Home for the Holidays!

The girls came Wednesday...I took them to Peche and then we bar hopped on W. 6th. It was a fantastic night. It's amazing how we may not see one another for months and months, but when we get together, we start back where we left off. Thursday morning, I woke up hungover as hell and decided at the last minute to get my shifts covered and surprise my family back in The Woodlands. One night was just not enough time with my girls, and spending time with them really made me miss my family. J and I drove to my house and hitched a ride with my dad and surpised my mom and sister at a high school swim meet. It was fabulous...

I will be here until Friday morning, unless I convince myself to quit my job and stay the rest of the break here. It is hard to truly soak up the holiday season without your family and closest friends. J, K and E (the "fab four"... I hate when E announces that at bars by the way) have been my rock for as long as I can remember, and are my fondest memories through high school and pretty much every winter/spring/summer break for as long as I can remember. We are all completely different and have strong disagreements in issues like politics and religion, but I know these girls would be there for me and stick up for me when it really matters. There have been countless times when I call J when I am having a hard time, and even when I am 100% wrong, she is always on my side. She gives me advice when I really need it, and is just a listening ear when I just want to vent. At the bar lastnight, I heard one of D's friends (who I respect and like for the most part) criticizing E's outfit, something like "we should drop her off at a business office with that dress!" I was appauled, and it may have been the vodka talking, but I looked her up and down and responded, "well can we drop you off at the playground on our way?" Haha. That's friendship. I may have hated E's outfit (which I didn't, I personally think she looked fabulous), but other bitches are NOT allowed to talk about my girl.

Today I went shopping with my mom (going to the overcrowded mall during the holidays really gets her in the Christmas spirit) and then made Christmas cookies and watched Elf. It was a great day.

Happy Holidays....More as soon as I get a chance.

Work.

If you haven't worked in the service industry, especially at a restaurant, I think you should. Not only does it teach you how to tip and respect those serving you, but it also gives you a whole new perspective on life. I am one of the youngest people that works at Cedar/Peche so my fellow employees have become mentors of sort, and its insane to hear their life stories. I work there because my parents have always supported me, and I am forcing myself to become less financially dependent...and save to study abroad this summer. But, the people I work with (that usually make the same amount of $) work there to support their families, pay for school, and just live. It's not unusual for any one of us to leave work that night with $40 or less, so people I work with are getting their phones turned off, overdrawn statements on their credit cards, and having to borrow money to pay rent. After work I went to Halcyon with A for a cocktail and was telling her shelterd I felt. Her response, "I used to be like you, Katy. Grew up with the suburbs with my parents, had college paid for...then at 17, I got pregnant and decided to keep it and marry the guy. Life would be a lot different if I had done what my parents wanted." Instead, she dropped out of college, married the wrong man (who she divorced soon after) and was forced to work at a strip club for a couple months to support her daughter and herself.

Like Carrie Bradshaw said, "Maybe mistakes are what make our fate, without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities. People come into your life and they go. But it's comfoting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart, and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away."

So true. I don't know how people do it. Life is hard.

Anyways, my three best friends on earth are coming into Austin this afternoon until Friday morning. Tonight I am taking them to Peche for dinner and then we will be hitting up Sixth Street for a lot of drinking and dancing. Tomorrow we are gonna run Town Lake, Whole Foods for lunch, and then having all my best girls from Austin meet these girls with beer and games at my apt that night. We have a lot of celebrate: J and I both got 2 A's this semester, and E just ran a half-marathon!

Have a good weekend. More later :)

Beginning!

Been wanting to do this for a long time. So, the same day I finally chose a Christmas Break reading (Sometimes a Great Notion- Ken Kesey) and ventured to the grocery store, I did! Pretty excited, although indecisive as to who all I am going to officially let in here.

Doesn't really feel like Monday, probably because my semester is officially over. This weekend: Friday morning I had my final and tried to come home and sleep afterwords but after a night of caffeine and reinforcements, my body wouldn't let me. I had to go to work that night, made 45 bucks, came home and finally passed out. Saturday morning I met mother and sister at Papasito's (they were in town for Jr's) and went to work at 3. After work, went out with my waitress friends to Gingerman (Pyramid Apricot and shots of crown= exactly what I needed) and stopped by T's Christmas party. Sunday I spent the day with mother at LJ's meet and spent the night at D's fantastic new condo, where we browsed the neighborhood, made dinner and drank wine.

Had an interesting conversation outside Gingerman with L about men. For those who know me know I haven't had much to do with them for awhile now, but after a short affair that lasted a couple weeks, I have been completely obsessed with trying to figure out how couples communicate. The general concensus seems to be that men have an extremely hard time talking about their feelings when it comes to the opposite sex. People usually meet through an instant sexual attraction, hook-up, hang out and then later down the road comes the real conversation. Women are all too often intimitated to ask questions like "what are we," "where is this going," and "are we exclusive" because they fear they are being too pushy. I don't like this. I thought communication was the most important part of a relationship...and no text messages do not count in my book. L and I decided we want to wait for a man who is willing to work for us because settling for love just isn't fair. It's a two-way street, right?

Enough of that...

Have work tonight at 6-- will be incredibly slow since there is supposed to be a freeze tonight. If you think saying my heat is on 88 is an exaggeration, you are mistaken. I can't get enough warmth right now. Mother took Elvis (the man in my life is a 3 lb. poorly-trained yorkiepoo) since I will be working a lot until the girls arrive Wednesday. He will be happier there, but it sure is quiet here.

More later.



"Don't draw the Queen of Diamonds boy, she'll beat you if she's able. You know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet," - The Eagles