Top Ten List of Thanksgiving

It's Saturday, the Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie have been gobbled away, the Christmas tree is up and here I sit, typing my list of things to be thankful for. Always late, what can I say.

1. Sid - He is my bestest friend in the world and I know God handpicked him for me. From the moment I saw him covered in grease tuning an old British motorcycle, I knew I was smitten. When he picked me up for a date in Bert, his old red Chevy pickup with big tires and loud stereo, I knew I was REALLY smitten. It doesn't take too long with Sid to realize he has a heart of gold. The rest is history.

2. Family - I love my family and am thankful for each and every member. We sat down for turkey with my Granny, aunt, uncle, parents, and cousins and of course, I was thinking of my loved ones stuffing their faces at other tables across Texas. Driving home, I saw a homeless man pushing a cart on the I-35 bridge, separated from speeding cars by a short concrete barrier, and I thought of the lonely people in this world who spent Thanksgiving alone. I am blessed beyond comprehension and I lift up a prayer for those who don't have a family to be thankful for.

3. Friends - Growing up, I never had a shortage of friends. When we moved to a new town in the fourth grade, I left behind a whole life that could've been, but on the first day of school I met Nicki and we were best friends in minutes. Along with Nicki came dozens of special friends that I would spend the next nine years, until graduation day, laughing with, crying with, loving and fighting with. Some of those dear friends I still keep in touch with (like Joanna, who became a beautiful mother this year) and others not, but I am thankful for each and every one. Moving to Dallas five years ago was not so easy - not knowing a single soul for months - but God gave me Stacey and I could write a bestseller about our adventures and I know I wouldn't be whole without her. Come December, Sid and I will gaze upon the Rockefeller tree with Colin & Amanda and I just heard Sid on the phone with one of his lifelong best friends, Jesse and I can't mention Jesse without mentioning Ryan and I am thankful for their long lasting friendships as well. So, cheers to our friends - new and old!

4. My dogs - Dixie and Bear are my bestest buds. They fill my life with an endless supply of unconditional love and we are happy to reciprocate. Without a house full of dogs, I'm not sure I would be the same person.

5. Starbucks - When Sid and I sipped frappuccinos in the original Starbucks in Seattle, Washington on our honeymoon 6 years ago, we couldn't have known the overwhelming love and warmth we would receive in years to come from a million lattes, mochas, hot chocolates and cups of coffee. So, thank you Starbucks - for warming us when we were cold, for free wireless internet, for Pike Place coffee and three Equal lattes, for cheerful baristas who know me by my name, or my drink, or my Jeep and for your comfy oversized chairs and abundant locations.

6. Great TV shows & DVR- How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, The Office, True Blood, LOST. You fill up my evenings with laughter and DVR lets me watch you whenever I want. From the bottom of my heart, I am thankful for great television on demand.

7. Books - Life would be empty without books. This year, I am especially thankful for the Twilight series for giving us old fashioned romance, vampires, and Edward Cullen. Also, thank you to Charlaine Harris for the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I don't want to imagine my life without great books.

8. My S-pod - Dear S-Pod. I saw you on the shelf at Target and we instantly connected. You were sleek, black and perfect and when I learned you were Napster compatible, my heart skipped a beat, my palms got all sweaty and I had to have you. You complete me.

9. New York City - The city that changed my life. I will see you in three weeks. Please leave a light on.

10. Ann Taylor Loft, Target, Kohls, Macys - Everytime I wear an article of clothing from these stores, I say a little prayer of thanksgiving for their magnificent sales. My closet would be a sad, lifeless room without them.

I could list a million other things I'm thankful for, but 10 is a great start.

Happy Thanksgiving!

More Twilight Already?

**********SPOILERS******************

Thank you Amanda for sending me this hilarious slideshow! It breaks down why the movie is better than the book(it's not better than the book but view the slideshow anyway) in 28 photos and frankly, I just don't have the time to sit and discuss every single scene I loved or hated. (For instance, I forgot to mention how weird Jasper is in the movie, and Edward jumping off the roof of Bella's truck looking delicatable in that blue coat, and the Cullens making Bella an Italian feast and Rosalee breaking the salad bowl, and the scene where Edward rescues Bella from the street punks and then takes her to dinner...one of my favorite scenes in the book...and the prom scene with twinkle lights and the stunning water views, and the tree scene with the sweeping views of the gorgeous terrain, and the bedroom scene that was so incredibly hot that I wanted to drop kick Bella in the face and jump into Edward's arms.......)

Oh, and if you're already irritated and rolling your eyes that I'm posting my second Twilight movie blog in less than 24 hours? Let me quote my man Emmett, "This is wrong, Leigh. They're not one of us!" So he didn't really say exactly that and the grammar is a bit off, but you get the point - if you're not one of us, take a hike! (but come back in a day or two, please?!)

Now, the slideshow! If you haven't seen the movie yet, do yourself a favor and don't click on this link. I know you want to, but don't. Oh, and just in case you miss it like I did, there are photo explanations to the right of the picture.

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/11/slideshow_of_twilight.html#photo=1

So, How Was Your Weekend?

Hi. How are you? Great weather we've been having. I'm fine, mighty nice of you to ask. Did you have a nice weekend? Oh, how lovely. Me? Well, it WAS the opening of Twilight, since you asked, so HECK YES I had a great weekend! Duh!

I'm still floating just a little bit. Ok, I'm floating as light as a tiny bird 20,000 feet in the atmosphere (yes, it's a wee bit chilly) and Robert Pattinson or Edward (does it matter?) is lying beside me on a fluffy white cloud sparkling like a diamond as the sunlight dances on his flawless skin (okay, so maybe he's Edward) and we're holding hands and he's promising me that no matter how famous he becomes (now he's Robert) that he will love me. Only me. And not just love me, he'll adore me. I am his life now, he told me so (right, he told Bella that - shut up) Now he's doing that whole neck kissing thing and I fall into seventeen billion tiny, happy, spectacular pieces.

Nope, even if I close my eyes realllllly tight, he's still not here when I open them. Sigh........

If you read Twilight and found yourself a teensy bit irritated at Bella's use of the word "perfect" and "beautiful" to describe her beloved - watch the movie. You'll understand. I've used both words at least 100 times in a 60 minute time frame as I've discussed the movie with Sid (who refuses to watch it) and Amanda (who saw it with me tonight) and Stacey (who I will accompany on Tuesday to see it...again!) Nothing can prepare you for 2 hours of Robert on a gigantic screen. I was blown away. I'm on a cloud, remember?

Can I be a teenager for a moment? Please? Just for like, one paragraph?

Oh my gosh! [giggles] Robert is like, SOOOO beautiful! I totally want to marry him. Do you think he'd like me, like, if we met in person? Maybe I should fly to LA and sit in my car outside of his apartment. I mean, he totally has to eat, right? As soon as I spot him, I'll run into traffic screaming like a banshee and then I'll fall and pretend to be hurt so he'll have to run to my rescue. He'll look into my eyes as he scoops me up...speaking of eyes, could his be any more gorgeous? OMG - he's like, from another planet! Or his lips? Or his HAIR, which Bella got to pull when they kissed. Biotch. I totally hate her guts. She's not even that pretty. Who am I kidding? She's like, a million times prettier than me. But he'll prefer my sunny personality over her antisocial spazmatic brooding.

Oops - excuse me for just one second, my husband is calling.

Oh. Yeah. I have husband. And I love him. And he loves me. And I'll never meet Robert Pattinson, will I? Oh well. We'll always have Twilight....and New Moon...and Eclipse....and Breaking Dawn.

By the way, I loved the movie!

EDIT: Now that I'm officially back on the planet after my ride on the cloud, I'd like to add that, as usual, the critics are off on this movie. Was it perfect? Of course not! They had a budget of 37 million dollars! The first Harry Potter had a budget of 125 million! Do the math, see the movie, and you'll easily feel compelled to forgive a few less than spectacular effects. I wasn't in love (I didn't say I didn't like it, I said I didn't love it) with Robert Pattinson's representation of Edward in the beginning of the film and because I adore the books, I can't seperate if my sentiment is based on his actual performance or the fact that he played it differently than what I envisioned in my head reading the book. I did, however, love everything about his performance once he and Bella admit they can't be apart. On to Bella. I'm not a fan of Kristen Stewart. All along, my friends and I were anxious that she might singlehandedly destroy this movie. The clips of her in the trailers supported this theory. But, I thought she was fantastic. She was beautiful without trying, she was strong but emotional, and her chemistry with Robert was dead on. Speaking of chemistry, did any of you notice that her and Jacob had plenty in their scenes together?! Wow! I can't wait for New Moon! As for the supporting cast - holy cow. Brilliant! They were all so perfect, so exactly as I imagined. Emmett, Rosalee, Alice, Esme, Carlile, Charlie, Victoria, James, Laurent, all of Bella's highschool pals. My only complaint is that I wanted more of them! Where was the friendship between Bella and Alice? I understand some things had to be cut for a 2 hour movie, but Bella and Alice's love for each other should not have been one of them. As for the baseball scene critics are whining about - get over yourselves! I loved it! And as for the ending which people are complaining about - I loved it too! I don't understand why people are saying it varies from the book? In a literal sense, yes it does. But the implication is soo there in the book, so I don't understand the whining. So, did I LOVE the movie. YES!!!!!!!

Psycho Suitcase Packer Girl

As you all know by now from me mentioning a billion times, we are flying to New York City in December with our great friends Colin and Amanda. After catching a segment on Regis & Kelly about airline deals and fees, I thought, "Hmmm, wonder if Continental charges baggage fees?" Sure enough, they do. Sigh. $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second. I guess it's time for me to stop packing like a teenager and start packing like an adult.

Here is my normal suitcase routine:

"Let's see....what to pack? [menally points to item in closet] That would look fantastic with jeans and my black heels. But...what if I'm feeling fat that day? Better grab that AND that just in case. Now, for t-shirts. Green? Brown? Red? Blue? Hmmmm....I'd hate to only have the green and then wish I'd packed the brown. [Grabs 10 t-shirts and stuffs in bag] Now, which jeans should I bring? Those make my butt look big, those make my butt look small, those look fantastic with boots, those are too tight in the waist but look great with a blousey top. Oh, heck. I better pack all of them, just in case. I would be so disappointed without a selection to choose from. [Without hesitation throws 10 pair of shoes ranging from Nikes to boots to heels in bag] Now for sweaters. I love that black cashmere but what about that black wool sweater? They're almost identical but...yep, take 'em both. [grabs ten sweaters of varying colors and textures and stuffs in bag] Now onto to scarfs....red, black, brown, white, green, polka dot, plaid...who can possibly know what scarf she'll need ahead of time because it totally depends on my mood at the time!? [throws entire scarf collection in bag and sits on bag for five minutes to gain more room] Now onto pajamas......."

By the end of the trip, I actually wear 20% of the items packed. It's an illness called indecisiveness that plagues me. Teenagers pack it all (and sometimes forget to bring it all home - like when I left about 10 pair of Abercrombie shorts and jeans at summer camp) Grownups make lists for each day and pack accordingly. I want to be a grownup. I want to pack like a pro. I want to make a list, check it twice, and if I forget something? Life goes on.

So, friends, this blog serves as my vow to be a responsible packer this holiday season. For proof, I hereby promise to snap a photo of my organized suitcase and post for the world to see on my blog.

Eights Game

Stolen off Stacey's blog, it's the Eights game! Perfect for those days when you have nothing better to blog about! (answers in no particular order)

8 Favorite Shows
30 Rock
How I Met Your Mother
True Blood
Big Bang Theory
Office
90210
Seinfeld (yes, reruns count)
LOST

8 Favorite Restaurants

La Hacienda Ranch
Jasper's
Nicola's
RA
Panera Bread
Campisis (the original)
China Grill (best meal I've ever had)
Chick Fil A (a girl on a diet can't live without it)

8 Things That Happened This Weekend

Saw the new Bond movie (and drooled a little)
Shopped at the Galleria
Shopped with Holli and Stacey on Sunday
Got my third Blackberry Curve in 7 days
Had my favorite dessert at Luby's
Bought new pajamas and threw them on the second I got home
Finished Defintely Dead by Charlaine Harris and started book 7 of the series
Sipped hot chocolate and watched True Blood with my honey

8 Things to Look Forward To:

Thanksgiving in Dallas with family & my parent's visit
Having lunch with Stacey on Friday
TWILIGHT ON SUNDAY!!!!!
Decorating for Christmas this weekend (yes, it's early - get over it)
Our trip to NYC with Colin & Amanda in 4 weeks!
Christmas shopping
Dixie's completetion of medicines (4 pills twice a day - ends tomorrow!)
Remodeling the master bathroom - oh boy does it need it

8 Things on My Wish List

A summer in Europe
Good health and happiness for my friends and family
To look smashing in a swimsuit and take a beach vacation
Meeting Robert Pattinson and him falling madly in love with me
Sid agreeing to me having a second husband when Robert Pattinson asks me
Smaller boobs
Christian Louboutin high heels
A million dollars


8 Things I Love About Fall

The weather!
Boots and sweaters
Thanksgiving turkey and dressing
New tv shows after a summer of reruns
Turning off the A/C for good and sleeping with the windows open
Walks at night that require a jacket
Halloween and fall decorations
Spicy candles

Perfect Weekend!

Man oh man - what a great weekend!

Friday, Sid and I headed down to the Galleria. Thanks to Marie, I had a 30% off coupon to use at Banana Republic or Gap and I intended to use it. I'd been eyeing a gorgeous sweater at Banana so I snatched it up quicker than you can say, "Thanks for the coupon, Marie." We shopped around a bit and then headed back to Frisco for some deal hunting at Kohls (oh boy, did we find 'em) and dinner at Spring Creek. Yummy Yum!

Saturday we left the house around 11 and stayed gone until after 10. We hit up Academy in Plano for Sid's new running shoes, Luby's for my favorite dessert, Cavenders to look for Sid's boots, the outlets in Allen (where we used Marie's coupon...again...for three pair of jeans), Verizon to replace my new Blackberry Curve for the 3rd time (will explain later) and the mall to see the new Bond movie. I had to reprimand Stacey for calling Daniel Craig "that blond Bond guy." Um, he has a name. And he's the best Bond ever. And he's breathtaking. The movie was AWESOME! Ignore the critics - they're never right and you know it. We loved it and I never liked the Bond movies until Daniel Craig. He's gritty. He's real. He's gorgeous. And most of all, I love that he's not invincible. He makes errors in judgement and he trips up occasionally and I kinda dig that.

This morning, Sid and Scott headed to Fort Worth for the gun show, so the house was mine and mine alone. I took an hour long bubble bath (I know - I should've gone to church by myself), finished my book, and lounged in bed watching "Four Weddings & A Funeral." After getting a call from Stacey, I was on my way to McKinney Trade Days where I met up with her and Holly for some more shopping and ended up with some great finds!

Now about the phone. Um, I kinda sorta stepped on the first one. I was trying on clothes, the phone was in my back jeans pocket and my heel stepped down on the screen. I felt it but didn't think much about it but apparentlyI hit a soft spot. The screen was prefectly intact - no cracks or scratches but it was deader than a doornail. I immediately went to Verizon where they miraculously replaced it for free (not that I told them what happened!). Phone #2 had an annoying defect - the 'u' key sat lower than the other keys. So, when you tried to press it, you actually hit another letter. Verizon, of course, replaced it for free. Let's hope phone #3 is the charm.

What a weekend! I ended up with new jeans, new earrings, a new bracelet, t-shirts for Ken Ken, two new sweaters, a new dressy tank top, new warm pajamas, and the weather was perfection. I'm watching one of my favorite movies as I type, The Godfather II, I'm about to sip some hot cocoa and True Blood starts in 20 minutes. This is one happy girl. Hope you guys had a spectacular weekend, too!

The Day My Life Changed

The day I got the message was an ordinary one. It was Tuesday, 7:00am. I was home alone, sipping a latte. The temperature in the room was around 70 degrees. My legs were covered by a Mexican blanket given to me by Randy and Cindy. Dixie was snoring. The wind was blowing. Chatter from Good Morning America filled the room. My headache was slowly subsiding thanks to Advil. A load of clothes rumbled around in the dryer.

Then the coffee table vibrated - the sound of a message being delivered to it's intended recipient, via my Blackberry. "Robert Pattinson is making an appearance at the Dallas Galleria." Message delivered. Message received. (thank you, Amanda!)

I sat completely still and silent for several minutes. Should I go? Surely there is some line full of 10,000 screaming women and I'm not in it. What would I wear? What would I say to this magnificent creature from heaven? What will I do when he falls in love with me? Do I reveal my marriage to Sid?

Finally, a voice of reason filled my head. "Snap out of it, woman! You can't ignore the call! It's out of your hands now."

That, my friends, was how the journey began. I called Stacey and our converstation went a little something like this:

Phone: Ring Ring!

Stacey: Hey!

Me: What are you doing tonight?

Stacey: I don't know - what AM I doing tonight?

Me: Guess who is making an appearance at the Galleria?

Stacey: I don't know, who??

Me: Guess!

Stacey: [Silence]...HIM????

Me: Yes, him.

Stacey: Oh....My....Gosh.

Me: Uh huh. So you coming with me?

Stacey: YES!!!!!!!

Both: [lots and lots of giggles]

We arrived around five and the crowds were beginning to gather around the ice skating rink. There was a small stage set up and lots and lots of giggling girls and women. We ate a quick bite at Mi Cocina and set out to find the best vantage point. We settled into position when an old, grouchy hag said, "I'm sorry, those spots are taken." I replied, "Oh, surely there's room for all us. We'll squeeze in," in my fake nice voice with my firey eyes that surely let her know that I would throw down if she even started to argue. Her and Stacey exchanged more words for a minute or two and when the "three" people came back to claim their spot, there was more than enough room. Greedy hussies.

Then we played the waiting game and discussed whether or not we would scream like teenage girls at a New Kids on the Block Concert (Wow, I'm old....make that Jonas Brothers concert). We both agreed we would scream but we would be civilized. I plotted to jump from the third floor into a pile of boxes just to get his attention for a few moments. Waiting....waiting.... waaiiiiiitttiiinnggggggggg........an hour passed.....another half hour passed.

And then?

Are you ready for this?

Are you sure???

Can you handle it????

The doors opened and the air became still and angels in heaven started singing and there he was. All sanity was zapped from the room by Robert's presence. Everyone started screaming, including the two redheads who promised to be civilized. Stacey and I looked at each other with big huge eyes and we knew we were two of the luckiest girls on the planet in that moment.

He was every bit as glorious as you can imagine. Gracious. Kind. Incredibly shy and overwhelmed by his new fame. His beauty changes the chemistry of the air - you can feel it. His magnificent hair was...magnificent...and his nervous tick of running his hands through it? Well, what can I say? The sound system was absolutely dreadful but it didn't matter - we wouldn't have been able to hear a word he said anyway. The screams never subsided. I felt like I was at a Beattles concert. Girls were dropping like flies and having to be carried away by police officers. One girl charged the skating rink and stood waving her hands like a crazed gorilla who broke out of it's cage. And then....he was gone. I'm leaving out some very inappropriate girl talk, of course - my blog has a PG rating. There was never a doubt that the 15 minutes of Rob time was totally worth it. We would have swam across the Trinity River, played football on the Tollway in rush hour traffic, danced naked in the ice skating rink - just to watch him for 15 minutes.

Message Delivered. Message Received. Task Accomplished.

Now, here are some pictures and I a reference to a previous blog I wrote titled, "I'm in Love with a Vampire." After reading it, you'll understand the obsession.

First, Him.



The crowd:


His appearance - too far for good pics!

Shut Up Already

It's official - my neck has sustained permanent damage from observing the recent political tennis matches on the internet, on the radio, on the television. The left says this, the right says that. The Democrats say this, the Republicans say that. CNN says this, Fox News says that.

To say Obama's election had nothing to do with race is preposterous. To say that Obama's election had everything to do with race is absurd. To claim the media remained impartial thoughout the election is laughable. To claim the media's bias cost McCain the election is ridiculous. To believe that voting for Obama means you wanted hope and change while endorsing McCain means you rejected those values? Why, that might be the most preposterous claim of all.

While Obama does not represent my ideals and beliefs, I am sincerely proud that history was made on November 4th. I would have been just as proud if Hillary had been elected, regardless of the fact that I would not have voted for her. The Democratic party is NOT the party of the people any more or less than the Republican party is. We are a melting pot, we are diverse, we all crave hope and prosperity, we just have different road maps to get there. I didn't reject Obama because I do not want hope and healing for our nation - I simply chose to put my belief in John McCain for reasons I'm happy to share with anyone who asks. And let's stop pretending, people - race most certainly played a role in our election, just as gender would have if Hillary had won her party's nomination. There were most certainly blacks who voted for Obama simply because he's black as well as rednecks who voted for McCain to keep a black man out of the White House. Sure, racism against whites and racism against blacks is disgusting but it's real. Can we stop pretending that either political party is immune from prejudice and ignorance? The transparent hypocrisy is making me ill.

Let's move on, shall we?

Woke up This Morning, Got Myself a Gun...

Last night I was visited by a haunting dream. I was playing cards at a party in an old warehouse when I spotted a truck driving by and the passenger had a gun. Without a second to spare, I threw myself on the ground, the man started shooting, and utter chaos erupted around us - people screaming, jumping out windows, running for cover. Though I survived the initial shooting, I was unable to escape before the bad guys took the building hostage.

That's when I spotted him. When Tony Soprano is a guest at the party you're attending, you probably should have RSVP'ed "No Thank You" to that event invitation, but there he was - staring at me with an intensity that could set the room on fire. I met his glare and watched something click - he did not want me to die. The rest of the night was a bloody fight for our lives. Gunmen, fist fights, knife attacks, explosions, betrayals. Tony was my knight in shining leisure suit,throwing me into hiding spots in the nick of time, battling the enemy to save my life and I'll spare you a few other disturbing moments that will haunt the rest of my day.

I think I can interpret my dream without the expertise of a professional. After last night's election result, LIFE is chaos. There is a new man driving America's truck and Joe Biden is his passenger with a gun and he's aiming that gun right at me.....KIDDING! Geez, I'm not THAT bitter. But seriously, I have beliefs and values that need protecting and who is going to do it? Our President? Congress? The Supreme Court? Yeah. Right. Who will be my knight in shining leisure suit?

Weekend Jibber Jabber

Halloween on a Friday night turned out to be a major bummer. We decided to have dinner early at the little diner in our tiny town square and enjoyed seeing all the little trick-or-treaters making the rounds at the local shops. The reason for the super early trick-or-treating (4-6pm) didn't immediately dawn on us: It was Friday night. In Texas. During football season. Yeah. We had TWO trick-or-treaters. Two. So very very sad.

The weekend wasn't a total loss. We met Amanda and Colin Saturday night at Gordon Biersch in Legacy Center. Yum! Their specialty is garlic fries and since the boys got burgers, we all had plenty of sampling opportunities - and naturally, very bad breath afterwards! If Edward Cullen were my real boyfriend, he would've been angry indeed...because vampires hate garlic. Duh!

We decided the previous night that we would see a movie, and since we were in Legacy Center, Angelika was the logical theater choice. Though Angelika is by far my favorite movie theater, the downside is slim pickins on movie choices. The boys immediately vetoed Changling with Angelina Jolie (who could blame them?), which left Happy-Go-Lucky and RocknRolla. Naturally, the boys selected RocknRolla but shockingly, they had a change of heart at the last minute. That, my friends, is a choice that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Chances are, you haven't even heard of Happy-Go-Lucky much less seen a trailer, so allow me:

Happy-Go-Lucky asks the question, "What makes you happy?" Poppy, the cheery 30-year-old school teacher would answer, "Absolutely everything! Yippity dappity do!" The movie sets out to prove Poppy's happiness bubbles over from within her heart, regardless of what disaster falls into her life, and I have a sneaking suspicion her optimism was meant to inspire us. Problem is, Poppy is also borderline insane and if she were a real life character in my life, I wouldn't know whether I should have her committed, punch her in the face, or ask her to wear my BFF necklace. I felt the same way about the movie. I laughed outloud at least a dozen times but I also wanted to ram a sharp stick into my eye. If I could pick out the funny, meaningful moments and trash the remaining 60 minutes of garbage, I would sincerely love this film. Instead, I was filled with overwhelming relief when the credits started rolling. When the four of us parted ways, Colin said it best, "I feel like this experience brought us closer - like we survived a plane crash together." Indeed, my friend. Indeed.

Sunday was uneventful and yet, I'm exhausted. Go figure. To quote Poppy, ding dang dilly dilly da da hoo hoo!