Pregnant ladies that is. I am super happy for them... but they are everywhere!! Next summer is going to be busy!
All within a few weeks of each other I found out that my boss Angie is expected, one of my oldest and dearest friends Shaunna is pregnant AND that one my best friends, Kara is going to be a mom too!!
I couldn't mention this in my earlier posts about my time with Kara aka Jillian, Jr. but Kara told me the big news while I was there. It was exciting but she was a tad disappointed that she wouldn't be able to torture me to the extent she had hoped. She tires easily which was FINE with me... I may have dodged a bullet. :o) Looks like Jason and I will be making that Boston trip next year for sure... gotta see the baby!
I just saw Shaunna tonight. She has a cute baby belly! I am excited for her as she starts this journey again. I remember being at her shower for her first child... 15 years ago!! So, in many ways, this is like a first baby for her.
I wish the happiest and healthiest of 9 months to each of you. I can't wait to meet your new family members...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Christmas decorating with PetRelocation.com
I was gone ONE DAY this week for our closing and this has now found a permanent home in my office...
Its kind of creepy... the head moves. I forget he is there because my back is to him most of the time. Then I turn around and there he is... all lit up, shaking his head at me.
Silly co-workers...
Its kind of creepy... the head moves. I forget he is there because my back is to him most of the time. Then I turn around and there he is... all lit up, shaking his head at me.
Silly co-workers...
Friday, December 5, 2008
My final day with Jillian, Jr...
After an exhausting Saturday, we slept VERY well that night. We woke up Sunday morning to the yummy smells of Mike making breakfast. We showered and headed downstairs for some food to start our day.
Our first stop was the local Weight Watchers office. I did a quick weigh-in. Much to our surprise, they showed that I had GAINED weight! That just didn't seem right... Kara and I have decided that even though all WW scales are supposed to be calibrated the same- that locations scales were off. When I weighed myself later at Kara's house, it showed that I had lost 2 pounds. Given all the work we had done that week... we will stick with that!
After the weigh-in, we hit the gym for a Spin class. Now, everyone knows that this is my favorite type of workout. I may not be a master hiker, but I at least felt confident that I could kick butt on a bike! The class was good. The instructor was really good and very unique... she was blind! You could tell she had a good sense of the "ride" because she does it by feeling. I thought she was great. Plus, her Guide Dog, Scooby Doo was in class with us! He was a very sweet and beautiful Vizsla that just chilled out in his bed next to her bike!
After class, Kara took me out into the gym and showed me something I could do out there. She taught me some great things that require very little equipment but were still challenging. I felt this workout for DAYS after I left!!
We returned home to a pot of homemade soup and sweet potato fries... another Mike creation. We enjoyed a casual lunch as our visit began winding down. After we ate, Kara and I walked a few blocks to get our nails done. It was nice to have a manicure and pedicure after all the hard work that weekend... kind of the prize at the end.
Then it was time to pack up and head to the airport. It is always sad to say goodbye to Kara. We are separated by so many miles that the next visit is always unknown. The thought and heart that she put into that weekend is something that I can never repay. It was a great weekend of girl-time and healthy activities. I have no doubt that if we lived hear each other, I would be reaching Supermodel goals!! Thank you Kara for believing in me and wanting to help me achieve my goals. You are a friend like no other!
Since I decided to pay the fee to check a bag, my trip home was uneventful and smooth. My flight into Austin even arrived about 20 minutes early! I drove home and was greeted by my husband and the kids. It was pretty late, so I think Cheyenne was asleep when I arrived. Normally, she hears me drive up and is waiting at the door. I have nicknamed her "Wiggle Butt" because when she gets excited, her tail wags so hard that her whole rear-end wiggles! Here is a video of what it is like when I get home...
(Just a side note regarding videos inside my Blog. If you receive the Blog updates via email, you must actually go to my Blog to see the video. The links don't come through on the emails. There is a link to my Blog at the bottom of the emails you receive. There was a cute video on the "Jillian, Jr. Part Two" entry and don't forget Tucker and the peanut butter jar!)
Our first stop was the local Weight Watchers office. I did a quick weigh-in. Much to our surprise, they showed that I had GAINED weight! That just didn't seem right... Kara and I have decided that even though all WW scales are supposed to be calibrated the same- that locations scales were off. When I weighed myself later at Kara's house, it showed that I had lost 2 pounds. Given all the work we had done that week... we will stick with that!
After the weigh-in, we hit the gym for a Spin class. Now, everyone knows that this is my favorite type of workout. I may not be a master hiker, but I at least felt confident that I could kick butt on a bike! The class was good. The instructor was really good and very unique... she was blind! You could tell she had a good sense of the "ride" because she does it by feeling. I thought she was great. Plus, her Guide Dog, Scooby Doo was in class with us! He was a very sweet and beautiful Vizsla that just chilled out in his bed next to her bike!
After class, Kara took me out into the gym and showed me something I could do out there. She taught me some great things that require very little equipment but were still challenging. I felt this workout for DAYS after I left!!
We returned home to a pot of homemade soup and sweet potato fries... another Mike creation. We enjoyed a casual lunch as our visit began winding down. After we ate, Kara and I walked a few blocks to get our nails done. It was nice to have a manicure and pedicure after all the hard work that weekend... kind of the prize at the end.
Then it was time to pack up and head to the airport. It is always sad to say goodbye to Kara. We are separated by so many miles that the next visit is always unknown. The thought and heart that she put into that weekend is something that I can never repay. It was a great weekend of girl-time and healthy activities. I have no doubt that if we lived hear each other, I would be reaching Supermodel goals!! Thank you Kara for believing in me and wanting to help me achieve my goals. You are a friend like no other!
Since I decided to pay the fee to check a bag, my trip home was uneventful and smooth. My flight into Austin even arrived about 20 minutes early! I drove home and was greeted by my husband and the kids. It was pretty late, so I think Cheyenne was asleep when I arrived. Normally, she hears me drive up and is waiting at the door. I have nicknamed her "Wiggle Butt" because when she gets excited, her tail wags so hard that her whole rear-end wiggles! Here is a video of what it is like when I get home...
(Just a side note regarding videos inside my Blog. If you receive the Blog updates via email, you must actually go to my Blog to see the video. The links don't come through on the emails. There is a link to my Blog at the bottom of the emails you receive. There was a cute video on the "Jillian, Jr. Part Two" entry and don't forget Tucker and the peanut butter jar!)
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
My weekend with Jillian, Jr... Part Two
It is now Saturday! I wake up full of anticipation of the day to come... then I try to move. OMG. I am so stinkin' sore, it is unreal. I lie in bed for a while, trying to will the pain away. Kara pops her head in with a "Good Morning!" and the day has begun.
We have a yummy, healthy breakfast and pack for our big hike. As we are getting things ready I look outside to see snow!!! Granted it was a VERY faint "flurry" that looked more like dandruff, but I was thrilled! I scurried around taking pictures. Kara just laughed at me. Why would she laugh at me dancing around and saying "Snow! Snow! Snow!"...? Because here is the extent of the snow:
I took pictures because I was convinced that it would be the only snow I saw on this trip. Little did I know... Fast forward an hour or so and we are driving into the White Mountains of New Hampshire to go for a hike. This is what can be seen from our car....
Then fast forward another 20 minutes and it was THIS:
That's right folks- I was there for the first snow of the season!! It was thrilling for me. Kara, on the other hand, was mildly disappointed. She really wanted me to see the views of the beautiful mountains. But even more so, she was bothered because the crazy long and challenging hike she had in store for me couldn't happen if there was blinding snow storm!!
As we drove further, the snow got heavier. I began to fear for my life because Kara seemed determined that we would do SOME sort of hike. I kept reassuring her that I was having so much fun inside the warm car watching the snow, that I would be FINE with not going on a hike. In my dreams...check out this video:
We made a quick swing through the driveway of the Mount Washington Resort . This place has special significance because this is where Kara & Mike got engaged!! It is a beautiful place but most of the beauty I learned from the website because it was buried under snow while we were there!
We then arrived at the lodge at the base of where Kara intended for us to hike. We went in to find out the weather... apparently they were caught off by the snow as well and couldn't really tell us what the rest of the day would be like. Finally, realizing that we couldn't brave the blowing snow to hike, Kara came up with Plan B and we headed that way.
Plan B was a great hike that I really enjoyed. It was very cold and super snowy... which meant beautiful!!! There were several waterfalls along the way. Most of them were in the beginning phases of freezing. It was a very challenging hike and even if I hadn't already been sore, it still would have been a challenge. I was quietly VERY thankful that it had snowed... if this one was a challenge for me and Kara was just scooting up the trail- I could only imagine her original plan.
As an inexperienced hiker, this was interesting for me. Dealing with 3 inches of snow proved to be tough at times because I couldn't tell if where I was planning on stepping would support me! Thankfully, Kara had given me walking poles that helped in "testing" the ground before stepping. It made me feel very "official" having those poles... at least I LOOKED like I knew what I was doing!! However, I would be lying if I said that I didn't slip and fall a few times. :o) They were fairly soft landings because of the snow, so all I could do was lay there and giggle. Then I would try to get up as carefully as possible. My fearless leader fell once too- maybe just to make me feel better!
We got all the way to the top to see the biggest, most beautiful waterfall called Kinsman Falls.
We enjoyed it for a while and headed back down! After driving back to the condo and peeling out of all of our layers, we packed up the car and headed back to the Hines house in Boston.
We were greeted by Mike who had made a cozy fire for us and had all the fixings for dinner. He had also bought "Wall-E" on DVD for our entertainment. I just adore Mike. I honestly couldn't have picked a better mate for Kara. They compliment each other so well and obviously have a deep love and commitment to one another. One of things about Mike that is so awesome is his "domestic" side. We kid him about it, but honestly it is rare to see a man that does some of the things he does. It makes me so happy to see how he cares for Kara and makes her happy.
Kara and Mike made super yummy pizzas. We settled in with some adult beverages, a great fire, pizza, an animated movie and sleeping kitties. How good can life be??
We have a yummy, healthy breakfast and pack for our big hike. As we are getting things ready I look outside to see snow!!! Granted it was a VERY faint "flurry" that looked more like dandruff, but I was thrilled! I scurried around taking pictures. Kara just laughed at me. Why would she laugh at me dancing around and saying "Snow! Snow! Snow!"...? Because here is the extent of the snow:
I took pictures because I was convinced that it would be the only snow I saw on this trip. Little did I know... Fast forward an hour or so and we are driving into the White Mountains of New Hampshire to go for a hike. This is what can be seen from our car....
Then fast forward another 20 minutes and it was THIS:
That's right folks- I was there for the first snow of the season!! It was thrilling for me. Kara, on the other hand, was mildly disappointed. She really wanted me to see the views of the beautiful mountains. But even more so, she was bothered because the crazy long and challenging hike she had in store for me couldn't happen if there was blinding snow storm!!
As we drove further, the snow got heavier. I began to fear for my life because Kara seemed determined that we would do SOME sort of hike. I kept reassuring her that I was having so much fun inside the warm car watching the snow, that I would be FINE with not going on a hike. In my dreams...check out this video:
We made a quick swing through the driveway of the Mount Washington Resort . This place has special significance because this is where Kara & Mike got engaged!! It is a beautiful place but most of the beauty I learned from the website because it was buried under snow while we were there!
We then arrived at the lodge at the base of where Kara intended for us to hike. We went in to find out the weather... apparently they were caught off by the snow as well and couldn't really tell us what the rest of the day would be like. Finally, realizing that we couldn't brave the blowing snow to hike, Kara came up with Plan B and we headed that way.
Plan B was a great hike that I really enjoyed. It was very cold and super snowy... which meant beautiful!!! There were several waterfalls along the way. Most of them were in the beginning phases of freezing. It was a very challenging hike and even if I hadn't already been sore, it still would have been a challenge. I was quietly VERY thankful that it had snowed... if this one was a challenge for me and Kara was just scooting up the trail- I could only imagine her original plan.
As an inexperienced hiker, this was interesting for me. Dealing with 3 inches of snow proved to be tough at times because I couldn't tell if where I was planning on stepping would support me! Thankfully, Kara had given me walking poles that helped in "testing" the ground before stepping. It made me feel very "official" having those poles... at least I LOOKED like I knew what I was doing!! However, I would be lying if I said that I didn't slip and fall a few times. :o) They were fairly soft landings because of the snow, so all I could do was lay there and giggle. Then I would try to get up as carefully as possible. My fearless leader fell once too- maybe just to make me feel better!
We got all the way to the top to see the biggest, most beautiful waterfall called Kinsman Falls.
We enjoyed it for a while and headed back down! After driving back to the condo and peeling out of all of our layers, we packed up the car and headed back to the Hines house in Boston.
We were greeted by Mike who had made a cozy fire for us and had all the fixings for dinner. He had also bought "Wall-E" on DVD for our entertainment. I just adore Mike. I honestly couldn't have picked a better mate for Kara. They compliment each other so well and obviously have a deep love and commitment to one another. One of things about Mike that is so awesome is his "domestic" side. We kid him about it, but honestly it is rare to see a man that does some of the things he does. It makes me so happy to see how he cares for Kara and makes her happy.
Kara and Mike made super yummy pizzas. We settled in with some adult beverages, a great fire, pizza, an animated movie and sleeping kitties. How good can life be??
Monday, December 1, 2008
My weekend with Jillian, Jr... Part One
I am finally getting around to blogging about my weekend in Boston! Sorry for the delay...
As I mentioned before, one of my best friends, Kara, surprised me with a weekend trip to see her. She lives in Boston, so our visits usually revolve around her coming to Dallas/Austin for family visits or weddings. I haven't been up to see her since she and Mike got married a couple of years ago. Kara said that she wanted to put together her version of a "Boot Camp" as her way of further supporting my weight loss efforts. This was SUPER nice of her!!!
So, I flew after work on Thursday, 11/20. First a little air travel sidebar... this new thing with the airlines charging for checked baggage stinks. They have created their own problems by forcing everyone to carry-on their bags to save money. It was AWFUL. I was yelled at by a flight attendant because apparently I was trying to take on 3 pieces when the allowance was 2. I had 2 bags and a purse... my purse was considered a 3rd item!! They made me check my bag at the gate and after they took my bag they told me that I would have to get it at baggage claim (not my arrival gate) and that they "couldn't guarantee" that it actually be on my flight!!! Then once I was on the plane there was NO room for all the bags because people are trying to pack for long trips in their carry-ons. Flight attendants are getting mad at passengers... passengers are getting mad at passengers. And ifyou boarded in any "Group" past 1 or 2... good luck finding any overhead space within 10 rows of your seat. Then it took FOREVER for us to deplane when we arrived because eveyone has to locate their bags and squeeze out of the plane with them (great for thos etight connection times!). It was AWFUL!! And this wasn't even a holiday weekend!! I paid the stupid $15 to check one of my bags on my trip back and I am SO glad I did... it stinks to have to pay that, but I highly recommend it!!
So, back to my trip...
I arrived after midnight on Thursday, but we stayed up for a while visiting. I also got a tour of their remodeled home... it is beautiful!! Very comfortable with a modern look to it. Friday morning we got up and hit the gym. We went to a Body Pump class. Now Kara picked this class specifically for me... why? Because she knows I hate it. :o) She wanted me to do the class with her so that she could see why I hated it and to check my form. Sure enough, I was doing some things wrong that she took note of. It was a good class and, I admit, that having Kara there made me push harder and add a little more weight than I would normally. This is something I paid for the next day... much to Kara's delight!
After class, we drove for a couple of house to their condo in Thornton, New Hampshire. Along the way, we eat a super healthy lunch packed by Kara. It was nice to have some time on the road- we were able to catch up on life and rest after class a bit. Once we arrived at the condo and got the car unloaded, we dressed in layers to hit the great outdoors. It was MUCH colder than in Texas, so I had come somewhat prepared. I had long johns, a coat, hat and gloves. Upon inspection by Kara it was decided that my outer wear was Texas-worthy but not New England-worthy. I was loaned a ski jacket, gloves, hiking boots and a hat to use. Little did we know that I had packed red track pants for that day, so I ended up being an embarrassing blinding vision in red!!! If there had been hunters out in the woods that day- we would have been safe... no mistaking me for a deer!
My tour guide, Kara.
Some of the frozen ground (it got heavier the higher we went up).
We did a nice hike that was literally in the back yard of their condo!! I was huffing and puffing trying to keep up with Kara and adjusting to the cold. However, I did pretty well. It was tough as a non-experienced hiker to trust my footing. So, I spent a lot of time with my head down watching the ground. The ground was a mix of leaves, sticks and ice. Some water had frozen over as well, but it was hard to tell what could be weight bearing. At the end we reached an awesome waterfall. (My pictures didn't come out that great- so I wait for Kara to post some.) Once we were back down, it was a great feeling of accomplishment.
The town that their condo is in a small town surrounded by mountains. We were there just before the beginning of ski season, so it was very quiet. The community of condos that is home to Kara and Mike's place was a ghost town... most of them are "part-time" residents for the ski season and the beautiful summers. It is a cute little town that is primarily residential with a few retail shops, restaurants and bars. There was one store that I loved!! It was an organic grocery store with a small food service area and retail area. We found some YUMMY hummus and some other treats there. Plus, Starbucks!!!
View from the back porch.
After our hike and a hot shower, we headed into town for dinner. We went to a local place called Sunset Grille and it was really good. We were pretty tired (and sore) so we headed back to the condo to relax. We watched some HGTV while enjoying some hot tea and then went to bed early.
It had been an eventful and exhausting day... but there was SO much more to come the next day. A certain weather phenomenon known as snow was heading our way...
As I mentioned before, one of my best friends, Kara, surprised me with a weekend trip to see her. She lives in Boston, so our visits usually revolve around her coming to Dallas/Austin for family visits or weddings. I haven't been up to see her since she and Mike got married a couple of years ago. Kara said that she wanted to put together her version of a "Boot Camp" as her way of further supporting my weight loss efforts. This was SUPER nice of her!!!
So, I flew after work on Thursday, 11/20. First a little air travel sidebar... this new thing with the airlines charging for checked baggage stinks. They have created their own problems by forcing everyone to carry-on their bags to save money. It was AWFUL. I was yelled at by a flight attendant because apparently I was trying to take on 3 pieces when the allowance was 2. I had 2 bags and a purse... my purse was considered a 3rd item!! They made me check my bag at the gate and after they took my bag they told me that I would have to get it at baggage claim (not my arrival gate) and that they "couldn't guarantee" that it actually be on my flight!!! Then once I was on the plane there was NO room for all the bags because people are trying to pack for long trips in their carry-ons. Flight attendants are getting mad at passengers... passengers are getting mad at passengers. And ifyou boarded in any "Group" past 1 or 2... good luck finding any overhead space within 10 rows of your seat. Then it took FOREVER for us to deplane when we arrived because eveyone has to locate their bags and squeeze out of the plane with them (great for thos etight connection times!). It was AWFUL!! And this wasn't even a holiday weekend!! I paid the stupid $15 to check one of my bags on my trip back and I am SO glad I did... it stinks to have to pay that, but I highly recommend it!!
So, back to my trip...
I arrived after midnight on Thursday, but we stayed up for a while visiting. I also got a tour of their remodeled home... it is beautiful!! Very comfortable with a modern look to it. Friday morning we got up and hit the gym. We went to a Body Pump class. Now Kara picked this class specifically for me... why? Because she knows I hate it. :o) She wanted me to do the class with her so that she could see why I hated it and to check my form. Sure enough, I was doing some things wrong that she took note of. It was a good class and, I admit, that having Kara there made me push harder and add a little more weight than I would normally. This is something I paid for the next day... much to Kara's delight!
After class, we drove for a couple of house to their condo in Thornton, New Hampshire. Along the way, we eat a super healthy lunch packed by Kara. It was nice to have some time on the road- we were able to catch up on life and rest after class a bit. Once we arrived at the condo and got the car unloaded, we dressed in layers to hit the great outdoors. It was MUCH colder than in Texas, so I had come somewhat prepared. I had long johns, a coat, hat and gloves. Upon inspection by Kara it was decided that my outer wear was Texas-worthy but not New England-worthy. I was loaned a ski jacket, gloves, hiking boots and a hat to use. Little did we know that I had packed red track pants for that day, so I ended up being an embarrassing blinding vision in red!!! If there had been hunters out in the woods that day- we would have been safe... no mistaking me for a deer!
My tour guide, Kara.
Some of the frozen ground (it got heavier the higher we went up).
We did a nice hike that was literally in the back yard of their condo!! I was huffing and puffing trying to keep up with Kara and adjusting to the cold. However, I did pretty well. It was tough as a non-experienced hiker to trust my footing. So, I spent a lot of time with my head down watching the ground. The ground was a mix of leaves, sticks and ice. Some water had frozen over as well, but it was hard to tell what could be weight bearing. At the end we reached an awesome waterfall. (My pictures didn't come out that great- so I wait for Kara to post some.) Once we were back down, it was a great feeling of accomplishment.
The town that their condo is in a small town surrounded by mountains. We were there just before the beginning of ski season, so it was very quiet. The community of condos that is home to Kara and Mike's place was a ghost town... most of them are "part-time" residents for the ski season and the beautiful summers. It is a cute little town that is primarily residential with a few retail shops, restaurants and bars. There was one store that I loved!! It was an organic grocery store with a small food service area and retail area. We found some YUMMY hummus and some other treats there. Plus, Starbucks!!!
Part of the group of condos Kara and Mike's place is in (view from one of their windows).
View from the back porch.
After our hike and a hot shower, we headed into town for dinner. We went to a local place called Sunset Grille and it was really good. We were pretty tired (and sore) so we headed back to the condo to relax. We watched some HGTV while enjoying some hot tea and then went to bed early.
It had been an eventful and exhausting day... but there was SO much more to come the next day. A certain weather phenomenon known as snow was heading our way...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Turkey And Peanut Butter...
I am sorry I have been off the ol' blog recently! It has been a busy couple of weeks. Here is a brief catch-up...
The house: Everything is great! The sellers agreed to all the repairs we asked for (roofing work and HVAC). Now its just a waiting game to let the Pros do their jobs to get things ready for our Closing. Closing is still set for December 16th which means when we return from Thanksgiving, we will be just over 2 weeks away!
My trip to Boston: SO FUN! I have some pictures to share and lots of adventures to blog about. I PROMISE I will get to it as soon as possible. There was lots of working out, hiking, girl-time and yes, 3 INCHES of snow!!! I can now say I have hiked in the snow!! Three days later... I am still very sore (which makes Jillian Jr. aka Kara, very happy)!
The holiday: Jason and I hit the road today after work heading towards Little Rock. We will stop tonight in Tyler and stay with Jason's friend Dale. Then we are up early tomorrow morning to finish the remaining 4.5 hours and arrive in time for Thanksgiving lunch. Jason's oldest sister, Monica, and her family live there. We will be joined by Jason's parents and his other sister, Jennifer and her family. Monica has invited me to join her on Friday for a Spin class at the community center... that is so exciting. (Plus, I can feel a LITTLE less guilt when enjoying our meal!)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Turkey Day!! If you are like me, I am having pre-holiday, pre-road trip and pre-leaving-my-office-for-another-4-days stress. So, to help with that, I would like to share a short video of everyone's favorite Beagle... Tucker. The other day I finished a (plastic) jar of peanut butter. PB happens to be one of Tucker's favorite things! So, I gave him the empty jar to clean out. This video was shot as I sat at my desk... sorry if it is shaky- I was giggling! Watch it to the end- he is a funny dog!
The house: Everything is great! The sellers agreed to all the repairs we asked for (roofing work and HVAC). Now its just a waiting game to let the Pros do their jobs to get things ready for our Closing. Closing is still set for December 16th which means when we return from Thanksgiving, we will be just over 2 weeks away!
My trip to Boston: SO FUN! I have some pictures to share and lots of adventures to blog about. I PROMISE I will get to it as soon as possible. There was lots of working out, hiking, girl-time and yes, 3 INCHES of snow!!! I can now say I have hiked in the snow!! Three days later... I am still very sore (which makes Jillian Jr. aka Kara, very happy)!
The holiday: Jason and I hit the road today after work heading towards Little Rock. We will stop tonight in Tyler and stay with Jason's friend Dale. Then we are up early tomorrow morning to finish the remaining 4.5 hours and arrive in time for Thanksgiving lunch. Jason's oldest sister, Monica, and her family live there. We will be joined by Jason's parents and his other sister, Jennifer and her family. Monica has invited me to join her on Friday for a Spin class at the community center... that is so exciting. (Plus, I can feel a LITTLE less guilt when enjoying our meal!)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Turkey Day!! If you are like me, I am having pre-holiday, pre-road trip and pre-leaving-my-office-for-another-4-days stress. So, to help with that, I would like to share a short video of everyone's favorite Beagle... Tucker. The other day I finished a (plastic) jar of peanut butter. PB happens to be one of Tucker's favorite things! So, I gave him the empty jar to clean out. This video was shot as I sat at my desk... sorry if it is shaky- I was giggling! Watch it to the end- he is a funny dog!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Just one week...
One week from today at 5:45 PM, I will be jetting off to Boston for a long weekend! My super duper friend, Kara, has surprised me with a trip to see her!!
This year, Jason and I had planned on visiting Kara & Mike for New Years. However, when we decided to buy a house, we had to cut somethings out and that trip, sadly, was one of the casualties. I have been very bummed about that because I miss her... and I want to see her beautifully remodeled house!
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and I get this awesome email from Kara asking if I had a long weekend free that she could bring me up for a visit! I was thrilled! However... there is a catch. :o)
This isn't just a lazy, touristy visit. Oh no... Kara has put together she has called "Boot Camp 2". Yep, my weight loss mentor is going to be torturing me all weekend! She said this trip was something she had been thinking about for some time and wanted to do it as her way of continuing to support my weight loss effort. SO AWESOME!!! So, not only do I get to see my best-est friend, but I am going to learn some workout strategies as well. We are going to go to the gym, maybe hike in New Hampshire (weather and time permitting) and eat healthy all weekend. I have managed to request we get pedicures too.
Just to give you an idea of what I am in for, here are a string of emails between Kara and I last week...
A: "Two weeks from today, I will be heading your way!!!!"
K: "I know... So many options, so few days with you. I'll have to figure out how to pack in the best punch. I'm very excited about it and really just can't believe I'll get to see you so soon!"
A: "I am excited too!!! I may go running slow motion through the airport when I see you... :o)"
K: "Da dunh a da dunh da........da dunh a da dunh! (In case you couldn't deduce my email singing, that was Chariots of Fire). As long as you're running, we'll be starting the weekend right! ;-)"
A: "HA! Instead of embracing me, you would just start running and make me follow you to the car! My luggage would just serve as additional weights!"
K: "Hahaha! You've already got my plan all figured out!"
Oh Boy!!!
This year, Jason and I had planned on visiting Kara & Mike for New Years. However, when we decided to buy a house, we had to cut somethings out and that trip, sadly, was one of the casualties. I have been very bummed about that because I miss her... and I want to see her beautifully remodeled house!
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and I get this awesome email from Kara asking if I had a long weekend free that she could bring me up for a visit! I was thrilled! However... there is a catch. :o)
This isn't just a lazy, touristy visit. Oh no... Kara has put together she has called "Boot Camp 2". Yep, my weight loss mentor is going to be torturing me all weekend! She said this trip was something she had been thinking about for some time and wanted to do it as her way of continuing to support my weight loss effort. SO AWESOME!!! So, not only do I get to see my best-est friend, but I am going to learn some workout strategies as well. We are going to go to the gym, maybe hike in New Hampshire (weather and time permitting) and eat healthy all weekend. I have managed to request we get pedicures too.
Just to give you an idea of what I am in for, here are a string of emails between Kara and I last week...
A: "Two weeks from today, I will be heading your way!!!!"
K: "I know... So many options, so few days with you. I'll have to figure out how to pack in the best punch. I'm very excited about it and really just can't believe I'll get to see you so soon!"
A: "I am excited too!!! I may go running slow motion through the airport when I see you... :o)"
K: "Da dunh a da dunh da........da dunh a da dunh! (In case you couldn't deduce my email singing, that was Chariots of Fire). As long as you're running, we'll be starting the weekend right! ;-)"
A: "HA! Instead of embracing me, you would just start running and make me follow you to the car! My luggage would just serve as additional weights!"
K: "Hahaha! You've already got my plan all figured out!"
Oh Boy!!!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Halloween Night...
After a day of Halloween craziness at work, I went to South Austin to join Kitt and her family for a night of Trick-or-Treating. We had SO much fun!! Kitt's sister Kelly (not pictured) and I walked the neighborhood with Kitt, Jack and the kids, Sean, Sean and Sage's friend Olivia. Sean was the cutest darn monkey (with a pacifier) ever!!!
We would stand on the sidewalk and watch as the kids went from house to house. We laughed all night as we watched the kids drag Sean to all the houses. If he fell once, he fell 100 times. We would constantly hear the sound of his pumpkin bucket thud on the ground. He never missed a beat though! He had a hard time understanding the concept of going to someone's front door and NOT going inside their home. In fact, at the first house we went to we heard a loud crash and the woman giggle... apparently Sean didn't see that she had stepped out on her porch and closed a glass door behind her... Monkey face meet the glass door. He was a bit startled but kept going!!
We walked around for a couple of hours and enjoyed each other's company while the kids had a great time. Here are some other fun pictures from the night...
It's an Obama-Lantern!!
We would stand on the sidewalk and watch as the kids went from house to house. We laughed all night as we watched the kids drag Sean to all the houses. If he fell once, he fell 100 times. We would constantly hear the sound of his pumpkin bucket thud on the ground. He never missed a beat though! He had a hard time understanding the concept of going to someone's front door and NOT going inside their home. In fact, at the first house we went to we heard a loud crash and the woman giggle... apparently Sean didn't see that she had stepped out on her porch and closed a glass door behind her... Monkey face meet the glass door. He was a bit startled but kept going!!
We walked around for a couple of hours and enjoyed each other's company while the kids had a great time. Here are some other fun pictures from the night...
It's an Obama-Lantern!!Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Happy Birthday Kasi!!!
Yes, that's right... another birthday this week!!! Unfortunately, I have realized that I don't have any fun pictures of Kasi and I together. :o) So, I think that she and I need to work on that!
Kasi and I met while working in Hell... aka Samsung. She was brave and jumped ship several months before I did, but in the few months we worked together, we clicked right away. Our cubes were right across the aisle from one another so we quickly bonded by shooting looks of disbelief to each other regarding crazy things that would happen or we would overhear.
She is a special friend and we have become very close in a very short time. She now has a beautiful little girl named Troy and it has been fun watching Kasi develop as a Mommy!
So, happy birthday my dear Kasi!!
By the way... here is a tip for everyone. I have found the SECRET to successful friendships and finding great girlfriends... they all need to have names that start with "K" and be 4 letter. Kara, Kitt and Kasi prove my point!
Kasi and I met while working in Hell... aka Samsung. She was brave and jumped ship several months before I did, but in the few months we worked together, we clicked right away. Our cubes were right across the aisle from one another so we quickly bonded by shooting looks of disbelief to each other regarding crazy things that would happen or we would overhear.
She is a special friend and we have become very close in a very short time. She now has a beautiful little girl named Troy and it has been fun watching Kasi develop as a Mommy!
So, happy birthday my dear Kasi!!
By the way... here is a tip for everyone. I have found the SECRET to successful friendships and finding great girlfriends... they all need to have names that start with "K" and be 4 letter. Kara, Kitt and Kasi prove my point!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Happy Birthday Kara!!!
Today is a special day for my friend Kara… it is her birthday!!! YAY! Most of you know that Kara is like a sister to me… I have known her for 12 of my birthdays!!
We have been through so much together and celebrated LOTS of birthdays together. In fact, for many years, we had a “Birthday Girl Crown” that we passed back and forth for each of our birthdays.
In honor of her special day and our long-distance love affair, I have put together some pictures of fun memories…
Happy Birthday Kara!!!
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