Money, Money, Money, Money

I'm horrible about making/remembering New Year's resolutions. I do much better with smaller amounts of time ... like Lent. But two of my resolutions this year are 1) to be more organized and 2) to be a better steward of my money. So about a week and a half ago I made my best purchase of the year. And I could not feel like a bigger dork for buying it ... but at the same time, I could care less. (Or couldn't care less ... I think I usually say that expression the wrong way ... but again, to that I say, I couldn't care less. Yea, I think it's couldn't.) Regardless, I could/couldn't care less because my new coupon/gift card organizer (below) is going to help me save oodles and retire at 35. That's right ... 35. At the very least, it will keep me from paying full price at Borders. And in just one purchase, it will help me win at both of my resolutions.

I've noticed that people in the checkout line are not always happy to see coupons. Come to think of it, the people behind the register don't look thrilled either. But until technology wins over people, moving every grocery store into only self-checkout lanes, I'm going to defend my right to hold up the line in order to get $.10 cans of soup. Even if I don't like soup. (Which would be crazy because who doesn't like soup?) When technology does win out, I'm going to stop going to the grocery store and will instead enlist in some kind of grocery pyramid scheme that I can participate in online.

You too can have this fantastic coupon organizer for the low, low price of $3.99 at the Container Store!!! (I could dedicate multiple posts to my love for the Container Store. I love any store that's color coded.) If you're thrown off by the fact that this organizer is set up by month, no worries -- you can also set it up alphabetically, as I have.

This is the point in my post where I've probably talked about coupon organizers longer than anyone really needs to, so I'll move on.
Last thing ... in looking up the picture/price for the coupon organizer (so I guess I wasn't really done talking about it), I came across this picture on the Container Store's homepage. I swear I was on drill team with this girl. If it is in fact "JJ" then congrats! If not, then she has a doppleganger. ("That bird better pray he don't mess up my credit.")

That's about it for today. I'm off to the Melting Pot tonight to use my gift card that, amazingly, expires in two days. I say "amazingly" because I just got this gift card about two months ago. I never would have realized it was about to expire if I hadn't filed it in my wonderful coupon organizer. With the money I'll save, I'm now one step closer to retiring at 35. (And I'm infinitely closer to sounding like a 50-year-old soccer mom.)

Angels We Have Heard On High

I'm watching the West Wing season 1 Christmas episode ("In Excelsis Deo") as I pack for Vegas. Apparently we're to expect rain/snow showers in Vegas this week. Crazy.

I'll probably watch this episode at least one more time between now and Christmas. I love it. And I love the Christmas episodes for seasons 2, 3 and 4 ... in that order.

My goal this December was to watch something Christmas-ish every day. It's been rather hit or miss, but there are plenty of great Friends, Scrubs and OC Christmas episodes to keep me busy. And I've watched some part of Elf almost every day for the past week. 

I love Christmas ... and Christmas TV.

Forgot to mention a movie review ... go see Slumdog Millionaire. It's fantastic.

Faces

This is the current view from my balcony ... a cartoon woman with crazy eyes who is "experiencing overjoyment: priceless." Nice.

Last Christmas the ad was for Starbucks, and there was a huge scarf that started at one end of the shopping center and ended with another ad a few stores down. I was really hoping this year the ad would be for GAP and would feature the four SNL guys.

No such luck.

It's a great afternoon for resting and cleaning, while watching Titanic ("Listen to your friend Billy Zane ...") and Love Actually. Which means I'm not going to have time to write about Snuggies today. But soon.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Part 2)

Hello again! So, Thanksgiving has come and gone (thank goodness), and we're breezing through December. Today was our "festive holiday attire" contest ... pretty hard to have a bad day when your coworkers are wearing reindeer sweaters and jingle bell earrings.

I made my shirt myself. And I love it.

Tomorrow I plan to talk about the best, but most ridiculous, invention ever ... Snuggies!!! Anyone who says those commercials don't make their day is lying.

(Unrelated, but FYI -- here's why the Tropic Thunder commentary is awesome: 1) it's with Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black and 2) Robert Downey Jr. is in character the entire time. Hilarious. I'm still of the opinion that Tom Cruise has gone 'round the bend, but I have to admit I thought he was great in this movie. And his dancing made my day.)

Crazy

Last thing for today (and I can't believe I didn't remember to write about this earlier) ...

I wish I were back in the PR industry, simply so I could tell Detroit's Big Three that you've got to be a special kind of stupid to fly private jets to your hearing asking for $25 billion. That to me is high comedy in and of itself. Is flying first class really such a chore? If they're concerned about leg room, they could even sit in coach on an exit row. Problem solved. 

That said, it's time for me to board my flight. Goodbye Phoenix.

By The Time I Get To Arizona

Hello from Phoenix where this weekend the temperature has been in the 70s. (Dallas, in contrast, has been about 25 degrees cooler.) It's been nice waking up to sunshine and palm trees, but it's time to go home. 

I needed a break from home. My frustration with Thanksgiving reached a fever pitch this week, because my Thanksgiving will now actually be on Wednesday, but I've had all weekend to de-stress and change my perspective. Judge me if you will, but I, like Chandler on Friends, hate Thanksgiving. (I guess I should clarify ... my perspective on hating Thanksgiving has not changed ... it's still my least favorite holiday. Doesn't matter why. My perspective on how I will handle this year's Thanksgiving has changed.) 

That's all I'm going to say about Thanksgiving ... except I will add that if you need a good Thanksgiving episode to watch, please watch the How I Met Your Mother "Slapsgiving" episode. Love it.

Let's Get Married

Happy one-week anniversary to Jeannie and Scott! The entire Clearwater/Tampa wedding weekend was fantastic.

Jeannie and Scott at the rehearsal dinner ...

With Jeannie and MOH Liz ...
Bridal party ladies ...
Magpie before the wedding ...
On the way to the church ("everything from the flowers to the honeymoon limo ... ---undred --ifty ---ead") ...
Officially married ...
Post-reception jaunt to IHOP for some AJ with Liz and Ben. ("Are there a lot of carjackings in Brazil?" "Oh, there are a lot of everything jackings in Brazil..." "... and waxings ..." "Yup, that's what they do ... just jackin' and waxin' ...")
This picture makes it look like it was super cold in Florida, but it really wasn't. Just super windy ...
Half-time stroll during the Gator game ...
Some of the wedding crew (and Gator alum) ... 
Magpie, I'm so excited for you and Scott! The next visit to Florida will be for your housewarming party.

Call Me ... Don't Be Afraid To Just Call Me ...

So, Beyonce has a new alter ego named Sasha Fierce. I saw an article about this that made me laugh. Kudos to the article for referencing the Seinfeld episode where George wants everyone to call him T-Bone. 

While I think the whole thing is ri-dic-u-lous, I have to give her credit for choosing a great, self-bestowed alter ego name. I feel like she's making a mistake, though, in forgetting the lesson we learned from Garth Brooks ...

Sasha Fierce ... meet Chris Gaines.

Boston

I'm watching an old Boston Legal DVD, and I realized something important. The theme song is fantastic ... if you only hear it once in one sitting. Maybe twice. The "fantastical" quality lessens if you, for example, put the DVD in the player but then maybe take a phone call for a few minutes. And you hear the theme played over and over again, but you can't go turn it off because you're charging your phone as you talk and need to stay near the wall socket. Or if you maybe fall asleep watching the DVD and you can't find the remote to turn it off, because it slid underneath your couch AND the batteries fell out, and you don't want to get off the couch to walk to the TV. That's when the theme song becomes a little problematic. 

But overall, I'm a fan. It has a certain Sanford and Son quality that can't be ignored. And if any of you now have either theme song stuck in your head then my job is done. Transference is complete.

Feels Like Home

If you've not yet voted, there's still time. Going to be an interesting night watching results. To quote Josh on The West Wing, "we're going to be up all night with these. It's going to be fun."

My dad and I talked a lot about the election when the campaigns got going in early 2007, and lately I've been a little overcome with the thought that I really wish my dad were here right now. He was so fascinated by what might happen. There are no words to convey how much I miss his presence.

Right now Sundays are my "back to reality" days after having a great weekend. Every Sunday I go to my dad's house (which has now been on the market for 14 months) and I check on the pool. The water level is usually low, so we have to keep refilling it. I've started using that time to also go for a walk around my dad's neighborhood. When I was there this Sunday, I was thinking about how we really need for the house to sell, and how maybe enough time has passed that it won't be as hard to say goodbye to that part of his life. I was thinking this while walking back from the park. As I got closer to my dad's house, I noticed that a car was out front, looking at my dad's house and picking up one of the fliers from the realtor. It suddenly hit me, maybe for the first time, that soon someone else will be living in my dad's house. And we'll no longer have that tangible place to go that makes us feel close to him. As I walked back to his home I started to cry.

I don't know why these thoughts are so prevalent right now, but they are. I suspect some of it is due to the start of November and knowing that in a few weeks we'll experience our second Thanksgiving without my dad. I think the holidays this year might be more difficult than I've been anticipating.

So I don't really know what to do about that anticipatory stress, other than just find ways to relax and keep from getting too worked up. Which is why I'm off to yoga (tonight). And Tampa (next week). And Vegas (in December).

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

1) When the dog bites (ouch)

2) When the bee stings (I'm allergic)

3) When I'm feeling sad (single tear)

I was highly aggravated today for some reason, but I've decided to turn aggravation on its ear and focus on things that make me happy. And each of these things (minus the Crossing Vineyard wine) can be found at the grocery store. I'm hoping if I mention these products enough some Web PR person from the company will send me a year's supply of free _____ (whatever the product is).

Here we go ...

If You're Gonna Play in Texas ...

Another October, another great weekend at the Little Red House.

Pretty much everyone is required to sing or play an instrument.

Fun times with my brother ...

Fun times with my cousins ...

Even more cousins ...

Ready for next October and LRH '09.

Falling Down

Another Thursday, another yoga class with Rrrrrrrramon. Tuesday night's class was ridiculously painful, but it was also delightfully funny. Our instructor made us do headstands in the middle of the room. Most of us can't do that yet, so it was funny to be upside down and hear loud thuds on the ground as people all around you kept falling over. You're of course not supposed to laugh, but there's just no helping it. Good times.

I'm excited for Race for the Cure on Saturday morning. I love Race for the Cure. If you're in Dallas you should do it -- it's always a great day. Plus it's gorgeous outside, so that's a big thumbs up.

Songs of the day: "Dreaming With a Broken Heart" by John Mayer and "Falling Down" by Bebo Norman.

If I Could

It's mid-October and you know what that means ... happy Spa Week, Dallas!

I love Spa Week. Two times a year (once in the fall and once in spring) different spas around town offer special services for about 1/3 of the normal price. I took a half day off of work today in honor of Spa Week. I'm not going to document the embarrassing thing that I said/did while at my appointment, but it's on par with the "Ooooh, does that feel knotty?" massage encounter.

If you miss Spa Week this month never fear because it should be back in April or May. 

Song of the day: "If I Could" by Blue Merle.

I'm A Little Bit Country ...

My past few weekends have felt very Texas-ish. The other weekend I watched my uncle and cousin perform at the Opry. They are precious, and I love listening to them sing together.

Sweetest family ever.

We're all ready for Katie to make it to Nashville. I know I'm biased, but you really would be blown away by her voice. She's fantastic.

This weekend Ale and I went to the Fair. I really think the last time I went I was in 4th grade. It exceeded my expectations, and I'll tell you why in a second.

But before I do, what's the first thing you think of when someone says "State Fair of Texas" ... is it the butter sculptures? Probably not.

Maybe it's Big Tex ...

Maybe it's the ferris wheel ...

But those answers are wrong. I'll tell you what I think of -- and what exceeded my expectations -- when I think of the State Fair. Obviously, I think of three little words. Bel ... Biv ... Devoe. 

I love the State Fair.