Rewind...

Here are more pictures from the Gala from Firecracker. I actually like these pictures better because I don't look like people found me napping at the bottom of an empty tequila bottle like some of the previous ones :)

~Me and Baby looking oh so HOT!~

~Me and Firecracker~
I'm guessing that since Firecracker is half-Caucasian and half-Filipino, she may be the mold of my future children

~Clockwise: Dealer, Blondie, Firecracker, Curly-Haired Wonder, and Me~

~The Ladies once more~

Still waiting on two people who had great pics...

The beach house was an absolute blast! We had 15 people running in and out of the house throughout the weekend. Friday night was a bit a smaller group of us (maybe 8 people), so it was a lot more intimate and nice. We drank, talked a lot of trash, and created some pretty funny memories (i.e., JAG wanting to put me into the dishwasher because for some reason he always found me next to it like it was my new BFF or something...yes, lots of scotch makes this little lady love her appliances, I guess).

Here is just a few photos from the beach house last weekend celebrating Grove and my combined 30th birthday. Two other people have great pics, but haven't had a chance to download them yet...slackers! Here are just a few.

~The Beach House Gang helping Grove and me celebrate our 30th birthdays~

~Why is it that the kitchen is ALWAYS the place of congregation?!?! Closer to the drinks, I suppose...~

~We should never be left alone to our own devices...Grove found a life jacket that he decided to wear for the rest of the night. Getting suited up thanks to Blondie and Grill~

~Late-night crew - I title this photo "Pajamas and Watermelon Shots"~

~2 Words: Ghetto Nachos~

~Blondie and me eating the infamous ghetto nachos at 3am~

There were pictures of the crew having turned the living room into a dance floor. Unfortunately, I didn't get any real good shots of that. I'm still awaiting those pictures. All in all, I wouldn't mind doing this all over again next year. Maybe not specifically for Grove and myself, but maybe for the entire March and April birthday troop seeing that there are at least 6 of us. Good times, good times...

Just to keep you entertained until I update...

This little girl is absolutely adorable!!! She's not Filipino, and I can't understand a word she's singing, but you have to give her credit for enthusiastic dramatics. I'm guessing I was just as dramatic as this little girl when I was a kid seeing as I use to sing, of all things, "Hello" by Lionel Richie to my grandparents on home videos we sent to them in the Philippines. Good GAWD I was a ham!



If you have problems accessing, here is the link to the longer version if you can't get enough of her :)

Also, I found this absolutely sweet. It's me and Baby...hehe.



Have a happy Tuesday!

I know it's like I'm neglecting this blog...

Yes, I had a fantastic time at the beach house this weekend even though it rained the ENTIRE time we were there...I mean, except for when we were leaving, that is. Typical. Anyway, I'm still camera-less and awaiting people to send me photos of the weekend. Once they do, I will post a formal update.

Hope all is well for all my four readers ;)

Slow day in Blogdom

I can go on and on an on about how stressed I've been lately, how it's taking it's toll on my health, and how the stress is even straining my relationship with Baby...BUT...I won't.

Since I have nothing else to talk about, I figure I'll jump on Single Girl's "4 Things Train."

Four jobs I have had in my life-- (going backwards)
1. Executive Assistant in a leading privaty equity firm specializing in energy
2. Reservations Agent for one of the only original six legacy airlines of the domestic U.S. who actually turned a profit last year
3. Coder and legal administrative assistant at an energy company
4. Receptionist at a psychologist's office through college - man, can I tell you some CRAZY stories!!!

Four Movies I could watch over and over--
1. Braveheart - who didn't love this movie?
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Daily ritual around the holidays
3. Dirty Dancing - Because "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"
4. The Breakfast Club - the original Brat Pack were the shiznit!

Four places I lived-- (mainly Houston, so I'll say what areas)
1. Channelview
2. Galleria
3. Midtown
4. Montrose

Four places I have been on vacation-- (my faves)
1. Island of Oahu, HI - By far, my favorite place to be
2 The Netherlands (Amsterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Rotterdam, Delft)
3. Las Vegas
4. New York because I get to spend time with Doc

My favorite foods:
1. Sushi - spider handrolls and unagi are the bomb yo!
2. Shrimp Etouffee
3. KFC original chicken w/cole slaw and mashed potatoes - I know that is 3 things, but it's a value meal. I never eat one without the other two ;)
4. Just about all types of seafood

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Catching up on much needed sleep
2. Either on the beach or on a boat in Hawaii (or any beach/coast will do at this point)
3. ANYWHERE romantic with Baby far, far away from work and responsibilities
4. Picking up my cash option pay-out check from winnng the multi-million dollar lottery - don't we all?

Starlight Gala: Beautiful Pictures and over $100K for ACS

Starlight Gala benefitting American Cancer Society had a successful evening this past Saturday. The facility and decorations were gorgeous! The people looked extremely elegant. Going into the event, we had already raised approximately $100K towards American Cancer Society Houston. I'm still awaiting the final tally as to our grand total after the evening's successful casino gaming, mystery gift box sales, and silent auction purchases.

Dealer and me at the beginning of the evening. Don't we look gorgeous????

Baby and me at our table. Once again, the poster children for interracial dating.

The Boys: Noodle, Fireman, Baby, and JAG


The Ladies (clockwise): Dealer (she's a pharmacist, so it's all legal), Blondie, Firecracker, Curly-Haired Wonder, and Moi

The Ladies again - yes, the wine has officially started to affect me

Having a great time with the whole gang!

I almost made it all through the night without blacking out...hehe. Nothing like a classy broad in a fancy, red dress falling all over the place, right? Thank GAWD I saved my drunken stupidity until after we left...or at least until after all the attendees left! Let's just say wine was a slow creeper for me. Didn't even see the edge coming until I was already over it...at least Baby was there to drive us home...yay, Baby!

I'm starting to believe this astrological horoscope b.s...

I've always believed in destiny, but I've also believed that one can steer their destiny in the right or wrong direction. Always ending up where you were suppose to, but taking odd forks in the road now and again to get there. Almost like that bad, but cult classic movie Final Destination or it's many other sequels. If something is going to happen, you can fight it...but you still end up dying from a massive slab of glass crushing you as you walk across the street a few days later! Ok, maybe not that dramatic or gruesome, but you get the idea.

As for astrological signs and horoscopes, I give them some merit... but not much. First off, I'm a Taurus. You're saying to yourself, "A-HA!!!! That's why she's so stubborn!" Yes, yes... however (and a BIG HOWEVER), every time I find something new explaining the "Taurus Personality," they tend to contradict one another. One book will say I'm materialistic and another will say I'm frugal. A website will say I want stability in homelife and some article will say I desire to travel the world never rooting in one place for too long. Makes me wonder if they're looking at the same stars, if some are looking at the astrological map upside down, or smoking a little something-something.

Back to the title of my post... After my long drawn out schpeel from last night/early this morning on the last post, my horoscope on MSN.com seemed to be pretty relevent. Interesting...

Taurus (April 19 - May 19)
You've got a lot on your mind right now, dear Taurus, and others might be interpreting your quiet behavior as aloofness. Go right ahead and let them think so. You've got some real issues to think through and decisions with important consequences. You will be able to smooth their ruffled feathers later. Right now, focus on taking care of yourself.

I guess I still have more thinking to do...

Although, I wanted to thank both Diana Banana and Single Girl for their support. advice and kind words are truly appreciated! Everything you two said are pretty much the same things that I've come to the conclusion already as well as what Baby and Doc have expressed over the last few years. I think this may very well be the last year I do this craziness with Job#2. I just need to suck it up, and let it go. I guess now, it's all about timing...

Can't sleep... thinking about my life...

I was laying in bed tossing and turning. So I finally decided to sit up and start blogging. Although... I am still being lazy as I post from my blackberry in bed ;). Maybe blogging could help me fall asleep? At this point, I doubt it but at least I can unload a couple things.

Lately, I've been feeling run down and worn out. I know that it comes as a shock to you that 100-mile-an-hour Jacky is running out of gas. Maybe I can blame it on turning 30 being right around the corner and causing me to be more introspective...or just plain old and tired. Granted I've been fighting off the wonderful upper respiratory yucks going around that EVERYONE around me has/had been harboring and the record-breaking pollen count has had me living off decongestants and considering stabbing my eye out to relieve the sinus pressure in my head, but I've also been a bit out of sorts about life lately.

Banana's been dealing with planning some major life changes professionally that has triggered me to thinking about my own situation. Again. I posted a while back about being down, and this was one of the reasons why. Just one, mind you. There. Are. More. But, one issue at a time, right?

All of you know that I work two jobs. Jobs that I have expressed gratefulness for because, let's face it, many people would love the jobs I have. However, I'm starting to get that reoccuring feeling that I don't think I should keep going with Job# 2. I say it every year, but this time...I think I mean it. I'm tired, I'm not as happy as I used to be about the perks it offers, and I'm getting the feeling that I'm not doing it for the right reasons anymore.

Maybe it is that I'm getting older, but I want to have a normal life...or at least my "dream version" of a normal life.

My version of a perfect day would be to wake up at 5am, be at the gym from 5:30 to 7:00 (run for about a half hour and do strength training/body sculpting the other hour), go home and get ready for my day, be at Job# 1 by 8am, work until 5 or 6pm, actually experience "after-work down time", have dinner with Baby (food and my Baby - two things I heart), actually spend time doing "nothing" with Baby such as watching mindless tv shows like American Idol (it feels like 85% of the time we're together, we have to be somewhere or do something), and being in bed for a 7-8 hour night's sleep by 10pm. Doing that at least 3 days of the week would be grand! Hell, I'll take 2 days!!!

This is my typical day (if I don't say 'eff it' and sleep in that extra 1.5 hrs by skipping the gym): wake up at 5:30am, hit the gym til 7am, at work by 8am, work Job# 1 until 5 or 6pm, head to Job# 2, work from 6:30-10:30pm, get home right before 11pm, get ready for bed and unwind, and fall asleep somewhere between 11:45pm and 1am for a whopping average 5.5 hrs of sleep. At age 21 when I started this gig, I was kicking ass and taking names. At 29.9 yrs old, I'm getting my ass KICKED and have almost forgotten my own name half the time because...well...I just don't have that kind of gusto anymore.

So I'm thinking my best bet is to take some really phenomenal trips with my friends and family this year as the free/discounted travel will be history when I say 'sayonara' to Job# 2, THEN I can turn in my letter of resignation some time right before the Thanksgiving holiday. Maybe mid-October after my annual Hawaii trip. Now the question is... Can I wait that long??? Can I make it to the Fall without ripping all my hair out???

Damn, this post is REALLY long and I need to be up in a few hours! Grrrrr...

Randomness

So as quickly as I say we're going to New Orleans for the Florida basketball game, I found out that we aren't going after all. Boo! Actually, just a half-boo seeing as we'll still get to do something pretty exciting here in H-Town. Baby decided the schedule would be too hard for us to go to the Big Easy Friday right after work, and then get back in time and be up for celebrating Grove's 30th birthday/St. Patty's on Saturday night. Basically, we'd be dead by Sunday and not nearly recovered to be resurrected for work by Monday. Yes, we're getting old. Whatever happened to partying until we dropped...and that we never actually "dropped" because we were young and full of crazy energy?!?! Alas, my almost 30-year-old arse isn't the partying diva I used to be :( Maybe I can just be a diva without the partying...hehehe.

I'm taking tomorrow off to spend time with my dad during the day while he's in from Iraq. Although, the evening is strictly for Grove. Grove has decided on no game plan for his birthday and just seeing where the evening takes us. He's low-key, so it should be easy. We'll probably celebrate his birthday tomorrow night and carry it on through St. Pat's. Friday evening's format will be something like this:

• happy hour drinks,
• dinner,
• after dinner drinks,
• full force drinking at a bar,
• full force drinking at bar #2,
• after hours drinking at the house,
• at some point pass out,
• wake up the next morning looking around thinking "thank God, I'm in bed...I hope Baby was the one who put me here because I'm fully undressed from the waist down. Did we fool around?"

Ok, maybe not that bad, but pretty damn close, I'm sure. My saving grace is that I gave up liquor for lent, so I won't be taking any shots or drinking my usual scotch and water... I may actually stay sober if I drink beer all night. If anyone wants to join us, please give me a call or shoot me an email.

Unfortunately, I have to look vibrant and alive for my sister's impromptu baby shower in the early afternoon Saturday - lots of ibuprofen, water, and makeup. Since my dad has to leave again at the end of the month and he and my mom are heading to the Philippines on Monday through right before he leaves, Saturday was the only time we could throw the shower for family and close family friends to all be together while my dad was on his R&R. He won't be back for another R&R until after my nephew is born...so sad. So, yes, I will be playing good daughter/sister/aunt. Later on that evening, however, will be dedicated to all things green if I make it for round two. Which reminds me that I need to find something green to wear!

~*~

So again, I have a jam-packed weekend. Ugh! I actually have stuff to do every weekend for the next 4 weekends. Man, I seriously need to schedule a weekend of alone time soon or I will snap. Who am I kidding? I'm sure that will get bombarded with last-minute things to do as well. I shouldn't complain though. I'm the poster child for that saying, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" or something to that effect. If I wasn't busy, I'd probably be shopping with money I don't have or drinking away my rent. Basically, I see all these activities as diversions from my deviant behavior. Why can't I just be satisfied with sitting at home and crocheting or widdling toys out of wood?

~*~

Any good plans for you guys?

Stole this from MySpace

Just thought I'd share it...

1.Who was your first prom date?
Gabe

2. Who was your first roommate?
Shawn M.

3. What was your first alcoholic drink?
Bud Light...courtesy of my alcoholic uncles ;)

4. What was your first job?
Nursery aid at my church - I know you're probably all choking as you read that...haha...but, it's true!

5. What was your first car?
1979 Powder Blue Oldsmobile - Good ole "Waxey"...My parents had it in for my social life.

6. When did you go to your first funeral?
Can't remember...I think it was a family friend

7. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown?
19 maybe?

8. Who was your first grade teacher?
Jeez, I don't remember

9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
From the Philippines to Houston... 4 months old, baby!

10. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
Christina a.k.a Weenie

11. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends?
Rosalind and I have no clue where she is now

12. Where was your first sleepover?
Jerry's or maybe Amber's

14. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were in a Wedding?
Amber and MJ

15. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Turn the alarm off

16. What was the first concert you ever went to?
New Kids on the Block...lol

17. First tattoo or piercing?
Other than ears as an infant, my navel in high school

18. First celebrity crush?
Jordan Knight on NKOTB...double lol

20. First crush?
I'm embarrassed to say...but it was in kindergarten to a guy (not saying his name) who ended up being some dorky, band geek, country bumpkin in high school. Thank GAWD I never told him when I was in kindergarten!!!

21. First REAL love?
My ex-fiancee

22. First REAL forever love?
Hmmmm...if I say Baby then I could be jinxing us with that "forever" comment, don't you think? Or am I being superstitious?

23. First favorite food?
Sushi, but my weakness....KFC (horrible, I know!)

24. First major sporting event?
Astros game many, many years ago

25. First camping trip?
Outside of San Marcus with my ex-fiancee and a couple of good friends...man, I miss camping :(

New Orleans, here we come!

Nope, this is NOT my alma mater! Nor have I lost my damn mind. I am still a very proud UH grad -

GO COOGS!!!

(And I know that YOUR team is probably better than UH, but I don't care... They still won the Conference USA football title, so to be the best in a sucky division is still better than being the worst or mediocre in a sucky division)

Back to why I have that obnoxious Gator chant flashing in this post... University of Florida is Baby's alma mater, and they are the defending national champs in NCAA basketball. So, yes, my psychotically Florida-obsessed man is making every effort to go to their game(s) in the Big Easy this weekend. They play on Friday, and if they advance, they will play again on Sunday. We will only be attending the Friday game should we make it at all. So, yes, I will be there screaming, "ORANGE and BLUE!"

---

I know, Pocahontas, I've fallen to the dark side! HAHA! And I still agree that Joakim Noah is still VERY unattractive!

(Courstesy of ESPN.com)

---

For this, I am the best girlfriend ever for being so supportive, don't you think?!?!? I'm sure it will be fun. We all know that I love being at any sporting event...even more so if I have a frosty beverage in hand =)

My biggest fear about pregnancy...

And NO NO NO NO NO! I AM NOT PREGNANT! So don't get freaked out by the title of this post. The title refers to IF/WHEN I ever decide to spawn wee Jackys. We all know I'm only a few inches shy of being able to claim myself legally as a midget. Therefore, becoming a midget with a belly as wide as I am tall makes me cringe. As well as that I know that pregnancy is no walk in the park. These photos of the gorgeousness that is Salma Hayek looking very worn out and very pregnant are better birth control than this Ortho Evra Patch I wear on my hip! Her boobs look painful!

Of course, she'll probably be back down to her volumpuous size 2 within a month of giving birth. Damn those Hollywood actresses and their round-the-clock trainers!!!

Road to recovery

Not sure what to blog about today, but I'm guessing that people - people meaning my four avid readers- are starting to worry about me since my last blog was a vague, unhappy cry for mental hugs. I'm not depressed per se, but I've been pretty out of sorts lately. I'm sure you all have been at a time in your life when you start second-guessing your choices and whether you need to make some changes - changes that are easier said than done kind of changes. Who hasn't, right? Well, I have to keep reminding myself that I can't let things upset me like they have recently. Life is too short. I have many things to be grateful for like the following:

• my health (although I'd love to be healthier),
• two really good jobs (yes, still doing the two job thing...surely contributing to feeling overwhelmed, but I still enjoy them both),
• I have family who loves me (my dad will be back from Iraq this weekend...yippee!),
• a new nephew on the way (Lord, please do NOT really let Sister name him Lars!),
• great friends (some I miss dearly since they live so far away),
• and Baby (who although has tested my love for him to its extreme...I love with all my heart).

I've been in better spirits lately, so don't worry. I'm not all Britney Spears crazy about to get tatted up and shave my head. My face is too round to have a shaved head anyway...I'm sure I'd look like Buddha. I'll be back to my old sassy, trash-talking self in no time!

---

And before I forget, I want to send a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Single Girl!!!

Need to vent

I know I try not to get too personal on here because I get nervous that what I type will come back and bite me on the ass, but it's time to come to you guys for support. I've had a rough couple of weeks - things I haven't posted on here because, as I said, I refrain from posting what I will regret later. All I want is for you to send me mental hugs (as Single Girl so termed the phrase) because I feel like I need all the good thoughts that I can get right now.

I promise to be in a better mood and start posting witty things again. Unfortunately, my mood hasn't allowed me to be open to find something entertaining to write about. Almost like I have writers block...I try to post, and then nothing happens. Blah!

Another funny blog

I have found yet another blog that I found quite entertaining. I love the way the guy speaks/writes because it reminds me of a lot of the completely SOUTHERN dads I've met in my lifetime. He is hilariously witty, too.

Death By Children

Oh the weekend...

I'm so ready for the weekend. Unfortunately, I have to work both jobs today. This may be the first time in a year that I've had to work on a Friday night at Job#2. Sadly, my new schedule for this season at Job# 2 gives me Saturdays and Sundays off, but no longer Fridays :( I can usually find someone to work the shift for me on Fridays, but have been pretty unsuccessful lately. Oh, well. I shouldn't complain. I am getting paid money versus being out and SPENDING money. Although I do get off at 10:30pm, which is more than enough time to still do some monetary damage before last call.

Other than that, I have nothing else major to post. I've got a big goal to get more routine with my gym time seeing as (1) it was one of my new year's resolutions, (2) I've gained about 6 lbs - which we all know on a short person looks like double that...man, I hate that!!! And, (3) I have to fit into one of my 5 gowns that I have in my closet for the Startlight Gala on March 24th. Unfortunately, the one I REALLY want to wear is a bit (ok, a lot) snug. I can barely zip it up and when I do get the zipper in the upright and locked position, I can imagine if it were actually alive screaming, "I can't hold on much longer!" before it snaps open as well as that I look like a minor (not major) dimpled potato. Now that you have that vision, you can understand how distraught I was that I had put on some added "almost in my 30's" pounds. Metabolism isn't what it used to be. I use to go through occasional workout hiatuses and not see that my body was slipping all that badly. I might be able to feel like I was getting out of shape, but I was never able to look at myself in the mirror and quickly observe the muffin top spilling over a pair of pants or notice how much more my hips look like linked sausage with the strings separating them where my underwear cuts into my hip. Jeez! Ok, by no means do I think I'm FAT because I know I'm not, but it's that whole getting accustomed to my body and my metabolism not being what it use to be. Oh, well... I hit the gym 3 times this week and feel good. Hopefully, I can keep this up and can feel better about putting on my bathing suit at the end of the month for the Galveston trip.

Anway, enough about my senseless "woe is me" ranting. I hope you all have a great weekend. Kisses!

RE: The post below

You have to click on the play button in the center of the screen twice sometimes before it starts loading. If you are still having techinical difficulty, here is the url link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qehxjub5lyo

Or, just go to www.youtube.com and search for "How to Take a Shower: Women v. Men". It's hilarious!!!

How to Shower: Women v. Men

Here is a little YouTube clip to make you laugh. Have a great Hump Day!!!

Winery Comments

For Single Girl, I will do an overview of the wine tastings we went attended, and everything else we did.

We got in around 9pm on Friday which gave us just enough time to grab a couple of beers at a bar within walking distance to our cottage and hit the hay pretty early. After having our tasty egg quiche, hash browns, and fruit brought to our cottage at 9am the next morning, we finally got out of bed and walked around the town. We visited a few little nick nack shops as most of these tourist towns have, then had lunch at Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe for some very delicious tomato basil soup and sandwiches. After coating our stomachs in preparation for some wine, we set off for the wineries for the day sometime around 1pm.

Torre di Pietra
This was the first winery we visited on Saturday afternoon. This winery and vineyard is about 10 minutes away from Main Street. It was a very cozy little place compared to the other wineries we later visited. It had a nice little fireplace and sitting area for if you wanted to sit and enjoy a bottle of wine. When we first arrived, we made our way up to the wine tasting bars. It was $5 for 5 tastes from their wine selection. We decided to do $5 each rather than share so that we can get a taste of 10 wines instead of sharing 5. We were all about trying as many as possible. The tastes are about the size of a 1-count with a shot pourer (meaning one hefty gulp or 2-3 sips). After trying all 10 that we sampled, Baby and I decided to buy two bottles a piece. He went with the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (2005) and the lighter, fruitier Grenache Rose. I went with two of their signature wines which happen to have pretty entertaining names - Red Flirt and Dirty Girl. You can click here to get a description of how each wine tasted.

Grape Creek
After about an hour or hour and a half at the first winery, we mosied on over to Grape Creek about a mile down the road. Grape Creek was less inviting as it was just one big room with their winery equipment machines that look like big vats all around you. I think the people here were a bit more personable than at the previous winery, and Baby and I agreed that their wines were better. Their prices were a bit cheaper as well. Here we decided to again buy 4 bottles between the two of us - Salut! Cabernet Sauvignon (2003), Cabernet Trois (2004), Bellissimo! (2002), and Reisling (2004). Here is a description of these wines. We also bought a very awesome Mango Habenero Sauce for Doc since it screamed him when we tasted it. Little birthday gift from Baby to Doc =)

Fredericksburg Winery
This was the last winery we visited for the day. We had a fast-talking guy serving us our wines telling us the rules of all things wine. If we could understand at least 40% of what he was saying, we were lucky. I think he must have a second job as an auction emcee. The most we got out of him was "the spicier the food, the sweeter the wine." They actually carried some of the sweetest wines I had ever tasted, and I'm not talking port wines either (port wines are dessert wines for those not in the know). Their tasting displayed their entire selection from driest (non-sweet) to sweetest. We got to the fourth to the last one, and I told Baby that if I drank anything sweeter I would probably vomit all over myself. We decided that we would stop while we were ahead and not try the last few. I ended up buying their Pinot Noir as it was one of their driest wines and was quite tasty.

In between Grape Creek and the Fredericksburg Winery, we did visit Trade Days which is nothing more than a flea market of crap. It's amazing what people will sell in those places. I guess one man's trash is someone else's treasure, but most of what we saw really was just trash...lol.

After the wineries, Baby and I snacked at the Fredericksburg Brewery eating bad nachos and drinking locally brewed beer. I wasn't all that impressed with this, but again, it was for the experience of saying I went to the brewery there. Although, I forgot to mention for Diana Banana that I drank nothing but Blue Moon at the bar we went to on Friday night.

For dinner later that night, we went to Cotton Gin Restaurant. We had a delicious meal. Baby had a crusted trout and I had a tarragon shrimp scampi. We decided that we liked each other's dishes better so we switched, but it was all good nonetheless. Granted, it's not 5-star restaurant in Houston, but it was good country cooking.

We were so worn out after our 7 hours of wine-drinking that Baby passed out fully clothed while I was getting ready for bed. I didn't have the heart to wake him, so I put the blanket on him and let him sleep.

The next morning, we had another great breakfast brought to us of eggs, french toast, and fruit. We packed up and headed home by way of San Marcus. Baby had never been to the outlet mall out there, so we decided to stop by. Bad idea on my part. I ended up spending more money than I should have... although now I have the sexiest pair of patent leather, 3-inch stiletto, peek-a-boo-toed shoes!!! HOT! I should've taken a picture...oh, well. I also made off with a pair of sandals and a crocheted dress-like shirt thingy that I can either wear with jeans for the "wearing a dress with pants" look or over a bathing suit as a cover up. Very versatile.

We finally made it home before 6pm, and were BEAT! We had a fantastic time and would be more than willing to go again to try some more of the other wineries out there. Maybe sometime in April would be good.

Pictures of Sophie Suite Cottage in F'burg

View of our cottage when you enter the side double doors

View of the ultra comfy bed that I actually laid in bed for a couple of extra hours after waking up. For those who know me, know that when I'm up...I'm UP! So this was definitely one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept on.

Baby watching a special on Machu Picchu. He apparently has decided that we MUST go there this summer. How fun! Although, he's more into the luxury train ride between Lima to Machu Picchu while I'm all about hiking that bad boy!

So Comfy...

Right now I'm such a lazy bum. I've been up for about an hour now and have done nothing but lay and enjoy our soft bed at our cottage in Fredericksburg. Baby is still out cold next to me, so instead of waking him up, I've decided to read the news and start blogging all via my blackberry so he can sleep in. I suppose it IS his vacation, too. Just because I get up with the sun doesn't mean he has to also, right? I'm such a sweet and considerate person ;)

We stopped in at three wineries yesterday. Basically, Baby and I were drinking steadily from 1pm until about 8pm. Surprisingly at no point were we smashed. Although there was one point at dinner that I started to get loopy, but thatfaded pretty quickly once my food started settling. I'll give better updates when I get home.

Hope you're all have a fantastic weekend!!!

F'burg, here we come!

Like the Pointer Sisters, I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!!! Baby and I head off for Fredericksburg at 5pm today. Yes, folks, the height of rush hour. Although, it is Friday and rush hour won't be too terrible...we hope. I figure we can ride in the HOV lane most of the way out of town anyway.

So what do we have on the agenda? We won't arrive to our quaint little cottage until about 9pm or 10pm, so not much is slated for tonight. With the way Baby likes to drive, we may very well make it there by 8pm, but I've warned him that the cops in all of the towns in between Houston and F'burg live for catching out-of-towners and ticketing the hell out of them. It really is their bread and butter with all the money the towns make from people passing through. I know in college, I probably got enough speeding tickets to pay for a new school gym or something...or at least a small bust of the mayor for display at city hall.

Tomorrow, we plan on walking around the little town and hitting a few wineries. I'm looking forward to tasting all kinds of vino!!! I'm such a wine junkie. Baby is getting to be a bit of a connoisseur himself having been around me so long.

I will give a full report of the trip as soon as I get back (with pictures...if Baby remembered to pack his camera seeing my camera is still kaput). Hope you all have a lovely weekend. Even though it will be freezing, it'll be nice that it isn't raining for a change!

All hope is lost

I don't think I'm getting Baby's gift until Thursday :( I just checked the tracking number and the item hasn't even left the manufacturer. Booooooo! Oh, well. I already warned Baby that I blundered on his gift delivery, so he's ok with it. He says he can wait until Friday when we go out of town. What a sweetheart! But of course, I still don't want to be a putz...so I'll get him something to tie him over. Especially, since he's cooking me a wonderful dinner. Let me tell you, people, my man can cook...no exaggerating! He likes to find gourmet recipes and try them out. This past Saturday, he made me Spinach & Shrimp Chowder and Chicken Piccatta. YUM! So I'm curious as to what he has in store for me tomorrow night. I told him I would cook, but he insisted that he do it. I know I'm being spoiled, but for those of you who know mine and Baby's history... I DESERVE every bit of being spoiled and romanced ;)

I'm a ding dong

So the day after I posted last about Baby's V-day gift, I decided to buy the bed pillow. Even though Single Girl had a great point that he'd probably enjoy the dvd player more especially since he and I plan on doing some good traveling this year, I can see him buying that for himself much more than the bed pillow. Although I see him actually appreciating the bed pillow more because he can use it on a daily basis but would NEVER buy one for himself. I suppose what pushed me was that he did the whole trying to lay and watch TV thing again, and I thought "wow, he'd really love that thing right about now."

So off I went with my purchase online and even paying the extra shipping charge to express it so that I would receive it in 1-day (meaning today) so that I could make sure I get it and can wrap it before Wednesday....or get it no later than Tuesday should any delivery delays happen. Unfortunately, I received an email just a few minutes ago stating I put the wrong zip code, and my item was shipped back. I used my office address and my home zip code.... AAAAAHHHHHHH! (imagine me screaming and the camera view zooming in and zooming out of my face). Yes, I know, it's my fault totally, but now I'm in a bind. If they express it to me, it may or may not get to me by Wednesday! Oh, sadness!

Oh, well...maybe I can convince Baby to exchange gifts on Friday when we're out of town. Although it would be a pain to lug gifts to the cottage. Maybe I should buy him something little to give him for actual V-Day and then give him a picture of the pillow and say that it's on it's way. How lame! Grrrrr....

I hate shopping for Baby!

So what do you get the guy who has everything for Valentine's Day? The guy who has the income to impulse buy whenever he feels like it? The guy who actually shops more than myself???? Yes, you heard correctly, folks... he's worse than a woman!

...

As I had mentioned on a previous post, Baby and I are planning a nice little weekend getaway out in the little German-esque town of Frederickburg, TX to stop in at some wineries. But, I still haven't bought a gift for him yet. I've narrowed it down to two things. Either a portable dvd player or a bed comfort reading pillow. I need your help in deciding. Let me give you some info as to how I came up with these two ideas.

• DVD Player - When Baby takes a trip that's not business-related, he tends to tote his laptop with him anyway so that he can watch dvd's. The bad thing about that is that watching videos tend to kill his laptop batteries pretty quickly. Plus, his laptop is from work and probably isn't the smartest thing for him to be bringing along on vacations where he could either lose/break it or have it stolen...especially if there are confidential contracts and important work he doesn't want to lose. The portable dvd player I found is the best on the market - Philips 824/37 with 8.5" Screen. Yes, I did my research, people! It has a 6 hour battery play life, and he and I could actually watch movies together when we travel by simply getting a headphone splitter.
  

• The Bed Reading Pillow - You're probably all thinking, "HUH?" Let me explain how Baby's bedroom is set up, and you will understand. He has a king-size bed, and a big screen tv at the FOOT of the bed. Not to the side or at an angle... it really is the only way to set his furniture. And seeing that it's a big screen, it's not like a tv that you can put on something to elevate. So if you are laying down, you are to look straight passed your toes. That means you either use several pillows to prop yourself up to see, or as Baby does so wonderfully... lay sideways on the bed until you're ready to go to sleep. It forces me to have to lay sideways just so that I'm not kicking him if we choose to watch tv in his room. As you guessed, spending the night with a man who wants to lay sideways at the foot of the bed is a bit retarded. So, yes, I'm willing to turn his side of the bed into his own personal lazy boy by buying him the above setup. Actually, I'll pass on the leg rest because that bad boy is $80!!! It's a nice set together, but for that much money, he can put pillows under his legs instead...lol.

Basically, these two gifts are gifts he would probably never buy himself but would get great use out of. Even better is that they are both gifts that benefit me in some way or another - which is really the most important! So what do you think - electronic entertainment or home/sleep comfort?

Art auction was a success

The turnout to the silent art auction last night was phenomenal. I didn't get an actual headcount on guests or the profit numbers yet, but I'm sure it will be astronomical. There was one piece of artwork I was willing to bid on that its fair market value was $450. The bidding for it started at $100, and I had decided that my cutoff would be no more than the fmv. Unfortunately, the last bid I saw on it was already at $700 by the time I walked by it before they shut down bidding for the evening. $700?!?! Damn!!! I mean, that's fantastic for American Cancer Society as they get all the money made last night, but definitely too steep for me to try to out-bid. This little philly would be living off of pb&j sandwiches for a couple of months to bounce back from spending that right now...especially with still recovering from the financial strain of moving. I have one piece of art right now that I spent a little over $400 after all the gallery packing and customizing, and I think it's getting lonely and needs more canvas friends...haha!

I wanted to thank Baby, Braceface and her husband The Brit, Legal Chick and her hubby, Fabulous, and all my other friends who showed up last night. It was great seeing EVERYONE! I know I've been so busy lately that a year had gone by since I had seen some of the people who came out to support the cause. A very big THANK YOU!!!

Rain or Shine...Hell or High Water!

Well, maybe not "high water". So, it's official. Grove and I put the deposit down on the Galveston Beach House today. We will be exiting our youthful 20's and entering our roaring 30's with all of our friends, some sand, and the ocean. Any and all who read this blog, please hold the weekend of March 30th-April 1st! More details will follow.

Not only will we be celebrating Grove's 30th birthday on March 18th and mine on April 25th. We have a slew of other birthdays as well. It appears that Curly-Hair Wonder, Blondie, Legalese, and Noodle all fall between our dates. So even though Grove and I are the guests of honor, we have several birthdays to celebrate.

I'd also like to consider this a celebration of congrats to Midtowner for pulling off what will be a successful Starlight Gala which is scheduled the weekend before on March 24th! I'm sure she'll need a quick little getaway after co-chairing that event from start to finish.

Busy as usual

HOWEVER... I wouldn't have it any other way, I suppose. Actually, I think my body would go into shock should I be sedate for more than a 3 hour period...ha! People make fun of how I need a hundred things to do or my head would explode.

This week (and it's only halfway over) has already been exhausting. I have not only been trying to recover from moving this weekend - unpacking boxes, reorganizing, utilizing my creativity for storing things, cleaning my old place - but I also have had to work like a slave at work as well as get myself prepared for some social functions.

Today I have a happy hour with the Young Professionals in Energy. Although it seems like an easy gig to show up and toss a few tasty beverages back, I actually kind of "work" at these events. I am (1) the unofficial photographer for YPE - every picture on the site for Houston was more than likely courtesy of my pure Asian-ness of always carrying a camera, (2) I have to put on the "mix and mingle" face seeing as I've gotten to know quite a bit of the members and you never know if one day one of these "young guns" of the industry might come in handy if I decide to see what other employment opportunities may be out there for me, and (3) throwing a few drinks back during the week is getting tougher and tougher as I edge near the big 3-0.

In addition to today's happy hour, I have a Silent Art Auction at the Gremillion & Co. art gallery to go to tomorrow after work for the American Cancer Society Starlight Gala. Diana Banana and Single Girl, you should stop by for some free margaritas, wine, and Mexican food. You don't have to buy any art or anything, but you can come out and support a good cause just by being there. I think most people go for the socializing and the free food and drinks...haha! We got Pico's Mex-Mex restaurant, Partida Tequilla, and Barefoot Wines to donate for the event...YUM! I meant to invite you guys sooner, but kept forgetting to mention it. I think I've emailed everyone else about it though...I hope. I'll be there at 4pm through most of the event getting my fill of 'ritas ;) The artists that are being featured are all local Houston artists as well. This would be a perfect way for me to meet up with you guys and spend NOTHING...free is always a plus!

Also, I've been trying to organize Grove and my 30th birthday celebration. I think we've settled on renting a beach house in Galveston and having anyone and everyone join us. Big P-A-R-T-Y! I'll forward more details as they get confirmed.

Ok, I think I've rambled enough. I need to get back to this pile of work that I've been trying to pretend isn't here. Signing off...

Thank God for Movers

As of yesterday, all of my junk has made it to the new place. It's a bit tighter of a fit than my last place, but I got everything into the new apartment. The movers had to get creative as for how to get things through a narrow doorway and up a flight of stairs, but they did it. It was worth the $250 + tip just to have them deal with getting my stuff into my abode. Plus, they had to deal with my indecisiveness of asking them to move my dresser to opposite sides of the room 3 times, my tv twice, etc.

Unfortunately, tonight I head back to my old place to steam clean the carpets (luckily my brother has a steamer), empty the refrigerator, and clean the oven. Can you believe the last place I stayed charged me $30 because I didn't clean the oven?!?! I guess it's worth the $4 it costs to buy oven cleaner, huh? Thank goodness I already knocked out cleaning the bathroom.

Other than apartment stuff to complain about, I have little of interest to report. This week will be the adjustment period. I'm sure that the ding dong I am will occasionally find myself driving towards the old apartment at which time I will have to turn all the way around and head to my new home. Oh, well...

Moving Day

Right now I'm blogging from my blackberry while I watch my movers hall my junk out of my place. So far they're doing a great job on efficiency. I used the same guys last year seeing as they did such a quick and reliable job on moving Baby from one house to another. Hopefully they can do it in less than 3 hours. Trying to stick to my moving budget. Wish me luck!

Is America Ready?

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama - Democratic Candidates for 2008 Presidential Election
(Evans/AP)

I apologize up front that this will be a post of political commentary. For my readers who have zero interest in politics (at our age, it's almost impossible not to have some stake in what these candidates' political agendas are), you can stop reading now. However, I will try to keep it to minimial bitching.

...

As we all know, living in one of the "Red States" makes it almost illegal to admit any democratic sympathy or worse yet, to out-right admit that one is a Democrat. I, personally, do not side strongly with one or the other. There are times I think that I am a liberal Republican and others I think that I am a conservative Democrat. Either way, you get my drift that I simply agree with some of each side's policies, but not all. I guess if I had to choose, I probably am a Democrat because I'm more liberal than conservative. But...shhhhh...don't tell ANYONE I work with!

...

When looking at the Democratic front-runners (i.e., the two above), I think to myself that America truly is the land of opportunity. We are now in an age where Barack Obama is getting a chance to be the first African-American Presidential candidate with valid steam to be a contender, and Hillary Clinton is the first woman Presidential candidate in America who without doubt has the largest financial backing than any of the other Democratic hopefuls.

...

Even though I think that Hillary is more than qualified, and think that her husband was by far the best President this country has had in my lifetime (even with the sordid DNA on the intern-hoochie's dress incident), I just don't see America warming up to her. I think she is amazing in the political arena, and has definitely made her own...without her husband's help. But for some reason, I can see America siding with a black MALE before they side with a WOMAN.

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By no means am I a bra-burning feminist and declaring women always get the shaft - although I would've loved to set my polyester bra on fire for show back in the day. Just to give you why I think this is merely to take a look at voting history. The Constitution's 15th Amendment allowed the right to vote regardless of race (for men) in 1870. Women were not guaranteed the right to vote until the ratification of the 20th Amendment in August 1920. So if history repeats itself, black males will garner wider public acceptance before that of any female regardless of her race, intelligence, or qualifications.

...

Maybe I'm just rambling, but those are my thoughts. For whatever reason, I doubt a Republican will take office again this time around only because of the bad taste that "Dubya" has left in our mouths with his handling of the Iraqi war. People are ready for change. Now the question is... How big of a change?

Sophie Suite - Where we're staying in Fredericksburg

I just received a picture of the Sophie Suite. Unfortunately, they just acquired this private one-room cottage so there isn't a website link for it yet. I'm disappointed that I don't know what the outside looks like, but the inside looks romantic (and clean). They tell me it's got all the amenities - full bathroom and shower in addition to the jacuzzi tub, microwave, mini-fridge,hair dryer, etc. It's also less than 1.5 blocks from Main Street so we can walk to all the shops, restaurants, and winery on that strip. And, they bring us breakfast every morning at around 9am. I wish I could go right now!

What a disasterous morning!

So in an effort to get back on my healthy track, I got up this morning and ran 2.5 miles. I was struggling BIG TIME. Just a couple of months ago, I was running 3 miles stretches with ease 4 days a week and up to 5 miles if I felt like pushing myself. Gotta hate when slacking on your gym time takes it's toll on you! I get back to my apartment and head straight to the bathroom to turn the shower on, and then it happened - *squirt, squirt, trickle, squirt*. The water wasn't working. So I head over to the sink and try that. Again, denied.

After calling my complex for almost half an hour and getting a busy signal, I finally get the answering service at which time they confirm what I already knew. A water line had broken affecting the entire complex, and there was no estimated time as to when it would be fixed. So there I stood... mortified that I would have to go through the day a greasy, sweaty, smelly mess because we're short-staffed today, and I HAVE to be at the office and can't take a personal day. What's even more ironic is that it's the one day that every single one of my friends that normally don't have to be in for work until 8:30 a.m. or later all went to work early this morning squashing any possibility of toting my toiletries elsewhere for a shower. What are the odds?

So I kicked into resourceful gear. With the help of some bottled waters and a packet of my two-year-old niece's baby wipes left at my place on her last visit, I was able to make myself quasi-presentable for the general public. I felt like I was camping with what I had to work with. Greasy hair pulled back in a ponytail and doused with tropical body spray, I was only 30 minutes late to work. Maybe this is a sign that going to the gym is bad luck...haha.

Daydreaming of Vacation

Yes, I have a case of the Mondays. I have no focus whatsoever for work today. I keep thinking about wanting to take a vacation, but then get yanked back into reality when an email pops up with more work I need to do. Unfortunately, I finish the work so quickly that I'm back to daydreaming of being somewhere else relaxing. It's just one of those days... I think this is mainly brought on by the fact that Baby is on a plane right now on his way to warm Cancun for the week while I'm stuck in cold, rainy Houston.

All this thinking of getting away has pushed me to do a little more research on our trip to Fredericksburg, TX next month for Valentine's Day Weekend. We've decided to drive to Hill Country and visit some of the wineries out there. Considering it's something I've wanted to do for years and have never gotten around to it, we figure it's the best weekend getaway we can do since Baby is still limited on vacation time or PTO (paid time off) because he just started his job at his current company only 6 months ago.

We're staying at a bed and breakfast in one of their individual cottages called Sophie's Suite. Very romantic. I'm waiting for the booking agent to send me pics of the place because it's very new - I'll post them once I get them. The B&B also brings us breakfast to our cottage every morning...tres manifique! And of course being the most anal travel planner ever, I have already narrowed down the wineries we will visit Saturday to four locations that are within close proximity to one another and within the realm of our preferred tastes in wines according to the wineries' self-descriptions and other travelers' suggestions. We plan to visit Becker Vineyards, Torre di Pietra, Grape Creek Vineyard, and Fredericksburg Winery. There are others that I think sound really tasty, but are a bit further for us to drive to from where we are staying. We're not all too familiar with the area, so I guess we can hit those next time if we decide that we enjoyed the trip this first time around.

Weekend Update

Hmmm.... Let's see.... what did I do this weekend? Friday night, Baby and I had dinner at Willie G's. A little celebrating on an outstanding annual evaluation on his part. Excellent seafood and a great glass of pinot noir was exactly what this little phillie needed after her rough week. Afterwards, we decide to take it easy and stay in to catch up on some episodes of House that he had recorded on the DVR. Woo hoo! Partay, partay animals we are, I tell ya!

Saturday was a bit more active during the day. I was an errand running fool. After a full day of running all over town, I was too exhausted to even think about packing so I yet again procrastinated. Luckily, Sunday Baby and I spent the better part of the morning packing up my place. I think I'm about two-thirds done on the packing (maybe more), so all I've got to do now is wait for the movers to move all my stuff.

So that's it for a weekend update.

Baby is leaving today for Cancun for "work". Although he's got seminars all day, I'm still super jealous seeing as he'll be surrounded by beautiful beaches. He says the weather anticipates cloudy/rainy weather the whole time he's there through Thursday, but still... CANCUN v. HOUSTON.... I think I'll take the former any day. All he needs is one afternoon with a break of sunshine to make up for days of rain out there.

I will not be homeless at the end of the month!

It's official - I have a place I can call home once my lease at my current apartment expires. It's uber cute! It is located in the Montrose area right at the edge of where it stops being Midtown. It's fantastic. It's a privately-owned unit that is smaller than my old apartment, but has LOTS of charm. Luckily, it was built only 8 years ago, so all the paint, fixtures, and appliances are relatively new.

I decided when I planned to downgrade in my living space and expenses that I would be losing a lot of the amenities that I have become accustomed. However, what this place lacks in size and no dishwasher, more than makes up for in location, PRICE, and kitsch factor. Doing dishes by hand again will be somewhat of a challenge, but that shouldn't be a major problem with it just being me... guess there will be no major entertaining at my casa anymore.

Here are a few pics of the place:

This is the view from the living room to the dining and the kitchen. The landlord imported the stained-glass windows from London. They open out from the side... very cute. And, no, that's not my tacky table. I think it's extra furniture the landlord lets tenants use should they want to.

This is on the way to the vanity. It will take some getting use to all this girlie decor, but for the most part, I find it quaint.

This is a look into the bathroom... nothing extravagant, but nice and clean.

I guess I'm a snob

Today I went looking at an apartment complex over my lunch hour. It is one block from where I live now. I knew walking into the situation that this place would be a downgrade from where I was only because it is an older complex built in the 1960's. It was renovated in 2003, but you know that they can only do so much. But, they had an awesome price (about $110 less per month than what I'm paying righ now). So I figured I could entertain the idea of not living in a luxury apartment. WRONG. Yes, the price was even less than what I was hoping to pay, but I guess I've gotten used to the attached parking garages and not having to walk half a mile to a dumpster to take out my trash. I couldn't believe how snobby I was....but I suppose I've become a true yuppie. The unit was a good size and great price. Why oh why can't I just like it?!?!? Maybe even just deal with it?!?!?!

Here are the problems I had:

1. The MAJOR problem - the unit is located right in front of the complex's front entrance gate. So I'm guessing I will hear the thing creaking open and closed late at night or whenever some drunkass decides to plow into it...as we all know happens in EVERY complex...even the nice ones.
2. Another biggie is I'd be going to unassigned, first-come-first serve, limited covered parking. As stated above, I'm a snooty chica whose had an attached parking garage for almost 6 years. I'll actually have to use an umbrella to go to my car if it rains...wow, I really am a spoiled brat!
3. Downgrading from a garden tub to a regular tub - this I might be able to handle, but the bathroom itself is less than half the size of my current - I would consider it more of a nook rather than a bathroom...and it does NOT have a linen closet in it. Where the hell am I suppose to keep my towels? And mind you...this is me just being high-maintenance, but I'd also be going from 8 drawer spaces to ONE! Granted, I never used all 8 but still! It was one of the perks of having a double-sinked bathroom when there was only one of me :) But the extra sink was great for guests. I'm more horrified about the linen closet...
4. This will be my OCD about little things that will kill me. The little bar area that is a cutout window to the kitchen...it's counter is crooked. I mean dipping down the middle as if some elephant had been sitting in the center. Yep, that will kill me to have to stare at...kinda like broccoli in someone's teeth.

UGH! So I'm officially a high-maintenanced, snobby yuppie. Go ahead...shoot me now! At this rate, I will never find a place in the lower price range I want. I might as well just SUCK IT UP and pay what I'm paying now...

Margaritas + Spontaneity = Random Trip to NYC

On Friday, I met up with Giant and Midtowner for a jumbo margarita at Cyclone Anaya's in Midtown. Right there, that intro should scream, "Uh Oh!" After getting halfway through our jumbo and a couple of tasty quesadillas and chips, we start discussing doing something off-the-wall and exciting. We start talking about vacations seeing as Giant just got back from Rio (I'm jealous, and yes, almost hate him). At that moment, a plan was born - Let's go to Vegas tonight!!! And without hesitation, Midtowner and Giant are in it to win it. With that, we race to Midtowner's place to see how we can make it happen.

After thumbing around at our flight options online, I make the final sad call that Vegas is out of our reach :( So after some thought, we decided that we should visit Doc in NYC. Free place to stay, fun person to hang out with...why not? With luck the flights Saturday morning look good for us to arrive in NYC by 3pm, catch dinner, play in the city, crash, and get back on a plane Sunday morning. Spontaneous? Yes. Crazy? Absolutely. It was a done deal. We finish Friday night off by packing our bags hastily in our margarita hazes (yes, my clothes were a crumpled mess - I should've borrowed Single Girl's Flip Fold) , and then play the rest of the night away in Midtown. Probably still loopy from playing way too late, we get up Saturday morning and head for IAH.

Once we arrive into the city that never sleeps, we immediately went out for dinner to one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Chelsea - Spice. It's soooooo good!!! I got the chicken and shrimp pad thai - YUM! A couple of Doc's friends from his psych residency program joined us as well as one of Midtowner's old coworkers who has relocated to NY. Afterwards, we hit a couple of bars until we found our way to Beauty Bar. I had been there once on a previous visit. I love this bar. It use to be an old beauty salon that they kept all the chairs, mirrors, etc. Not only do they have a full service bar and a dance floor in the back, they also have a woman there giving manicures for $10. That includes the mani and a drink...awesome concept, n'est pas?

As the evening progresses, we decide to enlighten Midtowner to the gayer side of the city. After entering a couple of shady and even scary bars, we eventually we ended up at a bar that was muy fantastico! Great music, hot guys that could care less about me because I have the wrong plumbing, and strong drinks. The name of the place escapes me, but I'm sure I'll remember at a later time with Doc's help.

Eventually, we end up back at Chez Doc and pass out. The next morning was rough, to say the least. We eventually drag our arses out of bed, get ready, and make our way to the airport. Thankfully we were smart about our transportation and had a car service pick us up. Darn cabbies are real jerks about taking people to the airport because they hate sitting in the depot line for a fare back. Often times, the line is so long with other cabbies that they don't want to waste their time and end up coming back to the city with no one in the cab....that's why 10 cabs will drive right past you when you know they are on duty the second they see you toting a suitcase...bastards, I tell ya! Good thing is that the car service is only about $10 more than a cab, and is usually no big deal if you've got more than one person like we did.

We arrived back in Houston as of 1:30pm yesterday and for the most part have had time to recover. I, sadly, had to work a few hours last night at Job#2. But, it wasn't too bad. Surprisingly, I don't feel tired. I am a little mad at myself for not taking the time to apartment hunt instead though. Now I REALLY have to beat feet and get the search going...

How fitting...

Seeing as I'm stressed the 'f' out right now with trying to find a place to live and reflecting on 2006 and the changes I have to make for 2007, I found that my horoscope today was way too close to home:

Taurus (April 19 - May 19)
This could be a day of inner turmoil for you, dear Taurus. You will be rethinking some of your fundamental values and are unsure if they are still relevant to your life. It is clear that some soul-searching is in order for you. There are no right or wrong answers here, only what is in your heart. If your goal is to live authentically, then you will need to make some big changes in your life. But don't act rashly. Think things all the way through before taking action.

Rain is Poo

So I'm getting a case of the rainy day blues. Why you ask other than because it is, in fact, raining? I think it has something to do with that I have exactly 27 days to figure out where I'm going to live. My lease is up at my current Chez Jacky, and I refuse to spend another year living next to a nonstop freeway and paying premium for it. Does that make me high maintenance...maybe...but, think about it. If I'm paying close to $1K a month on a 1-bedroom apartment, I should be happy with it, right???? And, I am NOT happy with it...therefore, I did not renew my lease.

Anyway, the search is on... I've hit every major Houston apartment locating website, Craigslist, and called apartments that I've liked or have expressed interest in simply by seeing them. Let me tell you...living in the loop as a single person ain't cheap, my friends.

I was speaking to Midtowner the other day and we discussed the possibility of me getting a roommate to offset the living costs seeing this is the proclaimed "YEAR OF CLEARING DEBT (while at the same time not taking away from my obsession of globetrotting)". Yes, it sounds almost like an oxymoron, but seeing if I can save a bit on living expenses, it might not be too far-fetched. Let's understand that I have not had a roommate in over 5 years, and have no clue what it's like to be concerned of someone else's feelings in my place of habitation anymore. I've come to dislike every roommate I've had to the point of never speaking to them except for one - that was Doc. I think our saving grace was that he was so busy with med school and me finishing my undergrad and working all the time that kept us too busy to build too much animosity.

Here is my theory about a roommate situation. Should I choose to take one on, I think the best would be to live with someone I have never met. Maybe someone from one of those roommate finders. Hear me out. I figure, if I'm going to end up hating this person anyway, it might as well be someone I won't regret losing in the long run. And, if I end up liking this person and we become lifelong friends after it's all said and done, then it's a pleasant surprise. Kinda like finding that $10 bill in your jeans pocket when you're doing laundry ;) Is it sad that I feel this way? Oh, well...

So if anyone hears of any great deals on apartment move-ins or people who are looking for a roommate and (1) won't murder me in my sleep or (2) aren't complete weirdos...I can handle "kind of a weirdo", then let me know. Otherwise, I'll continue my search with great diligence!

Comment Instructions

This post is for my non-blog-informed readers...who are surprisingly more than I thought. Here are instructions on how to comment on a blog even if you are not signed up as having a blog yourself.

1. Click "Comments"
2. Under "Choose an Identity", Click "Other"
3. Fill in your name in the provided space, and a web address is NOT required
4. Click "Publish Your Comment," and VOILA!!!

Hope that helps you, Miss "You know who you are". Tah-tah for now, kiddos!

New blog that I love, love, love!

You must read this guy! Michael K is so friggin' hilarious!!!

http://www.dlisted.com/

Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 - What the heck happened?!?!

This post is more for Pocahontas. I wanted to express my condolences that his Sooners lost in OT last night. I fell asleep sometime in the 3rd (maybe 4th) quarter, but I know Pocahontas and J.Smith were in Glendale showing their OU loyalty and probably offended many Broncos fans sitting around them. Sorry, guys!

Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Yes, I am very late with my holiday postings. I suppose I haven't had as much holiday cheer as in the past, therefore creating the lull in postings. So with a quick recap, I spent the Christmas holiday with my family and rang in the new year with some friends. Let's just say 2007 didn't start the way I wanted it, but I plan on some making a few adjustments to make 2007 exactly what I want it to be!

On a quick note of which I won't go into much detail over seeing as I don't blog much about my personal life (unless it involves me being sensually ravished by Ben Affleck), I've decided to consider a reconciliation with ex-Baby after lots of time and thought. We are still in the beginnings of determining what it is we need to do to have this work when it didn't the last time, but I'm hoping to keep a positive attitude about what the future holds. All that I ask it that you be happy for me.

Anyway, the hamster running in it's wheel that I call my brain has been doing a number since yesterday trying to come up with a few new year's resolutions. I thought I should pick 5 of them just to give me some cushion so that I can be successful on at least one of them. This is what I came up with:

1. 2 drink and 1 shot minimum (rarity of special occasions can be taken under consideration - ie., my 30th birthday in April) - As we all know that this little girlie does have a weakness for the drink, and unfortunately as of recent has taught me that it is a major influence in turning me into someone I'm not or rather someone I prefer not to become. So with that in mind, I have decided to cut my drinking to the barest I find doable in this restriction. To say I give it up altogether would be an obvious set-up for failure, so reducing consumption is more realistic...don't you think?
2. Going to the gym more regularly - Isn't this EVERYONE'S nyr (new year's resolution)??? But seriously, I do enjoy my gym time and am usually pretty good at going, but recent months have been lacking in motivation. It's time to spring back into shape and look good for my upcoming trip to the Land of Aloha in February (I plan on going to the Pro Bowl...woohoo!).
3. Less cursing - Note: I did NOT say "no cursing." Had I said that, we all know that I've already broken this by now ;) My intent is to not be such a trash-talking sailor seeing as I need to start presenting myself as the delicate, fragile flower that I am...hehe.
4. Visiting friends out of town more - This is directed more to Doc, Sparky et al, Pocahontas and J.Smith, etc. 2006 was pretty tough for me as for finding time to see my friends, but I'll make a conscious effort to not have 2007 be a repeat.
5. Giving up all things that bring me down or bring nothing positive to the table (activities, people, and stuffs) - This is just a blanket nyr that covers a number of things. I'm getting too old for senseless and/or destructive things in my life, so it's time to clean house, baby!

Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone else had a great holiday. I'm so glad I got to spend a little time with Doc while he was in town, but disappointed that Curly-haired Wonder got snowed-in while in New Mexico and couldn't ring in 2007 with us :(

PS. This posting, along with the next few upcoming ones, will not be accompanied with photos...boooooo! Due to some upsetting circumstances, my BFF Canon digital camera has sadly demised over the Christmas holiday. Now I must rely on others for timely downloads of pics from their own cameras (and we all know how that goes). Hopefully, I can buy a new one VERY soon. An Asian without a camera is just down-right blasphemous!

I crack myself up!

Check this out...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=cca3be8517656da8cca0f40G06121206

(For some reason I think blogger is having problems doing hyperlinks, but I still wanted to share this!)

Weekend Update

Friday was super busy after I got off work. Noodlette met me at Noodle's house to start the maniacal task of cooking and having everything done at a decent hour for dinnertime. After it was all said and done, we completed cooking the following: Dijon Baked Salmon, Garlic Pesto Chicken, Thyme-Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus and Shallots in Red Wine Vinegar, Green Bean Casserole, Rolls, and Pistachio Salad. Not to mention, we had lots of wine, liquor, and our very own margarita machine on the balcony to make all things even more entertaining.

We had a great dinner to coat our stomachs, and then the night progressed to absolute retardedness with the boys singing 80's tunes in the living room while everyone broke down in old 90's dance moves...let's just say it all started when someone played the song "Ice Ice, Baby". How is it we ALL know Vanilla's dance moves????

The rest of the weekend was basically recovery after Friday night. A few people went to another Christmas party on Saturday. Unfortunately, I had to do some work...however, I don't think my body could've gone through Round 2 anyway. Below, I've included some of the less incriminating photos.

My beautiful tablescape - yes, I had place cards for everyone's assigned seat at the table

The Grown-Ups' Table (aka The Couples' Table)

The Kids' Table (aka The Singles' Table)

We had MUCH more fun at the Kids' Table than the other table! Don't Ask...I have no idea what started the napkin hat ordeal!

The boys and their shots...

The Ladies and their shots...


Having more fun than we should staying in!

I call this "Club Living Room" - It's the place to be!

My 90's throwback to doing the "kid'n'play"

I love hanging out with these people!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

Tee hee hee

Nothing like a sadist Reindeer to spread holiday cheer...

I thought this was f-ing hilarious

LMAO!!!

Holiday Gatherings

We are now officially in the last month of the year. You know...the time of year where you blow a ton of money on family and friends and squeeze in holiday parties galore almost every week until December 25th. Oh, and probably gain about 15lbs on top of all that...

This week, I have 3 dinners to go to: (1) the Lombardi Award dinner on Wednesday - a non-holiday event, but a big event for NCAA football; (2) the YPE Christmas Party on Thursday; and (3) our End-of-Year/Holiday Dinner with our close group of friends on Friday. How exhausting!

For Friday's dinner, I'm taking the helm on the cooking. So far, this is my menu:

• Salt-, peppercorn- and herb-crusted beef tenderloin with wild mushroom red wine sauce. A recipe I found in Ladies' Home Journal - yes, I read LHJ.
• Thyme-roasted baby new potatoes
• Roasted Asparagus
• Green bean casserole
• Assorted rolls and breads
• And for dessert: Pistacchio Salad - so good if you have not had it and SUPER easy to make!
• And of course lots 'o' vino - Cuz that's how we roll....haha...I love saying that!

So there you have it. I have four days to summon my chi in order to psych myself up for all the cooking. Wish me luck!