Slacker!

Yes, I know! I'm horrible. I don't EVER write on this thing anymore, and that is the one thing I actually intended to do daily (well, that, and shower and brush my teeth and stuff) from now until whenever.

I do have a good excuse over the last few weeks, though. My stitched finger makes typing a HUGE nuisance! I mean, it's borderline hair-pulling. Thankfully, the stitches are out and all is healing very well. The scar will be gnarly for a while, but that's life. My left middle finger now has massive amounts of character. That's right ... character. I will set it off smashingly with the silver, chunky Tiffany ring my cousin, Crystal, bought me for Christmas.

So, today I am putting away Christmas presents and trying to organize the chaos that is our spare bedroom. As we don't have room for all of our combined furniture, 2 couches, a bed, a desk, and tons and tons of boxes are precariously placed throughout the room. It needs some work.

I do also need to add some pictures from Christmas. I'll do that tomorrow, most likely. But ... yes ... I AM AN AUNT!!!!!!!!!! (Melanie, not Colee ... so, I'm technically a second-cousin. We don't like that, though, because I was raised with Mel and Crystal and Mark. So, Aunt Sarah, it is!!)

I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Corinne Marie Timmons - aka - Rinny

Stitches

No move is complete without a little drama to bring excitement. Yesterday, I slipped with scissors and filleted my left middle finger. It was nasty, and stitches are a bit less than fun. I am definitely okay, but everything I do is awkward. (Never knew how much I used my left hand ... typing is very odd.)

Oh, and if I feel at all inclined to "shoot the bird" at any point in the next 10 days, it'll be a BIG statement!!

13 days until Christmas ... I seriously need to get on top of my shopping, like, today. It's a must. I might buy myself some kiddie cutters while I'm out and about. You know, the ones that have the blade guard. I can't risk losing function of any of my other 9 digits at this present juncture. ;)

Stay warm, be cool, and watch out with those scissors!!!

Happy Holidays!!

My, oh my ...

It's been a crazy month, and I have been severely slacking in my correspondence efforts!

Quick updates:

- Thanksgiving was AWESOME! Alex's mom met us in Lubbock and our mom's met for the first time. They seemed to hit it off and get along really, really well, so that is very good news. We spent the better part of a week hanging out at the house, eating, drinking, and being merry. Alex and I were able to break away from the family forum and partake in the Tech vs. Baylor game with Kala and Justin on the Saturday following Turkey Day. Blast! Cold ... but definitely fun.

- The day after we got home (Sunday), we were given the go-ahead to move into our new apartment. This one is just Alex and I, as Melissa is moving to Fort Worth to live with her boyfriend. Needless to say, things were a little hectic last week. The movers came for my things on Thursday, and Alex's storage unit on Saturday. Until yesterday, we were living in total disarray.

- We put up a Christmas tree!!!! Yes, it was the first thing we "unpacked." I think it was up before our clothes were even in our dresser drawers. :) We need to get to work on our "non-generic" Christmas ornament situation, but it's ours and it is beautiful!

- Today, I am finishing up the unpacking, running to random stores for essentials you don't carry over between apartments (scrubbers, trash cans, etc), doing laundry, and trying to get some studying in for the GRE. (I can't believe it's already 10 days until I take that nasty thing!)

The GRE

I finally bit the bullet and signed up for the GRE. I mean, I am applying to Master's programs for next Fall and applications are due in January, so the GRE is a bit of a must, if you know what I mean.

I've purchased all of my study materials, including a set of 500 flashcards that guarantee to make my vocabulary so awesome not even the editors of Webster will understand everything I will certainly be talking about.

I also have to brush up on my Math, seeing as how I haven't taken "traditional" Math since ... oh ... Freshman year of college way back in the day. The only good news I can gather from this is that I actually found Algebra to be fun. Yes, fun.

The admission I must make is that I am feeling slightly intimidated by this exam. I know I shouldn't let the pressure get to me, but, let's face it ... this is a BIG test! The fact that I'm somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to myself (mainly nerd-wise) doesn't help matters much.

Still, I plan on making the GRE my bitch. It's a personal vow I've made to myself, and I plan wholeheartedly on following through. The main thing I have going for me is the somewhat annoying trait of sheer, unadulterated stubbornness. I will not fail!

Surprisingly, I'm more nervous about the Verbal than the Math. This has more to do with my chosen field of study (Literature) than anything else, I think. However, it could also be due in part to that massive box of words sitting beside my computer, which is extremely, extremely insane. I have some work to do.

The test is on December 19th at 8am here in Austin. That is the Friday before Christmas break, and I plan on taking it off to conquer the 4-hour test, then drive home for The Holidays. Work, then lots and lots of play!

In the meantime, studying, studying, and more and more studying is my plan of action. If anyone reading this has taken said exam, please feel free to offer any advice or condolences. I'm, as they say, all ears. :)

Little Corinne

Well, well, well ...

My cousin, Melanie, brought the first baby from our generation of the family into the world yesterday, ten days early ... Thursday, November 6th.

Her name is Corinne Marie, and she weighed in at 8lbs 6oz, measuring right about 20 inches long. She's precious!

Decisions, decisions ...

Crazy days, my friends. Crazy, crazy days.

I've definitely had too much coffee this morning, and I made some rockin' herb-crusted chicken last night. (Not the reason things are crazy 'round these parts, but who 'da thunk I'd be cooking (WELL) almost daily?! Not I.)

And, apparently, my posts haven't been showing for a few weeks now. This was just brought to my attention, as I thought everything was hunky dory. I believe I fixed the issue, and am hoping they are all showing now. :)

I'm also very into vests. I'm happy they are back in style. I rock 'em. I rock 'em proudly.

Oh, and toasted wheat bagels with a little light cream cheese and sliced strawberries is my new favorite breakfast food. Try it. You'll love it!

Happy Tuesday. It's going to be one for the books.

How 'bout them Raiders?!

I have no voice left. None. I literally screamed my head off last night.

We were going to try to make it home for the game. We didn't have tickets, but tailgating definitely would have been enough! Unfortunately, we were unable to make the trip ... but we did get the distinct pleasure of sitting in a room full of "Ugly Orangies", who were being so tacky to us, I wanted to spit in their faces (I didn't ... for the record), then WINNING the game against the NUMBER ONE team, and sticking it in their faces!

Take it all, bitch! ;)

Are you kidding me?

What a freakin' game! I'm so proud of our boys.

GO RAIDERS!!!



My Alma Mater is making me one happy, happy lady these days!

Election '08

Well, early voting ends today. Next week, we find out who our next president will be. I'm not going to climb atop my soap box, nor am I going to yell from my high horse. All I am going to say is ... this is an important one. A very important one. I hope we, collectively as Americans, make the correct decision.

Either way, it's probably going to be an interesting (at least) couple of years ahead. I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little anxious, and also rather ready for this one to just be done with. We've been hearing about this election for a very, very long time. It's time to decide.

I'll discuss more once the election is actually through next week.

Oh, and Happy Halloween to all of you costumed crazies! Dressing up is super-FUN!! I dig. :)

Sentimental

You close your eyes and kiss your hand, then you blow it.
But it isn't meant for me, and I notice ...

Time never had a chance to heal your heart.
Just a number always counting down to a new start.
If you always knew the truth,
Then the world would spin around you.
Are you dizzy yet?

When I know I'm all alone,
I say your name slowly.
And I know that I'm alone,
But I carry you.

Does it feel good like a memory?
When you try some history?
It's a dream to come around.
The rule doesn't bend,
Because the taste doesn't taste the same again.

It's easy feeling righteous when removed;
All you'll get as what you wanna hear.
It hurts because it should.
How else am I to make it clear?

I could never be the one that you want, don't ask.
Well, here's to living in the moment ...
'Cause it passed.

Maybe a lie is what I need sometimes.
You told the most and best of anyone.
You said to "keep me in your pocket."
So I carried you ...

You better choose your words carefully,
Because I'm not your anything.
Gonna stay here in my place,
And you'll stay in yours.
Because you're only good as what you're good for.

I pace around the room to spend the time,
Waiting while the burning pictures fade.
One thing to make your mind,
And another to say its name.

I could never be the one that you want, don't ask.
Well, here's to living in the moment ...
'Cause it passed, it passed.

I'm still carrying a little hope that, maybe,
Things could get different now.
Is that so wrong, is that so wrong, is that so wrong?

Would I see you tonight, at a place we go?
Could going through the motions, lead to real emotion?
I wanna make things right, before time runs out.
It was like you said, the taste don't taste like it should.
Roll down the windows, let the cold air come in;
Slap my face just feel you somehow again, again ...

I could never be the one that you want, don't ask.
Well, here's to living in the moment,
'Cause it passed.

I could never be the one that you want, don't ask.
Yeah, here's to living in the moment
'Cause it passed.
'Cause it passed, it passed, it passed ...

You said you'd never have regrets.
Jesus, is there someone yet who got that wish;
Did you get yours, babe?

"We all get a little sentimental, but it's nothing glorious ..."

Books.

Sometimes I get these strange, yet overpowering urges to run out and buy tons and tons of books. I'm not even sure what kind of books. Just books, books, books, books, books!

My dream house would include one room dedicated to books and reading. It wouldn't have to be a big room, just one chalk-full of books. I want bookcases lining all of the walls and a couple of really big, overstuffed, comfortable chairs.

I'm still trying to make it all the way through Atlas Shrugged. I've discovered recently that when I don't have a deadline for reading (such as I have always had in school), I read at a rather leisurely pace.

This makes reading encyclopedia-sized novels much more time-consuming than the speed-read I have been most accustomed to. It is nice, though, to be able to read for pleasure, not for pressure.

Still, I'm ready to be back in school. I actually miss it. What can I say? I guess I'm just a freak that way.

Good times, good times.

The Saturday after my birthday, the 18th, we went downtown for some good, old-fashioned partying. We hit West 6th, which is a little more age-appropriate and laid-back than the wild and crazy East 6th. Each have their place, depending on occasion, purpose, and mood, but West 6th just seemed more fitting for my 2-7.

Speaking of (a bit off-topic), I've decided the reason TWENTY-SEVEN sounds so much older to me than twenty-six, or even twenty-eight, is because it has more syllables than any other in the twenties. Think about it ... 1 (one), 2 (one), 3 (one), four (one), five (one), six (one), seven (TWO), eight (one), nine (one).

I may be grasping at straws here, but that's my reasoning. Either way, I'm of the opinion that people, in general, get better with age. My evidence for that assertion is based on numerous observations. Something about character and the rings of trees and things of that sort. Ponder it for a sec.

Anyway ... we went out. By "we", I mean me, Alex, Mel, her friends Lauren and Nathan, and my good, old friend Erik. You could definitely tell that we don't get out much anymore just by looking at the pictures. We had an absolute blast, but remained consistently goofy throughout the night.

11 Sapphires

My actual birthday DAY can be wrapped up in one picture:



Alex went ALL OUT! I have never had a guy put so much thought into a birthday gift for me. I'm officially spoiled ... it has 11 pink sapphires on a white gold band. Totally "me" (my style, that is), totally gorgeous. I'm still in shock. Wow.

The "To-Do"

Good morning, friends!

I vow to write a very, very LONG post this afternoon. Before I do, however, I have to tick off my long-ish list of things to do before the fabulous Fall-feeling weather of the morning gives way to Spring in October by 1pm.

First on my list ... EARLY VOTE!!!!!!!

Second ... find a new purse and put that good, ol' b-day money to use. I've set some sort of record with the current one I'm carrying. Usually, I change my purse like my socks, but this one has stuck around for much, much longer. Target and Old Navy seem to consistently have my favs, so we shall see what we shall see. (Hey, I'm thrifty!) One of these days, I'll have a really nice, long-term bag. Until then, I enjoy being whimsical with my accessories.

Third ... lots and lots of spiral notebooks. Why? Because I've discovered when writing a book, typing fudges the flow. (For me, anyhow.) Writing by hand, though somewhat crampy and painful, seems to be my Golden Ticket. Lately, I've been inundated with ideas for one, specific novel. This one, maybe I'll actually FINISH. Sheesh-balls! (Like that one? Made it up myself.)

Fourth ... red lipstick. I feel that my ghost-like whiteness should be accentuated. Or, you know, maybe I'm just trying to embrace my inner bombshell. I swear, that "B" has to be in here somewhere! Who better than to summon her than the ever-classic, red lipstick. Definitely more difficult to find than one might initially assume ...

Fifth ... fabric for new couch pillows and kitchen table chair covers. I am feeling earth tones at the moment. Plus, I've had this brand new sewing machine sitting at the apartment since I moved. I've only used it a handful of times. This makes my mom sad. I don't like it when my mom is sad.

Sixth ... well ... the list goes on and on a bit like that for a full page. Little things, sure, but FUN little things. Once I am done, and I have sufficiently dwindled my To-Do, I'll write about my half-week back home and the festivities from The 2-7. (Which I have embraced.) Ah, and pictures! Like we had never seen a camera before ...

Anyhoo, I hope everyone is well!
Happy Wednesday.

Holy cow.

Twenty-seven, and that ain't no lie.

Cold AND Rainy

I'm in Lubbock ... and I refuse to turn on the heater upstairs at my mom's house, so I'm wearing flannel pajamas to bed. I hope you all know how happy this makes me.

Lubs in da Hubs.

I'm going to Lubbock tomorrow for a visit. I feel the need to see my mom, sister, and friends on my birthday week. (Unfortunately, Aunt Kay will be out of town for a HR seminar. Boooo. I feel I need to see her, too. It will have to wait for the holidays. They are soon. This is good news.)

To be honest, I just need to get away for a few days. Things have been a little rough here for me lately with the incessant (seemingly dead end) job search, and I simply need a break from the frustration ... an excuse to just not think about it. (You really see just how bad the economy is right now when you are "out there" for the first time, trying to make your way into the professional world. Sucks.)

I also need a haircut, like, super-bad. My hair hasn't been this long ... well ... maybe ever. The only person I trust to come anywhere near my mane with scissors is a lady named Katherine back home. This has proven to be somewhat inconvenient the past year, but that's okay. She's great, and I'm loyal. :)

This afternoon, Alex and I were going to go to the gym and run around a bit (look for a new apartment), but have decided to just take it easy and chill at home instead. Since I'm going to be gone the better part of this week, we both want to spend some time alone together before I leave. Through the great irritation that I have been feeling lately, he has been my constant supporter, bring my spirits up when I need a boost. I do miss him when we are apart.

Plus, I have to pick up Mel from the airport around 7 and we are doing our weekly Sunday dinner with my dad around 6. Oh, and I have to pack this evening as well. (Kind of essential when traveling.) I'm taking the time to write this while the boyfriend tests out Force Unleashed on the Wii. From what I can tell, it looks pretty neat. I'm not the video game connoisseur here, but the one who is seems to be having an okay time. (Oh, wait, apparently "the camera angles suck.")

Moving on ... I think my main goals while in Lubbock will be hanging out with family, seeing m friends as many times as time will allow, learning some new sewing techniques from my mom, kidnapping her for some shopping and possibly a movie, conjuring up a Halloween costume, planning another visit, and talking Norbs into buying some fainting goats for his mostly vacant pasture. (No lie!)

Oh, oh, OH! And ... I checked the weather.com for packing purposes and it looks like it is going to be chilly and rainy the entire time I am back home. Did you read that?! Chilly and rainy!!!!! Whoo-hoo! Bring. It. ON!!!

'Gossip'

Ray LaMontagne has put his new, unreleased CD up on his MySpace page (Gossip In The Grain). It might be love. His voice is quite insane.

Click HERE for the songs.

I, myself, scrolled down to the bottom and intended to work my way back up. Somehow, I'm still stuck on the last 3: You Are The Best Thing, Let It Be Me, and Sarah.

Pets

I think I would like a penguin and a fainting goat.

Car people suck!!!

Before I begin, let me just say that I realize me bitching about my dealing with rude/incompetent/sexist car people really doesn't make for "enjoyment reading," but I need and I do mean NEED to vent.

Begin rant.

So, I picked my car up a little over a week ago from the body shop. All they were supposed to do was fix the scratched paint and dents from when some jackass hit me while I was parked a few months back. Fix the paint, sure, they did that. However, they also managed to somehow screw up my dashboard. What I mean is that within 24 hours of getting my "fixed" car from the body shop, an array of warning lights came on and remained.

Of the warning lights, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp was the most persistent. For those of you (like me) who have no clue what that is, it's just about the worst light that can come on in your car. It means something (of about 150, I've been told) is wrong with your car's engine and operating system. I think we can all agree that this is not a good thing, right? Right.

Due to this light (which had never been on in my BRAND NEW, LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, FULLY PAID-FOR Jetta before taking it into the body shop), I called the shop, took it back in, to which they replied I needed to take it to the VW Service Station by the same dealer. So ... I took it in. But, oh wait! You need an appointment for them to actually look at what their body shop effed up. (Why wouldn't you?!) The earliest appointment available ... a week away. Sure! Great! Hooray! Or not.

Yesterday was my destined day to get my car serviced and fixed (still from whatever malfunction they caused in the damn first place). So, I took it in, I left it, they never called, I finally called right before they were to close, I was told something very bizarre which I didn't understand over the phone (basically that they didn't fix the problem, but the light had gone off ... may come back on, may not), and that I could come pick the car up this morning.

At 9am, there I was ... picking the car up. I asked to be debriefed on what exactly happened to my car in their service station (mind you, for the SECOND TIME), that made the car ready to pick up, but not fixed ... with a 'maybe/maybe not" explanation of the lights.

This is where it gets even better ...

Well, as it happens, while they were running the diagnostic on my car, their scanner crashed, causing my car's memory to be erased, leaving the dashboard "back to normal", and hopefully fixed. (Um ... what the fuck are you talking about? <------- That's in my head as I'm hearing this rubbish.) All I can do, they say, is to take the car, hope the bad-bad/no-no lights don't come back on, and leave it to fate.

Okay, sure, perfect, thank you so much!!!!!

For lack of anything else to do, I took the car. However (there are a lot of those in this story), some of the lights are still on. One of which says (in the manual) is to do with tire pressure OR A SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. Well, hot damn, I thought that was what I brought the car back in for in the first place!

Yes, I marched back in the office to tell the service-consultant-guy who blew the smoke up my ass the first go'round that the lights were, ahem, still on. Maybe not the "big bad", but lights nonetheless. I take him out to my car, where he proceeds to speak to me as though I am either 4-years-old, or legally mentally disabled. He tells me to "fix the tire pressure ... you do know how to fix your tire pressure, don't you? ... and that will fix that light." Okay, so, just out of curiosity, since I brought the car in to have the warning lights taken care of, why didn't YOU fix the darn tire pressure?!

So, I took the car ... I checked the tire pressure ... which was FINE, by the way. I ran to Target to get some essentials, I came back to the apartment to start some laundry, I got back in my car to go to the gym, and ... alas ... the freaking, effing, stupid, someone's-getting-screamed-at-shortly MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (the really, really bad one) pops on again. And not a mere 2 hours after I picked it up from the service station ... for the second time in TWO WEEKS.

Of course, I had to call my dad and pull him away from work yet again, march it back to the station ... 15 miles from my apartment (ONE WAY, I might add) ... and leave it yet again. This time, I spoke to a manager. This time, I was pissed. This time, it better be fixed!

I wish I knew what the hell they could have done at that body shop while fixing the tail end of my car to make the warning lights go all crazy. Alex, his dad, my dad, and the guy's at the VW place in Lubbock (where my mom and Norbs bought the car not even a year ago) all say that it seems like they either didn't unplug the battery while they were welding, or didn't ground the car properly. Either way, they have done something really weird to my car and I want to know what it is and how they're going to fix it.

I'm high pissed at this point. I've been running all over town (literally) for their screw-up, dragging Melissa and my dad away from their own time to follow me back and forth, and unable to do the things I genuinely NEED to do for going on 3 weeks now. The car is under warranty, fully paid-for, and all of that ... so I'm not concerned about money. It's all on them. I'm more concerned with them actually owning up to whatever they did in the first place, and getting my car back fully repaired and in a timely fashion.

The shit of it is that I don't know anything about what they actually, specifically could have done to the car to make the lights go on like that. It's a big mess up on their part, and I've been treated horribly by them for catching it ... whatever "it" actually is. I don't want my car to be messed up or permanently hindered because of it. Like I said, it's new ... and it was also a graduation present from my parents.

I just wish I knew someone who could explain to me what the real issue is here. I'm beyond frustrated, upset, and angry.

End Rant.

Whew.

Voter Registration!!!

The deadline to register to vote in most states (including Texas) is Monday, October 6th. Remember that you MUST FILE A NEW REGISTRATION if you have changed addresses since your last card was issued!!! You have to file it within the correct precinct. It only takes a few minutes. This is an important election. A VERY important election. I'm not going to lecture about parties or anything else (right now, anyway ... ha!). The most imperative thing you can do as an American citizen is V-O-T-E! Look at some FAQ HERE. And remember that you revoke all "bitching and moaning" rights for the next 4 years (at least!) if you simply do not make your way into a booth on November 4th to cast your ballot.

Oh, and check out the video below. It's kinda neat-o.

\

Time flies ...

I can't believe it is October already. I feel like I should knit a scarf or something.

ACL Weekend Redux

Weekend in a nutshell:

It rocked. It rolled. We brunched. Dad bar-b-qued. We drank. We danced. We shopped. We chilled.

Mel and I met Kate Walsh at a bar on 6th. I met Blues Traveler on a random side street downtown while feeding the meter. Colee and Amber were right next to the host of Iron Chef at Foo Fighters. And G. Love's manager chased Amber, Colee, and I down on Congress to hand us free CD's.

All in all - GREAT weekend!

Kate Walsh:

Way littler in person than you think, short hair now, too.

Blues Traveler:

They were eating trail mix, hanging out by their tour bus.

G. Love:

Sorry, no picture of his manager.


(More pictures to come as soon as my sister has a chance to upload and email them.)

Saxon Pub

Colee, Amber, Mel, and I went to Saxon Pub on September 25th. We saw Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights and Micky and the Motorcars. I'd never heard either before that night. It was an alright show, but it was awesome to get out and do have a little fun.

Seeeeeeeeester!

My sister is here for the entire weekend!

Does anybody have any idea how happy this makes me?! Seriously.

Even though nothing is working out and everything is pretty much junk these days, her being her makes it all seem trivial ... almost unreal.

I'll deal with Monday when Monday comes.

Until then, it's all fun, all the time, goofy pictures, lots of live music, probably some embarrassingly horrible dancing, and silliness all the way around.

Stories to come, giggling to ensue ...

Sha la la la la la la

High: Joan is back in my possession and more beautiful than ever! The folks who fixed the panel even detailed her. My graduation present looks just like new!

Low: Mascara Wand meet Eyeball. Eyeball meet Mascara Wand. I bet you can guess who the winner was in that scenario. Um ... OUCH!

What I Learned: It sucks, like, a whole whole lot to not have readily available transportation. And talking on the phone whilst searching for a shirt to wear in the middle of applying mascara is not so smart.

Song of the Day: Send My Love to the Dance Floor, I'll See You In Hell (Hey Mister DJ) by Cobra Starship. (Prepare to shake some major booty without warning.)

Fall is HERE!

Helllllloooooooo, FALL! I would like to officially welcome my most adored season to 2008. Fall is when the crispness in the air arrives, the warm and fuzzies start to grow, and the temperature begins its slow decline into cold.

(Maybe not where I am, but ... that's how Fall should be. I'm going to ignore the possibility of skipping this glorious season entirely in the sauna where I currently reside. If you build it, they will come. Ha!)

I mean, that's what Fall is to me. I am happier and more content in this season than in any other. I can't pinpoint exactly what makes me so giddy, but I just love it. Maybe it's the increasing need for scarves (it's love), the excuse to bust out (and bust on) my favorite boots (flat on the bottom, tall on the top), or the chance that one of these nights, I might go for a walk and actually see my breath.

I like my nose turning red, my cheeks staying pink, and the perfect occasion for drinking hot, hot coffee, delicious chai tea, and creamy hot chocolate. It also doesn't hurt that Fall weather could possibly mean a reason to pull out the heavier blankets and snuggle up in bed (or on the couch) for a day of movies (hell, I'll be agreeable ... even football!).

Oh yeah, and my birthday and Thanksgiving both happen right smack in the middle of the Fall. My birthday is just a day to me these days, to be honest, but growing up (and, fine, even now), my family always made a big deal of birthdays. (Not just of mine, of everyone's.) Hey, it's an excuse to celebrate! And, of course, everyone must know my deep, deep affection for Thanksgiving. You get to eat a lot of great food, there are no presents required (unless you totally want), and the whole family gets together to cook, drink, and be merry! It's beautiful.

Me and Fall, we are like Peas and Carrots:



Yesssssssssssssss ...

Peek-tures!

Today I thought I would test out the picture feature on this thing. I'm trying to get more advanced in the whole technology world, and this seems like something all the cool kids are doing. Plus, pictures are awesome! I insist on picking up my obsession again. Bear with me, I'm new at this part. :)

This is Lime Creek. It's the place in Colorado where Alex, his mom and dad, and I went fishing in July when we were there for a little over a week. I had never been fishing "like that." We drove up, up, up, up, up into the mountains, parked, unloaded the dirt bike and ATV's, then drove down, down, down, down into the middle of one particular mountain to the base of the creek. From there, the boys fished while his mom and I followed with supplies (and cameras, of course). The mosquitoes were the craziest things I've ever seen ... HUGE and plentiful. But, we managed to keep them at bay with spray. (That rhymes.) Anyhow, that day is one of my best memories so far from the year. The mountain was beautiful and we all had a really good time. Plus, I got to drive the ATV the 7 miles back up the mountain with his dad on the back. I'm not talking about paved roads with rails here. I'm talking rocks and dirt and skinny paths and ditches and massive drop-downs off to the side. I was a little timid at first, but put my big girl panties on towards the end and kicked up the pace. It was fun!! And, let me just say, the shower at the end of the day was the best one I've ever had. 14 hours on a mountain was diiiiiirty!


Of the day, this one is my favorite picture. I think this was at about Hour 7 in the foliage. We both look like the biggest nerds in the world, but I just love it! Maybe that's why. Because we look like nerds. (Yes, I am wearing 2 hats and no make-up.) Oh, and that's Alex. And you are correct, he's completely amazing.


This is one from this past New Year's Eve. (I wish it wasn't blurry, but you take what you can get.) We celebrated here in Austin at a place on 6th Street called The Barcelona. It was sweet because we all just paid a blanket cover for the evening, and had an open bar for the rest of the night. We ended up springing for the VIP area as well, so we had our own, personal waitress. In the end, I think there were about 10 or 12 of us there. While I don't remember every detail of the night, I do remember that it as my best NYE yet, we all got silly and danced, and that we all managed to drink our weights in tequila. Loved it! Every minute of it.


And this is my family from my graduation last December. What a day! It was full of tears and laughter and tears through laughter. My family is so important to me. My mom is ... well ... my mom, my friend, and my checkpoint. Kay is just wonderful. I miss them a lot, a lot. The holidays this year should be really special. Not only because it will be the first that I will be "coming home" from actually not living there, but also because we will have a little wee one this Christmas! Melanie is due on November 16th, so little Corinne will be spending her first Christmas in Lubbock. Wow.


Speaking of Christmas, last year, I think my family had the most fun we've ever had on any holiday, ever! For whatever reason, we all got goofy and started acting a fool. Crystal, my oldest cousin, was running through the kitchen, diving, and having Melanie, Mark, and I catch her. Aunt Charlotte captured it on film, and I think it could be my favorite photo of the four of us together.



Heidi and Courtni! I have known Courtni since I was 2 years old, and I've known Heidi for a very long time as well. We finally became great friends when she and I worked together this for a year or so before I graduated college. These girls will be my friends for the rest of my life, and I just love them to pieces. Good friends make all the difference.


This one is from last Halloween. Melissa (my roommate) and I made these peasant costumes with my mom's help. It as such an accomplished feeling to finish those costumes. My mom helped us quite a bit, but we actually did the majority of it ourselves. We didn't wear them for as long as we would have like, though. We went to a Halloween party, then went back to my house and drank a bit. Still, it was a good time ... and now I have a last-minute costume should the occasion arise. (Maybe I could even talk Alex into putting on some tights and accompanying me. HA! Not freaking likely.)


From my 26th birthday. I miss my Kala! I've known her since I was 15 or 16. We were talking about how long we've known each other when we were in Dallas for that concert a few weekends ago. We made it through a lot there in the early years of friendship. The trick is we supported each other through it all. That's key. She's a GREAT friend, and I honestly don't know what I would do without her.


From Jersey Boys weekend in Dallas in late July. I had never seen the play before, and it was amazing! (For those of you who don't know the premise, it is about Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. I didn't realize that they sang so many well-known, truly great songs!) Alex had seen it on Broadway the last time he was in New York, but it was his favorite, so he didn't mind seeing it again. It was nice to meet everyone out of town and have a little mini-vacation together. I think that's actually the last time we were all together at the same time.


And, finally, 3 of my very favorite people in the entire world! Alex, Aunt Kay, and my mom. This is one was taken on Aunt Kay's birthday, when we stopped through on the way back from our 10 days in New Mexico with Alex's family this summer. Norbert was cooking and we were taking a break from presents and cards. I have a lot of really great pictures from that weekend, but I think this one is my favorite. It is framed right by my side of the bed. :)

Okay, so I should stop now. I have a ton of pictures, but wanted to experiment with some of my favorites. You have now seen what is most important to me in the world. Missing are my sister (I'll have a lot next weekend, though), my Norbert, and my dad. I'll include all of them a little later. As I said, I'm saving my sister for ACL weekend. So ready!

I said "favorite" a whole lot in this post. Oh well, it's Friday!!!!!

"Wait for all I am ..."

I think it was Colin Hay whose album was titled Waiting For My Real Life To Begin. I feel a lot like that these days. Like I'm "waiting for" ... something ... to happen, to surprise me, to snap me out of or in to ... something. I'm sure it will all change one day and I will forget these thoughts ever even entered my far-too-over-thinking mind. My problem is that I do have too much time to think, and that my thoughts are leading me down the same path of frustration, assessing that I thought I would (personally) be so much more than this by now.

As Martin de Maat said, "You are pure potential!"

I know it will change, and things can only continue to get better and better. I truly believe this. I am definitely thankful for what I do have. (Maybe it's just the human condition to always want more?) Even so, the ruts will be conquered and the monotony will give way to purpose. (It's up to me, I know this much as well.) "All things in time ..." It's what keeps me moving forward in my life, not regressing backward.

Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should ... - Max Erhmann

(Listening to: Forever May You Run by Gavin Rossdale.)

Ike & a full year!

So, Ike did nothing here. We didn't even get any rain. This was a tad disappointing to me. I was all geared up for some heavy rain on Saturday; it didn't even spit. We had a few clouds in the morning and a breeze for a bit, but nothing I could even classify as actual "wind" coming from where I do.

(Of course, I didn't want anything devastating from Ike. That would have been awful. Just a little rain, please. Thought I'd clear that up before I move on.)

So, we just hung out most of the weekend. Nothing too exciting. I cooked a lot, we watched some movies, some TV, figured out the true badass-ness that is the Wii, downloaded some old school games (I'm talking Super Mario Bros. here), and ran around just a bit.

This weekend did mark a year of Alex and I knowing each other. Not officially "an item" yet (that would be sometime in November, I believe), but just introductions and "getting to know you, getting to know all about you" stuff. (I so very much know I am a loser, okay.) I feel like it was so long ago, yet so recent. Bizarre! The year, as all of time these days, seems to have literally zoomed by. Seriously so, so weird.

Funny where life takes you, isn't it? It's never quite what you predict, or how you picture it in your head. And I do mean that in the best of ways in this instance.

Other than that, things have been pretty low-key lately. Not too many exciting things happening right now. Just regular, ol' day-to-day. The highlight of my week will be (finally!) taking my car in to the body shop to get it fixed. It's been dented a slight, slight bit with some paint scratches since April. (Too, freakin' long, if you ask me.)

I had been the proud owner of Joan (Jetta) for only 5 months when some idiot ran into me while trying to park in the spot next to mine. If it weren't for the very nice man in the Subway right next door, I never would have known, as Alex and I were in Chipotle grabbing lunch and never saw the incident. The little jerk wasn't even going to tell us he had hit us! Whatever. I am now able to get it fixed, so this is good news! I will be car-less for a few days, but it's all good.

I'll leave you all with a (a rather disturbing) fun fact: the original color of Coke was green. Um ... ew.

YouTube is too entertaining!

Well, this just had disaster written all over it. A bucket ... on a platform?! You've got to be kidding me ...




Maybe I'm cruel, but this just makes me laugh ... and laugh ... and then laugh some more ...




And this guy just needs a hug ...

Eleven on the Twelfth

1. I'm feeling a sudden burst of motivation to 'Dive in and do!' I can't decide if it's the incredibly strong pot of coffee I made (and proceeded to drink the majority of) this morning, or if I am just now discovering that I have a ton of stuff I could be doing in lieu of this recent, very boring situation I find myself immersed in (no 'real' job, no 'real' responsibilities).

2. List of what I plan to 'Dive in and do!': A. My new-ish digital camera (very high-tech, very swanky) that I got for my BIG graduation present in December. I haven't read the manual and figured it out yet, and I should. I love, and I do mean LOVE taking pictures. It's time to start. B. Photoshop. I have the hand-me-down Mac from my mom's shop, which is still super-duper nice. It has all sorts of interesting applications. Time to go! C. Speaking of ... the cards I started working on a while back and discarded (hahahahahaha ... get it? DisCARDed!) when things went nuts my last semester of college. D. The GRE! Nuff said. E. The book. Again, nuff said. F. Coloring. Seriously. I love it! I don't do it enough. And my mom, in an act of sheer silliness, bought me the biggest, 3-tier thingy of crayons I've ever seen. It's glorious, too pretty to be broken in, but begging to be used. G. Painting! I'm no good at it, but I adore it in ways I'm not comfortable discussing. H. Scrapbooking! Okay, so, it's a little hokey. I get it. Still, I'm going to do it. I have a three-drawer tupperware chalk-full of supplies to get the things I have stock-piled from my past organized and put in coherent order. May as well, right? Right.

3. Whew. That is A LOT of stuff. My head is spinning already.

4. I also very much want to figure out the widgets (is that the technical term?) for all of the fancy features on this blog. I would love to include some photos, I am figuring out how to put music up, and I also have one of those totally cheesy voice recorders (had to buy it for a class a while back and it actually comes in handy while driving and whatnot). I figure I could put up some voice posts from time to time. Might be weird, but who cares? Fly your freak flag proudly!

5. I have no clue if Hurricane Ike is headed our way, or if it will skirt us like the 3 previous have; however, I am prepared! Movies, food, water, candles, flashlights, and games! Just in case. And the funny part is that I didn't even have to buy too, very much to be "prepared." It just happened that I had it most of it here. Strange, but true. And I am also very pleased that I filled up on gas last night, instead of today. Because so many of the evacuees are being guided here, 'they' were saying on the news a bit earlier that the entire city may be bone dry (gasoline-wise) by this evening. Freaky.

6. It's time to get going on that sewing machine my mom gave me to keep here. I've been slightly intimidated by using it without her expertise in the same vicinity, but it is definitely time to conquer the beast. Be smarter than the machine. You get the idea. I'll start small first, then work my way up. Must walk before you can run. Remember that. ;)

7. I had a 2 1/2 hour writing test for a job with the Texas Legislature on Wednesday morning at 8am. It's one I applied for online on a total whim. The session here in The Capitol starts in January, and they are in need to folks to fill spots in the Bill Analysis Unit. If hired, I would start mid-October and would work until the session ends on June 2nd. From my understanding, I would be proof-reading, editing, and summarizing bills for the higher-ups. They said my English major is a huge bonus, so we will see. I would love to get the job. It pays well, would be interesting, and I wouldn't have to worry about quitting before I start my Master's because the job would end about 2 weeks prior. Seems perfect. I'm crossing my fingers, but won't know anything for a few weeks.

8. Subbing kind of sucks. I don't mind it too, too much. I did think I would have my own class by now, though, so teaching others' kids on a random, different from day-to-day basis isn't exactly my fav rave. I will continue to do it (when there are jobs available, that is) until I find something else, of course. I'd just rather either have my own class, or, as I said, do something entirely different. I need more of a purpose. I get stir-crazy quite easily ... and these past few months have not been the keenest in controlling the urge.

9. It's mid-September-ish ... already! I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by. I'll be 27 in about a month. 27!!!! Obviously, I knew I would be getting older and older as the days persist, I just thought when I was younger that ages such as those in the late-20's (and early 30's, even) were so far away. Now it is here. The weird thing is that I don't feel (almost) 27 ... whatever that is supposed to feel like. I feel like I've grown up for the most part, but I don't feel any differently than I than any other time I remember. Maybe that is because change is subtle. Some might even say sneaky.

10. I said it before, but really ... I'm totally stuck on Sweet and Low by Augustana right now. Also, Detriot Waves by Matt Nathanson, Live To Be Free by Griffin House, I'd Rather Be With You by Joshua Radin, Love Remains the Same by Gavin Rossdale (yes, the one on that cheesy trailer), and Sidedish Friend by Rachael Yamagata are all great songs.

11. Remember ... make out, not war (way more fun in my estimation) ... and, as always, be kind to one another. :)

K, Big 'D', & the 2 Adams

I went out of town (again, I know!) this past weekend to meet K (Kala) in Dallas for a Counting Crows concert. I left on Friday afternoon and picked her up at the airport in Dallas around 5pm. We stayed with my Aunt Charlotte, which is always nice. It seems like I rarely get to see Charlotte, Melanie, Scott, Mark, and that whole crew, so visits are always lovely.

When we got in on Friday, we had been sitting in 5 o'clock traffic coming back from the airport for a while and didn't really feel like don't anything crazy. So, we all just went out to eat some Mexican food and went back to the casa to watch some television. (There should be accents, yes, I get it.) Pretty uneventful. Still nice to see everyone and chat at dinner.

Saturday was a MUCH busier day, with Kala and I going shopping, finding some GREAT deals, catching an afternoon movie, eating, then heading back to Char's to get ready for the concert that evening.

The concert started at 7:30, and was kicked off by Augustana. I have their first CD, but honestly hadn't listened to anything other than Boston ("she said, I think I'll go to Boston, I think I'll start a new life ...") at great length, so I wasn't too frenzied to watch them. We did catch their last couple of songs, and they are honestly pretty good. I have since checked out their MySpace and discovered that they have a new album out. Upon listening to a few of those songs, I now wish I would have caught the entire set. Sweet and Low (to be found on their M.S. page) is FANTASTIC!

(Quick Confession: For a while before I moved, I would sing Boston, only replace it with Austin. It was somewhat of my own, personal theme song for a few months. I'm totally lame.)

So, we missed most of the opener, but did get to see all of Maroon 5 and, of course, all of Counting Crows. I also have both of Maroon 5's CD's, and have listened to the first, Songs About Jane, about a thousand times. I hadn't given much notice to their second (I forget the title), but as they played, I realized that I was super-uh-lot enjoying their show.

Now, I'll first admit that this could be attributed to 2 things outside of their actual musical abilities and talents. The first is that I had guzzled a HUGE beer in the break between them and Augustana (remember the aforementioned LOW tolerance). The second is that the singer, Adam Levine, is crazy-boiling-holy-cow-you-have-to-be-kidding-me HOT! I have heard of how big of a playboy he is, which honestly grosses me out quite a bit. I have also sworn off musicians (for personal reasons of my own ... ha!) of all kinds, entirely. Furthermore, whatever the phenomenon of "celebrity envy" happens to be has been completely lost on me since I was about 20.

However, for whatever reason, I found myself dancing, singing, laughing, and (yes) staring. I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, but the boy is oozing charisma. I mean, I ogled him for almost an hour and a half, so I'll at least give him that much. Also, he actually sounds better live than on his album. This has always been a big test for me. If you can match, or even trump, your CD vocally while playing a live concert, you're typically pretty golden in my book. This guy could. So, yeah, it was good. The highlight was Secret for me. If you've ever listened to the lyrics, you'll know just what I'm talking about. (Naughty!)

After Maroon 5 was another HUGE beer, then Counting Crows took the stage. Before I start talking about their performance, I have a confession to make that troubles me quite tremendously. The confession is this: I do not like their new album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, very much at all. I can stomach 3, maybe 4, songs on the entire album ... but that's it. I'm a very large fan of the Crows, so it was rough on me to listen, listen, and listen some more to their newest addition ... and find nothing in it that reached me at all. So ... I honestly wasn't too sure how I was going to respond to their show this go 'round.

I am pleased to say that, as an old fan, I enjoyed their set a lot. I do think, though, that you would have HAD to been an OLD fan to appreciate it at all. Here's why ... they did EVERYTHING acoustically. Everything. Anna Begins, Miami, Rain King, Mercury, and so on. It was far from "upbeat," but it was really pretty music. It did fit the evening. (We got lucky, and were granted a reprieve from the heat. Beautiful weather!)

Kala didn't like it too much because it was quite a big adrenaline cut-off from Maroon 5's totally loud and fast and all-over-the-place set. I do have to say that I think it might have been better for Counting Crows to play first if they were going to play so mellow. It's easier to go from mellow to wild, than from wild to mellow.

Even still, I liked it. They played very, very, very few of their newer songs (surely they have to know they fall short!), so that was actually good for me. I got my Anna Begins fix, which is always nice, and I had never heard Miami done acoustically. It's very pretty that way. I also heard some songs I'd never heard live, like Mercury. All in all, it was an exceptionally different set than I've ever seen from them. Very VH1 (old-school) Storytellers.

(Quick Sidenote: Adam (of CC) has lost tons of weight and looks very good, happy even. So, mock if you must, but no "fat boy" jokes. They just don't pertain anymore. Besides, shitty new album or not, he'll always be one of the most talented musicians (writers) I've ever heard.)

In the end, the concert and shopping with Kala on Saturday, as well as seeing Melanie's ever-growing belly (she's 7 months pregnant!) on Friday were the high points of the weekend. Sunday was pretty much waking up, watching a little TV, packing up, taking Kala to the airport, and driving home. A very nice weekend overall!

I will say that I believe I-35 to be Hell's Highway, but (thankfully!) this trip back and forth wasn't too, too bad. Somehow I managed to avert the horrible traffic that tends to clog up the way too small 2-lanes each way. I made super-good time back, and hung out with Alex for what was left of the evening on Sunday. It's usually nice to come home from a bit of time away and have the person you are coming home to really happy to see you. Sometimes it's just good to be missed.

Although I've GREATLY, GREATLY enjoyed my past 2 weekends out of town, I will say that I am happy to be staying in Austin this weekend. No long-distance driving, no dodging crazy idiot people who think they are in Nascar, no multiple stops at gas stations, and no setting alarms. The only potential oddity of this particular weekend is the ever-brewing Ike. He's proving to be a tricky little dude, so we'll see how much he affects us here in A-town. I hope not too much ...

And ... scene!

'Josie's on a vacation far away'

Not really. I mean, I was, but it wasn't far away. And my name isn't Josie. I do have the same number of syllables in my name as good ol' Jos, though, so I guess it could work. Kinda.

So, yes, Lubbock was a very nice little getaway. I dropped Alex off at the airport in Austin around 7pm on Thursday and hit the road. I didn't get in until about 1 in the morning, but it was worth it. I had a full day planned out for Friday and getting up at 4am just wouldn't have sufficed.

I was able to meet Kala for lunch on Friday, which gave us the perfect opportunity to catch each other up on life, gossip (at least I admit it!), jobs, boys, Austin, Lubbock, jury duty, yucky hospitals, and all of that crazy stuff we call Life. That was very nice for me, considering we very rarely get to see each other these days. The other times I've been back to Lubbock have been strictly family lockdown situations. My mom and Aunt Kay have a way of filling my hours there is very strategic. (Not complaining! I enjoy it immensely.)

But, yeah, Kala and I were able to talk, talk, talk ... just her and I ... which was, as I said, wonderful. She's doing pretty freakin' great, has stopped smoking, and is more motivated to embrace a completely healthy lifestyle than I have ever seen anybody. I'm so proud of her (not to sound trite at all). Never having been a smoker, I can't really relate to the difficulty of quitting. I hear it's rough, though. That girl just went cold turkey, and hasn't touched the stuff since! Yowzers.

I also got to see my little sister almost every day that I was there. I still can't believe that she is 22!!! My baby sister ... 22 years old. It's freaky. But it's true. She's this almost completely grown-up person. She still wacky as ever, but that's how we all love her best. She's a good kid. Always has been. She's trying to get back into school sometime soon, and I think there is nothing better she could do right now. With the economy potentially flushing down the toilet, school is a very safe bet for a few years. Wait out the worst, jump back on the wagon when it starts rolling again. (And it will start rolling again.)

Anyhow, we went out for drinks the two nights before Alex came into town (Thursday and Friday), which was also great because I ran into a lot of my old crew. (Bunch of Trouble running around! Still adore 'em to pieces, though.) I also noticed while I was out with my (younger, remember) sister that I simply cannot hang like I used to be able to. (And don't really want to be able to do now.) I was never a heavy drinker by any grand stretch of the imagination. I went out on the weekends some, but never to excess. Now I barely do anything alcohol-related. My tolerance ... pathetic. It's alright, though. Cheap date!

Oh, and Friday night I went to see Mama Mia with my mom and Aunt Kay. I love musicals (can't help it, have no desire to try), and we all enjoyed that one quite a bit. After the movie, we grabbed quick bite to eat, and I met up with Heidi and Courtni for a bit. We started at Fox, but some of their crowd wanted to hit Chances R. Anyone who knows me knows that I am about as far from a Chances R girl as a person can be ... so ... I opted out of that portion of the evening. Still, even though it was brief, it was nice to see my ladies. I miss them (all!) so, so much.

On Saturday, I woke up super-massive-whoa-early to have breakfast with my mom and Aunt Kay before my mom had to go get her shop ready to open. After breakfast, I fell asleep for much longer than I had intended and woke up just in time to shower, get ready, and grab Alex from the airport.

Once he was there, it was all family, all the way. We took my mom a late lunch at her shop, then headed to Aunt Kay's for dinner, cards, and drinks. The same could be said of Sunday, save a trip to the lovely South Plains Mall for some shopping. (Strange that we shop more in Lubbock than in Austin? Not really. Everything's close in the LBK. Not so in the ATX.) I think that was the night we "officially" celebrated my mom's birthday. Monday was supposed to be the day we left to head back to Lubbock. Supposed to be ...

We had just eaten lunch on Monday and were preparing to hit the road, car packed, everyone about to say their goodbyes ... when Alex looked over at me and said, "We're staying another day. I'm going to take my free day at work." Then he looked over at my mom and said, "Happy birthday, Patty. I give you your daughter on your actual birthday." (She loved it.) Her "real" birthday was on Tuesday, the 2nd, which we were going to miss entirely. Game time decision, we stay! Ha.

The real reason for staying was neither one of us wanted to drive and we were all having such a good time, we weren't really ready to leave. Since Alex works for the government down here, LBJ Day was a "come to work, win a free day later" workday for his office. He worked; therefore, get-paid-for-no-work-day for him! Hey-oh! It was beautiful. Due to the impromptu extra day, we just hung out all day Monday and Monday evening. Then, on Tuesday, we kidnapped my mom and took her to lunch for her birthday, then left around 2 in the afternoon.

It worked out so much better that way because traffic was light, and we got to sneak over to Colee's (my sister) house on Monday evening for one more visit before we left. Plus, obviously, my mom was crazy-happy we were able to see her on her actual, day-of birthday. It made her week. And mine! :)

That was my trip in a nutshell. A lot of other crazy stuff happened, especially the Friday that I met up with Colee. Late night was INSANE! We felt like we were straight out of a Twilight Zone episode. Details would take far too long and this thing has already been semi-novel-ish. Let me just say that it was like The Series of Super Unlikely Events from the minute I walked in to PM to meet her, right up until I drove back to Aunt Kay's at around 4 in the morning.

Quickly ... highlights of the weekend were definitely seeing Kala's pants almost fall off her thin hiney, my mom and I and our verbal antics that no one else thinks are funny, Alex and Norbert getting drunk as skunks on the patio and hugging it out, Aunt Kay's homemade rolls, seeing old friends and getting the "Woop, woop!" pick up and twirl, MY SISTER!, the relief of knowing that all our move-in/move-out work back here was done, the mashed potato in the kitchen, re-discovering that "one, special thing," and a lot, a lot of laughter.

Fin.

All good things ...

Below is little snippet of what I've been listening to lately. I guess the whole thing doesn't fit, so scrolling is a bit difficult. I have it on "Random," so navigating the little sucker may be rough. Still, it's music! Yay! We like music 'round these parts.

Oh, and the first song is the song I got my little title and excerpt from above. I'm going to try to add it to my profile on here as well. (It says you can, but who knows?) Anyhow, here's a little music to spice up this joint! :)

'Click your heels three times and say ..."

Dryers vent into the hallway of our apartment and it has the cleanest, freshest smell when any laundry is being done. It ranks right up there with rain and skin.

Today has been packing (again) and cleaning (again) and getting ready to go out of town. I loathe packing and love traveling. It seems there's always some Catch-22. Still, I'll take the packing if I can take the vacations. As it happens, I have been lucky enough since moving to have little reprieves at least once a month. The first 6 months I lived here was like one, big, extended vacation. We were talking about that last night. In truth, it's been a little difficult coming down from that high. It can be addictive.

Most of the time, I stay balanced right smack in between discouraged and elated. It's a tricky management sometimes, but I do try. My "career" and "professional" life is totally in the toilet, and I've just accepted that it probably will be until I graduate with my Master's, yet my "personal" and "home" life is not much short of completely amazing. Of course, I wouldn't mind having my friends and family physically around, but I seriously have to thank the beauty that is collectively the telephone, the car, and the plane ride.

So, most of the time I'm great, I'm golden, I'm keeping my chin up despite the frustrations. From time to time, however, the lower end drags me down a bit and the blues set in. Yesterday was one of those days. I couldn't seem to shake it. Finally, by evening's end, I was back to "normal" again. (But, really, what is normal? No one knows.) The point is that the impending visit home is making me one happy little lady. (Where are those dang ruby red slippers when you need 'em?!)

I've been burning CD's for the drive to and fro all day. If there is one thing that cheers me, it's definitely The Mixed CD/Tape! (I like the way "Mixed Tape" sounds way better than "Mixed CD," but since the tape is now obsolete, I feel strange keeping it in my repertoire.) I get tired of listening to the same, tired thing over and over and over, and I have to 100% agree that music shapes mood. Certainly, you can select music to fit mood, but what you listen to on a regular basis probably molds you a bit more. Something to do with chakra, I'm sure. ;)

But, really, that's a question I ponder quite a bit. I think that's why I had to shy away from the newer stuff for a bit and resort to the oldies. They tend to be a little more upbeat. "The stories, oh the stories, they were so much better then ..." (From a poem I wrote a while back called 1933.) Anyway, it's "the chicken or the egg?" debate, and, more specifically, "Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?" assertion. (Nick Hornby, High Fidelity.)

I think about the weirdest things! If you could go fishing inside my brain to hook a few thoughts out at random, you probably wouldn't believe what you discovered. Aren't we all like that, though? We're all freakin' crazy as bedbugs. The older I get, the more I believe it must be true.

Further affirming this belief was the marathon of Trading Spouses on CMT (of all stations) yesterday. While I was folding laundry and organizing photo albums, I flipped on the TV and there it was. The channel was the remnant of the previous night when we were watching Any Given Sunday before bed. I never watch CMT, not being the biggest country music fan in the world, so I had never seen the show. Talk about wonky! Those people were flat-out bizarre.

Given the name of the show, I'm sure you can assume that 2 couples switch a spouse/parent. In this case, it was the wives/mothers being swapped, most of the time completely across socio-economic, racial, cultural, religious, and geographic lines. The fireworks were quite huge, and the train wreck aspect of the show proved to be too much to pull away from. In the end, each family discovered how totally elated they were to be reconnected at the end of the week-long stint away from each other. The lesson, I'm sure, is supposed to be: "Be happy with what you have." I, myself, don't think I would need to wive/parent another family to realize it, but oh well.

It's time for me to load the car. I need to leave soon-ish. This is good news! I'll be back on Monday, usually with some good stories to tell. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend! I know I will!

In the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, "Take care of each other."

The gun & the cannoli ...

Well, it's official, I'm living in sin.

It hasn't quite sunken in yet, but I know I'm happy! That's all that matters. It is a bit strange because we were both very used to staying every night at his place. We rarely stayed here (cats and allergies and whatnot), so it's kind of a new living space for the both of us. it's a nice mish-mash, whatever way you slice it. :)

After the weekend's events, we both feel like we've been wrung through a knothole backwards; however, the majority of the moving is done. There's still a bit of last-minute stuff to store, but that's about it. Words cannot express how much I loathe moving. The good news is that Alex didn't have all that much to move. He dropped over half his stuff in the move to Austin from New Mexico last year, so ... yeah. Almost done!

It's good timing, too, because we're leaving town on Thursday. Alex is headed to Albuquerque for an eye doctor appointment and I am headed to Lubbock for the entire weekend as soon as I taxi him to the airport that day. It's a holiday weekend, and my mom's birthday all wrapped up into one nice, little packaged deal. So, I'll be doing "girly" things with my fam and friends for the first few days. Then, Alex will fly to The Hub on Saturday afternoon and co-ed family events will commence.

Speaking of my friends and family, it's CRAZY how much I miss them! It's even more so how it has actually gotten worse, instead of better, as the time has gone on. I've been here for going on the back-end of a year so far, yet all the time has done is make me realize more and more how much those folks at home mean to me. It's not easy being apart, that's for sure. The visits are SO MUCH FUN, though! We've got it all mapped out. I'm excited!

It just proves to me more and more that it's not necessarily where you are, it's who you surround yourself with. Here, it's super-saturated with things to do, but it's not fun if you don't have your posse ("peeps," if you will) to come along. Alex and I have a great time together, though, so that does help matters tremendously! Still, I miss my folks (and I don't just mean my parents).

Everything is always so up in the air that I don't know if we're coming or going half the time, but I do know that things have not gone exactly how I planned coming here. The whole "hiring freeze" BS that I've mentioned time and time again threw a HUGE wrench into "the plan." So, we've adjusted a bit. It all depends on what we decide together, but we both need to start figuring out where we want to go to Grad and Law School (for me, for Alex, respectively). Here is now out of the question, for too many reasons to type at this moment. I need to go somewhere where I can teach while getting my Master's, and Alex needs a law school that isn't so snooty and more hooked on their diversity than accepting people who have all the creds.

So, we are in the process of discussing where we would like to go ... together, of course. "You jump, I jump." Now is the time of decisions, that's for sure! And not always easy ones ... in fact, very rarely easy ones. It's okay, though. It's "character building," as my fabulous Aunt Kay would say. Whatever happens and as always, we shall see. There's no hurry right now. Write goals in permanent marker and plans in pencil. One step at a time. All the cliches! You get the idea.

OH! And, quickly, my sister helped solve my music stagnation issue last week, so I'm starting to kick off the ickies. (Musically, that is.) Some stuff not on her list that I have been listening to a lot are You Are the Best Thing by Ray LaMontagne (on his new album coming out in October sometime), I'd Rather Be With You by Joshua Radin (also on his new CD), and To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts by Matt Nathanson. (Hey, I had to have something to get me through the heavy lifting!)

To end, I'll go with this one today: "There is no set path. Just follow your heart."

Bubble wrap galore!

I finally did it! I organized every, single, flippin', flappin' nook and cranny in my bedroom! That includes closet, bathroom, dresser, vanity, and under the bed. Whew, I'm exhausted! But it feels oh, so goooooood!

That's been my week in a nutshell: organize, clean, grapple over whether or not to throw "that" away, put it in the Maybe pile, take out of the Maybe pile, throw in the Keep pile, stare for a few minutes, try it on again, put some shoes in the Never-Again-No-More pile on with the Maybe/Keep item, get frustrated and throw them in the Never-Again-No-More pile. On and on the cycle goes ... er ... WENT ... until today! Today, it is all finished. I sit here in the middle of my "new" bedroom, staring at the greatness that is no clutter, organization, and necessity-only. It's glorious!

Okay, so, I realize that I said "my" room in the previous paragraph. The truth is ... that isn't going to be the truth for much longer. A big-ish step is upon us, and Alex is moving in this week!!! We are both super-uber-exicted about it. Well, we will be super-uber-exited about it once we get everything moved. And then, in a couple more months, we will be even more super-uber-excited about it once we can get our own place. It's not that I don't love Melissa to death and think is she is a wonderful roommate (because I do and she is). It has more to do with the fact that Alex is crazy-allergic to cats and she has 2. Plus, we are a newly-living-together (soon enough) duo and will probably be ready to spread out of just my one bedroom sooner rather than later.

We would have gotten our own place now, when his lease is up, but mine isn't up until December. It's been a tricky planning process, which has been made much harder by my Nazi apartment people (sad, but true). The reasons behind my accusations are numerous and way too extensive and anger-inducing to mention right now. Just know that we have gone 'round and 'round with those about some stuff in our lease that we should be able to do and have been told we can't. So, long story short (kinda), he's just going to stay here with Mel and I until around the beginning of November. At that point, we'll find somewhere else. It works out well enough.

I'll never forget when we made the final decision. We had discussed it a little here and there, but finally had a "serious" discussion about it one Saturday morning a few months back. We were leaving my apartment when we kind of looked at each other all goofy and said the final, "Yes, this is absolutely what we want to do." Alex grabbed my hand and shook my arm with this huge grin on his face. "What?" ... "I'm just so happy to be making plans with you. I'm excited!" And I am, too!

Moving in, though ... I've never officially lived with a boy, so it'll be very different for me. The funny thing is I'm not AT ALL nervous, or weird, or freaked out, or doubtful. It's time and it's with the right one. Plus, he always puts the seat down for me, so I'm not too worried about little-big things like that. ;) It's just a really great step, we both think ... a very natural, no-question-about-it step for us. It's been so nice! We are always right there on the same page, sentence even! In most situations, it seems like one person is walking slowly and the other is at a full sprint. Not with us. I'm a lucky girl. We have "the stuff." The good, right stuff. (New Kids on the Block! Hey-oh! Um, no ...) I could go on and on and on, but I will spare everyone the sapfest. (You're welcome. Ha!)

So, yes, all of that to tell you all why I went on the insane spree of clean/organize/donate/store/wash/fold/arrange this week. The truth is that it has actually be quite fun making extra room. The big move-out/move-in is this weekend, so we still have A LOT to do. Which means, I should be going now. I've chatted enough while he is at his apartment packing. Going to grab some alcohol and head on over! Because, really, what's packing and moving without inebriation? Time poorly spent, my friends ... time very poorly spent. ;)

Splish-splash!

It finally rained some this weekend! I'm crossing my fingers and will do a rain dance in the middle of the street (if need be) for more this week. You know how some people get depressed when there is too much rain? Well, I'm the polar opposite: I get depressed when there is not enough. Loads and loads of sun bums me out ... rain makes me feel all giddy and frisky. Bring on those clouds!

(On the flipside, however, my mom has informed me that she woke up on Saturday morning to find it raining in her kitchen. Apparently, all of the weather up there made their ceiling cave in. That kind of rain, I'm not sure I would be too fond of.)