NEWS NEWS NEWS!

After over a year of trying, I finally got a job in Houston!

As things usually go, this came along right as I had settled into my life in College Station and had come to terms with not getting a job in the big city. But thanks to a dear friend, I can now move on to bigger and better things! And it's a job that actually utilizes my degree. Imagine that.

The hunt for an apartment begins this weekend, so I am hopeful that I'll be able to find the perfect place. Due to Houston real estate being crazy expensive [at least for someone who has been living in a VERY cost effective place for the past five years], I won't be able to live in the "hip" neighborhood I've been longing for, but this does not put a damper on my excitement.

Work starts October 11, so I will keep everyone posted!

*Any favorite Houston places? Restaurants/bars/museums/exciting sites? Most of my friends live there, but a fresh perspective would be nice!

*Also, does anyone have tips on the best way to learn how to use a Canon Rebel?? The boyfriend was way too generous and got one for me as a congratulatory gift. I have been covetting it for months, but now that I have it I find myself puzzled. Automatic settings are well and good, but I really want to use the camera to its potential!

Roomie Wedding

First, we celebrated her bachelorette party. This past weekend was her wedding. Our dear Natalie is a married woman! It was all a bit surreal being at the wedding of such a good friend and roommate. I still can't believe she's a Mrs!

Taylor was such a beautiful bridesmade!

Caroline and I vowed to rock this wedding. And we did.

Me and my hot date.

Even as a gorgeous, elegant bride she was able to let loose and show off her silly dance moves.

The TANCD house celebrating one of our own.

One of my favorite things about living with these girls were all the inside jokes and outrageous conversations we had.

After about 12 years of trying, I finally caught a bouquet. I find it fitting that it was at Natalie's wedding, considering she has heard all of my boy drama and been there for a great portion of it.

Leaving as Mrs. Lewis! Aren't the sparklers neat?

The whole wedding was so classic and so Natalie. We danced, we drank, we laughed, we ATE. It was a beautiful night for one of the most beautiful people I know!

Change.

If you are at all interested in everything going on right now with Don't Ask, Don't Tell, please go to this link. It is an article and video from MTV that features a good friend of mine.

Danny was discharged from the Marines under this senseless law, despite being one of the most proud Americans and servicemen that I have ever known.

He now works for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and through his journey to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell has met Lady GaGa and worked with her to spread awareness.

[Hear his story here]

It breaks my heart to think that dedicated men and women, people who live to serve this country of ours, are not allowed to do so simply because of their sexual orientation. The branches of the military pride themselves on commaraderie and unity, yet they cannot find it in themsevles to protect some of their own. I am disgusted, and truly hope that one day SOON [starting today] all servicemembers will be treated EQUALLY.

I don't think I would be able to go back after being so unjustly discriminated against, but Danny can't wait for the day when he can once again wear his uniform. I pray that day comes soon for him and the thousands of others who are owed justice.

Cat merch!

I need these now!

I'm such a crazy cat lady.

Home, sweet home

After my weekend at home, I can add one more item to my "Older than 23" column mentioned in the previous post:

Reading magazines such as Women's Day, Better Homes and Gardens, and Family Circle.

Thanks, mom.

Lovely lady that she is sent me home with a huge stack of these magazines so I could "find cool beauty stuff and bake to my heart's content!"

I'll just pretend that it's ok for a 23 year old to read mom magazines.

It was wonderful being home. I don't see my parents nearly enough for living only about 3 hours away, so I cherish the time I get to spend with them.

My step-brother is being sent to Iraq for the second time, so there was a going away party for him Saturday night. It was such a typical San Antonio family gathering: BBQ, beer, cheap wine [this is mine and my mom's fault], and tejano music. Yes, tejano music. Oh, and let's not forget the women who were voluntarily drinking Smirnoff Ice.

Home time also included bean and cheese breakfast tacos, homemade waffles with strawberries, fajitas [notice the food theme?], shopping, champagne time with the lovely Swampy, and playing rummy with my mom.

The next time I go home our house is going to look completely different, thanks to a huge remodel my mom initiated. This is what happens after retiring, I suppose.

Happy Monday!

23 going on 60...or 16

This morning I received confirmation that I am completely incapable of acting my age.

Because I get bored easily and enjoy variety, I have my ipod set to go through all of its songs alphabetically. I have been at this for months now and am finally on "T" songs. Today's soundtrack on the way to work consisted of Johnny Mathis' "A Time For Us" and Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle." Some of you may be asking yourself who the hell these people are. But maybe I underestimate our age group and you know exactly who they are. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that I was listening to (and immensely enjoying) music favored by women in their 60s. To add insult to injury, "A Time For Us" made me all teary and emotional.

So what's my deal? I seem to find my interests and behaviors falling into categories that are either younger or older than 23. How does a typical 23 year old act?? I feel like it's the age itself that's the problem...it's such a limbo year.

PROOF THAT I AM INCAPABLE OF EMBRACING MY OWN AGE

Younger than 23
*Partaking in college-like behaviors, such as drinking too much and staying out too late [on occasion only now; take of the judgey pants]
*Dating someone two years younger [thus encouraging above behaviors]
*Having stuffed animals on my bed
*Obsessing over celebrity crushes [this has died down in recent months, thank you very much]
*Watching trashy teen TV shows
*Reading trashy teen novels
*Living in a college town that creates the illusion of still being in college amidst holding a full time job and going to bed at 10:30 [yes, in direct conflict with the first reason, but with Aaron off in Houston now, I have toned it down]

Older than 23
*Crying over aforementioned Johnny Mathis song

*Getting emotional over almost anything that has the slightest sentiment
*Baking cookies on a constant basis, as would a grandmother baking for her beloved grandchildren
*Listening to the Yo-Yo Ma station on Pandora…right now
*Breathlessness while climbing stairs
*Napping like a pro

New goal in life: Find a balance

Press play, then repeat

The fabulously cool Jenny made me an awesome mix a while back, and this is my favorite song from it. I find myself listening to it over and over and over again. Something about it is just so haunting to me. Enjoy!

Tailgating 101

I made mention in my last post about the glorious past time of tailgating. For those unfamiliar with such an event, here are some pictures for your education.

I'm not a beer drinker, so I came prepared with an over-sized jug of mimosas. I'm all about class, people.

Playing games, such as the egg toss, are a favorite past time. What is not fun, as Aaron found out, is having an egg break all over your hands when there are no sinks/soap near by. While the port-o-potties might have been of superior quality, they were not advanced enough to contain running water.

Tailgates are great for catching up with friends who live in more exciting cities and reliving the glory days of college.

They are also nice for quality time with fancy boyfriends.

I feel the same way about football as I do about beer [I'm a bad Texan, so sue me]. However, there is no denying that the student section at Texas A&M is pretty dang impressive. I did my duty when I was a student and never missed a game [except for once when I had to study for an Accounting test that I probably made a C on anyway. Accounting was NOT my strength], out of pure devotion to my school's love of tradition. This is my second season of football as a former student, and I must say that sitting on the fancy SHADED side is the way to go. I am quite content with marveling at the student section instead of actually being in it.

This weekend promises to hold more tailgating fun, and I am ready.

But after this fall of smoked meats, booze, and football, I will be quite ready for more cultural experiences, to say the least. Oh well, sometimes it's fun to take part in something that involves no real intellect or care in the world. Refreshing, I say.

Prada, bloggers, and rabbit holes?

I've made mention before of the peculiarity of my dreams. I don't know if it's a testament to my imagination or not, but they're really strange. Always. Sometimes I find myself wondering, "should I even be dreaming that? Does this make me a freak!?"

In order to avoid another picture post that most likely makes me sound vapid, I will share my most recent nocturnal musings.

As is typical in dreams, I can't tell you where exactly it began. But somehow I am in a large office building in NYC, having just gotten out of...school? Upon exiting the building, I stumble across a Prada photoshoot. It is school themed. The photographer starts calling my name, urging me to pose and become part of the shoot. Hell yes, I'll certainly partake! So I'm doing my thing, most likely looking like a complete tool, when some gorgeous Italian dude strides up to me and...licks the outside of my mouth? Yes. His breath is delightfully minty and I do not resist. Hey, all in the name of art, right? The photographer, models, and gathering crowd applauds as I take a bow.

Next, I find myself walking up to a cute house in the woods, accompanied by my mom. We knock on the door and who should answer but the writer of one of the blogs I follow. She is very excited to see us even though she doesn't know us from adam. I feel creepy for A)Knowing where she lives [I promise I don't actually know where any of my favorite bloggers live] and B)Knowing the names of the other people in the house. We sit and chat for a while when suddenly...

I'm falling down the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole with this guy I used to have a thing for. After landing, we start running around a treehouse maze looking for someone or something. I am running in high heels for some reason that is beyond me. Apparently our mission gets accomplished because we eventually find ourselves at a pub.

The end.

So what does this mean/how can I interpret these random situations? I've come up with some options.

1. NYC isn't too strange because it's my favorite city on earth. Moving on.

2. I miss school. Sad, but true. I'd kill to go back to college [but not as a business major. Whose idea was that anyway??]

3. I long to wear designer labels/have massive amounts of attention showered upon me.

4. I follow too many blogs and like to live vicariously through people I have never met.

5. I have secretly been slipping myself hallucinogens?

I feel these might be pretty accurate assumptions [minus the hallucinogens bit].

Deal with it

While I would love to write a post about something profound, I'm afraid my mind is completely devoid of anything of the sort right now. So instead, here is a list of 100 things, with the bolded ones being things I have actually done. You know you love reading this kind of stuff.

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo [I would do this in order to inflict pain on someone]

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitchhiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill [I feigned illness ONCE in high school just to try it out]

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb [goat?]

26. Went skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice [RIP OFF]

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors [this involves several countries]

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelos David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted [charicature?]

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching [dolphins?]

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp [I refuse]

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar [yuck]

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London [an hour late!]

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in one day

Taken from this cute blog