I updated my Flickr account with lots of new pictures, check it out!

http://flickr.com/photos/94713784@N00/sets/

I had a really nice birthday weekend last week, thanks to everyone who sent cards, and called. My parents came up for a visit, and we had a really great time, we also had a fabulous dinner at Melting Pot. Fondue might be cheesy (pardon the pun) but it really was pretty tasty.

My family survived the hurricane, although it seems there was some damage to the fence and their landscaping. They were without power for quite a while, but everyone came through just fine. I think downtown Houston had some flooding, and windows blown out. But there’s really nothing that can’t be fixed.

This week Josh is out of town at a conference all weekend, and I’m wondering exactly how lonely I’m going to be without him. I’m keeping myself busy with some projects around the apartment, and of course there’s shopping…I’m going to Dallas this weekend, so I should have plenty of time to think about what I’m going to wear. Nothing much else is going on this weekend, just more of the same, and that’s not saying much. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of nice things to say after my trip to Dallas next weekend, but until then, it will just be me.

So it’s September again, my birthday is sooner than I’d like to admit, and the holidays are just around the corner. This time of year always seems to gang up on me so quickily, but I guess by now I should expect it. I’ve already started Christmas shopping (I’m determined to spread it out this year) and my boss is already muttering to himself about tax season again.

This year I think I’m bummed about my birthday because Josh is still being reluctant on one subject in particular. I just really thought we’d be engaged by now, but sadly I don’t think that’s going to be happening anytime soon. I’m not really in any rush, but I just think that it’s time. I want to know the secret technique all my other married girlfriends used on their boyfriends. There must be something I haven’t thought of yet. Oh well.

Over Labor Day weekend we helped Josh’s parents move into their new house. It really is a beautiful house, and I can’t wait to see it when it’s decorated and feels more like home. I would love to have a house exactly like that, but that kind of house would cost a fortune in Austin. In fact, all houses cost a fortune in Austin. We got to have dinner with both our families over the weekend, and it was nice to spend some time at home, even though my parents are coming to visit this weekend.

My diet is going well, I’ve so far lost 6 pounds in just over two weeks. I’ve moved onto the second phase of the SB diet, and have realized I’ve developed a fear of carbs. I spent two weeks totally eliminating them from my diet, and now all of a sudden I’m allowed to start eating whole wheat wraps, brown rice and fruit. I’m incorporating things slowly, and trying to only eat 1 or two servings of carbs a day. I haven’t started eating fruit yet, but I will probably do that next weekend. I earned my five pound reward of some beautiful pink roses and I am determined to get my 60 minute massage reward as soon as possible. My poor shoulders could really use it!

I haven’t really been working out as much as I should be, and I know if I did I’d probably lose weight a little faster, but I have been so busy after work, I hardly have a minute to myself. Hopefully that will change soon. I feel like I don’t really get to sit down until 8 o’clock, and by then Josh has parked himself in front of the TV watching some generic legal/crime show. I’d like to use the WiiFit or the pilates videos I have loaded onto my netflix box, but I’d have to do that right after I got home in order to have enough time. I have to make it a priority, but there are so many other things that need my attention, and since I don’t get any help at all I have to make sure the household chores are taken care of and that certainly takes up the majority of my free time. Someone really needs to invent a way to either make dirt and dust disappear automatically or give me about 3 extra hours in a day.