Archive for January, 2009

During the good old college days, Andy roomed with Jordan for three years. The two were partners in crime, always hanging out and doing most everything together. After graduation, Jordan moved back to Houston for a promising job and also to be closer to family. We don’t get to see him very often anymore, but as a special treat, he drove up to DFW this past weekend for a visit. My planning gears were immediately spinning wildly!

We started Friday night off by hanging out in downtown Fort Worth. Nothing grand, just de-stressing from a long week of work and school.

And the roommates are reunited again...

Jordan, me, Ethan, and Carrie relaxing at 7th Haven...

Now, here’s something I’ve never understood and I don’t know if it’s just Texas or bars the world over, but why does every bar have a Big Buck Hunt and Golden Tee arcade game inside? Seriously, every single bar!! Since our table was right next to the arcade game corner, I decided the time had come for me to try my hand at being a cold blooded animal killer, I mean…avid game hunter. As a bonus, 7th Haven happened to have the safari version of Big Buck Hunt. Yay for slaughtering nearly endangered animals!! **Shudder**

As you may have guessed, Carrie and I are really pretty horrible. Shotguns are hard to handle! Who knew you had to cock the slidey thingy every single time you wanted to shoot? AND who knew you automatically failed if you hit a female? I tend to be a panic shooter, and try to hit anything that’s moving. How am I supposed to win while looking for male-female differences? (note to self: after this experience with a fake gun, NEVER EVER get a real gun, bad bad idea!) However, I am particularly awesome at shooting hyenas, especially when they’re chasing me. Needless to say, the boys did a lot better….

Ethan and Andy, known gun toters

Yes…I do have a photo of the girls hunting. But I will warn you, I have problems posing myself without props, let alone posing with a gun. A Charlie’s Angel I most definitely am not! In fact, I’m not even going to post the picture on this site. If you REALLY want to see, click here, but you’ve been warned!

Saturday was spent grocery shopping, cooking, and preparing for the giant barbeque I had planned for Andy’s college friends. I can’t even remember the last time they were all together, college I suppose. Andy grilled some steaks, I made baked mashed potatoes with a parmesan crust, a broccoli casserole, curry dumplings, and a dessert pizza. The company was so much fun, and the food seemed to disappear pretty quickly, so I assume it was tasty.

All the UNT boys together again, who knows when they'll get together again?

We spent most of the evening munching, catching up, and of course, playing Rock Band. This group makes for a hilarious band, let’s just say, there were plenty of dogs howling in the background…

Everyone working together to make beautiful music...somewhat beautiful...okay, maybe less beautiful, more uniquely different.

I hope everyone had a good time, I certainly did! The guys spent the rest of the weekend killing zombies, playing soccer, and driving fast cars…otherwise known as video games. We’re so glad the group could get together, especially since schedules are so hard to match up lately. We can’t wait until the next get together! Click here for all my January 2009 pictures.

Last week, we celebrated my 26th birthday. Yes, I require a full week (sometimes a full month) of birthday fun, I’m quite high maintenance huh? It was an awesome week of fun gatherings and outings, leading up to a big birthday bash on Friday night. On Wednesday night, Ethan and Donald treated us to a nice Chinese dinner at King Chinese BBQ. It was very tasty! Though I still tend to think KC still has a better selection of Chinese restaurants. I’m sure that’s mainly due to the fact that my parents know most of the restaurant owners and can pick dishes better than I. Either way, we had a delicious time!

Donald, me, and Ethan after a nice meal of Chinese food

On Thursday, my actual birthday, Andy took me downtown to Bass Hall to see Nunsense. My parents took me to see the Nunsense Jamboree when I was younger at the Kansas City New Dinner Theatre Restaurant, and I loved it then. So, when I saw that the original musical was coming to Fort Worth for one night only…on my birthday, it was a done deal! I thought it was hilarious! The jokes were funny, though a little cheesy at times, and the music was pretty spectacular. My favorite song is called Holier Than Thou, hence the title of this post. It had me tapping my feet and giggling the whole time.

Trust me, if the show is ever in your town, go see it! I love going to the theatre!

Me enjoying intermission, shortly before we were yelled at for taking photos. Which by the by, the no photo rule is so you can't copy their set design. If we're clearly not taking a photo of the set...should the guilt and shame still be enforced?

I was actually a little apprehensive about the birthday night Andy was planning on Friday. We didn’t really know who was going to show up and who was going to blow us off. I was pleasantly surprised when quite a few people arrived at the restaurant, who knew so many people liked me? We had a fancy meal at Ferre, where they showered me with a free drink and dessert. The food is to die for, and the wait staff was delightful! They joked with us, patiently sat through all our photo shoots, and made sure we were 100% satisfied with our experience. I’d go again in a heartbeat…if only I were rich enough to go on a regular basis.

The whole lot of us toasting another year of...well, me. Wow, I'm really not this full of myself normally, birthdays do that I suppose.

After dinner, we went to a new bar that I’ve seen but never visited. It’s called the Scat Jazz Lounge. I’m actually a little ashamed, I usually make fun of it whenever we pass it. Who would want to go down an alleyway to a ratty old jazz club? Me, that’s who! It’s built a little like an old speakeasy. You go down a dark (but perfectly safe) alleyway, enter a rickety old elevator, and the club is located in the basement of the building. It was perfect! There was a lovely jazz singer with her band belting out all sorts of fun tunes. The drinks were fantastic, and from what I understand, true to the era. Sidecar or Rob Roy anyone? I probably could’ve stayed there all night! Why we haven’t been there before is beyond me. However, I plan on visiting there again in the near future!

And the birthday brigade hits the Scat Lounge alleyway...

Me and Amber trying to get Andy to stick his pinky up while drinking his sidecar, mission not successful

Some of the lovliest girls in the club!

Right after midnight, our group split in two. Our normal Fort Worth crowd headed home to relax, while some of my newer work inspired friends went with us to a dance club. We WERE supposed to try Embargo per Amber’s suggestion. However, the location that we thought was Embargo (a salsa dance club) was definitely not what we were expecting. We walked into a electronic music dance floor! Oh well, que sera sera right? We jumped about and waved our hands around, trying to imitate the other dancers. Some of us were more successful than others…I was of the less successful group, but it was fun nevertheless!

Dark and smoky don't make for optimal picture conditions...

This extremely long post is coming to an end, don’t worry! Yesterday (Saturday), we had a nice lunch and watched The Tale of Despereaux with David and Anni. It’s a cute movie, though pretty apparently written for children. Afterwards, we headed back to the Cummings apartment for kitty and cake time (separate activities, by the way). Anni actually baked me a cake! It was supremely delicious!

Yum! I do love cake!

The busy weekend was finished off with a neighborhood birthday party for little one year old Taylor. She was so incredibly sweet, and loved all the attention.

Baby Girl Taylor and her first birthday cupcake

Andy and I felt a little like fish out of water being the only couple without children. We’re also quite a bit younger than the crowd that had assembled. Why is that people with children only ever talk about children? I understand that they’re a huge part of your life. But suddenly, is that all your life consists of? What happened to your previous hobbies, interests, and activities? Why can you only talk of lactation experts, ear infections, and diaper costs? Maybe I just can’t understand at this point in my life. Perhaps I will be exactly the same when I get there, but for now I just stand in a weary observation. All in all, I had a wonderful week and am feeling much better about a year of being 26. Thanks to all that came, celebrated, and remembered me! Click here for all the party pictures!

As a weekend finale, Mom and Dad Trommer make a trip up to Keller to celebrate a couple of birthdays. Which birthdays? Well, if you must know, Dad Trommer’s birthday is tomorrow (the 12th) and Thursday (the 15th) is the birthday of yours truly. Why we haven’t thought to celebrate our birthdays together, I’m not sure, but I’m glad we got the chance this year.

The parents got here just in time on Saturday for lunch at Joe’s. We were lucky enough to have Carrie and Kareem join us for some tasty food and happy conversation. Afterwards, Andy, Mom and Dad Trommer went to Denton to look at cars with Griffin. Sadly, the car salesman was less than enthusiastic about making any profit. Due to the dealership’s lack of customer service, poor Griffin is still car-less. Anybody know of a good car dealership in the DFW area?

Back to birthday business, in the evening we got dolled up and went out to dinner at Edohana Hibachi in Grapevine. Hibachi grills (also called teppanyaki) are always so much fun, and so entertaining! The experience does depend entirely on the chef though. A boring chef can make for a rather pathetic and sad dinner. Thankfully, our dude was decent. He juggled, joked, clanged his spatulas rhythmically, and made delicious food!

The Trommer Family enjoying dinner and a show.

Me and Andy enjoying a night out for Japanese food.

After gobbling up our tasty food, we headed home to tinker on our multitudes of Apple computers, open gifts, eat my homemade pineapple upside down cake, and play board games until the wee hours of the morning.

Me opening a very thoughtful gift from the Trommer Parents. I love my new Jon & Kate Plus 8 DVD!

Dad Trommer opening presents too!

My delectable pineapple upside down cake, yum!

We started with Kabookii on the Wii (an awesome game from our friends Sarah and Chris, thanks guys!) and finished the night by playing Apples to Apples (another wonderful present from our friends Kat and Josh, thank you too!! We have some amazing friends that know us so well!). We had so much fun that we just couldn’t stop! If you’ve never played this game, you really should pick it up. It’s absolutely hilarious, especially with the group of characters we had assembled last night.

The Andy and Griffin team of obnoxious...

Such a pleasant weekend, I’m sad to see it come to an end. The next time I write, I’ll probably be one year older at the ripe old age of 26. Sigh…birthdays get less and less fun as they pile up. Thank goodness I have friends, family, and several lovely puppies in my life to keep me young! (click here for photos from January 2009, my birthday month)

Me with Turner, my...nephew?

I don’t get haircuts very often. It’s not that I’m overly attached to my hair, I just tend to forget after awhile. I think my last haircut was a year ago, right around my birthday. Since I’ve accumulated a fair amount of hair, I’ve decided to donate it to Locks of Love. It’s a non-profit organization that takes donated hair and makes hairpieces for underpriviledged  kids that have medical hair loss. I’ve got the hair, I was going to get it cut anyhow, why not donate it to someone else who needs it?

Me with my 11+ inches of long hair (It's an old Christmas photo we didn't use)

I’ve always had good luck at Toni & Guy. So as an early birthday present from Andy, I got myself a stylish do. I was a little antsy to just get it over with, but in the end it’s just hair. Even if I hated the cut, it grows back. However, it wasn’t until the stylist started buzzing my neck that I realized just how short my hair had become. I don’t think I’ve hair this short since I was six years old! But it’s nice to see something different in the mirror, a fresh look. It’s taking a little bit of time for me to grow accustomed to the look, but I think overall I like it.

Me with my new hairdo, it's pretty darn short!

And the side view, so you get a better look at the length...

Well, what do you think? Compliments are always welcome, and criticisms will be tolerated but please make them somewhat constructive. I really haven’t a clue how to start styling it. Washing, drying, and brushing it is really all I’ve done to it so far. Though, I think I’m really going to save on shampoo and conditioner costs! I’m intrigued to see what it’ll look like if I curl it, not that I can figure out how to curl the back of my head. Practice makes perfect, right?

Anyhow, we went out last night with the usual crowd to a new bar somewhere in the Fort Worth hospital district. I don’t remember the name of said bar, but it had a really nice atmosphere. We played darts! I love darts, but have absolutely no aim whatsoever. Yes, I can throw, but as to where it will land, I’m just as surprised as everyone else.

Me, Carrie, and Amber posing for photos, again...we do love our photos! And yes, I did bring a coat!

The group playing darts, and Andy looking like he's going to stick the darts up his nose.

It was a lot of fun, but the weather turned chilly very quickly. (grumble grumble…stupid Texas weather) So, rather than risk everybody getting sick again, we called it a night and opted for crawling into our warm comfy beds. The weekend excitement is just beginning, so look for another post tomorrow! Lucky you, 3 posts in one weekend!!

Sorry for the lack of posts. I caught the same nasty sinus cold that seems to be plaguing everyone in the North Texas area. So, I’ve just been taking it easy, drinking a lot of liquids (orange juice, water, hot lemon tea…etc), and generally being a lazy bum. I’ve gone through 4 boxes of tissues. My poor nose is not faring so well. In fact, that’s the first thing people comment on when they see me, my red Rudolph nose. It’s a little disheartening.

It’s taken a week, but I’m finally feeling back up to speed. I survived the work week and am ready to fully enjoy my four day weekend. I promise to post more throughout the weekend, it promises to be fun and full of exciting events! Stay tuned!

I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year’s Eve celebration last night! Last night could have been a real disaster for us Trommers! For once, I was trying to take a hands off approach regarding the plans. I thought perhaps others might want a chance to plan an evening. I was wrong, and silly in forgetting that boys A. don’t plan and B. don’t care. Since we had no reservations, and the lines to get into clubs/bars were incredibly long and unmoving, we wandered around the Square weighing our options. After much agonizing deliberation, we decided upon Houston Street Bar in downtown Fort Worth as our party location. Needless to say, Amber and I have decided to take charge again next year. A VIP table at any of the clubs, though a little on the pricey side, would be far superior to wandering around aimlessly.

Amber and I awaiting the arrival of 2009, don't you love the cardboard party tiaras?

Andy and Ethan successfully annoying me with those stupid noise makers!

Besides a slightly rough start, we ended up having a lovely time. Though I have to say, the little noise makers that New Year’s Eve provides drive me batty! Yes, I understand you make a lot of noise at midnight. But does it have to continue after the fact? Oh well, wishing everyone out there in cyberland the best of luck, grace, and happiness in 2009! May all your tummies be full, laughter be plentiful, and resolutions make it to at least June!

The whole rowdy lot of us huddling under the fire of the heat lamp waiting for 2008 to come to an end.

My resolution this year is to sleep more. This sounds silly, but for a person that loves sleep as much as I do, my current schedule just doesn’t allow for very much of it. I love my job and my overall schedule, don’t get me wrong! Having a four day weekend every other week is a schedule that most people can only dream of. However, getting up at 5:30 in the morning really does wear me down. The problem isn’t even that I hate mornings, which I do. It’s that I can’t get myself to sleep early enough! Every weeknight at 10 pm, my alarm goes off signaling time for bed. But I’m usually finishing up a chore, so I tell myself I’ll go to bed after I’m done. The first task then goes immediately into the next chore, and on and on it goes until I realize I’ll only get 4-5 hours of sleep before I start over again the next day!

It’s a nasty cycle, one I can’t seem to break. And as I get more and more sleep deprived, necessary things fall by the wayside. I don’t get to the gym as much as I’d like. The house seems to get messier, even though I’m always struggling to keep up with it. Jabber time becomes Jabber watching me pass out on the couch time. Meals are less healthy, and completely reliant upon ease of assembly. It’s very pathetic and lazy. So, this year, I’m out to change my bad sleeping habits. I think it will be better for me physically and mentally. And who doesn’t want a healthier and happier Angela?

I guess you can say I’m pretty horrible at relaxing. I just don’t know what to do with myself! Nevertheless, on the first day of the new year, I’m just going to sit here on the couch and relax. Even though I can think of a million things that require my attention, I’m going to turn around and ignore the Christmas decorations that need to be taken down, the goodwill boxes that need to be filled and dropped off, the carpet that’s covered in bits of Jebediah fur that needs vacuuming, the packages that need to be mailed, the bathroom floor that needs scrubbing…etc. The only things on my list for today is to sleep and do laundry, that’s it.  Wish me success in being a lazy bum today! (click here for more photos from our New Year’s Eve 2008 bash)