Holy Moly....it's been awhile...

Ok, even though I video blogged last Thursday, I still haven't written anything for a couple of weeks. People, I've been busy and just as a reminder...I don't have access to the internet at home, otherwise, I'd be on it a whole lot.

So where should I start:

TAM = Texas Association of Museums was Tuesday, April 17th - 20th. This is an association of museums, obviously, in Texas that meet every year. We go to seminars specifically for our department. I went to collections and exhibitions seminars. It was a pretty good TAM. It's almost like going on vacation (this year it was in Austin). The beds were comfy and I got to actually sleep and eat some good food (not in bed, though). Straight from Austin I dropped off Brian at the DP Museum on Friday and headed up to Oklahoma City. That weekend was the weekend of test 3 and 4 for teaching certification. We'll see how I did on May 18th. Cross your fingers!!!

I did in fact have a really good time in OKC despite the tests that wipe me out mentally. Jeff Gordon won his race, so that was fun. And, let me just say, that I will be doing a little jig and singing the Hallelujah chorus when I don't have to drive all over the place. I'm looking forward to stickin' in one spot and give my lil car a rest!!!

The next week is sorta blurry. We are chomping at the bit to start moving stuff to the new building but delays have hung us up so we are sorta just twiddling our thumbs. I'm really anxious to drive the forklift. (mwwwhhhhaaa haaa haaa HA!) We have actually been doing stuff like putting together our new desks (physical labor!!) Mary Beth and I rock at putting together stuff. We also did a video blog for the museum, our own personal blog and a podcast for the museum. We have been busy doing techie stuff. We love it.

This past weekend was awesome. I've been looking forward to it for a LONG time. Angie and I scheduled a little relaxation time at the spa and had our feet done and nails done and then a lovely massage. We should have done the hour though. 30 minutes is too short! This was sort of a pre stress reliever for her before the wedding (3 weeks to go!!) and this was a stress reliever for me. We had a nice lunch and then went to Hobby Lobby to make her bouquet for her bridal portraits which are this weekend. I also went for a walk because it was a beautiful if not hot day. 50 minutes outside around a track with my tunes. It was a good walk. Later that evening the girls from work met at the Rib Crib for a semi-formal farewell to co-worker Carrie who is graduating from Baylor and then moving to Florida for this awesome job. :(

I went to pick up some movies at Hastings which I haven't done in several months. This is what I got:

Blood Diamond - VERY GOOD!!! Recommend it to everyone.
For Your Consideration - It was ok. Another mockumentary by Christopher Guest and company. It was late when I watched it. It may be better than I think.
The Good Shepard - interesting, a little confusing and very depressing. I don't know if I would recommend it or not.

Sunday I went to church and then watched The Good Shepard and then watched the end of the NASCAR race. Very intense!!! But Jeff Gordon won again!!!! Woot Woot!!

BTW, he's pretty cute!

Ok, here's one of his car.

There ya go!! So now you're caught up. Keep your eye out for new video blogs!!!

2nd Video Blog

Hey ya'll! Mary Beth and I made a video blog last night right before The Office. We expound on Travis Stevers of Coheed & Cambria, shoes on Zappos, Ronald Jenkees and, of course, The Office. For more info on Ronald Jenkees, click here.

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG!!!!

Dwight's Speech

Yesterday and today has been fairly crappy. So I needed to watch something funny at lunch today. Something that makes me laugh and therefore makes me feel better is the epsiode of The Office called Dwight's Speech. Dwight is awarded Dunder-Mifflin Salesman of the Year and must make a speech at a big convention. This is his speech. (Must be read in an angry voice and look insane).

(Slam, slam, slam!) "Blood alone moves the wheels of history! Have you ever asked yourselves in an hour of meditation which everyone finds during the day, how long we've been striving for greatness? (Slam!) Not only the years we've been at war, the war of work. But from the moment as a child when we realize that the world can be conquered. It has been a life time struggle (Slam!), a never ending fight, I say to you (Slam!), and you will understand that it is a privilege to fight (light applause)! We are warriors (moderate applause)!! Salesmen of north-eastern Pennsylvania I ask you, once more rise and be worthy of this historical hour!"

Dwight laughs maniacally with the now roaring applause from the audience as Michael gets up from his seat in the audience and begins to walk out of the auditorium. It is not clear if Dwight is laughing at Michael or if he is just caught in the moment.

"No revolution is worth anything unless it can defend (Slam!) itself (applause)!"

The following scenes show Michael walking through the hallways of the hotel, Creed changing the office thermostat (which Oscar notices), Dwight speaking with dictator-like hand and arm movements emphasizing his words, and Michael having a second drink at the hotel bar, all while we hear Dwight's speech.

"Some people will tell you "salesman" is a bad word, they'll conjure up images of used car dealers and door-to-door charlatans. This is our duty to change their perception. I say, salesmen, and women, of the world, unite. (random, misplaced applause)! We must never acquiesce, for it is together, together (with the audience) that we prevail! We must never cede control of the motherland for it is (with the audience again) together that we prevail!!"

Dwight holds his award up to the roaring applause from the audience and slams his fist on the podium six times.

Is there a Swarles Barkley here?

SWARLEY!







ps: if anybody gets this, you ROCK!!

Ode to Coheed & Cambria

Ok, folks...the highly anticipated...well, not really but first video blog done by yours truly and Mary Beth. It's pretty exciting...There's a part one and two. Highly suspenseful, I might add. Especially the tornado part...

CHECK IT OUT!!!!

PART I

PART II

Whirlwind of a week/end

Yeah, I'm blogging during work. Whatcha gonna do!

Ok so last time I blogged it was serious. It won't be so serious today. I'll sorta recap the weekend with my Mom, which was last weekend (not this past weekend). We had an excellent time and relaxed and partied (as much as you can party with your mom). Basically I picked her up from the DFW airport and spent the night at a nice hotel and had some good food at the Melting Pot and the next day went to the Dallas Arboretum. Beautiful flowers!!! Stopped off at Hillsboro outlet stores and Mom picked up a few things and I picked up a few things. We sorta just vegged and watched movies and exercised and had a wonderful time until it was time for her to go. My Mom picked an 8:30am departure from DFW on a Tuesday so I said we were going to have to leave around 5am to make it. She said are you sure? I said, well maybe 5:30am WRONG!!! Due to a wreck and morning traffic she missed her flight. I got her there around 8am but apparently wasn't there early enough to check her in with luggage and board the plane. She did get the next flight out at noon. She said next time she'll fly into Waco. I concur.

The week went by slowly BUT I got a new phone and new carrier. Motorola RAZR V3xx and on Cingular. All my family is on Cingular and it just made sense. (Mom upgraded her phone too while we were there, so for about three hours on the couch, we were playing with our phones).

I was instructed not to call my sweetie that whole week because he was working round the clock on finishing his National Board Certification for Teachers. It drove me a little crazy but a few txt messages and emails were exchanged. So now the really exciting part of this past weekend:

I was going to drive up to OKC Friday after work and just hang out with Jason but that didn't happen due to the HUGE storm that came up. Mary Beth and I were creating our first ever personal video blog about Coheed & Cambria when we heard the tornado sirens go off. We checked the weather and decided to head down to the basement. All the visitors were gone by then. We all kept listening to the weather and by the time the tornado was supposed to reach us, it decided to head due east. That didn't prevent the flooding from occuring, however.

Flooding at 20th & Homan in Waco (Photo by Abigail Feltenberger)

Everyone stayed at the museum until about 6pm and needless to say I did NOT travel that night. Instead, I stayed home and went to see Blades of Glory with MB and David. It was just what I needed = laughing very hard.

The next morning around 7:15 I headed to OKC. I was about 10-15 miles south of the Oklahoma/Texas border when I saw two cars in front of me try to avoid a 4x4 in the middle of the interstate. I tried to avoid it too, but managed to run over it. I was a little pumped due to the adreneline but I managed to keep a straight head on and exited the next exit to check the damage. As I opened the door I heard the hissing of a leaking tire. Yup, the tire was completely flat and the rim was bent. Gulp! Almost on the verge of tears I drove/hobbled over to the Shell station and parked in back. Lo and behold I spied across the street a tire shop! Saved!! When I got over there I found that it was closed due to a death in the family. Open on Monday. Great. I walk into the gas station and ask if there is a tire shop near by and she said there was one just up the street. McRenoylds Tire Shop. Good! But I couldn't drive up there with a flat tire so I asked a construction worker to help me change the tire who was working conveniently at the Shell gas station where I parked. He changed it and I was on my way! Thank you!!! I drove up to the tire shop not 150 yards to where I had exited. It was a little scary though. Sorta like Deliverance. Mr. McRenoylds had on overalls and a scruffy long beard and red cap. However, he was a peach and fixed my rim in no time and there was actually nothing wrong with the tire. He charged me $10 and I almost hugged him. I'm very fortunate...all this could have turned out much worse. Thank you, Lord for taking care of me!!

I finally got to Jason's and the order of the day was sleep so that's basically what we did. Slept, ate and slept again for a very long time. He needed it and so did I.

So that was my whirlwind weekend. How was yours?

Who am I? Who are you?

What is in a man that convicts him to try and change the world? Perhaps someone rooted in his faith. A faith that teaches humanity; the morals and ethics that rightly defines good and evil. And then gives him the courage to act on his faith. Oh, that I had the courage to step forward and say something let alone do something.

I think God gives us what He knows we can handle, but the confidence in ourselves is so lacking we do nothing.

Mom and I went to see the movie Amazing Grace. It was wonderful. I thought it was about the guy who wrote the song but it was actually about William Wilberforce of Britain who fought to pass a bill to abolish the slave trade. He struggled through many years of defeat, a war and sickness but finally it happened. How did he keep on going? I don't know. Through the grace of God, no doubt. I recommend the movie to everyone. It was really inspiring.

Another awesome thing yesterday. I heard something at church yesterday that really opened my eyes. We sometimes feel we need to prove ourselves to others. This is an indication that we lack an identity or confidence in who we are/who I am. I can think of numerous times when I go out of my way to "prove" to someone what I am capable of either physically or mentally. I don't do it overtly but subtly, when I think they may be watching. Wow, what a way to live. It can be pretty tiresome.

What do I need to prove? I'm not sure. Nothing! I should know who I am! I DO know who I am! I really do know who I am but sometimes I forget and get insecure... It happens. I think it happens to all of us at one time or another.

You may laugh but write out your mission statement! It describes who you are and your purpose in life. Only a couple of sentences so you can remember it. Museums are very good at this. At least some anyways. Mission statements help you focus.

Random life quote from my director at the museum:
"Don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff."

Don't forget to smile today. :D

Tulips at the Dallas Arboretum
3/24/07

SPRING BREAK IS CRAZY and Prayer Request!!!!

Oh my sweet goodness...is March over yet? It has been crazy and it's not really half way over. Yikes! I'm gonna need a vacation and soon. Last week starting on Thursday the 10-2-4 Convention began with a bang with a reception at the museum. That was fine and everything went well. The T-Shirts that Mary Beth and I designed were received extremely well. (Every person who comes to the convention gets a T-Shirt). Friday was the big show where the Collections Department gave a seminar on preventive conservation for objects. Keeping with the theme of the convention, "Dr Pepper at the Movies," Mary Beth and I made a movie as an introduction to the presentation but of course we technical difficulties so we couldn't show our Powerpoint Presentation but went through it anyway while Jack, our director, ran back to the museum to pick up MB's flash drive which had the movie on it. We played it on someone else's laptop. You should check out our movie:



Pretty cool huh! Oh yeah and we made a Blooper Reel too!



We think it's funny...

ANYWAY!!!

We did that and then got ready for that Saturday which was the SWAP meet. People buying and trading and selling DP memorabilia. The Collections Department sold stuff too out of consignment. The money goes back to the department for conservation and preservation of the artifacts. BUT before Saturday rolled around a bunch of us went to see the movie 300, which was AWESOME!!!! I really want to see it again, too. Oh and by the way, did I mention I passed my first two tests to get my teacher certification? Yeah, I did and now I'm studying for the next two tests.

So Saturday in the midst of the SWAP meet I did a huge amount of errands including getting an oil change after I was SUPPOSED to get one in January. Whoops!!! Mary Beth and I met for dinner Sat. evening and then went and saw Happy Feet at the dollar theater. It was cute but not really for kids! LOL!

Sunday I basically went to church, slept, watched a little bit of NASCAR, went to Lewis' for Home Group and then went home and slept. I was soooo tired.

THIS WEEK:

OMGoodness!!!! March brings Spring Breakers. This means the museum is crazy. You know, like a trillion people in the museum and people throwing up and stuff like that. We like it when we have visitors but GOODNESS they are loud! I shouldn't complain too much. We are having the best days we have ever had at the museum. It's incredible! Today was probably the craziest day since MB and I were picking up 20 pallets for our move which had to be done in two trips which took up most of the morning (and I got an owie on my knuckle. OUCH!) We ran to eat lunch before the taste testing and then did the taste test. We tested 80 people in one hour. Wow! THEN we went to Office Max to pick up our desks for the new offices. They weighed a ton. By this time it's almost 4pm and Jennie tells me that my Southernliving at Home stuff is here in five HUMONGOUS boxes. I'm so excited 1.5 of those boxes is mine. ALL MINE!! It's exciting. I don't normally get a lot of stuff from these kind of deals. So now I'm about to go home and decorate my apartment with all my cool stuff and maybe soak in the tub and watch Season 7 of Buffy. Yay for the weekend!

PRAYER REQUEST!!!!

Mandy emailed me about Alex and Emma (my nieces). They both have some developmental issues both physically and mentally. Alex has been diagnosed with Larson's Syndrome but recent tests have suggested it could actually be a metabolic disorder. Please pray for them as they decide what to do. They've been dealing with this for over four years and I would like to see a true diagnosis so they can deal with everything properly. Here's Mandy's email. It gives some more details:

Just an update on the girls and all that is going on health wise...

I spoke with Alex's neurologist today after a confusing and vague report on Alex's abnormal MRI. He has been confused by the results because the findings are not consistant with her original diagnosis of Larsen's Syndrom. After speaking with the radiologist and geneticist at Arkansas Children's Hospital and considering the part of the brain where the abnormality was found, he is inclined to think the large majority of Alex's symptoms (lack of balanace, low muscle tone, tremors, etc) could be due to a metabolic disorder. His suggestion has been to come back in 6 months for a re-evaluation and to also bring Emma since she suffers from these same symptoms. Drew and I now have to decide whether to sit and wait or to seek another opinion for both of the girls. There are so many metabolic disorders to consider that random testing for them is not practical, but we feel that something needs to be done. Both of the girls have a well child check up with a new pediatrician next Wednesday and more options will be discussed then. We may ask about going to the St. Louis Children's Hospital since there are numerous children that go to therapy with the girls that have been treated for neurology problems there. Please keep them (and Drew and I) in your prayers as we seek answers to the girls' medical problems.

Love, Mandy

Please add them to your prayer list. I appreciate it and so do they.

I'll talk atch ya'll later!
Kitty

Foggy Daze

Oh goodness...I feel like I'm in a daze right now. I got plenty of sleep and swam for a bit today but just can't get going for some reason!!! Ugh!

Comense with the caffeine!

Ok, so last weekend was wonderful. Jason came down for a visit and it was great. Did a lot of errands and went to see the movie Wild Hogs which I thought was very funny. Later that evening we went out to dinner with a couple of friends and had a real good time. Sunday came too fast and Jason had to hop skip and jump back to OKC. By that afternoon I was feeling pretty lousy because 1) my sweetie had to leave and 2) I wasn't feeling very good.

The sickness got worse with a scratchy throat and congestion and I could tell I was not going to be in the mood to get up early for work. So I txted MB to tell her I was going to be late. I stayed up late Sunday night writing invitations to Angie's bridal shower. Oh man, my fingers ached!! I watched Quigley Down Under to give me something to listen to. I love that movie. I also printed out envelopes on the computer which went by very fast and then drugged myself and went to bed at 12:30.

The next morning was not so good. I couldn't breath at all!! Um, yeah, I didn't go to work. However, I really didn't stay home to rest either. I ran around town for a little bit to do some shower stuff and felt better. I think it was stressing me out and I didn't realize it. I'm not a great delegator and tend to try to do everything on my own. But thankfully I passed on some of the responsibility of the shower to three other ladies. Thank you!!! My eye stopped twitching. I can tell I'm stressed when my left eyelid starts to involuntarily twitch. It's wierd but a good indicator.

I also rented the movie Babel and it was good. Then I had a PEO officer's meeting at 4:30 and got that over with and since I was out again I called Angie to get her professional opinion about a dress I had spied. I don't have many dresses. I'm not sure why but I usually wear pants. But recently I have felt like dressing up or just needed a change. I looked at my clothes and realized that most of what I own I've owned for two years or more. I need a clothes overhaul!! This leads me to a thought that has been rumbling in my head for the past several days. It's very shallow but still could be thought provoking to some: Why do women love shoes? I love them! They're so cute. Do I have a lot of shoes? Compared to who? I think I'm probably average. Most of them are practical but a few are dressy. I still don't know why I like them. It could become a nasty addiction but thankfully I don't have a lot of money. But that never stopped Carrie from Sex and the City from buying a $400 pair of shoes. Yikes!! Anywho...if anyone can enlighten me on my question, please let me know.

I better get back to work...the annual Dr Pepper Collector's Convention is upon us and the museum has to get ready for it!! AAAHHHH!!! Let the madness begin!

"Later," she says, while blowing her nose.

Padre Visit

This weekend was cool. My Dad got to come down for a visit. We watched movies and ran around town looking at my museum, the zoo, the dam and trying to keep the dust out of our hair...yeah right! Not with 60mph wind gusts!! We also went to Home Depot to see if Dad's first cousin was there and he was!! I almost forgot he lived here. It was good to see him and I know we shocked him. The look he gave was classic!

It was a good visit and just made me miss my family more. What are you gonna do? Go see them, of course! When? I don't know...that's the bad thing. I will eventually. I usually do.

Later taters, gotta go do some work.

No Subject

Well I wanted to blog about something but I forgot what it was about, so I'll just update you on my life.

1) Last weekend I had the privilege of spending time with Jason's sister, Ruth and her husband, Cliff, her two boys, Devon and Bryce-man, and Cliff's niece, Jesse. We went up to Dallas to watch Medieval Times Friday night. It was awesome. I hadn't been in 12 years. I think I was more excited than the kids. We rooted for the yellow knight and we had the loudest cheering section due to the fact that the National Championship Junior High Cheerleaders were there. "Spirit Fingers!!!" The next day we roamed the Bass Pro Shop, lost a kid, found the kid and then went to Grapevine Mills Mall and ate at the Rainforest Cafe. That was cool. Never been there before. If I see another volcano with a sparkler...

2) My friends Lewis and Heather are engaged and getting married fairly soon. Congrats to them. Found that out Sunday!! Yay! It's a year for weddings...let me tell you...

3) Extremely busy at the Dr Pepper Museum. I got to crawl in between the first and second floor of the museum stringing a data cable from the router to our office. That was fun. We're also gearing up for two major events. The 10-2-4 Club Covention. It's when Dr Pepper Collectors gather together for a good time swaping, selling and showing off their collection. The museum participates heavily. This year I will be shooting my first movie for our convention seminar. It will be interesting... The second major thing we are gearing up for is the move of the museum's collections to another building. I can't wait to drive the forklift...watch out people!!!

4) My Dad is coming in to town this weekend. It is a last minute thing and I'm glad. I miss my family.

5) 27 days until I find out my test scores, so I can begin the next phase of my teacher certification... I hate waiting.

Check out the pictures from last weekend:

The Crew

The Lords and Ladies


The Convocation


The Procession


The Yellow Knight


At the Bass Pro Shop

Valentine's Day

Well here it is. I can officially say I've been on both sides of the coin so to speak. What I mean is that I've hated this day and I've loved this day. I remember getting this funny balloon in the shape of a heart with arms and legs and it would hover over the ground looking like it was standing up. That was from my dad. Cute!! I also loved Val's Day because in elementary school we made boxes to put Valentines in. Gosh I loved that!!! (I'm a dork!) In the past I've hated this day because I had not been the recipient of valentines from a boyfriend because I didn't have one, and of course that upset me and actually made me bitter! Ugh!! I eventually moved past that and became neutral. It was just another day. You realize you can and should show someone you love them any day of the year, not just Valentine's Day? Anyhoo... Honestly, this year I wasn't sure what to expect. I have learned that expectations can be good and bad. You certainly should have expectations of your friends and loved ones but not overly exaggerated to the point that if you don't get what you want, you'd be disappointed every single time. I would say I have done this on more than one occasion with disastrous results. Then I was miserable and felt sorry for myself. So all that to say is that I'm learning how to balance what I need to expect and what I want to expect. I hope this all makes sense. Hey! It does to me! So with that being said I will tell you about my Valentine. He's handsome and sweet and he did the wonderfullest thing for me! I drove up last Friday to OKC and met Jason at the high school because he was announcing the varsity basketball games. I got there just before the girls halftime. During halftime Jason and I met up the first thing out of his mouth wasn't Hi!, How was your trip? or even a hug!! He gave me his keys and said I needed to bring him a piece of paper from the front of his car. Ok. And of course I would do it, but I'm thinking to myself, why can't he do it? Well I'm walking out to his car and even before I get to the door I can see the beautiful bouquet of roses (see pictures) in the front seat and I drop his keys because I was so surprised. I really was floored. By the time I get back to the stands...I have a huge grin on my face and so does he. He did a good job and I love him for it. I, on the other hand, gave him a Jeff Gordon chocolate car. It's his favorite driver in NASCAR and they keep making cute stuff with his logo on it. I also sent him a card in the mail and I hope it gets there today!!

So the moral of the story is that everyday is special and if you have friends, family and special loved ones, tell them how you feel and not just on Valentine's Day.

Do you know the history behind Valentine's Day? Follow the link to the History Channel. Also check out these interesting facts on the economics of today.

Wandering...

So I was driving along a flat stretch of Interstate when to my left I saw a huge oil refinery. It was dusk so its lights were on and it looked like a small city. To my right I saw a state trooper out of his car aiming a speed radar at the cars going past, so of course I slowed down. Not two seconds later I was walking down the empty streets toward yet another oil refinery just right of the other one. I thought that was odd for some reason. Why are there two oil refineries so close together? Then all of a sudden I hear the Pink Floyd song "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" playing in my ear. Well that's interesting...oh yeah! Wake up!!! Yes, I was asleep while dreaming something very weird and then Jason called me (he has the Pink Floyd ringtone). It wasn't late, in fact I was asleep around 8:30 due to a HUGE headache, maybe even a migraine. I don't know. So Jason talked awhile and then I couldn't go back to sleep just yet, so I read a little. I'm reading Treasure of Khan by Clive Cussler. Pretty good so far, and I like it even better because there's a character in it from Arkansas who has a Razorback hat. Go figure...HAH!

Nothing much else going on...it seems forever ago that Christmas and the New Year was here. The months seem to be zooming by. I went up to OKC to take my first two competency exams to become certified as a teacher at the secondary level in social studies. It won't be until next month that I find out if I passed or not. The first test was pretty easy but long (OK General Education Test). The second was World History/Geography test. A little more difficult...

I, of course, saw Jason while I was there and it was nice because I hadn't seen him in five weeks!! I don't think I could do that again.

Now I'm just playing a waiting game. Waiting on test scores, waiting on construction at the museum to finish so we can move collections, waiting on job opportunities (museum and teaching), waiting on whatever...I'm tired of waiting.

I've been really busy with getting ready for the move. Crunching numbers for moving expenses, setting up a time line for the next several months, counting shelving units, deciding where everything is going to go...it's been pretty hectic and my apartment has suffered because of it. I'm doing a little bit here and there for cleaning up but it's slow going. My brain doesn't want to think about anything when I get home.

Random thoughts:

• I watched a movie the other night called Beowulf and Grendel. It was pretty good actually.
• Found a quote from a 1921 annual from Waco High that I love: "It was his chiefest ambition to graduate in knickerbockers." I don't know if he did but sure is funny imagining it.
• I've been listening to country music in the evenings lately (while putting together a puzzle) and I like it for the most part. There are some tearjerkers to say the least and ones that I weren't expecting to be either...they're pretty sly. Last night I heard one called "Drugs or Jesus" by Tim McGraw. Good.
• The weather. I wish it would just gradually go from cold to slightly warm consistently.

Anywho...that's all I know for right now....I'll write something later.

The Suffering

No, not the Coheed & Cambria song, which is really good, btw. I'm referring to the suffering that everyone must go through. People must suffer...it's part of life and life is also about how you deal with suffering. You can deal, I think, in two different ways: medicate (cover up your suffering any number of ways, not just medication) or by opening up your self to the pain and share it with others so they can help you through it. I think people think the goal in life is to be happy. I think that's part of it but not the essential part. We worry about finances, our hair, our makeup, who's Cameron Diaz going to be with now that she and Justin are broken up. These are superficial things that the world wants us to pay attention to and not the things that are really important, like our souls. In the end, does it matter what we looked like when we died or what people said about our character. I'm not saying it's wrong to wear makeup and try and look our best. I actually think it's important to take care of ourselves and look our best but not to the extreme that society pressures us into...I don't know if it's the same for guys as it is for girls, so I'm just writing from the female perspective here.

So back to the soul? How's yours? Are you suffering so deep but still wear a smile on your face? Why do we think we have to hide our pain? We should share it but that is a very uncomfortable thing to do. But talking about it can relieve so much of the burden, it's really unbelievable. But then you have to deal with your pain. Are you going to let it drown you or are you going to let it shape you to be a better person? It's really up to you and if you have a higher power, aka your faith, God, you have that strength to draw on. Don't be afraid to have a little help from your friends...that's what we're here for.

You may be wondering to yourself...why is she being so introspective? Well, this week is revival at our church...I'm not into the big revival thing, but at the last minute I decided to go last night. I'm glad I did, it just reinforced what I have learned, sorta jump started me a little about communication and hurting. And just because I wrote about relying on your friends and being able to communicate pain/suffering to them doesn't mean I'm the best at it. Far from it...I'm not very good at it...at all...but at least I know it and want to do better...but I don't get credit for knowing and wanting, I actually have to practice it. I probably won't do it on my blog, but rather in person or over the phone...so GET READY!!! LOL...no just kidding, but don't be surprised if I do.

-Kitty

Hi, My name is Jessica and I'm addicted to....

...Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. Yes, I'm a dork, but I like it. This past weekend I was a homebody and, well, stayed home and really didn't come out. I've been borrowing the Buffy series from a co-worker and I'm almost done with season six. By watching this series I have affirmed and reconfirmed that I am a total NERD!!!! First, if I was a character on Buffy, I would totally be Willow in a non-witch, non-lesbian way. She is shy and very studious and color codes her notes...which I have done in the past.... Just paint a big N on my forehead. THEN to make it worse was the fact the villains, three dorky guys, make references to Star Wars and Star Trek and I caught every single reference. Nerd factor just went up 3 points... So basically all I did this weekend was try to keep warm, watch Buffy and pick up a knitting project I started eleven years ago...that's right knitting... Didn't know I could do that did ya!?! I can crotchet too. Ahh the skills I have.

Keep warm, folks and pray for those who don't have power....

-Kitty

Christmas blues and the beginning...

...of a new year, of course. I mention the Christmas blues because the anticipation of the day and then the day is HERE and then the day after is very anti-climatic. Except when you have family spread out and you just go house to house and the giving and receiving keeps on going! YAY! Anyway, as usual Christmas was disjointed and dramatic (always is when you have dysfunctional families). No more than usual. Even better, in some ways.

Christmas started with the packing of the suitcase(s). It was a little different this year since I was flying home from DFW because I met my Mom who had surgery the Wednesday before I met her and was flying back from New Orleans so I flew the rest of the way home with her and helped her out around the house for a few days. (Longest sentence ever!) SO I had to whip out the largest suitcase for presents and the essentials but still didn't have enough room for my shirts/sweaters so I packed those as a carry-on for the plane. Oh yeah. Our flight was delayed for about 2.5 hours. But when we finally arrived home, the brother and Jason were there waiting for us. That was nice.

Watched a lot of TV, took part in the the Bond-a-thon that is always on, cooked my first turkey (turned out pretty good, if you ask me), ate lunch with Dad and actually had Christmas with everybody on Christmas eve. Jason stayed as long as he could and participated in the "cornucopia of greed" (reference to the ever famous "A Christmas Story"). He gave me a BEAUTIFUL ring with three rubies in the shape of hearts, the middle ruby being a little bigger than the other two. *sigh* Thanks, sweetie! He then left for OK to be with his family.a Patrick acquired a beautiful Siberian Husky whom he calls Beowulf. Apt name. Smart dog. He keeps finding new ways to get out of the back yard, including jumping through the screened in back porch. Eeeeppp!!!

After Christmas in AR, I flew back to DFW and drove up to Comanche, OK. But first I had some car problems, like it being totally dead. I vaguely remember turning on the overhead light to look for something in my purse before I got out. The service to jump my car was most excellent, super friendly and super fast. I only had to wait 10 minutes. What took so long after that was the toll operator trying to figure out how to discount me for the parking space (I got to park in the terminal parking lot for the same price as express parking). Yippee! Then by total accident I took the wrong exit and started heading in the wrong direction for OK. I had to backtrack a couple of miles. No bigee. I did finally make it to Comanche where I was greeted warmly by Jason's family and attacked by his nephews!! The gifts kept on coming and was surprised by a beautiful leather jacket from his parents. Nice. The next day Jason and I drove up to OKC and just vegged pretty much and ran a few errands. Got to see Jennifer (finally!) while I was there and checked out her new digs and went to see Eragon. A little cheesy but I liked it.

Also went to a New Year's Eve party and had quite a bit of fun. Learned how to play The Great Delmutie. Very fun! Stayed up late jabbering and just having a good time! I enjoyed it a lot AND it was cold outside. Anywhoos, you probably didn't want to know all that but there ya go.

I don't do resolutions. Why do them at the beginning of the year when you can make a resolution when you think of them? BUT I read a blog this morning that should be read by all so I'm gonna link it HERE. It's about your happiness.

First Turkey cooked by moui!

Purty ring I got!



It was a redneck Christmas, fo sho!



Alex and her new baby.



Emma in her cute outfit.



Beowulf on top of his dog house!

Christmas Carols

Even though I ranted about the commercialization of Christmas, I do love it. Some aspects at least. I love going to church to sing Christmas carols. There is just something inspiring and humbling to hear songs about the birth of Jesus sung by hundreds of voices that can utterly make me speechless ergo emotional. Every year I have a "favorite" carol. It's hard to pick from. I think this year is Carol of the Bells. Lots of different versions can be found and I like them all from the classical to the Mannheim Steamroller version. Doesn't Trans-Siberian Orchestra have a cool rock version of it? Anyway, that's my Christmas story of the day. Heh Heh, A Christmas Story...now that's one of my favorite Christmas movies. But that's a story for another day...

Moviepalooza

Well the weekend proved to be a regular weekend with some entertainment. Friday afternoon I skipped out of work early because I had to work on Saturday so I went to the matinee showing of Apocalypto. Pretty good, pretty gory and violent. Thought provoking if you let it be. Did some final purchasing of odd n ends for Christmas and bought some groceries too. Saturday I worked and then went home for a nap and then went to the dollar twenty-five theater to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. It was good, again. Next I went for a walk on the treadmill at the YMCA starting about 6:30pm and realized ESPN was showing the Heisman trophy winner at 7pm and thought I would just walk until they announced the winner. But I realized they weren't going to come out and say it until the end so I went home and watched some Buffy. The ONLY reason I even considered watching the Heisman thing is because Darren McFadden (a Razorback) was nominated and in the top three. Well it didn't matter anyway, he lost. Maybe next year!!!

Sunday went to church, went to lunch, went to nap and then went to see The Holiday with Mary Beth and Jennie and then to eat dinner. It was a cute movie but totally unrealistic. It was very chick flick. The only possible way for any of that to happen is to have tons of money and fortunately for the people in the movie, they did.

I did a little cleaning but vegged in between everything else.

Looking forward this weekend! I finally get to see my sweetie! It seems so long ago that Thanksgiving ocurred. Well that's about it...for now.

Later taters.

Brrrrr.....I like it!!!

Ok, so my last blog was a complaint and I ain't complaining any mo! It DEFINITELY feels like Christmas FINALLY! There's even been some ice which was a nice touch, especially down here in Texas. This weekend was slightly uneventful but was nice. Did some grocery shopping, Christmas shopping, Christmas decorating and gift wrapping. I'm officially done with Christmas gifts. It's a miracle for a procrastinating girl like moui. Well, to be honest, most of my shopping I did in July in China.

Other things I did: Picked out recipes for the annual baking frenzy I do for family, friends and coworkers. I bought a fire log and preceeded to burn it without checking to make sure the flew was open. It wasn't. So I had smoke and my annoying fire alarm go off. I aired out the apt. and took the battery out of the alarm. All good. Went out with Anita and watched the downtown Christams parade at night. That was fun. Kids going crazy and grabbing for the candy. Cute...there were about five Santas. It confused me, I can only imagine the other kids were confused too.

Before we left to go to the parade, though, I noticed my left rear passenger tire was low, but I forgot about it until after church the next morning. By that time it was REALLY low! I slowly made it to a gas station and saw that it was $.50 for air. FIFTY CENTS FOR AIR!!! I remember a time when you could get it for free. Well I didn't think I had any cash on me so, great, I was going to have to buy a soda to get cash back. But thankfully when I was getting my air pressure gauge I found...wait for it....exactly fifty cents. Praise be! So I aired up that tire and checked the front driver tire and it was slightly low so I aired that one up as well. The other two were just fine. Similar thing happened to Jason last week. I think it's the weather. I hope it's the weather and not a nail in the tire. Eeeek!!! I've been monitoring it and it seems to be ok, for now.

Saturday evening I watched the Razorbacks lose. WHHHAAAA!!! Sigh. Maybe next year. But Florida was tough and I don't think we were doing our best. So I switched back and forth between the Hogs and the Sooners. At least they won. But I'm not sure which bowl game the Hogs got...let me check...CAPITOL ONE BOWL? It doesn't sound very presitgous but at least we got one. Oklahoma is in the Fiesta Bowl...at least that one sounds...festive.

I also watched that all time Christmas classic: Ace Venture Pet Detective. Yeah, that's what you get when you don't have cable.

That about wraps up my weekend. In the Christmas spirit, enjoying the weather, missing my sweetie (big time), and preparing for all the Christmas baking in the next coupld of weeks. YAY!!!

It's not beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Ugh!!! This is just a complaint that it is way too hot for Christams... It's November for goodness sake!!!! It's not supposed to be freakin' 80 degrees!!!

Ok...I'm better...it will be a-ok.