Celebrating another baby boy

Today was J's shower. The hostesses with the mostesses (as J called them) did a great job of decorating, etc. It was beautiful. A good number of people came and we had a lot of laughs.

We each got a chance to guess what Baby Boy's name was. I had two guesses (knowing the first letter of his name) and she said that one of them was right, but she wasn't going to reveal which one. Later on, we (in the above pic) were staying after chatting, etc, and as we're headed down the sairs, J saw Baby Triston's sweater and said she needed more sweaters (meaning for Baby Boy). Her good friend, one of the few who knew Baby's name, said, "You mean, for _____?" Doh! She clapped her hand over her mouth and started saying how sorry she was, while the rest of us stopped and kinda fell down/sat down on the stairs laughing and in disbelief. I mean, it was supposed to be such a suspenseful thing and then, boom!, we all knew. J said it wasn't that big of a deal to her, but I'm sure she was a little disappointed. It was funny, though.

M brought her little boy along, so he and Triston stayed downstairs with their daddies while the shower was going on.

Here's a shocker. Triston (L) is going to be turning 1 in two weeks. Benjamin (R) is 6 1/2 months old. Now, which baby looks bigger? All I know is they're both adorable!

Movin' On Up

I wrote a post last night, but removed it 9 hours later. I want to write about it, but it's just too risky.

What I can say, though, is that I got promoted yesterday. It was a big surprise, but a pleasant one. I've wanted this position since I started with this company 9 months ago. I had to wait 6 months to apply for it. I applied after 8 when it became available and they hired externally - (I didn't get that, because you have to know how everything works in order to do this job and heck, I still don't know how everything works). BUT, they're hiring another person for the position and they just called me in and asked me if I was still interested. Yay!

With this job comes a nice pay increase, some travel, and a nice change of pace from what I have been doing. And I won't need much training before stepping into it. In fact, I start on Monday. It really is perfect timing, because I was starting to get a little burnt out with what I was doing.

Now I know I mentioned an Opportunity in a previous post, but this position isn't what I was talking about. That's all I'll say about that right now.

I've gotta get to bed. I really want to make it to church tomorrow morning and if I go to bed now, I can make the 11:30 service. After that, I have another baby shower for one of my friends. I'll know quite a few girls there, so it'll be really fun. . Can't wait!

It must be another result of the Curse

Is it just me or are women not supposed to be able to grow a mustache? I, for one, don’t even think we’re really supposed to grow hair in our armpits, but I digress. Dark hair anywhere other than the human head . . . is definitely a masculine thing. Last time I looked, I was still a female . . AND I was still a blonde. I don’t even like mustaches on men let alone myself!

Perhaps I’m exaggerating about the mustache thing, but several dark hairs most definitely make their home on my top lip. And they are not welcome there! Keeping this a secret from the rest of the world has become one of the greatest inconveniences of my young adult life.

My first attempt at keeping it under wraps was buying bleach sold for the very purpose of hiding those pesky dark hairs. But the only thing worse than a few dark hairs is an entire lip full of bleach blonde hair! I’m not going for the Paris Hilton look on any part of my body.

Some may not understand the complexity of the situation. Why not just buy one of those do-it-yourself at-home wax kits? I, for one, am not brave enough to inflict pain upon myself. . . I have to pay someone to do that. It’s not even as simple as dropping by a random salon and letting any esthetician take care of the problem. There are different prices, different products, and different techniques.

My favorite esthetician EVER is also the least expensive, because aside from managing a salon, she also does it out of her home and only charges half price. BUT, in addition to managing a salon, she’s also a nurse, an Arbonne rep, and a single mom. And when the ‘stache comes, there’s just not time to try to schedule an appointment with her. I can’t wait that long! But, oh, she uses the best wax, the best strips, and the best technique. She squeals with joy each time she rips the hair from my face. “Look! Look at all those blood bulbs. We ruined a bunch of follicles!” At first, the word “ruined”, in association with my skin, gave me a big scare until I realized it meant those hairs were gone forever!! But, believe it or not, only SHE has been able to ruin my follicles with her awesome hair-ripping technique.

My second favorite esthetician, who works at a well-known chain salon here in O-town, was actually recommended to me by my beauty-conscious cousin, Joy. (Joy, however, only needs her brows waxed . . no fair!) I like this girl because she’s such a perfectionist and feels strongly about having no hair left behind! She’s also very sweet and talkative and, as all women know, your hair dresser and esthetician just HAVE to be conversational. But, when it comes to ruining follicles – no-can-do.

The last wax appointment I had was an emergency appointment. When I couldn’t bear to look at myself in the GAP fitting room mirrors, I walked straight to the nearest salon across the way at the outdoor mall. I met the cheeriest, most stylish esthetician ever and I thought our relationship could be promising. It being the same chain salon my SFE worked for, I figured the price would be the same. . . Not only was I wrong about the price – it was 6 dollars more, making it $30! – but she gave me the Orange County Choppers wax! Do I look like I have the mustache of Paul Sr.? Then WHY would you wax that part of my face?? It looked so odd for the longest time. (You know when your good friend is saying, “What’s on your face? It looks wet” because there is no hair there, you have a problem!)

It has suddenly grown back and the last several days have been extremely painful. Having dark hairs scream at you day after day doesn’t do much for your self-esteem. Who cares if my make-up is done and my hair looks nice when I’m bearing such a strong resemblance to my father!

I need to make an appointment and FAST!

**Update 1/14: I have an appointment today with 2nd favorite - yay!

Raunchy Cowboy

Sweet Sarah showed up not long after I did. We stood by the door and waited for RC (Raunchy Cowboy) to get there –our dance instructor. I’m calling him Raunchy Cowboy (RC) because that’s the name of his favorite line dance where he gets to move his hips around as much as is humanly possible. Sweet Sarah once told me, while blushing, “I thought RC stood for Rosy Cheeks, not Raunchy Cowboy”. She is the mother of the really bad dancer who, by the way, hasn’t come since then. Darn!

Each week, she comes up to me with The Look – it’s a look I’m no stranger to – it’s the look that says, “I want you to be my daughter-in-law”. The Look makes you feel extremely flattered, yet slightly uncomfortable, while occasionally wanting to scream “Leeet goooo; it's not gonna happen”. She always mentions her son and fishes for something, anything from me that she can go tell him to encourage him to come back, because "he thinks you don't want him to come back". I try hard to not make any comment that if relayed to him would ever prompt him to return.

This week, Sweet Sarah said she had something she just had to tell me. It was about RC. She said she was worried sick about me and couldn’t sleep this week. She said RC was living with another girl in the group, but liked to get around. “I’ve never met anyone like him in all my 61 years.” She’d seen four marriages fall apart throughout the course of a couple years and every one of the women had had a fling with RC. Some of them stopped coming; some still came, seemingly unbothered that RC went on to the next woman.

“How could they keep coming? Wouldn’t they feel awkward?” I asked.

“It’s the power of the dance,” she whispered. “I just wanted you to know. I want you to be careful.”

I could tell there was something about RC. . the way he spoke, the way he moved, and the way he’d walk by and put his hands on my hips to move me aside and “excuse himself” . . ew. I knew he was a womanizer. I love dancing with him, because he’s so good at it . . and a great teacher. . but that’s it!

I laughed. “You don’t have to worry about me, Sarah. For one thing, he’s OLD (as in probably early 40s). And he’s not attractive. And he’s not refined! I don’t know how he gets so many women.”

She leaned a little closer to me and whispered again,

“It’s his mojo”.

Chilly/Chili Night

Last night I passed up the extra $20-30 bucks I would’ve made had I stayed after for a work meeting. It wasn’t mandatory and my co-worker said she’d take notes for me and since she loves taking notes so much, I didn’t want to rob her of that. Plus, I just wanted to go home. I didn’t know what I’d do when I got there, but I just wanted to go home.
And I’m so glad I did, because I had such a great night.

I found my sister home alone, starting to make chili in the kitchen, and decided, since it wouldn’t be ready for awhile, to go for a jog. . . something I hadn’t done since . . crap, I don’t even remember. Temps were in the 30s so I needed to dress appropriately. I dug through my drawer for the Cuddle Duds. Yes, the Cuddle Duds. I feel so attractive when I wear them. In fact, one of my embarrassing moments involves them. In college, I loooved winter time more than usual, because I got to walk around campus in sub-zero temps and then roast once I got to class (definitely being sarcastic). It was so cold that I was actually excited about finding the Cuddle Duds in my stocking one Christmas. I wore them countless times to class. Usually they’d be under sweatpants and a sweatshirt, but one particular day I wore them with jeans. My professor was handing back papers and I lifted up out of my seat and reached forward to grab them only to realize that my sweater had risen above my pantline and my high-rise Cuddle Duds were there for all the class to see! (if anyone was looking). I felt my cheeks flush and I got warm all over. I wanted to stand, turn around, and make a public declaration that “I, Laura ________, do not wear granny panties with an elastic waistband!” But I do wear Cuddle Duds. And last night I also wore the only stocking cap I could find, which is literally from the 70s and has one of those multi-colored balls on top. . . Kinda cute in a retro sort of way.

Jogging felt great . . so refreshing. When the chili still wasn’t ready after I got home, I pulled out my Ball and did the entire sheet of recommended exercises that filled up about half of my living room. I finished my workout by putting in The Firm DVD for abs that I’ve done once since buying it almost a year ago. It says you’re guaranteed visible results in 10 workouts and I plan to put it to the test.

I ended my night by renting “Must Love Dogs” which I hadn’t seen yet. It was cute, but is it just me, or do movies lately seem to skip over the whole relationship development thing? It’s like, “We laughed together once and you said something sweet to me on our first date and I’m crazy attracted to you, so let’s have sex, because this must be love.” I just love the movies where you feel like you got to kinda watch them fall in love a little bit.

One of my favorite lines from the movie, though, was: “He’s emotional and he likes to talk . . .This is a mythical figure, Sarah.” I’m not sure why I liked it so much; I’ve dated a mythical figure myself.

****************************************************************
Work sucks. I’m always such an optimist about work, but we have a new program we’re using and none of us are big fans of it. Plus, I’m thinking about that opportunity I wrote about last week. I just need to find out what’s going to happen. I’ve been biting my nails like crazy - I couldn’t even open the shampoo lid today in the shower. I don’t want it to happen if it’s not going to be a good thing, but I really hope it could be a good thing and happen!! I want to break out of the ordinary . . at least for a little while.

Change is in the air

I did end up going to Lincoln Friday night . . and having a great time! The band, Blackwater, was so good. We were planning on staying ‘til 11 (because of the hour drive), but lost track of time and didn’t leave ‘til 12:30 a.m. “We” meaning my uncle and I. I’ve been going with him to all of these events. He’s really good at two-stepping, which we (sadly) don’t do on Tuesday nights, but did a lot of on Friday. Seriously, the Kickers are like a big, happy family. Everyone dances with everyone . . . and everyone is willing to teach the person that hasn’t caught on yet . . .namely, Me, because everyone else has been going a lot longer than I have.

My Saturday was a very eventful day. I had my cousin’s graduation party, and it was fun to see some people there that I hadn’t seen in awhile. I’m so excited for her; she’s graduated early and is headed to Bolivia for a few months to go to language school before starting college. I often wish I would’ve done that.

I got to see two pregnant friends Saturday who I’ve only talked to since they’ve been showing. It was so great to be able to see them so far along. One friend is due next month, and I went to her shower and was able to see her home and the baby’s room that they’re having painted with a Noah’s Ark theme.

That evening, I went out to dinner with the two girls I’ve been friends with the longest – my old best friend, and first Christian friend, Kristen, and our friend Sarah, who I met in junior high. Kristen is six and a half months along and looks adorable. Sarah and her husband just celebrated their one year anniversary and bought their first home with four bedrooms and three bathrooms! It’s fun, yet crazy, to watch my friends grow up and start their own families. Because I’m not at the same place yet, it’s strange to imagine being there. I told them I’m having so much fun just being single and doing things I probably won’t do when I’m married. They just smiled and told me I won’t care about doing those things once I meet “him”. It’s true, but who knows when that will be, so I may as well live it up while I can. . .

At church, it seems the theme has been newness and change, and I do have a sense that this year will be a big year. I have no idea what that means for me. I am sometimes hesitant to dream big, but then I remember that if I love the Lord, it’s He that places the dreams in my heart and He that most wants to see them come true. And if I dream for anything that doesn’t happen or happens differently than I had hoped, it will only be better.

“. . Then you will know that I am the Lord . . those who hope in me will not be disappointed . . “ Isaiah 49:23

I Keep on Kickin' It

Last night, I went with the Country Kickers to do a demo for a large group of mentally handicapped kids. And what an audience! They, of course, loved our performance, and some of them would get up and come dance amongst us, while their peers cheered them on. Each time one of them would come up to meet one of us, they would be sure to wish us a “Happy New Year”. Very cute. I love watching their childlike joy. I love how some of them just get up and dance not caring what others think. Something I think many of us would like to be able to do.

As I was dancing a couples’ dance with another Kicker, a very large boy came up and grabbed ahold of my arm with a very firm grip and attempted to drag me away to dance with him while professing his love for me. Normally I wouldn’t mind, but he was a little frightening . . ok, he was very frightening! He was like a scruffy, drooling, leering ogre (a nice ogre, I'm sure, like Shrek :) and had two footlong hairs growing out of his chin! It made me feel bad for him and think to myself . . . Why don’t his parents/caretakers help him out a bit in the cleanliness department? I mean, how hard is it to just cut those hairs, trim that “beard”, wipe the leftover mustard from the corners of his mouth? But I really cannot make statements about “how hard is it” when it would obviously be an enormous challenge to care for someone . . . something that I know nothing about.

It was really fun doing the demo, though, and watching everyone enjoy it. It was a great first demo, because I probably only remembered a couple of the dances, but no one cared that I was staring at everyone’s feet and turning around in circles most of the time. I really don’t want to see the video of that!

Afterward, we went to Country Cosmic Bowling and I kicked everyone’s butt with my score of 119 . . don't know how, because I never bowl! One of the songs we dance to started playing, so a bunch of Kickers went to the back and danced. They drew quite an audience, too. People were taking pictures with their camera phones and everything. They’re a fun group to hang out with . . . they know how to have a good time.

I may be putting on my boots tonight, too, and heading to Lincoln with everyone to go to Coyote Willy’s. Didn’t really expect to be getting so involved in this line-dancing thing . . . but I’m lovin’ it so far!

One down

I'm proud to announce that one of my resolutions for 2006 has already been accomplished . . but it had nothing to do with my own determination or self-discipline.

My resume looks good. . . as opposed to looking like crap as it has for so long (at least according to Me, my biggest critic).

I received a phone call yesterday about a great opportunity and, after talking to a couple of people, learned I'd need to send my resume . . today!! I panicked. I immediately contacted the one person I knew who actually enjoys putting a resume together and offered her $50 to fix mine. I was desperate! Fortunately, she couldn't do it . . because I ended up e-mailing to my cousin in Florida and she made it look great . . for free!

So regardless of what happens with this opportunity, I have just saved myself a lot of guilt over procrastination and a lot of time that I would've spent trying to fix it myself to no avail . . and when all it needed was a few tweaks and a little re-formatting.

One goal down, nine to go!

Good-bye '05, Hello '06

I was so excited to go be social on New Year's Eve, but it didn't turn out quite as I had hoped . . . however, I'm not at all disappointed.

After reading about Girl's filet mignon, I was really craving steak and determined to treat myself . . I just didn't have anyone to go with. Fortunately, after an afternoon spent playing games with "Indiana cousins", Uptown Grandma announced that they were having steak for dinner. Since it was nearly 6 o'clock and I was still wearing no make-up and an oversized sweatshirt, I decided to just stay and enjoy my cousins a while longer . . . and some delicious free food. Dinner was so yummy - steak, salad, baked potatoes, jello w/ bananas, and garlic bread. My cousins are so sweet and so much fun. We all went around the table to shared 2005 highlights and desires for 2006. I'm so glad I stayed.

BF went down to the French Cafe in the Old Market in Omaha for an elaborate meal with her family, but agreed to meet up with me for dessert at Melting Pot. It was sooo good. We got the Milk Chocolate S'mores fondue. We stayed and chatted and welcomed in the new year, toasting with our refreshing ice cold waters :) We, too, reflected on highlights of this last year and shared our hopes for this year.















After saying good-night to BF, I went over to T's with S and her sister, but T was in a bad mood after facing a little "girl rejection" that night, so he wasn't his usual self. And there weren't too many other people there, so we called it a night around 2:30.


**************
I'm glad to see 2005 go. It wasn't a bad year, but not one of the more significant ones I've had. I'm hoping 2006 will be a bit more eventful. However, 2005 was a good year.

For one thing, the Lord completed a wonderful work in my heart at the beginning of the year which meant I was able to enjoy this entire year feeling totally alive and whole again. Thank you, Jesus!

This year was a year of dancing . . not just in my heart, but literally, as well. I wasn't happy to learn, two weeks into the spring semester, that I hadn't really just graduated and needed one more credit to get my diploma! But, it turned out to be a blessing, because I signed up for Social Dance class and had a great time learning many ballroom and latin dances, as well as lindyhop and jitterbug. I even performed for over 500 people at the Qwest Center! And I'm now line-dancing into the new year with the Country Kickers and having so much fun!

This year, I took my first "real job" and moved home at the same time, which is pretty ironic. Both have been great experiences, though. I've met some great people at my job and learned what field I'm not really interested in. I'm hoping to find something I'm much more suited for this coming year. I've enjoyed being at home with my family and living a little more of a slower-paced life not being in Omaha. I take back what I said about not ever wanting to live in F-town again. I think it will be tough to leave, because I'm pretty sure this time it will be for good.

I gained some new family members this year - a sister-in-law, a nephew, and a niece, as well as a couple of cousins. Something I never imagined happening a year ago.

I loved my trip to Table Rock Lake this summer. It was so refreshing! and the only vacation I took this year, which was a big jump from seven trips in 2004! I hope to do a lot more traveling this year.














Of course, being involved in Fresh Start has been great and I'm looking forward to starting another group of teen girls in about a week.

I've decided to take a break from church Choir indefinitely. It's been great being a part of such an awesome choir, though. I can't wait to be able to hear from the audience again!

Most importantly, this coming year, I just want to grow closer to the Lord. It may sound cliche, but I mean it. I want to experience more intimacy with Him and have more of His heart in me.

Here's to 2006! May it be full of life, passion, and purpose!

Christmastime!

Christmas was lovely and couldn’t have been better in my opinion. Everyone seemed to love the gifts I gave them. I was especially glad to see that my brother loved the shirts I bought him. I usually do have a good eye for what would look good on someone. And it was so adorable watching my nephew, Micah, open his and Sophia’s gifts. Have you ever seen a 2-year old get excited about clothes!? He does. His eyes light up and he exclaims “Mine!” and proudly shows his parents. I’m glad he can appreciate a good-looking piece of clothing when he sees it. He does look so cute in the little Gap jacket I bought him.

BF and I exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve, as usual, and I was relieved that she liked her gift, too, because it took quite awhile to make it. I thought it turned out just as well as I had hoped it would. Here is a pic:



















I *loved* what she gave me, too . . a framed picture that she took of a door in Jerusalem, Israel. Yay!-now my art collection is officially started.














Time at Farmtown Grandma’s went fast! The highlights were the delicious smoked turkey and playing Disney Scene It! which is so much easier than the regular version of the game. Grandma was pretty excited about her bird tree. If you want to get her a good gift, just find something with a bird in it. I, for example, got her cardinal earrings. She was in such a good mood, she pulled out the accordian.




















Uptown Grandma's house was a great time, too. Instead of having a traditional sharing time, we instead drew names and would bless or encourage the person whose name we drew. It wasn't mandatory, but everyone over the age of 8 wanted to participate and it was such a wonderful time! Lots of smiles and a few happy tears. I love my family!!! It's so amazing to have an entire side of the family that loves Jesus. Even little Jake who is 2 1/2 said he wanted to bless someone when we jokingly asked. We asked who and he said "Jesus" . . good answer :)

Grandma got all the girls warm pajama pants this year. Last year it was furry slippers.















Here's one of my favorite gifts . . a jewelry armoire . . can't wait to get organized!





















Some of us, cousins, went ice skating the day after Christmas and it was a blast! . . no blisters or sore feet!

Christmas Meme

Yesterday I took the day off to try to catch up on shopping, baking, etc. It was such a productive day, which is something I can usually never say about days off. Finally, I've purchased all my gifts (including a few more for myself). It feels good to finally be done, even if it is only a couple days before Christmas.

In celebration of the eve of Christmas Eve, I've decided to do the Christmas meme I found on Cady's site:

1. egg nog or hot chocolate? neither . . . how about water or milk, because that's all I really drink

2. does santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? puts them under the tree. the elves wrap them.

3. colored lights on tree/house or white? white. when i was little, i would've said colored, but now i prefer white

4. do you hang mistletoe? no, but if I had it, I think it would be fun to hang it up

5. when do you put your decorations up? the day after Thanksgiving

6. what is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? my aunt's casserole or chicken tetrazzini

7. favorite holiday memory as a child? i vividly remember getting my first cabbage patch dolls when i was 3 (i think) and naming one marjorie (after uptown grandma) and the other barker lance (keeping his real name)

8. when and how did you learn the truth about santa? i asked my mom a logical question about the tooth fairy and learned she wasn't real . . . and then the wheels started turning as i stood there in silence and finally exclaimed in a very disappointed voice, "Does this mean that Santa and the Easter Bunny aren't real, either?" I think I cried. (It was the next worst realization to learning about sex.) But, then I thought all the kids in my class who still believed didn't have any common sense

9. do you open a gift on christmas eve? i exchange with BF at church and then go over my aunt & uncle's for dinner and exchange with my cousin, Joy

10. what kind of cookies does santa get set out for him? Oreos, of course . . america's favorite cookie

11. snow! love it or dread it? it's very pretty, BUT i don't like getting the bottoms of my pants wet or feeling like driving somewhere is dangerous.

12. can you ice skate? yes but i'm not that great at it, because i'm scared of falling down and having someone run over my fingers

13. do you remember your favorite gift? hmmm, i do remember really loving my gameboy and, of course, every pair of doc martens i got

14. what's the most important thing about the holidays for you? getting to see all my family that lives out of state (IN, TX, DC)

15. what is your favorite holiday dessert? hopscotches with chow mein noodles, marshmallows, and butterscotch

16. what is your favorite holiday tradition? i love the whole thing . . . christmas eve church and then dinner at aunt & uncle's . . . christmas morning w/ my immediate family . . . christmas midday at farmtown grandma's . . . and christmas evening at uptown grandma's with sharing time, which is where everyone shares about the past year (good times, bad times, God's faithfulness) and what they're anticipating for the next year . . . it's especially cute when the little kids want to share

17. what tops your tree? an angel, but i prefer a star

18. which do you prefer giving or receiving? the only thing better than that wonderful feeling that someone was thinking of you and was kind enough to bless you . . . is knowing that you could make someone else feel that way

19. what is your favorite christmas carol? oh come all ye faithful, o holy night

20. candy canes! yuck or yum? i love the fruit flavored ones

Shuffle to the Back

Well, things with This Guy went well. I was dreading telling him my thoughts and as he began to say “nice things” I didn’t know if I would be able to. I was sitting there, thinking “S*&%, S#$&, S%@&” and then decided that rather than mentally swearing, I should probably pray about it. So I did, and it ended up going very, very smoothly . . at least for me. And in the end, I’m still glad I’m a girl, because I think ending something is a whole lot easier than starting it.



Last night was my fifth time line dancing with the Country Kickers. It’s my “new thing” and so much fun! Everyone there is so extremely nice and welcoming . . . and old. In fact, other than one other guy my age, I’m the youngest by probably 20 years. But it’s so great. I met a nice, older couple (M & S) in their late 50s who told me that I just had to meet their 29-year-old son and that they’d try to get him to come so I would have a dance partner my age. After talking a bit, I had quite a lot of reason to believe that he was a Christian. And his mother said he was very cute. And he’d come dancing before quite a few times so he should be familiar with some of the couples’ dances. Could it be that I would have a nice, young, talented dance partner and that he would be cute?

No. Neither. I mean I didn’t expect both to be true, but neither?? Not only can he not dance, but his mother is very biased. I could’ve easily overlooked his average looks if he could dance, but he was tripping over his feet and mine the whole night and his arms were more like the angel hair pasta I’ve been craving than those of a man who can lead. Even the simplest of dances had him stumped. With a last name like “Tucker” I expected him to be tearing up the dance floor like nobody’s business. Hey, if you’re country, it should be in your genes.

But, he was nice. And geez, most of the time that’s all I can say about single, Christian guys I meet. “Well, he’s really nice.” Not he’s cool or he’s funny or he’s such a godly man. He’s just nice. And I don’t want a “nice guy”. I want someone “who could be wicked, but wouldn’t” (Anne of Green Gables). Know what I mean?

On my mind . . .

1. How hungry I am . . and when is R going to announce today's desserts? We're having dessert every day this week leading up to Christmas and yesterday was R's delicious banana pudding, some chocolate walnut cookies, and store-bought Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes in french vanilla and chocolate . . . yummm.

2. How am I going to get everything done before Christmas? Like buying gifts for 9 more people and wrapping them all and finishing a "project" and baking a dessert for work.

3. How I am going to tactfully tell This Guy today over lunch that we should "just be friends" and how I hope he'll realize that I really mean "acquaintances" (as in people who have met but never really talk).

4. How lazy I am and how I should be ashamed of myself for always reading blogs and writing on mine on the clock. (I really do have a good work ethic and can't stand those who don't . . . I just have to maintain my sanity.)

BACK TO WORK!

The Sweetest Thing

My State?

I took this "State Test" that I linked to from Abra's site. First, it said my state was the "State of Greed" and I was a little bit confused, because I thought it was supposed to be one of the 50 states. It is supposed to be an actual state, but they tricked me! They gave me a trick question! Is it a crime to think you make a decent living? Anyway . . . So I retook it and ended up with the State of Oklahoma, which is pretty accurate since it's only two states south. Here's what it said:

After overcoming a terrible tragedy in recent years, you have shown the ability to really shine through adversity. You've renovated your home, picked up the pieces, and built things all over again. Meanwhile, you seem uncannily drawn to the classic board game Twister, though it doesn't always lighten your mood. Despite all the hardships, you're one of those quirky folks who simply breaks out into song at random times in life. Ultimately, you just want people to know that you're O.K.

The only thing true in that paragraph is the part about breaking into song . . but I only do that sometimes in private.

I kept re-taking it to see if I could get Nebraska and it took me 4 tries. Instead, I got Kansas, Wyoming, and Iowa. It wasn't until I was honest and admitted to being a procrastinator that I ended up with my home state.

Take the quiz.

Aaah!

It's been so long since I've posted. I've been training people this week at work, so there hasn't been much time for an update.

This week has been an "aaah" week. For one, I gave This nice Guy my number a couple weeks ago not because I was interested in him or attracted to him, but just because I thought "Why not? I'll be open and just maybe go out once . . After all, I should be open to getting to know new people . . expand my horizons, etc. . .or if I decide I don't want to go before he calls, no big deal - I'll just tell him. .". But, oh, it's just not that simple, is it? Because when This Guy calls, he doesn't call to ask you out . . . he wants to talk . . about nothing important . . and for long periods of time. And when you say you've gotta go, it doesn't end there. It's like, "Oh, what are you going to eat?" or "What store are you going to?" and that can lead right back into more conversation! And he is just so eager to go on an official date, whereas I'm a much bigger fan of "hanging out", because if I don't like hanging out with you, then why would I want to sit down and get to know you? Now, of course I wouldn't mind this all so much if I was interested in him, but I've already determined that I'm not. Sometimes it doesn't take long to make a final decision.

Though I already knew I wasn't really into him, I thought I should accept his invitation to lunch and just be able to say I gave it a shot. Then I would have more grounds for telling him we should "just be friends". BUT, before even going to lunch, we were discussing what day I would be free and I said Thursday was it. I was busy every other night. And then, he said it. . . . . .

"Well, the U2 concert is that night-

-"What did you say? Are you going????"

And then . . .

"Yeah, do you want to come?"

"DO.I.WANT.TO.COME? I would love to!!"

So he explains that he has basically a free pass . . . all he has to do is check ids and give out wristbands for those who want to drink. But after that he can go to the concert . . he doesn't have to miss any of it! He can see the whole thing . . for free! And I can come with! And I can bring a friend!

Suddenly I'm very very glad I gave him my number. I wondered if I should feel bad going along when I knew I wasn't interested in him, but in one of our *many* conversations this week, I was able to explain where I stood . . . not where he did. This made me feel much better about going "as friends" - yay!

So we went last night and OHMYGOSH, it was amazing! I was doubtful that it could compare to their "Elevation" tour, but I dunno, it was so awesome!! We had great seats. . . totally lucked out [were blessed], because we didn't have assigned seats. I was so happy to have AG there with me, too. (She and I had been looking online for tickets, but of course they were so freakin expensive!) We were dancing and jumping and screaming and singing and swaying the entire time!!! They played for 2 1/2 hours! And I was so excited that they played a few of the songs I'd wanted them to play at their last concert, but they hadn't. Ie: "Mysterious Ways", which is one of my faves! It's a miracle I have any voice left today. I do feel a bit hoarse.

I have a full weekend, which does not include attending the Christmas party This Guy invited me to. He really made me feel bad when I said no, and I do not like being pressured. I had already made plans Saturday night and, like I said before, I barely know him and I prefer getting to know someone in a more comfortable setting, as friends.

I'll post concert pics later.

Deck the Halls

So much family fun tonight. It was annual decorate the tree night at Uptown Grandma's. We first sat down to bowls of chili and/or potato soup with some yummy bread (perfect for weather in the single digits!) . Oatmeal cake for dessert . . pretty good stuff.

It's so fun to hang our favorite ornaments and see which new ones G-ma has gotten this year . . I accidentally broke one-whoops!

After some laughing and pulling out atrocious ornaments from various boxes, I overheard Grandma saying, "The girls better not get silly tonight or I'll be upset" (because this dec-the-tree stuff is very serious business). Isn't the fun part supposed to be hanging the big plastic apples that Grandma no longer likes all over the tree and when she complains, hiding them in the back of the tree so the neighbors can look in the window and think we're tacky?

Plus, I don't think it's possible for Joy & I to get together, along with my sister and not laugh and be silly. Here's an example:














And again, I make those I love brave the cold for a cool picture (this time in the sleigh):















Grandma always comes in at the top when it comes to Christmas decorations at the lake, though there doesn't seem to be as many lights this year . . . (that's a big Santa on the balcony):















Not to be cheesy, but it really IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas :)

The Boots Made Me Do It

Well, this whole don't-buy-myself-anything-this-Christmas-season-thing isn't exactly working. I was so sure this would be the year I stayed strong and resisted the temptation to buy gifts for myself. And if I hadn't found these boots, I think I would've been fine.

The day after Thanksgiving, my small town of about 25,000 people has a little lights festival where all the downtown shops are open for people to browse and drink cider and cookies and listen to the carolers, etc. I wasn't planning on going, but hadn't been in years, so I called up my parents (who have a tradition of going with their friends each year) and asked if I could meet up with them for maybe half an hour. I hoped to maybe run into people I hadn't seen in awhile and get into the Christmas spirit.

We met up at one of the coffee shops downtown and headed down the street to one of the large antique shops my town is "famous" for. I immediately felt odd hanging out with my parents and their friends . . . especially when I found them near the shall-we-say "romance" section of the coffee shop library, reading up on how to basically have a better sex life. They were a little embarrassed when I walked up. Sorry guys, didn't mean to cramp your style.

The antique shop had everything one could imagine and when I wandered over to the western section, there they were. Justin cowgirl boots. They looked like they'd never been worn and they were only $40. I've been wanting some for years, but just couldn't bring myself to spend over $100 on something I would rarely wear. So how could I pass up this "opportunity"? I couldn't.

The problem is that this totally ruined my don't-feel-like-shopping streak, which never usually lasts very long anyway. Since then I've added a few more items to the list of what I've bought myself this season. It's not bad, but it's also only December 8th.

BF and I decided we were in the mood for the Cheesecake Factory last Friday night and spontaneously made the 2 hour drive to Des Moines, IA just to eat there . . and shop J. Crew and a few other stores we somehow haven't managed to get in Omaha yet. I ended up getting a very cute vintage t-shirt from Fossil and a super-warm vintage-y hoodie uniquely stitched and slightly frayed. And just yesterday I found the nicest black leather planner for 2006 with so many different features . . and only $10 at T.J. Maxx!

Today I'm making a list of exactly what I'm getting for people and when I go to the store, I'll be "on a mission". Go, buy, leave . . no browsing! The only problem is . . I still don't know exactly what I'm getting everyone . . .

Let it Snow

Sad News

I heard the news last night . . can't believe I didn't find out sooner.

Nick and Jessica split.

I'm really upset by this. I really thought they could make it. At least longer than three years! She said she was serious about keeping her vows.
I'm a Jessica fan, though I have been really disappointed by her the past few years. It's amazing what fame can do to you. I used to admire her for maintaining some modesty, saving herself for marriage, and seeming like a sweet, wholesome girl . . not to mention the fact that she is beautiful and has a great sense of style!

When I watched "Newlyweds", though I loved the show, I wondered how Nick put up with her. She acted spoiled, selfish, ultra-materialistic, unladylike and lazy. Perhaps she was putting on a show much of the time, but what kind of a way is that to start a marriage - acting for a camera, trying to get fans and publicity at the expense of your marriage?! And her videos kept getting more and more scandalous. Poor Nick didn't have much of a career anymore, so that couldn't have done much for his ego, not the mention the fact that his wife seemed too into herself to care. This is not to say that he didn't contribute in some ways. Of course no one knows what went on behind the scenes, but plenty went on for all to see that could lead anyone to see that marriage had to be tough.

I can see how so much publicity and fame could hurt their marriage . . I'm just disappointed that they didn't do whatever it took to keep it together.