In other news, UK football begins this weekend. We open against EKU and we are going to squash them. Tailgating is on the agenda for tomorrow, as well as our very first yard sale. We made cute little signs and everything. Quite a treat! I did not realize how much crap we have! It is ridiclious! I have advertised on line as well, so hopefully it will bring out some of Lexington's early birds. Can we say $$$$$!

The bladder is still giving me problems, but hopefully the meds will kick in within a couple of weeks. Until then, I am pretty much at its mercy. It sucks. Oh well.

They always said they would be moving down here, but now I really believe them. They are 16 miles away from Lexington and only 4 miles from the interstate (but you would not know it on the property. I am so excited.

The debates with CNN/YouTube was pretty entertaining last night. I cannot wait to see how my Republicans handle this.

Looks like mom and dad have found some property they like. It is only a matter of time.

So....things are going pretty well down here. I am still thrilled with my "new to be" family..so I guess I will keep them around for a little bit! We have started moving the stuff out of my apartment into Josh's house...so while my apt looks like a storage unit, our house looks amazing. However, I am not that stupid...I have kept my bedroom in tact since my mother and father will be coming down to stay in it. Actually...I just learned a little while ago that they are coming down this weekend...so it looks like I made a good choice. Hopefully they will actually purchase property this time!

All I have to get for the wedding is a florist, "save the dates" and invites. Other than that...I am good to go. I have to get the dress altered, but I am going to try to loose a little more weight before I do that. My brother Drew apparently is taking 2 weeks off before the wedding to come down and hang out. Perhaps he will do our hair! I will believe it when I see it. As far as that goes..it seems like everyone I know is a step ahead. First, they got married...and now...I am getting married...and they are all having kids. I don't think I will follow them down that trail yet...poor mom and dad would die if I had kids before the wedding. I mentioned it before as a joke and something about the dress not fitting was mentioned.

Oh...we have found our new puppy. If you have ever seen Rob & Big (Josh's fav show)..then you know Meaty...the too-cute-for-words bulldog. We are going to get one..and name it Meaty. I think that is just what our little family needs.

I was up in NY with Josh a couple of weeks ago. We hit up the Great American Weekend, the horse races...the city...Woodstock...and everything in between...including a trip to Howell's Deli where I ran into Mrs. Jankowski. Good times!

OK, someone is playing country music in their office...I have to go step in. This cannot be allowed.

Who would have ever thought that this would be my life at 26? I tell you, it is amazing how I have changed over the past year. One thing that has not, is how pale I am and how puffy my face looks in pictures. It is sad when the 2 year old is tanner than you.

KY is great. Work is keeping me very busy....so busy that I have really stalled in planning the finishing wedding details. I think all we have left is cake, flowers, and picking out the menu and music. Not bad. I took a look at the wedding dress last night with my future mother-in-law and it still sends chills!

Mom and dad were in the ol KY bidding on property. Looks like in about 5 years, mama and papa Huddleston might be coming to the Lexington area. That would be awesome! I can hardly wait.

I really need to keep on top of my updating.

Oh...Josh and I are returning for Goshen's Great American Weekend at the end of next month....who great is that? Nothing feels better than going to the Historic Track and watching some horse racing (ok...they legs are restricted...so horse trotting)...still...walking around all the vendors....seeing people you have not seen in years....cotton candy......maybe a Yankee game? Nice..very nice.

It is Friday and 70 degrees here in KY. We have had the most beautiful weather. We even got up to 80 the other day. Keenland opens next weekend and I already have the perfect dress...and Josh has the most awesome suit to match (well...not really match..but we will look damn good.) This weekend we have an award ceremony for his engineering firm. It includes an outdoor tour of gardens. I am very excited. This will be the first time I get to mingle with all the wives of the company. I am going to get my manicure and pedicure during lunch! I am even having a garden dress flown in! Ok...Ann Taylor did not have my size....but it still sounds good that it is being "flown in" right?

Other than that, things for the wedding are for the most part done. I think all we have to do is get "save the date" and invitations...along with cake and flowers. The announcement made the ol Times Herald Record on the 25th...so now it is official in NY too. Mary Alice and Ralph are getting ready to make a trip down soon to finish up planning. I am trying to get them to come down during derby so that we can all get stuck in the chaos of the Queen and Prince of England being here. KY is stepping up!

OH!!! And I got a new car. How disgusting is this.....Josh's envoy and my new civic are the exact same color?!?! When we park in the driveway it looks so cute. Yes...feel free to get sick now. I think it is great! The new civic is awesome...loving all the new features....including the little outlet to connect my IPod.

Well.......gotta go!
Andi

I am heading up to NY on Friday and Josh is following shortly after Christmas, so if there are any NYC plans or something...let me know. We will be in the city quite a bit since Josh has never been.

Well...as we all know...whenever something bad happens to Andi...she makes a change in order to move on. As you can see...I have taken 5" off my hair. I am actually liking it.....

In other news....I am kind of getting tired of the emotional rollercoaster I have been on. One day I am happy and fine...the next morning....I am so sad and thinking about Jerone all day. The ol doc says that is perfectly normal, and that I am reacting the exact way I should be. I just wish he could come back.

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a fan of change.....but this time...change is going to happen whether I like it or not.

It has been hard for me. I lost someone so close to me....so violently..and so selfishly. I have spent the last little while thinking "what if?". What if I had stopped by that night? What if I had spent more time with him? What if I had responded to the text messages? What if I had actually forced him to get help?

I am slowly starting to realize it is not my fault...even though he said it was. For some reason I think I can save and change everyone. I have always been a helper...and I finally met my match. I am starting to realize that Jerone would have killed himself no matter what, and if I had been there he would have taken me with him. I did the last thing to help him that I could..I broke into the apt.....I found him hanging there.....and I called 9-1-1....and I got him back to his family and at rest...where he wanted so badly to be. I must now close this horrible chapter and realize all that is in front of me. I will never forget him, and I will never forget what he looked like after 2 days hanging when I opened that door. I have mixed emotions right now. I miss him so much...and I want him back....but I am angry that he set me up to find him. People who care for others should not do that. It was so selfish and just wrong and now I have to live experiencing that with no real direction. I have no enemy I can be angry with....maybe his family....maybe him...I don't know.

I have the best group of friends and the greatest boyfriend in the world. Everyone has been soo strong...and I will never forget that. Now I have to move on myself. Jerone moved on and set his own direction....when and how he wanted. Now it is my turn, but unlike him, I plan on making the most of my life. It is going to be rough....and I know the sadness will be there for a while, but it is time for me to move on. I know it is alright to cry....but all I can do for him now is just pray that I will once again get to see him some day. When I do...I am going to kick the sh*t out of him....and he knows it....but he will probably be laughing the whole time I do it....I guess by then...it will all be behind us. The one thing we never did in our friendship was judge eachother. We knew we were not perfect...and if I have to dive down to hell for the opportunity to save him yet again...I will. I know he is waiting for me somewhere...he just could not do it here.....it was too much for him....and he found his way to move on. I guess I can just end it with a part of the last texts he sent me:

"Good bye my friend...I will still hold your hand in my sleep."

Jerone will always be with me....he was one of the best friends I had ever had in the short time I knew him. He was a great guy...but life was just too painful for him.....he was too mentally sick to take it. I just wish he could have enjoyed more of it before he left. I just wish he could have left some other way.

Sunday was one of those days I will never forget. After spending Saturday night at a friend's house, I ended up turning my phone off once I got home. Next thing I know...Josh is turning on the TV in the bedroom, and I could not believe my eyes. At the time, I only knew that one friend was due to fly out on that Comair flight. I will never forget turning on my phone...and hearing Beth's voicemail. "Andrea, call me as soon as you get this." I could tell in her voice that something was wrong. I was relieved when I heard that our friend had missed the flight...and even said "thank g*d." Then the bad news I was waiting for came. "But Bobbie, Cecil, and Erik Harris were on the flight." I froze. As I watched the TV I could not imagine that this was happening again in my "backyard." By the time I got to work many had already gathered and the look of shock was on everyone's faces. Everyone was just looking at eachother, their eyes begging someone to tell them it was a mistake, a bad dream, anything but the truth. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. These people had girlfriends, young daughters, brothers, parents....how were these people learning of this? Was someone with them? It was so much to take in, I could not even shed tears.....

No words can describe the pain I have seen at work this week. I have seen grown men break down and cry. I have seen families come to the workplace of their departed loved ones and just stare at their desks in disbelief. I have seen people who have never said a word to eachother hug and provide a shoulder to lean on.

This week, everyone is equal and everyone is hurting.

It may seem weird, but the truth hit me when I was least expecting it. I was laying in bed the other night....and I opened my eyes and saw Josh asleep...nose to nose with me..curled up with his pillow like he always does. It was at that moment that it hit me. Here I was, like I have been many times before, but this time it was different. I was blessed enough to be able to fall asleep next to him...listening to his breathing...smelling his breath....watching his eyelids twitch like they do when he falls into deep sleep. My friend does not. Instead she is grieving the loss of her love. She is trying to rebuild her life and wondering what the next step is. "She is destroyed". A feeling of such sadness fell over me...all I could do was silently cry. Since that night, I have treasured every moment I get to spend with my friends and loved ones. I have truly learned that life is too short.

Those lost will never be forgotten. At first I really did not think I knew them that well, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I did hang out with them quite a bit. Whether it be at Shamrocks, or just some party....we at Galls truly are a family....and it has never been more clear then now. Although many might not think it, we will get thru it, and we will make it together. And we will all be there when Toni returns, to support and love her. This is not going to be easy..but it will be ok. We all lost friends who we will never forget. What we have to remember is that it will not be over in a week or two. It will take some time....and even after a while, the little things will bring back the memories....but that is what keeps the memories alive.

How funny is this?!?! Keith and John believe it describes me perfectly today. I love it. Mind altering drugs are tempting.

In other news, this was the first 4th of July that I spent in KY....and the jury is still out...but I had fun. Went to a cookout...the pool...a friend's roof top for fireworks...but I feel slightly overwhelmed from the whole thing...not in a bad way..just drained..and I think I might need to make a trip to NY very soon just to clear my head a little. I now realize WHY I come to NY every July....I need the whole week of just hanging with family, friends, and leaving everything behind for a bit. I realized this after I got called out on my personality last night...which made me uneasy, upset and defensive. It was something I was not able to get over as quickly as I usually would...maybe it was because I was tired...I don't know...but it put me on "the attack". I really wonder sometimes if I even belong here! I have noticed that everyone is returning to NY...and now I am thinking there is a reason.

I think I have had an ear infection for 2 months.....or it is a pinched nerve....but it is heading down my right side...it sucks.

AND...don't you hate it when people rub in the fact that they are NOT at work YET!? Here I am just minding my own business...and I get the following text message:

"Morning Miss Caliente! *yawn*

I think I am going to kick Chetwood in the nards when he gets in the office for that one. It is 10:30.

OH..and this brings me to my last point of the day. Why do guys insist on not being jelious? Can't they just pretend that having another guy hit on you constantly might bother them...at least once? *sigh*
Oy vey

Yes...I finally got rid of the blond. Actually, the feedback is that it looks better then the blond....I don't know...still getting used to it.

Sorry for the late update. As everyone knows...racing season just ended in KY and my days have been quite full. Allow me to introduce my new family. These people are the greatest group a person can have. Not to mention the fine little one in the blue shirt all the way on the right....yes....I think it is safe to say we are dating....and he is a friggin blast! However, I am just having fun and taking this one slow!

I just got back from NY where Jake graduated from UAlbany. How old did I feel sitting there for a college graduation!? I cannot believe it has been 4 years...where did the time go?! It was fun though, Jake and I went into the city on Friday and ran around Madison Ave and then had lunch at Victor's....which was something I really wanted to do.

This weekend offically kicks off "lake season" where the group goes down to Lake Cumberland and the house boats. Other than that..I have more weddings to go to then I can keep track of. I swear...when I get married...it is going to be in the most unpopular month...just so people will actually have the money to spend on me :)

Well, it is storming here...and very late....thank god tomorrow is Friday.

Keenland has opened down here, so my weekends leading up to the Derby have been spent tailgating at 10 am with 15 very cool people. I will admit...I have suffered from a little sunburn..and probably liver damage...but it is well worth it. This weekend will be the first of the season I will miss. Tomorrow I head out to Reno for a week. I am very excited....it should be a blast...I will bring pictures.

I am working on getting to DC for Police Week, but there is so much going on next month, I do not know if I will be able to do it or not. Hopefully I will get to relocate to DC very soon with the company....so I guess I will just have to be patient.

John and I are no longer seeing eachother. It was very sad, but we are still really good friends and talk often. The Marshal is still around...but I am keeping my distance (now) due to the wife and kids thing. That can really throw a wrench into things. *sigh*

I head back to NY next month for Jake's graduation. I cannot believe my brother is getting ready to finish college. Unreal! Oh well....I have to go....Friday night calls!