Yesterday was one of those days you wanted to be over and it had barely started. In fact, my Twitter and Facebook statuses yesterday morning were "It's not even 8:30am yet and I either need a hug, a good cry or something to punch." Thanks to some very sweet friends on Facebook and Twitter (and a phone call from one of my besties), I was able to finally smile and survive the day!
One of my good friends thought I might need to "let off some steam" so he stopped by after work and took me to the shooting range (note: this was only my second time to ever shoot a gun). I must admit, I felt better.
Say hello to my little friend...
The holes circled near the top are ones my friend did (he aimed for a specific area so we would know which shots were mine). Not too bad for my second time, I was excited that I hit the X area. :)
I am SO glad that it's Friday. I am looking forward to relaxing tonight and tomorrow, and then on Sunday night, oh yes, I am DEFINITELY looking forward to this...
Be prepared for a full recap of my NKOTBSB adventures next week!!
My...Texas...Rangers. Hopefully they are getting out of their "slump". I was at the game Monday night and last night. Monday night Craig Gentry started in center field (Go #TeamGentry) and had a great game with an RBI double and three stolen bases. (Humor me, pretend you care). :)
A view from our seats. His profile picture doesn't do him justice, not that you can tell from this picture.
My niece Katie and a friend of hers came up for the game, they had a lot of fun. We got Nelson Cruz bobbleheads and the Rangers went on to win 8-3.**happy dance**
Late yesterday I got a call from my VP's office that there were two extra tickets for the Ballpark suite if I wanted them (like I would say no!!) :) Mitch Moreland hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning for a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros (by this time there were only 4 of us left in the 30 person suite- we are dedicated fans!) His home run came literally about 20 minutes before a severe thunderstorm hit the Ballpark. My friend and I made it to our car with about 5 minutes to spare before the storm hit. Whew!
Also, last night a world record was set at the Ballpark and I'm proud to say I was there for it. We set the world record for most people wearing sunglasses in the dark (I know, they'll think of anything to put in the book, won't they?) After the 6th inning, they asked that everyone put on sunglasses (we had to wear them for 10 minutes). They had handed out these "groovy" looking shades for us to wear. Click here for the article about it.
That my flex day was switched from Friday to today (a co-worker needed Friday off this week, so I switched days with her). Being out late Monday night and last night at the Ballpark is catching up with me. I'm off work at 11:30 today and am looking forward to a nap! :)
I'm loving...
That on Sunday night....
Me...
My friend Mel...
And my friend Monica...
will be here...
to see these guys...
Oh yes, 12 year old Rachel is doing cartwheels.
No, we didn't score FREE tickets, but we got really, really, cheap tickets. And yes, my iPod has been rocking NKOTB and BSB songs all week. Deal with it!! ;)
Hope everyone has a great week!! We are halfway to the weekend, hang in there!
LOVE the Braves cap in this one James- although last weekend you know I was cheering for my Rangers when they were playing in Atlanta!! ;) This is his cover of "Colder Weather".
An original song of his, "Little Did I Know" (this is quite possibly my favorite one!) :)
Another original one from him, "Songs on the Radio".
I talk a lot about Blue Bell ice cream on my blog so I thought today I would provide a list of some Blue Bell flavors for my Thursday 13. They go well beyond your ordinary chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors. Some of these I have tried, some I am wanting to try (I suppose I could force myself to test them out). :) For more about the greatness of Blue Bell ice cream, go here.
1. Dutch Chocolate: This is my all-time personal favorite (it's one of my "comfort foods"). In fact, I have a 1/2 gallon and pint of it in my freezer at home.
Blue Bell that I had last night (I had a really bad day, I was drowning my sorrows into a pint!)
2. Homemade Vanilla: Another classic- goes really well in Dr Pepper and/or Root Beer floats!
3. Milk Chocolate: You really can't go wrong with any kind of chocolate ice cream in my opinion!
4. Homemade in the Shade: I personally have not tried it, but I plan on it, soon, because I hear it's fabulous. It's Homemade Vanilla combined with a swirl of rich, chocolate fudge. It's one of the rotational flavors (they have some flavors only available during certain times of the year), so I need to get some fast!
5. Triple Chocolate: Another rotational flavor I'm wanting to try. A blend of Dutch Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and vanilla ice cream mixed with a rich chocolate sundae sauce.
6. French Vanilla: It is a different taste than the Homemade Vanilla, but it is still good!
7. Rocky Road: I always think of the scene from Goonies when Chunk meets Sloth anytime I have Rocky Road ice cream. I know, I know, I'm weird! ;)
8. Century Sundae: Another rotational flavor I need to try! It's Homemade Vanilla swirled with caramel and chocolate sauces, a whipped topping and diced maraschino cherries.
9. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: For anyone who likes raw cookie dough- here's an ice cream for you! A rich, creamy ice cream with chunks of chocolate chips cookie dough and chips of dark chocolate.
10. Strawberries and Homemade Vanilla: It's Homemade Vanilla ice cream blended with juicy ripe strawberries. It's really good!!
11. Summer Berries: A refreshing, citrus ice cream mixed with strawberries, blueberries, and swirls of raspberry and blackberry sauces. That's healthy, right? It's fruit! :)
12. Nutty Chocolate: Another rotational flavor I need to try. A rich chocolate ice cream with milk chocolate-coated pecans, dark chocolate coated peanuts, white chocolate covered almonds and roasted walnuts. I'm not a huge fan of pecans, but if it's covered in chocolate, I'm sure I could manage! :)
13. Coconut Fudge: Okay, I don't like coconuts so I won't be trying this one, but this is a rotational flavor I wanted to share with y'all. It's coconut ice cream with delicate flakes of coconut and a rich chocolate fudge swirl.
So, what is your favorite ice cream flavor? Any of these sounds good to you? For all the Blue Bell flavors (current and rotational), click here.
That the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Now, I'm not as in love with basketball like I am baseball (I do watch it though). And I just love that all the "experts" were proven wrong since basically everyone picked the Heat to win (yeah, I'm looking at you ESPN!)
I'm loving...
That I will be seeing my family this weekend. A certain nephew of mine is having a birthday tomorrow so we will be celebrating that...
Me and my nephew back in the day (he's only 3 years younger than me)I apologize for my hideous sweater in this picture.
Me and my nephew at a Texas A&M baseball game in April
...And I will be there to celebrate Father's Day with my dad...
Me and my sister Mary with our dad last year on Father's Day
AND I get to see these cutie pies!
C and E playing on the Slip 'N Slide
I'm loving...
That I received the books I ordered from Barnes and Noble (I got a gift card for my birthday). Lots of reading ahead for me!! I love Roxanne St. Claire and Allison Brennan! I also love that Roxanne St. Claire is following me on Twitter- she is so wonderful to her fans!
I'm loving...
My friend James David Carter's cover of "Don't Close Your Eyes". Check out his other videos here. I also love that he's a Braves fan. I hope he remembers to tell me if Steve Avery is ever back for an alumni game! :)
I'm loving...
That I got the binder for my World Series scrapbook. It's perfect!! And I had a 40% off coupon!! :)
I'm loving...
That I have confidence to sport my junior high gym socks when I work out (yes, I know, it's pathetic that I still have them and that I can still wear them- get over it). :) I didn't have clean socks last night when I went to work out, so, I found these and put them on. High socks rock!
Hope everyone is having a great day and great week! It's been an exhausting one for me. I was in bed a little before 9 last night, but man, the sleep was nice!!
I found this blog hop through a friend, thought I would participate today!!
I'm loving...
That my niece Alice is coming to visit me tomorrow (she is the mother of C and E). Since we are so close in age, we grew up together like sisters, I can't wait to spend time with her!!
At a Rangers game last year!
I'm loving...
The Ben and Skin Show on 103.3FM ESPN. I discovered them last year (thanks to C.J. Wilson retweeting a podcast of theirs). I LOVE them! They are greatness. I've been a "full 3" listener for almost a year now! If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I try and #GROWtheSHOW. If you love sports, check them out. Even if you don't live in Dallas, you can listen online, click here from 9a-noon (CST).
Hanging out with Ben (r) and Skin (l) at the Rangers Opening Day this year!
I'm loving...
Brad Paisley's This Is Country Music CD. I got it for my birthday. I simply adore him- I'm hoping to see him in July when he comes to Dallas. He is AWESOME in concert!
I'm loving...
My baseball homegirls. We all bought a 10 pack of tickets this season (and have bought some extra games along the way). It's fun being with fellow baseball fans who don't mind acting a little crazy (and admitting their baseball crushes). #TeamGentry
A picture we took Monday night to send to Katie, letting her know that we miss her here in Texas!!
I'm loving...
Chick Fil-A milkshakes. In honor of my promotion at work this week, a friend is taking me out for lunch today and getting me one. Yummy!!
I'm loving...
My Rangers Captain pillow pet! My friend Khrystal got it for me for my birthday! He's adorable!! :)
I couldn't post today without wishing a VERY HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY to my nephew James. If anyone asks, I was 4 when he was born (okay, I was 12, but he likes telling me I look 25, and I let him!!) Happy birthday sweetie, love you and I'm so jealous you are going to the CMT Awards tonight!! BUY ME SOMETHING!
He was a fat baby- he weighed 11lbs and 4oz at birth! I'm very serious (he's proud of that by the way).
He kinda looked like the Michelin Tire baby!
Loving on his little sister
He's always loved baseball!
With his little brother and sister
All smiles.
With his favorite aunt at his high school graduation
He's like my little brother- we are really close!
On one of the roller coasters at 6 Flags
James with his favorite Rangers player- Derek Holland (the Dutch Oven).
His favorite aunt got him tickets to her company suite a few years ago!Yes, that is Fox Sports Southwest's Ric Renner in the background (Fox suite is next to ours).
James and Copper
A plate of food in his hand is not an uncommon site. At Thanksgiving, he has to be last in line. We want to make sure there is enough food to go around!! :)
Hope everyone has a great day!! Peace, love and chocolate milkshakes to you all!
So I stoletook borrowed this idea from my friend Katie.
This week my Tuesday Tunes will take you back in time to when Keds, side ponytails, leg warmers and ripped acid-washed jeans were all in style (FYI- they are NOT currently in style so if you are sporting any of these items, please get help somewhere). ;)
I think I'm rocking out to these because I've been talking so much about wanting free tickets to the NKOTBSB concert in a few weeks. I'm not ashamed!! ;)
*Randomness With Rachel is not responsible for any bad hairstyles, bad clothing or really bad dancing and acting shown in the following videos. View at your own risk.*
Okay, that last one is newer, but I had to throw it in!! Joey looked good! ;)
I know, I know, I keep saying I will be better about updating my blog. It seems to be a "pie crust promise -easily made, easily broken." I'll send you a $100 bill if you can tell me what movie that line from. Okay, I'm lying, I won't send you $100- BUT, I'll send you a PICTURE of a $100 bill if you tell me what movie that is from. ;)
I decided to spend this post sharing some randomness that has been in my life recently. Are you ready?
1. I've lost count on how many Rangers games I've attended this season, I'll have to check my ticket stubs at home, but it's at least 12. I'm actually going tonight, and Wednesday! My Texas. My Rangers! :)
This was used a few years ago for an advertising campaign. Still one of my favorites! ;)
2. Speaking of the Rangers, I have a new baseball crush (for those of you who follow me on Twitter, yes, I realize I pretty much am crushing on the whole team- with a few exceptions). It's no secret to my regular readers (and "tweethearts" as I call them) of my on-again-off-again crush on pitcher C.J. Wilson (it's actually off right now- even though I still think he's really good looking!) He has been replaced by outfielder Craig Gentry (**insert sigh here**). Sorry C.J. ;)
Me and Craig Gentry at Rangers Fanfest in January. I must say that he smelled really nice (just something I notice about a guy). :)
3. EXCITING NEWS! I got a promotion and raise at work!! I actually just found out about it today. Funny story how I found out- my boss sent me an IM (we have an inner-office instant messaging system here) and she said, "I need to see you in my office when you have a free moment." GULP. Usually she uses smiling faces or other "emoticons" when she sends IMs, so it concerned me a little that was all it said. I get in her office and she tells me to close the door (something we never do unless it's my yearly review time. Or we are gossiping. I mean, we don't gossip, what are you talking about?) She sighed and was like, "I've been following up on you for a while now and have been noticing some things." Then she said, "I feel we need to talk about it." Insert panic mode here- my heart might have stopped. At this point she busted out laughing. She was like, "girl, you are getting a promotion and raise, I was just trying to freak you out." Rachel's heart starts beating normally again. I love my boss, she is great. I'm going to be doing exactly what I have been doing, I just now have a fancy title and more money to go with it. **insert happy white girl dance here** I guess being too busy at work has paid off (literally!) :)
4. I've been watching the later seasons of The Waltons on INSP and I must say, I'm not really a fan of "John Boy 2.0". After season 5, Richard Thomas (the original John Boy) left the show. For two seasons the character was written out of the main storyline. In season 8 they decided to bring back the character- but he was portrayed by Robert Wightman (no offense Mr. Wightman, I just prefer Richard Thomas). Yes, I like The Waltons and Dick Van Dyke, and I also cross stitch. I'm a 80 year old trapped in a 25 year old body. Okay, I'm not really 25, but I would like to think I have the body of one! ;)
Robert Wightman, John Boy 2.0
My friend Mel and I got to meet Richard Thomas a few years ago when he was in town for a play. SUPER NICE guy! Of all the celebrities I've met, he's probably one of the nicest!
5. I love the interviews that my friend Katie's future husband Tim Tebow has been doing to promote his new book, "Through My Eyes". He is an awesome guy! And what an amazing story!
6. I still really want tickets to the NKOTBSB concert on June 26 at the AAC. If anyone has free ones, let me know!! ;) (Okay, so, I WANT tickets, I just don't want to pay for them). ;) Yes, I know that NKOTB are no longer as young as I remember them being, but still, the 12 year old Rachel inside of me wants to go! :) Together my friends, we can make this happen!!
If not for me, for 12 year old Rachel!!
7. I saw Fast Five over my birthday weekend. You must be asking yourself: will I ever get tired of seeing Paul Walker and Vin Diesel in a movie about cars? The answer is no, no I will not! ;)
Nope, doesn't get old at all. ;)
8. I got to hang out with one of my besties last Friday night. A lot has changed in the recent years of our friendship (not necessarily for the worse, just different), but one thing still remains the same: we both still think that Tom Welling is really, really hot.
Just...wow. ;)
9. I've been slowly working on my World Series 2010 scrapbook. I got a few pages done yesterday. I always forget how time consuming it can be. I spent like 6 hours working on it and only got 3 pages done! Oh well!! :)
One day I'll have this thing completed!
10. I mentioned before I'm going to the Rangers game tonight. Some friends and I made signs. Look for me on TV, this is one of them.
Rules for doing the wave (if you absolutely feel that you must): You do NOT do the wave when the home team is up to bat. EVER. NO EXCEPTIONS. You do NOT do the wave during a close game (if the lead isn't more than 7 runs, don't do it).
Hope everyone is having a great day!! Peace, love and Rangers wins!!
