Warning: This May Be Ugly!

I have done something. Something I've wanted to do my whole life. Something I thought was so impossible, I didn't even add it to my 101 list!

~~~~I've quit biting my nails! 3 weeks ago yesterday was the last time I chewed on my fingernails!~~~~

This is what I was used to my hands looking like (ignore the drunken silliness of Kat, Marci and myself. This was after several glasses of wine on girls night, I do not remember why we took a picture of our hands):

However, my nails grow fairly fast and it was costing me between $120 and $160 a month to keep up with solar nails. I've had "fake" nails since I was 13 and still miss them dearly. I loved, loved getting my nails done. However .... Chris brought it to my attention how much they were costing.

One day, I was in Sally's and saw the "Bite No More." I have no idea what inspired me, but I bought that $2.99 miracle! This was day 1 of no more biting:

I literally would chew my nails until they bleed. Yes, it was disgusting.

These are my nails now! The pictures are too small to see clearly, but I promise there is fingernail there. Last night Chris said, "I've never seen your nails so long!" LOL Neither have I.

Yes, all the pictures are of my left hand. Aside from the obvious fact is has my beautiful wedding ring on it, my left hand is much prettier than my right, LOL. Probably because I'm right-handed. Although my grandmother did comment that after women get engaged, they all become left handed. Haha I do use my left hand more now .... Guilty as charged.

My Surveys Spilleth Over

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Sara was my mother's mother who died when she was very young. Louise is also my mother's middle name.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last night ... I think I'm having mini-panick attacks

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not at all! It's awful. Thank heavan for computers!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Honey Ham

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Fur-kids, but no skin kids. LOL I hate the expression skin kids. I picture naked, hairless, eye less freak things from a movie I saw once.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS
WITH YOU? I would hope so. I think I would see how excellant I am. Hehe

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes, and unfortunately I haven't learned how to type sarcastically and I piss people off frequently with email.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I surely do

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Never

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I've been eating the Hill Country Fair Honey Nut Cheerios. I change a lot though.

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE them off? LOL! I thought that said, "Do you unite your shoes" LOL I was thinking, "Do I keep my shoes together in one place?" LOL sometimes to both unite and untie.

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No, I'm freakishly weak.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mmm Peppermint ice cream is SO good! However, for the rest of the year I like Strawberry.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Probably their appearance as a whole

RED OR PINK? Pink

WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My voice annoys the shit out of me, I can't imagine what it must be like to other people!

WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? I dunno

DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I don't care either way.

WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black lace

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Ritz Bitz w/ cheese in the blood donation bus

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Coworkers run their mouth! LOL

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I would say black

FAVORITE SMELLS? Eucalyptus, Roses, Chanel

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Probably a customer

DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I stole it from Joyce and I online-like her very much! Hahaha This reminds me of that silly cartoon that says, "I love my computer - my friends are in it!" Hahahaha

FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? None but I think I shall be watching some pretty soon.

Hair Color? Mine? Light brown

EYE COLOR? Blue

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope

FAVORITE FOOD? Queso

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings of course!

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Usual Suspects

WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Green - kind of a lizard green (I just had to clarify it is NOT forest green. Ugh!)

HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs

FAVORITE DESSERT? Either key lime pie or cheesecake

MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I dunno!

LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND Chris ... I'm not even sure he reads my blog anymore.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb. It has good reviews, GREAT review from Marci. So far it's just given me anxiety and stressed me out. I hear it has a good ending, though, so I'll stick to it.

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Activant

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? I didn't watch TV last night

FAVORITE SOUND? Chris coming through the door after being gone for a while. It sounds something like, "Creeek, blot, jingle, STAMPEDE! STAMPEDE! bark bark bark Honey I'm Home KIMBER GET DOWN Hi Bandit bark bark bark STAMPEDE! STAMPEDE!" LOL that is music to my ears.

ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? There are very few Rolling Stones songs I'll actually listen to on the radio. None that I would seek out to listen. The Beatles on the other hand .... yah.

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Umm either Orlando, Florida or San Francisco, California

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Annoying my husband? Oh wait, that's easy to do. Oh! Making my husband happy. That's hard to do and I must say I'm particularly good at it :-)

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Midland, TX home of real, live tumbleweed

WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Anyones!

Another Ones Bites the Dust

(And another one gone, another one gone. Another one bites the dust) Is anyone else picturing the guy driving the hearse and rocking out? Best.Commercial.Ever! LOL

House # 1 & 2: Sort through all the papers in the office; Put away all the papers in the office. Yah! I not only went through all my "to-file" papers, I also went through the filing cabinet! I got rid of enough junk to fill a small u-haul box. It's pretty awesome :-)

House # 7: Hang the shelves for the living room bookshelves. Hehe I did this one kind of out of order. If you notice, number 6 is the sand and paint them? I hung them first. My "plan" is to finish sanding them and paint them in place because they are half done and just need some finishing touches. LOL we'll see how that goes ....



Bandit is a picture whore :-) Most the items on the shelves were really fillers. This was a couple weeks ago and I've already added some more substancial items. You'll see when I get around to the before and after pics of the house! Keep in mind ... this wall was neon blue when we moved in!

In Progress: House # 16: Get out of CHAOS. I could technically say I am not living in CHAOS. I could have the whole house ready for company in a matter of 20 minutes. However, I want to wait on this for a couple months to make sure the cleanliness sticks. I feel SO much better, though! Our apartments were always clean and I forgot how nice and stress free it is to really live in your home!

Just for me #17: The pink caboodle is a goner!!! I found this awesome makeup bag I got from Becky a couple years ago for hosting a Mary Kay party. It rocks :-)

No Progress ... How About a Movie Theme?!

Stolen from Joyce, something to do this morning! Gracias, Senora!

Go through their list and BOLD the ones you have seen, ITALICIZE those you love/would watch over and over again, STRIKE OUT those you dislike strongly or really would rather never see again.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998 )
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988 )
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler’s List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998 )
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988 )
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988 )
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988 )
53. The Truman Show (1998 )
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998 )
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988 )
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)

I've seen 52 out of 100, which really surprises me. Until recently, I never watched movies. I rarely go to the theatre. However, since we have cancelled our cable and joined Blockbuster - I've seen several of these in the last couple months:
- Far From Heavan
- Moonstruck
- Michael Clayton
- The Departed
- No Country for Old Men
- LA Confidential

I also think I hated more movies than I like ... I'm not really a movie "re-watcher." Once I've seen it, I'm happy. However, there are lots of movies I wish didn't exist ;-) I do think I will be using this list as a way to get some good movies on my Blockbuster Queue. Wish me luck!

I Don't Care Friday

http://tinyurl.com/5camxy

On that note ...

Health # 1: I went to yoga again last night. I feels good :-) I am less sore than before I went! That makes 3 out of 25.

And just for fun ... some pictures my dad sent me. They spent a week in Seattle, and are currently boarding a boat for their Alaskan cruise. Here are a couple pictures from the Seattle aquarium (wow!) and the actual "Sleepless in Seattle" house!

So let's see ... above - beautiful Seattle with fun tours and live Octopuses (Octopi? hehe) or below, here in Austin -->

Hmmm How exciting and photogenic my cube is today!

YES! Yoga

YES! This is how I feel after I go to Yoga. I have no idea why I don't go more often! Last night I was sitting on the couch feeling lazy and it dawned on me it was about time for yoga class. So I got up and went and it felt great! At the beginning of class she asked us to set a goal for that day's practice. My goal was to use that hour to remember how good it feels to be healthy. I did. It feels great and I really hope this keeps me inspired!

Health # 1 : Got to Yoga 25 times (2/25)

What About You?

i am: still the same old Sara Louise, no matter what changes in my life.
i think: about the future and children more than is healthy.
i know: how and when to forgive.
i want: my family to be happy.
i have: a full life.
i wish: I were ready to have children!
i hate: disrespect.
i miss: carefree summers.
i fear: that I'll be a bad mother someday.
i feel: lonely.
i hear: sounds of the office.
i smell: blueberry bagels.
i crave: queso!
i search: for explanations, not answers.
i wonder: what happens after you die.
i regret: one thing that I would give everything I have in the world to change.
i ache: in my mouth. I swear my wisdom teeth are piercing my brain.
i care: so very much.
i always: injure myself, forget something, and generally act like a blonde.
i am not: satisfied.
i believe: that God will not give challenges I can't handle.
i dance: at home with the dogs almost every day.
i sing: to the dogs, also.
i cry: about everything. I'm a cry baby.
i don’t always: listen.
i fight: for respect.
i write: stories in my head.
i never: remember to write those stories down.
i listen: to the ocean every chance I get.
i need: a Tums for my heart burn (why do bagels give me heartburn??)
i am happy about: dog/chinchilla sitting for the next 2 weeks!

Financial #5

Financial # 5: Pay Dad back the money I borrowed. FYI: This is a TMI post!

I had borrowed some money from my dad, which I HATE doing. I've never had to borrow money for anything. When we got married, it was because we were doing so well financially. Then the bill from the lawyer (re: kitchen cabinets) came, then Chris had unexpected bills from his mother (Re: UGH!), then Kimber got hurt, then my car broke down TWICE. Needless to say, we used our emergency fund AND still had to borrow money from my dad.

Well, I paid back 75% of that and my mom said they'd forgive the rest if I'd put it towards the credit card debt we had wracked up. So $1200 from the IRS went straight to credit cards and we paid off Sears, Exxon, Express, and my Capitol One - LOL you know, the frivialous ones from when we were younger and didn't understand how stupid debt was ;-)

So YET another one I'm begrudengly crossing off, although I didn't really complete it. While it feels great to be getting out of debt, I still hate and am entirely emberassed that we had to borrow money from my parents.

Never fear, we are back in the clear with the mula situation! Not that any of this was any of ya'lls business, but you know me - I'll talk about anything.

House # 3/I have an amazing husband!

House # 3: Bring both filing cabinets out of the closet, into the office where they can be used easily.

This weekend I proceded to do nothing. Okay, well I made breakfast, lunch, and dinner and did the dishes from those. Aside from doing dishes, though, I love cooking so this doesn't count as a choor.

My husband, though, had a rockin' weekend! Chris managed to do ALL of his laundry (and if you've been over, you know what an acomplishment that is) and hang all of his clothes. Yes, ladies and gentleman - he unpacked after 2 years of living in our house! He even cleaned out his closet and organized it, filled two boxes of garage sale stuff, filled the dumpster with stuff he's throwing away, and cleaned the office! He only complained a little bit about me doing nothing but reading 2 whole books this weekend ;-)

On top of all that, he brought to the bed a stack of papers and went through them for me! So, by the end of the week, I should have a years worth of paperwork sorted and filed.

So, another thing crossed off my list that I didn't actually do. Chris took the filing cabinet out of his closet and setup the office. All I have to do is decorate the two spare rooms now!

How did I get so lucky?



(Like how my favorite picture of him he's wearing an alcohol related t-shirt, has dog between his legs and has probably been drinking? This was 3+ years ago. Nothing's changed)

6 Word Memoir

My friend Joyce tagged me! Here's the game:
The meme originated over an idea that was prompted by the book written by Larry Smith & Rachel Fershleiser, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure. It’s a compilation based on the story that Hemingway once bet ten dollars that he could sum up his life in six words. His words were, “For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn.”
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it to your blog including a visual illustration if you would like.
3. Link to the person who tagged you in your post and to this original post http://herebaby.blogspot.com/2008/06/six-word-memior.html if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogsphere
4. Tag 5 more blogs with links
5. Don’t forget to leave a comment in the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

I know these are supposed to be original words, but the first thing I thought of is actually a quote by someone I consider to be one of the most quotable women of all time, Elaenor Roosevelt: "Life was meant to be lived." I know that doesn't count, but I thought it was worthy of being noted in here since it immidiately came to my mind!
Now thinking of my own will be a little harder ... (saving draft now)
... I'm back. The first thing I came up with is:
"I'm okay with it being hard." First of all, I don't like this one because I was an English major and if the 18 year old me saw the future me typing with contractions, I probably would have disowned myself. AND I think this needs to be explained a little. "It" is life ... and I'm okay with life being hard, because I knew it would me. Mother always warned me, and so I think I'm pretty good at accepting that it will be hard, it will be a lot of work, it won't always be worth it, but you gotta do it ... because sometimes, it's really, really worth it.
So (I warned Joyce that I was not a woman of few words) ... here comes what I finally decided on:

Patiently accepting that everything is okay.