So I've been meaning to write this blog for awhile now. Coming to New York so many moons ago I knew that this would be a part of my everyday life. I remember my first. I wasn't even in the City yet. I was still a senior at A&M and happened to take a trip to LA during the Spring and it just so happened to be Oscar weekend. This, of course, had the potential to be the greatest weekend of my life, and yet, I still managed to come out only seeing one. Who knew then just how defining that would be? The point is, when I moved to NYC I expected this to be the norm. There is a certain rush when it happens and you don't really know how you will react until you are in the moment. Someone I know, tends to freeze and gently place her hand on the closest person (usually me) next to her signaling, "look...fame...no words." You know what we're talking about...celeb sightings.
Which brings to light the big question - if you were to really come across your favorite celebrity, how would you react? Oh, the possibilities are endless. Do you throw pride to the wind and ask for the photo? Do you pretend that they're common after clearly doing a double-take? Or do you just quietly acknowledge their status and keep on going? I happen to take the high road, make eye contact, and then go on my way. I don't know, I just can't bring myself to interrupt someone and ask them to take a picture. Also, several of my sightings have been in a business setting, where turning into a 15 year old girl would have not been appreciated. Lest we forget the day I spent with Nate Berkus...swoon. Admittedly, we have had our fair share of A-listers, D-listers and everything in between, but that is what makes it so fun - the spectrum. More than anything, it's always a surprising reminder that you're not in Kansas anymore.
So I got this idea to write this post after receiving a text this past Sunday regarding a certain someone who attended our church service on the very day that I decide to skip. If that doesn't prove God's sense of humor, then I don't know what does. Had I been there it probably would have been equally as uneventful, a few stares and whispers but still, it's the principle...only in New York can you sing worship next to the guy that you'll be watching on tv the very next night. So that is when I decided to compile the list. A comprehensive list of who I've brushed shoulders with over the past few years:
Bruce Willis
Sarah Jessica Parker
Tony Danza*
George Clooney
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Lauren Graham
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen
Glenn Close
Drew Carey
Regis Philbin
Goldie Hawn
Kurt Russell
Michael Douglas
George Clooney
Steve Guttenberg*
P. Diddy
Oprah
Gayle King
Aretha Franklin
Will Arnett
Tyra Banks
Matthew Lillard
Donald Trump
Jenny Humphreys
Leelee Sobieski
Missi Pyle
Nate Berkus**
Stacy London
Carly Smithson
Katie Holmes Cruise
*Denotes a D-list actor that has hit on a member of our party.
**San Francisco "sighting"
I hope that a few of these have made you laugh and I'm more than confident that a few have made you turn to Google to find out exactly who some of these people might be. It won't take you long to remember that, "Duh! It's the nerdy girl from Never Been Kissed..." or, "Isn't that the guy from Scream?" Yes and yes.
Just a day in the life.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
What I Know for Sure
I know it's been awhile but I have my reasons. Last week I embarked on my first trip to the Windy City to see none other than the big O herself. I'll be honest with you, I was more pumped about the time that I'd be spending with my gals, but O was a nice touch too.
For my Mom's 50th birthday I was able to score four tickets to the show and so we built a trip around it. Regardless of our show's theme (teen dating violence a la RiRi and CBrown) we had such a memorable time. After we were scooted out the door, we hopped on over to the gift shop to buy some souvenirs (read: ornaments and a coffee mug) for what was a great day. The rest of our trip was filled with comedy shows, food, shopping, girl time, luggage and laughs.
As we left O's studio I couldn't help but think about this empire that she has so wisely built. If you have any familiarity with Oprah you know that she has a famous thought on what she knows for sure and she ends every interview with this question. Instead of answering it in a statement, I thought I'd answer the "what I know for sure" question for myself in a series of thoughts:
What I know for sure...
is that my heart belongs in Texas but a part of it stays here too.
is that I really love corn dogs, yeah I said it.
is that Motown and Oldies keep me jammin.
is that my favorite people tend to be the ones that can laugh at themselves.
is that my ideal day consists of a good book, the sun and a hammock.
is that there's no cure compared to love from family and friends.
is that I finally understand why success is only measured by happiness.
is that being serious is an overrated virtue.
is that I claim to never cry in public which is a completely untrue.
is that sometimes things are just as they should be.
is that when it comes to competition, it's best to just fly under the radar.
is that manners will take you places in life.
is that sometimes it's the little things that.just.make.me.happy.
is that if someone really wants something, they make it happen.
is that Butler just handed my bracket its first loss.
is that sometimes a cuss word feels really good.
is that all girls think about their weddings on a very regular basis.
I don't know much but I do know that getting by has been fun. Happy Friday friends!
For my Mom's 50th birthday I was able to score four tickets to the show and so we built a trip around it. Regardless of our show's theme (teen dating violence a la RiRi and CBrown) we had such a memorable time. After we were scooted out the door, we hopped on over to the gift shop to buy some souvenirs (read: ornaments and a coffee mug) for what was a great day. The rest of our trip was filled with comedy shows, food, shopping, girl time, luggage and laughs.
As we left O's studio I couldn't help but think about this empire that she has so wisely built. If you have any familiarity with Oprah you know that she has a famous thought on what she knows for sure and she ends every interview with this question. Instead of answering it in a statement, I thought I'd answer the "what I know for sure" question for myself in a series of thoughts:
What I know for sure...
is that my heart belongs in Texas but a part of it stays here too.
is that I really love corn dogs, yeah I said it.
is that Motown and Oldies keep me jammin.
is that my favorite people tend to be the ones that can laugh at themselves.
is that my ideal day consists of a good book, the sun and a hammock.
is that there's no cure compared to love from family and friends.
is that I finally understand why success is only measured by happiness.
is that being serious is an overrated virtue.
is that I claim to never cry in public which is a completely untrue.
is that sometimes things are just as they should be.
is that when it comes to competition, it's best to just fly under the radar.
is that manners will take you places in life.
is that sometimes it's the little things that.just.make.me.happy.
is that if someone really wants something, they make it happen.
is that Butler just handed my bracket its first loss.
is that sometimes a cuss word feels really good.
is that all girls think about their weddings on a very regular basis.
I don't know much but I do know that getting by has been fun. Happy Friday friends!
Monday, March 9, 2009
No rest for the weary
I feel like I'm hungover. The problem with this statement is that I am most certainly NOT hungover. I am, however, dog tired from trying to watch the entire first season of Friday Night Lights. It has been no secret that this Winter season has absolutely killed us. I would like to say that we've been in a permanent hibernation for the past 2 months, due to the fact that the windy chill has left us with no will to socialize.
But not this weekend.
God graced us with 70-degree weather and I could not have been happier. You would think that I would have been so overjoyed that I would have taken residence in Central Park, walked without abandon, felt the wind blow through my hair and just let myself be. But no. I had a hankering for Friday Night Lights that only an endless marathon could cure. I will say, Kate and I forced ourselves to go outside for a decent amount of time this weekend so it's not entirely pathetic, but every other hour/minute/second of the day was filled with FNL viewing. Sad...I know. In fact, at one point on Saturday night such a shameful amount of time was devoted to watching the show that I thought we were starting to look like a sad and depressed version of Laverne and Shirley. You know, the lost episode.
In what was a pure move of foreshadowing, we had recorded the most recent episodes with the hope of watching them after we had completed the first two seasons. Alyssa has been telling me for months that I could watch the past seasons on Netflix but it really came down to a matter of commitment. The 22-episode beast that was the first season has held me back, I mean really...who has time for that?! And then everyone at work started buzzing about Tim Riggins around the water cooler, excitedly printing pictures of his body on the color copier, endlessly checking his bio on IMDB and there I was...left out. Of all people in this office to not watch FNL, it was me. How could that be? My other Southern friend at work could proudly contribute to the conversation and yet I had nothing. So really, this was work-related. That's right, I am advancing my career. My Daddy would be so proud. :)
Admittedly, I recognized a few faces and held a few premature judgements going into the pilot. First of all, every women in my office kept swooning over this Riggins character that I just frankly didn't agree with. Sure he was good looking but not really my type. I am MUCH more of a Coach Taylor girl. I don't know what this makes me...a younger girl that finds an older member of the opposite sex highly attractive. A gold digger? But he's not rich. A Cougette? He's older, so I don't know...stumped. First of all, he is so good looking. But after watching the show you can't help but love his other qualities: he's funny, he can act like he's Southern, he's a loving Dad and husband - swoon. But really, I'm equal opportunity...I saw the merit of a guy like Riggins and, I too, hopped on board. Something about his long greasy hair and underage drinking just makes my heart melt...just an old-fashioned romantic at heart. I tell you all of this with a large amount of confidence in the fact that I am not usually like this. I do not talk about tv/movie characters as if they are real and I most certainly do not disrupt my usually fun life with a false reality, but this time I had to make an exception. A day's worth of television exception. If you watch this show, you understand. Does it play to an unusually small demographic of Central Texas residents? Sure. But that's the beauty of it. It should go without saying that I was beyond giddy to see that they played my high school team in one episode...
I feel like I've finally made it.
But not this weekend.
God graced us with 70-degree weather and I could not have been happier. You would think that I would have been so overjoyed that I would have taken residence in Central Park, walked without abandon, felt the wind blow through my hair and just let myself be. But no. I had a hankering for Friday Night Lights that only an endless marathon could cure. I will say, Kate and I forced ourselves to go outside for a decent amount of time this weekend so it's not entirely pathetic, but every other hour/minute/second of the day was filled with FNL viewing. Sad...I know. In fact, at one point on Saturday night such a shameful amount of time was devoted to watching the show that I thought we were starting to look like a sad and depressed version of Laverne and Shirley. You know, the lost episode.
In what was a pure move of foreshadowing, we had recorded the most recent episodes with the hope of watching them after we had completed the first two seasons. Alyssa has been telling me for months that I could watch the past seasons on Netflix but it really came down to a matter of commitment. The 22-episode beast that was the first season has held me back, I mean really...who has time for that?! And then everyone at work started buzzing about Tim Riggins around the water cooler, excitedly printing pictures of his body on the color copier, endlessly checking his bio on IMDB and there I was...left out. Of all people in this office to not watch FNL, it was me. How could that be? My other Southern friend at work could proudly contribute to the conversation and yet I had nothing. So really, this was work-related. That's right, I am advancing my career. My Daddy would be so proud. :)
Admittedly, I recognized a few faces and held a few premature judgements going into the pilot. First of all, every women in my office kept swooning over this Riggins character that I just frankly didn't agree with. Sure he was good looking but not really my type. I am MUCH more of a Coach Taylor girl. I don't know what this makes me...a younger girl that finds an older member of the opposite sex highly attractive. A gold digger? But he's not rich. A Cougette? He's older, so I don't know...stumped. First of all, he is so good looking. But after watching the show you can't help but love his other qualities: he's funny, he can act like he's Southern, he's a loving Dad and husband - swoon. But really, I'm equal opportunity...I saw the merit of a guy like Riggins and, I too, hopped on board. Something about his long greasy hair and underage drinking just makes my heart melt...just an old-fashioned romantic at heart. I tell you all of this with a large amount of confidence in the fact that I am not usually like this. I do not talk about tv/movie characters as if they are real and I most certainly do not disrupt my usually fun life with a false reality, but this time I had to make an exception. A day's worth of television exception. If you watch this show, you understand. Does it play to an unusually small demographic of Central Texas residents? Sure. But that's the beauty of it. It should go without saying that I was beyond giddy to see that they played my high school team in one episode...
I feel like I've finally made it.
For your viewing pleasure: Coach Taylor
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
To the Birthday Girl
To my Sister on her 28th year -
Here are 28 things I think of when I think of you:
28. Dog Whisperer- both stray and owned.
27. Thoughtfulness - You never forget a birthday or special event.
26. Red - You and your special hair, it's like God knew you wanted to stand out:)
25. Slow Eater - We're all finished and you're still building something on your plate.
24. Lyrics - Your ability to accurately know the words to any song.
23. Eggs - Your dislike for them and how you can spot them from a mile away.
22. Baseball - Your unparalled knowledge and appreciation for America's game.
21. Mentor - You are Mikayla's partner-in-crime and someone I've always looked up to.
20. Troop Beverly Hills - "Patches? We don't need no stinking patches!"
19. Planner - Not just your day job, you know how to get things done.
18. Funny girl - Never a dull moment when you're around.
17. Mom - To Rookie of course..
16. Blogger - My go-to on a slow day.
15. Blue Bell Cookies & Cream Ice Cream - I hated it, you loved it.
14. Your confused but loyal heart - UT? A&M? Who do you really root for?
13. Pi Beta Phi - You and your fun "pee fee" friends.
12. Chips and Salsa - 'Nuff said.
11. Maverick - Typical first born.
10. Cheerleader - Former and current. "Hullabaloo way way..." ;)
9. Breakfast champion - I dream about those Tammy's treats.
8. Red Lipstick - "Hold on, I've got to put on my lips."
7. Bride - Fancy pants in her white dress.
6. Listener - You're my Frasier when I need one.
5. Turtlenecks - The "uniform" has never let you down.
4. Honest - She'll tell you what's up.
3. Wifey - You love that boy of yours and he loves you.
2. Sister - The older, smart, and sassy one.
1. Woman of God - Has a full heart for the Big Guy.
Here are 28 things I think of when I think of you:
28. Dog Whisperer- both stray and owned.
27. Thoughtfulness - You never forget a birthday or special event.
26. Red - You and your special hair, it's like God knew you wanted to stand out:)
25. Slow Eater - We're all finished and you're still building something on your plate.
24. Lyrics - Your ability to accurately know the words to any song.
23. Eggs - Your dislike for them and how you can spot them from a mile away.
22. Baseball - Your unparalled knowledge and appreciation for America's game.
21. Mentor - You are Mikayla's partner-in-crime and someone I've always looked up to.
20. Troop Beverly Hills - "Patches? We don't need no stinking patches!"
19. Planner - Not just your day job, you know how to get things done.
18. Funny girl - Never a dull moment when you're around.
17. Mom - To Rookie of course..
16. Blogger - My go-to on a slow day.
15. Blue Bell Cookies & Cream Ice Cream - I hated it, you loved it.
14. Your confused but loyal heart - UT? A&M? Who do you really root for?
13. Pi Beta Phi - You and your fun "pee fee" friends.
12. Chips and Salsa - 'Nuff said.
11. Maverick - Typical first born.
10. Cheerleader - Former and current. "Hullabaloo way way..." ;)
9. Breakfast champion - I dream about those Tammy's treats.
8. Red Lipstick - "Hold on, I've got to put on my lips."
7. Bride - Fancy pants in her white dress.
6. Listener - You're my Frasier when I need one.
5. Turtlenecks - The "uniform" has never let you down.
4. Honest - She'll tell you what's up.
3. Wifey - You love that boy of yours and he loves you.
2. Sister - The older, smart, and sassy one.
1. Woman of God - Has a full heart for the Big Guy.
Love You!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Spoiled Recap
Well guys...we've put in a good run. Last night's finale confirmed the famed "spoiler" circulating the Internet to be true. I really wish I could say that I clung to the hope that it wasn't real but that just wouldn't be honest. See, Jason never really seemed genuine to me and last night only solidified my apprehension.
I mean y'all, what is with a guy that found love once, only to have a child and divorce, to then go on a reality TV show to win another woman's heart, only to propose and get dumped and later go back on the same reality TV show and fall in "love" with two women? What kind of track record is that? And more importantly, why was everyone so surprised in the end to find that this guy had made the wrong decision? Clearly, the man is confused.
Let it be said that Jillian was probably sitting in her apartment in Canada with her girlfriends and some vino watching this all go down with a thankful heart. She was probably wide-eyed, hand cupped over her mouth, her chest rising and falling with every false move on Jason's part...girlfriend, you were spared. And poor Melissa. I have to say...I do not know what I would have done in her shoes. She is absolutely legitimate in her anger that he would take away such a sacred moment from her. He seemed so cavalier about the fact that he proposed with no actual intention of seeing it through. Now I know I watched the finale through a scrutinizing set of eyes but it completely seemed like he knew that he was making the wrong decision. The minute he let Molly walk away you could see the regret. Sometimes you get caught up in the moment but this just wasn't right. He knew then and there that it wasn't the right decision and yet he went with it.
Fast-forward a few months as Molly shows up to the scene thinking that she's going to get some questions answered. Oh and how spooked did Chris Harrison look? The awkwardness was heavy in the air and Chris the mediator was just trying to stay afloat. So Jason dumps Melissa, who then becomes the newest roadkill in the Bachelor franchise and storms off the set. Molly comes onto the stage telling Chris that the love is still there and that she sometimes dreams about Jason asking for her back...well, dandy. Oh look, it's Jason. He asks Molly to give him another shot as he sits there all smirky and the least bit apologetic while Molly looks "baffled". I am a little bit surprised that she even thought to ask about Melissa, but it was clearly a formality. So that's where the confusion sets in. Are we really supposed to believe that Molly and Jason have not stayed in touch the past few months? In the words of The Loj, "doubtin' it!" I don't care how much love is between them it just doesn't add up that within seconds of Jason's big announcement she would be cozied up next to Daddy and kissing him like nothing had ever happened. Now I hate to be Negative Nancy, and at this point I just wish them the best, but history shows that Jason does not have the best reputation as a lasting boyfriend so my advice to Molly would be, "proceed with caution."
Tonight's "After The Rose" episode will be an updated look into the life of Molly and Jason. Everything I have read proves that they are happy and together so we'll just have to see what happens. For now, I have had my fill of Bachelor news and would love to get back to regular programming.
I mean y'all, what is with a guy that found love once, only to have a child and divorce, to then go on a reality TV show to win another woman's heart, only to propose and get dumped and later go back on the same reality TV show and fall in "love" with two women? What kind of track record is that? And more importantly, why was everyone so surprised in the end to find that this guy had made the wrong decision? Clearly, the man is confused.
Let it be said that Jillian was probably sitting in her apartment in Canada with her girlfriends and some vino watching this all go down with a thankful heart. She was probably wide-eyed, hand cupped over her mouth, her chest rising and falling with every false move on Jason's part...girlfriend, you were spared. And poor Melissa. I have to say...I do not know what I would have done in her shoes. She is absolutely legitimate in her anger that he would take away such a sacred moment from her. He seemed so cavalier about the fact that he proposed with no actual intention of seeing it through. Now I know I watched the finale through a scrutinizing set of eyes but it completely seemed like he knew that he was making the wrong decision. The minute he let Molly walk away you could see the regret. Sometimes you get caught up in the moment but this just wasn't right. He knew then and there that it wasn't the right decision and yet he went with it.
Fast-forward a few months as Molly shows up to the scene thinking that she's going to get some questions answered. Oh and how spooked did Chris Harrison look? The awkwardness was heavy in the air and Chris the mediator was just trying to stay afloat. So Jason dumps Melissa, who then becomes the newest roadkill in the Bachelor franchise and storms off the set. Molly comes onto the stage telling Chris that the love is still there and that she sometimes dreams about Jason asking for her back...well, dandy. Oh look, it's Jason. He asks Molly to give him another shot as he sits there all smirky and the least bit apologetic while Molly looks "baffled". I am a little bit surprised that she even thought to ask about Melissa, but it was clearly a formality. So that's where the confusion sets in. Are we really supposed to believe that Molly and Jason have not stayed in touch the past few months? In the words of The Loj, "doubtin' it!" I don't care how much love is between them it just doesn't add up that within seconds of Jason's big announcement she would be cozied up next to Daddy and kissing him like nothing had ever happened. Now I hate to be Negative Nancy, and at this point I just wish them the best, but history shows that Jason does not have the best reputation as a lasting boyfriend so my advice to Molly would be, "proceed with caution."
Tonight's "After The Rose" episode will be an updated look into the life of Molly and Jason. Everything I have read proves that they are happy and together so we'll just have to see what happens. For now, I have had my fill of Bachelor news and would love to get back to regular programming.
Nostalgia
The snow just isn't cute anymore. Instead of listening to a good dose of complaining, I have decided to overhaul the idea of Winter and gear up for Spring. If I really had it my way I'd skip over Spring too and head straight into the land of Summer. Hot, sweaty, tan, Summer...oh how I love thee. But there is a fair amount of Spring that I enjoy, so I'll stick with it.
Hello, Christ's resurrection? Yep, love that. Also, new Easter duds? Love 'em.
In fact, one of my favorite times of the year is SPRING BREAK. I can assure you that my time spent in Destin (3 years to be exact) holds some of the greatest memories I will ever have. I mean...who could forget the endless hours of car games, stops through New Orleans, nights at AJ's, days on the beach, trips to Wal-Mart ("just the cups and the bra"), continental breakfast/ happy hour, hot tub nights and everything in between? In what seemed like our first real dose of freedom, we would pack cars to capacity, load our ipods and set out for the best week of the year. Drivers would be designated beforehand and the rest would be history. Inevitably, we would each start a crush at the beginning of the week and play a little game of how many times we could see them out on the town. More often than not, it was some southern boy with a heavy drawl that went to a school by the name of "State." Well sure you did, there are only 50 of them.
Needless to say, the material is endless from these trips. You would think that after a week of splotchy tans and late nights that we'd be sick of each other but the car trip home proved to have some great memories as well. The constant bathroom stops and car games would entertain us for hours. One of our favorites was the "Most Likely..." game in which we'd throw out a scenario (ie. "most likely to get plastic surgery") and everyone would pass around a piece of paper and write down the initials of the chosen person. The rules: the answer had to be someone in the car and no one's feelings could get hurt. And no, Regina George was not on the trip. Surprisingly, everyone took it in good fun and we got to end a week of ridiculousness on an even more ridiculous note.
So to all the Destin girls of past and present, I salute you. Our figures might be a bit rounder and our skin might resemble the color of a Twilight character but we will always cling to the time when we were footloose and fancy free.
Where'd you get those beads?!
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