Wednesday Cuteness

Okay...I think this is pretty great! This is a picture of two of our kitties, Zak and Cleo, doing what they do best: Zak is stalking Cleo and Cleo doesn't care. :)

I love this picture!

So no real news today. David leaves today for San Antonio/Austin. (The Austin part is especially good...that is where my ring is being made!) Saturday is a shoe shopping excursion and I think that's everything I have planned. I worked out my lower body yesterday with Susan and I am one very sore chica today! Walking up/down the stairs killed me...but it's all in the name of progress! We took my measurements Monday, so in a month we'll measure again and see what kind of progress I am making. :)

That's all for now. I hope everyone is having a great day!

Happy Birthday David!

It's David's birthday today! :) We had a nice, quiet weekend and it was definitely much needed. We watched movies and vegged. Yesterday, David's parents took us to the Malachite Room at the Intercontinental Hotel for brunch. VERY nice! I would hate to know what the brunch cost, but the food was outstanding! Tonight, my parents and my Grampa are taking us out to celebrate David's birthday. We have a favorite local place we love, and that's where we are going.

Other than that, it was a very quiet weekend. There hasn't been a lot going on lately, but that's ok. David is travelling Wednesday-Friday, so I will miss him. He's trying to organize his travel so that he isn't gone quite as long on his trips. :)

That's it for now. Everyone have a good Monday!

The Luckiest Girl...

...has to be Christy! She found her wedding dress tonight and it will be in a month before her wedding (May 5th!). I was sure she'd have a hard time being able to order something this close to the wedding, but success! And she looks beautiful in it, too! We both got misty-eyed when she came out of the dressing room. I can't post the picture here because Rich might drop by, but trust me, she looks wonderful! It's going to be a great wedding! Sadly, my date won't be in town, so I will go stag and have lots of fun! :)

Not much new to report really. I worked with Susan yesterday and today, and I am sore! She is definitely doing her job! :) It's good to be working with a trainer again. :)

That's about it for now. Told you there wasn't much to report. Oh, except that I get my ring on February 17th! David has been have my ring custom designed. It's made from my Gran's ring, so it's incredibly special to me. He has designed the ring himself and it's being made right now. We're celebrating Valentines on February 17th so that I can be formally proposed to and we can have a long, romantic dinner. I have appointments for a facial, brow waxing, a French manicure, and Christy is trimming and styling my hair. I have to look good! :) I know some of you may not understand the whole ring coming after the wedding has been planned, but really, I don't mind. The commitment has been there all along, and that's the most important part. The ring is just the icing on the cake. And trust me when I say that it will be posted here the next day! :)

So everyone have a good evening!

250 Days and Counting

That's right...250 days until the wedding. Sounds like a lot of time, right? It's really not. I have been thinking of the time in terms of how many paychecks there are left, and it's only 17. We're having quite the wedding and reception, so we have agreed that frugality is the word of the day at our house. :) But we don't mind. We're having the wedding we want and we'll be surrounded by our wonderful friends and family. That makes it the wedding of our dreams! After feeling worn out and sluggish all weekend, I made it to a bridal show on Sunday and it was good to see my vendors. My baker had yummy samples of my cake and I was once again reminded of why I chose her...that's some mighty fine cake! :) I really went to see the bridal fashion show. Lots of pretty dresses, but I was checking out the bridesmaid dresses and saw a bunch that look beautiful. My bridesmaids are all going to be beautiful! (They each get to pick out their own dress...I'm not about to make them all wear the same thing!)

So that was my weekend in a nutshell. I was glad to have some sun yesterday. I am really tired of the rain and cold temperatures. You can bet that I'll regret that remark when it's 105 in July.

Mom and Dad have both been really really sick, and I think they are both on the mend. They've had that awful intestinal virus, so I haven't gotten to see them except for dropping off broth, Popsicles, sprite, and apple juice and leaving it on the porch and ringing the doorbell. I got to wave at them through the window. (I'm not about to catch that awful stuff!!) It's hard to not be able to go and hug them! :(

So that's it for now. I hope everyone has a good Monday! (Is there such a thing?)

Winter Blast!

Wow...we've had a heck of a cold snap here! My office was closed yesterday, and we didnt' have to come in until 10am this morning...what a nice treat! Daivd was supposed to fly to Amarillo yesterday but after sitting on the tarmac for 2 hours, they finally took themback to the gate and cancelled the flight so David came back home and we vegged all day. It was nice! :)

Today is a short day for me since I am only here until 4pm. No complaints here, though! I'll be grabbing some lunch around noon and then getting back to work. I have to put together my performance assessment for my annual review. I hate doing that, but I have to. Yuck!

So that's it for now. My WW meeting is cancelled for today, so no weigh in for me. I did start with my trainer on Tuesday, and my arms are so sore! I really like Susan and am excited to be working with her.

Everyone be safe! I hear we may be in for more sleet tomorrow! Good grief!

Cabin Fever

We've been in the apartment for two days now. It's cold and icy outside our building, so getting out isn't very appealing. So home we've stayed. We vegged yesterday, but today I worked on the table cards for the wedding, and we cleaned the apartment. It's been a nice day. :) Tomorrow will probably be just as uneventful since we're due for more freezing rain. But since we live so close to a movie theater, we think we're going to walk to the theater and see a movie. (if it's not rainy)

The cats have enjoyed our being home. They're snuggly and everyone seems to be getting along.

There's not really much news since we haven't gotten out. It's just been nice to be home and have David here! Everyone stay warm!

My Own Mouse Hole in the Rat Maze

We're moved into our teeny-weeny cubes now. The only good thing I can say is that I am back on my old floor with a lot of people that I like, and that does help. It's noisy up here and I don't have the storage space that I used to have. But someday I will have a grown-up cube again! Until then, I have a mouse hole in what looks a lot like a rat maze.

This is my home away from home. *sigh*

But the good news is that David comes home tonight!! Hopefully his flight won't delay...every time he flies American it gets delayed for some reason. I am crossing my fingers that it won't be delayed tonight. I'm working out after work, then going to the store and then heading home to clean both myself and the apartment. It helps pass time until I go pick him up. :) I think we're going to hibernate this weekend. It's going to be cold and yucky and right now, I don't see myself wanting to get out.

Oh, I put the deposit down on the honeymoon! Look out, Jamaica! Here we come!

So that's it for me. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Home Alone

Yes, David has been gone since Sunday and I miss him. This last-minute business trip to San Francisco has left me home alone with the kitties, and we are totally missing him!

I am off work tomorrow. Yay! They are moving my department to another floor, and they don't want us in the way so we get to stay home. :) I am going to the gym and then to my WW meeting, and then I am going to work on wedding stuff. It's a dream day for me!

So I am spending the bulk of my day packing and getting my cube ready to be moved. To a smaller cube. I'm not happy about that, but really that's old news and I don't feel like being mad today. I am crampy and bloaty and that doesn't help. So anyhow, I am moving to my new digs tomorrow. Woo-hoo.

That's really about it. Everything else is good. Christy is kicking her wedding planning into gear, so we're going to look for her dress on Sunday. She needs to get the cake/dessert ordered, but she'll have time for that. I mainly worry that she might not have enough time for her dress to be ordered, but I think it will be ok. I'm just happy to help her! :)

Everyone have a good Wednesday!

Getting By

That sums up the weekend...just getting by. It was a hard day. We sent Little Bit on to Heaven, and it has been tough. Mom and Dad's house seems a little empty without my furry brother. And on top of that, David left early yesterday morning on business, so I wandered around the house yesterday doing the old mindless munching, which makes me mad. So I've worked out hard today and hopefully reversed some of the damage. I weigh in on Thursday, so we'll see how things go. This just wasn't my favorite weekend.

It's a busy week at work. They are moving us to another floor so I have to pack my cube before the end of the business day Wednesday. They are moving so many people that it would be better if we weren't in the way, so I get a day off on Thursday, which is reallya nice treat. I am going to get up early and hit the gym and then go weigh in. I need my meeting this week.

I don't really have a lot of news today. Feeling a little blah. I have been driving Cleo, Kaylee and Zak nuts hugging, kissing, and petting them. I'm just needing to snuggle the kitties right now.

Getting Ready to Let Go

When I was 17 years old, a two-year-old scrawny, hungry marmalade colored tabby cat wandered up my parent's driveway and decided to adopt us. He's a sweet, loving cat who over the last 17 years has bought our family a lot of joy. He loves us and has taken care of us for many many years.

Now, he is 19 years old, and his arthritis is very painful for him. He is deaf and can't hear us tell him we love him, but it's obvious that he knows. He has a cancerous cyst on his mouth that doesn't appear to hurt him but it can't feel very good. The most loving thing we can do for him now is to let him go. He'll be going to heaven tomorrow morning, and the sadness weighs on us heavily.

"Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together."

... Author unknown

We love you, Little Bit.

I Didn't Bring The Holidays With Me Into 2007

I weighed in today and only had a .2 pound gain, so essentially I didn't gain weight over the holidays! (two-tenths of a pound does NOT count!) I am feeling pretty great about this, and so I begin the new year on a very happy note. :)

I am also looking forward to working out tonight. David won't have time today, so that puts me back ahead in the challenge. I am getting ready to start with a new trainer in the middle of the month. Her name is Susan, and I like her. She is the manager of the fitness center here at work, and I think she really understands how to motivate me. We talk a lot, and she has been really helpful. We've talked, and she's had to battle a weight proble, in the past. You'd never know...she looks great! So I am going to work with her twice a week for 30 minutes each to start with. I'm going to order my wedding dress a size smaller, so I have to make sure I can get into it! :)

So that's it for today. David and I are starting to plan for the honeymoon. We're going to put the deposit down this month! (Going to Jamaica, mon!) I get married in 268 days now!!!

Everyone have a great day!

A Sign Of Things To Come

So I was really refocusing yesterday on getting back on track with WW. And then I looked at the calendar...January 2. It was January 2 of 2005 when I started WW and had a lot of success, so I think this is a forecast of the good things to come in 2007. I'm going to mirror my previous success, but then I am going to keep moving forward to my goal. :) So this is going to be a very good year! (Obvious events aside, of course!)

No real news today. I got in my first workout of 2007 yesterday. 30 minutes (short, but hey, I worked out hard for those 30 minutes!). So when I got home, David asked me how long I worked out, and then went to the gym and worked out for 45 minutes. I am no longer telling him how long I work out since we are competing to see who works out the most each month! I am having dinner with Grampa tonight, but I am working out big time tomorrow!! And maybe I'll just tell David I only worked out for 30 minutes again...but I'm working out for an hour!!!

So that's it for now. I hope everyone is settling into the new year. It's going to go by fast for me!

Happy New Year!

Wow...2007 is here, and I can't believe it! 2006 has passed so very quickly, and 2007 is almost a day old now. This is a very big year...I am getting married this year!

Every year I often wonder will the year ahead of me will bring. 2007 will be very busy!

• Christy is getting married
• I will celebrate the 5th anniversary at the same job (not sure that this is something that thrills me)
• I am getting married
• I am starting back with school
• David and I have a workout challenge that will keep me in the gym a LOT!
• I am giving myself a fresh start with WW (although I haven't been off it)
• I am going to do more volunteer work in the community

So those are the things I am concentrating on for the new year. What's the gym challenge for me and David? Every 4 weeks we will tally up our individual hours logged at the gym or exercising and the winner collects $40 from the loser. We're making this an ongoing challenge. I am already planning what to do with my first $40. I am thinking a trip to the MAC counter at Dillard's. :)

So you better believe I am going to keep you posted on the challenge! I hope everyone had a safe New Years. Don't make resolutions this year. Just decide to be the best "You" you can be. Resolutions just get broken. I spoke with a girl this weekend who is in a really bad relationship and has been for a long time. She is miserable and wants to meet someone else, but she can't seem to kick this guy out or break it off with him. I told her that only she can choose her happiness, and that when she was really ready to turn her life around. I say the same to you, friends. If there is something in your life you want to improve, make the decision to do it. But do it for you, and not for anyone else. I am chosing to make this the year I really get weight off and keep it off. But I am doing it for me, and because I want to be as healthy as I can be. Love yourselves, because there is much to love in each of you.

Happy New Year everyone!

Holiday Break

I think it's been forever since I posted anything. It's been uneventful, so I decided to take a little break before the new year begins.

We had a very nice Christmas. Would have been even nice if the Cowboys had won, but we don't need to go there. I got to have Christmas Eve brunch with Kim and Mia...that was really nice. Hopefully it will become an annual tradition for us.

I feel really tired. I'm finally getting over my allergies, but I'm still sniffly and quite frankly, I feel worn out. Every day has had some sort of running around and I would like very much to just get to go home and veg. I got another season of Friends for Christmas, and I would really like to go home and get in bed and watch some episodes. Maybe I can do that tonight. Nah...the apartment is a mess and it's driving me nuts. I started to clean last night but it was getting late and I was tired. I think part of my problem might be that I need to get better about taking a vitamin.

So really there isn't any news. No WW meeting this week, so I am going to be very very good and be ready for next week's meeting.

Everyone have a good day!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Hope everyone is well! Just a very quick note to say hello, as we are off to have Christmas #1 with David's Family.

I hope everyone has a very special and wonderful Christmas!

Much love,
Jennifer

Angry, Angry Girl

Have you ever been so disappointed or angry that you just felt black inside? Some of you may have read my post yesterday (before I deleted it) about how excited I was to be getting transferred to a new position. Well, I called HR yesterday afternoon (they didn't call me, mind you...I had to call them.) to get the new details about when I could start (because I am hating-and when I say hating, I really really mean that-my current job), only to find that no one bothered to check my pay scale, and I make more money than the top end of the new position will allow. So no new job for Jennifer. I went all the way through the interview process - 2 interviews and a team lunch with the potential new team members. I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. I had to get away from my desk for a while. It was all I could do not to cry because I was so upset. I feel absolutely stuck in a job I can't stand. I am 100% vested in mid-March, so after that I may begin looking for something else. I'm trying to just get through until after the wedding. How do you not remember to do your basic job functions when you get a new candidate for a position? How do you not check to make sure that the salary range is a fit? How does this get missed? I'm a good employee. I work hard and lots of people choose to come to me when they run into an issue because they know I can help. But the one time I made a mistake a few weeks back, I got hung out to dry for it. This chick will skate on through with barely an "oops...sorry" and no one will say anything to her. Why? Because I can't make waves in the event something else ever opens up internally, I don't want to be known as "that girl". So I have to suck it up and just be okay with it. I'm not okay with it. I'm really not. I'm pissed off to an infinite degree. I know most of you will porbably tell me to quit whining and move on, and I will...eventually. But today I get to be pissed. Really, really pissed. And infinitely disappointed. I even find myself wondering if this is the karma I created. I work at the Food Bank, I collect food for needy people, I raise money for breast cancer, I try to be the best friend I know how to be and somehow the universe rips the rug out from under me. I really don't understand.

Don't worry. This is the only post dedicated to my whining. I'm done now.

I doubt I will have a chance to blog again for a few days. It's going to be busy. I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas, a happy Hannukah, and a safe and blessed new year. Next year is going to be a busy year with wonderful things to come. I'm getting married to a really amazing guy. I guess when I take a step back and look, my life is really good, and I am very thankful for all of my family and friends. Thanks to all of you who come by my little corner of the online world and take the time to see what I am up to.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

My New Obsession

I don't know why I am so obsessed with Ugg boots now, but I really am! I think it comes from seeing all the women in NYC wearing them with jeans and they looked so great! Now I really want a pair! (Why now, when it's close to the end of the season and the stores are limited with styles and sizes??) I love these so much!!

David knows the Uggs rep, so we're going to work on getting me a pair for fall next year. These look so awesome with the top off the boots folded down so you can see the shearling! But of course, he says Born is coming out with some great stuff in the fall, so I may sport the Born boots instead. We'll see! :)

I am still feeling pretty crummy. My allergies aren't giving me a break at all. I even went to bed before 9pm last night. I just hope I'm over this by Christmas! Is there anything worse than feeling like crap for Christmas?

I don't have any other news. I hope everyone is doing well! Have a good Wednesday!

Allergies Are No Fun

Yes, I am battling some major allergies. Runny nose, sneezing...lots of fun! But I am better, so I should be happy. :) However, the allergy medicine makes me feel rather spacey. Thankfully, it's a slow week here at work.

Not a whole lot of news, except that my cousin, Jen, is having a little day procedure this morning, so I am sending her good thoughts. I know she will be just fine. She was going to host Christmas, but with her thing today, we agreed that it's going to be a little too much for her, so we're going to do Christmas at Mom and Dad's house. I told Mom I would come help get things ready, and she's happy to get to pull out her Christmas china and use it this year. :) It's very pretty china...I'm glad she gets to use it, too.

Tonight, mom and I are going to finish up some shopping. We have to buy for our men! Also, we're going to be picking up ribbon and package toppers, as I have run out and need to put the finishing touches on the gifts from David and me. It's going to be a busy evening, but a good one. So that's it for now. (Told you there wasn't much news!)

Everyone have a great Tuesday!

Finally I Have Time to Post!

So it has been a really busy week and now they changed our security at work and I can't post from work any more. It's been ahrd to find time in the evenings, but I have a few minutes so I am here to update.

NYC was great! It was a packed two days and I was so sore from all the walking. We saw the Statue of Liberty, Groud Zero, Rockefeller Plaza, Times Square, went to mass at St. Patricks Cathedral, and did a LOT of walking. It wasn't too cold, and we had a really fun time.

We pretty much finished up our Christmas shopping today. I just need to get some ribbon and a few little things and we're done. However, David and I are feeling crummy (sinus congestion) and we have spent the evening laying around. We went and got soup at Jason's Deli, and it tasted good. David is off work for the next three weeks, so at least he can relax. Some of us still have to work!

Friday was Girl's Day, and we had a really good time. Mia, Kim and I had lunch in Southlake and wandered around and had a blast. Jen and Angela couldn't make it, but hopefully next time! We're shooting for February, so with some advanced planning maybe all the ladies can make it!

There is so much we need to do and not enough time. I finally got my Christmas cards ready to send and David will take them to the post office tomorrow. We need to clean and finish the packages, and I think David is smoking the pork for Christmas, so we need to get that bought and prepped. Jen and Craig are hostessing Christmas, but I am worried it might be too much, as she is having a little outpatient surgery on Tuesday. I'll be checking on her, as I don't want her to feel pressured to do too much. She is a great hostess and I want her to just recover and not feel the holiday stress.

So that's it for now. The year is starting to wind to a close and I am reflecting on how much my life has changed this year. Every time I move to a new apartment, I always wonder to myself, "what will happen in my life while I live here?" Since I moved last year, I have gotten engaged to the absolute love of my life. That's so amazing to me. (286 days by the way!) So many good things have happened, and through the journey I have been surrounded by the best friends I could hope for. I've been a very blessed girl, and I don't take that for granted. So for my friends I am so very grateful. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

The Things You Hear on the Streets of New York...

"Crackers are just crackers!" - random black man dressed in cammo pants and flak jacket outside Toys R Us in Times Square

"You don't want a black man. They'll beat you." - overheard on the subway

"Fuggetaboutit!" - total mob-looking guy to big haired, gum smacking girl


Yes, we're back and it was a wild trip! We had a blast and I promise to get pics posted ASAP. We saw a lot, but we just ran out of time to see everything. I'll do a better job posting tomorrow, but for now I am taking my very tired, very sore and achy body to bed. It's been a long day!

Travel is great, but it's good to be home!