I got stood up

I had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend that was full of friends, family, drinks, and lots of food. Since I splurged so much over the weekend, I've been tired and feeling disgusted with myself all week. So I was really looking forward to my session with my personal trainer today.

Today, I was going to be a trooper. I vowed that this time I was not going to whine, beg for mercy, or complain on the 85th set of lunges that my legs are tired. I was even prepared to run.

Anyone who knows me knows I only run if:
1. I'm running from something or,
2. I'm running toward food

I was going to walk in to the torture chamber Cory likes to call "The Gym" and take it like a champ.

But he never showed. Have I really scared him off? I wonder if he finally lost all hope that I'll ever be in shape. He's been working with me for 6 months now and I still won't run a mile without bringing the portable defibrillator "just in case."

(To be fair, last time we went running, we got lost and ended up about 3 miles away from the car.)

But I think my time with Cory may have ended at a good time. I was going to break up with him anyway so I can save more money. But I didn't even get to say goodbye.

So thank you Cory! We had some good times...

....or you had some good times laughing at me while I threatened to cry in the middle of the weight room if you made me do one more set....

...Whatever.

College Station again?

I'm coming back to College Station! Why you ask?

Because I'm a complete moron.

Ah yes, despite my better judgement, I've volunteered to help a new store manager survive inventory.

If you've never been through inventory with a retail store before, it's a little bit like shoving a pencil in your ear while being forced to watch the latest Jamie Kennedy movie.

But the good news is that I might get to see old friends again. I'm coming down Friday, June 22. I'll be working all day Saturday and friggin early & late Sunday, then possibly Monday. I should have a few hours break during the day on Sunday.

Unfortunately for Northgate and the Tap, this visit can't be as wild as Bucky's graduation weekend…but it's a visit nonetheless.

If you'll be in town let me know.

Matthew 6:24 & 34

This Sunday's sermon focused on a few passages about temptation. What distracts us from God, what is meaningless to take your attention away, and what should we continue to put our trust in God.

Matthew 6:24 & 34

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?.......Therefore do no worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

This came at an interesting time. My cousin and I were just talking about career choices – with all things mostly equal, when does money tip the decision scales?

We put so much weight into our careers and let that define us. How much money we make, what our title is, what kind of car we can drive, how many toys we have, etc.

It would be so nice to be able to shed the stuff and the desire for stuff. But there have always been temptations that didn't include boob jobs, IPods, and BMWs.

I guess the best we can do is to pursue a life that makes us happy, but does not distract us from what's truly important. Family, friends, and faith.

Ah yes, and then there's the...

Let me begin with stating - I love my mother. I am my mother 30 years behind.

But at what point to women sneak off to a training class, read pamphlets, or listen to books on tape, "How to make your daughter want to slit her wrists while keeping a smile on your face."

My mom and I were just talking about how I've lost weight (actually I believe she used the words "finally lost weight") after all the gym time and pain I've put in. In the same breath as giving me a compliment, asking if boys have noticed, are you dating anyone?, what about that nice boy so-and-so?, ....

Then she hit me with a knowing tone and asked "Is it the dark hair? What is the reaction of boys to the black hair? You used to have boys fall over themselves when you were blond."

That's how it goes with mothers. Compliment. Compliment. Compliment. Aaaaaand below the belt.

Pretend for a moment I'm Madden:
Let's see just what went wrong here. First she came in with the semi-compliment about "FINALLY" losing weight. But MB side stepped that one and kept moving forward. Then attacked from the side, MB is hit from both sides with the "single" comment AND the "hair" comment. Ooooh, that's gotta hurt. You just hate to see that happen.

(A little history - my hair was blond for about 24 years of my life. After a few "interesting" attempts at other colors I've always gone back to blond. But I have no intention of doing that again.)

So, let's just say -

Yes, I've lost weight. And yes, it's taken painful hours with a trainer and a treadmill. But I feel great and I'm healthy. That's all I care about.

Yes, my hair is black/brown. And no, I have no intention of going back to bottle blond like everyone else in Dallas. (no offense to my fabulously bottle blond friends)

I'm comfortable with me and I'm looking forward to the day when I can torment my own daughter.

Road trips, the Apocalypse, and Friendships

If you felt the Earth below your feet rumble at 9:00am on Saturday, you probably felt it was the end of the world. Well, the bad news is it probably is. The good news is it's because Bucky graduated on Saturday from Texas A&M….after 9 heroic years of keg parties, missed finals, and Q drops he has a diploma. True, he almost slept through graduation. But he found a woman who keeps him in line, out of jail (mostly), and puts up with our group. Randa is a special (or crazy) girl for that.

This weekend was a blast. I've never driven the actual speed limit from Dallas to College Station. This time, I decided to take it slow and let the drive really sink in. I took my usual route down (I45 to 14 to Hwy6), stopped off at my favorite antique shops, and the half way point gas station. It really was a great drive. I've had a lot on my mind lately, and it gave me sometime to think out loud with out all the hassle of people giving me funny looks.

This trip got me thinking about temporary friendships and lifelong friends. I met all of these guys in '98 at Fish Camp. I was going off to A&M excited, but a little scared to start new. Then I met Scotty and Vrooman. Even after Fish Camp they kept me under their wing and are still looking out for me.

Now at age 27, I've lost track of a lot of friends. But I have a few close girlfriends that I cherish. They are my "Sex in the City" friends. We're young, successful, fun, and of course fabulous.

But outside of those girls, I've become so accustomed to fickle friends, work friends, seasonal friends, regional friends. It made me really thankful to have a group of great friends with me for one weekend.

So thanks for the weekend guys. I hope to see you again soon!

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be." ~Douglas Pagels