Another Great Day

David and I had a lovely evening last night. He grilled the chicken, made mashed potatoes (light, for me!) and I made a fat free dessert. We snuggled and watched the movie (which was very cute!) and just had a wonderful evening. I'm so sorry if you guys are sick of hearing about David, but it's taken me 33 years to find a wonderful man like this, and quite frankly, I want to shout about it from the rooftop! :)

Tomorrow night we're going to the Stars game with Joseph and Dima. We're both big hockey fans, and what a nice treat to have free tickets fall into our lap like this! So it promises to be a very special New Years for us both.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year! I hope you do something special with your loved one...and when I say loved one, I mean family, friends, pets, or anyone else special in your life!!

Be safe and I'll blog again in 2006!! :)

Dinner and a Movie

Tonight I am going to David's. I'm bringing all the goods to make dinner, and he's going to be very manly and grill the chicken for me. :) My friend Leah lent me the movie "Must Love Dogs" so we can watch that and enjoy the evening together. I don't have to be at work until noon tomorrow, so it's nice to be able to sleep in.

I've gotten several offers from friends for New Years ideas, and most recently got a possible pair of tickets to a Stars game. Joseph may be able to get us a pair for free (and he may not...we'll know tomorrow) and we can enjoy the game together! I hope this works out...that would be a lot of fun!

I think after the holidays I want to get my friends together for a night out...maybe dinner at Monica's and then martinis at the Velvet Hookah. Any takers? I think it would be a blast! We'll have to figure something out.

Have a good rest of the day, everyone!

Wonderful Wednesday

So it's mid-week and I am glad! It's dinner with Grampa tonight, and my uncle and his wife will be joining us since they are in town from Austin. I'm sure dinner will be wonderful! :)

I had dinner at Mom and Dad's last night and just vegged with them for a bit. However, after working out I was very sleepy and had to head home around 9. I talked to David for a bit and then got myself into bed. I was TIRED!

I am gearing myself up to start WW again on January 2nd. I can tell that I am really getting myself into that mindset, so I know that I will be able to get right back into it without any trouble. And Blonde, I'll look forward to hearing how WW is going for you, too!!

I know I don't have a lot of news...things are generally going very well. I hope everyone is having a great day! What are your New Years plans? David and I can't seem to figure out what we want to do!

I'm Not Ready to be Back at Work!

Christmas was so nice that I didn't want to come back to the office. Come to think of it, I rarely want to come back after a long weekend, but here I am. (Mostly because I am out of vacation time for the year) it was a very special Christmas, and I am hoping that all of you had a wonderful one as well. :)

My finger is still healing, and last night my old nail fell off. I freaked out! So now I have a band-aid over it because it is so VERY unattractive now...not that it was pretty before! I'm telling you, people....keep your fingers away from car doors! This has been a big pain!

I took my Christmas tree and other decorations down yesterday. The apartment looks a little empty now. I really liked my tree. It was very colorful and added a little something to the room. Now I really need to get my curtains up!

So that's about it for now. I hope you had a great Christmas/Hannukah!

Let the Holidays Begin!

I'm excited! I only have to work a half day and then I am off until next Tuesday! Mom and I are going to bake cookies this afternoon. Somewhere in there I am going to get a workout in, too. Tomorrow, David and I are having dinner with his sister and brother-in-law. I'm a little nervous, but looking forward to it. (I'll be taking the cookies and a bottle of wine as a hostess gift) I met his sister, LeAnn, breifly when I was moving a couple of weeks ago, and I liked her a lot. She's funny and I think we'll get along very well. Having met her already helps alleviate some of the nervousness.

I had dinner with Grampa last night, and as always, it was great! He took me to the Olive Garden and we had wine and very tasty dinners. (The crab and shrimp ravioli was very tasty!) We're having Christmas at Grampa's house this year since my apartment isn't quite ready for guests just yet. He says he is looking forward to having everyone at the house. :)

So that's about it for me. I don't know if I will have the chance to blog again until after Christmas because I have quite a bit to do before then, so I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Shopping

So last night I worked out and went home, had dinner with the folks and then headed off to start my Christmas shopping. Yes, you read that right. I STARTED my shopping. I have had zero time to do anything, what with the emergency move and all. And with work being stressful? I have been exhausted by the time I got home. So off to Target Mom and I went. It was fairly painless...found good parking and was able to get the couple of things I wanted to pick up. And a couple of bottles of wine as well. (Hey, with the way my holidays have gone, I needed it!)

Today was the big rollout for a major project here at my office. People have been asked to cacel holiday vacations to be in the office to troubleshoot, and wouldn't you know it, we haven't had a single issue/call on this. What a bust!

So anyhow, it's a good day so far. It's bound to keep getting better!

A Lovely Weekend

It was such a nice weekend! Friday night I had drinks with Angela..oh it was SO GOOD to catch up with her! When I got home, my mom came over and we visited for a bit. Saturday, we went to see Grampa. He is doing so well, but I know the holidays are just so hard for him without Gran.

Saturday afternoon David came over and we decorated the tree. (Since i had to redecorate it after the big move last weekend!) We saw King Kong Saturday night, and then went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. By the way, I highly recommend the Godiva Cheesecake! YUM!

Sunday was wonderfully lazy. I had mom and dad over for dinner, and we watched some TV and visited. It was a great weekend and I was so sorry it had to end!

Today is the first day the gym here at the office is open, so I am going to work out for an hour after work. And I am really looking forward to it, as I am determined to get back on track. I have been bad and haven't been to WW in a while. I think it's because I am afraid of getting back on the scale. But I absolutely MUST go back this week to get my weight loss turned around and back the right direction. I'll just have to take a deep breath and do it.

So that's been my weekend. I hope yours was wonderful!

TGIF!

Seriously, thank goodness it's Friday! What a week!

The apartment is slowing coming together. I bought a TV stand yesterday and David and I put it together, so the living room is looking much better. But there's still just so much to do. However, tonight I am picking up Cleo from Mom and Dad's. I miss having my kitty around! I wanted to wait until things were settled down and I wouldn't have so many people coming in and out of the apartment.

I am going to try and do a little Christmas shopping tonight. I just have a few things to pick up. Maybe I'll wait until the apartment isn't such a mess. I have to re-decorate the tree and finish getting everything in it's place. Although David has done a great job of decorating my place...maybe I should wait and let him do that!

So that's about it for now. Work has been stressful, so I am glad the weekend is here. Have a good one!

Unpacking

So after an 8 hour day of feeling exhausted, I went home to spend the evening unpacking. This would suck really badly except David was there to help, and I swear that man has such good taste! He's pretty much doing the decorating and it's looking pretty good. I just have quite a bit of stuff and he's helping me sort through things. The place is looking more inhabitable now, so I feel better about that.

The complex maintenance guys were going to move my washer and dryer for me, and when I got home yesterday, I discovered they delivered a washer and dryer, but just not mine. Scary...I have clothes in my dryer, wherever it is! They are going to get it fixed today, so I'll have my stuff and can do laundry. Yay!

I did get to meet David's sister yesterday. She and her husband lent me a dolly to help me get stuff moved, so we returned it and I got to meet LeeAnn. She is so funny and nice and has invited David and I over for dinner next week. I'm looking forward to getting to know her!

I think that's about it. I'm so tired and really need a rest. I am planning to have dinner with Grampa tonight but I need to make sure he's feeling up to it. He was a little sniffly a day or two ago. I hope he's better...I'm looking forward to dinner with him!

Have a good Wednesday everyone!

Back to "Normal"

Well, I am back at work after a solid weekend of moving and packing. By the way, it really sucked. It's hard to have everything in turmoil like that, but everything is in the new place now. I just have to get it all unpacked and in it's place. David (who shall now be known as the Best Boyfriend Ever) is coming back over tonight to help me unpack. He's even going to make dinner! He's so reassuring and has lots of ideas on how to arrange the new apartment. He says we can get a lot done tonight, and I need a motivator because I am one tired girl.

I need to really say a very special thank you to a few people who went way out of their way to help me on very short notice. Kevin, you are always there to help and I appreciate it so much. Kim, you read the blog and called to ask how you could help, and I am incredible grateful to you, too. David, you were there every day and even with all the stuff you have going on continued to ask how you could help. And of course, Mom and Dad. Both of you wore yourselves out helping me, and I appreciate you both so much!

And thanks to all of you who have called to check on me and see what you can do to help. (Holly, Mia, Kim and Angela!) There's a lot to do still, but I think I can get unpacked ok. I may need a girl's night Friday with margaritas, and THAT'S how you can help!! :)

So that's been my life for the last few days. Packing, unpacking, and wearing myself to a frazzle. I look forward to having something else to talk about. I know you do, too!

Have a good Tuesday!!

Damn!

Okay, so hooray for icy days that keep us home from work, but boo for people who don't take precautions against frozen pipes. My neighbors upstairs let this happen, and their pipes burst. What does this mean for me? Water coming in through every crevice, light fixture, vent, etc, in my ceiling. Oh yeah, and water all over my carpet and chaos everywhere. So I am currently unable to live in my apartment and am being moved to another apartment in a couple of days. I am going to spend my day packing up my old place, which is hard for me. My memories of my Gran being there will make it hard to leave, but I have to do it. And big bummer about having to take down all the holiday decor, too. I'll fill in the whole story in the next post, but there's nothing like running outside and seeing water flowing like a waterfall off the second story balcony above you!! Seriously, it sucks!

Cleo and I are fine. Just a little out of sorts at the moment. I'll blog again soon!

And big thank you to Mom, Dad, and David for all the help yesterday! It was a big mess!

Ah, Winter in Texas!

"Winter" in Texas means one thing-we are generally guaranteed at least one day of ice. We got 1.5 days! It's been nice to be home and sleep late! :) I haven't done much...just a little bit of work from home but that's it. The roads are pretty ok now, so Mom and I are going to grab some lunch. Later tonight I am going to do some laundry and scub the bathroom. All the things I've been needing to do. I got home at 11am from work yesterday and had a headache so I slept away the afternoon. None of that today!

So I don't have much news. My old high school is in the state championship game Saturday, so we (David and I) are going down with the cousins to see them win. (Go Trinity!) ANd that's about it.

Stay warm and have a good day!

A Note of Celebration!

Just a quick post about my Mom...she had a mammogram that had come back with a little spot on it, but after a second mammogram it's determined that it's nothing and she's good for another year! I was worried, so this is great news! I just had to post!

Have a good day everyone! And for my fellow "Losers", be sure you weighed in so you can track your awesome progress!!

Decompressing

After a very stressful day, I had a lovely relaxing evening. I came home, took a nap, ate dinner, and just generally vegged. I really needed to clean, but I think I needed some down time even more. I talked to David, and he was having a good day, too. He has a practically new sofa in his office that he is giving to me (yay! I hate my current sofa!), as well as a 31" television. Now, those of you who don't know me have no idea just how funny that it. I currently have a 20" television because I don't care enough about tv to buy one. Everyone likes to come make fun of my tv, although it was much worse when I had a 13" tv. Craig and Jen were wonderful enough to give me the 20" I have now, which really did hush a big portion of the critics. But a 31" tv? That's HUGE for me! I wonder if it will fit in my entertainment center?

The other news is that David told me his sister wants to have us over for dinner. I haven't met anyone's family in YEARS. Am I nervous? You betcha! David said that she often over-commits herself and so he doesn't know when she wants to do it, but I'll bet it happens soon. You know how we women are...we like to know the whole inside story, and if her brother is dating someone, I'm betting she wants the scoop. Which isn't a bad thing at all! I'd do the same thing! :)

So we're being told by the weather forecasters that we may be in for a "wintery mix" tomorrow. They're just getting our hopes up. I would LOVE it if we got iced in tomorrow, but I doubt it will happen. But here's hoping!

I hope you all have a great day!

A Little Grumpy Today

I must confess, my job is really stressing me out. Ugh! Couple that with PMS, and I am lots of fun! So I am going to go home, work out, and clean the apartment. That seems like the best thing for me to do. That way I don't accidentally snap at anyone for no reason.

Joseph called me yesterday to tell me that he is being kicked out of his home. Let me give you a little background: his house is in his family's name because when he was getting divorced, he didn't need any more assets in his name. So even though he is making the house payments, it's in his family's name. His family (mom and dad) have decided they don't like him being gay, so they want him out of the house. Very nice. So now he has to look for another place to live. So his mother asks him what they're going to do with the house when he moves out. I guess she should have thought about that before asking him to move, huh? Hope they enjoy the second housepayment in their retirement years.

David and I had a good weekend. Hiked a bunch on Saturday and made tacos for dinner that night. It was a good day. :)

Friday night I had dinner at Craig and Jen's place. She makes an AWESOME chicken alfredo lasagne! (Thanks, girl!!)

So it was a good weekend. I just wish it had lasted a little longer.

A Great Bunch of Losers!

I love it! I've had good response from those who want to lose that 10 pounds by January1st! I'll send out "Encouraging Email" number one on Monday, so look for it in your email boxes! This is fun for me and very motivating, so we'll see how we do!!

I'm so glad it's Friday. It's been a stressful week, so I am going to have a fun weekend. Tonight I am having dinner with Craig and Jennifer. It will be nice to just hang with them. Jen is cooking, and let me tell you, that's a treat! That girl can cook!!

Tomorrow morning, I am going to Denise's to pick up everyone's Pampered Chef orders, so if you came to the party I will have your goodies for you! Then Mom and I are going to take flowers to my Gran's grave. Her headstone has a lovely vase built in, so we take flowers to put into the vase. She would tell us not to make such a fuss, but I know she secretly liked to feel special. Don't we all?

After we spend time with Gran, I am going to home to meet up with Dave and we are going to go hiking. Then it's dinner at my place, followed by hanging Christmas lights on my patio. I haven't figured out the best way to do it, but David has some ideas and I am looking forward to doing it together.

And Sunday is a memorial service at the funeral home that took care of Gran's services. Apparently every few months they do a service for all the families they have assisted, and there will be a reading of all the names and a lighting of candles. So it will be nice to remember her. I find that I miss her when the little things come up...like I want to tell her all about David, or that I am working towards a promotion for next year, or that my life is really good and that I love and miss her. I don't think I will ever stop missing her.

So that's it for now. It's been a tough week and I am glad it's Friday! Have a wonderful weekend everyone! It's leg night tonight, so I am going to be a tired gal!

Who Knew?

Did we ever see it coming? Well, with all her money, she had to resort to buying something besides shoes at some point!



(Please, no libel lawsuits. It's a joke, people!)



So anyhow...it's a good day. David is already working his contacts and updating his resume, so I have a good feeling that he's going to be back in the workforce in no time. :) I admire his determination. He's not sitting around feeling sorry for himself. Just one more thing to add to the list of wonderful qualities!

No other big news. Going to David's tonight for dinner. It's always good to give him a hug!

Shout outs to Holly who is getting her wisdom teeth out today, and to Jessica, who finds out what the sex of her baby is going to be!!

The 10 Pound Challenge....so far, it's me, Kim, and Denise. Any others joining in? We're just trying to get 10 pounds off by January 1st. No real rules, just providing encouragement! I thought I might send encouraging emails every Monday, so if you want to get in on the fun and try to shake 10 pounds off, post your email address (or email it to me if you'd like to keep it to yourself) and I'll add you to the list! (Don't worry, I won't spam you!)

I hope everyone has a good day!

The Wait is Over

So David got good news and bad news. The good news is that he isn't moving, but the bad news is that he is unemployed. But I really admire his spirit-he's been making calls all evening and getting his resume out there. He's not sitting around feeling sorry for himself. I'm so proud of him!

So thanks to everyone who has been so supportive...now we just need to hope he finds a great job! Anyone with any contacts in the mens shoe industry, please let me know!! (Or shoes in general...I need him to work somewhere with a woman's line!) He was an account manager for all of Texas, so he's got a lot of experience!!

Have a great evening, and thanks again to all!!

Waiting

Today is the day David finds out the news of his job. However, it's not looking good. He spoke with a colleague last night and her job was "eliminated". Apparently all the Account Managers are being eliminated, so it looks like he may be losing his job. But you never know...maybe it will turn out really well! Please send him good thoughts around 4pm.

I had a really good workout yesterday. We worked arms and I am feeling it this morning!! But I am really working hard to get my momentum back, so the stiffness reminds me that it's progress. Kim has proposed a challenge, and so I say let's lose 10 pounds by January 1st! She's working with a trainer now, too, so we can do it!! What do you say, Kim? And if anyone else wants to join the challenge, let me know! We'll do it together! (We CAN lose weight through the holidays!)

David made dinner last night, and let me tell you...that man can cook! He grilled pork chops, made homemade mashed potatoes (his secret low-fat recipe just for me!) and a yummy salad. Oh, it was soooo good! We watched "The Jacket" (Adrian Brody and Keira Knightly) and let me be sure to not recommend that one. I wasn't impressed. Interested premise, but not a very good film. The best thing was that David kept telling me how glad he was that I was there, so I felt like I was helping him keep his mind off the stress of work.

So that's it in a nutshell. Hope everyone has a great day, and thanks so much for all the support! :)

Weekend Review

I know I pretty much blogged it all yesterday, but even though I am worried about David, I did have a lovely Thanksgiving. I missed Gran so much, but Joseph joined the family for the day and we had so much fun! He stayed long after everyone else left. We napped, we took a walk, we ate more turkey...it was a great day! and Joseph, I love you so much and am so happy you could be with us! No matter what, you will always have a place to spend the holidays if you want one! :)

Friday afternoon David and I went to see Walk the Line. Pretty good movie. We had fun and just enjoyed each other's company.

Saturday night David and I had dinner at Angela's house with her husband Tom and our friend Kim Williams. It was wonderful and David and I had such a good time!

Sunday I had lunch with Kevin and Robbyn. For those of you who don't know about Robbyn, she is amazing. She had a quadruple organ transplant over 5 years ago and is the only person in the country to live that long after a transplant of that magnitude. I know some really amazing people. Anyhow, she is doing well and as always, is in great spirits.

So now David and I are sitting and waiting to see what will come of the meeting on Wednesday with his upper management. Please cross your fingers that he doesn't get relocated. Seriously folks, this guy is everything I could hope for and I am not ready to face that big of a change with him.

Post-Turkey Update

For all concerned, my turkey came out very tasty, and Thanksgiving came off perfectly. Aside from missing my Gran terribly, it was a great day. My friends all kept wondering if David and I were going to spend the holiday together, and we did not. It's still too soon (only 7 weeks, people!) so I was fine with that. We saw each other Friday and Saturday, so it was all good.

I am totally starting over with WW. Since my Gran passed away, I haven't been able to get myself back on track, so rather than struggle with having gained weight, I am starting fresh. I'll get a new weigh-in card and start over. So I am going to really need some encouragement. I promise to post my weekly results again, as if I hadn't lost anything already. So any words of support you can spare, I really need them.

David's company is preparing for a reorg, and he has a meeting Wednesday. He doesn't know how things will shake out, and there is a possibility he may be relocated. I am really hoping not. Some of you know my history with relationships, and I have been through some especially tough stuff so finding David has been a blessing for me. I know I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch and all, but I am really nervous about this. I really, really like him. He's an amazing man and he makes me happy. I'm so afraid that he'll have to relocate and since we've only been dating a short time it won't make sense to try and have something long distance. I'm going to hope for the best and accept whatever happens.

So that's it for now. I hope each of you had a great holiday! :)

Giving Thanks

I'm going to take a cue from The Blonde today...

Things I am thankful for:

* The freedom to say whatever I want
* My friends and family
* David. I am VERY thankful for David. :)
* Having a bed to sleep in and a roof over my head.
* Chocolate

That's not everything, but it's a few things. Tell me what you're thankful for!

After I get off work, I am going to go home and cook. David wants to come keep me company, and I am excited to see him as always. He is feeling better, too, so maybe we won't be so sniffly and sneezy today. I have a few pies to make and a turkey to dress, so it's going to be great to have him over while I get stuff done. Besides, he's an AWESOME cook and might lend a hand with the turkey!

All my friends have been after me to talk to David about Thanksgiving and what he and I will do. We've been dating about 7 weeks, so it seems a bit soon to have a holiday with each other's families. We haven't discussed it at all, and I'm fine with that. My family will be over at noon, and Joseph is coming a little later and we're going to have a meal together. So I have lots of things I am looking forward to doing tomorrow, and I am sure that at some point David and I will either chat or see each other. So it's all good with me!

David and I are having dinner at Angela's on Saturday night so she and Tom and Kim Williams (and maybe a date for Kim?) will get to meet David, and that's probably enough meeting people for one weekend. :)

One more very important thing...

Happy Birthday Dad!!!!

Everyone have a safe holiday! I probably won't blog tomorrow, so check back over the weekend!

The Agony of the Allergies!

Still fighting these dumb old allergies, and now David is dealing with his too. He came over for dinner last night and after we ate we spent the evening laying on the couch coughing and sniffling. Really romantic, huh?

So not much news. I did work out last night, but I am just not sure how that's going to go tonight. I am exhausted.

So that's it for today. Have a good Tuesday!

The Story of the Romantic Dinner

Funny story about the dinner I was making Friday night...true to the way things generally go, it didn't go without a hitch. But it does make for a funny story!

So I was busy preparing dinner Friday evening...chicken, a lovely salad, appetizers, and a very tasty dessert. About 7pm I get a call from David to tell me his plane landed safely. And one more thing...Dallas Love Field was on "lockdown" and no one was being permitted to leave. He didn't know when he was going to be over, but we figured he would be delayed an hour, so no biggie. I was behind schedule anyhow, so it was just fine. He said he would call when he heard anything and I got back to getting things ready. I set the table, made another run to the store, took my shower and thought things were going along fine. Then he called again. Now the rumor was that there was a bomb scare in the parking lot. Great. Still no idea when he could leave, and they were charging $6 for a beer at the Chili's in the airport. What a crock! So now it's going on 8:30, and the chicken is still doing it's thing in the oven and I am getting things wound down as far as preparations go. about 9:15, things are pretty much ready when David calls to say that the word on the street was that there was an unattended bag that looked suspicious and they were waiting for the bomb squad to arrive. Apparently those guys aren't sitting around ready to go at a moment's notice, so it would be another hour. And David is so patient but frustrated. Can you imagine being stuck at Love Field for an evening? I don't like to go there anyhow, but to be stuck there? Forget it! By now the news is beginning to report that there is something going on out there. I already know, people!! My boyfriend is stuck out there and I am spending all evening cooking for him! So a little after 10 I get the best call of the night...he's on his way over!! So I pop the appetizers in the oven and put the chicken on a plate. Everything is rolling along. When he gets over to my apartment, I was so happy to see him! He changed out of his suit and we ate the appetizers and enjoyed some wine. When we were ready to eat, I asked him to carve the chicken, only to find that after 2 hours in the oven, the damn bird wasn't cooked all the way through. Yes, it appears I may have a faulty element in the oven. We put the chicken in for another hour to let it finish cooking, but we were both so tired that we weren't hungry any more, and decided we'd call it a night.

Yeah, really romantic dinner.

But the best part of it was that he was so appreciative of my efforts and went on and on about how special it was that I had done that for him. I swear I wasn't trying to serve him the salmonella special!! How embarassing!

And that, my friends, is the story of the romantic dinner.

A special note to the jackass that intentionally left the bag at the airport and then called in a fake bomb scare...you're a jerk and I hope they lock you up for a while! Not only did you jack up my evening, you jacked up a lot of people's evenings. Okay...done with the rant.

The rest of the weekend was good. Saw the new Harry Potter movie, played darts Saturday night (which is really tough with my useless finger right now!), and got lots of rest. My allergies are still acting up, and I had to miss the Saints and Sinners show at Trees last night. I am ready to feel better!!!

So have a good Monday! Thank goodness it's a short week!

Allergies are Not Romantic

I am one seriously congested girl today. I am hoping that this junk clears up before tonight. Otherwise I am going to have the sexy phlegm going on while cooking dinner tonight, and quite frankly, phlegm is not sexy. Not even a little. And especially not when it's the person preparing dinner.

That's it for today. Just a short little complaint about feeling crummy. Hope everyone else is having a good day! :)

Beware...Complaint Ahead!

I don't feel great today. I had to cancel dinner with Grampa last night in case I have something other than allergies. I am pretty sure it's due to the weather we've had...high winds, crazy temperature changes...all of this makes for a congested me. My throat is a little scratchy due to the drainage, but I'll be fine. I am trying to drink lots of liquids. I refuse to get officially sick! However, I did go home last night and slept pretty much all evening. I talked to David for an hour or so, though. He's so wonderful! We were going to take the day off together Friday and go hiking and have a picnic, but he has to fly to San Antonio for the day on business so we're going to hike another day. He won't tell me what he is planning for the picnic. He wants that to be a surprise. :) I LOVE surprises!! He's such a great guy...I feel really lucky we found each other. I know we've only been dating for six weeks, but it's just going really well. Anyone familiar with my dating history knows that this is a big achievement! So send good thoughts that this continues on as it is!

Onto other news...I am getting my hair cut tonight my hairstylist extraordinaire Christy! I am providing dinner for her and haircut/color aside, it's going to be so great to get caught up with her! :) It's always nice to spend time together!

Tomorrow night I am making dinner for David. Any suggestions on what to make would be greatly appreciated! I am prepared to go all out for this because I want to wow him with my culinary skills, so PLEASE submit recipes! I really want it to be special!

That's it for now...have a great day everyone!

A Lovely Evening

As a celebration of being stitch-free, Dave took me out to dinner last night. We went to the Olive Garden and had a great dinner. Afterwards we stopped at Target and he got logs for his fireplace and we went back and watched Spiderman 2 and enjoyed the fire. It was a very nice way to celebrate my stitch removal!

So tonight is my dinner date with Grampa. How about that...dinner dates two nights in a row, each night with a great man! :)

Tomorrow night after working out, Christy is going to cut/color my hair. YAY! It needs some help! It's been a while since I had a haircut so this is a great thing! I won't be doing anything drastic or really different, but my hair grows so fast it just needs to be trimmed up and textured. And then there are the gray hairs, but we don't have to talk about them!

So that's it for now. Have a great day!!

The Finger Saga Continues

The stitches are out! My finger has been liberated! :) I don't have to go back for more x-rays for another month, but the doctor says everything looks like it's progressing normally. (It still looks pretty ugly, but it's much better!) It even looks like my nail is trying to grow in! Yay!

So that's the latest on the finger. All is well!

Ein Deutches Requiem

I had a lovely evening last night. I had dinner with my parents and then went to TWU to hear the choir perform Brahms' German Requiem, which they performed in English. (Odd for me to hear, but I got over it.) It is, by far, my absolute most favorite piece of music ever. It's also very special to me and I have some emotional attachment to it, but it's so beautiful. I know the Alto line backwards and forwards, so I hummed along quietly and thought all the words in German. It was wonderful! What a great evening!

I get the remainder of my stitches out today!! David is taking me to dinner to celebrate my stitchlessness. Isn't that sweet? (Yes, go on and make gagging noises. I know it's silly to the rest of you...however, I don't care!) In other good finger-related news, it looks like the nail is trying very hard to grow in, so I think I'll be ok! :)

That's about it for today. Can you believe the Cowboys pulled it off at the end of the game last night? Who saw that coming? Blonde, I know you must be incredibly bummed!

Have a great day everyone!

The Holidays Have Arrived...In the Form of a Potluck Meal

You always know the holidays are here when your office has a potluck luncheon. We are having ours today, but in an effort to lose weight this week, I brought my lunch and am planning to skip the fatty foods. (Go me!) The company even sprang for the turkey and side dishes! But I am strong and will overcome any desire to participate.

It was a really nice weekend. I had dinner with my friend Kevin (we went to Outback...yum!) but I was so sleepy after a big dinner that I went home and went to bed. Saturday I went out to my Gran's gravesite with Mom to put flowers there. It's the first time I had been out there since her service. The headstone is there now, and it looks very nice. It's very peaceful out there, and someone put windchimes in the tree. It was windy Saturday and even though I normally don't care for windchimes, they were soothing. It was a nice visit and not as hard as I thought it would be.

Then we took my 10 year old cousin to her school carnival. We didn't stay too long because Mom and I needed to get home. Mom had plans of her own, and David was coming back to town and coming over, so I got home and picked up the apartment. When David got there, we chatted for a while and then he layed down and took a nap. He woke up around 7-ish and we decided to go out to dinner, so we went to the Melting Pot (my favorite restaurant!). We had such a good time! I can't help myself...I'm nuts about this guy! :)

Sunday I was lazy and slept in. I skipped WW because I just couldn't face the scale. So instead, Mom came over and we planned our menus for the week, and I feel good about it. I am going to have a great week and get lots of exercise in. I feel really in control right now, so I am going to run with that!

I had dinner with Angela and Kim last night to get caught up. Kim got a new car over the weekend...congrats girl! It was fun to get caught up, and we decided that we're going to get together soon so they can meet the new man! Kim is now single again and on the market, so if you know and nice guys, pass his pic along to me so that I can screen it for Kim! (She's awesome and needs a really great guy!)

Oh, my finger is healing up pretty well. I don't' have it covered today because having the bandage off feels better and it seems to heal faster when it can breathe! So I brought stuff to cover it in case anyone gets grossed out. It's still not pretty, but it does look MUCH better!

So that's it in a nutshell. I stayed up too late at Mom and Dad's, so I am sleepy this morning. Tonight I am going to hear the Brahms Requiem at Texas Wesleyan (My Alma Mater!). It's my very favorite piece of music. It will be so nice to hear it!

Have a wonderful day! Hugs to everyone!

Friday!! Yay!

It's been a long week! I've had to deal with feuding co-workers, my handicapped finger, and incredible soreness in my legs from my Tuesday workout, so I am glad to see Friday arrive! (Although I am working out again tonight, so we'll see how THAT goes!) My finger is doing well, but it's such a hassle doing anything. I get the rest of my stitches out Tuesday so maybe that will make me feel better.

The bandage on my hand is getting smaller!!

David comes back into town tomorrow and I am looking forward to that. :) I need to do laundry and clean the apartment so that everything will look nice. I also need to get a haircut so that I will look nice. Actually, I have a few personal maintenance things to do so maybe I will try and get some of them done before tomorrow afternoon. (eyebrow waxing being high on the list!) Maybe I should get a manicure, too (on the 9 fingers that aren't injured!).

So no big news other than that. Going with mom to visit my Gran's gravesite tomorrow morning. The headstone is in place and I want to take Gran some flowers. I know she's not there anymore, but it makes me feel comforted. I always used to bring her roses and she loved them, so I still want to do that for her.

I might go with Joseph to a film festival tonight. I have to workout and I don't know if I can make it in time. We'll see how things go. And Sunday I am getting together with Angela and Kim Williams (I know 2 Kims, both with last names beginning with "W"!) to catch up. We haven't been able to do that in a long time!!

One more very important thing...

Happy Veterans Day! Thanks to all our soldiers...active, retired, reserves...thanks for all you guys do! :)

Have a great weekend!

A Newsworthy Post

I'll start today by getting the complaining out of the way. My legs are so sore!! Walking is slightly painful right now. This is what happens when you take a week off from working out. I'll never do that again!

And now, the big news for me.

So about 5-6 weeks ago I met a really great guy. His name is David and he's probably the nicest guy I have ever met. I have kept his name out of the blog because every time I meet someone and then talk about him, it goes south quickly, so I have maintained a low dating profile for a bit. However, as of last Sunday, we are officially exclusive, so I figure it's time to mention his name here so that I can start including him in my weekend recaps. For instance, he travels on business frequently during the week, and although he was not due back until this coming Saturday, he drove back up here from Austin over the weekend just to see me. :) He's wonderful, and I think there is a lot of good potential with him, but I am wanting to take things very slowly and carefully...no rushing the relationship! So now you all know who David is when you come across his name in future blog entries.

And that's my big news!

Not much else to report, except that Grampa and I had a great dinner at The Black Eyed Pea. We had an awesome visit and I am truly grateful for the time we spend together. We talked about him missing my Gran and how he's missing her. I think the holidays are going to be tough for us all, but the nice thing is that we are close and we can lean on each other.

So I hope you all have a wonderful day! Remember that Friday is just a day away now!!

Ah, the Soreness!

I worked out last night! (Yay!!) Instead of walking, we did a heavy duty leg workout (lunges, leg presses, leg extensions, etc) and I am feeling the burn today, my dear readers! But it's a great thing! It's always motivating to feel like I am making progress.

There is nothing of note going on today in my world. Excpet that it's Dinner With Grampa night!! (Which is always wonderful!) So that's news. That and gas prices are $2.18/gal by my apartment. That's definitely news!

So have a wonderful day!

Vote Today!

This post begins with a PSA for my fellow Texans. Be sure to vote NO on Constitutional Amendment 2. This is the amendment that will ban same-sex marriage. Whatever your feelsing on this issue, what place does the government have in telling YOU who you can and cannot marry? SHould the government be forcing it's values down YOUR throat? And if this passes, what else will they decide for you? Passing this amendment simply chips away at our right to make a very personal decision. While I am not gay, I do believe that anyone should be able to marry whomever they choose. And please, if we're going to tak about keeping marriage a sacred institution, can we take a look at some of these celebrity marriages? (Uh, hello Britney Spears and the 56-hour Vegas marriage!) So I ask all of you in Texas to get out and vote NO on Amendment 2.

Now, back to my regularly scheduled blogging. :)

I am going to work out with Jacqueline tonight. I didn't get to work out last week due to the finger. (No weight lifting and no running since that forces blood to your fingertips which can cause swelling...and trust me when I say we just don't need that!) So we're going to walk tonight. Good thing, too...I need to get back in the groove. Yeah, I'm still having some trouble but I just refuse to give up. I've come too far to turn back now!

Tomorrow night I am having dinner with Grampa. It's nice to get back into my regular routine! I was all messed up last week. This darn finger!

Anyhow, that's it for today. Have a good one, everybody!

And the Doctor Says...

Surprisingly, I got 5 stitches removed! I get the rest out next week, and then follow up again in a month to check the progress. He seems to think the fingernail will grow back, but he isn't sure if it will look as lovely as my other nails. That's ok...as long as I have something to work with! (I can get a tip put on if I need to) The bone in the tip of my finger is pretty well smashed so he said it's not worth doingsurgery on it. It might heal up slightly crooked, but not enough that anyone would notice. So all in all, a good report.

Whew! I'm relieved!

The Finger, Continued.

So I went to my doctor on Friday and sufficiently freaked him out enough with my finger. As a result, I am seeing a hand specialist today at 11am. I am guessing he'll decide when the stitches can come out. The two on the under side of my finger are healing up very well, and I bet they come out soon. The ones on top? Probably a whole other story. We'll just see what he says. I'll feel better when I know what to expect.

Fairly uneventful weekend. Got to see Andy and Melissa and Kaylee Saturday night. Kaylee is so precious! She's about a month old now, and has gained two pounds already! :)

So that's it for now. I'll report on the doctor's visit later. Ugh!

Paris is Burning

There's been a lot of mention of the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois lately. Lots of racial tension there which has resulted in violence and mayhem. I can't begin to write how sad this makes me. My impression of Paris is so different from those images on the news. The Paris I saw was a wonderful mix of different people who were so kind to me and Kim. Hopefully the violence will end very soon and people can focus on the real problem and how to fix it.

Mom and I went to dinner last night since Dad was going to a football game with his cousin last night. We went to Macaroni Grill, and it was quite tasty. (They've added some very yummy low fat items to the menu!) Then we went back to my place so she could help me wash my hair since Frankenfinger prevents me from doing so. What an inconvenience this is! I am going to the doctor today so that he can look at it. I am hoping to have the stiches out fairly soon, but I'm nervous about my fingernail. We'll see what happens!

Joseph is playing rugby in Austin tomorrrow, so good luck to the Dallas Diablos!! I am crossing my fingers he doesn't damage himself TOO badly tomorrow! :)

I am going to try and see Capote this weekend. I hear great reviews!

Everyone have a great Friday!

Nothing New

I don't have any big news. My finger hasn't rotted and fallen off yet, so that's good. It still looks pretty gross when the bandages are off, but I keep it covered and save the public from looking at my horrible disifgurement. I go to the doctor tomorrow so we'll see what he has to say.

I took it easy last night and laid low with the parents. Went to dinner and the grocery store, then cleaned the finger and went home to get a good night's sleep. The hydrocodone helps! (I only take 1/2 because that's strong stuff!

So anyhow, nothing new. I'll post tomorrow about what the doctor says.

Have a wonderful day! :)

Me and My Sexy Finger!

Yeah, this whole finger injury thing? Not much fun at all! Today it's really not feeling very pleasant. Last night we changed the bandages on it and I had to look at it. It's gross!!! I kept having to sit down because looking at it was making me dizzy. And I can tolerate a lot of things! (Apparently not the sight of my own stitched up finger!) But it's sickening to look at. I am going to the doctor on Friday for follow up and a referral to a hand specialist if needed. Fun stuff!

Mom, Dad and Grampa and I went to church last night for the All Saints Day service. This is where we remember those we've lost over the last year, so we remembered my Gran. It was a beautiful service and the choir sang Faure's Requiem. (It was wonderful!)

Right now my finger is throbbing and now my head is starting to ache, too, so I am going to go find some Motrin. I can't take the hydrocodone here at work. Ugh!

My Gory Halloween Story (seriously, this is kinda gross)

So I was running an errand while out with my mom last night and we decided to stop for coffee. (My treat) I got out of the car and was walking towards the building when I was jerked backward because my finger was shut in the door. I didn't even know I had done it! I opened the car door and my first thought was that I had pretty much cut off the tip of my finger. I calmly walked in to Starbucks and got napkins and directions to the closest ER. Mom had to drive me there, and after getting checked in, the shock started to wear off and my finger (right index) was throbbing. (Not to mention there was blood on my favorite Born shoes and my Kate Spade bag!) They got me back, took x-rays and determined that I have crushed to bone in the very tip of my finger and ripped my fingernail off. Fortunately, I did it just above where the nail grows so I will "probably" have a fingernail again. I am going to be optimistic about this. They stitched the nail to my finger so that the nail bed will keep it's shape for when my new nail grows in. Nice, huh? I got 6 stitches on the top of my finger and another 2 on the bottom side. The anesthesia is wearing off so it feels not so good right now. My finger, when I saw it last night at the ER before they dressed it, looks horrible. I am absolutely afraid to remove the dressing tonight when I have to clean it. I can feel it swelling and it's going to look nasty. I have to wash and re-dress it this evening, so pray for me that I don't pass out. This thing looks like Frankenfinger. Don't worry, no pics will be posted.

I hope everyone else had a better Halloween!!

A Fresh Start

Happy Halloween!!

I have decided to try to refocus on my WW program. I've been having trouble for about a month now, and soI am recommitting myself. I opted to not weigh in this week to give myself a fresh start. So I am probably going to need some encouragement from you, my friends. I've lost 77.5 pounds and I refuse to quit now. So I am absolutely going to do it right this week! :)

I had a pretty good weekend. Went out with Joseph and Dima Saturday night. I enjoy their company so much! :) I got to have dinner and catch up with Angela and Tom last night. It's always such a treat to spend time with them! I've felt a little worn out with stress, but I got a good night's sleep last night and feel much better today.

Tomorrow night is an All Saints service at church, where everyone in the congregation who passed away over the last year is remembered by name, so my Gran will be remembered. I'm going to that tomorrow night. The choir is singing Faure's Requiem which is a beautiful piece of music and I cannot wait to get lost in the sounds of the choir. It will be a wonderful evening.

Also, a big shout out to my cousin Jen. I'm thinking of you, girl!

For all my other friends who stop in to read my daily ramblings, have a good Monday!! I'm glad you dropped by! :)

It Has Arrived!

Friday!! It's been a long time coming!! This week has been so challenging for me...I am looking forward to running with Jacqueline tonight to get rid of some of this stress!

I want to just relax and enjoy myself this weekend. Saturday night I am going to Joseph's to hang out and watch movies and relax. That's just what I need! :) His friend who works at a french bistro is going to bring a fabulous dessert for us to share, so movies, good company, and creme brulee...is there anything more wonderful than that? :)

So I am going to relax and have fun this weekend and try to imrpove my attitude. It's going to be a good day! :)

Darn Allergies!

So today I am stuffy and my eyes are watery (don't worry...not another breakdown, just allergies!). I want to stay home and sleep so badly, but there is just too much to do right now at work. Ugh!

I had dinner with Grampa and Mom last night. After the day I had, Grampa made me a martini when I got to his house and that was a big help! :) We went to Mimi's Cafe for dinner and then went back to the house to visit. It just feels so good to spend time with him, and especially yesterday.

When I got home, I took a hot bubble bath to help me relax, and then I went to bed around 9pm. I needed the sleep desperately. I was just so worn out. I have decided that today will be a much better day. No crying episodes at work.

So that's it for now. I'm still not very awake, so I am going to get some coffee. Have a great day everyone! :)

It Finally Happened.

As many of you well know, I've been going around for the last month talking about how I kept waiting for the big sobbing breakdown over losing my Gran. I don't have to wait anymore. It happened today. Here. At work. I hate that. I don't cry at work.

Except today I did. And it sucks.

I wasn't having a stellar morning to start with, but then around 9am, I just lost it. And wouldn't you know it would happen with a bunch of people in my cube. And they're all wonderful people who wanted to hug me and comfort me, but all I could think about was running out of my office and out the door and never looking back. One woman even kissed my head. Yeah, I don't want some crazy woman with red lipstick kissing my forehead. That didn't help anything. But I thanked them anyhow. They all understood why I was so broken right then, and after a few minutes they finally left me alone to sob. I couldn't go to the ladies' room because I wasn't about to let anyone see me like that. So I sat and cried off my mascara. By the way, I look like shit now. Even 4 hours later, I still look like I cried recently. Mostly because of my makeup. I will not be leaving the house again without my makeup bag. I just had powder and gloss with me. Doesn't really help right now, huh?

So anyhow, that explains my morning mood in my earlier post. I'm better now, but still feeling quiet and a little sad. I guess this is just part of the process. I miss Gran.

Blah.

That pretty much sums it up. Blah. I am having allergy trouble this morning, so I feel stuffy and sleepy. I didn't sleep very well last night, which always surprises me after a leg workout. After the workout I ran out to Kev's to pick up my laptop. We grabbed some dinner and I hung out for a bit but I kept falling asleep on the couch so I came home. I figured I would go right to sleep when I got in bed, but no. And when I did finally fall asleep, I feel like I kept waking up throughout the night. This is driving me nuts. So today I am a little grumpy and pretty much would love to have just stayed home by myself. I promise to try and get over myself.

I don't have any real news, just the usual stuff. I am going to perk myself up and have dinner with Grampa tonight. That's always a good thing. :) I know that if nothing else, that will make my day!

I hope everyone is starting their day out better than me! Have a good one!

Late Night Coffee Run

So around 8:30 last night Joseph called and we chatted for a bit and then decided to meet for coffee. I love spontaneous plans! I threw on my jeans and headed out. We hung out at Starbucks for a while until a friend of his met us out there, and then we went to a place called Jasmine's for tea. We spent some time just being silly and laughing and it was a great time.

I am a little tired today, but I don't mind. I will eat a good lunch and then be ready to run this afternoon with Jacqueline. She's doing so well after her breakup! Her ex is still acting rather childishly, but it's all proving to her that calling off the wedding was the right thing to do.

I am determined to stay on track with WW this week. I am working really hard to stay focused and get back on my losing streak. I absolutely will have 85 pounds off by Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow night I am having dinner with Grampa. I missed last week because I wasn't feeling good. I come from a family of germophobes, and whenever you're sick, you don't bring the germs around. You stay home!! (Which is fine, because who wants to spread germs and either get sick or make someone else sick?)

So other than that, I have zero news. Nothing big going on, just the usual stuff. I am loving the cooler weather! I am finally getting to wear some of the scarves I bought in Paris last June, and I have gotten more compliments on my scarves! I love it when people say "where did you get that?" Then I get to reply, "I got it in Paris!" I love saying that!!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Castles ARE Allowed!!

So while I was out hiking at the lake this weekend, I saw a very odd sign. Well, the sign itself might not have been so odd, but a part of it struck me as very strange. Here's the sign...

The sign itself is just a sign with the name of the hiking trail on it. Here's the odd part...

It appears that hiking is ok, horses are not ok, but castles are permitted? What does this mean? I never once saw a castle while hiking. I was slightly disappointed about that. But perhaps next time I go hiking I will bring my own. Very strange!

So my WW was definitely NOT a success. I had a very small gain. I'm just having a hard time right now. One of the big keys to WW success is writing everything you eat in a "journal". I haven't been very good about that for the last month, and I think that is part of my problem. I don't know why I've been so resistant about doing it. It's not a pain, it's not hard or time consuming. So in an effort to really get myself back on track, my mother and I are going to fax each other copies of our journals every afternoon. This makes me accountable and will hopefully really keep me in line with that. I'll let you know how it's going. I'm going to have 85 pounds off my Thanksgiving no matter what! (Because I want 100 pounds off by January 1st!)

Jaqueline and I worked out at my complex Friday night. We went running, did lunges, and step-ups and I was worn out afterwards! I like having my sessions outside when the weather is that lovely! I am wondering about this week...I sure would love to run outside again!

So really other than that, there's not any big news. I did see Elizabethtown Friday night. It was good, but a couple of places were hard for me because of recent family events. But it was a good movie...even Kevin liked it. :)

So that's about it. Hope you all have a great Monday!!

A Very Long Week

Finally it's Friday! I shouldn't complain since I was off Wednesday, but I wasn't feeling good. But I am loving the weather today and wish I didn't have to come back from lunch! It would be nice to have a fireplace on nights like tonight, but I don't have one. :( I'll just snuggle with my kitty and bask in the warm glow of the TV.

I got invited to a Halloween party for tomorrow night, but I am going to pass. Not feeling the Halloween vibe...and I don't have a costume, so no biggie for me. Halloween hasn't ever been a big deal to me. I used to participate in a haunted house that my friend Kevin always took great pride in, and that was ALWAYS fun! We don't really do that anymore, and since then Halloween just seems like another day. I even bought candy for trick-or-treaters last year and didn't get a single knock on my door. Bummer! I'll probably go to my parent's house for dinner this year. Which is a happy alterntive to sitting home waiting for nothing! :)

It's a slow and quiet day here at work. I am going to see a movie with Kevin tonight and I don't know what we're going to see. There are a few things out that interest me, but I think they're mostly chick-flicks. Although I do want to see Flightplan (Jodi Foster). We'll see what else is showing, though.

I hope all of you have a great weekend! Too everyone in Hurricane Wilma's path, please be careful and go somewhere safe! (Thanks for reminding me of the correct name, Dad!)

One more quick prayer...I got news from my mom that my cousin Jen's mom has cancer and has been given a negative prognosis. Please keep her in your prayers/good thoughts!

Hugs to all of you and have a wonderful weekend!

A Day of Rest

I was in the office for about an hour yesterday and then decided I felt crummy so I headed home. I slept for most of the day and was glad I was feeling better, but I make a lousy patient and felt very cooped up so I took myself to a movie last night. I saw In Her Shoes. I love this movie. It moved me in a lot of ways and there was a lot I found that I could identify with. Some of it was hard because parts of it take place in a nursing/assisted living home and I found myself tearful and missing my Gran, but I thought it was a very good movie. It may be a little "chick-flicky" for you guys, so I would recommend it for the ladies. Just go alone and experience the movie.

So after the movie I stopped by Mom and Dad's for a bit. I am finding that I am really missing my Gran right now and was getting a little bit teary, but I'm ok. I just miss her. I think Mom does, too.

Tonight I am going to my friend Michelle's for dinner. Michelle and I go way back to elementary school! She's married with two kiddos now and it's always a treat to catch up with her. We laugh and have such a great time!

So that's about it for me today. I still feel kind of blah, but better than yesterday. I hope it's not a reaction to my stupid old flu shot!

Everyone have a great day! :)

I Don't Enjoy Getting Shots

So I got my flu shot yesterday...OW! The shot itself wasn't so bad, but my arm hurt a bit for the rest of the evening. I hate shots more than I can say. I know it's a small needle, etc, but I just really despise getting them. (My parents can certainly attest to that!)

Tonight it leg night with Jacqueline. I am really looking forward to burning some calories! I'm going to get there about 30 minutes early to spend time on the treadmill and try and burn off a few more. Then after I am done and showered, I am going to Joseph's for a bit. We're going to hang out and relax. I love going over there, but dang! Having to take the tollway eats up my change and I hate scrounging. I have resisted the temptation for years to purchase a TollTag, but I broke down yesterday and ordered one online. So in just a few days I won't have to worry about that any more. It will be nice to just zip through the tollgates and not have to stop and throw change in the basket-like thing. I was coming home on the tollway last night and felt like I had to stop way too often. Ugh! (Wow...I can complain about something for DAYS, can't I?)

Work is dragging today. I feel a little tired, but I shouldn't. I got a decent night's sleep last night, so I guess it must be the weather. It's supposed to get chilly again this weekend!! I love wearing jackets, and I bought a bunch of scarves in Paris back last June, so I can't wait to wear them! I also ordered a bunch of stuff from The Gap and Old Navy, so they should be in soon and maybe I can wear some of the new sweaters this weekend!

Obviously I have no real news to discuss today. I'm feeling rather cheerful and happy today...and very chatty, apparently. I'll put a stop to the nonsense now. I hope everyone has a great day!

Good News at WW

I had a good weigh in yesterday at WW! Now, last week I used my No Weigh In Pass, but I got on the scale anyhow and the news was not good at all...throughout everything that had happened over the two weeks prior to that, I had eaten a bunch of food at that was really bad for me, and it showed up on the scale. (to the tune of 7 pounds....I'm not proud of that at all.) HOWEVER...I got on the scale yesterday and lose 5 of that, so I was very pleased! (2 more to go and I'll have gotten all of that awfulness off of my body!) So I am feeling good about that.

It was a quiet day yesterday, but I needed that. I got to bed nice and early and slept well, but I am not feeling great today. Whatever it is I'm sure will pass quickly. I don't feel sick, just don't feel great.

I get my flu shot today and as much as I hate getting shots, I'll be glad to get it. I get one every year (except last year) and I generally don't have any problems with the flu.

Here's a great quote for the day...

In every soul there is locked away an adventure. It may be as small as a walk in the park or as grand as climbing a mountain. The key to happiness is unlocking that adventure and bringing it into the light. Go take that walk in the park or climb that Everest and see what joy and further adventures it brings. A life void of adventure is an empty existence and one full of regrets.

Have a good Monday!

It's Friday and I Couldn't Be Happier!

TGIF! Seriously!

First things first: It's Denim for Dollars day at my office. We're wearing jeans for a $5 contribution to fight breast cancer. Be sure to donate this month to help find the cure!

Last night I had dinner with Grampa (his night to buy!). We went to Applebee's and had cocktails and dinner. I love that he recognizes the importance of a good drink before dinner! He theorizes that after 15, 500 martinis you become immortal. I love this man! After dinner we went back to his house and watched some tv and visited. When I was leaving, he told me how much he enjoys our weekly night together. For my Grampa to say this, he must really mean it. He is very loving, but not a big "huggy kissy" kind of man, so this meant the world to me. I'll break my neck to get there and spend the evening with him for the rest of both of our lives!

On the way home I stopped at Target to get a few groceries and then came on home. I have been a tired girl, and I am still sore from my Wednesday workout. I am working out again tonight with Jacqueline and I just might die. Seriously, if she super-sets me and then we sprint in between, it might be the death of me. It's been a long week and I am worn out!

Tomorrow, Mom and I are planning to hit a couple of resale shops. I really need some fall clothes but don't really have the $$ to spend on a lot of new stuff, especially since I seem to change sizes (going in the smaller direction!!) with a good deal of regularity. This is exciting, and a pain in the pocketbook. What I really need to do is buy a belt!

Also, Mom told me that they got a shoe catalog from Nordstrom's for me at their house. She saw some shoes that would be perfect for my Salsa dancing, so I may need to take a look. Heck, it's a shoe catalog from Nordstrom's...of course I need to take a look! I actually need a couple of pairs of shoes for fall/winter, as I have been the queen of flip-flops this past summer. I need some really great fall shoes. I am really wanting to buy more feminine shoes (certainly my foot-loving friend will be happy to read that!)...I catch myself leaning towards Dr. Martens and some of the more chunky Mary-Jane styles, and I am ready for a change. I bought a great pair of Steve Madden Mary-Janes, but they're not the chunky ones...they're very feminine and sexy! :)

I did a little online shopping this morning and bought a few things from the Gap and Old Navy, so I am looking forward to some new fall things. I know I am needing to save money, but I had a $75 gift card to The Gap and Old Navy was having a sale. What can I say...I am a shopaholic! Now I need a littel bit of fall makeup and I'll be happy! (Hey, I haven't bought any MAC recently, so I am long overdue!)

I think that's it for now. Have a fabulous Friday!

It's All Greek To Me!

I had dinner with Christy last night and we met at a little Mediterranean cafe on highway 26 in Hurst. I had never eaten that kind of food before, but I have to tell you that is some GOOD STUFF! We got a few appetizers and shared and she brought a bottle of wine (it's BYOB) and it was fantastick! Dolmas, hummus, calamari, falafel...everything good all on one table! And then we had what was essentially baklava with cashews for dessert. We've decided that we may have to make that our every other week treat! It was so much fun catching up with her and laughing and just having a great time.

Before dinner, though, I worked with Jacqueline. My legs are sore today, let me tell you! I was a bit fatigued from all the outside work I had done the day before, so I wasn't up to par yesterday but I still got one heck of a workout in! We lunged outside and I did probably about 65 lunges. That in addition on all the squats and leg presses...man, I am tired today! But I have a very special dinner date tonight. I am going to have dinner with Grampa, and he insists it's his turn to buy. Who am I to argue, right?

So that's the news for today. Have a good Thursday!!

Community Day in Review

So yesterday was our Community Day. I spent my time sanding, painting, and hauling branches to a dumpster and let me tell you, it was hard work! The rain helpd off until the end of the day, so we managed to get most everything finished. We were a very tired and sweaty bunch when it was finished! I wish they would have our appreciation dinner the next day so we could all look nice, but no...we have to go to the Omni looking like the last rose of summer! And Holly really is right...it would be nice if they could do a little better than hamburgers or grilled chicken for us!

When I got home I was happy to get out of my sweaty clothes and clean up! I went over to Mom and Dads for a bit, and then Mom and I ran a bunch of stuff up to Goodwill. Then on to Walgreens and then home. I got back in time to watch my favorite show...Law&Order: SVU. I love that show!

Tonight is leg night, so I am preparing for a beating! After my workout I am having dinner with Christy, whom I have not seen in forever it feels like, so I am excited about seeing her. :)

So that's about it for now. Have a good Wednesday!

Seriously, No News!

I got home from work yesterday, chatted on the phone for a bit, sat down to decide on dinner, and woke up in my chair at 9pm. So yeah, I didn't get anything done last night! Shame on me! I had planned to make dinner and go work out, but didn't do either.

Today is Community Service Day at work. I'll be out of the office for the day working at the Salvation Army doing all kinds of stuff, but mostly sanding so that another team can follow behind and paint. (We're refurbishing the outside of the building) And then when all is said and done, we're having a company wide dinner at the Omni Mandalay Hotel close to the office. I don't mind...it's nice to get away from the office for the day!

So that's it for now. Have a good day everyone!

Back on Track

So I made it to my WW yesterday. I used my "No Weigh In Pass" which means I went to the meeting but chose not to step on the scale. I do know for a fact I have gained a couple pounds, but I know why and I am getting myself back on track now. I am absolutely going to have a good week and get those pounds off of me. My short-term goal is to have a total of 85 pounds off by Thanksgiving, and I think I can do that. That's only about 7.5 pounds in 6 weeks, so this is totally do-able. My biggest problem has been that I haven't written everything down that I've eaten, which makes me lose track and then it all goes downhill from there. In my meeting yesterday we talked about the things that keep us anchored and focused, and a handful of women in my group said that I was their anchor/inspiration. I swear I thought I would cry! I don't think I've ever felt like an inspiration, but I guess we never know how our actions influence other people, do we?

In other news, I got to see Andy and Melissa's new baby yesterday. She is so tiny and precious! Her name is Kaylee Jane and she is so quiet and sweet! However, Andy has some serious bags under his eyes! Melissa should be in the hospital for another day or two, and then it's home they go. Very exciting for them!

That's about it for my news. Everyone have a good Monday...hugs to you all!

The Beauty of a Lazy Day

It's been so nice today...just being lazy and doing the things I want to do. I had brunch with Grampa and had a lovely morning. Mia and I were going to go see Joseph play rugby today, but it turned out he wasn't going to be playing so she and I opted to hang out and wander around Target and marvel at the fun fall clothes. Both of us had plans that fell through at the last minute, so we're going to go out to dinner and hang out for a bit. (I'm waiting for her to get ready as I write this)

Tomorrow I am having brunch with Joseph and Eric and then off to WW. I know, I haven't gone to a meeting in two weeks, but I am for sure going tomorrow. I've had a hard time lately, so thank God for the workouts! (I ran/walked for 4 miles yesterday!! I'm so proud!) My jeans are fitting a bit loose, so that's encouraging. :)

Joseph and Eric came over for dinner last night and then we went to the gay bar and Jen and Craig met us out there. We had a really fun time, but I had a bit of a realization that I may be getting a little tired of the bar scene. Joseph and I both are feeling the same way about that.

So anyhow, everyone have a fun Saturday night!

Welcome to the World!

Just a quick congratulatory note to Andrew and Melissa Hsia!! They (well, Melissa did all the work!) just had a baby girl today, and mother and baby girl and doing wonderfully!



Just had to share happy news!

Yes, I'm a Liar.

I didn't get my pictures uploaded as promised. Please do not pelt me with rotten fruit if you see me out and about anywhere. I am going to shoot for Saturday to get that done. I went to support local music last night...Saints and Sinners played an awesome set at the Ardvark Bar in Ft. Worth. Pretty cool venue, I might add. The band before them was a beating for me to listen to, though. Actually the band was fine, the lead singer was terrible! They did a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" and I thought I would die. I should have stepped up on stage and offered to finish the song for them. Man, the suck-o-meter was off the charts! But all was good in the world when my Saints and Sinners boys got on stage! (And big thank you to Brian for putting me on the list!!)

Tonight I am having Joseph and some of his friends over for dinner and then we're going out for a bit. Tomorrow Joseph has a rugby game and I am going to go cheer for him. I've never been to a rugby game so this should be fun. I love hockey and from what I've seen on TV, rugby looks like hockey on steroids. Should be interesting!

Saturday night is looking pretty laid back. I'm waiting to hear back from Christy to see if she wants to have a little dinner, but if that doesn't work out I may just stay in and veg. It's been a long week! The idea of making dinner for myself and eating on the patio just seems like something nice to do for myself.

What is everyone else doing this weekend? Whatever you do, have fun!

Hugs to everyone!!

Wednesdays with Grampa

So I took my Grampa to dinner last night, and we had such a good time! We went to Mimi's Cafe and just talked and laughed and really enjoyed ourselves. My Grampa was instrumental in the aviation/engineering field back when everything was new. He helped to invent the predecessor to the "little black box" that is in all the cockpits now, and he even flew to Palm Springs with Howard Hughes for a milkshake! This man has great stories to share! We went back to the house and watched some TV, and talked a little more. He's doing well, but he says that mid-afternoons he starts to feel a little lost. But he's doing ok and is trying to figure out his new routine. I know he'll be fine. He let me take him to dinner on the condition that he buy next Wednesday, so I told him it was a date! I'm glad we're getting to spend time together like this.

I got my "Wow!" award at work yesterday and managed not to slip and fall on the CEO. I have pictures but didn't get them uploaded, so I will do that tomorrow. Besides, I haven't posted any recent pics and I need to do a side by side of my before picture and a current picture. I know I keep saying I'll do it...it's hard to look at the before picture now. But I am looking better these days, so I'll try and do that tonight so you can all see my progress.

Tomorrow Jacqueline and I are going running outside for my session, and with the weather as nice as it's getting, this should be great! I say that now...tomorrow may be a different story!

I talked to my cousin Jen last night. She's getting hit left and right with tough news. This past weekend, her father's house burned down (everyone is ok, thank God!) and then yesterday she got the news that her mother has cancer. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor and a very strong woman, so we are all praying for her to continue to be strong. Apparently the breast cancer came back and has spread to her lungs. She is having more tests done today, so we are hoping for a plan of action very soon. So when you say your prayers or send good thoughts out, please think of my cousin Jen's mom. (And Jen, too...she needs strength!)

So that's it for me for today. I hope everyone has a great day, and hugs to you all!

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

So when I told my trainer I wanted her to work me harder, apparently I was smoking crack that day. Oh my gosh, I am about as useful as spaghetti today! We worked legs last night, and I am one sore girl! And when we work out on Friday, she's meeting me at my apartment and we're going running on the trail in my complex. I think I have some sort of disease where I can't shut up, so I just keep blurting out these great ideas about how we should work me out harder! Seriously, I'm glad we're going it, but I spent a majority of my week with sore arms/legs. At least it feels like progress!

I was so proud of myself last night...I got a lot done around the apartment. I still have some stuff to take to the Salvation Army or Goodwill, but other than that the place looks good! I am having some friends over for dinner friday night and would like for things to look decent. I think it's time to clear off some of the plants on the patio. I don't always do well with plants, even though I love them. Christy is wonderful with plants! I wish I had her green thumb!

Other than all that silliness, no news. I am having dinner with Grampa tonight, so I am really looking forward to spending some quiet time with him.

Have a good Wednesday!

Dragging a Little Today

I had some trouble sleeping last night, so I am dragging a bit today. I need to get it together because it's leg night tonight!

It's been a very busy day today with work. Spent most of my day in a training class, so I feel like I can't seem to catch up and am constantly interrupted. I think I need to lay low tonight and soak in a hot bubble bath after I work out. Maybe a manicure/pedicure/facial will be in order. Tonight is Law&Order SVU, so you all know where I will be at 9pm! (Parked in front of my TV!)

I am getting some crazy award tomorrow at work for going above and beyond for one of our member hospitals. It's funny to me because (and I'll spare you the silly details) the whole thing is just part of my job. I didn't think I did anything out of the ordinary, but apparently our employee recognition committee thinks so, and now I get to accept an award from the CEO and a $50 gift certificate to the place of my choice. Honestly, I'd rather not have to walk down the grand staircase to accept an award, as I am a bit clumsy and will probably fall on the CEO and make an enormous ass of myself. Nice, huh? I guess this means I need to do some laundry and ironing tonight. Wow...I sound so domestic!

I am having dinner with Grampa tomorrow night and I am looking forward to it. Mom had lunch with him today and says that he is really looking forward to it as well. Tomorrow will be the first Wednesday I haven't spent with Gran in a long long time, so I need this time with Grampa. I'm still waiting for all the reality to hit me and to have this huge tearful breakdown, but it hasn't happened yet. I get weepy over little reminders, though. Sometimes when I look at my watch (which used to be Gran's watch) I just stare at it for a moment and miss her. I hope I make her proud.

I am having some trouble with my diet right now. I think it's all the stress I've been under, so I am working like crazy to get back on track. I've missed my last 2 WW meetings, so I absolutely cannot miss this week. Thank goodness I've been working out!

One more important reminder...it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One of my favorite blogs is chock full of wonderful ways to support breast cancer research (Blonde, you are awesome for sharing all the info that you do!!). I'll try and borrow some of her links and if you are in a position to help, I hope you choose to do so. It's such a worthy cause!

Have a wonderful day and hugs to everyone!

Ah, Mondays!

So I'm back at work today. When I came in, there was a lovely sympathy card signed by my entire team and filled with beautiful sentiments. I truly love the people I work with! It made my eyes well up just a little, but it also made me smile. I miss Gran, but I know she is happy and well now. :)

It was really tough when the alarm went off this morning. I haven't been on a very consistent schedule for the last week. In a way, it's good for me to get back to work. I need to get to the gym tonight, and I need to do laundry and clean the apartment. Everything seems to have been neglected for the last week. I am having dinner with Grampa on Wednesdays now, so I am looking forward to that.

I had brunch with Joseph and some of his friends yesterday and we had a very good time. It was fun to get out and laugh like that, and I needed it!

My WW meeting leader, Sally, is moving to Michigan. This makes me very sad for many reasons, because she has been such an inspiration and a cheerleader for me. However, her husband has become very ill and they are moving to be near their family. I'm really going to miss her!

I think that's all the news for today. Its good to be back with some regularity! Have a good Monday!

Back in the Swing of Things

It's been a tough week with WW...people have been bringing lots of food by, but none of it is anything healthy, so tomorrow I am going to the meeting, but not weighing in. I've had enough bad news for a while! But I have been working out and I am trying to get back on track.

I sold my old car today...YAY! I have a friend whose son will get his license in January, and my old Civic will be perfect for him. I cleaned it out this morning and thought of all theplaces I have been in that car. Mostly I thought of driving all over Seattle in that baby. And then the long, LONG drive home from Seattle! I'll miss her, but I am happy to send her to a loving home. And I can still visit her from time to time. :)

I don't have any big news today. I am feeling good and have a real sense of peace about everything. I miss my Gran, but I know she's with me in spirit, and that makes me smile.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Hugs to you all!

A Sense of Normal

Today was the day we laid my beautiful Gran to rest. I was waiting all day for this to be when I just broke down and lost it, but that hasn't happened yet. The funeral was lovely, and I am sure that my Gran would have been pleased, but would have told us we were all foolish to make such a fuss over her. (and she would have most definitely used the word foolish!) We were so pleasantly surprised at the turnout of people. And three of my dearest and most special friends came out to offer their support, so a very special thank you to Mia, Joseph and Kevin. Words simply cannot express how much it meant to have you share this day with me. My Grampa summed it up perfectly: It was a sad and happy day today. My Gran always used to say that if we felt a breeze on the back of our necks at the funeral it was her. When we stood in the sweltering heat at the grave, Joseph lifted my hair off my neck as my cousin, Jen, asked me if I could feel it...a strong breeze came from nowhere, and I know it was my Gran doing just as she promised me. It was a small sign I had been hoping for all week, so it was a special moment for me. I feel peaceful right now, but I have my ups and downs. I am looking forward to getting back to some sense of normal. My Wednesdays were always spent with my Gran, but my Grampa and I are going to start having dinner every week. He's a great man and I love him so much.

It was good for me to sit down and read all my friends' blogs and see that there are other things going on in the world. I miss my daily interactions with so many of you. Don't be surprised to hear from me in the next few days as I start to re-enter the real world again. Everything has been such a blur. My cousin and I are going to get together when he gets off work tomorrow night and hang out. His wife is out of town and I think he may be feeling lost like me. It's a strange feeling when you truly don't know what to do with yourself and you don't know what you need.

So forgive me if I digress from time to time and talk about my Gran. I really like to keep things silly and fun here, but she is such an important part of my life. I know my last few posts have been downers, but things are looking up. I also want to say thanks to everyone who has so kindly offered condolences. I appreciate every kind word and thought more than I can ever say. Please know that I thank God for you all. You have helped me through a very painful time for me. And Blonde, I appreciate so much the connection we share. Thank you again for your support.

Tomorrow Mom and I are making cookies to take to the nursing home staff as a thank you. If you could see the love and respect with which they treated my Gran, you would love them as much as I do. :) How nice to know there are people like that in the world!

Have a wonderful day and hugs to each and every one of you out there!

Remembering My Gran

Edwina Christian Moller
1919 - 2005


Edwina Christian Moller, 86, passed away peacefully Friday, Sept. 23, 2005, in Fort Worth with her family at her side.

Memorials may be made to the Salvation Army.

Edwina was born Sept. 22, 1919, in Stambaugh, Mich., to John Christian and Eleanor Kelly. She trained as a pediatric nurse in Chicago, where she met her husband, Robert. They were married for 64 years. Together, they traveled extensively throughout the United States and many foreign countries. She loved travel, reading, needlework and, especially, her beloved kitty, Cozy.

Survivors: Husband, Robert Moller; daughters, Gail Moller Stewart and her husband, Frank of Bedford, Ann Moller Hungerford of Fort Worth; son, Robert Moller and his wife, Goldie of Cedar Park; grandchildren, Jennifer Stewart of Bedford, Darren Hungerford, Craig Hungerford and his wife, Jennifer of Arlington; great-granddaughter, Ashley Hungerford of Arlington.

Published in the Star-Telegram from 9/26/2005 - 9/27/2005.

A Prayer Request

I lost my Gran tonight. I feel a little lost and so oddly enough, this is what I chose to do. I need to write about her just a little.

She was a smart, independant woman. She traveled the world and saw things most of us could only hope to see in our lifetime. And she was warm and loving. Her last words were "I love you", and they were to me. I held her hand when she passed, and it was a peacful, beautiful moment. I am very lucky to have shared that with her.

So please, when you say your next prayers, thank God for his mercy. She isn't suffering any more.

I think I won't be blogging for a few days. I'll write again next week. Thank you to all of you who have kept my family in your thoughts for so long. I love you all.

Enjoying the Day, In Spite of the News

I got to sleep in this morning, and it was wonderful! (This means I didn't wake up until7!) I turned on the news and was greeting with all the info on that terrible bus crash. For those readers not in the DFW area, that crash was just a few miles south of Dallas. Top it off with the doom and gloom reporting of the the hurricane looming and the irrational craziness of everyone rushing to buy gas and water, it's like a madhouse here. I even got info on what to do in an emergency from my apartment complex. People, I think we'll be ok. I picked up some food last night but only because there's a chance if we get any storms we might lose power, but I doubt it would be for very long. I am ready to get on with fall!!

I am going to the gym in 30 minutes. This is the one I am dreading: Jacqueline promised me one heck of a workout. I'm scared! I'll let you know what that means if I can move later.

Tonight is Salsa dancing night!! I'm excited about that! I can test out my new moves and see how it goes! Hopefully I will get some pictures and then you all can laugh along with me!

That's it for now. Everyone have a great Friday!

My Friday

I am taking the day off tomorrow, so this is like Friday for me here in the office. I was originally going to go to the ACL Music Festival, but the tickets sold out and finances dictated that it was better to stay home. But I am ok with that! I am looking forward to taking it easy.

Tomorrow I am sleeping in a little bit, but I am seeing my trainer at 1pm tomorrow. I have been fairly warned that she is going to work me very hard, so I am to eat a good lunch. I hope I don't die! I am salsa dancing tomorrow night and I am really looking forward to that!! Still planning my wardrobe...I want to look festive. I have a great pair of (smaller) black pants and a great top that are the best candidates so far. I think I'll put my hair up to keep my neck cool...this salsa dancing makes me very hot! (It's one heck of a workout!)

I've been going to bed at 9 every night, and it's been a good thing. I am finally catching up on my sleep and feeling more energized. (Jacqueline could tell on Tuesday that I wasn't in my best condition!) It's amazing how not getting enough sleep can affect you! I'm going to work out tonight...my hamstrings are sore and I need to get them moving!

Have a good Thursday everyone!

Pointless and Silly

Saw this on another blog and thought it would be interesting to share:

7 Things I Plan to do Before I Die
1) Visit the Isle of Man (where my family is from)
2) Learn to play acoustic guitar
3) Be down to my ideal weight
4) Finish school
5) Own a BMW
6) Get good at Salsa dancing
7) Learn to walk gracefully in heels

7 Things I Can Do
1) Sing
2) Name all the states alphabetically
3) Tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue
4) I can multi-task like a pro
5) Make phenomenal chocolate chip cookies (mom's recipe-YUM!)
6) Make friends in any situation - I'm very outgoing!
7) Run for 2.5 minutes on the treadmill. Not a lot for most people, but an accomplishment for me right now!

7 Things I Cannot Do
1) Draw
2) Tolerate closed minded people
3) Say no to chocolate
4) Find my way around a foreign country...I seem to get lost a lot!
5) Pass by a MAC counter without stopping to look
6) Bunjee jump. I don't even want to try it!
7) Keep my plants alive. Those poor babies, I am bad luck for plants!

7 Things I Say Most Often
1) "Right on" or "Right"
2) "However"
3) "Perhaps"
4) "Fabulous!"
5) "Jacked up" (as in "that is so jacked up!")
6) "Whatever"
7) "Hello, friend!"

7 Celebrity Crushes
1) Adrian Brody
2) Johnathan Rhys-Myers
3) Benicio del Toro
4) Andersen Cooper
5) Jason Lewis
6) Trent Reznor
7) Joe Niewendyk

7 Things That Annoy Me
1) Slow drivers in the left lane
2) People who don't keep their promises
3) Constant lateness
4) Lack of consideration for others
5) Bad grammar/spelling
6) People who have to "keep up with the Joneses"
7) Bad service in restaurants

This was harder to do than I thought it would be!

SATC is the Most Truthful Show Ever

I am, and will always be, a very big fan of Sex and the City (SATC). I think this show provided a good insight into what it's like for us single gals. I say this because over the last week, there have been two incidences in which life has imitated art very closely. The most recent one involving my trainer. She was telling me last night that she and her fiancee have officially broken up. But it's how he did it that really hurt her. She was in the middle of training a client on Monday and she went up to the front of the gym for something and he puller her aside and told her he needed to come by and pick up his stuff from her house because they were over. Now really, is this how you would want someone to treat you? This reminded me of the SATC episode where Berger breaks up with Carrie on a post-it note. She then runs into his friends at a club and says a few regretful things, and his friends tell her that guys do things like that because women cry about breakups. And then Carrie makes the most important point: A woman wants an ending to a relationship to honor what they had together. So for my trainer, a two year relationship that was headed towards a wedding was ended with a two minute conversation about picking up his stuff from her garage. As you can well imagine, it was hell for her to try and get through the day. And as if it needed to be more insulting, Doug (her ex-boyfriend) told everyone at the gym before she even got there. So she was the last to know. Classy.

So this brought to mind some of my biggest relationship concerns, which can pretty well be summed up as a fear of the unexpected. Guys, when you date someone, if you need to break up or have a concern, talk to your girlfriend. Be open about things. Yes, she might cry and feel sad, but have enough respect for what you had to tell her in a private moment when you can talk about it. You can feel better about yourself down the line when you realize you did it the best way you could.

So onto a far less serious topic...I watched Dancing with the Stars last night, and I just LOVE John O'Hurley! (Who wouldn't love Mr. Peterman from Seinfeld?) I love the dancing and I really think John got shafted when they didn't win the original competition. I tried to call in my vote, but the phones were tied up and I couldn't get through. I never watch this kind of stuff, but I really enjoyed this show immensely! (What a dork, right?)

I worked out last night (leg night) and I am sore today! I bet tomorrow will be worse! I am taking the day off on Friday and we are going to work out at 1pm. I have been warned to be ready because we're going to push me very hard...interval training and super sets. I wonder if I'll be able to move Friday evening? I'm going salsa dancing with the class, and I hope I'll be able to get my groove on!

That's it for today. Have a great day. Sorry I started out a little preachy, but my trainer has become a friend and I hate when my friends are hurting.

Not Much to Report

It's Tuesday and it's not an exciting day. It's been busy at work and I didn't sleep well last night so I am tired.

I've just been overwhelmed at work with my regular job duties and then adding on the fact that I am heading up the Katrina Relief stuff for my division, I am swamped! We've managed for secure and deliver beds to 19 people who were sleeping on the floor of their new homes. We've also collected tons of housewares and we're still trying to get more for the families we've "adopted". It's good feeling to do this for others. Hopefully if I am ever in that position, people would be willing to help me, too.

Friday night is Salsa dancing! My class is going to a restaurant for dancing, and the instructors will be there to dance with us and have a great time. I've been really enjoying the classes and it's great exercise. My last class as a level one beginner is Saturday, and then I am moving up to level two. If I end up staying with this for a while, I'm going to buy some super fun salsa dancing shoes. They also have a competitive dance team and that might be fun to think about in the future. I'm not anywhere near that level right now...I'm just tying to learn the steps!

I think that's it for today. There's not much going on besides work. Tonight is leg night with my trainer. I really like her. She was engaged to the owner of the gym, but the recently called off the wedding because of some issues they wanted to work on. It looks more and more like they're going to break up, and she promised me that she'll continue to work at the gym. I hope so! If she goes anywhere else, I will too! This woman gets results out of me! But I really admire how she made such a hard decision (calling off her wedding). I think it might have been the best thing. I like the owner of the gym a lot, but no matter how wonderful someone is, if it's not going to work, you can't force it.

So NOW that's it for today. Have a good Tuesday everyone!

Monday Always Comes Too Soon

I'm never ready for Mondays to roll around! Hope everyone had a good weekend. My parents made it back from the coast and they had a lovely time.

Friday night I went out with Joseph for dinner and we met Mia. Her husband's band (Saints and Sinners) was playing later that night, so we went out to hear them and had a great time. Saturday was Salsa lessons (always a good time and a hard workout!), and then Saturday night Angela and I went to dinner. We went to Ama Lur at the Gaylord Resort. Good food! We ran into a coworker and had a glass of wine with them and really enjoyed ourselves. I got her the 2nd Bridget Jones movie as a birthday gift so we watched most of that.

Sunday I went to go see Gran, and she isn't doing great. She is just feeling yucky and not motivated to do her therapy at all. I am starting to think that she may not walk again, but I am hoping that isn't the case.

Also, great day at WW! I lost 2.5 more pounds for a total of 77.5 now!! I'm so excited about that!!

So that's it in a nutshell. Michael had to work Saturday night, so I am hoping to hear from him today.

Have a good Monday everyone!

The Morning After

I had the best date I've ever had last night! Here's the recap:

Michael and I had a great time last night! We met up at Sherlock's and had drinks (I got there a little early to have a drink to take the edge off...he was running a little late so I had two. I no longer had an edge at all, but that's a good thing since you guys know how worked up about this I was!) We talked non-stop for quite a while. I have no concept of time since I don't wear a watch so I am not sure how long we sat there, but after a while there was a band getting ready to play and we couldn't hear each other any more. So we decided to walk over to TGIFridays. As he was closing out the tab, the unthinkable happened: I was touching up my lipstick (MAC of course) and dropped my lipstick tube. So I start looking around for it on the floor, and he turns to see me searching and wants to know if I'm ok. So I explain casually (trying to hide my utter panic that I have just lost my MAC lipstick) what happened, and before I know it he's down on the floor looking for it! He was so sweet about trying to help me find it. We never did and I was very dismissive about it...but I liked the fact that he was such a gentleman about it!

So we walked over to Fridays and it was good because we could hear one another again. He was hungry so he got an appetizer, and we sat there for a while longer. After a while he excused himself to the men's room, and when he came back he walked up behind me and started rubbing my shoulders. He then proceeds to find the one area in my shoulder that no one ever manages to massage correctly (until now!) and the muscle is just in knots, so he suggests maybe if I wanted to go back to my place he would be happy to massage my shoulders. I am never one to turn down a massage! So back we went to my apartment. (When we left I was laughing and said I couldn't believe I lost my lipstick, and he offered to go back and find it for me! I said not to worry about it, but isn't that sweet?) So we're sitting on the couch at my place and we're still talking about anything and everything as he's really working my shoulders. (He has the strongest hands!) Both us of soon realize it's now 1:45am and we both go to work early. However, he has asked me out again, and he also invited me to go see Styx and Kansas with him and his friends - don't know when that show is but I told him we'd see and that it sounded like a lot of fun.

So that's it in a nutshell...probably the most fun I've had in forever. We never had a lull in the conversation. I can't wait to see him again!