Another Girl!

It makes me laugh that now I find out the gender of my cousin's baby via a Facebook status update and not the usual emails/phone calls of past. My cousin Steven and his gf Christina are having a little girl. He did the right thing and made sure Aunt Gail knew first. Because I believe Gail would have killed him had she not been the 1st to know (or if she had to find out via Facebook). He and I aren't close so it was fine the way I found out. And I am very happy for them! Gotta go find something girly to send their way for the baby. :). I predicted a girl -- only based on the trend of Keen offspring. Forget genetics and XX and XY chromosones :).

Now I am just waiting for the end of the workday. It's been a super long and slow week. And this next hour is just going to crawl by! I don't like to wish the week away, but something more interesting has got to happen! I am having dinner tonight with Mia at this sushi restaurant my co-worker owns with his family (previously mentioned). It is very yummy and I am looking forward to it. I can't really walk right now because I worked out with Ryan last night and he killed my legs. You know how a baby deer wobbles when it is born -- yeah, I looked like that last night. I could barely stand up. It was awesome (I know, but have already established I am a sick girl :)). Tomorrow is upper body -- so I probably won't be able to type. It is all worth it. The workouts totally burn all the cake I am eating (and announcing on Facebook!).

Have a wonderful Friday night. Later!

Not much to say....

I don't have too much to report and most of it would sound like complaining anyway (I have that freaking cough again, my back is killing me, etc) so I will just stop there. I don't want to complain. The weekend was pretty good. It wasn't packed with non-stop adventures but that is okay. They can't all be the best weekend ever :). I ate at the Shuck and Jive around the corner from my house -- I hadn't been there in awhile and it was a lot of fun. Seemed the thing to do since it is Mardi Gras time (and they specialize in Cajun food). I didn't watch the Oscars because I fell into a NyQuil induced sleep. Yeah it was kind of early but it was bothering me and I needed to do something to control it. I apparently need to go find the Tina Fey/Steve Martin presentation because I have read places that is it funny. They are always funny together so it might be worth the effort.

Well, everyone have a wonderful Monday! It is so pretty outside. It is nice to have the sunshine thru my window! Later!

Best Weekend Ever

I had a wonderful weekend! Valentine's Day was perfect. I have just recently met someone and since it is still new, I won't give too many details here. But I will say for Valentine's day he cooked me dinner and we had so much fun. He is a great cook too! It was just a perfect, low stress, laugh filled night. We even watched those cheesy Sci Fi channel movies.

For my birthday, I did nothing until that night when Mom and Dad took me to dinner (Thai food!). So yummy. I was going to get my nails done, but really, I figured I would just chill and watch movies. It was my day :). I may possibly get my nails done today since I am off. Just need to get out and run some errands.

So, today is President's Day and I am off. I have actually been pretty productive this morning. Now I need to dry my hair and run to the grocery store. I have no food in the house. I also need to work out because, man I ate a lot this weekend!!! It was all worth it though :).

Later! Happy President's Day!

random thought

Is it supposed to be 72 degrees during February? I won't complain because I like the fact I don't have to run my heater, but I was just thinking that -- it was 72 ish today! I am the queen of random thoughts today so just ignore me :)>.

I am so happy tomorrow is Friday. It's going to be a good weekend and not just because its my birthday weekend. I want it to get started! Plus, I have Monday off, so hello 3 day weekend!!!

This is short and sweet. Everyone have a great Thursday night/Friday.

Rock Of Love Bus

Still trashtastic. Still love it. Watching it right now...... My mind crack on Sunday nights :).

This weekend was actually pretty productive. I worked out both Saturday and Sunday, balanced my checkbook, filed my taxes, completed benefit paperwork and did some laundry and the dishes. I get a nice refund in about 10 days direct deposited into my account. Love direct deposit into my account :). Sierra, of course, tried to help with all the paperwork. She is such a good cat :).

Nothing completely exciting happened this weekend though. I went to dinner on Saturday night with Mia and some of her co-workers, which was a lot of fun. The restaurant, Parigi, is located on Oak Lawn. It's small and quaint and very, very yummy! I believe they went to a wine bar afterwards but I decided to come on home. I watched Saw V (see Jen, totally figured out those tricky roman numerals :)). Now, I love the Saw films but V wasn't really as good as the others. Saw I is still the best. This installment filled in some holes in the story and did have a scene I didn't see coming. Love those! But, yeah, it still wasn't the BEST. And no, there were no nightmares for Kim last night!

Now I am getting my mind ready to head into the week. It will be long and fun and I am sure will have its ups and downs. They goal is to eat healthy and kick up those work outs. Cardio 4 x this week. One down, 3 to go!

I think this post has turned into some ramblings so I am going to end it :). Later!

The Super Bowl is not supposed to make you cry.....

When Jennifer Hudson came out to sing the National Anthem, I think I almost lost it. To know what horrific things she had to deal with at the end of last year, it was amazing to see her strong and powerful (well, on the outside. I am sure she was mush on the inside, but really who would blame her). I always tear up during the National Anthem anyway, but yeah, I was almost a blubbering idiot yesterday.

The weekend was good for me. I went dancing on Saturday night and had such a blast. I now realize I can't wear my 4 inch strappy sandals dancing because I can't walk in them at the end of the night! However, and yes I know I do sound very conceited here -- my legs looked awesome. I had so much fun, but yeah, at the end of the night I was running around barefoot :).

Okay, gotta run and analyze some Access data regarding Oil and Gas. Woo hoo..........

"Snow" Day!

Actually, its an ice day, but the term snow day takes me back to childhood. He, he. You know, when the weather would get bad and you would wake up early. "Please let IISD (Irving Independent School District) be closed". And the happy dance that occurred when it was! And mom and dads across the city would groan....... I kind of felt that this morning (except I don't think my mom and dad really cared this time around :)). Our office only closes if the DISD closes. That was just the gauge they came up with -- I don't know why. The thing is, it seems like the DISD never closes. You just have to get your booty to school (and in my case, work). I am so close to the office that once it gets daylight and the ice melts, I can get in pretty easily. That is what I was planning to do today. I, for some reason, was wide awake at 4:30. Seriously, that was just annoying. But, i did get the notice that the school district was closed and could just turn off my alarm and head back to happy sleep land!!! I did check 4 sources to make sure it was true :).

Everything with the actual job is going well. Our new contract begin Feb 2. The benefits look good and I am getting a raise in pay. I won't complain because I need to appreciate the abundance I am getting right now. They do have tuition reimbursement and I am back in my "wanting to get some sort of degree or cert" mode. I am a dork, I realize this. Plus, I have CEUs I need to get to maintain that PHR I worked so hard on.

Now it is time for catching up on the DVR stuff! I wasn't able to this weekend and I have a few shows I need to watch :). Have a safe and warm day!!!

Thursday. No Title

Okay, remember yesterday when I said I assume my salary would stay the same, but I have to call the lady to find out. Well, I found out today that it won't be the same...... she is going to bump us up to get us the highest possible starting salary since it will be a new company. She hasn't called back with my new number, but, well, I can be bought :). I am still a little leery but I am sure it will all work out for the best. It has to because I said so :).

That is pretty much all for today. I am tired. Its been busy but that is good. I hate it when it is boring and slow. I only have a few more hours and then I can escape. It is such a beautiful day and I would much rather be outside playing in the sun. People around me are sick and so I am trying to stay away from them -- I DO NOT want whatever it is again. That was no fun!!! Have a wonderful Thursday. Bye!

Boo!

Okay, so everything is still good. Sierra and Simon haven't fought since their scuttle a few weeks ago. She is healing fine and has had no problems. I am still having to give her the antibiotics, but she is taking her medicine pretty well (its in liquid form. Easy breezy.) She does have to go back to the vet on Monday, but that is just a followup to make sure it is all going well.

Now the job.. oh the job. We know I am just so happy to be there. Hey, at least I have a job. I was told today however, that while I may still have a job, it will now be with a different company. They had to go with a smaller contract. I am going to assume my salary is still the same but I am calling the contact tomorrow. I have to complete an application. Yep, have to apply for my own job. Its a weird little situation but I am certain it will all work out for the best. I shall focus on the most important part, which is that I still have income and benefits. I am attending a networking happy hour tomorrow and will try to make some connections. Plus, hey, it will be fun to get out :).

Okay, "Lost" is on. I am watching a recap of the last 4 seasons. I haven't been watching and so I probably won't catch up or understand what the heck is going on. I have fallen in love with "How I Met Your Mother". Oh my, it is funny! Every time Neil Patrick Harris is on the screen, I laugh hysterically. And I loved Alyson Hannigan in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". I really wonder what took me so long to catch on to it. And it isn't complete complete mind crack like "Rock of Love" and "Real Housewives of Orange County". It has a point :).

Okay, later!

Poor Kitty!

I just brought Sierra home from the vet and she is not happy with me right now. I had to leave her at the vet today and I hate doing that! I was good though, I only called them 2x to check on her :). I guess she hit something Saturday night and split her nail so they removed it.

Poor thing is trying to figure how to walk, use the litter pan, and eat with this thing on her leg. That is food you see in the picture is what I put out next to her so she'd have something to munch on. Simon just wants to play with her and she wants nothing to do with him. I get this feeling she won't be moving much over the next 24 hours while the bandage is still on!

Cat Fight

Oh my goodness. I have no idea what has gotten into my two furbabies lately but they have been fighting and hissing on and off for the last few weeks. Well, last night, they got into a knock out, drag out fight! It was a pretty horrible sound. I break it up and notice a little scratch on Simon's nose. He wasn't bleeding but I decided I might need to check Sierra for any injuries too. Well, she was bleeding from her nail - I think somehow it broke in the fight. I cleaned her up and ran to PetsMart to get some feline first aid spray. I got her cleaned up and she wasn't bleeding anymore. She is fine today, just limping a little. So a trip to vet is going to be in order tomorrow. I decided that it wasn't an emergency and she isn't in pain so we can wait. She is chilling next to me on the couch and I am trying to keep Simon from messing with her. Although she can still knock him out, I am sure.

So that is it for now. It's been a low key weekend and I have totally enjoyed it! Have a great Sunday.

Finally feel alive!

I have been sick for the last few days and luckily this weekend I feel much better! Still somewhat stuffy, but since I can actually function, I am not going to complain. I really don't know why the cold hit me so hard. A lot of people have been sick, I just think the travel allowed my body to be a tad weaker and therefore I got hit hard. That is why you have had little insight into the fabulous trip to Cali :). They are mad I left my Texas germs but well, I am sorry they got sick. At least they got to see me :).

Here are a couple of pictures from Cali:

Chloe and me at Fairy Tale Town. Fairy Town Town is just what it sounds like, a place where all fairy tales come to life. There are little sections dedicated to certain fairy tales - Cinderella's Carriage, Sherwood Forest (with a great play set that we ran around on for 20 minutes!), and even the cheese, that stands alone. It is a great place for kiddos, right across the street from the zoo.

Dr. Chloe! The best doctor visit I had all December (and I had a few!). And she made sure I had several doctor's appointments, all in one day. Still, I got sick. Oh well :). My favorite part was that she always made sure I got a treat for being good during my appointment. However one time I didn't eat my candy cane in what she thought was the appropriate amount of time, and she ate it for me.......

The Christmas tree at my Aunt Gail's house. We really did cut back this year.......

Cheater....

I am back from Cali and it was awesome!!! I didn't get to spend as much time there but the time I did have was a lot of fun. I will reveal little stories over the next few posts and get some pics up once I download them. It will be kind of random as I remember them!

Now to explain the title of this blog... well, little Chloe, it turns out, likes to cheat at Candyland. Yes Candyland. We only played twice and she tried to cheat both times. It really made me laugh, but you can't let her get away with cheating, especially since it was so obvious. So I corrected her, she straightened up and then she decided the game was over. So she says to me "okay cheater you can pack the box". Okay, I kid you not, I laughed for a good 5 minutes. Her grandma (my Aunt Gail) was in the room when she said it and she laughed too. It was hard to explain to Chloe why I was laughing so much. I was relieved to find out her dad calls her cheater all the time too. (BTW, we never finished a game of Candyland. She has a shorter attention span than I do :)). I tell you what though, she is a genius child. And she is a total ham. I still have the "The Last Unicorn" stuck in my brain. (Another story)

The Nyquil is kicking in and I need to log off and lay down. I picked up some California germs and have been coughing like crazy for 2 days. I am fine for awhile and then just hit a coughing fit. So, I ran to CVS for Nyquil and am very happy now. I will tell you about the zoo, Fairy Tale Town and the winery at a later time!

Finally Warm

The heating in the building today was a little wonky and it was soooo cold in the office today. The bathroom on our floor was seriously too cold to use. I went to the first floor once I realized it was the warmest place. In our Regional Administrator's office, it registered 61 degrees. He is luckily out of the office and didn't have to endure it. I would guess that it was about 69 in my cube. Someone on the elevator asked if anyone worked for OSHA. Ha, ha. We told them we were suffering too. I hope tomorrow it is much better!

That is about it. I am getting ready for my trip to CA! Leave Wednesday and I can't wait. I made a trip to Target today for a few last minute things. The toy aisle was kind of nuts but the rest of the store really wasn't that bad. The check out lines weren't awful. I know had I gone Saturday, I would have tried to kill someone. It was a good thing I waited. Now I am just chilling. I am sore and tired. Ryan beat me up again tonight but I did get to hit the punching bag. We know I love that. Time to go lay down and read. Maybe dreamy land soon. Hopefully :).

Oops, Sorry!

I realized it has been awhile since i wrote anything. Not that I have been boring and sitting at home, I just haven't wanted to log in and think of anything to write. :) 1 week and I am off to CA. I can't wait. I only get 4.5 days there this year, but it will still be good. Mom and Dad will be there this year too, so it might just be like when I was younger and we'd go to visit Grandma and the family. Grandma is no longer with us but I know she is always there in Spirit. But I don't want to get all weepy and sentimental just yet in a blog post, so I will move on. I received Katie and Kenneth's Christmas card yesterday and it has picks of the kids. It is pretty much the cutest Christmas card ever :).

So, the big mystery for me now is where the heck my ice scrapper went. I didn't think I would need it so early (weird to say since it is Dec, but true) but alas, last night I get to the train station and my car is covered in ice. No ice scrapper. I sat in my car for a good 20 minutes just defrosting. I found some sort of scrappy thing however it wasn't as effective. The important part is that I got home safely. Now I have to go buy one for the next cold snap. This morning was fun too but I warned my boss I wasn't going to be in until about 9. More for the fact I needed to let the back window melt. Even if I was taking the train, I still needed to see to drive to the train station. And let me tell you, I am very glad I took the train. Even with just the little ice we got, there were accidents all over the place. It is foggy and cold and I guess it is good because it gets me in the Christmas mood. As long as I get where I need to be safely, I am good!

Okay, that is it for now. I need to get some stuff done. It is slow now that it is the end of the year, but I do have projects to work on.

Later!!! Stay warm :)>

3 Weeks and Counting.....

A little more than 3 weeks and I will be in CA. That also means it is about 3 weeks until Christmas. Since I refused to get in the Christmas spirit until after Thanksgiving, that means I have 3 weeks to sing and enjoy the season :). I just want to be with my extended family. Chloe hugs just cure all. I can't wait. I have a cat sitter and a ride to the airport, so I am all set. Just need to buy the kids' gifts, and ship them to CA. Thats easy..... Shopping online rocks! There is no way I am going to try to haul that stuff in my luggage. I will be lucky enough to get my own clothes in the suitcase without overflowing (dang it, just remembered I need to buy a new backpack to carry on the plane. I killed my zipper a few months ago and so it is pretty much non-functioning.....).

Okay rest time. Trivia is tonight and I want to be all refreshed and happy. Hopefully, this time we won't get last place (although, I kind of like getting the Pez...... It might be a Christmas one this time!)

Later! Have a good night :).

No Thanksgiving Football Miracle

A&M lost. :( I do have to admit that I thought tu would pull 60+ points but it ended up 49-9. Still bad but not as bad as I really thought. I got mad at the amount of flags A&M got. Seriously guys, those were stupid mistakes!!! Michelle was very sweet and didn't completely rub it in. Her last text was "You know I love you, but...". Yeah, I know.....

So now onto next season. We will come back, like a phoenix from the ashes, we will compete with the OUs, Texas', and Tech's. While it is nice to see the Big 12 South dominate the top 10, I would like A&M to be a part of it. Gig Em Aggies!!!!!

The food was awesome yesterday. My "friend" even said that my pumpkin pie was probably the best he ever tasted. It was pretty dang good. I love making Pumpkin Pie.... it is very easy to make and can be used to impress :). My Cooking Light recipes were very good as well. I have now found a great source of goodness. I did have some sink issues (clogged kitchen sink on Thanksgiving is probably not the best news there is! But hey, I still had water... I just have to wait to do dishes until tomorrow night.). I need to go to bed now. It is way too late (or early, depending on your perspective. He, he).

Bye for now.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

I am briefly on to say hi and Happy Thanksgiving. Mom and Dad are coming here for dinner and I have 2 more dishes to prepare. Just did the mashed potatoes and the pumpkin pie was made last night. Cooking Light Magazine has some great recipes -- I am using 3 of them this year. Goat Cheese Mashed potatoes. Oh my goodness, they are heaven. I don't think I used enough Goat Cheese though, but they still taste good. I am resisting the urge to nosh on them before the parents get here :).

Anyway, everyone have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving! And NOW we can start thinking about Christmas! And go Aggies!!! The A&M/tu game has been moved back to Thanksgiving and I am happy about that. My entire college career, we had that game Thanksgiving. I am not sure why they moved it -- but glad its back! Okay, now, let me clear things up.... I know we have had a challenging year, to say the least. But maybe, by some Thanksgiving miracle, we can pull an upset. Maybe....... I am just expecting us to show up to the game and show some Aggie pride. :). I will be rooting for my team though.

Back to cooking. Love it!!!

Top Chef!

Okay, so I was wanting to sew during Project Runway and now Top Chef is back on! I am going to be in a serious cooking mood soon. I recorded the season premiere and I am watching it now. Hopefully I can get into it and the new chefs. They are in NY and I am loving the backdrop of the show! I miss NY. I think it will take me a few shows to get my favorites in mind. It always takes a few episodes.

That is all. It is close to midnight (and something evil's lurking in the dark).... oh sorry, I channeled "Thriller" there for a second. Anyway, I really need to think about going to sleep now!

:(

Okay, I didn't expect A&M to actually beat OU. But, 3rd Quarter and OU is ahead 52 to 14. I guess to good news is that we scored....... It isn't over yet. I just expect more carnage now. Be nice Sooners. I rooted for you against Texas. (A&M just scored. 52 to 21. It was a beautiful run too!!!). Now, we might not pull off an upset -- but still watching and rooting for my Ags. There is talent there. We have to rebuild! As long as we stay somewhat proportionate to their growing score, I will be happy. GIG EM Aggies!!!

Has anybody watched "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" on Bravo? I avoided TRHW of Orange County and New York. But I have gotten SUCKED into these Atlanta Housewives. The drama is amazing. I highly doubt these ladies actually represent real Housewives anywhere. But it is such mind candy, I can't look away. They are replaying the marathon on Bravo today and I flipped over during halftime. Its a trainwreck. It's over the top. And it is kind of fun.

Well, f***. In the time I started this post, OU scored a few more times. 66 to 21 now. Still 3rd Quarter. I might need to hit my mind candy for a few minutes......

Everyone have a great Saturday.

Word of Advice

So, when you are changing the litter boxes and you must take a break from this task for a brief moment, you should put the lid back on the bucket of Fresh Step (or whatever brand you are using). If you don't, you shouldn't be surprised when your little one decides that he wants to use this very fresh litter to pee. Even when there is a completely clean litter box just inches away in the bathroom.

I haven't laughed that hard in a few days.

Everyone have a great weekend!

Vote!

You are going to read it everywhere, so no big long speech about it. I just voted and it feels pretty dang awesome. I swear, there is something about putting that ballot in the machine. I was going to do it this morning and the line was super long. Now, I don't mind the lines for voting, but I would have been waiting outside, in heals, and really, this is no time to be a martyr. I knew I could get off early, go back home, change into sweats for the wait. I had no wait, 5 minutes, in and out. I can guess though that the line will get longer as people get off work. But who cares. This is our right and responsibility as an American Citizen. This is our voice. I just heard that 537 votes decided the election in 2000. So, if you don't think your vote counts, you are wrong. (Did I say at the beginning I wasn't going to do a speech? well, I said long speech, so.... :)).

Have a great day!

Jury Duty and other random stuff

I had jury duty today. I got a lot of reading done...... Actually, I was sent to another court off of I 30 (Justice of the Peace) and it was supposed to be a small claims case. It ended up being postponed because the lady (representing herself) wanted a change in venue. And he had to give it to her based on some law in Texas code that I can't tell you because I am not a lawyer. So, we were dismissed. I will say I did get some work done at the main court house, just a little, but hey, I was proud of myself!

I have Ryan in an hour. We keep having to reschedule but tonight I plan to get my booty kicked. I need it. Maybe I should go early and get some cardio in. I need to look into Krav again. It is good cardio, I need that outlet, and truthfully, I think it will make me feel stronger. The ability to kick someone's a** is such a good reason start!!

My trip to CA has been scheduled. I get to go Dec 24. I can't wait. I have seen pics of Colby and Skyler and can't wait to meet them. And I get to take Ms. Chloe to the zoo (at least I hope I do!) and I can't wait for the cuteness that is Chloe. Oh, yeah, and I get to see the rest of the family :).

Later!

Baby News!

Skylar Addison Younger was born yesterday afternoon! Congrats to my cousin Kelly and her husband George. I saw the pictures, she is a cutie. I believe she was 7 lbs and 19 inches long. Now I have two babies to visit -- have to get my act together and get some plane tickets to CA!!!

I am just chilling today. I am currently watching the Texas A&M/ Tech Game. I am not going to jinx it with commentary. They just started the 2nd Quarter. I am waiting for Mia and then we are going to head out and find a place to watch it. Okay, off we go!

Later!


update: Dang it..... Tech pulled thru and beat A&M.....

Stuff From Around

There is a thing in the Federal Government called the Combined Federal Campaign. This is yearly thing and they give you a book load of charities that you can donate to (payroll deductions if you chose. I can't do that though since my paycheck does not come from the government. At least not directly.). There are plenty of charities to chose from as well (anyone heard of the International Potato Center? Yep, that is an actual charity. Promotes sweet potatoes for vitamin A in Africa. Learn something new everyday!). I do have a point for bringing this all up, I promise! Today, in order to promote animal charities, there was a small 'open house' for lack of a better word. And people, they brought puppies!!!! Puppy kisses in the middle of the day at work is the best thing ever! Actually, having kittens there would have just made it heaven but I understand why they chose not to bring them. A lady was giving a demonstration with a yellow lab who was trained as a guide/helper dog. This dog was gorgeous! And it was amazing to see what he could do. There was even an apparatus the dog could pull to help open heavy doors. There was also baby chihuahuas and a couple of other mutts. I was very happy playing with the dogs, even if it was only a few minutes.

That is about it for today. It was Bosses Day so we went to Thai food and I am still stuffed. Love that stuff. My cousin Kelly went into labor about 2 or 3 hours ago so I should be announcing her baby's birth soon. Hopefully she has a smooth labor, especially since this is her first kiddo.

Everyone have a great evening!

???

So, do babies need legwarmers and toddlers yoga mats??? Target seems to think so. I am looking up baby gifts for this family growth spurt we are experiencing and I swear, they have some of the most interesting items for the wee ones. They do have some of the cutest items though. I might have a hard time picking!

The week is good so far. I got called to Jury Duty on Oct. 30. I don't even get to go to a different location in the city. I can see the Court House from my office window. But it is the first time I am actually doing jury duty at this location (several courthouses across Dallas. I usually end up at the one by the jail). I have no idea where to go, etc. I know I have time! Just writing/thinking out loud.

Okay, time for lunch. I am very hungry! Later!

Welcome Colby Elizabeth Durham!

My cousin Katie (Chloe's mom) had her second baby yesterday morning around 1:45 AM. She is so beautiful. And very big! The kid was 9 lbs 8.5 ounces. That just hurts thinking about it. Anyway, congrats to Kenneth and Katie (and of course big sister Chloe :)).

That's it -- ready for the weekend!

Kim

The Week in a paragraph

Well, maybe more than a paragraph.....

Last Tuesday I went to trivia with Taylor and well, we didn't do to well! Last place. I now have a Piglet Pez dispenser (the prize for last place). We really were just there to have a few beers and chat, so our -4 points really didn't phase us. Yeah, -4! He, he. I don't think I actually got any of the questions right. There is nothing like Bar Trivia to make you feel like an idiot :)>. It was good to see Taylor though -- hadn't seen him in a long time.

Last Wednesday, I had the migraine from heck. I stayed at work but really should have gone home to sleep. I had to teach an Aqua class that night too and was trying to feverishly find a sub for my sub gig. No luck. So, the headache somewhat subsided and I taught anyway. You know, it wasn't half bad actually. I did end up reconnecting with someone I lost touch with and that has been nice. No details now, but I am happy this person is back in my life.

Thursday and Friday were pretty much business as usual and the weekend was good. Saturday I did my volunteer voter registration drive at the Planned Parenthood in Garland. It is a low traffic clinic and I actually was only able to register 2 people (everyone else was already registered to vote, which was good). So, while it was kind of disappointing, I did at least get 2 people registered. That is two more than before! So, anyway, the deadline to register to vote for the Nov 4th election is OCT 6!!! Remember!!

This week so far has been pretty good. I am caught up on sleep, I am catching up on the DVR recordings and I am happily waiting for my friend to come over. Everyone have a great evening!!!

Monday, bleh

Allergies are kicking my booty today. I did discover that Tylenol Sinus Severe medicine is the greatest thing ever. Love the stuff.

I went to register today as a Volunteer Deputy Registrar. I can register people to vote. Yes, there is a reason I went to do this! I am volunteering this weekend at a Voter Registration Drive. I am very excited - it is one way to help get out the vote (for whomever you chose to vote for!!). The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 4 election is October 6. So, if you haven't done so, go and register. If you need any info, just let me know. I have a list of the registration offices for other counties (I can only register people who live in Dallas County). This website is very helpful for those registered in Dallas County: http://www.dalcoelections.org/. So, no matter the candidate of your choice, you must get registered and more importantly, you must actually go vote! (I was given all sorts of information - early polling locations, etc - so if you have any questions, please ask!!) And I will definitely let you know how the voter registration drive goes this weekend. It is a non-partisan event, which is actually a good thing.

"The Office" is back on the Thursday!!! I can't stand how excited I am :). Don't try to call 8-9 pm on Thursday. You know I won't answer! And "Grey's Anatomy" comes back too. I can't wait to see what happens with Meredith and Derek. I never thought I'd care about them, but I really do :).

Have a great evening! (I got my sewing machine yesterday so time to get started on a project! Halloween is coming up, so we will see what I can make for that.)

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy Birthday Mom! Have a great day :)>.

The Weekend is Over. Bleh.

I saw Mama Mia today at the Bass Hall in Fort Worth today. It was still awesome. Loved it!!! And the cast was great. I will be singing "Dancing Queen" at least until Wednesday :). Thanks for taking me Mom!

I found this kitty video over on Cuteoverload. It is good for a laugh or two. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG_IcgVb-WM

Everyone have a great Sunday night!!!

Note to Channel 5

Um, the storm isn't that bad in the DFW area. You don't need to keep doing weather coverage at the expense of showing "Chuck". Thank you, that is all. I am sure there was nothing on before to delay the news coverage. They are just doing overkill.

On the brighter note, it is so nice outside. Love the wind and rain and happy coolness it brought :).

Good night.

Friday night chill out

Don't worry, I did go out tonight. I just got back pretty early. I am sitting here at 11:30 watching CNN and the Hurricane coverage. I don't know why, but Ike is scaring the bejeebies out of me!!! This hurricane just seems like it is getting bigger and bigger. I mean, we are even supposed to feel the winds and rain in Dallas tomorrow. That is a big ass storm. I don't even remember following Katrina this closely. Maybe because of Katrina I am more intrigued, I don't know. I just know I am following it a lot more. I just pray that the damage and devastation they predict coming, doesn't. But this darn storm looks like an angry Pacman wanting to eat up Texas and LA. Good luck and God keep safe the folks on the Texas Coast!!! We have an office in Corpus and two in Houston so I hope those employees got out or at least hunkered down well. I guess we will find out next week.

Sarah Palin. Geesh. I still don't think this woman is qualified to be VP. I think I am more qualified to be VP. I really think she is fascinating and I would love to meet her. She would be fun to debate and just talk to over a drink in a bar. But the lady does not need to be a heart beat away from the presidency. And I seem to meet people who love her. Man, I don't like arguing (well, not twice in one day, which I did today :)). But, the idea that Tina Fey will play her on SNL just makes me giddy. Tina Fey is one truly talented woman and I love everything she does. That will be awesome.

Okay, back to CNN and the Weather Channel. Really nothing interesting happened this week. It was long and I am glad its Friday. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend. I get to go see "Mama Mia" on the stage again with my mom on Sunday! Can't wait. It will be fun.

Weekend Wrap up

Nothing too big happened this weekend. I went for a facial yesterday, slept a lot and watched scary movies on the Sci Fi Channel. I ended up getting sucked into one called "Unrest". The lead looked like Britney Spears. It wasn't a bad movie, not Oscar worthy for sure! It had an interesting premise but like any cheesy scary movie, had major holes.

All in all it was a good weekend. I got a lot of sleep and that was one of the goals! There are no huge stories to tell :). Yeah, I guess I need to schedule the delivery of my sewing machine so I can start sticking myself with needles :).

Everyone have a great week!!!

No Title

No Krav tonight. I did bills today and realized, if I wanted to eat, I might need to start next pay period. So the week of the 15th, I promise, a report of the butt whiping people will get. Trust me, I will probably still be in "Kick you in the head mode".

Now off to search sewing projects on-line. I am obsessesed :)>.

Happy Thursday! Good night.

Happy Wednesday

I have decided to learn how to sew. I think it is all these Project Runway episodes. Mom has a sewing machine I am going to take from my parent's house. She said Dad will be very happy :). We'll see where this experiment goes. I really need curtains and hey, might as well try it out on that. People, I don't even have a needle in my apartment, so this will be fun!!!

I am going to Krav tomorrow. I swore to Ryan I would go -- and while he won't kill me if I don't go, I made a promise to try it out. I will report back tomorrow. This past week has produced some "I want to kick you in the head" moments and I need an outlet. Yoga would not do it this time. I don't need calming, I need kicking in a controlled, productive environment.

"America's Next Top Model" started tonight. I am interested to see where this season goes with Isis, the first Transgendered contestant. And it is really my guilty pleasure. I love this show. I have to study the girls and see who my favorite is, although my girl always gets kicked off early on. Maybe I shouldn't root for someone.

Lets see, these are the most random things I can think of right now. I am too tired to write anything on Ms. Palin. Not sure what she brings to the table. I am all for a woman in office, we all know that. I won't be voting for McCain, but I am willing to research her more to find out what he saw in her. I just hope it wasn't because she had boobs.

Good night and special thoughts and prayers to my friend and her family tonight. When the time is right, I will reveal more, but now is not it. God knows who is in need of the prayers. He will take it from there.

I'm Here

Life is still good in the land of Kim. I still rock and I am still pretty happy :). I made it back from lunch before the rain started again. This weather has been pretty nice. I really like walking to the Bank of America building without fear of bursting into flames. I know it won't last but I am enjoying a few days of somewhat cool weather before we ride out the rest of summer.

Tonight I am playing poker at the Tipp Inn. I love that place but I hardly ever go play there on Wednesday night. Something always comes up. Well, tonight I am going. I am so bad at playing but I probably would get better if I actually made an effort to go and consistently play. I am in HR, I know how to bluff :)>. I am usually not the first one out, so I find that to be an encouraging sigh.

Okay, back to work. I was on my lunch break and now I need to get some work done. Woohoo. I'd rather daydream about cute new boy. But I can do that between projects. :)

I kind of rock :)

My first Aqua class was a success. I had fun teaching it and I think they enjoyed it. Jen and Mia came to the class and I am so glad they did. I was going into someone else's class and I loved having that moral support. Once I got going, man, I loved it. Genius me left my notes for the class on the kitchen counter but luckily I had reviewed them enough to know the flow of what I wanted to do. And to tell the truth, it was rush :). Okay, I am tired and want to go to sleep. It's been a long day!

One of the Best Weekends on Record!

I know I am a few days late on reporting, but hey, better late than never.

Mia and I went to dinner after yoga on Friday night and I just wanted low key and easy. We ended up going to the Humperdinks around the corner from me. We sit down and are soon approached by a nice man who asks us to join he and his friend for dinner. We decided to just eat at our table and then join them for a drink at the bar. They finished first and parked it at our table while we were finishing up. We ended up chatting with the guys and well, come to find out these guys are nice and our initial approacher actually had the hots for me. Woo hoo :). The more I talked to him, the more I liked him. So, based on that I gave the stranger my phone number :). We went to dinner the next night and ended up talking for hours. And then I hung out at the pool with him on Sunday. I got a tad too much sun but it was still a lot of fun! No news on the next date, but I do see us going out again. If we do, I will reveal more tidbits about him :). Mia thought he was nice so that counts for something.

Tonight I am working on my Aqua routine. I think since it is the first class, I am a little nervous but I know it will be great. I am the teacher, it is my class, I need to just keep my energy up and love it for them. But, yeah, I am still nervous. It has also been along time since I was hired till now. Just guess I never thought it would come. I am still just a sub, but hey, its a start!!! I can tell you there will be a lot of cardio and a lot of core :).

Ryan announced a contest for his clients for the month of Sept. It will include him too. So, I will want to beat him and therefore I will totally stick to my workout and eating schedule. There is a diet that Christian Bale did for the Batman movie that he and another client will be following. I am actually going to look it up too and just modify it to my portion and calorie needs. I will definitely share it once I look it up and get it started! I am looking forward to this all. It is something I need to mix things up.

Okay, well this post is kind of long so I will end it now. Plus, I need to make sure I have my plan of attack for the class tomorrow night. And the endorphins from working out will wear off soon and I will be sleepy in a minute.

My DVR makes a statement

So, I am not sure what comes on when during the Olympic coverage so I decided to just set my DVR to record it all and I would just watch and delete what I wanted. Or so I thought. The first time I tried to set it, my DVR went crazy and my cable went out. Yep, I know it was just a coincidence, but dang it was funny timing. Who knew the DVR was so political??

I hope everyone is having a great Friday. Now it is time to go get ready for yoga class. I think a Friday yoga class is perfect for me. I tend to get pretty high strung by the end of the week and the relaxation is good for me. This needs to become a habit (I did it last Friday too).

Later!

Forgot to mention

I accidentally turned my hair dark. I was trying to color my hair on my own. Well, I ended up with a reddish, brown looking color. I kind of like it -- and my head isn't orange. I think once this wears off though I will get it professionally done. And I might just stay in the red family. I kind of like it. :)

Is it Friday yet???

Howdy! Just checking in to say hi. I saw "The Mummy 3" last night. I would recommend it as a DVD rental. That's all I am going to say. It was cool to see the Chinese locations and the Terra Cotta soldiers (all a part of the plot) but yeah, I don't really remember the first 2 being that cheesy. Maybe I need to see them again. "Mamma Mia" on the other hand was awesome!!! I loved the musical on Broadway and I thought the movie just nailed it. It was very fun and I enjoyed it. I did want to get up on the chair and sing "Dancing Queen". It actually took all I had not to make a fool of myself. I know Mom would have probably enjoyed that though :).

Speaking of Chinese locations, it is pretty cool to see all the Olympic coverage of the Beijing Games. I am not really into the Olympics but I do watch an event every once in awhile. Matt Lauer was at the Summer Palace yesterday and it was so pretty. I miss that place. It was absolutely breathtaking when I was there. This picture really doesn't do it justice! I think you might see a lot of pictures of China over the next few weeks in this blog :).

Okay time to go. I am very tired and I plan to get to bed early. I am being a bum, I know. I needed to clean, but I am just kind of tired this week. So, goodnight!!

Howdy!

My cube neighbor is "singing". Yes, those are sarcastic quotes......

Everything is going very well. I am actually in a very good mood today. Could be the drugs :). He, he, just kidding Mom and Dad (and the DEA).

I hope everything is going well. Jon made it to Korea okay. So, now the question is, "will I actually go visit"? Hum. We'll see. Denver will be a lot easier to visit on a weekend trip, but I wouldn't be opposed to another Asia trip in the next year. Oh and Michelle is doing fine as well. I talked to her Tuesday night.

Okay, time to go. I just wanted to check in and say hi. I need to get some stuff knocked out this afternoon so time to go :).

Later!

Awesome Film!

The Dark Knight was actually everything I thought it would be and it was pretty amazing. I will say it could have been a little shorter, but other than that it was great. Heath Ledger completely transformed into the Joker and it was mesmerizing to watch. It is very sad that we will never be able to see anything like that from him again (that did make the experience a bit sad). Christian Bale delivered like I thought he would, the rest of the cast was great. The stunts were great. It was just great!!!!!

Jon and I went to see it at the Studio Movie Grill. We got there about 30 minutes early, but we should have made it even earlier! We had to sit in the last row. It was that or the first row. Considering where we were sitting, I could see just fine. Now, some people thought they could get there 15 minutes before hand and have a great seat in the middle. Like Midget woman (okay, she wasn't actually a midget but she was very short.....). This woman complained LOUDLY -- I almost offered to let her sit on my lap...... thank goodness the manager found them a better seat so she could see. Seriously, they were having to lift her chair to see above everyone. I love being tall :). And the servers kept trying to give us other tables' food (and vice versa). But, other than that, it was a pretty good time. I got the right bill and I guess that is all that matters, right.

SO today I am just chilling. We have having dinner tonight at Cafe Istanbul for Jon's going away dinner. I haven't eaten there in awhile -- it is very yummy food! I worked out with Ryan today so all my calories have been burned off. (Actually that really isn't far off, based on my calorie counter, I popped out about 800 in an hour with him. But that is only because we kept my heart rate up during the session).

Everyone have a great day!!!

In anticipation of The Dark Knight

I am seeing this movie in one hour. I already have tickets. Jon and I are going to check it out and I can't wait. I don't think I have been this happy about a movie since SATC. Christian Bale in ANYTHING is fabulous. He is truly an awesome actor. I look forward to giving my review. :)

I hope everyone has had a great Saturday!!!

Later :-)

I'm Home

I got in around noonish today and promptly came home and took a nap. I was rather tired but I did have to get up early to get ready to head to the airport at 7:30. That and I will take any excuse to take a nap :).

My meeting went very well and it was nice to get out of the office. I did get to actually go into downtown this time and Chicago is a beautiful place. Wednesday after the meeting, a group of us staying at the same hotel decided to hire a cab to check out downtown. Normally, without traffic, we were about 45 minutes from downtown. It took us 70 minutes with traffic (we weren't near a train station so don't ask why we didn't take the train!). I was hungry, tired and I had a headache so the cab ride was a little more than I wanted to do at that time. Once we got into the city, I found some Tylenol and actually began to feel better. We only had a short time so we just went to Navy Pier and hung out there. It was so nice and the weather was perfect. I even got a little chilly!!! I have some pictures on my cell phone so I will download them and post. I really fell in love with that place and will definitely go back when I have more than 3 hours and only one spot to see!!! Navy Pier was fun. I can only imagine what the rest of the city is like.

Last night I just had dinner with the ladies near the hotel and then I called it a night. Nothing too exciting but the food was pretty good. My plane ride today was awesome too. I had the emergency exit so there was plenty of leg space. Oh and when I got home, Simon just talked up a storm. Now that is what I expect from him when I get home!!!

Now I am just chilling. It was a good business trip but I am glad to be home. :). Have a great weekend!

I apparently have an accent....

I am in Chicago today for business (thru Friday). I never get to go anywhere for work, so I am kind of liking this getting paid to be out of town stuff. I do admit though, I am a stressed traveler. From the car at DFW to my hotel in the target city, I am a freaking mess. I have no idea why. It is a part of who I am, I just learn to live with it. I know the cats are well taken care of, the office isn't going to burn down without me and Dallas will still be there when I get back. I just can't relax. I am sooooo OCD when it comes to travel. It doesn't help that Chicago O'Hare Airport is like DFW on crack. I swear. Maybe it is because I have been to DFW many times and O'Hare only twice, but it totally stressed me out. It doesn't help that they tell me baggage claim is at the wrong carousal! Don't get me wrong, I love Chicago. There are very nice people here. Its just me!!!

I finally got to the hotel, settled in, actually went to work out (where does all that nervous energy go - the treadmill!!!) and then I decided I needed to eat something. My hotel has no room service. Free wireless, yes. Room service, no.... Now, my favorite thing about the hotel stay is room service, especially if my company is paying for it. Luckily there are many restaurants near the Courtyard. So, off I go, on foot (I have no car!). I find this place called Ted's Montana Grill. Okay, this place is AWESOME. I only had the veggie platter and was blown away. I can't imagine what the other stuff tasted like. I sat at the bar because that is where I feel comfortable as a single gal traveling alone! I don't really talk to the bartender, just to order and some pleasantries. But at some point he pipes in with, "Well maybe its because you are a Texan". Um, huh!!!??? I haven't told him where I am from, there is no sign on me that says, "Hi, I am an out of towner". I am texting a friend who says it might have been the "y'all". Ohhhh, yes, might have said that a few times. :) It tends to sneak its way in.....

It is so nice here at night. I was walking back from Ted's and it is so cool outside. Even in the "heat" of the day, it feels pretty good. Probably because there is no humidity here. I wish I could sleep with my windows open!

Okay, that is it. Have a great night and I will hopefully post again later. You know, since I have free wireless at this hotel :).

Howdy

Wow, a major holiday has come and gone and I haven't posted. Hmmm. Nothing really exciting has happened but thought I would check in and say hi. I am still alive, so its all good :). Oh, went to see "Get Smart" last night. It was very, very cute! I laughed thru the whole thing. It was a good time.

Well, that's it for tonight. Good night!

:(

I just got back from helping Michelle pack up her apartment. Like, all in boxes and headed to the trailer to leave for Denver. Tomorrow. Yes, she still had a lot to pack up when I got there but I won't focus on that. :). I did get some dresses, tops and the entire contents of her freezer since really, it won't keep on the drive there. I won't have to go grocery shopping for awhile. When I left, they were still going too (her mom, step dad and step brother were over there too). I think we were too busy to get all weepy but I am sure it will come. Even if we aren't in the same city. It is a huge deal for her and I am proud she is taking this leap. Her mom asked me if I found a job in Denver yet... don't laugh, you never know :).

In other news, I finally got everything set up paperwork wise at 24 Hour Fitness so I am OFFICIAL!!! Woohoo. I can start teaching classes. And my first one might just be on Monday night. The gal who got me into it needs a sub. I told her I would figure it all out and be her sub. There are systems I need to log into. So, I will do that asap. I was tired when I got home tonight so I figured I needed to chill some.

Later! Have a great night :)>.

Check in!

I am alive and well :). Just been busy. Last week I don't think I was home in the evenings. It was all fun but this week I plan to have some down time.

This past weekend was very good! Jen's birthday gathering was Saturday at Angela's fabulous house. I love their backyard, its an Oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city. I spent a good amount of time out there and it was nice to just relax, hang out with friends and just chill. And I got a little sun, which is always good (I had major sunscreen on so no crispy Kimmie).

Okay, more chill time is needed tonight :). I want to be super lazy. I did work out with Ryan so I got that taken care of :). Later!

Jon took this picture when I was at work one day. It is pretty cute and Simon's face makes me laugh.

Weekend Wrap-up

I had a great weekend, until Sunday night. Saturday, I rested by the pool with a friend (got a little burned but other than that, it was a blast). Sunday I went to help Michelle pack. She isn't moving until June 27th so she has plenty of time. Sometime this week, I am going to be going through the clothing that she won't be taking with her to Denver. :) I hope there is a certain black top in the giving away pile :).

Now the Sunday night ickiness. Something happened I just got super sick. Icky, gross sick where I didn't want to move!!! I am actually home today. I happened to have a doctor's appointment to follow up on the allergies from a month ago so I brought up the icky, don't want to move illness. It might have been a bad reaction to some aspirin I took yesterday but whatever it is, she said just to take it easy and eat bland food. Yummy.

I did get good news at the start of the illness (which meant I wasn't able to do my happy dance). I finally heard from 24 Hour Fitness on my audition last week (i didn't mention it because it was actually not the best day of the year). They want me to join the team! I have some paperwork I have to complete, an application, all that fun stuff. However, it is just one step towards this goal. I will be teaching Aqua -- eventually I will actually do cycling, since I have that cert. But, now I am finally feeling better and I can get excited about it.

Well, I am going to try to eat my faux chicken soup and get some more rest! Later.....

Happy Kitty Picture

I was downloading some photos and thought this was a cute one of Simon. He just looks very happy in the sun!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!! They have been married 37 years!!!

Eh

Well, Lisa stayed. I know everyone just wanted to know that. At least she didn't have to cook rice last night. And she wasn't completely nasty either so I did feel bad about blog bashing her. :).

I just got back from the gym so I am chilling. Zumba and then Yoga. My body was actually not happy during yoga. I hadn't done it in FOREVER and I was very tight and inflexible. Some muscles did not want to go into the positions. But I got thru it and all is good!

The Style Channel is airing the red carpet from the SATC premiere in NYC. So, I am going to finish watching that. It looks fun and I wish I had been there!! How fun would that have been - premiere at Radio City Music Hall!!! And Giuliana Ranic from eonline is giving the interviewees SATC trivia. I seem to be getting them right. Maybe I was a little obsessed with that show :)

Good night!

No title

I can't think of anything creative for the title! And I am trying. Oh well. It is Wednesday and my brain wants some rest. :).

SATC premieres this weekend. I have not been this excited about a movie in, well, I can't remember how long!! We are seeing it Saturday. Yes, Friday would have been even better but schedules make Saturday the best time. I will try to avoid any and all spoilers Saturday afternoon. I usually don't mind spoilers but this is different. I want to go in with a clean slate. I just pray we aren't disappointed. That many women pissed off though -- I doubt the producers want that. So, I think we are guaranteed a good movie!!!

Top Chef is down to the final five. Lisa has to go. That woman can't make rice. The last two episodes she has messed up the rice. Even I can make rice. If she doesn't go home tonight, I will be very disappointed. Her attitude stinks, she can't seem to make a dish the judges like and really, to make it this far is just beyond comprehension!!! (and, well, she always seems to mess up the dang rice!!!)

Okay good night!!!

Bad News and Good News all rolled into one

I got a call last night from Michelle who had some great work news. She is getting a promotion at work -- she will now be an Assistant Manager. yay! In Denver! Um, crap. It is a great opportunity for her and well, I will get to visit Denver a lot now. Its an easy plane ride. She leaves in about 3 weeks.

Everybody have a great Tuesday.

Happy Birthday Michelle!

Today is Michelle's birthday! Oh, to be 27 again :). I will grab her sometime this week and take her to Zushi Sushi for dinner. Her Mom understandably gets her today :).

This weekend has been pretty good. Yesterday I took a self defense class held at Ryan's Krav studio. To say I am sore is an understatement (well, I also worked out with him today, so that kind of helps with the soreness). Ryan was the man in the attack suit and I got to get in some kicks and hits on him. I never want to see him in that suit again though -- it was just freaky looking! In the final exercise, we had to stand and let him attack us and try to get out of it. For some reason, he decided to bear hug me to the ground and let me fight him some more. Gesh, thanks. I did learn I really do like to kick and punch -- I might have to take some beginner Krav courses -- and its good cardio too. It was a very good course though and I learned a lot. He said they might be holding more of those types of seminars. Anybody in the Dallas area interested, i would be more than happy to pass on the info!!

The rest of this Sunday is going to be chill. I am tired and my neck hurts (gee, I wonder why. Being pulled to the ground doesn't really help..... :)). I have a movie to watch and The Office to watch again!!! Have a great day !!

Office Thursday!!!

The Season Finale of the Office was on tonight. It was wonderful! It did not disappoint :). The final scene just totally blew my mind and I actually called who was getting engaged (come on, it was tooooooo easy to have Jim propose to Pam. They were leading us to think that. Not so fast, my favorite writers!!!). Don't get me wrong, I want them to be together but they aren't going to have them engaged so early. Pam broke my heart with her talking head though. Jenna Fischer is still my favorite actress and this once again proved why :). Now I have to wait until Sept to find out what happens!!! Man, o man.

I had a fun workout tonight - I did the 24 Hour Dance and Zumba class (30 min each). My feet are killing me but I had so much fun. I can't imagine how this woman has as much energy as she does. She teaches an hour core and abs class BEFORE the dance class and then she teaches yoga afterwards. And she was like the energizer bunny! Behka is a wonderful teacher and I hope to emulate her when I finally get hired on to 24 Hour!!! Okay, so I can't actually teach dance (if you saw me today, you would have LAUGHED!!! But it was still fun :)). But I can bring her energy and drive to my formats.

Okay, I am tired now. Time for bed! Hope everyone has a great evening and a fabulous Friday!!

Oh, and congrats to my cousins Kelly and Katie. Both are pregnant and recently found out they are both having girls!! Chloe is gonna have a baby sister :). They are both due in October -- kind of fun timing huh :).

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to not only my momma, but to all moms out there! Jon and I made mom a lunch -- I don't get to cook enough and it just seemed like a fun idea. I made a lasagna which I thought was pretty good. The top layer was a crispy treat, but the rest was nice and moist and tasted pretty yummy (again, really, my own personal opinion :)).

Okay, I was getting a little stressed thinking that I was going to have to get ready for a spin audition on May 14. Today I just was thinking I am not ready!!! I don't have the cycle shoes, the windscreen (the cover for the microphone, I had no idea what it was before!), or even the actual ride (among other things)! I have an idea but it wasn't coming together quick enough. I got an email today and there is an audition date on May 31. That gives me plenty of time! And I don't have to take the day off work. (Which, truthfully, I might just take that day off anyway....... Its already on the books!) Or, I could audition for Aqua Wednesday and then just go back for cycling May 31. I plan to do Aqua primarily if they will let me. I just want to sub cycling (so, yeah, I shouldn't be so nervous about that then, huh???).

Besides that, nothing super duper big is going on. Life is good, last week was just hectic and stressful. I had some long hours at work and would come home tired. I am thinking that is why I am so exhausted this weekend! I want to be well rested come tomorrow, so off I go. Plus, I need to do my nails. They are looking very ragged. :(

Have a great evening!!

Why Allergies?

Seriously. I am still suffering. It seems like its been forever. I had another asthma attack last night -- enough to get out the darn rescue inhaler. Not enough to be transported anywhere or fear for my life. I guess I am lucky in that case. I don't need a breathing machine or trips to the ER. I got no sleep last night and a trip to my doctor today. It is amazing how quickly you can get an appointment when you say, "hey, I can't breathe." I did go to work today even though I got zilch in the sleep department. My doctor gave me a steroid shot (I've been jittery all day because of it) and some new inhalers. At least I like my doctor enough to not hate a trip to her office (although the last test she ordered did result in a sonogram and a biopsy and some undue stress.....). She got me squared away, and back to work I went. I still had stuff I had to get done. I may not have been able to breathe but I didn't feel HORRIBLE........ I feel so much better now. I had to chill tonight. I was supposed to work out with Ryan but the decision was that even if I did feel better, it would be stupid to just irritate it again. So I will feel better tomorrow and work out extra hard then. I can tell my body it will just be :).

Other than that, everything is pretty cool. My brother moved into my second bedroom and is convinced my cats hate him. They hide during the day when I am at work. I tell him they hide from me during the day too. I am starting to get into the studies for my Group Fitness Cert. The first chapter is Exercise Physiology. It is blowing my mind. I love to learn how the body functions but this is so much technical information. I am sure I will get it, it will just take time! After Chapter 3, I will be fine.

Okay, it is still kind of early but I am going to bed. My body needs some more rest. And it is going to force it upon me no matter how much I want to stay awake.

Have a wonderful Tuesday night!

The end of the weekend!

Well, I guess I shouldn't have a happy exclamation point since that means tomorrow is Monday. And that means back to work. But hey, it was a good weekend.

Friday night I was going to stay in and take it easy. And then Michelle called. You know I am going to get into all sorts of trouble with her. We went to dinner at my coworkers new restaurant. He opened a sushi restaurant with his parents and it was actually very good. We were all about the Ahi Tower. It had a nice spiciness that was just perfect. If you are in the mood for a good sushi place in Dallas, let me know and I will get you the pertinent info! His opening the restaurant is why I get to learn Project Manager skills. When he isn't in the office, the others on our project come to me. It is so nice :).

Saturday, Jon and I went to see "The Wedding Singer" at the Dallas Summer Musicals. It was very cute -- not the best musical I have ever seen but it was funny and very entertaining. Plus the 80's references were great. It was set in 1985 so it was perfect timing for me to remember all the references they were throwing out. Now I have the urge to go see the movie again.........

Sunday was just Sunday. I was supposed to go to a rape seminar today but it was cancelled. Never fear, Ryan still teaches me self defense techniques. He said they will reschedule and he will let me know when. He did, however, beat me during our session today. So, really, it was probably a good thing the seminar was cancelled -- my arms were shaking and I don't think I could have thrown anybody off me during the afternoon. I am gonna be sore tomorrow, I am sure of it. I did get to use the punching bag today. Yep, I was excited. I had no aggression to get out today but I still felt great afterwards. :) So when I am actually mad, it will be even better!

Everybody have a great evening and a wonderful Monday tomorrow. I am going to try -- you know, since it is Monday and all :).

Crazy Kitty and the Return of the Office

The Office has returned!!! Yes, first things first :). It ended about 35 minutes ago. I need to watch it again. Not tonight because I am getting a headache, but yes, I will watch it again. I felt it was a very good return for my beloved series and I expect it to only get better. I missed it more than I truly thought :). And, yes, I know it is a TV series.

Now to the crazy kitty. As most everyone knows there were some horrible storms that blew thru Dallas early this morning. Simon, oh my darling Simon decided to take this time to go even crazier than normal. He jumped on my head, crawled on my chest, meowed like a crazy cat. When he finally settled down, he just looked at me like "hey, when are you going to stop all this noise?". Sierra was just chilling, like normal, in the living room. My part of town didn't seem to have as much damage as other areas, which really surprised me. It sounded like the wind was beating down my bedroom window! I didn't see blue lightening like Jen did though. Kind of wished I had -- I never knew there was such a thing!

Other updates -- they have postponed auditions at 24 Hour Fitness for instructors so that is on hold for about a month. That actually helps me out a lot. And there is nothing to say I can't go o to the YMCA or someplace else to get a job. I would be able to easily pop out an Aqua audition but Indoor Cycling still needs work.

I am very happy tomorrow is Friday. I am still just very tired and I really shouldn't be! But I will get over it soon. So, good night and have a great night!!

Oh so tired!

I really should have stayed home to catch up on my sleep. But, the funny thing is I really didn't sleep that bad last night. Not sure why I am a zombie today! I know why I am sore, but really should still be wide awake.

Ryan, in his attempts to shake things up and in the process teach me some self defense, decided that he needed to teach me how to get out of a choke hold while on the ground. I really didn't object because it is actually very good knowledge to have these days. You never know what freakin crazy person waits around the corner! Anyway, Sunday I practiced throwing him off me over and over again. And I get tossed about too since he has to demonstrate how to actually do it. We only did this 10 minutes, but my goodness, it was a total body workout. I didn't think I would be this sore, but I guess it makes sense. If you throw a 180 lb man off you, over and over again, you are going to feel it. I have a couple of bruises too, but really it is all worth it. I like the fact that he can show me moves that can potentially save my life in the real world. I pray I never need them, but dang it, I am ready!

Now the goal is to get through today. I have a workout planned tonight and then on to work on two auditions. The Aqua one will be easy. I will find music and put exercises to it. Cycling is still my tough one. But if I get hired on with Aqua, I can always come back and re-do cycling. I still want to do that but I want to make sure I bring 100%. I took a Cycling class on Saturday and really, while she didn't stink, she wasn't the best teacher ever. I don't want people leaving my class saying that about me! :)

Okay, I gotta get to work. And try to figure out what I want for lunch. I am actually thinking veggie burger from across the street. I need to get out but it is too windy to really want to walk too far.

Later!!!

Middle of the week fun update

Well, really nothing too exciting. I am kind of boring. I need to kick it up soon though (tonight, actually) because I have an open audition in less than one month. Audition?? What?? Okay, I am not turning into an actress :). In order to get hired on at 24 Hour Fitness as a Group X instructor, I have to show them my stuff. My stuff is not very good right now. My stuff is very rough and basic. I want to see you do an indoor cycle class and talk to a class at the same time (and remember to tell them everything they need to know)... if you can, then you can mock me (and you can also help me practice!!!). It is all very exciting but at the same time, I really wonder what the heck I am doing. So, I am just going to focus, focus, focus.... and find some wonderful current instructors to flatter and help me (you think I am kidding. The Group X manager actually told us to do this :)). There are several that just rock and I would love to get their knowledge embedded in my brain.

In my cert class, I met a current instructor, however she does Aqua currently. I never once thought about Aqua -- I have never even been to a class. However, after talking to her, I might just learn everything I can and go for that audition as well. She has even offered to help me. Just teach me everything she knows. I am amazed. These people are so helpful and positive and just fabulous. Such a far cry from where I work right now!!! So, April 12 is my drop dead date. There are audition dates at other times as well, however this one is in Addison (the other one is in Ft. Worth) and it gives me enough time to prepare. If I had to audition this weekend, I would surely not get hired! This is a baby step into a fitness career and I really want to see where it goes. (2 years ago I would have laughed at you had you said I would be doing this now!!!)

So, that is about it. Oh, and Fireside Pies is as good as Jen keeps saying. Yummy, yummy food and the most awesome gooey chocolaty dessert. Gooey and chocolate are two words that really do belong together :).

Have a great day!!

Bleh.......

Okay, I am getting over bleh........ That is how I felt all week. Not horrible (except Tuesday, when I called in sick), but not just great either. Today I feel somewhat productive and alive. It am pretty sure it is the sun coming out and making the sky bright and happy. I might need to invest in a sun lamp soon. The cloudy days really bring out the joyous, happy Kim.... :(. The switch to Daylight Saving Time didn't help at all.

I attended my first Zumba dance class last night with Mia and Jen. Oh, it was fun. I did well not to trip on my own feet, but it was good to just move and really not care what others thought. Zumba is a Latin dance with lots of elements thrown in -- and you just move until you can move no more. And then you move some more! The teacher was a lot of fun too. I have taken a class from her before and really liked her. I definitely will be doing more Zumba! There are very few classes taught in my area though so I have to plan my schedule in advance for this one class.

The weekend will be low key, which is fine by me. The biggest thing is dinner tomorrow night with the girls at Fireside Pizza. Jen has been raving so we gotta go! I also finish cert training on Sunday. I think I am ready for the quiz, but I plan to re-read tonight. I downloaded music for the practicum and need to make sure I am comfortable with that. I have a warm up which actually sounds easy, I know. Watch me mess it up!!! And just because I get certified does not make me an instructor -- I have to audition and all that fun stuff. After Sunday, we'll see what I've got. :)

Everyone have a great Friday afternoon. Enjoy the beautiful weather, because God knows in Texas, it might change in 15 minutes!!!!!

What was I thinking?

Today I did the first day of my Cycling Certification Training. Now, I can do these classes with the best of them, but can I really teach them??? It will be intersting. I actually have homework for next week - including studying for quiz and practicing for the practicum. I have a 3 minute warm up I have to prepare (luckily it is already spelled out on a sheet for us, but still, kind of nerve racking when I have never done it before). I have 2 cycling classes I have to attend in the next week as well to observe and take notes. There are people in the cert class who have been doing cycling - indoor and outdoor - for awhile so it seems to be their thing. I took the classes to get higher intensity cardio into my workouts. I just can't dance so that would be a hard one to teach :)>. I can do the dance classes, I just think teaching them would be harder with me tripping all over the place! So, next week will complete the training and I will actually be certified.

Currently I am watching "Sydney White" with Amanda Bynes. It is so cute so far. If you want happy fluff, it is a good movie for that. After the movie though, I will have to get to bed. I am actually pretty tired. 4.5 hours of cycling training will do that to you!!

Later!

Snowy???

I live in the middle of Dallas. I usually don't get to see all the fun stuff that the outlying areas see weather wise. While others were getting snow, I got a little bit of sleet and mostly rain. Cold, cold rain. It was even clear enough to drive to the gym to work out with Ryan. (Trust me, had it been bad, he would have been cancelled). This morning I did see a little white stuff on my car which was nice, but it would have been fun to see all that snow last night! I did come in a little late today though because there was ice on the roads and some big accidents. I figured why wait in traffic, waste gas and get annoyed when I could leave later and get to work at 9:00. I probably would have gotten to the office at 9:00 no matter how early I left. Very few people are here today so it might be a good, quiet day to get some projects done!

Well, everyone have a great Friday. Stay warm :).

Equal time to my other kittie!

Here is Sierra looking very angelic :).

Put the camera down!!!

Hump Day!

Well, since I last wrote in my glorious blog, I had a birthday. So, what does it feel like to be 36 (yes, you read that right, I actually put down my age!!)? It doesn't feel too bad. Once i got used to the idea of the number, it really has settled well. Plus, come on, I look dang good for a 36 year old, so might as well embrace it. Yes, I do realized that sounds conceited. I really don't mean it in a conceited way, I promise!!!

So, this morning I registered for 24 Hour Group Instructor training. I am going to become a Spin instructor. I have been thinking about it for awhile and I went to the info session last night. It seems like the right time to take the plunge! Plus, the training through 24 is much cheaper than if I did it through some other format and right now, it fits in my budget. Eventually I might get yoga or Pilates certified but since they don't do that directly through 24 Hour, I decided to hold off for bit. I should focus on one thing right now and just getting in the door is what matters. Once i go through the training, I will have to "audition" for a slot but they seem to teach you everything you need to do to succeed. I will keep you updated!!!

So, I think that is it for now. I need to finish eating lunch and get back to work! Later!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Just wanted to wish everybody a Happy Valentine's Day. It is also my Friday. I am off tomorrow so I actually have to get stuff done today. Darn :)>.

Well, that is all. There are no big stories to tell today :).

Monday Fun

Well, not really fun, but it was at least a good day. We did interviews today for the receptionist position. Since the PM is grooming me to do that role, he wanted me involved in the interviews. I haven't interviewed anybody in a long time! I kind of missed it. We had two today - both were pretty good. I had my favorite. It is nice to be involved in that part of things though.

The Writer's Strike is 99% over!! The Office will be coming back, even if just for a limited time (I think only 5 or 6 episodes will be able to be produced). But, hey, they are coming back!!!! Yay! Early birthday gift for me. Yes, again, I know I am a dork.

This weekend's weather was so insanely beautiful. I did get to spend sometime outside on Sunday. The patio at Cafe Express was a great place to people watch and the food was super yummy! There were some interesting outfits out that day :). I am kind of sore right now because I hit a spin class after work. It was packed for a 5:30 class (the 6:00 is the one that gets full). Anyway, I had crazy spin instructor and the energy in the room might have propelled me to sore legs :).

Well, that is about it. Good night!

Update!

Howdy :). Things have been going well with me. Nothing super big, just a lot of little things. Work is pretty interesting these days. Idiot receptionist quit. No two weeks notice, no nothing. She was always the epitome of professionalism, so I know everybody is just shocked she gave no notice. It has caused some problems with the office since that spot has to be covered at all times. But we've managed. In the end it is a good thing, but dang, I won't have any more idiot receptionist stories!!!

I also received my performance review today. It was pretty good! I was very happy with what we talked about. Now I have to think of goals for this coming year. Man, I just got done with my big one... I still haven't thought about the next step!!! Speaking of the PHR, I got my final score. To pass, you needed a 500. I got a 566. I was pretty happy with that one! They did break down how many questions you got correct in each section. Okay, so in Health and Safety, there were 14 questions and I got 13 correct! We just thought it was funny considering where I work. That should have been my 100%. :).

Okay, that's about it. I was very happy to see the Giants win Sunday night! I even won $10 :).

Later!!!

Howdy!

I thought I would pop in and say hi. I really have nothing new to report :). That might be a good thing. I am still getting over whatever it is that is going around. Even Ryan still has it. I saw him tonight and he was coughing like a fiend as well.

Since the Writer's Strike is still going on, I thought I would venture out from my "Office" bubble -- although i was very happy there, thank you very much! However, they aren't showing the "Office" most Thursday nights and so I have ventured off of NBC. I now like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Ugly Betty". Great -- two new shows to catch up on :). The first season of "Grey's" is headed to me via Netflix tomorrow........

Okay that is about it. This weekend looks like it is shaping up to be a fun weekend and I will have more details later! Yep, its Tuesday and I am already looking forward to the weekend :).

Where's my brain???

My mind is kind of blown right now and I need to get it back. But the good news is I passed my PHR!!!!! Go me!!!!! :). But that test was HARD. I swear about question 25 I was going to fail. Nothing looked familiar and I was just wondering what I studied vs what they were testing me on. I reviewed my questions, sadly pressed the "end" button on the computer and waited patiently. It didn't take long for the results page to come back..... PASS.... Um, yes I had to look at it many times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. PASS!!!! Yay. It was so hard, but so worth it. I ended up working out afterwards (are you THAT surprised????), mainly because I had all these endorphins that needed to go somewhere. Now I need a new goal :).

Well, that's it. I have a 3 day weekend so I am going to enjoy the rest of it. There is an America's Next Top Model marathon. I don't have to be ready to do anything until 7 -- I am going to veg now!!!

Hola People!

Just popping in to say hi. Life is good and I am still alive and kicking. This week I am preparing to take my PHR exam on Saturday. I actually feel ready for it. It will be tough and I will be drained on Saturday night, but it will be worth it. Just send good thoughts Saturday at 12:30!!! :).

Well, that is about it. Just wanted to pop in and say hi! Everyone have a great week.

Back into the Texas Groove

I got in last night from my trip to Cali. It was a wonderful trip and I love my family dearly, but man, it is great to be home. I took today off in order to readjust and get some things done. So far, I have been to the dentist, gotten a facial and worked out with Ryan. Now it is nap time. Yes, that is all the hard work I need to do today :).

So, we did go to the wineries (I got a couple of bottles of great wine!), saw some giant Redwoods (absolutely breathtaking!!!) and partied into the New Year's Day with my crazy family. I think some pictures might be floating around of me singing karaoke - hopefully I will have some approval before they are posted anywhere on the Internet :).

There is a marathon of "Project Runway" on right now. So, I am going to sit back, relax and be entertained by designers. Later!! It is the last day of my vacation and I need to finish enjoying it.

Alien Grape may stay

I found out Wednesday my results of the biopsy but just haven't been able to post till now. Everything came back clear! Alien grape now has a permanent home in my right boob. It was amazing the energy that came back to me after that result. :)

Anyway, right after I talked to the Doctor's office my cousin Kelly whisked in and wanted to take me to Lake Tahoe. I haven't been there in forever so off I went. It was so beautiful. I got some pictures on my cell phone that I will post once I get home. They don't do the place justice, but they give you a little taste. I did decide I need to learn poker a little better. I get bored on the machines, however I didn't know enough to feel comfortable at the table with the "big kids".

Yesterday we went to San Fransisco. That is another place I haven't been to in awhile. Although I did have to buy gloves, the weather wasn't too bad there. It was just wet (and it rained on us the last hour). But we had a great time. I love that city!

Truthfully today I really don't know what is going on! Cousin Kelsey is supposed to take me today and I thought we were going to go wine tasting. Not sure though. It is getting late. It might be a movie. You really never know around here :).

Everyone have a great day!

Checking in!

I am safe in CA and just chilling today. It has been a jam packed couple of days so really, I need this. No results just yet. I just called. They are still pending. Um, this was actually promised on Monday, but I won't yell and scream. Nothing I can do about it! We did have the holidays in there and apparently my radiologist went out on vacation. They must really not be worried about Alien Grape..........

Monday was an adventure trying to get here! I make it to the airport, get through security, and finally get settled in at the gate. I do have one suggestion -- if you are traveling with a BABY and everything that goes with the BABY, please get to the airport and start through security more than 15 MINUTES before your plane is supposed to leave. They cut in front at security. Now, really, in the scheme of things, it is no big deal because I was on time, however, they need to learn better time management skills. I think it took about 30 minutes to make it through. Oh so fun. But hey, it is a necessary evil, I guess. I even got "puffed" because I was wearing a sweatsuit. Apparently they don't trust sweat shirts.......

So, we get settled on the plane, are all ready to go and we pull out of the gate..... and then we pull back into the gate. Um, we are going the wrong direction....!!!!! Turns out you need a starter valve in the right engine to get the plane going. Maintenance is called. One hour turns into 2 hours. They finally get a part, go to put it in and well, it is more involved than they thought. At this point, we are starting to hit 3 hours, still sitting on the plane, waiting to leave Dallas. Finally, they give us a new plane. So, we de-board the plane, go to the gate next door (actually, I go get food because I am STARVING at this point. And yes I ate before boarding, I didn't think I needed to take rations on the plane!). Finally, we get loaded onto our new plane and take off. About the time we actually should have been landing in Sacramento. Luckily I have text messaging so I can text people to keep me entertained :). We got to CA safely, so that is all that matters, I guess. But they really should have given us a new plane before the 3 hours were up. I missed going to my Grandmother's grave because of it. I know Grandma understands. Although, my Aunts' did say that we will go back so I can visit the grave.

Christmas was wonderful! Chloe and Josh (the 4 year old) racked in some good stuff. Chloe does "homework" at Grandma Gail's so she got some great little black/white boards to draw on. I will have to explain the homework story at a later time. This is getting long! But, just know, Chloe is a genius. :)

We are headed to S.F tomorrow! Yay!!! I love that city and haven't been in awhile. And then I think Napa on Saturday, but I am not sure actually. I know we are going hiking. I just go along for the ride.

Okay, that is enough for today! I will try to get on again later. I hope everybody had a great Christmas!!!!

I kind of feel like this guy these days!

Another very cute cheezburger picture. I decided to add some fun today :)


moar funny pictures