Last Friday was my birthday. The big 2-7. I don't wanna grow up! We had a great time celebrating! My buddy Ozzie had a birthday 2 days later so I made us dinner reservations at Yokozuna and we had a great time jamming to our tunes that we were allowed to play. Dinner was great, cake was awesome, and the company was even better. Part of my birthday present was having Kent in town all weekend (ok, not really part of my present, but it sure felt like a present!). Saturday, Kent and I had lunch with my parents and then headed to White Owl to watch the OSU game; what a win, Pokes!!!!! Then Sat night we had dinner again with some friends and went bowling.
I was planning on heading to OKC this weekend for Kent's birthday (Jan 26th) but the weather may throw a glich in my plan. But I really don't plan on letting that stop me! Kent will be gone skiing in Crested Butte next week so I am determined to make it there tomorrow.

Harlan, Sammi, Heather

Heather and Ozzie

Birthday girl and her cute date :)

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Today is my birthday. I love it. Every year I love it. Not that I love getting older cause that sucks but I love the fact that you have a whole day devoted to you. Is that so wrong? I don’t think so.

Look, in my defense, I think that I can only totally indulge in my birthday for a few more years. But I will try to get away with it as long as possible.
I came to work this morning and my boss, Ed had hung a happy birthday banner over my desk. And the employees got me a card. And Kate in the call center made me a cheesecake. And we went to lunch at Olive Garden. And Facebook and text messages have been blowing up all day.
The best part is that the real fun hasn’t even begun. After work, I get to pick up my birthday cake that my roomie ordered and go home and get ready for an evening filled with friends. Kent will be on his way later today to join the party.
But the best part about the whole day? A simple facebook post from my aunt that made it so special. I love my aunt, a lot. Probably as much as my nieces love me, which is an infinite amount. There is a picture of us at my grandma’s house when I was little (about 2, maybe 3) and she is barely tickling me and I have the sweetest smile on my face. It has always been one of my favorite pictures and she posted it on my wall. Something every year makes me tear up, usually my mom and dad’s card but this year it was that picture.

Also, a Happy Anniversary shout out to my aunt and uncle! Love you both!

Dinner with an old friend

Tonight I am having dinner with my good pal, Natalie. Natalie and I lived together in college at OSU. I moved to Stillwater, didn't know anyone and moved in with this girl and who would have known that we would have become such great freinds. We also journeyed to Tulsa together. I miss her all the time, I miss talking and laughing. A large part of my 20's was spent experiencing life with Natalie and I am so glad she is back from Singapore so we can reconnect.
So Natty Light, here's to you and looking forward to catching up with you tonight!

Here is an old pic of us in college. Man, those days were good :)

Bonne Fete

This is my birthday week. I would like to think I can get away with celebrating my birthday all week long. In my head I definitely do.
Friday is my actual birthday. The big 2-7. Gawd, where did my youth go? I still remember how excited I was to turn 21, go out with friends, and be a “grown up”. Now don’t get me wrong, 27 isn’t old and why is 30 so scary. I don’t understand it. I mean, I am terrified to turn 30, but why am I so scared? Will my hair fall out (I have already experienced this when I was sick from a tick bite…it’s not fun), will wrinkles automatically pop up, will I no longer be able to hold my pee?
Anywho, I am having a birthday celebration on Friday night for moi, my pal Ozzie (Jan 24th) and a new friend I met through Kent that actually shares my birthday (the 22nd). We have a room reserved at a new Asian place in downtown Tulsa and you can take your iPod and play your own tunes. I am all over this; sometimes I think I should have been a DJ in another life. Kent will be in town, along with some other OKC folks. I can’t wait! I am giddy with excitement! Also, I will be sporting fake eyelashes on Friday. If you have never tried them, I strongly encourage you to do so!

iDid

Yes, I gave into the pressures of popular society and got an iPhone. Now, before you go thinking I am crazy for spending an arm and a leg on my phone bill each month, hear me out. Previously I had a Blackberry through work. They paid for it and no one ever called me. One month I used 4 minutes because I called my mom when my other cell was dead. So I talked to my boss and told him there was no reason to be paying for a cell phone for me anymore so he told me he would pay $40 towards my cell phone bill each month. Yhatzee! Now, while this was a great deal, I had just upgraded my phone so if I wanted to get an iPhone I would have to pay the full price. No thanks. I don't even pay full price for takeout (I use coupons everytime). So in comes my mom, Superwoman. She offered to upgrade her phone to an iPhone and then she would take the phone I had. What a woman. Giving, selfless and clueless as to how great the iPhone would be and she was giving it all to me. So now I have the iPhone. I love it. It loves me. Comes in handy when you are playing trivia on Thursday nights at a local pizza joint and you need to find an answer (I know this is considered cheating but I really hate losing to the Nerd Alert team). Thanks Mom for the iPhone!!

My birthday is next Friday the 22nd and I am planning my own birthday party. Takes the surprise right out of it; it's like wrapping your own Christmas presents. And if you know me, you know that I love surprises. They don't happen very often but I do love them. I do not want to know what I am getting for Christmas and I do not ever peek/look. My aunt gives me a wrapped birthday present every year at Christmas and I take it home, leave it wrapped and sit it in the corner of my room until the day of my birthday and then I open it.
Tonight I have no plans. I am going to the gym after work (on a Friday so I get double points, right) and then going home and cleaning up a bit and watching some TV. My mom. grandma (Deeya) and I are going shopping Sat morn and then I am headed to OKC to see Kent. I think we are going to watch Avatar.
Any reviews on that movie?

Coat, Scarf, Gloves...check

Brrrr…….
So, if you hadn’t noticed, it is bitterly cold outside. Like I want to cry when I have to walk more than 10 feet, it’s so cold. I had to walk 2 blocks to a meeting this morning and my hands were literally bright red from the cold. When will it be time to wear sundresses again?
Not too much going on this weekend. Dinner tonight at Toby Keith’s for my dad’s birthday and then hurrying back home and getting into some warm jammies and posting up on the couch.
Tomorrow I plan on hitting up DSW to find the perfect pair of boots (do they really exist?) and taking some pants to the tailor. Average length too short, long length too long…how annoying.
Here are a few more pictures to enjoy from the Snuggie Pub Crawl and from Aunt Sheri’s house in Dallas.
Stay warm and find a warm body to snuggie up with :)

Cotton Bowl 2009

Kent and I went down to the Cotton Bowl this past weekend. Yes, Jerry World is as awesome as it looks on tv. Yes, the Cowboys failed. Yes, I am still a die-hard Poke fan.
Thanks to our friends getting there very early, we had a great tailgating spot right outside the stadium. It was a pretty day: sunshine, beer, lots of friends, orange everywhere.
The stadium was amazing. We had greats seats thanks to Kent's dad and we went through glass doors to a carpeted area with bathrooms, a bar, restaurant, the works. We were way "above" the commoners! Despite the horrendous loss, we had a great time.

Surveys..I love them!

Stolen straight from my cousin's blog... I am a sucker for these... I love surveys!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

I wore fake eyelashes for the first time last January. I am obsessed with them now.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I made a resolution before the start of the year to make myself happy and get out of the rut I was stuck in. I did it and I am proud of myself everyday for doing it.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my sister in law.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No

5. What countries did you visit?
I didn’t get out of the country this year. But I would like to plan on going back to Paris as soon as I can.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Security, in many different forms

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Can I have 2? Aug 25th: My moment on stage with John Legend. Still can’t believe it happened. It was the most unbelievable thing to happen. I want to relive it everyday.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Succeeding at a job that I had no experience at.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not asserting myself more

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, thank goodness

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My car. If only the damn windows would stop creaking!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Louie. Way to pull the trigger and put a ring on it!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I agree with my cousin on this one. Tiger Woods all the way. However, he didn’t depress me, he disgusted me.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, car payment, student loans, Target

15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
Austin City Limits, Jordyn joining the world, all of the OSU home games, Cotton Bowl, the list goes on….

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Green Light- John Legend

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

- Happier or Sadder? Much Happier

- Thinner or Fatter? Thinner, and so happy I lost it

- Richer or Poorer? Richer in many ways

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Traveling. I did go on a little mini vacay with friends this year but I am ready to take a nice long vacay soon

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Drinking.. I need to reign that in a bit if I want to stay somewhat skinny

20. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Kent…since he lives over an hour away we talk a lot. I like it :)
I also talk to my mom a lot.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Not quite yet…but stay tuned

23. How many one-night stands?
None. Zilch. Zero.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Gossip Girl. It’s my fave guilty pleasure show on TV.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Negative ghost rider.


26. What was the best book you read?
The Twilight Series. Glad that is over with. Ready to move on to a new book.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
John Legend. See #7. I love him

28. What did you want and get?

I want an iPhone- Still waiting
I wanted a car- Got it
I wanted a new boy- Got it

29. What did you want and not get?
iPhone

30. What were your favorite films of this year?
Even though Marley and Me was as sad as possible, I loved it. When you have a dog, you know how hard it must be to lose your pet.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26. I spent it with great friends at a bar. We had about 25 people for dinner and then had (hands down) the best night at the bar.


32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Nothing I can really think of

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Leggings. I love them.

34. What kept you sane?
My mom. Seems to be a repeating theme each year.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least?
I don’t obsess over anybody like that but I will admit that I scared myself a little with the obsession with John Legend for awhile.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Let’s not get into that.

37. Whom did you miss?
I miss my nieces everyday.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Check out my facebook and see if you can guess

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
somewhere behind all this, some great happiness is hiding.

40. What are you looking forward to in 2010?
Katie’s Wedding!