M.I.A.

Apparently I went missing again.  Not from the real world, but I've been relatively quiet on the social media front.  I think, as a whole, I'm not very happy with this year.  That makes me sound like a spoiled brat when you read what I've been up to in my absence, but doing things and feeling things are sometimes two VERY different things.  Does that make sense?

October 18th was the last time I blogged.  6 weeks ago.  Bad Blogger.  Here are the highlights of things that happened during my disappearing act...

Painting Class
I bought a Groupon for one of those painting classes at Merlot to Masterpiece a while ago.  It took a bit of coordination to get some friends and fellow bloggers (Kim, Amanda, Marg, and Britt) together, but we finally managed to swing it.  Here is what the "goal" was supposed to look like:

Here was my finished (and framed) product:

The group shot:

Top Row - Amanda, Me, Kim
Bottom Row - Marg, Britt

Vacation
I headed to Chicago at the end of October to hang with family and participate in The Monster Dash.  My cousin Courtney and I walked 13.1 decked out in Angry Birds gear.  It was Courtney's first (and I'm told last) half and I promised her we would stay together.  I never left her side and we finished it.

While in Chicago, I made sure to eat all my favorite foods.  I hit up Portillo's twice - the first time for Italian beef and the second time for hot dogs.  We may or may not have managed to get the car towed while on our hot dog run during rush hour traffic downtown.  =/

I managed to pick-up some of my favorite candies from Fannie May - most notably Trinidads.

The beauty of a Trinidad lies in its decadent layers of rich, creamy real dark chocolate,
covered in a golden toasted coconut shell.

Of course, the best breakfast in the world can be found at Walker Bros. Pancake House.  Carbo-loading at its finest.

Post race, Courtney and I indulged on the BEST Chicago-style pizza EVER - Lou Malnati's.

Although it's hard to beat the BBQ of the South, Famous Dave's is quite delicious especially when hanging out with some wonderful cousins!

While downtown, I got to experience Chicago from the tourist perspective instead of my usual in and out of our designated commitments routine.  It was a nice change of pace.  I saw the famous Forever Marilyn statue (26 feet tall) and the Cloud Gate.

Management Meetings
Not even 2 weeks after my Chicago vacation, I set-off for Chicago again for my company's annual Management Meetings and Award Banquet.  Every year a book serves as the theme for the meetings and the upcoming year.  This year, Ubuntu! was the chosen one.  The basic concept is that "I am because we are" and that "we are all in this together".  In short...teamwork.  I have to say that some of my disgruntlement regarding work this past year has been as a result of a lack of teamwork, so this book and theme were much needed and appreciated (and will hopefully pay off).

After arriving in Chicago on Thursday, 11/10, all the managers (traveling from 12 Service Centers located nationwide) were whisked away to check into our hotel and then managed a caravan downtown to meet up with all the management of our headquarters to the Signature Lounge at the 96th Floor of the John Hancock building for a marvelous dinner (and an open bar).

Friday was filled with various meetings and followed-up with our Award Banquet.  Upper management has been really great about giving us monthly and quarterly statistics so most of us had a basic idea of our rankings in each category, but there is always one award whose recipient is always a mystery - the Service Center (SC) of the year award.  This award originated 8 years ago.  My SC won it for the first time in 2008.  We won it for the second time in 2009 becoming the 2nd SC to manage a repeat.  Then came 2010...we had dreamed of a 3-peat just to end up in 6th place (boo!).  I had a plan to win it back.  I can honestly say I worked the hardest I ever have in all my 12 1/2 years with this same company.  It paid off!  Now the only problem with being #1 is that there is a large target on your back!  =)

On Saturday we spent half a day finishing up our meetings and then it was off to my aunt and uncle's house to hang with family for the evening.  Wouldn't you know we managed to get our happy Lou Malnati's pizza for dinner!


Thanksgiving
Apparently I like to fly every 2 weeks.  =/  I only get sick EVERY time, but no big deal.  So we decided to resume our annual Thanksgiving trip to Vegas despite the fact that younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig were not going to be able to join us because of the upcoming arrival of their first child.  Older sister Cathy figured out that this was our 15th Thanksgiving in Vegas.  We spent 14 of them in a row, but detoured to Orlando last year for a fun-filled week in Disney and Universal Studios.

My parents stayed at the Venetian while the "kids" resided in my grandmother's condo located a couple of miles from The Strip.  This year was a bit different, though.  Normally we manage a movie or two walking from The Venetian all the way down to the Showcase movie theater by the MGM.  This year, we didn't see a single flick.  I also normally hang out at Casino Royale, but...not this time.  I mostly gambled away at The Venetian, the Palazzo, and the Las Vegas Hilton (because it was located across the street from our condo). 

We did swing a show - taking in Sting at Caesar's Palace.  It was in the Celine Dion theater, so a more intimate setting.  I loved listening to the background story of how his songs were conceived and I have mad appreciation for his violinist who made amazing music!

The ladies swung a spa day!  My mom treated older sister Cathy, sister-in-law April, and me to a spa treatment at the Canyon Ranch Spa located in The Venetian.  I chose a European facial and experienced rejuvenation in my skin!  I literally felt my skin glowing the rest of the day.  Upon completion of our respective services, we spent over 2 hours in the wonderment that is the spa-experience...the Hot Tub, Steam Room, Sauna, Herbal Laconium, the Igloo (yes, as cold as it sounds) Salt Grotto, and Wave Room while sipping on orange-infused water and delicious herbal teas.

Though I pretty much came home a big loser, I had some really nice hits throughout my gaming that kept the days fun and entertaining.  My favorite slot machines this year were Quick Hits and Hot Shots.  I will definitely be revisiting them next year!

And that's about it in a nutshell.  Hopefully I will be posting more frequently since it is now "the most wonderful time of the year!"  I leave you with this pretty dress displayed at The Venetian:

display dress made entirely of paper and ribbons

Weekend Recap

I had a lovely weekend.   I didn't want it to end, actually.  I've been thinking lately that it would be a really great plan to make the work week 4 days and the weekend 3.  Who's with me?! 

I started out Saturday morning by making myself a peanut butter, banana, and honey wrap.  I didn't want the bulk of bread weighing me down when I headed out for my long WALK, so I used a whole wheat "homemade" tortilla from H.E.B.  It was perfect.

I opted not to carry water with me for my WALK because I wasn't planning on doing a whole lot of miles and because I truly do hate carrying anything more than I need with me.  I did pop a Powerade Zero in the mailbox so that I could stop on by the house without actually going in the house to hydrate. 

I decided to count the change I came across as I've noticed a lot of coinage lately on the ground.  I found a penny, but no...I didn't pick it up.  Then I happened across a dollar bill.  Eureka!  I surely did pick that puppy up (but only after looking around me to make sure nobody was watching as if I was doing something wrong).  Later I happened across another penny.  So, the dollar made my long WALK profitable, I'd say!

this is a dramatic reenactment since I didn't have my camera with me at the time of discovery


Around mile 3, I returned to the ol' mailbox for a drink.  I then continued on my merry way.  My left knee started giving me a bit of trouble - complaining, I guess you could say.  It was kinda popping a little bit here and there as I rounded corners.  I made it back to the house around 5.5 miles and decided I should ice it.  Good thing I did, too, as there was definitely a bit of fluid in there.  =/


We didn't have family lunch this weekend because my dad was flying in from San Fran later in the afternoon and we didn't want him to feel left out.  I did, however, go with my mom to IHOP for a second breakfast of sorts.  Hey...when you burn 800 calories so early in the day, you get HUNGRY!
 

After IHOP, I hung out with my mom for a while, then we ran errands, then picked up my dad from the airport and went to BJs for a late lunch. 

I dropped them off at home and then headed to my own place to chill with my doggies until it was dinner time.

I had purchased a Groupon a few weeks ago for The Brownstone Cafe and my friend Kim and I decided we needed one of our infamous KNOs (Kim Nights Out - it originated when we were in college together).  We had a most wonderful time enjoying our respective meals, catching up on our respective lives, and sharing a Nutella crepe for dessert.  Since we all know I'm terrible about remembering to take pics, this is one I found on Google that closely resembles the deliciousness that melted in my mouth!

source here

 


Sunday, I decided to not set my alarm.  The dogs woke me up at 6:56am because they were STARVING.  I swear you would think I never feed them.  Shortly after they ate, Penelope decided to put herself back to bed (she never leaves my side, so this was weird).  Delilah and I decided to join her and we slept for another 3 hours.  Bliss.

My parents and I then went to see The Help.  I loved it, though I wish there were a few things they had included in the movie that I thought were pivotal parts of the storyline.  I then went back to their house to enjoy the new puppies as older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay brought them by for the afternoon.  Later younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig joined us and we had a wonderful family feast!

I tracked my food all weekend long, I started reading a new book (The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers) that is quite good, I hung out with some of my fave peeps, and I rested up.

 

Now let's just get to another weekend, shall we?! 

Sweaty Sunday and the rest of the weekend

My road is always paved with good intentions.  I was so drained on Friday after work, y'all.  I mean like the life was sucked out of me.  I didn't even get home until 8:15pm.  That's a long a$$ day.  I had planned on doing a 4-mile walk or heck...I would have even been satisfied with hitting my new exercise bike, but alas...I was burned out, so I went to bed at 9pm with no exercise.

I had thought to surprise myself by getting up at 5am to go ahead and get my long WALK in.  When I woke up and put the dogs out, it had already started drizzling.  By the time I let them back in - it was a storm.  Ugh.

I went back to bed.

When I finally did get back up, it was HOT, HUMID, STEAMY, and every other adjective you can think of to describe miserable conditions for outdoor training.  I decided to do my missed 4 miles.  I only ended up doing 3 and the last mile was just awful.  I felt defeated.  I then hit my exercise bike for 30 minutes before showering and dressing for family lunch at BJ's Brewhouse.

After our lunch, I went to get a facial at Visage Salon and Day Spa.  I had purchased a Groupon for a 50% discount a couple of months ago and was excited to use it.  I really loved the relaxing music playing in the room and the fact that my esthetician didn't try to sell me the products that I knew I wouldn't buy.  Once my massage was over, I did something I've never done.  I cheated on my hair stylist.  I've been going to Leena for 13 years now, but I just couldn't deal with my overgrown bushy mop-top any longer.  Visage also had a hair salon, so I asked if they could squeeze me in and I only had to wait 15 minutes to become publically acceptable once again.  I don't have a picture, so sorry, but really I didn't do anything extreme - just cut a couple of awful inches off and then had my layers "tuned up".

I wanted to get up at 5am again on Sunday for my long WALK, but I stayed up too late on Saturday night (bad Kim) and managed to head out for my WALK around 7:15am.  It was already ridiculously hot and humid, but so what?  I mean it's going to be this kind of weather for The Hottest Half on 8/14, so I might as well get used to it.  This was the first time I used my new camelbak.   The night before I filled the bladder with water and added 3 Nuun tablets and then put it in the freezer.  Maybe I should have put it in the pack first because it was a real struggle on Sunday morning to get the frozen bladder in the pack.  =/ 

I looked ridiculous....overkill for a walker, but whatever, I mean the camelbak prevented me from having to hit home for additional hydration before my 8 miles were through AND this is imperative for me because I have a bad habit of hitting home and not resuming my mileage. 

The first mile was ROUGH.  I was having some major issues with my calves being super tight.  I had even foam rolled and stretched before going out.  1/3 of the way through my first mile, I pulled over to stretch my calves against the curb.  They still hurt, but I kept on going.  They loosened up during my second mile and I could finally speed up.  I did really well until I hit the 6th mile and then I struggled for the last two, but not because I was hurting...it was because of a lack of fuel.  I just wasn't hungry in the morning before I headed out, so I choked down half a Clif's bar.  I didn't bring anything with me, so I ended up burning 1157 calories only having had 120 in my system before I left out.  I know for this coming Sunday's 10-miler that I will need to plan out my fueling better - in other words, make arrangements to eat something halfway through my WALK.  Oh...and in case you were wondering, I did drink the entire 72 oz out of my camelbak by the time I hit my front door.  I was kinda bummed about this because I had hoped the 72 oz would be enough for the entire half marathon, but...apparently that won't work.

I immediately took off my shoes and socks once I got inside...RELIEF!  I then noticed chafing!  CHAFING!  I didn't think about my arm hitting the strap from my camelbak.  Doh!  I will know where to Vaseline it up next time!  I took this picture of myself with my phone cuz the battery was dead in my camera.  There was one small area on my shirt dry.  Weird.  The rest of me was soaking wet.  I couldn't wait to hit the shower and use my minty wash to cool me down.

After I was all clean, I got dressed for my MUCH needed massage.  It could not have come at a better time.  I went ahead and made an appointment for another one after this coming Sunday's 10-miler!

I grabbed lunch at Lenny's Subs.  I was ravenous at this point.  Then I took my lunch to my parent's house and hung out with them until later when my mom and I met older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay at the movie theater to see Friends with Benefits.  Probably not the most appropriate movie to watch with one's mother, but it was hilarious!

All in all, it was a lovely weekend - once again rejuvenating me for the week ahead.

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend, as well!  =)

3-day weekend

Watched 6 movies.  Must have been Red Box's best customer this weekend.

Morning Glory - cute/sweet
Vanishing on 7th Street - ugh/don't waste your time
The Last Exorcist - okay
Battle:  Los Angeles - not my kind of movie
Conviction - pretty good
Devil - decent

Went swimming twice.  Starring...THE DOGS!

Ollie wears a kerchief so his head doesn't get sunburned and then he floats in his "boat".

Ate WAY too much food.
 
homemade suchi - Craig made most of them and they turned out beautifully.  I tried my hand at forming the California rolls and failed miserably.  See if you can figure out which ones are mine.  =/

HB Steakhouse - yum!

and other unmentionables...

There was some bone-hoarding coveting going on...

Delilah looking innocent despite her stash.

Coco on "her" ottoman

Some just plain cuteness...

Sweet Penelli

Oliver with his new toy named "Chef guy"

Might have watched most of the entire Teen Mom marathon on MTV.  Yes, Meliska...I'm all ready for the new season.  =P

Had to rescue Craig and Linda when Linda's battery died and they got stranded at Babies R Us.

It was just the kind of weekend to refresh/recharge me.  Now I just need to make it to Labor Day weekend.

Hope your weekend was everything you needed it to be and more! 

what a wonderful weekend!

What a fun Saturday!  I started off my morning knocking out some mileage.  One word:  HOT.  

To cool off, I used my happy Metha body wash from Bath and Body Works.  Get some now.  Trust me.

source here

I then went to pick up my cute mom so we could do breakfast.  No family lunch this Saturday since we are doing a Father's Day / Brother-in-law Jay's bday celebration on Sunday.  My cute mom and I went to IHOP.  I ordered the SIMPLE & FIT Blueberry Harvest Grain 'N Nut Combo.  Yum.  I'll just say it right now - my egg substitutes never come out tasting quite like that!  Next we went to see Mr. Popper's Penguins.  I don't know why the rest of my party pooper family members didn't want to see it - it was such a fun movie and we adored it!  I was able to get a diet vanilla root beer at the movie theater - mmmmm.

After the movie, my mom and I ran some errands.  We then ended up at Panera for lunch.  I heart Panera.  I hung out at my parent's house for a while before deciding to rent a couple movies from Red Box on my way home.  I chose I Am Number 4 and Just Go With It.  I enjoyed both movies.

Sunday meant family day. I met up with younger preggo sister Linda, brother-in-law Craig, and their dog Coco at my parent's pool around 12 noon. Of course I brought over my beasts as they desperately needed a play date. Older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay joined use a bit later when my mom served us up a yummy lunch. We then hung out, laughing bunches, and later headed to our dinner at Del Friscos in the Galleria area. They were running a pretty awesome special for 2 where each person got to pick a salad and then it came with an 8 oz filet, a crab cake, your choice of side, and your choice of dessert. I coupled of with my mom. We had such a great meal. I just love spending time with my family.

After dinner, we headed back to my parent's house for my dad and Jay to open up presents.  My mom is like Snow White in that animals seem to flock to her.  She is not so welcoming of them.  There are frogs that end up in the grotto under the waterfall in the pool.  There is a bird that keeps nesting in the backyard (my mom is not a bird lover).  Now there is a turtle that has traveled to the front door.  Here she is.  She's shy, clearly.  haha.

It was a wonderful weekend filled with fabulous food, family fun, and movies - what more could a girl ask for?

How was your weekend?

happiness

There are some things that are making me happy this summer.  I thought I would share.

The Voice
Have you seen it?  It's a new singing competition / reality show on NBC this season.  I find the celebrity judges/coaches to be particularly amusing, of course, but some of the talent on the show are truly incredible.  I can't wait to watch the rest of the season!

So You Think You Can Dance
Do you watch it too?  Oh you so should!  My parents got me hooked on this dancing competition / reality show on Fox a few seasons ago and I've been obsessed ever since.  I never realized you could get so caught up in the story line of a dance and that you could be moved to such emotion by the brilliance of choreography.

Movies, in general
Every weekend so far, I have managed to sneak in a movie at the movie theater with my family.  Seeing movies has always been one of my favorite activities anyway, but over the past few years I just haven't made it a priority.  Times have changed!  It's a way to escape this awful summer heat and my cRaZy life for a couple of hours - count me in!  I like to go to the Santikos Silverado theater because it's clean and nice and they have an amazing drink station.  You can get Coke Zero, for example, in 6 different flavors.  sooo cool.

Oatmeal
I want it.  I love it.  Every morning I take my half cup of oats and add in a tablespoon of Splenda brown sugar blend, loads of cinnamon and a cup of water.  I zap it in the microwave for 2 minutes and let my mouth go to its happy place.

Chicken salad
I want it.  I love it.  I bought the pre-seasoned sweet chili chicken breasts from H.E.B.  I boiled them, chopped them up, and added Mayo made with olive oil and then some dill pickle relish.  I found myself some nice multi-grain hearty bread, toasted it up, and piled on my chicken salad.


Crystal Light iced tea
If I'm not drinking water, I'm drinking this delightfulness.  It's refreshing and lovely.

Relax and Sleep
application on my phone.  There are many options to choose to listen to, but I only listen to one - monks chanting - I set the timer for 40 minutes each night and it helps me fall asleep.



C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body Vitamin Body Wash
That Pink Girl mentioned this product in a blog post a couple of months ago.  It sounded like something that would do a hot and sweaty body good.  You see, it's a cool and refreshing body wash that leaves you feeling all tingly and happy.  It definitely helps beat the heat and that puts a smile on my face.  That's all I ask.

I'm gonna be an aunt
Just before Easter weekend, when  our whole immediate family was in town and gathered at my parent's house for dinner, younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig announced they are expecting their first child.  This will be my first niece or nephew and our parent's first grandchild.  Our family is on cloud 9.  Linda *finally* lifted the gag order on Tuesday AFTER she informed our grandmother herself, so now we don't have to keep our excitement a secret any longer.  The baby is due December 27th which means for the first time in all of my years, our family will not be traveling to Chicago for Christmas as we want to make sure we are in town for the birth of the newest addition to our family.  I've been wondering what happens in Houston while we are away...


What is making you happy?  Please share!  =)

I can see clearly now...

I had a lovely Saturday.  Actually, I've had a lot of lovely Saturdays and for that I am quite thankful.  I need them as they provide me some balance.  They keep me sane.  They, along with Sundays, give me the strength to face the week.

Summers kinda suck in my line of business.  and then they kinda don't.  It's like I have a love/hate relationship with them.  I was an honors student in school.  Back in the day there were certain subjects that were not offered in the "honors" level, like history, for example.  So there was a noticeable difference between my regular history class and my honors math class, if that makes sense.  Well 8 months out of the year my job would be classified as regulars and then about mid May to mid September it's honors.  This means I am challenged which means I'm not bored. like at all.  It also means longer hours and more stress, but it means a certain sense of pride, accomplishment, and empowerment as well.  It's sort of a trade-off, I suppose.  So, this post is not about complaining, but rather explaining and relishing in my weekend, so let's get back to that, shall we?

I know I'm ironically out of focus...

Saturday...ahhhh...Saturday.  I was supposed to get up and run...or walk...heck just move in preparation for my half marathon in August, but since I'm battling yet another bout of bronchitis that didn't happen.  Let's hear it for our lovely air quality, shall we?  Instead, I slept, but it was needed, so I took that.  Then I met up with mi familia for family lunch.  I was able to squeeze in a movie - Super 8 - and then meet up with some friends to celebrate a birthday.  Super 8 was super cute, by the way.  It kind brought me back to E.T. and Goonies days.  I liked that.

Sunday was another lazy Sunday.  Every once in a while those are great to have, but really what is this Kim going to do in less than 8 weeks when her 4th Half Marathon hits, eh?  All I really did was meet up with mi familia again for a fantasmic dinner at Mia Bella (mmmm...) and then I did some grocery shopping and then I formulated my food, hydration, and revised half mary training plan before going to bed for my mandatory 7 hours.

I am starting to feel better - in mind, body, and spirit (well save for this stupid cough, but whatever...).  A wise soul named Brittaney - check out her blog cuz she rocks - offered up a word of advice to me based on my last post - she said to focus on getting sleep so that my mind could be clear.  Whoa buddy she was so right!   What a world of difference when a girl gets 7 to 8 hours a night versus maybe 5!  Sure some of it has been Nyquil-induced, but hey...who is keeping tabs as long as the end result is the same, right?!

Tomorrow, I may just be bold and daring and post my food, hydration, and revised half mary training plan if you promise not to judge me!  ;)

answered prayers

Some of you may or may not know that I'm back on the market.  No, no...I can't be bought.  Well...wait a minute...if the price is right, maybe I can be.  I kid, I kid.... 

I'm single...again.  It's okay, though.  Have you ever seen the movie Some Kind of Wonderful?  Growing up, my family was big into movies.  We still are, actually...but life seems to get in the way.  My dad liked to get messages out of movies and then use them to teach us about life, if that makes any sense.  So the message he wanted us to walk away with from Some Kind of Wonderful is that it is better to be alone for the right reasons than with someone for the wrong reasons. 

My parents raised all 4 of their children to be independent.  As I wrote in my Day 18:  What I believe post, I believe it is important for everyone to know they are capable of being self-supporting.  I know that I am capable of taking care of myself.  I have proven this over the course of the past 12 years.  In other words, I never have to fear getting involved with someone just because I know they can take care of me.  On the flip side of that, however, I can see how my independence could perhaps hinder me in a relationship, as well.

It is true that I want to be a wife to a wonderful man and a mother to beautiful children, but above that, I NEED to be happily married so that a strong foundation is built for those children.  In order to be happily married, I feel two people must be on the same page on many different subjects.  That isn't to say that there won't be some compromising or conceding, but for the most part, the basic fundamentals need to be similar...the couple needs to be compatible.

Though the guy I was dating was very nice, polite, and we did have fun together, I had some concerns.  There is really no reason to go into specifics.  The thing was, I couldn't be sure if the concerns were as a result of issues from my past haunting me or perhaps I was being too particular/picky or maybe I was just plain too used to being "all by myself" in the famous words of Celine Dion.

Now let me insert a purposeful sidetrack here...

Many many moons ago, I got called for my very first jury duty.  I thought it was really cool, but the timing was bad because of work.  I posponed it to the very last day it could be postponed.  It seemed like a smart decision at the time.  Low and behold, work decided they needed to send me out to another office to train someone.  I was to fly out the day after my jury duty.  This ultimately meant I could not get picked.  I have always taken issue with people who made up ridiculous lies to get out of jury duty.  I could never and would never claim a prejudice, for example, for such a thing.  I prayed for a legitimate reason to become apparent to me...and it did.  The case was criminal in nature and ultimately the defendent was allegedly busted with recreational cocaine.  We, as jurors, IF we found him guilty would have to be able to consider the full scope of punishment for this crime.  The full scope of punishment was 2 to 99 years in prison.  Well for crying out loud, I could not send a man to jail for up to 99 years with my tax paying dollars because he chose to throw his life away on recreational drugs.  BAM - that's an answered prayer in my book.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

I prayed that if this fellow was not the right guy for me, that all doubts would be cast out of my head.  In other words, please dear Lord, make it obvious to this Aggie! 

Without going into unnecessary details, let me just say that once again my prayers were answered.  Suddenly (on Monday evening), everything was crystal clear for me.  This man was not to be my future husband or the father of my future children.  Fundamentally on things that really matter...things that you just have to be on the same page about...we are just too different.  It doesn't make him a bad guy.  He's just not the right guy for me.  I'm not looking for Mr. Right Now.  I'm seeking out my Mr. Forever.  This meant that I needed to have an uncomfortable conversation.

I did.  *sigh*  Last night.  *sigh*

So...I'm back on the market just "wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'" that eventually the right guy will come along so I can have my very own happily ever after...

Vacation Recap: Spring 2011

Let's talk numbers.

I was gone for 8 nights. I traveled on 4 different flights - Houston to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Chicago, Chicago to Greenville (SC), and then Greenville to Houston. I read 4 books - The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and The Search by Nora Roberts. I saw 3 movies in theaters - The Conspirators, Something Borrowed, and Water for Elephants. I participated in 1 half marathon - The OC Half. Wowsers - I was a busy girl!

I don't want to bore you with all the sordid details of my vacation, so I will hit you with the highlights.

I left Houston on Saturday, 4/30, Los Angeles bound. I chose L.A. as the beginning of my adventure because my brother Eddie and sister-in-law April live in Huntington Beach and because I could coincide my visit with The OC Half Marathon.

Eddie picked me up from LAX and took me to Pinky's. He assured me it was an L.A. staple. So, hot dogs we had.

Eddie's on the left and mine on the right.

Next, we happened across the Hollywood Forever cemetery. Not to be all morbid or anything, but we were kind of looking for celebrity graves. We managed to find Estelle Getty and Johnny Ramone and, of course, the lovely peacocks you see pictured below.

After a crazy turn of events which were detailed in my race recap, we ended up arriving a bit late to our dinner reservation at Bandera's. We met up with our friends and coworkers (from New Jersey) Joe and Carie. I somehow never did manage to get pictures with them or of them (bad blogger). Joe and Carie's son and daughter-in-law just so happen to also live out in HB, so they came along to dinner as well so that Eddie and April could meet them.

Saturday was half marathon day. After the race, we met up with the gang at their hotel for breakfast. It just so happens when we finished that Muscle Milk decided to stop right outside their hotel and hand out free bottles, so I had myself a bottle of Muscle Milk Lite - mmmmm....tasty.

Later Eddie and I went to see The Conspirators. I knew nothing about it and found it fascinating. I was so exhausted from the day, however, and couldn't wait to crash and burn that evening.

On Monday, April and I got foot massages. $25 for an hour - awesome!!! Just what a girl needed post half marathon! We also hung out at the beach for a while.

On Tuesday, I had lunch with Eddie and then later April and I took their dog Roxie to the dog beach. so much fun!

I enjoyed my visit and can't wait to go back to sunny beautiful Cali!

Wednesday was a day full of travel. I headed out bright and early for my first flight of the day to Chicago. Unfortunately I ended up delayed once in Chicago for an extra hour above and beyond my layover. =( Ultimately it took me 12 hours to get to Greenville, SC.  Factor that in with a 3 hour time change and I was beat!

My friend Dana had to work a half day on Thursday, so I decided to power walk the hills - yes, my little lamp chops, Greenville is one hillatious city. yikes! I managed 6 miles and I was one sweaty mess! I got cleaned up and once Dana got home, we decided to get pedicures. Next up was our little Cinco de Mayo celebration at Senor Salsa's.

Dana was able to take Friday off. We were lazy bums half the day. yay! Then we went to lunch and saw Something Borrowed.

On Saturday, we had a picnic in the park. It was a beautiful day and downtown Greenville was having a Duckie Derby. It was fun to people watch! Later we went and saw Water for Elephants and then headed back to the house for a cook-out with some of Dana and Michael's friends.

We convinced Dana's parents to come up to Greenville on Sunday. I had not seen them in 3 years (since Dana's wedding). We had lunch with them and it was great to catch up. Before you knew it - my vacation was over and it was time to come back to reality.

My next vacation won't happen until AFTER the summer craziness that is my job.  Hopefully this one will carry me through the rough days ahead.