#15 - Cook home meal(s) (41/143)

Tuesday night I made shy poke eggs (TX appetizer) and hot burger steaks.  Now you're probably wondering what shy poke eggs are...they are on a crispy flat tortilla, 2 kinds of cheese (cheddar and Monterrey Jack) and jalapenos.  When put together it looks like an egg with a nice spicy kick, must bake in oven for about 10 mins to melt the cheese.  The hot burger steaks are essentially 2 quarter pounders stacked together with jalapeno pepper jack cheese in the middle, then grilled.  They are so big that I could only eat half of one!  Mom made healthy steak fries, basically cut up a potato, sprinkle with Lawry's and bake for 25 mins.

Wednesday night I made chocolate lava cakes.  You bake them in little 6 oz ramekins for about 20 mins.  Then you pop them out upside down and place vanilla ice cream on top.  They are chocolately rich and yummy!

#15 - Cook home meal(s) (39/143)

Last night I made dinner for my parents. Usually when my parents come to visit they do all the cooking. It's great coming home to a home cooked meal ready to go on the table. Anyways...they reversed it on me last night and I was nominated the chef for the evening. I made my favorite Swiss enchiladas, Mexican rice and re-fried beans. The meal turned out superb and it wasn't that difficult.

First I poached the chicken with salt and pepper.  After cooking 15 mins, I copped up enough for 2 cups. Then I mixed in green chili verde and jalapenos. Next I warmed up corn tortillas, rolled in the chicken mixture and placed them in a 13x9" pan. I covered them with heavy whipping cream and Monterrey Jack cheese and placed them in the oven for 15 mins. The rice I had started earlier, first I browned white rice and then added in chopped tomatoes, onions, green pepper and chili seasoning. It had to simmer for 25 mins. The re-fried beans were easy...they came from a can. In the middle I put some more jalapenos and topped it with Monterrey Jack cheese and in the oven it went. There were hardly any leftovers!

Five Addictions

I've been tagged by Amanda!

Here are the rules: Copy and paste the rule instructions in your post. When posting on receiving the award, make sure you include who gave you the award and link it back to them. Post five winners and link it back to them as well. Post five of your addictions.Add the award image. Let the winners know you gave them an award by leaving them a comment on their blog.

1. Dancing (1 or 2 stepping) - I don't know how I lived without dancing before...I HAVE to dance at least once a month to get my fix.  If I could I'd dance every weekend.  Plus it's great exercise!

2. Cheese - Any way you slice it, it's Gouda! 

3. Coffee - The aroma from a cup of joe stimulates my mind and body in the morning.

4. Vampire movies/books - What's the eternal allure of vampires you ask?  Why are women so attracted to vampire novels and movies?  Beautiful, powerful, seductive, resistance/submission, conflicted (good/evil), etc.  Vampires can be summed up in one word, they are a metaphor for....well, I'm sure you can guess.    

5. Heels - A friend pointed out to me the other day my love of heels.  Most of my shoes have at least a 3" heel.  The tough part, finding jeans long enough to wear them!

Who else?  I think everyone has been tagged....

If I'm allowed to add a #6 it would be naps!  Siestas!

#44 & 45 - Failure

All I'm going to say is darn holidays!

I'm guessing this wont be back on track until the new year.

Happy Holidays!

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" "

~Unknown

#81 - Donate blood at least 3x’s a year (3/9)

3x's the charm!  Tuesday morning I saved a life by donating blood.  :-D

#15 - Cook home meals (38/143)

Monday night I made Chicken Carbonara with butter garlic rice from Super Suppers.  The meal was just OK, there really wasn't that much flavor.  Even with the sauce it was bland, but it was easy to cook!  :-)

[caption id="attachment_341" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Chicken Carbonara with butter garlic rice"][/caption]

#15 - Cook home meal(s) (37/143)

Dinner last night was pink soup (tomato soup) and grilled cheese.  Yummy!

Weekend in Houston

This past weekend Malek and I went to Houston.  We saw BuckCherry perform Friday night at the Warehouse.  They were awesome!  Two bands opened for BuckCherry.  I have no clue who the first band was that performed.  I didn't catch their name and I didn't really care for their music...a little too hard rock/heavy metal for me.  The second band was Drowning Pool...I only knew one of their songs, "Bodies".  I was thrilled when BuckCherry took the stage.  Out of the songs they sang, I knew all but one song!  That's unheard of for me...usually I only know a couple songs.  They were very entertaining and sounded amazing live.  Totally worth it!

#51 - Visit JK in Houston
On Saturday we met up with JK and Travis  at Papasitos for lunch.  I finally got to meet their new baby daughter, Jayden.  She's so sweet!  It was great to catch up, especially since its almost been a year since I last saw them. 

[caption id="attachment_336" align="alignnone" width="448" caption="Visiting JK & Travis in Houston"][/caption]

#15 - Cook home meal(s) [i.e. eat out less] (36/143)

Thanksgiving is a great time to cook and spend quality time with family.  I actually enjoyed two Thanksgiving dinners this year.  The first one was in Ohio with my relatives; Jonathan flew home with me for this one, and I made the sweet potatoes (it's my thing).  The second dinner was back in MI with my immediate family.  Over severl days of cooking I made the pumpkin spice tiramisu, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry crab cream cheese puffs and helped with the pork stuffing.  Whew!  Lots and lots of baking.  It was all worth it because the food was excellent!

Malek and the kids picked me up from the airport after my trip and we headed to the grocery store.  We bought ingredients to make broccoli cheese soup from scratch and mini cheesecakes topped with cherries.

So I think that counts for at least 3 meals.  :-)

#40 - Read more than just fiction novels/books (IP)

Over the Thanksgiving holiday week/end I flew home to MI.  A nice, relaxing 10 day vacation.  Flying it seems is the only time I can force myself to read.  I really should make more time for reading, I do enjoy it.

I read "Twilight" on the way to MI.  The book was OK.  It took about half way through before it really caught my interest.  After I finished the book, Karen and I saw Twilight in the theater; the movie was actually very close to the book.  The 2nd book "New Moon" sounds much more exciting after reading the teaser. (Yes, I realize this is Fiction)

I also started "Eat, Pray, Love".  I'm about 1/3 of the way through this book and am very happy with it.  It's entertaining, funny and I feel like I have a connection to the author given similar experiences.  Now that I'm home though, no clue as to when I'll finish it...but at least it's started!     It's about a woman in her early 30's who goes through a divorce and travels to Italy, India and Indonesia.  The first part really hit home.

1 year review

It's now been a year since I started my 101.  Here's my progress so far:

101 in 1001.. The List!

1. Become a homeowner! (Closed 12/14/07)
2. Supervise my parents and help paint my new bedroom and bathroom (Done! 12/18/07)
3. Play paintball (Done! 11/16/2007)
4. Decorate my new house (Done! 12/30/07)
5. Buy new wine glasses (Done! Dec 2007)
6. Plant trees in back yard (Crape myrtles)
7. Pack up all my stuff in the apt for the move (100% complete 12/18/07)
8. Unpack my stuff in the new house (Done! 12/24/07)
9. Buy Christmas lights for the house
10. Use my standing mixer
11. Buy energy efficient light bulbs (Done! 12/17/07)
12. Buy a lawnmower (Done! 3/17/2008)
13. Buy a weed wacker / edger
14. Meet my new neighbors (12/19/07, IP) - I know the neighbors on either side of me...that's about it so far.
17. Use my hot tub at the new house (Done! 3/24/08)
18. Have a house warming party (Done! 4/18/08)
19. Clean out my pantry (Done! Dec 2007)
20. Set up a recycling system in my home (Enrolled! 12/6/2007)
21. Use my fireplace (Done! 3/6/2008)
22. Go downhill snow skiing
23. Go camping at least once a year (0/3)
24. Run a 5 miler
25. Join a co-ed sports team http://www.austinssc.com/ (Done! 1/30/08)
26. Try a yoga class / tape
27. Buy a new bike
28. Compete in a Triathlon
29. Get back into a cardio step class (started 12/12/07) - Still going on Mondays!
30. Beat my Capitol 10K PR [57:39] (Done! 3/30/2008 [55:34])
31. Go snowboarding for the first time
32. Ride in a hot air balloon
33. Fire a gun at a shooting range (Done! 2/10/08)
34. Put my golf lessons to work and actually play 9 or 18 holes
35. Hit golf balls at a driving range (practice practice practice)
37. Join Dictionary.com Word of the Day Mailing List to help build up my vocabulary (Done! 11/20/07)
38. Move all my pictures from Webshots to a better online digital service website (snapfish?). - Havent found one I like...so I renewed my Webshots.
39. Print off a photo book of my online pictures. Use Webshots or blurb ??
41. Clean out closets and donate clothes to charity at least once a year (IP, 1/3)
43. Make a new friend outside of my normal circles (ongoing)
44. Work out at least 3x's a week [IP] (holidays and vacations permitting) - Not always hitting 3x with the gym, but maintaining exercise with volleyball and softball games. 
46. Learn to change a tire and basic car maintenance
47. Finish this list! (Done! 11/20/07)
48. Take a vacation to Hawaii or somewhere outside the US - Going to Alaska in July 2009! (Yes I know this isn't outside the US but it's still a trip!)
49. Go to a winery in TX or do a wine tour
50. Take a girls trip
51. Visit JK in Houston
52. Take a road trip
53. Stay at a B&B in Fredericksburg
54. Go to the beach
55. Go somewhere new in the US
56. Drive a motorcycle (I've ridden on them, never driven one)
57. Do more things with my hair besides a ponytail
58. Get an electric tooth brush (advised by my dentist) (Done! Dec 2007)
59. Floss more (IP)
60. Volunteer for a good cause (Done! 12/4/2007)
61. Spend more time outside (Done! 4/14/08 and ongoing)
62. Attend Wurstfest in TX (Done! 11/8/2008)
63. Attend Oktoberfest in TX
64. Start using anti-aging creams
65. Eat out somewhere new (a nice restaurant like Jazz, Trulucks, etc) [IP] (Boiling Pot 4/28/08) - I didn't cross this off because I want to continue trying new restaurants.  Have gift cards to Trulucks and North that I plan to use soon!
66. Set up my new computer and figure out how to transfer all the files (Done! Dec 2007)
67. Set up the monkey speakers for my computer that I bought 4 months ago! (Done! Dec 2007)
68. Update the music on my mp3 player (Done! 6/11/2008)
69. Take a sewing machine class
70. Buy a sewing machine
71. Wear more dresses / skirts (23/?) - I've worn more dresses than usual thanks to my mom and all the wonderful dresses she sent me.
72. Get new sleepwear (Dec 2007)
73. Make time for another professional massage
74. Find a new job/role at work
75. Achieve the next level at work
76. Go to a concert in town (Done! 4/28/2008)
77. Go see a band in town (Done! 11/20/07)
78. See an orchestra (Done! 12/26/07)
79. See a play
80. Encourage someone else to do 101 in 1001 (Done! 6/27/2008)
81. Donate blood at least 3x’s a year (2/9)
82. Go on a picnic
83. Do a candlelit dinner
84. Swim in Barton Spring Pool
85. Ascend all 99 steps to the top of Mt. Bonnell
86. Play Frisbee golf again
87. Run around Town Lake again on the weekend(Done! as of March 2008, IP)
88. Go horseback riding again (haven’t been in over 6 yrs)
89. Have a stein-full of brew from Scholz Garten-Texas' oldest German Bier garten. (Done! 8/30/2008)
90. Have a beignet from Crescent City Beignets
91. Buy a new belt buckle (Done! 11/18/2008)
92. Buy a new pair of black everyday sandals (Done! 6/1/2008)
93. Attend a sing a long at the Alamo
94. Work with Guinness on his SA (N/A)
95. Buy a dog run for the backyard or put in a dog trolley (N/A)
96. Take Sarah on a run with me - Does running at the dog park count?  :-)
99. Send out Christmas cards at least once during this time period
101. Blog about this list!  - I think I'm doing a great job blogging....it's actually fun!

Supplemental List

102. Use the raclette my parents bought me 3 yrs ago
103. Start a bi-monthly rotating dinner club (home cooked meals) - Dont' think this is gonna happen
104. Write a Will
105. Take a photography class - Dont' think this is gonna happen
106. Have a girls weekend (just realized this is pretty much the same as #50..so scratching it off the list)
107. Send a random gift to a friend
108. Go to a rodeo (Done! 3/3/2008)
109. Buy a new vacuum (Done! 7/26/2008)
110. Buy a grill (Done! 8/7/08)
111. Home Theater System

Failures:
15. Cook at least one home meal(s) a week [i.e. eat out less] (33/143)  - Not keeping up with this as I should.
16. Actually use my bathtub and soak in a warm bath at least once a quarter. (1/11) - Again..need to force myself to do this...
40. Read more than just fiction novels/books (IP) - Failing miserably.  I plan to read 'Twilight' on the flight to MI this week (yes, this is fiction)...and hopefully read 'Eat, Pray, Love'.
42. Actually use the teeth whitening kit I got 3 yrs ago  - Haven't touched it.
97. Take Sarah to the dog park at least once a month (weather permitting) (14/33) - Since Guinness passed away I haven't been as good about this as I should...the dog park was mostly for Guinness to give him exercise since he was so high strung.
98. Watch some movies off the AFI Greatest Movies list - Yah, haven't even looked at this yet.

#91 - Buy a new belt buckle

Last night I went to the RR Outlet malls to check out Wilsons Leather.  All their stores are closing so they are having huge sales.  Jonathan met me out there and found an awesome belt buckle for me.  I LOVE IT!

[caption id="attachment_311" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Guess Belt Buckle"][/caption]

#15 - Cook at home meal(s) (33/143)

Last Tues, Nov 11th, the girls had a GNO Thanksgiving Potluck at Brandy's house.  I made my favorite Sweet Potatoes recipe to share with everyone.  I chalk this up to making part of a home cooked meal.  :-)

#71 - Wear more dresses / skirts (23/?)

It's getting cooler, but I still managed to wear 3 more skirts/dresses in the past couple of weeks.

         

#15 - Cook at home meal(s) (32/143)

Friday night I made my favorite pasta dish for Jonathan and Jennifer. 

Spaghetti, jalapeno bacon, onions, green peppers, sun-dried tomato basil sauce, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and asiago cheese.  It's so yummy!  A couple bottles of wine, fresh bread and more cheese accompanied the meal. 

#62 - Attend Wurstfest in New Braunfels, TX

This weekend Jonathan and I attended the 48th annual "Salute to Sausage" - Wurstfest!  I can't believe its taken me this long to experience the festival, and I'm half German!  We had a great time, even met up with Monica, one of my co-workers and a few others.  The food was fantastic and the bands entertaining!  It was amazing how much we consumed (food and beer) - thankfully we shared the food so we could try a little bit of everything.   

Food eaten:  Wurstkabob (5 sausages on a stick w/ a bun), fried pickles, sausage cheese balls, crawfish etouffee (yes I realize this is Cajun), potato pancakes with applesauce and a sausage, porkchop on a stick, Belgium waffle fully loaded, roasted almonds, and ended with another Wurstabob.  Yes, we were little piggies.

Beer consumed: 4 pitchers. 

         

Race for the Cure

Sunday Nov 2nd was my 6th year running the Austin Komen Race for the Cure.  I'm actually pretty happy with my race time, especially since I really didn't train for it this year.  Last year I completed the race in 27:15, this year I finished in 28:06.  Not bad!    This year I ran the race in support of my friend Renee.

The next race I plan to run is the Trail of Lights 5K on Sat, Dec 13th at 6:30pm or the Jingle Bell 5K on Dec 14th at 9am.  I wanted to participate in the Turkey Trot 5 miler, but I'll be in MI at that time.  Oh well!

 

Distance	5K
Clock Time	28:36
Chip Time	28:06
Overall Place	883 / 2388
Gender Place	368 / 1498
Division Place	56 / 225
Total Pace	9:00/M

Visitors from Australia

 This past weekend was my 6th Annual Halloween Spook-tacular.  I spent pretty much the entire month of October preparing for this party.  The great thing about this years party was that my friend Karen from high school and her husband Ben flew in from Australia to attend!  I had told them about my party for years and this year they were finally able to make it.  Her brother Seth will be getting married Nov 1st so they came in a week earlier just to visit me!  They arrived late Friday night and we spent that evening catching up.  Early Saturday we went tailgating for the UT game and then were back at the house around 2:30pm for last min food prep and cobweb decor.  Sunday we went to Chuy's for some great Tex-Mex before dropping them off at the airport.  Everyone had a great time and it was wonderful to see them again.

#44 - Work out at least 3x's a week [IP]

Nice!  I've already hit the gym twice this week.  Running 3.1 miles each time as well as sit-ups, leg lifts and arm weights.  I had a VB match on Sunday as well as one today and 2 more on Thursday...not to mention softball starts tonight as well.  So many sports!  At least it keeps me active.  ;-)

The Race for the Cure is on Sunday...so I'll be able to count that towards my workouts.  I was hoping to increase my miles/time, but I guess 2 weeks wasn't really enough time for me to properly train.  I'm not expecting to obtain a PR on this race...I'm just hoping to jog/run the entire time, no walking!  :-P

Back to working out #44

#44 - Work out at least 3x's a week [IP]

I managed to hit the gym twice this week so far and I'm planning on going Friday as well!  I've been slacking for the past couple months on gym time (bad Tina).  I am still involved in volleyball (2-3x's a week) and softball (once a week) so that has helped.  Next weekend is the Race for the Cure so I really need to get in as much running as possible until the race. 

Let's hope I can keep this up after the race.

 

*** Update ***
Didn't run on Friday...oh well, I made it 2x's to the gym and played VB 2x's.

Wonderful past 2 weeks

Well, I've neglected my 101 now for about 2 weeks.  It's just been so hectic!  Here's what I've been up to lately.

Wed Oct 8th- Karen and Laura fly in from MI!!!  Woot Woot!  I'm so excited.  I haven't seen Laura in over 4 years and Karen is one of my closest friends.  They arrive in the evening so we just relax at home with some Long Islands and catch up.  I decided to take off Thurs and Fri to hang with the girls.
Thurs Oct 9th- We all decided to sleep in since we were up till 2am the night before.  I made pancakes for breakfast and we had a nice lazy morning.  Around lunch time we decided to head to the mall for some retail therapy (GIRL TIME!).  Gotta love it, I haven't been to the mall with my girl friends in ages!  Karen bought an amazing purple dress for our cruise to Alaska next year.  Laura and I found some nice work and going out apparel.  We arrived back home around 5pm and decided we needed a GNI!  We ordered Chinese food, rented 3 DVD's (all chick flicks) and drank 2 bottles of wine.    What a nice relaxing night.
 Fri Oct 10th- HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINA!  I am now officially in my 30's and feeling great!  Jonathan came over in the morning to give me my gift (MSU Jersey!) and cook us bacon while I made scrambled eggs and toast.  Breakfast of champions and 30 yr olds!    We then head over to the RR outlet malls for yet more shopping.  By 1pm we are starving and mosey on over to Rudy's for mouth watering moist brisket!  Karen specifically asked for Rudy's on her visit and I didn't want to disappoint.  Jonathan and I then dropped everyone off at home so that we could pick up my brother and his g/f Christina (yup...we have the same name) from the airport.  Wow, I have a full house!  Now this is the funny part....around 5pm us girls decide we need to start getting ready.  All 4 of us are in my closet trying on dresses!  We each were able to find one we liked (quite amazing actually...and all of them were given to me by my mother!) and then proceeded to make-up and hair.  We managed to be ready in time to leave for dinner at Hula Hut!  I think we even surprised the men.  After dinner at Hula Hut we headed to the Warehouse district and 6th street for some drinks, dancing and fun!  I think we made it back home around 1:30am and some of us decided to jump in the hot tub...the last time I looked at the clock it was around 3am.  Not bad for a 30 yr old!


Sat Oct 11th- The majority of us woke up around 9am.  Jonathan made us bacon, Laura worked on the pigs in a blacket and I put together an awesome coffee cake and the biscuit breakfast ring.  Do you think we had enough food?  We turned on the TV to watch the UT game followed by the MSU game.  Grill master Jonathan was running back and forth cooking us ribs, brats & onions and watching the game, while the rest of us napped and relaxed.     They were amazing ribs too!  Saturday night is the night of my big party which my friends put together for me.  We all headed to Players around 8pm for shots, karaoke, food and good times.  It was a great night and we closed the bar down.  I had a pretty good buzz going and we continued to party when we arrived home and once again jumped in the hot tub.  Surprisingly I was able to get up at 4am to say goodbye to Karen and Laura and then was back in bed.

It's great to know I have such amazing friends who care about me and all the time & effort they put into throwing me a wonderful birthday!  THANK YOU!


Sun Oct 12th - Woke up around 10 or 11am, have no clue what we made for breakfast but we did make something (I think it was sausage patties and biscuits), then dropped Christina and Steve off at the airport.  The rest of the day was spent sitting on the couch and catching up on all my TV shows....oh and we had a volleyball game Sunday night.
Wed Oct 15th- Tammy, Brent, Katie, James, Jonathan and I attended the Grahams Central Station Concert for the Cure, featuing Eli Young and Kristy Lee Cook.  Brent was even able to 2-step with Kristy!  It was a pretty good concert, especially since I only knew one of Eli Youngs songs ("When It Rains").
Thurs Oct 16th - La Dolce Vita XIX!!!!  This was my 2nd year attending Austin's grandaddy of them all food and wine festival.  Tammy and Brent accompained me this year to the event held at the Austin Museum of Art on the Laguna Gloria grounds.  Austin's top restaurants are at this event dishing out one or two of their favorite foods.  Needless to say we were stuffed after 2.5 hrs of grazing.  I just love this festival and can't wait till next year!



This past week was spent decorating my house for my annual Halloween Spook-tacular!  I LOVE Halloween and can't wait to see everyone's costumes.  This year my HS friend Karen and her husband Ben are flying in from Australia for the party.  I can't wait!  It's been 2 years since I went to Australia to visit them.

#15 - Cook at home (31/143)  .  With all the breakfasts and BBQing....I think this counts for about 4 home cooked meals.

The big 3-0!!!!!

This Friday I will be 30 yrs young!  My wonderful friends have planned a surprise party for me this Saturday...'surprise' as in the fact that I have no clue as to what the details entail, but they've told me there is a party.    I'm actually excited to turn 30...the only down side I've found is that I can no longer tell someone I'm in my 20's.  Though really no big deal, especially since the 30's are supposed to be AWESOME! 

I'm also excited because my best friend Karen, my college roommate Laura, my brother Steve and his g/f Christina are all flying in this week to help me celebrate in style! 

I'll definitely be rocking the end of my 20's, party like a rock star! 
Club 30 here I come!

#112 - Challenge myself : Go to the movies by myself

I went to the movies for the first time by myself tonight.  Indiana Jones 4 was playing at the discount theater in RR and it was the last night to watch it.  If you’ve never done this before, you’ll be surprised at how liberating it can be! I used to think that I wouldn't like going to the movies by myself...quite the opposite, I really enjoyed the experience.  Not to mention it only cost me $1.50!  :-D

Weekend Fun!

Talk about a fun weekend!

Friday- I went downtown for a co-workers bachlorette party.  We started off at 219 West where they had half priced appetizers until 9pm and $5 martinis!  I had the best blackberry martini, and I'm usually not fond of martinis!  From there we headed to Rain, Qua, Lanai (a new rooftop lounge that served stellar sangria's, we all really liked this bar) and Cuba Libre.  It was a great night out with the girls.


Saturday- UT tailgating!  Malek's brother has an awesome spot for tailgating...this is the 2nd one we've attended.  They served meat on a stick (aka shish kabobs), corn on the cob on a stick, and brats...plus all the side items like chips, brownies, cookies, etc. They even had the MSU game on for me (well, actually I would steal the remote and change the channel).       Go GREEN!  MSU beat Indiana!!!  Stinson came out to join us as well for the TENN game....good lord that woman can yell.  After tailgating we headed over to Katie & James house for a BBQ, poker, Wii and other games.

Sunday- We rested!  Watched a couple TV shows, did some laundry, went to Lakeway to visit Malek's mom and drop some stuff off, came back and watched more TV, munched on queso (yummy cheese!), then had a VB game at 9pm.

It was a great weekend!

Fun gifts from my mom continued

More dresses as I continue to open 1 gift a week.  :-)

These dresses are different than what I would normally wear.  I usually wear more form fitting (classic A-line), very simple type of dresses.  The dresses my mom have sent me have bright bold patterns and empire waists.

#3 - a soft blue dress
#4 - a white dress with green shoulder straps and blue/green stripe detail/trim
#5 - a halter top style white dress

*** Updated 10/29/08 ***
#6 - My favorite!  The brown, yellow and beige dress that I wore for my b-day.    See pics above

#81 - Donate blood at least 3x’s a year (2/9)

I donated blood today!   2x so far this year, yay!  It's great that the blood center comes to Dell, very convenient.  I need to fit in one more donation before the end of the year....that puts it close to Holiday time which will make it more difficult.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Fun gifts from my mom

My 30th birthday is coming up and my mom sent me a 'birthday gift box' in the mail.  In the box are 6 gifts + a surprise gift!  I get to open one a week until my birthday.  :-D

#1 - a cute flirty fun strapless sundress in greens and blues
#2 - a low cut red funky print dress

I've been on a dress kick lately....and my mom usually finds me some really cute dresses!  Can't wait to wear them.

Love you mom!

#44 & 45 - Work out at least 3x's, Keep weight under (private) lbs

Oh well...not doing so hot on these two items. 

Lately I'm only making it to the gym 2x's a week (#45)...and I've only been running (need to start hitting the weights again or go to Cardio class).  I still have softball and volleyball, so I count those as exercise.  Unfortunately, I still feel I'm not getting as much exercise as I used to or should be....so #45 has suffered as well.  :-(

Guess  these are failures...but I will get back on them!

# 89 - Visit Scholz Garten, Texas' oldest German Bier garten.

Labor day weekend was a blast!

Friday 8/29- A group of us went to Pluckers after work for HH.  There was a really funny guy singing outside about his life stories and then a huge storm hit!  The water was actually coming in sideways and Pluckers had to lower the screens...it even started to flood a little.  Thankfully it didn't last too long, but it was quite entertaining.  Later that evening Christie, Nico, Malek and I headed out to GCS for some dancing and karaoke fun.  No, I did not sing, I'm horrible.
Saturday 8/30- First UT game of the season!  Malek and I headed downtown for some tailgating at his brothers tailgate.  He has an awesome location and they served fish tacos, brats and a few other choice meats.  We were there until the camp headed out to the game.  Since we didnt' have tickets we made our way over to Scholz Garten (# 89 on my list) for some beer and to watch a bit of the game!  It was very interesting...amongst a sea of orange and inebriated fans we found a place to sit outside.  Across from us was this poor chap that was pretty much passed out.  Everyone once in a while he'd try and move and get up but he was fighting a losing battle.  Eventually Scholz escorted him out.  We headed home shortly after that since we were exhausted.  I didn't get to watch the MSU game because it wasn't on TV, had to order Game Plan and I didn't feel like paying that much for it.  We were down for the count by 10pm.
Sunday 3/31 - This day was spent recovering, cleaning house, mowing the lawn, and grocery shopping.  It was a nice low key evening, watching TV and playing my favorite card game hand & foot.
Monday 9/1- Happy Labor Day!  I had a small group over for a BBQ at my place.  Malek did the cooking, and it was awesome!  This takes care of #15 (cook home meals - 27/143) for the week.  Erika brought over an amazing cake and we spent the whole day just relaxing and conversing.  Later Stinson came over to watch the TENN game....and boy was that intense!  It was a crazy game, unfortunately TENN couldn't pull it off...I didn't think Jenn was going to survive.

All in all a great weekend.  :-)

[caption id="attachment_196" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="UT Tailgate 8/30/08"][/caption]

BBQ utensils!

I'm so excited!  Even though my birthday is still a couple months away, my brother sent me my gift early.    He got me my MSU BBQ utensils!  With football season here and BBQing a big thing in TX, I definitely needed these utensils for my new grill.  I'll be breaking them in this labor day weekend for sure!

[caption id="attachment_178" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="MSU BBQ set"][/caption]

#15 - Cook at least one home meal(s) a week (26/143)

Monday night I made jambalaya.  This time instead of shrimp I used jalapeno sausage...and WOW...that really added to the flavor!  I even increased the Cajun seasonings so that it had more of a kick.  Loved it!  To complimented the meal I had fresh bread and several glasses of red wine.

#71 - Wear more dresses / skirts (18/?).  Wore my nice jean skirt to work on Thursday.

Productive Weekend

I accomplished quite a bit around the house this weekend....as well as had some fun.

Friday- Went downtown for The Scabs show at Antone's.  This was my first time to visit Antone's.  A group of us met at Whiskey bar before hand for a drink, then headed over for FlyJack (the opening show)....half way through that we decided to take a break and play some fooseball at Buffalo Billiards.  Around midnight we went back to Antone's to listen to The Scabs.  Unfortunately I couldn't stay out late and was home in bed around 1am.
Saturday- Woke up at 5:30am for a softball tourney but was so out of it that I asked to pass on playing and went back to bed.  However I was back up around 10am to mow the lawn, weed the flower beds, clean out the garage and then reorganize it.  It was so hot outside too!  I was sweating like crazy, very sexy let me tell you!  Then around 2pm I headed to Hanover's to play some volleyball and then went to a BBQ party.  I didn't get home till 10pm and was wiped out!  I had wanted to go out dancing but my body fell asleep on me by 11pm.
Sunday- Yet more house work!  Mopped the floors, repaired some torn clothes, did all my laundry, cleaned the hot tub and ran a few errands.  I'm quite happy with myself for being so productive!     To finish off the night I had 2 volleyball games in Pflugerville followed by some Ben & Jerry's icecream.  Yummy!

Weekend fun!

Friday:  My friend Brent celebrated his XXth birthday!    We had dinner at Chuy's followed by drinking games and dancing at Water Tank Too.  I haven't played quarters in years!

Saturday:  Tax free weekend!  Malek and I headed over to the Domain for some shopping.  I finally used my gift card from my b-day last year to buy my 7 of all Mankind jeans!    I'm so excited!  I also had a gift card to Banana Republic and bought a new pair of dress slacks and a shirt.  I think we arrived back at my house around 5pm and invited Stinson over for some burgers.  That's right, #15 (25/145)- grilled home made burgers!  It was such a nice evening that we dined outside on the back porch.  Then it was off to a friend/co-workers football party where we watched some of the Dallas game, Olympics (go Phelps!) and competed in the annual arm chair throwing contest.  I actually took 1st place for the girls and won a bottle of Crown Royal.  *** Does it really matter that only 2 girls signed up, and about 10 guys??? ***

Sunday:  #97 (14/33) - Sarah was in desperate need of a trip to Emma Long Dog Park.  We haven't been out there since Guinness passed away.  It was a nice hike, though a little muggy, and Sarah actually went swimming all on her own!  No coaxing.  For lunch it was Smokey Moe's BBQ (love the chopbaker!) followed by a 2 hour nap.  Later on in the afternoon Malek and I played cards for a couple hours and then headed to our volleyball game, for which we had our first win!  Go team!  Afterwards I caught up on all my Big Brother shows. 

What a great weekend!

#15 - Cook at least one home meal(s) a week (24/143)

I might not have cooked this meal...but I still ate a home cooked meal on Wed!  Malek came over after work and made his favorite Zita Casanova.  This dish contained chicken, pasta, spinach and a home made sauce....plus add garlic bread to boot and we had a lovely meal!  Then it was off to softball.  :-D

#15 - Cook at least one home meal(s) a week (23/143)

Last night I tried out my new grill!  We grilled jalapeno sausages with flour tortillas and baked potatoes....the potatoes were nuked in the microwave since we didn't want to wait 45 mins or so to cook them on the grill.  Yummy!

#110 - Buy a grill!!!

#110 - Buy a grill!!!
I've been without a grill for a little over 2 years...and unfortunately my George Foreman didn't count.    Now that I have my own house I figured it was time to get a grill!  For the past 2 weeks I've researched grills on-line and visited Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe's and a few other places.  As of last night I am now a happy grill owner!  I bought the Char-Broil Designer Series Grill from Home Depot...and it was even on sale!  While I did laundry and played with my hair, Malek put together the grill.  It's so pretty and just the right size for me!  I can't wait to use it.  I think it's time for my first BBQ party!    I do still need to buy a tank and a different grill cover (the one I got was too big)....I'll procure those next week.

*** Picture coming soon of my grill and me ***

 I think I might also have to get this propane tank cover.  :-D
OMG!!!  And this BBQ set.

[caption id="attachment_133" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Grill"][/caption]



[caption id="attachment_145" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="My new grill!"][/caption]



#71 - Wear more dresses / skirts (17/?)
I wore a cute blue and chocolate polka-dot dress on 7/27 for two baby showers, last week I wore a nice black dress skirt, and this week I've worn two skirts!  Go me!