Duoly Noted

2013: Week 23

2013-06-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

Highlight of the Week: Seattle's Best has officially come to Dallas and I could not be happier. I have always said there are not enough drive-thru's in Dallas, and Seattle's Best recently opened up a bunch of new locations across the metroplex. There is one right by Kadira's doggie daycare and I think I found my new Monday ritual:

Lowlight of the Week: This past week was really hard. I had a lot going on and not everything went my way. But that's life, right?

Currently Reading: I am in such a reading rut right now. I have just read a series of books that aren't really capturing my attention. If anybody has any book recommendations I am all ears.

Currently Watching: We watched Django Unchained this week and it was really good, minus the last half hour. Dan has wanted to watch it forever, and I have resisted because I am not a Quenton Tarantino fan. I don't like movies with so much gratuitous violence, and so I was nervous about this one. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. I thought the last half hour was stupid and didn't help with the plot, but overall, not so bad.

Photos of the Week:

One common complaint from anybody who lives in Texas, or even just drives through the State, is that Texas driver's are terrible. There is lots of passing in the right lane. There is quite a bit of speeding and cutting people off. But what Texas are particularly talented at is the overloading of the pick-up truck:

I joked that I am going to start a Tumblr feed called Stupid Shit People Do on Texas Freeway, but I thought it might encourage people to take photos while driving (which I definitely did not do to get these pictures), so I opted against it.

But seriously people??

What I Purchased: Remember my Ann Taylor purchases from last week? The pink lace dress? Totally amazing. Kind of upset how much I liked it because I didn't really want to spend that much money. The black sweater dress? Not so awesome. When will I learn that I should never buy final sale!

Looking Forward to Next Week: You'll see.

2013: Week 22

2013-06-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

I have been keeping a secret from you, I have been running.

I know, I know, that is so boring. But I am actually really proud of it because its been hard for me to work out on a consistent basis, especially during the weekdays. So I started in April, but really stepped it up in May. My goal is to run six days a week, for at least two miles a day. Its small, but its something, and most importantly its a regimen that I can do pretty consistently without setting myself up for failure.

I downloaded this really amazing free application called Runkeeper on my Iphone, It works as a Garmin when you are outside and allows you to manually enter anything you do on a treadmill. It keeps great track of all your stats, and sends you updates all the time regarding goals you are setting. Last month I ran a total of 44.9 miles. I am setting a goal of 50 miles for the month of June.

Currently Reading: She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb.

Currently Watching: We subscribed to Showtime On Demand for a month so we could access Season 2 of Homeland. While way better then Season 1, I am still pretty frustrated with the show.

Highlight of the Week: We went to our second Rangers game of the season with our good friends. The weather was perfect, Yu was pitching, and we won! Such a great time!

Photo of the Week:

Toby and Rufus, he's so big!!

What I Bought/Lusted After:

I do my fair share of online shopping, so I thought I would start a little section on things I bought, deals I have found, and things I want. Here are my online shopping rules. Rule #1, if there is no free shipping and returns, I don't buy it. Rule #2, if I can't get it through ebates I don't buy it. Rule #3, unless its an item that never goes on sale, I never buy it at full price. And Rule #4, I am never allowed to keep anything I don't really, really love. Ever.

Here was my order this week:

Micro-Pleat Sweater Dress

Ann Taylor

Originally $128, now $49.88 with an extra 40% off. Get it while it lasts.

Cap Sleeve Lace Dress

Ann Taylor

I bought this for a wedding I am going to next week. I am not sure if its going to work for me, but I have been eyeing it forever and had a $50.00 off coupon so I thought, why not? I love the color and the lace.

2013: Week 21 (4th anniversary)

2013-05-28T19:05:00.002-07:00

Dan and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary On Friday and Dan totally rocked it. I walked out to my car and found this awesomeness sitting in the front seat:

When I was a little kid, my Mom had this giant bear that my Dad gave her when they were dating. I thought this bear was so cool, and coupled with the fact that I never got to touch the bear, I grew up hoping someday somebody loved me enough to get my a giant stuffed animal.

AND NOW I HAVE ONE.

Highlight of the Week: The three day weekend. Oh my, I needed a three day weekend so bad.

Lowlight of the Week: I, along with everybody else, was really upset about the tornados that hit Oklahoma this past week. My hearts hurt for all the families affected.

Also on Monday, I turned on my television to see a fire engulfed a condominium in Dallas. A bunch of firefighters ran into the burning building, and one got lost and was unable to make it out. While they attempted to rescue him as the structure collapsed, firefighters from all over Dallas ran to the scene to show support. The photographs from the morning are beyond moving and equally gut wrenching. The firefighter did not make it out, and as they carried his body from the burning building he was covered in an American flag and saluted by all the fire fighters.

It got me thinking about first responders in this country. From the firefighters in Dallas, to the first responders in Oklahoma, to the brave men and woman in our armed forces. Nobody joins to die in fires, pull small children from the rubble of their school, or get hit by a roadside bomb. Everybody joins to make a difference, to help. Its incredible what these people do on a daily basis for your city, for your state, for your country. Memorial Day was extra special to me this year.

Currently Reading: She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb.

Currently Watching: I bought Dan Season 1 of Homeland for our anniversary. We started watching on Saturday afternoon, and were done by Sunday night. I am not going to lie, it was definitely good, but it has been overhyped. I say that but we still subscribed to Showtime On Demand to watch the second season.

Photos of the Week:

Toby chill'in

We went to a French restaurant named Toulouse for our anniversary dinner, and while it was fun to try something new - the food was not the best. I ordered lobster bisque (my favorite) and duck (REALLY my favorite) and both were pretty bland. They did look pretty thought.

Kadira, focused on getting home.

Nightly walk.

On Tuesday we went and celebrated our friends' birthday and went to the Belmont Bar that has incredible views of the city.

Red anniversary roses.

Anniversary lilies.

Uno, Dos, Tres, QUATRO

2013-05-24T11:28:00.002-07:00

You know what I love about Dan? He always pushes me to be better. Work harder. Think bigger. He consistently believes in me more then I believe in myself. He has taught me the importance of confidence, standing up for what you believe in, and not caring what anybody thinks.

Dan is a fixer, he is the one everybody goes to with their problems. He is the kind of person who once witnessed a roll over car accident, pulled over, took off his dress shirt, wrapped it around his hand to punch in the window, and pull the elderly couple out of the car. Everybody who knows Dan is not suprised by this story. When people need help, he doesn't hesitate, he just does.

Dan is the person you want in your corner, and I am so lucky he is in mine. Happy Fourth Anniversary to the man who makes me better.

2013: Week 20

2013-05-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Highlight of the Week: I had kind of a long week, and honestly, the thing that made me smile the most was seeing Kim Kardashian walk around like a crazy person in high heels with her feet swollen up to ten times their normal size. I know, I am a terrible person. This joy has nothing to do with Kim's swollen feet themselves (because that's not really funny, ouch!), but the fact that her dumbass feels the need to shove her feet in these shoes and hobble around like an idiot:

(Photo Credit: Karl Larsen/INFPhoto.com)

(Photo Credit: Kim Kardashian's Instagram)

Kim, why are you doing this to yourself? Put on some flats for goodness sake! This is just a terrible example for pregnant woman everywhere. You don't need to be wearing these shoes. Now go get a pedicure, soak your feet, and put your feet up and read a book...or whatever you do for fun.

Lowlight of the Week: We looked at a couple houses this week but didn't find anything we liked. We made an appointment at one house, and once we go there and had to wait in a line to get in:

See all these cars? There to see the house. Luckily, we didn't like it so we didn't have to go through the heartache of losing again (because at this point I just assume we would lose it). Another house had bongs in it. Like, being displayed on the mantle. Really? You are trying to sell your house. Put in a little effort.

Currently Reading: I am in between three books right now, and I am having problems committing to one.

Currently Watching: I wanted to see Promised Land in the theatre, but just never got around to it. It was co-written by John Krasinski and Matt Damon, and is an environmental movie that is good, but not quite as powerful as you would like. I actually thought John Krasinski was great in it, but thought Matt Damon's character was a little one dimensional. I also wanted to learn more about fracking, and I think the movie missed an opportunity to really educate the public.

Photos of the Week:

Dan and I went and played racquetball for the first time in ages. It was great to get back on the court, but I seriously regressed in my skill level and lost every game. I also royally effed up my back, and was crippled all weekend. In other news, I am old.

An afternoon bubble bath in an attempt to loosen up the muscles in my back.

People keep saying that I don't post enough picture of myself. Well here you go: me. On a Saturday night. Hooded sweatshirt and yoga pants. Surrounded by written discovery. Working. Living the glamorous life. Be jealous.

2013: Week 19

2013-05-15T18:45:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I think that I might be on a national geographic reality show. One that is very Truman Show-esque in the sense that I don't know that I am on it, and the producers keep putting me in horrifying situations to see how I will react. Case in point, THIS:

I work in a very wealthy Dallas suburb. It is so wealthy they literally banned both apartments and vending machines because they thought both made the town seem trashy. Everything is perfectly manicured and it is basically Pleasantville, if everybody in Pleasantville lived in giant mansions. With moats.

So basically one would think that this town would not allow snakes, but one got through. I don't know, perhaps it left its moat, but it landed right in front of my office window and it was terrifying.

Okay, fine. Full disclosure I didn't actually see it, but one of my coworkers took this picture before it slithered back into the bushes! And I certainly worried about seeing it all day!

Highlight of the Week: This mambo taxi at Mi Cocinas:

Lowlight of the Week: We lost house number seven. I don't want to talk about it.

Currently Reading: Same as last week, but I started listening to Colin Powell's book "It Worked for Me" and it is so good! Finally! A winner!

Currently Watching: I finally got Dan to watch Bridesmaids- so funny!

Source: Uploaded by user via Angela on Pinterest

PSA: We bought my Mom flowers using ProFlowers for Mother's Day. They arrived looking like this:

Thankfully, my Mom did not send me these the picture until the next day when they had perked up a little bit because I would have lost my mind on some poor ProFlowers customer service rep. Full disclosure, the next day they looked like this:

But seriously, how much did my Mom probably hate us on Mother's Day? Hey Mom, here's some mopey looking flowers that arrived in a box. I doubt I will be using them again.

Photos of the Week:

Nothing breaks up a day like watching a crazy psycho killer getting what's due. Honestly, I didn't really follow this case. It was just so obvious that she was guilty. What's the fun in that?

Buy this. You are welcome.

"The Texas Sky is the biggest one I've seen"

Weekly walk at the lake.

Off roading

2013: Week 18

2013-05-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

So here is the thing, I am not a patient person. At all. Never have been, probably never will be. When I want something, I will work incredibly hard to get it. Generally, the mere act of doing something to further what I want curbs the anxiety, but when I can't do anything? That's when I start going a bit stir crazy. And this housing thing has got me beyond stir crazy.

We lost another house this week. Its funny, because out of the, oh, six houses we have now lost this was my least favorite. However, it was also the one I was the most sure we could get, as we bid 10k over the asking price. So when I found out we were outbid by another couple, some little part of me just snapped. The last three months of our lives have been consumed with house hunting. Every single day I wake up and peruse the new listings. If we like any, we make an appointment to go see them during our lunch break. More Sundays then I can count have been spent looking at homes, reviewing comps, and making offers. I never expected it to be this hard or time consuming.

And its not really the process that has me so down, its that I feel like our life is on hold until we find something. There are two pieces of artwork currently leaning against our wall because I don't want to hang it "since we are moving". I have wanted a new bedroom set for a YEAR, but we are waiting "until we find a house so know what the room looks like". Not to mention I don't want to plan vacations "in case we are closing", and am constantly trying to watch our spending for when they run the financials on the loan. And those are just the little things. There are some big things that are on hold until to we find the house too.

So I am a bit down about it. Right now, it feels like we are never going to find anything. I worry that we are settling for houses we don't love because we are so worried about finding one. I also am scared we are going to overpay because the market is so competitive. I have thought about just giving up, but I also don't want to miss the low interest rates or put my life on hold any longer.

But what I am going to do is take a step back. Not obsess over it. Not pour over listings I have looked out a thousand times. I am going to stop getting my hopes up, and instead consciously put my energy into other things. I am sure we will find "the house" eventually, but I am not going to force it. Instead I am just going to have faith that the perfect house is out there for us- its just not on the market yet.

Highlight of the Week: Yoga in the park. Its my new favorite thing. I look forward to it every week. Also? Due to the amazing weather Dan and I have been spending a lot of time up at White Rock Lake. This is my favorite time of year in Dallas, and I am enjoying every moment of being outside.

Lowlight of the Week: Did you NOT read the opening paragraph of the blog?

Currently Reading: Same as last week (It Sucked and Then I Cried). I also started Same Kind of Different as Me (a book club pick), and neither one is really drawing my attention.

Currently Watching: We rented Silver Linings Playbook, which was really good. I actually didn't realize it was more of a romantic comedy, which was a pleasant surprise. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence had great chemistry (despite their SIXTEEN year age difference), and the writing was great.

Photos of the Week:

Its so spring around here, there are literally baby birds hatching in our front yard. This little bird almost died of a heart attack when Kadira ran over to him at a full gallup and then gently started nudging him. So sweet.

Trees at the park after Saturday morning yoga.

We have a family of anoles that live at our house. Surprisingly, they don't really freak me out (as long as they don't get in the house.) This little guy is one of the biggest ones I have seen, and he actually came out during the day. Most of the time we see ones about 1/10th his size out on our back patio after dark, hunting for bugs. Sometimes there can be as many as eleven running around. We like to sit out on the Adirondack chairs after dark and count them as they scurry around over our heads (none have fallen on us, yet).

These flowers smell so good and are from my neighbors backyard. Our neighbors have one of those immaculate yards that win "yard of the month" every other month. Thankfully, their good taste often makes its way over to our yard.

Kadira enjoying the beautiful weather.

Monday was a dreary, rainy day in Dallas.

2013: Books 1-7

2013-05-04T19:53:00.001-07:00

I have been so bad about reading this year. I just haven't made it a priority like I used to. In part, its because there have been very few books that I have picked up that have really grasped my attention. I have put down many without even finishing. So if anybody has any good book suggestions out there, I am all ears.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So everybody has been talking about this book for pretty much a year. I feel like last year was "The Year of Gone Girl", and I was not in on the joke. Starting this book I knew two things (1) It was not scary but very dark, and (2) The ending was, what some described as, "unfulfilling."

I can't actually write about this book without spoilers so SPOILER ALERT!!!

You got that right, SPOILER ALERT.

Okay. So I am reading the first half of the book and I am annoyed. I mean, I think its well written and I am interested, but I am not obsessed. I can put it down, and I do, often. I do this, in part, because it was so hyped up and it just wasn't living up to the hype. Plus, I though I had figured out the ending. I though Flynn was setting up all these people who could have killed Amy, and at the end we wouldn't really know who did it. That the discussions would be all about which character we think had the most motivation (for the record, I was betting on Nick's Dad). I thought that was the "unfulfilling ending" everybody talked about.

So when I got 50% through and realized that Amy was still alive and also was a crazy person, I finally got hooked. I finished the second half of the book in the same day and was riveted. I didn't like the ending, but now that I have had some time to sleep on it I really like it. I like it because I didn't see it coming. I liked it because I actually- in the context of the book- believe that it could happen. I mean, I obviously did not want Nick and Amy to say together and have a baby, but it was a crazy artistic choice by Flynn that I totally respect.

There were some descriptions that really freaked me out, mainly some of the crazy stuff Amy did to herself. I think that's why its only getting 4 stars and not 5. Regardless, this morning I have emailed about five people to try and talk to people about it, because I'm sill thinking about that ending 12 hours later.

***

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not an Apple junkie. In fact, for years the only Apple product I owned was an Ipod. I didn't know a lot about Steve Jobs or what he did for Apple, but I heard this book was really well done so I downloaded it to listen to, and I did not regret it! It was so interesting to learn about how the development of the first Apple computer, and the transition of the company from just a couple computers to a mega corporation. I also didn't realize that Steve Jobs had no real engineering input, and his entire contribution to the Apple franchise was marketing and packaging. I also didn't know that Jobs was so involved in the Pixar company.

I liked how the book didn't sugarcoat people's perceptions of Jobs, and I really liked hearing Bill Gate's perspectives on their interactions. This book left me wondering if Apple will ever be the same now that Jobs is gone. This was a great read- and a very long audiobook! It took me almost a month to get through.

***

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Words cannot adequately describe how much I loved this book. I read it with a studious intensity, underlying and writing in the margins (which I rarely do). I think Sheryl's analysis is so spot on, and I was often moved to tears (not to be overdramatic, but its true). I purposely stayed away from reading the criticisms until after I was done reading the book, but went through and read some when I was done. I didn't find a single one that I agreed with. Most sounded like they didn't read the book, or were attacking Sheryl for their dislike of Facebook corporate policy rather then the message of the book itself.

I loved so many things about this book but I am going to really focus on my top three favorite points:

(1) Make Your Partner Your Partner: I think the number one thing holding woman back is that - as Sheryl says - they are trying to work full time while still taking on 100% of the home responsibilities. I can't tell you how many woman I know who work full time, and then go home and cook, clean, and take care of children with minimal help from their spouse. Thankfully, I am not in that kind of marriage, but I think the point is well taken. For so long men were able to succeed at work because they had the support from their wives at home, and in order for woman to succeed at work they need the support from their spouses as well. In this modern era gender roles need to be more 50/50, instead of this concept of woman trying to do it all.

(2) Sit at the Table: The story Sheryl tells about how woman constantly underestimate their abilities and attribute their success to others, while men overestimate their abilities and attribute their success to themselves really hit home with me. I don't know why woman do it, but it is so true. This was a real wake-up call for me, and I am trying to take on more rolls with confidence and not underestimate myself.

(3) Don't Leave Until You Leave: One of Sheryl's main points is that woman need to stop making choices surrounding partners and children they don't have yet. I have thought about changing careers and scaling back so that I have a lifestyle that can accommodate children someday, and I am not even trying to have kids! When woman do this they limit their chance for success and future opportunities.

I will read and re-read this book numerous times. Its a must read for every working woman.

***

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel like I should have been forced to read this book at some point in my life (like in high school or college), but for some reason it slipped past me. I really wish I had the chance to discuss this book in an academic setting- because there was just so much to talk about. I highlighed so many sections of this book, but this line was probably my favorite:

"As each situation in life represents a challenge to man and presents a problem for him to solve, the question of the meaning of life may actually be reversed. Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather he must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible. Thus, logotherapy sees in responsibleness the very essence of human existence."

***

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this book via audiobook and I am glad that I did, because it was a times a little dry and I don't know that I would have made it through if I read it on paper (that's the nice thing about audiobooks, you can kind of zone out through boring parts). That being said, this book was really interesting. I particularly enjoyed the section on how corporations use the power of habit to be more effecient and market to their customers. This book also offers some interesting ways to change your own habits in your life. Overall, pretty interesting read.

***

Reached by Ally Condie

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

If I could give this book zero stars I probably would. What a terrible ending to a moderately entertaining series. The plot seemed to not be well thought out, nor did the storyline seem to comport with the first book at all. Also? So lusty. I thought I was going to barf. I know that its young adult and you have to throw some lust in there to keep the kids interested, but truely, it was the worst written love story of all time. Ky and Cassia. Cassia and Xander. Xander and Lay. Ky and Indie. I couldn't keep up with all the lust.

I also hated how the narrators skipped around. To make matters worse I listend to it via audiobook and they had THREE DIFFERENT READERS. But, instead of using Cassia to say all Cassia lines, they would have Xander read his whole chapter and then use falsetto to read Cassia's lines in his chapter. It was horrible. Also, all the readers read the book in a sexy voice- EVEN THOUGH THE BOOK ISN'T SEXY! I mean seriously, you would think I was listening to a porno book if you weren't paying attention to the words.

Did I mention I didn't like this book? Yea. I didn't like this book AT ALL.

***

Bossypants by Tina Fey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

June 13, 2011
It was simply delightful. It was exactly what I wanted it to be: funny! It reads like one big stand up comedy routine. I rarely laugh out loud while reading, but I was busting a gut reading this book.

Reread January 2013- just as good the second time

View all my Goodreads reviews and make sure to follow me!

2013: Week 17

2013-04-29T12:06:00.001-07:00

I am not going to blog about how frustrated I am with the housing search right now. I am not going to discuss how we have now lost four houses, and the most recent one DIDN'T EVEN RESPOND despite it being a full price offer. I am not going to complain about how horrible the housing market is right now. I am not going to whine about how unlucky we are to be looking for a house in a seller's market. Most importantly, I am not going to talk about it because I have put way too much energy into a ridiculous housing market.

Hurumph.

Lowlight of the Week: Bitchy realtors and their brain dead homeowners who don't respond to full price offers.

Highlight of the Week: A house we lost is back on the market and we might get a second chance. Nobody hold their breath.

Currently Reading: It Sucked and Then I Cried. It is pretty good, but I am having a hard time reading it for an extended period of time. It also makes me terrified to have kids.

Currently Watching: Scandal. Dan and I are totally hooked. We watched the first season on Netflix and are making our way through the second season on Hulu Plus. There were a couple episodes where I thought they went a little too far, but overall its a great show Also, can I have Olivia Pope's wardrobe, please?

PSA: Download Sara Bareille's new single "Brave". So good.

Photos of the Week:

I am really into two things right now: panoramic photos and being outside.

I am super into yoga in the park right now. Its Vinyasha yoga and it totally kicks my ass and simultaneously gives me the greatest adrenaline rush of all time.

(Okay this is technically a photo of boot camp that takes place before yoga, but you get the idea.)

Last weekend we went to our first Ranger game of the season against the Mariners. Since the Rangers signed Elvis Andrus to a very long contract, I decided it was safe for me to finally buy my Elvis jersey.

The Rangers won and it was awesome. I can't wait to spend more time at the ballpark this summer.

Dan and I have also been taking Kadira to the lake a lot. I downloaded this new ap on my iphone called Runkeeper,. which works like a Garmin. It is so great to track my weekly runs/walks.

So take a look at this photo. Where is Usher? Initially, we thought he had left and they had a screen shot of him leaving, but upon further inspection we realized Shakira is actually leaning forward in the second seat and blocking him. I know this is kind of stupid but it took us a long time to figure this out, so some validation on how crazy this looks would be great.

My commute. A typical view. Don't worry, I took this standing still.

Looking Forward to Next Week: ?????

2013: Week 16

2013-04-21T17:32:00.001-07:00

This week was a horrible week for our county. I was at work when I first heard about the Boston bombing. I was home for the evening when I heard about the explosion that rocked a small town in West, Texas near where I live. I watched with fear and anticipation all of Friday as our brave law enforcement officers tracked down the second bombing suspect and captured him alive. My eyes swelled with tears as I saw the entire Boston arena singing the national anthem with pride and enthusiasm. At the Rangers game this Saturday there was a collection for West, which we quickly donated to.

It was not but a mere few months ago that we felt that same feelings as a nation when a shooter took the lives of school children and their teachers at Sandy Hook. In the days after that shooting we vowed that things would change, that their lost lives would not be in vain. And after those days, what impressed me the most was how both sides conceded. The left wasn't calling for a complete gun ban, and the right agreed that safeguards to make it harder for people who shouldn't have a weapon to get one were necessary. 80% of this county supports extending background checks and limiting magazine clips. This bill was not controversial nor unreasonable. Yet the senate voted it down anyways.

Gabby Giffords wrote a tremendously powerful op-ed in the New York Times this week and I thought it was pitch perfect. One of my favorite lines:

Some of the senators who voted against the background-check amendments have met with grieving parents whose children were murdered at Sandy Hook, in Newtown. Some of the senators who voted no have also looked into my eyes as I talked about my experience being shot in the head at point-blank range in suburban Tucson two years ago, and expressed sympathy for the 18 other people shot besides me, 6 of whom died. These senators have heard from their constituents — who polls show overwhelmingly favored expanding background checks. And still these senators decided to do nothing. Shame on them.

What our lawmakers did was disgraceful and unjustifiable. We swore to not forget those school children, but let partisan politics get in the way of honoring them. While I would like to blame the lawmakers, the real ones to blame are us, the people. We are not nearly angry enough and are so apathetic to politics that these politicians likely never feel the political ramifications of their cowardly votes.

This week was truly an awful week for America. It just didn't feel right to do a traditional weekly recap.

2013: Week 15 (Spring)

2013-04-16T13:28:00.001-07:00

Look at this! Just look at this for one moment:

Don't focus on the fact that I am almost out of gas. Do you see the temperature? Its in the 80's. After over a week of rainy, dreary weather the sun started shining and the birds stated chirping. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is officially spring in Dallas. Also? My rose garden started blooming.

Currently Reading: It Sucked and Then I Cried by Heather Armstrong. I love her blog, it was one of the first ones I started reading. I found a copy of it at a second hand book store and was surprised that it was as signed copy!

Currently Watching: We watched Lincoln on Friday night- boring! I feel bad for saying that since I have a love for Presidential history, but if I want to watch something that dull on a Friday night I will turn on the History Channel and not pay the extra $6.00. That being said, Daniel Day Lewis does make an excellent Lincoln.

We also went and checked out the 3D IMAX version of Jurassic Park which was very cool and worth going to. Jurassic Park is one of my all time favorite movies, and it was even better in 3D!

Photos of the Week:

On Saturday morning I went to yoga in the park and it was seriously the best yoga class I have ever taken. I left feeling perfectly stretched and exhausted.

On Monday night Dan made filet mingon

Kadira sunning herself on the beautiful day.

On Sunday night I made Skinnytaste's Coconut Chicken Salad with a Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. It was amazing. I used spinach instead of mixed greens, and added shredded carrots, chopped cucumber, and tomatoes.

Looking Forward to Next Week: First Rangers Game of the season!

2013: Week 15

2013-04-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, house hunting was fun. I enjoyed looking at houses online, making spreadsheets regarding wants/dislikes, and exploring new neighbors.

But now? I just want to find a house already.

We have looked at so many homes they are starting to run together. The neighborhood we want to live in is very competitive, so the second something goes on the market we have to go look at it and make an offer right away. Today we were in a house that had literally been on the market for 12 hours. We knew instantly we wanted it, it was perfect. We got back in the car with every intention of making a full price offer, and not TWO MINUTES later did we find out it went under contract. I thought I was going to cry. I maybe did. I am just so sick of getting my hopes up and having them crushed.

I am also shocked at the condition of some of these homes. We are looking at a pretty dang good neighborhood, and all the homes look great on the outside. But on the inside, it can whole different story. One house we walked into today reeked of smoke and had probably eight people sleeping inside of it. Another house we looked at the owners didn't feel the need to leave during the showing and we were forced to dodge screaming children while peeking into bedrooms. It was insane.

I know that our house is out there somewhere but I just want to find it already! We decided to make a back up offer on the house we saw today, just in case the current contract falls through, but I am not optimistic.

Lowlight of the Week: This week was tough. Work was extra busy, and I pulled 12 hour days almost every day. To top it off I got nothing done this weekend and was feeling really lethargic.

Highlight of the Week: I had three back-to-back depositions on Friday which means I was basically listening to myself talk for six hours. Following this all I wanted to do was relax, so I had an Elle Woods moment and booked it over to my nail salon for a pedicure. It was glorious.

Currently Reading: Same as last week

Currently Watching: We did get out of our basketball funk and check out the Final Four games this weekend. I was rooting for both Wichita State and Syracuse and both lost. Basketball is just not my thing this year.

Photos of the Week:

It was cold and rainy in Dallas all week so I was still able to rock my favorite scarf.

Toby's morning bedhead.

Looking Forward to Next Week: Baseball is back!

2013: Week 14 (Easter)

2013-04-03T15:50:00.001-07:00

{Nothing is more frustrating then having a blog post written, and then losing the entire thing for no apparent reason. Hence why this weekly recap is a little late this week.}

Easter is always a tricky holiday for the non-religious and the childless living far away from their respective families. However, we always try to make the best of it and this year was no different.

It started with a binge of my favorite holiday candy. Closely rivaled only by the Christmas chocolate orange, there are few things I love more then the Cadbury Mini Egg. So much so, that I forced myself to buy mini bags instead of a big bag in an attempt to curb me eating them in one setting. It failed. Immensely. All four bags were gone within 24 hours.

Then, on Saturday we had friends over to dye Easter Eggs and eat omlettes. How is that for some themed party planning, eh? (see below)

On Easter morning I got us reservations at the The Grape restaurant. I had never been before, but heard great things. It was delicious. I got the chicken and biscuits, an admittedly odd choice for me, but I guess I was feeling particularly southern.

Highlight of the Week: As we all know, I was very upset about the Gonzaga loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Monday after the loss I showed up to work and found this on my desk:

One of my coworkers had bought me a bunch of chocolate and literally made me a MIX TAPE of songs to console me. It was awesome and totally unexpected. This sweet gesture completely brought me out of my post-loss funk.

Lowlight of the Week: Our kitchen sink decided to clog and we spent most of Easter trying different ways to fix it without having to call a plumber. After about six hours of messing with pipes and using Drain-o, we came up with the ingenious idea to try a plunger, which worked like a charm.

Currently Reading: Awake in the Dark by Shira Nayman and listening to the Steve Jobs biography.

Currently Watching: Can I just say how happy I am that The Voice is back! I echo everybody's comments on how great Shakira is, and Blake Shelton just cracks me up.

We also watched two movies this week. The first was Zero Dark Thirty which was really good and I highly recommend. The torture scenes were a bit disturbing, but the background story about how they captured Osama Bin Laden was fascinating.

We also watched This is Forty, which was just meh. I mean it wasn't bad, and it had some funny parts, but it was a little too long and I didn't love the plot.

Photos of the Week:

I have been awful about cooking recently, but luckily I married somebody who is more then willing to cook so I often opt for doing the dishes. However, on Sunday I made Skinnytaste's chicken and mushroom in garlic white wine sauce. It was super easy and pretty good! I recommend!

On Friday I had to drive to Austin and back for work, and stopped by Common Grounds Coffee Shop in Waco for a caffeine boost. It was awesome, exactly the kind of coffee shop Dallas is lacking. It had a cool vibe, tons of options, and most importantly delicious coffee. Too bad its an hour and a half away.

Remember when I wasn't sure whether I was going to jump on the green smoothie wagon? Well I jumped on, big time. On Sunday night I made up a bunch of smoothies and froze them so that I could take them out for breakfast when I want them. They are so good and give me a huge serving of fruits and vegetables!

Looking Forward to Next Week: Continuing the house hunt. I am getting so frustrated! I just want to find the house already!

Bye Bye Google Reader, Hello Bloglovin

2013-03-31T12:06:00.001-07:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

2013: Week 12 (The Saddest Post I Will Ever Write) (Hopefully) (Being a Little Overdramatic) (But Not Really)

2013-03-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sigh. After weeks of talking/thinking/dreaming about college basketball, Gonzaga's year of destiny came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end last night. I woke up feeling like someone had died, and then came to the very serious realization that I may have let myself get a bit too invested. Also I definitely drank too much.

I am trying to keep it in perspective, and I am sure I will look back on this year and remember how great it was watching Gonzaga be ranked number one and then get a one seed in the tournament. But it was really hard to watch them lose, for both the school and for them. This was such a special team and easily my favorite year of basketball ever (which is saying a lot, as my senior year was the Adam Morrison Era). I hate to see it all end, but on the bright side, I will be a lot more productive at work now that I no longer care about my bracket.

Highlight of the Week: Did any of you watch the Florida Gulf Coast game against Georgetown? Despite having Georgetown in the finals in one of my brackets, I was totally cheering for the upset. FLG was insane. I love this video, particularly when the FGC player inbounds the ball off the Georgetown player's back and then makes the lay-up. (Thanks for the video, Rick!)

Is anybody even reading my blog anymore? Is all of this basketball talk driving everybody away?

Lowlight of the Week: Do you need to ask?

PSA: Justin Timberlake's new album totally sucks, I am so mad I even wasted money on it. All the songs are too long and mid-tempo. The lyrics are asinine, and he just seems to be trying too hard. I am beyond disappointed. I blame Jessica Biel.

Currently Reading: Nothing, just basketball.

Movies: Well now there will be lots of time for movies since I am not watching another basketball game for the rest of the season. The good news is that most of the Oscar picks are now On Demand and I will have lots of time to watch them.

Photos of the Week:

Me during happier times, when I didn't have a care in the world other then taking narcissistic photos of myself at stoplights.

Continuing with the narcissism theme, I bought this beer because it almost said my name.

Wow! Look! Another picture of me. I sure do like myself this week. This was pre-third round and the world falling down. That very serious look on my face is exactly how I was feeling about the match-up.

Dan took Thursday and Friday off from work and converted the living room into March Madness Central. It was really fun until, you know, our team lost and we now hate basketball.

This is the best crock pot ever, maybe because its the original. We used to have what we THOUGHT was a crock pot, but it was not. We thought crock pot was the generic term for a slow cooker, but no. I am not sure why I felt the need to take a picture of it, but its not basketball related so I thought I would throw it in.

I made a green smoothie for the first time on Sunday to curb my hangover and possibly to give me some energy to, you know, move from my bed (where I had taken to the night before, pulling the sheets over my head and vowing to never come out). Initially, I didn't love it. But the more I drank it the more I liked it so maybe I could get into this whole Green Monster craze. I used the recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod because it had a lot of fruit in it. If anybody else has other good recipes out there please share!

I bought this mug to drink out of all during March Madness. I will still drink out of it, but instead during March Sadness.

Looking Forward to Next Week: Maybe getting out of my Debbie Downer mood?

2013: Week 11

2013-03-18T19:27:00.003-07:00

This week I turned 29, a little ironic since eleven is my favorite number and it was the eleventh week of the year.

I decided to take my birthday off from work so that I could sleep in, get my hair cut and colored, and go get my nails done before the WCC championship game that night. I have had a terrible time finding a salon in Dallas that I like, so I made an appointment with a fancy salon I have never been to as a treat Unfortunately, the stylist they paired me up with 24-year-old hipster who definitely had a different vision for my haircut then I did. While I am sure other 24-year-olds would have loved the haircut, I left the salon with hair significantly shorter and thinner then I was hoping for- which was kind of a birthday bummer.

I also bought myself a copy of Lean In, which was released on my birthday. I have a whole post dedicated to this book so I will withhold commentary other then to say I think you need to go buy it.

True to his word, Dan did not buy me a designer purse for my birthday. That being said, I did get an Iphone 5 and these Sprinkle cupcakes so all was forgiven.

But the best gift was seeing Gonzaga win the WCC! I know this blog has become a little basketball obsessed as of late, but I can't help it! This is the year! Team of Destiny!

Highlight of the Week: My birthday!

Lowlight of the Week: We received a counter offer on the house, but ultimately decided not to pursue it. I think it was the right decision, but it was a bit of a downer nonetheless.

Also? The news that Google Reader is shutting down. What. The. Fuck. How can you just shut down a website so many people use? Fine! Don't update it anymore or something, but surely you don't need to shut the whole thing down. I am testing out other alternatives but have yet to come to any conclusions about my new choice.

PSA: I am obsessed with Pink and Nate Ruess' duet "Just Give Me a Reason." Many thanks to my friend Cait for introducing me to it.

Book of the Week: Aforementioned Lean In. Also, my book club met and discussed Gone Girl, and it was such a great conversation. If you are in a book club you should definitely pick it as everybody seems to have really strong feelings about it.

Movie of the Week: None. Only basketball, all the time.

Photos of the Week:

Pet me Mom! Pet me!

World's cutest.

My friend who lives in Spokane was nice enough to pick us up a copy of the newspaper when we were ranked number one and send it to us. We are so excited. We are getting it framed and hanging it in the office!

I'm not going to go off on why its massive malarkey (Biden Buzzword!) that we are the fourth number one seed, but I am happy to be a one seed nonetheless.

Reading on my ipad.

I love the Fort Worth Courthouse. The people who work here are so incredibly nice.

Looking Forward to Next Week: The first two rounds of the tournament. Fingers crossed!!

2013: Week 10

2013-03-10T20:57:00.002-07:00

Well hello March,

So far you have lived up to expectations. It began with Gonzaga being ranked the #1 basketball team in the county. Which was incredible. I read basically every article written about Gonzaga and relished the moment as best I could for fear it will be taken away this upcoming week.

Then, you had Justin Timberlake host SNL. Swoon. Relatedly, THIS.

THEN! THEN we made an offer on a house. I mean, it was a lowball offer, but it was still an offer which is a big moment. Plus they haven't rejected it yet, which means it wasn't totally offensive, right? RIGHT??? (Or, maybe they are so offended they don't think it deserves a response? I am totally not having anxiety about this AT ALL.)

And if that wasn't good enough, I spent a wonderful Thursday night drinking margaritas and watching the excellent, excellent documentary Girl Rising at a local event to support girls in education. You can watch the trailer and learn more about Girl Rising HERE:

Highlight of the Week: The Zags being #1. It might just be the highlight of the YEAR!

Lowlight of the Week: Nothing. Even if something bad had happened I wouldn't have noticed because I was to busy riding the Best In the County basketball high.

Book of the Week: I started listening to the Steve Jobs biography and it is so interesting. I got a couple pages into I Know This Much Is True and realized it was almost 1000 pages, got scared, and put it down. Lets just assume I am reading that book until further notice, okay?

Movie of the Week: Still no movies. We got hooked on the Netflix series House of Cards and are already done with it. It was so good, I really loved it and am on a mission to get more of my friends to watch it so that we can talk about it. Additionally, can I get Claire Underwood's wardrobe, stat?

Source: buzzfeed.com via Tanya on Pinterest

Source: buzzfeed.com via shristea on Pinterest

Photo of the Week: Beware there is a lot of Gonzaga photos. You have been warned.

See that number? DO YOU SEE THAT NUMBER NEXT TO OUR NAME?

Dan printed out every single poll, posted them to his office door, and highlighted our name.

Oh look. Here is us at numero uno in the Coaches and the AP Poll.

Oh! Here's an article on us being number one.

Okay that is the last of the number one photos- FOR NOW!

Typical Saturday morning.

#selfie.

Looking Forward to Next Week: Tomorrow is my 29th birthday. This is terrifying because I have exactly one year to do everything on my "To-Do Before 30 List". This is particularly stressful because I haven't even made the list yet. Good thing I had the foresight to take the day off work. Is that ridiculous, to take the day off work on your birthday? Because I did. Anyways, I'll probably have to write that list in between getting my hair cut, getting my nails done, getting a massage, buying Lean In, going shopping, and watching the Zags win the WCC.

Number One

2013-03-04T19:15:00.001-08:00

I enrolled as a freshman at Gonzaga University in the Fall of 2002. Since first stepping my foot on campus, I have loved Gonzaga basketball. It is hard not to love basketball at Gonzaga; the entire social world revolves around the sport. For the next four years, every weekend was devoted to the games (and the after parties). Every spring break we road tripped to the West Coast Conference Finals. It did not matter if you were not really into basketball or disliked sports in general, if you went to Gonzaga you were a fan.

I often wonder what I would have done if I had not married somebody who loves Gonzaga as much as I do. Dan and I stay up every Thursday night to watch the games, despite the fact that they don't start in Texas until 10 p.m. We schedule every Saturday around the team's schedule, and even spent our New Years Eve driving roundtrip eight hours to watch them play.

Call me crazy, but I never thought we would be ranked number one. Never. It was much more likely for us to go on a rampage in the tournament then to ever get the respect our little mid-major program deserved by the selection committee.

But this year the stars aligned. We have an excellent team and played a great season. Thus, this morning, after hitting refresh on my computer no less then 100,000 times I got this:

My small, basketball obsessed school just erupted with pride today. For the first time in school history, we were ranked #1- and boy, does it feel good to finally be on top.

2013: Week 9

2013-03-03T16:30:00.002-08:00

Living in Texas never gets easier for me. This time, I went out into my backyard to pull up some weeds that were driving me crazy. The weeds in Texas are massive with gigantic roots and thorns where you least expect them. On top of that, the soil is terrible and you can't grow decent grass, which means there are terrible weeds ruining your terrible grass. No wonder everybody has pools, getting a nice yard here is impossible.

One weed had gone particularly rouge over in the corner of the yard so I started pulling it and I noticed there was a large hill underneath it. I was confused for a nanosecond before I saw THOUSANDS OF ANTS POURING OUT OF THE HILL COMING TO KILL ME. It was horrifying.

Note that the last time I worked in our backyard I found two snakes so I have come to the conclusion that yard work is not my calling. I am particularly annoyed about this because I actually don't mind yard work. I used to mow the lawn all the time. But here, apparently mowing your lawn located exactly five miles from the heart of downtown leaves you susceptible to death by snakes and ants that have formed large armies. Not to mention our neighborhood is covered with gigantic mosquitos right now so going outside is risky. One got me on my arm,, and it looks like I have had a boil for the last week.

Highlight of the Week: The Zags beating BYU, pretty much solidifying them being #1 in the county this week. For a school so devoted to its basketball team, this is a HUGE deal. Its basically all Dan and I think or talk about.

We also went to the Lakewood Brewery with friends to celebrate Texas Independence Day (ugh, not really), and it was great (the brewery, not Texas Independence Day). For $10 you got four samples. The vibe was great and the beer was pretty good too.

Lowlight of the Week: Not really anything, other then, you know, barely escaping death by ants.

Movie of the Week: We actually didn't watch a movie this week, but I am working my way through Season 2 of Sex and the City.

Book of the Week: I stayed up until one in the morning Saturday night reading Gone Girl. WOW! I don't want to spoil it for anybody, but once I got into it I could not put it down. I also finished The Power of Habit. This week, I am going to start reading I Know This Much Is True and listening to the Steve Jobs biography.

Photo of the Week: I actually didn't take any photos this week, but I did see these on Pinterest and loved them.

Source: learnspanishmadison.com via DuolyNoted on Pinterest

Source: sopwithproductions.com via DuolyNoted on Pinterest

Video of the Week: This video made me ugly cry and believe in humanity. Thanks Mighty Girl.

Looking Forward to Next Week: The Zags being the number one basketball team in the country.

2013: Week 8

2013-02-25T16:04:00.000-08:00

Dan and I are currently in the market to buy a house. This has been a work in progress for some time. Not only have we been saving money, but we have gone to countless open houses and driven through tons of neighborhoods to try and figure out which part of DFW we want to live in. For a long time, we thought we would buy the house we currently live in, but have since determined that it is more of a starter home and with interest rates the way they are we want something more permanent.

Determining the neighborhood has been the most difficult challenge. We currently live near downtown, but commute out to the suburbs for work (oddly). Dan will likely be working mostly in downtown in the coming years. I don't particuarly want to move to the suburb where I work. The homes near downtown aren't new construction. We like an area not near our jobs or downtown.

So basically there has been a lot to consider. But we have had time since we have been saving money and we are month to month with our lease. That is, until last Sunday, when we went to an open house and fell in love. It was perfect: four bedrooms, wood floors, a pool, right across from a park, huge yard - I mean it had everything. The next day we went and go preapproved and contacted our realtor to make an offer, only to find out that it had already been snatched up. I was way more disappointed then I thought I would be. I mean, I knew it could happen but I had already moved into the house inside my head.

We met with our realtor again yesterday and looked at more homes but none of them were "it". I was pretty sad because I was all excited about us finally making the jump and now it seems like we have slowed down a bit. The good news is that we have time, we aren't in a hurry, and we can really survey the market and get the house we want.

Highlight of the Week : The girl scout cookies I ordered came in, and my least favorite case settled all in the same day. Also, the Zags moved up to #3 in both polls and are currently predicted to be a #1 seed in the tournament!

Lowlight of the Week: Losing aforementioned dream house.

PSA: This American Life is doing a two part series on a high school dealing with the gun violence in Chicago and it is excellent Make sure you listen to it.

Movie of the Week: I watched Beyonce's documentary on HBO and thought it was so well done and incredibly interesting. We also watched "Lawless" last night and I am pretty conflicted. On one hand, I liked the story, but on the other hand, it was so incredibly violent. Like gruesome violent. I don't think I watched half the movie because I kept turning away.

Currently Reading: Still reading Gone Girl, and I have been listening to The Power of Habit.

Photos of the Week:

On Saturday night I got in an art mood, and couldn't stop.

I got the idea to do this from Pinterest. I fell like its a project for a six year old, but it kept me entertained.

Looking Forward to Next Week: The start of March- March is my favorite month!

2013: Week 7

2013-02-19T08:02:00.003-08:00

Sorry for the delay in this week's post. My new laptop broke within a month of getting it, and because Best Buy is so stellar they are sending it out to get fixed instead of just giving me a new one. Its absolutely shocking that this company is on the brink of going out of business, with such stellar customer service and all.

Highlight of the Week:

This.

While watching the Republican Response, Dan literally said, "he needs water, you can tell." Then, two minutes later, it was the water lunge heard round the world. While you can't fault the guy for needing some water, you can laugh a little about his facial expression while doing so.

Another highlight was Valentine's Day. Dan really outdid himself this year. Not only did I get two dozen roses, but Dan handmade me chocolate covered strawberries. Pretty impressive, huh?

Also, the Zags beat Saint Mary's, which means the worst of our regular season is over, and hopefully we can slide into a number one seed!

Lowlight of the Week: My commute. I am so over my commute.

(This photo was taken two miles from Woodall Rodgers)

Books: Still reading Gone Girl. I am honestly having a hard time getting into it. I think I just need to sit down and read it for longer then 15 minutes.

Movies: Ever since reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I have been looking forward to watching the movie. It finally came out on DVD this weekend, and although not as good as the book (they never are!), I thought the movie was really well done. I was especially impressed with the actor who played Patrick.

Photos of the Week:

On Saturday, Dan and I went to our favorite local bar to watch the Zags play (and win!)

Toby in the morning.

Flowers and chocolates left in my car.

Texas sky.

2013: Week 6

2013-02-11T10:57:00.004-08:00

I have developed this a bad habit of filling my online bag with items, PURCHASING all these items, waiting in anxious anticipation for them to arrive, and then having a fashion show in my house where I chose what I will keep and what I will return.

This is actually brilliant because (1) It makes me happy waiting for packages (2) I can try on items of clothing with my own accessories to see if I like them and (3) I am really good about returning things that I don't really like, and generally don't spend that much money. However, recently I made a rather large Ann Taylor purchase and kept pretty much everything so I consequently had to put myself on an online shopping hiatus until February 15th.

An online shopping hiatus means that I can't open any of my promotional emails and I can't peruse any websites online. Relatedly, I slipped into a mild depression and was not sure how to spend my lunch break.

Unfortunately, on Monday there was a 75% off sale at Kate Spade. Right there in the subject line of the email I was supposed to be ignoring. But I couldn't really ignore it, could I? I mean, while I was on a self imposed shopping ban, I really, really, really wanted this one Kate Spade bag and was actually planning on buying it for myself for my birthday.

Now, I know buying yourself something for your birthday sounds incredibly vapid but here me out. Long story short, when I told Dan about this bag and hinted (strongly) that I wanted it for my birthday he advised he would never buy me an overpriced bag . To be fair, Dan always gets me awesome presents so its not like he's being cheap, he just doesn't understand the value of a designer bag. Regardless, this comment angered me, until I realized I don't actually NEED my husband to buy me a bag because I have my own job and my own money and

(queue a Destiny's Child song)

*The shoes on my feet
I've bought it
The clothes I'm wearing
I've bought it*

So basically if I wanted this bag I would have to buy it myself.

I reasoned that it would really be fiscally irresponsible for me to ignore this sale. I mean, 75% off would save me literally over $200 so I had to buy it right that second because who knows when Kate Spade would ever have a sale again.

And so I bought it.

Because *I depend on me*

It is awesome. I am totally not saving it for my birthday.

*Throw your hands up at me*

Highlight of the Week: Dan and I judged the national mediation competition on Saturday and it was a really great time. Both of us were really involved in forensics in undergrad and law school, so it was really crazy being on the other side of the table. It made me really miss competing. Dan rolled his eyes when I said this, and told me that now I do it for real instead of for fake, but the real world consequences are way more stressful then competing for a blue ribbon.

Also, on Sunday we went with our friends to the Mardi Gras parade in Oak Cliff and their little boy totally dominated in the bead department.

(Obsessed with him)

We also went to bolsa for the first time, which is a fancy restaurant in Oak Cliff and it totally lived up to the hype. Everything was so good and the vibe was incredibly awesome.

Lowlight: You know that trial I prepared for all weekend. Yea, we got up to council table and then were informed that they we had to get passed. It got reset for JUNE. Le sigh.

Books: I picked back up Gone Girl- I am really liking it!

Movies: We watched Flight with Denzel Washington. We had not heard a lot about this movie, but decided that it since Denzel was in it, it had to be good. Wrong. So wrong. Not only can I never fly again thanks to a fairly terrible crash scene, but it was also really boring and disjointed.

Photos of the Week:

Someone got in trouble for this mistake.

Toby being adorable.

On Wednesday, the alarm in our office went off accidentally and it was awesome. The firemen walked through the office with an ax and took a ladder to the top of the building and walked around, all while we just sat there watching them, clearly not in danger.

My commute is, no joke, two hours roundtrip every fucking day. Yea. I dropped the f bomb, and I don't even care because that kind of commute is worthy of an f bomb. This photo was taken in stopped traffic on a Friday evening. Because nothing says like "happy weekend" like stopped traffic thirty minutes from your house.

Videos of the Week:

Kadira and Toby playing.

Drinking wine and watching basketball.

Both of those are really boring and I am actually kind of embarrassed I posted them.

Looking Forward to: Valentines Day and the big Gonzaga v. Saint Mary's game.

2013: Week 5

2013-02-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

I can't write much this week because I am preparing for trial, and although I am actually pretty much ready except for memorizing some things, I have to spend all my time obsessing over it and making myself sick with anxiety.

Lowlight of the Week: Basically, this week has been a cluster from the start. I have had a bunch to do and in the meantime have been crazy tired. Like go-to-bed-at-eight tired. (With all this whining I am doing I think that Lilly from Modern Family should call me a Waaaambulence)

Highlight of the Week: Getting this book of post-its.

Isn't it awesome? It was a promotional gift from a court reporter who apparently also is a marketing genius.

Also, Gonzaga kicked ass in basketball I this week. I didn't watch, of course, because I was sleeping, but wins are always nice news to wake up to

Additionally, the Beyoncé Bowl. Oh, and I guess the actual Super Bowl game was pretty entertaining, especially with the whole blackout thing. Oh yea, and the almost comeback thing.

Books: I am not reading anything this week except the inside of my eyelids and case materials.

Movies: We did watch Remember the Titans for Friday Night Movie. Love that movie.

Photos of the Week: Uh, who wants to see a picture of my dinner?

Video of the Week: So, during the Superbowl I was kind of bored so I downloaded the Vine app I keep seeing around. Its basically an Instagram for videos and it is actually really fun. People get pretty creative on it and so far I am a big fan. I made my first video, and couldn't figure out how to post it to blogger. Luckily, it saves a copy so I have the video, it just doesn't loop. I am sure they will fix that at some point.

Looking Forward to Next Week: Sleeping.

2013: Week 4

2013-01-27T16:49:00.001-08:00

My Dad bought Dan a helicopter for Christmas, which was a really good present- in theory. On Christmas day it was snowing and windy, so he could not fly it outside and instead he decided to fly it in the garage. After watching him attempt to fly the dumb thing ten minutes, I finally decided I needed to show him how one flies a helicopter properly. He begrudgingly handed over the controller, and I flew it for a good five minutes perfectly. The controller is really touchy, and the whole concept of helicopter flying is really very technical and requires a woman's touch and grace. I was able to get the helicopter to fly up and down and around my parents' double garage WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT PROVOCATION it crashed on the ground behind some boxes and thrashed about uncontrollably. I screamed in horror and attempted (unsuccessfully) to cut the power.

So yea, I broke the helicopter.

I bring this up because on Monday I walked through the front door after work and heard a loud whirring noise. Suddenly I was attacked by an object about the size of my hand flying through the air. Dan laughed hysterically in the corner. He had returned the broken helicopter and got a new one, in addition to three additional batteries for non-stop flying.

Now don't get my wrong, I am glad Dan is enjoying the gift and he has actually become quite good at flying the thing. The problem is that Dan is using his talents for EVIL and not for GOOD. He likes to have the helicopter follow Kadira around the house while she tries to get away from it. The second Toby hears the whirring noise he instinctively jumps on my lap and curls up to me in fear, while Dan cackles with glee as he lets the helicopter hum perilously inches above our heads.

I am not trying to throw around names here, but if there is ever a better alternative definition of a "domestic terrorist", I think harassing your entire family with a helicopter night after night would certainly be it.

Do you see the way he tried to attack me in this video? Not cool.

Lowlight of the Week: The season finale of Parenthood. Please give me a moment on my soapbox, but this season was really the worst. I loved every season up until now, but this past season was so cliché. Cancer? Teenage pregnancy? I mean come on Parenthood, surely you can do better then that. I kept watching because it still had its moments that made me cry (such as the adoption ceremony for Victor, that was great), but overall I was bored and annoyed. Here's hoping the writers put a little more effort into next season.

Another lowlight was getting our Income Based Repayment forms for our student loans, and if my calculations are correct, both of our raises this year are going to be a total wash thanks to increased loan payments. Also, our raises put us into a higher tax bracket so we are now paying poor in taxes. (Ha, ha, that was actually a type-o that was supposed to say "more" but I am leaving it in because that's hysterical.) Point being, my father will be happy to know that I have once again rejoined the Republican Party. Just kidding, Dad, I may have lost my money but I have not lost my mind.

PSA: Speaking of television shows, are you all watching The Mindy Project? It is my FAVORITE new television show this year. She has the best cold openings, and the writing is just genius. If you are not watching, you should be.

Current Movies: We rented End of Watch last night and I was a big conflicted with how I felt about it but have settled into the decision that I liked it.

Current Book: Back to Team of Rivals.

Photos of the Week:

Lifeblood

I had to work on Monday because the private sector hates MLK and apparently hates Obama too. Just kidding. But I was seriously a Bitter Betty that I was going to miss it, thankfully I was able to catch the speech on the computer.

Someone needed a haircut, badly

Toby post-haircut, he feels like a whole new dog!

Looking Forward to Next Week: The end of January and most importantly the end of No Sweets In January Challenge. A red velvet Sprinkles cupcake is calling my name.

2013: Week 3

2013-01-20T12:31:00.001-08:00

A couple months ago I bought a treadmill and cancelled my gym membership. I figured that whenever I went to the gym I only ran on the treadmill anyways, and I was finding it very difficult to summon the motivation to get to the gym so I figured just screw it! Perhaps I would be better about working out if the gym was in my house as opposed to 10 miles away. So far this theory has been proved moderately successful. I say "moderately" because I really only work out about three times a week, but that's way better then zero so we are getting somewhere.

(FYI, for those of you looking for a treadmill that wont break the bank, I highly recommend the Pro Form 590 T. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a $1000 treadmill, but is sturdy and reliable which is all I care about.)

(Its probably going to break now that I wrote that.)

The one disadvantage to working out at home is that I don't have cable in the room with treadmill. At the gym, I found that I would become very engaged in an episode of Top Chef or House Hunters, and would run a lot longer to finish the episode. To solve this problem, I hooked up a DVD player and am instead re-watching all seasons of Gilmore Girls.

I think that psychologists should study the moment in a person's life when they start identifying with Lorelai and not Rory. It is truly a surreal moment. Additionally, it makes me feel old.

Some thoughts on my new perspective: I don't find Luke very attractive. Yes, he's a nice guy but Christopher is way better looking. Also, I am finding Dean extremely annoying. I mean, I guess he's the kind of guy you would want dating your daughter but he is such a goody-goody and his hair is awful. Also, one of my new favorite scenes is when Lorelei verbally scares the shit out of Madeline and Louis when they run off with those boys during the Bangles concert. Priceless.

Lowlights of the Week: Justin Timberlake's new single, "Suit and Tie". What was he thinking? It is so boring and monotone I didn't even buy it. I can't believe he released that as his first single.

Another lowlight was Gonzaga's last second loss to Butler on Saturday night. What a heartbreaker! I am still upset about it.

Yet another lowlight of the week was that Kadira got hurt at doggie daycare. This situation screams less "accident" and more "not being taken care of". Accordingly, we will not be taking her back there, but we are unsure what we are going to do with her now during the workdays.

Highlight of the Week: Babysitting my friends' three month old while they went on a date night. Dan and I practiced what it was like to be parents. I told Dan if our children don't turn out as cute as Leo I will be very disappointed. He told me to not get my hopes up, as Leo really is the world's cutest baby.

PSA: I am not trying to have a baby. Also, Secret New Years Resolution #10 is not to get pregnant (lots of people have asked me that, that's what I get for being vague).

Currently Reading: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. My friend wanted me to read it and loaned me a copy so I put Lincoln on hold for moment.

Photos of the Week:

Monday morning it snowed in Dallas, which was really surreal. Nobody predicted it and it came down hard and fast, disappearing in just enough time to cause havoc on everybody's morning commutes. I am not complaining though, I miss snow so much.

Speaking of snow, check out this beautiful picture my Mom sent me of her backyard. This is why I miss Idaho. *le sigh*

I go to Starbucks, pretty much everyday. I just need an afternoon cappuccino to pick me up. I go so often the baristas know my name and order.

We spent Saturday afternoon hanging out with our friends at the new Klyde Warren Park. Its named after someone's kid which I think would totally suck. Luckily for the kid, the park is really cool so he doesn't have to hang his head in shame at school. Wouldn't it be horrible to have a park named after you that was totally lame? #richkidproblems.

As I previously said, Gonzaga played a big game against Butler on Saturday that was very sad and disappointing. What was not sad and disappointing was introducing little Leo to his first Gonzaga basketball game. He loved it and didn't even fall asleep.

Pre-game happiness before post-game depression.

Looking Forward to Next Week: Watching Obama get sworn into his second term and hearing his speech. I still remember ditching class and watching him get sworn in for the first time. Can't believe its been four years.