And the funniest costume is....a Sooner fan!

I have to say, this was the funniest costume I saw all day. This is a photo of a guy we work with at another company (which will remain anonymous b/c I don't know if he would want to be on the internet). He is a Texas fan in real life (must be like living a nightmare every day). So, for Halloween he dressed up like a Sooner fan. My favorite parts of the costume included the tattooed arms. My favorite tattoo is not featured in this picture--it was a giant heart on his other arm with the word "Stoops" in the middle".


Notice the mullet, too. Nice touch. All in all, it is a pretty fair depiction of many of our faithful Sooner fans. But, I would be remiss if I didn't say he should take a close look at the Mack Brown-lovers he is surrounded by. It seems to me that Longhorn fans look an awful lot like the rest of us, but perhaps just a little uglier...

Halloween

So, Halloween Night was in full force at our house. Plenty of fun costumes stopped by...including these scary guys. We usually know them as Easton and Mason, but last night we only knew them as fear.
John didn't realize the grim reaper wore Chuck Taylors....
This is Jesika and Jordan, our next door neighbors that pretty much keep John in line and tell him how it is. That's John's life, pretty much....a bunch of girls ordering him around! Jordan, especially, gives him a run for his money. If she's not schooling him in basketball, she's figuring out ways to take his money. He bets her on everything! She's made more money off us (especially with school fundraisers)....we just can't say no!
And, with all that scariness going on outside, Faith decided it was a good night to hide away. She stayed hidden most of the night deep under the covers in the back bedroom. Smart girl....

Ryan and Reese

SPLIT! Is any Hollywood marriage safe anymore?

A World Series AND the Husband of the Year...what a great weekend!

What a weekend. In our house we like to call a weekend like that a "Perfect Weekend". Because not only did OU win away from home, and Dallas won their game....but the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series!!!!!!

Does it get any better than that? Does it get any better than watching your team, the guys you watch for months, even years, the players you become emotionally invested in--does it get any better than watching them win the ultimate title? I don't think so. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

John is officially "Husband of the Year" for his efforts last week. He was already scheduled to take vacation last week, and planned on using his time to golf and sleep. But John was so good to cancel his relaxing week at home, and headed to Springfield to help my grandparents.

My grandfather had a full knee-replacement surgery on Wednesday. And we knew he'd be spending some time in the hospital, obviously. But St. John's Hospital has been undergoing a lot of remodels, and the parking lot is now a very, very long way from the patient rooms. Not too bad if you're a patient, right? But it makes it awfully tough for those visiting the patient, like my Grandma.

John went up on Tuesday night and spent the next two days taking care of my Grandma, helping her run errands, and helping her maneuver the hospital maze so she could spend time with my Grandpa. He also spent several long hours at the hospital, entertaining my Grandpa and helping him get around. I know it was a huge help to the whole family, and it made the whole experience much easier on my Grandma. Luckily, Grandpa was released yesterday, just as my mom and I were packing to head home to Oklahoma. We got him settled in the recliner at the house, and I think he's going to do great. Already he's walking more than I could have imagined!

So, thanks to the best husband in the world, for giving the only time off you have for the rest of the year to help the greatest Grandparents I know. Hopefully, the Cardinals World Series win helped make up for the long week!

Also--I am going to attempt to rise to the challenge issued by Susan and Robin to post something every day during the month of November. The more I blog, the more I realize it's such a fun look at my life in this moment. Like a diary....it's becoming more personal to me, and not so much about keeping everyone up-to-date. I mean, really, our life is not that exciting. But one of these days I'll have this blog to look back on and remember a really fun time in my life.

So, look forward to pictures of the pantry and full lunch menu updates in the future, as I'm not sure I can find something totally exciting every day! Also....there might be a lot of Faith pictures, as she is really the only family member that looks great on camera!

And In Other Weekend News

We spent Sunday evening enjoying the World Series Game 2 (ok....not really enjoying it, since we lost) at Nathan and Elizabeth's house. Turns out Nathan is a lifelong Tigers fan....maybe the only one living in America today. Anyway, John and I showed up decked out in our Cardinals gear...which I am convinced is the reason we lost. This shirt is bad luck, so look now because I'm not wearing it aain.
There's Nathan, looking much calmer than he really was. He had a good night. Hopefully it's the last one for this year. I teased him all night about how the Detroit fans looked like their hats and shirts were brand new. You cannot tell me Detroit magically has 80,000 fans to fill a stadium before this year....they're all bandwagon fans, I suspect. Haven't broken in their gear quite like Nathan has!
Good friend, Pam, helped host Laura's shower this weekend. Pam and I go way back, even farther than Laura and I! I'm pretty convinced she is the reason I nearly failed sophomore year at OU. Example conversation:
Pam: Hey, want to walk to class with me?
Jess: Sure, where are you headed?
Pam: Journalism building...you?
Jess: Dale Hall
Pam: Cool....you hungry?
Jess: Starving
Pam: Want to see if Derek is hungry?
Jess: Sure....and Brooke. Maybe Cary. What's Jeremy doing?
Pam: So no class?
Jess: Nah...it's macroeconomics. I can miss.

Thus began my downward spiral to C's (okokok....1 D, but that was it).

Anyway, as you can see we both made it through college, received our degrees in journalism, and still love getting together!

Finally, I made the bed this weekend. Love the new sheets and comforter, don't you? Believe it or not, they've been sitting on the bedroom floor since John gave them to me for Christmas last year! I didn't want to put it on because I didn't want car hair all over it. You can see how well that worked.

Also, on Saturday we enjoyed a blustering attempt at the Pumpkin Patch, but it was too cold and windy. So, we settled for the next best thing: Eischen's and cinnamon rolls at the Tower Cafe in Okarchee! Nothing like the best fried chicken in Oklahoma to warm you up!

And that's it for the weekend update.

Countdown to Riley's Arrival...

Sunday I headed down to Norman for Laura's baby shower. For those of you that don't know Laura, she is a saint. We actually shared an apartment together in college--and believe it or not, we are still friends! We have been through so much together (vacations, finals, friends, boyfriends, break-ups, engagements, weddings, and even cats!). She taught me how to do laundry. She was the first person to know I was officially engaged. She helped John pass his online biology classes by taking many of his tests for him. And, she is the smartest person I know (she's in medical school, studying to be a pediatrician) and I would trust her with my life as a physician.

On November 1st she and husband Aaron will welcome Riley Ann into the world. I cannot believe 9 months has flown by so quickly. I cannot believe she is having a little girl. She hates pink and doesn't exactly enjoy girly things. So, I imagine little Riley will end up just like Laura--tomboy to the core, playing football and softball, and spending more time collecting bugs than collecting hairbows. I can't wait to meet her, and I had so much fun at the shower. Laura got A LOT of pink stuff--we are all conspiring.

Forget the frilly dresses. Laura's favorite number at the shower came in the form of a simple white onesie with an OU on the front, and an upside down Longhorn on the butt. Because even babies are smart enough to hate Texas.

Apparently we need an exorcist in our house...

John was very excited about his job as scary woods man for the 3rd-5th grade Haunted Hayride through church over the weekend. He had been planning it for a while, and even bought a new all-black wardrobe for the occasion.

As you can see...he also decided to buy a scary mask. He went to Party Warehouse with the nephews and found this mask. You can't tell from the picture, but it was attached to a black ballcap. As he's showing his sister, Robin, and I the mask here is the conversation that followed:

John: Do you like my mask? Think it's scary enough?

Robin: Ooooo...very scary. Wait a minute....what is that emblem on the ballcap?

We all move in closer to investigate...

Robin: John....is that the symbol of the antichrist?

John: What? No....I don't know. How would you even know that?

Robin: It is! It is the symbol of the antichrist! John, you're promoting Satan worshipping at the church children's fall festival!

John: No! No! I didn't know, I swear....man, I really liked the mask. Think I can just grab a Sharpie and color over the symbol?

This is why we don't send men shopping on their own for anything....

A Day in the Life of Faith

While we (ok, really it's just me) miss Max terribly, Faith has come out of her shell quite a bit the past few months. She's a lot more cuddly and social, and she eats a lot more. It's funny how much having a pet to come home to can make your day so much brighter. She loves it when we are home and spends most of the evening following us around, not letting us out of her sight.

We've taken several pictures lately as she continues to settle into her "Queen of the House" role. It's a rough life being a spoiled housecat. Lately she has had fun exploring a box of china John got from his grandmother and watching me work. Usually she's sitting on top of the keyboard, making it very difficult to type....but last night she just hung out and watched. Forgive my shiny face in that photo--it was late and I was stressed!

In other news, I'm pretty excited to be going to Dallas this week. I go on Thursday and Friday, but this time it's not just for work. I've been chatting with my cousin, Jennifer, lately (thanks MySpace) and we haven't seen each other in years. I haven't even met her husband! So, anyway, while I'm in town for work we're going to go catch up over dinner. It works great--that way I'm not alone in a hotel room, we get to see each other, and I get to meet her husband. She also told me last night that it's official--she is expecting her first baby in May so I'll be excited to talk babies with her. Thanks to ALL my friends, I have plenty of words of wisdom to pass along...

This past weekend I participated in the Komen Race for the Cure. Over 13,000 people were there and turns out I knew about half of them. It was so fun to see friends and family at the event! If you didn't get to participate this year, mark your calendars for next year because it is an incredible event. Pink everywhere!

I think I will sign off at this point. The only thing I will add is that I've promised a few friends out east I would start rooting for West Virginia to make it to the Fiesta Bowl this year. Please consider becoming a Mountaineer fan for this season...they promised if I would root for WVU, they would root for Adrian Peterson to come back to Oklahoma. We're all just a handful of dreamers, huh?

Embarrassing Moment of the Week (because there's at least one each week)

So....I hadn't been to the gym in a while. I'll be honest--it dropped of my priority list, and when that happens my true laziness begins to show. However, the mood struck me last night to go to the gym. And especially because it was Thursday night, which was Pilates night. So, I rush around after work and head over to the old stomping grounds. Because, despite it falling off the priority list, the gym did not fall off the finance list and we've been helping pay their electric bill since April.

Anyway....it had been about 3 months since I'd been. And, alas, when I arrived I found out there is no Pilates class on Thursday anymore. I thought I should go ahead and work out anyway since I was there. But then I realized I was wearing flip flops (because in Pilates you take your shoes off) and I didn't feel like running the treadmill in flip flops.

Here's where it gets bad.

I grab an October schedule of classes and I head towards the side exit door to go to my car, as I always do. I'm reading the schedule, not looking where I'm going, and I push open the side door and promptly set off the entire building alarm.

So I look up in my confusion, and see that sure enough--there are only about 4 giant signs on the door that say "DO NOT OPEN THIS DOOR". But, see, I was reading the schedule and not paying attention. So I turn around to make my embarrassing escape when I notice there is a line down the hall of people waiting for the 6:30 Boot Camp class and they are all staring at me. And the only way to get out is to walk meekly past them and say "Sorry...I was reading, my fault". I had to walk all the way through the gym to the front door, where I RAN to my car and got out of there. I could still hear the alarm going off as I drove away, I'm not kidding. There was not a soul in that building that could not hear the alarm going off.

So, I guess I won't be going back to the gym anytime soon!

The good news--I was near the T-Mobile store, and shopping is my therapy so instead of working out I got a new cell phone. And it's great, and I downloaded ring tones so that REO Speedwagon plays when John calls. It's a great way to recover from a very embarrassing moment!

Random Thoughts, week of 10/9

A few random thoughts for this Wednesday morning...

Does anyone else have a problem with the fact that the lead story on Yahoo News right now is the fact that Giant Camels died off centuries ago? Is it really that slow of a news day? There's got to be something else we can talk about. It may be a great story, but I just don't feel it deserves lead story on Yahoo news...
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Our nephew, Mason, informed us very matter-of-factly last night that it is getting cold. I was grateful for the observation. And, it is in fact almost sweater weather, and I'm quite excited. Because, let's face it, my winter clothes are a lot cuter than my summer clothes. And I think many people look better in the winter. Especially poor souls like me that don't tan--we look better all covered up!
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We watched the game this weekend with a different group of friends than normal, and it was a lot of fun. There were children there, which was actually a good thing because it made me watch my actions and language more than I would in a normal situation. Plus, I didn't want our new group not to invite us back because I acted like a fool or something....so I was more than subdued. I almost felt like I was too subdued....I was concentrating on not yelling at the TV. I liked having the kids there, because most of them are starting to talk and carry on conversations, and they provided much comic relief during a sad game.

However, I did wear my not-so-nice beat Texas shirt because it's a long-standing tradition. I've had it for 6 years now. I'm beginning to think it's not so magical anymore. I was so disappointed because I really, really thought we were going to win. They even played me up until halftime...sigh.

I still love my Sooners. Especially Garrett Hartley--I am officially a kicker groupie. He never lets me down.
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I have been on a cooking frenzy. Ok, I cooked two days. And I guess one doesn't even really count because we ended up going out. BUT, I did plan ahead two days in a row and got everything ready, used kitchen utensils and pans and everything. My dishwasher is worn out from all the use. Monday I made Garlic Lemon pork chops and rice, and last night I made Fiesta chicken quesadillas and beans and chips. That may not sound very culinary to you--but it's not Hamburger Helper so it's gourmet to me. I forgot what I had on the menu for tonight. But I'm sure it's something good. Maybe it's Pigs-N-A-Blanket and Mac-N-Cheese night. That would be great. Anyting with "-N-" in the title is usually a winner at our house!
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Finally, on the TV front....I'm thinking that Studio 60 will be the only newcomer this year to make it to my DVR list. Maybe Friday Night Lights, but I'll have to watch a few more to see. Also, I'm seriously considering eliminating Desperate Housewives. I'm just not into it. Already eliminated were "Extreme Makeover" (too sappy) and "Law and Order:CI" (too many L&O's).

And that's it on the TV homefront...
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Have a great week! And if you're not busy early Satuday morning, consider participating in the Komen Race for the Cure. It's at the Bricktown Ballpark Saturday morning. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and it's tons of fun, with lots of free pink stuff and you know your $25 is going to a great cause. And if you come, stop by my client's booth and see me...

My Feelings on the Longhorns....I hope they drown in the Red River

I cannot think of a better education on OU/TX weekend, and the importance of things like upside down Longhorns than the education provided on an old friend's blog, Discount Bananas by Cary McCall. Please check it out--read the past few days entries. Cary and I attended many a game in both Norman and Dallas in college, along with our National Championship-winning crew from the Outreach, and he gives a great look into the deep down, burning hatred we Sooners feel for the Longhorns.

In no circumstance could I ever like Texas. Ever. I didn't even root for them in the National Championship (I didn't root for USC either--but really not Texas). People say "root for the Big 12". And I do....except Texas. I hate that school and their stupid cow mascot.

Thanks, Cary, for such a great education and bringing back a lot of memories!

That's what I get for being a workaholic TV head...nothing to talk about!

I know it's been a while since I posted. Sorry about that--I'd say we're busy....but really we're just boring. Nothing too exciting going on in our neck of the woods. We decided not to paint the living room over the weekend. Too many things going on. We're thinking maybe Thanksgiving break?

I did do one exciting thing this weekend. Inspired by my "blog celeb", Susan over at Friday Play Date, I organized my closet. While Susan suggested trying on everything in your closet to make sure it fits and if it doesn't get rid of it, I have way too many clothes to do that. Way too many clothes and not enough motivation (seems to be my theme song these days). But the closet is so clean, organized, and beautiful I want to move in!

You should check out Friday Play Date every week for "Fashion Friday" where you'll get tips on various things for your closet, clothing, and what to wear. SHe should be on TLC or something...

The Cheesecake Factory is up and running here in OKC. I was able to enjoy my decadent dessert at lunch yesterday. We waited forever, but I'm pretty sure it was worth every minute. However, much like PF Chang's when it opened, I think I will wait a few weeks before trying again. The wait time is just ridiculous. For those interested, I tried the chocolate peanut butter cookie dough cheesecake and it was fabulous.

I seriously have nothing more interesting that that. So sorry....I've been working a lot because we had someone new start and we're in the process of training her. Her name is Keli and she is already a tremendous help--can't wait to see what she'll do in the next few months!

This weekend is the big game. I'm going to try and formulate an actual, educated opinion on this game in the next few days. I'll be happy to share with you a professional response when I get one but in the meantime: Texas sucks!

Allergies

Well, for every day I have confidence and sound professional when speaking to a crowd, I have days when it doesn't work quite so well. Yesterday was just such a day.

We had several people in town for training, and I was presenting a large portion of their training materials on Wednesday. I woke up with a ridiculous headache, and it got worse as the morning wore on. I got to the point where my eye was throbbing so much I felt like it was going to pop out of my head. I couldn't get my thoughts straight, I couldn't keep my eyes open, and I certainly wasn't doing a very good job of presenting. So, I apologize to them for my senseless ramblings and wonderful Joe, who was 3 days on the job and was still recovering from having wisdom teeth removed, offered me some Motrin. I'm in blinding pain and I agree because anything was better than what I was feeling.

Don't take drugs you don't know anything about. That is my warning to you.

My headache did not subside and about an hour later I realize I feel very hot. And then the swelling starts. It started by my eye--a huge bump, practically a goiter on the side of my face. Then the hives started--red, itchy splotches on my face and my legs. And then, my lips start to tingle and I realize my bottom lip is swelling pretty fast. What could this be?

Oh wait....does Motrin have ibprofen in it? HA! It IS ibprofen. Just so happens I'm allergic to ibprofen. I knew that before...I just didn't think to ask about Motrin. Luckily, Benadryl works like a charm and I quickly returned to normal (albeit still hot and itchy). The good news is everyone in my office now knows I am very allergic to ibprofen so if I'm ever unconscious they can let hospital personnel know.

Very embarrassing....

John and I might paint the living room this weekend. But I can't decide if I really want to exert that much energy on a Saturday...

I've got confidence...I think...

Have you ever had one of those days where you're just "on". I mean, everything makes sense, you sound intelligent in all your conversations, you actually provide perspective dialogue? I'm having one of those days.

I've had several meetings today where I have almost an out-of-body experience. I can watch myself talking and I realize "wow, that was authoritative" or "great perspective". I don't know....sounds strange. But I've been to two meetings today where people were taking notes while I was talking...usually I feel like I am talking to a wall. It gives me a lot of confidence. In fact, because of the confidence I got from those conversations, I ended up doing several things I'd been putting off (you know, the phone calls you don't want to make or the presentations you don't want to put together). I wish I felt as smart and experienced every day. I'm actually pretty good at my job--I just don't always feel like it!

Anyway, had a great weekend. Caught up on the DVR, which is always good. Take it from me-- watch "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". It's my new fave of the season.

Love the jeans, but if you're headed to the Gap to get your own pair I have another word of advice. They must be running very big this season, so try on two sizes down from what you normally do. Trust me--you never know. I could almost use a size smaller.

Loved the game this weekend. I remember when we used to have scores like that playing Texas and Nebraska. Those were the good ol' days....back when I walked barefoot in the snow, uphill both ways to a stadium with no upper deck on the east side. HA!

I totally think we can beat Texas. I'm not kidding--not only CAN we beat Texas, but we WILL beat Texas. We watched the game this weekend at Buffalo Wild Wings, and it was a good thing we got there an hour early. I've never seen anything like it--they had security set up and a line like we were in "Night at the Roxbury" or something. We stayed the entire game, which probably made the people in line irritated. But it was a lot of fun, and apparently it's the happening spot.

All for now...

Random Thoughts, week of 9/18

Ok...sorry about the previous post. Thanks for the encouraging "just wear them comments". I thought I everyone freaked out about expensive clothes, but I guess not!

Anyway....for a quick morning post of my weekly random thoughts...
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I don't know if any of you noticed the comments on my recent post about adding links. I added a link called http://fridayplaydate.blogspot.com/ . This is a blog I ran across several months ago, and have been a faithful reader of ever since. She is hilarious, and what makes it all the more interesting is that she lives in OKC.

Anyway, after I linked her blog, she commented on my site! It was so random, and it was like a little piece of blog celebrity. She probably does not read my blog, because it's not nearly as interesting and witty as hers, but she at least found it. Like I said--this little blog world is very small.
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Did any of you ever intern while in college? I had three internships, which were all interesting and fun. But not the least bit glamorous. I've almost decided now that having interns at our office is more trouble than it's worth. I've had several over the years quit two weeks into it because it's not glamorous of fun or exciting. So, instead of worrying about how they can help us out and learn a little something, I'm worrying if I give them too much administrative work (copies, filing, etc.). Because apparently, they're all too good for that now.
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Anybody watch Grey's Anatomy last night? So good. It is the best show on TV, I really think. Better than Lost, really. And I have to say if I had to pick (which I don't, since I have DVR) between Grey's and CSI I would pick Grey's. That's big for me.
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Saw one of the worst movies ever on Wednesday night. Thanks to my sister for suggesting it! Anyway, it now ranks in my top five worst movies ever. Do not even think about wasting your time on "Wicker Man". It's terrible. Nicolas Cage should have been my first clue, because he's terrible in everything he does.

For kicks I will give you the top 5 worst movies ever (this does not include the countless awful horror films I've seen over the years. These are movies that were supposed to be good):
5.) Bridget Jones Diary
4.) Wicker Man
3.) Gigli
2.) Sideways
1.) Dr. T and the Women
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That's it for me. Hope you have a great weekend!

Buyers Remorse...or not

So remember a few weeks ago when I posted about the perfect jeans?

Well, I found them last night. And I bought them. And I've left the tags on because I spent more money than I can imagine spending on jeans. Well, let's be honest--more money than I can imagine spending on any article of clothing, except maybe a wedding dress.

So, I'm thinking I might take them back. I'm breaking out into hives just thinking about the price.

Here's the real kicker. Girls will understand why I bought them after I tell you this. I'm trying the jeans on, trying to find the perfect fit when the sales girl tells me: "you need a smaller size. Those are too big for you".

WHAT? Excuse me? I haven't fit into that size since middle school. Maybe. Maybe I never fit into that size. I jumped from baby to woman in a matter of days in 8th grade, so I may never have fit into that size.

So, who am I to argue....I try them on. And they not only fit, they fit like they were made for me and me alone. Like the Gap came to my house and custom tailored the denim. They were perfect. And the size on the label made me want to cry. Mostly because I know they must just run big, I', not actually that size but that is beside the point.

So my question is: Is it worth it to buy a pair of jeans that cost an exorbitant amount of money, that fit you perfectly, when your old perfect jeans just bit the dust?

I'll leave the labels on for a little longer while I ponder.

The Girls of The OKC Office

Here are the awesome girls I work with at our big party in Dallas....me, Jeanna, Lisa, and Jana. We have a great, albeit small, team!

Technology

I had the best day today.....I got a new computer at work and my friendly IT guys let me put itunes on the new computer and got my iPod working again!!! AAHHH! I have been going crazy trying to do real work and not get consumed with updating my songs, calendars, and contacts.

This is a great day. I told the guys in IT my health will greatly improve since I can go back to the gym now, so I won't be costing the agency money with sick days and high health insurance costs. See, it all pays off in the end.

Anyway, just had to share with you that I am a very happy person right now.

Seriously...

Can someone tell me how he touched the ball before the Oregon player did? Go-Go Gadget arms maybe?

Boomer Sooner...From John!

Stupid tree huggin' Liberals. Oregon knows they really didn't win. Pac-10 officals did everything but walk the football into the endzone and call a touchdown for Oregon...If you think i'm wrong...I dare you to look at the replay, and call me on it.

A few more favorite things...

I have a new favorite thing: breakfast with John.

Recently, John and I have gone to breakfast before work together. Nothing fancy like IHOP (haha) just a little trip to Daylight Donuts, where we spend at least $3.00 so we can pay with a debit card. Then we sit and chat and head to work together. I know it's simple and doesn't seem like a big deal--but it's an awfully nice way to start our day! Plus, it gives me great pleasure to wake John up extra early to eat with me!

I am headed to Tulsa this weekend. For the whole weekend. Yes, we'll be working from about 5:30 a.m. tomorrow until about 10pm on Sunday. Sigh....I've been dreading this weekend for a while. Now I just have to muddle through, make it a great event and then come home and sleep!

Congratulations to John's parents, who announced last night they are officially debt-free. And I mean, debt-free--no car payments AND they made their last house payment!! They were kind enough to celebrate with the whole family last night by taking us out for steak and French Silk Pie. I think it's awesome--they've worked hard for many years to pay those things off! Congratulations!

Have a great weekend....

Vacation Pics

Here we are at the Air and Space Museum...












In front of one of the awesome planes at Air and Space....I hate John's camera. Everything is fuzzy!









Here we are at the Nationals-Cardinals game with my grandparents. They were happy because the Nationals ended up winning! But I think there were more Cardinals fans in the stadium, so we were happy!











Here we are in front of RFK Stadium before the Cardinals game











Just me and George, handing out at one of the awesome art museums we went to....by the way, that painting is like 200 years old...
















John hanging out with his good friend, Vincent. Van Gogh, that is.






















Here;s me in front of one of my all-time favrotie paintings. I used to have this Monet print on my wall all through high school and college. I was so excited to see the real thing. Forgive my hair--it was raining outside.











Here we are at one of the only outside stops we made. It was pouring down rain all day. That's me in the yellow rain slicker, that's John in the Oklahoma shirt. If you look real closely, you can see the word "tourists" stamped on our damp foreheads.

Party in Dallas

I have another goal in life--to take more pictures. But I left the camera in the car on Saturday, so I don't have any pics of the night's events! But I'm slowly getting a few sent from my colleagues. Here are the first of several photos from Saturday night. That's me with John, then my friend Vicky that works in the Dallas office. Yes, I'm wearing glasses--but there were over 800 people at the party, with nametags and I couldn't see a thing! So I stuck them on. Not very "black tie chic" as the dresscode suggested, but at least I could see!

It was an amazing event. We had a lot of fun, even for a "company event". The owner of our company wears white all the time. So, since he was in all white, as usual, the rest of us wore all black. That was the best part--seeing everyone in all black and looking very chic.

The party was mostly a "roast" of the owner. And there was quite an agenda of roasters, by the way. Including the President of Texas Rangers baseball and COO of our major restaurant client. It was pretty funny all around. Lots of "Elvis called and wants his suit back" jokes and lots of jokes about the owner's long, gray ponytail. Quite a party, and I'm pretty sure by the time it was over and the band was playing everyone was having a good time. By then, the free drinks had been coming for 5 hours and if you know advertising people then you know they don't pass on free drinks. This was really the perfect time to pass on free drinks, from my standpoint, because that way I could make mental notes of all the funny stuff everyone was doing!

Anyway, that was ourevening. Free trip to Dallas, free night in a REALLY nice hotel, and fun with friends from across the country, who have always just been voices and e-mail addresses. We should have this kind of party every year!

The Perfect Jeans

One of my goals in life was to work at a place where I didn't have to dress up all the time. Nice to know I have reached my goal at age 25. I can wear sweatpants to work if I want, as long as we don't have client meetings. So there are many days I am in jeans. Which brings me to my next goal in life: to find the perfect jeans.

My favorite pair of jeans has bit the dust. Almost. I'm still wearing them, but the denim is becoming very thin, and losing it's color. It's only a matter of time before they finally become holey jeans, though because they were so wonderful they have been Holy jeans for a long time. I've worshipped them as the perfect fit in jeans--I have not found another pair that have been so perfect.

I thought I found the perfect pair this weekend at the Gap Outlet, even. But, they are perfect in every way except length. I've decided they are a little too short for me. My ankles are cold. So, the search continues. One of these days...anybody know where to find perfect jeans that are affordable for short, skinny, big-butt people? Let me know...

Since I am not exciting enough to warrant an entire blog, I'll enlighten you with some very random thoughts...

I promise I'll post pictures as soon as I can from vacation....they're ready, it's just that John's computer isn't cooperating. We really need a new home computer! 8 weeks and counting without the iPod.
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So....how about the Crocodile Hunter? We were a little out of it (no cable or internet for vacation), so I just heard last night. How weird is it that he died. But I guess if you think about it, he probably wouldn't have wanted to go any other way. Weird.
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I never mentioned the party I went to a few weeks ago. A friend of mine held a Homemade Gourmet party at her house...except it wasn't a normal "let me show you the stuff and demonstrate it and then you buy it" kind of home show. It was a meal-making party! It was so neat--you brought your own meat and a couple of bucks and then they had everything else there for you to season and prepare the meat. So, you basically went home with 5 (in my case 10 because there's only 2 of us) meals, all ready to prepare PLUS the recipes. Can't beat that. It was a nice change to the normal home shows I usually get invited to.

Maybe I'll have one at my house one day. I'm still trying to recover from the Pampered Chef party I hosted a few months ago.....it was great, but a lot of people! If you're interested in having a Meal Making party for your friends, let me know and I'll get you in contact with a great hostess!
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I'm headed to Tulsa tonight with a few girlfriends. All girls, all weekend, no kids! I know they will enjoy the rest and girl time, so I'm excited for them. And excited to get away with friends for a while.

While the rest of them are shopping all day Saturday, I will be headed south to Dallas. It's going to be great...the agency's 25th Anniversary Party! All the employees from across the U.S. will be there, and we're going to have a huge dinner and a "roast" of the owner. I'll get to spend time with some of my friends in other cities, and introduce John to the party that is my place of work! One thing is for sure--everyone there knows how to party! I'll update you after the big event...
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Guess what? Season premieres begin next week!!! Actually, one of my shows started this week, so I'm already on the bandwagon. My DVR is hungry to begin recording. I love this time of year!
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I am trying to figure out how chocolate can be beneficial to your health, since I eat it all the time. Would milk chocolate be considered a source of calcium? Even a small source of calcium? I'm dead serious...
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John's birthday was yesterday. His very first 29th birthday. From here on, every time he "turns 29" know that he's lying!

Vacation Recap--I could write so much more...

Well, we are back. What a great vacation we had. Lots of relaxing, lots of great food, lots of family time. Not to mention the cool weather--I wore a jacket the whole weekend!

Saturday we spent a lot of time at The Mall, where we stopped by the U.S. Capitol building. We then went to the National Gallery of Art, which was awesome. We're not really "art" people, but this was incredible. Then we made our way over to the National Archives, where we saw the original Declaration of Independence and Constituition, and many other things. Then, it was off the the National Portraiture Museum, where we saw very famous paintings of former presidents. We finished up the day with a quick trip (not nearly enough time) through the Holocaust Museum. We made it back just in time for dinner, and a little OU football game. Luckily, the game was broadcast on TBS so it was national and we caught the whole thing. Of course I wasn't entirely pleased with the performance, but I'm also very excited about the potential of the team and how far we can go...I think OU will be great this year!

Sunday, John and I hopped in the car and headed an hour and a half North to Gettysburg, PA. Since we'd never been, and we're not Civil War buffs, we didn't even know where to start. Well, they have a solution for just that problem--for only $45 (seriously, very reasonable) you can reserve your very own, personal tour guide. He takes you on a 2-3 hour tour of the town, drives your car for you, points out all the little details, gives you a history, and tells lots of great stories. It was the best way to go, and if you're headed up there sometime I would recommend you get your own personal tour guide. WOW! Our guy was great.

It had rained for a good portion of the day on Friday-Sunday. However, Monday morning it was sunny, clear, and a cool 70 degrees outside! So, we headed over to the Nationals--Cardinals baseball game at RFK Stadium. It was quite a game, even though the Cardinals lost. We saw lots of things that you only hear about in baseball--a bat split on impact with the ball, the umpire called a 'balk', and it was a pitching fan's dream kind of game. My grandparents went with us, so that was really nice. It was their first time to a Nationals game, so I think they had fun!

Tuesday my grandparents went with us to the Dulles Airport, where they have a second Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. John was in hog heaven--planes and space shuttles and all kinds of aeronautical history. It is a very impressive facility.

To top it all off, we spent each night at dinner with my grandparents and even my uncle, aunt, and cousin. And my grandma made her famous chocolate cake so you know it was worth the trip for me. Chocolate cake every night! My grandparents were very generous. They have lots of space at their office apartment, so they let us stay there and even let us use one of their cars for the week!

Yes, John and I are dorks....we like to travel to museums rather than beaches. But it was so much fun and we got some much-deserved rest!

It's 60 degrees and I'm wearing a jacket in September!

Well, we have arrived safely in Alexandria, which is where my grandparents live and about 10 minutes outside Washington D.C. We've had a great day today--scenic tours, a little rest, and great conversation with the family. We're a little wet, a little chilly but the rain is almost like a tourist attraction to us since we haven't really seen in it Oklahoma in about 10 years. And guess what--it's 60 degrees outside! HA to all of you!

John and I have a great time people watching. We really should begin a blog just about the kinds of things we run across, and we're not as good as John's sister, Renee about taking pictures to document our stories. But I'll do my best to paint a few pictures in your mind.

Starts out at the airport at 5:00 this morning. We had to wait for a little while to check in because, guess what, the security guards don't like you to bring a half gallon of Listerne on board. So, we wait patiently behind the man with minty fresh breath to dig out his stash and surrender it before he heads through security.

Then, we get to the metal detector and everything is moving quite smoothly. But alas, they saw an Anderson coming and decided to make us work for the coffee and cinnamon roll waiting for us in the terminal. Enter a young teenage girl, obviously not functioning well at the early hour. She takes off her jewelry, her change out of her pockets, and yet the metal detector keeps going off. They allow her to try to walk through THREE times before I finally spoke up to say “hey, it might be the ‘Baby Phat’ metal branding plate on her butt that’s setting it off”…she moved on to special security. Follow her friend, who sets off the metal detector TWICE before she realizes it might be the fanny pack she is still wearing.

We make it through the metal detector with no problem.

Add in the GIANT man that sat next to me on the plane (I’m sorry—sat on me, since he was basically taking up half my seat—I should have charged him half my ticket) and you know what kind of morning we had. We did run into some old friends at the airport, so that was a highlight—never know who will be flying out at 5:00 in the morning.

There are several other stories I could share, but I’m so tired. We did bring the digital camera so for once I might have more than just my rambling thoughts to share—I’ll have pictures! We’re headed to The Mall (not shopping mall, the actual Mall in D.C.) tomorrow for the day, then chilling at my grandparents for Sooner kickoff!

Sunday we’re headed for a daytrip to nearby Gettysburg…I’ve never been so I’m really looking forward to it.

Hey, did I mention it’s 60 degrees outside?

FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BOOMER SOONER!

TEXAS SUCKS!

I'll show you mine, you show me yours

This little blogging world is quite a phenomenon. I must say, I have met so many people through the blog. I've learned so much about people through the blog. I know a lot about people I've never even met! I added a few new blogs to my links today (finally remembered how to do it). Warning: I don't know everyone that's on there. Ok, So there's two people I don't actually know, but one of them goes to my church so they must be nice, right?! Some people I know of, have chatted with, but don't know very well. But, these are all blogs I enjoy and for the most part know people on them!

I will also warn you that I read many more blogs than just those listed (I know, seems like a colossal waste of time but refer to my post about MySpace....it's part of my job HA!). However, I won't list all of them because I don't want to offend someone who thinks "I don't even know this person and they have me linked". But, who knows....if you're reading mine I'm probably reading yours and you may end up in my links at some point! Especially if you happen to mention to me you read my blog, or post in the comments section--then I know it's ok to link you!

Love the blogging thing....seriously!
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By the way, My friend Sara has started a new business and I thought you all might like to see it. Check it out online at http://www.photocardcafe.com/. If you want, put a link to this website on your blog if you have one. It would really help her out!

Very cool stuff, Sara! I know where I'm getting my Christmas cards this year!

Watch those school zones

Make sure and watch out for those school zones....and I mean watch out. Just try going 3 miles over the speedlimit and watch how fast the cops pull you over and slap a $200 ticket on you.

That's right, don't even attempt 28 miles an hour.

Trust us....we know.

Random Thoughts

I have recently discovered MySpace. I mean, I've known about it for a while....but I discovered it just recently. The first day I really logged on, registered myself, and began searching for people I knew....I wasted 3 and a half hours. That is insane. I didn't even know it...it got dark outside while I surfed.

My thought....who needs a high school reunion when you have MySpace? Everyone from high school is on there!

And I will say...my boss told us to get a MySpace. Yes, we had a whole conference call about it (it is the new era of advertising after all), and he challenged us all to get a MySpace and invite him as a friend....so, when the owner of the company tells you to do something you do it, right?! ;)
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I had a doctor's appointment yesterday. I told her that my joints have been very stiff and achy lately, more than usual. John thinks it's because I wear flip flops. But tennis shoes aren't comfy either because they make my feet swell. So what did the doctor tell me?

To get Crocs. I hate Crocs. I think they are so ugly.

So I bought a pair of brown ones tonight. I guess any excuse for shoe shopping is a good excuse, right?
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There are only 11 days until kick-off at Owen Field. Hurrah!!!!!! On Soonersports.com you can find the promotional game videos from the last four years. Nothing gets you more pumped than watching those.

I think we're going to do great this year. Just when people begin to doubt is when we perform our best. Paul Thompson is leading a great team and I have a lot of faith in him. Boomer Sooner, Baby!

And seriously, it doesn't matter what "title" Texas is "defending". They still suck and they will suck even more this year without their star sissyboy Vince Young. I hate Texas....I love football. That's all I have to say about that.
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I have not been to the gym in over a month. Why? Because my iPod doesn't work. I'm going on 6 weeks now without a functioning iPod and I think it might kill me. My work computer malfunctioned, apparently, and made my iPod erase all of my songs. And now, I can't even get them back because I don't have admin privileges on that computer to download new iTunes software. So, I have to wait until we get a new computer at home.

I mean, I can't work out without good music!

So, I guess my workout will have to wait until John tells me we can afford a new computer. That's right, people, my health and physical fitness will just have to wait. Sigh....not sure how much longer I can wait. Hint, hint Honey!
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Those are my random thoughts for the day. Like I said, 11 days until kickoff. Only 10 days until we go on vacation!

The Weekend

I'll try not to talk too much more about Max. I'm sure you all are ready for fun Jessica to come back and talk about her boring life!

This weekend was so very hard. I still have no doubt that I made the right decision, but the right decision is not always the easy decision. And it doesn't erase the emptiness and the guilt and the sadness you feel. I can't help it....it's one of those things that only time and God can make better. I've had several good cries this weekend, and it's helped relieve some of that emotion.

John's been wonderful--canceling golf and other plans to make sure he's home with me. One thing is that I'm not comfortable being home by myself yet...it just makes my mind go crazy with sadness and I keep hearing things and thinking it's Max. So, John's been wonderful about staying with me, letting me cry, letting me say silly things just to get them out....even though he doesn't understand all my feelings, he's been very supportive.

My friends and family have been wonderful, too. My mom and sister have both spent time with me and offered more words of encouragement and comfort than anyone could imagine. I have several friends who dropped everything this weekend to have "cheer-up" get togethers with me and made sure I stayed busy rather than crying at home (thanks Liz, Brooke, Melissa), several friends that called and e-mailed (thanks Laura, Audrey, and Ann). My mother-in-law Nina has said some wonderful things and made me feel much better. It's all been so great to have everyone do that--especially over "just a cat" (although we all know it's always more than just a cat).

I miss Max so much....but it will get better. John keeps telling me with time the sadness and the thoughts over what happened at the vet will be gone and I will only remember happy things. I hope so. Max taught me a lot, and I think he knows he was loved. That's not a bad life, right? I did my best to give him the best....not a bad way to go. Plenty of food, warm blankets, hugs and kisses, lots of love, and someone to miss you when you're gone. We should all be so lucky.

Here's to Max...

Some of Max's favorite things...

A few of Max's favorite things to do....sleep in John's chair. Sleep in dark places like underneath tables. Stare out the front door at all the life going on outside. And lay on the arm of the couch, shedding everywhere! He also loves sleeping in his kitty bed, eating, and sleeping right next to me at night. He really likes to sleep....a boy after my own heart!

It's these little things I will miss most. I've enjoyed this week, just watching him and petting him and noticing those little things he does each day that make him the cat he is. It's been a good week with him and I'm so glad I've had it.

Please keep us in your thoughts tomorrow...

Max

Well, I've had a pretty rough day today. There have been several events recently that have led me to make a very difficult decision--probably the hardest I've had to make in a very long time.

I am a cat person. An animal lover in general, but a true fondness for cats. Almost 5 years ago I had a fish that died, so I headed to Petsmart to get a new one. While there, I spotted "Zeus", a giant orange cat that looked exactly like the cat I'd had for the first 16 years of my life. And something in me melted. Without even thinking about it, I adopted Zeus and brought him home. What a surprise to my rommate, Laura, who was on a cruise in the Virgin Islands. She came home and there was this giant long-haired cat. I was so taken by this cat I didn't even ask her thoughts on it....and she's allergic to cats!

So here I am with this fluffy kitty I renamed Max. And I tried, and I tried, and I tried to make him the lap cat I'd hoped he'd be. I made excuse after excuse for his anti-social tendencies. And he warmed up to me, he really did....but he never warmed up to anyone else.

I have stuck with Max for almost five years now. And I don't want to go into a lot of details (you all probably know how he is). But I made the final decision today that there is nothing more that I can do to make his life happy and easy. He is in a consistent state of fear and anxiety. Something very bad must have happened to him when he was small, because he is scared (truly terrified) of the human touch. And it's not getting better or easier with age--he's getting worse.

On Friday John and I will take Max to the vet to end his suffering. I am convinced that he is sick. Maybe not physically sick or suffering from a painful disease, but he is mentally sick and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. In other situations, the humane thing would be to put him to sleep and I think that's the humane thing for mental suffering as well.

We spoke with the vet at length today, and there was no hesitation that this was the right decision. Some people have even told me I am brave for making this decision. At some point, you have to let go and realize what's best for everyone. I feel so very guilty for wanting to give up the fight. But my guilt is no reason to prolong Max's suffering.

So I will do my best to treasure the moments I have with him this week. No one has ever had moments with Max like I have....I'm the only one who has ever woken up at 3 in the morning with a 20-pound purring furball on my head or my chest! But those are the times I love him the most and I consider him a blessing. I really do love him.

Please keep me in your thoughts this week as we prepare our family to be a little smaller. It may sound cheesy, but in our house animals are part of the family and we love them terribly. Letting one go is no easy task.

Introducing Big Red Sports and Imports Employee of the Month, Rhett Bomar

Don't you just love pre-season football? The excitement of new recruits arriving on campus, the buzz at conference media days, the early trash talk that begins among friends, the starting quarterbacks getting kicked off the team...

Geez....what a few days it's been in Soonerland. Rhett Bomar, I have maintained for a long time, is a freaking idiot and I'm glad he's gone. I'm not all that worried about it....seriously if we were headed for a National Championship I don't think Bomar was the one leading us there. Better now with a few WEEKS to prepare than in the middle of the season, right?

Boomer Sooner!

We're headed to Missouri this weekend for my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. Wow--60 years! That's amazing, especially if you know my grandpa! My grandma is quite a woman.

It's been a pretty slow week on the homefront. I have stayed home most evenings and tried to finish my book club book. It was my choice this time, and I couldn't put it down. So I finished it last night, thus having more time to blog now that I'm done! The book is "Keeping Faith" by Jodi Piccoult if you need a good read. Not mind-blowing, just entertaining.

Will update when we get back!

Faith with Firefly eyes....

Baby, One More Time

I have a confession. And it's probably not a huge shock to most of my close family and friends. But nonetheless, I will make the confession. I love bubblegum pop, and I'm pretty sad that the era of late nineties pop is over. "Genie in a Bottle", "Oops I Did it Again", "Bye, Bye, Bye" and "I Want it That Way"....I mean, you can't get better than that, can you? I spent my high school and college years with my girlfriends (none of whom would probably fess up to it now) obsessing over Boy Bands and the Britney-Justin relationship. I own every album of Britney Spears, N'Sync, 98 degrees, and Backstreet Boys. And every now and then, on a long trip to Tulsa by myself, I'll stick the weathered CDs in my car, blast it loud and proceed to sing every word to every track.

It's one of the great guilty pleasures of my life.

So imagine my shock and awe at this week's revelation that Lance Bass of N'Sync is gay. I'm sure all you Classic Rock fans and other music snobs out there would say "how did you not see that coming?". I remain confident in my teenage obsession, and tell you I had no idea. Lance wasn't my favorite N'Sync member (he was more on the level of Howie from Backstreet Boys....you know, #5 out of 5) but I still saw him as the definition of what every girl wanted. As I told my fellow lover of boy bands, Brooke--it's the end of an era.

Did you know N'Sync is still listed as "on hiatus" and not broken up? I don't think there is much hope of a reunion at this point.

Yes, Lance is gay. Britney keeps popping out babies. Christina is dirrrrty. Justin is Houseboy to Cameron Diaz. Jessica Simpson is living happily ever after with her dad (gross, by the way). Boy--we've all grown up, haven't we.

I will now get back to work, and wait for the phone call from John when he reads this and calls to tell me that my public revelation has officially embarrassed him beyond comprehension.

Hotter than....well, you know....

Most of you know I travel quite a bit for work. This past week was no exception. I traveled extensively for 5 days, covering a wide range of cities. Yes, I experienced 5 cities in 5 days and the jet lag this weekend is tremendous.

Where did I go, you might ask? Well, Monday began with a trip to the bustling metropolis of Woodward, Oklahoma. I know--you're jealous. I can feel it. It takes several hours and many boring miles to get there but quite worth it. Woodward was followed by Weatherford, then Purcell, then Chickasha, then finally El Reno. Our client was the sponsor of Channel 5's "On the Road" tour. Basically, each town hosts the entire news team from Channel 5 to do their 5 and 6 pm broadcast, as well as host a giant town party. We gather on Main Street in each town to give away food and meet the residents. We were so fortunate that this past week just happened to be the hottest week in Oklahoma history. That's right--I got to visit 5 new places AND experience what can only be described as the surface of hell.

It was so hot, I can't even describe it.

Anyway, it was a good week. No, you wouldn't find me on any of the broadcasts. My job is to remain behind the scenes and put others in front of the camera and I had to try very hard to accomplish that goal last week. But I don't think I was in one single camera shot--yay!

I also had to travel to Tulsa for work on Saturday. Needless to say, by the time Sunday rolled around I was exhausted from heat and car rides and smiling until my cheeks hurt. We didn't even make it to church Sunday morning because all I wanted to do was sleep!

However, we had many birthday celebrations this weekend. Happy birthday to Mother-in-law of the year Nina Anderson, and our good friend Derek Adcox. We had a blast celebrating their birthdays over the weekend (separate occasions, of course!).

I cut my hair off yesterday. It was SO cute when Stevie fixed it at the salon, but it's not so cute today after my morning attempts. Hopefully it will be cuter in the next few days. I was trying to grow it out, but I think we can all agree that look wasn't working for me! You know when your husband asks you to cut your hair it must be pretty bad...

Not much else going on here. I'm happy to entertain you all with stories from last week, but just ask me so I don't bore everyone else on the blog. Have a great week!

Lovers Lane

I have just a few thoughts to share on Theatre Etiquette.

1) Arrive on time to the show
2) If your seats are movable, do not move them without checking with the person behind you
3) Do not talk during the musical numbers
4) A theatre is not a massage parlor in Saigon--no rub downs are necessary during the show
5) Your love for your girlfriend can be expressed in many ways--none of which are appropriate for Lyric Theatre

We had the most outrageous experience last night at Lyric. We have season tickets to the summer season, and our seats are box seats. We sit in the higher chairs in the box, and there is a row in front of us. We had a great view of the stage last night, especially because there were two empty seats. Of course, about 20 minutes into the show, in walks Casanova (who was all of about 18 years old) with his girlfriend and proceeds to rearrange their seats so that they can touch each other as much as possible. I'm talking back rub, kissing, talking and my biggest pet peeve...HE WAS RUNNING HIS FINGERS THROUGH HER HAIR!!! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGG. Now while he is doing this to her, she has decided to slip out of her flip flops and proceeds to put her feet up on the hand rail and get real comfy while leaning back and talking to him. (BTW, no they did not look back or give the courtsey "am I in your way" gesture to any of us). John, about 5 minutes into this was ready to throw both of them over the balcony and create a little subplot to Fiddler on the Roof.

I am not even exaggerating when I tell you I felt I needed a shower afterwards. They were disgusting and would not lay off each other. Not to mention they were oblivious to the other people who had paid $50 to see "Fiddler on the Roof" (that's right--family friendly musical y'all, not "Basic Instinct 2"). The highlight of the evening was when my father-in-law, Arni, got up and asked the usher to remove the lovebirds--and he did! They left and didn't come back, which was nice but I'd already missed half the show because I was so distracted and angry.

Gross. I'm still gagging just thinking about it.

But the show was wonderful. I'd never seen "Fiddler" before, but it was a very nice show. The music was beautiful! It's fun to escape to a little culture now and then....a little break from "Laguna Beach" and "Reno 911".

No More Tears Formula...Could Johnson and Johnson create an anti-depressant?

So I can't even begin to give a recap of all that's gone on in the past few weeks. Vacation, Fourth of July, emotional and nervous breakdowns....It's really just the usual.

My mom will be rolling on the floor laughing after I make this oh-so-subtle statement, but here it is: I don't like to make decisions. This must be true, because my Grandma even said so and you know Grandma's only notice the good in you. However, it's true...whether it's where to eat dinner or what cat food to buy or what I should do with my life. I have rarely ventured over to the dark side (i.e. anxiety attacks) at the prospect of major decision making as some of my friends have. But nonetheless, I don't like to be put in that position. Which I was...just this past weekend. And it all broke loose yesterday with a ridicously anti-climactic emotional breakdown in front of my boss on a day that was supposed to be "fun day" in Dallas.

And to top it off....my iPod has malfunctioned and has completely erased itself. I have lost the thousands of songs I spent hours downloading and organizing into darn good playlists.

I won't bore you with the details, plus it's not really that important anymore. The final decision has been made and there's no going back and I don't want to go back. I'm so very happy with my place in life right now. The confidence that my company has in me and the trust they have put in me is amazing. My family is wonderful. My husband is amazing. My cats are cuddly, my friends are generous, my home is cozy, my car is awesome, and there seems to be plenty of chocolate to satisfy my constant cravings. Why I would want to mess with that I don't know. Sum it up to say I have officially been "announced" at work in my new position, and I've been assured of my long-term status in the company. It's going to be great.

Just don't ask me to make any major decisions in the next little bit. I might be reduced to tears if I have to decide between TGI Friday's and Freddy's Frozen Custard (2nd street in Edmond--go there...cheap tasty food and awesome custard).

Also--I didn't ever say much about our anniversary that happened on June 21st. It's been 3 years since we married. Funny...that was a really big day of decisions and I had an emotional breakdown the whole drive to our honeymoon. John should have just stopped at the Red River line and kicked me out of the car....I cannot be worth it!

Anyway, it's been three years and such a learning experience. But it doesn't matter how mad I get or how big the pile of laundry next to the hamper or how many times he doesn't take the trash out. In the wise words of John Michael Montgomery...

You are my best friend
You are where my heart is
And I know at the day's end
I get to come home to you

There are few things in life that make me feel as elated as that drive home at night, knowing John's there.

Only 47 more years until people buy us cool stuff for our golden anniversary! Can we still register at Target in 2053?

Trying a little black and white photography...the view from our hotel room!

Busch Stadium....Final score--Cardinals Lost!

Me and Mom














Me and my sister, Julia...not a great picture but here it is anyway!

Chihuly Exhibit at the St. Louis Botanical Gardens

Me and Julia

Me and Julia

Quick Recap

Well, for a brief moment in time I am sitting at my desk. I've been away from the office since last Monday. I had over 200 e-mails come in while I was gone. You can imagine my stress level as I tried to answer them all today! I finally just decided it's going to take a while and I gave myself a few days to accomplish that. To top it off, I'll be in Dallas all day tomorrow so, alas, no time to answer any more e-mails until Monday! :)

I had a great vacation! I took pictures with my regular, fabulous 35-mm camera instead of digital, so it will be a few days until I have those on CD's to post pictures of. But I'll get there. Guess I should start from the beginning...some awesome things have happened!

I will share more when I am allowed to (still hush-hush at this point) but I have been given an awesome opportunity with my job. I wasn't even expecting it, but it's big. And with that comes a lot of awesome benefits as far as experience, responsibilities, exposure, and even salary. I can't wait to tell more....for now just know that I'm pretty excited about my job, and thankful for all the frustrations I've put up with at work because it's paid off big time!

I am just a regional jet setter lately. Last week I went to Dallas, Austin, Springfield and St. Louis! I don't know how I kept track of where all I was, but it was fun. I spent Friday through yesterday (Wednesday) with my mom, aunt and sister on vacation. Part of the time we visited with my grandparents in Springfield, then we headed up to St. Louis for a few days. In addition to the ample amounts of shopping we did (haven't checked my account for how much damage I really did...good thing I haven't taken Financial Peace University yet!!!!), we experienced a lot of St. Louis culture.

In St Louis, they have this beautiful park in the middle of the city that has a science center, art museum, planetarium, and a giant amitheatre they call "The Muny". We have seen several shows at the Muny over the years, and they are fantastic. This year we saw "Aida", which is a beautiful musical by Elton John and Tim Rice. And the weather was perfect--jacket weather on a June evening, can you believe it?!

We also got to visit the St. Louis Botanical Gardens. They are having a special exhbit there of Chihuly pieces. If you've seen the huge yellow glass chandelier/art sculpture at the Oklahoma City Art Museum--that is by Chihuly. There were these beautiful brightly-colored glass sculptures all over the gardens, and it was so much fun to visit.

And, of course, we went to a Cardinals game. First one I've been to in person where the Cardinals lost. It was neat to go this year, because it is the inaugural season in their new Busch Stadium. It's an awesome stadium, and I'm still a Cardinals fan even though that was their 8th loss in a row!

Like I said, we did a lot of shopping, and a lot of eating. It was nice to get away with the family (though I really missed John!) and to forget about the real world for a while. I'll post pictures soon!

The Love of My Late Night TV Life

I love Stephen Colbert. It's true. If you don't know who he is, check out Comedy Central (ch. 56 in OKC) on weeknights at 10:30 p.m. for his TV show, "The Colbert Report". You must appreciate satire, appreciate sarcasm, and appreciate politics to really understand it. Sometimes I have to ask, "is he really conservative, right-winged, or is he making fun of them?"

The answer is--both. Just as John Stewart does as a left-wing, liberal in "The Daily Show" right before Colbert at 10:00 p.m. I love that show, too.

Stephen Colbert recently gave the commencement speech at Knox College. My favorite quote from the speech:

"I have two last pieces of advice. First, being pre-approved for a credit card does not mean you have to apply for it. And lastly, the best career advice I can give you is to get your own TV show. It pays well, the hours are good, and you are famous. And eventually some very nice people will give you a doctorate in fine arts for doing jack squat."

If you'd like to read the whole speech (which might not make a lot of sense unless you've seen Stephen, know his voice, and his mannerisms), check it out at:

http://www.knox.edu/x12547.xml

And P.S.--I don't know how they do it, but the staff over at "The Daily Show" find the absolute funniest clips of President Bush. I'm not saying I agree with the way they spin them, but it's laugh-out-loud funny most of the time!

If you can't stand the heat...

I had such a fun day yesterday. We went to Tulsa to assist with a client manager rally. The client was providing the afternoon snack (go figure!) for all 500 managers, and we ended up getting to help prepare the food! We went to pick it up for delivery, the store was running behind, so we stepped in and helped prepare.

Now, I know this doesn't make a lot of sense to people. But I love it when we get to work in the kitchen. I'm sure if I had to do it everyday I would get tired of it, just like with any job. But it is a lot of fun to be back there preparing the food. There are so many things going on, and everything is so fast paced. This was only the fourth time I've actually prepared food, and every time I love it! I've made burritos, quarter-pounders, fries, and double cheeseburgers. Actually, I'm really terrible at the fry station. It's very hot and you have to be very fast....it's a good training ground for eye-hand coordination!

I guess I should have prefaced all of this with reminding people about what I do. I work for an advertising agency, and we handle a major restaurant franchise in Oklahoma. So, I'm working daily with around 175 restaurants. Getting into the store, meeting the managers, learning how all the items are prepared--it's so fun. After all, I wouldn't have a job if this restaurant didn't sell hamburgers, so it's a good thing for me to learn about! Back to basics, I guess.

Is anyone else having issues with allergies and sinuses? I've had a HORRIBLE sinus headache for the last two days. I felt terrible last night.

I have a new gym buddy. Robin has been taking several classes with me, and meeting me to work out for a few weeks now. I tortured her with the Circuit class, and she has now repaid the favor. We have been taking spinning (cycling) classes. OMG--I feel like my legs are on fire. I don't know how those people do it. They stand, climb, simulate jumps, and they don't stop pedaling for 45 minutes straight! Seriously, what is wrong with them?

We're going again tonight....we'll see how long I last. My record is 20 minutes!

This Saturday, I got sucked into having a Pampered Chef party at my house. Although, I did pick some fun, tasty and easy items that she's going to make so at least the food will be good! If you'd like to come, it's Saturday at 3:00. Kids welcome because there will be ice cream!

It may be a while between posts for the next few weeks. Starting tomorrow, I'm pretty much out of the office until July 3rd. Lots of exciting things--vacation to St. Louis, business trips to Dallas (twice) and Austin, and then a little thing in the middle of that called our anniversary! I'll blog more about that as it gets closer. Have a great week.

Jason Knapp, DDS

We went to Norman this weekend to see our friend, Jason, graduate from dental school. Jason and Kristen are great friends, but more importantly he has been John's dentist for the past year. John's kind of been his guinea pig and he's done a lot of things to make John's smile perfect. And now, all that work is legitimate! He's Dr. Knapp now. And if I could spell all the awards he received this weekend, I would list them. He received 8 awards for his awesome work. There were only about 35 people in his class, so those awards were big deals! Anyway, we are proud of him and happy for Kristen to have her husband back.

Congratulations, Jason!

Hydrangea

Isn't it beautiful! I can't believe I kept a plant alive for a whole year!

Redhawks Game

We haven't posted a picture on this blog in a long time. This is not exactly the picture I'd hoped for! I look very white....I am very white, but I look even paler in this picture. Argh! Plus, my arm looks a little squishy--I'm much buffer than I look. Especially since I joined the gym.

Anyway--John and I went to a Redhawks game last night. It was packed--about 12,000 people. And not kidding, we knew almost everyone in the park. Everytime we turned around we ran into people we knew! Then, Easton and Mason and I went to the park at the stadium and they taught me how to throw a baseball. Ok, it was a soft-sided extra large ball, but I did put a glove on for the first time. They had fun watching me try to catch the ball with the glove....

It's been a crazy week. We helped my friend Melissa move most of this week. I introduced Robin to the gym--and about got us both killed in one of the classes on Tuesday! This weekend we have a graduation to attend, then I don't plan on doing much of anything else.