the episodes and watch them when I have some time. (As a friend once said to me, "DVR will change your life" :) Anywho, I have a couple of favorites.

Joshua and Katie - these 2 are my favorite! I have loved every dance of theirs. I think he might win it! For being a hip hop dancer and no formal training, he is unbelievable!!! I LOVED their hip hop dance routine to Jordan Sparks' No Air.

And I really like Chelsie and Mark too. (I think she might be Mormon!) From the little clips they show, I always think, "Oh boy, I don't know if they are going to do very well" but they always do! Wednesday nights performace of Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love was AWESOME!!!

Quick Update

2008-06-23T17:23:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been way too long since I posted a blog. My excuse...Girl's Camp :) I am the Girls Camp Stake Secretary (don't ask me how/why...I can't wear my swimsuits to camp and I probably listen to music their parents tell them to turn off :) Anyway, it starts on June 30, so we've had lots to get done. It has actually been quite fun - Liz Rich is the leader, and Sara Bateman and Kelly Rowe are her counselors. Most of our meetings are spent on the floor laughing. We are even planning a skit called "Camp Idol".

Other updates - you know...MOVIES :) (cuz I love movies)

We've recently seen:
Get Smart - super funny; definitely recommend it!
Indiana Jones - actually kind of dumb; aliens & spaceships, please! not a lot of plot, mostly special effects.
BabyMama - also very funny! Go see it!
Iron Man - for a super hero movie, pretty good. Way better than the last Spider Man movie
What Happens in Vegas - Loved it. LOVED Ashton in a tux!!!
The Great Debates (DVD) - SUPER GOOD! I didn't hear a lot about this movie when it was in the theaters, but it was way good. Definitely recommend it!!! Netflix it for sure.

My next book - Love the One Your With by Emily Giffin. Come July, I am re-reading the Twilight series in preparation for Aug 2...anyone else gone to the bookstore and read the 1st chapter of Breaking Dawn? (It is in the special edition version of Eclipse.) Okay, so I am a Twilight/Edward junkie...wedding is on people!!!

The Host

2008-05-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

So who's read The Host? I finished it Sunday night (around 1:30 am) after reading most of the day. I know a lot of you have bought it considering it is #1 on the NY Times list. :) ($14 at Costco) Overall, definitely liked Twilight better, however, I was pretty engrossed in it. Stephanie draws me in and gets me hooked more than most books! It took longer with The Host though. With Twilight, by page 18, (first mention of Edward :) I couldn't put it down. (And I couldn't get through New Moon fast enough - waiting for Edward to come back!!!) With The Host, after I read the first chapter, I was like "What the???" I didn't get it! After the first 60 or 70 pages though, I was pretty engrossed. So, I thought it was very entertaining and a good story. I don't like Sci Fi, but I did like the book. I think she is a very talented writer...

Spoiler Alert

Here is my hang up - Wanda and Jared. Was it just me or did you sort of want them to end up together??? I know, I know, Jared couldn't/shouldn't love Wanda because he loves Mel (and Wanda is in Mel's body!). So, Jared could never really love Wanda that way, but I don't see Wanda loving Ian as strongly as she loved Jared. In this crazy "Love Square" I think everyone ended up with who they "should" be with, so it was this "happy ending", but was it really?

What do you think?

Costa Rica Slide Show

2008-05-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hey, so I just figured out how to add a slide show to my blog (Thanks Kristi!). Here are all our pictures from Costa Rica.

Costa Rica!!!

2008-05-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I just got back from an amazing week in Costa Rica! We had a blast. The first part of the week we stayed in Manuel Antonio. We hiked in the rainforest, saw lots of monkeys, boogy boarded and jet skied in the ocean, and took a canopy tour through the trees. It was awesome! Then we went up north to Tamarindo and stayed in this tiny hotel (10 guests total and 30 staff) called Los Altos de Eros. We relaxed by the pool, sat on the beach, got massages and dinner at sunset. We were totally spoiled and loved every minute of it :) If you like to travel, Costa Rica is an great place to visit!!!

(If course my pictures go in the opposite order, so the first one is Los Altos)

Now I could live in Nashville

2008-04-24T10:24:00.001-07:00

When people ask me where Ryan and I want to live someday (post residency/fellowship, ya know, when real life begins :) I always say, "Somewhere that has a Nordstrom." So I have always had to rule out Nashville, but I just learned today Nordstrom is coming to Green Hills in 2010. I can't believe it! Just when we are moving to Cincinnati for Ryan's Sports Medicine fellowship (summer 2009), there is going to be a Nodstrom added to my mall. Just my luck. But I guess we can add Nashville on the list of "Places We Could Live."

A New Favorite Song

2008-04-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

So I just bought my first American Idol song - Always Be My Baby by David Cook. (Listening to it right now!). I gotta say, this song rocks!!! When they annouced what he was singing, I was like,"oh dear, this can't be good" but holy cow, it was AWESOME! Now, David Cook is not my favorite artist. I LOVE LOVE LOVE David Archuleta and want him to win, BUT I think David Cook is going to sell more records. He has the making of a great recording artist.

Geez, I have become an American Idol junkie this season. I watch it every week, always vote, and now download their songs...

I like to travel because...

2008-04-16T19:40:00.001-07:00

I buy new shoes :) Here are my Costa Rica Keens.

And here is my "travel backpack"...

A Cup Of Tea

2008-04-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

I had to post about this book I am reading called Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. It is an incredible true story about one man's mission of building schools for children in Pakistan. He went over there to climb K2 and wandered into this villiage on his deathbed. They cared for him, and he formed a strong bond with these people; realizing their children had no means of education, he committed himself to building them a school. In a world of extreme poverty, he saw education as the best way to help them (and especially educating the girls).

In one village, Greg arranged for a young woman to get healthcare training from a clinic 150 km away and bought medical supplies for her. Prior to taking over her village's healthcare, people often died from diarrhea and other sicknesses. She states: "After five years, with good water from new pipes (which Greg funded), and teaching the people how to clean their children, and use clean food, not a single person has died from these problems. It's my great interest to continue to develop myself in this field, and pass on my training to other women. Now that we have made such progress, not a single person in this area believes women should not be educated."

If you get a chance to read this book, I would highly recommend it!

Where In The World...

2008-03-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I love to travel, so I thought it would be fun to get a world map and track the places we visit together. At first, this idea did not go over so well with Ry...and as many of you know, when you marry a Hartman, you make "Decor" decisions together :) So after months of trying to convince Ry that we would make sure it didn't look cheesy or cheap, he gave in! I bought a National Geographic map at maps.com, and we had it framed here in Nashville. I think it turned out great. We have it hanging in our office. Here are some pictures...

Our next "pin" will be in Costa Rica! We're headed there in April!

Ski Utah

2008-03-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I are back from a fabulous week in Utah...friends, family, BYU, skiing, snowshoeing, restuarants! What more could we ask for?

We LOVE BYU - I wanted to wear a backpack, wander around campus, and pretend I was still young enough to be in college!

The Ski Gang - We're planning our day at Park City!

We're all set to ski!

How about a little Snowshoeing?

Unforunately, it was a little warmer than we expected!

We had a great time skiing at Park City and Deer Valley!

It Really Does Snow Here...

2008-02-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

A major snow storm blew through Nashville today, at least major for our neck of the woods! As you'd expect, all of the schools were closed today...nobody should be out driving in this weather! Good thing I've got my Park City Boots :)

American Idol Prediction

2008-02-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

So, in the past, I haven't been a die hard American Idol Fan...I have watched a few episodes over the years, BUT this season Ry and I have really gotten into it (probably has a lot do due with the fact that there is nothing else on, glad the writer's strike has ended, so Grey's and Desparate Housewives can start up again!). So after watching the boys perform last night, I just want to call it now...I predict the adorable David Archuleta will be in the final show. Don't you just love this kid?!?

A few more books...

2008-02-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

I recently read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (she lives in Nashville!) This is a really interesting book about the unexpected bond that develops between terrorists (who aren't really that mean) and hostages...people from different continents become compatriots, intimiate friends, and lovers. I think this would be a great book for discussion groups, book clubs, etc. Hope you enjoy!

One of the other books I recently read was The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. I loved this book! The movie is coming out Feb. 29, starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson...of course I usually like the book better, but the movie looks really good too. Anyway, it was a great book. It takes place during the time of King Henry VIII - 2 sisters competing for the greatest prize: the love of the king! BTW, it is actually a series, the first one is called Constant Princess. The Other Boleyn Girl is 2nd book.

2008-02-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

Last night Ry and I watched The Jane Austen Book Club. It was pretty cute--it is all about relationships. I'd recommend it, and apparently Ry would too...when it was over, he turned me and said, "Now that was a cute little movie." Gotta Love that boy!!!

Staging Area

2008-02-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

Next month Ry and I are meeting some good friends in Park City, and we're hitting the slopes! (I hear they have been getting dumped on!) We are getting so excited to go! As most of you know, I'm somewhat organized :) (okay, some would even call me a little anal) And in the weeks leading up to any vacation, I start thinking about things I want to take, getting stuff out, etc. Ry likes to call this my "Staging Area." Well here are a few pics of my Park City Staging Area!

Cause I'm Just So Funny...

2008-02-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

Well, if my book review blog was random, this is going to seem even more random, but a few weeks ago I sent an email to some friends "reviewing" Pirates 3 - somebody should pay be for this commentary :) I thought my email was so funny, I just had to include it as a blog.

**SPOILER ALERT** If you have not seen Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End and intend to, do NOT read on.

This may seem a little random of an email, but I feel the need to vent... What the crap is up with the ending of Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (going forward known as P3)??? Are ya kidding me! Elizabeth and Will don't even end up together? What the ???

So, I watched P3 again last night. Okay, I'll admit mostly it was for the brief appearance 2 hours 24 minutes into the movie when my celebrity crush (aka Piratety Orlando Bloom) appears. (Ry - you're the only man I'll ever love, but celebrity crushes are allowed right?)

Anyway, I get 2 hours 24 minutes into this movie and yes Piratey Orlando shows up and for a few minutes it is almost worth it...almost worth watching a movie that could have been great except for the fact that they spent far too much time on effects and not nearly enough time on the writing, the plot, the story, ESPECIALLY when the story has the leading lady and her gorgeous man NOT even end up together, except for ONE day on the beach (alright, I'll give you that it looked like a pretty darn good day :) but still, that's it for 10 freakin' years. You've got to be kiddin' me! I am so pissed!

And in case you hadn't heard/seen, there is a secret scene after the credits...I don't know if it made me feel better or worse, oh wait, yes I do, WORSE. 10 years later, Will pulls up to meet his apparent 9 year old son and wife only to get 24 hours with them and then back to work for 10 years. (His hours are even worse than ortho resident hours!) It is so SAD. The only redeemable part is that we get one more brief glimpse of Piratety Orlando Bloom.

As much as I was hoping Disney had fixed the ending of P3 on the DVD version, sadly they have not! Well, I guess that about sums it up. If you'd like to be kept off the next venting email (likely topics include: Bella falls in love with Jacob, NO WAY; and Seriously, Izzy and George, Seriously) please let me know! :)

Book Review - The Last Town on Earth

2008-02-07T09:08:00.001-08:00

Last night I finished The Last Town on Earth (found it at Costco). It is a historical fiction about a little town that decided to quarintine itself during the 1918 flu epidemic. Crazy enough, I didn't even know about this flu epidemic until I read the book... aparently 100 million people died! (I guess my high school history class was lacking...or I was sleeping that day) Anyway, it was a great book. I definitly recommend it!

The First Pics

2008-02-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

Well I figured I better get a few pics of the Happy Hartmans on our blog.

Here are a couple of my favorites...

Chicago Aug 2007

Venice Nov 2006

Beaver Creek in Jan 2006

(What is the deal w/these pictures always inserting at the top??? I don't think backwards! And I can't cut and paste my pictures??? Where's undo? I am so new to this bloggin thing!)

First Time Blogger

2008-02-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello! I have decided it is time for the Hartman's to join the world of blogging like everyone else. More to come...