Who would've thought...

JC Penney is having a sale this weekend and I thought it would be the perfect time to pick up the last few items needed for my spring and summer wardrobe.  After roaming just about the entire misses department for nearly an hour and finding all of this cute stuff but very few things in my size, I started getting irritated.  Yes, I know most of America is not a size 2 or 4, but I am and I need new pants that actually fit this year! 
Late last fall, I found a pair of capris and a pair of business shorts on clearance at Kohls and picked them up, other than that everything I own now is one size too big and in business casual attire, its somewhat noticeable.  This year, I decided to save up my gift cards from Christmas and use them when I actually needed to fill a hole in my closet.  Today was that day and by the time I had tried on what seemed like hundreds of items, I finally settled on 2 skirts, 1 pair of cropped pants and 3 clearance tops and just barely spent every penny on my gift cards.  Normally I would have spent twice as much as I had planned on.
I'm hoping to find a few more things at Kohls or Macy's later in the season when every other size has already been picked over and my size is on clearance.  If I don't, well then I guess I'm just out of luck for now, because I'm not spending a fortune on clothes nor am I gaining any weight.  I've worked too hard to get into shape.
Never did I think I would see the day when I'm actually frustrated by shopping because I can't find much in my size.  Trust me, it is a good feeling, but a tad bit frustrating.

So after my little shopping extravaganza, I went to the library.  I needed the peace and quiet and some new reading material for the next few weeks.  Not much frustration there, I just had to put a limit on myself for the number of books could check out and get read before they are due.  It's supposed to be a nice spring weekend here and I'm planning on taking advantage of the sun on my deck with a good book.

Lunch updates and tax deadlines

My lunch was a success!!  Woo hoo!
I went back to making my classic chicken quesadillas for tomorrow, but its good to know that in a pinch, I can crank out a good Italian dish as well.  I may experiment a bit more if I time permits this weekend.  I've been waiting to make a healthified buffalo chicken and potato casserole and given the right amount of time, I think I can throw together something amazing.

In other news, today was tax day!  This morning a co-worker sent me and my boss this classic...
.

Oh how true it is.  Since I am an extremely high-strung and overly analytical Accountant, I had my taxes done mid-January and e-filed them as soon as our W-2s were released by our payroll processing company.  My boss, on the other hand is one of those laid back, everything-can-be-fixed-with-a-journal-entry type of Controller and he sent off his paper returns this morning.  Yeah, I guess both ways work.
Luckily, today we didn't have any real issues to deal with since tax isn't our specialty, but it still was a busy day and I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend.

Pure genius?

I may have just created the greatest recipe of all time...we'll know for sure tomorrow around lunchtime!
If not, I guess I just better stick to those few meals I make extremely well, like my chicken quesadillas, pizza casserole or roasted potatoes.

I've been trying to expand my cooking skills a bit more and decided that I would try to make something new for lunch tomorrow.  Tonight's experiment was a stuffed Chicken Parmesan.  Sounds like an easy enough concept.  I just hope it is a success. 

I'm holding my breath in the meantime.

How is this possible?

This morning I had to get up to attend a funeral for my coworker, Robin.  It is the second incident of cancer, resulting in losing another amazing, young, vibrant person in 18 months for our office and we only have 35 employees.  We lost Sherri back in 2008 and were devastated.  We were finally starting to get back to normal when we found out Robin was diagnosed with the same cancer that struck Sherri. 
Robin was feisty and persistent and told all of us that she was not going to give up with out a brilliant fight and that she did.  We have so many special memories with Robin from boatfests, golf tournaments, Cardinals games, weddings and more.  She was a great friend and always some one you could count on and we definitely saw that today with the outpouring of support for her family.
Our work family is a close, tight-knit group of people and we will push forward; yet, right now we are all in shock, grief stricken and wondering how what kind of odds we just defied with this happening to our group twice and in such a short amount of time.  We did find some comfort in the thought that Sherri greeted our dear friend with a Bud Light draught and a practical joke at the pearly gates.

Describes me to a tee

I found a website the other day that had fun Accounting apparel among other accessories.  Some of the sayings made me giggle and others of them had me down right laughing and daring myself to buy them and try to get a rise out of the office and there are the others that were just speaking the truth.  Like this one:

Yeah, that totally describes me and definitely drives some people insane, especially my co-workers on month-end days like today.  Of course, it does come in quite handy when you meet with your wealth management advisor about your 401k and other financial opportunities.  They seem to appreciate your detailed budget and spreadsheets and call you the perfect client.

How awesome is this!?! -- Part Duex

My Blues jersey is autographed along with other memorabilia, business cards were handed out and finally he was set up as one of our new vendors.  But before we let him leave the office, a few of us girls had one small request -- a photo op.  

And what did our new business acquaintance do....

 

....he smiled for pictures of course!  I have met a few athletes in my life and I can say, Tony Twist is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.  Not only did he sit in our office for well over an hour signing pictures, pucks, jerseys and more, he also offered his company's services to our employees and ended up spending a decent amount of time talking to all of us.  Sure, he was one of my favorite hockey players back then, but he's earned even more brownie points with me now.  It ended up being a really exciting day at work too!

How awesome is this!?!

Yesterday afternoon I was sitting at my desk, working on one of my many Monday to-do's when the President of the Company buzzes my phone.  I answer nonchalantly and wonder what kind of project he needs completed. and have my pen and paper ready to write down the details of his request. 

He asks just one question -- "Remember 'so and so' (I'm protecting his name for now) from the Blues a few years back?"
My response, "Oh yeah, he was one of my favorites."
His next comment, "Well, give it 30 seconds and he'll be walking into my office.  If you want to catch a glimpse, walk out to Operations."

So I hang up and walk out to Operations, taking one of my other female co-workers with me so I don't look like a total goof just standing around in the middle of the office.  Of course, the guys in Ops look at me like I have 10 heads because I never just mosey out there mid-day and definitely not with another co-worker on a busy Monday afternoon.
Sure enough, a few seconds pass and 'so and so' walks into my boss' office.  The guys just look at me and laugh and I assure them that it is who they think it is.

Come to find out....'so and so' owns a company that we're going to start doing business with and he came in to bring his completed vendor paperwork to the President. 
Tomorrow he's coming back in and signing autographs.  You can bet I've got my Blues jersey out and ready!  I know that only my boss would be able to pull off something this spectacular.

One minute of fame

My friend Tom wrote for the Seattle Roller Derby Examiner before he made the move to Tulsa earlier this year.  Earlier this week, he officially ended his stint with that page so that he can start up his Tulsa Sports Examiner page very soon. 
He's a great writer and we've been friends for numerous years but I was officially honored by the kind words he wrote about me in his last article.  You can read it here: Seattle Roller Derby Examiner 
Considering some of the other stuff I've been battling lately, it's a nice to know that there are others that see I'm one of their biggest fans even when we live hours apart.
Also, added to my to-do list is making the trek to Oklahoma to visit and check out the women's roller derby team he's now coaching.

Thank Goodness for Dad

Today was an extremely trying day and despite all of my efforts, I couldn't fix it.

Luckily, I have a wonderful Dad who always looks out after his little girl, no matter how old I am.  It's days like today, that I wish I lived closer to him.  Such a brilliant and insightful man that I'm very grateful to have as my Dad.

Oh what fun!

4 St. Louis bars + 4 drinks + 2 bands + many awesome friends = 8 hours of St. Patrick's Day weekend fun

I got home at 1:47 am and I would say I partied hard.  We'll see how I feel in a few hours when I have to wake up and make my way to my Dad's for my brother's birthday celebration.  At least this year I have my bro's birthday present wrapped so I won't make the same mistake and wrap it in a bag clearly labeled CHRISTMAS once again.

Off to bed!!  Might just take a few Advil, just to be on the safe side.  :)

What a week!

Monday started off extremely rocky, but I somehow pulled myself together and by Wednesday, I was back to a fairly normal me.  After helping plan the impromptu happy hour and the after party and sticking around for the craziness, the direct comment from Coco was, "I'm so glad the old Lindsay is back!  We've missed this fun side of you!"
The happy hour came about all because of the President's visit to town and the blocking of the interstate at rush hour.  So I asked myself a very important question... 
Should you really sit in traffic for an hour because the interstate you take to go the gym and eventually use to go home is shut down? 
My answer to that...
....well no, there are better things we can be doing!

Yes, I've missed this side of me too.

After work last night we all helped SM move into her new apartment.  Who knew moving boxes and furniture and unpacking would be so much fun.  Get our work group together to do anything and it turns into a comedic performance.  I'm not sure the last time I laughed that hard.  Yeah, Tupperware, a salad spinner and picture hanging are indeed hilarious.
To carry on the weekend festivities, tonight we're going out to celebrate St. Patrick's Day St. Louis style.  Should be a good time once again.  I'm sure most of the people we will run into have been drinking and carrying on all day, so it's a bonus to get to mess with their heads a bit tonight too.  Because besides having fun, it's about being a silly sh*t disturber on top of it all.  :)

Hope you have a great weekend!!

Milk-a-what?

Think I can get by with this?

Lindsay Lohan Suing E-Trade for Milkaholic "Parody"

MINEOLA, N.Y. – Lindsay Lohan is feuding with the E-Trade babies.

The actress has filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming a television ad for the Wall Street firm that aired durning the Super Bowl and Olympics was modeled after her.

Talking babies in the ad engage in chatter that refers to "milkaholic Lindsay." The 23-year-old actress has famously sought substance abuse treatment.  Lohan's name was never mentioned. But her New York lawyer contends that "Lindsay" is an equally recognizable moniker for her client — like that of Oprah or Madonna.

Lohan's legal team is seeking an injunction to stop future airings.

An E-Trade spokeswoman is declining to comment.

My only comment -
Lindsay Lohan, get over yourself!  You're nowhere near as popular as Oprah or Madonna and there are plenty more before you that were given this name (like me!) and there will be plenty more after your sorry career is over.
We all laughed when the commercial was played at the Super Bowl party and after seeing this article today, I laughed again.  Milk-a-what?

Yeah, I'm a Lindsay and quite proud.  Plus, I'm cooler than her any day!  Good job E-Trade!  :)

This sums it up

New episode of The Office 

+

 Season Finale of The Real Housewives of Orange County

=

Exciting, Relaxing Thursday Night for Lindsay

Out of Commission

I should be at the gym right now, but because of a dumb mishap on my part on Tuesday night, I forced myself to take the night off.  Ok, it really might not be all my fault, but I can't blame the trainer that showed Coco a few new tricks to help tone the abs now, can I?

I actually was quite pleased with my effort this week.  I was going to work out Monday through Thursday and then quite possibly pick up a weekend day if I felt up to it.  Nothing too crazy, but not completely slacking off either.  This schedule would also allow me one day next week to set up dinner plans with a friend if I so chose to (which in the back of my mind, I thought I would do) and not feel too bad for actually eating out and giving up a workout.
I went Monday night and did my normal hour long cardio and then came home and worked on core; Tuesday, I did a half an hour of cardio and then Coco and I decided to work out together.  She met with a trainer last week who showed her a few new moves to add to her gym routine.  So we thought we'd try those out together along with adding in a few things my trainer showed me when I worked out with him last year.  I was fine while working out, I was actually enjoying the new stuff and having fun mixing in the old stuff.
Well, that darn Bosu ball got me.  I'm not used to crunches on that thing and I guess I got a bit carried away wanting amazing abs by summer and pulled the muscles in my lower back.  Really, I wasn't too bothered by it until yesterday morning and as the day progressed, it got a bit worse.  I still was not about to give up a workout though, so I decided to go again last night and work out with TL.  I got on my stride elliptical and he worked out on the machine next to me, we laughed and joked but I could still feel some pain.  After 30 minutes, I was done.  I came home and took it easy the rest of the night.
Yeah...this morning, I could barely walk without totally grimacing in pain.  Then, me being the complete doofus I am, decided to wear 4 inch heels to work with my cute skirt and sweater...let me tell you, not too smart when you already are having back pain issues.  Probably would not have been so bad if I could have sat at my desk all day, but today, like most days, I was up and about in the office.  I teased the guys in the office to push me around in my rolly chair, but really, that was not an option today or really any day for that matter.  SS saw me almost in tears and was extremely awesome, bringing me an Aleve so that I didn't completely break down.  (Something I've done a bit of lately.) 
As the day went on, it did start loosening up, but I still didn't want to chance it.  Although for one split second, I thought I could make it better by working out.  Finally around 4, I decided that sometimes it's just better to come home and relax and tonight was going to be that kind of night.  I just hope that it's feeling 100% better tomorrow.

As for Coco's trainer, I am going to blame him a bit too because his philosophy is all work and no play and well, I just don't think I can go along with that.  I'm not that intense about the gym and working out.  I work out to be able to have fun.  As soon as I found out that he told her no drinking and no eating anything that is not organic and full of vitamins and minerals, I was not a fan.  Sure, I keep a healthy diet most of the time, but there has to be some wiggle room for fun.  Plus, I could never give up my marshmallow addiction or nights at Bellacino's.  :)

My mental notes for now are be a bit wiser when it comes to working out and definitely be smarter when it comes to my fashion.  Of course, I will say, I was complimented for my outfit today, so maybe being in a little pain is worth it.  Heh...jk!

Have a great night and a fantastic weekend!

Oh Canada!

Congrats Team Canada on your Gold medal in Men's Ice Hockey. Such an exciting game to watch and even though I was rooting for the USA and my St. Louis Blues representing our team, I'm alright with the end result.


Sidney Crosby, you continue to amaze me. I'm not sure how you can get much better, but I know you will come up with something. After today's awesome game, I'm ready for the NHL season to get back into full swing. Too bad we only play the Penguins once in a blue moon.

Lost and Found

Up and at 'em at 6:30 on a Sunday morning. Yeah, I'm crazy like that. Actually, I feel great right now and I'm looking forward to the day. Nothing too wild plan, I'm just trying to take it easy and enjoy the little bit of time I do have off.

In talking to some very wise people earlier in the week, they inspired me to think outside the box a bit to bring back that lovable, sweet, fun person I have been missing in myself the last few months. It seems I've let work and worrying get the best of me and pretty much have lost the drive to pursue all of the other fun stuff I used to do. So, I spent some of my down time this week thinking about all of the interests I used to have before I started working 45+ hours a week.

Cooking, baking, working out, playing poker, reading, scrapbooking and spending quality time with my family and friends...yes, that's the stuff I'm missing. Lately, I've rushed through these sorts of activities just to get them off my list of things to do and I haven't really taken the time to enjoy them. I have to get a grip on my life and find a balance and I think I'm off to a good start.

I've cooked a few times this week to make lunches for my nearest and dearest friends and I also semi-baked to go along with those lunches. (Don't worry, I'll get back to my full baking and wow you all very soon!) Cooking for myself is a no brainer, usually it's something quick and easy but taking the time to put together a meal you can be proud to serve others is something I enjoy doing. I take pride in knowing that I can brighten my friend's day by making something delicious. I also think cooking is a great way to show someone else how much the mean to you and how grateful you are to have them in your life.

I took a very different approach to working out this week. While I have never really given this up, it always seemed like going to the gym was such work for me after my regular job. I'd force myself to go to the gym every night and wouldn't leave the gym until I had my 65 minutes on the elliptical in or I had my cardio and weightlifting goals finished for that day. This week, I switched it up a bit and decided that if I'm going to go to the gym as often as I do, I don't have to be so obsessive about it when I get there. Some nights it's ok to just do a run/walk combo on the treadmill for a half an hour (something I would never do before) or just to weightlift and tone my core or if I feel up to it, do 65 minutes on the elliptical. I have a very strict diet for myself most of the time, so it's not like I need to go and force myself to burn 1,000 calories a night. I'm smaller and weigh less than I've have in 17 years. That's an accomplishment and I need to look at it that way. In the long run, I think I will feel much better for switching it up too.

Yesterday, I think I found a fairly complete balance to my time off. I went to the library to find some fun reading material and started reading for entertainment again, spent a little time catching up on errands, found some time to catch up with my family and then finished my night watching the Olympics at home. For the first time in months (besides my birthday), I went to dinner with my Mom, Michael and my Grandma again. Usually, I will stop in to their house for a few minutes every few weeks and then rush off because I felt like I had so many other things to do or I can't seem to find the time to get over there more often. It was nice just to talk to them. I know they want to make sure that I'm taking care of myself and I know they have my best interest at heart, even when I don't want to hear it. Before I left, I planned a time to cook dinner for them next week too.

Today, I'm taking the same approach. I have to go do my laundry this morning and I think I'm going to scrapbook some of my fun summer pics from last year. I'm so tired of winter and the freezing temps here and I'm hoping that this will help get me even more pumped and thinkin' spring. Tomorrow is already March 1st so spring should be around the corner, right?!? Let's hope so! The rest of the day....who knows. I'm learning I need to just go with the flow and that's what I'm going to try to do. :)

Enjoy your day!

Songs of the week

Happy Monday! Hope your week is starting off on the right foot.

Not sure how I feel about the day or even the week so far, but in getting ready this morning, two songs popped into my head. I think I going to make these my songs for the week and hopefully they will pull me through all of the nonsense. I know very little about both artists, but their songs are catchy and apply to this week in some regard.

- The Remedy by Jason Mraz
- What Do You Want from Me by Adam Lambert

Don't worry, if you happen to catch me singing either one of these, it's just because I'm taking my own advice and looking to music to relieve some stress.

I'm headed into work. Take it easy! :)

Weekend wrap-up

It's been a fairly good weekend here once again. There was time for quite a bit of fun, a bit of rest and relaxation and just a very little work, which is a good thing because after the crazy week I had last week, I needed a stress-free weekend.

Saturday afternoon, while still celebrating Coco's birthday (it's a month-long event), the girls met to see the musical,

Having never seen it before nor ever watching the movie (yes, I must live under a rock), I thoroughly enjoyed it. What made it even better was that it was performed at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

Probably the biggest downfall of the day, the amount of time it took for all 12 of us to meet and actually make it to our seats. (we were late as per usual)
I don't know if I'm not as high-maintenance as I previously thought or if my friends are just that much more high-maintenance than me but when I'm told that everyone is supposed to meet at a place at 12:30 so that they can make it to their final destination at 1 pm, I would definitely try to stick to my deadline. (This coming from a girl who's biggest pet peeve is lateness and thinks time management is a valuable and essential asset for any person to have.)

I drove myself separately and even had an errand to run beforehand and still made it to the parking lot by 1 pm. My friends...umm yeah, they called at 1:15 saying that it would take them 15 more minutes and finally at 1:52 pm, 9 of them met me out in front of the theatre. We waited 5 more minutes for the last 2 girls and then the potty stops started. Needless to say, we didn't make it up to the balcony until 2:15 and then had to inconvenience others to get to our seats for a show that started promptly at 2 pm. Ugh!
Thank goodness I was kept occupied with texting during my hour long wait, otherwise I probably would have been even more irritated by the time we made it into the Fox.

I knew better than to go to dinner after the show as I had somewhere else to be by 6:15 pm and didn't want to go through the same craziness or be late for my other plans. So, I rushed to my car and tried to dodge as much of the traffic out of the city as I could. I made it in plenty of time for event 2 and even had a few minutes to spare. The rest of my evening was great and probably once of the best nights I've had in months. :)

Today, well, what can I say about today? It's been an alright day. I'm not really looking forward to going back to work tomorrow morning and I think that's what has me a bit down.
It will be a busy week once again since we have month-end on Friday and to top it off, after nearly 5 years without backups for any of the Accounting/Billing/Payroll positions, our bosses decided last Friday to start cross-training for our departments this week. Yes, you read that right, the employees in our department have not had backups since our corporate headquarters moved to St. Louis 5 years ago.
My position, not-so-much this week (or probably any other week in the next few months), but everyone else will have one other employee start learning a new job so that people can finally start taking multiple days off or even week-long vacations. Because of the confidentiality and sensitive nature of both my Accounting job and HR role, my duties will be spread amongst numerous employees. I get to find the time to meet with a few people and teach them specifics about what I do. Honestly, I think it will just be easier if I never take off of work when its not a Federal holiday but that doesn't work so well when you have 3 weeks of vacation and 6 PTO days to use in one year. So, we will see what happens...
I did make it known in our meeting that I won't answer work phone calls in Vegas again this summer. Of course that probably has more to do with the fact that we don't have a Vegas trip planned and not the fact that it's work calling and checking in on something random.

Wow...seems like I'm all full of complaints tonight. I'll try to have a more positive and upbeat attitude for the next update.
Hope you have a good week!

My Valentine's Gift

No matter how many times I'm an idiot, there is one person that will always make me realize that I'm a truly special and much loved person.

Tonight was again one of those nights where I was a complete moron and that person fixed me and made sense of the mess I created. I don't know why I deserve someone like this but I'm thanking my lucky stars that I do.

Now if only I could remember how to stop being so stupid...

This just in...

from NASCAR.com news.

CONGRATULATIONS

Jamie McMurray

ON YOUR 2010 DAYTONA 500 WIN!

Jamie McMurray wins the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway!

Big WOO HOOs coming from me! I was rooting for him all race long!! Good job Jamie!

You Give Love A Bad Name!

I could have started off this post with Shot Through The Heart or I'm a Cowboy, on a Steel Horse I Ride or She's A Little Runaway or any other Bon Jovi lyric, but that didn't seem as fun and even though this news is unrelated to Valentine's Day, it's extremely exciting!
So here's a little riddle for you. It's the same riddle Rosemary and I presented to Coco on her birthday this past Wednesday.

What could be better than rocking out to Bon Jovi while driving into another day at work?

How about...
Rocking out to Bon Jovi LIVE in Chicago on July 30th?

That's right...7 girlfriends are going to see Bon Jovi in concert in Chicago!!
Coco was extremely excited that we surprised her with the trip to see her absolute favorite band and Rosemary and I are so excited that we were able to pull off one great birthday present for one very special friend! We're definitely looking forward to the concert and the girls trip! Coco and I have been reminiscing about our last trip to Chicago to see Bon Jovi in concert and we have laughed like crazy about the antics of that weekend....I can only imagine that it will be that and more with this group.

In other news, I finally have a day off from work tomorrow! After not taking an actual day off since our little mandatory vacation stint back in July, I'm ready for a real day of enjoying myself and trying to regain some sanity from the year-end grind and new year bedlam I've been put through the last 3 months. It actually should be a good day off too, since it's a Federal holiday and there is not much that needs to be done for my job. Tuesday will be crazy, but at least I should be somewhat rested to deal with that.
I don't have much planned for my day off though. I decided to take care of all of my household responsibilities on Saturday so that I could enjoy the next two days off with little to do. I've got to take my car in for brakes and an oil change and I've got an appointment to complete 2 sets of taxes for my friends tomorrow night, but the rest of the day will hopefully be carefree and very enjoyable.

Finally, I want to say thanks to two of my favorite cousins, Nicole and Emily, who at 7:30 this morning, sent me the cutest text message for Valentine's Day.

Thanks girls for brightening my Valentine's Day. You two are awesome and I hope you have a fun day.
While I think you should show those special people in your life, how much they mean to you every day, it's also nice to show some extra love today. I know I'm truly grateful for those that stick by me through thick and thin. :)

I'm going to go enjoy the rest of the Daytona 500 (go McMurray!) and take it easy. Hope you have a great rest of the weekend! Catch ya later!!

A fun game and a weekend update

If you have a few spare minutes and you're looking for something fun and silly to do, then I have the solution for you:
Go to urbandictionary.com, type your first name in the search box and figure out the definition of you! Here's mine,
Lindsay --
1.) a girl who is hotter than the flames of hell
2.) the marvelous and mysterious temptress from the land of eternal joy
3.) a girl who is smarter than Albert Einstein but as gorgeous as Helen of Troy (you know, the one whose beauty started the epic war)
4.) this girl is in no way affiliated with Lindsay Lohan. Lohan simply stole this girl's name.

Hilarious!!! I'm definitely gonna pass this on!

As for the big birthday weekend, well to put it mildly, it was the best birthday anyone could ever ask for!!! I had so much fun and felt so relieved that everyone seemed to enjoy themselves! My Bro is quite possibly the greatest brother in the world too. He made me laugh and cry and most of all, realize that in spite of history, one night can make a difference and I had a fantastic night singing and dancing and just having fun! I'm extremely thankful that he made my night as special as he did. I will remember the sacrifices he made and will be eternally grateful to him! Thanks again Bro!

Earlier in the day, the girls and I got to experience our "cardio ballet" class as they referred to it and let me tell you, that was harder work than I expected. Even working out the 3 or 4 days a week that I do, I worked muscles that I don't usually think about and was able to learn a fun chair/lap dance routine. (Now, if I could only remember the whole thing! My new age is getting to my memory already! Ha!!) The instructor was great and she really made us feel like sexy, spunky chicks. I would totally love to take those classes on a regular basis!! Oh and if you're wondering, yes, I got to try out the pole too!

After class, Coco and Rosemary took me to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Lunch was great; however, if you know me, you also know that one of my pet peeves is having attention called to you when you are out on your birthday, meaning I absolutely hate when they bring the waiters over to sing. It's been a sticking point with me ever since I was little and they used to sing when we went to the Olive Garden or anywhere else for a birthday dinner. Well, Coco decided to tell the waitress that it was my birthday and what happens....they bring out a little ice cream sundae with a candle in it and sing to me. Ugh!! No matter how less shy I am now to when I was when I was younger, I still despise the singing thing....but I sat there and didn't crawl under the table and then ate the deliciousness they brought as my "reward" for not running away. :)

This week, it was back to the grindstone at work. Monday and Tuesday passed in a blur since it was the first two days of the month and their is so much to do to start the month off on the right foot and finally today, things started going a bit smoother. I'm hoping I get through the next 2 days at work with very few problems....we'll see what pops up tomorrow and then I'll figure out what's going on for the weekend.

Take it easy and enjoy your night!

And the fun continues....

Besides the little hiccup (ok, really it was a disaster for about an hour causing me to have a mini-meltdown and forcing me to switch my evening plans around a bit because I couldn't leave when I needed to) when I was trying to close the books and finish month-end, my birthday was spectacular!
Coco was amazingly thoughtful as usual and brought me the cutest bouquet of silk flowers and mini marshmallows (because I'm addicted to them) and ice cream in for the office. Most of my co-workers were so sweet with all of the nice birthday wishes and I got to go out to lunch to one of my favorites, Bellacino's, with the most awesome people I know. I felt on top of the world knowing how many great people care about me and wanted to make my day special.

And in spite of my problems when I was trying to leave work last night, making me think that my night was completely ruined, I had ONE AMAZING NIGHT. I got exactly what I asked for....dinner and a night with him and I could not be happier right now. It is truly the highlight of my entire weekend and the weekend has barely started.

In a bit, Coco and Rosemary are coming to pick me up for our pole dancing class and for a girls day of fun. When I'm with those two, you never know what silliness will happen. I'm sure I'll spend my day laughing like crazy, especially since we're "experimenting" with pole dancing and when we're doing normal stuff it's usually a riot. I'm already well aware that my cheeks will hurt by this afternoon from all of the giggling.

Then tonight is dinner and dancing with my family and friends. I made the reservations for dinner yesterday afternoon and I can't believe it, we have 18 people coming to dinner! WOW! It should be fun and I can't wait to see everyone.

Stay warm and have a fabulous weekend!

Twenty-seven

The day is here....
I have to be honest, I never imagined myself at this age. As a girl, teen and young adult, I never thought past my 21st birthday and 27 seemed completely out of reach. Now I'm here and wondering what the heck I did with the last 27 years of my life and if the next 27 will pass like the former have. But enough of the deep thinking...I'm going to enjoy my day and my weekend and celebrate like I'm 21.

Happy Friday! Hope you have a great day as well!

My Wish List....

If anyone is looking for birthday gift ideas for me, I thought I'd help you out and show you a few of my favorites right now. Feel free to pick up any of these and if you want, guess which one I got for myself:
Lovely Victoria's Secret little black dress that I'm completely crazy about.

Thigh high boots, also from Victoria's Secret used to complete my little black dress ensemble.
A set of dumbells so that I can work out at home and not feel guilty when I can't put in the time at the gym.

Concert tickets to see my favorite band Shinedown.



Concert tickets to see my second favorite band and probably my biggest rockstar crush, BonJovi.

And probably the easiest and most special gifts that would mean the world to me right now, even though I've been a complete butthead lately....
Dinner with him....

I know I'm asking for a lot right now, but really the last one is the most important and would make my birthday complete. We'll see if my big wish comes true...

If you couldn't figure it out, I have already purchased the tickets to see Shinedown when they come to town with Nickelback in April. I'm excited to get to see them and I hope that they are as good live as they are when I sing all of their music in my car. It should also be a good night for other reasons, but I'm not getting my hopes up for that just yet....I'll find a way to have fun no matter what though, even if it's not exactly how I imagined it.

4 days until the BIG day and I'm just ready for it to get here already.

27 Here I Come!!

The plans have been made, the invitations have been sent and for the first time in as many years as I can remember, I'm truly looking forward to this week and the birthday extravaganzas that will take place on Friday and Saturday. Even if no one else shows up, I know I will have a blast because I'm spending my birthday doing the things I want to do. (BTW, I know I won't be alone, I'm just happy that I stopped worrying and finally made decisions that please me.)

My actual birthday is Friday and while it's also the last working day of the month, thus making it month-end closing day, I plan on making the most of my day in the office. If it means me doing something silly, then so be it. I'm hoping to get out of the office on time at the latest, but I'm pushing to get out a bit early, if at all possible. Friday night I hope to have GRAND plans, but that's yet to be determined. If I do, I will be a very lucky girl!! If I don't, well it's no big deal really, sometimes it's nice just to have a relaxing night in. :)

Saturday is an entire day full of fun. "Coco" (M's new nickname) and "Rosemary" are meeting me in the morning for our bucket list experience. While I've been a bit hesitant to say what that experience is, I guess I will finally come clean. There is a women's fitness center in town that offers pole dancing lessons as a part of a fun cardio workout. I decided earlier in the month why not give it a try and who better to enlist than two of my closest friends to join me. It's just something fun to say that I've gotten to experience in my lifetime while also getting in a good workout! No need to worry, I'm not taking up a new career. Well, unless I find out I'm really good. jk! ha!

Saturday night, I've got dinner plans with both sides of my family and then a night of listening to a modern rock cover band and dancing in the bar. Probably the most exciting part of this is that just about all of my family is coming to dinner -- my Bro, Dad, Mom, Step-Dad, Grandma, Aunt, Uncle and 4 cousins, and even 2 more cousins, along with numerous friends. Yes, I know everyone has their differences, but I feel extremely special that everyone is willing to put that aside for me. I'm also looking forward to getting to party with my Bro and our friends after dinner. He's an absolute hoot to hang out with and I'm so glad he's coming to have some fun with me and celebrate turning another year older. I can't think of a much better way to spend my Saturday night.

Like everyone continues to tell me, I'm in the prime of my life. This is a time where I should be having fun and enjoying all that life has to offer, not worrying about the little things that I do not have control over. I'm getting there....it's taken awhile, but I'm learning and I think it will pay off and make me a much more delightful person in the meantime.

I'm sure I'll have plenty of funny stories from my adventures later in the week and who knows, maybe even a few pictures to post.

Hope you have a great week as well!!

My 27th year....the best one yet?

In 23 short days I will turn 27. With this, I've been trying to think of activities and fun things to make my 27th year my greatest yet, so I've started a "bucket list" for the year. The first item on my list will be completed on January 30th with two of my best girlfriends. It's something I've thought about in years past but never made the move to make it happen. This year, it's booked and I'm ready for some fun! One item thought of and it's just about completed. I guess I'm gonna have to work on the other items I want to accomplish in the next 365 days.

I'm looking forward to this year....

P.S. I'll explain more later!

Happy New Year!

While I didn't spend the last night of 2009 exactly the way I wanted to, I did have a great time out with my friends. Thanks girls for keeping me company!

I learned a lot in one year's time. It was a rough year that tested my patience, my emotions, my strength and my faith but most of all I learned to be a better person through all of it. I learned that I'm not the only person in this world and while I'm no where close to perfect, I am trying to perfect the image I present to the world. I made changes in my life that may not have always been clear cut but as I move forward in my life, I am content with the direction I'm going. 2010 is another chance for me to define the path I'm taking.

I wish you all the best in 2010.

You know you've got enough trucking experience...

when you live in St. Louis and call your mom this morning to see how the drive to Texas is going, she tells you about a town in Oklahoma with a huge Big Lots Distribution Center and you know exactly what town in Oklahoma she is talking about. (For all you non-trucking people, that would be Durant, OK.)

Go ahead, call me crazy. She was impressed at my highly useless and random knowledge. She'll probably call me when she needs to phone a friend for a game show or something too. :)

In other news, Christmas Eve is tomorrow and I'm working and then heading out to my Dad's to spend time with him and my Bro.
We celebrated Christmas at my Mom's on Monday night and I got a lot of great gifts. I'm excited to have a brand new wool coat that actually fits again too!!

The company Christmas party was last night and it was out of this world. I won lunch with the the President of the Company again (3 year winner!) and had a fabulous time mingling and partying with the most awesome co-workers in the world. We exchanged gifts today at work and the Accounting/Billing/IT departments were invited out to lunch by our boss.

While this is an extremely stressful time of year for me, I'm grateful for all of those wonderful people in my life that make it a bit easier.

Merry Christmas!!

I'm finished...

....Christmas shopping that is. 11 days until Christmas and I am officially done shopping! I think this is a record for me, usually there are one or two things I forget to buy until the last minute or I change my mind 10 times before I pick up the first gift I had planned on buying.
Now comes the task of wrapping and keeping quiet for the next 11 days because I sure do believe I outdid myself this year! We'll see how it all turns out and if I remember, I'll post pictures after our holiday extravaganzas.
Because the month of December is normally pure bedlam for me, I've decided against decorations this year. Guess it seems Scrooge-like but I am not home enough to even enjoy them, let alone get them put back away before spring rolls around. This year is no different from the past...the next two and a half weeks at work will be out of control with all of the year-end projects we have to work on and the normal daily grind. I'm hoping just to make it out of 2009 breathing and with some sanity intact. The gym will definitely be my sanctuary after all of those crazy days. :)

As for the last few weeks -- well, there has been quite a bit going on. I spent Thanksgiving out at my Dad's and we had a great time even if it was a small event. My Dad did a fantastic job with the dinner and we had fun just hanging out. I had to work Black Friday, but that didn't stop me from getting up and going shopping before work. I stood in line to check out 2 hours to pick up "the perfect gift" but it was well worth it. That Sunday, I got the pleasure of taking my Bro and AJ to the Rams-Seahawks game. This game is a tradition for Tom, Joe and I but with other things going on this year, we didn't plan on going. My boss was awesome enough to offer me his tickets to the game and I couldn't pass them up. My bro was more than willing to accompany me to the game and even though the Rams couldn't pull off a win, we had a terrific time. He's such a good guy and I'm extremely lucky that we have the sibling relationship that we do and that he doesn't see me as the big dork I am. ha!
There have been a few happy hours as well as a few nights at Bellacino's for M and I and also a few nights where I've tried just to keep myself at home to take it easy and clear my head.

Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season -- may it be filled with warmth and time with those that mean the most to you. I'll update again soon!

On My Mind...

I believe I'm slowly starting to get out of the "funk" I've been in for a few weeks and while I'm a million times harder on myself in various situations and nuttier than I should be most times, I do realize that I'm an extremely lucky girl. On Monday morning as I was driving to the office, I heard this song on the radio and I knew everything would work out and I would be just fine.

When I See You Smile by Bad English

Sometimes I wonder
How I'd ever make it through,
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue

'Cause sometimes it seems
Like this world's closing in on me,
And there's no way of breaking free
And then I see you reach for me

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you, baby
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

When I see you smile
I can face the world, oh oh,
you know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light, oh oh,
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Oh yeah, baby when I see you smile at me

Baby there's nothing in this world
that could ever do
What a touch of your hand can do
It's like nothing that I ever knew

And when the rain is falling
I don't feel it,
'cause you're here with me now
And one look at you baby
Is all I'll ever need,
you're all I'll ever need

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you baby
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

So right...


It really made me take a step back and enjoy my life and time with the people that make it worth living. And yes, as we're getting ready to head into Thanksgiving next week, I can say that I'm extremely thankful!

Time to dust off this blog....

Over two months and no updates from me...yeah, I am truly slacking here.

Life has been passing at an almost unbearable speed and I'm trying to hang on and get through it all. With that being said, I have also found that in some of the most difficult and stressful times I have been faced with, there are a select few that always look out for my best interest and will push me through even when I want to give up. I'm extremely grateful and appreciative and I hope they know that without them, I am nothing.

So, onto the recap of the last two months. September continued on and we played in our annual golf tournament. This year I was paired with my Bro and my Dad. We didn't have a 4th for our team, but because it was for charity and fun, that didn't bother us. As we were getting ready to head out on the course, SS asked if we minded having another golfer tag along. We accepted and made our way out to the first hole. Turns out, the golfer SS placed on our team was a seriously good golfer and picked up for my lack of skill and helped our team tremendously. He helped us out so much that when we finished the tournament, we placed 1st in the B flight! SS was shocked, I was shocked and the rest of the work group who saw our score were just plain flabbergasted. I was proud of our success and the success of the tournament for SS.

A few weeks later during the first weekend of October, the lake girls decided to get together and spend the 1 year anniversary of Sherri's death down in the Ozarks reminiscing about her life and trying to comfort each other through the series of emotions we were all feeling. It was probably the best decision any of us could have made for that weekend. We laughed, we cried, we danced and sang and we tried to think of all of the fun times we had with Sherri before we lost her. After the weekend was over, I think we all were closer to each other too.

The next two weekends were spent celebrating birthdays. My Dad's birthday was the 10th of October and my Bro and I decided to take Dad out to dinner and make him brownies. The following weekend M had everyone to Syberg's for her husband K's 50th. That was a fun and silly night out.
Halloween night a group of us went to TL's for his 2nd annual Halloween party. This year we decided to make it a costume party. It ended up being a fairly low key night but we laughed and had a good time overall.

Last weekend we had a very important birthday party to attend. Nicole turned 13 on the 13th but my aunt and uncle decided to throw the party a week early since all of the kids were together. I can't believe that my darling, precious Nicole is already 13! I remember how excited I was when I found out that we were going to have a new baby in our family and now she is a teenager!!! So much more cool, independent and smarter than I was at that age and even more so than I am now. :) Really though, we had a great time together -- something that we don't get to do much of anymore with everyone's busy schedules.

While I was out at my Dad's we also talked about the upcoming holidays. Hard to believe that we're heading into the holiday season already! Thanksgiving is in 11 days and we're just going to have a small gathering at my Dad's with just the 5 of us. I have to work the next day, but it should be a fairly good day since my boss has already decided to make it a "fun" day before we get into all of the craziness with the holidays at work.
I'm sure the next few weeks or months for that matter will be close to the same as the last two months have gone and I am just planning on staying focused and try my best to get through it all. Some days its rough and I'm treading water and other days I can catch my breath a bit...it's been quite the roller coaster but I'll try to be more efficient at posting updates.

Hope you have a great week!!

This speaks for itself...

You´re better then the best
I´m lucky just to linger in your light
Cooler then the flip side of my pillow that´s right
Completely unaware
Nothing can compare to where you send me
Lets me know that it´s ok yeah it´s ok
And the moments where my good times start to fade

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed sing like bird
Dizzy in my head spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh you make me smile

Even when you´re gone
Somehow you come along
Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack and just like that
You steal away the rain and just like that

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed sing like bird
Dizzy in my head spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh you make me smile

Don´t know how I lived without you
Cuz everytime that I get around you
I see the best of me inside your eyes
You make me smile
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed sing like bird
Dizzy in my head spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh you make me smile

These are lyrics to Uncle Kracker's new song Smile. I absolutely love this song and right now I can completely relate to it. It reminds me of that certain *someone* who thinks so highly of me and puts me on cloud nine even when I have zero confidence in myself. That same *someone* seems to love me and all my faults for no other reason than the fact that I bring the same happiness to him as he does to me. For me, this is a crazy feeling to have....I've entered unknown territory and I'm pinching myself daily hoping that it's not all a dream.

Life....

....is busy, but life is good and I'm plugging along and trying to have some fun.

When I have a chance I'll provide a better update. I'm headed to the Cardinals game for a girls' afternoon at the ballpark with some of the other lake girls. It should be a great time!

For now though, I'll leave you with this little revelation I had about 10 minutes ago --
I might be a "sexy" Accountant but I'm not as young and as cool as I thought....after hearing Battlefield by Jordin Sparks on the radio one million times I finally got the words to the song. It's ARMOR, not honor.
This chick has been singing it wrong for as long as they have been playing it on the radio. Guess that's what I get for not following the newest Pop/Top 40 songs. I have found out though that Phil Collins is pure genius...nearly every one of his songs somehow relates to me. :)

Geez...I am getting old.

Have a great afternoon!!!

Isn't it ironic...

So I met with a company regarding Disability and Life Insurance and other Investments earlier tonight and did you know that as an Accountant I pose less risk in my profession than most others and it's reflected in lower and more affordable premiums.

*Someone else* thinks that I pose more risk since I'm a "sexy" Accountant and I sometimes do a few more spontaneous activities than most....

I guess I would tend to agree. (About the spontaneity and not the sexiness!) HA! :)

Highlights of the week

Since I'm still not in the groove of typing out an entire post, here we go with some highlights from this past week:

-- Saturday -- an awesome day of taking care of all of those little things I usually put off on the weekend. I felt a sense of accomplishment after checking so much off of my "to-do" list.
Saturday night was even better...who knew staying home and watching Stripes would be so much fun? (I knew it!)

-- Sunday -- an all around relaxing day. Movies (Julie & Julia), sunbathing by the pool and hanging out Sunday night.

-- Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights -- 3 GOOD workouts at the gym after leaving work.

-- Tuesday night -- Boatfest 09 with my bestest friends from work. Nothing beats a warm, sunny night on the river with beer and snacks and beach volleyball.

-- Thursday night -- dinner at my Mom's for her birthday. Thanksgiving dinner in August is amazing and my Grandma did a wonderful job of making it so delicious. It was great company as well.

-- Friday night -- after the gym, I went to JC Penney and moseyed around the store looking for one thing to buy with my $10 off coupon and then was complimented by the girl that checked me out for being so pretty. It was extremely kind of her considering I had just finished an hour and a half workout not too long before that and thought I looked a mess. Guess I clean up nicely. :)

-- Tonight -- feeling inspired since my trip to the movies last Sunday, I've decided to tackle dinner to celebrate my Mom's birthday. Steak, roasted potatoes, salad, vegetables, garlic bread, confetti angel food cake and ice cream. Something I should be able handle!

Work actually went extremely well this past week and I was able to catch up on some of the projects I've been putting off for the last month. Next week my boss is back from vacation and my part time help is off to college....so we'll see what kind of things will pop up and surprise me then.

Hope you have a terrific weekend!! Catch ya later!!

Things I'm looking forward to...

1.) Lunchtime tomorrow -- I am off of work and have a very special lunch date planned! I'm so excited and just can't wait! This will be the highlight of my weekend for sure!! :)

2.) Tomorrow night -- trivia night at MO's house. Craziness ensues when you put any number of us from the work crowd together and when you add trivia to the mix, who knows what will happen!

3.) Saturday afternoon -- B-day BBQ at my mom's for my Uncle's 50th. Not only that, I believe my cousin Mary will bring the one of cutest and sweetest babies I have seen over so I can get my baby fix in!

4.) Saturday night -- Nationwide race at Gateway with some of my friends. It will be neat to see Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch actually race in person.

5.) Sunday -- recovering from all of my fun.

6.) Next Tuesday night & Wednesday -- heading out to my Dad's for the fair and hanging out with my cousin Nicole for the day.

7.) Next weekend -- party at Ms. M's house Saturday night and finding enough to do to keep me out of trouble the rest of the weekend. ;)

8.) August -- We'll have all of the mandatory vacations done and over with so that we can finally get back to our regularly scheduled activities!! I like knowing that I will be back on track very soon!

I know as each day passes there will be more things to be excited about, but these are just the things floating in my head for now.

Hope you have a great night!!

Vegas recap & more!

Well July has rolled in and my vacation to Vegas has come and gone. It ended up being a great trip for many reasons but I was still extremely happy to get home after 4 days in Sin City. We experienced a lot in a short amount of time. Thursday morning we left St. Louis at the crack of dawn and made it out to Vegas fairly early in the morning. Straight from the airport we visited Hoover Dam. AMAZING! I didn't know what to expect. Sure, I've seen a dam before but this was huge and Lake Mead and the Colorado River were spectacular! And for a few short minutes, I was able to say I visited Arizona. :)
Thursday night we casually gambled downtown and went to dinner with friends of my aunt and uncle and then just moseyed around Fremont Street. I didn't want to get crazy too early because we still had 3 full days and I wanted to be able to take in as much as I could the entire trip.

Friday, my Dad, Bro and I got up and gambled for a bit while having a few cocktails in the early hours of the morning before grabbing a quick donut for breakfast. Since I had gotten enough with the donut, I declined going to the breakfast buffet with everyone a few hours later and boy, I just might have regretted not going with the rest of the fam. I decided that since I didn't need another meal, I would just observe a few of the table games going on in one of the casinos. As I stood there, I could tell that there was going to be some sort of problem, but I never expected it to be because of me. Soon enough, one of the craps table workers comes over to me and tells me that I need to leave the casino. Looking at him completely puzzled, I asked why. He gives me a bit of a hassle and tells me that it's because I'm underage and it's illegal for me to stand anywhere near a table. I had to laugh but instead I pled my case and even showed him my ID to prove that I was 26. He quizzed me on my driver's license (Note to self: get that thing updated soon -- I am no longer 165 lbs and that pic is horrible!) and I passed with flying colors. Whew....dodged that bullet! So I decided I would just spend the next half an hour just walking around Fremont Street again trying to avoid any trouble I could possibly get into.

Friday afternoon Ryan and I decided to spend a few hours down at the pool of our hotel. We slid down the water slide and basked in the sun before heading down to the Strip with the rest of the family later in the afternoon.

I had experienced the Strip on my last trip to Vegas, but I wasn't able to see all of the resorts just because they are huge in comparison to the downtown hotels & casinos. I was able to walk through Treasure Island, Mirage, Caesars Palace, and Bellagio and see the dancing fountains before we headed back to the car and the local outlet mall to check out the Coach store. We made it back downtown in time for dinner at a seafood buffet and to gamble a bit more before calling it a night.

Honestly, I couldn't tell you how I spent most of my Saturday. Dad and I went and played Keno at Fitzgerald's early that morning and later in the day we all went and played Bingo at Plaza. Then I think we just jetted in and out of the stores and the casinos downtown for much of the afternoon. Late in the afternoon my Bro, Dad and I went into Mermaids and gambled and had a heck of a time! Mermaids is not a very big casino...in fact, it probably isn't bigger than some of the stores, but they have great waitresses and they are the only place to have machines that still pay in coins. We all sat down at nickel Deuces Wild Video Poker machines and we weren't there 2 minutes before we had drinks. 7 & 7's for Dad and Ryan and margaritas for me...both guys were holding their own with the machines and I sat there watching most of the time because I didn't want to spend a lot of money before I was able to play in a poker tournament. But, after watching both of them, I decided to just put $5 into the machine and see what happened. I figured I could spare 5 bucks. Well, I played a few hands and didn't lose a whole lot and actually won a few hands....then came a shock. I was dealt 4 deuces on the machine! I've never had that happen before and I was extremely happy! I carefully made sure I held each deuce and then pushed the button. I had just won $50! Go Linds! Everyone was excited even the waitress who decided that I needed a celebratory drink for my good work. So rather than giving me my normal margarita, she brought me a Mai Tai. What a drink! I love those things and in the end they loved me too as I had 5 or 6 of them in the hour or so I stuck around.
Dad had left Mermaids shortly after my win so it was Bro and I left to explore more of Vegas. We were both feeling extremely happy and slightly intoxicated and I'm sure it was a sight, but we had fun. I still had to register for that night's poker tournament so I took off to Fitzgerald's to get my name on the list.
Bro ended up going back to the hotel room and I met up with my aunt and uncle and went to find something to eat. There was no way I could play poker half-toasted and I wanted to be able to play my best and win some cash so off to the Coffeehouse at Binions we went for prime rib.
The poker tournament did not turn out the way I wanted it to. In fact, I played so aggressive and completely opposite of my normal self that it ended up costing me the tournament in the 2nd hand. 10 minutes in and I was already done for! I left the poker area dishearted and feeling like a complete loser. I had waited so long to get that opportunity and I blew it! Poker in Vegas is nothing like it is at home and I learned that lesson the hard way. So off I went to check out more of the slots in the other casinos and to watch the light show.

Sunday morning we got up and got organized for the trip home. We all had breakfast together and then went to play $2 Blackjack at Fitz's before we made the trip to the airport. By that time, I was ready to get back to reality and everything I had missed back in St. Louis.

Work came early that next day and I had a lot to take care of from being off for two days. I made it through most of the week and was ready for the 4th of July holiday weekend. That Thursday (7/2) I was invited by SS and MO to play poker at the casino with them that night. It sounded like fun but after my showing in Vegas, my confidence was next to nothing and I didn't know if I could commit to playing in the tournament here. In the end, all of their prompting paid off and I entered the tournament here. I was nervous and scared and I figured I would just lose my $50 and watch them play the rest of the night. I did decide that I was going to go back to playing poker the way I know how rather than that agressive play I put on while in Vegas and you know what?!? It paid off!!! I ended up finishing 4th in the tournament and I won $440! What a boost of confidence!! It also helped that I had some very good coaching that came when my head was starting to get off of my game. I was so excited! Sure, I know how to play poker and sure, I can hold my own when playing with my friends but playing with people I don't know and learning their styles of play and actually winning against them...that's awesome!
My 4th of July weekend got started off with a bang and it ended up being a great weekend overall.

I went back to work this past Monday on another short week. We're all required to take a week's vacation during our slow month and I decided that I would take Thursday and Friday off this week and next week and one other day to use up a week of my vacation time. I busted butt Monday through Wednesday and then spent most of yesterday trying to relax and get caught up on some errands. Today ended up being a spectacular day and I'm so glad I took the day off!!

I'm not sure what's going on the rest of the weekend yet. Of course I have normal stuff like laundry to do and I'm going to try to work out but other than that, I'm just going to try to enjoy the weather and take it easy.

Hope you have a terrific weekend as well! I'll update again soon!

To my Dad....

Happy Father's Day! While I wished you a great day earlier on the phone, I just thought you should know how grateful I am to have you as my Dad. There are very few people that would have the patience you've shown while raising Ryan and myself. And while we haven't always seen eye to eye, both Ryan and I know that you mean well and that you're always looking out for our best interests (even when we thought you were just taking away our fun!). We both strive to make you proud of us and we know that you are always there to help us through the rough times and there to celebrate the exciting and fun times. Today's your day, so go ahead relax and enjoy your day...of course, if you're not finished packing for Vegas yet, pack first, then relax! :)

To my Step-Dad Michael --
Thank you for stepping in and being that 2nd dad to me. It never hurts to have another father figure looking out after you and I'm lucky to have someone as great as you as that person. You've taken me in as one of your own and I'm thankful for that. Hope you're enjoying your vacation right now!

To all of the other Dads out there --
Enjoy your day!

One week from now....

...I will be in Vegas either laying by the pool or finding trouble in one of the many casinos! It's the first family vacation for my dad's side of the family since 2001. And, I can not tell you how ready I am for the time off. Sure, there are some specifics I will miss by not being at home but they will be on my mind constantly while I'm gone. I'll be sure to post about my adventures when I get back!

Hope you all have a terrific Friday and a spectacular weekend!! :)

Month of May...where did you go?

I honestly don't know where the last 5 weeks have gone, but I will try my best to update. Besides the normal business at work and going to the gym to work out, I have found some time for fun. Early in the month of May, the girls from work put together a night out and we had a blast going to dinner and then heading to the casino for a little bit of gambling.
May 15th, my bro and I headed out on our annual adventure to Memphis. The BBQ was as good, if not better than last year and we had a blast bonding.


A few weeks later was Memorial Day and honestly, I don't think I did much that weekend. Wait...I take that back, that was a busy weekend!! I had plans Friday night, Saturday night, Shell's birthday party on Sunday night and plans again Monday afternoon and then still fit in laundry, cooking dinner, baking a cake and working out. Wednesday was the President of the Company's birthday at work and I was halfway in charge of the festivities for the day. Everything turned out perfectly and I think most people were fairly happy with the food and celebration we had planned. After work a few of us we out for drinks with the President and just to chill for a bit. Friday we celebrated SS's birthday, which was that Tuesday, and in true PPC (party planning committee) fashion, we threw together a happy hour for him after work. And contrary to what most of my coworkers think, I did behave that night. ;)

Saturday night I went to dinner with my parents and just had a low-key evening at home and Sunday, Shell called and invited me to dinner with her.
That brings us up to last week and really besides going to the gym, all I had to do during the week was make cupcakes for work on Friday for yet another birthday. The cupcakes actually turned out extremely well and I recevied a ton of compliments on them. I went all out and used my semi-new icing machine (new enough that I had never used it before, but old enough considering I've had it since I moved into my apartment almost 4 years ago). Just call me Betty Crocker....
Friday night was a relaxing night and M and I just sat at her house for much of the night shooting the bull and trying to catch up from not really getting to talk to each other outside of work for the last few weeks. Last night was an absoutely awesome night...no further details necessary! :)

And then today, I had to catch up on laundry and then attended birthday party for my step-dad's mom. The party was fun and I was able to see family members that I only get to see once in a blue moon. I actually wanted to cry (good tears) at one point because of something that was said to me. There is quite a long backstory here, but you see, with my step-dad's family there are about 30 cousins, not including all of the ones associated by marriage/relationships, etc. I am one of the ones associated by marriage and I'm also one that is not involved with most of family gatherings. It's not because I don't want to but more due to the fact that I am older and with my family being split up, I often divide my time based on what is easiest for me on holidays, special events, etc. Well, about 5 years ago when my mom and Michael first got married, we were invited over for Thanksgiving and we all went over to Michael's sister, Mona's house. It was quite an experience for me because I'm not used to having a big family, nor was I used to being included in the extended family's festivities. I had a great time and I was extremely estactic that I was treated as part of his family even though I was really a "nobody" when it came down to it. At the end of the night all of the "kids/cousins" got together for a picture and both my bro and I were included in the picture. I wasn't sure what happened to that picture after it was taken, I believe my mom had a digital copy of it along with a few others, but it never did occur to me that one of the younger cousins would keep it.
That brings us back to today when all of us gathered for lunch and I was reacquainted with some of the family. As I said hello to most of them and asked how they were, most of them could recall that they had previously met me at one time or another, but one of them actually had the picture on his cell phone and while he wasn't exactly sure that he had met me before when I told him I was at Thanksgiving a few years back, he pulled up the picture and found me and talked to me about how much fun that Thanksgiving was. Now, I look nothing like I did 5 years ago, besides my smile, but it was nice that he remembered me and even nicer to know that after all this time, that picture does have a special meaning. I'm sure it's silly for me to get emotional about something like that, but considering I have always felt like I didn't belong because I was only associated by marriage, its nice to know I just might not be that outsider I thought I was.

As of right now, I have nothing else planned for my weekend. I'm going to enjoy the last few hours I have off of work before the craziness begins again tomorrow. I'm not sure what's in store for this week yet, but I'll get through it.

Hope you have a great week and I'll catch up again soon!!

One terrific weekend!

Here's just one pic from my great weekend! That would be my awesome Bro with the World's Largest Burrito at Chevy's. We spent most of Saturday hanging out together and having a lot of fun in the new tradition I like to call "Sibling Saturday." Last weekend he invited me out to spend the day with him before we were supposed to meet our cousin for a night out, so of course I could not turn down his invitation and we had a blast! This weekend, he repaid my visit by driving over to see me. I got home from the gym early yesterday morning to find him ready and waiting for our day of fun to begin. We drove out to the mall and a few other stores just to get out and then decided to hit Chevy's for lunch. After battling flying chips and attacking menus (we were sitting outside and it was extremely windy), my Bro then faced another challenge....one huge burrito!! I spent my entire lunch laughing at his clever comments about the size of that thing!
We made a few more stops before heading back to my apartment and then we finally just chilled and watched episodes of CSI. I had never really sat down and watched an entire episode before but I did enjoy it.
Probably the greatest part of the entire day (and the same can be said for last weekend) is the time I got to spend talking to my brother. I have always appreciated the time he takes to talk to me, hang out with me and even the times he helps me through my life, but I never truly knew how much alike we are in our thinking, our personalities and the way we live. I am proud of the person he has become and I know that he will continue to do great things with his life. I cherish all of our talks and the time we can spend together and I'm so happy that he's both my brother and friend. In a few weeks time we'll get to head back out on the road for our 2nd annual trip to Memphis -- I can hardly wait!!
I was actually a bit sad to see him leave yesterday afternoon, but we both decided that we're going to keep this up and make it a regular tradition.

After my Bro left, I got ready for my other plans for the evening and headed out for some fun with friends. I ended up having a spectacular night as well! :)

Today, I took care of regular weekend chores and went to the gym for an hour on the elliptical. Speaking of the gym, I was remeasured last Tuesday and was actually quite pleased with my progress. I gained 4 lbs, which for most people (including myself) doesn't sound like progress, but it was good news because I gained all muscle and my body fat percentage remained unchanged at 20%.
Other measurements:
Arms gained 1/2 inch
Shoulders gained 1 inch
Chest gained 2 inches (I laughed at this one! As did most of my friends!)
Waist same (but I have little abs poking out now!)
Thighs lost 1 inch
My calves have also started to look more toned and in shape too.

For me, I just need to realize that just because I've gained a few pounds, I also look much more toned than I did when I started 3 months ago and I'm actually very happy with my results so far. I'll be ready for that swimsuit right on schedule! Come on summer!! :)

Right now, I need to finish the last few projects on my to-do list for today. Hope you had an awesome weekend and don't work too hard this week!

Hold'em Pro...

.....ok, maybe not a pro, but I did come in 2nd place last night playing with my friends from work and won $75! Not too shabby considering I haven't played any live action poker since the end of last year. I got started off kinda rocky losing half of my chip stack on the first hand but I calmed myself down and got back into the game and played a bit more conservatively the rest of the night. It definitely paid off and I'm pretty proud of myself! I'll be ready for my trip to Vegas in no time!!

After heading into the gym for a morning training session, I'm on my way out to my Dad's to chill with my awesome Bro and tonight we're going out to party with some of his friends. It should be a great weekend once again!

Hope you have an awesome weekend too!!!

I'm probably going to hell for this...

...but I'm going to happy hour on Good Friday anyway. I guess I'm just going to have to be extra good the rest of the year. :) I'm really ready to party too! I got my rest and relaxation in today so I should be a twice as good of a mood tomorrow.

Let the weekend begin!!!

Day off

I was given the day off from work today as part of winning a raffle at the company Christmas party and this is what I decided to do with my free time -- make a delicious birthday cake for my dear friend SM. I'm actually fairly happy with the way it turned out and I just hope it tastes as good as it looks. It's a triple chocolate fudge cake with strawberry icing and shaved milk chocolate. Hopefully everyone will like it!

Besides baking, I got my phone fixed and I can now send picture messages (yay!), repainted my nails, and just kinda took it easy, which has been a good thing since I went to the baseball game last night and didn't get to bed until fairly late. Tonight I have a training session at the gym and I'm just going to spend the rest of my time trying to gain back some of my sanity that I've lost in the past few weeks. It seems so weird to be home in the middle of the day and really I'm not sure what to do with myself. I never seem to find the time just to have "down" time and now that I do, I feel like I should be going 100 different directions.

Hope you all are having a terrific week! I'll catch up again soon!

Happy Birthday Ryan!!

I hope you have a great day celebrating both St. Patrick's Day and your birthday and we'll be sure to party like rock stars next weekend!! It's hard to believe that you're already 22!! Geez, where has the last 20 years gone? You're a great friend and brother and I wish you all the best today and everyday!!

Love you Bro!!

Proof...

...that I am indeed going crazy came this morning when I hurried up and wrapped my Bro's birthday present and used a Christmas bag rather than a birthday gift bag. I could have swore that when I left my apartment this morning it said Happy Birthday and had pictures of little presents on it....instead after I hurriedly wrapped it at my Dad's and then gave it to my Bro did I notice that the little gifts were actually Christmas trees and snowflakes and the wording on the bag said CHRISTMAS as plain as day. Naturally everyone, myself included, got a good laugh out of my stupidity. Guess that's what I get for waiting until the last minute to actually wrap his present while still a tad bit hungover.

Everything else is going alright. I've kept up at work and actually feel like I've got more control over my job than I ever have before. Sure, I can't make everything run perfectly but for the time being I am able to handle most of what's been thrown my way and that's all that I'm looking for at the moment.

I've been working out almost daily and have found myself in a good routine of cardio and weight-lifting. I'm starting to notice my muscles becoming more defined and toned and it's exciting to know that all of the sweating is paying off. I'll be ready for summer in no time! Just gotta work on getting a tan now. :)

I got to see the Blues beat up on the Dallas Stars front row on Tuesday night. It was an experience of a lifetime sitting that close to the ice!! I think I jumped every time a player hit the glass in front of me, but nonetheless I had a blast! And what made it even better was that the Blues won 5-2!!

This upcoming week should be a lot of fun as well with Tuesday being St. Patrick's Day. In true Lindsay fashion, I will be out celebrating my Irish heritage. (I'm not even sure if there is any Irish in me, but we can all just pretend for one day, right?!?)

Hope you all have a great week and I'll catch up with you soon!!