Lesson Learned

For the past couple weeks I have been going through to process of applying for a promotion at work. It seemed like the whole office was applying but I felt like I had a good chance of getting the position. The entire time up to the point that the decision was made, I kept telling myself that if it’s supposed to happen, it will and that when God closes a door, He opens a window. I felt at peace with whatever decision my boss decided. However, once I found out I was not selected, I immediately got a knot in my stomach and was filled with anger, disappointment, sadness, and I was questioning the decision. Then my boss pulled me in and told me his plan for me. After the meeting, I realized that I really think that I will enjoy his alternative for me much more than I would have liked the new position I had applied for. I now get to take on a well-seasoned manager who has had many assistants go on to become sales managers and I also get to take on more responsibility in the Tour and Travel department where I will get to be the point contact for groups and get a lot more client interaction. When I came out of that meeting, I just kind of felt stupid because I had totally wasted my time being upset and disappointed. What had I been telling myself the whole time? “If it’s in God’s plan it will happen” and you know what? He did have a plan and He did open a window. It just made me realize that I even though I had otld myself those things, it was hard for me to really trust them and believe them. Well, lesson learned.

The Infamous Jackelope

Last night Casey and I went to our favorite fajita place, La Hacienda Ranch, to celebrate his birthday with his family. La Hacienda is designed to look like an old ranch and has animal mounts all over the walls. Well, as we were all walking out, I saw this giant rabbit head with tiny antlers on it. I pointed to it and asked if that was a real jack rabbit. Casey just looked at me, then said “do you mean jackelope?” I assumed I had just gotten the name wrong only to find out that the creature really does not exist in nature. His whole family got a kick out of my “California blonde” moment. I don’t think Casey will ever let me live that comment down.

Happy Birthday Casey!

Casey’s birthday was on Monday and everything was going well. I had given him his present on Sunday night and then on his actual birthday, we were planning on going to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. He came over after work and walked straight to the kitchen and said “is there a cake?” I looked at him with surprise because at that moment I didn’t remember him requesting a cake. Then the light bulb went off and I realized I was the worse girlfriend in that moment. How did I forget that he had asked for a German chocolate cake?! How could I have missed not making him a cake ON HIS BIRTHDAY!? After feeling awful, I talked to my mom who reminded me that birthdays in our family are celebrated for an entire week so I had time to make up for it, which I did do on Wednesday. Wednesday when he came over, he had a German chocolate cake with homemade icing waiting for him. Casey seemed to really buy into the whole “week long birthday celebration” and now pulls the birthday card so he can watch basketball instead of LOST or Grey’s Anatomy. I guess it’s the least I can do when I forgot the cake, right?

In honor of you...

Last week, February 10, was my Grandmother's birthday. She would have been 84 years old. Her name was Shirley Burkhardt Diers but to everyone, she went by "Toots." The older I get, the more I miss her. I think I miss her more because I am beginning to see more and more how I am like her. One day, my mom pointed out that the way I was standing was exactly how her mom would have stood and told me I looked like her. I thought that was really neat.

In honor of Toots during her birthday month, I wanted to share some of the things I love and remember about her.

• Her love for all things Broadway and how she would constantly sing showtunes (I think I get this from her)
• She LOVED Texas, or The Republic as she would call it. She was born and raised in San Antonio, TX.
• She loved bluebonnets
• She loved mariachi music and the Spanish culture
• I love the songs that she would sing to me when I was little (I still can remember them and will sing them to my kids)
• I love how we would stand under a street light (our spotlight) and put on a "show" by singing and dancing
• She fell in love with the Harry Potter books and got me started on them (how cool is that!?)
• She was really into having good posture and I think I can attribute my good posture to her. she would always say "Shoulders back, stomach in, boobs out."
• She loved to read, travel, dance, and sing, even though she didn't always remember the words :)

I love that I share many things in common with her now and find myself loving things because she loved them. She really was an amazing person and Grandmother (she would kill me if I called her grandma becasue she thought it sounded "old" so don't worry Toots, I still refer to you and always will as my Grandmother).

Toots, I just want to say that I love you and Happy belated Birthday. I miss you and always will.

Lessons from Childhood

How many times did you mother tell you “if you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all” when you were growing up? I feel that is a standard of growing up. Unfortunately, I do not feel that this same lesson has transferred into the blogging world. Yesterday, I was disturbed to find a mean comment on my blog by some random person (who didn’t even put a link to their own blog…coward). The gist of the message was:

“I’m so glad I don’t know you in person. You are so self-centered and self-absorbed. No points for you on negotiating a truck. Write about something other than yourself.”

To this person, I would like to say:
1) I’m sorry that on MY blog about MY life that I happen to write about myself. It’s not called self-centered, it’s called writing a journal about your life.
2) No one asked you to read my blog.
3) If you hate me so much (even though you have never met me) then why did you feel the need to read over a month worth of my blogs (referring to the comment about the truck)

To all you people who read random peoples blogs and feel the need to write a nasty comment about them on it, go get a life because if you have enough time to read about someone who totally annoys you and take the time to write a comment about them, you clearly need to find some friends and some better things to do.


To those of you who enjoy my blog, I apologize for the outburst.


By the way, after I wrote this blog entry, I found this same person left this comment:

"I see you don't want the world to know how self centered you are or have someone bring that up. Typical."


Seriously? Do something better with your time.

La Paz Reunion 2009

This weekend was SOOO much fun! My college friends, Jane and LeAnn came to visit me. We all met Day 1 of college. Jane was my roommate and LeAnn lived 2 doors down. We all picked up like it had only been a week since we has seen each other (instead of over a year). Friday we went to downtown Dallas, drove around the mansions on Walnut Hill, had lunch in Uptown and got pedicures. Boy did I need that pedicure too! It was so nice to just have some time to relax after my emotional week. That night, we went to dinner at Uncle Julio’s in Grapevine where we got some free dessert because it was the girls first time plus I think the waiter really liked us. Then it was off to the Glass Cactus to dance the night away. I met this short man who looked like a Mexican Mr. Rodgers. He had the cardigan sweater and everything. He is an aerobics/salsa instructor and was teaching me some moves. He was so amazed at my natural skills that he kept stepping back and saying “She’s amazing!” We even met a guy who was U of A alumni so we all sang the fight song together.

Saturday we got a very late start. I had a baby shower to go to for one of my co-workers so I brought the girls. It was a t the hotel in a presidential suite so it was kind of cool for them to see. That night, we went with Casey and his friends Bradley and Kyle to get some Texas BBQ and then went country dancing. The girls had a blast! LeAnn couldn’t get over how nice everyone was.

Sunday was a lazy day. We grabbed some pizza and then just laid around before they had to leave.

Monday morning I was super tired though. I was laughing because I can’t remember the last time I saw 2:00 AM, let alone 2 nights in a row. My body can’t handle that anymore.

You gotta have coups

I feel like I must shout from the roof top my accomplishment this weekend. Sunday was the beginning of a new phase of my life…I am now a coupon cutter. I got my newspaper, cut out all of my coups and found that Tom Thumb was my best bet at saving some money. Not only did I have a coup for $10 off a purchase of $50 or more, I also had one for a FREE pizza when I spent more that $25. I walked out of Tom Thumb with $100 worth of groceries for only $60!!!!! I have never been so proud of myself. The icing on the cake was that not only did I save $40, I also saved the environment by bringing in my own non-plastic bags. I am officially a believer in the coupon world!