An odd gift.

Well hello there, friends. My apologies for the lengthy absence. I'm not sure where time has gone! Still doing a lot of writing for work, the deadline is looming. Plus, things are just crazy hectic anyways since there was an every so important day on November 2 that has left a lot of things up in the air.

Last weekend I went to Lufkin for my cousin Nick's wedding. I know it's shocking, me attending a wedding. That's something I never do. It was great to be with family and friends, Nick just happens to be a year older than me and he married a girl that I have known since we were in the same fourth grade class. The happy couple was beautiful and the reception had some of the yummiest cookies I have ever tasted.

While I was in Lufkin, we also celebrated my Great Uncle Reginald's 78th birthday. Hard to believe he's getting that up there in age. I'm still convinced that he's going to out live us all. As with most families, my family has their unique characters. Reginald is definitely one of those characters. For at least the last 15 years, he has lived in Mexico for most of the year, making a trip back to Texas two times a year to take care of business. He lives at this little motel in some small town where he can stay for $15 a day. Originally, when he was in Lufkin he would stay at my Ganny's house. She wouldn't let him stay in the house though, he had to camp in her car port! Eventually she grew tired of his visits, and she shipped him off to our house since there's lots of space for camping at the compound. After a few years of camping out by the pool, my parents let him upgrade his living quarters to our pool house. That's where he stays now.

So every October and April, Reginald comes to visit. He used to come for a week at a time, but now his trips have stretched out in length. He's actually been here for four weeks. As he gets older, he's not sure how much longer he will be able to make the trip, even though he currently has no health problems. You might think October and April are odd times to make an annual trip, but it also coincides with Halloween and Easter. Reginald isn't very religous, nor is he into witchcraft. He is however, a huge fan of a bargain. And he loves to take candy back to Mexico, so that's what he does when he's here. He stocks up on cheap treats.

I tell you all of this because when I was leaving my parents' house on Sunday, Reginald had just returned from the birthday lunch my mom cooked for him at the lake. I had just loaded up my car and had a fun-size Snickers in my hand. I went to say goodbye to him, since I wouldn't be returning to Lufkin before he ventured back to Mexico. He told me to wait just a minute, he had something for me. This surprised me, because Reginald has only ever given me something one other time in my life. He goes down to the poolhouse and returns with two things: a bag of fun-size Snickers and a belt. I'm assuming the Snickers were because he saw me eating one. The belt, I'm just not so sure of. It was purple. And I'm pretty sure it was from a baseball uniform. I'm almost certain I had the exact same one when I played softball on the Phillies in third grade. This was not the same belt, Reginald had bought it for a dollar at a garage sale.

I'm not sure what inspired Reginald to give these gifts, I have noticed he's going a little soft in his old age. I am going to treasure that dollar belt forever, because I know it's probably the only time he'll give me a gift in my life, and goodness knows I can't do anything else with it.

MIA

Yes, I've been MIA. I have a good excuse. I've been writing. Lots and lots of writing. For work. So therefore, my creative energies have been spent. We have a big deadline approaching in a few weeks, and there's lots left to be done.

Meet the fam went well. I'm fairly certain I've been replaced as the favorite when it comes to my niece. I guess sometimes all it takes to buy the love of a three year old is a tinkerbell dress. And shoes. And head piece. How quickly she forgets the three years I've spent buying her love... one weekend should not replace me!

And speaking of meet the fam, I will be meeting the parents tomorrow. Or at least, meeting the dad for the first time, I met the mom a month or so ago at an A&M game.

Last night was the end of an era. It was my last time to work on the sales floor at Bath & Body Works. After ten years. I will now only work floorsets, because I can't kick the habit completely... but at least now my weeknights and weekdays will be free to fill however I please. I also ordered my 10 year anniversary present: a digital camera that will be shipped on November 4. Woohoo!

This made me smile...

I had a little fun today. I figured nothing could brighten my week better than my 5 favorite kiddos. So here is Madelyn, Eric, Ella, Will, and Braxton performing a little Halloween diddy...

Hopefully I'll get to see them all this weekend, at the very least... 4 out of 5!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

A loss

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this.

My cousin Karla suffered a massive brain hemorrhage yesterday and will be taken off life support sometime today. My cousin, who would be celebrating a birthday this week (I believe 52). My cousin, who didn't smoke or drink and walked almost every day. My cousin, who is leaving behind two beautiful daughters, a senior in high school and an 8th grader. I am overwhelmed with shock, grief, and sadness for my family.

I just spoke to Karla on Tuesday. I've been planning the big meet-the-fam trip to Lufkin for this weekend with the boyfriend. We were going to attend Lufkin's Homecoming football game with Karla this Friday. She was so excited for us to tailgate with some of the extended family before the game. Instead, I will be attending her funeral this week.

This loss has hit me incredibly hard. I've cried more tears than I've cried in a very long time. My family has had it's share of losses this year: my great uncle Ralph, great aunt Kathryn, cousin Bob, and now we will lose Karla.

There are so many memories. My friends will remember the trip to Splashtown that we took one summer in high school with complimentary tickets from Karla. They will also remember the dinner she co-hosted with my Aunt Judy at Roma's my Senior year of high school. Of course, they will remember her yummy stuffed french toast recipe that they beg my mom to make for us. I will remember the summer I spent babysitting Amy when she was just 2 years old. I also remember the many Christmas Eve's and Christmas brunches, the countless weekends at the lake, the endless skipbo games with Ganny and Great Aunt Margaret.

She's leaving us far too soon, but I know her mother Margaret and my Ganny are so happy to welcome her to heaven.

My strange kitty creatures

I hate to admit it, but I'm a cat person. I don't consider myself a typical cat person, because my cats are not typical cats. A few things that I find odd about them:

1) They greet me at the door. I've always been told that cats rarely want anything to do with you. Mine seem to have dependency issues. I always find them waiting for me at the door, and if I do come home at an odd time, within 2 minutes they have re-located to whichever room I am in. Yesterday I walked in to find them waiting like this:

2) Smokey is obsessed with water. If a faucet is running, she's right beside it. She gets in my shower after I get out and licks up the remaining water. If I'm getting ice out of the freezer, she's right at my heals just hoping that a cube will drop to the floor. You would think a cat who like water so much would enjoy a bath every once in awhile, but she does. not. at. all.

3) Smokey needs her attention. She paws at me until I pet her. She meows (quite loudly) if I come home and immediately don't acknowledge her. She tries to edge out sister Giada if I'm giving her attention.

4) Giada is the shyest cat I've ever come across. She won't be seen if a stranger is in the house. She often hides in the corner behind a table or under a chair. She also won't nudge for attention like Smokey. Instead, she will stair at the couch or chair where you are sitting for awhile, then suddenly jump up right beside you and then look at you like "What am I doing here? How'd I get here?" And then walk around you until you snuggle with her.

My kitties are strange, but they're mine... so I guess I'll keep them. I don't think anyone will ever say my cats aren't lacking in personality. And I promise not to talk about them again for a very long time. Otherwise, it will lead to even more teasing from my family and close friends...

Facebook Faux Pas

I saw Social Network (which I highly recommend) last weekend at Alamo Drafthouse. For all of you non-Texans out there, Alamo is a great little theatre that serves dinner and drinks. They are also known for their fun videos they show before the previews before the movie. Sometimes it's vintage stuff, sometimes it's video shorts. Before the the showing of the Social Network, they showed a little video talking about the top ten most annoying facebook habits. Since it's facebook's world, and we're just living in it, I thought it was time for me to share some habits that annoy the bejeezus out of me.

• Constantly asking me to "Like" something... whether it's your business or just something you think is really cool. I'm very picky with what I "Like". I try to stick to the businesses of family and close friends. And I try to limit my likes. If you have 250,000 likes, then what's the point? So if you ask me to like your business and I don't. Don't ask again. And again. And again. Just like you shouldn't be asking me to like something different every five days. Are you really that passionate about that many things?

• Baby pictures. Don't get me wrong, I love a good baby picture. And wedding pictures. And basically any kind of pictures there are out there (minus the dirty ones). It's easily my favorite feature on facebook. However, I do not enjoy looking at 50 pictures taken within a 10 minute timespan of your non-mobile 3 month old. Pick out your favorites and store the rest somewhere private! Most facebook users have very short attention spans. Know your audience.

• Constant status updates. I think you should limit your status updates to once a day. Twice, maybe three times if something really spectacular or interesting happens. Status updates are not the place to go on religious or political tangents. Especially if you have no idea what you're talking about. Or maybe you do, but 500 of your closest friends do not, and facebook is not the place for a heated political or religious debate. Write a blog. That's where real ideas get shared. Ha!

•  Profile pictures taken by reflection. Especially if said profile picture involves a shot of your abs. I get it, you work out. You're hot, and you're not afraid to make sure everyone knows it. How about next time you just get someone to take the picture FOR you? And keep your shirt on!

• Friending people you don't know. I always feel bad when I get a friend request from someone I have no idea who they are. If we have NO friends in common, it's an automatic ignore. If we have multiple friends in common, with no common link, it's an ignore. If we have multiple friends in common and they all share a link, then I accept... because the second I ignore, I'm going to run into that person EVERYWHERE I go. I like that I can say with almost certainty that I know all of my 1,000+ friends.

Well, there you have it. My top 5 Facebook Faux Pas. I know you were all just dying to read them. Sorry for my absence over the last week, I found myself in Houston for work Wednesday-Friday and then a surprise getaway to San Antonio for the weekend. This week isn't much slower, just all Austin-based... the boss-man will be here, we have a hearing, there's a monument re-dedication that I'm part of on the Capitol grounds and I get to travel out of town to speak to a DAR chapter this weekend. And I thought the fall was supposed to be less busy???

Fall!

I heart Fall. I'm so happy that it has arrived! We've had cooler temperatures the last few days in Austin, and it's been heavenly. I've turned the A/C off and have opened the windows. We had boot camp outside last night and it was so freakin' wonderful to be outside! While I'm thankful to not have to work out in the heat during the summer, I miss the lack of cardio.

I thought I'd share my two favorite things about fall:

This candle is so amazing. We're using the wallflower at work, and the guys in the office are digging it. I'm so excited about being able to burn this sucker again!

I heart football! I've always been a huge fan of high school and college football, and lately I find myself watching a whole heck of a lot of professional football, as well. We won't discuss the Horns poor showing against UCLA last weekend. Nor will we talk about the possibility of their season going down the drain if they lose to OU this coming weekend.