Some Good Lookin’ Numbers (Mixed with pictures of past few days):

1.$3,000 direct deposited for tax return today.

2. 1 month until my play. I go to rehearsals exhausted and somehow leave feeling excited and glowing. I’ve missed acting.

3. Eight days until hubby and I are in San Diego.

4. 10/10 on my first Mass Media History and Theory exam. I was happy about it but didn’t think too much of this grade until Monday. Professor announced something like, “So I think only one other person has ever made a perfect grade in my class. But one of your classmates made a 100% on this exam….”  It took a second for me to register and when I did I gave a little gasp/clap without thinking. He meant me! Professor then smiled and pointed my way. “You obviously all know who that is now…” Class then gave me a round of applause. Embarrassingly proud moment in my life.

5. Almost 4,000 views (In just a few weeks!) on the video a couple of girly friends and I made, Shit Girls Say (To Make Themselves Feel Better.)

6. One really sexy husband.

Favorite moments this week:

(Collage by my lovely friend Becca)

• Becca buying me food/happy hour and Tessa, later that night, buying me drinks downtown. I have super sweet friends who thankfully don’t let me use, “I’m broke” as an excuse to not hang out with them.

• Speaking of Becca. In our shared religious course, she mistook the word “incense” for “incest” during lecture. Thus, instead of hearing  “All kinds of incense” in the church, she heard “All kinds of incest” in the church. Add the fact that my professor seemed really excited about this fact and Becca’s initial look of confusion and disgust, we ended up giggling uncontrollably for approximately five minutes in the back of the classroom.

• New neighbors close to hubby and my age. They were outside today when I started my run and invited us over for “Beer and video games” sometime. Hubby may have found his neighborhood soul mates.

• Receiving a really sweet secondhand compliment. Best friend Tessa informed me that our mutual buddy Brooks told her that there was just something about me that others are drawn to. Made me smile. It’s always good to know that people are talking good about you behind your back.

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• Going out with my best girly friend, a dude friend I haven’t seen in years and a new dude friend last night.

• Funny/awkward moment of the night:I mentioned to new friend Scott that I was taller than him. He didn’t like this comment and set out to prove me wrong. We came across a group of women who I believe were celebrating a bachelorette party. Scott promptly asked who was taller. The consensus was that he was taller but that I was way hotter. Before walking off, one lady (or maybe it was two?) told new friend Scott, “She’s fine. You better treat her right.”  Err. They thought new friend Scott was my lover Scott. After said amusingly awkward conversation, new friend Scott went around to other groups asking not who was taller, but who was hotter. I definitely won. Hee.

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• Dancing on stage at a dueling piano bar. Though I have no dancing abilities whatsoever and I was still much too sober to be dancing on a stage, I had a blast.

• Best dude friend Bryant messaging me pictures of our mutual girl crush, Selena Gomez. (No, We’re not quite pedophiles. She’s 19! And he started it.)

• Upcoming fun weekend plans with my amazing hubby and wonderful friends.

• I’m going to San Diego in two weeks!
• So. Here’s to free happy hours, girl crushes, dancing on stages, upcoming vacations, being the hotter partner of a fake couple, new friends, old friends, the bestest of girl friends and all of the other good stuff, lovely moments and exciting adventures in between. Cheers,y’all!

My V-Day review:

Elijah, the four-year old dude I nanny, gave me a Star War’s Valentine. His handwriting is the sweetest.

Becca brought rose-shaped mini brownies to class for her and I to share. Delicious and pretty. I always love her treats.

I came home to Starbuck’s coffee and beautiful flowers from the hubby.

And then there were the date nights. I got three. (So far.)

Date night #1:

Husband and I went to see ‘The Vow.’  I’m not a huge movie person, and I’m especially not a huge mushy-gushy, romance movie person. But the moment I saw the commercial I told Robby we were going to see it for Valentine’s Day. I just knew I’d love it. And I did. Cheesy? Yes. But incredible cheese. I cried. Husband handed me a tissue. When his pizza came, he whispered to me, “I’ll share my pizza with you.”  Romance at it’s finest, y’all. And as we were driving home, the dude put the biggest smile on my face. If you’ve seen the commercials, you know Rachel McAdam’s character loses her memory due to a car crash. Channing Tatum’s character is the hubby trying to help her regain said lost memory. Driving back to the house, Robby informed me, “If that happened to you, you wouldn’t forget me.”  I think I laughed and asked why,or maybe he just rambled on by himself. “You couldn’t ever forget me. Our love is like…Super Saiyan, Jedi Shit.”  This is Robby combining Star Wars and Anime expressions to express his feelings about our relationship. My heart melted.

Date night #2:

Olive Garden. This is a sentimental restaurant for us because our first ever date was at an Olive Garden. (Before we went to shoot guns. Husband deserves a prize for best first date. Minus the first date awkwardness and jitters, it was perfect.) And chain restaurant as it may be, it’s among my favorite places to dine. It could be the nostalgia for our first date, but I think it maybe has more to do with the endless bread-sticks and chicken dumpling soup. Call me a romantic.

Date night #3:

Robby and I had an outdoorsy date planned for tonight, but I got back from my play rehearsal late and am pretty exhausted. We postponed planned third date for this weekend (Excited!) and headed to our local Sonic and bought Limeades instead. Once we got home, vodka was added to said Limeades. I currently feel like a rebellious teenager.

And now I get four dates in one week with my Super Saiyan, Jedi lover.

I’m a lucky, spoiled and right now slightly tipsy girl.

• Had a mini dance party

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• Hung out with a few favorite peeps.
• Laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe.

(Lookit! All white shirts! I’m easily entertained, obviously.)

• Was hankering for an adventure. Went indoor rock-climbing with the dudes pictured above. (Pat and Deesh.) Sucked at it but had a blast.
  

(Look! No clippy! No, I’m not that dumb. This particular wall was a free-fall wall with squishy things to fall down on. Falling was as fun as climbing. Confession: Deesh laid down to take this picture as to make me look more bad-ass than I really am. I was actually only a couple of steps up at this point.)

• Had the pleasure of acting as a beginning wing-man for Deesh and Pat. They’re single and I talk to everyone (including single females), so it all came pretty naturally.

• Mini-golfed.

• Went on a long run in the cold. I love running in the cold. I noticed a pitter-patter sound as I was running, but didn’t see any rain. I also love running in the rain, so I waited for it. About 1/3 of the way into said run, I realized what the pitter-patter sound was when it started coming down harder. Sleet. I was getting sleeted on! It kind of hurt but was kind of fun too. Eventually sleet turned into little bitty Texas-style snow particles. It was absolutely breath-taking, and I couldn’t help but smile and maybe even laugh with giddiness as I ran. So if you were in the greater Austin area yesterday and noticed a strange girl running and giggling as ice was pelting her and snow was falling, that was I. Do not be alarmed.

Ps: Review all of the above pictures. How old do I look? 14? Maybe 16? I’m about to turn 23! I should at least look legal by now. Oh well. I figure I will be thankful for this one day.

Things keeping me happy to be awake:

• I came home after a long day on Tuesday to find wine,my favorite candy bar and mini Kit-Kats in the shape of a heart. Just to clear up any confusion, husband even wrote a note pointing to the Kit-Kats that read, “It’s a heart.”

As excited as I am for Valentine’s Day and the treats that come with it, these little impromptu surprises not attached to any holiday are even more special to me.

• Speaking of my dude. We were celebrating his birthday at a friend’s house last week when Lauren, a girl I know from high-school, and I started chatting. She made me smile and blush a bunch when she said that Robby and I give her hope for this matrimony stuff and that we were what marriage should be like. Friends who really love each other. She then admitted to ‘stalking’  and loving every single one of my blogs. I was pleasantly surprised. I love being stalked by cool people!  This conversation also enunciated two opinions I already have:

1. My marriage really is the bee’s knees.

2. Girls? We’re all stalkers. Establishing this mutual understanding really makes for lovely conversations.

-Hubby and I are going to San Diego in three weeks! Confession: I found such a great deal on tickets but was so broke at the time that I only bought one ticket to San Diego. I just got finished buying the second one, and I managed to get Robby and I on the same flights and everything. There was a small chance that I was booking it solo to California. Glad to for sure be bringing my dude along now.

• What I do at work:

For those of you who may be just tuning in, I’m not a killer motorcyclist. I’m a nanny.

• Friend Deesh flattering me:

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• Friend Katie flattering me whilst making a funny:
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• 3,000 dollars in tax returns. Being a broke college student does have its upsides.
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• Receiving my script and also finding out that I get to work with a professional actor. Our short play (“The Philadelphia”) is meant to consist of two males and one female. However, so many more girls tried out that our professor was going to make do with an all female cast. I think she knew a lot of the humor would be lost without the two males, so she worked it out and found the professional for one male role. I’ll be the only girl in this particular skit, working with two amazing dude actors. I don’t know whether to be more nervous or excited. Let’s go with excited. Yes. Excited is a good summary to explain how life has me feeling lately. And sleepy. And nervous. And busy. But mostly excited.

Firstly, let me just announce, I GOT A ROLE IN THE SCHOOL PLAY! I still can’t really believe it. I’ll be playing a bitchy/smart-ass waitress in one of the 5 ten-minute shorts Concordia is performing this semester. This may or may not have to do with the fact that  I auditioned as a bitchy/smart-ass McDonald’s employee. This particular play involves a chick who has been sucked into an alternate reality where she can’t get anything she asks for. The entire play is in a restaurant setting. Needless to say, I have a bunch of fun/humorous lines and I probably would have picked this role if I could have myself. I’m excited beyond belief but also preparing to make some sacrifices. The first being that I can’t spend Valentines Day with my hubby due to rehearsals and that a lot of other free time will now be sucked away (Shit starts getting really real the week of my birthday.) But right now, I’m kind of on a natural high and have decided it will all be more than worth it. At the same time, I’m pretty tempted to fall asleep on my keyboard right now. Trying to take on the world is kind of tiring sometimes. But a good kind of tiring.

Secondly, husband’s birthday is today. He’s 29! My friends and I threw a little surprise party for him on Saturday. And when I say my friends and I, I mostly mean my friends. I spent the day with Robby’s family (Who spoiled us with cupcakes and stuff) and babysat that night, so I was short on time. Katie was more than happy to let me use her place, and Tessa bought cake and balloons (which she wouldn’t let me pay her back for.) Both of these dear girl friends prepared festivities and made everything look party-ready and perfect. They even wrote some of Robby’s token sayings all over the balloons. (IE; “F***ing A!”) Husband, being consistently late to everything (One of the reasons I may kill him before he’s 30…),showed up an hour late.  My group of friends and I sat in the dark for 60 minutes, talking and giggling and once, accidentally surprising the wrong peeps. We had a blast waiting for my tardy dude to show up.

Last night, my friend Priscilla surprised me with a carton of ice-cream and we had a girl’s night of wine, dramatic tv shows and chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream.

Today at my nanny job, I accidentally fed the two year old artichoke dip. No chips included. I thought it was pasta. Afterward,I brought hubby home some presents, studied and did my 4 days a week ab-workout routine. The boy and I just got home from Mexican-food (His favorite) date night.

Life is really good. I need a nap. But naps can wait. Life cannot! Now excuse me, while I watch a movie with the birthday boy and hopefully do not drool on him whilst snoring.

Copyright Adam Wright Photography

Early this week in my theatrical performance class, my professor gave a little speech that really stuck with me. She encouraged us to try out for the school play and stressed that once we get a bit older and graduate, the opportunities we have whilst in school oftentimes become more scarce (What with full-time jobs, kids, etc.) She enunciated the fact that we should take advantage of all we can right now, while there’s an abundance of choices ripe for the taking. What she was saying were rules I try to live by daily, but inspired me nonetheless. I had actually already signed up to try out, but this gave me that extra push to truly give said try-out my all.

Honestly, I was terrified. It’s been years since I was in high-school theatre, and being enrolled in a tiny private school, trying out was not really a necessity back then. I thought about it for a while before I finally just stopped thinking and signed my name on the audition list. I memorized a one-minute monologue, went over it probably over a million times, and still thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest while waiting for my turn to audition. Once in there and after reading my monologue, my adrenaline was on super speed after being asked to read other lines and to also ad-lib acting like a chimpanzee. It was insane. I was completely out of my element. I felt the need to cry. And laugh. And run away. And jump up and down and dance and high-five people because I did it. I actually did it.

That’s what trying out was about for me. I know that there are things I’m much better at than acting, and I didn’t go into this expecting to get a role. I did it because I wanted to. Because I love the thrill of performing, if only for 10 minutes in the form of an audition. Because facing fears feels fabulous. (Say that five times fast.) I did this for me. I was vulnerable and scared and shaking and it felt amazing. I all too often wait until I feel I’ve “accomplished” something or am “successful”  to announce it to others. But this is me announcing that I don’t know if I got a role. But I accomplished trying out for that role. I was successful in that I went through with something that really,really freaked me out. I am succesful in that I feel more alive and proud of myself because of it. And that’s enough for me.

I have a call-back tomorrow morning. This may not mean anything. But that’s okay. My old-man husband is turning 29 on Monday, and his parents come down tomorrow to spoil us with food and stuff. I have fun nights and adventures planned with friends this weekend. I am doing the best I can at living and fear-facing every day. That’s what this life stuff is all about I suppose. Not always getting everything you want, or accomplishing every goal, or always getting a lead role. But always trying out.

Where, it don’t matter

As long as we’re going somewhere together;

I’ve got a quarter,

Heads Carolina, Tails California”

It’s official! Husband and I are going on vacation at the very beginning of March! As we’re on an extremely tight budget, I’ve been scoping out the best deals online for about a week now. By this I mean I’ve been obsessively searching for (practically page refreshing, but not quite) airline tickets on the internet. I didn’t really care where we went, as long as we found ticket prices under 200 dollars a pop. I actually loved the spontaneity and excitement of knowing we were going somewhere together soon, but not yet knowing where. Last night I finally made a decision when I found a deal I just couldn’t pass up. So Guess what, Guess what, Guess what? March 1st, I fulfill an eight year long dream of visiting California. I can’t put into words how giddy I am. But I shall try. Right now. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! <<< There you go. That’s a tiny part of my giddiness put onto a computer. I feel like a kid on Christmas right now (Or really, just me on Christmas.) San Diego, here we come!

Other giddy moments lately:

•  Finding and blowing/wishing on dandelions with the littles ones I nanny. Being around kids so much really helps keep in tact the magic of life.
• Date night with my boy.
• A fellow classmate/new friend did the sweetest thing for me yesterday. She knew I hadn’t bought my book yet and that we have an upcoming test. I planned on just studying notes and googling terms. Last night after class, she walked up to me and handed me her book. I was confused. “Won’t you need this to study?” She responded with a shrug, said she already studied and I could give it back to her on Tuesday. I gave her a hug and left the classroom feeling heart-warmed and relieved. No googling terms for me this weekend!
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• My friend Becca and I share a class together, and have taken to writing one another notes this week. Above you can see the page we filled up with random doodles and words. I love sharing a class with this chick. Not only does she make the time fly faster, but she has taken to bringing me random treats to class. Candy, Girl-Scout cookies and once even a whole meal. I have sweet friends.
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• The above picture is me trying on a pair of size 5′s. That were too big for me. I did a happy dance in the dressing room. I haven’t been in the size 3 arena since I was a teenager. I’m doing another little happy dance right now, just thinking about it.
• I really like life right now. Life seems to really like me right now too. Hopefully that doesn’t change anytime soon.
• What have you been liking about life lately?

A couple of weeks back, a guy friend of mine posted this on my facebook:

“Your effing neverending happiness could power New York City for 24 whole hours in the event of a blackout.”

I’m not sure how I was supposed to take this, but I was both tickled and pleased. I love that friends know all too well and can tease me about my freakish amounts of joy. It’s something I’m proud of, because I feel I choose it. To be happy. To see the good over the bad. To love the rain. To plan trips when broke, knowing the memories will one day compensate for said brokeness. To take a long run when I’m feeling extra stressed. To catch some of the silly things I fuss about–A bad hair day, too much homework, a messy house–and know that this is what others would kill to complain about. To be thankful for my youth, knowing it’ll probably go by faster than I want it to. To laugh as much as possible. To focus on the little details that make life spectacular: The smell of a new book, Hour long talks with girl friends, Hot showers, Pretty skies, The first sip of my glass of merlot, The taste of a fresh-baked, Husband-made cookie, Holding hands with someone I love, The candy a friend brings me to class, Hearing my dog snoring, Long kisses, Sweet words, Random treats, The gift cards left over from Christmas that support date night on a really,really,really tight budget. It’s things like this that give me the potential to power New York City in the event of a black-out. (Ha-ha.)

At the same time, I won’t lie and say that the extra goodness life throws my way doesn’t maybe help out said happiness. This weekend for example. Chilling downtown and cruising in a Hummer limo with my best friend and other cool peeps. Neat, unforgettable experiences like this may indeed aid in some extra boosts of happy power. Ahem:Not to mention, the calmer joy of catching up with loved ones I haven’t seen in much too long…. 

I definitely have my occasional grumpy days. My sad days. My mad days. But more than all of these combined, I have good days. Great days. Loved,bright, wonderful days. And the bad days I do have are me being blessed and spoiled enough to complain about my silly first world problems. The fact is, life is good, and I’d be stupid not to choose happiness. I know that my positive feelings probably never will be enough to power any sort of city in case of black-out, but that’s okay. Right now, I’m watching the sun set from my window and I’m about to go get all fancied up for gift-card date night with the husband. And I couldn’t be happier.