A new start

I've started a new (and hopefully improved) blog. Check it out: http://lorijwalker.wordpress.com/

The lady in red

My awesome friend Lori B invited me to go a fundraiser for Arkansas Children's Hospital last week, and I was so excited... great cause, good company, and the chance to get dressed up... how fun is that?

The event is called the "Color of Hope Gala," and every year they pick a different color. This year was red.

I'm a brunette. I love wearing red!

For a few days I searched local stores for the perfect red dress to no avail. So I finally ordered one online and paid $20 for expedited shipping.

It arrived two days before the event, and I excitedly tried it on. Um, no.

Just like a 747, certain items have shifted during flight. I looked totally boobalicious. Not only were they hanging low, they were spilling out the side. And, let's face it, when you're in your late 30s, even if you're skinny and still perky, there's only a small amount of skin you can show in good taste.

So I frantically went shopping on Thursday and finally bought a red dress. It was one I'd tried on a week before and deemed mediocre. But 24 hours before an event, mediocre was acceptable.

I showed up to the gala and the first three dresses I saw were black, white and gold, respectively. Cheaters.

But we had a fabulous time. Lori B seemed to enjoy my snarky comments about all the women with their hooters on full display. I enjoyed the young girl sitting near us who had both bottles of wine on our table and proceeded to accidentally make a large donation (her husband was mad!). And I got to meet Herschel Walker, who was lovely. All in all, it was an awesome time!

I think I was born to be fancy. I do so enjoy it.

KISS it

I have much to say about my trip to Texas last week, but not enough time to share it at the moment. So I'll leave you with the following things I learned on vacation:

1. Children are expensive and make a lot of laundry
2. They need a new word to describe Cowboys Stadium; "gargantuan" isn't big enough
3. "Schlitterbahn" is German for "total lack of body awareness"
4. The amount of time spent waiting in line is directly proportionate to how unhappy Lonnie will get
5. When men find out you can cook, they invite themselves over for dinner
6. It takes two hours to paint four little boys' faces like KISS, and ten minutes for them to tire of it
7. Twin beds weren't meant for sleeping a deaux
8. "Despicable Me" is a great flick
9. I'm really, really glad I didn't go to medical school
10. It is possible not to check work email for four days

More later. Rest of pics are here, here, and here.

Why I love Twitter

As an eDisharmony dropout, I've long been skeptical of online dating. They claim to have an intense measurement of compatability, but I'm not so sure about that. Perhaps it would work if you could measure the critical element of attraction, but let's face it, attraction is an intangible force that moves acquaintance to friendship and friendship to romance.

So while online dating didn't work out so well for me (I'm talking to you, stalker), the internet has led to some pretty cool friendships. Social media has totally improved my social life.

In other words, I've gone from internet quitter to social Twitter.

I know many of you don't get the allure of Twitter. You don't understand the need to know my random thoughts in 140-character spurts, but I am addicted to it. It's how I get all of my news.

And it's also a great way to recognize the coolness of folks you might not normally get to know. It blurs the lines of friendship development, and allows you to feel comfortable around someone the first time you meet them if you've been following their tweets before you even know their deets.

So thank you, Twitter, for my new pals John and Mark and my not-so-new friend Krista. I'd write you a thank-you note, but my API is currently unavailable.

Falling "Flatt"

Had a great time at the concert last night. Didn't get to go to the meet and greet because we got down there 90 seconds after it started and they wouldn't let us in. D felt bad, but I was pretty ok with it. If it had been Jon Bon Jovi, I would have been fighting the cranky security guard, but alas, we did get to see the two warm-up acts instead of standing in line.

Chris Young was good, and Kellie Pickler needs to stop eating donuts. I know... pot=kettle, but I'm not stomping out on stage in a tight dress every night. She was, however, wearing some fabulous Louboutins that I'm guessing most concert goers didn't appreciate.

Rascal Flatts put on a great show!

All of the pics are here.

Welcome to my crazy, busy, fabulous life!

While I realize I need to update this thing more, and I have the best intentions of doing so, it never seems to happen. Although my life is going swimmingly, my marathon to-do list never seems to get down to "update blog."

I miss the days when preparing for vacation meant shopping for swimsuits and stocking up on film. These days I work like a mad woman to get as much done as possible prior to vacation so that I can actually enjoy my time off and not spend it working. The blessing and the curse of technology is that I'm always accessible, so vacation is relative I suppose. I may be two states away, but email gets delivered in Texas just like it does in Arkansas.

This week the fabulous Amanda has been staying with me and commuting to her new job in Rogers. I love it when she's here because she'll eat almost anything, so I get the chance to try out new recipes and dazzle her with my culinary skills when she stays here. Monday night we had three cheese pizza with atomic salad, Tuesday night we had brie pasta with fresh green beans, and Wednesday night we had grilled salmon and asparagus salad. And now my pants are too tight.

Tonight we had a going away party for my friend/sorority sister, Valerie, who's getting ready to leave for a two-year mission trip. We all met at Bonefish for bang bang shrimp and girl time. I never thought when I pledged a sorority that I'd make so many lifelong friends. All for the bargain price of $28 a month.



Tomorrow night I'm meeting my friend D in Tulsa to see Rascal Flatts. I had plans to go to a toga party at my friend Lela's, but when D called and said, "Hey, I have VIP/meet and greet tickets..." I blew off the toga party for the special treatment at the BOK Center. Luckily, Lela is a good enough friend that she's given me a free pass on skipping her party because I had a better offer. I've known D for over 20 years. He has a really cool job and has had the opportunity to meet a lot of amazing people, so my goal tomorrow night is to be as blase as he is about the experience. I swear, he's one of the least pretentious people I know, but when he randomly throws out phrases like, "One time when I was at the White House correspondents' dinner..." I find it hard to retain my dignity.

Did I tell you Usher was on my flight from Atlanta?

Saturday I'm picking up birthday cake for Memaw and Taylor and partying with the fam. Then on Sunday Chance and I are caravanning back to Texas with Lonnie and the boys.

Tuesday it's a tour of Cowboys Stadium, then Jen is taking two days off on Thursday and Friday, so we're all going to the beach.

Whew! I don't know when I'm going to work in a pedicure or a tanning appointment, but this diva is overbooked the next few days. Yes, it's crazy and busy, but very, very, cool.

Happy birthday, Taylor!

Can't believe our sweet little Bug is 18. What a great young man he's become. I'm ready for him to move to NWA, even if that means doing his laundry.