The Life of a Coconut

Busy weekend!

2012-01-22T21:24:00.002-06:00

We had a great weekend full of events, but I'm kicking myself for forgetting to take my thyroid medicine yesterday morning. I find myself in a fog, fighting back yawns and feeling like I've just spent hours at the gym. My muscles are aching and I can't seem to concentrate on anything.

I have hypothyroidism, a very treatable condition in which my pituitary glad does not make enough something or other to keep my hormones in check. As I said, I can't really concentrate on anything, so visit the NIH fact page for more information.

I have to take a tiny little pill each morning, and I'm so forgetful that I added a reminder on my calendar. I really need the reminder too, or I'll sit down for lunch and realize that I missed my dose that morning. That's never good.

I didn't even realize that I had missed my dose until after I took a 2 hour nap this morning after getting back from the grocery store. I didn't want to get out of bed and had to be poked and prodded by my family to finally tear myself away from my beloved pillow. After I got moving, I felt better--we went to the Museum of Science and Nature, and Baby played around in the Children's Museum and we looked at all the poor stuffed animals in the Nature Building. After the major haul that I had at the grocery store this morning (I went at 7 and it was a beat down!), I was really dragging by dinner time.

Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow afternoon. It usually takes me 24 hours to recover from missing a dose. Wah!

Gender Annoyance

2012-01-18T11:47:00.002-06:00

My daughter is 14 months old now and even though she refuses to walk yet, I have been researching toddler-sized furniture for her to sit and "read" her books and talk to her dolly.

Imagine my frustration that I can't find anything suitable in a plain pink or purple fabric. Everything is either excessively commercialized (Disney Princesses, anyone?) or is boycentric and features cars or dump trucks or video games or whatever it is that those neanderthals are into nowadays.

I have encountered other mothers that refuse to buy anything pink or too girly, even if their firstborn is a daughter. I find this to be troubling. Who cares if you have a boy and are carrying around a flowery diaper bag? Diaper bags are for moms, not their babies. Why can't boys be exposed to a little pink or purple? Will this somehow affect their delicate gender identities?

I find this mode of thought to be completely ludicrous. Men are wearing pastels and floral prints and carry around man bags and have even entered career fields previously dominated by women, like education and nursing. Why are boy infants sheltered from all things feminine?

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

2012-01-02T20:12:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is my very first day as a stay at home mom. I'm nervous and happy and nervous and looking forward to it. In essence, I am a massive bundle of nerves.

In order to get myself to relax a bit, I'm working on a glass of wine. Delish!

Also, I'm planning to hit the gym with baby in tow in order to relieve some of this stress. I'm hoping that the daytime hours won't be as hectic. I know that everyone wants to get in shape for the new year, but we all know that 99% of those poor souls will just end up quitting by the end of January anyway.

Find and eat, a fine motto indeed!

2011-12-30T23:08:00.009-06:00

There is nothing I love more than finding a new recipe. The anticipation of trying something new (tagine, perhaps?) far outweighs any of the initial trepidation I may have to "putting myself out there" with a new dish and new tastes. And don't even mention the possibility of failure! My stomach clenches at the thought. Plus, I'm a skilled enough cook that even if the outcome isn't what is listed in the recipe, I can salvage whatever it is to still be edible. My poor family serves as my very loved guinea pigs.

I bought a bag of lemons last weekend and find that I need to do something with them quick before they are wasted. I used two lemons for the roast chicken I prepared for our Christmas dinner (lemons, in addition to the wonderful flavors of garlic and rosemary make this recipe one of my favorites). I used another two on lemon cupcakes. The juices and zest really make these fluffy cupcakes a standout.

I'll probably make a lemon tart on Sunday, but that only requires one lemon. Oh, the possibilities! I've been meaning to try my hand on Moroccon chicken tagine (since I make up any old excuse to use my amazing Staub cocotte). Tagine, however, requires preserved lemons. I happened to be at Williams Sonoma a few days before Christmas--shudder--and checked the prices. The going rate for 4 oz of preserved lemons is $18! Highway robbery, especially since I'm sure that there is a recipe somewhere online. I found one that requires a lot of salt and 2-3 weeks worth of patience. Salt I have in abundance...patience, I'm not so sure.

Sick, yet again!

2011-12-24T13:38:00.005-06:00

On Christmas Eve, my usual plans consist of staying in my jammies for as long as possible while I lay around the house stuffing my face with everything edible in sight.

Unfortunately, this Christmas Eve I found myself standing in front of my neighborhood PrimaCare, third in line to see a doctor about my burning sore throat. We must have looked mighty pitiful outside, with all the wheezing, coughing and sneezing because the staff opened the door fifteen minutes early and let us in.

The pitifulness card paid off because thankfully, I only waited for twenty minutes before the doctor came in. He took one look at my throat and dryly remarked, "Wow that must hurt."

I am quite proud that I did not rip out either of his beady eyes.

At any rate, I am now on my SEVENTH course of antibiotics for 2011, and am the pleased owner of 4 ounces of the grooviest Vicodin sizzurp that is not only mighty tasty, but also makes mama feel very very good. Praise modern medicine!

Sick again!

2011-12-07T13:35:00.003-06:00

2011 has been a tumultuous year for me health-wise. With Baby in daycare, she has been bringing home every bug conceivable and while she thankfully gets over being sick within a few days, her Dad and I have not been so lucky.

I've been on antibiotics at least 6 times this year, and have suffered through the sniffles, chills, and fevers the rest of the time.

I had to stay home today because I could not even drag myself out of bed this morning. I slept the whole morning and I'm hoping that I can get back to work tomorrow.

Being healthy is another reason I'm thankful that Baby will no longer be in daycare!

Good heavens!

2011-12-05T17:39:00.002-06:00

How is anyone expected to be able to read this gibberish? At practically every site I visit, I encounter these infuriating mashed up words. I know I'm showing my age, but please. What is so wrong with keeping things simple?

Now I know that this is done to prevent spam. But doing it for email sign-ups is a bit over the top. Does it really hurt anything if a cooking website is sending millions of emails to a spam email in Turkey? Are these companies charged per email sent?

The Internet should be made more easy to navigate instead of throwing up these insane roadblocks. I'm in my early thirties and if I am frustrated by these ridiculous word verification checks, I can't imagine what the typical grandmother is going through. Instead of these curvy words, why don't they display a picture of a kitten (or any other picture) and then ask for the user to type in what the picture is of. Really, is that too hard to do?

2011-07-20T11:30:00.001-05:00

Oh, what an eventful 8 months it has been! The baby arrived and turned our lives upside down. I think that everything is starting to right itself again. I think that we're getting the hang of what we need to be doing as parents. Of course, she isn't mobile yet, so this may all change again soon.

What's exciting about having a daughter is that in the beginning, you get to make fashion choices for her as well. And I can't wait to teach her about mascara, and handbags, and shoes. And scarves. And jewelry. And lipstick.

It's going to be fabulous!

zomg delish!

2010-11-12T09:21:00.004-06:00

How can I resist? Other than the price tag, this Kate Spade bag is puuuuuurfection!

How sad is it that when I feel like my day is not going as well as I'd hoped, I check out this snazzy bag and everything gets better??

Not that I'd be needing a bag for the next year or two (knowledge which is surprisingly liberating), but I still like to look. Can't blame a girl for looking, right?

My mother-in-law advised that my obsession with this bag is sure to wane, and once (if) I were to purchase it, it would find itself unused in my closet for long periods of time. Why waste the effort and money? I agree with her advice, but mostly, I think of myself holding a baby and this bag...how would that be possible? It doesn't have a shoulder strap, so it would have to be held on my elbow or in my hand. Very inconvenient!

But still...the leopard spot is immaculate and the construction, I'm sure, is superb. I know that I won't ever buy it because it seems that I am more of a mom than I ever thought I would be, but it still brings a smile to my face!

I'm scoffing at you, newly minted Ranger fans

2010-10-18T22:57:00.004-05:00

I've always been a closeted baseball fan. I will always fondly remember those family outings to watch the Sultanes play in Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey, where the pumpkin seeds were always piping hot, the sultry mountain breeze gently caressed our balmy skin, and the toronja and ponche sodas were free flowing. Those were the days, where I didn't have an inkling as to what a worry was.

Unfortunately, if I want to enjoy beisbol here in the States, I have to either drive to BFE Arlington and rub elbows with the riffraff there, or drive to Frisco and get precariously close to the Oklahoma border just to watch some second-rate team skip around the bases. As you can imagine, I haven't been to a baseball game since college (and that's a whole 'nother wolf of a different spot. You should SEE how Aggie fans have basterdized a perfectly civil game. It makes me shudder just to think of it). So baseball experiences are very limited around my neck of the woods.

Now that the Rangers are doing well (the team has accomplished a series of firsts...first post-season win at home, first post-season series win, first incredibly stupid antler and claw memes that make absolutely no sense and give everyone a slightly dumb, kissing-cousin type appearance), it seems that everyone is a flipping Rangers fan. Now, I know my friends, and I know that not many of them have ever watched an entire baseball game, much less know the player's names and the positions they play. But now they are talking about calling in sick to work and sitting all day in front of a box office in hopes of snagging World Series tickets???

Don't take me wrong. I fully expect to blink a few times and come to the the cruel realization that this was all a bad joke. So I understand the enthusiasm. But you won't find me slumming it in Arlington to buy $120 standing-room-only tickets like someone has replaced my brain with Pop Tarts. No sirreee.

Delish!

2010-10-17T21:14:00.003-05:00

It's getting to be that time of year again. The weather is cooling down and I look forward to firing up my Tassimo machine to make some tasty hot beverages. Making a cup of hot chocolate, a latte, or a cuppa tea is a snap with this little miracle worker.

I've been making a heck of a lot of tea lately. I'm not sure if it's allergies or I just came down with a cold, but my throat has been sore and I've been suffering from a stuffy nose and achy muscles. That's not good...pregnant women have the short end of the stick when it comes to medicine. Asprin and warm compresses on my sinuses isn't my idea of a speedy cure. Next thing you know, the doctor will recommend that I sweep my body with fresh herbs and sleep with a raw egg underneath my bed. Yeesh.

Anyway, Zee and I went to Sam's today and bought the requisite Halloween candy. Dum dums and Sweettarts...yay! Next weekend, we'll pick out a pumpkin and Zee will work his magic on carving it. That reminds me that I need to find the light that we use in the Jack O Lantern....Hm. Where could I have stashed it?

2010-10-17T12:09:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't posted any updates lately. What can I say? Nothing fabulous happens when you've a bun in the oven.

I guess I could post about all the baby items and do-dads that I am now aware of...but I am doing my damnest to wait on becoming one of those women.

Facebook faceslap

2010-07-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

Facebook. Gotta love it. Dan Goodwin (Channel 4 News) told me the other day that Facebook now has over 500 million users worldwide. Such popularity means that it's more than likely that most of the people you know at least have an account.

And I'll be completely honest. I absolutely love it. While I enjoy the relative anonymity of writing under a pseudonym here on this blog and on Twitter, my Facebook wall forces me to ruthlessly edit what I share with the people I know and (mostly) love. And it seems that even though I take great pains to only share what I think is relevant and interesting with my Facebook friends, other people have no such qualms. Topics ranging from what they had for dinner to their outfits of the day, most of the people I am friends with excessively overshare the minutia of their lives. After a while, it becomes grating and I just stop listening. Hiding friends from your feed has got to be one of the most popular features.

Regardless of the fact that my oversharers (would you really tell your coworkers/rabbi/priest/neighbor in a casual conversation that your 4 year old doesn't like to take showers?) are constantly updating their feeds with useless information, they at least are palatable enough as individuals offline to keep me from deleting them from my friend universe forever. And to be quite honest, I can see why they would share. Just because their status updates don't interest me doesn't mean that others on their friends list aren't intrigued by the bathing habits of young people.

Other people's actions, however, are completely unfathomable to me.

There are people that constantly update their dating status on Facebook. One friend colludes with his girlfriends to date for a week and then stop dating, so his status is always going from "seeing someone" to "single." I used to think he was the unluckiest guy on the planet until I found out about his little ploy. Needless to say, this is attention-whoring at its finest.

There are couples that post lovey-dovey missives to each other on their walls…while they are sitting in the same room together. Wouldn't it be easier to gaze lovingly into each other eyes and declare your undying love instead? And these are the same couples that delete comments that their friends leave on these same posts because they feel that their emotions are too pure to be tainted by someone else's words. Right. If your emotions are that damn pure, why don't you share them in the privacy of your relationship instead of flaunting your stupidity online?

There are people who choose to post dinner invitations and responses to your emailed questions on Facebook instead of picking up the phone and calling or texting like a normal human being. If I wanted everyone to know that I was discussing the pros and cons of a particular "massaging" device (didn't happen to me, but I saw it happen realtime and it wasn't pretty) with you, I would have posted a general question. If you want to meet me up for dinner somewhere, send me a text and we'll go from there. Why insist on sharing all your business with the world? Mystery is completely foreign to the generation after mine, and that is a sad loss. Instead of the intelligent "My So-Called Life," they have the obtuse "The OC." Instead of Natalie Portman, they have Lindsay Lohan. We should mourn for them.

There are people who have more than 5,000 Facebook friends, and I wonder…HOW? I don't think I've ever met even 500 people that I would want to keep in touch with, let alone 5,000. I've always been one to have a well-pruned friend list, because speaking with like-minded people is truly one of life's greatest joys. Some of the people I've met have left me asking how they remember to breathe…why would I want to include them in my ivory tower of friendship? Unless they liberally employ the hide function I mentioned earlier, I doubt that those with thousands of online friends get anything out of their Facebook experience other than a clogged update page and the bragging rights to having 5,000 friends.

And even then, people like me wouldn't be impressed.

Finding what didn't want to be found

2010-07-20T20:47:00.004-05:00

I have a problem. A pretty annoying problem. Some people wouldn't think this is a problem, but once you've experienced the debilitating effects, you understand how horrible this condition truly is.

I have always had an idea of what I'm looking for before I find it. KnowingwhatIwantitis? For instance, I imagined what I wanted the living room coffee table to look like, and it took us a quite a few months to find what I had envisioned.

In the same vein, I've been searching (that's a lie. I've been thinking about searching) for some earrings I dreamed about a few months ago. In my dream, I was holding my baby and wearing a pair of filigree disk earrings. They were beautiful! And I wanted them, although lately I've been so tired that I haven't felt the urge to go out and truly "seek" what was in my dream. I made a half-ass Google search instead. (Let's be honest. Most missions nowadays begin with a half-ass Google search).

Unfortunately, the only styles I was able to find online were either incredibly cheap looking, or super expensive. Although I enjoyed the dream and everything it meant, I'm not sentimental (or mental) enough to spend $400 on a pair of earrings.

But never fear! Thanks to my new obsession with Stella & Dot, I found the perfect pair of filigree earrings that even a curmudgeon like me can get behind.

These filigree earrings are sterling silver and seem to fit the bill when it comes to matching the ones I wore in that one dream I had. I plan to buy them...eventually, although I'll admit that I'm not in much of a hurry to do any buying anytime soon. Baby items are so expensive, and new parents need to purchase so much just to get started. It's unbelievable that such a small person would need so many things.

So I'm deferring a lot of my wants because I think that the money should go towards the baby... although I am certain that this attitude of mine isn't going to last forever. To be honest, I'm surprised that I am feeling this way, although I guess I've always been a practical person.

So anyway, the earrings are cool and I might get them sometime in August because I find that accessories really help me feel better for wearing the same outfit over and over again!

What the what what??

2010-07-16T18:18:00.005-05:00

I'll confess that trying to find stylish maternity clothes has been a losing battle for me. Not that I would be so easily defeated, but I couldn't help but feeling a bit like Sisyphus after the mindscrew I was subjected to at Pea in the Pod. That store single-handedly proves the "pregnancy brain" theory.

No, Pea in the Pod, this ugly ass shirt is not worth $145.00

I understand that retailers have to capitalize on the short timeframe that women have a pea in the pod, but Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, what in heaven's name makes that shirt cost $145? From the unflattering color, to the (what seems to be) thin fabric, to the feces fragments some poor sweatshop laborer hot glued to the left shoulder, this top is an absolute NO.

So imagine my delight when I heard that Forever 21 how has a maternity line. Imagine my disappointment when I realized that the line consists of a few tops and some crappy pleather bags. (LISTEN up, retailer peeps: handbags are NOT maternity. I can still carry my handbags with no problems so quit trying to dupe me. I'm becoming a mother, not a moron.) Imagine my further disappointment when I realized that the only Texas stores that will carry the maternity clothes are located on the border, and everyone knows that you will never find another more wretched hive of scum and villainy than the border. I'm not willing to cavort with drug cartels and murderers just to snag a cheap top.

So it seems that I will continue to terrorize my area of Dallas with my too-tight tops, gut hanging out the bottom trucker-style.

New necklace to brighten up my day

2010-07-15T14:43:00.001-05:00

Today, I'm wearing my new Stella & Dot bloom flower necklace. I saw it on another blog, and after much thought about how it would fit in my wardrobe, decided to order it. I wear a lot of charcoal and black, so having colorful accessories is a must to keep me from looking like a funeral director.

So far, I've been very happy with the necklace. It's well-built, and doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart with normal wear. It's a saturated bright turquoise color with small green veins running throughout, as if they were natural turquoise stones. While the white enameled flower closure adds detail to the necklace, the handful of faceted stones randomly strung on the necklace is what gives it its sparkle. The best thing about this necklace, however, is its weight. It is neither too light or too heavy. It sits comfortably on my collarbones, and I haven't had to fidget with it at all today. My acrylic Alexis Bittar necklace, for instance, starts to weigh me down by the end of the day. I haven't experienced that problem yet.

I'm glad I found this necklace, and I'm glad that I gave this online retailer a try. The rest of their collection looks fabulous, too. www.stelladot.com

Of allergies and pekes

2010-07-12T21:27:00.005-05:00

Oh for heaven's sakes. It's summer and my allergies are making me miserable. I'm itchy all over and I can't get comfortable no matter what I do. I take a shower as soon as I get home, but it doesn't help much. I just decided to wear my robe while at home and not worry about finding comfortable lounge clothing. With my bump getting larger every day, there's no point in trying to squeeze into some of my clothes. I'll just end up looking like a sausage. So I've become the pregnant version of Hugh Hefner, sans pretty blonde girlfriends.

The pekes are in the same predicament. No, not the girlfriends. The allergies. We've bathed them with oatmeal shampoo, brushed their shedding coats, given them Benadryl...all to no avail. They are still little itching machines and it's driving me crazy. I think I'll have to take them to the vet to get a steroid shot, although I would prefer to do that as a last resort.

All of this tropical weather isn't helping much, either. The grass is growing like never before. It's ankle length just two days after it has been cut! The humidity is debilitating enough as it is, without all of the extra pollen it helps produce with its nurturing growth-inducing environment. It feels more like a greenhouse and less like the arid Dallas that I love. I hear that the weather will return back to normal soon (108, please?), so that means that all of these wretched plants will soon wilt and my house will no longer be a scratching sanctuary.

It's been much too long peeps!

2010-07-11T21:24:00.002-05:00

I know. I'm a terrible blogger. I haven't updated in months and now I expect you to continue reading as if I have been here all along. Abandonment issues aside, life is sure different for me since the last time I updated.

Let's see...I've developed a True Blood addiction. It's a pretty great show. I did receive the Alexis Bittar necklace for my birthday and it's pretty awesome. I'm going to have a baby girl. I cut my hair and decided that I prefer it long so I'm growing it back out.

So it's been a pretty eventful few months.

Oh me oh my

2010-03-23T22:01:00.004-05:00

I cannot stop thinking about that Alexis Bittar necklace, or as I like to refer to it in my own little world: the doing-well-for-oneself Michael Kors necklace. I mean, I would love to be able to call it a poor-man's Michael Kors necklace, but let's be honest. $300 is nothing to sniff at. It's two blazers from J.Crew, a couple of pairs of shoes from Nordie's, or three dresses from Nordstrom Rack.

The fact that I am putting a lot of hope on this necklace does not escape me. I will probably end up disappointed. But I will run that risk, because this part of the experience (the deliciously sweet anticipation) is what makes shopping so much fun! I can already imagine it on my neck, and have paired it with different outfits. I hope it arrives soon!

Is it really shopping if you come home empty-handed?

2010-03-21T15:27:00.003-05:00

I may be an old biddy now, but that doesn't mean that I'm not interested in style. This Michael Kors necklace for instance, has completely transfixed me. I first saw it walk down the runway last fall, and was immediately disappointed that I had to wait until Spring 2010 to buy and wear this magnificent piece.

I'm not sure if I could pinpoint exactly what I like about it. It's definitely a statement piece, and I couldn't wear it every day. Maybe. Don't know. Earrings with it would be a big NO. And it's very simple - very understated, despite its size.

Imagine my disappointment when I checked last week and saw that this necklace is being sold for $700. As much as I was coveting it, I knew that paying that much was just plain ridiculous. I was sad for a while, but then decided to enlist a friend to help me find a replacement necklace.

The first we found was being sold at Bloomindale's f0r $48. It wasn't a graduated bead necklace, and the beads weren't as large. So that was scrapped. We found two at Saks - an Alexis Bittar for $300, and a Kenneth Jay Lane for $90. I swung by Saks yesterday to check them out and was disappointed with their selection. They found the Kenneth Jay Lane, but the beads were pretty much all the same size, and pretty small. Might as well buy the one at Bloomie's. The store had received ONE Alexis Bittar, and it was already sold old. First of all, I was amazed at the fact that they only received one. And I was disappointed at their less than stellar service. I had only bought one other thing at this Saks (the LV that I ended up selling on eBay a year later), so I didn't have any other opinions to draw from them other than they are pretty unprofessional.

So we ordered the Alexis Bittar. It's being delivered to my job. Keep your fingers crossed that it's what I actually want!

Obsessions

2010-03-01T21:55:00.003-06:00

Ever go crazy over something (anything)?

Right now, I'm batty over an iPhone application called "Words With Friends." It's basically a Scrabble game that you can play over your phone with people you know, or random players that the game sets you up with. I'm so into this game that my battery is completely worn out by the end of the work day. Holy crow, am I going to have to start carrying around one of those nerdy emergency battery packs?

I don't see my obsession for this game waning, either. Regardless of whether I win or lose, I just can't put down my phone when someone plays a word against me. It makes me happy!

Alien Invasion!

2009-12-22T22:04:00.008-06:00

I just can't get enough of the Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 show. And I would love to own a pair of Alien shoes. I know it would be impossible to wear in my daily life, but I would definitely display them proudly. They are so beautiful, in an ugly way. And the dresses! They are exquisite! I WANT!

Of course, it is no surprise that "Bad Romance" was featured prominently in the McQueen show...or that Lady Gaga was the first person (other than a professional walking stick figure) to wear the Aliens in her Bad Romance video. Walk, walk fashion baby, work it move that bitch crazy...

Unbelievable! Don't do business with TeleNav

2009-12-22T16:21:00.001-06:00

I can't even comprehend this...for some reason, I receive emails from this company, and when I tried to unsubscribe, I saw this at the bottom of the email:

This email is an advertisement. If you would rather not receive future promotional emails from TeleNav, you can contact TeleNav at the following address:
Attn: Customer Service - Unsubscribe Requests, TeleNav, Inc., 1130 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Freaky Furnace

2009-12-19T15:35:00.002-06:00

We've been battling our furnace for the past few weeks. It has been working intermittently, turning off when we need it the most--when it's been the coldest!

I thinking that I need to follow Dallasite's advice and find myself a toasty electric blanket. As I type this, my fingers feel like frozen hot dogs.

So it turns out that the fan motor (whatever that is) is shot. Replacing it will be $500. Oh, the joys of home ownership!!

Word of the day: STRESS!

2009-12-14T21:01:00.002-06:00

I think I may have finally gotten my Christmas cards done. Maybe. Unlike those cool, calm, collected types (ahem, Dallasite), people like me have to suffer through the mire of uncertainty and last-minute-frenzyitis. Oh my gawd, I thought my head was going to explode today. And I've had these wretched cards sitting on my kitchen table for weeks, beckoning to me softly, "please, Telly. Please write names and addresses on us and send us off." Of course, that would cause me only to walk faster past the table, and not want to linger in that room at all.

I had pushed them so far out of my mind, that I didn't remember that I needed to send them off until I saw a story on today's morning news about how this Monday is the busiest mailing day of the year!!! Oh, for crying out loud. I was almost late for a morning meeting because I got the sudden urge to start stamping like a maniac at 7am.

Add to all of this craziness that Zee has been out of town for what seems like ages and the heater has decided to go all Union-employee on us, and it has not been a good holiday season for me. As a matter of fact, not even the constant playing of my favorite Christmas tunes has served to pull me out of my bah-humbug mood. What's a girl to do?

2009-12-10T21:14:00.005-06:00

Zee comes back tomorrow and I'm glad. It's always hard to be separated from the one you love because life just isn't as great without that person in it. He saturates my world with color, makes everything I eat taste amazing, turns all sounds into the loveliest of music, and envelopes my entire being in warmth and happiness. He makes everything better, including me, and I miss his company and smile when he isn't around. I am so lucky that I get to share my life with my best friend.

Ugh, shopping

2009-12-09T22:17:00.004-06:00

I'm supposed to be Christmas shopping for others right now, but I keep finding things that I like! What is up with that? It's so frustrating and totally uncool, God! Seriously, stop it!!

So I "won" a $25 Visa giftcard at a Christmas party, but I'm going to be good and use it to buy Zee's sawbone whatever phone thing. I'm an awesome wife, I know.

But anywho, I was checking out the Bluefly site, because everyone knows that it is awesome, and BAM! I saw the coolest cashmere scarf ever. Not only is the pattern AH-mazing, but it is in my favorite color, too. Oh, the HUMANITY! When will it ever end?

Wish List

2009-12-06T19:46:00.002-06:00

I'm posting this on here because I need to keep a record before I forget, and because I would appreciate any comments.

1. Cat-eye sunglasses -- Crazy, I know. But I am obsessed with finding some. I've seen some on Bluefly, but haven't pulled the trigger due to the craziness of the holiday, and the fact that they are $72!!! I need to calm down with the shopping.
2. Textured / sweater tights -- awesome with skirts, and great under pants when it's very cold and I know I'll be hanging out outside a lot.
3. Gray pencil skirt -- I think this would look good with my tall riding boots or my booties.
4. Gray work pants -- I seem to have a lot of black pants. I need some dark and light gray ones to even things out. I've given up on wearing brown. I just don't like it, and am moving on!
5. Wide black belt -- I bought one on Bluefly and it barely fits. Zee thinks I will fit in it in 3 weeks, but I'm feeling fat! Who knows...

Another week looms....so very sad the weekend is gone.

Relaxing five day weekend

2009-11-29T11:35:00.002-06:00

The most work I've done these five days has been going to the gym. Which is a good thing, because I think I've polished off an entire apple pie all by myself. Yikes!

We are taking a break from the gym today to put up the tree and clean for an impending family visit. It's going to be great finally lighting the tree tonight...I just wish Zee would get into the Christmas spirit a bit more!!

For dinner tonight, I'm roasting a chicken al mattone. It's going to be delish!

Weedwacking my inbox

2009-11-25T09:28:00.004-06:00

I've been getting a lot of junk emails, and I've finally decided to do something about it. These emails announcing sales or the new thingamabob that's all the rage with the tween set just don't do much for me. And they are a pain to scroll through when I'm checking my email on my phone. I also miss emails from people I know because my inbox is so clogged with junk.

So on the first day of my five day weekend, I decided to do something about it! I thought I would just have to unsubscribe from a few mailing lists. WRONG! So far, I've unsubscribed from receiving emails from the following companies:

Gap
Famous Footwear
Blue Nile
Bliss
Home Again
Fetchdog
Instyle Magazine
Entertainment Weekly
Bally Fitness
FiloFax
Coca-Cola
FTD

And I've only been at it for half an hour. I'm already tired, and need to head to the gym before I lose my desire to work out. I'll be eating a big dinner tomorrow, including a full spread of desserts...so I mustn't slack off from my daily gym fix.

I'll tackle round 2 of inbox de-weeding tomorrow...

Looking forward to Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-24T09:29:00.001-06:00

Zee and I are spending Thanksgiving at a friend's house and I am so excited!!

The menu includes turkey and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes. Delish!

I am bringing:

Mixed greens with pears, walnuts, and gorgonzola (yum)

Homemade apple pie

Orange and cranberry cookies

Cranberry margaritas

We are going to watch football, and of course, play lots of Trivial Pursuit! Fun times!!!

Nook me, baby!

2009-11-08T22:42:00.004-06:00

I know I haven't posted my requisite Christmas list yet...

The reason being, of course, that nothing had really caught my eye. I didn't need anything, didn't want anything...nothing I truly fancied.

Until I saw it. The Nook, Barnes and Nobles' newest e-reader. It is absolutely fabulous, with a color screen, 2GB harddrive, 3G technology, and customizable covers. Who could not want something as great as this? Especially someone like me, who is always reading something...

I remember one glorious summer vacation, a whole week spent on a San Diego beach...I somehow managed to cram 15 books in my carry-on bag. I ended up reading every single book, plus buying quite a few souvenirs, too. The bottle of wine I brought home required that I check my bag, and unfortunately, checked bags are weighed. The weight of the 15 books, my clothes, the wine, and other assorted tchotchkes tipped the scales at nearly 75 lbs. Yikes!

Imagine if I had carried the 15 books (and up to 2,000 other titles!) on the Nook instead. Zee would not have stared at me incredulously because of my overweight bag, and I wouldn't have had to worry about pay extra fees for it, either!

Plus, it's beautiful...

Relax

2009-11-08T21:14:00.005-06:00

This weekend was FAB! Zee and I spent a lot of time together, we cleaned the house today, and had an all-around great time.

Now to get started on another week...at least the holidays are finally here! I can already imagine my house decorated and twinkling with white lights. I'm not going to lie--I've "visited" my boxes of Christmas decorations several times.

Since Zee and I were in Paris last Christmas, it felt like I didn't really enjoy the holiday. Now that we are going to be in Dallas all of November, and not head to New Mexico until Christmas Eve, I know it's going to be a great holiday together.

I'm writing up my results of the Birkman Assessment, and will post it soon. It was an interesting experience...

Discovering myself

2009-11-06T18:35:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow, I am going to participate in a Birkman Assessment. It will last four hours, and I've been warned that it is a grueling experience. We were even told to wear comfortable shoes!

I took the mandatory 50-minute online quiz last week. We are supposed to take the results to the session. I was amazed at how close the quiz came to my personality and leadership style.

And I'll be completely honest--I don't know what possessed me to sign up for an early morning session. I wake up at 5am every morning, and I'll be up fairly early tomorrow to eat and pack a light lunch. This session is so hard-core, a lunch break was deemed to be completely out of the question!

Wish me luck, because it seems that I will need it!

Annoying people, Part Eleventy-Billion

2009-11-03T20:40:00.003-06:00

Argh, people annoy me. Granted, most people annoy me. There is just no helping that. For the most part, every person I come across has one or two attributes that bothers me in some way, but they aren't so bad that I can't ignore it. Chews gum like a cow smacking on curd? I can handle it. Laughs like a hyena in heat? Bring it on! Doesn't read directions to anything, no matter how complicated it is? Sure, why not?

Those little idiosyncrasies are what make people unique, so I find a way to embrace them if they aren't too grating. A person's behavior, on the other hand, I cannot ignore.

For instance, just because you have a new baby, it doesn't mean that everyone around you is going to coo and aah over it like it's some sort of demi-god. The rest of the world doesn't think that your little bundle of poo's incessant crying means that it's destined to be the next Mozart or Hawking. We are just annoyed at the noise, and your pathetic attempts at parenting. Hey there, genius, how about you take that screaming baby and walk outside? What...too lazy to spare the rest of the world your lapse in prophylactic use? Why am I not surprised?

It may take a village to raise a child, but that doesn't mean that we are offering.

I can't believe it's already November!

2009-11-01T12:15:00.002-06:00

It seemed just like yesterday that it was the beginning of summer. I think that the flood in our home unfortunately ruined our summer, but we still managed to squeeze in a few vacations, so it's not all too bad.

This Christmas we are planning to road trip through New Mexico. I am so excited about that. There is just something so beautiful and peaceful about the deserts and mountains...I hope to get some writing in while I'm there. Zee wants me to ski, but I am resisting that course of action. I am accident prone, and I don't want to expose my ankle to more injury.

Before next summer, I would really like to visit NYC and Las Vegas. I hope to visit NYC sometime in December, because I want to see the beautiful lights and experience the Christmas spirit.

Sometime in March or April, we have discussed visiting Italy. I don't have a preference to which cities we visit, so I'll leave that up to Zee. I just want to make sure that wherever we go, we'll take a train between the cities (because I really want to do that), and there is plenty of good food to be had (which shouldn't be a problem!).

Traveling is great, I really enjoy doing it. I especially enjoy doing it with Zee. He makes it so much fun!

Eleven

2009-10-31T11:43:00.002-05:00

Eleven hours of glorious slumber. I feel energized and happy, now that Zee is back in town. Of course, he took all the credit for my newfound sleepy gene.

I slept so deeply...I woke up groggy, unable to remember any dreams, with sheet marks on my face and arms. As a reward, I stumbled straight to the fridge, heating up a slice of lasagna and pouring myself a glass of Coke Zero. I think that the angels serve this meal in heaven, too. It's pure perfection.

But just because I slept well this night, doesn't mean that it's akin to unicorns vomiting rainbows. We'll see how next week progresses before I am wholly convinced that my insomnia has completely disappeared.

For now, I'm going to suit up in my gym clothes, and accompany Zee to work out. Gah, it's been an eternity since I've gone!

Annoyed

2009-10-30T22:18:00.003-05:00

I just brought Zee back home after picking him up from the airport and the pups are monopolizing his time. They are running around in circles, darting underneath the dining room table and taking flying leaps off the couch and chairs in the den. I could handle all that activity if it weren't for the infernal racket they are making. I can't stand a barking dog, in any capacity.

I suppose one could argue that I am a wee bit jealous. I have been here all week, making sure that their water and food bowls are filled, showering them with attention (OK, more like a light drizzle), and keeping them company in general. Where were their squeals of excitement then? Where were their joyful dances and satisfied sighs?

Zee, of course, is having a ball with their reaction. He's only asked me my opinion of whether or not they are excited a couple of eighteen times or so. I try to dodge the subject, but he is insistent on an answer. I have to play along in order to maintain my aura of indifference.

Fine, I give him that much. They prefer his style of non-authority. I am the dreaded disciplinarian. I am unmoved by their soft whines and puppy dog eyes. I have high expectations. But I guarantee you one thing: they know who really wears the pants in this house, because when Momma's not happy with their behavior...

Wine-O

2009-10-29T20:06:00.004-05:00

So a little bird told me that a few glasses of wine will knock me the eff out. I'm roadtesting that theory tonight with a few glasses of Chianti. I have a lasagna in the oven, which is my official food, so that should go together nicely. To keep myself from stumbling naked down the street in a drunken stupor, I am munching on some roasted garlic hummus and pita chips. Death Cab is on my iPod, and I'm in my jammies. HEAVEN!!

I made a delish roast chicken the other day, and I am clamoring to make it again. It is just impossibly juicy and flavorful. I also know that I haven't made Zee's favorite scallops in a long while. I miss cooking, and I hope to be able to host a few guests for Thanksgiving. I also need to dig through the Christmas items and start addressing those cards. Never to early to start, that's my opinion...

But first, Halloween! We are holding a "Time Machine" party at work, inviting coworkers to dress in their favorite decade. I've chosen the 60s. It's going to be fab, Daddy-O. We may go to a BYObottle bash in far E. Dallas after the trick-or-treaters on Saturday. They typically have a band set up and everything...I will reuse the 60s outfit and maybe make myself up as a zombie or vampire of some sort. Hilarity will ensue!!

Maybe...

2009-10-28T21:40:00.002-05:00

I am a robot after all.

I slept 2 hours last night. I woke up groggy, and was moving slow all morning. I drank a cup of coffee and by lunchtime, I was feeling my usual self. I had dinner with a friend and now I'm at home. Sleep, of course, is the furthest thing from my mind.

At this rate, I won't shut my eyes until 2am or later. My alarm goes off at 4:45ish, the time I usually wake up to go to the gym. I've been hitting the snooze button several 12 times or so, so I end up getting up at around 6.

I know that it's not enough time to sleep, but what can I do when my body doesn't want to cooperate? At least I'm being good and not buying anything from all the infomercials I've been watching...

All is not lost!

2009-10-27T22:25:00.003-05:00

After the cluster that was Microsoft Starter 7, and my desire to ram my new Netbook up Bill Gates' back gate, it looks like there is a solution to the annoying locked desktop debacle.

HP has swooped in and saved the day. Included with the Netbook is a WindowBlinds program that masks Microsoft's dumbassery, and all is well in the world again!!

And, the sun came out again. Joy!

Microsoft is an evil corporation

2009-10-26T21:04:00.004-05:00

I bought an HD Mini yesterday and was so excited because it meant that I could take my computer everywhere. Unfortunately, the HD Mini is a perfect example of things not being what they seemed.

Everyone talks about how great the new Microsoft 7 OS is, and I suppose it is, except for the netbook I bought had the Microsoft 7 Starter OS installed on it. I tried to change the desktop background, and it wouldn't allow it. I Googled it and apparently, Microsoft has demonstrated that it does not care about its customers. A user cannot change the background on it at all, unless a person buys an $80 upgrade. It's like a hospital installing a pacemaker and then demanding $80 to include the batteries.

I understand that the Netbook is "cheap," but instead of nickle and diming me, why don't they charge the actual price of the entire OS instead of pulling the old bait and switch? If I had known, I would not have bought an HP, and gone with a Mac Air instead!!!

I don't think I can begin to explain how furious I am. I am surprised that I didn't break the stupid thing. I've repacked it and I will return it sometime this week.

Heading back to Dallas...

2009-10-25T08:59:00.003-05:00

The Philly trip was interesting, to say the least. The first thing I noticed was that the city center was super clean. I thought it was because people in the area are conscientious about not littering. After observing several people throw trash on the ground with impunity, I realized it was because Philadelphia is serious about trash control. City employees are constantly on standby to clean the streets. Even on Sunday!
I started wondering what the heck their tax rate is to be able to afford this level of service...and it is mind-boggling. The state income tax is 9.7%. The state also charges a personal property tax (that includes vehicles and other heavy equipment, too). Cities can also charge an income tax, but they are capped at 1%. Larger cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton can also charge an income tax--and they have no cap!
If you were thinking that all these taxes would drive down the sales tax...you are WRONG! The sales tax is a whopping 8%.
I find it very ironic that the birthplace of freedom will not give its citizens the freedom to choose what they do with their hard-earned income. Who says that the government knows best??

Holy screaming dinner, Batman!

2009-10-18T21:24:00.003-05:00

This weekend was Texas/OU weekend, which automatically means that it was filled with silly drunk people yelling nonsensical obscenities at each other in the streets, in bars, and in restaurants. I can deal with the crowds. I can deal with the traffic. I can deal with the long lines. But I can't deal with grown people acting like college students after their first drunken revelry.

It seemed that no matter where you turned, you could not escape them. We went to a restaurant on the Plano-Dallas border, and these drunk bottle blondes kept yelling "Texas fight" in between bites of their dinner. Seriously, people. Have some class, although I know that for these people, it is probably too much to ask.

The worst thing is that the restaurant folks thought it was the cutest thing in the world, even though other patrons kept casting dirty looks at the growling cougars in the middle of the restaurant.

Good thing Zee was with me, and he has no qualms about telling people off. A well-placed yell of "Shut the fuck up!" quickly reminded the prowling cougars that they really don't have much to meow about in a mostly deserted steak place.

And while yelling in a restaurant is far from classy, I think that the ends in this case truly justified the means. A quiet dinner is important to digestion!

Shining sun

2009-10-17T15:58:00.003-05:00

The sun has finally come out, after what seemed like an interminable foggy day. The weather is beautiful and I absolutely love it!

Today, we went to the gym and then went off on a mission to find pant clips for my awesome boots. My jeans unfortunately ride up when I wear my boots, and equestrian stores have pant clips for tall boots.

We went to two equestrian stores, and finally found a pair. I mean, I could have ordered a pair from the internet, but the ones that they sell for the "beautiful people" are $25, and the ones I found at Dover Saddlery were $2.99. Boo-yah!!

We are heading to Philly this Thursday, and I am going to be using those clips to keep my pants in place when I checking out the Liberty Bell and eating delicious cheesesteak sandwiches. I'm so excited!!

Bad hair days

2009-10-13T22:43:00.002-05:00

I know that everyone is feeling the same way I am...this weather has got to go! The constant stream of humidity, fog, and rain has put a damper on my gorgeous locks. Even that miracle frizz-free stuff that I reviewed a few months ago has lost its potency.

My bangs now wilt in a stringy mess on my forehead, and my back of my head looks like a half-chewed rat's nest. It has gotten so bad, that I've even debated cutting my hair into a short bob to keep myself from experiencing the angst that always accompanies bad hair days. I've also contemplated packing my flat iron for emergency touch-ups in the office during lunch. I just can't handle it anymore. Not even pouring a bottle of wine down my throat seems to help matters any. I just get smashed and depressed about the horrible state my hair is in.

Why must you mock me this way, Mr. Weatherman? What have I done to deserve this fate?

New obsession

2009-10-12T21:16:00.004-05:00

Goodness. I figured out how to create ringtones using Garage Band and uploading them onto my iPhone. I've been painstakingly cutting snippets from my favorite songs, which is more work than you would originally think. So far, I've chosen songs from Death Cab for Cutie (Soul Meets Body), Kings of Leon (Crawl), Coldplay (Lovers in Japan), and Led Zeppelin (All My Love).

Kings of Leon tomorrow!!

2009-10-06T19:43:00.001-05:00

I'm so very excited. Keep tabs on my Twitter account for pictures. One thing I can't forget to buy: EARPLUGS!!!!

Woo-hoo!!

2009-09-29T20:52:00.002-05:00

I got some new earrings from Blue Nile (thanks JJ, for helping me pick them out!) and they are fab!! Even Zee likes them, which is quite an accomplishment.

So now Zee says that I cannot purchase the awesome Kate Spade computer bag because I bought the boots and the earrings. I'm thinking of returning the boots (and the spare boots that are suede and I decided I no longer want), and getting the computer bag instead. I like carrying my laptop around and I would really like the bag...

What do you think? This is truly a shopping conundrum...

Yay calves!!

2009-09-24T22:19:00.002-05:00

I blogged about some great boots that I coveted a few months ago. Lo and behold, they (finally!) arrived today and they actually fit around my man calves!

It's a shock. Zee said that I can keep them, so of course I am going to return the other boots. They are suede anyway so I can't wear them when it's raining. It's pretty rainy during winter, so they won't come in handy very much.

Anyway, they are awesome.

Do you subscribe?

2009-09-23T20:00:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted in a while, I know. I don't have an excuse.

So let's delve right into tonight's topic. Magazine subscriptions. Who has them? Which ones? I am scrutinizing my subscriptions and think that I should pare them down a bit because they are getting out of control (OTT), and nobody wants that, right?

Elle - I sought this out after I dumped Vogue. I appreciate this magazine much more than Vogue's haughty look at fashion and obvious disdain for conservatives. We like fashion, too!

Glamour - I received this subscription as a part of a buy one, get one free deal. I do not plan to renew. I mean, how many articles about pleasing your man must I suffer through before the powers that be realize that we are all too feminist to care anymore?

Instyle - This took the place of Lucky magazine. It has more articles about style instead of a listing of goods for sale. Cutting Lucky out of my life has also cut out my raging desire for incessant shopping. Zee says yay.

Entertainment Weekly - This satisfies my desire for the awesomeness that is entertainment. I can catch up with everything that is going on without having to invest too much time into hunting down items in blogs and entertainment websites.

Bon Apetit - I adore cooking, and this magazine satisfies my inner chef.

Wired - Zee likes it, but he wants to dump it in favor of...

Car & Driver - because he likes cars.

Outdoor Photography - We inexplicably receive this. Don't know why. Never read it.

National Geographic - Meh. The stories aren't that interesting, to be honest. But I do like the pictures.

Architectural Digest - This magazine is for old people. Yay old people! I'm not there yet. The pictures are nice, though.

Magazines I'm craving:
Cook's Illustrated - Cooking es muy divertido!

Elle Decor - I plan to subscribe to this because I desperately need decorating ideas. Watching Martha Stewart has got me picking up dead branches in order to artfully arrange them in a classy vase (pronounced voz, natch). I think I need new ideas...sorry, Martha.

Magazines I've dumped:
Vogue, Lucky, Self, Real Simple, Dog Fancy, Sports Illustrated, Cosmo.

Catching up on my TV watching

2009-09-09T20:06:00.003-05:00

I've watched the last three Project Runway and Models of the Runway shows. It's been great. I love this show. The bad thing about choir is that I have to practice on Thursdays and I can't watch it live. But Tivo is the awesomeness. I am in the middle of the third one, and I don't like Mitchell. He makes the most horrible clothes and yet he is still around! And he has a horrible attitude. How is that possible??

Speaking of television, I'm excited about a couple of new shows. Glee, which I've heard a lot about. I hope it's as good as all the raves. Also, the new season of Gossip Girl (obvs), which from what I hear is going to start off with a bang--a same sex kiss! I won't reveal any more, but I'm intrigued. Other shows I have scheduled on my Tivo: The Vampire Diaries (because I have a thing for vampires), The Beautiful Life (models are awesome), the new Melrose Place (ay caramba, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz? I have to take a look).

We're back!!!

2009-09-08T21:35:00.003-05:00

I am sooo sunburned! Argh, terrible. Guess we were pretty close to the equator.

The great part of our vacation is that it was so relaxing. The bad part is that I forgot my good camera at home...so all I got are pictures from my iphone.

One quick story before I sign off. On our way to Puerto Rico, we were on the same flight as The Great Khali and The Undertaker (two wrestlers). I didn't recognize them, but just noticed that they were both huge guys (The Great Khali is over 7 feet tall!!). Zee is tall himself, so the experience was very strange for him.

When we got to the hotel, we went straight to bed (it was almost midnight by the time we arrived). The next morning, when we were at breakfast, we noticed quite a few very tall young men. Some very much taller than Zee. As we were walking through the lobby, we realized that the FIBA tournament was being held in Puerto Rico. Different countries were staying in our hotel: Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. So as you can imagine, there were plenty of people taller than Zee throughout our entire vacation.

Anyway, more stories to come, but I have to hit the sack in order to get up for the gym tomorrow morning!!

Yay finding furniture treasure!

2009-08-26T21:17:00.004-05:00

I am so excited!
We bought two vintage cocktail tables from Again & Again today and they are beautiful. I'm not sure what era they are from...I'm thinking they are around 50 years old or so.
The best thing about them is the glass top. It makes the tables look airy in our small living room. Because our house is so old, it has been hard finding furniture that matches the scale of the house. Although this has been one of the driving factors for looking for furniture in consignment, thrift, and antique shops, I have to admit to liking pieces of furniture with a bit of history attached.
If you haven't been to Again & Again, I suggest that you give the shop a try. They are located on Henderson and are absolutely FAB. Not only do they carry a wide assortment of vintage furniture (from Art Deco to mid-century modern), they also reupholster and refurnish your furniture.
But the glass tops aren't the only feature about these tables that I love. They are a soft gold color (gilded?) that blends in well with the dark wood tones of the other furniture in the room. You can also separate them or push them together depending on your whim. It would be very easy to reconfigure the room with these two tables.
But musing about the history again...who knows where these cocktail tables were before they took residence in front of our 1920s couch, 1940s chair, and 1950s secretary...but I'm sure they were well-loved and admired.
Plus, this is the greenest thing you could possibly do. Instead of taking up space in the local landfill...they will bring us joy for many years to come.

Lounging around

2009-08-23T10:47:00.003-05:00

Leave it to me to get sick during our anniversary celebration. Good thing it wasn't so severe that I couldn't cook our special dinner. We haven't really done much of anything, just sitting around and watching TV or playing some Xbox games. It's been fun.

We usually run around during the weekends, doing one errand or another. This weekend, we've relaxed at home, lounging around watching television.

It's been grand!!

You know what else has been grand??? FOOTBALL PRE-SEASON! I'm so excited about the start of the football season. I love those weekends that Zee and I spend together watching college ball on Saturdays and pro ball on Sundays. And the weather turning...our one week of Fall...

One thing that I have to clarify is that I love all seasons equally (really, I do), but after a while, I start to yearn for the next season. I think it's normal. So I think about fall during the hot months of August, as the summer is winding down. And I think about summers on the beach during January, when the weather is rainy and nasty. I appreciate all seasons.

Day like any other day...

2009-08-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

I am so beyond tired and I wish I had stayed at home today. But I will be enjoying time off soon, so I try to keep my mind on that instead of dwelling on the present.

One piece of good news is that I seemed to have made a gym friend. She's very nice and likes the same things I do. We are going to a Latin Fusion (Zumba) class this Monday afternoon, and I can't wait. I hear that it's lots of fun.

Zee and I will celebrate our 5 year anniversary this weekend! I will prepare his favorite dish: filet mignon steaks, garlic mashed potatoes, and a salad. I'm still trying to decide what to make for dessert. I would like to make a cheesecake, but it may not turn out well. My last cheesecake wasn't very successful. One of my favorite flavors is lemon, but I can't find any good lemon cake recipes. I'll have to ask Zee what he would like...

As you can imagine, I have a long day of cooking ahead of me on Saturday, and I'm looking forward to it! Nothing beats cooking for your loved ones...especially if it's their favorite dish!

Very busy weekend

2009-08-17T19:18:00.004-05:00

This weekend seemed endless...mostly because I had a long list of to-do's clutched in my hands the entire time. If I had been laying on a sunny beach with a margarita in my hand, you know that it would have felt two seconds long.

First thing's first. I have lost 12 lbs. so far...I'm so excited! Going to the gym early in the morning has definitely paid off. And now that I am on Synthroid (for a previously undiagnosed thyroid problem), the pounds are finally coming off. I even measured my calf the other day, and I have lost an inch and a half! Which is good, because I had some big momma calves. Maybe I could fit into those awesome boots after all??

On Saturday, we were up and down around and around for the entire day, almost. It was all a horrible blur. We ended up going to Northpark and of course Zee bought the newest Madden and I managed to snag Trivial Pursuit (yay!). We played TP that night and had loads of fun. Funny thing is that Dallasite had inspired us to swing by Louie's Saturday night, but the traffic around the area was atrocious and the line was snaking around the building. We went to La Ha instead and had a delicious steak.

Sunday was by far the craziest day. I spent the majority of the day breaking down in dressing rooms because I couldn't find the right size *ahem* lady part harness. IfyouknowwhatImean. I was so frustrated, it was beyond words. Zee was wonderful, as usual, putting up with my female bat-shit-craziness with good humor.

While we were at Nordies, I managed to pick up a new bag, and I lubs it. It is The Sak, in a scrumptious black leather. It's perfect for the Fall, but I just can't help but carry it around now. I need to switch back to the Azur before summer ends, though. Because you know I'll be missing it when it's cold and rainy out. Us wimmen always want what we can't have!!

Lost and Found, or My Tale of Woah

2009-08-10T18:19:00.005-05:00

Last weekend at DFW Airport, while riding the delightful (not delightful) Terminal Link bus headed from Terminal A to Terminal D (where I had parked my car), I left behind my long cardigan jacket.

And not any old long cardigan jacket (Cardiget? Jackigan?), mind you, but the most beautifuous charcoal gray inexplicably-$168 item-marked-down-to-only-$16 Banana Republic long cardigan jacket. Its loss left a gaping hole in my heart. It wasn't until I had reached the Toll plaza exiting the airport that I realized my mistake. I tried to reason with myself that retrieving it was more trouble than it was worth, that even though it originally was $168, I had only paid $16, so I should just move on with my life. And anyway, a cardiget that extraordinary would have surely been snapped up by now, right?

But it was the price that wouldn't let me forget. I had considered it a great achievement to pull such an incredible item from Banana Republic's sales rack wreckage. I felt like Howard Carter, getting his first glimpse into the shining recesses of Tut's tomb. I felt like a winner that day. Every time I wore the cardiget, I relived that moment of glory. I couldn't bear to let it go.

So what's a girl to do but to call her husband and shrilly bemoan the loss of her cardiget? After getting it off my chest, I drove home, desperately longing for a bath and my own bed. A few hours later, I received a call from Jennifer, my Terminal Link bus driver, telling me that she was taking the cardiget to the Lost and Found. Oh, be still my heart!!

I called the Lost and Found section on Monday and spoke to a lovely gentleman that confirmed that my item was in their possession. He then asked me a series of peculiar questions, including my name, phone number, address, and a description of my lost article. I hesitantly gave him the information, and promptly put it out of my mind. I let him know that I would pick it up on Saturday. Their hours did not lend themselves to an after work drive by.

On Saturday, after calling "Traveler's Aide" to let them know of my impending arrival, I drove to the airport and parked in Terminal B. DFW's Lost and Found section is located by Gate B30, next to the United Baggage Claim. I found it with no difficulty, and walked into the waiting area. The office is large and airy, behind massive plate glass windows that offer an unobstructed view of the baggage claim and corridor.

Behind the counter sat an elderly volunteer, smartly dressed in what I like to call Grandma Casual: starched jeans, a button-down shirt brightly embellished with stars and moons, and navy Keds. She smiled politely as I described my situation, and then the 3rd degree began.

What did the item look like?
Where did I lose the item?
Did I remember what the driver looked like?
What time did I lose the item?
Which bus route did I leave the cardiget on?

After her interrogation, I was left exhausted. This woman would be a formidable asset in our fight against terrorism, and should be sent to Guantanamo Bay immediately to protect all Americans from those who wish to do us harm. Those scoundrels wouldn't have a chance against her cunning.

When she was satisfied that I had responded honestly to her many questions, she requested my state-issued identification and had me sign a document stating that the item was indeed my own. Nodding curtly at my scrawled signature, she marched to the copier and made a copy of my driver's license. She came back to the counter, handed me my I.D. card and a copy of the signed affidavit/proof of ownership/confession to 18 murders before sliding everything into a file with my name emblazoned on the tab. I didn't bother to ask.

CRAZY SCARY!!!

Favorite nook

2009-08-06T20:41:00.003-05:00

I have a favorite nook. It is the secretary in the living room, where I keep my laptop and the associated electronic accoutrement that today's modern life requires. My tall bright paper shade lamp is emanating a golden glow, my right leg is curled underneath my left leg...my left foot is comfortably propped up on a stool, and my pups are snoozing on the rug next to the fireplace. I'm listening to great tunes (KoL, if you must know), a large Diet Coke fountain drink sits on my Texas A&M coaster, and I just pulled up my writing project.

It's the little things that make life wonderful.

Ugh.

2009-08-05T23:07:00.003-05:00

I spent the majority of my evening updating my major league calendar, and I didn't even finish the task. I'm a major loser! Nothing on TV...nothing on my Tivo...no movies to watch, although Elizabeth: The Golden Age has shipped. Exciting stuff (not)!

I can't believe it's only Wednesday. The week is crawling by at a snail's pace!! Would I be a MAJOR loser if I enjoyed some $3 margaritas sans accompaniment tomorrow? Or would that mean that I should make plans to attend the next AA meeting?

Am I reading too much into this?

2009-08-04T23:13:00.003-05:00

There is absolutely no question that I have been enjoying way too many (classy) adult films lately because my beloved J.Crew ruffle coat front is starting to look quite a bit like a certain lady part that I shall not mention because this is not a smutty blog. The worst thing is that not even that thought has turned me off (hehe) of this fabulous coat.
I wonder what Freud would think of me? And what do you think, dearest readers? Do you see the resemblance? Do you think I am crazy, or crazy for not noticing it sooner?

Vacation awesomeness

2009-08-04T23:09:00.001-05:00

Yes, we are staying at the Hilton Caribe resort for six days...with access to a private beach and several swimming pools...it's going to be fabulous! Not to mention that the grounds are a bird sanctuary, and plenty of tropical fish to visit in the reef located just offshore. Although there are a lot of activities to participate in, I plan to just sit on the beach and relax.

It's good to have restful vacations. We have spent some walking miles and miles with an overpacked agenda. Exploring a historic battleground, wandering through a massive museum, and windowshopping until I felt that my feet would just fall off...while those vacations are great in their own way, sometimes you need to just sit and people watch or read a book or listen to music...or just listen to the waves! When we were in Paris, we went into Fauchon (a luxe food store) at place de la Madeleine to grab some goodies for our families. It was December, and it was about 20 degrees and rainy outside, but it was 90 degrees inside the packed store! I thought poor Zee was going to pass out, so I made my selections as quickly as I could, even though I could have spent a lot more time in the store. They had fascinating things--like canned duck meat, loose teas, pickled mushrooms, and of course, chocolate! I also thought that the decoration of the store was intriguing--it reminded me of Sephora, but Fauchon had bold hot pink and black stripes. Very unlike Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table's soothing color scheme.

Thinking of the crazy weather in Paris reminds me...I hope that the weather in Puerto Rico will be nice. We'll be there at the tail end of hurricane season, and I'm worried that our vacation will be ruined. I know that the last thing I need is something else to worry about. But I just can't help myself! And it seems that I have found a new favorite website.

Zee and I spoke about this as we were making the plans and he reminded me that it is impossible to predict the weather during a beach vacation. So...I will just have to think positive and hope that our stay will be pleasant and sunny.
The massage table in this picture has reminded me that Zee may be getting a massage sometime this week. I've never had a massage and have always wondered if I would like one. I've always been a very ticklish person, so I've avoided massages like the plague, but who knows?
Additionally, today we held our kick-off meeting for our major league project. I was in charge of organizing the "icebreaker," and so we played Human Bingo. It consisted of a grid of characteristics, and everyone had to go around and find people that matched with the descriptions. Some of the characteristics included: has ridden a motorcycle, went to Starbucks today, has gotten a celebrity's autograph, watches reality shows, has more than 5 bathing suits...there were so many fun ones! I gave away a cute little potted plant to the lucky winner and everyone had such a good time interacting with each other and getting to know each other a little bit better. I think that the icebreaker was a definite success!

OMG I AM EXCITEDDD!!!

2009-08-03T21:49:00.003-05:00

We just reserved our beach vacation and we are going to PUERTO RICO!!! We are staying at the fabulous Hilton Caribe...right on the beach. The Oasis bar within the hotel is the reputed birthplace of the pina colada. I wish it were September already!

After deliberating for about a month about where we would go for vacation, we finally decided on Puerto Rico. Other places in consideration were San Diego, Cabo San Lucas, and Miami. I playfully suggested La Push beach, but Zee was having none of it. :D I've never been to Puerto Rico, so this is a great experience.

So I'm going to pack my seven bathing suits and sit on the beach and sip some delish drinks. Aaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Why must you keep doing this to me, J.Crew???

2009-07-29T22:59:00.003-05:00

Seriously. Seriously. J.Crew, you and I have to talk. Granted, most of your new stuff is very generic, bland garbage, but what is good is good.

Take this magnificent ruffle front coat. It's made out of great material (I have a similar jacket, but this new coat is heavier), it has great tailored detailing, and the color is fabulous.

I'm secretly hoping that I lose more weight (8 lbs. so far!) so that I have an excuse to buy this jacket for this winter. I'm not sure if I could wait until it goes on sale, because I'm sure it will sell out. Too bad the price is so steep...maybe I could justify it as a Christmas present?

I could imagine myself wearing it with my incredible cashmere leopard-spotted scarf and a cute hat. Droooooooool.

Summer concerts!

2009-07-28T07:13:00.000-05:00

We went to see The Killers back in February, and it was awesome. The below review is from the Star-Telegram, and I e-clipped it so I could remember how great the concert was. Even though the majority of the crowd was composed of teeny-boppers and their parents, you couldn't deny how great this band is live. And I appreciate that! We are going to see Metallica and Kings of Leon next...I wonder how they will stack up?

---

Thursday, Feb. 05, 2009
Killers brandish a keener edge live
The Killers have swagger and style to spare during their sold-out show at Nokia.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
By PRESTON JONES

GRAND PRAIRIE — "I got a feeling about tonight," Killers frontman Brandon Flowers declared before launching into the Las Vegas foursome’s signature hit Somebody Told Me.
What was it? Nerves? Elation? Uncertainty? Confidence?
Most likely the last. Swagger has never been in short supply with the Killers, and Wednesday night, at a sold-out Nokia Theatre, the band repeatedly demonstrated the virtues of boldness when blended with a keen sense of style.
Few things are more electrifying than a band that feels as though it has something to prove. Flowers has stated in interviews — quite rightly — that for most young artists, attaining fame is enough and there’s no need to push further.
Not so for this quartet (augmented by three additional musicians in concert). After critics took swipes at Sam’s Town, the Killers’ overly ambitious sophomore album, Flowers and company set out to silence the snickering by delivering Day & Age, a record that neatly splits the difference between Town and the Killers’ multiplatinum debut Hot Fuss.
Leading off with Spaceman,Age’s latest single, the Killers ably captivated the crowd, satirizing Vegas glitz with the stage design (zebra print floor covering, faux palm trees, a mirrored piano) but delivering nothing but one muscular track after another, engaging the crowd like practiced puppetmasters.
Whatever the critical consensus may be about their studio output, the Killers have continued to sharpen their live performances. Where there was once garish spectacle with little substance, the Killers now move fluidly from the well-worn hits (Somebody Told Me, Smile Like You Mean It) to deftly rendered covers (Joy Division’s Shadowplay) without missing a step.
It’s almost enough to make you believe that the Killers are truly as great a band as they say they are. The group still needs a few more years, but they’re closer to deserving the label than just about any other American rock band.
French indie rockers M83 proved a perfect appetizer with their glowing, electronica-dappled anthems. Vocalist Anthony Gonzalez leaned into the shoegazing squall, augmenting the brooding soundscapes unfurling amid swirling lights and an impressively vast, sharp backing band.

Coveting (what's new?)

2009-07-27T21:57:00.002-05:00

Behold--the J.Crew crystal libretto necklace. It is the most beautiful thing ever, and you know that I want it. I'm trying to be better, but with beautiful sparkly (like vampires!) necklaces like this, what is a girl to do???

Good thing I have great self-control. And since I've already posted this on my blog, I know that Zee will know how much it costs and I can't sneak out and buy it behind his back. See how I worked it there? I'm awesome.

But I'm still going to dream about it and pretend that I'm wearing it practically everyday. Because that's what I do best. :)

So Zee promised that we would go to Blue Goose again this week. I love that place. $3 margaritas on Thursday!! They are so delish (and you know some people can screw up margaritas--here's a tip: in Vegas, get anything but a margarita). So now I'm really looking forward to this Thursday...woo!

What I miss

2009-07-22T23:26:00.005-05:00

Dear Dallasite has inspired me to compile a list of things I miss from times past.

1. Awesome cartoons. From Voltron to Thundercats, She-Ra to G-Force: Guardians of Space, Mighty Max to He-Man, cartoons nowadays pale in comparison. The current iterations don't have the same dramatic uhmpf that their predecessors did. I dare you to find a cartoon that doesn't suck this Saturday morning.

2. MTV and VH1 actually being about music. If you want to watch some diseased skank get boned thirteen different ways til Sunday, MTV and VH1 are the first channels you should tune to. If you are looking for music videos? Your best bet is probably YouTube.

3. Death of Innocence. I'm sure I'm just adding my voice to innumerable others that have bemoaned the fact that the world has changed for the worst during our lifetime. And I'm sure that people have been saying that since the first Pilgrim stepped onto this continent. I think after Amber Hagerman and 9/11, though, nothing will ever be the same.

4. Decent toys. Where have all the Legos gone? Whatever happened to Playdoh? Now you have weird things like Pokemon and Bratz dolls. Thank goodness, some of these older toys look like they are making a comeback.

5. Sports meant something. I know that there were loads of problems in sports way before my time. We knew that there was a possibility our sports heros gambled on the game, got into fights, and abused their families...but when the game was on...it was on! When we watched them break records, we didn't question whether or not they were on a performance-enhancing drug. We cheered them on. We hoped for the best for them. When they were admitted to the Hall of Fame, we clapped. Now we have incident after incident of drugs in sports. And let's not even get into baseball.

6. Talking, flexting, surfing, texting, sexting, and drufting (two of those are made up) while driving. Who would have thought that those revolutionary little gadgets could cause so much vexation and anguish? Just hang it up, people. Your conversation is probably not that interesting anyway.

Living Proof Frizz review

2009-07-20T21:46:00.007-05:00

Last weekend, while browsing the lovely catalog Sephora usually sends me, I spotted an intriguing hair product. It's called Living Proof, and the accompanying article/sales pitch declared that it meant the end of frizzy hair. I was immediately drawn in, determined to learn more about it. Anything that claims to keep the frizzies at bay is sure to get my attention.

The "literature" went on to say that this line of products was invented by MIT professors (!), and that it envelopes each individual strand of hair in a moisture barrier without using silicone. (As an FYI, silicone is suuuper bad for hair. It weighs down the strands, increases breakage, and it makes it dull and lifeless. The silicone buildup can also cause greasiness, not to mention it'll look like you have tits in your hair. Just kidding on that last one). And it doesn't stop there! This unnamed and mysterious moisture barrier (sans silicone) not only keeps all the evil humidity away from your strands, it also keeps your strands from generating too much friction when they rub against each other! While Humidity is hair enemy #1, Friction is a close second. Especially someone like me that is constantly flipping her hair around (hello, why do you think Zee lets me buy so many shoes?).

So while we were at Northpark on Sunday to watch Harry Potter, we stopped by Sephora and I bought this alleged miracle cream. The 4oz bottle was $24. Yikes. It better do everything it claims to do. Before purchasing, I read the product reviews on Sephora's website. It seemed that every other person had a problem with the product's scent. I smelled it at the store, and it smells citrusy. Nothing very offensive, in my opinion.

So I went ahead and bought it. I was sure it was going to give me Penelope Cruz hair. It said so on the bottle, in tiny print (no it didn't). On Sunday, I lazed around most of the morning, went to the gym in the afternoon, and got busy on my hair immediately afterward. My first observation is that it made my hair easier to dry....a lot easier, actually. I think it has something to do with the moisture repellent ingredients in the secret sauce. I am pleased about this, especially as my hair gets longer.

Quite a few product reviews on Sephora mentioned that the product does not work if you let your hair air dry. The only direction on the bottle says, Work through damp hair and dry with a heat appliance. So, um, don't complain if it doesn't work for you when you go au naturale, ladies.

So what is the verdict? Luckily, we experienced a few thunderstorms this week. My hair stayed perfectly straight, without even the slightest hint of frizz. I was properly amazed, because my hair is notoriously mischievous. I took this picture after a long day of rain-dodging and hair-swinging. Good job, Living Proof!

Summer movies (part 2)

2009-07-19T18:16:00.000-05:00

Zee and I have been summer movie fiends! We have notched two new summer movies to our bedpost, and are thinking of watching a few others. I still want to see The Hangover, G.I. Joe, Julie & Julia, Time Traveler's Wife, and The Ugly Truth.

Transformers
We (finally) saw this movie in IMAX and it was barely watchable. The giant explosions, Megan Fox and Shia LeBouf made this movie worthwhile, but the robots were yawn-inducing. And I must be an old lady, because I thought that the sound was way too loud. I literally put my finger in my right ear to keep my eardrum from exploding. It was not a pleasant experience.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Everyone knows that nothing really happens in the 6th HP book. The only action that truly stood out was that Harry and Ginny got to first base. How...adorable. I remember it being distinctly more exciting in the book, but ah well. They are supposed to be 16 or so, right? I just wish that they hadn't postponed this movie for a year, and then split the last movie in two. HP just needs to be over with, already!

Fabuluuuus Friday!!

2009-07-17T18:26:00.007-05:00

To celebrate fabulous Friday, I'm sharing the below video that I took during our trip to France last December. It is of the Grand appartement de la reine in Versailles. Nineteen Children of France were born in this room, including six European Kings. The royal births were public, to ensure the bloodline was not tarnished. You can see the spectator's chairs in front of the bed--the crowd was expected to stay behind the railing while the Queen was in labor.

This room was decorated lavishly, with beautiful carvings, embroidery, feathers, gilded furniture, and brocade. The many patterns were overwhelming at first, but it was never boring! The decoration in the official palace is very different from the simple color palette and decor in the Grand and Petite Trianons.

Around second .20, you can see a barely-discernible door next to a jewelry cabinet (it blends in with the wall). It was through this door that Marie Antoinette escaped the mob that stormed Versailles in October of 1789. She was eventually captured, imprisoned in Paris, and beheaded in September of 1792.

Grand appartement de la reine

Yes, it really is this beautiful...

2009-07-15T20:53:00.008-05:00

I took the video below at Haleiwa Beach, on Hawaii's North Shore. I've been sifting through the hundreds of pictures from that trip...I need to upload them onto my photosharing site soon so you all can enjoy them, too! I'll get around to it, eventually...

I'm hoping that another trip to the beach at the end of the summer will pan out. I'm not sure what it is about beaches that draws me to them, but I feel most at peace when listening to waves crashing against the shore. I love to sit on the sand, close my eyes, breathe in, and just be.

Haleiwa Beach

ZOMG I WANT!

2009-07-15T11:28:00.005-05:00

I won't bore you with my sob stories about trying to find knee-length boots that fit around my massive man-calves. Before my ankle mishap, I ran like the wind. I also wore killer heels, but now I am relegated to granny shoes under a 2" heel. Life is not fair.
Anyway, because of my former penchant for running and wearing scandalous foot attire, I developed what some may call herculean calves. In other words, you can bounce a quarter off of these bad boys.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing...I prefer pencil skirts, and calves will make or break a pencil skirt. It is bad, however, when you try to find the newest It fashion and all the boots are made with shockingly small calf-holes. I mean, seriously, people. Why must you torture me this way?

I've had luck with Nine West shoes...I enjoy their different styles, they are pretty hardy, and they have an expansive selection of wide shoes. Which is good, because my evil ankle not only snatched away my love of running, it also made certain that my shoe choices were diminished because of the granny orthotic inserts I now have to wear.

If my body were Star Wars, my ankle would totally be Darth Vader.

But I digress...I have hope for these Nine West boots. They look killer, they come in wide, and hopefully my Bertha calves will fit in them. Not that I'm going to try to fit in this type of boot again...I'm getting flashbacks from last year...me sitting in the den, tears in my eyes, and Zee trying to help me zip up my boot. His demands of "suck it in!!" were met with my icy stares...

Yeah, maybe not.

Ugh, seriously...

2009-07-13T22:16:00.003-05:00

Image belongs to People

Here we have Jon Gosselin, his hair plugs, and his newest skanky skank parading around in the French Riviera. Seriously, this just disgusts me. Kate may be an annoying beeyotch, but Jon really makes her look like she should be canonized.

And remember, this is the woman that did this:

Karaoke maybe?

2009-07-10T18:44:00.000-05:00

We are going tonight, and while we usually just show up to mock, who knows...I may just grace the bar’s patrons with the most beautiful rendition of Poker Face ever. By beautiful I mean earsplitting. And by Poker Face, I mean this.
Ha!

Check out this version of Poker Face. Sweet!

Zzzzombie

2009-07-09T17:53:00.000-05:00

First of all, I am a zombie today. Not the eat-your-brain type of zombie, but the I-only-got-three-hours-of-sleep-last-night zombie. Thankfully, we now have (most) of our house in order, but I am paying the price now. We didn’t finish moving and assembling all the furniture until almost midnight last night. And when we were done, I was so hyped up on adrenaline that I couldn’t sleep.

My brain currently feels like it was replaced with a melted Slurpee© and as you can imagine, that is not a good feeling. Not to mention that my allergies have been trying to confound my eyes with itchy scratchiness. OMG, my eyes are so painful and dry, it’s not even funny.

All of these unfortunate events have led to my complete and utter lack of material to write about. I got nothing. Other than the oppressive humidity, my sickly and tired state, and my never-ending eye difficulties, my life is as interesting as a box of rocks.

In order to provide you some form of entertainment, however, I will tell you about a gift I received last week. It is absolutely beautiful. It is a Tiffany Key in sterling silver on a 30" chain. It is the best present ever! I can wear it with any outfit, and I think it will never go out of style. I love that it resembles an old Victorian key. It's so romantic, swooooon!!! Thanks, Zee!

Commute from hail

2009-07-08T18:27:00.009-05:00

Warning (as if the title isn't enough): this post is heavy on puns!

Today's commute wasn't as bad as the one time I was stuck on LBJ Freeway (aka the fifth circle of Hell) behind this horrible accident that required the Careflight helicopter to land fifteen feet away from my car in order to whisk away people on the brink of death--but it was a close second.

My drive started innocently enough, with some happy-looking rainclouds. I thought they looked happy because we haven't had rain in quite a while, and rain during 102 degree+ days is usually a great thing. So while the rainclouds themselves may not have been happy, I was very pleased to see them hovering over the area.

My car thermometer was reading at 109 when I first got in my car, then 97 as I was driving, finally cooling off to 77 degrees when I encountered the clouds. I was ecstatic, because that is usually the temperature when I leave every morning at 5:00 am. And during our hotter-than-hell Texas summers, 77 degrees is a gift!

I continued home, hoping for rain to cool us down and maybe water my lawn a bit, because I haven't been a very responsible homeowner...

When I got to Central, I saw this beautiful rainbow at left. As I snapped this picture, I thought it was wonderful that we were getting at least getting rain somewhere in Dallas...

I can also say that this has been the brightest most complete rainbow I've ever seen in Texas. You can't see it in this picture (I was driving after all, and even though I was stopped at a light when this picture was taken, it isn't the best), but the rainbow was a perfect half-circle.

(sidebar: when I was in Hawaii, I was surprised to see rainbows like this all the time. Apparently, rainbows are very common in Hawaii because it is raining somewhere on the Island at any given moment. As a matter of fact, Honolulu High School's mascot is a rainbow. And even though there are dozens of beautiful sparkling rainbows dancing across the sky every day, Hawaiians no longer notice them because they are so commonplace. Don't forget to notice the beauty around you!)

But anyway, I should have known better than to be fooled by the beautiful rainbow. Texas thunderstorms are the absolute worst when it comes to inflicting damage because of the element of surprise. You are momentarily distracted by a pretty rainbow or a few drizzles and then BAM! All hail breaks loose!!!

I took this last picture after I arrived home. Thankfully, I was conveniently driving next to some covered parking, and I managed to snag a spot before others beat me to it. I waited out the storm (heavy downpour, 60mph gusts, hail) for a few minutes, and then carefully made my way home. It never fails that weather like this would inspire a few accidents--Texans are notoriously bad at driving in inclement conditions.

Good news--my car was not damaged all to hail. Hallelujah!!

Contingency planning...

2009-07-08T18:05:00.000-05:00

I’ve never really considered myself a big Michael Jackson fan, although I’ve always liked his music. I remember when Dangerous (1991) came out, my mother would jam to the (ahem) cassette tape in her blue mini-Datsun truck. I admit to tapping my foot along some of the tunes. Ok, I sang along like a drunken sailor….

But anyway, Michael Jackson has always been an enigma. A shy-outgoing man-child who was simultaneously a great dancer and painfully self-conscious in public. It was almost like he was eternally stuck in those awkward pre-adolescent years where all you want to do is hunch your back, stare at the floor, and hope no one notices you.

I truly felt bad for him, especially when he was accused of molestation; the media’s ridicule and insinuations were downright vicious. I am a firm believer of innocent until proven guilty (a fundamental right as Americans), and it seemed to me that no one gave him the benefit of the doubt. Undoubtedly, his reputation was irreparably harmed because of his own questionable behavior.

Now, the man passes away, and everyone is acting like he was a saintly figure. I don’t disagree with the importance of the man’s talent or contributions to music, but why weren’t people saying how great he was when he was alive?

Not to mention his over the top memorial service…it was as if someone studied the aesthetics of Liberace, added some Diana-Prince Charles wedding pageantry, a few drops of gawd-awful tacky, and mixed in the memorial service for the Pope. Even the Jackson family was dressed in Versace finery, designed by Donatella herself!

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the City of Los Angeles has to panhandle in order to pay for all this foolishness.

http://mayor.lacity.org/PressRoom/PressReleases/LACITYP_005598

Shameful!

Movies I haven't* seen

2009-07-07T18:15:00.000-05:00

Now, before I get started, I feel that I must share a bit of my history. From the ages of 10-13, I did not live in this country. My father moved our family away to spend time in his homeland, and when we got back in 1993, the cultural landscape was different, to say the least. I thought Snoop Doggy Dog was what the crazy kids were calling Snoopy now, for crying out loud! Obviously, I had a lot of catching up to do.

Regardless of my need to catch up, there are a few movies I never got around to watch. One reason for this was that a lot of the movies no longer interested my sophisticated 13-year-old tastes. But I've been back for over 15 years now, and haven't watched other great (allegedly) movies, and I think a lot of it has to do with me being a curmudgeony contrarian. Mathematically speaking, the formula would look like this:

I don't care + I don't care that you care = me

But enough with this math business! Let's get on to the movies!

Home Alone

Released in 1990, this movie was apparently a huge hit. I don't see the draw…it looks like a kid screams and yells his way through the entire thing—and I can experience that at my local Applebee's. Also, did you know that there are four of these movies? Yikes.

Free Willy

Released in 1993, it's about a whale named Willy that needs to be freed. While I can appreciate a movie that can summarize its entire raison d'être in its title, I don't appreciate it enough in this case. What I do appreciate, though, is the treasure trove of dirty jokes that were inspired by this movie. Well done, Hornywood! (See what I did there?)

Saving Private Ryan

This movie was released in 1998, while I was already living in the States. I remember going to the theater with my mom and brother and while they watched this movie, I went to go see The Cinderella Story, starring Drew Barrymore. I totally out-Whataburgered them on this one, because they walked out of the theater looking like Satan just ran over their kitten. This movie also jump-started my unhealthy addiction to glittery makeup (Cinderella Story, not Saving Private Ryan).

Shawshank Redemption

This movie was released in 1994, and I don't even remember it in the theater. I know that it's about a prison, and prison movies are about as fun as a stubbed toe.

Slumdog Millionaire

What? A movie released in 2008 about an Indian version of the TV show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Is that game show even on the air anymore? Why is this even popular and why did it win an Oscar? And why were the child stars living in such abject poverty—did they not earn a salary? Or were they aiming for hyper-authenticity?

So there you have it. I'm sure there are many other movies that I haven't seen, but my caffeine-deprived brain can't think of any more. Toodles!

*and probably won't ever ever ever NEVER

Summer movies

2009-07-06T07:05:00.000-05:00

Even though we have tried to see Transformers twice already, and have been faced with sold-out theaters both times, we have gone to see a variety of other movies this summer, and they've been pretty good, too. The next two movies that I want to see are Transformers (keeps fingers crossed) and Harry Potter (which comes out in a couple of weeks).

The Proposal
Starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. This is a good movie. It's a romantic comedy that is not annoying at all--the stereotypes aren't grating, the plot isn't contrived...I recommend it.

Star Trek
Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana. I also liked this movie. We tried to see Transformers but ended up watching this one instead. The casting is great. Glad I saw it, because it completely reworks the Star Trek storyline--I hope they make more with this cast.

Valentino-The Last Emperor
Went to see this at the Angelika. It was very interesting, as it followed Valentino's last season as a designer. He retired after 45 years of designing for his eponymous line. He went out with a bang with a great party and a museum exhibition of 300 of his dresses. The movie showed a part of his design process--including dreaming about dresses, and draping fabric on a model in order to get the flow of the garment just right.

Public Enemies
We tried to see Transformers again, but ended up at this Johnny Depp-Marion Cotillard-Christina Bale movie. It follows John Dillinger's story, and I thought it was pretty good. It is set in the 1930s, so the costumes, sets, and props are great.

Coveting!

2009-07-05T18:37:00.004-05:00

I just can't help myself. I should be studying my Kaplan materials and thinking about my GRE test. Instead, I find myself pining for the J.Crew ruffle cardi in bright tulip. sigh.

But isn't it gorgeous? The color is fab. The ruffles are fab. The short sleeves are fab. The whole thing is fab! I could wear it with shorts! With pants!! With capris!!! With skirts!!!! With dresses!!!!!

(As an aside, I so weird when it comes to wearing capri pants. I hate wearing capri pants with 3/4 length sleeve tops. Now, I've seen this combo on other women and I think it looks fine, but I will just not leave the house this way. I gave up trying to explain it years ago.)

So, as I was saying, I love this cardi. Even though I'm not really a cardi kinda girl. Blazers are more my thing. And at $68, I'm not sure if a blazer-type girl should be buying a cardi that may or not be worn. And sure. I tell myself now that I will definitely wear it. How could I not wear something so pretty? But the more I think about it, and I'm not sure if it's the color...but it seems a little too sweet for me. My personal style is in no way girly--it has a bit of a grungy edge to it (yay, 90s!), although I do like to mix in some girly details to keep it feminine. I guess this adds up to a whole lot of whotheheckknows.

Looks like I'm going to have to stalkerize it while I wait for it to go on sale...

Happy 4th!

2009-07-04T14:19:00.001-05:00

Today is my Friday!

2009-07-02T07:51:00.000-05:00

So tonight will hopefully be the last night that we will spend in the hotel. Needless to say, I will be glad when this experience is behind us. What should have been a two week job ended up lasting almost six weeks. Our insurance adjuster was incompetent (to put it politely), and we ended up with mold because he didn’t want to remove the entire ceiling drywall.

These developments inspired today's math formula:

flood damage (insurance co. + contractors) - common sense = soulcrushing frustration

Thankfully, the mold was containable and it didn’t spread. Additionally, we had the opportunity to upgrade quite a few things since we already had contractors in the house. Although we paid for it out of pocket, it was worth it. I’ll put up pictures later (or maybe never, you know me).

I went through the house yesterday, and even though it looks like it was ransacked by zombie guerillas, I am looking forward to moving back in.

In entertaining gym news, two ladies were involved in an altercation right outside my shower door this morning. I don’t know about you, but I like to take a steaming hot shower (hehe) right after working out. Helps me relax the mind and whatnot. Now these two weren’t engaged in a screaming match or anything, but fighting words were certainly exchanged.

The worst part about it was that I was finished with my shower and had to exit the stall, and I couldn’t open the stupid door without smacking one of them in the face (which wasn’t such a bad idea, now that I think of it). I had no choice but to flash them the goods as I reached for my towel, but that didn’t faze them in the slightest (it is a locker room, after all).

So I furiously dried off in the stall, put on my robe, and then inched the door open again so I could get out, ever mindful that one of the women was in the door’s trajectory. Apparently, she took offense to my desire to leave the shower stall, because she made a snide comment about stupid people (me) interrupting their conversation.

I pushed the door completely open, and I heard her spring back. I stomped out of the stall, intending to give her a piece of my mind (and even wrestle her down if I had to). They were now both standing behind the frosted glass of the shower door. I stepped away from the door, violently swinging it closed and slapping on the meanest face I could conjure up that early in the morning.

But then I laughed. You know, they say that the Shar Pei was genetically engineered with wrinkled skin to keep other dogs from pinning it down during a wrestling match.

WHY WHY WHY WHY??????

2009-07-01T07:52:00.000-05:00

My dearest lovelies,

You know how much I care for you all. You know that I would never lie to you about anything. Even if it makes you cry, and you call me foul names.

I almost cried and used foul names this morning, when I was getting ready for work at the gym. I had just wrapped myself up in my robe and gotten to my preferred blow-out/makeup station when I saw it. The most frightening thing in the world. Standing right next to me.

My mouth flew open. My eyes widened. My breathing accelerated. My heartbeat stuttered.

Lady next to me was wearing a pretty floral knee-length dress, paired with the most hideous shoes I’ve ever seen in my entire life (and I’ve seen some ugly shoes). They looked like something the Bride of Frankenstein would have worn under her wedding dress because she knows she already looks like hell, so what is the point of wearing awesome shoes anyway?

I inspected the shoes serendipitously as I aimed my blow dryer to my sopping wet hair. After much consideration, I decided that what made these shoes extra awful was the color. A shoe that clunky should not be worn in a flesh tone. It will just make your feet look like they belong on a Hobbit. I blame the fashion magazines for preaching to the masses that a flesh tone shoe will “make your legs go on for miles.” Um, yeah, if they are sleek and streamlined and have a four-inch heel. NOT if they look like the boxes your shoes were supposed to come in.

And I know what you are thinking. What if the lady had some sort of medical need for wearing these shoes? As a fellow wearer of orthotic inserts, I can relate to this situation. But my reply is a simple one: just because you have to suffer these shoes doesn’t mean that you should inflict the same pain on the rest of the world. Wear some nice long slacks to cover up the monstrosities on your feet, and invest in a nice floral blouse. Et VOILA, c’est magnifique!

In summary,

Super awesome police car chase*!

2009-06-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

So you know how I'm a huuuuge fan of police car chases. I mean, who isn't? My favorite thing in my first job right out of college was having Fox News on in the office all the time, because they will NEVER FAIL YOU and cut into whatever breaking news story is on and give you a life feed of the chase. It doesn't matter if WW3 just broke out, if the president was caught pantsless with his male personal trainer or if the Pope levitated up to heaven. If a police chase was on, Fox News was going to break into normally scheduled programming and narrate it as if it were a NASCAR race.

And it's usually in awesomely bad ass cities, like Miami, Atlanta, Houston, or L.A. People in those cities know what is up when putting together a car chase. They don't mess around, they don't do things half-way, and they are committed. They will steal a car from three nuns at gunpoint, drive it the wrong way on the freeway, run through spike-strips and drive that car on the rims until it spontaneously flips over and explodes in a giant fireball.

ANYWAY, the whole point is that there was a police chase in Dallas yesterday. The entire thing started on LBJ in Mesquite, went south to I-30, cut through downtown Dallas, blared north on Central, turned east on LBJ, exited south on Kingsley, and ended up at the intersection of Plano Rd. and Buckingham. That trip took 45 minutes (it was obviously not rush hour), and the outcome was not very stellar for the would-be escapee. News today says that the guy was wanted for…bad checks. Oy, vey! Dear Police, overreact much????

* This blog post is not intended to condone the sheer stupidity of those who think they can outrun a police helicopter. They are stupid criminals, and the long arm of the law invariably apprehends and prosecutes them accordingly. Do not try this at home.

Anti-social

2009-06-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

I don't know what is wrong with me, but lately I haven't felt like going out or doing anything. I guess living in a hotel room will do that to a person. I just want to crawl into bed and hide from everything. Or read a book, or engage in some creative writing. But I don't have any patience for being around crowds nor do I want to see anyone either. So if you've called me lately and are upset that I'm ignoring you, just know that it is me, and not you. Believe me; no one wants to hang out with me right now anyway.

The worst thing is that I found out yesterday that our house won't be finished until Thursday. I don't know how I'm going to bear it until then. I hope that this malaise goes away after we move back in. Because feeling like this is the pits.

I got nothing.

2009-06-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

So nothing of note has happened to me since Tuesday morning. Time has continued to march on, but nothing of consequence has occurred (to me, at least).

Worry not, I've been combing through the recesses of my brain for material to write about. I came up with a whole lot of nothing, until I remembered my trip to Northpark this past Sunday…

Zee and I went to escape the oppressive heat, and grabbed a quick bite to eat at Corner Bakery before powerwalking (ahem, powershopping) around the mall. At Corner Bakery, I ordered a small Caesar salad because I wanted to indulge in my favorite CB dessert: a lemon square. Yum!

I chose a spot "outside" the restaurant (because it is all indoors, in the mall, but there is an open area that is modeled to look like a sidewalk café. We like to fake it in Dallas, dontchaknow) and sat down. Zee ate a disappointing bowl of tomato soup, I should add.

My Caesar salad was well executed—it was crispy, the croutons were not abundant, and the greens weren't drowning in dressing. Which was fine and dandy, but to be honest, I was looking forward to the dessert. I split the lemon bar with Zee and right when I was about to dig in and feel the delicious puckering of the lemon, BAM!!! Without any warning at all, I catch the undeniable aroma of B.O.

I looked around, a bit dazed and unsurprisingly confused about where the stench was emanating from. The smell was so horrendous, I fashioned a moustache out of my hair by placing it underneath my nose. It functioned as a sort of "smelling salt" to ward off the stank.

I noticed a couple preparing to sit at the table next to us and took an exploratory whiff in their direction. Their scent hit me with the force of a runaway DART bus being driven by Jessica Simpson on her way to a cheeseburger convention.

Zee noticed the look on my face and inquired about my mental stability. I explained the situation to him in hushed tones, and we discreetly moved to a different table.

I was able to enjoy my half lemon bar sans offensive odor, and the couple was able to wallow in their own filth in the faux outdoors patio of the Northpark Corner Bakery. All was well with the world!

Nightmare!

2009-06-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

I was at the gym bright and early this morning, enjoying my regular work out. I usually ride 35 minutes on the stationary bike and work a group of muscles. Today, I concentrated on upper body. (Because I know you were wondering). I feel so great after hitting the gym; going first thing in the morning guarantees my attendance and it makes me feel like I've accomplished something for the day.

This morning, however, was another story. I wore a pair of Nike capri workout pants without pockets, and when I started lifting, I dropped my locker keys without noticing (must have been the myusak playing loudly from my iPod).

I didn't realize that I had dropped the stupid keys until it was time for me to get ready for work. I spent 25 minutes searching around the floor and asking the front desk if anyone had turned them in. Not to mention standing near my locker to see if anyone tried to jack my stuff.

Nothing came up, so I had to get one of the gym employees to break open the locker for me. I also had to sign a ridiculous document saying that I would pay $40 if the keys weren't returned. Oh, what an absolute delight the whole experience was. Regardless of the red tape, I was overjoyed at retrieving my items, and getting my shower before heading off to work.

As I was walking out, the gym manager called out to me and said that a guy had turned in my keys a few minutes ago. What the frak??? Apparently, Mr. Brain Scientist put the key in his pocket and forgot they were there. He didn't realize it until he finished his workout and put his hand in his pocket to retrieve his car keys.

Monday, shmonday

2009-06-22T17:16:00.001-05:00

Oh, lovelies. Tonight is Indian food night. I'm so very excited. After eating a flavorless bag of salad (quite literally, I jest not) for lunch today, I will partake in flavor overload tonight with no regrets!

I also purchased this morning at the Kroger by my gym, a bag of delicious yogurt-covered pretzels. The serving size was 10 pretzels, and I have held myself to 10 pretzels. I know, Everyone is shocked at my unabashed restraint. I am a giantess amongst humanity.

In futher unnecessary news: Today, I am wearing a supercute hot pink flowered jacket. It is very loud and to be frank, obnoxious. But I don't care. And I tell ya, I've actually only spoken 10 words today. My jacket does my speaking for me. It was in this jacket, back in 2004 (It's held up well because I wear it 3-4 times a year, tops. It's that memorable), when I uttered to a sniveling coworker who complained about the loudness and utter awesomeness of my jacket, "What can I say? I'm a butterfly, not a moth."

Boo-freaking-yah, people.

iPhone update!

2009-06-21T13:58:00.004-05:00

I'm downloading the update now. How exciting! Oops. I was on the phone with my Dad just now and the update hung up on him. Sry, Daddy-O. Happy F-Day, tho! Hee!

I am currently at home, and feel that I am in the middle of a disaster area. It is a giant mess. I'll be glad when the house is finished and we can permanently move in. I hate living in a hotel! Being cooped up in one room is terrible, it gives me claustrophobia. Ugh.

In random city news today, the Dallas Morning News ran a story in today's paper comparing our illustrious city with a Dallas in Oregon. 15,000 live within its limits, and their city officials are tsk-tsking our $190 M shortfall. Um. Dallas, Texas has a $4 B budget...not to mention a population of 1.3 million. I don't think there is much that can be compared.

Nestled in its fertile mountain valley, Dallas doesn't sweat municipal budget deficits, dramatic service cuts or looming public corruption trials.

This is Dallas, Ore., the nation's second-largest Dallas, population 15,360. And government officials there, who through the winery vines hear that a certain Texas doppelgänger faces its worst financial shortfall in decades, aren't shy to chide Bigger D for its troubles.

"We've not had a major budget crisis of any kind. We've always been, traditionally, very responsible managers of money," says Brian Dalton, president of the Dallas, Ore., City Council, noting that the city may even carry over a small budget balance into next year. "I guess we're just careful."

Careful, you say? What, you don't order that extra box of paper clips? Srsly, people. Shut the hell up. Go back to your multi-use city hallslashmain libraryslashpolice stationslashjailslashcourthouse while you're at it, too!

Ya like my municipal smacktalk? Heeeeeee

Dude

2009-06-20T15:38:00.003-05:00

Quiet Saturday here, studying for my GRE. I am taking a Kaplan class, and harbor great hopes that I shall kick the GRE's behind so badly, that its grandchildren will feel it upon their behinds as well. Yippee kay ay, mothertester!

Papa Don't Preach...it's Father's Day

2009-06-19T18:29:00.000-05:00

In my opinion, the two most dysfunctional families scarred into our pop culture psyche are the Simpsons and the Skywalkers. Although each family has faced different obstacles threatening to rip them apart at the seams, they always seem to come out ahead in the end. Without a doubt, the most dangerous obstacle these two families ever faced were their very own patriarchs, Homer and Anakin, respectively.

In honor of Father's Day, these two father figures go toe to toe to determine who really rules the roost!

Familial relationships

Both the Simpsons and the Skywalkers benefit from strong family ties. While Homer trusts his family to always be there for him when he gets into trouble, that doesn't stop him from ignoring them on occasion. Homer can sometimes have a heart of gold, but he frequently places his own desires above all else. Especially when it comes to food. While his constant desire for donuts and Duff beer overrule his regard for his three children, he does know when to rein it in and show his caring side. Additionally, Homer has "grown" as an individual and doesn't violently choke Bart like he used to in the early days of the show. I would label his current behavior as an extreme form of benign neglect.

Anakin, on the other hand, never realized that he had children by his ill-fated wife, Amidala. After killing her in a fit of rage, his children were (understandably) hidden from his evil consciousness, so he never got the chance to mold them into cute little mini-Darths. As Darth Vader, he relentlessly pursued Luke Skywalker, and not just to hang out with him after school and play hackysack. After chopping off his hand (owwie!), and single-handedly giving girly-man Luke nightmares for three long movies, Darth Vader pulls off his mask and asks for his forgiveness.

Upper hand: Homer Simpson. Choking over chopping, any day. Not to mention he hasn't killed Marge (yet).

Fashion sense

Dear Readers, let's reflect on the awesome fact that my job is made easier because both of these Dads consistently wear the same exact thing, without fail. Must be a man thing. Moving on...

Homer's go-to outfit includes a white shirt, mid-wash denim jeans (or blue chinos, I guess), and some generic black shoes. His everyday outfit is timeless, because he could fit in anywhere without a second thought. Baseball game? Check. PTA meeting? Check. Speedy run to the Quik-E Mart? Check. Homer knows when to dress up, too. To church and other special occasions, he wears a conservative dark suit.

Darth Vader also keeps it simple. A hard-shelled black exoskeleton keeps him alive, and he accessorizes his outfit with all-terrain black boots, a billowing black cape, and a glossy black helmet. The lightsaber dangling from his hip completes the look. While you wouldn't expect Vader to be hanging out at baseball games anytime soon, you know that his get-up wouldn't draw much attention. Unless you wanted to be choked with The Force, that is.

Upper hand: Darth Vader. The Force seems to add a fashionable dimension to his style.

Health

Homer is a constant over-eater, anything from scraps off the floor to the gummi Venus de Milo hanging off the babysitter's butt. You can also find him hanging out at Moe's, indulging in his favorite brew: Duff. Sounds like a recipe for a heart attack!

Darth Vader is as fit as a horse…that has been immersed in molten hot lava. Good thing for the advances in exoskeleton technology.

Upper hand: Homer Simpson

Friends

There isn't a person alive that Homer doesn't like (unless your first name is Ned….and your last name is Flanders). He easily befriends people he meets, but always keeps his friends close. Barney, Lenny, Moe, and Carl are his constant companions, and always ready to engage in a little "guy time."

Darth Vader has no friends, which I'm sure is a bit of a bummer for him on the weekends. It must be hard not being able to share your hobbies and interests with someone else. He'll just have to drown his loneliness in universe domination; planet destruction; and thirst for violence, mayhem, and terror.

Upper hand: Homer Simpson

Career

Homer works hard for the money at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. His position is ostensibly that of "Safety Inspector," but we all know that he spends most of his time staring off into space, gossiping with his coworkers, and stuffing his face. Various escapades have led him to "fake" his presence on the job, including hiring a team of monkeys and tying bricks to a lever in his workspace. I wish I had it that easy! Surprisingly, even though he doesn't seem to do much work, his job is never in danger of elimination. He must belong to a killer union.

Darth Vader's career hasn't been very varied, either. He started off as a rebel, but ended up as Emperor Palpatine's beyotch. Acting as a sort of (vicious, blood-thirsty) gopher, he hyperspaces across the galaxy kidnapping princesses, building Death Stars, and thwarting the Rebel Alliance. Nice work if you can get it.

Upper hand: Draw

Looks like when it comes to being a Dad, Homer has Darth Vader beat, but not by much.

Hope you and your Dads have a safe and wonderful Father's Day!

Tiny annoyances

2009-06-18T18:45:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love those nagging little annoyances that eat away at your soul (if you let them, of course. We all know that I would never ever let them). There is nothing quite like that grating feeling, much like the one you get when a boulder-sized food particle is stuck in your very back molar that you can't get out properly because you are around polite company and you try to rationalize to yourself that it is actually quite small, thank you very much, but you still can't stop thinking about it and what did the person sitting next to you just say because you totally weren't paying attention and they are looking at you expectantly and the best recourse in this situation is just to nod solemnly and smile while slightly raising your eyebrows. (It always works, trust me).

I went out to my car today and noticed that my stupid foil-like sunshield is again drooping down from the windshield. It won't do me much good that way, and when I tried to push it back up, it just slowly fell again, without even waiting for me to turn my back. It just did it in my face like I was some sort of chump. I know I must have looked like a crazy person when I started wrestling with it. I won, though. I crumpled it up into a ball and stuffed it underneath the passenger's seat. Take that, annoying thing #1!

Today I also experienced the longest most boring mind-numbing meeting in my shortish career. I spend the entire two and a half hours (!!!) simultaneously trying not to fall asleep while pretending to be asleep to keep myself from listening and lowering my IQ any further. I was sitting in the middle of the conference table with what seemed like a spotlight shining over my head (I checked later and someone had turned on the recessed lighting, and of course there was a light right over my freaking head), so I couldn't troll the Interwebz for Twilight movie news. Instead, I occupied my time by writing down the random phrases I heard during the meeting. I just peeked at the page, and I see things like "restroom malfunction," "agreement over," and "maintain systems." Not sure what we were talking about, but it sounds like an uproariously good time was had by all! After we started winding down (30 minutes into the lunch hour, I should add), most of us started packing up our doodads (closing notebooks, recapping pens, etc). Once my boss said, "well…" I ran out the door and into the bathroom in order to make a clean escape. In your face, annoying thing #2!!!

Now, all I have to look forward to is that GRE class tonight. Hopefully, no more annoying things happen to me because I'm not sure if I can take any more!

HOLLA!

2009-06-17T18:49:00.000-05:00

Look, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a saint. I've never proclaimed myself to be the next Mother Theresa, so I don't want to hear any smack talk about what I've done did.

Isn't it beautiful, though? I've been pining away for this MBMJ wallet (in Mouse, natch) for the longest time. It is shiny. And smooth. AND GRAY! Because gray is the best color in the history of colors of the planet. Gray goes with black. And white. And brown. And any other color under the glorious sun. It is a neutral. It is a color. It gives your outfits depth and interest. And lends texture and movement to your accessories.

If you haven't jumped on the gray bandwagon yet, don't worry. I've saved you a seat.

Other than constantly thinking about my gorge new wallet, I have decided to start writing again. We'll see where it takes me. You never know, I could be blogging from my summer villa in Tuscany next year if my stories turn out to be any good!

Hello, dear friend.

2009-06-16T15:09:00.001-05:00

It is with great pain in my heart that I share with my loyal readers my newest debacle: my house has been infested with black mold. We have been in a hotel for a week or so and let me be the first to tell you that it is not pleasant. For starters, there is $9 a day Internet. It has been truly tortuous to have my online presence silenced in this way, and there is really nothing I could do about it (other than pay $9 a day, which in that case I would rather just suffer tortuously in silence). I would gladly surrender any claim to the bountiful breakfast coupons we were provided in order to imbibe in the dark addiction known as the Interwebz. Personal brand of heroin, indeed!

In weather news, the days have gotten longer and even more sweltering (impossible!). Spring has left as silently as it arrived, and summer is making itself comfortable in our midst. Yesterday at 5:30 pm, my car's thermometer read 102. It's going to be a long five months.

I start up a GRE course this week, hoping to score big in my test and earn a teaching assistantship position when I apply to my desired graduate program. I won't divulge any more because I am incredibly superstitious (it runs in my blood), but you get the idea. I'll be going to Nite Skool twice a week for a month and a half in hopes of increasing my score (which has expired anyway and wasn't very good to begin with because I had gone drinking the night before with some girlfriends and then taken a semester final that morning without going to bed, so you can imagine how terrible my first GRE score truly was). Wish me luck!

Twib-sessed

2009-06-05T18:24:00.003-05:00

Ok, I'll be honest. The reason I haven't updated in a while is because I was bitten by the Twilight bug and have been turned into a Twilight zombie.

When I purchased the first two books at Target last week, I was so embarrassed. Here I am, practically 30, carrying around two young adult books about a vampire romance. I was so self-conscious, and felt that everyone was staring at me. My face was flushed the entire time I was in the store, and I felt myself getting very hot from embarrassment. I didn't want anyone to think that I was purchasing the books for myself!

So I did what any reasonable, logical person would do...I bought a gift bag and pretended to be purchasing the books for my non-existent niece's birthday. I even gushed to the (indifferent) cashier about the birthday party I was attending the next day.

I walked out of that Target feeling a little numb...but then cheered up when I remembered that I was heading home to spend quality time with my own brand of heroin!!

Televised motherhood

2009-05-28T18:15:00.010-05:00

We all know that Moms are a very important part of our lives. They protect us when we are vulnerable zygotes and can't yet breathe on our own, nurture us when we are out of the womb, and continue to indulge our silliness when we become adults. Moms are not only important to the American family, they are also an important part of the celebrity universe. From uber-celebs like Angelina Jolie to D-listers like Tori Spelling, motherhood seems like it will never go out of style.

Good thing, too. The whole continuation of our species depends on it...not to mention the popularity of reality television. Where would many of these shows be without the glue of motherhood?

Two reality television mothers that have wormed their way into the national psyche are Kate Gosselin (above left) and Michelle Duggar (above right). Their respective shows on TLC and Discovery Health draw millions of viewers and allow everyone with a television set a window into their very unique lifestyles. So...we know who they are...but how do they stack up against one another?

Hairstyles
Kate started off great (these silly rhymes are catchy!), but her hairstyle has slowly digressed into a hot bipolar mess. Having eight children probably does that to you, but there is no excuse for the front part of her hair not to know what the back part is doing. Do they even communicate with each other? Much like Kate and her husband, the front and back part of her hair stopped talking years ago. Going from a cute blond with a perky hairdo to a weird version of David Bowie on Labyrinth has no justification!
Michelle has consistently had bad hair. Although I would love to give her points for consistency, this hairstyle doesn't deserve any. Upper hand: Draw

Attitudes
Kate is well-known for her under-the-belt-jabs at her hapless husband. She is demanding, rude, selfish, and impatient. Everything has to be done the Kate way--or else!
Michelle always seems very mild-mannered and easygoing. While watching the show, I have never seen her yell at anyone or become agitated. One would think that the woman was being slipped heavy sedatives in her Jesus juice, if it weren't for her constant pregancies.
Upper hand: Michelle

Husbands
Poor Jon doesn't have much going for him, other than being the patriarch of a very lucrative family business. He isn't particularly attractive, smart, funny, or successful. He just exists. Which is ok...if you are a plant (arguably, plants do contribute to this planet through photosynthesis).
Jim Bob, on the other hand, other than his ridiculous name, seems to be doing well for himself. He is a businessman, was a House Representative, a Senate candidate, and keeps his family off the public dole (bless him). He also has an odd resemblance to Ken, Barbie's former flame. Well, not an exact resemblance...he does have 18 kids! Upper hand: Michelle

Popularity
Kate and her reality show have been a fixture on TLC for the past five years. The show's ratings have been steadily improving and have given her the platform to write several books. It wasn't until Jon's alleged infidelity that their show became the most talked about topic online. Generally, people seem to be split pretty evenly about their feelings for this couple, although most people agree that they loathe her diva behavior.
Michelle, also, has benefited from reality television, although her show is on Discovery Health, and is labeled as a documentary. It makes me feel quite dignified for bettering myself mentally by watching so many documentaries.
Bottom line, if it weren't for Jon's indiscretions, Kate would be just another cast member in yet another television freak show. Since this is not a determination of likability, we all know who the obvious winner is. Upper hand: Kate

Looks like the overall winner, however, is Michelle Duggar. She, despite her steady stream of births, seems saner than a woman that birthed only one litter. Good for her!

Bling-tastic!!

2009-05-27T18:43:00.008-05:00

I went to the gym this morning (again). It is fabulous getting that out of the way and then having a nice relaxing evening. And I love the facilities at Lifetime. If you are gym shopping, make sure to check it out.

I received the J.Crew fireball necklace today and it is just lovely. It has great sparkle and is super long at 30 inches (that is how I like my necklaces nowadays, it seems). Love it!

I know what you are saying...I can't believe that she is wearing a gold accessory! I know, it is odd. I still don't like the way gold looks on my skin, so don't assume that I have switched my affiliation. In this case, I think that the chain is thin enough for the gold to be not as noticeable. The chain has great sparkle, so it sparkles more than looks goldish. Love love love!

The detail of the necklace is at left. The necklace features a large sparkling charm dangling from the chain. It is encrusted with clear crystals.

This piece has a high bling factor, I admit. But its simplicity makes it very versatile. Because it is an uncomplicated design, and is a neutral color, it is very easy to wear this necklace with just about anything.

That is why I like J.Crew. You can dress their items up in unexpected ways, but for the most part, they are very easy to wear to work and just about anywhere else. Making sure that your clothes and accessories work for daytime ensures that you receive the maximum use from everything in your wardrobe!

We are hoping that the contractor and insurance company would iron everything out and start work on our house! I am ready for this to be over and done with so we can get back to normal. Keep your fingers crossed!

Tuesday already!!??

2009-05-26T22:36:00.004-05:00

Went to the gym this morning like a super awesome gym-going person that I am. And I'm going again tomorrow. IN YOUR FACE!!!!

I saw a few minutes of the new show Little People. Looks like it will be good! Can't wait to catch the entire episode tomorrow, hopefully

Even though summer is almost here, it seems that there is nothing but rain in the forecast. While it is annoying because I can't really wear my Damier Azur (it has a suedish interior), I like that the weather is mild and we don't have to worry so much about the oppressive heat. For now, at least.

It appears that my blog has become boring, ever since I went on my money diet. It is sooo depressing! Hopefully things will turn around soon, and catastrophes will stop occurring! The contractor will come tomorrow and I hope that everything checks out ok and that everything is fixed and perfect again!

Summer Shows!

2009-05-25T22:25:00.003-05:00

My regular shows are all coming to an end for the season. Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Better off Ted, Dancing with the Stars and The Hills have all aired season finales. What is a girl to do, except find herself some new shows for the summer?

Project Runway Season 6 has a premiere date of August 20. Thank God, but that is so late in the summer!

Jon and Kate Plus 8 - never really watched this show, but all the recent controversy has piqued my interest.

Little Couple - show about a "little couple" living in Houston. I'm watching it for the Texas connection.

Any others? Give me ideas!!

We are back at home!

2009-05-25T14:26:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited. Even though we can't use the downstairs shower and can't use the upstairs toilet, I'm still glad that we are back at home, even though it's a tad bit inconvenient. Now we have to find fixtures and get everything picked out for when the contractor comes in to get things done.

Because I don't like the upstairs shower (it's small and cramped), I plan to make good use of the gym showers. It's a great motivator!!

This weekend, we watched two movies, and I liked them both!

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Thought it was a great movie, with a lot of action. It is a prequel to the Underworld movies, and outlines the Death Dealer/Lycan backstory.

Mamma Mia!
What can I say...I watched the musical twice, so I expected to like this movie...and I did. Until it was over. Then I was glad I didn't have to watch it again!