Sheep Guarding Llama

So Dan turns fifty today, on 13 Sept 13.  Quite an unlucky day for him 🙂

Normal morning at work.  A bit busy.  Melissa texted me early so that we could coordinate sneaking her and their kids into the office to surprise Dan near the end of the day with birthday cake like she did last year.

Took forever before we were able to go get lunch.  It was one thirty by the time that we got to Redneck.  And once we got there I was stuck on a call for half an hour or more standing outside in the blazing sun so the sweat was just running off of my head.  Not fun.  But the call went really well and was well justified.

We hung out with Chelsey and Katy as long as we could – had a few beers to celebrate Dan’s birthday but between getting out of the office really late, me having that call to cover and having to get back subtly so that we could surprise Dan with the cake.  He wanted to stay longer but I had to talk him into leaving so that we could make it back in time.

Got back to the office and did a bit of deployment work tonight.  Not horrible.  Then Melissa dropped in with Dan’s cake at four thirty.  Mason snuck into his cubicle and scared him which was pretty funny.

Got out of work around six thirty.  Came home and did a little work with Dominica and AJ before ordering pizza.  Nick arrived around seven thirty and I worked with him and AJ till around ten thirty.

At eleven Dan said that he wanted me to take him back to Redneck for his birthday celebration.  He had been wanting to really go out but we were both tired so wanted something low key.  It’s Friday night and the weather is nice so the patio at Redneck is perfect – especially as Stefany was on so we could visit and Morgan was there too.  I haven’t seen Morgan at work in months.  Of course, I don’t try to see her there since I see her several times a week anyway.

We stayed at Redneck till they kicked us out at a quarter after two.  Home and straight to bed. Dominica was long asleep by the time that I got back.

Thursday.  Today is AJ’s birthday but we celebrated last night.  His parents returned to New York early this morning so this is his first day “on his own” down here in Texas.  He went into the office instead of Dominica this morning which worked out really well so Dominica managed to stay home with the girls and we did not need Morgan to come to watch them.

This evening, not too long after I got home, AJ and I went down to Addison to join Watson who always goes out there for trivia night at the Lion and Crown Pub which sits right across the street from his apartment.  Addison has some amazing “real city” living.  I’m very jealous of the housing available there.  Get that city feeling while being just as far out as we are here.  It’s just such a nice location.  I miss city life.  Carrollton is nice but so suburban.  I really dislike having to drive for everything.

We got there at seven thirty, just in time for trivia night.  The three of us had a good time losing horribly.  The food and beer at the pub were excellent.  They tried to get AJ to try some beer but he just hates beer.  He only wants toasted almond cocktails which Dominica decided he would like – and he did.  Now he has one every night.

We were not out that late.  Probably no later than eleven, if even that late.

Slept okay last night, I tried some of Dominica’s overnight cold and sinus medication and that worked, allowing me to breath with the CPAP and actually sleep.  Still have a rough cold this morning as do Dominica and Liesl.  Luciana, thus far, has escaped the infestation.

I found out last night that my local bar, Redneck Heaven, is the set for the latest MTV reality television show “Big Tips Texas“.  It’s being filmed with three waitresses that I know from the bar along with many that I don’t.  Everyone thinks that I will be in it as that is my local bar but it is being filmed at the flashy new Arlington location of the chain, not the old backwater of the original location in Lewisville.  The show is all fake, though, so it’s not really interesting in any way.

It is very weird, though, that in just one week I found out that my friend Dasha has just finished filming her first major motion picture role that is set to release next year, three girls I know from Lewisville are now on an MTV reality television show that is likely going to be huge and Dominica’s friend Amanda from college, that I also know, was just selected for the hottest new television game show and is on her way to NYC for filming!  How bizarre.  Of course, we don’t have television so will see none of it, but very strange that we know so many people suddenly heading to movies or television.  I live in the midst of famous people suddenly.

Got into the office at a good time this morning.  Got a lot of posting done too.  Extremely tired today.  Could barely sit at my desk much of the day.

Came home and Dominica and I watched a huge chunk of the seventh season of Rules of Engagement with the girls on the couch.  We are both still very much under the weather from these colds and need rest.  We basically did nothing all evening until pretty late when AJ got back to the house from church, probably around ten with Ciana having just gone to bed, when Dominica got into some hard core floor cleaning.

Liesl wanted to finish watching Bedknobs and Broomsticks tonight so we watched that starting from the big dance scene and going to the end including the famous soccer match scene that I loved so much in my childhood.  Then Liesl was off to bed.

Just after eleven I took AJ to his favourite restaurant, Applebee’s, so that he could grab a bite before the clock struck midnight and he turned twenty one and could order his first ever drink at a bar.  (Bar being a loose term as this was Applebees.)  He got a mudslide.  More of a milkshake than anything but officially, his first drink at a bar.

At twelve thirty, we went back to the house.  Have an early meeting to deal with at eight.

Got horrible sleep last night due to my sinus infection.  I tried going to bed early because I was tired but couldn’t get to sleep because of the congestion.  I gave it an hour or two or tossing and turning and finally gave up and took a long, hot shower.  That helped a lot and I was able to get to sleep after that.  Not great sleep, but not horrible.  I felt okay this morning when I got up.  I stayed in bed kind of late not getting up until after eight.

My legs still hurt this morning although not as much as yesterday.

Was pretty late getting into the office today.  The lack of sleep last night did not help anything.

Worked pretty hard today.  Skipped lunch and worked straight through today, but got a lot done. 

After work the family went to Brookhaven for dinner. It is kids’ night.  Dinner was good and after eating the girls went and did necklace crafts at the kids’ craft table.  They love that they finally figured out that they can do that and they really look forward to it now.

At home we watched some Hot in Cleveland, The Mindy Project and then Dominica wanted to watch Men in Black.  We have not seen that movie in forever.  I really didn’t remember much of the movie.  It is certainly a classic.

Dominica and I are both incredibly sore today, even worse than yesterday.  How is that possible?  We are really sore, it is very hard to walk.

Dominica and AJ were up early and went in to the office.  This is the only day that we know for sure that they are working together all day.  We are not sure what is happening later in the week.  AJ has a “Google Hangout” webinar kind of thing that he is doing tomorrow with Spiceworks so he is tied up for that.

I was in the office today.  Very slow day.  For lunch Dan, Doue and I went to Jimmy Johns and I got their gourmet veggie club which is really good.  Then we got a car wash for Dan and back to the office.

AJ left work early as he has an apartment to go check out.  That is a big part of his reason for being down here this week is his apartment hunting process.  Officially moving down in two months.  He is pretty excited.  He really liked the apartment that he found today and he signed for it so he is all set to move now.

I got home after work around five.  We were pretty tired, Dominica and I watched a little Are You Being Served? and snacked.  The girls snuggled with us and played with the iPads on the couch.

AJ got home much later, maybe around seven or later as it was nearly dark, and his parents stopped by to say hi as we have not met them yet.  They were dropping him off so it made sense.  They brought us Shipley’s donuts too!

This evening we introduced AJ to Are You Being Served? which he had never heard of before and he laughed like crazy.  We definitely have a convert.