we're back

We got back last night, but I was (and still am) really tired. It was so fun. I just wanted to share a couple pics. I will blog more about the trip later today. The pictures are not the best quality. The ones of us, randoms took, so you have to hope they do a good job. Whatever.
I gotta get my house clean today, because my in-laws are coming!!!!!!!!!

vegas baby

Chris just surprised me with a trip to Vegas! We are leaving in like 2 hours. We are staying at the Flamingo over night tonight and coming back tomorrow. How freaking awesome! I am so excited. Gotta go pack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7 years of bliss

It's Our Anniversary!

Let's take a look back...











Weren't we just the most... yeah whatever.

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life, my best friend and the greatest man I know. How lucky I am that all those are the same person. I could not have asked for a better partner and husband.

WOW - 36 years!

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad

me and my momma

This is as at my cousin's house on Christmas Eve. My sister took this. My mom took pictures of sister and I, but since sister does not want the world to know what she looks like, I will refrain. And plus, no one has sent me any copies of those pictures.

so thankful

I just wanted to say thank you to my parents for all the wonderful Christmas gifts. And a big thank you to my husband too. Everything was so thoughtful and I love it all. Thank you for a wonderful Christmas.

Merry Christmas

I love secret santa!

Look what my secret santa from work gave me!
THIS. I love it. How cute is that?

who stole my Christmas?

See the pretty lighted present in this picture?



It's been stolen. We just realized last night that it was missing. However, I don't remember seeing it for at least a week or longer. I was very upset. It wasn't the cheapest thing, but not irreplaceable. It was more the fact that someone stole my decorations. My Christmas. *tear*

my new monitor

With my bonus this year, I bought a new computer monitor. I need one bad. I have a huge old school monitor. It still functions really well, but it takes over my whole desk. I need more room to work here. I am also going to buy a new desk, but not for a few weeks. The monitor is on its way! hooray.

about last night

The party was nice. The food was amazing. (Food descriptions copied from the website) My appetizer was the heirloom tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, basil, and a balsamic reduction. Chris called it a caprice salad and the waiter said that is what it's called. Chris had the smoked salmon layered with potato-leek cakes, baby arugula, capers, and a horseradish creme fraiche. My entree was an 8oz filet mignon, grilled, topped with Israeli feta and fresh herbs, with asparagus, tarragon mashed potatoes, and a brandy cream. That was some good shit. I had to get the most expensive thing on the menu, of course. Chris had the juniper dusted duck breast with sauteed baby spinach, horseradish glazed carrots, and a chardonnay reduction sauce. My desert was a basil cheesecake. It sounds not good, but it was really quite tasty. Chris had a chocolate amaretto cake. We also had bottomless glasses of wine. If your glass went down by like 1/4 of an inch, the waiter was there to refill it. I cannot tell you who much I drank, for that reason. But it was a tasty Pinot Noir and I was slightly intoxicated. After the dinner, a few people, including me & Chris, went back to Brian's (Chris's boss) house to hang out. I was really tired so we only stayed there about an hour. We got home around 12:30am. Nice night. I was dressed appropriately, in case you were wondering. It was fun.

have you met my friend?

Check it out! That is seriously him. It's not a joke. I have one friend. I am screaming on the inside!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brokeback Mountain

I just finished reading the short story that the new movie is based on. It was originally published as one of many short stories in the book called Close Range: Wyoming Stories. When I was at the book store last night, they were selling copies of just Brokeback Mountain. I picked it up because I really want to see the movie because it's getting such great reviews. I had heard that the movie is a very good interpretation of the story. Even on the author, Annie Proulx's website, she says, "I may be the first writer in America to have a piece of writing make its way to the screen whole and entire." I wanted to know what it was all about. It has to be more than just a gay cowboy movie. And after just finishing the story, I felt so compelled to post about it. It is very short. I read it in probably 25 minutes. But it tears at your heart. The first mention of the sex does startle you, but after a minute you realize that it is just two people in love. In love and not able to be together. I won't tell the ending, because I hope everyone goes to see the movie. But I can understand why Heath Ledger would be the stand out in the film and receive all the awards. His character... I can't finish that sentence without giving some things away. I am planning on seeing the movie as soon as I can. And I highly recommend the short story. After the new year, I am going to get some more writings of Annie Proulx's and check them out. She wrote and won a Pulitzer for The Shipping News. That was made into a movie a couple years ago too. I had no idea. So now I'm in the know. Wow. I can't stop thinking about the story. Seriously. Check it out.

is this "business casual" ?

This is the top I bought last night to wear to the party tomorrow. I bought it in the color shown, cranberry. It looks way cute on me. I got both pieces, by the way. The sweater and shell. I think it looks good. Lemme know what you think.

my upcoming schedule - for anyone who cares

tomorrow - work
Friday (16th)- OFF
Saturday (17th) - OFF
Sunday (18th) - OFF!
Monday (19th) - work
Tuesday (20th) - work 1/2 day (until noon) then picking sibling up at airport
Wednesday (21st) - work then going for family picture at 6:30pm
Thursday (22nd) - OFF!
Friday (23rd) - OFF
Saturday (24th) - OFF
Sunday (25th) - Christmas
Monday (26th) - OFF!
Tuesday (27th) - work then at night, work dinner at Claim Jumper
Wednesday (28th) - work (but it's my anniversary!)
Thursday (29th) - work
Friday (30th) - OFF then my in-laws are coming.
MY IN-LAWS ARE COMING!
I am not thinking beyond this day. I have so much to do on all these days, that it is overwhelming. I just wanted to share.

Chris's work Xmas party

Things change with his work all the time. I figure since the party is Friday, this is for sure. It's going to be at a restaurant called, Eleve. It's going to be a sit down dinner with a limited menu, but we get to choose. Very cool. And now I know about the attire. It's business casual. So that means I need to re-evaluate what I am going to wear. I think I will still wear the same bottoms (my black gauchos), but I need to rethink the top. I don't want to be too dressy. It's a delicate balance. This Christmas party has changed like 300 times in the last few months. Looking forward to it, but glad that it's finally over.

golden globe nominations (the ones I care about)

Actor, Drama: Patrick Dempsey, "Grey's Anatomy"; Matthew Fox, "Lost"; Hugh Laurie, "House"; Wentworth Miller, "Prison Break"; Kiefer Sutherland, "24."

Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Naveen Andres, "Lost"; Paul Newman, "Empire Falls"; Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"; Randy Quaid, "Elvis"; Donald Sutherland, "Commander in Chief."

Original Song: "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" from "Brokeback Mountain"; "Christmas in Love" from "Christmas in Love"; "There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway" from "The Producers"; "Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica"; "Wunderkind" from "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." (it's Alanis's song!)

for the full list, go here

¿Dónde está mi espíritu de Navidad?

Where, oh where has it gone? I have lost my holiday spirit somewhere. I don't know when or where it went. On Saturday, Chris put up the tree with the lights and everything. I managed to get the tree skirt on it and the angel on top. But that was it. No ornaments. I was just so lazy on Saturday and didn't do hardly anything. So the tree sat, all pretty with lights, but naked. It looked sad, but I was bitter towards it for some reason. Last night, I started opening ornament boxes and setting them on the table. I was not going to decorate the tree. I was just going to open the boxes so that they were ready when I was. I usually like to make a big deal out of decorating the tree. After I got out of the shower last night, I decided to break down and put the ornaments on. I did not use them all. I left many of the generic ones off. I don't know why. I usually put tons and tons of ornaments on the tree and enjoy while I'm doing it. I put on my favorite ornaments and it looks a tad bare. Bare for my tastes. Full for probably most people. But it's done. And it does look pretty. But I still do not have the warm, fluffy feeling about it. What's the deal? I am stressed too. I feel like time is slipping way. I have to clean my house for company. I have to wrap the presents that I need to mail. I have to buy boxes for those gifts. I have one more gift to buy. I have... I need to stop listing. It's stressing me out.
I woke up late this morning. I turned off my alarm thinking, "Why did I set my alarm today? I don't have to work today." Good thing that Chris's alarm went off and he woke me up. 20 minutes late. I managed to get out of the house on time, but still. I just messes with your whole day. Having to rush around.
I need to be rejuvenated. I need to find my Christmas spirit. ¿Dónde está?

videos - the good and the bad

It's been awhile since I posted any videos that I like. So here are some new ones.

The Good
RENT - AOL Sessions - it has an amazing acappella version of Seasons of Love

We Belong Together by Mariah Carey - I know this is an old video, but any video with Wentworth Miller is worth taking a look at (over and over)

Pretty Vegas by INXS - I actually can't watch the video, but I like the song. I didn't really want JD to win Rockstar, but I like the song for some reason. The old guys from INXS are just that, old and scarey. And JD is...he needs to put a shirt on and stop pretending to be Michael Hutchence.

Crazy by Alanis Morissette - It's actually a cover of the Seal song. It's a really awesome version. The song is off her recently released greatest hits album called The Collection

Wunderkind by Alanis Morissette -This is not a video. Just the song. It's a new Alanis song that is going to be on the Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack. Awesome.

And if you have some extra time, check out a live show from the John Mayer Trio.

The Bad
The following songs scare me to death. And the videos make my eyes bleed. But for a good laugh, check them out.
My Humps by Black Eyed Peas
The Beat of My Heart by Hilary Duff
L.O.V.E by Ashlee Simpson
Confessions of a Broken Heart by Lindsay Lohan
Stickwitu by the Pussycat Dolls (why can't they spell the whole words?)

Damn, I could do this all day. But I don't know how much more my ears can take.

I finally did it.

I made up the pictures to give a little perspective. It's not short now. It's just not as long. It looks so much heathier and has nice clean ends. I love it. I don't miss the length anymore. I was so sick of it.

funny forward

The husband had just finished reading a new book, 'YOU CAN BE THE MAN OF YOUR HOUSE'. He stormed into the kitchen and walked directly up to his wife. Pointing a finger in her face, he said sternly, "From now on, YOU need to know that I AM the MAN of this house, and my word is law! You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert. Then after dinner, you are going to go upstairs with me, and we will have the sex that I want. After that, you are going to draw me my bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then you will massage my feet and hands. Then after that's done, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"

His wife replied, "The f----g funeral director would be my guess."

Our house in lights! I LOVE IT!

meme time

TEN random things you might not know about me
10. I am a QVC-aholic
9. I hold grudges way too long
8. I am obsessed with celebrity gossip
7. I have lots of moles and some in odd places (ie. the palm of my hand)
5. I hate doing the dishes
4. I have 3 tattoos
3. I have IBS (total TMI)
2. I like to make cards and scrapbook
1. I have major issues with turning 30

NINE places I've visited
9. Flagstaff, AZ
8. Columbus, OH
7. Monett, MO
6. Los Angeles, CA
5. Newport Beach, CA
4. Newport, KY
3. Toledo, OH
2. Lansing, MI
1. Niagara Falls, ONT & NY

EIGHT ways to win my heart
8. coke slushies & a Dodge 600
7. make decent money to support my QVC addiction
6. have nice legs
5. commitment
4. cook
3. tolerate my insanity
2. make me laugh
1. be my soul mate

SEVEN things I want to do before I die
7. go to Disney World
6. own a winter home somewhere cold
5. write a novel
4. perform on Broadway
3. learn French
2. go to Paris
1. have a baby

SIX things I'm afraid of
6. turning 30
5. turning 30
4. turning 30
3. turning 30
2. turning 30
1. losing my mother

FIVE things I don't like
(only 5?)
5. bugs
4. onions
3. migraines
2. people who don't like me
1. politics

FOUR ways to turn me off
4. say that you support George W Bush and/or the war in Iraq
3. bad breath
2. being disrespectful
1. not having any teeth

THREE Things I do every day
3. sleep
2. eat
1. pee

TWO things that make me happy
2. (right now) my Christmas lights all over my house
1. (in general) my husband's laugh

ONE thing on my mind right now
1. getting the hell out of work

ACTUAL REALITY. ACT UP. FIGHT AIDS.

The Good - part 2 edit

I feel that I must address something I posted earlier. About the customer calling me a fucking bitch. First of all, I am not upset by this. I need that to be clear. I just laughed and still laugh at it. I know I am a loving and wonderful person and should not be called such things by customers. I know this. But it was so damn funny. When I was telling the story to other people, I realized that I had failed to mention the funniest part of the whole thing. The lady was calling from the side of the road. Something had caused her back glass to shatter while she was driving. So, she being the brilliant person she is, decided the smartest thing to do was pull over to the side of the road and call her insurance company. She demanded that someone come out right then to the side of the road and replace her glass. She also continued to tell me over and over how cold she was. She also repeatedly said things like, "Help me Jesus" and "Give me strength Lord". Jesus? Lord? Total idiot. First off, no one is going to come to your rescue. Your glass is broken. You are not dead. You are not stuck there on the side of the road. That was your choice. Same to the being cold part. Go home and call me from the warmth of your house. DUH. Seriously. She was out of control. She was acting like a child who broke something and was just standing there, crying for their mommy to come and fix it. Be a grown up. She was acting like it was life or death. But the best part is that she frequently called out to her Lord and Jesus and then, when she thought I couldn't hear her, swore like a freaking sailor. Spare me.

you're so money

Article: Vaughn, Aniston pulled over by Scottsdale police
Dude. That's totally near my old apartment. I love that they are dating, in case I haven't mentioned that. And I love that they were in town. Welcome. Stay. So I can steal him away from you Rachel!

what the hell?!?!

I just remembered this. Last night my mother told me that my aunt wants to a have a Christmas day brunch with "just the adults." Then my mother says to me, "But you are invited too." I proceeded to say, loudly, to my mother, "I am 28 years old. At what point am I considered an adult?" She was just messing with me, but still. This is an issue with my family. At least my extended one. I am still seen as a child. It makes me feel like I have no place or position in the family. I keep telling Chris that once we have a kid we will have a place. But who even knows. I love my family and I don't think they are doing anything on purpose. But it still feels bad.

the good, the bad and the ugly

The Good
Have you seen the show The Boondocks on Cartoon Network? It's the funniest damn show ever! It airs Sunday nights and reruns on Mondays, all during Adult Swim. Seriously. Check it out.

The Good - part 2
Most people might view this as a bad thing, but to me, being called a fucking bitch by a customer who thought she hung up her phone, is a good thing. I wear the title as a badge of honor. My soul mission in life is to make people realize that I am, in fact, a fucking bitch. Awesome. Bitch.

The Bad
We decided to order pizza last night because we are getting sick of turkey. We like this place not far from our house called Hungry Howies. (I will not honor them with a link.) For regular pizza, they are pretty good. So we ordered around 6:45. Long story short...and 3 phone calls later...we got our food around 8:40pm. Not even kidding. They told me it would be an hour. Not 2! Then, the forgot to give us our receipt (we paid with our debit card). Then, it was cold. Then, the gave us 1/2 the wings we ordered and paid for. Then, there was no pizza sauce for the breadsticks. Then, the pizza toppings were WRONG!!!!! One thing. Small annoyance. Two things. Damn, that sucks. Three things. We are getting really pissed. Four things. Lets call and talk to a manager. They tell us that the manager just left for the night. We left our phone #, but aren't expecting a call back. If it happens, I will piss my pants. We were really upset. And the worst part is that we can never eat there again. We tend to not give places that give us shitty service repeat business.

The Bad - part 2
I still have a cough. I still have junk in my throat that hasn't completely cleared up just - or maybe its new and not relate to my previous illness. Either way, I still cough and it sucks.

The Ugly
My hair. Its really long. Its the longest its ever been. It goes to my butt. And its getting on my nerves finally. Plus the ends are frizzing out. I decided to cut it. Now, nothing dramatic here. Calm down. I am just gonna get like 6 inches chopped off. Clean it up a bit and make it more manageable. This will probably happen next week.