Summer Days...Drifting Away...

While Labor Day is the unofficial “last day of summer,” yesterday it was official.

Here’s what Brandi & Brady did on our summer vacation…or rather, while we weren’t working.

We celebrated our -1 year wedding anniversary on vacation with Brandi’s family in Myrtle Beach with 22 people staying in one house for a the week! Highlights of the trip included deep sea fishing (Fish Count: Brandi: 2, Brady: 1), sandcastle building, mermaid volleyball tournaments and family dinner nights.

Brandi’s sister Jillian (aka J Bo) finally turned 21. We cheered her ability to drink legally in Pittsburgh.

On July 3rd, Brandi was a bridesmaid (for the 6th or 7th time – she’s lost count) in her friend Pam’s wedding. Brandi & Pam met in Kindergarten and Brandi hooked Pam and the groom up in 6th grade. Pam’s dad got mad because he thought she was too young to date. They rekindled their romance in college!

The Smith’s came to Pittsburgh to visit for the 4th of July. The Bonkowski family had a huge party, in honor of the Smith’s and America, which included a beer truck. Brandi’s softball team defeated Brady’s team after J Bo hit a two RBI double in the bottom of the 9th! Those Bonkowski girls really excel in slow pitch softball.


Brady was able to enjoy two summer weekends at the Jersey Shore. During first trip Brady saw his favorite band, Phish, play in Philly. On his second visit, Brady attended his 10-year class reunion!

We celebrated Brandi’s sorority sister Stef’s wedding in Pittsburgh. Stef married a Michigan fan, but we like Ryan and won’t hold it against her. The WVU grads totally out-partied the Michigan people. The Chi Omega girls love Brady. He takes care of us when we are tipsy.

In August, Brady was a groomsman his friend Jeff’s wedding. They played football together in high school and for Brandi’s sake, they kept the “Al-Bundy-Like” stories to a minimum.
In between all of the traveling, we found time to enjoy a summer Cubs game, Pearl Jam concert, dodgeball games and a few summer nights out in Chicago!

On to Philly, Back to Chicago

So after dating for two years across six states, the distance started to take its toll on our relationship. While we took a brief hiatus during the summer/fall of 2005, we eventually strategerized (Bush was still in office) a two-fold plan to try and make things work. Brandi would begin looking for jobs in Philadelphia and Brady would begin looking for jobs in Chicago. Whoever had a bite first would act on it. The second part was a pact that we make sure to see each other more.

While working in the athletic department at the University of Pennsylvania, Brady applied to some Chicago jobs and landed an interview with a Chicago PR firm, Hill & Knowlton. After a four-month wait, he finally got a call-back in April 2006 and was offered a position. Brady called Brandi with an ominous tone in his voice, pretending that the whole deal was over, and then cleverly asking her, “So, do you think we should live in Lincoln Park or Wrigleyville?”

When Brandi finally realized what that meant, she was obviously elated (she also didn’t believe Brady for about 10 minutes).

Yes, after seven jobs, six states, countless long-distance phone calls and almost three years, Brandi and Brady would finally be together in the same city!

The first year of our domestic bliss wasn’t easy. We lived in a studio apartment, which is basically one room plus a bathroom. We didn’t even have a couch for the first year! After some time, our apartment building was able to hook us up with the lovely one bedroom apartment that we currently reside in.

We absolutely love the city of Chicago (which we’ll get into much greater detail in some future posts). Oh, and don’t worry – we have TWO couches now.

Brandi* & Brady BC: Before Chicago

So from last post you learned that Brandi & Brady met eight years ago this week!

We’ve told you how the magic happened … now, here’s a quick snapshot of the past six years of our lives.

B.B.C. – Blacksburg and Before Chicago

After Brandi graduated from WVU in May of 2003, she decided to continue her pursuit of a career in sports media relations. It seemed that Brandi applied for every job and internship open in collegiate athletics. But after two call-backs from the University of Houston and Virginia Tech, Brandi decided that she could cross enemy lines and work for the Hokies. After all, it was only a 10-month internship.

So as Brandi moved to Blacksburg, Brady was moving back to Morgantown, W.Va., to finish his fifth and final year at WVU. After talking all summer and spending a weekend in Morgantown, Brandi went to visit Brady on August 22st on her way home to Pittsburgh. It was on this trip when B&B had “the talk” and decided we would officially be boyfriend and girlfriend…on “an item” as Brandi’s dad likes to say. We knew that the four-hour driving distance would be a challenge, but we were ready.

We’re just going to blunt – Blacksburg, Virginia sucks. Sure, it’s got some nice scenery, but the town is just in the middle of nowhere, forcing B&B to get creative during Brady’s visits. For one, we would hit up the local pizza shop on Thursday nights where the waiter would flip a coin when your check arrived, and if it favored your call – your pizza was free! (let’s just say we were batted over .500 on that deal). Afterwards, we’d head to the “Super Bowl” – the local bowling alley! We had some tight games, but Brandi would typically dominate. I know, I know – very exciting stuff.

Upon graduation in 2004, Brady received an internship offer he could not refuse – the opportunity to work with the Denver Broncos! Brandi moved back to Pittsburgh where she began an internship at Ketchum, but they decided to keep the relationship going despite the long-distance. Brandi even came out to visit Brady in the Mile High City twice – we traveled all over Denver, visited the zoo, the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and of course the magical Coors factory!

Reader’s Note: If you are keeping track, the B&B relationship state count is now at four (WV, VA, PA, CO).

In November of 2004, Brandi received a full-time job offer from Ketchum, but it would require her moving to Chicago. Having heard amazing things about the Windy City, Brandi decided to give it a shot and on January 1, 2005, Brandi became an Illinois resident.

After leaving Denver in January of 2005, Brady briefly stayed in Chicago as he continued his full-time job search, but couldn’t find any work and opted to do another internship at a small PR firm in Philadelphia while commuting from his home in New Jersey.

State Count: Six. (WV, VA, PA, CO, IL, NJ)

Check back next week to find out what happened next in the travels and tribulations of B&B (you obviously know the ending to this story, but check back anyway!)

Once Upon a Time...

Chi Omega date party, April 2003

August is a special month for us – it’s when we first met and first started “dating.” This month, we’ll divide our posts into three topics – How we met, and B.C. and A.C. (Before Chicago and After Chicago).

And this folks is how the magic happened…

Once upon a time it was August 20, 2001. West Virginia University had just started its fall semester. Blues Traveler was headlining the ever popular Fall Fest concert and Rich Rodriquez was about to begin his first season as the head football coach for the Mountaineers.

This was the day that we first met in the Walt Babcock Room of the Coliseum – the spaceship-looking concrete structure that houses the WVU hoops teams and athletic department offices. Both of us were starting our first year as student interns in the Sports Communications department.

During the 2001-02 school year, we maintained a working relationship and witnessed a lot of interesting things at work, including:

· Brandi & Brady were both in the office when the tragic events of September 11th took place. In fact, Brandi didn’t have a car at school at that time, so Brady drove her home after office hours.

· On Brady’s 21st birthday, he received a shout out on the big screen at Mountaineer Field where the WVU Football team beat Rutgers 80-7. Brandi remembers this day because she was really, really hungover and the game seemed to last really, really long. Richy Rod led the Mountaineers to a 3-8 overall season (1-6 in the BIG EAST).

· We witness Gale Catlett’s last year as head basketball coach. The school then hired Dan D., which lasted two days, but Brady can say he was at that press conference (Brandi had class).

Brandi & Brady both returned to the Sports Communications department for a second year in 2002-03. This would be Brandi’s last, as she miraculously made it through WVU in four years – (Brady, not wanting to leave the party too early, was on the five-year plan in Motown). This is the year the “magic” happened.

Brandi Describes the Magic
I never really looked at Brady as more than a co-worker. My roommates will tell you different because I would always come home and the conversation would be “Brady did this today” or “Brady said this.” They suspected a crush, but other than Megan, a fellow sports comm intern and Chi-Omega sister, none of the roommies had met Brady.

I really can’t explain how Brady and I got together. He likes to say that I couldn’t resist his tan from his spring break trip to Jamaica, but anyone who knows Brady well, knows that he doesn’t tan, therefore, it wasn’t the tan.

One day at work, Brady asked what I was doing that night and I told him that we would eventually end up at Bent Willy’s because…well, that’s what we did every night. Brady met me out at the bar and we realized that we knew some of each other’s friends. I lived in the same dorm as Gene and Hiles from Mainland and Brady knew my best friend Bubba. After one too many Coors Lights, we invited the New Jersey boys back to 408 Forrest (above) and the rest is history.

So for me, the magic was Coors Light.

Brady Describes The Magic
First of all – I was definitely tan and yes, she dug it. A lot.

But Brandi’s right, this was certainly not a “love at first sight” affair. We had worked together and I thought Brandi was just another sorority girl obsessed with frat dudes and “date parties.” That spring semester though, I talked to Brandi a lot more at work and started to realize that there was more substance to her than I expected. Funny enough – and this is a memory I’m sure of but she doesn’t recall – I even alluded to one day marrying her, jokingly, a few times at work. Who knew I was such a Nostradamus?

I won’t get into too many details of that fateful spring evening at Bent Willey’s because, well, quite frankly I don’t remember much.

So – in review, I think the initial “magic” was a combination of several factors … my undeniable charm … a couple years of getting to know each other at work … beer, lots of beer … a little egging on from my friends and Brandi’s roommates. But, it was probably just my tan.

Brandi's a Fine Girl

This week’s post is all about a little girl from Pittsburgh named Brandi.

· Brandi Jo Bonkowski was born at the Ohio Valley General Hospital, to proud parents Joe and Sue Bonkowski.

· Brandi has one younger sister named Jillian, who recently turned 21.

· In high school, Brandi was a majorette for the Montour Spartans marching band, which as she will tell you, was the cool thing to do at Montour.

· She is a diehard Pittsburgh sports fan – she even wears her Pirates hat to Cubs games (the Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball team, for those who weren’t sure if they had a team anymore).

· Brandi was a very busy girl in college, as she balanced planning social events for her beloved sorority, Chi Omega, with covering three sports for the WVU Sports Communications department. This is also where she met her super-stud fiancée.

· While working for the athletic department, both Brandi and Brady covered the WVU men’s and women’s tennis squads. To demonstrate their affinity for their teams, they decided to square off in a one-on-one tennis match in Morgantown. Brandi played valiantly but in the end, she couldn’t withstand the raw athleticism her future fiancée possessed. After losing the match, Brandi threatened never to date Brady again but, I think we all know how that turned out.

· Following her tenure at WVU, Brandi pulled a Benedict Arnold and took a full-year internship with the Virginia Tech Hokies.

· Brandi has been living and working in Chicago for four years, and has worked for the same public relations firm, Ketchum, for a total of five years (which equals about 25 years in the PR world).

· Miss Bonkowski has many favorite things in life, which include but are not limited to: her cats, Harry Potter, Hello Kitty, scrapbooking, blogging, wedding planning, reading and crafting.

· She dedicates a good amount of time into writing her blog, ShotofBrandi.blogspot.com, although she only has about 10 dedicated readers because she is shy about it. Her fiancée thinks that you should pass this blog along to your friends, so more people can read her insightful tips.

· She forms the second half of the legendary Guitar Hero band, “The Jag-offs” (named after an infamous Pittsburgh saying.


If you REALLY know Brandi, you know that:

· She has an uncanny ability to relate any statement into a full-fledged 5-minute story about something that she’s witnessed in her life. For example: You say – “Michael Phelps is cool.” Brandi would say – “Well, did you know that in high school, my friend Bubba … we’ve been best friends since kindergarten, he sat next to me ... well one time Bubba was at a party and he came out and told everyone he was Mark Spitz and dove into the pool wearing a speedo!”

· She spends hours each week perusing her Google Reader for the most recent trends on fashion, weddings, PR, etc.

· Her grandma Nun used to sneak her to McDonald’s against the wishes of her parents. And if you really know her, you’ve heard that story a minimum of 30 times.

· Brandi broke her finger while playing 16-inch softball – she was pitching and the umpire threw the ball back a little too hard after one pitch, jamming her finger and putting her out of commission for the rest of the season. She did, however, finish the entire rest of the game with her broken finger.

· If you threaten to whoop her butt, she will say, “I’ll tell my dad,” like a little 5-year-old.

· If there is a working jukebox in the bar or restaurant you’re attending with Brandi, there’s a 99.9% chance she will pick out and play at least 2-3 songs.

A Bunch About Brady

So now you know the two most basic components of our big day … the “when & where.”

Now it’s time to study up on the subjects of the wedding, the bride and groom. We’ll help you out the next couple weeks by giving you some fun facts about each other (in public relations, we like to call this a Fact Sheet).

Brandi is up first to tell you some fun facts about the groom, Mr. Brady Smith.

· Brady Michael Smith was born in the Frank Sinatra Wing of the Atlantic City Medical Center, to proud parents Mike and Debbie.

· The oldest of three, Brady has a younger brother (Ryan) and sister (Amanda).

· Growing up, Brady’s grandparents had a dog named Brandy and she was very, very cute (fate?)

· Brady attended grade school and high school with another Bradi Smith - and they were and remain great friends to this day.

· At Egg Harbor Township High School, Brady played football and baseball.

· Growing up outside of Atlantic City, the home of the Miss America Pageant must have rubbed off on Brady. His senior year, Brady competed in infamous Mr. EHT contest – which is basically a pageant of sorts for dudes (minus the swimwear). His friends all tell me that he was robbed and yes, I have been forced to watch this on home video.

· Before attending the #1 party school in the nation, West Virginia University, Brady spent his first three semesters of college “pre-gaming” at William Paterson, which is located just outside of New York.

· During his college summers, Brady worked for a local minor league baseball team, the Atlantic City Surf, where he was forced to dress as the mascot “Splash” on numerous occasions.

· At West Virginia, Brady was the media relations contact for the baseball, men’s tennis and swimming & diving teams.

· After college, Brady interned with the Denver Broncos for 10-months in Colorado.

· Since 2007, Brady has been living in Chicago where he dominates summer recreational sports like softball, beach volleyball and of course, dodgeball.

· The first time Brady met my parents in 2003, it was in my driveway at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. We then spent the remainder of the day tailgating at a Pitt vs. Virginia Tech game (I was working for the Hokies at the time).

· Brady has been taking guitar lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music for the last year.

Additional Random Facts about Brady:

· When he flies, he enjoys drinking Ginger Ale.

· Brady’s favorite number is 75 (an ode to those high school football days).

· A music lover, Brady’s favorite band is Phish.

· It’s true - Brady had the famous “ass crack” hair cut in high school.

· Brady is an impressive and “phenomenal” dancer and his signature move includes putting his hands on his hips and doing a little shake.

· One of Brady’s hidden “talents” is spotting B-list celebrities in Chicago. He’s pointed out William Shatner, Ty Pennington and Lisa Ling on the streets so far.

Over the next 11 months, I’m sure you’ll learn more about Brady, but this is a good start! Next week, it’s Brady’s turn to embarrass Brandi

'Burgh, Boat & Booze

So by now you know, we’ve set a date. Now you might be wonder where the festivities will take place.

The answer – Pittsburgh, PA.



I bet about half of our readers are waving their Terrible Towels in excitement. The other half are jealous that the Penguins and Steelers dominated Philadelphia in hockey and football in 2008-09. Yes, it’s an ongoing battle in our house too.

After we had a draft guest list in place, we realized that the Brandi & Brady wedding has over 120 out-of-town guests. So that was a huge factor in selecting our wedding site.

Reception
Our wedding celebration will take place at the Sheraton Station Square. This gives our visitors the chance to experience some Pittsburgh bars and eateries in walking distance from the hotel. There are also some awesome views of the beautiful Pittsburgh skyline.

Ceremony
With the reception site in place, we did some brainstorming on local churches, outdoor sites, etc. and then it hit us – The Gateway Clipper. With some smooth talking, Brandi convinced Brady to get married on a boat (shown below).

This is how it will work folks. The boat dock is a hop, skip and jump away from the hotel. Guests will board the boat at 2:00 p.m. and we will set sail on one of Pittsburgh three fine rivers to the point in which the three meet. There, we will exchange vowels (weather permitting, this will be outside on the top deck). One she says yes and he says heck yeah, the boat will sail around a little and then head back to the dock. After that, we’ll all head over to the Sheraton where we will party like it’s 1999.

(Photo Credits: Brandi's camera, Starwood Hotels, City of Pittsburgh)