SPS

SPS - "Stupid People Syndrome"

Pejorative term for humans who lack the ability and desire to understand or communicate with non-SP during regular, every day activities; persons usually found working at Wal-Mart, the DMV, or sharing the road with non-SP.

Can you tell it's been a LONG week?!?!

I think I'll stay in this roller coaster ride after all...

It's amazing what a difference a few days (and a few prayers) can make. I was definitely feeling blue after the K incident last weekend. And I've been confused and a little frustrated with the whole dating thing since Date #1!! :)

I realize I haven't been in the dating game very long. It just takes some getting used to after being out of it for so long. But I am grateful for this last month because I have learned so much about myself. Once I got over the initial crushed ego and self-doubt of why I never heard from C, and then why it didn't work out with K, I realized it was all for the best. Of course, this was with the help, love, and support of my friends and family. As Mom commented on one of my lastest posts, "The best is yet to come." And I truly believe that. (love you, mommy!)

As last week wore on, I became my happy self again, enjoying work and the people around me (AND some not-so-sappy music!). Then out of the blue a coworker/friend (Steven) came up with the idea that he was going to try and set me up with one of his good friends...there's a story there but that's for another post someday. Needless to say, Steven's friend called me Thursday night--we had a great conversation and he asked if I'd like to get together sometime.

Last night we went out and it was really nice. No pressure, no tension...just easy, comfortable, and relaxing. We talked over dinner and drinks for almost 4 hours and the time flew by. I'm not expecting anything at all...I like him, and would very much like to see him again. I found this morning that I'm not worrying about whether he will call or not...sure, I'd like him to, but I'm simply carrying on with my daily life and enjoying it. I'm okay with ME and my life right now, no matter what boys may come and go. I am more certain than ever that He is looking out for me. Being happy and self-content totally rocks. :)

On another note, there are only a few more weeks of college football left!!! I can't believe this season is almost over. And I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week!! Mom and Dad are driving down to stay with me and celebrate the holiday. I can't wait to see them and show them around my new digs. My brother and his family won't make it this year because my sis-in-law's mother had surgery and they will be staying with her. But we're all planning on being together for Christmas. Have I mentioned this is my most favorite time of the year??!! Family, holidays, football, beautiful Fall weather...this girl is smiling!

Arg...I'm at the office working today and hope to get home in time for the OU game. BOOMER!!

Have a fabulous weekend my friends...

Edited to add: The new guy called this afternoon, asked if I had a good time last night, and asked me out again tonight. Once again, the conversation was easy and fun. All I'm going to say is I'm happy he called and I'm looking forward to seeing him again. :)

I am soooo not a pro

This dating thing is just not in the cards for me...I'm starting to think I'm not cut out for it. Is it me? Is it something I said? Is it them? Who knows.

I think what gets me the most annoyed and frustrated is the lack of closure. As a Type A and a "planner" I like things to be put nicely in their place. If you don't like me, let me know. If you do not want to see me again, you should probably tell me. I don't do the dilly-dally thing. It doesn't take me long to realize whether I like something...and I will always be up front with you.

Needless to say, I'm 99.9% sure I will not hear from K again. Disappointing, yes. Sad? Very much so. I was not prepared for this, and am still shocked at how much it hurts. He is a amazing guy...and someone I easily could have gotten serious with. I was picturing so many things in my present and future, and he was part of all of it. I know it may seem strange after only 1 date and some texting/emailing...but for me it was almost love at first sight. And I have no idea what happened in all honesty. Maybe it was something I said. Maybe he had his guard up. Maybe I'm not what he's looking for. I highly doubt that last one...not because I am overly-confident...but I felt it and I know he is interested. So, I will most likely never know if I did something wrong. The truth?? If I did something that upset him, he should tell me about it. We had an very real connection and immediately hit it off...I thought it was the beginning of something phenomenal.

Even if I did say or do something wrong...The One wouldn't let that stop him from pursuing me. The One won't let anything stop him from winning my heart.

Sigh. I'm through with match.com for awhile. I don't have it in me to go on another date right now. I have other things to concentrate on anyway. I was so sure this thing with K had potential...and if I'm that wrong about something then perhaps I have no business putting myself out there!!

I want love...I want the real deal. And I think I deserve it...scratch that, I DO deserve it. And I know I am so willing to give it as well. I sure hope The One is on his way to finding me...I'm finally ready and want to share my life with someone.

Sorry to disappoint the readers in that there won't be any dates or boys to chronicle on the blog. But I'll try to keep you entertained somehow! :)

The Crazy Dating World

So...I finally took the plunge.

Exactly 4 days after my birthday, I joined match.com. I vowed that if I hadn't met a great guy by the time I turned 3- (wait, you don't need to know that), "a certain age" that I would try the online dating world. I went through the obligatory membership rigmarole which entailed answering many questions about myself and my ideal mate, and coming up with an interesting byline. In a way it was nice to stop and think about how to describe myself and exactly what I'm looking for in a mate.

Once my profile was complete and I had loaded recent, honest pictures of myself, I was ready to start searching. Let's see...what should I put in the age range? How far away from my zip code am I willing to search? Do I really care if they have been married or have kids? I decided to be more 'strict' at first and that if I didn't find anything I would gradually lessen my demands (standards?). This was all new to me but I had to start somewhere.

Initial (negative) discoveries:

1. There are many, many of you (i.e. men) who do not know how to take a picture of yourself, nor do you know which photographs best suit your overall look. I don't know any women who want to see a profile picture of you, laying across your bed propped up on one arm...nor do we want to see you flexing your arm muscles in the bathroom mirror while taking a picture with your phone (let me assure you there are plenty of these). I also do not find "model" pictures attractive whatsoever. You know the kind...a man standing or leaning on a bent knee with his jacket 'casually' slung over his shoulder. Gag me.

2. Improper grammar and spelling apparently run rampant in this world. If you cannot even spellcheck your profile description then I am at a loss for how you know how to use a computer, much less carry on an intelligent conversation. Oh, and please understand that no woman is interested in reading a profile in which you ARE SCREAMING IN CAPS THE ENTIRE TIME AND NOT USING ANY PUNCTUATION BUT INSTEAD JUST KEEP TALKING ABOUT THINGS YOU LIKE AND WHAT MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO.

3. If you have kids, you should be honest in the standard "about me" section. Several men had "No" listed next to "Have children" yet mention in their description that they love spending time with their 10-year-old son. ???

4. Men apparently think that WE think it's cute when they refer to themselves in the third person or advertise themselves as "a catch." The reality? No, we don't. Just give me a brief description of yourself, how you like to spend your free time, what interests you, and what you hope to find in an ideal match. I don't need to hear how "Super Dave" is "the one" I've been searching for or how "Mikeluvsu" is "more than a girl could ask for and then some."

Initial (positive) discoveries:

1. There are quite a few men my age who have never been married and have no kids. I'm not saying I am not open to falling in love with someone who has been married and/or has kids. But of course I would prefer to share those things with someone who hasn't already. I also like the fact that so many of them put "definitely" next to "Want children."

2. There are some cute, single guys out there! I realize that a picture is merely a moment in time and does nothing to really tell me about a person. But come on, a nice smile is enough to get me interested! And so many of the profiles have made me laugh and smile. It's a good thing.

3. At first I thought the "wink" feature was cheesy (you can wink at someone if they catch your attention and you are interested, but perhaps not quite ready to send an email). But it really makes sense. I see the wink as an equivalent to "smiling from across the room" when someone catches your eye. And, yes, I have winked at several men on the site!

4. When you pay for a membership, you can see who has viewed you. I totally dig this feature. Call it an ego boost, but I enjoy logging on and seeing who stopped in to peruse my profile. :)

All in all, this experience so far (it's been exactly one week) has been fun, interesting, and eye-opening. I've been emailed several times and even had my very first date on Tuesday night. [see next post]

I will admit that my friend, Karlie, and I have spent a few lunch hours trolling the site and checking out the lame, the cheesy, and the clueless. But for the most part, there are some pretty decent fellows out there. So hop along for the ride because I'm about to become a pro at dating. :)

College Girl Goes Pro

I was invited to watch the Dallas Cowboys game today in a company suite. I'm not much of a pro football fan...actually, I'm not a fan at all. BUT any live sports event is worth attending. And football in general just makes me happy.

It was my first time in the new stadium. One word to describe it? AWESOME. The suite was very cool with tons of food, drinks, comfy chairs, and a great view. The Jumbotron?? Everything it is cracked up to be AND THEN SOME. That behemoth alone is worth going to a game! It was a gorgeous day and I was in a fabulous mood.

College football is my passion...but this girl couldn't help but root for Da Boys! We lost (again) but what an amazing day!! I may have to tune in and watch those Cowboys next week. :)

I'm home now waiting for the Rangers game to start. GO TEXAS!!


Pictures from the game:

Heading into the stadium...

Very happy camper goofing off in the suite bathroom (fancier than mine at home!)

We got there pretty early and just enjoyed the food and the view...

JUMB-O-TRON, baby!!

Salad, veggies, shrimpies, sushi (and an adorable football-shaped wasabi!)

Beef tenderloin, macaroni and cheese with truffle oil, teriyaki chicken

The Goof, again...after 4 beers. :)

 

Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Like mother, like daughter

I did some baking this afternoon...and obtained this:

 
A lovely monstrosity, this painful arm burn occurred while reaching inside the oven.

This incident is nothing new. For as long as I can remember, Mom has always had some kind of burn, scrape, or cut on her arms and hands. It is not a form of abuse...unless you can charge the oven with assault and battery. For some reason, Mom has always endured such war wounds while working in the kitchen. And now, I, too, have acquired this trait. I don't believe this is a fault, nor do I believe it stems from some kind of laziness or ineptness in the cooking realm. It's just something the Rush Women do. I like to think of them as badges of honor. We work hard in the kitchen...and have the scars to prove it.

The last few weeks in sentences (i.e. to explain the pictures)

I flew to Oklahoma for Grandma's memorial service.

The whole family went out for lunch to celebrate her life.

The Sooners beat the Longhorns in Red Rivalry tradition.

I tried sushi for the first time (and loved it).

I met my cousin Kari and her hubby Rodney for dinner at a yummy Mexican restaurant.

I drank too many margaritas.

We ended the night at a pub where I proceeded to drink too many beers.

Other than making myself a homemade "hangover" pizza, I stayed on the couch the next day.

My mom sent me an adorable picture of her baby, Buddy Buddington.

I tried some nifty new recipes.

The End.

19 years ago...

I looked like this:

For the record, my Sweet Mother actually paid someone a lot of money to make my hair look like that. Why we thought I needed a perm...I'm not suggesting I'm not totally adorable, but the hair is a bit much!

What I wouldn't give to have that youthful skin again...

The blushing runner

Not really...it's just HOT!

Technically, it "cooled" off to a mere 93 degrees this afternoon. I thought I would take advantage of the weather and run outside. I love my new neighborhood and there are some very pretty trails. But they were hot. And humid.

Check out my face...it matches my shirt!! :)

Nothing a Green Monster can't fix! YUM

My Grill

Back when I was a wee youngin' and my permanent two front teeth came in, they didn't look like all the other teeth. There were white marks on the front and even though I had a nice smile, it was noticeable. I went through many a school year (mostly elementary when kids have no class) of kids asking, "What is that white stuff on your teeth??" My mom always suggested I answer with, "What is that yellow stuff hanging out of your nose?"

I never really cared much about it and as I got older most of it started to go away. But on one tooth it actually got worse. I finally found out the "white spots" were areas of demineralization. This was not a result of acid eating away at the enamel--after all, the permanent teeth had it as soon as they grew in. Some dentists have told me the demineralization is due to inflammation or infection, such as I had a fever when the teeth were developing. Others have told me it has to do with the fact that I have had strep throat so much throughout my life. Who knows??!!

Although the marks weren't something I dwelled on or even really cared about, I always hoped that someday I could get them whitened or something. Well, it turns out that one of the front teeth was getting weak due to the demineralization and needed to be fixed, i.e. bonded. They basically just dug out the weak spot (aka, the white spot) and filled it in. So, that is what I had done this morning! Here are the before and after shots:

BEFORE: Demineralization on #8 and #10 (central incisor and lateral incisor, respectively)

AFTER

You'll notice there is not a HUGE difference...and there is a little bit of demineralization on the canine, but I told him I wasn't concerned about it if it's not causing any damage to the actual tooth. But this is the look we were going for...I didn't want new white teeth or anything fancy done. I like my smile and wanted to keep MY smile! My dentist was happy with the results and now I'm going to be on their website...yikes! But at least you can't see my face :)

I'm still numb up to my nose and can't wait for it to go away so I feel normal again. All in all, it was a successful morning in the chair!

3 Things

I'm addicted to lately:
Bodycology vanilla body mist, Monk reruns, and avocados.

Just thought you should know...

Things that should stay out of 2010

...but most likely won't.

1) The phrase "that's how we roll."

2) PEOPLE WHO CONSTANTLY YELL IN THEIR FACEBOOK STATUS.

3) The use of "super" and "hella" as adjectives. (Yours Truly does this)

4) Verbification. ("I've been computering all day.")

5) The butchering of the ellipsis. (Jenni-isms is quite fond of this grammatical abuse...and will continue to do it.)

6) One word: Twitter.

7) Anything and everything related to vampires.

8) The phrase "I'm just sayin'" (Because I think it's snarky)

9) The phrase "I know, right?"

10) Comic Sans MS font.

11) The word "guesstimate." (Because it doesn't make sense, especially to us science geeks)

12) Swine flu.

13) Bailout.

14) The TV show TMZ.

15) The term "economic crisis." (The economy always has and always will be a cycle, people.)

The end.

Is that all there is?

Is this what life is like when you get older??

Finish up the workday on Friday, meet the family for (a superb) dinner, pick up some groceries for the weekend (i.e. wine and catfood), finish the laundry I started on Tuesday, have a glass of said wine (or two, or three...), soak in the tub while listening to Bach (very loudly), relax on the couch (with Charli the cat) to watch a scary movie, then end up in bed, asleep by 11:00 pm????


Because if that's all there is, believe it or not, this girl is pretty damn satisfied.

Random-ness

Me, circa 1970's

How's this for entertainment?

5 random and/or weird facts about ME!

1) I do not eat the bottom of bananas. For some strange reason, it reminds me of a belly button. I used to give them to our family dog, Buster. Now I just cut them off with a knife or chunk them off with my finger. As far as I know, I have never eaten one.

2) I have an abnormal obsession with miniature things. If I see something that is unusually small, I call it Barbie-sized, because I really imagine it fitting into her life and her dreamhouse. Tiny versions of things fascinate me.

3) I once drank oil out of an vintage oil can. You know, like the one Dorothy used to juice up the Tinman? I was at my grandma's house in Bixby and I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. She had a neat little cabinet filled with odds and ends (one of many I might add)...and a few vintage oil cans. For some strange reason I put my mouth around one of the spouts and must have pressed the bottom of the can because a foul tasting liquid went down my throat. Grandma was on the phone and I didn't want to get into trouble, so I just got myself some water and hoped I wouldn't die.

4) When I was a little girl, people used to tell me I looked just like my daddy. I didn't understand and always answered with "But I don't have a mustache!"

5) In 3rd grade I found a bottle of Sun-In in my parent's bathroom. I sprayed a bunch on my hair...it was orange for an entire year.

Randon questions...and answers.

What is your occupation?Geoscience Technician
What are you listening to right now?Jack Johnson
What was the last thing that you ate?
PizzaIf you were a crayon, what color would you be?Cornflower blueFavorite drink?Non-alcoholic = Dr. Pepper , alcoholic = Vodka Tonic
What is your favorite sport to watch?
College footballHow many tattoos do you have?
2
Pets?2 cats, Charli & CleoFavorite food?NACHOS!
Last movie you watched?Gilda Radner: It's Always SomethingFavorite Day of the year?
ThanksgivingWhat is your favorite, fall or spring?
Fall
Current living arrangements?
House built in 1943
Last time you cried?
Watching Gilda Radner: It's Always SomethingFavorite smell?Cinnamon or VanillaWhat do you notice first about the opposite sex?
Eyes that smile
What are you afraid of?
Losing my parents
If you could travel anywhere? Micronesia - Island of PalauFavorite old movie?The Philadelphia Story
Favorite cat breed?Any kitty that needs a home
How many years at your current job?
2Do you sing in the shower?
All the freakin' time
Favorite day of the week?SaturdayHow many states have you lived in?Texas, OklahomaFavorite ice cream flavor?
Mint chocolate chip
Favorite book?The Five People You Meet in Heaven
What would you do with a million dollars?Pay off bills, buy my parents a house, donate to animal shelters, travel…What is the best advice you have ever received?When I was young & whining about not having enough clothes, my mom wrote this down on a piece of paper: “Man looks on the outside of man; God looks on the inside—the heart.” I still have that piece of paper.
Biggest pet peeve?People who don’t like math.
What makes you smile?
As I said when I was 5-years-old, a hug from my dad makes me smile!

Over and out,

A first lesson in the art of Jenni-isms

Jenni-ism (jen-ee-izm): noun

A theory or statement made by Jenni that often misses the mark (but is cute and charming nonetheless).

Some examples of a Jenni-ism include (but are certainly not limited to):

"Accident Investigation Site"

You know those signs on the highway? Well, I thought they were used to describe an area where several accidents had taken place. Makes sense, right? Perhaps it was a warning sign to be more careful. WRONG!

"Radar Enforced"

A sign like this was placed near the entrance of my old hometown in Kingwood, Texas. I thought for sure that this meant radar detectors were strongly recommended. I kid you not. Again, not totally idiotic, but just not quite right.

There are many more, but a lady does not reveal all of her secrets at once! Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not stupid. I do not channel Jessica Simpson or Paris Hilton. As you can see in the "About Me" section, I'm actually quite the nerd. But a good life is full of Jenni-isms and they are part of what makes me, well, ME! My mom created the name many, many years ago and it suits me fine. It's all part of the charm...