State of the Chaz

State of the Chaz was 3 years ago!
Happy (belated) Birthday Chaz!

State of the Union

I watched the SOTU address this evening. I think no matter what side of the aisle you're on we all know that big changes need to be made in this country. Obama has been in office one year, it will be interesting to see what the remaining 2 years bring.

TV/Books/Movies

Next week is sweeps week! I'm sad that there was very little new TV this week, but next week is all new!

Babysitting

Is there anyone out there that wants to babysit on Valentine's Day? I have a few families that need people.

New Format

So, I've been thinking about a new format for my blog. As you all know, I won't be 26 forever. Once my birthday rolls around I am thinking about consolidating my crafts blog, this blog, and a foodie type blog all into one new blog. Are there any opinions out there? Do you like the 2 blog format, or would you like one stop shopping for all my blogging?

Last Weeks of Football

It makes me so sad. I really love the game. In my opinion, no other sport comes close to being as thrilling. I enjoy other sports (baseball and basketball) but when you grow up in a city with a major NFL team, and that city is in Texas... well, you grow up living the sport.

Cowboys

I'm really sad my Cowboys aren't in the title game. Right now I'm telling myself that we have next year, and next year the Superbowl will be in Cowboys Stadium! I'm thinking I'll go home and party it up for that game. Can you imagine if we made it to the Superbowl, and it was played in Dallas?! No team has ever had home field advantage in a Superbowl. I think the energy would be insane. For the time being, I'll look forward to that, and keep my fingers crossed that Phillips isn't our Coach next year.

Saints

I feel like SUCH a poser rooting for the Saints. They have been my second favorite team since I was 18 and moved to New Orleans. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm constantly talking about the city, and how much I love it. I grow fiercely defensive of anything Katrina related, and I really DO like the Saints. BUT now EVERYONE likes the Saints. I feel so fake and poser-y.
Oh well, I'll wear my fluer de lis in hopes they make it to the Super Bowl.
Geaux Saints!

Jets

Seriously, who saw that coming? Anyone? Anyone? Buller?
Their coach didn't even see them making the playoffs and now they are in the NFC Championship game. I'm writing this as they are playing the Colt. I don't thing they make it any further, but seriously good showing on their part.

Colts

I don't really have anything against them. I'm not surprised they've made it this far, especially considering the improvements in their defense and the clutchness of Manning. I will say... I LOVE Manning commercials. The man's hysterical. Laser rocket arm...

Vikings

I hate Favre. I just do. I didn't hate him before he left Green Bay. I thought he was one of those stand up kinda guys. Gave to charity, no one could really say anything bad about him. Sure, you wanted to beat him when your team played his, but that's to be expected. There are some people out there **cough cough Annie cough cough** who though that he should have retired from Green Bay long ago. But really, Green Bay loved him. That's really what mattered. His fans adored him. Then, he moved to NY... I disliked him. Then he moved to Minnesota... I hated him.
I'm incensed for Green Bay fans. This guy could have gone out a legend, a hero... people would have named cities after him (cities in Wisconsin, but still). His last season with GB was a good one too. He led his team to the playoffs, and it was a high note. But no. He lacked the respect for his fans, the fans that had given him so much. It really grinds my gears. For me, it would have been the same as if Landry/Staubach had gone to the Redskins when Jones screwed them over. We all know they still wanted to coach/play, but they left the game with dignity, and now they are heroes in Dallas. That's what a franchise guy should do, realize it's more than just business. It's about the fans.

Boredom Has Set In

Seriously bored.

Gamma Phi Beta

I'm sure I have mentioned before that I am a Gamma Phi Beta. Joining a sorority was one of the best things I ever did. I made great lasting friends, and I know I have a network of sisters around the world that will help me at the drop of a hat.

This weekend I'll be advising some of my sisters at George Mason University. I'm the designated ritual and personal and chapter enrichment (PACE) advisor.
I'm really excited about working with the girls at Mason and helping them plan some great activities and really get all that they can out of the sorority experience.

Also in sorority news: Gamma Phi Beta has a quarter magazine. I just got my issue yesterday and featured in it was a story about one of my sisters from my chapter! Laurie Levia graduated a few years before I did, but she was President of the chapter my freshman year. Laurie's daughter, Olivia, has sanfillippio syndrome. The story in The Crescent is about her family's journey navigating Olivia thru treatment at Duke Medical Systems and about the importance of umbilical cord banking. To read all about it, and more about Laurie and Olivia, check out her blog, Life with the Leivas (it's in my blog roll) at http://mikelaurieandolivialeiva.blogspot.com/
You can find the Crescent Story here: http://www.gammaphibeta.org/crescent/pdf_archive/2010_1-Winter.pdf (page 22, pic on page 3)

Grinds My Gears

My property management company.
They are ridiculously inept. Every single thing they do is half arsed. Today they came to paint over the water lines left by last months flood. Instead of painting the whole wall, they are just painting to the point which the water lines are. Anyone with common sense knows that paint ages. Now the walls will be 2 different colors. Awesome.
So sick of them.

Bill O'Reily is a Jerk

I'm watching the returns for the MA special election on both Fox News and CNN. Fox News is obviously slanted to the right and CNN slanted to the left. I try to get an unbiased view of my news, hence the switching back and forth. This evening Bill O Reiley had a liberal consultant on his show and asked if her if she was going to cry on air. Kind of a jerk. Not to be outdone, Keith Obernin was just as horrible on his show.

MA Special Election

While I have very specific opinions about politics I am very open minded to a lot of things. More than anything I am rooting for Brown because of the healthcare debacle. I'm completely anti universal healthcare. The idea of government interference in an issue as private as a persons health and medical records is ridiculously frightening in my opinion. I'll save the preachyness as this is usually a light hearted blog, however I will not hide my excitement at the fact that Republicans will now be able to filibuster the healthcare bill.

Made My Day

So, I've been having a craptastic day that I don't really want to get into on my blog. However, there was one ray of sunshine. Earlier I checked my blog for comments and saw that one Mrs Emily Clark (Canizaro) found my blog! Emily is a good friend from my Gamma Phi beta days. For some reason or another I always called her by her full name... until she went off and got married! I only have myself to blame, as I (along with another sorority sister) introduced her to her now husband! I'm so happy that some of my sisters are out there reading about my life, makes me feel younger, and close to nola.

Playoffs

Have I mentioned how psyched I am for the playoffs! Dallas won their wildcard game last week and this weekend we head to Minnesota. It's a Favre/ Romo showdown! I am grateful for a few things.
1. We actually won a playoff game, so I can stop hearing "cowboys/December and choke" in the same sentence.
2. I think our team is better than the Vikings.
3. John Madden is no longer an announcer, as he would wet himself announcing this game.
4. We're playing a dome. It's bad not to have home field advantage, but the real killer would have been playing in the freezing cold. Dallas just isnt used to it. I think we can overcome the Vikings fans better than we could overcome sub zero temperatures.

Go Cowboys!

Grinds My Gears

Patent Leather Heels

I LOVE them. I HATE them. Sigh. I've had 2 pairs of patent leather pumps and they have both fallen apart in the exact same place. The patent leather doesnt have enough give. So even though it's super shiny and pretty, I don't think I'll be buying anymore patent leather shoes for awhile.

From the Foodie in Me

This is actually just a quick funny story. My roommate has a friend who recently watched the movie "Julie and Julia". She decided that as her New Year's resolution she is going to take a page out of Julia's book and try a new recipe every day. However, instead of using "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", she'll be using "The Bartender's Handbook". Only in New Orleans.

freecreditreport.com

So you know those commercials about freecreditreport.com? They have the catchy jingle, with the guy either living in his parent's basement, or working at a renaissance fair, or at a pirate themed restaurant. Well, I signed up for the service. I LOVE it. They give me a twice monthly credit report. I love knowing where I stand, and it's nice to see my credit score go up a little each month. I highly recommend the service to anyone who is on the verge of a major purchase (ie buying a home, or applying for a loan of any sort).

These Our the Days of Our Lives

I wish I was updating more, but quite honestly I dont have a lot to say. I'm not working right now so my days are spent crafting, and watching TV. I feel super lame, but I'm trying to enjoy myself while I can, as I know once work starts I won't have time like this again.

Grinds My Gears

Inappropriate facebook updates

I feel like people use facebook as a personal diary a lot of the time. They share things with the world to see, and don't realize some of it may be inappropriate. I understand lots of times people might have a limited profile, but you have to realize once you put something on the internet, no matter how private you think it is, it's still out there.

Books/TV/Movies

Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On!: What Southern Mamas Tell Their Daughters that the Rest of Y'all Should Know Too

This book is in the self help section of barnes and noble, which is definitely mismarked. It's a great book about all the things that our moms have tried to instill in us. It's complete with recipes, mannerisms, and great sayings that (should) apply to everyone. I highly recommend it.

Be Good and Don't Do Drugs

When I went to college it was a big change for my family. My little sister was only 10 and my younger brother was 15. We had all spent our whole lives together, and I was about to break up the dynamic forever. That first year in college was great for me, but I know my siblings had a hard time of it, my brother more than my sister. He ans I had been playmates throughout all of childhood. My sister and I loved each other very much, but we had never gone to school together, or played together really because of the difference in our ages.
My brother made sure to call me at least a few times a week. He would be angry when i didn't return his calls. Actually, to this day that is true. We chat on the phone often about life, love, happiness, careers, etc. I do my best to give him the best advice that I can. At some point in my freshman year, I started to end my calls with "be good and don't do drugs". For some reason we both found this highly amusing. From then on out, he won't hang up the phone with me unless I tell him to "be good and don't do drugs". Today is his 24th birthday. I can't believe my little brother is all grown up, and for that matter my little sister. She turned 19 yesterday (yes, they have birthdays one day apart). Time has flown so quickly since my freshman year of college. I (obviously) still love them both very much, and we continue to remain close to this day.
So today, after my call with my little sister (which was very gossip/boy filled). I called my brother to tease him, wise him a happy birthday, and tell him to be good, and don't do drugs.

The Weekend of Gluttony

I really don't think I could have ingested any more junk into my body this weekend.
Let's recap:

Thursday Night/ NYE

On NYE I had dinner with friends. I had a great time, it was a fancy "grown up dinner". We all got dressed up and the gentleman folk even wore tuxes. This was by far the healthiest meal I had all weekend. I was prime rib, corn and cream spinach. It was deliciously yummy. After dinner I made my way to a house party in Clarendon to ring in the New Year. I had a blast, but they had all sorts of yummy bad for you foods. I was super full from dinner, but I couldn't resist trying some of the desserts. Mini eclairs are one of my all time favorite desserts ever. I sat next to a bowl of them, major mistake. I also had quite a few hand fulls of chex mix, a couple glasses of champagne, and the most delicious tiramisu cake from whole foods. If you like tiramasu you MUST try this cake a some point, it was divine.

New Years Day/ Friday

I headed over to the same friends house that I had been at for dinner (Annie and Frank). They invited me over for a day long marathon of gluttony and binge drinking. Other friends were over as well. We spent the day eating chips, queso, sour cream dip, pizza, tamales (my contribution), candy and drinking copious amounts of booze. I had a nice little buzz going by the time I passed out on their sofa for the night.

Saturday

Saturday was awesome, I had already had 2 weekend days, and I was still in store for 2 more. A group of us decided on a costco lunch. If you've never had lunch at costco, you should. I had a hotdog, a coke heavy, and half a churro all for $2.50. It was AWESOME. After costco lunch we decided to all go to the movies. The ladies in the party decided to kill some time before the movie at Marshalls while the fellas headed over to Best Buy.
***I'll take a 30 second time out here to say that I cannot count how many times I have done this. The pentagon city best buy is across from the Marshalls. Once upon a time my ex boyfriend convinced me to go to best buy with him, "real quick". Two and a half hours later, we were still there. From then on out, whenever I went to best buy with him I knew that I should plan on spending time at Marshalls as I was look at at least an hour long excursion.***
After my time in Marshalls a group of 5 of us went to the movies. we saw 3 movies among 5 people. The fellas opted for Sherlock Holmes, the other ladies saw "It's Complicated" and I FINALLY saw "The Princess Frog". After the movie we all headed back to Annie and Frank's apartment at which point we ordered Chipolte and stuffed ourselves. After Chipolte I finally went home. Once I got home I decided to go to bed... until my roomie sent me a text. Her dad had bought her a cheesecake, and she offered me some. I went upstairs, had a slice and stayed up till 3am watching House.

Sunday

Sunday was totally the day I was looking forward to all weekend.
Sunday is football.
I headed to cgrill where I had a burger and fries, and I cashed in on my bet with rob, the bartender. I bet him 2 drinks that the Cowboys would sweep the redskins this season. We did, and he paid up. My game was at 4, and Cgrill was closing after the 1pm games for a company party, so I headed over to hard times. There, Annie, Dan and I split a pitcher of beer and fried macaroni bites. I came home after a kickass Cowboy win and had the rest of my box of raisinettes (from Saturdays movie). Now I'm sitting here fuller that I have been in a very long time.

Books/TV/ Movies

Boys will be Boys

I have been hawking this book all weekend. I LOVED it. It's all about the Dallas Cowboys of the early 90's. Dallas fans will love the inside look into the winning franchise, and Dallas haters will add fuel to their fire when they read about the lifestyle the players led. Literally every chapter makes reference to crazy hookers and blow. It's a phenomenal book and I highly recommend!

Grinds My Gears

Dumb Girls

I'm am fine if you know absolutely nothing about football. I really am. It's not a game for everyone. As a matter of fact, I know very little about basketball, aside form the very basic rules of the game. HOWEVER, girls who parade around bars with their boyfriends, talking on their phones about the latest gossip, sporting the pink version of a players jersey, all during week 17 of the NFL regular season PISS ME OFF. Please, please stay at home dumb girls. I'm really enthralled with what is going on in the game, and I have no need to hear you talk about "jenny's new boyfriend", Or listen as you ask your boyfriend to explain every single play to you after it's been played, or worse yet, WHILE it is being played. Please buy "Football for Dummies", or better yet, take some "me" time while your boyfriend is watching the game, cause you really grind my gears.