Joe and I went to dinner in a quaint nearby river town on Thursday evening. After dinner we decided to walk down the street as it was a not-so-cold evening and it had been awhile since we'd been there. And outside, in the light of a storefront, he asked me the age-old question. I said yes. I'm engaged! 
Joe will be here in two days and we're all set for the True/False film festival this weekend. There were too many great choices to pick from but I've narrowed it down and Joe graciously let me choose! Below are the films that we have tickets to see.
Of course the only movie I hadn't seen won for best picture but it does come out on video in a couple weeks so I'm willing to overlooking that error on my behalf.
The night was full of surprises. The first being that my friend Robin, who lives in Dallas, called me an hour before the show telling me she was on her way to town from KC and wanted to see if she could watch the show with me. She's a very serious movie-watcher and had seen all nominated movies for best picture so it was a match made in heaven and a great surprise.
Just a few of my picks:
It's Oscar day!! You all know what that means, right? I'll be glued to my television for hours tonight. And always my favorite event - the red carpet! Not only is it a glorious day because of the Academy Awards, it's also Taina's birthday. Could life get any better than this? Your birthday and the Oscars all in the same day? Happy birthday and happy Oscars!
Imagine my surprise when I looked at the paper today and saw Alex and Nichole's old couch staring back at me. The funny part is that Nichole and I had just talked about whether or not her donated couch would be making the move to the new Ragtag. I assured her it probably would be but I was so wrong. Read Nichole's take on this travesty here.
I have a routine every morning when I leave my house and am on my way to work. There is a mailbox at one of the entrances/exits to my apartment complex where you can drop outgoing mail. So I do this almost every morning (it's usually my Netflix). This morning was no exception.
I put my car in park and hopped out. My door was half shut, half open. I got back to the car and tried to open but the door wouldn't budge. I expected all of the other doors to be locked except for my drivers door. I didn't purposely lock my driver's door and just hopped out for a second so why wasn't it letting me in? After rattling the door several times, I got that lump in my throat, my heart started beating really fast and I started to panic. Not only was my car running with the keys locked inside but so was my purse and my cell phone. I couldn't go back to my apartment and I couldn't call for help. My apartment office doesn't open until at least nine and some days it doesn't open at all (yes, I live in the land of no rhyme or reason). And worst of all? It's 13 degrees outside and I'm wearing a skirt. Yes, of all days to wear a skirt...which probably hasn't happened for months but I have a very important meeting today so I pulled out all stops with the black suit.
I thought long and hard about just busting out my window but then I realized that the possibility of that happening with my bare hands was slim to none. I started to walk away from the scene of the crime when a neighbor (ie, good samaritan) finally walked out of her apartment. I could barely talk with the lump still in my throat but asked if she had a cell phone I could use and explained my situation. She said yes and so I called the only number I could remember off the top of my head, our PR secretary. I explained the turmoil I was in and begged her to send a locksmith stat. I hung up and gave the phone back to my new best friend who said I could wait in her warm apartment while she went to work. I just felt too odd to wait by myself at a stranger's place (yes, even though we were best friends at this point) so I told her I'd be okay and sent her on her way to work.
I go back to my car and am practically kicking the door of my car and pacing around, shaking from the cold, when an older gentleman stops in front of my car. He's looking at me nervously. I thought for a minute he might be the locksmith but it was probably too soon. He rolls his window down and I knew he was going to ask if he could help me or maybe offer to let me sit in his nice warm truck while I wait. He reaches out his hand and says, "Can you put my mail in the mailbox for me?" You've got to be kidding me. I walk over to his truck, take his mail and return it to the mailbox. I ask him if he's got a phone and explain that I'm locked out of my car. He then asked me why I wasn't waiting inside some place warm. "Um, because my apartment keys are locked in my car," was about all I could manage at this point. And I'm still shaking. He hands me his cell phone and I call the secretary back who explains a locksmith should be there within ten minutes. I give the old guy his phone back and he still doesn't offer me to sit in his nice warm truck.
The locksmith finally arrives - hurray! He lets me sit in his van while I wait and he gets my car unlocked in no time. I still can't figure out why my driver's door locked on me when I jumped out. And now, even more than an hour and $55 later, I still haven't thawed out.
I think I'm dubbing today as "random present day."
My boss just returned from Italy and brought me back a beautiful Murano glass pendant. Then I returned home and had a package from Joe. The frog he sent me is stretching and it pays homage to my new workout routine.
Which brings me to the fact that I went to the gym last week and there was a 70+ year old man wearing an AC/DC shirt. Does anyone else find the humor in that? I nearly fell off my treadmill.
This also seems as good a time as any to mention that all the Valentine's Day candy has now been replaced with Easter candy. And my favorite candy is staring me down everywhere I turn. How am I supposed to be diligent about working out when I really want to just gorge myself with chocolate?
And for my pizza-loving friends (that should be everyone), there's a new take & bake, carry-out and eat-in option that I like very much. Check it out. 
In the name of Oscar, I went to see There Will Be Blood last night. I told Joe on the phone afterwards how great the acting was. It really was excellent. So did I love it? No. I just don't think I can love movies that are too sad, too painful or too violent. It's why I couldn't love Atonement or Away From Her. It's probably why I still haven't seen No Country For Old Men. I can appreciate these movies, I can love the acting and the beauty but I can't typically claim to love them all around. It's probably why Juno and Waitress remain my favorite movies from the past year. I need that happy ending. Although I felt heartache while watching both of those movies and cried during them, I also felt at peace when they were over. And happy.
I'm feeling a little sad and nostalgic. I just got an email stating that my favorite place is moving soon (tomorrow is the last day) to a new location. I've known about it for well over a year so I've had plenty of advanced warning but still to think that I may not go back to that cozy little place with so many memories makes me kind of sad. I've seen so many great films there with some of my closest of friends and have many fond memories. My last trip there was about a month ago with Joe and it was also the place of our very first date. Sure the new place is supposed to be bigger and better and I'm sure I'll love it...but I'm a creature of habit. And sometimes it takes me awhile to adjust. So for right now, I'm going to not be too excited about how wonderful and spacious the new place is but instead I'm going to mourn my old friend. My favorite stomping ground.
I just had my first-ever facial. I had a couple gift certificates so I thought I'd use them on something I've always wanted but have never splurged on. Usually when I go to the spa, I am a sucker for either a massage or a pedicure. Not today. It was a divine experience.
Last night was an extra special Lost for me. Sayid has been my absolute favorite character since day one so I loved all the face-time he received last night.
Happy Friday friends!
I used to have a Valentine's Day ritual. Instead of being bitter and single (not to mention the fact that I could just barely stomach the color of pink wafting around everywhere I looked) I made sure the holiday was more than just celebrating romantic love. It was - and is still - about celebrating friendships, family, special coworkers, etc.
In the past, I always made sure I had plans. I would round up all of my single friends and we'd hit the town. One year Breanne and I cooked an elegant dinner for our single friends, complete with a dessert of home-made chocolate covered strawberries. Another year, some friends and I went to a local pub for dinner (there was sure to be no candlelit dinners at a pub or long lines filled with lovers) and one year my friends and I went to an anti-romantic movie. (Hey, it was group concensus people.) That was my Valentine's Day ritual...spending it with the other single people in my life who mean so much.
When I met Joe, my ritual changed a bit. And, since then, so did the lives of most of my single friends! Today dating long-distance makes it hard to have any romantic plans for Valentine's Day so I'm opting to instead spend my evening at pilates. Of course, I still sent a valentine to Joe along with something special. What's on your Valentine's Day agenda? And how do you show the one(s) that you love, you love them?
I just read this article. And I have to say, I'm freaking out a little. I had no idea that people actually get tattoos in their eye. Oh. My. Gosh.
I've always been a little facinated with the idea of tattoos but never had the courage to go through with it. One, my skin is incredibly sensitive. I would be that one person who got ink poisioning or had some extreme reaction. Two, I fear that I would one day change my mind. And three, with my luck, my tattoo would one day be saggy or stretch-marked. Take your pick.
Anyway, my random question to you is this, if you had to get a tattoo or were going to get a tattoo, what would you get? Why? And if you already have tattoos, what do you have and are there any significant meanings? My answer to this question is that I would get a tiny black cat. Very tiny with a cute tail...I don't know why, I just love black cats. And it's kind of dark and mysterious.
I have had the best day ever. It started out first thing with water aerobics (I know, can you believe it?) with Taina. I was pretty impressed with myself that I actually voluntarily got out of bed early on a Saturday morning to exercise. What's even more impressive is that I had to pack a bag to shower and change clothes at the gym because I had a baby shower to attend afterwards. Just a couple of months ago (or weeks) that would have been a reason to not go at all. I have a major aversion to locker rooms. I hate changing in them and I sure don't shower in them either. But I did today. All in the name of working out.
After the baby shower, I met Monica and Breanne for lunch and shopping. We had so much fun together. I literally feel giddy from laughing and smiling all afternoon. We (Breanne) bought lots of baby stuff and lots of panda baby stuff. Pandas weren't in the picture before today but they were way too cute to pass up for baby Grayson. And, by the way, I picked out the name for Breanne's baby months ago, before she was ever even pregnant, and they are using it! Hurray! See all the reasons I have to be happy? She's still considering a middle name. I've come up with Grayson Mayer but for some odd reason, I don't think it's a serious consideration.
You like me. You really like me. What a pleasant surprise to come home from such a wonderful day (more on that later) and find that Nichole has given me an "E" for "Excellent Award." My day seems to just keep getting better! Now it's my job to pass the "E" along. Well, I'd like to pass this on to one of my favorite reads, Taina. Congratulations, Taina, it's your turn to pass the torch.
My good friend, Jodi delivered a baby girl on Wednesday. Gianna "Gigi" Harper arrived via c-section and is welcomed home by big brother, Brendon. I'm still awaiting her beautiful pictures but I will pass them along as soon as I see them.
My sister's daycare (which was more importantly also a church) burned down early yesterday a.m. From what I understand, a juvenile is now in custody for intentionally starting the fire.
Joe and I are gearing up for True/False which will be held in a few weeks. Now that the films are announced, we will have to make a grid and try to determine which movies to see and at which times. Inevitably, there will be conflicts. It's actually a very complicated process. What's even more exciting is that there is a documentary about obsessive Tiffany fans. The film is called, I Think We're Alone Now. Doesn't that just sound amazing? I think this is where the conflicts may come into play. It's, of course, at the top of my list so I really hope this makes it on to Joe's list, too. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to make it go on Joe's list.
I've recently decided to dive head first into the world of physical fitness. I wouldn't call this a New Year's Resolution considering I joined the gym in February but in the four days since I joined, I've been four times. Not too shabby, huh? Well before you go congratulating me and pinning medals on my chest, I have a confession to make. In my thirty years, I have found that whenever I am focused on exercising, I can't quite get it together with my diet and vice versa. And maybe I don't exercise when I'm going gangbusters on my diet because all I think about is food all day long...what I can eat, what I can't eat, what I wish I could eat and when do I eat again. All that thinking about food gives me little to no time to think about working out, nevermind being too lethargic from eating "right" to work out. So while I am doing great with the working out part for now, I need some help with the diet part. And maybe I just need to be proud of the small steps I'm trying to take toward a healthier life. I wish I could be one of those people who are repulsed by bad food because they are so busy becoming physically fit but I'm not there yet. Does anyone else have this problem? What do you guys do to reach your fitness goals?
I spent the afternoon with Cathy and Adyson yesterday. We went to get Adyson's Valentine's photos taken, also known as fourth month's old pictures. Doesn't that onesie speak for itself? 
And Nichole just called me to wish me a "Happy Anniversary." I'm sorry to say, I was a little taken back at first but then I was quickly reminded that we met at a Super Bowl party several years ago...and it's been love at first sight ever since. Happy Anniversary, Nichole!
I usually love my apartment. Right now, this very second, I hate it. My next door neighbor has been playing music way too loud much longer than I care to think about. I can't hear the movie I'm trying to watch. I can barely concentrate and I sure won't be sleeping if this continues. Joe said he used to just knock on his neighbor's door and ask them to turn it down but advises me against that. And why am I so scared to do it? And even something besides the club music I hear would be better. I keep hearing the same beat, over and over and over again...
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