Reflection on 2007

Its New Year's Eve again and again I look back on the past year and think "Wow that went too quick!" I didn't even get a chance to start any of my new years resolutions, how could the year be over already. As I get older the days go by quicker and all of a sudden its the last day of the year.

The only resolutions I am making for 2008 is to "stop and smell the roses" a little more often and to be happy. I mean real happy like when I was younger and couldn't wait to go to school because I would get to see all of my friends. It will take some effort on my part to make sure I am truly happy but its only up to me to make it happen. Hopefully I can plan a few mini vacations to ensure I "stop to smell the roses" in the upcoming year. I few trips to Texas to make sure I get to know the new addition to my extended family, a girls only trip and maybe if it goes my way, a trip to Europe. I would love to take a week off of work in the summer too, just to hang out and enjoy the weather but with the other vacations I want to take, that might be a little far fetched.

My toast to 2008 : "Here is to bringing in a new year. May it be whatever you want it to be! Cheers!"

Happy New Year!!

Birthday Pictures

I wanted to share a few pictures from the party my mom and Willie threw for me.

J and me, I guess its ok to look silly on your b-day



My mom :)
Grandma and my cousin

My sisters & Dad
My brother and Ashley

Merry Christmas

It's the end of the day on Christmas and I am exhausted. It has been non-stop since I got up this morning and thankfully I took tomorrow off from work. My mom, Willie, my brother and my Dad came over the house for breakfast and to open gifts. It was the first year since my parents divorce that I was able to spend Christmas morning with both of them. Surprisingly is was a lot of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy the morning. Of course my mom got us too much but I know she loves to watch us open gifts even though we are not youngsters anymore.


Immediately after we were done, we were off and running, getting thing prepared for the family to arrive in the afternoon. This was also the first year that I was going to host the family party which is a little over 30 people. Thankfully my mom and Willie helped me prepare and clean up for the party. Instead of having it at my apartment, I was able to get the community center for the day in our complex and it was the perfect setting for that many people. Usually when we all get together, it is a little hard to visit with everyone because we are spread out in different rooms but this year we all were in the same room and not cramped. We had a fest for dinner and after that my uncle surprised us with old home movies of my moms family. He brought the projector and screen and we sat around laughing for a few hours watching my family on those movies. My grandma was in her glory and it was sweet to watch her reminisce about each movie. In between reels we opened some gifts and ate dessert. Everyone left around 9:30 that night, we had to clean the center and unload all the items I had to bring over.


It is quiet in my apartment, J is home visiting his family and my mom just left. It is nice to have a little time to myself to unwind and relax. There was a little something missing from the holiday this year but it was a good a day. Spending time with family at the holidays is always a great feeling for me. I hope everyone I know had a great one too.


A few days after Thanksgiving, J and I went tree shopping and found this perfect tree. Neither one of us ever had a tree so big and full but this one is our first tree together and is perfect.

Officially 30

It's official, I am 30. Its so strange to say I am 30 when I feel no older than 23. Yesterday was the "big" day and my friends made me feel very special. I was hoping that I could lay low at work and just have my department know it was my birthday but my friends made sure that everyone knew.

The first call I got from reception was at 11 am and Maureen told me that I had two packages downstairs waiting for me. Nancy and I walked downstairs to pick up my items and it was flowers from Carrie and Shan and a flower "cake" from Linda. C and S sent 32 flowers, tulips and iris, the card read "Sending you 30 beautiful flowers for a beautiful person with an additional 2 for hugs to celebrate our best friend's birthday. Happy Birthday to the girl who doesn't look a day over 21!" I have said this many times but I'll say it again, I am very lucky to have the best friends that I have. The second call I received from the receptionist was around noon and she was snickering as she told me I had another package waiting for me. As she was telling me this, it occurred to me she was giggling about the item waiting for me so i asked her "by any chance is my package balloons?" She said "yeah, wait until you see them." I could feel the red creep into my face as embarrassment set in. I knew that my friends couldn't let me enter 30 quietly and the balloons were here to let everyone know how old I am. Before I explain the balloons let me explain where I have to go to get them. I work for a travel agency so the reception area is not private. customers and employees alike are there and on this afternoon there were a lot of customers. The area is also the farthest point from my cube so getting the balloons back to my desk means going by almost everyone that I work with. By the time I enter the reception area I am sweating and red in the face with embarrassment. I open the door and I can see way on the other side of the room, a 7 foot monstrosity of balloons, with a huge sparking 30 balloon on top. I couldn't believe it, they scream "hey look at me I am 30 today and I want everyone to know." i tried grabbing them and getting out of there as fast as I could but no luck, everyone gathered around to look at the balloons and ask me how I feel to be 30 etc. The one older gentleman that was waiting in line actually starting to sing happy birthday a little. Needless to say by the time I got back to my desk, I was so hot that I had to take my sweater off (I was wearing a button up shirt underneath it). Then everyone in my department came over at once to star at my balloons, they couldn't believe how tall the bouquet was. The only thing you could see over all the cube walls was the big 30 balloon at the top. The staring at the balloons went on all day. You need a special badge to get into my department and employees from other departments were knocking on our door to let them in to see the balloons all day. My friends made my day feel so special and important but I hate all the attention. I know when I say that, most people may think I just say that but really I hate the attention. The best part is that C and S turn the big 30 AFTER I do so as I told them..pay backs are coming. :)

It is a tradition with my mom, brother and I to have dinner on our actual birthdays and I picked Shogun as the restaurant I wanted dinner at. It is a Hibachi Steak and Seafood House where they cook the food right in front of you. J, my friends Marissa and Jen and my brothers friends Mia and Katie joined us for dinner. It was such a great time!! My mom had never been there and loved it so much she "hinted" that her and Willie would love to come to dinner there sometime. So I bet you can't guess one of their gifts from Santa is... hmmmm? :) We started at the bar with a drink until my brother and his friends arrived and than they sat us. We ordered some sushi for appetizers along with cold and hot Sake and Marissa ordered a bottle of Champagne for a birthday toast (thanks girl!!). The sushi was great and the sake and Champagne were very tasteful! We ordered dinner and waited for the show to start. Each table gets their own chef who makes everything, including the fried rice right in front of you. Our guy was amazing with the knives, flipping the food around etc and pretty funny. Once dinner was over, the waitress came to the table with a wig and kimono wrap for me to put on as they sang Happy Birthday to me in Japanese. I was embarrassed but the champagne and sake made it easier to enjoy. They took a picture of the whole group and put it in a frame for me. However, everyone at the table took a picture of me with their camera phones because the wig is just too silly.

All in all my day was fantastic. I even received a special text message from Anthony (pretty good for being 3 weeks old) here it is.. the message said "happy birthday auntie K" Too cute I tell ya.Thank you to everyone who helped make my day special!!

My mom did throw me a party the Friday before my birthday with my family which was a lot of fun. Pics to follow shortly.

Good Bye 20's

Today is a sad day of sorts...it is my last full day of my eventful 20's. The last decade has been an adventure that prepared me to enter my 30's with all the tools and confidence I need to be successful. No one explains that once you leave high school the world transforms in front of you as you grow and experience different situations. I am thankful that I learned life lessons with the very good and bad situations that happened through my 20's.

As I turned 29 last year, I started to stress about the big 3-0 and all the things that I had not accomplished before that age. It only occurred to me a few months ago that i should be proud of my accomplishments and who I am as I look forward to 30. I am an independent, loving, funny, confident and successful woman who with all the life changing events in her 20's, really found herself. I used to stress a little over not being married, having kids, and not having my MBA, etc. because those are "goals" that I set for myself when I entered my 20's. I realize now, that if those events had happened before now, I would be a different person, I wouldn't have had the time to find out that I can be independent and happy with myself.

As I see it, I am lucky the way my life has played out so far. I can't wait to see how the next 10 years of my life will be. In my opinion, every decision you make today will have some effect on your life for the rest of your years on earth. The decisions I have made in the past 10 years have gotten me to this place in my life which gives me confidence that the next 10 has something good in store for me.

There are a few people I would like to thank for guiding, supporting me and getting me through my 20's without any major damage. First and fore most, My mom. Than my friends, Carrie, Shannon and Linda (what would I do without you?), my brother and last but not least, all the people that I encounter that taught me something about myself ( even if you didn't mean to).

So I welcome my 30's !! I can't wait to see how I survive them :)

Mom & Baby are Good

I am relieved I finally got to talk to the new mommy today for more than 5 minutes. Anthony was down for a nap and she was up to chatting on the phone so I called and we chatted for45 minutes. Shan sounds fantastic and says everything is going good so far. Last night was the first night at home and no major mishaps occurred. Her dogs are interested in the new noise maker but are very well behaved and actually one of her dogs, Tyson, guards the bassinet.

I have to say that Shannon was and is still so calm about being a mom. I have seen new moms freak at everything or some that worry too much but not her she seems like she has been a mom for a long time. Maybe working with 1st and 2nd graders for the last 6 years has trained her to have patience but whatever it is, when I was talking to her it was just like any other day. She did say its so new and a little overwhelming but nothing too major. I still can't get over that she is a mom, I have known her since we were in 9th grade and sometimes I think we are so young but really life has flown right on by. If you were to ask us when we were younger how our lives would be when we grow up, we would have said that all of us (the brain) would live on the same street with our families and have weekend BBQs etc. Life has taken us in different directions but our friendship has never wavered. It has only gotten stronger and we know now that it can withstand anything, including distance. Thank goodness too because I wouldn't know what to do without my two rocks that is for sure. By the way Shan, Anthony is the perfect name for your perfect baby!!

Here are a few more pics that mommy shared with her friends and family.

Welcome Baby Anthony

Congratulations to David and Shannon for their new bundle of joy, Anthony David!! He was born yesterday at 11:37am, he is 6 lbs, 13oz, 19 inches and has a full head of black hair.

Thank goodness for technology!! I am a few states away but felt like I was there with all the text messages of updates and the picture I received 30 minutes after he was born via the cell phone. He is absolutely adorable and I can't wait to meet him in January. The coolest thing about the hospital Shannon is in, I can log onto a website and watch her and the baby anytime she wants me to. We can instant message each other while I am watching or talk on the phone so I can see her and Anthony. I would be in the dark with out technology.


So Congratulations again to the new Mommy and Daddy!! Love you all!!


PS... Happy Belated 29th Birthday to Carrie, too bad he wasn't born the week before :)

Happy Belated Birthdays!!

I feel bad that I have missed some birthday wishes to my friends and family so this are my belated b-day wishes.

MaKenna

Happy 8th birthday to my youngest niece MaKenna. She turned 8 in October and is really just adorable. She loves being the center of attention!! She is a cheerleader just like her big sister and loves the things most 8 year old love, Hanna Montana, High School Musical and clothes. She has already circled all the clothes she wants from the Limited Too catalog for Christmas. She is so tall already at 8 that I can only guess she will take after her mom in the height department. Watch out when she gets to be a teenager :)

Mary as Elvis

Happy Birthday Mary!! Mary's birthday was on Halloween. She dressed up as Elvis for work and won a few prizes for the outfit. I did remember to send her flowers which she ended up with two bouquets because the first one she got was not the one I ordered for her. I can remember the first day i met Mary, it was my first day one the job and she was super friendly when we were introduced. I didn't talk much at first because I am super shy when I meet new people but after her and I started talking, we never stopped. She is hilarious and a great listener. I love hearing the stories she tells me about her son, he is a character. Thanks Mary for always listening :)

M, Marissa and Me

Happy Birthday Marissa!! Marissa's birthday was earlier this month and I have been so busy that I haven't even gotten a chance to celebrate with her or give her presents. I met Marissa at work and is one of the few woman I met that was actually nice outside of work. She is a great friend, and is always a lot of fun to be around. She has a 2 year old that is just absolutely adorable. I just adore her, she has quite a personality and she is smart. She mimics anything Marissa does or says which is always entertaining. Marissa is lucky to have such a great child but really she deserves all the credit for the way her daughter is. I am lucky to know Marissa and her family. Sorry the birthday wish is late girl!!

My cousins and My gram

Happy 84th birthday to my Grandmother. Minus some joint problems, my gram is in good shape for her age. My grandfather passed away last year which has taken a little toll on her but she has coped better than any of us expected. My cousins on the picture go over to her house once a week to watch movies with her and she loves it. They mostly watch modern movies like Elf with Will Farrell or her favorite Blood Diamond. My grandmother used to be a social butterfly but now that her knees are not keeping up, she looks forward to us visiting with her or take her shopping. I used to live in a house behind her and I would love the summer and spring evenings when we would sit on her porch and talk. She loves to gossip about the latest news of the family or about the next door neighbors or even what is going on in her favorite soap opera. I loved listening to stories about how her and my grandpa met or what he was like before he lost his hearing etc. She has her moments were she drives me crazy but overall I adore her. In a time where most woman stayed home to take care of the family, my grandmother insisted that she work. My grandfather only agreed to it when the youngest child went to school and only at night. So she worked over night at a hospital as a nurse (LPN) and was really good at what she did. I can tell she loved doing just by the way she tells the stories. She is 84 years young and I hope she sticks around for awhile.

I think I am all caught up now. :)

I almost forgot.... Happy Birthday to Hailey and Crystal!! They are J's nieces and I just met them last January. They are great kids and a lot of fun to be around. I am looking forward to seeing them for Thanksgiving.

OK I think I got everyone now :)

Happy Birthdays All Around!!

November is a very busy month my family for birthdays!! My brother, my oldest sister Sherri, my niece Kayla, my grandma, three of my cousins and two of my friends.

Kayla

Happy 18th birthday to my niece Kayla!! I can't believe she is already 18 and ready to head off to college next fall. I remember when she was born, she was the cutest little girl I had ever seen, she stole my heart the moment I held her. I haven't always been there to see her grow up since she is a military brat but she has turned into a remarkable young lady and I am lucky to be apart of her life now. I am excited to see her go off to college and start the best time of her life. I have to admit that I am a little jealous, I would give anything to start that part of my life again. I keep telling her to enjoy the next 4-5 years because there will not be another time like it again. Its so exciting and nerve racking leaving high school and the friends you have had for years but its worth the experience!! I am taking her to the Spa on Sunday for a girls day of pampering for her birthday. She had never been and wanted to go so that's were I come in and make it happen.

Sherri, V,R,dad and me

Happy 45th birthday to my sister Sherri!! Oh man .... you are so close to 50 :) Just kidding. My sister was 15 when I was born and had the great duty of babysitting me. I was cute but not always the best behaved little one. I would throw myself on the floor screaming for no reason. I am sure it was to get attention but my family says when the fits happened they were out of the blue. My poor sisters!! They tell me that I was like a little doll to them and they loved to dress me up but I am aware I was a brat. Not much has changed :) Sherri was always my big sister, I was in her weddings, I worked for her at her bridal shop, I went to her when I needed decorating or fashion tips. When I was only 5 she became a mom, to my nephew and what a great mom she is. As most moms she wanted the best for Matt and she did just that. He is very successful in the Air Force, working his way up the ranks while starting a family of his own. I know he will be a great father and husband because she set the right examples for him. She provided him with strong family morals and showed him how to be caring and understanding. I give my sister a lot of flack about the things she is into or for the way she is but it is out of love. I really admire the mountains she had overcome in her life and I am proud she is my sister. Key Key loves you :)

I hope both of you have wonderful days!!

HAPPY BITHDAY DJ

It is a day late but Happy 27th Birthday to my little brother DJ. Well that isn't the name he was given at birth but that is the name he has been called since day one.

Me, my gram and DJ Christmas 2006

On November 7th, 1980 Harold Douglas Jr was born and according to my mom, its the day I became a mini mom. My sisters are much older than my brother and I and when they found out he was named after our father, they decided he would be called DJ. Even when he went to grade school, the teacher would call his name "Harold" for roll call and he wouldn't say a thing. Finally my mom had to tell them that he only answers to DJ. Than he got to high school and most of the teacher he had, knew him as "Kristy's little brother." I know he would have preferred Harold over that label any day. Not only did the teachers call him that but everyone older than him in that school referred to him as that. He actually asked me one day to tell my friends that his name is DJ not "Kristy's little brother."

When most babies are learning how to talk, my brother was humming and I was translating for the family what he needed. As my sisters and parents recall, I was the only one that knew what each hum was for and there were many different sounding hums that he made. Finally one day, he was humming for a glass of water and my mom told him he couldn't have it unless he said water. Not long after that, he was talking but not too much because I never stopped talking. My mom likes to tease me and says "you haven't stop talking since the day your were born." I can't help it, I don't like silence of any kind, it makes me nervous. I am pretty sure I inherited that trait from my dad which is funny because growing up, my brother and I would hate it when he talked to random people at the local corner store or anywhere in public. I do not do that, I just talk non-stop to my friends and family... you lucky people :) As J has said in the past "You always have something to say" I don't take that as a bad thing and he didn't mean it as a bad things its just true.

My brother and I have had some great times and some bad times but overall I am lucky to have him as my sibling. Now that we are older and no longer live with each other, we are great friends. I am happy that we got to celebrate his birthday yesterday with our parents and close friends. It was a great dinner and running down memory lane is always a good time.

So Happy Birthday little brother, hope you had a fantastic day!

Halloween

Halloween, a day for anyone to dress up and pretend to be a character of some sort. Younger kids love the holiday because they get candy or the whole day at school is a party of some sort. Adults get dressed up for the holiday to encourage the kids to participate or just to feel young again. Whatever the reason, people seem to love to celebrate Halloween.

Personally, I have not liked this day since about 4th grade. I remember being uncomfortable getting in a costume for the day. There was so much pressure to have a great costume and I didn't have a mom or grandma who made my outfits. I usually went to the local retail shop and picked an costume from there but it either never fit correctly or after I got to school, I realized my outfit was ridiculous. Even though the days leading up to this holiday were stressful for me, I conformed and dressed up each year to get a sack full of candy. Which, as it happened, I never really ate all of it. Needless to say, I was very happy the year I was "too old" to go trick or treating.


Than I started working in my career and to my surprise everyone dressed up for Halloween at the company I worked for (Co X). Not only did everyone dress up but they had contest and a parade, just like grade school. All the anxiety I felt when I was younger instantly came back when the topic came up. The accounting dept I worked for had won 1st place the previous 2 years and they were determined to do it again. I didn't want to dress up at all but I also didn't want to be included in the group activity, especially because I was new. To my relief, the department decided to be a 70's basketball team. We went to a sport store on lunch one day and got shiney basket ball shorts, t-shirts, tall white socks and hand bands. Than we all went and bought Afro wigs which made the costumes. We did a skit along with the outfits and came in 1st place that year again. For the next 4 years that I worked at Co X, I participated and dressed up for the holiday.

Work- 70's Basketball team

Along with dressing up for work, came dressing up to go out the Saturday before Halloween to the local events or clubs. I wasn't very excited about this either but I figured I wouldn't be the only one in a costume so why not. Also I still didn't want to be the "wet blanket" of the group either. Yes, peer pressure has a huge effect on me when it comes to group activities. Last year was the first year I really put a lot of thought into a costume. The Variety Club of WNY, throws a Halloween Bash at the Central Terminal. It is a great venue for this type of gathering. All the monies raised goes to the Variety Club which is a great organization. Last year, it was freezing, the terminal did not have heat and the bathrooms were outside (Johnny on the Spots). I was a punk school girl and J was a punk Rocker.

Me, M and J-2006

The bash this year was much better than last year. They had heat, the Johnny on the spots were inside and the set up made the flow of traffic easier to manage. Knowing what to expect this year also let me have a little more fun with my costume. We ordered it online and I got a wig, false eyelashes etc to make the costume complete. I did have to go buy a back up outfit though because the costume didn't come in until last Friday, 24 hrs before the party. I was a little nervous when I put on the costume and realized how short and low-cut the dress was. I am a conservative dresser so this was out of my comfort zone. But once I put on the wig, the eyelashes and makeup, I took on the persona of the costume and surprisingly I loved it. I loved knowing that if someone I worked with saw me, they would not know its me. It was fun being Veronica (yeah we named her) for a few hours.

Halloween 2007

We went to the party with our friends, M and E, J and T. M was a playboy, french maid, E was Hugh Hefner. J and T were pirates. The costumes were great and we had a blast. Here is a link to some other photos taken by people at the bash #1 Halloween Bash Pictures.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANE!!

Since I won't be around today to celebrate your birthday, here is a little song for you,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

Flowers for your B-day :)

I hope you have a wonderful day!!


On another b-day note, my Great Nephew( yes my nephew, who turned 25 yesterday, has a son) Robert (little Bobby) is turning 1 tomorrow. Matt, my nephew, is stationed in Japan so I haven't met the little guy yet but he is adorable. Tomorrow also marks the 1 year anniversary of getting my nose pierced. I had always talked about it but I finally had it done on the day I officially became a Great Aunt. At the time I was already having trouble seeing 30 coming around the corner and than you add that title to it all, I had to do something so the piercing of my nose it was. I love that I have it!! Now that turning 30 is only a couple months away, I welcome it. I have come to the conclusion that age is just a number, its the way you feel that matters :)

My New Car

It has been a long time since my last post but I have been so busy with work, the new living arrangements and all the other things life has to throw at you. As busy as I have been, I finally found time to go car shopping.


In the past on a couple of occasions, I have bought a car without any real research or thought process. My previous car, a 1998 Saturn SL1, was bought just because it was affordable and available the day I went to test drive it. The car before that, had just been totaled by a deer on the thruway and I needed a replacement and so for the last 7 years, I have driven my Saturn without any major complaints. Now don't get me wrong the car is 9 yrs old, over 120K miles so it has it's quirks but really no major catastrophes. It was very good to me and to be honest, I would have kept it until it stopped running but a few minor problems (the sunroof leaks when it rains etc..) added to up to be expensive repairs so off car shopping I went.

I am a very independent person but when it comes to car shopping, I always need someone there for a second opinion or just as a sounding board so I enlisted J to come along. Before we even went into a dealership, we decided to pick the top 3 or 4 cars I was interested in and they would be the first ones I test drove. Immediately, I new my top two, the VW Jetta and the Dodge Charger, the third choice came about by a comerical I saw on TV, the Ford Edge. All 3 cars completely different but before I went test driving, I wasn't sure what I really wanted. Luckily for us, the Dodge, Ford and VW dealerships are close by so we just went down the street and hit the places as we came upon them.

The first stop, the Dodge place. The Dodge Charger is such a manly, American car and I was excited to drive it myself. Last year we went to TX to visit J's brother, who owns a Charger so I have ridden in one but never got behind the wheel of one. The first thing I notice when I got into the car was the room it had. The get and go the car had was awesome and the sound of the car was great!! I love when cars sound like they have balls ( the only way I can think it put it). Actually one day, I eventually want to restore an old muscle car but for now I will enjoy the attempt at the new muscle car. :) The sales woman was very nice and to my surprise not pushy at all. She let us test drive it by ourselves and when we came back I she was on the phone so I handed her the keys and said I would let her know. She smiled and thanked us and off we went down the road to the Ford place.

As soon as Jon the salesman greeted us, I knew I was not going to buy a car from this guy or dealership. We started off being up front and letting him know I was not buying a car that day and I only wanted to test drive the Edge. Jon started to ramble on about the Ford Focus and what a nice car it is blah, blah, blah. I wanted to say "if I was interested in a Focus, I would have mentioned it" but instead we listened to his spiel while he escorted us to his desk. I was a little annoyed that he had us sit down before I even got into a car to drive. After asking us few questions, he finally had us go outside to test drive the Edge. Its a very nice "crossover" car and had a lot of room but after I thought about it, it was too much room for just me right now. After getting out of the Edge, Jon kind of insisted that I drive a Focus so I did. It was a nice car but that all it is a car, nothing fancy, nothing special its a sedan. He was selling it to me like it was best thing since sliced bread. Jon also kept referring to J and asking him what he thought of the cars and what he wanted to buy etc.. J handled him well he said "It doesn't matter if I like the car, she is buying it and driving so I am just here for the ride" and Jon could not remember J's name and referred to him as Justin (after telling him 3 times the correct name). After the Focus Jon wanted to come and sit at his desk and he started to talk numbers. HELLO!! I SAID I WASN'T BUYING A CAR TODAY. But he insisted, we let him talk and than thanked him for his time and out the door we went.

Off to the VW dealership down the street and around the corner (sort of) we went. Let me back up just a little, I have wanted a VW Jetta since I was a Sr in high school so for over 10 years. I can remember the first VW car I ever saw, it was an old VW rabbit and I loved it. As the years went on, the VW Jetta's became more sportier looking, sleek and sophisticated, just making me want one more. To be honest it kind of is my dream car, other than the muscle car I want to rebuild. We arrive at the dealership about an hour before it was going to close and we are greeted by a very tall (st least 6'6"), slender man named Dan. He was very friendly and spoke with an accent not sure how to describe it but he does speak spanish so I am sure it ties in with that. As we did in the previous two places, we stated that I was only going to test drive a car so he said no problem, and brought around a Jetta for me to drive. The 3 of us get into the car and now I am driving a Jetta. I knew than that I wanted one of these. I wasn't sure what I wanted in it but I knew I wanted a Jetta. When we were done, Dan had us sit down at his desk too look over the inventory they had and to ask a few more questions like if I wanted to buy or lease etc.. We thanked him for his time shook his hand and went home.

I really wanted to say right than and there that I wanted the VW but I knew I had to think about it. So the thought process started my choices either the VW or the Dodge Charger, both having excellent selling points. It took me about 5 days and a lot of discussion with J that I decided I wanted to lease a VW. Luckily for me, J had offered to fund a small loan for a down payment with the agreement I would pay him back (of course) so we had some bargaining power when we went back. I was so excited that I didn't even want to talk about in fear that I would jinx me getting a VW.

We went back to the VW place about a week after the test drive, met with Dan to let him know I wanted to lease. He was a very honest salesman, yes that sounds like an oxymoron but he really was. When I told him I was thinking about using my current car as a trade in he said I would get more money if I sold it on my own and actually he is right I would. Than when he was going through his inventory of cars he kept telling me not to pay for things that I will not use. We ended up at two cars, one with cloth interior, 6 CD changer etc... sort of the basic model and the other was more done up. Leather interior, sunroof, seat warmers, 6 CD changers, satellite radio, a place to put my Ipod that plays on the radio, and chrome accent. I asked Dan to run numbers on both cars, knowing that I probably would be getting the cloth seat one, which is what I was looking for. I didn't go into looking for new cars thinking I was going to walk away with the car I did. So the numbers were ran and it turns out there wasn't that much difference in monthly payment so I of course I choose the one with the bells and whistles. I had to wait for a few days to actually pick up the car but it was well worth it.

Here are a few pictures of the car, which was taken out front of the new place. My best friend C asked me if I felt like I was apart of the "in" crowd now driving to work, (she was teasing me), I told her no but I feel grown up now, no longer in college. My Saturn was my college car, which when you are in college, who cars what you drive. I have had a "career" since I got out of college but just now and maybe because I am turning 30 soon, I just feel like I am saying goodbye to the 20's. Whatever it is, I do love my car.



Thanks J for all the help!! Love you honey

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REL!!! ... Bye Bye Summer

Today is the first day of fall which is J's dad's birthday and a time to say goodbye to summer. But first.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY REL hope you are enjoying France. Yep that is right, J's parents are in France for two weeks which just happens to be the same time as his dad's birthday. What a good idea for celebrating.

Since it is the first day of Fall, I figured it is the perfect day to post some of my favorite pics from this summer. It went by too fast but it was a fun filled one. I hope the Fall doesn't go by as fast, I am not a fan of winter in my neck of the woods.

Enjoy the photos

It Could Be Worse

Have you ever over heard a conversation and it made you think about your life? Well today at work, I over heard ( as well as everyone in the surrounding cubes) a conversation between two married women about their husbands and "It could be worse" popped into my head. "It could be worse" is J's philosophy for everything in life, including me, which at the time he said it I thought that was offensive but now I get it.

As most of you are aware, I am now co-habaiting with my boyfriend, J and that was am big deal for me since I have not been successful in the past trying to share my space. There are some things that J does that slightly annoys me and vice versa but after hearing that conversation between my co-workers, I thought my life "could be worse." I actually have no idea how the women put up with what they were talking about. One of them said that she is going to make a chore schedule for her husband so he can't say "I didn't know that had to be done". I am confident J would either laugh hysterical or or find me crazy if I posted a "chore schedule". I mean let's be honest, chores suck but we are grown adults and as a grown adult, you should be aware if the dishes need to be done or the dog needs to be fed. This might sound insane but I really believe that if two grown adults live together and both work full-time, than the house keeping and dinner responsibilities should be split. Or at least something like that. The stories I hear (granted they are mostly from women) make it sound like the men expect the wives to be wife, house keeper and mother. Now that is hilarious to me... maybe that answer the question that so many people have for me "why aren't you married yet" .... just kidding.

I am very lucky to have J!! He and I work well together and I know that if I needed him to do something around the house or he needed me to do something, we would let each other know and would do it without complaining or keeping score. I get why people live with each other and I am glad that it's J that I get to share my space with.

Locks of Love

It finally came time for me to donate my hair to Locks of Love. I have been growing it out for about two years and today was the day that I decided to cut it off. To give you a little background, Locks of Love is an organization that provides wigs to children with cancer that are financially disadvantaged. For hair to be used as a wig, the donation must be at least 10 inches long, in a pony tail or braid. It took me longer than I expected to grow my hair that long.

Here is my hair after growing it for 2 years-

And here is my hair after donating 12 inches to this amazing organization-

I usually wear my hair between chin length and shoulder length but have gone shorter than this before. I love my new hair style and even if I didn't I wouldn't care, my lots of hair will help out a child in need.

Moving Exhaustion

What I thought was only going to be a moving weekend turned out to be a moving week. Dylan, J, and Eric moved most of the big stuff on Saturday. It was a long day since we didn't get the truck until 6 pm and I moved car loads all morning. Everyone was really tired by the time the last piece of furniture entered the new place. Thanks to Marissa and Madison, I had someone to talk to and empty boxes with while the guys unloaded the truck. Sunday came around and we had Marissa, Jen and Tom (a couple that lives in our complex) over for a little bit in the afternoon. More unpacking of boxes later that night and off to bed for work bright and early on Monday morning.

You might be wondering why J and I didn't take any time off of work but really we both work in Finance/Accounting and the end of the month is not exactly a good time to take days off. We went to work, got home, and went to my old apt, filled J's truck with a few items and the wine rack I was giving my brother. My brother is about a 1/2 hour from my old place so the ride was quick but we stayed to visit for a little bit and check out his new place. He and two roommates are renting a really nice old house and J had not seen it yet. We get home and eat dinner around 10, which at the time I didn't know this would be the earliest meal we ate all week.

Tuesday through Thursday schedule went the same way, we get up early for work, work all day, unpack a few boxes, go to one of our old apts and get rid of the stuff we don't want and bring back the stuff we do want. We ate dinner after moving which meant we ate between 11pm and 12 am every night. I was so tired on Wednesday night that I didn't even finish my Mighty Taco before I was dozing off on the couch. The labor of the week was tough, it wasn't just moving boxes, for some reason not all the big stuff went on the moving truck so we had book cases, bikes, etc to move while only using J's truck. Finally on Thursday it occurred to us that we should use my mom's truck also to load things so we are not making 5 trips from the old place to the new place. Oh and our old apts are at least 20 miles (one way) away from the new place and our old apts are not near one another. You also might be wondering why we didn't do a better job in preparing for the move. I have to say, I am really not sure how that happened. I really thought we were all packed and ready to go but I misjudged terribly. J and I both agree that the next time we move, it will be completely different.

Needless to say the week took its toll on me and effected me at work. On Thursday I was so exhausted that i actually fell asleep at my desk. Thank goodness Kristin (who's cube is across from mine) woke me up and not my boss. Now I have been tired at work before and have gotten sleepied eyed but this was different. I had my head resting on my hand looking at spreadsheets and the next thing I know Kristin is tapping me on my shoulder asking me if I was sleeping. Obviously I was and it happened again later that afternoon. You may think, how can you fall asleep at work, but when I am exhausted, and it's super quiet, I can fall asleep easily. I am really surprised it happened twice in one day at work. Like I said thank goodness for Kristin. I mean we were laughing about it but I am sure it would have not been that funny if the Director of Finance came up to me for a report and I was sleeping on the job :)

J and I made it through a really tough week with a lack of sleep without killing one another. We were relieved when it came to an end on Thursday and we could go away for the holiday weekend and relax. We still have more unpacking to do but at least we have a few rooms organized and livable.

Moving Weekend

Moving weekend is finally here and I can't be more excited, exhausted and sore!! I just realized that I haven't made an entry since the beginning of the month. Man time had flown by !! i have been busy getting things ready for the new apartment, cleaning the old one, getting utilities turned on, getting them turned off, you know all the really fun things about moving :) I have had a few fun moments this month that I will have to tell you later about. It has been busy and interesting.

Originally our moving plan was to get the keys today, move boxes, smaller stuff tonight and get up early tomorrow, get the truck and move all the big furniture. However, J, being J, forgot or was under the impression that his mini course started next week. Well it was this week, Mon, Wed, Thurs and Saturday morning. Yep right in the middle of moving. So we are now going to be moving later in the afternoon around 5, that is also when the 1st truck is available so it works out. I was really stressed and annoyed at first but as long as I get to move in the new place with J this weekend, it doesn't matter what time we are moving. Thank Goodness J's friend Dylan is coming into town to help move, my family members were only available earlier on Sat, it would have been just me and him, now that is funny. :) We would have gotten it done but I am sure it will go faster with two strong men than with me helping.

I actually felt really bad for him when he found out he had class this week. It makes for really long days, getting to work in the am, going to class in the pm and packing a few things after class and than doing that routine again the next day. I did go over to his place on Tuesday to assist in the packing and we got a lot done. My apartment had more stuff in it than I thought. It has taken me much longer to wrap every little breakable in newspaper than it has to pack up the rest of the place. I was good and threw out as much as I could for now, I plan on throwing out more when unpacking. I really hate clutter, it makes me feel panicked.

This move is going to be a much needed fresh start for both of us. For the first time in my life, I am fully confident this will be a good thing. I usually have reservation about major decisions I make but not this one. Maybe because I am a little older but I think it is because it involves J :) AS I always tell him, he is the best and I am very lucky!!

More to come on the new place..

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY J-ROCK

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear honey,

Happy Birthday to you!!!

I hope you have a fantastic day!!

Love ya

Baby Shower

After a lot of planning and hard work, the baby shower for Shannon went off without any major problems. It is a tad early for a shower since the baby isn't due until December but this was the only time that she was coming home to visit before the little guy gets here and it was a must that we throw her a shower. Personally, I love planning events, especially for people close to me. As soon as I mentioned to Carrie that I wanted to throw Shan a shower, she pitched right in and together we got it done. I couldn't have done it without her. I wish she could have come into town for the party, it isn't the same without her but we did have a good time.

The day started as usual for me. My alarm went off at 5:30 am and I was up out of bed, getting ready for work. I figured I should get there a little early since I was leaving at noon to finish getting all the items for the shower later that night. We were holding the shower on Friday night, at first we were not sure how this would work, but it turned out it was perfect. I had to pick up the favors from Fowlers Chocolate, pick up the balloon order from Balloon Masters ( the balloon rattles), the balloons from Party City (for a game), put the favors together and get all the decorations and balloons to the restaurant before 5:30pm. The party started at 6:30 but I needed some time to get the room in appropriate baby shower motif. I enlisted my younger cousin Brett to help me transport all the balloons and decorations to the restaurant. Thank goodness he was around, he saved me about an hour of driving from my house to the location multiple times.

Balloon Masters - Rattles

When I got to Frank's (the restaurant), I was not happy at all with the way the room was set up for the party. They had tables put together so they formed one long table for 30 seats. How does that makes sense? It looked more like the Last Super than a baby shower. I found the waitress and waiter that greeted me when I came in and asked them to adjust the seating. They were very helpful and broke up the tables as I asked. I started to get some of the balloons untangled when Shan walked in with grandma and Becky. Right behind them came Betty (David's mom), and his aunts. I was happy to have some help arrive but felt a little rushed. I was hoping to have the room all decorated and babyish before Shan came in. Betty finished untangling the balloons while the rest of us finished all the details. Our friend Linda came early and really helped keeping me on track of the tasks and always making me laugh. AHH the room was finally done, the cake (provided by Betty) was in place and people started to arrive.

Final Product for the Favors

(buggy, bottle, foot and carriage cookie cutters filled with chocolate and "It's a boy" chocolate cigars)

Shannon was glowing and everyone was excited to be able to see her in her pregnant glory. Everyone was chatting, socializing and really enjoying themselves. Carrie and I decided that we were not going to play any games at the shower. I am sure at some time in your life, if you are female, you have gone to a baby or wedding shower and were forced to play the same lame games over and over again. We did get enough balloons filled with pieces of paper that had words printed on them that were related to newborn babies (Rattle, booties, bottles etc..) to tie on each guest seat. After dinner was over, Linda and I passed out thumb tacks and asked everyone to pop the balloon on their chair. The lady that had "baby Acosta" tag in their balloon won the first prize. (all prizes came from Bath & Body Works). Kelli was the winner if that game and picked the travel bag filled with a few items. We had more prizes to give out so we had everyone fill out their name and address on an envelope (for Shan's thank you cards) and put them in a box. Shannon then picked out of the box one envelope at a time and who's ever name was on the envelope, got to pick a prize.

Shannon (left) and Linda

After everyone was finished with dinner, we cut the cake and served it to the guest. The cake was so good!! Half was chocolate with strawberry filing (mommy-to-be request) and the other half was yellow with custard filling. It was time for Mommy to sit down and open the gifts her guests brought her. Everyone was really good at getting her items that can easily travel back home with her and the people who got her bigger items shipped them to her house. It was great watching Shan open all the baby items, she was so excited about each item. Betty's gift was so thoughtful and adorable. She made a diaper wreath that had items pinned to it (wipes, pacifier, toys, etc) and a poem went along with it. I wish I could share the poem, but I can't remember all of it. Anyway the diaper wreath is a great unique gift.

The shower lasted for about 2 1/2 hours (usually they are 4 hours long on a Sunday afternoon) and I was exhausted by the time I got home. Linda, Shan, Betty and family stayed and helped me clean up a little and transport the left over balloons. Betty took the balloons home with her and used them the next day for her b-day party. They stayed full over night and looked great the next day.

I really enjoyed planning and throwing this shower for one of my best friends. She smiled from the moment she arrived to the moment she left the restaurant, which made it worth all the work. Shannon--I hope you enjoyed your party. You have a good start on the items you will need when the little guy comes.

I AM NOT Weird!!

Ok I have to take a moment and vent. I usually keep my posts upbeat and informative but I have to get this off my chest.

I AM NOT Weird ( or whatever people seem to think) that I am not married, do not have kids and I will be 30 this year. I have had enough of other women ( usually) asking me when I am going to have kids or get married. This happens to me more often then I have ever imagined. Especially now that my best friend is having a baby. Whenever I mention S having a baby or used to talk about my friends getting married, I'd get the same reaction from most women "When are you getting married" or " when are you having kids" or my favorite "Don't you want a family?" Of course I do you idiots!! I just didn't know that all had to happen before 30. Now I understand the biological clock thing but I am assuming if science can clone a sheep or a 60 year old woman can give birth, I can still have a family after I turn 30. I almost feel like the people who ask me this think I am weird or something. When this first happened to me ( 3 years ago when S got married), I would say something sarcastic like "I don't see a reason to get married", just so the person asking me wouldn't ask me again. Actually one time I told my supervisor that I couldn't have kids after the 100th time she mentioned having kids to me. I know that is really mean and maybe unlucky to say something like that but I get offended when anyone ( outside my my dearest and closest friends) ask me that. Now when people ask me about kids and marriage, I get angry. I mean lets logically think about this, one it's the guys job to ask me ( no J, this isn't a hint, just a fact) to get married, two in my world, school, career, husband and house comes before starting a family. So forgive me world that those things haven't happened to me yet. It seems to bother other people more than it bothers me. I am happy with my life for now and I don't think its weird or unusual that I am not married or have kids. If you know me, those are events I look forward to but I don't stress about them at all. Well until the 5th woman in one day asks me why I don't have kids etc...

Sorry for the venting but I have had enough. Come to think about it, I would never ask anyone besides my closest friends anything personal like that so I don't understand why I get the questions.

On a much happier note, I saw S today for the first time since she announced she is prego and she looks beautiful!! She is 5 mths along and looks like a glowing healthy, pregnant woman. Tomorrow is her baby shower.. more to come on that :)

Happy 30th Birthday Linda!!

Today is my friend's 30th birthday, the first one out of our group of girls to leave our 20's. As expected, she is not too happy about it and has even told me she was wearing head-to-toe black to work today to "mourn" her 20's. Instead of having a party she wanted a few of her closest friends to enjoy a very nice dinner at Harry's Harbour this past Saturday. I had only been to this location once for a work lunch but I heard dinner was excellent here. We met everyone at 7:30 at the bar and because I was running late ( as usual), once we got there, we were seated right away. It was unusually dead in the restaurant that night, probably because it rained all day and the restaurant is best utilized when you can enjoy the outside deck right on the water. Our waitress, Lisa was very friendly and provided great service to our table. For appetizers, J ordered a Caprese Insalada ( tomato and mozzarella slices with EVOO) and I ordered Grilled Asparagus with goat cheese on the side. Both options were delicious. Then it came time for me to pick what I was going to have as an entree. This is where I usually have problems, especially when there are so many good options on the menu. My eyes searched for just the right item to have but my stomach couldn't decide. I finally after many changes, settled on my original first choice, Mignon with prawn shrimp, scallops, mashed potatoes and applewood bacon cream spinach. It was very good but the steak was perfect, the best item on the plate. J ordered grilled salmon with flavored mashed potatoes and veggies, which was also very good. Neither one of us could eat all of our dinner so J enjoyed them the next day too :) It is so nice to get dressed up and go out to a nice dinner with friends.

J is the next to turn 30 in my group of friends and he too has told me that he does not want anything that involves a lot a people to celebrate his b-day. I don't feel so bad now, I stated at my last b-day that I would not like to acknowledge my 30th in any way. I am sure that isn't going to happen since my mom's fiancee has already told me he was throwing me a party. I have asked J to take me out of the country for my b-day so I can avoid all attempts of a party. I know 30 isn't old but my 20's were amazing, fun and where my all my happy memories come from. I can't imagine ever feeling the way I felt through my 20's again. So I will, as Linda is doing today, "mourn" my 20's on my 30th b-day.

Balloons sent to Linda's work by her best friends :) hahaha

Linda- I hope you had fun and I will be joining you soon in the 30's :)