Bye Bye Bella

I came home today and my baby Bella was not doing well. Now little Bella is walking on the Rainbow Bridge with Jen's Cleo. Rest in peace my sweet pea. She was still hanging on as I was driving to meet the shelter lady but passed on before I got there. I was with her when she took her last breath. I guess I can take comfort in that -- she didn't pass while I was at work. I can't really write much more but I came home from meeting the shelter lady and started to spoil the other two a little more. I think their future forever home will have a lot to live up to in their eyes. And I will spoil them more and more while I have them. Brooke seemed a little disconcerted but she seems fine now. I guess having two active 3 week old kittens who are now completely roaming the room keeps her occupied. I have started feeding them soft kitten food so that made me laugh when I really needed it.

Allergies are killing me!!!

I can't breath and it's annoying. I am back to Zyrtec D and it seems to be doing the trick. Before you go blaming my allergies on the fact that I have 6 cats, please keep in mind that I am allergic to EVERYTHING. Grass, dust, trees, mold...... doesn't matter. The cats make me happy so they are staying (well, you know what I mean. Brooke and the babies are on a temporary stop in the grand journey of their life). Edward is seriously a talker. I think he might talk more than Simon, if you can believe it! And he loves to run. He has the biggest paws and along with his 6 toes, he is just too cute trying to get around. He also loves to climb up my leg so I need to remember to keep it protected from the tiny claws. Now we have to get Bella some weight and Sierra a diet (poor girl, she has kind of gained some. Yep, I am researching cat diets.)

Today hasn't been that bad. I had a report that seriously made no sense. When I added the data, the formula amount just didn't add up to me. I called the lady who made the spreadsheet and it turns out she just needed 2 numbers and not the spreadsheet filled in. Good for me! Apparently the spreadsheet confused the other regions too.......... Glad I wasn't the only one. I've been productive all day -- now I need to regroup and figure out what needs to be done!

Later!

Monday

Okay, so it hasn't been that bad of a Monday. I have been productive and it is zooming by quickly. It has been busy and I still have two more reports to work on. One requires the managers to pay attention so I might be beating a few up soon.

Today, the kittens are 3 weeks old! Very hard to believe. I have some pictures that I will post either tonight or tomorrow. They are all very active and now starting to explore the world (well, the second bedroom). We had several visitors this week to see the kittens and Brooke did very well. No aggression, no hissing. I think she is to the point where she is relieved someone else is entertaining the little ones, not just her. Bella is still too tiny but apparently I am the only one concerned so I will just let it go. :). Edward and Jasper certainly don't care as they tackle her and sit on her head.

Now, so that everyone will not think that I have turned into the crazy cat lady, I will share other events in my world. As most of you know, I am in the a weight loss contest with my two aunts, uncle and two cousins (Katie and Kelsey) from CA. Every pound lost is 1 point and for every 10 miles you walk/bike/run/move forward, you get .5 point. I truthfully have no idea where I am on the point scale at this time. I probably should have been tabulating my own results. Oh well. This week was one lb lost and 10 miles. I have decided on the weekends, I am going to get up and run/walk at White Rock lake. By the time it cools off at night for me to workout outside, it is too late to safely workout at that lake. It is something different and a work out goes much quicker around a lake than on a treadmill (or elliptical or stationary bike). I still will go around the Village "lake" in the evenings, but that route gets very boring. Plus its only 2 miles. Mentally, it just works for me to hit up White Rock lake.

So, back to the grind. Everyone have a great Monday!

Even more pictures

I have been in a class and will be until Thursday afternoon. It is an OSHA Standards for General Industries. So far it has been interesting, and I really should have taken this class 3 years ago when I started :).
And now the fun part. The babies are now 2 weeks old and are pretty mobile. They are still walking like little drunks, but getting much better. :)




Edward. Poor thing still looks like an alien. He is very sweet and lovable :).















Jasper. Look at that sweet little face!









Bella -- just way too tiny for my comfort however she is active, trying to walk like the other two and does eat. I am going to see about taking her to the vet this weekend just to check her out. It would just make me feel better!

Update and Pics

The kittens are doing well. Bella is still very tiny so I am going to hit up Petsmart later today for some formula to supplement her feedings. I have seen her eat so I know it is happening. I would just feel better if she had a little more meat on her bones!

The weekend has been good so far. The plans tonight are to go dancing and that will be a lot of fun. Two weekends in a row! Yay! I am working through my NCIS DVR recordings this morning (after my workout, of course) although I really do need to get some cleaning done.

Now, onto the pictures......

Kitten Pile!

Proof that Brooke will try to get into any picture I try to get of the kittens.....

Jasper!!!!

Baby Pictures

Edward and Bella (Edward is on top). His eyes are opening and it is so adorable. They do a lot of this -- crawling all over each other!

I do apologize that this pic isn't too clear. Wiggly kitties make for less than perfect pictures :). Below is Edward and his opening eyes. Jasper is opening his as well. I am guessing Bella's will be wide open soon too.

One Week!

The babies are one week old today. It seems so long ago that they were born and I was in serious pain from a cat bite! But, here they are -- healthy and thriving. This is the fun part :).

Cute Overload

I have a few pics, I may have to submit them to cuteoverload.com. Nothing beats a squeaking kitten with its eyes still closed. Total sweetness. Sometimes I think my brain might explode from the adorableness :). The kittens are doing well and are just getting bigger and bigger . And I noticed last night that Edward has 6 toes! I am continually washing towels though. I thought I had a lot -- apparently not! :). And, by the way, Febreze Pet Odor Eliminator seems to be doing the trick. Since I have to keep the door shut, the air doesn't circulate and it is hard to keep it fresh back there. I picked up this type of Febreze today and so far, so good. Not sure what makes it special for pet odors, but hey, it works!

Happy Saturday! I am going to rest up and prepare for dancing tonight. I haven't been in awhile (I think it was Austin) and so I want to do it up right :). I have awhile -- it might be nap time.

Kittens!

Okay, I can type now so I can blog! Brooke bit me rather well and left me with an infection. But hey, I forgive her because heck, I might bite someone when I am in labor too! She is a good mom now and doing so well. The kittens are very active and so cute. I love the squeaking. Seriously, it is the best stress reliever watching them. Monday was very stressful but we made it thru. Both she and I had no idea what to do, but it all worked out in the end!

In the picture below: Jasper in the forefront. He is very vocal and very active. Pretty much a tiny, tiny Simon!

Family photo: Brooke and the babies. The total grey kitten is Bella. The grey with white feet is Edward and Jasper is the white with grey spots. These names are fully dependent on whether I identified the gender correctly! I am pretty sure I got it right but you never know. It is hard to determine in baby kittens.

Tomorrow is Friday! Thank goodness. Seriously, I am tired!!!

The Miracle of Life is Very Gross.....

We have kittens! My hand is swollen from a bite Brooke so lovingly gave me last night so I can't type a lot. I am now on antibiotics to make sure my hand doesn't fall off...... However, we have them, it was gross and they are cute. I had to cut the umbilical cord on all of them -- she has 3 so far. I keep checking to make sure there aren't more but I think she is done. I will tell the story when I have full functionality in my hand :). Once I can get a good picture of them, I will post them as well. Now I need to think of names! One is a girl and I am not sure of the other 2. I don't want to mess with them too much while she bonds with them.

More Pics of Brooke

I have had a laid back weekend, which is perfectly okay! It has rained on and off, which is the perfect weather to be lazy :). I have some more pics of Brooke -- no kittens yet, but I think she is close. Although, I keep thinking that and I have had her a week! She was very cranky yesterday so maybe that is a sign that cats are about to have kittens?? Who knows. I think she is ready to have to them as well!!!

Everyone have a wonderful Sunday! Later :)

By the Way......

I just registered for that 5K on Sept 12. So, I am locked in and committed! Here we go :).

It's only Thursday

This has been a slow week. All the managers are gone so it has been very quiet as well. Nothing super exciting has happened this week.... I am still on kitten watch. Brooke hasn't had her litter yet but she is doing very well. There is really know way (that I know of) to tell when she will actually deliver. I have towels all set up for her though! She seems to like under the futon chair, so I put some there too. Not sure if that is even enough room to deliver kittens, but just case! And I do have a big box that I should prepare for her as well. I just don't want her to figure out she can get into the closet and then decide to deliver there. I will take more pictures of her and post later on. She is venturing out around the room and is rather playful. And of course, when the babies come, I will post pictures as well.

So, I guess back to work. I have another conference call that is about to start. Everyone have a wonderful Thursday!!!

Adventures in Fosterhood

This is Brooke and she is my new foster cat :). "What!", you say? Foster cat?! I had been thinking about it but knew I couldn't keep a kitten because I wouldn't be able to stay home and take care of it (feed, etc). However, with a pregnant mom, once she has the kittens, she does all the care. I provide the quiet room, towels and food/water. The shelter I volunteer at sent out an email looking for a home and I actually said if nobody else could take her, I would. Guess nobody could take her! Anyway, she is about to pop. Any day I could have kittens. Just hoping she finds those towels I put down for her..... And I think once the kittens arrive, I get to name them. Yay! Simon and Sierra really have no contact with her. The shelter said just put her in the room and let her be. The only time Simon thinks something is up is when I go into the room to talk to her. I think it is due more to the fact that there is a closed door between him and momma. Otherwise, he doesn't really notice.

Hope everyone had a great Monday! I will let everyone know once the kittens get here :).

Legally Blonde

Awesome! It was just a fun musical and we really had a great time. The cast was good, the music was great, the costumes were amazing. All I can say, is I want my own Greek Chorus!!! :). Thanks Mom for the tickets!

The Wadding Pool in the Bathroom

Last night, I went to a wine bar in Plano called 55 Degrees. It was pretty nice and the wine was good. The food was good too. Now, the service was kind of stinky but we were sitting at the bar and he was the only guy serving. So, I actually had to give him a break for that fact. And he apologized for the crappy service and was pretty apologetic. Had he not apologized and been a bonehead, I would be a little harder on him and then told you never to go to this place. However, they try and it is a fun place to hang out with friends.

I got home and stayed up to watch some NCIS (USA keeps playing them and my DVR is set to pick every episode up!). So I watched TV until I got tired. I got tired, got ready for bed and settled in at 1:30. Or so I thought.......

(I will say this story I am about to tell is actually better in person because I can use hand gestures.) At 1:30 I hear this gushing sound -- like when the sprinklers come on outside. However this gushing is coming from my apartment. I jump up from bed, run to the bathroom to find the hose on the toilet detached and water shooting EVERYWHERE!!! By the time I got to the bathroom, the water was ankle deep. It was going fast! And I couldn't get the water shut off. The knob was not budging. I call maintenance (love 24 Hour on call), the dispatcher sends a guy my way. While I was waiting, i finally got the water shut off valve working and the water shut off. All the while, water is seeping onto the carpet. Maintenance gets there, starts cleaning up and I finally get to sit down and just chill (before I was trying to find every towel, sheet and blanket in the place. While I have more than I thought I did, it wasn't enough to keep up with the water.). I am soaking at this point too. Trying to get the water shut off put me into the line of fire!!! The carpet is a little worse for the wear but I got very lucky. There was no damage to the unit below me and my apartment has very minimal damage. And while they had a great response time, I never want to have to test that 24 hour on-call maintenance again!!!

Okay, since I finally got to sleep at 3Am, I am kind of tired today. Tomorrow I am going to see "Legally Blonde" at the Summer Musicals with Jen. Can't wait! I have heard it is great. I will report back :). And a shout out to Jen.... she has been very dedicated to her workouts and eating right. All her efforts have paid off too -- 51 lbs so far in weight loss. Lady, you are an inspiration!!! Keep it up :).

Happy Wednesday!

My first 5K is scheduled for Sept 12. That is 8 weeks to train. Off I go!!! :) I am going run/walk with Jen -- should be fun!! And since I am in a weight loss/mileage challenge with part of the CA family contingent, this will greatly increase my points (I'll explain the whole thing when I get more time). I am currently losing and it isn't good. The contest ends Oct 12, so I will have them beat by then.

The week has been okay. Really, I haven't tried to kill anyone. Well, I haven't seriously thought about it anyway. I had a migraine Monday. That was so lovely. I am over it and at work, happily looking up FOIA training options. Friday is coming, Friday is coming!!! I plan to meet Dawn and some other ladies out at a wine bar in Plano. I really am looking forward to it.

As you know, Mom and Dad are in CO. Mom just called but I only talked to her briefly. For some reason, her call was roaming. I am sure it was just because of my location in the building. My cell acts very odd in this place. They are having a blast and now on the way to the zoo. Lucky, lucky people. The cats haven't maimed each other -- Sierra could care less there is another cat in the house and Simon just gets curious as to what is behind the door.

Okay, back to work. Happy Wednesday!!!

"Noises Off", "Harry Potter" and the visiting kitty

The weekend has been good. Packed and a lot of fun. Friday night I went to see "Noises Off" at the Plano Theater. My friend's cousin was playing in it and she was very good. Live theater is always fun and it was in a small venue. Very fun. "Noises Off" is very funny and if you have a chance to watch anybody perform it, you should go! We met for dinner before hand on 15th Street in Plano. There are some great looking restaurants that I need to go back to - especially this Austrian place that we visited during intermission (the back entrance was accessible from the theater entrance). It smelled so great! And the staff was very nice -- definitely a friendly place.

Harry Potter was last night! It was great -- a very well made movie. I have to say though, Helena Bonham Carter was just creepy in this movie. I guess that was the point, huh. Mia and I went to the Studio Movie Grill and I really thought it was going to be packed. I guess the crowds were thinner because the movie opened earlier in the week. It was nice that it wasn't so packed (the Dark Knight was just crazy!) but I was still very surprised. Go see "Harry Potter". So worth it!!!

Now onto the visiting kitty. My parents went to CO this week to visit my cousin, his gf and the new baby (Zoey -- still soooo cute :)). My aunt is visiting as well, so that will be good for them to see each other. Anyway, to make things easier with cat sitting, they brought their cat to me. She has her own room and my two are pretty much ignoring her. Except at 1:30 AM when Simon decides he wants to hiss and throw a fit. Thanks Simon. So nice to wake up mommy....... So far, so good though. All furry creatures are in their own corner and no major cat fights have occurred.

So that is about it. I am in the middle of an NCIS marathon (my new addiction - so much better than a Real Housewives addiction!). I am so out of whack on my seasons though. I really need to grab the DVDs and watch them in order. Have a great day!!

Twilight

I've heard the book is better. I need to pick that up and read it. I am watching the movie right now. I love Vampires but this isn't cutting it. The lighting and coloring is fairly awesome in the movie but yeah, I am obviously not into it if I am blogging :). Vampires don't glitter...... I want Buffy the Vampire Slayer to come in and save the day. He, he.

This weekend has been pretty good. I met Jen last for dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. Oh, it was so good. It was good to see her too. I haven't seen her in forever and it was nice to catch up. She has a had rough week and my heart has been out to her the entire time. She lost her diva kitty last weekend and the sweet Cleo is now playing on the Rainbow Bridge. Lots of hugs, girl! My little children have been getting lots of love and hugs this week (okay, they always get hugs and kisses but this week it was to the annoyance of them :)).

I am currently in a contest with my Aunt Gail and two cousins, Katie and Kelsey. It is weight loss and mileage (cardio) -- it all counts. I hit the gym today and got in 3.5 miles. I think I pushed it a little too hard though. I feel a little in pain. But its all good. I am starting to get into running and it feels very good. It is nice to push and get additional goals in my fitness routine. I still need to buy new running shoes but other than that, it is all starting off very well.

Okay that is all for now. I am going to finish the movie. Let me make this clear -- I don't think it's bad, I am just not into this kind of vampire lore. I like Buffyverse Vampires better (but heck, Spike and Angel.... just hot....). I will read the book though. I am always up for good books!

Later. And happy Saturday!!!

New Baby in the Family

Yipes didn't post this yesterday when it happened! My cousin Steven and his gf had a baby girl - Zoey Kathleen! She is very cute and I keep trolling Facebook to see if more pics have been posted :). Congrats Steven and Christina. Now I have to get to CO so I can visit her.... (and then to CA so I can see Chloe, Colby and Skyler). Any one want to pay for plane tickets.... :)

Day is great. It's almost over -- and then a 3 day weekend. Woohoo!

Later :)

Monday!

Man, I am excited for Monday. Very strange...... No, haven't taken happy pills. Just happy coffee :). Or, also the fact that it is a 4 day work week. Woohoo!!! My project is coming to a close so that is good too. We have a Focus on Construction Campaign being rolled out (yeah, um, figure out the acronym for that one. Just remember the name came from our National Office!). I am working on the logistics of getting people from across the different regions hotels, cars, etc. And making sure they are fully aware it is freaking hot in TX. Hot like nothing they have felt before. It will be interesting. The first tour is the middle of July. It's been fun but its taken awhile to get it all together. Now I need to map out hotels and airports. Yay.....

I visited a friend Friday night I hadn't seen in years. Seriously, at least 2.5/3 years. She is pregnant and I have to tell you, I hope I look that great when I am about to pop. She was just all baby. No big booty, no huge arms. It was a nice visit and I am very glad I took the time to visit with her and her fiance. She took out the onsies I bought for the baby and I just can't believe any human is ever that small!

The game Saturday night was fun. That meaning I just stayed inside at the bar and hung out with my co-workers (the ones that didn't want to sit in the heat). I didn't have a ticket since I decided at the last moment to go. You could see everything from the bar and didn't have to pay a dime to watch the game. I did actually step outside and watch some action so I could say I did see it! Fort Worth Cats won the game 4 to 1 -- at least I know that much :).

Okay, I need to get back to work. Time to google and post directions for these people coming in for the Campaign. Everyone have a great Monday!!!

:)

Just stopping by to say hi! I am out the door in a few minutes to get the hair cut (FINALLY!) and then off to a baseball game. I wasn't planning on going however my friend had to bale out tonight because she is sick. Sooooo.... a group from work is going to a Grand Prairie Air Hog baseball game and i am going to join them. It is actually a group of people from work I like, so I will have fun :). It is more about socializing than watching the Airhogs vs the FW Cats. No idea who is better or what not. Just going to have fun! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Happy Friday

I am feeling kind of random right now so here goes:

• Okay, really, cube neighbor won't hush. She just talks to herself -- all day. Argh. I try zen, I really do.
• I have this song called "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings in my head. I first heard in Denver and then again last night. It's catchy and I like it. I guess it is good that I like the catchy song in my head ...... it's not like the "Umbrella" fiasco a few years ago.
• I still want a cupcake....... (Kroger has very good cupcakes so I might need to make a stop on the way home)
• OSHA is hiring A LOT of people who need to be trained. Job security for me. If you know any engineers or safety people, seriously, send them to usajobs.gov. The government is hiring a lot under the stimulus package. No comments on the plus or minuses of a large govt. At least OSHA does a lot of good and keeps people safe.
• I still don't know when my brother is visiting from South Korea. He never actually answered that question, even when asked directly.
• "How I Met Your Mother" makes me laugh all the time (I've said it before). A new favorite episode is "Woo" (In addition to "Robin Sparkles" and "Swarley"). I might be a "Woo" girl........ sometimes......

That's about it for the randomness today. All is good and it is getting closer to quitting time! Woo...............

It's Wednesday. Party Time

Okay, not really party time -- although I would not turn down a cupcake....... :). I am just in a happy mood. I feel like a bloated fish, but still in a happy mood. Hate water retention. Bleh. But this will not be an entire blog about that. Aren't you glad? :)

Last night, we played trivia at the new location (First and Ten). Our team of 4 really didn't do that great. I can usually answer at least 2 or 3 questions, last night I pretty much died on the vine. Nothing was right. And I didn't even get the TV or Movie question right. It was shocking. We missed the Pez prize though. Another team was worse than we were!!!

Okay, that is the end of my thought provoking, earth shattering blog for today. Everyone have a great day :).

Howdy!

Just checking in to say hi! Denver was awesome. Beautiful, cool weather. They had tornado warnings in all the areas surrounding downtown, but I was spared it all. Definitely missed all the"fun" here in Dallas! Luckily my electricity didn't go out -- I have heard some people being out a few days! Yipes. The meeting was productive and I came away with some great info.

Another chill weekend. Awesome :).

I will check in later!

I've been chilling

And it's been great. Considering the last few weekends have been super packed and injury inducing(!), I decided to take it easy and get some rest. It has been a pretty perfect weekend. My foot is still hurting a bit so I still have to do modified workouts. But at least I am able to get them in. The recumbent bike doesn't do it for the heart rate so I really can't wait until I can get on the elliptical again. Never thought I'd miss that freaking piece of equipment!!! And I haven't been able to box so that stinks too. That is the best therapy ever and I need to get some aggression out :).

Other than that, I have been laying pretty low. I just got back from the shelter - I hadn't been there in awhile and so I wanted to play with the cats. I only spent an hour there, but it was still worth it.

I need to start packing for my trip to Denver but I know I will end up waiting until tomorrow night. I leave Tuesday morning so it isn't like I have to get it done NOW! I hate packing so I will procrastinate that for bit :). The Real Housewives of NJ are running a repeat, so I might just procrastinate with them. I keep saying I won't get sucked into these gals.... but, I do. Bleh.

Later!

Okay, so my doctor thinks I'm crazy. I don't see her very often, however when I do, it is usually a doozy. Hives, random falls.... this time it was a bug bite on my neck. It wasn't going away and I was getting worried. It itched and seemed to be getting bigger! She says it looks like it is going down. Oh, and I fell on Saturday night and sprained my ankle...... yep, pretty and bruised. It still hurts. I wasn't going to see her about it but since I was making the appointment for the bite, I'd show her my foot. I love it when she walks in and goes "what did you do now?". I need to work out though so I told Ryan we have to do super modified tonight. He's cool with it so I will see what he comes up with.

Okay, that is my excitement for the day :). Here is a picture I took of Simon on Friday. It is super cute and I wanted to show him off :).

Friday! Yay!

For a short week, it's been long! I have about an hour left in the day and it has been a busy day. Man, I think at one point I just had to walk away from my desk because there was too much. This job is funny that way. One day it is boring and the next day, I can't breathe. I like the "can't breathe days" but sometimes I end up feeling beat up. At least I feel useful and productive. Can't stand the days where I feel like an idiot. And next week will be busy too -- open enrollment, opening the mentor program, and preparing my presentation for the Training Conference the week after. I can't wait for that -- it's in Denver. Woo hoo!!! I love Denver and I get to see Michelle too. The meeting ends at 4:30 each day, so there is plenty of time to explore and have fun.

Okay, back to it. I want to get some stuff out of the way so I don't have to worry about it Monday. Usually Friday afternoons are spent watching the construction across the street :). You know they love having OSHA right there watching all they do...... :)

Quick Weekend

The weekend went by very fast, but it was a great one. I channeled my inner social butterfly and was out late each night (except last night. I was in bed by 9!). It was a lot of fun. Saturday night I ended up in Frisco with my friend Dawn and that group of people. We were out pretty late but I had planned to stay in Frisco so I was prepared. We went to sleep around 3 am and were up and bright eyed at 9 am for a class at LA Fitness. It was a body work and ab class -- since I had planned to do weights Sunday anyway, I figured why not. It was tough but I made it though :). However, I have never done that many squats in one setting ever. Still kind of sore! I just kept thinking "swimsuit booty!!!". It got me thru the pain.....

This week holds nothing too special. I think all my excitement was concentrated over the last 3 days anyway. I am really okay with that. My big thing will be going to the grocery store and CVS tonight :).

Everyone have a great Tuesday!

The Weekend!

Man, Sunday night and the weekend went too fast. Dang it!

I had a wonderful time at the wedding last night. It was at a little Bed and Breakfast in McKinney called the Bingham House. I am not sure how old it is but it is pretty old. It was absolutely gorgeous. They were planning an outdoor wedding but it rained all day so they moved it is inside. Worked out perfectly though. They just had to kick us out at the end of the ceremony to pull the tables out for the reception. The weather did clear up by the time the ceremony started and it was perfect.

The ceremony was very simple. A Dallas County Judge performed the ceremony so there was no extra fufu stuff -- just sweet and to the point. But that worked, especially for what I know already about the bride. She looked stunning too. I got teary eyed. :)

Now for the food (specifically the CAKE!!!). She had a buffet that was pretty darn good. On the appetizer buffet, there were spoonfuls of MAC and CHEESE. And it was yummy...... The cake was perfect. And she had a regular three tier cake, smaller individual cakes and cake balls! Woo hoo. The cake balls were yummy and easily eaten. I did like the "traditional" wedding cake a tad better though. It might have been because there was lots of frosting. But, I kept my promise.... I ate lots of cake. I worked it all off today though -- it was totally worth it!!! :) I did forget about the woman who stepped on my foot until mid day today. That's when I kept wondering where the heck the bruise on my foot came from. She was totally apologetic and really, it was a total accident and she didn't break my foot. It's all okay :).

It was so perfect for her and I am happy that it was. If there were any big issues, they weren't apparent (and I am friends with the MOH so I probably would have heard of the big stuff). The flower girls ran down the aisle instead of dropping the roses, but hey, that's to be expected from 3 year olds. I can totally see Chloe doing that :). Considering I have only known the bride about 3 weeks, it is pretty cool. :)

Later!

TGIF!

Why are all weeks so dang long lately! Argh! Anyway, its Friday and I am very happy. Survived it all :). Tuesday, Taylor and I played trivia at the Tipp -- we didn't win, however we didn't get Pez either. So so sad. It was fun though. Surprise, surprise... the question I got right was a TV question. Shocking, I know :).

Okay, the weirdest thing happened on Wednesday. I ended up staying late at work which meant I caught a later train. I ended up getting to Mockingbird station about 30 minutes later than I normally would. Then I decided to go to the Kroger by the train station instead of going to Tom Thumb. Once there, I went down an aisle I hadn't initially thought to go down. Down this aisle was an old friend I hadn't seen in YEARS, Amy. Seriously, it has to have been at least 2 or 3 years since we even talked. It was pretty darn cool. I need to give her a call so we can go to dinner. Of course that whole thing gets me thinking about all the turns and places we go everyday. It's all very deep and probably should be saved for another blog when I am not rambling :).

Last night, I went to a dinner held in honor of the bride (new friend Jen who is getting married this weekend). It was held at Fuse in Downtown Dallas. It was the first time I had ever been there -- I actually had to circle the block a couple of times because I wasn't sure where exactly it was! I had the right area, but the door is just kind of hidden. I found it because I spotted the valet stand! The food was very yummy and they had a watermelon mojito that was seriously awesome. I am not sure what the other items were on the menu because we did a limited menu type thing (they had set it up for her bacherlette dinner. I guess it was just easier and cheaper to do it that way). I ended up with the red curry dish. Even the edamame was great. It had this spice on it that made it different than any edamame I had before. They went to an Irish pub in Frisco but since it was getting late and I was turning into a pumpkin, I bailed. I told them I would be in full party mode on Saturday. I just had to work today and as it was, I was seriously dragging!!! Still kind of am, but I am getting over it.

Her wedding is Saturday and I am looking forward to it. She is having wedding cake balls at the reception. Pretty much anything can be made of wedding cake and it is awesome. I am really looking forward to them :). I plan to really push is Saturday in the work out so I can enjoy these cake balls guilt free.

So, that is it for now. I need to get some things done this afternoon. Man, Friday afternoon -- and it is kind of pretty outside. I'd rather be running around the lake. In time, I know. :) Later!

RIP - The Tipp :(

The Tipp is closing its doors on May 16th due to the downturn in the economy. It's a sad, sad day :(. Taylor and I are going to do trivia tomorrow night and wish the place a fond farewell (and possibly win Pez for the last time ever). I have to say, I have some good memories of that place. I do wonder what is going to happen to their faithful Poker night players (that was Wednesday night). I am sure they will find another home, but it won't be the same. Good bye Tipperary Inn...........

Happy Mother's Day!

Shoot out to my mom and all the mom's in the world! Happy Mother's Day :).

Saturday!

The week was great. I just got back from working out with Ryan -- we are still boxing and it is still the most wonderful workout ever! Plus, I get practical skills -- I am learning some moves that can be used if I ever need to defend myself. Calories burned and defense moves... what else can a girl ask for :). However my arms really hurt right now. Now I am just chilling, watching some old episodes of "Chuck". I actually need to go vote so I probably should get dressed and out the door. I also need to run to Target. Luckily they are both within a block of each other.

Mom and I are going to see "Rent" tonight. I am looking forward to it. I love "Rent" and seeing it live is a blast. I am making dinner for before hand -- I love my new crock pot. Well, to be honest, it isn't actually new. Jim gave it to me before we broke up -- and he isn't getting it back. So, I am enjoying the joys of the slow cooker :). And I appreciate Jen answering all sorts of dumb questions regarding crock pot cooking. I can come up with some doozies.... he he. Thanks girl! (And, while I am thinking about, shout out to Jen and the awesome work she is doing in the gym. I am so happy for you and you are truly an inspiration!!! Keep it up!).

Austin Re-Cap

Okay, Austin was WONDERFUL. I didn't want to leave. I have more pictures that I will post but I thought I'd give people a taste of some of it here. I went down for a bacherlorette party --- I just met the bride last weekend (the weekend before Austin). I know the Maid of Honor and she asked me to go along. So, along I went. There were only 4 of us -- the bride, Jen; Dawn (the MOH); Barry (yep, a guy at a b-party) and me. The bride had the veil and Dawn is the one obviously not me or a guy :).

(I hope these pictures aren't too dark!)

This one was taken at a tapas restaurant we had dinner at Saturday night. It was incredible. They had a fried goat cheese that rocked my world. Everything else was just super yummy too!

This picture was Halycon. It has the most awesome desserts and apparently great Chocolate Martinis. I took this time though to enjoy Smores and suck up as much water as I could. My cousin KaRyn went here when she was in Austin and told me all about it. So, so yummy! It was also a coffee bar and cigar bar. All these things in a cute, hip place.

We then went to about 4 different places to dance. We went non-stop from 10 -2 AM. One place of note was a club called Qua on 4th Street. There was a dance floor over a shark tank. Yes, a shark tank!!! It got so hot in there though -- I ended the night hanging out by the vent and trying to keep cool :). We also saw two bands (at two different clubs) who were singing the old 80's - 90's metal (think Poison....). With all the dancing, my legs were killing me the next day!!! I sat down for about 10 minutes. Bad move. Once I tried to stand back up, my feet pretty much revolted and said no. And it wasn't a great idea to walk around Austin barefoot. So, while they caught the cab back to the hotel, I sat on the bench at the corner.

It was a short trip and we were on our way back home Sunday around 1:00 (stopped for lunch at Z Southwestern Grille, another great food place). When I got home Sunday night, I pretty much just played with the cats and went to bed. I was still hurting Monday morning! My legs feel a lot better now :). I think all the dancing was good though -- we had a Cinco De Mayo lunch today and I probably ate more than I should have. I didn't get stuffed, but man, I don't think I can eat for a little bit longer.

More pictures to come though! Be on the look out :). (And based on the preview I just did of this blog, I might have to repost the two I did already!!!)

Saturday morning

Yes, I am going to Austin today! No, I am not worried about H1N1 (the official, not fun name for that new flu). I am healthy and wash my hands often. And really, I know what a sick person looks like, so I can stay away from them! I cough often which is annoying, but a side effect of my dang allergies. So, I am sure I will scare a few people in Austin :). There was no more anti- bacterial stuff at CVS but I had some in my car so I will just take that with me today too. Just have good hygiene, stay home when sick and just be vigilant. It is the same advice given during a regular flu outbreak. Just don't freak out! (By the way, www.cdc.gov has very good information about the new flu virus and other issues as well. I trust it way more than information on Yahoo or CNN. Although, I really do like Dr. Gupta.... but that is another blog post for another time :)).

I am just waiting for my friend to pick me up. We will be leaving around 11:30 or 12. So I gotta run and make sure I have everything. I just remembered I need to pack that camera!!! Have a great weekend :).

Well, dang it

I thought the mind crack was over when "Rock of Love Bus" had its season finale. I just watched "Daisy of Love". Now its going to be set on my DVR. It think it will be off-set by my new love of "In Plain Site". If you haven't seen that show, it's on USA and very very good!! Anyway, Sunday night has a new guilty pleasure......

I went to the shelter on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the cuddles of many cats. I even actually got a kitty hug. I was sitting down and a sweet little black and white kitty crawled into my lap, put his paws on my shoulder and leaned in like he was hugging me. It was the sweetest thing!!!

Speaking of cats, I tried to give Sierra a Benedryl because she has allergies. Yeah, never actually got it in her. I just ended up with a drooling, pissed off cat. She is finally talking to me again. I used tuna and thought that would work. Yeah, no. She isn't sneezing as much now and her eye isn't running anymore so I am not really concerned about giving it to her. But it was kind of funny. If she starts up again, I will try to give it to her again.

That's it. Watching a "How I Met Your Mother" repeat-- the episode "Robin Sparkles" is like my all time favorite of that show. That and "Swarley". Both make me laugh many, many times. Anyway, I have to clean after this is over. And based on this blog entry, I might just watch too much TV!!! :)

Later....

TGIF

It's been a super duper rough week. I am so glad it's over!!! I am meeting some friends tonight for Happy Hour -- a much needed happy hour :). Then tomorrow, I plan to hang out at the shelter. Kitties always make it better.

I won't really go into details, however I wanted to let everyone know I was still alive and kicking! Katie posted some great videos of the girls and it made my week. Seriously, any bad thing melts away when seeing Colby crawl around and Chloe dance like only a 3 year old can :).

Have a wonderful weekend. If I get something interesting to say, I will definitely post. This weekend, the plan is just to stay busy.

Later!

Quick Recap

It's been awhile so I wanted to pop in and say hi. Been to Denver and back (AWESOME time!!) and worked a little so I wanted to take a moment to do a brief overview. I have pictures of Denver and I will post them soon. I keep promising that however I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I arrived in Denver Friday morning very tired but ready to go! I arrived right after a blizzard, but amazingly enough my flight was on time and I had no problems. Michelle picked me up and then we started the trip. Friday was just chilling --we went to the mall. That night we took the train Downtown and hit a Piano Bar named Sing Sing. It was a lot of fun, however I think tiredness, dehydration and altitude got to me because I wasn't feeling all that great during the evening. Saturday we went to the mountains and played in the snow. Michelle's boyfriend has a German Shepard named Chloe and she is the sweetest dog! It was fun watching her play and romp around in the massive snow piles. Sunday was just spent chilling, hanging out and talking. I got home pretty late Sunday night (and the flight was very empty. There were only 28 people on that flight!).

This week hasn't been too eventful. I did have a fun commute Wednesday (April Fool's Day) when the train I boarded pretty much died on the tracks. I got on at Mockingbird, then the train lurched, lurched again and then went backwards. Um, we know that isn't right! During this time I met a gal who graduated from A&M so we chatted from the time they kicked us off the train, we got on a new train and then she got off. I never chat with people on the train however she was a fellow Ag so not a total weirdo :). We just joked that it was a very bad Dart April 1 prank......

This weeked should be fun. Jim's birthday was Thursday so I am having him over Saturday night and I am cooking dinner. I don't get to cook for him very often so it will be a treat. I am looking forward to it :). That is the big thing for the weekend. I do plan to go to the shelter, probably Sunday. I obviously didn't go last weekend so I need to go catch up with Felix and Mr. Pollo.

Okay, that's it -- I have to get back to work. I plan to post the pics soon. Possibly this weekend, but I really don't want to promise anything!!!

Mid Week Wrap-Up

One more work day and I am off to Denver!!! Whoot whoot!!! I talked to Michelle today and she has the weekend planned already. She asked if I had a heavy duty coat..... um, I live in Texas, we don't need that...... and gloves.... apparently I need thicker gloves. I might have to buy a cheapo pair while there. It is snowing and cold and it will be great! I can't wait to go to the mountains Saturday. Her boyfriend's family has a cabin up there and so we get to spend time with them. Can't wait!!!!

Prayers are needed right now. I have a friend who's sister was just diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It is very treatable and she should be fine, however, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers that it resolves it quickly and she goes into remission.

That is about it right now. I am thinking I need to pack soon but I will end up doing it all at the last minute tomorrow night! The bad part is that I have to pack all warm clothes and that takes way too much space! It is much easier to pack for warmer weather! :).

Later!!!

One full week

I was proud -- I didn't fall or bump my head once in the last week. Yes, seriously, that is a feet for me!!!! :). The weekend was great but it was too short.

I started volunteering at the Humane Society in Dallas. It is a no-kill shelter which is why I picked it. They have cats there that have been there for 10 years. A little old man cat named Mr Pollo is my favorite old timer. He has liver cancer, is about 16 years old, but he has a lot of life and love in him. He likes to cuddle and loves to be petted. I look forward to seeing him whenever I go in. I will get a picture of him so you can see him! And then there is a kitten named Felix. He is a solid black cat and very tiny. He is actually smaller than Simon. I believe he is actually over a year old because he is not in the "teenager" room. I sing "Felix the Cat" to him although I only know the first two lines :). There are a lot of other little love bugs in that shelter. If you know of anybody looking for a cat, let me know!!! I have only worked there for 3 hours but I can pinpoint personalities already. There are about 20 dogs also at the shelter (so if you want a dog, let me know that too!). I stick with the kitties because while I love dogs, I really am more comfortable with cat behavior!!! I do have to take my allergy medicine though - with 200 cats in the place, the allergies kind of act up.......

Well, that was the excitement of the weekend. Got to see my wonderful "friend" too and we watched the "Punisher: War Zone". Um, yeah, it was very cheesy but hey, I kind of figured it would be. Jim wasn't feeling well so we pretty much just hung out and watched the movie. It was still a nice evening.

I am heading to Denver this weekend and I can't wait! We are headed to the mountains on Saturday and Michelle said that snow was expected on Thursday and Friday. Yay!! I will have plenty of pictures next week.

Happy Birthday Chloe!!

Today is Chloe's 3rd birthday. Man, to be 3 again!!! I can't wait to see the pictures. Hopefully we will get a hold of them before my Aunt Gail starts photoshopping them. She is having fun however I will not believe there is a cow in her living room for the party :)>.

The weekend was great, very jam packed and even with some clutziness, I managed to escape it in one piece. Last night I was rather exhausted so I was in bed very early. Probably before 9 (Rock of Love Bus was still on so I know it was at least after 8). It was nice however I don't think I am fully recovered just yet. I think that is a function of Monday though. I should be better once I eat my lunch and get in a walk.

Everyone have a great Monday!

It's Cold!!!

I am cold and still wet from this morning's trek from the train station. Puddles tend to accumulate when it rains for awhile. And there were plenty of puddles. Sigh...... My shoes were pretty soaked when I got in so one of my co-workers loaned me a pair to wear so my feet wouldn't be cold. She is a size or two smaller than I am however they are slip ons and they work for the meantime. I now wish I had tea at the office. Something warm and soothing would do me some good!

That is about it today. I did do the Zumba class last night and had a blast! She was an awesome teacher. She even had some moves that weren't Zumba related..... we did a routine to "Mickey" by Toni Basil, complete with invisible pom poms. Had a blast, danced my booty off and I will definitely go back. It was a quick hour :). They have other classes at this studio (Move Studio, btw) so I will have to do more there.

Okay, later!

Zumba!

I haven't gone to a Zumba class in so long and I found one fairly close to me, so I made plans to go tonight. I need a good dance session. I hate cardio and finding fun ways to get it in are always good. I need it too. I have been slacking on my cardio sessions and that is not good. My aim is to get somewhat tight by the time I hit Denver. I won't be in a bathing suit in Denver, however 3 weeks is a good time frame to pump it up.

I know it is a little late for a weekend update but I think I am still being affected by the time change. There was no way I could type it yesterday :). It was a great weekend. My "new friend" and I went to a concert on Friday night at the Granada. Some guy named Derick Trucks. He is a Blues musician and actually very good. I enjoyed the concert... even danced around a little. He doesn't actually sing (he has members of his band that do that), he plays the slide guitar. It is mesmerizing to see the fingers go up and down the guitar. Even from as far back as we were, I could still see that skill. It was fun to hang out on Lower Greenville too. I hadn't done that in awhile. Saturday I just chilled in Keller. It was a lot of fun to just hang and watch movies. I had my choice of "SATC" or "Burn After Reading". I wasn't very impressed by "Burn After Reading" the first time I watched it so I chose my girls.

Onto Sunday. That was spent shopping with Mom for stuff for the apartment. I found lots of things to make my surroundings smell good (candles, etc). I didn't find any wall decorations I just could live without. I am going to try Hobby Lobby some time soon. They have some good stuff there and I have heard I can get it pretty cheap. Cheap is good! I also had dinner with my parents but by the time that was over, I was pretty tired. I just wanted to crawl on my couch and nap. And nap I did. It was rather nice to be lazy after such a productive day.

Okay, that is enough rambling. Time to get back to work!

Friday!

Good Morning! The two Red Bulls are kicking in and I am kind of hyper right now. That will wear off around 2 so might as well enjoy the ride while I have it going.

I have recently made two new goals for myself. I was feeling blocked and stuck and just not really thrilled with stuff (and basically bored out of my skull). I wanted to move but then I realized it was really because I was bored with my space. So, instead of putting energy into looking for a new place, packing, hiring movers, etc, I decided to just re-decorate and spruce things up a bit. I am going to see how cheaply I can design. I might just put ideas out here on occasion for vote/input.

My second goal is some sort of business certification. I have a phone meeting with my new boss to figure out what best suits my future career and the company. I found a program at UTD that looks pretty intense but great. And it will give me what I need without the 2-3 year commitment to another Master's Degree. I just need a brain spurt, and the UTD program will accomplish that. I am getting input from the new manager because I am going to utilize the Tuition Reimbursement benefit. I really wouldn't care what she thought if it was my own money! She is very cool and wants us to have whatever we need to succeed, so I will take her input to heart.

There is of course the on-going goal of weight loss and just getting better and stronger physically. I just need to tighten things up with my eating and I will be fine. I love Cadburry Eggs and have my share. However they came out so early that I am already sick of them. No need to buy and consume any more before Easter.

Okay, time to get to work. I need to get some things done before the weekend hits. Everyone have a great day!!!!

Family Brag Time

Read the article. Officer Houser is my cousin. Way to go, Officer Houser :).

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/108/story/711567.html

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!