I'm Gonna Blog About It

Je suis desole...

2007-08-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

Please forgive my absence from the blogworld...I have a lot of explaining to do.
Promise to get back to you all real soon.

Best,
Lisa

100 Things About Me!

2007-08-10T22:41:00.001-05:00

I've been avoiding this one for a long time, so here goes nothing.

1. I am lucky.
2. In life, in love, in work, in friends, sort-of with the family.
3. I am completely in love with the man man.
4. Some days I am really crappy at showing my love for the man man.
5. Some days I do exceedingly well at showing my love for the man man.
6. I am a worrier.
7. Nail biter.
8. Lip chewer.
9. I have a huge guilt complex.
10. Don't know where it came from.
11. Don't know how to get rid of it.
12. I have many addictions.
13. I thoroughly enjoy crappy girlie paperback novels.
14. Love smoking that early morning cigarette.
14b. Hate smelling like smoke.
15. Amazon.com is my favorite website.
15b. Have maxed out credit cards on Amazon.com and I am not ashamed.
16. Love the sun.
16b. Love having a tan (I don't do so well with the pastiness)
17. Love to cook.
17b. More specifically - bake.
19. My mother taught me how to cook (and bake).
20. Miss my parents...even though they are only and hour and a half away.
21. Have great parents.
22. I am fully thankful for my parents.
23. Was adopted.
24. Hate that I am adopted.
25. But thankful. Very thankful.
26. My biological mother was nothing more than an egg donor and a whore.
26b. We don't really get along.
27. My biological father I am still on the fence with.
28. I have two half brothers that I have never met.
29. I have two brothers that I grew up with that I hardly know.
30. Still struggling with the adoption issue.
31. Have a fantastic job...could be career?
32. I am the art department for a classic rock station.
33. Could there be a cooler job?
33b. My co-workers call me 'the ninja'
34. I am such a computer geek.
35. Don't know how that happened either.
36. The man man is a bigger computer geek - let's blame him!
37. Desperately need a hobby.
38. Have very few interests - there is a conflict.
39. Love to travel.
40. Wish I could travel more.
41. Yearn to go to Europe.
42. Learning to speak French.
43. Working on my Spanish.
44. I get nervous when I blog.
45. And smoke too many cigarettes.
46. I am fully in favor of cosmetic surgery.
47. Would like to have some cosmetic surgery.
48. My nose is broken in two places. Seriously.
49. If I was a rock star - I would be a drummer.
50. Even though I don't come fully equipped with any kind of rhythm.
51. I check my e-mail 15 times a day - at least.
52. Sometimes, I just leave it open in another tab and watch it.
53. E-mail is my preferred method of communication.
54. I am a certified wedding and event planner.
54b. Wish I had more weddings or events to plan.
55. I love weddings.
55b. And the whole process that goes along with it.
56. Looking forward to my own wedding.
57. Not rushing it.
58. I think I am extraordinarily funny.
59. I like to tell dirty jokes.
60. I am terrified that I have not done enough in my life.
61. I struggle with feelings of inadequacy.
62. I have fallen out of love with music.
63. Most of what comes out now is over-processed crap.
64. I have hope that I will enjoy music again.
65. I always thought that was a sign of getting old.
66. I am not happy about adulthood.
67. I burp a lot. Ridiculously a lot.
68. Can't help it.
69. Thankful the man man accepts me the way I am.
70. Want to go back to college.
71. Want to go to culinary school.
71b. More specifically - to pastry school.
72. I have large feet and big boobies.
73. I am truly annoyed that they don't make cuter shoes and bras for gals like me.
74. Spell check has ruined me and my handwriting has gone to shit.
75. Took a calligraphy class - and was really good at it (note: calligraphy and handwriting are two very different things).
76. Took a cake decorating class - and ate too much cake!
77. I want to learn how to blow glass.
78. I am a web designer - on the side.
79. I just joined the gym.
80. I hope you all give me shit when I don't go.
81. I hope I live to be really old.
82. I hope the man man and I get really old together.
83. I'm okay with wrinkles - I think they add character.
84. I believe there is a direct connection between headaches and the length of my toenails.
85. I don't watch TV, but I will download a whole season and watch it all in one sitting.
86. I want to learn to dance - I mean really dance.
87. I am a lover of useless knowledge.
88. And ridiculous flash games.
89. Pretty sure I want to start a cooking blog.
90. Maybe an adoption blog.
91. Love to be silly on this blog.
92. Wish I had more girl friends.
93. Miss my girl friends like crazy - it's a shame we're so far apart.
94. I lived in Hawaii for a while.
95. It changed me in the best ways. (To be honest I should say that living 5,000 miles away from everyone I know allowed me to change me in the best ways.)
96. I get overly excited about the smallest things - like new flip-flops.
97. I am a flip-flop fan! Probably have 25 pairs in my closet.
98. The only downside to flip-flops is the must-have pedicure.
99. I want to get more pedicures.
100. I have exceptionally great hair - 3 feet of exceptionally great hair - even with the hard water in San Antonio.
101. My dream car is a Blu Oceano Maserati GranTurismo! (very James Bondish)
101b. My dream SUV is the Stornoway Grey Metallic Range Rover.
102. I talk in cliches when I get nervous. I hate talking in cliche!
103. I can find an excuse for OR reason my way out of any situation. It's a real talent.
104. I am an awful liar. Seriously. But can still make excuses or reason.
105. I know that I'm well over 100 things, but you really just need to know them!

I cried.

2007-08-10T22:09:00.000-05:00

Today I was out and about in blogland...and I stumbled upon this blog: www.twas-brillig.com and I bawled my eyes out. From there, I went to this blog: www.fueledbycoffee.blogspot.com where again, I bawled my eyes out. Great blogs, strong women, powerful stories, truly captivating.

This one is for my gal Ryan!

2007-08-09T23:47:00.000-05:00

I have to be real honest here...I thought you gals were nuts to post the contents of your purse on your blog...but then I thought - I could post mine - I don't have half of the crazy shit that most of these chicks have - no problem. So here it is...the BIG BAG!

So, what have we got here? The BIG BAG (in the top left corner (that you can't really see so well because of my janky-ass camera)... A couple of books - yes - I read - Altered and HTML (yeah geek). A bunch of girliness - 2 nail files, 3 tubes of mascara (can we ever have enough?), lip gloss, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lotion, cuticle stuff, floss, 2 things of visine (red eye from staring at the computer - seriously), advil, excedrin, some Burts Bees lip stuff, nose spray and nail polish, kleenex - cause I'm a crier, diet pills (un-opened cause I'm a weenie and really want to take diet pills - but too scared to actually do it *frown*) That little pile of pills you see there, not narcotics *sad face*, but a multi-vitamin.

Let's see...as shit-ton of pens that I 'borrowed' from work, and extra pair of socks (cause you never know when the urge to go bowling might pop up), one lighter - which is really kind of shocking - cause I'm a smoker - I mean seriously! A cork (from a bottle of La Creme - mmmm delicious!) that I have no idea how it got into the BIG BAG? A tire pressure gage and a bottle opener (sounding like McGyver with every sentence here, huh?) A handful of change (zen) and a pile of post-its, receipts, note pads, and other crap that is crapping up my BIG BAG!

More girliness - hair claws, clips, and headband. Mardi Gras beads? No clue. A necklace and couple of ridiculously over sized earrings (hookerish?) Brown thread? huh?

Got to have my girlie wallet in addition to the 'man' wallet (it is seriously much more convenient) Staff passes for the Queensryche show - that we totally didn't get to go to. *sad face* Scissors, sunglasses, batteries, and chip clip? (and.......McGyver!)

And, of course, all my computer crap. A couple of power supplies, external harddrive, iPOD, flash drive, cell phone, cables and connectors, and a stack of CDs - mostly vectors, music, and programs - my goodness!

I think it's time for an upgrade - a BIGGER BAG YO!

Why not this too?

2007-08-09T22:59:00.002-05:00

So, I've already exposed the contents of my purse (not too bad, eh?) so I figured I'd expose the outside of my fridge. I have an addiction - to refrigerator magnets - always have had - always will have, and I am now expanding to my desk (all metal) at work and will soon get to work on the dish washer...then the washing machine...and ooh - the dryer is magnetic, too - do magnets melt?

Moving on... Most of these magnets have a pretty cool story behind them. Claire brought me the square green bird one back from when she and her husband took a trip to Seattle. I picked up a few while I was in Hawaii - yes - authentic Hawaiian magnets! We got the pimp-ass pirate magnets when we went to Puerto Rico last Christmas - it was a really good find! Amy gave me the Henry Ford quote that says 'Whether you think you can or think you can't - You're right' for my birthday a few years ago. Some were special ordered (true addiction). Some were specially made for me (great gifts). Mom and Dad gifted me a few. My friend Helen (who I haven't spoken to in years) gave me the one that says 'Did I tell you today that I love you?' Well, I love you, Helen, where ever you may be. And I pick up the weird and random magnet here and there. Like all the 'funny bunny' ones I found at this gas station in bumblefuck Texas - and bought them all! There are actually about 4 more that go down the side, but justcouldn't get in the picture!

My mom about shit at some of them - like the one that says 'Gold Digger - Like a Hooker, Just Smarter!' or the one that in tiny little print says 'Nosey little fucker, aren't ya?' The best part about the crazy collection is the games I play with the man man - "Honey I got a new magnet today, did you see it?' He's almost always clueless but is sweet and plays along. I love that man man.

Check out this slide show feature!

2007-08-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

I have to give credit to my friend Suzy...she found this sweet-ass program that makes a slide show for you AND WRITES ALL THE CODE FOR BLOGGER! You can make your own at slide.com - it's almost too easy! Just upload your photos - pick your theme, effects, music, and more, then save it, copy the code, and Voila! Slide show for your blog!

And a BIG thanks to Suzy for finding this awesome site! And by-the-way, these are all photos of her jewelry (I designed her website) so go check it out at www.suzybootz.com!

Look what I have created!

2007-08-06T23:33:00.001-05:00

I made this logo for an apple mac software support site. (per the man man's request) they have some neat forums and if you ever need help with your mac - they'll be there to help you out - for free! Go check it out www.OSx86scene.com!

*This just got better! You can even order t-shirts and all kinds of crap with my logo on it! Check this out!

Movie Review Monday

2007-08-06T14:30:00.001-05:00

This weekend the man man and I went to see No Reservations. The movie was a huge disappointment. Now, I gathered from the previews (which did a really good job at making you want to go see the movie) that this was going to be a sad movie, but with the happy little twist of love to make it all okay. I caught myself through the whole movie hoping that it would get better. Hoping that each scene would be the turning point of the movie, hoping that I would get some enjoyment out of this film. No. The characters were fully under developed. And the little girl (I think she's from Little Miss Sunshine) was completely unbelievable. But none of really made any sense - mostly because of the poor development of characters. You got bits and pieces - but not enough to make a strong connection of the character to their motivations to their emotions. No good. A complete waste of two hours of my life that I will never get back.

Boogers!

2007-08-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

I know that my blog is looking like a big as booger, but hang tight, I'm working on a new template - so that it will be SUPER COOL! Seriously.

P.S. It's a big pain in my ass!

*UPDATE - I've gone from Booger to DooDoo Brown in a whole quick minute...we'll see what happens next!

Pussy

2007-08-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

Me and the man man have two cats. Fritz and Dixie. Now, anyone who know me, knows how I feel about animals - I could do without. But, the man man was a package deal - he and the two cats. I have accepted it...it's worth it.

The cats, I am convinced, are out to get me...to suck the life out of me. Seriously. I know that they plot and plan behind my back to get me out. They scheme and connive. They are slowly trying to edge me out. They are clever and witty little bastards, too. They'll purr and paw and snuggle up to the man man, and scratch and hiss at me.

Fritz will beg and beg and beg to be let into the bedroom, so I let him in, go back to what I was doing, then he'll beg and beg and beg to be let out of the bedroom, so I let him out, go back to what I was doing, then he'll beg and beg and beg to be let into the bedroom, so I let him in, go back to what I was doing, then he'll beg and beg and beg to be let out of the bedroom, so I let him out, go back to what I was doing, then he'll - Hey wait a minute...see, he's done it again...I have completely lost track of what I was talking about. Sneaky-ass cat! It's a big ploy, I tell you, he's trying to make me nuts!

Dixie has been with us a little over two years and still feels like she has to piss all over the place to mark her territory. Seriously. She has pissed on the rug, the bed, the couch, the ottoman, the cushiony foot thingy, in my closet, in the man man's closet, in my bathroom, in the man man's bathroom, inside the fireplace...it just doesn't stop! Dixie has resorted to disgusting me out.

It's an on-going battle between me and the cats...I will never give up. I will prevail. I will prevail.

Lunchtime Horror!

2007-08-02T14:29:00.000-05:00

I went to Sonic today for lunch (I know, I know - the burgers are no good for my diet), I was sitting in quiet comfort of my car - listening to some Radiohead and enjoying my burger when...

Knock! - Knock! - Knock! "MISS! MISS! YOU WANT TO BUY SOME?"

Standing outside my window was a homeless man, who was obviously drunk (stinking drunk - I could smell him THROUGH the CLOSED window), probably on a great deal of crack (per the size of his pupils), and holding a dead rose.

"No. Thank. You."

Not more than 30 seconds later, and into the next bite of my burger, I shit you not, his buddy (equally as drunk, cracked out, and dead dead rose) "MISS! YOU WANT TO BUY SOME?"

"No. Thank. You."

Once I recovered from my SHOCK and locked my doors, pushed aside the fear, here comes the anger.

I have to say - I am not a prude, but I do not expect this sort of crap from a Sonic, I mean seriously - don't most corporate chain fast food restaurants have RULES against loitering????
SERIOUSLY! San Antonio does have a big problem with homeless people. Me and the man man really do try to help, we donate our time, our money, and plenty of stuff to the goodwill and ronald mcdonald house. I don't feel like I should have to donate any time, money, or stuff while I'm on my lunch break at the Sonic.

So, I call the manager of the Sonic. Here is what our converstation was like:

"This is 'the manager'"
"Hi, my name is Lisa and I am currenly sitting in stall 12 enjoying my delicious sonic burger. I wanted to let you know that there are a couple of drunk homeless guys out here haggling your customers." (Being the socially conscious person that I am)
"Oh, uh, were they really haggling you?" (like I did something wrong!)
"Excuse me?"
"Well, um, I talked to them earlier, um, and, um, they seemed pretty harmless, um, so I said, um, they could try to, um, sell, um, their flowers."
"Are you kidding me? You don't think that it's dangerous to have 2 obviously drunk and obviously cracked out homeless people in your driveway? In addition, it's extremely uncomfortable when two homeless guys are foaming at the mouth trying to get a buck off of me" "Well, um, they ARE homeless, and, uh, a little, um, wacky, but I don't think they are drunk, or um, threatening."
"Are you kidding me? I can smell him from here."
"Well, um, they just need to make a buck or two like everyone else."
"Listen, I work downtown, I come here a couple times a week (I can't believe I just admitted to that), so that I eat my lunch in the quiet and peace of my own car primarily so that I don't have to deal with PEOPLE for the measly 1/2 hour that I get for my lunch break and you are trying to tell my that I should have to deal with drunk-ass homeless people trying sell me some shit - because they are trying to make a buck or two? WTF! It is extremely uncomfortable and YES, I do feel THREATENED and NERVOUS with them knocking on my window! I imagine the other 10 people parked here with scowls on their faces feel the same way"
"Well, um, I told them it was okay"
"Well, maybe you should tell them it's not okay - kinda scary for us folks trying to enjoy our lunch. Don't ya think?"
"Well, I think you 'll be okay"
"Well, if the manager at Sonic thinks its okay then I must be all wrong about the two cracked out homeless guys that are stinking drunk - who are currently STARING in my front window. I'd like the number to your corporate office please."
CLICK!

The audicity of of that man. Did he forget that I was sitting right outside in the parking lot? If I wasn't seriously concerned about being accosted by these two men, I'd have marched right in there and unleashed hell. Serioulsy. So I went back to the office, got on the Sonic website and told them my little story. Let's just say they were none too pleased.

Now I am (and everybody I know in San Antonio) boycotting the Sonic. (Which kinda sucks cause how am I going to get my burger fix?) Seriously!

Texas Heat!

2007-08-02T11:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at about 3pm I get a phone call from the man man. You know what he says, "Honey, the air conditioner just... went... out." HOLY CRAP! It's 97 freaking degrees outside - seriously!

So the man man deals with the insurance (GOD BLESS HIM) and they are supposed to send out someone in the morning to inspect the damage. The man man is up to 78 degrees. Poor thing.

So I go home after work - it's already 80 degrees inside the house.

We consider our options: Hotel? Well if it's just one night or two...but who know how long it's going to take to fix this. Tough it out? This is Texas - it's always tough. Window Unit? Well the Condo Association won't have that shit - it's against the rules. Portable Air Conditioner? Well the least expensive one we could find was $299 + tax! Move to Canada?Eh? Well...not yet.
It's up to 82 degrees

So we decide we'll just go and look and see what we can find. Stop of at Sonic for a large sweet tea. Make our way into Walmart. (barely - we almost got run down by some crazy old bitch in a piece of shit pontiac). Yep, the portable AC is $299. Looked at fans, coolers, etc. No good. Make our way over to the Lowes. Portable AC $449 - you've got me bent! So we go to the Big Lots (hey, we'll try anything at this point) No Luck. Called Sam's - No Luck. So we admit defeat and go back to the house - 84 degrees!

We think for just a moment, just a moment, that we can handle it. Open the windows, turn on the fans, get naked. Then we suck it up and head back to Walmart. Yes, we spent $299 + tax on a portable AC. 3 1/2 feet tall and 80 lbs of portable AC. Get back to the house and carry it up the stairs. IT WILL NOT WORK FOR US! Dedicated circuit, window exhaust, some other crap I couldn't understand. 86 degrees.

Back to Walmart. Refund. Window unit.

Back to the house. 86 degrees. Installation of window unit.

Bliss.

Open letters

2007-08-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

An open letter to the drivers of San Antonio, Texas:

RED means stop. Yellow means slow down, you moron. Green means go, not finish touching up your mascara and go when it is convenient for you. Stop signs mean exactly that - you fucking stop, not just roll through that sucker because you 'looked both ways'. Oh yeah, and that triangular shaped one - you know - the one that says YIELD on it - that one means - YIELD TO ME MOTHAFUCKA!!!!!!

An open letter to Dog owners:

If you walk your dog along the side of a busy street with a 24 foot long leash - you dog will walk in the middle of the fucking street and will get run over by my little PT Cruiser. Get a clue and a shorter leash.

An open letter to the Construction Crews in San Antonio, Texas:

Contrary to popular belief - YOU DO NOT OWN THE ROAD AND MUST OBIDE BY TRAFFIC RULES - LIKE YIELDING TO ME YOU MUTHAFUCKAS! In addition - do you remember when you mother said, "Finish one thing before you start the next?" My mother said it to over and over - and guess what - it stuck. You really should consider starting ONE project on ONE side of town and COMPLETING it before you tear up another part of ConstructionTonio! Seriously - we are all REALLY fucking tired of all the construction. And one more thing...I'd love to stay within the lines on the 410, but you forgot to paint them! Go get it right. Paint that shit! Seriously!

An open letter to the creep show trying to sell me shit at the Valero:

I am a girl. I do not want to be approached by some dirty, smelly guy with a spray bottle of some crap that will allegedly clean the bird crap off my windsheild. Don't even think about spraying that shit on my car - if it's going to be dirty, I want it to be uniformily dirty - not dirty with a one nicely cleaned half of a windsheild. And do you really think I have any cash left over after paying $3.00 a gallon for gas (thank you Valero) to buy the next greatest thing in car wash supplies. Piss off.

An open letter to Bob Barker:

We all loved your show very much and you will be missed, but I truly believe that the animals will be thrilled to have their genitals back. The price is wrong, bitch!

Movie Review Monday

2007-07-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

Oh. My. God. This is seriously the best action movie I have seen in a long, long time! Bruce Willis is the only man on the face of the earth that can fight and F-32 fighter jet and kick it's ass! I sat on the edge of my seat through the whole movie...chewed off all my finger nails...and even broke into a cold sweat at some scenes. Seriously! I kept yelling 'No Bruce Willis - don't do that! Don't go in there! Oh my god Bruce Willis, watch out!!!!' Nearly had a heart attack! and the Mac kid - seriously couldn't have picked a better kid to play a computer nerd than the Mac kid. I fully recommend this movie - it's full of action action action, and the Mac kid is really kind of funny (okay, a little annoying), and even though it's a little far fetched with a couple of super corny sayings - it's totally what you expect from the 4th Die Hard Movie.

Fun with Photo Booth!

2007-07-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

Seriously some freaky shit! Lovin' the Photo Booth!

Blog Rated

2007-07-21T14:01:00.001-05:00

Holy Crap. I found this website that rates your blog and guess what? I'm pretty filthy! HA! This made my whole day!

8 Quirky Facts About Kissing

2007-07-20T23:39:00.000-05:00

1. Two out of every three couples turn their heads to the right when they kiss. Not me and the man man - we kiss nose to nose!

2. A simple peck only uses two muscles; a passionate kiss uses all thirty-four muscles in your face! Get your work out girls!

3. No two lip impressions are the same. See, I told you I was unique!

4. Research shows that the kissing improves our skin, helps circulation, prevents tooth decay, and can relieve headaches. One more reason to be makin' out with my man man!

5. The average person spends 336 hours of their life kissing. Pucker up!

6. Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters in our brains as parachuting or bungee jumping! And less chance of going ker-splat on the pavement!

7. The average woman kisses 29 men before she gets married. (sluts!)

8. Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don't. So ladies, lay it on your man man-then borrow his credit card!

Do you talk to your computer, too?

2007-07-20T22:22:00.000-05:00

So I have this ACER laptop, that is pretty hip, made a few bad ass upgrades, and primarily use it for work. When I start it up I have a little menu option that allows me to choose which operating system that I want to use...well, sometimes I'll hit the wrong key (ooops, I'm clumsy), but I'll catch myself screaming at it F3! F3! while I desperately try to hit the F3 key in time - so that I don't have to go back and reboot. I hate rebooting...it's a gross expense of my time - seriously. I sometimes worry, too, at work that my co-workers hear me cussing my computer. Typically, it's my own mistakes, but I'll whisper under my breath, 'SHIT' or 'son-of-a-bitch!' Of course, there are those times that I pound my fists on my desk and say 'DO WHAT I TELL YOU TO!'. And days that Illustrator loads so blessedly slow I just can't help but grind my teeth and say 'HURRY (the fuck) UP!' while trying to restrain my fury. Sometimes I threaten to sell her on ebay PIECE BY PIECE or throw her out the fucking window. I tell her how inferior she is to the MAC (which I know is really hurtful) but she needs to know that she better straighten up and act right or she'll be replaced!

At home, I have a MAC Mini - that I fully recommend to EVERYBODY - it's a powerhouse of a little machine. I like to stroke her ego. I tell her how inferior the PC is to her (Sorry little ACER), I tell her how bad ass she is at managing my documents, running my programs, and quick she is a downloading my music (legally, of couse, CURSE YOU RIAA!). I tell her how thankful I am that I have her and how wonderful her little remote control is! Does it help? I don't know, but it can't hurt!

Now, I do have to be real honest with about something. When I am working on my webdesigns, regardless of which computer, I tend to cuss so badly that I put most sailors to shame. Mostly through a clenched jaw, it's things like, 'Ooooohhhh, you're a dirty little fucker, aren't you?' or 'You JANKY-ASS PIECE OF SHIT! DO WHAT I TELL YOU TO!' or 'fuckin' shit' or 'fuck-an-a' or 'fuck you, you fucking computer' - then I usually have to get out of the office, go smoke a cigarette, get my blood pressure down, then get back to work.

Do you talk to your computer, too?

Addiction/Smiction

2007-07-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

Don't say it like it's a bad thing. I already know what you're thinking, 'This chick is totally wacked out!' Well, not so much. Not all addictions are bad for you. Okay, I take that back.

I am totally addicted to Marlboro Milds (in the short pack), but come on, everybody's got to have some vice. Cigarettes just so happen to be mine. On the good note, I'm down from 2 packs a day (a couple years ago) to about a half a pack, so, not bad. I have it down to a science...1 (or 2) on the drive to work, 10:00am smoke break, 1 (or 2) on my lunch break, 3:00pm smoke break, one on the drive home, and then a few that night. Addiction is all about control. You see?

My latest and greatest new addiction is Texas Lottery Scratch Off Tickets. I'm not proud, but hey, at least it's not crack! I never go into expecting that I'm going to win a fortune, but it's the $2 or $5 or $10 winners that keep me going. Sometimes I'll buy $20 worth of same ticket, just to see what the odds are like. I can't stop! And I love it!

A few years ago, I got really into 'Idiot's Guides', they are simple, easy to read, well laid out, full of concentrated information, and fairly inexpensive. And you can find them on any subject. But only the Idiot's Guides. I don't like the books for Dummies - it hurts my ego. I am not a Dummie, there are just some things I don't know yet. My Idiot's Guide Libraray consists of the following:

Idiot's Guide to Starting Your Own Business

Idiot's Guide to Law for Small Business Owners

Idiot's Guide to Grant Writing

Idiot's Guide to Assertiveness

Idiot's Guide to Cultural Etiquette

Idiot's Guide to Budgeting

Idiot's Guide to Cigars (that one belongs to the man man)

Idiot's Guide to Meeting and Event Planning

Idiot's Guide to Throwing a Great Party

Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Wedding

Idiot's Guide to Creative Wedding
Idiot's Guide to Budgeting for your Wedding

Idiot's Guide to Being a Bride
Idiot's Guide to Being a Groom

And I know that the next time I hit up the Half-Price I'll probably pick up another one. I'm sure that you got the impression that I'm getting married, well, not yet, but I am a certified wedding and event planner (more to come on that), which leads me to my next addiction:

Bridal Magazines, Books, Planners, Guides, and other publications. I can admit it, I keep regular subscriptions to Martha Steward Weddings (is it possible to truly love someone and truly hate someone at the same time?), Brides (the norm), Elegant Bride (made by Brides, pretty well the same magazine), Grace Ormonde (super posh), San Antonio Weddings (local-they don't really change their content altogether too often), Modern Bride (just like Brides), The Knot (just like Brides), and some weird and random magazines that I pick up here and there. In addition, I have spent a small fortune on Amazon.com, at Half-Priced Books, and let's just say I'm on a first name basis with most of the staff at Barnes and Nobles. I can't get enough of the wedding business!

Fonts. I love new fonts. I am constantly downloading new fonts. Currently I am up to 6, 231. Fonts are fun! They convey thoughts and feelings and emotions that otherwise you just might not be able to get out there. Yeah, fonts. I can admit it.

I am an addict and I am not ashamed.

I'm girly, really, I am!

2007-07-19T18:37:00.001-05:00

Okay, seriously, I'm the first to admit that I am not the girliest of girly girls, BUT I am on a mission to be more girly.

It all started with the wardrobe. I've always been a jeans a t-shirt kind of gal, but recently have added more skirts, flowers, and frilly shit. This is a huge step for me.

Next came the make up. I have in the past prided my self on the fact that I could just brush on some eye shadow and mascara and be done with it. Well...not anymore. Like I said, I'm on a mission, so I've added some foundation, eyeliner, blush, and (gasp) lip gloss! Okay, so I'm on my way.

Then came the jewelry. I can honestly tell you that I have not taken my watch off since I got it in April of 2005. That's not really a bad thing...I always know what time it is. But I've added some new earrings and a couple of gawdy-ass rings.

So I can do this, I can be girly. BUT, today I stumbled on this list and it really made me want to revert to my old ways.

BIG SIGH! Seriously!

Lovin' the Sam's Club

2007-07-19T14:23:00.000-05:00

So the man and I recently joined the Sam's Club...and we're loving it! And let me tell you what, I look really good in my Sam's Card Photo! At first, it's a really scary and daunting place...with the huge warehouse feel, concrete floors, and towering shelves...but then you make it down a few aisles and realize that I can buy:

800 rolls of toilet paper

7,000 trash bags

an entire living room set (lamps included)

250 granola bars

a palette of dr. peppers

a 400 lb. chicken

a case of wine

and a good book

Then Sam's isn't such a scary place, but fun and exciting. In addition, we save $14 a year by buying the 800 pack of TP, $22 with the trash bags, have managed to furnish our whole house, will never run out of granola bars (at least this year), we can drink all the dr. pepper we want, I can cook chicken for every meal, and we'll have plenty of wine to go with that chicken, and finally, I got a great deal on a book!

Lovin' the Sam's Club! Can't wait to go back!

2007-06-25T00:29:00.000-05:00

A gal pal of mine sent me this little 40 Things List...

1. What is your occupation? Visual Media Coordinator (fancy for art department) at the Classic Rock station in San Antonio. I can admit that it's the coolest job ever. EVER. I work on the website, design posters, banners, invitations, and proposals for the sales folks, create all the fun and crazy games we play at contests and giveaways, develop logos for on-air stuff, and I get to listen to the best classic rock!

2. What color are your socks right now? Various shades of red, pink, and orange, with bright green aligators! I'm a big fan of the funny socks!

3. What are you listening to right now? The Muse - a fantastic band! Definitely in my top 5 favorites.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Little Debbie oatmeal creme pie - only 310 calories - HOLY CRAP!

5. Can you drive a stick shift? The boyfriend has been gracious and wonderful and has been trying to teach me. We go to the Lowes parking lot at 2 and 3 in the morning (it's a huge parking lot) and he lets me drive his stick!

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Burnt Sienna. Okay seriously, Purple.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Nobody ever calls me. Seriously. I get more "I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number" than actual people I know calling me. It's okay really - my preferred method of communication is e-mail. I never quiet make sense on the phone anyway - you can't edit crap that's already come out of your mouth! Dad always told me 'Think before you speak!'

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Okay, confession. I totally jacked this off my girl Ryan's blog - who I love completely.

9. How old are you today? 26 years, 10 months, 9 days

10. Favorite drink? Dr. Pepper - I'm from Waco, Texas - that shit courses through my veins! To be honest (and sad for a bit) I'm trying really hard to get off the Dr. Pepper. It's an addiction - a real addiction. I could really use some support...

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Golf. Seriously.

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? I went through that phase in college. I'm not proud of it...and I won't go back to it until I start going grey!

13. Pets? Two cats - Fritz and Dixie - who I'm convinced have an evil plan to get me out of the house.

14. Favorite food? Sushi - you can't go wrong with sushi. MMMMMmmmm WASABI!

15. What was the last movie you watched? Knocked Up - I'm not ashamed - I'm a girl!

17. What is your middle name? Christine

18. What was your favorite toy as a child? The Sit and Spin. Do you remember those things! It was awesome. I would sit and spin till I got sick! I wish they made them in adult sizes!

19. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Definitely the fall. Texas smells so good in the fall. The colors, the temperatures, the leaves, the sunsets, everything is so romantic and wonderful in the fall.

20. Hugs or kisses? Kiss me baby!

21. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries are great and chocked full of antioxidants, but Cherries taste better!

22. Do you want your friends to email you back? Sure, e-mail me.

25. Living arrangements? The boyfriend and I have a cozy little condo in North East San Antonio. Love living with the boyfriend! The cats? Not so much.

26. When was the last time you cried? So I recently got into the TV show House - it's pretty interesting and I really like Hugh Laurie. Anyhow, I have cried at every episode! I'm a crier. I cry at everything...a good blog, a good book, a good story, a good TV show, a good movie, a toilet paper commercial.

27. What is on the floor of your closet? A trunk full of memories, a bunch of clothes, a crapload of shoes, and probably a cat.

28. Who is your best friend of all time? This is such an unfair question. I don't really have a bunch of friends, so the ones that I have, I hold close to my heart. Bernie, Claire, Ryan, Amy - my dearest friends that I am lucky to have.

29. What did you do last night? Sleep?

30. Favorite smells? Happy by Clinique, Laughter by Brighton, and Pleasures by Este Lauder.

31. What inspires you? I'll have to get back to you on this one.

32. What are you afraid of? Chuck Norris
Click here to find out why!

33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Here's how to make the perfect hamburger:
1/2 lb beef patty, cheddar cheese, green chilis, onions, pickles, ranch, and mayonaise, on a poppy seed bun...perfection!

34. Favorite dog breed? There is no such thing.

35. Number of keys on your key ring? 12 keys - house key, car key, gas tank key, mail key, storage key, office front door key, office office key, desk key, parent's house key, boyfriend's parent's house key, safe key, trunk key - plus the wireless remote for my car and the wireless remote for the alarm. Good grief!

36. How many years at your current job? 6 months - but I don't plan on leaving any time soon!

37. Favorite day of the week? Sunday

38. How many states have you lived in? Texas and Hawaii

39. Favorite holiday? April Fool's Day - watch out!

40. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? I stole a bulldozer once in high school - not too thrilling - I don't fully recommend it. And I have to admit that I drive my little PT Cruise like a tank!

Getting bent

2007-06-24T23:39:00.000-05:00

Let's talk about gas prices.

I live in the state of Texas. I love Texas and I am very much a Texan. Let me tell you about living in Texas. We have some of the most well made highways, farm market roads, county roads, and city streets. Why? Because we drive. A lot. Public transportation in Texas is NOT the same as in someplace like New York. Even in our biggest cities, we do not have subways, taxi rides are not commonplace, and let's face it, with over 100 days a year in 100 degree heat, we don't walk, WE ARE DRIVERS.

That being said, here is my rant:

Since George Bush became President in 2001, the top five oil companies in the United States have recorded profits of $464 billion through the first quarter of 2007:

ExxonMobil: $158.5 billion
Shell: $108.5 billion
BP: $89.2 billion
ChevronTexaco: $60.9 billion
ConocoPhillips: $46.9 billion

(this info came off www.citizen.org)

Okay, I get it, we live in America, land of the free, home of the brave. Free enterprise, I'm for it. Living the American dream, I'm for it. What I am not for is getting bent over every time I have to fill up my little PT Cruiser with regular unleaded!

Americans consume 25% of the worlds oil everyday. China - who comes in second place, consumes less than 7%. And here's the kicker - the United States is the world's third largest producer of oil (only Saudi Arabia and Russia produce more than we do). Now, you would think that this creates a strong argument that the United States holds a lot of sway over world oil prices. So you would think that Americans would get a little break, supply and demand, right?

What really are the gas companies doing with this huge profit?
None of these companies are doing anything as far as re-investing their profits into programs that would benefit drivers (me). And none of these companies are spending big bucks on capital investment in the US, which in turn could benefit the US considerably (me). So what does this mean to regular Joe driver (me) in the US? It means there is a direct correlation between how much you, me, and regular Joe driver are forced to pay at the pump to the crazy profit big oil is making. Doesn't this piss you off? I'm pissed off.

I'm tired of paying $3.00 a gallon. I'm tired of paying more per month for gas than my actual car payment. I'm disgusted that there's not really anything I can do about it. I'm even more disgusted that we live in this wonderful country and it's 'acceptable' for the oil companies to blatantly rip us off.

More to come later.

LCR

Top 5 favorite flash games

2007-06-24T23:20:00.001-05:00

Okay, I can admit it - I am addicted to flash games. I love it! So I wanted to share with you all (the four people who actually read my blog) my top 5 favorite flash games, and hey, send me yours, I'm always up for a new flash game!

1. Harpoon Lagoon - super silly, but I can't get enough of it!
Click here to play!

2. Particles - its fun and challenging and has great music!
Click here to play

3. Tower Defense - there are a ton of different versions out there, but this one is one of my favorites.
Click here to play!

4. Boomshine - this game is super relaxing and has great music, too!
Click here to play!

5. RSVP - I remember playing an actual card game like this when I was little!
Click here to play!

Look what I have created!

2007-05-31T16:05:00.000-05:00

Go to suzybootz.com!

Suzy is a friend of mine from work. She is a remarkable woman with a huge passion for what she does - that I totally envy (in the best possible way). I have a great amount of respect for her, so when she asked me to work on her new website I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. Suzy is a jewelry designer - you'll have to go to her site to see for yourself - it's incredible.

Now, I don't really have a great deal of experience in web design, but I'm always open to learning something new, so I sketched it all out, created it in Illustrator (I'm kind of an Illustrator junkie), then went to work.

I tried it out first in iweb, but it didn't really seem right for this project, then I went to work in Dreamweaver, but to be honest I was scared and confused from the get go with that one, the boyfriend suggested Frontpage, but it was almost too easy that it didn't make sense, so I finally settled on ExpressionWeb, which is basically Frontpage anyway, but it all seemed fit well. I still have a ton a to learn about ExpressionWeb, but for the most part its pretty user friendly.

The only thing that really got me is the whole tables thing - big pain in the ass. And everything kept moving around every time I would a insert an image. Any suggestions? I finally made the header and menu bar an image and just put hot spots over them - works well for now. But it needs to be perfect so I'm certainly open to suggestions.

Oh yeah, and I have to tell you about the flash movie in the beginning. I stumbled onto this program called Swish - it is so fantastic! And I fully recommend it for folks who don't know alot about flash - everything is pretty cut and dry and super easy to use. You can download a 15 day free trial from swishzone.com. Dig it!

So anyway, go to Suzy's site, check it out, send me some feed back, buy some jewelry, and tell/forward everyone you know!

LCR