Semi-Naked Shopping

I spent most of yesterday semi-naked in front of complete strangers. I guess that's bound to happen as I was in constant levels of undress while trying on 40 bridal gowns. The bad news is that I forgot to wear cute undies. The good news is that I got so used to everyone seeing me in my bra and panties that I stopped being embarrased and started being comfortable. And the better news is that we found 8 (yes! eight!) dresses that I liked. Below are most of the 8 dresses and the various reasons why I don't *think* that I'll pick them. I say *think* becasue honestly they're all great dresses and my reasons for not picking them are pretty weak since I loved them all.

This dress made me look REALLY thin (and that's quite a feat!). The side gatherings and the halter were really unique and stylish. Only bad things were that the dress was semi-expensive and I'm kinda worried that the side gathering thing (while very flattering) may look dated in a few years.

This is a figure flattering, classic gown with a beaded tulle overlay and detailed trim. I really liked it but I'm not so sure whether it made me go "wow".

Another figure flattering, classic gown (can you tell that I like the classic look). I think this is the perfect dress for my outdoor Yosemite ceremony. The only thing this dress was missing was beading. It had plenty of lace but not much sparkle.

Isn't this dress the cutest??? I love the corset top, side pleat and little bow around the waist. Only bad thing was that this dress was only available in a size 6 so I wasn't able to really try it on.

The corset top on this dress made my waist look amazing (and my boobs too!). Only bad thing was the dress was missing detail beading on the bottom but other then that it was a fantastic dress.

Stupid blogger. See the post below for the dress we did pick. Blogger wont let me post anymore pics to this post.

Round of Applause

So I think this might be it! The dress!!

The corset top and sweetheart neckline were very flattering. It's got a great classic look and includes lots of beading and lace! Perfection.


And the piece de resistance (or however the french say f'ing fantastic part): the 8 foot long catillion train that is removable! I can't wait to try this dress on again!!!

LA Weight Scam

I've been trying to lose weight these past few weeks but it just hasn't been happening for me. I eat my SlimFasts for lunch and dinner but then I end up gorging myself at dinner. Or I get so busy at work and then by the end of the day I'm way too tired to work out at the gym. Or I go to a work meeting and eye the pastries and other goodies until I just can't control myself and I end up eating one (or two). I know, excuses, excuses.

So this afternoon I got fed up with all my empty promises. I enthusiastically made an appointment to meet a counselor at LA Weight Loss. A friend of mine has been trying LA for the past few months and has already lost 20 pounds. Sounds great? Actually, not so much. The counselors at LA Weight Loss are really salespeople with a need to get you to buy their product. I sat down and the counselor (aka sales lady) told me all about how everything I was doing was wrong before. She also told me about how my fiancée may act supportive of my weight but in actuality all men are visual and he's secretly upset and turned off by my 40 pound weight gain!

In the end she wanted my to sign up for 20 weeks of weight loss, a 6 week transition period, and a year maintenance. Total cost was $997! Eeek! Plus I would have had to buy their "weight loss supplements" which she politely refused to tell me the actual cost of. Against her protests I told her I needed to think about it. There was no way that I was going to pay $997 up front (all at once is the only option) without talking to my fiancée since we have a joint account. As soon as I got back to the office I did a bit of internet research and found a few really informative websites like this, and this, and this. I'm really glad that I didn't fold under their high pressure sales tactics and pay the $997. Not only are the contracts virtually non refundable but the supplements can also easily add $1000 on to your weight loss plan. And as part of the contract they make you sign a section stating that you WILL buy the supplements! Sheesh. Scammy!

I think I'm going to try ediets again. I did it for 6 weeks last year and lost 8 pounds. The nutrition plan was very easy to follow as well as flexible. My only problem came to the dinners. The plan I was on was low sodium and the dinners were a bit bland. Hopefully I can try another plan (like the low carb plan) and then the dinners will be more palatable. We'll see ...

Weekend Update

Note: I hate recaps. They bore the hell out of me. I'm not feeling very creative so go ahead and skip this little post if you want.

Friday
Dave was feeling sick (he had a cold) and I was feeling a little funky too so I decided to take the day off from work. While Dave spent 9 hours on the couch asleep, I decided to make a small trip to the local outlets and do some much needed shopping. Four hours and $500 later I came home with many cute outfits. Thank you Banana Republic and NY&Co. I'll post some pics later when I get the chance to take pictures of all my cute new outfits.

Saturday
I spent the morning trying to find cute shoes to go with my new chocolate colored corduroy capris. I came home, went to the gym (need to get in semi-shape for wedding dress shopping on Tuesday). After I got home, Dave and I took showers (separately unfortunately) and got ready to go to the DMB concert in Chula Vista (south SD). Maybe I'm just not a "true Dave fan" anymore but I really didn't enjoy myself at the concert. In fact Dave and I left before the encore. *gasp* I know! For me I think that DMB concerts were all about the people that I met while tailgating and watching the concert. The people who knew DMB better then I did and got me all excited to hear certain songs or hear rare outtros and intros. Even though Dave is great at the concerts and sings along to songs he knows, its just not the same. *sigh* I don't even think that I'll attend a concert next year. It's just not worth it ;-(

Sunday
Dave was still feeling sick and I was feeling funky too so we spent most of the day being lazy.

ABCDE

After I experienced the whole ATV accident debacle (6 months ago) I came home and was naturally afraid of driving at high speeds on the freeway or driving down dirt roads. What did I expect? I flipped my ATV, landed in a ravine, and thought my back was broken. Mild anxiety was sure to be my friend for the next couple of months.

I've never been a dare devil maniac but I am a person who in the past enjoyed snowboarding, water sports, outdoor activities in general, and trying new things. For the last 6 months my anxiety has escalated and I've become a little bit of a nut case. Anything over 65mph on the freeway gives me sweaty palms. The thought of going out in the field paralyzes me with fearful thoughts (which sucks because I am a field employee). I went to Disneyland for a bachlorette party and refused most of the rides. I turned down an offer to ride in a helicopter (a helicopter!). I've made Dave crazy when he has driven because I constantly point at cars that might hit us and nag him to slow down even when he's doing 60 in the slow lane. I freaked out while driving over a bridge while going to Coronado Island for a meeting. And last month in Florida a group of employees were allowed to canoe down a river while on a tour. My response? Thank the heavens that I was not on that tour because I would have been forced to ride the canoes and I would have freaked! Like seriously freaked out from fear.

The clincher was when Dave and I were in Las Vegas. The entire 5 hour drive from SoCal to LV I spent hyperventilating and sweating in the passenger seat. That actually has become the norm for the past 6 months so that wasn't the deal breaker. The deal breaker came when we went to watch a Circus du Soleil show and we sat in the balcony. A few minutes after the show began we were sitting there watching this acrobat do her thing 100 feet in the air without any safety harness (if you've ever watched a Circus du Soleil show then you know that doing something acrobatic 100 feet in the air is kinda the whole point of the shows). While watching the acrobat all these fears started racing through my head. What happened if she fell??? What happened if the balcony collapsed? What happened if we died at the show???? Before I knew it I was sweating and barely able to breath. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could and go sit on the floor in the bathroom where I was safe and didn't have to watch the acrobat anymore.

I knew I needed help. This anxiety thing wasn't getting any better. It was getting worse. Much worse! Like I said before, I'm not a dare devil but living with constant anxiety just isn't my idea of a nice life.

A week ago I made a trip to my health insurance's therapist. She gave me a few exercises to try and help me through my moments of anxiety and referred me to an anxiety group that the hospital sponsors. She also gave me a referral to see a psychiatrist so that I can be prescribed anti-anxiety meds. I'm not so sure how I feel about the meds part. I understand why others may need mood stabilizers but I never have and I've never imagined that I would need them (but then again I never imagined that I would be affected by anxiety attacks. Never).

Yesterday, six of us from my office went out to a Indian tribe who needed technical assistance on their property located deep in the mountains. While we were 4x4'ing 7 miles up a steep sandy dirt road we encountered a monsoon (summer rains in Cali are rare!). The dirt roads instantly became slippery, the pounding rain made it hard to see, and there was thunder and lightning all over. We were all scared especially since we had to drive 7 miles DOWN the dirt road to get back to the main road. But you know what? I was a little bit scared but I wasn't paralyzed with fear or freaking out or even sweating. I just kept doing my anxiety exercises and I was ok. Maybe I will get better.

Passing Ships

I left on Sunday for a business trip to Sacramento. I came home Monday from the airport to be greeted by my fiancee who was leaving for a business meeting of his own in LA. He came home yesterday and I was kinda looking forward to some hot action last night. You know, because of all the not seeing each other and missing each other. So imagine my glee last night when Dave called out to me while he was in the shower. I ran to his call and barely held myself back from stripping along the way. I get to the shower door and ask what he needs (all the while in my head I'm thinking 'I know what he needs! Mwahahahaha!'). His need? To not forget to pay the car insurance.

Gee honey. Thanks.

ABC's

Stolen from Renae

A is for age: 26
B is for booze of choice: I don't really have just one. Red Syrah Wine when I want to wind down. Corona Light when I want to socialize. Long Beach Ice Tea when I want to get crazy. Caiparhinas when I want to act frou-frou. Diet Cherry Vanilla Coke with Bacardi Coconut Rum Light when I want to be on a diet.
C is for career: Big Boss
D is for your dog's name: No dog for now. Maybe someday when we have a yard.
E is for essential items you use/love everyday: Face moisturizer, Sirius radio, & my cell phone.
F is for favorite song(s) at the moment: "Earthquakes & Sharks" by Brandston & anything by Death Cab for Cutie
G is for favorite games: I'm not a big game player. Maybe tetris?
H is for hometown: SoCal
I is for instruments you play: None
J is for jam or jelly you like:Strawberry all the way.
K is for kids: No thanks.
L is for last kiss: When Dave got home at midnight last night, he gave me the most intense welcome home kiss. *sigh*
M is for most admired trait: I'm organized. Like really, really organized. Always have been.
N is for name of your crush: My fiancée of course! Dave
O is for overnight hospital stays: When I was 11 I had my appendix removed old style (back when they cut you all the way open and left you with a huge scar)
P is for phobias: Snakes & Car Crashes (especially dying in a crash)
Q is for quotes you like: Seen on the side of a Nike shoebox: "You run like a girl. Good for you"
R is for biggest regret: I had this relationship back during my senior year of college that was toxic yet thrilling. I f'ed up several times and did things I shouldn't have done and he f'ed up several times and did things to hurt me in return. The relationship would never have worked out but I often look back and wonder what would have happened had I not f'ed up.
S is for sweets of your choice: Chocolate in any form (but without nuts!)
T is for time you wake up: I'm supposed to wake up at 6am but that doesn't always happen.
U is for underwear: Haha! It used to be cute little Victoria Secret undies in all styles. But now I lean toward the comfy cotton things that are faded and worn.
V is for vegetables you love: I'm a veggie whore. Give it all to me! Spinach, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, salad! Mmmm ;-9
W is for worst habit: I can be a bitch sometimes. Don't get on my bad side!
X is for x-rays you've had: Too many to list.
Y is for yummy food you make: I love cooking. My best is probably crock pot spicy chicken. Everyone always loves it and it's super easy to make.
Z is for zodiac sign: Taurus

Ok. Now it's Tammy's turn!

Picture Post

The town I live in:

The boy I love:

The furry belly that makes me melt:

10 Months

Dave is in Missouri for a business trip until late Thursday evening. He's only been gone since Monday and I already miss that boy something fierce ;-( Distance really does make the heart grow fonder. Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad that he got such an awesome job for such a fantastic corporation AND he works from home. But (and we all knew there was a but) I really hate that he's going to be traveling just as much as I travel. For most of the next few months I'm gone one week and he's gone the next week or we're both gone at the same time and Fluff is left home alone.

Anyways, on to happier news: In exactly 10 months, Dave and I will be getting married amidst the beauty of Yosemite. Only 10 more months! EEEeee!!! I'm starting to get excited and in the 'we're getting married' mode which is great because maybe it will motivate me to lose some weight! I've been horrible lately. Really horrible. I've always been NOT naturally thin and had to work hard to maintain my weight. But for the past 6 months I just haven't cared whether I gained weight. Donut? Yes please. Coke or diet coke? Mmmmm ... coke! Go to the gym tonight? Nahhhh! Go to the gym anytime this week? Maybe next week! Beer? Give me 5. I love empty calories!

I really need to get back in the habit of watching what and how much I eat plus exercising daily. I keep thinking that I can do this by myself but I've been trying to lose weight for the past 2 years and have been unable to (in fact I've gained 40 pounds). I think it's time I try LA Weight Loss, Weight Watchers, or some other structured weight loss program even though it makes me feel like a failure. I've lost 40+ pounds twice before in my life (I told you I'm not naturally thin) and I just can't understand why I'm lacking the will power this time around to lose the weight for a 3rd time. I'm getting married in 10 months and will be wearing a big white dress! Wouldn't you think that I'd be able to think of that and stay away from the brownies in the office kitchen. Sadly no. LA Weight Loss here I come ...

Many Moons Ago ...

August 2004
We won last night. Twice. Yep. Wooooo. OK I'm too tired to 'woo'. AndI'm too sore to 'woo'.After work, I drove to the sports park for my 1st softball game. The team was super nice and young (and a few of the boys were super cute) but I don't know. Maybe it's cuz I'm hormonal this time of the monthor something like that but I just didn't gel with the team. They were nice and everything but I couldn't help feeling shy and a bit outsiderish. So the other team didn't show up and we won by default. Immediately after the game, I ran home and made myself a turkey burgerbefore heading to the gym for my 7pm 30 min abs class. Then I had a yoga class that began at 7:30. Cool. I like yoga. It helps me stay flexible and get better balance. SO after my yoga class I went home and checked my email real quick before I had planned to jump in the shower. One of the email messages was from a guy I met who also plays on a softball team and who needed an extra girl to play that night in15 minutes (9pm). So I quickly ran down there and played yet another game of softball. We own. And I loved the team!!! So I think that I'm gonna stay with that team (but now I have to break it to my other team which sucks). But I really fit well with this team and we played well together and they seem like awesome people. YAY.
And it doesn't help that the team manager (Dave) is a super cutie and super nice. He's a Sigma Chi alumni from Long Beach State, blond & tall. Yum. We're supposed to meet this weekend and do some practicing as well as go get some beers. YAY. And I'm gonna make him cookies ;-) Anyone got a good peanut butter cookie recipe? I gotta show the boy that I'm not only a super cool chick who can bat with the best of them but I'm also a domestic goddess. Gosh I forget how much I rock sometimes ;-p After the game I came home and Scott wanted to spend some time together so we watched SBF Stunning SF. SBF is a local stunt bike riding crew that lives (literally) right down the street. Most of the stunts they perform are down right on the main street that we live offof. It's pretty cool to watch their videos and recognize all the local landmarks. Not to mention that they do some pretty sic stunts.

August 2005
I'm in Wichita, Kansas this week for a work conference. I'm scheduled to give an hour 15 minute presentation tomorrow to the entire group (about 100 people). Holy cow is all I can say about that.I leave here on Friday, fly into Oakland, then take BART directly to San Francisco where I'll be meeting Dave at a hotel. We plan on celebrating our anniversary with a nice dinner on Friday then DMB on Saturday. Dave was joking around and made it clear that I wont be getting a ring as my anniversary present. ;-( Of course his comment hurt my feelings but it lead to a nice discussion on us and marriage. Surprisingly, the discussion was mostly lead by me OPENLY, honestly and effortlessly telling Dave how I felt on the whole subject (such a huge step for me since I suck at the whole communication thing). Dave and I agreed that we want to get married because the time is right for us and NOT because all of our friends are doing it. We both want to talk about marriage and wedding plans extensively before becoming engaged which we'll be a bit difficult for Dave since he is able to show how he feels easily but forgets that he needs to say how he feels too. We both agreed that we're at a good time in our lives to get married (financial stability, established careers, educated, mature, etc). And we both agreed that we want to keep each other and that we both hope marriage is in our future together. Ahhhh! I love that boy!

A Love Story

Last Christmas I got Dave a Sirius player and subscription because I had no idea what else to get him. The boy already has everything he could ever want or need. So after 3 hours of walking up and down the Best Buy aisles I threw my hands up in despair, grabbed the closest box, and walked out. The closest box happened to be a Sirius Radio Sportster which he opened on xmas eve to mild delight. (I told you he had everything he wanted or needed and satellite radio did not happen to be one of his wants or needs). To be honest I had no interest in satellite radio either but I figured what they hey. It was something under the tree.

A few weeks later, Dave and I were road tripping to SoCal (this was back when we lived in the Bay Area) and we decided to give Sirius a try. Within 1 hour I was hooked. Who knew this satellite radio would be this fantastic! And clear! And chock full of music choices! And each station was packed with quality music! And no commercials!

I immediately did what any caring girlfriend would do. I removed the Sirius from his car and had it installed in my car. I also bought this super cute boom box so that I could listen to it at work. For the next 4 months, Sirius and I were inseparable. We were together at work, in the car, and even at home thanks to streaming audio over the internet. Imagine my dismay when we moved down to San Diego and I discovered that I no longer received satellite reception in my sub-basement office. Then my sticky suction cup holder fell off in the car. Sirius and I decided to break up.

OK. So this is turning into a long story and it really shouldn't be. Flash forward to today when I forgot to bring my
CDs so I decided to try the ye olde Sirius. It works! And I'm in love again.

Sirius + Cori = 4ever

We're Parents ... To a Cat

Doesn't he look cute while he sleeps??

The rule in our house is that if Fluff jumps up on the kitchen counter then he is immediately given a stern 'no' and then spritzed with a water bottle. Repeated use of this method has worked really well for us. Often all he have to do is say the stern 'no' and Fluff immediately stops doing whatever it is he was doing. Fluff rarely gets up on the counter anymore unless it is because he detects something was left on the counter that he is be able to bat with his little paws. Such as a derelict pen or bottle cap or wineglass. Needless to say the wineglass batting didn't go over well with all parties involved.

To recap: Fluff on Kitchen Counter = Stern 'No' + Spritz from Spray Bottle

Last night as I'm trying to fall asleep I feel Dave get out of bed. I open my eyes to see what he is up to (we can see the kitchen from our bedroom). Fluff is on the kitchen counter and Dave is bending over so he is eye to eye with the cat. In the calmest voice Dave is having a chat with Fluff. "Hey buddy, you know your mom and I don't like it when you're on the counter. Your paws are dirty and then you walk on the counter and it is unsanitary. So let's stay off the counter. Okay bud? ok." With that Dave gently lifts Fluff off the counter and places him on the floor.

What a push over.

I Suck at Recaps

I woke up at 1:30am last night (this morning?) to the sound of coyotes howling under our bedroom window. Directly under our window. Like less then 100 feet from my body. The 1st thing I frantically did was look for my kitten. Maybe they were howling because my kitten had gotten outside and they were now feasting upon his body! Ok. So they probably weren't but I had to make sure. Luckily I didn't need to search very hard for my kitten since he was curled up in a ball in the crook of my armpit.

The 2nd thing I did was get mad. Vile coyotes were howling under my bedroom window in the middle of the night and keeping me awake. But then I realized that I live next door to a nature preserve and I should expect coyotes and other wild creatures. (Especially since $1.5 million needs to be raised to keep the preserve from being developed but thats a whole different story).

In other news, we're back from Vegas. It was very nice but I suck at reviews and recaps so I'll spare you. During the day we slept, read, and layed by the 5 pools and lazy river of MGM Grand. During the night we ate gourmet meals, gambled, and drank. One night we watched a Cirque du Soleil show that involved alot of nekidness. I think I saw a penis.

Viva Las Vegas

Dave & I are off to the City of Sin.

During the day you can find me here:

At night we'll be here:

Be back Saturday!