The Unknown

Right now I feel as if there are a lot of unknowns in my life. I moved into my apartment a year and a half ago thinking I would stay in it until the day that I got married. I wasn't engaged at that point, but decided I had moved one too many times. It was going to be the last place for me. Well...that has now changed. I'm moving in two months and have no idea where I'm going. I also don't know the future of my relationship. I'm not going to post the details for the world to see, but I need your prayers. Prayers for clarity, for purpose and for direction. Prayers for healing, understanding, and hope. The only answer I'm able to give people these days is "I don't know." I am a person who likes to know what's going on and be in control of things around me. I like change, but I like to be the source of change. Right now, I'm a product of change, not the source.

San Antonio

Last week, I spent Wednesday through Saturday at a conference in San Antonio. We had some wonderful meetings, spent time on the Riverwalk, toured the Alamo, and ended our stay with a night out at Polly Esther's. It's a 70s and 80s themed dance club that is packed on Friday and Saturday nights. The furniture, the drinks, and the signs on the wall are all from the 70s and 80s. It was nice to go dancing and to not have to worry about some creep trying to make their move. It was good, clean dancing, and simply having a great time. Here are some pictures from our trip...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Sorry for the lack of posts. I'm at a Regional Meeting and won't be back until Monday. I'll have plenty of pictures when I return! Have a great weekend!

Texas License Plate e-Vote

Here's your chance to vote for Texas' new license plate. The information below is from the TXDOT website, where you're also able to vote.

Over the last 30 years, designs for the state's general issue plate have ranged from a plain, white background to the flying Lone Star Flag. In January of 2009, production of the next plate will begin. Texans will have the opportunity to vote for one of four new designs or to keep the current plate.

Voting begins at noon on Monday, Feb. 4 and ends at noon on Monday, Feb. 11. View the current unofficial vote count.

Sol - A Needle Pulling Thread

For the last two years, Donny and I have gone to a Super Bowl party at Pam and Rebel's. We've gotten into the habit of ordering a pie from a local restaurant and taking that as our contribution. These pies are wonderful and homemade and are known all over the country. On Sunday, two people had already eaten a piece of the pie, when a third person saw something peculiar in the middle. Here's where the title of this post comes in...a needle and thread were IN the middle of the pie. We promptly contacted the restaurant and they apologized profusely. They also mailed me a check for the pie and gave me a certificate for a free pie of my choice. I am not going to name the restaurant as I KNOW it was a complete mistake. How a needle and thread ended up in there, I'm not sure. What I am sure of, is that I will still purchase pies from there in the future. Next time I'll just make sure to cut the whole thing before serving it.

Meet Zoe

Zoe is Donny's beloved chocolate lab. While she is beautiful, she and I have a love-hate relationship. When Donny and I started dating Zoe was 2. If you're familiar with labs (maybe this is the case with all breeds) they are still puppies at 2. They jump on you, they chew things, and they're not very good listeners. For the first 6 months that Donny and I dated, Zoe would jump on me if I tried to hug him. This was cute and funny at first, but after awhile, it stopped being cute and funny. I'm not small by any means, but having a 70lb. dog jump on me did not feel good. I promptly learned to put my knee to her chest and she quit jumping on me (she wasn't harmed). Zoe would also sit between us on Donny's couch (loveseat...tiny loveseat). She still does. This, too, was cute at first, but considering how little I get to see Donny, I don't want to have to share him with her. Apparently Zoe doesn't like to share either.

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On many occasions when Donny's out of town, I've offered to stay at his house to take care of her. Oh, I forgot to mention she's an inside dog - inside, all of the time. On one occasion I left her home alone for a little while, only to find that she chewed up my black heels. She didn't chew up any of Donny's shoes, only mine. Seeing a pattern here? She hates me. My mom has accused me of talking about Zoe like a human - like she's vindictive and knows what she's doing. You can't convince me that she doesn't.

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On the other hand, Zoe is a loving and lovable dog. She is extremely loyal to Donny and me and has protected me from other dogs while we were out walking. She also snuggles with me on those same weekends when Donny's out of town. After we'd been dating a couple of years, I taught Zoe how to bark when we say "speak." Before then, Zoe never barked unless I was playing with her and getting her riled up. I felt like a proud mom, seeing her child do something for the first time.

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All in all, Zoe is a nemesis, best friend, and protector at the same time. Who knew I'd have to fight with a dog to win over a guy? All I know, is if Donny loves her, I better love her too. I think I need to work on that!