I have never really got into watching the Oscars, but this year I decided to ride it out while hanging with my sisters. The awards as I saw them…

* Chris Rock was incredibly, incredibly boring. I have seen him live during his standup routine and he is hilarious. Well, he is raunchy and bend over grab your gut funny.
* Kate Winslet is the woman - she was stunning and classy in her ice blue dress
* Robin Williams looks great in hot pink. One of the few straight men that can pull that costume off.
* Drew Barrymore looked good last night - she definately suffers from the hot and ugly syndrome
* When I heard that two very talented vocalists would be singing, Believe, I was surprised to learn it was, “Josh Grobin and BEYONCE!!! No surprise on Grobin but, Beyonce. I mean, I liked her before tonight she’s refined. But the songs did not suite her style. And then she ruined a perfectly pretty black evening gown with ultra-gaudy diamonds and bad makeup. Make it stop. The kitchen sink on her ears was distracting.
* And then to make matters worse she butchered the Phantom of the Opera song, should have let Minnie Driver sing it as she does in the movie.
* Cate Blanchett is so, so classy.
* Hillary Swank has a great back.
*Sean Penn is sloppy looking
* Was Leo’s date pregnant or have house dresses come back in style?
* Johnny Depp is just weird. But well respected because he has never “sold out and gone for the mainstream box office hits. I still love What’s eating Gilbert Grape
* Samuel L. Jackson is still sexy -
I can’t say it better than Candied Ginger
“* Jamie Foxx’s grandmother’s spirit animal is a white dove that arrives on his windowsill every morning at 5:30 to wake him with a gentle song and a motherly attempt to peck his eyes out, and that’s why he’s such a great actor. “
* Counting Crows, Mr. Jones, your still wild and crazy - Digging the eccentric artist thing.
Julia Roberts is so yesterday. But still a class act.
Clint Eastwood’s mom is alive. Can I get a Hell Yeah!!
* I would like to give an oscar to each and everyone of you who sat through the evening. What other industry can you work 3 months out of the year and rake in 3 million. That’s entertainment.
The above was obviously written in pure envious fashion

Houston, Texas - GIDDY UP! That’s right, it’s rodeo time.

I swear, this is the only city in America where I leave the office for lunch, head to the Galleria, and on my return I get stuck behind 3 dozen horses. They call themselves “The Trailriders” Where is the trail? All I see is loop 610. The whole spectacle of the rodeo is a grand theatrical modern way of honoring the roots of Texas . . . THE LONE STAR STATE.
Which always makes me think of the sexy saucy Val Kilmer as he saunters across the saloon and states, “I’ll be your Huckleberry”
HUBBA HUBBA meow purrrrrrrrr. As I scan the rodeo crowd, all I can think is BUBBA BUBBA

Which proves, you can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can’t take the Jersey out of the girl.

Last night I went to the rodeo barbecue cook off
Conversation I over heard
Girl 1: See that?
Girl 2: Jeans so tight, if I were blind I could read Braille on her thighs
Girl 1: Oh no you did-int.
Girl 2: That’s right.

The sky was black, and the alarm went off, I pulled the covers over my head, hit snooze and fell back asleep.

It was storming horrificly in H-town this morning. I felt the angels bowling and the guys in the apartment above me moving their furniture.

As I drove down South in the thick of it all I spoke to my mom who was also going through a bad storm.

5-8 inches of SNOW!!!! I laughed whole heartedly while I rubbed my hands together. And then felt very guilty after my mom told me she was going to shovel the sidewalk so Dad wouldn’t have to do it.
My mother the super hero.

Conversation with Mom -
Mom: “How is work going”
Me: “Good,it’s been a busy month with sales”
Mom: “You’ve been with them a while”
Me with sarcasm, “Yeah, must be all that alcohol I have been drinking”
Mom: “Honey, your not drunk. Your just lubricated”
Me, “Like a machine?”
Mom, ” A well oiled one. And honey, I do hope your kidding about the alcohol”

All I can do today is laugh at the world.

The New York Jerk called last night to let me know he was coming in town this weekend. I really want to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, he called at 12:38 a.m., 1:23 a.m., and 1:39 a.m. He left 2 messages and was fairly coherent. Somedays I wish I was a push over or a sappy girl who gushed over the fact that, “HE CALLED!”. But, lets be real. He was drunk at a bar on a Tuesday. Yes once again, a boy was just being a boy. That door’s locked tight with a dead bolt.

The terms on which I will spend time with someone have changed, but my attitude has not. The terms are never completely acceptable and change with time. Respect has always been a huge item, as it should be. We all drunk dial our friends and laugh at them later. We pass the phone around to others and have them listen to the funny message that was left at 4 in the morning by so and so. That’s funny. In relationships, it’s not. Especially when you have not spoken in 3 weeks.

I’ve spent much of my life trying to figure out what was wrong with the fantasy, what’s wrong with the boy, or what’s wrong with me? It’s a practical way of thinking through each situation, extracting the good, accepting the bad, and learning from the experience. It’s really quite shallow, as it’s my view on the terms that I have chosen to accept at the time. Right or wrong, which I know I can be, and dare I sound cliche, but timing truely is everything in love and orgasms.

The Rockets attempted their 9th win in a row last night against Seattle. They had several days off between game 8 and 9 due to the All Star Game. They were ahead the first half and took several chances. Unfortunately, they lost in the last few seconds by 2 points.
My buddy didn’t play …seems someone had to much fun in Vegas with the boys over the break.

Some weekends all you need is to….
Curl up with a good book
Clean your apartment
Go for a run
Lift some weights
Pay the best sister-in-law and friend a quick visit
Hug your nieces and nephew
Feel the joy as they call your name and wrap themselves around you
Watch a 2 year old mimic everything his 4 year old big sister did
Eat “healthy” with your little sis (love you booger)
Go shopping with little sis and her baby
Buy shoes
Buy shirts
Watch the confusion and frustration of a 9 month old as she eats
her first piece of bread
See the delight a big pink stuffed animal brings a 9 month old baby
Have a fabulous brunch day with your girlfriends
Have a headache Monday morning from cheap champagne in the mimosa’s

Some people treat their ex’s like a set of china dolls. You pick one off the shelf admire it, and remember the day it first came to you. You look at the doll and see how time has eclipsed it. In a jovial manner return it to the shelf. In every collection, there is the doll whose arm fell off, his suspender broke, and it has a strange odor. You try to muster the strength to play with the doll, but can not bring yourself to do so. It remains on the shelf, a distant memory of the day it came to you.

I had been very lucky to go 27 years with out having my heart broken. Call it lucky, careful, or guarded. It shattered but once. Of course there are the brief interludes where you decide to go separate ways and you carry on. Like the time an ex brought back a girl from Vegas. I turned the other cheek and walked out the door, never looking back. But this time was different. We met through a mutual friend at brunch. I’ll never forget seeing him walk through the door. After he sat down, I took a skill from negotiating 101 and began telling the table about the fabulous date I had the day before. As the hours of brunch flew by, we changed locations, drinks and dancing ensued, next thing I know… I have a date with him the following week. Wonderful days turned into weeks. I called my dad to tell him I WAS SMITTEN. My father looked at the caller ID to make sure it was his single daughter on the line. Was it really me - the ambivalent single gal? Yes, and I was on cloud 9. Several months into the relationship he started to push. I didn’t understand, and then he told me. His company was going to transfer him back to Florida. Moving for me, was not an option. So, we did the logical thing and ended the relationship. There were no phone calls pleading to hang out until he left as that would have only made it harder for both of us. Why lie to ourselves. I went through a period of feeling like I was falling to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. And then I picked myself up, dusted off my shoulders, and moved on.

Fast forward several months - his company changes management and it’s dynamic. Suddenly, he is not moving. Our mutual friend informs me of this and I relive the relationship in a matter of seconds in my mind. Then the hurt, anguish, and longing to spend time with him. He does not contact me, and I don’t contact him. Until, I am out running with a friend and I see him.
My gal pal says, “Hubba hubba did you see that guy?”
Me, “Yeah - that’s Shad.”
She, “Oh.”

Since then, he has sent me several emails and text messages trying to start a friendship at the very least. I debate with myself on how to handle this situation. I have never been the type of person to have the residual breakups. You know the cycle, break up, get back together, break up, etc. It’s worse than doing laundry.
I am friends with EVERY SINGLE GUY I have dated, except for him. When a person has hurt you so badly that it scars. Can you be friends with them? Is it possible to look past all the pain, and longing, and be friends? Would it break your heart to see them with another person? Of course we all want to think we are strong, larger than life characters and have the will to say, “I can handle this,” but I can’t. I can’t go back and I won’t go back. I have replied to his emails shutting them down and leaving him with no recourse. I’ve moved on, but still feel the pain.

There’s a sense of calmness coming from deep inside of me. The waters are clear and I am enjoying the view.

It’s usually about this time I lace up my running shoes and head out the door, in true roadrunner fashion. Never to be caught. Well, truth be told, I am tired of running. But am enjoying the ride 300%.

Day 10 and counting. I haven’t had a drop. I have managed to drive past every Starbucks I see. But this morning, I was tempted. I feel like a junkie. Am I really addicted to Starbucks? I think about all of the factory and field workers my coffee addiction feeds. Am I really trying to rationalize my problem?
(The above was written solely for my mother who once said I needed a Starbucks Intervention) I’m fine really.

Have to run down to Pasadena for meetings - I am sure there will be stories.

Okay meetings are over with and am back in the office stopping for a mental health check up. Why? Why do I need one when it’s only 2:09 in the afternoon?
Because my computer is sick! It’s quite ill - I am looping adaware. Perhaps I need a starbucks - should I call my sponsor? No steady now you can focus. No uber-bitch rants. I am light headed thinking about the big cozy chairs, ambient lighting and the addictive product that doesn’t kill you, but makes you rather loopy.

Starbucks has replaced 7/11s and pubs as gathering places for teens, 20-somethings and office workers — a cultural hat trick. Just yesterday the Today show ran a segment about teenagers gathering at Starbucks after school. Is Starbucks a status hangout? A liquid crack for yuppies and their offspring? The cost to brew a cup of coffee is less than 50 cents. There for, the remaining 3 dollars and 50 cents pays for steaming the milk, and the branding and labeling of the cup.
So why and how can we justify the high cost for coffee? The idea of Starbucks brings us, myself included, self-indulged consumer society to a common ground. It’s an equalizer for those of us that willing to pay four bucks for a cup of coffee and step out of the daily grind and enjoy a cup of coffee.

I am saving money right now. And going to try stop thinking about Starbucks

I’m a big softie.

Several years ago I had friends who worked at Enron. They had a great circle of coworkers they depended on. On the 15th and 30th of the month they were paid. They counted on the money and stability of the job to create the life they were meant to live. Suddenly, a corporate scandal makes headlines and they lose the job. They lose everything that was familiar to them and had been for years. Their foundations were shook and ripped out from under them. Years later they were able to rebuild and put the pieces of their lives back together.

Yesterday was Valentines Day.I am a sucker for love and friendship.

About a month ago my foundation was shook. I felt like an exworker at Enron. My routine changed. A terrible incident happened between a good friend and I. We have known each other for several years and have shared every detail about our lives. She’s the type of friend you could call at 4:00 am due to an emergency or because you just got home and needed to chat about the amazing “Mr. Good for Me” man. With out a doubt, the phone would be answered. Sadly enough, I had not spoken to her in a month.

After a long day at the office,training our newest employee, and running across town to several meetings. I went to an art opening for Rea. I must admit, the majority of the pieces were from the “I don’t get it exhibit” but the gallery is beautiful. I proceeded to drink several glasses of champagne and was feeling rather tipsy. Maybe it was the champagne, maybe it was the shots with the new employee (DQ if your reading this I am kidding), or maybe it was the fact that it was Valentines Day. The recipe of a holiday based around love and compassion fused with to much alcohol can be deadly … or it will help you do what you need to do.

I composed myself and went right over to Tessa’s. I did not even knock on the door. I knew she was there with another buddy of ours. We took one look at each other and married the friendship once again with a big hug.

Happy day after Valentines Day.

I had the perfect start to my day planned. I tore myself out of bed, at 6:00 a.m., after having some very strange dreams. I put my running clothes on, grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed down to the park for a run. I arrived at the park - strapped my radio to my arm, shut my car door, and locked my keys in the car. I seriously contemplated going for a run and dealing with it after the run. An hour and half later AAA showed up (an hour and a half - errrrrrrrrr … grrrowl I could have gone for my run after all).

It’s not good when it’s 7:30 in the morning and you say to yourself, “I need a drink”

I went home and got some “Mamma Sun” time on the phone and felt much better after that. Busy morning at the office today and somehow managed to diet f**K myself at lunch. I practically ate the whole salad bar at Jason’s Deli then topped it off with ice cream. Back at the office I had a girl scout cookie - nothing like immediate satisfaction. (:-()

Valentines Day is approaching. My office mate just said, “Since you don’t have a man what are you going to do?” I had a mouth full of water at the time and nearly spewed it all over my desk from laughter. I began cracking up and bluntly asked, “Did you really just say that?”

I feel like getting into some trouble tonight however, I may just save it all for tomorrow…

I gave up Starbucks (aka FourBucks) for Lent. Those that know me accomadate my fierce addiction to my Grande Non-fat Dry Latte. I was going to give up alcohol but since Jesus and the apostles drank wine, I decided against that. So I gave up my favorite non-alcoholic beverage, Starbucks Latte. There is something heavenly about the first sip of coffee. The fusion of the foam, cinnamon sprinkles, and over whelming aroma of the expresso make a single gal quite content. I have to admit that giving up Starbucks while being single is a risky endeavor. I could easily turn into a uber-bith. Day 3 and counting