10 Things: Update Edition

Woohoo! Gonna start this blog thing again... alright! Yay!

Ummm... yah. About that. Trying to find time in the day is pretty much not happening. I do way too much as it is - blogging on top of everyhing, well, that just makes it that much crazier! I want to blog! I want to share all the fun things I'm doing, but I forget about it :( I suppose if I had a large following and there was some expectation or reward for doing it (like comments and people waiting on me to post) then I'd do it. Alright, I'll shut up now. Here's your 10 things :)

1. Mr. C and I are going to Europe in a little less than 3 weeks. Holy. Crap! I'm stoked about this!! We're headed to London for a Chelsea v. Manchester City soccer game, Amsterdam for the Heineken Experience and a few museums, Cologne, Germany for the Christmas Markets, the oldest pub in Germany, and the Chocolate museum... and, finally... the love of my life.... Paris :) for only a day but I'm sure it will be amazing. Ten absolutely stunning days await us...

2. Work has been crazy, crazy, crazy stressful. I've been pushing it to the max and somehow (I have no clue how!) been meeting all of my deadlines!

3. I've got a new roommate - and she's from the Netherlands. It's been a bit awkward getting adjusted between cultures, but I'd say we're getting along alright. I maintain that I'm just not a "roommate" kind of person... but I also can't fathom driving an hour to work where there's cheap rent in east bumble... or paying double. Since neither of those options work, I'm stuck with a roommate.

4. I finally purchased a few bookshelves from Ikea for my room. They're absolutely fantastic and they look exactly how I want them to. They're fit for boxes for all of my art stuff - and I can't wait until I have a house and can turn a room into an art studio.

5. Today, we spent half the day putting together a catering order and delivering it to a children's hospital nearby. It was an amazing experience. Sad, but so rewarding!

6. I've been listening to Parachute recently. They rock!

7. I'm patiently waiting for Black Friday to get here. On my list of things to find good deals on: Camera, flat screen TV, and luggage. The first and last are the most important, but the middle is the one I've wanted for the longest. Let's hope for some amazing deals!!

8. I'm meeting the parents on Wednesday. I'm anxious about it a bit, but I think it'll be fine :) Not just the parents... but the entire extended family. Yikes! Let's hope this goes well ;)

9. I have found pinterest. It consumes a lot of time. Perhaps if I blogged instead of pinning, I'd make more progress. But, then there's the whole picture-taking thing. I dunno. We'll see!

10. My mom turns 50 this year. I'm kind of excited for her and I want to do something super awesome for her... but I have NO idea!! Maybe a Red Hat Ladies party or something? Hmmm... we'll see.

Off to... eat, rest, relax, and possibly get into something crafty this evening!

;)

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 :)

The Boy

My first week at the new job was a lot. It was exhilarating and exhausting all in one. I'm really excited about it, actually. This company has its ish together and I was actually handed some marketing materials when I arrived (can I tell you how many companies - BIG COMPANIES - that don't have that?!). It made my day. I can say I made the right decision to join this team.

This week has also been full of the boy I told you about here. We went out on the boat last Sunday, hung out Monday night, he cooked dinner for me on Wednesday, and invited me over when I got done with Art class with Mrs. Artsy on Friday night. That's a lot of seeing each other for one week.

He's extremely sweet... keeping me guessing but still reassuring what his feelings are towards me. He says things like "you know, you're pretty amazing. I might just have to keep you around." It makes me smile and think about what it is that he wants.... which is where I get skeptical.

Yes, skeptical.

This amazing guy who has his shit together, who is witty and smart, attractive and manly, and treats me very well... I'm skeptical about him. What. The. Fuck?

As part of the 'me' that I am, I over-analyze these things. I think about my past and what kinds of things my exes have said before they screwed me over. I think about their actions, their so-called 'feelings' and all the things they did before they cheated on me or told me that they really didn't feel that way.

It takes everything wonderful that the boy has said or done and puts it in a little compartment and lets it rot there because I don't necessarily 'believe' him. How fucked up is that? I'm taking very careful steps... very planned out, precise words and actions. I can't just let go emotionally.

So, here I am. This wonderful guy... who is completely 'in' to me... and I'm having trouble letting him in.

Maybe this is a good thing, being that it's only been a month and a half that we've been dating. I dunno.

So... there. You've listened to me blurt out everything that's on my mind. Once again ;)

To give you an update on the anxiety - it's gone again, thank God! I cannot tell you how horrible I feel when that aspect of ridiculousness pops up again. So, hooray!

oh, and ps. I found an apartment!! Now, I just need to find a roommate!

4th-O-July

Happy 4th of July, everyone... I've never been a fan of this holiday. In fact, it's always some sort of clusterfuck associated with this "weekend"....

1. Watching fireworks is always a nightmare. Traffic is insane and it takes hours to get 2 miles away and hours to get the 2 miles back.
2. People are just weird on the 4th. They seem "cooler" on Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend... you know, more relaxed and all.
3. It's almost as though you're expected to want to see fireworks. I mean, watching them every year, at baseball games, Stone Mountain, at Disney, all over the place. They lose their luster.
4. You can never seem to stay with a group. It's hard enough to keep up with your own shit wherever you are, much less other people and their shit.

This wasn't intended to be a rant about the 4th, just the reasons I don't like this holiday in general.

Anyway, Happy 4th to those of you that like this freakin' holiday. Hope you have fun blowin' stuff up!

Stupid boys.

I am ballsy. I've always been some sort of ballsy, but what I did last Thursday night was incredibly ballsy. Here's the story.

I went on a date with number not even sure anymore. (yah, don't ask) He's a cool kid, met him through one of Fran's guys and he is successful, fun, and interested. So, hey, why not?

So, he asks if I want to watch the basketball game mid-day last Thursday. First of all, I didn't know there was a basketball game, much less it was THE basketball game to end the season. We met up for dinner and headed to a burger bar (with burgers, beer, and TV's) afterward. I sat down, ordered a beer and started watching the game.

About 10 minutes into the game, an insanely hot guy walks in to the bar. The best way for me to describe his hotness is Jason Wade, who is amazingly delicious. As I did a double, and possibly triple take, he smiled at me. I melted in my chair.

So, here I am, on a date with one guy and in walks Mr. Hottie McHotterson. What the hell am I supposed to do? He sits on the other side of Date guy. So, now, not only do I have to sit there and know he's in the same room, I have to look at him whenever I talk to the guy I'm on a date with. What a cluster.

Date Guy (DG) goes to the bathroom, so here's his chance....

Hottie: "Which team are you going for?" in this sexy European accent
Me: [holy shit, hot AND European to boot?!.... fans self] "Eh, I'm a fair-weathered fan. I'll pick this team for this game but don't really care about basketball in general"

So we continue to talk until DG comes back from the bathroom. Then, Hottie minds his own business again. This happens for three hours straight, and thank God DG broke the seal cause he went to the bathroom 10 times in that time span.

The game was almost over, I ran to the bathroom. As I came out, there he stood, waiting by the men's bathroom.

Me: "It was nice to meet you!"
Hottie: "Uhh.. you too. Ummm, ciao."

He acted nervous, like he wasn't sure how to get my number. In all fairness, I'd been trying to figure out how to get his number for the past three hours without ruining my date.

DG and I leave, I get into my car... pick up my phone.

Google tells me the number to the bar and I call the bartender, tell them I want to give Hottie my number, and he says he'd be happy to. Sweet! Ballsy, right?

I get home, and a few minutes later - there's a text from him. We text for a little while, he wants to see me again that night (but I couldn't cause I was flying out at 6am and had to be up at 4) or possibly that weekend. At 4 am, I started getting more texts... he was 'jealous' of the guy I was with, was relieved when I said it wasn't my boyfriend. (broken english through text because of the language barrier) Among other really nice compliments and lots of flirting.

We decided that I'd call him when I got back on Monday and we'd go out to dinner sometime this week. Score!

Monday comes and goes, I get a text on Tuesday, setting up a date for Thursday - and all is well.

Thursday, he asks if we can go out Friday night instead, fine with me. He ends up texting later asking what I ended up doing, etc.

Fast forward to 5am this morning, only a few hours.

I get a text message from someone who says she's his wife and they've been having a rough two weeks - and she found some texts in his phone and now wants to know what the hell is going on.

Holy. Shit. Are you fucking kidding me?!

Wow.

So, I tell her.

Men are absolutely ridiculous. It makes me want to never get married, and completely skews my vision of trust. I wish this were the only example I have... but there are many, many more.

Argh.

Introspection

As of late, I've been partying. A lot. It has to do with my friendship with Fran, that's for sure. I want to settle in to some dating relationships, but I have way too much fun. So, for me, I'm going to discuss several aspects of my life in the following paragraphs. Hopefully you'll read and offer up something good in the advice arena. If not, oh well.

Friendships
The friendships I've made in Texas have been solid, to an extent. I feel like I have good friends here, but they're not the best in the world. My bestie lives in Hawaii and I don't have much face-to-face with her, but she's there for me, she doesn't judge, and she's an amazing person. Fran, on the other hand, is my partner in crime. And crime it is. We're a lot a like, but she pushes the envelope farther than I do. Personality differences, I suppose. I wish there was a way to be completely anonymous about stories she and I have. If so, I'd write day and night. Some good, some bad, some scandalous, and some absolutely ridiculous. Book material, that good. I'm jaded when it comes to friendships at the moment. Opening up about this is not going to be my forte.

Relationships
There are many guys in my life at the moment. They're all incorporated into the perfect man. This always happens when I'm single... I keep a roster of a few that sit on the bench. I call them in to play when they're needed and it's a win/win situation, for me at least. One is my go-to for dates and social outings, another for fun outdoor activities, another for awesome conversation. Pretty soon, one will start to stand out and all the others will fade into the background.

Work
I've written many posts on this subject and nothing has changed. Right now, I have 4 options/offers on the table for my taking. I just have to make the ridiculously hard decision on which company and position it's going to be. This is one of those career-defining moments. I hope I make the right one...

Roommate
I'm actually incredibly happy with my roomie right now. He's become better since he got rid of the girl he was dating. Maybe I was just annoyed by all of that, or maybe it just changed him slightly. Who knows? He's really chill, doesn't invade my space... so what if he eats all the eggs? ;) haha!

Travel
I'm itching. Severely. I would love nothing more than to just jaunt around Europe for months and months, to live there, to do something fun like that. I'm talking still with the company I used to work for on the project out there. We'll see if that happens. If I get an offer to go there, I will hop on a plane tomorrow. You only get those types of opportunities once in a lifetime.

Family
I miss them dearly. My little sisters are so cute. They're learning to have better conversations on the phone. One of them likes to tell me jokes and the other one is learning how to leave voicemails. Absolutely adorable. I can't wait until they're teenagers - just a few more years. They're coming to visit at the end of the summer. I cannot wait for this. It's going to be so much fun. Now, I just need to get my brother over here....

That's about it, I guess. I'm feeling pretty somber at the moment. More apathetic than usual... but that's alright, I suppose. We all go through these moments in our lives. Big decision times, lots of crazy-ness.... I guess that's why it's called an introspection.

Now you know. ;)

4 fun things... before I go.

1. Kaskade will be here on June 19. Omg, the anticipation.
2. Carrie will be here even sooner than that - on Monday. We're going to have an amazing week.
3. I've been running a lot lately (not this week, but previous ones). I've run so much, it baffles even me. Kudos.
4. I have been contemplating writing a book again. I think I have a big story to tell. It just feels like an incredibly long and huge process.

One perfect date.

I just had one of the most romantic, storybook first dates I think I've ever heard about, much less experienced.

We went to a little Mexican place on Main St. in a tiny town between the two cities. I'd never been to this little city, but it was oh-so-cute. We ate and talked, discussed likes and dislikes, shared stories and pasts.

We then went to a small bar next door and played shuffle board. Surprisingly, I kept up really well, he only beat me by a single point. A little bit of flirty competition and a kiss.

Then, we walked down the street to another laid back place. There was a really cool historic hearse and paraphernalia on display on the walk so we checked that out. Had a few drinks at this place, and when we were leaving, decided to stop at the historic trains that were parked outside.

There were two trains, one with three full size cars that was lit on the inside... and one with two full size cars that was not lit. We sort of "broke in" (even though they were open-air) and hung out on the train car for hours. We talked, kissed, laughed... oh it was ridiculous.

He's a really awesome guy.

Then, it was time to go (WAY past my bedtime) and we started walking back to our cars. He held my hand so I could walk on the railroad tracks (so cute). There was a song playing outside of this one bakery (I'm guessing the baker is there overnight preparing for the day?). He stopped and started dancing with me. It was so adorable. I literally did not want the night to end. *sigh* :) This one goes in the books.

He asked for the second date... which will be Sunday evening when he returns from a small roadtrip to help his parents move.

I'm stoked!

10 [crazy] Things so far this week. It's only Wednesday.

1. Monday was very uneventful. I talked to Number 12 for a little while. He's a good kid. I also ran 3 miles like I posted earlier.
2. Yesterday, that was a different story. I had anxiety all morning. Things weren't going well at OG. Inconsistency kills me when I try to work on a brand. What's worse than inconsistency? No desire to ever become consistent. Yah.
3. I showed up to OG at the ass crack of dawn because my boss called a meeting. He didn't show up until 9 am. Furious.
4. The last blog post certainly happened (and I just noticed that it was posted at 9:11 pm last night. Freaky.)
5. I saw Lie To Me, episodes 1 and 2 last night and I believe I am now hooked. Awesome show!
6. Because I couldn't get in to the gym, I roller bladed for 3 miles and Ran about 2 miles. It. Felt. Awesome.
7. This morning, I had the big launch meeting for my project at OG. My boss is, ummm, yah. He's outta control. He suggested that we upload Porn to our site so we get more hits. UNprofessional. (the actual conversation was much more shocking/embarrassing, but that's the jist.)
8. My Rosetta Stone en francais arrived today. Hooray!
9. I ran another 2 miles today and worked out in the gym. Starting to take a nice shape :) Hooray!
10. Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

Hotlanta

Next weekend, I'll be headed back to the great state of Georgia to enjoy catching up with many old friends. The schedule is jam packed and I can't wait for Easter/My Birthday.

It's going to be a LOT of fun. And I'll get to see Number 10 while I'm there, too. MMhmm. I get to hang with Blair and see some old coworkers. My little sisters and big bro are DEFINITELY on the list of those to hang with. I do miss them so.

So Happy Birthday to me next weekend. Can't wait for my trip there.

Actually, before that happens... might be able to hang with my missed connection (Number 9) on Sunday for the first time. I'll be STOKED if this actually happens. He has been traveling for work for the past few weeks. Silly!

Mr. Random Thursday

I'm writing to you about my random Thursday a few weeks ago. At the moment, it didn't seem like such an odd day. But looking back upon it, lots of strange things happened.

I started my day like any other, but with the anticipation of a "first date". Usually, I'm not freaked out about dates in general. This one was different. I hadn't really met the guy before, but we'd had many conversations for several weeks.

We (he's been dubbed guy number 7) decided to meet at a restaurant between where the two of us work (which, for me is anywhere in the afternoons) and grab a few drinks.

I headed down to the area right after lunch so I could post up at Borders to work on some of the stuff for the marketing consulting company.

While at Borders, several randoms happened:

- Guy pulls up a chair next to girl. She proceeds to tell him that he needs to quit texting her and asking her out because she doesn't like him. He tells her that he's got "mommy issues" (wtf?) and needs someone around all the time. After all, she is the one that came on to him and gave him her number. She tells him that he's acting neurotic. And the banter goes back and forth for about 20 minutes. I enjoyed every second of this train wreck.

- As I was working at Borders, this extremely hot guy sits next to me and starts working on his computer and looking at a stack of books. I wanted to say something to him, but I didn't. As I contemplated talking to him, I asked Carrie what I should say. He packed his stuff up and left in that time, several hours later. She told me I could be "letting the love of your life walk out of that bookstore"...

- Super weird dude walks over and asks if my name is Rachael. No, weird dude, I'm not anyone you've ever met before. And usually I get Jessica... not Jessica either.


The night with number 7 went by insanely quick. We talked for at least 5 hours before we decided to call it a night. We haven't really had a decent conversation since, just a few random texts back and forth. He's almost been crossed off the list. Almost.

Because I kept thinking about Borders dude (we'll call him number 9) and had no way to reach him, I decided to post a "missed connection" on Craigslist. I never thought anything would come of it (and actually forgot about it) until I got an email a few days later. Seriously!? Does this ever happen??

We've talked a little bit but the guy is a work-a-holic. He goes out of town all the time and we haven't met up again yet. Not even sure if it'll go anywhere, but he's fun to talk to nonetheless.

Oh Mr. Random Thursday, how I have enjoyed you so...

Oh the randomness...

I'm just trying to keep up with life. My life is uber fun at the moment and I like it that way. Updating Carrie every day on new dating situations, going to happy hours and on dates... and all that fun stuff :)

Fran and I have started going out every weekend and having a blast. We meet new people, dance it up at the Dallas clubs, and have so much fun doing whatever the fuck we feel like.

I have probably 20 stories to tell you, but I'm not even sure where to begin. Even worse, coming up with aliases for all these douchebags is an intricate process. Maybe I should just start numbering them. Hmm... that would be easy!

I went out with not-so-random dude number 8 last night. He and I met up for happy hour and talked the night away. He and I used to work together at the restaurant and he just recently broke up with his girlfriend (the cheatin' biatch!). Anyway, it was lots of fun - and that's all I can publicly say.

I have a feeling that letting the blogger world in on my shenanigans might bite me in the ass one day. I have tried to keep it as top secret as I can (about me) but I'm not sure it's working exceptionally well.

I mean, no one used to know that I lived in Atlanta - now you do...and you know I live in Dallas now. That is kinda creepy.

So, bloggers, I ask you... what exactly do you want to hear about? Shenanigans with mens? OR just the normal bi-weekly random update?

I have a feeling the shenanigas are going to win and I'm going to be divulging a lot of juicy secrets...

10 Things I look forward to when I'm married one day.

I've been trying to figure out what kind of Christmas cards to send out this year. I'm single. I have a lovely Saffie kitty. And that's about it. Nothing "picture postcard" worthy, in my book. Which got me to thinking. There are a LOT of things I look forward to being able to do when I get married. (well, besides the whole being married part)

1. Picture Christmas cards :)
2. Buying a house
3. Decorating a house
4. Having a "Plus 1"
5. Social Functions... happy hours, etc. with friends
6. Traveling
7. Getting a mailing address stamp (corny, I know, but I love it!)
8. Being able to buy initialed items because I'll know what my initials will be!
9. Kiddos.
10. Making desert. All the time.

I know, I'm a bit of a romantic, but I look forward to these things. Now I just need to find someone to marry... ;) haha!

Friday night shenanigans

Some random drama happened to me this past Friday night. I thought I would share because it's been oh-so-long since I've written and thought you might enjoy a good laughable story, even at my expense! ;)

Sam apparently has some family here (a sister who just moved and another sister who - I think - has lived here for a while) that I just recently found out about. He and I broke up 2 1/2 years ago because of his immature ways even at the age he was.

Every time he came to Atlanta, he'd ask to see me but I was either in a relationship or he was. I don't believe in homewrecking (on either end... I don't want to be the wrecker nor to be wrecked). So I declined to see him each time, not for lingering feelings (will never step back into that bs) but for the sheer fact of our former status.

So a few weeks ago I received a random email saying he was going to be in town for the weekend in a few weeks. I asked if he had a girlfriend and when he replied no, I told him I would meet him out for a drink or something.

So the fun begins.

I met up with potential roommate (who is now tentatively scheduled to move in next weekend, I think) and then told him I'd meet him out. Left a really awesome time with potential roommate to meet up with this fucker.

I walk into the bar to be greeted by his sister and nephew (he has OLDer siblings). He went to grab a beer.... sans warm welcome and thanks for coming out... When he sets the beer on the table... it spills entirely into my lap.

Yes. Into my lap. Lovely, right?!

I was in absolute shock at this point. But are we done with the story? No. As he goes to grab a stack of napkins for the monsoon of beer in my lap... his sister tells me he's got a girlfriend.

Oy.

Needless to say, it was a splendid evening that I enjoyed very much. I was really pissed off at him and he could tell. As he motioned for me to get up and go to the door, I calmly told him that I would "finish my fucking drink" and then go. Did he seriously lie to me to get me to meet up with him!?

These types of guys are pathetic. Sam will lie about anything and everything and doesn't care who he hurts in the process. It's not my feelings he's hurting - it's this poor girl (who I HOPE does not stay naive) whom he tries to cheat on while out of town.

There are some of you who would argue that seeing an ex while you're out of town is not necessarily cheating on them, but the crazy texts he sent leading up to that was most definitely in that arena. Thank God I dodged that bullet by dumping his ass when I did!!

The whole truth. And nothing but the truth.

For the past 6 months I've been holding out. EHhh... perhaps it has been longer than that, but whatever.

I've been completely and utterly fucking miserable. I can contribute about 75% of that miserable-ness to the relationship I tried to make work... and 25% of it to the fact that I didn't get out when I knew it was time. Looking back, I don't think I would do it any other way but it doesn't mean it didn't suck in the process.

I guess I just didn't write about it because, once I write about it, it becomes real. Keeping this from becoming real exempted the emotions that come with the realness of the situation. If that makes sense?

So here's the whole truth. And nothing but the truth. Perhaps I'll have more to say - and be back to my fun-loving self - once I get out of this relationship.

His fault? not entirely. My fault? not entirely either. It's just that time.

I've vented and tried to work things out. I've explored all the possible options and tried everything imaginable. But it just isn't working.

So there you have it. :)

Crazy random update

So I had four very good topics to write about tonight, but I'm just not feelin it. In fact, I'm just not feelin much as of late. In my last post, I talked to you about a few things going on - believe me, there's much more! Hopefully, one day VERY soon, these posts can be funny little nothings that you all enjoy reading on the regular.

To update, I got a new roommate tonight. Someone super awesome responded to my craigslist ad and decided to take the place. She moves in August 17 or so.

Michael left earlier this week and I'm deeply saddened. He was the basis for most of what I did in my non-work and non-school time, so we'll see how this all goes. He had his first meeting today at his new job and that went well. Hooray for him!

I went into the restaurant today and two very fabulous people in my life came in for lunch. They were super sweet and tipped me a ridiculous amount of money which was completely uncalled for. Anyway, I didn't lose my job. The general manager was, as usual, bitchy about it. Gotta love her life, right?

My little saff-ster who likes to play with other kitties outside has brought back something little and annoying with her. Fleas. I fucking hate fleas. I suppose I need to get a new flea collar for her and get rid of these little pests before it gets out of control. They multiply like rabbits. Only quicker.

So... I graduated. Technically, but not officially. I had my last class last night with a presentation. One of our group members completely bombed her portion of the presentation because she showed up for our practice 45 minutes late. Heh. Good thing for Peer Evals. I should know by Saturday what my grade is in this class. I'm thinking it's going to be a B+. I will be completely shocked if I get an A- or something.... that would mean Dean's list two semesters in a row.

I have a list of movies to see at the theater a mile long. The Ugly Truth, The Proposal, Julie and Julia, Humpday, 500 days of summer, Funny People, The Time Traveler's Wife... etc. That's 7 movies at 10 bucks a pop... I might just be waiting until their DVD release. How can they do that to us and release SO MANY great movies all at one time?!

I've been listening to a few fabulous songs recently. Perhaps you might want to check them out too...

The Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado - Broken Strings
JES - My love
The Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho
Chris Lake - If you knew
The Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
Carrie Underwood - Wasted
Lady Sovereign - So Human
Safetysuit - Stay

So that's about it for me. Like I said earlier, I'll probably start to update this neglected blog more frequently as I become me again. ;)

The Flu.

Sucks. Period.

Wednesday/Thursday of last week I started feeling super sick. I stayed out of work (nannying) on Friday and had to pay $65 on Saturday to get a doctor's excuse so I didn't lose my restaurant job. Let me tell you - they weren't super excited about all of this. In fact, they told me if I didn't show up then I would be "red lined", which I assume was the interim manager's way of saying "fired". I got the doc's excuse - and hopefully, we'll find out Thursday, if that's 'good enough' for them.

Anywho - I'm feeling a bit better now. This week holds a whole bucket full of emotions for me. I 'graduate' (ie - have my very last class) on Wednesday, Michael moves to DC on Tuesday, and I'm left somewhere in between to pick up the pieces.

This is supposed to be a happy time in my life - graduation - but it's overshadowed by less-happier feelings stemming from a huge decision I've made. If I don't make this decision for myself now, I never will.

I figure if I just ignore the feelings and emotions that come with all this bullshit, it'll make it so much easier. I have a lot of money to make up for being out of work this week and having to find a roommate for August 1 - just a few days away. That should keep me occupied. Oh yah, that, and the job search. It's the real deal now.

Sick physically with the flu - emotionally tired from this relationship - and overjoyed with the end of a 7 year journey to a degree.... get me the FUCK outta here.

That's exactly how I feel right now. :)

10 Things... just an update

I'm going to need to learn how to update this thing from my Blackberry... then, maybe I'd update it a whole lot more! I always think of interesting stories to tell - hilarious ones at that - and other things to share, yet never have time for it. So, in lieu of posting for the past month... I'll give you 10 things. :) Enjoy!

1. I leave for Italy on Friday... I am STOKED. Not really for the Italy part - mostly the Paris, France part at the end of the trip. Holler!
2. I made STRAIGHT A's this semester. Mmmmmhmmm. I never thought that possible... ESPECIALLY not at the school I go to - shitty University, at best. Although, Straight A's does not translate to a 4.0... because if you get a 90, you've got an A-. :) Either way, I made the dean's list and I'm incredibly excited that I made all A's. Go me!
3. Michael was supposed to move to DC while I was gone in Italy, now that may not happen. I think he's going to be here for the summer.... and leave in August. That's more along my time frame lines. Interesting ;)
4. I have so much to prepare before I leave on Friday. PLUS I have class for the trip all week. Lovely, right?
5. I think I'm getting sick. Last night I had the worst stomach ache ever... and this morning, one of my lymph nodes were swollen. I feel like sha-poopie.
6. Rae and her boyfriend are "engaged" now... so happy for them!
7. I have ONE class left and I'll be a college graduate. Hooray!!

Ok, so maybe only 7 for right now. I have a feeling there's SO much more to share but I just can't think of it all right now :) Have a good day!

Reviews of a new city. Part 5: Washington, DC

In spite of visiting this city for various reasons in the past multiple times... It never felt more alive than when I was there with Michael just a few weeks ago. We had SO much fun and saw SO many things.

One thing, in particular, that I loved about the city was that there are so many things you can do for free. There are free museums - or some that are only about $15 to get in. In my city, museums are ridiculously expensive - upwards of 25-40 bucks a pop. I loved all of the monuments and parks and open space. It didn't feel like the city was ever closing in on you - all just open and airy and free.

The food we had was awesome - and the people were great, too. Michael took me to the top of a friend of his' building to see the night skyline. It was absolutely stunning. Everything that needed to be lit up, was... and everything that was darkened only enhanced the awesome architecture laid out before us.

I suppose it's a good thing that I loved this city - especially in this visit - because I'll potentially be calling it home in a few months. :) I still don't love the weather... in fact, I'll probably hate it. I hate the cold weather, but summer is just around the corner.

Weather: 6
Sites/Stuff to do: 10
People: 8.5
Location: 8
Food: 9
Overall: 8

Sham-bam-a-lam...

My birthday was fan-tabulous, as always. I've been secretly afraid of turning 25... but I am. It's really weird now. I don't know how the days make a difference, but they do.

School is nearing end... I've only got 2 1/2 weeks left of class, essentially. That's with the 1/2 being the two days I have to go for a presentation and an exam. This semester has flown by, and I'm excited about that.

I leave for Italy/Paris on the 15th of May (only a little over a month away!) and I'm super excited. I have a lot of things to plan (a hotel or something in Paris) Oh, before I forget - Odette, I really would LOVE some pointers from you on what to do there... so send them my way!

Michael got the job promotion and will be moving to DC at the end of May/beginning of June as well. I'm really sad about this because I have to be here for ONE stupid class this summer :( Which means I won't get to move there until the beginning of August. That's two WHOLE months without him!

Speaking of - we've had some crazy times these past few weeks - but everything is somehow working out just perfectly. I suppose that's what is supposed to happen when God's the center of your relationship. He has been the sweetest bf ever :)

Carrie is in NOLA for the weekend and as happy as a pea in a pod... Blaire arranged a little surprise thing for me on my birthday with Michael. We had SO Much fun and I love her for it!!!

I'll be so excited when all of the craziness is over and I can feel normal again. I've got the itch to buy a Wii and Wii Fit. An itch that's lasted at least a few weeks (that's how I know I REALLY want something...) It's only $350 for everything... but then again, I AM going to my favorite city in the world in just a month and am going to need all the funds I've got to make it happen. Ohhhhh how I just loooove being responsible.

Hope you guys are doing well. Hell, maybe some of you have stopped reading because I write so infrequently. Please bear with me, I PROMISE it'll get interesting again!!!

10 Things going on right now...

Ohhhh my how long its been since I've updated. And there are a ton of things to update as well.

1. School is ONE MONTH from being done for the semester. Hallelujah! (and FOUR months from being done altogether!!)
2. I leave for Italy on May 15th and am tacking on a few days in Paris until June 2nd. I cannot WAIT!
3. I am so incredibly busy right now, it's absolutely ridiculous.
4. Because I'm so busy, I've decided to quit going to my small group. I know, I was SO excited about it before, but right now I don't have the time - and I don't think that I get that much out of it.
5. Michael may or may not be moving in :)
6. Michael and I may or may not be moving to Washington, DC in August.
7. It's my birthday on Saturday. I'm old. :(
8. I filed my taxes yesterday and, surprisingly, I'm getting something back from this lovely government. Who would have thought?
9. annndd... the baby is up... back to my nannying duties!