I feel crappy today. At first I thought it was mild allergies (congestion and general blahness) but now I'm thinking that I might have a cold/flu (achiness and bitchiness). Or maybe I'm not sick at all, maybe I'm just bitchy and crabby. Who knows!
It doesn't help that the air outside is filled with soot and smells like an ashtray. Much thanks to this fire the sky is a dark grey and resembles a coming acopolypse. The fire is actually 75 miles away but thanks to the lovely Santa Ana winds the smoke has been blown our way.
In other non-related news: Dave got home at midnight last night. Yay.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Notes to Self
Note #1 - Don't watch a sappy Lifetime movie such as "Why I wore Lipstick to my Mastectomy" while alone. It will only leave yourself a sappy, crying mess with no one to console. (I highly recommend the made for tv movie. Yes it was made by Lifetime but seriously entertaining and heart wrenching. It's repeating again on Saturday evening. Watch it!)
Note #2 - Don't buy Panera bagels as a treat for the office and expect to be strong enough to resist. Especially since french toast, dutch apple & raisin, and asiago cheese were among the bagel flavors.
Note #3 - After resistance to bagels proves futile, DON'T say f*ck it and eat 2 bagels. 1/2 a bagel would have been okay. 2 bagels is overkill (no matter how delicious they are).
Note #4 - Don't do any more unnecessary shopping. Especially after realizing that personal trainer will set you back $1000. And that only covers 16 sessions for the next 8 weeks. Yikes. Unnecessary shopping includes perfume, UGG shoes, and outrageously expensive Oscar De La Renta high heels ;-(
Note #2 - Don't buy Panera bagels as a treat for the office and expect to be strong enough to resist. Especially since french toast, dutch apple & raisin, and asiago cheese were among the bagel flavors.
Note #3 - After resistance to bagels proves futile, DON'T say f*ck it and eat 2 bagels. 1/2 a bagel would have been okay. 2 bagels is overkill (no matter how delicious they are).
Note #4 - Don't do any more unnecessary shopping. Especially after realizing that personal trainer will set you back $1000. And that only covers 16 sessions for the next 8 weeks. Yikes. Unnecessary shopping includes perfume, UGG shoes, and outrageously expensive Oscar De La Renta high heels ;-(
Monday, October 23, 2006
My Fiancee Sucks
ouch. ouch. ouch. ouch.
That's the sound I made each time I tried to take a step this weekend. I met up with my personal trainer for the 1st time on Friday and he did an hour workout with me. At the time it didn't feel like a very strenuous workout but on Saturday morning when I woke up I could barely lift my body out of bed. Instead I kinda threw my body over the edge of the bed and slithered on the floor towards the phone where upon I promptly called my friend M and told her that I would not be meeting her later that day to go indoor rock climbing.
Dave kept treating me like a big wuss which kinda peeved me since I was really hurting and wanted lots of sympathy and massages versus the "tough it out" speeches that Dave kept giving me. I wonder how tough he would feel with my foot up his a$$ ;-) I gave up on trying to convince Dave that I was in pain since I knew in my own head that there were only a few other instances where I had pushed my body and resulted in as much pain:
1) Spring 2002 - Britney and I took a aerobics class as extra credit in college. The final for the class consisted of going up and down every single aisle all the way around the football stadium (click on the link to see how big our stadium was). I think at about the half way point I threw myself upon the cold cement and prayed not to die/throw up. I ended up finishing but only after skipping a few aisles at the end. It was so bad that the night after the stadiums I decided to stay in. Me not partying in college = serious.
2) Fall 2003 - One day I had off from work thanks to an often not celebrated Federal Holiday (Columbus? Veterans?). My gym continued with it's normal work out schedule and so I decided to try out a mid-morning kickboxing class. The next day I couldn't even sit down on the toilet since my thighs hurt so much.
3) Fall 2004 - Shortly after I had moved in with Dumber & Dumberer, I decided to impress the Pretty Dumb One by participating on a morning run with him. At the time I was in very good shape but there were a few things I forgot to take into account such as the fact that he was 6'2 and had a much longer stride them my shorty 5'1 frame. 5 miles of running (no jogging and no breaks) later and I was in so much pain that my crotch even hurt. Yep. My crotch! That was the last time that I volunteered to run with him.
Luckily, I was able to take a break this weekend and recuperate. I feel much better today and am looking forward to my belly dancing class later tonight.
Things I'm not looking forward to:
* I'm going to be meeting with my personal trainer 2 times a week. Tomorrow is my next session. I really hope that it doesn't leave me in quite so much pain.
* For the next 4 nights I'll be coming home to an empty house. Dave is off gallivanting in Miami for a work meeting and staying in a $500 per night hotel room at a 5 star resort. He left last night on a red-eye against much of my protests. This morning he gave me a call to let me know that he had arrived safely. And to also let me know that his luxurious room had a view of the ocean. Grrrrr ...
Sunday, October 22, 2006
House Cleaning Rule #7
From the time I could walk my Mom put a broom in my hand and told me that my weekly chore was to sweep all the hardwood surfaces in our house. Quickly this escalated into not only sweeping but moping, vacuuming, dusting, dish washing, and tidying our 3,000 square foot house. If my housecleaning skills weren't to her satisfaction then I had to repeat the task over and over until it did meet her high standards. This was on top of feeding all the livestock on our 10 acre farm. (10 acres = lots of cow, horse, and sheep mouths to feed, two times a day). You might think that it was fantastic of my mother to install such a hard work ethic in me starting at such a young age. I would agree with you if that had been my mother's intent. Unfortunately, my mom just didn't enjoy housecleaning so she made me the family's personal maid for the next 20ish years.
Needless to say the first time I moved out on my own, I immediately boycotted all activities that resembled cleaning. This didn't work out so well since I lived with a self professed neat freak. My next roommate was much more naturally messy and for 9 months I was able to live in filth. At one point I think that mold began growing on the bathroom ceiling and we were both to drunk to care. Good times!
Living the life of a filthy girl taught me 2 things:
1) I'm much happier being an orderly and clean person. My 9 months of filth were fun but just not me.
2) It's okay to live like a pig from time to time. It's better to enjoy life then kill yourself trying to make everything look perfect all the time.
These days I'm able to keep a very tidy house thanks to it's limited size (perk of a 1000 sq ft house), my compliant fiancee (he tries to help me clean), and thanks to our lack of children/multiple pets. And most of all thanks to a little invention called The Swiffer. I've always been a steaming hot water, mop, and ammonia floor cleaner. This can somewhat be a bit cumbersome. First you gotta get the water hot, then you gotta sweep, finally you dilute the ammonia and scrub the floors. With The Swiffer all that hassle is gone!! All you do is put on a clean pad, hold the button down for 3 seconds for the spray to release, and then mop the floor. Super easy. So easy in fact that I can usually con Dave into helping me Swiffer the floors (he likes to push the button down). The best part is that it releases enough spray to clean but not a super amount that leaves the floors wet for the next hour. Usually the floor is dry within 15 minutes. My floor washing time has been cut in half even though I still ammonia the floors when I deep clean.
PS - The mold on the bathroom ceiling ended up being cleaned by my roommate. One weekend I let her hook up with a boy I had previously been hooking up with. I knew she really liked him and so I let her break our rule #7 (don't mess with another friend's guy). She in turn thanked me by buying some really harsh cleaning chemical and spending the weekend scrubbing at the ceiling. Friends are awesome like that.
PPS - Our rule #7 was quite popular among my friends and I in college. The funny thing about it is that it started out as an actual list of girl rules. But then over time we forgot the rule numbers so everything became rule #7. Depending on the context rule #7 could mean "don't touch him I have dibs" or "c'mon make out with his friend so that we can hook up too and he wont feel bad about his friend having no one to talk with" or "be a good sport and drive to the grocery store to buy mac-n-cheese cuz I'm too poor/too drunk to do it on my own".
Needless to say the first time I moved out on my own, I immediately boycotted all activities that resembled cleaning. This didn't work out so well since I lived with a self professed neat freak. My next roommate was much more naturally messy and for 9 months I was able to live in filth. At one point I think that mold began growing on the bathroom ceiling and we were both to drunk to care. Good times!
Living the life of a filthy girl taught me 2 things:
1) I'm much happier being an orderly and clean person. My 9 months of filth were fun but just not me.
2) It's okay to live like a pig from time to time. It's better to enjoy life then kill yourself trying to make everything look perfect all the time.
These days I'm able to keep a very tidy house thanks to it's limited size (perk of a 1000 sq ft house), my compliant fiancee (he tries to help me clean), and thanks to our lack of children/multiple pets. And most of all thanks to a little invention called The Swiffer. I've always been a steaming hot water, mop, and ammonia floor cleaner. This can somewhat be a bit cumbersome. First you gotta get the water hot, then you gotta sweep, finally you dilute the ammonia and scrub the floors. With The Swiffer all that hassle is gone!! All you do is put on a clean pad, hold the button down for 3 seconds for the spray to release, and then mop the floor. Super easy. So easy in fact that I can usually con Dave into helping me Swiffer the floors (he likes to push the button down). The best part is that it releases enough spray to clean but not a super amount that leaves the floors wet for the next hour. Usually the floor is dry within 15 minutes. My floor washing time has been cut in half even though I still ammonia the floors when I deep clean.
PS - The mold on the bathroom ceiling ended up being cleaned by my roommate. One weekend I let her hook up with a boy I had previously been hooking up with. I knew she really liked him and so I let her break our rule #7 (don't mess with another friend's guy). She in turn thanked me by buying some really harsh cleaning chemical and spending the weekend scrubbing at the ceiling. Friends are awesome like that.
PPS - Our rule #7 was quite popular among my friends and I in college. The funny thing about it is that it started out as an actual list of girl rules. But then over time we forgot the rule numbers so everything became rule #7. Depending on the context rule #7 could mean "don't touch him I have dibs" or "c'mon make out with his friend so that we can hook up too and he wont feel bad about his friend having no one to talk with" or "be a good sport and drive to the grocery store to buy mac-n-cheese cuz I'm too poor/too drunk to do it on my own".
Friday, October 20, 2006
Screw You!
I’ve never commented on an article I’ve read in the newspaper before. Yet I felt compelled to write to you regarding your October 19, 2006 article titled "What's happened to our farmers markets?". I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for writing one of the most ignorant articles that I’ve ever read.
I have always assumed that a journalist always fact checks their work before being published. Maybe you don’t consider yourself a journalist but if you had then you would have been able to do a simple internet search and discovered that most of your opinions were not worthy of being read in print.
Let's begin with your comment regarding pricing: "When I went to Vista 20 years ago, I could bring home a week's worth of produce for about $20. Now, I can barely get by with $40."
Your comment insinuates that farmers are overpricing their products. Do you realize how much inflation has increased in those 20 years? Not to mention that farmers today need to address many issues that exist today that did not exist 20 years ago. Such as:
- increased land prices as a result of urban sprawl. According to California Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers an acre of land in 1994 would cost $5000. In 2001 (7 short years later) that number had skyrocketed to $20,000 per acre.
- higher energy bills. As we both know, SDG&E has increased their prices over the last 20 years. According to SDG&E reports in November 1986 energy prices for peak usage were 5.5. In November 2005? Prices climbed to 13.95. Almost 3x the amount!
- high cost of water. According to the San Diego County Farm Bureau the average farmer pays over $600 per acre foot of water (among the highest in the nation). Many San Diegans assume that since we live next to the ocean that we are water rich. Sadly, this is not true. Most of our water is imported from the Colorado River and Sacramento Delta. Farmers in the area have gone above and beyond to install water conservation devices on the land. The problem? Many urban house dwellers continue to over irrigate their lawns as well as plant with high water uptake species such as pampas grass and arundo. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundo_donax
- environmental regulations that didn't exist 20 years ago. Today's San Diego County farmer must interact with 9 (nine!) permitting and regulatory agencies before doing much of the work on their land. Could you imagine having to consult with 9 legal authorities each time you submitted a story?
And I'm sure you didn't stop to think that maybe those "$10 for two cups" blueberries were grown using labor intensive organic farming principals versus the conventionally farmed blueberries from 1986. For more information on organic farming principals and how they effect the price of produce, please visit the Certified California Organic Farmers (CCOF) website: http://www.ccof.org/
In addition I would like to comment on this statement: "Farmers markets will thrive when they are located and spaced properly." Was this statement based upon your feelings or did you bother to contact the California Federation of Certified Farmers' Markets? (http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/)
Maybe you should write a second article highlighting the struggles of a local farmer. Many people such as yourself forget where your food comes from (it doesn't magically appear at the farmer's markets). I think an important question to ask them would be why do they continue to farm? Most do it for the love of the land. When's the last time you did something so completely unselfish?
I have always assumed that a journalist always fact checks their work before being published. Maybe you don’t consider yourself a journalist but if you had then you would have been able to do a simple internet search and discovered that most of your opinions were not worthy of being read in print.
Let's begin with your comment regarding pricing: "When I went to Vista 20 years ago, I could bring home a week's worth of produce for about $20. Now, I can barely get by with $40."
Your comment insinuates that farmers are overpricing their products. Do you realize how much inflation has increased in those 20 years? Not to mention that farmers today need to address many issues that exist today that did not exist 20 years ago. Such as:
- increased land prices as a result of urban sprawl. According to California Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers an acre of land in 1994 would cost $5000. In 2001 (7 short years later) that number had skyrocketed to $20,000 per acre.
- higher energy bills. As we both know, SDG&E has increased their prices over the last 20 years. According to SDG&E reports in November 1986 energy prices for peak usage were 5.5. In November 2005? Prices climbed to 13.95. Almost 3x the amount!
- high cost of water. According to the San Diego County Farm Bureau the average farmer pays over $600 per acre foot of water (among the highest in the nation). Many San Diegans assume that since we live next to the ocean that we are water rich. Sadly, this is not true. Most of our water is imported from the Colorado River and Sacramento Delta. Farmers in the area have gone above and beyond to install water conservation devices on the land. The problem? Many urban house dwellers continue to over irrigate their lawns as well as plant with high water uptake species such as pampas grass and arundo. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundo_donax
- environmental regulations that didn't exist 20 years ago. Today's San Diego County farmer must interact with 9 (nine!) permitting and regulatory agencies before doing much of the work on their land. Could you imagine having to consult with 9 legal authorities each time you submitted a story?
And I'm sure you didn't stop to think that maybe those "$10 for two cups" blueberries were grown using labor intensive organic farming principals versus the conventionally farmed blueberries from 1986. For more information on organic farming principals and how they effect the price of produce, please visit the Certified California Organic Farmers (CCOF) website: http://www.ccof.org/
In addition I would like to comment on this statement: "Farmers markets will thrive when they are located and spaced properly." Was this statement based upon your feelings or did you bother to contact the California Federation of Certified Farmers' Markets? (http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/)
Maybe you should write a second article highlighting the struggles of a local farmer. Many people such as yourself forget where your food comes from (it doesn't magically appear at the farmer's markets). I think an important question to ask them would be why do they continue to farm? Most do it for the love of the land. When's the last time you did something so completely unselfish?
Thursday, October 19, 2006
I'd Rather Be Shopping
I'm unique in the fact that when I shop I rarely just go to a store and mosey about until I've found something that I like. Instead I go to specific stores and shop for a reason. Examples: I need a dress for so&so's wedding or I need a new nude cami to replace the one I stained. Don't get me wrong, I really like to shop but I've just never learned to shop for no reason (I totally blame my mother).
Yet, there are a few things that lately have me drooling at the mouth. All are things that I totally don't need but want (NOW).
Yet, there are a few things that lately have me drooling at the mouth. All are things that I totally don't need but want (NOW).
I've never been an UGG girl. And you would think that since I've lived in Cali my whole life that I would automatically be an UGG girl. Sadly no. Until The Kept Woman posted a super cute pic of some clog UGGS. Don't they look cute and snugly, perfect for the SoCal winter (high of 70, low of 65). 8.5 more pounds to lose and they are mine!
I also want/need shoes that will make my black wrap dress look more like something to wear to a wedding and less like something to wear to a funeral. I already own the dress ($25 at an outlet store!) and now I just need the shoes. I want something with a peep toe like this but comes in a color more like this. My plan is to add a plum colored lace camisole under the dress to tie the shoes in and make the dress a little less revealing.
Update: I love zappos.com. I found these super cute Oscar De La Renta's that are much like the look I had in my head even though they are not exactly the color I wanted. I really like the green pair since I could also match them with an olive green cardigan wrap sweater and black slacks. But I'm not to sure that an olive camisole would look good with my wrap dress (or be easy to find). Hmmmm ...
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
When Doing a Random, Use a Candom!
I once knew a boy in college who used to say the above phrase. The way he said it was really funny but then again we were in college and drunk most of the time. Everything was funny. And it helped the funny quotient that I was in love with the boy for most of my senior year of college. We had sex within the first 15 minutes of meeting each other which is not something I tell most people because they assume it was a cheap one night stand and that I was easy. In all honestly what happened wasn’t because I was easy (well I was a bit but it really wasn’t because of that). What happened between us was something that is hard to explain unless you experience it. From the moment we met it was like I had known him my whole life. We locked eyes and time stood still. We couldn’t keep our eyes off each other. It was more then lust it was like our souls could speak in some magical language that neither one of us knew how to understand. Do I think we were soul mates in terms of him being the love of my life? Definitely No. Do I think we were soul mates in terms of being something special that I will never understand? Yes.
We dated casually for the next 2 months. Our relationship was volatile and we were young and I don’t think we were capable of understanding our deep emotions. He would get scared and hurt me and I would hurt him in return. I ended up sleeping with his best friend and fraternity brother on and off for 5 months (I told you I wanted to hurt him). For a while we were a happy, non-sexual, threesome. No one in his fraternity and no one in my sorority knew what to think of us. Oddly enough neither did we and we didn’t try since we all knew in the end it was not to be.
Well that kinda got heavy and I really didn’t mean it to be. That phrase came to my mind since I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had much time to blog. Now here I am trying to sleep and I can’t because all these random blogging thoughts are running through my mind.
Who else can’t sleep? The cat. He’s always been such a good kitten who happily trots off to our bed at 10pm and sleeps peacefully until our alarms go off at 6am. Ever since we got back from our trip this weekend, he has decided that 10pm is the perfect time to begin racing back and forth across the apartment, climb the mini-blinds, and knock pictures off the window sills. He keeps this up until 1 or 2 am. Last night it got so bad that we were unable to sleep and forced to put him on restriction (aka locked in the bathroom). I’m really hoping that he gets over his little attitude problem and returns to being my good kitten.
The wedding we went to this weekend was truly beautiful. It was held in the barrel room of a winery in the Bay Area (the barrel room is where they make the wine). The room was decorated in deep reds and lit with candles. The whole event made me a bit sad. The wedding was so gorgeous that for a second it made me wish that I had chosen a winery as the site of our wedding (wee bit jealous). It also made me a bit bummed when I realized that the couple had been together as long as Dave and I. It could have been us getting married if only David hadn’t waited so long to propose (the other couple got engaged a year before us). It also made me sad because the evening went by so quickly. One minute they were saying I do and the next minute was the last dance. It made me realize that our big day will go by just as quickly. All this planning is for 5 short hours.
It also made me sad to be back in the Bay Area. I’ve lived near LA, in the San Joaquin Valley (think Grapes of Wrath), and near Monterey (think East of Eden). No place has ever felt as much as “home” to me as the East Bay. I miss the people, City of San Francisco, the Bay, BART, Dave’s family, my old office, Dave’s old job, the food, the community, and the friends I made. It pains me to think that I may never have that feeling of “home” again. Part of me wants to run back the first chance we get. The other part of me thinks that I just need to give San Diego more time and perhaps one day it will become my home.
We dated casually for the next 2 months. Our relationship was volatile and we were young and I don’t think we were capable of understanding our deep emotions. He would get scared and hurt me and I would hurt him in return. I ended up sleeping with his best friend and fraternity brother on and off for 5 months (I told you I wanted to hurt him). For a while we were a happy, non-sexual, threesome. No one in his fraternity and no one in my sorority knew what to think of us. Oddly enough neither did we and we didn’t try since we all knew in the end it was not to be.
Well that kinda got heavy and I really didn’t mean it to be. That phrase came to my mind since I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had much time to blog. Now here I am trying to sleep and I can’t because all these random blogging thoughts are running through my mind.
Who else can’t sleep? The cat. He’s always been such a good kitten who happily trots off to our bed at 10pm and sleeps peacefully until our alarms go off at 6am. Ever since we got back from our trip this weekend, he has decided that 10pm is the perfect time to begin racing back and forth across the apartment, climb the mini-blinds, and knock pictures off the window sills. He keeps this up until 1 or 2 am. Last night it got so bad that we were unable to sleep and forced to put him on restriction (aka locked in the bathroom). I’m really hoping that he gets over his little attitude problem and returns to being my good kitten.
The wedding we went to this weekend was truly beautiful. It was held in the barrel room of a winery in the Bay Area (the barrel room is where they make the wine). The room was decorated in deep reds and lit with candles. The whole event made me a bit sad. The wedding was so gorgeous that for a second it made me wish that I had chosen a winery as the site of our wedding (wee bit jealous). It also made me a bit bummed when I realized that the couple had been together as long as Dave and I. It could have been us getting married if only David hadn’t waited so long to propose (the other couple got engaged a year before us). It also made me sad because the evening went by so quickly. One minute they were saying I do and the next minute was the last dance. It made me realize that our big day will go by just as quickly. All this planning is for 5 short hours.
It also made me sad to be back in the Bay Area. I’ve lived near LA, in the San Joaquin Valley (think Grapes of Wrath), and near Monterey (think East of Eden). No place has ever felt as much as “home” to me as the East Bay. I miss the people, City of San Francisco, the Bay, BART, Dave’s family, my old office, Dave’s old job, the food, the community, and the friends I made. It pains me to think that I may never have that feeling of “home” again. Part of me wants to run back the first chance we get. The other part of me thinks that I just need to give San Diego more time and perhaps one day it will become my home.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
I got my STD!
For the past few weeks, I've been talking excitedly to my friends about our STDs. I called my future mother-in-law (FMIL) yesterday to let her know that we had received the STD proof via email. My FMIL didn't say anything and that's when I realized that she doesn't know what an STD is. Well she knows what an STD is but it's not the same thing as what I'm talking about. So I gently explained to her that STD was bridal lingo for Save The Dates.
It'll take 3 weeks for the STDs to get printed and turned into magnets. After that I'll start the process of mailing them out to our entire guest list (all 150 of them). Holy cow. Only 8 more months until we get married. Where has the time gone???
I've been having these weird reoccurring dreams lately. In them I'm about to get married to an ex-boyfriend (different ex's in each dream) and I'm VERY unhappy. I can remember vaguely that once upon a time I used to be very in-love with someone else but that relationship has ended and will never be part of my life again. As a result of the failed relationship, I have gone back to an ex-bf and now we're getting married. During the entire dream I feel helpless to stop the upcoming marriage since I was the one that went back to the ex.
Weird, huh?
Have I told anyone lately how lucky I am to have Dave in my life? The boy is just so perfect in so many ways. He gets me better then anyone else has ever gotten me. He loves me more then I deserve to be loved. He's sweet, and kind, and smart, and hot. Very hot. I love him so incredibly much. I still feel like pinching myself. I can't believe that he's dating me, let alone MARRYING me!
It'll take 3 weeks for the STDs to get printed and turned into magnets. After that I'll start the process of mailing them out to our entire guest list (all 150 of them). Holy cow. Only 8 more months until we get married. Where has the time gone???
I've been having these weird reoccurring dreams lately. In them I'm about to get married to an ex-boyfriend (different ex's in each dream) and I'm VERY unhappy. I can remember vaguely that once upon a time I used to be very in-love with someone else but that relationship has ended and will never be part of my life again. As a result of the failed relationship, I have gone back to an ex-bf and now we're getting married. During the entire dream I feel helpless to stop the upcoming marriage since I was the one that went back to the ex.
Weird, huh?
Have I told anyone lately how lucky I am to have Dave in my life? The boy is just so perfect in so many ways. He gets me better then anyone else has ever gotten me. He loves me more then I deserve to be loved. He's sweet, and kind, and smart, and hot. Very hot. I love him so incredibly much. I still feel like pinching myself. I can't believe that he's dating me, let alone MARRYING me!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The Honeymooners
Dave and I have been working with a travel agent to book our honeymoon. We both agreed that Mexico fit our image of the perfect vacation (sandy beaches, all inclusive resorts, big airplanes that could take us there, and no militia to pillage us as we step out of the airport). In actuality Dave really wanted to go to Costa Rica (and I might have made a tiny promise to try and lure him to propose to me that we would go to Costa Rica for our honeymoon) but unfortunately I am quite convinced that going to Costa Rica will involve militia so that choice is out. Dave easily gave into me since we all know how his last vacation request turned out.
At first, we were open to any beachy areas in Mexico but then I quickly fell in love with the Riviera Maya. Since I'm so open minded I continue to email our travel agent requesting other areas of Mexico but then I quickly add "but the Riviera Maya is so lovely, I really like it. ALOT". I think that our travel agent can see that we're keeping our options open (as long as the final result is Riviera Maya). Have I mentioned that I really like the Riviera Maya ALOT? The area has a great history and several Mayan Ruins that seem like they'll be enjoyable to explore. (Read the history link. Very informative)
At first, we were open to any beachy areas in Mexico but then I quickly fell in love with the Riviera Maya. Since I'm so open minded I continue to email our travel agent requesting other areas of Mexico but then I quickly add "but the Riviera Maya is so lovely, I really like it. ALOT". I think that our travel agent can see that we're keeping our options open (as long as the final result is Riviera Maya). Have I mentioned that I really like the Riviera Maya ALOT? The area has a great history and several Mayan Ruins that seem like they'll be enjoyable to explore. (Read the history link. Very informative)
As one of the resort suggestions, our travel agent told us about the Aventura Spa Palace. *sigh* I really want to go here. Everything about it seems so perfect. They even have a special Honeymooners dinner where all the newly married couples get together, have a special 5 course meal, and then play the Newlywed Game! Dave and I would so kick booty.
Friday, October 06, 2006
I'm in Love!!!
Update: I knew it was too good to be true.Most houses in this area that are that size (1700 sq ft) go for $500k-ish. This house was listed for $344k! (I know! Buy Now) So since the house was only located 3.5 miles from work (I know! Buy!) I decided to make a quick trip to check out the casa. The house looked WAY better then the pictures make it look and the pictures make it look very appealing (I know! Buy). The problem? The house is actually a foreclosure and will be sold at auction in just 10 days. Dave and I have the down payment together but there is no way we could afford to buy the house AND carry our apartment rent for 6 months (that's how long we have left on our lease). The other problem is that we'll be out of town at a wedding on the day of the auction. I'm so bummed. The house was awesome and was located in an awesome part of town ;-( C'est la vie (or however the French say "this sucks but oh well")
I love this house. It's just so cute and SO reasonable priced!!!! We were planning on waiting 10 months til we buy but I'm not sure I can just let this house slip through my fingers. 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1 partial, community pool, corner lot, and a fantastic view!!! I WANT!
I'm not totally in love with the front of the house but I think it's cute (just not my style). I prefer more of a french provincial or mediterranean look.
Living room fireplace and partial view of backyard. Other half of living room has vaulted ceilings.
The deck with the fantastic view!
The park that adjoins the property.
The community pool which is maintained by the home owner's association. Located very close to the house.
I love this house. It's just so cute and SO reasonable priced!!!! We were planning on waiting 10 months til we buy but I'm not sure I can just let this house slip through my fingers. 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1 partial, community pool, corner lot, and a fantastic view!!! I WANT!
I'm not totally in love with the front of the house but I think it's cute (just not my style). I prefer more of a french provincial or mediterranean look.
Living room fireplace and partial view of backyard. Other half of living room has vaulted ceilings.
The deck with the fantastic view!
The park that adjoins the property.
The community pool which is maintained by the home owner's association. Located very close to the house.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Fitness Friday
Fall has finally come to SoCal. The high is now 70 versus the summer high of 75. AND the evening clouds have a grey tinge to them that almost makes you think that they might produce rain if we wait 6 more months. As you can imagine this drastic weather change has us all rushing for the sweaters and hot chocolate. (Can you hear my sarcasm????)
In other news, while I was in Portland I took a NIA class that was fantastic! Like most I had never heard of NIA (a blend of martial arts and dance) but was intrigued by the mix. Within the 1st 15 minutes of the class I became a NIA lover. For 60 minutes the instructor mixed various forms of tai chi, belly dancing, free form dance, and hip hop to some great music. Check out the NIA website to find out if they have any classes near you.
I've been trying to get in shape for some time and attending the NIA class gave me motivation to try out different forms of cardio. On Monday I had my 1st belly dancing class and I loved it!!! Seriously, I can't wait to go back next Monday and gyrate my hips and chest some more. I probably should clarify that while you may think my belly dancing class resembled something along these lines:
In other news, while I was in Portland I took a NIA class that was fantastic! Like most I had never heard of NIA (a blend of martial arts and dance) but was intrigued by the mix. Within the 1st 15 minutes of the class I became a NIA lover. For 60 minutes the instructor mixed various forms of tai chi, belly dancing, free form dance, and hip hop to some great music. Check out the NIA website to find out if they have any classes near you.
I've been trying to get in shape for some time and attending the NIA class gave me motivation to try out different forms of cardio. On Monday I had my 1st belly dancing class and I loved it!!! Seriously, I can't wait to go back next Monday and gyrate my hips and chest some more. I probably should clarify that while you may think my belly dancing class resembled something along these lines:
In actuality we more closely resembled this: (it's only a beginner course! Give us a break!)
To further motivate myself to get fit and lose weight, I signed up for a personal trainer at the gym. The sessions are a bit pricey ($550 for 10) but I'm hoping that it turns out to be a rewarding experience with a positive outcome. I gotta do something so that I get to looking like this again:
Monday, October 02, 2006
Pictures!
Fluff enjoys wearing sweaters ;-) 
The pink sunset from our living room window.
Me & Dave at a Winery
Dave & His College Roommates
The pink sunset from our living room window.
Me & Dave at a Winery
Dave & His College Roommates
Our limo. Awesome!
The inside of the limo.
Sick Day
Last night I made the most amazing and simple dinner. While we were wine tasting we came upon a winery that had a baked sourdough bread roll filled with brie cheese. We bought an unbaked one and took it home with us. Last night I baked it and served it with a grilled chicken and mixed green salad with carmelized onions, dried cranberries, roasted pear, and croutons. The whole salad was tossed in a gargonzola vinaigrette. Yum and semi-healthy. The only thing not making it completely healthy was that the bread was so good and Dave and I ended up eating almost half. Well worth the calories and carbs.
Dave left this morning at 6am to catch his flight to St Louis, MO. I miss that boy already ;-( I really wish that he didn't have to travel so much for work. Luckily, I leave again this week to fly to a meeting in Sacramento. It's not so hard to say goodbye to Dave when I have to leave to a meeting too.
Today I stayed home from work sick (cough, cough). I plan on doing some good deep cleaning, watch a bit of TLC Baby Story, go grocery shopping, and maybe play a bit of Dance Dance Revolution** before going to my belly dancing class later tonight. I have a weak core and I'm really hoping that the belly dancing turns out to be a fun cardio class as well as help strengthen my back and tummy muscles.
** Damn that pic is depressing. I forgot how skinny I used to be when Dave and I began dating!
Dave left this morning at 6am to catch his flight to St Louis, MO. I miss that boy already ;-( I really wish that he didn't have to travel so much for work. Luckily, I leave again this week to fly to a meeting in Sacramento. It's not so hard to say goodbye to Dave when I have to leave to a meeting too.
Today I stayed home from work sick (cough, cough). I plan on doing some good deep cleaning, watch a bit of TLC Baby Story, go grocery shopping, and maybe play a bit of Dance Dance Revolution** before going to my belly dancing class later tonight. I have a weak core and I'm really hoping that the belly dancing turns out to be a fun cardio class as well as help strengthen my back and tummy muscles.
** Damn that pic is depressing. I forgot how skinny I used to be when Dave and I began dating!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)