10 [minus 1] Things On A Monday

What a Monday.
1. A roommate I had lined up to move in this past weekend just backed out. Now I've got to come up with $600 extra by Saturday. Great!
2. The boss-man is being extra moody today. We're already all stressed and under tight deadlines, not sure I need this today.
3. Art night with Ms. Artsy was canceled because of some stuff she's got to deal with. Would have been nice to chill with her and do art, but I'm almost somewhat relieved because of how stressed out I am.
4. On a better note, my ex roomie got engaged last week. Happy for him!
5. Things with me and the boy, we'll call him Mr. C, are amazing and I couldn't ask for anything to be better :)
6. Our offices flooded with sewage (yes, you read that right) last week, so everyone is just now getting back to it. Doesn't help with the already crunched timelines.
7. Was just in San Francisco last weekend/week. I went on an amazing bike ride around the bay and in to Sausilio and Tiburon. Met some amazing people there. Here's a pic:

8. I absolutely, positively LOVE my graphic designer. He is frickin amazing at what he does and somehow deciphers what I mean when I verbally tell him all the crazy stuff I want to do. :)
9. I've also been going to dance classes with one of Mr. C's friends. We've been having a fantastic time with it and I'm sore for the next day after (which is a GREAT thing!)


That's all I've got... gotta get back at it!

PS - It's been, uhhh, interesting to start this whole blog thing again. Just so you know :)

10 Things [contributing to my big A]

Even more anxiety? No way. Ugh. I'm so over it!

1. Friday was my last day with the consulting company. It was bittersweet, but we went to happy hour after we met up for our 'wrapping everything up' meeting. Turns out, the wine bar we were at was filming an episode of NFL Wives (VH1). I'm not sure anyone watches that show, well, maybe Carrie, but I'll be one one of the episodes in the background. Kind of exciting!

2. Monday, I start the new job. I'm really excited about it - getting to meet new people, working on something new and something stable, and just the excitement of a new job overall. Now if this anxiety would just go away, I'll be in tip-top shape :)

3. I'm also trying to find a place to move to. My roomie here is moving to El Paso for 6 months with his job, so he can't move with me (sad!) but I'll be able to find another roommate and hopefully it'll work out as well as this one has. All of the whole finding a place, moving, and getting another roommate - well, that's stressful. ALSO needing to sell some extra things that I have lying around. If I get enough, might get a new living room set or TV or something. Who knows?!

4. This month, I'll have another credit card paid off (thank god). I have been pouring money into those cards and it's finally starting to show.

5. I have been dating a boy... and he's really quite fantastic. We've gone on 6 dates, so I guess it's alright for me to tell you about him. I don't like blogging about all of them, because, well, there have been a lot of 1st and 2nd dates but nothing beyond that... and, I dunno, it would have been great to write it all down, but seeing that many stories that come to an abrupt end is depressing.

Anyway, this boy and I have great chemistry together - I think the challenge is mutual (it is rare that I find someone, much less a guy, that challenges me) and we have a lot of fun together. Tall, ridiculously cute, and he likes me... who would have thought? I'm just trying to be extremely patient - and go with the flow. I don't need ANOTHER thing changing in my life right now ;)

6. Tonight, I scrapbooked a few pages in my Italy album. It was nice to pull that stuff out again. My mom had it out while she was here, so it was a little inspirational. I still have a long way to go, but it's progress nontheless.

7. I walked into a bridal boutique this AM to get measured for Rae's wedding in October. Turns out, the lead time to order this dress is 10-12 weeks... and I don't have that. Shit! Rush ordering makes it available only days before the wedding, and I'll already be in ATL at that point... start adding up the bill for rush and shipping now. I tried the dress on anyway - and, wouldn't you know... the sample they had at the boutique fit me perfectly... AND it was the right color for the wedding. The sash wasn't the "banana" color she wanted, but it's a creme, and since I'm the Maid of Honor, she thought it might look okay. What are the frickin' odds? $130 bucks later, scratch that off the list!!

8. I booked my tickets home for the wedding the other day. $190 round trip isn't bad. :) Now, just need a rental car and I'm set. Bachelorette party plans are also in the works. That feeling of 'accomplishment' is awesome.

9. Last night I went out with some friends that I hadn't gone out with in a long time. It was a fantastic time, as usual, and it made me realize that I have been sheltering myself with Fran. Since she and I aren't really hanging out much anymore (for other reasons), it was kind of refreshing to know that I could still go out and have a good time with some other people. I was drunk. Really, really drunk, though. Eh. What's a few drunk texts anyway ;)

10. Ready for what's next. Ready to shed some excess baggage (or so to speak) and enter the next phase of my life. This job is the first step in that direction. I'm stoked. (oh, and Carrie is moving so much closer than Hawaii in less than a month!!!!! OMG, SO excited!!)

That's it for now. Now do you see why I've got so much anxiety!? ;)

Crazy life

Anxiety comes in many different forms. I wouldn't say that I "suffer" from it - I just deal with it. But when things get like they are right now, I have anxiety attacks... my head spins with thoughts in all different directions, it affects my concentration, my breathing, my well-being, and turns from a mental into a physical feeling.

It's scary.

But It doesn't have me, I have it. There's a difference.

Breathing helps, family helps, friends help, something stable helps. Oy. Just ready for all this change to be over.

This past week, it's been great having my family in town. I've been go-go-go for the past 4 weeks now... in DC, back for a few days before they came to visit. It's been a lot of fun.

We went to a waterpark, a painting class, the pool, good mex food, the Ft. Worth Stockyards, shopping, thai food, sushi... we did it all. I think my sisters had a great time.

Now, the craziness dwindles, I wind down my work with the consulting company, ramp it up for my new job on Monday.... and then go-go-go again.

Life is crazy. It just is.

Hippity Hop... and you don't stop...

My, oh my, where does the time go?

DC was a lot of fun... I went to see the Allen Ginsberg exhibit and I was really glad I did. Such an amazing collection of photographs. One thought while I was looking through the gallery, we don't typically see the way people lived - in reality - during the 60's thru the 90's. We think of things today, like packaging, and other consumer goods as very vibrant with lots of colors to catch your eyes on the shelves. Cigarette packages, cereal boxes, even mugs or chinese takeout - everything was so plain, so simple. I enjoyed that aspect of the shots he took.

I also really enjoyed his take on life outside his kitchen window. His thoughts on the world, written below on the photographs above, were interesting.

I also went to the sculpture garden, the National Geographic Museum where the DaVinci exhibit was displayed, and a few other places. I only had a half day on Sunday to check anything out because I worked so much. I literally got 4-6 hours of sleep a night because I was at the office or in the hotel. Crazy busy with my project.

While in the hotel, I rented a few movies, one of which My Sister's Keeper. I cried. Sobbed, actually. I can't remember a time where I've cried that hard to a film. I could completely relate to Cameron Diaz's fight for her daughter's life. That's how, I have a feeling, I'll love my children one day... with such a passion.

The project was a success, and frankly, I'm burnt out on PR work. I've always known that branding and marketing for one brand has been my niche, but I didn't really have a choice with this project and the Consulting company.

Speaking of, I did have a talk with my boss and accepted one of the offers - for a chain of sandwich shops. I'll be the Marketing Manager and focus on Local Store Marketing across the US. August 9th is the day :) Super excited about it!

Last night, I went to a book club meeting (my first, ever) and we discussed The Unbearable Lightness of Being. It was a good book - and I was only halfway through (was invited to read it only a week and a half ago!) but it was a really intense, awesome book. The next is A Reliable Wife. We'll see how this one goes!

My family comes to town tomorrow - it'll be good to see them! I just don't know what I'm going to do with them quite yet. I know we'll go to the zoo, and we have a painting class lined up for Monday night. I'm sure we'll hit the pool and do a little exploring for them... I just hope they don't get bored! My little sisters will probably be fascinated with all that Dallas has to offer... but I haven't done any of that yet. You know, explore those things.

I'm pushing away a friend who recently got her third strike. I've known she's been a questionable friend for a little while now, but I really think she's shitty now. It's hard to do - especially when my friend base is not huge... but I'm ok with that. I'd rather surround myself with no one at all than someone who acts the way she does.

C'est la vie, right? ;)

Anyway, that's the 'me' update now. There's more, but you'll have to wait for that...

10 [minus two] Things.... another update

It's been a while since I've written. I know this. So many whirlwind things have been going on... 10 Things, shall we?

1. Carrie came last week for a week. I didn't want her to go - we had SO much fun while she was here. We didn't get to go to Austin, but each night was a success anyway. I can't wait to hear if she decides to move here or not.... it'll be great for us to live in the same city again.

2. I have come to the conclusion that boys are weird. Not just weird, weird. But SUPER weird. They'll be ALL about you one minute, then drop off the face of the earth the next. I know I'm not supposed to be in a relationship right now (otherwise, I'd be in one) but geeze. Boys are just super weird. That's all I can say.

3. The job thing is really starting to ramp up. I have now had 2 interviews and am waiting on two more. I got a call yesterday saying there is a solid offer in the works with one and I should see it in writing next week. I don't know which direction to go... and it's a HUGE career move with whichever one I take. *sigh* hopefully I'll make the right decision.

4. I did end up going to the Greg Laswell show, as mentioned in the last post. It's a long story, but I'm glad I did. He's such a great singer. You should really go check out his music.

5. I have been SO super stoked about Kaskade and the Electric Daisy Carnival this weekend. I'm not going to get to go now, and that's a HUGE bummer. I know he'll be back, but I'm still sad I'm missing an opportunity to see him.

6. I'm going home this weekend. There is some family "ish" going on that needs me there. I'm not really telling anyone (friends) I'm going because I'll feel guilty for not hangin out.

7. It's hotter than hell out here in D-town. It's only 8:30 and it's already 81 degrees. My tan looks nice, so that's the up-side. But geebus, it's hot!

8. I was reconnected with Sam last week. I ran into his sister on a patio out here, really weird. After THIS incident, I thought I'd never be speaking to him again. I got a phone call from him about an hour later, apologizing for the way things were left between us earlier. I talked to him for a minute, then told him I needed to go because I was with my friends. He text and asked if I would forgive him. Eh, not so much. I brushed it off.

That's all I've got - and that's a lot.

10 Things... just an update

1. Yesterday, Kaskade's new CD came out. Ummm... Ah-May-ZING. It is ridiculous how he can continue to put out new albums all the time, all are different from each other, and all are absolutely delicious.

2. Today was an interesting day. As I was leaving the OG, the CFO stopped me in the parking lot and told me he wanted me there full time. I jokingly told him I wanted 100K a year... he chuckled. It's interesting, because I've heard a lot of talk about my position turning full time quickly, but haven't been officially offered anything yet. Full time was the original intent of this job anyway... hmmm.

3. I worked at CC this afternoon in the same office as my boss, which is extremely odd. I'm able to work remotely, but for project we were working on this was the best option. I didn't leave there until after 9pm tonight and I'm exhausted. I was supposed to go to one of our clients to be "introduced" but we needed to focus more on this. They want to (potentially) hire me for 20 hours a week.... we'll see. ;)

4. I did about an hour of my Rosetta Stone last night... I might do some more tonight.

5. Saffie got her first taste of Texas last night as well. She's yet to go outside here but I think she likes it. She's gained a lot of weight being inside because she doesn't get the exercise she's used to. Hopefully, with the ponds and such, she'll do well out there. It might get a little too hot though.

6. This weekend should be pretty relaxing. Fran will be out of town all weekend and I'll have it to myself. Right now, the forecast calls for rain and thunderstorms from Friday to Monday, but I hope that changes. 60% chance. Oy! I need some pool-time!!!!

7. I was craving chinese food tonight. I probably shouldn't have splurged because I've been doing really well budget-wise as well as diet-wise... but it's been a long and stressful week! I have had the urge to work out every day this week but something or the other has kept me from it!!

8. I've set up a nice little schedule to pay off my debt. It involves about $1000 a month in payments, but I'll feel oh-so-free once I do it. :) I may even try to speed up the process by getting a weekend gig. If I could even make an extra $500 a month by working just Saturdays, that would be awesome!

9. The roomie is a LOT less annoying than he used to be. I think it has something to do with him breaking up with his girlfriend. She was ridiculous. He's much more fun without her :)

10. I. Am. Exhausted. Yet, I love what I do and continue to have that drive I need... it's such a great feeling knowing that I made the right decision in life. And to think, I made it at 21 years old. ;) So happy....

10 Things in Austin, TX this weekend

Fran and I decided that we'd take a little jaunt down to Austin this weekend. Saturday evening, to be exact. It was an un-planned, fly by the seat of our pants-type trip. And it was hella amazing.

1. Austin is weird. They were right about that.
2. Ate at this FABULOUS restaurant called La Condesa for dinner, delish!
3. Had a shit ton of alcohol. Not sure how we didn't die on Saturday night. I believe she and I both were 8 shots and 3 drinks deep. And, no, I don't drink girlie drinks... Jager and Redbull and Captain and Ginger Ale. And went to at least 6 drinking establishments.
4. Met yet another Dallas Stars hockey player... Random!
5. Stayed with one of her friends in a ridiculously nice house.
6. Ate brunch at a european eatery... had a Croque Madame. Delish!
7. Sat on a rooftop patio sipping on frozen margaritas for several hours - basking in the sunshine! (and now have an awesome sunburn from it. ouch!)
8. Bought an extremely cute picture frame made out of recycled bangles.
9. Had a nutella and strawberry crepe, made by a dude that (from all appearances) was straight off the boat from France at this place.
10. oh, and, we didn't have a hotel or anything, so we got ready in this hotel's bathroom. HILARIOUS!

So, yes, I had an AWESOME weekend this weekend - and I see more Austin trips in our future - such a great city!

Randomness

Well, I haven't heard anything back from the company I'm "supposed" to start at on Monday. My thoughts... I probably won't start ON Monday. I'll probably work my 20 hours for the week maybe Wednesday thru Friday or something - cause of the delay in getting all of my stuff through HR. Bummer, cause I was hoping for a fresh Monday morning. I have my outfits for the week picked out and everything!

I went for that interview at the pub yesterday and met with the Training manager from Corporate. She said that the GM was sick and not able to make the interview but "loved" my personality and thought I would be a great fit at the pub. (Me too, duh!) So she re-scheduled my interview with the GM until today at 3pm. I went in to meet the guy (SUPER hungover from last night's shenanigans nonetheless) and the guy was 20 minutes late. Decided to make a 3pm run to the bank. Who does that?

Anyway, I wait for 20 minutes for him to come back and make me wait another 10 minutes for him to get ready for me. Our conversation was approximately 6 minutes long. He did the same thing the other people I talked to did and basically confirmed everything I'd written on the application when I filled it out. He wasn't thrilled about my "nights and weekends only" availability - so that might cost me the "you're hired". I am not a full time restaurant-er anymore, so sorry...

He said he'd call by the end of the week but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

I still have the meeting scheduled with the marketing consulting company on Monday about project work (which will hopefully start next week). It'll give me something fun to do and be a part of. Also, I met with a guy about a company he wants to start and he needs marketing help. I'm not sure I fully believe in what he wants to do - or, let's say, I'm not SUPER passionate about it, but I might be willing to help.

Other than that, I watched the top 10 bridges in the world and stared in awe at the Sydney bridge. OMG that thing is beautiful! I think I want to take a trip to Australia... definitely want to climb the bridge!! Putting that on the list of to-do's one day.

Ok - so random. But that's how life goes! Hopefully I'll get started working soon enough and everything will be a-okay. Or at least somewhat okay! ;)

Busy Bee...

Yes, I admit, I've neglected the blog once again... but it's all because I haven't really had the time to update. Here's the list of things I've been keeping up with:

- Michael and I went to his city this weekend. We had SO much fun but it was exhausting meeting all of those people and talking the whole time. :)
- Carrie is coming next Wednesday and I cannot WAIT to spend a weekend with her! It's been since we went to Hawaii in September to visit her. That's WAY too long!
- School is kicking my ass. I have projects in each one of my classes that I'm practically the leader of - and stuff due all the time.
- I've had to get stuff taken care of to Study Abroad. I still have a million to-do things like getting a physical, applying my financial aid, etc. Thankfully, I've already taken care of the Passport. That's one less thing to worry about!
- I'm in the process of finding a new roommate. Now THAT is tedious.
- I work 3 days as a nanny and 2 days as a waitress. I have Sundays off from Work and School but it really doesn't feel like it with the amount of homework I have!
- My little sister's bday is next week.
- Spending time with my family is crazy short because of everything going on.
- I have my small group Tuesday nights.
- errands like grocery shopping, oil changes, etc.... and cleaning and laundry...

and this list rolls on and on. I never get a break! :)

So... I'll have to catch up on your blogs and tell you all some funny stories from this weekend.

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! Michael and I went to dinner on Friday night (because I had to work Saturday night) at a Japanese place. It was FABULOUS. :)

He got me a gift certificate to a local spa and I cannot WAIT to use it! Things have turned around completely for us from just a few months ago and I couldn't be happier :)

Anyway - we had a fabulous weekend and I hope you all did, too. There's a bunch of random stuff I could talk about, but I don't really feel like it today :)

10 [exciting] Things about this week...

1. You know that study abroad program I've been talking about for, like, ever now??!? WELLLllllll... I had an interview (impromptu, might I add) with the sponsor of the trip and he wants me to go!!! So that means I'm accepted into the program and I get to go to Italy for Maymester!!! This also means other great things for my school stuff. I only have to take ONE class this summer and I'll be done! Which means I'll technically be able to start working as much as I'd like and that'll be fabulous! I'm going to need it to pay off the cost of this trip, but it's so worth it! I got the good news yesterday and I couldn't be more excited.

2. Carrie comes to see me in exactly 27 days. OMG, it's finally here!! I cannot WAIT!! We're going to go see Confessions of a Shopaholic (I'm so glad she's waiting to see it with me - you have NO idea how big of a deal it is for her to actually wait to see a movie!)

3. Michael invited me to go HOME with him to meet his parents, etc. (yes, HOME is a different city and state and timezone...) This just happened today. Ummmm I kinda freaked out for a second but I'm really excited! We had actually planned this for the Christmas holidays but it didn't end up working out like that. So, he wanted to go for a short weekend in two weeks for his son's birthday and wants me to come. That's $180 round trip for a plane ticket. I feel like it's worth it, though. :) This is a huge step in our relationship, by the way...

4. I called my credit card company (the one I have with the whopping almost 6 grand in fun money on it) and had my interest rate lowered from 18.9 (who the fuck has an 18.9% interest rate with my credit score?!) to 3.99.... fabulous!! I don't know why I never thought to ask for a lower interest rate before. I just thought that's what you had to pay. I've been hearing from other people that they've called and now have been able to pay off their card - instead, I feel like I've been paying them a shit ton of interest these past few years. :)

5. Blaire is moving back to the city THIS WEEKEND!! I'm SO excited for her! She'll be closer and I'll be able to see her more often :)

6. Rae moved out a week ago and I'm still looking for a roommate. I've posted an ad on craigslist but haven't found anything just yet... gotta keep looking!

7. My Nutrition class was supposed to have a test on Tuesday. My teacher sent an email (that I didn't get) and said we were going to have it next week instead... this means I get more time to prepare for it. MUCH needed, thank you! I absolutely LOVE this class. I give Carrie the good scoop every Tuesday once I get out.

8. I start my nanny job on Monday. I'll be making about 300 bucks a week for about 20 hours (FABULOUS!!) and then I have Thursday mornings and Saturday nights at the restaurant. That should make up the difference for all of my bills. :) I can't wait to start this nanny job - I'm going to have so much homework time - I'll actually be caught up with all of my classes.

9. I finally have all of my W2's and can go get my taxes done. I'm a bit timid about it because of the work I did for one of my marketing projects over the summer. I made about 3,000 with them and didn't pay taxes on it at the time - I hope it's not a huge whammy this time!

10. I went to my small group thing (DEFINITELY going to love it... not what I thought initially) on Tuesday night. The girls are really nice and I think I'm going to connect with at least some of them. I volunteered to host the next one on Tuesday at my house, so hopefully that will go well! :)

Wow. It's been such a great week... I love it! I can't wait for all of this fun stuff to happen! I've got to go ahead and get my passport (yep, almost 25 and don't have a passport yet...) so I'll have it for my trip. That's another hundred bucks right there!!

I hope you all have had a lovely week and have a fabulous weekend! :)

10 Things...

1. I am incredibly bored. You've read that right. BORED. Ugh.
2. Michael and I went to see my sister's softball game last night. They won :) And it was a great game, too!
3. Next weekend we're going to my grandparent's house and celebrating their birthdays (both are in October)... beforehand, my brother and his girlfriend and Michael and I are going hiking/pumpkin patch and it's going to be FABULOUS! I can't wait!
4. We'll get to carve the pumpkins :)
5. Tomorrow night, I'm staying with my mom and sister. We're going to have a night of girl stuff - scrapbooking, movies, etc. It'll be SO much fun. My girlie-girl sister is going to be there... the other sister (who is not so much into the girlie-girl stuff) is going to a wedding with my step-dad.
6. Tonight we're going to an improv show an to the top of this building (reallly reallly cool) with some friends. Should be a GREAT time!
7. It has come down to the point where I'm just going to have to find something to do in this place. Lord help me, their marketing materials are non-existent. I think I've just found a gold mine.
8. The company I was doing a project for this summer was an investment firm. They literally went from spending $25,000 on tchotchke's to being pretty much bankrupt. I did get a compliment, however, on the project I did for them and one of his colleagues at another firm wants me to do the same work for them (obviously not an investment firm). There's DAMN GOOD money in Consulting.
9. I'm kicking ass in school! I've made over an 80 on everything (except one quiz) so far. I'm EXTREMELY proud of myself! My schedule next semester is shitty, but whatever. 4:30 to 9:45 Mondays and Wednesdays. Ugh!
10. I <3 Michael... SOOOOOsooooo much!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

10 Things the days of this week hold...

1. Today I had a test (see post below) and have a paper due by midnight. (don't worry, it's only a first draft and it's not graded or anything...)
2. Tomorrow I get to have lunch with an old colleague and catch up on some things. SUPER excited about that.
3. Wednesday - homework due in Buyer Behavior
4. Wednesday - Quiz in my lovely Finance class
5. Michael and I are going to a FABULOUS concert Wednesday night - Maroon 5, Augustana, and Counting Crows. Going to be SO much fun!!!
6. Friday, my sister is going to be in the homecoming parade because she won the Little Miss beauty pageant!! I get to do both of my sister's hair beforehand. I'm stoked!!
7. Today, I got the link for the pictures we took. Michael wore a mullett in one of them... PRICELESS!! I'm a little upset that they're not as high-res as I wanted them to be, but we get the full prints on Friday.
8. Saturday, we're going to a friend's show... he's a rapper.
9. Sunday, i'm sure we're going to church - but then I'll be STUDYING (yep, that's my life these days) for another stupid series of tests next week.
10. Hopefully the two books I ordered on Amazon will come in. One was 53 cents and the other was 1.20. Even WITH shipping, each cost less than 5 bucks :) Not too shabby!













I cannot WAIT to start reading them... nor can I wait to get my scrapbook started - I've almost got ALL the pictures printed that I want to include. Now I get to go shop for stickers and all that good stuff :) Hooray!

Weekend Fun!

This weekend was great! Michael and I spent the whole weekend together and I enjoyed every single second of it!

Friday night, it was family picture night. Really weird, cause my step-dad and I don't get along - but I'm trying to get Michael in with him so maybe one day he'll speak to me again. I doubt it'll happen, but a step was made on Friday in the right direction. Michael and my step-dad are both big jokesters. At least they've got that in common! Anyway, Michael has this mullet wig that he's brought out from the depths of the closet a few times from a halloween a few years ago... this time he brought it with us to the family photo session. My brother and his girlfriend took pictures together, our whole family took pictures together, and then Michael and I took some together. The sitting fee was already taken care of, so why not take advantage of it?!

The pictures came out PRICELESS. I was cracking up with Michael in the wig, and the rest of the place thought it was hilarious, too. The lady who was taking the picture could hardly do so, too. Man, if only this were a blog that I wanted everyone to see who I was, I'd post it here. But, unfortunately, it'll just have to be a story I tell. :)

Saturday was cleaning day... the weather outside was GORGEOUS... and we got a lot done in terms of cleaning. I had to study, and he went to a friend's house (oh yah, Leslie's husband's house - who asked about me, by the way).

Today, we got up and lounged around before getting ready for a work function of mine. They bought tickets to a baseball game for all of the clients, etc. so we were able to go. It was fun, but we were both exhausted. I saw a few people there, but ultimately avoided the people I knew. I just wasn't in the mood for it. Michael and I stopped by the store on the way home because they were having a scrapbook stuff and picture frame sale... and I love love love both of those things.

I made chicken noodle soup for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. :) Yesterday, I made a version of this desert. I did things a little differently than they did, though. I made the brownies with applesauce so they were a little healthier than with the oil. Then, I mixed a thing of vanilla pudding in one bowl and a thing of chocolate pudding in another bowl... and mixed half a thing of cool whip in each. (yumm). THEN, I put some peanut butter with half of the chocolate pudding/cool whip mixture until it was smooth. Waited until the brownies were done, and layered them as such: peanut butter mixture, vanilla mixture, chocolate mixture.... and that was it. It was SO good. SOO SOOOOOO GOOD. :) Michael and his roommate and his roommate's girlfriend were all diggin it. It was a little too peanut-buttery for me, but whatever.

Alright - I've got a test tomorrow and I've SO been procrastinating studying. Ugh. Focus, focus, focus. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Bitchy Behavior - Again.

I have found, these days, that I have so many things to write about that are incredibly random. My posts haven't been about one topic in particular, they've been about 10 (hence the many "10 Things" recently). I think it's good, but it also means that situations haven't evolved for me, they've just happened. (an EXTREMELY good thing)...

That time has come and gone, and now I have a story for you. One that my close friend(s) are pissed about along with me... and since you guys already know part of the story... here is some more. Enjoy!

For some well-rounded background, you should read this. And this. :)

Since the concert of bitchy behavior, Girl number 1 has changed a bit. Let's call her Leslie. Leslie is married to one of Michael's good friends. The good friend that I knew before I even knew Michael - and he's actually the one that introduced me to Michael. Leslie's husband is a great guy, drama-free, really smart, trying to get into the 'rap' industry with some great talent. And he's an all around fun guy, easy to be around. Leslie, on the other hand, wasn't. So it's made my friendship with her quite rough.

It doesn't help that she was hanging out with Girl Number 2, 3, and 4... BEST friends with these people - all very negative, immature, and ridiculous.

Anyway, after the concert, Leslie had an epiphany of sorts. She stopped talking to 2,3, and 4 because her husband enlightened her (again) as to how they were ruining their marriage, etc. It wasn't hard to see as an outsider, but as an insider, it was probably quite difficult. Either way, she stopped hanging out and talking to these girls, started focusing on herself and her marriage, and saw that I was a good person to be around, that everything in my life was positive, so she wanted to befriend me in a way she hadn't before.

Now, I was over it with this girl. As you know from previous posts, I've tried and tried to be friends with this girl but she wasn't having it. Canceling on me at the last minute - or not even responding to phone calls or text messages. I had already made up my mind that the concert was the last time I'd make an effort to have a good time with her. Ridiculous drama. But then she changed, and I saw that change... we had long conversations about the changes in her life and I could tell there was something different about her.

So, last Saturday night (two Saturdays ago), Michael and I went to her house and watched the UFC fight with her and her husband - along with lots of other friends. We got wasted and had a good time - drama free. The change was becoming more and more evident. She told me she wanted to have Girls Night Out next weekend (meaning this past weekend) and that we should just get a whole bunch of girls together and hang out.

Since the new Leslie was out in full force, and I'd seen these changes, I told her I'd get some of my girls together and she could talk to whoever - and we'd all go out on Saturday night. Michael left a shirt over there and we were in town already, so we stopped by to get it. So, I saw her on Sunday and she was SO excited about Girls Night.

Wednesday rolls around and I get a phone call from her. "Hey, how are you? How's your week? Ready for this weekend and Girls Night Out?" etc. etc.... RANDOM phone call from her. I'm definitely not used to talking to her like that - or during the week for that matter. Again, seeing the positive changes in her was nice.

Saturday rolls around and she gives me a call around 11AM. Since I'd only gotten home around 4AM from being out with my girls, I was still asleep. So we talked later (about 2-ish) about the plans for the evening. Where we were going, what we were wearing, what time we'd meet up, etc.

8pm rolls around and I give her a call cause I hadn't heard back from her about what she decided to do (she was either going to one of the girls' house to get ready or coming to mine, she hadn't decided). I got her voicemail, left her a message, and she didn't call back. Around 10-ish, I text her. No response.

My 11:30pm text was a little more brash "so... I guess I'm going to assume that you're not coming out..." and that was the last of it. No returned phone call, no text message, NOTHING. And it's now Tuesday.

Are you fucking kidding me?! That was LITERALLY the last straw. Michael called it, though. He said she'd probably blow me off - but I didn't think it'd be like that. After all, she had talked to me during the week AND earlier that day. What gives?!

My girls and I had a FABULOUS evening without her :) thank you very much!

Sunday afternoon, I call her husband. (I was better friends with him than her anyway) I talk to him about what happened... and do you know what she told him?! He asked her if she was still going out with me when it started getting late... and she told him I blew her off! That I didn't call her, so she wasn't going! I certainly told him what REALLY happened and he didn't know what to tell me. He said they sat on the couch all night and hung out together.

Ok - here's my thing... she didn't have to come. If she didn't feel like coming or didn't feel like going out, or was drunk from watching the football game earlier - I can understand all of those things. But for her to have complete disregard and disrespect for me - that's ABSOLUTELY ridiculous.

I'm not upset about it to where it's affecting my life in any way, I've just seen the real true colors of a person - someone that I'm not going to surround myself with anymore. That was completely a low blow and uncalled for. Fuckers! ;)

Lesson Learned.

Hawaii

Oh, heavenly Hawaii. We had SUCH a blast with Carrie and her husband. I couldn't have asked for a better time, and no, I didn't want to come back just yet. It was nothing short of a wonderful trip.

Here are some of the pics...


This was on the North Shore from a cliff... it was astonishingly beautiful!


This was a small waterfall that we hiked into. You can't tell from this picture (but from those that we were in) that this thing was ginormous...


This is the view of the ocean if you turned around standing at the waterfall.


And a HUGE turtle :) They were EVERYWHERE. Along with little sand crabs. I'd post the picture of them but you wouldn't be able to find it!

Michael was the sweetest thing ever while we were on vacation. It's like nothing mattered in the world except for us... no work or friends or anything... just us... and I must say, it was a really good feeling. :)

Hawaii bound...

In the morning, Michael and I leave for a mini-vacay in Hawaii!! I can't WAIT to get on the plane... :) We're going to see Carrie (and she LOVES that we're coming) so I'm sure it'll be a FABULOUS time!

I shall write all about my travels when we return.

C'est la vie!

PS - I start with the Project Management job next Thursday ;)

10 Things I'm annoyed about today...

Oh, it's just one of those days... I'm just annoyed. I don't think there's anything anyone can do about it. (well, scratch that, Michael made me feel better this morning)

Ok, Ok... I started writing about the things that were annoying me - but that's not going to do me any good. You'd better believe there's at least 10 things that are annoying me today but here's not the place for that. Perhaps it's because of the week that it is (girls, you know this week all too well). I'll get over it. Until then, bah humbug.

I get to go to a fabulous concert in a few hours. Hopefully it's going to be tons of fun and I can leave all of my frustrations at the door. hrpmh.

Oh Happy Day...

.... oh yes, yes, yes. Today is happy because I have NO MORE SCHOOL for another TWO WHOLE weeks! HOOOORAY! Do you know how happy this makes me?! Do you realize what an accomplishment this was?! I nearly killed myself taking so many classes this summer and I've gotten through it.

My grades don't look too shabby, either... Probably a high B or an A in my Retailing class. I got a B in my Advertising class. I got a C in my Sex and Society class (I know, I know, don't laugh. That class was tough as shit!). I'm not sure what my Marketing Research class holds for me. There's no telling. I'm not sure how good it's going to be cause it was an intense class. I think I had a B or a C going into the final - which is pretty average for me.

So, for me to make A's and B's in two classes, that's a feat in itself. I've told you before that I don't take tests well... and that's the truth. I really don't. I go back and change my answers and rationalize things WAY too much... which hurts me in the end. But I'm starting to get better about that. Being a "career student" (haha!), you'd think I'd start to learn soon.

Things are much better now that it's all said and done. I am about to have a fabulous weekend... starting with a baseball game and girls night tonight.... then tomorrow with my family.... something fun, for sure, tomorrow night... church Sunday morning... and then Linkin Park on Sunday! OHHHHHHHHH fabulous weekend, here I come!

We on Fi-ya!

This weekend was quite a good one. Carrie came in from Hawaii to see me on Thursday and I shipped Michael off to see his family in Dallas. We had a FABULOUS time out on Thursday night at a bar here in my city and then packed up to go to Florida for the weekend on Friday.

Some of her friends (whom I've also met and hung with a few times) met us there and we did a lot of awesome things. We went to bars and watched Sex and the City at the theater (with mini bottles of wine)... went to the beach, shopping, and hangin out. Overall, we just had a really good time.

We stayed at a friends house (well, a pretty distant friend that I haven't seen in years) who was going to be out of town for two weeks. Friday night, we decided to grab some things from the grocery store to make fajitas for dinner instead of going out. We got back to the house and I started chopping the peppers and onions and chicken (I know, i'm a good friend to make chicken even though I'm vegetarian) and cooking everything.

Apparently, the people that live there don't use the stove all that often, or if they do - they don't clean out the things underneath the eye of the stove and it was kinda caked on. This posed a problem for the cooking I was doing. There was some smoke, which I thought was odd because the things in the pan weren't burning - I was standing over it, stirring. As I lift up the pan, I see a flame UNDERNEATH the cooking eye.

Oh lord.

I pull everything off of the stove and call the girls in. As we're watching this flame grow, we're discussing what we're going to do about it. The flame is unreachable. This isn't my house. This could be devastating.

I grab a dry dish rag and start beating the flame with it. To no avail, the flame is still growing. We try "smothering" it with a lid from a pan but that didn't work either. We're all looking through the cabinets to find a fire extinguisher... about a minute later, we find one. The fire alarm is screaming at this point, we thought for sure the neighbors were on their way over and my friend was going to find out. One of the girls steps back... aims... and shoots the fire extinguisher at the flame - putting it out. (thank God!)

There was white dust all over the place, but thankfully no damage to any part of their house - and unless they somehow find this blog and can connect the dots to me - they're never gonna know. It was pretty scary.

So that was that. Saturday night, Carrie and I brought mini liquer bottles to the bar with us. Buy a soda for $1.50 and put our $1.50 shot in it... and there you go. A $3 drink. Huzzah. I usually drink Captain and Ginger with a little bit of lime (captain morgan rum, ginger ale, lime... delish) but they didn't have mini bottles of captain... so I bought another rum... bacardi gold, I think. Definitely not the same. I only got 2 bottles, so it wasn't that big of a deal. I drank part of a drink and was over it. I was going to leave the other bottle on the shelf for the taking - but a "security" guy came up to me and shook his finger in my face.

I laughed at him and handed him the bottle saying that it was gross anyway. I'm obviously not that stupid if I wanted to keep it, I would have been more stealth. I suppose they usually get the lushes who aren't so bright trying to do all of that. :) Carrie and I got a good laugh and moved on.

There were plenty of other stories from this weekend but those are the most interesting. We got a kick out of bringing the mini bottles of wine into the theater with us for our Sex and the City viewing and were all pretty giggly for the time being.