We made it home Saturday night and spent Sunday organizing and unpacking and sleeping.
There will be stories coming soon, but I have a shitload of work on my desk so there must be that first.
Happy New Year.

Labels: Dallas Trip, Triniti

After two hours in the car...
"Mamma, we should have went to the airport."

After four hours in the car...
"Mamma, are we still in the United States?"

Labels: Dallas Trip, Triniti

Or Have a Happy New Year.



Unfortunately, I will not be around for the New Year. I will be in Dallas with my mother's family. My Uncle is turning the big five-oh and we are all sneaking up there to surprise him.
So while some of you will be home with your significant other sipping champagne and watching the ball drop, I will be ringing it in with all of my relatives.
Without a single hope of being kissed.
By a really cute boy.
*sigh*
No, no. It's okay.
I'll be fine.
Kiss-less, but fine.
(Unless of course you have some cute, single boy with an accent just sitting around that you want to get rid of. If that's the case call me!)



So, next time I see all of you crazy people, it will be 2009.
And I have plans.
Oh yes.
Plans.
A new year? Well this will be one with some changes.
Oh yeah, changes.

And if not changes? Then there will certainly be procrastination.
I can promise you that one of the two will occur.
Oh yes.

Labels: Dallas Trip, family drama

I'm done. Finished. It's over.
Thank. You. Universe!
The last three months of insanity have finally come to an end. The homes here are completely redone (pics soon, I promise), my Halloween Party is done AND cleaned up (thank you Jiffinner, The Cake Lady & Fairy for all your help!!) and yesterday I took my Certified Office Manager test!
The Big Three Things that were sucking up all of my time and attention are done.
Finally.
And do you know what dear reader? I'm already getting out of sorts with the thought of all that free time. I'm already trying to book it up. I'm having to make serious effort to not book it up. What is wrong with me that I just can't accept some stillness? Some down-time? I have issues. (As if that is news to ANY of you :P)
Here is what the rest of my year is looking like:
Amanda turns twelve on the 19th. *gasping for air* Give me a second. *grabs paperbag, deep breathing* Ok, I'm all right. So Amanda turns twelve and has opted that instead of a huge birthday party, she wants a huge present. This is cool with me. In fact, in my house we kinda have this teared birthday party option chart. It goes like this:
Big party and little gift
Medium party and medium gift
Small family party and huge gift
I'm cool with any of the three options seeing as how they cost me the same amount of money and it really is up to the girls how they want to do it.
But get this, the kids is trying to Out-Electronic me. She wants an Ipod touch. It was that commerical, the one where you are driving the car or whatever by moving the Ipod as if it were a steering wheel that pushed her over the edge. So I have to get a small party together at home where she is awarded a mack daddy mp3 player and I push down my jealousy.
Thanksgiving is on the 27th. This one isn't too bad for me since The Cake Lady usually just tells me what to bring and when to show up. I do want to try out a few recipes first as I am feeling brave and Fairy is begging me to make a pumpkin cheese cake (DB?!?! WHERE ARE YOU?) which I've never done before but I think I should attempt like a hundred times before Turkey Day since cheesecake is gooooood :)
Christmas is in seven weeks! You know, I really enjoy Christmas. It's the one holiday that I do not attempt to do anything except for be home with my family. I don't typically travel and there have been a few years where it is only the girls and I which I really love. I cook (I know, shocking!) and we all spend time together which is so nice. However, I freaking hate the shopping part. I hate trying to figure out what to buy the girls and how to be fair in shopping for everyone. I hate trying to figure out who else I need to get gifts for and what to get them. It stresses me out and I think half of the reason I love Christmas is that when it finally happens, it's such a relief to be done. It's a lot of work.
I leave for Dallas on December 30th. This year, I somehow got tricked into going to Dallas to spend New Years with my mother's family. Although traveling by car for anything over an hour is usually an excuse for a temper tantrum in my book, it will be a significant improvement over that year when that guy I did the whole New Year's Eve Blind Date Thing with bit me.

And then that's it people. 2008 will be over. I'm tempted to start my recap post now since this has been such a huge year for me but I will save that for another day.

Labels: Being Mommy, Christmas, Dallas Trip, daughters, family drama, my crazy life, My pathetic excuse for a love life, recipes, Thanksgiving, The Cake Lady, The Universe

Thinking of a title is usually one of the hardest things about blogging. You want it to be catchy and interesting and sometimes funny. Thinking of a title was not a problem after this weekend, picking one was :) Such titles as 'The Mortician Stalkers', 'The Cowboy and The Morticians', '39 minutes at 28 thousand feet', 'The Party Bus Full of Balloons', 'Zero body fat', 'Guessed his age by feeling his stomach', 'Did you know the Pope died?', 'Snotty brat on the plane', 'Condoms at Albertsons', 'Hurricanes, Mind Erases, and Buttery Nipples... oh my'... The list goes on and on (literally - it's in my bag). I was jotting down blog titles in my hotel room and making metal notes the entire time we were out.

Let me start by saying that I had an absolutely awesome time in Dallas. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was not expecting all of these wonderful people to exceed every expectation that I had for them. I wasn't expecting that I would have NO down time at all because we would be having such a fantastic and jam packed weekend. I wasn't expecting to connect in so many ways to so many people in such a short amount of time! I wasn't expecting to cry and then laugh like I haven't laughed in so long all in the same day. I have so much to tell you all that I am hoping I can fit it all in the same post.

[note: I realized very quickly, while typing this story, that it wasn't going to be possible. I will get Friday in today, the rest I will try and add by the end of the day or tomorrow. I will put these in order when I am done. For now, I am going to post what I can when I can, so stay tuned!]

~Kate
part one

Labels: Being a Chic, Dallas Trip

~FRIDAY~
I guess I should start with Friday. I have to admit that when I was packing everything Thursday and Friday that I was having an inner panic attack. I was suddenly very scared of something bad happening. I kept hearing that voice in my head saying that I was an absolute idiot for leaving my kids. What if my plane crashed and my kids were left without a mother all because I wanted a weekend of fun?? I had to repeatedly reassure myself that I wasn't doing anything wrong and my freaking out was little more than nerves and an overactive imagination. This didn't stop me from leaving love-notes under my daughter’s pillows and damn near video taping a message to them in case something DID happen. Yeah, I know, I'm insane :P
So, I am sitting in the airport waiting to board and reading a Nora Roberts book. Every time I read one of her books, I get pissed off at myself. By the time I am done with the book, I am all melancholy. It really makes you want to be in that kind of love. I tell myself to stay away from her stuff and then I read more and want what she is writing about more! lol Anyway, I was reading to keep my brain distracted until I had to get on the plane. Why is it that I never get to sit by some gorgeous doctor on the plane? Huh? The Universe always puts me next to either some fiftyish man or some chatty chic. Not fair! I am walking down the aisle to get to my seat and I walk by something like ten HOT guys and then I end up sitting by the business chic on the way there. Oh and in case you were in need of something to snicker at, I totally whacked my head on the overhead compartment twice when getting into my seat.
So, then the flight. It was windy as all hell on Friday and that flight was bumpin' and shakin' the entire time. Scared the shit out of me. It was a Friday flight from San Antonio to Dallas so it was full of business people heading home and none of them batted an eyelash at the turbulence while I was trying so hard not squeal like a girl. I grabbed the seat in front of me twice when the plane dropped. The guy two seats over never stopped his crossword puzzle. Those business people have nerves of steel.
I arrived at DFW at 4:50 and was greeted by the girl in the pink cowboy hat whom I will call 'SB'. She was exactly what I pictured her to be. Organized, a sweetheart, gracious, and just plain awesome. She had the BEST parking place! We chatted on the way to the hotel... I say 'we', I should say I rambled incessantly and she patiently listened to my babbling, lol.

part two...

Labels: Being Mommy, Dallas Trip

At the hotel, I got checked in. Had enough time to run my bags to my room and then get my ass in gear as we were supposed to have left already, lol. This all happened so fast, let me see if I can remember the order... I met 'MBB' at the check in counter. He was exactly how I had pictured him only a helluva lot more fun then I could have imagined! And it is now official that you live to far away MBB :( Next I met Jer... I have to admit that if someone hadn't said her name, I would have been screwed because I hadn't ever seen a pic and wasn't sure who she was (sorry!!). I thought briefly that she might have been 'The Girl'! Anyway, then I met 'Lola'! Lola and I must have been separated at birth or sisters in another life because we just clicked immediately and I am already missing her so much! After I threw my bags into my room, I ran to 'Liz's' room and gave her a quick hug and hello before heading into the Lobby to meet everyone for dinner. When The Girl walked in, there was NO WAY that I could have missed her! Her personality just fills up the room and you know who she is immediately! 'Tuxbaby' was the last one I met and I really should just refer to her as Mother Hen :) She was so great and so sweet!
Off to dinner we went in... I don't know how many cars, lol. Two pitchers of margaritas between Liz, Jer, Lola and I at dinner and picture passing where everyone oooh'ed and awww'ed at everyone else's gorgeous kiddos. The food was so yummy! Stories were shared and friendships were solidified over Mexican food that still makes my mouth water. Then back into the cars to head to the Rodeo.
We were an hour late for the rodeo and arrived at the Team Roping part. Lola and I both sat down and spotted the CUTE guys two rows down literally at the same second, lol. One of the guy's shirts said 'DIFS' then under it said 'to embalm and preserve'... The guy sitting on his right was... -DROOL- he was OMG Hot! All three of them were good looking guys, but that guy on the right was ahead in the race :) We left the Rodeo and went to Billy Bob's. This place was fucking HUGE! And the direct definition of a Meat Market. You couldn't throw a stone with out hitting a HOT dude! Lots of eye candy! Then (surprise, surprise) if we aren't sitting at the table next to the guys from the Rodeo! :) Tuxbaby went over and asked what his shirt meant and he told her he was in Mortician school!
Lola, Jer, and I decided to go take a walk around the place and see just how giant it was. While we were walking around, Jer kept falling behind. When she got back to the table she said that it was fun walking behind Lola and I because every time we walked past a guy/guys they would just look up and watch us walk by. lol The next time she came back, she brought 'Nate' who proceeded to drool over Lola for the remainder of the evening.
There were drinks and conversation until very late. I think it was after one when we left and headed back to the hotel. Everyone was pooped! Funny thing was, the next morning, almost everyone admitted that they couldn't sleep when they got back to their rooms!
Ok, that covers Friday, I'll start on Saturday in a little while :) Don't hold your breath, it'll be a little while because I am starving and have a pile of work :)
Did I miss anything? E-mail me! My brain is mush and I know my details and recollection isn't at an all time high :)
~Kate
running off to the coffee pot and begging for more :)

Saturday...

Labels: Dallas Trip, Lola

Good morning, dear reader. Today is my Friday :) No work for this girly tomorrow. Why? Well, I am hopping a flight to Dallas.
"All my bags are packed
I'm ready to go"
Yeah right! Most of what I need to pack is located... does that count? lol
"So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Because I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again"
(actually, I'll be back Sunday afternoon, lol)

Well, ya'll, I will be out of contact from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. I am going to try and get my second history less up tomorrow before I leave to keep everyone busy until I get back :)
If you get bored, you can still ask me questions or read my first history lesson or laugh at my pain... There are many a post to peruse and if you leave comments, they will notify me via email so feel free.
In the mean time, you can also check out Hot Toddy's blog, or comment on my dating blog, or see what Desolation Angel has been up to... Or you could get up and step away from your PC and head outside. That bright yellow thing in the sky (all that blue stuff) is called the sun. Sit in it's rays for a few minutes, it'll give you a better tan than the light from your monitor :)
Gonna miss you guys!
~Kate

Labels: Dallas Trip