And I do mean good morning! The sun shines directly into my room, which makes for a pretty glow in my room, but damn it does make it a little rough to sleep in. Not that I sleep in much these days -- my body on its own accord has decided to create a "get your ass out of bed really early" alarm. I think my body let me sleep in once until 10:00 a.m., and it was very lovely.
Did I mention that I'm reading a fantastic book called "Eat, Pray, Love." Now my grammar has gotten the best of me, and I can't remember if I am supposed to put quotes or underlines around book titles. Well, this blog won't allow for underlining...well, at least I sure don't know how. Anyway, the book is pretty much love for me. An early/mid-30's woman starts getting warning signs of an existential crisis. She has it all -- the husband, the job, the house, etc. When she thinks of children, she knows that a conventional life is not for her. The book details her journey to 3 different places around the world, and the piece of her that each place satisfies, such as Italy = Pleasure, India = Devotion, and Bali = Balance. I love, love, love this concept. Although I have to admit that the Pleasure portion of the book has been my favorite so far. I"m almost through the book, and she apparently has a follow-up book that is more down to earth, called "Committed."
So much for my daily practice of this blog. So, I'm a big fat liar. Speaking of big and fat, today shall be a physical day extraordinaire! When I get the umph to get going to the gym, I will go...then a pool party in the early afternoon, and a "friend's" party, which also involves a pool, in the later part of the afternoon. Yes, dissolved calories, you are not even a gleam in my eye.
So as for the updates...
Work: Wow, did I get fucking lucky or what? I mean, just wow. I work in a beautiful, but practical and down to earth office. It's 3 levels (I guess the 51 story skyrise was not in my cards), with the bottom floor a large, marbled atrium and a bank attached. Who cares about level 2, and level 3....ahhh sexy level 3, keeper of my rent checks, food money, and new pair of shoes. There are two attorneys in the office, but I work for one guy, and the rest of the staff works for the other guy. We are all in one large office, so I do get to gossip with the girls. Oh, what a nice change from the solo office of my last job (although at the time, I did not mind it). My boss, well, my big worry was getting an angry, abusive attorney...and my boss, I am happy to report, is neither angry nor abusive. In fact, he's pretty darn sweet, but he knows how to get down to business. I got very lucky. I also get to learn new areas of law, in addition to learning law in a new state. Overwhelmed? Of course. Excited? Absolutely.
School: NOT A FUCKING THING! Oh, haha, hehe, that makes me incredibly happy. My folks are sending over my paralegal certificate, which notes that I graduated with honors, thank you very much. What a pain-in-the-fucking-asshole that whole thing was, but very, very rewarding. And, I was put up on the school's website, with a little blurb titled "East Coast Success" or something of the like. But, I did have a dream last night of getting my Masters, which would of course mean I finish my Bachelors. So, maybe this will be a little project for me. I wonder if my credits from SFSU transfer to NJ schools...if so...the task would not nearly be as daunting.
Activity: Join kayaking group. Check. Love it. Join creative writing group. Check. Love it. Join paralegal group. Check. Love it. So, yeah, I really couldn't think of another way to meet people around this part of the country. Sure I have family (anywhere from within a 30 min-1.5hr radius), friends (another 40 mins to an hour away), but I needed to meet people HERE, locally. So, I'm slowly but surely checking out different groups and feeling things out. The kayak group is fantastic. I would go much more often if I had my own kayak, since many places they meet do not offer rentals. But, when the opportunity arises, I'm there. I've been twice in 1.5 months, so not a bad thing. Ahhh, the creative writing group. I went to my first meeting last Tuesday. They met at a mexican grill, much like a more fiesta-y version of Subway. Not to be alarmed though, the food was tasty, although the queso dip resembled that of Chili's, which was not so tasty.
I attended "Treasure Chest" night, which consisted of a group of us passing around this large treasure chest and picking out prompts for storytelling. I loved my prompt, and we spent maybe 30 mins or an hour (I lost track of time), writing, and then we got to share our stories around the room. I really enjoyed the concept, and very much enjoyed the people I met. I do want to chime in here with a very personal shout out to New Jersey, and I want to squash this rumor now. NEW JERSEY PEOPLE ARE NOT RUDE. IN FACT, THEY ARE MUCH MORE FRIENDLY THAN PEOPLE I HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN FLORIDA AND CALIFORNIA (generally speaking of course). There, I said it. People here are...NICE. And...FUNNY. I have yet to meet a truly nasty person here. Hello, Tangent, it seems I found you again.
So the creative writing group is having a pool party today, and I'm going dammit. I'm a sucker for swimming, and the weather is not letting me off the hook with her heat and pretty skies. I've been spending maybe a day or two down the shore. Wow, I said down the shore...this is something that New Jersians say when they are going to the beach. Once they are down the shore, they go to the beach. Apparently, the beach locals don't call it the shore, they call it the beach. Very confusing indeed. My friends rented out a cute townhouse about 3 blocks from white sandy beaches and water. And, they are also about 5 minutes away from Atlantic City. Not a bad place to be, at all.
I keep forgetting that I've only been here for about 1.5 months, I mean just wow.
But, my wrist is cramping up, and time is slowly ticking, and that gym is calling my name. So adios!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Here we go!
So, I am officially employed. Well, not officially as in that I've started work, but officially in that I was offered a job, and I accepted it. This is with interview #3, and I couldn't be more pleased. I need a job to balance the very swift pace of my daily depletion of funds. Oh, it's ugly, but hey, I need wood polish and lint rollers, right? Oh, and a GPS. Can I just take a moment here (I will anyway), and express my gratitude for my Insignia GPS? ***********moment of gratitude***********
I have apps, google, and I can now stop my daily harassment of my friends for driving directions.
So today is a gym day for me. Now that I'm getting settled here in NJ, I figure it's time for some normalcy again. My life has been anything but normal since my big move, so I'm ready for a little routine yet again. It's a toss up at this point between two gyms -- Bally's or Retro Fitness. I have yet to go inside either, which I will do today, but after digging on their online sites, I'm at a draw. If Retro had a pool, I would have been immediately sold. I really wanted my gym to have a pool. I love dunking in the water, and to be able to do that whenever I want, oh man, that sounds just great. However, Retro is not your typical steroided out gym (whereas I expect Bally's to be). There is an actual movie theater in the gym. That's right, a freaking, MOVIE THEATER, IN THE GYM. This excites me to no end. I'm a huge movie buff, so this is a total score. What to do, what to do? I suppose I just need to get on in there and check out these puppies. There are worse problems to have in life.
I am trying to keep myself busy and motivated with the groups I've joined. I recommend Meetup.com to anyone new to an area, or anyone who just needs a social pick-me-up. My area seems to be a very active area for which I am thankful. I'm in 10 different groups, ha! But, I've only been to a kayaking event, which was fanfuckingtastic. I've vowed to commit to this group since I have a history of hard passion and then burnout. But, I'm taking it slow with the kayaking. I'm not running off to buy a kayak just yet, but maybe sometime down the road.
I was tempted today to go back and read my first post, you know, from December '09. I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet. But, I'm going to try to again pick up the daily exercise of blogging to memorialize things, and to sharpen the old writing skills, which are in desperate need of sharpening.
So, off I go to find the gym of my dreams. Wish me luck!
I have apps, google, and I can now stop my daily harassment of my friends for driving directions.
So today is a gym day for me. Now that I'm getting settled here in NJ, I figure it's time for some normalcy again. My life has been anything but normal since my big move, so I'm ready for a little routine yet again. It's a toss up at this point between two gyms -- Bally's or Retro Fitness. I have yet to go inside either, which I will do today, but after digging on their online sites, I'm at a draw. If Retro had a pool, I would have been immediately sold. I really wanted my gym to have a pool. I love dunking in the water, and to be able to do that whenever I want, oh man, that sounds just great. However, Retro is not your typical steroided out gym (whereas I expect Bally's to be). There is an actual movie theater in the gym. That's right, a freaking, MOVIE THEATER, IN THE GYM. This excites me to no end. I'm a huge movie buff, so this is a total score. What to do, what to do? I suppose I just need to get on in there and check out these puppies. There are worse problems to have in life.
I am trying to keep myself busy and motivated with the groups I've joined. I recommend Meetup.com to anyone new to an area, or anyone who just needs a social pick-me-up. My area seems to be a very active area for which I am thankful. I'm in 10 different groups, ha! But, I've only been to a kayaking event, which was fanfuckingtastic. I've vowed to commit to this group since I have a history of hard passion and then burnout. But, I'm taking it slow with the kayaking. I'm not running off to buy a kayak just yet, but maybe sometime down the road.
I was tempted today to go back and read my first post, you know, from December '09. I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet. But, I'm going to try to again pick up the daily exercise of blogging to memorialize things, and to sharpen the old writing skills, which are in desperate need of sharpening.
So, off I go to find the gym of my dreams. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Life in the fast lane
I finally found a moment in time again, when my brain is slowed down enough to put some thoughts down on paper, or monitor, if you will.
Job Hunting:
Interview #1: I arrived to NJ on Wednesday, June 8th. On Monday, the 14th, I went to my first interview with Robert Half Legal. I donned a fancy suit jacket, slacks, and heels. I gave myself a manicure, and off I went to the speed train, on my way to Central City Philadelphia. It was a good few blocks from the end of the line to my destination, and I mean good, long blocks. My feet were not pleased in the tight heels I was running around in, and I could feel my deoderant failing me on this very hot, humid day. I found the Mellon Bank building, and I went up to 25th floor to meet with the recruiter. There was one other girl sitting in the waiting room with me, who was very chatty, but very nice. My online information could not be found (turns out it was routed to the San Fran location instead), and so I had to fill out a little more paperwork than I had hoped for, but it wasn't too terrible. Shortly thereafter, I was sat down at the computer to take three tests -- Word, Legal Terminology, and Typing Speed. As I sat down at the computer, the fire alarm rang, and off Chatty Cathy and I went to the fire exit. The alarms kept ringing and ringing as we ran down the 25 flights of stairs. I thought to myself that there was no way in hell I would going to get burned down in Philadelphia at my first job interview. The heels were too much for me as I started to get dizzy going round and round. I threw off the heels, and we continued to fly down the stairs. We waited for about 30 minutes. The other girl canceled her appointment, and I went back up. I took the tests, and waited to meet with my recruiter. She came out, and we sat in her pretty office overlooking Philadelphia. She told me she was impressed with my test scores, and I silently patted myself on the back for the torture I endured to get that compliment. As we discussed realistic expectations, she told me she felt optimistic about finding work for me. I that day feeling pretty darn good!
Interview #2: This interview was with a national court reporting firm. I had contacted them about a month before my move, and as it turned out, they had not filled the spot! I was very excited to meet with the interviewer as we had been corresponding for quite some time. Again, this job was in Philadelphia, so I headed to the speed train westbound. As I was standing on the platform, I received a call from Interview #1, telling me that she had a 3-month opportunity for me. Although the pay was lower than I had hoped for, she gently cooed that I would gain the NJ experience I need to land a more permanent position. I let her know that I had an interview that I was running to, and that I would let her know what happened with that. Interview #2 was located right near #1, in the heart of Philly on Market Street. The bottom floor was a Charles Schwab, covered in marble, and I was instantly taken. The firm was on the 51st floor, and I fought back the panic I felt at going up and down 51 flights everyday. I went up, and to the office, and wowie it was pretty. The receptionist sat me in a beautiful conference room, overlooking Philadelphia, the Ben Franklin Bridge, and parts of NJ. It was a gorgeous view of the city, and I knew I could handle the 51 floors for a view like this. I had what felt to be a great interview. We discussed benefits, hours, holidays, etc. I took this as a good sign. I thought for sure I would be contacted within a day or so. I went home and sent a follow-up thank you email. I have class once in awhile, thank you. The day came and went. And then the next day came, and started to "went." I got a little nervous because I had not heard anything from Interview #2, and I promised Interview #1 I would let them know what happened so I can give an answer regarding the temp job. As the day passed, I felt comfortable leaving a message with #2, simply asking when I could expect an answer either way. Still nothing. So I called #1, and let her know that I had not heard back yet. She told me that her client was reviewing my resume still, and apparently had another person's resume in front of them. I was mildly surprised to hear this, as the impression I had was that if I said yes to the temp job, I had it. Maybe the recruiter was covering herself since I had another interview lined up, so I couldn't blame her.
I did not have much time to worry about the job situation, as my family was coming into town shortly, and I had a lot of things I needed to deal with, like getting insurance, grocery shopping, clothes shopping, etc.
#2 Cont'd: I received an email a week after the interview, and the interviewee apologized for the delay in getting back to me because she was out of the office, but would love to have me in for a 2nd interview. I was excited to hear from her and told her my availability. I did not hear from her for another week, and she told me she had wanted to get me in for the 2nd interview that day, but she got busy. She again asked me for my availability. I gave it to her again, but with a little hesitation, as I was surprised at the 2-week wait on this process. Another few days came and went, and still nothing. Even as of today, there I have not received a response.
So, this past Monday, I decided to get a bit more aggressive as the firm did not seem to be panning out the way I had hoped. I sent in a few more resumes, and lo and behold, I got two calls for interviews this Monday!
Interview #3: I immediately knew I liked this attorney right away. He had a soft telephone voice, and I felt the kindness right away. We set up an interview for the next day. I don't want to say too much about this interview as of yet, but I really do hope it works out. His only concern, and a fair one, is that I have no NJ legal experience. There is no one to train me, and I'd pretty much sink or swim. Having already been in that situation, I think I can swim for this guy. I do have another interview set up next week as well, and I'm (im)patiently waiting for that 2nd interview at the court reporting firm to be scheduled.
More soon, with more fun stuff besides job interviews!
Job Hunting:
Interview #1: I arrived to NJ on Wednesday, June 8th. On Monday, the 14th, I went to my first interview with Robert Half Legal. I donned a fancy suit jacket, slacks, and heels. I gave myself a manicure, and off I went to the speed train, on my way to Central City Philadelphia. It was a good few blocks from the end of the line to my destination, and I mean good, long blocks. My feet were not pleased in the tight heels I was running around in, and I could feel my deoderant failing me on this very hot, humid day. I found the Mellon Bank building, and I went up to 25th floor to meet with the recruiter. There was one other girl sitting in the waiting room with me, who was very chatty, but very nice. My online information could not be found (turns out it was routed to the San Fran location instead), and so I had to fill out a little more paperwork than I had hoped for, but it wasn't too terrible. Shortly thereafter, I was sat down at the computer to take three tests -- Word, Legal Terminology, and Typing Speed. As I sat down at the computer, the fire alarm rang, and off Chatty Cathy and I went to the fire exit. The alarms kept ringing and ringing as we ran down the 25 flights of stairs. I thought to myself that there was no way in hell I would going to get burned down in Philadelphia at my first job interview. The heels were too much for me as I started to get dizzy going round and round. I threw off the heels, and we continued to fly down the stairs. We waited for about 30 minutes. The other girl canceled her appointment, and I went back up. I took the tests, and waited to meet with my recruiter. She came out, and we sat in her pretty office overlooking Philadelphia. She told me she was impressed with my test scores, and I silently patted myself on the back for the torture I endured to get that compliment. As we discussed realistic expectations, she told me she felt optimistic about finding work for me. I that day feeling pretty darn good!
Interview #2: This interview was with a national court reporting firm. I had contacted them about a month before my move, and as it turned out, they had not filled the spot! I was very excited to meet with the interviewer as we had been corresponding for quite some time. Again, this job was in Philadelphia, so I headed to the speed train westbound. As I was standing on the platform, I received a call from Interview #1, telling me that she had a 3-month opportunity for me. Although the pay was lower than I had hoped for, she gently cooed that I would gain the NJ experience I need to land a more permanent position. I let her know that I had an interview that I was running to, and that I would let her know what happened with that. Interview #2 was located right near #1, in the heart of Philly on Market Street. The bottom floor was a Charles Schwab, covered in marble, and I was instantly taken. The firm was on the 51st floor, and I fought back the panic I felt at going up and down 51 flights everyday. I went up, and to the office, and wowie it was pretty. The receptionist sat me in a beautiful conference room, overlooking Philadelphia, the Ben Franklin Bridge, and parts of NJ. It was a gorgeous view of the city, and I knew I could handle the 51 floors for a view like this. I had what felt to be a great interview. We discussed benefits, hours, holidays, etc. I took this as a good sign. I thought for sure I would be contacted within a day or so. I went home and sent a follow-up thank you email. I have class once in awhile, thank you. The day came and went. And then the next day came, and started to "went." I got a little nervous because I had not heard anything from Interview #2, and I promised Interview #1 I would let them know what happened so I can give an answer regarding the temp job. As the day passed, I felt comfortable leaving a message with #2, simply asking when I could expect an answer either way. Still nothing. So I called #1, and let her know that I had not heard back yet. She told me that her client was reviewing my resume still, and apparently had another person's resume in front of them. I was mildly surprised to hear this, as the impression I had was that if I said yes to the temp job, I had it. Maybe the recruiter was covering herself since I had another interview lined up, so I couldn't blame her.
I did not have much time to worry about the job situation, as my family was coming into town shortly, and I had a lot of things I needed to deal with, like getting insurance, grocery shopping, clothes shopping, etc.
#2 Cont'd: I received an email a week after the interview, and the interviewee apologized for the delay in getting back to me because she was out of the office, but would love to have me in for a 2nd interview. I was excited to hear from her and told her my availability. I did not hear from her for another week, and she told me she had wanted to get me in for the 2nd interview that day, but she got busy. She again asked me for my availability. I gave it to her again, but with a little hesitation, as I was surprised at the 2-week wait on this process. Another few days came and went, and still nothing. Even as of today, there I have not received a response.
So, this past Monday, I decided to get a bit more aggressive as the firm did not seem to be panning out the way I had hoped. I sent in a few more resumes, and lo and behold, I got two calls for interviews this Monday!
Interview #3: I immediately knew I liked this attorney right away. He had a soft telephone voice, and I felt the kindness right away. We set up an interview for the next day. I don't want to say too much about this interview as of yet, but I really do hope it works out. His only concern, and a fair one, is that I have no NJ legal experience. There is no one to train me, and I'd pretty much sink or swim. Having already been in that situation, I think I can swim for this guy. I do have another interview set up next week as well, and I'm (im)patiently waiting for that 2nd interview at the court reporting firm to be scheduled.
More soon, with more fun stuff besides job interviews!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tweet!
Howdy folks...I'm moving on over to Twitter, because really, my brain just can't handle long blogs right now! I'm at Bhotel21 if anyone cares to know the scoop!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Reno to SLC > SLC to Des Moines > Des Moines to DC
We woke up bright and early in Reno, Nevada. Our destination was Salt Lake City Utah. The terrain in Nevada was not that spectacular, but I found a beauty in the rolling brown dessert hills. It was hot, although dry. We had our water bottle army in the back seat to protect us against the hottest of temperatures. There is not a whole lot to say about Nevada except that every building seemed to have slot machines. The CVS (and there was a man playing the slots at 8:30 a.m.), the gas stations. I did not check if the fast food joints had them, but I'm pretty darn sure they did.
There were a few points of interest we wanted to visit before getting into SLC. The first being Battle Mountain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Mountain,_Nevada
As we read about the town of 3,000, we became even more fascinated with visiting the place. As it turns out, the town never had a battle and doesn't have a mountain. There is a large hill, and that's about it. The letters "BM" were cut through the face of the hill, which as immature as it was, made me giggle a little. Battle Mountain had small, desolate downtown, but the oasis was the Owl Cafe. We parked the car and looked at the owls painted on the side of the building. Half restaurant, half cafe, it looked like a pretty safe bet on some lunch. We were pleasantly pleased with our food. I had a crispy chicken salad with a cup of bean and ham soup. Brad had a nice nice looking breakfast plate of traditional pancakes, bacon and eggs.
****I will write more and finish this, but getting incredibly sleepy***
There were a few points of interest we wanted to visit before getting into SLC. The first being Battle Mountain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Mountain,_Nevada
As we read about the town of 3,000, we became even more fascinated with visiting the place. As it turns out, the town never had a battle and doesn't have a mountain. There is a large hill, and that's about it. The letters "BM" were cut through the face of the hill, which as immature as it was, made me giggle a little. Battle Mountain had small, desolate downtown, but the oasis was the Owl Cafe. We parked the car and looked at the owls painted on the side of the building. Half restaurant, half cafe, it looked like a pretty safe bet on some lunch. We were pleasantly pleased with our food. I had a crispy chicken salad with a cup of bean and ham soup. Brad had a nice nice looking breakfast plate of traditional pancakes, bacon and eggs.
****I will write more and finish this, but getting incredibly sleepy***
Saturday, June 5, 2010
San Francisco to Reno
I woke up this morning at 6 a.m. with a knot in my stomach. Today was the big day, my big move east. With all of the pieces carefully set in place, there were only a few minor things to take care of this morning, which of course are pretty boring and not worth mentioning. But by 10:30 a.m., I was flying down Highway One, SFO bound.
I greeted my long time friend, who was completely famished. Our first mission was to find food, and to find it quickly. Heading up I-80 East, we landed ourselves on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley and found of course, a Whole Foods to grab some lunch time munchies. After satisfying our grumbling stomachs, we finally headed East, but this time, we were Reno bound.
I-80 East is a stunning ride. Mountains and valleys dot the landscape, and as you slowly slope into the Great Basin, you are greeted with the snow peaked Sierra Nevadas just ahead. I held my breath as I felt my little Honda chug upwards. As we serenely drove through the winding roads, we noticed the beautiful trees and of course, my favorite site to see, SNOW! We found a little gas station, parked the car, and jumped around and played in the snow. My friend noticed Donner National Park on the map or maybe from some signs, and he wondered if it was related to the famous Donner story from the 1800's, where a group of travelers turned cannibal to survive. It was in fact related.
We veered off towards the park and entered it. A small hike down the path led us to a large monument, which also served as the fireplace to the travelers' cabin. We looked at each other and both thought the same terrible thought of "I bet this is where they cooked their friends." We read the names of the perished on the left and the survivors on the right. We paid our quick tribute and left the park.
Our next destination was Lake Tahoe. It was my one California bucket list place. As an aside, I have an affinity for mountains and any snowy place in general, and especially water. So Lake Tahoe was the holy trinity of beauty in my eyes, and I was not leaving California without seeing it. We wound up and down the roads my friend's trusty GPS led us to. We crawled higher and higher and I believe at that point we had hit 6k feet elevation. The views were as beautiful as can be imagined, which are posted on twitter.com/zigawatt. I almost lost my breath as the large, blue body of water came into view. There was the grand Lake Tahoe. We parked our car near the CA/NV border and walked over to a beach. The water was a deep, dark blue, and straight across from us were the snow capped Sierras looking just as dominating as ever.
After Tahoe, we were ready to get to Reno! Back up the narrow mountain road again we went. This time, the elevation was even higher than the last road. We hit the summit at a whopping 9k feet elevation, and I silently thanked my civic for being so dependable during this treacherous drive. Once we hit the peak of the summit, the downward winding roads led us into a new kind of desert, sandy terrain. Gone were the rolling green hills, steep cliffs, and trees. Hello sandy, brown lumps of beauty.
We found a great hotel which had free shuttle service into town. After a good, hot shower and a fresh pair of clothes, we went into the biggest, little city of RENO! Bright, tacky, and flashy lights artificially lit the streets. We found a cute Pho restaurant which had pretty ok food. The waiter suggested I try the housemade lemonade, which was much too sour for my liking (my friend later saw them making the lemonade with a mix, so much for homeade!).
We went into a promising casino called CalNeva. We found ourselves in karaoke country. We got comfortable at a little table and enjoyed the very fiesty, elderly man showing his country dance moves to all. With midori sours in hand, we listened to a rapper as well, but it was mostly older country men singing their hearts out on that stage. It was quite the sight, and no words can do the dancing old man justice. My friend and I had no idea that Reno was so country. To add on to the strangeness of Reno, our shuttle driver was completely insane, but he seemed to have a good sense of humor despite his schizophrenic mannerism.
Mileage wise we didn't go too far today, but there was too much beauty to enjoy. Tomorrow our destination is Salt Lake City or possibly beyond!
I greeted my long time friend, who was completely famished. Our first mission was to find food, and to find it quickly. Heading up I-80 East, we landed ourselves on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley and found of course, a Whole Foods to grab some lunch time munchies. After satisfying our grumbling stomachs, we finally headed East, but this time, we were Reno bound.
I-80 East is a stunning ride. Mountains and valleys dot the landscape, and as you slowly slope into the Great Basin, you are greeted with the snow peaked Sierra Nevadas just ahead. I held my breath as I felt my little Honda chug upwards. As we serenely drove through the winding roads, we noticed the beautiful trees and of course, my favorite site to see, SNOW! We found a little gas station, parked the car, and jumped around and played in the snow. My friend noticed Donner National Park on the map or maybe from some signs, and he wondered if it was related to the famous Donner story from the 1800's, where a group of travelers turned cannibal to survive. It was in fact related.
We veered off towards the park and entered it. A small hike down the path led us to a large monument, which also served as the fireplace to the travelers' cabin. We looked at each other and both thought the same terrible thought of "I bet this is where they cooked their friends." We read the names of the perished on the left and the survivors on the right. We paid our quick tribute and left the park.
Our next destination was Lake Tahoe. It was my one California bucket list place. As an aside, I have an affinity for mountains and any snowy place in general, and especially water. So Lake Tahoe was the holy trinity of beauty in my eyes, and I was not leaving California without seeing it. We wound up and down the roads my friend's trusty GPS led us to. We crawled higher and higher and I believe at that point we had hit 6k feet elevation. The views were as beautiful as can be imagined, which are posted on twitter.com/zigawatt. I almost lost my breath as the large, blue body of water came into view. There was the grand Lake Tahoe. We parked our car near the CA/NV border and walked over to a beach. The water was a deep, dark blue, and straight across from us were the snow capped Sierras looking just as dominating as ever.
After Tahoe, we were ready to get to Reno! Back up the narrow mountain road again we went. This time, the elevation was even higher than the last road. We hit the summit at a whopping 9k feet elevation, and I silently thanked my civic for being so dependable during this treacherous drive. Once we hit the peak of the summit, the downward winding roads led us into a new kind of desert, sandy terrain. Gone were the rolling green hills, steep cliffs, and trees. Hello sandy, brown lumps of beauty.
We found a great hotel which had free shuttle service into town. After a good, hot shower and a fresh pair of clothes, we went into the biggest, little city of RENO! Bright, tacky, and flashy lights artificially lit the streets. We found a cute Pho restaurant which had pretty ok food. The waiter suggested I try the housemade lemonade, which was much too sour for my liking (my friend later saw them making the lemonade with a mix, so much for homeade!).
We went into a promising casino called CalNeva. We found ourselves in karaoke country. We got comfortable at a little table and enjoyed the very fiesty, elderly man showing his country dance moves to all. With midori sours in hand, we listened to a rapper as well, but it was mostly older country men singing their hearts out on that stage. It was quite the sight, and no words can do the dancing old man justice. My friend and I had no idea that Reno was so country. To add on to the strangeness of Reno, our shuttle driver was completely insane, but he seemed to have a good sense of humor despite his schizophrenic mannerism.
Mileage wise we didn't go too far today, but there was too much beauty to enjoy. Tomorrow our destination is Salt Lake City or possibly beyond!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Biore Strip Bonanza
I'm kind of addicted to Biore strips. Such a strange addiction to start at the tail end of one's 20's, but a good one in my opinion, nonetheless. This fascination with pore digging started with my friend's magnifying mirror. I innocently asked to borrow her mirror for a routine hair check, and much to my horror, this evil monster of a mirror highlighted every blemish in a most unsatisfying way. I couldn't stop staring at my pores, and immediately vowed to find strips to suck that dirt right off my face.
My friend and I cruised the drug store aisles in search of said strips, and we almost gave up before I heard a cry of, "I FOUND THEM!"
I will spare the details of my Biore experience, but I will say this -- it works, and it's strangely enjoyable, at least to me. With Biore strips on my nose and chin, and a bottle of hair dye, I know tonight will be...special.
This morning I took my car into the shop to have a routine inspection and maintenance. It cost me a pretty penny, but the peace of mind is worth it I suppose. A shuttle took me home, and a very nice friend took me back to the dealership to get the car. We then went to my favorite Thai place for a relaxing lunch.
I told her that I felt exhausted. The Thai iced tea gave me a quick perk, but I felt quickly crashed. I think my friend may be right on this one; that everything finally caught up with me. My last night of class was this past Thursday, and as anti-climatic the actual class was, I was floating on Cloud 9. And, for the past two days, I've been utterly exhausted. Although I did manage to hit the gym, take care of my car, dogsit the most adorable little guy on the planet, and of course apply many biore strips to my face.
My move is happening so soon, and it's pretty surreal to me at this point. When I start to really think hard about what I'm doing, my heart races and I lose a bit of breath. I'm very excited about my move, and I've put about a year's worth of work into orchestrating everything, but there is of course a bit of sadness that comes with such excitement. My mom asked if I was going to cry when I left. I told her I wasn't sure, since heavy things tend to not hit me until much, much later. One of my best friends moved to Colorado, and I didn't cry about it until a year or so later. I'm just a bit slow on the uptake I suppose.
I'm trying to drink in all of the beauty I can before I head out. There is beauty everywhere for sure, but this part of the west has a special kind of magic that tugs on the heart of those lucky enough to experience it.
My friend and I cruised the drug store aisles in search of said strips, and we almost gave up before I heard a cry of, "I FOUND THEM!"
I will spare the details of my Biore experience, but I will say this -- it works, and it's strangely enjoyable, at least to me. With Biore strips on my nose and chin, and a bottle of hair dye, I know tonight will be...special.
This morning I took my car into the shop to have a routine inspection and maintenance. It cost me a pretty penny, but the peace of mind is worth it I suppose. A shuttle took me home, and a very nice friend took me back to the dealership to get the car. We then went to my favorite Thai place for a relaxing lunch.
I told her that I felt exhausted. The Thai iced tea gave me a quick perk, but I felt quickly crashed. I think my friend may be right on this one; that everything finally caught up with me. My last night of class was this past Thursday, and as anti-climatic the actual class was, I was floating on Cloud 9. And, for the past two days, I've been utterly exhausted. Although I did manage to hit the gym, take care of my car, dogsit the most adorable little guy on the planet, and of course apply many biore strips to my face.
My move is happening so soon, and it's pretty surreal to me at this point. When I start to really think hard about what I'm doing, my heart races and I lose a bit of breath. I'm very excited about my move, and I've put about a year's worth of work into orchestrating everything, but there is of course a bit of sadness that comes with such excitement. My mom asked if I was going to cry when I left. I told her I wasn't sure, since heavy things tend to not hit me until much, much later. One of my best friends moved to Colorado, and I didn't cry about it until a year or so later. I'm just a bit slow on the uptake I suppose.
I'm trying to drink in all of the beauty I can before I head out. There is beauty everywhere for sure, but this part of the west has a special kind of magic that tugs on the heart of those lucky enough to experience it.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Playing hooky
I ditched class again. Oh it feels good to be so bad. Well, it feels good to relax after several nights of severe sneezing and water eyes. Allergies, will you ever leave me alone? But, really, I've missed now a total of 3 classes. Considering my full-time school load, I think that's not too shabby of a record. Two more weeks until the close of the semester. It's hard to believe how quickly this all went by. When I started my blog back in December, the days were crawling by so slowly that I didn't know how I would make it to the summer. But, here I am, and I survived it!
Work has become a drag as I dream of lazy rivers and sunny days ahead. I find myself spacing out, and I think I even got busted surfing the net at work. Mind you, I take about 15 minute lunches and rarely take breaks, so I feel no remorse at taking some time out to check emails and check out the latest Facebook happenings. But really, I am getting more resentful with each passing moment I sit behind that desk. Today was not all lost -- I did get a response to my resume, wowie!
I've been talking a lot to my cute little niece and nephew. A part of me feels a bit of sadness that I missed out on so much of their lives being so far from them. But, I know deep in my heart how miserable of a person I would be if I had never taken the risk of moving out west, which I believe has served an amazing purpose in my life. But, we have been having animated chats about NYC, Philly, and Atlantic City -- all of which will be in close proximity to me in just over a month. My nephew, who is an adventure bug much like his aunt, is enchanted with the idea of exploring new terrain.
I skipped class yesterday as well. Instead I went over the UPS store to get estimates on shipping boxes. I was happily surprised to find out how cheap it would be to mail some of my boxes. My mother suggested to dump everything that won't fit in my car, but I can't bring myself to part with certain things. I then purchased some boxes and proceeded to start packing several more boxes. I piled the heavy boxes into my car and realized how silly it was that I have to hide my moving boxes out of respect for the ex. I knew this needed to be addressed and quickly because I just wouldn't have enough space in my car soon. So last night as we were watching some t.v., and after I yelled at him in annoyance for constantly talking over my show (I mean really, who does that?), he asked me a question that I was not ready for.
Now gentle readers, this might leave the g-rated zone (but only going for PG-13 from here) for several minutes, so if sexual talk makes you feel icky sticky inside, please discontinue reading from hereon. So, he asked me if the reason I don't let him touch me or kiss me anymore is because I just don't like him. I was startled for a moment before I could answer. Because the answer is a resounding, YES, OF COURSE, DUH, HELLO! But, as I looked at him, I couldn't bring myself to say what I was really thinking -- that I am just not sexually into him anymore. That I'd rather say hello to my trusty vibrating dolphin friend than be intimate with him. But, as I looked at him and thought of how much I'd been hurt by insensitive pricks in my late teens and early 20's, I couldn't bring myself to pass on that kind of pain. He doesn't deserve that kind of pain. So, I lied. I lied big time. I told him that it was just too hard with everything that was going on. He told me how relieved he was because he thought I just wasn't into him anymore.
As he breathed a sigh of relief, I stared at a spot on the wall, wondering how to not be a heartless frost queen. The frost queen reared her ugly head against my willpower, and I told him that I thought he was not in touch with the reality that I was really leaving. I told him I needed to pack, and out of respect I wasn't keeping boxes in the apartment, but that it wasn't really a reasonable way to do things. He got dodgy with me and told me my boxes weren't his problem and he just didn't want to see them. After more prodding, we agreed that the boxes would stay in the apartment, but I'd cover them up with a blanket. Sounds like a decent compromise.
My nephew asked me tonight about how I felt about the move. What an intuitive and sensitive fellow he has become. I told him that I felt a mixture of sadness, happiness, excitement, nervousness, but that it really depended on the moment. I told him that I was excited to be much closer to the family, and I hope I get to take that train to Colorado with my nephew as I've promised him.
Work has become a drag as I dream of lazy rivers and sunny days ahead. I find myself spacing out, and I think I even got busted surfing the net at work. Mind you, I take about 15 minute lunches and rarely take breaks, so I feel no remorse at taking some time out to check emails and check out the latest Facebook happenings. But really, I am getting more resentful with each passing moment I sit behind that desk. Today was not all lost -- I did get a response to my resume, wowie!
I've been talking a lot to my cute little niece and nephew. A part of me feels a bit of sadness that I missed out on so much of their lives being so far from them. But, I know deep in my heart how miserable of a person I would be if I had never taken the risk of moving out west, which I believe has served an amazing purpose in my life. But, we have been having animated chats about NYC, Philly, and Atlantic City -- all of which will be in close proximity to me in just over a month. My nephew, who is an adventure bug much like his aunt, is enchanted with the idea of exploring new terrain.
I skipped class yesterday as well. Instead I went over the UPS store to get estimates on shipping boxes. I was happily surprised to find out how cheap it would be to mail some of my boxes. My mother suggested to dump everything that won't fit in my car, but I can't bring myself to part with certain things. I then purchased some boxes and proceeded to start packing several more boxes. I piled the heavy boxes into my car and realized how silly it was that I have to hide my moving boxes out of respect for the ex. I knew this needed to be addressed and quickly because I just wouldn't have enough space in my car soon. So last night as we were watching some t.v., and after I yelled at him in annoyance for constantly talking over my show (I mean really, who does that?), he asked me a question that I was not ready for.
Now gentle readers, this might leave the g-rated zone (but only going for PG-13 from here) for several minutes, so if sexual talk makes you feel icky sticky inside, please discontinue reading from hereon. So, he asked me if the reason I don't let him touch me or kiss me anymore is because I just don't like him. I was startled for a moment before I could answer. Because the answer is a resounding, YES, OF COURSE, DUH, HELLO! But, as I looked at him, I couldn't bring myself to say what I was really thinking -- that I am just not sexually into him anymore. That I'd rather say hello to my trusty vibrating dolphin friend than be intimate with him. But, as I looked at him and thought of how much I'd been hurt by insensitive pricks in my late teens and early 20's, I couldn't bring myself to pass on that kind of pain. He doesn't deserve that kind of pain. So, I lied. I lied big time. I told him that it was just too hard with everything that was going on. He told me how relieved he was because he thought I just wasn't into him anymore.
As he breathed a sigh of relief, I stared at a spot on the wall, wondering how to not be a heartless frost queen. The frost queen reared her ugly head against my willpower, and I told him that I thought he was not in touch with the reality that I was really leaving. I told him I needed to pack, and out of respect I wasn't keeping boxes in the apartment, but that it wasn't really a reasonable way to do things. He got dodgy with me and told me my boxes weren't his problem and he just didn't want to see them. After more prodding, we agreed that the boxes would stay in the apartment, but I'd cover them up with a blanket. Sounds like a decent compromise.
My nephew asked me tonight about how I felt about the move. What an intuitive and sensitive fellow he has become. I told him that I felt a mixture of sadness, happiness, excitement, nervousness, but that it really depended on the moment. I told him that I was excited to be much closer to the family, and I hope I get to take that train to Colorado with my nephew as I've promised him.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Stop, rewind, start again...
I could use a redo of today. Today was one of the more brutal ass woopings I have endured as of late. The wooping proceedings commenced this morning with my daily dose of allergy attacks. Half asleep with a puffed face, I dragged myself into work, wishing I could just call in. That is the worst part of working with a sole practitioner--the guilt factor with a sick call. I grudgingly dragged myself into work and all was well until sometime in the late afternoon.
With the constant aggravation of being interrupted while in the middle of projects, my boss consistently badgered me with question after question. Questions that could easily have been answered without screaming questions at me. Questions that would take her about 2 seconds to figure out, but are better directed at me while in the midst of large piles of work to do. At one point, my hole puncher got filled up with little white dots of paper. You know, those annoying dots that litter the floor. Well, those dots make me fucking insane. I need a very neat work space in order to function, and white dots on the floor really bother me. So, I started picking them up. My boss gives me a dirty look and tells me to stop; that we have bills to do. More questions to be answered, more annoyances. I told her I was only one person. She told me she knew. She then continued to badger/micro-manage me to the point where I had to tell her she was making me crazy. I told her that since I don't smoke anymore, sometimes doing some mind numbing thing like picking up white dots off the floor helps me clear my head. Especially since I don't even take real breaks anymore. I got teary eyed and almost burst into tears as I tried to explain this to her. I was so angry and frustrated by this point that I couldn't control it.
After blowing up at her, I apologized. I told her I was stressed from the move, school, and all these huge work projects. She really has been piling me up lately, and I'm on the downward slope to Idontcareanymore land.
I cried on the car ride to school, and did what any upset girl would do. I called my mommy. I called her and cried, and I bitched, and I moaned and groaned. I let it all out with Momz and she was pretty great. By the time I was done talking to my mom, I felt worlds better. I went to grab some dinner in the food court and all was well.........until....
I hopped in the elevator to go to Floor 6. At Floor 1, the already somewhat full elevator stopped, and people started piling in. Not a normal crowd, but so many people that I couldn't even breathe. I hate elevators to begin with, and with the history of the elevators getting stuck and the already strange creakings I was hearing, I went into panic mode. I told everyone I was getting off the elevator, and I elbowed my way through the crowd. There must have been at least 15 people on that elevator. )The security guard later told me the max is 8.) So, I hop off to see a large crowd of people forming a line at the elevators. There are 6 (or 4) elevators, and apparently they all stopped working. As I breathed a sigh of relief that I jumped ship just in time, the line grew larger and larger. After about 15 minutes of waiting, the security guard finally unlocked the doors and let us go up the stairs. 6 flights for me, thank you.
Class went smoothly for the most part. There is one very loud girl who sometimes joins our night class. After the day I had, I was in no mood for her obnoxious ass. I was aggro on her several times in the class, and though it's not normally my style to call people out like that, tonight was a good night for it. I just wasn't in the mood.
So, now I'm home, with a minor headache. Ready for a hot shower and some Indiana Jones. Also, my boss will be on Dr. Phil tomorrow as a legal consultant. So if anyone is interested...should be interesting, but expect to feel pretty depressed afterwards!
With the constant aggravation of being interrupted while in the middle of projects, my boss consistently badgered me with question after question. Questions that could easily have been answered without screaming questions at me. Questions that would take her about 2 seconds to figure out, but are better directed at me while in the midst of large piles of work to do. At one point, my hole puncher got filled up with little white dots of paper. You know, those annoying dots that litter the floor. Well, those dots make me fucking insane. I need a very neat work space in order to function, and white dots on the floor really bother me. So, I started picking them up. My boss gives me a dirty look and tells me to stop; that we have bills to do. More questions to be answered, more annoyances. I told her I was only one person. She told me she knew. She then continued to badger/micro-manage me to the point where I had to tell her she was making me crazy. I told her that since I don't smoke anymore, sometimes doing some mind numbing thing like picking up white dots off the floor helps me clear my head. Especially since I don't even take real breaks anymore. I got teary eyed and almost burst into tears as I tried to explain this to her. I was so angry and frustrated by this point that I couldn't control it.
After blowing up at her, I apologized. I told her I was stressed from the move, school, and all these huge work projects. She really has been piling me up lately, and I'm on the downward slope to Idontcareanymore land.
I cried on the car ride to school, and did what any upset girl would do. I called my mommy. I called her and cried, and I bitched, and I moaned and groaned. I let it all out with Momz and she was pretty great. By the time I was done talking to my mom, I felt worlds better. I went to grab some dinner in the food court and all was well.........until....
I hopped in the elevator to go to Floor 6. At Floor 1, the already somewhat full elevator stopped, and people started piling in. Not a normal crowd, but so many people that I couldn't even breathe. I hate elevators to begin with, and with the history of the elevators getting stuck and the already strange creakings I was hearing, I went into panic mode. I told everyone I was getting off the elevator, and I elbowed my way through the crowd. There must have been at least 15 people on that elevator. )The security guard later told me the max is 8.) So, I hop off to see a large crowd of people forming a line at the elevators. There are 6 (or 4) elevators, and apparently they all stopped working. As I breathed a sigh of relief that I jumped ship just in time, the line grew larger and larger. After about 15 minutes of waiting, the security guard finally unlocked the doors and let us go up the stairs. 6 flights for me, thank you.
Class went smoothly for the most part. There is one very loud girl who sometimes joins our night class. After the day I had, I was in no mood for her obnoxious ass. I was aggro on her several times in the class, and though it's not normally my style to call people out like that, tonight was a good night for it. I just wasn't in the mood.
So, now I'm home, with a minor headache. Ready for a hot shower and some Indiana Jones. Also, my boss will be on Dr. Phil tomorrow as a legal consultant. So if anyone is interested...should be interesting, but expect to feel pretty depressed afterwards!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Chick'n
So tonight, I have to say, I had one of the most simple, most yummy meals I've had in awhile. Before I salivate all over the keyboard, no worries, I will share.
Shred up a rotisserie chicken. Mix with Daddy Sam's BBQ sauce. Put a slice of provolone cheese, your favorite coleslaw mix, and slather BBQ chicken on the bun. Eat with salad. Bam!
The weather has been pretty cruddy lately. I'm typically not a sunshine kind of gal, but I find myself craving some sunshine. I have a mental image of me resting on a lounge chair beside a pool. A very large margarita in my hand. Sounds like bliss to me. I spent entirely too much money on some summer clothes yesterday. It's been so long since I've owned shorts, I hope my white legs don't revolt from the sudden change. I did end up enjoying an amazing Thai dish with my buddy. Thanks for the treat buddy!
I went to the gym yesterday and today. There is a very creepy man who I have seen several times now. I don't dress cute for the gym. I usually look like I rolled right out of bed, which is fair since I wear pajamas to the gym. But this one guy, stares at my chest in such a lecherous way, that I leave just to avoid him. He gives me the creepy vibes for sure.
I finally get to file my income taxes this Thursday. I'm getting money back, so I've been desperately wanting to file, but for reasons not for the public of this blog, I could not. I'm actually excited to file my taxes this year. Thank you education tax credit. Obama was that you? Once I get my taxes, I will feel a much needed sense of financial relief. With my tax money, I will be right where I want to be, and won't be so worried.
This weekend was mostly non-eventful. I suppose I should enjoy this time because things are going to get really wild in about a month and a half.
Shred up a rotisserie chicken. Mix with Daddy Sam's BBQ sauce. Put a slice of provolone cheese, your favorite coleslaw mix, and slather BBQ chicken on the bun. Eat with salad. Bam!
The weather has been pretty cruddy lately. I'm typically not a sunshine kind of gal, but I find myself craving some sunshine. I have a mental image of me resting on a lounge chair beside a pool. A very large margarita in my hand. Sounds like bliss to me. I spent entirely too much money on some summer clothes yesterday. It's been so long since I've owned shorts, I hope my white legs don't revolt from the sudden change. I did end up enjoying an amazing Thai dish with my buddy. Thanks for the treat buddy!
I went to the gym yesterday and today. There is a very creepy man who I have seen several times now. I don't dress cute for the gym. I usually look like I rolled right out of bed, which is fair since I wear pajamas to the gym. But this one guy, stares at my chest in such a lecherous way, that I leave just to avoid him. He gives me the creepy vibes for sure.
I finally get to file my income taxes this Thursday. I'm getting money back, so I've been desperately wanting to file, but for reasons not for the public of this blog, I could not. I'm actually excited to file my taxes this year. Thank you education tax credit. Obama was that you? Once I get my taxes, I will feel a much needed sense of financial relief. With my tax money, I will be right where I want to be, and won't be so worried.
This weekend was mostly non-eventful. I suppose I should enjoy this time because things are going to get really wild in about a month and a half.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
A quickie
At the urging of a couple of friends, I am back to the blog! I feel my neglect of blogging is a good sign that life is keeping me busy, and that there just isn't much to bitch about, since this blog is mostly used for venting, bitching, pointing fingers, and screaming.
The quickies..
School. Almost flippin' done! Praise Jesus, Allah, and Moses. Thank you financial aid that will soon cover me in unmanageable debt. Thank you boss for letting me leave work early to go to school. And, finally, I would like to thank my car, for being such a trooper and getting me where I need to go. But, really, this is such a huge accomplishment for me. Four classes has been extremely rough. I've lost my temper, I've yelled at people I love, I've eaten my weight in chocolate...but it's all drawing to a close. I have just a little over a month left, and my program will be complete! This semester has been hell for me mentally, and financially. The amount of work piled on me by my sadistic teacher has been unreal. And the parking, bridge toll, gas, and dinner three nights a week has been brutal!
Home. Oh home. You never change, do you? Feeling really weird and awkward a lot. Happy I go to school all the time or have my head buried in textbooks and papers. The bf's mom isn't talking to me anymore, and I was defriended on Facebook by her. Sadly, this was not my only defriending this past month. Remember one of my options way back when? Well, I'm very happy I didn't take that option, because I'm not thrilled with that option for defriending me, so she can suck it!
Smoking. I had one cigarette at a party a few weeks ago. I felt like an addict seeking out the person I knew who had the smokes I liked. I followed him until he hooked me up with a fix, but it's fair since I have fed his addiction on many occasions. Sounds worse in writing. But, I had my one and I've been fine. It's been almost three months (feels like years), and some days I still find myself inhaling in, but it's gotten much, much better.
Move. The move! It's making me insanely happy at this point. My roommates seem fantastic, and the timing of their other roomie leaving couldn't be better. They have two very large dogs, two cats, and a lizard, which sounds to me like they can't possibly be too uptight. The family trip is planned, and I'm actually having fun with the sister I don't normally get along with as we plan for adventures in NYC and Philly. I'm talking to that boy up there again, and it feels great to be able to enjoy talking to him again, but without the pressure this time. I also do not want to work for at least a month, and let myself decompress after all the big shifting. Might get an August visit from a very special, longtime friend.
Working out. Oh this one has majorly slipped. I can't do it all, ok? The quitting smoking has countered my weight loss efforts in a very sad way. I know it's unavoidable to gain the after quitting weight, but damn, it's getting to be summertime, and I wouldn't mind looking hot in a bathing suit. My friend is on a no sugar diet and lost 35 pounds. My boss is on a cabbage soup diet. Am I going to have to diet to really drop the weight, or maybe I'm just happy complaining about it like the rest of America. Either way, I'll get to you eventually pesky jelly rolls, and when I do, you better watch your ass.
Movies. I'm giving movies its own category, because I've been loving on the new ones lately. Just saw Clash of the Titans, and before all purists scream bloody murder, I enjoyed it for the pure entertainment value. Hades looked amazing. Olympus was gorgeous. Medusa was not scary enough. Bla bla. The original always will hold a special place in my heart, but movies are just not made like that anymore people! Let's stop being elitists about it. Hot tub Time Machine, you are next up. John Cusack movies are fabulous no matter how bad they are. Are there any bad John Cusacks? And, I'm jumping the gun here, but TRON Legacy! Why torture me with the ads...DECEMBER?? So very much looking forward to that.
Time to catch up on some cartoons and then to the gym!
The quickies..
School. Almost flippin' done! Praise Jesus, Allah, and Moses. Thank you financial aid that will soon cover me in unmanageable debt. Thank you boss for letting me leave work early to go to school. And, finally, I would like to thank my car, for being such a trooper and getting me where I need to go. But, really, this is such a huge accomplishment for me. Four classes has been extremely rough. I've lost my temper, I've yelled at people I love, I've eaten my weight in chocolate...but it's all drawing to a close. I have just a little over a month left, and my program will be complete! This semester has been hell for me mentally, and financially. The amount of work piled on me by my sadistic teacher has been unreal. And the parking, bridge toll, gas, and dinner three nights a week has been brutal!
Home. Oh home. You never change, do you? Feeling really weird and awkward a lot. Happy I go to school all the time or have my head buried in textbooks and papers. The bf's mom isn't talking to me anymore, and I was defriended on Facebook by her. Sadly, this was not my only defriending this past month. Remember one of my options way back when? Well, I'm very happy I didn't take that option, because I'm not thrilled with that option for defriending me, so she can suck it!
Smoking. I had one cigarette at a party a few weeks ago. I felt like an addict seeking out the person I knew who had the smokes I liked. I followed him until he hooked me up with a fix, but it's fair since I have fed his addiction on many occasions. Sounds worse in writing. But, I had my one and I've been fine. It's been almost three months (feels like years), and some days I still find myself inhaling in, but it's gotten much, much better.
Move. The move! It's making me insanely happy at this point. My roommates seem fantastic, and the timing of their other roomie leaving couldn't be better. They have two very large dogs, two cats, and a lizard, which sounds to me like they can't possibly be too uptight. The family trip is planned, and I'm actually having fun with the sister I don't normally get along with as we plan for adventures in NYC and Philly. I'm talking to that boy up there again, and it feels great to be able to enjoy talking to him again, but without the pressure this time. I also do not want to work for at least a month, and let myself decompress after all the big shifting. Might get an August visit from a very special, longtime friend.
Working out. Oh this one has majorly slipped. I can't do it all, ok? The quitting smoking has countered my weight loss efforts in a very sad way. I know it's unavoidable to gain the after quitting weight, but damn, it's getting to be summertime, and I wouldn't mind looking hot in a bathing suit. My friend is on a no sugar diet and lost 35 pounds. My boss is on a cabbage soup diet. Am I going to have to diet to really drop the weight, or maybe I'm just happy complaining about it like the rest of America. Either way, I'll get to you eventually pesky jelly rolls, and when I do, you better watch your ass.
Movies. I'm giving movies its own category, because I've been loving on the new ones lately. Just saw Clash of the Titans, and before all purists scream bloody murder, I enjoyed it for the pure entertainment value. Hades looked amazing. Olympus was gorgeous. Medusa was not scary enough. Bla bla. The original always will hold a special place in my heart, but movies are just not made like that anymore people! Let's stop being elitists about it. Hot tub Time Machine, you are next up. John Cusack movies are fabulous no matter how bad they are. Are there any bad John Cusacks? And, I'm jumping the gun here, but TRON Legacy! Why torture me with the ads...DECEMBER?? So very much looking forward to that.
Time to catch up on some cartoons and then to the gym!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Traffic Court
I woke up this morning with some pep in my step. I found a cute black top with black pants and a nice pair of black boots. I adorned myself with a pair of earrings and a sparkly bracelet. I was set to go to...TRAFFIC COURT.
I did not need to go, but I wanted to fight my excessively high ticket for talking on the cell phone while driving (no hands free device). I played out my sad, sorry excuse in my head on the drive to court and felt like I had a winner. I arrived at court, went through security, and saw a long line snaking its way around the hallway. Of course that was my destination. I stood in line, and it felt like it was moving in slow motion. I started texting friends for some entertainment. I was surprised and happy to learn of Munchkin's true identity. No, you are not a 17 year old girl from New York!
I saw "S", who I have had a long term crush on. S is an activist and his organization has worked with my boss for quite some time. I've always had an affinity for him, but he recently got engaged. Oh boo to you. But, I saw his twinkly brown eyes and he gave me some good tips on how to deal with the commissioner who was on bench for traffic court that day. After seeing S, I ran into Dusty. If anyone recalls from my previous posts my disdain for Dusty, then you will know how unthrilled I was to run into him. He came up to me, extraordinarily stinky and loud, and asked if my boyfriend was still alive. After a horrible look from me, he told me he was just joking and it was his way of talking to his hot girlfriends. I don't consider myself to be any kind of friend to him, so I was even more horrified. He then went on to tell me about some girls he was in love in with, and how he was at court to request to be thrown into jail because he ran out of money. I sort of stared at him blankly. Did he want money from me? Did he want to hang out with me? Touch my boobs as he has previously requested? I was in no mood for Dusty's crap this morning, so I started rudely staring away from him until he got the point and trudged away.
Court started at 10:00 am, but the commissioner decided he would wait until 10:20 to join the courtroom. The rowdy folks in the room were agitated from sitting around and waiting, and the commissioner came out and did not look to be in good spirits. He immediately and sort of kindly told everyone to shut their pie holes, and proceeded to throw his power around with talk of how "slowly" court would go if we weren't quiet. Granted, traffic court is not like any of the courts I have been to, where people are quiet and respectful. And, traffic court is not in any way a glamorous job for a judge or commissioner, but too bad Charlie, no need to be a d*#& about it!
I knew I was in trouble when he started spouting in a rehearsed fashion that he VERY RARELY decreases fines. That he agrees the fines are excessive, but it's a statutory issue and we should write to our legislators. Way to set the stage Commissioner. I almost got up right then and walked out the door. Some drunk guy yelled that he wanted a new judge. But, I have never had the experience of being on the stand (I was more "at the podium"), and I figured it is something I really should experience considering the field I'm in. Good to get some first hand experience of getting grilled by a Commissioner (who is sort of a judge...but that's another blog).
He called 6 people up at once. 5 in the seats, and 1 at the podium. It was done very orderly, and he was quite efficient. The plea choices were guilty, not guilty, and no contest. Not guilty got you sent to trial, and bail was waived if it i) caused a hardship, and ii) you promised to appear at your trial. Guilty and no contest could be pled with an explanation. I toyed with the idea of pleading no contest just to sound kind of badass, but I really had no reason to, so I played out the guilty plea in my head.
Finally, he called me. I bid him a good morning and pled guilty with an explanation. My voice cracked a little, but I told him I had to take an urgent call from the east coast, and that my driving record was very clean and that I was a safe driver, bla bla. He stared at me as if expecting more, but I had nothing else and told him so. He steadily stared at me, and told me my fine. The fine was the same amount as my citation. No pity from the commissioner, but I did get a month extension to pay it.
I went out to my car in the pouring rain, but had my cute, leopard umbrella to protect me. I saw something floating in a puddle near my car. Upon closer inspection, I recognized my pink sports bra pathetically soaked on the gravel. I had it in my car because I had planned to hit the gym after work today. I almost picked it up, but immediately felt a repulsion to my sopping wet, floating bra in the courthouse parking lot. I left it there in sweet surrender, and went on to work.
Work was non-eventful, but I did have a nice short day because I spent the morning in court. Another Friday night is about to be dedicated to homework, but I keep my mantra that this will all pay off somehow for me. Amazing job that pays well and has a work-life balance, is that you?
I did not need to go, but I wanted to fight my excessively high ticket for talking on the cell phone while driving (no hands free device). I played out my sad, sorry excuse in my head on the drive to court and felt like I had a winner. I arrived at court, went through security, and saw a long line snaking its way around the hallway. Of course that was my destination. I stood in line, and it felt like it was moving in slow motion. I started texting friends for some entertainment. I was surprised and happy to learn of Munchkin's true identity. No, you are not a 17 year old girl from New York!
I saw "S", who I have had a long term crush on. S is an activist and his organization has worked with my boss for quite some time. I've always had an affinity for him, but he recently got engaged. Oh boo to you. But, I saw his twinkly brown eyes and he gave me some good tips on how to deal with the commissioner who was on bench for traffic court that day. After seeing S, I ran into Dusty. If anyone recalls from my previous posts my disdain for Dusty, then you will know how unthrilled I was to run into him. He came up to me, extraordinarily stinky and loud, and asked if my boyfriend was still alive. After a horrible look from me, he told me he was just joking and it was his way of talking to his hot girlfriends. I don't consider myself to be any kind of friend to him, so I was even more horrified. He then went on to tell me about some girls he was in love in with, and how he was at court to request to be thrown into jail because he ran out of money. I sort of stared at him blankly. Did he want money from me? Did he want to hang out with me? Touch my boobs as he has previously requested? I was in no mood for Dusty's crap this morning, so I started rudely staring away from him until he got the point and trudged away.
Court started at 10:00 am, but the commissioner decided he would wait until 10:20 to join the courtroom. The rowdy folks in the room were agitated from sitting around and waiting, and the commissioner came out and did not look to be in good spirits. He immediately and sort of kindly told everyone to shut their pie holes, and proceeded to throw his power around with talk of how "slowly" court would go if we weren't quiet. Granted, traffic court is not like any of the courts I have been to, where people are quiet and respectful. And, traffic court is not in any way a glamorous job for a judge or commissioner, but too bad Charlie, no need to be a d*#& about it!
I knew I was in trouble when he started spouting in a rehearsed fashion that he VERY RARELY decreases fines. That he agrees the fines are excessive, but it's a statutory issue and we should write to our legislators. Way to set the stage Commissioner. I almost got up right then and walked out the door. Some drunk guy yelled that he wanted a new judge. But, I have never had the experience of being on the stand (I was more "at the podium"), and I figured it is something I really should experience considering the field I'm in. Good to get some first hand experience of getting grilled by a Commissioner (who is sort of a judge...but that's another blog).
He called 6 people up at once. 5 in the seats, and 1 at the podium. It was done very orderly, and he was quite efficient. The plea choices were guilty, not guilty, and no contest. Not guilty got you sent to trial, and bail was waived if it i) caused a hardship, and ii) you promised to appear at your trial. Guilty and no contest could be pled with an explanation. I toyed with the idea of pleading no contest just to sound kind of badass, but I really had no reason to, so I played out the guilty plea in my head.
Finally, he called me. I bid him a good morning and pled guilty with an explanation. My voice cracked a little, but I told him I had to take an urgent call from the east coast, and that my driving record was very clean and that I was a safe driver, bla bla. He stared at me as if expecting more, but I had nothing else and told him so. He steadily stared at me, and told me my fine. The fine was the same amount as my citation. No pity from the commissioner, but I did get a month extension to pay it.
I went out to my car in the pouring rain, but had my cute, leopard umbrella to protect me. I saw something floating in a puddle near my car. Upon closer inspection, I recognized my pink sports bra pathetically soaked on the gravel. I had it in my car because I had planned to hit the gym after work today. I almost picked it up, but immediately felt a repulsion to my sopping wet, floating bra in the courthouse parking lot. I left it there in sweet surrender, and went on to work.
Work was non-eventful, but I did have a nice short day because I spent the morning in court. Another Friday night is about to be dedicated to homework, but I keep my mantra that this will all pay off somehow for me. Amazing job that pays well and has a work-life balance, is that you?
Hit me baby one more time...
I've been obsessively listening to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NwqN-xj9Xs
Brrr..it looks cold, Travis. Thank goodness for being able to play MP3's in my car.
My birthday was great. I don't remember if I posted about it already, and I'm just a bit too lazy to go check. So, I'll leave it as I had a good birthday.
My friend and I made plans to go to the beach the day after my birthday. She picked me up Sunday afternoon, and I was greeted with really cute black arm warmers with little holes for my thumbs. It matched my Hello Kitty shirt perfectly. We drove to the Headlands in search of a beach, which even if you don't live in the SF Bay area, you have probably seen in either commercials or movies.
The Golden Bridge connects the Headlands and San Francisco, and is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. As we drove up into the headlands, our car winding up and down narrow roads, we hit a crossroads. I couldn't remember we needed to make a right or left, so we went with left. Left provided us with a view that took my breath away. We started winding down a one way road, with mountain to the right and cliffs to our left. The road was very winding, and it felt like we were driving straight into the ocean. I quickly reached into my friend's ("A") purse and grabbed her camera to capture this stunning shot.
We slowed down and then stopped on the road. The BMW in front of us had stopped. The bicyclist in front of the BMW stopped. I curiously looked up as I saw the BMW dude ("BD") talking to the bicyclist ("Biker"). I wondered if they knew each other, but it sure didn't look like a friendly conversation, and hey, they were holding up my precious beach time...so what the hell? A snapped a couple of pics. Next thing I know, BD throws a punch on Biker, and they are in a full fledged brawl. A then snapped a pic of BD's license. I sat stunned in the car, watching them from behind the window, and as if in slow motion. Then A gets out of the car, and yells at BD to knock it off. BD then knocked Biker down and put him in a choke hold. A continued to to tell BD where the sun don't shine, and I felt a little like an ass for sitting so quietly. So, I took a mental note that if I ever get into a fight, I want A to be my backup.
BD got up from Biker and gave A a really horrible look. I yelled at A to get back in the car. BD got back into his BMW. As an aside, BD had a cute, little blonde chic in his car, and she just kind of sat there as her man was pounding on some little bike rider. You sure got a winner lady!
BD takes off in his BMW, and I and I pull the car the to the side and check on Biker. His knee was bloody, and he was a little shaken up, but nothing serious was going on. We called the police for him, gave the license plate, description, etc. A asked Biker what he said to piss off BD so much. Turns out Biker was riding slow, BD honked, Biker told him the road was his too, and then BD's testosterone took over his soul and proceeded to pound the fuck out of Biker.
The ambulances (yes more than one ambulance, there is not much excitement going on) came down the winding road. The police caught BD, and A's camera saved the day.
We finally headed down to the beach, but had to make a pit stop at the visitor's center to give another office the photo on her camera. We found the beach, stayed about 5 minutes due to wind, then packed it up and headed back to my place. We had a lovely birthday lunch with another friend, and then went over to that friend's place to watch the Oscars.
I spoke with my sister while I was over there. I have two sisters. One of them I talk to weekly, the other, I hadn't spoken to since Thanksgiving. That sister and I really just don't get along to put it mildly. We did have a light conversation, she wished me happy birthday, discussed schools and careers for my niece and nephew, and it was ultimately very pleasant.
I played hooky on school last night. Yeah, yeah...it's the first class I've missed out of ANY of my classes in 7 weeks, so I don't want to hear it. I went to see Alice and Wonderland with the bf instead. I tend to not give a rat's poot about what the critics say, although I heard this movie didn't get great reviews. I didn't bother to read the reviews and went in with an open mind and 3d glasses. I LOVED the movie. I was not expected a deep story about Alice. I do think the movie felt rushed a bit, but it was very entertaining, and the visual effects are fabulous. I'm sure I'll see this several more times before it leaves the theaters.
The bf and I are strange. We can be having a great time, and then all of a sudden, someone will bring up my leaving. I've been guilty of this myself as the guilt of not telling him my plans are kind of eating me up inside. So last night, at the snack counter in the theater, it was brought up. I told him we haven't talked about when. He turned to me and said "I thought it was June." My blood ran cold. How would he know that? Has he read my blog? Has he gotten into my emails and facebook? I got kind of freaked, but calmly asked him, "what makes you say June"? He told me because that's when school was over. I didn't agree or disagree, but nodded, and felt an immediate high from that. The hard job was over. The secret I'd been harboring was not ever a secret. We made no other reference to the conversation that night.
I've been watching Band of Brothers lately. I'm not going to get to see the Pacific right away, but I figure now is as good time as any to get reacquainted with it. It's a fabulous series, and it's one of the few war movies/series I can stomach.
I may or may not have mentioned that I got a citation for driving and talking on my cell phone. Today, I'm going into court to fight that sucker because it's a ridiculous fine. So, wish me luck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NwqN-xj9Xs
Brrr..it looks cold, Travis. Thank goodness for being able to play MP3's in my car.
My birthday was great. I don't remember if I posted about it already, and I'm just a bit too lazy to go check. So, I'll leave it as I had a good birthday.
My friend and I made plans to go to the beach the day after my birthday. She picked me up Sunday afternoon, and I was greeted with really cute black arm warmers with little holes for my thumbs. It matched my Hello Kitty shirt perfectly. We drove to the Headlands in search of a beach, which even if you don't live in the SF Bay area, you have probably seen in either commercials or movies.
The Golden Bridge connects the Headlands and San Francisco, and is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. As we drove up into the headlands, our car winding up and down narrow roads, we hit a crossroads. I couldn't remember we needed to make a right or left, so we went with left. Left provided us with a view that took my breath away. We started winding down a one way road, with mountain to the right and cliffs to our left. The road was very winding, and it felt like we were driving straight into the ocean. I quickly reached into my friend's ("A") purse and grabbed her camera to capture this stunning shot.
We slowed down and then stopped on the road. The BMW in front of us had stopped. The bicyclist in front of the BMW stopped. I curiously looked up as I saw the BMW dude ("BD") talking to the bicyclist ("Biker"). I wondered if they knew each other, but it sure didn't look like a friendly conversation, and hey, they were holding up my precious beach time...so what the hell? A snapped a couple of pics. Next thing I know, BD throws a punch on Biker, and they are in a full fledged brawl. A then snapped a pic of BD's license. I sat stunned in the car, watching them from behind the window, and as if in slow motion. Then A gets out of the car, and yells at BD to knock it off. BD then knocked Biker down and put him in a choke hold. A continued to to tell BD where the sun don't shine, and I felt a little like an ass for sitting so quietly. So, I took a mental note that if I ever get into a fight, I want A to be my backup.
BD got up from Biker and gave A a really horrible look. I yelled at A to get back in the car. BD got back into his BMW. As an aside, BD had a cute, little blonde chic in his car, and she just kind of sat there as her man was pounding on some little bike rider. You sure got a winner lady!
BD takes off in his BMW, and I and I pull the car the to the side and check on Biker. His knee was bloody, and he was a little shaken up, but nothing serious was going on. We called the police for him, gave the license plate, description, etc. A asked Biker what he said to piss off BD so much. Turns out Biker was riding slow, BD honked, Biker told him the road was his too, and then BD's testosterone took over his soul and proceeded to pound the fuck out of Biker.
The ambulances (yes more than one ambulance, there is not much excitement going on) came down the winding road. The police caught BD, and A's camera saved the day.
We finally headed down to the beach, but had to make a pit stop at the visitor's center to give another office the photo on her camera. We found the beach, stayed about 5 minutes due to wind, then packed it up and headed back to my place. We had a lovely birthday lunch with another friend, and then went over to that friend's place to watch the Oscars.
I spoke with my sister while I was over there. I have two sisters. One of them I talk to weekly, the other, I hadn't spoken to since Thanksgiving. That sister and I really just don't get along to put it mildly. We did have a light conversation, she wished me happy birthday, discussed schools and careers for my niece and nephew, and it was ultimately very pleasant.
I played hooky on school last night. Yeah, yeah...it's the first class I've missed out of ANY of my classes in 7 weeks, so I don't want to hear it. I went to see Alice and Wonderland with the bf instead. I tend to not give a rat's poot about what the critics say, although I heard this movie didn't get great reviews. I didn't bother to read the reviews and went in with an open mind and 3d glasses. I LOVED the movie. I was not expected a deep story about Alice. I do think the movie felt rushed a bit, but it was very entertaining, and the visual effects are fabulous. I'm sure I'll see this several more times before it leaves the theaters.
The bf and I are strange. We can be having a great time, and then all of a sudden, someone will bring up my leaving. I've been guilty of this myself as the guilt of not telling him my plans are kind of eating me up inside. So last night, at the snack counter in the theater, it was brought up. I told him we haven't talked about when. He turned to me and said "I thought it was June." My blood ran cold. How would he know that? Has he read my blog? Has he gotten into my emails and facebook? I got kind of freaked, but calmly asked him, "what makes you say June"? He told me because that's when school was over. I didn't agree or disagree, but nodded, and felt an immediate high from that. The hard job was over. The secret I'd been harboring was not ever a secret. We made no other reference to the conversation that night.
I've been watching Band of Brothers lately. I'm not going to get to see the Pacific right away, but I figure now is as good time as any to get reacquainted with it. It's a fabulous series, and it's one of the few war movies/series I can stomach.
I may or may not have mentioned that I got a citation for driving and talking on my cell phone. Today, I'm going into court to fight that sucker because it's a ridiculous fine. So, wish me luck.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
It's not right to be awake and blogging this early the day after my birthday, but here I am - allergies and all.
I was looking online to see if there was a relationship with my recent allergies and quitting smoking. Though I did not find any real medical sounding information, I did find a forum where people discussed this issue:
http://www.topix.com/forum/health/allergy/TG70I7EP1E0LDU3ED
Sadly, there were no real answers, just a bunch of ex-smokers complaining of allergy symptoms and attempting to self diagnose. But, I did feel better after reading it, because my allergies are truly kicking my ass, and I am now unable to sleep in which has taken me and my mucous to a new, very uncool level.
The King Tut exhibit was amazing!! 10 rooms of glittering artifacts were quite overwhelming. I had a hard time grasping how old some of the items were - over 3k years old! Thrones, busts, masks, coffins. There were videos running in some of the room as well. That Carter dude really hit the damn jackpot in that excavation trip. I was kind of wondering though if Tut would be pissed his tomb got hijacked, you know? Like these things were all set up very ceremoniously to assist him in the afterlife. Maybe it was just to help him get there, but I imagine he'd like to be sporting his scarab necklaces in heaven? I was wearing high heels and by the end, I could hardly walk around. I had to keep finding benches to rest on, which turned out to be a good thing I think, because I needed some time to digest some of these exhibits. My favorite things were the golden shrine, and the gilded coffin of Tjuya.
http://www.touregypt.net/museum/tutl55.htm
http://www.tutsanfrancisco.org/content/coffin-tuyu
I could go on for days, but anyone living in the bay area should see this. It's touring around the US, and it's really a magical thing.
After the exhibit, we drove back to our apartment. My driving strike ended after realizing what a pain it was to get to the museum. But, I was back on strike for dinner time. We came back and I opened my present from the bf's mom. She got me a super cute headband, and a very blingy necklace. Not my normal style, but once it was on it, I liked how it looked. It's one of those wild Betsy Johnson necklaces, with crowns and bows and hearts. Hearts in leopard print. I got a bunch of compliments on the thing, so I know it worked! The bf went downstairs to start his car and get us to dinner. His car didn't start. I didn't say a word, but I could feel my blood pressure building. He kept trying and then nothing. I was pissed beyond pissed at this point, and although my readers you may think I could quite possibly be the biggest brat in the world for this kind of hissy fit, but there is history and reason behind it.
The bf's car is my age. He refuses to get a new one and relies on my car to get us around. Pretty much every dinner is spent with me toting the two of us around, and as I am a strict observer of the no drinking and driving policy, I never get my fancy dinner cocktails. However, last year on my birthday, all I wanted was to be able to have a nice drink and be taken care of. It was bad enough I was sharing my birthday dinner with the bf's mom's friend, and bad enough I really got no say in where I was going, but I wound up driving us to my birthday dinner and boy, was I not happy. We broke up shortly thereafter.
So, back to the present. I get my keys and storm around in a huff and tell everyone to get in my car because we have to make our reservation. I was feeling insanely pissed because I had already driven the first leg of my birthday, and here we were going with round two. The gods were on my side and the bf tried his car again, and in we piled. We had a fabulous dinner, and I had a very, VERY strong Mai Tai.
We came back to the apartment and relaxed with Band of Brothers. It was then my body started revolting on me. I was itchy, sneezy, plugged, snotty - all at once. With piles of tissue around me, I tried to relax and let the allergy attack ride out. I found a trial sized nasal spray my doc gave me and snorted some of that. Nothing was working, so I took a very hot shower, which helped a great deal.
I did wake up this morning with the same allergies, which is why I was awake earlier today than I am for work days. But, with the gym, picnic on the beach, taking the car in, Oscars, dinner and homework, I think I'll have a pretty enjoyable, but busy end to my birthday festivities.
I was looking online to see if there was a relationship with my recent allergies and quitting smoking. Though I did not find any real medical sounding information, I did find a forum where people discussed this issue:
http://www.topix.com/forum/health/allergy/TG70I7EP1E0LDU3ED
Sadly, there were no real answers, just a bunch of ex-smokers complaining of allergy symptoms and attempting to self diagnose. But, I did feel better after reading it, because my allergies are truly kicking my ass, and I am now unable to sleep in which has taken me and my mucous to a new, very uncool level.
The King Tut exhibit was amazing!! 10 rooms of glittering artifacts were quite overwhelming. I had a hard time grasping how old some of the items were - over 3k years old! Thrones, busts, masks, coffins. There were videos running in some of the room as well. That Carter dude really hit the damn jackpot in that excavation trip. I was kind of wondering though if Tut would be pissed his tomb got hijacked, you know? Like these things were all set up very ceremoniously to assist him in the afterlife. Maybe it was just to help him get there, but I imagine he'd like to be sporting his scarab necklaces in heaven? I was wearing high heels and by the end, I could hardly walk around. I had to keep finding benches to rest on, which turned out to be a good thing I think, because I needed some time to digest some of these exhibits. My favorite things were the golden shrine, and the gilded coffin of Tjuya.
http://www.touregypt.net/museum/tutl55.htm
http://www.tutsanfrancisco.org/content/coffin-tuyu
I could go on for days, but anyone living in the bay area should see this. It's touring around the US, and it's really a magical thing.
After the exhibit, we drove back to our apartment. My driving strike ended after realizing what a pain it was to get to the museum. But, I was back on strike for dinner time. We came back and I opened my present from the bf's mom. She got me a super cute headband, and a very blingy necklace. Not my normal style, but once it was on it, I liked how it looked. It's one of those wild Betsy Johnson necklaces, with crowns and bows and hearts. Hearts in leopard print. I got a bunch of compliments on the thing, so I know it worked! The bf went downstairs to start his car and get us to dinner. His car didn't start. I didn't say a word, but I could feel my blood pressure building. He kept trying and then nothing. I was pissed beyond pissed at this point, and although my readers you may think I could quite possibly be the biggest brat in the world for this kind of hissy fit, but there is history and reason behind it.
The bf's car is my age. He refuses to get a new one and relies on my car to get us around. Pretty much every dinner is spent with me toting the two of us around, and as I am a strict observer of the no drinking and driving policy, I never get my fancy dinner cocktails. However, last year on my birthday, all I wanted was to be able to have a nice drink and be taken care of. It was bad enough I was sharing my birthday dinner with the bf's mom's friend, and bad enough I really got no say in where I was going, but I wound up driving us to my birthday dinner and boy, was I not happy. We broke up shortly thereafter.
So, back to the present. I get my keys and storm around in a huff and tell everyone to get in my car because we have to make our reservation. I was feeling insanely pissed because I had already driven the first leg of my birthday, and here we were going with round two. The gods were on my side and the bf tried his car again, and in we piled. We had a fabulous dinner, and I had a very, VERY strong Mai Tai.
We came back to the apartment and relaxed with Band of Brothers. It was then my body started revolting on me. I was itchy, sneezy, plugged, snotty - all at once. With piles of tissue around me, I tried to relax and let the allergy attack ride out. I found a trial sized nasal spray my doc gave me and snorted some of that. Nothing was working, so I took a very hot shower, which helped a great deal.
I did wake up this morning with the same allergies, which is why I was awake earlier today than I am for work days. But, with the gym, picnic on the beach, taking the car in, Oscars, dinner and homework, I think I'll have a pretty enjoyable, but busy end to my birthday festivities.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
It felt so wrong, it felt so right, don't mean I'm in love tonight...
So today I turned 29. That is so horrifying to type out. I don't feel any different. I don't have achy bones or a bad back. I suppose those ailments are jumping the gun a little. However, I did toss and turn from the spring allergies that have hit me hard, and I'm sporting a pretty raw nose.
The bf came home last night with the present I was pining for. I didn't want stuff, I didn't want things...I wanted a damn fancy haircut. Last night I was greeted with a gift certificate for a fancy salon, and I will get my hair did, and it will be fabulous.
In celebration of feeling old, today will be spent exploring the De Young museum and ole' King Tut and pal's bones. Then a delicious dinner. Since I am on driving strike today, we are busing and cabbing it all over town. I changed my mind about dinner because it would mean a whole other set of buses and cabs, which just don't sound all that appealing. In the heart of local and delicious foods, I'm going to P.F. Chang's. I don't care that it's a big chain. I'm much less angry than I used to be about big chains, but I usually don't go for it with all the wonderful mom and pops around here. But, PF is quite possibly one of my favorite places on the planet, so I'm going for it.
My mother was freaked out and chastised me for having the bf and his mom taking me around today, considering, well...you know. I felt my face drain of blood when she said that, and I immediately felt like total scum. I quickly consulted one of my friends who told me to live it up and enjoy while I have it. So mixed with guilt and pleasure, I will just go for it today.
Today not only memorializes my birthday, but the 3-month mark until I head out of dodge. I suppose it would make for a very uncomfortable dinner to drop the bomb tonight, so I'm waiting for the right moment. Although, I don't know when there will be a right moment, but I do know today is not it.
It's interesting to me that several people I know are planning on leaving this heavenly area. It started when one of my best friends moved a couple of years ago, and people in my life are slowly dwindling away from the bay. One of my friends told me he couldn't wait to get the hell out of SF. What's going on with that? I think the gentrification of SF is pretty startling, and the reality is, if you don't make 6 figures, it's a tough town. Plenty of people do it, myself included, but it sure ain't easy.
Tomorrow I will enjoy a picnic at the beach with a dear friend, and some dinner later followed by the Oscars(i think?) and some homework. I played hooky on my Friday night homework, and spent the night relaxing with some of my favorite shows and a stir fry dinner.
I am still smoke free as of today. As tempting as it's been, and I mean really freaking tempting, I haven't caved in. I'm almost through one box of nicotine gum, but pretty happy that it has lasted this long. I even lost my marbles this past Sunday and had to call a friend to talk me through the craving. Last Sunday was pretty special though. I sealed the deal with a roommate. That's right, I have one FOR SURE. They are normal folks, live in a really cute house, and they are close to the speedline into Philadelphia. I'm so stoked to explore a new area, and have been searching Yelp to my heart's content.
The bf came home last night with the present I was pining for. I didn't want stuff, I didn't want things...I wanted a damn fancy haircut. Last night I was greeted with a gift certificate for a fancy salon, and I will get my hair did, and it will be fabulous.
In celebration of feeling old, today will be spent exploring the De Young museum and ole' King Tut and pal's bones. Then a delicious dinner. Since I am on driving strike today, we are busing and cabbing it all over town. I changed my mind about dinner because it would mean a whole other set of buses and cabs, which just don't sound all that appealing. In the heart of local and delicious foods, I'm going to P.F. Chang's. I don't care that it's a big chain. I'm much less angry than I used to be about big chains, but I usually don't go for it with all the wonderful mom and pops around here. But, PF is quite possibly one of my favorite places on the planet, so I'm going for it.
My mother was freaked out and chastised me for having the bf and his mom taking me around today, considering, well...you know. I felt my face drain of blood when she said that, and I immediately felt like total scum. I quickly consulted one of my friends who told me to live it up and enjoy while I have it. So mixed with guilt and pleasure, I will just go for it today.
Today not only memorializes my birthday, but the 3-month mark until I head out of dodge. I suppose it would make for a very uncomfortable dinner to drop the bomb tonight, so I'm waiting for the right moment. Although, I don't know when there will be a right moment, but I do know today is not it.
It's interesting to me that several people I know are planning on leaving this heavenly area. It started when one of my best friends moved a couple of years ago, and people in my life are slowly dwindling away from the bay. One of my friends told me he couldn't wait to get the hell out of SF. What's going on with that? I think the gentrification of SF is pretty startling, and the reality is, if you don't make 6 figures, it's a tough town. Plenty of people do it, myself included, but it sure ain't easy.
Tomorrow I will enjoy a picnic at the beach with a dear friend, and some dinner later followed by the Oscars(i think?) and some homework. I played hooky on my Friday night homework, and spent the night relaxing with some of my favorite shows and a stir fry dinner.
I am still smoke free as of today. As tempting as it's been, and I mean really freaking tempting, I haven't caved in. I'm almost through one box of nicotine gum, but pretty happy that it has lasted this long. I even lost my marbles this past Sunday and had to call a friend to talk me through the craving. Last Sunday was pretty special though. I sealed the deal with a roommate. That's right, I have one FOR SURE. They are normal folks, live in a really cute house, and they are close to the speedline into Philadelphia. I'm so stoked to explore a new area, and have been searching Yelp to my heart's content.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Oh dear sweet blog, how I've neglected you so. Thankfully you live in the land of infinite cyberspace, and you are my forever friend.
I don't even know where to start, so I guess I'll just start.
Telephone call with potential roommate tomorrow. Looks like this may pan out in a cosmic kind of way. She is nice, her hubby is nice, the location is excellent, and I get my own bathroom. It's still a few months out, and talking to her tomorrow should help in solidifying plans.
Spoke with and emailed my resume to a very interesting political guy. He seemed friendly, and although I doubt he'd hold a position for me, it gave me that burst of excitement that I needed, knowing there is work out there and interesting people to provide that work.
School is INSANE. And, I mean infuckingsane. I spent last night and this morning (totaling 7 hours) on 9 assignments. I am resentful that my Friday nights are now designated as homework nights, but I really just don't have another solution for managing the massive homework assignments. My capeesh guy may make my knees wobble, but he makes my brain hurt and he may cause me to start smoking again. Bada bing that!
It's been over a month without a cigarette. Not even a little puff. I don't have the personality to socially smoke or have a puff now and then. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal, and that has its perks, just not with smoking. Last night I was so overwhelmed and stressed out by school that I cried and begged the bf for a smoke. I cried...for a cigarette. Maybe a little gross and over dramatic, but hell, I've heard it's easier to quit crack than smoking. I actually am craving cigs more now than I was during the first week. I think it's just the stress of everything. And, I feel like I'm gaining some some chunkage. I go to the gym 2 days a week instead of the 5 I was going before school started.
Things with the bf are the same. My birthday is next week, which is the 3 month mark until departure, so I may give it one more week and then drop the bomb. I can't believe time is moving so quickly.
Birthday is next weekend. Last year of my 20's. Fuck! Going to see the King Tut exhibit in SF, and then off to a fancy pants dinner at an old school SF steakhouse, Bobo's.
Tonight, meeting up with a good friend to see a hot Swedish band. Very much looking forward to that.
A Florida friend is going through a divorce, and we are going through a lot of the same feelings and experiences. We have both decided that next year, we are going to Scotland and riding horses. Sounds solid to me.
I don't even know where to start, so I guess I'll just start.
Telephone call with potential roommate tomorrow. Looks like this may pan out in a cosmic kind of way. She is nice, her hubby is nice, the location is excellent, and I get my own bathroom. It's still a few months out, and talking to her tomorrow should help in solidifying plans.
Spoke with and emailed my resume to a very interesting political guy. He seemed friendly, and although I doubt he'd hold a position for me, it gave me that burst of excitement that I needed, knowing there is work out there and interesting people to provide that work.
School is INSANE. And, I mean infuckingsane. I spent last night and this morning (totaling 7 hours) on 9 assignments. I am resentful that my Friday nights are now designated as homework nights, but I really just don't have another solution for managing the massive homework assignments. My capeesh guy may make my knees wobble, but he makes my brain hurt and he may cause me to start smoking again. Bada bing that!
It's been over a month without a cigarette. Not even a little puff. I don't have the personality to socially smoke or have a puff now and then. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal, and that has its perks, just not with smoking. Last night I was so overwhelmed and stressed out by school that I cried and begged the bf for a smoke. I cried...for a cigarette. Maybe a little gross and over dramatic, but hell, I've heard it's easier to quit crack than smoking. I actually am craving cigs more now than I was during the first week. I think it's just the stress of everything. And, I feel like I'm gaining some some chunkage. I go to the gym 2 days a week instead of the 5 I was going before school started.
Things with the bf are the same. My birthday is next week, which is the 3 month mark until departure, so I may give it one more week and then drop the bomb. I can't believe time is moving so quickly.
Birthday is next weekend. Last year of my 20's. Fuck! Going to see the King Tut exhibit in SF, and then off to a fancy pants dinner at an old school SF steakhouse, Bobo's.
Tonight, meeting up with a good friend to see a hot Swedish band. Very much looking forward to that.
A Florida friend is going through a divorce, and we are going through a lot of the same feelings and experiences. We have both decided that next year, we are going to Scotland and riding horses. Sounds solid to me.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Overheard in Mill Valley
I was in the post office line yesterday. It was quite possibly the longest line ever. While we were all standing around and waiting, a couple of male acquaintances started chatting. They were a bit older and bearded men. They reminded me a little of mountain men, but very, very fit mountain men. They were talking about their children, and one of the guys was so pleased that his daughter was a teacher's assistant. Then he said the one thing that makes me see red..."now she'll be able to get a real job." On top of that, the other man guffawed and made me see double red..."oh, so she'll be making 80k to start." They had a good laugh, and chatted about the successes of their children, whipping out their dicks to see who had the bigger one. Ooops, I mean more successful child.
I was bothered by this conversation for a couple of reasons. The first being that anything less than having financial success does not mean you have a real job. This makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. If you work and get a paycheck, then you have a bonafide job. If you work and get a great, big paycheck, then congratufuckinglations. But neither job is more real than the other, and mocking the folks who struggle to earn a living makes me want to hurt others. Like a lot. Second, is this how people in my town view success? Does making a ton of money mean that you did a great job raising the children. Well, great job Jon, here's a pat on the back for making babies and they grew up to wealthy! Not one of my mountain men said, "Well gee, she's a really great kid."
Enough ranting about that.
Some goings on...
School: Insanely busy with school. 3 nights a week commuting into the city, plus an internship (which is my job, but I need to do journal entries), and working full-time is HARD! I came home last night so incredibly pooped out. However, it does make my week go incredibly fast and keeps me very busy. The teacher I have for Probate and Ethics is making me crazy with his anal retentive ways, despite my desire to make sweet love with him as soon as he opens his mouth to speak. He said "Capeesh" again, and I think a part of me melted.
Work: Meh, it's fine!
Gym: Since school started, I have been neglecting the gym. I've been going on Saturday and Sundays and that's about it. Combine less gym time with quitting smoking and I'm sure you can figure out that I am not pleased with the scale results. I tried running on the treadmill a couple of days ago to see if my stamina improved, but my feet hurt so badly I had to stop (I was wearing skating shoes...oops). I then tried to get on the eliptical, but my feet were in so much pain that I gave up and went home. That's what I get for trying to be healthy.
Home: Home life has its typical ups and downs. Told the bf I can feel myself pulling away knowing that my move is coming up. He reminded me we are just trying to enjoy each other until I'm ready to go. Sounds so dramatic and weird. Why am I not totally rich so I can get my own place, dammit!?
The move: Things are starting to shape. A very nice girl I talked to last November has reappeared, and although she has a roomie now, the roomie is leaving at the end of May or early June. Sweet! I would get my own bathroom, a large bedroom, and the house itself is super pretty and big. The other girl I was talking to from many blogs ago sort of just didn't send me pics like I had hoped, so not sure what's going on with that situation. So, I'm feeling pretty good about the potential new place. I am also stoked because there will be a huge Ren Faire nearby, and I'm going to corset up and go! Hell yeah!
I was bothered by this conversation for a couple of reasons. The first being that anything less than having financial success does not mean you have a real job. This makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. If you work and get a paycheck, then you have a bonafide job. If you work and get a great, big paycheck, then congratufuckinglations. But neither job is more real than the other, and mocking the folks who struggle to earn a living makes me want to hurt others. Like a lot. Second, is this how people in my town view success? Does making a ton of money mean that you did a great job raising the children. Well, great job Jon, here's a pat on the back for making babies and they grew up to wealthy! Not one of my mountain men said, "Well gee, she's a really great kid."
Enough ranting about that.
Some goings on...
School: Insanely busy with school. 3 nights a week commuting into the city, plus an internship (which is my job, but I need to do journal entries), and working full-time is HARD! I came home last night so incredibly pooped out. However, it does make my week go incredibly fast and keeps me very busy. The teacher I have for Probate and Ethics is making me crazy with his anal retentive ways, despite my desire to make sweet love with him as soon as he opens his mouth to speak. He said "Capeesh" again, and I think a part of me melted.
Work: Meh, it's fine!
Gym: Since school started, I have been neglecting the gym. I've been going on Saturday and Sundays and that's about it. Combine less gym time with quitting smoking and I'm sure you can figure out that I am not pleased with the scale results. I tried running on the treadmill a couple of days ago to see if my stamina improved, but my feet hurt so badly I had to stop (I was wearing skating shoes...oops). I then tried to get on the eliptical, but my feet were in so much pain that I gave up and went home. That's what I get for trying to be healthy.
Home: Home life has its typical ups and downs. Told the bf I can feel myself pulling away knowing that my move is coming up. He reminded me we are just trying to enjoy each other until I'm ready to go. Sounds so dramatic and weird. Why am I not totally rich so I can get my own place, dammit!?
The move: Things are starting to shape. A very nice girl I talked to last November has reappeared, and although she has a roomie now, the roomie is leaving at the end of May or early June. Sweet! I would get my own bathroom, a large bedroom, and the house itself is super pretty and big. The other girl I was talking to from many blogs ago sort of just didn't send me pics like I had hoped, so not sure what's going on with that situation. So, I'm feeling pretty good about the potential new place. I am also stoked because there will be a huge Ren Faire nearby, and I'm going to corset up and go! Hell yeah!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Not for all the tea in China
My friend "Q" worked for a tea distribution company for quite a long time. Over time he accumulated some teas and even saved a pallet of tea from imminent destruction - that tea was heading to the dumpster with its other tea pals. Q is moving back to the east coast, and asked me and "A" to help him unload some of his tea. We were happy to oblige.
Q and I drove into the city to meet up at A's place. I did not pay attention to the boxes in the backseat of the station wagon, and happily yapped with Q and petted his pretty dog. We got to A's place, parked the car, and started unloading...holy tea box Batman!
We lugged the many boxes up the stairs and piled them into the living room. Words cannot describe the piles of tea sitting in that room. We sat down and got to working on sorting the teas. From Sapphire Ceylon, to Thousand Days Jasmine, to Jade Pagoda, it was an endless sea of exotic, fragrant teas. I was blissed out for several hours, poking in and out of boxes, and carefully pulling out the ones that pleased me most for myself and for some other tea loving friends.
We started mentally crashing from the tea overload and took a walk down the street. We were in search of an open bakery to cure our sweet craving. We found a crepe place on the main strip called Fritz. I ordered myself a crepe with nutella, strawberries and whipped cream. Q ordered apples, cinnamon, toasted almonds, and whipped cream. A ordered herself some fries with...WHITE TRUFFLE OIL.
The fries came out first and they were dripping with the white truffle oil. We dipped our fries into bbq sauce and some concoction of white truffle oil, artichoke, and ketchup. The fries were fantastic and A's eyes glazed over for a moment while chewing her fries. We munched happily on our amazing fries and then our monster crepes came out.
I have to say, eating good food is probably one of my favorite things to do, EVER. If I could go back and do it all over again, I'd be a food critic. Though, I am not adventurous with my cuisines, and would not be able to tolerate seafood, organs, etc.
We went back and continued with our massive tea project. I took everything that pretty much everyone else didn't want. This left me with many large boxes of tea. And, I don't mean those little boxes you buy in the store, I mean moving boxes full of tea, and many of them. I went home and made iced tea with the crysanthumum tea, and started building care packages of tea for some folks that I knew were into tea. I looked again in the boxes and found some new ones that I missed the first go around. Chocolate chip truffle tea, wowie. I called people up and asked if they wanted tea. I facebooked people. (Linds...do you like tea? :P) People wanted to know how I came across so much tea. I felt like a tea hustler, pushing my goods on people to "move the stuff."
This morning, I woke up (duh), gave my old roomies an enormous amount of tea, hit the gym, and went grocery shopping. I also ingested some very special cookies and I'm feeling a bit...special. So with a ruben sandwich in hand and the Superbowl on t.v., I'm enjoying relaxing on the last leg of this weekend.
Q and I drove into the city to meet up at A's place. I did not pay attention to the boxes in the backseat of the station wagon, and happily yapped with Q and petted his pretty dog. We got to A's place, parked the car, and started unloading...holy tea box Batman!
We lugged the many boxes up the stairs and piled them into the living room. Words cannot describe the piles of tea sitting in that room. We sat down and got to working on sorting the teas. From Sapphire Ceylon, to Thousand Days Jasmine, to Jade Pagoda, it was an endless sea of exotic, fragrant teas. I was blissed out for several hours, poking in and out of boxes, and carefully pulling out the ones that pleased me most for myself and for some other tea loving friends.
We started mentally crashing from the tea overload and took a walk down the street. We were in search of an open bakery to cure our sweet craving. We found a crepe place on the main strip called Fritz. I ordered myself a crepe with nutella, strawberries and whipped cream. Q ordered apples, cinnamon, toasted almonds, and whipped cream. A ordered herself some fries with...WHITE TRUFFLE OIL.
The fries came out first and they were dripping with the white truffle oil. We dipped our fries into bbq sauce and some concoction of white truffle oil, artichoke, and ketchup. The fries were fantastic and A's eyes glazed over for a moment while chewing her fries. We munched happily on our amazing fries and then our monster crepes came out.
I have to say, eating good food is probably one of my favorite things to do, EVER. If I could go back and do it all over again, I'd be a food critic. Though, I am not adventurous with my cuisines, and would not be able to tolerate seafood, organs, etc.
We went back and continued with our massive tea project. I took everything that pretty much everyone else didn't want. This left me with many large boxes of tea. And, I don't mean those little boxes you buy in the store, I mean moving boxes full of tea, and many of them. I went home and made iced tea with the crysanthumum tea, and started building care packages of tea for some folks that I knew were into tea. I looked again in the boxes and found some new ones that I missed the first go around. Chocolate chip truffle tea, wowie. I called people up and asked if they wanted tea. I facebooked people. (Linds...do you like tea? :P) People wanted to know how I came across so much tea. I felt like a tea hustler, pushing my goods on people to "move the stuff."
This morning, I woke up (duh), gave my old roomies an enormous amount of tea, hit the gym, and went grocery shopping. I also ingested some very special cookies and I'm feeling a bit...special. So with a ruben sandwich in hand and the Superbowl on t.v., I'm enjoying relaxing on the last leg of this weekend.
Friday, February 5, 2010
No words came out
Dear Blog,
My how things change in just a day or two. Can we slow down the emotional rollercoaster please? Maybe it's an operator error.
The bf brought up such sticky, yucky stuff last night. Stuff I had been hoping to not deal with for at least a couple of months, but it looks like I don't have a choice but to deal. It was sad and emotional. As he talked, I stared at a spot on the wall. As I fixated on that spot, I was vocally frozen, and nothing came out. I desperately wanted a cigarette, because my stress point was finally hit. I, of course did not have any, because I quit about two weeks ago, and for some divine reason, he didn't have any either.
After listening and taking in all the words being poured on me, I walked away and into the bedroom and found a new spot on the wall the stare at. I fell asleep, and it was on my mind first thing this morning.
After work, instead of going to the gym as intended, I came home and wrote a lengthy response to last night's one sided conversation. I felt that mental health came before physical health tonight.
I am turning 29 years old in a month. TWENTY-FREAKING-NINE. I feel like that sounds so old, but I don't feel it physically. 28 has been one hell of a year, my god. I would say 28 has been the biggest rollercoaster of them all. I foresee 29 being a bit on the wild side as well, but I'm hoping to tame that beast before the last year of my 20's gets too out of control. I'm hoping for a wild, good time, but not in the same way of this year.
At 28 I:
* Quit smoking (hopefully for real this time)
* Joined a gym and actually worked out
* Will be getting a paralegal certificate
* Will have a horrible breakup resembling a divorce
* Started a blog to memorialize all the crazy shit going on in my life
* Moved out of my apartment
* Moved in with strangers
* Moved back in to my old apartment
* Made a decision to move for myself to a place that has SNOW
I suppose now that I've written it down, it doesn't seem like so much. Actually, it seems a little on the short end of exciting things going on in a year. I'm a bit of an adventure junkie, and overcoming challenges and pushing myself to the limits gives me an extra notch on my belt.
Over and out, folks.
My how things change in just a day or two. Can we slow down the emotional rollercoaster please? Maybe it's an operator error.
The bf brought up such sticky, yucky stuff last night. Stuff I had been hoping to not deal with for at least a couple of months, but it looks like I don't have a choice but to deal. It was sad and emotional. As he talked, I stared at a spot on the wall. As I fixated on that spot, I was vocally frozen, and nothing came out. I desperately wanted a cigarette, because my stress point was finally hit. I, of course did not have any, because I quit about two weeks ago, and for some divine reason, he didn't have any either.
After listening and taking in all the words being poured on me, I walked away and into the bedroom and found a new spot on the wall the stare at. I fell asleep, and it was on my mind first thing this morning.
After work, instead of going to the gym as intended, I came home and wrote a lengthy response to last night's one sided conversation. I felt that mental health came before physical health tonight.
I am turning 29 years old in a month. TWENTY-FREAKING-NINE. I feel like that sounds so old, but I don't feel it physically. 28 has been one hell of a year, my god. I would say 28 has been the biggest rollercoaster of them all. I foresee 29 being a bit on the wild side as well, but I'm hoping to tame that beast before the last year of my 20's gets too out of control. I'm hoping for a wild, good time, but not in the same way of this year.
At 28 I:
* Quit smoking (hopefully for real this time)
* Joined a gym and actually worked out
* Will be getting a paralegal certificate
* Will have a horrible breakup resembling a divorce
* Started a blog to memorialize all the crazy shit going on in my life
* Moved out of my apartment
* Moved in with strangers
* Moved back in to my old apartment
* Made a decision to move for myself to a place that has SNOW
I suppose now that I've written it down, it doesn't seem like so much. Actually, it seems a little on the short end of exciting things going on in a year. I'm a bit of an adventure junkie, and overcoming challenges and pushing myself to the limits gives me an extra notch on my belt.
Over and out, folks.
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