Happy Monday!

It's sunny, I am on my 4th cup of coffee and things are generally good. I am willing it to be a good day....even though it's Monday :). My weekend was pretty low-key. Friday night I met Taylor and Terry out to watch the Baylor game at Stan's down on Lower Greenville. It is right next to area of the fire from a few weeks ago. This was the first time I had seen the destruction in person so it was kind of sad. The night was fun and Baylor pretty much mopped the floor with St. Mary. It is not good when you actually feel bad for the opponent! Baylor moved onto the Elite Eight and played Sunday. They were beat by Duke, but that game looked pretty good. Now there are no more Big 12 teams in the tourney. I really have no one to root for anymore! Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

I went to see "Alice in Wonderland" on Saturday night and that was a really good movie. I didn't have any expectations so they were all pretty much met :). The visuals were amazing and they had some great one-liners. I recommend it. Okay, so the movie was free so maybe that helped in my enjoyment of the movie. My friend got some free passes to Studio Movie Grill. She has one more (2 free tickets) so we might be going on Tuesday to see "The Bounty Hunter". I had received the link to the tickets too but I didn't open it in time and so the promotion was over before I got to the tickets. Next time I will act quicker!

Now I am ready to start the week. That coffee is helping too :). Everyone have a great day!!

My new workout

I tried my first pole dancing workout last night and I am so sore now! The studio where I took pilates and zumba classes now offers Beginner classes and so I went to check it out. I am not really good at, but man, my arms really feel it today. It is a total body workout and a lot harder than it looks! One problem though is that the class is 8:45-9:45 PM so it makes for a late night. I was wired when I got home last night and therefore it took me longer to get to sleep. Oh well. I will just have to make adjustments because I can't do the 6:00 Tuesday and Thursday class. It was a lot of fun and any new way to get in a workout is a good thing.

I did watch "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" last night when I got home. It was a really cute movie and nice to just shut the brain off and be entertained. Even though it's a kids movie, it was perfect for adults as well. I laughed a lot and really recommend it. I'd actually buy it and I don't say that about many movies.

Okay that's it for today. Obnoxious cube neighbor is gone for the day and I need to take full advantage of the quiet. It is spreadsheet day! Excitement abounds... Everyone enjoy the sun. :).

Happy Birthday Chloe!

Today Chloe is 4.

Oh, to be 4 again......

The Sun!

So, dreary cold and cloudy winters can make you forget about sunscreen. The Greenville Ave St. Patrick's Day Parade and Block party was this past weekend. It was a great day for a party, but yeah, I forgot sunscreen and my face is a bit red. Not too bad but it will peal and look just lovely. Apparently there were over 80,000 people up and down Greenville Ave! I can believe it. Even at 9:15, when I was walking down to Lower Greenville, it was like a maze. It took me way longer to get from my place to the house I was going to but that's okay. It was totally worth not having to find a parking spot or worrying about parking enforcement. Even on the street I was on, they were in full force.

I had a girl try to trade me beads (nope, mine were better). I think had they not been around my neck, she might have tried to take them from me. I think as I was walking quickly away from her, she was trying to steal a chair. I heard "Oh hey, a chair, I think I will take it". She was worth getting away from quickly. The parade was a lot of fun and there were some very interesting outfits out and about. All green, so they were appropriate :). My green shirt was boring in comparison. I didn't make it to the official Greenville Block party but I did go to the house of my friend's co-worker. Burgers, hotdogs and other yummy stuff was served. Between that and the beer, I was a bit full! Dawn had to leave early so I actually left with her (2 pm. Yep, I have great stamina!). I am sure I would have been fine walking home, but heck, I had a ride, I was going to take it.

Happy Monday everybody. It's time to go home!

Pilates can make you sore!

I took a Pilates class yesterday afternoon and darn it, I can barely walk today. I think a lot of it has to do with the massage Angela gave me afterwards, but I can hardly walk! Angela had the MOST AWESOME birthday present and gave me a massage. Loved it and it felt great. Pilates was a lot of fun and since I hadn't done it in awhile, it was very challenging. There were only 2 of us in the class so it was pretty much a semi-private lesson. That was nice -- the teacher was able to give us better feedback. I have some pretty tight hamstrings and calves so the leg lifts and leg circles were interrupted by severe leg shaking! I couldn't keep them straight up -- I had to keep them bent at tabletop. I just have to stretch more and get that all loosened up. Weight training and running/walking caused it. I just have to counter it. I really did like this teacher so I think the 12:30 Sunday class will have to become a routine.

My birthday came and went and I am firmly in 38. Still not totally happy about it but hey, I look far from that age so I really can't complain. 38 isn't horrible. I'll live. :). I had a wonderful dinner with Jen at Victory Tavern last week (awesome food!!!), had some sushi with Taylor and Angi, got some cuddle time and a car detail from my new honey. I think I ate a lot actually :). Nothing magically changes when you hit 38. I just think the new thing with me is my love for "Criminal Minds". Remember that NCIS kick I was on? This is worse. Love this team and the stories. And Morgan rocks and Reid is just adorable. I am also happy to see Paget Brewster land a great role (she had a minor arc on Friends a few years back). Just love the show! A&E, ION and CBS keep me in episodes. I guess that is a weird thing to change in a new age :).

Well, that might be it for now. It had been a while since i popped in and said hi. So here I am!!! I am sure there are some stories in the last few weeks I need to tell. I will think of them and jot them down :). You will not be denied.....

Stay dry all!!

Snow!!!

I have never seen anything like it in Dallas. I think the final total was 12.5 inches and it is beautiful. Yesterday, work sent out a message that we were having a delayed opening at 10, which would have been fine. However, DISD announced it was closed Friday by 6 PM on Thursday night. They weren't even doing the normal "wait and see". That kind of confused me since we always follow DISD. I got a text from a co-worker that we were indeed closed for the day. I had stuff I could have actually done from home, however silly me, didn't bring it home. I've gotten some cleaning done and I need to make a trip to Target. I am sure the roads aren't that bad at this point in time. And I need to get out of the house!

Simon was very excited about a snow day. I opened the blinds and he really, really thought he wanted to go out on the patio. Yeah, one foot out the door, and his little furry butt was back in the warmth. So funny! Sierra didn't even try. She's smart. :)

That's it for snow day. This weekend will prove to be fun. I have no idea what the plans are -- they are up in the air, but it is Valentine's weekend, so something better happen :). Oh yeah, I am also preparing to turn a year older on Monday. I haven't decided if I am going willingly or kicking and screaming. You might have to wait until Monday to hear my answer on that :). I do have to say, a 4 day weekend really does help the mood!!

Stay warm and enjoy the snow!!!

So...

At what point do you tell the new boyfriend you have a blog??? :).

I get to see "Avatar" tomorrow. I really can't wait. I didn't think it was one of my "must see" movies, but I really am looking forward to it. I am going with a couple of girlfriends in Frisco (we were going to the IMAX on Webb Chapel, but David reminded us that it isn't the safest area, so we changed the date -- we originally planned to go tonight-- and location -- since I have to drive there and the movie starts at 7. Gives me time.). I really still want to see "Up in the Air". Hopefully soon.

This week has been very low-key. I was very sick on Sunday and still felt it Monday. I felt pretty human yesterday and today was actually productive. I do have to say the pink snuggie and sweet kitties made me feel a bit better, but I never want to be that sick again. Simon didn't leave my side while I was ill. Sierra would just come check on me. Tonight will just be a work out and cleaning the apt night. Fun, fun stuff.

My next 5K has been selected. Jen and I are doing the "Dash Down Greenville" on March 13th. It is right before the St. Patty's Day Parade so we will clean up and watch it after we run. I need to get back into running shape. I think my 11-12 min. mile is slowed up now. Need to get it back. I am looking forward to it! Anybody who wants to join, just let me know!!!

Okay, back to work. I have a 3:30 meeting and want to get something done before the fact. Later!

Exciting Wednesday Stuff

Well, not really. This morning I am researching Federal Record Schedules and Recordkeeping. Yep, can you feel the excitement.... I get to be the new guru. Yay... However I am also plotting a training program for our admins who have to deal with Recordkeeping as well. All the information is there, it is just buried. So, if I pull it and put together a proposal, I am sure my boss will go for it. Plus it makes some rather boring subject matter interesting.

Other than that, the week has been pretty status quo. I am seeing Ryan tonight for my once every two week booty kicking. Tomorrow I am taking the day off from working out because I am getting sore and my body needs that day off. I did a pilates work out last night and I forgot how much I like it (and how much it kicks butt!!). It was at home, so Simon thought he needed to help. Of course I need the help and guidance of an 8 lb feline :).

Okay, that's it. Tomorrow is my good friend Dawn's birthday so I need to think of the perfect gift for her. Seriously, it shouldn't be too hard since we were pretty much separated at birth but for some reason I am stumped! I don't see her until Saturday night, so I have time. Her party is going to be at Zea in Frisco. I always like that place so it will be fun! Wine and hummus -- a great way to celebrate a birthday.

Everyone have a wonderful Wednesday!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Lazy Sundays are the best! The boy just left and we pretty much spent all day watching Football. It was nice. I did get up and work out this morning but after that, really, haven't moved much! I have been running around for the last two days, so really, I don't feel too bad for chilling. I needed to rest.

Last night I threw a going away gathering for my friend Mia. She is moving to NYC and so I had a few friends over last night for food and wine (and some beer too). It took all day to get ready but it was worth it. I like hosting gatherings, I just don't do it enough. I tried to make Lemon Bars (recipe from my cousin Katie) and while they were edible, I did something to the crust. So they were more like Lemon crumbles. I love Lemon Bars so I need to figure out what the heck I did and fix it. I will try again soon :). Or maybe I just need to fly to Cali and have Katie make them for me..... :). I had a lot of food left over though! But then again, at a party you don't want to run out of food. So, it's all okay. I can save some of it for any Super Bowl party I attend. Friday was just a run around day, nothing huge, just running errands and visiting Sam's for food.

I am looking forward to the new week. Just have to get in the mindset of the new workweek! I have a movie I will watch and then bed early. Everyone have a great Sunday!

Happy Day Off!

I had MLK day off and spent it with my friend Dawn. We went to White Rock for a quick walk (it was early and still too cold so it was a short walk!). Then we went to lunch and shopping at Northpark Mall. It was rather fun and I found some cute stuff. I had 2 Banana Republic gift cards and actually ended up only spending $4.95 of my own money. There were a lot of discounts and sales. All was good :). Now I am just chilling because I am tired.

A lot has changed in the last week. Most people know the story but I am still not going to blog about it just yet. But I am very very happy and it will last a long time. At least I believe it will.

The weekend was pretty good. Busy and lots going on. I had a date on Saturday night and we were supposed to go see "Up In the Air", however it was sold out. We didn't feel like waiting for the 9:30 show so we saw "Leap Year". It was so good. I do recommend it. I thought it started off a bit slow but at the end, I actually had a little tear in my eye. Very sweet love story!

Okay, that's it. Or at least that is all I plan to report today! Have a great evening. Later!!

Everything and Nothing

Happy New Year! More than a week later :)>.

The week has been pretty good. There is a new boss in my section at OSHA and she is pretty cool so far (I am cautiously optimistic). We are having a meeting next week for our ADs and so I am helping her prepare the agenda and get things going for it. My "atta girl" this week was for an awesome agenda. Hey, I will take it where I can get it :). I think she is very fair and I might just learn a lot from her. So, while I am still annoyed by the people who work around me, I might actually be able to grow and get better projects. We shall see.....

I have decided not to train for the March 2010 1/2 marathon. I am going to work towards one in Dec. March is too soon for my level of running. So, there ya go. Right now I am focused on getting back to eating right and a regular workout routine. I am going to start seeing Ryan 2x a month. I think that will keep my brain on track and I can still get a butt whooping. It will be easy on my budget and still get me what I need.

Man, I thought I'd have more to report, but I guess not :). Everyone stay warm!!!

Post Vacation Hello

I am back from CA and all is well. I had a great time and have some pics to post. That will probably happen this weekend. The family is as wonderful as ever and our new addition Zoey is just adorable (and Chloe is still just as awesome as ever). Zoey looks like a little angel (and a Gerber baby). I know most people think that about their family, but seriously, the kid was angelic!!! There won't be much written today because I am back at work and trying to get into the swing of things. I will post stories later! Just wanted to say hi and let everyone know I was home safe and sound.

Now I am trying to figure out what to do for NYE..... Yep, there is nothing like waiting until the last moment :).

Friday Fun Time

Hello all! Hope the week treated everyone well. I actually had a pretty good week. Nothing too exciting (well, sushi Monday night at The Fish. It was pretty good, just a very dark restaurant! The manager actually brought us a flashlight to read our menu.). I called up Ryan to do 2 sessions with him before I head to CA next week. My first session with him was yesterday.

Sooooo..... I can now run 5 miles (with a bit of walking thrown in), but a workout that use to be easy for me is now very, very hard. I seriously got dizzy half way thru. Kind of a weird reversal! It was good to get a different kind of work out though and I am seeing him again on Wednesday. More than likely, I am going to set up two appointments a month with him, especially if I am going to train for a 1/2. While running is obviously an important component to training, you have to also do some strength and core training. With sessions set up, I would have points of accountability and also some structure. I need to get my booty in a yoga class too because flexibility and stretching are important too. (And I really need to schedule a massage... just because.)

This weekend is both full and relaxing. Finally getting my hair cut! I totally need it and figured I'd do it before I leave for vacation. I am going to another Debutante Ball this weekend too (okay, just realized I haven't made sure my dress fits..... probably should do that tonight!). There are some little odds and ends I need to take care of too so that will keep me busy. And I must start working on Sock Puppet Theater! There will probably be no football watching parties this week because the Cowboys play Saturday night this week and well, I'm going to be busy being all glamorous :). I am amazed at how much football I have watched this season, both college (other teams) and Pro. It's been fun though :).

So, that's it. Back to work I go. Everyone have a wonderful Friday. :)

Running the Rock (well, 5 miles of it!)

The White Rock Marathon and Half Marathon took place today, along with the 5 person relay. As most everyone knows, I ran a 5 mile leg of the relay today and it was more than awesome. Now, it was cold and I had to wait a lot, however once I got going, it just was incredible. Since the relay is the full marathon course, we ran with the marathoners. Since that was the case, I really felt like I couldn't slow down, couldn't walk (as much, trust me, I still walked. And so did they. They know how to work it). But the energy coming from them propelled me forward to my end point. I did have some knee issues which slowed me down. I could have probably done it in quicker time. Oh, yeah, I did it in 61 minutes! I was very impressed with myself. I thought I would be a tad longer, so that time worked for me. It is an unofficial, Kim's watch time, but it was still a good time.

The bus to our relay point was at 7:30 but I got to AAC pretty early (took the train). Once we left the AAC, we landed at the lake at our relay point. I bought the ear warmer things on Friday and didn't think I would actually need them today. It really wasn't that cold when we were waiting at the AAC. However, the wind coming off the lake almost killed my ears! And my hands got cold too. Soooo, next time I think I don't need them, I am taking them anyway. I didn't need them during the run, but we had to wait a few hours. It was needed.

On the bus to the relay point, I met this gal. She was pretty cool (and very chatty, which was funny since it was 7:30 AM). Anyway, we talked about her training, her life, my training, my life, the silly girls running around in NOTHING! (they were supposed to be santa's. ), and just anything else. She is running the Dallas Rock and Roll in March. She got done before I did but she stayed around and found me at the 15 mile mark. That was pretty cool of her. She even said how proud she was of me. A total stranger :). She was nice. Anyway, she has my number and told me to consider training for the Rock and Roll in March (13 miles... 1/2 Marathon... seems very daunting!). I think if I start it hard in Jan, it could work. And then I could also help propel Jen on her quest to do to the Chicago Rock and Roll in August! Something to think about it. Now I feel good -- sore, but good. Pretty accomplished. And watching the marathon runners do their thing was inspirational too!

Everyone have a wonderful Sunday. :)

Christmas Party

We had our Christmas party for work today. It was pretty fun except for I ended up with the worst gift in the gift exchange:

I am not sure who brought it but um, really??? I am going to take it home and see how the cats react to it! I had a bottle of wine in my grubby hands but someone stole it. Dang it! And it was my new OSHA boss, so I couldn't really put up too much of a fight :). I should have stolen something else and not gone for an unknown, wrapped present! The cookies I made for the event were actually really good (remember, I don't bake). I ended up with 7 dozen cookies last night. After about the 5th dozen, I was kind of over baking. :). I have more flour and sugar than I really need so I might have to find more things to make. I will just bring them up to the office. I am really looking forward to the cookie party tonight, mostly because it is just girl time. And I haven't seen Dawn in forever so it will be nice to see her too!

Because of the party tonight, I won't be able to work out. I plan an extra hard workout tomorrow night though. I didn't do too bad today at lunch (there was some great stuff) but I still have tonight's cookie extravaganza :).

Jen and I are already discussing our next 5K. I am looking at the list and there are some interesting runs happening. It will be fun to train for and run the next race. I just need to get thru Sunday! Can't wait to finally run it and post everything here.

Okay that is about it. I am heading home soon and then off to Frisco. I need to wrap a present and clean up. Have a great Thursday night!!

Hump Day

So, the White Rock Marathon is this weekend. I have a mixture of excitement, apprehension and "what the heck was I thinking!". But it is more excitement. I am ready to get out there and get it done. I have the 3rd leg (mile 10-15) and I know there is a bus to take me from the AAC to my mile marker. I just have this feeling I am going to have to take the shuttle and then wait. I have 2 people ahead of me who make pretty good time so I think my hand off is around 9:40-9:50 (the race starts at 8). Once I am done, than I can take the shuttle back to the AAC and probably head home. Not sure of what is going on after we are done! The group is meeting for dinner on Saturday night to get our packets and go over last minute details. That is probably a detail I need to get :). After it is done, I will go and make plans for my next race. I just need to get through Sunday first!!!

Tonight I will be baking cookies for our Office Christmas party and a Christmas Cookie Party I have tomorrow night. I will probably only bake 12 for work since there will be a lot of sweets and I don't think everyone will eat them (and I have to do 5 dozen for the cookie party!). It will be fun but I don't normally bake. My Aunt Gail sent me 3 recipes to chose from and I think I am going with a Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie. According to the note attached to the recipe -- "they vanish quickly". Well, we shall see about that! I have already decided that all the cookies I get from the cookie party will come up to work the day after. I hope there will be people around to eat them. :).

Okay that is about it. Lunch break is over. Everyone stay warm and have a wonderful Wednesday!!

Hola

Okay, so apparently I forgot I even wrote a blog :). We've had Thanksgiving, Michelle's been to visit, I have been to a Construction Standards class. A lot has been going on but nothing has just been super, douper "Hey, write about me!!!".

The Idlewild Ball was a lot of fun. I didn't think it would be bad though. Thanksgiving was awesome. I ate way too much but the food was good :). Of course I'd say that... I made the turkey. Class was pretty good. I did learn a lot and since I have a construction site across the street, I know what is going on (sort of... kind of...). I am back to work today and this morning was pretty packed. Now I am ready to go home. Since I am having dinner tonight with Jen, I think wanting to get out of here is perfectly okay!

Okay, that is really about it. The A&M/tu game was pretty darn good! While the Aggies did lose, they fought really, really hard. And I am sure my friends now never want to be around me during an A&M game ever again :). Yes, totally aware this is commentary on something that happened awhile ago.

Happy Friday!

Waiting

I am just waiting for Taylor to come pick me up for the ball. I am actually mostly done getting ready. I just need to put on the dress and touch up the hair. It's easy to fix your hair when you wear it straight..... :). All is good in the land of Kim now. A&M beat Baylor (whoop!) and I had a great run this morning. Not a bad Saturday. I only did 4 miles today because at the end of the 4th mile, my knee was starting to hurt. The trail is located at Lively Park and it is a one mile loop. It was a nice park and a nice trail. I love White Rock, but it was nice to have a change of pace. So, for 4 miles it was 54 minutes. Definitely can work on that time, but truthfully, I don't think it is horrible for a novice runner.

That is about it. Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday!

***Oh and a great big shot out to Jen. That woman is a great inspiration and a total rock star. As of today, she is at 75 lbs LOST!!! I am very proud of you Jen and I know a lot of other people are too. Thanks for being a great inspiration for everyone :). That is a lot of hard work and I know you have had your ups and downs. This is definitely an up!! Keep up the great work!***

Friday!

So, not a lot to chat about but it seems like I have a busy weekend ahead. We are doing timed runs for the 5 leg relay at the White Rock Marathon. I am not where I want to be time wise however I was told not to stress about that. Just show up tomorrow and run to my little heart's content. The date is in 3 weeks so I still have time to get up to where I want to be. I have another friend doing the relay as well (a different team). She is doing the 4 mile leg. Boy, I wish I had gotten that one!! :). I will rock it, it will all be good.

Tomorrow night I was invited to attend the Idlewild Ball (yep, one of the Debutante balls). I already have a dress, but I want to get some new jewelry to punch it up (it's a black gown). It will be a ton of fun! I wanted to go to Banana Republic to look at their stuff, but I may not have time.

At some point this weekend, I need to finalize the grocery list for Thanksgiving and head to the store. I want to get that done this weekend because I have this feeling the store will get busier the closer to Thanksgiving we get! I do love that Tom Thumb has all the "essentials" placed together at the front of the store (well, Turkey in the back of course). But the pie stuff is together, gravy stuff, etc. You get the point. Just makes life easier. Even though, more than likely I will forget something. I always do!

Everybody have a happy and wonderful Friday. Even though it's dreary, I am feeling pretty good. It's payday -- that helps :). I am waiting for my registration to clear for an OSHA class - Construction Standards. Now that I am staring at a construction site, it might be very interesting. I am hoping there are still slots available!

And one more thing -- Christmas music should NOT be played 24/7 on the radio before Thanksgiving. Yes, i am buying gifts (even bought a 2 foot purple tinsel tree) but they certainly won't be wrapped before Thanksgiving and the tree won't be put out until Friday! (Well, the tree will be placed high on a shelf because of Frik and Frak.) Come on people. Let's be thankful before heading into craziness!!!

Later!

Weekend Overview

The weekend has come and gone. I think I watched more football in the past two days then I watched all season long! Last night I went to Humperdinks with some friends for the A&M/TCU/Tech games (all on at the same time). Humperdinks is pretty much the only place we could think that would actually have the all the games on that we could watch in the same area. WAY too much stimulation! We were watching 3 tvs all in a row. A&M lost. I wasn't really expecting a win against OU however I at least expected us to show up for the game. Yeah, um, no more comments..... :). Today I was back at Humperdinks to watch the Cowboy game. The Cowboys didn't show up for that game either. Dang it was boring! And the Cowboys lost. It was rather pathetic. I am hoping next week A&M will pull a win against Baylor.... mostly because I have a bet with Taylor on the game and I'd like the win it :). By the way, congrats to TCU on 10-0! That is very impressive.

Other than that, everything is the same. I am winding down from the weekend and getting prepped for the week to come. I had to do some rearranging because the carpet cleaners are coming tomorrow. Simon and Sierra will be locked in the bathroom all day -- I know they will be thrilled with that......

Happy Sunday Night!

Kitten Pics

Some baby pictures I hadn't shared yet! These were taken when Edward and Jasper were about 6 weeks old. Enjoy :).

Pictures

Halloween Night - 2009. Me and Dawn at a party at her friend's house.

Trying to save a patient (the mask was CREEPY!!!). And yes, he was Michael Jackson, DOA.......

Pumpkins that were carved for the Higginbotham party last weekend (Oct. 24). Mine is the second from the left. :).

Self portrait -- me before the Higginbotham party (a wine stain made it a little hard to wear the mother nature costume last night, hence the change!)

Not a Halloween picture, but it is a cute one of me and Natalie's baby, Ally. I look a mess because I had literally just come in from the rain.

No kittens

I wasn't able to get the kittens today because the vet tech is concerned about their eating and wanted to take them home to watch them. I totally understand but was a little sad I didn't get to bring the darlings home. Oh well. I know Simon is not upset about it :).

Just got back from registering for the White Rock 5-Relay Run in Dec. I will be running on a team called "Jo's Team" -- in memory of several people at the church who have been lost to cancer. (South MacArthur Church of Christ -- where I went to church growing up.). I am really looking forward to it! It is 7 weeks away, so I will be starting to hit the training hard. Now, it is only 5 miles, but for a gal who has only run 2 5ks, it will be a challenge to get to 5 miles (with a good time!). I will post training updates as I go along. That will also be helpful in keeping me accountable. (And I HAVE to run it. They are counting on me -- it is a 5 person team, not just my lone self. That will definitely keep me accountable!)

That is about all. I am now watching "A Haunting in Connecticut". To get the full effect, I am guessing I need to log off the computer!

Tuesday!

I only got 5 hours of sleep last night. And the 5 hours was only because I over slept and woke up at 7!. Oops....... I went to visit with friends, then got home and finished watching "Drag Me to Hell". Awful movie. I don't know why I even finished it. Seriously, it was so predictable and badly acted. Not my favorite "scary movie". I put scary in quotes because it was not. Don't waste your time. "A Haunting in Connecticut" is on it's way to me now (it's Halloween time. I love scary movies at Halloween!). "The Unborn" was actually pretty good. It was predictable at times too, however it kept up the creep factor and the ending actually got me. I also got done with "Transformers 2". Not a scary movie but I really wanted to see it! While it was disappointing story and acting wise (really, not a shocker....), I loved the special effects. It was way too long, but for what it was, it was okay.

So, I just got an email from the shelter volunteer lady that Brooke has a URI :(. Not good. Poor baby. They have her on antibiotics and I plan to visit her soon to give some TLC. Actually, I am visiting REALLY soon because they have kittens! 3-6 week old babies that need a place to live for about 2 to 3 weeks. I loved having Jasper and Edward around and I think rotating kittens in will be okay. They already are eating solid food -- they just need a place to live so they can thrive and be less likely to get an illness. And I figured since I wasn't actually involved in their birth, I have less emotional involvement with them. I will play, socialize and then send them to their forever homes. I know that is why I was so attached to Jasper and Edward -- I was there from the very, very beginning!

In other news, I have agreed to do the Dallas White Rock Marathon - 5 person Relay. I have a 5 mile stretch so I will be training for that. It is gorgeous outside today so I am thinking it will be a run outside day. (It was "run inside day" yesterday). Funny how I always said that the only way you'd get me to run was to chase me with a machete...... :).

Okay, time to finish up work! Everyone have a great Tuesday.

Weekend Wrap-up

I guess you can't really wrap-up the weekend when it isn't officially over, but I am going to do so anyway. The Halloween party last night was a blast. I will have to download pictures and post them. The Higginbotham party is always a blast and last night was no exception. I ate way too much and need to go for a long run to make up for it. I will do that in a few hours.

I took Brooke back to the shelter today. It was sad but it was the right thing to do. I needed to get back to a 2 cat household. She has a cold too so they can look after it and take care of it. I will be going back on weekends to visit her - I am sure she will be okay. I did find out that Jasper and Edward got adopted so yay them! I don't have any info on the families that took them but I know that they will be in good hands.

I am going to watch a scary movie and then go for a run before I get ready for bed. My asthma has been acting up this past week so working out has been hard. I went to the doctor on Friday and now have to take prednisone to get my system cleared back up. It's a necessary evil. I am back on the inhalers and I am feeling much better!

Oh and one of the biggest surprises this weekend was A&M beating Tech!!!! And it was a nice little whooping. I wasn't expecting it and I was very happy. Giddy, actually :). I guess the team was mad enough about the butt whiping last weekend.

Happy Sunday!

Halloween party tonight

I am so excited. Seriously, I love Halloween. This is the annual Higginbotham Halloween party -- which used to be at Taylor's brother's house. Since the brother and family moved to Southlake, the party is now at Taylor's house. I finally found the costume and it is super cute! I love it - I am going as Mother Nature. I wasn't inspired for anything until Wednesday. Last night, a group went to Taylor's house to carve pumpkins. I haven't carved pumpkins in forever! It was a lot of fun. I need to find a picture of it and post it. It was a messy, messy time, but I had a blast. :). It was totally a trace job but I think it turned out well. And no, I didn't cut any limbs off....... And next week, I will have to find someplace to go so I can wear the costume again!

Okay, time to run. Simon's turn for the vet. It is just for shots -- he is perfectly fine. Actually, he is back to running around the house like he is on the nip. Opening cabinets and screaming like a banchee......(yes, he opens my kitchen cabinets)

Happy Saturday!!!

HI!

Poking head in, waves!!!

This weekend was awesome. I ran the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure Saturday morning. Mom, Jen and her hubby Dave were there too. It was fantastic and I loved it -- it was crazy though. Thousands of people. The energy was great and I did better than my first 5K -- official time was 41:31. That is the goal though -- to do better than the race before. I am trying to find my next race. I think the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. I am not sure yet. That will be another crazy, crazy time. I am thinking a smaller race would do me some good too!

Saturday night I had dinner at Stephen Pyles in Downtown Dallas with some friends of mine. That place was very nice and dinner was great (okay, wasn't too keen on the clams, but everything else rocked my world.) It was a nice evening out and something I don't do too often. :)

Okay, I guess it's time to get back to work. Brooke was spayed last week, still kind of a brat but she just spends time on her own in my room or her room. There isn't as much chasing the other two around the house. I guess I need to give her back to the shelter soon so she can be put up for adoption. I need to check on Jasper and Edward and see if anybody has inquired about adopting them. I didn't have a chance to run to the PetsMart to see them this past weekend. :(. Sierra has a cold (or allergies. Apparently they are bad for animals these days too). Poor thing is sneezing. But she is eating normally and all together okay, so I really don't want to take her back to the vet.

Later all!

Monday... bleh

Yep, I like the word "bleh". Deal :).

The babies are now at PetsMart. Yes I did cry when I left them. But, I know they will have great new homes soon AND that the people I left them with love cats as much as I do. Volunteers go in and make sure they are fed and played with and truthfully, it might be good for Edward and Jasper to have exposure to more humans than they'd have at my place. When I left, two teen boys were taking care of them and fawning over them. They just were so scared when I left. I will stop by this week to say hi and make sure they are okay.

Brooke seems to be doing okay. She is still a brat around Simon and Sierra. If she keeps hissing and chasing them, then I will have to recommend she only goes to a house without other pets. She is super sweet with me -- very cuddly. I will get her spaying done soon and hopefully that will chill her out more. I keep telling her she is a guest in the house but she really doesn't listen. Sigh...

Other than that, I am doing well. I have the Aids life walk coming up on the 11th. I am not sure I am ready for that one just yet. The Race for the Cure is coming up after that on Oct. 17th. This will be the week of running and getting my body back into the groove. With the dreary weather, I truthfully just want to veg and not workout. I need to quickly get over that!

Okay, time to find something for lunch. I am thinking a quick trip to Urban Market for the salad bar. For a dreary day, it has gone by rather quickly. Usually these days drag. But a good walk in the cool air will wake me up! Later!

So little time....

I went to take Edward and Jasper for their shots on Sunday and was informed they looked great (of course!) and were ready for adoption. Wow! I knew at 8 weeks they'd be ready, but I wasn't ready for the speed at which it got here! They have grown so much and it has been a joy to see their antics. They are funny little guys. And Brooke is such a good mommy. So, I have to take them on Saturday to the PetsMart at Inwood and Forest. They will have a little cage set up (the cage part makes me sad. They are used to their own room now!). I know it will be temporary. Some wonderful person/family will come and adopt them and give them their forever home. I am just enjoying the time I have left with them! Despite all the tears (RIP Bella) and frustration, I would do it again. It was a great experience :). Now what I am going to do with Brooke is up in the air. I will keep her until at least after her spaying. After that, I have no idea. There is no love lost between her and the permanent 2, however I really hate to drop her back to the shelter. We will see. Hey, she might even have a better chance of being seen and getting adopted at the shelter. I will talk to the lady on Saturday when I drop off the babies. At the very least, I make a weekly trip to the shelter to visit her.

Other than that, things are pretty status quo. Work is busy, which is good. It makes the week go quicker. I haven't really gone out much but that is okay. I am catching up on all my DVR stuff :). I have added a new show to my must see list -- "Flash Forward". I saw the premiere and was impressed. The premise is very interesting and I have high hopes. It is in the sci fi genre, which I usually don't get into, but I really do like it. I hope it lasts!

Update

Okay, I thought it had been longer since I posted last, but it was only Thursday! Here is what is going on now:

1) Britney rocked it Friday night! She looked great and it was a wonderful show. The person Dawn bought the tickets from won them from a local radio station. We initially thought we were on the 3rd floor, but we were promptly relocated to the 1st floor! We had great seats.

2) I have officially signed up for the "Race for the Cure". I am making a team with Jen and whoever else wants to join. That run is Oct 17.

3) I am also registered for the "Life Walk" on Oct 11. That benefits AIDS charities across the Dallas area.

4) The kittens are 7 weeks old yesterday! It is hard to believe how big they have gotten. They are also showing more personality. Very cute babies :).

5) Work is going okay. I have re-focused myself and am working on my re-cert credits for my PHR. That test was hard -- it would be stupid to let it lapse. My OSH 511 course last month actually counts some hours, which is great. That is 28 hours taken care of for now -- all under "Safety and Health".

6) I am tired. The weather is making me sleepy girl. I'd much rather go home and get in bed. However, I need to work out and then I will head to my bed. I've been slacking in the weight loss contest and I need to step it up.

Okay that is most everything in a nut shell. Everyone have a great Tuesday afternoon :).

Sun???

I am tired and have lost all track of what day it is -- seriously. I was out Tuesday for a seminar and Wednesday I was just off work. I really don't know what day it is supposed to feel like!! I want Friday to get here quickly so I can reset my body clock and get back on track.

My Aunt Gail and Cousin Ryn drove thru Dallas on a mass journey from Boston -- where Ryn was living -- back to Cali. She is making the move home. It was a lot of fun having her here. Yesterday was spent celebrating Mom's birthday (Happy Belated blog birthday wish :)). Has anyone ever been to the Twisted Root?? It is in Deep Ellum and very good! They have yummy hamburgers, great fried pickles and homemade root beer. Gail got some pics so once she posts them for all to see, I will take some and put them here. Yes, I had fried pickles. My food choices yesterday were awful and I am feeling it today! But I've been pretty good today and sucking down the water too. I'll fix the damage. But, Twisted Root was worth it. Dad took us on a tour of the DFW area and last night Ryn and I just chilled with her friend Steve. He just moved to Dallas and is a great guy. We have the same love of pop culture and like the same shows. We made Ryn watch "America's Top Model" last night. Well, actually he did since I was off getting our Thai food. I'll let him take the blame for that one :).

So the big news of the weeks is that I am seeing Britney Spears tomorrow night!!! I wanted to see her but didn't get tickets when they first came out. The way it came about was kind of funny. We drove past AA Center, I said "man, I wish I was going to the concert Friday night", we talked about Ms. Spears and then my friend Dawn texted me saying she had a chance to get Britney tickets..... Um, okay that was funny timing! So, yes, I jumped on the chance and plan to have a WONDERFUL time tomorrow night. So, I have to think of the next thing I want the universe to give me :).

Okay, I am going to wrap up here at work, get going home and get some rest. At least before I head out to have dinner with another friend. It is either feast or famine with the after work activities. I am not complaining though. I am having a great week and am very happy with the way today has turned out!

Success!

I ran my first 5K on Saturday and I did better than I thought I would do. Seriously, I was expecting 46-48 minutes...... my official time was 43:15! I was amazed. I think the energy of any group event propels me, so that may have had something to do with it. And the weather -- yes, even the rain - made it successful for me. It was cool and my body was very happy with that.

I ran with Jen and her hubby David (thanks to Jen for posting pics so I could pilfer them :)). They both did awesome! Jen beat her time from her previous 5K and David, well, he beat me :). Next time....... hehe. The next one we are planning is the Susan G. Koman in Oct, however I think I want to fit one more in before that time. I kind of have the bug.... Run On has so many posted that I am sure I can find something! Once we have established our team, I will let everyone know! It was yoga today though. My muscles were still aching this morning! I am not as sore as I thought I'd be, but yes, I do still feel it. (Sierra is now asleep on my yoga mat. That will teach me not to put it up quick enough...)

Other than the 5K, it's been a low key weekend. Friday night I went to visit my friend Natalie and see her new baby. Ally is 7 weeks old now and so adorable. I really didn't want to leave but I had to get up early Saturday morning. Although I got home at 10 and didn't fall asleep until 12:30ish. I made the mistake of turning on the tv and hit the History Channel. They had some very good documentaries about 9/11 and it was very hard to turn it off and relax.

Everyone have a great Sunday!

Kitten pics

I am trying not to go overboard, however seriously, the last batch of pics were just tooooooo cute......

Hiya..... :)

Trying to look innocent.

a couple of pictures

Proof Brooke will let me pet her without killing me..... :). She is starting to get more and more into playing with toys. She is a fun cat -- let me know if you know someone who wants to adopt an adult cat (in about 3 weeks or so)! And I am sure once she is finally spade, she will be even happier.

Okay, I am not sure how clear this will come out. I couldn't get the flash to work correctly. The boys are still on medicine to make sure any infection that Bella might have had is fought in them. It is sticky and messy and I think they are finally over it all. I still have some more to give them and so I am currently employing the "kitty burrito" method to make sure they don't wiggle too much.

I apparently watch too much "Hoarders" on A&E. I have spent the morning cleaning and purging stuff. I found out I hoard tank tops :). I have way too many. Simon tried to help clean the sock drawer and as you can possibly imagine, that didn't go well. He doesn't like organization. :) So the closet is clean, bedroom done and the kitten room is clean (that will always be a work in progress when it comes to purging and organizing.) It is time to go through the magazines, pull what I want to keep and get those puppies to the recycling bin! I am pretty sure this will take all weekend (the cleaning, not the purging of magazines!).

This weekend is just made for chilling, cleaning and possibly hanging out by the pool. I really wouldn't care if it rained all weekend though. Everyone have a great Saturday!

One Month Olds

Edward and Jasper are a month old today! Really hard to believe they came into the world 4 weeks ago. I took them to the shelter on Saturday to make sure they were healthy. Their temperature was low (a normal cat's temp is 101, they were around 97/98). Since they are still active and eating, I had medicine to take home to ward off any infection. Okay, I thought giving Sierra medicine was hard. These two will not open their mouth for anything and once they do, the liquid is soooo messy. I think i will try to get a picture of the aftermath tonight. I swear, they really are little kids. Messy eaters, all over the place, they don't listen to their mother. Edward is all about climbing -- climbing me that is! It is nice though -- he is not scared of humans (okay, well I probably don't count since I am the human who takes care of him and he is used to me) and he just loves me. I let him and Jasper climb as much as they want. Don't worry, I will be able to give them up when the time comes! I am starting them on the litter pan (a shoe box lid so they can get into it). It is all going well. I do miss Bella but I have my pictures to remember her by. By the way, if you know of someone looking to adopt a kitten (or cat -- Brooke is super sweet!), let me know. I can't just give the babies away since the shelter has adoption procedures, but I am sure they would love to have a family all lined up for these adorable little ones.

The weekend was pretty good. Very low key -- it seemed like I ate a lot but I also worked out so it didn't matter! I need to up my mileage for my competition -- I didn't do very well this week. I plan to get in some miles tonight. It is nice outside and I can jog without feeling completely overwhelmed with humidity.

Okay, Monday is almost over! Time to pack up and get ready to head home. Later!

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!!!