New Year, New ME!!

I'm back in the gym.

I joined Weight Watchers.

I graduated from college and am awaiting my diploma.

I made the trip home to Texas for Christmas and saw my wonderful family and friends (and pets!).

I hit that "What do I do now?" point between college and the real world.

I've been trying new recipes out left and right and am really getting into the swing of cooking healthy (but delicious and fun!).

I think that just about catches me up to speed on the past, oh... month and a half of my absence from blogging. I'm hoping that now that I'm out of school and don't really have obligations (you know, like homework and such), that I can start blogging every day. There's this thing going on where you blog and post a picture every single day during the year and it kind of comes out to like a photo blog/ journal of your year... I like that idea.

Just to catch everyone up on what's been going on with me...

All of the ingredients for my Bourbon Peach Cobbler at Christmas.
I have a whole series of pictures, like the good food bloggers do...
but I think I've waited too long to include all of them. So I'll just post this one...

... and this one. The finished product.
Let me say two things: it was pre-WW and it was DELISH!

(l to r) sisters (and me): Aunt Linda, Aunt Deb, me, and my Mama on Christmas Day.


This would be my Daddy's leg. It's leaps and bounds better than it used to be. The family are actually on their way today to Houston for a checkup. I'm so proud of my dad... he's been off of his feet for a year now, and is doing so well in his physical therapy. It still surprises me sometimes, to see this on his leg... This has just proved even more of how much of my hero my Daddy is to me.

Carol, me and Amanda
I feel like the three of us hadn't been together in a really, really long time, so it was so nice to be able to just sit down and catch up at our old stomping ground (Chili's). It hit me that I was saying goodbye for probably another six months as we were leaving... it's never easy, and I feel like I'll never find friends like these girls. I guess on the other hand, however, you make different types of friends. That's really comforting to me.

The future Dr. Shivani Desai! I love meeting up with Shivani when I'm home. It's usually Starbucks and the hour that we said we would spend catching up typically turns into 3 hours before we know it. I'm so proud of her going through med school and working so hard... I'll have a doctor friend someday! She's wonderful and just is such a great friend.

As for New Year's Eve...
My mom had lap band surgery on December 30th and I had a 6am flight back to Boston booked for New Year's Eve. Well, thanks to insane security at the Austin airport, I missed my 6am flight. Not the best start to my day and, knowing that tons of snow was heading towards Boston, was terrified that I would miss my flight. A wonderful airport employee booked me on an 8am flight out of Austin (and upped me to first class-- kind of made up for the whole missing my flight ordeal) and put me in Chicago, where I waited on pins and needles for two hours until my next flight. I seriously thought I'd be stranded in Chicago on New Year's Eve and didn't take a relaxed breath until we were in the air. Things actually worked out for the best because all of the snow moved through Boston around noon, the time that I would have originally landed. It was so, so nice to get back to the condo, unpack, shower, and see my boy. We may have been long distance for two years, but I've certainly gotten used to having him around so often!

Brian's cousin and his girlfriend (Ricky and Candice) came over that night and... it was such a nice night. We debated going out and having fun vs staying in and relaxing... and the relaxation definitely won out. Candice and I get along really well, which is nice because the boys are like brothers. We ordered Thai and watched lots of Jersey Shore until the countdowns came on, then the boys headed out for beverages... and Candice and I entertained ourselves otherwise.

Needless to say, I spent much of the next day in bed.

One of my Christmas gifts was a molcajete and let's just say it took a while to prepare it for use. You have to sand it down with white rice, rock salt, and then season it.

The Boy had the process DOWN.

Alright well... I'm pictured out. I really am going to try and do the picture/blog everyday, so let's cross our fingers that all goes well.