Texas

I've been pretty busy and haven't had much time to update. It is now Sunday, September 24th and I have a day off from work! I did have last weekend off though because I went to Texas. It looks like I'll be working every weekend from now on...we are pretty busy right now. Last night we had an event for a 55th High School Reunion. These people were OLD, somewhat bitchy and hard to please. They were easier to deal with once they spent some time at the open bar. I'm used to catering to students and the staff at the University. Students are pretty easy because they do what they are told and generally don't complain..they seem to be thankful for getting food that isn't from the cafeteria. The staff is unbelievable though. Mostly it's a few older women who have worked at the University for years and are extremely picky and seem to be unhappy, unpleasant people. I think we could give the food away for free and they would still feel the need to bitch about something. The long weeks, long hour days and my commute are really beginning to get to me. I don't feel rewarded and appreciated for the hard work I'm doing. Maybe that sounds like I'm expecting too much, but the bottom line is that it's not working out and I'm not going to stay for very much longer. Which brings me to my news. We have decided that we are moving to Texas. Austin, specifically. Justin is looking for a new job and I'm about to look for a new job and well we just talked about it and why not? We've both decided we would like to end up there eventually and so, why wait? The job prospects are already looking good for Justin and the cost of living is a huge difference..in a good way. A lot of my close friends live in the area and my family won't be too far away, either. I'm bummed about leaving here for only one real reason and that is that we will be farther from Justin's family. Right now, we're only about a 2 hour drive away. It's been convenient for him/us/them to drive over, and his little sister is about to have a baby. I only hope that we and they will make the effort to visit. Justin's friends don't live very far right now either but he seems to be Ok with seeing them only a few times a year. So, we're moving sometime in next 3 months. I'm about to be packing all over again, looking for work in Austin, and a new place to live. We just finished doing all of this not too long ago. In fact, I have a few boxes I haven't unpacked yet..might as well stay that way, now.
I like the area that we live in right now and I could definitely see myself living here, but it's too expensive. It would be difficult to find a decent house here for less than $600k. I think in order for us to own here we would have to buy in an area pretty far out. And then our commutes would be even worse. Yuck. Traffic is insane here. The "highway" that is closest to us and is the most direct way into DC is called 66. It also happens to be HOV only from 6:30am to 9:30am, and in the evenings it is HOV only from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. It's not just one lane..the entire freeway is HOV only. If you're not a carpooler and you don't go into work before 6am, the metro is your best bet because traffic on alternate back routes are jam-packed. I tried this one day and it took me 3 hours to get to work. I take the metro and it takes me about an hour and a half from door to door. This is not so bad because I can read and listen to my music and for the most part, it's clean, queit and easy. But it's $7.20 a day. I work 6 days a week..this is a lot of money to pay for commuting. One thing I wish this city would do is incorporate the "express train" on their metro system. I have 22 stops on my commute. If they would make an express train, that would eliminate about 15 stops and save me about half an hour each way. But yes, I'm leaving so it shouldn't matter...but I would still like this to happen for everyone else who continues to take the metro to work.
I'm waiting for the photos from a few other people that also took pictures from my recent Texas trip. But I've posted the ones that I took..you can see them on my flickr page. Once again, just click on my flickr badge on the right sidebar of my blog to get there.
I don't have a lot planned for today...I need to do a few chore-like things and then I want to catch up on my tivo'd programs. And Justin is watching football today(it's Sunday). I'm going to go through my "cooking light" magazine and find a recipe to make for dinner tonight. Right now, Justin is cracking up at the TV, "Daddy Day Care" is on. We just finished breakfast and I have the rest of the day to do my errands and watch my shows. I love days off!
That's all for now.....

Happy Birthday to Justin!

He turned 27 today (according to me, it's the best age ever)! His mom, stepdad, sister and brother came over from Delaware to spend the day with him. Which was really nice because it's about a 2 hour drive each way. We took the metro into DC and went to the Native American museum and also to the botanical gardens. We also had dinner at Coastal Flats (a Virginia seafood restaurant) and then we ate cake and ice cream here at the apartment. I think he had a good time. I did. Happy Birthday, Justin. xxoo.
I know I've been really bad about only posting once or twice a month in my blog. Life's suddenly gotten busier now that I'm working again. I started a few weeks ago as an assistant catering director at Catholic University in DC. I really like the work I'm doing and I really like being busy earning money again :) I also work with two people that are awesome, which makes it kind of fun. The job is good for the most part. I'm getting used to the long hours and the commute..but I could just as easily be happy with working shorter hours and a shorter commute. I'm one who is pretty aware of my own happiness and what that entails. I know what it takes to make me happy and what it will take for me to make sure I stay happy. Which might be why I've moved around and why I've worked so many different jobs....and I'm only 28. There are lots of people who never leave where they live. They put down roots as kids and just stay planted. I think that's great. But my life so far has been nothing of the sort. I've said my series of good-byes to careers and jobs that got me where I wanted, then didn't prove to be what I wanted at all. I've also said my good-byes to cities and fantasies, relationships and friendships, even to people who have died. My point is that if this job isn't what I want, if I'm not happy, I have no problem making the decision to say good-bye. Something else, something great will come along. Don't you like the optimistic me? It's now easier to be and say optimistic things when you're employed. Hehehe. If I reach a point where I'm truly working to live and I have no reason to need or care about time for friendship and love because I'm working so much...I will happily say good-bye. Those are two important things that I require to stay happy!
Speaking of friendship, I'm taking a little trip to Austin this month. In just a few short weeks I am going to be with most of my closest girl friends in Austin for a long weekend. I'm so looking forward to this trip. Although I like my new home and things are going well, I miss my friends very much. Shannon, Season and Michelle are flying in from LA, and Lara and Raquel are driving up from Houston. Quinn is local to Austin now. So we will be staying with her and we also reserved a hotel room nearby because sleeping and shower-time might be uncomfortable in Quinn's 1 bed/1 bath apartment for 7 girls. ;) I'm also looking forward to being in Austin (I love that city), being near things and people that are "home" to me.
It's also labor day weekend. We're both off from work tomorrow and I'm VERY happy about that. I don't even care if we sit in the apartment all day..just a full day to hang out with each other and enjoy being away from the office makes me smile. Sleeping in later than 6am sounds completely wonderful too.
My family is all over the place right now. Candace and Eric are in New York visiting Daphne and my dad and Sandra are in Alaska. And Ginger's probably packing (she's moving to her new apartment in a few weeks). Being around Justin's family today kind of makes me wish I was going to see mine soon. But it probably won't be until Christmas. I'm hoping we'll go to Texas for 4 or 5 days during the holidays. We're definitely going..I'm just hoping it will be for at least 4 days and maybe more. It depends on our work schedules, as well as family time between his and mine.
Well, it's getting late now. I'm a little uncomfortable due to being full of cake and other yummness and my eyes are starting to get tired of looking at this screen. G'night....