Two years does not always seem like a long time.
In two years, I've been able to buy a house and finish my Associate's degree. In two years, I've adopted one dog and started fostering a second. In two years, I've dealt with toxic people and wonderful people. In two years, I've battled some pretty major health problems. I've seen a lot of good things happen and a lot of bad things. I left a job that was going nowhere and started a new one that has many new opportunities.
Two years ago, I got married.
Two years ago, I stood in front of family and friends and coworkers and promised to spend the rest of my life, through better or worse, sickness and health, with Austin. Marriage isn't about having the perfect relationship and never fighting. I didn't promise to never fight; I promised that I would be there for him when he needed me. I promised him a life together, through good times and bad.
Honestly, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I didn't know the last thing about what being married meant. You can read all about planning a wedding and spend two years picking out the perfect flowers and table settings, but that doesn't make you ready for marriage. All the time spent making invitations and finding the dress doesn't get you ready for what marriage means.
I still don't really know anything about marriage. I think it is just something that you learn about as you go through it. I can tell you that I know what it takes to make marriage work but it would be wrong. I can't really tell you when I'm still working it out myself. I have learned a few things over the past two years. I have learned that marriage isn't about grand gestures. It isn't about buying your spouse a car for Christmas. It isn't taking exotic vacations. It isn't about having the perfect relationship. It most certainly isn't about never disagreeing. It is making coffee at night so it is ready in the morning. It is buying flowers when you know they've had a tough week. It is having a cup of tea ready after a trying day. It is the time spent listening to your partner rant about a selfish coworker. It is picking up the dry cleaning and cleaning the house when they don't have time. It is apologizing when you're wrong. It is waking up the next morning and realizing how silly that fight was. It is paying the bills and running errands.
The past two years have been full of a lot of ups and downs. I don't doubt that I would not have been able to make it through if it weren't for Austin. I'm so thankful that I've had him with me through this journey and I look forward to where our lives will go. I look forward to another two years, another twenty.
Showing posts with label Austin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Austin. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Moms and Mother's Day
This post on the Huffington Post by Jamie Krug inspired this post.
The past several weeks, we've been bombarded with commercials on television and the radio about Mother's Day. We need to celebrate our mothers for everything that they have done for us. All of their sacrifices were to make us better people. We need to take a day to thank them for loving us and supporting us and bringing us into the world.
But what do you do if you don't have a relationship with your mother? What if your mother was emotionally abusive and manipulative throughout your entire childhood? What if your mother was one of the people that helped you to develop an eating disorder and a huge sense of self loathing? What if the self worth and body images problems you still deal with today were cultivated from your mother? What if your mother was one of your biggest critics and took every chance to remind you of every one of your wrongdoings? What if your mother wasn't kind and loving and supportive and wanted you to be the best you could be? What if the way your mother has treated you leaves you terrified at even the prospect of having children because you couldn't stand to do that to your own children?
Why should I be showering a woman that never gave me the love and support and understanding that I needed as a child? Why should I be so grateful when the only real thing I can thank her for is for giving birth to me? I'm sorry, but I wont be sending a woman cards or flowers or jewelry or even a phone call when the only thing I could thank her for is for reproducing. I won't be calling my mother. This is as close as I will get to even acknowledging her.
People have been telling me for years that family is the mot important thing, that one day I will understand why she treated me like she did. People have a tendency to try and tell me that when I have children of my own, I will understand and rationalize all of the things she did. And if that's the case, I never want to be a mother. You can keep your stupid holiday if it prevents me from scarring a child like she did. I am terrified at the thought of ever having kids because I can't handle the thought that I might one day become her, that I might one day think it is okay to tell your child that she's fat and worthless and ruined her life and the reason mom and dad fight and she deserved that hit from dad.
There is a saying that "blood is thicker than water." I call bullshit. Just because someone is your blood does not make them family. Other than my two brothers, I do not accept anyone else from my side as family. My real family came with my husband. His mother has shown me what it really means to be a mother. In the five years I have known her, she has been more of a mother than my own was for the sixteen years I lived with her.
In the five years I've known this woman, she has loved me and supported me. She helped me create a resume that got me my first "real" job and put me in touch with people that would help my career grow. When I got my first job, she took me shopping to get a work wardrobe because I didn't have a clue what to wear in an office. She has talked with me at two in the morning when Austin and I have been fighting. She has chauffeured me around when I didn't have a car in order to make sure I got to and from my job. She went with me to pick out my wedding dress and wedding cake. She helped me through the stress of planning a wedding. She knows I'm not perfect and she doesn't expect me to be perfect. She's the one that introduced me to dance. The first Christmas Austin and I spent together, she wanted me to help with making Christmas dinner (and in her house, Christmas is the event of the year). She has done so much more for me in the past five years than I could ever begin to thank her for. She's been a real mother for me.
I've learned that family is not something that you are guaranteed because of blood. Family is something that you work for, something that is earned. And while some might think it is wrong for me to disregard the parents that brought me into this world, Ithink know that this is what family really is. People may say that it is wrong for me to replace my family with my husband's family, I know that they have shown me what a family should be. Giving birth does not make you a mother, actually being a mother makes you one. And that is why I will be thanking his mother for showing me what it means to truly be a mother.
The past several weeks, we've been bombarded with commercials on television and the radio about Mother's Day. We need to celebrate our mothers for everything that they have done for us. All of their sacrifices were to make us better people. We need to take a day to thank them for loving us and supporting us and bringing us into the world.
But what do you do if you don't have a relationship with your mother? What if your mother was emotionally abusive and manipulative throughout your entire childhood? What if your mother was one of the people that helped you to develop an eating disorder and a huge sense of self loathing? What if the self worth and body images problems you still deal with today were cultivated from your mother? What if your mother was one of your biggest critics and took every chance to remind you of every one of your wrongdoings? What if your mother wasn't kind and loving and supportive and wanted you to be the best you could be? What if the way your mother has treated you leaves you terrified at even the prospect of having children because you couldn't stand to do that to your own children?
Why should I be showering a woman that never gave me the love and support and understanding that I needed as a child? Why should I be so grateful when the only real thing I can thank her for is for giving birth to me? I'm sorry, but I wont be sending a woman cards or flowers or jewelry or even a phone call when the only thing I could thank her for is for reproducing. I won't be calling my mother. This is as close as I will get to even acknowledging her.
People have been telling me for years that family is the mot important thing, that one day I will understand why she treated me like she did. People have a tendency to try and tell me that when I have children of my own, I will understand and rationalize all of the things she did. And if that's the case, I never want to be a mother. You can keep your stupid holiday if it prevents me from scarring a child like she did. I am terrified at the thought of ever having kids because I can't handle the thought that I might one day become her, that I might one day think it is okay to tell your child that she's fat and worthless and ruined her life and the reason mom and dad fight and she deserved that hit from dad.
There is a saying that "blood is thicker than water." I call bullshit. Just because someone is your blood does not make them family. Other than my two brothers, I do not accept anyone else from my side as family. My real family came with my husband. His mother has shown me what it really means to be a mother. In the five years I have known her, she has been more of a mother than my own was for the sixteen years I lived with her.
In the five years I've known this woman, she has loved me and supported me. She helped me create a resume that got me my first "real" job and put me in touch with people that would help my career grow. When I got my first job, she took me shopping to get a work wardrobe because I didn't have a clue what to wear in an office. She has talked with me at two in the morning when Austin and I have been fighting. She has chauffeured me around when I didn't have a car in order to make sure I got to and from my job. She went with me to pick out my wedding dress and wedding cake. She helped me through the stress of planning a wedding. She knows I'm not perfect and she doesn't expect me to be perfect. She's the one that introduced me to dance. The first Christmas Austin and I spent together, she wanted me to help with making Christmas dinner (and in her house, Christmas is the event of the year). She has done so much more for me in the past five years than I could ever begin to thank her for. She's been a real mother for me.
I've learned that family is not something that you are guaranteed because of blood. Family is something that you work for, something that is earned. And while some might think it is wrong for me to disregard the parents that brought me into this world, I
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Whirlwind weekends are actually kinda nice
This past weekend has been insanely busy. Since Austin's birthday was Friday, we spent a lot of time going out and spending time with his parents and actually doing stuff. Maybe it wasn't that busy, but for someone that's recently become quite a homebody, it was.
Friday night, we went out with his dad to Max's Wine Dive. If you haven't been there, you should definitely go. The food was amazing although I was pretty disappointed with the service. How can you be a wine anything and yet your servers can't tell you anything about the wine list? They didn't know prices or even if there were certain wines on the list. I do think that they are actively trying to improve because they know the service is sub-par. After dinner, I actually sent them a tweet in regards to the service and how I was disappointed. Much to my surprise, they actually responded and we had a "twitter-sation" about what I felt like they needed to improve on. It was nice to see that they actually wanted to know what was wrong and how they could fix it. Even though I was disappointed with the service, I really appreciated them coming back to me and trying to figure out what they could do better next.
Saturday after five hours of dance and a nap, I took Austin to see Lucero. We've both been fans of Lucero for a long time, and it is great to see them getting the notoriety they deserve. They're an amazing band and one of the bands that I will always go see if they're in town, no matter where they are playing. I was a bit disappointed with Trees, though. While it is great that Lucero can sell out a 600-person club, it really sucks when the club oversells the concert by about 150. By the end of the night it was way too packed and uncomfortable. Maybe the next time they come through town they'll go somewhere like the Granada where the wont crowd start leaving halfway through their set because they can't stand to be in the club any longer.
I really enjoyed the opening act, J Charles and the Trainrobbers and was interested to hear that they're going to be opening for American Aquarium when they come through town in a few weeks. Prior to this show, I'd never heard of J Charles and the Trainrobbers so I really didn't care about the opening band. But once they started playing... They're amazing. Not only is their music great, but they also put on a great show. Too many opening acts really neglect that aspect, their music may be decent but they don't know how to put on a show and get the audience interested in them. I really think they will work well with American Aquarium, that should be a great show.
Sunday, Austin and I went to our first Stars game of the season.Even though they ended up losing, it was still a lot of fun and we both enjoyed being back at the AAC for hockey. I think I'd really forgotten how much I love being at the game and the atmosphere there. Since it was an almost sold-out game, the energy in the stadium was great. As for the game itself, well... I think its time for Raycroft to sit out and/or head down to the AHL to get his confidence back up. I've also noticed that the defense really takes for granted Kari and let a lot of shots through that Kari can save but Bachman can't. They need to be able to step up their game when KAri is out (like he currently is). And what happened to all of our goal scorers? I feel like Benn and Erikson and Jagr have been all but invisible lately. While I'm thrilled that the fourth line is producing, why does it seem like that is the only line producing? The Stars were lazy and sloppy through the first period, amazing during the second, and played like shit for the third. A little consistency would be nice...
I guess I should really stop before I start ranting too much about the Stars...
All in all, this was a great, albeit busy, weekend. Sometimes its nice to have your schedule shaken up. I've really gotten into the habit of dance and homework on Saturday and homework and cleaning on Sunday and I really haven't been as social as I probably should be. It was nice to be able to go out all weekend (but I'm really looking forward to a much quieter weekend this week).
Friday night, we went out with his dad to Max's Wine Dive. If you haven't been there, you should definitely go. The food was amazing although I was pretty disappointed with the service. How can you be a wine anything and yet your servers can't tell you anything about the wine list? They didn't know prices or even if there were certain wines on the list. I do think that they are actively trying to improve because they know the service is sub-par. After dinner, I actually sent them a tweet in regards to the service and how I was disappointed. Much to my surprise, they actually responded and we had a "twitter-sation" about what I felt like they needed to improve on. It was nice to see that they actually wanted to know what was wrong and how they could fix it. Even though I was disappointed with the service, I really appreciated them coming back to me and trying to figure out what they could do better next.
Saturday after five hours of dance and a nap, I took Austin to see Lucero. We've both been fans of Lucero for a long time, and it is great to see them getting the notoriety they deserve. They're an amazing band and one of the bands that I will always go see if they're in town, no matter where they are playing. I was a bit disappointed with Trees, though. While it is great that Lucero can sell out a 600-person club, it really sucks when the club oversells the concert by about 150. By the end of the night it was way too packed and uncomfortable. Maybe the next time they come through town they'll go somewhere like the Granada where the wont crowd start leaving halfway through their set because they can't stand to be in the club any longer.
I really enjoyed the opening act, J Charles and the Trainrobbers and was interested to hear that they're going to be opening for American Aquarium when they come through town in a few weeks. Prior to this show, I'd never heard of J Charles and the Trainrobbers so I really didn't care about the opening band. But once they started playing... They're amazing. Not only is their music great, but they also put on a great show. Too many opening acts really neglect that aspect, their music may be decent but they don't know how to put on a show and get the audience interested in them. I really think they will work well with American Aquarium, that should be a great show.
Sunday, Austin and I went to our first Stars game of the season.Even though they ended up losing, it was still a lot of fun and we both enjoyed being back at the AAC for hockey. I think I'd really forgotten how much I love being at the game and the atmosphere there. Since it was an almost sold-out game, the energy in the stadium was great. As for the game itself, well... I think its time for Raycroft to sit out and/or head down to the AHL to get his confidence back up. I've also noticed that the defense really takes for granted Kari and let a lot of shots through that Kari can save but Bachman can't. They need to be able to step up their game when KAri is out (like he currently is). And what happened to all of our goal scorers? I feel like Benn and Erikson and Jagr have been all but invisible lately. While I'm thrilled that the fourth line is producing, why does it seem like that is the only line producing? The Stars were lazy and sloppy through the first period, amazing during the second, and played like shit for the third. A little consistency would be nice...
I guess I should really stop before I start ranting too much about the Stars...
All in all, this was a great, albeit busy, weekend. Sometimes its nice to have your schedule shaken up. I've really gotten into the habit of dance and homework on Saturday and homework and cleaning on Sunday and I really haven't been as social as I probably should be. It was nice to be able to go out all weekend (but I'm really looking forward to a much quieter weekend this week).
Monday, October 29, 2012
Weekend Wrap Up
As much as I'm sure you all loved to read my mid-terms, I think I'm done posting school essays. At least until finals, that is. It may seem a bit silly to some people, but I've realized that I really put more effort into things I know people are going to read. If I only feel like on professor is going to read a paper, I have a hard time spending five or six hours working on a paper. If I feel like several hundred people are going to read something because I put it on my blog, I feel like I really need to make sure its a decent paper. So, I appreciate you all putting up with the past week or so when I've been posting parts of my various midterms here. You may not actually read them and you may not really care, but knowing that they are here and they can be read by many people makes me work harder on them.
Anyways... As I said, no more midterm talk!
This past weekend, Austin and I went to the ballet with Danimal and Mel. The last time Austin and I went to the ballet was in February when Ben Stevenson's Dracula which was absolutely amazing. Friday we saw another of Ben Stevenson's productions, this time it was Peer Gynt. For those unaware of what Peer Gynt is, it is the story of a boy that leads a life switching from on woman to another, never settling down and always letting his hormones take control. He eventually is robbed, beaten and left for dead when a man finds him places him in an institution where he stays for many years. He eventually is released from the institution when he is very old and seemingly on death's door. He remembers all of the women he has wronged over his life and how he has hurt them all, and at the end he realizes that he still loves one woman and chooses to spend the remainder of his life with her. It's really a very beautiful and moving story. And, since it is a Ben Stevenson production, the ballet is something that both Austin and Danimal were able to enjoy (and if not enjoy, they at least sat through it).
Saturday was a very sad day. Sheba, our foster dog, went to her forever home. Austin and I thought it might happen since we took her to meet the couple last weekend, but it was still sad to see her go. She left Saturday morning, so Saturday evening and all day Sunday I just felt like our house was far too quiet. As much as I miss her, I know she's gone to a home that will be perfect for her and she will be loved. Not to mention she wont have to put up with any cats. Having Sheba was a great experience and Austin and I are very proud of the progress she made. We're really looking forward to the next dog we get, and hoping that it wont be too long before we get another dog.
Not only was having Sheba a great experience and we knew we were helping out a great cause, but we also realized that we really like having a dog in the house. Yes, a dog is a lot of work. It really is not something to get into without giving it a lot of thought, but there is something great about having a dog in the house again. Since we both grew up with dogs yet we haven't had one together, we've wanted to get a dog for a while. The thing stopping us for the longest time was whether we actually had the time to offer to a dog. We've seen we do and we're ready for one of our own. We're ready for our own dog to love for the next 10-15 years.
Anyways... As I said, no more midterm talk!
This past weekend, Austin and I went to the ballet with Danimal and Mel. The last time Austin and I went to the ballet was in February when Ben Stevenson's Dracula which was absolutely amazing. Friday we saw another of Ben Stevenson's productions, this time it was Peer Gynt. For those unaware of what Peer Gynt is, it is the story of a boy that leads a life switching from on woman to another, never settling down and always letting his hormones take control. He eventually is robbed, beaten and left for dead when a man finds him places him in an institution where he stays for many years. He eventually is released from the institution when he is very old and seemingly on death's door. He remembers all of the women he has wronged over his life and how he has hurt them all, and at the end he realizes that he still loves one woman and chooses to spend the remainder of his life with her. It's really a very beautiful and moving story. And, since it is a Ben Stevenson production, the ballet is something that both Austin and Danimal were able to enjoy (and if not enjoy, they at least sat through it).
Saturday was a very sad day. Sheba, our foster dog, went to her forever home. Austin and I thought it might happen since we took her to meet the couple last weekend, but it was still sad to see her go. She left Saturday morning, so Saturday evening and all day Sunday I just felt like our house was far too quiet. As much as I miss her, I know she's gone to a home that will be perfect for her and she will be loved. Not to mention she wont have to put up with any cats. Having Sheba was a great experience and Austin and I are very proud of the progress she made. We're really looking forward to the next dog we get, and hoping that it wont be too long before we get another dog.
Not only was having Sheba a great experience and we knew we were helping out a great cause, but we also realized that we really like having a dog in the house. Yes, a dog is a lot of work. It really is not something to get into without giving it a lot of thought, but there is something great about having a dog in the house again. Since we both grew up with dogs yet we haven't had one together, we've wanted to get a dog for a while. The thing stopping us for the longest time was whether we actually had the time to offer to a dog. We've seen we do and we're ready for one of our own. We're ready for our own dog to love for the next 10-15 years.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Home sweet home?
A little over a year ago, I wrote this post about the fact that I had no intentions of buying a house any time soon.
Just shy of a month after being married, people kept telling me and insisting that my husband and I should be looking at buying a house because it was a buyers market blah blah blah. Mostly, people were trying to tell us to buy a house because it was something that we were supposed to be doing. Not because it fit where we were in our lives. At that point, Austin was travelling a lot and was being sent to any office in a 150 mile radius on any given day. I also wasn't sure where I would be five years from now. I knew I didn't want to spend my life as an executive assistant but I hadn't the faintest clue what I would do with my life.
So, in short, buying a house was a terrible suggestion because it didn't make sense for us.
But, that's all changed.
Austin has worked in the same office for a while and knows he'll be in one location for quite some time. I've gotten a job that I really like in a position I love. I've been going to the same dance studio for three years now and don't plan on going anywhere else anytime soon. In short, we've started to settle down. We knew that our lease was coming to a close mid-August(ish). We know where we plan to be for the next stretch of our foreseeable future. So, about three months ago, we started the house hunt. And, about a week ago, we put in an offer on a house. We wont be closing on the house until the middle of August, but we're well on our way to having our first home. And I'm on my way to having my very own dance room!
Considering the only input I've ever had on buying a home in the past is when my parents would buy a house and my biggest concern was picking my room and picking the paint for my room, I honestly had no idea how much of a process it is to buy a house. Not only is it difficult to try and find the perfect house (and not one that isn't waaaay outside your budget), but there's a lot of paperwork that goes into buying a house. Did you realize that it takes about a month to actually go through the process from the time you put in an offer until you actually close? I didn't. I hadn't the faintest clue. I feel like I'm selling my soul. Or first born. Or something equally as dramatic. So, if you're out there thinking about buying your first home, don't think it's going to be as easy as walking into a realtor's office, picking a house and getting the keys a week later. There's also the bank, the inspectors, the seller, the seller's agent. Everyone is trying to come out ahead and it is just exhausting. But, at the end of it all, if you're deemed worthy enough by everyone, you might find yourself with a house.
So, keep your fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly! Hopefully, possibly, maybe I'll have some pictures of the new home in a little over a month!
Just shy of a month after being married, people kept telling me and insisting that my husband and I should be looking at buying a house because it was a buyers market blah blah blah. Mostly, people were trying to tell us to buy a house because it was something that we were supposed to be doing. Not because it fit where we were in our lives. At that point, Austin was travelling a lot and was being sent to any office in a 150 mile radius on any given day. I also wasn't sure where I would be five years from now. I knew I didn't want to spend my life as an executive assistant but I hadn't the faintest clue what I would do with my life.
So, in short, buying a house was a terrible suggestion because it didn't make sense for us.
But, that's all changed.
Austin has worked in the same office for a while and knows he'll be in one location for quite some time. I've gotten a job that I really like in a position I love. I've been going to the same dance studio for three years now and don't plan on going anywhere else anytime soon. In short, we've started to settle down. We knew that our lease was coming to a close mid-August(ish). We know where we plan to be for the next stretch of our foreseeable future. So, about three months ago, we started the house hunt. And, about a week ago, we put in an offer on a house. We wont be closing on the house until the middle of August, but we're well on our way to having our first home. And I'm on my way to having my very own dance room!
Considering the only input I've ever had on buying a home in the past is when my parents would buy a house and my biggest concern was picking my room and picking the paint for my room, I honestly had no idea how much of a process it is to buy a house. Not only is it difficult to try and find the perfect house (and not one that isn't waaaay outside your budget), but there's a lot of paperwork that goes into buying a house. Did you realize that it takes about a month to actually go through the process from the time you put in an offer until you actually close? I didn't. I hadn't the faintest clue. I feel like I'm selling my soul. Or first born. Or something equally as dramatic. So, if you're out there thinking about buying your first home, don't think it's going to be as easy as walking into a realtor's office, picking a house and getting the keys a week later. There's also the bank, the inspectors, the seller, the seller's agent. Everyone is trying to come out ahead and it is just exhausting. But, at the end of it all, if you're deemed worthy enough by everyone, you might find yourself with a house.
So, keep your fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly! Hopefully, possibly, maybe I'll have some pictures of the new home in a little over a month!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
This was a Fabulous Weekend!
This past weekend, Austin and I went to the ballet in Fort
Worth. A few months ago, Austin had gotten me tickets because he knew that I
really wanted to go and he wanted the first ballet that we to together to be
great so he also spent several weeks looking into which ballet to go to. After
much thought, he decided that we would go to the Texas Ballet's production of Dracula.
Since it was originally written by the producer of the Fort Worth ballet and
was taken everywhere (even Broadway) Austin thought it would be great for our
first ballet.
The production was held in Bass Hall in Downtown Fort Worth,
a building which in itself is a beautiful work of art. Since it was in Fort
Worth, Austin also decided to get a hotel in Sundance Square so we could grab
dinner and drinks beforehand. I have never been to Sundance Square before, so
it really was quite an enjoyable experience. The hotel we stayed at was really
lovely, and being downtown, we didn't have to worry about driving around.
Because the hotel was downtown, we could walk around and enjoy the beautiful
weather we had this past weekend. And, any time you're going to be drinking
it's just nice to know you don't have to worry about driving.
Dinner
was at a great Italian place, Taverna. It is a fairly new Italian pizzeria and risotteria that I don't think
would hold more than 200 people. Taverna has a very intimate setting because it
is a smaller restaurant. The wine selection was much better than most places,
mostly because it is a higher-class Italian restaurant. Now, the important part:
the food. We started with a bruschetta and it was absolutely delicious. Since we were both
hungry, maybe that was that the reason we thought it was so great. By the time
dinner arrived, we had both eaten enough to be able to actually decide how good
it really was. I decided to order one of their risottos because this was a
risotteria, a risotto con capesante. This a was a risotto with artichokes,
roasted grape tomatoes, lemon
confit, pan seared diver scallops, and pan juice. Austin went
with fettucine
frutti di mare, a fettucine
with shrimp, mussels, clams & scallops tossed
in a brandy crustacean cream sauce. I can't speak for
Austin, but my dish was divine. The scallops were large and perfectly cooked,
the risotto was creamy and full of flavor. I've noticed that a lot of places
tend to cook their risotto rice beforehand and then just throw in everything
else that is going to add to the risotto. Taverna did not do this. The flavors
worked amazingly together. Dessert looked delicious, but by this point we were
stuffed and knew we wouldn't be able to really enjoy it. Maybe next time we'll
stick around for dessert... I know we'll be going back and I would suggest any
of you do, as well.
We spent about an hour and a half walking around Sundance
Square enjoying the night and each other's company. With the stress of the past
couple months and everything we've been dealing with, it was nice to just be
able to get away from it all. We did find a little bar, Durty Murphy's. It was
a fairly quiet little pub with an Irish theme and great music playing. The
bartender was great and the drinks were good, it was a really nice place to
have a couple drinks before the show. We did meet a couple of people there that
were really great and we had a lot in common with. We even exchanged numbers
and might do something in the future.
The ballet itself was absolutely amazing. I wasn't exactly
sure what to expect with a story like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and was very
interested to see how it would turn out. Austin... He was just going to try and
make it through because he knew how much I was looking forward to it. The
dancers were just amazing, I don't think they ever missed a mark in the entire
two hour show. I know that even if I were to dance every day for the next ten
years I still wouldn't be as good as those girls. The story itself was
beautifully translated without a word ever having to be spoken. The dancers
were able to draw in the entire audience and it was a magical feeling. Since
the Hall was completely sold out, there was a very intimate feeling, even
though there were thousands of people in the entire building. It felt like this
theater was the only place in the entire world.
After the show, Austin and I went out to the Library for a few
drinks and finished up at Durty Murphy’s. Austin was surprised with how much he
actually did enjoy the entire show. His opinion was that because it was more of
a “modern” ballet he was able to enjoy it, I just think it's because he's never
given it a shot before. After a few drinks, we walked back to the hotel. It
really was a great night and a wonderful way to be able to get away from our
lives and the stress we've been living with. Also, I was able to get a pair of
pointe shoes that one of the dancers used in a show, signed! I know I'll be
putting them, as well as our tickets and program and pictures, into a shadow
box to have on display.
Since I know Austin enjoyed it, I know we'll be able to start
going to more ballets together in the future. I can't wait until we can go to
another one!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy New Year's, readers!
This is going to be the post that I'm sure you have all seen a hundred times already, but I feel like it's always a good thing to do. This is going to be my year-end wrap up and my prelude to the new year. Since you can all go back and read about the past year, I promise not to spend much time reliving it.
This past year has been a very exciting year indeed. I got married, I moved, I started college, I became even more devoted to ballet. And those are just the major events in life. This year has been filled with many hard times, many good times, and a lot of time wasted. I've grown a lot as a person and as a writer. This past year, I finally realized what I want to do with my life and what I want to do with my career. There have been many tears shed this year, both from sadness and from joy. Austin and I have had our share of troubles, but we've come out as better people because of everything we've been through. At some point, I may go into some of those details and try to help you all avoid the same mistakes I have made. For now though, I'm still working through everything I've learned and trying to make myself a better person for it all. Many mistakes have been made in the past year, but without mistakes you never give your chance to move forward.
I'm starting out this year even more dedicated to school than I was before. I know that to achieve the things I want most in life, I must do everything I can to get my degree. This is going to be a long process and I know I wont finish it by year's end, but I will be putting even more work into my schooling. For my first semester, I only took two classes and one during this wintermester (which I am actually still in the middle of). For the Spring semester, I'm stepping it up to take three courses. I know it will be even more work and it will take away what little free time I have now, but I think the result of graduating a little earlier is going to be worth it all. Now that I know what I want to major in, I plan on taking several courses this year to help further me on this path.
Working and my career is going to have a different path this year. My focus is not so much on the place I am now, but getting to somewhere new. There are many things that have lead me to realize that I can't stay with my current employer, some of these circumstances are due to the troubles of last year, and some of these reasons are just due to the fact that I can't do exactly what I want to do here. I love most of my coworkers, I like what I do, but I don't think I could be an executive assistant for the rest of my life. When I realized what I wanted to do with my life, I lit a fire that I cannot put out. Now, this isn't just something I would like to do, this is something that I have to do. This is what I am, this is what I will be. This new year is going to be filled with a lot of uncertainty, but I know that I am heading in the right direction now.
And then I have ballet, my dancing. When I started dancing a year and a half ago, I was just doing it as something to keep me in shape and as something that I had always wanted to try. Now, I am on my way to becoming a dancer. I have my first recital this June which I am both excited and nervous for. I have my exam at the end of January which I am actually not nervous at all about. I know I am going to pass with flying colors. Ballet was something that started out as a once a week event, now it is something that I look forward to three days a week and practice even on "off" days. Ballet is also the best way for me to get a work out in. Some people choose to go to a gym and work up a sweat, I go to ballet. I dance. I have a way to not only channel my emotions, but a way to stay in shape. And, having one of my close friends joining me for classes ha only added to my passion for dance.
In my own personal life, there have been a lot of changes and I plan to keep them all up. I've had a lot of personal struggles in many areas, and I'm now coming to see that I can not rely on someone else to make me happy. Happiness is not something that will come from another person doing or not doing something, it is something that must come from within. No matter how much I change my career, my schooling, my dancing, or my home, if I am not happy with who I am, I can't be truly happy. Now, I'm trying to be okay with my shortcomings as well as make necessary changes with myself. These changes are going to be great for you, dear readers, because that gives me new writing material! Be on the lookout for these wonderful, insightful posts! Well, maybe they'll be insightful, but they will be new at least!
And here we are, looking at the fresh start of the year... One can only imagine what will come of it. I have my own plans, but I've come to realize that what I want and what I should do are often entirely different prospects in life.
This past year has been a very exciting year indeed. I got married, I moved, I started college, I became even more devoted to ballet. And those are just the major events in life. This year has been filled with many hard times, many good times, and a lot of time wasted. I've grown a lot as a person and as a writer. This past year, I finally realized what I want to do with my life and what I want to do with my career. There have been many tears shed this year, both from sadness and from joy. Austin and I have had our share of troubles, but we've come out as better people because of everything we've been through. At some point, I may go into some of those details and try to help you all avoid the same mistakes I have made. For now though, I'm still working through everything I've learned and trying to make myself a better person for it all. Many mistakes have been made in the past year, but without mistakes you never give your chance to move forward.
I'm starting out this year even more dedicated to school than I was before. I know that to achieve the things I want most in life, I must do everything I can to get my degree. This is going to be a long process and I know I wont finish it by year's end, but I will be putting even more work into my schooling. For my first semester, I only took two classes and one during this wintermester (which I am actually still in the middle of). For the Spring semester, I'm stepping it up to take three courses. I know it will be even more work and it will take away what little free time I have now, but I think the result of graduating a little earlier is going to be worth it all. Now that I know what I want to major in, I plan on taking several courses this year to help further me on this path.
Working and my career is going to have a different path this year. My focus is not so much on the place I am now, but getting to somewhere new. There are many things that have lead me to realize that I can't stay with my current employer, some of these circumstances are due to the troubles of last year, and some of these reasons are just due to the fact that I can't do exactly what I want to do here. I love most of my coworkers, I like what I do, but I don't think I could be an executive assistant for the rest of my life. When I realized what I wanted to do with my life, I lit a fire that I cannot put out. Now, this isn't just something I would like to do, this is something that I have to do. This is what I am, this is what I will be. This new year is going to be filled with a lot of uncertainty, but I know that I am heading in the right direction now.
And then I have ballet, my dancing. When I started dancing a year and a half ago, I was just doing it as something to keep me in shape and as something that I had always wanted to try. Now, I am on my way to becoming a dancer. I have my first recital this June which I am both excited and nervous for. I have my exam at the end of January which I am actually not nervous at all about. I know I am going to pass with flying colors. Ballet was something that started out as a once a week event, now it is something that I look forward to three days a week and practice even on "off" days. Ballet is also the best way for me to get a work out in. Some people choose to go to a gym and work up a sweat, I go to ballet. I dance. I have a way to not only channel my emotions, but a way to stay in shape. And, having one of my close friends joining me for classes ha only added to my passion for dance.
In my own personal life, there have been a lot of changes and I plan to keep them all up. I've had a lot of personal struggles in many areas, and I'm now coming to see that I can not rely on someone else to make me happy. Happiness is not something that will come from another person doing or not doing something, it is something that must come from within. No matter how much I change my career, my schooling, my dancing, or my home, if I am not happy with who I am, I can't be truly happy. Now, I'm trying to be okay with my shortcomings as well as make necessary changes with myself. These changes are going to be great for you, dear readers, because that gives me new writing material! Be on the lookout for these wonderful, insightful posts! Well, maybe they'll be insightful, but they will be new at least!
And here we are, looking at the fresh start of the year... One can only imagine what will come of it. I have my own plans, but I've come to realize that what I want and what I should do are often entirely different prospects in life.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Post-Thanksgiving Wrap Up
I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of family and friends. Hopefully, you all had the sense to avoid over eating, but I know most people didn't. One of the great joys of being a vegetarian is that most of the holiday eating is centered around meat dished, so I never really worry about over eating. Yes, I am one of the lucky few to actually lose weight during the holidays!
But, I'm sure none of that really interests you all (although, I'm not sure how exciting most of this will be...).
Thanksgiving with the Sleepers is spent with Austin's dad and his side of the family. We always go over to his uncle's house for a feast that always leaves plenty of leftovers. We spend the day cooking and catching up on the goings on in our lives. And for this family, there's always something new being planned! It's great to be able to spend time catching up with everyone, and it's sad that it only happens a couple times a year. It was great to see everyone, the food was great and most people did end up eating too much. Anyways, here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving!
Friday, Austin and I spent the day holed up inside and I did as much baking as I could get away with. I made a couple loaves of bread, cookies, and pie. I did anything I could to avoid going out in the Black Friday madness. I was smart enough to get my Black Friday shopping done on Thursday, from the comfort of my own couch. The deals are exactly the same, free shipping, no lines, no madness. Why people try to make it through the crowds is beyond me...
Friday night wasn't quite as quiet. We went to the Stars game with a friend of Austin's from high school. And since her dad worked on the bankruptcy case for the Stars, his company owns a suite. A suite from which we all watched the game. We did end up losing in a shoot out, but it was a great game nonetheless. It was also the first sold-out game of the season for the Stars. Also, we were just a suite away from Joe Nieuwendyk and Jere Lehtinen, so that was pretty awesome. It was kind of nice having Adam Burish out of the game due to injuries, but only because we met him as we were walking outside to smoke. It was quite the Star-studded night!
The rest of the weekend really doesn't have too much to talk about. The game Saturday night was horrible and the bias against the Stars is getting a bit ridiculous at this point. We had a couple friends over to watch the game and they couldn't help but agree. And when you have a Sabres fan agreeing that there is a bias, you know something is going on with the refs.
I did hear about the death of the legendary Gary Speed's passing, my thoughts are with his family and friends. For those that don't know, Gary Speed was a legend and a true class act in the world of (European) football. The circumstances of his passing are tragic and it just goes to show that no matter how happy someone seems on the inside, you never truly know what they're going through.
But, I'm sure none of that really interests you all (although, I'm not sure how exciting most of this will be...).
Thanksgiving with the Sleepers is spent with Austin's dad and his side of the family. We always go over to his uncle's house for a feast that always leaves plenty of leftovers. We spend the day cooking and catching up on the goings on in our lives. And for this family, there's always something new being planned! It's great to be able to spend time catching up with everyone, and it's sad that it only happens a couple times a year. It was great to see everyone, the food was great and most people did end up eating too much. Anyways, here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving!
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| Isn't this a beautiful setting for fourteen? |
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| Father-in-law and more family! |
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| Mary and her parents, she was a fabulous hostess |
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| Even with fourteen, we still had plenty of leftover turkey! |
Friday night wasn't quite as quiet. We went to the Stars game with a friend of Austin's from high school. And since her dad worked on the bankruptcy case for the Stars, his company owns a suite. A suite from which we all watched the game. We did end up losing in a shoot out, but it was a great game nonetheless. It was also the first sold-out game of the season for the Stars. Also, we were just a suite away from Joe Nieuwendyk and Jere Lehtinen, so that was pretty awesome. It was kind of nice having Adam Burish out of the game due to injuries, but only because we met him as we were walking outside to smoke. It was quite the Star-studded night!
The rest of the weekend really doesn't have too much to talk about. The game Saturday night was horrible and the bias against the Stars is getting a bit ridiculous at this point. We had a couple friends over to watch the game and they couldn't help but agree. And when you have a Sabres fan agreeing that there is a bias, you know something is going on with the refs.
I did hear about the death of the legendary Gary Speed's passing, my thoughts are with his family and friends. For those that don't know, Gary Speed was a legend and a true class act in the world of (European) football. The circumstances of his passing are tragic and it just goes to show that no matter how happy someone seems on the inside, you never truly know what they're going through.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Another busy couple of weeks!
The past couple of weeks have been absolutely crazy! I feel like so many things have happened since I last wrote a post, but I guess that's what happens when life gets in the way of blogging!
A couple weeks ago (Have I really not posted an update in several weeks?), I went down to Austin to celebrate my birthday on 6th Street in Austin. Austin (not the city, my Austin) and I have been planning on going down there for several years for my 21st and it just so happens that one of our favorite bands, Lucero, was going to be making a stop that weekend. We got down there for lunch and promptly started to work through a few pubs in the first few hours of our arrival. We (well, Austin) thought it would be a good idea to go back to the hotel and sober up a little before the show. Apparently "sober up" actually means "drink at the hotel bar for two hours" because that's all we managed to do. And then, finally, it was time for Lucero! Obviously, we spent several hours before they went on drinking with the band members. I'm not exactly sure how, but over the course of the three hours we were there, I manage to get five shots from bartenders, the band and random people for my birthday. By the time we managed to stumble out to meet up with Brent and a few other people, I was quite drunk.
The night starts to get a little fuzzy at this point... We went to a few bars that Brent recommended, having gone to UT he knew the places to go. One of these bars I got what is known as a "Blue Hurricane". Yes, Brent, I remember that. Pretty much, they give you a shot of something that was actually quite tasty and (shockingly) blue. After that, they throw water in your face. Not cool. After a couple more drinks and another shot, we went to another bar or two, but that's really the extent of my memory from that night... From what I remember, it was a great night and I had a ton of fun. I also know that I will never be taking five shots and drinking upwards of fifteen drinks in one night. I have been told that this is the one night that I am allowed to get that drunk and not feel too bad about it, so I guess I did it right!
Last weekend, Austin and I went to the Dallas Stars Opener against the Chicago Blackhawks. I made the smart decision to take the day off so I would finally be able to get my license changed over to my married name (I know, I really let that wait too long). Austin and I went down to Victory Plaza to get a couple drinks as well as to watch the crazy fans in for the UT/OU game. For those not from Texas, apparently this is a very big deal. For those of you that have been reading my blog for a while, you know that this game means less than nothing to me. This weekend means that a bunch of crazy football fans are in town, causing unnecessary traffic, sporting their team colors and bragging about the fact their team is better.
But anyways, I digress...
The game was pretty great, mostly due to the fact that it was a Stars win! It didn't hurt that the game was extremely intense and we actually have a great goalie in the net (unlike the following night when we had Raycroft in...). One of the highlights was seeing Benn, a player that is sure to be one of the top NHL players, check a Hawk into the boards making the glass shatter. Another highlight was seeing Ott back out there, being as awesome as he was last year.
I must say I am quite dissapointed in the Stars. Due to school and ballet, I'll only be able to go to weekend games. This means that Austin and any of our friends that we usually take to games will only get tickets from me for games on the weekends. I have noticed that until January, there really aren't a lot of games the Stars are playing at home on the weekends. Really? How do you plan to build the fanbase when you're not making yourself available to be seen by fans? A new fan is not going to go out of their way on a weeknight to go to a game. A weekend game? Sure. Weeknight? No way. And if the Stars suck later in the year, why would people pay to see a losing team that they're still not a big supporter of? Whatever, I guess that's just how the schedule worked out this year. It doesn't mean I have to be happy about it though!
Well, that is pretty much everything that's been going on in my life lately. School is still keeping me busy, and I will continue to put up my essays. Ballet is getting tougher since Mlle. Angela knows that I have really gotten a lot better. In preparation for the Exams in January, I've also decided to start taking an extra class every week. Class, ballet, work and attempting to keep a social life is exhausting! But this is the environment I thrive in!
Until next time!!
A couple weeks ago (Have I really not posted an update in several weeks?), I went down to Austin to celebrate my birthday on 6th Street in Austin. Austin (not the city, my Austin) and I have been planning on going down there for several years for my 21st and it just so happens that one of our favorite bands, Lucero, was going to be making a stop that weekend. We got down there for lunch and promptly started to work through a few pubs in the first few hours of our arrival. We (well, Austin) thought it would be a good idea to go back to the hotel and sober up a little before the show. Apparently "sober up" actually means "drink at the hotel bar for two hours" because that's all we managed to do. And then, finally, it was time for Lucero! Obviously, we spent several hours before they went on drinking with the band members. I'm not exactly sure how, but over the course of the three hours we were there, I manage to get five shots from bartenders, the band and random people for my birthday. By the time we managed to stumble out to meet up with Brent and a few other people, I was quite drunk.
The night starts to get a little fuzzy at this point... We went to a few bars that Brent recommended, having gone to UT he knew the places to go. One of these bars I got what is known as a "Blue Hurricane". Yes, Brent, I remember that. Pretty much, they give you a shot of something that was actually quite tasty and (shockingly) blue. After that, they throw water in your face. Not cool. After a couple more drinks and another shot, we went to another bar or two, but that's really the extent of my memory from that night... From what I remember, it was a great night and I had a ton of fun. I also know that I will never be taking five shots and drinking upwards of fifteen drinks in one night. I have been told that this is the one night that I am allowed to get that drunk and not feel too bad about it, so I guess I did it right!
Last weekend, Austin and I went to the Dallas Stars Opener against the Chicago Blackhawks. I made the smart decision to take the day off so I would finally be able to get my license changed over to my married name (I know, I really let that wait too long). Austin and I went down to Victory Plaza to get a couple drinks as well as to watch the crazy fans in for the UT/OU game. For those not from Texas, apparently this is a very big deal. For those of you that have been reading my blog for a while, you know that this game means less than nothing to me. This weekend means that a bunch of crazy football fans are in town, causing unnecessary traffic, sporting their team colors and bragging about the fact their team is better.
But anyways, I digress...
The game was pretty great, mostly due to the fact that it was a Stars win! It didn't hurt that the game was extremely intense and we actually have a great goalie in the net (unlike the following night when we had Raycroft in...). One of the highlights was seeing Benn, a player that is sure to be one of the top NHL players, check a Hawk into the boards making the glass shatter. Another highlight was seeing Ott back out there, being as awesome as he was last year.
I must say I am quite dissapointed in the Stars. Due to school and ballet, I'll only be able to go to weekend games. This means that Austin and any of our friends that we usually take to games will only get tickets from me for games on the weekends. I have noticed that until January, there really aren't a lot of games the Stars are playing at home on the weekends. Really? How do you plan to build the fanbase when you're not making yourself available to be seen by fans? A new fan is not going to go out of their way on a weeknight to go to a game. A weekend game? Sure. Weeknight? No way. And if the Stars suck later in the year, why would people pay to see a losing team that they're still not a big supporter of? Whatever, I guess that's just how the schedule worked out this year. It doesn't mean I have to be happy about it though!
Well, that is pretty much everything that's been going on in my life lately. School is still keeping me busy, and I will continue to put up my essays. Ballet is getting tougher since Mlle. Angela knows that I have really gotten a lot better. In preparation for the Exams in January, I've also decided to start taking an extra class every week. Class, ballet, work and attempting to keep a social life is exhausting! But this is the environment I thrive in!
Until next time!!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Saturday Austin and I went with a good friend of ours, Brent, to see Journey, Foreigner, and Night Rider. What an amazing concert! Night Ranger opened up strong and really brought the crowd to life, even with their limited set. Foreigner, well they still know how to rock. The entire sold-out crowd at the Gexa was singing along with them to almost every song. And when you can get 20,000+ people to really get into a show, you know you're doing something right. And then there was Journey. I can't think of anything bad to say about their show. It was just absolutely spectacular!
I've been a fan of these bands for as long as I can remember and I've always wanted to be able to go see them in concert but never actually had the chance for one reason or another. So when Brent offered Austin tickets, I was absolutely ecstatic! I must admit, when a few classmates asked if I was excited to see Journey because of Glee, I felt a little (actually, a lot) let down by our culture. This was just an amazing concert and really brought back memories from when I was younger and I was starting to get into music.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Just a quick update...
I know that it has been a couple weeks since my last post, so I just wanted to post a quick update about everything that's been going on lately...
First, school. After roughly a month in college, I'm very glad I decided to go back. I've been pretty busy trying to make sure I can keep up with everything and keep my grades up. Granted, I am only taking three classes, but when you also factor in a 50+ hour work week and other activities, I think that three classes is plenty. So far, I've been able to keep my work/school/personal life very well balanced, I'm keeping my fingers crossed it stays this way!
Next up, ballet. Since I've upped the number of classes I'm taking and I'm also working towards perfection so I can pass the ballet exam, I've had to put forth a lot more effort and I've also been practicing at home when I have time. My dance instructor recently told me that she has seen a lot of improvement over the past month and a half. Apparently, at this rate, I'll be able to pass the exam with flying colors. The hardest part is not getting complacent and continuing to put forth as much time and effort as I can so I can continue to excell.
Finally, life in general... Well, I don't think I would be able to take on all of the activities I could without the support of Austin. He's been very helpful and has even taken to helping clean and even do laundry on occasion since I can't really keep up with the household as well as everything else going on. He's also taken it on himself to put together a trip to Austin for my birthday coming up. Even without much input from me, I know that its going to be great. One of his friends has also offered us tickets to see Journey this weekend, so if you're going to be at this concert, we might see you there! I will be sure to post pictures of this concert since I know its going to be amazing. Austin and I are also getting ready for hockey season to start up, we just received our tickets from a close connection of mine for the home opener on the eighth (again, another post for the future). We're also trying to plan a trip up to Little Rock for some football game and I know that is going to be a lot of fun.
Well, that's really all I have time for now. Back to work and trying to keep my head above water!!
First, school. After roughly a month in college, I'm very glad I decided to go back. I've been pretty busy trying to make sure I can keep up with everything and keep my grades up. Granted, I am only taking three classes, but when you also factor in a 50+ hour work week and other activities, I think that three classes is plenty. So far, I've been able to keep my work/school/personal life very well balanced, I'm keeping my fingers crossed it stays this way!
Next up, ballet. Since I've upped the number of classes I'm taking and I'm also working towards perfection so I can pass the ballet exam, I've had to put forth a lot more effort and I've also been practicing at home when I have time. My dance instructor recently told me that she has seen a lot of improvement over the past month and a half. Apparently, at this rate, I'll be able to pass the exam with flying colors. The hardest part is not getting complacent and continuing to put forth as much time and effort as I can so I can continue to excell.
Finally, life in general... Well, I don't think I would be able to take on all of the activities I could without the support of Austin. He's been very helpful and has even taken to helping clean and even do laundry on occasion since I can't really keep up with the household as well as everything else going on. He's also taken it on himself to put together a trip to Austin for my birthday coming up. Even without much input from me, I know that its going to be great. One of his friends has also offered us tickets to see Journey this weekend, so if you're going to be at this concert, we might see you there! I will be sure to post pictures of this concert since I know its going to be amazing. Austin and I are also getting ready for hockey season to start up, we just received our tickets from a close connection of mine for the home opener on the eighth (again, another post for the future). We're also trying to plan a trip up to Little Rock for some football game and I know that is going to be a lot of fun.
Well, that's really all I have time for now. Back to work and trying to keep my head above water!!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Our Idiot Brother
Much of the humor has to do with Ned's hippie-style mentality in contrast to his sister's more ambitious designs. For me, the big surprise was how I ended up liking the dude with the slacker mentality and resented the aggressive family members. Ned really isn't an "idiot" per se. He's just trusting and good natured. Those are good qualities in fact and make this comedy something to champion. And I can see myself so much in his sisters and not necessarily as much in all of Ned's personality. It really surprised me that this movie made me stop to think about my own life and my own drive.
I adored the acting. The plot is character driven. It's practically a drama with some amusing circumstances. Paul Rudd portrays the lackadaisical, but sweet biodynamic farmer. He's matched by Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer as his loving but seriously flawed sisters. That's a strong supporting cast, all capable of greatness. This might be the best Elizabeth Banks has ever been. She reminded me of actress Parker Posey. As the go-getting journalist for Vanity Fair, she's all brittle personality and chilly exterior. She's memorable. It's never clear how Ned acquired such a temperament so contrary to his more determined sisters, but it supplies the basis for a lot of funny situations. The rest of the actors are fantastic as well. I hate simply listing names but everyone bears a mention. Kathryn Hahn, Steve Coogan, Hugh Dancy, and Rashida Jones round out the impressive list of players. It's the ensemble work that raises the level of drama to something more than just a lightweight comedy.
All in all, I highly recommend this movie to all of you. "Our Idiot Brother" is not the dumb comedy that the name, and most of the marketing, leads the audience to believe.
Friday, August 19, 2011
We're Moving!
After spending the last three weeks packing and organizing and donating things, we're finally going to be moving this weekend! I'm thrilled that we (mainly I) will be able to finally unpack everything and begin to decorate our new home! This past week, Austin and I have been living in an obstacle course (our a jungle gym if you ask our cats) and it has been driving me crazy.
For those that don't know, or haven't been able to figure it out, I like to have things in their own place. So being so displaced and having all of our stuff packed (and therefore not in it's proper place) has been driving me absolutely crazy. I've also got quite an extensive system for packing that entails lists and spreadsheets and a little magic to keep myself sane, so Austin has been happy to stay out of my way and avoid getting packed into a box himself.
And this weekend, the real fun begins, unpacking and deciding how to decorate!
For those that don't know, or haven't been able to figure it out, I like to have things in their own place. So being so displaced and having all of our stuff packed (and therefore not in it's proper place) has been driving me absolutely crazy. I've also got quite an extensive system for packing that entails lists and spreadsheets and a little magic to keep myself sane, so Austin has been happy to stay out of my way and avoid getting packed into a box himself.
And this weekend, the real fun begins, unpacking and deciding how to decorate!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil is an experience of art and music. It is a beautiful mix of circus arts and entertainment. And this weekend, they will be presenting "Dralion" in Dallas. The name, unusual as it is, is meant to symbolize a harmonious blend of the East (dragon) and the West (lion). Critics everywhere talk about this amazing experience, the beauty of the music and costumes, the outstanding and dazzling performances.
And, on Sunday, Austin and I will get to experience it for ourselves.
Monday, July 25, 2011
August is going to be a busy month!
Well, as July is coming to a close, I've realised how busy August is going to be! And really the next several months until I have a new schedule and I've reorganized my life properly. Not only will Austin and I be moving into a new apartment mid-August, but I'm also going to start registering for some classes!
Now, the moving aspect should be easy enough to handle (especially since we're not dumb enough to try and move ourselves in the middle of Texas summers), it's just the hassle of getting everything pack and unpacked. You have to make sure all of your mail is forwarded, all of your utilities ready to go on move in day, insurance, all of that fun stuff. I am looking forward to being able to decorate our new place in a completely different way. I also have to try and decide where I want all of our pictures and paintings hung, but that's the part of moving I really enjoy. And since I've moved many, many times over the course of my life, I'm kind of a pro at packing and moving and unpacking. The sad part is we're no longer in Dallas proper, we're in one of the suburbs of Dallas. It's really not a big deal, but I am doing to be a little sad that I am no longer actually living in the city. But c'est le vie.
I'm also really looking forward to registering for some college classes. The past year, I've been trying to decide if I really wanted to go back to school. And if I did, what did I want to study? What was my ultimate goal? Well, I've decided that I'm going to go back and work towards getting my MBA and hopefully be able to further my career with the new knowledge that I am sure to gain. I am also going to be taking a few art classes since I feel like my work has become slightly stagnant in the past year and I would like to actually work on bettering it. So, in August I'll be meeting with advisors and working out the classes that will best suit my schedule. As much as I value education and continuing to learn, I will not be one of the students that feels the need to give up their career. I'm great at multitasking and I love to be busy, so I know I wont have any problem being a part time student and working 90+ hours a week along with my other obligations.
I also realised that it has been several months since I last volunteered at the shelter I like to work at. With the chaos of the wedding, I let it slip to the back of my mind and have neglected to actually do any work there. Since this is a fabulous organisation and I loved working there a couple nights a week, the fact that I let it slip out of my life so easily was a little sad. So, I've decided to remedy the situation and I'll be starting to volunteer at the ELPO at least twice a week. I know that it is a little out of my way now that I don't live close by, but until we move I'll be back to working here. I'll also start the search for a new shelter to work at that's a little closer to our new home, but I'll stay at ELPO until I can find a new place to work at.
Last but not least, I've decided that in December, I'll be taking the Cecchetti Ballet Exam in January. I've been in ballet for only a year and I absolutely love it. For those that are unaware, Cecchetti is a style of ballet. There are many styles of ballet, this is just the one I chose to learn to study. There's not one style that's "better" than another, but I prefer Cecchetti and it's structured lessons and it's theories of movement. Anyways, there are many exams that a person can take, and each one will lead you into the next level and you become an even more experienced and educated ballerina after every exam. Now, the Exams aren't easy, but I'm excited to be able to work more on perfecting my form and becoming closer to the perfect ballerina.
So, with the changes in my schedule and the chaos that I'm sure will ensue from my controlled life changing so drastically, I'm not certain if I'll be able to post with the same regularity. I'm sure you are all just devastated about that fact....At least this will give me a lot more material to write about in the future!
Now, the moving aspect should be easy enough to handle (especially since we're not dumb enough to try and move ourselves in the middle of Texas summers), it's just the hassle of getting everything pack and unpacked. You have to make sure all of your mail is forwarded, all of your utilities ready to go on move in day, insurance, all of that fun stuff. I am looking forward to being able to decorate our new place in a completely different way. I also have to try and decide where I want all of our pictures and paintings hung, but that's the part of moving I really enjoy. And since I've moved many, many times over the course of my life, I'm kind of a pro at packing and moving and unpacking. The sad part is we're no longer in Dallas proper, we're in one of the suburbs of Dallas. It's really not a big deal, but I am doing to be a little sad that I am no longer actually living in the city. But c'est le vie.
I'm also really looking forward to registering for some college classes. The past year, I've been trying to decide if I really wanted to go back to school. And if I did, what did I want to study? What was my ultimate goal? Well, I've decided that I'm going to go back and work towards getting my MBA and hopefully be able to further my career with the new knowledge that I am sure to gain. I am also going to be taking a few art classes since I feel like my work has become slightly stagnant in the past year and I would like to actually work on bettering it. So, in August I'll be meeting with advisors and working out the classes that will best suit my schedule. As much as I value education and continuing to learn, I will not be one of the students that feels the need to give up their career. I'm great at multitasking and I love to be busy, so I know I wont have any problem being a part time student and working 90+ hours a week along with my other obligations.
I also realised that it has been several months since I last volunteered at the shelter I like to work at. With the chaos of the wedding, I let it slip to the back of my mind and have neglected to actually do any work there. Since this is a fabulous organisation and I loved working there a couple nights a week, the fact that I let it slip out of my life so easily was a little sad. So, I've decided to remedy the situation and I'll be starting to volunteer at the ELPO at least twice a week. I know that it is a little out of my way now that I don't live close by, but until we move I'll be back to working here. I'll also start the search for a new shelter to work at that's a little closer to our new home, but I'll stay at ELPO until I can find a new place to work at.
Last but not least, I've decided that in December, I'll be taking the Cecchetti Ballet Exam in January. I've been in ballet for only a year and I absolutely love it. For those that are unaware, Cecchetti is a style of ballet. There are many styles of ballet, this is just the one I chose to learn to study. There's not one style that's "better" than another, but I prefer Cecchetti and it's structured lessons and it's theories of movement. Anyways, there are many exams that a person can take, and each one will lead you into the next level and you become an even more experienced and educated ballerina after every exam. Now, the Exams aren't easy, but I'm excited to be able to work more on perfecting my form and becoming closer to the perfect ballerina.
So, with the changes in my schedule and the chaos that I'm sure will ensue from my controlled life changing so drastically, I'm not certain if I'll be able to post with the same regularity. I'm sure you are all just devastated about that fact....At least this will give me a lot more material to write about in the future!
Friday, July 8, 2011
I'm really looking forward to tonight. This week has been... Tough, to say the least. And I'm glad it's going to be over soon. Austin has told me that tonight we're going to get coffee, get a couple bottles of wine, build a blanket fort and have a Harry Potter marathon. He knows how to cheer me up. This is just one of the many reasons I love him. How many other people would be willing to drink wine in a blanket fort and watch Harry Potter? Not many.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
February is almost over!
Wow! This month has just flown by! I can't believe that February is almost over, that means we have less than three months to get everything done! Surprisingly, I'm really not that stressed out about things.
I finished putting together, addressing and stamping all 185 invitations this past weekend, and with that taken care of I feel like there is so much less to worry about! I've also been meeting with our florist and event coordinator to get all of the details worked out. Since I changed which flowers I wanted, that is going to push the cost up a little, but I think it will be worth it. Lucky for me, birds of paradise are in season in May. This means that our flowers aren't going to be too expensive. I also reconfirmed our menu since there was a catering company change recently. I've gotten sketches of our cakes and I love the way they are going to look! I've also ordered our guest book and cake serving set and personalized cocktail napkins for the bar! Austin's mom was kind enough to book our transportation for the wedding night and for the wedding party.
I had my second fitting on Saturday for my dress. I went in about a month ago for my first fitting and they had to take it in an inch on each side. On Saturday, we realized it needed to be taken in another half inch on both sides. I guess for all of the fitting issues to have, this is the best one! Most women tend to try to lose weight for their wedding, I can't seem to keep it on! As far as I know, I haven't changed my eating habits really, so I'm not sure how I'm losing all of this weight.
Austin has also been getting things ready for the honeymoon. I'm not sure what all he has taken care of yet, but I do know he's getting it all taken care of. He also submitted all of his paperwork to get his passport (finally!!). He wont give me too much information about what all he has planned, but I know its going to be great.
I finished putting together, addressing and stamping all 185 invitations this past weekend, and with that taken care of I feel like there is so much less to worry about! I've also been meeting with our florist and event coordinator to get all of the details worked out. Since I changed which flowers I wanted, that is going to push the cost up a little, but I think it will be worth it. Lucky for me, birds of paradise are in season in May. This means that our flowers aren't going to be too expensive. I also reconfirmed our menu since there was a catering company change recently. I've gotten sketches of our cakes and I love the way they are going to look! I've also ordered our guest book and cake serving set and personalized cocktail napkins for the bar! Austin's mom was kind enough to book our transportation for the wedding night and for the wedding party.
I had my second fitting on Saturday for my dress. I went in about a month ago for my first fitting and they had to take it in an inch on each side. On Saturday, we realized it needed to be taken in another half inch on both sides. I guess for all of the fitting issues to have, this is the best one! Most women tend to try to lose weight for their wedding, I can't seem to keep it on! As far as I know, I haven't changed my eating habits really, so I'm not sure how I'm losing all of this weight.
Austin has also been getting things ready for the honeymoon. I'm not sure what all he has taken care of yet, but I do know he's getting it all taken care of. He also submitted all of his paperwork to get his passport (finally!!). He wont give me too much information about what all he has planned, but I know its going to be great.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Another Busy Weekend
Well, this weekend was pretty busy for both of us. Not only did we celebrate Valentine's a little early, we also celebrated Austin's birthday and I had my first wedding shower! Since Austin's birthday is the day after Valentine's and Valentine's was on a Monday this year, I decided to just go ahead and give Austin his presents this weekend.
Friday night I had tickets to the Stars vs. Black hawks game for Austin's Valentine's gift. Since the Black hawks are the reigning Stanley cup champions, the crowd was sold out. I was also able to get a new Stars jersey for my favorite player, Steve Ott. I had tried to order one directly from the NHL but apparently they didn't want my money so I bought it at the game. I guess it was good luck since we went down 3-0 at the end of the first period but managed to come back and tie up the game, eventually winning in a shootout! Shortly after we got home, my MOH, Jessica, got into Dallas! We spent the night talking about all of the exciting things that have been going on in her life and her upcoming trip to France this summer. We also spent a good portion of the night going through old cd's and seeing all of Austin's old music.
Saturday Jessica and I went to my bridal shower hosted by a friend of Austin's mom. I had no idea that there would be about 40 people that so many people would show up just to shower me with gifts! Melanie met us there and spent the day taking pictures for us.
We also decided to treat Jessica's mom and aunt to dinner at Blue Goose Saturday night since they've both been pretty great with helping get Jessica down here. Even with Jessica's job and school and her mom's job, she's always been able to make sure that Jess has been able to be here for all of the important events. After dinner, Dan and Mel came over with Dani to try out all of our new glasses and bar ware and we were up a bit too late... Luckily I'm the only one that woke up with no hangover since I had an appointment with Savy pretty early in the morning.
Sunday I treated Austin and several of our friends to the Stars vs. Blue Jackets game (which was a pathetic performance on our end...) for his birthday. Even though it was a sad job done on our end and we lost, it was still a lot of fun. We also were able to get the transportation booked for the day of the wedding, so we did get something wedding related done!
Now that we're under the three month mark, we are both in full wedding mode and trying to get it all done in time.
Friday night I had tickets to the Stars vs. Black hawks game for Austin's Valentine's gift. Since the Black hawks are the reigning Stanley cup champions, the crowd was sold out. I was also able to get a new Stars jersey for my favorite player, Steve Ott. I had tried to order one directly from the NHL but apparently they didn't want my money so I bought it at the game. I guess it was good luck since we went down 3-0 at the end of the first period but managed to come back and tie up the game, eventually winning in a shootout! Shortly after we got home, my MOH, Jessica, got into Dallas! We spent the night talking about all of the exciting things that have been going on in her life and her upcoming trip to France this summer. We also spent a good portion of the night going through old cd's and seeing all of Austin's old music.
Saturday Jessica and I went to my bridal shower hosted by a friend of Austin's mom. I had no idea that there would be about 40 people that so many people would show up just to shower me with gifts! Melanie met us there and spent the day taking pictures for us.
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| Here's the cake they got for me |
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| Jess had a very important job, collecting bows, ribbons and wrapping paper! |
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| Jess and Callie got us new towels!! |
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| I know, we're just adorable |
Sunday I treated Austin and several of our friends to the Stars vs. Blue Jackets game (which was a pathetic performance on our end...) for his birthday. Even though it was a sad job done on our end and we lost, it was still a lot of fun. We also were able to get the transportation booked for the day of the wedding, so we did get something wedding related done!
Now that we're under the three month mark, we are both in full wedding mode and trying to get it all done in time.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
100
This morning when I logged into my computer, I noticed that I had placed a reminder on today's date that as of today, I have 100 days until I am a married woman. That seems like no time at all! I remember when I got engaged over a year ago. I remember last May thinking that it was going to be such a long wait. I remember thinking that I was going to have too much time to plan everything. Now, I feel like there is almost no time at all.
I had put forth a to-do list for February and I haven't really gotten anything accomplished on that list, its been mostly handled by Austin and his mom. I have my second dress fitting on Saturday and I plan on talking with a friend who is going to do my hair. Since Ashley works at A Bridal Blossom, she'll be there for my fitting and hopefully I can figure out a time for us to get together to do a trial run. Fingers crossed! As to the limo, I've turned that over to Austin's mom who has been absolutely wonderful and a huge help. She found a company that will be able to handle things and exactly as we want. Austin is also working on the honeymoon and he's filled out all of his paperwork to get his passport. Now, all he needs to do is get his picture taken and actually take the application somewhere to get it finalized!
One thing not on my list that I've started on is the programs. I've started to look around and found a template that I had to modify a little in order to get exactly what I want, but its started. I've also selected all of the readings and Austin and I are working on getting the ceremony worked out. Once there is more information on that, I'm sure I'll make a post dedicated to them.
I had put forth a to-do list for February and I haven't really gotten anything accomplished on that list, its been mostly handled by Austin and his mom. I have my second dress fitting on Saturday and I plan on talking with a friend who is going to do my hair. Since Ashley works at A Bridal Blossom, she'll be there for my fitting and hopefully I can figure out a time for us to get together to do a trial run. Fingers crossed! As to the limo, I've turned that over to Austin's mom who has been absolutely wonderful and a huge help. She found a company that will be able to handle things and exactly as we want. Austin is also working on the honeymoon and he's filled out all of his paperwork to get his passport. Now, all he needs to do is get his picture taken and actually take the application somewhere to get it finalized!
One thing not on my list that I've started on is the programs. I've started to look around and found a template that I had to modify a little in order to get exactly what I want, but its started. I've also selected all of the readings and Austin and I are working on getting the ceremony worked out. Once there is more information on that, I'm sure I'll make a post dedicated to them.
Friday, January 28, 2011
And another month is coming to a close...
Well its the end of January, so I figure now is as good a time as any to go over my January checklist and create a list for February. In January I had the following list:
1. Assemble all of our invitations
2. Order rings Mine is bought and in a safe, we're still looking for Austin's
3. Order tuxes for FI, GM and readers
4. Have dress altered
5. Decide on my accessories and the BP accessories.
6. Finalize room designs with our event coordinator, event designer and florist
7. Finalize any changes with my florist (I decided in the last two weeks to completely change our flowers...)
8. Address invitations going out to any people our parents are inviting
9. Get FI a passport
10. Book the honeymoon
11. Order cakes
All in all, I feel pretty happy with everything we got accomplished. No, I didn't get everything checked off, but did get a good start on the few things left on my list.
For February, I'm going to try to accomplish the following:
1. Order Austin's ring
2. Meet with florist to finalize changes (we have a meeting scheduled)
3. Get Austin his passport (he has scheduled to take off)
4. Book the honeymoon
5. Hair Trail
6. Dress fitting #2
7. Book day-of transportation
2. Order rings Mine is bought and in a safe, we're still looking for Austin's
6. Finalize room designs with our event coordinator, event designer and florist
7. Finalize any changes with my florist (I decided in the last two weeks to completely change our flowers...)
9. Get FI a passport
10. Book the honeymoon
All in all, I feel pretty happy with everything we got accomplished. No, I didn't get everything checked off, but did get a good start on the few things left on my list.
For February, I'm going to try to accomplish the following:
1. Order Austin's ring
2. Meet with florist to finalize changes (we have a meeting scheduled)
3. Get Austin his passport (he has scheduled to take off)
4. Book the honeymoon
5. Hair Trail
6. Dress fitting #2
7. Book day-of transportation
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