Austin Fun Day

A couple of months ago, we took a day trip to Austin. If you're looking for something fun to do this summer and maybe you only have a weekend or just a day off, you should totally do this! 

We started off by going to Hamilton Pool. This is a great place to swim and hike. 

 

After Hamilton Pool, we ate at Threadgill's. Southern home-cooked deliciousness. 

From Threadgill's, we started our downtown bike ride. We rode through the streets of downtown, to the Capitol, down the bike trails, etc. It was a lot of fun, despite me riding into a pole. (Don't laugh.)

We had such a great time! Maybe this will give you an idea of something to do this summer!

Back again...and a little different.

Hey guys..I'm back! Just took a little break. :)

I know some people might be confused about what's going on 'round here, so I'll catch you up. Long story short, Bunny and I decided that we're better off as friends right now. No hurt feelings...completely understandable. So, we're still hanging out...we're just not making out. Catch my drift? Thought so. But, it's all good in the neighborhood! And, after discussing it with B., I decided to keep the blog alive! Long live Brutus! (Well, not really...Brutus is no longer alive, that we know of, but he lives on in our hearts.)

I've decided to keep using this blog as my personal blog..just so I have a place to document my journeys somewhere other than The Facebook. Josh and I still have adventures together, but I'll also be blogging about other personal things as well. It'll be oh-so-much fun.

I'm going to try to still blog about the fun things we've done in the past couple of months, but I'm not even going to attempt to do them in order. For now, I'll leave you with some pictures from Josh's 25th birthday. 

We all had dinner at Pueblo (go Cleveland!), where we dined on fine foods and DELICIOUS cake (Dr. Pepper cake made by Joanne, Josh's sister-in-law), then we headed to Main Event where we played Laser Tag and bowled. It was definitely a fun night! 

(sorry for poor cell-phone quality pics...it's the best I could do.)

 Joanne, me, Amy

Davis, Shaun, Josh (they were told to pose like gangstas...they succeeded)

I'll be back soonish with more fun stuff! Hope you all are having a fun summer so far!

Embarrassment and such...

Want to hear about a mortifying moment? 

The day after I cooked dinner for Josh at my apartment, he texts me saying, “your dad just came into the store.” I thought, in that moment, I might die. Everyone who knows my dad knows that he lives a glorious life of being Mr. Social…he enjoys driving around town in his downtime and visiting his friends. Anywhoodles, he decided to pop in so he could “see the store.” He said he was also making sure my cooking didn’t kill Josh (it really could have). It was so embarrassing, considering that I hadn’t formally introduced him to my parents as a potential suitor yet. Ok, big scheme, not that scarring, but it was at the time.

The next few days blur together and I don’t remember exactly what we did. I know….I suck. This is why I need the blog. To fuel my memory. I’m going to venture a guess that we were pretty low key since I don’t have any photo-documentation of fun activities. I'm also going to guess we played a lot of games, including Scrabble.

Vine pee, anyone?

I do remember that I house-sat my friend’s house the next weekend. This was monumental because it was the first time I had ever slept alone in a house. Ever. Is that weird? Possibly, but it’s true. Well, I wasn’t completely alone…I had Harriet.

If you don’t know Harriet, you should probably be glad. She’s fuzzy and out of control…that’s all you need to know.

The Friday night that I was there, Josh came over. I made lasagna (which was delicious if I must say, but how can you screw that up?). I had also bought some frozen garlic breadsticks that I was really excited about, but my good friend Harriet ate them while they were on the counter waiting to be baked. She’s a doll. We ate then we played games. We played The Worst Case Scenario game and Scattergories. We learned a lot of things that night, like how to eat a worm if you’re stuck in the desert (squeeze all the juices out, dry it, grind it up). Josh also started to realize that I’m a winner at most games. Ok, all of the games.

We didn’t hang out the rest of the weekend because he was so sad he lost. Or maybe it was just because we both were busy. 

P.S. I forgot to add something important to my last post. On one of our earlier dates…maybe the rodeo?...I told Josh that I could marry him. We were having a conversation about life and stuff...and I blurted that out. Like a dummy. I meant that he was the type that I COULD marry. Either way, I was sure I freaked him out. Apparently, I didn’t freak him out too much because he’s still around, but I thought that it was pretty ridiculous. 

Oh, also...if you would like some more silliness, watch this video of me. I helped the video tech class out at school by showing the kids how to do a public service announcement. I didn't know, at the time, that this would be posted on the school's youtube channel. It's ok. You can laugh. 


(I love how drunk I look in this screen shot.)
(I also need to practice reading the teleprompter.)

Exciting dates are coming soon. Have a great week!

Make It Sloppy

Man, I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do. I’m going to do a quick (Ha! Is it ever quick?) overview of our first few dates, so let’s get on with it.. 

Our second date was a fun and exciting one. Josh invited me to a Hillsong concert at church, then we went to eat at McAlister’s Deli (which happens to be a tradition for Bunny.) Afterwards, we did a little fun activity. It involved a fast-food restaurant, a sign on the speaker, and the hope of getting to see people make fools of themselves. That’s always fun, right? Well, it didn’t work as well as we thought, but it was still fun. And, it gave us the opportunity to talk. As we sat in the truck and waited, we talked about our goals in life and our bucket lists. We discovered that we have a lot in common…we both want to travel more, scuba dive, volcano helicopter ride, among other things. I had a lot of fun on this date. It was really nice to get to know each other better. 

Our third date was to the Rodeo to see my man, Clay Walker. (Little known fact: I’ve seen Clay in concert every year for the past 6 years.) Josh had actually bought tickets, but a friend of mine ended up giving me tickets (that were AH-MAZING!), so we were able to sit in the VIP section closest to the floor. We had a great time and were even able to shake Clay’s hand when he rode by at the end. I also purchased a bottle of my favorite jewelry cleaner. The lady demonstrating the product kept saying to "make it sloppy." She was older, so it was pretty funny. Maybe you had to be there... We also rode the ferris wheel (which was huge for me considering that, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more afraid of heights and carnival rides.) I survived it though, and I will live to tell about it for years to come. After the concert, we went to eat at Ihop. On the drive there, we had a lovely conversation about tummy trubs. It was very romantic. 

One of the things on my bucket list was to shoot a gun. I had never shot a gun before..frankly because they’re a little scary. So, our fourth date, Josh cooked me dinner (a delicious spaghetti) at his house and we went out in the woods and shot. It was exhilarating. 

The next night I decided to return the favor and cook Josh dinner at my apartment. A long day at work, a rushed trip to the grocery store, and cooking in a sweltering kitchen resulted in some dry grilled chicken and questionable potatoes. Josh still ate it, which was nice of him, but I’ll take credit for a bad meal. This is funny because despite the cliché of how relationships always begin with sympathetic men eating horrible meals, I’m actually a great cook. I guess I just didn’t bring my “A” game that day. After dinner, we played some games…Farkle, Connect Four, and some other card games. We got dessert at Sonic, then Josh dropped me off. And, that’s when it happened. The moment we both had waited for…our first kiss. I won’t go into much detail, but basically I didn’t want our first kiss to be a public spectacle. Remember, I lived with my parents and I have family across the street…and all of these people are always outside!  Long story short, we kissed and it was pretty awkward (which was totally my fault), but (sappy cheeseball alert!) it still made me realize that I wanted to kiss this guy at least a million more times.  Now is the time you either say, “Awwww” or you gag.

The Journey to Our First Date...

First, I would just like to say thank you to all of you for your kind words and encouragement. I’m so glad you’re reading this. You brighten my day, and you’re precious and valuable. Hugs and kisses to you.

Now, on to the good stuff! (Pun intended.) 

It all started one day long ago. The date was actually July 18, 2010. During a plant transaction, our moms had a conversation about me and Bunny. They wondered why we never dated. Later that day, I got home and my mom came in and told me what was said. She said, “Why don’t you go talk to that guy at the furniture store? He’s nice. You should date him.” What I said next was probably, “Hmmph. Haha. Psssshh.” Then, I immediately posted the following on facebook:

“Confession: My mom just tried to hook me up with someone I went to school with. Um, no.”

A lot of people commented on it saying things like, “I’m sure he’s a nice boy,” “..if he’s a good dancer, bring it on,” and “Cleveland boys aren’t that bad.” But, the funny part was that Josh commented on it saying he empathized. At that moment, I thought, Is that just coincidental or does he really know what I mean? Then I thought, Oh no…our moms are both crazy! 

Then, I started thinking about it...Why hadn’t we dated? 

This is where I need to express something. A personal struggle that could be pertinent to the story. 

I had recently gotten out of a long-term relationship that was filled with drama. I promised myself I wouldn’t start seriously dating someone for at least a year. I had not been single in my adult life for very long…I needed this time for myself. I needed to spend time with friends and live my own life. I was also at a point in my life where I knew what I wanted in a boyfriend/potential husband, and I knew exactly what I didn’t want, that’s for sure. After a few months of being single, I started to feel discouraged. I had met a few different guys, but they weren’t what I wanted. I had these thoughts of, Why am I still single? What’s wrong with me? I’m young, childless, never been married, I have my own business, I’m fun, smart, borderline amazing….Why haven’t I met someone yet? Now, I realize that I’m young and have plenty of time, but these were just the thoughts I was having. It was a constant prayer for me…for God to give me patience, and I had to keep reminding myself that He will put someone in my life when I’m ready.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

I decided that I would put myself out there. In front of him. Literally. It was only fair. I mean, his face was splattered on a billboard everywhere I turned. There was even one on my street! I couldn’t get away from him. He was following me. So I went to the furniture store. Now, don’t judge me. I didn’t go to stalk him. I had actual furniture needs! Or maybe I didn’t, but still. Long story short, this went on for months and months. For instance, I first went shortly after the Mom incident, and he didn’t ask me out until February 24^th. (Side note: Bunny, what took you so long??? Hehe. I kid.)  After many store visits, mild flirting, and me scoring some awesome photo props, we exchanged some facebook messages. I gave him my phone number and told him we should hang out one day. A few days later, he called. But, hold on, let me set the scene for you:

It was a Thursday. Around noon. I was getting ready for my first-ever massage. I had a gift card to Massage Envy that I had gotten almost a year before at Mom Prom. I was preparing for said massage by taking a bubble bath. While in the bathtub, my phone rings. It’s a number I don’t know. Now, I usually don’t answer the phone in the bathtub unless I know who it is and, you know, we cool. But, for some reason, I hit the answer button and instantly regret it when I realize who it was. It was Josh. Asking me if I wanted to go to lunch the next day. Something about meeting at the store at noon. I was in a daze. And in the bathtub. I hung up and immediately got nervous. What do I wear? What will we talk about? Where will we go? What if I have tummy trubs? What if he doesn’t like me? What if I trip and fall? These are all serious things that I considered. 

The next day we went to Pizza Hut (after I thought I would vomit from all the nerves). We talked about life, family, business…all very typical first date topics. I tell him of my love for Clay Walker and mention his upcoming rodeo performance. Later that day, he texts me and says that he’s getting rodeo tickets. 

At that moment, I knew that I had to keep this guy in my life. I knew he was something special. I knew that I needed to find something spectacular to wear to the rodeo. 

Thanks for reading!

Until next time…

Welcome!

Hello everyone! My name is Victoria. Or Vicki. Sometimes Tori. You can call me whatever you want.

 

Some of you may know me from my 9-to-5 blog, ShutterShots Photography. If so, glad you could join us!

And, some of you may ACTUALLY know me. If that’s you, welcome! I’m so glad to know you, too! (Unless I don’t actually know you and you’re just a stalker. In that case, hold on while I call the police.)

This blog was created because I was asked by a few different people to do it. I basically will do anything anyone tells me to. As long as there are Girl Scout cookies involved. Which there weren’t. But, I’ll let it slide this time. 

This blog will recap my love life. It is not meant to make you sick with envy or make you jealous of our fabulous dates. Well, it may, but that’s not why I’m writing it. I’m writing it because I’ve never done so many fun things with a really amazing guy, and I want to remember these things all the live long day. This blog may not be for everyone, but it is rewarding. No, really…I’m going to give out awards at the end of the year. One of which will be Perfect Attendance. Recipient will receive a *free Personal Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut.

Here’s the backstory. I recently started dating this guy. Not just ANY guy, but THIS one. Long story short: We went to school together…lived our own lives up until a few months ago…our moms decided to hook us up (true story)…and the rest is history. As of today, we’ve almost been together  two months. What?! Two whole months?! You’re writing a blog about a guy you’ve been dating for TWO months? Why, yes..yes, I am. He’s THAT special. (Cue some sappy love song by Train)

So this guy has a name. It’s Josh. You can call him Joshua. Or J-Sweezy. Or Bunny. That’s what I call him. ‘Cause he’s cute like a bunny. Josh is probably most definitely the sweetest guy I’ve ever met. I’ve compiled a list of reasons why I like him. Here it is...and bonus, a photo of Bunny!

•  He’s hilarious. We have a very similar sense of humor. The number one thing I’ve always looked for in someone was how hard they could make me laugh. If I laughed so hard, I peed my pants, it was truly meant to be.

• He’s supa dupa nice. He does things that make me happy. I say, “I big puffy heart Crave cupcakes.” So, what does he do? On one of our first few dates, he gives me a dozen Crave cupcakes. Apple. My favorite.

• We like the same music. That’s pretty self-explanatory. Except there is one song that he likes that I don’t. Oh yeah, there it is….

• He understands me. I’m pretty open. I will tell anyone anything they want to know about my life. During our first few dates, we had some pretty serious conversations about life, our bucket lists, our pasts, and…*Disclaimer: If you do not like reading about other peoples’ medical issues, you may want to close your eyes throughout this next part.

 So, here’s the thing..I have tummy trubs. Not gonna lie. It’s nothing to be ashamed about. Maybe you do, too! Maybe this post will help you get it all out in the open. All I want to do is help. So basically, I can’t eat a lot of certain foods. The list goes on and on and on. One thing on the list is ANYTHING on the menu at El Burrito. That’s a given. But, this is a lot of information to take in when you first start dating someone. As a woman, you’re supposed to give this impression that you always wear makeup and you wake up every morning with breath as fresh as the ocean air! That’s not me. I tell it like it is. It makes for some interesting conversations! But Josh embraced my self-diagnosed IBS. I thank him for that. *You can open your eyes now.

There are many more things that I like about Josh, but I feel like I’ve written way too much already. You’re probably falling asleep reading this super long post. So, I’ll leave off here tonight. I will be back with more interesting things soon. Like, the Blind-folded Date. Or Downtown Austin Bike Ride. Or the Baby-Food Taste-Test Date. Yeah, I said it. And yeah, we did that.

P.S. You may be wondering about our blog name. Brutus is our baby. He is a shark. You'll learn more about him soon. Promise. 

 

*Personal Pan Pizza will most likely not be free. You will most likely have to pay for it. But you will receive a certificate!