My first meetup...

and it was a blast!! I attended my first meetup with the Girls Night Out Social Meetup Group at the Times Ten Wine Cellar in Dallas yesterday and I had great time. It was so nice to meet young women with similar interests and ideas. I had a really great time meeting everyone and talking. The wine there was also really great. It was really great to get to know the girls and what they are doing in life. Also, one of the girls and her husband have started a couples meetup that I joined. I am looking forward to getting out with Michael and making some new couples friends. One thing I will say is that I was a bit nervous before meeting everyone, but I am so glad that I took this step and went. It was a really great time and I am looking forward to the next meetup. Anyway, that is all for now.

Happy Valentine's Day...

a day early. :) Well, I havent posted in quite some time. I guess things just get away from me with school and work...and life. I want to start by wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day. I know they say Valentine's Day is a day to show your love to your significant other, but I think it is a day to show your love for all those important people in your lives. I think life gets away from me sometimes, so I don't really tell the important people in my life how important they really are. So, I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day. Know that someone really cares about you...me. :)

So, we made a decision about school for Michael. We are going to do it!! Yeah. I am so proud of him. It is a big accomplishment to get into the program and I am sure he will do so great. It will definitley be a very challenging couple of years, but what can I say, we lived in Morocco as newlyweds, so this can't be that bad. :)

News...let's see...Michael's brother and cousins came to stay with us a few weeks ago for a concert in Dallas. We didnt get to spend tons of time with them since we had to work, but it was nice to have them over. What else...Oh yeah, i hit my 25 pound weight loss goal. I have actually lost 28. 6 pounds thus far. It feels so great. I am hoping to have lost 35 pounds by the time we go on our backpacking trip in March. I think I can really do it. Wish me luck.

so, Michael and I are planning our March trip. We are going to stay with his grandmother in Tennessee for a few days and then head over the Smoky Mountains National Park for some backpacking fun. I can't wait to spend some time just hiking and chatting and sleeping under the stars. I think it will be even more fun this time since i am in much better shape.

School...well, school is going well. My classes are interesting, but I am not feeling quite motivated yet, which is not so good since i am a good chunk into the semester. I have some serious studying to do this weekend. I feel like no matter what I do, I am always behind on something in class. Oh well... yesterday in class, we talked about how we would set up the world if we could do whatever we wanted, but we didnt know who we would be in the world. for example, we wouldnt know if we would be male or female, fat or skinny, abled or a person with disabilites, old or young, homeless or not, criminal or not, rich or poor. so, we had to make a decision about what kinds of services and divisions we would want, but we didnt know where we would fall when it came to those services and divisions. It was really interesting. As a class of PhD social work students, we, of course, came up with an equal division of just about everything, which was not surprising. anyway, it was an interesting discussion that got me thinking, so that is good.

Well, since Michael will be moving away in a year or so and I havent made many new friends since moving home from Morocco. I joined a website called meetup.com where you can find other people in your area who are interested in similar things and "meetup". I joined a girls night out group and they have a ton of events scheduled. I am going to a wine tasting meetup next week and then michael and i are going to the glass cactus for a group meetup next saturday. I am really excited about meeting other professional women in the area and hopefully making some new friends. :) there is also a board game meetup and i think michael and i are going to join that one. it sounds like some good times.

well, this weekend, we have dinner plans with gabe and his girlfriend, natalie, at (take a guess), yeah Pirahna. then, Michael and I are celebrating Valentine's Day on Saturday by heading up to Zorba's for some delicious greek food and then to a movie (with my free movie tickets!!). michael has already decided what he is eating at zorba's. That is how much we miss it. Next weekend, we are going to the glass cactus on saturday and the W hotel to hit the Ghost Bar with my parents for my dad's birthday. Good times ahead.

I do want to send a shout out to my hard working husband. He has worked 9 days out of the past 10. Now, that might not sound too bad, but he works 12 hour shifts. My goodness...he is such a hard worker. We are trying to save some money to pay for an extra apartment while he is in school. :) just teasing, we are really actually just trying to save for school in general, since we will only have my salary to support us. oh the salary of a social worker, but like people tell me, I dont need to get paid the big bucks because i get to feel good everyday as a social worker. :) blah, blah, blah. sometime the big bucks help me feel good too. just teasing again. anyway, i am just rambling. talk to you all soon.