A Bit of Spontaneity

So last night after dealing with the traffic, stopping by the apartment to grab the grocery sacks, and heading back out the door, I stopped in to Ulta to pick up my face wash and toner. Sometimes I can get it at the grocery store and sometimes I can't, and Ulta usually has better prices and is just across the street not only from my apartment but also from the grocery store. So I stopped in. I had the picture in my purse that I had created at IVillage with the new haircut I was contemplating. I was wandering around the store looking for my products so I walked to the back where the salon was and asked to speak with a stylist. I asked her if she thought my hair would do that - that I didn't want it quite that short to start probably but that I wanted my hair to do SOMETHING! She said she thought it would be no problem so I asked her if I could get someone to do it now. So they scheduled me in for five minutes later. I went and grabbed my face stuff and bought that and headed back to the back. The girl that cut my hair was super nice, and she did an AWESOME job! I am very pleased with it, and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg like many salons in Dallas. It was $35 for the shampoo, cut & style which isn't bad because several other places I looked at online wanted $50-75 for the same thing. I am glad I decided to do that because now I have found a good person and place to go without breaking the bank! Anyways, I got my hair cut. Nothing super crazy - the longest part is a little above my shoulders and the shortest part comes to about my lips. It's fun because I can use a curling iron and make it flip out or use a straightener and get it to do chunky sticking out! And she suggested this great pomade that picks up shine and makes it look cute. It was easy this morning and even if I don't do much with it, it still looks good. And my husband is happy because I won't be putting it back all the time now! :) So anyways, my spontaneous decision worked out very nicely. Needless to say, I didn't get the grocery shopping done as planned, but now I have the bags and list in the car and since I'm leaving early to make it to the old apartment to drop off the keys today, I can head straight to the grocery store on my way home. Yay for living so close to so many fun things! ;)

Does Anyone Else in the World Have to Work Hard Besides Me?

To go along with my stories from this weekend, I have to question whether any other person in the world (except for my friends & family I know do of course) actually works hard and ethically. I mean, I don't love what I do by any means, but at least I try to do the best that I can regardless of the situation and try to provide the best work product I can. Apparently that is not a common practice for other workers of the world. See below for examples!

WEDNESDAY: Got to leave finally at 4. At least I got an extra hour and got to go with Austin to see our new apartment together for the first time! Strangely, the hot water was not working even though the gas company was supposed to have come between noon and 4. The apartment people thought maybe the pilot just needed to be lit so they sent maintenance over after we left.

THURSDAY: Thanksgiving - yummy! Moved the fish tanks to the new apartment without too much trauma. Finished packing when we got home to the new apartment - pretty uneventful day.

FRIDAY: Yikes! First of all, the movers were supposed to come between 8 am and 10 am. So we got up early Friday morning to be ready to go and sat and waited and waited and waited. At about 9:30, I went ahead and called to see what was going on. They called back and said the driver had a "family emergency" and was running a little late but they should be here a little after 10. So Austin, his dad, and brother pack up the stereo, VCR, DVD, etc. and a few other things and decide to take a trip over to the new apartment. I get a phone call from Austin saying the key doesn't work in the front door (we had gone through the garage the first two times we had gone and Austin had forgotten the garage door opener on this go round). So he goes to the front office and they had forgotten to change the vendor lock off and put the apartment lock on. Lovely! But they gave us a key to use temporarily and it all worked out okay - the guy came an hour or so later and changed it and everything works. So Austin's mom and I are sitting in our apartment waiting for the movers. Time keep going by. They didn't show up until 11!!!!! So we had sat there and wasted 3 hours of the morning just waiting for them to show. They were pretty fast-moving once they got there and we got everything in one load of the truck. They even helped us pitch our old futon frame in the dumpster. However, they apparently didn't like the stairs at the new apartment so much and became pissy. It took about 5 hours to move everything (a little longer than we thought but they started getting tired & pissy towards the end and moved slower). At least we had gotten a decent hourly rate. Oh I forgot - in the midst of the key thing and waiting for the movers, when Austin finally got in, we still didn't have any hot water and when he asked the apartment people if they had come to light the pilot, they said they had tried but that the gas was never turned on. GRRRRRRRRR. So I call up TXU. They were CLOSED Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday for the holidays. Now, I enjoy my long holiday weekend probably more than most but I think it's a little ridiculous for the electric & gas company to have off the entire time. Those are important things and they had already screwed us up by not coming Wednesday like they should have. So I finally get through to the emergency staff or whatever and she says oh the next business day is Monday so I will schedule it to be set up then. So we had to go the entire weekend without hot water - I snuck over to the apartment to take a shower a few times there even though there wasn't much of anything there and no shower curtain. But better than taking a cold shower in 40 degree weather. Needless to say, I wasn't a very happy camper but I survived.

SATURDAY: Woke up with a cold! Darn this changing weather!!!! Austin was a sweetheart though and spent all day moving stuff like crazy that was left in the apartment. I owe him big time! I went shopping with Austin's mom and aunt for a new sofa (our Christmas present from his parents). I found the perfect one at Rooms To Go and I'm so excited! They will deliver it this upcoming Saturday! Can't wait! Saturday was a good day for me because Austin did all the work and I got to play! I set up the TiVo, the Internet & phone guys came and set it all up and it was great and no problems, and then Saturday night we went to dinner at Mi Cocina (YUM!) and went to see Christmas with the Kranks (pretty good although I liked the book better). Austin also brought home a HUGE 9 foot Noble fir Christmas tree from Home Depot, and it smells wonderful! Plus he got it for $45 even though it was supposed to be like $112. Probably helped that he told them that it was our first Christmas as a married couple! ;)

SUNDAY: More moving, packing, unpacking! Although again Austin really helped me out. His mom and dad came over and helped us hook up the dryer since we had to get a new hose. And we went over to the old apartment to grab a few last things and take a shower. Last night, Austin decorated the whole apartment and it looks great! Need to try to find the stockings I bought a few weeks ago to hang on the fireplace and the ornaments my mom sent us a few weeks ago and then we'll be set.

That was about all of our exciting weekend! Update on the gas company: called today to yell at them and verify that they were at least coming today and what do I find out - they are not coming until tomorrow! I ended up having to speak with a supervisor because the first girl was very rude to me. The supervisor was nice and waived our initial fee but said she couldn't override the time slots and that the first available time they had was tomorrow and that was what they had scheduled us for. She apologized that the girl told me today, she apologized that the guys screwed up on Wednesday (they claim they came at 7:54 pm - why do I doubt that!), and she said she would request that ours be one of the early morning ones for tomorrow. Let's hope it's done tomorrow because we are turning in our keys at the old place tomorrow! Yikes! Needless to say, I'm very frustrated and if I had another choice for gas companies, I would take it in a heartbeat! That is just ridiculous! So another night without hot water for washing dishes in the dishwasher or in the washing machine or for taking showers. Grrr! Okay enough of my vent! That's all for now.

Holiday Busy Work

I know by now you all probably think the only thing I know how to do is complain about my job. But considering I'm here 40+ hours a week and it is the bane of my existence, it preoccupies my thought process frequently and also makes for many interesting stories since this place is for the most part utterly ridiculous.

So anyways, I thought I would blog this afternoon about the ridiculous of holiday busy work. In case you don't know because your boss is not like this and you actually get to leave early when your work is done, holiday busy work is the random charts, lists, menial tasks that our boss comes up with miraculously the day before a holiday. It's the work he decides MUST be done IMMEDIATELY because apparently his head will explode if he doesn't know what cases are set through December 2005. Come on! In reality, we all know what it really means - he is bitter about the fact that we will have four days off with no work being done and none of the rest of us will even think twice about the work that is sitting here waiting to be done.

Those of us that are here today (Sara is in Atlanta already and another guy left at 11:30 to make his plane to Cali & one of the secretaries has been out all week) were e-mailing back and forth and none of us really has much going on that is important except for the RANDOM charts & lists that our boss has come up with. I know they will shut down the office a little early at least (the rumor is 3 pm) but I'm sure as usual we will have the 30+ minute rule apply to our section so if I'm lucky, I might get out an hour early and leave by 4. Hey, I guess an extra hour of packing/cooking time is better than nothing!

Needless to say, I almost want to laugh at the ridiculousness of our holiday busy work. If it weren't for the fact that I have a million and one things to do back at home, I wouldn't mind the work here because it would give me something to do to pass the time. But in reality, I would just love the opportunity to go home early and get some really IMPORTANT stuff done. Hey I could even go WITH Austin to pick up the keys to our new apartment - guess we'll just have to see! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)

Goodbye #2165

For over two years, I have lived in my nice one-bedroom townhome in Las Colinas, dear old #2165. I moved in there part-way through my student teaching semester and have stayed ever since. It was a great apartment for me - safe with the garage being built in, felt more like a home since I had my own private entrance, etc. It has a lot of great memories for me: it was the place where Austin proposed to me, visits from my parents and friends, creating wedding invitations and gifts and everything else having to do with the wedding, and the first place that Austin & I lived together after being married.

We have two more nights at #2165 and then it's on to bigger and better things. We are getting a HUGE 2 bedroom apartment/townhome just up the street and I can't wait! We are going to have so much room, we aren't going to know what to do with it! It will be so nice because while we will still have a garage (actually a 2 car garage now so Austin's truck can be pulled in too) and our own private entrance, everything will now be on one floor once you get inside so that you don't have to hike up the stairs just to use the bathroom. We will have a nice guest bedroom for when family and friends visit, a huge kitchen, and plenty of closet space. I can't wait!!!! So as much as I'll miss good old #2165, I'm looking forward to the next 15 months of living at #3046! I will savor these last two nights and days of packing and look forward to the fun new apartment on Friday night. And then if we're really lucky, the next move will be into our first house! But we have some time to think about that! :)

'Tis the Season

Okay, so I'm sure what I'm about to say will make me seem like a horrible, non-Christmas loving, scrooge. But in reality, I am very far from that. Christmas is probably my absolute favorite time of year. I love giving presents, I love getting presents, I love Christmas trees, and decorating, and baking yummy things.

There is one thing, however, that I wish I could do without: office Christmas parties. And here is why: there really isn't anything very Christmasy about an office Christmas party. People are either way to uptight and proper to feel comfortable in front of their co-workers and bosses or they go to the other extreme and get drunk and stupid and act like a fool and then shamefully enter work the next day wondering what the heck they were thinking. I would fall into the first category. I mean, I plan to have a glass of wine or so at the party this year, but I'm not really a big drinker to begin with, and these really aren't the type of people that I would want to go out and party with if I was. To top it all off, specifically related to my office work environment, it is frustrating that we have this fancy, schmancy affair (it's at the Crescent hotel at Beau Nash this year with cocktails, dinner, and dancing!) and yet I have to attend with people that I mostly have nothing in common with or that treat me like crud most of the day long and then will pretend we're best friends at the party after they've had a few drinks. Let me tell you how thrilling that is! Not! I don't like the fact that I have to see to my one boss at work every day let alone on a Saturday night as well!

Anyways, my suggestion is that the Christmas party should be done away with all together (office related ones only of course - ones with family and friends can still be fun and happy!). Or if they must have the party, it should be optional. For the $100+ they are spending for my husband and I to attend this soiree, I could get two new outfits for work, two of the dining room chairs I've been eyeing, or a few presents for friends. So you see, I would get much more pleasure out of the money to be able to use for something either I or one of my friends/family members wants than I will having four hours of awkwardness on December 11. Alas, yet again, no one has asked my opinion on this matter, and I am forced to dress up for one night and try my best to have some fun! At least Sara will be there to keep me company and hopefully I'll have some good stories to tell!!! ;)

It's Getting to Be About That Time Again!

Well, after five days straight of dancing, long hours, and lots of bruises, we have completed another fall dance concert. I had fun and that's all that matters! No more dance now until January (although I really should do something in the way of exercise especially with all the eating the holidays involve coming up!).

In other news, we get our apartment keys in two days. I'm so excited - I went on Saturday to buy a bunch of things at Linens N' Things for our new apartment and went and signed my part of the lease since I'm sure I won't get out early on Wednesday but at least Austin will and he can go pick everything up! I can't wait - now if only I could get motivated to pack everything up so I was 100% ready. At least I have until Tuesday of next week to have everything out!

It's getting to be that time of year when I have to really think hard about what to get people for Christmas and what it is that I want. There isn't anything that I seriously want/need other than (yes I'm getting old) some things for the new apartment including some furniture I'd like to get. So maybe I should just go with the whole gift certificate money thing and hope for the best so I can get what I want/need. We'll see I guess!

Also, it's getting to be that time of year again when I start feeling the urge to try to find something new. I was talking to this guy today at work and he is leaving either this week or at the end of December (there was some complication to his final day and now it's up in the air!). Anyways, he was telling me about his new job that he has for the first of the year, and it is so great because it is something he really enjoys (baseball) and he is going to get paid really well besides. I think for me, as long as I could make decent money, I would just like the opportunity to be happy in my job. I'm tired of being made to feel like I am an idiot (when I know I'm not) and I'm tired of walking on eggshells when I'm one of the hardest workers here. And I'm tired of being bored out of my mind for 8+ hours a day, five days a week. That's not a very fun life to live! It's gotten really bad lately because the comaraderie (sp?) we used to have at least between co-workers has all but diminished and it is just generally a miserable situation. So bad that I even thought yesterday when we were eating at BW3, that maybe I should go to the one by our new apartment and inquire about bartending or something to get me out of here until I could find something better. But I haven't gotten that desperate yet - those hours are brutal and the money is always either really really good or really really bad and you have no way of judging when it will be what. And considering I've got a car payment and other bills to pay now, I can't take the chance of not knowing my income each month. So the point of all this is, that there is change in the air and hopefully I will be able to update you shortly with something positive. Wish me luck - I'm going to need lots of it I'm sure!

To Prevent a Future Conspiracy

Just wanted to post on here what is going on in case there is any doubt in the future. In case Sara & I and our officemate Kelly mysteriously disappear any time in the near future, I want you all to know that there is a loud vibrating noise coming from above our office. We checked it out and found out it was coming from the fire pump room which is directly above our office. So just in case they try to come up with some random reason for what happened to us, you the loyal blog readers will at least know the truth - that the ceiling caved in and doused us in water or whatever it is that happens when the fire pump gets crazy. I asked them to having the building maintenance check it so we'll see what if anything comes from that. I just hope my mental stability can handle it because we already get the lovely whirring of the elevators as Sara has previously blogged about and now we get to deal with the ever-louder annoying vibrations from above! Yikes! Get me out of here! ;)

Congratulations!!!! :)

Just wanted to congratulate my friend, Jen, because she got engaged last night! She and Bobby are planning a wedding now for summer 2005. Yay, what fun! :) So congrats to Jen and may she and Bobby have a wonderful and exciting life together! (By the way, she's the third bridesmaid from me in the profile picture with the blonde hair that is kind of spiking up in the back!).

I'm allergic to my work!

As if this place wasn't bad enough, I have now discovered that I'm allergic to the boxes that we use at work for storage of our files. After spending the entire morning packing up and getting ready 16 boxes to go offsite, I developed itchy, red hands. Grr.....what else is going to go wrong?! Just think one more month and I'll have my bonus and then we shall see what happens from there! ;)

In other news, I am packing at home too for our apartment move which is at least exciting and not quite so itchy! Oh and we get to go to the Mavs game tonight (after I do a dress rehearsal for my dance concert!). Busy week!!!!! Well, that's all for now - just wanted to share the fact that I'm allergic to my work! :)

When Life Imitates Blog

This weekend, Austin & I went to a marriage retreat on Saturday on marital communications. We went to get some knowledge and tips on how to improve our communication, not particularly because we are having trouble but more to really focus on learning some tips for the future and keeping things going great. It was a really interesting and enlightening experience, and I'm glad that we went.

It was funny to me because about 30 minutes or so into the retreat, life imitated the discussion I had (and Sara had) on our blogs on Friday. There was a couple sitting at our table who had been married I think around 7 or 8 years and had two small children. We were supposed to go around the table and say to our husband/wife the time that we had felt closest to each other and then the other person was to make use of the speaker/listener technique they were showing us and paraphrase to show understanding. When we got to this particular couple, she shared a story of when he had taken her to a bed & breakfast and shopping for her birthday, and she felt closest because she knew he was sacrificing a lot at that moment because he was doing it all for her and it was something he would not really want to do normally. When it was his turn, he honestly seemed to be struggling for a time that he could remember being closest to her and instead opted for telling her something completely different. He told her that he was looking forward to the day when he would be financially able to provide for their family without having to put everything into work and when he would be able to spend more time with her and her children. For me, it was one of those aha moments when I was like, right here is an example of exactly what I was talking about. It made me sad to think that this guy thought that the best thing for his family was to go head into work and as a result, he was really unaware of his family, knew little about his children and had grown apart from his wife. If only he could realize that there could be a balance in the work/family thing and that it was more important to appreciate the time with his wife and children before it was all gone and his kids were grown up and moved on. I hope that they are able to work things out, and I hope that he realizes that he can still financially provide for his family without making it the be-all end-all of his existence. He would probably be happier, and I'm sure his family would be as well. I take this as a learning tool of what not to do as we get older and more involved in work and family and everything else.

On a lighter note, the rest of our weekend went very well. The retreat was fun, we went to see Polar Express 3-D which was AMAZING. I highly recommend going to see this movie especially in 3-D at the IMAX because it is so cool. I've always loved that story since I was a child, and it was great to see it come to life on the screen. We had an excellent dinner at Gloria's in Addison on Saturday night, and yesterday we spent running errands and packing up for our big move. One week from Friday and we'll be in our nice big new apartment - can't wait! :) And we have all our fun new stuff from the wedding to get to use and we purchased a Tivo yesterday since we won't have a cable box any more at our new place (it's included in the rent!) so that's exciting. So much to look forward to - just need to make it through this week with my dance rehearsals and performances and then keep on packing! :-)

The Lesson of the Mayonnaise Jar and the Coffee: Something We All Should Learn From and Live By

I got this as a forward from of all people, my boss (not the over-controlling one that I complain about - the other one that actually has a family and a life OUTSIDE of work). It was a few weeks ago when he sent it out and at the time I thought it was really cool but kind of just pushed it into my personal e-mail folder. Today, I was reflecting on some life choices that friends and family members have made in the past or are currently making and thinking about how everyone has different priorities in life but in the end we should all come back to one main thing: our friends and family. Life isn't an easy thing to handle (see past posts of mine!), and like yesterday, I recognize this fact and realize that the best thing to do is to see the positive things in life and be grateful for those things and each day that you have to enjoy them. Because you really never know what might happen from one moment to the next and you don't want to look back with regret. So here's to living life to the fullest and taking good advice from the story of the Mayonnaise Jar and the Coffee. Enjoy! :)


When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, just remember the mayonnaise jar and the coffee.

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar slightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous "YES". The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed "Now" said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things -- your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions -- things that if everything else is lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else - the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first, " he continued, "There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get a medical check up. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the screen door. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. " I'm glad you asked, " he said. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.

It's the Little Things that Matter the Most!

Tuesday was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for me. It was one of those days where I couldn't decide if I wanted to start crying my eyes out or if I should just scream and punch through the wall. I decided against both, took a deep breath, and managed through. I hate days like that because I try to be a pretty optimistic person for the most part but sometimes it just all comes to a head and you can't do anything but be upset.

Today, however, has been a different day. Not necessarily better for any reason (believe me, I'm still bored out of my mind with my job not because of lack of work but just because of the nature of the beast), but it's just been that I've been able to appreciate it more (the day that is, not the work - go asbestos bill, go!). More because I am trying to concentrate on the little things in life that make me happy and get me by. So I thought I would reflect on some of my small accomplishments and little things that make me smile so one day soon when I'm having one of those days again, hopefully I can look back at this posting and relax. :) Enjoy and feel free to add your own!

* I mailed off my form and certified copy of my marriage certificate today so I'm at least one step closer in the process of changing my name! This is a big accomplishment after the trauma at the SS office the other day!

* I have officially set up all my utilities and movers for the new apartment so things are well on their way. I'm super exciting about Austin & I getting our first place together and can't wait to decorate it and get to use all our beautiful new things from the wedding!

* I have a wonderful loving husband that is there for me always even when he wants to "fix" things when he should just be listening! ;) We have such a good time together, and I can't wait to see all the fun times ahead!

* I am in good health and am happy to be alive and heading towards the holiday season because that means lots of fun, exciting things and presents and vacation!

* We are going to Epcot & Universal Studios over the holidays during our 10 day trip to Florida. Trying to work out the hotel arrangements now, but I'm sure we'll come up with something.

* We are going to see Polar Express 3-D at the Imax theater on Saturday afternoon and I'm SO excited! I've loved that book forever, and I think it will be the perfect thing to get me in the Christmas spirit.

* They have fixed my desk so it is at least useable! I know that seems silly but it's a big thing - we'll see how long until it falls apart again!

* I get to see my parents, my grandmother, and my cat in another 6 weeks!

* I will get my Christmas bonus for the year in about a month - yippee!

* I have a beautiful new car that I am at least making enough to afford the payments and insurance and gas for which is always a plus!

* I have this fun blog where I can write WHATEVER I want and no one can tell me I can't - they can just ignore it and not read it if they don't like it or it's boring or whatever! :)

That's about all the things I wanted to point out for now! Can't wait to pick up the Christmas tree on the Sunday after Thanksgiving once we're moved into the new place! Such a fun time of year! Try to remember the little things and smile! :)

What Happens Behind Closed Doors

My cat, Mikah, doesn't like it when the door is shut. Especially if he's on the outside and he knows I'm inside! He wants to be where the action is and see what is going on without him. He sometimes is even curious as to other random doors that he thinks might be shutting him out of something interesting. For example, he's meowed at the closet door before thinking it was just another door shut that he couldn't open. It must be frustrating to be a cat and not be able to open the door and see what is on the other side.

For my boss, however, what happens behind closed doors is some horrible nightmare apparently. Even though he can easily turn the knob and open the door and walk in, it makes him nervous that he can't see what is on the other side without making the effort to open the door. As I've described before, he's a bit of a control freak, and yesterday he almost made me lose it with his controlling behaviors.

So picture this: It's about 2 pm on Tuesday, super busy around the office for some reason (apparently every attorney known to man - especially asbestos attorneys - are freaking out now that Bush is back in office and Daschle was voted out because of the pending legislation that would put an end to asbestos lawsuits and set up a trust fund to pay the victims, something I personally think is an excellent idea after spending two years watching the unfairness of how payments are handed out in the court system although it could be a complication for me if I have no other job!) - so anyways, it's been busy lately! On top of the normal mounds of paper we receive, we also have the pleasure of dealing with a new set of rules and regulations in the state of Texas that are very unclear and that we are all having to learn as we go. Because of this (again think control issues), we were required to do this massive chart of our cases so that we can "track" the documents and information relating to these cases. So me and my office mates are sitting there trying to dig through our files and e-mails and paperwork to get this chart done. Let me also add that our entire office is cold like a freezer except our specific office. Sara said the maintenance guy told her that our office is not supposed to be that, it's supposed to be a file room and as such it only has one vent. Therefore, it stays warm year round which is good in the winter and kind of annoying at times in the summer but at least we can put on a fan and be happy. Anyways, so we have warmth whereas the rest of the office does not. So yesterday afternoon, I decided to shut the door to our office so that we could concentrate more (we already get to listen to the droning of the elevators which surround us on two of our three walls) and keep warm.

Apparently shutting the door is a crime. Our boss wanted to come in and talk to one of us about something work related and the door had locked when I shut it. We got up and opened it for him and he showed us how to fix it so it wouldn't lock. Then he muttered something about the door shouldn't be shut anyways and went on to talk to our office mate. I asked him what he said and he didn't answer so I didn't figure anything and moved on. After he left, I got up and shut the door again because it wasn't locked any more and I didn't see the problem. Personally, I believe I have the right to keep my office door shut if I want to. Other people around the office shut their doors with no one saying a word, but apparently this is not allowed for us.

Because wouldn't you know five minutes later, he comes bursting open the door asking if we thought he was kidding the first time. I explained to him that I thought he was objecting to the locking of the door and didn't know why we couldn't have the door shut. I explained our reasons behind having the door shut (warmth and concentration) and told him that I had seen other people's doors shut around the office. He said that we are to only have the door shut when we are on a private business meeting and that the rest of the time it is to remain open. I told him that I did not understand why it was a big deal and he just walked off in a huff leaving the door open.

I know this seems trivial probably to some of you that are reading this but when you've dealt with this man for almost two years, it was just about all I could take. I had to fight back the tears and concentrate on what I was doing in order not to lose it. Oh and might I add that about 5 minutes prior to the first door exchange, my desk broke yet again. My desk breaks about once a month and has been doing this for almost the past year. Apparently there is "nothing" that can be done except to screw it again and wait until the next time it breaks. So here I am typing sideways on my broken desk and I'm not even allowed to have the door shut to my own office. It was just about all I could take. I finally e-mailed and got someone to screw the desk back in so I could at least work for the rest of the day and finished up the stupid chart.

I came in this morning and found out that my boss will at least be gone the rest of this week as well as Monday so at least I can shut the door for a few days if I want to. And that gives me ample time to do some research to see what I can find out about issues in the workplace. ;) But I thought I would share with you all my little story so that you can be very very thankful that you aren't working at a place that worries about what happens behind closed doors.

I feel like Invader Zim!

This posting is mostly just a major props to Jessica who started me out on this adventure in blogging. Little did you know that I have now inspired several others to join the process including my husband who initially laughed at my desire to write random incidents on the Internet. Now with a little coaxing from me and Sara and Josh, we have triumped - we can take over the world! :) J/K! But anyways, yay for Jes for turning us all to this fun little thing - and if you want to check out some others that have been inspired go to:

http://als-snakemaster.blogspot.com
http://stickymuffin.blogspot.com
and one that i'm not sure his inspiration but he's related so it counts! ;)
http://joshuajacob.blogspot.com

Yay for us! :) Let the fun begin for others I hope!

Growing Up Really Sucks!!!

Just wanted to let you all know in case you didn't already that growing up really sucks! Today I tried to go to the Social Security office to change my name (the first in the long line of tedious tasks associated with getting married and trying to move on with life). I made Austin go with me because it was in a bad part of town, and I wasn't particularly thrilled with going alone. Well, turns out that was a good decision because when I walked in the door, I was the ONLY young person and white person in the whole place. The cop at the desk was super rude, and when we asked how long it would take, he started laughing at us and said anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. Like I have time to do that!!!! Here I was trying to save time by going directly to the office and getting it done. But no, that is NOT going to work because they of course are only open from 9 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday. God forbid, the normal working person could actually use government services. What a joke! So now I will go down to the courthouse tomorrow to get a few certified copies of our marriage certificate so I can send it in because a) I don't have the time to take off to sit for 2 hours and 2) I don't want to! Then I'm sure I will have to find time to go to the DMV and sit there forever too. Ugh!!!

And to top it off, now I'm trying to get insurance for my new car and with being married and it's a pain! Stupid insurance people don't like to figure in the fact that I've been accident/ticket free for almost 10 years of driving - they see Mustang and 2005 and freak out! So not cool - so we're trying to work all those details out too.....loving life! Now when the heck can I get a huge raise, promotion, or new job with big money so I don't have to worry about all this madness! In reality, I should just hope that Austin wins a huge lotto since he has good luck - better chance at that than actually getting a break in the workforce! Ha! ;)

Is it Monday already?

Grr, I can't believe it's Monday already again. It seemed like the weekend just flew by. And of course the week drags on and on and on. Oh well, here we go again at the start of another long week. Let me give you a recap of my weekend with some interesting tidbits along the way!

FRIDAY NIGHT:
We went to see the Incredibles and it was AWESOME! I pretty much love all the Pixar films so I wasn't really worried about not liking this one. But it was really a very good story, great graphics, and just an all around great flick! I definitely recommend seeing it. ;)

SATURDAY:
This was a long day! Saturday morning we got up and went to downtown Fort Worth for the Diabetes Walk. We raised $1200 as a team so I was so proud! I love the fact that we raised all that money because I know it is going to such a good cause and hopefully will benefit my husband one day soon. After it was over, we hauled back to the apartment to drop off the dog (we stayed at Austin's parents house on Friday night to make the morning drive a bit easier), changed, and were on our way again to head over to Dallas for SMU Homecoming.

Here's what I have to say about SMU Homecoming: I am SO GLAD that I have graduated and moved on from that place!!!! As I was walking up the Boulevard trying to find the people we were going to meet up with, I was seriously thinking to myself "how the heck did I survive 4+ years here!" Austin & Joey came with me, and about five minutes into the "tailgating" they turned to each other and then to me and said "are you sure YOU went here?" I mean, I've always thought that I was different than the typical SMU person, and the more I am away from that place, the more I realize that I am different. But in a good way in my opinion! Anyways, we spent about 20 minutes wandering around, and I saw a few people that I hadn't seen in over two years so that was good. And I didn't run into anyone that I didn't want to see which was really good. ;) I was disappointed that there weren't very many people I knew there but I guess that's just how it goes as the years go by. I know I haven't been to Homecoming since I graduated and probably won't go for awhile more unless something specific happens. We went to the football game for the first half and surprisingly they played pretty well. Got home and thought about going to the Brahma's game in Fort Worth, but we were exhausted from walking that morning and being outside all day so we took a short nap, went to Mercardo Juarez (YUMMY!), and came back to watch tv and head to bed early!

SUNDAY:
Yesterday was good and bad. Got up in the morning and went to SuperTarget to get groceries and some dance clothes for our performance coming up next week. Picked up the first season of the O.C. for Austin which I watched last week's episode and actually thought was pretty interesting. Yet another show for me to get addicted to! Then we went to Varekai, the touring Cirque du Soleil that's in Dallas now through December. WARNING: DO NOT GO!!!! We went to see Allegria like a year and a half ago and loved it, but we were super disappointed in this one! It was really nothing spectacular, the staff was super rude, and to top it off we were bitter that we spent all that money on that instead of going to see Morgan Fairchild in The Graduate which we probably would have enjoyed a hundred times more. Oh well, you learn! Then we came home and went to work on my garage which was good because we got through a TON of stuff. Since we're moving two weeks from Friday, it's time to get in high gear in the sorting, packing, and throwing out mode so nothing gets moved unnecessarily. Which reminds me, let me know if anyone knows of good movers!!! :)

Then last night was watching some Desperate Housewives. I really LOVE that show! It is super entertaining and good because usually Sunday nights were pretty boring. So that's my weekend wrap-up - two reviews and just a general commentary on the bubble that is SMU! Now if I can survive this week, I might make it to next weekend to have some more fun!

Pictures from the Rally

For those of you that care, here is a link to our pictures from the rally that we went to on Monday night for Bush at SMU. Hope you enjoy! :)

http://tinyurl.com/67lox

Filter This!

This probably won't be the most exciting post in the world but it's venting time for me. At our office, in the past six months or so, they have decided that it is necessary to install a filter on certain items. These items are mostly anything that has streaming video or audio. When it initially happened, I was pretty upset because I had a subscription paid for to a music system that I had to cancel and no longer could use. So goodbye tunes to get me through the day!

And now, I'm upset because all I want is to see the speeches of John Kerry conceding and President Bush accepting. I have tried going at them from all directions and every time this stupid little box pops up that says it is filtered. I also am blocked from going into Snapfish so I still have yet to have time to caption and send out my pictures from the rally the other night. Very frustrating!!!! I find it funny that we still have access to virtually any website on the Internet (I don't have confirmation of that because I don't visit questionable sites but it appears that most sites aren't blocked in any way), but of course the few things I want to do are "filtered." Could they not lift the block for one day so we can see history happening? Of course not! The next thing that will happen will be that they will block this blog site and then I'll really be sad and upset!!!! Let's keep our fingers crossed that that doesn't happen at least.

Anyways, I guess that's all I have to say for now. Really wish they could be cool and let us watch the videos from our desks but I guess I will have to try to sneak to the kitchen on the other side if I want to catch a glimpse of Bush's speech. At least he won! :)

I'll try to finish up the pictures tonight after my dance class and then post the link on here tonight or tomorrow for those of you that want to see it! But beware of the possible filter blockage! ;)

May the Best Man Win (And his name is George W. Bush!)

Sorry for the delay in posting a blog this morning. I know some of you were anxiously awaiting some commentary from last night's events (Jessica!). :) So here goes!

I have to say that last night was probably one of the most amazing and incredible nights. It is definitely something that I will remember for the rest of my life regardless of how this election turns out (although I of course would prefer four more years!). It was just very surreal because I was sitting/standing literally 30 feet from the President of the United States. It was a really cool feeling, and it was so much fun to see the crowd so excited and the signs and posters and people dressed up. It was a lot of fun and definitely something I would have to do again given the chance.

So here's the story. First of all, I ended up foregoing my dance class altogether in favor of getting in line earlier. I had no idea how good it is that we did that!!! After fighting a bit of traffic back towards Dallas, running up to Bobby's parents' door to grab the tickets, and finding parking at the edge of campus and then walking quite a distance, we finally saw the line. And it kept going, and going, and going! It was craziness. We got there a few minutes before 7 pm and the event wasn't supposed to even start until 10. It was crazy stuff. We finally found the end of the line and proceeded to wait almost an hour before even moving at all. Then slowly over the next hour we made it up to the front of the line, through security (it was pretty hard core - really scanning every zipper and fragment of my purse, metal detectors and scanning guns), we made it in and managed to grab an awesome seat to the back right of the stage and right on the aisle with the box for the tunnel in front of us so no one was standing directly in front of us to block our view. :)

However, I must say I did learn a few things in all of this: 1) I made an EXCELLENT choice in wearing sneakers to this event because standing on my feet for two hours on cold concrete and trying to manage through puddles was more than my feet could have handled in anything other than sneakers. And the girls in front of us made the mistake of wearing high heels (man I don't miss the SMU sorority snobbies!) and informed me that I was smart to wear sneakers! and 2) Don't ever let me husband convince me again that we will "grab something to eat on the way" or then "we'll grab something when we get there." Of course he had eaten a Chipotle on his way home from work since he got off an hour before me, but I had not wanted to eat that and then be standing in crowds all night (I have an irritable stomach sometimes!) and for the sake of time, had agreed to forgo my bowl of cereal in hopes of grabbing something later. So by the time we actually got to our seats it was nearly 9:15 and I hadn't eaten anything since my slice of pizza for lunch. Luckily (I guess that's the right word), the concession stand was open at least so since he was already in trouble for not letting me eat before we stood in line for two+ hours, Austin went and grabbed at least something to drink and a hot dog and some nachos. I hate nacho cheese like that but I was hungry and so I ate a bit of that and I actually ate most of the hot dog which I also despise. Austin likes hot dogs and said this one sucked but I didn't want to pass out trying to stand and watch the President so I took one for the team. :)

Anyways, back to the events of the evening: we got to watch various speakers from Rick Perry to local city council people to Kay Bailey Hutchison and Pete Sessions. Chuck Norris was there acting as the emcee of the evening which I found entertaining. And then the main event: after doing the wave with the crowd, playing various goofy music, and waving around my flags for awhile, it was finally time. Toby Keith came out and played a few songs and introduced the first family (George & Laura and I believe the twins were there too although I never saw them come out onto the stage or anything). I can't describe what a cool feeling it was to see and hear the President speak like that on the eve of his election - the last time he will ever run for office. Wild stuff! It made me sad that I didn't get to cast my vote for him as I wanted to because of the absentee ballot screw-up, but don't worry - I'll be the first to be calling tomorrow morning if things don't turn out in Florida the way they should!

Other than that, the evening ended with confetti and balloons and music, and Austin & I snuck our way onto the stage after the President was gone and people were leaving. I got to say hi to Pete Sessions (I taught his son, Alex, first grade a few years ago so I wanted to say hi and wish him luck). It was funny because they had a bunch of interns for the various people on the stage that were there, and people kept thinking I was part of the group. They asked me to take a picture for them, and another lady came up to me and asked me if I wanted her to take it so I could be in the picture with them. Too funny!

We didn't get home until almost 1 am, but it was worth it! We took lots of pictures which I will post on Snapfish tonight hopefully. Other than that, it was just a great experience, and I'm so glad that we got to go!

Tonight, Austin & I are going to the Melting Pot to celebrate our one monthiversary being married! I can't wait! :)

It's Good to Know People - Finally!

They always say that it's all about who you know. And I firmly believe this is the case in today's world no matter how hard you work or how good a person you are in, unless you are incredibly lucky, you better know someone to get your foot in the door. I think this is part of my problem in finding a new job, but I'm working on getting my friends in good places to keep an ear out for something to turn up! ;)

However, I finally know someone that has the connections to get me something. One of my good friends from college, who was also a bridesmaid in my wedding a month ago, lives in Washington, DC now and her boyfriend works in DC for a local Dallas politician. So this morning when I found out that President Bush was going to be attending a victory rally at SMU tonight, I figured it would be good to give her a call and see if she knew how we could get tickets since my phone calls to SMU and the Republican Headquarters had yielded no results. And she came through - Bobby found us two tickets so Austin and I get to go tonight and see President Bush! Definitely a cool thing I have to say although I think Austin is the one that could nearly burst with excitement. So I will be exiting my dance class a bit early tonight to go pick up our tickets and head to see the big man talk on the eve of election. Pretty cool thing considering it's a once in a lifetime event. And at least a good memory for my mind and hopefully scrapbook (we're going to try to find out if they will let us bring in a camera).

So anyways, I thought I would let the world know that I have FINALLY known someone that has gotten me into an exclusive event. It's about time! I will surely update tomorrow on how it was and my thoughts on the whole thing. I figure since I can't vote for the man since the conspiracy against me has made my absentee ballot disappear, I might as well go see him and give him my vocal and warm body support! :)