That'll do, Dallas...that'll do (Part 1)

Yep, this was not a good idea but at least the reason it isn't centered is because I wasn't looking when I took it. Hello, Dallas!

Jack and I completed our second road trip (and first solo) with a visit to Dallas/Fort Worth and back and it was mighty fine. The ride was smooth, the roads were clear, and the sky was vast; I was mesmerized by the splendor of the Texas landscape.

On the suggestion of my cousin who lives in the area, I traversed first to a coffeehouse tucked into a pocket of Dallas known as Uptown called Crooked Tree. With one audible "Whoops" I stumbled onto my street where I quickly spotted a crooked tree and took that as my sign, parking with an excited glance up and down noting no restrictions to stop me. Ok, Dallas, +1 for not being completely terrible so far.

Too bad that was the wrong crooked tree...but a half block walk later and I could see the bottoms of boots and swishing skirts below the tree line. A few more steps and I could see leggings and a pipe (yes, an old man's pipe) and fedoras. Without warning from my cousin regarding the level of Hipster, I quickly determined it was Def-Con 5.

The questioning glances were fast to come, almost as if they could smell someone unlike their own (perhaps the lack of patcholi, incense and hashish perfume?), as I walked past them, up the steps of the adorable converted bungalow and opened the door. It clanged shut behind me and I walked up to the counter and waited as the barista finished her conversation with the patron ahead of me.

I checked out the menu, wanting to make sure I didn't out myself as a frequenter of Starbucks, and couldn't help but overhear the conversation going on beside me.

Fedora: "So what's on your plate next?"
Ankle boots: "I want to travel. I really want to get to Portland." At which point I couldn't suppress the smirk.
F: "Oh? Do you know people there?"
AB: "Oh yes, some dear friends of ours live there. We want to open a Bar/Coffeehouse." At which point the smirk grew and I had to suppress a laugh. What hipster doesn't want to go to Portland? It truly is their Holy Land, their Zion, if you will.

I placed my order and we chatted about her adorable dress, of which I would wear, and she thanked me for the compliment. After grabbing my coffee (in a non-recyclable, non-compostible cup, bee tee dubbs) I turned and scanned the house. There were three interconnected rooms, small of course, and spotted with more of the same. Knit caps that would topple off with merely a whisp of wind, scarves, and Apple products.

I located a lovely 1960's yellow chair and plopped down with a great view of the front door and stoop. I can claim I studied solid for the next two+ hours but the ebb and flow of kids walking in and out, skinny jeans making me think, "He must not want kids," and hoodies, hoodies, hoodies were more than a bit distracting. Plus, I swear they had tuned in to my Pandora station....wait, what? AM I A HIPSTER?

No. I don't seek out ironic situations. I don't go out of my way to swaddle myself in layers of clothing unless it's cold. I own off-brand Toms because they're comfortable and I listen to the same music because I liked it first. It's Bluegrass and folksy and Celtic and I've been in love with all of this for ages.

But after questioning my ability to have drive in life and plans for the future involving more than coffee, liquor, hemp or organic food, I began to think of all the things I'm grateful for from the rise of this group. They made folk music prominent again. Styles are shifting toward modesty similar to that of the 1950's with demure dresses and precious shoes. Small businesses are thriving because people seek them out purposefully to support them.

I will always mock them relentlessly but that won't ever stop me from grabbing coffee at the independently owned local shop, or from traversing to the trendy, adorable bar in The Heights or even from shopping for mid-century dresses and 1920's shoes. I love it all too much. :-)

This year

Two weeks ago a post showed up on our company intranet touting Beginner's French class offered during lunch on Wednesdays.

I leapt at the chance. I interact with folks from France more often than not and I think it would be enjoyable to converse with them in their native tongue (however terrible my accent may, at first, be). My work buddy and I signed up and ventured to our introduction class...along with 40 others! This class has become quite popular, it seems!

The instructor is an employee here as well and chooses to do this as a hobby of sorts because he loves languages so much. The man is a linguist with an incredible ear and a gift for accents. Whenever someone mentioned their native language (which spanned the globe, mind you) he would respond in their tongue and convincingly!

It didn't take but a few minutes for the mouth of "that girl" to open wide and command the room to her attention. Granted, I used to be this girl. I used to obnoxiously own the room and feel that my question was important, mine was the one to be focused on, I was needing to show off.

Then I grew up and realized how foolish my behavior was.

Let's just say, it was very good I was in the back of a full room and she was not within earshot. I hated to be so negative towards a woman I'd never met before but honestly...shut yer yapper! We were all there to learn what the coming year (yes, an entire year of class once a week) would bring us. You are not alone in this room with the instructor, so hush!

It always seems the qualities in others that bother you more than anything else are the ones you see within yourself and absolutely loathe beyond measure.

But I digress from my originial intention of taking this class. I decided earlier this month that this year was my Europe year, my year of travel. What better way to encourage this than immersing myself in learning a new language and dreaming of trips to be taken? I want to dance a jig in Ireland and draw down a pint in Scotland. I want to climb the Eiffel Tower and venture down the Thames River. Big Ben's chimes are calling me from across the pond and my feet are craving to pound the pavement of every plaza I can find.

Now to find a travel buddy...


*None of these photos are mine. :-)

Happy birthday to me!

It's 2012, a brand new year filled with entirely new experiences.

To get things started properly, I decided to host my first ever housewarming party coupled with my 27th birthday and it was a smashing combination.

I prepped the invite, gathered the invited and then got excited! My first housewarming! My first home! I was beyond excited to have my friends over to break this house in and let it know how awesome its tenant was.

People trickled in over the hours and with each one my smile grew bigger, my jubilant thoughts bubbling over into every conversation. I saw friends from long ago and from a blip of time in my lifeline. It's amazing to think that though I only spent six months at a job, I picked up more than a few friends that I'll keep for as long as I can. Good people come at you from all over and you've got to be ready to catch them as they pass!

I wandered around the house with each new person as they came and introduced them. I detailed how I knew them but after awhile I realized that this was a terrible way to truly explain a friendship. Yes, I know her from college but that doesn't tell you that we both like to read and play dominoes and that when we all get together in our little crew we spend more than half the time laughing uproariously at a smorgasbord of topics.

Or how about my solo representative from middle and high-school days? At first I said she was a friend from high school and then it turned into "I've known her since 6th grade", but using either phrase short shrifts the relationship. It doesn't say how I called her parents Mom and Dad. Nor does it recall the nights of musical movies and splitting the parts, "You be Judas, I'll be Jesus." Or how we valued each other so much that despite two break-ups I thought would each last our lifetime, we're mended. And we get on great. My mom was right when she said we'd always be friends.

Mom's are always so right!

I've had the discussion with her before regarding introducing someone as "a friend from high school" or "band friends" because that only defines how you know one another. Just because you knew someone in high school does that mean you know them as an adult? We all change so dramatically throughout our lives and not all relationships make it through. Some come out the other side stronger and more resilient and they will last a lifetime.

Those are the friends I surround myself with now. I've picked them up over the years, either from the college music building I only frequented because my friend was there or from an audit I was only on a few months. You never know how these friends of different groups, different sides of your own personality, will meld when you bring them together but based on last night I realize I've surrounded myself with people like  me. They are warm, inviting, kind and welcoming (which I am some of the time, promise).

They make themselves at home. They serve themselves and chat with new folks. They sit for an hour talking excitedly over who knows what and they mingle in the doorway half-way in the kitchen giggling over chocolate milk liquor (and it really does taste like chocolate milk). They don't reminisce but rather create entirely new memories and connections beginning from nothing more than that they both know me.

I am eternally grateful to my family and my amazing friends. I've found true winners, again like myself ;-), and plan to keep them as I forge my way forward in life. Having my house filled to the brim with chatter, laughter and clinking glasses filled me just as well. Great people aren't always as hard to find as one may think.

This birthday was absolutely one of my very best and I have everyone to thank!

I concede defeat

I should have known when I forgot to take a picture the first week I started this One Year of Photos that it was going to be far more challenging than I had ever anticipated.

And I was right.

I am conceding defeat to this attempt and giving myself a D- for the effort I did put forth.

This was fun, truly. I really enjoyed looking back at these pictures on occasion and remembering days and events that struck a chord with me. My journey was documented nearly the entire year and for that I'm grateful, despite the...

I began the year in a relationship that I should have ended the month before, subsequently had my worst birthday to date (even beating the one where my best friend dumped me; but Ana Paula's wedding was gorgeous and I'm so glad to have been there!) and finally ended it officially in April though things had gone very far South by that point. Despite everything, I am very grateful for that relationship. It taught me a whole heck of a lot about myself and about commingling your life with someone else's.

I got to meet my second niece (third niece/nephew), and first baby of the brother, on her third day of life and I fell head over heels in love. Watching her grow over this past year has been beyond imagining. She is stoic and contained, but a goober who loves to laugh with this low sort of chuckle reminiscent of a love-struck Looney Tunes character. She is an absolute ham and I love, love, love her!

See the stoicness?

I passed two more parts of the CPA exam bringing my grand total to 75% done before failing the last one I needed and therefore dropping my total to 50%. Fail. The decision is yet to be made whether I'll be a CPA or not in the end. We shall see!

I switched jobs in February, following the dollar signs, and the thought of working with an old buddy I had audited and lo and behold, it turned out to be not the best decision in the world. It was a challenge from day one and had it not been for what happened on the first day, I doubt I would have lasted as long as I did.
Scene: Walking through the new job hallway and see the back of the other new hire. She turns slightly.
Me: "Nikki?? No way!"
Nikki: "Oh, my gosh!!!" Commence hugging.
Had it not been for Nikki being there, I think I would have lost my cool and gone ape-ish in that place! Therefore, I made the decision I was ready to move on. Despite the potential destruction to my resume, I decided it was time to make my leave. I swapped jobs again in October and could not be happier, through and through.

I found out I got the job on the Thursday I flew to San Francisco to visit my cousin's. I had an amazing weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the time off and relaxation it provided. Upon my return, I had an inkling of a thought, one that had been there before but had been lying dormant: I'm ready to move out.

Don't misunderstand me, I love my parents. I would absolutely not the be the best Becca that I am today if it were not for them. I was more ready to have my own kitchen, my own supplies, my own space to call entirely my own and to take care of.

I told my mom this on a Tuesday night and asked her for her help (she's a whiz at finding stuff on the internet; it's her Cajun luck. She can walk out to a field of clover's and immediately find a four-leaf or more clover...insane!) in finding a place with these parameters: Parking close to my front door, small complex, safe and good location. Originally I had been looking to buy in the Heights area but decided ultimately that I am definitely not ready to be a homeowner. No way!

An hour later, my mom walks in to the study and says, "What about a townhouse?" I say, "How much?" Haha. Turns out her friend at work's husband and MIL co-own a townhouse that had recently been entirely gutted and re-done. New appliances, flooring, paint, etc. "Got any pictures?"

The first picture I saw was of the living area with its rich earth tones of browns, tans and creams embedded in the flooring and painted on the walls and doors. Gorgeous. And when I saw the built-in shelves, I was done in.  "Who do I contact?"

The next morning, the day after I'd put in my notice at work, I called the Realtor and set up a meeting for the afternoon. Well, as a short-timer, I had it within me to sacrifice the afternoon hours. I walked in with my mom, who met me there, and immediately felt at home. It was reminiscent of when my mom and I toured the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University in the Spring of 2003, deciding that it felt perfect there. And it did, despite my leaving after one year. See a pattern emerging, y'all? :-/

Here's the funniest part about this afternoon in particular...I had already driven to my new job twice for interviews on separate occasions and noted where it was. When I was driving to the house to meet the realtor I puttered past my new job and waved hello and as I put my hand down realized I was practically at the exit for my house! What, no way, I thought to myself. There is no way this place is directly across the freeway from my new home. Oh, yes, it was.

"Give me the papers, I'm ready to sign."

I then spent the next week and a half wrapping up my old job and writing instructions for my work buddy I was hating to leave behind and ordering cable, internet, phone, electricity and movers. Not to mention organizing the delivery of the abundance of furniture I bought from RoomStore (thanks for helping, SIL!).

The morning arrived and, thanks to my mom, I was packed and ready to go. My dad didn't help much except to grumble because I think he was unwilling to accept the fact that his baby was moving out. Love my Dad!

The movers showed before 8AM and got to work. I want to put in a plug for The Cajun Movers, formerly Navarre Moving, because they are incredibly fast, diligent, run by great people, and were a wonderful price! They began the process of taking everything out and it was interesting the feeling left in their wake, that of a cleared house and you could honestly feel the space opening up. And the dust settling since I wasn't much for dusting, sorry Mom!

At about 9:15AM my phone rang, as I had expected it to do more than an hour beforehand:
Me: "Hello?"
RoomStore: "Uh, hi, this is RoomStore and I wanted to let you know your window is from 9-11AM and we'll be there in 15 minutes."
Me (freaking out because I'm approximately 30 minutes away at this point): "Uh, okay. Um, thanks."
Thank you, cops, for not being on the road and for people to be speeding along with me.

I pulled on to my access road for my parking and right behind me came the RoomStore truck. Talk about excellent timing! But it didn't stop there with the timing. They moved my furniture in lickety-split and were gone right after my mom showed up. A few minutes later I get a phone call from my movers saying they were at the gate. Less than an hour and half later, I was moved in and the trucks were gone and my mom, dad, and brother were left in their wake to help begin the unpacking process. I have to say, I've never been part of such an efficient move in my life. I've moved myself or my brother and his wife in combination 10+ times. 5 for them and 5 or 6, I lose track, for me. But this one takes the cake.

It makes a difference when you've got movers...and not just the sweat equity of your sister.

By that night my mom had stayed while my dad and bro went back home for the evening and we broke down every cardboard box in the house. No little buggies for me!

The next morning dawned bright and we began the cleaning and clearing process again. Where do things go, where do things hide, where shall things stay because they are so heavy? That afternoon my sister and nephew stopped by to see the place and the first thing she says...
"How do you already have enough stuff to fill this place up?"

To give you an idea by what she meant: I live in a two-story, two bedroom, two and a half bathroom townhouse. Filled.

While I'm not quite ready to show my entire house, my living area is quite nice.

Couch and lamp, RoomStore. Tree, lent. Chair, Home Goods. Coffee table and footrest, all mine!

I started my new job the next day and have yet to regret the decision.

I am head over heels in love with my new home, too. It has been fun to decorate and organize, to clear out wasteful items and keep it clean. Clean lines, clear areas, comfy seating.

And hopefully by the time I host my housewarming/Birthday party on January 21st, the house will look even more fabulous.


Here's hoping. :-)

11/19/2011 - 11/25/2011

I give up.

11/19/2011 (Babysitting Boobelly! Her and flashes are not good buddies.)

11/20/2011 (Hung out with my cousin, JR, and she introduced me to Georgia's Market! Mmm, all organic!)

11/22/2011 (Hello, new toy! I caved and bought this because it's a Kindle and a tablet. I swore I wouldn't cave to Kindle...I still read real books!)

11/23/2011 (Seeking dip redemption with this delicious concoction. Mexicorn + sour cream + cheddar cheese and some other goodies. Yeah, buddy!)

11/24/2011 (Over the river and through the traffic, to Gmom's house we went. I am so thankful for this family!)

11/12/2011 - 11/18/2011

Continuing the backwards progress...

11/13/2011 (Got my window covered and chatted about my new covering with my friend, Ryan. He carved an incredible Celtic cross for my niece's baptism. I look forward to the finished product!)

11/15/2011 (Is it bad how much I love Santana's bitchyness? Wow, she's good at her delivery. Emmy, please?)

11/16/2011 (Stocked up my work cube! These are so delectable!)

11/17/2011 (Lunch with my cousin! This was delicious!! Except for the tiramisu which made me sad. Otherwise, amazing!!)

11/18/2011 (Got my dining room chairs! Assembly most assuredly required...1.5hrs later I got a second upper body workout today! But yay I have four chairs now!)

11/5/2011 - 11/11/2011

The beginning of the end...

11/5/2011 (Finally got some window coverings for my gigantic door.)

11/6/2011 (RenFest with Catherine! Such a great time, I look forward to next year already!)

11/7/2011 (This is really creepy especially when it isn't someone trying to get your attention.)

11/10/2011 (I won the contest! You bet I knew the chorus to John Michael Montgomery's song Sold.)

11/11/2011 (Flowers from one of my guests for a lovely luncheon!)