One more day

We're going skiing tomorrow. Woo hoo! I haven't been in what has felt like a million years (but is closer to 3, which is a long time for me!). I'm ready. Just need to get through today!

Yoga today! I love going to Sunday morning class and then to BerryHill for lunch with any number of our friends. Many times this leads to whole afternoons lost, but what else are you going to do on an Sunday?

Today I went to Highland Park with D and Pete, who just bought a new condo - woo hoo! Joseph, a cool shoe store, was having a big sale, so I bought a pair of chocolate brown velvet Marc Jacobs flats. They are too cute! And will be even cuter when my feet are more matching! I also got this scent diffuser from West Elm. It was kind of a pain to set up, but should make the bathroom more pleasant!

I need to get geared up to cook dinner tonight. Which is why I passed up going to BerryHill on Montrose this afternoon. This should regulate Joe to come home at a decent hour, too!

I think I'm finally getting this blogging thing. It's quite fun! And since my handwriting is quite atrocious, typing is definitely more legible.

I am waiting for the fog to clear to go running this morning. I am doing a semi-long run - just one hour. I need to get into the best shape possible before I have my foot surgery so taking a couple weeks off won't be too big of a deal.

We got our new tv! It's a 42" Dell flat screen. I love it. Now if only our sofa would get here soon!

We are skiing next week at Beaver Creek, CO. I cannot wait! I haven't been in 2-3 years. We are going with Ken + Peg, Trista + Derek and Joey + Linh. Should be a great trip!

Me and my honey!

I need to go less surfing and more creating. I love making and having journals and things, but then I never use them! The making is more fun I guess. Just like I love the shopping. I've been better lately at not buying what's unnecessary, but the getting stuff is the fun part, for me.

I also need to learn how to post pictures. I need to upload my photos from my camera! And I need to learn how to format this blog.

Too much stuff to do...

I'm being lazy this morning and skipping boot camp. I just like having some time to chill before work and going means I have no time to gather my thoughts (what little ones I have!). At least we'll be going to yoga tonight!

I obsess about 2 things - scrapbooking, and handbags. I got this Marc Jacobs blouse on super sale at Neiman's and I want more of his stuff, but they are so $$$!! At Sak's they had a pink bag on sale (60% off) but it was still $300. I guess not bad for a designer bag, but I need another puse like I need a hole in my head!! Still, maybe one day....

He has a new white purse out that Jessica Simpson wears - it's beautiful and only $1295. I'm sure Joe wouldn't mind - we just can't buy any more furniture for the house :) hee hee.

I guess I'll have to wait until we win the lotto...

Ice cream is good stuff. Joe cooked pasta for dinner tonight - it was yummy. And we had our Rachael Ray almond sundae for dessert again. Love it!

Call me Rachael Ray!

I cooked a real meal for the first time in forever! It was a 30-minute recipe that took me about 45 minutes, so I can see how it really can be done in 30. We had the Vegetable Not-sagna. I also made a quick Caesar salad. For dessert we are going to make her Almond sundaes.

I actually enjoy cooking, but it takes so much planning for me. But I need to do it more....

I love this song, "Joe," by the Cranberries. For obvious reasons. I remembering listening to it when we starting dating (through the whole ex-boyfriend drama). The Cranberries have been one of my favorite bands. I think I have almost all their albums, even when they weren't that radio-friendly. Of course, the Cranberries influence was from an old ex, Nick. My musical tastes have definitely been shaped by the boys that have been in my life.

Honestly, my own musical taste developed when I was younger than 10. Pop music. Live it, love it. Rick Springfield was my first love! Then of course, Duran Duran ruled. I expect 90% of the females born in the late 60's early 70's can name you their favorite member. John Taylor is still hot as well as Simon! I even saw Madonna at Texas Stadium. But towards the end of high school until present probably 80% of my music was not independently discovered. But I'm ok with that.

My college roommate, Karen, definitely influence me. Everything but the Girl, Sade and Cocoteau Twins, to name a few. I remember first hearing CT and thinking, "What in God's name is that racket??!!??" But Heaven or Las Vegas sold me. And the noisy stuff wasn't so bad.

Now I'm listening to probably one of my favorite songs of all time - "Shake the Disease" by Depeche Mode. I think they even played it when we saw them at the Toyota Center this year. The summer between my sophomore and junior years in high school I went to Europe with my high school orchestra. An amazing trip. I bought this tape, Catching up with Depeche Mode, on a whim. Turns out, the boy I had a crush on, Chuck, loved them. What a coincidence. Nothing ever came of that crush, but my love for Depeche has remained strong. Boys may come and go, but music lasts forever!

I love having Mondays off. Too bad I only get them once every 2 weeks! Can't complain, though. A three-day weekend every other week is not a bad deal (although working 11-12 of 12 days is not fun, but nothing comes without a price!). If we won the lotto, after travelling the world (which is what both Joe and I would love to do) I think I'd just like to settle down and scrap! I don't feel like I am very creative, but scrapping helps with that. I guess it's a form of art.

I am listening to "Speechless" by School of Fish, a one-hit-wonder 90's band. The only reason I even know them is Warren, a boy I loved in college. He broke my heart, like many before and after him, but I do have fond memories of him. School of Fish and Simple Minds, "See the Lights," really remind me of him. Just a short trip down memory lane :)...

Now that we've gotten rid of everything, we have nothing. I.e. no place to sit anywhere but the new computer chair. Being minimal is good, but this is a bit ridulous LOL!!

Garage sale this morning!

We finally got rid of our old futon, table, chairs, stereo, tv, etc. etc. At the end we literally gave things away, but the living and dining rooms are now almost entirely empty. It's so nice not to have boxes of unused stuff all around. Of course our sofa is not here yet so we don't have any place to sit (well, with no tv either, I guess that's a mute point) besides our new computer chair (courtesy of crate and barrel). But that's ok.

I even bought a new striped terrycloth shower curtain and bathmat from Waterworks. Luckily they were on sale today. Even I wouldn't be able to justify a $145 bathmat!

We had dinner with Marc, Darryl, and Cindy at this new restaurant called Thai Spice. It is located right by Collina's in the Heights. The service was very very slow, but the food was pretty good, albeit spicy. The best thing is that we got to bring our own wine, so it ended up being only $15 a person. You gotta love that!

We are slowing getting the house together. Our new computer came in this week. I can't wait to get started on it, because right now I am working on a tiny monitor that hurts my eyes after a few minutes! Our new Dell (yes, Joe is definitely a PC man) is great - wireless keyboard and mouse even!

We are having our garage sale tomorrow and getting rid of all our junk. I'm ready to get the crap out of the living room and have some space! I need to call D to see if our couch is in from Italy! We have a dining room table from France, so I don't think that will be here until March...

I am taking an online creativity class. Fun little projects to do everyday. I really want to get a new notebook for it, but I just saw our Amex bill - OUCH. But then I think - what's another 3-5 bucks? I should go by the bank and get some cash....

Yoga tonight. This is the first exercise I've done since the marathon, and, boy, did I need it. I was just not feeling it at work today. But Yannis' class really works me out as well as relaxes me. That's what I like about astanga - you get a great workout, but at the end you rest too!

We may be going to Vegas in Feb - woo hoo!

American Idol is on!

We love that show!

I'm watching the Golden Globe awards. I am such a sucker for these award shows. The cynical side of me believes all this award shows are just for movie and tv people to toot their own horns. But I still love them. Joe and I started this movie watching kick last year, trying to see all the nominated films. Today's show will give me a good list to go off of!

Been away for a few days. Ting came to visit for the weekend. The pretense was the marathon, but she also came to hang out. She landed on Thursday evening and after I picked her up from the airport, she, Joe and I went to Niko Niko's for dinner. The gyros there are amazing! We spent the rest of the evening chatting and catching up. Needless to say, Joe escaped by meeting Johnny for a drink!

I took Friday off, so we spent the day looking for a new bathroom set for the house. We went to restoration hardware, pottery barn, linens and things, neimans and saks and didn't find ANYTHING that I really liked. But I did get some stuff from Banana, Victoria's Secret, Lucy and Neimans (a Marc Jacobs shirt I tried on at Saks but felt was too big. I was still thinking about it when I saw it at Neimans and decided I had to have it.). I will need to go to waterworks to see if they have anything I like. I want something more bright, since the rest of the house is fairly neutral.

We picked up our marathon packets on Friday afternoon. It was becoming a reality!

Friday night we met Marc, Darryl, Alan, Patrick and Cindy for dinner at our favorite restaurant, Collina's. I'm glad Ting got to spend some time with my friends.

I had to work Saturday, but luckily so did Ting (doing some freelance graphic design work). We did go to lunch at Brown bag deli, our favorite sandwich spot.

On Sat evening we went to the marathon pasta party at the Hilton and had an early night in. I didn't sleep too well, probably because of the next day.

We woke early on Sunday to get ready for the marathon. After getting there around 6 am, we stretched and then went to our respective starting areas. The first half of the marathon went very well for me and I was doing sub-10 minute miles. But after mile 18 or so, my left calf started cramping up, so I slowed down quite a bit. The last mile felt like the longest mile I have ever run! But we all finished in great time - Joe is 3:40 (what a stud!), Ting in 3:16 (she encountered the same problem with her calves as I did) and me in 4:28. I wanted to finish in under 4:30 so I was pleased with my time.

After the marathon we were all fairly tired and achy. We rested at home for a bit and then met up with the gang at Berry Hill. Marc brought a cake for D's bday. Ting and I only stayed for a few hours, but we had a good time. Joe, of course, was on the good-time-grant express and stayed out much later than we did (I think he's still paying for it today - luckily he didn't have to work today!)

Ting had to leave this morning :(, but we had a fabulous time together. I'm so lucky to have such a great sister and I am even luckier that we are so close. I selfishly want her and John to move to Texas so we can all be closer geographically so we can see each other more often. I have a feeling when the babies come my wish may come true!

Well, I skipped boot camp this morning. Just wasn't feeling it. It's funny how not having to get up at 5:30 will get up even earlier. I am such a morning person. I think it's because my mom always forced us to go to bed before 10 and we got up by 7. I can get so much more done in the AM - by the afternoon I always feel like the day is over so I shouldn't start any projects.

I saw a fun little project on Donna Downey's blog:
Four jobs you’ve had in your life:
ride operator at 6 Flags over Texas
teaching assistant at UTA
research tech at UT Southwestern
optometrist! (hee hee, as you can see, most of my jobs led me to my career!)

Four movies you would watch over and over:
The Princess Bride (love this one)
When Harry Met Sally (one of my favorite movies ever)
Terminator 2 (Joe!)
Breakfast Club (I'm at 80's girl at heart)

Four places you have lived:
Charlottesville, VA
Arlington, TX
Berkeley, CA
Houston, TX (I think this may be just home!)

Four TV shows you love to watch:
Sex in the City
Friends
Lost
American Idol

Four places you have been on vacation:
China
London
Botswana, Africa
Italy

Four websites you visit daily:
Two Peas in a Bucket
Big Picture Scrapbooking
multiple blogs
weather

Four of your favorite foods:
chocolate
mom's cooking
berry hill tamales
lupe tortilla's fajitas

Four places you would rather be right now:
skiing
at my parent's house with my family
retired
with my friends bill and shaila

Tuesday mornings are running mornings with my friend Cindy. She's a lawyer whom I met through my friend Marc. We have known each other for a few years but haven't been really close until this past year. I think it's funny how friendships work that way - one day you are casual aquaintances, the next best of friends. I think the yoga and running have bonded us. She is one of the sweetest girls I know. I need more friends like her!

Last night Joe and I went to see Munich. The movie was pretty intense, about the murders at the 1972 Olympics. It was a pretty political movie so I don't know if it will be up for any Oscars, but I enjoyed it pretty well. Although the movie started at 6 and we didn't get out until 9 so that was a long time to be at the theater. I think we are going to make Mondays movies nights because students get in cheaper and get free popcorn and drinks!

I love Monday when I'm off from work! It's a free day to do anything.....

Of course I got up early with Joe - he went swimming at his TriAdvantage place, in an endless pool. I admire him so much for doing his triathlons. He really loves it and he is great at it. He officially started his Ironman training last week.

I went to my bootcamp class at the Met. I have been going to Richard's class for a little over 2 years now. Time goes by so quickly! There was a time a few months back when I was having trouble getting motivated to go. I guess I was getting a little burned out. But I am enjoying the class again. I will probably take a week off after the marathon this weekend!

So today I am off to find a cute new ski outfit for our trip to Beaver Creek in February. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will find something I like that's on sale...

I thought I'd start the new year with a new blog. Being new to this stuff, I feel kinda weird writing this stuff down, but I think it will be good for me!

I have been irritated all day - as I was playing with my camera, I accidentally deleted all my photos from New Year's Eve. Annoying!! Note to self - do not format memory card while pictures are still on the camera.

After yoga this morning, Joe and I just cleaned around the house. I can't believe how much crap we still have, after moving a million times!