Trust me.

So...in the midst of my Austin story telling, my apartment was smashed open by an unknown offender and robbed like a muhfuhkuh.

You can view the rest of my pics here:
http://http://noctrl.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011870&l=18946&id=64600816

Some highlights include:
-ice in Texas
-gross weather
-mini margaritas in the Real World Austin house

Mechanical bulls probably still work in the cold or Austin - Part Three

Saturday:



When we woke up on Saturday, it looked like this outside. It was grey and rainy the day before, but this day's weather had an added element of gross...it was now 40 degrees. The shorts should have gone back into the suitcase for the remainder of the trip but I was stubborn and decided to still wear them. I WAS ON VACATION! We woke up kind of late and I ran downstairs to see if we could still catch breakfast, but they were dead set on on closing up shop at 11am. Luckily, there was an IHOP right down the street from us and we headed over there. I wish I had a picture of our waitress because she was so very pregnant that she would almost knock stuff off of the table with her belly as she reached to put your plate down on the table. Nice girl, very preggers, with neck tattoos.



After our brunch at the trusty IHOP, we headed back to the hotel. All of the flower work that was done the night before was scheduled to be done on Saturday, so we really didn't have much to do during the day. I went down and fought off the University of Colorado Women's basketball team (true story) for use of the fitness center, and Sarah continued working on the wedding present.



Later that evening was the rehearsal dinner, and it was way down south of Austin. Over an hour's drive, very close to San Antonio. Thirty or so more miles and we would have been passing the Alamo. The area we ended up in was country as country can be. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the "restaurant" that we were at was the only one in town. Very very nice place, but more of house that serves food than anything. We passed the above exit on the way down there and decided not to get off.





Sarah and Maria (bride-to-be) at the dinner. All of their family and friends were just really nice and sincere people and we could not have been happier to be down there and be part of all of it. There is something to be said about small weddings because of how personal and intimate everything tends to be.





After the dinner, we headed back to Austin and hit up a grocery store for beer, a cheese ball, crackers, and a bottle of champagne (for the girls the next day before the wedding). I had to break into the restaurant in the hotel (it didn't have doors, so I pretty much walked right in) and stole a plate and a knife for our cheeseball. We (mostly me) were hungry already so I devoured half of the cheese ball and crackers while Sarah finished the quilt and I watched the end of the football game. The finished product is above (notice the first picture has me sound asleep under it...she was up late again).

Side note: I can't believe that "PREGGERS" isn't in Blogger's spell check list.

Super sunny and warm vacation or Austin - Part Two

Friday

I woke up early, Sarah was still awake, and we eventually got ourselves out the door. It was surprisingly warm outside so we walked the whole way down to the blue line stop instead of calling a cab. The trains were pretty full already with closed-eyed early morning workers, but we managed to squeeze our bags in there and get ourselves out to O'Hare. I've never taken the train to the airport before but it ended up being very convenient and easy.





Sarah happy to be on another trip together, me happy with the screaming kid behind us. We actually hadn't left the gate yet. The flight was quick and easy and we both tried to sleep the whole time, but I don't think either of us fell asleep for more than a couple minutes at a time thanks to the previously mentioned toddler.



We made it to Austin. 70 degrees and raining and I was happy because I could still wear shorts in the rain. We picked up our Mazda 3 and headed downtown to find something to eat and our hotel. Above is Sarah driving us past Stubbs BBQ. It's a BBQ place and concert venue in its backyard. This is also where one Gordon Mays and one Kevin Manno attended a party as personal guests of David Cross...memories. Stubbs has good food, but it is kinda like the Hard Rock Cafe sort of place in Austin, meaning that it is sort of touristy (you can get Stubbs BBQ sauce all over the country in grocery stores including Jewel and Dominicks), so we headed to a place that is always slammed during SXSW called Ironworks BBQ. I've been there a handfull of times and it is easily my favorite place to eat in Austin.








We devoured our trays full of meats and spicy sauce and washed our hands with wetnaps. If you are ever in Austin, go to this place, and be sure to grab a bunch of toothpicks.

After we ate, we attempted to find our hotel. The first try proved unlucky and we ended up at the wrong place, which was fine because it was sort of out of the way. We eventually found the right place and got settled in (mainly took itty bitty naps because we were exhausted already). A little bit later on in the afternoon we needed to go meet up with the bride-to-be at a flower wholesaler. Sarah was doing all the flowers for the wedding and they needed to get all the supplies. It was a pretty cool place for a flower shop, it was in an old gas station. I forgot the camera.

From there, Sarah and I parted ways so she could go with the ladies to work on the flowers and do girly pre-wedding stuff like giggle and drink wine. I was invited, but I politely declined. I'm sure they were just as relieved. I hopped in our Mazda and headed back to the hotel where I took another nap and then made plans to meet up with homeboys from Austin...




We went to a place called BarFlys, which happened to be really close to where we were staying. It was a really cool bar, and probably a place I would hang out at if I lived down there. No gimmicks or anything, just a rock and roll bar with a kickass jukebox and very cheap beer (which I had a bunch of).



Normally, I would eat mexican food after drinking a ton of beer, but I had no idea as to which of 76 mexican places near me were good, so I decided to find a Sonic...and I found one. It baffels me as to why we get the commercials for Sonic up here in Chicago, but everytime I see one, I always crave their slushes and it was time to feed that craving with a cherry-lime slush and a jalapeno cheeseburger. The south is good.

It was late and it was getting chilly out, so I went back to the hotel to tear into that burger and fall asleep with a dyed-red mouth. Sarah came in much later with no pictures to share, but very happy with the flower situation.

(Sarah took pictures of all of the flowers she did at the actual wedding on a different camera, so those will surface at a later date I would imagine.)

Pack your bags, we're gettin' out of here or Austin - Part One

I realized that most of my vacation days or days off from work have been spent in Austin, Texas...a place that I really have loved since first laying my beautiful brown eyes on it a few years ago. So in an attempt to keep that streak alive, the queen and I packed our best threads and headed down south for good ol' Texas weddin'.

K. Dubbs threatened me with some messed up stuff if I did not document this trip (she has never experienced the Austin), so it goes as follows:

Thursday

When planning my winter vacation, I decided to take Thursday off to relax and pack and run errands at my own pace instead of a rush around before our early morning flight on Friday. This was a good idea until about 8pm, when I realized that I really hadn't accomplished much and I was in fact, behind. I did manage to get out to Woodfield to pick up my new suit that was being tailored to my curvy body and say hello to my parents for a little bit.

Eventually, I began the packing process. This time was easy. Going to the Lonestar State, you must pack your cowboy shirts. Done.

Sarah was actually further behind than I, but her excuse was valid. She did not take the day off and sit in sweatpants for most of the day on the couch. Regardless, she was preparing for what would eventually become an "all-nighter" as she worked on the quilt that we were giving the happy couple as a wedding present.



Our kitchen table hasn't been a kitchen table for most of our time in this apartment...it is a sewing table. Nevertheless, the sewing table in use. It is late.



After I made a comment about putting things off until the last minute and informing her that I would be calling it a night... 4:30AM alarm would be blaring in a few short hours.



And this is where I would leave her until my alarm went off. She never went to sleep.

Trust Game.

Please consider this a peace offering.

I have been absent from C5K for longer than I have wanted to (not that I wanted to at all), and I just wanted to tell my dearest friend, Dubbs, that I will be back. I have many a thing to discuss and this is my promise that it will be done very soon.

Halloween, I got a cat, I'm getting old...oh and I hate my hair.

A smorgasbord of subjects to touch on today...

Hallowiener

Living on my own and handing out candy that I paid for myself makes me bitter about giving it away to people who don't even try. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about the kids whose parents may not have enough money to buy a costume so they paint thier faces with mom's old make up and go out to get some candy...at least they did something and they are appreciative of what you give them. I'm talking about the snot nosed 14 or 15 year old brat who came to my door with a sheet hanging off of his New Era hat with a Jewel bag and just rang the door bell and expected me to throw him some tasty starburst or skittles...ummm Hi, WTF happened to Trick or Mother Fuckin' Treat?!? That's what it's called, so say it you little dick head. Next year, I'm buying "deserving candy" and "undeserving candy" The deserving kids will get good shit...the undeserving teenagers that need to be at home helping their own parents hand the shit out will get a slightly less appealing piece of treasure. Still candy...I'm not looking to get my pumpkins fucked up or my siding glazed with egg yoke...but come on. Give me a fucking break dude. If you're too cool to wear a costume, I'm for sure too cool to get off my ass while I'm watching my shows and give you the candy that I'd rather eat myself. For realz.


I prefer "Spinster"
We got a cat this weekend. Someone here is allergic, so I promise to keep the cat blog to a minimum. To sum it up, he's adorable, a terror, his internal alarm goes off at 5 am, he loves me and I still haven't thought of a name. We are leaning towards something...maybe it's Jerome...maybe it isn't. I haven't decided yet. What do you think?



I'm old and I'm so over myself.

Saturday night, I went to bed at 11:15. Sunday 10:30...last night, fell asleep watching tv at 9:30 and was told to go up to bed at 10:30! Point being, I'm exhausted and I'm really not doing that much to be this tired. I need to exercise...it's becoming necessary. I may wake up tomorrow and suddenly be 72. Seriously. Lastly,I kind of hate my hair now. I'm over it. I'm not really much for change. I like things the way they are...but every once in a while I get "crazy" and decide to do something like, I dunno, cut bangs in my hair. This happens mostly when I'm bored, have a day off and think things like cutting bangs when you haven't had them since you were a freshman in High School is awesome. It's probably not. Sometimes I like them, but mostly I think I look like a beagle. That's right, I said it. A beagle.

But alas, hair grows back right? What makes it grow faster, besides getting knocked up?

I'm going to watch some skell-ivision with my old pal, Conan. Goodnight and happy Halloween to everyone who is "deserving" of such warm wishes.

ghoul,
.K.

America's Next Top Employment Scandal???

I was going to post about last night's episode of ANTM...but while searching online for junk about it, I found this:

Don't work it!

Apparently, the writers from ANTM are on strike. Who knew?

"We are on strike seeking a union contract to insure we get basic benefits like health insurance. One episode of America's Next Top Model brings in an estimated $2.4 million in ad revenue for the network. Yet the writers work without health insurance, a pension, or a fair wage."

Shame on Tyra Banks too...she isn't supporting the people who create what sells the show. I guess I never thought about writers being behind all of it, to be honest the 'dialogue' of the show isn't what draws me to it, but I guess someone has to compose the "TYRAAAA MAIIIIL!" Right? Instead of supporting her writers, Tyra chooses to roll around on the set of her talk show, having seizures and giving away jewel encrusted jars of Vaseline to every audience member, which she states on the show are each worth over $100!!! That money wouldn't be better put to use to cover the health benefits of those writers? If you'd like to have an aneurysm, you can see that here.

Dis-gust-ing.

Lols at Lisa being on the picket lines for the writers though. At least she isn't bitter about being portrayed as the "old drunk" who was shown voluntarily peeing herself in a diaper in front of the Jackass jackasses on her cycle of the show. Hell no, she's capitalizing on that shit...selling t-shirts of her bikini clad silhouette guzzling a bottle of wine. Oh Lisa. I'm in the wrong industry....

Anyways...I hope those writers get their benefits. Will I stop watching ANTM, no...at least not for this cycle. I love Caridee. She overcame psoriasis for God's sakes.

Back to work. Wahhh Wahhh.

K.

Age ain't nothin' but a number...

Tomorrow is my Mom's birthday. She is going to be 55. I love my Mom, if I was in kindergarten I would make her a big heart card out of macaroni and glitter. Instead I will eat Chinese food with my wacky family and enjoy the fact that I have such an awesome Mom. That's how much I love her. She so obviously loves me too.

Some things I have learned from my Mom:

• My sense of humor and quit wit.
• The importance of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and the Lido Shuffle.
• How to be a true good friend.
  
• Creativity .
  

Some things that are awesome about my Mom:

• Her cackle.
• Her ability to put someone in their place in her "mom tone" with a full smile on her face.
• Her stories.
• The fact that after hearing those stories, she is still such a good person and isn't in a loony bin.
  

Anyways, she rules.

Happy Birthday to her.



I look weird there, like I just woke up...it was easter, so maybe I was just tired from celebrating the resurrection or maybe I just gobbled too many ham sandies. But Ma Dubbs has eyes open and mouth closed as not to see her trusty gum wad...so we'll roll with it.

In other news...I don't have a Halloween costume, or Halloween plans for that matter. Somehow as I've gotten older, the whole idea of Halloween has become less fun to me. We are having a "pot luck" at work and I have to bring something but I'm not dressing up seeing as the e-mail specifically warned against "explicit" or "offensive" costumes. So all the ideas I had were out.

I wonder when the benefits of growing up are going to kick in? Beuller? Beuller?

We got a new coffee machine at work. Probably one of the sweetest things to happen since I've worked there. It's called a Flavia. Admire it in all it's glory:



It's brilliant. It has 30 different drink options from coffee to tea and I'm in love. Much to my chagrin though, it's only a trial until Friday. I filled out three surveys saying how much I liked it. It makes friggin' Milkey Way flavored drinks. One of my co-workers compared the hysteria regarding the new machine to Pretzel Day on "The Office", so true. I totally see a mutiny coming on if they don't sign a contract to keep this magical contraption. In the mean time I will be trying my best to sample as many drinks as I can. Please keep me and the Flavia in your thoughts and prayers.

Lastly, this is probably one of the best human interest stories I've ever seen. It's kind of slow in the first couple minutes, but stick with it and you won't be sorry. SkidBoot

That's about it for now.

Don't be an asshole.

k.

"Hindsight isn't just 20/20..."

"it sticks it in and then proceeds to break one off..."

...vulgar deep thoughts from my brother that pretty much sum up life altogether. This weekend wasn't terrible, it just existed. Much like many things in my life right now, I'm looking back with the "what I should have done was..." glasses on.

Factual information:

-I was more than consumed both Friday and Saturday by this:



I have never been athletic, never played sports, never considered myself a "competitor" by any means known to man, but put this game in front of me and I'll probably not be your friend by the end of the night. This would be either because:

A) You are my teammate and I scold you continuously for not giving good enough clues, or not guessing my EASY description of famed Jefferson's actor Sherman Helmsley.

or

B) You are my competition and I've talked shit to you for the entire game because my team is winning.

You probably are better off with option B.

You may wonder what the hell this has to do with the subject of this post, and I'll tell you...this game is nothing but hindsight at it's best. You or your teammates telling eachother what you should have said in order to describe the word better...you beating yourself up because as soon as the buzzer goes off, you thought of the perfect clue to describe some obscure person, place or thing.

In all, I take this game way too seriously, but I totally have had thoughts of studying for it. Because I want to win.

-When I graduated from college, I moved back in with my Mom and Dad for a year before moving out and investing in some prime suburban real estate with my domestic partner. While living with my parents, I have no idea where the good "adult" salary I made went. I'm guessing gas, food, cigarettes, alcohol, bags, shoes, and clothes that I probably don't even wear anymore. I paid soley the minimum on my credit cards, which also paid for all of the above while I was in college, and never gave a thought to trying to pay down my debt. If I could go back to that time I would probably punch myself in the face or throw a glass of water at myself in order to snap the eff out of it and get down to business! But, alas, I am yet to harness my powers of time travel, so I sat in the dark on a Saturday night wallowing in hindsight and trying not to become a drinker as I figured out how much and how long I'll have to pay in order to be where I should have been by now and realizing how much of my money goes to household bills which would have been considered "disposable income" back at old Ma and Pa's. This part-the money part-is where the whole "sticking it in and breaking it off" really comes to play. I'd rather if you didn't try to visualize that, thanks.

Other events took place which aren't really any of your business, but to sum them up they included: hatred of others, sad day, fried chicken, the sweeds, perspiration, being a miserable wretch, first times and hopefully last times in the Jewel, back stabbing, that whole blood and water thickness thing...and getting roses even if it is a madeup holiday which really makes everything I just said in the above paragraph not so important.

Let's try to have a better few days okay?

okay.


.K.

if I've learned anything in my years....

I learned I no longer believe in surprise.

I went to The Falcon show tonight. I'm glad I did. Good show. Got to see my pal G. And after the show, going to purchase my souvenir t-shirt...I saw him again?


VS...


Wierd? Wierd. You may have had to be there. But it wasn't just me. Some fine folks from the "Q" were promoting the morning show outside and I overheard them commenting on "Gordon's twin" also. Slightly depressed, less good looking, and repping the "other, non-madormo" college station, but still...it's pretty creepy.

speaking of creepy...







.k.