The last stretch begins

I pulled all the information for my class yesterday afternoon. There are some pretty interesting assignments. I am taking Persuasion and Leadership/Development. Both are going to be very interesting. There will be tons of writing, but I am ready now. I am particularly liking the assignments for Persuasion. One is analyzing the presidential campaign of Bill Clinton (thank God it wasn't Bush. I would not have enjoyed that one. I guess his was so controversial, she didn't want to go there!). I have to do a persuasive argument on one of three topics. My favorite is whether it is possible to stop the Bird Flu. I think I will say no. It might be kind of fun to argue the opposite opinion of what I actually have. There is also a paper on Social Movements and in that I have to research the movement of the selection of John Roberts. That will be fun. Don't worry, I will be respectful. I want to make an A :-). The Leadership class will be great too. It is being facilitated by my favorite professor, Dr. Watson. I am really looking forward to it!!!

So, 7 weeks, 11 assignments, work and the gym. Friends..... What are friends :-).

Oh, speaking of the gym, I did get in my second session with Ryan. I feel a little more comfortable with him now. I was having a serious allergy attack yesterday, which really throws off the balance. Lunges and squats aren't easy to begin, but when you have stuffed ears, it makes life a little difficult. I made it through so that is good. He has sworn up and down he is going nowhere so I am stuck with him. Unless of course he dies or is thrown in jail (his words, not mine!)

Have a great Sunday. Gonna start school work!!!

Even I am Impressed

I won't go around yelling hook em horns. That would be sacrilege -- being an Aggie and all!!! However, I do find it very cool that the Longhorns pulled the upset and are now National Champions. From what I saw, it was a very good game. One of my co-workers (the massive Texas fan) gave everyone in the group burnt orange roses today in celebration. He is going to be insufferable for the next year though. :-)

I don't have much else to report though. I need to get working!

Later

Change Stinks!

NY was wonderful. I had an awesome time and really loved seeing Glenn. I haven't seen him in what seems like forever and it was nice just to spend time with him. It snowed on New Year's Eve and the ground was just beautiful. It was hard to come back, and very hard to go back to work. I have this feeling things are going to get interesting. Or at least crazy. I start school on Saturday, so that will just add to the craziness. My friends might not see me until Feb. But it is my LAST session and I am ready to get it over with. At the end of February I will have my Masters Degree!!! (I am already planning the party.......)

Okay, now for the change stinks part of the blog. I go in for my training session on Tuesday and I find out trainer Tim QUIT!!!!! On Sunday. I was, needless to say, a tad ticked off. He didn't call (or, more importantly, the trainer manager didn't call to inform me I would be changing trainers, but that is another story.). I thought I had a good rapport with him and so it kind of hurt that he didn't at least call and say he was no longer there. I did call him when I got home last night and we had a chat. I understand the reasoning behind it, but not the way he did it. But he is young, so I guess I was expecting a little too much. I had my first workout with my new trainer today. His name is Ryan. Trainer Ryan doesn't have the same ring..... Anyway, he is pretty good and he did kick my butt. But I kind of lost a little of that momentum -- but, the silver lining is that the work out is varied. New perspective on the workout. It wasn't personal but still irritated me.

Well, off I go! Later.

New Year's Eve!

I am in NY and have a few minutes to post. Otherwise, next week's will be very long. I arrived in NY with little problem. The planes were on time (had a lay over in Atlanta), they weren't bumpy and nobody ran into them with the luggage truck (like Alaska Airlines). Always a plus. I had chatty man on the way to Atlanta. Nice guy so I didn't mind chatting. Seemed like he was trying to impress me because he kept talking about his 30 acre ranch he just bought. Sounds like a cool thing, but he really was driving this thing home. We chatted so that made the trip a little shorter.

On the ride from Atlanta to NY, I had the loud child behind me. She wasn't crying, so I should be grateful. And actually, her song about leaving Georgia was very endearing. However, towards the end of the flight, when I really wanted to be off the plane, she was grating on the nerves. As we were flying into NY she started in on the "I see a boat", "I see a bridge". Low blood sugar and noisy children don't mix........ The pilot also did some scary move that made us veer to the left very quickly and then we flew over water to the runway. There is a reason I like landing at LaGuardia at night. You can't see the water you are flying over. That was the only point of the flight I kind of felt sick. It is a very strange sign when even the flight attendant claps for a safe landing. Anyway, we landed safe, the pilot knew what he was doing and all is well. LaGuardia's flight control tower looks like a martini shaker to me, and during the holidays it is always lit up. Kind of missed seeing that but it was good to actually get to NY in daylight hours. However, I need to not look when we start to land.

The driver taking me to Glenn's house was kind of funny. Had that strong NY accent, dark hair. Nice guy and he got me to my destination safely (can you tell that is important to me :-)). I was tired most of the way, so I didn't really talk. But he asked several questions about TX. My favorite was "Do you live on a farm". Um............... Okay..............

I finally get to Glenn's, have the key and ready to come in out of the cold. I complained about TX cold before. NOTHING compared to NY cold. And it got colder and colder. Put the key in the door and the darn thing DOES NOT TURN!!!! I struggle with it before wondering if there was some special spell or chant needed to enter the house, whether in the few hours on the plane they had actually changed the concept of locks or if the blond dye actually seeped into my brain and destroyed the ability to do the simplest task. It is embarrassing to have to call and say, can't operate a freakin lock!!! He was still at work and I was really getting cold! So, I finally kicked, screamed and struggled enough, the door finally opened and I was warm again. So, all was good. I was afraid I wouldn't get in, cleaned up and looking like an actual human being before he got home. Red noses just aren't attractive if you aren't a reindeer.

Time to run. Have a wonderful New Year's Eve!!!

Ah, the joys of vacation

I officially started my vacation last night at 9:30 -- just had to get those little things done for work. I know I missed something else, but it really can wait until Jan. 3. I am taking 3 days just for me. Today is cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. I am so far behind on laundry it is very sad. The only place I have to be is at the gym at 1:00 for my training session. So nice! Tomorrow is girly day. Hair cut, mani/pedi and all the other fun stuff you do before seeing a boy. Ex-boyfriend or not, I still have to look hot. :-0> Friday I will be flying all day, so I also need to pick up some good magazines. I need to read up on all my entertainment news. Admit it, you do it too :-).

Christmas was great this year. I actually got a hippopotamus for Christmas. Mom adopted one for me from the Ft. Worth Zoo. I even got tickets to go visit him. That was the fun Christmas gift. Mom and Dad were generous and covered tuition for the last session of school (seriously, I couldn't think of anything to ask for after learning about that awesome gift!). I will post a picture of my hippo once I visit him and get the family photos :-).

Well, gonna run now! Vacuuming is calling my name. The fun stuff will come later -- I just have to get some things out of the way!!!

Christmas Eve

Jon and I are just hanging around the apartment right now. We just got back from the mall -- it wasn't as busy as I thought a Christmas Eve trip to the mall would be. And of course, even though I thought I had all my shopping done, I had to pick up one or two more things. Didn't know I needed them!

Last night we had dinner and drinks with Michelle and her friend Megan. I am not sure where the migraine came from, but all of a sudden it hit. Maybe Jen's call stating she had one triggered something in me. But I kept getting sicker and sicker as the night went on. I feel a little better right now, but I can tell it is wanting to come back. Let's just hope it goes away for good so I can enjoy Christmas tomorrow!!!

Now it is time to straighten up the apartment and rest from the day of walking the mall :-).

Later!!!

My Christmas Spirit

I have been in such a good mood these days. The Spirit of Christmas has hit me. I have nothing to big to report. Since everybody has been gone at work, it has actually been pretty easy. It is amazing though the amount of HR issues that have popped up in the last week. That is my job, but they just all came at one time. Oh well. At least I know my skills haven't gone away :-).

Time for Christmas movies and wrapping presents!

Yippee!!!

Okay, I might be just way too excited about this, but we did measurements today at my session (it is the beginning of my 4th week). I have lost 2 inches on my waist and 2% body fat. Teehee!!! We did the happy dance (or I did. Tim thought me crazy :-)) But it was nice to see the progress in actual numbers. I have seen the difference in my clothing, but today was a "fat day". Nothing better to knock you out of that than seeing results from hard work. None really off the hips, but I am getting there. So, that is all I have to report today. Little brother arrives tomorrow so all is good.

Later!!!

This is what I found when I got home from work today. I should have hid their gifts better........ :-)

Happy Monday!

TGIF

Yes, stolen from Jen. No, I really have no guilt about it :-). It has been an interesting week, to say the least. Yesterday was a not so good day, but I saw Trainer Tim and he kicked my butt into shape. I told him I needed some stress relief for the day and man, he gave it to me. Now I know what Jen is truly talking about when she says leg night. We worked just on the legs last night (before we mixed it up for strength training). I literally fell on my a** at the end. He had me doing a jumping exercise. My legs couldn't hold me and I fell. On my booty. And I think I will have a bruise. He did try to catch me but it was a little too fast. I was told that is what we really want to happen. Only he can make falling down seem like a good thing :-). I feel good today. Oh, and I am at a total of 9 lbs lost. Woohoo!!!!

In other news, I am going to New York over the New Year's Weekend. I have an old friend, ex-boyfriend, sorta person there. Yes, most of my readers know how I am talking about. I haven't seen him in forever so it will be fun. I doubt we will go to Times Square to see the ball drop due to the sheer craziness. Plus, if there is indeed a transit strike, we might not make it into the city at all. I have to do one afternoon there though. I love NYC and its energy!!! Just not on New years eve in Times Square...........

Okay, I think that is it for now. I have a Christmas Party tonight, another party tomorrow (get to see my friend Chris), and at some point shopping this weekend. I guess that makes up for the last few slow weekends, huh. And little brother comes to the States on the 21st!!! Woohoo!!!!

Later!!!

Ah, the good life!!!

I just returned from our holiday party at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. It was amazing! The food was great, decorations were beautiful and the wine was awesome! I don't even want to know how much the whole thing cost, but man, it was worth it. It was a nice end to a very interesting year. And, in a nice surprise, we even got a Christmas bonus. That really did surprise me, but it was a pleasant surprise (duh!!!). It will definitely help in buying the gifts I want to for the people who really helped me throughout the year.

Now onto the White Elephant gift exchange. Um, I ended up with a Clapper. Yes, clap on, clap off, the Clapper. If anybody needs a gag gift, I really have no problems with letting this go. I ended up giving Christmas CDs. I should have stolen them back -- one of them had "The Chipmunk Song" and "Grandma got run over by a reindeer". I was singing "I'm Gettin' Nothin' for Christmas" all through Target. The check out lady was highly amused. Can you imagine if I had found a CD with the Hippo song!!!! I did at one point have a massager and a cool candle set, but those were stolen from me. Mean, mean co-workers!!!!

Off I run!

Later!!!

My Happy Tuesday

Wow, it is amazing what a week will do. Last week I wanted to burn down the building and today I am pretty happy and optimistic. Work is better -- there are a few changes taking place that make my work life a tad more positive. I will still get stressed, but it will be easier to handle and I won't feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. Plus, even after 2 1/2 weeks of working out with the trainer, the stress just rolls off of me. He wants to up it to 3 x a week starting next week to up the intensity and get me to my goal faster. I am all for it.

Wonderful news: Most of you may remember me talking about my friend Chris who went to Iraq with the National Guard. Well, all the thoughts and prayers were heard and he is back in the States safe and sound. He arrived Saturday which I confirmed with Michelle (who had to confirm with others :-)). I haven't seen him yet (which, really isn't too odd), but I am sure I will soon. He is a wonderful man and I appreciate all he did over in Iraq. I am sure his wife and daughter are very happy to have him home for good!!!!

My company Christmas party is tomorrow at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. Yes, all fancy :-). It should be fun. And while I haven't gotten my White Elephant gift, I know what I am doing and will be picking it up tomorrow on the way to the party. I have to do yet ANOTHER sexual harassment training class. This time to satisfy a CA law. Why do I have to take it since I am in TX, you might ask. I have employees IN CA and so I have to do it again. I am considered a supervisor with the ability to fire and discipline, so there you go. Working my way up the corporate ladder. They won't accept the fact that I taught the class for 3 years at Canon............ I will probably pick up new information and be able to sexually harass all my co-workers. :-)

Later!!!

There is progress

Don't tell Tim the trainer, but I did step on a scale. Although my scale is rather off, I can tell I have lost 5 lbs in the last 2 weeks. I am going to the doctor on Monday morning for a blood test (don't worry mom, it is the cholesterol test :-)) and I am going to see if they can weigh me then. Doctors are always happy to weigh you and I can then not be responsible for having to step on the scale :-).

Nothing else to really report. I had thought the signs in our apartment complex warning us of freezing temperatures was silly until I read poor Jen's blog and the busted pipes (from the evil neighbors upstairs). She is okay, she is just being moved to a new apartment. But it sucks beyond sucking!!!! At least the complex is taking care of her.

This weekend might just be calm. I do have to do some work for a presentation I have to do on Tuesday. Our Christmas party is on Wednesday (at the Mansion. I will have some good stories then!!!). So, Tuesday, we are all going to meet and have an intensive meeting. I will have to be running in and out due to payroll, but it will be interesting for all the pieces to be together (there are 2 off-site recruiters. ) I will also take some me time and hit Target. I have to buy a White Elephant gift. I am never good at that!!! Any suggestions would be good. Maybe some random book or CD.

Have a wonderful Saturday!!!

Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........

It is cold. I am not being dramatic. Weather bug says it is 17 degrees outside. Due to the ice and crazy drivers, I will be working from home today. I actually think I will be able to get a lot done. My guess is it will be quiet and I can pop out that administrative stuff easily. I probably will not get out today until my 7:00 training session. The gym is only 4 minutes away and I don't have to go on any overpasses, so I don't see it as any big deal. :-)

Nothing much else to report. I did find out how old the cutie trainer was on Tuesday. It was his birthday and well, he is 21. I was feeling a little old Tuesday!!! But, I guess since I don't look 33, I should be happy :-). I still get carded and that is all that matters!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

I am running out of titles......

How many more "Happy Day" titles can I use :-)? This week is going MUCH better than last week. I am kind of between the home office and EDS. I go in the morning, get the face time with the client and then come home because I need access to my files and things on the network. It is working out pretty well. And if the weather gets as bad as they say it will, I will be going home early anyway. I won't mind. Doing conference calls in my sweats is a nice way to end the day.

I am now in the biggest loser contest with Jen. We had to weighin as the base line (honor system, so nobody gets to actually see it but Tim at the gym). I am just going off the weight last week when I started with him. He did inform me that if I got on a scale and let it slip to him, I will have to do 100 pushups. So, he will never know. But that does mean I have to get on the scale, which is by the trainer office, when he is not there or buy a new one. Mine is so off that I really don't trust it anymore! And I don't want to do 100 push ups. At least not at this point in the game. I do feel much better even though it has been only a week. I actually did 4 days at the gym last week :-). So happy!

PS -- I have a special prayer request for my aunts. There are details I am not able to divulge, but I know thoughts and prayers would be appreciated. There is a lot of pain right now that needs to be healed. Luckily God knows the details.

The Day Begins

Okay, it actually began earlier, but I just got back from the gym. Today was cardio day, so I did the elliptical. No horror there. I am a little sore, but nothing that won't go away. It isn't like Tuesdays and Thursdays with Tim. I have a lot to do today around the house so I thought I would get my blood pumping to start the day. My closets are calling to me to clean them out and organize. I might ignore them until the end of the day, but eventually, they will get done. Other than that, this weekend has been very low key. I have gotten a lot of rest done and so now I need to make my apartment spotless. All the normal Sunday stuff!

Have a Happy Sunday!

The Week is Over!

well, I went in to the office today although I still have no DSL access. It is important for client contact, but kind of difficult to work on the computer. I had my laptop, but no network access. I worked it out, but it will be fun. I don't understand how hard it is to actually turn on the DSL line. If I can do it by myself then they can flip the darn switch and get it set up. We have a wireless system that might work -- it will be fun! The joys of being on-site at the client. I did meet a lot with my manager so it was worth it. We have a meeting coming up that I have to prepare for with the group, so we've been talking about that.

I have nothing too exciting planned for the weekend. I might head up to the gym tomorrow for a Pilates class. They have yoga tomorrow too, but it is at 8:00 AM. Yeah, um, I think I will just do Pilates. Work on the core. My trainer will be so proud.

I am waiting to find out what the plan is tonight. Might be going out, might not. Who knows. This weekend is wide open. I think I will actually spend a lot of it reading. Haven't done that in awhile.

Have a great weekend!

The Pain Continues

Work out session number two with the trainer occurred today. He was taking it easy on me Tuesday. I swear. I am dying. It is a good pain, but pain none the less. I told him about the challenge with Jen and Denise. Better watch it girls. He said he had some tricks that will rock my world. :-) It really is a fun workout session and the time goes by pretty quickly. I feel awesome! And it really does not hurt that he is a cutie.

Work is still work. Enough said. I had a nice heart to heart with my manager again yesterday. We can get through it and back on track, but it will take a few more weeks. I can probably make it, but not before burning something down........ The works out have helped though. I really do feel good and confident. I will just continue working hard and get through it.

Man, okay, nothing more interesting than that. I guess that is a good thing..... Not sure what the plans are for the weekend. I know I am going to hit the gym tomorrow after work. I have to go into the office for another meeting so on the way home I am going to hit the cardio. Jen and I have tentative plans on Sunday, but things ebb and flow.

I have officially lost it

I am still laughing at this.

I had sent a follow up email with this long email chain. Pretty much to a woman who thinks I am not responsive enough. Big hooey, this woman is just never happy. So I am going to be so responsive that she will have to complain to get rid of me. Once I am back in the office I will sit in her cube until she throws me out. Anyway, not the point of this funny story. My email automatically fills in the address, so I type in St........ and end up sending it to Jen (being that she pulls up on the email by her last name)..........

Now, Jen is good, but she can't actually help with this particular problem. I do appreciate her forwarding it back and giving me a good laugh!!! Now, the real question is why both she and I are checking the work email at night, but that should be for a different blog.

Later!!!

The Challenge has been accepted

Jen, you got it girl! 10 lbs by new year. :-) I am glad that my trainer is okay with the occasional chocolate. Although, since I have started, I really haven't been craving it. Or beer. That is the odd one -- I usually jump at the chance to go grab a beer. Not so much this week. And in reference to the comment of Gail and Katie going to the gym at 4:30 AM --- they really are crazy. I don't think my trainer even gets there until 7:30! But, if you are a morning person, more power to you. I am NOT a morning person and therefore it would be an unattainable goal to say I will go to the gym before work!

Okay, I actually have to go to the office today. That means I have to get out of my "girlie girl" pajamas and tigger slippers and wear real clothes. I forgot I had to actually allow time to fix my hair! A wild pony tail on the top of my head really doesn't say "take me seriously" in the middle of my meeting! I still don't have DSL at work, so I will only be up there for the meeting. But that is okay.

I guess I should go ahead and get working on the report needed for this afternoon. Not too much to do, I just need to make sure I know what I am talking about.

Later!

My First Official Training Session

I met my trainer today for my first official workout with him. I feel great. I am sore in places I really didn't know existed. We are working on the basics right now. It is amazing to think that anyplace I am weak right now, will be strong in a few weeks. I have more energy even after Sunday's little amount of work. Of course, getting to sleep will be a hard since my body is has no idea what is going on! I assume it will settle down and get on a normal schedule. Jen, please let me know if that is true!!!! Last night I was up until 3. But I woke up and was fine. Had energy. Wow, I just realized I did not have caffeine at all today. That is a nice feeling. So, I guess Jen, now that I am getting into it, we need to start a challenge. I am feeling rather competitive right now :-).

Okay, enough of this. I have been on the computer all day. Not really sure why I got back on after the gym!

Later!

Simon is a chatter box tonight

I don't know, I just find it cute when he just starts meowing, like I am supposed to know what he is saying. Well, in a way I do, but he is just like a human. I think this meow is "feed me". Yes, it is coming from the kitchen -- it is "feed me".

I might finally get to go to the office on Wednesday. I have mixed emotions about that - I like the freedom, but not the isolation. Yes, you can still talk to the co-workers via email and the phone. It isn't the same -- you can't talk smack the same way. But, hey, I do get to talk to grocery store clerks so I do get some human contact :-). I do love going to Tom Thumb. No matter how busy they get, they are always happy to see you.

Okay, enough of the ramblings of today. I am going to make my great dinner -- Sloppy Joe's. Yes, Sloppy Joes!!! Meatless crumbles work pretty much with anything you would put meat in. I told someone that I think I am just a little more creative in my meal planning because I have to make sure I get all my essential foods (ie: protein, calcium, etc). Anyway, have a great night!

I have decided I am crazy

I went to a meeting with a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness this afternoon. After reviewing goals and allowing him to take measurements, I thought it was a good idea to sign up. Actually, it is one of the best things I could have done for myself. We did a little bit of the core stretches and exercises today and I am already sore. I can't imagine what I will feel like after a full workout with this guy.But I feel great and ready to take on the world! I will be getting more out of the gym membership too. We start Tuesday, so I will probably go in tomorrow and scope things out alone. I have this feeling he is going to kill me, but if I can survive 2 1/2 years of mental stress with school, I can survive this. And I will reduce stress and be a hotty :-).

I saw Rent yesterday. I was not disappointed. I thought they did a great job of adapting the stage musical to a movie musical. There were parts were I was wondering where they were going with the way they did it, but it all panned out in the end. Idina Menzel is my new favorite actress/singer. She is STUNNING and has the most beautiful voice. Plus, she is married to Taye Diggs. How did the girl get so lucky? :-). The songs were still powerful and I felt the movie still sent the message that the stage version portrayed. Okay, so it isn't going to be as powerful as the stage version (especially since I got to see it on the 3rd row -- yes, bragging :-)). But it was fantastic and I could feel the cast reaching to me through the screen. I was surprised when 3 people walked out of the show. I kept thinking, didn't you know what this was about to begin with!!! They made no secrets of the content of the movie. Anyway, I do recommend the movie, especially if you are a fan of the stage version. And I had no idea Jesse L. Martin ("Law and Order") had such a powerful voice. Man, he almost had me in tears at one point!!!

Okay, it is Sunday night and I am going to do some winding down. Get myself prepared for the coming week. I am in a new mindset, have new goals and a new trainer, so I feel it will be great. I do have one report I need to work on for my boss. She doesn't need it for a few more days, but I will pop it out tonight while watching TV. I have all this energy now too :-). We can all thank Tim (the new personal trainer) for that one.

Later

Bonjour!

I woke up feeling good today. A&M actually showed up yesterday to play against Texas. While we didn't pull off the win, I am very happy with the performance. Where was this team all season!!! I know my 2 Texas co-workers were just freaking out when A&M pulled ahead those two times :-). I don't know if the game was enough to save Coach Fran's hide. There are so many people calling for his job these days. I predict by Monday we will hear some kind of announcement! (Okay, enough football talk!)

The Tofurkey was actually pretty good. It was the first time I cooked it, so it was a little dry, but it had a good flavor. The Tofurkey meal came with some potato dumplings that my mom just loved. They were very good. I ended up leaving them with her. I liked them but had other left overs to take home so I just left them.

I joined 24 hour Fitness this weekend. I figure it will help with that last 15 lbs I want to loose, but also will help manage stress. I have started to stress eat again and not so happy about that. I don't think work will get better before the end of the year and starting in Jan. I have school, so this is the best thing I can do for myself!!! I will probably sign up for a few personal training sessions to get me started. Otherwise I will just hang out on the treadmill. They also have yoga and Pilates classes, so I can take those on the weekend. I love that idea!

Time to make my Christmas list and get my holidays in order.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Happy Wednesday

It is the day before Thanksgiving and I am thankful for that :-). Every one at work has pretty much calmed down so today I am getting to work on projects. I am also trying to figure out how to add links to my blog. I will work on it this weekend when I am not supposed to actually be working. I did make plans for a long lunch today. My shoulder and neck have been hurting so I made a massage appointment for lunch. She is booked on Friday and I need some knot therapy. Then it is to the grocery store to pick up the rest of the stuff for my part of the Thanksgiving meal. I found a new pumpkin pie recipe, so I am hoping it will turn out! It should -- it sounds very good.

If I am not able to come online tomorrow, everyone have a great Thanksgiving. I promise I will come on with a culinary review of Tofurkey. :-) Oh and Rent starts TODAY!!! I probably won't see it until tomorrow, but really, I could sneak in a movie after my massage. It has been a very quiet morning. Hum, what an idea.......

PS -- Sierra did that to herself. How tempting warm laundry is to a kitty :-)

Later!

My Office is moved

We finally got everything moved at the office, however I am STILL without DSL. I can't work up there. Not that it is all bad sitting in my sweats dealing with issues. I went up to the office briefly, to unpack and say hi. Then I turned around and came back home. All gusied up and only stayed a few hours. Nice.

I do have to take Sierra back to the vet today. On her last visit, they did blood work and found some elevated enzymes in her liver. They want to recheck her. It was a very low elevation so I am sure it is just a fluke. But, as freaky cat mom, I am a little worried. I like the fact that vets will explain everything to you and not make you seem like a freak when you call up going "What does this mean!!!" So, good thoughts should be sent out into the world.

Guess I need to get back to work. The last few weeks have been a whipping. However, I realized last night that I was reacting to it,making it worse. If I change my mindset, I will be able to change how the week goes. I intend to have a good week and I intend to get everything back to normal. That is my mindset and that is how it is going to go.

Have a wonderful Monday!!!

Update: They did the test pretty quickly. Sierra has normal enzyme levels. It was just a fluke!! I am a very relieved cat mom.

The Weekend

This weekend was pretty nice. Today it is overcast and I just feel like hibernating. Doesn't help that I have a little headache. My boss called this morning and it actually made me worried that I slept straight to Monday! She was just asking about Friday night's event, but it was funny.

Friday night was a lot of fun. There were no major fashion faux pas like with the white scrunchy at the last one. I ended up sitting at the table with some of the VPs in the Contract Labor group (the one we have to keep happy). I had a vodka tonic at the reception but that was nicely nursed and I stayed with water the rest of the evening. I had a headache too, so it really wasn't that much of a sacrifice!

I got home at a pretty early hour and decided to watch a movie -- "Finding Neverland". It is SO good. If you haven't seen it yet, it really is worth it. It was probably the mood I was in, but I cried most of the ending. It was very good and Johnny Depp once again proves he is awesome! And Kate Winslet is just so beautiful. Rent it!

Saturday morning my mom and I went to Jen's for a Pampered Chef party. Now, I haven't cooked in forever but this got me in such a mood. I am going to make a pumpkin pie and cranberry salsa for Thanksgiving. And I get to use some of my old Pampered Chef stuff :-). The new stuff won't come in until after Thanksgiving. Maybe I should plan a dinner party at my place. A Christmas thing. Just finding the time when everyone can join might be the hard part!!!! Maybe a party when Jon comes to the country???? A lot of my friends have not met him yet.

My review of Harry Potter: Very good!!!! Go see it. The effects are wonderful and the acting is great. The kids are definitely growing up! They better hurry up and finish up the movies. I really did like it. I will need to see it again to make sure I didn't miss anything. There was a lot going on! And we ALL know the next movie I will be seeing. Mom, be prepared for Thursday -- either before or after the food. We will see it this week.......

Well, today will be spent hanging around the house, doing chores and relaxing. There looks like a Friends marathon on TV, so that is making me happy. Tonight Brian's band it playing in Deep Ellum. Perfect location for me since I live near there! I also get to meet Jen's new man. I will give a full report in the morning :-). He must be a good guy though. Jen is perfectly glowing. While this is a woman who normally has a glow about her, this was especially glowy. It is great to see her like that!

Have a happy Sunday!

Friday, Friday, Friday :-)

Harry Potter opens today. Woohoo!!! I need to see that this weekend. I am still more excited about Rent though!!! They are talking about Harry on CNN right now, that is why it is on my mind. I am not just randomly thinking about Harry Potter :-). I am working from home again today since our DSL line in the office is still down. I have to say I am over the hump of the week and I am actually being productive.

Tonight I get to go to another black tie event. It was a last minute invite. Not sure what that says about me that I can accept a last minute invite like that, but I can :-). Friday night plans don't get formed until that afternoon, so really, I don't feel like too big of a loser. Plus, really, this is a whole lot more fun than Happy Hours, I think.

Well, have a happy Friday! I think it is time for breakfast :-).

Later!

Apparently I am Superwoman

School is over. THANK God!!!!! I thought International Business was tough. Oh my goodness. I never thought it would be over. And the subject matter was fun and great. It is just this job is taking everything out of me. Remember that whole thing where I won't delegate? Seriously, I need to learn to do it better. I am fine, just every once in a while I have to yell and say, back off!!!! Okay, I don't yell at my co-workers :-). Mom and Dad, why did you have to raise such a responsible person.... sigh :-)........ Oh, and I got a B in the class. It does make it all better than I am working at home, in my sweats and my TIGGER slippers :-). Oh so professional.

I am trying Tofurky for the first time next week. They have these little Thanksgiving dinners. I have tried the sliced turkey, and it is pretty good. I can eat everything else and plan to do so. I need to find my pumpkin pie recipe. I make a darn good pumpkin pie. I will hold nothing back on that :-). I will let you know about the Tofurky though.

Happy Wednesday!!

Oh, What A Monday

I start driving to work and get a call from my boss. The DSL line is out at work and we have to work from home. Oh darn. Luckily I was just turning away from my apartment and didn't have to go far. I took most of my stuff home this weekend so I didn't have to go to the office to get anything.So, I turned around, stopped at Starbucks and then came on home. IT has been non-stop since then!!!

Other than that, there is nothing too interesting happening. I am so excited that "Rent" comes out next week. I saw the musical in NY and I LOVED it. I am so pumped for the movie. I think I am even more excited about Rent than I am the new Harry Potter movie and I love Harry Potter!!!

Well, back to work. Like I said, it has been non-stop. Can't wait until 5:00!

Later!

Just what I feared

A&M is playing OU right now. Well, I should say, OU is playing and A&M is on the field. Already 7 to 0 -- the game JUST started. I think I am going to stop watching now............. Wake me up next season.

I'm Sick :-(

This isn't the blahs. This isn't slightly coughy. This is full out, "you look awful, go home and get away from us, I want my mommy" sick!!!! I was sick yesterday, but since I worked from home it didn't really matter. Today I went in for the morning because I needed to talk to the Resource Managers. My goal was to cough on them if they didn't get me my POs to pay people. Since they were the ones who GOT ME SICK I couldn't use that tactic. I go over there and they are all just as sick as I am. I told Mary I was going home at noon to work and get over this crap. I really did plan to work at home and I did a little. But on the way home I stopped at CVS and picked up Tylenol Cold and Flu Severe. I remember taking that in China last year and it rocked (it was America's formula in China..... never mind....). It still rocks!!! It put me to sleep, but that is perfectly okay. There were no emergencies at work and my boss knew I was a sick, sick girl. I cuddled in my bed, Simon cuddled next to me and I slept it all off. He seems to think he has special powers because he did try to sleep on my chest at one point :-). Anyway, I feel MUCH better. I still have the cough but it is just trying to get everything out. I should be annoyingly perky tomorrow.

I just took some more medicine, so I think I am about to have to go back to sleep. Talk to you tomorrow!

Can't Sleep

It has been a rough day. For the first time at this new job I actually thought about just chunking it all and quitting. There was a lot of frustration on the part of every body today and once I got out the venting at lunch, I actually felt better. I also had a heart to heart with my boss and felt much better. It is amazing what actually communicating will do! No worries, I am still good as gold. She still has all the faith in the world in me which is why she seems to put so much on me. But she has lectured me about feeling like I have to take on the world. Her favorite term is DELEGATE!!!! I just seem to have a problem with that :-). I think tomorrow (or today, really) when I work from home, things will be much better. I will have a new outlook on things and will go in on Thursday with a new perspective. This is such a difficult client that sometimes I just want to rip my hair out. Seriously, I had better have a darn good bonus at the end of this quarter (and I think I am going to renegotiate it up a little more at review time!!!). And I know how to document everything they are looking for now, so you know I will be prepared next time.

The hives were back this week. They are gone now though. I think it is a mixture of stress, hormones and not really sleeping well. Yeah, I know, being on the computer at 12:30 AM doesn't help the sleep bit, huh!!! I thought of something I had to follow-up on so instead of fretting about it, I just did it. I think I am going to right a little bit about communication now since that is on my mind. (For class, I will spar you anymore musings about corporate communication).

Well, off I go. I am going to play with the cats and then fall asleep. Since I don't have to worry about showering and getting dressed in the morning, I can easily sleep until 8:00 and be ready to begin my day. (For those of you that are worried, I do take a break and shower in the morning. LOL)

Oh, by the way, Chicken Little is a very cute movie. I do recommend it!!! The new Jennifer Aniston movie comes out this weekend (Mom?????). I am looking forward to that! Oh, and saw new pics of pregnant Katie today. She looks so cute :-).

Later!

Very Little Football Talk

I am still sulking. A&M lost to Tech. Not that I am really surprised, it just would have been nice if the game had been closer. I think we were on the road during the first half. Even though we were behind, I actually had some hope we'd win............... Enter the 2nd half. I think body snatchers grabbed the A&M players and replaced them with people who couldn't throw worth a crap. Okay, so looking at the season, we are 5-4 overall and 3-3 in conference. But our next 2 games are going to be HARD!! I no longer think the OU game will be a breeze and then there is Texas. I am not saying we can't do it, we can. We just have to show up and actually play the game!!!!! I would love to have the Aggies upset Texas and there is a good chance if they get mad enough and pull out all the stops against them. I guess we will see the day after Thanksgiving.

Okay, enough football. My co-workers are rubbing off on my. You are lucky I wasn't mentioning people by names and their stats. It is mostly because I don't know those yet :-).

Well, gonna run. Today is movie day with Mom. We are going to see "Chicken Little". Then I have a lot to do at the apartment.

Later!

I was right :-)

Bean is a girl. Woohoo! I was at Champs last night having dinner with an old friend and mom called on one phone while everyone else was on the other phone. Who knows how the logistics of that all worked!!! They can't use Emma though - I have dibs on that name. Okay, I may never get to use it, but it is still mine :-).

Okay, time to go pay rent, work on my last assignment and try to figure out what Sierra is yelling about. She is just chattering away. She just needs attention!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday!!!

Finally!!! Finally!!! It has been a long week. I seem to be saying that a lot lately. This place seems to make time stand still. It is pay day, so that always makes me happy. To celebrate, I am going to treat myself to a facial tomorrow. The weird weather temperatures make for dull skin. I want to be bright and shining :-). Mom and I talked about seeing a movie this weekend and I REALLY want to see Chicken Little. I also want to see Saw II, but I don't think I could drag her to that one. (I know, random array of movies :-)).

We are also getting to find out the sex of Katie and Kenneth's baby tonight. They have the appointment today to find out and are having a big reveal party tonight. I have to wait until 7!!! Mom will probably have to call with the results since I think i will be having dinner with an old friend tonight. Bean will have to cooperate though and show off the goods. I am predicting right now that Bean will be a girl. (For those of you who don't know, Bean will be the name of the baby until s/he is born. Then they will name the baby).

Well, I need to get working. I need to get some things together for my boss when she arrives. Since my recruiters are in a meeting, it is VERY quiet. I need to take advantage!!!

Have a great weekend.

Nothing much

No interesting stories like Jen has on her blog (seriously, ouch!!!). Work has been going fine. We are getting more processes in place which means I have to be the most detailed oriented person in the world. That also means I will be falling apart at home :-).

I just wanted to check in and say hi. I get to work from home tomorrow, and although I will miss my co-workers, I will see them at a Happy Hour tomorrow night. Well at least one or two. But there are only 10 of us anyway, so two of us is a good number :-).

So have a nice evening. I will watch the Daily Show and laugh. I am also expecting a phone call, so I will run!

I finally feel alive

This weekend has been rough. Seriously felt sick until now. All the sleep has helped :-). Now I think I can get some school work done. One more assignment to do and I am done until January! The assignment is due Nov. 14th but the plan is to turn it in to early. That is the plan.

Since I slept all weekend, I really have nothing too interesting to say. My Aggies let me down yesterday. I will still stay behind them, but really thinking I am going to pull the request for the wager from my OU co-worker. Just to be safe.

Have a great Sunday!

Were we really surprised???

I was so excited this morning about Bubba coming to visit, I didn't blog about what was on my mind. I heard the "Breaking News" before I left for the office this morning -- Harriet Miers withdrew her name from nomination to the Supreme Court. They kept saying it was a "bombshell". Um, really, not so much! I could have predicted she wouldn't have made it to the Court. I am not too sure she is qualified for that role. Even Ann Coulter said 30 minutes before the announcement that Miers would never make the court. I don't really ever agree with that woman, but this time I did.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on that. It would have been interesting to see the confirmation hearings. Both sides weren't too impressed with her, so there might have been some fire works.

Woohoo

I found out this morning that Jon is coming home for Christmas!!!! Yippee :-). Mom emailed me and was trying to make me do that guess who's coming thing. Man, too early in the morning to play the guessing game! So, cool news very early in the morning.

My blacktie event last night was great. I love dressing up and playing all fancy :-). And I was meeting all sorts of Vice Presidents, CEOs and owners of companies. It was just an interesting energy. I did see one huge fashion faux paux on an award winner (for something in a minority business). A HUGE white scrunchy in this woman's hair. At a formal........ with a nice dress. I kept remembering the SATC episode where Carrie went on about the scrunchy!!! There was another lady who seriously looked like a peacock. I don't know what she was thinking. Who lies to these people saying they look good.........?

Anyway, I have a busy day ahead. I need to go run down one of my Resource Managers to get something done. Wish me luck :-).

Happy Birthday Bubba!

Bubba being the much hated (by him) nickname of my younger brother. I can't call him my baby brother since he is turning 28. Hard to believe really! I left for college when he was 12 so he has been stuck there in my mind since then. Of course, that also has a lot to do with the fact that I really don't want to grow up either :-). Yeah, weird to think I was dating guys the same age or younger than he is right now. Anyway, happy birthday!!!!

The big boss (the president of the company) is in town for a diversity conference and will be having lunch with the EDS team today. I don't know if he has a set agenda or is going to let us just talk. So we'll see!

Nothing else to report. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Let's try this again

I tried to blog Saturday, but it never published. Since everything in it was a very wrong prediction, I plan to never let the draft see the light of day. A&M won, but I turn my back for 30 minutes and the other team comes from behind and almost takes them! Argh!!!! Texas is #1 in the BCS poll........ oh you heard the hollering over here. I feel very outnumbered. :-(

Nothing fascinating to report. Really. It was a boring weekend. I watched "Boogeyman" on Saturday. It did not scare me. I was very disappointed. Actually, it kind of bored me. Oh well. Did school work..... the usual.

Have a Happy Monday!

My Karma must be good this week

Today at lunch I got a free meal. No it wasn't any special occasion. Well it was a birthday lunch, but not mine :-). I ordered veggie enchiladas for lunch. I bit into a chicken enchilada. I quickly realized this was not a vegetable! The waiter quickly whisked it away after I had this major shock and brought me a new one. The manager came over and apologized profusely for the mistake. I hadn't even touched the chicken with my mouth so I really think "no harm, no foul". But they offered a free meal for the mistake and so of course I am not going to turn that down! My co-workers wondered what would happen if I actually ate meat -- I might just burst into flames. I am really not sure :-). So, good day in all.

Tomorrow is Friday. Thank God!!!!

Tuesday :-)

I really have nothing too huge to report. I did realize this morning I have lost 11 lbs in the last 3 months. Really! I didn't realize it was so much, but I will take it :-).

Other than that, work was rocky this morning, but I got through it and moved on. Payroll didn't take up too much time since I figured out an even easier way to get through it. I will finish my reading for school tonight, watch Law and Order and be happy! We did plan work happy hour for Thursday. I owe a co-worker a few beers since she bought me lunch a few times. So, we are dragging out the other co-workers and doing a little informal team building :-). Always love that.

Later!

Small things

Last night cousin Katie felt her baby kick :-). She and hubby Kenneth are just thrilled. Little things like that just mean the world :-).

I learned today that I get 2 weeks free in Nov. for re-signing my lease. That is a significant savings so that works for me. Especially since this pay period I have stretched myself VERY thin!!!

And, Mary asked today if I wanted to go to a black tie event next week for a diversity conference. Love black tie events and dressing up! She asked if I had something to wear -- silly woman! Of course she didn't know I went to formals in a "former" life with the ex. :-) Yes, I still have those dresses...........

Wow, really not that bad of a day!

Just busy as normal at work. Had to leave early because I really didn't feel good. I worked through lunch so it wasn't like I missed too much of work. I am watching "Daily Show: Indecision 2004". After it is done I will do some reading. I know, so interesting :-)

More Happiness

It is the simple things that make life fun. Today was my hair appointment. I found a great hair dresser at the Ulta near my house. She did highlights today -- I feel so much happier now. I guess that is another thing I am going to need to budget in every few months because the box color from the stores isn't working for me anymore and I am getting very bad roots. That is one maintenance cost I think I will be able to do though. As long as Colleen stays there, I will be happy! Then it was off to see Ms. Magic Fingers. As always, she did a wonderful job and I feel great!

I was going to stay in tonight, but Mia told me that Brian's band was playing tonight. I haven't seen Mia in a long time, so I am going to make the drive to Denton to see them. Should be fun. Plus i get to show off my new hair color :-). I have a few hours before I have to get ready so I think I will get some school work done.

Speaking of school, I received my papers back today from my professor. I am getting my pep back for school. Blew them away. Or at least the first one -- got an A on that. The second one was a B. But I will take it. I don't have to register again until Dec and then they don't start up until Jan. 8. I just have 2 more assignments and then I can completely recoup from classes and get ready for the final push to finish this degree. The reading for this section is very interesting so that is good.

Happy Saturday! A&M won so that makes it even better. Later!

Happy Happy Friday!!!

I love having a Starbucks downstairs in the cafeteria of this place. I come in all grumpy and tired, the lady makes my Grande Non-fat latte and I become a happier person. Today it took over an hour to get to work (where it normally takes only 25 minutes). There was an accident on the Tollway -- pretty bad too. It didn't look like anybody was hurt, so that is good. Just major car damage. But my tank hit empty right at that moment. Lovely. I made it to work okay. I just need to get some stuff done today and then I can enjoy my weekend :-). Tomorrow is major girly day. Getting a cut and highlights and then going to my magic finger massage therapist. I also want to check out the "Spirit Halloween" store. Time to start getting my Halloween costume together. I am usually change my mind several times before the actual party but I am sure I am going to be a Flapper this year. None of my friends have a black bobbed wig, but Michelle does have a blond one. Anybody have any objects to blond flapper hair????? :-)

Have a great day!!

Nothing too new

There really is nothing that is going to match the excitement of yesterday. At least not today. I am very tired. I had an assignment due today, so that means I stayed up until 2:30. Let's just say Starbucks is my friend today (except I am wearing some coffee on my shirt right now..... very attractive). I sent it off in time and all is good.

My cousin sent pics of her pregnant belly. I won't post because she will fly to Texas and kill me. But she looks very cute. She is at the 18th week, so you will have to hear about the preggers cousin for a little longer :-). My Aunt Gail is still working on her granny title. I'll keep everyone up to date!

My brother got a full-time job in China teaching ESL in an upscale Chinese school. Pretty cool! Once I get details, I will let everybody know (or Mom can just post in a comment :-)). He sent pictures of the neighborhood -- pretty nice!

Well, I need to move around, get a diet coke, something. I am crashing hard. I don't want to go too much into public due to the coffee stain on my chest. Maybe I can work from home the rest of the day (I did miss my first work from home day due to the fair. Not complaining, just think it is funny.)

later!!!

My Day at the Fair

Oh, we had SO much fun!!! We got to the State Fair about 10:30 (after donuts, etc). Mary (the boss) bought the tickets and then went inside about bought our coupons. After buying her funnel cake, she had to head back to the office so she left. There were 6 left -- 3 guys and 3 gals. We actually all stayed together and agreed on what to do. That was odd :-). We headed to the car show (the rides actually weren't open yet because they had to do the safety inspections. Those are always appreciated!). The car show was very fun. I always like those anyway. Very odd since I don't know much about cars other than my Jetta. Really, can't figure out why anyone would want a Hummer, but okay!!!

After the car show, we headed back to the Midway to enjoy the rides. The first was a cheesy little ride but those are ALWAYS fun. You scream for no reason -- just to be silly. Then to the hardcore rides. The ones you think are going to kill you. Love those too! I hadn't ridden the roller coaster at the Fair, but we did this time. That thing is AWESOME!!!! Even the guys were screaming. Fun :-). I think we road 4 rides total. All jerky, fast, throw you upside down (okay, all but that first one!)

After being thrown around, we decided to go to the food. While everybody else enjoyed the turkey legs and corny dogs, I had my giant pretzel. Always a treat :-). I did only have one beer, but that was a definite treat. Not because of the beer, but because of the beer guy. Hottie vendor :-). Yes, ladies, I got a picture......... But it was too hot to have more than one beer! And I am still munching on my cotton candy.

We did see the Flying Canine show (the Frisbee dogs). They are the best!!! Very talented dogs. Loved it. After taking in some livestock (big pigs!!) and roaming some more, we went to the botanical gardens in the Fair. I had no idea that was even there! It was wonderful. One of the guys in my office proposed to his wife there. I can see why. It had beautiful flowers and lots and lots of butterflies. I could have stayed there for a while longer. It would be a great place for a wedding. Won't be happening anytime soon, but it is in the log of places I can pull when I finally get to that place. I wonder if mom and dad are excited I want to get married outside :-).

Since it was the end of the day, we left the guys at the Midway and headed out. But not before my fellow gals got a funnel cake slathered in caramel. Looked yummy but I was so freakin full I couldn't accept offers of sharing!!! We left soon after. I hope the guys didn't get into too much trouble without us there. I actually laugh at typing that -- I think they were fine :-).

I was exhausted when I got back so I ended up falling asleep. I have an assignment due tomorrow afternoon, so I need to now stay up and pop it out. I got my rest so I should be fine!

It was a great day. A little hot, but it was wonderful! I love going to the Fair, at least once a year. And it was a great reward for work!

Later!

I can't say this is not a fun group to work with

Well, at least my group is fun. :-) Tomorrow, as a reward for a good month, we are going to the State Fair. I can't wait! I have said before that we really are a bunch of 5 year olds in disguise. I think we will have a lot of fun. We are meeting at Krispy Kreme and caravanning. I thought about having them meet at my place, but really, that just means I have to clean. While the apartment is not filthy, it is not the state I want co-workers to see it in!!!! There is enough cat hair on the chairs to make a smaller cat.......... it is sad really :-)>

Other than that, nothing really too interesting is happening today. Work will be long today, but that is a known factor. I will have to do a lot of typing on my papers tonight though since I thought I was going to get a little time yesterday. I went to the doctor today for another blood test. I still don't know how I had a cholesterol level of 357. As a Vegetarian!!!! I am sure it went down, but it was still annoying......... but enough about my health problems :-). (BTW, just because we are meeting at Krispy Kreme does not mean I will be eating the Krispy Kreme.....!)

Happy Tuesday!!!

Happy Monday Morning

It is a cold and wet Monday morning and I didn't sleep well last night. Doesn't it sound like I am about to complain!!!!! However, I am in a great mood, even before my coffee. The guys are talking football and I am laughing intently at them. Yes, the Texas fans are very happy this morning. Told my Sooner co-worker that I feel his pain. A&M pretty much rolled over Saturday. But, I still love 'em.

This won't be too long since I really didn't do anything too fascinating yesterday. I worked on school assignments but that was about it. It is very interesting stuff though. I think I have learned a few things that can be used in this new job. It is nice to be excited about school again!!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Movie Day

I went to see "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" yesterday with Mom. It was so funny! I highly recommend it. I wasn't a big fan of Wallace and Gromit before, but I might be inclined to rent those now. The little bunnies were so cute. And it was hysterical. I loved the fact that there were jokes that the kids really couldn't have gotten, but had the adults in stitches. It is a fun time and I recommend it to everyone!

Today I am creating a Communication questionnaire for class. It is pretty easy and I get to make graphs and pie charts. It is only for 6-10 people, but graphs are always fun to play with. I am happy that I am finally in my stride with school. It was a rocky start, but I plan to knock it out of the park from now on. I know how the teacher grades now and I know what she is looking for. I hate to admit it, but she hasn't seen my best work. She will now!!!!!

Ooo, I found an Ikea catalog hiding on my desk. I think I need to take a break and make a wish list....... I do need new sheets. :-)

Lovely Weather!

I don't know why, but I am so happy that it is cloudy and cold. I am usually a sun kind of girl, but the thought of getting to wear my winter clothing, esp. sweaters, is just making me so happy. Of course, working in the dungeon I don't get to enjoy it as much. But this weekend will be a nice, relaxing time.

I don't have plans tonight, which is probably good. I might stay in and watch "Team America". I watched it once, but the Netflix DVD was all screwed up. I was able to see most of the movie, but it skipped a few scenes. And I must watch it again. If you like "South Park" and anything they do, you will love this movie. It is hysterical. I haven't laughed that hard at a movie in a very long time. The film makers pick on everybody, so it is an equal opportunity offender. I love South Park so I wasn't surprised I laughed hard at this movie.

Well, I have to work on something for my boss. Guess I had better actually work :-)!

I know, I know!!!

It has been forever since I have felt the urge to write anything. Nothing too interesting has happened and I have been in a very odd funk. I haven't been depressed, just kind of introspective. But I am now back to the point where I want to open up and share again. We all go through those phases, but I am back baby :-).

Work is much better. Never was bad, just crazy busy. I have a new fun work schedule -- Tuesdays I am going to be working 10-8. This is due to the fact that the process I have to make sure all my consultants get paid tends to go long into the night. Well to 7:30. It is a necessary evil of the job and actually makes me look like a hero. All the hard work gets the company money and the higher ups love me :-). So, Tuesday will be 10-5 in the office and the rest at home. If I am going to be doing tedious work, might as well be comfortable with my kitties :-). And Wednesday I get to work at home. It is a great break in the week and I will actually get to have weekly lunch "dates" with Michelle since I have more flexibility. I am looking forward to it! It is amazing what you get when you actually ask :-).

School is going. Not wonderful, but I am working through it. I hit a wall for some reason. Instead of beating my head against that brick wall though, I moved and found a window. It will all be better now.

I bought Cinderella today :-). I am so happy!! I love that movie. It is one of the best Disney movies. On the other hand, I am not a big fan of Snow White. Mom took me to see it when I was really little and I apparently had a problem with her running through the woods and not messing her hair or dress up. And I had a big problem with the monkey that banged the cymbals (Not related, just two thoughts that happened to be by each other!).

The Daily Show is on and I need to focus my attention to it. We all know I love it :-)

Later!!!

Opening the Energy Valve

For some reason this weekend I felt blah. Not happy, not sad, just kind of flat-lined. I did do work on my papers, but not as much as I wanted. I felt that way again this morning. In order to get my blood flowing I decided to take a walk to PetsMart. My PetsMart is pretty close, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Get some exercise and run an errand. Yes, it is pretty darn hot out there, but I am pretty wound up right now. I can probably even pop out some of my homework now.

They were having pet adoptions at the PetsMart and of course I could not resist the kittens. Now, I know that I can't have another at this junction, but they are so sweet. I saw an orange kitty with a pumpkin hat. It was too cute. I don't know how they got the hat on kitty because mine really wouldn't have taken it too well. If I could, I would take them all, but reality dictates they go to another home..........

Thanks to Kevin for finding the Houston Zoo picture for me! I just thought it was funny. Okay, back to work!

Sad News

I just read Jen's blog and found out that her grandmother passed away last night. She had been sick for awhile and is now in peace with God. I know that doesn't make it any easier for Jen. Keep her and her family in your thoughts.

I saw a picture this morning on Good Morning America - Weekend that was kind of cute. I have been trying to find it today, but can't seem to! It was at the Houston Zoo. In order to get some of the animals to safety, they put some of the birds -- geese and a few other types -- in the men's room since it had no windows and was pretty safe. They put the turkeys in the women's room. Just thought that was cute.

Well, my exciting evening includes writing the organizational culture assignment. Woohoo. I did go out last night so I don't think it is too much of a sacrifice.....

Fun From Home

I had to work from home today since our office DSL was out. It as kind of interesting. I think I actually got more done. I did miss the interaction with my co-workers, but I did have a conference call, so at least I got to talk to them! It was funny during the conference call. I have speaker on my home phone, so was set up at my computer, call going. Sierra starts sniffing around the base. I was a little worried she would meow on the conference call. She really didn't need to give her input :-). I need a better set up for a home office though. They are talking about letting us work remotely a few days a week and I need something a little more comfortable!

I went to get gas after my conference call and the lines are already starting to get long! I went by Tom Thumb and they have areas blocked off and men guiding you to pumps. I decided not to wait in that line and went to Shell. I pulled right in but the first two grades of gas were OUT! I had to go to the highest grade and hope for the best. But at least I got it. I was also trying to do work on the cell while at the pump. that was interesting. This working from home thing will take some getting used to.

Okay, now time to make the switch from work to school..............

Later!

My Hump Day

It is hard to believe it is Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday actually went well. No horrible payroll issues, we think we may actually have the system down. Or at least in the process of having less issues so I don't go crazy with something that really isn't in my job description anyway!!! We did have fun today because our DSL line went out and I had an orientation at 4:00. I ended up leaving the office, setting up at home and trying to do it here. Genius me forgot to send the file to myself at home so I ended up just doing it conference call. It was kind of like a comedy of errors, but I pulled it off. The important thing is to tell these people how to do time reporting so I don't have issues in the future. Selfish, I know :-).

I went to a CAT meeting last night, but there were only 3 of us. Busy lives sometimes get in the way. I am actually glad it was so small because I got to talk more to these two ladies. Both are so fabulous. One was telling us about her trip to Crawford during the Cindy Sheehan protests. She left to come back to Dallas and there were 6 people..... she comes back and there are thousands. It blew up that fast! I got to see pictures of that. She is involved with everything and is a pretty good inspiration (and a great source of resources!!!). Plus, she was so sweet, but she just kept glowing about her hubby and how supportive he was. You could just tell because she had that great smile on her face. He must be great because she seems to be everywhere and he is so supportive of that! I can only hope I find a man like that. :-)

The Joys of Monday

Mondays and Tuesdays are usually my busy days at work. I decided to take lunch at my desk and update the blog! If I hadn't done anything to calm my mind, I might just go a tad crazy. Plus, it is nice and quiet. I am so happy right now :-).

Friday night I went out with my co-worker Kelly and Sandra (the gal before me). We had a blast. I actually ended up staying out later than I thought I would. And I also learned I don't need Michelle to get myself into trouble :-). Don't worry, I didn't get into THAT much trouble...... I will let you figure out what that actually means :-). I ended up meeting a guy at the end of the night. It was funny because apparently he noticed me when I first walked in and sat down. I was waiting for Kelly at that point so I was scanning the room and really didn't notice him. So, the lesson here is that you should always present yourself as if someone is watching! He is a personal trainer at a gym here in Frisco (near where I work, not live. That will be interesting). I am pretty comfortable with my body, but it is intimidating to hang out with a personal trainer like that. But, hey, I was thinking to myself I needed to look into getting one. Would be kind of interesting to start dating one :-).

Saturday was spent shopping and lunching with Michelle. We hadn't gotten to hang out for a few weeks, so it was fun. I am apparently an evil influence when she shops because she blamed me for every purchase she made :-). I took mom to dinner for her birthday on Saturday night (Her birthday was Friday). She likes Thai food, which is great, so we had dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant. I did let her pick!!!!

Oh did forget to say that personal trainer did call on Saturday while I was out with Michelle. I talked to him yesterday and it was a pretty nice conversation. How sad is it that I was actually surprised that he DID call??

This week will be study, study, write, write. I am starting to really get into this class. Communications is actually very interesting. I guess because so many places do it wrong. There is a lot of room for good communication consultants (my next Masters degree..... hum.....???). And this is all stuff I like -- the "soft" skills of organizations. I am thinking I can pop an A in this class easily.

Well, that is it for now! Have a happy Monday!

Okay, I feel like a nerd.......

Jen has a hot date tonight and I am going to go home and read the "Consultant's Craft" for my class. Yeah, oh so exciting :-)> . I can't wait to hear about this date, Jen!

Last night I met the gal who had my job previously. She was very cool. I had a blast. I didn't think we'd have so much in common, but we did. She has been to Paris, so you know we talked ALL about that. My current co-worker introduced us. Kelly was rolling her eyes when the Paris talk started. She hears it all day! I did get to hear about all the mess that went on before me. We can only hope that it gets better with time. Today there were a few fires that just kept burning. I put them out, but I really hate being reactive. Gotta get to the point where the team is proactive. We'll get there!!!

Okay, well you know about my exciting evening. At home with the fur babies and Communication in Organizations. This weekend has a few opportunities to meet new people, so I plan to take them! Hopefully I will have some interesting stories to share :-).

Not too much

This week is starting with just the normal. Work is work. We are still trying to work kinks out and get everything normal again. But that is okay. It is a challenge and I love it. Tiring, but I do love it. Of course, it has only been 2 months, but it is okay for now :-).

I looked at the course work for my class that started on Saturday. It looks very interesting. We discuss organizational culture (luckily I already took that class!) and organizational interactions. I am looking forward to it. The teacher is a stickler for the mechanics of writing, so I need to pay more attention to APA style. More will come when I get into the meat of the class!

I am meeting the gal I replaced tomorrow at a happy hour. I am actually looking forward to it. I have wanted to meet her and so this will be cool. Not really to get the scoop of previous times at the company, but just because I hear all about her, all the time.

Yes, I do know that the confirmation hearings for Roberts have begun. I haven't had a chance to read the papers to find out how it is going. Therefore I can't make any comment about it now. Well I can, but it won't be an informed comment...........

Happy Tuesday!

The Lazy Weekend

It was a nice, lazy weekend. Friday was spent at home. I did not really mind. With as much action that happens at work, just vegging is so cool. I had a great massage on Saturday morning. My lady with magic fingers still has it! She told me about another client that she had the day before. She was a mental health worker for the children that were effected by the hurricane. That got me to thinking -- who is taking care of the people who are taking care of the people involved in the hurricane??? She was definitely stressed. Delsi told me something that she told the lady. At night, take off the stress like an outfit and give it to God. God is up all night anyway so you might as well let him take care of it. Actually made sense. Even if the stress is not on the level of taking care of hurricane children, it is still a good thought. It is amazing what I pick up when I go see her. Plus, I felt great when I came home. I ended up at Target afterwards and tried to find the diapers to buy for donation. It is funny when I try to find anything baby anywhere! Found them and dropped them off at the donation center at my apartment complex. I was just set on getting diapers, I don't know why :-).

I did go to church last night at Fellowship. The subject was "How to Have an Affair". Very odd for a church service, but it did make sense. ( He eventually told how to have a love affair with your spouse). I was also wondering how that affected a single gal like me, but truthfully, it was a great talk.

Tonight, I had dinner with Taylor. We went to Two Rows and they had changed their menu. I wanted the Veggie Sandwich, but that is not on the menu anymore! They made one for me, but it still should be on the menu!!! Oh well, they still make good beer, so I can't complain. And they can still make a veggie sandwich, I just have to ask.

Time to get mentally prepared for the week! Have a good one.

The Constant Gardner

We ended up seeing the "Constant Gardner" as our movie outing for the day. It was a good movie, just way too heavy for a Workday Movie. We had lunch at Gatti Town -- a pizza place. It is more geared towards children, but hey, we can act like 5 year olds when given the opportunity to play skee ball. It was fun and a nice way to spend the afternoon. Of course I had 3 messages from the office about a termination I had to do -- just an end of assignment. But still, I am trying to get these managers to give us more notice than 3 hours. Sometimes, you just need to smack them around :-). I do recommend Constant Gardner, just make sure you are in the mood for it! Very, very heavy!!!!

Found another great fundraiser email. The Move Studio is having a Nia Boogie class with donations starting at $15. That is the normal price for a class. I have never taken a Nia class, but it is some kind of dance. I am very curious, so you know what, I might actually do that tomorrow night. Meet new people, learn a new dance, and benefit the Red Cross. I want to split my donation between the human victims and the animal victims. They are also doing a drive here at my apartment complex so I will drop off some diapers too.

Off I go!

Movie Day

Tomorrow, as a reward, we are going to lunch and the movies during work. Now, it isn't all so bad here at the work site. :-). Now there are 9 people trying to decide what movie to go see. I will have to let you know how THAT turns out, especially since we all have different tastes!!! I do have a missing contractor I can't get a hold of. Not sure where he disappeared to. In a way, I hope he just flaked out on us and is not hurt somewhere.

In other news, A&M lost. I was sad. Enough said. School starts Saturday, so I have to get my head on straight. Mom and I went shopping at IKEA last Monday and I have to say it is a little overrated. Just a little though! Nice stuff, but WAY too many people. It reminded me of Toys R Us in Manhatten at Christmas time. Hords of people all moving through the store in one direction. It was very odd. Yes, I did buy IKEA, but who can resist 42 scented tea light candles for $2.50? (And I found another pair of $20 jeans at the Gap. Love the Gap........ or I guess I should say I love the sales rack at the Gap).

SHRM actually came out with an email on volunteer ops to help Hurricane Katrina victims. I need to take a closer look at it tonight and see if it is something I am qualified to do. I might be wanting to do something, but I need to make sure my skills match to what best suits the people.

Gig Em Aggies

My Aggies are playing right now. Hope for a win!!! I know it isn't the most important thing in the world, but the little things have to keep me happy or I will go into deep despair.

I received an email yesterday from a lady in the CAT group. She had an idea that I never would have thought of. The people in that area are in need of Imodium for diarrhea. I might need to stop by Sams and get some in bulk. Along with some diapers. Dallas Yoga Center is having a special Labor Day yoga class with all the money going to The Red Cross. There are other emails that are coming through with different suggestions. I'll keep you updated when I get more emails. SHRM sent one out but I haven't had a chance to see what they were doing to mobilize people. I think it is going to focus more on the work force side of the tragedy. Getting people back to work, etc.

I am going to my parents tomorrow night for a b-b-q. Not sure what mom has planned for me, but I am sure it will be good :-). Might just take my faux riblets. Those are good and I haven't had them in awhile.

Have a great Saturday. Go Aggies!

Random Thoughts (Some from other Blogs)

I read Alternet.org pretty much every day. I have gotten a lot of information and have seen a lot of quotes I want to share. By the way, I try to give the correct credit where due. If not, please forgive!

Joan Walsh, editor-in-Chief of Salon Magazine wrote:

The death toll from Katrina is likely to be higher than 9/11, but most of its victims will be black and poor, and I doubt we'll wage a war on poverty and neglect to match the war on terror launched after al-Qaida struck -- and if we did, I doubt it would be any more effective.

I don't know why this one hit me hard, but man, I wanted to share. It is so true.

Alternet Blog Writer Jan Frel:

What will remain etched in the minds of those who suffer from this event -- and the direct number of victims is at least 7,000,000 -- is that a vacationing, snide president didn't plan and kept playing even as the hurricane struck.

(My own thoughts: Remember that Bush flew to FL the day after Charley hit and toured with his brother the devestation. He immediatly released funds to help. No matter how you feel about Bush, you have to admit his reaction time on this has been lacking. )

I was thinking yesterday that this was like "Lord of the Flies". Pushed into horrific conditions, people turn to basic animal instincts. These aren't even human instincts anymore. Who is to say that in the same situation I wouldn't do the same thing. I would like to think I wouldn't but my world is different from theirs.

And I do love Bush's warning about gas consumption: "Don't buy it if you don't need it." Um, genius, why the HECK would I buy gas. Kind of need it to get to work. (I used stronger language when sending the article to Jen, but my parents read this, so I have to be somewhat nice......).

One last copy and paste. From the blog of Eric Derkacz (pulled from CNN). I really like Jack Cafferty and he really does just tell it like it is. That is why I like this!!! Granted hs is more conservative than I am, but I generally learn a lot from him.

After reading a scathing editorial from one of the nation's most conservative newspapers, Jack Cafferty boils with anger about the administration's handling of the catastrophe in the Gulf (Crooks and Liars has the video):
Cafferty:
...I'm 62 and I remember the riots in Watts, I remember the earth Quake in San Francisco, I remember a lot of things. I have never, ever seen anything as badly bungled and poorly handled as this situation in New Orleans. Where the hell is the water for these people. Why can't sandwiches be dropped to those people that are in that Super Dome down there...This is Thursday...This storm happened five days ago. It's a disgrace and don't think the world isn't watching...

Happy Friday. I plan to go out, appreciate everything I have and everybody in my life. I can't ever look at the news and think my life is bad. take care of each other.

College Football Begins This Weekend!

Okay, it is the little things in these days of all bad news that keep me going. Jen blogged about a shoe sale (gotta love a new pair of shoes) and my Aggies play Clemson this weekend. I don't know much about Clemson, I just know my Ags will whomp up on them :-). I think I have stated before that I work with 2 t-sips (UT), a Sooner, and a Red Raider. Making this fall a fun one. You can tell it is getting closer at work, because that is all they talk about in the morning. I love it. It keeps my mind off of the fact that I have 800 contractors who think they are the only ones that have problems I have to fix. It should be better today and tomorrow since people will start taking vacations. All the ladies will be out of the office tomorrow, leaving me with the men to talk about, what else, college football. :-). I don't mind. I can dish it as well as take it! (But then I will have to be girlie and check out that shoe sale Jen mentioned!!!!)

In good news, cousin Katie is 12 weeks pregnant (well, almost 13). She said she heard the heart beat last Friday. So cool :-). Baby is the size of a lime now, although she is probably bigger now. (We don't know the sex yet, however I hate using "it" when referring to babies!). My cousin Kelsey graduated from the National Guard boot camp about a week ago. I am getting to see the pictures this weekend. Not sure what is up with Cousin Rynnie and Kelly. If you both would like to send me an update, I would be very happy :-).

Later!

My Update

This week has been another long one. I keep praying it will eventually calm down and I can enjoy work instead of running around like a chicken. It seems to be getting easier with experience, but now I have to deal with a client who thinks pantyhose = professional dress. Oh, I won't get started on this, but really, it is 104 freaking degrees outside. Again, since we are their vendor on site, we have to adhere to the pantyhose rule. Don't mind them in the winter, but really, not too comfortable now.

My heart is breaking for those poor people in N.O. and along Katrina's path. I can't even imagine what they are going through. No food, no clean water, no sanitation system. I hope they can get everybody out that they can. The mom of one of my co-workers lives in Mississippi and she was a little freaked out because she hadn't heard from her. Her mom is fine, just missing a fence or two. And some of her trees are gone. But everything else is good.

Well, really, the main goal is to get through the week and enjoy the long weekend. I don't plan on going anywhere. Michelle and I had toyed with the idea of going to N.O. a few months back for this weekend. Luckily, that idea feel to the wayside.

Happy Wednesday everybody!!!

This is just silly

I read an article today about how the CA Attorney General has filed a lawsuit to force warning labels on French fries and potato chips. You know I eat Wendy's fries because they are going to make me healthy...... No, I eat them because they are actually vegetarian (not cooked in animal fat). Nobody ever said they were the healthiest thing. Apparently now, they claim there is a cancer causing chemical produced when cooked at the high temperatures. This may or may not be true. I don't pretend to know chemistry. But, really personal responsibility should count for something in this world. I eat Wendy's fries every once in a while as a treat. I know they contain trans fat -- that is enough to limit my consumption. To me, this whole thing is the same as when people were suing McDonald's for making them fat and unhealthy. Um, I am not a big fan of Mickey D's but they never do claim they are healthy. It is fast food people. I haven't had a McDonald's hamburger in a year, but I do remember it not tasting like the best grade meat ever. Nobody is forcing the hamburgers down your throat.......... Okay, so healthy choices are a tad more expensive. I have no solution for that, but don't blame someone else. It is like if I ran my car off the road and then blamed the car manufacturing company. I knew I was running the car off the road, my own freakin fault!!! (Now, I will never do that because not only do I love life, I really love that car!!!).

Okay, off the rant for the day. I just couldn't keep it in. The cats don't care and I had to share my opinion with someone!!!

A very long engagement

Don't worry, I haven't gone off and gotten engaged without anyone knowing I am dating. The title is in reference to a movie I watched on Thursday night. It is a French movie (drama) about a girl who looks for her long lost love lost in the war. She believes he is alive and this is all about her finding out what happened. It stars Audrey Tautou (Amelie) and she is great in it. I really liked the twist and turns -- it kept my attention. Plus, it had some great shots of old Paris -- so cool to see it! Yes, I am still obsessed with Paris :-). I was surprised in the middle of the movie, because Jodie Foster appears in it. I saw the character and was like "that looks like Jodie". Well, it was her! She played a great French woman. I highly recommend this movie, especially if you like foreign movies.

Tonight is my AOED class --chair dancing. I am looking forward to it. I didn't go to the AOED social on Thursday night, but that was because I had to make a budget choice on what I wanted to do the most. I'll give a full report tomorrow on whether it was worth it!

Last night, I went to Greenville Bar and Grille with Jen and her friend Kim. We saw Elvis T. Busboy. It was so much fun. The band was great. I had a blast and glad I went. I needed a nice release after the week I had. It was a long week. Luckily, being a small company, you definitely feel like my contribution is worth something. And even the CEO appreciates all you do. That is what keeps me going,not the fact that my client is very disorganized. I have a boss as frustrated with them as I am!!! I even got stock options this week -- very cool. With the growth we are having, I am looking forward to the future. It will all even out in the future.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I don't know how I did it!

I received my grades today and ended up with an A. Not sure how I pulled that off, but I am very happy. Now I can relax until Sept 10 when I start school again. Then everyone gets to hear all about it :-)

Tonight is going to be serious cleaning and relaxing. Today has been a very hectic and tiring day. Maybe if I get some stuff done here at home, I will feel productive. I also have to decide whether I want to go to the AOED (Art of Exotic Dancing) social tomorrow night. I want to eventually be a teacher so I might need to go! I also want to take another class this weekend. I don't want to do to much this weekend, but I don't want to miss out on any fun!

Nothing to interesting has been happening. Work has taken up most of my time. When I get home I am too exhausted to do anything! I even think I am going to type my counseling notes from work, and I just crash and don't get it done. Maybe tonight!

later

Movie Time

I have 2 Netflix movies I haven't watched yet, so tonight is movie night. I am so tired that I really can't do much else. De-lovely is on right now. We'll see how it goes.

Later!

Okay, it is over

Class is over. You don't have to hear about school for a few more weeks. :-) Now I feel kind of lost.... time to clean, re-energize and catch up on my sleep (and plot my vacation for next year. Jen and I think we can put some away for a trip to Paris! I would love to go again as you all know). And play with my new computer. Tee hee.

I am not sure how I did on the test. Man, it was a killer. I looked at the multiple choice and almost died. I think I got a few of them. We had to do 4 essay questions -- think I aced those. But without the computer, I am sure there were several spelling and grammatical errors. Luckily, the professor's overlook that. She did get to see the smart a** side of me in my last answer. I am sure she has a sense of humor.:-)

I found out some good news today at work. My boss, Mary, told me that she is grooming me to be the on-site person for our client and she will eventually move to CA. Kind of cool. It would be more of an Account Manager role -- HR, Operations, all sorts of fun stuff. She wants me involved in everything she is involved in. I find that very nice since I have only been there for a month and a half. And I am up for the challenge. I laughed today because she really is like old boss Kelly. They have some of the same quirky habits. Love it! And she is very open to me telling her what I want to do. If there is anything I want to get involved in, she will make it happen. Kelly was like that too. It is nice to go to a boss whose style I am used to. Not some crabby, horrible person.

Hopefully tomorrow I will get out and have a beer with Michelle. Need to celebrate the completion of school. I am not even waiting until I get my grades! I paid for next sessions tuition tonight, so I am all set. Just need to buy the books. That can wait.

Well, that is all I have to say tonight! I can finally get thoughts together and things in order. I always feel out of sorts at the end of a session. I feel a bit lost......... I think that is normal after a school session though.

Later!

Ah, the days of Paris

For some reason, I am so in the mood to go back to Paris. I just found out a friend of mine is going to Paris for 5 days. I think I need to save up and head back over there. I would get to go the places I couldn't with the bum foot :-). Oh well. In the meantime, I will continue to look at my pics of Paris and London and post them ad nauseum :-).

I haven't seen this friend in forever (almost a year) and so it is time we get together anyway. Hopefully I can catch up with her before she leaves. That way I can figure a plan to stowe away in her luggage...........

I really like this picture. It was taken on the Red Bus tour. It was Monday -- the only cloudy, rainy day while we were in Paris. The Eiffel Tower looks so cool in the background!

Later! I have to get back to my project!

Photo of the Parliament Building in London. Taken June 8, 2005 during my trip to Europe with Jen.

It's Monday

As if you couldn't have figured that out already!!! It has definitely felt like a Monday. It is after lunch and I am finally feeling alert enough to do my job. Not sure what advice I have given so far today. Hopefully I wasn't too mean....... :-).

Since it is pretty much the same stuff from last week -- school, work -- I will make this short and sweet. I know once Wednesday night rolls around I will be breathing a sigh of relief. And will have more to talk about. I haven't even had a chance to keep up with what is going on in the news these days. Sad for me, a true CNN junkie........

Oh the excitement

Okay, not really. The most excitement I had today was taking my car to get its 10,000 mile service done. I did get some studying done while waiting, but really, I just wanted it to be quick so I could go home. I am having a hive breakout and really didn't feel well! Now I get to write a paper. What a grand Saturday night :-). I really don't feel too bad about staying in tonight though. I am going to see the "March of the Penguins" tomorrow with Mom. And I plan to go to church with my friend Natalie. So, I will have most of tomorrow to do other things and need to get this paper written. I know, I have been saying that for 9 weeks now :-). It might actually help that I have a new computer to perform all this magical writing on.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I got my computer :-)

I ordered a new Dell computer and it finally got here yesterday. Yippee!!! I stayed up a little to play with it, but had to actually go to sleep. I will have to figure out the best way to set everything up. I think it will take a while to get my files from my old computer to my new just because I need to focus on school work. I have a test and a paper due next week. Fun, fun. So, the next week might be a tad chaotic.

It is the end of the day and I need to prepare for class tonight. All the consists of is packing up and leaving, but it sounds impressive when I say I need to "prepare". Work is fun. College football season is right around the corner. With an Aggie, a t-sip, a Red Raider and a Sooner in the mix, it will be fun!!!! I expect some serious rivalry :-). The guys have already started in on it, so I have to step up and defend my team. Can't cower to the male members of the staff. Then they'd walk all over me!

Flight of the Chihuahua

On Friday night, I met Michelle and her friend Beth for drinks at Jack Astors. I was on my way to Mia's and it was on the way. After leaving them, I went to Mia's for a relaxing girl's night in with her and Jen. Jen looks great. You can really tell she is loosing weight -- it is great! Mia and I had pizza -- yummy, from Parma! And then we settled in to watch Sex and the City. No matter how many times we see it, we can't get enough! I still pick up on things in that show. Anyway, we talked, ate, watched tv and then it was time to go home. I thought about meeting Michelle and Beth out again, but I had a slight headache that felt like it had the chance to become a migraine. I wanted to avoid that at all costs!

Just as Jen and I were about to leave, Paco, Mia's chihuahua, ran out the door. Oh crap, we all yell as we go chasing after this little puppy. Mia grabs treats and Jen and I take off down the road to find him. Every once and a while we would hear his collar. So we would chase off that way. Mia finally got her other dog, Monty, on a lease. jealous Paco decided to go to mommy. So all worked out well. We just got a great work out chasing the dog :-).

It is a normal Monday. My brother survived the China typhoon. That is good news -- he said it was boring. Only Jon would think a major storm was boring :-). But, yes mom, I have heard from him!

The Dentist is no longer my friend

Today, after many years of having the dentist tell me I need to get a crown for a tooth, I finally succumbed. It was an old filing that just kept holding on. Every once in awhile it would remind me it was there, but until now, I felt no need to get it fixed. Well, today was the day. Canon benefits end soon and my new dental has a waiting period for major dental, so I figured I'd better do it now or risk a root canal.

I would rather have kept the tooth the way it was!!!!

They get me in the chair at 7:30 this morning. I am thinking "Not afraid of the dentist, this will be a snap". They numb me, let it set and go to work. That drill starts and darn it if I can feel the thing touch my tooth. I jump, the dentist jumps, he apologizes for hurting me and I am in shock for a few minutes. Oh goodness, that hurt!!!! They put MORE numbing good stuff in me and then let it set again. Once again, he tries for the drill. The drill DOES NOT TOUCH MY TOOTH and I jump. Again, more numbing goodness. And then I am told that if it doesn't work this time, there is nothing else they can do and I would have to reschedule. Yeah, um, no............... So, that sets in, I get even more numb and he goes to drill the old filing out. I don't jump and he gets what he needs done. After that, it is a snap. No more drills hitting nerves.

After an hour and a half of this, I am set on my way. With my temporary crown. Crap, have to come back (yes, I did know this when I went in!!). So, off I go to work with a numb mouth and the inability to drink water without dribbling on myself. And it made for great phone conversations. "I realize I sound funny -- dental work". They numbness has gone down, but I have a huge headache/toothache. I am currently eating a banana on the other side of my mouth. It is lovely.

Well that was my morning. While sitting in the chair, I was thinking that the day really can't get any worse. And it really can't. And I don't harbor any ill feelings towards my dentist. I will still trust him to do more dental work. Let's just pray it does not happen for a LONG TIME.

Happy Tuesday everybody!!!

My Lunch Adventure

Since I am able to easily get in and out of the building without having to beg someone to open the door for me, I made a trip to Target at lunch. Not just any Target. Super Target......... ah, the happy place. Found a cute pair of heels at 1/2 off. Of course I had to buy them. I also scoped out what was around there. There is a happy land of shops that I could easily get in trouble with -- ULTA, Old Navy, World Market, Bath and Body Works. You name it, it is probably over here. I did show restraint at lunch, but I don't know how long that will last.

Our weight loss challenge here at work is trucking along. I need to step it up though. I haven't lost as much as I would want. We got our weekly results and there really hasn't been much change. I have until Sept. 12 so there is time. I am so proud of myself -- two days, and no sodas. Okay, there was a beer or two, but baby steps people!!!! I plan to do yoga tonight at a studio near work. It is too convenient -- I can't not go. I can't work out outside since the air is evil and will make it very difficult to breathe if I try to exert myself.

Well, back to work. I am sure somewhere an employee will be trying to get into trouble and I will need to stop them........