Confessions of....
1. I hate work...this is why: I hate being paid to write because I love to write and I hate writing what other people want me to write.
2. The couple of people that I do like at work...are quitting in the next month.
3. I 'm jealous of everyone who enjoys their work.
4. I'm dying to be creative.
5. I'm dying to be known for my creativity.
6. I think Kinky Freidman is a cool guy...but I don't think people would take a "Texan" seriously if he got elected. I think it's all a sham.
7. When people sneeze, it makes me hold my breath. Like I'm scared I'm going to breathe it in.
8. I've never thought I was pretty and I always thought it was weird when people told me so. Erin, and my mom, and J are the only people who I think really ever meant it. I think everyone else who ever said I looked nice or was pretty got mad at me for it.
9. I hate the way I just sounded when I wrote that....but it's truly how i feel, and after all..these are my confessions. If you don't like that, you can stop reading now.
10. I've not done real work for the last three days. And NO ONE notices.
11. I get strings of emails and never answer them.
12. I don't really return voicemails unless I called you first. Usually, I'll just wait to talk to you when I see you. That may be a really long time for some.
13. My landlady is CRAZY. No really...I'm always afraid to answer the door when I'm home alone and she shows up. IN fact...once I got a package for her at my house and I waited a week to call her...even tho it said "urgent" and was probably her medication. And when I did call her, I lied and said that I wouldn't be at the house so I was putting it on the porch behind the chair...it worked.
14. I'm a loud typist.
15. I have no idea how many words per minute I type. Someone once told me that 50-55 was good...so I always put that on resumes.
16. I'm not smart. I have no idea how i graduated from college.
17. I get really frustrated at the things that I can't remember. For reals...why does my brain store certain things away that I would like to forget or that are totally useless...and then I can't remember the things that I need to? Puzzled.
18. Speaking of puzzles...I love puzzles. But i'm really serious about it and can only "puzzle" with the best.
19. I'm completely consumed with planning my wedding...after that's over...I want to do a lot of things like reading....and writing....and maybe working up enough courage to pursue a real career.
20. I registered a domain site today (with the help of J and aebax). It's called "read2reel.com." Guess what it's about.
21. I never thought I'd have kids cuz I thought that Jesus would come back first. But now I can't wait to have them. In fact, I've already got the names picked out for the first 25. ;)
22. I get annoyed when people call meetings at 4:55.
23. My boss has two stickers on his monitor at work. They are a dolphin and a smiley face. They are totally those ones that you get when you go to the tanning booth. this makes me laugh.
24. When in meetings, I doodle like crazy. This leads me to believe that I could make a career from painting because seriously....some of the crap that people claim is "art" is really just a doodle put on a canvas.
25. I think...as a "writer"...that it's funny when you ask someone for an assignment length and they say "oh, I dunno...two or three paragraphs." That's like saying "oh...about three donkey kong games worth." Paragraphs are different sizes you idiot. Give me "words."
26. i looooove diamonds.
27. I also love conspiracy theories. Even the bogus ones. Especially the bogus ones.
28. I don't trust the government. I think in my old age I'll be wierd and bury my money in mason jars in the back yard because I don't trust the government. I'll probably be investigated by the IRS because I won't pay taxes for like forty years. Why? Cuz I don't trust the gov'mt.
29. 28 is especially strange given my background.
30. I think I'm the only one in my family who supports gay marriage. WHich is also pretty funny. and probably reason enough for number 28.
31. I love leggos. Did you know that the plural of leggo is leggo. Not leggae. (name that show)
32. I would like to have a HUGE collection of coffee table books. THese are the books that are meaningless and are usually mostly pictures. I would like to have one that is called "oops: accidents, forgetfullness, and errors." It would have pictures of things like fender-benders, fingers being slammed in doors, and other things that people do on accident. If there is already a book like this, you should get me one for christmas.
33. J has lost over 10 pounds and I've lost 6 in two weeks. This is not fair, but proves that you can't even have one chip or one cup of jello pudding....let alone THREE.
34. I cuss too much.
35. I edit too much.
36. I love proof reading.
37. My mind is like jello.
38. I like even numbers WAY better than odd.
39. My vision has been blurry all day. My eye is red. I'm sleepy and am at most times just staring at my computer. Therefore, I look like i'm high on something.
40. I don't do drugs.
41. I think I will have a glass of wine tonight at a country bar/concert. Does this make me the strangest being in the room? probably.
42. Our HR supervisor has on mister rogers shoes. totally.
43. Sugar-free butterscotch candies taste just as sweet as the sugary ones.
44. I haven't brushed my hair in two days. But I have washed it. I'm thinking of seeing if I can go until Saturday without brushing. This will probably happen, unless....i think about it too much and then i'll brush.
45. I've had three cups of coffee today. and I'm still SLEEPY. I need a redbull.
46. Nothing makes you feel quite as "loser-ish" as being constantly surrounded by people who are going to law school, taking Bar exams, or making thousands of dollars daily.
47. Correction: #46 is not true. There is one thing that makes you feel more loser-ish. Being paid 12 dollars an hour with no benefits like insurance or paid vacation around those people makes you feel WAY more loser-ish.
48. Tomato. Fruit? or Veggie?
49. What makes a berry a berry? Is a cherry technically a berry? Should it be "cherryberry?" Does it fit in the same family as: Strawberry? Blueberry? Rasberry?
50. Tofu hotdogs bounce like rubber balls if you drop them on the ground.
'Tis all for now!
31 days!
WOW! We can't believe that there's only 31 days left until our big day! :D It's safe to say that we are very, very, very, very excited! All the final details are coming together. J and the boys have done the tuxedo thing, I've gotten my dress altered, wedding bands are bought, and final designs for the ceremony are being discussed. We've sent out invitations! Yay! We've booked our flights and hotels for the honeymoon to Switzerland! Everything is confirmed and ready to go! We hope these next 30 days FLY by. We can't wait to be Mrs. and Mr. jbH. :D
Engagement pics!
Here's the teaser from our photographer. We shot these pics around downtown Austin on Sunday evening (June 11). We are SO happy with our photographer. He's an enthusiast who really loves what he does. We had so much fun shooting these, and we can't wait to see the final gallery. We should have links to the gallery up soon. Enjoy!
Oh the birthday afterglow...
Soooookay......my birthday was awesome. I'm a year older and I love it.l So let me just tell you a little about my wonderful birthday. Be jealous. Be very jealous. :D
I went home to Pampa for the week after being (gasp) laid off from my job. I got to see my dad and I took kendall home with me. Mom, Kendall and I came back to Austin on Saturday, June 3. We stopped by my house to pick up J and headed to A's for a delicious dinner. Once we got back to the new house, we decided that we would have a sleepover. On the fourth, Mom, J and I woke up at 6:30 (in the a.m.) and hopped into the rented 3 row Ford Explorer and headed to the condo, picked up D/A/K and headed south on ol' I35 towards San Antonio; DESTINATION: SEAWORLD!!!
OKay, first of all...SeaWorld is so amazing and fun, no matter how old you are. I don't know who enjoyed it most! I cried thru the whole Shamu show....I was SO excited.
On my actual birthday, Monday, Mom decided to stay a day longer and we shopped until we dropped. We got flowers for the house, clothes for job interviews and engagement pictures, and more flowers for the garden. I could not think of a greater way to pass time than to plant flower boxes with my mom and plant flowers in the garden with my fiance. SO much fun. SO perfect. In the history of all birthdays, this birthday was the greatest. I have the best family and the greatest friends.
Happy Birthday to ME!
Mom came back to Austin with me and Kendall on Saturday. Sunday we went to San Antonio for a Sea World adventure! It was SO much fun...here's some pics to show you what all we did! :D
I'll upload more pictures into an album after I get some rest! soooooo tired, and i'll be so OLD tomorrow! :D I looooooove birthdays!
We have a house!!!!
YAY!!! We found a house and fell for it. applied for it. waited for it for a week. and now....we have it!! We found out today that we can move in as soon as next week! Yippee! We are so excited! It's in the cutest "white picket" neighborhood! It's a two story 3 bedroom/2.5 bath (with a 2 car garage in the back) that was built in 2004. It has a cute little backyard with a little porch in the front and back of the house. There's only been one family that's lived in it, and it's literally spotless! So we are excited! It's in Round Rock, so anytime you are coming to visit the Austin area, and need a place to stay...give us a call, we may have some space. :D Did I mention the excitement? :D
Animadness is over!!!
Well, Animadness 2006 is over. We are currently waiting for the results to the contest. We finished up production on last Thursday (May 4) and J spent allllll day and night on Friday editing and cleaning up the footage. We mailed it off to New York City on Saturday (May 6th) and are glad to have that behind us. We are reallllly pleased with the way everything turned out.
Among interesting news that has been taking place in our world:
Among interesting news that has been taking place in our world:
- Char and Chris had thier baby yesterday! A healthy 7 pounder! Catherine was brought into this world with only 20 minutes of pushing. Baby and mom are reported to be fabulous.
- EV numbers are up. Keep visiting the site!
- We've picked out cakes for the wedding! SO SO excited about the cake!
- I've picked out and ordered J's wedding band! It looks super nice, and corresponds nicely with mine.
liked it so much, it became a blog...
Body: Tired of all those surveys where you list favorite this, favorite that..? Well now you get to list off everything you hate, and vent about everything that annoys you or makes you mad. Just let it all out and say as much as you want!
MOST HATED...
FRUIT: plantain. GROSS. the only reason i will not say my favorite food is cuban food. They cook it every kind of way imaginable and it is still dirty. DIRTY.
CANDY: Taffy. Why would i want to lose my teeth trying to eat that stuff?
BEVERAGE: Espresso. Think about it. ALSO dirty. Stains your teeth. Tastes like crap. literally. AND makes you CRAZY!!
COLOR: orange. I don't understand it. I look horrid in it. unless it is used as an accent color. For example...my shirt today is pink and orange. and it looks nice. orange by itself. horrid. ALSO...maroon. It's my school color and I hate it. I hate saying it. I hate all aspects of it. It's WAY too close to purple (which I also hate).
TOWN/CITY: San Antonio or Houston. in Texas.
TV SHOW: ALF. It was WEIRD. and totally UNREAL. But still, i'd rather watch that than the apprentice. what a BORE!
MOVIE: the Matrix series. (don't throw stones)
ASPECT OF MYSPACE: all of these bulletins like "SEE WHO'S LOOKING AT YOUR PROFILE" or "THIS IS THE REAL ONE FOR CHECKING WHO VISITS YOUR MYSPACE" how am i supposed to snoop anymore? you people are idiots. if you have an enemy on here, you don't want them to know you know they know. (i agree...)
ASPECT OF AOL/YAHOO INSTANT MESSENGER: how with the new AOL you can accidentally send messages to the wrong person and not realize it.
ANIMAL: cats. and cat lovers. i'm sorry, but something's wrong with you if you love cats. they smell, pee in a box, and sit on your tv while making you earn their affection. get a dog. (wow this is sooooo dead on) BUT. Consider the sheep. THEY ARE SO STUPID and loud and pointless. plus, they taste bad. I don't care if you like Osso Bucco. It's dirty.
INSECT: Anything that stings. or bites.
BIRD: ones that chirp outside your window at the first crack of sunlight
SEASON: Spring. Shoot me in the face with allergies.
AGE OF KIDS: High schoolers. They are so pretentious and annoying.
WHAT ANNOYS YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING WHEN DRIVING? tailing. and also people who are doing ten things at once while trying to drive. ONCE. My boss...haha....was talking on his cell, eating a cookie, drinking water from a water bottle, and shifting gears all at once. When what does he see? A homeless man at the corner. Deciding that he'd help this guy out...he waves the guy over to him as he is doing all of the afore mentioned things AND digging the change out of his ashtray. When the guy gets to his window, my boss (with cookie/water mixture in the mouth) goes to say something to him....gets flustered and excited about his good deed....spews cookie and water mixture all over the homeless man and then drives off. because the light turned green. HAHA. how horrible and funny at the same time.
WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST WHILE WATCHING TV OR MOVIES: Talking. and also loud eating.
EATING IN RESTAURANTS: Waiters who talk all the time. Usually they say unnecessary things like "oh, i'll be right back with your water/check/meal/fries." Me---"Really? Okay...just do it." I worked in a restaurant, and believe me, the best policy is to ask them if they need anything maybe once during the course of their meal...NOT every five seconds.
GOING THROUGH DRIVE-THRUS: Okay, has anyone noticed that when you go to Jack-in-the-crack that they have an automated answering message. It's always a really perky ('I'm so happy to work at Jack's!') chick and the ACTUAL person helping you is a 17 year old disgruntled prepubecent boy?
YOU'RE AT THE MALL: All stores that work on commission.
SLEEPING (OR TRYING TO SLEEP): Lights on/drawers open/doors open.
SHOWERING: COLD marble tubs and tile floors.
YOU'RE AT THE BEACH: When you get hit by waves so hard that it pulls you down and at the same time pushes your swimsuit top up...just as a father/son walk by. real nice.
YOU'RE AT THE GROCERY STORE: the lady at the HEB "how to cook" station. She has a microphone. is that necessary? she's right in front of you.
YOU'RE ON A DATE: when you don't know its a date until he shows up at your door "all dressed up" and with roses. EPH.
COOKING OR BAKING: when it doesn't turn out right. that's annoying. especially when you tried real hard to make it work.
WHAT HOUSEHOLD CHORE DO YOU HATE THE MOST? hangin up clothes. or loading the dishwasher.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE ABSOLUTE WORST WAY TO DIE? drowning or suffocating. or did you hear about the lady who was trying to beat her husbands world record for deep sea diving. She got like 589 feet below the surface, pulled her string that was supposed to inflate her balloon thing, and it didn't inflate. EPH. She died.
WHAT'S THE MOST ANNOYING HABIT IN OTHERS? Pompous attitudes.
WHAT IS YOUR WORST HABIT? I dont have any. (har har har)
WHAT FASHION TREND (PAST OR PRESENT) HAVE YOU HATED THE MOST?: Um. Dazy dukes. Are you serious with those?
WHAT POPULAR SONG: Anything by James Blunt.
WORST OR MOST HATED PICKUP LINE: "hey, i've got teeth too. We've got so much in common!"
WORST THING ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL: um all of it.
TO BE COMPLETELY STEREOTYPICAL, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST ANNOYING THING ABOUT GIRLS? Conversations like this "I just love Willa Ford cuz she keeps it REAL!" (true story)
TO BE COMPLETELY STEREOTYPICAL, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST ANNOYING THING ABOUT GUYS? How they always lower their voice when answering the phone. HA.
WHAT'S ANNOYING YOU TODAY? i'm not sure.
WHAT TICKS YOU OFF ABOUT PEOPLE? in general, people's lack to communicate and empathize. (not sympathize)
Oh I should be embarassed.
1.) On my way to workout I totally jam some Madonna "Confessions on a Dancefloor." and then on my way back from my workout it's nothing but "Black Angels" cuz i'm all buff and feel like a bad-assss. :D
2.) Dental work doesn't bother me at all.
3.) I have no idea how i graduated with my degree.
4.) I have night terrors on nights when i've eaten pizza for dinner. Sometimes I can't be woken up, and I'll have the same dream OVER and OVER....
5.) I sing Bryan Adams songs in the shower. ALL the time.
6.) When I eat Chicken Express chicken tenders, i totally put the ketchup *IN* my gravy.
Animadness....
So, we entered this thing called Animadness. It's a contest where they give each team a character (child), a prop (pill), and a theme (greed). We have three weeks to make a 5 minute (or less) film using these characters. We've made our storyline...come up with our characters....made some clay characters....made our set....and are 1/2 way into the three weeks. Filming starts tonight. Here are some of the pics of our characters and set. You can use the three things that the contest gives you in any capacity that you so choose. We've chosen to make the pill our main character, the child's stomach our setting, and greed is in there somewhere. :) enjoy!
Well, here we go...
We've created this blog to pretty much give the family and friends a continuous update as to what is going on with us. Hey, it allows you to be passively nosey. AND it allows us to feel a little self-importance. It's like, our own space...we can post whatever we want! mwahahaha!
So what's happening with us?! Let's do a recap of the last month or so...
March 7th: We got ENGAGED. That's right, J popped the big question, and i gave the right answer. :) We've set the date for August 25th this year. The party will be here in Austin at Mercury Hall. Check out the location: www.mercuryhall.com.
Late March: We started booking photographers, musicians (still looking), picking out registry items (target/crate and barrel), looking at flowers, cakes, caterers, and figuring other things out. I started working out (hired a trainer) and have up to this date lost inches and pounds and gained incredible muscles. :) Watch out!!
April 13th-16th: We went home for Easter. We got to see alot of the family and hang out. It was good times. We feel so blessed to be where we are and are so fortunate to have all of the family and friend support. We are so excited for the wedding, but even more excited to solidify our relationship and start our new lives together!!
April 17th: We went to see "Brothers of a Feather: An Acoustic Evening with Chris and Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes." The tickets were an engagement present for J. Front row side seats...amazing good times.
Okay...well, that's what's been happening in our private little world lately. Sure there will be more to come. :)
well that was ridiculous....
Current mood: satisfied
"Are you kidding me? Did that JUST happen!?" -- My reaction to last night's show. I bought J and I tickets (as an engagement present) to see "Brothers of a Feather An Acoustic Evening with Chris and Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes."
They opened with some familiar hits (Jealous Again and Wiser Times), threw in some covers ("Sin City" - The Flying Burrito Band; "Let it Be Gone" - The Grease Band; "Over the Hill - John Martyn, "No Expectations" - Rolling Stones) and some solo project songs (Leave it Alone--Rich's; Train Robbers--Chris's) as well as some new stuff (Magic Rooster Blues :)) and ended with the most fabulous rendition of "She Talks to Angels" I've heard. The crowd wasn't moving, so they came back out and played "Willin'" by Little Feat (Inara George's dad :)).
Chris Robinson (minus the drugs, plus the facial hair) was an entertainer between songs...making jokes about square dancing, football and the heat wave that came through town yesterday. His voice made my head go numb (weird, i know, but there's no other way to explain it). Rich was amazing on the guitar... his fancy fingerwork was impressive to say the least.
Can't wait 'til they come back and play with the entire group in July! :)
Complete Set List:
JEALOUS AGAIN
WISER TIME
LET IT BE GONE
OVER THE HILL
UNDER A MOUNTAIN
MAGIC ROOSTER BLUES (1st time played)
WYOMING AND ME
LEAVE IT ALONE
LAST OF THE OLD TIME TRAIN ROBBERS
SIN CITY
GIRL FROM A PAWNSHOP
NO EXPECTATIONS
BRING ON BRING ON
NONFICTION
SHE TALKS TO ANGELS
- encore -
WILLIN'
*the other video i had in here was messing up all over the place....so here ya go. Check out some groooooooooovy dance moves "a la chris robinson" :---D Yes, our souls are singing. loud and clear.
Yay for Yay!
J's videos for Expert Village are being featured in a Google video blog spot! AND a friend of the band Goldenbear recently saw J's video for their song "10,000 Orchestras" on Austin Music Network!
How proud am I?!
Also, J's started his own production company...called Full 90 Productions! Check out his profile, and see his videos! :) Also, visit Expert Village and check out his work! Here's the link to the Google Video spotlight:
http://googlevideo.blogspot.com/
so going home tomorrow...
Current mood: okay
Dad's not doing well. He's been sick for some time. Can't eat. Depressed. He's misplaced 25 lbs. since Christmas. He's been going to the doctors, getting tests run...
I am one of those kids in the family that started to view my parents as my best friends and not so much my parents when I was in college. I'm very close to my family and my parents are the kind of people who truly love me no matter what happens. No matter what retarded thing I do (like calling Ms. Cleo my freshman year), or how bad I mess up (like failing classes in college), or what I say ("dang__ is a bleep sometimes."), they laugh with me and cry with me and generally help me out of my mess.
It's really weird when you see your parents sick and you start to think what would happen if they weren't around. I know for a fact, that my world would be a completely different place, if not for my dad. I never was a daddy's girl growing up. I was kinda a loner. I liked being held for the first thirty minutes I was awake and then I didn't want to be touched. But then I start to think of all those memories of falling asleep on the couch and being carried to my bed by my dad, half asleep. I remember feeling so safe when he tucked me in so tight. And how great it felt just to know that my parents were sleeping across the hall from me if I ever needed them. I see my brother with Kendall, and I think of how it must have been for my dad. I think I've definetly become a daddy's girl in the last couple of years of my life. He's the guy I can go to and talk about anything. He's probably the only one in my family who can speak rationally to me and get me to think clearly when I'm throwing a fit. I look forward to him giving me away and playing with my kids. Everything I do now is to make him proud of me.
On the other hand, I'm definetly a mom's gal too. I talk to my mom every day. EVERY day, at least once a day and that doesn't include emails. I guess it's just nice to have them involved in every part of my life. Though it can be annoying at times, I know they mean the best and want the best for me (now more than ever). My mom was always the type of mom to put a note in my lunchbox. And now that I'm 23 (almost 24), she still does things like this in her own way. Example: today when I got back from lunch, there was a two line email in my inbox that said "I can't wait for you guys to get here. I"ll call you tonight." Like I didn't know she would call tonight. I love it.
I'm so lucky to have my parents and I couldn't think of a better pair for me or my brother. They have set great examples (both in thier triumphs and their faults). I know that Dustin is a great parent because our parents were so great. They have taken care of me in so many ways that I would not hesitate to do the same for them. I would feel blessed. I know I kid them a lot, and give them a hard time, but I really do love them. It's such a cool place to be in when you can think of your parents as your equals, and they think of you as the same.
So we are going home tomorrow, and I can't wait to see my parents. Please keep my dad in your thoughts and prayers.
Christmas through the eyes of a 2 yr. old....
21 Dec 05 Wednesday
Current mood: busy
We took my favorite neice to the Zilker to see the Christmas lights lastnight. Through the crowds of people, you could hear wondrous discriptions of colorful lights and scenes from the tiniest narrators. "Dad! That's Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin sitting on the book!"
Kendall took in the sites and sounds at each stop and yelled "Whoa! Whoa!" at every new exciting scene. She counted the 12 days of Christmas, pointed out each Santa Claus within 100 feet, told us all of the different colors in the millions of different strands of lights, and wanted to hug every puppy, pig, camel and horsey that she saw. She waved to Santa and blew him kisses. She bounced from my arms, to daddies, to marmi's to Jay's and didn't miss a beat. She danced to the music and gazed at the stars. She wanted to run through "candyland" and hold hands with the ice cream cone.
It's amazing how a few lights and some Disney characters in the park are turned into the Christmas Playland in the mind of a two year old. Can you imagine how small she felt underneath the "moon-tower Chritmas Tree?" She couldn't stop to take a picture, couldn't be bothered with writing a letter to Santa. We had to bribe her with the opportunity to *see* Santa to get her to eat her dinner. It's impossible to be a grinch around a 2 year old at Christmas! I've proved it!
And if that's not enough for you....on stage (where the city's different choirs sing and the different dance companies give previews of their Christmas recitals), there's an Austin-worthy extravaganza....a male belly dancer.
Ok...i'll give it to the guy...it takes a lot to pull off crushed velvet, an off-the-shoulder velvet crop-top, makeup, crimped hair AND a beard. But when you can do the "tummy wave" and play castinets, that's talent!! Oh aren't you jealous?! Yes, Mr. Male Bellydancer Man....we are.....
I'm so thankful...
I'm so thankful...
Current mood: thankful
Wow, so it's Thanksgiving Eve. :) I'm sitting here today at work thinking about Thanksgiving's past and tomorrow's events. I have so much to be thankful for. I think there is more this year than ever before. Here's my top ten for this year:
10. Beautiful weather. I am thankful for God's green earth and the many chances that I have to get outdoors in the hill country.
9. Food, water, and shelter. Living in a city that is so heavily populated with homeless people, I am thankful that I do not have to worry about where I am going to sleep or how I am going to afford my next meal. At the same time, I feel compassion towards those who do have these worries. Also, with the onset of hurricanes, many refugees came to Austin. I am glad that I was not unfortunate enough to lose all of my belongings in such a tragic event. My heart goes out to those who did.
8. My car. It runs, it is mine, and even though I hate paying for it, i am thankful that I don't have to walk or ride a huffy to work.
7. lucky number seven is: my beautiful Lola. Though she is not with me in austin, she is always, always, always in my heart and I miss her like crazy.
6. My relocation. It has been hard at times. At times, I'll admit I have been bitter. I will admit that at times I felt defeated. I will admit that I have wanted to escape many times. But, I can honestly say that this is where I am supposed to be. Since I have relocated, I have been given many new opportunities (which have made this list). My favorite opportunity and change has been that I am now of GREAT influence on my neice. I have been given new opportunities to get to know her, and seeing her grow on a daily basis has been so humbling. Seeing things through the eyes of a child is one of life's great blessings. She is so clever and so so so smart. There is nothing like waking up in the morning to her smiling eyes (i think she gets them from me). She helps bring me into focus.
5. My bills. I know this sounds funny, but in some way they are a testament to my personal development. I have grown in so many ways in this last year. And though I am broke and can only afford Boones at times (hehe), I am grateful that I can pay my own bills.
4. My job!! I am SO sosososossososo blessed. God truly blessed me with this great job and this great company who cares about each and every employee. I have never felt so welcome or so spoiled in any workplace. I can't believe I was lucky enough to run into my good friend Allison the very 1st day I moved to Austin. Without her, I surely would have been looking for a job to this day!
3. My friends. Through this last year, I have felt so much. So many different emotions have run through my little head. I can't believe the amazing amount of support that you all have given me. You have held my hand, wiped my tears, picked me up, and given encouraging words through everything. You few are my super-duper-support system. It's hard to seperate any of you from family, so read number 1 and know that you are included in that speech also.
2. This wonderful feeling they call "love." I never thought I would feel it again. So imagine my surprise when I felt it so soon! Thank God for all the wonderful times that I have had as of late. I truly do feel that if not for Him, i would not know "him." I am truly blessed just by knowing you, and I want you to know that you are my angel in disguise, my knight in shining armor, my frog prince, and my security blanket. I am where I am today because of what some might call one of "life's tragedies." But, I am all the more thankful for that because my circumstances have led me to you. I love you with all of my heart.
1. My family. They have been there for me for many, many, many years but this year seems to be their shining moment. They all really stepped in and took control of my life when I felt like I couldn't steer my way through the fog. Then, when I was brave enough to take the wheel, they lovingly let me take control again. I will forever be in debt to their efforts and actions. I am truly, truly, truly thankful.
So, go out and eat turkey (or tofurkey) and all the trimmings! And also be thankful for the many blessings in your life, big and small!
Why I love austin (the finale)
Current mood: blah
Stole this from a friend...wish I could be this original...
1. First, it's pronounced AWS-TUN. It doesn't matter how they say it in other places.
2. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Austin has its own set of traffic rules. There's no book about them. All you can do is get in your car and hope you survive to learn them. (If yer an aggressive driver, you reign. If yer not, just stay calm and try to stay outta the way.)
3. All directions start with "Go down Mopac...'cause you don't want to get on I-35." No one knows for sure what 'Mopac' means. (fyi: That name came from the Missouri Pacific Railway.)
4. Burnet Road, Braker Lane, and Lamar Blvd. have no beginning and no end.
5. It is impossible to go around a block and wind up on the same street that you started on. The Chamber of Commerce calls this a scenic drive. (Lucky for us, there are hills and deer everywhere. That means its nice to get lost sometimes.)
6. The 8:00am rush hour is from 6:30am to 9:30am. The 5:00pm rush hour is from 3:30p to 7:15pm. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning. (Couldn't be closer to the truth. Plan ahead when driving in.)
7. If you actually stop at a yellow light, then you cannot be from Austin. You may only apply your brakes when the end of a yellow light and the beginning of the red light create a burnt-orange hue. This is Longhorn Country, after all. (For some reason, there's also a rule in place that states you cant push yer accelerator until 3.2 seconds AFTER the light turns green. GOOD LORD PEOPLE! WHY??)
8. If you like being an individual, don't even think of working for Dell. You'll be branded like cattle and made to walk all over town with your Dell Tag around your neck or clipped on to your belt loop. (err... I think that kinda goes for the TX Lottery, too.)
Ninety-eight percent of the people within a 200 mile radius work for Dell. When someone says "Michael Dell", Dell employees are trained to face Round Rock, hit their knees, put their face to the ground, weep, and rock back and forth.
9. Just remember that Mopac = Loop 1; Capital of Texas Hwy = 360; and U.S.183 = Research Blvd., Anderson Lane, Ed Bluestein Blvd. and Old Bastrop Hwy; 2222 = Northland Dr. or Allendale Rd. or Koenig Lane. (Takes twice the brains to live here, see?)
***Also don't forget Ben White/290/71 which also turns into Capital of Tx Hwy/Loop 360***
Don't try to figure it out. Just accept it. If you question the intelligence behind this naming convention, people will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you.
10. If moisture is determined to be rain, and not sweat, all traffic must immediately come to a screeching halt; ditto for daylight savings time, a female UT student applying eye-shadow across the street, or a flat tire three lanes over. (Geez, so true.)
11. DO NOT attempt to access any road after an apocalyptic event like snow or SXSW (South by Southwest Music Convention). Construction on I-35 AND U.S. 183 is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. Get used to it!
12. Attn: All telephone solicitors...DO NOT correct my pronunciation when I say I live in Manchaca, TX. It's pronounced MAN-shack (just like a man living in shack). Also realize that the city of Manchaca (MANshack) is in Hays and Travis Counties, and there is also a very long street in Austin named Manchaca (MANshack)!
The city of Manor and Manor Rd. are pronounced 'MAY-ner'. We don't like corrections on that either.
And, for God's sake, DON'T pronounce the 'E' at the end of Guadalupe. It's Gwada-LOOP and we like it that way!
13. Burnet Road is pronounced BURN-it, not Bur-NET. Koenig Lane is pronounced KAE-nig not KOE-nig. The old airport (Robert Mueller) is pronounced Robert Miller and is on Airport Boulevard. The new airport (Austin-Bergstrom) is no where near Airport Boulevard. It's in the city of Del Valle pronounced Dell Valley!
14. Keep in mind that the sloppily dressed 'hippie' in worn-out sandals and earrings is probably the latest millionaire around here. (Which means: be nice to all people under the sun. Yes, even the homeless guy on the corner.)
15. Stay away from the Congress Ave bridge at sundown if you do not like the thought of being in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It has the Largest Mexican Free Tail Bat Population in the US. (And its frikkin awesome to see them depart at dusk EVERYDAY to go munch on like 20 tons of insects. So cool. And much fewer mosquito bites for us!)
16. And, yes, we all know that there's a man in a teddy and a tiara on Congress Ave. It's Leslie and he probably makes more money than you do. Surely, you have a homeless, celebrity drag queen that likes to run for Mayor where you live, too, right?
Now you'll never wonder why there are so many bumper stickers that say 'Keep Austin Weird'
Saturday night w/ GB and friends...
Current mood: indescribable
wow. wow. wowsers. So we went to a concert at Jesse's Bed and Breakfast on 10/29/05. And there are many ways to break down that sentence...by "concert" i mean multiple concerts (four bands played). By "Jesse's Bed and Breakfast" I actually mean a two story house that was in fact owned by college kids and somehow converted into possibly the BESTEST college party house EVER. In it's own right, it could be described as a make-shift frat house for bands. The garage has been converted into a stage area where you can get up close and personal with your favorite bands. AND...there's free beer in the homemade KEG-er-ator. What made this party even better, is that it was a four month anniversary of the first date that Jay and I had. AND...the amazing part is that it was four months to the day, AND it was the same event (kind of--we went to see golden bear in concert for our first date).
Now, let me just tell ya...Golden Bear sounded amazing that night. They played all the favorites like Santa Rosa, 10,000 Orchestras and Gospel Truth. Hoorah! Then the next three bands to take the stage, I had never heard of, but I'm glad I was there to witness the pandamonium. (Did I mention that it was a pre-halloween costume party?) The next band to take the stage was "the early tapes"...and for lack of a better comparison, I felt like I was at a Doors concert. An amazing sound, unlike anything else going on today. Tia Carrera was next, and they put on a fabulous show of transic metal. I literally felt like I was in a jam session-fun times.
As for my nonclimactic blog, that's pretty much it. It was amazing fun. And I guess I'm just writing this blog to say (A)Thanks for the good times, Golden Bear. and most importantly,(B) thanks for the last amazing four months, j! i love you; you have changed my life.
How broke am i?
12 Oct 05 Wednesday
Current mood: sleepy
I'm broke. Not that I'm ashamed, because, I'm still paying my own bills and paying my own rent and car payment. It's the first of the month, and I'm between paychecks. And, to make matters worse, not only am I broke, but so is J. But at least he's broke for a reason...stupid chick stole 700 bucks from him on ebay (Don't worry, she's going to pay), and he just bought a new computer, is paying his own rent, bills and new car payment.
Oh, what's that? Perfect timing! Mom is coming to visit for five days. SMILE SMILE SMILE! so, after mom left town on Monday, I took a look at my full fridge, and my mouth began to water at the thought of the feast that I would be having that night. so, after I woke up from my nap (ha, cuz I deserved one), J and I decided that we would eat, drink, and be merry. So, after pancakes, pizza, tacos and beer, we were still unsatisfied. And it was only 8:30. What did we want? Something that would make the above smorgasbord complete--Sparks. If you haven't had Sparks, then rush out and buy some (it's an excellent beverage for malt liquor drinkers because not only will it get you sloshed, it will make you hyper because it has caffiene. and taurine. and it's only 6 dollars for a 6 pack.(read a review here http://www.philadelphiaindependent.net/public/articles/35.html )
So we went to the store, but alas, they were SOLD OUT of Sparks, because it's awesome. haha...so, what do we do (because we are SO broke), but decide that the perfect substitute is Boones Farm wine product. Notice that it is indeed a wine product (if you get certain flavors like green apple). Now, neither of us had drank Boones since, oh i dunno... high school. So, here's the best part..and the subject of this story. We go up to pay the nice lady for our trasy wine product and Twizzlers (b/c really, what's better than that combination). $2.71 a bottle. And not only are we emberassed that we have to buy Boones, but she looks at me, asks me my date of birth. and then how we are doing "fine, thanks, *muffled laugh*" and then "would you like me to wrap these in a brown paper bag for you?" GEEBUS, do they really ask that if you buy anything other than Boones? I couldn't do anything but LAUGH, hysterically even.
So that's how broke I am. But, hope is in the future, I get paid on Friday. :) Then we are going to be drinking champagne on our camping trip.
I hope you people don't look for anything more than entertainment value in these posts.
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