Bippity Boppity BACON!

This weekend, I took a quick trip over to Dallas to hang with my brother and see Jim Gaffigan at the Majestic.

If you haven't heard any of Jim Gaffigan, I feel sorry for you. He talks a lot about food, which I obviously love. Here are a couple of my favorite lines from Friday (I will probably butcher these, but you get the point):

• "I think they should change the name of the South to just 'Eat Barbecue.'"

• "Going to a bar at 2am to pick up a friend is like going to a pre-school to pick up a kid. There is screaming in the background for no reason; if you go in the bathroom, it's clear that not everyone is potty-trained; fights start for no reason."

And many others that cracked us up. I definitely recommend going to see a stand-up comedian at some point in your life. They're only about an hour long, so it won't take up your whole evening, and laughing for an hour straight has got to have lots of health benefits. Here, I'll get you started:

To top it all off, I got to see this pretty lady before my drive home! 

Love you, Sandab!

I love it when I have impromptu visits with good friends. We met at the new Klyde Warren Park in Uptown, which is totally cool. Despite the cold weather and overcast skies, we had a great time catching up and trying out the various food trucks.  

On the drive over, I realized that I hadn't been to Dallas, other than the airport, since I graduated from college almost three years ago. As someone who didn't love college (the reason for going abroad for a year..) I tend to have lukewarm feelings about Dallas. But I will admit that this weekend was just what I needed: a mini-break from home in a big city, seeing a side-splitting comic, a fun group of people, a few bars and a boozy brunch. 

I also really enjoyed exploring new areas of the city that I never even knew about in my SMU days, so I'm looking forward to my next visit to the Metroplex to do more of the same.

Moral of the Story: Week 1

This is my first week as an unemployed retired woman. It's been a lot of catching up on emails, drinking coffee and reading, and working out. Here are a few things I've learned recently:

1. You should never walk into Target expecting to get only one thing. As the saying goes, "Target is the worst and the best all at once." (I'm not sure that's a real saying, I just made it up...)

2. It's alright to read really bad fiction sometimes just because the cover is pretty. I'm currently reading a book called The Ingredients of Love, which is set in Paris and tells the story of this girl who finds a random book that was written about her and the restaurant she owns. Since I'm thinking about going to Paris this summer, I thought it would be perfect for my current state of mind. It does make me excited, but the writing is...not so good. I don't know if it's the translation or the author, but it is wildly disappointing. That being said, I think reading a badly written novel once in a while is okay. If anything, it makes the next book you read that much better.

3. An all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast can make the world go round.

Maple Fest 2013!

This weekend, I'm hoping to get a dance class in, day drink for St. Patty's Day with friends (hence the need for a dance class), spend time with my parents... and finish my mediocre novel.

Ms. Taliaferro Does Not Go To Washington

I contemplated even writing this post because discretion is key when it comes to these things. But in the end, my subtitle does say, "one chapter at a time," and a very large chapter of my life has come to an end.

A few weeks ago, I decided to end my time working for a U.S. Congressman. I will avoid the details and spare you from a diatribe of despair, but I will say that I was not thrilled with the work anymore and am ready for new challenges.

By far the thing I'm going to miss the most are my coworkers and the friends I've made along the way. Staffers are passionate, kind and hard-working Americans who truly care about the future of our country. I only hope I resembled some of their qualities during my tenure.

So that's that. My last day was today, and while I'm positive I made the right decision, I have no idea what I'm going to do next. It's exciting yet scary, liberating yet daunting. Right now, I'm trying to keep my head up and eagerly plan out my next step, whatever it may be.

Luckily, I have a wonderful family and fantastic friends who know me and love me no matter what. And, to quote Forrest Gump, "even I know that ain't something you can find just around the corner." I'll keep you posted on my decisions. In the meantime, pour one out for me, Hill staffers!