update

Hey there, long time no talk. Been kind of busy these days, trying to put together a business plan and all. Oh yeah, it's going great! Moving really quickly as a matter of fact. I have some great stories from the wedding I went to this weekend, and I'll do my best to tell you all about that tomorrow. Today I wanted to recap an open ended story that a few of you keep asking me about. Remember that tall, dark, and handsome fellow I told you about? The one I met in Chicago? Well, you'll be happy to know that I did indeed find him about a week after we met. Turns out, if you just mention that you're looking for someone to people that might be younger than you and grew up with Facebook they can find someone in five minutes, when it's taken you a week to get his last name right. So, I sent him a little notey on Facebook and a few days later, he wrote back! I was so nervous about this development I wasn't quiet sure what to do next. We exchanged a few messages back and forth and one message eluded to the fact that he wanted to meet up in Philly soon. I was so excited I didn't know what to do. But, this was really happening. I found the guy, we made some plans, we became Facebook friends. What more could a girl ask for? And then came the moment when we got to Skype! I never knew how cool this thing could actually be until you're talking with someone that you only saw one night and got nervous just looking at. It's been a really long time since I've had butterflies. To be honest, I thought they migrated out of my body and were spending some time elsewhere. But, we had a really good talk and we had made plans to see each other the very next week. Well, like any good story, there is a beginning, and then the middle. Come to find out, all the while that he was talking to me about meeting up in Philly, he had also been planning a trip down to Florida with his dad. At the exact same time. I can't exactly say that this was a random coincidence, but instead of telling me, I find out from his Facebook status. Now, the whole point behind quitting my job was to really spend some time figuring myself out and what I wanted out of life. Try to put myself first and not revert back to former behavior of making sure that everyone else. So, with that in mind, I confront him because if there is one thing I really can't stand, it's someone making plans and then changing them thinking that if they didn't tell someone that they had just made plans with, but then posted it on Facebook, that it would be okay. He said it was the only time that his dad could go with him, but that he would plan on stopping by on his way back through. Not entirely sure what that meant, he was already 0-1 in my book. So, cue last week when I see a little note on his facebook saying that he was in the plains of North Carolina, heading home. So, I did what any girl in my position would do, I shot a note back asking when he was jetting through. He immediately writes back and tells me that he'll be there in a few hours, what did I have in mind. So, I wrote back telling him that we could definitely do dinner, but it would all depend on how long he was staying or if he was staying at all. Given that it was still two hours away I had plenty of time to get everything done that I needed to get done and still take a shower. But then I received a phone call telling me that Scout got into it with Roscoe once again and now I was to find a behaviorist. Well, this irritated me because I don't exactly have income coming in and there aren't too many people that do that kind of thing for free. So, I ended up going home, doing some packing for the wedding and by the time I was all done, it was 6. Funny, my email indicator light still hadn't gone off, and I REALLY wanted to go to the gym. So what did I do? Well, I'll tell you what I didn't do, wait around. That's what I didn't do. That little twerp didn't call, text, or email me that he came through. I find out at 9 pm that homeboy made it all the way home. How did I find that out? Oh, because he posted it on his Facebook page. Yeah, he's done in my book. It's too bad too because I thought it could have really been fun. So, that is the ending of the story. It wasn't quiet the fairy tale I wanted, but at least I knew now before investing any emotion into the thing.

F U BCS

Just a warning, if you are NOT a college football fan, you should probably not read this entry. All I'm going to do is rant about the rankings that were posted last night and you really won't care so, go ahead and stop if you want.

So, okay, you get used to a few things being a TCU fan. You get used to people claiming that you're not really that good of a football team because you play in the Mountain West. Or that you really don't play anyone non-conference. But, let's get real people. I understand that the SEC is a powerhouse of a football conference, I'll give that to you. But you have to be kidding me with what went on last night. I understand that this is the first ranking that has been released all season, but let's get a few things straight, shall we. Allow me to start from the back and work my way up.

Not only did Virginia Tech loose its first two games of the season but that second loss was to JMU. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?! It's like when Michigan was put back up in the standings after loosing to App State. And App State is an EXTREMELY reputable football program, JMU is not. JMU is a joke. JMU might actually loose to VMI and considering that my father went to VMI, I know how bad of a loss that would be. I'm sorry BCS and everyone reading that is an ACC fan, but the ACC SUCKS at football. For some reason the BCS believes that Tech is WAY better, every year than it actually is. It's almost like a nail in my football coffin.

And then there is Arkansas. Where your only two losses were to Alabama and Auburn, but you are a kick ass football team. You actually almost beat Alabama and you're still on the bottom. In sweet justice, I almost hope that Auburn looses the rest of their football games and you move ahead of them. I'm rooting for you pig sooey and I really hate your stupid state.

TEXAS?!?!?! Really? You beat Nebraska, which is the ONLY reason that you're on this stupid poll in the first place. I want you to fade into oblivion and never come back. You got that?! There is only room for one Texas team on this list and you're not it. You've had your moment in the sun and now it's time to move on.

Florida State, when you win a game that anyone gives a shit about, let me know.

Wisconsin. NICE WIN on Saturday. Without you, TCU would not be where they are today. I do not forget the people that got us where we are. I just don't know how long you're going to last.

Funny how yet another Mountain West team makes it into the top 10. If we're such a shitty conference with bad teams, why not just throw us by the wayside? Why put both Utah and TCU in there? Just throw the baby out with the bath water. Oh wait, that's right Utah beat Alabama a few years ago. SEC what?!?!?!

I don't really have anything bad to say about Michigan State, the first ninjas on the board. My entire extended family went there and I root for them normally. But here's a warning to my family members, if TCU and State end up in a bowl game together, watch out! We will not be friends and if Grandma is not wearing half purple, the shower will be NOTHING.

And now we have reached the point in which my blood will start to boil and I will start to edit my language. Dear Auburn, LSU, and Alabama fans. You know who you are and normally, I like you guys. But, one of you is going to have to loose, twice. So, don't get too comfy up there. And, as much as I LOVE my Auburn friends, for the next couple of weeks, we're not really going to be talking. I'm kind of salty you took our spot on the list, but I know that two men will enter and only one will come out. But again, I know you guys have a kick ass conference, I just want to move up.

I can't really complain about where we are on the list. We'll still get a pretty good bowl game if we stay where we are. Sure, we have a better record than the top three teams, and yes, we have beaten the number one team and they all cried, but who's really counting that? That's right, NO ONE. Don't worry about the fact that TCU hasn't lost a regular season game in 19 games. That's right, we haven't lost a game since November 6th, 2008. Which was the same year we beat Stanford. It's just kind of weird when people say we don't play anyone and then we have a history of beating the teams that are on the list. Crazy. I wonder when we're going to get good?

So while we're at it, let's talk about Oregon. UCLA guys, you know I love ya. NOTHING but love for you, but your conference is not what it used to be. This year just isn't the same year for you. So why is Oregon getting so much love. You beat Washington State last weekend? I could go on the field and beat those guys. Okay yes, you blew Stanford out of the water, who still got a #9 ranking (go figure), but really? You better be ready for UCLA this upcoming weekend. Speaking of ninjas, these guys go on the field and you never know what's going to come out. You just gotta be on your toes. But I'm not trying to help you because I have no earthly idea why you are ranked so high. If someone could explain that to me, that would be great.

Which brings us to the number one ninja of 2010. OU. I'm speechless. I'm really without words. I root for you because I HATE Texas. You don't even really bother with the top 5 at all, you just immediately go straight to number 1? Who let you do that? You have had some squeaker games as I have never seen before this year. The reason Boise and TCU have to blow these teams out of the water is because you are only loosing by 4 points. I really don't know what to say. I'm hurt, I'm baffled, I'm really beyond words.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm a little pissed off about the complete and total bullshit that the BCS poll has provided. I'm really less irritated at where TCU is and more irritated at what you've given so many others. The second any AQ team looses, we're out. We have no shot. You've stacked the chips against us and allowed conferences like the ACC to feel like they know how to play football right now. Again, I mean no offence to my friends who are reading this and attend, or are fans, of any of the above Universities, but you have to agree how bogus this entire thing is. I'm not asking for a playoff because that is unfair to the players. I'm simply asking for these voters to look at the teams playing and who they're playing and how much they win by. Maybe instead of selling us short you would see just how hard we've been working to get where we are. I mean, would you have put America's Sweetheart Gary Patterson on your show last night if you didn't care about him? Think about what you're doing to America!

Sticker Shock

First and foremost I would like to thank Mary, Joseph and sweet baby Jesus for allowing my clogged right ear to finally pop. This sucker has been making things sound like I've been living under water for the past week and I had no idea what was going to make it pop. It was ironic that the day after I got back from the doctor was the morning that it became clogged for a week straight. You know that feeling you get when you're about to land in a plane and you need your ears to pop. Yeah, that's what ol righty was doing. To make matters worse, it wasn't even what I went into the doctor for. I know I mentioned it a few times, but for about 3 weeks, I had this terrible hacking cough that was almost debilitating. I thought it was just allergies, until I went to Vegas and besides leaving some money there, I could have swore I left one of my lungs. I was starting to get worried that it might have progressed into pneumonia or bronchitis, so I wanted to make sure I wasn't contaminating every one around me. After going to the wrong place and then making it to the doctor an hour late, only to have to wait an hour more I was told that my asthma has come back. Now, I haven't had asthma since I was about 12 years old. And even then it wasn't as bad as what I had been feeling, and even worse what I had been sounding like lately. So with four prescriptions in hand I headed home. I'm still in a little bit of disbelief at the outcome of what was wrong with me, but after a week of meds, I'm starting to notice some progress. I'm not scaring the patrons of the gym with my hack and I'm not waking Scout up in the middle of the night because I can't stop violently shaking the bed from my coughing. I am still coughing, but now it doesn't sound like I have whooping cough. So, again I thank the powers that be that allowed my ear to finally pop and give me the satisfaction of blowing my nose like a normal human being, without the fear that I might actually blow an ear drum out.

But now on to more important things. Moving back to the NoVa area has definitely been a move for the best. I feel that I'm much happier with my surroundings and it has given me the opportunity to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. That's the good news. The unfortunate circumstances one is faced with is the price tag on luxury items in which one purchased with ease when said person had one, a job and two, a lower cost of living area. Let me get right to the point on what I'm referring too. My mentality with having a dog has always been, there are people that do such things as bath and groom my animal. Why would I do myself, what I could pay someone else to do? Here is the answer to that question. When living in North Carolina we had a GREAT groomer that for $20 would bath, clip nails, clean ears, and extract anal glands of my dog. They would also give her a cute little bandanna for her trip home. For an additional $5 they would clean her teeth. So, for $25 a month, I would have an extremely clean dog without having to get myself wet, scratched, bit, or pooped on. A fee I would gladly pay anyone. Now imagine my surprise when I move to this area and start calling around to local groomers. I started at PetSmart because they are everywhere and couldn't possibly be that much more money then where I just came from. $42 and an additional $11 if I want to have her teeth cleaned. Another place was $80 because I said she was part husky. Today, I called a place that told me the lab part of her would be $50 but the husky would be $82, but that I would have to bring her in to get a further assessment. On top of these fees I have asked the groomers if they use deshedding products, because let me tell you how much this house needs it. The answer, no. So, all you're doing is shampooing my dog, conditioning my dog and blow drying my dog. I can get my hair washed, conditioned and cut, by a stylist for $65 and I can drive myself there. These people have to be out of their minds for charging this much money. And to make matters worse, I know they are busy because they are still open. There is a small part of me that is contemplating bringing my dog with me to the wedding in Charlotte just to get her groomed at a reasonable rate. For the record, those of you coming to my doggie day care in the near future, our rates will be $20 and if you wear a TCU shirt, or your pet has a TCU collar, I'll throw in a teeth cleaning for free. This has completely blown my mind to the point that I have no more words to describe my sticker shock in washing my dog. I will be taking applications here locally for anyone that wants the job. I will pay you $20 cash and I'll make you dinner :o)

I'm in Miami, trick

Okay, I'm really not, but for some reason I can't get that little catchy phrase out of my head, so I'll have to type it out and welcome you all to my world. Once again, I would love to have an excuse for why I didn't post something yesterday, but I just don't have one. Starting up your own business is hard work. I wasn't entirely sure everything that goes into it, but I've spent more time in front of my computer researching facts I never thought I would actually need. I've never in my life put together a business plan, but when you are going to have to ask for money from people, I've heard it helps to get your facts together. But let me go ahead and say straight off the bat, that I am very thankful, once again for my friends. Without them I don't think this process would be where it is today. Currently, I have about 3 relator's, looking for space for me, all recommended by friends or friends of friends. I also have a great person helping me design a logo and hopefully another good friend helping me with some research and once my business plan is together, an uncle that is a financial planner who can get the rest of it done for me. Normally all this would probably cost a person a few grand, but somehow all the moving parts are falling into place. And at a rate I wasn't exactly expecting either. So, if I seem a little distracted and not so much focused on the blog or blabbing on more than usual, you'll know why. I'm excited though. I couldn't even sleep last night b/c I was decorating this place in my head. It's amazing what you think you can get done when you don't even really have all the money to do it yet. I will, most definitely, keep you posted on the progress though. It's a wicked scary ride, but I hope at the end of it it's going to be worth it.

In other news, my step mom's jewelry website launched last week and I'm really proud of what she's done. She's been working so hard and everything looks so amazing. I would love to get you ladies hooked on some of the stuff. You can't order off the website yet, but if you tell me what you're interested in, I can make it so. She'll also do custom orders with the colors you want. So please, take a look at her website and tell me how much you love it! www.whimsywearableart.com. We're also having a unveiling party this Saturday, so all of you in the area, stop on by between the hours of 2 and 4. And for those of you not in the area, come up this weekend! It'll give you a great excuse to get out of the house.

On that note I must bid you all adieu. Southlake, Texas isn't going to research itself.

Stalkerazzi

I know I am quiet possibly the worst blogger on the planet. To my credit, I was in Vegas until Tuesday night and since then I have been job researching and going to the doctor to get rid of this cough so it's not like I've been sitting around eating bon bons or anything. Vegas was a blast, thanks for asking :o) I didn't win any money and ended up having to go to the ATM once since the Las Vegas Hilton wanted to take every last dime that I had brought. But these are not the interesting stories you want to hear. I need to tell you about this guy "Nick" that we met. I will call him Neurotic Nick or NN for short. Heather and I had landed in Sin City around 11 pm Vegas time. Normally, at this point on the East Coast both of us would be long asleep and not even thinking of continuing to go out. But seeing that we were in Vegas, we did what any normal person should do and went down to the casino. We were having a GREAT time playing on Wizard of Oz and Heather was already killing it. Apparently we had an audience that we were not aware of either. So, as we were getting up to cash out we were accosted by these three guys; Louisiana, North Dakota and Nick. Louisiana was kind enough to inform us that Nick thought I was beautiful and wanted to come up to talk with us. Flattering, indeed, but is Nick a child? This is Vegas, if you're interested, you take the bull by the horns and say something. You don't let your drunk idiot friend do the dirty work for you. Anywho, we stood around and talked to drunk Louisiana, dickhead North Dakota and Nick for about 15 minutes when Canada walked right up. Now, allow me to back up for a second. Nick and the statesmen didn't actually know each other. Nick, had been standing around on his own, when LA and ND came up to talk with him. I'm assuming they've never met a person they didn't like to talk to. It's nice that they wouldn't let a guy just stand around looking creepy all by himself, but I'm not sure these guys did him any favors. You see, North Dakota was easily a Biggest Loser contestant. And the reason that he got the nickname dickhead, and yes I said that to his face, was because he got salty that I called him out on this HUGE wet mark on the front of his shirt and he thought I was being mean. I knew it was just condensation all along, but then he proceeds to go sit down and tell LA and Nick that they could do better. THEY could do better?!?!?!? I'm sorry, who are you again. I don't really want to speak ill of LA b/c he was funny as crap and drunker than a skunk so I'll just leave it at this guy kept repeating that he was from Louisiana so many times you could turn it into the Roxanne drinking game. And then there was Nick. Dear, sweet, innocent Nick. He's one of those bless your heart guys when you meet him. A little on the short side for me, but very quiet and tried to jump into the conversation around LA, but just couldn't. LA couldn't stand if the conversation was not revolving around him and I just let him have it. It was really funny to me and allowed me the chance to mess with him. We find out that Nick works with special needs students so he has to have a heart as big as the sun. I still really wasn't attracted to dear, sweet Nick though. Throughout the night they bought us drinks and just kind of hung out where ever we went. Fortunately we were able to leave dickhead somewhere, and I don't really care where it was. We ended up staying out until 3:30 in the morning which meant that Heather and I were both up for 24 hours. Rock star status. As we were going up to our room, we find out that Nick is staying in the same hotel as we are and has a suite. I'm really not impressed, but really tired. Nick asks me to take him number down, but I don't have my phone with me. He doesn't actually believe me. As he's asking me why so many girls use that line, I proceed to pat myself down to prove it to him. Why the hell do I need a phone in Vegas anyway? Everyone I know, well most everyone I know is back in the Eastern Time Zone and not really interested to hear from my drunk ass that early in the morning. So, he takes my number, first and last weird, then wants to take my picture to put in his phone, weirder. This is where I won't let him b/c who knows where that picture ends up or what he uses it for. I just thought it was creepy. So, Heather and I are off the elevator, leaving Nick and LA to go check out his suite. As I'm crawling happily into bed I receive a text (his texts will be in red, ALWAYS)
"you sure you don't want to hang out and watch a movie or something"
"not tonight. We've got all day tomorrow and tomorrow night"
"okay that sounds good. i'll text you when i'm done tomorrow and see if you're free."

Minus the weirdness of the phone number situation, it seems innocent enough, right? After going to bed around 3:45 in the morning, Heather and I are awoken at 7:30 by her work calling. 4 hours is not enough sleep time to get me moving in the morning after a strong night of drinking. But going back to sleep was not an option as I was rooming with chatty Cathy :o) (love you Heather). So, we get up and make our way down to the Mirage where we are hoping to catch the TCU game. This time I bring my phone with me. We sit there for about an hour and realize that there are far more important games on the big screen and we will not be able to watch ours. So we leave in search of food. As we casino hop and look for our next coupon discount someone starts talking a little smack on my phone about TCU. Number one rule about me, do NOT talk smack about TCU. You could bad mouth my mother before you talked poorly about my team. But Nick thinks it's funny. Isn't he supposed to be in some seminar? Hmm, mystery. This continues on for 3 HOURS. I don't know if he likes texting with me or he's just that bored. Around 4 o'clock, Heather and I hit a wall. Both of us are so tired that we have to go home and nap or we won't be able to make it the rest of the day. We had decided on our night time plans before then and also decided to invite Nick so he didn't have to be alone. Aren't we nice? Nap time is boring, so I will spare you. We are up, ready to go around 7. Go meet Nick up in his suite b/c if I had to hear about that thing one more time, I was going to scream. It was okay. Not what I was expecting at all, but certainly a nice place to kidnap two unsuspecting girls from the DC area. Then it was off to get Heather's knock you on your ass margaritas as we headed to dinner. I could have sworn I was a little buzzed by the time we got to dinner. Thank God there was no wait, or it would have been bad. We sit down and learn a little more about Nick. He's 30, his dad just died two months ago and I didn't really hear anything after that. I couldn't. How are you functioning in Vegas, two months after your father passed? I didn't want to know the answer to that question, so I just said, I'm sorry and went on with eating. Awkward silence eating. The night goes by very similar to how dinner was. Just awkward and silent. He's no good without help around him and Heather and I are not good people around if you're not bringing your A game. But, we continued to play and he continued to lurk. Again, nice guy, just not much on space. As we entered, what would be our last casino of the night, I started getting REALLY sleepy again. Nap time was a bust for me so I had had enough and was ready to go to bed. It was almost like I was putting money in a machine, just to stay awake. Nick had found me and was sitting next to me, when he asked "so, did you want to watch a movie or something later?" Honestly, I took this in its literal translation. I really thought he wanted to watch a movie. "You know what Nick, I'm REALLY tired and need to go sleep". "But I brought all my Blue Rays with me". Wow, when you say it that way, I couldn't help but start taking my shirt off right there and....no, no I didn't. "I'm sorry, but I just can't. I can hardly keep my eyes open". I immediately find Heather, on my own, and tell her that we are leaving now! As we're walking back to our hotel I hear Heather ask Nick what he had in mind for tonight. "I thought we might go dancing or something". This coming from the same guy who last night said he never dances. Who is this clown? I balk and we are once again in the elevator going up to our room. Nick gets off at our floor to tell us good night, no hugs just words and we are finally away from him. This is where it gets creepier beyond belief. We walk in the door and I already have a text:


midnight "You could still come hang out if you're not that tired :)"
"Look who got brave all of a sudden, but yes, I am that tired. I can hardly function right now"
"I'm always brave. Just weird in front of someone else. I would really like to just hang out and kick back if you would be up for it :)
And you are really fun to hangout with just hate thinking that might be it :("
"I wish I wasn't that tired, but I am. it's a very sweet gesture, I just can't make it happen tonight"
"I guess I may have been more direct in asking you, but I didn't want to pressure you to hang out if you really didn't want to. I guess my hints didn't work as well as I was hoping"
"It has nothing to do with me wanting to not wanting to hang out. I physically can't do it. I had a nice time too. Timing sucks"
"I know...I wish I was here tomorrow night too. How about if I tell Heather to let you sleep in tomorrow so you could stay up a little later tonight? :)"
"Good night Nick"


In my defense, again, maybe I'm naive, but I really thought that he just wanted to hang out. I was not in any way about to hook up with this moron. But wait, there's more. In the time that I went to sleep and turned my ringer off, until the time I woke up, I had 7 text messages on my phone. SEVEN! It is important I use the timing on this as well


12:17 am :LOL. I had a good time too. Wish the timing could have been better, but thanks for letting me down gently :)
12:27 am: Hey, I'm just packing, do you want my Bud Light Limes...I'm not gonna drink them since I gotta go in the morning I just hate to toss them out or leave them for the maid...they're the 16oz aluminum bottle ones
1:36 am: Hope you're getting some sleep :). I did have a great time hanging out with you, and I'm sure I'll think about you in the future. Maybe I can friend you on facebook if that would be cool (I rarely use it tho). Too bad we didn't get a chance to really hook up, cause looks can be deceiving and I'm really underrated in that area :p. I'll text you when I find a puppy to see if it looks good to you if you wouldn't mind...since you're kind of the dog expert (at least to me). Hope you have a great rest of the time in Vegas :)

The good news after all this crazy stalkerness is that I never have heard from this kid again. I was really worried that I was going to be super sick after going to the doctor yesterday and have to text him to tell him to go get checked out since he was sitting so close to me and I was coughing all over everyone, but thankfully I don't have too. Now I can erase his texts off my phone since I kept them all to share with you guys :o) I'm just a giver like that. Crazy story, huh? It's never a dull moment when Heather and I go to Vegas and this story just couldn't stay there.