West Meets East...Coast That Is

Guess Who's a Mrs.!!!

2006-09-25T18:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, so hopefully these picture makes up a bit for my absence as of late. As most of you who've been through the wedding planning process know, it's exhausting and mentally and emotionally draining. So I desperately needed a break from everything that wasn't on the "Must Do" list.

So yes, we are married now...and I promise I will share details of the day. It was amazing, and for the most part, the day was flawless. And I will say that I think we had the best reception I've ever been to. Not that I'm biased or anything. But we even had guests start karoke'ing. Yeah, I'm talking about you Miss Ang or should I call you Miss Bon Jovi "Living on a Prayer". Needless to say, the dance floor was packed all night and the guests had a great time. It was a big, fun party which was exactly what we wanted. I'm still waiting for the photos from the professional photographers, but I do have a few pics that friends have sent me from that day. So to make up for my extended blogging break, I'll share a few right now and post more later in the week. Enjoy!

Life is slowly returning to normal....oh, except the whole moving across country thing!!! Yep, you heard me right. But if you want to know, you'll just have to come back for that scoop. Don't be greedy now...patience my dears! I know, I suck!

Testing....

2006-09-25T18:56:00.000-05:00

Um...do I even have a blog anymore? Anyone out there? Hello....can you hear me now? Hehehe.

What Sucks More Than Grocery Shopping....

2006-06-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

Trying to write a list for said grocery shopping trip...

Oh, and what's worse than that? I will tell you! Trying to come up with a grocery list that follows the rules of the South Beach diet and contains only those items that will help me zip up my wedding dress and still be able to breathe. Actually at this point I'd settle for just having the damn thing zip up. The only way this could get worse would be having to actually eat those items on the list. Ha!

Ok enough whining. Anyone have any ideas on what I should get my lovely and wonderful bridesmiads? And Ang, Tram, Mia, etc you are not allowed a vote in this! :) Actually, you should not even be reading this...so stop now. You heard me...Shoo! Go away! Yeah, I'm talking to you...hit the road chicas! (But I say all that with love...haha.)

Drive-Thru Blogging

2006-05-25T16:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I owe you all an update. If any of this is a repeat I apologize, but I'm too lazy to look through my prior posts to see if I already talked about this. Hehe.

- First, I got a job? Did you all know that? Well, I did and it's with a smaller company, there's only about 40 employees. I think I much prefer the corporate culture of small companies to larger corporations. When prior evil company hired me I never got a Harry & David gift box set with yummy goodies like new company sent me. Although, the lemon shortbread cookies, so not helping me fit into the wedding dress. More on that later. Love the people at the new company, dislike a.m. and p.m. commutes that average between 75 and 90 minutes each way. So far work has been a bit slow. I'm hoping that the pace picks up not in a crazy-manic way, but just in a yeah-for-not-being-caught-sleeping-and-drooling-on-the-keyboard-because-I'm-oh-so-bored sort of way. :)

- All floral-related items for the wedding have been taken care of. Which yeah! But boo...because now we have to go back and meet with the cake lady to redo the look and colors of our cake which is all lavendar calla lilies which doesn't really fit in anywhere now.

- Still have more mucus expelling from me than should be humanly possible. Antibiotics...ha! Not doing much for my system. Or at least not expelling things and drying me up quickly enough.

- Still a bit stumped about the dress not fitting, especially after my doc appt today where I got weighed and apparently weigh less than I did when I bought the dress. Today's weight was 119, back when I got the dress I think I was about 127. You do the math, I don't get it. Only thing I can figure is that since I've so been slacking on the exercise front, I'm getting flabby. Maybe the extra weight was invisible muscles that at least kept the tummy and bottom of my arms from being so flappy. Hehe.

- Oh, and I guess the last time we talked I left you with a not really mysterious secret....yeah, let's just leave it that way. Ha! So kidding! So my handsome, oh so smart, super-computer programming honey had an interview for a job in Colorado! And he got offered the position because...well, hello they'd have to be idiots not to snatch him up. Only little problem is that we won't know for sure until July 25 because the job offer is contingent on his company winning a contract. No contract = no work = no Colorado = sad, bitter Lisa & Sean. We're so ready to be done with the rat race that is this area and the insane commutes and the rude people! So yeah, don't ask me how we're going to make it through 2 months of not knowing, especially me of little patience. But working on getting the house ready to sell will hopefully keep our crazed little minds occupied. And if we don't go, well we'll have a pretty updated house to show off to all the out-of-town wedding guests.

- Last update, the kids are doing well. Except for Baden, the other pups in the neighborhood have been gossiping about him. Well, not so much about Baden, but about his father. Sean took him on a walk the other day in his fancy-high-power suit looking all GQ except for the minor detail of his belt being unbuckled and his fly hanging wide open. And of course, little Miss Observant, that being me, didn't even notice. Haha! Sean took this as proof that my eyes never travel to certain areas. Hmm, I think that was a complaint. Ehhhh, I'm too congested to care! :)

Phew....ok, I think that's enough for now. That should tide you over for the next few weeks, right? Pretty please?

Our Regularly Scheduled Programming will Resume when the Mucus Subsides

2006-05-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I am just a bad, unreliable blogger. I feel so bad. Ok, not really. Ha! But...I do have news though! Big, exciting, oh-my-gosh-this-has-to-happen-or-the-universe-is-just-mean news! But I'm not going to share that with you until I have time to do it justice. And right now...sorry, but my big box of Puffs Plus with Lotion tissues is calling my name. I believe this is the fourth box I've gone through over the last three days. Are you feeling sorry for my pathetic nasal-drip self yet? No...well fine then! That just means I'll make you wait even longer for the news. Just teasing! I will be kind enough to leave you with a hint.

....I heart the Rockies.....

Holy Haagen-Dazs!!

2006-05-04T08:08:00.000-05:00

Um....ok....so I tried on my wedding dress yesterday, and granted it probably wasn't a good idea to do so after indulging in Moo Shu Chicken with plum sauce and Chinese pancakes, but the dress did not fit. I repeat, my wedding dress does not fit now!

That's right, I can't even zip it up all the way. So not fair!!! How can the universe be so cruel? But I took the hint and got my apprently ever-expanding butt on the elliptical yesterday and I did weights. A routine it looks like I will need to keep up with if I have any hopes of fitting into the dress by my wedding day.

So who votes for me just buying a new wedding dress?

G.I. Jane, I'm So Not...

2006-04-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

A conversation Sean and I had in the car earlier today...

Me: I think if I had to serve in one of the branches of military, I'd pick the Air Force. I don't know why, but for some reason I just think they'd let me sleep in the latest. Oh, and I'd have to work it into my contract that being a curly-haired girl and all, I'd need an extra hour of prep time in the morning to straighten my hair.

Sean: Honey, if it ever gets to the point where our armed forces are that desperate for people to serve, it's time to throw down the white flag and say lots and lots of prayers.

Hmmmph! Apparently, Sean doubts my skills as a warfighter. Sheesh, just because I'd want to look nice while kicking a little ass. What's wrong with that? ;o)

It's Over...and I have the footprint on my butt to prove it!

2006-04-17T21:31:00.000-05:00

So you would think that after subjecting me to three weeks of ostracizing, the silent treatment, switch-a-roo games, and other misc mean-spirited behavior that they would at least let me have peace for my final day. Oh no! That would be asking too much. Here's a short list of things I learned today.
- Apparently, I've spent the last several years working under a manager who has no idea what a letter of reference is and even after having it clearly explained to him still is not capable of writing it.
- This beloved company that I devoted 5 years to does not have a corporate policy in place for references. Meaning that it is up to the Supervisor's discretion whether they respond to or answer questions about prior employees. Apparently, they are welcome to and it's encouraged that they refuse to answer the questions of perspective employers.
- This company's HR is not for the peons, but rather those earning six figure and up salaries or impressive, but meaningless titles.
- Our HR likes to pat you on the head and say "oh, that's a shame", however if you're expecting them to take action on your behalf or stick up for the rights of or mental or emotional well-being of the employee, well you're living in a fantasy world.

.....so after today I get to start tending to my battle wounds and start trying to rebuild my confidence in myself, my faith in others, and my hope that there's a company out there that truly does recognize and maybe *gasp* reward motivation and those who seek growth and advancement. There's just so much anger, frustration, sadness, shock, and hurt...and I'm not sure how to process it all. I know, it sounds overly dramatic, but I feel like I just ended an abusive relationship. The upside- been there, done that, and I survived. And one thing they can't change is that I didn't slink into a corner. I stood my ground and fought my battles, and did so while maintaining a professional demeanor, something which is all too foreign to them.

Ahh....my sympathy to the poor sap who replaces me.

Friends...how many of us have them?

2006-04-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

So this has been a roller-coaster of a year. Life with my honey is great. Stressful and crazed with the wedding planning, but we're tackling it together like we do everything else.

Work...well can't go into that quite yet. But trust me...I think there will be some very therapeutic venting in my near future. Is it April 17th yet?

I have a great core group of friends whom I love, adore and cherish dearly. However, over the last few years there have been some people who have tried to enter that circle. I hesitated, but with time grew to trust them. Unfortunately, lately it's been biting me in the a$$. Since when is it acceptable for someone to only be your friend when they need a shoulder to cry on or someone to sympathize with them? Or why would someone deem it ok to seek your advice and support when they're going through a tough experience, that you yourself have lived through and make you dredge up the past, but then suddenly vanish as soon as their life isn't in shambles. Others call as they please and when they finally decide to do so, they spend the entire conversation rattling on about their issues, life events and concerns. I guess I just don't get it because it would never cross my mind to treat someone I liked or disliked in that manner. It's just rude and hurtful. And lastly, there's the one whose willing to ask and listen to details of my life but absolutely refuses to divulge any information about their's. I don't even know what to call that....but it certainly isn't a friend. If you don't trust me enough to let me into your life, why do you care to know about mine? Or if you don't think I should have details about your life...um why are we friends? Help me out folks because I am just not smart enought to figure this out.

Updated to Add: Job Interview this Friday! It's less pay and the drive would so not be fun...but sounds like a great company and it may just be worthwhile to take something I'm over-qualified for as a way to get my foot in the door. So far the benefits look good to. :) Keep the prayers coming please! Thanks guys!

Spare Change Anyone?

2006-03-27T17:39:00.000-05:00

So it's official. I turned in my resignation today and gave them three weeks notice. The good news is that this puts an end to the months, scratch that, years of disrespect and obnoxious patronizing behavior that I've had to endure. The bad news...well, I don't have another job lined up. But I am sending out a gazillion resumes each day, so something has to come through, right?

Pray for me folks, lots of prosperous money-making prayers, ok? :)

March Madness

2006-03-21T07:19:00.000-05:00

So the past few weeks have been such a blur. There's been extremely difficult mid-terms, so much so that as soon as the exams were placed in front of me the thought crossed my mind to just leave now and save myself the embarrassment. But I stayed...I'll find out this week if that was a wise choice. :) Last week it was wedding mayhem around here. Sean's delightful parents flew in to help with the planning. It was so nice to be able to show them the ceremony and reception sites and they loved both. Speaking of, Pastor H, who is supposed to marry us is not doing so well. They thought he was suffering from asthma, but it's actually something much more serious involving blockage of a major heart valve. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. He's such a kind and funny man. We wish him strength and good health and hope that he will still be able to officiate because I know he will add something very special to the day.
In other news, did I mention that I ate more food than any bride-to-be should even dare to while his parents were here? His mom's home-cooking is just too good to even try and resist. My dress is seriously intimidating me know. I guess I'll just have to girdle up really good! Ha! I know there's still "plenty" of time to get in shape for the wedding, I just need to make time to exercise and stop with the desserts already. Sheesh!
So I've officially joined the 21st century. No, I do not have an Ipod, but I do have my very own shiny PDA with a screen that has oh-so pretty colors. :) I'm trying it out today for the first time in class. Let's see if I can manage to type up anything that resembles English using the itty bitty super-cool keyboard attachment I got for it. Who knew I could be so high tech?
Ok, more to tell but I have my final mid-term today so I guess I should make yet another effort at studying. I know I'm slacking at this blogging thing lately, but I did warn you all. And honestly, my life isn't super exciting right now. There's work (which is ticking me off more than you know and on a regular basis now, but I don't want to dwell on the misery that is my office environment), school (I'm really struggling this semester...I think it's just lack of motivation because I've been going for so long and I'm just ready to be done with it already) and finally the wedding (which every time we think we've made huge progress, someone mentions something that we completely overlooked). Damn them! :) I keep telling Sean that all I need is him and the pastor and all the rest is just extra. If we forget something, eh...no one will know. Hopefully! Also, I don't want to turn this into the "Wedding Blog" because this is a nice escape from the craziness that surrounds that most of the time.
So maybe I'll just go back to buttering you guys up by showing lots and lots of Baden Pup pics...because my friends, if those don't melt your heart nothing will!

P.S. Bethers, I'm so sorry about Lambchop. Our furry babies are part of our family. I'm so sorry hon. *hugs*

P.S.S. To my other dear friend whose going through a hard time. I'm here for you and you have so many friends who love you and we'll do anything we can to help you through this. This includes giving you a kick in the a$$ if (when) you need it. You're stronger than you think and ultimately you'll make the choices that are right for you..because you're smart like that. Luv ya!

This Look Says Must Have Wine in Massive Quantities due to way too much Fun with Floral...

2006-03-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Could this be the look of a bewildered Bride-to-be? Our appointment with the florist yesterday took over two hours. Oh, how our heads hurt afterwards. But progress was made as you shall see! It's so exciting to see it all coming together. I love what we've come up with. The colors will be a mixture of deep wine/sangria red, warm orange and creamy white. The only detail left to tackle with the florist are the centerpieces. Our brains and wallets hurt too much after picking out the bridal/bridesmaids bouquets, groom/groomsmen/father/grandfather boutonnieres and corsages for the mothers/grandmothers.

Oh, and please excuse the wild hair. Did I mention I'm trying to grow out my bangs for the wedding? Ugh, what a painful process!! They're long enough to constantly get in my eyes and annoy the crap out of me, but not yet long enough to tuck behind my ears. One of these nights, I'll probably lose it and hack them off. I'm just teasing, but jeez this is an exercise in patience, which we know I have very little of. Check out the new glasses. I'm trying out transition lenses, so really the dark circles under my eyes are quite that bad. The lenses were just at an in between shade.

My Bouquet...

2006-03-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

My favorite...the Bride's Bouquet!! Sean actually picked it out. I always knew my honey was a smart man. The red roses will be replaced with Black Beauty roses and keeping the white freesia as is. This is a European style holder in the picture. It's not really my taste. So I'll be going with the classic clutch so you can see the stems which will be held together with a pretty ribbon. Also, the flowers will not lay entirely flat. The roses will be tucked slightly below the freesia. I prefer the up-and-down look since I think it's more natural rather than man-made. I also don't want it to look like a giant red and white ball. :)

Bridesmaids' Bouquet

2006-03-05T15:16:00.000-05:00

A mixture of Gerbera Daisies, Mambo Spray Roses, Bronze Freesia, Butterscotch Daisy Mums, Akito Roses. My bridesmaids will have the same bouquet except the colors will be less pink and more rich. The roses we'll be using are called Black Beauty. They're a very deep shade of red...almost wine-colored and absolutely gorgeous. Also, we're taking out the little white roses to avoid a polka-dot look.

The Church Altar

2006-03-05T15:11:00.000-05:00

A view of the altar and stain glass window from inside the church. I can't believe in less than six months I will be standing in this very room saying my wedding vows. The picture came out really dark. Hopefully our photographer has much better luck working with the lighting. But hey...for the money we're paying, they better!

The Church Entrance

2006-03-05T15:08:00.000-05:00

I wish everyone could visit it's such a warm, happy place. Who needs Disnelyand? ;-) I can't wait to have all our family and friends, those we love most, all in one room. (Ok, that's enough sappiness for now.)

An Outside View of the Stained-glass Window

2006-03-05T15:07:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know the picture is a little off-center. Cut me some slack, I never claimed to be a photographer.

Eeeek!! The Countdown Has Begun...

2006-02-25T22:42:00.000-05:00

Six months from today is the big day. It used to be this far off date that was just kind of looming out there way off in the future. I didn't need to worry about all the wedding details, vendors, guests lists, invites, shoes and jewelry (good God, could I just find something that matches already). I'm guessing though it's fairly common for a bride to feel like she's just inches away from a nervous breakdown or from ruining the whole day, because oh my god you forgot something and you're a horrible bad wedding planning person, and your guests will remember this forever and life as we know it will cease.

Ahem..sorry about that. I think I'm back from my mental meltdown now. Thanks for listening. :)

Sean, if you're reading this. For the love of God, would you please finally put the damn ring on the proper hand when trying on wedding rings. Do you think there's a hidden message in the fact that he keeps putting them on his right ring finger? I mean, come on, you're left-handed honey! Your first instinct should be to put it on the leftie. Sheesh! ;o)That's ok, keep it up because each time you do it I think the carat weight of my wedding band should increase. Hehe.

Don't You Just Hate Prickleys?

2006-02-17T16:15:00.000-05:00

Sean, being the great guy that he is, (oh and it probably had something to do with him fearing never getting lucky again if he didn't), got me a big bouquet of red, pink and white roses for Valentine's Day.

Lisa: Ahh, Burger-butt thanks for the flowers. They're beeeutiful!
(Sean walks over to check them out)
Sean: There's different colors, right? Because I didn't want them to be plain so I ordered a variety.
Lisa: Yeah, babe there's pink, white and red.
Sean: What the hell is this?
Lisa: What...what's wrong?
Sean: This flower is decapitated, the one over there has brown petals and they didn't even bother to take off the damn prickleys.
Lisa: (trying to stifle a giggle) Prickleys?? Um, honey what exactly are prickleys?
Sean: You know the pointy things that stick you.
Lisa: You mean the thorns?
Sean: Yeah, those...the prickleys. They always cut them off. This is just unacceptable. I'm writing them an email. They better fix this.
(Sean emerges a half hour later from sending off his email)
Lisa: So did you give them a piece of your mind?
Sean: Damn right I did. I told them they better fix this or they'll lose a long time customer.
Lisa: Hmm, sounds like you were pretty tough on them. (trying to keep a straight face) So did you scold them about the prickleys?
Sean: Of course.
Lisa: Um, please tell me you called them thorns in your email and not prickleys. Because it'll probably be a bit difficult for them to take you seriously using the word prickleys.
Sean: (shoulder shrug) No, I called them prickleys. Trust me they got the point.
(15 minutes later)
Sean: Mother F*cker! I should have called them thorns.

Update: So this bothered him so much that night that he didn't sleep very well. Yes, my honey is a bit of a control freak perfectionist. So he kept beating himself up over trying to be a tough guy while at the same time using a word like prickleys. Hehe! But the rest of his email must have been pretty good because I arrived home today to a huge bouquet of gorgeous red roses in a pretty vase tied with a ribbon. You know, a girl could get used to coming home and finding flowers waiting outside her door weekly. (Hint, hint Sean). Hehe!

My First Public Service Announcement

2006-02-13T09:37:00.000-05:00

So you know what burns and hurts like a mother f*cker? That would be getting extra pulp orange juice in your eye while wearing contacts. Yeah, so my entire drive in to work I was trying to ignore the tiny strings of pulp that were disrupting vision from my left eye. Me and my pulpy o.j. eye made it into work, but of course no one has contact solution here. (Before you ask yourself, "Well, why isn't she smart enough to carry it with her?"...Well, the answer would be that I just started wearing contacts again because I've been battling dry eye issues so my eye doc is having me try out various brands of dry eye contacts...Anyways, bottom line I haven't had a chance to go buy a travel bottle or even one to just store at the office.)Thank God, one of the ladies had something called Blink & Clear?, and that combined with some water helped me scrub most of it off.

Public Service Announcement 2: Water doesn't do a very good job of moisturizing a contact and getting a dry contact to stick to your eye is a b*tch!

Public Service Announcement 3: Always carry make-up with you so you can do emergency touch ups. I now have eyeliner and mascara on the bottom of my right eye, but it has all rubbed off under my left eye. Now, I could attempt to make them match but then I risk messing up my concealer and scaring everyone with my dark circles. So I guess for today, the eyes, they won't match. Gah!! I'll just tell all my coworkers that it's the latest trend in fashion and that I'm tre chic.

Mondays....who needs them? Bah!

Kicking Off 2006 in Slacker Style...and Family Insanity Preview

2006-01-21T23:13:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok...so I know I've been awful about posting regularly. If it makes ya'll feel any better I've been slacking off in many areas. This being my last weekend of freedom before Spring semester begins on Jan 23, I should be getting the house/bills in order, going to get my taxes taken care of so I can fill out the FAFSA and get me some loan money so I can pay for academic torture, and probably cleaning last semester's crap out of my backpack. But alas, instead I have chosen to plop my butt on the couch and lounge around all day watching cheesy Lifetime movies. I tell ya those things are addicting. Rather than ending winter break in a blaze of glory it's much more appealing to spend a lazy day lying in bed.

I think I'm still trying to physically recover from the recent burst of traveling activity. Oh, and yeah...I so haven't mentally recovered from the December visit with my family. I'm going to give you guys the snapshot version of one aspect of rudeness and ridiculousness that I had to deal with during this wonderful visit home. My sis arranged for us to have lunch with my mom and her hubby. No biggie, right? Well, the first time my sis was seeing our mom in ten years and I've only seen her two times over the last ten years. Neither of which times was very pleasant. As you may imagine, my sis and I were a bit apprehensive/nervous/curious as to how this lunch would go down. Both sides agreed that it should be low key and no issues or serious topics would be addressed. This was basically just supposed to be a casual lunch. Well, certain family members felt the need to invite themselves to the lunch, one of them being my aunt. It began to feel like the lunch was becoming some sort of side show or the hot ticket in town rather than something private and low-key. And with my family, the more of them in a room the more likely sparks are to fly. So here are some of the highlights of why I'm not too happy with Aunt C.

1) When I called her to tell her that I thought it best that it just be my sis and I given that this was going to be the first meeting in a decade, she went ballistic and hung up on me.

2) The next day she called and left me a nasty "make-up" voicemail that basically said, even though you were evil and insensitive and cruel I'll forgive you. I ignored this message because really what good could have come from responding. Nothing productive.

3) A few days later Aunt C calls my sis and asks her to let me know that they won't be able to attend our wedding due to money issues. This was never a factor or mentioned before. Hmm, apparently money matters didn't affect their Reno trip the day I arrived or the Las Vegas trip they were going on two weeks later.

4) My last night in town I called my uncle to say that I was too tired to drive all the way to their house, but would be happy to meet them at a restaurant somewhere in the middle. He said he'd talk it over with my aunt and I never heard back.

Ok, there's more but this is already a book. Needless to say, I've received two messages from her in the past week. She's acting like nothing ever happened. I am not someone who can do fake niceness. If I'm going to talk to her at all then we're going to discuss these issues. However, I have a feeling that she'll go psycho and the conversation will go nowhere. So do I keep ignoring her till she gets the hint? It's tempting but my little cousin, B, is a junior bridesmaid, so I kind of need to know if they're attending since my sister nixed Aunt C's plan to send Cousin B to the wedding with my sis since we could watch her. Because in the days before my wedding I'll have nothing to do, right? Nope, so I'll plenty of time to babysit. Fricking insanity. I love my little cousin to pieces, but things will be a bit too hectic then for me to be babysitting. A sane person would know this. My family however, is not sane obviously. So any thoughts anyone (that is if you had the patience to make it all the way to the end of my ranting). Guess we know why I'm so tired, eh?

Back from the State Where Everything is Supersized

2006-01-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but rather had to hit the road again to travel for work. This time to San Antonio where I ate more food than is humanely possible and which I'm sure will be staying with me for some time to come. I endured major embarassment and frustration and stupidity while trying to give a presentation. It all worked out in the end and I did manage to recover somewhat gracefully or so I'm telling myself. I missed my boys like crazy! Oh, and have I mentioned the super turbulent flight and the multiple approaches we had to make due to rather mean gusts of winds. Yes, not a good scenario for someone whose already a paranoid, super nervous flyer. And it especially did not help when the girl next to me started crying and praying. Oh, and the guy on the other side of me was telling me about a tv program he watched about the American Airlines plane crash (same Airline we were on..thank you very much, but not the best timing). Apparently, he didn't think better of mentioning something like this to a girl whose crying and one (me) who was bent over her knees staring into a barf bag and thinking how will it all ever fit into this teeny tiny bag? It was then that I decided if I did get sick I so knew whose direction I was going to toss my cookies in. I know, nice imagery. Ok, so stories to tell but first I must recover from the mental and physical exhaustion. Oh, and get through the many loads of laundry that await me. What's been up with all of you?

When the F*ck did I become a Mam?

2006-01-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

So apparently, the Starbucks by our house is the local high school hangout. I made the mistake of going there a few days ago around 3, which is just about when school gets out. As I was leaving I held the door open for a teenage boy walking in. On the upside, the kid had manners. On the downside, he said, "Um,..thank you..Mam!" I happened to be on the phone with my friend Usha at the time, so she got to witness my horror and dismay firsthand. Both of which she found quite amusing. That's ok, she can laugh away because she'll always be a year older than me. That's right Missy Usha, so if I qualify as a Mam, then you may just be of age to join the AARP. Ha! Love ya girlie!

Bringing in the New Year in Style...He's Pimpin & I'm a Hoe! Mom Would be so Proud...

2006-01-04T23:19:00.000-05:00

My feeble attempt at striking a sexy pose. What can I say? There wasn't enough alcohol in me yet! The boots though- they are pretty sassy! Oh, and I wore a white bra with the black top....for me that's on the edge baby!

2006-01-04T23:18:00.000-05:00

Move over Jay-Z and Beyonce....There's a new Bonnie and Clyde in town.

2006-01-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

The always photogenic Ang took time away from the Jesus Juice to toast to the New Year! Check out that sassy shirt and more cleavage than I'd know what to do with. Haha!

2006-01-04T23:16:00.000-05:00

Sean channeling Al Pacino, his hero.

2006-01-04T23:15:00.000-05:00

Ba-da-Bling Baby! The Godfather would be proud.

2006-01-04T23:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, so maybe my outfit was tame compared to others. However, I like to think that I was a high class hoe or perhaps a Madam a la Heidi Fleiss.

Lisa + Jesus Juice aka alcohol filled punch = Poor, Poor Mr. Baden

2006-01-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

Mr. Baden would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! And he sends sloppy, wet, puppy kisses! Oh, and don't player hate just because he's sporting some massive Bling Bling around his neck.

2006-01-04T22:53:00.000-05:00

Bad boy Baden's "Whatchu lookin at homie?" face

Would You Care For a Spot of Tea?

2005-12-28T20:11:00.000-05:00

So an invite to spend the Fall 2006 semester studying abroad at Oxford arrived today in the mail for me. It's a huge honor and only those who have been personally invited are allowed to apply, unfortunately I'm about 18k shy of being able to afford it and I'd have to leave for the program four days after our wedding. So what do you all think? Anyone want to chip in for the 18k as a wedding gift? Ha! :)

No? Oh well, that's ok! I could never spend four months away from Sean and our furry kids. I barely survived 8 days even with constant phone communication. So 120 days with limited access to email or phone time and I'd definitely have severe Burger-Butt, Baden Pup and Tigger Kitty withdrawals. Besides, I so don't think I could pull off the whole English accent thing.

Eight Ball Says...Outlook Not So Good!

2005-12-27T17:27:00.000-05:00

So I survived my instruction duties at a training conference in Reno for work fairly unscathed. No one blasted me on the critique sheets or said what the hell is that "kid" whose half our age and without any military experience doing up there trying to teach us how to balance the Army's budget. As this thought had crossed my mind once or twice as I made my way through the smoke-filled casino. There's nothing like a week of listening to slot machines clink, clank and jingle. It's seriously enough to drive a person insane. Luckily my friends, I'm already on the verge of insanity.

Not shockingly most of the stress, frustration and outrage that I encountered during my travels were derived from a family member who has lost her frickin mind and chose to revert to tantrum-like behavior that would only be acceptable in a small child. I may get into that on here later...not sure though because that saga is ongoing. But the upside, hey maybe we'll have a few less mouths to feed at the wedding. Really, who needs family at their wedding? Hopefully, not me because as it's looking right now there will only be one relative- my sister. That could change, not sure if I want it to or not though. Decisions have to be made and some asses need to be kicked. I'm still deciding just how far I want to dig my heels in and if this is the appropriate time and situation in which to do so. We'll see. I know, I'm being cryptic. It's not intentional, but I'm not sure if this family member reads this. More importantly, I'm still mentally/emotionally trying to process all this shit, because basically that's what it is, and determine the best way to respond. I'm sure there will be a vent fest or two in the near future.

I was thinking of taking a step back from the blog thing for a bit and am still contemplating it, but haven't made any decisions yet. We'll see. If I have something to say, I'll keep doing it. If not, then I'll take a hiatus and just enjoy traveling through the blogosphere reading other's blogs and witty stories. I've met some great people through blogging and definitely intend to keep up-to-date with the happenings in their lives and will continue to enjoy their rantings and fabulous funny adventures. Right now, I'm just not sure how much sass or humor I have left in me. And there's only so much ranting and bitching you can do about family before you begin to bore yourself. So we'll see...not sure yet what the future holds. Hope every had a great Christmas!

Look Out World's Biggest Smallest City

2005-12-10T04:18:00.000-05:00

It's 4:18am, on a Saturday, isn't it illegal to be up this early? Let me clarify- it's not by choice. I board a plane today to go back west. The upside, I get to see my wonderful big sis.... Oh yeah, I get to see the rest of my family or at least the ones who didn't go out of town although they knew full well I was coming in today. Nice, huh? Par for the course.... Anyways. The downside...I have to spend the week at a conference, where I have to be an obstructer to a less than friendly crowd, speaking about a program which I know pretty well, but this crowd given that they all come from a similar work background, which I don't...well they always seem to ping me with the questions, that unless you've been there done that, you just wouldn't know. So yeah, they'll probably throw eggs at me as they call me little lady and sweetheart. Anyone want to change places??

I know I've sucked at this blog thing ya'll....but hey writing a post, this early!, that's gotta make you feel a little loved. I won't get back home until the 18th. Speaking of...have I mentioned yet how much I'm going to miss my Seanie, Baden Pup and Tigger Kitty. No furry kisses or stinky wet licks (from the animals of course). Damn it, Baden just came downstairs- I thought to hang out with me- nope the punk stole the rest of my English muffin. Eh....too tired to fight him for it. :) Seanie...I love you honey and I'm going to miss you so much while I'm away. The ache and that feeling like you're just not quite whole, won't subside until I'm back here with you and the "kids". I know most of you may think it's silly that I'm all sappy about 8 days away, but well too bad. Ha! Seriously, I spent most of my life not knowing what the sane, non-dysfuntional meaning of family was. Sean and his wonderful family have given me that and so much more. So now that I finally have a family that brings smile rather than tears, happy rather than horrified laughter and support rather than criticism, I finally have a home that I love being in and coming back to every day. It's all that ever hoped for and feared I'd never have. I thank God every day Sean for bringing you in to my life and thank you for being my rock, my sanity and the housekeeper/Starbucks errand boy the last few weeks. I appreciate it and I appreciate you.

All right ya'll I'm running late...chat at ya when I get back. Don't let me forget to tell you the story about how our vet laughed at Sean's "Huh?!?". Hehe.

Thanks for bearing with me through all the madness of the past few weeks. I survived and finished final on times....barely...no really. Thanks to a freak snow storm that almost caused me an incomplete in the course.

Desperate Adult Working Student in Search of More than 24 Hours in a Day

2005-11-28T18:17:00.000-05:00

I'm out of sass and don't look over here for class
Because simply put school is kicking my ass...

[Hey folks, hopefully I'll be back with a vengeance after the next week and a half. Sorry ya'll, but something has got to give and this is it. Plus, I'm pretty sure all four of my readers won't mind too much. :) We had a good 'ol Southern Turkey Day complete with racist commentary (I think she may have been dumb enough to not even realize she was being obnoxious) and Confederate flags (because Lord knows there's no shortage of those in Southern Virginia). Overall though, we had good food and great company. It was a nice, but an all too fleeting break from the grind. I returned home to a list of items to accomplish including writing two research papers, 3000+ pages of reading and Finals to prepare for. Eeek, they're next week! What the F***? Ok, now I really gotta go. I really do miss ya'll and I'd so rather be shooting the shit with you. So feel free to stop by and share your interesting stories to amuse me or keep me from drowning in a sea of tears or panic-filled sweat beads.]

Oh...By The Way

2005-11-17T23:12:00.000-05:00

Shouldn't you get an automatic day off from it all, if you are walking around so tired that you mistake your dog's breath mints for say...Certs or Tic Tacs? Don't ask...and I'm not telling!

Is it Possible to Fall Apart at the Age of 26...?

2005-11-17T22:51:00.000-05:00

- First, let's talk about the back pain. My mid to lower back right along and on the spine has been so tender, sore and gets severely angry when any pressure is put on it. Should I go to the chiropractor...um, yeah...but do I have time for it...No!

- I think it may be safe to say that as I get older I get crazy. Since my wonderful, panic attack ass-kicking pal Zoloft decided to "poop" out on combating evil-moody-angry-sad-crazy-crying Lisa, my doc has now added Wellbutrin to the mix. Double dosing on crazy pills must really mean I have issues, huh? hehe. See, I'm even high maintenance when it comes to head meds. But hey, at least I'm consistent.

- Yeah, so wore what used to be one of my fave VS bras today. No sooner did I get home and rip it off because the damn thing was digging into my skin. Um, apparently it's not bad enough that my waist and tummy are rebelling against me but whatever the hell that area next to your boobs and under your armpits is called is too. (And shut it- yes, I have an elliptical right in my living room that's brand new, but hey no happy pills = lazy, damn my ass is expanding Lisa.)

- At what point do you go through your closet and get rid of all your skinny clothes and just admit that, eh...I'm never getting those over my ass or to button again? Just curious, not that I'll do this...because damn it that would leave me with ample closet space and being that I am a woman I feel that is imperative that I keep super cramped closet as to not disturb the natural order of the universe. Besides, if I give up precious closet space, Burger-Butt might think he's actually allowed to store clothes in our closet rather than in the spare bedroom. Haha! (Oh, before you go...awww, poor Sean...it was his idea and it's not like our house is that big. His clothes only take an extra five seconds to walk to. Although, they are in the room with the litter box. Oops! Ok, so maybe I am an evil wench..but a loveable one with a pretty, pretty ring that sparkles oh-so-much and damn I should of got me one of these a long time ago.)

Love ya honey! Thanks for putting up with me and helping me retain what little sanity I have left.

P.S. I take no responsibility for grammar/spelling errors or rants that came out of nowhere due to lack of sleep and crashing on one work project or school assignment after another. Is this really all necessary? I just want to open up a darn doggy day camp center. Yes, I'm serious. Animals, so much better than humans. :)

Seeing Double

2005-11-14T17:47:00.000-05:00

So we took another road trip this past weekend. This time our destination was VA Beach for Sean's little cousin Baby Boy J's baptism. It was a weekend filled with adorable babies and their cute chubby cheeks and heart-melting smiles. I also got to meet little cousin Baby Girl G for the first time. She is just the sweetest thing ever! So playful, smart and curious. She was more than content to just entertain herself. She is 9 months and Baby J is 7 months. It's crazy how at that age, two months makes a big difference as far as their development and mobility, but a year from now you won't even notice the age difference. Baby Girl G can't wait to get this walking thing down. She does this little baby booty engine rev up as she begins to crawl and keeps looking for things to pull herself up. Baby Boy J, at this point can get in the crawling position, but isn't sure what to do or where to go quite yet. He loves to be tickled though. And his little ears that stick out- so darn cute! (They remind me of Sean's baby pics...hehe) Of course, all this just helped to spike my baby fever. Shhh, don't tell Sean! Haha. I know, I know, we really should at least get through the wedding first.

We got to see Sean's wonderful parents who flew in from Florida for the baptism and they spoiled as us usual. Not letting us pay for anything and refusing to take back money they gave us for gas. Being around them is so wonderful, but also just a little surreal because they're definitely more nurturing and parental than anyone in my family. :) But that would explain why Sean is the great guy that he is.

So we got into VA Beach a bit later than expected on Saturday and didn't have time to check in to the hotel before the baptism. We decided to change for the baptism at Sean's Cousin K's house. I laid my clothes down on the bed in the spare bedroom and then went out to get my make-up bag from the car. When I came back in Cousin K's sister-in-law came up to me and said, "Nice pants that you're wearing tonight, for a second I thought they were mine and I couldn't figure out how they got on the bed". Yep, that's right! We were twins..well almost. Damn GAP stores! And it's not like her and I live in the same area. She lives in San Diego. Ok, so fine whatever, at least our shirts were different. I was wearing a white shirt and she was wearing a black sweater...thank goodness. Oh, and of course when I went in the room to change and saw her pants sitting on the bed too, I just had to take a look at them to see what size they were. Yes, total neurotic chick thing to do. I should really learn not to be nosey. They were a teeny tiny size 2. Yeah, if she wasn't so sweet I would have to hate her for having just as good taste as me, but being able to fit in pants several sizes smaller than my size 8. Which by the way, I just bought and are now snug. Dear God, when will my body stop rebelling against me and just allow me to fit in my clothes comfortably again without having to unbotton my pants anytime I sit down. Damn Boston Market and their sweet potatoes are the root of all evil!

If You're Expecting Wit or Sunshine...Look Elsewhere

2005-11-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

So the last six days have been a blur. I've forgotten what it's like to not be a raging-stress-a-holic. Did I mention that my lovely happy pill meds have decided to go into "poop out" effect? Yes, folks apparently that's the smarty pants medical term for it. So the big plan was to get into the doc this week to get on something else, but of course both school and work have conspired against me to make that impossible. I'm telling ya, I was not made for this hectic, high pressure, over-demanding lifestyle. I was meant to be a lady of leisure. Haha!

Let's see in other news, here's just a recap of the last few days:

Friday- Call grandmother to have a rational, calm, adult discussion about a matter of some contention. Yeah, I so knew that wouldn't happen. Let's just say there was cursing involved (on her part not mine, c'mon I'm a lady) and she hung up on me. So yeah, typical crazy Mexican grandma behavior.

Sunday- Went to church and listened to kick ass guest speaker. She was a very wise woman and totally in synch with the way I think. Ahh, so refreshing considering that Burger-Butt spends half his time looking at me cock-eyed like I'm crazy and he can't believe my mind actually works the way it does. We met with the Pastor afterwards to make sure that he was willing to officiate our wedding. We spoke with him before briefly, but we just wanted to double check that he was willing to marry us and that it could happen in the church. (We weren't sure if the whole already living in sin thing would maybe be a problem....yeah, talk about awkward situation.) He noted that while yes, he would prefer that we weren't living together, we already are so shouldn't he encourage making it legit with marriage (or something like that). All I know is he said yes and we can get married in the church and we didn't get made to feel like heathens and happy, happy, happy!

Inquiring Minds Want to Know...Ok, So Maybe It's Just Me

2005-11-03T19:46:00.000-05:00

- Why does Sean only wear socks that look as if they are from his grade school days? They're too small, smell rank and have huge gaping holes where his heel and toes are. (Yes, we've bought him new ones, but they sit in his drawer lonely and unused.)

- Why does Baden only attempt to hump me and never Sean? Although, Baden does try to distribute the raunchiness evenly. When we're in bed, Baden always makes sure that his ass is directed towards or next to Sean's head. Oh, and this is usually when he begins to fart. Baden burps, however, are saved for mommy. He'll draw me close with the pretense of puppy licks and then belch in my face. Yummy.

- How is it possible for a 13 pound cat more specifically, Mr. Tiny-Tigger-Toes Kitty, to stomp around upstairs and make floor boards creak? Dare I even wonder what he is doing? Probably plotting world domination.

- Why do my eyes only start itching when I lay down in bed and am trying to sleep? Might I be allergic to Burger-Butt?

- By all that is holy on this earth, when oh when, will my damn ears stop aching? I miss sleeping on my side and pillows, dear sweet lovely puffy pillows!

- Why does Baden insist on dragging dirty clothes from the hamper upstairs into the living room downstairs. His preferred clothing of choice- my underwear or Sean's socks. Yeah, it's a toss up as to which grosses me out more. (Disclaimer: Not that the panties are funky, but eeew putting someone's underwear in your mouth.) I know, too much info.

- Hmm, I wonder how many people will search for panty funk and stumble across this post. Who is more disturbing, me or them? hahahahaha

Dammit...Respect My P'ness!

2005-11-01T20:29:00.000-05:00

How did I forget to tell my favorite internet peeps about this? So a few weeks ago, Sean and I had our first premarital counseling session with my fabulous, sweet and wise as can be therapist. She decided to start out by giving us the Myers Briggs Personality Tests. Well, as we already knew...Sean and I were on opposite sides of the spectrum on oh pretty much everything.

In particular, we were polar opposites when it came to this:
Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).

Sean is a total J-person, and me..well, I'm just a little 'ol P. Wonderful therapist lady was telling us how important it was that we respect each other's differences. And of course, since my mouth usually runs faster than my brain, I blurted out....

"Yeah Sean, so you better respect my P'ness!"

D'oh! Sean got his usually Lisa-put-her-foot-in-her-mouth-yet-again-oh-why-doesn't-she-think-before-she-speaks face. Think I embarass him much?

Ok, My Fellow Wise Liberal Loud Mouths....

2005-11-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

First off, thanks Gary for bringing the urgency of this matter to my attention and for spreading the message. I'm happy to do anything I can to help and it's so simple. It took me five minutes to send an email to Bush and the VA elected officials.

So head on over to this website and type in your zip code. It's that simple. I've even copied my message below. You're more than welcome to use it and I promise I won't even charge ya a copyright fee. ;)

As your constituent, I urge you to oppose and stop the proposed Marriage Protection Amendment. We have fellow American citizens putting their lives on the line daily in Iraq in an effort to help spread democracy and advance human rights. It is abhorrent and hypocritical that we would not be doing the same within our own borders. Prejudice and discrimination is wrong in any form. All people, regardless of sexual orientation, are entitled to equal protection and representation by our elected officials. I urge you to remember that you have a duty to all American citizens, not just those of heterosexual orientation.

Oh, and don't even get me started on this ignorant, rude, thoughtless and insensitive Judge in Prince George's County. This article contains the transcript from the court hearing. The condescension and lack of compassion on the part of Judge Palumbo is outrageously evident.

Super Girl

2005-10-30T02:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I totally did not cry...ok, fine maybe I did tear up a little bit. Sheesh, cut me some slack. I'm such a wuss when it comes to physical pain. Burger-Butt and I went out to dinner tonight. It was our first venture out together since the weekend from hell because he's been sick all week. And we all know men when they're sick, heaven forbid you make them leave the comfort of their smelly pajamas or their favorite sprawled out position on the couch. (Love ya honey!) But tonight we went to California Pizza Kitchen. Can I just say mmmmm...yummy Chicken Steamed Dumplings with Ginger Sauce.

We decided to go to the mall to check out some jewelry stores and look for wedding bands. We happened to pass by one of those Piercing Pogada booths. So being the shopping fanatic that I am I've passed those a million times before. However, tonight genius struck me and I decided to get my ears pierced! (I had them pierced when I was really young but they got badly infected and I just gave up and let them close. Turns out the damn holes were uneven anyways. Hmmph!) So Now- I officially have pierced ears and the holes line up and everything. How cool is that? Ok, so the pain and discomfort that has me up right now, not so cool. But it is pretty cute how Sean keeps lusting after my ears and staring. He thinks they make me look "really" girly. I think that was a compliment. *lol*

So the ten-year-old who went before me was like super bionic child. She didn't even flinch at all when they pierced her ears.

Me on the other hand, I jumped very high and teared up. But I didn't run off screaming after the first ear was done and refuse to let her torture me through the second. And I didn't sob uncontrollably. So take that 10-year-old Super Girl!

Um, does anyone want to volunteer to clean my ears twice a day for me? It really is a pain. (Yes, I know it's important and I'm doing it. I'm just lazy. Hehe.) Sean did say he'd do it for me. But yeah, that's like letting a bull in a china shop. I don't know if my poor ears would surive. And I am kind of attached them. They're actually pretty cute, especially since I didn't get my grandpa's Dumbo ears. :)

I Sit Behind Britney...

2005-10-25T19:21:00.000-05:00

So when I signed up for a Womens Studies class this semester little did I know that Mrs.Federline was enrolled in it as well. The girl who sits in front me of has the same greasy-hasn't-been-washed-in-2-weeks-hair with roots in dire need of massive quantities of hair dye. She makes the same fashion blunders to include wide bra straps peeking out of a thin strapped tank top and much too long pants. She is also never without her frozen coffee drink with mounds of whip cream on top. If she breaks out a bag of Cheetos I may be forced to notify Star that Brit isn't really in L.A. with Creepy Kev and the baby. Actually now that I think about it, why call the tabloids when I could just take the pics myself and sell them for big bucks. Hmmmph! I'm so smart sometimes.

These Are My Favorite Moments...

2005-10-24T19:32:00.000-05:00

Baden and Sean are rolling around on the living room floor wrestling. They're so cute. They keep swinging their full body weight into each other. Boys! I love watching them play. One second they are nipping at each other's ears, growling back and forth and the next Baden catches Sean by surprise and tugs on his boxers or bites him in the tush. It's hilarious...Sean will try and tap Baden on the feet and Baden will skip and hop to get away until finally he gives up in submission and just collapses onto the floor with his paws tucked under him. It's times like this that might heart just swells with so much happiness and joy that I think I may just burst and I say a silent prayer of thanks to God for the wonderful trio of boys in my life.

Ok, enough with the sappy stuff....so excited..new Laguna Beach tonight!!! Although, I don't know if I can stay up that late I have to be at 4:30 tomorrow because I have a 7:30 a.m. meeting which means I have to leave no later than 6 a.m. thanks to good 'ol DC traffic. Pfffbbbtttt!

Night sweets!

Weekend From Hell....Ahh, Where to Begin this Bitchfest

2005-10-23T18:10:00.000-05:00

So we traveled 4 hours this weekend to the Peanut Capital of the World (please try and keep the excitement and jealousy to a minimum). We check into the hotel and go to our room to change for the wedding. (It's been so long since I wore pantyhose- oh my god!! Those things are just wrong and evil in so many ways and quite cruel to a bloated tummy.) We got to the church about a half hour before the ceremony. There were three parallel rows of pews. We were sat in the front row of the far right section. Sean and I kept looking at each other like "hmm, we're not that special to this couple why would we be in the front row". We even asked one of Sean's buddies, "B" who was a groomsmen if we should have been sitting there. He said it was fine. Ok, ceremony starts and we can't see shit! All we're seeing is the back of the groomsmens' heads. The bride and groom flashed in front of me for maybe five seconds max as they were leaving. After the ceremony everyone waited outside the church to see the bride and groom off in their limo. We waited for a half hour with no word and then heading off with a majority of the guests to the reception club.

Ok, this is where it just goes from disappointing to I want to rip someone's extremities off and beat them with it. Yes, I was that annoyed. See, don't mess with me! :)

We arrived at the Country Club and the set up was horrible. I honestly do not know what they were thinking. There were probably about 170 guests. The country club building had four rooms- the lobby and then three seperate dining areas. So only people seated at one of the ten tables in the same room as the bride and groom could even see them. Well, we weren't even in one of the rooms inside the building. We were outside in the damn cold. Anyone who lives here knows that VA is cold in October. We're at Table 24 in the damn tent. A nice tent, yes, but a fricking cold tent. They squeezed ten tables into this tent and ten people were seated at each one. There was no room to even move your arms. And we were at a table in the far corner with the speaker right next to us. Ok, by this time I'm perturbed. My heels sunk into the grass as we walked out to the tent, I'm in a skirt and sleeveless shirt and freezing my butt off. We put some of our stuff down and headed inside to get a much needed drink. Inside, we ran into Sean's best friend's parents, we'll call them "Mr. and Mrs. F", who we knew were seated at the same table us as. We took our drinks and Sean and I led them outside to our lovely table. By the time we got back to the table, there were only three seats left. Two of them were ours, so that left only one remaining. We asked around the table and it turns out some frizzy-haired-wanna-be-Vegas-showgirl in a tacky shiny crinkly-fry looking like gold dress sat herself at our table because hers was full. Uh, ok. Sorry that your's is full, but we have this table number on our place cards. So you would think she would have moved, right? No, she informed us that she didn't know what to say and suggested that Mr. and Mrs. F, seek other seating arrangements. Now, had this been a wedding of people I knew rather than for one of Sean's friends I would have probably went off on the stupid rude bitch.

Ok, this could go on, but my fingers are getting tired. Long story short, we ended up leaving the reception early with Mr. & Mrs. F, and we all went out to dinner. That's right we took the happy couple two big bags of presents and didn't even get a damn meal or cake or to see them dance or to speak with them.

So we returned from dinner around 11 and went to bed. It was hard to fall asleep because we could clearly hear the dinging of the stupid elevator every five seconds. Fast forward to midnight- I'm awoken by loud, drunk people screaming and laughing and slamming doors in the hallway. I endure this for twenty minutes and finally called the desk downstairs to see what the hell was going on. I latered learned they had about 30-40 drunk people in the lobby. Some were from the wedding we attended others were from one that had been held at the hotel. By 1 a.m. this is still going on. Sean gets dressed and goes out into the hallway and finds that it's his friend "B" making the latest round of noise. Sean went off. Now, my honey does not cuss much, but the expletives were flying. I was like...ooh, you made Burger-butt mad you better watch out fuckers! :) About twenty minutes later, noise is still deafening, so I get dressed and went downstairs to the lobby to complain. Of course I saw some of the offenders and they were members of the wedding party. Yes, the wedding party of the wedding we attended. There was a guy in front of me at the lobby desk who turned around and said, "Hey, you were at the wedding weren't you?". I said, "Yes, drunk boy I was." He replies, "Are you going to the bar across the street with the rest of us?" Me.."Um, no. I'm one of the unfortunate people whose actually trying to get some sleep and who you guys keep waking up and are severely pissing off at this point."

We finally fell asleep around 2:30am or so. The groom from this wedding is supposed to be one of Sean's groomsmen. Yeah, I'm not happy. That may be changing. Also, "B" is a groomsmen in our wedding as well. I've already told Sean that we'll be having a talk with him on proper hotel ettiquette, but that I really don't want those people staying at the same hotel as the rest of our guests. His groomsmen status may change too. It sucks for Sean because these our high school friends who he was close to way back when, but he's definitely matured faster than them. This was just the weekend of encountering rude people. What is wrong with people? How can you be so oblivious, self-absorbed, inconsiderate and just plain tacky?

When did people get so damn rude? Btw, I've cut out a few other annoyance for time's sake. I've already written a book here. Let's just say that I am know sleep-deprived and so behind in homework it's ridiculous and pissed off and annoyed and insulted.

I think I may be growing up though. I realized at some point that no matter how bad this weekend was that I'm still blessed. I have a wonderful fiance who isn't a rude obnoxious drunk, the world's best pets and the comforts of home. So I can suffer through a crappy weekend every now and then as long as Sean is next to me (to stop me from knocking out wannabe Vegas show girls).

Hitting the Road and Mommy Anxiety is at Full Throttle

2005-10-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

So we're attending a wedding this weekend in Southern VA about 3 1/2 hours from where we live. It's a high school friend of Sean's and one of his groomsmen, but I've never met the bride or groom. So yeah...Sean better be ready to entertain me since I won't really know anyone else who will be there. Doesn't that sound like fun ya'll? And the city we're going to is one that no one has ever heard of. Yes, quite exciting. Not to mention this will put very, very far behind with my homework. Oh well, at least there will be free drinks and food. Hehe!

Unfortunately the Hilton isn't Baden-friendly. So Baden Pup will be staying with with his Aunt Angie overnight while we're away. This will be the first time that we'll both be away from Baden at the same time. I'm nervous, worried and sad. I know Ang will take great care of him and that Baden will have fun with her. I'll just miss snuggling with my Mr.Baden-boo at night or waking up in the middle of the night because he's pushing me off the bed or hogging my pillow. Yes, all this sappy emotional hoopla is over a dog...but not any dog, my dog. If it's this hard to leave him, I can't imagine how parents feel living a child. But Baden Pup is my child..he's just extra furry and happens to walk on all fours. So laugh if you must, but this is quite traumatic. Ok, not so much for him or Sean, but for me it is.

They're My Friend...Ok, So No They Aren't My Friend

2005-10-20T17:33:00.000-05:00

So there are a few weddings we'll be attending next year (including our own...yes I had to throw that in there again in case you forgot..haha). I was talking to a fellow bride-to-be and we were discussing invite lists. What do you feel about "friends" who you sort of feel obligated to invite, but then again not so much since you've lost touch. Is there like a friendship expiration period? If we haven't talked in several months does that mean they shouldn't be invited? What if I called them last and as of yet have not recieved a call back? We're not talking about super close friends here, just people that were maybe friends of convenience (you had a class together last semester and would hang out outside of school occassionally...that sort of thing).

Also, I'm on the fence about something else too. I suspect and am fairly certain that one such questionable person on the guest list has in the past said some negative things about me. Should I call them on it to clear the air and to help aid in my decision as to whether or not I want them at my wedding? I know they've hidden things from me and just overall haven't reciprocated what I would call "true" friendship. Sean thinks I should just let it go and cut my losses. I don't know though, maybe it's a chick thing, but part of me feels like I have to voice my feelings in order to let this go or move forward with the frienship.

Am I completely overanalyzing? Yes, I know I am.

Btw, I know...so not cool to post once a week. Cut me some slack. The boss is away so work is crazy, mid-terms are insane and last night my professor said, "Yeah...cry me a river" to me. Yes, I'm serious. He's an a$$. And no, this isn't the cute Latin American History Prof who by the way looked super hot in a suit today. The more I think about it, I think his cuteness factor is heavily increased by his intelligence. Oh no, I'm getting soft and all non-superficial. Aaaack! Make it stop! Hahaha!

Yes, I'm Using Puppy Cuteness to Bribe You....

2005-10-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

Baden's please-don't-be-upset-with-mommy-for-not-posting face!

2005-10-20T17:19:00.000-05:00

The sweet boy we found a few weeks ago. I so wanted to keep him, but Seanie denied me. His owners apparently claimed him from the shelter much to my dismay. Hehe.

2005-10-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

Puppy Play Time! They were so darn cute together. That's it...if this doggy ever gets lost again and we find him...we're so keeping him. :)

2005-10-20T17:17:00.000-05:00

Baden's a lean, mean, cuteness machine! The little face...the happy tail...the fashionable collar...Don't ya just want to smother him with kisses?!?! (Ignore the sad-looking patchy grass.)

2005-10-20T17:14:00.000-05:00

Baden is doing quite well in his typing lessons. He's now types up all of my homework. (How Hot Are My Legs In This Pic? Haha.)

Evil Thy Name is Love Handles

2005-10-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

So Miss Ang, one of my bridesmaids/ex-roomie/work office mate, came over the other night to pick up Jazz-cat who I was pet-sitting for her. She had on the cutest sweater coat which I discovered she got from Target. Last night after dinner at Famous Dave's, Sean and I stopped over at Target. I tried the sweater on, in a different color of course, but it was not nearly as flattering on me. Not to mention, the size I would have had to purchase in order for it to fit correctly was not one that I was willing to buy. I decided to give another sweater coat a try. Yeah, this one didn't look to great either. In fact I noticed a distinct bulging as it skimmed over the sides of my lower waist. Hmm, what could that be I wondered? Was there something wrong with the cut of the sweater? Oh no, it had nothing to do with the article of clothing, but rather the body underneath.

So I have a couple of questions:
- When the hell did I get love handles?
- Real life friends did you notice them? If so, let a gal know!
- How do I make them disappear NOW!!!
- Dear God, I think I see stretch marks over them! This must be a cruel joke and I will hunt down and punish the responsible party.
- I don't like this whole thing called aging, so please make it stop.

Have I mentioned how incredibly depressing this is? To add insult to injury. I came across a photo from a few years ago when I was a bit thinner. Wow, where did that girl go and how do I bring her back without having to give up sweets or start exercising? :) Ok, so actually, I don't want to be that size again...I was too thin and didn't look healthy especially my face. But I remember that time period and even then thinking that I wasn't thin and could stand to lose a few pounds. What the hell was wrong with me? I wonder if as women, we're ever really happy with our body? If there's some of you out there who are, well god bless ya! And what's your secret- spill now!!

Laguna Beach Re-hash...Because I Refuse to Watch Adult TV!

2005-10-10T21:32:00.000-05:00

First off, yes I know I'm too old to addicted to a "reality" show about a bunch of spoiled high schoolers. But hey, the voyeuristic side of me just can't help it. So shut it!

Here are my rants:

1) How many woman can Jason swap spit with? This is filmed only over the span of a few months, right? Man whore and not even one with good game!!

2) Can we talk about Casey's dress? Eeew...did she go shopping in Britney's Spear's post-Kevin Federline-white-trash closet? She really needs to just walk away from the unkept hair extensions and stop after three coats of make-up.

3) Kristen...Ok, I get the whole always having to have her way and wanting boys to do what she wants; however, seriously if you're going to blow off your date who is supposedly at the very least a good friend of your's, then why not just go solo? Obviously, no one is going to think she went alone because she couldn't get a date. So go with your girls and just have fun. No shame in that.

4) As they were walking in to the prom, did you guys see Jessica and Jeff engaging in some major tongue action? Damn! Looks like she finally got her man. Now, go get you some of that "he's actually single" booty!

5) The two Jeffs in the gorilla suits? Yeah, so wouldn't have said yes to that prom invite. And again Talan who had the best, albeit completely cheesy, way of asking his date...gets the could shoulder.

6) What's up with Alex and Jason and the parking lot slobberfest? Hehe...they are so the Britney and Kevin of LB.

7) I love the salon scene with Cedric getting his hair did! Although, he needs to get a refund because the dye job so didn't take.

8) The pre-prom party at Sarah's house. Holy crap! Did ya see the house? Where do I sign up for one of those? At the very least is there a way I can get an LB parent to adopt me? I really should have a hot tub on the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley just like LC! Don't worry, I'm not greedy, ya'll will be invited over!

9) Speaking of LC....Ok, congrats on finally getting over your unhealthy Steven-stalking, but eeew don't rebound with parking lot Romeo aka Jason. [Updated to Add: Check out the latest scoop on the icky new couple.]

I hope all these folks are routinely checked for STDs because damn if one person gets something the whole town will get infected!

Ok, ladies...ready, set, dish the dirt!! (Especially Miss E and PC...I know you ladies have it in you.) And who the heck is this Brody kid that Kristen (in 'real' life, not on the show) is now dating. I don't recognize him. What's he "famous" for?

Exciting News Everywhere I Turn....

2005-10-07T19:31:00.000-05:00

So Depeche Mode will be here in concert...and I kind of want to go. I'm not too familiar with their newer stuff, but I love the old songs. I was pretty psyched until I realized that the concert takes place on Dec 9. Darn it! I fly out at the butt crack of dawn the next morning. There's no way I can deal with no sleep, a hangover, and get on a plane. Nope....not doing it.

In other news....OH MY GOD!! It's Christmas in October! Could this really happen? I'd be so fricking excited. Please ladies, please do it!!! We miss you so. No show can compare. Do it for the money, do it for your fans...I don't care what the reason is just give us more SATC!!

And in other news Laguna Beach will be back for Season 3 and apparently some the girls have taken up modeling...corsets of all things. Um, someone tell me why they have Jessica dressed in those horrible pants and whose the chick on the very right that's hotter than the rest of them. I've never seen her before and of course I know all the LB kids! ;-) E-online has more dirt. Such as, did you know that there's an LB kid who lives in a trailer? Why doesn't the kid just move in to LC's house. She's got plenty of room...hell we could all just live in the backyard and enjoy the HUGE hot tub with the awesome view. I so want one of those!

It's a Sad Day...

2005-10-06T16:02:00.000-05:00

This story has been in the news for a few weeks now in Virginia. I don't know if it's been discussed outside of this area. But the story came to an end today with not the outcome everyone had hoped or prayed for.

Please keep the friends and family of Taylor Behl in your prayers. I can't imagine losing someone you love in such a tragic and cruel manner and unfortunately it happens all to often.

Go Sandra!! And I Get All Feminist...

2005-10-06T15:42:00.000-05:00

Sandra Bullock is one cool chick! So I'm sitting here watching Oprah (yes, I ditched class, but I deserve to do so after the week I've had and the mid-term I survived today, but that's a whole different story). They're talking about the movie Crash, which by the way looks really good. I think it's going to spark some great conversation about racism, stereotypes and sexual violence. You know the issues that really matter but always seem to go underreported by the news and media and get little attention from politicians. Anyways, getting off my soapbox now. So Oprah and the actors/actresses from Crash are having a candid conversation about the "n" word. I agree with Oprah, that it just shouldn't be used at all. It's definitely way too racially charged and the negative connotation it has is too strong. However, Ludacrous (sp) and Don Cheadle disagree and are making arguments for why the "n" word or "nigga" are ok to say between black people. Oprah continues to disagree and mentions how the terms shouldn't appear in music videos either. Well, Sandra Bullock chimes in and says well while we're on the topic of retiring words, can we take "bitches" and "hoes" out of the videos and music as well. Woooot! Go Sandra! That has always irked me. I get the whole freedom of expression and music is art blah, blah, blah...but I personally find it demeaning to women and think it just perpetuates our subordinate status in society. On the other hand though, to me it's also says a lot about a person if they feel the need to use those words in their vocabulary. If you can't make good music without sexualizing or opressing women, then personally in my mind you're lacking in the talent department and just jumping on the band wagon of what's popular these days. And how sad is it that these words are used so freely and considered cool lingo with the younger generation?

Ok, I'm done being all self-righteous now. Sorry, it's this women's studies class I'm taking. And I just finished writing a paper on the gender wage gap. It's ridiculous that there's only 7 female excutives between all of the Fortune 500 companies and women continue to earn 75 cents for every 1 dollar earned by men. That value drops if you're a woman who aren't white. I really think the key is getting more women in high-level positions so a trickle down event begins to happen. Because to be honest, I don't think we'll get the promotions or salaries we deserve if we're constantly having to request them from a male boss. Although, I could be very biased given what I've gone through the last 3 years.

Cross-Eyed & Sleepy...Zzzzzzzzzz

2005-10-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, this just sucks. Why did I take 12 credits? Oh, that's right because I am INSANE. Wednesday I have a quiz and Thursday I have a paper due and a midterm. Am I ready for any of this....um no. So wish me luck. Oh, and I got a "C" on my last Geog test. I don't get C's. This is so not cool. I'm tempted to drop the class on principle alone. :) What really sucks is I so thought I had done well on the test. Oh well.

Have I told ya'll that my Latin Amer Hist Prof is such a frickin hottie! He showed up today in a suit. Hmm...can we say yummy! Shh, don't tell Sean I said that. Oh, and did I mention that I was one of those rude people whose phones go off in the middle of class? Yep, I was so embarassed and felt like such an ass. I think it just speaks to my level of exhaustion though.

Anyways, now it's sleepy time, but I'm coming off a Suzanne high. I just IM'ed with an old friend who I hadn't talk to in ages. We were sending pics back and forth and catching each other up on the latest happenings in our lives. Isn't it funny how you don't realize how much you miss someone until you talk to them again? And then it's like hey...why'd you disappear? You're such a cool, kick ass chick. And I have to say she looks fabulous. The hair is so super Pantene shiny. Suz, I'm so glad we had a chance to chat and catch up. You better keep in touch Missy! :)

Ok, I'm going to go crash for um....like five hours before I have to get up to work on a paper. *sniffle* Any volunteers to do it for me? Puh-lease.

Lost Doggie Update: The owner picked up the cute little Chow/Shepherd mix pup we found. I think the retrieved him on Friday. I was happy for the dog, but a bit bummed out that it mean we weren't going to get to adopt him. Not that Sean would let me...but I was already starting to work on him and I think the guilt was setting in. Oh well, I'm glad the doggy is back home with his owners who will hopefully be more cognizant now of his whereabouts because next time I'm Keeping Him!! :)

Poems for the Potty & Bad Puppy Parents

2005-09-29T19:57:00.000-05:00

So I had to leave at 7:15 today for a meeting at 9 a.m. thanks to good 'ol DC area traffic. I decided to make a quick run to the restroom before my meeting began and was suprised to see that they had provided plenty of reading material. There were two notes taped to the back of the stall door. There was a little something for everyone.

Note 1:
If you Sprinkle when you Tinkle...
Please be Neat and wipe the Seat

Note 2:
Look this isn't a rest stop bathroom or a bathroom off of I-95. If you leave a wet spot, clean it up. If you don't who do you think is going to? Your mom isn't going to come clean up YOUR mess. It is RUDE and Unprofessional and Ignorant. Wipe up your wetness. Don't be RUDE!

Um, can we say split personality disorder. I always knew this particular company hired a bunch of overwound yuppie freaks! :)

On Another Note....

So I get home and am greeted by an email that left me extremely PISSED! Sean has had a rough week as well. So we decided to go out for dinner and drinks. We're barely out of our neighborhood when we see a doggy all alone running down the sidewalk. Of course I had Sean pull over and luckily I was able to coax the dog into coming up to me. He was a cute little Chow/Shepherd mix male (with um..all his parts in tact). I sat there with him while Sean drove around to see if there were any frantic owners looking for him. We tried to get him in the truck to drive him back to our house, but he was not happy about being put in a car. So Sean continued his driving around while I walked the dog to our house. We got home and put him in the backyard. I got him some water and treats. Sean was not keen on the idea of letting Baden play with him, but I thought it was ok. I mean the dog looked healthy and well taken care of. He obviously had owners, he knew commands. Long story short, he and Baden got on really well and chased each other and played for an hour and a half, then Animal Control showed up. The lady wasn't very comforting. I wanted to make sure the dog wouldn't be put down and to find out how long the owners would have to find him and how we could check on his status, etc. The dog will be there for 11 days at which time since he's a friendly guy he'd be put up for adoption. We have the option of adopting him too, get first dibs, if we contact them on the 11th day. I'm going to keep checking up on him to make sure his owners claim him. If not, well...we'll have to see where we go from there. Maybe Sean will let me have another pup. It was great seeing Baden so happy and having so much fun. Oh, did I mention that I cried after the dog left and drank wine? Yes, I'm a tad emotional. I really wanted to keep him with us and look for the owner. But Sean had a good point, that the first place the owners will look is the shelter. I just keep picturing him alone in a cage. Poor guy. F**kin people. If you're going to own a pet, then keep an eye on it and stop letting your animals run around without an ID and tags you damn morons!! Animals are just as innocent and helpless as children and deserve to be protected and watched over.

I'm so irate! This is lost doggy #3 we've found in the neighborhood and we've only lived hear about a year and a half. What the hell is wrong with people? How do you not notice your dog is missing? I'd be hysterical if Baden were to get out and wouldn't rest until he was back home safe with us.

Btw, I took pics of Baden and the Mystery Chow...I'll post them tomorrow.

I So Have Juicy Laguna Beach Gossip!!!

2005-09-29T19:53:00.000-05:00

So I stumbled across this great gossip website. Hey, I was doing school research...yeah, um...that's it. :)

It's gives the scoop on LB and why everyone was ignoring Jessica during the Cabo Trip. So you thought her and Jason were BUSTED while kissing. Oh no, my dears! Let's just say she got caught with a mouthfull. Read more juicy details here.

F**kers Got Me Again!!

2005-09-28T20:30:00.000-05:00

All day I was soo excited for 8 p.m. tonight. Why you ask? Well, I'll tell you- the Season Premiere of One Tree Hill. The second season left off with so many unanswered questions and cliffhangers. Was Dan burned in fire? Will Jake come back with the baby and will Nikki get what's coming to her? Will Karen really go to New Zealand to bring her illegal hottie back? What will happen with Brooke and Lucas now that they're divorcing in real life? I was so looking forward to them finally getting back together, but obviously the whole divorce thing throws a wrench in those plans dammit! And what about Nathan and Haley....will they bring her back already? Sheesh! And the wanna-be-rocker-with-the-bad-hair Chris will he hopefully get run over by a tour bus? Is Ellie really Payton's mom and if so um why isn't she dead? Where are Keith and Jules...hopefully they're off somewhere knocking boots. They deserve some fun. These are the things I must know now!!

Turns out the damn season premiere isn't until next week. Whose dumb ass idea was it to wait until October to bring it back? That's just too long folks...get your head out of your a$$, will ya? And while you're at it...bring back Joan of Arcadia because things were really starting to get interesting. God vs. Devil...doesn't get any higher stakes than that? These network bigwigs know nothing! Let me in that seat and I'll show ya good tv. :)

Burger-Butt's a Rome-a-Maniac

2005-09-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

Sean is such a nerd! He's addicted to new HBO show Rome. So much so that he just admitted to me that he posted a message on their website. Why the sudden urge to join a message board? Well folks, he was extremely dismayed by the fact that someone would have the nerve to call the show "boring". My first question was...well why would they go to the website of a show they found boring, let alone post on the message board. Anyways, here is my honey's little contribution to the nerdy Rome Community. Hehe. :)

Here Speaks Seanicus-Maximus:

"These episodes have several different plots developing. I would suggest patience. I'd also be curious to know which one you find particularly boring. The complexity of these plots may turn off the casual viewer but once you become "involved" with these characters, they are difficult to turn a blind eye to. It seems to me that both the acting and scenery is excellent. Where is the boredom in power struggle, infidelity, love, hate, deceit, sex, and murder? This show really has it all!"

And he makes fun of me for watching Laguna Beach and Real World....At least I'm not posting messages or visiting their website. Although, I really would like to know where Kristen gets all her cute outfits. And did you all know that Talan briefly dated Linday Lohan?!?! I know....really he did! How did he even meeet LL?

Take Me Out To A Ballgame!

2005-09-26T15:50:00.000-05:00

In my earlier attempt to release massive amounts of stress and paranoia, I forgot to tell you about the fun we had this weekend. Yes, Burger-Butt and I were social! Imagine that. :) Kjersten and her (soon to be fiance...yeah!)Greg invited us to a Nationals Game. We had a blast! These two are so much fun to hang out with. It had been a few months since we last went out with them and we definitely need to do it more often. We ate at Hop's Brewery and the food was so yummy! They bring out these scrumptious frosting drizzled croissants for you to snack on while you browse the menu. They brought us six of them, but by the time K and Greg got there we had wolfed down four. Sorry K! Ok, in actually it was mostly me who was devouring them, but Sean did help a little. It was quite the adventure trying to find RFK Stadium, but eventually we made it there. Hey, part of the DC experience is getting hopelessly lost and crossing multiple state lines. Hehe. I've never had so much fun at a game and really it very little do with the actual game and moreso with the company. K and I wandered around a bit and ended up buying DC hats. I'm quite bitter that she looked much better in her's than I did in mine. I so do not have a hat head. Oh, and she has a fabulous new haircut, so you should go to her site and demand that she post a pic of her new sassy 'do. Anyways, it was such a fun night and Sean and I actually managed to stay up past 11pm. Woohoo, we're not old farts...just yet!

K...thanks for the tatoo!

Knot in the Pit of my Stomach

2005-09-26T08:37:00.000-05:00

Ok, so we already know that I'm an anxiety-ridden worry wart, hence the need for massive amounts of Zoloft. I worry about anything and everything. I know, it's silly and pointless, but I can't help it. Trust me, I've tried to be the type of person who just goes with the flow or takes each day as it comes, but it doesn't work. However, I do think I'm much better now than when Sean and I first started dating. He admitted to me over the weekend that I used to drive him nuts with my obsessive worrying when we were first together. I think having him in my life as a calming and steadfast source of support has helped, but the potential to be a nervous wreck is still always there just waiting under the surface.

My current object of nervous obsession may be a legitimate one though. I don't know, you all tell me. Today, Sean begins work on a new project today that will have him working at the Pentagon. Now we all know what happened at the Pentagon and that it's a high profile building. I, myself, have had to go there on several occasions for business or work meetings. It always makes me a bit uneasy when I'm in a location where there's a need for soldiers armed with machine guns to be walking around. Call me a freak, but I just prefer to work in a non-weapon-carrying building. I know, I know...they're trained to use them and it's a preventative measure. Blah, blah, blah. It just wierds me out a bit. And I learned quickly to wear my badge around my neck or collar in clear view of the scary GI Joe men. Ok, I'm so rambling...another sign of nervousness. Anyways, I know the likelihood of another tragedy occurring there is minimal and that it's probably better protected than 95% of the potential targets of terrorists. However, that security was breached once and living in the DC area I was able to witness the devastation and destruction firsthand. I could never work there personally because I'm a big scaredy cat. Also, knowing that I was working in a building where so many had lost their lives would just wear on me emotionally and mentally. Yes, I'm quite fragile...so shut it! :) Sean has strict instructions to call me immediately if anything strange or an evacuation takes place there. I know that he's probably safer there than on the roads in DC with all the crazy drivers we have around here. He's my family though- the man I want to build my life, who I want to grow old with and have cute little (Liberal Democrat...shh!) babies with. So other than downing my daily dose of Zoloft with some wine- how do I quell these feelings of uneasiness? Sorry for the book ya'll...but it's my blog so I can ramble.

Updated to Add: Why does it smell like drunk-spicy hot wings puke in my office? Eeeew...gross!

West Coast Mia Gets Another Year Wiser!

2005-09-21T20:43:00.000-05:00

Ahh, my big sis...today is her bday. And as such, I had to write a seperate post full of sappiness just for her. First though, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MORIA!!! I love ya sweetie. And I especially love that you'll always be older than me. Haha!

So many things to thank you for....
- Taking me in oh-too-many-times-to-count.
- Not saying "I Told You So" even when it was warranted.
- Keeping me sane through our childhood.
- Being one of the strongest, sweetest, best-hearted and bravest women I know.
- Standing up to our Mom for me countless times.
- Always fighting for me and being in my corner.
- Being such a mischievious teenager and breaking in the grandparents for me.
- Teaching me how to swipe money from you-know-who without her noticing. (No, I will not go in to details. This was bad, very bad.)
- Dating so many hotties as a teenager, it always made for good eye candy.
- Being my source of strength and comfort more times than I can count.
- Having Jasper who was one of the sweetest and cutest dogs ever! And now I have my niece Cheyanne.
- Introducing me to the beautiful scenic area that is Monterey.
- Having the wits, courage and good humor to live in the same city as some of our family. And you've stayed sane which is no small feat.
- Just being one hell of a kick ass chick who I am proud to call my sister and can't imagine this world without.

What I don't thank you for....
- Being the only one who was sneaky enough to know how to find me when I ran away.
- Getting more than your fair share of the pretty genes. :)
- Never following me across country so you could live nearby and visit often.
- Dragging my scantily clothed self back in the house and making me put more clothes on before I went to the mall. I blame the hoochie girl..Christina...who happened to be my side kick at the time.
- Becoming friends with Crack-Head Hooker Terri who lived in our Apartment Complex.
- Teaching me to use cooking oil to tan with. Thank God we only did that for one summer.
- Not learning how to cook or pick up after yourself until after we stopped living together.

**Don't forget to read the post that follows...I have a surprise for you my dears!**

Second Round of Your Q's...And A Surprise

2005-09-21T19:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am alive...barely though. The past several days have been a blur of wedding details, reading massive amounts of textsbooks, multiple papers due and culminated in a huge exam. Oh, and work fit in there somewhere.

So better late than never...here's round 2 of the Q&A session. Courtesy the sassy Zube Girl:

1. What is your favorite swear word, and why?
Ok, not sure if this is a swear word...but I call Sean it all the time...ha! It's Penishead. I don't know why. Runner up is Fuck. Nothing releases tension like screaming FUCK at the top of your lungs!

2. Do you hit the snooze button in the morning, and if so, how many times?
Nope, never hit the snooze button. Not me. Before you get the wrong idea and think I'm a morning person or something. The reason why I don't hit it is because I never hear it. I've slept through it all when a house down the street caught fire and exploded and fire trucks with blaring sirens were passing by all night.

3. What color do you absolutely despise?
I can not stand anything that's neon-ish. Oh, and pink. So there will be no pink at our wedding. All of it just reminds me of Pepto Bismol. Yuck! Too frilly.

By way of my favorite Fashionista AnoniMs.:

1) Dream job??? (I THINK I may know the answer to this...but as we discuss work a lot, I thought I would ask)
I think K asked this before...see below please cause I'm a lazy mofo!

2) How many kids and when?
I'd love to have lots and lots of kids if we could afford them. But we'd be adopting, no way I'm giving birth to more than two. Reality says it'll probably be two. Confession though, I'm so terrified of having a boy. Girls, I understand and now how their minds/moods work. But I have no insight into the male mind...it perplexes me and disturbs me in so many ways. Haha. The clock is already ticking...quite loudly by the way. So maybe within a year and a half or two after we marry. If Sean had his way it'd be like five years. *lol* So we'll split the difference.

3) If you could ONLY buy shoes or purses, what would you buy???
If I stuff the shoes into the purse is that cheating? I'd have to say shoes. I love me some shoe shopping! Not to mention, you can leave home without a purse. I know, not likely, but you could do it. But leave home without cute shoes....Never!

Phew...this just felt like Exam #2 of tonight. Haha. Just kidding. Thanks for the great questions ladies!

Now on to the Suprise of the Evening.....I Have....Yes, I do....I'm in Possession of....Yeppers, I bought over the weekend.....A Fabulous...Beautiful...Fits Quite Nicely...Paid half the regular price for it....Have I built the suspense up enough yet?????????????????? It's a Wedding Dress!!! Eeek, does this mean I have to marry Burger-Butt now? :)

I finally found a pic of my wedding dress on-line. (Sean, look away...you promised!!) I don't think these photos do it justice, but I haven't had a chance yet to take my own pics yet. I know, I know...I will. Patience my dears! (Um, Elise...that is the same dress as mine, right? Damn different style numbers keep throwing me off! hehe.)

(Please ignore any typos as I'm cross-eyed by this point.)

Only Two Takers? Damn, See if I Proposition You Again!

2005-09-14T20:33:00.000-05:00

These questions come by way of one of my favorite bloggers and Southern Sweetie Pie, Painting Chef.

-Looking back 10 years, where are you compared to where you thought you'd be?

At 16, I had just been pretty much kicked out of the house by my "mother" (I use the term loosely). I decided to do home studies for the latter part of my senior year so I could graduate early and start working full-time so my wonderful big sis Mia wouldn't have to support her kid sis for long. Back then my expectations were fairly low, I just wanted to be able to afford rent and food other than Taco Bell. I totally kicked ass with that plan. I think the thing that suprises me most is that I'm a homeowner. Me? From a family of perpetual renters...I own a home. Ok, so Sean owns it too. But it's still mine all mine and I'm not paying someone else's mortgage. Yippee! I was hoping though that I'd be done with school by now. I've been working on my Bachelors for the past 4+ years and am only half way there due to credits not transferring from California and work getting in the way. I'll get there though...eventually. I'll probably graduate with my future kids. Haha!

- If you could only listen to three CDs for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Hmmm, that's tough. No laughing at my response either. Probably the Journey greatest hits cd (hey, scoff if you will but 80's music rocks). And my latest addiction is the new Josh Groban cd. And...Savage or as Miss Nikki likes to call them Sappy Garden. Hehe. Oh shit, jut remembered I couldn't live without my Evanescence. Ok, I guess Journey has to go.

- What's the worst you've ever screwed someone over?

Hmm, intentional or unintentional? I think I'll have to go with unintentional because I can't think of an example of the other. I'd have to say that Hubby #1, we'll call him J (yes for those of you who didn't know I've been once married before) got more than he bargained for. I was so young, only 19 when we married, and so naive. I came from a family of complete chaos, insanity and evilness (yes, I was actually thrilled when my parents said they were divorcing because it meant that I wouldn't have to watch them beat the crap out of eachother any more). I didn't know who I was, let alone how to be someone's wife. I panicked when the rough times surfaced and ran without really giving the marriage or J a fair shot. I was just so terrified that at some point, this man who put me on a pedestal would realize how stupid that was and how I so wasn't worthy and I didn't want to be abandoned again. So this time, I did the leaving. I was such a bundle of raw scared angry nerves that I couldn't deal with my own pain let alone see someone else's, but I still regret having caused him any hurt or sadness. And despite numerous mistakes on both parts, we came out fairly unscathed. He's still one of the people I respect most in the world and he truly deserves to have a happy, fulfilling life. We're still friends though and know that if push came to shove, we'd have each other's back. Alas, I grew up, attended therapy for several years, got on Zoloft and poof, suddenly I'm capable of having a normal, healthy relationship. (Oh, and it helps that Sean understands and accepts my craziness and has perfected a careful balancing between tolerating it and putting me in my place when need be...hehe.)

Kjersten (who recently lost 7 pounds, count them 7...GO K!) asked...

-What would your ideal job be like?
I'd love to have a job that allowed me to travel to exotic and tropical places where I'd get to participate in and learn about local life and customs. Oh, and it would allow me to bring Baden Pup and Tigger Kitty with me. Ok, ok..Sean too because I need some eye candy too. It would allow me to meet and play with local wildlife too. I so want swim with dolphins! I also always thought party planning or interior design would be fun. And I'm not greedy, but it would pay well enough that we could live comfortably and could afford to splurge every so often. Also, it would be lucrative enough that we could afford to start up our own business. It would probably do something computer-techie-geeky-related since Sean's smart like that.

-What is your favorite book?

People always put something that flaunts there intelligence here. I'm tempted to fib and do the same. :) Actually, I'd have to say To Kill a Mockingbird. It's one of the few books in high school that I was actually glad I was forced to read. I love Scout! Other than that...do US Weekly and People count? Hehe.

-If you HAD to choose one celebrity to marry, who would it be?

So, so easy....Matthew McConaughey. Need I explain? Ok, first the Southern Charm / Gentleman vibe, the body (the only good thing about Sahara), the sexy eyes and sly smile. His confidence..such a turn on. Can I really only pick one? Damn!

Ask and You Shall Receive

2005-09-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

A fews days ago I posed a couple of questions to Kjersten. She held up her end of the deal and answered them, so now it's my turn. So here's how it works:

1. Ask me 3 questions. Any 3, no matter how personal, private or random.

2. I have to answer them honestly. I have to answer them all.

3. In turn, post this message on your blog and answer all questions asked of you.

Ready, Set...Ask Away My Pretties! I'm excited to see what you all come up with. If you don't have a blog of your own, but still want to ask questions, feel free. In exchange all I ask is that you buy me ice cream or doughnuts! :)

**One rule, I'm fair game...but I won't divulge anyone else's dirty laundry. (I had to put this disclaimer up so Sean doesn't go into panic mode. Haha!)**

Weekend Warrior

2005-09-12T06:59:00.000-05:00

So to summarize this weekend, I kicked ass in all things wedding-related thanks to my handsome fiance and Miss Ang. On Saturday, Ang and I went to a bridal shoppe where I tried on five, yes count them, five wedding dresses. That's a lot of work people! Those things are heavy and poofy and hot! There was one that Ang really liked, but nothing really caught my eye. Ok, what's up with the rooms with three way mirrors? Like I really need to see the cellulite on my thighs from three diffent angles. Thanks! Such the ego booster. So this led to cranky, bitter Lisa who started to rethink having ate fried shrimp, shrimp scampi and lots of garlic cheesy biscuits at Red Lobster earlier that day. So we have roughly a little more than 11 months until W-day. I can do this...I can tone up my flabby wing like upper arms, get buns of steel rather than saggy tush that touches the back of my legs, and vanish the squishy love handles. I can do this people, right? Do you think I'll have to exercise or give up sweets? ;-) I did get on the elliptical Friday night, haven't been on it since, but hey baby steps. Oh, and I did pick a bridesmaid dress and color. I tried the dress on myself since Ang had been raving about how flattering the style was. She was so right! If I could wear this dress for my walk down the aisle I so would. :) What you mean I can't match my bridal party? Why not? It's my day!

After leaving the bridal shoppe, we made what turned into a two hour excursion into Michaels. God, I love that store!
- Cardstock for the Save the Date announcements with matching ribbon (all on clearance)...check!
- Invitation cardstock, vellum, ribbon, envelopes, (partially on clearance) etc...check!
- Seating place cards...check.
- Ideas for centerpiecies...lots and lots.

Sunday, Sean dragged me to the Bridal Showcase. Hehe! Talk about an overwhelming, out-of-body experience. The parking lot was full, inside the convention center was wall-to-wall people, and vendors were tightly packed together. Did I mention the two floors of vendors? Our eyes glazed over and our mouths dropped open. But being the little troopers that we are, we braved it. We threw elbows to get cake samples (ok, so I did even though we already have our cake picked out). We got business cards, pamphlets, posters, pens, buttons, samples, and other goodies from tons of folks which Sean went through and organized all of it last night. (No, you can't have him, he's mine.) It only took the poor guy four or five hours. I know, my honey rocks! We picked out some possible tuxes for Sean and the groomsmen and struck a deal with The Men's Wearhouse. My babe will be stylin. Oh, and we picked the ceremony song. Or I think we have since Sean downloaded it last night and has been playing it over and over and over. No, really I don't mind. I'm not at all tired of hearing Canon in D repeatedly. It's fine honey! We felt so productive as we dragged our exhausted bodies out to the car. Although, I think Sean was disappointed that I absolutely refused to wear the cheesy heart-shaped "Bride to Be" button that they were giving out as you came through the entrance. Yes, I'm excited about my impending nuptials, but that's a bit much.

So you may be wondering with all this productive energy going towards the wedding plans, however did I find time for homework. The answer is, I didn't. That is until last night. So of course, I was up late feverishly reading and taking notes. And now this morning my sweets, I am utterly exhausted. But yet I still somehow mustered the energy to jot down this book of an entry for you fine folks, because I am that devoted. Ok, maybe it's because I'm procrasting on starting my work day. :)

I Love Pretty Blinking Blog Buttons!

2005-09-08T21:25:00.000-05:00

Check out my new blog blinkers to the right in the About Me section. Are they not the coolest? Woot! I love the bottom blinkie! It's a bit crude, but so darn funny. The best part...Sean is so embarassed I put it up there. Hehe. Sorry honey! I love you...but it's MY blog. So there! :)

So I got stuck watching the Raiders vs. Patriots Game with Sean because I was in the living room on the elliptical and he happened to be in there watching football and working on his fantasy football team. Obviously there were two quite different viewing experiences going on.
Sean: C'mon Brady...throw the ball. C'mon throw the damn ball!
Lisa: C'mon Tom Brady...show me your butt. C'mon bend over so I can get a nice view of your tush!

Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are

2005-09-08T18:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I keep seeing my site visit numbers go up and when I check my stats I see an influx of unique new visitors, but we're doing weak on the comments you all. If you stop by, feel free to just say hi or dazzle us with a witty response (just don't upstage me...kidding). Seriously, I won't bite. This is more fun if you all provide some feedback and thoughts.

Also, for those of you who don't often scroll to the bottom of the site, you may have missed the sign up icon for NotifyList.com. It's pretty simple, just enter in your email address and you'll receive an email notice whenever a this site is updated with a new post.

So I should find out tomorrow if we got the Sept 15 date or if we'll just have to be happy with our Aug 25 date. Either way, we're still on for Meadowlark. Now, anyone know a good caterer? :) We're going to our first Bridal showcase this weekend. Ok, am I strange or non-girly because I'm not all that excited about it? It's almost sort of like just another item on my to-do list that keeps taunting me and reminding of how much work still lies ahead. Sean so far is being a good sport about going. I told him if I have to suffer he does too. Ha! :) A bit of irony, the bridal show is being held at my University. Yeah, so I have to go to school this weekend. Nice, eh? I think God is upstairs laughing at me and saying neener, neener, neener.

Also, I meant to post about this yesterday. Dirty Dog Dave, who has been noticely absent as of late, I think it's because he's on a serious mission to find a nice piece of a--. Oh, I mean a nice wife. Hehe. Now on a serious note, Dave was flying out yesterday for work to one of the Katrina disaster areas. Davey-pooh, you're in my prayers and I know you'll do good work out there. Just remember you're there to work, not to flirt shamelessly. Hmm, do you think we should start placing bets on how many single, young, attractive women he'll offer a place to stay to? Hehe.

My Baby is Lucky He's Got Back

2005-09-07T20:27:00.000-05:00

So we're watching that show 'So You Think You Can Dance' and apparently Sean can't watch it without feeling the need to get his little groove on. *lol* Honey, I love you....but rhythm just ain't your thing. Now my sweetie was an equal opportunity dater. So I've come to the conclusion that the black women he dated must have been willing to overlook his shaking-his-money-maker-challenged-ways since the boy has BACK! Yes, you heard me right. Seanie Burger Butt has buns of steel. Think bubble butt perfection. His booty is perkier than any person's butt has a right to be. Yes, I'll admit...I'm envious. I wish mine was more round than wide. *sigh* I'm telling ya, you could so bounce a quarter off his a$$. Trust me, I've tried and it works.

Welcome to the World Baby Blkhmster....Now on to the Cat Fight!

2005-09-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

So the always entertaining, constant commenter and full of great snark Bethers was scheduled to have her baby girl today! Isn't it so exciting? This is #3 and hopefully will be smaller than cutie-pie big boy baby #2 was. I have no idea how she gave birth to a baby that big, but Beth you're a better woman than me! :) Enjoy your very last time in childbirth (if that's possible...hehe). I can't wait to meet the newest addition to your family. I'm sure she'll be just as adorable as Miss K.

Day 3 of the wedding day site watch has been fairly peaceful. Sean still wants to get married at Meadowlark which is good because I really wasn't looking forward to having to rip off his legs and watching the remaining stump trail blood through the house or running him over with the car. Besides, if he weren't around then I'd have dog poop duty (eeew), when Baden eats strings or other disgusting foreign objects I'd have to be the one to pull them from his rear and I'd have to pay the mortgage on my own. Yuck! So see that Sean does come in handy at times. ;) (Love ya honey...hehe.)

So nothing makes you feel like an old hag like going back to college and being around a bunch of skanky, often hungover, whiny, hoochie momma, "I'm-A-Blonde-With-A-Brain T-shirt-wearing always perky youngsters. And if I hear "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm going to be 22...like oh-my-god that's so old...and I can't wear clothes with suggestive phrases on them anymore. Like all my fun is over now...what's the point." Do you think it's awful that I day dream of spilling my plain coffee on their too-tiny-baby-tee wearing selves. Yes, I have coffee during the afternoon sometimes (because us old folks need caffeine to stay awake for the entire day and we can't have the fancy drinks all the time because...well they are fattening and now every single thing I eat sticks itself to my body and becomes another cellulite dimple on my ass or attaches itself to my ever expanding mid-section). I also daydream of taking away of all their sparkly glitter makeup. That stops being cute after fifth grade. Hehe. Oh, and if I hear one more person with Jessica Simpson's These Boots are Made for Walking as their ring tone, I'm seriously going to yank the phone from their perfectly manicured with bubble gum pink painted hands and stomp on it with my ever-so-stylish high heel shoe because those of us schmucks who actually have to earn money to pay for education can't wear flip flops every day. Some of us actually have to play grown up even if we'd so rather not. *sigh*

Think this rant means it's time for a vacation? I do, I do!

Why Do Men So Often Revert Back to Their Pre-Puberty Mindset?

2005-09-05T16:50:00.000-05:00

Ok, so both these scenes took place in the kitchen.

Lunchtime today, I'm at the kitchen sink when Sean comes up behind and puts his butt against mine...and proceeds to let out multiple farts and then proceeds to snicker. Yes, I know...completely disgusting and juvenile. (But hey...did you see the ring he got me?!?)

Just a few minutes ago...I'm peering in the refrigerator looking for the package of salad when he slides up besides me and again relieves himself of some excess gas. Yes, my friends...welcome to daily life in our household. (Again, I have to say...the ring it's gorgeous in all it's sparkly prettiness.) Haha!

Of course, Sean is denying the above events ever occurred and is snidely requesting that I instead focus on the dinner he is currently preparing. Again, he's such a Diva!

Sean's lame attempt at interrupting me from posting this was to ask me if I could give Baden Pup food and water. I replied, "Sure, once I'm done posting". Sean's response, "Oh, fine...I see blabbing to the internet is SOOO more important than your dog, hear that Baden...Mommy doesn't love you". Hmm...can we say Drama Queen?

We Have a Site, Unless Sean Changes His Mind (Again)

2005-09-05T16:30:00.000-05:00

We have (dare I say) a wedding site. Now, keep in mind this could change because my honey loved the place at first and then yesterday asked if we could "talk" (I know..never a good thing) and was re-thinking whether or not we should hold the wedding at this place. What, are you out of mind?? Are you trying to make me beat you over the head with a very hard object? I must have not heard you right Sean because you have to realize that I'm in a fragile state and just one step away from packing us a bag and heading to Vegas!

We did hold a date at this place, it's August 25, 2006. However, we're hoping September 15 becomes available. If not, it's not that big a deal. Either one is late enough in the summer and given that the event will take place on a Friday evening, hopefully humidity will be at minimum. Because I'm in no way amused by the thought of sporting a frizzy, puff-puff hair style that looks like a tribute to Macy Gray at my wedding. I'm warning my curly q's now just in case they're tempted to misbehave and stage a mutiny on my wedding day. I'll be having none of that! You hear me hair?!?! Yes, I'm having conversations with my hair and I realize this means I'm insane. I knew this already...if you didn't...well you must be a newbie. :)

Anyways, I'm quite pleased that it appears we're back in agreement that the wedding will be held at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Thank God, because I'm so burned out on visiting sites and gathering information and cost proposals. Yuck, bleh! I want to get on to the fun stuff like eating cake, dress shopping and picking out pretty flowers. Seriously though...I wonder how many people break up during the wedding planning process because it is a huge pain in the ass! I thought the home searching/purchasing process was quite the relationship test; however, I think this wedding stuff has far surpassed the pain house hunting caused us.

So I'll leave you with the Atrium which is where the actual reception will be held. I wish there were more pics on the website and of course we forgot to take the camera. Oh well, we'll be making another visit soon to take lots of pics for the scrapbook. I'll post them then.

If She Wasn't Pregnant, I'd So Take Her Out for Drinks!

2005-09-05T10:58:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited. I have a wonderful new blog design thanks to the fabulous, generous and oh-so-talented Miss Zoot! It was luck of the draw baby and I happened to respond in time, hence my sassy and sexy new blog look. I felt like I had hit the lotto! :) Thanks again Miss Zoot! I love my new look, so much so that I have been playing with it all morning and not doing any of the homework that I so should have been working on. I keep touching the monitor screen and saying..."Oooh, pretty...pretty! Eeek! I may have finally lost it.

Wedding Update: We may have a site and date...or do we? Still not sure on that one! I think Sean is trying to destroy the little tidbit of sanity I had left.

The last 24 hours....all things P-related

2005-09-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

So I've had a great start to the Labor Day Weekend. Last night I developed a nasty tummy ache and dizzy spell in the middle of the night. This was followed by a fun orange juice induced puke fest. Yes, I know nice image. ;) So this morning I got in the shower for work, not a good idea because I barely made it through it without passing out. This was followed by a mini nap and when I awoke I was greeted to the sight of puppy puke. (I think Baden is having sympathy sickness cause he loves me that much.) So I clean that up and Baden and I lay down for another nap. He laid in bed with me for a little while, but then wandered back downstairs. I thought it was a bit odd since usually he's my partner in crime when it comes to marathon nap sessions. Well, I realized why as soon as I woke up again and came downstairs. I was greeted by the foulest aroma I've ever smelled. We had another accident. This time on the throw rug in the living in the form of two big piles of poop. Yeah, cause that's really what a girl whose feeling nauseous wants to have to clean up. Luckily I made it through the clean up process without losing any of my stomach's contents again. However, despite cleaning it with massive amounts of Pet Enzyme cleaner, Resolve Carpet Cleaner, and soap I still can't totally get rid of the odor. I have ten candles burning in here and nothing. It still smells like sh*t. I have the back door open and that's not helping much either. Sean is going to take the carpet cleaner to it when he gets home, but that's not for several hours. So I may just quarantine myself to the upstairs where it doesn't smell like a stinky farm. Hope ya'll are having a better start to the long weekend.

If you have any suggestions on how to remove the stinky stench, let me know. Ok...it's nap time. I've had more fun than any sick girl can handle.

Updated to Add: I almost locked myself out of the fu*ckin house. The UPS guy dropped off my package a good distance from the front door. I tried to just close the door enough that Baden wouldn't be able to pry it free with his nose, but not so much that it shut. Well, the damn door shut! Thank God, I had the back door open to air out the downstairs. I was able to get into the backyard and come in through the back door. Wow, I could have been sitting outside, shoeless, no make-up on, no bra on for the next six hours until Sean got home. Now that would have really sucked!! This tells me that today is a day for laying in bed and pulling the covers up over your head and blocking out the outside world. :)

Suprise- It's the first class and I'm Giving You a Quiz!

2005-08-31T20:35:00.000-05:00

Too tired to blog much right now. The Fall semester kicked off this Monday and is officially already kicking my a$$. I had my first class meeting tonight for my Geography class and there was a quiz. Yes, this teacher must be on crack because who in their right mind makes a class take a quiz in the very first class? If he's not on the crack pipe...Then the only other explanation is that he's just pure evil and I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt. Ha! I was looking up a teacher on Rate My Professor...and decided against taking this Professor after reading a comment by someone who referred to said Professor as "Satan's Sidekick". Hehe. Now THAT is funny! Ok, off to read about feminism and why women should rule the earth. :) Ahh, imagine what a wonderful world the place would be if we did. C'mon you boys had your turn and did a crappy job, now let the more compassionate and intelligent sex give it a try! ;)

See what a few days of school will do to my brain. I start feeling sassy and mouthy! Hehe.

Updated to Add: Everyone please keep all those affected by Katrina in your thoughts and prayers and DONATE, DONATE, DONATE.

To Trammie- Just wanted you to know that I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers as well and I'm always here for you ANYTIME for ANYTHING. Love ya girlie!

P.S. How cute is my sis...she sends me destination wedding info for Colorado and Arizona. Hehe. I had to tell her that when we were talking destination wedding, we were thinking a bit further away than that. Think tropical climate....beautiful island surrounded by clear water. But ya gotta love the girl for trying. Thanks Miss Mia. You rock and I appreciate everything. :)

We Have No Site...But There Is A Cake!!

2005-08-29T17:06:00.000-05:00

So we checked out a wedding site on Saturday. It was pretty location, but too cowboyish for our taste for a wedding. :) So that was nixed! The Great Site Search of 2005 continues. And talk of a destination wedding is still on the table. Although, since we now have a gorgeous, yummy cake that we spent three hours designing, I'm getting me a damn cake even if we elope! Ha! We love the cake lady and her work is fabulous and she was the cheapest out of everyone. Yippee! I'm not giving any cake details out yet...I'm still debating if I'll leave it to be a surprise or just let you have all the yummy details.

In other news...remember that post where I made up like five poems about how much I loathed my job. Well, let's just say after today I could probably write about fifteen more. Yes, it was THAT bad! I'm hesitant to go in to details here. Let's just say that since I lacked the balls to speak up when an inappropriate comment was made during a meeting because I was so damn shocked and knew any words that came out would have been venomous. So I spent the last half hour typing up an email, ok so maybe it was more like a book to my boss. No word back yet. So we'll see if I'm still employed tomorrow. If not, at least I can stay home with my furry kids. Hehe.

We Know Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming...

2005-08-25T20:06:00.000-05:00

Evil-Can-Switch-Moods-In-A-Split-Second-Bitch-Mode has ceased for the time being. I have resisted the desperate and mean spirited attempts of PMS and horrid gut wrenching cramps to bring Wicked Lisa back. Sean survived fairly unscathed I'm happy to report and efforts were made last night to redeem myself and I am now back in his good graces. That's all your inquiring little minds need to know. :)

Btw, I have to take a side moment to thank Miss Elise for her saavy information gathering goddess ways and always wise wedding advice. She has been so wonderful ever since we got engaged and so damn helpful that I wish I had lots of money so I could treat her to a Coach purse shopping spree. Alas, before you get too giddy E...you picked a broke ass friend hon, so no shopping yet! Hehe! :)

Ok, and now to celebrate my return from the dark side...I leave you all with pics from our lovely and exhausting trip to Florida. We miss everyone already! Enjoy.

Updated To Add: The movie Sweet Home Alabama is on. I always forget how much I love it until I see it. And the eye candy is quite nice too. :) Also, why did none of you ever tell me how damn good pepperjack cheese is? I love this stuff! If Sean's wonderful mom hadn't introduced me to it I would have never known. And I life lived w/o pepperjack is just wrong...on so many levels! Ha!

Sappy Goodbyes at the Fancy McDonald's

2005-08-25T19:59:00.000-05:00

One last group pic before we had to say a sad and weepy good bye. Aren't they all soo cute? These are the folks that make the normal, sane and loveable part of my family. They rock! And they are the only reason I don't mind being born into the dysfunction that is our family. They make it worth it. And my sis...can we just take a second to appreciate the beauty that is my sis. I just love her to pieces and miss her so.

Backyard Beautification!

2005-08-25T19:57:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know it's hard to look away from the distracting loveliness that is us two ladies and one young girl. However, the pool, the pond, the fountain- so gorgeous!! And they're just a snippet of the loveliness that is Sean's parent's backyard. No, they can not adopt you so you can live there. You must get in line first. I get first dibs! Haha.

This is what I would like God to Give Me when I reach Heaven

2005-08-25T19:55:00.000-05:00

Oh my God!! The dessert was to beyond ectasy good....His parents had the restaurant chef make a special treat just for us. Now do ya'll understand why I love his folks so much? They are the best!

Happy Engagement To Me!

2005-08-25T19:53:00.000-05:00

SMILE....Me and Brea at the Engagement Dinner for Seanie and me. It was hosted by his oh-so-loveable parents whom I adopted as my own long ago. :)

Lions and Tigers and Bears..Oh My! Ok, Maybe Not.

2005-08-25T19:52:00.000-05:00

Sean, Mia, Me and Long-Legged Brea posing in front of the Gazelle habitat at Animal Kingdom after getting soaked from two consecutive trips on the River Rafting ride. Do we look like drowned rats? :)

The PG-rated Chip 'n' Dales

2005-08-25T19:49:00.000-05:00

It's Mia, Me and Brea with The Chipmunks...wait that's not right....Chip and Dale...I don't know who they are, but they were really darn cute and sweet.

Look Out Johnny Depp! You got some Competition.

2005-08-25T19:47:00.000-05:00

Ahoy Mates! Or however it's spelled.

The Three Musketeer-ettes!

2005-08-25T19:46:00.000-05:00

Moria, Me and the youngster I used to call Baby Brea whose now towering over me. Aren't we cute?? :)

Wow, It Really Is the Happiest Place on Earth!

2005-08-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

Me cheesing for the camera just outside of Magic Kingdom. To my right is the lovely Moria, aka West Coast Mia, my wonderful sis whom I adore. I would have completely given in to my insanity long ago without her. And just past her are my aunt, uncle and little cousin whose suddenly taller than me (this disturbs me in more ways than you can imagine).

Nothing Is Better than This!

2005-08-25T19:37:00.000-05:00

Our Little Family.....(Some of us were more sunburned then others. I'll let you figure out who.)

Lisa is in Lust....

2005-08-25T19:36:00.000-05:00

How'd you like to live in this house? My dream home...*sigh* It's on my Christmas wish list! If anyone would like to contribute, I'm sure Sean would appreciate the help. Hehe!

Lighthouse Extravaganza

2005-08-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

I see pretty, pretty! Why must I work when there are boat rides to enjoy and surf to listen to and sun to tan in? The injustice of it all!

How Hot Am I Steering this Boat? C'mon, You Know I Am!

2005-08-25T19:34:00.000-05:00

Captain Sean striking a pose in his oversized-geekariffic-borrowed-sunglasses. I love me a boat ride!

And at the Front of the Boat We Have....

2005-08-25T19:33:00.000-05:00

Like Father, Like Son...Sean's Dad's chilling at the head of the boat. I'm telling ya'll this is the life!

Hallelujah!!

2005-08-25T19:28:00.000-05:00

After 12 hours of driving we experienced pure giddiness at the sight of the "Welcome to Virginia" sign! And of course shortly after crossing the VA state line we hit traffic...not a little traffice, but damn what the hell are all these people doing on the road at 7:30pm on a Sunday night?

My Furry Bundle of Cute

2005-08-25T19:24:00.000-05:00

Baden Pup with his Mom-Are-We-There-Yet Face....His cuteness still amazes. It's too much adorable to handle sometimes!

This is better than Red Lobster!

2005-08-25T19:22:00.000-05:00

A view of our last meal....prepared by Sean's skillful grilling guru of a Father. Yummy...shrimp-ees!

It May be Animal Kingdom, but We're Not Getting Frisky....Yet

2005-08-25T19:21:00.000-05:00

Sean and I chillin at Animal Kingdom in Disney World. Can your eyes handle the bright white of our skinny legs? And look a bonus- I'm even giving you a peek at my ever-so-lovely armpit. Woot!

Vent-Fest

2005-08-24T14:56:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I think there's not enough Zoloft in the world to make me whole...It's just these random moods that strike. Nothing usually causes them, but they just begin with a little trickle of sadness and then develop into fool on despair or sorrow or go from annoyance to full on cranky bitch-mode. They usually only last a day or two. But it's so frustrating because it feels like I'm not even in control of my moods. Well d'uh...I guess that would be because I'm really not. It doesn't help that I just called my doc to thank them (sarcasm) for prescribing ear drops which have worsened my ear ache into full on ringing, shrilling pain that left me up most of last night curled up in a ball crying. Have I mentioned how tired I am of being sick? I'm congested, tired, annoyed that I'm hungry all the time and my clothes aren't fitting comfortably, work suckedy sucks, and I'm ready for a change of pace. I need away from this always bumper-to-bumper traffic filled area where people are constantly in a state of rushing around. Sean luckily has developed a strong desire to move as well and is seeking job opportunities within his company. So far we've looked at Colorado and South Carolina. I really do hope that something pans out because we need a change a pace and to live in an area where we have a shot in hell of being able to afford a single family home. Have I mentioned that for some unknown strange reason the biological clock is ticking. Yeah...I'm anxiety ridden over the current stressors in our life and I'm having muchkin-fever. Sick, I know!

Anyways, I miss my sis...I miss Trammie....they're both way too far away. I miss my little cousin who is now taller than me and growing up entirely too quickly and far from my watchful eyes.

I'm annoyed that I'm having this pity party because I know I have so much to be grateful for. I have a wonderful fiance, even if he does work too much, whom I love dearly. He's even going to take up a lot of the pressure of the bills so I can cut back my work hours to part-time and focus more on school. I know, he rocks! Of course, I feel guilty about that too though and like I'm not pulling my own weight. Ugh, I wish I didn't have these yucky thoughts and I was just a happy-go-lucky-ball-of-sunshine all the time...but alas that's so not the case. How does Seanie put up with me?? I don't know...but I'm so glad that he does. And I'm very lucky too.