I have a feeling

that our pup is LOVING the new house...just ignore the long weeds that are being taken care of today. It makes me feel calm inside to see him loving the new house so much!

Sometimes...

A commercial/tv show/movie comes out and you can really identify with it. Sometimes it is so close to your real life that it is scary. Well, this is one of those times. Hubby & I were sitting, eating our BIGGEST LOSER dinner and watching t.v. when a new commercial came on (well new to me because I have never seen it). I was dying with laughter by the end of it because I swear they made this commercial off of my 90 pound dog who thinks he is mommy's little baby/lap dog. Enjoy!

Spring is in the Air!!

Forget love give me Spring!! Howdy my followers/fellow bloggers! It has been quite a while!! I'd love to say I've been so busy because I've won the lottery, but I haven't, so I'll have to stick to the truth of the fact that I'm horrible at consistency and keeping up with my blog!

Where to begin, where to begin! Well I guess I should start with the most pressing/obvious. I have been in the WORST mood of my life. Seriously, for the past week or so, I've feared for my hubby's life. Okay, I won't go that far BUT I have been pretty satan-like, and it is not very becoming for a lady such as myself. I have been so negative that it is unbelievable. I almost felt like I did about a year ago. I quickly snapped myself out of it though. I also came in today to see that one of my favorite bloggers, Tami G, was apparently in the same funk as me, until she determined to push away the yucky! So that is what I'm determined to do as well!

We are closing on our house in about two weeks. I'm very anxious/nervous about that. I think that may have something to do with my frustrations/stress right now. We have been hoarding money like crazy to keep a back up of funds if it is needed. I think we will be fine, but at this point I am just ready for this closing to be done & over and have us in our new house, unpacked and settled in. Also, I'm a big garden person. I love growing my own plants and flowers. It is killing me to not be able to get my hands on my new gardens and start working away to beautify them. I need to learn to be patient and take deep breaths and wait it out I guess.

Also, I met someone yesterday that had been offered a severance pay in order to keep the sexual harassment she suffered hush hush. At first I was shocked that a law firm would do such a thing. Then I started thinking, hmmm maybe I need to give details, line by line, to my old employers and have them give me hush money. I'm sure I would get way more than this girl did considering the law firm actually knew what was being done to me, along with at least three others. (grrrossssss).

But I digress, as usual! I'm super excited because they Yankees are coming to play the Rangers not on one but TWO occasions!!! & of course, I will be at both this summer!! I LOOOVE it!! Also, this weekend I'm getting in some rock climbing ANNND spending the rest of the day at a lake with some friends. Hopefully we will manage to pack in some sailing and jet skiing, but we will see. Hopefully I'll have some pics to post!

Hope everyone has been doing well and not losing too much faith in my blogging!!

The Color of Love

Okay, so maybe not the color of love for everyone, but I'm sure as heck loving this color right now!! My people over at Sephora never steer me wrong! The only thing I can complain about with this is it is definitely a "Top Coat necessary" color! (I've gotten spoiled with the quick-dry all in one colors!).

Anyways, I figured I would post and share my new color with you guys and to give a little scoop about what is going on in the big D lately.

The NBA All Stars event is this weekend. What does that mean you ask? Well I was alerted yesterday that they are expecting an additional 25,000 vehicles in the general downtown Dallas area, and an estimate of an additional 300,000-400,000 people in the area. YIKES!! And to think, I was excited to be out of New Orleans and away from the Mardi Gras craziness, but only to substitute it with another craziness!!

It is expected to snow again tomorrow. It seems as though it has been the coldest winter they have had for a while. Go figure I would pick this winter to be here! ha! I don't mind though, I do enjoy the cold weather (does wonders for the hair) and I LOVE snow, as does hubby and puppy dog.

I've accomplished one of the numbers on my list (will do a post specifically about that). I feel like I'm starting to finally make headway with things in my life. We recently decided to move into an apartment (I know crazy right!). But we are SO close to having everything paid off that saving an additional $200 a month will put us ahead of schedule! Not to mention, not having to deal with the stress of maintenance and lawn upkeep. There are also a few pools in the gated community along with a phenomenal 24 hour fitness center which is all inclusive (what?! no more monthly gym payments either! rack up another $6o!). I cannot be more excited about this adventure to unfold!

The Meaning of Life

It seems as though we are always searching for the meaning of life. Meanwhile, right under our noses, life is happening and we are missing out!

So where am I going with this? As of today, I'm done searching for the meaning of life and I'm just going to START LIVING. That's right. No more wondering why something has happened. No more constant "what if"'s. No more feeling sorry for myself for the people and things I have lost, or never had. No more making excuses. People always say "I'll get to it tomorrow" but what they don't realize is that today is yesterday's tomorrow.

I'm in the process of revamping my list and I'll repost it shortly :) I hope ya'll will follow me on my journey and hopefully I can inspire some of you to do the same :)

Update Time

So, I guess it is update time. I have been trying to make a conscious effort to get on here and blog this week, so far so good. Anyways, things have been going pretty good on my end. I've only been in this area for about half a year and I already feel like I can call it home. I do miss my family and friends back home and every now and then, when I just want a frozen delight (daiquiri), I miss New Orleans. But then I think about all the great things that I have going here and I can deal.

This weekend was to be spent with girl-time shopping then going out, which we haven't done really since the Marine Corps ball. Then hubby was given news today that he will be flying out to aide those in Haiti. While I am grateful that he is staying in the U.S. for these efforts (sending planes back and forth with people/supplies/medics/etc), I wish I didn't have to be without him. O well, I've done longer stints, so I can just put on my big girl panties and get over it!

Moving on, I am currently planning a trip in March to Vegas, which I am absolutely ecstatic about! A weekend trip to go snow boarding has been postponed since we discovered the nearest slope is about 9 1/2 hours away (just a bit too far for a weekend trip). Also, a cruise is in the works for the end of the year. I am ABSOLUTELY 100% excited about all of this! I have been working since I was young and have never gone on a real vacation as an adult (I don't include the two cruises I went on with my 'rents only because, hey let's been honest, I couldn't exactly enjoy myself fully).

That is the extent of the newer news I guess. I feel like my life is finally falling into place like I've always prayed for. A year ago today if you would have asked me where I would be I probably would have said "going through a nasty divorce, broke, an alcoholic with no friends or family." Now don't get my wrong, the only marital problems hubby and I had was distance. He is not the best communicator anyways, so add the distance and it was a nightmare. I felt at one point that he had given up, so why shouldn't I? I am grateful that for whatever reason, we both snapped back to reality at the same time and saved something that was worth saving.

Okay, enough of the gushy, mushy talk. It's Friday!!! I'm going to do a separate post with stuff to make you happy and giggle :) Have a great weekend you guys! I'll make sure to take pictures of the weekend fun and post the non-incriminating ones! hehe

People Watching

I have always had a bad habit of people watching. I know I'm not the only one, but still I know it isn't the best hobby to have. Somehow though, I think this habit has helped me learn to watch people's movements and reactions. I can usually pick up on bad things about to happen, whether it be a fight or someone about to steal something. I can also sense when people are lying, hiding something, etc. I contribute my people reading skills mainly to my hobby of people watching, well that mixed with women's intuition.

Anyways, a relaxing day with the hubby lead us to the mall, to peruse the stores and wait for our movie to start. We made a pit stop in the food court for hubby (he has the bladder of a hummingbird!) so I took a seat at a table on the edge of the food court to optimize my view of the coming and going people.

Nothing unusual or exciting. I begin to get bored, when I see a couple come in the door. Not your typical couple. An elderly couple, each in motorized wheelchairs. The man following behind the woman, both looking unhappy, albeit grumpy. I know I should not stare, in any case, but especially in this situation, they have been around this earth a long time and the last thing they should have to deal with is a gawker. But I can't bring myself to look away. They remind me of my grandparents. My grandmother almost always unhappy (though I do love her to bits and pieces) and my Papa always joking and whistling, but always unhappy looking when around my grandmother. I watch as the woman stops short to look at the mall map and just as soon as she stops, the old man runs into the back of her chair. She barely budged, but felt the need to turn around and give the old man a dirty look. He looks away, almost like a little child in trouble, and the elderly woman shook her head and scowled. At that moment I wanted to walk over and hug the old man. He looked very similar to my papa.

She finishes viewing the map and whips her chair around to "talk" to her spouse. They both look very angry and you can tell she was saying something nasty to him. At this point the hands go up and you can see that they are very clearly arguing. The woman whips her chair around and takes off into the mall. The man left there for a minute, only to begin following after her.

I know this probably sounds boring and uninteresting to some of you, but this is a picture I cannot get out of my head. I watched in sadness and couldn't stop the tears from falling. I would be willing to bet my grandparents had many moments like this, but were they necessary? If she could go back in time, would she be nicer? I would like to say yes, but I'm not sure.

Either way, it took all the power I had in me not to walk over and hug the stranger, and just pretend it was my papa. I miss him so much. I think it was a sign from him to be thankful for every moment I have with my loved ones.

Hubby came back to the table only to find me in tears. After giving me a glance over and seeing that I hadn't been mugged, he sat quietly and asked what was wrong. He probably thinks I'm a loon at this point that needs to be committed. And all I needed to say was I saw someone that reminded me of my papa, and he understood. He hugged me tighter than ever before, almost as if he knew what I was thinking.

I hope everyone reading this takes a minute after and thanks God (or whoever you may believe in) for the giving you the people you have in your life. Don't take anything for granted. Never leave your loved ones with harsh words, you never know when you will see them again.

The Key to Happiness

It seems as though every time I turn around I hear about "the key to happiness" or "money won't buy you happiness" or some other clever saying about happiness. But what is happiness? Well, first I'd like to say, whoever said "money can't buy you happiness" isn't entirely correct. Where it is true that you cannot literally buy happiness, having the means to do the things that make you happy can't hurt!

HO-HO-HOME for the Holidays

..well okay maybe not all the holidays, but at least for Christmas. We were able to make it back home to visit for Christmas and all I can say is...wow! I am EXHAUSTED. I didn't get to spend nearly enough time with people, some people I didn't get to see at all. We missed lots and lots of snow here in Texas, but it was okay because when we came back we were welcomed back by large amounts of the remains. I also hear tomorrow we are in luck for more! I am EXCITED!

Anywho! I was asked by quite a few people how much weight I had lost. I felt like there was a difference and, of course, my pants falling down were a giveaway, but I didn't realize other people could actually see a difference. It was quite a surprise when I hoped on the scale at the gym, set it on a super high weight, which I thought would be close to my weight and had to keep going lower...and lower..and lower!! Then of course after my shock, I had to get hubby to do it for me, at which time it read the same as my original reading.

It seems like my efforts are finally paying off! I am getting into a healthy routine which effects my lifestyle in the long run and sticking with it. I couldn't be happier!

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, I know I sure did!

We checked out this romantic little Italian restaurant not too far from the house Friday night. It was fantastic! I love family owned, small restaurants. Saturday morning we took Buster to the dog park and he absolutely loved it. It was nice to see him able to socialize with other dogs and people. That night we went and checked out one of the "fun arcades" that is more geared to adults. It rated two thumbs down on our scale, so we will stick to the Main Event for now until we find something better. Then we went to see "All About Steve," which I wanted to see when it first came out. It was pretty funny, but in the end I was pretty sad. Wasn't what I was expecting I guess. Sunday was a pretty slow day. We went to watch the Rangers v. Rays (GOOOO RANGERS!). We had awesome tickets that we scored for free from one of the Majors. The seats were fantastic, except after the first inning we had to seek shelter, due to my pale complexion. haha. It was a blast either way. I loved it even more when I realized they kept popping up the score of the Yankees whipping the Red Sux. Fantastic! After the game we strolled past the great lake by the new cowboy stadium, took some great pictures and then headed home. Went grocery shopping then grabbed "Observe & Report" from the Red Box (I had convinced Rob to watch ghosts of a girlfriends past but they were all out of them). I cooked a nice dinner then we watched the movie. Surprisingly, again, some laughs, but it kind of made me sad at the end. What is up with the funny movies turning kind of sad at the end?

Anyways, all in all, a pretty great weekend. What about you guys? Do anything interesting?

Our Song...

This is our song. We've had many, but this one really gives me goosebumps. It reminds me of when we first met. It reminds me every morning is a great morning when I can wake up to him. It reminds me of everything we've ever done or had together. It reminds me of his beautiful singing voice that can soothe my soul, any time, day or night. It reminds me to be a better person, if not for myself, for him. This is our song.

Welcome Autumn!

Well, Autumn officially began on Tuesday, September 22nd. It is crazy to be somewhere that you can actually feel and see the seasons change. Before, in New Orleans, "Autumn begins" were just words on a calendar. The cool/cold weather puts me in the best of moods. Everyone keeps telling me I won't be so happy once winter rolls around, but I'm not too sure about that.

You see, the cold weather reminds me of a lot of things. First and foremost, it reminds me of my Papa. He was from Ohio and longed for winter. The one time it actually snowed when we were kids (1989- I was only four) he followed us around with his video camera trying to catch every moment. I still watch those videos. The cold weather also reminds me of love. I remember watching so many romance movies when I was younger, and it always seems like the female character finds her love when it's cold out. Strange, I know, but bear with me. It's a time where you can spend all day outside and not even notice because you aren't sweaty. Take a stroll around the block, hand in hand with your love, and feel like you don't have a care in the world. Also, it does a world of wonders for hair. My hair longs for the cold weather to give it a break.

Anyways, just wanted to say "welcome!" to the cold weather. I'm ready for you!

Because every girl deserves this...

"I'll be fighting for her, too. You should know that. I'm not taking anything for granted. And, I'll be fighting twice as hard as you will."

-Eclipse

Happy Mother's Day!

To all those moms out there, especially the best mom ever, mine, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I hope you all got to relax and be showered with gifts and love. Maybe one day it will be a day I can celebrate, but for now, I'm happy being a Buster Mommy! lol



No updates for a while!

My Buster Bear

As many of you know, I am obsessed. I do not deny that I have an obsession with my dog. Some might say I treat him as my child. To be honest, I am completely okay with people saying that. I raised him from when he was a puppy. He used to sprinkle all over and tear everything in his sight to shreds. Robert gave up on him after having him for a few weeks. He wanted to get rid of him several times. I was about at my wits end the day I came home to him in our bedroom, floor covered in feathers that he had plucked one by one from my feather duster. He sat in the middle of it all, anxiously wagging his tail, anticipating my reaction. It is strange to think back to that time. He has made such a total transformation, it is unbelievable at time. He never has accidents in the house, never tears things up, sits, shakes, speaks, is a perfect guard dog, walks next to me on our daily walks, listens, understands when you tell him to go find a specific person, is gentle with Amelia, even to grab a treat out of her hand ever so gently...it is just amazing.

Anyways, he has been acting a little strange lately, and I am finding myself worrying probably more than a normal person would. But, then again, he is my "kid" so I guess it is okay to worry.