The smell of wine and cheap perfume.

So last night I went to the Journey concert with some friends--much fun. Who knew that a tiny asian man could impersonate Steve Perry so well. Where did they find that guy? Does he have an accent in real life (I didn't ever hear him talk)? When he started singing was he like, someday I hope to sing like Steve and then make all white people love me?

Because here are some things I learned from last night and a gross generalization of other things white people like. (please note that these things are based on my belief that white people love journey because of Don't Stop Believin'.) (Which is fabulous when remade by the cast members of Glee as well).

1. I do not know as many Journey songs as I had previously believed. I think I could sing about 4-5 songs with extreme knowledge. The others I clapped a long to.
2. I felt the entire audience kind of fell into this category.
3. I thought it was weird that when lead singer guy walked down near the crowd he had a body guard. Is he that popular? Is that necessary?
5. Other things we like--we love to sway to songs. There was a whole crowd of swayers in there last night.
4. White people love happy hour or "getting coffee." (which we did prior to the concert)
5. We love a theme party. (which we planned while in said concert)
6. We love Journey. Especially D.S.B (what are street light people, anyway? Is that some sort of disorder where you believe that street lights are actually people? Is it the governments way of watching you? Or do you have a disorder where you think people look like streetlights and you get confused and wonder why you can't read under them?)
7. We like camping and trail running. (also talked about)
8. Dawson's Creek. (not discussed, but I have great fondness for the creek.)
9. Celebrity gossip. (no comment necessary.)
10. We LOVE a dance movie/show (center stage anyone?) (this was discussed after me talking about the movie Fame and how I want to take dance lessons. One of my friends said she needs to take hip hop classes for her maybe someday future wedding in which she'll need to have perfected the robot.) (I offered to be their back up dancer.)

I'm not saying that these things are bad, but lets be honest, they are mostly true. I also feel that Journey would be greatly enhanced by a tambourine player. I'm going to turn in my resume next week. I'll tell them that we can discuss it over coffee or happy hour.

I'm gonna live foreva...

So this weekend held an amazing event for me--I went to see Fame. I love a dance movie. They move me--especially when kids from restrictive homes (either rule oriented or financially speaking) are able to excel based on their talents. Damn I want some talents!!! Seriously, I see these singing and dancing movies and think to myself--Self, what the hell have you done with your life? NOTHING. You've done nothing. You have not performed in one single graduation show. You do not know how to tap dance. You did not take arts classes and go out with Karen Walker to a karaoke bar. NOTHING. All you did was go to college and grad school and get a job. lame. So I came home and began my search for dance classes. This will more easily launch me into the public eye I'm sure. In no time I'll be on Broadway--or off Broadway in some sort of Austin community theater--but not official community theater--more like a neighborhood association performance of Best in Show or something. I'll probably perform the dance from Little Ms. Sunshine. Or maybe something a bit more hip hoppy. TBD

I know I mentioned about getting to go to San Fran (SO EXCITED) but I didn't mention the devastating news... this will be my 2nd trip to SF. BOTH TIMES my loverly friend Cate will be absent even though she lives there! The first time she was in Austin and this time in Atlanta. How can I have such poor timing? Well, not me really. It's more the Nike Women's Marathon. Blame them. Just a thought--but I think they should give me a jet. That way I could always go visit friendlies.

In other news... both my sis and bil have h1n1--that's swine flu for all of you out there who do not watch tv, listen to the radio, talk to anyone, read, or get direct messages from God. I'm not going to lie... that I kind of hoped for this one for myself. I mean, not really, but everyone knows how much I love an obscure illness. I guess I DID get shingles in May, so I have that. I think shingles trump swine flue because I had to purchase valtrex and you only have to purchase tamiflu and drink your fluids.

Going to the Journey concert tonight. Maybe I'll get asked to be a back up dancer.

Last Resort (ish)

So, I've mentioned 2.zillion times that my face is breaking out--not in an adult who is almost 30 and only has one blemish ever once in a while kind of way. It's in a I'm 12 going on 13 and I'm about to have a HUGE SURGE of hormones kind of way='s not attractive and makes me sad. I use nice face products, switched to super natural (and purchased at my dermatologists office) make up (glo-minerals) and still--awfulness. I'm not sure if maybe I have just go to a non involved derm? I've gone 2x. Once I saw the PA and then once the doc. Neither of them got up in my face as I felt that they should have done. They simply sat across from me and gave me creams (one of which made me break out in a rash--awesome.)

I feel unattractive. So, today I made an appointment to get a facial. I just can't keep doing what I'm doing. I'm a healthy and active person who all of a sudden has bad skin. I know that this isn't going to fix things, but maybe it can jump start things? Or maybe they can scrape my face off and give me a new one? I'm ok with that. I hate that I have to spend money ono this. I'm sure it will be relaxing. I'm sure it will be great. I just need 5.3 bagillion dollars and new skin.

Run like a girl

So I have an awesome opportunity to participate in the Nike Womens 1/2 marathon again! If you haven't heard this race is HARD to get into. Basically, unless you run with TNT you register as part of a lottery and then they pick from there. Crazy. It's awesome. And you get a Tiffany's necklace from a SF fireman dressed in a tux. Awesome. I'm hoping for some amazing weather (and good cookies again.)

I'm really excited!

Sick people

smell citrusy to me... I know this is weird.

So sometimes I forget

Do you ever not like something, but after a while (or a season) you begin to think that you will like it? This happened to me this morning. As you know, I usually hold out for my once a week Starbucks until Thursday after track. Well, I'm relatively sure I'm on the verge of a cold and I really wanted a hot drink this morning. SO, I stopped--prepared to get the usual--Tall Soy Chai, but I was swayed. I was swayed by the media and peer pressure. I got the Pumpkin Spice Latte. It means fall is here. It means that I'm one of the group and I can write about it on my facebook status. However, I'm not a huge fan. I'm disappointed in my starbucks purchase. It's not bad, per se, but I don't find it to be tasty. Maybe I should have let them add the whipped cream? Or maybe it's just not for me. I don't think it tastes pumpkiny. Sad. I long for my tall soy chai. Maybe tomorrow?

I'm thinking I will also make some muffins for our run on Saturday--with REAL pumpkin (puree... from a can). I'm a big fan of this recipe for Pumpkin bread with chocolate chips--I make it into mini muffins, though. They are amazing and we have a LONG run this weekend--18 miles for me (some people will do 22 though.)

In shopping news... I'm in need of a dress for a fabulous upcoming wedding. I have not found a dress that makes me exclaim, "We are MFEO!" (made for each other for those of you who did not see sleepless in Seattle.) I am thinking that a trip to the outlet mall to peruse the BCBG store (with Max Mara and Max and Cleo) is in need. I think maybe next weekend when I don't have a scheduled run (it's ACL) and Ben is out of town for a bachelor party (for said wedding.)
(Side note. It bothers me that ACL is called a summer music festival when it is in October. Granted, it will still be hot, so I get the theory, and it did used to be earlier, but again, it was too hot. Good gravy why do I live here?) I want it to be fabulous--the dress, not acl. It is my 30th bday that weekend. However we did also just buy a media stand/china cabinet, I think I'm going to San Francisco, and we'll have to pay for our hotel room in TN. So maybe I will only get a semi-fabulous dress (and make up, and a pedicure, and a manicure...and I will need a hair cut soooo.......)

Being me is expensive.

As is being married to me (so I hear.) My lovely husband, though stopped at whole foods last night for some groceries and got us stuff to have an amazing salad tonight AND some local flowers AND some local cheeses. That man knows the way to my heart.

SO, who has a jet I can borrow?

For Cate...

Dear Cate,

Because of your keen eye and attention to detail I have made the according changes to the blog colors. I'm always open for suggestions as I am small cookies in the blogosphere. You have promised me millions of butterfly kisses (enhanced because you have amazing eye lashes that do not require mascara.) This will come in handy as it is raining today and the lack of mascara will keep my face streak free. I appreciate you.

You know what else I appreciate? That it didn't storm until HOUSE was over last night. I was able to get in bed and sleep until Gizmo got freaked out. I'm not going to lie, I was mostly able to sleep through that, also. I was going to get up and run this morning but it was still raining when my alarm went off so I snuggled down in bed and LOVED it (and slept in long enough that I didn't have time to shower.) I was able to skip said shower because I plan on running this afternoon and don't want to waste the water. Which, if you've been paying attention we are under STRICT water restrictions.... so basically I'm saving the world.

Option 1.

So we did it. We purchased option one. Luckily, my husband is an nerd engineer because said option is not created to be a media stand so there aren't any holes in it for the wires to go through. He also was smart enough to measure to make sure our electronic equipment would fit on the selves--they didn't, ps. Fortunate that we figured this out PRIOR to the hole cutting. Well, not that it mattered because we kept it anyway. We've come up with a sneaky way to make everything fit. I really like it. I think it's going to be fabulous once we also get the shelves to go beside it. I will post pictures when this task is complete. I'm thinking in the next week or 2 we will start looking like grown ups. Thrilling. We also bought a new lamp for the living room. As I'm becoming an old lady I need more light to read and the lamp we had in there basically did nothing but collect dust (mostly because I never dusted it.) I tried to dust it once and it didn't work so then I quit trying. Roller brushing is basically a miracle for all things dusty and covered in dog hair. I believe this will be the next course of action. That and getting someone else to clean my house because I am lazy.

In other events, I had a meeting this morning and it was catered and we had cookies. I hate 1.5 cookies and then ran home to give gizmo his eye drops and decided I should have a chocolate covered banana--because I forgot that I had already eaten 1.5 cookies. Dang.

Apparently memory loss and self control are not my spiritual gifts...

New Layout

So my friend over at Mrs. Preppy created me a lovely new layout! She would do a great job for you guys too and only $10! Check it out!

Sometimes love comes around

that song is stuck in my head. great.

Current situation--working. Current wish--to not be working--but also to have a car in which I can actually move things. I need an SUV for a couple of hours.

GUESS WHAT?? We're FINALLY buying our OWN tv stand! i know, it's crazy--black one from my grandparents house, to milk crate, to hand me down from bachelors and now our very own--chosen BY us, media console. Even better we aren't going to have a dog eat it (as she did our other new furniture) unless she becomes crazy and rabid and then I think she'll eat gizmo and still not the new piece.

Here are the options (this one we'd need to drive like 40 minutes away to go get which also makes the travel structure a bit difficult.) This one also comes complete assembled or whatever so it isn't even a box. It also points to the fact that I would really like a lime green wall somewhere at our house.

Here is the 2nd option. It is at the world market closer to our house and in a box and could probably be strapped onto Ben's car. The issue with this one is that the side tower things are $300 a piece which I think is crazy, but they are really cute.

Pro to option #1--We can use it at a later time in our lives for a china storage/somesort of storage. It's really pretty and I think maybe a slightly higher quality.

Pro to option #2 is that it matches our current decor. Con I can't have the book cases and I really think they are essential to the beauty.

Fix it.

This just in...

In case we are now friends on the facebook (which I heard this AM on the radio that facebook has more users than the ENTIRE US population. Granted, 70% of those users are outside of the US. However, that means within the US 1 in 3 people have a fb profile.)

Anyway... so if you are not my friend on FB (which again, lets be honest, you probably are because I only have 11 people "following" me on here and I know all of you and I know we are friends on the social networking phenomenon) you already know this bit of information about the day that changed my life.

Let me set this up. Within walking distance to our house is a menagerie of places--chipotle, starbucks, whataburger, Little Woodrows, a bike shop, a jaccuzi shop, a pizza place, some random weird other restaurant that the girls were tiny shorts and tops, shlotzkey's, nail place, hair place, and... Coldstone Creamery. Well, coldstone USED to be there. Then they went out of business. We did not frequent there much, maybe once ever 4-6 months, but still... should I need a fix I could easily have it.

On my way home from the grocery store yesterday (where I bought a bagillion groceries because apparently we had NOTHING) Ben calls. "Hey, I have some news for you." I'm all what? You bought me flowers? Diamonds? A new car? someone to clean our house?!?! He's all "you are ridiculous. No, even more exciting... they are putting in a froyo place where coldstone was." Damn, if I almost didn't have to pull off of the road because of my excitement. Hells Bells! A FREAKIN' FROYO place walking distance to our house. I can only imagine the 6 rotating taps and millions of topping options of which I'll continue to get the same thing 9/10ths of the time... but still, options. My life has been changed forever.

(Ps. Some of the above conversation was edited to be better. I didn't get examples of other things because my head hurt. However, I've been known to do such things in the past.)

So last night I made some tasty enchilada's that I found on the foodnetwork website yesterday. Today we are having some pot roast cooked in the slow cooker, and then we also have stuff for me to make a slow cooker soup. We'll see how that one goes, but it sounds tasty in theory.

FROYO!!!!

I love when new TV is on

So if you do not watch Glee I judge you. I have many a tv crush--Zac Braff being WAY up there on the list. Jon Stewart, and............... Matthew Morrison. Did you know that he is only one year and 6 days older than I am? So, should my husband want to leave, me I feel that we could probably be soul mates (as long as he lets me be a back up dancer to all routines.) This show is FABULOUS. I know I've said it before, but good gravy it's good. I love singing, dancing, the songs of choice, clapping, the gays, drunk moms who get hit on by Josh Grobin. Love. Love. Love. I feel like he is a younger (and according to some of you, more successful) Joey McIntyre. Oh Joey Joe. You were so cute and I liked you in Boston Public. That was another good show with good high school drama. I sense a trend. However, I also love many other good shows like HOUSE (2 hour season premier on MONDAY!!!!) and I 've just started tivo-ing ANTM. Tyra is crazy, ya'll. I'm just glad I got to see the Jesus girl go super crazyfest before she decided not to continue. Granted, I think she was doing it all for show--which means, still crazy. Hey, sometimes Jesus tells you to be a model.)

None of this is to say that I do not love my husband or that I'm not attracted to him. I am. However, if Matthew Morrison, Matty Fresh, wanted to come to my house and sing songs to me (and teach me back up dances) I would totally allow it. I don't mean that in a creepfest kind of way. Just in a ... I need a little more musical random dance scene in my life than I'm currently receiving. And lets be honest... if you know the B.B. you know that he probably has a small crush on him as well so it's a win win situation here.

Now when does SVU begin, again... maybe they could add in a little dance scene every now and then (that doesn't end in tragedy and someone dead in a public park.)

2 quick things...

1. The loud shoes are getting to me real bad, ya'll.
2. I just watched the extended trailer for New Moon. I recall why I love Edward--it is all said when he is about to make a scene in front of the Volutri and strips down... (again, it's ok for me to like him because he's 8000 years old.)

And I wonder wonder wonder wonder

Who wrote the book of love?

Just kidding I've never wondered about that, but now I am. I mean, where do you buy this book? Amazon? or Borders or something? Or is it a secret book that you don't get until the secrets of the universe have been revealed to you?

That song is weird.

However, if the secrets of the universe have NOT yet been revealed to you--let me let you in on one maybe three or four very important detail (s)... Stop wearing white pants and white shoes. Right now. Well, actually you should have done it a while ago, but I've let it slide ish, but honestly I've just been judging you and keeping it inside of my head. I'm awesome like that. But now I've told you, so stop it. Yes, it is still hot here in Texas. Yes, I have a couple of pairs of LOVELY white pants that I'd like to keep in the rotation, but I can't until April 4, 2010.

I overheard 2 women at work saying that these statements were old fashioned. Maybe they thought I couldn't hear through an open door that stairs directly at their desks? I remained quiet, judging them all the while.

I'm not against some good winter white. I'm all for it, actually. This being said I am against white patent leather shoes for someone over the age of 10 (unless being used for a costume where you are acting as a 10 year old.)

Do you remember when you weren't allowed to wear Sunday shoes (just recalled we called them that and not dress shoes) that didn't have a strap to keep them on? I recall FINALLY getting a pair where the strap could be worn mary jane style OR wonder of all wonders, joy of all joys, it rotated around and could go behind the ankle part. They however, were not white, they were black with some embellishment. I was probably the most awesomest girl at church (as I did not wear anything but nike's Monday-Saturday.) Fear not, I had coordinating bows and socks for all outfits. I agree with Meg, if bows were still acceptable to wear now, I would.

So these nike's I had in multiple colors. They looked like saddle oxford's, however they had different colored stripes--not just black. I had them in red, green, yellow, and blue. The reds were my favorite. My parents pretended I "lost" them once because they were worn out. I found them.

So back to another point noted above (before I reminisced about childhood.) Other things that I don't like--women who wear pig tails. You are 30, dear--just use one pony tail. It's probably better for the environment. Hence my lack of bows that coordinate with my outfits. Maybe I'll make a tshirt dress, buy some keds, use a little puff paint, a little grosgrain ribbon and go as myself for Halloween circa 1988.

That... or I really want to be Flo from the progressive insurance commercials.

a girl's gotta eat.

So I don't (typically) eat a mass amount. (Unless you include this past Sunday when I had a mass amount of green chile mac n cheese. I also had a mass amount of mimosas and met a river dancer at brunch and went back to his apartment--neither here nor there. No, not me by myself--me and others including hubsters. who has a whole new level of geekdom to be found here ).

Anyway, so back to the original statement (before you discovered that my attention spans approximately 3.2 seconds.) On Friday's (except one Fri a month) we get to leave work at 12:30. This is kind of awesome--not only do I like my job AND the people I work with, but I also (basically) get Friday's off. Anyway, on said Friday you aren't supposed to have lunch. However, EVERY FRIDAY I'm starving by 11 AM (ok, lets be honest, it's 10:30.) And, in other realistic terms, how am I to set out about a day of errand running on an empty stomach? That's just stinkin' thinkin'. So here I sit, eating a bowl of Amy's soup wondering what the future of my day will hold.... I'm hoping maybe some decorative pillows for the couch. Though I have a deep desire for a new entertainment center and shelves so as to display pictures and how smart I am (or how smart I may look based on books I own.)

Which leads me to another train of though... I've been looking for a media stand everywhere (which includes craigslist) and here is my beef. NO, I do not want to purchase your used ikea media stand for $200. A little pricey, don't you think?)

OH, also we borrowed a friend's wii fit this week--WAY FUN!!! Except, I believe I've endured a wii injury. I first thought I was sore, but now I'm thinking it could be more. YAY for running 18 miles tomorrow....

ok, my attention can go on. I have eaten a bowl of soup without judgement from co-workers. Only an hour to go...

Things I don't care about for 100

College football.

Ok, I mean I care about tailgating and wearing game day colors.

Maybe it's because I went to a college where it wasn't a huge deal (aka SMU), but this year is OUR YEAR. I've said this every year since 1999 or something, but I really believe it this time.

Maybe it's because I'm antsy to sit and watch TV ALL DAY on Saturday unless it is 16 and Pregnant on MTV as I did on Labor Day.

I like to do things. I like to get up, run, come home clean, go to the pool? shop? get my nails done? Not stare blankly at a tv about things I can't recall nor care about. Granted, I do think college football is WAY better than pro--I care even less about that and am known to sigh heavily and roll my eyes when forced to entertain the thought of watching said ordeal.

What I do like... is that foot ball ='s fall and I can NOT wait for fall. I can't wait for 70 degrees and chilly. I can't wait to run, at least for 10 minutes, in something with long sleeves.

I also like my new iphone. I feel I have reached a new level of awesomeness since yesterday at 3:30 PM. I'm not sure what makes it so fabulous, but it is.

Wanna know what else is fabulous? That tomorrow is Friday. I think that 3 day work weeks are superb.

I'm hoping for my first bump this weekend.

A little bit of chicken friend--homemade, of course

So my friend, Nikki, is a master of the arts--she cooks, she decorates, she philantropizes (is that a word?), and she creates awesome things. She has recently created an Etsy shop! I'm just saying it would be well worth your time to puruse her items. You can also visit her blog for all things awesometown. (I think she even wrong a song about awesometown referring to Decatur, GA. So she is also a master of words.)

My Ode to Nikki (aka, Nicolita)

I remember the first time that we met,
a day (or probably night?) I will never forget.
We made some choices that took us back to undergrad,
some things that probably would make homeowners mad.

Day after day we would share misery over work, (and then a haircut)
we wasted time, found the end of the internet, and got stuck in a rut.
We talk, we chat, we run, we eat biscuits and gravy,
we went to weight watchers, got thin, and...still eat gravy.

Onofrio Noto, could easily be your name,
but Nicolita, the mafia, will protect you just the same.
Create, disect, find sales and sell your things
I miss you, I love you, now lets eat some fried chicken wings.

(Kidding, I don't eat chicken wings--never have. Gross. It rhymed. There is a post about fried chicken so I feel it fit.)

If I had a girl that looked good I would call her...

if I had time, that is.

Perhaps you have noticed my absense from the blogosphere, perhaps not. I have very much missed reading my blogs I follow. I have been kind of ridiculously busy the last 2 weeks which totally interpheres with my procrastination. Granted I have had very busy and fun weekend with friends being in town. I got to show Amy the very brown, dead, and needing waterness of Austin--complete with a lake afternoon where she asked, "are there always that many islands." Answer, "no, there are not." While MI is having their COLDEST summer on record, we are not. We cannot venture into the great outdoors (aka on patios) unless there are misters--the kind that mist water, not the kind that buy you drinks.

I am sorry to have crushed the dreams of those who assumed they would get scrubs when in the hospital. Apparently unless your wife, girlfriend, life partner, sister is having a c-section you are S.O.L on the free scrubs and cool hat (as the anonymous JBM pointed out--with his ridiculous knowledge of Grey's.) I say, "not fair." I want some new scrubs! (you have old scrubs? Yes. with my sorority letters on them. Hence, they remain in drawers.)

I'm sure I have something bitter to add to the convo, but I'm too busy to think of how bitter I am. Alas, maybe tomorrow or this LOOONNNGGG weekend I can put something out there?