Wednesday, November 30, 2005

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! :)

Monday, November 28, 2005

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.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

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! :)

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

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!

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

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!

Monday, November 21, 2005

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!

Friday, November 18, 2005

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! :)

Thursday, November 17, 2005

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!

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

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!!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

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!

Monday, November 14, 2005

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, November 11, 2005

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!

Thursday, November 10, 2005

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!!

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

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!

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

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!

Monday, November 07, 2005

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!

Friday, November 04, 2005

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!

Thursday, November 03, 2005

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! :)

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

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!

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

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!!