At what point...

...does it start taking two days to recover from going out one night?!

Granted, we did "spring forward" during the wee morning hours, so getting home at 2:30 in the morning was more like getting home at 3:30 in the morning. And, we did start drinking very early in the evening while watching basketball games yesterday. But A and I have been pretty lethargic today, and I am fairly certain we'll still be feeling it tomorrow.

So...at what point do hangovers start lasting 48 hours? In college my roommates, suite-mates house-mates, friends (etc.) and I could go out drinking four or five nights in row and still be fully functional and ready to start partying again. (We were chubbier, less healthy and productive human beings in general, but for the most part we were fully functional.) While I have absolutely no desire to go out drinking that often (we keep it at about one night a month these days), I do miss that ability to bounce back so quickly.

Maybe it's all mental...I don't try to "fight through it." Obviously my tolerance to alcohol is much lower (I'm a cheap date), and I value sleep and my liver a lot more than I used to. But I still blame it all on getting older
(and much, much wiser).

Our adventures last night were defintely worth the laziness today. Two of A's good friends came in town this weekend, and the rest of our local gang came over last night. We played lots of card games and several thrilling rounds of Mad Gab (best game ever!), and debated whether we should go downtown for a few hours. Around 11 o'clock we decided to go for it, so we called a cab, did a quick wardrobe change, and finished (or chugged, you choose) our drinks.

When we got downtown one of our friends realized that he didn't have his ID. Oops. (And yes, it was the oldest person with us who recently decided to grow his hair out...resulting in a teenage-like appearence.) But the bouncer did end up letting let him in--thank you iphone and facebook.

While all this was going on, my sweet fiance was making sure that no one cut us in line. As it turns out, the bar that we were at had two floors, BUT one cannot go back and forth between the two floors without going outside. Thus, if one is upstairs and goes downstairs then wishes to go back upstairs, he or she has to wait in the line to go back upstairs.

Apparently not everyone was aware of this policy, and one girl decided that she could cut to the front of the line...right about the time that our group got to the front of the line. Unhappy-line-cutter ignored A when he said that there was a line, and he asked her if she knew how a line worked. She said something along the lines of "you must have gone to UNC, you're really smart, wow." Which provoked A even more, obviously. When the girl told the bouncer that she left her purse upstairs (lie) and her phone upstairs (more lies), A loudly said, "Oh, I left my purse up there too, can I just go get it?!" Unhappy-line-cutter and A started to go back and forth (while I'm in the background telling him to stop), and cutter started poking him in the chest. At that point my friend and I (ok, maybe her more than me) were ready to go (oh no she didn't). Luckily the scene didn't escalate from there because we went inside, and unhappy-line-cutter eventually sulked to the end of the line. The incident was pretty anti-climatic, and I think that unhappy-line-cutter's anger may or may not have had something to do with her bull-like nose piercing. Just saying.

Ultimately The Hive/Busy Bee was kind of like a high school dance but with worse music and more alcohol. It was so packed you could barely move (at least not without getting three beers spilled down your back), but somehow we still managed to have a good time. A and I are pretty good at that. The whole scene made me even more thankful than I already am that I am not single. Neither sweaty, gropey frat boys, nor skin-tight mini dresses are my thing. (But no offense if they're yours.)

xoxo

Cleaning, True Blood-ing, and Wedding-ing

I feel like I have so many things to do that I don't even know where to start. I have at least two to-do lists in my purse, another to-do list in another purse, multiple to-do lists in my THREE wedding notebooks (one's a binder, one's a spiral notebook, and one is a small binder that I can fit in my purse), a to-do list next to my bed (as soon as I lay down at night, I think of a million things I need to do), a grocery list with a to-do list on the back in the kitchen, and a to-do list in progress on the coffee table in front of me. I'm not complaining...I adore lists, but I just don't want to forget ANYTHING. My ADHD brain can only keep so many things in it at one time.

Right now I am cleaning out and cleaning up. I went through our closet and got rid of anything I haven't worn in the last year...I thought about going through Adam's t-shirts, but I don't dare risk getting rid of that jersey from high school that has sentimental meaning. Last weekend I put all of his socks in a bin and held them up one by one...a thrilling game of "keep or toss." He played along for the dress socks, and I attempted to clean out the white socks myself. I've already tackled the white t-shirts. With wedding gifts and guests coming in to the house this spring, it was time to make a little space.

The ladies at my work have gotten me into the TV series True Blood. Looove it. I'll admit that I turn my head during the excessively gory scenes, but I'm addicted. I'm almost done with the second season, but I'm trying to stretch it out until the third season comes out May 31st (yup, looked it up) because I watch episodes while I clean and de-clutter. This involves lots of "rewinding," but I'm ok with that.

Finally, it is wedding everything. Everything is wedding. My wedding binder is on the coffee table, we have shower gifts on almost every surface, and our guest room is officially the "wedding room" (I've stopped apologizing for that). 12 weeks to go, and we have things going on every weekend from now until then. (Including two weddings to attend!!)

Tomorrow I am volunteering at a St. Baldrick's event with the ladies from work. I am looking forward to it, but I guess I'll have to turn off "Bethenny" and get to work addressing invitations and vacuuming.

I'm just soaking it all in and enjoying every minute of it.

I'm baaaa-aaaack...

So sorry for my lengthy departure (to my many maaany followers). Life has been a whirl wind of dogs, Lost, weekend get-a-ways, exams, softball games, and work lately.

Right now I am laying on the couch, watching my 16th episode of Lost this weekend with a dog asleep on each side of me. Adam is in his usual spot: the recliner with a laptop in his lap too. Our latest obsession is Lost (probably because the season finale is tonight). We are only on the 4th season, but I'm sure we will wrap it up today. It never ceases to amaze me how much boys enjoy fight scenes. Apparently fight scenes between "two army specialists" are especially awesome. Sorry, I just don't get it.


Besides watching 3 seasons of Lost, my latest ventures have included dog-sitting, babysitting (not sure which one is more challenging!), picking out new paint colors for our house :), and starting a new project at work.

I get to hang out with my cousins two days a week now. I really feel guilty getting paid for it. Last week, my cousins Andrew (13), Nicholas (10), and Lyndon (11) and I laid on the couch all afternoon and watched FBI's Most Wanted and The Middle. Oh, and I dug some fudge out of the freezer (my aunt always has the best sweets!), and devoured that while we vegged. Then my grandparents came over, and I drank a glass of wine and chatted with them while my cousins played. Babysitting should definitely not be that much fun.

Miloh gets to come on my babysitting adventures most of the time. My cousins looove playing with him. Yes, Kali and Miloh are angels (most of the time), but apparently our neighbors don't appreciate their "presents" in the bushes behind their house. (Umm, hello, free fertilizer!) Adam had a slightly nasty conversation with the live-in boyfriend of the girl that owns the house, but ever since we have made sure that the dogs stay away from their bushes. It's not like we don't pick up after our dogs when we walk them, but they prefer the pine straw around the bushes if we let them out back. Well, two weeks ago those particular neighbors happened to be outside as we packed up our car to head to the beach. We returned the following Sunday to a substantial pile of dog turds up against our back patio. Thanks, we got the message. And, for future reference neighbors, you don't want to get on my handsome boyfriend's bad side. It's just not a good idea.

Summer school starts tomorrow. Because I have put off my 100-level PE class until my final semester of school, I am taking online step aerobics this summer. I have to do "pre-testing" at 6:30 am Monday morning. The testing consists of push-ups (girls can do modified push-ups, but I think that is an insult, those are ridiculously easy), curl-ups, sit-and-reach (which I am absolutely horrible at), and heart rate monitoring after three minutes of step-ups on a 13 inch wooden step. I will be sure to provide frequent updates about this class. I am also taking cognitive processes and social welfare, but I assume that those will be slightly less interesting. (Although, you never know what kind of whack-job will be in class!)


Well, Sawyer/James just jumped out of the chopper, so, for now, back to Lost with my snuggly puppies.

Post Taxmas

'Twas the day after Taxmas, and all through the office
No phones were ringing, no accountants in sight...

Mmmk...so it doesn't exactly rhyme, (you try to think of a word that rhymes with office!) but the phrase "no creature was stirring, not even a mouse" is on repeat in my head as I sit at the front desk of my office the day after April 15th. For the CPA's this is the start of their eight month vacation (well deserved), but as they enjoy the 80 degree weather, attend doctors appointments that they've put off for months, and travel to the beach, I sit at the front desk staring blankly at my computer monitors and listening to the sounds of the office. It is not even 10 o'clock in the morning yet, and there is no way that I am going to make it until 5 o'clock. I am going to chew my hand off before then. Definitely. That, or die of a candy induced sugar overdose.

I could write one of the two papers that are due this weekend, or I could straighten up the office, or I could fold some of the 300 pay stubs that I have to mail out today. But I don't wanna. Last year I watched TV on my computer--6 or 7 episodes of LOST, I believe. This year I have no speakers on my computer. Coincidence? I think not.

I'd have brought my book but I definitely would have nodded off. So, I choose to nod off to various office sounds... the man in the lobby on his cell phone talking much too loudly, the painful squeal of the elevators as they strain to go up and down, the ringing of the phone (oops, better stop tuning that out), the sound of thighs rubbing together in too-tight capri pants as people walk by...

Speaking of too tight pants, after working my third tax season, I am convinced that there is a "tax season 5." Yes, I am referring to the five pounds that I have gained every tax season. Although, I believe that the majority of weight gain occurs during March and the first two weeks of April. Luckily I have managed to lose "the 5" pretty quickly each year (hopefully this year will not be any different!). Gaining five pounds is just enough to make my clothes feel uncomfortably tighter and to make me hate the scale. Haaate it. Once the numbers start going down the scale can be my friend again, but until then I loathe it.



The weight gain surprises me every year. But why should it? I spend the majority of my time at work consuming biscuits or doughnuts for breakfast, pizza or some other horribly unhealthy and ridiculously portion sized junk food for lunch, cakes, and candy. I am also much more sedentary than I am the rest of the year. But what horrible timing--just as tax season is finishing up it is time to break out the bathing suits. Ok, well I guess I will go do some squats now and take a few laps around the office because I am depressing myself. (And the candy is staring at me and calling my name.)

Dear Office Mates...

Dear Office Mates,

While I am well aware that many of you are stressed and have no time to get lunch (let alone eat it), please respect the fact that some of us have little (strike that, no, none, zip, zero) self control and would like to fit in to their bathing suits this summer. That is, without any excess flub hanging out or over. Just this week you all have forced me to consume Reeses, chocolate easter eggs, pizza, strawberry cheesecake, birthday cake, ice cream, and key lime pie. I can only imagine what you will torture me with during the next week and a half. (Oh and not to mention the gigantic Goodberry's concrete with chocolate ice cream, marshmallow, and oreos that Adam maaaade me eat last night, sheesh.)

I do not have the time, nor do I have the desire to work out for three hours every single day. So, unless you plan to provide me with liposuction and a personal trainer/chef beginning April 16th, I suggest that you rid the office of these temptations. PLEASE. For the sake of the children (at the pool and on the beach).

Oh, and co-workers, while you are at it, could you please remind yourselves to "choose your attitude." And to stop complaining about my bare feet. And to stop giving me "rushes" and to stop throwing packages to fed-ex at me. It would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

No-Will-Power-What-So-Ever

BEACH FEVER!!!!

I have BEACH FEVER! And the only cure is salty air, water, sand, docks, boats, bathing suits (even if I don't have my bikini bod yet!), and flip-flops.

Pushing and pilling...?!

Help! I've discovered that a new shirt from one of my new favorite clothing brands, Alternative, is "pilling" after one wash. (I believe this is the correct term for the little tiny balls on my shirt that make it look old and worn.)

Obviously my first instinct was to blame my boyfriend for putting too many clothes in the washer or dryer (sorry, Adam), but I have started doing most of the laundry so such a thing WON'T happen! It is possible, ahem, that I might have put a few too many things in the washer (after all, I am trying to be "greener"). But, stuffing washing machines aside, I made sure to turn the shirt inside out and to read the directions on the tag. They were simple: Wash in cold water with like colors, and dry on low. DONE. So why does the shirt look like I've worn it 50 times?!

I know what you are thinking...just buy another brand. But I don't wannnnaaaa (whiney voice). I really really like their t-shirts and dresses and all the pretty colors! (I am stomping around my kitchen right now, hmph.)



See how perrrrtty. So what do I do?! I do not want all my Alternative clothes to look like that!! I've read that you should put less things in the washer and dryer and remove the clothes right away after drying. I am going to continue my research before I do anymore laundry (excuses, excuses!), but please let me know if you have any tips!