Small World

I lived in the dorms with a girl named Hayley freshman year at LSU. After I moved out of the dorms and into the sorority house sophomore year we stopped hanging out as much and I don't think I've seen or spoken to her in almost 10 years. She was from Orange, TX and graduated from LSU in 3 years (me....I was on the 5-year plan). She studied all the time and had a boyfriend back home that she was planning on marrying. We were 18 years old and she had a savings account that was specifically for her wedding. (Yeah, I SO was NOT there yet at 18 y.o.)

So anyway....I'm on LinkedIn and am "connected" to all these people I went to grad school with. I see her name pop up on one of those "people you may know" things and so I sent her a message to make sure it was her. Well, it was her and it turns out that she went to the same grad school I did (about 3 years before me) and also got her MHA. Isn't that weird? I mean, UHCL is a pretty small school and the MHA program is relatively small too. She majored in business at LSU and I was Poli Sci and I don't think that either one of us had any intention of doing anything in healthcare at all. So she still lives in Houston and I told her I'd let her know the next time I head that way so that we could meet up. She did marry the boy that she was dating in college and they have a little boy named Owen (I love that name).

Like, do you ever feel that some people are just generally supposed to be a part of your life? Like when someone pops up over and over again in the most random places? Or when you realize that you were, at some point, at the same location of a person who was at one time significant in your life, but didn't realize that you were in the same city/building/etc that they were at that same time? Sorry if I'm not making any sense, but this kind of stuff just makes me think about life and fate and plans that the universe has for us, and crap like that.

I really wish I did not care about the purpose of life or the reason that we are here. I would love to be one of those dumb bitches that thought Sex and the City II was a great movie, or only worries about whether or not her roots are showing or what kind of Coach bags are on sale at the mall. It does me absolutely no good to worry about stuff that I can't control, but I still do.

So anyway, I'm not sure where I was going with all this. I guess in thinking about my friends and the hubbs, it's just crazy how everything happened. Jeanne is one of my bestest friends and I never would have met her had she not dated Dupe; and I never would have met Dupe had I not lived with the Kelly's; and I never would have met the Kelly's if I hadn't joined the sorority and on and on and on.

So now that I think about it, Pero is sort of indirectly responsible for my marriage. Because I never would have met Neal were it not for Kelly N. And I never would have hung out with Kelly N had Pero not asked me at the bus stop on campus one day if I wanted to live with in the sorority house with her and Kelly N.

And Neal never would have come to LSU had he not gotten drunk with his cousin one night in Monroe and said, "Hey, you know what we should do? Transfer to LSU." And Neal and Pruitt grew up their entire lives about 15 minutes from each other in tiny towns and never met until LSU.

Sorry, I'll stop now. All I'm sayin' is that I think that shit happens for a reason.

Habits

When my alarm went off yesterday morning at 515 it was hurricaning outside, so I opted to sleep in and go to the gym after work instead. It was the first time since we've moved here that I've gone to work out after work. I hated it. It was a sausage fest in there. Bunch of tatted up dudes in wife beaters and someone was on my preferred treadmill (which is the only one that sits under the fan. And yes, my gym is a piece of shit.). After that I went to the local Abita grocery store because I didn't feel like going to Rouse's. I mean, this change in schedule fucked my entire world up. It was like I didn't even know where I was. I am such a creature of habit and I do the same thing every Mon thru 430ish on Friday that when I change it up just a little...I just ended up feeling completely weird all night. Yeah, I've got issues.

I'm also riding the line about something important: Dog or no dog? I've found a litter of puppies at a shelter in Ponchatoula that are half terrier half poodle (which means they shouldn't shed). I am seriously thinking about it. My main reason for not doing it? I don't want the responsibility. But then why am I trying to have a kid, right? I think it would be fun to have a little pup around to keep me company when Neal's gone. And we really don't travel all that much anymore, so it's not like I need to worry about boarding it all the time. I'm leaning more towards 'yes' on this, but I'm still a little hesitant. I'm a neat freak and that makes me nervous. But a kid will probably f up the house more than a dog, so like I said, I need to get used to it. If we get a female dog, I'm naming her LuLu Bug. (And you say it with a southern accent, like it's one word - LuLaBug.)Don't hate.

We're getting each other bikes for Christmas, but we haven't bought them yet. We were supposed to get them last week, but the weather was so shitty that we knew we couldn't ride them yet, so we're going to pick them up the next time he's home. I can't remember the last time I rode a bike...from what they say, it's not something I should forget how to do. Speaking of bikes...last night's episode of Modern Family is probably the funniest one I've ever seen. I laughed my ass off. Neal hasn't jumped on that bandwagon yet, but he will. Oh yes, he will. This may be the episode that does it.

It's The Little Things

I just ordered some cute return address labels with fleur de lis' on them for Neal and I. And for some reason, I am really excited about that. I guess it's because it's the first time that we're planning on staying in one place for more than 2 years? Now that I'm getting address labels, you should expect to get a lot of mail from me from now on. Just an FYI.

Sunday Funday Does Not Lead to a Fun Monday

We decided it was a good idea to go have a few beers after the Saints game yesterday, around 330pm. So it was fun, but now it's Monday and I'm at work after having 5 days off and I feel just AWFUL. I don't think I'm going to make it. I am physically here at work, but my brain is not.

I really enjoyed my time off. We went to Biloxi for a night, shopped at the outlets in Gulfport, went to dinner at Mom and Randy's with Ted and Diwina, and watched a whole lot of football. It was all very nice and relaxing. Now I can't believe that I have to work for an entire 5 days in a row. It should be illegal.

Have ya'll seen this business in the news about 3000 birds falling from the sky and dying in Arkansas? And they there was a massive fish kill in the same place. Like, what the hell? People are now getting all hyped up about the apocalypse and end of days, blah blah blah. First of all, end of the world scenario/disaster movies don't take place in Arkansas. They usually are supposed to take place in NYC or LA or something like that. If birds and fish start dying in mass quantities in a major metropolitan area like NYC or DC or something, then I'll worry. Second of all, if the world ends before Neal and I get a chance to have a kid, I am going to be pissed. Like, SUPER pissed. So this better not be 'it.'

Honestly, I'm in pain ya'll. $7 pitchers of beer are a bad idea on a Sunday. Is it Friday yet?

Christmas and Rigmas

As many Christmas's as Neal and I have spent apart because he's been at work on the rig....well, it never gets any easier. I'm glad that we at least got to have Christmas with his family last weekend. They also surprised us with an impromptu housewarming party at his parents' house. Marilyn apparently spread the word that anything that was red and/or fleur-de-lis-ish would work in our house. It was really sweet and we got some pretty cool stuff. I'll have to take pics of some of it once I think the house is ready to be showcased. We did, however, get a clock that has a picture of Jesus on it along with a saying from the Bible. Now, ya'll know that I go to church and stuff, but uh...I don't exactly decorate our house with religious items besides a few crosses here and there. So I'm not sure what to do with the clock. The Catholic in me won't let me give it away so I guess we'll just have to hang onto it. I felt a little awkward opening it at the party with a beer in my hand.

Neal is actually talking about possibly going into 'directional drilling.' If he decides to do it, he will probably be gone for the first 90 days for training with a weekend off here and there. After that, the schedule will be 14 and 14 or 14 and 10 or something like that. I told him that if he is really serious about it, he needs to bust a move now before pregnancy and kids and all that. The one upside to that type of job is that it would set us up financially. Like, I wouldn't have to work if I didn't want to. (I mean, I don't see myself quitting or anything because I love my job and I've worked hard to get where I'm at, but it would be nice to know that it's a option.) None of this is a definite, it's just something that we're talking about.

So I'll be at my Dad's Christmas Eve and then am going to Houma for Christmas Day. Then back to work Monday and Tuesday and then off from Wednesday through Sunday. Yeeeaaaahhhhhyaaaahhhhh!

Love Actually

It feels like Christmas now because we've put up the tree and have watched Love Actually. And it's cold as balls outside, so there's that too. There has been ice on my windshield in the AM for 4 out of the last 5 days. I really need one of those remote-start vehicles that I can turn on from inside the house and let warm up before I get in it. The little Jeep Jeep just is not that technologically advanced.

I've done half of my Christmas shopping online already and will do the next half the old fashioned way this weekend. Hopefully I get up early enough Saturday morning so I can go to Target, etc at the crack o' dawn and get everything I need. I'm thinking that if I get there early enough I won't have to deal with all the Northshore yats, their over-sized SUV's that they can't drive, and their inability to acknowledge anyone else's personal space.

We have to go to Baskin next Friday for Christmas with Neal's family. It will be a quick trip; I'm going to leave work early Friday so we can be there by 5 Friday night and then we'll come back home Saturday morning. But since I'm leaving work early Friday, I have to miss the official work Christmas party Friday afternoon. I'm not too broken up about it though; they've got booze and all, but the food sucks and a big group of the public works guys lurk in a corner by the bar and blatantly stare at every female in the room. So if you want a beer, be prepared to be visually assaulted by a bunch of greasy guys in wrangler jeans and work boots on your way to and from the bar.

Neal will be at work for Christmas, but he's off for New Year's. I am taking off the Wednesday before NYE, and my office is closed Thursday and Friday that week. This means that we will have 5 whole days off together without work or anything. I honestly can't remember the last time that happened. Last January, maybe? I mean, 5 whole days? I don't care if we just sit at home and stare at each other....so excited!

Use the Deep Conditioner

It's 8am on a Saturday morning and I'm laying in bed with my iced coffee and lap top while watching Full House. (It's the one where DJ wins tickets to the Beach Boys concert.) I blame DirecTv for the fact that I'm watching this crap on television. There's just too many channels. (We HAD to get DirecTv because our subdivision isn't set up for cable. But I have to admit, I sort of love it.)

The house is great and wonderful and it's OURS. But it is soooo not finished yet in terms of furniture and decorations. There's so much to buy and do. I'm actually being pretty good about it though. I'm trying to get just a few things at a time instead of just going balls out and completely depleting our checking account in the process. And my new favorite store? Tuesday Morning. I had never been into a TM until a few weeks ago. It has changed my life.

I finally got a haircut this week. I got about 4-5 inches chopped off. That shit was OUT OF CONTROL. It was so stringy and yuck. I got to the salon and the guy told the shampoo girl, "Um, use the deep conditioner and leave it on for at least 5 minutes."

I woke up a 6am this morning but went back to sleep until 730. In that hour and a half I had the strangest dream ever. And I think that while I was dreaming I was trying to convince myself that it was a dream and it wasn't real, but I couldn't wake up. Don't you hate it when that happens?!

So today I'm going to be organizing and decorating. I also see a trip to Hobby Lobby in my future.