So the main question I've been getting lately is "how do you like living in Dallas?"

To put it simply - I love it.

But that doesn't explain it properly. I love being able to walk to art galleries, amazing restaurants, and bars with live music every weekend. I love the weather, even though it has been extremely hot lately, because I know in the winter it will still be nice. I love the movie theater with the comfy couches and bean bags that plays old movies at midnight (you can take your beer or other drinks in with you). I love the gazillion different shopping centers and malls and that whatever you need, it's right there. Probably in eight different colors and sizes. I love knowing that every band I would want to see will play here eventually. I love going to hockey games, and that whatever else I want to see or do is here somewhere. I love that there's always something going on, but that we don't have to do anything if we don't want to. But all that stuff is just icing - the main reason I love it is because I'm here with Michael; I'm sure we'd be happy wherever. Sickening, I know.

But what about the people?

There are basically two kinds of people here - real and fake. It's not fast-paced and angry here like in Chicago or Washington DC; everyone is very friendly, especially in this building. They are mostly artists here and are all very different, but great people. When we go to openings I notice the difference between real and fake because everyone who is an artist or loves art but can't really afford it looks at it, even studies it, but they hardly ever buy. They are dressed like normal people and look at you when you talk to them. The other ones are the collectors, who are almost always older, dress like crazy people, and sort of look past you when they're talking to you to see who else might be there. To be fair not all of them are like that, but you can usually pick them out of the crowd fairly easily.

The other fake people are the older, rich people who look you up and down, in a very obvious way, to see what you're wearing. The first time that happened I was surprised that someone could be that rude, but it has happened to me over and over so I guess it's just the normal thing rich people do here. Then there are the tan girls in the high heels and the shirts that are either way too short, way too low-cut or both, and those guys with the kewpie doll hair and the designer jeans. They all sit together outside on the patios of restaurants, in the shade with their huge sunglasses on. And the cocaine-boob-job crowd - which may or may not be comprised of some of those same people. We avoid all of them like the plague.

I skipped over the whole wedding and honeymoon thing because I already wrote about all that on myspace. To sum up: the wedding was perfect; everything we wanted. Michael's dad and aunts went all out and did practically everything for us. The weather was perfect, there ceremony was performed by one of my best friends, we were surrounded by family and friends, and everyone had a great time!

The following Monday we went to San Francisco for a week and that was also perfect. Well almost perfect - we both got some stomach thing and were sick for about a day and a half, but other than feeling lousy it was actually kind of nice to just lie around and watch movies all day. The rest of the time we were out shopping or walking around, or going to see different things. We spent one day going to Muir Woods (where the redwoods are - pretty much the most beautiful place I've ever seen) and Sausalito; another day going to the Legion of Honor where they have amazing and famous works of art, and hiked down to a beach where the water was freezing and there was a naked guy. The weather was beautiful all week, which was amazing because the week before it had been cold and rainy.

Lately I have been doing some work for my old company, which is very nice since I haven't found a job yet. Haven't looked very hard yet either, but this week I'm going to focus much more on that. We're also looking for a place to rent since where we're at right now is very small and I have to listen to the guy next door's power tools and to him yelling obscenities every time he drops something, which happens several times a day. Fortunately it's a business so he's gone by 6:00. It will also be nice to not have to share a bathroom with lots of other people.

I posted tons of pictures on myspace and have changed the settings so it's not private for a while, so just go to www.myspace.com/teenyandtoasty and click on "pics" underneath my profile photo, if you want to see wedding pictures. I still have more to post and haven't done any honeymoon ones yet, but will soon.

Here are a couple of them for you:

Just a quick update:

In nine days, it will be six months since I met Michael in person. : )

In less than two months, I will have to say goodbye to the best job I've ever had and to good friends.

In two months and five days, Michael and I will be married!

In two months and six days, Michael and I will be going somewhere . . . we don't know where yet, but somewhere great! Possibly Coronado Island near San Diego.

In two months and 13 days I will finally get to see Radiohead! Or at least I'll get to hear them live; they might be tiny specks from where we're sitting.

In less than three months I will say goodbye to Ponca City and my family and friends and my house and all the porch cats.

Hopefully in less than six months I'll have a new job, we'll have a great place to live, Josh will be with us, and we'll all live happily ever after. I think we've already got the happy part down. : )

Since I have my myspace site set to private and there are a few people who either don't have one or really hate myspace (or both), I will probably update this every now and then. Lucky you, it's a Sunday, I'm bored, it's really cold outside, and I'm putting off going to the stupid store and washing dishes.

I absolutely hate winter, but you would think that since it's sort of inevitable that we'll get really cold weather with ice and snow that I'd just accept it and move on. But no - I fight accepting it every step of the way and get mad every time I look outside and see that the sun didn't melt all the snow today like it was supposed to. It's even worse now because I know in Dallas it's much, much warmer, and I have to live through this entire stupid winter before I can move there.

Here's what I'm moving there for:

This was after we went to Michael's first art show opening, which went very well. He sold two paintings that night!

Michael's paintings will be up at the Marty Walker Gallery in Dallas until the end of the month I think, so if you're in the area check 'em out, they're amazing.