Summary of Mardi Gras 20 Ten

I'm not sure that I should go into detail. This pretty much sums it up. Oh, and I caught a life sized porcelain doll. Thanks Mark.

Not Safe For Work (No Really)

I saw this yesterday on my way to BFE to go visit my parents.

Yes. This is a naked guy. Pants around ankles. Waddling along Mansfield Road in Stonewall. John and I sat in this turn around for 5 minutes assessing the situation, laughing and taking pictures before we pulled into Sue's. I told them that they should consider relocating. Immediately.

Perks of Pregnancy

Today at work I was sent on an errand to Target with the boss' credit card to purchase a high-end carseat for one of our cast members (who has a baby with a high profile NFL football player who is expecting Baby #2 any day now with a different Baby Mama). So, I stroll into the store with my cart and head to the Baby Section. After much browsing and perusing and going back and forth between which one I think is the right one, I lean over and hoist that gigantic box into/onto the buggy. (Those things are ridiculously heavy by the way... AND expensive. Like $350 for a Britax (which must be the Rolex of strollers, because why would she get a Graco one when someone else is footing the bill? This kind of pisses me off. Don't you have to have a carseat on the plane??? I'm sure she brought her own because of this. So this makes me believe that this actress has a sister who is having a baby and needs a free gift. What a twatty bitch!.))

As I can barely see what's front of my buggy because the thing is so big, I make my way to the register. I subconsciously wonder if people around me are thinking 'Oh look at that pregnant girl rolling her babyseat up to the register. How sweet!', then I actually get to the check-out. Two, I am not joking, TWO Target employees approach me to ask me if I need help getting my ridiculously large babyseat to the car, not to mention the one that was checking me out. (I think to self, I am glad that I decided to wear an empire waisted shirt today. At this point I stick out my belly.) So, what do I say? 'Thank you SO much! That is so nice of you to help me!'

So, they rolled it out to my car for me, loaded it in there and sent me on my way. I felt a little ashamed of what I did, but really not THAT ashamed. Then I laughed the whole way back to the office and planted the carseat down in the lobby:

Only to find out that it was the wrong one. Then I lied and said it was the only carseat left in the store. I mean seriously, if I had to take it back, who would help me put it in the car this time to return to Target? Here they know that I'm not pregnant... just fat. :)

Surprises on Girl's Night

Last night I went to meet Carie, Melissa and Bevin for a nightcap at the Christian Union Building. Boy, was I in for a treat! I was chatting with Melissa about this lady who has a Massage Therapy and Pain Management Mobile Massage business and how one of her packages includes a 'Lypossage' which is a cellulite remover (or so she claims. If you want this lady's number, message me.) As I was imagining how awkward it would be for someone to rub my thighs and ass for an hour, this precious soul appeared on a stool next to me:

Ladies and gents, may I introduce Mrs. Diana Hunter (go read her blog here: http://dianaorienyc.blogspot.com/ ). I met Diana two years ago through our mutual friend Mrs. Carie Hart. Diana and I share a passion for two of the same things: wine and cheese. And by cheese, I mean all types of cheese (brie, gouda, blue, cheddar, feta, goat, swiss... I could go on forever.) So, as you can see, I was very excited to see her! What a surprise! Diana moved to New York with her new husband right after they got married, so I hadn't seen her since Carie's wedding (December 2007). (Now that I think about it, I might have seen her once since then, but I could be hungover.)

She shared stories about New York and how it's different from Louisiana and etc. etc. Most importantly she claims that she rode the same bus as Charlotte (Kristen Davis). What I want to know, is why the crap is Kristen Davis riding a city bus (reminding me of the episode where Carrie has to ride the bus when she's trying to save money to buy back her apartment from Aiden after they broke up. So she had to make 'lifestyle changes' in order to conserve money. At the bus stop she realizes that her SATC Column is being advertised on the side of the bus and a random lady asks her: "Why do you have to take the bus? You're on the bus!")? So yeah, I know we're in a recession, but seriously, why didn't she invest her money more wisely? Charlotte York McDougal Goldenblatt would never take a city bus. Perhaps Kristen is trying to separate herself from the 'Charlotte' image, but I can think of a lot better ways to do that... like coming out with a sex tape or become involved in a heroin drug ring.

Anyway, it is always so good to catch up with people... especially people who are real, honest, nice people. It is one of the things that I love the most. Just hearing all the great things that people are doing with their lives and how happy they are... it's just a favorite thing of mine.

(PS: Who else jumped up and down with excitement last night, when Jeff put up Natalie and Jessie? Because I sure did. I freaking love Jeff.)

Journey... and More

Last night, against my proper judgement (regarding my summer cold), I went with Mark and Meredith to Tacomania followed by the Journey/Night Ranger concert. I'm pretty sure that I saw the entire city of Shreveport either at Tacomania or at the concert and of course, I was sick and talking with a snot filled nose and trying not to breathe too heavily on anyone.

We got to the concert a little late and jumped in the middle of Night Ranger, who, seriously, were awful, with the one exception of, of course, 'Sister Christian':

Going to the CenturyTel Center for a concert is pretty much asking the City of Bossier to put on their trashiest outfit and come out to play. I have seen a lot over the years of concerts at the CTC, but this one is a definite flashback to a slutty girl that I went to high school, with who spent a lot of her time at Interport (if you grew up in the 71118, you know about Interport) AND youth group:

So, after the intermission and Journey came out, I was pretty sure that I would know all the songs.

Wrong. I seemed to know only about 5-6 of them... which was okay, but when you are praying for the set to be over so you can go home and Neti -Pot, it just seemed to go on and on and on...until they got to 'Open Arms' and everyone got out their lighters/cell phones. Meredith cleverly, managed to combine the two:

By the way. Meredith is my new friend. She is fabulous and I absolutely love her because I feel as though we are on the same page in our opinions as far as trashiness, tackiness, and Bossier. Mark, don't be jealous. So, here is our group pic from the concert:

The guy on the end is Jim. He is one of Meredith's friends who curiously purchased concert merchandise for a female who is NOT his girlfriend. I intend for you to get to the bottom of this, Meredith.

So, on the way back to Mark's to watch Big Brother, we passed by this little sight on Kings Highway:

(If you can't tell, it is a large truck transporting a couch with two humans enjoying the ride.) At least the couch was strapped in, I guess. Stay classy Shreveport... we don't want you to stoop to the lows of Bossier, or God forbid, Keithville.

Wine Night Wednesdays!

Well, yesterday was a rough day all around. My grandmother made me cry, my bosses acted like jerks to me, John was sick, Jessie nominated Casey and NOT Ronnie (WHICH WAS THE PLAN!!!) AND it rained all day. It seems that I must have predicted that yesterday was going to be a bad one a week ago when I scheduled a wine night with Sass and this little darling:

Everyone, meet Paige! (Hi, Paige!) Let me just give you all a little background on her. So, a few years ago (back when Sass and I were each others' only friend after we moved back from college), we would frequent my brother's youth group events. We loved the kids. They were super fun. It's also nice to give some high schoolers some insight as to why you are definitely not going to marry your high school boyfriend and things like that. (If I had married mine, then I would have been in for a rude awakening because he turned out gay. So that's that.)

Well, we were Paige's camp counselor one year and we absolutely hit it off. She is a bright, spunky girl with a straightforward attitude, she asks a lot of questions, and she is open to anything. I love her!

So fast forward a few years. Paige went off to college. She came back and has desperately been trying to get together with Sass and I. We all decided on tonight for a wine night! It may be weird to drink wine with the Baptist youth group grown up, but I feel like Baptists who drink, all share a secret bond of some sort. Like we really know what the other Baptists are missing out on....

Weekend Recap (Plus A Recipe!)

This weekend was relatively low-key that involved two birthday parties and a baby shower (which I ended up skipping out on. Sorry Frances!). Friday evening after I left work, John and I traveled to B-City for a surprise Birthday party for my dear friend and former/possibly future boss Ryan Glorioso.

No, he is not related to the Glorioso's of Shreveport with the produce stand or whatever. So, the surprise party was at my favorite restaurant (and only reason to go to Bossier) Don Juanz. The Weisner's were kind enough to bring this delicious cake:

So fun! Saturday morning I was supposed to go to a baby shower for Frances, but I wussed out of going. We are going to have dinner next week so I don't feel SO guilty about it. Plus, baby showers are the worst (as you all know) unless you are the mother, and even then, I don't think they really even like them that much.

Saturday evening, I went to another birthday party. For my longtime friend Jen Herron:

Sass came along as well so it was a reunion of sorts. We played games and had cupcakes and visited with Chuck, Candy and Courtney. It is always so great to catch up with old friends. We played a super fun game called Scene It Squabble, which I think that I may need to invest in in the future for my own Game Nights.

On Sunday, I decided to finally use all of the fresh vegetables that my parents have given me. They decided to 'Live off the land" and start their own garden. Well I think it was more successful than they thought it was going to be because they have an abundance of veggies. They gifted me with about seven gigantic, like probably 2 pounds each, cucumbers, bell peppers and squash. After they had overtaken my kitchen counter for a week, I decided to cut them up and make a fresh and easy summer salad (Also, say hi to my new Seattle spoon rest!):

I had some leftover spinach from the "Creamy Turkey Pinwheels" so I threw that in a bowl, followed by some chopped up cucumbers, tomatoes, baby carrots, red bell peppers, Italian seasoning, Paul Newman's Italian Dressing, and some fresh grated Parmesan (yes, I grated it myself!). And that is what I like to call "Done and Done." A 10 minute healthy snack, or lunch for a few days.

Things I Look Forward To (Part 2)

In 2003, I was a senior at Louisiana Tech University. At the beginning of that school year, the Visual Arts Center decided to offer a new program for it's students called the French Quarter. With the discontinuation of Tech's "Tech Rome" program, this would be the replacement. When I found out that it was to be offered I begged and begged and begged (literally, for weeks) my parents to let me go. They were always hesitant about me traveling (anywhere) after 9/11. I said 'Mom, I cannot live my life in a 'What if?' mode, and please please please let me go.' So, after MUCH thought and prayer, they finally caved and let me go. Woot!

So, I was to spend 3.5 weeks in Paris. I was pumped. The only other people that I knew were two girls from the BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry). So, we get to Paris and lo and behold, what did I do? I ventured out of that shy comfort zone of mine and made some new friends. Specifically, these three:

At the Louvre

Dara, Hillary and Aarin were all photography majors and that would be the reason why I had never met them... until now!!! We had the best time venturing all across the city together seeing sights, trying new food and most of all, enjoying wine (they are the ones who introduced me to it, after all). I will let you readers get to know these girls better via pictures so that you can see for yourselves why I love them so much:

On a 'Photo Safari' at Notre Dame and the Seine River.

At the Arc du Triomphe

In the Hotel Elevator

At Versailles

With Colin's Hats

At Versailles (again)

In Les Halles (outside of a public restroom)

Wine Night in the Lobby

Wine Night in the Lobby (Part 57)

At the Paris Zoo

At Aarin and Ray's wedding

At Dara's Bachelorette Party (with tiaras)

Dara's Bachelorette Party (Again)

The girls are the main reason why I finally came out of my shell. I opened up to meeting new people and making new friends. I truly believe that they helped shape me into the person that I am today. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have made some of the best decisions of my life. Thanks girls!

Anyway, on Friday afternoon (after I cut out of here early) I am going to Ruston to Aarin's new home for a weekend visit. Hillary is travelling in from Arkansas and Dara is coming from College Station. I cannot wait. No one is pregnant, so we can all enjoy our old mutual friend wine and take silly pictures together. We are all going to bring along our sketchbooks and photo albums to go through and reminisce. It sounds like it should be super girly, yet extremely nostalgic weekend. I cannot wait to get away and semi-travel back in time and pick up right where we left off!

Reasons That Z Gallerie is the Slutty Sister of Pottery Barn

Tuesday evening, Mark and I decided to have a get together to watch the best show on television (Big Brother 11). I got there pretty early so that we could order pizza and talk about people that we don't like with plenty of time to spare before the show came on. I am one who has to have absolutely NO interruptions so that I can catch every rude comment and fight with no background noise.

When I arrived, we immediately went to the kitchen to fix a beverage. I decide on what I want and Mark says 'WAIT!!!!!!! PUT IT DOWN!!!!!!' before I took a sip. I stopped because I was very nervous as to if there was a bug on my face or about to dive into my glass. But then he reaches in the freezer and fumbles with something before placing this atop my glass:

It is a miniature Titanic-shaped ice cube, with matching iceberg. HAHAHAHA. I laughed so hard!!! So, I took a better photo of the ship:

So finally after I was done gawking at the ship, I did something really tacky and sank it:

My sincerest apologies go out to Rose and Jack, that they had to relive that all over again, but I was thirsty. I asked Mark where he purchased the Titanic and Iceberg ice trays and he told me Z Gallerie. Then he said that they regard themselves the "Slutty Sister to Pottery Barn" and I completely agree. I prefer Z Gallerie's products because they are extremely interesting to me, whereas Pottery Barn is very cookie cutter and straight laced (FYI I am not hating on PB). I wonder what that says about me. (Go ahead and add your slutty comments. I won't be mad.)

I almost forgot to include another of Mark's awesome products!!! He has these coasters that when you set your glass atop them, they light up and then change colors until your glass is empty.
I think this is a GREAT idea for a gift, especially if you are having people over. You immediately know when their drink is empty because the coasters go back to basic white and no fun lights. I forgot to ask him where he got these, but if you really want to know, I can find out for you.

Guess What Question My Team Got? (Plus Bonus Recipe) (TEAM PHOTO UPDATE)

Well, Mrs. Schillage finally uploaded her Game Night photos to Facebook so I decided to show you all who the real winners are. This is what I would like to call the A Team, with special guest, Ryan "Ron" Roberts:

John looks thrilled, as usual. Rachel, I know you are reading this, and I request that we make this a monthly affair. Thanks. Also, thanks to Chatty Cathy, I have a new dessert to bring. So, let's get on that, ok?

Guess What Question My Team Got? (Plus Bonus Recipe)

John and I had a blast at game night on Saturday. The A Team dominated (as predicted) over the B Team (although the B Team was twice as large), and took the game of Trivial Pursuit with a blaze of glory. You guys will NEVER guess which question came up during the game... I will give you a hint, it involved this little beauty:

That's right. My team got a question about the Guggenheim Bilbao and everyone was shocked that I knew the answer. Oh well, they should have read the blog, then they would have been prepared. Also, I provided the snacks for the event. I made a lemon pie, the Turkey Pinwheel things and this:
I apologize for the crappy photo quality, but I forgot to take a photo of mine and Campbell's likes to have super tiny photos with their recipes. So let me just tell you how good this Double Cheese Crab Dip turned out to be. Sass ate more than half of it. So it really was good. Here is how to make it:

You'll Need:
1 Cup Pace Salsa (Campbell's has to push Pace since I think they're the same company)
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese (softened, i.e. heat in microwave for 15 seconds)
1 Can (8 oz) refrigerated crab meat (although I used the crab sticks from the Upscale Brookshire's and it was just as good and fresh)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives (although I left this out because, let's face it, some people are picky and won't eat them)
Pita triangles/tortilla chips/fresh vegetables for dipping

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine and stir salsa and chili pepper in a small bowl. Spread cream cheese on bottom of 9 inch pie pan. Top with salsa mixture, crab meat (if you get the sticks, you should shred them with a fork and knife first), cheddar cheese and olives. Bake for 15 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Top with additional salsa (whatever's left in the jar after your take out your cup full). Serve with pita triangles, tortilla chips or fresh vegetables for dipping. I used tortilla chips.

After we played Trivial Pursuit, we whipped out Loaded Questions and all had some good laughs. The best question of the night would definitely have to be: "What are three words that you would use to describe the word black?" I feel like after that question that the group really loosened up. I also learned some new vocabulary words. Happy Monday!

Weekend Forecast

So, I got this new map on my blog that tells me the locale of my readers. I had no idea that the Cob was such a popular place in Hungary, Canada and the UK (although I'm 99% sure that the UK is pin-pointed due to my friends Frances and Baby Money checking in on me). I'm pretty sure that I don't know any Canadians or Hungarians so this is a special shout out to them. In honor of Britney coming to see me in Shreveport this fall, I would like to present to you, one of my favorite Britney videos. She represents Louisiana well.



The events scheduled for this weekend include lounging around doing nothing as well as Game Night on Saturday at the Schillage residence. Dear Sass (whose Birthday Dinner Part Deux was held last night and I was unable to attend due to home plumbing issues), Dobber, Rex and Flavor of the Week, John, myself and the Skills are going to play some games. I'm hoping that Sass, Rex, John and I are on the same team. I am confident that we would be UNSTOPPABLE. (Did you know that the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is made of Titanium? Because I do.)

Also, I am going to prepare a crab dip that I found on Campbell's Recipes or something.com and if it turns out to my liking, I will share the recipe with you. I am a modern day Betty Crocker, I'll tell you. Last night I made THIS and even edited the recipe by adding some black beans. I like to call that 'using my artistic license'. Sunday, John and I are going to look at a house with our realtor friend, Chris David (pronounced Dahveeed). Let's hope that John likes it, because I sure do.

Happy Birthday To John!!!!

Today is John's 27th Birthday and since he is such a precious angel, I decided to dedicate a blog entry to him. Below are pictured some of my favorite times that I've had with him:

John (Caesar) and Rex Rupert (John the Baptist) sing "You Might Think" by The Cars at my '07 Toga Birthday Party

England is his favorite country.

John loves a good miniature golf game.

Classic Photo from San Diego trip last summer at the SD Art Museum

He meets the Gateway Arch in St. Louis for the first time.

He dresses as a childhood icon (Ric Flair) for my 26th Halloween Birthday. RIP Michael Jackson and his "Thriller" dance.

He enjoys Mardi Gras parties (and king cake) at the Martin's home.

Speaking of Martin's, John and Eric sing a duet at Eric's wedding shower.

John meets Rachel The Pig in Seattle.

John gets attacked by an octupus at the aquarium.

He meets another childhood icon: The Million Dollar Man at the DFW airport.

As you can see, John is a very complex character who is very special and dear to my heart. I love him very much! Happy Birthday honey!

Flashback Tuesday

Once upon a time (about 3 years ago, maybe less) I constantly hung out with some friends of mine at a little house at 174 Bruce Avenue. There were three and a half very interesting characters who lived in this house and one day, whilst I was bored at work, I decided to summarize their lives in the form of a drawing.

So, in honor of 174 Bruce being put up for sale, I would like to present to you this drawing. If you can't read the text, you probably wouldn't get the jokes anyway. Happy Tuesday!

Flashback Tuesday

Readers, feast your eyes upon this little gem:

Please excuse the picture quality. Above is a little moment captured on film of my Senior Party. All of my friends at church and our mothers decided to throw us each a themed party for our last hoorahs. Mine was "Clue?" themed and was an absolute blast. We all went scavenger hunting all over town searching for mysterious envelopes in the pouring rain. Sigh. Good times.

PS. If you were wondering, in the photo is myself, Rebecca Dufrene Bogan, Laura Jo Caldwell, Krystalynn Culbertson Barre, Brittany Sanders, Jennifer Thompson Winterrowd, Katherine Ketchum-?????, and Leslie Elliott Procell.