I heart Dallas

While I am sure the city of Dallas, TX is a fine place, a place I hope to one day visit and eat enough BBQ to make myself sick, my love is for one of the most successful drama series ever made, DALLAS**, and the wealthy oil family, the Ewing's.

I must thank Maren for bringing this show into my life. She suggested we give it a shot, and after just one episode, we were committed for all 13 seasons. The show begins in 1978 with the marriage of Bobby (played by Patrick Duffy who was also the dad on Step by Step, and who has great legs) to Pam (played by Victoria Principal, who looks amazing, and has the best hair/wardrobe). Bobby and Pam are the Romeo and Juliet of their day, 2 feuding families, the children fall in love. Except without all that messy banishment/poison/suicide thing. No, these star crossed lovers live in the family mansion and go out to disco clubs. Also living at the mansion are cousin Lucy (trouble with a capital T), and parents Jock and Miss Ellie. But, the real star of the show, the reason we all watch is J.R. Ewing, (played by Larry "Major Anthony Nelson" Hagman) who is greedy and scheming in every moment of his life. He is to Dallas what Chuck Bass is to Gossip Girl. He is what keeps us coming back for more. He and his former-Miss. Texas wife who he now hates round out the mansion household. You're already hooked, right?

I am still on season 1, with 12 more to go. Spanning 1978-1991, I can only imagine the hair styles, clothes and cars that will be coming in future episodes, but I can't wait!

**For those of you unfamiliar with Dallas, I highly suggest reading up on Wikipedia first. WARNING: Contains plot spoilers!

Happy Birthday Dear Carter!

I have a new love interest.... and he weighs 7lbs 12oz and is only 18 1/2 inches long. This week our family grew by one more. Welcome to the world baby Carter!

Some of you might be saying, "but I can't see the baby's beautiful face! The blanket is covering it!" I would say to you, that is because this blog is all about ME. ME. If you want baby pictures, I suggest heading over here. (And really, you should. I have some cute nephews!)

Also, a big shout out to my sister who is no longer miserable and pregnant! Congrats!

Free pictures of Jimmy Fallon really ARE free...

On Friday night, my roommate ended up with 2 free tickets to see Jimmy Fallon perform. While I have always enjoyed Jimmy Fallon on SNL, I would have never thought to go see him on his own. But, free tickets being free tickets, we went and were pleseantly suprised. He was really quite funny, and although he did use some profanity in the show, it was nothing over the top and his jokes were clean and witty. Overall, totally happy, I would even PAY to hear him again, and he seems like a good replacement for Conan!

But, my new found respect for Jimmy Fallon as a comedian is not the interesting part of my evening. As we were riding the in the elevator from the parking garage to the casino floor, we ran into a short, balding man who had a large camera bag. He asked if we were going to see Jimmy Fallon, and then told us he was the official photographer for the Joint, and expounded on how he takes pictures of all sorts of celebrities and musicians blah, blah, blah. Jessie asks if he does any freelance work, to which he responds "Do you want bikini pictures taken?" She tells him no, but he again tells us he will be willing to photograph us any time. Creepy, right? Right before we parted paths, he gave us his card, and told us, if you email me BEFORE YOU GO TO BED TONIGHT, I will send you pictures of Jimmy Fallon, and then emphasized, but it must be BEFORE YOU GO TO BED.

I was very curious to see why I must email him before going to bed, and curious if he really would send pictures of Jimmy Fallon, so I did what any normal girl would do. I set up a fake email address under the name "Veronica O'Brien" and emailed him before I went to bed.

Well, my efforts paid off. Today I received this email:

Hi Veronica,

Hope you enjoyed this show. I think I got some nice pics, although they all started to look the same after about 20 shots. Let me know if you or any of your pretty girlfriends wants to get into my Green Valley studio for a photo shoot...I am always looking for girls to photograph.
My site: http://www.harrisonphotos.com/

Scott Harrison

So, this is my warning to you all. Stay away from Scott Harrison. Do not go to his studio. He is a creepy man. However, I am now the proud owner of 16 pictures of Jimmy Fallon. I'll share 2 with you. (He is right, they kind of all do look the same!)

Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm 2009...

Welcome to my first post of 2009! I needed a little Christmas vacation, which basically consisted of eating, playing Singstar, and eating again. So, just a little recap of my Christmas vacation for you:

1. I ate alot. I mean alot. It was non-stop food from Thanksgiving to New Years. I know I am getting old, because usually that amount of food doesn't really affect me at all, (I know, you hate me, I'm used to it) but this year, all of my pants are a little tight. Thus is born New Year's Resolution #1, fit back into my pants.

2. I now have my very own Singstar! No longer do I need to mooch off Cropstar, I have my very own to practice singing "Helena" over and over. (Like I need practice, I am already a Singstar!) Now is born New Year's Resolution #2, become a Singstar on all songs. It will be a challenge, but a challenge I am ready for.

3. I spent considerable bonding time with my nephew Reed (oh and his parents too). I basically moved into my mom's house for the week to be close to the family. Living with your parents is awesome, they have considerably better food (see #1 above).

4. I saw Stone Temple Pilots in concert. It was amazing. Scott Weiland is everything you could hope and dream he would be, what a rock star really should be. His dancing basically consists of twitching, and never has twitching looked so good. I think it is true love.

5. I also saw Reel Big Fish. That is a fun show. I highly suggest going if you get the chance.

It's snowing in Vegas...yippee...

Yes, it is true. Snow is falling in Vegas. For most people this brings joy... we can build a snow man! We might get a day off school! Yay! But, not me. Right now I hate snow. Snow has caused me to be stranded. That is right, they closed down the airport and I am stuck in San Francisco. Sure, I am stranded at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, so I am sure no one feels bad for me, but still, stranded! I had to wait in line 4 1/2 hours to get rescheduled on a flight tomorrow night out of SAN JOSE and hope that it doesn't get cancelled again. Yippee, another 24 hours here. But, if you don't want to read my self pity post, you can see the fun to be had in the snow at my sisters' blogs here and here. Snow fun!

So, I've been tagged....

Rules:
1.Post rules on your blog
2. Answer the six '8' items
3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV Shows
1. So You Think You Can Dance! (dance, dance dance)
2. 30 Rock (funniest show on TV)
3. The Office
4. Heroes
5. Chuck
6. Gossip Girl (true guilty pleasure)
7. The Soup (Shout out to Joel McHale!)
8. Ugly Betty

8 Things I did yesterday
1. Went to a SEC Reporting Conference in San Francisco
2. Ate Peking Duck in Chinatown in San Francisco
3. Rode a cable car in San Francisco (did I mention I am in San Francisco?)
4. Talked to Julie
5. Wrote an email to my brother in Russia
6. Did online Christmas shopping
7. Took a really long, really hot shower
8. Blog stalked several people (I'll never tell who...)

8 Things I look forward to
1. Christmas!
2. Getting home (Vegas is snowed in)
3. Seeing baby Reed!
4. Seeing Stone Temple Pilots in January
5. The day I no longer have to work
6. Summer
7. Going to Russia
8. Jared coming home!

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Mantra Masala
2. Waffles! (They serve nothing but waffles, it is amazing)
3. Serendipity 3
4. The Melting Pot
5. Archi's
6. Barry's Drive In (That one is for you Kaira!)
7. Mon Ami Gabi
8. California Pizza Kitchen

8 things on Wishlist
1. All versions of Singstar
2. Hard wood floors for my house
3. New camera
4. Photography skills to use new camera
5. Perfect skin/hair/body
6. Christian Louboutin shoes
7. Finding a job that pays me not to work
8. Diamonds. Lots of Diamonds.

8 People to Tag
I can't decide... so anyone who wants to!

Seeing your boss dance on a pole makes it all worth it...

For the most part, I have a great life. I have wonderful friends, (perhaps you have heard of my new serious relationship with Cropstar and The Other One?), I have a great family, I have a great job, I am happy. I get alot of pity looks when people find out I am (gasp!) single, but really, I am good. However, once a year an event occurs that causes me to curse my single status, causes me to scream out, why, oh why me? That event is the annual company Christmas party.

I have to believe the planner of the Christmas party has no evil intent. They want to give the hard working people a chance to have fun, and perhaps create an opportunity to see the boss (and his wife who is wearing shiny pants) do a pole dance. These are worthy goals. But, in reality, it is a group of people who usually feel a bit awkward, dragging around significant others, who feel even more awkward, but who come as safety blanket/reflection of their life outside of work.

For those of us without this safety blanket, we are forced to come up with temporary solutions that will make us look like amazing, put together people. This is not the place to bring blind dates, this is not the place for 2nd string guys. This is a place to shine. Seeing as how this is my 6th corporate Christmas party, I knew what I was looking for. A good friend, who would bring no date drama, who could carry on a conversation, circle the room like a pro, and owned a suit. After going through my phone directory, I found my man. It was perfect. He agreed to go with me, all was right in the world.

This is where the story takes a turn for the worse. The day before the party, I was unceremoniously dumped! By my friend! So much for no date drama. He "got back together with his girlfriend" and "didn't feel right about dating other girls". Since when was this a date? You were my wing man. This was a business transaction, pure and simple. But apparently after 4 years of friendship, this was my big move, cause apparently I am in love with him. And to tell me THE DAY BEFORE. That is inexcusable. I don't even have words.

Long story short, I didn't go alone, I found someone tall enough to allow me to wear heels, but did not have the "carry on a conversation" requirement down. But, there was the aforementioned pole dancing, a drunk Santa trying to break dance, and the head of HR dancing for $1 bills. We were all winners in that room.

The morale of this story, alcohol plus music plus middle aged men equals funny.

Oh, and I only have 12 months to find a date to next year's Christmas party. Wish me luck!