Living the Dream

Montana Men: I'm on a Mission

2011-04-22T11:23:00.002-06:00

This is just a trick post to get you to read my other blog posts at www.glaciermt.com. I blog every week for work...I'm the first person voice you hear each Friday talking about my travels and experiences in Montana, or as I like to call it: God's Country.

Click here to read my blog...

Family Vacation

2010-08-20T11:17:00.001-06:00

Spent a great week in beautiful Montana with the whole family! Read all about it...and see photos...here!

Travelpants Blog

2010-05-14T14:28:00.002-06:00

Hi guys,

Obviously I've been total and complete slackerpants on this blog. But I am blogging weekly for glaciermt.com...so if you want to read about things I'm up to as it relates to travel in Western Montana, visit www.glaciermt.com/blog.

A Letter

2010-03-31T09:16:00.004-06:00

Dear you,

Hi. Remember me? I remember you. I still think about you from time to time. Mainly wondering how you're doing and if your life is what you'd imagined. To be honest, I don't think mine is exactly how I imagined, but I don't necessarily think of that as a bad thing. With time, things change. Goals change, opinions change and loves change. One thing I wonder about occassionally, and probably because there's a lot going on in my head, is what would have happened if you would have waited. Just a little longer. I didn't want you to wait for me forever, that wouldn't have been fair or nice. I just needed a little more time. Time to grow up a little. And time to recognize what I already knew. But that was then and this is now. Regardless of it all, I hope you're well. And happy. And most of all, I hope you've found exactly what you were looking for.

Love always.
T

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-25T09:01:00.003-06:00

Hi guys,

First, I'm sorry for the long hiatus. I don't have a real solid excuse, but I just haven't been feeling the creative juices to write. They've all been commandeered and directed in different directions. But I think they are slowly sneaking back.

A few things I've been thinking about:
1. Grease 2 is an awesome movie. The song lyrics are especially catchy. As I was flipping through the channels before bed last night I happened to stumble across it and it instantly brought a smile to my face.
2. I hit my head. A lot. Probably more times in a week than either of my baby nephews who are almost two and almost one, respectively. Just this morning, I managed to bang my head on the top of the refrigerator. Not a good way to start the day.
3. Last night, I went to Lunafest with one of my girlfriends. For those of you that may not know what Lunafest is, it's a traveling film festival that is "by, for, and about women." I've found myself saying "by, for, and about women" far too often the last few days when referring to this festival. Mainly because I think it's funny.
4. The closing film of the festival was about this cute little 81-year-old lady that lived in a desert in the US somewhere. One of the things she said really caught my attention: "If you're going to have a happy life, enjoy all your nows."

I plan on enjoyng all my nows a little more from now on.

Throw In The Towel

2009-08-20T14:10:00.003-06:00

You know the saying "Bow out gracefully"? First of all, I feel like that's an oxymoron. For one thing, I'm not graceful. How are people expected to throw in the towel on something and do it gracefully? I've always been in awe of those men and women who are able to handle things with poise. I aspire to be like them. At this moment, I'm trying to figure out how I can bow out and be graceful. And I've got to tell you...it's not looking good. It's looking more like I'll be bowing out awkwardly. Why, oh why, didn't my mom put me in dance classes to help with my grace?!

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

2009-07-10T17:24:00.002-06:00

Boy: "Do you really miss me that much?"
Girl: "Ya, so much."
Boy: "How did you survive without me before?"
Girl: "Well I didn't know what I didn't have and now that I know what I have, I don't want to be without it."
Boy: "Aw babers."

True story.

PWebz

2009-07-08T15:29:00.002-06:00

Dear Paul, I am miserable without you. Are you sure you want to stay in Europe until July 21? It's not too late to change your return flight date. Think about it.

ps. Too dramatic?

No More Sugar

2009-07-01T22:40:00.002-06:00

I'm on a sugar hiatus. And not because I can't handle the sweet stuff, I practically live for it! But alas, it's because my sugar is in Europe for a month traveling and playing around. And I've got to tell you, it's hard. Probably because I'm a huge baby. But also because I completely adore the little joker and am used to having him around to play with, laugh with me and cuddle me. So far, it's been a week. One down, three to go. Wish me luck. I think I'm going to need it!

Here's What I Think

2009-06-12T00:22:00.002-06:00

...I am obsessed with checking certain blogs. It gives me a nice view of what's going on in other people's lives. Is it a little creepy? Maybe. Should that be a surprise to anyone? Probably not. Do I love reading your blogs? Indeed.
...I have recently traveled to the fine cities of Portland and Seattle for some quick weekend warrior road trips. I prefer Seattle. Sorry Portland, you're great and all but you just don't get my motor running like the Emerald City. Although I am an equal-opportunity city lover, so maybe you could still schmooze me into liking you more. Little tip: Be gentler on my allergies. I am a sensitive, fair-skinned lady and you really stirred me up. Think about that.
...I think octopus are quite a neat animal. According to the lady at the Seattle Aquarium, they are a gentle animal. But the way Olive Oil through one of her tentacles up out of the water and onto the glass makes me wonder. Maybe she's a gentle killer.
...I've been really into Animal Planet lately, but the one show that makes me want to punch myself in the face over and over is Meerkat Manor. Not sure who's idea it was to set up cameras to film gopher-like animals in Africa, but I'd like to meet them. After meeting them I'd invite them to Montana to show them how we treat gophers. Just kidding! But seriously.
...It's interesting that the owner of Molly Moon's Ice Cream in Seattle actually first scooped ice cream here in Missoula at The Big Dipper. Made me love her ice cream a little bit more. I tip my hat to you Molly.
...I need to cook more. I asked my boo if he wanted me to make him a sandwich and he said, "No, I think I'll just have some cereal." Ouch.
...What goes around comes around. And because of that, it seems to me like some people are about due for a nice butt-kicking. Don't want to name names, but universe, if you're looking to kick some booty I've got a roster for you. Always happy to help.

XOXO

CD Release Party!

2009-04-17T15:37:00.002-06:00

Happy Friday and Happy Spring! Warmer weather is officially here in Missoula and I've got to tell you jokers, I couldn't be happier! And speaking of things that make me happy, I've got more news to tell you...I finished my first CD! And to celebrate, I'll be playing a concert and having a CD Release Party on Friday, May 8 at Lake Missoula Cellars. So...if you're around, please come down and jam with me!

Family Bonding Time Photos

2009-03-22T15:18:00.004-06:00

There are just too many cute photos! Therefore, another post. Ta da!

Family Bonding Time

2009-03-22T14:48:00.002-06:00

The last week or so has been full of fun family time for me. And, get this, it even happened in Missoula! I didn't even have to go anywhere for it. Woo Hoo is what I say to that.

Last week, I played a show at Lake Missoula Cellars and I had family there in full force! In all, there were 16 of them (from both sides) that came to the show and I must say that I loved it.

Then this week, my cousin was here with her family and I was able to play with my "niece" and "nephew" for a few hours. Those kids absolutely crack me up! Abby was holding my hand and kissed my big glass ring before covering the rest of my hand in kisses. Too cute! She also suckered me into going down the slide with her at the mall. When it comes to babies, especially cute ones, I do not have the ability to say no and will pretty much do whatever they want. They play me like a fiddle.

Then last night, my cuz J-Dawg and my cuz Stone played the Miss Rodeo Inauguration Ball at the Hilton Garden Inn with their band, The Walk 'Em Boys. So much fun...and we had tons of family come! They traveled from far and wide (Missoula, Pennsylvania, Bozeman, Lewistown, Augusta, California, Stevi and Lolo -- we've slowly taking over the country) and we literally danced the night away. In between busting out killer dance moves, we managed to find the time to take about a billion photos and share plenty of laughs, giggles, hugs and kisses. Grandma was even up shaking her groove thing--take that recently broken hip!

Since I don't have an eloquent way to end this entry on family, love and fun, I'm going to quote two wonderful men...their words seem most fitting.

"Cousins Rule." -Gavin Allen
"You wanna know something--I sure love you." -Don Allen

Love to all of you.

Happy Spring

2009-03-19T14:12:00.003-06:00

So these days the weather has been getting a bit nicer and it's making me so excited for spring and summer! And those things make me really happy. But, to be honest, I have a lot of things in my life that make me happy.

And because I'm feeling the love and want to share it, here are some of the things on my "Oh So Happy" list...

1. My mom and dad came over and spent the weekend a couple of weeks ago. We went to dinner, laughed it up at Brian Reagan and danced it up at The Broadway.

2. I have two jobs! And they both make me really happy - I love enjoying my work. :)

3. Babyface is almost one! And he's soon going to be joined by Babyface #2, scheduled to make his debut in May. I am one happy aunty!

4. I have some great BFFs. Not only do they crack me up, they are fun, kind, warm and caring people.

5. My boyfriend is really nice. And cute. And sweet. And funny. (Yes, I'll stop now.)

6. My gram came over to my show on Friday and cracked me up when after the show, she asked me if some of the songs I played were "Rock."

7. Medicine. It makes me feel good.

8. My In Style subscription from my favorite brother-in-law. It's a surprise in my mailbox every month!

9. Cold water.

10. Music! My friend and I played a show on Friday night and had a great turnout, along with a fun night!

What's on your "Oh So Happy" list?

Give It Up for the "L" Word

2009-02-13T12:28:00.005-07:00

Valentine's Day is tomorrow. Be prepared for the flurry of hearts, candy, flowers, kisses, and blah blah blah blah. Just kidding. I know you may not guess it, but I love Valentine's Day. Even when I don't have a special sugar to spend it with (which I usually don't), I still love the idea behind it all, because it's all about the love.

A couple of random thoughts on this Valentine's Eve...

I was on people.com this morning and there was an "article" about Carrie Underwood saying she's "Anti-Valentine's Day" because she wants a man who will love her "365 days of the year, not just one." I have one thing to say to that: Duh, girl.

Last night, we watched "Vicky, Christina, Barcelona" and there was a part in the movie where the smoldering Javier tells Vicky about his father's poetry. His father writes beautiful Spanish poems but refuses to publish them as a way to punish the world for not knowing (or not choosing) to love. All I can think is shame on us.

When it comes to love, our hearts and feelings are going to get beat up once in a while. But I have come to learn, through much trial and error, it's okay. My hearts going to be fine. And no matter what, it's going to keep loving. Because that is what it's all about.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and make a card for my sugar. (Yep, you read that right!)

Happy Day. Love. Always.

New Song - HAPPY

2009-02-09T13:16:00.003-07:00

Fun news: I recorded a new song a couple of weeks ago for a CD collaboration with a bunch of super talented Missoula-based musicians. The CD was recorded on behalf of Lake Missoula Cellars and will be released in a few weeks...Woo! Basically, it's the best musicians in Missoula bringing their A game. Truly awesome and inspiring.

Take a listen to the new song "Happy" at http://www.myspace.com/tiatroy. Let me know what you think.

Love.

That Cat

2009-01-27T23:55:00.005-07:00

Okay, alright already. Enough of your harassment! I know I said I had exciting news and I really do. But you have to realize the source (me!) I think something like finding my favorite lip gloss on sale at Bath & Body Works is exciting (which is usually $7.50, but I totally scored for $3. Say it with me, "Ah yea.)

Anyway, I'm sure you're thinking my news is something like one of the following scenarios:
1. Tia's engaged! Nope, not yet. Although I do like boys. A lot. Especially cute, funny ones that like to dance.
2. Tia's fulfilling her life long dream of being a princess! Nope, wrong again. Although, just for the record, I secretly do think I'm a princess so that's not really a dream.
3. Tia's becoming a rock star! Well kind of, but not right this minute. That's more of a work-in-progress type of thing. Just for the record again, I think I would be a rock star meets cheesy, love song writer girl.

The real news is...I quit my job. Which in these current times may seem like a ballsy thing to do, but hey, sometimes I'm ballsy. And sometimes I'm brave. And sometimes, I put the line "a little less talk and a lot more action" to use. And, ladies and gentlemen, this is one of those times. You may be wondering, "What the crap are you going to do Tia, you little missy?" To which I sweetly respond, "Only time will tell my dear one." But know this...I am stoked for the future and excited for what it will bring!

Love. Always.

Six Minute Style

2009-01-27T13:03:00.004-07:00

Hi everyone, Happy Tuesday!

Check out this blog: http://sixminutestyle.blogspot.com. It's created and written by a local Missoula woman, Susan Doherty. And let's face it--it pretty much rocks.

Wine & Obama

2009-01-20T23:35:00.003-07:00

Get this: I spent the evening pouring wine at an Obama inauguration party. Why is this funny? Because I'm Mormon and conservative. Go figure. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Happiness For Me

2009-01-19T22:53:00.003-07:00

Oh hey guys. So I have some news. And I really want to share it with you. But I can't yet...however, I will tell you that I am stoked and excited about it! Hopefully you all will be too.

Love.

Love of Friday

2009-01-16T13:45:00.001-07:00

Aahhhhh......

St. John

2009-01-09T21:57:00.003-07:00

I just had an awesome holiday away in St. John.

It was splendid for a variety of reasons...here's a few:
1. I went with my BFF Lizzy - I love her!
2. Her husband Christian and my friend Chris were there too - I love them!
3. It was warm.
4. I have a tan.
5. I went snorkeling...for the first time...and saw a stingray!
6. I heart pina coladas.
7. I was on vacation - a real one - with no worries. It doesn't get much better than that.

That Really Happened

2008-12-22T00:18:00.005-07:00

"Sorry I'm not the person I could be."

What does that even mean?

-------------------------
What I should have said in response : "I'm sorry you like boys."

It's Official...

2008-12-20T16:39:00.002-07:00

I am starting a book this week while I am on holiday. After the recent few month's "festivities" I have determined that it is high time to get rolling with it. So dear readers, Merry Christmas. I hope these stories will bring as much humor to your life as they have to mine.

Santa Baby

2008-12-16T09:44:00.002-07:00

It's hard to believe Christmas is a mere week away. With everything else that's been going on, I haven't quite gotten into the "Christmas spirit" this year. Which I don't like one bit because I absolutely love Christmas. The other day I was watching TV and a Macys commercial came on focused on the "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" letter from 1897 that was written in response to an inquiry from eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon. When I read it, it gives me the warm feeling of peace, hope and love.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?" Virginia O'Hanlon, 115 West Ninety-fifth street

"VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."

Today

2008-12-09T11:22:00.002-07:00

Today, my heart is hurting. And there's not anything I can do about it. Someone I care about is hurting. I think that part of being a grown up and caring about people means hurting when they hurt, laughing when life is funny and dancing when the music plays. And for today, it means hurting...hurting and sending love, prayers and thoughts their way. But right now, it doesn't seem like enough.

"What the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose." Henry Ward Beecher

Am I Being Punked?

2008-12-01T18:16:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm being punked. Like maybe the Missoula version of Ashton Kutcher is around somewhere playing pranks on me and this is all just a big joke. Generally, and specifically, things have been happening that I have to ask myself the following question: "Really?" Followed by: "Is this a real thing?" (For the record, it usually is a real thing.)

Luckily, I have learned to laugh at these things. It helps that I have awesome girlfriends who will laugh with me (I tip my hat to you girls!) And while I still sometimes want to fight people, I think giggling about it is probably the better way to go. And not to worry, I'm sure I'll still get a fight or two in when needed. Because I'm from Montana—and that's just how we roll.

SWF needs SM

2008-11-26T23:55:00.003-07:00

I was driving back to Augusta tonight with my mom and aunt. We were just visiting away and I asked my mom when I could do something. Her reply was this: "When you get a husband." To which I replied, "Arg, why do I always have to have a husband for these things!?" To which she replied, "I don't want you to be an old maid." Then they asked if I had "tried online dating." And I said, "No." To which they replied, "Maybe you should."

Real cute ladies. Real cute. Except that it's not that cute because I think they were both serious. Yikes.

And I Thank You

2008-11-25T16:11:00.003-07:00

Man, I'm lucky. And very blessed. Here's a short list of what I'm thankful for this year.

1. You!

And while I could stop there, that is definitely not all there is to be thankful for. I've got way more thankfuls up my sleeve!
ps-These are not in order...just randomly jumbled.

2. Life
3. Love
4. Kindness
5. Family—a distinctive blend of love, crazies and fun!
6. Laughing
6. My mom
8. Hugs—and I mean good hugs!
9. Good friends
10. Music
11. My job
12. Babyface action!
13. Being healthy
14. Living in Montana
15. My grandpa
16. Blue sky
17. Airplanes
18. Vacation time
19. Cable
20. Hot showers
21. Diet soda
22. Trips —this year's PA and IL visits!
23. New family members—Julia & Joshua
24. Old family members—Too many to name :)
25. Learning
26. Reconnecting
27. Mascara
28. My car
29. The church
30. Lip gloss
31. BFFs
32. New babies. And old babies. Really, just any babies.
33. Monday lunches
34. Flowers
35. Beauty shop
36. Lotion
37. Telephones
38. Blogs—they help me keep up with everyone!
39. The holidays
40. Ibuprofen

If I Were A Boy

2008-11-24T14:56:00.003-07:00

Gotta get this out of my system. I love boys. But there are certain times when they have a real way of jacking things up. Sometimes I wonder how they can possibly do something and think it's okay or appropriate. Which is of course, just one of the many ways that men and women are different. Anyway, I'm a little thrown off kilter by a recent experience. And because of that am now listening to Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy."

Here are the lyrics. Pretty fitting.

If I were a boy
Even just for a day
I’d roll outta bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted then go
Drink beer with the guys
And chase after girls
I’d kick it with who I wanted
And I’d never get confronted for it.
Cause they’d stick up for me.

[Chorus]
If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man.
I’d listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy
I could turn off my phone
Tell everyone it’s broken
So they’d think that I was sleepin’ alone
I’d put myself first
And make the rules as I go
Cause I know that she’d be faithful
Waitin’ for me to come home (to come home)

(Chorus)

It’s a little too late for you to come back
Say its just a mistake
Think I’d forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong

(Chorus)

But you’re just a boy
You don’t understand
Yeah you don’t understand
How it feels to love a girl someday
You wish you were a better man
You don’t listen to her
You don’t care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
Cause you’ve taken her for granted
And everything you have got destroyed
But you’re just a boy

Come Fly With Me

2008-11-20T17:24:00.003-07:00

In an unrelated to the previous post note, I booked my ticket for St. John. And, needless to say, I am so excited! I can hardly wait to spend a week on the beautiful beaches with my BFF!

And yes, I'm flying Delta. ;)

Twinkle

2008-11-20T17:16:00.003-07:00

Sometimes I have a desire to be real ballsy. Which I know is not a ladylike term to use, but I looked it up at www.thefreedictionary.com and it means "Very tough and courageous, often recklessly or presumptuously so." I don't know about you, but I think that definition is pretty awesome and captures the whole feeling of throwing your cares away and being brave. However, for the sake of "dignity" and because I'm a whole lot of talk and not very much action, I'm going to lock it up and keep my desires to myself. Or am I?

Work It Girl

2008-11-18T12:33:00.004-07:00

So I was talking to one of my girlfriends about "Working It." Here's the condensed version: She likes a boy and is most likely going to see him this evening, not in a date-type situation but in a wine club group setting-type situation. So I, being the boy crazy girl that I am, told her to make sure that she "works it". Because she usually doesn't. Instead she runs away or gets too embarrassed and leaves the situation altogether. So, at her request (although I don't know how serious she was) she asked for some tips. Now, I'm a little bit of a flirt and from time to time (okay fine, a lot lately) I've really dedicated some time to the art of working it. And being the dear friend that I am, I sent her the following tips...

Tips from Tia
1. Smile.
2. Use eye contact.
3. If you do have eye contact, hold it for a couple of seconds. But not too long. Too long is just creepy. (It’s okay to look away and then look back again and smile.)
4. Act like you care what he is saying (even if all you are really doing is watching his lips move while he talks and thinking, "Dang, I want to kiss those.")
5. Casually touch his shoulder or arm when you’re telling a story or when he is telling you something.
6. Talk to him, but also act a little disinterested. Meaning work the room! Talk with him for a few minutes and then go on your merry way and talk with other people (all while being your charming self). Then work your way back over to him a little bit later.
7. Be a social butterfly.
8. Don’t be afraid to walk up to him and say hello. Just walk up and smile and say “Hi.”
9. Talk with his friends and include them in the conversation.
10. Give him the chance to make a move.

Feel free to use the above tips on the object of your affection. Best wishes and may you all work it successfully.

xoxo

ps-Be sure to keep reading the blog for tips on how to jack up relationships. I would wager to say I'm pretty skilled in that as well.

I'm It?!

2008-11-17T13:50:00.002-07:00

A tag from Mrs. Julia Allen...

What I was doing 10 years ago:
1. I was 16—finally "legal" to date.
2. Cheerleading for Augusta Elks 6-man football team.
3. Fighting with my big sissy (love you!)
4. Preparing for the Junior Prom.
5. Spending every Sunday practicing for the Augusta Community Christmas Concert, compliments of my mama.

Things on my to-do list:
1. Put away my clothes! An ongoing battle.
2. Workout.
3. Send Galen's glasses.
4. Practice music for the show on Friday.
5. Wish my brother and Colter a happy 25 birthday on Wednesday!

Snacks that I enjoy:
1. Wheat Thins.
2. Diet soda.
3. Sour jolly rancher candies.
4. Chocolate chip cookies.
5. Popcorn with peanut M&Ms.

Things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Have our family reunion on a cruise!
2. Pay off my car. :)
3. Go on a sisters trip!
4. Design and build my dream house.
5. Invest in some solid music goals & equipment.

5 places I've lived:
1. Tuckahoe, New York
2. Rexburg, Idaho
3. Great Falls, Montana
4. Augusta, Montana
5. Missoula, Montana

Jobs I've had:
1. Store clerk (thanks mom!)
2. Babysitter/nanny
3. Newspaper editor
4. Waitress at the Buckhorn
5. PR practitioner

The Friendly Skies

2008-11-12T16:34:00.002-07:00

I have a new found crush on pilots. I've decided that they are pretty cutesy and fabulous. Want more specifics? Too bad. Just know that I'm quite fond of them. So much that I think we should all take to the friendly skies. Just be sure to fly Delta. ;)

Dreaming

2008-11-09T12:41:00.002-07:00

So, have you ever had one of those dreams where everything you dream seems so real and you wake up either real happy or real mad? I have. In fact, I had two of the last night. One I woke up (real happy) at 3 AM. The next one I woke up (real mad) around 8 AM. Apparently someone has been on my mind a lot lately because they were in BOTH of my dreams. The first dream he was here and things were good and he was charming and cute and precious and mainly, loving me. And I woke up thinking, "Yes!" Then realizing it was 3 AM, I returned to my happy slumber and dreamed even more.

However, the next time I woke up I was pretty mad. Apparently in the second installment of my dream, he was dating someone else. Someone who basically looked the complete opposite of me: a beautiful Latina. She was tiny and had beautiful dark sking and long, shiny hair. Needless to say, I woke up quite ready to give him the old jump shove (made famous by Kacey) and a verbal lashing. Luckily, for all of us, it was just a dream and the jump shove didn't need to be implemented. Here's hoping it won't have to be. ;)

Oh Hey Blue Eyes

2008-11-02T12:57:00.003-07:00

Hello you. So, it's come to my attention that you may be here soon. And to put it quite simply: I can hardly wait. And while this is a little embarrasing to say, I'm just going to throw it out there. I'm smitten with you. And I have been for a few months now. I realize that may sound ridiculous, but it's true.

You see, I'm one of those "wear my heart on my sleeve" type of girls, and when it comes to you it's out there. And it's saying a few things. Things along the lines of I think you're adorable, sweet and funny. Not to mention I'm quite fond of your stellar dance moves, killer blue eyes and personality.

So, with that I say (as sweetly as possible of course): hurry up and get here.

PS-Just for the record, I'm not banking on a "you + me = us" type of turnout. Although I wouldn't mind it one bit. xoxo

Halloween: Work It

2008-10-31T13:37:00.001-06:00

So this year, our work decided to have a "Halloween Costume Competition" where all the departments were pitted against one another. Because there's only two of us in PR, we combined with our lone media gal and became three. As we were thinking of famous "threes", we thought, "Who's hotter than The Jonas Brothers right now?" The answer: No one. Thus, we are The Jonas Brothers.

My Grandpa—Don Allen

2008-10-05T11:58:00.002-06:00

I've been meaning to write about my grandpa, but I wanted to make sure that when I did I would have time to think about him and not just throw a quick post up. With that said...It's been two months since he passed away. And I miss him like crazy. Especially today. The first session of today's General Conference wrapped up with President Monson speaking about happiness, joy and love. His words brought my thoughts to grandpa.

There are things that I don't ever want to forget. Things he said, things he did, the way he loved and even his handwriting. My grandpa was known far and wide as a generous man and a kind man. No matter what, he would always make sure that if a belly needed to be fed, it went away full. And he would consistently leave people better than he found them. If there was one thing he was good at, it was loving. And if I had to name a second, it would be cooking and preparing meat that melted in your mouth.

He had many things that he would say—things I hope I will never forget. Here are a few favorites:
"Tia darlin'."
"Oh ya?!" (this was used after we were razzing him about something)
"Want to taste something good?"
"That's a pretty blouse." (he never called a top I was wearing a shirt or sweater, always a blouse)
"You want to know something, I sure love you." (he always wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to say this—often times on a stool behind the counter at the store, one of his favorite places to sit)

He also loved to tell blond jokes. And stories. He was probably one of the best story-tellers and joke tellers around. I have heard the same jokes for the past few years and every time I had to laugh and tell him that was a good one. And now that he's gone, playing around in heaven and telling jokes up there, I'm glad that I heard those jokes over and over and over because they remind me of him. And I'll be able to tell them to my kids and pass along a part of their great-grandpa to them.

My grandpa had a twinkle in his eyes—one that when he was playing a joke on you or telling you a story, would come alive and dance in his blue eyes. You could always tell if he was up to something by looking at those eyes and seeing them sparkle.

One of the things I am going to miss the most is not having grandpa at my wedding. And the fact that he is not going to meet the man I love enough to marry. That was one thing I always wanted. For my grandpa to meet my husband. I was always curious about how he would take to him and if he would deem him as a keeper enough to marry one of his granddaughters. And while now I will not have that, I'm sure that when it comes to that time in life, I will weigh whole-heartedly the type of man he is and make sure his a good one. One my grandpa would love.

Excuse Me, Officer

2008-09-25T19:16:00.002-06:00

Alright most of you know that I live in downtown Missoula. Which is actually quite a lovely place, very convenient for life, work, activities, etc. However, the location that I live in also has a lot of crazies that pass by it on a regular basis. Which is usually fine, because most of them do not mean any harm. But sometimes I get a little weirded out. Take right now for example. I'm sitting at home on my couch and have my shades open a crack and I can hear a crazy lady talking to someone outside. Except that no one is there. She just said "Hurry, look at what they've done to us." Followed by, "Please please please don't let that happen to him. You're all going to die. Go on the bus quickly." And while I'm sure she is not harmful to anyone, at the same time it freaks me out. Especially when she starts yelling.

Too Bad

2008-09-22T11:00:00.000-06:00

Seriously?

2008-09-17T16:57:00.004-06:00

So there's something I need to get off my chest. It's about a boy and relationships (please, keep the shock to yourselves.) It's something I've been thinking about for a while, but that has recently been brought to my attention in full force.

Have you noticed how many people are "scared" of having a relationship or getting hurt? Well I have. And it's a lot.

And it seems to me that people are usually scared of something new because of an experience they have had in the past where they have been hurt, burned or had their heart stomped on. To which I say fair enough. However, I don't think it's fair to "punish" other people because you've been hurt in the past. (Now I'll switch to first person because let's face it—obviously this is something happening in my life right now and we might as well admit it than pretend like I'm talking about someone else.) First of all, I'm not the one who hurt you, so how about if you quit taking someone else's actions on me? I had nothing to do with it. Trust me, I know how if feels to have your heart hurt by someone (I've got a few battle scars.) But I'm not willing to let myself miss out on you and something that could be really great because I'm afraid to get hurt again. You think about that.

Today

2008-09-16T15:48:00.002-06:00

A coworker sent this to me today. I love it.

"Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. Never regret anything that made you smile."

My Closet Threw Up

2008-08-31T23:37:00.004-06:00

Right now it's raining in Missoula. I've got candles burning and Josh Groban singing. Which is pretty much the perfect way to end the day. A few random thoughts for the night...

1. Josh Groban is one of those artists that you cannot call by just his first name. You know how you can call Dierks Bentley just by "Dierks?" (yep, you can.) Well that kind of casual attitude is not going to fly for Mr. Groban. Just an FYI. Let's show a little respect here people.

2. I turned 26 last week. Kind of hard to believe that I am actually in my mid- to late-20s. Still not sure how this is all going to go down, but I think it's going to be a good year.

3. My closet has officially thrown up all over my aparment. I't actually quite ridiculous. (Want me to tell you a secret? It's been that way for a week!) My coat rack busted, probably due to the weight of all my stinkin' jackets, but instead of picking it up, I just thought I'd let it work itself out for the past few days. When it was apparent that no one was going to pick it up and sort this mess out, I had to do it myself. Story of my life these days.

4. The sentence, "You need to get a husband" was said to me several days ago. Oh by who, you may ask? My dad. He's real sweet. I was having some issues with the whole "lefty loosy, righty tighty" concept when it came to hooking up the hose. I worked at connecting the hose to the pump for a good five minutes before I had to sweetly yell to my dad to PLEASE come help me. Don't worry, he came out and turned it the correct way and it went on like a dream. Then he followed it up with the husband comment.

5. Flowers make me happy. My best friend sent me roses last week and they are still absolutely beautiful! Looking at them makes me smile. I have a pretty awesome BFF. :)

That's it for now. Hope your random thoughts are running wild on this perfect rainy Sunday. xoxo

A Many Splendid Thing

2008-08-11T23:24:00.002-06:00

The last few days have brought a ton of emotions and feeling (more about that later) that have got me thinking. Love is an awesome thing. And the ability to love is a gift. And while loving can be a risk, it's worth it. Sure, it may not always turn out how you wanted and the likelihood of ending up with a bruise or fracture is probably high, in the end it's all worth it.

Because to love and to give love is really what it's all about.

Pathetic

2008-08-03T22:03:00.003-06:00

Usually I'm pretty fine with being single. But there are a few instances when I feel a little pathetic. The main one is when I'm sick. I'm a pretty sad sick person who is not tough at all when it comes to not feeling good. When I'm under the weather, all I really want is to have someone beside me. And no one's here. And that sucks.

No Subject Really

2008-07-28T22:15:00.003-06:00

Dear You,

I thought you may be wondering what I have been up to lately. (At least I hope you are...mainly for dignity's sake as I've been wondering what you've been up to. For starters, I've been a busy little missy. Over the past few months, I've visited friends in Chicago, kayaked and met new friends in Pittsburgh, been to Glacier TWICE!, attended the ever famous Augusta Rodeo, played and sang at two weddings, traveled to Utah for my cousin's wedding, saw Ani DiFranco in concert, went camping, got a nasty cold, played beauty shop and of course, spent several hours playing.

But enough of that. I've been thinking about you and hope you are well, safe and happy. As for me, just know that I am well. And safe. And yes, happy. I can hardly believe that August is almost here. For one, because it means summer is quickly leaving. And two, because it's almost my birthday...yikes. Even though you're not going to be here for my birthday, it's okay. I'm sure you're off doing whatever it is people like you do.

And as funny as it sounds, in some ways I'm glad the time is passing so quickly. Because that means I'm closer to seeing you. And I can hardly wait!

xoxo

Shhh

2008-07-20T21:47:00.004-06:00

Thank you to a Sunday evening viewing of Titanic for the following...

"A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets."

How true is that? I know my heart is full of them (except that I tend to wear it on my sleeve, so things that I think are "secret" are probably not as secret as I like to think. But we'll just roll with that for now, mainly for dignity's sake.)

What's your secret?

I Heart Montana

2008-07-20T21:46:00.005-06:00

Alright, I'm sure that you already know how much I love Montana (from the title of my blog and the fact that I am making my life here.)

But every once in a while, I am reminded of some of the reason's why I love Big Sky Country. I just spent the last few days up in Whitefish/Flathead Lake/Glacier Park working with a crew from Ireland. And, I would like to add, had the best time with them! Absolutely a delight to work with and I certainly hope our paths cross again in the future. As part of our time "up north" we did a variety of activities and worked with some fabulous people...here are some photos of the last several days...And a reminder of why I love Montana. And the Irish!

ps-There are cowboys in one of the shots--I've hit the jackpot!

Think About It...

2008-07-15T11:04:00.003-06:00

Isn't it amazing how you can miss someone you hardly know?

Summer Lovin'

2008-07-13T22:48:00.002-06:00

Alright, I don't have any particular summer lovin' of my own, but since it is the middle of summer, that title seemed appropriate. Plus, I'm real tired, so the "creative genius" that is my blog (ha ha) is not really running. Apparently it's off taking a nap somewhere. So instead, I'll just fill you in on the happenings of late in the world of Tia.

First off, things are good. Life is good and apparently there are people out there falling in love. How do I know? Well, I just hit up my third wedding of the season! Which, by the way, all of them were beautiful and lovely and I even had the honor of singing at two of them. :) Good times and congrats to all the beautiful couples!

Second, summer is half-way over and I feel like I'm not really sure when it even got here or how it is now the middle of July. But I have officially started a "Summer To Do List" of things I need to accomplish before Labor Day.

Third, for those of you who are curious about blue eyes, he is good. Although he is still not in my car (as he's off taking care of other business), he is still as cute as ever.

Third, my achilles' heel has been acting up again. Dang it.

Fourth, I get to spend a few days at the end of this week with some people from the Motherland and I'm pretty stoked about it. I just hope I can understand what they're saying...understanding Irish accents are not one of my strengths. (Just ask my sissy---she had to translate for me when we were visiting our family.)

And finally, I am getting tan. I've decided I look much better with a little color as opposed to the clear skin tone I usually have. You are all very welcome as you will no longer be blinded by my clear/albino tendencies.

Until next time---hugs and kisses.

I Heart Cowboys

2008-07-01T19:24:00.003-06:00

Alright I'll say it. I love me some cowboys.

There's just something about them that gets me! I'm not sure if it's their sweet smiles, belt buckles, sparkly eyes or the touch of mystery associated with the cowboy way of life, but whatever it is, it's working. And it's coming straight for me and there's not a thing I can do about it. Keep it up cowboy, keep it up.

Update The Italian Stallion is Tamed!

2008-06-17T18:48:00.005-06:00

So remember the story of the Italian Stallion and his Don Juan wannabe ways that nearly brought my sister and I to blows? (Click here to take a trip down Italian Stallion memory lane.) Anyway, big news! Word on the street is that he is officially engaged and is getting married this summer. This news has been confirmed by facebook. Woo Hoo! In all seriousness, congrats to our little Fonzarelli! May you be happy forever and ever!

Pittsburgh

2008-06-17T18:25:00.005-06:00

I'm in love! No, not with a man! With kayaking. Today, I went on my first kayaking expedition in beautiful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And get this, I paddled six miles. Six miles! This from the girl that used to hate sweating (I kind of like it now--I feel like it melts my fat away) and would get mad when people made her go on hikes two days in a row (the audacity of Paul and Patty!). To be honest, I'm not sure what it was...the calm of the water, the yellow bridges over the river or the skyscrapers against the lush green trees. But whatever it was, the combination has wooed me. And for now I will happily spend the rest of my evening thinking about my new crush and where our relationship will go from here. See you in my dreams kayak. See you in my dreams.

I Love All Kinds of Cake

2008-06-16T22:42:00.004-06:00

Dear Readers,

I hope this finds you well. You’re probably wondering why you have the pleasure of reading so many entries in such a short span of days. Well it’s because I am on a plane from Missoula to Pittsburgh, my ipod is dead and I don’t feel like reading my book. Hence, plenty of time for writing and filling your minds with the useless ramblings of my mind.

Sometimes I have so many things going on in my head that it’s hard to keep track of them. Which is a good thing that I shouldn’t complain about because I’d rather have a lot going on up there than nothing at all. I always have these “brilliant” topics I want to write about and I’ll think of them intermittently throughout the day, but by the time I get around to writing, they have totally vanished from my mind. Which shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, considering that sometimes I forget where I park my car.

Anyway, believe it or not I have something to write about, although the previous two paragraphs may lead you to think that I don’t.

I was dropping Maitland off the other day to get fish-sat while I am out of town this week and was talking with my cousin-friend for a few minutes. Of course, the topic of boys/men came up. It always does (although I did not bring it up...this time.) Anyway, I was advised that while I shouldn’t be “less picky” I should consider being more accepting of boys/men. I didn’t know quite what to think about that. I wouldn’t say I’m “picky”, just merely “selective” in my choice of male companions. During our conversation, she also pointed out that I get annoyed with boys/men. I had to hand it to her there—she caught me like a fat kid with his fingers in the frosting of a chocolate cake. Now, I’ve always been an equal opportunity employer when it comes to members of the opposite sex (although theoretically I prefer the ones that are nice, funny, smart, enjoy dancing and are not-slutty, though this theory has been called in to question a time or two. Or seven.) but I do have a tendency to get bothered by some of the things they do (just mainly when they are mean or stupid.) I’m not sure if this is because I am more “selective” than the average female of it’s a defense mechanism to keep them from getting too close. It may be a combination of the two.

And while I don’t think my “selective” tendencies will go away soon, it did give me food for thought. What kind of thoughts, I don’t know yet. It made new a few more minutes.

Until then, bon appetite!

Tia...the Author?

2008-06-14T16:40:00.000-06:00

So big news. I’m writing a book. No, I have not started it yet. But I will. I’ve been talking about this for a while, but the time to actually do it has come. Now I’m not saying it’s going to be brilliant or a best seller or anything like that so don’t get to excited, but I do hope it will be entertaining. Mainly because life is funny.

My thinking behind this announcement—even though it is only to my blog readers and not in the form of a formal press conference—is that it will encourage me to get my booty in gear and get moving.

So until the book comes, keep reading the blog. And one day maybe you can say, “I knew that Tia girl back in the day when she wrote blog entries for a small online readership. And look at her now, she’s sold 14 books.”

Happy Reading!

Go To The Mattresses

2008-06-14T16:37:00.004-06:00

You know how life gets a little busy, a little sad, a little happy, a little fun and a little full? It seem like it’s a combination of those things day in and day out. And while all this is great, wanna know what makes it even better? The “Go To’s.” You know, the people in life that you “go to” when something is happenings.

I’ve gotta tell you, my GT’s are probably some of the best known to man. They seriously rock it. Whether it’s a professional frustration, a personal drama, a love life complication, good news or someone to just kick it with, I’ve got some phenomenal ones.

A lot of my GT’s are in the form of my family---basically because they are the best. Sometimes it’s my mom, sometimes it’s my sister (big or little) and sometimes it’s one of my cousin-friends. (Love you guys!) I look at the family that I have and think “Man I’m lucky.” Sure, we’ve got our crazies and situations, but who doesn’t? That’s what makes family family.

I also have some great GT friends. Some are from my growing up days (which technically I’m still in those days-not sure if they’ll ever come to a close), some are from my college years and some are from my last few years working a grown-up job. I’ve only known my Missoula GTs/BFF’s for about a year, but it’s weird to imagine not having them in my life before now.

Another one of my GT’s is music. When I’m feeling blah about things I call on The Clinton’s and their song “Dance Slow.” (Check them out at clintonsband.com.) I love that song. It reminds me that life is good, love is real and music brings it all together.

To all of my Go To’s, you rock. Thanks for being you. For all of those with GT’s in your life, you’re lucky. For those that need GT’s, I hope you find them. And if you’re ever in need of a good bossing, I’m definitely your GT.

xoxo

Things you may not know

2008-06-09T19:53:00.000-06:00

1. I love peanut butter and chocolate chips.
2. I don't like big dogs.
3. I am petrified of bats.
4. Sometimes it feels like all I ever do is get ready.
5. Some days I wish I could be a trophy wife. Until I realize I'm missing the trophy part and the wife part.
6. I love black and white.
7. I love babies.
8. I'm really nice.
9. I believe you have to laugh because come on, life is funny.
10. I have a crush on North Carolina.
11. I have gotten my heart bruised. Not broken, just bruised.
12. I love kissing.
13. I cannot dive.
14. I love weddings.
15. Nothing brightens a bad day like a good friend, a diet soda and dessert.
16. When I laugh really hard, I kind of look like a horse. That's why it's called "The Horse Laugh."
17. I love people.
18. I love my family.
19. I act tougher than I really am.
20. Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing.
21. I believe in the power of the human touch.
22. The eyes really seal the deal for me.
23. Some days you gotta dance.
24. I like performing. Apparently I didn't get enough attention growing up.
25. Gerber Daisy's make me happy.

Sing it sister

2008-06-08T22:27:00.000-06:00

I got the blues. The Sunday night blues. You know the ones. They come pretty much every Sunday night when you're sitting at home thinking of the coming week. And sure, while you're excited for what the new week brings you also think to yourself, "Seriously-it's already Sunday night?! Where did the weekend go?" I'll tell you where it went. Away. Just like it does every time. It seems like the time between Friday evening and Sunday evening goes faster than any other two days known to man. And when the evening hits, it drags on. And on. And on. Maybe it's because I'm sitting here alone, typing away on my computer, the only sound the humming of my space heater. Sure I know it's June and maybe the heater doesn't need to be on, but it's also Sunday night. And every Sunday night my heater comes on and provides a harmony to my thoughts and the clicking of the keyboard. Anyway, I better hit it before the Sunday night blues turn into the way too early Monday morning mayhem. Goodnight heater. And hugs and kisses to the rest of you.

Get Out of My Dreams...

2008-06-04T23:00:00.000-06:00

...and into my car. No seriously, get into my car. Fine, I guess you can't. Probably because you're not here. You're off doing your job somewhere. But I do have a sneaky suspicion that if you were here you would indeed get into my car. And I would happily welcome it.

Probably because I keep thinking about you. Sad I know, but I have a hard time pushing you completely out of my mind. You see, when it comes down to it, I don't want to push you all the way out. I want part of you to stay. Mainly the part of you that makes me laugh. And the part of you that danced with me for hours. And your sparkling blue eyes—they can stay too. I really liked those. And while we're at it, let's keep the sweet part of you too. The part that walks me to my car, likes chick flicks and makes me feel beautiful.

So until we meet again, I think I'll just keep those parts of you right here with me where they are perfect and safe. But rest assured that when I do see you, I will indeed make you get into my car.

Homeless Bum

2008-04-24T16:38:00.000-06:00

So as many of you know I live in beautiful Missoula, Montana. It's a pretty fantastic place to live as it has a nice mix of families, vibrant college students, professionals, writers and on and on and on. However, is also has a plethora of bums (aka homeless people/transients.) I have the opportunity to interact with these travelers on a daily basis. First of all because I live downtown, conveniently enough right across the street from "The Pov" (a temporary residence for the homeless) and I'm only a block away from the railroad tracks, their main mode of transportation into our fine city. Not don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the homeless-to each their own.

However, right now I am sitting at The Break, a popular coffee spot where I like to come and do some writing after I am no longer able to concentrate elsewhere. And on this fine Thursday afternoon, many other Missoulians decided to come and spend some time at The Break as well. So lucky me, there are no other tables available except for the one with the homeless man sleeping at it. Apparently my new friend is very tired. He keeps dozing off and then jerking himself awake as his elbow falls off the table. While it is a little rude of me that I sat down at a table with him without asking, he is asleep so I figured he wouldn't mind.

Uh-oh, he just woke up. Lucky, he seemed to not notice that I was sitting here. Instead he stood up, pulled up his sagging sweatpants and just wandered away from our shared table. With any luck, he'll be back to join me. If not, I'll try to find another soul to join me at this table.

Four minutes later...He's back. He filled up his coffee cup and rejoined me. We still aren't speaking...apparently we both like playing hard to get.

My Yellow High Heels

2008-04-10T21:34:00.000-06:00

Oh hey. So I played my first "show" last weekend here in Missoula. I was able to play about a two hour set out at Lake Missoula Cellars and had a fabulous time doing it. Lots of my office "crew" came and listened, drank wine and (hopefully) enjoyed everything. Have I told you all how much I enjoy performing? I really do! Although I think I come by it naturally and apparently have felt a need to be the center of attention from a young age (just ask my mom, she'll show you the home videos.) When I get up on stage, I don't feel nervous. I'm not sure if I am naturally comfortable it or if I just think I'm sooo funny that I have no worries. Whatever it is—it seems to be working. Anyway, looking forward to playing more tunes.

*ps: I wore real cute sassy yellow high heels. I think they did the trick!

Get on the boat

2008-03-16T00:37:00.001-06:00

Do you ever do something and then want to kick yourself for it? Then you think "Okay the next time that happens I'm not going to do that." And then you have another opportunity and do the wrong thing again...In the end you think "Well that's just great. Way to screw that one up too."

Sometimes I do. :) Mainly when it comes to boys. (I know what you're thinking. "Of course--I know Tia and she does have a knack for ruining relationships.") Anyway, I have a situation in my life that I have managed to mess up a couple of times. And just to clarify, I know that at least one of the times it wasn't all me. But I should probably take blame for the other ruined times. Anyway, this is a person I could love. Probably really and truly. But when it comes to spending time with him, I get all nervous about having "date" time. When it's just "friend" time I honestly can't get enough of it.

I think my mind may have an allergic reaction to the word "date" and triggers me acting like I'm either not interested, a little awkward or at times, even a little bratty. But not all the time. Just with guys that I know I could have real potential with and maybe fall for. Well that last time I was in this situation with my friend (a while ago and no, I will not provide dates or names) I did it again. I got all psyched out. We spent the whole day together and then he came over and visited at my house for a little bit. Then it was time for him to leave and I said goodbye. And I was sad to see him go. Of course, I didn't tell him that. Mainly because that would have been a good thing to say to a boy I like. But to go along with my track record of ruining things, I couldn't tell him.

Next thing I knew he had a girlfriend. And once again, I had missed the boat. In fact, I was still standing on the shore trying to get my life jacket on--that's how much I missed it by.

But never fear. He recently got back off the boat. I don't know why and I don't know how long he will be back on shore. But I'm hoping that this time, I'll be ready to go when he leaves the dock.

Text Message Misery

2008-03-09T15:20:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning to a text message. I thought it was probably going to be from one of my girlfriends or my brother or something, but to my surprise, it was from my ex-boyfriend. And it said three little words. I miss you. Normally, those three little words give you a warm feeling.

But for me on this morning, those three little “I miss you” words didn’t do that. Instead they gave me the lovely “what the crap” feeling. You see, bomb squad and I broke up about 11 months ago and sure, while I missed him in the beginning, I now feel good about it and learned some good lessons from that relationship. And while it’s not out of the ordinary for us to talk from time to time, I was still not expecting the “I miss you” verbiage this morning.

So I did what any normal person would do. I called him. (In case you haven’t figured it out—I’m real bad at letting things go.) After a few minutes of chitchat, I asked him if he wanted to explain himself. He asked what I meant. And I reminded him of the late-night text message. Apparently he was having a case of the feel-bad blues that came in the form of missing me. And while I don’t blame him for missing me (☺), it’s one of those things that is hard to hear and good to hear at the same time. I think everyone wants to be missed and loved, but at the same time, it’s difficult to hear that kind of crap, especially from someone who you care about, but that you would never go back to.

But, it’s not a total loss. Those three little words from him serve as hope to me that someday, I will find my very own man to love and miss when I'm away from. And even though I know bomb squad is not my guy, I still know my own special Mr. Tia is out there somewhere. And I can't wait to find him.

Black Eyes: The Encore

2008-03-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

So guess what. I saw black eyes again. No, not on a date—I'm not that desperate! Here's how it went down: A couple of weeks ago I had two journalists in town for work. When we have people in town we typically take them to a popular restaurant on the banks of the Clark Fork River. So anyway, I knew black eyes worked there, but there wasn't anything I could really do about it. I went ahead and made the reservations and didn't give it much thought after that. Then, the day we were going to have dinner I thought to myself, "Maybe I should call and request to not sit in black eyes section." That thought was shortly followed by, "No, what are the chances of him working tonight and having him be our waiter." Well, apparently the chances were incredibly high because at 5:20 PM (my reservations weren't until 6 PM) I got a text from black eyes that said "Your table is ready." Talk about Creepy McCreeperson.

Anyway, we go to the restaurant and are seated and of course black eyes walks over and is socially awkward and wanting to visit. And since I had people with me, I was polite and nice, but really not overly friendly. So after making it through an otherwise pleasant meal (minus his loitering and lingering looks) we left. A few days later, I got a call from black eyes—which I again did not answer—letting me know he was free tonight if I wanted to "come over." Ew. No black eyes, I don't want to come over. Below is what I really want to say...

"Dear black eyes,

First of all, if I liked you, I would call you back. I would not ignore your phone calls for several weeks. Second, I would not have a look of dismay in my eyes when I see you at your place of employment. And finally, I would not shoo you away as soon as possible from my table. I'm sure you are a nice person and although I commend your persistence, I've had just about all of your creepiness I can handle. Please go find someone else to harass and kindly leave me alone.

Many thanks and all the best in your future ventures."

Hopefully he'll get it sooner than later. This little missy is tired of being creeped on.

*If any of you are into creepers, please let me know and I will happily pass along black eyes contact information to you. Hugs and kisses. Tia

Stupid Love Songs

2008-03-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm sitting in my darkened apartment listening to love songs. Probably not the best thing for a single 25-year-old to be doing on a Sunday evening, but it's what I'm doing, so I guess I'll just have to deal with it. Now listen though, I enjoy love songs, especially the simple ones with beautiful melodies and light instrumental accompaniment.

But on this cool March evening, they are making me sad. Which I know could be solved by shutting them off. But I can't. Not tonight.

Every once in a while I get in one of those moods when I get a little bit sad and feel like I may cry. Tonight I'm having one of them. While I have not cried, I am feeling a little down. Here's why: I'm tired (but who isn't). I'm getting sick (and I'm not a good sick person. In fact, I'm a huge baby when I don't feel good.) And my friend just left. (He was here for a few days visiting/skiing, although the main purpose of his trip was to ski the beautiful Rocky Mountain snow of Montana, I was able to spend the last few days with him, which I thoroughly enjoyed. He even put up with my very mediocre snowboarding, full of lots of crashes and me wiping out the cones a few times when exiting the lift.) You know when you are with someone for a few days and you have fun and enjoy being around them and then it comes time for them to leave and you get a little sad?

Those are what I like to call the friend-missing blues. And right now I'm singing them. But I don't think it's just that I miss him, but having him here and having him leave is a reminder of some of my other good friends I miss.

My best friend is 1,500 miles away (or 22 driving hours - I just mapquested it), my big sister lives on the east coast, and two of my best cousinfriends live a couple hours away, which in my opinion, is too far. And to top it all off, the man of my dreams is off playing around somewhere and keeping me waiting yet another day. (Which by the way mister, I have had just about enough of.)

But I guess it's weekends like the one I just had that help me realize the people I love and value in my life. I'm seriously blessed when it comes to friends and family. I have a handful of true, solid friends that I love. And even though I don't get to see them as often as I would like, it's all good.

Anyway, now that I've got that off my chest, I think I'll go to bed. And if I'm lucky, maybe I'll dream about a love song that doesn't piss me off.

XOXO Tia

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

On this day of love, it seems appropriate to wish you each a Happy Valentine’s Day. So here goes, "Happy Friggin Valentine's Day." There you go-hope that made your day.

Anyway, since it is the day of St. Valentine and whatever the crap his deal was, let’s talk about love. To be honest, I love love. I really do. And I think love is everywhere. But because it’s Valentine’s Day, I can’t talk about regular love, I have to talk about being “in” love. And I’m going to be honest about my feeling on this. I love the idea of being in love. Have I found it? No. Have I dabbled in it? Not so much. Has it slapped me across the face? I wish.

But I think it's important to note that even though my time of being “in love” is not quite here, I believe in it. In fact, I am certain it is out there. (Between you and I, I’ve already picked out the guy-I just haven’t found the best way to let him know he gets to love me forever yet.) And while I may not be exactly ready when he decides to love me too, I’m excited for it.

The idea of finding someone to spend my life with and laugh with and cuddle with and have babies with is awesome. It’s probably one of the best ideas ever. And while other people have found it and are having their cuddles and their babies and whatnot, I’m still here. Living the single life, playing around and going on dates with guys who have two black eyes. But in the end, it’s all worth it. I will have paid my dues, kissed my frogs and end up with my very own version of Prince Charming. I just wish he’s hop a plane out here already.

My Open Mic Night

2008-02-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

So, as many of you sweeties know, I like to sing. And play guitar. And write girly love songs. In order to express and utilize these likes, sometimes I play open mic night at the always charming Sean Kelly's in Missoula. I hadn't gone for a few weeks and had some new songs I wanted to try out, ie perform, so I signed up and went last night. I did my little set and was sitting down listening to some fellow musicians perform. The first guy that got up after me was a musician I like to call "Mafia Man." And while I only bring one guitar with me to open mic, he brought two. That's right...TWO. And about four harmonicas. Now I don't know how one person can play two guitars and four harmonicas in the space of 20 minutes, but MM sure did. And he was good. There was a tad bit of a creeper in him, but I attribute that to the witness protection program he is currently a part of. But because he said he would record some of my songs, I'm going to let it slide. But I'm not that stupid—I plan on taking my own "people" with me when I do record some songs, just to be on the safe side.

After Mafia Man was done playing, up came two of the whitest jokers I've ever seen. To clearly solidify just how white they were, they both had red hair and I think it's safe to say their skin was even clearer than mine. If that's not creepy, I don't know what is. So these two white munchkins get on the stage (For visual effects please picture one wearing a camo hat with "IDAHO" written across the front in orange letters and matching orange-soled sneakers. Oh ya and picture them both in sunglasses that are cool when you are 12. Got it? Okay we can move on...) and are messing with their guitars. Pretty soon they start playing and the lead singer (AKA skinny arms man) opens his mouth and out comes this gravely, reggae type voice singing some sweet little tune. The next thing I know they switch from reggae inspired to bluegrass. It was during those moments that I developed a mini-crush on skinny arms man. To avoid falling deeper into crush-mode with SAM, I left.

And though I may never talk Skinny Arms Man or Orange Idaho Lover again, I'm sure I'll see them again. Even if it's only in my dreams.

Black Eyes

2008-01-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

So I had a date last night. He came to pick me up with two black eyes. That's right, I said TWO black eyes. And a broken nose. First of all, who gets two black eyes at once?! Well according to my source, people who get the crap kicked out of them the weekend before. Of course, the relaying of this story (along with the felt cabin and tree printed shirt he was wearing) creeped me out. Yikes. Anyway, this guy assured me he is a "lover not a fighter," to which I clearly told him I am a "fighter."

The date itself was fine, but to be honest, as a nice girl that doesn't get jumped by randos while out and about on the town, I don't think I'll be going out with him again. If he asks, I think I'll punch myself in the face, give myself two black eyes and have a great excuse not to go.

Where is the follow-through?

2008-01-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

You may (or may not) have noticed that I have not posted anything for a long time. And to be honest, I don't really have any good excuse. Apparently, I'm lame.

Last month I came up with a whole list of topics I wanted to write about. Good ones too...well at least in my mind they are good. But did I write about any of them? Nope. "Why?" you ask. Well I don't know. The only thing I can say is that there was very poor follow-through on my part. I'm a bum.

Anyway, to be honest, I'm disappointed in myself. Heck, I've even go so far as to say I've had it with me. So my dear ones, I'm going to get crackalacking on my writing. Expect to see opinionated and embarassing stories coming your way soon.

xoxo Your favorite slacker

How To Tell If He's A Keeper

2007-11-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am 25 and single. That’s right—I said it. Because of this, you may not think I am the best person to give advice on how tell if a guy is a keeper. But to that I say, mind your business about my love life and instead learn from the knowledge that comes from my years of interactions with non-keepers. Hopefully—by learning about some of the ways to tell if a guy is a keeper—you will one day find someone worth keeping around.

1. He has kind eyes. As poets have said for years, the eyes are the window to the soul. Listen to the poets of yesteryear—these fellas know what they're talking about.

2. He treats women with respect. This applies to all women, not just his mama. It reaches to his sisters, his friends, his friend’s girlfriends, etc. Men are meant to be gentlemen. As such, they should treat each woman like a lady.

3. He believes in something. There is nothing more annoying than when a guy changes who he is according to the people he is around. For example, if he acts like a keeper when he’s with you and then talks derogatorily about women when he’s with the boys—watch it. He's no good.

4. He makes you feel beautiful. Everyone wants to feel loved, adored and beautiful—it's human nature. And if he's not making you feel this way, quit wasting your time.

5. He makes you laugh.

6. He’s more than just a pretty face. So your guy is cute, handsome, dreamy, yada yada yada...that’s real nice and all, but if he can’t hold a conversation, what are you supposed to talk about ten months from now, let alone ten years from now?

7. He is not mean. I know this may sound like a no brainer, but from experience and observations, it’s hard to realize how mean someone is when you are in the middle of a relationship. No one should be mean to you...there is no excuse for it. If he’s mean to you, give him the old hasta la vista baby. He’ll regret it later and you’ll be better off.

The list of keeperdoms could go on and on, but for now we're going to cut if off right there.

One last word of wisdom. Remember as you are learning the steps to life, that it’s okay to be alone. Because you deserve to be with a real keeper and not some creeper.

My Heart

2007-10-10T08:42:00.000-06:00

So once again I find myself drifting back to the topic of love and life and I wonder, why do I always come back to this? But I think the answer lies in my heart.

Ever since I was a tow-headed, blue-eyed, dimpled baby, I have had a personality that cares about people. I think some of this came naturally and some of it came from the way I was raised and loved by the people in my life.

And ever since I was a little missy toddling around, I have worn my heart on my sleeve. And because of this marvelous and frustrating characteristic, it doesn’t take long to tell how I’m feeling. And trust me, it’s not like I want you all to know how I am feeling all the time (just some of the time;))…it’s just that I can’t help it!

Frankly, I want to be in charge and in control of my emotions. Sometimes I do well in this effort and at other times, I don’t do so well. Woops. Which can get tricky because the “tough girl” in me really wants to hide the times I am hurting and the fact that I can’t do this—and instead have my heart out there for all to see—really makes me mad and makes me want to fight people.

But at the end of the day, I know that no matter what momentary “crisis” I am in or how sad I may be, I know it’s all going to be okay. Because these experiences I have are part of my life and part of the person I am working to be.

Plus, deep down, I am a lover, not a fighter. And the lover in me is always going to continue on, with a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eyes thinking of what’s next to come.

So, to you I say, bring it on.

The Itallian Stallion: The Story That Keeps On Giving

2007-10-08T13:35:00.000-06:00

*Tia's Note: This story happened several months ago and at the present time is basically null and void (as my sister is married), but I still think it's funny. And yes, I still like to embarrass her and I have found that telling this situation is one of the best ways to do it. Love You Patty.

Have I got a doozey for you.

Alas, it’s on love. Or jealousy. I haven’t quite decided which one. I received a phone call from my little brother telling me to come to my parent’s home for the weekend, as he would be there and he would be bringing a friend along that “really wanted to meet me.” I’m sure we’ve all heard that line before. Nonetheless, I agreed. Somewhat against my will, but at the same time also slightly interested at the prospect this set-up could hold.

Now first of all, who really wants to be set up? How many people go around telling their baby brother to set them up? Well, I am not one of those people. I don’t want to be set up. I have not requested for this to happen. But I think my brother decided to do it out of the kindness, or the pity, of his little heart, probably thinking that if someone did not step in and something soon, I would keep going along the way I am now, as a single, career-based and focused woman and turn into a lonely spinster. Point taken, thank you Nick.

So Friday night comes and this man comes home to meet me, while by this point in time, I have become nervous and unsure of how to behave, I believe in part to the expectation that this individual had for me. Now you may think that I blew him out of the water with my stunning wit and amazing rhetoric, as I would usually do. Instead I blew him out of the water is another way. This is the way I behaved: I didn’t talk much (which is not normal,) I wasn’t funny (which is atrocious to even think about,) and I didn’t flirt (will someone please take my temperature?)

Why did I do this? I have yet to figure out. But the saga gets juicer. Picture this, my older (and thinner) sister burst onto the scene as she is home over her Christmas break from Indiana University where she is working toward an MBA and JSD (the overachiever of the family, eww.) Well pretty soon she starts seducing this man who was supposed to be mine – sigh; aren’t they all? – and wooing him with her petite frame, deep-set eyes and upbeat personality. (Once again, eww.)

So I take it upon myself to act very mature and proceed to not flirt with him, as she is making her mark upon him. I also threaten her with sidelong glances and dagger-laden looks. Because she knows exactly what she is doing…boy does she know.

To summarize the saga, they ended up making out in the “family” hot tub, although I doubt the family will look at it the same now, as it has been tainted with their steamy kisses.

Needless to say, I was not a happy little dove when I found out about this and the ongoing samples of affection. In fact, I was filled with emotions that are the opposite of happy. I was so mad at my sister! The kind of mad that is much worse that spilling cranberry juice all over my new white jacket. The thoughts ran through my mind, “How could she do this?” “She is so mean!” “I never really liked her.”

But then I stopped, took a breath, and really assessed the situation. Was I willing to have this anger and resentment toward my sister over a boy that I met five days ago? (Although he is tall, attractive and nice…a combo hard to find these days.) Is this the kind of woman I want to be? You know the kind I mean; they get out of sorts over prospective men, they say their first name with this new guys last name to see how it flows, they choose some joker over a relationship they have had and worked at through the years, and on and on and on.

I decided no. Actually make that a loud, resounding NO. (I would say a H*** NO, but my mother would read this and be disappointed in me, so I’ll be keep that out.) The relationship I have with my sister is not worth sacrificing for a boy.

Plus, his clothes are a little too color coordinated. It would never work out.

Perfectly Imperfect

2007-09-25T20:36:00.000-06:00

Have you ever tried to do be perfect? I have. It lasted about a minute. Mainly because there is a lot of work that goes into perfection, let me tell you what. Trying to reach the perfect weight, have the perfect hair (something that is especially hard for me--have you the mess on top of my head? Yikes.), behave like a lady (also hard, I wore a gown for a night and by the end of it, I had met my match.)

So after the reality that my perfection quest set in , I started thinking about what if means to be perfect. And what is also means if we always striving—or more appropriately pretending— to be perfect, we may miss out on something that is truly lovely: Imperfection.

If you know me, you are also well aware of my many imperfections. For example, I have two bumps in my lower lip (clumsiness set in at an early age) scars scattered around my body from various mishaps, bug eyes (that's what my sister calls them--I secretly think she's just jealous--I like these giant blue jewels!) and of course, when I laugh really hard, my horse-laugh (as my dad lovingly calls it) makes an appearance.

And even though I am very aware of my imperfections, it’s interesting to me to see what other people think of as imperfect. For example, I have a gap in my front teeth. Cute, right? (You should say yes Tia that is cute, because it was passed on to me from my little mama and she is real cute.) Anyway, a couple of years ago I was getting some dental work done from this man-pretty dentist I used to go to. While he was doing his business, he told me he could “take care of” the gap in my teeth and "close that baby right up." A comment to which I sweetly responded, “Uh, no thank you" while I was actually thinking "What the crap man--You're lucky my mouth is full of instruments and I'm hopped up on painkillers or I might have to fight you."

But I’ll tell you what, he was pretty surprised that I wanted to keep my gap. Because to him it seemed like an imperfection. When to me, it is something that is perfect, for a variety of reasons: It does come from my mama, I can squirt water through it, it makes my s's whistle, and of course, last but not least, people with gaps are inherently good kissers. It's science.

So I guess the moral of this whole story is that even though we have imperfections, it’s better to embrace them than hide them or wish them away. Because in reality, our little imperfections are what make us perfectly imperfect.

The Breakfast of Champions

2007-09-25T20:27:00.000-06:00

I've recently learned that some people jump start their morning with a little marijuana. Or at least, that's what some of the creepers in my building do to greet the new day. I only know this because that is the smell that greets me when I open my door to go to work each morning. And of course, to each their own. But I've got just one question. What's wrong with a refreshing diet soda to start your day?

If the sound of a can of ice cold cola doesn't get your blood flowing, I don't know what will. Think about it.

Oh Please

2007-09-25T20:18:00.000-06:00

So I was thinking about something the other day. It’s the phrase "I’m over it.” Well you want to know what I think when I hear someone say that? I think, “Oh please sister, you’re not over it.” And you know what else, you’re not fooling anybody. No one believes you’re over it. In reality if you were over it, you wouldn’t have to say you were over it.

I think this is almost a code among people. Especially female people. And even more specifically, female people who are friends. It’s our way of telling you, our besties, that we are indeed not over it. Because really, if we were over it, you would know because we wouldn’t talk about it. By using the previously mentioned phrase, what we’re really doing is sending out a code red warning notification alert letting you know that we are indeed not over it. The subliminal message is this: I’m obviously not over it! How in the world can you even expect me to be over it?!

To which I also say, "Easy, I don't want to fight you."

Because it's okay. Sometimes I think we never truly get over it. Whatever it may be, I think that a small part of it becomes a small part of us. And you know what, that’s okay too. Because if we didn’t have little pieces of it making up our life, we wouldn’t be who we are today.

So you know what I say? Just stay under it.

Casting Your Line

2007-09-20T13:14:00.000-06:00

Ah the giant pond of dating. It’s got us all swimming around trying to figure out which bait to take, when to jump and show our colors and when to just hang out and wait until something truly eye-catching comes along.

But we all know that although there are many choices and methods to fishing, it is something that must be done with skill, care and charm. The first thing every fishing enthusiast must understand is that fishing is not hunting…there is no stalking of your prey—only flirting. Good fishermen understand they must seduce their catch with the right kind of bait at the right time.

And since we’re all fishermen (or fisherwomen), with the outcome ideally resulting in our perfect catch, we have to determine just what type of fisherman we are.

Utilizing very scientific methods, hours of observing fishermen at work and the help of my big sister, four types of fishermen daters have been found: the sports fisherman, the social fisherman, the bad fisherman and the love of the fish fisherman.

The first type is the sports fisherman. These guys take part in fishing for the glory. They want to land that trout, stuff it, hang it on their wall and show it off to their friends.

Next are the social fishermen. To put it simply, they just want to have fun. Their goal is not necessarily to land a catch, but more to enjoy the day at the lake with their buddies. They’re there to mingle, eat some delicious food, dance to the music and peruse the selection.

Then comes the bad fisherman. (Don’t deny it, you all know one.) This joker is in the game for the appropriate reasons but his methods are completely wrong. Instead of playing it cool, he’s in the water stirring it up, sloshing around and driving away every fish that could potentially be interested.

But never fear…because the love of the fish fisherman is still out there. This guy’s patient, kind and understands the kinds of methods that are required for landing his perfect catch. And although he may get hurt from time to time, he learns from each experience on his way to finding his one and only.

Now comes the fish. To date, we have successfully categorized five types of fish that are found in waters around the globe.

First on the list is the easy fish, although the more common name is the “Trash Fish.” These little guys are the suckers, the carp, or as I like to call them—the bottom feeders. Even the worst of fisherman has a chance with these crappers. Let me sum them up for you…If you throw a blood sucking leach out to them they would happily latch onto it. Basically, these are the types of fish you do not want. Unless of course you like low quality food that will provide you with minuscule and temporary satisfaction. Your call.

Next on the list is the fickle fish or as I lovingly call them, the “Big Tease.” These babies flirt with the bait, tap the hook and even go so far as to give it a little nibble. Typically, fishermen don’t catch these fish. But you really can’t take it personally because they don’t mean it personally. The fact is you just don’t have the right bait, you’re fishing at the wrong time or maybe, the fish you want still needs to grow and isn’t ready to be caught.

The third fish is the rainbow or “High Maintenance Fish.” This sparkler is all about the show and takes joy in leaping out of the water and displaying her array of colors. When this fish hits your line, you better set your hook quick or they'll just swim on by. And as we all know, with most high maintenance “treasures” you have to be willing to adapt to them.

Next is the brookie or the “Feisty Fish.” These fish are little, but they put up one big fight. They’re full of speed and spunk, making them doozies to catch. Although they are a bit harder to reel in, they’re typically worth every second of effort.

And finally, we have the big brown or the “Stubborn, Independent Fish.” Any fella after these babies had better be patient and ready to wait. These fish are driven, determined and generally smarter than most of the other fishies. To put it bluntly, they don’t want your bait and they don’t need you to feed them. They’ll find their own bugs. To quote the well-known phrase “good things come to those who wait,” if you’re willing to stick it out and land one of these fish, it will all be worth it. And although they may get scared and try to swim away from you, if you keep them on the line they’ll give way to your charms soon enough.

In closing, remember that there is a fish out there for you. And although you may have to wait awhile and go through your fair share of bottom feeders, rainbows, brookies and every other creature out there, feel confident in the fact that one day, you’ll land your one true guppy. Or love. You know what I mean.

Creepers

2007-09-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

*Tia’s Note: For the sake of educational and informative purposes, there are many levels of creepers. The sexual predator, long-haired, barefoot walking, stare-at-you-type are ones you definitely DO want to avoid. A complete synopsis of various creeper levels will be provided in a future entry.

So lately I’ve been thinking about something, or more specifically, a group of people: creepers.

“Creepers,” you may say. “Oh silly, I wouldn’t even know a creeper if one looked me in the face.” Well friend, truth be told, you know a creeper.

The way I see it is this. If you have a My Space account, a Facebook account, or even a blog (that’s right-go ahead and creep on me, I don’t mind), you are opening yourself up to creepers. And although the whole premise of these “networking groups” (AKA “creepers paradise”) is to keep in touch with our friends and the people we love, the usage of these types of devises opens us up to creepers.

I for one don’t think that you can be bothered by the fact that people visit your profile to check in with you (as long as they are not creepishly stalking you-yikes.) You know the gist of it…what you’ve been up to, the new photos you’ve posted, your relationship status and on and on. It’s a way of sharing your life with others and the spirit behind it is good. Heck, I love keeping in touch with people and seeing their accomplishments and adventures via photos. But you should all remember that by having one of these accounts, you’re asking for it. (And don’t play coy with me-you know what it is.)

But do you really want to know what it all comes down to? People want to be creeped on – not in a sexual predator gross weird sort of way of course, but in a friendly way. As human beings we have an infinite need to be connected to others.

And interestingly enough, for some it’s creating a My Space account, using Facebook or even blogging. In reality, when used in an appropriate creepy manner, these are things that allow us to stay in touch with those we care about. And really, let’s face it, everybody’s got a little bit of a creeper in them.

Circling the Airport

2007-09-06T08:51:00.000-06:00

Alright, how many of you feel or have recently felt like you have been circling the airport? Go ahead and raise your hand. No need to be embarrassed, at least not in my company. My hand’s been up for a while now. Actually so long that it’s starting to cramp.

Okay, go ahead and put your hand down. Now ask yourself this question: “What is more boring than circling the airport waiting for clearance to land?” Your answer should be, “Well Tia, nothing. That is the most boring thing I can think of.” Touché.

I know that for me circling is especially frustrating because after I’ve been in the air for so long, all I really want to do is land. Now I’m not saying that it needs to be a permanent landing, but I tell you what, I sure wouldn’t mind having a layover or two or seven along the way. You know, just to get off the plane, make a few phone calls and see what it’s like to have my feet back on solid ground.

During the past month or so, I was doing a lot of circling. And I tell you what, I didn’t like it one bit. It seriously frustrated me to no end. But luckily for me, the flight tower saw that the plane I was on needed a break to refuel, switch pilots and give me a break. The brief reprieve was beneficial for everyone on our flight, especially me. It allowed me to readjust to a normal altitude, stretch my legs and put things back into perspective. Whew.

And as for now, I’m back up in the air making my way to somewhere else. And according to the pilot, the weather looks clear and we should have a smooth flight. At least until the next landing. Until then...wish me luck. I need it.

The Real Deal

2007-08-30T14:03:00.001-06:00

There’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. It’s life. Although I don’t consider myself to be a deep thinker or serious type of person, for some reason I kept wondering what makes life really meaningful. Is it how much money I make, how fast I can get that report turned in, or the beautiful gleam of my wood floor? And I thought no, nope, and although I love my restored hardwood floor, it really doesn’t play a monumental role in my life so…no.

When I really took the time to think about what makes a life worthwhile I came up with one word: relationships.

But not just the lovey-dovey kissy-huggy smoochy-woochy types of relationships. I mean all kinds. The relationships we have with our parents. The relationships we have with our friends. And even the relationships we have with the pizza delivery guy or the lady that does our dry-cleaning.

Relationships, according to the book of Tia, are all about love. And in my world, love, and therefore relationships, is not something we want, but something we need.

I was discussing human relationships with two of my best friends the other day and one said, “It just seem like people are hardwired for relationships – it’s one of our instincts.” The other one added a simple truth, “Without relationships we’re lonely…and that doesn’t seem worthwhile to me at all.”

This, my friends, is because we all need to feel connected to someone else.

When you look back on your life and the various people you have met, think about what your life would be like without them and without the lessons they’ve helped you learn.

Sure, some of them hurt you, burned you and probably even made you cry (a little), but they’ve given you an education on life and the types of people you don’t want to be around. So, thank them for the lesson and promise to never repeat that class, because although we learned something we may not have been looking for, it needed to be learned just the same.

Instead, be sure to remember the people you feel like you’ve known for years, after just meeting them. Remember the ones that bring a smile to your face every time you see them or think of them. Remember the ones that know what you like to drink and what your favorite cookie is. And of course, remember the ones that will love you no matter what happens or where life takes you.

Because really, who are we without the people we love. And let’s be honest, no matter how tuff or how successful you are, without relationships, you’re not much. No offense.

Game On

2007-08-29T14:54:00.000-06:00

Alright guys, as many of you know I like to write. And, since I like to write, the time has come for me to start a blog. Mainly because it will allow me to voice my many opinions on a variety of topics—something I seem to excel at. Although now that I have admitted I'm good at telling people what's up (some call this bossing—I call it telling them what's up) I realize that may not necessarily always be a good thing.

But moving on, in my writings you will see me actively express my frustrations, my joys, and in essence, my life. Something that I hope you will enjoy and find humor in. So if you want to laugh, giggle, roll your eyes or perhaps shed a tear (it's okay—it's just because your body needs to release toxins) please feel free. After all, life is funny.

Read away.

Living the Dream

Montana Men: I'm on a Mission

Family Vacation

Travelpants Blog

A Letter

Spring Has Sprung

Throw In The Towel

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

PWebz

No More Sugar

Here's What I Think

CD Release Party!

Family Bonding Time Photos

Family Bonding Time

Happy Spring

Give It Up for the "L" Word

New Song - HAPPY

That Cat

Six Minute Style

Wine & Obama

Happiness For Me

Love of Friday

St. John

That Really Happened

It's Official...

Santa Baby

Today

Am I Being Punked?

SWF needs SM

And I Thank You

If I Were A Boy

Come Fly With Me

Twinkle

Work It Girl

I'm It?!

The Friendly Skies

Dreaming

Oh Hey Blue Eyes

Halloween: Work It

My Grandpa—Don Allen

Excuse Me, Officer

Too Bad

Seriously?

Today

My Closet Threw Up

A Many Splendid Thing

Pathetic

No Subject Really

Shhh

I Heart Montana

Think About It...

Summer Lovin'

I Heart Cowboys

**Update** The Italian Stallion is Tamed!

Pittsburgh

I Love All Kinds of Cake

Tia...the Author?

Go To The Mattresses

Things you may not know

Sing it sister

Get Out of My Dreams...

Homeless Bum

My Yellow High Heels

Get on the boat

Text Message Misery

Black Eyes: The Encore

Stupid Love Songs

Happy Valentine's Day

My Open Mic Night

Black Eyes

Where is the follow-through?

How To Tell If He's A Keeper

My Heart

The Itallian Stallion: The Story That Keeps On Giving

Perfectly Imperfect

The Breakfast of Champions

Oh Please

Casting Your Line

Creepers

Circling the Airport

Update The Italian Stallion is Tamed!