Goodbye 2005

this is the last post of 2005. Mike is out buying beer for himself & orange juice for me. I'm still sick, boo!! Mike's dad came over on Thursday night & wrote me a prescription (ahh the benefits of my future father-in-law being a dr.!!) But, I'm still under the weather.

2005 has been an amazing year-we got engaged, traveled to some great places & moved in together... and 2006 will be the best, we'll be married!!

Happy New Year everybody!!

Post-Christmas Blues...

Christmas was fun & hectic- we both had so much fun! But now, I'm sick, the house needs to be cleaned, the tree needs to be taken down & I have zero motivation...blah.

p.s.- whats the deal with new years eve? I'm trying to talk mike into hibernating in our home & not doing a damn thing, b/c i'm a party pooper like that. what is everyone else doing??

p.s. again: mike & i are the proud owners of cute little ipod shuffles (he got me on for x-mas, but I could see his ipod envy, so I got him one yesterday!) - we love them & can't wait to use them at our gym that we keep neglecting!!

Happy Birthday Mike!!!!!!

3RD GRADE BASKETBALL STUD!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband-to-be!! Hope its the best day ever!!!

p.s.- Tulsa people- we're having people over tonight- call Mike for details!!

Mr. Pibb + Red Vines = Crazy Delicious

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Yay For An Early Christmas Present!!!

Mike insisted on us each opening one gift last night-- I got a new phone. We are officially on a "family plan". I got the red one! Mike was adorable & bought me the gaudy Paris Hilton-esque faceplates (one is pink & one is black & they are covered by swarovski crystals- too cute!!

Tonight is sushi w/ Mike's dad & stepmom for his b-day & I have to finish cleaning & wrapping gifts. Mike's brother Rob comes in town tomorrow- so we'll have a houseguest for a few days. Look for Mike's birthday post tomorrow- he'll be 27!!!

"Season's Greetings!!"

For Our Democratic Friends: "Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical abilireligious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.By accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher."

For Our Republican Friends:
Here's wishing all of You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

hehehehe...

Christmas Babies!!!

We were at Petco last night & Mike decided we needed a few more animals in our zoo (we already have ellie, blackie, jinxy & smokie!!) So our newest editions are our MICE!!

I know mice sound nasty & creepy- but they are precious!! It was an early Christmas present to ourselves...

Introducing... Rick James & Charlie Murphy!!! Rick James is the tan one with the long hair & Charlie Murphy is the little white one.

The babies, cuddling with each other.

Charlie Murphy LOVES his wheel! By the way, the brown pellet thingys are their food- looks like poo!

Their adorable little cage- too cute. Now, we just have to make sure the cats don't eat them!!! hahahaha

Shopping Way Too Much!

Christmas shopping is going really well. Normally by this time I have all the gifts purchased & wrapped under the tree, but Mike's slacker attitude is rubbing off on me!! I got a ton of shopping done last night with my mom & Mike & I will finish it up this weekend. I LOVE finding the perfect thing to get someone. If I ever become insanely wealthy- I'm gonna have so much fun shopping for my friends & family (& myself, of course!!)

boo its monday

yuck its monday, stephanie didn't win survivor last night & work is crazy busy...no fun!!!

World's Ugliest Dog...

Sam, crowned the 'World's Ugliest Dog' for three years in a row at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, is shown in Santa Barbara, Calif., on June 28, 2005. The pooch with the hairless body, crooked teeth and sparse tuft of hair atop his knobby head died Friday, Nov. 18, 2005, just short of his 15th birthday, according to his owner, Susie Lockheed.

(AP Photo/Santa Barbara News-Press, Rafael Maldonado, File)

You know the saying, "so ugly its cute"...doesn't apply to this poor thing!!

yay for my new shirt...

I just bought myself a Christmas present... my very own limited edition pink is the new blog shirt!!

Get yours here: http://www.randyandmoss.com/

Walk The Line...

I loved this! My brother Connor & I went to see Walk the Line tonight & were amazed. Joaquin Phoenix completely became Johnny Cash. The singing was unreal! Go see it!!

Go Rent This!!

Mike & I rented this from Blockbuster & loved it! If you haven't heard of it, this guy Brian has had a crush on Drew Barrymore since he was 6 years old & decides to make a documentary about his quest to get a date with Drew... its truly adorable, Drew is one of my favorite celebrities & this thing is so darn cute!!

Our Black Babies...

Mike just took this pic with his camera phone & emailed it to me ( i love technology!). These are our three little black babies all sleeping together on the couch! Jinxy is the first black ball of fur on the left, then Blackie and then Ms. Ellie of course on the right. How cute!!

Airport Hell

Our Trip Home: A Time Line

1:00: arrive at the Raleigh-Durham airport for our flight home

1:30: make it through security- realize the flight has been delayed till 3:00

3:00: board plane for what should be a 2 1/2 hour flight to Dallas

5:00: The captain comes over the speaker & informs us that we are circling Monroe Lousianna because DFW airport is closed due to high winds... he assures us it will only be a few minutes until we are cleared to land.

5:30: pilot comes back on & tells us we are being re-routed to Houston so that we can refuel as we wait for Dallas!

6:30: land in Houston...and wait...

7:00: still waiting...

8:00: yep, still waiting...

9:00: we have been sitting on the god-forsaken plane now for 6 hours...we have to pee, the baby in the aisle next to us won't shut-up & we have officially missed our connecting flight back to Tulsa...

10:00: F'ing pilot announces that we will be taking off for Dallas in a few minutes...

11:00: FINALLY LAND @ DFW!!! we stand in line for 30 minutes to either get a flight home or a hotel. They give us a voucher for a hotel room. We go down to get on the shuttle thats supposed to run every 15 minutes...or so we thought...

11:30: call the damn Comfort Suites Shuttle to get a pick up at the airport...

12:00: call the damn Comfort Suites shuttle AGAIN...

12:20: shuttle arrives...

So, we get about 5 hours of sleep before we have to be back at the damn airport. We're on standby all morning... we don't get the 8am flight, or the 9am flight or the 10am flight...

But, some angel dressed as an American Airlines worker magically gives us 2 seats (next to each other!) on an 11:00 am flight!!! Now, the only thing to worry about, is where is our luggage??

This was the pile of luggage waiting for us in Tulsa-- all our bags were there! YAY!! I had never been so happy to be back in Tulsa!!!

Lessons Learned:

1) never travel the day after Thanksgiving!

2) Bring food on the plane... Mike & I were starving after 8 1/2 hours on the damn plane, but the family in front of us brought bananas & chips & candy!!

3) always pack a change of clothes in your carry-on!

Thanksgiving in North Carolina...

We had a terrific time in North Carolina. We got back a day later than expected...I'll post about that a little later. Mike's family was great. It was good to see Natalie & Rob again- I'm glad they'll both be staying with us over Christmas! While I was completely nervous about meeting Mike's mother- she was lovely! I also enjoyed getting to meet Mike's stepdad Randy, Natalie's boyfriend Lorenzo & Mike's grandfather, Earl. We ate tons of food-played tons of games & had fun!!!

me, victoria, randy, natalie, mike & earl

Randy & Victoria took everyone to the Carolina Hurricane Hockey game. Mike & I had never been to an NHL game- it was sooo fun--they played the Toronto Maple Leaves, the game went into over time & then a shoot-out. Carolina won!

another family pic: randy, victoria & mike

our AMAZING guestroom-- we slept on a California King bed-- it was ginormous & so freaking comfortable-- we're thinking about buying one before we get our new tv!!

victoria & the kids

adorable Madison-- such a sweet dog

(but kinda creepy- I've only been around little poodles & she was huge!!)

Mike & grandpa Earl

Nat & Lorenzo

Leaving on a jet plane...

We had the best time in KC. I loved being able to introduce Mike to some of my friends. I'm honored that Stacy accepted the invite to be a bridesmaid! We fly out for North Carolina tomorrow-- I'm a little nervous to meet my future mother-in-law... but hopefully it will all go well!! In honor of me & mike's first Thanksgiving together, I'm posting pics of our first camping trip together back in March...this is the weekend I knew I loved him!!! awwww!!

these were taken in our tent--- it was freezing, hence the red noses & rosy cheeks!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!! We'll be back next week!!

Back to School...

I'm so excited for this weekend! Mike & I leave in the morning for Kansas City. I'll get to see some great friends & show Mike my school- Park University. Its such a pretty campus and I have great memories of my time there.

Mackay Hall

One of the entrances to the "Underground". Park has a huge underground area for the library, classrooms etc. Its like a huge cave- very cool!

Probably the most important spot on campus....the softball field!! This is where I played my very last college game!! tear

Blog Slacker

I've been slacking lately, no fun stories or pictures...totally boring! I'm excited for Lost tonight! This episode should be very cool- I don't want to say too much b/c P & B are Lost slackers & are still stuck on season one! This weekend should be sooo fun- we are going to Kansas City to see some college girlfriends of mine (my Kappa Delta Krunk sisters!!) I'm excited b/c I'm asking one of the girls to be a bridesmaid- so that should be fun. Next week, there will prolly be minimal blogging- Mike & I will be in North Carolina!

Below is a pic of my brother rowing at the Head of the Charles regatta in Boston...(he's the second guy from the front)...yay Connor!

LAST WEDDING POST!!!!

THIS IS MY LAST WEDDING POST... I'VE STARTED A WEDDING BLOG:
www.russell-solanowedding.blogspot.com

it will be a completely ridiculous, self-indulgent blog about every tiny annoying detail of our impending nuptuals!!
hahahaha

happy friday!

I am sooo ready for the weekend! Mike & I have a date night planned on saturday which should involve lots of wine & a movie at home (we're oh so boring). I am also looking forward to getting caught up on my sleep & the laundry

(i can't believe i'm really this old & boring!)

Today we're going to meet with the event coordinator @ the Cherokee Casino to talk about using it as a possible reception facility. This is the first actual wedding thing I've done- so I'm feeling very "bridal" today! hahaha

Everyone have a great weekend!!

GOOGLING: Failure

in response to Kat's funny post, I found out why!! this is posted on google's site"

Googlebombing 'failure'
9/16/2005 12:54:00 PM
Posted by Marissa Mayer, Director of Consumer Web ProductsIf you do a Google search on the word [failure] or the phrase [miserable failure], the top result is currently the White House’s official biographical page for President Bush. We've received some complaints recently from users who assume that this reflects a political bias on our part. I'd like to explain how these results come up in order to allay these concerns.Google's search results are generated by computer programs that rank web pages in large part by examining the number and relative popularity of the sites that link to them. By using a practice called googlebombing, however, determined pranksters can occasionally produce odd results. In this case, a number of webmasters use the phrases [failure] and [miserable failure] to describe and link to President Bush's website, thus pushing it to the top of searches for those phrases. We don't condone the practice of googlebombing, or any other action that seeks to affect the integrity of our search results, but we're also reluctant to alter our results by hand in order to prevent such items from showing up. Pranks like this may be distracting to some, but they don't affect the overall quality of our search service, whose objectivity, as always, remains the core of our mission.

i still think its funny!! But, the best part is that if type in failure & actually hit the search button, michael moore is the 2nd listing!!

I NEED AN INTERVENTION...

I have an addiction- the knot! Pre-engagement, I had no idea the knot even existed. Now its my daily obsession (i'm even neglecting trent & my pinkisthenewblog fix). I go to the knot to look at pictures of cakes or dresses or invitations, and the next thing I know- 2 hours have passed and I'm looking at some New Jersey bride's bio, pondering the pro's & con's of fondant or buttercream icing!! Oh the shame!

 

Wiver Walk...

We had such a great weekend! Friday we had amazing sushi @ Memories of Japan (or as my 18 year old brother refers to it: Mammories of Japan) then saw Jarhead, great movie- we recommend it...and Kat you were right, Jake was very naked in a few scenes! Saturday night, Mike & I had dinner @ Tsunami with his dad & new stepmom & stepbrother. They took us out to celebrate the engagement! We went to the Tsunami down on the River Walk (or as I like to say, wiver walk- i had a problem with my "R's" when i was little!!). There are a ton of cute shops & restaurants (its by the OK Aquarium.)

Mike & I at the River Walk, after dinner- its so nice & would be perfect for a cute date night!!

I <3 this picture!

Date Night...

We're thinking about seeing Jarhead tonight. The previews look amazing! I'm really looking forward to the weekend, this week has been a long one. We're also excited b/c we get to dogsit for my grandma's adorable doggie, Dallas. He's a chihuahua, which I normally can't stand, but he's such a good dog!

And for your viewing pleasure...

Mr. Jake Gyllenhaal, shirtless!! hahaha

maybe i should do this every couple of days, the ryan reynolds shirtless pic was nice to look at for a few days!!

Van Wilder Is Scary!

Not much to report... we've been pretty boring the past few days. I'm officially out of my apartment- yesterday was the last day of my lease, yay! So, now we only have one rent payment- which is great. Halloween was fun, I handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters, while Mike cooked an awesome dinner. Then we watched The Amityville Horror . Not bad for a cheesy horror movie ( van wilder aka ryan reynolds made it very watch-able- he's in at least 80% of the scenes shirtless)

So, yeah...thats about it. Like I said, we're boring right now! I'm starting wedding planning stuff & Mike has been building a new computer.

I get to go to OKC tomorrow for a meeting (i'm excited to show off my ring to some colleagues!)

The Wedding Planning Commission

Alright, we've been engaged for three days now and I'm already knee deep in wedding preparations. We've got a good idea of the church we want, where we want the reception, the photographer, the florist, and a few other details. After three fracking days!!!

So, I think it's time to make some hierarchy changes to the wedding planning commission. From now on, Angela et al will participate in the brainstorming sessions and detail oriented duties befitting their middle management positions in this organizational matrix.

As someone in a more executive level position, I will have a very broad, high level overview of the entire project. My duties will include implementing the vision of our Mission Statement and making decisions and approvals when necessary. I do not believe in micromanagement.

With that said, I love you baby and I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful woman. I look forward to an amazing life with you and can't wait to be your husband.

Way Too Happy...

So...
I have nothing to post! Anything I try to write seems like a major let down from the last post! : ) I am walking around in a daze. We're both sooo excited & happy. We went out to a celebratory dinner last night to Memories of Japan-- best best best sushi in Tulsa! I want to make sure that I take some time to really appreciate & enjoy the fact that I'm engaged, but I'm also super anal & want to make sure that I'm doing everything I'm "supposed" to do (call relatives & friends to give the news etc). So you married girls, tell me, when do I have to start planning?? Mike & I want a fall wedding (October/November 2006). I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I also don't want to be rushed!! I'M EXCITED!!!!!!!!!

We're Engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're engaged!! Mike asked me last night at around 12:30 am!! He caught me totally off guard (I thought the ring was still in his safety deposit box @ the bank!) I am beyond thrilled!! The light was off in the bedroom & all of the sudden he has this flashlight thing in my eyes-- well, it was the box from Israel Diamond Supply-it has a little light in it when you open the box! He got down on one knee...of course I said yes & tried not to cry, his hand was shaking sooo badly as he put the ring on my finger---most romantic moment ever!!!! We took pictures right afterward, but I looked horrid (he proposed to me while I was wearing an american idol t-shirt- no way is that picture being posted on the blog!) But he did take some decent pictures of the ring-its truly breathtaking!! I can't wait to be Angela Solano!!

sorry they're so blurry- its hard to take a picture of a ring!!

P.S.--- i called my parents & gave them the news- they were thrilled & welcomed Mike into the family...but wanna know what my mom was most happy about?? The fact that my initials are going to be A.S.S. ( angela sue solano)!!! Not fair!! She said she's going to monogram everything!!!

We're Going to the Chapel...

and we're gonna get married!!!

pictures & details to follow...

Lessons Learned

So we went to Octoberfest this weekend (twice). Friday was fun- its a tradition that my parents & I go to Octoberfest on Friday afternoon & eat lunch. Its kinda nice to be there when its not as crazy & the food lines aren't as long. Mike met up with us around 5 o'clock & we all ate german food, listened to music & had a good time.

We also decided we were going to go on Saturday & meet up with some of Mike's friends. I won't get in to all the details of Saturday, but I will say this... Mike has 3 rules when he drinks:

1) no crying

2) no vomiting

3) no fast dancing

People that don't know Mike well might find these rules harsh. If you do know Mike well, then you'll totally understand my rules!! I told him that rule #3- could be ignored (I mean whats Octoberfest without the chicken dance?!)

Lets just say that Mike in fact, ignored all the rules & was hating himself around 3am Sunday morning...

There were a few lessons learned this year:

1) Mike+2 pitchers of German Beer+Beef Wellington+Strudels+Brat Burger+Chocolate Dipped Cheesecake+Schnitzel Sandwich=trouble

2) The most effective way to unclog a bathtub is with a plunger***

3) I hate obnoxious drunk people at Octoberfest

***yes folks, Mike used his best drunken judgement & decided that vomiting in the tub was a much better option that the toilet. I mean the toilet does flush & all...but the tub is a much better choice...***

Keeping Up With The Knights...

So, Brooke's adorable pumpkin display made me feel inadequate... At first I just had a scarecrow in the yard, but being as competitive as I am, I wasn't going to take it without a fight...

Here's a picture of our house- I love it!!

The amazing wreath my Mom made!! Its kinda hard to see in this pic, but she put a little frankenstein guy, a dracula & a skeleton, plus the giant spider at the bottom. You have to see it in person to really appreciate it. She's so crafty!

This is Ralphonzo ( Mike named him). He was our first feeble attempt at decorating our yard.

This is our ghost tree. I made the ghosts last night with Mike's help.

Cute little lantern on our porch...

A few of our pumpkins...I can't wait to carve them!!

Thanks for the inspiration Brooke!!!