I'm Alive

Don't believe me? Just check out this clip of me dancing with my Muse sisters. (This clip's for you, Mags.)

I didn't mean to imply--by not posting for days after my last "Yuck" post--that I had kicked the bucket. I am still very much alive. Instead, after that last post, I got to feeling humanish on Friday, just in time to send BH off to Colorado and to see GJ "perform" in her Friday afternoon dance class. After that, I headed back down town to the kick off event for my company's big bi-annual Corporate Event. Then, after that, went to our headquarters for a big party/cook off thing (a la "Iron Chef"), and lasted just long enough to have 2 glasses of wine and some finger food. Then went home, showered, got in my PJs, popped some popcorn, and watch La Vie En Rose on Pay-Per-View. Meh.

Saturday, got up and headed back to the Big Event. Was there from 9:30 to about 5:00pm, attending sessions, trying to be charming, shmoozing, etc. Ran home, changed clothes, fed dog and cat, then headed BACK downtown to the event space in order to attend the big company awards dinner/ceremony. It was scheduled to last from 6:30 to 9:30. It finished up at about 11pm. I was seated between the two Co-Presidents and the CFO, so I behaved. But after dinner was over, I headed down to the bar with the Director of PR for a well-deserved martini. I was so tired though, that it was all I could do to get my ass in my car and head home after that nightcap. Showered and got in bed and, with the time change, it was 2am before I went to sleep.

Next morning--yep--back at The Event for the big keynote speech by the CEO at 9:00am. After that, I had lunch and then headed to Costco and spent about $90 on some Big Bulk Items. Came home, showered, cleaned house, and grabbed an hour-long nap before BH called and told me he was about an hour outside of Austin (driving in with his 2 boys who are moving to College Station this week). So after speaking with him, I realized that I needed to go grocery shopping--have you ever seen how much a 13 year old boy can eat? It's astounding--so then went and spent nearly $200 at the grocery store, including an ice cream birthday cake for the younger son, whose 8th b-day was yesterday. Came home, Dah arrived with The Geej (who was VERY excited by both the arrival of BH's sons and the fact that there was a birthday underway), then I cooked dinner, we had b-day cake, I bathed the Geej, and then endured a world-class sugar-fueled meltdown when it was time for her to go to bed. Finally, I went to bed and practically passed the hell out.

This morning, when the alarm went off at 6-something, it was still dark outside and raining. Hard. GOD I did NOT want to get out of bed. I just wanted to spoon up with BH and snooze all morning. But no: It thundered, and soon a crying Geej was in our room, asking to get into bed. Then I had to get up and get ready to a) take her to Gymnastics Camp (she's going Monday and Friday of this week b/c it's Spring Break) and b) go to the final event of the big Corporate Hoo-Hah, the Annual Shareholders Meeting by 9:00am. I wore this shirt

and got LOTS of compliments on it. If you want one, go here and support my kick ass friends Joshelle. They rule.

After the annual meeting, I headed in to the office, worked, met with my boss, had some AMAZING vegetarian pho at lunch, went back to work, worked some more, then went to pick up The Geej.

All of this is to say, I have been pulling my freaking hair out for the last week or so. I know I always say how busy I am, but seriously, this is redonkulous. Sort of like this owl.

Good night. More soon.

More fun than a barrel of monkeys?

Today, Mr. Wonderful (who I shall henceforth refer to as BH, which are his initials) and I bravely accompanied The Geej and her entire class to The Austin Zoo for a field trip.

Let me start out by telling you that I am pretty creeped out and depressed by zoos in general. I know the keepers and zoologists do admirable work, but seeing animals in cages does not make me happy. I'd never been to the Austin Zoo due to this fact about myself, even though I know it's an "all rescue" zoo. So this was a first for both me and BH. However, The Geej had been there before with Dah.

Anyway, enough background.

I'd volunteered to drive myself and at least 2 young ones (in addition to the Geej), but instead I ended up actually riding in the passenger seat of another mom's car while Geej and this gal's son rode in the back.Poor BH had to ride with a father of one of Geej's classmates, this guy's son and two other four year-old boys. Yeah...I'm not sure he realized what he was getting himself into. (Apparently this dad was something of a douchebag, but I won't go into that right now.)

The weather was overcast and coolish, but not the least bit cold. We basically strolled the grounds of the zoo and checked out the animals at our own pace. My favorites? The marmosets and the tigers. BH also liked the marmosets. Geej? She was all about the cats, as in the two felis domesticus who roamed the grounds of the zoo. In fact, she declared most of the animals "Yuck" and proclaimed that "It's stinky" several times during our time a the zoo. What a diva. Her least favorite? The bears. She and Stephen Colbert would have a lot to talk about...

We took the train ride around the zoo, and she seemed to like that just fine.

Afterward, we had a picnic among the peacocks and...of course...the friendly zoo cats.

I think after this trip to the zoo, I finally deeply understand what the term, "Stoned as a goat" means. Seriously: Look at this dude's eyes. He's TOTALLY baked.

On the way back to school, Geej's back seat partner declared that he didn't want to play with her anymore when they got back to school because she's "so boring." Oh, okay, Mr. Excitement. Whatever you say. God. Kids can be such jerks.

Got back to school, and it was nap time, so BH and I made our exit.

All in all, a pretty fun time.

Tiniest. Houseguest. Ever.

Guess who's staying with us for spring break?

PRINCESS APRICOT!! The Russian Dwarf Hamster from The Geej's school. (The kids named her. Can you tell?)

I really don't know how I got sucked in to this. Honest, I don't. But somehow, this little rodent ended up riding home with us in the car today, and it seems that the entire household is fascinated with her.

We just can't stop watching her because she is cuteness defined. She's the size of a freakin' golf ball, people. And her little feet are so itty and pink. She's almost edible. (Earl would probably argue about my use of "almost" in that sentence, but oh well.)

I'm sure that by the end of our time together I will a) know a lot more than I now do about hamsters (which won't be any big feat) and b) be very sure that I never want a hamster of my own.

We're heading to Dallas tomorrow for the weekend. It's a dual purpose visit: I'm going up for a dear friend's baby shower and we're going to visit my mom's sister and her lovely husband (Nanny and Papa, as The Geej calls them) and their wonderful mutt, Missy. Aside from the car ride, it should be a fun trip.

Talk to you fools on Sunday.