Mobile Monday!

Like I mentioned last week, I had to go out of town on business last week. I left Wednesday morning and returned yesterday afternoon. I really wish I had taken today off work, I'm exhausted! I thought I would post some pictures of my trip to Des Moines. 

As some of you know, I'm not a huge fan of flying. I got to the airport probably about an hour and a half before my flight was supposed to take off (I know SOME people like to make fun of me for that). ;) I was flying American Eagle and the plane was really small (I don't know the type. It had 18 rows, with two seats on one side and only one seat on the other side). When I booked my flight I was supposed to be in seat 5B, which was near the front. I guess since the flight wasn't completely full, they had to move people around to "balance" the plane out, so I got moved from 5B to 18A. Yeah, the last row. I wasn't happy (I mean, if they had moved me a few seats back, I would have been okay, but all the way to the back? Come on). I'm not a fan of sitting in the back, but oh well. I didn't cause a scene (okay, I sent American Airlines a bitter tweet, but that was all). I had a seat to myself and the row across the aisle from me was empty too, so that was nice. 

This was right behind my seat. I was tempted to call the pilot, but I figured that was probably some federal offense, and who has time for that?

The view behind me and out my window

Leaving Dallas. I think that big building is the Great Wolf Lodge.

This was my reaction to the kid in front of me playing some video game with the volume turned up and no headphones in it.

The flight went okay. About 25 minutes before our landing, I had the worst pain in my ears, it was like my head was being squeezed. I've had ear problems my whole life so I'm not surprised, but this was the worst out of all my flying experiences. Another co-worker of mine was on the same flight (the rest of our team flew out earlier that day), so she and I took a rental car to the hotel from the airport. I had about three hours to kill before the team met for dinner, so I was lazy and got caught up on social media while chilling in my hotel room. Oh, and I found a Boy Meets World marathon on TV (score!)

This bed was so comfortable. I'm so glad my company gives us our own rooms when we travel.

View out my window, I was on the 30th floor.

My team went to this restaurant called Centro's for dinner. It was really nice. I ordered a rib eye (I know, you are shocked that I ate steak). It was okay (not the best rib eye I've ever had, but it wasn't too bad). I ate SO MUCH that night. I even tried calamari for the first time (it was okay, but I don't see me just ordering it on my own anytime soon). 

Steak... :)

I won't bore you with all the details of the convention (mainly because I'm not at liberty to). :)

Thursday night my team didn't need to work, so I was able to meet up with my sweet friend Micah (check out her blog here). Micah and I originally met through Twitter, than started following each other's blogs. We met up in person two years ago at a Rangers game, but hadn't seen each other since then. It was so good to catch up in person! :) Micah drove me by the minor league baseball stadium that is in Des Moines (they are a Cubs affiliate). We then went to an awesome burger place called Zombie Burger for dinner (they had good cheese fries). After that we went to el Bait Shop to watch some March Madness and have after dinner refreshments.

Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs

Me and the lovely Micah!

Friday was a super long day, we didn't get back to the hotel until after 11. It was a short night because Saturday morning I had to be at the convention by 7am. But I was able to catch a beautiful sunrise while on my walk! :)

This was taken from inside a walkway, so ignore the dirty window. :) Downtown Des Moines has a covered skywalk that connects hotels, parking garages, and other businesses. It's nice because we didn't have to walk out in the cold. I wish Dallas would make something like this- it would be nice during the summer months! 

I noticed a picture of Elvis at the location of our convention. :) 

On our last night, my team and I had a wonderful dinner together. I'm so glad I got to meet these people, we all work in different departments, so I didn't know them before this past week.

My wonderful team!

So we went all the way to Iowa and we had Mexican food (I know, it doesn't make sense to me either). I noticed this on the menu (look at yellow box). It made me a little nervous. I asked our waiter what it was, turns out that is a kind of cheese. I told him in Texas, we just list it as cheese.

I was once again at the airport an hour and a half before my flight (most of my team was flying back together, so we all rode the shuttle from the hotel to the airport). And then this happened to me going through security....

The same thing happened to me when I left Boston last year. Seems states up north like profiling Rangers fans... Lol. 

The flight back was painless (and they kept me in the seat I had originally selected). It was nice to get back home and to a little warmer temperatures!! :)

Flying over Texas, or as I call it, God's Country. :)

I'm very excited about temperatures being in the 70s later this week!

So, quick update on my 101 in 1001 list:

#9- Now in progress since I went to Iowa, only four more states to go!
#37- I can completely cross off! YAY!!!

Hope everyone has a great day!

XOXO!

My Long-Awaited Book Reviews!

I know, I'm three books behind in my book reviews. I've set aside time today to get you caught up. As of right now, I'm three books AHEAD of my 2014 Reading Challenge (holla!) You can always keep up with my reading challenge progress by looking at the top right of my blog. It is automatically linked to my GoodReads account and will let you know how many books I've read so far. You can click on it to see what books I've read this year. 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

(4 out of 5 stars)

I would be willing to bet that MOST of you have seen the movie The Wizard of Oz (or you at least know the plot of it), so I really don't need to give a summary (do I?) I have seen the movie version more times than I can count. It's not my favorite movie of all time, but I do enjoy it. I didn't realize that the Wizard of Oz series had 14 books in it (click here for that list). I knew there were a few, but had no idea it was fourteen total. I found the first five books on sale for like $5 (it was five books in one), so I went ahead and bought it. I finally finished the first book (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). I guess so people don't freak out, I need to put SPOILER ALERT (but seriously, these facts will NOT ruin the book-you know what happens). I noticed a few differences right off the bat. First of all, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry didn't have three farmhands. The book starts with the tornado hitting Kansas. There was no mean old lady trying to take Toto away, Dorothy did not fall into a pig pen, and she did not meet up with some carnival fortune teller. She did land in Munchkin Land, but Glinda was not the name of the good witch that helped her (although Glinda does make an appearance later on in the book). Oh, and the famous ruby red slippers that belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East? They were silver in the book, not red. She met up with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, although their back stories were a little different. The flying monkeys were there, and the Wicked Witch of the West was still very wicked (although her death came a lot earlier in the book). The Wizard promised to take Dorothy back to Kansas in a hot air balloon, but it takes off without Dorothy in it. She is finally told by Glinda that she can click her heels together three times to get home. There were many other characters not mentioned in the movie- like a land full of people made of china. I could probably go on a lot longer about the differences and what was left out of the movie version, but in case you want to read it, I'll leave it there. I did enjoy it. I plan to read the other books in the series at some point. I'm interested to see what happens.

11-22-63 by Stephen King

(5 out of 5 stars)

Summary: If you had a chance to change the course of history, would you? Would the consequences be what you hoped? Jake Epping, 35, teaches high school English in Lisbon Falls, Maine, and cries reading the brain-damaged janitor's story of a childhood Halloween massacre by his drunken father. On his deathbed, his friend Al divulges a secret portal to 1958 in his diner back pantry, and enlists Jake to prevent the 11/22/1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Under the alias George Amberson, our hero joins the cigarette-hazed, full-flavored world of Elvis rock 'n roll, Negro discrimination, and freeway gas-guzzlers without seat belts. Will Jake lurk in impoverished immigrant slums beside troubled loner Lee Harvey Oswald, or share small-town friendliness with beautiful high school librarian Sadie Dunhill, the love of his life?

I heard so many people say that this was a great book, and they were right. When I started reading it, I kept thinking, oh, this book is so long, it's going to take forever to read (the book is around 850 pages). I'm not lying when I say I read over 600 pages in two days. I had started reading it during my lunch breaks and was about 250 pages in, and then one Sunday afternoon I did nothing but read about 400 pages of it. The next day after work, I forced myself to stay awake long enough so I could finish it. By that point I was just ready to see what happened and how it would all end. It was really good- it was different than most books, but that is what I liked about it. What was funny is that the whole time I'm reading it, I kept thinking, "how could they make this into a movie? I bet they would need to make it a miniseries." I would totally watch it! The only nit-picky thing that bothered me (and I don't even want to say it bothered me, it was just something I noticed) is that Stephen King spelled the town of Killeen with only one "L" (very minor). He also made it seem like Killeen (Kileen) was close to Dallas. It's probably about a two and a half hour drive. Also at one point he said something about being able to smell the oil fields and refineries of the Permian Basin while in Dallas. I believe those are out in west Texas (hundreds of miles away) so I don't think you could smell them in Dallas. But like I said, very minor, and it didn't take away from the story (and for those who don't live in Texas, they wouldn't even notice it). You can tell that King did his research on the Kennedy assassination though. Even if you aren't a huge Stephen King fan, give this one a shot, I think you will enjoy it.

Murder Hooks A Mermaid by Christy Fifield

(4 out of 5 stars)

Summary: Nestled in Keyhole Bay, Florida, Glory Martine's souvenir shop, Southern Treasures, is supposed to trap tourists- not ghosts. But a possessed parrot may be just what Glory needs to solve a murder. Inheriting her great-uncle Louis's shop should have been a breeze for Glory. Instead it's been one headache after another- with a lot of them generated by Bluebeard, a parrot with a mouth like a sailor and a personality a lot like her great-uncle. But Glory's troubles pale in comparison to those her best friend Karen, whose ex brother-in-law is about to get locked up. A diver has been found with a gaff hook in his chest, and Karen turns to Glory to help get her former brother-in-law off the hook for his murder. But casting the net for the real killer won't be easy. Glory and Bluebeard are about to find out that the secrets in Keyhold Bay run deeper than anyone ever imagined...

After reading a deep and intense book by Stephen King, this was just what I needed to read next. It's a easy read, fun little mystery book. If I had the time, I could have finished this in one sitting, but alas, I do have to work, so it took me a few days. I didn't realize until I had already started it that it's book two in a series, so I plan to find book one at some point. I found on the author's website she just released book three, so I look forward to that as well. I like her characters and her writing style. Unlike some murder mysteries, it doesn't get into the gory details of what happened (so if that usually discourages you from reading murder mysteries, you won't have to worry about that here). Like I said, it's a fun read. Almost borderline YA (Young Adult), but I like that writing style. If you are looking for something deep and meaningful, this might not be for you. If you are looking for a quick read on some rainy afternoon, check this one out!

Okay, there, I'm caught up for now on my reviews. I leave for my business trip tomorrow, hoping to catch some reading time on the flight to and from the convention. :) 

XOXO!!

Weekend Recap: Mobile Monday Style

I actually took pictures this weekend just so I would have something to upload for today. :)

Friday I went over to my BFF Brandy's house and spent the evening with her as well as baby M. We had a great evening watching movies and just having girl talk (baby M promised he wouldn't tell our secrets). :) I was so busy taking pictures of baby M, I forgot to get one of me and the BFF (friend fail). Next time Bran!

I love the look on his face in this picture!

Saturday afternoon I drove to Mexico (okay, not really, but sometimes it feels like Mexico since it's SO FAR from me) to have lunch with my best friend Chance (yes, I have more than one best friend- don't judge me). Although he tried to fight it, I finally got him to agree to take a few pictures. I know he secretly loved it though. :)

After lunch we were getting ready to leave, but our friend Erick (who was in town for the weekend) wanted to hang out with us, so we stayed longer. Also, it started pouring down rain, so we really didn't mind staying. Oh, and there was a Rangers spring training game was on TV so we enjoyed watching that (despite 10 minutes of technical difficulties). It was good to be talking baseball again. :)

We ended up getting invited to a BBQ party at the house of one of Chance's friends. This person had two of the biggest dogs I had ever seen. Seriously, I've seen horses that weren't that big. It was fun hanging out with new people though. We had a good time!

I was sitting down on a chair and had to reach up to pet this dog. 

At one point in the evening Erick THOUGHT the dog WAS a horse. Lol.

These guys are two of my favorites, they make me laugh and drive me crazy (in a good way) all at the same time. I know my life would be boring without them in it. :) I also use them for their hugs. :)

Sunday was a good day. I visited a new church and really liked it (I'm not sure if I've mentioned I've been looking for a new church). It was a small church, but I seem to like those (seeing that is what I grew up in). After lunch I went to my Bible study (I'm still going to attend the Bible study with the ladies from the church I've been going to for the past year). After that, I had a relaxing evening at home (finally). :) I also finished book 13 of the year. Now I'm THREE reviews behind. Oh, and this happened on Sunday...

Pudge favorited my tweet. Fangirl moment. :)

Hope everyone had a good weekend!! 14 days and counting until the Rangers home opener!! I cannot wait!! :)

XOXO!

Happy Thoughts...

It seems social media and the news were all filled with terrible and sad stories today: the airplane that has disappeared without a trace, the awful accident at SXSW (South By Southwest) in Austin, and the devastating story about the collapse of that building in New York (this is just to name a few). I figured everyone needed some cheering up, so I decided to only post happy things on my blog today. My bad week pales in comparison to what is going on in other places and what other people are going through.

Happy Thing #1:

My niece Alice and her family came to see me last weekend (thank you for the prayers for her, she is doing better. Continued prayers are appreciated). I got to go to the zoo with her three kiddos. I hadn't been to the Dallas Zoo since 2010, which was the last time they were here to see me.

A picture of me and C looking at the elephants in 2010 and 2014. He's heavier now!

My sweet boys- they grow up so fast. They now have to be goofy when they take a picture!

Glad Miss K has joined the party!

They do enjoy having their picture taken

These were a few of the animals that Aunt Rachel enjoyed seeing

These were animals Aunt Rachel could have done without seeing!

My apartment even survived the visit! ;)

During the visit...

About 20 minutes after they left...the apartment felt lonely with them gone though...

Happy Thing #2: 

Baseball season is 18 days away. I got this email today. I possibly did a back flip (okay, who am I kidding, I didn't do a back flip). BUT, I was very excited!

Happy Thing #3:

I'm on book 13 of the year (I know, I owe y'all two book reviews, I'm working on them). I'm currently two books ahead of my goal of reading 52 books this year. :) As a reminder, you can keep up with what I'm reading, what I've read, and what I want to read on GoodReads (click here). 

Happy Thing #4:

I found out four of my favorite shows are being renewed (yes, it's the little things in life that make me happy). NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, CSI, and Criminal Minds are all coming back next year. 

Happy Thing #5:

Luke Bryan released a new album this week (stop judging me, you know who you are!) ;)

Happy Thing #6:

I possibly have a vacation planned for June (it's all tentative for now). But if it pans out, I could cross two states off my 101 in 1001 list as well as a baseball ballpark I've never visited. Details to come if this actually happens. :)

Happy Thing #7:

Spring might be here to stay (we've had warm weather tease us the past month, only to have a cold front so rudely bring cold weather back.) 

Happy Thing #8:

I get to go on my first business trip next week. I'm strangely excited about it. It's also to a state I've never visited AND I might get to see a good friend and fellow blogger while I'm there. :)

Happy Thing #9: 

The text conversations I have with my friends. 

Happy Thing #10:

Tomorrow is my flex day (which means I only work 3.5 hours).

XOXO!

Twitter Tuesday

I thought I would do another installment of Twitter Tuesday. For those of you not following me on Twitter (follow me here), here is what you are missing (my tweets are life changing...okay, not really, but they are sometimes mildly entertaining). :)

Obviously I tweet about sports (pretend to be shocked):

The Rangers renamed their Ballpark last month. 

This was pretty much the reaction of most of my timeline when it was announced the new name was Globe Life Ballpark.

Yeah, I really didn't watch the Olympics at all this year. I think I'm more of a Summer Olympics person than a Winter.

Spring Training started and my timeline had a lot of baseball talk- it was beautiful!

My friend Brian has a sports show on Fox Sports Radio, Friday and Saturday nights from 1am-5am (Texas time). Check it out here. Or you can check out the podcasts here (which is what I usually do because I'm not normally awake during that time). :)

I don't even want to talk about what Ian Kinsler said about the Rangers. 

And don't get me started on the upcoming How I Met Your Mother finale. For the record, yes, I did start watching the show last December. I binged watched 8 seasons on Netflix in like a month (don't judge). I then found a totally legal website where someone had uploaded the episodes that had already aired for this current season. I got caught up in January and have been watching it live since. 

Steve Avery is at the Braves Spring Training camp. Oh to be in Florida right now (for many reasons, but he would be a main one). :)

I tweet about TV shows (as you saw with the HIMYM tweet):

I can't even process this, I love this show so much. 

A sad day on Waltons Mountain. :(

This is a great show. If you aren't watching it, you should!

So Mark-Paul Gosselaar, AKA, Zack Morris from Saved By the Bell, turned 40 last week. I can't even handle that. He was like, the second love of my life (behind Ricky Schroder). 

Seriously, I learned the hard way why I never watch Saturday Night Live, that show was awful. And I don't blame Jim Parsons, he didn't write it. Ug. 

Bates Motel is another show I started watching last year, it's interesting. I'm glad it's back for a second season.

I tweet about the weather (honestly, this is a Texas thing, when it's cold, and God forbid, icy, we can't handle it.) :)

This is very true. I like that a threat of ice closes down my office. :)

For the record, there was no snow or ice on the ground, just a possibility of it happening later.

Again, I love this. :)

I tweet about life around my office. 

Yes, this happened...

She wasn't even yelling, just talking very loudly.

True story...

It was a business critical conversation we were having at my desk! :)

I work with violent people, don't I?

And sometimes my tweets are just random (like me). :)

I enjoy meeting fellow Twitter friends! And I'm really not THAT tall. :)

I mean, part of college is a blur, but not THAT much. ;)

Even in every day life, I use baseball terms. :)

It really did! I kept picturing him reading it.

Again, I have bad days and vent on social media, but it seems there are people who ONLY VENT on social media. I NEVER see anything positive from them, EVER.

I'm so old...it's not the first time I've been in bed by 9pm on a Friday.

Sometimes I tweet random song lyrics (thank you Eli Young Band)

Happy Tuesday!!

XOXO!