Playing Catch-Up

After a fast and furious afternoon helping David get ready and off to the airport, I met up with Angela for dinner and catch-up. It was so good to see her, and we laughed and had so much fun! It's been a little while since we've had a chance to do that, and I am so glad we did! She's such a good friend and an amazing person. During summer months I always love going to her house and hanging out at her pool and just relaxing. I am looking forward to that this summer as well!

Things are going good with WW. I have done pretty well...ate at Chipotle yesterday (YUM!) but managed to do okay. Their Burrito Bowls are so tasty!! I am going to eat out with Mia for lunch today but I'll make good choices and then get a workout in after work today.

Oh, I got a new phone yesterday... I love it! I got the little pink Bluetooth headset too. I refuse to wear it everywhere, just pretty much in the car when I am driving. I think people that wear them all the time look like robots. It's also rude. It's like saying that you're too important to put your phone away and let a call go to voicemail. We're a very rude society sometimes! Anyhow, I'm planning to keep it put away unless I am actually on a call or in the car.

So that's it for now. David is in Las Vegas! I hope he wins big! (He's also there working...it's not just a vacation for him!

Have a great day everyone!

Success at the Scale!

I had my first weigh-in yesterday and I lost 3 pounds!!! I am so proud! I worked really hard last week to get in all my water, exercise, and eat carefully and it paid off! :)

David made it back around 8:45 Saturday night, and it was so good to see him! We've had a wonderful weekend, and I am leaving work early today to spend a litle extra time with him before I take him to the airport tonight. He flies to Las Vegas tonight and is there for a couple of days, then on to Reno, then to Albequerque and then...HOME! He's back next Saturday night and done with the blitz.

Other than that, no big news. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! (Especially mine!!)

Waterlogged!

One important part of being healthy is drinking plenty of water. WW tells us to drink six 8-ounce glasses of water every day, so I bought a big WW mug that holds 32 ounces. By drinking about 1.5 of these daily, I get all my water in like I should. However, I drank almost 3 of these mugs yesterday. I don't think I have ever had to go to the restroom so much in my entire life! I'm going to lose weight with all the trips to the ladies' room! I'm telling you, I should be squeaky clean on the inside!

No other big news. I had dinner with Grampa last night, and as always it was wonderful. We went to Applebee's and I had the shrimp and steak skewers off of the WW menu. GOOD STUFF! I was very full and it tasted really good. Tonight I am having dinner with mom and dad and we are making a new WW recipe for parmigan chicken. It looks really good, so I will report back tomorrow. If it's yummy, I will post the recipe here for all to enjoy. :) The recipes I get from WW are always good, so I expect this to be a success!

I am still doing well with WW. I'm feeling good and have gotten a couple of good workouts in this week so far. I am going to work out again tonight, too. It's helpful to have a gym here at work so that I can get my workout overwith and I have my whole evening to relax.

School is still going well, too. I am having to work harder to maintain my A average, but I like the challenge. I am good with an A or B, but I really want the A's!!

David called this morning on his way to the event in Cleveland. He's ready to leave Cleveland now, which is good since he heads to Toledo this afternoon. He got a little lost heading to the mall this morning, but he made it ok. I get to hug him the day after tomorrow!! I am missing him so much. I love that he calls several times a day but it's just not the same as having him here with me. I also have to get to work on cleaning out my apartment! He will be moving into my place (as I am moving out) in June, so we need to get moving along. So much to do!!

Everyone have a good Thursday!

Hump Day! (Thank Goodness!)

I am so glad it's the middle of the week! I am ready to be on the downhill slope toward the weekend. I am eager for my weigh in on Sunday, but I am super excited that David will be home on Saturday night! :) I miss him so much!

No big news. Tonight is dinner with Grampa, and I am going to suggest Applebee's for dinner since they have the Weight Watchers menu. (It's good stuff, too!) I am having dinner with Mia and Kim Friday night. I think we're going to go to Monica's for dinner and dancing. I am planning ahead and will have a healthy dinner (you can get healthy Tex-Mex there!! They use fat free black beans and low fat cheeses!). I'm going back to my old stand-by drink of club soda with lime. Right now, I am avoiding alcohol and the calories it leaves on my body. (Except for my martini with Grampa, but I am allotting for that with my eating today.) So I am going to eat healthy and have a fun night! :)

I hope everyone is having a great day! David is in Cleveland and enjoying himself. He heads to Toledo tomorrow, and then home for a bit. I can't wait!!

1 Pound = 4 Sticks of Butter

So I cheated and got on the scale this morning and I am down a pound already! My mom and I always have fun joking about sticks of butter, because 4 sticks of butter is equal to one pound. So I have lost 4 sticks of butter!! Woo-hoo!

It's been a busy day so far, but not a bad day at all. I am looking forward to a good workout this afternoon at the gym after work. When I get home tonight I am going to have a hot bubble bath and relax and read my copy of Allure magazine that I have yet to even take the plastic off of. I love that magazine! :)

The best news of the day is that my Dad had an ECG and preliminary reports show that things look great! He had a stress test recently and they seemed to think they might detect a little damage, so I've been worried. Today is good news for my family! :) My Dad is awesome and I am glad to know that he'll be around for a while! (Yay Dad!)

So other than that, no real news. I am doing well with my WW stuff, so all is well. I am looking forward to my weigh-in on Sunday...I predict good things!!

So Far, So GREAT!

It's my first full day back on the WW plan, and I am doing so well!! I even went to lunch at a Mexican place, and had chicken fajitas (no tortillas, no cheese, and no problem!) and charro beans. I ate a few chips, but I accounted for them when I was writing it all down. I am drinking lots of water and I will eat a lite dinner...probably mixed veggies sauteed in a tsp of olive oil and maybe some balsamic vinegar. I am pretty full from lunch so a lite dinner will be just right. I am taking it easy tonight and cleaning the apartment. I haven't had much opportunity to work on cleaning things out so I want to get some of that done tonight.

David is coming home in 5 days! I can't wait!

Oh, I forgot to mention that my friend Kevin is going to start at VHA on the 23rd. I won't be working with him, but I'm glad he's getting on with the company. He has been working as a contractor for another company for a long time, so he's ready for something permanent I'm sure!

That's it for now. It's nice to get back to the original idea of this blog...to celebrate my weight loss success! :) I didn't gain all my weight back, but I don't want to say how much. I am starting from square one (which is still considerably less that last year's square one!) and will go forward from there. The day I reach my goal weight will be the day I tell you all how much I weighed when I started.

So yay for me! :) (And thanks to all my family and friends who are so very supportive of me!)

New Beginnings

I did it! I went back to my regular WW meeting today, and it felt good! I saw my buddies there and they hugged me and told me how happy they were that I was back. I felt like a superstar! I sat in the meeting today and felt like it was the right time for me to be going back. I have a very good feeling that I will be able to meet my goals this time around. I've done very well with my eating today, and I went to the store and got everything I need for this week to be a good one. So the good news is that next Sunday I know I will be reporting a loss, and I can hardly wait!!

David is doing well on the road. He's pretty tired, but at least he has a couple of days to take it easy before his next event. He gets to come home for just a couple of days next Saturday, so I am really looking forward to that! (It helps since I haven't seen his handsome face sine last Wednesday!)

I am feeling rested after just feeling worn out for the last couple of days. I am going to get my homework done, have dinner with the folks, and then head home to get a good night's sleep.

Have a good day, everyone!

Ladies' Night

Mom and I had dinner last night because I worked late and couldn't get to Grampa's at a reasonable time. (We're having brinch on Saturday morning!) Mom and I went to Blue Mesa Grill and enjoyed a very tasty dinner. We did a little bit of shopping afterwards and then went back to Mom's to just visit. We were going to do a few things around the house, but we got lazy and just vegged.

Dad comes back from his annual fishing trip with the guys today. Apparently the fishing wasn't so good, but the fun and fellowship were in abundance! (Tequila and tasty food were there in plenty, I'm sure!) Hopefully he won't be coming home with his annual sunburn, too! (Poor Dad!)

I talked to David for a while last night. I am missing him already! It turns out that he will be coming home for a couple of days next weekend, which works out fine. Kim and I are talking about a girl's night that Friday (the 12th), so it works out perfectly! I know he'll be tired so no big fancy dinner planned, just picking him up and getting him home to rest! He won't be home for long, just two days but I am sure it will be nice for him to see his own home for a short time. Then he will only have to be gone for a week and then he comes home for a week. But then he has to go to Atlanta for another week, but I will take what I can get! :)

We're going to Corpus Christi/South Padre for my birthday weekend this year! I have never been down there and am looking forward to it! (Been to Paris and London, never been to Corpus Christi?) And then we have our San Francisco trip in July, so we have lots to look forward to.

School is tougher this semester, but I am liking the challenge. After my straight A's, I am challenging myself to keep it up this time, too. I can do this!

I am still geared up for WW on Sunday. Angela, if you're going, I may need a little hand-holding!!

Everyone have a good Thursday!

A Step In The Right Direction

I am so proud of me! David and I walked for almost an hour last night and it felt good! I was more out of shape than I realized, which was pretty frustrating, but I am going to fix that! I burned over 300 calories (according to my heart rate monitor!) so we did well!

I took David to the airport this morning. He's already in Omaha now and he won't be home until May 20th. :( I am missing him already, but I have plenty to keep me busy with schoolwork and all! Besides, I need to get back to the business of cleaning things out since we are going to move his stuff into the apartment by the end of June! I know you all think I am a sill girl for moving home, but I am just old fashioned enough that I want to be married before we officially live together. That's just me.

I am still getting geared up for WW on Sunday. I am going to think positive and have a successful go of it. This time is it! David and I talked about it and he is so proud of my commitment and says he will do anything to support my efforts. It's nice to have that kind of support. :)

That's it for today. I am working late since I took Daivd to the airport, so I am out of here at 5:15 and will head home and then on to Mom's for dinner. Dad is on his annual fishing trip with the guys, so it's just me and Mom tonight.

Have a good Wednesday everyone!

At That Point

When I started WW last year I had hit a very emotional point and was mentally ready to commit myself to the weight loss. I hit that point again yesterday. I've been waiting for that emotional moment and I found it. I know it sounds silly to anyone who hasn't had to deal with weight loss, but it's an important moment for me. I sat down and made two lists. One list is seven things I will do every day and why they are important, and the other is a list of 25 reasons why I want to lose weight. I won't share them here because they are very personal, but my friends, I think I am ready. I'm going to go back on Sunday to my meeting where all my WW buddies are. They used to tell me I inspired them, and now I need them to inspire me. It's hard to go back because I feel like I failed, but I am trying not to focus on that. I am trying to focus on being ready to dive in completely. It's a little scary because I want to succeed, but I need to realize that I will. I just have to stay with it.

So unlike all my half-hearted efforts since last November, this time I am going to make it happen. I'm ready and determined and that will carry me a long way.

I'll need your good thoughts and support, so please feel free to leave encouraging messages. I will report in on Sunday about my meeting, but there won't be a weight loss to post until the following Sunday.

Wish me luck!

He's Home! (For A Few Days)

Saturday was a busy day. Joseph came over and helped me make the Coq au Vin for my dinner with David. (Joseph, you are such a blessing!) It turned out so good!! David was exhausted when he got home...we ate and then he went to bed around 9:30. Poor guy! All this travel is taking a toll on him, and I worry about the next round of travel. He is leaving Wednesday for almost three weeks. I will miss him terribly, but it will be much worse for him not seeing home for so long and getting to spend time in his own space. I wouldn't be able to do it. When he comes home I know he will need a few days to himself to regroup and relax and sleep.

We saw United 93 this weekend. It was well done, but very hard to watch. I cried through several parts of it, and noticed that I was shaking. It's hard to relive that part of our history. But it's good to remember those who lost their lives...both on 9/11 and in the Oklahoma City bombing. David visited the memorial when he was there last week and it was very moving for him.

I got my final grade for my other class...I have a 3.83 GPA! Yay!! Straight A's, my friends!! I am so proud of myself! I worked hard for that and it paid off. My next two classes are more difficult but more interesting. (I do well with a challenge!)

That's all my news today. Poor Christy is still sick, but she thinks she might muster the energy for soup at LaMadeline's, so I am crossing my fingers. I haven't seen her in over a week and I am missing her.

Angela stopped by for a little bit Friday night. It was SO good to see her! She's a good friend and I need to better organize my time so that we can see each other more often. Summer is coming and I always love the quiet time she and I spend hanging out in her backyard by the pool!! Angela, thanks for being such a good friend. I love you dearly!

That's all my news for now. Everyone have a good Monday!

Friday, Baby!!

TGIF! It's been a really busy week with work, so I am glad the weekend is here. And I am extra glad because David comes home tomorrow and I am making a special dinner for him. If this recalls any memories of my chicken debacle last November, I have three words for you: Don't go there! This dinner is going to be so good I am not even going to make a backup dinner! I found a recipe for Coq au Vin (Chicken in Red Wine) off of the Food Network tv show "How To Boil Water". It looks like an easy recipe, and I am making a salad to go with it. I anticipate good things! Also, I am making it before I pick him up from the airport so if it sucks, we're ordering in and he won't have to be subjected to it. But it's going to be awesome so no worries!!

It's payday, too, so that helps make it a good day! Christy was going to cut my hair tonight but she isn't feeling well at all, so she is staying home and recovering. I am going to spend the evening cleaning and making everything look nice for when David gets in tomorrow. I have been sorting through things and getting rid of stuff and I have garbage bags and throw-away piles all over the apartment. It's a mess! So I am going to do a super cleaning on the casa tonight so that I don't have to do it tomorrow. I am going to go grocery shopping tomorrow and run a few errands, and then cook and get ready for the love of my life to come home. :) His flight arrives around 6pm, so I have plenty of time. I know me...I will be ready early, go to Starbucks for my Passion Tea/Lemonade and head to the airport. It seems to be my little tradition for when I am picking him up. I do that every time. :) If you haven't tried that at Starbucks, it's very yummy and refreshing. A nice change from my usual "grande non-fat sugar-free vanilla latte". (If it's late I also throw in the "decaf" as well. I'm a pain the tushie!)

Anyhow, that's it for today. I'm outta here in 3.5 hours and then it's countdown to David time!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Considerably More Cheerful Today!

It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for you!

I ended up cancelling dinner with Grampa because I felt so lousy. I suggested dinner tonight but he already has plans! (I love it!) He goes to an exercise class three days a week (He's almost 87, mind you!) and has lots of friends there and he goes to lunch or dinner with some of them. So he and I will have dinner next week at our usual time. It makes me so happy that he has a social life!

Tonight I am having dinner with Mom and Dad. I am looking forward to an uneventful evening!

So that's it for today. Nothing too exciting. Send David good thoughts...he's driving to Tulsa tonight!

Stirring the Pot

I don't generally think of myself as being controversial, but I have managed to stir up some trouble in my new class. In my Critical Thinking class I made the following post in response to the assigned question of "Describe a situation you are familiar with in which people based their actions or opinions on false information. How would the situation have changed if the facts were researched and presented more carefully? "

Here was my post:

The first situation that comes to mind when I think of people acting on incorrect information is the president making decisions to go to war in Iraq with the understanding that Iraq had been producing weapons of mass destruction. He was acting on information given to him by the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, which turned out to be false information (as admitted by Mr. Powell himself later on). Although it is purely speculation, the American public is left to wonder if the actions taken by the president would have been the same if the correct intelligence had been presented to him to begin with. I don't know that the course of action would have changed greatly had the president been different information, as it seems he was eager to send U.S. troops over to Iraq, but it is possible that he might have given the situation more time and been more willing to work with the United Nations and not sent troops to Iraq so quickly, which could potentially have resulted in a more peaceful solution with Iraq.

So let's think about why I posted this. I chose this because it was the first example of someone acting on false information that came to mind. And who said the information was false? Colin Powell. Not me. However, I have some classmates who wanted to remind me that I sleep safely every night because of our soldiers and that I need to be grateful.

Where in there did I say I wasn't grateful to our soldiers? I love them all and am proud of our troops! I answered a discussion question and now I am getting hammered. I knew it was a touchy subject, but I thought it was a good example. I really don't know how it would have changed if he had different information. I can't even really venture a guess. All I know is that I answered a discussion question for class. Sheesh! There are uptight lefties and righties in my class. I was gracious and responded to my harsh critics by saying how neat it was that we had the opportunity for an open forum, and that I appreciated their thoughts on the discussion question. Anyone that knows me knows that I would never disrespect our soldiers. UGH!!!

Maybe I am cranky today because I am cramping and feeling rather blah. David must be happy to be out of town!! So really I don't have much news. If I don't start to feel better I may call Grampa and reschedule our dinner. I don't want to take my attitude out to dinner with us tonight. Hopefully it will pass, though!

Oh, I have one of my official grades back, and I got an A in my IT class. Now I am waiting for my grade from my persuasive writing class. Maybe I should write a persuasive essay on getting my grades back faster!!

Okay, that's it. I am logging off until I am my happy funny self again! Damn cramps!

Twister!

So David has had an exciting stay in OKC with all the tornados. He wasn't in the line of fire, but he could step outside and watch the twisters as they tore through town. I was a nervous wreck worrying about him, but he is totally fine and in the clear, now. It was scary to think of him in the middle of all that!

Yesterday at work was so busy I was absolutely worn out by the time I left. I came home with the intention of working out, but instead I ate dinner and then began cleaning things out. It's different when you think about getting rid of stuff because you will at some point be combining stuff with someone else. But it's a happy feeling and I liked doing it.

Tonight Mom and I are running errands. I am delivering some Avon goodies to Jen and Mom has some stuff to return to another store, so we're going to be a little busy and I won't really get to do more cleaning out tonight. Joseph and Dima may be coming over on Friday to help me for a little bit, and then we will go have a drink and play a little bit of pool. (All work and no play, etc)

David comes home on Saturday and I am going to make dinner. Yes, I know the last time I tried to do this I made a big disaster (undercooked chicken, etc), but I am trying again. I am making Coq au Vin and a salad. We saw it on the Food Network Sunday and I thought it looked easy and very tasty. If it's awful I will know beforehand because I am going to make it and then pick David up, so worst case scenario is that it will be awful and he will never know and we will just order pizza. :)

So that's it for me. Nothing earth shattering. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

The Next Phase of My Life

I had a wonderful weekend! I spent it all with David and although we didn't do a whole lot, it was wonderful. Friday night we went to Fish City Grill and had dinner-YUM! We did some window shopping and had a lovely evening. We also talked a lot about our future together, and we both agree on how we see our lives together going. I haven't outlined a lot of our discussions here because some things should stay between us, but we are definitely planning our future. His lease is up at the end of July, and he is going to move into my apartment then. I am moving back home because I am still old fashioned about some things. I want to wait until I am married to officially combine residences, and thankfully, David understands and loves me for that. So this will save us both a very large sum of money each month and I can pay off my credit cards and save up for a special event that will be happening next year. (Nope. Not sharing any details until we have made things official, so don't ask!!) We have talked in detail about our finances and how to wipe out our debt, which isn't much for two people really! We want to work together and save money like crazy so that we have the means to enjoy our lives and not be under any debt if we don't have to be.

I need to give a shout out to Stephanie who is getting married on Saturday in a private ceremony with her family by her side. She is excited and happy, and her husband-to-be sounds wonderful. (He is a farmer, which is perfect given Steph's love of animals!) So Best wishes to Stephanie!!

I hope everyone has a great day! Please send David good thoughts. He has to go to OKC today, and they are predicting some scary weather, and his anxiety is a little high. Be safe, David!!

Hooray for Friday!

It started out as a long week, but it ended up just flying by! I had dinner with Christy last night and we had a blast. It has been tough with our crazy schedules, but I was glad we made the time to catch up. We had dinner at Lava Grill, and had some very tasty sushi! :) She and Rich are looking at buying a house. Wow...my friends are all grown up! Buying houses, getting married, having babies, earning Masters Degrees...I can't believe I am old enough that these are the things we're all doing these days! (I'm going to be 34 in two months! Holy cow!)

I was bummed to find that I don't have the week off in between classes like I thought I did. I don't know where I got that, but you can imagine my disappointment. But I'll keep plugging away and working on school. If it gets to be too much I can always take a semester off, but I think I would really like to get this done ASAP. I am still headed towards straight "A"s in both of my classes, so that's a good thing. :) I should have my associates degree finished by July of 2007. I may take a little time off between that and starting the downhill run to my bachelor's degree. (There may be a lot going on in the fall of 2007...)

And in other news, David comes home today! I get to see him this weekend and then I won't see him for a couple of weeks. I am going to have to get the address of his hotels so I can be silly and send him cards wherever he is. Or I could plan ahead and pack a bunch of cards in his suitcase. Who knows what I will do! But I want to do something fun for him. It's hard for him to be on the road like that I would imagine.

I am hoping we have a chance to get to the Main Street Arts Festival this weekend. I like going to that. Kevin and I went last year and meandered around for a while. It was kind of late and most of the vendors were packing up, so there wasn't too much to see but there was a lot of food and music, so that's always fun. We're going to see Robin Hackett Saturday night. She's a favorite of mine...she plays great music and I have seen her many times. She probably thinks that Kevin and I are stalkers, but her music is so good I just can't miss an opportunity to hear her. I think she is on the cusp of her big break and I am hoping that if this is the case that she doesn't forget her fan base here!

That's about it for now. Oh yeah-please send Kevin good thoughts at 9am this morning. He has an interview here and I am really hoping it goes well. Mia and Kevin and I are having lunch afterwards, so I am sure he can give us the good news that it went well. He is perfect for this position and it really is his time for something good to come along job-wise.

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

This Time, I Swear!

I know you all must be sick and tired of hearing about me joining and rejoining Weight Watchers. I have been struggling with joining (again) and looking for some sort of sign that I am ready to really commit to it again. I got it when I opened my mail yesterday. I got a coupon for free registration for me and a friend, and then I got my WW magazine. So I am taking it as a sign and rejoining tonight. There is a 6:15pm meeting that Mom and I are going to attend, and I am going to do this. I have had to pack away some of the clothes I was so excited that I got into last year, so I am going to get back into them soon. So I am seriously going to do this. I am just going to start from square one and get on track beginning right now.

So next Thursday you can expect a weigh in report. I haven't been very good about it since last September, but I am going to be really good about it now!

In other news, I overslept because the storms knocked out my power in the middle of the night. We had a lot of thunder and lightening, a little rain, and no power. I think I need to start setting the alarm on my phone as a backup!

David comes home tomorrow from Houston, and then after this weekend I am not sure when I will see him again. He'll be on the road doing his store events for a few weeks and I am sure going to miss him! So aside from going to see one of my favorite local artists this weekend, we will probably be spending the weekend together since I won't see him for a couple of weeks. The upside to this is that I will be losing weight and when he comes back I will be smaller! :)

Big shout-out to Kim who has gotten a new job offer! Now that she has her Masters Degree she is off and running! Congrats, Kim!

And one other big piece of news...as we speak, Jessica is being induced so she and Joe should have their new baby today! And I know she is VERY ready! I can't wait to hear the good news and see ths pictures!

Everyone have a great day! :)

(And David, if you read this...I love you!)

The Home Stretch

I am in the last week of my first semester of school, and I still have As in both my classes! Looks like it's a success! I am so proud of myself. I've worked hard for this and it's paying off. I think the online learning thing is just the way for me to go. :)

David is off to Houston today and he'll be back on Friday. I will sure miss him while he's gone, but I have lots to finish with the last week of school, so by the time he comes home I will be ready to kick back and relax! After this weekend I won't see him but just a couple of days over the following four weeks. He has a lot of travel and won't be home but just one or two days throughout May. That's going to be tough! I am going to miss that man! But it's all in the name of shoes, and I guess I have to let Born have him for a few weeks since I got 6 new pairs of shoes!

Easter was nice. We went to church with Mom and Dad then the four of us grabbed a nice lunch at PF Changs and then David and I dashed off to his side of town for dinner with his family. They are all so very nice to me! I was a little nervous because I want them to really like me. After all, I plan to be around for a long time!

We went to the Ft Worth Zoo Friday afternoon and it was a blast! I hadn't been out there for years and it was so much fun to go together. A lovely way to spend a couple of hours together.

That's about it for me. No big news. I hope everyone had a lovely Easter. And to my Jewish friends, I hope Passover was nice, too!

Everyone have a good Tuesday!

Good Friday

It's a good Friday for many reasons! (Most important being the religious observance of the crucifixion, as I am a Christian)

Other reasons it's a good day? I get off work at 11am, I got my paycheck AND my bonus, and David and I are going to the zoo this afternoon after I get off work! So it's a great day for me!

My seminar yesterday was good. The best part was when I got home and ran into the UPS driver who was delivering my SIX PAIRS OF SHOES! Let me tell you how cool it is to sit in the living room and try on shoes! One pair was so cute but it just didn't look good on my foot so I am shipping it back to exchange it for a really cool pair of red clogs. But everything else is AWESOME! I am so lucky! I really do think that Born shoes are the best. I thought that even before David was working there. :)

So that's about it for me today. I'm off work in 3 hours!

Everyone have a wonderful Easter Sunday!!

Wednesday Wonderfulness

I am so glad it's one day closer to Friday! Friday is the day we get our bonuses, so I am VERY excited about that! The other great thing about today? I have dinner with Grampa tonight. As always, I am looking forward to it.

I got to see David last night. He went to visit his sister who lives close to me, and then he came on over and took me to dinner. What a nice surprise!

School is still going really well. I think this is the first time I have ever felt like a star student! (Straight As in college! Go me!)

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I have a seminar all day so I get to be out of the office, I have an eye doctor appointment after that, and when I get home I will have 6 new pair of Born shoes waiting for me!! I can hardly wait!

So it will be a great day!

Monday Again

It gets hard to come back to work after a good weekend, doesn't it? I had a nice one. I had dinner with mom and dad Friday night. Saturday Mom and I went to go visit my Gran's grave. We cleaned up the headstone and pulled a few weeds around the area. I miss her terribly!

Saturday night I spent watching Sopranos DVDs with David. We made homemade burgers-YUM! And Sunday we went to Scarborough Faire. We had so much fun, but I am VERY sunburned! Ouchie!

So that's it in a nutshell. I am feeling tired and my face, chest, and arms hurt from my day in the sun so I am keeping this short.

Have a good Monday!

Just when I thought my life was good...

It gets better!!! David got his shoe cards last night, so he let me order a whole bunch of shoes!! :) So now I am waiting for my 6 new pairs of shoes to arrive!!! I am so excited! I got some super cute shoes! FREE!!! David likes to remind me that when we first met I told him he needed to work for Born. And now he does!!! You know, even without the perk of new shoes he is the most amazing man ever...the shoes are the icing on the very perfect cake!

No real news today. David is driving to Tyler to do a store event out there and he has an event at a local mall tomorrow, so I am going to have dinner with my parents tonight. David gave me cards for them to each get two pair of shoes...isn't that incredibly thoughtful? He's wonderful! I really feel lucky because not only do my parents like him but he really likes my parents, too. It's such a perfect situation! :)

Oh...everyone send my good friend Kevin some great vibes...he's got a phone interview with my company on Monday for a position he would seriously be perfect for, so please say a prayer for him!!

That's it for today...TGIF!

Have a great weekend everyone!

New Shoes

I forgot to post pics of my awesome Born shoes!!!

And...

Thank you for the new shoes, David!!! :)

Everyone Needs A Little Break

Sorry I haven't posted...just taking a little blog break. It's been busy with work and school, so I just took a little time off from something that I wasn't trying to get a grade for!

Nothing to report here. It was a good weekend. David and I had our six month celebration on Sunday and we went to Pappadeaux and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We ate very well and were pretty stuffed the rest of the day. We are planning to go to Scarborough Faire next weekend and I am looking forward to it. I haven't been in forever and I really enjoy it!

I got my two new pair of shoes, and I am loving them! Born rocks! (Thanks, Dave!!) They arrived on Friday and I was super excited to wear them to pick up David at the airport. :)

That's about it for today. Have a good Wednesday!

Payday, Friday, DaveDay!

It's three great things rolled into one day! It's payday, it Friday, and David comes home today! Yay! Boo that I have to spend a chunk of my weekend writing my paper, though. It's the rough draft, but still...not fun!

So I did it. I rejoined WW last night! The damage was pretty much what I expected, but even though I am not starting at square one, I am going wipe the slate clean and start as if it was all new. I didn't much care for the leader...she wasn't very friendly. I need someone who has more of a warm fuzzy personality. So I will try a meeting at a different location next week and see how it goes. I used to have a leader named Sally who was the most amazing person. Right about the time I lost my Gran, her husband was diagnosed with a form of cancer and she had to stop being a WW leader. I haven't been able to find someone as wonderful as her since then. You don't realize just how important a nurturing leader really is. But I am planning to have a great week and I'll report in next week how well my first week goes. After all, I am working to get 25 pounds off by the time David and I go to San Francisco.

Speaking of vacations, 2/3 of my vacations with David have fizzled. Las Vegas got cancelled because his travel schedule got moved around, and NY got cancelled because he won't be going to that meeting. So we decided that we'll spend more time in SF and enjoy the vacation. I think this is better for us because the SF trip is one where he won't have to be working part of the time. So this will give us time to relax and enjoy each other. I can't wait!

So it's going to be a good day. I hope everyone else has a great Friday, too!

Quick Update

Thanks again to all of you! Joseph's good news is that his job is safe. Sadly though, 80 of his co-workers' jobs are not. The company he works for is moving production jobs to Mexico, but administrative jobs are safe. So thanks to those of you who sent good thoughts his way...it worked!!

Rally the Troops!

If you haven't noticed, I am all about my friends and family. When someone I care about is in trouble, you all know that I appeal to each of you to send good toughts or prayers. (I hope you know that I do the same for you, too!!)

So I am asking you again to send good thoughts to a friend. Joseph called me this morning to say that there is something big shaking down at his job and he is afraid he may get laid off. He may not, but this guy needs a break! He was a victim of all the WorldCom stuff (he lost his entire savings, not to mention his job!), and has had crummy luck with jobs ever since. He likes this job and it was good for him to have something stable that he could depend upon. So now I am asking that you take just a few minutes and send him good vibes. He's a good friend and I don't want to see him have to go through this again.

So on to me. I absolutely exhausted myself yesterday. It was a long, mentally draining day at work, and then I went to Grampa's for dinner. Then I went to Mom and Dad's to do homework (I am sponging off their DSL connection), and finally got home around 10-10:30. I felt terrible when David called...I wasn't good conversation. He'd had a pretty good day and had lots of news to share, but I was so tired I wasn't able to focus very clearly on what he was saying. I had to end the call and get myself to bed. I was so tired that after I got into bed I got a little tearful...for no reason other than just being so drained! I realized on my way to work I have been forgetting to take my vitamins, so I need to make sure I take one as soon as I get home tonight. I think that will help a lot. I need to be as energetic as possible, as I have got to get the rough draft of my paper finished since I have to turn it in on Sunday. I have a full sentence outline completed, but I need to fill it in and get a few more sources. So much to do! But the nice thing is that David comes home tomorrow, and I couldn't be happier! I have missed him so much! But it's always nice when he comes back. When I fed Angela's dogs last weekend, she and her husband were so sweet and gave me a gift card to the Pappas chain of restaurants, so David and I will put it toward a nice dinner to celebrate our six months together.

Hey, I get my two new pairs of shoes tomorrow! Yay! Will show them off here as soon as I get them!

One more thing...I am going to Weight Watchers tonight, so I am going to get back into full swing with my weight loss. Enough of the gaining and maintaing...I am going to have 25 pounds off by June 22!! So this is a good thing and I am ready to get to it!

Everyone have a great Thursday!!

Middle of the Week!

I am so glad it's Wednesday! It's dinner with Grampa tonight, and I am looking forward to it as always! I really can't stay too long because I do have a lot of homework to get done. My rough draft is due on my paper Sunday, and I need to get that done.

David is in Atlanta today and tomorrow. He is meeting up with a couple of colleagues, and they will be taken to dinner by one of their managers, so David will get to have a nice dinner out tonight, and I am happy for him. It will be nice for him to have dinner with people he knows! Sometimes I worry that he might get lonely out there by himself. (But he's a big boy and has done this many times, so I should worry about him...but I love him and just can't help it!)

I got to see Joseph and Dima last night. It was nice to see them for a bit. We've got to get together on the weekend when we have more time!

So that's all my news for now. I hope everyone has a good Wednesday!

One Day Closer to Friday

Not that it's a bad week, but I am counting down the days until David comes home! :) He is in Georgia right now and will be driving to Atlanta tonight. He is doing so well with Born, and I am so proud of how hard he works. He has such a strong work ethic, and I hope Born recognizes what kind of talent they have! (Oh, I got to order two pair of shoes and I get them this week! I can't wait!!)

Generally speaking, things are going well. I am looking forward to getting to see Joseph tonight. I feel like we haven't gotten to sit and talk in forever, so it will be nice to see him. Things seem to be going well with him and that makes me very happy. I am slowly getting the chance to get caught up with friends. We have all been so busy that it has taken a while. One of the best bits of news I have is Christy and Rich's official wedding date! October 28th of this year, and Christy has asked me to be her Maid of Honor...what a great honor for me! I am so flattered, and I am looking forward to making it a wonderful experience for her. I want to start thinking about her bridal shower now so that it goes off without a hitch! I love weddings so much, and there are so many wonderful things to look forward to as we plan her very special day. She has several bridesmaids, so we can all work together to ensure everything is perfect! :)

In other news, I am still down 1.8 pounds! Kim, I saw on your blog that you gained a pound, but I am positive that it's muscle so don't be down about it!! I had decided to make losing 1-2 pounds my goal for the week, but I didn't actually weigh myself until last Wednesday so I will weigh in officially tomorrow morning and post the results. I am retaining some water, so hopefully that won't be an issue in the morning, but we shall see! Mom and I have decided to re-join WW (again!) but are trying out a Thursday night meeting this week. Sundays are just difficult days for me, and I think she and I are both ready to re-commit to WW. I want to have 25 pounds off by my birthday, and I can do it but it will take some real dedication. I think I'm ready! I'll let you know how it goes.

David and I celebrate our 6 month anniversary on Sunday! Now, I don't have to celebrate every month, but I think 6 months is special! Actually, more than celebrating the amount of time together, I just want to celebrate how happy I am with David. He is so special, and he makes me feel very special. I was talking to my cousin Jennifer last night, and she told me that even though she hasn't met David yet, she already knows he's the one for me just by hearing how I talk about him. I thank God every day for helping us find each other! :)

So I am having a good day, as you can probably tell. Nothing in particular, just feeling happy. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

One more thing...thanks to everyone who helped me to remember my friend Karen by either reading about her a few posts below, or by doing something good for someone else. She had a very big heart for animals, and so I am going to donate some time and money to a local animal shelter in remembrance of her.

Have a great day everyone!

3 Day Weekend = LONG Monday!

I took Friday off to relax, and I certainly did just that! I lounged, got schoolwork done, and just enjoyed my day! David came over that evening and my parents took us to dinner and a movie. We saw Failure to Launch, which I thought was VERY funny! After that, we took care of Angela's doggies and then headed back to my place. We headed back to David's side of town on Saturday so he could get some work done and get packed for his trip. After getting his stuff done, we made dinner and watched Capote. It was a really intense movie, but David fell asleep and missed about 2/3 of it. (It's usually me that does that!) Sunday the poor boy had to work some more, and then we went to visit his parents for a bit. Then we went to the store and came back and made dinner and watched all our favorite Sunday night shows.

David called me this morning from the airport to tell me that he comes back Friday night instead of Saturday, so I am one happy girl!! :) It will probably be kind of late, but I don't mind one bit!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

A Special Tribute

Back in September of 2004, I lost a very special friend. Her name is Karen, and she was probably one of the kindest, most loving people I have even known. She was the kind of person who would go out of her way to cheer you up. When I met her, she was working as a social worker for CIGNA Behavioral Health. We worked together for several years and became very good friends. Even after I moved to Seattle we remained close, and when I came home to visit she took me to see the Dave Matthews Band as a belated birthday gift...this is on the day after her honeymoon, mind you! Her husband, Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor, was truly the love of her life. They got married in 2001, and she passed away in 2004. They had a very special three years together, and I learned a lot about what real love is like through them.

The Dallas Morning News did an interview with Jeffrey just this week. It's a neat story, so if you have time, please visit http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/fea/healthyliving2/stories/DN-NH_leynor_0321liv.ART.State.Edition1.3e5ff38.html to read the story.

One other really cool thing...her synagogue now has an annual Karen Leynor Mitzvah Day. It's a day where the entire congregation goes into the community do to good deeds, like volunteer work in nursing homes, cleaning parks, etc. If you have time on Sunday, the Second Annual Karen Leynor Mitzvah Day, I would ask you to do something good for someone else. Whether it's as simple as hugging someone you love or going out to do something in your community, remember that what we do goes far beyond what we can imagine. The things we do in the name of kindness are the things that people will remember about us. I just hope when my life is over that people see me as half the person that Karen was. She was an amazing woman who brought love and happiness into every life she touched.

I miss her a lot.

Warning: I May Be A Little Grumpy

I am feeling blah today. Mix slightly hormonal with irritation with a co-worker, and this is what you get. But overall, things are good...I really shouldn't be blah at all! I think it's more the hormones.

Dinner with Grampa was wonderful, as usual! We had a great time and we joke and laugh a lot. He's just wonderful. :) Afterwards I stopped by Mom and Dad's for a few minutes to visit, and then headed home. I got to talk to David for a little bit, but he was just as tired as I was so we kept it short. He comes back from Houston tonight. He's got a lot to do because his big travel blitz begins next week. He'll leave for...um, I can't remember. But he should be leaving Monday evening and won't be back until the following Saturday evening. He'll have to leave out again after just a day or two at home, and I can't remember where he goes after that. Bottom line is that he's got a LOT of travel over the next few weeks, so I may need to be babysat by my gals! I miss him when he's gone, but I love getting excited about him coming back. The travel hasn't been a bad thing for us. Anyone who knows me knows how independent I am, so I do ok. Not that I don't miss him terribly, but it's fun to welcome him home. (I also think I really appreciate our time together more!)

So tonight is haircut night!! Christy and I will be dining at Jason's Deli and then heading back to my place to cut some hair! YAY!!! I can't wait!

I hope everyone has a good rest of the day!

Date Night with Grampa

Tonight is my night to have dinner with my Grampa. I am looking forward to my martini and just getting to visit and laugh. I feel really lucky to have developed such a close relationship with him. :)

I didn't get my hair cut last night because Christy had a last minute late appointment that she had to take, so we're going to cut my hair on Thursday. I can't wait! It needs some serious help!

David left this morning for Houston and spent the better part of his morning sitting in traffic, so he called to brag about stopping to have breakfast at Cafe Brazil. That place is just divine! He's going to be enjoying fruit pancrepes and fresh coffee. I am very envious. I am having a banana. Woo-hoo! However my breakfast is much healthier, so I can be proud of that!

Other than that, no big news. My company is providing lunch for us today, so that's a nice treat.

I hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

Hair Nirvana

This will be a good day! How do I know? Because Christy is cutting my hair tonight! Folks, this girl knows hair, and I am so lucky that she comes and cuts/colors mine for free! (This is what happens when your best friend is a super awesome hairstylist!) Besides the haircut, we are dining at Souper Salad tonight, and that is good news all on it's own! :)

Aside from that, I don't have much news. I was going to try and get together with Angela last night but I had to get homework done, so everything else came first. She and I are going to shoot for Monday most likely. I haven't seen her in ages!

School is still going very well..."A"s in both classes! (Go me!) I have been good about working out, but I need to be better about my munchies. But i'm getting there! Slowly but surely!

So that's about it right now. My job is still not making me very happy, but I am keeping my eye on our internal postings for something else. It may take a little while, but I'll find the job that makes me happy!

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

Rainy Weekend

Wow! Did we ever get the rain here! But at least it didn't flood in my neck of the woods...Dallas really got hammered! It may take a little time for our area to dry out, though. However, it didn't stop me from having a good weekend!

Mia and Christy and I had a great dinner Friday night! Martinis and yummy food...it makes for a lovely night! afterwards I went to mom and dad's to say hello and get some homework done. Saturday David came over and we went to lunch and to see "V for Vendetta", which is a very interesting and thought provoking film. Lots of political commentary there. I liked it a lot.

David and I went bowling Saturday night and had a blast! I did pretty well, but he won both times. That's ok...I'll beat him next time!!

Sunday was wonderfully lazy...went to IHOP for breakfast, watched some season 1 Sopranos, napped, went to dinner, and then watched our usual Sunday night lineup of TV shows.

It was a nice weekend! David is traveling this week, so I will doing lots of homework and working out. I have a goal to lose 2 pounds this week. Definitely do-able!

Have a good Monday everyone!

TGIF?

Normally I am beside myself with happiness that it's Friday. Not today. We had a change in software today at work, and the way it's set up totally changes not just my workflow, but there are changes in reporting as well. I won't bore you with the details, but I will just say that I am not happy with this at all. It's nice how nobody in a management position consults with the people who will actually be using the software to see how things will be affected. I sat in a meeting yesterday for training and I literally picked it apart and no one in charge had any solutions. I got a few blank looks and a few "Oh, we didn't think of that." So here I am feeling very unhappy with my job this morning. I don't see much hope for immediate change, so I am keeping my ear to the ground for other things within the company. Things don't come up very often. As of today I have been here four years, so I want to stay with the company as I am almost 100% vested.

Enough of that. There are good things happening today.

Kim has a new family member! Her cousin(?) gave birth yesterday to a healthy baby girl!

I am having dinner with the girlies tonight and I am very happy about that!

David is coming over tomorrow and we are going to dinner and go bowling! :)

I am still doing really well in school.

So see? Lots of happiness. Just very stressed about my job today. My head hurts.

Ugh!

Happy Friday everyone!

One of the Best Dinner Dates

I had dinner with Grampa last night and we had a great time! We always start with one of his martinis when I get there. (He calls them a mood adjuster!) Then we head out to dinner. Last night we went to the Olive Garden. We each had a glass of wine, and then Grampa had another one on top of that. He joked that it was a good thing I was driving! We laughed and talked all evening and I finally headed back home around 8pm. I love having dinner with him!

I stopped at Mom and Dad's after that and visited and did some homework. Then I went and put gas in my car, which physically pains me. What in the heck is going on with the gas prices?? $2.47 for a gallon of gas? We really need better public transportation around here. Ugh!

So after putting gas in the car, I stopped for milk for my cereal and headed home. I went right to bed and had a tough time waking up this morning. Tonight I am going to work out after work and then go grocery shopping. I need to clean the apartment since I haven't done that yet. I keep saying I am going to do it, but I haven't had the time. Tomorrow night I am dining with the ladies and then it's off to do the rest of my homework for the weekend so that I don't have to do any on Sunday. (I don't like my time with David to be interrupted with homework!)

So have a good Thursday everyone!

Payday...Thank Goodness!

It's been a little snug lately so I am happy to report that payday has arrived! :) Tonight I am having dinner with Grampa, and then after that I am going to do homework. I have a fair amount to do tonight and I didn't have a chance to do any of it at lunch today like I normally would have. Bummer! I was really wanting to work out after dinner with Grampa, but I can't fit all of that in and still get any sleep. I am forgoing the workout for the homework. Probably a good choice. :)

So we're having a March Madness thing going on here at the office. I am ashamed that I know nothing about all this stuff. I like watching basketball, I just don't have a clue about picking teams and all that. My group is betting that North Carolina will win. Sounds good. I can go with that. But they could tell me that the Desperate Housewives will win, and I would just say that I didn't know they had formed their own team. David must be very ashamed that I know so little about sports!

I don't have much news to report. I go a free cup of coffee at Starbucks this morning and that was a nice treat! I didn't know they were doing that outside of the 10-12 time frame, so that was a nice surprise. (I like free stuff!) I also got a tuna salad sandwich for my lunch while I was there. So I had a very "Starbucky" day. :) (If you haven't had one of their sandwiches, they're really good!)

I am ready to call it a day here. It's been a long afternoon and I still have another 44 minutes to go. We're doing some system upgrades and it's going to mean lots of changes, so I get to spend a good chunk of time in training tomorrow. I will really have to pump myself full of coffee for that!

Have a good afternoon everyone!

The Best Lunch Ever!

I got a wonderful surprise today! David came and took me out to lunch! We went to Potbelly Sandwiches (which is good stuff, but the way!) and had sandwiches and shared a vanilla malt. It was a wonderful surprise to get to share lunch with him! He's the best!

It's been a good day. I got some advanced Excel training and have been fairly productive today. Between looking online for a new swimsuit and doing my budget since I get paid tomorrow. I have also been daydreaming about spa treatments. I am going to be meeting David in Las Vegas in May. I'll fly in on the 19th, but he has to work on that Saturday the 20th, so while he is working I am going to get a couple of spa treatments. :) Any suggestions on where and what I should get? I want to be all glowy and beautiful when he gets done working. We can go somewhere fun for dinner and then do a little gambling. He says he can't wait for us to play some Blackjack together, and I said that's fine as long as he agrees to roll dice with me! (I won a good sum of money a few years back doing just that and it would be fun to give it another try!)

So any ideas on what spa treats I should give myself would be greatly appreciated! :)

Tonight I am working out after work. Afterwards I am going to home to relax and clean the apartment. (I need to vacuum and dust so bad!)

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

Sleepy!

I tell you, I could just go back to bed and sleep for hours! Everyone I've talked to today is yawning and looks like they are ready to go back to bed as well. Is it me or are the weekends getting shorter somehow?

It was a good weekend. I spent Friday night having dinner with mom and dad and then doing homework. Saturday I headed over to David's and we ate dinner and watched movies on TV. Sunday he made homemade Belgian waffles with bananas in the batter. The best part? He made homemade strawberry syrup. That was sooo good! We lounged around on Sunday, but we did manage to get out to go look at plants. I want to buy flowers for my patio this weekend and David is willing to help me pick things out and get them planted. We stopped by Central Market and got fresh tuna steaks and veggies to throw on the grill. Sunday night TV is our favorite, so we made dinner and snuggled in to watch Home Makeover, Sopranos, and Grey's Anatomy. Now, I was never one to watch Sopranos, but David had me watch a few episodes last season and that show is surprisingly good! So we watched the season premier last night. Leave it to me to get hooked the last season.

So that was it in a nutshell. Tonight I am working out and then relaxing the rest of the evening.

I hope everyone has a good Monday!

What I Love About Girlfriends!

After yesterday's post, I want to say how awesome my friends are! I got lots of emails from friends rallying around my girl who just ended a relationship. And Livia and Blonde, you guys are awesome for posting supportive messages! Yolanda reads the blog and the messages will help her know she's doing well. I always love how when one woman is down, the rest of us circle the wagons and show her the love! I think that's how it should be.

So thanks to everyone sending thoughts to my friend Yolanda. She's just great and she's moving on! :)

In other news, I worked out last night after having dinner with my parents. It was a good workout...I did about 30 minutes on the treadmill and then really worked my legs. I am going to work my arms after work today. Tomorrow I am going for my 8am fitness assessment and then I am going to the 9:15 water aerobics class. Folks, I am in this to be serious. I am really ready to get some more weight off. David said he would happily grill for us Saturday night rather going out to eat, which makes me very happy. (That man can cook!!) We'll grill some veggies and have a very healthy dinner. I am voting for salmon but since he's the grillmaster, I'll let him decide. (Anything but red meat right now-but he's well aware of that!)

I am still doing really well in school. I have a perfect 100 in my persuasive writing class and a 97 in my Intro to Online Learning class. So things are going really well for me. And it's about darn time! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! TGIF everyone!!

Strong Women

I have a friend here at work who broke up with her boyfriend over the weekend. She found out he had been cheating on her. Not just cheater on her, but living with the other woman during the week and spending the weekends with my friend. He got away with this because he lives far enough away that it was hard for them to get together during the week. They had been together 2 years!

But I don't feel sad for her. Why not? Because she dumped this guy before she was married to him. She is no longer saddled with a cheat and a liar. If he didn't want to be with her, her should have respected her enough to break up with her. She's a good woman and didn't deserve this. But she is doing really well! She is moving on and making new plans for her life. She goes to school, she is joining a gym, and she is keeping her good girlfriends close to her. We all love her and as much as it hurt me to hear what happened to her, I am glad. She never has to hear him lie to her again. I don't tolerate that. Not for myself or for my friends. And quite frankly it makes me mad to think that he would sit there and talk to her every night on the phone...from his OTHER girlfriend's house! I won't devote any more time to this guy. He doesn't deserve it. He hurt my friend, but she's better off without him. She came by my desk this morning and she looks good! So look out all you single guys! She's ready to get back out there and just enjoy the dating scene!

I have no real news with me. The hamburger I ate at Bennigan's Tuesday was still sitting in my stomach like a brick last night. Ugh! I am staying clear of Bennigan's food for a while, and definitely staying clear of red meat for a while. I ended up having to take some enzyme supplements that David's sister suggested, and I think it's helping. I don't feel so sick to my stomach! (Pleasant, huh?)

Anyhow, that's about it. Tonight I am having dinner with Mom and Dad and then I am going to go work out at the gym.

Have a good Thursday everyone!

Me, to the Power of 24

So I did it! I joined 24 Hour Fitness last night. (I get a corporate discount and it's pretty good!) Now David and I can go to the gym together. There are classes I want to take and I am excited about it! I get my fitness assessment Saturday morning at 8am, so right after that I can go to the water aerobics class. :) So this is a good thing for me and I am excited about it. And to top it off, David even wants us to take some dance classes together! When he gets done with his travel "blitz" at the end of spring, we're going to take salsa dancing lessons together. I am so excited about that!! In the meantime, I am going to take some of the Salsa Moves classes at the gym, as well as the Nike Rockstar Fitness Dance classes. Although I may have to work my way up to that one. But I will!

Tonight is dinner with Grampa. Mom is coming, too. And actually, David is going to be at Hulen Mall this afternoon, so he may meet up with us as well. I don't know if Dad is coming or not...I'll have to ask Mom. So it should be a nice dinner. When I get home, David and I are going to try and get a short workout in up at the gym. I'm ready to get going on that! I think knowing that David will be there will motivate me to not have a lazy workout. You know, the workouts where you don't push yourself and you don't really try? Yeah, I want more for myself than that and I wouldn't want anyone else to see me having that kind of workout, either.

So there isn't much news other than that. It's been quiet here at work so far. Oh, I am still making an "A" in both of my classes!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Serious About My Exercise

So tonight after I get off work and do my time at the gym here at the office, I am meeting David at my apartment and we are going to go to 24 Hour Fitness together. He already has a membership there, and now I am getting one so that we can work out together in the evenings and on the weekends. I am looking forward to this because this is one more opportunity to get myself in gear. And besides, David is very knowledgeable about lifting weights and working out, so if I have any questions, he can help me out. I do miss my trainer, Jaqueline, but $360/month was getting a little steep for my income.

So anyhow, last night was uneventful. I took it easy and watched TV after a good workout.

I hope everyone has a great day!

The Oscars? Boring!!

Anyone else watch the Oscars? It was surprisingly dull. No horrible fashion faux pas, no incredible upset (unless you count 3-6 Mafia winning best song. What's up with that? Dolly Parton RULES!! She should have won!). The two highlights for me were Jennifer Lopez's dress and Uma Thurman's hair. Her hair was gorgeous! I am trying to find a picture of it, so if anyone runs across one, please forward to me!!

Though the Oscars were boring, David and I made snacks that were not. We had chicken, Brie, and cranberry nachos. Oh...that was some seriously good food! We also had strawberry poundcake skewers that I made. Very simple and very tasty! We were supposed to have a few friends over to watch, but Sunday nights are tough for most folks, and we ended up just the two of us. (Which was fine! We had a great time!)

It was a good weekend. Dad's truck was determined to be totaled, so he got a new truck Friday night. (It's really nice!) Saturday morning, mom and dad and I went to Grampa's to help clean out Gran's clothes and things. That ended up being much harder than I thought it would be. After I got home, I had to take a little time to pull myself together. It's hard to go through a lifetime of things like that. I think it was hard for all of us.

After I got myself together, I went to David's. I missed the fun at the park with all his sisters, his brother, and all their kids. I would like to have gone, but I couldn't quite do it. I was just feeling sad about Gran, and David was so understanding. When I got to his house, he was so sweet and hugged me and made me feel better. We had dinner at Olive Garden, and then came home and relaxed. We had brunch at Grand Lux Sunday morning, and then gathered his stuff and went to my place. We dropped off his car and when shoe shopping for him. (He needed new running shoes) We then went to the grocery store and then came back to my place.

The weather was so nice yesterday! We had a glass of wine of my patio, and then did the prep work for the Oscar snacks. It wasn't a big flashy weekend for us, but it was so relaxing and so much fun for me.

I got "tagged" by Livia, who is a fellow blogger who lives in Las Vegas. (She did what I did...picked a place, and just moved herself. It's hard, but this girl can make it! Right on, sistah!)

Anyhow, I am supposed to list seven songs I am into right now. Here's my list:

1. 2am (Breathe)-Anna Nalick
2. Pump It-Black Eyed Peas
3. Landing in London-3 Doors Down
4. You're Beautiful-James Blunt
5. Good is Good-Sheryl Crow
6. Sugar, We're Goin' Down-Fall Out Boy
7. Maria-Ricky Martin (This is in my workout list on my iPod and it's great on the treadmill!)

So there's my seven song. I am supposed to "tag" seven people to put a list of their 7 songs on their blog. I don't think I know seven people who would do it, so Kim, post your seven favorite songs! :)

I hope everyone had as lovely a weekend as I did!

The Week That Went On Forever

I am so glad it's Friday!! It seems like it would never get here. I worked out yesterday, then went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Then I worked on homework for an hour, ran out to Lewisville to run an errand, went to Shoe Pavillion with Mom, (by the way, they carry Fendi and Prada bags-found a Prada bag that I loved, but sadly I do not have $399 to spend on a purse) and then went home. I slept so well last night!

David gets back from Houston today!! I am looking forward to seeing him tomorrow. In the morning, Mom and I are going to Grampa's to clean out my Gran's clothes. He asked us to do that for him. I think it might be a little hard, but I would do anything my Grampa asked of me. He takes such good care of our whole family. So anyhow, we'll be doing that tomorrow morning. Afterwards, I am going to go see David. I think there is a tentative plan for us to meet up with all his sisters, his brother, and all his neices and nephews for a couple hours at the park. I think this sounds like fun, so I am hoping it won't rain. It will be nice to spend some time outside, too!

We're going to try and see Capote this weekend as well. Everyone that I know that has seen it says it's really good. And besides, I need to see at least one of the Oscar-nominated films!

So that's my weekend. I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!!

What a Day It Was!

After a very busy day at work yesterday, I got to Grampa's house for my martini. As I settled in to drink up, he told me Dad had been in a car accident! He was quick to follow it up with letting me know that Dad was okay, but his airbag had deployed. Mom still came for dinner, and the three of us went to Red Lobster for dinner. After that, I followed Mom back to the house so I could check on Dad, too. He really is fine, but got a couple of small scrapes. Thankfully, the airbag didn't smack him in the face, so he didn't get scraped up there. I am so thankful that he is ok! But to all my friends and family: WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS!

Other than that, not much else to tell. (But that was enough!) I get to relax tonight and take it easy. I get to see David on Saturday! YAY!

Everyone have a good Thursday!

Am I Coming or Going?

It has been an incredibly busy day today! Work is making me crazy, and 4pm won't get here fast enough! (And I am really looking forward to my martini with Grampa!)

I am still doing well in school. Turned in all my homework through today, and I plan to get the rest of it all turned in tomorrow. That way I can spend my weekend uninterrupted with David. :) We're going to watch the Oscars with friends, so that ought to be a blast!

I am looking into joining 24 Hour Fitness because they are offering the new Nike Fitness Dance classes, and that totally appeals to me. I think it would be a really fun way to sweat some pounds off. (I am shooting to lose 25 by my birthday!) David already works out at 24 Hour Fitness, so we could even go work out together. You know what's really nice? He's enthusiastic about me joing so that we can go together. It really helps that he's so supportive of me. It makes it a lot easier to talk to him about sensitive things like dieting and eating healthy. Those aren't things that are easy for me to talk about with just anyone, and he makes it easy to talk about anything. So the point of all this is that in addition to my gym here at work, I would join 24 so that I have a place to work out in the evenings and on the weekends. I will probably do it, but I need to wait until the middle of the month. (You know, that whole budget thing!)

I am really looking forward to dinner with Grampa tonight. Mom might possibly join us because my uncle is doing something wonderfully sneaky: Grampa has an old truck and camper in the back that is getting a little run down looking. There is apparently a show on the TLC channel called "Overhaul" or something like that, and they come and overhaul old vehicles and trick them out. My uncle submitted my an application and talked about Grampa's truck and camper, and they emailed my uncle and they want pictures, so they might be interested. So Mom's task is to take pictures of the truck and camper and not tell Grampa why. She has a story concocted, but I don't recall what it is. If they end up coming to overhaul Grampa's truck and trailer, he would really have fun with that! (He loves gadgets and has a brilliant mind, so he'd have fun with any modifications they made!) Mom might just come to take pictures and leave, but I told her if she comes out that way she might as well stay for dinner too. The more the merrier, right? If they do end up selecting Grampa's truck, I'll post before and after pictures...that would be so cool!

Big shout out to Kim for doing so well with her personal trainer! She is looking good, so all you single guys, look out! :)

And big weekend for Saints and Sinners...they are playing a show in Austin Friday night! Check out details at www.saintsandsinnersband.com!

Have a good Wednesday everyone!

PS-David reads the blog now, so "Hi David! I miss you!" (He's in Houston this week on business!)

The Gap Is Making All Sorts of Trouble!

I went online this morning to make sure my payroll was deposited when I noticed an $8.12 charge to the Gap earlier this month. I haven't shopped at the Gap in a while, so I called the bank to dispute the charge. So now, I have a deactivated debit card, and then she tells me that I was in a branch some time back and changed my address. Now, yes I have moved, but I hadn't changed my driver's license yet, so I didn't change my address at the bank. She wouldn't tell me the address they have for me, either. Apparently they can only confirm it for me. Am I pissed? Uh, yeah! So I am going to the bank in person at lunch to get this sorted out. Seriously, if someone wants to steal money, they are totally going after the wrong person!!

I finished up school last week with an A! So far, so good! :)

I talked to my cousin Jen last night. She has rescued a very sweet cat and they are naming him Mr. Fantastick. I love it! She and Craig have the biggest hearts when it comes to rescuing animals! :)

David leaves for Houston this morning and he won't be back until Friday. I am going to miss him, but I have plenty to do this week with school and exercising to keep me busy, so all will be well. Oh, here's a pic of us from Saturday night...

So there we are in all our happy cuteness! :)

That's about it for today. Oh, here's one more pic from Saturday when it was raining. The creek behind my apartment fills up, and it's really cool. (I took this from my balcony)

Have a good Tuesday everyone!

Maintained!

After a weekend of enjoying a few tasty treats, I am pleased to say that I have maintained my weight! (Yay!) I am working out today, so that should help, too. :)

It was a really good weekend. Friday night I had dinner with Mia, Kim, and another friend, Jill. We really had a nice time and decided we would do dinner once a month, and we'll all take turns choosing the location. Saturday ended up being a super busy day! (The rain didn't help things!) I got up and had to run a bunch of errands with Mom, and before we knew it, the day was really getting away from us! I was supposed to drop by and see my cousin Jen at her store, but between the rain and the errands, I couldn't get over there. (I was bad and forgot to call, so Jen, if you're reading this I will be calling you tonight!) Saturday night we had tickets to see Saints and Sinners play at the Granada Theater in Dallas. The band was really good! The show was great, but I was getting sleepy after the band played. There was another band after them, but David and I called it a night. We played darts for a little while after we got back to his place, but I was a very sleepy girl!

Sunday morning we made breakfast and then watched the Food Network for a while. Well, we watched it with our eyes closed! (We both fell asleep on the couch for a while!) We got up and came back to my side of town and had dinner with my parents (thanks mom and dad! Dinner was great!) And then settled in for the Dancing with the Stars finale. Although I think Jerry Rice seems like a nice guy, he doesn't have the skill that Stacy and Drew both have, and I don't think he belonged in the finals. I was glad that Drew and Cheryl won. I thought they were the most entertaining to watch, although Stacy and her partner were very good as well. I can't wait until the next season!

So that was my weekend in a nutshell. I hope everyone had a good weekend. Happy Monday!

Soggy Saturday

Wow! We are sure getting the rain here! We need it, but I was hoping to look fabulous tonight, not soggy!

Just wanted to report in that I weighed myself this morning and have lost 4.7 pounds!! I am moving in the right direction! :)

I think I am finally getting it all figured out. Just doing things my is really working! :)

Have a good Saturday everyone!

Many Reasons to Happy Dance

So much to celebrate on this wonderful Friday!

1. Mia and Kim's birthday dinner tonight!
2. Kim is officially done with her Masters Degree!
3. I got ANOTHER 100 on a second homework assignment-I have a 4.0 right now!
4. I love David! (But I celebrate that every day!)

So it's a good day. David and I watched Dancing With the Stars last night. Anyone else watch this? I am such a nerd for this show! I really thought Drew and Cheryl were awesome in their freestyle dance! (I voted for them, even though I love Stacy...but her dance was very anti-climactic!) So that was fun to watch...we'll be tuned in to the results show on Sunday! (This is the only thing close to a reality show that I watch)

David bought some new clothes this week at the big sale at Dillards and he showed me what he's wearing to the concert Saturday night. He's going to look so good! But now I have to step it up a little bit and do a little better than the jeans I was planning to wear...otherwise I may look like a the hired help and not the cute girlfriend! ;)

So I hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy Friday!

10 Things I Would Do If I Won 22.5 Million Dollars

1. Pay off all my debt. (won't take too much!)
2. Pay off all of my family's debt.
3. Give lump sums to close friends and family to do with as they wish!
4. Buy a house (they are building some great new zero lot line homes close by that I love!)
5. Buy a new car. I like the one I have, but I would like a new Mustang.
6. Plan a wonderful vacation. Actually, several. One really cool one for just me and David, and then one for all my friends!
7. Take my parents to Scotland and the Isle of Man for a family roots trip.
8. Do something really special for my Grampa. I don't know what it would be, but it would be super special. Most likely he wouldn't want me to do anything for him, but at the very least I would buy our Wednesday night dinners!
9. Schedule a massage and a facial at a really good day spa.
10. INVEST!!! (I want as much of this money around for as long as possible!)

An "A" Student

I got my first grade on an assignment for class, and I made 100! Now if I can just maintain that, I'll be one happy girl!

I had dinner with Grampa last night. It was so good to get back into the groove of Wednesday night dinner with him! Have been so sick for a while, I haven't been able to have dinner with him in two weeks, so I was so glad to see him. We had our martini and then went to the Black Eyed Pea for dinner. We talked all evening and I told him about school and how the online classes are set up. He is so excited for me, and it makes me feel so good. :) I usually stay until 8pm, but I left around 7:30 so I could get home and get a good night's sleep (which I did!).

Today I am going to work out for the first time in a coupe of weeks. Being sick really messed up my routines, but I am getting my groove back! I am doing VERY well with watching what I am eating this week. I foresee great success this week for myself. For some reason, I am not ready to go back to my WW meetings, but am just needing to get myself going on my own first. I'm going back to WW, but I have to do it when I am ready. Perhaps in a couple of weeks I will. I love my friends there and I know they are wondering what the heck happened to me!

So tonight I am going to work out, go home and get a few things together and then go to David's. I haven't seen him since the weekend, and I am missing that boy! (It's been a busy week for both of us!)

And CONGRATS KIM!! Today is her last day of school, and she's got her Masters Degree! I'm so proud! I'll give you a big hug tomorrow night at dinner with the girls!!

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

Feeling Quite Studious

So I went through my orientation last night and it went well! I like doing the classes online...it beats being 33 sitting in a room with 18 year olds! (I don't like to be the oldest person in the room!) I got to work and turned in today's assignment, so I am well on top of things. The challenge will be staying on top of things...I can see where it would be easy to get behind if you get lazy, so I will have to make sure to work ahead a little bit.

Friday night is Mia and Kim's birthday dinner! It will be great to get together with them! We are also celebrating Kim's Masters Degree! (Go girl!)

I am feeling a little better today, but just mainly congested. I can handle that....I am just glad the coughing continues to subside! One of my co-workers came in complaining of feeling crummy and thinking she might have a fever. Uh, hello? Get your ass away from me! My supervisor sent her home and told her if she was sick that we didn't need a round two of all that junk. I never understand why people bring their germs to work if they think they might have a fever and be contagious. That's just rude! And besides, I am still getting over that mess! Ugh!

After a successful night in class, I was supposed to have dinner with Christy but she had to cancel, so I took myself to Souper Salad anyhow. I am so glad I did! I got soup, a salad, and a baked potato with salsa to go, and took it home and enjoyed it! I watched a little TV and conked out on the couch. I woke up at 11 and took myself to bed and slept like a log! I was sleepy! So tonight I am having dinner with Grampa, then I am running by Kim Williams' house for a short time, and then this girl is going home and taking a bubble bath and going to bed! I have been going to bed earlier most nights, and I sure enjoy it!

So that's about it for today. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

First Day of School!

Today is it! The first day of the big investment in my future! I'm really excited about getting back into school. I'm ready to have my degree done and out of the way. It will take me a couple of years, but I think it's well worth it. I got everything ready, read my assignments and am geared up for classes. It's nice to do it online! I can attend an institution of higher learning in my jammies!! (Love it!)

Last night was relaxing. I didn't do too much. Came home, had dinner, went to Mom and Dad's for a bit, came home and had an orange slushie that I made, and went to bed. (And of course I talked to David a few times in there, too!) This dreary weather makes me want to just stay in bed! It was tough getting up this morning.

Tonight I am doing school between 5-6pm, then I am grabbing dinner with Christy. (We're going to...you guessed it: Souper Salad!) It will be nice to get caught up!

I spent a little time last night making mental preparations to throw myself back into Weight Watchers. I haven't done well at all lately, and it's really bothering me. So I am (again!) recommiting myself to healthier eating and more exercise. Since I have been sick it's been tough to exercise but that will all change this week! I am getting it all back in gear and being serious about it. With all my fun travel coming up this year, I want to feel good and look better, and the only way to do that is to get serious again. When I'm in it, I do so very well and the weight comes off pretty quickly. So here I am, getting ready to do it again. So if you feel like leaving a supportive comment here, I can sure use it! I promise to get better about posting how I'm doing, too. I really need to do this, and now is the best time to start. I packed a good lunch today, and had toast and a banana for breakfast, so I am starting the day just right!

One more thing...anyone else concerned about the Bush administration giving the OK to the United Arab Emerates-owned company taking control of 6 US ports? Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't seem like the best decision. Thoughts anyone?

Chilly Weekend!

It got a little cold around here! A little ice on the bridges and some below freezing temperatures made for a delayed start at work today! (Yay!) I didn't have to come in until 10am this morning, and that was good for me! David and I had a lovely weekend just relaxing, watching movies, and making some spicy homemade chili! (I broke a little sweat when I ate it, but it was good!) We ate at Grand Lux Cafe Saturday...good stuff! I'd like to go back and sample some more menu items!

David and I decided Sunday, as we made chili, that having a sort of "Dinner Club" might be fun. Everyone could take turns hosting dinner at their home and guests could bring wine/desserts. Anyone interested? I think it would be a blast! We had so much fun cooking together that it seemed like it might be fun to share with friends!

I didn't do much this weekend...relaxing was what I needed. I am still getting over this nasty cold. I wasn't able to do the backup vocals on the Saints and Sinners CD because they had limited studio time and I haven't had a singing voice for a little while now. I am bummed, but I sure do understand! Maybe next time. :) They sound great...I think they're going to have a good shot at going somewhere!

No other big news. I am going to have dinner with Christy tomorrow. We haven't gotten together in a while, so that will be nice! I have a bunch of people I need to catch up with! I also start school tomorrow night and I am so ready! And BIG shout out to Kim-she finishes her masters in 4 days!!! I'm so proud of you, girl!

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

On The Mend!

I am definitely feeling better today! Still hoarse, but not coughing as much. I think it's due to the healing powers of Starbucks Coffee!! I took some cough syrup last night but it made me dizzy and I lost my dinner. :( (Not fun!) However, I am feeling better now and hope to continue on the road to recovery!

Wow...we're supposed to be in for some winter weather this weekend! Hopefully it won't be as bad as they are predicting, but icy bridges may be in order for us. Good snuggle weather!!

Tonight I am staying home and taking it easy. I'm going to make a light dinner for myself and curl up on the couch with Cleo and watch movies. I have a couple of movies in from Netflix to enjoy so that's my plan! (There will probably be a bubble bath in there somewhere, too!)

So I have a quiet evening on tap for tonight. I need it to get myself back on track!

Everyone stay warm and safe this weekend!

Marginally Better

Still not great, but not worse. I am so frustrated because I HATE being sick! I am hoarse and cough all the time. This is not fun. I think the coughing is better than yesterday, though. Not by much, but I'll take what I can get.

David is coming over tonight. He is out in the field and working the NE Mall Dillard's today, so we'll get to have dinner tonight. :) I know he's happy to be out doing what he enjoys!

I still don't have much news. I pretty much slept all evening yesterday, and still didn't feel rested this morning. Damn SARS, or whatever it is I have.

So that's it. Absolutely nothing new. Except that I can't wait to take my trips this srping/summer! The trip to SF is in July (not my birthday weekend) so now I have a May, June, and July trip planned. :)

Birthdays...I have one coming in about 4 months! I can't believe it! I think I will probably want to go to 8.0 this year and have fun out on the patio there. But I have 4 months to change my mind. And if you know me at all, you know I will!! I layed pretty low last year, so this year I want to get out and have a good time! I am going to start considering my options now so that I know what I want to do in June. Who says I don't plan ahead?

Have a good Thursday everyone!

A Thoughtful Valentine

I had a lovely evening last night. David made dinner for me, which was simply divine! He made ribs, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. (I brought cheesecake for dessert) We exchanged cards and snuggled on the couch. It was the perfect evening for someone who is recovering from the worst cold ever.

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Valentine's Day! I know the post today is short, but I am still feeling a little crummy and don't really have much news.

Happy Birthday Mia and Kim!!! (Two great friends get to share the same birthday!!)

Have a good day everyone!

Back From the Dead

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I have been sick. Not , "Oh, I have a little cold" sick...more like "I have SARS and am dying" sick. This has been awful! I am back at work today, but definitely not feeling 100%. This is going to be a long day.

I haven't done much of anything so I have no news to report. David is making dinner for me tonight. I hope my tastebuds wake up so I can enjoy his cooking! (Nothing is tasting just great to me these days)

Being sick had one small reward...I have lost 6 pounds since last Thursday!

So that's all I have for now. Just basically posting to tell everyone I am alive. (Barely)

Happy Valentines Day!

Traveling the Country

David emailed me today to tell me some of his travel dates...I'll get to meet him at a couple of destinations and I am excited! I'm going to Las Vegas in May and New York in June. I'll also be in Northern California for my birthday weekend, as we are going to go with his family for a wedding out there. Exciting stuff! I can't wait! So now I am feeling very motivated to get my booty to the gym more often and be very careful of what I am eating. :) I have the perfect dress to wear to the wedding, but I need to get some weight off for it to look perfect, so now I have a definite goal!

david is still a sickie...I started to cough a little today, so I am hoping desperately to stay well. I am cramming myself full of vitamins and drinking lots of OJ, so hopefully I am able to fight off anything that might come along.

Other than that, no big news. I am going to go home and relax tonight. I won't be going to dinner with Grampa since I have been around David and his germs. I don't want to spread anything to Grampa-I would never forgive myself if I made him sick!

So everyone have a great day!

The Plague

Man, whatever is going around must be terrible! I'm not sick, but David is REALLY sick, and he caught it from some co-workers. He's got a fever, very sore throat, coughing and congestion. Apparently this stuff is going around and is really contagious, and I am terrified! (I am pumping myself full of vitamins!!) I am hoping it skips me! Poor David, though!

Superbowl recap-apparently the referees had money on the Steelers? What was all that? Whatever. That could have been a great game with different refs, regardless of the outcome. I think I'll get off the soapbox before I go much further. Ugh!

However, there were some amusing commercials. I'm not a fan of Budweiser, but I did enjoy their commercials! :)

I don't have much news. I wasn't in the office yesterday, but I am today so this week will confuse me I'm sure. Christy's mom is getting married this weekend, so that's wonderful news! Also, Christy and Rich have set a date! October 28th of this year, so now we get to start the planning!!

And a big hug goes out to Stephanie! She got engaged this weekend to her beau, Chandler! I am so excited for them! They are just going to keep the wedding small (probably family only) so I am thinking I would like to throw her a shower if she wants one. (She's not one for being in the spotlight)

So everyone is getting married, and I couldn't be happier! :) I love it when good things happen to my friends! :)

I hope everyone has a great day!

(And Blonde, thanks for the comment yesterday!!)

The End of a Long Week

I am so glad it's Friday! (I know everyone else is, too!) It's been a long week, and I feel like I haven't spent any time at home. So tonight, I am going to have a quiet evening all to myself. I am going to make myself some dinner, and then clean my apartment. Not having been home much this week, I have laundry stacked up, glasses in the sink, and Cleo needs her litter box cleaned! So that's what I am doing tonight, and it's exactly what I want to be doing! (Wow...I must be getting old!)

Last night I worked with my 11 year old cousin, Ashley. She is singing in a talent show tomorrow and although she sounds good, she needs a little coaching with looking at her audience and having some stage presence. I don't know that I was much help, because it doesn't seem to come as naturally to her as it does for me. But I have also spent many years with voice teachers and doing many performances, so being a performer is just part of my nature. Hopefully she will feel a little more relaxed. She is singing Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway", and she sounds just fine! She just needs to look at her audience and quit picking at her clothes, fingers, etc. She should do fine!

David is working all weekend, and I am missing him terribly. I have decided it's worse to not be able to see him when I know he's in town. He gave a presentation yesterday and it went really well, and I am so proud of him! He is in a couple of big meetings today and it is also the women's line runway show today, so he will have a busy day. Then more corporate dinners tonight, meetings tomorrow and another dinner tomorrow night. I don't know if I will see him Sunday or not. So I am planning to watch the game without him, but I hope that he'll be able to come watch it with me! He has corporate people in town until Tuesday, so I don't have a lot of hope really. I know it's part of his job, but this is really tough. Has anyone out there ever dated someone who traveled often for work? How did you deal with it? I could use some advice. I think what I am going to do is to pour myself into my workouts, get geared up for school, and find some things that I want to do for myself. I want to take my intro class for makeup design/application, so that is going to be on my agenda for this year. Anyone who knows me knows my love for MAC and my ultimate dream of being a professional makeup artist. I think it's time to set that into motion. There is a school in Dallas that I can take a few 3-day courses and get the techniques down. This is exactly what I want to be doing in my spare time, so I'm going to fit it in. (Don't worry, Mom...I'm still going to get my degree!)

So enough rambling. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

And GO SEAHAWKS!! (Sorry, Blonde! I do have some Seattle loyalty after living there for a while!) :)

The Downhill Side of the Week

I am so glad tomorrow is Friday! It feels like it's been a very long week. David has been working so I haven't seen him and I am missing him!

I had dinner with Grampa last night and had a great time. We went to Mimi's Cafe and enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner. He told me some of his old travel stories, and I just never get tired of hearing them. He's done and seen so many things!

David told me yesterday that twice a year he has to go on a "blitz" for Born. This means that he has to hit the road for a couple of weeks at a time for a while and hit Dillard's stores in other regions. Am I excited about that? Not really. It's been hard to not see him for four days! But I know it won't always be this way. And he's found a way to work his schedule so that rather than be gone for seven weeks as we initially thought, he will travel for three, be home for two and then travel for three again. One perk is that on one of his trips he will be going to Las Vegas, so we're planning for me to meet him in Vegas and spend a long weekend with him there. He's going to have to work for a little of the time I'm there, but it's Vegas and this girl can totally entertain herself!! (Hey Blonde...when are you going to LV??) So that will help some. I'm just going to miss him when he's not here.

My cousin, Ashley, is singing in a talent show on Saturday, so she is coming over tonight for me to help her. She's really nervous and doesn't have much in the stage presence department, so that's where I am going to try and help. She's 11 years old and never done this before, so I can sure understand. The first time I ever sang in public I was 12 and scared to death, so I know how she feels. Hopefully I can help a little!

That's about it for today. I am working out tonight after work and then heading over to Mom and Dad's to work with Ashley. I hope everyone has a great day!

Quiet Evening

Not much news to share today. I pretty much spend last night sleeping, as I wasn't feeling very good yesterday and was drowsy all afternoon. It was nice to get a good night's sleep! I am feeling much better today, so I am planning to try the whole good night sleep thing again tonight. I am working out tonight, and then a quick dinner with Mom and Dad. Then I am running out to Joseph's to run an errand, so I don't know how early of an evening it will be, but I am going to do my best to get in bed at a decent time.

David is having a very busy week with work, but it sounds like it's a good week. He is giving a presentation on Thursday, so he will be very busy putting materials together and learning the spring line. (I must confess I have been making a little list of shoes I like with the hope of a new pair soon!) He's realling having to jump in with both feet, but I know he's happy to be working and doing what he really enjoys.

Quick plug for my favorite local band, Saints and Sinners...they are playing at the Granada Theater on February 25th. They are opening up for Dramarama, who had a hit in the 80s/90s called "Last Cigarette". Tickets are $15/20 each, so get them quick before the show sells out!

Have a great day everyone!