Zoe’s Journal

We’ve been making fun of JA’s ‘lobster claw’ ever since he broke his hand while riding a banana boat in Mexico. So when this picture opportunity came up at the rental car place in Dallas, it was a no-brainer.

City lights while trying to find our hotel.

Hahaha - I thought this the most awesome name for a bar club. “Dick’s Last Resort”!!!

Fruit platter and CLIFF bars laid out in our very fancy rooms.

Nice lounge in front of the window in my room.

I didn’t drink this. But it sure looked nice!

Okay, so we asked JA to take a picture of us girls - heads and chests.
And this is what he took. *sigh* men.

Here we go. Gotta call on LM, the REAL photographer!

The Guys. LM & JA

Our freaking hot waitress in the hotel lounge.

Cute.

Gotta pose in the awesome blue light of the hotel lobby.

The guy’s pose is simpler.

The bouncer. He was as wide as a football field.

Close up of the barmaid - with my mojito!

The city view from the ghostbar patio.

All the girls again.

W00t! A kiss from the lovely AM!

Random people in the bar.

The guys are waking up, finally.

AM has a secret - and she’s not sharing!

AM & JA - who woulda thunk it?!

Tomorrow I’m leaving for Dallas with my coworkers. Actually, we’re all going in to work in the morning, and then leaving at noon to catch our flight. I am taking a pit-stop at home to grab my luggage and kiss the LotR goodbye - also so he can drive me to the airport so that I don’t have pay for parking there. I love accessibility! I am bringing The Princess Bride for my female coworker and I to watch on the flight down. She hasn’t seen it yet - and the movie is freaking awesome!

While at work today, I got a call on my cell phone - my SHOES came in! Not just any shoes… I’ve been badgering this store for well over a month to order this pair in my size, but they weren’t carrying them anymore. But now, apparently, they had about the LAST pair shipped in from some Kansas store. When I found this out, I promptly made it a ‘date night’ with the LotR. We drove down to the mall and entered through Macy’s - where, what do you know… they had a HUGE dress sale going on. Now, I’m not a ‘dress girl’. Rarely do I wear anything resembling a skirt, much less a one-piece thing that’s suppose to safely cover all parts of one’s body. What if something happens to the straps?! the zipper?! the buttons?! You’re screwed! This is why I normally rely on layers or at least two pieces of clothing.

But I digress. I found a dress that isn’t too girly and bought it, along with a nice blue shirt for work. I look good in blue - and keep reminding myself to buy clothes of that color even though most of what I actually buy is brown, white, or black. *shrugs* But anyway. I found a nice blue shirt for work. Then it was on to the shoe store! They are fucking awesome! **loves them to pieces** The hotel where we’re staying in Dallas has a nightclub and a bar, where I am most definitely going to wear them. At the very least, I’ll look taller - about 4-6 inches taller at least.

After that quick shopping expedition,the LotR and I went to dinner at the Outback Steakhouse and enjoyed a blooming onion and some chicken and shrimp fettuccine. Yum.

Right now, I’m supposed to be finding some sources for my annotated bibliography which I need for my final paper in English. But, since I have almost everything else ready to go, I am taking a break. **breaths deeply - needs water!**

On we go. This coming weekend - Labor Day weekend, the LotR and I are going with some friends to the White Mountains (I think that’s the name?). We’re renting a cabin and plan to enjoy the 60-degree weather while fishing, horseback riding and hiking/biking. This should be fun! I haven’t done outdoor stuff in so long - can’t wait to fish as long as the LotR baits my hook and takes the fish off it.

I think that’s all. I am taking the camera to Dallas, so hopefully I’ll get some good pictures of all the fun to post later on.

Oh! My English character analysis essay! *gasps* I got an email back from my instructor - “ZoeJane, you write extremely well! I only made one correction - take a look.” (I forgot to italicize the name of the book when I referenced it in the very first paragraph.) But I got 99/100! My English grade is now resting at a very satisfactory 96%. The midterm is this weekend - oh, and my spanish final exam too - I’m going to have to finish it early in order to go rent that cabin in the mountains - which sucks because I won’t have much time to travel with the traveling and such. Ah well.

My Spanish essay is completed and submitted - I got a 100% on it! Also, my English character analysis essay is completed and submitted - haven’t gotten a grade back on that yet. Hurray! But this coming week I have both a mid-term AND a final exam. Damnit. I didn’t time that well. :-/

Tonight was fun. The LotR and I invited the tempe crowd over for dinner and game-testing (for the LotR’s Cortex Command). This was the first ‘dinner party’ I’ve ever given in our place (our other gatherings were all snack & liquor based). Since some of the folks coming are vegetarian, I had absolutely no clue what to prepare. Baked Potatoes it was! With ‘the works’ (butter, cheese, green onions, sour cream and bacon for the meat-lovers). I also baked a green bean casserole and made a chilled peach jello with fruit.Twas a success… and now my kitchen needs cleaned. I’ll leave that to the LotR.

This weekend the LotR didn’t do much of anything. I stayed at home (except for a 20-minute foray to the grocery store), worked on my essays, and played games. The LotR stayed in his room, working on his game. So, meh. Not too adventurous, are we?

This coming week will be a spectacle, as far as work goes. One of my coworkers will be gone to NC for a meeting on Monday and Tuesday, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, our whole department is picking up to go visit one of our vendors in sunny Dallas! (not that Phoenix isn’t sunny.) It should be fun - we’re staying at some fancy schmancy hotel - the W Hotel - which features an infinity pool on the 16th floor (infinity pools don’t have a wall at the edge. It just looks like it just drops off. In reality there is a wall under the water’s surface, so one won’t just walk off.), and a nightclub with a dance floor - not that I’ll make use of that. Needs Dance Lessons! I’ll sure watch though.

The new treadmill is awesome. I have been on it every day (except for one really busy day) since it arrived. Most days I get on it in the mornings before my shower and walk rapidly uphill for 15-20 minutes while listening to Beethoven concertos and such, then stretch out against the wall for another 5. Then I shower and go to work - and boy, does that start the day out well! More energy and a real feeling of wakefulness as opposed to grogginess. To quote the illustrious Borat… It’s Niiiiice…..

Now it’s 10pm and I’m waiting for the laundry to finish drying and what-not. I should go get my next weeks study work printed out and placed in my book bag.

And I have a bug crawling up my desk toward the desk lamp… Time to go get a kitty bug-killer.

Yes, my dearies. I have succumbed once again. What a great way to pass a leisurely Saturday.