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!

Very Big Weekend!

I had a wonderful weekend! David came home Friday night, and it was so wonderful to see him! I picked him up at the airport Friday night and we went back to my place and ate dinner. (I made home made chicken tacos) On Saturday we went to his sister Lea Anne's and picked up his car, and then headed to his place. We ran a few errands and then I went off to buy his birthday gift. I was buying him a dart board, but I couldn't find one anywhere and I didn't know where the closest sporting good store was on his side of town, so I felt bummed about that. I got back to his place and had to tell him what I was going to buy him so that we could find a store. We found one online and decided to go Sunday. So we got ready to go to dinner...I was taking him to PF Chang's for his birthday dinner. We had a great time, and ate a lot of very tasty food! :) Sunday we went to breakfast at Cafe Brazil (YUM!!) and then we went to his parent's house. Yes, I met the parents and they are very nice!

So it was a wonderful weekend, and it was lots of fun celebrating David's birthday. He is going to be super busy with work this week, as there are a lot of higher-ups flying in for a big Dillard's meeting at the trade center, so I probably won't see much of him this week. I'll miss him, but I am so excited that he is doing well and able to jump right in and get going. I am so proud of him!

On another note, I am feeling really congested today. Darn allergies! I hope this passes quickly!

Everyone have a wonderful day!

Happy!

Over the last few days I haven't been feeling too great. Low on energy and just feeling blah. But today I feel good! I finally got a good night's sleep last night, and I woke up refreshed this morning...something that I haven't felt in a while! Even more importantly, I feel very in control...like today is the day I am going to get myself back on track! I had a very low-cal fruit smoothie for breakfast (made it myself!) and feel energized and ready to take on the day. David called this morning to tell me he misses me and that he loves me, so that made a good morning even better!

David's birthday is this weekend, and I am trying to plan something fun but not too expensive. (The beginning of the month is a little tight for me) Any thoughts? I am thinking cocktails at the apartment, then off somewhere for dinner, but after that, I'm not too sure. He says something low key is fine, but I want to do something special. I thought that cupcakes would be a yummy alternative to birthday cake, since it's small and we can't go back for seconds, so I am going to get some fancy cupcakes from Central Market. I know what to get him for his brithday, so that's not a problem. Just trying to figure out how to celebrate is stumping me. Any ideas?

In other happy news, I get my W2 today, so I can file my taxes tonight and be done with it! I always get a little back (even though I claim myself) so I am going to try and save as much of it as I can for a rainy day. David and I have talked about taking a couple of trips, so maybe I can set it back for that. We had mentioned Paris later this year, but I am thinking that maybe we should put that off just a little bit since he really needs to be able to have time to get back on his feet after being unemployed for almost 2 months. Maybe a long weekend somewhere, like Vegas or New York or San Francisco. We'll see how things go.

David gets back from New Hampshire tomorrow night and I am picking him up from the airport. I have missed him and am really looking forward to seeing him! :) I am going to make dinner for us so we can sit and he can tell me all about his week. I am eager to hear all about his trip. He calls daily, but it's nice to sit face to face and hear the details.

So that's it for today. I am looking forward to lunch with Dan, Jessica and Mia, so that will be nice. The four of us used to work in the same area, but we're all pretty scattered around the office now and try to have lunch every once in a while. (And Dan had a birthday this week, so we're going to celebrate his 38th birthday!!)

I hope everyone has a great day! :)

Dear Flower Shaped Cookie with Yellow Icing,

Yes, it's true. Once upon a time you and I had quite a love affair. I could hear you calling to me...your enticing flower shape, your soft, sweet yellow icing. But it's over. It's not that I don't love you, it's just that I have to move on. I think of the warm sunny days when we took walks together and I would enjoy you at lunchtime...first a walk to Subway, and a trip next door to pick you up. But this is where it has to end. We had our last rendez-vouz today. After today, you are but a sweet, tasty memory for me.

I will always think fondly of you, my tasy flower with the yellow icing. But dammit, my jeans are getting a little snug and it's your fault!

Fondly,
The Girl Who Will No Longer Be Eating Cookies from Cookies By Design.

(Man, those are tasty cookies!)

A Pretty Good Day

Yesterday was a nice day. Work wasn't too bad...got my annual review out of the way and it was good. Got a raise so I am happy about that. David came and had lunch with me and I got to introduce him to some of my coworkers. (He's such a good sport!) The bummer part of my day was that I had a slight migraine, but it wasn't bad and I caught it in time before it got worse.

I took it easy last night and rested. I talked to David for a bit...he was getting excited about heading off to New Hampshire today. He'll be gone until Friday evening, and I get to pick him up from the airport and hear about everything. His flight heads out today at 11am-ish, so please send safe travel vibes his way!

Tonight after my workout I am going to mom and dad's for dinner. I am entertaining the idea of switching to a trainer here at work, as they are a good bit less expensive. I love Jaqueline, but she's not cheap! We have a really nice gym here at the office and it's so convenient to work out here. I have to put more thought into this, but I may end up doing switching trainers. We'll see.

So really there's no big news going on right now. Things are good. I am still struggling with my WW, but I am determined to get with it and do it, so I refuse to give up. I'll just keep trying. Success doesn't come without failure. I can do this!

I hope everyone has a great day!

Nothing New

It's been a quiet last few days so rather than drone on about useless stuff, I thought I would take a couple of days off.

Wednesday night, David went with me for my dinner date with Grampa. We had a great time, and Grampa really likes David. Of course, this means the world to me because my Grampa's opinions really matter. But I knew they would get along great. Grampa took us to Saltgrass for dinner...yum! :)

Last night was spent relaxing. Ate dinner with Mom and Dad and we watched Dancing with the Stars. I can't help it...I really enjoy that show! I love the costumes, the makeup, and the (in most cases) beautiful dancing. I need to start my salsa lessons again. I really enjoyed them and they help shed weight!

Speaking of weight, I haven't been doing very well at all, so I am making a big effort to get back on track again. It's been stressful here at work and my response has been to munch without any thought. So I am working really hard to get it together and lose the weight. David and I have toyed with the idea of going to Paris later this year, so if that really does happen, I want to look my best! I was looking online and have seen some decent deals, so we'll see what happens. Between my tax return and bonus in April, that could very easily cover my trip. :) We all know just how badly I want to go back! (For those of you who have joined my readership after June, feel free to go back to June 4th and read my blogging from Paris!)

David is coming to take me to lunch today. He starts his new job on Monday (YAY!) so we won't be able to do lunch too much after that. He heads to NH Tuesday for orientation and will be back on Friday. I can't wait to hear all about the trip. I know he is so ready to get back to work. He is one of the lucky people in a field he loves with a job that inspires him to do his best every day. It makes me really step back and want to figure out just what it is that I want to do. (If I could do my dream job, it would be as a professional makeup artist!)

Tonight I am relaxing and having dinner with the folks. Tomorrow, David and I are having lunch with the fam ( my parents and cousins), and then enjoying the evening together.

And Sunday I am going to WW to face the music and get back on track. I got a call from Brenda, one of my WW friends, who is concerned that I haven't been to a meeting in a while. It's nice that people care about me like that! I need to get back with it and get the weight off!

I hope everyone has a great Friday!

Long Weekend

It was nice to take off Friday and have Monday off as well. I have been just plain burned out at work and really needed time off. I am still not ready to be back at work, but here I am. IT was a nice weekend...spent Friday with David, Saturday night with Jen and Craig, Sunday with Joseph and Monday with Mom. (David came for dinner last night)

Somehow I am still not ready to be back here at work. I will try to quit complaining about that now.

Nothing new really. I didn't sleep well the last few nights so I am tired and am hoping to get a good night's sleep tonight.

Have a good Tuesday!

My Version of Friday

Since I am taking the day off tomorrow, this is my Friday. Let me say, THANK GOD! It's been an awful day. One of our sites went down, we've had a whole bunch of other things going on...it has pretty much sucked. So I am ready to call it a day.

Going to David's tonight. We're going to cook dinner and relax. Since I am off tomorrow I don't have to get up early and that will really be nice. Tomorrow night I am having dinner with a friend from Kindergarten. We get together every great once in a while, and she is bringing her daughter. I am excited about seeing her again!

Saturday night I am going to veg and have some quiet time. I am truly in need of it! :)

And then there is the weigh-in on Sunday. I have done pretty well, so we shall see how it goes!

And for all of you who are so sweet to ask, David is waiting for his formal offer. Everything is in place, just waiting for the completion of his background check and the formal letter of intent. :) It's all good!

Early Morning, Late Night

I got up at 3:30 this morning to help David get to the airport to catch his flight. I was a good girlfriend...made him oatmeal and coffee and toast, and then dropped him off at the airport at about 4:40 to catch his 5:30am flight to Connecticut. However, I got a call from him at 5am telling me that the travel department there set up the travel plans, but forgot to actually book the flight! He was able to purchase a one way ticket there, and they will both reimburse him and arrange his flight home. (The VP up there was so embarrassed!) I bet someone up there gets in trouble! But I got a call from him during his Atlanta layover this morning and he was getting so excited! :)

I am very eager to hear from him this evening. Hopefully they will make the official, formal offer to him today so that he can get started. He is so ready to be back at work! How wonderful that he loves what he does. We talked about what he wants to be doing eventually, and at some point he would like to create his own line of footwear. He really has extensive knowledge and a real love of mens footwear, so I bet with his drive and determination he can do it. I want to see him succeed!

Now, if only I had an idea of what I wanted to do. I am getting really burned out with my job, but even more than that, I don't know what I am passionate about. I know that the majority of people don't have that kind of love of their job, but I'd really like to try and find what would make me truly happy.

Is that too much to ask?

Down 2 Pounds

I weighed in this morning for my "Maintain Don't Gain" contest here at work and was down 2 pounds from the day before Thanksgiving! That's a nice thing because I didn't want to be the one on the team who gained anything. Yay!

It was a good weekend, despite the cramps and water retention. Friday night I had dinner with Mia and Kim. It was nice to get caught up and hang out. However, after being out of work all day Friday you would think I would have energy. Nope. I was falling asleep on the sofa. How embarassing!

Saturday night was pretty laid back. Watched TV with David, vegged, and ate Chinese food. It was nice.

David is getting ready to go to CT tomorrow for the final interview. Things are good. They've informally offered the job by telling him tis is merely a formality and that they want him to meet the team he'll be working with. So this is excellent news! :) He is hoping to get things formalized tomorrow, as he is really ready to be working again.

So that's it for now. Nothing big here. Except that I have decided to go back to school. Yes, again. I need to get my degree finished. I'm tired of feeling like that holds me back, so no more. I am going to get it done.

So have a good Monday everyone!

Hook 'em Horns!

Wow! What an exciting game last night! Both teams played well, although I thought UT dropped the ball quite a few times. But seriously, exciting game until the very end! Dave and I watched the game at the Movie Tavern on the BIG screen...that's a lot of fun! He wants to make it an annual event...as long at UT is playing! :)

David has an interview at Fidelity today, so send him good thoughts please! :)

Nothing new with me. I didn't do great with my eating last night. I had a veggie pizza on thin crust, so not too terrible, but I am really wanting to have a successful week, so I need to really watch it the rest of the week. Weigh in is only a few days away! I am working out tonight to help make sure the scale gives me good news!

I didn't lose my 10 pounds by January 1st. I am pretty sure Kim did, though! Go girl! Did anyone else lose their 10?

That's about it for now. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

"Born" to be Wild!

Good news on David's employment possibilities! He got word from a colleague that Born Shoes is looking for a new rep for the Texas area, and they want to see his resume!! This job would be all the things he loved about his last job, and potentially more money and opportunity for him, so PLEASE send him good vibes!! This would really be up his alley and directly in line with his skills and talents. And I would get a shoe discount! :D

Tonight is the UT/USC game. Hook 'em horns! David and I are going to be watching the game together and cheering on the Horns. Hopefully it will be a very good game.

I don't have much news to share. Or even not to share. Everything is going well. I am still on track with WW this week, so I am expecting good things on Sunday's weigh-in. I will definitely be posting the results on Sunday!

Have a good day everyone!

New Year, New Me

So I was a good girl and did as I said I would do...I started back at WW yesterday. I've gained some weight, but it's not as bad as I thought. However, I am not reporting how much the gain was. I am just going to start fresh from here and report every Sunday on how much I have lost as of January 2nd. I'm excited and ready to be back on track.

I went to David's yesterday and we went walking for an hour before dinner. We grilled steak and had salad and WW potato salad, so I did very well. :) He worked on his cover letter and resume and I did the proofreading, and after that we watched some TV and snuggled. It was a very nice evening.

Today I am back at work and wishing I was anywhere else. I'm just not ready to be here!

Forgot to tell about NYE!! We got tickets to see the Stars play, and although they lost, we had a blast! The seats were fantastic! (24 rows off the glass and in the section to the left of the Stars bench) We got to go drink in the Stars Platinum Club (we felt like rock stars!) and saw a Terry Bradshaw look-a-like. After the game, we took the train back to the car and then headed over to Fox and Hound to shoot darts and ring in the New Year. David and I had such a good time and laughed so much! I hope all of you had as much fun as we did!

And Kev, I almost called you from the game to brag, but that's just MEAN, isn't it? ;)