It's Wednesday, hump day, again. The difference this time is that I have been doing the mad work thing for the last two days and today feels like a holiday, not a hump day. All of the events that we had been planning for months, litterally, all came and went in two crazy days. At the conclusion I managed to get home early and sleep on the couch for two glorious hours. In honor of said event, here is what I learned, in no particular order.

1) In dealing with Europeans, specify dress codes in as much detail as possible as to avoid any number of the following: pointy, purple shoes strangely reminiscent of Santa's helpers on crack, shirts with images of couples resembling the Kama Sutra (no joke!), black bomber jackets (in Texas, in June...nuff said), belly shirts, and glitter (Note: All rules are void if said European resembles Robbie Williams, anything he chooses to wear is fine)

2) If you don't know the answer to a question...lie. Or at least use the tried-and-true corporate phrase, "I'll get back to you on that."

3) If you pretend to be busy, you will not be bothered...except by Europeans

4) In dealing with Michael Dell it is best to smile, nod and do whatever he asks

5) It is always appropriate to drink (a lot) with co-workers after said event is complete. Playing shuffle board, choosing songs from the juke box, whoopin' ass at pinball and watching the "mom" of the group do tequila shots are all signs of a great corporate event!

Summertime

Summer officially begins tomorrow. Days that seem to go on forever, picnics in the park, fireworks on the 4th; good friends, good food and good drink; birthday parties, amusement parks, and late afternoon lounging...I do like the summer! Tomorrow, at approximately 2:10 pm, take some time to welcome in the season of summer vacations and memories that will last well on into the winter!

In honor of such a fun time of year I have included a couple of quotes that, I think, perfectly describe the season.

"That beautiful season the Summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."
~Ada Louise Huxtable

Wow, I'm just realizing that it is already Wednesday. The week is flying by, and me not blogging...oops!

First things first...the trip to the beach this weekend was AMAZING! Muchos gracias to Ally (and her parents) for letting the whole crew come and swing sand around their beach house. Despite the constant rain threat, I managed to have a great time sleeping on the beach, losing my (much loved) sunglasses in the ocean and bruising up my legs playing NERTS!...what a fun game!

Funny part about the whole weekend is the inclusion of the parents. I often wonder at what age will we stop mooching off of the people, who I am sure, are ready to see us fly off on our own. This whole vacation was made possible by the kind hearts and open pocket books of a friend's parents. No problem in my book but a curious thing indeed. I wonder at what age it will no longer be cool (and necessary) to bounce from one friend's parents house to the next as we make the rounds visiting eachother. How long will it be until I come home for a visit and me and my man stay in a hotel room, not in the back bedroom at my mom's? Then again, why stay at the hotel when you can stay at your mom's? It is an interesting question for sure. One to which I don't know the answer. I mean, for the most part I am a grown up and am fully capable of supporting myself. Then again, maybe this isn't even about being able to support yourself. Perhaps it is just about learning when to embrace the comforts of family and when to opt for doing it on your own.

I realize that I am talking in circles and raising more questions than answers, but it's my blog and I'll wrote what I want to! All I know for sure is that happy hour is with the girls tonight and this may very well be a fun topic of conversation.

It's the little things, And the joy they bring

I've been listening to india.arie for the past couple of days in my car. She is the perfect person to listen to in traffic, so calm and spritial--road rage be dammed! Anyhow, this song, Little Things, was on and it makes me happy. Case in point: I had the best Caeser Salad today and it has made me so content. Hmmm, who knew lettuce could bring joy!

I just wanted to share. I'm having a good day. Nothing big, just lots of little things.

I'm trying to write a "Top Ten" list...it's hard! How does Dave do it every night? Oh yeah, he has people whose whole job it is to think of ten reasons why someone should do anything! Grrrr...(that's me pouting)...I'll keep trying but I don't promise a positive outcome...

I must admit, yesterday was an almost perfect Texas day. Although I spent the majority of it strapped to my desk at work, the time out of the office was great. The weather was nice: not too hot, not too cold and no rain despite the always immenent threat. After work I went to the gym (gasp!) and had a great forty-five minute workout of cardio and lots of ab work which I definitely feel today. Then I had a yummy dinner and gathered the girls for a dip in the pool. (See, I told you it was a good day--I initiated swimming!) Nothing special I guess but just perfect anyway. Viva la Summer!

Why is it that wine goes straight to your head? There is probably some easily explainable scientific reason for it but that doesn't so much concern me. What does concern me is this: No matter how I try to escape the inevitable light-headed fuzzy feeling, I am no match for the grape.

Case in point: Last night I made dinner for friends. A lovely paella with chicken and sausage which I chose because none of my dinner guests had ever had paella before. (I must admit that I debated the dinner selection for a quite a while as it is a complete no-no in my Atkins plan, but I have been falling off of the wagon a lot lately, this just had a much louder thud...but I digress.) In any case where I am making dinner for friends, I turn on the record player and usually partake in a cockatil or glass of wine while preparing the dish. It adds to the mood of the evening and the preparation is just as much fun for me as actually eating the meak and enjoying the good company. Well, last night I opted for a little Linda Ronstadt and no cocktail, iced tea instead. Perhaps this break in tradition is where the problems began. Nonetheless, as the guests arrived I grabbed each of them a drink and popped open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Fast forward: A bowl and a half of paella and two and a half glasses of wine later, I'm a bit buzzed. It just sort of snuck up on me! I did my best to hide my intense need to giggle and I think that my guests never suspected that their hostess had become her own cheap date.

Which brings me back to my original point: Why is it that wine goes straight to your head? I didn't over do it by any means, but two glasses, some light conversation and good food and I was ready for bed. This is not the first time that wine has gotten the best of me, and I won't even begin to tell you about the dangers of the bubbles in champagne! But one thing is certain, no matter the type or circumstances under which it is consumed, I am no match for the grape!

Boredom: the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest

This is the definition of the word and state of being that has completely infiltrated my daily existence. Today's activities consist of staring at my computer with a slighty dazed yet intense expression as to give of the illusion that work is actually being done. Typing into the Blog also acts as a facade as the clicking of the keys give off the false idea that I am working diligently on something important...I am not.

Even lunch is boring--chicken salad on a low carb tortilla, salad, and fruit--Atkins be dammed! Not really, just saw someone eating pasta and it made me a little testy, it will pass, it always does. The whole week has been pretty uneventful as I spend most of my time being sucked into the ill-fated summer television programming. There is a Fosse special on PBS tonight, this could serve to be the high television point of the week. I did manage to squeeze in a movie last night, Finding Nemo--I highly recommend it! One of the cutest movies I have seen in a long time.

All of this idleness really makes me feel like I should find something new and exciting to do, or maybe just finish up all of the stuff that was new and exciting in the beginning but has since lost some of that joy, i.e. scrapbooking. I'm making dinner for friends tomorrow night and then going to visit another over the weekend. The mid-week boredom will pass, of this I am certain, only to return again next week right on schedule. Wednesday really is hump day!

Hmmm...perhaps I should rethink Atkins...I can still smell the pasta!