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!

No...

This is not my house, but I wish it was. My friend, Sarah, is selling her house in Weatherford. I LOVE everything about it, including the HUGE kitchen. Check it out!

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I'm finally getting to see Donny this weekend. Tonight I'm going to his game, tomorrow I'm going to his Junior High tournament and to a Tarleton basketball game. Think that's enough basketball for one weekend?

Bummed

Donny was supposed to come visit today after I got off at Macy's. We were going to hang out tonight and we were excited about going to Brayden's baptism tomorrow. But...his "Check Airbag" light came on on his truck. He called a Chevy dealership and while they said it is highly unlikely that his airbag will deploy, there is still a chance. They also told him the more that he drives his truck, the riskier it gets.

We decided that we weren't willing to take that risk, so I'll have to wait to see him until next weekend - Just another day in the life of a long distance relationship!

Macy's

As most of you are aware, I have been working at Macy's since August. I began the Dave Ramsey program and decided that I would get a 2nd job to help speed up the process of getting out of debt.

5 months later, I have been able to pay off 4 significant debts, but have had NO time to myself. I've worked 15 hour days, missed many of Donny's basketball games, and have neglected to keep my apartment as clean as I'd like. A lot of changes have also taken place at my full-time job. In October, our career-change recruiter left unexpectedly. As a result, I took over her duties. Fortunately, because of my willingness to do so, I have been adequately compensated, therefore allowing me to quit my job at Macy's. I put in my two weeks notice last night.

I am excited that I will once again experience what it's like to go home and do nothing. I'm more excited that I will get to see Donny on a regular basis. Until now, we've had to work our schedule around Macy's. Bless his heart, he's been so understanding throughout these last 5 months. I am so thankful to have him in my life!

Weekend in a Nut Shell

9:00 Saturday Morning

-Called AAA to arrange car to be towed to AAA approved mechanic.

-Tow truck arrives and off we go.

9:30 Saturday Morning

-Arrive at said mechanic.

-Mechanic is very nice and remembers my name from our phone conversation.

-Two points for him.

10:30 Saturday Morning

-Evil Mechanic (formerly known as Mechanic) tells me my alternator is shot and it's going to cost $600 to replace it.

-Calls ensue to various people verifying that it is RIDICULOUS to be charged $600 for an alternator.

-EM (formerly known as Evil Mechanic) says, "Oh...you have AAA? It's going to be $450 in that case."

-Inform EM I will NOT be paying anything over $200 for an alternator.

-EM becomes defensive and says it's impossible to find an alternator for a 2 year old car on a Saturday.

-Not true!!

-Calls to AutoZone and O'Reilly confirm alternators cost $130 and require an hour's worth of labor at most ($70).

-Unless I'm mistaken, $130 + $70 = $200

11:00 Saturday Morning

-Mom and Mario begin calling their friends.

-Friend who owns alternator shop agrees to check the alternator and promises to only charge $35 worth of labor.

-Inform EM I will be towing my car BACK to my apt.

-Sit at home contemplating my options for the rest of the day.

5:00 Sunday Afternoon

-4th Driver from Imperial Towing arrives to pick up car.

-Ride with driver and friend to Cleburne.

-Get invited to 4th of July party and BBQ by driver.

-Drop Car off at shop.

-Watch Cowboys lose.

11:00 Monday Morning

-Shop calls.

-Alternator is fine.

-Battery is not.

-Problem solved.

11:30 Monday Morning

-Complaint is made to AAA about EM.

-Account is credited two roadside assistances.

-AAA is great.

-Imperial Towing is great.

-City Garage and EM are not.

Amazing...

My roommate won a free wedding yesterday...a FREE wedding. I am so excited for her!

More to come on my car. It's too long to write right now and I'm on hold with AAA.

Car Issues and Awesome Friends!

For a couple of months now, my car has been idling pretty hard, to the point where I feel like it's going to die. Well...twice in a period of two weeks, it did die - once at a stop sign and once as I was turning using a median. When my dad heard this, he of course wanted me to get it fixed ASAP. We took my car to Pep Boys on Christmas Eve so that they could do a diagnostic, hoping that it was only the battery that needed to be replaced. Sure enough it was the battery, not the alternator. The man at Pep Boys proceeded to tell me that it was going to cost $146 to replace my battery. Why, you ask? Because I have a car that requires you to remove the tire in order to replace the battery. What in the world were they thinking when designing this car?? This is also the car that requires you to unscrew the fender just to replace the headlight. Now I know at least two more things to look for when purchasing a new vehicle! My dad and I decided that $146 seemed a little (okay, a lot) high to charge for a battery replacement so we went to Wal-Mart which was right across the street. They replaced my battery for $37. I know three things as a result of this incident - 1) I will NOT be returning to Pep Boys, 2) I will continue to shop at Wal-Mart and 3) I will NOT be purchasing another Dodge.

Today, 3 weeks later, I got in my car and turned the key. It dinged for a millisecond and then completely went dead. My lights don't work (no...I didn't leave them on all night), my locks don't work, and not a sound comes out of the car when I turn the key. Thankfully I was able to get my friend Sarah to pick me up. Everyone that I've talked to said it sounds like my battery may have become detached. Thanks to Mike, I have AAA and will be contacting them to help me with my battery issues (hopefully that's all it is).

My friend Diana called me as she got to work and said she wanted to come by my office. She brought me a chicken biscuit from Chick-Fil-A and a sweet tea because she felt sorry for me. What an awesome surprise!!

URGENT - Opinions Needed

I am going back and forth on whether or not to leave my hair short or grow it back out. Based on the pictures below, please leave me a comment on what you think I should do.

Restylane, not Botox

I realized on my way to Donny's game yesterday that I meant to say "Who needs Restylane when you've got braces to do the trick?" Obviously I haven't had any work done or I would have figured that out sooner.

Last night was Donny's 100th Career Win as a coach. I picked up Pam and Melody and we made our way to Cranfills Gap. Pam made some awesome banners that we held up with 30 seconds left in the game. I spent the night at Pam's and was treated to coffee and a breakfast bar at 5:00 this morning. Here are some pictures from the game.

Donny in action. Why is he looking at the opposite end of the court than everyone else? Well...except for the little boy, that is!

Back Row: Mr. Hirsch, Wesley, Zach, Jacob, Derek, Matthew, Andrew, Caleb, Donny

Front Row: Tillman, Cody, Eddie, Drew

Post Game picture - Please disregard the extremely shiny face!

As I left Pam and Rebel's this morning, I heard a knocking sound coming from the left side of my car. I thought a rock had gotten stuck in my tire and decided not to worry about it. When I got to Fort Worth, I stopped at Sonic to get breakfast for the new interns. The lady that brought out my food informed me that I had a cord dangling on the outside of my door. Apparently, when I stuck my curling iron and straightener in my car this morning, I didn't get all of the cord inside the car. Amazingly enough, the cord is not damaged at all, even with it hitting the pavement as I drove. Crazy!

Who Needs Botox, when you've got

braces to do the trick?

Love is in the Air!

My roommate, Erin, and her boyfriend, B.J., got engaged over the holidays. They went to Colorado and B.J. proposed in the middle of a snow-filled clearing. They are planning on getting married sometime in October or November. I can't wait! Here are a few pictures of the happy couple (and the ring of course).

Christmas is Over?!


After months of preparation it's hard to believe that Christmas is over. I had a great time with family and friends and am looking forward to the New Year. Donny got me something I've wanted for a very long time...a charm bracelet from James Avery. I've been asking for one for several years now. I finally sent him a link to the James Avery website hoping he'd get the hint.I thought it would be nice for him to choose charms that were special to the both of us. Plus...I told him that he now has an 'out' for every other anniversary, Christmas, etc.! I think he did a great job!

My dad and stepmom came in from Georgia for the holidays. My stepmom makes her own sugar scrub for the shower and gave each of us a bottle. It is awesome! I was able to spend most of Christmas Eve and the 26th with my dad, whom I don't get to see much during the year. He and Donny like to talk basketball and did so for most of lunch yesterday.

Today, mom and I are meeting for lunch so that we can exchange presents. I can't wait to give her her presents. I love giving people presents and have always wished that I was rich so that I could walk around and give people money during the holidays. Wouldn't that be awesome?!

Merry Christmas!!

Birthday and Anniversary...

Donny and I celebrated our 3rd dating anniversary on the 4th of December. I knew beforehand that I was going to be in Milwaukee, so we had a romantic date at the basketball tournament the weekend before I left. We really didn't think this through when we started dating in the middle of basketball season. Those of you who are children of coaches, are related to coaches, or are coaches yourself, know that everything gets put on the back burner during the season. Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining. I know the routine, but I'm thinking we should put more emphasis on our 1/2 year anniversaries in June. It's hard having my birthday in November, our anniversary, his birthday, and Christmas all in December.

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Speaking of birthdays, Donny's 31st was on Sunday. We went out on Saturday night with 3 of our friends and had a blast. Here is a picture in front of the fireplace at the restaurant/bar where we ended up.

I'm back!

Well, I managed to make it back from Milwaukee. The flight back was much less exciting than the flight there, thank goodness! I took a lot of pictures, but forgot my digital so I had to buy a disposable camera. Once I use up the roll I'll post more. We formed a study group of 10 people including myself. From left to right you'll find on the first row: Kristine, Heather, Lindsey, Valerie, Joanna, and Jasmine. On the second row is: Me, Christine, Alanna, and Candace. We all had a blast. On this particular night, we chose to walk about 4 blocks to a pub to have dinner. 15 degrees + walking + snow is an adventure to say the least.

I also wanted to include an awesome (yet random) picture of a pinata that my friend's mom made. She is incredibly talented! In case you can't tell, or you're not from the country, it's a John Deere tractor.

Finally, I'll leave you with a picture personifying how I felt on Friday - tired, worn out, and disgusted with people's actions during the Christmas season (at Macy's that is).

Merry Christmas!!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

I arrived in Milwaukee today to find 4 inches of snow on the ground. Snow is also in the forecast for the rest of the week! It looks like a winter wonderland!

I decided to fly American Airlines (actually American Eagle) this time because Midwest was leaving too early in the morning. I'm pretty sure that that will be the last time I make that decision. I did without the comfy leather seats and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies for a tiny plane with a door that didn't work properly. That's right...we got on the plane only to find out they were unable to close the door. After having maintenance come out and unsuccessfully 'fix' the door, they had us deplane. We were told we were taking a new plane, only to find out 30 minutes later that they had fixed the old one. I was a little leery of getting back on the same plane, but thankfully the door closed and we made it safely here. While we were waiting to board again we heard an announcement that the plane going to Killeen didn't have a working lavatory. WHAT? I know the flight was probably the shortest flight known to man, but still...who flies a plane with a lavatory that isn't working? American Eagle apparently.

My mom is feeling much better and nothing appears to be seriously wrong. They think she has a hiatal hernia which can be regulated with medication. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!!