A Texas Sized Slice of Life

What a Year!

2009-01-09T12:07:00.095-06:00

2008 was an absolutely unreal year for me. Post hurricane I seriously neglected my blog since there was (and still is) a lot going on. However, in the spirit of a new year and my many New Year's resolutions that are just waiting to be broken (or possibly already broken...yikes!) I have decided, thanks to a good friend's post, to do a recap of my year and catch everyone up. I would really like to stay on top of my weekly postings this year but let's not get ahead of ourselves!

January

Dad and I in the Harry Lemon Pub in Dublin when I went with him on one of his work layovers.

February

Hiking Mt. Cutler is Colorado Springs on my trip to visit My best friend, Lindsey and her husband, Brian.

Lindsey, Brian, and I having dinner and enjoying some Irish music at a pub downtown.

Out for a hike with their dog, Maggie. Lindsey and Brian LOVE to hike so I definitely got my exercise in that weekend!Can't wait to meet their first child, Megan, who is due to arrive in April!

I even managed to squeeze in lunch with my Godparents Tom and Roxanne who live right down the street from the Ismirles!

March

Drinking beer with some new friends on a client trip to Beaver Creek, Colorado for work. I was the youngest person there and one of the only women. I had an absolute blast snowboarding, drinking beer, eating great food, and talking business of course!

April

I spent Easter in Kingwood with the Mathews and one of my favorite kiddos, miss Addison Lee Womack. The little meatball spent brunch trying on my sunglasses, taking pictures with my camera, being scared of the Easter Bunny, and cracking everyone up through it all!

My Uncle (who is a Congressman from Illinois) came into town to speak at a fundraiser roasting his DC roommate Congressman Kevin Brady from the Woodlands and invited me to come.

After being out for school for 2 years and not visiting for 1, I FINALLY made it back to Tallahassee to hang out with Ben, an old roommate of mine. We are like brother and sister and had a blast reliving our "glory days", even though Ben can't hang!

May

A group of some of my favorite people and I attended a friend's wedding on Lake Travis in Austin. The weather was perfect and the whole weekend was a nice little mini vacation.

June

My good friend Jenny, who is responsible for my running addiction, came to Houston to visit. I had a blast showing her around town and laughing myself silly. I can't believe it's been 6 months sine we've seen each other already!

July

For the fourth, a group of us decided to take their boat up to Lake Austin for the weekend. The water was too cold for any of us girls to suck it up and wakeboard (although the guys did) but we still had fun relaxing in the coves and dancing it up on the boat. When we weren't on the water we were either grubbin' on some delicious food (most likely from Hula Hut) or out having drinks and being silly. That weekend still makes me laugh when I think about it and is definitely one of the best of the year!

I feel like I say this every year but this year I really had the best birthday ever! Earlier in the week my girlfriends and I went out for Dinner at The Glass Wall where we had a yummy dinner followed by even yummier cupcakes that they brought. Then that weekend some of my closest friends and I went out to a delicious dinner of various types of wild game at Rainbow Lodge and followed it up with drinks and dancing at Citizen Lounge. I felt so loved and special and I know I'm truly lucky to have such wonderful friends and family!

September

September was a very busy month for me, even before Hurricane Ike made everything a million times more hectic. At the beginning of the month I went on a Ladies' retreat to the Fabulous Parker resort in Palm Springs. It was my first trip out to Palm Springs and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how gorgeous and entertaining it was (other than the fact that everything shuts down at about 8 PM every night). The other women were wonderful and I had a blast hanging around the resort pool, going to the spa, and eating some fabulous dinners all while getting to know them better. I really hope that there is another trip to the Parker and Palm Springs in my future!

After some creative rerouting due to Hurricane Ike, I flew from Palm Springs to Pittsburgh to celebrate my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. They renewed their vows in the same church they were married in 50 years ago to the day. It was such a touching and beautiful weekend that included a really fantastic party with all the people I love. It was great to see two people who have stuck together through a lot and are still so in love. They are truly an inspiration to me and I love them both so much!

After more rerouting, since the airport in Houston was still closed, combined with a lot of nail biting over whether or not the event should still go on (due to all the damage in Houston) the company decided to still hold its annual Napa retreat for our bankers. I had the absolute worst flying experience of my life (NEVER fly United Airlines, EVER) I made it out to Napa for another unforgettable trip!

My Best friend (and colleague) Lisa, my good friend Vero (a coworker's wife), and I at the Welcome Reception

Ballooning over Sonoma

Lisa and I enjoying a relaxing trail ride with our horses Houston and Diesel

The view from Stag's Leap Winery, where we had a delicious cooking class and wine of course!

The wine caves at Stag's Leap

Getting a tour of Bonny's Vineyard by her son who is now the winemaker at this property. Bonny and her husband Justin Meyer (now deceased) originally founded the famed Silver Oak Winery and some of the best rated vintages came out of this vineyard. We had a wonderful afternoon where we got to sample their private reserve collection and talk with Bonny and her son who now produce wine from the vineyard under the name "Bonny's Vineyard" about anything our heart desired. The Meyers are wonderful, down to earth people and this was probably my favorite event of the trip.

Me, My boss Todd, His wife Amy, and my good friend and one of our bankers Renee before dinner outside on a picturesque night at the Culinary Institute. This 7 course meal was definitely the perfect end to the perfect trip!

After the trip of a lifetime, my girlfriend Lisa and I decided to extend our trip and stay out in Napa and San Francisco over the weekend. Lisa has planned that event and knocked it out of the park 3 years in a row! The weekend was definitely a nice way to unwind from a fantastic but hectic event.

Celebrating a successful trip and enjoying a tasty lunch at one of Napa's best restaurants, Mustard's.

Showing off our purple teeth after tasting some wine at Plumpjack, my favorite vineyard.

Lisa and I walking around Quintessa at their "Harvest Party" where we got to sample reserve vintages, eat tasty food, and listen to some great latin music!

Our traditional Golden Gate picture

The gorgeous redwoods in Muir Woods

Goofing around in Muir Woods

Lisa and I enjoying the view from the Muir Beach Lookout

Having Sake with our Sushi dinner on our last night in San Fran

October

Back in June Renee, a girlfriend of mine, told me that I had to go with her to Machu Picchu since I was her only friend who wasn't married and thus had nothing stopping me from making the trip. She is a travel maven and loves planning trips so she planned every aspect of our trip. When she finally declared she was finished and everything was set I simply wrote her a check and asked what I needed to pack. Although I wasn't planning on taking this trip before Renee asked me, I am so, so, SO glad I went. It was literally the trip of a lifetime and I couldn't have asked for a better travel partner and friend!

Having dinner and our first Pisco Sours (the traditional peruvian drink) at Inka Grill in Cusco. We also tasted llama that night and actually, it's not half bad!

The square in Cusco at night

Riding the Train to Aguas Calientes (the town at the bottom of Machu Picchu where we spent the night)

Machu Picchu

A typical "lawn mower" at Machu Picchu

Renee and I at Macchu Picchu

Machu Picchu through the fog

"Changing the energy of the world" at the Machu Picchu sundial

Catching our breath before heading back up

Posing with some traditional Peruvian girls and their lamb. There are kids all over like this that will pose with you for money, some even have llamas.

Enjoying another delicious dinner in Cusco

Visiting a Llama farm

Another cute kid by the entrance of the Pisac ruins

Enjoying some fresh corn in the sacred valley market

Cusco. Viva Peru!

If you would like to see more pictures of Peru please let me know. I have another 330 pictures that didn't make the post and I can send you the link to the album if you are really interested and have an extra half hour to kill or are looking for a good sleep aid!

Lisa and I dressed up for Halloween at the office. I was "Office Gossip" girl and she was Slash.

My cute little pumpkin

My friend Alexa and I at a halloween party. I was Willy Wonka (The Gene Wilder version of course) and she was a gold digger.

My girlfriends and I out at a very crowded bar on Halloween.

November

Neil and I went to Baton Rouge for a weekend to watch the LSU v. Alabama game and were hoping to see an upset by LSU. Although we had a ton of fun seeing old friends, eating some amazing cajun tailgate food, and yelling out "tiger bait" every time we saw someone in Alabama get up, the Tigers just couldn't pull it off. Anyone who knows me knows I LIVE for college football. It was really nice to get to see one really great game up close and personal.

Also in November one of my big bosses got hitched in one of the most gorgeous places in the world, Belize. I went not as an invitee but as a guest of my very close friend and coworker Andrew since we were both single. I had never been to Belize before but it really is Heaven on Earth. The weather was perfect and I was with some of my closest friends without a care in the world. Although I had many fantastic trips this year, I think this one takes the cake as the best trip of the year and possibly the best trip ever!

The view from our resort, The Mata Rocks

The resort where the wedding was held, Victoria House.

Andrew and I hanging out by the pool.

The gorgeous night sky.

Andrew and I with Lisa and her husband Andrew before dinner on the beach with a steel drum band.

Lisa and I on our sunset party boat ride to the rehearsal dinner at the fabulous Rojo Lounge

Andrew and I hanging out with Andrew and Lisa at a table IN the pool at Rojo Lounge.

The view from my very first post certification open water Scuba dive.

Before the Ceremony

Beachside ceremony

The bride and groom who were practically glowing.

The beautiful poolside reception

All of us enjoying the reception

The puddle jumper we had to take to get back to the mainland from Ambergris Caye

The view from the puddle jumper on the ride back home. I have never been so sad to leave a place in my life!

December

My friend Renee's husband Skip and I had a french fry eating contest after Renee commented on how fast I ate while we were in Peru. The trophy was a pig and was engraved with the popular trading mantra "Pigs get fat, Hogs Get Slaughtered". We were about dead even halfway through until I started laughing and Skip ran away with the lead. Rest assured, there will be a rematch!

I stood in line at Borders for an hour to get Steve Doocy from Fox and Friends (my parents' favorite morning show) to autograph a copy of his book about fatherhood "Tales From the Dad Side". He was unbelieveably witty (and really short) in person.

It snowed in Houston! Of course it didn't stick on the roads, but there was quite a lot of the white stuff that could be found on cars and lawns. There was even enough for a few good snowballs and snowmen!

Our holiday party was held at the Petroleum Club in Houston and was amazing, as always. I ate and drank to my heart's content and then danced the night away with my lovely coworkers! What a great way to spend the holidays!

As you can see 2008 was an extremely busy and wonderful year for me. This year isn't looking near as packed (or exciting) but it will be nice to slow down and enjoy the little things for a while. I hope you all had a very blessed and wonderful holiday season and that the New Year is everything you are hoping for. Stay tuned for more frequent updates(knock on wood).

Cheers!

FINALLY back in action!

2008-09-25T11:10:00.030-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a LONG two weeks for yours truly to say the least! My travels began with a trip out to the very chic Parker resort in Palm Springs. I had never been to Palm Springs before but I had seen the show "Welcome to the Parker" on Bravo and I was excited to say the least. I, as is standard on work outtings, was the baby of the group but the age gap didn't matter a bit! I honestly couldn't have asked for a more wonderful group of women to spend 3 days with. We spa-ed, laughed, ate, drank, shopped, and traded work stories to our hearts' content! We even saw Betsy Johnson herself lurking all around the property for the last few days of our trip, which was the cherry on top for all of us. We also got to meet the eccentric and wonderful Mr. Michael Crawford (who was featured on the show) when we dined at Mr. Parker's on our last night. He told us tons of naughty and hilarious stories and had us laughing so hard we couldn't eat or drink a thing while he was at the table. If you ever get a chance to visit this fantastic place you MUST do so!

The entire time I was out in Palm Springs I had one eye surrounded by face mask and nestled under a cucumber and one eye on Hurricane Ike. Each day I would return to my room and check the new forecasted track for the big guy and to my dismay, it never seemed to shift away from Houston. Needless to say rerouting my travel plans to exclude stops through Houston for a solid 2 weeks was hell on earth at best. After many hours on the phone speaking to pretty much every type of person from every type of background imaginable, I managed to secure a route to My grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary in Pittsburgh which was the weekend after my jaunt to Palm Springs.

The weekend was wonderful. I can't tell you how much I admire and respect my grandparents for making it 50 years! It seems these days that such feats are almost unheard of with an astronomical divorce rate permeating our society. It was also so nice to finally be with all of my family on my dad's side. I had never even met the little stud who is my newest cousin. The coolest thing about the weekend (to me) was that not only did they renew their vows after 50 years but they did it in the church that they were married in 50 years ago to the day. After much celebrating and some emailing to confirm that our company trip to Napa was still on depite hurricane Ike's effect on Houston, I was on my way back to California.

Let me just take a minute to do you all a favor by telling you to NEVER EVER fly United airlines. I booked a one way flight from Pittsburgh to San Francisco via Dulles the night before my flight and thought that everything would be fine and dandy and that I would make it to San Fran around 11:30 with plenty of time to spare before Lisa and I's reservation at 7:30 that night. After a day of being searched up and down, not taking off the first time because the latch didn't close electronically, getting bumped off of a flight that I paid for a seat on that was overbooked by 15 people, and sitting around Dulles waiting for a flight with even one free seat on it i FINALLY got into San Fran at 5:30 which was just late enough to not make our reservation in time since we had to drive another 2 hours to get to the restaurant. Needless to say I will never fly United ever again.

San Francisco/Napa was even better than last year. This year we stayed at Calistoga Ranch which is what I imagine Heaven to look like. The property was beautiful, the rooms were amazing and even came with beatiful outdoor showers which were a blast to use, and the staff were out of this world. In what seemed like a blur I had a cooking class and then ate the delicious end product, rode in a balloon, tasted TONS of wine, ate around a metric ton of delicious gourmet food, went horseback riding, competed in a wine blending competition, and hung out with some very fun bankers. Everyone left Friday but Lisa and I stayed the weekend to take advantage of our boss' Quintessa harvest party tickets that he unfortunately couldn't use. We toured some of our favorite wineries, ate at some more great restaurants, saw the redwoods in Muir woods, shopped, and just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves without any of the pressure of work or work people. We flew back into Houston Monday with over weight bags and bodies from a week (or two in my case) of pure perfection.

Believe it or not this is actually my version of a "quick" post. I have been swamped ever since I got back from this trip and I leave tomorrow for Peru. I promise that my peru recap will be much longer than this minescule recap but I wanted to make sure i was "caught up" before I left. TakSee you next week!

Howdy from Palm Springs!

2008-09-10T09:15:00.004-05:00

Once again it has been a while. Sorry, sorry, sorry! I've had a lot of stuff going on in my personal life that unfortunately managed to slow me down. Right now I'm out in BEAUTIFUL Palm Springs at the Parker enjoying a fantastic girls' bank trip. Friday I was supposed to head back to Houston and once there change flights and head to Pittsburgh for my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. Then Sunday I would head back to Houston, change suitcases out, and then jet out to Napa for a work trip on Monday and return home Friday night/ Saturday morning at around midnight. You can tell this was all booked WELL before Ike entered the picture. Luckily, I faced the fact that I might not be able to head to Houston at all in that week and a half and very seriously over packed (which I probably would have done anyway). I just wanted to take a second and let everyone know that I'm going to be okay, and that I won't be in Houston when the storm hits. As I am writing this I am looking for alternative fights to book since it is HIGHLY unlikely I will be able to go through Houston on my travels. Then again, who knows where this bad boy is going. Must be nice to be a meteorologist and get paid to be wrong! Hope you all are having a great week! To all my friends still in Houston, PLEASE be careful and stay safe! I'll post pictures and an update just as soon as whirlwind in the gulf, and my life, passes.

ewwww

2008-08-20T14:21:00.002-05:00

So once again I've been MIA but this time I have a good reason. For the past week or so I have been battling a NASTY staph infection (wash your hands and everywhere else for that matter!). I have been taking antibiotics and just recently had the staph boil (hope you finished eating before you read this) cut open and drained. I have been so exhausted because my body is fighting the infection, one day this past weekend I drank a redbull and then almost immediately fell asleep. I appologize once again for the lack of posts but I really have been getting my butt kicked by this nasty stuff! I feel like I'm close to turning the corner. I can't promise I will be posting all that often until my energy and good health return but I'm definitely going to try (when I'm not learning spanish with my new Rosetta stone program!). Thanks for understanding and have a germ free day! :)

Hola, Peru!

2008-08-12T14:46:00.003-05:00

I don't think I have ever had such a big smile on my face after I have spent so much money. I just shelled out 550 bones for the Rosetta Stone Latin America Spanish edition and I am so pumped to start learning. I have heard commercial after commercial touting the benefits of the system (I'm sure you have too, they're everywhere!)and I have been waiting for a good "excuse" to justify the purchase for quite some time. Today, while talking to my boss I finally figured out that I have the perfect "excuse"! My friend and I are heading to Peru in October and I would feel so much better if i knew SOME spanish as opposed to not knowing a lick of it. I will definitely let everyone know how it works out and if it is worth the sack of cash I had to fork over! Looks like I will be stalking the mail man for the next few days!

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

2008-08-08T15:55:00.007-05:00

I cannot get enough bananas. You know that addiction most people have with coffee? That's how I am with bananas. My morning is not complete without one, I need one in the afternoon after I work out, and if I don't get my daily banana WATCH OUT! Hey, there are worse things to be addicted to, right?

Speaking of Bananas... one of my favorite jokes ever actually involves them... check out the video below to hear Demetri Martin's banana joke that came from a special he had on comedy central (side note: the guy is insanely hilarious). If you like his stuff check out the much longer original segment below.

See more Demetri Martin videos at Funny or Die

Good and Bad News

2008-08-07T15:21:00.006-05:00

The bad new is that I've been in a bit of a "funk" lately, hence the lack of posts. I don't really want to get too into it but it has been holding me back a bit from being my usual and spunky self. On top of that I have been stretched thin with about a million things on my calendar and not enough time to even squeeze in a workout some days (the ultimate form of therapy). Add to that the fact that we had a "serious storm" headed our way (see damage done to houston below)and I'm sure you can understand why I might not have had as much time to devote to blogging as I would like.

The good news is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Things are slowing down and I'm gradually getting back to my perky, sarcastic self. I have some very exciting trips coming up that I know will fix me up in no time. It is going to be an exciting fall!

A big ol' baby inspired smile

2008-08-07T14:49:00.006-05:00

This last Tuesday I found myself sitting at the bar having an afternoon drink (thanks to ferocious Tropical storm Edouard getting me a day off of work) when I saw that none other than my best friend Lindsey was calling me. It was loud in the bar and I wasn't in a good place to talk so I quickly forwarded the call to voicemail and decided I would call her back later. I then started to wonder why she would call at such an odd hour.... we talk and catch up every now and then (I wish it happened more often, all my fault by the way) but those calls were usually later at night when it is free to talk. I turned to my beer drinking partner in crime and said "I bet she's pregnant" to which I received a "what the hell" puzzled look. A few seconds later I had a text message from her that read "you're like my sister right? I can tell you anything?". To which I replied "of course". She then put tears in my eyes when she sent "well if you're my sister then you're about to be an aunt". I literally had to hold on to my chair. What can I say, this girl is my sister, my other half... I KNEW IT! I could not be any happier for Lindsey and Brian. Lindsey and I have been inseparable since 8th grade and I have known Brian since the day she first met him. I was a bridesmaid in their wedding last year and they are so cute and in love it is ridiculous. Best wishes to two people that I truly love and adore... I can't wait to meet the new addition to your family in April!

Rain, Rain... Oh please stay!

2008-07-24T16:07:00.011-05:00

Call me sick and twisted but I LOVE monstrous thunderstorms. Even though I will soon be driving home through what looks like a snowstorm, I am so excited! I have been going at a million miles an hour this week and the Dolly inspired thunderstorms are forcing me to put on the brakes, literally. All I can think about is putting on my sweatpants, making some dinner, laying on my comfy couch, and totally and completely VEGGING OUT!

I recently bought the movie The Kite Runner (absolutely hands down one of the best books I have ever put my manicured hands on!) at Starbucks on clearance (of course) for $8, and I have been patiently waiting for an opportunity to watch it. I feel like when I was a kid and my parents told me I couldn't wake them up on Christmas morning "till the clock reads Seven zero zero"! Fuzzy slippers here I come!

Playing catch up, birthday edition

2008-07-23T15:28:00.010-05:00

First and foremost, THANK YOU to everyone who made my birthday so wonderful. In fact, it was so wonderful that I haven't posted anything all week out of pure exhaustion and laziness!

Saturday was "the day" and man oh man was it a busy one! Neil and I went to see The Dark Knight in IMAX around noon after sitting in line for an hour. My dad and I have always been Batman freaks so waiting till Saturday to see it (when we could have seen it Thursday night at midnight) was killing me. Neil however, is not so much a fan of waiting in line to say the least. An Icee and some sour skittles managed to pacify him until 45 minutes passed and we were allowed inside the theater. We managed to get good seats, thank GOD, because I refuse to see an IMAX movie with bad seats...there is nothing more annoying on this Earth! Two and a half hours later I walked out with goosebumps. It was the best batman movie by far and probably the best movie I've seen all year. Yes, it was dark....yes, it was violent.... but i still loved it! You MUST see this movie if you haven't already. Although it has been majorly hyped by pretty much every single movie critic, it definitely lives up to and far exceeds the buzz. On top of that, Heath Ledger's performance is nothing short of breathtaking.

After spending about half the day at the movies we went home to get our daily fix of Mario Kart on the wii. We've had the game for a few months now but we JUST started playing it this weekend (I know, we're losers). It is a blast and yours truly is also one kick ass driver;). Pair some Kart with a good nap and the afternoon was nothing short of ideal.

Later, we headed out to dinner at Rainbow Lodge with some of my favorite people (although there were some favorites missing!). The dinner was absolutely scrumptious! The restaurant specializes in wild game and everything was so interesting and so tasty, I think I ended up sampling every person's dinner! The wine (thanks to Geoff and Jennifer)and dessert were also phenomenal and really topped off the whole experience.

A post 21 birthday wouldn't be complete without a trip to the bar so we finished the night up at Citizen Lounge and had a blast toasting, laughing,and dancing with good friends.

Sunday I once again headed out to Kingwood to have birthday part 2 with the Womacks ,who sent us the bottle of wine at dinner the night before, since a little sun sickness kept them from joining the party. I got my Addie fix, ate some damn good Italian, hung out with some people that I adore, and even ate some birthday cake ice cream... just to celebrate, of course! I journeyed back to Houston that night with a full belly and a big ol' smile on my face.

Thanks again, y'all! This birthday was definitely the best one yet and I already can't wait till next year!

A huge Birthday smile

2008-07-17T11:48:00.012-05:00

is what is currently on my face. Technically, my birthday isn't till Saturday, but the celebrations have already begun and I love it. I must admit I am somewhat of a "birthday whore". Don't misunderstand me, it's not because I want to recieve a ton of gifts (although it is a nice bday perk). I honestly just love that around my birthday I get to see most of the people that I love and care about and have a great time with them within the span of just a few short days. For instance, last night I had dinner with the girls night crew at the Glass Wall.

Background: We have our girls night dinners every month at a restauraunt of someone's choosing and we have stereotypical Sex and the City type girl talk.(FYI I am not a huge fan of SATC but I do love our girls nights!)

Anywho, Last night was a BLAST and definitely one of the best girls nights thus far! The waiter insisted on bringing us free shots and buying us rounds of drinks so we were all very excited right off the bat. Our dinner was delicous and the conversation was hilarious and a nice breath of fresh air after the usual work, hunting, fishing, and golf conversations that take up most of my time. After a scrumptious dinner the waitstaff brought out some beautiful and tasty cupcakes that the girls bought from Dessert Gallery along with some yummy glass wall ice cream! I was in hog heaven to say the least! After that we all scooted over to Pearl Bar, which is quickly becoming a favorite haunt of mine. The place has shuffle board, hula hoops, ping pong, board games, and really friendly staff (which is sometimes harder than you think to come by around here). After showing everyone how a real gal works a hula hoop and going down in flames at ping pong, I retired to the house stuffed, overjoyed, and exhausted! Thanks to the girls night crew for a great time!

I can't forget to mention my fantastic family (mom)who is also reponsible for my "permagrin". They sent me my favorite Gerbera dasies (stereotypical girl, i know) and a box of Mrs. Fields cookies that have been tempting me to eat all of them immediately since I received them yesterday.... I have to keep reminding myself "everything in moderation"...I think...

Thanks again to everyone who has made my birthday so special thus far. I know I say it all the time but y'all are the best! I mean it!

Shopping for a good cause

2008-07-17T11:14:00.004-05:00

Gap Inc., Give and Getgreat free widgetsWidgetbox

Like most girls, whether I like it or not, shopping is a vice that I can never seem to kick. I try to stay away but everytime I walk by a local boutique or my neighborhood Banana Republic (my favorite!) the clothes don't just call out to me, that practically hog tie me and drag me into the store. Today I received an invitation from the Gap companies (BR, Gap, Old Navy) to send inviations to people so that they can recieve 25% off when they shop at one of those stores Aug 1-3. In addition, 5% of what these people spend will be donated to one of 5 charities. I chose The Global Fund which helps to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Please let me know if you would like me to send you an invite. Who doesn't love shopping and doing some good at the same time?

Out of the Mouth of babes...

2008-07-16T14:55:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I made the trek up to kingwood (aka "the wood") to see my poor injured Jessica and bring her a care package. It had honestly been quite a while since I had journeyed to "the wood", much less seen mom and pop Weber (Jess' Parents). While Jess and I were digging into some oh so delicious Ben and Jerry's "Half Baked" (which is Heaven on Earth) I got up and went looking for the bathroom. While passing through the living room I saw Parker, Jess' niece, watching Finding Nemo and dancing around in her underwear and cute little Popsicle t-shirt. All of the sudden Jess' mom walked in and asked Parker if she wanted to take a shower. She enthusiastically shook her head yes and grabed her grandma's hand. As they walked past me Mrs. Weber told Parker to recite the Pledge of Allegiance for me. Little miss Parker puffed up her chest with all the pride she had in her and began "I pledge allegiance to the flag..." and then she paused, turned around with her butt toward me, pulled down her underwear and said "Hey, Look at THIS!" I could not stop laughing! It was the most adorable mooning I have ever witnessed. Of course Jess' mom was so embarrassed and through her laughter assured me that the little bean had never done anything like this before. To top it all off Parker tried her pledge again and she did an excellent job for a two and a half year old. The best part was when she got to indivisible under God. Despite her best efforts it came out "individibulll under gawd", how precious! Before she went to bed she even took time to stop by in her grandma's pink high heels and polo shirt to come give Jess a night night kiss.

Thinking about Parker's antics last night are still making me giggle this afternoon, even after I retold the story multiple times. Thank you Miss Parker Marie for giving me (and your aunt, who definitely needed a laugh) a big goofy smile!

My Jess makes me smile!

2008-07-15T16:09:00.007-05:00

Today has been one of those days for me. You know, the "so much to do, so little time" ones where you feel like a chicken running around without a head? Enough said. Early this morning I was scrambling to get work stuff done and stressing about silly things like booking a vacation, when I could go home and pick up my birthday package from my mom, and whether or not I should start doing more leg exercises when I lift weights, crucial issues, I know. In the midst of all this chaos my phone rings and it's Jess. She tells me how she was in San Antonio this weekend with some friends and they got in a horrible accident. Some guy ran a stop sign and t-boned their car. Jess, along with 2 others, was life flighted to the hospital in SA and ended up with some broken ribs, a broken hand, and a ton of bruises. As she was telling me this my eyes filled with tears and my mouth instantly fell open, dry as the Sahara. I live such a blessed life and I have been extremely lucky in the fact that I have never lost or even almost lost someone close to me. That phone call definitely brought me back down to Earth and reminded me how fragile life is. I wanted to leave work that instant and go and give her a big hug (but not too big bc the girl has broken ribs!) and it killed me that I couldn't. I am currently rushing around trying to finish what I must at work so that I can speed out to Kingwood (yea right, not with Houston traffic) and see my poor broken and bruised best friend. Jess, just like the rest of you, makes me laugh so hard I can't breathe and smile till I can't feel my face. Although I already mentioned my wonderful friends yesterday, I had to show her somelove today too! Please keep Jess (and her friends who were also hurt) in your prayers and give those special people in your life a little extra sugar next time you see them. As corny as it sounds, everyday is definitely a blessing from God and you never know what tomorrow will bring!

big hugs and kisses to you all :*

My not so secret love affair

2008-07-15T13:59:00.005-05:00

I am a huge dork and love, love, LOVE to read (thank you mom and dad)! While studying economics in college I picked up a copy of The Economist and since that day I haven't been able to seperate myself from the current issue. You can't imagine how excited I get when i see that little red box in my mailbox! They have amazing coverage of everything that is going on in the world from the US to Tibet, to Kazakhstan and everywhere in between. I have to admit, I don't always see eye to eye with their reporters in regards to certain issues. However, their entire staff write with such logical and well researched articles that they often nudge me into at least considering a different viewpoint without me even being aware of it!

Today, as I was reading my copy of this week's edition I came across my word of the day

Moribund

Main Entry:
mor·i·bund
Pronunciation:
\ˈmȯr-ə-(ˌ)bənd, ˈmär-\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Latin moribundus, from mori to die — more at murder
Date:
circa 1721
1 : being in the state of dying : approaching death 2 : being in a state of inactivity or obsolescence
— mor·i·bun·di·ty \ˌmȯr-ə-ˈbən-də-tē, ˌmär-\ noun

oh and btw, The Economist is a great place to learn new words to add to your vocabulary everyday!

It's all because of you!

2008-07-14T14:36:00.006-05:00

Today has been somewhat of a hectic day thus far, but even in the midst of (a tad bit of) chaos I still have a goofy grin on my face. I had a great weekend thanks to my wonderful friends that I love so much! Every night this weekend Neil and I hung out with a different group of friends, and every night I found myself falling asleep and giggling while looking back on that night's events. Of course you all make my life what it is everyday, but today especially YOU are what is making me smile!

Something to smile about

2008-07-11T13:21:00.004-05:00

Yum! I have a terrible sweet tooth. It's so bad that if I don't have a little something sweet after eating a meal, I don't feel like I'm really done eating! One of these babies gives me everything I need to satisfy my craving and puts a smile on my face every time!

Your High School Reunion

2008-07-11T11:25:00.002-05:00

This article was forwarded to me by a friend. At first I didn't buy the argument but as I read on I identified with it more and more. Check it out and see what you think. Btw, guess who was a cheerleader and perhaps to some a "teacher's pet" in high school? ;)

Who's More Successful: High School Geek, Jock or Class Clown?

Looking back on high school, some people's memories are fonder than others. Unfortunately for many teenagers, in the young, harsh minds of high schoolers, you're nothing without your social status. Consider the stereotypes. For example, if you were a popular cheerleader who was friends with everyone or a jock who captained every sporting team in school, your memories of those four years are probably glittered with parties, dates and crowns from school dances.
But, take the geek who kept to himself, except when helping others do their homework, or a self-proclaimed "teacher's pet," who spent her days helping teachers grade papers, and their memories are better aligned with being stuffed in lockers or having their heads dunked in a toilet.
Luckily for most of us, any reputation that existed in high school was left in the dust when we went to college. (Or so we thought.) Little did we know that X number of years later our high school status would affect our chosen careers.
CareerBuilder.com asked more than 6,000 full-time workers to categorize their high school personas in one of the following groups: student government, athlete, geek, honor society, cheerleader, drama club, teacher's pet or class clown. These personalities were then compared to job level, salary, industry and job satisfaction.
"Thirty-nine percent of workers age 30 and older said their high school experience had an influence on the job they hold today," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.com. "While there are a variety of factors that determine one's career path, high school involves learning experiences inside and outside the classroom that can shape interests and personal networks at an early age. It's essentially a steppingstone into a world of opportunity."
So what was your status in high school? Read on to see if your persona matches the career you hold today.
Job levelIf you used to yell from the sidelines, chances are you're yelling at (or cheering for) employees from your corner office. Cheerleaders were more likely to hold a vice president role than any other persona, according to the survey.
Twenty-four percent of those who were a teacher's pet or in student government serve in director/manager/team lead positions. Former honor society members, athletes and geeks mostly hold professional and technical services positions at 59 percent, 55 percent and 52 percent, respectively.
IndustryDrama club and honor society members seemed to have more workers drawn into the health-care community; drama clubs was also ranked as one of the highest among personalities in public administration/government.
While a large number of those in student government now hold jobs in education, a greater number of cheerleaders reported going into the travel and insurance industries than other personas. More geeks reported holding jobs in engineering and retail, and teacher's pets were ranked as one of the highest groups in construction and banking and finance. Athletes were drawn to careers in transportation and class clowns seem more likely than others to pursue the manufacturing industry.
SalaryThe survey suggests that kissing up didn't get teacher's pets as far with their bosses as it did with their teachers. Thirty-seven percent of this persona reported earning less than $35,000 annually.
On the other end, 12 percent of former student government members are paid more than $100,000 per year. Ten percent of honor society members and 7 percent of athletes, geeks and class clowns, also make a six-figure salary.
Forty-seven percent of honor society members earn $50,000 or more, and 49 percent of student government personas earn the same salary.
Job and satisfactionHappiness seems to be a common denominator in most cheerleaders, so it's no surprise that they are the second- most-satisfied group when it comes to their jobs. Seventy-six percent of cheerleaders are happy in their current jobs, behind 81 percent of teacher's pets.
Geeks and class clowns were the most dissatisfied with their jobs, at 21 percent and 18 percent.
Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
Copyright 2008 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

Word of the Day

2008-07-11T10:39:00.005-05:00

One of my guilty pleasures is reading celebrity gossip blogs. I only read a select few a couple of times a day, but my favorite by far is Perez Hilton. I know that most of you probably know all about him but for those of you who don't, allow me to fill you in. Perez is the self proclaimed "Queen of all media". He is hilarious, honest, and sarcastic and I can never get enough of his wit. He tends to break stories long before they hit the mainstream media which makes his blog a must read for those who want to be "in the know". Anywho, I was catching up on my morning gossip and came across a post about A-rod and his soon to be ex-wife. In the post I found my word of the day, Enjoy!

Besotted

1: infatuate 22: to make dull or stupid; especially : to muddle with drunkenness

Another late update

2008-07-11T09:01:00.012-05:00

I've decided to make some changes by making some daily additions such as "word of the day" and "thing to smile about" feature. It may sound lame but you can never have too many words in your vocabulary or too many smiles in your life. Also, I've made my blog public so that I'm not limited to how many people I can invite to read it.

Speaking of things to smile about, I have to tell you I had a phenomenal 4th of July. My good friend Lisa invited me to head to Austin with her and her husband Andrew's friends and spend the weekend out on Lake Austin. I am so glad I went! The entire weekend was like footage from a movie. The scenery was breathtaking, the weather was perfect, and the company couldn't be beat. I ate everything under the sun (including the tastiest pizza I have ever eaten, thanks to Conan's), but still managed to stay slim and trim thanks to the ab workout I got from all of the laughing. The only thing that I would change if I could is the fact that the fire alarm went off at 6am two nights in a row. It woke us up in both Spanish and English twice the first night and three times the second night. We did manage to get a good laugh out of the fact that the Spanish translation comes across as catastrophic in nature while the English announcement was very calm and calculated. To top it all off the hotel staff apologized with a sincere "thank you for your inconvenience", lol. Some highlights included delicious food at every meal, watching the fireworks from out on the lake, going out in downtown Austin, and hanging out in the cove with a TON of hilarious and eclectic people. Below are some of the pictures from an unforgettable weekend with fantastic people! Thanks again to Lisa and Andrew for letting me tag along!

Hope everyone's 4th was fantastic and that you are all having a fabulous summer. There is more to come, I promise!

Don't say I didn't warn you!

2008-04-28T14:24:00.007-05:00

I knew i would neglect my posting duties most likely sooner rather than later, thus the warning on the first post.

It has been a wild and wonderful past couple of weeks for me.
My mom came into town April 10-12th to help get me ready for my big move that weekend. I have to say, she is awesome! Everything would not have gone as smoothly if she didn't come and get my butt in gear! In between packing and cleaning we found time to eat some fabulous Mexican and celebrate Neil's 30th birthday on the 11th. She also helped me sneak over to Neil's new house (which wasn't quite finished yet) and put together the gifts i bought him which included a hammock for the back yard and a golf caddy to hold all of his golf paraphernalia. That night we met up with him and his family at Brennan's (after a little champagne at the house, of course!) and had an amazing night of fantastic food, superb wine, and the best company anyone could ask for! As i mentioned earlier my move was cake thanks not only to my mom but also to the movers that we ended up hiring. Moving is hell and I HIGHLY recommend movers. It may seem like a lot of money but at the end of the day, it's worth it.... especially to this scrawny girl!The next week of unpacking was exhausting but somehow I managed to get everything put in its place (big thanks to Neil for hanging anything and everything I asked).

As if the whole moving experience wasn't enough chaos, last week I found tickets to tallahassee for $150 roundtrip if i flew last Saturday to Monday. Since it was one of my old roommates' last weekends before graduation I booked it before I even had a chance to think twice. FYI it is nearly impossible to fly into Tallahassee for anything below $450... now you know why I couldn't refuse! I hadn't been back to tally in almost 2 years and I was shocked by some of the HUGE changes that have taken place. Giant dorms are sprouting up all over campus along with a new biology building, and a new chemistry building. In fact, there were so many changes I don't think I even noticed them all. Ben and I spent the weekend reliving the old glory days when we lived together and catching up with old friends. It was a perfect weekend, despite the fact that I had to wake up at 4 am central time to make it home Monday morning! Yikes! It took a week but i think today i might finally be back to normal, lol!

Things haven't slowed down yet! Neil moved into his house this past weekend and things have been crazy busy! Once life slows down I'll take some nice pictures of the house but this update alone has worn me out. I will try and be more prompt, I promise! In the meantime y'all take care!

Something to consider

2008-04-08T14:02:00.005-05:00

I read this article earlier today and I couldn't help but compare myself and my sister. I have to say it rings pretty true in my family and in my close friends' families and it's just all around pretty interesting stuff.

Jobs & Birth Order
Oldest, Middle, Youngest: Who's More Successful?
By KATE LORENZ, CAREERBUILDER.COM EDITOR

Blame it on social class, education -- even luck, but according to Dalton Conley, New York University professor of sociology and public policy, inequality begins at home. In his book 'The Pecking Order: Which Siblings Succeed and Why,' Conley says that 75 percent of the income inequality between individuals in the United States occurs between siblings in the same families. He points to the diverse fortunes of Bill and Roger Clinton, and Jimmy and Billy Carter as examples.

Research shows that first-borns (and onlys) lead the pack in terms of educational attainment, occupational prestige, income and net worth. Conversely middle children in large families tend to fare the worst. (Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!)

"A child's position in the family impacts his personality, his behavior, his learning and ultimately his earning power," states Michael Grose, author of 'Why First-Born Rule the World and Last-borns Want to Change It.' "Most people have an intuitive knowledge that birth order somehow has an impact on development, but they underestimate how far-reaching and just how significant that impact really is."

Conley concedes that birth order is significant in shaping individual success, but only for children of large families -- four or more siblings -- and in families where finances and parental time are constrained. (In wealthy families, like the Bushes and Kennedys, it has less effect.)

Here's a look at what impact your birth order may have on you:

First-Borns: More conscientious, ambitious and aggressive than their younger siblings, first-borns are over-represented at Harvard and Yale as well as disciplines requiring higher education such as medicine, engineering or law. Every astronaut to go into space has been either the oldest child in his or her family or the eldest boy. And throughout history -- even when large families were the norm -- more than half of all Nobel Prize winners and U.S. presidents have been first-born.

Famous eldest children include: Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, J.K. Rowling and Winston Churchill. And macho movie stars are First-Born, too, including Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and all the actors who have played James Bond.

Middles: Middle children are more easy going and peer-oriented. Since they can get lost in the shuffle of their own families, they learn to build bridges to other sources of support and therefore tend to have excellent people skills. Middle children often take on the role of mediator and peacemaker.

Famous middle children include: Bill Gates, J.F.K., Madonna and Princess Diana.

Youngest: The youngest child tends to be the most creative and can be very charming -- even manipulative. Because they often identify with the underdog, they tend to champion egalitarian causes. (Youngest siblings were the earliest backers of the Protestant Reformation and the Enlightenment.)

Successful in journalism, advertising, sales and the arts, famous youngest children include Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey, Drew Carey, Rosie O'Donnell, Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal.

Only Children: Only children have similar characteristics to first-borns and are frequently burdened with high parental expectations. Research shows they are more confident, articulate and likely to use their imagination than other children. They also expect a lot from others, hate criticism, can be inflexible and are likely to be perfectionists. Well-known only children include Rudy Guiliani, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Alan Greenspan, Tiger Woods, tennis' teen queen Maria Sharapova and Leonardo Da Vinci.

Twins: Because they hold equal status and are treated so similarly, twins turn out similarly in most cases. Consider advice columnists "Dear Abby" and "Ann Landers" (Abigail and Esther Friedman), and Harold and Bernard Shapiro, who became presidents of Princeton University and Canada's McGill University respectively.

Dr. Frank Sulloway, a behavioral scientist and visiting professor at the Institute of Personality and Social Research at University of California, Berkeley and author of the book, 'Born To Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics and Creative Lives,' says first-borns are more similar in personality to first-borns in other families than they are to their own younger siblings. He adds that youngest children are often more similar to the youngest child in another family than his or her own elder siblings. He says this is because the family is not as much a "shared environment" as a set of niches that provide siblings with different outlooks.
Conley agrees, but stresses that these are just general trends -- and that the whole birth-order theory can be turned on its head depending on the child's personality, the age gap between siblings and the family circumstances each child experiences during his or her formative years.

A little experimentation never hurt nobody!

2008-04-03T13:40:00.008-05:00

It's no secret that I get around. Hey now! Put that scolding finger away and sit back in your chair. I know what you're thinking, and don't worry there's no lectures or doctor visit required! What I mean is that in the last 23 years I have lived in no less than 10 different places, gone to over half a dozen different schools, and met hundreds of amazing and unique people along the way. With so many people I love and care so much for spread so far across the country (and the world), blogging seems like the perfect way to keep everyone updated on my life (especially when I'm not doing such a great job of keeping in touch, perish the thought!).

First things first, a few things need to be said. Consider this a "disclaimer" section of sorts. First of all, although I have every intention of keeping this thing up I'm going to go ahead and say that there will be times where I will slack off. Don't act surprised, I know you're the same way. Second, although i once proclaimed myself to be a "grammar Nazi", having a pretty fast paced job that requires quick, concise communication has turned me into a changed,lackadaisical woman. Chances are I will quite often misspell words, leave out commas, use slang or just plain make up my own words. Honestly, life is too short so take this as not just a warning but a preemptive apology as well. You're welcome! Lastly, intertwined with my own experiences will often be little tidbits that i find interesting whether they be articles, website, videos, or just funny jokes. What can I say, my parents taught me to share rather well and passing things along is something I just love to do. Feel free to ignore these items if you want, I just can't help myself!

I suppose since it has been a while since I have spoken to some of you a quick summary update is in order. I went to high school in Battle Creek, Michigan where my dad was a squadron commander of the air national guard and a Delta pilot. After high school, I applied various places most of which were out of state since I had no real ties to or affinity whatsoever for Michigan. After picking out my dorm at the University of Texas (hook 'em!), I made the wise and impulsive decision to attend Florida State (Go 'Noles!) instead. I had the time of my life in college! I can't even begin to sum up my experience there in just a few sentences, it was phenomenal. By the way, that doesn't mean that i appeared on any girls gone wild DVDs or anything like that! (You wouldn't believe how often people ask such questions after you tell them you went to FSU) I actually behaved myself, worked my butt off, and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Economics in May 2006. After that I achieved my lifelong goal of getting a scholarship to law school (University of Houston)... and then decided to quit while i was ahead after 3 days of what i considered a giant waste of my time and effort. No offense to any lawyers, law students, or aspiring law students but the place wasn't for me. I loved Houston and didn't want to leave so i decided to get a job. I got probably the luckiest I ever have thanks to a recruiter and landed an awesome job at a start up energy company. I was originally hired on as a marketing analyst selling our oil and gas but was promoted to risk management analyst less than a year later. I now help hedge our production through options, futures, and swaps and I couldn't imagine a more exciting job! I have a wonderful job, a great apartment, and the best friends anyone could ask for in one of the coolest (and most underrated) cities I have ever been to! I am truly blessed and thank GOD for everything and everyone in my life! Yes, that means you!

Looks like this this has gotten to be longer than I anticipated for a first entry. I guess that's about it for now. Please, please, please comment on anything your little heart desires! After all, communication was the whole purpose of this baby.

Peace, love, and cowboy boots!

Jenn