congrats are in order...

part one - jay mentioned this on his blog, my first congrats goes to dan and steph. cheers to the happily engaged couple, who are some of our dearest friends! can't wait for the wedding...

i used the same pic as jay b/c this shows them posed and not trying to be silly...and that is rare

most of the time we are all more like this, a bunch of dorks - we have a lot of fun together!

part two - to my pal, lee. after years of hard work and preperation, lee has accepted a very exciting position with the dallas theater center. i am so proud of him and i know he is excited - so read the article to hear more on his news. fellow former a-towner and current dallas-ite, you make us proud.

an answer to our prayers!

last may, many of you may have read here on the ol' blog about a not-so-fun report we got on the dogs' annual trip to the vet.  the doctor felt that she was detecting a heart murmur in norman and felt that it might be serious.  she told us to watch for any signs of weakness, growing tired easily, or uncomfortable-ness in norman.  well a year later, norman has been nothing but a big ball of happy, tail-wagging, loving, entertainment...if you know norm you know he is a charmer and loves all he meets.  he has remained my steadfast running partner and snuggle-buddy...

today we went in again for their annual visit with a lot of inner fear --- only to find that the doctor could not find any detection of the murmur!  it seems that norman is a healthy, floppy, 2-year old little guy!!!  i don't know if he outgrew the murmur or it has just faded, but as far as i am concerned it is a miracle and i thank God for sending it to our sweet pup!  thank you all so much for you prayers and love for little normie.  my heart is so happy to have a good report on both our dogs health (of course mckenzie is in perfect health, she is such a trooper, all 3 pounds of her!).  they are our babies in this family and we love them so very much.   

kid rock fan club, consider me your newest member

last night, via invitation from our guest-listed friends, doug and kelly, i attended my first kid rock show. this was actually a part of a promo for this year's 50th grammy awards ceremony, but for me, it was a kid rock show in a tiny venue (compared to his normal tours). the granada is a favorite concert venue of mine, small and intimate. i was mildly excited about the show beforehand - i like kid rock, he has some fun songs, but i would never have labeled myself a "fan." early on i was rolling my eyes at most of the crowd, feeling like i was at a nascar race more than a show at the granada - basically i was being a snob.

it took about ten seconds for those feelings to wear off. i am very suprised to be saying this, but like an easily persuaded child, last night i became an instant fan of kid rock. that was the most fun i have had in a very long time and definitely the most fun i have had at a concert in years (all U2 shows are held aside for obvious reasons). kid rock is an entertainer and i can't believe i am saying this, but he is also an incredible musician. that man is a ROCK STAR! i'm totally on board next time he goes on tour. sign me up for the fan club!!!

lets go stars!

jay and i have the luck of not only receiving stars tickets from both of our generous employers, but also having a friend in ticket sales for the stars that has ensured our attendance at all the playoff games thus far.  we have had a great time cheering them on...there is something about hockey that is so much more exciting in person and especially during the playoffs!!  thanks, dan and go stars!!!!!

sports, sports, and birthdays...

yesterday we attended a 4pm ranger victory (they won their double header - wow!!!) as well as the greatest mavericks game i have ever seen (live, at least - go mavs!).  

tonight, we were pooped.  we decided to have a nice dinner at hibiscus, and then took the pups out for norman's b-day and a little dessert.  yes, normie turned 2 today.  such a sweet little guy. life is good.

happy mav girls

the crowd was ELECTRIC!

jay enjoyed the complimentary "clapper"

the birthday mom with her 2 year old boy!  happy b-day norm!

mckenzie is tired from all this birthday party-ing

opening day

the rangers are a staple in my life - and their opening day is a necessity. i love baseball and nothing beats opening day!!! in order to leave work early, i did a little business with clients and also had a little fun with my old friends.  although the rangers could not pull out a win, we had a good time...

hey batta batta...

steph and me

zac

zac was a guy so full of life - i can think back to his days leading our high school drumline, all the girls drooling over his great smile, the ease about which he carried himself, and his amazing musical talents. even as he battled his cancer, we all watched him remain so incredibly strong. it seemed that he never wanted to miss a moment of life. zac was a great friend to us all and he will be missed. he struggled long and hard with his illness and he is now at peace. god bless you, zac.

www.zacgalaviz.com

help light the katy trail

dallas friends, you all gotta love that little dose of outdoors that we call the katy trail. the friends of the katy trail organization has already begun installing lights up and down all 3.5 miles to help keep all of us safe as we use the trail, but they need some additional private funds in order to complete the project. please click here to read more about the project and donate - please remember that every little bit helps!

i want to go sphering in my new zorb

the above phrase would have meant nothing to me a year ago. have you seen a zorb? essentially it is a soft, plastic, hamster-ball-like ball for humans. i've seen these on a few tv shows and most recently, the water-filled zorbs on the toyota commercial. i could totally get into this...especially the water-filled one, rolling down a hill while whirling around inside - it would be like the ultimate waterslide.

it sounds like the easiest and most cost efficient way to do this is to rent one or go to a place set up for zorbing. i don't believe it has totally caught on in the united states, but i know there is a spot in tennessee to go. road trip, anyone? target has a "gigiball" but i somehow envision this would not be the same. if anyone knows of an area near big D to go and take a zydro ride (water-zorbing), please let me know!