Happy Tuesday

I have to say that today has been a pretty good day. I got into work with news that a friend of mine had her twin girls yesterday. They were scheduled to be delivered on Friday, however I guess they wanted to play early. They are both healthy and Mommy is doing well too (the babies were both over 5 lbs which is great for twins). So, yay!!! I had a presentation at 8:30, got that out of the way and had a pretty productive morning. Now I am slowing down and getting tired. 3 more hours - let's see if I can gain that momentum from this morning! (And, to make things so much better, annoying cube neighbor is out again today. Really, who could ask for more :)).

I'm Back!

I'm back from Atlanta and in one piece. I really am glad I don't travel for my job -- air travel is an a** whipping! I will give full details in a future post (tomorrow maybe). I saw lots of interesting things while there! However today is a day off and I am going to enjoy it. I got in last night around 8:45 (which was actually only 30 minutes later than my scheduled arrival time so yay Delta.. and yes, that is sarcasm....). Of course, with getting my luggage, and then my car, I didn't get home until around 10. It is good to be home. :) The trip was actually productive and my trusty Kindle (loaded with my new obsession Jen Lancaster) kept me company while waiting for delays and sitting on tarmacs. I guess I can't complain too much -- I got home safely. :). And Simon was definitely happy to see me. Man, he chatted me up when I got through that door. Sierra said hi and then just went away. She doesn't really seem to care much anymore when I leave. That probably should hurt my feelings in some way.......

Anyway, Happy Friday!

??

What the heck is up with "Christmas in July"? I have heard about 3 or 4 events over the last week that have the title and I was even invited to a party next weekend with the theme. Not sure if this is a new phenomenon or I have just been under a rock for the last 38 years and never saw it. Luckily, obnoxious cube neighbor has not found Christmas music to sing out of tune to. That might cause staplers to go flying.

I have decided to register for the Dallas White Rock 1/2 Marathon on Dec 5. I had forgotten about it but found a link yesterday and got the urge again. It is 4 solid months before the event and I am sure I can train and get ready to attempt it. I needed a new goal anyway and this is as lofty as any!! :). So, when I return from Atlanta, I will start the process. Seems weird to start so early, but I have lost the momentum from last year, running in the relay. I need to build it back up. So, there you go, it is out there and now I have to commit!

Everyone have a wonderful Thursday! I am really looking forward to the weekend. If only because it is the weekend!!! I am tired of Grumpus people (and I was TOTALLY one on Monday. I was tired of myself!).

What was I going to say???

I had a great blog post written in my mind and for some reason, on the walk back from lunch, it went away. Not sure where. It was great, I can assure you of that :).

Last night, I finally got to watch the new Logo show, "Drag U". It premiered Monday night but the DVR picked it up. I make no apologies for my love of Drag Queens. I would watch episodes of "RuPaul's Drag Race" over and over again. (Except when Pandora got kicked off. Couldn't watch that more than once.). I really like "Drag U" -- it is pure fluff and really doesn't take itself too seriously. The premise is that each episode takes ordinary women and gives them a drag "professor". The contestants of Season One and Two of Drag Race serve as the "professors". Now, truthfully, had I known this show was going into production I might have tried to get on. I might have to frump down a bit, but really, for my own Drag Mother I would do it :). What made me sad was a woman on there who said she never felt beautiful in her life. I have days of feeling like an ugly duckling, but I am fairly certain I am beautiful. I loved the fact that at the end of the show, she sat up there and said "I am a beautiful woman!" with gusto. Yes, this fluffy show gave me little tears of happiness. The show won't win Emmy's but it brings back my favorite Drag Queens (PANDORA!!! and Nina too :)) and brings a bit of sunshine to women who need it in there life. I even was able to stand Raven. Her and Jujubee were pretty funny together. If you haven't watched "Drag Race" before, you have no idea who I am talking about. Sorry :).

Next week is a trip to Atlanta for the Annual Training Meeting. I am really not looking forward to it but I must do my duty. It won't be that bad, I know. Just too hot for humans. Even hotter than Dallas, I think. At least last year it was in Denver. Cooler temps and I got to see Michelle. It is a way to get out of the office, so that is a silver lining too. Maybe I will get some good stories on the trip. People watching at the airport is always interesting.

PS -- today is National Junk Food Day. For those of you who are interested :).

My New Obsession

I have recently discovered the books of Jen Lancaster. Jen writes a blog (funny!!) and has 5 books out now (memoirs). I have to say, I just LOVE her. Her writing is funny and her stories are very interesting. I found her when I was doing research for my choices for the book club. I can't help but laugh when I read the books. I have gotten many a side eye on the train in the morning! But really, when you have to laugh, it will come out. (Sh*t my Dad Says" is also very funny and I highly recommend that one too). Anyway, the point is that I highly recommend her books to anyone looking for a good read, funny writing and a witty, very smart mind. I have her first book "Bitter is the New Black" in "real" book form and so I am willing to loan it out when I get done reading it. And more than likely that will be Wednesday or Thursday. After I am done with this book, I will need to get going on our next book club book "Peace Like a River". It is downloaded and ready to go. And, well, so is Kendra Wilkinson's new book but that seems pretty easy. Not sure what has gotten into me, but I am on a book kick! I guess there are worse things to be addicted to......

Hope the weekend was awesome for everybody!

I went to see "Eclipse" last night with a friend and it was pretty good. I enjoyed it -- definitely a lot better than the first "Twilight" movie. It was nice eye candy for a Sunday night. Anyway, after the big fight scene where Edward saves his beloved Bella from the evil vampire trying to kill her, my friend leans over and says "A bit over dramatic...". That pretty much gave me the giggles. At least that scene was close to scene in the book. :)

My friend is the queen of finding deals and so she had a coupon for $1 popcorn and $1 Soda at the AMC for July 4th only (any size!). I never buy popcorn at the theater however I took full advantage of it. I do have to remember never to get a large diet coke at 7 PM if I want to get to sleep before 2 AM. Thank goodness I didn't have to work today.

Well, that is about it for the laziest Fourth of July weekend ever. I really don't plan to get much done today either (well, laundry and possibly a trip to the grocery store). I would rather stay in, watch movies and read some. I truthfully think the Kindle has caused me to read more. Not a bad thing! I do have to circle back and refresh on "Water for Elephants" since we have book club this week and I am the leader this month. Happy Monday and have a great day!

Yep, I know

It has been a while since I blogged. I am totally aware of that. I just have nothing interesting to say right now. Really, I am thinking but life has just been status quo lately (or, I just have things I want to keep private for the time being ;-)). Obnoxious cube neighbor is out of the office today. That made life great. She has been out a lot lately. Not sure how I have managed to go on with out her.......

This coming weekend will actually be pretty low key. I have plans Saturday night (not sure the exact plans, but I am going out) and Monday. And Sunday is dinner at Mom and Dads. I am just happy it is a 3 day weekend! I was supposed to cook last Sunday for them but I had a migraine that was not allowing that to happen. Stupid migraine.

So, that is it. I will think of something grand and then release my wisdom upon all. Right now I need to get back to work :). Have a wonderful Tuesday and enjoy the cooler temps!!!

Idina

So, I went to see Idina Menzel tonight at the Meyerson Symphony Center (thanks again Mom!). She was singing with the DSO. Okay, I knew she had talent, but I had NO IDEA what it would be like to see her live. The woman was just stunning. Her voice is just so incredible. I really do want to expand on this post at a later time, but I needed to get out my awe of her awesomeness. Not only is she talented, but she is funny and dare I say, adorable. I enjoyed her telling stories just as much as her singing. And anytime you can get the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to play "Poker Face" is a good time :). She sang "No Day but Today" from "Rent". That song always makes me tear up. I may have to put the movie on while I am trying to fall asleep. It is past my bedtime and I have one more day of my awesome job before I can get to the weekend. I will tell more later. But, she rocked. Love her more now than ever before :).

Super Saturday

The A-Team was awesome. It is getting awful reviews, but I totally thought it rocked. Okay, it may have had more to do with the fact that I felt super nostalgic towards it. I watched it in the 80s and loved it :). It was just a fun, super action summer movie. It was odd watching it with 3 people who never saw the original tv show and didn't even realize that the theme song from the show was embedded in a scene in the movie. Oh well. I got to educate them on the joys of 80's action flicks. :)

Pictures don't always come out in the order I want them to - of course KaRyn and I should have been the first one :)











































Everyone have a happy Sunday!

Happy Tuesday

So, first book club came and went. It was fun to Skype in and it actually worked this time! Yay! It failed in some sort of capacity the first two times I tried to communicate with the CA group.) I am tired so this will be short. Plus, one of my two readers was in the room with me so she knows this already :). I go first. I am up for it. Bring it. "Water for Elephants" is my book and of course, I haven't read it yet. I have heard nothing but good things about it so I will tackle with gusto. And I have some great ideas for books to read from the others. They were suggested but they didn't make the vote. Not sure when I will have time to read them, however I will get around to it.

Okay, bed time. It has been a long week and it is only Tuesday! Argh. Is it the weekend yet? (It will be a fun weekend too because my cousin Ryn is going to be in town. Yay!).

Later!

Book Club

So, the family is starting a book club (Mom and I are Skyping in!) and I am looking forward to it. Our first meeting is Tuesday and each of us are to present 3 books so everyone can vote on them. I have my first 2. My third keeps changing. It has changed 3 times in the last 15 minutes. There are so many books that I want to read and so they keep getting added and deleted. For some reason, that third book isn't set. The two I have set include one I have read and loved and the one I want to read a lot! I am not sure why I haven't put it on the Kindle (maybe because she has a blog and I read it weekly. I get her wisdom elsewhere!). Once we set the books and get everything going, I will share my choices. I am happy that Katie will be going first so I can see what a book club leader does. In my 38 years on this planet, I have never been in a book club!!! I am very excited.

So, tell me, what would you suggest (3 books) for a book club? I had a friend suggest "Little Bee" to me awhile ago. Anybody read that?

Happy Sunday! Enjoy the day!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

That is all for today :)

Best Night Ever! (Until the next one, of course :)).

Bride's wedding has come and gone. The girl looked STUNNING!!! Granted, she would look stunning in a potato sack, so it was not a surprise. :). The wedding was very nice and simple. That was a good thing since it was held outside on the 18th hole at the Four Season's Resort and Spa. Outside.... people, it was hot as freaking heck yesterday. I was lucky and got to hang out at the Bridal Villa until time for the ceremony. I can't imagine having to sit out there even longer. The wedding started a bit late so they had cool towels and ice water out to cool people off. I forgot to take my camera so when Bride gets back from her honeymoon and posts pictures, I will share. The bridesmaids wore a crimson red -- very very pretty. Since I was the guest book attendant I hoped a golf cart quickly and got back for the cocktail hour. That was the excuse anyway -- I just wanted to get inside and get some more ice water in me!

There was a cocktail time while the bridal party took the pictures and I got to mingle with the guests (pretty much scoop out the cutie single guys -- I had the perfect excuse to chat people up :)). There were some interesting folks at the wedding. Groom knows LOTS of people -- State Senators, Sundance Film Festival Winners, etc...... It was an interesting mix of personalities and I spent a lot of conversations just listening and taking in the information. I did chat up one cutie at the guest book table and come to find out he was sitting at my table. I am pretty certain Groom did this on purpose. Sneaky Groom! I had a great time and the dinner was pretty good. Now, they cut the cake and then served it from the kitchen and I was out on the dance floor getting my boogie on. Totally missed cake service. I missed Wedding cake!! It wasn't really worth stalking a waitstaff person for the cake though, so I just dealt with it.

Me and cute guy from the table chatted some more and we have a lot in common. It will be interesting to see what happens. He lives in Kansas City, MO at the present time so that kind of stinks, but I guess whatever is supposed to happen will happen.

So that is it! It was a good weekend and I apparently now have a cookout to attend at 5. Not a bad Sunday :). Everyone have a great day!!!

Feeling Human today

Yesterday I was in such a fog -- today I look and feel so much better! While it doesn't really feel like a Friday, I will accept that fact and that we are looking at a 3 day weekend. Yay! This weekend will be pretty busy, at least tonight and tomorrow.

But first, why was I a zombie yesterday? Jen and I went to see the Midnight showing of SATC 2. Yes, midnight. Really, I never thought I was a die hard, must see the movie the moment is opens, type of person. However, we did it. It wasn't the best ever but if you are a SATC fan, you will enjoy it. Truthfully though, if you didn't follow the series and the first movie, you might not like it. It is totally getting panned in the reviews. I liked it but I went in with NO expectations. I went in to be entertained and to see all the clothes and shoes I will never be able to afford. I found a few outfits I really really wanted!! The movie was a bit too long as well. They could have cut some parts out but I still did enjoy the movie and my time with my friend. :)

Last night, I was actually supposed to see the movie again for a bachelorette outing however the bride was sick and really stressed so there was no festivities celebrating her upcoming nuptials (there is a post rehearsal reception tonight, so she will still get some fun!). The wedding is the weekend, so I really hope she feels better!

Speaking of the wedding, that will be why I am busy tonight and tomorrow. Bride asked if I would be the guest book attendant. I love it -- the easiest job I can do and I am still in the bridal party :). Because of this, I am invited to the rehearsal and the rehearsal post party at Cool River tonight. I won't be able to make the Rehearsal because it start at 6 and I don't get off work until 4:30. I really don't need to rehearse anyway so I am not too torn up about it. She understands. I will see them at the post party at 7:15. That gives me time to search for a dress for tomorrow. I still haven't found one that I really want. I have seen some online, however finding it in the stores is a bit difficult. I have 3 places to try tonight before the party. I should have gone last night but I was so exhausted - I just went home and hit the bed early! It was the right decision :). Since the wedding doesn't start tomorrow until 6:00, I should be okay if I can't find the dress tonight. I will offer to come early though, in case Bride needs some "day of" help. She probably has a wedding coordinator, however it never hurts to ask. Especially since my duties consist of standing there and pointing to a book to sign. I can do more if needed :).

(And here's hoping for some cute, single Groomsmen....)

Come Sunday and Monday, I will be resting and just winging it. There are no plans set in stone, however i am sure I will have at least one or two activities to keep me busy. I have a few friends who have mentioned getting together, so we shall see.

So, everyone have a wonderful Friday. Perfect weather (despite the Orange air alerts, which now make me wonder where my emergency inhalers are....). Later!!

wrap-up

Saturday's baby shower was very nice. I really wasn't in the mood to be social but the hostesses did a great job and Regan got some great stuff for her twin girls. The next baby shower I go to will be in a few months (the next friend having a baby in due in Dec) so I got some great ideas for gifts for her. I am not sure why I wasn't in a social mood -- I wasn't feeling that great but still!!! She had a great event and that is all that matters. I did see Iron Man 2 last night with a friend and that was a great movie. It is totally what you would expect from a good action summer movie! I didn't even remember half of the first Iron Man, and it was still good. The next movie I see will be Sex and the City 2 ( and I will see it 2x in less than 24 hours - that story to follow later!!!). I am looking forward to it :).

I am flipping between Lost and Celebrity Apprentice right now. I never watched either but nothing else is on. I only care who the winner is of Celebrity Apprentice so I am waiting until the end to flip back. Bret Michaels better win. I never watched Lost and so the series finale means nothing to me. I have no idea what is going on! :). So, I am just waiting until Donald Trump announces the winner for Apprentice. I have about an hour. Since I have half watched this season, I don't care about the final challenge... just want to know the winner.

Everyone have a great Sunday night -- time to get ready for the week! It will be a long but fun one :). I expect to have some great stories next Sunday!!!

Friday!

The week has ended and all is good. For some reason, it has been a long one. Not sure why! (They all seem to be long but hey, that's life)

This weekend will be pretty good. I don't plan on much tonight, however tomorrow I am attending a baby shower and going to see Iron Man 2. Can't wait for both! It should be a fun time. :)

Anyway, more later. 15 min and I can take off. It is a beautiful day (okay, so a bit humid, but I will deal) and I can't wait to get my booty out that door. Have a great weekend!!!

Baby Lemur takes over Thursday

A lemur from www.cuteoverload.com. Look at this one long enough and you will start to laugh. At least I did :). This will be me next week, by the way!!! Lots of fun happenings in the future.

(take a look at www.cuteoverload.com for more lemur fun and other cute critters)

Lasers Away

Okay, it might be funnier if I cropped it closer, but I don't have that software on this computer. :).

Weekend overview

It has been a fun weekend! Here is a brief overview:

Friday night I met Jen for dinner at the Melting Pot. Oh my, I forgot the awesomeness of this place! So, so yummy. We were placed in a room that would have been perfect had Jen and I been on a date :). Our booth was in the middle of 3, so we did get to hear 3 dates that came and went while we were there. The first date was a couple getting married in 2 weeks. The second was a first date (we predict this relationship won't last....). The last was very sweet -- they have been married 11 years and I think this was an anniversary dinner. He had roses for her and they were served champagne. I wanted to be on that date!

Our waiter was pretty awesome. He knew the menu, kept us laughing, brought me some yummy martinis. Try the Yin/Yang drink but beware it is definitely more of a dessert drink. It was awesome, however it was ice cream and massive amounts of chocolate. Definitely a dessert drink! We were there for a few hours and had some great laughs. Thanks girl!!!

Saturday night I ended up at the Ginger Man in Uptown. I haven't been there in ages and it was fun to go back. It was the birthday party for someone I had never met. I knew his friend and it was one of those "more the merrier" things. The Ginger Man is a great place to people watch and there were some pretty cute boys. I had fun and stayed a lot longer than I thought I was going to - always a good sign.

Today, I went to see "Little House on the Prairie" at the Dallas Summer Musical with my Mom. It isn't one that I would have just clamored to go see, however it was pretty good. The music was fun, it was a good story, and the acting was good. Melissa Gilbert played "Ma" and she was great. She can't sing all that well, however she owns it and tried. I appreciated that. The girl who played Laura just rocked it and Nellie Olson was awesome. You need a ham in each musical and Nellie was that ham :). I never read the books as a kid and I really wasn't into the TV show, but dang it, now I need to download the books to the Kindle.

Now I am catching up on Grey's Anatomy. I am almost caught up. Owen is a moron and I really don't miss Izzie. Now I need to catch up on "Criminal Minds". None of them are morons and I would miss them all!

Pictures of the cats

Simon kind of looks evil here.















Sierra is hogging their new toy. Mine, all mine!

how I felt before my new computer...

Just some LOL cat fun......

Update

The car goes to the body shop on Monday morning. Once you submit something to USAA, they work FAST! I am sure had it not been a Wednesday, they would have had me bring the car in earlier. They usually have cars come in Monday - Wednesday so they have maximum time to work on them (I am taking it to Service King). I love USAA insurance. I really wish I could actually be a member. So, the car will be be fixed sometime next week. I didn't think there was that much damage but it turns out there was about $857.37 worth! Dang -- just for a scratch and some paint. I guess if I had to get hit, it was good to be hit by a guy with great insurance. (And no one was hurt, which is the most important part!).

Other than that, the week has been pretty low key. My allergies are killing me today. It is very annoying and it is obvious when I am talking to people. Sneezy, that is my name today :).

Everyone have a wonderful Wednesday. It is freaking gorgeous outside. I want to be playing in the sun! 2 more hours and I will be running around the lake (the Village Lake that is -- not White Rock). Speaking of White Rock - there is a race this weekend, but it is 5 miles. I am so not ready for 5 miles so I am going to skip it. The Dallas Race Club is holding it and if I was remotely training, I might try it. But, yeah, I would pass out at mile 4! So, I will just cheer them on from afar. I have a co-worker who was asking if I wanted to run it. I had to politely decline!

Well, yay.....

I have new red hair :). Got some girly things done today so it's all good. I did get rear-ended today too. Yep, at Caruth Haven and 75. My car really didn't sustain any damage but I am going to get it checked out anyway just to be sure. I think the poor guy who hit me suffered more damage to his ego. It didn't hurt me and he and his passenger weren't injured either. So, it's all good. VW's have great bumpers by the way! I love my Jetta and so glad it's okay.

Now I am resting and baking brownies. I am heading to a friend's house tonight for a bbq and that will be fun. I have to drive to Frisco and as long as no one tries to rear end me again, I will be fine.....

Always an adventure.....

So, as we all know, I was excited to leave work early to hang out with Michelle. And hang out we did. I met her at Trinity Hall at Mockingbird Station. She was running behind but I had my trusty Kindle to get me through the rough 30 minutes of waiting. I love this little device. That isn't part of the story, but really, it was easy to just pull out of my purse and entertain myself. And I am in the process of reading a really good book, but that will be another blog post. I am half way done and once completed, I will give a review!

So, back to yesterday. Michelle comes with her mom and we start the fun. She brings me a stuffed little monkey from the Denver Zoo and a monkey twirly straw. The twirly straw comes in handy when you want to entertain the waitstaff and drink with it. We laughed and laughed for hours and then decided it was time to leave (after 4 hours and lots of stares from other patrons!) and headed to my place to get ready to go to Sushi Zushi for dinner. Taylor joins us at the restaurant for sushi and we laugh some more (I have considerably slowed down, however I like to think I got my second wind around 8 or so). After dinner, we headed to Milo Butterfingers to meet more friends out and subject them to our goofiness and tales of the Monkey at Trinity Hall. I don't think they thought it was as funny as we did. :). It was a long day and I am pretty tired today. I want to get some stuff done since I left early yesterday, but that isn't really happening. Blergh. I ate like crap yesterday so today is water, salad and a good run on the treadmill. Nothing else tonight though because I am super tired and I think rest is a better idea.

Everyone have a wonderful Friday. I will get some pictures of yesterday downloaded and posted. It was fun but we had to pack in A LOT since she was only here for a short period of time. I need to save up energy for the next visit :). Yeah, I am now thinking I owe a lot of pictures from a lot of events... now that I have reliable technology, I can deliver on those picture promises.

Much better

I feel much better today! No more grumpus Gus... My new computer is awesome. I am leaving in 8 minutes to meet Michelle. Tomorrow is Friday and a payday. So, Kim is HAPPY!! Well, as happy as I can be on a cloudy day. That doesn't even seem to matter. My cloudy head feeling is gone and I feel human today.

Everyone have a great Thursday. Gotta go because I don't want to miss the train -- that will put me behind schedule! (PS -- I drove to work yesterday and it totally reminded me why I love public transportation. Parking alone -- $10!! -- was enough to love my DART train, crazy people and all!)

Howdy

I am just poking in to say hi. My home laptop officially died and work has been a bit busy. I just never got around to blogging. I'm alive, my new computer arrived today (YAY!!!!!!!!!!) and I will get it set up tonight. Pole dancing is still a blast, I worked out with Ryan last night and can't move my arms, and I am still tired and grumpus. Not sure why I am so tired and grumpy even though good things are happening this week. It's a mystery (because even the inability to move my arms to wash my hair is a good thing....). I'll get over it..... Michelle is in town and I am taking a half day to spend with her. First stop is the patio at Trinity Hall. Can't wait :). There might be some good stories from tomorrow. :)

Anyway, that is it for now. I need to get back to work. I just wanted to say hi! Or Howdy as the case may be!

Everyone have a great Wednesday. I need food so time to run and see what is downstairs that I can eat.

Another Texas Stadium Memory

I have no idea why I forgot this! When I was a Girl Scout, we'd have sleep overs at Texas Stadium. All the troops would get together and it would be a big ol party. As much of a party as elementary kids could have :). One year it got so cold (they would do this in January!) that we all got a polar bear badge (I may not remember it all so clearly -- it was a LONG time ago. Mom can help with details. She was there too!). I just remember the happy feeling of singing, playing games and sleeping in sleeping bags on really hard concrete in the concourse (we weren't allowed on the field). I don't think I have pictures of those days though. It was way before the invention of digital cameras :).

Woohoo!

It's Friday and I have tons of happy energy to get me thru the day. Coffee has been consumed, so I expect to at least be energetic through noon....

The week has been non-eventful, but busy at the same time. Work has been busy (good thing) and I have been working out in the evenings. Tonight will be some more cardio and tomorrow will be 2 hours in my dance class. (The first hour is more of a workout with weights and abs. The second hour gets into more dancing movements). It will be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to it. I sprained my wrist last Saturday but it feels a lot better and so I won't worry about it anymore. Considering how much I actually fall, it is amazing that I haven't sprained it sooner!

This weekend, Cowboy Stadium is being imploded. Now, I didn't think I had any attachment to that stadium, but as it gets closer, I am kind of sad. I was one of the last high school classes to graduate in Texas Stadium. I have pictures to prove it :). I grew up not to far from the stadium and would pass it often. It was kind of a fixture during my first 18 years of life. And I pass it on the way to Mom and Dad's house. It will be weird to pass the site for the first time after the demolition. Farewell, Texas Stadium. It is the end of a era.

Everybody have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the beautiful sun!

Monday

"Fun Day" -- Not really, but I have been working on a positive, good energy vibe and it has been working so far. What it has been is a productive day so I can't really complain. I needed to take a break, recoup my thoughts and get refocused.

This weekend did not live up to the excitement of the commute home Friday. By the time I got home, I had the worst headache so I was content to just lay on the couch and watch DVR recordings. Insomnia did lead me to some interesting tv shows. One, on a show about beauty pageants, they were spraying hairspray on the ladies as they went to the stage for the swimsuit competition. My guess was to make them glitter under lights. If that is wrong, I'd love to know the purpose. Another nugget I saw was school bus races. Yes, like NASCAR, with school buses.... actually, if I remember correctly, it was sponsored by NASCAR. I was half paying attention so I could be wrong there too. I shouldn't be surprised. People race a lot of things.

I didn't get any spring cleaning done this weekend. I really need to clear some things out of my apartment but the pollen has caused allergy headaches and sometimes, I just want to lie on the couch and wish my head wasn't about to explode. I do have new migraine medicine so if they get too bad, I can whip that stuff out. So far, so good today. But really, pollen, you may go.

I hope everyone had a happy Easter. I thank the family for sending some very cute pictures of the CA girls to me. They look adorable in their Easter dresses.

Happy Monday! Everyone have a good day :).

Friday story... a day late

So, I wanted to get home a bit early on Friday so I left work at 4:00. I get on the train about 4:10. All was going along as scheduled until we hit the West End Station. We end up stopped there for about 15 min and the operator would come on and let us know we'd be stopped for awhile. After the 15 min, he comes on and tells us there is a serious situation at the Akard Station and he was going to back us up and there would be a bus bridge to St. Paul. Well, okay...... I was thinking a medical emergency or maybe a hit car. Yeah, no! We walk closer to Akard and see tons of cop cars and barricades. Definitely not a hit car or medical emergency. We have to walk around the building, head to the back streets of Downtown Dallas (I would never have tried that one on my own!), and then go back down to walk to St. Paul. There was a man threatening to JUMP from the parking garage at that location. We had heard he had already jumped but was later told he was still up there. When walking by, we did see 4 people up on the roof, so I chose to believe this person was still up there. Now, why this person chose a crowded location, during rush hour traffic on Good Friday to try to jump, I don't know. I hope he gets the help he needs. I did get in some cardio (walking) so that was a slight silver lining to the inconvenience. It was a freaky scene and it is weird to know that I will never know the outcome of something that crossed my path so dramatically! I never found it on the news so if someone does, please let me know!

When I finally got on the train at St. Paul, ready to head to Mockingbird Station, the guy sitting next to me was flossing his teeth. Sigh...........

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!