I must stop watching Say Yes to the Dress on TLC...because it's making me want to go try on every single different type of wedding dress that is out there. When I went shopping with my mom and my bridesmaid Jennifer, it didn't take more than three or four dresses for me to figure out which dress I wanted...it even happened to be the first one that my mom put her hands on in the store. Now I'm starting to second guess myself - I went into dress shopping with such a definite idea of what I wanted: no poof, with straps, very simple. Maybe I should have tried on the big ball gowns and the mermaid silhouettes just to make sure they weren't what I wanted. Now I am feeling like I didn't really enjoy the dress shopping as much as I could have...or maybe should have.
Or maybe I just need to stop buying into the sentimental wedding crap that comes out of the Kleinfeld's salespeople on the show.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Despicable
There is currently a ton of press right now regarding the situation that Tiger Woods has gotten himself into and after perusing the comments made in regard to the most recent personal statement released by the athlete this morning, I'm pretty upset.
Tiger: you, like any other celebrity, gave up a certain amount of privacy when you became a billion dollar universally known athletic superstar. You are not immune to the same fascination and scrutiny that the likes of Lindsey, Paris and the Kardashian clan receive. Granted, you are not out every night flashing your public intoxication and other signs of poor decision making, but when rumors start to become substantial, the public will want to know. And the intense focus might be even greater considering the fact that this is in every way in direct contrast to the public persona that has been carefully crafted to reflect respect, dignity, morals and values. People feel a bit cheated out of one of the few athletic superstars they felt were actually good role models for their children.
What frustrates me even more is the fact that many of the comments on his webpage speak about Tiger being "human" and that "everybody makes mistakes." No! Not everybody cheats on their wives with multiple people for almost three years. That's not being "human" that's being a ass hole. I don't care who you are or what you do...cheating on your spouse for that amount of time combined with the obvious deception and lies...it's NEVER okay. Why should we, as a public, forgive him for this discretion? Because he has broken every golf record in the world? Still doesn't make you a good person.
Sorry Tiger...but I'm jumping off your bandwagon.
Tiger: you, like any other celebrity, gave up a certain amount of privacy when you became a billion dollar universally known athletic superstar. You are not immune to the same fascination and scrutiny that the likes of Lindsey, Paris and the Kardashian clan receive. Granted, you are not out every night flashing your public intoxication and other signs of poor decision making, but when rumors start to become substantial, the public will want to know. And the intense focus might be even greater considering the fact that this is in every way in direct contrast to the public persona that has been carefully crafted to reflect respect, dignity, morals and values. People feel a bit cheated out of one of the few athletic superstars they felt were actually good role models for their children.
What frustrates me even more is the fact that many of the comments on his webpage speak about Tiger being "human" and that "everybody makes mistakes." No! Not everybody cheats on their wives with multiple people for almost three years. That's not being "human" that's being a ass hole. I don't care who you are or what you do...cheating on your spouse for that amount of time combined with the obvious deception and lies...it's NEVER okay. Why should we, as a public, forgive him for this discretion? Because he has broken every golf record in the world? Still doesn't make you a good person.
Sorry Tiger...but I'm jumping off your bandwagon.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Early Morning or Late Night Ramblings
It's 1:07 am on Wednesday, November 25th and I can't sleep. There were a few blissful hours when pain medication was able to dull my senses and my brain enough so that I could get some sleep, but unfortunately the medicine wore off at precisely 12:46 and my eyes snapped open.
Why might I be taking strong pain medication you ask? Same stuff, different day...my right knee that I spoke of so long ago has not gotten any better but instead gotten progressively more and more painful since October. I have been in Physical Therapy for a month with a wonderful and highly knowledgeable therapist...so knowledgeable in fact, that she knows when the pain and problem is outside her realm of help. She advised me last week that if my pain was still persisting and more importantly, intensifying that it might be a good idea to schedule another appointment with my doctor. Craig and I talked about it over dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant down the road from us last Tuesday night...his special treat since I was so frustrated...and we decided that we would both be more comfortable taking my knee to be seen by his long-time surgeon in Dallas. So tomorrow we are off to Dr. Moore, armed with my previous doctor's paperwork and the list of things I've been doing in Physical Therapy.
I 100% trust Craig's opinion and therefore I trust Dr. Moore...but I'm still nervous. But not nervous about what you THINK I'm nervous about. I'm nervous that he will look at the reports, take an MRI and tell me that nothing is wrong and that it must be all in my head. Because then I will feel stupid - like I've been faking it all along, or maybe that I'm a wimp who is just complaining over something small. But I know that my pain is real - I feel the grinding, the sharp pains, the dull ache and the throbbing down my shin. I am a healthy and active 26 year old woman - this is probably the healthiest I have been in my life since I was playing basketball in high school! I should be able to take my dog for walk/runs, ride my bike and play a little volleyball once a week with my adult league. I'm too young to fall apart and right now this knee is severely impacting my activity level, and therefore impacting my mood and the quality of my life.
Other than those thoughts, what else is running through my mind at now 1:17 am?
- I saw New Moon twice this weekend and I'm definitely a wolf...more importantly, an ALPHA wolf. I'm more inclined to snarl and growl when I'm mad than write intense poetry, or even speak eloquently for that matter.
- Craig and I started putting up Christmas lights on the house tonight at 8:00 in the dark. It was his idea and not really the time I would have liked to do it, but the childlike look of excitement on his face was too hard to turn down. So now we have lights.
- I've been reading Marley and Me by John Grogan lately in order to gain some perspective on my needy, emotional and stubborn dog. My favorite portion:
"In a dog's life, some plaster would fall, some cushions would open, some rugs would shred. Like any relationship, this one had its costs. They were costs we came to accept and balance against the joy and amusement and protection and companionship he gave us. We could have bought a small yacht with what we spent on our dog and all the things he destroyed. Then again, how many yacths wait by the door all day for your return? How many live for the moment they can clim in your lap or ride down the hill with you on a toboggan, licking your face? Marley had earned his place in our family. Like a quirky but beloved uncle, he was what he was. He would never be Lassie or Benji or Old Yeller; he would never reach Westminster or even the county fair. We knew that now. We accepted him for the dog he was, and loved him all the more for it." Angie isn't perfect and she'll always have her issues, but I know that she is appreciative of everything we've given her and she loves us more than anything. I couldn't imagine not coming home and opening the back door to have her come barreling in, jumping on my legs while whining impatiently about how much she missed me.
- The wedding nightmares are starting...first there was one about changing my hairstyle last minute and then it was the day of the wedding and I forgot my bridesmaids presents...and those were in the same night! I'm still feeling like I should be more stressed...maybe I'm forgetting something major, I'm not sure...but the OMG feeling definitely was ratcheted up a notch since we passed the "four months away" mark on November 13th...
Why might I be taking strong pain medication you ask? Same stuff, different day...my right knee that I spoke of so long ago has not gotten any better but instead gotten progressively more and more painful since October. I have been in Physical Therapy for a month with a wonderful and highly knowledgeable therapist...so knowledgeable in fact, that she knows when the pain and problem is outside her realm of help. She advised me last week that if my pain was still persisting and more importantly, intensifying that it might be a good idea to schedule another appointment with my doctor. Craig and I talked about it over dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant down the road from us last Tuesday night...his special treat since I was so frustrated...and we decided that we would both be more comfortable taking my knee to be seen by his long-time surgeon in Dallas. So tomorrow we are off to Dr. Moore, armed with my previous doctor's paperwork and the list of things I've been doing in Physical Therapy.
I 100% trust Craig's opinion and therefore I trust Dr. Moore...but I'm still nervous. But not nervous about what you THINK I'm nervous about. I'm nervous that he will look at the reports, take an MRI and tell me that nothing is wrong and that it must be all in my head. Because then I will feel stupid - like I've been faking it all along, or maybe that I'm a wimp who is just complaining over something small. But I know that my pain is real - I feel the grinding, the sharp pains, the dull ache and the throbbing down my shin. I am a healthy and active 26 year old woman - this is probably the healthiest I have been in my life since I was playing basketball in high school! I should be able to take my dog for walk/runs, ride my bike and play a little volleyball once a week with my adult league. I'm too young to fall apart and right now this knee is severely impacting my activity level, and therefore impacting my mood and the quality of my life.
Other than those thoughts, what else is running through my mind at now 1:17 am?
- I saw New Moon twice this weekend and I'm definitely a wolf...more importantly, an ALPHA wolf. I'm more inclined to snarl and growl when I'm mad than write intense poetry, or even speak eloquently for that matter.
- Craig and I started putting up Christmas lights on the house tonight at 8:00 in the dark. It was his idea and not really the time I would have liked to do it, but the childlike look of excitement on his face was too hard to turn down. So now we have lights.
- I've been reading Marley and Me by John Grogan lately in order to gain some perspective on my needy, emotional and stubborn dog. My favorite portion:
"In a dog's life, some plaster would fall, some cushions would open, some rugs would shred. Like any relationship, this one had its costs. They were costs we came to accept and balance against the joy and amusement and protection and companionship he gave us. We could have bought a small yacht with what we spent on our dog and all the things he destroyed. Then again, how many yacths wait by the door all day for your return? How many live for the moment they can clim in your lap or ride down the hill with you on a toboggan, licking your face? Marley had earned his place in our family. Like a quirky but beloved uncle, he was what he was. He would never be Lassie or Benji or Old Yeller; he would never reach Westminster or even the county fair. We knew that now. We accepted him for the dog he was, and loved him all the more for it." Angie isn't perfect and she'll always have her issues, but I know that she is appreciative of everything we've given her and she loves us more than anything. I couldn't imagine not coming home and opening the back door to have her come barreling in, jumping on my legs while whining impatiently about how much she missed me.
- The wedding nightmares are starting...first there was one about changing my hairstyle last minute and then it was the day of the wedding and I forgot my bridesmaids presents...and those were in the same night! I'm still feeling like I should be more stressed...maybe I'm forgetting something major, I'm not sure...but the OMG feeling definitely was ratcheted up a notch since we passed the "four months away" mark on November 13th...
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Wedding Update
A few months back, Craig and I were updating our calendar and kind of talking about what still needed to be done for the wedding and we chose an open Saturday to go take care of invitations, rings and tuxes...today was that day. I'm happy to announce that we accomplished all three of those things with little to no complications!
We started out by going to a little boutique by our house called Celebrations and Invitations which is owned by the mother of an ex-athlete of both of ours and a current athlete of Craig's. Although the mom wasn't there, we worked with a salesperson to decide on a "look" for our invitation. I brought in an example of what I wanted - the invitation for my friend Chelsea's wedding which gave the saleslady an idea of what we wanted and where to start in creating our own invitation. I think she was a little surprised at how quickly I was able to figure out what I wanted. She mentioned that some girls will come in four or five times to narrow down their choices for invitations. That's ridiculous. I think what we're going to end up with is green backed ivory invitations with brown lettering and some sort of brown and green floral design on the invitation. It's going to be a single sided invitation - none of this unfolding stuff with 17 different parts. Very simple and clean.
After we left the invitations place we had to stop and get some fuel...in the form of Christina's mexican food. I knew that if I was going to keep Craig happy during our wedding adventure I had to keep his tummy full. We followed up lunch with a stop at Men's Wearhouse to look at tux rental but didn't stay long because they didn't have what I was looking for. On a side note...I really hate when I go into a store looking for something specific and when they don't have it they offer me something else. I'm a girl who knows what she wants and if I wanted that something else, I would have asked for it. For example, if I wanted a chocolate brown or ivory tux instead of tan...I would have asked for one. Grr.
After leaving Men's Wearhouse Craig and I went to the mall to get our wedding bands which we had already picked out but had not purchased. Lucky for me the band I wanted fit my finger perfectly so we were able to take it home today! Unfortunately, Craig has fat fingers and his had to be ordered and should come in some time before Christmas. Although I didn't want to, we dropped the ring off at his mom's house so that she can put it in the safe deposit box at the bank until the wedding...and so that I don't wear it around the house!!!
We headed to Al's Formal Wear in Southlake and almost immediately when I walked in the door they had the exact outfit that I want the boys to wear in the wedding. It's a tan suit (not a tux) with a little bit of texture and the guys will wear it with an ivory shirt and brown ties for the boys and a green one for Craig. We actually got a discount on the suit rentals for the guys because they won't be wearing the shoes that come with the rental...they will be wearing white Converse sneakers.
All in all, we got a lot done and it was relatively painless! Now time for catching up on DVR and napping with a puppy dog!
We started out by going to a little boutique by our house called Celebrations and Invitations which is owned by the mother of an ex-athlete of both of ours and a current athlete of Craig's. Although the mom wasn't there, we worked with a salesperson to decide on a "look" for our invitation. I brought in an example of what I wanted - the invitation for my friend Chelsea's wedding which gave the saleslady an idea of what we wanted and where to start in creating our own invitation. I think she was a little surprised at how quickly I was able to figure out what I wanted. She mentioned that some girls will come in four or five times to narrow down their choices for invitations. That's ridiculous. I think what we're going to end up with is green backed ivory invitations with brown lettering and some sort of brown and green floral design on the invitation. It's going to be a single sided invitation - none of this unfolding stuff with 17 different parts. Very simple and clean.
After we left the invitations place we had to stop and get some fuel...in the form of Christina's mexican food. I knew that if I was going to keep Craig happy during our wedding adventure I had to keep his tummy full. We followed up lunch with a stop at Men's Wearhouse to look at tux rental but didn't stay long because they didn't have what I was looking for. On a side note...I really hate when I go into a store looking for something specific and when they don't have it they offer me something else. I'm a girl who knows what she wants and if I wanted that something else, I would have asked for it. For example, if I wanted a chocolate brown or ivory tux instead of tan...I would have asked for one. Grr.
After leaving Men's Wearhouse Craig and I went to the mall to get our wedding bands which we had already picked out but had not purchased. Lucky for me the band I wanted fit my finger perfectly so we were able to take it home today! Unfortunately, Craig has fat fingers and his had to be ordered and should come in some time before Christmas. Although I didn't want to, we dropped the ring off at his mom's house so that she can put it in the safe deposit box at the bank until the wedding...and so that I don't wear it around the house!!!
We headed to Al's Formal Wear in Southlake and almost immediately when I walked in the door they had the exact outfit that I want the boys to wear in the wedding. It's a tan suit (not a tux) with a little bit of texture and the guys will wear it with an ivory shirt and brown ties for the boys and a green one for Craig. We actually got a discount on the suit rentals for the guys because they won't be wearing the shoes that come with the rental...they will be wearing white Converse sneakers.
All in all, we got a lot done and it was relatively painless! Now time for catching up on DVR and napping with a puppy dog!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
A response...
This post is in response to the comment a friend of mine from high school and basketball teammate, Leighann posted on a blog that I wrote a few days ago. She wrote:
"Im clapping!!! It's always bothered me that I could have gone somewhere with my basketball abilities, maybe not real far, but atleast college. I think it's funny I played AAU for 7 years in the most competative form you could find, yet I wasn't good enough for her high school team. I wish I could go back in time and do something about it, but I can't. It still bothers me to this day that I chose basketball over softball because I thought I could get somewhere better with that...then I hated it so bad, I quit! I have severe hatred towards that woman and I think I will always. Good blog...I love it!"
For a little backstory, Leighann and I were on the same basketball team when we were in sixth grade (the Lady Lakers!) and we played against each other throughout middle school but went to the same high school. My sophomore year I was put on the Varsity team because of the sole fact that I was six feet tall and they needed another post player. Leighann was on JV, but definitely the best player. On a regular district game night, the Varsity basketball team played first and the JV girls played second in the small gym. If I didn't play in the Varsity game (which happened most of the time) I would run down the hall to the small gym and play with JV. Although I understand the thought process, it put me in a tricky spot: neither team really accepted me as one of their teammates. Except Leighann - we were good friends on and off the court and sat the bench together throughout our Junior year, except when she was put into the game to drain some three's. At the end of our Junior year, she and I both approached our coach together and resigned from the team.
So, in response to Leighann's comment I wanted to let her know...that's why I love coaching middle school...because that's when it was still something fun to do with my friends. All my girls want to do is scrimmage in the gym and if I could, I would let them do that everyday because soon enough the sport they love will turn into a grueling job. I have found a lot of joy in the "old coaches" volleyball league that I play in every Wednesday night because it isn't about competition (well, maybe a LITTLE bit) but it's more about being active and playing a game that we truly love.
And to Leighann...I'm so excited for you and Bryan - both on the marriage and the new adventures in Spain!! I can't help but think back to all the movies that we used to watch over at Rohit's house and to the massive amounts of cruising we did in your T-top Firebird!
"Im clapping!!! It's always bothered me that I could have gone somewhere with my basketball abilities, maybe not real far, but atleast college. I think it's funny I played AAU for 7 years in the most competative form you could find, yet I wasn't good enough for her high school team. I wish I could go back in time and do something about it, but I can't. It still bothers me to this day that I chose basketball over softball because I thought I could get somewhere better with that...then I hated it so bad, I quit! I have severe hatred towards that woman and I think I will always. Good blog...I love it!"
For a little backstory, Leighann and I were on the same basketball team when we were in sixth grade (the Lady Lakers!) and we played against each other throughout middle school but went to the same high school. My sophomore year I was put on the Varsity team because of the sole fact that I was six feet tall and they needed another post player. Leighann was on JV, but definitely the best player. On a regular district game night, the Varsity basketball team played first and the JV girls played second in the small gym. If I didn't play in the Varsity game (which happened most of the time) I would run down the hall to the small gym and play with JV. Although I understand the thought process, it put me in a tricky spot: neither team really accepted me as one of their teammates. Except Leighann - we were good friends on and off the court and sat the bench together throughout our Junior year, except when she was put into the game to drain some three's. At the end of our Junior year, she and I both approached our coach together and resigned from the team.
So, in response to Leighann's comment I wanted to let her know...that's why I love coaching middle school...because that's when it was still something fun to do with my friends. All my girls want to do is scrimmage in the gym and if I could, I would let them do that everyday because soon enough the sport they love will turn into a grueling job. I have found a lot of joy in the "old coaches" volleyball league that I play in every Wednesday night because it isn't about competition (well, maybe a LITTLE bit) but it's more about being active and playing a game that we truly love.
And to Leighann...I'm so excited for you and Bryan - both on the marriage and the new adventures in Spain!! I can't help but think back to all the movies that we used to watch over at Rohit's house and to the massive amounts of cruising we did in your T-top Firebird!
The name is Crocker...Betty Crocker
I'm not sure when the transition from frozen pizza to fully homemade dinner happened...but it did and I think Craig is grateful. Since volleyball season has been over (approximately a week) I have been obsessed with new recipes and cooking dinners. Wednesday was taco night which is was pretty easy and pretty standard but last night...oh man...it was delicious.
Porkchops and pears sauteed in a vinegar-brown sugar mix
Garlic and lemon roasted broccoli spears
Onion baked potatoes
Oh. My. Goodness. It was soooo good.
On the menu for tomorrow's Cowboy game is...
Slow cooker BBQ chicken sandwiches
Homemade potato salad
*Maybe* black bean and corn salsa
Porkchops and pears sauteed in a vinegar-brown sugar mix
Garlic and lemon roasted broccoli spears
Onion baked potatoes
Oh. My. Goodness. It was soooo good.
On the menu for tomorrow's Cowboy game is...
Slow cooker BBQ chicken sandwiches
Homemade potato salad
*Maybe* black bean and corn salsa
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Words of Advice
While catching up on my DVR, I came across an episode of "18 Kids and Counting" and the mother, Michelle, was asked an interesting question:
"If you could meet the 21 year old version of yourself, what would you say or what differences would there be?"
That got me thinking...what would I tell younger versions of myself?
Age 5: What an amazing imagination you have...you've given me the best memories of my childhood.
The response: Wanna play Barbies with me? My brother Mike always does.
Age 10: Don't get the perm!!!
The response: But I want wavy hair like everyone else!
Age 13: God gave you this height so you can be better than everyone else; quit complaining about it and start using it.
The response: Who cares about being the best at basketball when no boy likes me and there aren't any cool jeans that are long enough?
Age 15: Apply yourself...your good is great but your great is outstanding. And quit trying to compete with her...you've got her beat in the humor and likability category.
The response: I'm not going to be as smart as those kids and why try harder when I'm already making straight A's?
Age 18: Really? Another shot? Do you really think that's a WISE decision?
The response: You sound like my Mom. Shut up.
Age 21: You're okay and everything will work out...just be patient.
The response: When? Because I'm ready now.
I guess the moral of the story is that hindsight is always 20/20 and there were already people along the way telling me the things that I would eventually want to tell my former self. So that puts me in an interesting spot - should I quit telling my students all the things that I needed to hear because they're going to have to learn it for themselves or should I not stop because I will never know the morsel of wisdom that will stick with them and help them in the future?
There are a few things that my teachers said growing up that really stuck with me...
- My choir teacher, Mr. Antinone telling me that I was an underachiever. I wasn't an underachiever...I was just taking your class to get my Art credit for high school graduation.
- My Senior PEAK English teacher, Mrs. Edgington leveling with me about the Senioritis I had= Retiree-itis that she had...and we both still had to do our work until the last day of school.
- A random Sophomore English teacher in college that allowed me to "prove" to her that the Beatles were in fact poets in an essay.
- My high school basketball coach, Coach DeBord telling me that if I spent as much time in the gym as my boyfriend (a fellow basketball player) that maybe I would be as good as him. Awesome Coach...and you wondered why I quit. It's okay...I'm sure you were relieved to get rid of me.
So maybe I shouldn't quit saying those things...and maybe I should make sure that they are only nice things because I would hate for them to remember me like I remember my high school coach.
"If you could meet the 21 year old version of yourself, what would you say or what differences would there be?"
That got me thinking...what would I tell younger versions of myself?
Age 5: What an amazing imagination you have...you've given me the best memories of my childhood.
The response: Wanna play Barbies with me? My brother Mike always does.
Age 10: Don't get the perm!!!
The response: But I want wavy hair like everyone else!
Age 13: God gave you this height so you can be better than everyone else; quit complaining about it and start using it.
The response: Who cares about being the best at basketball when no boy likes me and there aren't any cool jeans that are long enough?
Age 15: Apply yourself...your good is great but your great is outstanding. And quit trying to compete with her...you've got her beat in the humor and likability category.
The response: I'm not going to be as smart as those kids and why try harder when I'm already making straight A's?
Age 18: Really? Another shot? Do you really think that's a WISE decision?
The response: You sound like my Mom. Shut up.
Age 21: You're okay and everything will work out...just be patient.
The response: When? Because I'm ready now.
I guess the moral of the story is that hindsight is always 20/20 and there were already people along the way telling me the things that I would eventually want to tell my former self. So that puts me in an interesting spot - should I quit telling my students all the things that I needed to hear because they're going to have to learn it for themselves or should I not stop because I will never know the morsel of wisdom that will stick with them and help them in the future?
There are a few things that my teachers said growing up that really stuck with me...
- My choir teacher, Mr. Antinone telling me that I was an underachiever. I wasn't an underachiever...I was just taking your class to get my Art credit for high school graduation.
- My Senior PEAK English teacher, Mrs. Edgington leveling with me about the Senioritis I had= Retiree-itis that she had...and we both still had to do our work until the last day of school.
- A random Sophomore English teacher in college that allowed me to "prove" to her that the Beatles were in fact poets in an essay.
- My high school basketball coach, Coach DeBord telling me that if I spent as much time in the gym as my boyfriend (a fellow basketball player) that maybe I would be as good as him. Awesome Coach...and you wondered why I quit. It's okay...I'm sure you were relieved to get rid of me.
So maybe I shouldn't quit saying those things...and maybe I should make sure that they are only nice things because I would hate for them to remember me like I remember my high school coach.
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