Just a Survey to Close Out the Year

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
I didn’t change my hair color. Not by choice, but by necessity. Now I am bored and itching for a change.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I am not really sure that I made any hardcore ones last year. Lose weight – did that for a bit… I am making some for this year. They are outlined in my previous blog post thank you very much.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my best friend Michele.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year, thank you.

5. What countries did you visit?
I visited Mexico on a cruise. One of my resolutions this year is to travel more. I hope to have something more to say to this question, this time next year.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Direction.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
No one in particular sticks out in my mind. Must not have been a very memorable year for me.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably improving as a wife and friend. Something I’d like to continue to do for the rest of my life.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not having more confidence in myself.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really. I am thankful for that as well.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My car. Woot Woot. Gangsta!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Us. We managed to fill our emergency fund, start a Roth IRA, buy a car and remain debt free during this heinous financial year with no raises.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Tiger Woods. Not because I really care that much about his from day to day, but his behavior was despicable. And I think that it just came as such a shock that tarnished that wholesome image of his.

14. Where did most of your money go?
This is a question we ask ourselves a lot. I guess most of our money went to the mortgage (read: the interest on our mortgage). But there was a lot of other spending sprinkled in there too.

15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
My cruise! Both families together – such a good trip!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Obsessed – Mariah Carey, this is thanks to my awesome new friend .

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
- Happier or Sadder? Happier
- Thinner or Fatter? The exact same. I mean literally. WTF.
- Richer or Poorer? Emergency fund full – check. No debt – check. Being richer financially can lead to be richer with life in general.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Traveling.
Spending more time with the people that enrich my life.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eating… Why can’t I catch anorexia for a little bit at least. Just long enough to get skinny.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas with both my family and Zach’s family at his parents house. It was so nice to be with my parents over the holidays. Round 2 with extended family happens this weekend. Can’t wait!

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
No one. Those of you that know me, I don’t talk on the phone. I don’t know what the problem is, I just don’t like it much. This is something I am working on.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, I fall in love every year. Just don’t tell my husband. ;)

23. How many one-night stands?
None. Being married takes care of that for you. Unless of course you are Tiger Woods. See #13.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Glee. Ummmmm. I might be obsessed now. I am listening to the soundtrack as I type. I also really love Criminal Minds, but that is an obsession all on its own - one of the brown sugar persuasion. On another note, SYTYCD was horse shit this year.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t HATE anyone.

26. What was the best book you read?
Cookbooks. I am in love with cooking.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
See #24.

28. What did you want and get?
I wanted an iPhone – got one
I wanted a Wii fit – got one
I wanted a happy healthy year – I got one.

29. What did you want and not get?
??

30. What were your favorite films of this year?
Slum Dog Millionaire. I am not sure if it came out in 2009, but I saw it for the first time this year and loved it.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 28. I spent it with great friends at a bar. I repeated myself a lot. I tend to do that a lot when alcohol is involved.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It is hard to look back now and speculate what would have made you more satisfied. The journey is what gets you to where you want to be, not the looking back.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Trying to stay on trend as long as a cardigan is involved. Kind of my staple.

34. What kept you sane?
My friends.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least?
I don’t really fancy any celebrity, but Twitter has made my stalking legal.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Oh Lord. What issue didn’t?

37. Whom did you miss?
I am blessed to still have all those that are close to me still with me.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
@TheAustinReed – he has added a new dimension to life. We have a very tight group of friends and he just slipped right in. Tear.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Patience is a virtue.

40. Quote a song that sums up your year:
I am not sure if sums up the year or is an outlook for next year… Probably more of the latter.
“Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!”

Pet Peeves of the Day

So everyone has those things that make them tick. I do as well. Let me lay them out there now.

Slow Drivers - Nothing infuriates me more than the lack of driving abilities of people. Yesterday it was snowing/raining all afternoon/evening. I would love to reiterate to those who seem to forget it - snow is just snow, it is not ice, it is not golf ball sized hail. It is a delicate paper thin flake of cold rain. You do not have to slow down to 40mph on the highway. You really don't. It is not as if as soon as it hits the ground (that is above freezing might I remind you) that it turns to a sheet of ice. It is just wet - get over it.

Closed Toed Shoes - Why is frowned upon to wear open toed shoes in the winter? Let me just tell you how much I hate, hate, hate, closed-toed shoes (unless they are boots of course). Every time I got up to walk around today, when I looked down, I was so disappointed with what I saw. I just wish that I could get away with wearing them. You know what... I am gonna do it. I am breaking them out. I don't keep these feet pedicured to keep them in hiding all the time. Come on out piggies...

Dieting - As you may have (read: probably haven't) read, I am determined to lose weight, again. This mean, however, that I can't eat my weight in Breadwinners cookies anymore. Contain your laughter - studies have shown that they do contain traces of crack which have led to my addiction. Anyway, back to me... I have to watch what I am eating now. Today, for instance, I did the Subway diet. I could probably survive off of this and never get tired of it so this wasn't a sacrifice, but something to look forward to. However, eating this way is not enjoyable at the start of a new diet.

Let me walk you through what I have eaten today.
Breakfast - Oatmeal - 160 calories.
Lunch - 6in Turkey on Wheat, lettuce, onion (hell yeah!), light mayo and sweet onion sauce (money) and a bag of baked lays - 490 calories
Snack - Smart Pop Kettle Corn - 120 calories
Dinner - Same as Lunch - 490 calories.
So today I have eaten 1260 calories. Not enough to keep a Smurf alive.

Pardon me while I voraciously gnaw off my own limbs. Seriously.

New Year, New Outlook

My New Year's Resolutions - The Same as Every Other Year.
That is really discouraging...


1. Stop Biting Fingernails.
So, I am already underway with this and OPI Sapphire In The Snow is helping me out with this one.

2. Lose Weight.
This one is made every year... well at least since I got fat. This year, like all others, I am going to make happen. Sore muscles mean you are doing something right, right? I have joined 3 websites, started working out on the wii fit/biggest loser program, and started back at the gym. Somethings gotta give!

3. Do Unto others...
This one I need to really work on. What I call teasing/joking might be hurtful to others. I need to take a step back and make sure that I am not just saying things to get a rise out of people. Feels like I am back in elementary school. Humphf.

4. Keep the closet clean.
This room, and yes, it is as big as a room, makes me so mad. I get the damn thing clean and them somehow overnight it is a disaster again. I keep hoping to walk in and the clothes scattered everywhere were my husbands... damn, foiled again.

5. Shop smarter.
Those super cheap clothes are super cheap for a reason, they are super cheap! I am not saying that I need to head over to Nordies and get the latest, but getting some decent (read: not cheap/not expensive) things might last longer and save money over time. But since nice clothes are only made for skinnies, see #2.

6. Do More.
I am not 30 yet. I don't have kids yet. I want to vacation more. End of story.

7. Save more.
Kind of goes against #6, but I need to get rich so I can retire. Scrimping is the new black.

8. This one is a secret.
I know what it is and it is important to me over the next year.

9. Start my legacy.
I want to really work on what I will be remembered for.

10. Have as much fun as I can in 365 days.

Best Day Ever

OK, so hands down Thursday was the best day ever. All for reasons that I will explain now.

Thursday was a big day for me to start with. It was the last day for collections for the Santa's Helpers Toy Drive. I have never been more proud of the people that I work with than that day. Last year, with a goal of 1,000 toys, we managed to scrape in 500. That was with an "anonymous donor" aka CEO demanding more toys and getting them himself. We totally got showed up with the one bike we got with the 18 anonymously donated one. Sheesh. Since I am in charge of all events I was determined to turn this year around. I lowered the goal to 800 and begged. I mean begged. I went out and dropped a cool $75 on kids ( it is my favorite part of Christmas, hands down). I made it a competition - with no prize at the end, but it worked. We pulled in 900 toys. So many in fact that I had to rent a u haul to get them all downtown.

This leads into the next amazing part of the day. On my way back to work driving said u haul I get a text from my giddy co-worker, Shemeka (a boy, but nonetheless, this name works). "Jessica Alba and her husband are at the office". Great. The day I decide to drive a u haul... I park out from and casually walk into the building - which is more than I can say for the throngs of girls running around looking for the celebrity sighting. I casually walk up the stairs with Shemeka and who starts walking down? Cash Warren and the stunning Jessica Alba, followed by my husband who is getting the view from the back-side. Cash then says hi to Shemeka and me. Woah. I am now famous.

Shemeka and I run back to our desk and immediately "follow" Jessica and Cash and send them @replies. Now never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to get anything back in response...

Booya! I am kdubbers!



Ok, back to the rest of the day now...
Our plan was to take the toys down to the Santa's Helpers drive-thru drop off downtown. This may or may not have been because my meteorologist quasi-crush was leading the donations. I have always had a thing for weathermen and it doesn't hurt that my man - PD, is the nicest person you will ever meet. When I got downtown, we pulled into the drop off area and threw open the u haul. The helpers there were astonished. I guess they never expected to see a u haul pull up full of toys to be donated to kids. It really was one of the best feelings in the world. As the toys were being unloaded I was spotted by PD, did I mention that we had met before and we tweet all the time. I guess that is a whole other story. He walked over and hugged me (and kissed me on the cheek - heaven). I am not saying I that big of a deal, but I was asked to move the u haul and come back to talk and hang out. I did. Since I was not alone, my story can all be confirmed. We are practically best friends now.

I really thought the day could not possibly get any better, but then he mentioned us on tv that night! Holler!

Company Christmas Parties

This is the time of year when you have to go to parties that you don't want to and then there are nights like last night. I went to one of the most entertaining and enjoyable x-mas parties I have ever been to. Now maybe it was because we were all dressed ridiculously, but I am pretty sure that it was the company we were keeping. We have a very tight circle of friends and that has recently expanded to include a new member. I have not properly given him a nickname and since I have now been named "Grandma" I think I will call him Mariah. He knows why and totally owns this name.

Mariah hosted a ugly x-mas sweater party last night. Insane.
There were a ton of people from work (about 90% of this party) that I don't usually communicate with on a regular basis and within 20 minutes we were gathered around a table screaming at each other while playing circle of death - the best drinking game ever. It was more fun than I have had in a long time. It was definitely because it was an ugly sweater wearing, strawberry shortcake mixed drink making, kicking the ceiling kind of night. This is the kind of "work party" that I enjoy. It is not one of those pretentious parties that often arise during the holidays. Enter my department (probably typical to most department) holiday party.

This department party will start out super fake like we are all best of friends and it will end segregated into the usual cliques. It is no fault of anyone, it just happens. My cool team will end up sitting on a log around a campfire while the other sit on the other side talking about how we are not social. Plus since the head lady had a baby, now all spouses and babies are invited. I am all about parties that include spouses since I like to take advantage of this when I can. But I work under the umbrella of HR (no Mariah, not for HR) and my husband works for the same company as me. How fun is it to go to a party and constantly be under the microscope disguised as shallow conversation? So it is a known that he will not be there and I completely respect that. Thus making the divide even greater, HR and their spouses and the rest of us. Thankfully this year the party is early, so it does not take the whole night. And thankfully, my teammates are cool as shit and we will make this party fun.

9 Reasons to Join a Gym

So as I get back into the swing of going to the gym I am reminded why it is so damn entertaining to go.

1. FNA's (Fat Naked Asians)
Not that I have anything against the Asian race, there just seems to be an unusually large number of elderly Asian people at my gym. I am not sure if it is something in their culture, but they are completely OK walking around the dirty hot locker room naked. Not just like, topless naked - naked naked (that one is for you Abe). They all come out of the water aerobics class that must let out .2 seconds before I typically arrive and strip out of their awesome 1980 Speedo swimsuit and just walk it out. They dry their hair naked, fix their makeup naked and even clip their toenails naked. Yes, I said it. This did actually happen in front of me and I am not sure that is a picture that I will ever get out of my head.

2. Mr Muscle Man
Ok, this one is tricky. This stout little man is probably very strong, but he works out incredibly strange. He will hog a machine for oh, let's say 5 minutes and just does baby reps. The leg press for example, he will jump around for a minute, compose himself and take a seat. He then throws in the pin just under 400lbs. Then he psyches himself up and gets his legs ready. Now is the time that you really expect something amazing to happen. He thrusts that stack high in the air and starts his reps... moving maybe 2 inches. He is practically pulsing 400lbs. And that is it. Now, I only took 1 quarter of weight training in college, but my brain does not find this to be effective at all.

3. Mr Faker
The most entertaining part of any good workout is to watch those that are not actually working out. Sure, he is dressed the part, but have you ever actually seen him lift a weight or jog for a minute or 2? No, he likes to walk around playing the part, but socializing instead. Sometimes I time him to see how long he is actually upstairs without doing a damn thing. That is an expensive way to talk to your friends.

4. Mrs You Are Going Down
Ok, Brownie (Mr. Overly Competitive) this is where you and I see eye to eye. I can't stand it when the person next to me has a higher resistance and incline level than me, or even worse, they have burned more calories than me. Yes, I am that person that peeps over to the machines next to me to see what is up with the person next to me. I will stay on a machine longer than the person next to me kicking their ass at the made up competition in my head. This may be the reason that I am wheezing with a soaking wet shirt. Hmmm. Oh well, I always win.

5. Mr Grunter
This man drives me up the damn tree. Back when I was running all the time, he would inevitibally end up right next to me. He starts off quiet enough, but get him past the 5 minute mark and all hell brakes loose. It starts out as more of a huff, then it becomed more of a groan, then it ends up at a full out grunt. Every time his right, or is it his left, nope, pretty sure it is the right foot hits the ground, this grunt escapes. One day it was so bad that I had to leave. I could not get the music up loud enough. I laughed to myself when I was walking out of the front door of the gym and I could still hear him going strong.

6. Mr Creeper
This one is obviously just there to watch other people work out. He typically show up fully dressed like he just came from work and decided those were good enough clothes to work out in. Then the warmer he gets, he strips them off while walking on the treadmill. He then finishes up his "work out" by sitting in the stretching area. Only, he is not stretching, just watching. He only happened to be in there one time when I was there. But once was enough for me. I walked back there for my end of workout routine - crunches to the musically styling of Lady GaGa and saw him just sitting there. The entire time I was back there I was not sure if he was dead or just perverted. Turns out that he was just a weirdo.

7. Mrs Metallica
There are actually several of these at the gym, mostly older women. But there is one in particular that I love to watch. She isn't there all the time, but when she is - it is a great day. She has those old school headphones that cover your ear and she wears them proudly. I am not sure what it is that she is listening to, but it really pumps her up. Her head is bobbing, she is finger drumming on her handles and she is in the zone. Most times her eyes are closed and she is lip syncing. For anyone who wants to know, trying to ellipticize with your eyes closed is a recipe for disaster, but this white haired diva makes it work!

8. Mr Hot Pants
This guy is extra special to me. He is about oh, 50 and he is looking hard for a date of the male persuasion. He is gray haired, buck toothed and sporting a man thong. I mean, he really has to be. His clingy, and I mean clingy if you catch my drift, cheerleader shorts (that I am not sure I could rock when I was 12) leave no panty lines and very little to the imagination. I really don't need to know if you are circumcised or not. He also is a big fan of the 80's muscle shirts. You know, the ones that show all your ribs as well as your bulging (read: non-existent) biceps. I am not really sure I want to know what kind of guy he is trying to pick up with this ridiculous attire. This man is one of those that you can catch the eye of someone else that had just spotted him and share in a silent high-five. \

9. Mrs "I Don't See You"
This is me. There is nothing worse than working out at a gym half a mile from work. Well, wait, there is something worse - seeing practically the entire office at the gym when you are wheezing like a dog squeaker while "running" (if you can even call it that) on the elliptical. I am really good at spotting people from afar and then suddenly becoming so enthralled in the Dr. Oz talking about poop on Oprah that I just cannot be bothered. Of course, there is that awkward moment when you see the VP of Legal in his baseball cap and shorts while you are so sweaty that your once gray shirt is now black and you actually make eye contact. It is then and only then you have to concede that you have been spotted and give the head nod and smile. Ugh.

And, yes there are only 9 reasons. Get over it.

I'm Sorry to Tell You, You Are Not The Biggest Loser.

While watching The Biggest Loser tonight I realized something... I am a lazy bitch. I just watched people that started on the show as gigantic blobs run a marathon. A freaking marathon. Now, I have never been, nor likely never will be a runner... but I am pretty sure that I could not do that now or ever. These people lose anywhere from 8-30lbs a week. Not a year, a week. Some guy just lost 59lbs in 2 months! WTF! I have lost the same 5 lbs over and over again for a year. A year. It makes me literally want to blow my brains out.

I complain that I can't lose weight while I watch the show eating dinner sitting on my ass. I really need to get some perspective. Now I know that they work out for their jobs and I don't. They also have hundreds of pounds to lose and I don't. But can't a girl catch a break? At one point, I was working out 5 days a week. Nothing. I was eating 1200 calories. Nada. After an injury, I had to stop for a while. Guess what happened, nothing. This really keeps me motivated to keep working out when it is obviously doing such a good job that when I stop, I don't gain. Doesn't that mean that I am actually not doing any good when I am working out if I get the same results lounging on the couch? To me that means, I can work my ass off, starve myself, or do nothing and nothing will change. Great. That is pretty motivating. If only I could catch some anorexia, I would be golden. I just like food too damn much.

I am going to try this one more time. I will work my ass off again for 1 more month. If nothing happens I just don't know where to go from here. I have considered going to the doctor to see if there is something that is actually wrong with me, but what if she says "nope, your just a fatass"? I am pretty sure that would send me over the edge.

You people out there with your fast metabolisms and ability to eat anything and stay skinny - You can kiss my soon-to-be-shrinking-ass.

Things To Be Thankful For.

Holiday travel, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
1. Load the car with luggage and 2 big hairy, shedding dogs.
2. Drive north on 75 into Oklahoma through the armpit of America... literally.
3. Go 65mph, 55mph, 45mph, 35mph, 45mph, 55mph, 65mph over and over again until you reach your destination. Claremore, OK.
4. Stay 4 days
5. Repeat in the reverse order.

It is a damn good thing I love my family so much. I am not kidding, I married into the best family that has ever graced this earth.

Holidays with the gang is nothing shy of overwhelming in the best possible way. Take this Thanksgiving for example, there will be 10 adults, 6 dogs, 3 children, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a partridge in a pear tree. The bedrooms will be full and the living room floor will be occupied every night. 5 o' clock comes really early when you stay up late making farting noises into the wee hours with your loving husband, sister-in-law and cousin. Yes, we are adults, but there is nothing funnier at holidays than making farting noises all night until we get told to quiet down (which happens every year). When 5 o'clock does arrive, it does so with a bang. Deeya (Grandma)heads into the kitchen and as my husband affectionately says, "builds a house". She literally opens every cabinet at least once, opens each drawer and closes it twice and must load and unload the dishwasher at least 3 times. We try to pretend to sleep for a bit longer until all the dogs of the house are released from the pent up sleeping quarters, then it is over. Hello 7am.

Next is shower time. I have successfully made a deal with my mother-in-law to wake me up before everyone else so I can get in and get out before the onslaught of showers to follow. This especially comes in handy Christmas morning so I don't look like complete garbage for pictures. So 10 people use 2 showers. I feel bad for the sucker that is last in line. I am sure the hot water runs out at about 6 or 7.

Food. This is always the most amazing part of every trip. The caliber of food that comes out of Deeya's kitchen from all the ladies in the house would scare the socks off Bobby Flay. I challenge you to a Thanksgiving Throwdown! I have never in my entire life had better cheesecake than my Aunt's. And she actually had the nerve to ask if anyone wanted it this year... ummmm, yeah!

Entertainment. There is no better entertainment than the babies of the house. Not so much babies anymore, the entertainment value is still there. Not a single holiday goes by without breaking out the dance music and having a full on dance off in the living room by the little ones. They are the most adorable kids in the world. I just can't get enough of them! With last year's introduction of Guitar Hero though, there is some serious competition for center stage. No one will ever beat me on drums. I repeat, no one. I am the master.

So even with all the crazy that ensues during the holidays and the moments you can't get a word in edgewise, there is not a single place I would rather be. And for that, I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Brushes with Fame

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am the biggest nerd when it comes to celebrities. I get insanely excited by the prospect of seeing celebrities. In this quest for celebrity sightings, I have seen my fair share of quasi celebrities. I guess I shall start with the lesser people and work my way up.



Bob Huggins (former University of Cincinnati Basketball Coach: Back when the Bearcats had a basketball team worth more than the lint in my pocket, there was Bob Huggins, head basketball coach. We ran into him a Party Source, a liquor store in Newport, Kentucky. I just kept saying, "Oh my God, there is Bob Huggins." One time he even turned around was a like, lady... I am only a coach. Pretty funny that we ran into him a liquor store considering his very public DUI was the reason he is the former head coach. Damn you Nancy Zimpher.





Michelle Aguilar (Biggest Loser Winner Last Season): Nearly got kicked out of the Dallas Bridal Show for attempting to take pictures of her with my Blackberry. I claimed that I was just texting... they bought it. I did get to talk to her. That was pretty sweet.





Terrell Owens (Former Cowboy turned Bill): I saw him at the Northpark Apple store. I had absolutely no idea who he was. All I knew was that there was a gigantic black man with giant diamond earrings. I leaned over to Abe and asked if he was a football player or something and he informed me that it was TO. I suddenly got real excited. Abe and I tried to go up to him and were shut down by his short fat body guard. Fail.




Jessica Simpson: Spotted at Logan's Sports Bar in Addison. She was adorable. I was told that Tony Romo was there with her, although I did not see him. Since this was pre-breakup, she was a knockout. We were only allowed so close to where they were, but I was so excited that I am sure that I went over my texting limit with my cousin that night.



Owen Wilson: One of the perks of working for a company with very eccentric owners, is the random people they know. Owen was at work while our founder was in an last-minute meeting. The big guy had his niece/my friend walk him around the building. I just happened to be walking down the hall when I saw my friend with someone that I didn't recognize. She waved and said hi, as did he. They kept walking. It was not until a split second after they passed that I figured out who that was. I was uber excited about that one. Other celebs that have been at work: Giorgio Armani and Phillipe Starck. This brings us to the most recent.




Shirin Askari (Project Runway Finalist): So she may not be the top of the list, but she is for the day. I heard a few weeks back that she was freelancing for us after her stint on Project Runway. I saw her the other day and assumed that was the closest I would get to her. Well, out of the blue today I get an email from, guess who?! Now, granted it was about some stupid question that she needed help with... but she asked me. She knows my name. I quickly and thoroughly answered her question assuming that would be the last communication. Boy was I wrong. I got 5 emails from her. She is very nice. Plus I am pretty sure she is wearing a Starck watch in this picture. That makes her double cool

With the creation of Twitter, it makes my celeb stalking much easier. Although I get sad when they usually don't respond, it is nothing compared to the happiness I feel when they do.



Thank you Rey Maualuga. You are now my favorite Celeb ever.



I am kind of a big deal now.

I gave in.

So I gave in. I am not the biggest fashionista in the world. I would love to see trends and be able to pull them off. I have a friend that could wear a garbage bag and rock it. I would put it on and immediately feel the need to put it over my head instead. What happens most often, is I tend to make fun of the trends because I know that I could never pull it off. The only problem with this marvelous plan, is that I like most (read: some) of the trends. I "hated" the boots over the jeans look, I "hated" the skinny jeans... Oh man am I eating my words now. In the past month, I have not only given in to one of those trends, I have given in to both. I say that one is a direct result of the other.

I started the boots over the jeans look with these beauties. Fossil's Kate Boot (insert shameless plug here)



Next I added these from Target. Have a mentioned that I also "hated" flat boots. Sigh.



So there are some excuses as to why my sudden acclimation to trends. One, Fossil had the killer boots on sale! Next, who can pass up $30 boots from Target?
Enter trend #2 - Trying to comfortably cram boot cut jeans under them would cause my toes to turn blue not to mention the fact that this look made me rock the Hillary Clinton cankles. What is the solution of this problem one might ask? Buy skinny jeans. Now if I had just left it at that, we would be golden. Skinny jeans only under boots... But I am pretty sure that I am going to wear those skinny jeans out sans boots.

God help me. What's next?

Happy as a Yard Dog?

Dogs are lucky. I wish I could live one day seeing life through their eyes. They wake up, jump up and down on the bed until you are awake, make a sad face when you leave and sleep all day. The happiest time of their day is when they hear the car door slam outside and footsteps leading up to the door. The utter joy that explodes out of them can completely change your day. One minute you have had the crappiest day of your life, are ready to quit your job, and ready to drive into oncoming traffic - the next, you are being loved so much in one solid minute that you can completely forget the rest. I guess, the more that I think about it, they may just need to go to the bathroom.

The stupid one pretty much spends his life waiting for you to talk to him. He lays in the middle of the living room floor and stares at you. As soon as you look in his direction and say anything, he is up on his feet running to you, licking your face and nuzzling you - all because you talked to him. One of the highlights of his night. I say one, because it happens all night long.

God put dogs on this earth to love you. I am sure that there is some actual scientific reason they actually exist, but to an owner, there is no other reason they walk this earth. They live and breath only to please us. They may have simple lives or eating, drinking, pooping, and sleeping, but it is a good life. One that is complete happiness.

Now don't get me wrong, they do have their moments. For example, we had a problem with the smart one. When he was about a year old we decided to get another pup. As soon as we got the stupid one, the smart one wasn't so thrilled. He actually walked up to us in the living room as we were holding the stupid one, looked us in the eye, and hiked his leg up and pissed on us out of pure jealousy. No joke. We tried so hard to be mad at him, but the deliberate nature of his action just put us in stitches. Even with the moments of unhappiness which are few and far between, they have to be the happiest creatures on earth.

I am not sure what made me write about dogs today. I guess it is just jealousy. Jealousy that there is no way that I could ever in my entire life be as happy as they are. To wake up everyday and only see the positive, get over the negative quickly, and never forget their loyalty and love for others.

We could all stand to be more like dogs. Except the butt-sniffing part. That could get really socially awkward.

Next Big Project

Home ownership has it's ups and it's downs.

Up - you own your own house.
Down - you have a mortgage that makes you vomit to pay each month.
Up - You can modify anything you want because you own your house.
Down - You can modify anything in your house because you own your house.

Throughout the 3 years that we have owned our house we done a lot of minor updates and projects. The biggest project thus far has been painting nearly every single room in the house. What did we learn from this? That we hate painting. A visceral hate. The kind of hate that leads to starting a fund for the next time we get the wild hare to paint again - to hire someone. Out of all the minor things we have done, we have never tackled a project like this. It is one of those ideas that we talk about a lot, but never actually do. Well, as I listen to the sound of the hammer... there is no turning back now. We are ripping out the laminate flooring in our entry way, hall, kitchen, and breakfast nook. We planned on staining the concrete until we save up for a more permanent solution unless we love it in which case we will leave it as is. There is one little problem - the builders did not plan on the house going sans laminate. There is spray paint all over the floor. Looks like we are painting it now.

So what made us decide to do this? Other than the fact that my husband is a designer and the thought of laminate floor makes his skin crawl, our dog Tucker (the big dumb lab) is like Bambi on ice... all the time. He is so unstable on laminate that he falls daily, won't eat if the food is the bowl is too far from carpet, and he has taken up the best trait ever, backing into every room. Our friends find it hilarious. It is like he is doing a trick, only he is just being Tucker. We are also very excited to have the tap dancing sounds of the dogs claws gone as well. Nothing better than claws on laminate at 4am to help you have a restful nights sleep!

We (I keep saying "we" even though I am on the couch watching Top Chef and he is doing all the work) have a 5 sq ft area up so far and have hopes that the rest of the 855 sq ft come up just as easy. Wishful thinking right?

Almost Everything Comes From Nothing

So I guess I face the same questions many new bloggers face... Does anyone really care enough about what I may say to even take the time to read this? I mean, what I may find incredibly exciting and interesting others may think is stupid. But I guess one man's trash is another man's treasure.

I don't really have that interesting of a life nor am I that witty. I mean I grew up in the Midwest... exciting right? I got married, moved to Dallas, and work an 8-5 in corporate communications. I know, hold on to your seats.

Now it is decision time. What shall I blog about? My guess is it will just be a day to day decision. Some days I will want to rant about the BCS bogus rankings (ahem Cincinnati Bearcats), the next day it could be about some great designs/recipes/movies I saw recently. I suspect that this blog will be about as random as they come. But, then again, I don't see as a bad thing. Everyone needs a little variety in their life. There is only so much celebrity gossip a person can take before they want something more refreshing. And let’s be honest, no one can out-gossip the dude on www.thesuperficial.com. I hope that this blog is something that everyone would want to read for entertainment on a rainy day - or sunny day for that matter.

Maybe I will surprise myself. Maybe I can be as clever out here in the blogging world as I am in my head... because let me tell you, it is amazing in here.