Your Homework Assignment

I have nothing important or clever or funny or interesting to share with you this evening. I'm just a girl, laying in bed at 7:45 on a rainy Wednesday night, surfing the web after an hour long soak in the tub and who'll probably be asleep by 9pm. I am blah. Bored. Sleepy. Uninspired. Did I already use bored?

So here comes the part where I put you to work. What should I blog about? I promise to use your topics for inspiration until I climb my way out of this pit of blah. For the record, blah does not equate to down in the dumps, depressed, blue. I'm happy as a little ol' clam!

EDIT: Dune Trip 2009

EDIT: New photo alert!

We made it! A trip to Little Sahara comes with just the teensiest bit of risk and I find myself offering up dozens of little prayers the entire time - "Please let everyone make it back alive. Please let no one break a leg....or a neck. Please don't let an F5 tornado wipe us off this planet." Sand dunes, large crowds, incredibly powerful machines whizzing to and fro, up and down, round and round, Tornado Alley, 5 hours on the God forsaken highways of Oklahoma - seriously, I am incredibly grateful to be sitting on my king sized pillow top mattress tonight. Did I mention we all escaped death last night? I didn't? I'll get to that. (By the way, I just moved from my cozy king sized pillow top mattress to a not-nearly-as-cozy leather chair in my living room full of farting, hollering boys.)

We checked into the house Friday, where we were greeted with the ever-so-friendly landlord and his creepy silent son (who we are convinced haunts the house in his spare time). The house we rented was - how can I put this? - a complete and total dump - but by golly, an air-conditioned shack with a comfortable bed, warm shower, big screen TV, a stove and our best friends and let's just call it paradise compared to tent camping on the sandy grounds of Little Sahara, bikes vroom vrooming 24 hours a day while you either drown in your own disgusting puddle of sweat or die from sand suffocation. After settling in, we hit the dunes and rode all afternoon, grabbing burgers, pizza, wings and key lime pie - a delicious combination - at the end of an awesome day. The rest of the night, the house was filled with the sounds of "DUDE!! and AWWW MAN" and "NOOOO!" as the boys watched stupid extreme sport DVDs full of stupid people doing stupid things and making stupid amounts of money selling the stupid footage while Stacey and I, naturally gathered together in the kitchen, giggled so hard I nearly peed my pants - seriously - and wondered why we can't lose weight as we stuffed key lime pie into our pizza and wing filled bellies.

After breakfast Saturday and 17 million hours spent waiting for the boys to finish tuning on the bikes (yes, I admit - my bike was one of the "problem children") we hit the dunes for Day 2 and I began to feel a connection with my new machine. Day 1, though I had a great time, was very frustrating for me - I moved from a Yamaha 2-stroke to a Honda 4-stoke, a totally different feeling power band, a backward kick to a forward kick (what moron thought THAT was a good design? Honestly!) and, well, quite frankly the two machines couldn't be any more different if they tried. Even Sid's Banshee, which I have always ADORED (and for the record, I ASKED him to buy me a Banshee or a 25oR - did he listen?) felt unfamiliar after a few recent mods. I couldn't quite decide which bike I wanted to ride - Banshee or 450? Day 2, I decided I would do my very best to get know my new friend. By the end of the day I was exhausted, but we had a BALL. And, I finally drag raced! I've always wanted to try but the very thought of racing my Blaster was laughable and that's exactly what people would have done - LAUGH! But I actually beat a few people - names withheld to protect their identity.

After chowing down on a delicious steak and potato dinner, we were all merrily gathered around the ginormous TV watching the Will Ferrell movie, Stepbrothers, when death's horrifying voice filled the room - tornado siren. For a moment or two, we all looked from one face to another as our smiles were replaced with glares of terror. Simultaneously, we all raised up in a frenzy and I was the first one out the front door, scanning the skies and thinking that if I was about to be sucked up into a whirling mass of death I wanted to see it coming. (I laughed later knowing that there were at least 2 people closer to the door than I was and I have no idea how I passed them unless I threw some elbows. I also felt quite proud of myself for at least springing into action - who knows how we will react in an emergency?) In seconds, we were all gathered in a circle, frantically searching and asking, "What do we do?" when someone shouted, "There it is!" and I turned to see my friends dashing away from the house, honestly thinking that they were running from a tornado that was about to kill us all. My heart sank to my sandy feet and I was seconds from either jumping into the water-filled cellar or hopping in the truck to haul ourselves down the highway - neither option giving me much hope for survival, considering the basement door was rigged with a dill-pickle bucket and the opening covered with a piece of thick plywood and as for driving, where would we go if we had no idea what direction danger was headed toward? I remember looking at the house next door and seeing a sweet old lady standing on her steps. I kicked off my flipflops and hauled it over to her doorstep, where Ryan was already listening to her explain that what we THOUGHT was a tornado siren was actually a FIRE siren. The TORNADO siren sounds a little different. Come again?! You have a SIREN for a FIRE?!? We just stared death in the face and this sweet woman is telling me that somewhere in the county there is a fire? That's it? I'm not going to die a horrible death in this podunk town? Ryan and I took the walk of shame back to the house, where we all congregated, relaying the recent development, when the lightning struck a few feet from Sid and we booked it back in the house, relieved to be alive. Apparently, Sid and Stacey really did see a funnel cloud a ways in the distance (we were under a tornado watch) but thank heavens it never hit the ground. I will never, ever, forget that night and I know it's one of those stories that will be told and retold. I didn't sleep last night. I will sleep like a baby tonight!

Today we hit the dunes early. A cold front blew through and though the wind was hellacious ,the colder temperature felt heavenly through my jersey. We did a bit of drag racing and I BEAT SID! Fair and square! Even better? He admits it! After a couple hours of racing around the dunes, we decided to hit some trails. I was just hitting the bottom of a dune when my bike decided to shut herself down. She was finished and bless her, she waited until Sunday to give up so I didn't miss a beat. We won't know what her injuries are until Sid rips her apart but she'll be back up and running in no time. We're Bffs now, so I'll be sure she gets the best care while she's out of commission. After heading back to the house, cleaning up and eating lunch, we headed back to Tejas - all of us in one piece!

AMEN!

The "water-filled cellar"

Had to push our bikes to the trail access sign or risk a ticket

Park Entrance

Wind kicking over the top of a dune

Sid with his sand protector on

Storms a comin! (we got SOAKED)

Getting Closer!

Playing Around

Playing Around

Jesse and Sid Race

The boys chillin

Me Cruising Around

Pep Talk!
Leigh: I hate this bike! Waaa waaa! I'm a big baby.
Sid: Get over yourself.

More pep talk

I think I have thoughts of sabotage on my mind here

Jesse and his helmet cam

Sid and Me Drag Racing - that's us in the bottom left

Who's that hot mama on the hill? It's Stacey!

Siddy Poo

How many guys does it take to change a tire?

Dill Pickle Bucket Lift

Ryan was planning to go for a swim in the cellar and needed a life vest

Break time

Jesse, do you know you're probably going to get foot rot?

Jesse drag racing

Shop Time

Ryan and the R

Wonder what I'm thinking here, as I watch Sid and Jesse drag?

The girls

Photographs Galore

My Honda (Sid gets all the credit), which we purchased a couple years ago from a guy who had abused it; she needed some motor work and a makeover:

BEFORE:


AFTER:














The Furniture Before - I bought this dresser/hutch, dresser/mirror and nightstand in college and I tried last year, unsuccessfully, to sell it:



The Furniture After - don't make fun of my bookcase! It's overflowing with books right now, but the master bedroom needs some work (new carpet, possibly new paint) and the master bathroom will be completely gutted and remodeled sometime in the next year. During that process, I imagine some beautiful built ins with tons of book storage and the dresser/hutch will be used in the bathroom with two pedestal sinks on either side:



The guest room - You can SORTA kinda see the room "before" in those old furniture photos. Plain white walls, filled to the brim with unwanted furniture, the white (originally oak) daybed that my grandparents bought 20 years ago for THEIR guest room. We put gray paint on the walls, painted the daybed, replaced the blinds, moved a dresser from our master bedroom into the space, painted the old nightstand and added fabulous new hardware, bought a new lampshade, and I made a photo collage (still iffy on the collage, but it's perfect for right now) of all of my favorite photographs from our Washington state honeymoon. The curtains aren't new, I just added some black ribbon. The bedrooms in our house are TINY, so taking photographs was really difficult. The space looks so much larger now and I am really pleased with the turnout.









Just for grins, here is a photo of our redecorated guest bathroom upstairs, even though it's been finished for quite a while. We installed tile, ripped out the hideous vanity and replaced with a sleek pedestal sink, framed two our of favorite photographs from our Moab vacation and had the walls retextured (previous owner attempted texturing over wallpaper without professional help - YIKES! Texture is the one job we pay someone else to do!):



And speaking of bathroom remodels, here are a couple photos from our downstairs bathroom. The walls were badly damaged when ripping out the wallpaper and the large hideous vanity, so we installed beadboard, painted it, yet again added a pedestal sink, added a new mirror and light fixture, and viola! I SO wish I had a before photo - this room was BAD. Hideous. Awful. Depressing. Overwhelming. I LOVE the bathroom now.

That's all, folks!

Don't Forget Me!

I have really missed this blog! I've been so obsessed with checking things off my to-do list that I haven't had much "me time" and in case you haven't caught on, I'm a "me time" kind of girl, whether it's an hour long soak in a hot bath with a good book, time in front of the computer blogging or Facebooking, walking, Napstering, lunching. However, I am so so thrilled with everything we've accomplished these last couple weeks that it's worth the sacrifice - the patio, the new and improved guest room, an entire suite of furniture, once doomed to the for sale section on Craigslist, repainted, my fourwheeler rebuilt, house cleaned, yard mowed and the list goes on! I spent a couple of hours in the yard this evening mowing and it was so heavenly to sit on our new patio afterwards, soaking up the day.

Tomorrow, three of our favorite friends are coming up from San Antonio and Houston, and Friday we'll join up with Scott and Stacey and we're off on an ATV adventure to the Oklahoma sand dunes - Little Sahara. I haven't been in a couple of years and I am stoked! On our last dune adventure, I was outfitted with my Yamaha Blaster and the experience was - shall we say - daunting? The Blaster, bless her heart, was the little bike that could, climbing those dunes, hitting those trails but after the trip, Sid and I agreed it was time to say goodbye to the my buddy of seven years. I had outgrown her power and bless her heart, she was tired and ready to retire. This year, I have a bigger, faster, prettier machine but I hope she is as faithful to me as Miss Blaster, who I knew like the back of my hand. We'll see! I am so looking forward to a weekend with friends, riding and grilling and hopefully Stacey and I can coax the boys into some Pictionary (though naturally we'll dominate) or Scattergories.

Random favorite Blaster memory:
Riding with Scott, Ryan & Sid at a cross country race. We come to an gnarly uphill climb - short but steep - and I decide I'm not so sure Blaster and I will make it. I stop in my tracks.

Leigh: Sid, can you do this uphill for me and I'll climb up on foot?
Boys: [Shouting simultaneously]: Come on, Leigh! You can do it! Just gun it! You'll be FINE!
Leigh: No, I'm pretty sure one of you should just do it for me. Don't have a good feeling about it!
Sid: No, we're standing right here. Do it!
Leigh: Okay, here goes!

What do you think happened? I gunned it, got caught on something and flipped the bike! Ha! Men should always respect a woman's intuition.

I've been intending to post some photos of the new room and the refinished furniture but I'm waiting for Sid to install the hardware, so check back tomorrow!

Will It Ever Stop?

Miss me?

All creative energy has been sucked from my body. I'm just a shell of the woman I used to be, and that shell has been painting, cleaning, and moving furniture. Will it ever stop? Yo, I don't know. Turn off the lights, and I'll glow. What a minute! Did you catch that? Vanilla Ice lyrics! Maybe the creative energy ISN'T gone - maybe I have stores of it in some dusty space in my brain. (Hey, the creative energy is dusty - Vanilla Ice is apparently the best it can do. Step off.)

Spring Cleaning is in the air and we've caught the bug. When I'm done with the fun stuff, I'll post some photos. Until then, I leave you with our SUMMER to-do list so you can feel sorry and overwhelmed for me and perhaps guilt will overtake your senses and compel you to drive here to help:

• Fix trim in downstairs bath
• Tile laundry room and install/paint new doors
• Paint laundry room
• Replace guestroom blinds
• Replace master bedroom blinds
• Replace gameroom blinds
• Touch up paint master bedroom (trim and walls)
• Fill grassy area on driveway with pebbles
• Find pots and water feature for patio
• Fix concrete patio and screen it in
• Steam or replace carpets
• Grout kitchen granite
• Touch up kitchen paint
• Replace back door
• Trim out the bottom of kitchen bar
• Trim around kitchen openings
• Fireplace facade
• Build new wall in gameroom

That's all, folks! Happy Monday!

What I've Been Up To

I blinked and it's Monday. I wish I could blink and make it Friday. Sigh.

I'm not feeling too bloggy today but I get antsy when too much time passes between posts so I thought I'd give a quick list of my top three happenings. On your mark. Get set. GO!

1. Wednesday Girls Night - Stacey, Susie and I met up for a scrumptious dinner at our favorite spot - RA. Girlfriends + Laughter + Sushi = Fabulous.

2. Back Porch Perfecting - It's been almost a year since we began construction on the flagstone patio in our backyard. We didn't exactly PLAN for this particular project to take a year but we sorta kinda quit. After one weekend. Uh-huh. Not our proudest moment. Determined to cross the patio off our lengthy to-do list, we promised ourselves that we would complete the project by the end of the weekend - no ifs ands or buts. We'll let the stones and sand settle all summer and then pack crushed granite between the stones and we're still on the lookout for a nice water feature and some pretty pots for our plants but all in all, I'd say "Goal Accomplished."



3. Date Night - After a long day of home improvement, Sid and I got a late start on our date night. We had no idea where we were going for dinner but we found ourselves at a table in RA twenty minutes later. How were were able to snag a table on Saturday night with no wait time? A miracle, that's how. A group left their table in the bar at the most perfect moment when no one but me was looking and my butt hit the chair faster than you can say "spicy tuna." Our meal was perfection and the people watching, though always a bizarre mixture of hilarious and depressing, did not disappoint, as the cougars and the $30,000 millionaires were out in full force. It was my turn to pick the movie ( his pick last week - Fast & the Furious ) and I chose Sunshine Cleaning with Emily Blunt and Amy Adams. Fantastic, flawed, disturbing, beautiful. Loved it!


Hope you guys had a great Easter weekend!

All in a Name

Ever heard of Kabalarian name theory? No? Well, don't look at me - I certainly can't explain the science behind the principle. I don't even remember when and where I first heard of it, but I've had lots of laughs over the years plugging in names and reading the personality traits associated with that name. Here's my analysis:

• The name Leigh gives you a strongly independent and highly creative nature, with drive and ambition to have experiences and accomplish things out of the ordinary. (Absolutely, 100 % correct.)
  

• You can work intently at whatever is new and holds your interest at the moment, but your interest wanes quickly when drudgery and monotony set in. (Okay, Kabalarians. You've been sneaking around inside my head. Creepy. So, so true.)
  
  
• Obstacles to your progress or restrictions on your freedom to act create a sense of frustration which may cause you to feel resentful and even rebellious. You can then become intolerant of others, and caustic and belittling in your expression, thereby imposing stress on your personal relationships. (Okay, okay. I'll admit this is somewhat true. If I have a goal in mind, I'm not very tolerant of obstacles or people who slow me down or hold me back. In a work environment, I am simply unable to function in a micromanaged environment - I need autonomy and creative freedom and am claustrophobic when controlled.)
  

• Although the name Leigh creates an active mind and a restless urge to explore new ideas, we emphasize that it causes a restless intensity that defies relaxation. (Righto, Kabalarians. Righto. I was JUST telling my girlfriends over dinner that the last major fight I had with Sid was after pitching a European vacation to him a year or so ago and hearing him say, "No." It wasn't "no" that started the fight, it was the overwhelming claustrophobic terror that there was an entire new world I craved so obsessively that I might never experience. I didn't speak to him for hours - that's a LONG time for Sid and me - and only agreed to move on if he promised me that he meant, "No, this time," and not "No, never." And yes, I realize how bratty that story makes me sound.)
  

• This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the solar plexus. (Solar what? Is that like, a spot on the sun?....Just Googled it - it's just my stomach. Not sure why they couldn't just SAY stomach. Whatever.)
  

Analyze your name and see what you think!

I Did It

I did it. I've completed the seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series. Now what? I almost feel I should read all seven books again, immediately. Equipped with the truths revealed in the final pages of the series, I have a sneaking suspicion that a series reread would be quite - interesting! (By the way, if you're only watching the movies, tsk tsk. I find myself horribly disappointed by each and every movie, which is not to say the movies aren't fantastic, but be aware- the storylines are changed, crucial, pivotal scenes are ommited, the depths of the characters tragically ignored. Quite simply, the movies aren't good enough - read the books!)

I loved the series - not every moment, not every page, not even every book - but I loved the Harry Potter universe and I'll grieve a bit, saying goodbye, as I tenderly place the books on my shelf. As I read the last chapter, I had a flash of J.K. Rowling in her writing place, the words slowly pouring onto the last page, tears quietly rolling down her cheeks as she found her ending and closed the door on her creation. I admire her courage, her craft, her imagination. She has inspired me like no other writer ever has or ever could. Her characters have inspired me just the same. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy. Fred and George Weasley, Remus Lupin and Mad Eye Moody. Professor Mcgonagall, Severus Snape and Tom Riddle. Each and every name bears a story worth hearing, a lesson worth learning. I'll say no more.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS! Here are some of my favorite quotes from the books (readers, you know who said them but I'm not going to list their names)

• "Harry, I owe you an explanation. An explanation of an old man's mistakes. For I see now that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, bears all the hallmarks of the failings of age. Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young..."
• "Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."
• "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
• “I hope you’re pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed — or worse, expelled.”
• "I've been able to see them ever since my first year here. They've always pulled the carriages. Don't worry. You're just as sane as I am."
• "Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you? Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"
• "You should write a book, translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them."
• "You are quite wrong. Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness."
• "You seemed too busy to call him a prat and I thought someone should."
• "Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies."
• "You can't do it if I don't co-operate, you need me to give you some hair."
  "Well, that's the plan scuppered. Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate." "Yeah, thirteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance."
• "I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground to be honest."
• "You are an unusual wizard, Harry Potter."
  "In what way?"
  "You dug the grave."
• "Gran's on the run."
• "---and if you want people to help you, Ron, I wouldn't chuck knives at them. Just a hint. We're off to the village, there's a very pretty girl working at the paper shop who thinks my card tricks are something marvelous...almost like real magic..."
• "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."
• "You shall not harm Harry Potter."
• "Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them. Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and and better than other people's"
• "Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go for HOLEY?"
• "You really shouldn't have done that. Crucio!"
• "I am not scared, Harry. I am with you."

I'd better stop, for I could go on all day!

Homeward Bound

Note: Sick of my vacation tales yet? This is officially the very last day, so do not fear!

My last day in New England and feelings are mixed. I'm ready to be home, each day my dogs are in the kennel costs us a whopping $33 a night (total bill: $430 - Dixie needed shots, a blood test and medicine refills), I've got a Twilight party to attend on Saturday night, but I'm also 50 pounds heavier with the weight of my disappointment (and the clam chowder). I could totally live in this beautiful part of the world. Yes, yes. It's true. I fall in love with every place I visit, but this is different. I adore the Northeast.

I head to Gloucester after checking out of our hotel and rely on the GPS to guide me to the local historical attractions. It's perfect weather for this morning in America's oldest seaport - foggy, misty, wet - and I can't help but imagine the life of a fisherman: the dangers, the triumphs, the hardships, the bonds, the legacies. I feel a swell of pride for these men (and their families) as I pass the harbor. My first stop is historic Stage Fort Park, the site of the city's first settlement in 1623, memorialized on a gigantic boulder with a weathered marker proclaiming that, "a company of fishermen and farmers from Dorchester Eng under the direction of Rev. John White founded The Massachusetts Bay Colony" and "from that time the fisheries, the oldest industry in the Commonwealth, have been uninterruptedly pursued from this port." The still and quiet is broken by the sound of a fog horn, so I make my way to the beach to catch a glimpse of the boat, swimming past Ten Pound Island, and it hits me: I'm standing in the most peaceful spot on earth.

With an hour or less until I'll pick Sid up from the plant, I head to Gloucester's most celebrated landmark, "Fisherman at the Wheel," a beautiful bronze sculpture of a man steering his schooner as he gazes out at Gloucester's Harbor. "They that go down to the sea in ships," etched in the rock, the fisherman is surrounded by 10,000 names on plaques, the most famous belonging to captain and crew of "Andrea Gail" - you know them from the movie "The Perfect Storm." It is a touching, beautiful tribute to America's most dangerous occupation, and yet I feel awkward - like sitting next to a mourning stranger who's grief I can't possibly comprehend and I dare not intrude upon. I think I'm feeling precisely what the artist wants me to feel. A quick drive around town with stops at several beaches, a donut and coffee break at Dunkin Donuts (they are EVERYWHERE here - seriously!) and I'm on my way to retrieve my man. In a flash, we're driving the streets of Boston, eating a hotdog at Faneuil Hall and cruising in a taxi to the airport. We'll be back in Dallas before you know it!

WRONG!

After boarding and deboarding our original plane - TWICE - our flight is canceled after 3 hours of waiting, thanks to strong crosswinds from a storm in Dallas. We race to another terminal and stand in line to snag seats on another flight to Dallas (After asking the stupid question, "Um, why is one flight to Dallas canceled but not another?" I'm kindly informed that the new flight is on a much larger, much more stable aircraft), only to find it's been delayed - two hours. We finally leave ground at 10pm (do the math - five hours late) and I'm as uneasy as I've ever been on a plane. I have a bad feeling, worsened by my Mom's text, "I think you should fly home tomorrow" just as we're walking onto the aircraft and the recent FedEx crash caused by crosswinds (which Sid feels necessary to discuss - as we board the plane!). I feel this intense anxiety for most of the flight and am actually surprised when we touch ground and I'm alive. After some scrambling for our bags (which ended up in two different terminals) we are on the road home (my Jeep feels like an 18 wheeler compared to the Prius) and we arrive safe, sound and exhausted at 3am.

5 hour delay and all, I wouldn't change a single thing about my adventure. Thanks to all of you who kept up with my adventures!

Olsen Spotting Incident

Amanda and I meet for an early lunch in Legacy Center this afternoon. We part ways (quite dramatically - you had to be there) and I hop in the Jeep to make my way to Starbucks. Figuring I'll have to settle for the McKinney location due to the ridiculously impossible task of finding a parking spot at noon in Legacy Center, I circle the parking lot two or three times (just in case) and snag a prime space in front of Starbucks. Walking in, I glimpse four very strange people (one wearing balloon ankle pants with 4 inch chunky heels) walking in ahead of me. The man holds the door for me, I politely thank him, and I make my way to a cozy stuffed chair by the condiment bar. It takes a good 3 minutes to organize my work space with laptop, power cord etc, and finally plop down and make myself at home. I glance up at the line (which I avoid at first, letting the crowd thin out) and I'm staring right at a girl who looks a LOT like an Olsen twin. "Yeah right. This is Plano," I think, but I watch her as she makes her way to the bar to prepare her drink. I get a good look at her backside and I KNOW it can't be an Olsen twin because this girl is way too normal - she's pretty and she's not anorexic and again, this is PLANO.

A quick glance at the line once more and I'm staring at another Olsen. My mind goes silent and then realization washes over me. I wish I could say I was civilized and mature. Instead, I became that preteen girl who used to sit with her giggly girlfriends on Friday night eating pizza and watching Full House and I immediately send this exact text to Amanda: "OMG. The Olsen twins are in this Starbucks. OMG OMG OMG!" I don't bug the Olsens for an autograph (though one brave man did, and they graciously obliged), I don't ask for their picture, I don't walk up to shake their hands, though they were only ten feet from me. Instead, classy girl that I am, I pretend to be texting while I snap cell phone photo after cell phone photo of them! One looked right at me and smiled, catching me in my not-so-discreet act.

I can't end this tale without first mentioning another celebrity sighting: New York City, December 2008, Serendipity. Adrian Grenier strolls RIGHT past Amanda, Colin, Sid and me - so close, in fact, I could tackle him and plant a huge kiss on his gorgeous face. I look at Amanda, she looks back. I give her a knowing smile, she smiles back. It hits me - she missed the whole thing! She was devastated, I was a giddy idiot! (random note - totally normal guy just sat by me in Starbucks and he's reading New Moon! Awesome!) This makes celebrity sighting number two that Amanda missed by inches. Blerg!

What a day.