Happy New Year...

I am on my way up to AR this morning so I can be with friends at New Years. Hopefully everyone has someone to spend tonight with, family, friends, girlfriend or boyfriend, someone to acknowledge the moment that one years passes and another begins. I'll be giving a cheer with some college buddies at midnight tonight. Everything in that town is 5 minutes away so the roads should be FINE. yes a full moon tonight. everyone be careful driving and moving around tonight if you're out. If you're in, whether with a loved one or alone, hopefully you've had time to consider your accomplishments of this last year or lack thereof. Perhaps the lessons you hopefully learned when things didn't go as planned. Do stay optimistic that the new year brings change, and whether good or bad, change is always interesting, it brings us experiences that we can remember, learn from, adjust, enjoy or struggle though, it's LIVING, and no matter how bad off you are, we are living in one of the richest countries by far, it's just all in perspective of things. try to enjoy who you are and enjoy the ride of life overall. Happy New Year all. cheers.

military service

from dallas

some photos of the lake house. excellent patio and I look forward to getting back there next summer. :)
the last two pics are shopping haul from IKEA, stuff marked down for Christmas next year and extra kitchen gifts for my sister I'll see with her kids tonight...I spared you photos of the clothes I got for her 4 kids and the 2 kids of my AR buddy J. I alos brought home 3 of those natural fiber doormats that are awesome for wiping your feet off outside. and 2 rug mats to prevent slipping which I'll share with J this weekend also. I plan to bring some of my afghan rugs up there for him to use in his new house since I just keep 'em in storage here. (I"ll get a bigger house someday for those rugs I just know it. ha )

great break

busy week, Monday after CHristmas I was invited to go to Six Flags in Dallas with my Austin bud and bf who were heading back down from OKC... but I didn't get up in time and had tons to do at home. I did however drive down Tuesday to Dallas and shopped around North Park mall, mainly getting a swatch watch looked at, 3 others a battery replaced, and then H&M there for Christmas gifts for my nieces and nephews coming tomorrow with my sister who wasn't able to make it last week. Also my AR buddy J's kids. shopped around there a bit more and then headed over to my friend Randy's place and said hello to him and his kids. hung out a bit before heading off to Denison, TX. stayed at their lake house near Lake Texoma, and drove back down to Dallas Wednesday morning to shop at Ikea and then over to Mockingbird station to shop West elm CHristmas mark downs and also over to an outdoor store there I like ( talked myself out of a Nau jacket that I really wanted but no) and then Urban outfitters. Next back to Randy's for dinner with him and the kids and his bf. brought them ice cream from Braums. :) I watched a bit of the movie Signs with everyone, and then I left all my bags there at his place( couldnt' leave all my stuff in my pickup, so Randy let me rest it all at his place overnight) and headed out to meet my friend Henry at JR's. we had some drinks and chatted around with guys Henry knows, then over to Tin Room, a sort of male dancer bar, and then back downtown to JR's. lots of fun and chit chatting. H and I went back to his place and he let me crash at his place. we're just friend btw. woke up and drove back to okc yesterday morning. Got home about lunch time and took some lights down from outside, sorted through some Christmas stuff, going to be putting stuff away and back in the attic today, wrapping some more gifts so I can go see my sis tonight at my mom and dad's. Tomorrow I'll be heading out to AR for a New Year's party up there with my ex gf and other college buddies. already dreading going back to work next Wedneday. ughhhh! ha.

interview

shirtless fun...

away from home. :)

I'm at a lake house at Lake Texoma and so comfortably cozy warm in this big soft double bed with the softest of blankets and comforter and tons of pillows. I drove up from Dallas this evening for dinner with Cole and his bf (the friends I was going to meet a few weeks ago for dinner in okc and did not make it) I called them today while on my down to Dallas and they said come to the lake house and stay the night. we had such a great time catching up and talking about everything. Kendall Jackson Chardonnay with dinner of pasta and toasted garlic bread and then sitting outside by a huge fireplace with a big Texas star hanging above on the flagstone patio under the oak trees and stars by the lake shore, coyotes howling off in the distance. Sounds system playing all the old dance tunes we like. man what a day. north park mall and the Swatch store and H&M among others. tomorrow perhaps the Galleria, Mockingbird Station, and of course IKEA! ha. also got to spend time chatting with Randy today and see his kids for the first time in years. they are all dears! So proud of that man.
I can't wait to come back to this lake house next summer! COle and his bf are super amazing and can't wait to introduce me to single friends they know in Dallas. ahh eyah! ok nighters....zzzzzzz

nice hat...

another year, whew...

well I survived Christmas. 27 of us, of course 3 of those were babies. Our church had a morning service yesterday morning, then I left to the grocery store to get some egg beaters for a cake roll desert I was making for Christmas dinner. we all get together for a dinner with gifts following. This way all my sisters and brother can have Christmas with their family at home or other families of spouses. I helped set up the tables at my folks, and little by little my brother and wife and 2 daughters and their fiances arrived, then my aunt, then one sister and husband and kid, and then more of their kids, then my other sister and family and kids, then other various couples from the sisters showed up etc... house full! dinner and the we were all in a big circle in the sun room and I was distributing gifts youngest age and up, although we always end up with just mom and dad taking turns since they always get the most gifts. :)
so mom liked all the doll dresses I bought her in NYC and dad really liked the uniqlo sweatpants. My sister had already given me a Yeti stuffed animal from Sak's last week, and my other sister had a book made for me from shutterfly of all our NYC photos. ahh loved it. :)
I'm possibly going down to Dallas earlier this week, as in tomorrow, for some shopping because my sister will be in town Friday and I want to see her and the kids. this is the sister that wasn't here this year for Christmas. and then next weekend I think I may go back up to AR for a relaxing catch up with friends weekend and a new years shin dig at my ex gf place. cheers all.

get closer...

greatest speech or not

someone on youtube posted this speech from a Charlie Chaplin film "The Great Dictator," I'm sure there are a lot of things you could argue for or against - but I thought the actor's delivery together with the video were still rather thought provoking...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you