Would you want to be pitied?

Today is my friend/co-worker's birthday
We took a page from the "10 Things I Hate About You" movie and gave her a "hate" poem.
She loved it. Score!

She's fighting breast cancer. When she told us - they all hugged her and made the pity sounds.

I waited a bit, went to her office and told her "This f'ing sucks. I'm not going to hug you. Let me know if you need anything." (or something like that) and walked away.

Not so very sympathic no. But you know what? She liked my reaction best. This makes me happy.
She says she's so tired of the pity party and everyone coddling her and I totally get that. Why can't people try to put themselves in that persons shoes?

Would you want to be pitied? I can't think of many things worse then that personally...

I'm reading Emma Chase's Tangled series - 1 and 3 are told from the male perspective. It's fun to see a opposite ...and in some instances pretty spot on (based on past personal experience) point of view.

And since I'm in an old-school country music sound mood - Jason Boland is doing it for me today.
Blows my mind that he listens to Anthrax (or somesuch thrash metal craziness) but plays this kind of music that harkens back to Don Williams.
Again I'm digging the dichotomy...

It took awhile at least for me
to live enough until I believed
In none of what I heard and less than half of what I saw

Perfect is boring!

It's patio weather and I feel pretty today!

I also ordered our Derby invitations.

Went a little color/pattern happy on the back too but who cares. It's fun! I wish more people would do invitations. Nowadays it's just texting - Booo - I like getting fun mail!!

And so now I'm looking into the decorating -
honestly, I try to stick to pretty and elegant (like most everyone else) and always end up going with the fun/cheesy/mexican styl(ish). HA!

You can take the girl out of El Paso but can't take the El Paso out of the girl I guess...

It's just that... when I go into a house that looks too "put together" I never have as much fun for fear of messing something up. So I'd rather go the cheesy "color bomb" route for my own house. oh well.

Its taken some adjustment for Jamie (reminiscent of this Fools Rush In scene ;0) ) he wants everything to be perfect. It drives me bonkers sometimes!

Perfect is boring. How about perfectly awesome!!!

wretched wicked gin smoke & lies

Finally Texas is doing something I fully support! - they are trying to ban texting while driving.

If you think you're good at texting and driving you're delusional. 

I'm not a proponent of violence - 

but seriously, there are times I so wish I could be this guy.... 

Alas...I just relegate myself to be that girl behind/around you cussing you out even though it doesn't make me feel better.

In other (more positive news) cause really I'm starting to get on my own nerves with how grumpy I've been lately

Heard my favorite Oklahoma band (and this favorite of angst-ridden songs) It made me feel better. 

My BB girl dog was telling me that bad weather was near...she paced all night last night. And sure enough Oklahoma city/Tulsa area got hit pretty hard (again) with tornadoes. ugh. aweful.

Finished Wicked Games - good like the rest - the female leads in this series are reading very similar but besides that. fun.

We've got less than two months till we go on vacation...i can't freaking wait!  

marital bliss/itch

It's our anniversary. Made it to 8. whew
Almost to double digits? - how'd that happen?!

I'll tell you what... we've fought more in this past year than we have in the 3 years before that combined.

Not so sure why? It's almost like we regressed back to a "figuring things out" year. It wasn't an "itch"... maybe more like irritation flare ups. ha! 

Oh well...we made vows. He's my bestest friend - and we've put in too much time training each other to let it bring us too far down. Onward and upward.

I loved the Rosie Project. So fun the different/odd perspective!
I think it's now in my "favorites".

Also saw Whiplash. Harsh but I liked it.

what is happening

I saw Insurgent. Tried to keep an open mind but I guess it's just a given that I'm a book to movie snob. The acting/actors are good, the movie just lacked depth. It's missing focus on key relationships outside of Four/Tris. Also, with all the shooting going on it's amazing how often they ran and managed to avoid being shot - Movie pet peeve #241 - thank you. 

And so since the next/last book was so disappointing I highly doubt I'll make the effort to watch it in the theater when that one comes out.

Miranda Neville's - Importance of Being Wicked lost me at the end, the gal got way too whiny.
Jennifer Probst - The Marriage Bargain - quick read that I feel I've read many times before. Still, I finished it.
Cora Carmack's - All Broke Down - i liked that i didn't like the guy at first and she brought me around. The gal's story I think was a little underdeveloped

Just started a new book called the Rosie Project - it read so stilted at first but once I caught that the lead is somewhat Sheldon Cooper-like, this book is pretty freakin good/funny so far!

I'm dreading this work week....so i'm off to take advantage of what's left of the weekend.

no disney princess

I woke up thinking that if I was a disney princess i wouldn't be snow white. 
Those damn birds chirping at 5ish this morning are lucky I didn't have a bb gun.

On that note - and since it's supposed to be international happy day - I'm reading Miranda Neville. I like the sassy and believable relationship building, especially for that era. 

Debating going to see Insurgent...the trailer is skewing too Matrix-y for my taste. Not that I didn't like the Matrix, it's just the book didn't read like that.
So glad it's Friday....

tryin' something new

No-go with the author i mentioned in the last post (already forgot her name). Not my style. 

I did find a fun new one with Jessica Clare! -  Reindeer Games and Playing Games. They're not on my "favorite list" but the Amazing Race-like adventure made them quick/fun reads. And sometimes that's all a girl is looking for. 
Even more fun that she'll be a panelist with my favorite authors Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter on the day I'm heading to the rt convention! yay!

Other news, i convinced jamie for us to take a bus adventure next month! 
just to Houston (ugh) and a "luxury bus" but STILL!  
Not bad for a guy who refused to take train/bus public transportation anywhere and now look at him go through Ireland and Spain and TEXAS!! 

Like Randy Rogers says: 
We don't have to go anywhere,
We don't have to try something new

But it sure is fun to every once in a while!!
not so fun fact - this video was filmed at Lone Star Park. Horse race track in Grand Prairie. This place owes me some money!

RT and March Madness

March "madness" is right
...this Friday every year, my husband takes the day off work to sit at a bar, drink all day and watch these stupid games. 

Ugh basketball is lame. 

Maybe I wouldn't be so grumpy if my Texas Rangers weren't so bad....baseball season is already letting me down and it hasn't even started!

So I do this bracket instead (cause I wanna play too)
Garden and Gun Ultimate Barbecue Bracket

(Of the West South), I've only had Kreutz and Pecan Lodge. Kreutz wins there. 
Apparently Franklin Barbecue is worth the 6 hour ! wait though (...that must be some pretty freakin good barbecue for that!)

Barbecue (or in the below case - Grilling) - 1 
Basketball - 0

Also about to start an Ella Quinn book - saw she's doing a party at the RT convention. 

I've already bought the Thursday day pass. 

Debating whether to do more...I'm having a hard time choosing what to do for just that one day! 

 oy the dilemma! (first world problems.....)

Tight Britches - across the board

Stoney was great Friday night. I forget how good his voice is - loved the Gary Stewart cover.

But I got St. Paddy'd out and so we ditched the weekend festivites for the lake Saturday instead.

Sorry not sorry.
I had a great time re-reading The Next Best Thing and got in a Scotland-y mood too so tried Karen Hawkins first two of the Macleans series. ("just eh").
Once again K Higgins wins - she's just so good at emotionally torturing her people...i love it...

And so additionally/apparently it was decided that we're having a Kentucky Derby party...

Jamie loves having people over. Really I do too but lord it's exhausting...and expensive!!
I guess no more expensive then what we'd spend if we went to the track.
He's created a monster. 
I always bet $2 on my favorite across the board, more especially if they have a name I just can't resist - like "Tight Britches". Tight Britches was a BIG win for me!!!

So...Derby hat - maybe this one? Etsy has so many!

 

sláinte! to spork (and parents)

I've got spirit.Yes I do! My nails are painted a bright sparkly green and my "Everybody Loves a Galway Girl" shirt on. Cause Galway is awesome. 

We tried a new place called Spork last night for drinks 
(cause SPORK! -  that's why...)

It was good. Interesting (and entertaining) to see a brand new restaurant get its bearings. 

We'll be back - it's just... being this close to Plano there were a lot of kids. 

Most of our friends have kids. I like the babies especially, so I can nibble on them a little. Some, - I imagine - would be my style of parenting. Others... not even close. 

To be honest - I see it like getting a puppy. Lots of lovin' but boundaries and discipline is crucial in the first few years. 

I don't see a lot of that -  I see annoyance/exhaustion and letting them have/do whatever they want. 

...and easy for me to say yeah? I can't even fathom having children. The'd probably hate me... 

So I'll just say (as a non-parent) - * with a yummy cocktail in hand cause you/we deserve it* Cheers to those raising the next generation of contributing members of society!

P'arriba, p'abajo, p'al centro, por dentro.

Happy St. Paddy's weekend!

help calm your crazy

I meant to have the tips of my hair colored purple but lost patience and kept the red that turned out instead. 

I don't know how girls like to get their hair done every 4 weeks?  It's exhausting.  

Read this blog/article about mid-life crisis. 
Reading it makes me I wonder if I'm heading into one?

Maybe, for him, crashing that lamborghini is comparable to me wanting to color my hair - you get tired of the monotony and want a little thrill - ....or maybe he just couldn't handle his alcohol 

Still... give me a good coffee/book/conversation/meal and color the tips of my hair a fun color and I'm good to go. 

Why are people acting crazy? It's called yin & yang yo. Find your happy place. Or at least a happy place -  it'll help calm your crazy. I promise!

I've already got at least one happy place this weekend!!!! YAAAAS!! It's been ages...

The next in the Dutchess Diaries was just ok. About to start the 3rd.  

i overindulged. it was awesome.

And so I danced/drank/ate way too much this weekend. And it was grand.

Heard more Irish music at the Irish festival than we ever did in Ireland.

It's funny... most all we heard in IRE was 80's rock or old country music.
More - we'd tell them we were from Texas and top 3 responses would be "who shot JR", "have you been to the JFK memorial" or they would start singing an old Brooks/Strait/Cash/Haggard song. Ha.

Here's Blind Butchers version of Dessert Poutine (churros/marshmallows/carmel) = ri-dic-u-lous!

Read Because of You: definitely liked the first of this "Playing with Fire" series better. Not in a rush to continue on...

Found a new author in Karen Hawkins and her first of the Dutchess Diaries series: she paints a fun story. I'll keep reading more of hers.

Back to no fun work times...I may have a sleep deprivation headache? This time change is for the birds.

blowing our money (on a good time!)

Just read that we're possibly heading into another government shut down? 

Let see what ya got Red Team. I'd love to see some leadership without ego here! 

I too "hope that Congress will address this matter without controversy or brinksmanship," Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew! I don't know anything about you....really I don't know much about anything... but I love that I had to look up the word "brinksmanship". That's my new favorite word. I am so anti-brinksmanship. I vote you.... 

Dinner with friends, then on to see Micky and the Motorcars tonight. 
Irish Festival and hopping around Dallas tomorrow.
i'm going to drink and dance and be thankful for good times.... 

it feels so good feelin' good again

My car played me my favorite REK song on the way in.

Thank you Mini (Sheldon-ita) Cooper. I accept!!!

 - tell me this isn't one of the best expressions of love....

And I wanted you to see them all, I wished that you were there
I looked across the room and saw you standing on the stair 
And when I caught your eye I saw you break into a grin
It feels so good feelin good again

dating here is messed up

Over a dinner conversation the other night, I asked one of Jamie's friends (divorced, early 40's, average/good looking guy ) how dating was going. Here's a part of the conversation:

"You wouldn't believe what's out there." he says (shaking his head).
"These girls are crazy. The pictures they send me ...I mean... I don't even have to try."

"So wait," I say "How do you meet these girls? Online?"
"No," he says "Out. Bars etc."
"And they just send you explicit pictures? Just because?" I ask.
"No, I get their number. We text.  I ask if they can send me a picture and they automatically go there. They're no commitment. No demands. It's so easy. I just go with it.'"

<----------   this is me

"So when you ask for a picture, it's like right off the bat you're seeing how far they'd go - and it's always that far?" I ask.

"Yep." he says.

"Is that what you want?"

"No, not really " he says.  "It'd be nice to ask a girl out, pick the girl up, and go out on a normal date with normal conversation. Like back then."

WOW. Just wow!! What has happened out there in the real world?!!

I've been with Jamie a long time - i'm out of touch -  but it sounds to me the dating world has gone to shit.

At least in Kristan Higgins books she makes dating crazy but kind of funny. I wonder if there are any books out there Higgins-like written in a guys perspective on how crazy women can be?

All this actually ties into the last book I read -  Arranged - as in she's so tired of being in bad relationships that she pays to be arranged in marriage. Several not believable parts and unanswered questions but I'm thinking overall I liked the story concept...

After getting this glimpse of what it's like out there - I can see how it might not be a stretch for people to go to the "arranged marriage" extreme.

the fault in being a brat

Watched The Fault in our Stars last night. yep I cried.

Cried more reading the book a while back. What is it with these YA books being so depressing?

Their version of Amsterdam was interesting -  My first impression of it was chaos and it smelled like trash. The further away from centraal you get the better though.

And seriously the Anne Frank house - I'd re-read the book as a refresher before (in case we decided to go).

 I didn't want to wait in line when I found out it was going to be an hour wait.
I thought that since I'd read the book AND heard it was just bare rooms that there'd be nothing to see.

I was such a brat! I'm so glad we waited.

Seeing how they lived for years....it was truly moving....and puts things into perspective.

It's not a bad thing to do/see/learn things that make you  realize how stupid and selfish you've become every once in a while.

Re-read a little bit of this and that from my library over the weekend (we were iced in yet again). Also read The Hook Up and Love thy Neighbor. Neither were bad, nor were they that good.