Sundance and Kerri

This is the first time in 5 years that Kerri and I haven't been to the Sundance Film Festival. Last year we decided it would be the last year because of the scene. It has changed so drastically over the years that getting tickets is close to impossible, the nightly rental rate is well over $400 and with all the SWAG rooms and private parties it is difficult for any “normal” person to enjoy what was originally intended. I’m sorry but when I see Paris Hilton and Perez Hilton in the same day nothing about your festival is “independent” any longer.

We started going when Kerri first moved to Salt Lake City for Scott’s job. Being that they are not Mormon…life was lonely for her the first year. After several calls, I decided she needed a visitor. I happened to go during Sundance, but had no clue really what it was all about. Back then you could just go get in line for a movie and get a ticket, and that's exactly what we did. It became our January tradition. So many memories have been a part of that trip. Some years we took lots of girlfriends along, and other years it was just she and I.


Times have changed, and now almost everyone is married and has or is expecting children, we have all moved further away and all of this makes it harder for the annual event to continue. I figured I would post some of my favorite moments as a tribute to the last 5 years, and to Kerri before her first baby arrives any day now.



1.Kerri, Annie, and Erin in the bathroom with Paris and Nikki Hilton, and then telling the local news that they “Pottied with the Hiltons”

2.Hung-over Colleen harassing poor Peter Scarsgard in the lobby with her banana and raccoon mascara eyes telling him how “amazing” he was in Garden State.

3.Jill being stuck in the limo with Kato Kalin and then trapped at a producer’s party all night because no cabs come in Park City after 1am.

4.My drunken ass throwing coconut shrimp leftovers at Ashton Kutcher as he ran down the red carpet. (see picture below..this was right after I threw them)

5.All of us staring at a pimp and his hookers at a party and someone asking them if they had taken all the lip gloss in Utah. None of us had seen Hollywood style hookers. I just thought they were underdressed models.

6.Standing front row with the AP photographers for a private Nelly concert, and being asked to move over so that P-diddy and his entourage could sip Crystal at the table next to us. When he left he gave us the bottles!

7.Jill flirting with the gate keeper at Eccles Theater by telling him that she also knows “Paco” (someone we figured out you had to know to get in)….he believed her until a part of her story didn’t add up but gave us tickets anyway because of her Oscar worthy performance.

8.Erin yelling Tyra?, then yelling Naomi?...and again when met with a questioning glance IMAN finally turned and said “it’s Iman you idiot”. Classic.


9.Kerri calling out to Adrian Brody while he interviewed with ET “We love you Adrian”, he stopped his interview, yelled back “I love you too”, and proceeded to come down the carpet to give us kisses and pose for photos.


10.Me falling down the stairs in a theater as we were all running to get seats. It was because my uggs were a size too big! I slammed into the wall and my entire purse spilled down the stairs. That fall coined the phrase “man down” and Colleen ran right by me yelling for everyone to save themselves.



Goodbye Sundance. Thanks for the years of fantastic good times!

Tagged

I was tagged by Elizabeth, and as she is one of my only blogging friends I figured I owed her :)

1. Ten years ago: I was counting down the days until I turned 21! Seriously...there were only 20 days to go. I was living in San Jose, and had just started dating a person that would change my life forever...and not necessarily in a great way.

2.5 things to do on my to-do list: a) drop off my dry cleaning, b) start working on my taxes, c) address "save the date" cards, d) go to the gym, and e) figure out what the heck I want this wedding to look like.

3.Snacks I enjoy: starbucks, almonds, tangerines, jello snacks and flour tortillas.

4.3 bad habits: Not balancing my checkbook (same as Elizabeth), picking at my nails, and bossing people around.

5. If I suddenly became a billionaire: I would pay off the house, car, credit cards etc. Take a long vacation with Chris, give our parents a dream trip and siblings something special. I would put the rest in an interest bearing account and volunteer for the rest of my life.

6. Places I've lived: Granite Bay, Nevada City, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Dallas.

7. Jobs I've had: Good lord this could be a blog in itself. Let's see lifeguard, nanny, waitress, HR Intern/specialist/generalist/recruiter...now manager.

8. Things people don't know about me: a) I am a terrible liar. Always have been always will be. So 99.9% of the time I don't bother with even white little ones, though I probably should. People don't seem to like my Dr Phil "get real" tactics. b) I sometimes speak in only movie lines. c) I am terrified that I will be a terrible wife. d) I fall a lot, for absolutely no reason.

West Shore

Destination wedding, say it with me...

After some talk Chris decided to "let me" have the wedding somewhere else. I chose Lake Tahoe. I grew up nearby and it's a place my family frequents. Sometimes we would go just for pizza dinner. It's special to us. In addition no one I know from TX has been! So the bonus is they will all see someplace new as well.

My mom and I spent an entire day driving around the lake looking at all the various locations, beaches, piers, houses, resorts, golf courses...you name it we saw it. It was a long day and I was loosing hope that I would find just the right place. Our last stop was an Inn I hadn't seen in years. It used to be this run down rustic chalet, but it had been demo'd and reconstructed. I took one look and knew it was the place.




Every aspect is what I was looking for. It is intimate with great food and an amazing view and location.




They have much better pictures on the site if you're interested. So that is one decision down...1 million to go :)

West Shore Cafe

Engaged Life

I have been engaged for exactly 4 weeks. 4 weeks people. In that time I have been told/asked the following:

1) Repeatedly told "being engaged is so much fun"
2) How is the planning?
3) Honeymoon baby?


1a) What the hell. Really? I think being engaged is this crazy state of limbo. You are planning the most expensive party of your life, trying to remain on a budget while attempting to justify that a photographer really is worth several thousand dollars, and at the same time trying to figure out the ROI on who we should keep on the invite list. No dice. I'm not buying that this "is so much fun".

*The guest list was really our only stress point because we are keeping it small. My rule is: if I haven't talked to you in a year, and you haven't met Chris you will not be on the list.

2a) Planning. I love a good party, really I do, and I love to plan. I try to have attention to detail on things but a wedding is an entirely different monster. The simpler you want it, the more detailed you have to be. It makes no sense. I really don't understand these women who need to take months off work or over a year to plan. Seriously? Pick a place, find a day and everything else can be done in 6 months or less. I understand wanting it to be "perfect" but setting that expectation will only cause unnecessary stress. And we all know I am not into that.

3a) Not even going to address it. Ridiculous. I know we’re at that age, but the dog is more than enough for a while.

Oh No Romo

Dallas is depressed this morning folks. People really can't believe the Cowboys lost. Tony and the boys played well, but not nearly well enough. Mexico vacation or not Romo doesn't seem to grasp that perception is everything. Poor Kid.

Perhaps next year boys...

June Jones

June is coming to SMU!!! I am so SO SO excited. Go Ponies!!! We might actually win a few games now; hell I might actually go see a few. I love June Jones and can't wait for the home opener in 08.

See you on the promenade. Time to Pony up folks...the answer to prayer has finally arrived.

NYE!

New Years Eve. Some people love it, many don't. I'm not really a fan. Regardless if one is single or coupled it rarely lives up to the hype. I just don't understand how $1000 bottle service, or standing in front of the AAC freezing your tush off is a good time.

This year we decided to have a party and wow...could I tell that I have entered that next age bracket. It was a fun evening where everyone was well behaved...literally no stories to tell. No one was running down the street nude, or passing out before midnight, or inappropriate what so ever. The highlights were that Jen was banned from the champagne, Kerri was almost in labor, Scott, Rob and Chris had colds and were loaded on meds, Robin rocked on Guitar hero, Mike and Tolu discussed the football disaster that is SMU, Christine was in need of poker coaching, and Elizabeth and Jennifer are directionally challenged and almost missed the countdown, and Allison was the official photographer of the evening...though I will probably not see the pics until this summer sometime. (love you but it’s true)

As I reflect on 2007 it was a big year, for all of us. Some are having babies, some changed jobs, some moved to a big city all on their own. It seems every year goes by faster than the last, and brings some sort of new adventure. I don’t always like it, but I’m along for the ride. Welcome 2008, let’s see what you’ve got planned!

Heinrich Holidays

It’s never truly Christmas with the family unless someone gets pissed or cries. It’s a double bonus if you manage to get both. There were 11 of us this year at the house for Christmas festivities. When you put 11 people in a confined area who are all buzzed on sugar and caffeine, and had to endure both a family photo session at the local gold mine and 2 insane little boys (my nephews), you get a weekend to remember. We all haven’t been together in years, and my parents were so excited that they prepared for weeks before our arrival. Our favorite foods were made, the rooms were ready, and all the renovations to the house had been completed (mostly). Having become engaged only a week earlier, the ring was the first thing everyone wanted to see. The reactions were classic.

Mom: “That is obscene”

Dad (to my mom): “Don’t get any ideas”

Sister: “It’s bigger than the last one” (always tactful)

I think my favorite moment this Christmas was my dad getting his big present. After all these years of my dad getting the shaft at Christmas, as dad’s so often do, we made his gift the focal point of the weekend. My mom took him to breakfast and to run a few errands while the rest of us scrambled to set up his new 50” TV and cable. Yes, we got my parents cable TV and a DVR for Christmas. They have had a basic antenna and the same 5 channels since I was born. When they would visit, my mom in particular, they would marvel at all the things one could watch on cable TV, and they have even called me, in Texas mind you, on occasion over the past year to have me Tivo shows for them. We decided enough was enough, and they needed to enter this century.
We worked like crazy elves to get the job done, finishing just in time for their return home. My dad was shocked. He loved it, and didn’t move much the rest of the vacation. He did, of course, continually mess with all the cables, but that’s par for the course with him. My only fear now is that I will become “tech support”. The season pass feature, setting favorite channel lists, and recording multiple channels at once might be a little over their heads right now, but I guess we’ll see.

Mine Shaft Saloon

For most, going home for Christmas is usually about 4 things: family, church, food and gifts. For me however, it’s also about the chance to see old friends again at whichever of my hometown’s very few bars we decide to visit. My personal favorite is the Mine Shaft Saloon. While usually a hangout for the local alcoholics, the holidays transform the Mine Shaft each year into a high school reunion for anyone 30 and under. Being that I am now 30, this was clearly my last year. Chris joined me, Rob (my brother), and Allison (his wife) on this year’s late night adventure. Also enjoying the festivities this year was our youngest brother, Allen, who turned 21 in December, and made it his wish to join us for a round of drinks. Well, that round turned into several rounds, and our saint of a mother ended up being called well past her bedtime to come pick up her 3 drunken children, one fiancé, and one daughter-in-law. It was a proud moment for her, but now I think she worries her children may have drinking problems. I simply refer to it during the holidays as “self medicating.”

(this is one of the many classic pieces of art on the walls of the mine shaft)

Gaino

I wanted to make mention that Chris's granddad died on Sunday. Even if you can see it coming, it's never easy to lose someone. They were very close, and having been in the exact same situation 2 years ago with my grandmother I am painfully familiar with how he feels. I was lucky enough to spend time with Gaino regularly over the past 3 years. He, and Chris's Grandmother are very special to me. I adored him and already miss him. He hung on until he was sure Chris was going to propose...and we were all able to say goodbye. I will always be grateful to him for helping raise Chris into the man that he is.

Cupcakes and Diamonds

Chris and I have a standing date night on Fridays. This past week I had a work party earlier in the evening so I had to meet him for dinner, and he had decided that before the holiday madness he wanted a nice quiet date. We went to my favorite Dallas steakhouse, Rick Steins, and they took us to a special booth. At that point my interest was peaked because the staff was very attentive. Once dinner was over the waitress asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu. I of course said yes. Chris however had other plans. He had a long week, and wanted to go and told me we had dessert we could eat at home that he had picked up. I was a bit disappointed because I love a good creme brulee.

We headed home (in separate cars) and when I pulled into the driveway he was at the front door. I figured he had just pulled in and was waiting for me. I walked up, opened the door and there were roses and candles lit everywhere in the house. Apparently he had left work early, cleaned the house, gotten flowers and my sister in-law, and brother working behind the scenes. It looked amazing. When I walked in…I knew what was happening and of course I started to laugh and to cry.

There was a big box on the dining room table and he told me to open it. I could see the box was from my favorite bakery (Panini). Dessert!! I opened it up and written out in cupcakes were the words “I love you, will you….” I gasped, turned around and he was on one knee. He finished the question, and I said yes. It was just he and I…and it was perfect. We have some pictures but not many, and I have to add them later. The only picture I have is if the ring (see below). So be looking for bridezilla blogging over the next few months.

Type A as in Ass...

I have several wonderful, smart, funny and oh yes KNOCKOUT GEORGOUS single girlfriends. I hear them speak of the pathetic Dallas dating scene, and being a supportive friend I mingle out some evenings to check out this scene. Tuesday was one such evening. I met one of the above motioned out for a cocktail and appetizer when up walks "Fred". "Fred" asks if he can take the only remaining open seat at the bar (next to us) and we agree. He casually interrupts to ask questions and find out our stories. He's not old, he's not ugly, he's not an idiot, and he's not poor...he might have potential.

As the evening progresses we move from the bar to the dining room at his invitation. This is where he begins his downward spiral of having a chance with anyone I know. He had a tantrum that we were placed at a table in the middle of the dining room and not a booth. He asked everyone to move us, and I mean everyone who came by for the entire 3 min we were at the table before moving to a booth. Strike 1.

"Fred" moves to the wine list...where he tells us about his undergrad experience in Italy and how he developed his fondness for certain wine while living there. Great, he's cultured...right? Well he also clearly wants us to know how much he is spending on wine, and for us to "experience" it because obviously we as women could never afford it on our own. Strike 2.

We move into dinner, and it was delicious and the wine was amazing. The only real issue is that he talked a lot about himself, and of course money. Usually in Dallas this is a clear sign of a liar...it is the land of men on overextended credit pretending to be things they are not. However I am very familiar with his company, and have connections to that family so I’m aware of the money he probably makes, and he wasn’t lying. He discussed private schools, charity events, hand made suits, college and graduate degrees, his triple Type A personality. We even heard the sad tale of how disappointed he was in moving from the 7 series to the Rover. Excellent. The plight of an upper class educated white guy. Let’s not even get into the fact that he told her she was well groomed, and checked to see if her hands/nails were well kept. Strike 3.

Unfortunately the final nail in the coffin was at the end of the evening...he helped my friend on with her jacket and also moved her hair. Warning to guys: NEVER touch a woman's hair that you are not involved with...ever. It's an intimate gesture and usually unwelcome.

We politely thanked him for dinner and wished him well. I'm sure his ego was not bruised, and told himself that clearly we don't recognize what an amazing catch he is.

Space Party

This past weekend we had a dinner party with some good friends and it was themed "a few favorite things". My Brother and his wife were actually the main hosts, we just supplied the house. We dined on Raclette (look it up) it's a cheese dish from Europe and has been a favorite tradition in our house for over 15 years. We decided to share the experience with some new friends in Dallas. It was a very big hit. I also have to give kudos to my baby bro for dessert. It was Paula Dean's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding...it tasted like a churro on crack. It was amazing. Too bad that in the morning you feel like all your teeth are going to fall out from the sugar.

Another of our favorite things is a new one. It's a game called guitar hero. I'm no gamer, but I'm totally hooked. We set it up on one room, and the Big 12 championship game in the other and we all just moved around. If you haven't played this game I insist you come over to my house ASAP. SOS comes in here. The Police song "message in a bottle" must have been played 15 times that night and I still find myself singing it 3 days later. We were all rock stars.

Top 5 outbursts of the night:

1. "I'm so down for your space party, Britters is there!"
2. "Stop counting Bitch"
3. R" That red wine is going to ruin your palette for dinner"
B's response" Dude, this palette just wants to get drunk"
4. "I prefer mine semi-firm"...the cheese that is
5. "Can you not suck on your napkin at the table please?"

That party is now one of my favorite things.

Tis the season of thanks so I thought I would post a few things I am thankful for and other Thanksgiving memories.

Growing up we lived about 3 hours from my grandparents and the rest of the family, so Thanksgiving morning we would all pack in the minivan and start the road trip. It was usually a 24 hour thing…sometimes less. I'm the oldest of 4 children and the younger 2 are more of a challenge. As you can imagine the ride was never dull, and required assigned seating. The younger 2 had to be within swatting distance of my parents and thus got the center seat. It also allowed the 2nd child (my brother Rob) to torture my sister from our safe place in the far back. I still have no idea how my parents made these drives while sober, other than its the law…this was during a time when there were no DVD players in the car, no separate headphone portals etc. We all had to ride…and talk.
Once arriving at our destination we would spend time with the rest of the family, eat and then pile back into the minivan for the ride home. My dad never liked for my mom to start playing Christmas music until AFTER Thanksgiving. So the entire ride home we were tortured with various sounds of the season and she would try to get us to sing along. One particular CD still haunts us. If we don’t make it home, they call us and play it into the phone…if we’re in Hawaii that week…they bring it along and play…it follows us. The song has turned into a long running family joke that I think will be 16 years old this week.


I will not be with them for Thanksgiving this year as I now share holidays with the person and family I share my life with. I do however anticipate a phone call, with a certain song in the background and the familiar sound of family. I can honestly say I am looking forward to it.



I am thankful for those hours in the car where my family grew close, and created memories I will always have. I am thankful for that ridiculous CD because it holds those memories. I am thankful that I have always been and will always be loved. I am grateful for friends, health, and finding happiness and joy in the journey, and of course…family. I love you all!
Meg

American Music Awards

Did anyone else see the award show last night??
Ok well it wasn't half bad, but I have one issue to address.

Question: Is it ever a good idea for a country artist to do a contemporary song?
* Think of Alabama singing the N'Sync song "God must have spent a little more time on you" TRAGIC. Or how about Jack Ingram doing "Lips of an angel" by Hinder? Again I find myself screaming at the radio if I can't change the station fast enough.



So I had the feeling of a train wreck while watching Sugarland and Beyonce sing "Irreplaceable". All I could hear was the country twang singing "to the left, to the left". Critics this morning were saying it was a highlight of the show. Really? Are you kidding me? I love Sugarland, and anyone who's heard their song "Stay" knows they are talented. It's amazing. I also love country. I just don't like it when country goes a little too far in an effort to be hip or mainstream. STAY in your genre. I say this with love.

I also want to say to Jennifer Nettles: What did you do to your hair? Who keeps allowing you to wear these high waist pants and terrible accessories? Girl you know better than that!

Carolina Weekend

This past weekend I went to visit my best friend in Charlotte North Carolina. Seeing her is a highlight of mine that usually only happens once a year. I'm not a shy creature, but when my family moved the week before 8th grade I was terrified. I had to start at the new school and was worried to death that people wouldn’t want to be my friend. On the 1st day of school in the 1st class a very nice girl invited me to sit at her table. I was so relieved. That was 18 years ago, and her name was Colleen.



She took me to an annual party hosted by one of her dear friends and I had no idea what I was in for. By the time we got to the party everyone else was long into the liquor and rather than having a name they all would just yell “Texas” when they were trying to get my attention. Yes folks…I was known as “Texas” for the evening. It was quite the crew and it was nice to finally meet some of the people that are a big part of her life out there.



The road trip was to a place in NC called Blowing Rock up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It reminds both her and me of our home town (Nevada City, CA). The kind of town with one main street, cute shops, a diner, and lots of locals and tourists just hanging out. Fall was in full swing with the trees in amazing colors, and cold crisp air. We had to get ice cream at Kilwin’s because it is hand made, along with all the chocolate and fudge.



Our Rock Star weekend involved eating, drinking, karaoke, Carolina BBQ, a road trip, a head injury, and standing late night around a burn barrel in 35 degree weather. As usual it was filled with memories, lots of laughing, a little crying, and leaving with the notion that life would not be as fun without her.

Aggie Land

This post is from an experience a few weeks back actually. I kept waiting for pics from friends we went with, but I won’t see those anytime soon. Before we get started I must give a disclaimer. I LOVE UT; I have followed the Texas Longhorns since long before I moved to this state. Just keep that in mind.

I went to a Texas A&M game a few weeks back, against Kansas. Chris LOVES this team and our friends Kristy and Brandon invited us to join them. Brandon is a UT fan like me, but Kristy and Chris are A&M tried and true. Normally in Texas this can cause problems but being that only Kristy attended one of the schools mentioned…we can all manage to get along in spite of the differing opinions. A big THANK YOU to them for inviting us along, the day was a blast.

For me this trip was a lot of firsts that I never thought I would do. I never thought I would:
1. Go to College Station (People who know me, know why. I nearly got hives!)
2. Set foot at Texas A&M
3. Actually enjoy it.

I’ve never been to a game with that many people, there were 85 thousand plus in the stadium! Our seats were in an area called “the zone” and it was loud. This school has all kinds of secret stuff going on from grass you can’t walk on, to a dog you have to talk to a certain way, songs and cheers, and military stuff. That said I was very impressed by the Aggie marching band. People that love this school have been a facination of mine so it was an experience. I really enjoyed the entire day even though the Aggies put on a disgraceful display of athletic ability. I had more fun watching the people than anything else. From the yell leaders to the core and the enormous scoreboard it was a college game day experience that I will never forget.

As a side note: I don’t do well with rules, especially ones that are like orders. I would never have survived all the rituals and traditions, and definitely not gold jewelry.

It's here!!!

It is officially my favorite time of the year...starting today. You see I can't really even begin to describe how the red starbucks cup affects me. Yes I know I can order peppermint mocha's anytime of the year, but I refuse. I only order this during the red cup season. I have pictures of myself with the red cup in Hawaii, Tahoe, San Diego, Texas...this marketing strategy completely hooked me. This year I already asked last week when it was coming. Well folks...today is the day. It's Red Cup time!

Baby on Board (not mine!!)

Some of my dearest friends Kerri and Scott are having a baby...a baby boy. He is scheduled to arrive in early Feb. I have known them since college, in fact we were all roommates’ so it's almost like I am having a baby with them. Almost. When I heard the news I was so thrilled for them. Needless to say I have watched them throw themselves into every baby/parent/hospital/prenatal yoga/water aerobics, and scrabbooking class in order to prepare and document this life changing event. I also decided to host a couple’s baby shower. That took place this past weekend as well.

(Is anyone noticing the last weekend was INSANE?) Back to the shower.

It was a beautiful and fun afternoon at our place with Scott and Kerri's Dallas friends. I have to say a BIG thank you to Heather and Chris Shahan both for the games/art project contributions as well as comedic timing. I would have been lost without them.

We had "mini" foods, and played dirty diaper and name games, and even managed some modern art! It was fun to see all us non-parents guess baby foods, or try to figure out some of these baby items. Who knew that you should clip a baby's nails while they are sleeping??

In all I think Baby Butler has some great gifts to start his journey, and wonderful parents. I can't wait to meet your new addition Kerri and Scott!

Ms Worley

Again another friend I met at the first and very short lived job here in Dallas. Jen was/is in HR and we bond over our tragic career choice of listening to whiners all day. We celebrated her birthday this past weekend as well.


Last year we went big for Jen's 30 and headed to San Francisco for a weekend we still love talking about. This year she wanted something more low key. Jen is loved by all, so can we say reservations for 20 please??



Jen actually celebrated all weekend, but Sunday morning brunch with us. The time change helped most people we know actually arrive on time! Matitos was voted the best brunch in Dallas and we now know why. From the bottomless mimosas to the chocolate fountain it was delicious.




Jen...my TRUE, Boot camp, champagne intolerant, Boo loving friend. I can't imagine the last 3 years without you. In true golden girl’s cheesiness..."thank you for being a friend"...sing a long now!