Sunday Night Blues

Well, in eleven and a half hours, it will be the start of another week. (Sigh)

This weekend was so fun-packed and seriously just flew right by. But I'm so thankful because this week is short for us because we're going HOME!!!!

Before I share our weekend fun with you, I would like to highlight a few random facts that I learned over the weekend:

1). The Portugese know how to party. I mean, they REALLY know how to boogie.

2). Ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese...(or any dairy products really) cause some major, unwanted phlem.

3). People will look at you funny when you eat two pieces of wedding cake and 45 strawberries dipped in the chocolate fountain. 

4). It is never EVER okay to go running in jean shorts, black socks and tennis shoes, and pungent musky cologne. (Yes, I witnessed this today while taking my dogs for a walk...only in Rhode Island). 

So, as I mentioned before, Mr. Ruby and I had a fantastic weekend. It started off right at our favorite BYOB sushi place on Friday night with pals. 

Last night, we went to a wedding. It was such a fabulous time.

It started off with getting ready. I conveniently had a hair appointment for a highlight and trim..and so I had her jazz up my hair a bit for the wedding. I got home to put on my makeup and dress when I heard a foreign man's voice coming from our guest bedroom. I walked in, and Mr. Ruby was watching a YouTube video on how to tie a tie. Haha. 

After the beautiful ceremony, we had some time to kill before the reception, so of course we headed to a bar. We drove around for awhile and finally found this little dive bar. Let me tell you, when we walked in, you would have thought we were either 1) Celebrities or 2) Six-headed purple ogres. Everyone stopped what they were doing, turned to look at who was walking in the door, and just stared. I mean look-into-your-soul/burn-a-hole-through-your-shirt stare. It may have been the fact that we were all dressed to the nines while everyone else in the bar had on Budweiser hats and sleeveless t-shirts. 

Oh well. It was a good time.

Then, the reception got started. We (of course) sat at the "fun table" and were seriously laughing the entire time. There was tons of delicious food, and the reception site was right on the water, so it made for some quite amazing pictures. 

Once the music started, Mr. Ruby and I hit the dance floor immediately...and didn't leave it until after the last song. We belted out to Journey, learned a Portugese routine, participated in one intense dance-off, and sweat our buns off!  

SUCH a fun night. Thanks to Paul and Lynn for making my first Portugese wedding a 100% success!!!

 

 The beautiful bride and her dashing groom ;)

Just hanging out at a bar...no biggie

The BEAUTIFUL view

Hangin with the hubby

Hittin the dance floor

Some serious moves

Taking a breather

So.much.fun.

No Place Like Home

Man, I am SORRY for my spotty posting lately. You must forgive me and my crazy schedule. 

You must also forgive me for feeling quite sorry for myself. The reason? Well, aside from the fact that work (and life in general has been quite overwhelming), I am incredibly homesick. 

Lucky for me, we're heading back to Kansas next week for a wedding. I cannot wait. In fact I'm so excited, it's all I can think about. I'm seriously giddy. If only we were going to be there longer than 3 days...

What in the world could one possibly miss about Kansas you ask?

Oh my friend, there is plenty. 

Aside from the fact that my AMAZING family, in-laws, and some hometown friends still live there, these are the things that make my heart ACHE because I miss them so much:

My Mama's cooking. Especially her corn bread rolls and her delicious chocolate chip banana nut bread. I'm sure hoping she makes some while I'm home. ;)

I seriously don't know how all these East Coasters survive without Quik Trip, Dairy Queen, and Sonic!!! I mean, Quik Trip is the perfect pit stop before a road trip, Dairy Queen was college hot spot to procrastinate studying with an Oreo Blizzard, and Sonic has the BEST Route 44 cherry limeades!!! 

Traffic...or lack thereof. Seriously, I never realized how little traffic problems there are back home. Actually, drivers in general are just overall more conscientious, polite, and SMART!

Ok. There is one thing back home that I will never, ever take for granted again. The COST OF LIVING. You have no idea people! From groceries, to gas to homes! 

What will buy you this in Kansas:

will actually buy you this in New England:

Going to the Lake. Sure, I have the beach and the ocean at my fingertips now...but  actually miss and my even prefer the lake?!?!?! I miss everything about it: the smell of cookouts, the tubing, the water skiing, drinking ice-cold beers on the dock and life at the lake with good company!

As much as I've complained about the flat lands and how growing up was always so "boring", there is nothing, and I mean nothing, like the view of a Kansas Sunset or the sea of stars in the open sky. 

Sigh. Home sweet home.

House all to my self

What am I supposed to do with an entire house to my self?

Mr. Ruby decided to head up to the Adirondack Mountains this weekend for some good ole' boy time. He actually asked if I wanted to go...and I politely declined. I mean really Mr. Ruby, do you seriously see me hiking for 10 hours a day for three days straight, without bathrooms, without a bed, without a shower and with a bunch of other guys? Oh, and to add to the manliness of it all, he's been growing a "beard" for about a week. 

Needless to say, I politely declined. 

So, I've got the house to myself for this extra-long weekend. No need to feel sorry for me...I've got the pups to keep me company. That, and a lot of housework and LOTS of catching up to do with work and school. Did I mention I'm in school? I've decided not to elaborate too much on the ol' blog...for many reasons. But let's just say it has been keeping me SUPER busy. 

In fact, I've been super-duper stressed for the past couple of weeks. But I received a very unexpected and pleasant surprise this past Thursday that cheered me right up. 

I was checking my morning e-mails and sorting out my schedule for the day when my boss popped in unexpectedly and asked "Hey, what do you have going on today?" I rattled off my plans for the day, and he cut me off to ask if I could fill in for someone at a day-long seminar...with 10 minutes notice. What was I supposed to say? So, I had to go to an all-day seminar...while in the back of my mind, all I could think about was my to-do list piling up. 

Well...during my lunch break, I headed to my office to catch up on some stuff. When I walked into my office, I found these beauties staring right back at me:

They were from my amazing husband - just to let me know how proud he is of me and to hang in there. (You'll have to excuse the quality...Mr. Ruby has the camera, so I had to take the photo with my phone). 

I love him. 

Mmmm...

Need I say more???

I desperately need...

A good night's sleep

A pedicure - I've been neglecting my tootsies :(

A very much-needed vacation

A glass of Pinot Noir

Ehh...just make it the whole bottle

Life's been a bit on the stressful side lately...

Pop, Lock & Drop It

There seriously is NOT enough time in a day. 

I can't believe another amazing weekend has passed me by. 

It is 11:06 on Sunday night, and I still have quite a bit to do. Yep. And I'm blogging instead. 

I still haven't caught up on sleep from Thursday night. I was up until 4:00 a.m. because my mind wouldn't stop racing. I really hate that. When you just can't fall asleep. And you look at the clock every 15 minutes only to find that you're 15 minutes closer to the alarm going off. Ugh. 

So, I spent Friday night in to try to catch up on some sleep. 

Saturday morning, Mr. Ruby and I headed off to the RISPCA for volunteer orientation. We're going to be volunteer dog-walkers! We both have SUCH a passion for all animals...but especially dogs in need. They were all such cuties. I truly would take every single one home if I could. In fact, it's taking everything in our power to not adopt 10 more dogs. Don't worry, we'll refrain. But...we maaay end up being foster parents if our arms are twisted enough. :)

Saturday afternoon, our Pseudo Mom and Dad had us over for a cookout. Nothing says beginning of summer like a cookout!

Thanks for the DELICIOUS food!!!

Then, we headed to a friends' for a party. Let's just say that there was lots of dancing (of course) and Disney karaoke. This always tends to happen anytime wine is involved. 

Today, we had a softball game and actually played all 7 innings. Why am I so excited about this? Because normally we only make it to the fourth or fifth...and our scores have ranged from 20-3 to 27-2. Sad, sad story. But we're improving!!! :)

Well, I really should go put away my laundry, make my lunch for tomorrow, and iron some clothes. Instead, I may just go to bed. I promise to be better about updates this week! Thanks for hanging in with my super-busy schedule!!!

One of our fave couples :)

Sienna trying to get in the picture...

Mr. Ruby showing off his moves

What's a party without Disney Karaoke?

Or a Dance Party???

Hope you all had a FAB weekend!!!

Weiner Wednesday

Thank the good Lord that it's Hump Day, and we only have two days to go!

Today was definitely an interesting day. I'm just happy that it's almost over (and that the weekend is almost here...)

Hump Day Happenings:

• It started off with me desperately wanting to "sleep in" until 6:30. Well, my internal alarm clock woke me up at 5:30 instead. 

• Since I had a little extra time this morning, I decided to paint my toenails. Rather than painting my toenails, I painted my toes (and my wood floors) instead. Oops.                          
• We had a cook-off at work. My team's theme was "Iron Chef" and we decorated the table with lots of kitchen utensils (just like the show) and had our copy center make an Iron Chef sign. Our main ingredient was lemons...and we called ourselves "The Elemonators". (We are totally going to beat the other team who participates tomorrow.)                                                                                                                                        
• I proceeded to then get called into my boss' office which subsequently turned into an all-out bawl fest (on my part, not his). Don't worry, I didn't get in trouble. We just had some issues we needed to sort out. Needless to say, I hate crying at work.                                         
  
• I ran 3 miles for the first time since I injured my groin back in January. Oh, and the best part is that I ran it while having a stomachache and while having to go to the bathroom.    
• Now I'm off to begin our Wednesday-Night-Cleaning Party. 

Happy Weiner Wednesday!!!

Non-Exciting 100th Post

What am I going to do to celebrate this monumental occasion? 

Absolutely nothing.

I truly am so happy I've made it to 100...I've made so many amazing bloggy friends. And I've definitely found the most appropriate way to vent/relax/get my thoughts out. However, I really just do not have the time to come up with something super creative for my 100th. Boring loser. I know. 

However, I am going to share with you a few things I learned from my road trip to Philly this weekend:

1). When you begin drinking wine at 3:00 p.m. - it makes for a long evening. 

2). Running a quarter mile barefoot is not good for your feet. 

3). Don't ever go to Philly and not try a Philly Cheesestake. (At least that's what I hear, but actually wouldn't know because I didn't get around to trying one...)

4). I am completely allergic to cats - no matter how cute they are.

5). Five Guys Burgers may have the best burgers I've ever tasted. (Even Michelle Obama loves em')

6). Do NOT ask the bartender to list off the 20 beers he has on tap...and then order a Miller Lite.

7). A good way to feel like total crap? Drink about 10 glasses of wine, eat two and a half cheeseburgers, and do it all over again the next day...when your husband just ran a half marathon.

8). Do not EVER eat a McDonalds cheeseburger and then turn over the box to find the calorie information.

9). Listening to Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas over and over again on a 5 hour car ride makes you want to crawl out of your skin...or jump out of the moving car.

10). Making new friends is fun! :)

This was the beginning of the Angel Juice

Good Times with Good Friends :)

The Happy Couple - about to be married!!!

A late night trip to the grocery store...always a necessity

Chilling out on the amazing patio

A portrait for the birthday girl - see the resemblance?

I'm Off

I'm off to Philly for a ROAD TRIP!

While Mr. Ruby is in New York running a half-marathon, I will be in Philly indulging in Cheesesteaks and beer. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Cleaning Night = Date Night

So, last night was supposed to be our mid-week cleaning night. We started this awhile back so that we could have a completely FREE weekend.

Well, last night we did a little swap. 

We postponed cleaning so that we could go on a little date. Mr. Ruby told me about a week ago that he had a surprise for me. 

The suspense was killing me.

So, where did he take me?

Laugh all you want. 

It was A-M-A-zing. 

But, Seriously. How do their feet move that fast? 

It was such a sweet idea especially because Mr. Ruby knows my love for dance. It was SO good and we had such a fun, romantic evening!!!

In order to prep for our night of watching Irish dance, we decided to practice a few little jigs of our own:

Weiner Wednesday

HAPPY WEINER WEDNESDAY!!!

Today's weiner update is dedicated to my wonderful mother who is just as much of a weiner lover as I. She just called me to tell me about a special article in the NY Post today. 

Meet Chanel. The World's Oldest Dog. Today is her 21st birthday. 

She used to be a typical short, red hair dachshund, however she turned old and gray awhile ago. According to the NY Post, her cataracts force her to wear special doggie glasses, and she has to eat boiled chicken with wheat pasta...designed for her ancient teeth. 

Happy Birthday Chanel!!! 

***I am going to try to get Samson to beat this record. He will be the cutest little old man someday. 

Study in Style

I decided if I'm going to travel with my precious MacBook...I need to protect it. 

That is why, I finally bought a sleeve and laptop bag. There were so many options. I couldn't decide. So, I decided to go plain and simple...but still cute. Now, I hope to impress all my fellow coffee-shop-goers by illustrating to them that I study in style.  

*** Yep. Just realized my purchases don't go together. Pink and brown...and black? Sigh. Story of my frazzled life. 

Mid-Day Drag

Does anyone else find it incredibly impossible to work after lunch?

I tell ya - I always hit a major WALL after lunch. We're talking 100 mph, head first, into a cement wall. I am so productive first thing in the morning, but then become a zombie at about 2:00. Every day. 

In fact, today I put my head down (for only about 5 seconds) and imagined what it would be like to take a nap. If only...

However, I do have inspiration...or motivation rather. There are a few things that I get excited about...and believe it or not, they help me get through the rest of the day. Honestly, when I don't have one of the following, I can't really get through the day. I'm weird, I know. 

I have a ritual where I switch off between a large D-Coke from McDonald's and a medium iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts. I don't even need the caffein really...I just HAVE to get out of the office. And I really like fountain drinks and drinking through a straw.

About an hour later, I have a snack attack. I usually eat something sweet. My new fave is the Chex Mix Turtle bars - only 2 WW points!!! They're quite delicious. And if you need some motivation...they do just the trick. I tell myself "Alright I'm going to do review 15 more resumes, write two more paragraphs in this proposal and THEN I'll give myself the Turtle Bar."

It works like a charm.

Finally, I end my ritual with a tasty piece of sugar free gum. (If you couldn't tell, I have a major sweet-tooth.) I LOVE the Strawberry-Banana and Watermelon Extra gum. So delicious. And I can usually finish about 3 or 4 tasks while still chewing the same piece!!!

What keeps YOU motivated at work?