Christmas came and went. It was lots of fun this year- the anticipation of Christmas with two kids is very entertaining!

I made my first A in grad school. And still two weeks of a break. I am thinking of trying to find a new book to read for the rest of the break.

Our company sold yesterday. They've eliminated all benefits for our part-time employees. No personal time, no vacation. They've removed a week of vacation for the tenured employees with 10+ years. They say we are now more in-line with other companies in the industry. Hmm. I am sure there are more changes to come.

Christmas is in two weeks. It has snuck up on me! My final is tomorrow. Once that is done, I'll be able to knock everything out!

We tried a new restaurant, Bocaccio Cafe, in the Brownstone Village in Arlington. It was pretty good. They don't have their Alcohol license yet, but luckily there was also a great wine tasting store located right next door. This is where we spent the remainder of our evening. (When we were supposed to be Christmas shopping.)

Also went to the Cowboy game last night. It was brutal. Not the weather- the team. But we had great seats on the third row. I can't say that I will go back to the nasty stadium again unless I have good seats again. Our chairs were pretty gross and the facility is so outdated.

Big Test Tonight. Soar Neck Tomorrow.

Black Friday

I finally experienced Black Friday. Never before have I taken part in this craziness. We didn't quite get into it like some, but here's what we did see:

We got out of bed, loaded up with coffee, and headed to Stop #1: Best Buy, around 7am. The parking lot was crowded, but not full. Once inside, it was packed with 'deal' displays, lots of employees, and many customers as well. We are in the market for a new video camera, so we headed that direction. The section was full of people and most of the 'specials' were already sold out.

A woman behind us was Very upset that the digital camera she wanted was sold out. Apparently, someone made the mistake of actually telling her that the item was in stock, but that vouchers had already been given out to those people who waited in line at 4 am. She said that she was there at 4am as well, but had to leave. She repeatedly told the manager that she was 'here now, and ready to buy' and even though there were others in the store with vouchers, she should have the right to the camera because she is ready to checkout first.

All of this sounded like nonsense to me. Isn't this what she expected? I big hat's off to retail management personnel who have to deal with dumb people.

We proceeded to find a camera for ourselves. Of course, the one we came to look at was already sold out- but we expected this might be the case before even leaving the house. We also found a High School Musical playstation game(which is all the rage in our little Disney channel daughter's world) for a bargain price of $10 and a 'Now 23' CD. I was a little embarrassed to buy this CD, but for $5.99, it's cheaper than iTunes.

Stop #2: Lowe's. Everytime I've driven by Lowe's/Home Depot at 8am the parking lot is usually full of what I assume is contractors buying supplies for the job of the day. The lot looked about the same today as any other day.

Our goal here: a new vacuum. Luckily, no problems getting the super special savings here. We also picked up some 6 inch Poinsettias for $1.49 (steal!) and some Christmas storage needs.

Stop #3: Radio Shack. The store we visited did not carry all of the items in the advertisement. This didn't seem like ethical advertising. But at least we didn't spend alot of time and effort to get there.

So, that concluded our minimal experience of Black Friday. We may not have doven in head first (like going to Toys'R'Us) but we saw all we wanted to see. We had breakfast at LaMadeleine and ran across another Radio Shack which had the items we were looking for. All in All a very successful morning. And we didn't even have to throw the gloves off!


Oh, we later discovered that many of the stores advertising 'Black Friday' savings offer the same pricing for online purchases with free shipping!

I took what my mother-in-law calls a 'personal mental health day' on Monday and stayed home with my hubby. We went on a nice mountain bike ride around Lake Grapevine. This ride wasn't as difficult as Cedar Hill so I was able to actually ride a bit more. However, I am still pretty sore from carrying my bike up a few hills. It was fun. I'm trying to figure out how to work these personal days into my schedule every week.

Had I gotten the memo, and complied, I could have dug out my Black Cat costume to wear to work. However, that would make me the fourth black cat here. This must be the easiest costume to put together. I'm glad I didn't get the memo.

Speaking of cats, Eliot must have met his match last night. We overheard his rumble behind the fence- not uncommon for our little neighborhood bully. A while later, he was at the back door looking a little out of sorts. And again this morning, he was moving very slow. No bloodshed or injury found, maybe just a little bruising of his ego.

We had a great weekend- it's been a while since my sweet and I have had a whole weekend together.

The Pat Green concert was lots of fun. I still prefer the acoustic setting, but at least he wasn't drunk at this performance!

We were able to go on a mountain bike ride yesterday. 12 miles at Cedar Hill State Park. It was a fun ride. I'm a little soar today...everywhere.

We went to dinner Friday at Simply Fondue. Unhealthy? A bit. Great service? Always. That's what really counts.

Congratulations to my superstar sister for finishing her first marathon! Someday, I will muster up the courage. And to my brother-in-law as well for beating his sub-4 hour marathon goal!

I took test #2 of 4 last night. The pressure builds up about 7 days out and amazingly disappears as soon as I leave the classroom.

Big weekend of no studying - just more reading. Oh - and a Pat Green concert! Yea!

Snack Day

Tomorrow is our day to bring snacks to the soccer game. It was a big struggle - nutritious snack to nourish the body after 1 hour of running your heart out on the soccer field? Or the traditional sugar-filled snack that will prevent your child from being singled out for having the lame, no-fun parents?

Against everything that I am, I went with the chocolate chip cookies. Even though it is a 9 am game. I can't say that my parents would have made the same decision.

I've had a cold for the last three days. Lots of head pressure and lots of sleep.

However, it magically disappeared yesterday afternoon. And I finally went running again in the new 50 degree weather! A big difference from the last run I did in the park!

Had to spend another weekend without hubby. Work trip. Again, no spouses. But who's counting? (that's like 4 this year.) Someday I will see hubby's boss and throw out the spousal accompaniment suggestion.

So what did I do? I went to school, went shopping, ate dinner from Al's, and went to Austin. Got to make a brief visit with the fam. We had a good time- saw a super Baseball game, went to see the Departed, rode bikes in the park. Great visit. But I had to head home to do homework. Always homework.

Hubby is back now. Brought me a shirt. Very nice.

I'm really bummed- my laptop won't boot up. It's been on a slow decline for quite sometime. I don't have any super important info on it that I can't access elsewhere. But I do have hundreds of songs, some of which I bought from iTunes, that I will have to reload. What a whipping.

My sweetheart left town again. Again- no spouses on this trip. What kind of company do we work for? But I do get to go visit my sister and family which I haven't done since they moved. I'm quite sure that I've moved down on the Aunt scale.

We watched Tina Fey's new show 30 Rock. It stunk.

One final note- I got my first Tax test back and got an 85! I'm really pleased with this grade. Now if I could get my laptop to work, I have a chance to raise the score with test corrections...

A fabulous end to a busy week

My week started out just like any other. No big expectations from work- but my first FIT test on Thursday. I went ahead and requested the day off from work to study.

Then I showed up to work Wednesday. The power was not working. It was first expected to come on at 9am, then 12pm, then 4:30, and finally at midnight. Unfortunately we run payroll on Wednesday. This means that everyone left for the day except for me. Our payroll support crew at Corporate office was holding out for the slight chance that the electricity would come back on early. Have you ever sat at your desk with a flashlight and tried to entertain yourself? I actually got about 3 hours of studying in (with the sound of UPC and fire alarm beeping from all around). 5pm finally came, no electricity, and I finally got to go home.

It was a good thing I did get some studying done because I didn't get to take my Thursday off. I was at work processing payroll. Nevertheless, my test went okay. I did wake up Thursday night realizing that I had computed a tax calculation all wrong. I hate that!

So, then came Saturday. The kids are here which always makes things very enjoyable. We started out the day with an early morning soccer game. We then found a bmx motorcross arena in DeSoto. We plan to go there one evening soon and watch the race. It's just like the XGames!

After lunch at Panera, we arrived home and the kids were playing out front. Out of nowhere, kid #1 (who has made it very clear that she has no interest in riding a bike nor will she partake in any coaching) jumped on her little brother's bike and took off like a pro! It was the first time she's been able to balance, peddle, turn, stop. All of it- just like that! She was in just as much shock as we were! So of course we had to call her mom and grandma too. =0)

They took a little dip in the pool (freezing)! And then we headed back out on the bikes with kid #2 in tow. We had a great afternoon at the science center and to the park. We came home and made pizzas (have I mentioned that my husband is the best cook in the world?). Now my darling has taken his daughter on a date to Starbucks and I am here with my glass of wine.

A great ending to a hectic week!

I think my brother-in-law has crossed the line from avid exerciser to addict. He's taking baths now in ice.
---------------------------------------
In other news, went to dinner last night. The restaurant shares a parking lot with a well known do-it-yourself home project supplier. So it wasn't too odd that there were a few 18 wheelers parked at the end of the parking lot.

Until we saw a lady appear from that area of the parking lot. She seemed to be talking to some other restaurant patrons as they were leaving.

At the same time we saw her, we saw a policeman pull up in an unmarked car. He also parked on an edge of the parking lot.

Back to the woman- we were discussing some possible scenarios regarding her presence. Was she a truck driver? Or a truck driver's woman? Or a truck driver's 'companion'?

As soon as the policeman arrived, she turned around and walked away. She spent a few minutes behind the trucks and again returned to bother more restaurant patrons. And as soon as she did- that policeman swooped in and told her to go!

And finally, (the whole point in me writing this) she walks to a Honda Accord parked at the end of the row and drove off. Her car was just as nice as mine! I wonder if she makes more money begging for change than I make at my job?

Some people think the government taxes everything:
"In addition to embezzlement of funds, courts have held that a kidnapper's ransom was taxable, along with profits from bookmaking, card playing, forgery, stealing, bank robbery, sale of narcotics, illegal sale of liquor, and bribes. "

But that's simply not true:
It is not required to list 'Free Parking' as income on your tax return. The govt lets you get away with that little 'fringe benefit' from work.

How is it that the oil change businesses get away with having such nasty waiting rooms?

I finally went to have my oil changed today. I don't go to the same place everytime. I used to go to a place in Mansfield. The waiting room had magazines that were at least three months old and the coffee pot stained brown. The good thing about this place was that it was quick and they had seating outside.

Today I went to a similar facility closer to my house- same company, different location. They didn't have outdoor seating. So as I sat inside reading the magazine I brought from home, I noticed this waiting room had a fancy-smancy coffee machine in it. A big draw! Not so much- still stained with coffee running down the front of it.

How do business owners operate like this? I tried to answer my own question and initially thought that they must all be male so they are not concerned with the particulars of a waiting room. But as I looked around, half of the people waiting in the room were female. So wouldn't it make sense to try to appeal to your market?

Maybe this isn't really an important issue- but I will say that my experience is that waiting rooms are gross at Oil Lube places. So in 3,000 miles (or so), I will continue my search for some outdoor seating.

My brain is so full of Federal Income Tax it may explode. And I still have 11 weeks to learn even more. And then it's all over. So much will change for 2007.

It's occurred to me that this may be my only opportunity to do tax returns.

It's about noon on Tuesday. So far today I've paid some bills, reviewed my company credit card charges, talked to one customer, reviewed my notes about Chapter 14 'Special Tax Computation Methods', and read a couple of random blogs. It's really frustrating that I can't open anything from my school's website at work. The Adobe links never open. Of course my teacher posts everything when I'm at work. So I don't have it in time for class.

I think I am going to have to go buy a birthday cake for one of my not-so-esteemed co-workers. I don't really agree that we need to get a cake for someone who has been out of the workplace for the last 5 days celebrating her birthday. If she doesn't want to be at work on her birthday, I don't think we should have to recognize it. It wouldn't break my heart. But that does remind me to make a note to self: save vacation day for birthday.

Darn Rain

Yesterday was beautiful. Thankfully so because Addison had her first soccer game- and scored a goal! The game ended 4-4.

Today, muggy and rainy. However, the rain held off until we finished an entire pitcher of lemonade and A&P's first Lemonade Stand. They did a fabulous job of wheeling and dealing and both are much closer to filling up the piggy banks.

The Cowboy games starts soon and then it's back to work. Bummer.

We went to the Fort Worth Gallery Night Saturday night. We were really impressed with Rebecca Low. For those of you in the Fort Worth area, you should check out her gallery/workshop sometime.

On another note, kid #1 starts a new soccer season this weekend. She's been out since her broken leg last year. So we're pumped to go cheer her on.

Tonight is night #2 of bachelorette week. My sweet husband has been summoned for another week of schmoozing by corporate sponsors at Pinehurst. Someday they'll invite spouses.

So, my first night I went to school, cooked a tasty pasta dish (yeah that's right - I cooked!), watched a PBS special and went to bed. Tonight, I took my first bike ride on my own. I was really scared my tire would blow on mile number 5- the farthest from home. Luckily- no problems. We're having amazing Texas weather right now. And the rest of the evening will be me, a corona, a corny dog, and a big fat Tax book.

Good Times in Bachelorette week. I think tomorrow I might get a little crazy and clean the bathrooms!

Duce

We went to dinner this weekend at Tim Love's new restaurant, Duce. It was absolutely delicious.

We first arrived and received fresh Sangria. We then selected a few 'Little Food' items to try, including Gnudi, Ceviche, Rabbit Ravioli, and Crawfish stuffed Shrimp. All very tasty. We then followed with salads and entrees. But I think my favorite was definitely the Little Food. Very fresh and appealing to the pallet.

Two things to mention today:

My sweet, sweet husband went to track down the Pat Green CD for me, Cannonball. I've just started listening to it today at work. It has some great songs and some okay songs. It seems with each new CD he releases, some of the tracks become a little more commercialized. Not the original Pat we all knew and loved. But- still a great purchase.

Secondly, we had another date night at the Movie Tavern last night. I've never been one to go to movie theaters much - they gross me out. But, nevertheless we enjoyed the dinner and movie once again. Last night we saw Little Miss Sunshine and absolutely loved it! I recommend it to all.

Off to a fun day at work. Yea.

It's time for me to go back to school again. I took the Spring semester off for our wedding. So, I jumped on the school's website to login and register. I've encountered a few hiccups along the way:
1. There is a new 'system' so I have to call the helpdesk to activate my new ID and login.

2. That got taken care of. So I tried to register again, but I have been deleted from the system. Funny - they set up an email account for me and everything!

3. Turns out, since I skipped a semester, I have to reapply to the school. $30 fee.

4. It took almost 3 weeks, but my application was accepted.

5. So I try to register again. Two holds on my account.

6. The first hold is from the bursar's office. They think they have a bad address. Funny - I just
submitted an application with all of my information. I waited on hold for almost two hours to confirm that the address I sent in is indeed my address.

(At this point, if I don't register by the end of the day, I will have to 'late register'. $25 fee)

7. The second hold is an 'advising' hold. This is pretty standard, so I try to call my advisor and her voicemail says that she prefers email. So I emailed my advisor. I return to work on Monday to see that she has responded. I must now submit a 'Request to Register'. It takes 2-5 days to process. Funny - somehow I thought that when I applied to the school, that might indicate that I intend to register for classes.


Classes start tomorrow. I may or may not be there. I am frustrated with administration processes.

We attended Meet the Teacher Night last night. Kid #1 starts a new school this year and she's a bit nervous. Which is a little out of character for her- she's usually jumps into new situations with no qualms. But it'll probably take about 2 minutes for her to break out of her shell on her first day.

Oh, to be back in the first grade learning how to count money and tell time. Pretty soon she'll be using the remote control. Then we'll have to figure out the parental controls.

RickyBobby

We went to see Talladega Nights last night at the Movie Tavern. (By the way, I think this concept of Dinner & a Movie is genius). I would give it two thumbs up- even if it bad critical reviews. It was everything I expected it to be and I laughed through the whole thing.

Main Street Bicycles (Before)

We spent some quality time at Ikea yesterday. Three hours later, we came home with a new home office setup, new curtains, a chandelier, and a few extras for the kiddos. Including a new piggy bank for each (getting them started out right!).

What a blazing weekend it was. I think I came close to death on Saturday when I attempted to go jogging at 9 am. The weather man said it was 81. I checked weather.com and it was 89. You know in Texas that means it was really like 103. Due to the heat and lack of groceries, we got lunch from Whole Foods and watched golf all afternoon on the lovesack (bean bag). The pool was tempting, but the lovesack looked better underneath the fan.

Followed by dinner at the Mellow Mushroom with Nell and Logan. Very yummy pizza. Still drained by the sun, we had one beer at Baker St Pub and headed home.

Great weekend- too short.

I finally got back on the bike today. We haven't ridden in two weeks. I really tried to break my crashing streak- but was unsuccessful. I almost made it home when my back tire spun out in the dirt and I couldn't get unclipped. Dang those clips! Fortunately, there was no blood shed in this fall.

We went to the American Airlines Museum Saturday afternoon. It was a good exhibit- but a challenge to keep one eye on the kids while trying to read some history with the other eye. There was some cool stuff in there. A good trip to take if you're in the Arlington area. And only $4 for adults.

I could really only work 4 days a week. Seriously- that's all my job would require. There may be a new employee-related initiative offered in the near future at my company, regarding an optional 4 day work week. This would require 4 long workdays, but I would jump on that in a second!

It's 5:00 Thursday evening and I have to stay at work for a 'New Member Mixer'. Being the social butterfly that I am, these things are always a joy for me. So I sit here for an hour to greet people for an hour. Oh well, it's better than the Saturday Orientations that I attend once a month.

Big weekend at home base. I think there may be some miniature golf/dollar beer Friday night. And maybe a Dive-In movie Saturday night. Followed by Ranger game Sunday night. Hopefully, we'll squeeze some pool time in there somewhere.

What a busy week we've had. It's a two week kid-week.

We were able to squeeze in a small weekend trip. Friday at NASA in Houston and then on to Galveston for a few days. We had a great time and the kids really liked the beach.

I think the biggest thrill may have been just staying in a hotel. We stayed at a great new hotel that my husband stumbled upon on the internet. It was brand new and had awesome amenities. If I had an unlimited budget, I would decorate my home just like our condo. We also had access to a huge pool, kid pool, hot tub, grills, beach club with pool table and play station, restaurant and bar, fitness center, and even Live music on Saturday night. To top it off, they provided umbrellas and chairs on the beach- no laboring required!

Unfortunately, our weekend came to an end too fast. Back to work today for both of us. My honey to a meeting in the morning while I watch the kids. Then tag- I go to work while he is on duty. Once I made it home, he was back on the road to a City Council meeting. It's now 9:15 and we're all waiting to read a bedtime story once he gets home. A bit past bedtime, but that's the decision I get to make as coolest stepmom around. Well- they may not have told me that, but my honey did.

About the only thing I like about the Jay Leno show is Ross the Intern. There was a segment on last night featuring Ross' recent 3 day stay on a Pirate Ship. It was hilarious.

If you are a fan of Ross, you should check out his blog.

Whoa Mama!

A story from msnbc.com today:

"LONDON - A 62-year-old child psychologist has given birth to a boy, becoming the oldest British woman to have a baby.
Patti Farrant — known professionally as Patricia Rashbrook — delivered her son, J.J., by Caesarean section on Wednesday, according to The Daily Mail newspaper. The baby was conceived after fertility treatments.
Farrant has three grown children from a previous marriage. It is the first child for her husband, John, 60, an education management consultant."


Question:
If you knew that you and your spouse would not likely live long enough to raise a child, would you proceed with reproduction efforts? Would you be giving a child the gift of life? Or is it a greater burden to the child?

It's Monday morning and my email is not working. Email keeps me busy for about 70% of my day.

I completed my first ride- the Peach Pedal- on Saturday. The crowd was not as bad as I thought it would be. And no injuries! We finished in just under 2.5 hours. The climbs at the end were pretty challenging. There are no hills on our regular route, so these caught me a little off guard. All in all, a fun day. The finish was a little anti-climactic. No finish line with no crowd to cheer you on like I've seen at other races. Oh well, who needs a crowd when you're really just challenging yourself. Plus, my sweetheart was very supportive!

Another great Friday at work. My catch up day. Today I am working on my Audit Response worksheet that is due back to my superiors next week. The worksheet lists all audit points that were deducted and the steps I am taking to get them corrected. I mentioned in an earlier posting that I got a 92% on my Accounting audit. However, the rest of the office got a 69%- not so great.

I am also responsible for taking corrective action for these items. The problem is, I am no one's boss so I just don't feel comfortable approaching my co-workers and asking them to start performing their job like they are supposed to.

On another note, tomorrow is my first organized bike ride. The Peach Pedal in Weatherford TX. We are doing the 40 mile ride. I've only ridden 25 at the most, so it should be a challenge for me. Not so much for my other half.

That's about it for us this weekend. Except for the dreaded Employee Party that I am required to be at Sunday night. Which is the reason we had to cancel our trip to Barton Creek for the weekend. Argh.

Bad Lance

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13499281/

The Mavs are making us nervous. Going from 2-0 to 2-3 is not a good trend.

Speaking of trend, work's been keeping me very busy. After the audit was completed, the VP's came in and are curious to know why we are so far behind our financial plan. What does that mean? I've been spending the majority of a week going over every department's expenditures. From notecards to employee lunches, I've had to chart them all. It's been very wearing and frustrating. Justifying the repair of an employee's bracelet is not my area of expertise.

But, not everyone is a frugal accountant. But, maybe they should be.

NBA Playoffs!

I am very proud of our Dallas Mavericks after winning game 6 tonight of the Western Finals. Not only did our regular players show up tonight, but big props to Howard and Diop for stepping it up! It's been a great series and it would be even better to go into these playoffs with Nash on our side. But who am I kidding? Dirk is all we need.

I am a little disappointed that I didn't see my brother-in-law Ricky VanHorn get much playing time tonight. We missed his highest-paid 3 pointers in game 6. But look forward to those knee highed efforts in the next series. Bring it Miami!!

Yeah bitches!! 92% on my audit! Who's the Accountant?

The Audit man cometh...

I'm a little confused about my name right now. I guess that the marriage license makes my new last name official. But, it's really not official official. I have to go to the Social Security office and be able to provide documentation with my old ID and my new ID. How am I supposed to supply new ID to Uncle Sam? He is the issuing authority.

So for now, I go by whatever I am called. But I like the new name.

Conversations from my customers that start out with 'my attorney advised me' humor me. Ooooh-you have an attorney! I'm shaking in my boots now....

5 days. Shortness of Breath, Cold sweats in the middle of the night, Butterflies in the stomach- I've been asked quite a bit if I am nervous yet. Not really- I haven't experienced any of these ailments. We've gotten pretty much everything done. Thanks to lots of errands by my honey today on his day off.

We actually managed to buy a motorcycle this weekend. It was posted on Craigslist on Saturday. We checked it out Saturday night. And brought it home Sunday. It's great to have this time of year. And it gets much better gas mileage than the suburban. Of course I don't know how to drive it....yet.

My status recently changed from an 'Hourly' employee to 'Salaried'. So no matter how much I work, same pay. Or how little I work- it really works both ways.

But for some reason I always feel like I have to stay at work at least 8 hours a day. And when I get to work after my assistant, I feel like I really need to stay at least until she goes home.

It's 5:18pm and I am ready to go. But she's not. So I write in my Blog.

There are many benefits to having a park in your backyard. My sweetie and I are in week 2 of daily bike rides. It's also great for playing on the playground, kites, picnics, etc. One great thing about this particular park is the science center associated with it.

We took the kids to the science center for the second time this weekend. There was a great bird exhibit this weekend. They had guest speakers with guest birds. And on top of all we learned from them, there were at least 10 different hands-on activities for the kids to learn even more about birds and their habitats. It's really nice to have these programs like these available.

I've definitely moved into the busy season at work. My blog update-time is getting smaller and smaller. Today has been angry customer day. Don't these people understand that I would love to hand out $10,000 if I had the ability to do so? Take a number folks!

We met our new wedding contact at the ranch. We are now just hoping that she can handle the food. Much more may be too much. We also got the marriage license yesterday. I wondered if the employees in the Marriage License office ever wonder which 50% of the couples will make it. I'd make it a contest if I worked there.

The lady who I have been in contact with for my wedding at the Ranch has quit. She was in charge of the whole shibang.

Oh freaking joy.

31 Days

The pressure is starting to set in. 31 days to go. Still have to get a ring, tuxedos, order linens and chairs, buy alcohol. Just to name a few things. I sit at work and run through this list on a daily basis knowing I can't do any of it while sitting here at my desk.

We went to a friend's wedding this past weekend. It was held at Cross Timbers Winery in Grapevine. The weather was beautiful and the cabernet was delicious. I had so much fun, I spent half the day in bed on Sunday. Of course, my other half drank just as much but enjoyed the day playing with the tiller in the yard. We now have a yard full of dirt. Hopefully, irrigation and grass will be installed before we leave for Mexico!

Two points before I head out for work:

1. I've decided against attempting the duathlon. My fiance and I agree that I would be pretty upset with myself if I fell off my bike a week before my wedding. And I have developed a habit of falling.

2. My sweetie scored some last minute tickets to the Django/Jerry Jeff Walker concert last night at Bass Hall. It was a great show by both bands. I think that Django was a little out of place- although he did make a joke that the 3 people there to see him were sitting on the 4th level. He also showed up in a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops.
Jerry Jeff was great. This was my second time to see him at Bass Hall. Last time was an acoustic, story telling atmosphere. Last night he had his band with him. Both concerts were equally enjoyable. One thing I thought was strange- he played Redneck Mother both in the concert and the encore. We concluded that Django was probably supposed to join him at the encore but was probably already down the street at 8.0's.

We went to see Tommy Alverson last night. The little BBQ joint in North Richland Hills had some tasty beef and good tunes. This confirmed to us that we made a good choice for music at the reception. I got home last night and checked my mail. Two rsvp cards accounted for! It was very exciting.

Invitations are in the mail. (Sigh of relief). I still have a laundry list of thing to do. I'm starting to have dreams at night about the wedding. Last night, my groom was wearing a dark purple shirt with a blue and green polka dot tie.

There's a phrase we use at home jokingly: Bridezilla. I'm doing my best not to acquire this title.

We had a great weekend.

After tackling the leaves Friday, we made a trip to our new favorite place: Home Depot. One lawn mower, LEAF blower, weed eater, bag of weed & feed, and can of paint later, we returned home and painted our first room. The master bath. Thanks to the genius of my better half, the room is much warmer and inviting. Is a bathroom supposed to be inviting?

He spent most of the day Saturday tackling our lawn while I worked on cleaning. The difference is night and day compared to when we moved in. We also tried to get the homemade irrigation system running. Someone installed piping and sprinkler heads along the edge of the backyard but over the years it has gotten full of mud, etc. It seems to be working much better now and we'll probaly use it for a while.

It is also our year for Spring Break with the kiddos. So far, they've gotten to go swimming and to eat at Trail Dust with the big slide. I believe that Six Flags may be in our future.

I look forward to Friday's because my assistant is not here. I then don't feel guilty for taking care of my personal to-do's. Today I've spent some quality time catching up with a friend of mine from high school. She got married about 4 years ago and we've since lost touch. She quit her job 9 months ago to have her baby girl, Azlyn. And now she's bored. She said she's not in to the mommy-club thing. So she's trying to catch up with her old girlfriends.

I respect that. I think alot of people experience changes in their life that affect the closeness of some of their friendships. We've been friends since we were young and always will be, no matter how many times we talk each year. I have friends that don't understand these changes. Too bad- I hope they will someday.

As for my domesticatedness, big plans this weekend to clean out the covering of leaves at our house that blew in with the wind storm Wednesday night. We swept and cleaned all leaves from our property last weekend. I sense a pattern here. We're gonna have to look into that pool cover.

Weather should be nice. I hope to take advantage of the sun and get some sun on my white meat. Can't get too much-I have my bridal pics on Monday.

TaTa!

I love coffee

I miss coffee. I've been using white strips for the last 10 days in preparation for my bridal pics next monday. I feel like the coffee may be counter productive, so I have modified my intake. I do still have coffee everyday. But only through a straw.

I really like drinking coffee everyday- especially out of the new starbucks mugs we bought last weekend. The straw prohibits such pleasure.

The weekend didn't go quite as planned- but it was great. We bailed out of the Cowtown because of the rain. But attempted to go clean our apartment out. Of course, as soon as we went to pick up the trailer, it had a flat. After getting the tire patched, we cleaned out the apartment, made a stop at Mom's, and headed back home.

The kids were GREAT this weekend! It was pretty amazing what a difference it makes when they have space to run around and space of their own. They were super excited to have new beds. Addison, the little daredevil, was overwhelmed by her desire to get in the pool- she jumped in! She quickly jumped out too...

My better half is a home repair specialist. He bought all new blinds and hung them, trimmed the palm trees, cleaned out the gutters, changed and hooked up the W/D. He's done an outstanding amount of work. The cable and DVR got hooked up yesterday and Security comes tomorrow. Lots to do, lots to do.

Biggest frustration: Eliot has now thrown up in four places on our new carpet. He may be an outdoor cat soon.

On my way out the door to order invitations to the wedding. I know - I'm a little behind. But they're in the works.

We moved into the new house yesterday. Everything went well between juggling appointments and work. We had a little problem with the electricity. But it was turned on just in time to take a bath in the new jacuzzi tub! Thanks to the TXU man for stopping by and fixing it at 9pm.

Now, that doesn't necessarily make us homeowner's. Apparently the urgency to close was not pushed upon the seller. They apparently have not returned some paperwork, delaying our funding. Our realtor thinks 'this is no big deal'. I guess she's never moved into someone else's house....

Big plans this weekend for the Cowtown. It looks like the chance of rain is pretty good. Hopefully it won't drop until we're done. Then the big day has come to get the bridesmaid's dresses ordered. 10 weeks until the wedding!

We are supposed to be closing on our new house today. My realtor is so frustrating. She is new to the business- less than a year. Throughout our entire relationship with her she has made statements such as 'if you don't sign this, they may charge this' or 'if you don't do this, the seller could walk away'. It is very anti-climactic to be buying my first house and she is leading me to believe that I am lucky this seller is giving me the time of day.

The good news is that the ladies at the title and lending companies have been nothing but helpful, efficient, and communicative. So we've now pushed the closing to tomorrow. This all comes on the one week where I am actually busy at work.

I'm super excited to finally be out of the apartment!

The casino party was a good time last night. It definitely makes a big difference if you have an interactive dealer. Ours was not so interactive. But, good times were still had by all.

The party we attended was an annual employee gathering. I've been to this party for several years now and last night I found myself looking around and thinking every single girl in this room between the age of 18 -22 looks exactly the same. Thin (super thin), tan, brunette with blonde streaks, tight shirt, jeans, thick belt hanging on pants, huge earrings, and four pieces of gum in their mouth. Maybe I'm just getting old, but when did everyone start looking exactly the same?

As I write this, I am sitting at work waiting for our guests of the day to leave. We hosted a tournament on our course today. Somehow the entire golf staff has vacated the premises, yet there are still golf reps here. Now I'm late for my dinner date with long time friend.
Steaming mad.

Alright, so we finally get a freezing weekend. This is gonna be a great opportunity to sleep in finally! Nope- wide awake at 6:30am. We decided to have some breakfast at the Club's Saturday breakfast buffet. We walked in and found 3 gentleman had beat us there- noting that a day like this leaves them with nothing to do. They can't sit at home. They can't play golf.

We, however, have some things to do today. We are going to bug bomb our new house, shop for a new refrigerator, and attend a cake tasting. Hopefully we'll be able to nail down a cake today.

Tomorrow is another casino party- I'm going for the La Cima dining certificate or the six pack of wine.

I'm very sad today. The staff I used to work with is spending the day celebrating their successes of 2005. Since I transferred, I wasn't able to join. And they are spending the day at one of my favorite places, Rough Creek. I'm so bummed.

Not my cat- my cat has way more hair.

The meeting with the florist went great! We spent about 30 minutes discussing the schedule for the big day, colors, and budgets. They are going to set up and deliver everything and agreed that they could do it all within my budget! Yea! No worries with the florist. And then we spent about an hour chatting about miscellaneous-ness. They invited us to Gallery Night in April. I am excited about going. I have been to several gallery nights with my mom as I was growing up. But not since adulthood.

Well, it was another big day in the office. I attended my weekly staff meeting. Mailed about 50 late notices. Ordered some gifts for my bridesmaids. Ate some lunch. Now I've got an hour to kill before meeting with my florist. I got a notice today from one of my wedding guests that the hotels are getting pretty full at our wedding location. That's kinda scary. I hope that everyone who wants to stay is able to find a place.

We've been keeping up with our running the last few weeks. My partner seems to have blown right past me. I think he ran 5 miles the other night, while I'm not even at 3 yet. We're running in the Fort Worth Cowtown 10k in two weeks. I actually ran almost all of the 10k last year with no preparation. So my goal this year is to place higher than #1282. I think we're gonna go riding tomorrow. That's a nice change of pace from the ol' treadmill.

We started getting Runners magazine a couple of months ago. It is some sort of free trial offer. I really like reading it. It's got lots of great info and accessories. It's kinda inspirational as well. I'm thinking of getting an ID tag to wear when out and about. But they're $20 a piece. Seems kinda pricey- I bet I can find some more.

As far as weekend plans go, I have a big hair appointment tomorrow and we have the kids this weekend. I think that Curious George may be in our future. I bought some materials for the kids to make Valentine's cards too. Maybe we can bake some cookies too.....we'll have to see if there is time.

Your results:
You are Supergirl

Supergirl 80% Superman 70% The Flash 65% Robin 55% Wonder Woman 45% Iron Man 45% Spider-Man 40% Green Lantern 40% Catwoman 40% Hulk 35% Batman 20%

Lean, muscular and feminine. Honest and a defender of the innocent.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

The weekend at Barton Creek was another great one. We drove down Friday night and barely made our reservation for dinner in the dining room. We had a fabulous 4 course dinner and shared a bottle of wine. Charles Krug I think. It was a light and tasty cab.

Saturday we headed Austin to do some mountain biking. We first stopped at 360 Cycleworks because we forgot water bottles. I think my better half was almost sold on a new bike. Luckily, we got outta there purchasing only a shirt for me. Funny how that worked out...

The concierge suggested a trail just south of downtown. It was a 10 mile loop. The ride was a little congested- there were runners/walkers/dogs everywhere. It made for a very slow ride, but it was an excellent opportunity to check out the scenery and do some people watching.

After the ride, we headed back to the hotel to make our tee time on the Fazio Foothills course. We only got 9 holes in because the course was so crowded. Probably because of the great weather. So we jumped off and headed to dinner with my sister. The dinner was fun- got to catch up with my sister, brother in law, and two nephews. And they even got me a birthday cake and present (UT Hat- Yea!!)

Sunday we had another tee time on the Fazio Canyons course. I had never played this course before, but my other half has. It was a beautiful course. We were assigned a ForeCaddy for the round since there were no Barton Creek members in our foresome. It was fun to have this guy chasing all of my horrible shots. He was also very helpful at putting tips. I think he gave the others in the group club suggestions as well. I didn't get these- probably because there is no method to my golf madness. The round was very enjoyable, but a little long. The couple we played with were members of the Owners Club. They were staying in Austin for a week and had two tee times a day! That's some serious golfing.

So once we were finished with the round, we headed to Jim Bob's lounge for some early dinner and headed home. We missed most of the Super Bowl, but from what I hear, we didn't hear much.

Birthday Trip

I just found out my sweetie is taking me to Barton Creek for the weekend to celebrate my big 26. I love going to Barton Creek. We get to play golf, hang out in the resort, eat and drink lots of good stuff, and in the summer, lounge in the pool. What a great weekend. Sunny and 70s.

I went to a casino party this weekend. We had a blast. We are attending another in a few weeks. I think this will be a prime opportunity for me to test out the roulette table or even play a game of poker. What the heck!

I'm so bored at work these days. I get like this every January- March. I've done an amazing job at cleaning out my inbox. I should be taking advantage of this time to knock out some of my wedding plans. But since we are about to buy a house, I gotta spend my cash flow wisely. So for now, I sit and stockpile.

We got our repair estimates back on the potential house this weekend and the damage is not too bad. This is a huge relief. Our biggest task will be getting the drainage rerouted and fixing the damage to the driveway because of the drainage. I think we'll be forced to live with it for a few months, much to the dismay of my fiance.

mr elioto

Mr. RobotoWritten by Dennis DeYoungLead Vocals by Dennis DeYoung
(adjusted to describe my fat cat for entertainment purposes only)

Domo Eligato, Mr. Elioto,Mata ah-oo hima deDomo mi gato, Mr. Elioto,Himitsu wo shiri tai
You're wondering who I am-machine or gato. With parts made in Grand Prairie, I am the modren cat.
I've got a secret I've been hiding under my skin. My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain feline. So if you see me acting strangely, don't be surprised. I'm just a cat who needed someone, and somewhere to hide. To keep me alive-just keep me alive. Somewhere to hide to keep me alive. Quit forgetting me on the porch.

I'm not a robot without emotions-I'm not what you see. I've come to help you with your problems, so we can be free. I'm not a hero, I'm not a saviour, forget what you know. I'm just a cat whose circumstances went beyond his control. Beyond my control-we all need control. I need control-we all need control. They will not let me out.

I am the modren gato, who hides behind a mask of hair. So no one else can see my true identity
Domo Eligato, Mr. Eligato, domo...domo Domo elitgato, Mr. Eligato, domo...domoDomo Eligato, Mr. Eligato, domo...domo. Thank you very much, Mr. Eligato. For doing the jobs that nobody wants to. And thank you very much, Mr. Eligato For helping me escape just when I needed toThank you-thank you, thank youI want to thank you, please, thank you

The problem's plain to see: too much technologyMachines to save our lives. Machines dehumanize. I need a machine to clip the hair between my toes.
The time has come at lastTo throw away this maskSo everyone can seeMy true identity...I'm Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy! I'm Eligato- monkey man, fat man, eliot monkey!!!