Merry Christmas Everyone

Heading to Tulsa tonight or early tomorrow AM. Hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas. Guess we'll continue the party next year. Love you all!!

Christmas, cameras, and clothes

Howdy!! I am about to take off work for the day. Yay!!
I would be more excited if it wasn't to go buy fat clothes. I have gained almost 10 lbs since quitting smoking and it is all around my waist. None of my jeans are comfortable any more and I can't go through Xmas without good jeans. I have already saved about $150 not buying smokes, so I deserve to treat myself.
I almost got my new camera last night, but Jason still wants to do a little more research. He gets slightly OCD about new electronic purchases. Guess it is good since I would just get what I wanted as fast as my credit card could buy it!
Just a few last minute things to get done for Christmas shopping and then it is time to give them out. That is my favorite part!
Hope everyone is enjoying the pre-Christmas festivities and preparation.

Smoking

I technically quit smoking two weeks and two days ago. Yay for me!! It is going pretty well. I fell off the wagon a bit on Saturday night. Too many cups of champagne punch and a ciggy sounded pretty tempting. I caved and had a few.

However, no more since then, so that is a good sign. Maybe I can be a social smoker? I know my throat felt like crap the next day. It is hard to resist when you are around other smokers. I am now on a mission to get everyone to quit, even if it is just selfishly.

It really did feel like losing an old friend at first. I have smoked for so long and have a true fondness for the feeling it brings. My health is much more important however, so I will bid farewell to my smelly old pal.

I admire everyone who has successfully quit, it is not easy. And for anyone thinking about it, just do it!! I, for one, like a good challenge.

Crossword puzzles

I have gotten into doing the crossword from the Statesman every day. Thanks to Audrey who has been doing this for years. I decided to try because I do such monotonous work all day that my brain is on permanent vacation. I try to read to keep the hamster exercising, but I don't find as much time as I would like.
Most days the crossword makes me feel dumb. I can usually get about 1/2 done without too much effort. Then it is a guessing game. I eventually have to break out the dictionary or our handy Google search engine to get it 100% complete. I know it is a process, especially memorizing all the "crossword" words that no one uses in every day life.
Anyway, it gets me thinking. Thinking I am an idiot that is.
I'll keep it up and hopefully be a guru before long.

Jason's Birthday!!

It is my wonderful hubby's birthday today!! He is getting really old, but luckily a little wiser and more distinguished as well. :-)
We have been celebrating for a few days. His parents came down for a visit and he got to go to the OU/A&M game while I got to spend some quality time with my terrific mother-in-law. (Yes I am that lucky to have a mother-in-law I actually enjoy spending time with!!)
Then Sunday we smoked ribs and stuffed our faces while watching football and hanging with the D-man. Monday night we went out to dinner at Trudy's and turned my OK family on to the famous Mexican Martini. Yum-O!!
Tonight is probably another night out to dinner which is actually more of a treat for me so I don't have to cook or clean. Yay!!
I love birthdays even if they aren't mine and I am so glad we had family here to make #34 so special for Jason. Happy Birthday, Old Man!!

Almost Spook Day

I am so excited about Halloween this year. Dylan is finally old enough to really get into it. He is going as Batman this year!! The old school Batman, not Dark Knight. And to my surprise, Dylan's trick-or-treating pal and cousin Ashton is going as Robin! Totally unplanned, and so awesome. I will try my hardest to get some pictures out there.
This has been such a long week. I am so ready for Halloween to finally be here. Another busy weekend with that, then a Halloween party, then a birthday party at the zoo!! Whoo, the life of a 4-year old is tiring!
Dylan has a pajama and pumpkin painting party at school tomorrow also. He is really excited about it. He has a new teacher who he really enjoys. She is kind of a goof, but that is what you want in a preschool teacher, right??
Have a very safe and Happy HALLOWEEN!!

Willie Freakin' Nelson!!

So, thanks to Audrey, I had the pleasure of attending the closing concert for The Backyard. For those of you who don't know, The Backyard is a large outdoor live music venue nestled in the heart of the hill country. And now a huge shopping center, hence "the closing". They have plans to reopen down Hwy 71 at an even larger spot and I am sure it will be great, but it'll never be exactly the same.
The music line up was unbelievable. We got to see some really talented musicians and danced our hearts out! Elizabeth Wills was the first act and she was terrific. Fantastic voice and great stage presence. Plus I really like the song lyrics she writes. After that there were a couple acts not worth mentioning in this blog. But then.....Carolyn Wonderland (very Janis Joplin-like) was great and The Gourds really got the crowd going. They do lots of their own stuff, but also do "country" cover versions of everyone from Jethro Tull to Snoop Dogg. Hilarious!
Followed by Ruthie Foster, Kelly Willis, Jimmy Vaughn, are you drooling yet?

Then of course, WILLIE was the headliner. I have never seen him live before and he was great. He sang most of his oldies but goodies and got the crowd involved. Threw out a few red bandannas to ladies (old ladies) that were throwing their "grannie panties" up on stage for him!! Guess he's still got it!!
He shared with us some of the songs he had written during his recovery from carpal tunnel surgery. One started with "Too many pain pills and too much pot" and another ended with "Did you hear the one about the dirty whore?". Needless to say, they were a riot.

This is going to be a hard one to top. Might be the best concert I will ever attend. Audrey and I made lots of friends at our private VIP spot and we shared laughs and dances. I am exhausted today, but it was definitely worth it!!

Time, precious time

Wow!! I have never been this busy and overwhelmed. There is so much going on with work, home, Dylan, friends, family........I don't have time for laundry, much less blogging!!
I have been trying to catch up on some of yours and I am very proud of all of you. I am hoping to get back to it at least a couple times a week. (NO PROMISES!!)

I don't have much exciting news. I am looking forward to Halloween. Dylan is going to be Batman and his costume is so cute, I mean tough! ;-) Then on Saturday the adults will have their big Halloween Bash. Jason, Audrey, Mandy, Kenneth and I are all doing a group thing. (With our costumes, I mean, jeez get your minds out of the gutter!!) I love the idea and can't wait to show it off. Sorry it is a secret until the big day!

Hope everyone is doing well out there in blogger land. I'll be back with more interesting posts next week once I find some time to think of something to discuss.

Fell off the wagon

I know, I know. I have not been keeping up with my blog at all. It has been a really busy couple weeks between work and Dylan's birthday. Can you believe he is already "4"?! The time flies by so quickly.

He had a great birthday at home. He got to pick the menu...tamales, corn-on-the-cob, and fruit salad. It was delicious!! Then we let him open some family gifts. He also got to celebrate at school, cupcakes with his friends.

We had his party on Sunday. It was a madhouse, but we are so blessed to have such a terrific group of friends. He enjoyed showing off is trampoline jumping skills. All the kids had a good time. He got spoiled with tons of presents. Cars, clothes, transformers, UT gear, OU gear, Big Bucket-O-Dinosaurs, and books and puzzles. He is still coming home everyday and heading straight for the new toys.

I don't have many pics because my camera ran out of batteries, but when I have time, I'll put the ones up I do have. Got some video too, although I forgot to take the lens cap off the video camera for Happy Birthday singing. Way to go Mom!! I have informed Daddy he is in charge of video next year.

I am going out of town this weekend to take Dylan to visit Great Grannie in Aggieland. So, you'll have to continue to wait patiently for the photos to get posted. I know, I know.

Hope the rest of this week goes faster and everyone is enjoying some cooler weather.

Non-Labor Day

My Labor Day was fantastic!! I did nothing. It was a welcomed day of relaxation and laziness. The only time I left the house was to go to Sonic and get dinner so neither of us would have to cook and then in turn clean the kitchen.

I watched a lot of TV, some football and watched Dylan play computer games and games with his cars. He was so well behaved the whole weekend, even though we didn't take him out of the house!! I can't wait til the weather cools off and he has his trampoline so he can get more outdoor play time.

It was a bummer to get back to work today, but it is already almost Wednesday, so the week is flying by. I got some great pics of all of Jason's BBQ adventures. I'll post them for all to see. I am gearing up for Dylan's birthday party and he is stoked it is finally September and he can see his big day on the horizon.

I hope you all had a fabulous three day weekend. Can't wait for Thanksgiving when we can get some time off work again!

Dress for Success 2008

One of our very good friends Mark came up with the motto "Dress for Success 2006". It has been an ongoing joke for the past two years. Basically a simple concept, dress for the job you want and the image you want people to see. No more of this "tree-hugging" you are beautiful on the inside and that is all that matters philosophy!!

Anyway, I have decided (in the last two days, I should add) to embrace this motto for the next while. I say the next while because who knows how long it will last. But, I have dressed nicely and fixed my hair and worn makeup for two straight days. I know you are all proud of me. The problem is the damn heat. When "fall" arrives it will be much easier. It took me 15 minutes to figure out what shoes to wear today and it is barely after lunch and I am already regretting my decision. Oh well, I look good and that is all that matters, right?

Fall, by the way, is this three week period of time when you can wear jeans in the afternoon without sweating and just before the dead brown leaves fall off the trees. It is so beautiful, don't blink and miss it.

So, if you see me out at night or during the day between Monday and Friday, prepare to be amazed by my fashion sense and glamour. I know, you already are most of the time anyway, but it will be even better!

Hopefully most people reading this know I am not really this conceited. Jokes, people. Jokes.

Hot and Sticky

By the title you may think you are in for a romance novel type steamy love scene blog....WRONG!! The A/C in our office has been broken all day and it is getting so hot in here!! It rained for a bit, which seems to have cooled it off a bit outside, but only made the office hotter and now humid as well. Even the paper coming from the printers and copiers is on fire!!
I feel really sorry for the men here because they wear long sleeved button down shirts and ties! I am ready to get home to the comfort of my cool house.
So Friday my purse gets stolen from my office and then today no A/C. I am convinced it is a sign that I need to find a new job or something!! Oh, and the receptionist has been on vacation so I have to answer the phone, too!!
Not a great couple days of work. I did have a great weekend, however.
Got a great haircut, went shopping for Dylan's birthday, went to dinner for HH birthday, got some yard work done, cut the boys hair. All in all, pretty fun and relaxing.
I have been ready for the summer to be over for about a month now and this kicked it in overdrive. I also bought 4 new pair of Fall/Winter shoes and I am dying to wear them. Hope it cools off soon. I guess the silver lining is I really don't need to go to the gym tonight after sweating at my desk all day!! (Well, that is my reasoning anyway.)

Friday!!

I am so glad this week is finally over and the weekend can begin. It has been a long, emotional, and expensive 4 days. My week took a major turn for the better late Wednesday night and I have a much more positive outlook on the immediate future. I am glad I decided to stop pretending to be passive aggressive and take control of my life again. It proved to be a wonderful idea.
This weekend is going to be a good one. Hanging out with Dylan tonight while Jason is at a Fantasy Football Draft. Tomorrow I have a haircut, finally, and it is always fun to see my friend, Suzanne, the best hair stylist ever!! Then it is celebration time for Heather's birthday. She is ready to pop any day, so it'll be water for her, but the rest of us will tie one on so she can at least be entertained!!
Sunday is yard work and housework day. That may not sound fun, but it is so fulfilling when the job is complete. Makes me feel more ready for the work week when I am all caught up on things.
So, the mechanic couldn't figure out what was wrong with my car, just did the tires and the alignment. Then, of course, yesterday it started doing the lunge again. Why do cars always do that??? I am going to keep driving until it starts happening all the time and then make the journey to Georgetown again. I like the NYC idea Heather, but it gets way too cold there for this Texas girl.
Plan to try and post a bunch of pics on the blog this weekend, so check in next week for some new stuff. Have a terrific weekend everyone!

Cars!!

So, I really wish I enjoyed riding a bike or taking the bus. Cars are too expensive. Between the loan payments, gas and repairs, I feel like I work full time just so I can drive to the grocery store once a week!!
Just took my car to the dealership for some small repairs and to get new tires. Huge expense and then I find out that in 15,000 miles I will have to throw down another $1000 for major tune up and timing belt. Why do I even have a warranty? Guess it only helps if my tranny blows or my radio breaks. I am sure those won't happen for 50,000 miles right after the warranty expires. At least I won't still be making payments.
For anyone that read and commented about my blog from yesterday. Thank you and unfortunately I am not feeling any better today.
For anyone that read my blog from yesterday and was totally confused about what I meant and took it way out of context, read it again and then get back to me.
Anyway, if I ever move to a smaller town, I am investing in a bike. I really don't want to have to wear those dorky helmets though!!
I can't believe it is only Wed. This has been a long week. I'll be glad to have some "me" time this weekend, it is much needed. Hope everyone is having a good day and hope your vehicles are running smoothly!!

Negativity (not a fun one again)

Sometimes I really annoy myself. I am so ready to believe that someone, anyone, is upset with me or disappointed in me or any negative feeling. It makes it hard to understand people correctly, especially those who don't communicate much/well. Of course it is probably a Catch 22 situation where those people are nervous to try to communicate with me because they are worried I will take everything the wrong way. Damn, I need therapy!! :-)



A lot of the time I really think it is just the old theory that men and women do not understand each other very well. (That is a general statement. I know lots of people do.) Or that I am so scared of being abandoned due to crap from my childhood that I alienate those closest to me. How knows? I do know I am so over feeling this way. I am going to try to make a huge effort to believe what people say and take it at face value. The over-analysis of every dialogue, written or verbal, is too much.



It gets me nowhere and only amplifies these negative feelings. God, life is hard and stressful. I know I have such a wonderful life compared to so many people in the world. I cannot wrap my brain around why I would try to break it down. I have to stop pushing people away by being too independent and untrusting.



I am sorry to anyone who has been affected by this behavior. Expect to see the new (or old, for those of you who have known me forever) Carrie surfacing soon. I promise it is an improvement and you will love her.

The Weekend

So, I couldn't keep up with the blog on the weekend. Oh well! I really wanted to so I could play with my blog page and add lots of pics and stuff. Maybe next weekend I'll have time.



At any rate, I had a great weekend. Hung out at home watching the Olympics on Friday with the fam and then got to spend the whole day Saturday with Dylan by myself. It was great. He is so much fun these days. We ate lunch, ran errands and went grocery shopping. Then Sat night I, FINALLY, got to go hang out at Stillwood.



Stillwood is a street where a lot of our friends live and they hang out together in their garages and have beers and play games and have good conversation. It is a blast and it had been too long. I really enjoyed it.



Then Sunday I got lots of housework done and got to treat myself to a pedi. (Pretty much the only beauty treat I allow myself on any regular basis.) Then my brother, sister-in-law and nephew came over for dinner. It was really good to see them, although tough in the beginning. They recently lost a baby and it was very emotional to see and talk to my sister-in-law.



I am in awe of their strength, especially hers. It is amazing and I wish them all the best and love them very much.



I had such a nice weekend it made it really hard to come back to work today. I have a big case of the Monday's and am already dreaming of Friday afternoon. So, I know this is a super boring blog, promise I will think of something more interesting to write about tomorrow.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

This is one of the best Dylan stories from the past few weeks. Enjoy!!



We were reading a book last night before bedtime called, "What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?". It isn't one I had read to him in awhile, but is was immediately obvious that he and Jason have looked at it quite a lot.

The book is just animal cartoon characters dressed up in different clothing, holding props with their profession or job listed underneath. (Lawyer, Doctor, Teacher, etc.) Some of them are really weird, but he knew almost all of them.

When we got to "Waitress", he said it correctly and then told me that if it was a man, he was called a "Waiter".

Wow!! Nice work.

Then later we got to "Actor" and I told him if it was a girl, it was an "Actress". You could see the light bulb go off.

On the next page there was a picture of an "Artist", he called it a "Painter", which in this case was also correct because the girl fox was a painter. However, I thought he should know the broader term was "Artist".

So then he says, "Yeah and if it is a boy, it is an "Arter". That was too cute and I loved seeing him use his new knowledge. Of course, I explained that wasn't correct and since he doesn't spell quite yet, he didn't really get it.



I thought that was funny, until the ultimate happened a few pages later. The page had four characters; a clown, a juggler, a lion tamer, and an acrobat. He got the first two correct and then when I pointed to "Lion Tamer", he said really loudly, are you ready.........



"A Liontist"!!!!



You know, like a scientist.



OMG!!! I laughed my behind off! He loves to make people laugh, so he just kept repeating himself, not really understanding why it was so funny.



I love when this kind of stuff happens. The way their little brains work is amazing to me. I wish I could strap a video camera to my shoulder 24/7 so I could capture all the hilarity.

Hopefully the blog will continue to be a good way for me to preserve the memories.

Forgotten Friends

So, I got a little negative feedback from my Shout Out blog from yesterday. I don't want anyone to feel left out, so here's a little something to add.
To all my homies in OK
Miss you, love you, wish we were closer in miles
I'll pour out a little liquor for you tonight
Holla!!

Shout Outs

So, this week has pretty much all around sucked. Part in a major, tragic way and part in small, annoying ways. Instead of sending the first blog I typed-a long ranting, complaining, bitchy, my-life-sucks verbal diarrhea explosion-I decided to focus on some positive things going on. Here it goes!!



Heather-Tomorrow is your last day of work before your maternity leave begins. Yay!! Enjoy every minute of it, before and after the baby arrives. You may feel bored at times, but way to soon you will be back at work missing your bundle of joy and yes, sometimes even your belly. I am so happy for you.



Jason, and all the other guys playing in the DMI Golf Tournament-Good luck to you all, have fun, and drink lots of water (or beer at least!).



Mom-Welcome back home. I know your drive was a nightmare with your blowout, but we have all missed you and are glad you are back safely. Can't wait to see you and spend some good quality mother/daughter time.



Sandra-Congrats on your new tattoo!! I know you are excited and I can't wait to see it!



Audrey-Let's go get that tattoo for you this weekend and do some major partying before you go back to school (work? whatever.) Oops I was only supposed to focus on the positive. Sorry you have to go back to work, well kind of! :-)



Okay, that is all the positivity I can muster for today. I am ready for the weekend, so bring it!

Ode to Dylan

Dylan, how do I love thee, let me count the ways......


Ha, just kidding, I wouldn't put anyone through that torture. Although I did write a little Haiku to honor the special little man in my life.


Shining, gap tooth smile

Eyelashes reach the sky

Holding my heart captive



Okay, seriously, this really should have been my first blog. I also should probably take more time to think about what I want to say about Dylan, but then again this is just the first of many.



I am amazed EVERYDAY how I could have produced such a wonderful child. He is everything I could have dreamed of and so much more. He is sensitive and strong and so funny!! I know every mother thinks her child is phenomenal, and they should, so for anyone who is at all annoyed by that behavior-I would stop reading now!



I decided to write about Dylan this morning as we were driving in to daycare and work. He asked me to put on his favorite song, "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. As he sang from the back seat at the top of his lungs, trying desperately to hit the high notes, I knew I needed to blog about him.



He is learning so much everyday and his knowledge blows my mind. He has this hilarious 3-year-old logic that confuses and enlightens me at the same time. He has recently learned his alphabet, and not just singing it. We got him this DVD called "Leap Frog Letter Factory". (Go buy it today!!) Within a few weeks he learned the order, shape, and sound of each letter. Now he sounds out words and tells me what they start with! Two months ago all he knew was that his name started with a "D". Mind boggling how much they can retain in such a short period of time.



For anyone reading that doesn't know me well, I cry - A LOT!! I cry for important things, I cry for other people, I cry at commercials, weddings, reading emails......It is really almost annoying how much I cry. Well, Dylan does not get it at all. If he sees the faintest tear in my eye, the look on his face totally changes and he comes right over to me and asks me why I am sad. When I say, "This movie makes Mommy happy.", or whatever explanation, his look then changes to one of confusion. It makes me happy that he cares to know what is bothering me. I am glad he is sensitive to others. But then still so obvious he is male when he walks away shaking his head at the crazy lady!



Wow, this is harder than I thought. I have way to much to say. I'll come back with more thoughts later. I hope you all feel blessed by your relationships, especially with your children. It is an unexplainable love and I feel so privileged for the experience.



Here's a big SQUEEZE to you all from Dylan's Mom.

My apologies

It has been a long time since I have written anything and because of that I seem to have made quite a few grammatical errors in my previous post.

Damn, wish I could borrow Melanie's editor!!

The only ones I care to correct from "Pre Football Season" are the following:

I "root" for the Texas Longhorns on "Route" 66, or any other "Route" for that matter.

You will have to "bear" with me and if I am ever "bare" ass naked you can "bear" with that too!!

Thanks to those of you who have enlightened me!

Pre Football Season

Hello Friends,

A few of you have started blogs recently and since I am so Anti-MySpace, I thought I'd give it a shot. I am a novice to posting pics and doing anything with web page design, so bare with me if it takes me awhile to have this looking tip-top.

So football season starts in less than 3 weeks. That probably excites only a few of you. I am thrilled!! I love everything about it, except the way it affects my hubby.

You know the type, overly obsessed with his team, (The Oklahoma Sooners, by the way, in case there is one person out there who doesn't know that already!!) who can't miss one game or score or he starts to get jittery and anxious. The smack talking about this season started months ago, and I am already aware that lots of awesome players who Texas passed on will be running all over "us" and that Texas Tech is expected to be the #2 team in the Big XII South and so on and so on and so on......

I love the Texas Longhorns, no I didn't go to school there, but I have lived in Austin for 25 years, so there you have it!! But, I am living in a place I like to call the Real World, where NOTHING changes based on a Longhorn loss. I would never waiver or route against UT and if they lose 10 games in any season I will still bleed orange.

So things will be getting ugly around my house soon. If anyone has an extra bedroom I can rent out the second week in October, let me know.

Oh and for anyone who has gone to the game with us or watched the game with us, the new rule at our house is we won't be in the same city from Friday to Sunday so we can save our marriage from failure for yet another year. Next year we may have to up the time frame to a week!!

So, to all you wives out there who think your husband is an over-the-top fan, all I can say is welcome to my world and make sure you wear your helmet!