A Kiss on the Bridge

We began texting a few days ago. Last night was no different. But eventually the casual “hey, how’s it going?” and “what are you up to tonight?” led to “want to meet up at Local Bar in 30 minutes?”

And that’s how the first date came to be.

He bought me a beer and we sat at a small table in the corner. He asked me to tell him more about myself. I talked about the time I spent in France and the past two years in New York. I learned where he grew up and where his family lives now. We argued over whether Austin or Dallas was the cooler city. (Obviously Austin, duh!) We commiserated about how boring our small little town can be. We talked about music, religion, and education. He told me he was “really attracted” to me and that it was almost “palpable”. And then he asked when he could kiss me. I smiled and told him “not right now because that would be completely awkward from across the table”. He laughed.

When we finished our drinks he asked if I would like to go for a walk.

“Umm…” I replied. Back in New York, going for a walk would be a normal activity, but here? In small town Texas? Not so much.

“We could go over to the bridge. It’s not that cold out.”

“Yeah… I guess we could,” I said, still not understanding.

“You don’t want to go, do you?”

“It’s not that… it just seems a little weird. People don’t really walk a lot here.”

“You’re making this really difficult on me!” he joked. “I wanted to take you to the bridge so I could kiss you there.”

“Oh.” I smiled.

A few minutes later we were shrugging on our jackets and leaving the bar. We walked the few short blocks to the bridge and stood overlooking the water. He told me funny stories about his friends. We laughed at the ducks quacking loudly below us. We talked some more. I looked at him and then back out to the water.

via

“Can I kiss you yet?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Sparks

He drove them back to his apartment after an evening of playing Trivial Pursuit: Pop Culture with a group of friends.

They stood in his dark living room, only the streetlights shining in the through the window.

Her arms wrapped around his waist as he looked down at her. She smiled. He lowered his head and kissed her. She felt a rush.

Sparks.

Suddenly, he began tickling her. She screamed; he laughed.

They hugged.

She looked into his blue eyes. She loved how he combined the playful and romantic in a way that made her heart flutter.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the ground. She found herself laying on the floor next to him, his fingers still intertwined with his.

He raised his free hand and pointed to the ceiling. “Those are stars,” he said. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

She giggled. “Really?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s the Big Dipper in the corner, and over there, next to the kitchen, is Cassiopeia.”

“You only know that one from watching Serendipity!”

He laughed because she was right. “Okay… but if you look hard enough you can find Mars. Do you see it?”

“You mean that red dot?” she pointed to the smoke detector.

“Yep!” he exclaimed as he rolled over and kissed her.

She laid her head on his shoulder. He squeezed her hand. ‘This is how it’s supposed to be. This is how I’m supposed to feel,’ she thought to herself.

Another Swoon-y Post

Somewhere along the winding road of dinner dates, movie marathons, phone calls, and text messages I managed to fall for this boy.

He’s everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s thoughtful. He’s sincere. He’s interested in what I have to say. He’s considerate. He’s a gentleman. He’s funny. He’s friendly to strangers. He’s easy going. He tells me (directly) that he likes me. He’s goofy. He’s polite. When it comes down to it, he’s awesome.

Of course, my history of “not so awesome” guys has led me to question things.

“Most guys just put on this show of being nice at the beginning, but it eventually fades… Will happen to you?” I wonder aloud. He assures me that he’s just being who he is. I tell him that’s good, because I like what I’ve seen so far.

My friends think I’m crazy for being so straightforward with him, but that’s how I like things to be in a relationship. If you can’t be honest, then what’s the point? Anyway, it didn’t seem to freak the boy out, so it was fine.

A few weeks ago I casually mentioned that I hate Valentine’s Day. He just smiled and said nothing is response. Today he said he got his schedule for announcing college softball this season and then said that he’s working every game Valentine’s Day weekend. Ten games to be exact. I told him that was fine and I could make other plans. (And really, we haven’t even had the “exclusive” talk yet, so…..). But then he said he would be finished around 3pm on the 14th and he would like to see me that evening.

He’s thinking about Valentine’s Day. And he’s thinking about spending it with me.

I told him would be coming to town this weekend and I would like to see him. “I’m free for lunch, are you?”, “No, I already have plans, and you’re busy Friday night, right?”, “Yep…”, “What about Saturday?”, “I’m working most of the afternoon.” It went back and forth. “How about I take you to dinner and movie Saturday night?”, he asked. “Um, okay!” “It’s a date then.”

So dinner and a movie.

“I want to fit you in to all the free time I have”, was all it took to make me heart swoon.

This boy.

*sigh*

He’s doing something to me…

2009 In Review

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Went to Vegas with some amazing girls, graduated with my Master’s degree, took a cruise with two of my best friends, moved back into my mother’s house, got a job, bought a car, and turned 25.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t make any resolutions last year, although I promised myself that I would get a job. And I accomplished that, so… yay! I’m no, I’m not making any specific resolutions this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin had a beautiful little girl, Londyn.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank God, I had enough of that in 2008.

5. What countries did you visit?
Belize and Honduras

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
More money- to pay off loans and to travel.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 20th- I graduated, May 23rd- one year anniversary of my dad’s death, July 15th- I moved back to Texas, September 20th- my 25th birthday, September 28th- I was officially hired for my first real grown up job

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Graduating and getting a job

9. What was your biggest failure?
Hmm… I haven’t had too many failures this year I guess…. there are some things I probably shouldn’t have done, but I don’t consider them failures.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I woke up incredibly sick on New Year’s Day. That was not fun.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My car.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All the new friends I’ve met since I moved back to Texas.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The media and government.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Toward my student loans and rent.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finishing grad school! Getting a job! Buying a car! Meeting a really nice/hot/funny/respectful boy!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
“Don’t Step Believing”- the Glee version

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?
Definitely happier, probably thinner (or about the same), and a lot richer. I love paychecks.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise. Talk to friends. Read.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying about finding a job.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
In Austin with my mom, sister, and grandfather. And the boy and I watched The Proposal together that night.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
No.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Glee. And then Grey’s, Private Practice, How I Met Your Mother, The Office and Modern Family.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.

24. What was the best book you read?
Sadly, because I didn’t read much, Twilight.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
John Mayer. Although I liked him before, I’m sort of in love with his new album, Battle Studies.

26. What did you want and get?
A job.

27. What did you want and not get?
A better paying job.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
(500) Days of Summer.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I got a pedicure with a friend, had lunch with friends and my sister, saw a movie (maybe? I don’t remember…) and then had dinner at The Melting Pot with friends and my mom. I turned 25.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to talk to my dad.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
More professional, mixed with a feminine casual cuteness.

32. What kept you sane?
Coffee.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Robert Pattinson.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay marriage.

35. Who did you miss?
My dad. C. My roommate from NYC.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
The boy. Even though I technically knew him before, it doesn’t count.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Everything will work out. Stop worrying. Everything happens for a reason. Seriously, stop worrying.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“If fear hasn’t killed me yet then nothing will
All the suffering and all the pain
Never left a name
I’m in the war of my life, at the door of my life
Out of  time and there’s nowhere to run
I’m in the war of my life, at the core of my life
Got no choice but to fight til it’s done”
-War of My Life, by John Mayer

Chips and Queso and Christmas

Is this really only my third time to blog in December? I’ve been such a slacker. Or maybe life just happened. I think that’s it. I guess when I’m happy I decide I don’t need to blog as much?

So, I’ve been busy doing things like driving over 1,000 miles, helping my mom as she recovered from gallbladder surgery, visiting my cousin and her new baby, getting drinks with friends, exercising three times a week, going to dinner and watching movies with the boy, and somehow squeezing some work hours in there too.

See? Busy-ness.

In other news I talked to C on Saturday night… for the first time in almost two months. He called as the boy and I were standing at my front door saying goodnight which made the situation completely awkward.

Me looking at my phone: Oh no, I’m not answering that.
The boy: Why not?
Me: Because…
The boy: Oh, it’s an ex-boyfriend?
Me: Yeah…

I called C back when I got inside. He said he called because he was hanging out with an old mutual friend of ours and just wanted to say hi. He asked how I was doing and apologized for not returning my phone calls. Apparently he’s “not allowed” to talk to me anymore (crazy new girlfriend!), but I told him it was fine. I really do understand. We talked about our mutual friend, my job, life in general, and how weird it was that we hadn’t spoken in forever. Then his phone started to die. He said he’d get his charger and call me back… but never did. It’s probably better than I not talk to him anyway…

Things are going really well with the boy. We talk just about every day. Actually, I think we’ve talked every day except one. He’s entertaining when I’m driving for hours on end. He’s funny on gchat. My friends like him. My mom hasn’t met him yet, but she likes what she’s heard. He bought me a Christmas present “because he saw something that he knew I would love”. He’s creative and thoughtful when planning our dates. He plans our dates because he knows how much I love plans. It’s really cute.

So the plan for tomorrow night? We’re going to dinner at Chuy’s, my most favorite restaurant ever. Then we’re going to see this huuuuuge Christmas tree made of lights in Austin, and then we’re going to look at Christmas lights. I’m so giddy I can barely contain myself. This boy obviously knows the way to my heart. Chips and queso and Christmas. Love it.

New Moon Goodness

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Don’t Edward and I look great together? HA. Yes, I really did just go there.

But seriously, let’s talk New Moon. Thursday evening when I got off work I drove back to my hometown to meet up with one of my BFFs for a late dinner, the midnight showing of New Moon, and a sleepover. After scarfing down some delicious chips and salsa, a huuuuge burrito, and several diet cokes we headed for the theater. By the time we got to our seats, at 11:05pm, the theater was full. We overheard that some people had been camping out for seats since 7pm. Umm no thanks, I have more of a life than that and I can enjoy Edward and Jacob just as well from my super close fourth row seats.

Of course the teenage girls were screaming and squealing as soon as the lights dimmed. And there was more screaming when Edward and Jacob appeared on the screen. I do agree those boys are super hot, but all the screaming kind of ruined it for me.

Anyway, my thoughts on New Moon:

Sooo much better than Twilight. I was disappointed when I saw Twilight and was especially annoyed by the blue tint throughout the movie. Thank goodness,  New Moon was tint-free! I also thought New Moon was less cheesy (still a good amount of cheese though, don’t worry!) and followed the book a lot closer than Twilight.

Kristen Stewart is still just as awkward, but somehow tolerable. Her hair looked awesome too.

Edward was hot, but it seemed like he was only in the movie for like 10 minutes. And his shirtless scene? Kinda creepy, if I’m being honest. I know he’s a vampire and supposed to be pale, but it was kind of too much. Not attractive, sorry Rob. Jacob on the other hand…

Oh, Jacob. I’m pretty sure he has the sexiest body ever. Some of his lines were pretty corny and I sort of felt like I was watching a bad soap opera, but his adorableness and rock hard abs totally made up for it. And he and Bella have some serious chemistry on screen. Because of all his hotness? I’m sort of torn… am I Team Edward or Team Jacob? I DON’T KNOW!!!

Did anyone else crack up laughing during Alice’s vision of Edward and Bella in the future? Seriously, the slow motion running and flowing white dress? Hilarious.

And the break up scene? I almost cried. Not sure if it was because I was already exhausted from a long day, or if the acting was really that good… or maybe I just empathize with Edward and Bella too much?

The werewolves were great, but the special effects were a little over the top. At one point I felt like I was watching a cartoon which was not what I wanted.

Also, I laughed way more during New Moon. The whole first half of the movie was filled with great one-liners that I will be quoting for the next six months. You have been warned.

And the ending? I gasped. At least we only have to wait until June because OMG!

Overall, I loved it. And I will be seeing again. Many, many times.

Have you seen New Moon yet? What did you think?

NaBloPoMo and a Crush

It’s November 1st and you know what that means… it’s time for NaBloPoMo! (In case you’re not in the know, NaBloPoMo= National Blog Posting Month.  The only rule is that you post every day for a month.)

I participated last year on my old blog and somehow managed to write a post every. single. day for the month of November. I loved NaBloPoMo last year. It took a lot of motivation, but it also helped my writing and when it was over I continued writing on a (almost) daily basis. Now, my posting has been a bit sparse lately, but I’m going to try. I can’t promise how exciting or full the posts will be, but I’m going to attempt to actually write with meaning.

So, for this first day of NaBloPoMo I have an exciting little story to share.

I met a boy this weekend!

He is a friend of a friend of a friend (follow that?) that I met at a concert on Friday night. I thought he was cute from the moment I met him, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. For one, he’s really tall. Like really REALLY,  6’7″ tall. In my experience super tall guys don’t usually go for short (5’2″) girls like myself. And two, he played football in college. And football players intimidate me a bit.

But we talked for a few minutes during the concert and he asked if I was having fun.  He also bought me a drink. When we stood up to leave he said “This might seem kinda weird, but you have really pretty hair.” I laughed and told him thank you. I also told him that he was probably the tallest person I’ve ever met. And then we took a picture together.

After the concert our group moved along to another bar and he came too. This bar had an upstairs area with separate rooms which reminded me of a house party. In one room there were two leather sofas. He sat down and asked me to sit with him and we spent the next hour sitting and talking. He asked about my job, where I went to school, and how I liked New York. I asked him about football and how he liked Texas so far since he’s only been here a few weeks. We talked about traveling in Europe and what our favorite cities were. He asked about my family and told me about his. I had such a good time just talking to him that I didn’t even realize how late it was until the bartender told us they were closing.

When the night was over, he didn’t asked for number and I figured he wasn’t too interested. But Saturday afternoon I got a text from my friend saying he was asking for my number and asking if she could give it to him. So, yay!

And now that it’s almost two days later and I’m still thinking about him, I think it’s safe to say that I have a crush.

 

All You Need

Sometimes life can be amazing and happy and stress-free.

And sometimes little frustrations find their way in and make you want to punch them in the face.

When that happens…

Sometimes all you need is a road trip with your sister, a handful of your favorite 90’s cds, and a flip camera.

(If you are reading this through a reader, click on over to my blog to see the video. Otherwise this post is not nearly as entertaining.)

Vodpod videos no longer available.

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Giveaway! Contest ends 11/2/09.

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Giveaway

energypluscoffee

A few weeks ago I received an email asking if I would like to participate in a new promotional contest for Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee. Since we all know that I love coffee, particularly Starbucks, I immediately jumped at the opportunity.

Starbucks, I heart you. Your coffee is delicious and always gives me that little boost of energy when I most need it (like on this wretched Monday morning!).

Especially now that I’m starting a new job, I’m sure I’m going to need several boosts throughout the day. And I’m going to need some tips on how to stay at the top of my game. So this is where you come in to help. To enter the contest all you have to do is leave a comment telling me the best way to pretend to be working at work. Do you type blog posts just so it sounds like you’re busy in your cubicle? Do you take multiple trips to the restroom, just to pass the time? It can be anything! The contest will last for two weeks (ending November 2nd at 8am CST). Winners will be chosen at random to receive the following prizes:

Five (5) STANDARD PRIZE PACKS (valued at $30 each):

•  Stealth Switch™- “The World’s first desktop cloaking device.” StealthSwitch™ uses patent pending technology to instantly and completely hide applications with a press of the footswitch. The applications are not just are not just minimized, they are made invisible.
•  $5 Starbucks® Card
•  Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee coupons
•  Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee-branded white board

Edited to add: The Grand Prize Package has been removed from this post. To clear up any confusion, this package is not available to win through comments and will only be awarded to select contest holders.

This promotion is solely sponsored by me, AshleyD, and has not been endorsed or approved by North American Coffee Partnership. By entering, you agree to look solely to me for any claims in connection therewith, and not the North American Coffee Partnership.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Subject to Contest guidelines. Open to U.S. residents only. Valid comments are any comments left during the two week contest period. Contest ends November 2nd at 8am CST.

Payday and Other Happy Things

Today is payday! And it’s Friday! And my roommate is going out of town for the weekend! And UT is going to beat OU this weekend! And my office is finally coming together with tons of furniture delivered yesterday!

Happiness galore!

And other happy things?

I went to happy hour with my co-workers on Wednesday ($3 pitchers! Omg the benefits of living in a small town. Take that New York!) which was amazing and so much fun. While we were sitting out on the patio we also decided that we need weekly “Discover [insert name of town] lunches” on Fridays. So that will be fun.

I found new friends who love Glee. So Wednesday nights will most likely be spent at their apartment soaking up the delightfulness that is Mr. Schuester and Emma and Rachel and Finn and all the other quirky, talented kids.

Last night I went to the local fair and rodeo to see the Randy Rogers band in concert. I’m not a huge fan and only knew one song that they played, but it was still fun. Roommate and I went together and met up with one of my co-workers and her friends. Hooray for making new friends and enjoying live music!

I mentioned that today is payday and I cannot even explain how happy that makes me! I’ve been scrounging pennies together for the past five months and I’m so tired of being broke. But a pay check means that I actually have money in the bank which means that I can go shopping! This weekend I plan on buying a cute new bedspread, equally cute curtains, and bags full of groceries. And maybe a pair of shoes. I think I deserve shoes.

ALSO! The weather! Texas is known for its crazy and unpredictably weather, but yesterday (and hopefully this weekend) was gorgeous. 70’s and sunny? Yes, please!

What are you happy about today?