Worth the Wait!

Today was delivery day for the bedroom furniture that the husband and I ordered back in January. It was our Christmas gift to each other this year & what we wanted was on back order until the end of April! So, in anticipation of the new furniture's arrival, I splurged on new bedding and we painted the room. Just got everything put together tonight and we absolutely love it so we thought we'd share it with y'all. :)

Best Date Ever!!

Last night the husband surprised me with the most thoughtful date night ever. There is a country music singer that we both really like named Robert Earl Keen. I first heard his music when I was in school at A&M and I loved it (and still do). He's really big in Texas (he was actually an Aggie himself) but not so big here in the midwest. Anyway, long story short, the husband heard that he would be playing here in town and got us tickets to the concert. On top of that a neighbor of ours works at the venue where he was playing and got us "Meet and Greet" passess to see him before the concert. He was such a nice and guy and it was awesome to be able to meet him! We heard some new songs we loved, danced, and sang along to ones we knew! As if that wasn't enough, there is a hotel inside the place the concert was and we stayed in a room there so we didn't have to drive home and could sleep in (no dog whining to feed him and let him out - thanks to the sister for babysitting!). It was a wonderful evening - thanks Husband, I love you and I love our date nights!

The husband and I with Robert Earl Keen - so very exciting!

Mother's Day - A Slam Dunk!!

Yesterday, for Mother's Day, the family got together to go to dinner at a local Italian food restaurant. The food and company were both great! The evening was going wonderfully until I decided I needed a pic to capture this wonderful family moment we were having. I asked our waiter to take the pic and no sooner had he taken the pic and started to hand the camera off to me when I lost my grip on it and tumbling down into my sister's water glass it went! I'm not talking a quick dip, or a bounce off the glass rim onto the table. I mean, directly into the glass, fully submerged, as I tried to fish the camera out by the hand strap. What are the chances? It was quite upsetting, and the waiter felt bad and attempted to dry it off with a dish towel. Unfortunately, I don't think any resuscitation efforts would've made a difference - I'm pretty sure being dunked into a glass of water for 10 seconds is electronic suicide!! If there is a silver lining to this story it is that the memory card still works and I was able to recover the pre-disaster Mother's Day photo via the computer and memory card reader. I hope my mom was still able to have a great evening despite my grumpiness!! I love ya, Mom - Happy Mother's Day!

Housewarming BBQ!

A couple of friends that the husband plays on an adult kickball league with hosted a get-together this weekend at their new house. They are getting married this summer and just recently bought their first home together. It is very nice and they have done so much in the short time they've lived there (gave me a little motivation to do another home improvement project!). We grilled out despite the unseasonably cool weather, rain, and strong wind! Even though it didn't turn out to be an outdoor BBQ we definitely had a good time. We even brought out some high school yearbooks to reminisce a little. Hard to believe it was so long ago - almost 10 years for those of you who are keeping track! Thanks for a great evening "B" and "D", y'all have a beautiful home!

The girls hanging out at the kitchen table.

American Idol Fans

So it's no secret that I am an American Idol fan, so when a friend sent out an e-mail saying she had tickets to a baseball game where one of the "Idol hopefuls" would be appearing I enthusiastically said I would go. Being a politically correct, semi-famous, public figure this A.I. star did not want to displace the Middle School choir that had been scheduled to sing the National Anthem at this particular game - so, he ended up throwing the first pitch (which we did not make it into the stadium in time to see) and singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch (a song that lasts approximately 20 seconds and is not all that impressive vocally!). It was a disappointing American Idol sighting for this fan, but I did enjoy spending time and relaxing with great friends!! :)

The girls and guys tailgating before the game!

"E" supporting our local American Idol favorite!

David Cook with the mascot - note the pic is taken off the jumbo-tron :)!

Woofstock

This past weekend a local outdoor shopping center held an event they creatively named "Woofstock". This was sort of the event to celebrate that this area will now be dog-friendly and allow people to bring pets out shopping with them, and was also a fundraiser to raise money to build a new animal rescue shelter! Basically, there was a 5K run early in the morning and then afterwards there were a bunch of booths set up by local pet stores, animal shelters, rescue groups and other businesses in the shopping center. I had participated in another local run that morning, but Sully and I made it to Woofstock mid-morning to mingle with the dogs and fellow "dog people". The local Weimaraner Rescue was even there - I was tempted to bring home a surprise for the husband!! There was a DJ and treats everywhere (which Sully had no problem seeking out!). Sully's favorite part of the day was the hot dog bowl! There was a big, round ice bucket filled with water. The lady running this "game" would break off a piece of hot dog and drop it in the water. The goal was to get your dog to stick his face into the water (a couple of inches deep, it was up to Sully's eyes!) to fish for the hot dog piece. Apparently, not many other dogs had figured this game out because there was about 2 hot dogs worth of water-logged pieces at the bottom. Well, when it comes to food, Sully can figure out just about anything. And sure enough, before I could tear him away - he's alot stronger than I am - he'd managed to scarf down the entire tub full!! I can't believe I didn't get any pics of this. Oh well, diet will resume tomorrow! It was a lot of fun though and I am excited that Sully can now come shopping with us on these beautiful spring and summer days that we have ahead of us. :)

Sully at Woofstock - prior to the hot dog binge!

Little Miracles!

One of my sister's good friends, whom she has known since high school, had a healthy baby girl on Friday afternoon. Her pregnancy had it's ups and downs, and after thinking she might come early, she ended up needing a little Pitocin-induced persuasion to come out and meet her mom and dad (she was induced about a week after her due date)! She was 6lbs 13oz, 18in long, healthy, and very cute! My sister, another friend, and I went up to the hospital to see mom, dad, grandma, and of course the new baby girl this afternoon. Everyone is doing great. Working as a nurse in the NICU has given me an even greater appreciation of how precious new little ones are. It is truly a miracle to be blessed with a healthy baby!! Congratulations "J" and "G", she is darling!

New mom and baby!

My sis and the new little one!

My turn to hold!!

Smile for your close-up!

Trojan-Eats!

Last night I met a couple of friends that I went to high school with for dinner at a local Mexican food restaurant. These girls still live in town, but we don't get a chance to get together very often; you know, the usual - work, school, family, etc.! This particular restaurant is the same one that we used to meet at on "Taco Tuesdays" when we were in high school. That is where the name "Trojan Eats" came from (high school mascot was the Trojans) - the name doesn't seem quite as clever now, but it has sentimental value I guess!? It wasn't Taco Tuesday this time, but if you can't make Taco Tuesday, what's the next best thing - well, Burrito Monday of course! :) Among the many things talked about was that our 10 year reunion is next summer - hard to believe. Where has the time gone? It was really nice to get together and catch up on what everyone has been up to lately. And I am only partly ashamed to say that it was fun to hear news & gossip that the girls had to share! I hope we can make a habit out of these dinners - we'll have to rely on the planners of the group (you know who you are)!

The girls at Trojan-Eats!

13.1 Miles - We Did It!!

Today a couple of friends and I tackled a 1/2 marathon - that's 13.1 miles!! I was so excited and proud of myself that I finished - and jogged the entire way with a time of 2 hours, 59 seconds (this time is according to my watch that I started when the pack started to move and I started running, I think my "official" time is more like 2 hours, 1 minute something)! I had wanted to do this for a while but didn't think I could, then a friend said she was going to start training for this race and convinced me to do it with her and a friend of hers from school (thanks for the motivation and support "M" and "S"). We have been running our long runs together once and week, and I have to say that without that accountability of running with others I would not have made it!! :) Unfortunately, "M", the one that got the group together in the first place, ended up getting a stress fracture in her foot. She was a fantastic trooper though, and jogged/walked the race anyway. She has already run 2 full marathons in the past though, so she knew what she was in for today!! Way to work through the pain "M". Another friend, "K", decided to do the race 2 days ago - despite the lack of training participation. I applaud her guts to do it and her will power to finish. However, the was sure she was going to be able to clean her house and mow her yard today after the race; no doubt her tone had changed on the way home!! It was a great morning; so much fun to spend time with great friends and enjoy a beautiful spring day (we haven't had very many yet so we felt blessed to have the weather we did!). Crazy to think that I did more today before noon than I usually do in a whole day! I loved it, and am even thinking about doing another 1/2 marathon in June - although I wouldn't ask me tomorrow how I feel about this prospect. Thanks "M", "S", and "K" for a great day, congratulations y'all!!

"K", "S", me, and "M" hanging out prior to the race -

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but not for long!

It's over! The girls after we had all finished, with our newly earned medals around our necks.

"K" and I on the bus home with medals and nourishment in hand

"M" and I on the bus - glad it's over with, but so glad we did it!

Missing the Husband! :(

So, as most of y'all know the Husband works four weeks on and four weeks off. He has been on aproject in Russia for 2 years now and really enjoys the work he does. The schedule was hard to adjust to when he first started the job, but it is now a part of our lives, just like any other job would be. Besides, I think it would drive us both crazy if he had to wear a suit and sit in a office everyday at work!! At any rate, although we seem to have adjusted to this non-conventional lifestyle, I am not sure our dog, Sully, completely understands the routine. He tends to pout and mope around the house for several days after the Husband leaves; and punishes me by ignoring me and not behaving! Well. . . . the Husband left yesterday and it has come as no surprise that I have not seen Sully for most of the day - until a bit ago when he came into the bedroom where I was reading. He jumped up on the bed, and I told him to "get off". Apparently I really upset him by not allowing him on the bed where I could properly console him. A few minutes later I looked around and found him in our closet, curled up underneath the Husband's close. Quite pathetic (but really cute at the same time) so I couldn't resist taking a pic. We miss you and love you Husband - come home soon and safe!!

Hullabaloo! Caneck! Caneck! - Go Aggies!!

Okay, so for the past couple of days all I have heard is KU this and KU that! I do understand the whole college pride thing, after all, the husband and I both went to Texas A&M and will always bleed marroon. However, it seems as though a lot more Kansas fans have magically appeared around here since they won the National Championship - I mean, without a doubt, be proud of the school you went to, but enough with all this "t-shirt fan" business. If you are going to be a fan, wear that shirt whether they win, lose, or didn't make it to the tournament at all - be there through the good, the bad, and the ugly! So, off my soap box and onto the fact that this increased presence of college excitement has made me realize how removed we are from all our fellow Aggies. We miss going to the games, and participating in all those wonderful Aggie traditions. So, to make us feel more apart of our Aggie background I am adding some additions to the blog. One is a video from the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band half-time performance from the A&M v. tu game this year (by the way, we won for those of you who were wondering!). Another is the music from the Texas Aggie War Hymn. For those of you who have never been to an Aggie football game at Kyle Field, I highly recommend it!! Enjoy :)

Spring Break 2008!

Although the Husband and I are officially beyond our years of spring break fun (I finished nursing school in January) we decided to take part in Spring Break 2008 anyway. Over Easter weekend we went on a ski vacation to the wonderful town of Breckenridge with another couple and had a blast. The husband and I had gone skiing in Breck last year and had so much fun that we wanted to go back. We had a great time skiing for three days, riding the T-bar to an elevation of 12,200 feet, tubing in Keystone, eating at some great restaurants, and just hanging out with some great friends (UNO, Catch Phrase, and Charades are hard to beat, thanks A&M)!! Playing in the winter weather was fun for a few days but we are definitely ready for Spring to get here fast!! Enjoy the pics of the vacation.

I thought y'all might enjoy this first pic. "V" and I went on a spring break ski trip to Keystone in college, I believe in 2001. We took a similar pic when we went to Keystone to go tubing this time to compare to the pic from college. I hope we don't look too much older (or wider!) but I'll let you be the judge!!

Spring Break 2001 Spring Break 2008

In the airport, waiting to head to Break on Easter Sunday (we had booked the flights so early that we didn't realize Easter came so early this year!).

Enjoying a pizza dinner at Downstairs at Eric's in Breck.

"A" and "M" at Eric's

The husband & I at the top of the T-bar (12,200 ft elevation!), wonderful view, great run. The husband really had to talk me into riding up the T-bar. I wasn't sure how I felt about having my skis on the ground the whole way up or the sign that said EXPERT TERRAIN located right next to the T-bar. It ended up not being too bad, and we even went up there the next day too.

"V" and I on the gondola on the way to the tubing hill.

"M" and I picking out our tubes.

The husband and I at the bottom of the tubing hill. So much fun!

Me, "A" and "M" on the conveyor belt lift at the tubing hill.

All of us at our favorite place to eat in Breck!!

Bunko Night!

The girls getting ready to start Round 1 of Bunko!

I won a prize, I couldn't believe it!

Tonight I attended a fundraiser event that was held by a Civic Sorority that one of my friend's mom belongs to. It was to raise money for a local women's shelter. I had a lot of fun playing a game called Bunko for the first time. For those of you who don't know, it is basically a dice game with the goal being to roll certain combinations depending on the "round." It was a fun game but it is more about the company and conversation! It was nice to be able to catch up with a couple of friends during the week. As you can see in the pic, I even won one of the prizes they drew names for (this was pretty much the only winning I did all night, as it turns out I am not so lucky with the dice!). It is a latern and candle which I was very excited about! It was a good time, and the girls are even talking about getting a group started for our own Bunko nights once a month. So watch out ladies here in town, you know the Evite will be coming soon!! :)

By the Way

Just FYI, we did end up drilling that last hole section in one bit run; I blogged a bit about it a couple of posts ago. Turns out that that was the world’s longest 12¼” Autotrak (the downhole tool we use to turn the well in different directions), and the world’s 4th longest AutoTrak run of any size. It also set a Chayvo (“Чаиво” is Russian for “settlement by the bay” - the oilfield we’re drilling in) record for fastest 12¼” ROP (Rate of Penetration is how fast the well is drilled) at 344m/day; the old record was 334m/dy. When the operating rate is ±$350k/dy - that adds up pretty quick. My self-assessment that’s due once a year for all XOM employees (which is coming up), should look pretty good this year… drilled the world’s first and second longest wells, set the world’s deepest whipstock, and a world record bit run. Things like that keep this job interesting, and make the long travel, days away from home, and the bitter weather worth it.

Am I Done Yet?

Well, I'm officially half-way into my hitch, but I think it's only fixing to slow down. Usually, my hitch is split into two halves. The first half (2weeks) I spend with the most unbearably incompetent person on the planet - understandably this is a fairly miserable 2weeks. The bright spot is the half-way point. Typically after two weeks, the sycophant leaves, and a fella that I really enjoy working with, learn a lot from every time, and really runs his business in a way that I aspire to emulate, takes his place. Unfortunately, because we're having visa issues with the Russian government - I've got to endure an extra week with God's most useless waste of skin.
So, to mitigate feeling like I'll never leave - I've adapted a new counting system to keep track of how many days I have left. The old counting consisted of not counting your last day at work (you're going home... it just doesn't count), and the current day (because getting out of bed is the hardest part, and if you're lucid enough to count - that part's over). This system works well when the remaining days are in single digits.
For occasions such as this where days remaining are in the double-digits. I've adpoted the new "Steak Night" system. Every Saturday, we have a barbecue steak dinner in a special "barbecue shack" which will be blogged about at a later date. Well, as near as I can figure - even though I get to work on a Wednesday, I really don't get started until after Steak Night on Rriday (it takes that long to get used to the jet-lag and funny sleep schedule). Then, by the fourth Steak Night - the hitch is practically over (the last few days don't really matter because... well, I haven't figured that out yet but I'll justify it somehow). Thus, I really only work the three weeks between the first Steak Night, and the fourth. And by this method, I've only got 10 days of work left - not bad.
I'll post some more uplifting blogs when the atmosphere around here improves in another week, but for now - enjoy this video of a roughneck I've never met, but I really admire his propensity for being able to have fun at work. If you look carefully, you can see the rotary turning in the left foreground (this is how any well is drilled) - which makes this a particularly hazardous little dance... but most enjoyable things involve some element of poor judgement, so this is easily forgiveable. It's not hard to tell where this hand spends all his time and money

The Dirty Dozen

Admittedly, I am little bit of a "foodie." I am not sure if it is the influence of The Food Network, my use of baking as a form of stress relief, or just the strong pull of genetic influence (my mom loves to cook/bake, and so did her mom!). At any rate, I love and am interested in all things related to food. Over the past couple of years I have been making a concerted effort to buy more and more things organic. I was talking to my sister the other day about organic products and decided to do a little research today. I found this list of 12 produce items that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found to contain the highest levels of pesticides. So, if you don't buy anything else organic, or want to start slowly (as organic items tend to be more expensive); this list is a good place to start:

Peaches

Apples

Sweet bell peppers

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Pears

Imported grapes

Spinach

Lettuce

Potatoes

*And remember, these pesticides leech into these fruits and veggies and can't be removed by washing or peeling!!

Other random tips:

- The USDA regulates the term "organic" and products with this label must meet certain guidelines (no pesticides, no fertilizers, no growth hormones, no antibiotics, etc.)

- Organic food producers must be certified by government inspectors

- The USDA does NOT regulate products that claim to be "natural" or "all natural" so you cannot be assured these products meet "organic" regulations

Depending on where you live, and what grocery stores you have access to, it can be difficult to find organic products. However, even here in the midwest most grocery stores have even a small section of organic products. Just remember to look for that green and white USDA Organic seal, and Happy Shopping!!

Dog Rescue!

"M" holding the rescuee!

Me with the lost dog. She was quite sweet and even knew how to sit!

Sunday was a random, but eventful day. The husband is out of town so I decided to go to church with my friend “M”. After church we decided to grab a quick bite to eat for lunch and then go study. She is in a Master’s program to be a Nurse Practitioner and I needed to study for my nursing state board exam. On our way back from studying we saw this dog who appeared to be lost in “M’s” neighborhood. Even though it was a very nice day (temp in the 60's), the dog kept wandering in and out of the street and we were worried that she’d get hit. We asked a couple of people if they were familiar with the dog, and after no luck we just scooped her up, put her in the car, and took her to “M’s” house. We called the local animal control and they came and got her. But not to worry, she’ll stay at the shelter for 3 days and then go up for adoption. Hopefully someone will call looking for their cute white dog with a purple bandana! She was very sweet and we hope she finds her family!

American Idol Favorite!

Okay, at the risk of sounding like a total teeny bopper I am posting this video of David Archuleta's performance on American Idol. I was flipping through the channels the other night and caught the last part of the show and saw him sing this song. I was so impressed - the kid is only seventeen! I guess the show's theme of the week was '70s music, and he chose to sing "Imagine" by John Lennon. I absolutely love the original version of the song and thought he did an amazing job with it! So, for those of you who are not quite as entranced with tween culture as I am, and didn't happen to catch the show, have a listen. . . . And if you are wondering, no, I did not call in and vote after the show - although he is my favorite pick to win it! :)

8's List

I'll give in to the peer pressure since apparently this is what all the cool bloggers are doing.

8 things I am passionate about:
1. Wife, friends, family
2. A&M football
3. Motorcycling, shooting (gotta lump ‘em together, 8 items isn’t much)
4. Doing anything outside, especially with the wife and/or dog
5. Pick-up games of any type (tennis, kickball, football, basketball)
6. Work
7. Learning
8. Seeing new places, living different experiences with my wife

8 things I want to do before I die:
1. Get my knee fixed
2. Run a marathon
3. Have/ Raise kids
4. Buy acreage, and a baby grand piano for my wife
5. Ride our own horses with my wife
6. Get my knee down on a motorcycle (but this time – purposely; I’ve done it the other way enough already)
7. Ski Europe with my wife
8. Retire, and go to an auto mechanic school.

8 things I never get tired of listening to:
1. My wife’s laugh
2. Classic Rock3. Classic Country
4. Motorcycles
5. A working rig
6. Gunfire
7. The sound a Frisbee Disk makes when it lands in the basket
8. “And the Texas A&M Aggies have beaten the University of Texas Longhorns!!”

8 things that attract me to my friends:
1. Sense of humor
2. Integrity
3. Composure
4. Honesty
5. Intelligence
6. Conversational skill and willingness
7. Loyalty
8. Genuine self-confidence

8 things I learned in 2007-2008:
1. Painting really is a lot of work, but worth it.
2. Without integrity, it doesn’t matter what else a person may have going for them – that person is unrespectable.
3. Never assume that just because it’s not being taken out of your W-2, that you don’t have to pay the taxes.
4. If the right thing to do were the easy thing to do, then they would just call it “The Easy Thing.”
5. “That guy seems pretty bright,” and “That guy sure talks a lot,” are not phrases that commonly go together.
6. There is an inverse relationship between the simplification of a concept, and the true reality of that concept – and it’s difficult to resist the appeal of a simple concept.
7. Anybody in America has a 90% probability of being better-off than 90% of the people anywhere else… but it’s still OK to complain sometimes.
8. My wife is even cooler than I thought.

8 things I say often:
1. What the…
2. Seriously, am I (we) the last intelligent person (people) on the planet?
3. What’re we eating?... That sounds good.
4. No, really, I’ll drive.
5. Is it outside? Count me in.
6. I can do that.
7. Beats the hell out of a real job.
8. It costs how much?!?

8 shows I watch often:
1. Law & Order (when my wife lets me)
2. House
3. College Football
4. NFL Football
5. Sky News (it’s the only decent English news channel at work)
6. Food Network (by proxy)
7. …
8. … I don’t watch much TV

Killing Time

Well, I'm one week into the first full hitch of the new year and the drilling is good - we're at 8260m in 12¼" hole (which means we've got about 2.5 more weeks on this well. The good news is that things are going well - the bad news is that it gets pretty boring when things are going well. Thankfully there's another Exxon guy here for another week or two - a good guy named Jeremy. At any rate, Jeremy and I have got this litttle game going where we've got this little beanbag football - and the objective of the game is to hide and/or sneak up on the other guy and nail 'im with it when they're not expecting it. Our little arms race has excallated to the point where it's spread out of the office area and into the accommodations - and I've become especially adept at this. To emphasize the boredom, we sometimes make up little spoof posters about things that have happened and funny people - this one commemorates my ultimate supremacy in the beanbag football game. It's regretable that it's an Ohio State football (an engineer working here left it a while ago), but it's better than throwing hard erasers at each other like we did for a while (a very short-lived game). In other news, if this bit makes it to the final depth of this section of the well (there are 4 sections, this is the third) it will be another world record for length drilled with one bit - usually either the bit becomes too dull to drill, or the computerized downhole-tools give out. And it'll mean something to do besides drill!!! Other good news is that Tiff's new schedule (working nights) gives me more opportunities to call (before and after she gets out of work) since the time difference makes it easy to do that conducive to my schedule.

Blog you later,

Winter Doldrums!

Okay, I am really done with this midwest winter. I went to Gap and Old Navy today, and they were putting out their spring stuff and it saddened me to think how many more weeks of winter we will endure before we can break out the sundresses and flip-flops. So, I went looking through the pictures I took last spring after the husband and I finished landscaping to cheer me up. Just looking at pics of spring color has cheered me up a bit, and I hope it does the same for anyone else with a small case of S.A.D.!

The 8's!

A friend put these on her blog and "tagged" me to do them to. So, here you go M.S.

8 things I am passionate about:
1. family
2. friends
3. Aggie football!
4. community (neighbors, voting, supporting local business, etc.)
5. faith
6. cooking/baking
7. husband/married life
8. trying/seeing new places and things

8 things I want to do before I die:
1. run a marathon
2. go to the Kentucky Derby
3. watch a Wimbledon or U.S. Open game in person
4. see the Aggies win a National Championship!
5. have kids (no SLH, I am not pregnant)
6. open a bakery or catering store with my mom
7. see George Strait in concert (preferably at the Houston rodeo!)
8. raise happy/healthy children with my husband

8 things I never get tired of listening to:
1. husband's voice on the phone when he's at work
2. our wedding CD
3. movie quotes from Anchorman and The Wedding Crashers
4. any George Strait songs
5. Football (especially Aggie football!)
6. husband singing all the words to every single oldies song ever written!!
7. Christmas music
8. my sister telling ridiculously long stories, especially about work stuff

8 things that attract me to my friends:
1. sense of humor (and can also understand and put up with mine) :)
2. understanding
3. supportive
4. honest
5. mutual respect
6. authenticity (I really liked that one m.s.)
7. compassionate and caring
8. alike enough to share common ground, but different enough that I grow as a person being around them

8 things I learned in 2007-2008:
1. I would be working as a nurse in the NICU!
2. My husband (and myself by proxy) would join a local kickball team (Go S&B!)
3. The lightbulbs I can't reach will always go out (or someone will back into the car) the day the husband leaves for work - never when he's home or about to be home!
4. Painting is a lot of work, but totally worth it in the end.
5. I am ready to be done with school for awhile, grad school can wait!
6. Doing mission work in other countries is a passion I have and something I want to do as often as I can (went to Jamaica with my nursing school & had an amazing and eye-opening experience)
7. Dogs will seek out and eat chocolate even if it has made them violently ill on more than one occassion.
8. My husband is an amazing supporter and constant encourager in anything I do (I knew this before 2007, but he put up with my Type A, OCD personality very well during school this year).

8 things I say often:
1. I feel that. . .
2. How about you never do that again!
3. What would you like me to bake/cook?
4. Basically, . . .
5. I hate winter.
6. Mostly people (this is what I say to the husband when he's taking a pic, he likes "mostly scenery" pics)
7. I love you
8. I miss you

8 shows I watch often:
1. Paula Deen, Ace of Cakes, Everyday Italian (basically anything on Food Network)
2. House
3. Private Practice
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. The Hills (Team L.C.)
6. So You Think You Can Dance (only the re-runs)
7. Any football during the season
8. TLC (Bringing Home Baby, Adoption Stories, Jon & Kate +8, etc.)

Family Visit!

Mom and her sister at church.

Pics from visit to see mine and the husband's house!

My mom's sister was able to come for a visit this weekend. It was so nice to see her and hear about uncle and cousins that we haven't seen in way too long. I know my mom was really happy to be able to spend time with her sister and catch up. It makes me laugh to hear my mom talk when she's with her sister because she's from Georgia (where my mom also grew up) and it brings out her southern drawl (I can always tell when she is talking to her on the phone too!). Anyway, it was a nice visit and I hope we will be able to see the rest of the family before too long as well.

Eco-Friendly Company

So, recently my husband and I bought (for ourselves and as gifts) reusable shopping bags. We tend to go to the grocery store, Target, Wal-Mart, etc., a lot (sorry Mom, I'm not as good about doing the whole menu planning a week at a time, one trip to the store a week, thing like you are!). We ended up accumulating tons and tons of plastic bags. However useful they may be for picking up and disposing of dog "stuff" in the backyard, their usefulness ends there; not to mention they are not at all eco-friendly. Seeing as how ours cars don't get the best gas-mileage and we've only done small things here and there for the environment (fluourescent light bulbs, washing clothes in cold water, curb-side recycling) we thought buying reusable shopping bags was the least we could do. We love the ones we got from http://www.reusablebags.com/ and they are very reasonably priced. The ones we have clip to the sides of the shopping cart and can fit a TON of groceries. I love them so much and so do both mom's and sister's that got them as gifts! I highly recommend it (and some stores even give you a small discount for bringing your own bags, . . . bonus!!). So, check out the website and I highly recommend the green or blue canvas tote. GO GREEN!!

A break from winter in the Midwest!!

A friend from A&M and I enjoying tapas and Sangria in Rice Village.

Dinner at Pappasito's (my fav Mexican restaurant!) with more friends from A&M. Great food and great company, what more can you ask for!!

A pic of me and the vices I indulge in when I am out of town! Donuts from Shipley's and fries from Whataburger. I'm really lucky I can't get this stuff and home or I'd have a big problem (with the problem being lack of self-control and the big being me!)

Not a great pic, but the message here is: Love Houston weather, Hate Houston traffic!

The husband and I enjoying dinner at his favorite sushi restaurant, Ichibon.

We just got back from a quick trip to Houston. We were only gone Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday but it was nice to leave the snow behind for a few days of 60+ degree weather! The husband took a Diversity class for work while I played for a few days with some college friends. It was nice to see some folks that we don't see nearly enough. The trip was uneventful except for the return flight where we were in the plane, on the runway, ready to take-off and we had to return to the gate due to a brake malfunction/warning light. Got back to the gate and the plane was too heavy for the jack to lift so we all had to de-board. Moved gates, boarded a different plane and just a few short hours late we returned home to snow and 22 degree weather at 1 a.m.! The husband will leave for H-town again next week, I will encourage more picture taking, but no promises!!