Who Are You Callin' Cupcake?

Um....

2011-07-19T16:13:00.004-05:00

It seems that I haven't blogged since last August. I guess my only excuse is that I'm a very busy lady, what with moving across the state in November, followed by an out-of-town wedding in April, a honeymoon shortly thereafter, filming a TV show, and the every day occurrences of being a newlywed and a homeowner. I have zero excuse for not blogging more often. I know. Shame. On. Me.

My plan is to blog about each of the above things because they sooo deserve to be elaborated upon!

Get ready, people. It's about to go down.

That is, after I tackle the next thing on my list. The almost-maybe-sorta-I-hope-please-make-it-happen new job.

p.s. As I re-read the above, I realize how very blessed I am. (Smile)

3 roses, 2 grinning idiots, and 1 perfect proposal

2010-08-24T08:53:00.012-05:00

He may not have sweaty palms in front of a courtroom or against the best of defense attorneys. He didn’t have butterflies when asked to officiate his cousin’s wedding. I never thought I’d see him nervous, but that all changed when he got down on one knee to ask me if I’d like to spend the rest of my life with him.

I said yes. Then I asked him to pinch me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had planned a weekend getaway to Galveston, a place where I spent much of my childhood and teen years. While the beaches might not be very beautiful, that place holds a lot of special memories for me. We stayed at the Hotel Galvez, a gorgeous historic resort-like hotel. Even more beautiful and more special now that it will forever be the place that David proposed to me.

I arrived on Thursday night. After five and a half hours of driving, I am usually not a happy camper. David knows this all too well, and he knew I might be grumpy once I arrived, but he played all that out in his head and decided it needed to happen Thursday night so we could spend the rest of our weekend celebrating.

Once I got into the parking garage, I texted him that I had arrived. AKA - please come help me drag my 14 bags up to our room. He replied with an unusual, “Can’t come down right now, Mandy at the front desk has your key.” Once I hauled my luggage into the hotel lobby, I asked for Mandy who gave me my room key and a rose with a tiny card attached. The card said “THIS ROSE REPRESENTS THE PAST. I know you hate driving, so I got you this rose to cheer you up. I LOVE YOU.”

I grinned like an idiot riding the elevator up to our room.

Once I got into the room, David was nowhere to be found, yet there was a gift bag, another tiny card, and another red rose waiting for me in the room. This is when I started to figure out something was up. This card said, “THIS ROSE REPRESENTS THE PRESENT. Come down to the bar by the front desk. A drink will be waiting for you. In the meantime, enjoy a chocolate.” He also left a note on the gift bag that told me to change into something comfy. Considering I’m an overachiever and had already changed in my car, I was good to go.

I grinned like an idiot riding the elevator down to the bar.

Once again, I didn’t see David anywhere in the lobby. I went up to the bar and the bartender, Tess, gave me my favorite drink and the third and final tiny card. “Do I have to drink this alone?” Tess nodded. By now I have butterflies BIG time, people are staring at me and my drink of choice was settling in. This card read, “Enjoy your drink! They will bring you to me.” I stood there like a goober for about five minutes until Mandy rescued me. She said to follow her and we walked a distance that felt like three miles (but was actually about 40 yards) until we were in the hotel ballroom. She politely chit chatted with me during our three mile walk, but I could hardly concentrate. I think I came up with some coherent answers to her questions, but mostly...I was grinning like an idiot.

Once I could see into the dimly lit ballroom, there was David, standing up awaiting my arrival. He was set up at a small round table with candles glowing, chocolate covered strawberries, champagne in a bucket of ice and...lo and behold...our song playing softly in the background!

I sooooo know what’s going on. HOL-EEE MOLEY! Is this really happening tonight??!!

He hands me my third and final rose and says “This rose represents OUR future together...” then he says a few sweet things (that I will keep to myself) and gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him.

I was in so much shock that I never took my purse off my shoulder (yes, it’s in almost every picture....sigh...)

My answer was a shocked, “Yeah...I mean YES.” I didn’t cry at first but I did cry five minutes later. I’m a delayed reactor I suppose.

I asked him to pinch me because it felt so surreal. Since that didn’t work, I asked him to pinch me again. I couldn’t be more impressed, happy, excited, in love, and blessed. I couldn’t have asked for a better man or a better proposal.

We grinned like idiots the whole weekend.

The ring? It’s classic, timeless, simple, elegant, and absolutely beautiful. We never discussed rings. He never asked my ring size. All part of his “master plan” of surprising me. He asked my dad for permission two weeks beforehand. That’s what made me cry. There was a rainbow over the ocean about an hour before I arrived. I think it was a sign - perhaps it was our guardian angel, my late grandparents, or God saying “Go David, Go!”

Scents and Sensibility

2010-07-28T12:07:00.012-05:00

You're looking at the NEWEST (and coolest, of course)

Scentsy consultant!

I didn't just join on a whim, because if you know me at all, you would know that my average time for making a decision is 3.5 months. After harassing a friend's sister, a college friend, and a complete stranger about their experience, I finally decided to give it a whirl.

About 3 weeks ago, I ordered my first warmer and 3 different "flavors" and have since fallen in love, which is ultimately why I became a consultant. I think one of the more exciting things is that in a few days I will get my starter kit and be able to smell new scents until my little nose hurts and decide what I want to order next. So selfish of me, I know.

If you've been living under a rock and don't have a clue what Scentsy is...not to worry.

Check out my sweeeet website:

https://carly.scentsy.us

Check it out. Tell me what you think. Shop online. Whatev.

Cheers!

Queen of Random Crap

2010-05-07T21:30:00.018-05:00

That's me!

Case in point: Yesterday, I got a bit of disappointing news by phone and needed to get out for some fresh air and perspective. I grabbed my chihuahua and cell phone and headed down the block. I didn't even make it a quarter of a mile from home and I'm bombarded by a swarm of....I don't know what!

Bees? Wasps? Japanese hornets? I still don't know for sure. All I remember is the large black swarm that came from the tall green swaying weeds, the loud buzzing that alerted me in the first place and then surrounded me, and the hovering black things that I was certain at any moment would sting the CRAP out of me. All of them!!!!! And little Pookie? Where was he? What would happen to him?

Did you know if you Google "insect swarm" you get a lot of World of Warcraft stuff? Weird....

Anyway, the chaos only lasted approximately 7 seconds. It felt like 4 years. But I survived. Neither of us had a sting on our body. I may or may not have seriously considered how fast of a sprinter I was and how quickly I could book it to the neighborhood pond (another half mile) and jump in to escape my flying friends. But I shudder to think of what may have lurked in the pond.

My sister and I have come to the conclusion that my next shopping trip will be to purchase a HazMat suit. Needless to say, I will be wearing my new "outfit" on ALL future nature walks. Observe...

"What I Want" -- The List

2010-04-24T20:02:00.029-05:00

I took a long walk down memory lane today. I have mixed feelings about this walk. Part of me laughed out load at the notes between some of my best friends and myself during high school. The other part of me wanted to cry when I read an email from a dear friend who I would never see again. I also read a lot of things that I wrote during a very antsy and uncertain time of my life. It's like looking back at yourself 10 years ago and wanting to reach into that letter/email/IM and scream, "It will all turn out alright!" or "Don't date that guy, he's a jackass!" or "Cheer up, it's only PMS!!" It amazes me how much I angsted in my teens. It also amazes me that I'm exactly that same girl. I remember everything as if it happened yesterday. I remember the emotion attached to each letter, each scribble. Yup, I am that girl - just 10 years older and wiser.

I'm sure when I'm 40, I'm going to look back at myself now (age 27) and go, "Gee, I sure worried a lot." or "If only I knew then what I know now..."

In other news, I came across a list I created in my college years. It was hidden between pages in my Chem II notebook (i just threw up a little thinking about Chem II).

This list was simply titled, "What I Want."

I must have just gone through a break up with my high school love muffin, or gotten fed up with the Fratty boys I had dated. Whatever the reason, I decided to make a list of what I really wanted in a man. Here goes...

- someone I can be excited to start my life with

- someone I find very attractive, even on their ugly days

- ... who wants what I want in life

- ... I'd be proud to have kids with

- ... who could provide if I ever when I want to raise a family

- ... with passion about something

- ... who makes me feel hot

- ... who's genuinely happy

- ... who loves animals

- ... who makes me feel taken care of

- ... my parents LOVE

- ... who I can imagine giving a lot to and not always being selfish

- ... with excellent manners

- ... who makes me feel like a lady

- ... with amazing communication skills

- ... with a close relationship with their family

- Gotta be a Christian

I shared it with Happy Pants this evening. Funny how he meets all my "qualifications." I showed it to my mom too, and she said, God must have been reading that list over your shoulder. :)

Sometimes memory lane can lead to some neat findings. I also found a hilarious letter I wrote to my future self back in Junior High (in which my biggest crush, Matt, also added that I had a nice "toosh"), and a note from my mom when we were at a convention telling me that whatever happens, just be my wonderful, genuine self and no matter what, I was worth every penny that it cost to be there.

Twas fun. I only have the energy to walk memory lane once in a blue moon. It's pretty dang exhausting reliving your past, but I wouldn't trade any of it.

So we meet again, lofty loft

2010-04-17T21:18:00.016-05:00

So remember my tiny dilemma - to loft or not to loft? Well, once again, that is the question.

On complete and utter accident (note: I'm inherently random and kinda all over the place so I come across a lot of things by chance), I found some loft apartments above this adorable, small shopping area with little adorable boutiques and restaurants and wine bars, etc. The town is ranked one of the best places to live in the nation. This is the type of place I dream of. Where I look up at the balconies and sigh and say to myself, "Oh, wouldn't that be sah-weet?"

Well, I decided to be random once again and call the property manager and go take a look at one of the units. Just in case. It's not hurting anyone. Well, except me when I get excited and can't stop thinking about the place and lay awake at night planning out my living room furniture arrangement. Sigh... I guess it hurts a little.

Anyway, for where these apartments are and for what they are, it's a FAB price. They are running a special where you get 2 months free and I would prorate that, which makes it pretty affordable (affordable for those who have a clue what their commission checks will look like, and I don't. Yet.)

Friday after work, I sat outside of the loft leasing office for 45 minutes. No lie. I got an expense reimbursement check and had enough for the deposit. I could have put a deposit down to hold my fabulous little loft with a view. But I just couldn't make it work (financially) in my brain. So I prayed about it, called my mom, drove in circles, called my mom, went to Starbucks, texted my mom, drove around again, and finally left. I'm sure a few tenants have already decided that I'm a stalker. Whatev.

I just couldn't make it work on paper and it depressed me to no end. So, I decided I am going to continue to pray about taking that leap of faith. I have some brainstorming (and re-budgeting) to do and if the unit is still available once I make my decision, then I'll know I did the right thing.

I can't wait to see what lies ahead! (please be the loft, please be the loft, please be the loft...)

Meant to beeeeee

2010-04-12T22:24:00.021-05:00

Sooo...my love (Happy Pants) and I have a few cute stories about times where we've either been "married" or "engaged" according to someone or something.

It's like the universe is trying to tell us something.

That or everyone is crazy.

That or we just look like an old married couple.

That or I have this giddy glow about me.

OR it's just in the cards that we're meant to be. (and I don't believe in cards, I believe in God, but I'm just sayin'...)

Anyhoo. The first time Happy Pants brought me home to his mom's was Christmas of 2008. It was too early by all my standards to be going to meet mom. And at Christmastime of all times! But I went anyway because I'm nuts. On Sunday morning at church, his grandfather (who already loved me, I just know it) announced to the whole church, "This is my grandson and his fiance." Granted, he was 78 at the time. He's allowed to have a brain fart. My boyfriend's brother turned to us and quietly joked, "When were you going to tell the rest of us?"

Recently, a magazine along with a few pamphlets showed up at my house from Sandals resorts. It was their wedding and honeymoon information. I don't know who or what caused these to arrive in my hands. I may or may not have thumbed through each of them. ;)

About a month ago, while in Arkansas for a wedding, my boyfriend and I were patiently waiting for an elevator in our hotel. While waiting, a charming little 8 or 9 year old with a huge grin on her face approached us. We smiled back at her and asked if she was going up. She just looked at both of us a little longer, analyzing. Then she finally spoke, "You've got a nice wife!" to which Happy Pants replied, "Thank you!" Then we got on the elevator (alone) and giggled at the little girl's odd remark. We didn't feel the need to explain to an 8 year old. Just go with the flow on that one.

And at work, there's my boss who constantly checks my ring finger and calls Happy Pants my "future husband to be."

Then you count the multiple people and multiple times Happy Pants has heard "When are you going to put a ring on her finger?" and "Never mind how the weekend went, did you propose?" Poor guy. He gets it from his co-workers too. Even ones I've never met. It's awesome.

I guess he doesn't need any pressure from this girl. He's got all the "hints" he could have ever asked for. Personally, I can't wait. Each weekend I spend with him I feel we grow closer.

I can, however, wait to plan a wedding [shudder]. Talk about stress.

My 30 Before 30 List

2010-04-04T19:19:00.006-05:00

I decided to take a great idea from another blogger and create my own "30 Before 30" list. Let's clarify...I only have approximately 2.5 years before I'm 30 (ugh!), so this might be a stretch (financially) to get it all done in that amount of time.

Note: I reserve the right to edit this list as time goes on. If I decide I want to sky dive and/or develop a terrible fear of dolphins, then there will be some editing. Just keepin' it real.

Anyway, it's neat to create this list. You should try it.

Before I'm 30, I will...

Play in the rain
Sing in front of someone other than my steering wheel
Get engaged
Become a Big Sister (big brothers big sisters)
Adopt/rescue a golden retriever/lab
Move to a new city
Visit Europe
Wine tasting in Napa Valley
Jet ski
Swim with dolphins
Give a public speech without losing sleep
Find a church and happily attend
Take a pottery class
Join a gym
Learn one song on guitar
Attend at least one Operation Kindness gala
Give blood
Run a 5k or 10k
Ride in a hot air balloon
Experience a TRUE spa day
Learn to shoot a gun
Go skiing
Take my parents out for a fancy dinner
Take my first cruise
Visit family in Chicago and explore downtown
Be able to say, “Yes, I golf.”
Learn a new craft
Let go of the stuff that does me no good to keep
Get a quilt made of all my keepsake t-shirts
Become a kick-butt sales rep

To loft or not to loft

2010-03-25T20:42:00.012-05:00

Ya see, I've been looking for a place to rent for a long time. A very long time. I am not exaggerating here.

Since I started my new sales job in early February, the wheels have been a-spinnin' and I'm probably getting ahead of myself (again), but I continue to shop around. I think it makes me feel better. (sigh...)

I have pretty much been set on living in Forth Worth (aka Cowtown); as close to downtown as possible.

I heart Fort Worth. It's a feeling similar to your favorite pair of designer jeans that you've worn so much that you ALMOST have to throw them out, but can't bear to do it because you still look great in them. So what if there's a hole in the back pocket? It's got a comfy side and a fancy side. It's definitely not Dallas, which is a good thing.

Anyway, I got uber excited about this (surprisingly affordable) loft and then I was sorely disappointed when I realized it was too soon and I couldn't do it and the unit would go fast.

Then I visited the usual boring old cookie cutter apartments (about 20 of them). After looking at (and daydreaming about) lofts, it's a total snoozefest in comparison.

They all have the same things in common:

1) Close quarters (i.e., creeps you don't want to live near)

2) Fat, ugly deposits (esp. for pets) and hidden "admin fees"

3) overpriced, overpriced, overpriced!

4) Total lack of uniqueness

Oh, and another good one - pet rent! Pets don't have jobs!!!! Why should they pay rent? This bothers me.

Then I looked at a few more lofts. Most of which I cannot afford. Crap.

So I'm back to square one. I desperately want to live downtown and I'd love a loft setting while I'm young(ish) and childless, but I don't think I can swing it financially.

Looks like Pookie is going to have to get a job.

BUT I think I've narrowed it down to three. Which of my top three would YOU pick:

#1) Lofty loft near downtown, true studio (no separation), historic building, renovated, artsy, unique.

Biggest cons - no washer/dryer hookups, limited availability. Not in the greatest neighborhood, but it's not the worst either.

#2) Townhome-style apartment w/ attached garage, views, dogpark, friendly.

Biggest cons- Smallish

#3) Regular nice apartment with river access. Good street.

Biggest cons - Not really digging the complex itself. A little busier/cramped feeling.

For the love of jeans!!!

2010-02-28T17:18:00.010-06:00

We north Texans have a neat little store called Plato's Closet. They generally market to teens, and young adults...so I feel a bit "old" in there now, but since I still get mistaken for a 19 year old, I figure, what the hell. Anyway, they sell gently used, brand name clothing, bags, and shoes for less than half the original price. It's kinda like going through a friend's closet and snagging what they can't use anymore. Sweet!

Anyhoo! I snagged a pair of Paige capri jeans (I adore Paige denim) and some Bigstar jeans, which is a brand I've never tried before. I also got a pair of cute, yet modest black heels for work.

The items cost $25, $35, and $8, respectively.

Score!

Thank you, Plato. I shall shop again soon.

(I MAY have failed to mention that I recently won a pair of Seven For All Mankind jeans on eBay. They will be arriving shortly. I pray that they fit. Yes, I have a jean problem and I'm seeking help for it.)

(But in my defense, my fave jeans are starting to get a hole near the back pocket, so I was in need of new jeans before everyone at work caught a glimpse of my pasty white ARSE!)

yes please...

and yes please. I'll take them all.

Welcome to the workforce....again

2010-02-07T11:15:00.016-06:00

Well, I start my new job tomorrow. While 75% of me CAN'T WAIT, the other 25% of me is a bit worried. The only reason I don't look forward to it is because of the abnormally long commute. The first few weeks are going to....well....suck. I will have to get up at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m. and then won't get home until 7:30 or so. Then I will have a whopping 2 hours of ME time before I must go to bed. Blah.

(All the more reason to consume lots and lots of coffee.)

On a more positive note, once I get past the first few ugly weeks of the drive and training all day, I think I'm really going to like it. When I interviewed, it was for an in-office position doing pretty much the same thing day after day. A friend, and sorority sister from college, was going to be the one training me. Well, my interviewer had other plans for me. He asked if I would be interested in sales because I had a "sales-y" personality. (and no, he didn't mean used car sales, but a relatable and make-you-feel-at-home personality type) (at least that's what I tell myself). I told him that I'd be thrilled to get into sales for their company, if they would have me.

Fast forward a week, and he offers me a job. Not the office job (that doesn't pay great) but the sales job that I didn't even know I wanted until the interview! I gladly accepted! All logic and reason was telling me that he wouldn't offer me a sales job because he said they didn't normally hire someone without a true sales background. Then he mentioned not having any open positions for sales at this time. Then my imagination got away from me and I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, he was creating a new position for a newbie like me. That maybe he liked me enough to find a place for me instead of losing me altogether. But perhaps that was just wishful thinking...

But that's exactly what he did! He found a place for me! A position that was created with me in mind. :) And I figure, if they believe in me so much, there's no reason for me not to. I know that if I work hard, I can really kick butt!

So you are now looking at the newest member of the sales team for a Dallas-based Title company. I get a territory that hasn't been touched yet. They are also gonna give me a blackberry, laptop, car allowance, etc. And when God decides it's the right time, I will plan a move closer to work. I'm thinking that might be around April.

Hoooray!!! God is good. Now I just pray I can do this commute for several weeks until everything falls into place.

I will be tempted to do this on a daily basis...

And on warm days, maybe this will be the ticket....

And if it really does snow in Texas this week, I may get stuck in this unfortunate scenario...

But let's hope that's not the case!!!

Shut up and dance!

2010-02-02T17:16:00.009-06:00

I just had to share with you all that I bought the Wii game, Just Dance, two nights ago. I do realize I'm a complete and utter nerd for absolutely loving games like this. But hey, if it gets me off my butt and gets me doing cardio, and therefore, gets me in a bikini in a few months, it's toootally worth it.

On that note, I'd like to share a Mad Lib with you. It's appropriately titled, Dance Therapy. Enjoy!

Dance Therapy

Sometimes the cure for a generous heart is to dance until the wee hours of the nail file with your girlfriends at a pastry club. Now that you're swimmingly on the market, you'll need to swift up on your dance moves. Here are some plump tips for boogying down in your bath tub or in front of a freakish crowd of meerkats.

-Rotate your eyelashes to the music, of course.

-If you have grumpy hair, kick it with all you've got - but don't get so dizzy that you hokey pokey.

-Be sure to move your breasts with purpose - flailing is not attractive or indigenous.

-Put your hands on your SUVs to look ultra shapely.

In no time at all, you'll be attracting many jelly beans.

A week of hard(ish) conversations

2010-01-24T17:22:00.013-06:00

Remember I started that job that didn't pay well, but it was something in a time where I was desperate?

Well, my last day was Friday.

Pros:

No more waking up at 5:30

No more driving an hour in God-knows-what kind of traffic

No more wearing a suit every day

Cons:

No more paycheck (even if it was teensie weensie)

No, I didn't just up and quit. I thought long and hard about the thought of staying there. I also gained information that I wasn't given in my interview. Information that may have swayed my decision in ever starting. I was finally able to ask my questions and I got a highly disappointing answer. The day I found out that the chance of them paying what I needed was very low, I was completely bummed. Then I had to go to work every day pretending to care when, mentally, I had already checked out.

I remembered during my interview, Holly asked me to be totally honest with her. If I ever got bored, or decided it wasn't for me, to tell her and she'd be happy to find me something else. So I called her on a Thursday right at 5:00 and spilled the beans. It would have been MUCH easier to just leave and never come back and assume they understood why. But I owed it to them to tell them it wasn't where I saw myself in a few years down the road, and that it would never pay me what I needed. I have never in my life sat down a boss and told them that it wasn't going to work. That was hard convo #1.

Once the owner got wind of my leaving, he scheduled a time to sit down and talk to me. So I gave him the same info that I gave Holly. And, bless him, he didn't beg me to stay. Sometimes I get caught up or put on the spot, and I'm too nice and I'll agree to almost anything. But thankfully, he could see that I just wasn't passionate about the company. He was very gracious, and so was I. But it was still hard to look him in the eye and tell him that HIS company, his blood, sweat, and tears, wasn't my calling. That was hard convo #2.

Some other night that week, on my long drive home, I was talking to my boyfriend. He is probably almost as stressed as I am about my lengthy and painful job search. So during the conversation, we both got really stressed out and started taking it out on each other. However, we finally decided to act like adults and share our feelings - stuff we've put off saying (because at times, there is no point in bringing it up when there's no solution). He feels very out of control of the whole situation, as do I. The situation being us having been together over a year, and never having lived in the same area code. He lives in Austin and I live in DFW. Does it make us not want to be together? No. We can't imagine not being together. He said if we have to continue doing this long-distance, then he's in it for the long haul. But wouldn't it be great to not have to schedule a week in advance to see each other? Wouldn't it be amazing to just have dinner together after work? Unwind with a glass of wine together? Cuddle up and watch a movie on a rainy day? HELL YES! We want that!!! So that was hard convo #3.

Now I start from square one tomorrow. I have a list of places I want to call/email/apply. Some in Austin, some here in DFW. My boyfriend was up visiting this weekend, and we had a wonderful weekend together. It really made all the craziness fade into the background. :)

I also want to add A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful sister, CJR. She turns the big 3-0 today. I just know that this year is going to be an amazing one for her and her new life with Lobster. Love you guys!

Awww, Thanks!

2010-01-17T16:01:00.005-06:00

Thanks SO much to CJR at Girl v. The World. She's an amazing blogger and, once again, I'm not sure I am deserving of this Beautiful Blogger Award. But I digress...

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Paste the award on your blog.

3. Link back to the person who gave you the award.

4. Share seven interesting things about yourself.

5. Nominate up to 7 more beautiful bloggers.

6. Link the seven bloggers you nominate.

Seven neat-o things about me. Well....I feel incredibly dull lately, but here goes:

1) I think I would be happy as a hamster if I owned a coffee shop on a beach. Coffee + beach + acoustic beats = bliss.

2) I'm starting to think that if I got another dog, I would want a golden retriever.

3) I cuss the most when I'm in the car.

4) I've become a book lover within the past year. I used to actually hate reading when I was a kid. I'm starting to wonder if my kindergarten teacher was to blame. I remember being very enthusiastic to read to her, and she never had the time.

5) I can't wait to have kids. I have always pictured myself as a mom.

6) I wish I could play an instrument.

7) I have prophetic dreams every now and then. (prophetic: foretelling events as if by divine inspiration).

Ok lovelies, thanks for reading, and thanks again CJR for the award!!

God Works in Mysterious Ways

2010-01-03T17:45:00.013-06:00

Guess what folks? I got myself a job.

In a nutshell, I applied for 842 jobs (on average) over a four month span. In that time, I was only called in for 2 interviews. The first interview was explained in this blog, and it was a shady pyramid scheme. The second interview was a decent and legitimate job.

And I got it.

Out of the 842 jobs I applied for, I'd say about 45% of them were in Austin, Texas. I was completely open (and mentally prepared) to move south to be closer to Happy Pants and start over in Austin, seeing as how I feel like I'm stuck in a rut here in the DF Dub.

But, oddly enough, the job I landed is in Fort Worth. On one hand, it's perfect. I abso-freakin-lutely love Fort Worth and have wanted to move to that area for a long time. I had been praying that a door would open where I needed to be, whether that was Austin, Fort Worth, or wherever. I ran into slammed door after slammed door and nothing came as smoothly or incredibly easy as this job.

I went to this particular business's website and found an internal position open, clicked "apply," attached my resume and hit "send." That was it. A whopping 25 minutes later, I get a call from Holly, who schedules me for an interview the following day. I go interview the next morning, and the interview goes so well that she calls the CEO and sees if he has time to meet me. He does. So I go meet with him. I feel that interview #1 went swimmingly. Interview #2 was questionable, as he was not as easy to read. But it was still a pleasant meeting.

On my drive home after a morning full of handshakes, nods, smiles, and politically correct responses, I'm exhausted. I drive home (in the snow, mind you) and I get a wave of depression. It's ugly. I want to shake it off but I keep feeling discouraged. I would never have considered this my dream job by any means. It may not pay enough and I may not even like it. But it's a job and I really need a job. And I realize that the CEO may not have even liked me, so I may have screwed up the only job that's been thrown at me. Too many thoughts running through my head.

Later, I anxiously await a phone call that never comes. I get really nervous because now I kinda want the job...I think. I go to bed that night, not knowing what the hell I want or need anymore. I'm at my wits end. I'm so tired of the hunt, the waiting, the rejections, the unanswered emails. I'm not sure I can do this much longer.

It was around 3 a.m. that I popped awake (BING!) and I remembered a dream I had about three weeks ago.

I dreamed that I was driving around with my boyfriend, looking for a place I was supposed to interview. After I found it, I walked in and spoke to a woman at the front desk of this really neat place. She told me that the CEO was in a meeting and would be out to meet with me, but to beware, because he was a bit intimidating. Once he came out, I realized two things. A) he wasn't intimidating, and B) he had a copy of my resume in his hand. I didn't have my resume on me and so I was relieved when he miraculously had one. He told me that he got it via email. Whew! Then he walked me over to a meeting table and we began a meeting. I felt important already. I really liked this place and this feeling.

So the reason I startled awake at 3 a.m. was because I suddenly realized how this dream paralleled with my real-life interview that day. Why, you ask?

1) The woman who interviewed me made me feel very important.

2) She then called the CEO and asked him to interview with me.

3) When we both realized I was without an extra copy of my resume, she emailed one to him.

4) She warned me that he may be intimidating.

5) When I met him, I decided he didn't intimidate me.

6) He came in with a printed copy of my resume (that I didn't supply him with).

7) I was wearing the same deep pink shirt and blazer that I wore in my dream.

Holy schnikeys! Do you see why I was freaked out?

So this gave me a sense of renewed hope that for whatever reason, whether I understand it or not, God was reassuring me about this job. Maybe telling me not to give up hope yet?

Two days later, I get the call from Holly congratulating me on my new job.

So why here and not Austin? I don't know. Happy Pants and I are both slightly bummed that an Austin job didn't pan out, but it's okay. We will be in the same city when the time is right. And apparently, I'm needed here for a bit longer. I just have to keep an open mind and a faithful heart.

Here's to a happy 2010 and a new job! I hope that you, too, had a new year filled with pleasant and unexpected surprises.

Busy Bookworm Challenge 2010!

2009-12-29T17:44:00.010-06:00

I'm waiting for CJR to finish up her fabulous 2010 Busy Bookworm Challenge button so I can post it in my blog, but I figured I could still draft my list of all the books I plan to read in 2010.

Here they are in no particular order...

- The Host by Stephanie Meyer

- Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison

- To Dance with the White Dog by Terry Kay

- Dogs of Dreamtime by Karen Shanley

- The Hidden Life of Dogs by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

- The Hunger Games (#3) by Suzanne Collins

- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

- Lord of the Flies by William Golding

- The Giver by Lois Lowry (I want to read this again since I last read it in 6th grade)

Anyone else jumping on the Busy Bookworm bandwagon?

(you totally should.)

(even I'm doing it and I was never a big "reader" until this past year.)

(who doesn't have time to read one book a month?)

(that's why it's called the BUSY bookworm challenge, silly.)

Christmas Shenanigans

2009-12-27T21:11:00.010-06:00

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. I just so happened to have a great one. Here are a few tidbits of my fabulous last few days.

- Snow on Christmas Eve in Texas! Yup, that's right. We had a blizzard all day on the 24th. I have never seen snow blow completely horizontally. See below...

- Dreaming of a white Christmas? Snow was still on the ground Christmas morning. :)

- My baby drove up Christmas day to spend the next few days with me. I wish he could have been here for all our Christmas Eve traditions, but he had a family shindig. I am just happy to have him when I could. Compromise is something I'm still getting used to when it comes to holidays and families in three different cities.

- Catchphrase is the world's most AWESOME game. Playing sober is fun, but playing after a few drinks is UBER fun. I think we played for 6 hours. I have video on that too, but I don't want to embarrass/incriminate my loved ones in my blog. ;) I would never do such a thing.

- My biggest surprise gift this year had to be my Keurig K-cup coffee machine. I had a perfectly (cheap) basic Mr. Coffee pot and didn't expect anything coffee-related at all. But now that I have my Keurig, I don't see how I've survived 27 years without it! (Ok, only like 8 years of my coffee-drinking life). You plop in a K cup, press it down firmly, press the shiny blue button and BAM, you've got a perfect cup of coffee. Brilliant.

- My most-used gift was definitely my Flip video camera that my boyfriend bought me. I got snow/blizzard footage, church service footage, silly Catchphrase footage, future brother-in-law screaming like a girl while making a snow angel footage, etc.

- I made the infamous Monkey Bread for the first time. Turned out great! So did my broccoli cheese casserole on Christmas day. Score!

- I got sick on Dec. 23 for the second year in a row. I made my annual trip to the doctor and let him do another strep test. This year, it's not strep! Yay! But it was a bacterial thing. Boo! Not to worry though, I got me some amoxicillin.

- I made myself (and my mom) a deal that I wouldn't completely wig out about being unemployed over the holidays (since there is essentially nothing I can do over Christmas). I continued obsessively applying through the 23rd. Since that time, I have made a concerted effort to just relax. That's not to say that a few Eeyore moments haven't crept up on me, but I'm doing fairly well. I will likely (99% sure) get back on the obsessive-compulsive job hunt tomorrow.

- I thoroughly THOROUGHLY enjoyed having the whole family together. I'm so very blessed to have two amazing parents, my sister and her fiance, and my boyfriend all spend quality time together under one roof. I made sure to take lots of mental pictures (and flip videos).

Now that the company has all gone home and the house is quiet, I realize that New Year's Eve is only a few days away. So I must go rest up (I'm going to sleep like a rock) and recover from my tequila induced Catchphrase over-indulgence that was this weekend.

The Happy Award!

2009-12-23T22:30:00.007-06:00

Thanks to CJR at Girl v. The World, I now have a new Shiny! A "Ten Things That Make Me Happy" Award!

Here are the rules of the award:

Copy the award image in your post.
List 10 things that make you happy, and try to do at least one of them today.
Then, tag 10 bloggers that make you happy!

For the 10 bloggers who get the award, link back to me and spread the happiness!

Here is my list:

1) I couldn't survive day-to-day without the amazing support and love from my mom, dad, and two beautiful (inside and out) sisters. My family makes me incredibly happy.

2) Happy Pants (boyfriend). I'm insanely lucky to have a guy who not only adores me, but talks about the future with me without any fear in his voice, loves his family as much as I love mine, and automatically knows when something is on my mind. Couldn't have asked for a better man.

3) Christmas trees, Christmas music, Christmas gift-giving, Christmas lights, Christmas caroling, Christmas martinis. You see a pattern? I really like Christmas season (minus the annoying crowds).

4) Baking goodies for other people. This is a new love of mine. It's quite fun.

5) My dog. I love to make him happy. I love to see his little face looking up at me. I love waking up next to him. He makes me so happy and I'm not sure he realizes that I may need him more than he needs me.

6) Speaking of my dog - animals. They make me happy. I believe they are inherently good and pure.

7) My Squishy (aka my new SUV). I really love my car. Every time I climb in or see it in my driveway, I giggle. Is that really mine? Did I really buy that? Hehe.

8) A steaming cup of glorious coffee and big breakfast on a Saturday morning. How is that not appealing as heck?

9) Experiencing new things. When you get to feel like a kid again, seeing something for the first time, there's really no better feeling. Everyone should explore their inner child every now and then.

10) Cupcakes. I don't know what it is about them. It could taste like cardboard and I'm thrilled to be eating it!

Four Christmas (in one day)

2009-12-23T20:41:00.018-06:00

I attended my 2nd annual "MoB" (mother of boyfriend) gathering. And when I say gathering, I don't use that term lightly. We're talking 25 people (at least) at each party. They all live within walking distance of each other. So when you go visit boyfriend's mom, expect to have dinner with 12-30 others, each arriving with a hefty platter of food. We are never under-fed. ;)

This Christmas I knew it would be a short and sweet visit. Not because I'm busy and employed, but because boyfriend is.

We arrived at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Wait, let me back up for a second. I ended up stopping at no other than Starbucks (my mecca) to grab some java, and quickly (ha!) change my clothes into more presentable attire. Once I finally get into the bathroom, I try to change so quickly that I end up twisting my ankle while maneuvering my way into my jeans. Who does that? (It was also brought up later, and I felt silly explaining how one twists one's ankle at Starbucks). But I digress...

So 12:30, and we are already late for par-tay #1. It was at some aunts (??) house. We're really just there to take up space and use up oxygen, as this party is mostly about the kiddos. So we eat dinner #1 (I pace myself) and the four of us (me, boyfriend, his brother, and brother's girlfriend) crack dirty jokes in the corner, laugh and amuse ourselves while 5-year-olds open gifts and squeal with delight.

End of par-tay #1. We then sneak - literally sneak, because I was told "leave now...or else" and realize that obligatory family pictures were being taken. We sneak (run) back over to mom's house and watch football (ugh) until par-tay #2.

Par-tay #2 starts around 2:00 p.m. This party holds a whole different large group of people. I am more familiar with these folks. There was Derek who told me last year, and I quote, "Knowing this guy, I may not see you next year." What??!!! Did he really say that? Everyone gasped. He meant it as a jab at boyfriend that I would surely dump him by next year, but it came out more like he would bring a different girl next year. So, as I greeted Derek on year #2, I made sure to give him the stink eye...and a whole lotta crap!

Let's not leave out gift time. We all sat around and did a gift exchange. Just pass and open. Nothing fancy, organized, or quiet. Pretty much as much chaos as you'd expect with a room full of infants and children and smart-alecky 20 and 30-somethings (who, us???). I open my gift from his Mimi and Papaw and realize it's an 8 x 10 picture of boyfriend during his pubescent years!! AHAHAHAHAHA! I have never seen that boy embarrassed, but I think he was. The second his brother and brother's girlfriend cracked some jokes at his expense, the girlfriend opened her own picture of boyf's brother in 8th grade!! AHAHAHAH! But the funniest part was that Mimi was completely serious. Giving us those pics was no joke for Mimi! I told boyfriend I would proudly place it right on my desk. ;)

Par-tay #3. Getting closer. We are presented with yet another dinner. This is a different group of adults and children. I remember the 4 cute little girls well from last year. I became friends with one this year. I let her be my white elephant gift exchange helper. She ate it up! Boyfriend said later that as he was watching us unwrap a gift together, he realized that she looks like she could be my daughter. I guess we DO have the same features. I would have had to have her at 20 though. Totally do-able. (awww, he thinks about me as a mom??!!!)

Anyhoo, I ended up with the SAME white elephant gift as I received at christmas #1. I got a santa holding decorative Christmas towels. Last year it was a reindeer holding decorative Christmas towels. What are the odds? And where will I put them?

Par-tay #4 took place late at night, around 11:00 p.m. with just boyfriend's family; a total of seven. Whew! I was deliriously tired from all previous par-tays, and a speedy trip to Walmart for chillable red wine, but I managed to stay awake. Lots of fab gifts were exchanged.

One thing I learned this Christmas that I will NEVER again forget is this: Never, ever leave the plans to boyfriend. He doesn't know what's going on. Either because he has gotten the wrong information, or because he doesn't bother to ask. I try to make it clear to him that I am a girl and I need details. Well, I could not have felt like a bigger ASS when his brother and brother's girlfriend got me gifts and I had NOTHING to give them in return. I had asked again and again and he said not to worry about it. But I shall try not to dwell on the negative..

All complaints aside, a great, whirl wind-y, four Christmases all in one day! I survived year #2 and Derek better look out when I show up for year #3!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

Non-Resolutions of 2010

2009-12-14T13:04:00.011-06:00

I got this idea from My Soul is a Butterfly. Genius. Pure genius.

I have mixed feelings on creating New Year's resolutions because, a) it just sets you up for failure, and b) no one ever keeps track of them to see whether you did or did not fail miserably. I find it somewhat freeing to create a list of things you have no intention of changing about yourself.

Non-resolutions of 2010:

- I will likely bite my nails

- I will probably never find the desire to exercise in the dead heat of summer or the bitter cold of winter

- I will continue to claim that Patron is superior to Don Julio

- I will baby my dog

- I will continue to make checklists and not necessarily check everything off each day

- I will continue to tell my mom everything

- I may always have a messy desk and (hopefully) a clear mind

- I will probably never enjoy yoga

- I do not resolve to make my bed every morning, as I will only mess it up each night

- I will continue to have an aversion to sponges as a cleaning tool

- I may always wish I had gone to medical school

- I may never be a "planner" but I will always plan enough

What are some of your resolutions (or non-resolutions)?

My Weekend In Numbers

2009-12-06T16:55:00.016-06:00

I had a great weekend. My baby came to visit, I cooked for us (successfully) and there was much football. Had we done any Christmas shopping, then it may have just been the perfect weekend.

My weekend in numbers...

1.5 - number of hours it took me to make King Ranch Chicken. Turned out so good! I will totally make this again.

45 - number of minutes I allowed myself for a nap on Saturday.

10 - number of minutes I actually slept out of that 45 allowance.

4:30 - the time we arrived at the Cowboy's stadium to tailgate for the Big 12 Championship game.

25 - number of minutes I had to stand in line at the ONE port-o-potty near our tailgate. Miserable? Yes, considering it felt like ten degrees outside. And let's not discuss how disgusting the port-o-potty actually was. (shudder). Let's also not discuss how I dropped my glove on the nasty, E. coli covered floor (double shudder). And we may as well just leave out the fact that someone ahead of me went the big #2 and I had to endure it when my turn finally arrived (quadruple shudder!).

2 - number of hours that I froze my little butt off tailgating. I then sat in my car with my heater full blast and let my raw fingers thaw out. They started to itch like crazy (proof that I had minor frostbite as a child).

467 - number of ultimate nachos for $8.50. I ate about 7 of them. Then I had heartburn.

13/12 - final score of the Texas/Nebraska game! HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!

2:30 - time on Sunday that my man had to leave me. Wahh!!!

2:40 - time that he texted me, "Babe, I'm coming back for you. Pack up your stuff." I actually considered and let him know that I would not need much convincing. I could easily pack myself and my chihuahua. Might be fun. No? Then reality set in, and I don't have a job, which means I couldn't get a place of my own...so I guess that won't work.....

45 - number of degrees outside when I took a nice evening stroll - chihuahua wrapped up in my jacket and all. It was cold and misty, but at least I got my walk on.

Hope everyone else had an equally fab weekend.

Another One Bites The Dust

2009-12-03T11:26:00.010-06:00

I went on my first job interview in the three months of trying to land a job. Was I at all excited about this interview? Nope.

Did I feel obligated to go since it's the first interview I've been offered. You bet.

So I drive an hour and find the place. I go inside and expect a cattle call of other unemployed folks who, like me, are desperate for a job. Instead, it's just me. Then I go into this office that clearly belongs to no one (blank walls, clean desk, no computer) and interview with a short hispanic guy. He asked me a list of 5 basic interview questions (i.e., what is your favorite color? What is the airspeed velocity of a coconut laden swallow?) (just kidding).

The "interview" takes a total of ten minutes, if that. Then I am dismissed and told that I would be given a call around 4 p.m. if I'm a good fit. Then there would be a series of two more in-depth interviews. Oh joy.

Here's what I wanted to say: "You do realize that this 10 minute chit-chat could have been done BY PHONE, don't you? Then I would have known enough about this so-called "job" and not wasted my time and make-up. And in turn, you could have hired someone who believes they might actually make money off of this crap."

But instead I said: "Thank you."

At exactly 3:40 p.m. I get a phone call. I don't answer. Five minutes later, I listen to the very vague voice message. Then I call back and I'm offered a job. I very politely tell them thanks but no thanks.

Forgive me, but I just don't think I want to go door-to-door selling cable packages. I didn't think you could do door-to-door sales anymore. This was also a legal pyramid scheme and commission pay only. So if I didn't get shot trespassing, I probably still couldn't pay my bills off of commission only.

Sorry Charlie.

Getting Older and Not-So-Much Wiser

2009-11-28T22:47:00.025-06:00

Sooooo.... I want to talk about my birthday that I celebrated 2 weeks back. I turned the big 2-7. Ugh. I really would have been thrilled if we all just stopped counting after 25. 25 was just fine. Can't we just stick with what works?

Maybe part of my beef with turning 27 is the fact that I still easily pass for 19. That, in itself, annoys me to no end.

But I digress....

My boyfriend came up on a Friday night and I made us dinner. Spaghetti.

While I was cooking our spaghetti and waiting on him to arrive, I popped open a bottle of red and played some cheesy Italian music (you know the kind you find in your music channels on tv?). I had my second glass of wine with dinner. No harm done, right? Little did I know, he brought a bottle of tequila and we wanted to try it, so we toasted to my birthday. No, I didn't NEED a shot but I took one anyway. My birthday, dammit.

An hour after dinner, I had a splitting headache. I wrote it off as just being sleepy, so we went to bed. The next morning I unwilling got my butt out of bed and baked us some blueberry muffins, feeling like crap the whole time but trying not to be grumpy because I really like to be a good hostess when he's here.

Fast forward a few hours. I still feel like hell, but we have a big night planned for my birthday that night. He got us a hotel room downtown so that we could have a great time and not worry about driving home that night. A very nice surprise :) But instead of getting dolled up as I would normally do, I put on a track suit and dragged my disheveled and unshowered self out the door and he drove us downtown to our hotel.

20 minutes into our drive, I come THIS close to losing my muffins all over the car. But, I make it to the hotel and we check in and I sit on the bed holding my upset tummy. Fun date I am.

Fast forward an hour. My man goes on a wild goose chase to find me some Alka-Seltzer, which ended up being about a 3 block walk down the street from our hotel. I take the Alka-Seltzer and luckily it really helps. So then I finally get showered and dressed and hit my favorite outdoor bar. Whoo!

I promised myself I would have a good time no matter how I felt. So I had a few drinks at my favorite bar. Then more people started showing up and things got a bit more silly. Perfect! :) By then I've had about 4 drinks. Nothing crazy, nothing unusual, but enough to feel it. As people started leaving, he and I left with another couple who took us to 2 more bars, where (apparently) I had a Red Bull & vodka drink at each bar. No biggie. Nothing horribly unusual.

Next thing I know, I wake up in my hotel bed and have ZERO recollection of anything past the piano bar. Yikes. I'm ashamed to admit that because I don't think it's safe or normal. Thank God I was with my boyfriend, who I trust completely to take care of me. And he did.

(side note: I NEVER get sick after drinking. The worst I ever experience is a headache and/or dehydration.)

After my boyfriend explains to me what I "missed" last night, I roll my happy, hung-over butt out of bed and go throw up. I do that three more times in the hotel. Then we leave the hotel, and I throw up twice in my brand new car.

Awesome.

My parents had my cake and presents ready and awaiting my arrival and it was all I could do to not throw up on all of it. I put on a smile for b-day pictures, but in my head I was just repeating, "Please don't puke, please don't puke..." But I successfully blew out my candles and everyone gobbled up the world's yummiest cake. Everyone but me. (Waaahhh!!)

My point of this way-too-long story is that:

a) I am an idiot who drank too much on her 27th birthday, OR

b) I was already sick to begin with, and drinking didn't help, OR

c) All of the above

Happy 25th....er....27th to me! My goal for this year: Don't be an idiot ;)

Going To The Chapel...

2009-11-09T13:19:00.003-06:00

I have the BESTEST news EVER! My sister, C, is now happily engaged to her boyfriend, Lobster!!!

I am so ready to take on the challenge and responsibility of my new title: Maid of Honor.

Being the girl who refuses to plan things until absolutely necessary, I have no idea how to go about planning a wedding, but since hearing of the engagement plans, I have been researching like the good little MOH I am. Plus, I am determined to be the best darn MOH on planet earth.

Mwahahahahaha! <---evil laugh

Observe the adorable new MOH badgey wadgey on my bloggy woggy. ---->

Congratulations C and Lobster!

Popcorn, anyone?

2009-11-04T15:04:00.005-06:00

Since I'm officially uber excited about New Moon (which comes out Nov. 20), I have become the ultimate nerd by posting a countdown on my blog!!

See? ---->

Twilight nerds UNITE!

While I'm all worked up, I should mentioned that if I could also add nerdy countdown widgets for other movies I'm giddy about, they would include the following:

1) A Christmas Carol (in 3D!!!!)

2) 2012

3) Planet 51

That's all for now. Perhaps November will be the month of movies!!

Mwahahahaha!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2009-11-03T09:06:00.010-06:00

Let's start with the bad and the ugly, shall we?

I'm STILL unemployed. It has now been a long 2 months and 6 days. I have not only called The Boss Man on an (almost) weekly basis, but I have also applied for jobs on my side of Texas and on my boyfriend's side of Texas. Yes, we have sides. I have yet to receive ONE call or email back from a real job prospect. When I say "real" it's because I have received a crapola response back from a scam artist. (Note: Never do business via e-mail with someone who claims to be in Australia, wants to have a strictly online business relationship, wants you to go purchase goodies for the orphanage he sponsors, and claimed he loved your resume when you never sent him one.)

I'm now at the point of dipping into my savings that I was saving for bigger and better things than just paying my bills, but whatever.

Enough depressing stuff. Time for the good!!

Today is my dad's birthday! Hooray! 'Tis also the month of many birthdays, including mine and my aunt's! November babies ROCK!

Another good thing: We attended another fun Halloween costume party this year, as usual. I dressed as Daisy Duke, my man was (you'll never guess) a banana. Many jokes stemmed from his random costume choice. We also had wolverine, a couple of sexy pirates, a witch, Dr. Acula, a killer bee (a big letter "B" with blood all over him), and a few other costumes I paid no attention to. All and all, it was a good time.

More good news, you say? But of course!

I played golf for my very first time on Sunday. It's quite the accomplishment. You have no idea.

My dad is an avid (and pretty much obsessive) golfer. My boyfriend loves to golf and doesn't get to do it often, so when he's in town, he tries to play golf with my dad. This time, the boys invited my mom and I to join them. "Of course we want to ride along!" I said. But what they meant was that they wanted us to PLAY along. Have they lost their marbles?

"What??!!! Oh no, you don't want that." I say.

Then I ran down a list of excuses as to why that was a huge mistake on their part:

We'll slow you down.

I may injure someone with a bad shot.

I may injure myself with a bad shot.

You guys will laugh at me.

I have nothing to wear.

I may be so talented that I embarrass the two of you.

My resistance was futile, so my mom and I ended up playing the front nine with them. It was a painfully slow front nine. I will say I had a few good shots, and a few hundred terrible shots. I am proud of myself for getting out and playing though, because it's the only way to learn. I have a feeling there will be a lot more golfing in my future and I'd like to be able to play alongside the men in my life.

Ok, time to go try to be productive. Peace out, Bloggies!

Domestically Challenged....NO MORE!

2009-10-28T15:09:00.008-05:00

People who know me well may agree that I'm a tad domestically disabled. But once in a blue moon I get a strong urge to either clean something or cook/bake something. Lately, my baking urge is strong.

So, my friends, I have decided to develop a list of things I must learn how to bake before I tie the knot. I don't want to be the wifey who shows up to every gathering with grocery store bought cookies. BO-RING! (fyi - no one is getting married yet. I'm just sayin'...)

Here are the things that I have already tackled:

Sugar cookies - these stuck to my counter top when I rolled them out. Then I decorated them. Badly. They tasted great though.

Banana bread - This was excellent if I do say so myself.

Pumpkin bread - This was very good, although I already know what to do differently next time.

Crepes - made fresh this morning. No small fires, no cursing, no mess with flour. I'd say a valiant effort!

Things I must tackle:

Pumpkin pie - this is my boyfriend's fave!

Cupcakes - any kind, but the key is to make sure it does not look like a 6 year old did the icing.

Cheesecake - the springy pan intimidates me.

Sourdough bread - warm & delicious.

Homemade blueberry muffins - another favorite of both mine and boyfriend's.

Mom's 'Monkey Bread' - cinnamon-y buttery goodness in a bundt pan!

Booze and Boos!

2009-10-21T14:59:00.021-05:00

I had a wonderful and long weekend with my man. The deal was that we (by "we" I am referring to me, my man, my sister, and her man)... anyhoo, we were all going to watch the big Red River Rivalry game together in Dallas and party hardy and then go State Fairing. That plan shifted when my man's dad's cousin unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack. It was a rough week for his family. Long story short, the only option I had to spend time with him was to go stay with him while he dog sat for the weekend.

So I go to Austin, where I proceed to meet all of his lawyer co-workers for happy hour on Friday night. They were really fun. I am glad that they all seemed to like me. (Or perhaps they didn't. These are lawyers we're talking about. And there was alcohol involved).

Then we spent Saturday watching the big game. I will admit, this is one of the few football games that I have watched from start to finish and was truly interested in. I know...I'm shocked too. I even sported my new burnt orange #10 jersey and may or may not have screamed at Colt McCoy a few times.

Then I proposed the brilliant idea of carving pumpkins and he obliged. I should mention that after some time, he was more excited about this idea than I was. Tee hee.

So, on Sunday we went to the pumpkin patch!

Then we started the long process of carving. We agreed on our two favorite stencils: the haunted house with a ghost and the little goblin guy, and we carved away while briefly pausing to pose for pictures.

The momma and baby pumpkin.

Deep concentration is key to a successful design.

Using the big boy knife.

We are officially nerds. (And I'm NOT holding a knife, that is a spoon everyone!)

Finished product!

And we patiently waited until dark to light them and show their awesome-ness. I'm not gonna lie. We were pretty impressed with ourselves.

Don't act like you're not impressed ;)

Happy trick-or-treating, everyone!

Note: don't bother baking the pumpkin seeds unless you like the taste of incinerated gourd.

Hooray for Awards!

2009-10-13T12:57:00.008-05:00

Thanks to CJR at the wonderful, entertaining, and educational Busy Bookworm Reviews, for my second EVER blog award (which I probably don't deserve, but I'll take it)!

The rules of accepting this award is that I have to answer the following questions and then pass the award on to six other bloggers. So...

Where is your cell phone: as always, by my side.
Your hair: in a ponytail and wet from a shower.
Your mother: my personality twin. Love her.
Your father: my personality opposite. Love him.
Your favorite food: Mom's chicken and dumplins.
Your dream from last night: involved flooding and books. Analyze that.
Your favorite drink: not too sweet. Alcohol is a plus.
Your dream/goal: feel like I gave it up 2 years ago. I don't wanna talk about it.
What room are you in: upstairs living room.
What is your hobby: lately, reading, scrapbooking, paying bills, searching for jobs..
What is your fear: not having enough to get by, never finding a job, losing a loved one.
Where do you want to be in 6 years: married, kids, house, and job.
Where were you last night: home. Watching Bruce Almighty because my tv is screwy.
Something you are not: lately, productive.
Muffins: yes please. Blueberry.
Wish list items: A place. A treadmill. A job. Perhaps some earmuffs too.
Where did you grow up: a small suburb outside of Houston.
Last thing you did: check my stuff I'm selling on eBay.
What are you wearing: a tee shirt and comfy pants. What? It's raining and I'm stuck inside.
Your TV: honestly freaks me out. Changes channels on its own.
Your pets: I love my chihuahua. Dogs are truly the greatest companion.
Your friends: I wish I could see them so much more than I do :(
Your life: an adventure
Your mood: a bit more dark & twisty than usual (lately)
Missing someone: my man.
Vehicle: SUV.
Something you're not wearing: shoes. Who needs 'em.
Your favorite store: I'm pretty happy in a Super Target.
Your favorite color: greens, blues, pink..
When's the last time you laughed: yesterday.
When's the last time you cried: can't remember when or why.
Your best friend: knows me better than most.
One place you go over and over: no where (lately). Otherwise, I'd say Starbucks.
One person who emails me regularly: mom, sis, karen... crap, that's three.
Favorite place to eat: at a table.

And the six bloggers I have deemed worthy of the blog award are....

godsongsgal at DreamSpirations

CJR at Girl v. The World

NatureCat at Pacific Chatter

V at *uncorked

Tia at Clever Girl Goes Blog

AmericanTribal at The Daily Tribal

Spring...Er...Fall Cleaning!!

2009-10-12T11:11:00.040-05:00

So, it's officially Fall!

Whether I like it or not, fall has fallen! Spring is well past sprung! Old Man Winter is on his way!

That's enough of that...

All I know is that for the past 4 days, the weather in Texas has been a bit chilly. All I have whined about is wanting a pair of earmuffs, but had to settle for a beanie (also know as a toboggan, which I think is a really odd name) to cover my ice cube ears. And because I needed a beanie, I had to go digging in my under-bed storage where I keep my scarves, gloves, and hats that I pull out once a year, if that.

This digging up my winter goodies started a domino effect.

A very rare domino effect (for me).

I decided that my winter things needed a nice place to live for the season. And my strappy tanks have no place here anymore, so why don't I put those away? So that's what I did. I traded my (light & airy) summer clothes for my (bulky & annoying) winter clothes.

I then stood back and realized how unsatisfying that was. Here were my winter things, all neatly folded in a closet that looked like a twister just tore through it. Ugh.

Observe...

This will never do.

That's when I decide I must clean out the whole mess-of-a-closet. And here's the thing: I scare easily from organization projects. Even the mention of a good closet cleaning is enough to make me run away screaming, "Save yourseeeellllves!" So I devise a master plan.

I will need sustenance:

And I'll definitely need an assistant:

...but beware, he also scares easily.

Also, a live band wouldn't be a bad idea.

I find some interesting things during The Great Closet Cleaning of 2009...

Observe...

Ahh, my pretty black pumps I never wear.

Hellooo 5 year old lip balm!

Is that a feather boa? Why yes it is..

Bunny costume anyone?

How about a naughty maid costume? (last year's Halloween costume. Judge away.)

Girly tools!

And last but not least..

Ahh memories. I will never get rid of this thing. I hope I have a daughter.

About 2 hours after messing around with random closet findings, I finally finished. Observe...

Glad you could experience The Great Closet Cleaning of 2009. This rare event probably won't happen again for another 2 years.

The end!

Bald Beans and Refried Eagles

2009-09-29T19:29:00.023-05:00

This is officially the week I learn or see something new every day. I'm now over two and a half decades old and there are certain things that I have believed my whole life that I am JUST NOW learning are simply, well, crap.

Two ways to look at this: I could either be really p*ssed that I've been BS'd or naive all these years, or be really thrilled because I can wake up every day knowing that there's more to learn.

I choose the latter.

I consider myself a city girl who has been "trapped" in the country. This week has been the biggest Country Girl 101 course thus far. Yesterday, my bloggies, I saw my very first...

BALD EAGLE.

I kid you not. Bald Eagle. 100 yards from MY house. Sitting right in the middle of an open field! Little did I know that he wasn't just sitting there enjoying the northerly breeze. I realized after he spread his 8 foot wingspan and took flight that he was also carrying a large Jackrabbit in his huge talons. This was amazing to see first-hand!!!!

Yet, even though I was watching a Bald Eagle with my own eyes, I still doubted this was really an Eagle. "We don't have Bald Eagles in Texas!" This is what I had always assumed.

You know what they always say about people who assume? Makes an ass of of "u" and "me".

Uh huh...I'm an ass. It's a Bald Eagle folks. Google it yourself.

So later that night, I am eating Mexican food, which, unfortunately, always seems to involve refried beans. I decided to share my so-called knowledge about how refried beans were uber unhealthy. Then I was informed that refried beans were, in fact, very healthy if cooked the proper way. What????

HOW COME NO ONE TOLD ME THIS? This is strike two for the day.

Here I am walking around like an idiot, "Bald Eagles don't exist..." and "Refried beans are the devil..." and I'm wrong. Drat!!!

So back to my country girl/nature experience. Today on my run, I see a huge green caterpillar. I'd say about 4 inches long and about the width of someone's finger. Just crossing the road like it's no big thing. So I said hi to him, naturally, and took a few awful pictures with my iPhone. (Oh yeah...Steve Jobs, we seriously need ZOOM on the iPhone. Please get right on that, Apple peeps.)

And sometime today after my run, I get home and spot a very chaotic web in my garage (chaotic = total Black Widow territory) (I am an obsessive Googler). I debate for some time, and then decide I have to take care of it. I hate to kill anything, but when it's between my animals and family and a spider such as this, I have to do what's best for my loved ones. And I was scared the whole time that somehow it would build enough strength/anger to jump 9 feet and bite me and then my internal killing debate would be a moot point. Ugh..

[Sorry folks, no pictures of this guy. My hands were full. And by full I mean bug spray, fly swatter, and metal shield.]

And finally, this evening on my aptly named "nature" walk, I see a massive hawk (hide all tiny chihuahuas!)

And on the way home, I'm fairly certain that I jumped 16 feet in the air when I saw Mr. Tarantula crossing the road. So casually, just like Mr. Caterpillar. I'll bet they're friends.

I think maybe I've had enough Biology for one week. HA! Who am I kidding? I love Biology!

But seriously, let's keep the spiders at a safe distance, shall we?

Here's Your Time. Spend It Wisely

2009-09-21T17:12:00.033-05:00

Last night

11:00 pm - searched Craigslist for part-time/full-time/temp/ANY jobs and emailed all the links to myself. Total of 16 potential/maybe/possible jobs. Good news? Sixteen is actually my lucky number.

Midnight - Tried to go to sleep. And tried.....and tried....

12:30 am - Not tired at all. Neither is puppy. Give up and take Tylenol PM.

Today

9:00 am - Wake up (unwillingly). Realize I'm still very groggy from the Tylenol and pass back out only to have weird dreams.

10:15 am - Wake up (startled). Dreamed I was at some massive festival/event and, apparently, we found a shortcut, (but this shortcut was also considered trespassing) and suddenly a cop was threatening to arrest all of us. Then, just as suddenly, a civilian was pointing a gun at the cop (who was sitting RIGHT next to me) and I feared being shot on accident and also feared being arrested for a really stupid reason.

10:30 am - Make suitable breakfast. Drink not-so-fabulous coffee (need to invest in a good espresso machine so I don't have to drink coffee that either tastes like tar or poo, but that's another task for another day).

11:00 am - Force myself to go for a run. Feel very inspired by good music, thanks to Pandora radio for iPhone. Fight my way through random hurricane-strength winds, and finish off by doing crunches and lifting weights. Woo hoo!

11:50 am - Give myself smiley face sticker on calendar for working out today. Sounds very Kindergarten-ish, I know, but it works for me.

1:00 pm - Watch Cesar Milan work his magic on neurotic dog behavior (I always blame the owner). Practice mad Cesar-like skills on my own dog who barks incessantly at EVERYTHING lately. Go ahead....you can blame me too.

2:15 pm - Apply for 5 of the 16 jobs I discovered last night. Get frustrated because I'm tired of hunting for a job that I only want to keep temporarily anyway. What happened to money growing on trees? Where are these trees and why don't I have one?

2:30 pm - Call a not-so-local YMCA and find out that I can get 3 free passes. I would like to join their spinning classes. Trying to decide if I want to go bright and early tomorrow morning. I'd have to leave my house at 8 am, and since I have now reverted back to being a nocturnal college kid, that might be a challenge. (incase you have forgotten...jobless + sleepless = sleeping too late and dreaming of hooligans with guns).

4:00 pm - Decide to skip watching Oprah today. The topic of Mad Men and the 60's theme don't exactly thrill me. Decide to play on Blogger and find 2 new blogs to follow!

5:20 pm - Boyfriend calls me and I'm surprised it's already "after work" time. Where did the time go? I tell him I'm blogging and he (lovingly) threatens to send me to Bloggers Anonymous, as usual. Hehe.

And now, here I sit. It's 7:55. I haven't heard anything back from any of my jobs. I feel that I got a big, fat NOTHING done today, while I guess in truth, I really did accomplish a few things. Meanwhile, a big storm is blowing in, which explains the hurricane force winds earlier today.

Noteworthy quotes about spending time wisely:

"Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows."

~Pope Paul VI

"All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that."

~Baltasar Gracian

"Now is the only time there is. Make your now wow, your minutes miracles, and your days pay. Your life will have been magnificently lived and invested, and when you die you will have made a difference."

~Mark Victor Hansen

"Time flies. It's up to you to be the navigator."

~Robert Orben

Off to slave away (i.e., pre-heat oven) preparing a vegetable lasagna. Peace out, Bloggers!

September Faves and Craves

2009-09-12T14:40:00.022-05:00

Alrighty then! It's time for this month's favorites and cravorites. He he.

I'm a huge supporter of www.theanimalrescuesite.com. Each time you visit the site and click the purple button, you are helping feed rescued animals. Also, each purchase you make and e-card you send helps put food in more hungry animal bellies.

This gives me warm fuzzies.

Note: Consider ordering some cute stuff from their online store this year for your stocking stuffers. Gift + good cause = a wayyyy better gift!

What's a four letter word that feels like L-O-V-E but isn't?

W-I-N-E.

I love me some red wine.

My particular favorites (this month) include J.Lohr cabernet sauvignon and Bogle Petite Sirah. Both full bodied reds. Each under 20 buck-a-roos!

Go on. Be sophisticated. You know you wanna.

This one is actually a major crave of mine right now. I want boots like these. Sexy, girly, fashionable. Perfect for UT games and perfect for my Halloween costume (I'm thinking of being Daisy Duke this year). Gotta love cowboy boots. No need to dwell on the fact that I am a Texan and don't already own a pair. The shame!!

Modern Home towels from Target. My boyfriend has these towels. He's not sure how he acquired them, but they are fabulous. When I need a set of new towels, I will be hunting these down. Fo sho.

Very Berry coffee cake from Starbucks.

Good news: It's reduced fat.

Bad news: Which means it's probably loaded with sugar and creating new diabetics as we speak.

Oh but it's tasty.

Wedding pictures-

The aftermath of my group's stupidity. The proof of our high-on-life-ness. The blackmailing objects of the future.

Let me explain.

Me, my boyfriend, my sister and her boyfriend have deemed ourselves the "Wedding Crashers." We have been to quite a few weddings together this summer alone, and after a glass of wine (or eight), we run around like mad paparazzi and take idiotic pictures. The best part is happily reliving them the next day. I figure one day when we're all eighty and sitting in rocking chairs (on my beach house balcony in the Hamptons, of course), we'll look back on these pictures and giggle.

Evenings walks are pretty therapeutic, I must admit. For the past few months, I've taken a stroll every evening and I find it to be relaxing and invigoration at the same time. Your blood pumps just a little and yet it's relaxing. Most nights I will go with my mom after dinner. Even if I'm in a not-so-good mood, I generally perk up during and after a walk. And every now and then I get a nice little treat by seeing a bunny bounce by, a hawk soar overhead, or a deer alert to my presence. Kinda cool.

By far the coolest cover for the iPhone. It's called invisibleSHIELD by ZAGG.

Apparently it's so darn sturdy a Boeing 757 could fly into my phone and not even leave a scratch. Of course, I would have more important things to worry about, like "Boeing owes me a new iPhone as mine has just been incinerated."

In all seriousness, I have this cover and it truly is scratch-proof. I also love that it leaves my phone as sleek and slim as it should be. No bulky cover. Hooray!

Ok, that's all I got.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Bragging Rights

2009-09-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

I have to brag just a little on my boyfriend.

My family is celebrating a 65th wedding anniversary party/family reunion in 2 weeks (that I failed to mention to boyfriend because it's so very far in the future). I decided to mention it to him yesterday because it dawned on me that he would be at a University of Texas football game and unable to come. Sigh...

This made me sad.

However, I would never have expected him to attend this party with me because:

a) He had already paid for his very first season tickets, and that would be like wasting money.

b) I knew this particular weekend was already off limits for doing much else. Damn football season..

So I had already written off the idea of him coming with me.

Until later.

He called me and said that if this was important to me, he would gladly give the tickets to someone else. And believe me, there are plenty of takers.

[He also said that had this been the weekend of the UT/Texas Tech game, then we may have an issue. But that's beside the point.]

I decided that this was important enough to me. How often do we get all these folks together? Not often enough. And how much longer will some of them be around? You never know.

I want him to meet the ladies so they can tell me, "He's dahling honey, just daahling!" and ask silly things like, "When's the wedding?" and "It'll be great to have another lawyer in the family." And I want the men to have the opportunity to grill him (in a lighthearted way, of course) and share war stories, and bond over football, discuss power tools, and toast to the beautiful and talented women who make them the men they are today...

Granted, it's only my dad's side of the family. We can work on the yankee half of my family later (when we plan that trip to Chicago that he doesn't know about yet.)

After our conversation about him coming, I had these warm fuzzy feelings running through my body, so I texted him something like, "You're so sweet. Thank you for doing that for me." And he replied with "You deserve it."

I love my man.

And I really do hope I deserve him.

My 'Pseudo Vacation' To-Do List

2009-09-10T11:54:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't already know (that would be 80-87% of you), I am once again "on vacation," as my boss likes to call it. Simply put: I've been layed off again.

That's the beauty of oil and gas; work comes and work goes.

During this time, I have learned this about myself:

Week one is a swell time. I basically treat it like vacation (except I must constantly fight the urge to spend money). I scream "woo hoo!" and run to my car and make the 3.5 hour trip to see my boyfriend. Then I stay for a few days, come home, blog, scrapbook, clean stuff, watch TV, play and cuddle with my tiny dog. I stay up late just because I can and I sleep late just because I can. Week one is like my favorite icing on my favorite cupcake. Yummy.

It's week two that freaks me the hell out. Week two makes me lay awake at night and wonder how I'm going to pay for my new car. That's when I spend an hour or more per day on my laptop searching for temporary (usually low paying) jobs. Then after my job hunt, I get slightly depressed because no job ever compares. However, any job will do (for now). Then my staffing lady ignores my emails and I feel like I'm the one doing HER job and I should be making commission off my job finds!

Perhaps they are swarmed in the staffing office due to the economy and sky-high unemployment rates. I should be more understanding, right?

No! She needs to do her job. And now.

Anyhoo, the point of me venting (is that ALL I do lately?) was to make a list of all the things I'd like to get done while "on vacation"because, honestly, I need to just make the best of this time off. (And I WILL continue calling it vacation because it's my fantasy world and I call it what I want.)

Things I want to accomplish while on pseudo-vacation

1) Finish Eclipse (once and for all) and begin Breaking Dawn.

2) Have a movie marathon of some sort, either:

-Disney movie marathon

-Musical movie marathon

-I don't do scary and I don't do westerns, so what else is there? [ideas welcome here]

3) Clean out my medicine cabinet.

Expired medicine + things with no labels = bad news.

4) Run/walk more. Let me rephrase that - run more. I already walk every evening. My rear still jiggles more than I would like, but I've decided I'm not allowed to whine about it if I'm not doing everything I can.

5) Read another book. Which book is yet to be determined. (feel free to chime in with your opinions on the following):

- Time Travelers Wife (synopsis here)

- Homer's Odyssey (here)

- The Host (here)

- The Wolf in the Parlor (here)

- Outliers (here)

- Breaking the Bank (here)

- The Palace of Strange Girls (here)

- The Weight of Silence (here)

- Modoc (here)

- The Hunger Games (here)

6) Try to force myself to love yoga. Or more realistically, give yoga another shot.

7) Quickly earn $20,000 to start my own business. Oh wait...

8) Clean off my desk. I HAVE A DESK!? I thought that was just a mountain of papers, dog treats, and receipts with a computer monitor peeking out from the top. Hmph..

9) Become a Big Sister (with Big Brothers Big Sisters). I'm pretty cool, not even gonna lie about it. I'd be a good role model for a young girl. I love doing kiddy stuff. Plus, I never had a little sister to pick on. What more can you ask for?

10) Finish my scrapbook. I spent a zillion trillion dollars buying supplies for this and only have 8 pages done. Come on, woman! Find your inner Martha Stewart already!

11) I'm seriously contemplating getting my real estate license. Here's the catch: I have boatloads of time to take the courses, yet I can't spend that kind of money right now. Blah! Still, it's something I'd like to do.

Ok, that's all for now. Stay tuned for my September 'Faves and Craves' in the next few days.

Cheers!

A Rant (or twelve)

2009-09-02T11:42:00.000-05:00

I try to stay positive for the most part, but sometimes you just have to gripe about stuff. Let's just call it venting. Positive thinking is healthy, but isn't venting healthy too?

Today (and every day for the past few months) I have been extremely irritated about where I live. One might call this the boonies/sticks/podunkville/BFE. Whatever you want to call it, I do not live where anything is convenient.

This wears on me (and that is an understatement).

For instance, everything you do is an EVENT. Today I have a Dr. appointment (for another injection for my super cool Ernest Syndrome). It will take me an hour and a half to get there and probably half a tank of (not cheap) gas round-trip. This is what started my whole rant today. Here are a few more examples of such EVENTs:

- Let's run up to the mall!

Reality check: Oh wait, that's at least an hour drive for the closest mall. Any other mall is right around 2 hours.

- Maybe I'll just get gas on my way to work.

Reality check: Nope, you have to drive 25 miles before reaching the ONLY station on your way to work. Good luck with that.

- Let's meet for lunch!

Realilty check: I'll leave at 10:30 (technically still breakfast time) to get there by noon.

- I need a few things from Target.

Reality check: That'll be 40 miles due north. Oh you want a Super Target? That'll be 60 miles.

- Hey Cupcake, we're all going to a movie tonight after work. Wanna come?

Reality check: Sure, I'll leave at 5 and get home at midnight (for a 2 hour movie).

Hopefully you see my point now. If you know me at all, you would know that I would never choose to live this far away from civilization. Not at age 26. Perhaps at age 60 when I'm over the whole city thing. But I'm still not convinced of that either.

Granted, there are many good things about where I live. (Always trying to see the silver lining!) You get to see wildlife that you wouldn't see otherwise. I do love that. And you really don't have any neighbors, so there is a sense of privacy. You also have scenery (rolling hills, river valleys, wild flowers). You also get to see amazing storms blow in like no other. For a photographer, this place is a dream! And it really is dreamy.

On the flip side, because of the country-ness, I have a few more worries. I have a dog that weighs less than most bunnies, therefore he is prey for large birds, coyotes, bobcats, and (gasp!) mountain lions. Also, more open land equals more snakes and spiders most city-folk have never seen. I'm not a fan of spiders and snakes are really not the most pleasant thing to come across. There have been a few scorpions too, and to me, those are just as creepy if not more creepy than spiders. ...Arachnids... [shudder]

What do I want, you ask? I'd like an apartment again. In the suburbs. NEAR a city. I'd like a gas station less than 10 miles away, a decent grocery store within 15 miles, some sort of shopping within 20 miles, and a few more than 2 restaurant choices. I'd also like a Freebirds and a liquor store, but let's not get carried away.

I know exactly where I want to be. In fact, I have the apartments picked out. The question is when can I get there?

The Trouble With Stubble

2009-08-30T17:42:00.000-05:00

I should have posted this blog story a week ago, but since I am a bad blogger, I am just now getting around to it. Been trying to reach my inner blogginess. Yup, attempting to harness my "blog chi." You catch my drift.

Anyhoo, I wanted to explain a completely normal (for me) Friday at work. It involves a hint of stupidness, a dash of annoying, a pinch of spontaneity, and a dollop of touchy feeliness.

I started with my usual driving around and getting permits signed. I had an appointment first thing in the morning at a very lovely retirement home. I couldn't help but notice what a nice place this was. Heck, maybe when I'm 80, I'll move in too! After ten minutes (of speaking verrry loudly to a nice old man who could hardly hear me), I got my signed permit and I was off to go take on the rest of the world with a new spring in my step. I'm thinking "Alright, it's Friday, I got a permit, it's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, I love my new car...blah blah blah.."

Then I drive around and have zero luck at any other place until I get a phone call from someone I had been "stalking" for a permit. Hooray! I love when people return my calls.

"How funny, I'm in your area right now, may I swing by?"

"Well I'm leaving the house now, but will be back later this afternoon." [I hate hearing this]

"Oh, okay. What time should I come by then?"

"Oooohhh I guess I'll be back at 4:00"

Crap!! This is what goes through my head when this kind of thing happens:

a) I'm an hour and a half away from the mother ship (my office).

b) I'm ALSO an hour and a half away from home.

c) It is now 11:00 a.m.

d) I could just swing by anyway and have him sign it, but that would be rude because we just made an appointment for 4 and I risk him not being there anyway.

e) I could give up for today, but I need this one for tomorrow morning. There's no way around this....I must wait. Criminy!

Given that I now have 5 hours to blow (sigh!), I weigh my options:

a) Go home, hang out for 1 hour, and drive alllllll the way back?

b) Go shopping? (my inner voice, and financial guru Dave Ramsey's screams "No!")

c) Drive around and find things to do (total waste of gas!)

So I drive across town to the local teen and 20-something resale store (where they'll buy your old designer clothing from you) and sell a pair of my Joe's jeans. (my inner voice says, "Cool! I'll make a little money while I kill time. Then maybe I'll spend a little and not feel so bad. How resourceful am I!!")

They end up giving me a whopping $22 for my $170 jeans. Total gyp.

I get back in my car contemplating my next step. It's 12:00 now. Great. Four hours to go. And I'm $22 richer. Neato.

So I back out of the parking lot to get some lunch and nearly run over a couple of teenagers. Sheesh! What is my problem? I like to think of myself as a good driver. Thank God they were around 15 and had enough (not too much, but enough) common sense to dodge me. A few minutes in a retirement home today and I'm driving like a 90 year old!

After lunch I had a BRILLIANT idea. I will get a massage. There is this local chain of massage places and if you're a first time customer, you get a sweet deal. A full body massage for only $39! Ok, so that will blow one more hour! I mean, the jeans really paid for most of it, right? So I schedule my appointment. I'm excited now. This massage is much needed.

About 15 minutes later as I'm getting gas, a thought crossed my mind. "CRAP!" I suddenly realized how I ran around that morning like a bat out of hell and hardly did my hair let alone anything else. So obviously I didn't shave my legs. If I'm wearing jeans and running late, I don't necessarily consider shaving a priority (yeah yeah, judge away!). So I hike up my jeans and do the feel test. I can definitely tell that I need to shave. Dammit. Now this poor lady who has to massage me will also feel it. She is going to think I'm some kind of amazon woman who doesn't shave. Or a hippie. Or that I'm just gross and she'll probably think I don't shower either. Ew.

What am I supposed to do now? I can't cancel the appointment because she specifically stated over the phone that if I don't show, I still pay the fee.

So I sit in my car and contemplate my options at this point. I could:

a) Get a hotel room and shower and shave? (way too expensive and not worth it)

b) Just be hairy? Eeew.

c) Go buy a razor and find a place to shave? But where? And how?

I'm seriously annoyed by now. As if I didn't already get screwed out of the true value of my awesome jeans and nearly steamroll two teenagers. Ugh.

So I get to Chevron and attempt to purchase a razor blade without looking creepy. You know, just in case I choose option C above.

Of course, being inconspicuous is impossible! The cashier had to scream at me upon my arrival, "Can I help ya find somethin' hun?" Me, being the honest person I am tell her yes, a razor blade. She doesn't need to know why. After I purchase my only option, a three-pack of cheap blue men's razor blades, I ask where her restroom is. She proceeds to scream, "You aren't gonna shave are you?"

Nope. Not anymore. Thanks.

So I leave.

I have now decided I need my toes painted for an upcoming wedding that weekend. So I make my way across town to a nail salon. My master plan was to figure something out in their restroom. After my toes dry, I make my way to the restroom. I decide not to use water, but to just hike up my jeans and dry shave as quickly as possible (a trick I learned 10 years ago in Mexico on a church mission trip. Don't ask). I hurry because I don't want them to think I'm doing anything weird in there. Haha. Right.

So I make it to my massage appointment, and my legs feel semi smooth. Don't think she'll notice. I think I've done all I can do. My massage felt great. And I didn't even think about my burning dry shaven legs. Nope, I got into a zen place and had a very relaxing and wonderful hour-long massage. Plus, I never have to see this girl again, so who cares what she thinks of me?

Finally, 4:00 rolled around and I had my long awaited appointment with a nice man who signed my permit. By that time I was so relaxed that I couldn't hold it against him that I had a long, interesting, somewhat frustrating 5 hours spent solely for his convenience.

As he greeted me, he cheerfully asked, "How has your day been?"

And I simply replied with "Great!"

Enough said.

All you can do on days like this is just keep a sense of humor. I was pretty annoyed, but once I realized how humorous my day kept getting, I just had to laugh. (I was by myself, so I probably looked like a complete fool, but I laughed anyhow).

I haven't cleaned out my purse since that day, so every time I go digging around, I come across a cheap blue gas station razor blade and just giggle.

Who does that? Who carries a razor blade in their purse? I better remove that before I have to go to an airport or something.

Uber Freak

2009-08-19T18:30:00.001-05:00

Hello Bloggy Bloggers!

I wanted to write about my freakness (and a few other things).

Let's start with summing up the last week: P-A-I-N.

Let me explain. I have what's called Ernest Syndrome. Yeah...I know. Who's heard of that? Even me, the extreme Googler on all symptoms/conditions/medical anomalies.

In a nutshell:

I had pretty severe jaw/ear/temple/face pain on my right side. It got so bad at times, that I started to lose sleep at night and was a walking zombie the next day. I went to doctor #1. We'll call him Doc Doc. Doc Doc was fairly young (30-something) and after a couple hundred (un-related) questions about my life and health, couldn't find anything wrong with me. Said I probably had TMJ and then prescribed me some Naproxin and Darvocet. Cool.

A few days later I go to doctor #2. My dentist. We'll call her Tooth Fairy. She proceeded to take x-rays and examine my mouth. She agrees that it's probably just TMJ and suggests I get fitted for a mouthguard. I was just relieved it wasn't a tumor in my jaw or something. So I leave that office with, again, no real diagnosis. Sigh...

The pain comes back a few weeks later in full force (crap!) and once I get desperate enough (I'm a tad stubborn when it comes to going to doctors) I go to doctor # 3. An Orthodontist. We'll call him Ortho Man. Ortho Man was kind enough to sit down with me and tell me everything he knows. I love this kind of doctor. He suggests TMJ as well but says that I'd be much better off going to doctor #4, who happens to specialize in TMJ disorders and such. We'll call him TMJ Dude.

TMJ Dude got me in THAT WEEK (thank God, because the pain was soooo bad) and I had a 3.5 hour appointment. Pretty in-depth stuff! And I just realized I'm not giving you the nutshell version AT ALL so let's get to the point. He said I don't have TMJ (thanks Doc Doc, Tooth Fairy and Ortho Man) but I have Ernest Syndrome and therefore, need to get multiple injections in my face. Thank God for people who specialize in craniofacial things. We love you. Problem solved. The end.

On top of all this mess, I started having heartburn. Sheesh. Talk about kickin' me while I'm down!

In other (more interesting, I'm sure) news:

My sister (http://girlvtheworld.blogspot.com/) wrote a blog about how my boyfriend and I met. It was so cute and entertaining. I loved it!!! You should all read it because I'm wayyy too lazy to recreate it in my blog.

And in OTHER news:

I'm going to yet another wedding this weekend (with aforementioned boyfriend).

I told myself I wouldn't buy another dress for this wedding.

It is apparent that I do not listen (just ask boyfriend, he's convinced I ignore everything he says. But I don't meeeeaan to).

So I had some free time in my busy, busy schedule and walked around the mall just to see if a dress or some shoes jumped out at me. Of course, nothing did because inanimate objects don't move (or jump), so I proceeded to try on 4,287 dresses. I bought one. It's interesting. I have no shoes to match it. So what do you think I did next, bloggy friends? I had to buy shoes I won't wear ever again. Ugh.

Ok, I have to stop ignoring my dog now. He needs me. His little eyes are saying "feed me, woman." Or perhaps they're saying "what could you possibly be typing about for this long? Who really cares about your so-called Ernest Syndrome? Not me. I just want you to feed me. And then I want you to give me a dingo. Then I'd like to go to bed because that's the only time you sit still."

August Faves and Craves

2009-08-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've recently decided to post a list of my current favorite things each month! Now, don't expect a favorites things post on the 1st of every month, I'm not that organized , but I'd say every few weeks, I will try to post a list of my faves. It's really just for my own fun and amusement and hopefully for someone else who is bored and needs something to read. :)

Here goes....

I will call them "Faves and Craves!" Here's my August list:

Ed Hardy Love & Luck perfume - I'm in L-O-V-E with this perfume right now. When you catch yourself smelling your own arm all day, you know you have found love. (and have issues).

Monogrammed koozies - You can find cute ones like these at Hallmark stores. They're kinda pricey for a koozie, not gonna lie about it.

Hudson Jeans - Not usually a fan of the pocket flaps, but these jeans make your butt look great (my boyfriend can attest to that), and who doesn't love a good butt jean?

EAS Active for Wii - I'm still working on the 30-day challenge and I like it. Not sure that you can lose weight off of this thing, but I do feel that it strengthens and could be a good addition to your existing work out regimen.

Dunkin Donuts iced blueberry latte - Delicious (if you're fond of blueberry flavoring) and sugar-free, just like the rest of their flavored lattes.

Shark Week - This week marks Discovery Channel's (annual?) Shark Week. The biology-loving girl in me is a huge fan. Tune in!

Ooooohh...toothy!

Turkey Tacos - This is a new weekly tradition in my family. It's really good. I prefer it much more than regular ground beef tacos. If you are a skeptic, I promise, you'll change your mind after you try them. Just brown some ground turkey and season it just like you would beef. Delish! (try turkey spaghetti too!!)

Cafe Press - http://www.cafepress.com/. Adorable, clever, and funny custom gifts, t-shirts, mugs, buttons. You name it. They've probably got it. You can also create your own stuff.

Ok, that's it for this month, folks! Hope you enjoyed it. Tune in next month for a new list.

Welcome Home Squishy the Polar Pearl!

2009-08-04T16:06:00.000-05:00

I've decided that since it's Tuesday at 4pm, what better way to spend it than drink a cup of coffee and blog? Well, there is Oprah, but I've seen this one. So blogging it is!

Let me explain my ultra weird blog title. In less than 24 hours, I will be the proud new mommy of a brand new Toyota Highlander, who shall remain nameless (for now). Read on Bloggy McBloggersons...

You see, my sister and I are a strange pair. She recently became the proud owner of a brand new Honda CRV, which she appropriately named Baby Beluga, as it is light blue and happens to resemble a baby whale quite well. She's a pretty one. So she and I got together and brainstormed a name for my new baby. She's a beautiful pearly white. Here are a few of the front runners in no particular order:

1) Polly the polar bear

2) Stella

3) Snow White

4) Daisy (as in driving Miss Daisy)

5) Pearl

6) Squishy (e.g., Finding Nemo, "I shall call you squishy and you shall be my squishy...")

Yes, we have issues. And no, we don't care.

Feel free to throw name ideas out there. I will carefully consider them all. :)

And on a side note, I'm pretty mentally exhausted from learning everything there is to know about making a car purchase by myself for the first time. I think I've learned a lot, and I think I surprised myself in how much negotiating I was actually capable of. (I even had two car dealers playing tug-of-war with me and my car this morning competing to finalize the sale. Score!)

Here's to a big (scary/exciting) purchase and many years of good driving in my new SUV.

Cheers.

iLove

2009-07-19T15:23:00.000-05:00

Soooo....I recently decided to say farewell to a miserable cell phone service that has caused me to pull out my hair on multiple occasions, and switch to a provider who I believe is better (and sells the iphone). So long Blackberry. Helloooo iphone!

I must say - I'm completely loving it. My boyfriend and I planned it just right. We switched services together. This is important, you see, because he lives about 230 miles away and we depend on our phones as our main source of communication. And since we talk about 1600 minutes a month to each other alone, free mobile-to-mobile minutes is the ONLY way to go. So for the past week, because we decided to both get the iphone, our conversations have been going more like this:

"So what apps have you dowloaded?"

"Tap Tap revenge 2 is fun!!"

"Oooooh did you see how you can turn it sideways and get a wider screen?"

"Wow!! I'm actually getting service at my kitchen table/in bed/in the bathroom/on my back porch!"

"Wait - what will we do without blackberry messenger?" (<--still having withdrawals from this one. But still couldn't pay me to go back.)

Ok, that's enough iphone talk. For now.

My man and I had a good weekend together. He came up for a visit, and Friday night I decided to.........wait for it......cook him dinner. [insert dramatic music here].

So my day Friday went like this:

1) Wake up early (yawn) and go to my meeting. Nod, smile, politely chit chat, and haul ass out of there. Time is of the essence!

2) Go to the grocery store for 1 thing: chicken.

3) Proceed to spend $107 on groceries. (What???)

4) Get home, unpack, make coffee, clean everything on the planet.

5) May have downloaded an iphone app or two while cleaning.

6) Start cooking dinner, had to get on facebook and ask for help on how to cook my chicken.

7) Chicken boils over and makes scary burning noises.

8) Save chicken and cook the rest of the dinner.

9) Boyfriend pulls in at EXACTLY the moment the oven beeps (go me!!!)

10) Pour glass of favorite red wine and play some nice music.

11) Dinner turns out well (yay!) and he loved it.

In conclusion, I successfully made a dinner that didn't suck. I also did not start any small fires or melt any kitchen utensils. I consider that a success as well.

The rest of our weekend was fun too. We went out with some of my friends on Saturday night, had some dinner and went to a new bar that just opened. It was rather nice. Then we spent Sunday (today) being complete and total BLOBS on the couch, which we don't get to do nearly enough together. So we made it a point to be lazy today, but that wasn't until after we cooked a big and yummy breakfast. Then we sat and watched Travel channel and cuddled up with my dog (who always has to be right in the middle of us. The warmest and smallest space he can find).

He left today around 1:30 and it's always hard to say goodbye. But it's ok because I know that eventually we'll live in the same town. I don't know when and I don't know where, but it will all fall into place when it's supposed to. (Look at me and my positive thinking today! haha)

A Shiny!

2009-07-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yup, I got my first "shiny."

For those of you who don't know what a "shiny" is, it's something pretty or distracting. For instance, my shiny would be Starbucks, or a puppy, or a baby, or a pretty shell at the beach. You get the drift.

Here is my first shiny - aka blogger award.

It's called the Charming & Honest Award. Here's a description:

This award is bestowed to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kinds of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must then choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award (and link back to me http://girltakesthecupcake.blogspot.com/).

Thanks Girl V. The World (http://girlvtheworld.blogspot.com) for my very first shiny!!!!

Drivin' Me Daisy!!!

2009-06-18T14:53:00.000-05:00

I was just looking around the backyard and spotted a handful of cute, very happy-looking white daisies which reminded me of a story (story time?! Yay!!!!)

Many many moons ago, when my boyfriend and I first started dating (ok, so several months ago),when things were newly romantic and extra sweet. The days when goodnight phone calls averaged 3 hours (versus 30 minutes now). Anyhoo, at that point in time during one of our marathon conversations, he said that if he had to pick a flower that reminded him of me, it would be the daisy.

I gotta admit, I was a little offended: So.....I'm like a weed. How common and boring.

He, being a fresh law school graduate, argued his reasoning: "No, I think daisies are one of the most beautiful flowers..." he went on to explain how they were beautiful in an understated way. A flower that was not nearly as high maintenance as an over-rated exotic flower, and can fit in any garden (i.e., situation) perfectly. A flower that looks happy and, in turn, makes people happy by looking at it.

Hmm... I like it. Although, I guess I would have liked to call myself a bright and cheerful tulip or an elegant calla lily (ha!) , but I'll go with it.

So after a while of playful arguing about why I couldn't possibly be a daisy, I realized that we had distinctly different visions of what a daisy looked like. While I saw this....

He saw this...

It was then that I decided I loved his analogy and I was most definitely honored to be a daisy. His daisy.

Unfortunately, by that time I had already kicked his compliment in the shins. I guess I have a way to doing that. It's a wonder he puts up with me.

Now that I think about it, it could have gone much, much worse. At least he didn't liken me to a cactus. Dry and prickly.

(disclaimer: I love even the so-called "boring" white daisies. Perhaps I was PMSing when this conversation happened. Please refrain from judging me on the high-maintenance-exotic-flower day I was having.)

My Favorite Things

2009-06-13T19:19:00.000-05:00

One of my fave bloggers (girl v. the world) posted a "favorite things" blog, and I thought it was a cute idea. Here are some (but not nearly all) of the things that make me smile.

1) The perfect old worn-in t-shirt.

2) The smell of clean laundry. (especially clean sheets and a bed that's made. Feels like a hotel, only wayyy better because it's yours!)

3) Getting a sneak-peek at wildlife. I was lucky enough to see a hawk near its nest, a deer, a jackrabbit, and 2 skunks on a walk a few days ago.

4) I love a romantic comedy any day. One of my favorites - 27 Dresses.

5) Houses. Everything about houses. The architecture. The smell of new construction. The interior design. I heart houses. Nuff said.

6) The one day of the week that I don't have to work - Sunday. I can sleep late(r), sip on coffee, take a long shower, and I don't even have to blow dry my hair if I don't wanna.

7) Fossils. I don't know. Something about them fascinates me. I desperately want to find an arrowhead too, but that hasn't happened yet.

8) Water - Beach. Lake. River. Koi pond. I don't care. I don't even need to be IN the water. I just want it near me. I like the sound and serenity of it.

9) Learning. I will never grow tired of learning.

10) How the day after a storm is perfect, with perfect white puffy clouds. As if nothing had happened the day before.

My "Boo...Hooray" For The Day

2009-06-09T16:35:00.001-05:00

Boo... my tummy has been upset for the past 2 nights at 9:30 sharp and lasts til about 11:00 when I fall asleep (very uncomfortably).

Hooray! - when I wake up in the morning, it's as if nothing was wrong. What's up with that?

Boo... my check engine light came on today :( Must get that checked out tomorrow.

Hooray! - I traded in 6 of my old DVDs and bought a new movie (ok, ok, I bought Twilight) for only six bucks! Also, I finished reading New Moon last night. I will have to eventually start Eclipse.

Boo... for not having any money in my bank account. Seriously...I texted my bank today (yeah, we're tight like that) and it said I had "$0.00" available. How sad... But seriously, I think it's wrong. There must be $5 or something in my account.

Hooray! - I get paid in 5 (count them. Five) days. I will pay back my credit card at that time. Ugh...it's depressing having to use a credit card you very proudly haven't touched in months!

Boo...to this killer headache I got randomly at 2:30 (I blame Verizon).

Hooray! - Excedrin extra strength is my new BFF.

A Few Thoughts For A Thursday

2009-06-04T19:21:00.001-05:00

Well, technically, I had thoughts to write this blog on Monday, but it would be ludicrous to call this Thursday blog "A Few Thoughts For A Monday." Ya follow? No? Me either.

Let me apologize in advance for the inner workings of my brain.

A few things I'm lovin' right about now:

1) So You Think You Can Dance (i.e., SYTYCD). Who doesn't love this show? It's the dance version of American Idol. And who doesn't love that show? Oh but don't get me started on AI. I loved Kris, but puh-leeze! Adam should have won! I have lost faith in my fellow AI voters. Never mind the fact that I never pick up the phone to vote. I just like to sit back and complain during the results shows, but that's completely beside the point. Back to SYTYCD - if you have never watched it, tune in next time and soak in all the dance-y goodness!

2) New Moon (i.e., Book #2 of the Twilight series). Soo good. I'm gonna start a countdown for the movie. It comes out Nov. 20. Ladies and gentleman, start your (old fixer-upper wobbly motorcycle) engines. Hehe.

3) Wine. Yum. Went to a wine tasting last night with some co-workers. Good company + good wine + beautiful rolling hills + slight buzz = great time. We couldn't help but talk over the poor woman who was enthusiastically giving us (an unappreciated) history lesson in wine. We tend to talk over everyone, really. We're a loud bunch. Anyhoo, one of the white wines was described as white flower and nectarine tasting. What exactly does a white flower taste like? I wonder how you get THAT job. I wanna be a wine-maker-upper-of- flavors-and-aromas person. My first wine will be likened to.......hamster and elderberry! (note: if you are not a Monty Python fan, you will not get that joke. You should be ashamed of yourself.)

4) My boyfriend. We crack me up. For instance...

Him: You see that lawn chair over there? The red one?

Me: There is nothing red within ten miles of us right now.

Him: Not the white one laying down in the yard, but past that one. The red one standing upright.

Me: (long pause) Red???

Him: (getting obviously more irritated with me) Yes, the red one!!!

Me: It's not red!

Him: Ugghhhh!!

Me: (speaking softly now) It's more of a...terra cotta...

Him: Oh my gosh..

Me: So what about this so-called "red" chair?

Him: Nevermind.

And then today...

Me: I layed out by the pool today!

Him: Oh yeah? Which bathing suit did you decide to wear?

Me: The coral one. [I should have known better]

Him: The strapless one?

Me: No, that strapless one is BROWN!

Him: I don't know what coral is!! The pink one??!!

Me: (Sigh!) No, the coral one!

Aren't we just a bucket of fun? :)

I will have to sit him down one day with some paint swatches -- oh goodness -- how will things be when we paint our future house one day??!!!! I can just see it now...

Me: Hey babe, I'm thinking we should do our master bath a pale canary.

Him: Hmm...I don't like purple.

Me: Lord help us.

5) Facebook flair application. How sweet is it to show off your "flair" in the form of super cute buttons? Love wiener dogs? There's a button for that. Have a thing for Chuck Norris? (weirdo). There's a button for that. Love all things Edward, Jacob, and Forks? There's flair for that too! It's so fun! What more can you ask from Facebook?

6) Conan O'Brien. L.O.V.E. him. Sooooo glad he got an earlier time slot. Number five (above) reminded me of why I love Conan so much (besides the fact that he's a crazy, hilarious, freakishly tall redhead). Last night he said that in the year 3,000 the ever popular websites Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook would be joined to create one website called, YouTwitFace.

HAHAHAHA!

Man, that guy is hilarious. I laughed all by myself for like 30 minutes. And then again today for about 15.

That's all I can muster up for now. But stay tuned sweet bloggers.

Ciao!!

Bienvenidos a Miami!

2009-05-25T14:56:00.000-05:00

Well hello everyone. I had a fabulous trip to Miami last week. It all began with little sleep the week before, very little sleep the night before, and then waking up at 5 a.m. to catch an early morning flight. But it was exciting! Boyfriend drove up here to fly with me, then we flew to Florida, went through the grueling process of renting a car and maneuvering around an airport (blah), but at least we were finally there. Together. Yay!

And you know what's even better? My boy told me that he had a surprise for me on the first night

there. He wasn't going to tell me until we got on the plane. So on the plane I asked him. He told me that we were going on "a nice little drive." From previous conversations, I then realized that meant we were going to Key West!! I was sooooo excited! And he totally pulled of surprising me with this part! I didn't have a clue. I might have guessed Disney World, but not Key West. The Keys win any day over Disney World. Palm trees and amazing clear-blue water, or long lines and crowded, germ-filled rides? Hmmmm...

So we drove 3 hours in our little rented Hyundai Sonata (that I sprayed down with my Coconut Lime Verbena body splash to mask the stinky feet smell from the lovely previous renter). Then we were off! Part of the drive was normal highway stuff (except for the TALL palm trees lining every street. Love it!) Then as we got into the Keys, the water became more clear blue and more amazing. All I could say for a full hour was "Wow." I'm sure my boyfriend was amused by my amused-ness. I have never seen water look like that. Even in Hawaii. It's so many different depths - deep blue, then clear aqua blue, then a light clear blue in the shallow sandy parts. Simply magnificent!

Three "wow"-filled hours later we arrived at our hotel. The Sheraton. It couldn't be a cuter more beachy hotel. Then the nice guy behind the desk upgraded our room so that we had a balcony view of our pool, which was really nice. And the shower in this room was so great. It was huge, all marble, gorgeous, and would fit 4 people (not that I would want to shower with 4 people, but you see my point).

Our 1 day and 1 night trip to the Keys was great! We went out on Duval street that night. That's where all the famous little place are, like Margaritaville. Good times!!

And you know what's great about getting lost in "downtown" Key West at 1 a.m.? Everything!!! We accidentally found mile marker zero and the big marker for the southernmost point of the continental U.S. You could be no further south than we were at that moment. Those pictures are some of my fave from this trip. Plus, I had a few drinks, which made running amok in a foreign island town super fun. A few other highlights from Key West included Margaritaville (yum), eating famous Key Lime Pie from the Blond Giraffe (yum again), and the friendly pooch we met who lived on the beach with his bum owner (who I decided would now be known as "Island Puppy"), and an incredible Banyan tree that I happened to get a great picture of.

Key West is fantastic. I highly recommend it.

Then we were off to our main destination for this trip: South Beach. We drove right through Miami to get to our hotel. The good news was that I got to see beautiful downtown Miami and the water, cruise ships, celebrity mansions and yachts. The bad news is that it was basically rush hour and Miami traffic sucks!!!! But we finally arrived! Even though this was a very nice hotel and right in the middle of all the action, we realized how very spoiled we were from our hotel in the Keys. Oh well. We settled in and rested from our long drive and finally took a walk around the place. We had dinner at our poolside bar where we met our bartender, Jean. Then we met the hotel Manager, who knew my boyfriend's friend who ended up getting us a good deal at this hotel. So then we all had this common friend and from this point on, we got a 50% discount at this bar/restaurant. Sweet!!! Then, my man and I proceeded to run around the moonlit beach and snap pictures in the dark (hey, I was determined to get pictures!). I decided it would be a brilliant idea to make sand angels, although I'm not sure you could see the angel and I'm fairly certain that to any bystander, he and I just looked like drunken idiots flailing about on the sand. Ha.

Here's my take on South beach and Miami as a whole - it's a lot of fun and there's plenty to do. However, if you aren't filthy rich, have a perfect body, or drive a $100,000 car, then you don't really stand out down there. Don't get me wrong, it was definitely a worth-while trip, but after visiting Key West, he and I decided that we would have preferred 4 nights in KW and 1 night in SoBe. Guess it all depends on your current mood: tropical getaway, or party on the beach.

A few highlights from my SoBe experience: Again, the palm trees (I have a thing with trees), gorgeous blue water and light sand, good food and great poolside bar, Lincoln Road (great shopping, restaurants and people watching), very multi-cultural (lots of Europeans and Cubans), dining at Barton G. (minus the martini going down my dress, but that's a whole other blog), and my sweet boyfriend being a total lobster after not using my readily available sunscreen, and me being able to say "I told you so!!!"

My boy and I did learn a few things about each other too. We learned that this was our first "grown-up" trip together. Meaning we had been on trips before, but usually with family of some sort. This was our first trip where we were 100% in control of our own schedule, which makes a world of difference. We also learned that we spent 5 full days/nights together and were nowhere near tired of one another! Nice, huh?! I think I may even miss his company more after that trip. Interesting.

I managed to leave Florida with a few souvenirs too. I got a tee shirt and shot glass from Margaritaville. Oh, and let's not forget the 150 pictures I took to remember our trip. I warned my boyfriend I would be a camera freak and I definitely kept my word on that.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Work I . . . Go?

2009-05-07T14:17:00.000-05:00

I realized the other day that I haven't posted a new blog in close to 2 months. What kind of blogger am I? Not a good one, that's for sure. Certainly you all forgive me. Right?

Here I sit on my couch, on my comfiest soft chocolate-y brown blankie, chihuahua curled up next to me (of course!), with Beauty and the Beast on in the background. Oh yes, and I'm sipping on hazelnut coffee while my laundry finishes. And yesterday I went for a nice run, flipped through my People magazine while I layed out (must. get. tan.), showered, made quesadillas, wrapped a birthday gift for my sister, and went to a clogging class (I will explain this later). I know the excitement must be overwhelming. ;)

Well, here's the deal. I have been out of work (I guess you could say that) for a few weeks now. Since I'm in the oil & gas industry, things go up and down. Needless to say, this has been a "down" time. I wasn't worried until about a week ago. Not only was I worried about survival on beans and rice, but about my sanity as well. I'm one of those people that doesn't like to sit still for too long. I get serious cabin fever. And it's hard not to feel worthless when you aren't working. AND on top of that, when you have all this (gotta love it) free time, how do you NOT spend money??!!!! What a predicament!

So this is why I'm a bum, sitting around in my comfy clothes, doing laundry and watching Disney movies. Whatareyagonnado? (Not to worry, folks. I start back up at work on the 19th. Thank God.)

Now let's talk about this clogging thing. I desperately want to tap or clog or step or SOMETHING! I love rhythm stuff - stepping, stomping, whatever. I just think it's fantastic! Ballet isn't really my thing; I've been known to trip over my own feet. Swing dancing looks fun, but I'd

need a partner. I can't really see my other half taking dance classes with me (although he IS a good sport...hmmmm). Ballroom dancing in general is too slow for my liking...and what's with the weird head turning thing? I love dance as a whole, but I don't love ME doing most dances.

So anyway, I heard of a friend of a friend who takes clogging nearby, so I decided to check it out. Turns out, I think I would really love it. Still don't have a clue how it's different from tap, but who cares? And what a fun way to workout?

In other more exciting news (what!? clogging wasn't exciting enough for you?)...

I'M GOING TO MIAMI IN JUST A FEW DAYS!!!!! The boyfriend and I have made all the arrangements and we're so very ready to go! This is why I have been diligent about working out. I must be in decent bikini shape while I'm there, especially because we're staying in South Beach, and that place is notorious for famous and/or beautiful people. I wouldn't want to offend them with my white-ness or out-of-shape-ness. Haha!

Ummmkay, don't I have something better to do? Oh yeah, that's right...

Thoughts About March

2009-03-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

Good morning fellow bloggers! I have nothing profound to say today, but actually have a semi working laptop and a decent wireless connection, so figured I should entertain myself.

I have decided to write on the pros and cons about March.

Pros:

1) It's FINALLY spring! (Isn't it? I'm not sure what the groundhog decided, but I have decided it is spring). Spring is my faaavorite season. Not too cold, not too hot. The fantastic spring clothing starts coming out, such as tank tops, flip flops, and bathing suits. I love that stuff. And the colors and patterns are so cute too! I love spring...

2) Back in the good ole days, March meant Spring Break. But now that I'm old and boring and responsible, I guess I don't get a spring break. Wait...this should have gone in the cons section.

3) March also means St. Patty's Day. St. Patty's Day means green beer. Need I say more?

4) Boyfriend's birthday is in March. If he would give me the slightest clue as to what he wants for his birthday, I would be a happy camper. :)

5) After a long wait, I finally get my first paycheck from my new job this month. Heck yeah! And can you guess what I could buy with this money? A cute bathing suit, green beer, and boyfriend's bday gift! Works out well doesn't it?

Cons:

1) I guess I should mention not getting Spring Break anymore. (Wahh!)

2) I was told today that March was said to be the most windy of all months. As if the daily hurricane force winds where I live isn't enough? This bugs me. It is already inevitable that when I open my car door, important paperwork gets sucked out by the vacuum suction I have unintentionally created by opening my door, then my hair gets blown into my face, blocking my vision and eliminating any chance of catching the important paperwork, now traveling away from me at 50 miles per hour. Sigh... I guess all you smart readers are going, "Freakin' secure your 'important' paperwork before opening your door in a wind tunnel, idiot!!" And I don't blame you for thinking that. But my days wouldn't be nearly as interesting if I took your advice. ;)

3) March is 9 long months away from my favorite holiday. Christmas! Ok, so that was a stretch. I felt that I needed to have just one more con. ;)

Dear...

2009-02-24T10:18:00.000-06:00

Hello fellow bloggers and/or blog readers! I have not written in some time and decided a new blog was well overdue. I had many thoughts in the car while driving to work this morning. And they went something like this...

Dear coffee,

You complete me. I love you.

Dear Money Stealers (i.e., taxes and insurance companies),

I don't like you. We are not friends. Quit taking all my money.

Dear God,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for my new job. I love it. I'm so blessed to have stumbled upon this opportunity. Please let me keep it.

Dear Boyfriend,

I can't wait to see you this weekend. Also, I neeeed to know what you want for your birthday. I want to buy you a Wii but quite frankly, I don't have the money right now. Crap.
Also, please see below..

Dear brain of mine,

What the heck is wrong with you? You forget EVERYTHING Boyfriend ever tells you. On top of that, you forget EVERYTHING you ever tell Boyfriend and end up repeating yourself 5 or 6 times. Why?!?! And when did this start? Either you have 20-something Alzheimer's or adult onset ADD. Seriously....when did this happen. You used to be so sharp. :(

Dear Taylor Swift,

Shut. Up.

Sorry that was a bit mean. But seriously, shut it.

Dear February,

I love you. I really do. But can you please figure out whether you want it to be winter or spring? When will you make up your mind? One day it's nearly 80 degrees and the next day it's 40! What IS that? People are getting sick left and right and I really don't want to catch their germs right now.

Dear everyone who is older than me,

I am not 19. I am 26. Yes, I understand I might look 19, but again, I am 26. I have not only graduated high school, but college too! Can you believe it? ;) So please, please, please treat me with a little respect. I'm freakin' 4 years away from being thirty.. Oh goodness. I'm a little bothered by that...

Your truly,
~C

Click, click, typey, typey...

2009-02-10T18:16:00.000-06:00

Sooo...yeah. Since I will be out of town for the next 5 days, I decided that I would post one last blog for the week. And here it goes...

I have been on my laptop all day trying to learn a thing or two about life. And my new job, of course! Things like, what is an HSA and do I neeeed one? Shall I move my 401k over to an IRA? If so, which kind? Traditional or Roth? And what is the airspeed velocity of a coconut laden swallow? (Just kidding.) But really, who understands these things? Well, apparently I'm going to have to.

So needless to say, my eyes hurt. I'm now moving on to bigger and better things, such as American Idol, which will be on in T minus 48 minutes! :)

I hope everyone has a great week!

New Job, New Hair!

2009-02-08T17:40:00.000-06:00

Soo...I have always had long hair. Always. However, I decided that being a professional, chic, and fabulous 20-something (just kidding...kinda) meant that I should really cut my hair shorter for a more sophisticated look. Four years later...I decide to finally do it!! Well maybe not four years, but I never had the guts to actually cut my hair. But since I got a new job, what better time to chop it off??!!! Then, as every girl does, I began my quest for the holy hairstyle.

Since I have ADD (I don't really, but one might beg to differ), I got bored looking at serious hairstyles online and decided to look at wacky, freak-of-nature hairstyles instead.

Hence...the rest of my blog...

Really?? This one is sort of a twist on the Princess Leia look. Eh? I wouldn't personally do this to my hair..but perhaps she has good reason. You never know. Don't judge.

What do you think this guy's girlfriend is thinking? Or better yet, do you think this guy has a girlfriend? Perhaps it's the girl below...

Oh, this one makes me laugh. Do you think they have to get a ladder to hairspray the top? What happens in doorways? These are just a few questions I would ask before deciding on this particular hairstyle.

See now this one makes more sense. When you go to a gathering (bar, nightclub, party, etc) with your significant other, you want him to be able to find you. Plus, drunk people loooove flashy lights. It's a fact. It's one of the many things I learned in college. This girl is SMART!

Oh dear Lord, is that a bunny in her hair? Or is her hair......a bunny?

And last (but certainly not least). Seriously.... what? Seriously..
I don't even have anything to say about this one.

Now relax people, I didn't get any of the above hairstyles. But if nothing else (besides a total and complete waste of time), it sure made me appreciate the hair on MY head. Yup, the shorter, cuter, more sophisticated (I hope), perfect-for-a-new-job hairstyle.

On To Greener Pastures

2009-02-07T09:32:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my last day at work. It was a fantastic day. While I have learned a TON over the past few years (at Job A), I am very much ready to move on and start my new job in a completely different industry (Job B). Different is good. I accept change with open arms. Well…sometimes. When they closed down the Starbucks in my favorite mall…didn’t handle that change so well.

Anyway, I am very happy with my decision of sticking it out and going about resigning the right way (versus running away screaming and pulling my hair out) because I was able to tell so many people goodbye. Lots of people had kind words for me, even the CEO of the company. It just made me realize how much I was loved and valued by these people. And that felt good.

Now I will no longer be sitting behind a desk all day, in a “closet” (it really was an office, but it was about the size of a large closet) with no window, with scary grey-ish white walls, and florescent lighting, staring at a computer screen until my eyes explode. No more I say! But this was my first REAL job after college and for that, I am thankful.

I can’t wait to see what’s on the other side!

Oh yeah, and before I start Job B, I am taking a week off. Saweet!!!

On to other things. It’s Saturday morning and I’m officially lazy! I have a hair appointment in about 4 hours and all I want to do is stay in bed. That may have something to do with the fact that in order to celebrate my emancipation from Job A, I had a dirty martini and a ginormous beer. So, I’m a lightweight. Gimmie a break. And due to the dirty (and seriously, it was gross) martini and ginormous beer, my sleep was kind of screwy. I had weird dreams and woke up several times (6:30, 7:00, 7:15) thinking I needed to be somewhere. On top of getting screwy sleep, it’s cloudy outside today. So it makes me feel even MORE lazy. And I’m not usually lazy on Saturdays! I save my extreme laziness for Sunday. Oy.

Ok, I must go get ready for my unlazy day now. Lots to do. And YAYYY, I don’t have to go back to Job A on Monday! Oh, it’s a fantastic feeling!

Boo....Hooray!

2009-01-16T17:29:00.000-06:00

Here's a summary of my day:

BOO annoying doctor's appointment this morning, where I sat there half naked and freezing...

HOORAY for getting free samples from my doc, which saves me like a billion dollars...

BOO for annoying clients, who made my day abso-freakin-lutely rediculous...

HOORAY for the fact that I can have a martini tonight and forget they ever existed!!!

(extra dirty thankyouverymuch!)

Seriously...it's 5:30 on a Friday. Go home!

Superglue Is My Friend (...Or Is It?)

2009-01-14T10:09:00.000-06:00

Super glue has failed me again! Ya see..I wore my black heels to work again and again, until finally they couldn’t take it anymore. So the soles fell off. But alas, I am a working woman, so this will never do, especially in the middle of a work day. So I grab my trusty (or is it?) super glue and attempt to glue the hell out of both soles of my sad and worn out shoes. This holds for about 40 seconds. Now with every step I take, you hear “flap, flap, flap” and my life is now in danger as I make a simple trip to the break room, or the bathroom, or to my car...

Stupid cheap shoes.

So on my way to work this lovely, sunny morning, my brand new (albeit cheap) sunglasses broke. I sigh (and may have said a naughty word) and dig around my center console for an old rejected pair. I find some and they help me make it the rest of the way to work. My master plan is now to superglue my new (and cheap) sunglasses back to their original form. This plan fails miserably. So I threw the damn sunglasses away.

Stupid cheap sunglasses.

Stupid super glue. Not my friend at all.

(note: you should know that I don’t wear “flappy” shoes to work anymore. Not that I didn’t continue to wear them for about 3 weeks, but I was blessed by a great sale at Nine West where I proceeded to buy myself 2 new pairs of fantabulous shoes! Call me flappy no more!)

Pondering...

2009-01-09T17:00:00.000-06:00

I am in the car three hours a day on my long commute to and from work. Yup, you heard me right. Three hours. This means I have way too much time to ponder stupid things. My most recent stupid musing has to do with why I decided going to college was a good idea. Yes, it was the most logical thing to do after high school. But why is it that now that I have been through college and I now have a fancy schmancy diploma with a “grown-up” job, I have never been so financially unstable in my life. Which leads me to believe that maybe college actually set me back instead of helped me get on my feet. I very well may have been better off finishing high school with no debt and getting a job at Starbucks. What’s wrong with that? I LOVE Starbucks! In fact, if I went home smelling like roasted coffee beans every day instead of a mentally and emotionally drained zombie, I might be a happy girl! And if not, at least I’d be highly caffeinated.

On a more positive note, it's now 5:00 on Friday. Woo hoo! See ya!

My first blog

2009-01-09T12:02:00.000-06:00

Ok, ok, you can call me cupcake, but only because they happen to be the cutest dessert in the land. I mean really, it doesn’t get much better. Does cheesecake have sprinkles? Nope! Does crème brulee fit right in the palm your hand? Nope! Can you finish tiramisu in 4 delectable bites? Nope! Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of cupcakes, hence the fantastic blog title.

But in all seriousness, I like more than just cupcakes. I love my family. I love animals (dogs especially). I love the beach. I love science. I love lamp. Just kidding on that last one. :)

Now I have officially wasted enough of your time (and my employer’s money) and must continue this fabulous blog later. Here’s what you have to look forward to: my increasingly random and somewhat entertaining life brought on by my own blonde moments, other people’s stupidity, and simply from the fact that life is unpredictable and continues to keep me on my toes. I love it! It’s good times. Can’t wait to share it with you!