umm..yeaaaaa

I had the best weekend this past weekend that I've had in a while. Two of our closest friends came up to visit and the other half of this blog (or the kid who only posted ONCE, but gets half the glory of its namesake...) planned a REALLY great weekend. It really was a blast - good food, good company and really good laughs. I miss the Mertzes, and I ALMOST forgot (how could I???) how funny some of our friends are. But this isn't the whole point of this post. I've been thinking about this for some time now, really since we first moved to SF, and the thing is...I think I've become more awkward in conversation. I mean I've always loved socializing, it's really half of my job now - literally - and I find myself in social settings thinking to myself, "Say something, girl. OOooOoo not that..." And I don't believe that I make uncomfortable comments (at least I hope not - though I guess I won't really know, cause the people who have been in said settings probably don't read my blog..), but sometimes I just don't know what to say. Or I'll make a comment thinking it's a funny joke and either nobody will even courtesy chuckle or it'll just go unnoticed. I don't have any real theories as to why this is occurring to me now, especially since we've moved to a brand new city and now more than ever need to utilize social skills that will aid us in acquiring friends (and I say us, but really it's just me. James is a hit!). Anyways, just a thought.

In other news I'm excited to go back to Wichita Falls. I feel like a lot of people will be home, reunions will be had, and I wanna see our newly renovated restaurant - woo hoo! I also want to have a sip of beer out of the lava lamp at Krank It Karoake, the Falls' hidden gem. This will most likely be my last post unless boredom stages a hostile takeover while I'm at home - which is likely a possibility. I'll be on high alert.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Well, I have obviously been very bad at updating this blog. Thank you to the three of you loyal followers who persistently remind me that I need to update. I still haven't taken pictures of our place to post, and I think it's because I really don't like how it's decorated. But even more frustrating, I'm not sure who I want it to be decorated. I mean we do have a salmon toned pink sofa and a huge UT flag hanging above where a real fire place would be (except that it's a wall). I wish I could turn it into an instant SF apartment with a cozy feeling and randomly colored rugs/throws to feel homey. But I do love our kitchen, because it is quaint (ie there is not much room). Now that I'm typing this, I'm wondering if I've previously blogged about this already...or maybe that I've been wanting to blog about it...oh gosh. So seester dos recently started a blog (recently as in tonight), and that has also prompted me to update. I'm currently at my hotel in LA on a business trip, and my nose is so stuffed up that I have to breathe out of my mouth. And you know it's gotten to the point that my mouth is way too dry, and I didn't even get to really enjoy the Papa John's pizza I ordered (ham, pineapple and jalapenos for those who are wondering) tonight. I digress...

I was just about to blog about random thoughts, but instead my very recent trip to Vegas and my deep love for Vegas has prompted me to blog about that instead. So we went to Vegas for Thanksgiving, and I shield your judgments (or perhaps this is my subconscious guilt voicing itself..) by saying we were JUST in Austin for a wedding and shared a fantabulous Thanksgiving meal the Sunday night before we left with James' fam. We met up with our friends BL&JL and their friends, and we had a great time, good food and we came out on top after our trip. Now a couple of things. James and I recalled a conversation we had with another fellow casino patron and friend a while back, and we talked about the lure of Vegas. Because we all love gambling, and we all agreed gambling is gambling wherever you are, but for some reason, it's just different in Vegas. And I think it's because it's the AMAZING food, the vibe and how one can almost avoid materializing every bet placed. We've eaten at a ton of places in my previous trips, but only in the most recent have we gone to Michelin-rated restaurants. Nonetheless, the buffets have always been awesome and the hotel restaurants top notch as well. In Vegas, it's harder for me to visualize my $X bet as a pair of shoes or a purse or something tangible. And I don't think I gamble any crazier than at other local places, but I dunno. Also, the rush that you get from winning a good split followed by another and then a double down in Blackjack is so fun! I also play Roulette, because I usually hit a number, so I feel like it's a good game to play. We definitely stayed away from the craps tables as our luck has not been so good there the past few times. I've also noticed that I've become a gambling snob. I used to hear my parents talk about it and complain about people who come in in the middle of the shoe or stay on 15's, and I thought well they'll play how they wanna play. But then this guy sat next to James and single-handedly busted three of James' hands in a row, because he didn't hit when the book said he's supposed to. This is one of many reasons I like to gamble late at night, past 1 or even 2 am when there aren't randoms and drunks floating from table to table. I feel very badly, I honestly do, but I really don't like seriously playing when there are those types of people at the table. And I realize everyone has to learn at some point, and I hope this doesn't turn any of our friends away from ever wanting to join us on trips (especially if they haven't played much in the past), but I guess when I'm in the zone I just prefer to be at a table of "good" players.

One of the highlights: Beatles LOVE! That show was awesome. Not only did it incorporate dancing, skating and a mini bubble show, this Cirque du Soleil show was done to the tune of Beatles' songs (obviously) and it also told a story the whole way through. I really, really loved it. We also went out for the first time in Vegas to LAX at Luxor with our friends. As many times as I've gone to Vegas I've never gone out, and it was really fun. I think we expected the club to blow our minds, but it was just okay. I mean it was definitely roomy, had a good DJ mixing and was crowded, but yea. So I'm now recovering from 3 near all-nighters in the desert city. So I guess that's really it. Hopefully this holds us over until I can ramble on about more things that are meaningful.

DICLAIMER: I feel there is no way to blog about this without sounding like a complete compulsive gambler or a junkie feeding an addiction, but please know that we are not such people!

Okay two random thoughts I must get off my chest: I'm tired of hearing about Tiger and who are these random people who crashed the White House dinner party? More importantly, who cares??? I'm actually impressed that they crashed it and wonder if I could've gotten in myself...

Three things I should be putting more thought into:
1. What is going on in Afghanistan now? (I know more troops were just approved)
2. Booking our return flight from Texas post New Year's Eve
3. A good optometrist, dentist, family practice doctor and hair stylist in SF

What if...

The other day a friend of mine got a new blackberry and had posted a status on facebook to add more Blackberry Messenger friends (which is awesome and perhaps the only thing that bb has on the iPhone). Well I immediately pinged him my PIN so we could be friends, sent him James' and also gave him another friend's PIN who was living in the same city as him. This is all leading somewhere folks, stay with me. Well I started chatting with James afterwards and said, I wish I could just be a socialite. In my mind I would just make friends, introduce people to each other and have free stuff dumped on my front porch daily. But then I found this website (thank you google): www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Socialite

Well I wouldn't want to be a Paris Hilton, I'm already married and I could refrain from loving expensive things. I could just be an average jane's socialite. I guess amongst the average young working professional class, and that would be my job. I could make a ton of friends and just connect them with each other - like a human LinkedIn/Facebook/MySpace. Sometimes I think about it, and we do have really random groups/pockets of friends who are all really different from one another.

DISCLAIMER: not saying we're soooo popular

And I've tried to mesh groups, but it's never been quite that successful. So we keep it separate unless it's a big thing like birthdays and such. So if we have the ability to make these different types of friends, it would be so useful to me if I became a socialite. I'm already on my way! A big what if. Do you think this could work?? Or do you feel as if I just sound like a self-proclaimed prom queen...



In other news I finally sprang for some yoga type pants. I realized after joining my Pilates class that there was a good reason that girls didn't just wear shorts. I always felt like I was flashing Amy, my mat class instructor. Well flash no more Jen, you have yoga pants. And I gotta admit, I thought they were more for fluffy girls who wanted to look cute when they were exercising, but when I was trying them on I thought OooOoOO, these fit nice. I feel sexier, more fit and slimmer already! So maybe THAT'S why girls tend to buy them. Don't get me wrong, I still like my Nike running shorts, and I'll stick by em til I die, but SF is a bit cold and the pants are snug. Don't judge me.

ALSO - calling all website saavy people:
PLEASE HELP ME REDO MY PICTURES AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE! I want to update the pictures, because believe it or not there are MORE pictures of us eating and drinking good food and drinks. I just remember last time it took me a while, and it was really frustrating. So maybe if you're good at it, and maybe if you take pity on those of us who aren't so much good at it then you'll help?

Should I Recycle This?

As most of you know (all 2 that might read our blog) we have recently relocated to San Francisco, CA. I really hoped blogging wouldn't just be a phase I went through and seeing how my last post was in April, my fears were realized. And this post was only birthed because I'm putting off some reports I need to fill out for work and after 45 minutes wasted on Facebook, blogging somehow makes me feel less guilty for procrastinating.

Well six days since our move out west, our stuff is still "in transit". The truck driver won't call us, and we don't have his information so what I keep picturing is him going through our drawers, relaxing on our pink sofa and eating our non-perishables doused in our Asian cooking sauces. All with an evil laugh. And all of which is probably not true. It just doesn't feel like we're settled in without our stuff. It's actually like we're squatting in our apartment, because we have random IKEA furniture boxes, every electronic we own plugged in to the walls right now surrounding our friend Tim's futon mattress he's generously let us borrow. And it's actually been good cause James and I get to read what we originally thought was a sorta cheesy book (and I'm so sorry if whoever gave that book to us ever reads our blog..) and almost gave away, but actually is a pretty good one called "Moments Together". Like a daily devotional for couples, which has been fun and nice.

Here's some things that have been running through my mind and some new things we've learned about the great state of California:

• There's a hands-free law, and you can't talk/text while driving. I usually do both responsibly and you can judge all you want.
• You can't have the two front windows tinted, but the back two can because it obstructs your view of pedestrians at night.
• You can't mount GPS' on the windshield.
• Will my neighbors judge me if I don't recycle everything that's recyclable?
• Does every girl really need yoga pants to exercise outside?
• I hope my sister's friend doesn't find out I read her blog cause Mel said it's hilarious...but I really don't know her. And she is quite funny.
• I need to pound out my speech for Brookey's wedding so I can memorize it and practice to the point that I won't cry when I give it. Cause everything I've been thinking about has made me cry.
• I will try my best to be at a beach every weekend I possibly can.
• I laughed really hard the other day when this guy who was riding his bike along the Marina while talking on the phone tried to weave through some parking bumps and ate it. HARD. He was okay, so I didn't feel too bad. It still kinda makes me chuckle..

Hopefully it won't take me 4 more months to make another post...

My Friend MK

This morning I logged into facebook and in the sidebar there was an ad that had "JOHN" in barbwire tattoo writing and underneath it said this:

"Love your husband? If so tattoo his name under your profile picture to prove it"

or something like that. I immediately thought, "Yes, I love my husband" and then realized a tattoo was too permanent. I wonder who made up that app and how much they're getting paid for it. I probably could have thought it up as well and be sipping coladas watching sunsets of the coast of Brazil right about now...

Anyways I deter. This post is all about my friend Mary Kate T. (abbreviated to protect her identity of course), whom I so affectionately call MK. Yesterday we got to catch up for a bit about what's going on in her life as she currently resides in Dayton, OH. So she told me that she just got back from interviewing for a job in San Diego and she proceeded to go on about how awesome the city and its weather were. So this whole time I'm assuming that she interviewed for a copyrighting or some type of web design or design/computer art whatever type job - cause that's sort of what she had been doing for the past couple of years in New York. Well come to find out she applied for a job as an animal trainer at Sea World. She heavily trained in a pool for two weeks prior to her interview, flew to San Diego and had to swim in 50 degree water up and down in the pool as if rescuing someone or something for her interview. She also had to perform a script and an improv act for her interviewers to become an elite member of the Sea World team. I think she might have had to sing as well...She did not get the job, but we got a good laugh.

So MK's always been one of my most interesting friends. She always has a good story, and yesterday the stories did not stop there. Come to find out she's been applying for all sorts of jobs including a posting for an ornithologist (one who studies birds?). Her game plan is to first land an interview and then spend the next week or so becoming an expert in that field. In the mean time she is also posting job listings of her own so she can see what legit people submit for their cover letters and resumes. (I mean, do people actually do this?? It's a great idea...) This might seem unethical and slightly shady of her, but if you knew her like I did you would most likely be laughing really hard. And that's why I've chosen to post her story today. Because it gave me a good laugh, and I hope it does for you as well.