Month of December, 2004

Quote of the Day

"The day after my 30th birthday party, I was so hungover, for a period of two or three hours I actually began to believe in god again."

- Phil

James

Last night I went by school after work to buy books. Then I stopped and bought champagne for New Years Eve. Donald called and wanted to have dinner. So he met me in Arlington. (What a nice guy to come to my city!) We ate at Birra Paretti's and it was excellent. I had a very nice time.

After dinner I planned on going home and watching TV. But Leia called to let me know she was at Caves with Lyn and Bryan. So I stopped by there for a beer. Leia had already gone home by the time I arrived, but I got to see Lyn and Bryan who I don't see enough. We sat on the patio and talked. It was a great evening. Before it was too late, we all got up to leave. When we went inside, I saw James and some of his friends. Since I didn't have to work the next day, I decided to stay and drink.

After the initial ackwardness wore off, I enjoyed talking with James quite a bit. He was in a mood to make a point. Since he just graduated from college a few weeks ago, he's in a place of transition. He talked about making a difference and not selling out. All things that I used to feel. His energy was attractive. At one point he got annoyed because he didn't think I was listening enough. He accused me of wanting to make out with him rather than listen. It was true, but I was listening! I understand how he feels yet I don't feel it. Funny how things change in just a few years. To go from wanting to change the world to simply chasing power or money or success or all of the above.

After the bar we went to Ashley's house where I took this picture. I really, really like it. I haven't seen James again since that night, but I hope to. I hear he moved to Dallas, but I'm sure we'll run into each other again someday.

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Christian's Visit

On Monday Christian came to visit. Christian and I met at Karen and Jason's wedding this past April. Since he and Jason were good friends, Christian was a groomsman in the wedding. I'll never forget walking into the church for the rehearsal and seeing him. The memory still makes me smile. I just knew that Christian and I were going to be friends. We have an unexplainable connection. We quickly became friends at the wedding, but it wasn't enough. So less than a week after the wedding, I went to Athens, GA to visit Christian. That was back in April and while we talk about once a week, we haven't seen each other. Christian was in Texas visiting family for the holidays, so he came to see me before heading back to Georgia.

We had a really wonderful couple days together. It wasn't long enough, but we decided that it's better to leave feeling like you want more time together rather than wanting less. Yep, definitely better. The visit was quite laid back. The first day was all laying around and talking. Monday night we went to my parents' house for a big dinner with the Grants, Casteels, and Risleys (all old family friends). It was a ton of fun and food was great. Then I got to introduce Christian to Caves - the bar he's heard so much about.

Tuesday we slept in really late. We eventually got up and had lunch at Cafe 'N Chocolat, a new place in Pantego. The owner/operator is from Belgium and makes the most incredible caramel rum sauce! We didn't have any waffles, but I'm going back soon to try them. Tuesday night we went to dinner with Lori, David, Julianne, Kurt, and Karen, all friends of Christian's from college. I was hesitant to go since Christian and I don't know each other's friends, but I'm so glad I did. They were all wonderfully interesting people. Hopefully I'll get to see them again soon.

Wednesday morning Christian drove back to Athens and I went back to work. It was a short visit, but a good one. Hopefully it won't be another eight months before we see each other again.

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Tasting Stars

"Come quickly, I'm tasting the stars!"

- Dom Perignon about his first sip of champagne
quote from an article about champagne in the Austin Chronicle

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Christmas Photos

Christmas 2004
Slides | Index

Christmas was excellent this year except for the fact we missed having Karen and Jason around. It was the first Christmas without Karen ever. Kinda sad, but we made up for it with phone calls and emailing pictures. The Lucci 's over did the gift-giving this year and we're definitely going to have to scale back next year. I got a bunch of wonderful presents, thank you all!

The Christmas weekend was really relaxing for me. I didn't think about work or school. Well, that's not true. I thought about both quite a bit, but I didn't get bogged down with either. It was so refreshing to not have tasks hanging over my head for either. Instead, I was able to relax completely. I especially liked not rushing around to do a billion things. Mostly I just spent time with the family and hung around the house.

Christmas Eve I went to Caves just to get out and see the crowd. I ended up sitting and talking with Leska for a couple hours. It was the first time in a long time that we've gotten to just hang out and talk. I certainly didn't expect such a great gift that night. Leska and I met our freshman year of college (9 years ago). She didn't stay at Tech, but we still kept up for a year or so. Then we lost touch. A couple years later, I find out through Summer that she's living in Seattle with one of Greg's friends! Small world. A couple years later, Leska and her boyfriend (now fiance) moved to Arlington where they opened up Caves Lounge. It's officially my favorite bar in all of DFW. Anyhow, they've been here a year and a half and yet Leska and I never hang out. Christmas Eve was an awesome opportunity and a good reminder to get together more often.

Christmas night I went to Gilligan's, another bar in Arlington. I don't normally go to Gilligan's unless it's with Kristen, but I thought it would be fun to see the chaos. I was right...it was very entertaining. I ended up hanging out with Zach, Stephanie, Shane, and Walter most of the evening. The most annoying part of the night was waiting in line forever to get a beer only to find out they were out of pitchers! Gilligans had too many people, not enough bartenders, a bad DJ, but it was still entertaining.

The day after Christmas, I got to hang out with Mike and his sister for coffee. It was fun to hang out and enjoy the beautiful weather. (It warmed up so much that we didn't even need coats!) Later that day, Kristen and I went shopping. We bought way too much stuff, but with everything on sale it was totally worth it. Sunday night I had a fantastic sushi dinner with David. It was so neat to learn that David is into sushi! Conversation was great and I was sad that he went back to Austin...wish he still lived here. It's good to have old friends because there's a comfort level that you don't have with new friends. I like that.

All in all, a fantastic holiday.

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Quote of the Day

"Erica, your career choices are your own. I can only tell you how stupid they are after the fact."

- Dad

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For The Record

Shane looks nothing like his twin brother.

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Merry Christmas

Tiger and I wish you all a very merry Christmas!

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Photos from Pasta Night

A few photos from pasta night...mostly for Karen and Jason's benefit. We missed you guys!

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Quote of the Day

"And it's Christmas Eve, the day all men go shopping."

- Kristen, on why we can't go to the movie theater at the mall today

Dad's Science Award

Tonight before our homemade pasta dinner, Dad visited Grandma. He came back from Grandma's with a newspaper clipping. It came from my father's hometown paper in upstate New York. My great aunt Gigi sent it to my Grandmother. It read,

Retrospective - 1964 - 40 Years Ago
Daniel Lucci, 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Americo Lucci of 161 East Main St., Fedonia and a senior of Fredonia Central High School, has won the 1965 Bausch and Lomb Science Award at that school.

I also learned that my father was on a scholarship for all four years he was in college. Amazing what you learn after all these years.

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Various

I'm feeling like I'm getting sick. I don't know what it is with me and getting sick around the holidays. I thought that this stopped when I got out of college (undergrad). Guess not. My throat hurts and I feel achy. Can't wait to go home where it's warm. Work was NOT warm today and it's making me feel worse.

Sometimes I say things that shock people. I did that today on the phone. I'm about to do it a second time on the phone. The first person laughed but also said they were impressed that I had the guts to say it. I don't think I'll get the same reaction from the second person. However, I don't care. I'm into telling people how it is...I've been polite for too long. I wonder if the first person was really impressed with my guts or was just so surprised that they didn't know what to say. Wouldn't life be easier if we all just said exactly what was on our minds?

The holidays officially start now. I'm heading to my parents' house to make pasta from scratch tonight. Usually it's a Christmas Eve tradition, but we're doing it one night early this year. Tomorrow night is the church service. Saturday is presents, breakfast, lunch, presents, and napping (in that order). Saturday night is bar hopping to see all the high school friends who are in town visiting family. Sunday is relaxing and cleaning. Sunday night is hanging out with David. Monday and Tuesday are with Christian. It's going to be a GREAT holiday.

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SNOW!

It's snowing in Texas today! Snow is always quite a surprise. I mean, it hardly ever snows in Texas. Plus we've had a warm winter so far. Yesterday the high was 66 degrees!

Theme for 2005 - Balance

Chatting with Tim J. just now, and he decided that my theme for 2005 is balance. Some of the things I need to balance.

punk rock hair v. MBA
time alone v. dating
happiness at work v. money
control in a relationship v. giving up control (51/49)

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Laughter is the Best Medicine

I'm having a tough day. I'm grumpy. Work is frustrating. People at work are frustrating. But after reading Griff's post about a whoopee cushion, I feel a lot better. A little laughter does a wonder for one's mood.

My favorite paragraph, which had me snorting out loud.

"it worked. it worked really well. it worked really loud. in fact, it was the loudness that broke me from my transfixed state. it was the loudness that made me realize i had just made a big, fat, juicy, ass ripping fart noise in a store filled with shoppers. shoppers with ears. shoppers with mouths that will no doubt soon be recounting the story of some dude ripping monster farts at Big Lots."

And to add to the good mood, I just learned that Christian is visiting me Monday next week! I'm so excited to see him finally. The last time we saw each other was April. My how time flies!

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Photos from LucciHouse Christmas Party

Slides | Index

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Hawaii, Honolulu

I recently started keeping stats on my website after ignoring stats for a number of years. I'm fascinated that people outside of Dallas (and my immediate circle of friends) visit my site on a regular basis.

So, I'm dying to know who in Hawaii, Honolulu, is visiting my site. And can I come to Hawaii to visit you?

Quote of the Day

"You're not a midget...I've seen smaller."

- Kristen, trying to make me feel better about my height

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Arlington's Growth

Concrete Calvary - a great article about the growth of Arlington, TX. Specifically about the economic growth that everyone hopes will come from three new highway bridges. Might sound goofy, but it makes a lot of sense to someone who's lived there for as long as I have.

Thanks, Bill, for the link.

Word of the Day

"Auto-magically"
- A software developer, in reference to how a computer program does something

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Good Mood

Despite the cold weather, I'm in a really good mood this morning. Just wanted to share.

Had sushi last night with Amy and her brother, Bill. It was totally fabulous and I ate way too much. Nothing beats good friends and good food.

Tough Decisions

It's funny how life always throws a curveball when you least expect it. Today my boss and I talked about my future at the company. He said things I totally didn't expect. Good things. Things that mean I have tough decisions ahead of me. Totally didn't expect that today. Funny how life works.

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LucciHouse Christmas Party

The Christmas party at Lucci House was so much fun! Thanks, everyone, for coming. I'm working on getting all the pictures put together, but here are a few to hold you over.

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4th Annual LucciHouse Christmas Party

Wish you were here. But you're not. However you can watch the party webcam.

LucciHouse - partycam

Karen grabbed an image from the cam - here's what our living room looked like.

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Quote of the Day

"What are you some kind of rockstar?"

- Donald's son in reference to my hair

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Bad Mood

I've been in a horrible mood all day. This doesn't happen very often, but I hate feeling like this. I just want to scream at everyone. When you're a kid it's acceptable to scream at everyone some days. I wish it was that way for adults. Or maybe just for me.

There are only two things that are saving today. The first is knowing that I'm going to have dinner and a movie with Donald and his son after work. The second is the necklace that Alison made me upon request. I had the pendant and have wanted something to wear it on for ages. Isn't it lovely?

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Socks

Somehow I made it out of the house today wearing trouser socks that are different shades. They looked and felt the same when I was putting them on. Obviously they were both black. They were rolled up together in the sock drawer as if they were a match. I didn't notice until I got to work that they're two very different shades. While I'm probably the only one who would ever notice, it's making me feel off. It's not bothering me enough to actually go out and buy new socks to wear. It's only mildly annoying every time I look down. Which seems to be an awful lot today.

Visits!
I love the holidays because it means that I get to see friends that I don't normally see. Living in the same town I grew up in has it's advantage during the holidays. It means that I'm here and ready when people come back home. I just got a call from Summer to learn that she's coming home! I'm also looking forward to Christian's visit. (I'm especially lucky about this visit since it's special for me. Christian's family doesn't live in the area, but since he's going to be in the state, he's going to make it up here just for me.) I also learned that Mike and Mindy will be in town visiting family. Hopefully that means we'll have a chance to hang out and introduce Mindy to Mavericks. Chances are that David will be in town as well. Who else is coming? If you are, please let me know!

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Fortune Cookie

"Although you photograph well, a photo doesn't capture your charm."

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Quote of the Day

"So, next time you wake up in the morning thinking "I want to learn how to
weld!"...see if you can't find a way to learn welding. Your inner welder may
just be itchin' to throw some sparks."

- Jason

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Fat Issues

I'm having fat issues. I feel fat. I look fat. I'm unhappy about my fat. I almost cried tonight because I'm fat. (Ok, it was really because my blood sugar was low at that moment and I felt more emotional than usual.)

This started months ago, but I kept telling myself it was because of grad school. I've been eating like crap for the past two years and I seldom exercise. But I really didn't gain any significant weight until I quit smoking. Yep, that did it. Almost a year later it's not going away.

My disgust with the newfound fat comes and goes. Last night I started trying on dresses for the upcoming LucciHouse party. You see, I have a closet full of formal dresses. I love formal dresses. When I'm rich, I'm going to wear formal dresses all the time, no matter the occasion. So I was trying to decide on which dress to wear for Saturday and I tried some on. Unfortunately none of them fit. I'm pretty sure I was able to fit into all of them a little over a year ago. Now they all made me look like a cow. One of them was so tight, you could see my belly button! Luckily, Leia and Kristen were there to help me laugh about it.

The good news is I'm trying to do something about my fat issue. About a month ago, I joined a gym and am working out again. It's a struggle right now, but I know it's worth it. Plus, I get the immediate benefit of having more energy. Hopefully the long-term benefit of losing fat won't be as far off as it appears to be. Otherwise, I might have to buy a whole new closet full of formals.

*Disclaimer - I know I'm really not fat. I really do have a proper self-image. Please don't worry that I'm going to become anorexic or anything, because I'm not. Don't read more into this post than necessary. I'm not looking for compliments either.*

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What Day?

I just realized that my day-by-day calendar is a whole week off. It's only taken me 4 days to figure that out.

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PC Sale

There's a PC sale outside of my office door today. I'm not real pleased about it. Mostly because people are loudly discussing silly things like P2's and memory sticks. Surely, they could look without discussing! My company is getting rid of the old hardware, which has been stacked up by my office for weeks. (It seems to be the only available spot, even though it looks like crap.) I'll be glad when this is all over!

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