Quick Recap

I'm beyond tired but wanted to give you a quick update because I won't have time to blog tomorrow.

Ok it's hard to see because of my crappy camera, but I have a scab on my chin because Paul's whiskers gave me something akin to rug-burn. (a.k.a. I finally got lots of kisses lol) And we're probably going to have dinner tomorrow : ) He also brought up the R word last night. "Relationship" as in.... he said "I want to take this relationship slow so we don't mess it up." I'll admit, that's a little fast for the R word but I guess we have been friends for almost a year now. I can't believe I thought we didn't have chemistry and thought he was a bad kisser. He is awesome! And we have amazing chemistry. Interesting. Also a very random fact, Paul's dad and stepmom have worked for Laura's (Miranda's cousin) parents for like 20 years so she knew Paul! Such a small world! Leave it to me to move to a state where I don't know anyone, then the few people I meet randomly know each other. Also, Laura's friend Amy is from the same hometown I'm from! I haven't met her yet but I'm sure we'll have lots of fun stories to share about the small town we're from. Such a random day.

Miranda and I have been painting all freaking day only to discover that the "trainee" at Wal-Mart mixed the paint wrong so we did 3 coats of paint only to realize they were two different shades of blue. Needless to say, tomorrow I will be turning on the bitch switch and getting some free stuff from Wal-Mart

Hi, my name is Rachel and I am a decorating addict.

This morning I decided to start hunting for decorations on Ebay. For the stairwell, this Greek statue that will sit on the white shelf I bought....


And this other Greek statue to go on the shelf in the stairway...

This lovely vintage purse (and the other two below will be hung on the wall in the bathroom to go with the French/couture theme. I'm also painting the phrase "Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir" around the wall as a border.

These Nicole Millers (that just happen to be my size) we like $7 with shipping!!! they will sit on a black shelf on the bathroom wall.
I'm going to frame this print and hang it in the bathroom.
This is one panel of a set that I'm using as curtains in the living room.
All of these pillows will be going on the couches. I didn't want them to be matchy because I wanted it to look authentic and colorful and eclectic. (All of these pillows, and the curtains were handmade in Indian and the details are beautiful!! And they were cheaper than buying Pier 1 pillows!!)

Sleepless in Seattle

I hate that even though I can't stand movies like "Walk to Remember", "The Notebook", or "P.S. I Love You", I still love "Sleepless in Seattle". It still makes me wish that I believed in "the one". I really wish I did. To those of you that have found their one, I'm so happy for you. To those of you that haven't, don't ever stop looking. To those of us who don't believe....well, maybe we'll change our minds. To those of us who have found them and lost them.....don't ever forget them, they will always be with you in your memories even if they're with someone else now, or passed away, or just too far away. There is a rhyme and reason to this crazy thing called life and one of these days I'll figure it out....or maybe not. Sleep well........

So Confused

As you can probably tell by the fact that I'm posting at 12:30..........Paul is not here! I am so confused!! I had candles lit, made a great dinner, drank good wine, and he stayed to watch 3 movies! We leaned against each other on the couch, talked the whole time we were watching movies and had a great time. When he went to leave he asked if he could make me dinner on Friday night and also said he'll come and help paint my new place on Saturday. But then he didn't try to kiss me!!! I got a hug goodbye and that's all. I don't get it! I almost just kissed him but since he did ask to make dinner for me at his place I figured maybe he's more comfortable on his own turf.

**It also may have something to do with the fact that he's allergic to cats, and I have a cat, hence his eyes were itching and watering the whole time - yet he was still here for 4 1/2 hours!

My gut says he's into me, but what's with the no kiss? I'm quite frustrated. First I get a guy who's all over me that I don't want to kiss, now I have a guy who seems into me but didn't try to kiss me. It seemed like he wanted to but then he didn't. Maybe he's just a little shy. Why else would a guy hang out through 3 movies and an allergic reaction, ask to cook me dinner in 2 days, and offer to help paint my new place if he wasn't interested? Ok, no more over analyzing. I need my beauty sleep.

By the way, 5-10 inches on snow tomorrow in MN!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH I hate winter.

Lasagna

I love to cook. I mean LOVE to cook. I like making up recipes and finding new ingredients to use. Although I don't know some of the fancy cooking terms, or how to make fine French cuisine, I can make some yummy comfort food and I'm especially good at Mexican and Italian food. Tonight I am making lasagna for Paul and I happen to love my recipe and thought I would share it. It takes about 1 1/2 hours of prep and 1 hour to cook.


I'm not cool enough to make my own sauce so I start with just plain sauce, and then add stuff to make it my own.
Fresh garlic is an absolute must!!!
I love fresh basil and put in almost everything I cook.

I like to use the flat sheet noodles instead of the crinkly kind. They lay better. I also soak the noodles in hot water while I prep everything else. I know most boxes say they will cook without boiling first but I find the noodles need a little softening first.
Romano cheese is a staple in lasagna of course.
Also, fresh mozzarella...
And fresh provolone.
Instead of beef I use lean ground turkey in everything. It takes better and it's way better for you! (And if you have people in your family that would prefer beef just don't tell them and I promise they won't taste the difference!)
I use fresh mushrooms chopped up in the sauce to add flavor.

PREP:
Preheat oven to 350. (You'll need it to cook the mushrooms before you put them in the sauce.)
Fill a pan with hot water and place noodles in it to soak during prep.
Brown garlic and extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet.
Heat up two cans of sauce in pot and add oregano, chopped fresh basil, and finely chopped garlic.
Place the mushroom slices on a sheet pan and brush with extra virgin olive oil, cook for 15 min.
Once garlic is browned add ground turkey and cook until browned(usually takes around 20 min.)
Once mushrooms are cooked, chop up and put in sauce. (let sauce simmer for about 20 min to let the flavors come out.)

Once all the prep work is done, layer sauce, noodles, cheese, and meat. Top with a bunch of mozzarella : ) Cook for about an hour until top of cheese is browning and bubbling.

Serve with a side salad, french bread - with oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping, and nice glass of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon - my favorite wine!

Enjoy ladies!!


******EDITED TO ADD: I also slice up fresh tomatoes and layer them in the lasagna.

Back in The Saddle Again

Well my lovelies, I can't just give up on dating because of one weirdo can I? Oh no I can't!

Tomorrow night, my friend Paul (who you may remember I went out on a couple dates with after Mike and I broke up the first time in September, didn't feel a ton of chemistry but really liked him and stayed friends, and he took me to dinner for my bday a couple weeks ago.) is coming over and I am cooking him dinner and then we're watching movies. He also said that next week he wants to take me to this Mongolian place that just opened by his house.

I had totally put him in the friend zone but he's been such a great friend, and he's such a great guy that I've started to wonder if maybe I wrote him off too quickly. I decided it was best to investigate so I invited him for dinner. I'll let you all know how it goes!

The New Roomy (Miranda)

My challenger in the 80's dance off


Miranda is the redhead, her cousin Laura is the dark haired one in the middle...and then me. (I love my double chin in this pic haha)
Laura, dancing of course : )

Me and Laura

New House!!!!

YAY!!! You know how I was going to meet that girl about moving into her townhouse? Well I met her Saturday, ended up spending the day with her and going out with her and her cousin that night and had a blast!! It's better than I could have imagined!! She's so awesome, the place is a beautiful 2 bed, 2 1/2 bath townhouse. She has two little tiny dogs that I adore! And she's letting me decorate the whole place however I want!!! And it's way cheaper than my rent now!! I'm so excited! I start paying rent in April but she said I can move in whenever I want.

I already decided how to decorate-yes I am a decorating nerd! I'm doing a "world" theme. Every room will be a different country. The living room will be either India or Morocco, the kitchen will be Italy, the downstairs guest bathroom will be France, the stairwell leading up to our bedrooms with be Greece, her room will be New Zealand (she picked that country bc she lived there for 6 months!) if I do a theme for my bedroom it'll probably be China since I have a huge painting of a cherry blossom tree with a Chinese signature on it, and tons of Asian decorations. I am so excited to start decorating!!!!!

We also had a great time Saturday night. By the end of the night we ended up at a Ramada Inn and I decided we should have an 80's Dance Off and I ended up in a dance off with this 4 foot tall dude from China. He was sweet and totally beat me haha.

Congrats!!!!

And the winner is...............Island Girl! Congratulations!!! Send me an email at rachelh96@yahoo.com with your address and I'll send it today!!

Just realized...

Ok that actually wasn't my 100th post, I thought it was bc under "edit posts" it said 100, but it was counting a few drafts that I never posted. Oh well!

GIVE-AWAY!!!!

It's give-away time!! I have some goodies for you ladies. So here's how to enter:

1 entry-post a comment on this post telling me your favorite way to relax

2 entries-post a comment (see above), and put up a post on your blog about this give-away and let me know you posted it

3 entries-(do both of the above mentioned) and become a follower of my blog (if you're already a follower then you automatically get an extra entry)

You have until Sunday at midnight to enter.

Here are the goodies!!

A vintage inspired clutch

A Starbucks goody bag with mint cocoa, tea, coffee, & coffee mug

The Sweet Dreams Package: Herba-gel eyelid compress, Dream Silk Comfort Cream, Elixir of Dreams Pillow Mist, and a Dream Zone Sleep Mask

A silky, lacy, black Vera Wang robe

I couldn't do a give-away without Sharpies and Post-it Notes! There are three different notepads, one reads "Why yes, I am looking for a shoe sale!", the second one reads "Yes, I am personally bringing sexy back", and the third reads "Don't postpone chocolate". The sharpies are part of Breast Cancer Awareness merchandise so part of the profits go to cancer research. (My mom's mom died of breast cancer so I like to support BCR as much as possible!)

Pomegranate candles and reed diffuser with oil

And of course, a fierce red lipstick because every woman needs one. Brand: Flirt Shade: Wicked - of course ; )


Good Luck Ladies!!!!!

Lots to Say

*Well I took all of your advice and just talked to him this morning. I told him that I just didn't feel the chemistry and it was nothing he did I just didn't feel it and I was sorry. He was upset but took it ok. The only annoying part was when he asked if we could still make-out so that the trip wasn't a total waste. UMMM NO! Men.

*I looked at a few apartments and found one that I like, and I'm also meeting a girl this weekend to see about moving into her house - I'm hoping she and I get along bc it would be super cheap and I'd have someone to hang out when I'm bored.

*This is my 99th post which means....drum roll please.......it's time for a giveaway on my next post!!! Get ready to enter for a lovely box of goodies : )

She's Just Not That Into You

I knew it. No spark. No chemistry. No zha-zha-zoo. And he's a bad kisser. Very bad, like in the one Sex and The City Episode where the guys rapes Charlotte's face with his tongue. (Although it wasn't quuuiiitee as bad as that.) He's very nice, but it's not gonna happen.

Ok ladies I need help here ASAP. How do I nicely tell him "I'm just not that into him"?????

My Diet

Ok my body is officially freaking me out. Yesterday I got weighed and had gained 8 lbs in like 2-3 weeks. Then today I try on "the pants" I've been trying to fit into and they fit! They're slightly tight but I could button and zip them and they feel fine. WHAT IS GOING ON?????

My doctor said my thyroid levels are fine so she doesn't know why my weight is yo-yoing like this. Weird.

On a different note I finally finished the paintings for Krystyn's girls! Here they are.... Hope you like them Krystyn! (sorry for the bad pic quality!)

Roleplay

“I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.” ---Carrie Bradshaw

I'm watching the movie "My Best Friend's Girl"(hilarious movie by the way if you have the sense of humor of a 15yr old boy-as I do) It's interesting....and it's so true. Women love assholes. This isn't news to any of us. We all know that fact by heart. We date and we date and we date. We date the nice guys, the assholes, the smart guys, the rich guys, the artsy guys, the normal guys, the marrying guys, and the list goes on. We play the part of the perfect girlfriend for each guy and find new and interesting things about ourselves in the process.....but what if the woman is the asshole? I love the game, I love flirting and getting to know guys, etc. The roles change in some cases and in my case it sometimes is that way. AND IT WORKS Lance, for example. We have these lovely conversations and talk for hours about how much we have in common, and how great it is lalala. Then I start to lose interest a bit.... I stop calling as much. I cut the conversations short, I actually act pissy when I've had a bad day. And guess what? He sounds offended at first, starts to wonder if he really likes me after all....but then magically it turns into "Oh it's ok I'll put you in a better mood when I come visit! I'm going to make you smile!" blah blah blah And I'm turned off.

I know how it feels to be the asshole. I also know how it feels to regret it. I did it before with Weston. I let him go, we stayed friends, back and forth over and over as you've read in my previous blogs. He's still with her, he seems happy enough I guess. He's going to have a lovely little life with her and I'm left standing here going "Umm wtf did I do and where do I go now?"

Do I date this guy who's slightly annoying? Should I have stayed with Mike and put up with his crap? Do I keep dating and meeting guys that just don't make the cut? I just don't see how I'll find someone that I can slow down and just be with and let it happen and not worry about it and not have the drama. I'm picky, and I can be emotional, but I'm also very loyal, funny, and very loving. I make a kickass girlfriend, but only if the guy is man enough to handle me. Hmmm.

"...if you can find someone to love the you you love, well that's just fabulous." And it is! But here's the kicker, you have to know yourself and love yourself the way you are to let anyone else love you. Then it should be easy, right?? You meet the right guy and poof, like magic everything falls right into place. Ummmm perhaps in the movies but in real life it's not so simple.

But I digress...

We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher

Workin' so hard like a soldier
Can't afford a thing on TV
Deep in my heart I'm a warrior
Can't get food for them kid, good God

Rock it in the daytime
Rock it in the night ...

Rock on ladies, rock on.

Frustrated

Well, just got back from the doctor. She did X-rays of my knees and also did a test of my Thyroid because when they weighed I had GAINED 8lbs. Are you kidding me?? I've been doing cardio - with no resistance so it isn't muscle mass that I've gained - and eating a ton less and eating every few hours to keep my metabolism going and I've still gained weight. She thinks I may have a thyroid problem or my body is having a reaction to my birth control. I could go off of it but then my ovarian cysts would come back and keeps bursting randomly which makes me feel like I'm getting stabbed. I'm hating my body right now. First my cervix, now my knees and hips, my weight, and my ovaries.

Work is also stressing me out because even though I took Thurs and Fri off, I still somehow got roped into meetings all day Thurs. I have a lunch meeting I can't get out of and 3 conference calls. So I told Lance to come Thurs but he insisted on coming Wed and said he'll just read a book while I'm working. Ummmm.... what? So now I'm going to feel rushed in my meetings and irritated because I'll feel like I have to entertain him. Whatever.

Sorry, I'm in a very very bad mood.

Oww

My knee/hip joint pain has gotten to the point where I'm giving in a going to the doctor. Ever since I was little my knees have hurt due to the fact that I have little to no cartilage in them. The past few months it's been horrible and I blamed it on the severe cold, but this week has been much warmer and they still hurt. I couldn't even workout the past 4 days because of it and this morning I woke up at 4am because I was in so much pain and couldn't go back to sleep. I have an appt. with my doctor at 5 today so hopefully I can get this figured out! This week is going to be crazy busy what with my 4 new accounts for work, and the boy coming to visit.

***on the "boy" note, I'm so stressed this week I would almost rather not have him come but he's so excited that I would feel bad. Plus if I don't like him I can stop talking to him sooner rather than later.

***I got new bath towels at Kohls(my favorite store) last night and I am in love!!! They're the Luxury Supima bath towels and they are so soft and big and snuggly. The towels I currently have are either from college or are old towels I stole from my parents house when they got new towels. I thought it was time to get towels that are soft and yummy that actually match my bathroom. (I got the chocolate brown ones.)

***Also at Kohls is the Vera Wang collection of everyday clothes which I am obsessed with and right now it's all 30-50% off with some items on clearence 80% off even! She has a very loose, flowy, feminine style that I love.

Happy Valentines Day!

First of all a big Awww for the roses I got from Lance today : ) Also we did have a little talk last night and he does do his own laundry most of the time and he admitted he should be nicer to his mom even when she annoys him. We shall see. I've been snippy with my own mom before (sorry mom, love you!) and it doesn't mean I'm a bad person so I guess I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

***** I need you ladies to be my sounding board. Am I too picky? I feel like sometimes I pick and pick at the little things and write guys off before they ever have a chance, then I give the chance to the ones that don't deserve it. Why is this???? Do I have a subconscious aversion to commitment so I only date men that I know I won't end up with for the long term? Something to consider.


My new hair. Sorry I couldn't get the lighting right to really see and I also have no makeup on and just woke up. Yes I am a scrub. I'll post better pics when I get a chance.


Enjoy your saturday everyone!! (Hope you all survived Friday the 13th!)

Hmmmmm...

So it's a few days until Lance comes to visit and I'm still not sure how much I really like him. He has a lot of good qualities and we have a ton in common which is good, but at the same time there are some things I don't like.

#1. He still lives at home because after he graduated he went to boot camp for the marines, decided it wasn't for him and moved home to work with his dad.
#2. He quit bootcamp in the middle. I couldn't handle bootcamp myself so I can't judge but it shows a lack of follow-through.
#3. Tonight he was on the phone with me and starting get snotty with his mom because his jeans were missing and he couldn't find them because she did his laundry and put them away in the wrong place.
#4. HIS MOM STILL DOES HIS LAUNDRY
#5. He still wants to go oversees and now wants to join the National Guard, and I don't know if I really want to date a military guy because I've seen how hard it is on my friends who go through it. (But I respect the military and their families a ton, don't get me wrong! I just don't know if I could handle it.)

I'm getting frustrated......I still want him to come, but I sort of feel like I may not like him as much as I thought I would and I don't want to have to go through a whole weekend if I decide I don't like him. Would it be rude to tell him that if I feel that way when he comes, and ask him to leave? THIS is why online dating can be a bitch.


*************
I edited this post to add that he apologized for me overhearing him fight with his mom, it's just that he gets tired of her misplacing his laundry. Umm WTF
My response : Well perhaps she gets tired of doing your laundry. You're 25, perhaps it's time you start doing your own.

I still haven't heard back haha........ I might just adopt a little girl and live happily ever after on my own. I'm getting a bit bored with the men I date. I'm like Goldylocks...I want one that's Juuuuust Right.

**Speaking of Goldylocks I got super blond highlights - by accident sort of - and now my hair is really light and I'm not sure if I like it. Will post pics tomorrow if I get time.

My Diet...Day 8

Well, so far so good! I had a really stressful day yesterday and was swamped with work but still went to the gym at midnight! I did 45 of cardio then my knee about gave out so I just did the bike very slowly for another 15 min to keep my muscles from cramping up. Then I did 15 min of yoga to relax, and went tanning.

I tried on "the pants" this morning and I could button them and zip them but they're still very tight. 6 days to go!

I must say though that cardio gets addicting! I don't go super fast, that way I don't get too worn out too quickly but I find myself wanting to run longer! And I've also started looking at food as just a way to keep my metabolism going. I haven't been snacking at all and I go to bed hungry every night. I hope I get addicted to working out! How great would that be?? : )

My Diet, Week 1

Well, in light of the pending visit from Clay-I mean Lance, I have decided to lose 10lb in 2 weeks. (technically it's only a week and a half from the start of my diet until he comes but I'm being hopeful that I can still achieve the 10lb weight loss.) Can I do it? We shall see!

So far I have done an hour of cardio every other day for the past 5 days and for the past 3 days have consumed around 1200 calories per day of healthy food! I'm going strong. My problems at this point include my semi-sprained knee from last week which is hating me for the running and bike riding, and my stomach which keeps asking for McDonald's fries and a double cheese. So far I have resisted this craving. I don't even own a scale to know how much I weigh-sad I know, so I will be measuring my success by the way my pants fit. I have this pair of dress pants that are a size too small and also have no stretch. When I wore them was about 5-10lbs lighter than I am now. If I can wear those and have them fit loosely I will know I have succeeded. This morning I could put them on and zip but not button them and they were tight.

7 days to go! If I succeed I will further challenge myself to lose another 10, in which case I would weigh less than I did in highschool! If anyone would like to join me on this challenge for moral support I would love that!!!

The Letter Game

Here's the deal: If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know, and I’ll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it on your blog. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on.

The lovely Tara assigned me the letter "R" for the game

1. Riesling....one of my favorite kinds of wine
2. Racehorses...I actually love any horse but this way I could put it on the list ; )
3. Red...one of my favorite colors
4. Rain...I love the smell and the sound of rain
5. Random...I use that word all the time
6. Retro...I love retro clothes and furniture...even some music
7. Reagan..my cat
8. Recipes...I love cooking and trying out new recipes
9. Relaxing...nothing like have a long work week and relaxing in the tub listening to music
10. Redecorating...growing up my mom always let us redecorate our rooms and now I love decorating all the time

Leave a comment by Wed. at midnight and I'll assign you a letter!

wedding crashers

Wedding Crashers is one of my favorite movies and as many of my friends know, I quote it all the time. I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes. What are your favorite movies/movie quotes?

"You shut your mouth when you're talking to me!"

"[sigh] Janice, I apologize to you if I don't seem real eager to jump into a forced awkward intimate situation that people like to call dating. I don't like the feeling. You're sitting there, you're wondering do I have food on my face, am I eating, am I talking too much, are they talking enough, am I interested I'm not really interested, should I play like I'm interested but I'm not that interested but I think she might be interested but do I want to be interested but now she's not interested? So all of the sudden I'm getting, I'm starting to get interested... And when am I supposed to kiss her? Do I have to wait for the door cause then it's awkward, it's like well goodnight. Do you do like that ass-out hug? Where you like, you hug each other like this and your ass sticks out cause you're trying not to get too close or do you just go right in and kiss them on the lips or don't kiss them at all? It's very difficult trying to read the situation. And all the while you're just really wondering are we gonna get hopped up enough to make some bad decisions? Perhaps play a little game called "just the tip". Just for a second, just to see how it feels. Or, ouch, ouch you're on my hair."

"Yeah! Crabcakes and Football. That's what Maryland does!"

"What's wrong with you?
What do you mean "what's wrong with me?" What's wrong with you?
No, what's wrong with you?
No, what's wrong with you? You're projecting!
Drop it.
You drop it! You stop projecting on me! Why don't you go enjoy yourself while I go ice my balls and spit up blood.
Drop it!
Team player!"

"He lived with his mom till he was forty! She tried to poison his oatmeal!"
"Erroneous! Erroneous! Erroneous on both counts!"

"I didn't get a lot of sleep last night.
Soft mattress?
Yeah, it could have been the soft mattress. Or the midnight rape. Or the nude gay art show that took place in my room. One of those probably added to the lack of sleep. "

"Wow. Mr. Environmental is also a hunter. That's got to be an interesting combination.
I hunt quail, Jeremy. They're overpopulated in this region and they're decimating the grubworm population. You got a problem with that?
Not nearly as much as I do with the attire that you have on, or just your general point of view towards everybody. But let's go kill some birds. I'm psyched. "

"Mom! The meat loaf!"

---

Lancey-pants

Friday night in my living room. The phone rings around 10 and it's Lance. We start talking, a bit awkward at first since we've never spoken, but eventually we started cracking up and telling each other about ourselves. By the time we got off the phone it was 5 am!!! It was like one of those great first dates where you don't want to stop talking. The best part was that he's just as big of a dork as I am. The next morning I realized I have a bit of a crush on him, so very 9th grade of me.

Yesterday we text each other all day and made plans to see each other. He's coming to visit the weekend after next : ) He wanted to come for Valentines but A. I have too much work to do and B. I felt like that was too soon.

Saturday night we talked for 4 hours before both of us were too tired to hold a phone. Again laughing and joking around all night. He also informed me that his nickname is Lancey-pants which made me laugh so hard I almost peed my pants. I then told him about my nickname, Fancy. And the rest of the night consisted of Lancey-pants and Fancy-pants making fun of each other.

I kinda like him ; )

For Your Viewing Enjoyment

Lance and his dog, Champ
Lance being a dork at his mom's house


He's growing on me, even though he resembles Clay Aiken.

Oh and p.s., as of right now, I am officially 23.

Sleep well everyone!

Karma

What is the universe trying to tell me? Let's see, Saturday me and my bf broke up, today I found out that I'm not getting the transfer to Dallas, and then as I was getting in my car after grocery shopping, I slipped and twisted my knee and ankle (the same knee that I sprained really bad about a year ago) got muddy slush all over my jeans and boots-both of which are now stained really bad.

My birthday is in 2 hours and I'm afraid of what tomorrow will bring!!!! I'm crossing my fingers

Clay Aiken

Ladies, observe.

Clay: "Wow, Lance you're really sexy. It's like looking in a mirror. I'd like to take you out sometime and make sweet sweet love to you. How does that sound?"

Lance: "Hey dude, I have my conceal &
carry so back off!"

Clay (singing): "All byyy myself... don't wanna be, all by myseeeeelf"

Lance: "I'm going to punch you in your squirly little mouth."

Clay (singing): "Come on baby make it hurt so good!"

Lance: "You look like a girl."

Clay: "No, I'm very butch and have superfly hair be-otch."

A Little Detective Work

I love my sneaky ways. Lance, from eHarmony mentioned something to me in one of his messages that got me to thinking...and Google-ing. Because of this I found his name, age, hometown, college, fraternity, and several articles he wrote about politics. Damn I'm good.

The good news is, he told the truth about who he is, the pictures are of him, and he is the age he said and from the town he said. So far he's honest. And we seem to have a lot in common. More juicy info to come!

Crappy Day

I didn't get Dallas. Happy birthday to me.

Aww

I forgot to post about this.....
I volunteer once a week at a women's halfway house and last week when I went they had made me a poster with cute little notes all over it. These women are great. Most are ex-drug addicts, or ex-cons or both; but they have so much strength. These women have grown up in horrible situations for the most part and they made so many mistakes but they work so hard everyday to turn their lives around. They are truly an inspiration to me.

Birthday Date

Well I got me a birthday date! (Ok actually it was more of a coincidence.) I went out with Paul a couple times last fall after Mike and I broke up the first time. He's not a very good kisser. Therefore I never went out with him again. He's a nice guy but there's not really any chemistry. Anyways, we keep in touch through texting now and then and today he asked if I was busy Saturday. We haven't seen each other in months and he wanted to catch up. I said my evening was free and that it happened to be my birthday. So now I have a little date/hangout on my birthday. Hey it's not a guy I really wanna date but he's a friend and at least I won't be alone on my bday now! : )

Another Giveaway!

Want a Lilly P headband and keychain? Check out Pink Cupcake!

Giveaway!

No, not from me, sorry! But check out Chic&Pink! It's her 100th post and she has a fabulous giveaway!!!

2am...still can't sleep

Ok, so since I can't sleep still I'm going to share my personality profile from eHarmony with you. It's very long so feel free not to read it : )

You are best described as:

TAKING CARE OF OTHERS AND TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

Words that describe you:

Fair Considered Collaborative Responsive Sensible Diplomatic Contemplative Indulgent Rational

A General Description of How You Interact with Others

You are important. So are other people, especially if they are in trouble. You have a tender heart, but you know how to establish and keep personal boundaries. You are empathetic and compassionate, but you also believe that it's best if people solve their own problems and learn to take care of themselves, if they are able. You are deeply moved by the needs of others, but you know that if you don't take good care of yourself, you'll wind up being of no use to anyone. So yours is a thoughtful compassion. You strive to be fair and sensible, taking care of others while also taking care of yourself. When someone really is in trouble, you like to collaborate with them toward a solution; they do their part, you do yours. You consider carefully, and respond in a sensible way; they do their part, and together you move through the difficulty. You seldom act impulsively; rather, when a problem arises, you take your time to think through the situation. This contemplative quality usually means that you'll arrive at a diplomatic solution, one that's fair for the other person and also fair to you. It's frequently a win/win situation.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You

For people who are ruled by tender-hearted compassion, your more diplomatic response to problems might seem too cool, too focused on fairness and not filled enough with sympathy and selflessness. For them, when someone's life is on fire, what is needed is not collaboration but rescue. And the person who experiences their life on fire may resent the time you take to contemplate. "I need you, and I need you NOW! This isn't about fairness, it's about the fire." "All deliberate speed" may seem too deliberate and not fast enough, either to the more compassionate or to people in genuine trouble. At the other end of the spectrum of compassion, those who believe people should take care of themselves may find even your thoughtful sympathies too soft. They expect people, themselves included, to work their own way out of trouble. They are convinced that the helping hand you lend just fosters dependence and is not good for the development of character, either in you or in the person you assist.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

Many people, perhaps the majority, will come to appreciate your balance as a compassionate person. The more they get to know you, the more they will admire your thoughtful compassion for others and its compliment in the sensible ways you take good care of yourself. Those whom you help will appreciate the way you leave them with their dignity by expecting them to collaborate in their own rescue. Those who are more tender-hearted will find in you a balance they lack; when they've run out of energy because they fail to take good care of themselves, you will still have enough compassion left to lift others out of trouble. Even the tough-hearted, those who believe people should solve their own problems, might come to admire your tenderness which they don't find in themselves. So the people you help will be grateful, and the people who see your balance between self and others will admire you. Certainly, balanced is not bad at all as a way to be known among your friends.

On the Openness Dimension you are:

CURIOUS

Words that describe you:

Original Inventive Thinker Brave Eccentric Avant-Garde Out-of-Touch Unique

A General Description of How You Approach New Information and Experiences

You think like an artist. Or better, you SEE like an artist. While most people look at life's straight lines, its height and depth and width, you're bending the lines with your imagination and turning black and white into shades of blue and yellow. And in conversations at work or with your friends you want to ask, "Do you see what I see?" A few might, most don't, but you've piqued everyone's curiosity with your own original and inventive ways of thinking. You can, if you must, think in conventional ways. But left on your own, you'll usually opt for the eccentric or avant-garde; in fact you're usually bored with what everyone else is comfortable with. You learn from reading, talking, watching people and other fauna and flora, and simply sitting in the soft chair of your mind and wondering how people would learn how to count if they could only use uneven numbers. You are out in front of conventional ideas, bravely originally defining true and false, right and wrong, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward Your Style of Thinking

You drive through life faster than the speed limit, and when you hit speed bumps, and you hit a lot of them with your mind distracted from the straight line ahead your wheels leave the ground. For people who like life at a safer speed, you move too fast and lose touch too often with the solid ground they prefer, hence their discomfort with you. As odd as you might find this, many people feel safe in the shelter of the world they already know. They like the familiar. They breathe easily and sleep deeply knowing with more certainty how the world works. So although they might enjoy your company and be curious about your latest notion of how to count backwards by threes, they can only take you in small doses. And they wish you'd quit trying to push the boundaries of their personal and social cosmos.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

Even those whom you make uncomfortable know, as just about everyone does, that you're not a flake. You think well, and even your wildest fancies have their roots in the deep soil of sound ideas and tested beliefs. So even if some people don't want to drive at high speed with you, they will respect you for your courage as an innovative and unconventional thinker. You lend color and imagination to what would otherwise be the straight black and white lines of their work world and social environments. A few more daring people of your circle might even learn from you to take a risk they would otherwise never consider. As comfortable as they are on solid ground, they may be curious about what it would be like to go faster than the speed limit, or paint the living room two shades of blue, or question ideas or beliefs they've fingered like sacred beads since they were children. After all, they watch you do it, and you seem no worse for the risks you take. In fact, your eyes are wider and your breath quicker, and maybe they can find at least a bit of this for themselves. To be certain, they don't want their wheels to leave the ground, but maybe the next time they approach a speed bump they might just brace themselves and speed up just a little bit. On Emotional Stability you are: SOMETIMES STEADY, SOMETIMES RESPONSIVE Words that describe you: Adaptable Engaged Able to Cope Passionate Perceptive Flexible Receptive Aware Avid A General Description of Your Reactivity In some ways, you've got the best of emotional worlds. When emotions rise up from inside you or are brought forth from a conversation by a friend, you know how to engage them. You deal with sadness, fear, joy, anger - whatever comes up - in ways that are perceptive and flexible. You can adapt to whatever level of emotion is appropriate to the moment. At other times, you are able to cope with your emotions in a more reserved manner. Because you are aware of what does and does not make emotional sense in a particular situation, you will decide when it is an appropriate time to express your emotions and when it would be best to keep them to yourself. All of this gives you a rich emotional life. You are free to express your passions about certain subjects with appropriate people. But you are also emotionally adaptable; if the conversation needs to be more cerebral, you'll keep it "in your head" and talk calmly through whatever issue is on the table. This emotional awareness serves you well. You seldom get in over your head, either by opening up to the wrong person or by triggering in someone else's emotions they may not be able to deal with. Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You When it comes to dealing with emotions we all meet some people with whom we don't match well. You bring a balanced approach to your emotional life. As such, those who are at the extremes are most likely to have a negative reaction to you. Those who live in their emotions may feel you tend to "live in your head" while those who go through life as an emotional rock may feel that you are a bit too "touchy feely" for their approach. And of course it is always possible that because you do balance your emotional approach to life you may misread others - we all do at times. So there have undoubtedly been those times when you have misread cues and stayed in your head with someone who hoped for a more open emotional approach or you may have opened up emotionally with someone who keeps their emotions bottled up. But these things happen and since you do have a good balance of being in touch with your emotions and not being overly impacted by emotional swings, you undoubtedly are able to adapt. Another potential problem is that as people get to know you well, they will discover that you have a great balance between emotional expression and emotional control. If they don't have this balance they may wind up envying you. They can't express feelings as well as you, or they are too often out of emotional control and resent you for your ability to cope so well with the very emotions that may trip them up. Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You Many people will be grateful to find a friend like you who can stay in control when emotions verge on chaos, but who can also go into the tangle of emotions when it is safe and appropriate to do so. Because of your ability to engage them at whatever level they are comfortable, to adapt to whatever changes in emotion emerge in the conversation, and to cope so well with all of it - well, they'll be very glad they found a person like you. You may, in fact, wind up as something of an emotional mentor. Your awareness of the emotional temperature of a situation, your ability to adapt to either heat or cold, and your ability to cope with whatever winds up happening in the conversation could be models for them to follow as they come to terms with their own emotional worlds. Your approach toward your obligations is: FOCUSED AND FLEXIBLE Words that describe you: Casual Informal Compliant Reliable Organized Solid Dependable Uncommitted Genuine A General Description of How You Interact with Others When you take on a task at work or at home, you are reliable; you get the job done. In an organized way, you define the goal, lay out a plan, figure how long the task will take, and get to work "solid and dependable you". But and this is important you're not a slave to the plan. You're committed to it, but not chained to it; the connection is more casual and informal. You know that sometimes "the best laid plans" fall off the tracks; when this happens, you clean up the train wreck and start over, undeterred. Though not happening often, when plans change, you're okay with it. In fact, sometimes you change the plan. It's too nice of a Saturday to finish organizing the garage. Let's go for a bike ride instead. True, the next rainy Saturday will likely find you back in the garage, but for now the work can wait. What an interesting combination of qualities in you're organized, but casual; solid, but compliant; and dependable, but informal. At home and at work, people know they can rely on you. You take great satisfaction in knowing that people think of you as disciplined and responsible, but you also know that you have something of a free spirit in you, and when this spirit moves you, off you go, following the impulse of the moment. You are rightly proud of your work ethic, but you also enjoy your willingness to lay the tools down, crank up the music and play like a child. Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You Some people live like Marines: duty-bound, disciplined and driven. To these people you might seem uncommitted; where they would never leave work for play or change plans in the middle of their life's forced march, you let the circumstance sway you and move in a different direction, and they don't understand. Others live like kites on a string, attached by thin threads to the solid ground of responsibility and are blown about by every gust of impulse or imagination. To these people you might seem too cowardly, like you'll flirt with your impulses but never give in fully, play on a Saturday but never blow of the entire work-week to "follow your bliss". While these Marines and kite-flyers might look down on you for your combination of focus and flexibility, others might be envious. They can't free themselves from a sense that they're not doing enough, or from the equally frustrating feeling that they're not free enough. And here you are with your accomplishments and your pleasures, getting the job done but also getting your hair blown back as you run with the wind. As far as these people are concerned, you're lucky you've got the best of both of the worlds in which they feel they fail. Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You What a great life you have, and a great attitude to boot. You know when to buckle down and push ahead to get the job done, and you do it well. You know when to lay the tools of your trade aside, grab your kite and head for the meadow where you can run with the wind. Many people will see and admire in you this lovely combination of a person who can focus, but who is flexible enough to know when to let the spirit move you in some new and livelier direction. It's a life they aspire to, and they delight in seeing it played out in your life. They may ask your advice and turn you into a mentor of the full and balanced experience. They will want to know how you do it, what the costs are, and if you get frightened that you're not working hard enough or playing often enough. They may make you think about your own life more than you have, so you can share it with those who want to emulate this balance between flexibility and focus. They may be correct lucky you! When it comes to Extraversion you are: OUTGOING Words that describe you: Friendly Gregarious Full of Life Unreserved Kindhearted Talkative Emotional Spontaneous Vigorous A General Description of How You Interact with Others People light you up. In conversations, planning meetings or almost any social situation, you bring your energy and your friendly, outgoing personality into these engagements with other people, and you come away pumped up. You can hardly wait for the next event, as long as other people will be there. And you're good at it. You know how to communicate. You listen well, the first rule of good communication, and then, when it's your turn, you talk vigorously and with animation; in your uninhibited way you give all that you've got to the encounter. In situations where you feel very safe, when you know and trust the people you're with, you can be very kindhearted and unrestrained. You let your affection for and pleasure in being with others flow freely. You're wide open And when you get back this same kind of unrestrained warmth, you are deeply satisfied. Because you are so friendly and full of life, these are among your favorite moments. Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You As much as you like being with other people, not everyone will like being with you. Hard to believe, but your gregarious and warm manner is not everyone's cup of tea. Some people are more cautious than you in personal encounters; others think the work place should be more formal, more impersonal than is comfortable for you. Still others, who may want more of the spotlight, will find you too much to compete with once you get your lively and outgoing self in motion. Here's another word of caution. You've been at this warm and open way of relating for a while, but for some people it's a brand new experience. They may be protecting something inside themselves, some fear or guilt or shame, or some private part of their story that they're not yet ready to share. Your openness might threaten them, and they'll take a step back and be reluctant the next time to engage you in the kind of exchange you find so easy and satisfying but they find so dangerous. Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You Many people, most probably, will be glad to be in the room you're in. At work you make the environment livelier and the banter more interesting, so the time moves swiftly and the experience is a happier one. At home you keep everyone connected because you engage each of them in the conversational action, and as a result they are more connected as well with one another. You make home a warmer and more interesting place for everyone who lives there. You might also be helpful to some people. There are those who need to talk but aren't very good at it. They don't know how to begin the kind of conversation that would allow them to share whatever is in their personal stories that they'd like or need to talk about. You could make that easier for them with your way with words. Some people just need an example and a little encouragement to come out of their shell and get into the greater fun and personal connectedness that will make their lives so much more satisfying. Again, you might be just the right person to make that happen for them. So almost everyone will be glad to be with you, you make life more interesting for those you live and work with, and you could help some of your friends who need just a little encouragement to open up and find in themselves the kinds of energetic and warm connections that you thrive on. Not that you are a pushover; in fact, you are often quite assertive. In taking care of yourself you also make sure that others are engaged and energized.