A Sad Anniversary...

A year ago today, I lost a dear friend. My cat of 10 years- Puck. It was a horrible day that made Jason and I face some difficult decisions about Puck's future. It was the ultimate sacrifice to realize that it was best for him if we let him go, even though we didn't want him to leave us.

I knew Puck from the day he was born and held him as he took his last labored breaths. 10 years we had spent together.

Its strange to me that it has only been a year. In many ways I feel like he has been gone for so much longer. Jason and I still talk about him a lot and miss him. We have both said that we will feel his presence occasionally. For weeks after his death, we both felt like he was still in the house. I think that in many ways, Puck changed how Jason viewed indoor cats as pets. As we sat there with Puck that morning and jointly decided that we had to let him go, Jason cried with me. When Jason and I got together- Puck came as part of the package. He and Jason had formed quite a bond in that time.

After Puck died I thought it would be a very long time before I could have another cat. Little did we know that only a month after Puck left, we would have not one, but two new kitties!!! Gypsy and Zoe filled a huge void in my life and in our home. In their first few weeks with us, we watched them get accustomed to us and our home. Ever now and then, they would do something that was just "so Puck". We would ask the girls if Puck told them what to do and how to do it. Jason and I often joked that Puck had stuck around to make sure the girls settled in and learned the ropes.

They become a part of you and never leave...

Go Away Gustav!!!

Tropical Storm Gustav is looking towards the Gulf Coast and as most of you know, my parents moved there a couple of years ago.

Since Katrina, that area is very gun shy when it comes to possible hurricanes. My mom just emailed and said that the whole area is in preparation mode...

The emergency management people are telling people to be ready to leave. I went to Walmart to get extra non-perishable food this afternoon. Tim is going for cat food, gas, and cash. They are already in full swing. There isn't a parking place to be had. I parked along the highway in a ditch. They have 18 wheelers in the parking lot selling water directly from the trucks. They are bringing flats of canned meats like tuna, etc. You can tell you are in the south because they are selling Vienna sausages by the case as fast as they can unload them. There are vacant aisles where staple things that were hard to get last time like cat/dog food and toliet paper/towels were. The hospitals are already planning to move patients to Jackson and Birmingham even Memphis depending on the weather overnight. All selective surgeries are canceled. Tomorrow they as beginning to move the nursing home people north.

Our Gulf Coast Campus is closed after today's classes. They are securing it and moving some of the expensive equipment out. There is a marine science lab there with all sorts of things that were really damaged in Katrina. All students on both campus are being encouraged to go home. Those who can't have been told to be prepared to move to a central dorm this weekend if it looks like it will be dangerous. The churches have been notified to prepare as emergency shelters, etc. All the power people have been put on alert. They say it is already hard to get a hotel room north because people are making reservations ahead of time in case.

Please pray for everyone in the path of this storm. It is truly "just wait and see" time... these storms can be so unpredictable.

Selfishly, I want the storm to just die out in the Gulf some where... my Mom is supposed to fly into Austin next Wednesday for a visit. I miss her and I want her to make it.

Gustav- go away!!

More of Memory Lane...

So, since I wrote the post about "Prom Revisited" a few days ago, I remembered that I had a box in storage labeled, "Yearbooks, Prom, HS Memories". This morning I decided to get it down and see what I had in there. I honestly couldn't remember. Oh my goodness... what flashbacks.

Apparently I kept everything!! I was a "Scrapbooker" before that was even cool! I have 2 huge books- one from Freshman to Junior year and one for my Senior year. I had tickets stubs, old corsages, letters, newspapers, a million pictures and so much more. I spent about an hour just going through everything. I laughed, pondered, had sad moments and just relived so much. Beyond all the stories and pictures of regular high school drama (boyfriends, teachers, peer pressure) I was struck with one major influence in my life... my friends. There aren't a lot of people that can look back at memories 15 years old and still be able to tell you what those people are up to or know that you just saw them last week! I have been blessed with wonderful friends.

So, here are a few of the things that struck me or I found humorous. Not all of you will "get" these things, but those of you from my high school days will get a kick out of it. The box contained...

Concert & Theater ticket stubs to: Bobby Brown, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Body Guard, the opera Carmen, Guns & Roses, A Christmas Story and SO many high school plays.

Newspapers/Magazines about: The beginning of the Gulf War, "Gorbachev Ousted", the school district wanting to change the name of Johnston HS and four teens that I knew personally that died over the course of my high school years- 2 car accidents, one shooting and one alcohol poisoning.

Letters: Folders of letter between me and Rodrick- otherwise known as "Rod The God vs. Amy The Womanly Goddess", folders of letters from one of my best friends Michael New (we wrote 20 page letters about... nothing) and lots of letters and cards from Joseph and, well, other boyfriends. :o)

Journals: Journal upon journal! WOW! I guess I had forgotten how much I enjoyed writing in high school. Also, when you go to a school called the "Liberal Arts Academy"- its just a part of life. Not only did I write a lot about my everyday life (my pre-blog), but I was "published" in several student publications including the newspaper and the yearbook.

Misc things: My prom dress!! Yes, I still have it and its still pretty (but wrinkled). My "letter" that I got for being in the Drill Team. Maps of routes for different parades I was in for band. Ribbons from football games and Homecomings. Programs from different theater productions I was a Stage Manager for. Prom and graduation announcements.

Some of these things are too priceless to not share! I will post again with pictures and scans of these items... just because!

Oh and here are a few of my favorite quotes from my Senior Year scrapbook...

"Remember Raves!!"

"Q: Car you would like to be driving in 10 years? A: A Geo Metro."

From Rodrick: "You look good in sweaters. -Nuff said." :o)

For all my fellow "Bachelor" fans...

Most of us guessed it, but they have announced the next Bachelor... click here.

Class of 1993 Prom Revisited...

So, my friends Rodrick and Kitt cooked up this idea to have a party to relive Prom. Although most of us didn't dress in Prom Gear, we had a great turn out of former fellow Johnston-ites. My prom date, Joseph was even there!

I know Jason feels left out sometimes when I get together with my old high school crew. He is a good sport about it and I love that about him. He fits in with my friends well and we had a great time. It is rare that we are all together. We all lead such different lives now. Joseph is a Marine, married with two kids and now stationed in Hawaii (he just happened to be in Texas for a conference), Rodrick is in the Navy and stationed in Corpus (heading to Bahrain soon...) and the rest of us live in Austin, but don't run around together much. Through each other, we have all managed to keep in touch though. We see each other at mutual weddings, showers, parties, etc.

Kitt, Rodrock, Joseph and I were the inseparable foursome. We were two couples and we did everything together. It was that way for most of my high school years. It is great that we have been able to keep in touch after all these years.

(L to R: Joseph, me, Kitt & Rodrick)

One funny thing that happened that night... when Kitt arrived, she presented Rodrick with a cucumber. Now this may seem odd to you, however, to us it was hysterical. The backstory: Our first big date was a "double date"... Kitt & Rodrick and me & Joseph. Joseph and Rodrick were in a Quinceanera and we were going as their dates. Kitt and her mother had come to my house so that we could take pictures as a group. Joseph and Rodrick were very late (some thing we would eventually find out was the norm) and we were beginning to wonder. When they showed up, they each had pretty bouquets of flowers. We figured they were making up for being late... except, then went right past us and gave the flowers to our mothers!! What did we get? Kitt got a cucumber and I got a potato. [And the crowd says, "Huh?"] No reason... just because. Rodrick ended up eating the cucumber in the car on the way and my mom and I later made french fries with my potato. This set the stage for the rest of our relationships... unpredictable and random. I don't think any of us would change a thing!!

It was a fun night of Rodrick randomness... the food spread was quite interesting. It ranged from hand-rolled sausage Sushi to turkey sandwiches. The music varied from Prince's "Purple Rain" to crazy, obscene rap music. So, really- it was like the old times!! We drank, ate and everyone caught up with each other. Unfortuntely, when this picture was taken, there were about 5 cameras going at once... no one knew where to look. It was like the Papparazi were there!!

(Front Row, L to R: Rodrick, Leon and Joseph.)
(Back Row: L to R: April, Cedar, Christina, me and Kitt.)

What I remember about my prom...

My dress was royal blue with a lace collar. My mom made it and slaved for months on it. It was perfect and exactly what I wanted. My date, Joseph showed up in a great tux, we took pictures and jumped in his parents van with a bunch of other friends. We had a group dinner at East Side Cafe and then headed to Prom. We danced and had a great time for hours. Our prom was held at a hotel located at I-35 & Ben White.

After Prom, we headed over to our friend Jennifer Hansen's house. We changed clothes (I took the 1,000 bobby pins out of my hair) and we chilled out. At some point, I decided to borrow someone's car to run to the grocery store for food. As I was walking out, my foot slipped into a storm drain that ran along the side of the car. I badly twisted my ankle and during the panic, the keys to the car slipped down into the storm drain. I limped back into the house in pain and Rodrick and Joseph rushed out to find the keys. They ended up screwing off the manhole and one of them jumped into the drain with only a flashlight to help. They ended up finding them and I just remember being upset because they were more concerned about the keys than my pain!!

After hanging out at Jen's house, several of us went to watch the sunrise from the lookout at Barton Creek Mall. It was a very peaceful moment during what had been a crazy night. Then we headed over to another friend's house (Paula Smith) for a post-prom breakfast. We met up with a whole different group of friends there!! It was a great night. I arrived home shortly after dawn and slept the rest of the day!!

Beefcake vs. Endurance

So, I have talked many times about my Spin classes and how much I love them. In particular, I enjoy my Friday class. The instructor, Vickie is motivating and a great at what she does. Also, she is a cyclist outside of the gym, as are a good portion of those in the class. In fact, this morning I rode between two guys that just returned from a hard core 100 mile mountain bike ride in Colorado in which Lance Armstrong participated. So, these people are the real deal. Needless to say, I feel great that I can hang in with these riders during class.

We have a lot of usuals in class, so we know right away when a new person shows up. This morning, we had a new guy, but he was slightly different then the "normal" attendee... he was absolutely huge and bulging with muscle everywhere!! He had to be 18 feet tall and weigh 500 pounds- all muscle. He got on the bike, confident and ready to go.

Vickie had put together a rather difficult class this morning, so we really hit it. Halfway though the class, I seriously thought that this guy was going to die. His entire body was sweating (with a puddle on the floor), he was grunting, gasping and groaning. The rest of us were all laboring hard on the bikes and breathing heavy, but we have learned to condition ourselves and practice endurance.

So, Mr. Beefcake... I just wanted to tell you- you may have all the muscles in the world and I am sure you can crush a VW Bug with one fist, but you can't hang with Conditioned Crowd and make it to the top of a challenging hill. :o) Two points for the endurance junkies.

Girls' Night Out...

Tonight I had a great time with my girls... the one thing all of us have in common? Samsung. Our group is made up of those still hanging in there and those that got out. :o)

Me and Leigh.

L to R: Melinda, Rebecca, Crystal and Kimberly.

We had a private room at a local Mexican place called El Mercado. Kasi brought her adorable daughter, Troy and Michelle brought her sweet son, Makail. Jason popped in for just a second to say hello to some familiar faces. Otherwise, Makail was the "the man" in the group.

Kasi and Troy. (Jason is behind her, so Troy turns to check him out.)



Raqui and Troy sharing a laugh.

It was a nice evening of laughs and catching up. We don't do it nearly enough, so we always have lots of stories to tell. Those that are still at Samsung, fill us in on the latest gossip there and remind us that some things just never change! But its not all about work... people have new jobs, new boyfriends, new fabulous vacations to talk about and all sorts of fun stuff. Its a great reunion.

Thank you Raqui for dinner... that was a very unexpected and unnecessary gesture!!

Front Row- L to R: Raqui & Michal, Kasi & Troy
Back Row- L to R: Crystal, me, Melinda, Rebecca, Kimberly, Leigh & Michelle

Olympic fever...

I have definitely caught it this year!! I watched the incredible opening ceremonies in awe. I did fall asleep while all the countries were coming out... however, Jason woke me up just in time to see the USA parade out. Really incredible.

I just finished watching the "Redeem Team" USA vs. China in Men's Basketball. What a great game. China started out really strong, nailing every 3 pointer!! Eventually, the USA dominated and took the game by 31 points.

It was really exciting. It is an "All-Star" show on the court with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming out there. History...

Speaking of history... last night I watch Micheal Phelps take home his first Gold medal. He just makes it look so effortless. He is truly a force to be reckoned with! It will be exciting to watch him try to be the first to win 8 medals in the games.

And this is only Day Two!!! Go Team USA!

My week in review...

I feel like lately my blog has been a "week in review" instead of posting as things happen. Oh well- I guess I am just busy!!

Last weekend we took the dogs a dog park we hadn't ever been to. It is Bull Creek and for you non-Austinites, its a really nice park that also has a naturally-fed water area. So, the dogs have great fun splashing around in the mud and water. Cheyenne was a little apprehensive at first but once she loosened up, she ran around too. The nice thing about Chey is that she never wanders far- she always come back to us to touch base and will come when we call her. She is a herding breed, so she like to run along and boss around the other packs of dogs! Tucker on the other hand may be a bit slower than Chey, but his Beagle nose carries him far off the beaten path before we know it. So, we have to keep him leashed for most of the time, however, he just enjoys hanging out. It was a fun time that I really enjoyed! It was like taking our kids on a park play date! They were happy and exhausted afterwards.

Afterwards, they each got a bath. Tucker loves baths... he looked a little chilly afterwards, so I put a blanket over him. Apparently, he really appreciated it! He snuggled right in...

This week was just a normal week... work, working-out and stuff. On Friday we decided to have a BBQ at work. We are doing some remodeling and had new furniture installed, so it was a hard day to concentrate anyway. Why not BBQ and have a few drinks!?! It was really a fun day. Casey manned the grilled while the rest of us pitched in food. Marcus impressed us with some AWESOME marinate Portabella mushrooms for the grill. My contribution was veggie skewers. (I had to make sure there was some Weight Watchers safe food!) Kevin and Angie provided ribs and chicken for the grill. It was a nice, kick-back day that we have decided needs to happen more often!

One other thing that happened at work that I should mention... apparently when Matt aka "Chewy" gets bored, he finds things in our office to torture. Poor stuffed bird never had a chance...

And, yes, we ARE a pet friendly company... :o)

Today I had lunch with an old friend. She is going through some stuff that is life-changing. We hadn't talked in a very long time and it was SO good to hear from her. She knows who she is... so I will just say- thank you for your call and the lunch. I am proud of you and love you very much!

Next week will be a busy one! Not only do I have to stay smart with my food an exercise to make up for not losing this week, but I have a busy social calendar!! I will post about those happenings later...

This week's weigh-in...

Well, I didn't lose anything this week. Nothing. I am the same weight- to the tenth of a pound- that I was last week.

I kinda knew I hadn't lost anything this week but I was fearing that I had gained. I guess the good news is that I didn't gain.

So, time to refocused and tackle this week. Baby steps!