Gosh, time flies when you have a life (something I haven't been used to)!  Life has definitely picked up in the last 6 months.  As y'all know, after Bennett came home in March we've been having a lovely time: a week in upstate NY, three weeks in Europe, cruise to Grand Cayman and Mexico, Foof & Wine Fest @ EPCOT, Marine Corps Ball....and the list goes on.  Also, as some of you may not have known, I started CULINARY SCHOOL in October!!!  It's fabulous nd I loooove it!  I've found my calling.   I still work at the wine bar, but quit my rec center job in August.  I now also work at a well-known and established restaurant on 4th St. (which will remain nameless, my stalker friends...unless you've seen my myspace page, lol)

Anyway, life is definitely very fast-paced right now and I'm loving every minute of it.  My other feats as of recently include doing the entire Thanksgiving dinner for my family (and rockin' it) and I'm planning my Christmas feast and possible cocktail party.  I've also been getting offers for work from a few local caterers (I'm trying to figure out wheat culinary direction to take professionally) so I'm gonna see how that goes.

 If I don't write before the rest of the upcoming holidays, I wish you all the health, wealth, happiness, good friends and good times!  That's all for now!

I totally forgot to mention in my last, super short update post: TIFFANY IS GETTING MARRIED!!! I'm so excited with girly wedding-crazed giddiness! :-D And I'm so happy for her because her man (Jacob) is so wonderful to her...and I approve of this one. ;-) And, guess who gets the prestigious role of Maid of Honor? *drumroll* MOI! Yes, yours truly gets to get her hands dirty in the madness that is a wedding (gladly helping out but thanking God that it's not me...yet ) AND get to throw the fabulous bridal shower and bachelorette party!!!  The wedding is set for July (place is booked) so stay tuned for fun updates!

You Will Be a Modern Bride!

While you aren't ready to throw away all wedding tradions, you want a wedding with a twist You're more inspired by celebrity weddings on E! than from bridal magazines Whether this means getting married on the beach barefoot or a mariachi band for the reception... Your wedding will be a blend of old and new - white dress cocktail, personalied vows, whatever suites you!!!

Keep Him :-)

This guy's got marriage on the brain - and should propose soon... That is, if you play your cards right. Keep doing what you're doing. Marriage material guy doesn't like drama - or hot today, cold tomorrow relationships. So keep it flowing peacefully, and you'll capture his heart. How to make sure you're ready: Make sure that you love marriage minded guy because he's a fantastic catch - not because he's eager to walk down the aisle.

That's right, my hot piece of delicious is finally back home!   We've been so busy doing stuff with his family and friends so we're both lacking in the sleep area, but things should be back to normal and running smoothly in no time.  It's just so surreal- it's like he never left, so things are just as they were before, well...a little better.  We did have all that crucial phone time which helped the relationship progress.  It's the physical part of the relationship we're catching up on now.

Guess what else?  I have a social life now!!  Lol.  I've made new friends at the pub (where Bennett works again)- been able to charm people with my wit and sparkling personality (haha), gone to all sorts of fun places- the country club for lunch w/ his family, Cafe Alma for a lovely & romantic dinner (& a little too much wine, courtesy of Mr. B, of course ), getting blitzed off of a Cosmo at the Dish's bar, drinks at Limey's Pub, drinks at a trashy little sports bar in the Acres...a lot of drinking...can we see a pattern of corruption here?  Also thanks to Mr. B.  (Hey, I'm 21 now, It's about time I get some quality drinking in, lol)  Oh yeah, and we're also going to the Grand Prix races next weekend downtown!  I've got it all now- a life, a love, and a good plan for the near future.  I'm set.

You Are Corona

You don't drink for the love of beer. You drink to get drunk. You prefer a very light, very smooth beer. A beer that's hardly a beer at all. And while you make not like the taste of beer, you like the feeling of being drunk. You drink early and often. Sometimes with friends. Sometimes alone. All the party needs is you!

It's finally that one month of the year where it's bearable to live in Florida: it's sunny, breezy and slightly warm.  But don't worry, give it a few weeks and it'll be hot as balls again.  I would go to the beach but it's crowded with spring breakers out there and I feel a bit out of place being the only female on the beach without a tanning bed glow- kinda defeats the purpose of the beach, huh?.  Why is looking like a giant walking hot dog considered sexy?  I bet the future wrinkles and possible skin cancer will sexy too.   But I don't have to worry anymore about having a fake tan to look sexy, so I can use my looks instead of my brain and sparkling personality to attract guys, because I've already duped one and roped him in, lol.  And, guess what?  He's coming home this week!!!   I took that whole day off work and the following morning, of course.

In other news, Kristen's 21st birthday was yesterday so we partied for the last 2 nights.  But our definition of partying is going to some restaurant and using our power of being 21 to buy a drink, then going back to Kristen's house and playing Disney Scene It whilst the real drunkies are in the other room, dancing wildly to music only a gay man could appreciate (and us).  Oh, and I'm in bed by 2 usually, seeing as I'm not tough enough to stay up any later (need I mention that my nickname is "Grandma"?).  

Oh, also: I ran into two exes on Friday and, luckily, I was looking pretty fabulous (in my green shirt that gives me the illusion of having boobs).  I've been so good and a reformed 'serial dater' for so long now (a year-ish) that I'd forgotten that I dated half of the guys over the age of consent in this county.  We're, like, the second or third most poulated county in the state- you do the math.

I think that's it for now.  I'll have a social life again starting this week, so there should be lots to post about in the near future!

iPod Pick: "Just Like Heaven"- Katie Melua

Eh, not a whole lot to talk about this blog; just figured I should update and give the people who actually do check out my blog regularly (surprisingly) somet hing to read.  Actaully, I've gotten over 2800 hits since the first of the year- not bad considering I thought no one ever read this, lol.

The ghost hunt didn't turn up any good results this time, I think it was because we had 10 people there so there was too much of our energy to notice any of theirs.  The wedding on Saturday was fun and I actually approved of the bride's choice of dress for herself and her bridesmaids (for once).  I actually didn't laugh or cry at this one, it was just nice and simple- no b.s., (for once, haha).  I knew virtually no one there and everyone at the after party (especially the bitchier crowd of the females) was wondering who the heck I was.  Hey, at least the bride and groom and their parents knew me and I'm good friends w/ the best man (my boyfriend's older brother).  I wasn't a total crasher, lol.  Overall, it was a fun time to be had by all. :-D

Other than that, nothing else major to report.  Oh, except for the fact that my stud of a boyfriend is coming home in just a few short weeks!!  I'm so excited- I'll have my life back!!!  I'm not saying that my life revolves around him, it's just that I have more of a social life when he's here b/c we go out and do fun stuff that my friends here never want to do and I get to socialize with an older crowd.  So, yeah, that's the fun for my month. :-)

 To fill up space (and reveal more of the inner-self of the Sphinx that is Katie), here are some stupid quizzes I decided to post:

You Are a Super Flirt

You love to flirt, so much so that it gets you in trouble. In almost any situation, you find yourself flirting - even when it's inappropriate. You tend to embrace all flirting styles too.. from coy to sexy to playful to serious. And if someone flirts back, you'll crank it up even more!

You Are A Professional Girlfriend!

You are the perfect girlfriend - big surprise! Heaven knows you've had enough practice. That's why you're a total pro. If there was an Emily Post of girlfriends, it would be you. You know how to act in every situation ... to make both you and your guy happy.

Your Love Life Secrets Are

-Looking back on your life, you will have a few true loves. -You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't? -You prefer a quirky, unique person to be your lover. You're easy going about who you're with, as long as they love you back. -In fights, you love to debate and defend yourself. You logic prevails - or at least you'd like to think so. -Getting over a break-up doesn't take long. Easy come, easy go.

I usually am not into Valentine's Day, romantically-speaking, seeing as I've never had a particularly great one.  Don't think I'm plain cynical about it- it's fun to celebrate with my kids at work, but I think it's a holiday that's WAY too overcommercialized (even more so than Christmas), overpriced, and that people should treat their partners wonderfully every day. 

Anyway, getting to the point of my story, this was the first one that I was actually looking forward to and it was the most special one I've ever celebrated.  How, you ask, can you have had this GREAT Valentine's Day, when your honey is thousands of miles away and you didn't even get an expensive dinner out of it?!  Simple: it's all about the sentiment and emotion behind it, not the money spent; for me at  least, though I did get an expensive and gorgeous floral arrangement and an awesome gift basket.   And it's not just yesterday, it's every day that he treats me like a goddess. 

I just can't get over how lucky I am (sorry to gloat, but I must)- I feel like that lady in the ring commercial, I think it was, where she and her boyfriend or husband or whatev are in some square and he yells, "I love this woman!!!."  She gets kind of embarassed but says to herself, "I love this man, I love this man..."  I finally really get it.  That's so gonna be us in Venice or Rome this summer!   Yuck, I sound so sappy!   This coming from the gal whose nickname used to be "Ice Queen", lol.

I love you, Bennett; you've made me the happiest girl this side of Texas!

In other news, I am now a VERY busy little bee- I've taken on volunteering at the Holocaust Museum three days a week.  What has gotten into me?!   Add that to the full-time school schedule, working every day, and all the other little crap I do during the week.  And I even find time to bake!   It just makes time go by quicker, the sooner I get to see my Boo!