And So it Begins

Life with no job. Whoo hoo? I'm back to enjoying hours of job hunting from the comfort of my couch with the sounds of trashy daytime television as my soundtrack and entertainment.

I do have a busy schedule in front of me. It won't be all lazy and job searching.

I need to take my car into the repair shop as I hit a pole last week. I swear this pole just jumped out in the middle of the road! It was the middle of the day and I was driving home from work and well, uhm, hmm I was on the phone with Bev. But don't tell anyone.

I need to job hunt seriously. I don't know why but my last week on the job, I was in such a state of denial. I thought someone would come up to me and say, "just kidding" or "we still need your position". Not so much. I waited until the very last hour to clean out my desk. That's how bad it was. I plan to hit it hard this week so I can, if any fall through, interview the following week.

After that, I'm taking a two week working vacay to Phoenix to search and scout out venues and the such. So far, my internet searching is failing me. Let's also hope and pray, my mother and I both survive two weeks of each other.

So see, I'm busy, unemployed at least through February.

Thank You, Thank You

Thank you so much for all the congrats and well wishes. They truly warm my heart :)

Ring Shots

I can't remember if I said or not, but I got a new camera for Christmas. I've yet to put it down...

We Have Wedding Photos

We saw this as soon as we walked into the space, so romantic.



This is the space. It was a very chic urban type of penthouse loft called The Apartment. It was tres-awesome.



And this was the bar.



Me and Cupcake (remember, her?) I ended up wearing the dress with gold jewelry and gold strappy sandals - you couldn't tell. The dress was so long I could have worn anything underneath it. My only problem was I think I lost about a pound since I tried it on in the store and it was a bit loose on top. I worked with it.



And Cowboy. Do not worry, he wore a tie and jacket to this wedding, during the course of all the drinking - he stripped each one, slowly but surely. This was at the end of the reception. He's cute.


All photos taken by me, except the one of me which was taken by Cowboy.

Where We're At

Being engaged is not easy. I’m sure you married folks know.

I’m not used to all this attention. It’s so nice that everyone is congratulating us and wishing us well. But with some of those wishes come a whole lot of questions that I just wasn’t prepared for, at all. When’s the date? Where are you going to have it? What type of dress will you wear? And what about your dad?

I can knock out those first three questions easy. But the ‘dad’ question. Oy. The first person to ask me about it, of course was Cowboy and my answer was no one else was asking so I think we are good to assume that everyone knows he will not be there. After he asked, everyone started asking. I was semi-prepared with my answer of, “haven’t spoken to him in over 7 years, why would I start because of my wedding?” It turns out my mother has a strong opinion about that one. Let’s bring on the family drama!

Bless her heart, my mom has no reason to be on the up and up of weddings whereas I have been perusing all sorts of wedding & photographer blogs for awhile now. I don’t necessarily see my wedding chock full of every wedding trend that the wedding industry pushes down a bride’s throat – but there have been some ideas that I think are cute. Explaining them to my mom is not so much. That’s a hurdle I’m trying to get her over.

I’m also trying to decide if I’m going to start a new blog all about this wedding planning journey. I’ve been spying on other blogging brides and think I would like their community input much better than those of The Knot. I am 100% certain, I am not a Knot bride. I also want to challenge myself by not buying anymore wedding magazines. I bought three on Sunday and didn’t take to any of them. I’m going to go get Real Simple’s Wedding book/guide (heck, yeah LilBrownie!) and take it from there. I don’t want to get sucked into the industry telling me what I should or need to have to make my day special. I think Cowboy and I can formulate that ourselves. I expect it to get challenging at some point but I’m going to rely on the real brides out there, the blogging ones and their websites. I want real attainable inspiration.

We did decide to host the wedding in Arizona. This has been a long debate of ours before being engaged. I don’t want to argue over a small thing like location, so I compromised it with Cowboy and my mom. It makes more sense since his family lives there (and footing a bill for them to travel would be way too much) and so does my mom and brother. We’re looking at Phoenix or Sedona; I’m weighing heavily on the Sedona side. I just have a problem asking people to travel and then drive the hour and a half more to get to Sedona. People keep telling me, guests will travel and do whatever to get your wedding. And it’s not like anyone coming by plane wouldn’t have to rent a car anyway, sooo I’m thinking it over. Sedona is much more prettier than Phoenix and it’d be a great escape/getaway for all our guests

…that’s where we’re at.

I'm Going to be a Mrs!

I don’t even know how to begin this story. I thought about each and every one of you when I was blasting the news via text and Facebook yesterday. How will I write this blog post? I’m going to save you reading the entire thing: I’m Engaged!

Capital E. Engaged.

Here’s the scoop. Cowboy and I went to V’s wedding. And it was so cute. So very them. I’ll post pictures soon. The reception was a cocktail reception and that meant drinks, drinks, and drinks. The wedding started early so it ended early – everyone decided on an after party location and we trollied over there.

At the after-party, we you can imagine, I drank a lot more, Cowboy told me that he wanted to dance on the rooftop with me. What rooftop? Our rooftop on our apartment building. And yes, if you’ve been here awhile, its that infamous rooftop of ours but I’m not going there today. This is supposed to be romantic not hoochified. Back at our place, close to one o’clock in the morning, he takes me up to the roof. Dallas was looking fabulous.

We started dancing to something he was humming (or he may have been singing, I honestly cannot remember) and then when we were standing back to front looking out at the city, he said that he had a question to ask me…I turned around and there he was on one knee – asking me to marry him!

I started yelling a whole bunch of crazy and said yes. I don’t remember the other details but he got back down on his knee, two more times and kept asking me. I kept saying yes. He asked me for marriage, babies and no matter what we plan, his only request is to be married before 2010.

Afterwards, we went back to our apartment and I barely slept a wink. Yesterday I was on complete high. Turns out, he has had the ring for two months and was just waiting for a moment. He said he almost proposed in his pajamas several times ;) I just cannot believe that I’m going to Mrs. Cowboy!! That just makes beyond ecstatic!

Living Out Loud*

When I talk to myself others hear me. I need to remember this and chant it, silently to myself.

I'm not crazy, dear readers, I promise you, I'm not.

It seems I have taken my internal dialog with myself and have made it public and external. This means, others can hear me. It's not good.

It's particularly bad at work. I'm sitting happily in my cube and some idiot email comes through and I vocally announce that, yes, indeed, he/she is an idiot.

Or when I'm be reading blogs, you can hear me, saying, "aww, how cute", "Aww, Beth", "Where the F is Beverly?", "I must have that", or "How in the world did they do that?". And I always laugh out loud - if the blog is funny.

My manager must think I'm crazy. She knows I'm in my cube by myself.

And then there is the cube neighbor of mine. I have no idea who he is or what he looks like. He sits on the row over and his cube and my cube back into each other. Well, one day, I was talking to a magazine (oh, yeah the media back talking doesn't stop with the blogs. You should see me watch television.) Sometimes, there are clothes that cute they will elicit a "You are such a pretty" from my lips. And he answered me back. Talk about mortified. Hence, I have no idea what he looks like. I don’t dare walk down that row for anything.

So what? I talk to myself. I talk to myself out loud. Cowboy ignores me. We have caught me yelling the same comment or question to him repeatedly because it seems to me he hasn't heard me or isn't paying me any attention (how dare he?). His answer is, he has no idea if I'm talking to him or myself. The first time he said that to me, I said, "WTF?"
He told me, "TC (that’s what he calls me) you talk to yourself all the time, out loud."
Oh heck no, I don't.

Then my mom came to visit. She talked to herself half the time she was with us. Think that one over and get back to me.



*Has anyone seen this movie? It is so A to the awesome. I recommend it to anyone who has ever doubted or found themselves in new life situations. Go rent it. Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah and a whole lot of funny. I watch it whenever I'm feeling down or low.

The Hunt

This is the first time ever in all my job searching experience that I have abundantly sent out my resume cold. I’ve done it a couple of times before but only to people who knew someone I knew – so I had an “in”. This time around, no ins, I’m just blanketing that puppy out there. And let me tell you, it is the most emotional nerve wrecking experience out there when it comes to job hunting. Well, next to the must have that job anxiety – which I’ll explain later.

With each email I sent out, I said a little prayer. A prayer for my resume.
I hope you don’t get laughed at over there.
I hope they don’t think you are crazy for even thinking that you are experienced enough to work there.
I hope the spell check worked.
I hope you land in good hands and that someone takes care of you.

I feel raw. Exposed and kind of dirty. My experience written on paper is being handled by strangers. I don’t know what kind of eyes are reviewing it or maybe criticizing it.

It’s like my baby that I’ve created all on my own. I just hate sending it out there in the real world like that, all bare without my supervision. But I know, it had to happen because in this economy I think only the strong risk takers are surviving.

Now, about that must have that job anxiety. It’s like car shopping when you don’t really need a car. Except, I really need a job, so maybe that’s the wrong analogy.

You read a job posting and everything about it fits you to a T. Then the HR manager calls you for a pre-screening interview.

(Whoa – can we talk about this first. I hate hate hate the pre-screen. I am great at interviews, not so great over the phone during a pre=screen. I get nervous and stumble my words. Face to face, I do fine, so I don’t know what gives?!?!)

After the HR manager tells you how great the company is and how wonderful it is to work there and all the job tasks you could have...all of a sudden you must have that job. It’s shiny, new, better whistles, a job description that you thought you dreamt up and a fun, creative office. I must have that. You have to wait for your resume to be forwarded on – and that wait, is what kills me. I hate waiting, too. It sucks.

I’ll do it because what else do I have to do and isn’t the right job worth waiting for?

Thursday TV and Why I May Name My Baby Arizona...

Can you believe it took me almost a week to catch up on all of last Thursday’s television? Am I that busy?

OK Grey’s...will Denny be moving on? I think only tonight will tell. My fingers are crossed. I have big hopes for Alex. Like, big, huge hopes and silly, love grins for him. Like, Izzy + Alex = 4Ever hope.

When Dr. Arizona first entered the scene, I had to pause it, back it up and hear her say her name is Dr. Arizona, at least three times before hitting up IMBD.com to make sure that’s exactly what she said. And it’s her first name! Did I like it? I didn’t know. For the rest of the episode, I kept mentally picking random states to name my future IF baby...Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Dakota, Washington, Texas. Well, I started loving Tennessee but played ping pong with it and Arizona. Cowboy has always had the oddest idea that our IF kids could have names representing where we’re from. Now, I’m all down for naming a kid, Brooklyn but not Phoenix. Then, in walked Dr. Arizona...

So, we had the Chief all bummed out about the dead doctor – who we’ve never seen before and there have been tons of pediatric cases on that show before, I know this! He’s holed up in a room wondering how bad things happen to the hospital and why they are #12. I know why! You have a dead patient roaming the halls with his hands in his pockets looking all creep like. (sorry Nanette)

I’m still not down with Callie being lesbian. Especially if she hooks up with Melissa George. No, no, no, no, no. And Sloan with Little Grey? NO, NO, NO, NO.

Just as I was contemplating “Alaska”, Bailey walks in complaining to the Chief about Ms. Jessica Capshaw (who I also have to tell you is my favorite underrated actress ever. How cute is she? I just want to be brunch friends with her) aka Dr. Arizona Robbins. And it’s official – I love, love, love the name. People would probably make fun of us for naming a child, Arizona but so what? It took me almost a full hour to debate it and I like it. My foot's down. I don’t care what Bailey says about the name.

Ooh I watched Ugly Betty too. Finally, Connor and Wilhelmina = YES! He is just one hot bastard. And what the heck was Hilda’s problem? I don’t have a sister but I can tell you right now, my brother would totally be understanding if I had to WORK instead of stuffing gift bags with him. Seriously. Doesn’t Hilda know what kind of economy we are all in right now? Work, first. Family, Segundo.

On other days of the week, I'm watching Damages, Top Chef, The Bachelor, Gossip Girl, The City and trying to get back into Nip/Tuck. And this Sunday, get ready for all new "Big Love" - whoo freaking hoo!!

Downsizing

I thought about it and of course talked about it with Cowboy. I’m just going to have to say no to being a part time nanny. I’m going to tell them that if they ever need a day to do something as a couple, of course, they can give us a call and check availability. It came down to one thing. I would be watching That Baby in my apartment. Excuse me, our apartment. We all know Cowboy sleeps during the day and I will need to be job hunting via the computer while at home. If That Baby were older, it may work. We can’t control her screaming or crying or whatnot. Cowboy doesn’t want it to turn into something where we will have to change our minds and say no later. That may cause some friction in his relationship with CR1. Or mine with That Baby’s Mama. Or ours with the both of them as a couple.

We’ve decided to scratch house hunting plans and get a smaller apartment. We’ve been weighing the idea way before I got the lay off news. That news just kinda sealed the deal. And here’s the deal, we can move into a smaller unit in our building that we live in now for less rent in what we pay now. We will save just over $400. And here’s the kick, we lose space but we gain a bedroom. So we will have a two bedroom apartment for less than what we pay now for our extra big one bedroom apartment. We will lose space in the living room and bedroom. A-ok with us. Because we end up with a larger bathroom, an extra room and get this: a bigger walk in closet! Hallelujah!

Hmm

This week I'm wondering what to wear with this dress or how to style it up. I'm wearing it to V's wedding this weekend. Can you believe how fast her engagement blew? It was just August when they were engaged and those six months flew!



It's an evening wedding. This dress is super long on me. If you can't tell, it's also strapless. The material is silk. I got it from Zara over the holidays. It was 50% off. I almost wore to our New Years Eve celebrations but I didn't pack the right bra for it and I was not about to go bra shopping with limited time on my hands. I don't play like that.

I'm wondering if I should go gold or silver jewelry?
Should I wear flats or heels?
Should I do dark make-up or something ethereal?

This dress is whispering ethereal to me, that's why I say that.
Or is it totally not a wedding guest type of attire at all?

I'm taking comments and suggestions, please.

Brunch, Groceries and the Airport

I met up with CR1's girlfriend for a free brunch their apartment place puts on once a month. Yeah, I saw her twice in one week. I think she needs a girl friend during these rough times for her and CR1. The brunch had made to order omelets and pancakes! Cowboy and I need to move. There is no such thing over here where we live. Have a mentioned, we live a block apart from CR1 and That Baby Mama? The only thing that separates us is an Albertson's. Not only have a I seen her twice this week, it's CR1's one birthday this upcoming Friday. I'm sure some shenanigans will happen. On top of that, she asked me to attend some birthday party with her on the 25th. She sure is all about the booking me up. And there's more, which I have a feeling is the reason I was invited to brunch in the first place - She asked me if I'd think about being a part-time nanny to That Baby, you know since I lost my job. Yes, she did! I'm thinking about it. It would only be during the day, while she and CR1 get some sleep/alone time/etc because they work crazy night hours as cops. That Baby is out of her screaming baby phase and can now walk and semi-talk, so she is much more tolerable nowadays. So, I'm thinking about it. It'd be easy to do while hunting for a job and watching horrible day time television. And it would be great practice.

I wore a grey turtleneck from The Gap; an orange coat from Tulle (on sale for $37 at Nordstroms when I bought it. My lucky day) and Blue Cult jeans.



The rest of the day I hit up the grocery store, Walgreen's, Blockbuster and the airport to pick up my man :)

I Heart Cowboy

I cannot say this enough. I have the bestest boyfriend ever.

As the news of my lay off dropped, he was in Houston playing GI Joe. Not literally. He was off at his once a year drill week where they make them act as if they are being deployed to some unknown location and they must live out in a field for a week. They act out different scenarios and survive like soldiers. I call it playing GI Joe.

I had to text him the news. It was hours before he responded and more hours before he called me. The words, we'll be okay, did wonders to me. This love of mine turned my situation into our situation and said we'd be okay. And I believe him. Then I was off for dinner, drinks and Benjamin Button.

Later that night, he had a chance to call me again and this time he floored me. He told me how he thought it over and thought of how we can downsize and what we can get rid of. I totally thought he was jumping the gun.

I have never rid myself of anything in the last two times I've been suddenly without a job. I just kept on trucking like normal, thanks to my savings account and unemployment. Don’t get me wrong, I know how to live frugal and buy generic when times are tough. I think its my good shopping savvy and choices that allows me not to change my lifestyle that drastically in such times. But then again, I've also never been without a job for more than three months.

Cowboy laid out a list of items he thinks we can do without. Most were items that he solely uses. He mentioned coming up with a plan together when he gets back to Dallas. My man with a plan. I love him! He went on and asked how we can take care of me, emotionally. Where has he been most of my adult life? Sheesh. Now, if he could just move it along and ask a question or two. I'll be good to go.

What I Wore When I Got the Lay Off News

It was cold, so I wore tights. It was my lazy week without Cowboy, so I wore all black. But the skirt is kinda a dark grey. That counts, right? Who knew, it'd be so fitting for what the day had in store for me. I got laid off, but I still look cute!



The skirt is from Old Navy; the shirt is from The Limited and the tights and shoes are Target (from a hella long time ago)

Some People Danced

Very few movies shake me to my core. I’m going to tell you like I told Bev last night: 10 stars out of 5 for Benjamin Button. I’m not kidding.

I was so moved by each story told in the film: his father; his mother; the Russian hotel woman; the short man; Julia Ormande’s story (she’s Daisy’s daughter in the film and may I ask, where the heck has she been?) and of course Benjamin and Daisy. Was it me or did each story of chapter of his life just hit you hard? He was so philosophical.

I cried so many times in this film, there was no need to wash my face before bed. The last half hour did it for me, waterworks to compete with Niagara Falls. The almost three hour length didn’t bother me one bit, honestly I felt like I was sitting there for only an hour and a half. And I’d go see it again in a heartbeat. With someone else.

That’s the other half to this story, I went and saw it with CR1’s girlfriend, That Baby’s Mama. Now, I like this girl, I do. I just didn’t like her the same day I was given my lay off news (I’d much prefer to have been with my old tried and true friends, but she and I had these plans for over a week) and after our dinner talk. We met for dinner first.

Here’s the backstory, she and CR1 broke up over the holidays. Yes, I was elated but also sad – break ups around the holidays are just no good for anyone. I always knew CR1’s side of the break up because Cowboy told me so. Warning: that’s how we roll, we tell each other everything. A lot of their demise had to deal directly with That Baby’s Mama’s relationship with That Baby’s Daddy.

But in talking to That Baby Mama last night, I realized the more she talked about it, the more I understood why CR1 is jealous of Cowboy and I. Oh, yeah he told Cowboy that and Cowboy told me. We roll.

Their relationship which is now back on the mend, if chock full of jealousy and mistrust. Not a good thing. She’s jealous of him around other women. He doesn’t trust her. She snoops in his phone. He thinks she should sue Baby Daddy for sole custody. And that’s where I draw the line!

I do not believe in taking away a child from either parent unless the situation is unfit for said child. Their reasoning is just so they can spend more time with That Baby – so CR1 can feel he is in a normal family. Oh hell no. And I told her that, too. How do you take a child away from its father just so you can live like a “normal” nuclear family? That’s just so wrong. And how selfish of CR1, but I already knew that about him.

After listening to all that and downing as many margaritas as I could – we went and saw Benjamin Button. And that was a greater escape than I expected.

*And no worries, I ran yesterday and today ;)

Laid Off, Again

Was it me just talking how I was debating calling in sick? Amazing how an hour can make a difference. Once again, I’ve been laid off. Story of my life.

I have two weeks left here and its very very sad.

Last year I a job I loved ended with a boss I didn’t like.

This year, it’s a boss I love and a job I’ve really enjoyed ending.

This is my first job where I think I actually learned more than any other. I relished coming in early and my nice hours. I’ve become really close with my boss. It’s a bummer all around.

I keep thinking, it’s because of the economy and I’m not the only one in this pickle. I’m taking deep breaths, sending out emails to my contacts and thanking someone above that I live with someone.

What You Doing

It’s been a very busy start to the new year. I’m going to try and start posting more. As far as the blog’s new year, it’s been pretty dismal, no? I’ve got so much happening and going on, I don’t even know where to start.

Honestly, this past week has just been about me getting my bearings straight. I wasn’t happy with the fact that I hadn’t run two days consecutively in such a long time. The week after Christmas, I just gave up and now, I’m trying to get back on my wagon. I don’t know how or why I stopped running but it hasn’t been much fun, for me. I liked starting each day out with a run. I felt more energized and more happy. I could blame the cold weather but that’s no excuse. I ran last winter. I see runner’s running in the biting 30-degree weather. If they can, I can do it, too. So, I’m going to try and get back to it. No matter what.

I’ve also been trying to get over this ordeal with my mother. Part of me feels that our relationship has forever changed. I really don’t want it to but at the same time, she needs to know that I’m an adult and not a child and she just cannot do things like she did and expect me to accept it. I have opinions and emotions that are different from hers. Maybe that’s what was so difficult for her. She’d never heard me voice my opinion in such an angry state before. Who knows?!? I’ve been dealing with that on my mind.

In other news – Cowboy is gone for the week. He is at a special drill. I know I left him alone for a week when I was off gallivanting the state of Texas but gee whiz – it sure is lonely in our apartment when one of us is not there. Its quiet. Too quiet. When he was in Iraq, it was much different because I just gotten off living alone, so in many ways us moving in right before he took off was still me living alone. Now that he’s back, we’ve settled into our life together. So when he is gone, boy is he gone.

I become one lazy lady when there is no Cowboy around. It takes a lot for me just to make the bed in the morning (I know!!). I wear the same sweatpants every night; I eat popcorn for dinner (to avoid doing dishes); I sloth in front of the television for hours in our bed; I debate washing my face and brushing my teeth before bed; I refuse to clean up so I do very minimal tasks so there is no mess and I already have a do nothing plan for all day Saturday. It’s taking a lot for me not to call in sick to work because that would mean lazy day plus daytime television. Oy. This is sad.

I need to take down our Christmas decorations – but I don’t want to. This is not because of the stated laziness but because I really enjoy looking at them. Technically, we still have two presents underneath our tree. Both for Cowboy’s no-show younger brother. But still. I think I was the first one on the block to put up our Christmas tree. I had that baby up two weeks before Thanksgiving and that was me holding back. I wanted up as soon as November came around. People thought I was crazy. Oh well.

So that’s what's been happening in these parts of the woods.

So That was Christmas

My holiday was quite the adventure and quite the drama. I'm going to break it down for you in bullet points because a normal post would be waaaaaay too long.

-Cowboy's brother pulled another no-show on us. YEAH. Can you believe it? Well, I could when he called us on Christmas Eve saying he'll drive up in the morning (sounded way too familiar to Thanksgiving). Then it was 2pm on Christmas day that he finally called us and told us, he was not coming. Cowboy finally (thank you) told him where to stick it and then went into a longer lecture of a conversation to tell him about his life, leaving school and not being responsible. **side note: Cowboy and his mom also had a very long conversation about it on Saturday. Or course, I eavesdropped and was shocked to hear them talking about it with opposition to the situation. All this time I thought the mom was a-okay with the boy dropping out of school.

-Christmas night, my mom fainted twice in our apartment around 3am. It awoke me when she fell the first time and while I was helping her, she fainted again. I was scared to all shit. We had to rush her to the hospital in an EMT transport. We were scared that it was a mini stroke because her speech patterns and motor skills were so off. I had a very hard time trying to keep it together.

-Doctors make the worst patients. My mom was all fine and dandy at the hospital after they gave her an IV drip. Then came the bossing around - she just knew better than the attending doctor assigned to her. He'd order tests for her and she'd refuse them. Of course, she just knew better and didn't want to be cooped up in a hospital any longer.

-She thinks the fainting happened because she may have been dehydrated because all her tests came back negative or normal. We all spent over 12 hours in the hospital for that diagnosis. Gotta love the health care industry - over a three hour wait just to take some blood; ten hours waiting for a MRI and ten plus hour wait for an EKG.

-The following night, she met some man on an email. A man she had never met before and got all giddy schoolgirl with Cowboy and I when she went on to tell us how he is from Canada but is spending his holiday in Houston with friends. I should have seen what would come next.

-A week before Christmas, my mom and I scheduled a road trip to visit family friends in Austin and San Antonio. Once in San Antonio, we would split and I'd go see my SA friends while she did her own thing. Her flight back to Phoenix was leaving out of SA. Our road trip would have been four days together. It ended up being two.

-My mom decided to ditch me and go see that man in Houston. I can't even begin to tell you how pissed I was over that decision. I was livid. She and I got into the worst fights ever, in the span of a couple of hours. Let's just say, it ended with me almost hitting her, she yelling at me and me leaving her happy butt in Austin, while I continued to San Antonio, two days earlier than planned. I just don't put up with that shit for anyone. If anyone decided to ditch me for some guy they never met, I'm sorry, but I will be mad at you. Plain and simple. Just because she is my mom, she doesn't get special treatment.

-Overwhelmed with guilt, I went back to Austin, two days later to bring her to San Antonio. I had a "come to Jesus" talk with myself to give me the strength to forgive and just be with her. I came to the conclusion that our relationship is close and works because she lives in Phoenix and I live in Dallas. Now, I understand why every mother/daughter relationship comes with some sort of trying drama at some point in the relationship.

-New Year's Eve, my friends and I went back to Austin for some celebrating. It was mad fun, we had a four-course dinner at a great wine restaurant called, Taste and after we went to a house party and rang in 2009.

-New Year's day, I returned back to Dallas. It was great sleeping in my own bed, cuddled up next to Cowboy and the last thing on my mind was where do I need to drive next?

What I Wore Over the Weekend

Saturday I traveled my happy butt to Arlington for the very last bridal shower for my friend, V. The shower was awesome - GREAT food, women and V was happy as an early bird with a worm. Pre-thinking how I would think my own way into the future wedding activities would be, I always thought that I'd want to skip out on the multiple showers. I just never thought I'd be comfortable opening presents while everyone in the room watched and I'm the only one opening gifts?!?! Watching V, I became very sentimental and emotional. I don't know what was wrong with me. I'm so happy for her and her man and cannot wait to see them commit to each other in just a couple of weeks. Whoo hoo!!

Buuut, let me tell you. I was very overly dressed for the occasion. And it became embarrassing. The invite said, "bridal shower luncheon". I took that to mean, a nice day dress. Out of about 50 women attending, there was three others in dresses. Everyone else was in jeans?!?!? WTF. Then there was comment after comment about how dressy I was and was I thankful for the 75 degree weather so that I could bust out that dress? Well, truth be told, I knew I was going to wear this dress regardless of the weather, about a week ago. I just don't like when too much attention is called to what I'm wearing.



Saturday night, me and Cowboy made our way to a happy hour and then had our first date of the year. The day after Christmas, my mom and I road-tripped to Austin and then San Antonio. I stayed the week and spent New Year's (back) in Austin sans Cowboy. He had to work that night. Boo.

He came up with the idea for us to have a first date, when I came back from tooling around the state of Texas. During my trip, I found the skirt I wore at a Target for $9! It's a satin like material and I love it, amazingly, it fits like a dream. Since I'm down in sizes, Target sizing no longer is easy for me. I'm not quite a 2 but I can't pull my ass into their 0.



**And please excuse the wrinkles. My mom taught me well and I did iron it before leaving the house that night.

The happy hour went great - I saw a lot of old friends from the jewelry company I used to work for and they all got to finally meet Cowboy, too. Problem was, he and I drank a lot at happy hour. I was seriously bordering drunk when we went to the restaurant. And thank God, Republic in Las Colinas is not a happening, busy place for dinner. There were only two other tables being served with us.

The night ended with Cowboy and I having our own Dance Party USA in our living room. Because we roll like that.

Happy New Year, everyone!!