Mid Week Wrap-Up

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

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

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

Later!!!

One full week

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

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

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

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

Happy Birthday Chloe!!

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

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

Everyone have a great Monday!

It's Cold!!!

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

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

Okay, later!

Zumba!

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

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

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

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

Friday!

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

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

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

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

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

Family Brag Time

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

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

Another Girl!

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

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

Have a wonderful Friday night. Later!

Not much to say....

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

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

Best Weekend Ever

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

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

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

Later! Happy President's Day!

random thought

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

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

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

Rock Of Love Bus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Snow" Day!

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

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

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

Thursday. No Title

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

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

Boo!

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

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

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

Okay, later!

Poor Kitty!

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

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

Cat Fight

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

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

Finally feel alive!

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

Here are a couple of pictures from Cali:

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

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

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

Cheater....

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

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

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