Random Thoughts

Shake it, Cali

2011-04-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

...This is why I picked Cali over Florida for Memorial Day. Seriously - can it just be May 27th already???

...I actually like the Florida beaches better. I think the water is prettier there, to be honest. But wow. Check out the view from the cliffs.
I.Can.Not.Wait.

Tha Crew

2011-04-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to the people who I spend the majority of my time with these days. They make me happy.

This is Kenna and Megan. Kenna lives across the street from me. We consume more coffee than anybody else in the world. And we laugh so much. Could be from all the caffeine. It's whatever :) Kenna is my person. She's the one that I talk to about everything. Everything. And she never judges, no matter what. It's hard to find people like that. I'm thankful for her.
Megan, is maybe the craziest person I've ever known. We butt heads at times, because we're both way too head strong. But we always end up hugging it out and laughing. She's so much fun. She makes me laugh and keeps me out way too late :) I love that girl.

And this is Kenna and Mindy. You've met Kenna. Now meet Mindy. Mindy is the person whose life is most like mine. It's bizarre, how similar our experiences have been. We get each other. We have heart to heart talks, no defenses up. I love all these girls.

This is Damon - a.k.a. "DHall"
This guy has my heart. We have been through it. We've had our ups and downs, we've had our growing pains. We've struggled at times. We've broken up at times. But through it all, we've always, always been there for each other. He always has my back.

...he's silly. He makes me laugh. But he's also one of the most real people I've ever known. He has a genuine heart. And he's HOT with a mustache, yes? Haha :)

...and these are the boys of the group. JohnBoy (Kenna's husband), DHall and Crazy Ryan. I love them all. And I feel so lucky to be surrounded by all of these people.

I am, indeed, a lucky girl.

Two Short Years

2011-04-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Wow. So yesterday was the two year anniversary of my divorce.
It's so hard to believe that it's been two years.
So hard to believe that time can fly that quickly.
Here I sit, two years later - driving the same car, working the same job, living in the same house, as I did two years ago.
And yet everything's so different.

I don't even know the person that I was then. I was the girl who put on a happy face for the world and was dying on the inside. You wouldn't have known it. You would have just seen the smile. But I knew it. And I felt like such a fraud then.

I'm not sorry that I married him. We grew up together essentially. I was 19 when I met him. I was 29 when I divorced him. He taught me how to be strong. How to be tough. How to roll with the punches that life throws at you. How to love. How to hate. And finally, how to let go.

Don't get me wrong - he's not a bad person. It's just the combination of US that was bad. I brought out the worst in him more often than I brought out the best. I wasn't faultless in that. I can be so frustrating at times. I know that.

There are times that I wonder how he's doing. Hoping that he's found true happiness. Hoping that he's doing well. Hoping that he can, at some point, forgive me for my fault in our problems. And hoping that he knows that I've forgiven him.

It is amazing. Time really does heal all wounds, doesn't it?

Confirmed

2011-03-31T07:17:00.001-07:00

...so I took Amy and Kenna's advice and decided on the West Coast for Memorial Day Weekend.
Trip booked - check!
Next stop - Hilton Torrey Pines, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Yes, please!

Time Capsule

2011-03-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

Last night, I had a moment of clarity. This happens very rarely for me, so I must blog about it.
I was sitting at Boondoggles with my people (yes, I have people), and we were talking about making a time capsule.
Each of the girls in the group - Kenna, Mindy, Megan and I - would write down predictions for each other's lives in one year. We plan to keep our predictions to ourselves (which will never happen, because we're all blabbermouths), and in one year we will dig up the time capsule and see where our lives actually are in comparison to where our friends thought our lives would be.
Kind of an interesting idea.
This led me to wonder where my life will be in one year. I don't often think that far in advance, you see. I'm usually running so fast to get everywhere that I need to go, that I don't have time to stop and think about things like that. It's go, go, go these days. Constantly running. But since I'm quite certain that I have the Adult A.D.D. - this works for me. I like constantly running.
So back to what I was saying - my moment of clarity: For the first time in a long time, I feel happy. I feel settled. I feel comfortable in my skin (despite my recent weight gain).
And while I'm ok with giving predictions about everyone else's lives, I don't want to give one for myself. Because it's so nice to just live in the moment. To be in a relationship with the person that I love so much. To be surrounded by friends who accept the good and the bad parts of me and love me no matter what. To play softball on teams where we have nothing but fun. To have a family nearby who may not understand me at all times, but who is always, always supportive no matter what. To have a job where I'm surrounded by co-workers that I laugh with so much.
I don't always take the easy route to get where I'm going, and the last few years have been filled with unexpected twists and turns. But in this moment, I am happy.
And that's enough for me.
And that feels good.

East v West

2011-03-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

It's my favorite time of the year!!! Spring time!!!!
I was sitting with Damon a few days ago, discussing the fact that I haven't been on an actual vacation since my divorce trip to Europe con Lisa.
That's right - I rewarded myself for successfully making 7 years of marriage, by divorcing the fool and rockin' out Europe with my BFF from college.
Sounds mean, yes. But if you knew anything about the tumultuous relationship that I had with my ex, you'd understand. Don't judge me.
And at the end of that conversation, we decided that we'd at least take a quick trip over Memorial Day weekend to either Southern California or Southern Florida.
So - to East Coast or West Coast? That is the question.

True

2011-03-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Kenna recently posted this on facebook: "Day by day, nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, everything's different."

Truer words have never been spoken.

A graduation here, a wedding there. A job, a move, a promotion, another move, a divorce, an engagement, a breakup, new people, and ten years later, you don't even remember who you were.

Life is so weird. Ever-changing. Always entertaining. Sometimes disappointing. Usually surprising. Makes me wonder where the next ten years will lead me...

Currently on my radar: Waiting to hear back about this leadership development program that I applied for. Rumor is that the list will be released soon. Fingers crossed!!!!

Confessional

2011-01-12T12:11:00.001-08:00

I'm a horrible, horrible blogger.
Even when I say I'm going to blog more, I still don't do it.
My confession is this: I've been cheating on Blogger with Facebook.
That's right, I'm a cheater.
It's just that Facebook is younger. It has nice features. It's exciting. It gives me what I need.
Is that so wrong??

Oh my gosh. I traded blogger in for the newer model, didn't I?
I have no loyalties, evidently.
Blogger and I have a history. It's allowed me to vent and to tell my anecdotal stories for over 6 years now. It's been there for me since before Facebook was even in the picture. Through thick and thin, blogger has been. It waits patiently for me, even when I'm absent for months. It's never judged me. It even stuck by me when I went through my short-lived Myspace phase. Decorating and blinging up my site for months, all the while ignoring the outlet that was truly there for me.
And at the first sign of writer's fatigue, I bailed.
I am a social media cheat.
And I deserve to be banned from this blog.

Getting There...

2010-09-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

It really does get easier with each passing day.
I forget that each time.
But with each day, you hurt less.
And with each day, you heal more.
And you start to remember what it means to do whatever you want to do.
Life is surprising.
I'm getting there...

Walk Away

2010-09-13T07:24:00.001-07:00

"Sunny days seem to hurt the most.
I wear the pain like a heavy coat.
I feel you everywhere I go."
-Kenny Chesney

I had to let him go. I had to walk away. Because there is no way I would be happy in a relationship where bars and drinking are the sole, central focus. I enjoy going out, so don't get me wrong. But there's so much more to life than just going to the bar all the time.
Drinking 5-6 days a week.
Going on 12 hour drinking binges, consistently, and then driving home.
It doesn't work for me.
It was never going to work for me.
It's not the lifestyle that I want. It won't make me happy.
He had a choice. He picked the bar over and over again. He was always going to do that.

I made the right choice, fighting for what I know I'm going to need to be happy in the longrun. So why does it hurt this much?

"Tha-tha-tha-that That Don't Kill You, Can Only Make You Stronger..."

2010-09-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

So I just ended another relationship. Does this dating stuff ever get better?
I have to say, I thought this guy would be "the one" - he was so much of everything I've ever wanted. He's cute, sweet, smart, funny. We have common interests. We were friends for awhile and knew each other really well before we dated. We knew, or thought we knew, what we were getting in to.
But I guess you never truly know what you're going to get until you dive in and try it, huh? And I'll never regret having dated him. I definitely would have regretted it much more if we had never given it a try. Without a doubt. So at least there's a sense of peace that comes with that.
But I do this thing where my life tends to blend in more with the person I'm dating than their life blends in with mine. I hate that about myself. So all of a sudden, we start dating and I'm spending my life at the softball field. Seriously, four nights a week. Mostly watching him play softball. And then I'm spending so much time with his friends, who I happen to love, so maybe that part is not something to regret. But I'm also spending way too much time at the bar with his friends. And this bothers me. Truly, truly bothers me.
I'm all of a sudden at home a lot by myself while he goes out with his friends. And plans that we had together to hang out with my friends start to become secondary to him when his friends call and ask him to do something.
I should have seen this coming.
I was never a true priority to him. Or if I was, he had a really weird way of showing it.
Before we actually dated, he spent months telling me that he loved me and wanted to be with me, and then when we finally gave it a try, it turned out to all be bullshit.
And part of me is angry. Partially at him for not being what he said he would be, and partially at myself for not being stronger. For allowing this to happen over and over again. You only get walked on if you let people walk on you. Noted.
It's time to be alone for awhile, I think. Mostly because I'm not sure I can handle much more of this. I need to be more cautious with my heart...I need to be more sure of the people I give my heart to in the future. But also because I think it's time to just do me for awhile. To do what I want, when I want. Without having to think about how it affects someone else. I've never done that in my adult life.
No more of this shit.
I've had enough.

Winds of Change

2010-09-09T04:04:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been a really long time since I blogged.
I don't know what it is about writing stuff down that's been tough for me lately. Maybe it's because for me, it isn't real until I write it.
And for me, life has been unsettled for a really long time.
Maybe that's it.
Bouncing from relationship to relationship. Taking crap from people that I shouldn't be taking. Making excuses for people that I shouldn't be making. Not knowing really who I am or what I stand for anymore. Not taking into account what I need or deserve. Getting less than I should from people.
I'm not a liar. I will not sit and intentionally write things that aren't true. I will not try to make my life seem better than it is. And writing this stuff down means that I have to face the reality of the life that I've been living.
Yep, maybe that's it.
I feel like it's time to change this. All of it.
For a long time, this blog has been devoted to silly, anecdotal stories about things that I encounter randomly.
And maybe it's time to make it more about me. Maybe even a tool to help me get where I need to be.
No guard up. No edit button. No defenses.
Yep, maybe it's time.

So Many Things Going On...

2009-12-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

Wow - it's been a big week.
Since I last wrote, several things have come up:
One being that there's a chance for me to go on a 4-month detail to Baltimore. I put in my letter of interest and am waiting to hear back from SSA as to whether or not they have a spot for me.
This could be awesome for several reasons: a)I just need a change of scenery, I believe; and b) one of my girls from college is living in Baltimore at this very moment. Meaning that for the first time since 2002, I'd be living in the same town as her.
But I'm hesitant as well for several reasons that I'm not wanting to go into detail on at this point. Just because it would take too long to cover everything.
So - to go or not to go; That is the question.
(Pending an acceptance from my employer on the letter of interest, of course...)

My Fave Quote of All Time

2009-12-15T06:55:00.001-08:00

"God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you NEED - to help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be..."

I've posted this before, but sometimes I just need to read it again...

PawPaw

2009-12-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

This was a bit of a tough weekend for me. Family Christmas time, which is normally something I look forward to. However, this year was a bit different.
My grandpa passed away in May. He was 79 years old, and I know I'm so blessed to have had him in my life until I was 29. But he was my person. My very special person who inspired me in so many ways.
I loved his spirit. He was headstrong and bullheaded, and yet he had a gentleness about him that made you feel at ease. He was so tough, and yet he loved life in a way that you don't often see from people. He loved people, and would chat it up with anyone and everyone he came in contact with. And when he laughed, it was for real. He didn't give the little B.S. "appease you" laugh. He laughed from his soul and when he did, his nose would crinkle up in the most unique and oh-so-cute way.
I could go on and on, talking about him.
But the bottom line is that I miss him.
Very much.
Especially right now.

And I just hope he knew how much he inspired me...

Currently Playing on Repeat in My Brain...

2009-12-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

Don’t ask me
What you know is true
Don’t have to tell you
I love your precious heart

I, I was standing
You were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart

We could live
For a thousand years
But if I hurt you
I’d make wine from your tears

I told you
That we could fly
’cause we all have wings
But some of us don’t know why

I,I was standing
You were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never ever tear us apart

**I do love me some INXS**

Do the Right Thing...

2009-12-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

As I was sitting at a red light today, watching a truck zoom through the intersection, an interesting thought occurred to me:
We, as people, generally operate on the assumption that others are going to do the right thing. That truck came blazing through the intersection, assuming that I was going to stop at the red light.
This happens in all aspects of life: we go to work, assuming that our employer's going to pay us. We tell our innermost secrets to others, assuming that the people we tell them to are going to keep those secrets. We even enter relationships with others, thinking that the person we give our heart to is going to treat it well.
But as we get older, we see that people don't always do the right thing.
Sometimes people don't stop at stop lights, sometimes they don't keep our secrets. Sometimes people walk away from relationships for no apparent reason. Sometimes, there's abuse or there's infidelity in relationships.
Over time, some of us stop believing in others; we stop believing in the idea that others are going to do the right thing for us. And maybe this leads to a change in our perceptions. Maybe it leads to a change in our actions. Maybe it leads to total and complete apathy on our parts.
This is just a completely random thought on my part.
But I've always heard that as we get older, we get wiser. People have even gone so far as to tell me that age 30 is the key. That somehow, some way, when we get into our 30's, things are just more clear than they were before. I'm not sure how this is possible though. Does something just click for us? Through some magic act, we have some supreme clarity that we didn't have yesterday? Hard to believe...
And I'm wondering if maybe it's possible that by that time, we've just come to expect the worst in others. And maybe in that, we just aren't as surprised when things go wrong as we get older.
And I really hope that's not the case.
I, myself, am still hoping for that magic day of simple understanding and clarity at some point...

A Blog Posting of Old

2009-12-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

I was reading back on my earlier blog entries and came across this story. This was from the days of when I had to work the front window at Social Security. It's a horrid job, and I'm glad I don't have to do it anymore, but there were some interesting people that I came across back in those days, and it made for some fun blog entries:

This one was from people I talked to back in 2005:

I had a conversation with Spiderman today. No lie.
This family of five - two parents, two extremely rowdy boys, and one extremely bratty girl - came in to our office today to get new cards. It turns out that the oldest boy, who was about four years old, had taken it upon himself to glue their old cards to the floor. Very creative, that one.
So as the parents are trying to get out identification for themselves and their three children, the youngest boy, Zack, wanders over to our security guard and starts a conversation. Zack is probably only about two and a half years old, and I can't make out a lot of what he's saying to the guard. However, it's about this time that Zack's mom realizes that her son is all the way across the lobby, talking to a complete stranger. As probably any mom would do, the woman calls to her son, "Come here, Zack." Now Zack is a lively little man, and he seems to be displeased with his mother's command, because he shoots her a look, crosses his arms and says, "I not Zack! I Spiderman!"
The mother, looking a bit humiliated, just sighs and says, "OK, come here Spiderman." She had obviously been through this before.
As he's crossing the lobby, a little old lady who's sitting on the front row starts talking about what a cute little boy Zack is. This is clearly a bad idea because Zack is a boy's boy, and it's my guess that calling him cute really doesn't sit well with him, because this time Zack squares off with the lady and shouts, "I not cute! I SPI-DER-MAN!" This kid was not backing down. Score two for Spiderman.
So as Zack is moving closer and closer, I make a mental note to call him Spiderman. Zack's obviously not afraid of making scenes, and nobody really wants to be called out in public. So I pointedly say, "Hey there, Spiderman." Zack seems temporarily pleased with himself, but it's at this point that his very smug eight-year-old sister looks at me and rolls her eyes. "You know his name's not really Spiderman, silly. It's Zack."
May God bless the parents of those three.

The Best Mistake I Ever Made...

2009-12-10T13:45:00.001-08:00

Through the facebook page of an old blogger buddy, Pheebs, I was led to the following website.

http://secretvespers.com/2009/11/23/best-mistake/

And it led me to wonder about what the best mistake was that I ever made.

There's a long list to choose from, for sure.
But it's an interesting thought, yes?

On the Lighter Side...

2009-12-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

The other night I went out to eat with a friend. We sit down, order our drinks, start to gaze at the menu when all of a sudden from my right-hand side, I hear "HEEEYY!" I look up, see what appears to be a drunk old man, smile, and return to my menu. But this guy is evidently on a mission not to be ignored. "HEEEYYY!" he shouts over and over, until we look up again. And then when we do, he waves, and goes about his business.
This continues for about 5 minutes, until my friend says, "He's lucky the cops aren't here. He'd be spending the night in jail." And just as he's finishing this sentence, I look up and notice two police officers walking in.
Uh oh. This is NOT good.
They sit down to enjoy their fabulously greasy dinner, and the man calms down for a moment.
"Whew," I think to myself - good thing he noticed them.
We go about our merry way for a few minutes, and all of a sudden, Drunk Drunkerson decides he needs to get up from the table.
He stands up. Takes a step forward, and then a step backward. He sways a bit and sits back down.
Miraculously, the cops don't notice his actions. I'm thinking this guy might just be in the clear, actually.
Then, this evidently-determined-to-go-to-jail man gets back up, and just as I say the words, "Walk straight, dude", he practically does a back flip onto the table behind him, falls over the table and onto the ground, all the while grabbing himself and pointing at the restroom.
This guy was so obvious, he may as well have yelled out, "I'M DRUNK AND I WANT TO GO TO JAIL!"
It was good stuff.

I'm not sure how it happened, but the policemen actually let this guy go after the waiter pleaded on his behalf, telling the cops that the guy's dad was on his way to pick him up.
Had it been me, I'm quite sure I would have been spending the night in the drunk tank. I never get off of things. But this guy - this slurring, intrusive, scene-making, table-knocking, self-grabbing, straight up drunk guy gets off. It was a truly inspirational scene :)

Note to self: when drinking, it's never a bad call to make friends with the waitstaff.

They might just pull through for you on occasion...

Currently Playing on Repeat in My Brain...

2009-12-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

Great song: "Angel" by Sara McLaughlin

Spend all your time waiting for that second chance
For the break that will make it ok
There's always some reason to feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
They may be empty and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of an Angel fly away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here

So tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference, escaping one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees

In the arms of an Angel far away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
In the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here

Why Do I Do This To Myself??

2009-12-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was just a blah day. Had been out the night before. Wasn't feeling all that great throughout the day, and there was this haze/fog that was camped out over the island where I work. Blah.
I get home, and notice that my cable's out (it tends to do this in bad weather because the lines get wet or something). So now I'm sitting at home with no TV, not wanting to go out again, and a great idea pops into my head: "Why not turn on a movie?" Brilliant.
So I'm flipping through my movies and nothing looks good until I get to "The Notebook."
Now why it is that I think that it's a good idea to watch THE SADDEST MOVIE EVER on a grey, already dreary day, I'll never understand. But at the time it seemed like the best idea.
Had I just had the ability to fast forward about two hours and get a visual of a post-Notebook Co, I would have seen a girl practically curled up in the fetal position rocking back and forth to comfort herself, makeup streaming down her face, eyes all red and puffy, holding her mouth closed in order to avoid sobbing out loud.
Why do I love that movie so?

Complete Rambling - Thoughts thrown on paper

2009-12-01T09:16:00.001-08:00

Wow - so 10 years ago tomorrow is the exact date that I met my ex-husband, Kevin. Hard to believe it's been that long. Hard to truly contemplate how much can happen in 10 years. Hard to see how off-track things can get.

I remember that period of time like it was yesterday. I had just lost a really good friend in the Aggie Bonfire collapse, and was trying to deal with that loss. It seemed like the end of the world. The lowest of the lows.

One thing I've noticed in my life is what I've deemed the super swing trend. I might have the lowest of lows, but they've typically been followed by the highest of highs. That's definitely how I felt when I met Kevin - highest of high. He was young, handsome, funny, and just enough of a bad boy (ha) to make it interesting. I was hooked.

He taught me so much - about loving and laughing, but also about conflict, fighting, and disappointment. And finally about letting go. We definitely chose to learn our lessons the hard way, and in the end, there was too much between us for it to be repaired.

In the divorce/separation, I found something that I didn't know was still there: me. Different than before, yes. More scared in a lot of ways. More outspoken as well. Not necessarily the best combination.

This year has been a tough one, and I'll be glad to see it gone, although I wouldn't change a thing. It's been another year of loss and yet a year of friendships and knowledge gained. It's been another year of letting go, and yet a year to learn who and what's worth holding on to. It's been another year of lessons, all put there for a purpose or a reason, I'm sure. But in the end, another year of love as well. And that's never a bad thing...

Wow...

2009-09-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that it's been 7 months since I've blogged. This year has FLOWN by. Ridiculous...
In the months since I last wrote, I've:
Gotten divorced. Check.
Traveled to Europe. Check.
Had my 10-year high school reunion. Check.
Lived alone. Check.
Started dating. Check.
Played A LOT of softball. Check.
Joined a fantasy football league. Check.
Done some "L-I-V-I-N." Check.
Stopped watching so much TV and started living life myself. Check.
Went kayaking. With sharks in view. Check.
Met A LOT of great people. Check.
Had a lot of fun. Check, Check!!

It's funny how the scariest things in life often open doors that lead to the best things in life...
No time to complete this thought now, but will try to do that soon...

Little Monsters

2009-02-21T08:43:00.000-08:00

Last night I was hanging out with some friends at Hooters, when another friend comes in with his kids in tow. The kids ranged in age from 9 - 12 years old, which I didn't initially give much thought to...I actually really like most kids. They're typically silly, funny and real. I appreciate this about them.

So I'm sitting there, making random conversation with these seemingly nice little miniatures: "How's school?" "Do you play sports?" etc., when all of a sudden the ringleader of the group busts out with, "Your mama's so stupid, she went to work for an M&M Factory and got fired for throwing out all the W's!"
Before I could even gather my thoughts, the next kid looks at me and jumps in, "Your mama's so fat, she walked in front of the TV and I missed three commercials!"
Oh my. Funny, but still...oh my.
But the real kicker was when the innocent baby girl of the group - 8 years old at the most - joins in the fun, "Your mama's so fat, she walked outside wearing a yellow jacket and the sun said, 'You win'.

I was "Your mama" tag teamed by these three little monsters. But I'm a good sport. I laugh. Whatever. Until the ringleader jumps back in, "You're kinda fat. Well maybe not fat, but fluffy for sure." And then he threw a gang sign at me!

So at this point, I'm just over it. I'm not 12. I don't have to take this crap! YOU'RE FLUFFY!! (These are the thoughts that are going through my mind as I leave the table and join some other friends at a big-boy table, sans the gang sign- throwing, mama-insulting, name-calling monster squad.

It was at this point that I was fully reminded why it was that I hated elementary school. And why it is that I'm a little scared to ever have children...

Powerful...

2009-01-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

"God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you NEED - To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be."

This came from an email that I just received from my mom. And it comes at a time when I need it most. I've been holding off of mentioning this via world wide web, but I think it's time to put it out there. Kevin and I recently filed for divorce, and by the time I turn 29, I will be single again.

It's been a scary/sad time, to say the least. But I just have to keep reminding myself that things sometimes happen for reasons that we don't always understand. Maybe in time, the understanding comes too.

Thanks, Mom, for the reminder today :)

Own It.

2009-01-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make.
I'm obsessed with Perez Hilton.
Pause for astonished silence from the crowd

And today, my man Perez ran a story about Jennifer Lopez going to the Golden Globes sans wedding ring. When asked about the possibility of a divorce, Jenny responded that "Divorce is not and never was an option."

Now let's just take a second to contemplate this statement. Because I'm thinking it's a bit on the ironic side when coming from somebody that's on - oh I don't know - marriage number three!!
J. Lo.
Honey.
I'm not trying to judge you. Divorce happens. I get that, believe me.
But you saying that divorce is not an option is like Oprah saying that binge dieting is not an option. It's like Sienna Miller saying that extra-marital affairs are not an option. Ri-to-the-diculous.

I'm just saying - do what you do, but OWN IT, sister! I would have more respect for the girl if she would just be like, "Oh hell yeah. I'm divorcing his skeletor-looking ASS!" That would be a statement I could appreciate. Yes ma'am.

Giddy Co

2009-01-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

I just booked my flight to Spain.
SPAIN!!!
Would it be inappropriate to let out a mild squeal?

Yick, Yack, Yuck!

2008-12-30T10:53:00.001-08:00

I have a dirty old man who now makes a habit of coming in to my office for apparently no reason at all. And every time he comes, he asks to see me. And every time he sees me, he gives me a hug. Not just like a sweet, thank you hug, but more like a wet-kiss-on-the-cheek, bear hug while telling me that he'd kill to be with a "beautiful woman." Gag.

Today, he came in just to check the status of his claim. Nevermind that he could call me or even call our national 800 number to check the status. No - he waits in our lobby for his turn to come back to my desk. And he's there for all of 30 seconds while I check on his claim and tell him that there's no change. We're still waiting on a decision. He knew that before he ever got here. Hell, he only filed his claim like a week ago.

I thought I'd be smart today, though, and stay seated behind my desk while he got up to leave - hoping that would stop the inevitable wet-kiss-bear-hug. But no, he stood up, walked around my desk with his arms outstretched. Again trying to stop the inevitable, I stuck my hand out to offer up a handshake. But the dirty old man grabs my hand, kiss/licks my hand, and says "You know that's not gonna do me" and pulls me up into his crazy bear hug.

Gross. Grody. Nasty. STOP KISSING ME! STOP HUGGING ME! STOP LICKING ME, FOR THE LOVE! And if you're going to wet kiss my hand or my cheek, at least leave behind some antibacterial lotion or something. Jeez. Somebody should go over office etiquette with him, I swear.

Pay It Forward

2008-12-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

So I have to recant on my blog posting from yesterday.
Because I was talking to one of my best friends, Tracy, and she told me a story that reminded me that there are really good people out there who still do really good things for people. Real-life Santas, if you will.
Yesterday, Tracy was at HEB buying food for their holiday party, and a man in front of her began a conversation with her. They talked for awhile and then he paid for his groceries, told her goodbye and left. Tracy walks up to the cash register to check out, and is informed by the cashier that the man ahead of her had left a one hundred dollar bill with instructions to pay for Tracy's groceries.
Tracy, being totally caught off guard, grabbed the money and ran outside to find the man. When she did, she thanked him but told him that she couldn't accept his money. The man told her that it was his Christmas gift to her, and that every year he looks for somebody special to help out. Because she was so nice to him, he wanted to help her this year.
Tracy went back in to finish checking out, and decided that since somebody had helped her, she would take the gift and share it. So she used $50 toward her groceries and gave the other $50 to the sacker, who's also really nice and has worked at HEB for years.
Anyway, because of my Debbie Downer posting from yesterday, I figured I should share this story. It reminded me that there are great people out there who just want to spread happiness and joy. And that's special.
Even when times are hard, or holidays don't seem as special as they used to be, Christmas still represents the birth of the man who made the greatest sacrifice that anybody has ever made for others.
I'm sorry I temporarily forgot that yesterday...

Lies - all lies!

2008-12-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

What is it about the holidays that changes so much when you become an adult?
I can remember being a kid, and everything seemed so magical and amazing. The lights, the cold, crisp air, the thought of that red-suited, bearded, jolly old man sneaking in through your chimney to LEAVE presents for you in exchange for a measley little cookie or two. How amazing is it to be a kid at Christmas time?
Because you eventually become an adult, and you realize that a fat man sneaking into your house at night is never going to end well. It doesn't end in a heaping pile of presents left just for you because you made the "nice list" for the year. No - your stuff is getting jacked is what actually goes on when someone slides down your chimney. You're waking up sans all things valuable - TV's, jewelry, money, etc. And if you're one of the lucky ones, you'll get to seek out your stuff at local pawn shops only to buy your own stuff back.
Welcome to the real world, kiddos. This is what life really is.

The Great European Excursion of 2009

2008-12-14T07:17:00.001-08:00

So many things going on recently - both good and bad.
But I'll focus on the good for now:

This week, I'll be applying for my very first passport EVER, thus fulfilling my lifelong goal of having a passport and having a reason to use it. And I'll be getting this passport because in March, my best friend, Lisa, and I are going to Spain and Italy. One full week of all Europe, all the time. Can I just say - awoohoo!!!!

Yep...

Currently Speaking To Me...

2008-12-14T07:12:00.001-08:00

...is Taylor Swift's song, White Horse:

"say you're sorry, that face of an angel
comes out just when you need it to
as I paced back and forth all this time
cause I honestly believed in you
holding on the days drag on
stupid girl, i should've known
i should've known

i'm not a princess, this ain't a fairytale
i'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet
lead her up the stairwell
this ain't hollywood, this is a small town
i was a dreamer before you went and let me down
now it's too late for you and your white horse
to come around."

Brilliant.

Don't Judge Me!!

2008-12-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

Recently, I made the comment to a friend that life's too short to be "cool."
That single comment was the theme for my night tonight.
Because at about 8 pm, it started to SNOW here!! And not like little pansy non-snow flakes, but more like A BLIZZARD SENT FROM GOD ABOVE SO THAT I COULD HAVE A ROCKIN' NIGHT! And that's just what I did.
First, there was the snow ball fight with my neighbors, Butch and Justin.
Followed by the making of the snow man (by me - none of those lazy ass guys cared to join in).
Followed by the accessorizing of the snow man. I put on the Britney Spears looking hat and a scarf, for my pretty, high-fashion snow hottie. Neighbor Butch promptly removed the high-fashion attire and replaced it with a baseball cap for his all-American snow man. And then his buddy, Brian or Randy - I can't remember his name, so we'll just call him Randy - removed the baseball cap and replaced it with a cowboy hat for his redneck snow man rendition. Pictures were taken before the guys took it upon themselves to bust up my beautiful snow creation. Leave it to a man to ruin everything you worked hard for!
We followed that by making snow angels - and let it be known that I freaking rock at snow-angel making - and then we wrote our names in the snow before taking pictures of Butch's snow-covered truck, Veronica. It's now 11:05 and I'm just walking in from my winter escapade. I would provide pictures of said escapade, but I have a new computer that's evidently not recognizing my camera. What the hell?
So yes - back to the moral of the story: Though I lost cool points tonight by being a geek and full-on playing in the snow, it was worth it. Because life's too short to be cool. Embrace your inner geek!!

Ronnie Boy

2008-11-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

I went to Ron White's show last night in Houston.
Rockin' show, as always. I've seen him multiple times and he never disappoints.
However, about halfway through the show I see something out of the corner of my eye, falling from the balcony above. I look, see nothing because it's totally dark, and I go on watching the show. A split second later, I see rustling in the balcony above and people start screaming for the lights to be turned on. This goes on for about 30 seconds until Ron White notices and asks what's going on. Somebody screams that a person has just fallen from the balcony above.
WHAT?!?
The lights come on, and that's when everybody realizes that the lady fell down about 30 feet and right on top of another lady who was innocently sitting below. Second lady had to be taken to the hospital with God only knows what type of injuries.
Bizarre night.
Because about 10 minutes later a semi-fight breaks out in the balcony behind us. People again start yelling for the lights to be turned on, and when Ron White hears this, he calmly asks, "Did somebody ELSE fall?" The crowd replies, "NO!" So Ron White angrily exclaims, "THEN SHUT THE FU*% UP - THIS IS MY SHOW AND YOU'RE RUINING IT!"
The audience applauds and the show goes on as if nothing has happened.
Craziness, I tell you...

Wow

2008-11-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

So the manager at my office hates us - the workers, that is. I don't think it's personal. She's just above us on a personal level and can't be bothered to take time out of her day to pretend that we exist. Point taken.
This whole experience of moving out of galveston - where she had a nice cushy office complete with walls, a window that remained covered all the time, and a door that remained closed most of the time - and into an open space where there are no walls, doors, or windows, is driving her crazy. I didn't know just how crazy it was driving her, however, until I got to work this morning only to find that she has brought in her own partitions and placed them all the way around her desk. Like all the way. No doorway or anything. In fact, she even took the extra effort of overlapping the partitions so as to ensure that there is not even the tiniest space where people can see in. Wouldn't want to take the chance of actually seeing one of her workers I guess, because then she has to go to the outrageously daunting task of saying good morning, which is just too much to ask of her.
So when she has to leave her desk area (which is not very often, come to think of it) she quite literally has to move one of the massive partitions to make a space big enough to squeeze her body through.
This process might not be the most convenient, but it is extremely effective. You see, her reasoning (I'm sure) is that if she can't get out, we can't get in. Ahh, there's nothing like having a nice, open relationship with your manager...

Bad bad blogger

2008-11-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

Wow - this has been such a busy week, I haven't even had time to blog. BLAH!
I went to San Francisco this weekend to see my best friend, Lisa - a.k.a. Shibbie. The weather was awful, and I learned that there actually is a place (San Fran) where my hair does even nastier things than it does here in Galveston.
But on the upside, the weather allowed us to do more low-key things, like shopping, eating, getting coffee, late night taqueria's, hanging out and drinking wine, etc. And this was exactly what I needed. There's nothing like being with your best friend, where no topic is off limits, everything is funny, and EVERYTHING is up for discussion. It was so freeing and so nice - exactly what I needed. I have cute pictures from the trip that I haven't even had time yet to download (Will email those out soon though, Shibaline), but when I do, I'll post them.

I loved seeing San Francisco. It was amazing how many people live in such a small space. It was like a mini-New York or something. Houses everywhere, as far as the eye can see. Steep hills, cool architecture, great parks, amazing bridges, massive amounts of public transportation. Really a cool place to visit if you ever get the chance.

Today is happy hour with some friends, followed by a night of dancing. Should be fun.

Life's Ups and Downs

2008-10-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

So the past two months have not been the best of times for me for many, many different reasons. I think the bad times started with the storm and snowballed from there. Every week, it seems like something new happens. That's just life - sometimes it goes that way. But my point is that I've been looking for a silver lining.
And I think I finally found it:
Because it's the times that are the hardest that you find out who your true friends are. They're the people who show unconditional love and acceptance. Those who call to check on you or text you at random times just to say hi. Those who make you laugh about things and always always have time to squeeze you in. Those who never make you feel like they're "squeezing you in."
Life's funny that way too. Because sometimes the relationships that you always expect to be strong and solid don't turn out to be that way. People move on. People change. And that's ok. But realizing that makes those special, lifetime friends even more special. So this is my thank you to "my girls." You know who you are and I love you!

Bright lights - not so much

2008-10-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits of living in a small town is that when election time rolls around and people in the city are standing in long lines to vote, I'm zippin' in and out of the county building in a new record - eleven minutes. That's counting the time that it took me to get out of my car, walk in to the county building, give them my ID, sign the voter roll, cast my ballot and walk back to my car. A whopping eleven minutes. Pretty sweet.

In other news - I'll be leaving for San Francisco on Friday! Awoohoo!

Oh no...

2008-10-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

The fat girl that lives inside of me overtook me again...drug me right into Marble Slab and ordered a white chocolate cookie dough combo. Bitch.
I had to run/walk extra this afternoon and skimp on dinner to compensate.

Life in the Big City

2008-10-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

My job has now relocated to League City, about 25 miles north of Galveston.
We're in this temporary office - two conjoined spaces, one that used to be a clothing store and one that was a dance studio.
On the upside, the dance bar and mirror-lined walls were left behind after the dance studio went out of business. And the kid in me has been contemplating using my lunch time to break it down on the dance bar.
I'm thinking that by the time we get back to Galveston (if we ever go back), I could have a long and lean dancers body. SUH-WEET.
Or this could just offset the fact that our new office is right next to a Marble Slab, and I have been using my afternoon breaks to hightail it over to the ice cream shop and get a sweet cream / cookie dough combo treat. Grub! The fat girl in me is ever so happy about this turn of events...
In other news, I'm super excited about the fact that I'll be heading San Francisco in t-minus two weeks and counting to see my Shib-a-roo!!! Fun times!!!

Ummm...

2008-09-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

So this week sucked. My cat, Sasha, died on Thursday. She was 6 years old, and died while we were on the way to the emergency vet clinic of an infection in her paw that she got when we evacuated.
I also started back to work, but since my office is out of commission, I got shipped to Angleton to work. On one hand, it's good because I used to work there and it's so nice to be back with old co-workers. On the other, it sucks because I do miss my G-Town buds. And being back in Angleton with the same old people but in a totally different situation just reaffirms the fact that everything's so out of whack right now.
We do go back to Galveston as an office on Wednesday to gather what's left of our belongings and files from our office. I'm nervous, because I'm anticipating that it will be shocking to go back there for the first time and see all the destruction after the storm. I know it's not going to be pretty.
Wish me luck.

Bad Mama!

2008-09-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

So obviously, things have been anything but normal lately. But I must be feeling more anxious than I realized, because I'm now having anxiety dreams. In my latest dream, there was a massive roach running around my house.
I'm a Texan. Roaches, as gross as they are, are a part of life here. You RAID their asses, add a mark to your own score column (Courtney: 321, Roaches: 0) and move on about your business. In my dream, I did just that. And all was going well as I waited for the roach to die, until I turned around and realized that it was, in fact, my dog that I had poisoned, and not a roach.
But it wasn't actually Allie - it was more of an Allie/poodle mix (Allie's body with a poodle's face), which is really a strange looking little creature. It was AWFUL though, seeing this cute little furry puppy looking at me with it's massive brown eyes all sad and wondering why I would ever do such a thing.
Feeling extremely panicky, I started to berate myself in my dream: "Courtney, HOW COULD YOU MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE?!? THAT'S CLEARLY NOT A ROACH!"
I woke up all out of breath and sweaty. NEVER EVER have I been so glad to have been dreaming.

My Girl, Karen

2008-09-18T08:58:00.004-07:00

So with all this time on my hands, I have so much time to write. I'm making up for the months that I went without blogging, I guess.
I just talked to my friend Karen, who lives about a mile away from me, and evidently she got home the other day to find that somebody had left a pony chained to her front gate. Weird. So she sent me a picture of her new pet pony.
How freaking awesome is that? It's like every little girl's dream!!
I want to go play!

Pictures

2008-09-18T08:58:00.003-07:00

So at this point, the only remnants of Ike at my household (other than sitting at home with no office to go to) are the following:

A shot of our "drinking water" - not so drinkable. Not even bathe-able for that matter. Yuck.

Yay!! Our fence is replaced. Even if it's ugly and mis-matched, it's still replaced and back to normal. I didn't get a shot of our front fenceline, because we were actually able to just replace it with the boards that were knocked down, so there's no color difference in the boards that can be seen from the road...

Today, I have to figure out if there are any stores that are open. My dad's birthday is on 9/21, and I don't have a present for him. We might have to postpone his birthday, because I'm not sure there's going to be a way to get a present for him in time. Although, I could just give him cash :) Nothing says, "Happy 56th" quite like cold hard cash.

Grit Your Teeth and Smile

2008-09-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Wow - so yesterday, I was sitting outside talking to my neighbors, Jason and Valerie, and their parents (who live in Galveston and may or may not have a home), when Jason's mom asks me out of the blue: "Courtney, you're not a liberal are you?" I was caught off guard, because we were not at all talking politics, but I answered, "Well, I'm actually more independent, but I am more liberal than conservative." And she follows with, "Oh, well it's just because you don't know any better. All liberals are only that way because they don't know any better. Liberals are nothing but communists. Don't you dare vote for Barack. He's a communist."
"Umm - o.k."
That was my response. Because the last thing I wanted to do was to get into a political debate with the lady who may have just lost everything. But that was rude, right? I mean, fine if you want to talk about politics. Great if you want to give me your point of view. I'm ok with that, because I don't believe that everybody has to feel the way I feel. We each get a vote, and you should vote the way you feel you need to. But to straight up tell me that I just don't know what I'm talking about? To call me a communist? Well that's just un-called for, biotch.

Getting Back

2008-09-16T15:23:00.001-07:00

So we're home. Cable's restored, electricity's on, telephones are sketchy but mostly in service. We now share a back yard with our neighbors because the fence that separates our yards got torn down, but I feel blessed to have a home. Though our community's not exactly pretty right now, things are slowly getting back to normal. Taco Bell even opened up today with a limited menu. Anybody who knows me knows how excited this makes me!!
I'm trying to avoid gas stations and grocery stores, since there's a definite wait to get inside these places. Thank goodness I brought home enough groceries to live through Armageddon. Perhaps I'll even cook a meal or two. Livin' on the wild side, you know.
Kevin's already back at work, and I'm waiting to hear about my job and when/where I'll have to go back. I definitely won't be going back to Galveston for awhile...
Tomorrow will be my seventh day off, although it seems much shorter than that since the entire evacuation experience seemed like one really long, really crappy day. Thank God that part's over with.
Please keep the people in Galveston/Bolivar in your prayers. It definitely doesn't look good there. Health conditions are horrible since they have no water, food, electricity, or sewer and the newspaper said a man actually got airlifted off the island with one THOUSAND mosquito bites. That can't be good...

Looking Forward to Looking Back

2008-09-13T23:49:00.000-07:00

This is definitely one of those moments where I wish I could just fast forward a few weeks/months to a time where things are back to "normal." Or maybe just to a place where a new normal feels ok.
Tomorrow morning, Kevin and I will head back home. Home. Nothing feels better than just being at home, but I'm so nervous about going back and seeing first-hand all the destruction that I've been watching on the news. Things right now seem surreal, and I'm ok with that. I'm not looking forward to the moment where they actually become real.
The last evacuation experience was so different. In and of itself, it was awful. Traffic was horrible, gas was scarce, and it was not fun at all, but the end result was so different than this time. Rita turned at the last minute and missed us. Not that I ever wish storms on anyone, but obviously you never want your hometown to be destroyed. This time was totally different. This time, I watched the Weather Channel broadcast live from my office building, and we saw the flooding and the debris. So I already know that the end result is going to be much different than last time.
I'm thankful for so many things: that my family is safe, that my property suffered minimal damage, and that I have a job (though not an office) to return to. I've been really blessed. But at the same time, I'm sad. I'm sad for the people who lost everything, for those who are still looking for loved ones, and for those who are risking their lives to save others. I'm even sad for Galveston Island itself. Sure, it's never been an exotic vacation destination, but it is cool. The island has its own vibe, and I have really taken for granted the fact that I can drive 15 minutes down the road and be at the beach...
I think I'm soaking up the technology right now. Obviously, we'll be without internet/phones/cable for awhile, but I definitely will post again when I can.

George

2008-09-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

And p.s. I was just reading CNN.com and saw where they said that Galveston residents who decided not to leave would face "certain death."
Is it ok to tell people that? That they're facing "certain death?"
I mean, they're not, right? People have survived much worse. Granted, it's not an environment where I'd like to be, as is evident by the fact that I sit watching the storm from the security of a hotel room some 150 miles off the coast. But it doesn't mean that everybody's going to die!!
I really hope they're just being dramatic. I've actually befriended several of the homeless people in G-Town. Especially one guy - George, who walks around barefoot regardless of the temperature/season, and who talks to everybody and waves every time I see him (which is usually every few days). He walks the island, watches the water, waves at people, and even joins this other guy who always stands on the seawall, waves an American Flag and gives the peace sign to passing cars. They're like "peaceful protest" buddies or something.
Jeez - I really hope they're ok...

Bite Me, IKE

2008-09-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

We survived yet another evacuation. This one was much better than the last. It took us about 4 hours to get to College Station, which is normally a 2 hour trip. To put that in perspective: It was a 12 hour trip just to get to College Station the last time we evacuated, which is why I was freaking out about going through it again.
There is nothing stranger than packing up your house and deciding what to take with you when you go. Obviously, the important things like, you know, your pets and whatnot, go first. But then what? Clothes? Shoes? DVD's? Sadly, these are the things that seem to be so important. But then you realize that these are the things that can easily be replaced. These things that, yesterday, seemed so valuable.
I opted for my computer (obviously), my Sex and the City DVDs (of course) and then all the sentimental things like pictures and quilts, home videos, wedding videos, etc. that can't be replaced.
So now all that's left to do is to sit and watch the news, I guess.
The weather channel is actually broadcasting from the upstairs of my office building right now, which is so bizarre. The water's already coming over the Seawall in Galveston, so I'm assuming my office will be flooded. I guess that's the downside of working in a glass building that sits something like 100 feet off the water. Right.

Sweet Shib-a-line...Dun.Dun.DUN.

2008-09-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

...Good times never seemed so good!!!

The above line is in reference to the time that my BFF, Shibbie, and I sat in the kitchen of her mom's house singing "Sweet Caroline" at the top of our lungs while dancing around like crazy. That's what happens when you're with your best friend. You can look like a fool and not give a damn. Love it. Good times :)

And today just happens to be her birthday. Her last year before the big 3-0!!!

So Shibbie - hope your birthday's a great one. Love and miss you bunches!!

3:00 Update

2008-09-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Storm weather days to begin tomorrow. Four day weekend, baby :)
Hopefully it will be just that. A four day weekend. Because that, in and of itself, is sweet. It would not be so sweet if it was accompanied by a certain storm by the name of Ike.

On the upside, Cory Corolla (my car) is super pumped about the days off. She was beginning to stress about the idea of driving the massive bridge that connects Galveston to the mainland in 60 mph winds. Don't judge her.

Storm Pulse

2008-09-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

I think the worst part about living on the Coast during Hurricane Season is the constant uncertainty when a storm is coming in. You feel like you're dodging a jagged-pathed bullet or something. The constant, "It might be coming at you. It's definitely coming at you. EVACUATE NOW! No, nevermind, but keep an eye out. Have your supplies ready just in case! GAS UP!" Blah blah blah.
It makes you crazy. It really does.
I always think about how it would be at my job if I told my claimants, "You might get a check this month. It could be today. Nope, nevermind - but maybe next week. OH NO - WE MESSED UP AND NOW YOU'RE NOT GETTING PAID AT ALL!" People would not be happy about that one bit. I'm just sayin...
That's how I feel about you right now, weather forecasters. What do you get paid for? I could easily tell people that the storm MIGHT be coming their way.

Happy Birthday, Nellie!

2008-08-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

One of my girls, Nellie, just had a birthday (I took a strict vow not to disclose her age via internet posting). I will say that she grew up in the 80's, and in honor of that most sacred fashion period, she threw the most rockin' 80's party I've ever attended. Here are some of my favorite pics from the party:

These are our buds, Lee and Nancy (who, incidentally spent part of the night "slow dancing" in the most jr. high semi-formal way possible), with Kevin and me. And yes, that is an AC/DC circa 1982 shirt I'm wearing. What you don't see here is the fact that Kevin's pant leg is rolled up like LL Cool J, I'm wearing leggings with JELLY shoes, and Lee has the tight rolled jeans along with matching checkerboard shoes.
There was a checkerboard dance floor and we actually lost the visual of Lee for a bit while he was doing the worm..

This is one of the birthday girl herself, doing her Vogue pose.

These are actual vintage 80's gloves. Nellie's been saving these in the secret hope that the trend makes its way back into mainstream fashion. Don't lie, Nellie - I'm on to ya :)

It's like Lee stepped right out of the 80's. I had completely forgotten about the side part with accompanying side spike. Nice touch, Lee.

And seriously - could Monica be any more 80's?

I won the door prize 80's mix cd and have been listening to "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse on repeat in my car since Saturday night. Shameful, I know.

WTF?

2008-08-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

I work on an island.
The entire office is covered in windows, which face the beach, which lies something like 40 feet away from the windows.
Barrelling toward my office is a tropical storm, which is expected to be a hurricane by morning. Along with hurricanes come minimum winds of 75 mph, and something like 6-8 (or more) inches of rain.
This poses a problem for most people, sure. But for those of us who have to cross a 3-lane bridge which stands hundreds of feet in the air to get to work, it's a big problem.
I'm not driving my happy self across a scary-ass bridge in 75 mph winds. Not happening.
And with less than 24 hours until expected landfall of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Edouard, the best we can get out of our managers is, "In the event of a DELAYED opening tomorrow..."
You bitches. Delayed BETTER mean "delayed until Wednesday."
That's all I'm saying...

Wishy Washy

2008-07-28T21:26:00.001-07:00

Wow - so much has happened, and is still happening right now.
First of all, I enrolled in the teacher certification program. I even took the content test early and passed it, which means that I could actually start teaching in August. I'm going to class on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, playing softball on Fridays and Sundays, and teaching a youth class at church on Wednesdays. I'm tired. But in the best way possible.

I went as far as to give my notice at work, which was actually pretty scary. I was just promoted in February 2007, so it's probably pretty upsetting for my managers to hear that I'm already leaving. Like maybe they didn't get their money's worth out of me yet...

So there I am - on my way. Making decisions. Making headway. And then I started to freak out after getting a "talking to" from my assistant manager. After discussing my options with him and taking time to think about them, I agreed to stay another year at Social Security. I do have two years to find a teaching job with the certification program that I'm enrolled in, and even though I'm still taking my classes, I sort of feel like I'm back to square one: not knowing what to do.

Damn this indecision! Just make a decision, Courtney!! I find myself saying this statement to myself in so many aspects of life. How did I become this person who is so careful to analyze situations from all sides that I tend to get stuck in them? How do you become a person who is willing to just jump in and see how things go? Is that even possible for me?

But the good thing is that I'm so busy these days that I don't really even have time to worry about that now. Baby steps...

Back to the Real World

2008-06-29T21:14:00.001-07:00

So I've had the past week off from work to teach Bible School at my church.
I have to say - this was probably my favorite VBS experience ever. We had great kids, lots of learning and loads of fun. Not a bad week off.
But working with the kids and having as much fun as I had has reinforced my desire to want to teach. Like, for a living.
I know this sounds crazy. Most people cringe at the idea of teaching full time. And it definitely would not mean a pay raise if I changed careers. Working for Social Security is not fun, so they have to pay well to keep people on staff.
But in addition to teaching VBS this week, I also set up interviews with the local teaching certification program, took and passed my TASP test, and am preparing to take the teaching certification content exam to teach social studies at the high school level.
I have to say, just making a plan for change is helping me to get through the day tomorrow at Social Security. Because the job has gotten to that point - literally taking ONE day at a time, and focusing all attention on not quitting on the spot. I do mentally quit each time I take a break, however. I tell myself twice a day that I'm not going back into my office. I QUIT! And then I down my head, admit defeat - because, well, I have to pay my bills - and walk back into my own personal version of career hell.
(Is it bad to say that after coming off a week of teaching kids at Bible School???)
So anyway - cross your fingers for me that I can find a job and actually have the guts to go through, this time, with a career change.

Bad Blogger!

2008-06-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'm such a bad blogger these days.
My apologies.

It's just that so many things are going on, which gives me so much material to write about but no time to do actually write it.
Current issues: Work worries, school prospects, career crisis; all of which will hopefully be worked out within the next few months.

I feel like a lot of the time, especially with my career, I get so scared to make the wrong decision that I just make no decision at all. And that ends up being the wrong decision, which leaves me feeling stuck, which in turn really makes me mad. So then I feel mad and stuck, which is not good.

How is it possible to be 28 years old and not know what I want to do when I grow up?
Even more importantly, is it ever really possible to know what you do want to do when you grow up?

This is what happens...

2008-05-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

...when you give your husband artistic freedom to "decorate"

Evidently, Kevin has been feeling like he doesn't get enough say in how our house is decorated. I have a hard time giving up control of things like decorating. Guilty as charged. So after four years in our house, I finally decided that it's really not that big of a deal for him to add his personality to the home decor.
Big mistake.

Take a look at our "new and improved" cabinet decorations:

Seriously - the little sniper guy is now pointing at anyone and everyone who walks in from the garage.
And this, women, is why you never give a man freedom to decorate!

G-Town Tsunami

2008-05-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

So we just got finished with our annual SSA softball tournament, and I wanted to share a picture of our team.
Did we win?
No. Absolutely not.
But we did have fun, and that's the main thing. At least that's what I keep telling myself!
Please note our bright orange shirts. We figure if you can't win, you may as well make a fashion statement. Mission accomplished.

Poll Time

2008-04-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

So I just joined a new softball team, and we're in the process of trying to pick a name. So far we've narrowed it down to the following:

1) The Swingers
2) The Swingin' Beavers
3) The Tater Smashin' Swamp Donkeys

Obviously, number two was thought of by a guy on our team, and I'm not feelin' it too much. But I do think it would be pretty awesome that when someone asks me what team I play for, I could reply, "Oh ya know, the Tater Smashin' Swamp Donkeys." Because seriously, when in life do you EVER get to say that?

Thoughts?

Public Apology...

2008-04-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

...to all those people who received voice mails from me, ranting about having to take defensive driving ON A SATURDAY.

And what a bummer of a Saturday it was: work, followed by laundry, dishes, defensive driving and house cleaning.

On the upside, I got to meet the girl that my brother has been 'seeing' (dating?? who knows) and she's freaking cool! It was weird - I met her and immediately felt like I had known her forever! Thank goodness - it could be such an awkward situation if you don't like the people your siblings date...

Letter to my Younger Self

2008-04-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

I've been reading this book that my friend Lisa sent me titled, "What I Know Now - Letters to my Younger Self."
This book is amazing, insightful, inspirational - all that good stuff.
It really gets you thinking about where you've come from, what you've been through, and where you're going. I'm only 28 years old, and hopefully I have a long way to go, but obviously it's made me think about the letter that I would write to my younger self.
Looking back, I have to say that I would tell my 17-year-old high school self to:

a) Stop worrying so much about what other people think. Be yourself - act goofy, be silly, shake your booty on the dance floor, girl. People may judge you, but at least you'll have fun while they're doing it.
b) Branch out. Softball is not all there is. Neither is volleyball. It's not going to be your career. It's not going to pay your way through college. It's not the end of the world if you have a bad game. Stop being so hard on yourself.
c) Let's face it - you've got bad hair, crazy bangs, thick eyebrows and braces. It's a transitional period, and it will get better. Hang in there!! But also, pluck those 'brows, Co. Seriously.
d) Stop being so mean to your parents and brother. They really do have your best interest at heart, and they're going to be there for you time and time again when you need them. Cherish those relationships.
e) You can't control things. So relax and let life play out the way it will. The best is yet to come!!

Hmmm...I wonder what my letter to my 28-year-old self will look like ten years from now...

Goodbye Mid-20's

2008-03-31T21:28:00.001-07:00

Uh oh - so that dreaded day is almost upon me...the one where I can no longer claim myself to be a "mid-20."
Dun Dun DUUUUNNN!!!
For awhile, I wasn't really happy about turning 28. I've been noticing "smile lines" around my eyes recently. There's even the hint of one atop my forehead. People think it their right to know exactly why it is that you haven't yet mothered a child. You hear the words, "biological clock" when people speak in reference to you.
These are all not-so-good facts of getting older.
But I think age 27 was a milestone year for me.
I stepped out of my comfort zone for the first time in a long time, and changed jobs/offices. I learned how to speak in front of groups of people without being nervous. I learned to say "no" when asked to do things that I didn't want to do. I learned not to offer up an immediate apology when aforementioned "no" response was invoked. I got into a bathing suit and didn't suck in my stomach.
That's right, world, I have a touch of a lower abdomen pooch, and if you don't like it - don't look. (It's now my belief that a small pooch is kind of endearing even!! LOL)
I'm learning that it's ok to put your feelings first in some situations. I'm learning that you can't control others' emotions/reactions, but you can control your own. I'm learning that you don't always need approval from others - that sometimes your own approval is the most important of all. And I'm learning that it doesn't make you a bad person to know what you deserve and to not accept anything less.
So if this is what it is to be "late-twenties," then I say bring it on!!

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!

2008-03-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

So did you know that in the State of Texas, you have to slow your car down to 15 miles per hour below the speed limit when passing a police officer who's making a traffic stop?
Because I didn't.
So when I got pulled over today, I was extremely surprised to hear about this new law. And when the police officer preempted the conversation by saying, "Yeah, a lot of people don't even know about this new law yet..." and then proceeded to give me a freaking ticket, I was a little upset.
I ask you this question, Officer Chapa from the Texas City Police Department: Have you ever heard of a little thing called a WARNING? Because in my opinion, that would have been appropriate today.
And one more thing, Officer Chapa from the Texas City Police Department: I will be cursing your very name whilst enduring 8 hours of defensive driving hell. So thank you.

Shout out to LeAnne

2008-03-11T00:32:00.000-07:00

Certain people are always in your heart, no matter what.
Circumstances may change, friendships may change, distance may grow. But God puts certain people in your life who, no matter what, will always know you, will always get you, and will always be special to you.
Today is my childhood/junior high/high school BFF's birthday. And it's funny, because no matter what's going on each year at this time, whenever I see the date: March 11th, I always, always, always think of LeAnne.
It's weird how certain things, certain memories, certain dates stick with you always...

LeAnne - hope your birthday is great, and I'm thinking about you :)

NY Pics - especially for you, Lisa :)

2008-03-09T19:08:00.001-07:00

OK - we all know what a picture freak I am. And there's no way I could ever take a trip and not come home with a zillion pictures. These are the pictures from our NY trip - stand by for a series of random NY pictures...

These were the pictures from our trip to see The Lion King on Broadway. The show was awesome, and I highly recommend it if you're ever in NY.

This was the view of the Empire State Building from our hotel room, and then the view of Manhattan from the top of the Empire State Building...

These were pics from Hello Deli - the deli that's always featured on David Letterman, because it's located next door to the Ed Sullivan Theater. The second pic is Rupert from Hello Deli. Super nice guy :)

These were some pictures from the Statue of Liberty. It was so cold on this day that Craig had to buy an I Heart NY hat from a street vendor. TOURIST!!! LOL

These were some pictures from Central Park. The second picture is my favorite picture of all time. I loved the peacefulness of the park...

St. Patrick's Cathedral. How beatiful is this church?

Craig on Times Square

These was us playing at FAO Schwarz on the gigantic piano! So much fun :)

These were some of the shots from Yankee Stadium, us "squishing" the NY sign, and Craig in the dugout...

Congrats - you've officially survived my "NY in a nutshell" photo post :)

It's Up To You New York, New YOORRKKK!

2008-03-06T23:05:00.000-08:00

Wow - so Craig and I just got back from our New York trip.
This trip started with a delayed flight out of Houston, putting us late for our connection at DFW, meaning that by the time we rode the skylink about a mile to our gate area, we literally had 6 minutes until the plane was scheduled to take off. We sprinted about 500 feet to our gate where the ticket guy was yelling "COME ON, COME ON - WHAT ARE YOUR LAST NAMES?" "GO GO GO - THEY'RE WAITING ON YOU!!"
It was so much like a movie, it was ridiculous.
We then had five days in New York, where we went to the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Chinatown (I got a killer "Dolce and Gabanna" bag!!), The Lion King on Broadway, Times Square, the NBC Studios (including the SNL set and the Conan O'Brien studio), Radio City Music Hall, the Ed Sullivan Theatre/David Letterman studio, Central Park, FAO Schwarz, - we totally played the life-sized piano from Big - the Trump Tower, the Empire State Building, Hello Deli, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Yankee Stadium. We made our way around New York on the subway, managed not to get lost and not to die. I consider that a successful trip.
Our trip even ended with an emergency landing when a passenger got sick on the flight. The person was ok by the time we landed, so again - success.
We had an amazing trip, got autographs from Rupert at Hello Deli for our parents (he's the guy that's always on David Letterman, and my parents love him), and may or may not have seen Lucy Liu. Seriously.
Oh, and I ate fallaffel (falaffel? fallafel? How do you spell this word??) for the first time from a street vendor and LOVED IT. If you haven't tried it, you should. Like today. Do it.
So yeah - no doubt, I'll be posting pictures as soon as I have had time to sleep.

Quote of the Day

2008-02-28T19:23:00.001-08:00

"I don't have an ego. I just love how awesome I am."

Brilliant :)

Umm, so blogging...

2008-02-13T18:20:00.001-08:00

Wow - been a long time since I've been on here. I'm at that go-go-go time in my life right now. Ten hour work days, followed by church, working out, or job hunting, followed by sleep. Shower, rinse, repeat.
I need a new job. Seriously. I feel like my current job is sucking my will to live. Not really, but it does suck.
On the upside, I'll be boarding my flight and heading to New York in about two weeks. I'm so excited about getting away from work for awhile that I can not stand it! Got tickets to see The Lion King on Broadway, so that should be fun. I'm thinking that if I focus on traveling, I'll be able to just get through the next two weeks on the job. Not sure what I'll do after that, but I'm good for two weeks. One day at a time.
Have I mentioned what a butt my supervisor is? Because he is.

Sasha-roo-roo

2008-01-22T18:14:00.001-08:00

So after a week at the vet's office, multiple tests, x-rays, medications and an $850 vet bill, my cat's finally back home and breathing normally. Thank goodness...and thanks to my credit card which allowed me to pay the vet bill.
However, it was quite the experience picking up my cat from the vet's office. I walked in, told the receptionist my name and that I was there to pick up Sasha.
The receptionist looked me up and down and said, "Oh. Ms. Olson. Let me get Dr. Ellioriaga for you."
I didn't initially think much of this somewhat cold greeting until Dr. E walks out, bandages on each arm with a less-than-happy-to-see-me look on his face.
"Sasha's not currently allowing anybody near her cage," he says, "so we're going to need you to put her in her carrier."
I immediately felt like a kid in the principal's office, and I could sense the disapproving looks descending upon me from all the well-behaved animals' owners who were sitting quietly in the lobby.
"Yes sir," I said quietly.
I took the walk of shame into the kennel room, and as I walked in to see all the nurses cowering away from my bad animal, I swear I could actually see a look of satisfaction on Sasha's face.
Score one for Sasha-roo!

Wow

2008-01-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

My friend Lisa is awesome.
She's doing this 545-mile AIDS/Lifecycle bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in support of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Amazing.
I can't imagine biking to my mom's house, 3 miles down the road, much less biking the length of freaking California!! But I digress.
Anyway - part of the process is raising money for the AIDS Foundation. And I figured that since I'm not about to do a 545-mile bike ride, the least I could do is help her raise money. So if you're interested in helping out or even in getting to know a little more about the cause, please check out her page here.
I know she would appreciate anything you're willing/able to give!!

Blah Day

2008-01-15T15:53:00.001-08:00

Blah Day Updates:

Had to take my cat to the vet today because she's breathing all crazy. So about an hour ago, the vet called to tell me that my cat almost died today after being anesthetized for chest x-rays. She evidently has lots of fluid on her lungs, and they don't know why. They're doing a complete check out to see what the problem is.

I have to go back to work tomorrow after having a random four day weekend. I don't want to go back, and I feel like such a kid for saying that. But I have a supervisor who is quite possibly trying to see how far he can push me before I start to push back. And while I don't enjoy work drama, I'm definitely not for being walked all over either. Should be an interesting week...

And I'm having a career crisis. I'm 27 years old and I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. BLAH!

NY and Co (As in Co = Courtney, not the store)

2008-01-04T20:08:00.001-08:00

That's right, biotch - I'm going to New York in T minus 56 days and counting. Which is still forever away, but I'm excited because I just booked the flight and hotel.
New York, here we come!!!

2008-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

Oh SHIZ - I just added Neil Diamond to my itunes list.
ROCKIN!!

2007-12-31T05:16:00.000-08:00

Know what sucks worse than having to work at 6:45 am on New Year's Eve?

NOTHING!

Great Weekend!!

2007-12-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

Yay!! My Shibbie came to visit this weekend. Always a good time...
We started the day on Saturday with a 4-mile run. And I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but I've been out for like a month with a knee injury, so it was my official "come back" run. Hard core.

We of course, had to follow a good run with a good grub down session at Double Dave's. We both ate. A lot.

We followed that with an afternoon of shopping.
We bought boots. Not sure what was up with the silly poses. Don't judge us.

Bonus shot!! Here's Shibbie's new nose ring. How cute is she??

Christmas!!!

2007-12-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas is already over!
It's been two days and I'm still bummed about it :)
This year was seriously the most fun I've ever had at any holiday ever in life. Wow - that was definitive, huh.
The thing I love most about my mom and dad's house is that I still feel like a kid during the holidays. We still get toys at Christmas.
This year, we all ended up with remote control helicopters, walkie talkies and air soft guns, which of course led to a day of playing war games, complete with my brother and me sneaking up on the roof in an attempt to pelt my husband and parents with air soft b.b.'s. It would have worked too, if Craig had just stayed out of sight from my husband. But no - he insisted on popping his head up and before we knew it, our plan had turned against us and we were on the receiving end of the b.b. shower. Nice.
And then to top off the day, my brother decided to ignore all warning signs on the toy helicopter and fly it outside. He thought the "do not play with helicopter outside" warning on the face of the box had something to do with flying into power lines. Turns out that when you get the helicopter above ten feet, you lose radio contact with it and it develops a mind of it's own. The mind of Craig's helicopter was evidently telling it to jump up to about 30 feet in the air and head down the street, scaling any tree that happened to be in its path. For the rest of my life, I will always have the visual of my 24-year old brother running down my parents' street, remote control in hand, trying to chase down his helicopter. He evidently lost it when it changed course and headed into a goat pasture. We couldn't help but to laugh at him when he radio'd in on his walkie talkie to let us know that he had lost his helicopter to a bunch of goats...
Seriously, when does that ever happen?

Linus Had It Right...

2007-12-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

TRA.SHY.

2007-12-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

Today, while walking out of the grocery store, I noticed a tall man walking towards me. He smiled and said hello. So I smiled and said hello.
To which he replied, "Yeah - you want a happy holiday don't you?"
There was a little confusion on my part, until he looked me in the eye and thrust his hips at me.
"Eww!"
That's what I said.
What is it about the holidays that brings out the worst in people?

Time Flies

2007-12-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

Wow. I just realized that it's now been 8 years since I met my husband.
I was 19 years old, out for a night with friends, with no intentions whatsoever of having a life-changing experience. Or of meeting a life-changing person.
I didn't really like Kevin the first time I met him. (I like him now!!) In fact, I cursed Kevin out three times on the first night we met.
I thought he was a butt. So I told him so. Three times.
I had him at "Shut the hell up."
Ahh, young love...

2007-12-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

Writers block is a bitch.

West Texas Thanksgiving

2007-11-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

This is the reason that I haven't posted in over a week:

Kevin and I spent the last week battling the ice and snow in West Texas. It was beautiful and cold and I got enough snow to last the next 20 years.
But seriously - how cool is the snow-covered cactus?

Who You'd Be Today

2007-11-18T15:31:00.001-08:00

It's been 8 years now, but I hate to get through the day without acknowledging and taking a second to remember the Aggie Bonfire Collapse of 1999 that took 12 young lives way too soon...

You're never forgotten!!

My H-Town Buds

2007-11-09T05:36:00.000-08:00

Meet Kenya and Terrence:

These are the people that I've spent the last four months training with in Houston. As much as I loathe Houston traffic and as thankful as I am to no longer have to deal with it, I love them more and will miss them so much. They're both amazing and inspiring, and I'll miss our daily talks.
Terrence once said something that was so simple that it was profound. We were waiting for class to start, talking about the different scientific theories of existence, and Terrence made the statement that even the simplest creature/object has too much purpose to be random. Even trees have ambition to grow - sometimes hundreds of feet - to produce oxygen, to lose leaves in the fall and then to re-grow them in the spring. Everything has a cycle and a purpose, and no amount of "Big Bang" could produce that.
Only God could create something so perfect. Only God would have the patience and the love to hand over his perfect creation to us, allowing us to screw it up in so many ways.
It's been months since we had that conversation, but I was reminded of it this morning while sitting outside on my patio, watching Allie chase the leaves that fell from the trees.
I believe that God put Terrence and Kenya in my life for a reason, to help me get through the challenging four months and to be in a constant state of learning through their friendship. And I'm thankful to leave the Houston office with two true friends.

Shiz

2007-11-02T05:26:00.000-07:00

You know it's been a rough morning when you get to work and realize you're wearing two completely different earrings.
That's all I'm saying...

Pics from Halloween

2007-11-01T12:44:00.001-07:00

Oh, we were SO Gilligan and Ginger.

Stolen from Craig and Kara

2007-10-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the game:

Write ten statements, intended to different people.
Never tell which one is to who.
They are things you've always wanted to tell people.

1) I admire you.
2) Where you at? Give a girl a call now and then.
3) I'll see you soon!! Yay!!
4) You make me laugh more than any other person ever in life.
5) You know you're my "PIC"!
6) I wish I could make you feel better.
7) I love you. Even when I don't agree with you.
8) Are you really that happy or is it all a front?
9) It's not always about you.
10)I saw you pick your nose - LOL.

Say It Ain't So!

2007-10-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

Can it be true?
Did Cadbury really introduce their new "Ornament Cream Egg?"
Uh huh. That's right. They did.
And for all you naysayers out there who will undoubtedly question the relationship between Christmas and an egg, I say to you - "WHO THE FRICK CARES?" Because anything that gets me extended time with the Cadbury eggs is just fine with me...

Cutest Thing EVER

2007-10-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

So last night, I was sitting at home all by my lonesome watching, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." (Which, incidentally, kicks the crap out of all cartoons today.)
I noticed that Allie seemed interested in the show too, which is bizarre because she is A DOG. But this scene came on where Snoopy was supposed to be a WWII pilot and he was flying his doghouse. Evidently Allie was into it because she literally waddled over to the TV, sat up on her butt, put her nose almost to the screen and followed Snoopy, wherever he went on the screen, with her head.
I so wish I had gotten a picture of that, because she sat there for at least a minute, staring at Snoopy.
So evidently, Snoopy is to dogs what Pre-Angelina Brad Pitt was to girls everywhere.
He's a total rockstar.

Done and Done

2007-10-29T05:44:00.001-07:00

I survived my first half marathon.
Actually, I had the best run of my life.
The course had six hills, one of which was located at mile freaking twelve, which was a bummer. I swear, I slowed down to a crawl trying to get up that hill after having already run for almost 2 hours straight.
But I ran the whole thing in 2 hours and 10 minutes, at a 9:58 per mile pace.
So now I have a time to try and beat next time. We'll see how that goes...

Interesting

2007-10-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

So in the past week, I've gotten hits on my blog from people who searched for:

"Courtney Hooters"
"Duck Tail"
"Random Thoughts with OCD"
"80's Sweatbands" and
"Who's that Indian in my Teepee"

All very good, I think.

A Best Friend Is...

2007-10-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

That person who just "gets" you - no matter what;
Who laughs at your silly jokes and never has a shortage of funny things to say;
Who calls often and leaves random, but entertaining voice mail messages when you're not there to answer;
Who NEVER, EVER judges you, no matter what (But who will speak her mind when she feels you're in the wrong);
Who sends candy corn themed Halloween cards, calling you the "Queen of Narnia," and telling you how fabulous you are.

Thanks, Shibbie. You're the best :)

I think I can, I think I can

2007-10-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Oh crap.
I just registered for the Koala/Luke's Half Marathon in Houston THIS SUNDAY.
As in six days, Sunday.
Sure, I've been training for awhile. But the race that I'm training for doesn't happen until JANUARY.
As in three months, January.
So I guess this one will be more for fun and for additional training.
Oh crap.
Wish me luck!!
Pray that I don't pass out.

H-Town

2007-10-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

Wow - this has been such a crazy week.
I started off on Sunday by running a 10-mile race that consisted of 1000 runners. The race began at 7 am, and ended 34 songs on my ipod (including "Eye of the Tiger" and "Danger Zone"), 8 cups of water, 3 GU energy shots, 2 blisters on my feet, and 1 hour 40 minutes later. But there's nothing like crossing that finish line with hundreds of people cheering for you. I'm so ready for the next one!

The race alone probably wouldn't have been too bad, but I followed it up with a softball double header that night. You talk about weak legs on Monday morning. I'll do my best NEVER to do that again.

Kevin and I got our Halloween costumes in the mail yesterday. He's the funniest looking Gilligan and I'm the silliest looking Ginger ever in life. But I have a killer purple boa! Who doesn't love that, right?

And I just realized that I only have two weeks to go in Houston. After that, I'll head back to work. And even though I will not at all miss the crazy Houston drivers and all the traffic that results from the crazy Houston drivers, I will really miss the people that I've gotten to know here. Curse my emotional attachment issues!!
I've actually worked in Houston longer than I was officially in Galveston before I got sent off for training. I'm so ready to find my comfort zone. I feel like I've been in limbo since February. And that sucks.

Alright - gotta get to work. Peace out and have a great weekend!!

Dear Weight Watchers:

2007-10-12T22:32:00.000-07:00

Just a note to let you know that when you call a meal, "Chicken Marsala," and then provide no chicken for the marsala, it's false advertisement.
You owe me 5.5 chunks of chicken.

Snakes are the Devil!!

2007-10-12T05:15:00.000-07:00

My dog, Allie, has recently discovered that it's fun to play with snakes (grass snakes, thank goodness). This week alone, I've caught her on three separate occasions, rolling on top of one, nudging it with her nose, pawing at it.
Now see, most people would probably note the fact that it's just a grass snake, comment on how cute it is that puppy plays with it, and move on. Not me.
Because grass snake or not, it's still a snake. A slimy, creepy, evil snake. Snakes are the devil - sans pitchfork, but with fangs so it all evens out...
So you can imagine what my reaction was when Allie put a snake INTO HER MOUTH and tried to bring it to me while I was sitting on the patio yesterday.
I'd love to know what the neighbors were thinking as I was screaming, "NO - PUT IT DOWN! DON'T BRING THAT OVER HERE!!"
I've got to get over my fear of the grass snake.

For Karen

2007-10-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thought for the day:
"A true friend is one who wishes E.Coli on your enemies."

Thank goodness for true friends :)

Ooh...it's ON!

2007-10-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

I just bought our halloween costumes for this year!
They should be pretty interesting...will post pictures after the upcoming halloween parties!!
What is it about dressing up that makes halloween so much fun?
The parties, the dancing, the cooler weather, seeing everybody dressed up and acting silly, stocking up on candy and seeing the kiddos get so excited about trick-or-treating...This is one of my favorite times of the year (next to Christmas, of course :)
I'll probably get even more excited if the temperatures EVER drop below 90 here. Seriously, someone should inform mother nature that IT'S FALL already!!

What's Up???

2007-09-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days. One of those perfect, amazing days that couldn't have been better if I had an event planner mapping it out for me, minute by minute.
I started out with a 9-mile run, complete with random conversation and a recap of the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, all done prior to 7:30 am. This was followed by the longest, hottest, steamy-mirror-causing shower known to man. Followed by two hours of solo shopping/browsing therapy complete with the Starbucks pumpkin latte, which was recommended by Lisa. (Thanks girl!!) This was followed by a two hour, deep-sleep nap with two noisy fans going full blast in my bedroom. Followed by several hours of TV-watching and laughing with my husband. Followed by dinner with my parents and brother. Followed by a night filled with non-stop chatting, sarcasm and laughter with my girl, Tracy. (Oh, and p.s: her dog just had four puppies, so in addition to four hours of laughing/talking, we actually got to spend the last 20 minutes or so playing with these tiny little piglet-looking puppies, who want nothing more than to nibble your fingers and cuddle.)
Seriously - what's up with today???
It's not often that I can look back at an entire day and think that there's honestly not one tiny little detail that I would change about the day if I could. But today was one of those days where all the little things stacked up to make one gigantic, perfect day. I will definitely have to say a few extra "thank you's" to God before I head on to bed. I wonder if it would be selfish to ask for an encore?