Ups and Downs

Lala (la)

2009-06-17T12:37:00.003-05:00

I've been listening to more music lately in my free time. I know this may sound crazy to some people, but I'm ok with not having music play at all times. Actually, I don't really know that much about music. But, I've been listening to entire albums FOR FREE at lala and loving it!

I like Pandora because it introduces me to new music, it's free, etc. I like lala more though because it actually lets you choose exactly what song you want to listen to. Albeit, only once but you get credits and if you add a song to your collection, you can play it over and over and over...not that I do that ; )

Which do you prefer? Any of these or all-together different online "radio"?

The Cool Kids

2009-04-02T18:20:00.002-05:00

I hung out with them Saturday night until 5 am....and that was because I left "early" since I had to work at 9 the next (or rather the same) day.

It was insane. I ran into them at Ace's and I almost didn't because as I was about to leave, my friend Zach was walking into the club and convinced me to stay because (hello!) The Cool Kids were there. So, I stayed and I hung out with them at their table and then with Chuck (Evan) in the dj booth. Yeah...CRAZY!

I'm not sure how this weekend is going to top SXSW and chillin' with the cool kids. It's my mission to make it happen though.

Alone but not Lonely

2009-03-16T23:04:00.003-05:00

These last couple of days, I've been wanting to go do things with friends. For one reason or another, they've been unavailable (either busy or hungover) and so I've had to hang out with myself, by myself.

I actually love it.

In the past, it's been hard for me to be alone. I enjoy other people's company and I love great conversations. Lately though, I find that I truly enjoy time by myself and have, in no particular order, enjoyed going to the movies, getting coffee, eating lunch and perusing stores with only me, myself and I. Of course, I have done these things by myself in the past and enjoyed them, but I think I've learned to appreciate them on a deeper level. I had never consciously thought about what this said about me, and I still don't really, but Ari told me that her boyfriend C.G. said that was "badass." Though I don't do it for anybody or to be cool by anyone's standards, it's nice to be appreciated for just being myself- always the goal.

Next, I think I'll go enjoy a nice glass of wine somewhere by myself. Couldn't think of a better person to spend time with.

Mexican....American

2009-03-14T14:24:00.000-05:00

"Non parlo italiano. Sono messicana."

That was my slogan for 2.5 months when I studied abroad in Italy 3 (!!!) years ago now. It means, "I don't speak Italian. I'm Mexican."

Which is true....but not.

Obviously, I could speak some Italian or at least enough to say I couldn't. The second part is equally true and untrue. And needed to be said because the native Italians would confuse me as one of their own. Flattering but obviously untrue. It was also necessary because they thought I was pretending not to speak Italian. I wish.

But, while I am Mexican, I'm also a hyphenate. I'm Mexican-American. Who apparently looks Italian. I think I'm dark. My friends say I'm more olive than brown and my siblings and I all have different skin tones. My older brother's skin looks caramel, I apparently look olive, my sister looks like cacao and my little brother looks creamy. All sound delicious and I'm a little more tart and not as sweet as them.

My friend Lynda recently wrote a post about her face which conveys much more eloquently what I'm trying to express.

In short, people are confused as to what I am. My friend E.B. and I had a discussion earlier this week and it's funny because to my white friends, I'm very Hispanic and to my Hispanic friends I seem to be too white. I've also been "complimented" by a well-meaning though clueless boy that he "loved girls like me." When I asked him what he meant by "girls like me" he responded, "you know, hispanic girls who act white."

!!!!

I was shocked. How in the world do I act white? I just act like me. Sarcastic, witty (or so I'd like to think), smart (ditto), bla bla bla. Point being- how is that acting white? I'm just Sophia.

Friends, Friendship and Love

2009-03-13T20:33:00.003-05:00

This week has been an eye-opening one for several reasons all pertaining to the people who are vital to me- my friends and family.

I just got off the phone with my sister-in-law, mother of two of my nieces both of whom I adore. I have a very special place in my heart for all three of these ladies and particularly for my niece MJ. She and I are so alike, it's scary. Literally. I see myself reflected in this little woman 13 years my junior in her mannerisms, her actions and her physical features as well. It's startling. Anyway, she won her science fair at school (!) and recently got bangs. I haven't won any science fairs but I just got my bangs cut last week. Just one of the oddities that occurs with us.

The purpose of the call was for my sis to inform me that despite the fact that we don't speak very often, I am always in her thoughts because "you're literally with me all the time" in the form of my niece. Awesome and incredibly sweet.

The other eye opening experience has to do with my friends and particularly one incident which I don't feel is open for discussion. Suffice it to say that it made me realize how fragile and precious our life and health is on this earth. I don't know what I would do without my friends and if, heaven forbid, anything life threatening would ever happen to them.

In short, I'm grateful for you guys every single day even if we don't speak as often as I would like. I love you.

It's Been a While...

2009-03-10T10:32:00.002-05:00

So, not that anybody really reads this, but if you do- sorry for the lack of posts. I want to move my blog in a new direction, perhaps change the name, and write about something more relevant than the petty nuances of daily life. Anywho, I've decided that until I figure that out, I'm going to keep being egocentric and write about myself because really, what the hell? I'll probably start a brand new, shiny blog that is better designed and more relevant.

On my mind recently has been image and perception (thanks to Lynda and Ari) as well as relationships and liars, sleep (or lack thereof), stress and its many manifestations (of which I have a couple) among other things.

I promise to have at least three posts in what's rest of this week, most likely on these topics but we'll see what material this week brings!

Michael Phelps and Marijuana

2009-02-05T23:17:00.005-06:00

By now we've all heard of Michael Phelps' "regrettable decision" to smoke weed from a bong. As a result, Kellogg has dropped their sponsorship and USA Swimming has suspended their financial backing and have barred Phelps from swimming for three months effective

Feb. 5.

Ouch.

Well, Michael I hope you've learned from this! We'll all forgive you for your illegal wrongdoings, including the forgotten DUI arrest and conviction, because you're an athlete. True, not just any athlete but a swimmer who has won 8 gold medals. It's the least we can do!

Recessionary Times

2009-02-05T17:49:00.003-06:00

I'm so grateful to have my job, even if it is only part-time. Everyone in my office is super nice, super friendly and the perks are amazing. Next week, I'm going to start learning Chinese! For free! I'm really excited. I'm not sure if I'm going to like it or not BUT if I don't I can learn any other language that I want as long as one of my co-workers want to learn too (i.e. I can talk someone into doing it!).

I also get free lunch at least once a week and free breakfast at least twice a week.

I'm in love.

Music

2009-01-26T11:05:00.000-06:00

I'm not a very enlightened music fan. I hear a song and I decide if I like it or not. I can't name bands even if I know all the lyrics to one of their songs. I know that all you music snobs are probably cringing as you read this but the beauty of my personality is that I really don't care and I mean that in the best possible way :)

Just to show you how "diverse" (i.e. all over the freaking place) my musical taste is my current obsessions are PANTyRAID's Like That and Beyonce's Diva.

What are your favorite songs/bands right now?

Changes and Resolutions

2009-01-25T22:20:00.002-06:00

Are you on facebook? If people don't ask you this on a semi-regular basis, go out and meet a few new faces will ya? I, for one am obsessed with fb. I have no qualms admitting this given that the majority of the world is, if not obsessed, then definitely logged on to the site. However, it struck me recently that my dependency on fb to know what's going on in Austin and with my friends has grown to a sickening proportion. As a result, I'm giving it up. Not forever but I want to hold out for at least two weeks. Today is day two and so far so good. We'll see how long that lasts but I'm thinking I'll be good.

Another change, I went to church today for the first time in a looong time. The last time I went to church was last Easter. I loved it! I realized how much I had missed having God in my weekly routine and I look forward to going back next Sunday. The sermon really spoke to me and it fit my decision to go back to church perfectly. Blessings abound!

As for my new year's resolutions- I think I'm doing an ok job to sticking with them. I'm going to work out tomorrow fo sho and I'm leaving the past behind me. Hooray for me.

Sit-Ups

2009-01-16T13:26:00.004-06:00

Last night some friends and I went to the Draughthouse to hang out, etc. This guy, WW went with me and as the night progressed so did his intoxication. We were sitting outside in a picnic bench and after he had gone to the bathroom, he was stepping into the bench and after he sat down, he slipped backwards and fell off with his legs still on the bench.

Of course Candace and I start cracking up and people at the table next to us and a group of people standing near us started asking if he was alright and looked genuinely worried as we just laughed at poor WW. So he responds, "Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm just doing sit-ups."

It was the funniest thing ever! I'm STILL cracking up about it. Seriously.

"These Boys Are Much Too Much"

2009-01-14T23:27:00.006-06:00

I'm in love with this commercial! SO cute and touching.

Resolutions are Hard to Keep

2009-01-12T00:15:00.006-06:00

As part of my new year's resolutions, I've vowed to leave the past in the past and move forward. In light of the promise of a new relationship(s?), I've been reflecting a lot on past relationships, what went wrong, why and what I've learned. I've also been wondering how they're doing and hoping they're well. I've always prided myself on my ability to maintain friendships with the guys that I've dated but as part of my resolution, I'm moving past that and leaving them behind. It's been relatively easy (with one notable exception) BUT there's one relationship that I've destroyed so throughly and completely that it's hard for me to let go precisely because I messed it up.

So...I'm letting it go now. I'm so sorry that I hurt this person. In all honesty, I never thought that what I did would hurt them so much and they didn't even come into play in my decision. However, I did realize that once he found out he would be hurt and I told him anyway. Now, the one person who at one point was the person I called for everything has become the one person I CAN'T call for anything. Ironic how life works out isn't it?

It's Been a While...

2009-01-06T20:50:00.002-06:00

So for like the 2 of you who read this and check it often (enough), I'm sorry that I haven't blogged in a looong time. Yes, I'm talking to you Lola and Nicky.

To catch up: New Year's Resolutions!

1. To leave the past in the past and move forward.

2. Try and be more positive and upbeat.

3. Lose 20 pounds! (of course)

Anyway, let me know what your new year's resolutions are and what you plan on doing to achieve them. Love you guys!

The Rules

2008-12-11T17:28:00.003-06:00

I've never been a good follower of rules, or of anything for that matter. I've always lived by the adage "rules are meant to be broken" but as I've gotten older I've realized that certain rules are put in place for good reasons. Duh, right? Well, call me stubborn but it's taken me 25 years to realize this. As a kid, I lived in the principal's office and, consequently, detention. I think my senior year was the only year I didn't get sent to the principal's office.

Now I know why I don't follow the rules. It sucks! And it's hard. Better to do what I want, when I want it, if I want to. For now though, I'm trying to be a rule follower. Crazy huh?

Stay tuned...we'll see how long it lasts!

Crazy Week

2008-11-30T16:15:00.003-06:00

I had so much fun this week. It all started on Tuesday- I met up with my friend C. and her friend P. at 219 West for their amazing half-priced appetizers and great drink specials. Then we headed over to Lavaca Street Bar for dollar Tecates. It was so much fun! We played basketball and P. had an application on his iPhone called Word Wrap that we had a blast competing.

Wednesday, my roomie A. and her friend D. and my friend Candace went to 219 West AGAIN then headed over to the Tavern to meet up with my friend Nicky and her boyfriend and a few other friends. It was low key but fun nonetheless.

On Thursday, it was Thanksgiving and we had lunch here at the house. My roommate L's parents were in town and cooked. It was really nice. I then headed over to Nicky's boyfriend's parent's house to have another Thanksgiving dinner. After that, it was football time! We went to the UT/A&M game and had a blast! We had two "diet cokes" and headed downtown. Although we hadn't been to 6th street in a long time, that's where we headed with our first stop being Chugging Monkey. We also went to Aquarium, some other bar and Maggie Mae's. I was rocking the curly hair and I think it got to me because I was crazy with the dancing.

Friday, we headed downtown again but this time to West 6th street. We started off at Little Woodrow's then headed to The Ranch. Saturday it was more of the same, except that we started off at Uncle Billy's to watch the OU/OSU game. We headed out to The Belmont then made our way back to The Ranch where we ran into so many people from high school. It was a blast. All in all, good times.

Sunday = day of rest. I am exhausted! It's going to be a looong week but school will finally be over.

Coffee!!

2008-11-21T13:02:00.004-06:00

I am obsessed with my French press. Yes, it is a sickness comparable to my facebook addiction. I am unashamed. I have averaged 6 hours of sleep a night which, to someone who usually sleeps at least 8, is a little absurd. Also, time has seemed to go really fast but really slow all at once. Weird, I know. All signs that I should layoff the coffee, but I love it so much! And now it's so easy to make! So I'm sipping some coffee as I write this.

And isn't that cup great?? I love big cups! Doesn't the picture remind you of Magritte's, The Son of Man? That's what I thought of when I saw it.

The Little Things

2008-11-18T22:16:00.006-06:00

The best thing about today was that it was beautifully simple.

I did cut my hair albeit not as short as Elisha down there. I called yesterday to make an appointment with Buffy at Vain (She's cut my hair before and therefore trusted her to cut my hair that short) and her first available appointment wasn't until December 4. Ugh. I made the appointment anyway hoping I could get in somewhere else at an earlier date. Less than ten minutes later I get a phone call from Donna at Vain telling me that Buffy had an opening for today so I immediately jumped at the chance. It was perfect.

But things never are. This morning I got a phone call from Vain informing me that Buffy couldn't go in today because she had strep throat. Great. BUT, if I still wanted to go in today at the same time I could get my hair cut with Penny. I agreed but wasn't too thrilled about it. Needless to say I still wanted my hair cut short but not as short since I'd never been to Penny before. I really love my haircut. It's a chin-length bob with some layering into it and very cute but not quite edgy enough for me. Good for now though.

I also hung out with a friend of mine from my philosophy class. He actually went with me to my hair appointment (which was really nice of him) and we went to eat afterwards. It was a really nice afternoon.

I also finally bought a French press! I've been wanting one for a looong time and I finally just decided to get one. Isn't it cute? I also bought a mini pumpkin pie and had a great little snack.

Sometimes it's the little things in life that makes us happy isn't it? I'm especially grateful today.

Weekend Wrap-Up

2008-11-17T18:59:00.005-06:00

I was too distracted by other things yesterday to let you know that Ghostland Observatory, whom I saw on Saturday, was AMAZING!!! I've been to a lot of shows this year but this has been the best by far. I think it was the combination of being there with really good friends, having had a few cocktails beforehand and just a really great show. Sadly, I forgot my camera and can't seem to upload the pictures I took on my iphone. Not very tech savvy (though Nicky will tell you otherwise)

My Saturday was actually really great. I started off having breakfast with Noe with breakfast tacos from Taqueria Arandias. They were delicious. Then we went to a Prop. 8 protest. It was really cool and it's nice to be a "straight ally." Then, we went to have a late lunch at Vivo's, my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, where I got a very pretty pink rose. (I took a picture of that too but the technotard strikes again). After lunch, we went over to a friend's house and played Rock Band and had a few drinks. I went over to a friend's house afterwards to see her new baby. Then of course the show. It was a great Saturday.

As a side note, I have a hair appointment tomorrow and I'm thinking about doing this, on my own natural brunette tresses. What do you think?

Break-Up

2008-11-16T14:21:00.004-06:00

My boyfriend and I broke up today. Ironically, yesterday was our three-month mark of our first date. I really wish things were like they were back then. Unfortunately, there are things beyond my control and can't divulge here which led to this event. Fortunately, our relationshit (Dane Cook) is over and our relationship was just three months old. It would've been a lot harder if we had been together longer. But maybe if we had been together longer this wouldn't have happened?

Break-ups are always hard but what makes this one especially hard for me is that I felt like I talked and talked and he was mostly unresponsive. And really that's been the problem for the last month or so. I'm not sure where the guy that I liked went, but in his place is a cold, emotionally unavailable, non-communicative boy. Hand in hand with the unresponsiveness is the fact that I'm sure I feel more broken-hearted than he does. To be fair (or maybe just to make myself feel better) I'm sure that he is upset but since he is being so numb to emotions, I highly doubt that he feels as terrible as I do.

There was a key thing which made it unbelievably clear that this was the right thing to do....he said he didn't love me. Ouch. Why would he say that to me? And why is the purpose of this love? Couldn't we just have fun and see what happens? Despite being unbelievably hurtful, it was also unbelievably uncalled for.

I wish I could be angry, I'm sure it'll come later, but for right now I'm just hurting. Someone made the comment on my blog, when you're going through hell, just keep going. So that's what I'm doing. And, to quote Dory from Finding Nemo, I'm just going to metaphorically "keep swimming."

Down...and up?

2008-11-14T11:50:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I discovered that I had lost a bank envelope with checks written out to me and some cash. Today, I discovered that my envelope had been found and is waiting for me at H-E-B ready to be picked up. Crazy huh? I really thought that I had lost it and it was gone forever.

Why is it that when you give up all hope and resign yourself to a certain outcome, life surprises you and turns it around? Is this good or bad? I'm not sure....I mean, in this instance I'm glad that I found it, sure. The instability and change in and of itself however I could do without.

I hope that this is a sign of more unexpected goodness to happen because no matter how abrupt the change, it'll be one I'll readily accept and welcome.

Sail Away....

2008-11-13T14:45:00.003-06:00

I have this song stuck in my head and it won't go away. I'm surrendering to it.

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me honey now, now, now

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now, now, now

Crazy skies all wild above me now

Winter howling at my face

And everything I held so dear

Disappeared without a trace

Oh all the times I've tasted love

Never knew quite what I had

Little Darling if you hear me now

Never needed you so bad

Spinning round inside my head

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me honey now, now, now

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now, now, now

I've been talking drunken gibberish

Falling in and out of bars

Trying to get some explanation here

For the way some people are

How did it ever come so far

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me honey now, now, now

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now, now, now................

When Things Get Difficult...

2008-11-11T17:45:00.002-06:00

Some general musings....

Should some things be hard? No, not like that (haha). Are we, as humans, used to everything coming easy? Is something being difficult a sign that it's worth it or a sign that you should bail? I really don't know. I'm more of a bail while you can sort of girl but I've been having a really hard time trying to decide that as of late. Mostly, I feel that I make decisions out of fear and I've been trying to stop. Rather, I'm trying to make decisions based on what I really want to do.

I know it's cryptic but suffice it to say that I'm facing a tough decision (which incidentally I think I've already inadvertently made a choice) and both "solutions" scare me to death.

This is definitely a down. :(

Procrastination

2008-11-06T10:53:00.004-06:00

So...I really should be studying for a test right now but instead I'm procrastinating. It's one of my favorite things to do. Instead of studying I'm getting caught up on all the other stuff I've put off, like blogging. For the few people that actually read this and care (I stole this line from Desi), sorry I've been so bad about updating. Trust me, there's lots going on but it involves other people who probably wouldn't appreciate being written about. Therefore, for the sake of maintaining a good relationship w/ said people, I will refrain from writing about it.

Few updates: Sam is sick and was miserable yesterday. He was also wearing an Obama shirt which was adorable. Gotta love the youngsters who are involved in politics. I felt so bad for him though because he just wanted to be held and looked completely out of it and just plain sick. I hope he gets better soon and I hope I don't get sick.

Zac was kind of a pain in the ass today. Although to be fair, I was very sleep deprived and probably more testy than usual. Just being difficult about the type of juice he wanted (NOT grape) and getting upset because we couldn't find a certain book among the literally hundreds of books at his house among other things. We had been making great progress with him not getting so upset when his mom leaves the house but yesterday, he started crying before she left and kept at it. Go figure. And also, thank you Thomas the Train.

Sorry for such a lame post but I'm not feeling too creative/inspired. More like worried and apprehensive about my exam. And yet, I still procrastinate.

Fabulous Weekend

2008-10-22T21:39:00.007-05:00

Yes. I said it. But really that's the best word to describe my weekend: fabulous! On Friday, we went to Vino Vino to celebrate...my 25th birthday! It was so much fun and we had tons of great pictures from the night which I will NOT show here. On Saturday, my bf and I went to our soccer game, where I watched and he played. L also kicked a girl in the face. So proud of him! j/k of course. It was totally an accident and he was mortified. No harm done though although I'm sure it did not feel at all nice. Then, we went to have a nice lunch at Austin Java with Matilda (my dog). Afterwards, we got ready for the UT/Mizzou tailgate and game. At the tailgate, I met L's sister. I was slightly apprehensive about this as the only boyfriend's sibling I ever met before was kind of a bitch. We never really got along and I often felt like I was the third-wheel when we went out. Awkward. Meeting L's sister was great! D was SO nice and I felt like I was meeting a new friend, not just my boyfriend's sister.

Of course, there was a little drama since it wouldn't be my life without it. I didn't have a ticket to the game and so after L and D went into the game, I stayed outside trying to buy one from a scalper. Well, I didn't find a ticket but I did find a guy that was sneaking people in through the gate. So of course I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, I paid way too much for this and I was let in at the opposite side of the stadium were my peeps were. Awesome. So, on my way out, being no dummy, I asked the gate keepers if they would let me in if I failed to get in through another entrance. They said they wouldn't let me in without a ticket. I claimed I had lost it and played up the fact that I was feeling good and they finally agreed to let me back in if I failed to gain entry at another gate. I went to the ticket office, claiming still that I had lost my ticket. I remembered the section and row where L's ticket was and said that that was my seat. Luckily, that's a guest seat and no name is given to that. The ticket lady wrote out a ticket for me and I was let in!

However (you knew this was coming), once inside I couldn't find the rest of my "party." I kept trying to text and call L but of course no response was received. [I later received about eight text messages he had sent me but since 98,000 plus people were in attendance, phone service was crap] FINALLY, we reached each other and agreed to meet. Turns out, they weren't even in the section but rather in the south end-zone! No wonder I couldn't find them. The game was a blow-out and a nice way to follow up the OU game AND I even got my picture taken with Bevo (the guy dressed up as Bevo not the actual longhorn)! It was great.

The next day, I had to go to work at the restaurant but afterwards L, D and I met up with a co-worker, Swimmer, and her bf for Game 7 of the Red Sox and Rays. It was really fun and Swimmer and I had never met up outside of work. It was nice to hang out since I really like her and we've been texting since. As they say, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

All in all, fun times with great people.

Magic Bullet

2008-10-14T09:38:00.003-05:00

Diablo Cody, most recently known for writing Juno, wrote a blog about her magic bullet. It was kind of odd really since I had just been thinking about mine. Last year, for my birthday, I got a magic bullet. I was ecstatic. I've been watching the infomercial for this thing for about two years. Seriously. And finally I got one! I thought it was one of the best birthday gifts ever.

However....I never really used the magic bullet. In fact, I think I took it out of the box and made a smoothie. One. That's it. And now, it's in my parents house (I hope) still in it's packaging.

I wonder what, if anything, that says about me....

It's Sunday and OU still sucks!

2008-10-12T20:22:00.003-05:00

This weekend marked the great annual event of the Red River Rivalry, formerly known as the Red River Shootout. Throughout college, I never missed a trip to Dallas for the game and was lucky enough to actually attend the game twice. Last year, my friend Nicky and her bf had a party for the game which I attended. It was SO fun and Karli, Nicky and I had been talking of a repeat this year. Unfortunately, things didn't go exactly as planned.

For one, Karli has handed her soul to law school in Denver so she was unable to go. I was totally planning on going but couldn't leave until late Friday. Since traffic was terrible and it was going to be a long drive, I decided to forgo the festivities and stay at home.

Big mistake.

We beat the Sooners 45-35. The game was spectacular! It went back and forth pretty much the whole time and we had a sweet 96-yard punt TD return. Hell yeah. So now, not only are we #1 (where we should be), but ESPN's Game Day is going to be at this weekend's Missouri game! Pretty sweet. Hopefully, I don't miss this one. Hook 'em!

Relief

2008-10-03T10:13:00.008-05:00

This past weekend, I got a much needed break from all types of obligations and went to all three days of ACL. For those of you who don't know...that's Austin City Limits, only the best music festival in Texas. I got a gnarly sunglass AND flip flop tan courtesy of the blazing Texas sun but totally worth it to see some amazing bands.

My favorite was by far N.E.R.D. I've always loved Pharrell and after seeing him live, I'm a little more in love. I definitely want to see them (him) again soon. Some lucky girls got to go on stage and shake their ass in front of everybody. I bet their parents were proud. Funnily enough, I ran into 20 or so people that I know on Friday mostly due to the fact that I was looking for L. in the massive crowd. So of course we never did meet up but I was lucky enoug

h to hang out with a variety of different people for different shows and it ultimately ended up being a great day.

Saturday I watched Erykah Badu and she became an instant favorite. I never had really listened to her stuff or cared much about it but I literally got chills watching her. She exudes this inner power that is magnetic. Doesn't she look like she could take on the world and win?

Sunday was super chill day. I got there early to watch The Kills. I really liked them. A lot. They exemplify what a "real" rock band is. To me anyway. Alison "VV" Mosshart, one-half of the group with the other half being guitarist Jamie "Hotel" Hince, looked like a total badass. Check out the gold boots. I want to be her.

I also checked out Stars (awesome), Band of Horses (LOVE Marry Song), Tegan and Sara and Blues Traveler. There was this really annoying girl, about 11 years old, that kept playing with her tambourine. I felt bad for her though because she clearly did NOT want to be there and was probably dragged there by her parents. Get a nanny folks. Pay them well and go out and enjoy your music and let others do the same.

I digress.

The weekend turned out to be everything that I wanted AND I even got to see my friend Nicky and her bf who happened to be in town for the Texas/Arkansas game (we rocked it, 52-10).

Unfortunately, since then I've been super busy and it's been hectic. What else is new right?

Addendum:

CSS, which I also saw on Saturday, were fantastic! They're from Brazil and the chick is nuts! I'm thinking of being her for Halloween. Unfortunately, I was looking at pictures at aclfestival.com, and can't upload any of the CSS pics. I also found out that I missed the crowd surf she did at what I presumed to be the end of her show. Bummer.

Taking a breather...finally!

2008-09-22T21:41:00.004-05:00

I'm so happy today! I took care of things that were waaay overdue (laundry, grocery shopping, toe maintenance, i.e. pedicure) and I'm feeling much better about life. Last night I was telling L how ecstatic I was about only having one job today and he goes, "oh that's the only thing you have to do tomorrow?" Um, no. It's my only job, but I still had to go to my internship this morning, class from one to two, then nannying from three to six. It kind of deflated my exuberance but only momentarily since, as L so wisely put it, it's all relative.

So with only those three tasks to accomplish, I felt my day was ridiculously manageable and allowed me to take the time out to do all the chores around the house that I hadn't gotten around to. I've also decided to ignore some of them since I really don't feel like tackling them right now. It also makes me wonder, how in the hell am I going to make it through a 9 to 5 workday when that time comes?? I like jumping from task to task and blame it on modern day culture in which we're trained to only focus in short bursts of time or whatever you wish, but I still don't think I'm going to be able to make it.

Tomorrow, I'm going to go to a Pilates Reformer class that I'm psyched for, class and keeping it shady at the grove, another relatively easy day. By my standards anyway.

Random Ramblings

2008-09-18T14:29:00.003-05:00

Quick update on the guy Ryan from my philosophy class. He's actually not even enrolled in the class! Ryan wanted to add it and I guess thought he had a better chance of doing so by saying he had been looking forward to it all summer. Or maybe he was being honest and I'm just cynical. Your call.

On other news, I've been neglecting all sorts of obligations, like myself, in order to keep up my crazily busy schedule. Details to follow shortly. In the meantime though, let me just tell you that I've been nannying my ass off and I'm surrounded by beautiful, blue-eyed boys at every turn: Sam, Aidan, L. I'm a lucky girl indeed. And the other (brown-eyed) girl, Sam's big sister Sadie, cracks me up. The other day Sam was being breast-fed or as Sadie calls it, eating "boobie milk." So Sadie says, "I want buttcrack milk!"

Still cracks me up.

Ciao Italia

2008-09-16T23:23:00.005-05:00

I've been feeling very nostalgic recently about my study abroad in Italy. I miss the friends I made on the trip (aka "The Lost Six," they got stranded from the group on the first day and added me as an honorary "lost girl" since I arrived late to Italy with passport issues but I digress). I've been planning on moving to Italy at least for a year once I get done with school in December. I've been looking into jobs but so far haven't found anything in my field (writing, editing). It's both scary and exciting to think about and plan for but that's what life is all about no? Taking risks. I think I've also been thinking more and more about Italy because I want to get away.

I've been having a lot of fun lately and I've been happy but at the same time, I really want to just escape for a while. Today, one of my roommates perfectly exemplified the reason for this. I don't really get along with this girl but for the sake of harmonious living I put up with her shit. It's not bad stuff but little annoying things like eating my cheese (and I LOVE cheese), not buying toilet paper for the bathroom we share, using up my fabric softener sheets, talking to me while I'm on the phone and having a really annoying, loud cat. Have I mentioned that I'm not a fan of cats? Anyway, this girl sends me a text today about how my other roommate, A, wasn't going to say anything about the fact that I should take better care of Matilda and how I should spend more time with her.

What?!! First of all, I already know this. I feel guilty every time I go out to any of my three jobs, my two classes or anything that I might be doing just for fun. You don't have to send me a text and tell me this. But thanks. Secondly, if this was really an issue for A, shouldn't she be the one talking to me about it? Why the hell are you butting in? Clearly, I'm frustrated. I just hope that I don't snap and lash out at her. No one needs that.

Is it December yet? Cause I really want to be here...

Blank

2008-09-15T17:17:00.002-05:00

My mind has been racing and I've had a million things that I've wanted to blog about but I find myself in front of the computer and my mind just goes blank. I've been more and more facebook obsessed recently and I find myself logged on when I'm by a computer and also checking it on my phone. Not good!

On other news....Ike ruined my weekend. I'm not really complaining because I'm sure Ike ruined people's homes and probably some lives, though I hope not. Bitter disappointment did ensue however when two of my friends, Nicky and Riley, failed to come to Austin due to the hurricane. Luckily, Riley's home was ok though she did lose power. AND she might be coming to Austin today! Yay! If she does, it's sure to be epic.

Perspective

2008-09-11T21:47:00.003-05:00

My manager and I were chatting it up at work and somehow the conversation got around to what his wife did for a living. Turns out she's a neo-natal nurse and when she has a bad day at work, someone dies. He said, "That's why I never say I had a bad day at work because the worst thing that can happen is so and so doesn't show up and I run out of broccoli." His words touched me at the time but over the last couple of days, they have really sunk in. It may also have to do with the fact that today is the seven year anniversary of the terrorist attacks. I vividly remember that day and how, at the time, I was too shocked and surprised to really think deeply about it. Now, I have thought more about it and it really does put things into perspective. Thankfully, my only personal connection to the 9/11 attacks is a friend that lives (and lived at the time) in Brooklyn. He wasn't hurt thank God but he did have a front row seat to everything that happened.

We all have stresses and issues going on in our lives but we should take a time out every once in a while, step back and realize that (inshallah) they are not life or death situations.

Just food for thought.

Pressure, Patience, Marley

2008-09-10T13:10:00.002-05:00

Pressure

I have SO many things going on that sometimes I just want to take a breather. This past weekend, I did just that with a trip to the beach with L. Definitely needed a break and it was so much fun to just chill on the beach, get a little tan and be with Matils and L. It was great and since I had only gone to the beach once the entire summer, totally worth the wait. Speaking of waiting....

Patience

I have none. It's something that I'm trying to be better at but it's really hard. I never really believed in the whole idea of things being worth waiting for.....until now. Even though I'm achingly busy, I'm the happiest I've been in months. Sure, I wish I was less busy so I could enjoy it more but life is good. The every day stresses and worries are temporary and though I do have them I just have to remember...

Marley

"Every little thing gonna be alright."

Bump in the Road

2008-09-05T18:01:00.002-05:00

On my way to work today, I was talking to my friend Nicky. We were discussing running late for work, as I was. Part of the problem was that I was running late on a Friday morning. Inevitably, one assumes that you went out drinking the night before. As that had not been the case (I had been baby-sitting yawn), I was worried that my assistant editor would think it was. Nicky had had a similar thing happen to her and on top of that, got a flat tire. I thought to myself, man I'm glad that at least I don't have to deal with that. Especially considering that L and I were heading out to the beach in my car in a few hours.

Wrong.

After leaving my internship, I made my way to Shady Grove to pick up my check and then I was going to class. I noticed my front right tire had been a little low but figured I could make it to L's apt. (and consequently, class) before it went out. I figured the situation would get straightened out quickly and L and I would be set to go.

Wrong again.

As I'm leaving Shady Grove and driving on Barton Springs, my car started vibrating violently. I pulled over to the side of the road, put my hazards on and got out to inspect the inevitable damage. My tire was completely flat. Luckily, I was wearing a dress so I did my best damsel in distress (and trust me, as a feminist this hurt me) and lo and behold within five minutes two guys in an Austin Energy truck pulled over to help me out.

Of course, I had about 8 dresses, two pairs of shoes, sports bras. underwear, bras and shorts, my yoga mat, a garbage bag full of hangers, among an assortment of odds and ends on top of my spare tire. Yeah, they saw my underwear. Awesome. But, whatever, collateral damage and my spare tire was on in 20 minutes.

I drove towards the Sears auto center to see how much it would cost to replace the tire because it was a total loss. Of course, by this time I had missed my class (Poets and Punks) and was in danger of running late for my nanny job with Sam.

$200 dollars later, my tire was fixed, I napped with Sam and we made it to the beach. TGIF.

Class-y

2008-09-03T18:42:00.000-05:00

I started classes last week and, in my second class day of Poets and Punks, not only did my professor remember my name (hell yeah!) but I also had a good response to a question he posed to the class. He referred to my answer three times during the class (yeah, I counted). So far, I'm really loving this class. My professor is really cool and my classmates seem like they have good thoughts and ideas to share.

My philosophy class, while it seems interesting, has some pretty huge nerds. Coming from me, that's saying a lot. There was one guy, Ryan, who actually said, "I've been looking forward to this class all summer. I was telling my friends in Germany [where he studied abroad] about it." .... Yeah. Another girl in the class wanted to make sure and let us know that she is smart and accomplished because she's "back in school to get a second [and third] degree in English and philosophy." Also, she was upset at a professor because he "gave her a B and ruined my 4.0 GPA." To be fair, I did overhear that one. It's not like she announced it to the whole class. She might as well have though, as we're only 15 people in the class and nobody else was talking at the time.

The second day of my philosophy class was even better. Ryan had a pretty important question about the philosophy party that we're having: "What exactly is involved in this party?"

WHAT?! Are you kidding me? What do you think is usually involved in a party? I, of course, started cracking up while the rest of the nerds looked at me and Austin (my only potential ally in the class since he was the only other person who was laughing) like we were crazy. Apparently, when you still live with your parents, as I'm sure he does, and you've never been to a party, as it seems no one else in class has, it's a pretty standard question. I can only assume the shenanigans that are going to go on at this "party." Wish me luck.

Little Shady

2008-09-01T22:46:00.008-05:00

I love Shady Grove. It's easily one of my favorite Austin restaurants. It's no surprise then that I love working there. However, there are times when it is really annoying. Sometimes people surprise me with their stupidity. Luckily, I'm only a host so my interaction with people is limited to a few minutes BUT I do have to interact with every single person that walks through the grove. The following is a list of the stupid shit people ask me at the host stand.

1) Is it going to rain?

How f-ing retarded are you? Does it look like a) I'm a meteorologist? or b) I can predict the future? I didn't think so. Whoever said there was no such thing as a stupid question asked their hostess shit like this.

2) Have the people that I'm meeting ordered their food yet?

I just take them to their table. I'm not a server and I'm sorry, I'm not keeping tabs on what you and your friends are doing. I have other things to do; I AM at work.

3) Is the restaurant going to get busy?

I can't predict the future. This is the same as asking about the weather.

4) Do we just sit ourselves?

Yeah, just grab whatever table you want. They just pay us to stand here and do absolutely nothing all day at the HOST stand.

5) You have lots of open tables. Why can't I just sit at that (empty) table?

Really? Did you not notice the 40 people who are milling around with pagers in their hand waiting for a table? Or the list with 20 names on it? They've actually been waiting for 30 minutes and you just got here. So, no, you actually can't sit at that table. Sorry.

I seriously do love my job though. Some people make it challenging but, at the end of the day, it only teaches me to be more patient and understanding. I think everyone needs to work at a restaurant at one point in their life just to get a better understanding of people and how to deal with them. It's been a great life lesson for me so far.

Soph and Sam

2008-08-29T22:10:00.000-05:00

I love my job; his name is Sam. I have the priviledge of taking care
of the cutest, happiest, well-behaved baby. AND we take naps together.
I think I'm in love.

Busy, Busy

2008-08-27T09:25:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I had soccer practice and it was so much fun! We scrimmaged for about an hour and I ran the entire time. I'm not very good but I can definitely see improvement. Our first game is on Sept. 6 and I'm nervous about it. I just don't want to mess things up for my team. I really need to get cleats because my feet hurt so bad! It's totally worth it though and I had tons of fun, which is all that really matters. Winning is fun too though and hopefully we win some.

On other news, I scored some ACL tickets! I'm so glad too. The lineup is awesome AND Lola is going to come up for it. Fun times for everyone. I also baby-sat 11 week old Sam yesterday for the first time. I'm going to be sitting for him Monday-Wednesday and Fridays. He's the cutest little thing in the world and I'm completely in love. SO cute with the biggest blue eyes I have ever seen. I'm kind of a sucker for the blue eyes, what can I say?

Today is my first day of class and I'm totally looking forward to it (nerd). I've also already worked out today, doing my internship at A.M., going to class, Sam-sitting and Shady Grove later tonight. Busy day but all good things. Life is good.

There's No Place like Home

2008-08-25T13:02:00.004-05:00

Usually, my weekend's at my parent's house are extremely relaxing. I don't really go out or do much of anything; it's my time to kick back and allow myself to be anti-social and get re-centered and re-focused. Though this weekend wasn't much different, I did have to do a major overhaul of my room and closet. It was quite a challenge. I was sorting through old papers, notes, birthday cards and such and I got pretty nostalgic. I found notes and funny pictures and cute birthday cards and it made me miss you all so much but also happy that we had so many good times together. It's funny because now that I'm living in Austin again, all the memories from college flood back to me constantly.

However, I know we're all making new memories and I'm comforted by the fact that though you're not geographically near, you're only a phone call away. And for that, I am glad.

Queen Bee

2008-08-23T12:50:00.005-05:00

This morning, bright and early, I went to my niece's soccer practice. Their team, the Queens, is actually pretty good and have won some tournaments. Last time I had soccer practice, I wasn't really good. I figured that this time since I was about 16 years older than the average player, I would be among the better players.

Not so much. My brother, the Queens' coach, had us doing some throw in drills which, thanks to my massive guns, I was actually good at. Then, it all went downhill. Coach had us kick the ball to each other (my kicking partner is seven), tap the top of the ball three times and kick the ball back. This, I wasn't so good at. Definitely better than last time though. Then, Coach had us line up, throw the ball in to a partner, dribble the ball down the sideline while our partner ran around a cone to the middle of the field, kick it to her for an assist and then our partner would kick it in to the goal. I made zero goals. Zero.

How sad is that?? I forgive myself only because I never played soccer except for some high school P.E. but not really. If you have some pointers, I am all ears. I need to get better stat.

Watch Your Mouth!

2008-08-22T12:21:00.002-05:00

One of the reasons I came home (besides seeing my lovely family) is to go to the dentist. I've been having some jaw pain for the past year or so and I've realized that I've been grinding my teeth at night when I sleep. I also sometimes catch myself clenching my jaw during the day. All this tension in my jaw has caused some headaches, jaw pain and popping when I eat or just open my mouth. It sucks.

I've put off going to the dentist for long enough and the pain has gotten to a point where I couldn't put it off anymore. So...dentist time! I went across to Mexico (viva!) to see the dentist since it's way cheaper and I have no money.

Diagnosis: Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD).

Talk about a mouthful. So, according to webmd, causes include: grinding or clenching the teeth (check), dislocation of the soft cushion or disc between the ball and socket (goodness no), presence of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the TMJ (uh, no), stress which can cause a person to tighten facial and jaw muscles or clench the teeth (check).

Treatment: A mouth guard.

Awesome. Now, I have to wear this stupid mouth guard and I'm not even participating in any type of contact sport. As per my dentist's instructions, I should wear it as often as possible and definitely at night. Talk about sexy night attire. Can't wait to hit the sheets tonight! With my mouth guard of course.

On the Road Again

2008-08-21T14:13:00.000-05:00

The ride down south to my parent's house was pretty uneventful. I was ridiculously tired but it wasn't bad for a five hour car drive. Of course, the moment I'm three blocks away from my house, this white van starts moving on over into my lane and almost sideswipes me. I probably shouldn't have let Matilda drive.

Sorry for the shitty picture quality. I ran into some technical difficulties...AND I'm a technotard.

Blame it on the Rain

2008-08-20T12:57:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was such a crappy, rainy day. It was fine until I had to go to work at Shady Grove. Then it stopped raining and turned into a crappy, humid day/night. I was in such a grumpy mood and I really have no other explanation for it other than the weather.

Today, the day is beautiful! My outlook has definitely brightened up as well and I'm really looking forward to going home (my parent's house) tomorrow. It should be a nice, extended weekend though I have to get through a meeting/interview I have later on today, Shady tonight and Austin Monthly tomorrow morning. I haven't seen my parents in months and I'm debating whether or not I should take out my nose ring....

Anyway, if you too find yourself having a not so great day, call this number: 603-413-4133. I promise it'll make you feel better. Thanks Riley.

Best in Show...or not

2008-08-18T10:47:00.005-05:00

Matilda and I went to my first ever soccer practice. You know you're not the best, or even one of the better players, when your team captain pulls you aside for "kicking practice." Ouch.

I had fun though and so did Matilda. Candace brought her two dogs, Evey and Isa, and the three dogs ran around for a while. It was really cute and good exercise for her. Apparently though, Matilda is too fragile to be outdoors. We went to Central Market for some iced tea and a snack and Matilda had little bumps on her (see picture above). I wasn't worried about it, made a point to keep my eye on her and take her to the vet today if it got worse. I gave Matilda a Benadryl and the swelling seemed to go down but after we watched a movie (funnily enough Best in Show) it got way worse.

Her white markings (called flash) were not white but red and she had bumps all over her body. Matilda's right eye was practically swollen shut and I went from nonchalant to downright panicky. I would've taken a picture of it but I was so panicked that I forgot. So, around midnight, Matilda was in a 24 hour emergency vet clinic getting shots for what is thought to be an allergic reaction. To what? Who knows? So after $200, three shots and two Benadryls, Matilda is all better. Now if I could only find her busy bee....

"Almost Like an Orgasm"

2008-08-16T22:25:00.003-05:00

Dinner at Malaga last night was amazing. Four friends enjoyed two bottles of wine (red from Italy and pinot from New Zealand), six dishes (the goat cheese balls and the goat cheese red peppers were my favorites), two desserts (tiramisu and flan) and great conversation.

We chose the tiramisu, which had chocolate shavings on top, and it was so good it was "almost like an orgasm" according to one of my friends. I might have to go back for more because two is better than one in terms of tiramisu AND orgasms.

Also, I think I might have a crush. But I'm keeping that under wraps...for now.

Rush, rush, rush

2008-08-15T18:23:00.006-05:00

With my job at Shady Grove, my internship at Austin Monthly, working out and walking Matilda, plus the added pressure of Austin traffic, my days are usually pretty hectic to say the least. Today wasn't too bad though and I'm really excited about two writing assignments I got for the October issue for A.M. I got to go to the library for some research for one of them and I got not one, but two, library cards today. One for the Bee Caves library which is right around the corner from the office in a shopping center (!) which is awesome and the other one for the Austin libraries (22 locations throughout Austin). I checked out three books for my research and one for pleasure (Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen).

I'm really looking forward to starting that book as I've been reading Julie's blog (check out my links) and she's an amazing writer. Tonight, I'm going to dinner with some friends to Malaga, a tapas bar in downtown Austin, probably a concert and maybe a party. Or, just stay downtown. Who knows what the night will bring?

NERD!

2008-08-14T21:24:00.009-05:00

Usually, I keep my "nerd" pretty well hidden. I don't seem to be your prototypical nerdy chick or anything like that. How do I keep it hidden? Not only do I have an oh so cool exterior (ha), but I also am a bit of a party girl. So despite the fact that I have a picture of my first day of school from kindergarten (slicked back pony tailed me in a plaid uniform, red socks, red backpack and lunchbox in hand) up until my freshman year of college at U.T. (pretty much the same sans uniform), there isn't a party that I can say no to. And maybe it's not that I keep it hidden, but that a balance between being a "nerd" and being "cool" exists.

Despite this, I was thinking about my first day of class (August 27th!!) and debating whether I should take a different philosophy class, Philosophy of David Hume, versus the one I'm currently enrolled for, Philosophy and Feminism. As I was thinking about this, I received the following e-mail from my Philosophy and Feminism professor, Kathleen Higgins. It's as if she read my mind.

Subject: Party for Feminism Class: 2008_fall_43510_PHL_375M

Welcome to the Philosophy and Feminism class!

I would like to have a class party (with dinner) at my house soon after school begins. Given the rather personal nature of some of the ideas we'll be discussing, I think it would be good to get comfortable with each other early in the term, and what better way than a party? I was thinking of possibly a Thursday night, but I am writing with two questions:

1) Is any night of the week definitely not good for you?

2) Are you a vegetarian or a vegan?

Please let me know as soon as possible so that I'd be able to get the party organized.

Best wishes,

Kathleen Higgins

End of debate. The dichotomy of nerd and cool remains in a peaceful state of existence.

(Girl Nerd Image by Steve Hilbert)

Lots of Change in 2008

2008-08-13T23:49:00.000-05:00

This year has been insane for me. We're just past the halfway mark and it's already been ridiculously eventful.

Career wise, I moved to Killeen, got fired and moved back to Austin in the span of three months. I've also earned an internship, changed that internship and am now rocking a new, better one at Austin Monthly Magazine. I'm also working at Shady Grove, a restaurant. I never would've believed that I would be working at a restaurant but life always takes you in unexpected directions.

In my personal life, I got a dog. The best thing that has happened to me so far this year. Her name is Matilda and is the cutest thing in the world. I also dated a guy going through a divorce (don't recommend it), a teenager who was in the army (don't recommend it either) and met lots of people from whom I've learned more than they will ever know. I've also grown a lot as a person and I definitely feel like I've lived almost a quarter of a century.

I'm really happy with the direction my life is taking currently and can't wait to share all the ups and downs of my crazy life.