Goodbye July

It's 11:11am, make a wish. It's actually 11:16am now, but whatever. It was a good thought at the time.

I'm moved to our new house. What a wonderful thing to say. He and I moved most of his big things yesterday, so now he just has to pack the rest of the house. I wonder if I can get out of helping since I packed mine all by myself. Yeah. I bet.

I need about three weeks off to fully get this house in working order... but then, what are the next 30 years for? Still, we will pack as much work into our waking, non-working hours that we can, I'm certain.

Yesterday, we went to Lowe's twice in one day to buy such things as a new showerhead, replacement switchplates, a replacement toilet fill valve and flapper, a sprinkler head, and plumbers putty. OH! And a garbage disposal. Did you hear that? That clouds just parted and the angels sang. Garbage disposal, how I plan to love thee fully and completely.

Busy week at work + one hour commutes each way make for a tired girl. But, I have a new house to come home to... wonder when that will get old. Never sounds good to me.

Now taking recipes for pears and figs. Also taking bets on how long my evolution into Suzy Homemaker will take.

It's now 11:25am. Goodbye morning...

Part 2: Structure

We close Monday.

Part 1 - Sparkle.

All-Stars

After spending Saturday and Sunday watching the Rangers lose and win, respectively, I feel a great sense of pride while reading this article. These two guys are misfits in every sense of the word. The angry black man and the tattooed, recovering drug addict. But, they're also two of Texas' greatest assets and they're first time American League All-Stars. Watch for Hamilton during the HomeRun Derby tonight... I'm hoping for a show. And Bradley? Yes, his attitude aggravates me. It ticks me off when he slings his bat into the stands. But, the guy's got talent. Take a moment to read the article... it's not half bad.

Update

I added a list of several favorite/friend blogs on the sidebar. Did you know blogger will let you import from Google Reader (there's that thing again!)? Sheer genius! Please feel free to recommend others or your own if I've somehow left you off.

Big news coming, people. Just warnin' ya.

MeMe, MeYou?

So I was tagged by Diane- thanks. I may sound ungrateful, but I really am because my blog fodder is lacking. I read tons, but never manage to get my thoughts to the screen in a timely manner. So for lack of a better post, here's my five habits.


Five Habits Meme

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Hmm... I would've been 18. I also would've just finshed high school and would be preparing to move to college in August. On any given Tuesday, I'd say I could either be found at the river or at the neighbors pool. I was a spoiled child, what can I say?

Five snacks I enjoy in a perfect, non-weight gaining world:

Campisi's Pizza - I can thank V for this obsession since she first introduced it to me back in 2004 or 2005.
Cheese Enchiladas
Red Rind Cheese (rediscovered this weekend- Heaven!)
Miller Lite
Buffalo Wings

Five snacks I enjoy in the real world:

Fiber One bars - Oats and Chocolate, please
Pretzels
Red Rind Cheese
Green Apples, preferrably Granny Smith
Calamata Olives... or any olive for that matter

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Make sure our families are set, even my sister who won't work

Never worry about the cost of gas or mortgage payments

Travel and photograph the world

Buy the Texas Rangers and pay for decent pitching (ugh!)

Hire a personal chef, housekeeper and trainer

Five jobs I have had:

Summer School Teacher
Tutor
Sales Tax Auditor
Expense Account Auditor (so fun!)
Accountant

Five habits:

First thing every morning, I check Myspace. No access at work, so it's done every morning.

I'm obsessed with chapstick. So much so, that I think my tender, overly moisturized lips were chemically burned by the hot sauce at Wing Stop. Ooops.

C has turned me into a hair-face-body washer in the shower. Same way everytime. You don't want to wash your butt before your face, people! He's making me as neurotic as himself.

Google Reader! I think I've said enough. Although, I rarely check it over the weekend.... it makes for a very fruitful Monday morning.

I start every morning with a Diet Dr. Pepper. If I don't get it, the day is fouled.

Five places I have lived:

Nacogdoches
Tyler
Dallas
Pasco, Washington (no, I don't want to talk about it)
Joaquin

Five people I’d like to get to know better:
(Meaning, you're it!)

Addie Baby (or her mom)
Building My Ladder to the Stars
Going Away
Life On the Run (every time, I want to sing Bannnnnd on the Ruuuuun)
A Million Miles From You

I aim to please.

Blame this one on Stan. He said my old template was more "becoming of a sofa" and it hurt his poor eyes on his iPhone. Hopefully this is better?

Recommendations

Since I've divulged my google reader obsession, I thought I'd follow up with some of my favorite new finds. I have lots of photographer blogs that I follow just to gain inspiration, but I won't bore you with those.

• Confessions of a Pioneer Woman - I'm well aware that I've been missing out since oh, 2006, but I've finally given her a shot and oh my gosh. She is my latest blog crush. Recommended: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels - the story of how she met and fell in love with her husband.
• Bring the Rain - Nicole first recommended this one to me and it promptly broke my heart. Now, I find inspiration in every post and look forward to it. Recommended: The beginning Oh, and have some kleenex handy.
• Girl's Gone Child - A pretty irreverant look at motherhood.
• better now - because it is. I just love that.
• mackin ink - Diane over at Martinis for Two toasted mackin ink recently and I've been a fan and reader ever since. She's an American living in the Middle East and raising three beautiful girls. Her posts always include great art, too.
• Matt, Liz and Madeline - Thanks for the heads up, Meg. Liz, Matt's wife, died of a brain anneruism shortly after giving birth to their first child. His words, while simple, really show a great deal of love and heartbreak over now having to raise their first child alone. It's another one I read as quickly as possible. Recommended: If you haven't been here before.

So, there's a few to start with. I love new suggestions though. Feel free to leave one of your favorites in the comments. :) TGIF, everyone.

So true

Your goals, your wishes, and your hopes are your own -- you cannot let them be defined by pressures from other people, especially your boss. If you aren't hungry for that corner office, then why pretend that you are? The extra effort will only make you miserable, and there will be no payoff at the end. Remind yourself why you chose the path you chose, and stop focusing so much on a dollar figure. Happiness has nothing to do with a paycheck. It has to do with following your heart.

Now excuse me while I go to lunch with the higher ups. Ugh.

And yes,

I can't seem to leave my blog alone. Maybe this one "suits" me.

My favorite part of the morning

It's logging in and seeing my Google Reader overflowing with new items. Seriously, I don't know how I lived before just clicking random links only to be disappointed that it wasn't updated. Also, the reader shows me other blogs that I might be interested in based on my current subscriptions. That Google...they really have a finger on my pulse, don't they?

The only links I have to click now are Deidre and Woodrow. Deidre's private, so I get that, but W? I guess I just like him that much.

And.... breathe.

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows.

-And So It Goes - Billy Joel

(What it is it about sad songs?)

Silence is deafening.

It started when I was a child. Always trying to do right so as to make sure no one was disappointed in me. I don't know what brought it on, exactly, but I realize that sometime after my father passed, my mom would sometimes get angry at me. She's a wonderful mother, don't get me wrong, but I think it was some of her stress coming out. The stress that she was now doing everything. If I was watching television or sleeping in while she was out working in the garden or mowing the lawn- there would be hell to pay. I soon learned to get up when I heard the mower and start my task of raking the thick grass so it didn't kill what was underneath. I learned to bring her a glass of ice water on hot days when she was outside. All I've ever wanted was to make her happy- to make everyone happy. I don't resent her for this; I guess I felt like making her happy was the least I could do.

Not much has changed except the massive number of people I can disappoint now. I try so very hard on a daily basis to say the right things and do the right things so that no one is unhappy with me. Most days, making a decision is left for someone else because my choice may inconvienence them. I try to point out the silver lining in everything so others can find some happiness, too. I try.

To be honest, it's exhausting. And the trouble is, I don't know how to stop. I don't know how to not care. And what is worse than disappointing someone else? Well, nothing- but disappointing myself is a close second.

I've grown tired of wondering
What I should or should not do
When I'm staring down the silence
Of disappointing you

There's nothing better..

Well, very few things are better than hearing your mortgage pre-approval person say,

"Honey, y'all can pretty much buy whatever you want. Your credit scores put y'all in the top 5% in the nation. For your ages, y'all should be very, very proud."

*big, huge sigh* That was out last hurdle... you just never know for sure until you hear it from a professional.