Monday, March 31, 2008

Monday Morning Confessions

Confession #1 - You know how I'm always dissing Texas? Well, I have mentioned in the past that Cowtown has grown on me, but there is more I have not revealed. You want to know what my(our) dream is for the future. Like when the kids are gone? THIS! It is NOT Texas. I don't want a ranch in Texas. I want a ranch near or in the mountains, but it still seems hypocritical to make fun of the Ford F-350 driving Texans when a ranch is my long term dream. In my defense I will state these things...The ranch will not be in Texas...I don't make fun of you for driving ridiculously large trucks if you actually NEED to drive it for a purpose other than to compensate for small body appendages...I will still be shopping in metropolitan areas...there will be no truck balls anywhere near my ranch...my husband is a pilot, I can get back to civilization anytime I want...Hubs has promised me either this or this as my "ranch to city toy" if I agree to his ranch dream. Keeping in mind of course that, at the moment, this is all a pipe dream.

Confession #2 - Tessie, this one's for you! Rich and I are starting Body for Life today. God help me. Workout one went well. I'm liking the 25 minute cardio workout - I've never gotten out of the gym so fast in my life. However, I think Bill Phillips is a total greedy, steroid pushing DORK.

Confession #3 - The 6th Grade's class project for the auction is still not done so I am just not answering my phone or checking my e-mail. That way I do not know that they are all freaking out and yelling at me.

Confession #4 - I often think of getting "implants" if you know what I mean - any opinions out there? This isn't something I'm gonna be doing in the near future, but was wondering what the consensus is out there of normal people (i.e. not stepford-wife-wanna-be-stripper-nutjobs).

Monday, March 24, 2008

Will Write More Later...

Busy, busy, busy around here. Spring Break planning in full swing along with house renovations getting under way. For now, here is my favorite Easter picture of the boys...



Hope you all had a great Easter weekend. I gave up chocolate for Lent, so I was more than happy Easter morning to have THESE for breakfast. One of my easiest, yummiest, go-to recipes for yummy chocolate decadence. They are fabulous with a great cup of coffee. Breakfast of champions, right?

Friday, March 21, 2008

I'm so old that I now complain about the weather!

Texas is hot as Hell - literally. I often complain that my husband moved our family to the surface of the sun. However, this will be my 4th Easter here in Cowtown and guess what? The high will be 55 degrees with cold, rainy drizzle. Of the past three Easters here it has SNOWED on two of them....This is Texas. It is supposed to be hot. In fact it was hot yesterday, and the day before, and it will be warm today and tomorrow. It is only the actual day of Easter that will be cold enough to make me miserable while wearing my dress (even with a shrug). Also, what did I get for the boys??? Short sleeve pastel polos....AARGH! I'm annoyed.

In other news, I am highly recommending a new beverage to all, especially if you are a vodka kind of girl. It sounds a little gross, but it is great because it is a little fruity without being sweet, especially when you splash it with a little club soda and a twist of lime. And, this will forever be a libation that led to a complete turnaround in my life.marriage....long story. Maybe I'll share one day, but not today. Anyway, I thought it might bring you a happy moment or two also. I almost exclusively drink Absolut, so I had not discovered this little darling until a friend whipped it out when she realized I needed some "medicinal" intervention.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Moronity - Is that a word?

I am a moron. Who forgets to put sunscreen on their shoulders whilst wearing a sleeveless shirt to run/walk on the first sunny days of the spring season? Me that's who. Not once, but twice. So, won't that tan line look lovely with this Easter dress????




On the bright side, I think this is the first, and probably last/only, time that I think the dress looks better on me than on the model...Or, possibly I am delusional, but I don't think so. This dress makes her very Twiggy self look bigger than she is (NOT big - just bigger than she is). I think the dress makes me look smaller and thinner than I am. Or, maybe it is because in the picture you can't see how the chiffon floats around a much more slender silhouette underneath.

Moral of the story - Don't forget your sunscreen - especially if you are planning to wear a strapless dress.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

How To Embarrass Your Husband At Work 101

Rich's last leg this past Saturday was from Dallas to Lubbock and then his first leg on Sunday (late in the afternoon) was back to Dallas from Lubbock. Connor already had plans to spend the night at a friend's, so I coerced my baby brother to let my other two spend the night with him at his bachelor pad. A night in a hotel seeing what Rich's on-the-road life is really like...fun!

I was just about the last one to board the plane (the joys of flying stand-by) and Rich was already in the cockpit doing whatever it is he does, but the captain was still in the jet-way saying hello to passengers. As I walked by he said, "you gonna say hi to loverboy before you head to the back?" I did not realize that neither the passengers in the first row nor the two nearby flight attendants were privy to this exchange. So, imagine their surprised faces when I looked into the cockpit and said, "hel--lo lovah-boy!" When I saw their faces and realized that they were shocked, I looked right at them and said, "Damn! These pilots are HOT!" and walked back to my seat.

One nice thing about Texas is that even if many of the men are chauvinistic pigs, at least chivalry isn't dead. I sat patiently in my seat on the plane knowing that I would be waiting for Rich and the rest of the crew to finish up their duties before I rode the van to the hotel with them. One nice man in a cowboy hat noticed me sitting and thought that I was there because no one would let me out. He stopped and offered to let me go in front of him. I politely replied that, "That's okay. I'm going to hang out for a minute and see if I can get a hot date with one of the pilots." I wish you could have seen his face. He could not hide his disdain or disbelief. Even funnier when he saw me walking out of the airport with the crew. I hope he figured it out. Or not - whatever.

Interesting side note: On the way home, a lovely lady told me that my tags were sticking out of my sweater (embarrassing!). We had the typical airplane conversation of "coming or going? where's home? blah blah blah." BUT, the interesting part was this: She is a NATIVE TEXAN who has relocated to Florida. I said, "you must miss Texas being a native and all." She says, " Oh, honey, if you'd sell me the whole state for a nickel, I wouldn't take it."

A Native Texan who thinks Texas is crazy????? How lovely and refreshing! It was a lovely contrast to the lady who asked me if I was born in Texas and upon my reply of "no," replied that, "well, I'm sure you got here as fast as you could."

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

A Classic Example of My Overthinking

It is a total coincidence that both my husband and one of my friends have, in different circumstances, felt the need to explain to me "who they are." You know, like a therapist or someone would have you define yourself? What is interesting to me is that they used nouns to describe themselves. Things like father, pilot, sister, mother. You get the idea, yes? I never realized it, but when asked to introduce/define myself or think about who I am or want to be, I always use adjectives like insanely loyal, feisty, thoughtful, obsessive, etc... What does this mean? How would you describe yourself? Nouns or adjectives?

Monday, March 3, 2008

Monday - back to life, back to reality

I liked waking up better with no alarm clock doing the waking. I liked breakfast better when it was almond croissants and cafe Americano ordered and eaten while everyone else was already ordering lunch.


Rich did a surprisingly good job managing Connor's big sandwich/book project! I can't tell you how great that is for me. It enabled me to have a great weekend and not come home to freaking out and chaos. Also, it means that I know that I can relinquish my control freakishness and count on him to be more helpful in this area. This is a HUGE relief to me! AND, and...the house was pretty darn well picked up, there were no dishes in the sink (probably because they ate out like every meal, but whatever!), and he had even done a load of laundry. Put on your coats, people, because I'm pretty sure that hell is freezing over as we speak.


Now, I must get my house in order and start working on the 6th grade's auction project in earnest. Can't believe how I have procrastinated on that task. I am not a procrastinator. Oh, well, life has been inordinately weird lately.

So, tell me all about your fabulous weekends.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

NEVER...

...is exactly the last time I heard the words "last call" two nights in a row.



Photographic evidence of 8 hours of deteriorating class:

Aren't we lovely? ( However, I have to say that while I LOVE my Bare Minerals, I am noticing that they do not photograph well when a flash is involved.) My dress is now my prized possession. I have never bought anything off the rack that fit like it had been custom tailored to fit only me. Somebody needs to be throwing some parties or something so that I can wear it again pronto!


I love my SusannaBanana, and I also love pear cider at the Saucer.


After some more pear cider my cheeks get red. And, he said he would take our picture if he could take a picture with me too. The resulting hours of talking politics and religion and life with two people (who talk mostly to my boobs (thank you Victoria for sharing your secrets!!)) who are still so young and so idealistic that their world is still all black and white is made bearable, and in fact entertaining, with more cider.


How many martinis does it take before Susan turns into a possessed leprechaun?


There are no pictures from night two because you cannot stop singing, dancing, clapping, and laughing long enough at the Dueling Pianos to bother with the camera. (should have though!) And, it was so dark and chill in the Scat Jazz club that it would have ruined the atmosphere to shock everyone with a camera flash.


I'd love to tell you more, but, um, well, my mother reads this blog, and have I mentioned that my father is a deacon? Also, it would involve an actual candidate for US Congress. Let's just say that "Stella" got her groove back.