RSVP Angst

I have to admit I am feeling pretty outdone by this whole RSVP process right now. It was so delightful when the first batch started rolling in.  It made it real that we were actually having a wedding.  We had guests!!  But now it's become a source of angst.  A couple weeks ago I came home and saw that someone RSVP’d for 4 when I sent the invitation out clearly indicating two names. They decided they wanted to bring their 12 year old daughter and someone else. I don’t even know who that someone else is because they didn’t write in the name to inform me who was coming to my party.   I’m not sure why someone would assume they can bring whoever they want.  

Any party cost money and people invite not only who they want to be there but also who they can afford to be there. Not to mention space limitations.  Imagine if everyone just brought even one more person to a Bar B Q without telling the host? Then imagine it’s a wedding where the cost per person is counted and a lot higher then any other party you will ever throw in your life.

I don’t see anyone offering to pay for additional guests. Even if they did the answer would be no.  If your name was written on the invitation come and if not don’t come.  If you feel you must bring an additional guest please ask.  End of story.   Some have weddings where they invite everyone to the ceremony and then exclude a bunch for the Reception. The ceremony is really what its all about but the reception is where the money is. I'd feel totally uncomfortable doing this because it just seems so exclusive and those not invited must feel a bit like a B list D list celebrity who couldn’t get into the VIP party. Way harsh.  I couldn’t do it but I understand the concept and those that do. The bottom line is that weddings are not cheap and sometimes you have to make those kinds of tough decisions.

Since it is her friend I am enlisting mom to inform the 2 invited/4 RSVP group that there is only room at the Inn for 2. When I got an RSVP from my cousin, husband, and little girl I was like uh, oh.  This is gonna be awkward.  Mj and I for the most part invited friends/family + their significant other if they had one but decided on no children. This is partly for budget reasons. When you count up all the potential kids it adds up and we didn’t want to open the flood gates on that. Our reception is preceded by a cocktail hour. To me that means screams adult party and chances are that a child won’t appreciate or enjoy it so it doesn't make sense to pay to have them attend.  Even if we could afford it.  The ceremony starts at 4:00pm, dinner doesn’t start until 6 ish and people aren’t likely going to hit the dance floor until around 8:00pm. It takes about 4 hours just to make it through ceremony, dinner and cake.  It’s a long time for a kid and it’s a party. With alcohol. There will probably be drunken people there at some point. I just don’t see why anyone would plan on bringing a child but then again I don’t have children myself so perhaps I just don’t understand. Anyhow, very politely I sent her a message that we had decided no children would be at the reception and she promptly responded that her and her husband would only be able to attend the ceremony then. I love my cousin. She is the sweetest and most wonderful girl and I want her to be there. I am not here to be mean and create hard feelings among family so I took the higher road and told her that if she didn’t feel comfortable leaving her daughter with someone then it would be OK to bring her and meant it.

Looking down to next year and years to come she is always going to be my cousin and this is just one day. It’s just not worth it to me to take a hard line like that and risk hurt feelings. When it comes down to it it’s really not going to matter that much. Even so I am annoyed because it IS just one day. My day and it kind of bums me out that I can’t make a decision and have that be respected by others. I don’t enjoy being in this position one bit. It bothers me that I have to play guest police and that I feel like the bad guy here when in reality I am just trying to have the kind of atmosphere that I want and keep it in the price range that I need.

It's probably not over yet.  As it gets closer I will inevitably have to track people down to get them to reply at all or be irritated by those rude enough to say they will come and then not show up or not RSVP and be right there as if they did. Sigh. Whatever. That’s really all I can say for right now. I can’t let it get to me. This is supposed to be fun and it’s about family and good things so I won't let these petty little issues get me down for too long.

Meet Me At El Torito

I am always so flattered when Mj wants to hang out with me. I just think it's so sweet that he wants me around.  I know that husbands, fiances, and boyfriends are supposed to want to hang out with their significant other. It should come naturally. I know this but from what I have observed and from past experience I know that isn't always the case.

I've heard about men who can't seem to wait to get away from their significant other. I even experienced it first hand in my prior relationship. Well, if you could call it that. I was mostly uninvited to get togethers with his friends or co workers. He didn't plan outings for us and in general the most time I spent with him was down the street from my house at a nearby restaurant and at my house. He didn't really invite me out too much and I suppose being married was part of the problem. I should've known better, but considering it was only my 2nd relationship experience lets just say I was a little naive stupid. I was technically the other woman but just too blind to see it. Due to the whole having a secret wife that everyone knew about except me thing, he had other priorities and I was not one of them. I spent way too long in that relationship situation. The years prior to that were spent in an all wrong dysfunctional and slowly deteriorating relationship sinking ship that finally met its inevitable demise after 10 years. We did spend time together but towards the end it was more obligatory then anything else. On both sides. I do feel lucky that I didn't have to kiss too many frogs to get to my prince. They say 3rd time's a charm and in this case it certainly was.

Meeting Mj was a breath of fresh air. Everything just came so naturally. He wanted to spend time with me. He wanted me to come over. He wanted to plan things for us to do together. And he still does. He makes me feel special and wanted. He wants to meet up for lunch dates during the work week and have date nights on weekends.  Frankly, I had just sort of forgotten what that felt like as I had learned to expect nothing from my partner. If Mj didn't want to spend time with me then there would definitely be something wrong with the relationship.  It really should be a given but it's something I don't take for granted. I know what it's like to be treated like a leftover. It's just another reason why I love him so much. It's almost odd to even mention Mj and my other two situations in the same breath considering that I am in such a new place in my life and with such a wonderful man that I rarely reflect on those old days anymore. Considering that Mj is in such a league of his own in terms of being my Mr Right that anything and anyone else totally pales to smithereens in comparison.

Mj e mailed me to ask if I wanted to meet him at a restaurant after work for a happy hour with his co workers for some professional organization he's joined .  My contacts are bugging me, I'm having a bad hair day and the last thing I need is to consume devour the inevitable tortilla chips, quesadilla and beer that I know I'm going to want as soon as I walk in the joint. But, I am going to go because I love spending time with him just as much as he does with me. I love it that he wants me to hang out and have me meet his co workers. And more then anything else, I'm going because it means so much to me just that he wants me to.

Meanwhile...Back At The Ranch

It's so fun to go by the house each week to see what changes have been made from week to week.  They have been building since February 13th and it has come so far.  I can't believe that NEXT MONTH we will finally be moving into that place!!  I stressed out so much about getting the loan and now we have two offers.  We found out about two weeks ago that the builder preferred lender WAS going to offer us the loan we wanted after all.  They really put us through the ringer asking for letters and documentation and paperwork over and over.  Talk about exhausting especially considering we were working with two at the same time so we'd have a back up just in case. It was never ending.  After all that stress it was a relief to finally know for sure that we will be getting that much needed $6,700 towards closing costs.   I have stressed about each and every step in this process because that's just what I do.  I can't help it.  Thank goodness everything has worked out so far.  I wish I could just save myself some heartache, be more like Mj and stop being such a worry wart all the time.  

OK.  I'm going to start now.  Do NOT worry about not getting a tenant for the condo by the time we move out.  DARN DAMN....It's not working!

April 17:  Counter tops  & Driveway Paving

April 24th:  Flooring, Appliances, Garage Door & Landscaping

House building progress con't

Out and About Saturday

Mj jumped right out of bed this morning and into the pile of laundry that was beginning to take on a life of it's own in our overflowing laundry basket. Bless his heart because I just didn't have the strength to tackle it. My mind is already on the luxury of an upstairs laundry room that we are going to have in our new house and after years and years of lugging laundry back and forth to laundry rooms I just didn't have the heart to do it again. I am all for teamwork so I was right there to help with the folding.

We stopped by our ever changing new house then it was off to the rec center. As Mj played basketball and I set out for my walk the conditions couldn't be more perfect. The air was crisp and cool with a nice breeze, the sky was a clear blue, and I was full of energy. All of the little lizards that dart back and forth across the pavement really started to freak me out. I saw some really big ones which startled me and got me running. Once I got started it felt good so I just kept on going. The moment I got tired those little lizards were right there to get me running again too! I got in some good stretching after that.

Luckily I am a a fairly low maintenance kind of gal because by the time we got home I only had about 40 minutes to shower, get dressed and be out the door for our little outing that Mj planned for us. We went to the Science Center Museum in this beautiful park close to downtown to watch "The Greatest Places" in IMAX. It's kind of a tourist thing to do but those are the things you sometimes forget about just because you live nearby and miss out on. It's this amazing theatre with a huge screen that surrounds you so that it made me actually feel like I was right there in Greenland and paddling down the Amazon River myself. It's basically a total immersion with sound and sight all around you and was pretty cool to see.

This park was bustling with people and activity every where you looked. There were probably about 4 quinceaneras, and at least two weddings going on. I saw brides in white and teenagers in elaborate bright princess dresses with their well dressed entourages and waiting limos. There was a puppet show going on somewhere, kids running around with newly won medals around their necks from who knows what, random people in various medieval costumes, and girls in dance wear. It made you feel alive just to be in the middle of it all.

I thought I had already earned my dinner with all my running from lizards earlier but apparently not. We aren't afraid to get out there and walk so with me in my Uggs and Mj in his flip flops we left our car where it was and walked about 40 minutes on foot to get downtown. Not sure how many miles that was but after my run earlier I was really feeling it in my thighs by the time we reached our destination. We just sort of wandered around until I found a restaurant that looked good and we went in. They get bonus points for having a Saturday happy hour. My Filet Mignon Quesadilla and Signature Cocktail were only $5 each. I am such a cheap date!! It's the Earn then Burn diet program. Earn your calories then burn them off!!

Mj was literally dragging me along by my hand by the time we made it back to the car. We walked in the door at home and were both in our jammies faster then you can say pajamas. We had such a fun day just going to that hour long IMAX movie and hoofing it to dinner. Mj has ants in his pants and doesn't like to spend too much time sitting in the house. This is good because I am liable to let life pass me by while sitting in the house and it gets my homebody self out too. We had a great time but it feels so good to be home and warm and ever so cozy in my plaid flannel Joe Boxers.

Next we plan to cuddle up and watch whatever cheesy horror movie we find in On Demand. It will be the perfect end to an already quite perfect Saturday.

Let Them Eat Cake

Cake tasting yesterday! I made back to back appointments for us at two different places.  Bakery #1 had some really tasty cakes all lined up for us to dig into.

We both like butter cream instead of whip cream for the frosting. I like the smoothness and rounded edges that you get with a fondant frost but that is more expensive and apparently it's very very sweet.

Our favorites were:

*Chocolate Peanut Butter: Chocolate peanut butter cake with peanut butter folded into the mousse, and a layer of fudge to top it off.

*Chocolate Mousse: Amazingly light chocolate cake with an airy chocolate mousse.

*Pudding Chiffon: Our moist yellow cake with our light Bavarian cream, one thin layer of raspberry & one thin layer of lemon, cherry or strawberry jam.

As we started to get into looking at Cake Designs Mj turned into a YES man which I hate. He felt he got shot down on his ideas so just started saying yes to everything I asked about. I want his opinion even if I don't always agree. This is OUR cake and I want us to both like it so I told him he better stop it. The cakes there would run us about $393 for a 3 layer that feeds 75 or $443 if we need to add an extra sheet cake to feed an extra 25. The delivery fee is $40 and they charge a $50 deposit for the cake supports which we have to give back in order to get refunded for it.

At bakery #2 the prices were certainly right but we did not like the cake flavors as much. They were only charging $275 for a 3 layer that serves 100. They add $25 if we want to make our cake pink and there is a $35 delivery fee. For tasting they gave us the cake and the fillings separately. They were not actually pre made with all of the layers and fillings put together like the first place. I fell in love with their Peanut Butter Mousse and it tasted really good with their marble cake. We also liked their lemon cake. I don't remember with what filling. We only want to offer two different flavors to guests.

They had some really great designs.We both prefer simplicity and elegance. I really like the first one. We'd do pink with black decoration and black ribbon around the bottom. Mj likes the bottom one in pink using black ribbons around the bottom and pink flowers branching down the cake. He likes how each layer is off center.

I haven't decided if I want to freeze the top layer for a year later. It's traditional but unless we come up with an airtight freezing method it really doesn't sound all that appetizing to me. I'm not really sure what we are going to do. We didn't book either one. There is still one more place I am going to visit on my way home next week. I can get prices and he will send me home with some cakes to try and then I guess we will just have to make a decision from there. Ideally we need to decide by the end of this month. And yes, you really can have too much cake. We were both "caked out" by the end but it was fun.

Meanwhile, the RSVP's have been trickling in.  It makes it so real that we are really having a wedding.  And pretty soon too.  We have guests!  And we definitely plan to let them eat cake.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

Date night this month was a Baseball game last night. Mj is an Atlanta Braves fan and has been looking forward to this for a while. It took me about 20 minutes to devour my hot dog and finish sucking down my bud light with lime. That first sip of beer was cold, refreshing, and perfect. I'd been thinking about it all day at work and it was even better then I imagined. Then, it took me about 25 minutes to get out my gloves and beanie. It was a night game so it got pretty chilly.

I have a really bad habit of burning my mouth because I can't wait so Mj was in charge of holding onto the hot chocolate and letting me know when I could have a sip. We had some mini donuts with it. It was actually more fun watching the crowd act crazy on the jumbo tron and scramble for the foul balls as it was watching the game but I made an effort to follow along with what was going on and enjoyed it. We had great seats. Neither one of us had been so close to the action before. I don't know what it is about baseball players but most of them looked old and portly. Is it their baggy uniforms or all of the standing around? I don't know but they just don't seem as athletic and fit as the NBA NFL set. We had a good time, his team won and we left around the 8Th inning.

We took the trolley back to where we parked our cars and got home around 11:30 pm which way late for a work night. I can barely keep my eyes open and Mj has already fallen asleep. Guess we're going to bed early tonight.

The Reluctant Landlord

I held onto the property management contract as long as I could but they told me they recommend 45 days out to properly market my unit so I had no choice but to get it together and send it out. I signed the contract. I made copies of my keys. I took photos. I Inquired about a landlord policy. Mj finished up a few minor repairs. All of this in preparation for something I never wanted in the first place.

When I bought this tiny condo 5 years ago I fully expected that I would live there for the rest of my life. No balcony, no in unit laundry, and street parking but it was affordable for me on my own and I'd never have to move again. While frustratingly small at times and suffocatingly hot in the Summers it was brand newly renovated and it was enough for just me. I was tired of crappy apartments and never knowing how much my rent might go up year to year and this seemed like the ONLY way I might ever get even a small piece of real estate in an outrageously priced housing market. Yes, it was settling a bit as I have done with rentals in the past but I am no stranger to making sacrifices for budget. I had no intention of meeting anyone, falling in love and totally outgrowing said studio. But it happened and I have to adapt accordingly considering there was no way I could convince Mj to stay there forever with me or buy the house and get a roommate. Not that I necessarily wanted to.

I have had passing visions of how wonderful it would be to live in a house again some day and not have to settle. I left quiet suburbia of my parent's home for city apartments in sometimes questionable neighborhoods about 6 months after college graduation and have not made it back there yet. I envision myself washing my car in my very own driveway and doing my laundry inside my very own house. I would have a garage to park my car and a bike if I want one. There are extra closets to store things. I could have guests over and do a little entertaining. I'd sit outside in my backyard reading a book with a glass of wine and be able to take walks in my own neigborhood. Seeing as how I have saddled myself with a condo and a property value that has dropped more then 50% since I bought it the only way for this to happen is to rent it out. Selling is not an option and neither is paying two mortgages.

In preparation I started a condo fund. Over the last year once I accepted that this was inevitable I began transferring what I could spare into this account to cover any expenses that might crop up. I contemplated renting it myself but decided that at this point it's not something I want to undertake on my own.

I have three major fears where this is concerned.

1. Not finding a tenant.
2. Having said tenant destroy my property or stop paying rent causing me to have to evict them.
3. Having to rent it at a huge deficit.

Rental rates are down and there is so much competing inventory out there for renters. Ideally, I'd like to rent the place for an amount that would cover my mortgage and HOA but realistically that might not happen. This is the last piece that I need to fall into place.

The place is listed and I have a little over 30 days for someone to decide they want live there.

Birthday Shopping

Shopping is not something I do on a whim, for the heck of it or just because I saw something in a catalog that I like. At the beginning of each season change if there are things I need to update my wardrobe a bit I make a list and usually don't have a problem getting just those items. I already have my list of things that I missed out on this year that I want to get next Fall/Winter. There are three typical scenarios that will cause me to hit the mall:

1. I receive a coupon without a minimum purchase requirements. When I get these my goal is to walk in and buy one single item to maximize the discount to money spent ratio. If I can walk into a store and buy a $25 shirt and get $10 off I'm all in. This is my excuse to shop at The Limited and The Express which are stores I love but usually don't frequent because they are not cheap.
2. There is a gaping whole in my wardrobe. There might be a top or a pair of pants that I'll keep trying to wear but can't because nothing looks right with it and/or I don't have the right shoes. I finally get sick of this and go out searching for the item that will allow me to wear that piece.
3. I have an event to attend and/or a trip planned and there is absolutely nothing already in my closet that will work.

There are some exceptions here and there but that is typically my shopping profile and it helps that I generally avoid malls unless I have a specific purpose. It's not because I don't love shopping and new clothes. Oh, how I do. I just don't necessarily have a budget that is too forgiving when it comes to casual shopping, I don't use credit cards and like it or not that's that. For my Birthday my favorite stores were kind enough to send me coupons and of course I have to use them-see #1 above. It's my Birthday and I don't allow myself splurges too often so even though I am in the middle of buying a house, planning a wedding and have car registration due next month I decided to use all three.

Victoria's Secret sent me $10 off so I got these adorably soft yet lacy Angel's hip hugger panties on sale at 3/$30 (regularly $14 each). These keep me in my comfy cottons that I like but are going to be visually appealing to the hubby.

Express sent me $10 off.  I am always cold so I'm always looking for cute lightweight sweaters and these stylish tanks immediately caught my eye. I said what the hell and decided to get them anyways even though at $29.50 each not a single one was on sale (I got the ruffle top in Ivory). With my coupon the average cost per shirt was $26.17.

The Limited sent me a $15 off coupon so I did a little power shopping at lunch today.  I meant to only get one single item but I fell in love with both of these AND they were on sale. I got the drop waist one on the left in gray for $24.50 (regular price $44.50) and the peasant top was on clearance for $39.99 (down from $44.50). With my coupon the average cost per shirt was $24.75.

All together this shopping spree was $156.44. The last time I had a shopping spree of any kind-which for me is more then two items or $60 or more-was October of last year which just so happened to cause a ridiculous shopping mini melt down that I am all too happy not to repeat. What good is it trying to look good doing me if I don't allow myself to enjoy it? Wardrobe cannot live on Target, Kohl's, and Old Navy alone. Not that I can't find some darn good pieces there but I have learned over the years how important it is to mix it up with some classic, quality, nicer pieces as well.

I was given another $15 coupon with no minimum at the Limited and I'm not going to use it. At Express I earned $25 worth of fast cash with a minimum $50 purchase. I mentioned to Mj that I don't think I should use it yadah, yadah, yadah because of all that I had spent. He said "jeez, just do it I would." Some men try to keep their lady out of the mall but mine apparently has to talk me into it. I plan to go back and get this adorable $54.50 dress that I would never pay full price for.

Incidentally, it will satisfy all three shopping requirements above. I have a coupon and a B day Gift card to use, it will fill a gaping whole in my wardrobe as I have little to no summer casual dresses AND it will be perfect for my upcoming honeymoon. Even I can't argue with that!!

Oh Build Us A Home......

The house is coming along nicely.  It's gone from dirt lot and wood frame to this.

Pre Dry Wall March 19th

Insulation Drywall & Stucco March 28

Plaster & Drywall texturing April 4th

It's been a relaxing weekend for me.  You'd think I would be immune to missing Mj by now.  I mean, the man was gone for part of 2008, most of 2009 and in January he was gone for a week.  Nope.  He left Friday morning for drill and by Saturday I was really missing him but he'll be back tonight.  He had no interest in watching New Moon [crazy I know] so I picked that up yesterday and will watch it before he comes home.  I found a recipe for Picante Chicken & Rice in a cookbook and plan to have dinner ready for him.  I had to go out to the homestead solo this weekend and was so excited to see the most dramatic changes yet. 

Cabinets & Stucco April 10

It actually looks like a real house now!!  They will be putting in the driveway and countertops this coming week.  While I was there I measured the windows to get an idea of window covering costs.  I had to go to Home Depot to get copies of my condo keys made so I checked out blinds and brought home some wall paint color samples.  I am really looking forward to decorating and making the house our own.

Our final walk through is scheduled for May 13th and closing should be no later then 7 days after that. There are TONS of puzzle pieces that all need to fit together in order for us to close on time but if everyone does their piece it will all come together.

House building progress cont'd

Loan Lock

It's amazing how eight minutes can make such a huge difference. Just one extra snooze yesterday morning, and I was running super late.  I forced myself out of bed after three today, and was way early. There was a time when I got out of bed when my radio went off the first time, but I've been a snoozer so long I can't remember the last time that happened.

On the home front...we locked our loan last week at 4.75%  with some points.  We didn't buy as many as I wanted to, but it will have to do.  The rates have gone up since we went under contract back in January and they seem to be rising even more so I am glad we were able to lock when we did. I FINALLY know how much our mortgage is going to be. Drum roll please......honestly, I can live with the principal and interest part of it but it's the taxes that kill it for me. Our HOA and homeowners insurance is reasonable but we will be paying about $340 monthly in taxes alone! That was all taken into account when we were house hunting, but buying a house 25k over what I wanted pushed me way out of my comfort zone. This is all pretty exciting, but extremely scary. This is the first time that I have been in a position where I could not pay for my living expenses 100% on my own. From now on, I will be existing outside of my own finances. That whole having to depend on someone else thing is new to me, and it makes me feel out of control. Which I hate. Mj says I get way too caught up in the numbers. I agree, but it's only because I have too! Like it or not, those darn numbers kind of control what I can and can't do. At least in my world. Next step is getting my condo listed so I can get a tenant in there to pay my mortgage so I don't have to and get it to coincide with our closing date.

On the wedding front, the RSVP's are rolling in.  We are going to be doing our cake tastings next weekend so we can get that booked. Next month we'll be meeting with the hotel planner at our venue to go over some final details.

There has been a lull in wedding planning and the house madness but that is OK by me because I know that things are going to start getting crazy busy for us once moving date and wedding date gets closer.

Cont'd:  So Close To Closing

Easter Earthquake

We were over at Mj's friends house chatting, eating and having a good old time at 3:40pm when all of a sudden everything on the table started shaking. Then, I noticed I could feel the floor shaking too and everyone was kind of looking at each other with a puzzled look on their face. Usually, by the time it hits you that there was an earthquake and not just your imagination it's over but this one was different. It lasted much longer. I actually had time to process and analyze the situation and say, "Yep this is an earthquake and it's still going." A few people ran to the two open doorways. Even though, apparently that safety measure is outdated and you are supposed to jump under a table.

I just kinda sat there waiting for it to stop. I wasn't too scared for some reason. I have felt them before although they usually don't last for this long. But, for a split second when it didn't stop it got my mind thinking, "What if this is the big one?" Thankfully, it was not. Within minutes everyone was on their phones or laptops looking it up and we found out it was a 7.2 out of Baja Mexico. Usually, I am the only one that seems to feel these things. I felt the 5.5 out of Rosarito on February 1 when nobody else did and barely heard anything about it in the news but this one has got everyone talking. It seems unbelievable that this earthquake was only .2 less powerful then the one in Haiti and there were only 2 reported deaths. One of them was indirectly related when a man ran outside and got struck by a car and killed while trying to run for safety. How sad is that?

There was an aftershock this morning while we were still in bed. I felt the bed shaking but Mj only heard it. Apparently those are supposed to go on for about the next couple weeks.

It makes me wonder if the earth is mad at us. It also makes me wonder if Mj and I should go ahead and get earthquake insurance on our new home. We weren't going to but it might be better to be safe then sorry.

Some Birthday Fun

I had a really great B Day. My mom got me a Kabuki brush from Mac which I've been wanting for a while but hadn't gotten around to because they are kinda pricey. It is so incredibly soft unlike a lot of my cheapo brushes with bristles falling out. My fashionista little sis got me this adorable double mirror compact. It's the first and only thing I have ever owned by Marc Jacobs. Chances are it will be the last. My big sis got me a Visa gift card which is cool because I can use that as needed for whatever I want. Hubby got me a pair of running shoes with my favorite color in them. Wonder if this is his way of saying that my butt is getting too big and that I need to get back into the gym?

The double date with the rents was fun. We went to a nice restaurant called Paradise Grill where I ordered drink called a Pain Killer. Not nearly enough to put me down but very tasty. We had a nice meal and they even had my favorite dessert on the menu: Chocolate Molten Lava cake. It was good!!



On Friday night I met some girlfriends for happy hour at our fav spot-94. It starts out as happy hour then turns into a dance club. We used to go there way more then I like to admit but now it's not so often that we all just get together there and hang out all night. Yes, there were patron shots involved!! It was a fun time.


Saturday I got a chance to break in my new kicks. I went along to the rec center again with Mj and I got a good brisk 1 hour walk in. The air was crisp and cool, so it was a perfect day for it. The shoes are awesome. They are really comfortable and let your feet breathe. I could actually feel the breeze running through the little air holes. After my walk there weren't too many people around the ballpark area so I could not resist the urge to do some gymnastics in the grass. I started with a back walkover. Then a standing back handspring. And since I hadn't fallen on my head yet I did a round off two back handsprings and side aerials (no hand cartwheels). It was so much fun!! I haven't tried this stuff in years and I could tell my arms were a little weak and my back a little stiff but this old lady still has some skills!! I showed off to Mj that I could still do it. He has never seen me tumble and was maybe just a little bit impressed.

Today we are going to check out our house in progress. Then we are going stop by Mj's friend's house before heading up to my cousin's house to meet my parents for Easter dinner. My four day weekend is almost coming to an end but I have certainly enjoyed every single day of it.

Forever 21

Happy Birthday/April Fool's Day to ME!!

Last year on my B day I was still adjusting to Mj being out of the country and was feeling pretty angry about that. I figured my B day was going to suck anyways so I agreed to go to a 8 hour Microsoft Access Workshop even though it fell on the 1st. BIG mistake. It turns out it was not exactly the beginner class that it claimed to be and I sat there all day halfway falling asleep feeling stupid, confused, and worried that my job was going to be mad at me for wasting their money because I did not learn a thing. I thought Excel was bad...but Access is a whole new level of WTF. After the workshop I just went home and it was the worst B day ever. I told myself that next year was going to be different.

Despite that fact that I had no real plans I went ahead and took the day off anyways. Our office is actually closed tomorrow so I figured what the hell! I might as well turn it into a 4 day weekend. No cleaning for me today though goodness knows my condo needs it bad. I got to sleep in. I ran some errands, made some phone calls, and relaxed. Sure beats sitting in the office for 8 hours. Tonight after the unfortunate ones who had to go to work get off Mj and I are meeting up for a double date with my parents that I am really looking forward to.

It sounds strange but as I get older sometimes I actually kinda forget how old I am. The older you get the less likely you are to be asked how old you are and frankly-my age just doesn't cross my mind all that much. I got my mama's genes which means that I am always going to look younger then my age-and trust me I don't mind one bit. I haven't started with the anti aging creams yet but I will this year. And to think when I was 18 I wanted so badly to look older!! Just another reminder of how when you are young you think you know and you just have no idea. They say that youth is wasted on the young-and I can't agree more.

It's funny because in high school I thought people in their 20's were old but then when I got there I realized that people in their 20's are really just babies. Now 30's...those folks are old!! Leaving my 20's was hard for me at first but I got over it and now that I have hit the 30's myself I really don't feel as old as I thought I would. And even better, I am so much happier and better adjusted now then I was in my 20's. I can say for sure that I am a heck of a lot cuter then I used to be!! Let's just say adolescence with it's thick glasses, gap toothed smile, braces, bad hair and even worse clothes was not kind to me. I didn't start figuring out what to do with myself until my 20's and I have gotten better with age. I feel so much more settled into myself now. Most people start modeling young but it wasn't something I could even fathom trying until my late 20's. I would definitely call myself a "late bloomer" in more ways then one. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up and I may not have a 10 year plan but at least I know who I am.

I don't necessarily want to get old but the idea of being forever 21 isn't so appealing either. I'm still not so sure about how I feel about the BIG 4-0 but somehow it just doesn't seem so scary as it used to be.